Tag Archives: Georgia

All approved: Valdosta CUP, 2 Hahira items @ GLPC Videos 2023-11-27

Despite staff recommendation against, the Greater Lowndes Planning Commission (GLPC) by a 3:2 vote recommended approval of the car wash across from a car wash.

As you can see by those numbers, several Planning Commissioners were absent. of the one Valdosta item Monday evening, and approval of the two Hahira items, one with conditions.

[Collage @ GLPC 27 November 2023]
Collage @ GLPC 27 November 2023

Gretchen spoke in favor of 5. HA-2023-04 Chancy Drugs (205 East Main Street) variance for THC sales: “When this law was made, it was made exactly for communities like Hahira, where we have this one drugstore.” Continue reading →

Videos: VLDA appointment, VAWA Grant, Cross Connection Control Plan, Jail Addition, Code Red, 911 addition @ LCC Regular 2023-11-14

Last month, they unanimously approved everything, with little discussion, in the Lowndes County Commission Regular Session, November 14, 2023. They were all present.

The entire meeting took twelve minutes, including the 3-minute County Manager’s Report.

[Collage @ LCC 14 November 2023]
Collage @ LCC 14 November 2023

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:

And now the LAKE videos of the Regular Session: Continue reading →

Packet: VLDA appointment, VAWA Grant, Cross Connection Control Plan, Jail Addition, Code Red, 911 addition @ LCC 2023-11-13

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

[Collage, Lowndes County Commission Board Packet 2023-11-13]
Collage, Lowndes County Commission Board Packet 2023-11-13

Cost What
$192,780.00Lowndes County 911 Bids
$31,500.00Code Red Service Agreement Renewal
$25,669.00Approval of Solicitor General’s VAWA Competitive Grant Application for 2024
$249,949.00Total

Here again is the agenda.

See also the LAKE videos of the Work Session and the LAKE videos of the Regular Session. Continue reading →

Packet: expand Board of Tax Assessors, new water tower, appointments, election qualifying fees, insurance, and bids @ LCC 2023-12-11

Update 2023-12-28: Videos: expand Board of Tax Assessors, new water tower, appointments, election qualifying fees, insurance, and bids @ LCC Work 2023-12-11.

Only tomorrow morning at 8:30 AM (or in the following LAKE video) will you hear from Elaine Grice, Executive Director of Court Appointed Special Advocates (CASA) for Lowndes and Echols Counties.

[Collage, LCC Packet, 2023-12-11]
Collage, LCC Packet, 2023-12-11

The rest of the agenda for the Lowndes County Commission is quite busy, with appointments to two boards, expansion of the Board of Tax Assessors from 3 to 5 members, among other items.

Cost What
$3,551,666.00New Elevated Water Tower located at 2650 James Road Extension
$886,352.50Moody AFB Emergency Backup Water Connection
$171,593.002024 ACCG Workers’ Compensation Insurance Renewal
$70,500.00UPS Replacement at the Naylor and Hahira Public Safety Radio System
$63,580.00Bid for Security Services at the Human Resources Building
$1,473.00Lowndes County Juvenile Accountability Court (LCJAC) FY24 Enhancement and Innovation Award
$0.00Loan to Valdosta Housing Authority
$4,745,164.50Total

Oh, and $3.5 million for a new water tower.

The board packet, received in response to a LAKE open records request is on the LAKE website. Here is the agenda.

LOWNDES COUNTY BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS
PROPOSED AGENDA
WORK SESSION, MONDAY, DECEMBER 11, 2023, 8:30 a.m.
REGULAR SESSION, TUESDAY, DECEMBER 12, 2023, 5:30 p.m.
327 N. Ashley Street – 2nd Floor

Continue reading →

Videos: ULDC contractor extension, hospital revenue certificate reissuance, LAS generator, Juvenile Justice grant, Val Del Estates infrastructure @ LCC Regular 2023-10-24

EMA Director Ashley Tye reported that all the disaster recovery centers were closing after Hurricane Idalia, with Cook County still open for a bit. This was six weeks ago, at a Lowndes County Commission Regular Session.

[Collage @ LCC 24 October 2023]
Collage @ LCC 24 October 2023

That took six minutes of the seventeen-minute meeting. County Manager Paige Dukes took another three minutes for her report.

The Commissioners breezed through the other agenda items and unanimously approved them all.

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

And now the videos: Continue reading →

Videos: ULDC contractor extension, hospital revenue certificate reissuance, LAS generator, Juvenile Justice grant, Val Del Estates infrastructure @ LCC Work 2023-10-23

Update 2023-12-07: Videos: ULDC contractor extension, hospital revenue certificate reissuance, LAS generator, Juvenile Justice grant, Val Del Estates infrastructure @ LCC Regular 2023-10-24.

