Tag Archives: Georgia Open Records Act

Work and Regular Sessions Cancelled @ LCC 2024-09-23-24

“The September 23, 2024 Work Session and the September 24, 2024 Regular Session Commission Meetings have been cancelled,” reads the Lowndes County response to the usual LAKE open records request for the board packet. No explanation was included.

The calendar entries on lowndescounty.com for the Work Session and the Regular Session are no more informative, merely saying &lquo;CANCELLED”.

[CANCELLED: 2024-09-23-24 Work and Regular Sessions, But Millage Public Hearing Thursday, Lowndes County Commission]
CANCELLED: 2024-09-23-24 Work and Regular Sessions, But Millage Public Hearing Thursday, Lowndes County Commission

However, the third and final Public Hearing on the Millage is 5 PM Thursday, September 26, 2024.

According to Lowndes County Chairman Bill Slaughter in the second Millage Public Hearing on September 19, “And then we will adopt the millage, setting the rate, on September 26, as well.”

How that will work is mysterious, since no agenda is posted for the Millage Public Hearing. Maybe they will just vote after the Public Hearing, since presumably a quorum of Commissioners will be in the room. Or they still have time to announce a Special Called Meeting at least 24 hours in advance, as state law requires.

-jsq

Investigative reporting costs money, for open records requests, copying, web hosting, gasoline, and cameras, and with sufficient funds we can pay students to do further research. You can donate to LAKE today!
http://www.l-a-k-e.org/blog/donate

Videos: ULDC Updates, AB Motorsports withdrawn, Wild Adventures glamping @ GLPC 2024-04-24

Update 2023-04-09: Packet: Wild Adventures glamping, AB Motorsports withdrawn, a road abandonment and RoW purchase, Clyattville Community Center, plus alcohol @ LCC 2023-05-08.

Not on the agenda for the Greater Lowndes Planning Commission (GLPC), and not in the board packet materials Lowndes County sent in response to a LAKE open records request, instead showing up under Other Business, were some updates to the Unified Land Development Code (ULDC).

[Collage @ LCC 24 April 2023]
Collage @ LCC 24 April 2023

Former Lowndes County Planner Jason Davenport, rehired by the county as a consultant, said he gave the Planning Commission a list of a dozen ULDC amendments that would come before them next month for a recommendation. They included: Continue reading →

Packet: AB Motorsports withdrawn, Wild Adventures glamping @ GLPC 2023-04-24

The rezoning request for AB Motorsports has been withdrawn by the applicant, and the rezoning is still live for the Wild Adventures Safari Campground, for RVs, cabins, and glamping, at the Greater Lowndes Planning Commission (GLPC) meeting tonight.

We know this because, a day late and a dollar short, Lowndes County late yesterday supplied most of the board packet.

[Maps, rezonings @ GLPC 2023-04-24]
Maps, rezonings @ GLPC 2023-04-24

Just after I posted the agenda and sent them email reminding that it had been four working days sent LAKE sent the open records request and that the Georgia Open Records Act (GORA) requires a response in three days, as their own County Clerk web page says: “Once a request is received, Lowndes County will notify the requesting party within 3 days regarding the availability of the information”; a few minutes later the county sent the agenda packet materials for the two rezonings.

But once again they did not satisfy this part of the request: “Including the minutes of the previous GLPC meeting (those are NOT on the lowndescounty.com website).”

Considering that the planners for Dasher, Lake Park, Hahira, and Valdosta responded the same day as the request (saying they had no items), I really do not see what is so difficult for Lowndes County to respond in a timely manner according to state law. They have to have the same materials already available for GLPC, so all they need to do is email a few PDFs.

Even better, why can’t Lowndes County put board packet materials on their own website, as many counties smaller and larger in Georgia and Florida have been doing for years? Why do you, the taxpayers and voters and other interested parties, have to depend on a third party to find out what an elected government is doing?

The materials thus far received from Lowndes County for tonight are on the LAKE website.

-jsq

Investigative reporting costs money, for open records requests, copying, web hosting, gasoline, and cameras, and with sufficient funds we can pay students to do further research. You can donate to LAKE today!
http://www.l-a-k-e.org/blog/donate

Agenda: Rezonings for AB Motorsports and Wild Adventures @ GLPC 2023-04-24

Update 2023-04-24: Packet: AB Motorsports withdrawn, Wild Adventures glamping @ GLPC 2023-04-24.

Two sports-related rezonings will be considered by the Greater Lowndes Planning Commission (GLPC) Monday evening, for a recommendation by GLPC and a later decision by the Lowndes County Commission (LCC).

[Agenda and rezonings @ GLPC 2023-04-24]
Agenda and rezonings @ GLPC 2023-04-24

Here is the agenda.

LAKE has no board packet to show, because Lowndes County has not responded to a LAKE open records request of 8:00 AM Tuesday, four working days ago, even though the Georgia Open Records Act (GORA) requires a response within three working days.

As a placeholder, I’ve stuck in a couple of maps of the rezoning areas from the Lowndes County Tax Assessors maps.

Greater Lowndes Planning Commission
~ Lowndes County ~ City of Valdosta ~ City of Dasher ~
~ City of Hahira ~ City of Lake Park ~ City of Remerton ~

Monday, April 17, 2023 5:30 P.M. Work Session
Monday, April 24, 2023 5:30 P.M. Regular Session
Lowndes County South Health District Administrative Office
325 West Savannah Avenue, Valdosta, Georgia

Continue reading →

Videos: James Road rezoning and three water projects @ LCC 2023-03-14

The contentious James Road rezoning passed by 3:2, on March 14, 2023. After speakers for and against, and questions from Lowndes County Commissioners, Commissioner Clay Griner made the motion, and Commissioner Mark Wisenbaker seconded. They and Commissioner Scottie Orenstein voted in favor. Commissioners Joyce Evans and Demarcus Marshall voted against.

[Collage @ LCC 14 March 2023]
Collage @ LCC 14 March 2023

Everything else passed unanimously, including the $1.2 million for three water projects, two for subdivisions with golf clubs, and the most expensive one to run a watermain up Val Del Road, enticing more subdivisions up that way.

Cost What
$980,051.00Val-Del Water Main Extension
$225,910.30Francis Lake Sewer Rehab
$26,585.50Kinderlou Offsite Well Emergency Repair
$1,232,546.80Total

Below are links to each LAKE video of each agenda item, with a few notes by Gretchen Quarterman, followed by a LAKE video playlist.

See also Continue reading →

Packet: James Road rezoning and three water projects @ LCC 2023-03-13

Update 2023-04-04: Videos: James Road rezoning and three water projects @ LCC 2023-03-14.

The board packet for the March 13 and 14, 2023, sessions of the Lowndes County Commission is on the LAKE website, received in response to a LAKE open records request.

[Collage, Board Packet, LCC 2023-03-13]
Collage, Board Packet, LCC 2023-03-13

It is still mysterious why the county does not put its board packets on its own website. Under Agenda Center for each County Commission agenda there is even a pulldown slot for “Packet”. That currently has only the agenda and the one-page agenda sheets. There is no reason it could not instead have the PDF of the entire board packet.

See also the LAKE videos of the Regular Session, the LAKE videos of the Work Session, the agenda, the minutes, and the preceding Planning Commission meeting.

-jsq

Investigative reporting costs money, for open records requests, copying, web hosting, gasoline, and cameras, and with sufficient funds we can pay students to do further research. You can donate to LAKE today!
http://www.l-a-k-e.org/blog/donate

Videos: Contentious James Road rezoning @ LCC Work 2023-03-13

This wasn’t even the Public Hearing, which is tomorrow evening. The Lowndes County Commissioners themselves were trying to make sense of the James Road rezoning. Commissioner Demarcus Marshall wanted to know how many floors the current zoning allows, and whether Smith Road would be improved. Two floors and the county has no plans to modify Smith Road at this time.