The Lowndes County Commission took six minutes to breeze through this Work Session agenda.

[Collage @ LCC 23 October 2023]
Collage @ LCC 23 October 2023

Below are links to each LAKE video of each agenda item, with a few notes by Gretchen Quarterman, followed by a LAKE video playlist. Well, she made no notes this time, because no Commissioners asked any questions, and the whole thing only took six minutes. The only slightly new information is that J.D. Dillard said the ULDC Updates were still within budget even with the requested extension.

See also the agenda and board packet, received in response to a LAKE open records request. Continue reading →

Staff recommend deny Valdosta CUP, approve 2 Hahira items @ GLPC Packet 2023-11-27

Staff recommends the the Greater Lowndes Planning Commission (GLPC) recommend denial of the one Valdosta item Monday evening, and approval of the two Hahira items, one with conditions.

[Collage @ GLPC Packet 2023-11-27]
Collage @ GLPC Packet 2023-11-27

The agenda packet items, recieved in response to a LAKE open records request, are on the LAKE website.

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

Continue reading →

Videos: 2 Lowndes County Cases, 4 Valdosta City Cases @ GLPC 2023-09-25

All the items got unanimous recommendations of approval from the Greater Lowndes Planning Commission, except 5. CU-2023-03 2525 N Ashley Street CUP for an Event Center in C-H zoning got a recommendation of approval with no conditions by a 6:2 vote. This was at the Monday, September 25, 2023, meeting.

[Collage @ LCC 25 September 2023]
Collage @ LCC 25 September 2023

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

Also below is what happened in each case according to the Minutes.

See also the agenda and board packet, received in response to a LAKE open records request. Continue reading →

Videos: VLDA appointment, VAWA Grant, Cross Connection Control Plan, Jail Addition, Code Red, 911 addition @ LCC Work 2023-11-13

Update 2023-12-11 Videos: VLDA appointment, VAWA Grant, Cross Connection Control Plan, Jail Addition, Code Red, 911 addition @ LCC Regular 2023-11-14.

Several of the Lowndes County Commissioners were absent at yesterday morning’s Work Session.

[Collage @ LCC 13 November 2023]
Collage @ LCC 13 November 2023

The Commissioners who were present breezed through the agenda in a few minutes. Joyce Evans, Scottie Orenstein, Clay Griner, and Chairman Bill Slaughter had no questions on any item. Commissioners Demarcus Marshall and Mark Wisenbaker were not present.

Below are links to each LAKE video of each agenda item, with a few notes by Gretchen Quarterman, followed by a LAKE video playlist. Actually, she did not make any notes this time. And I did not hear anything new in the videos.

See also the agenda. Continue reading →

Agenda: VLDA appointment, VAWA Grant, Cross Connection Control Plan, Jail Addition, Code Red, 911 addition @ LCC 2023-11-13

Update 2023-11-14: Videos: VLDA appointment, VAWA Grant, Cross Connection Control Plan, Jail Addition, Code Red, 911 addition @ LCC Work 2023-11-13.

At the Lowndes County Commission meeting this week, John Crawford wants to be reappointed to the Valdosta-Lowndes Development Authorty; it’s a joint appointment with Valdosta, and the City will be notified after the County vote.

[Agenda]
Agenda

The public does not know what was bid on for the 911 Center addition, beyond “a new storage building, renovation of four (4) offices, and resurfacing of the existing parking lot.” The Finance Department’s Bid Postings links to nothing for this item except a one-page PDF entitled “SECTION A INVITATION FOR BID”, which says, “Bidding documents may be obtained through Studio 8 Design, LLC in Valdosta, GA, 229-244-1188, email: sflythe@s8darchitects.com.”

We do know it will cost $192,780.00.

We don’t even know how much the jail addition will cost; apparently the vote before the Commission is to hire a Construction Manager, but we don’t know how much that will cost, either.

Costs are known for the Code Red renewal (same as last year) and for the VAWA Grant match (less than last time).

Cost What
$192,780.00Lowndes County 911 Bids
$31,500.00Code Red Service Agreement Renewal
$25,669.00Approval of Solicitor General’s VAWA Competitive Grant Application for 2024
$249,949.00Total

There are no rezonings this week, because no county rezonings were proposed at the preceding Planning Commission meeting.

Here is the agenda.

We do not have the board packet yet, because I neglected to file an open records request for it, which I have now done. Why that should be necessary remains mysterious, since many other counties larger and smaller in Georgia and Florida have been posting their board packets on their own websites for years.

LOWNDES COUNTY BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS
PROPOSED AGENDA
WORK SESSION, MONDAY, NOVEMBER 13, 2023, 8:30 a.m.
REGULAR SESSION, TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 14, 2023, 5:30 p.m.
327 N. Ashley Street – 2nd Floor

Continue reading →