[Collage @ LCC 13 March 2023]
Collage @ LCC 13 March 2023

Commissioner Mark Wisenbaker wanted to know when James Road got widened. The County Planner said, “prior to 2008, for sure.” The County Manager said, “about fifteen years ago.” Actually, that widening started on February 16, 2009, which is 14 years ago. The County Manager later did produce the date of 2009; apparently the County Attorney looked that up.

The widening happened because of the proposed-in-2007 but-never-built Continue reading →

James Road rezoning, Kinderlou well emergency repair, Francis Lake sewer rehab, Val Del water main extension to McMillan Road @ LCC 2023-03-13

It will be a busy Work Session this morning at the Lowndes County Commission, with a rezoning, an emergency well repair, a sewer main rehab, and yet another water main extension northwards along Val Del Road, pushing sprawl with it.

As usual, they pretend the rezoning will cost the county nothing, yet the vast majority of the more than a million dollars for the water items is for the water main extension, which will result in more rezonings and more subdivisions. This has been the county’s practice on Val Del Road since they pushed water and sewer north for Nelson Hill subdivision. As goes Val Del, so goes the county, if the County Commission continues to have its way.

Cost What
$980,051.00Val-Del Water Main Extension
$225,910.30Francis Lake Sewer Rehab
$26,585.50Kinderlou Offsite Well Emergency Repair
$1,232,546.80Total

I do not have the board packet, because I forgot to send in a GORA request. Why the county does not put its board packets on its own website is mysterious. Under Agenda Center for each County Commission agenda there is even a pulldown slot for “Packet”. That currently has only the agenda and the one-page agenda sheets. There is no reason it could not instead have the PDF of the entire board packet.

[Agenda, James Road rezoning]
Agenda, James Road rezoning

However, the county got around to sending the GLPC materials for the rezoning the day after the GLPC meeting, well after the statutory three day limit for the Georgia Open Records Act (GORA). So those rezoning materials are on the LAKE website.

Here is the agenda. Continue reading →

Videos: Jury, Paving, and GEFA in Work Session @ LCC 2019-09-23

The Lowndes County Commission spent nine minutes yesterday morning discussing spending $124,454 and borrowing $1,734,000. They vote this evening at 5:30 PM.

The county has now gotten up to not just demanding landowners give road right of way to the county, but also condemning property if they don’t get it donated.

The longest item at less than two minutes was 6.d. Request for Professional Engineering Services Proposals – CDBG. As Gretchen remarks in the notes, apparently this is in support of Arglas, the Japanese glass products manufacturer locating on Rocky Ford Road.

Second longest was 7.b. Bid for a Breathing Air System for the Fire Department, due to a question by a Commissioner.

Below are Continue reading →

Jury, Paving, and GEFA in LCC Packet @ LCC 2019-09-23

Lowndes County staff are proposing to spend $124,454, according to all the “BUDGET IMPACT”s board packet: $48,500 for a Jury Management System, $1,469.00 for Condemning ROW for Howell Lane Paving Project, $3,500.00 (approx.) for Second Modification of GEFA Loan Agreement, and for the Fire Department $29,195.00 for a 1/2 Ton Truck and $41,790.00 for a Breathing Air System.

[Survey plat: Revised County RoW for Howell Lane]
Survey plat: Revised County RoW for Howell Lane

They propose to borrow $1,734,000 from the Georgia Environmental Finance Authority (GEFA).

The Lowndes County Commission discusses Monday morning at 8:30 AM. They vote 5:30 PM Tuesday.

[Project Budget]
GEFA Loan Agreement Project Budget

For the first time ever! Lowndes County has returned the board packet before the Work Session.

LAKE sent an open records request Tuesday, and the county actually supplied the packet Friday, with this note: Continue reading →