Tag Archives: Georgia

This morning at the Lowndes County Commission Work Session, two appointments to the Hospital Authority of Valdosta and Lowndes County with six candidates, two small rezonings, a reimbursed grant for Juvenile Justice Court, renewal of the mosquito contract, and abandonment of some of Boring Pond Road.

Rezonings

Here are the candidates for Continue reading →

Videos: DUI Court, Cyber Security, Road Paving, Water and Sewer, and Budget @ LCC 2022-06-27

Update 2022-06-28: Three Citizens, budget, DUI, water, sewer, paving, cyber security, tractor @ LCC 2022-06-28.

Yesterday morning at their 11-minute Work Session the Lowndes County Commission and staff ran through everything as fast as the items could be read off.

Vice-Chair Scottie Orenstein presided in the absence of Chairman Bill Slaughter.

Items

They vote tonight at 5:30 PM.

Below are Continue reading →

Videos: Two controversial rezonings, Medical Council, Courts, Prisoners, Utilties @ LCC Regular 2022-06-16

Update 2022-09-12: REZ-2022-10 The Campus redo because previous decision was illegal: Packet: redo 2 rezonings, 3 extraterritorial water & sewer, $438,537 RR crossing, $2,542,586 Griner Park @ LCC 2022-09-12.

One rezoning was tabled until August 9th, then another was contentiously approved, after which a deputy escorted one opponent out of the room, at the Lowndes County Commission Regular Session, June 16, 2022.

Debra Tann Presentation, three rezonings

The third rezoning was approved with conditions, followed by another NIMBY walkout. That one had petitions both for and against, now on the LAKE website.

The fourth rezoning was Continue reading →

One big Dasher, two small Lowndes County rezonings @ GLPC 2022-06-27

Update 2022-07-11 Packet: the two Lowndes County Rezonings @ GLPC 2022-06-27.

The big Dasher item is to split out a couple of parcels for children, at the Greater Lowndes Planning Commission (GLPC) Regular Session Monday evening, June 27, 2022.

One of the two Lowndes County cases looks like they want to build a store. The other is a rare case of rezoning to more rural.

Agenda, Wisenbaker rezoning

Here is the agenda. Thanks to Loretta Hylton of SGRC, we already have the Dasher board packet item, which is on the LAKE website. We have sent Lowndes County an open records request for their cases and the preceding GLPC meeting minutes.

Greater Lowndes Planning Commission
~ Lowndes County ~ City of Valdosta ~ City of Dasher ~
~ City of Hahira ~ City of Lake Park ~ City of Remerton ~
Monday, June 20, 2022 5:30 P.M. Work Session
Monday, June 27, 2022 5:30 P.M. Regular Session
Lowndes County South Health District Administrative Office
325 West Savannah Avenue, Valdosta, Georgia
Continue reading →

Construction board appointment, Budget, DUI Court, water and sewer, TIA, and cyber security @ LCC 2022-06-27

Update 2022-06-28: Videos: DUI Court, Cyber Security, Road Paving, Water and Sewer, and Budget @ LCC 2022-06-27.

No rezonings this week, but a board appointment, budget adoption, money shuffling for the DUI Court, and two water and sewer infrastructure adoptions that, as usual, Lowndes County pretends will not cost the taxpayers money. Plus a mower for Public Works and some cyber security stuff. All at the Monday morning Work Session and the Tuesday 5:30 PM Regular Session.

Both pages of the agenda

Here is the agenda. A LAKE open records request has gone in for the board packet.

LOWNDES COUNTY BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS
PROPOSED AGENDA
WORK SESSION, MONDAY, JUNE 27, 2022, 8:30 a.m.
REGULAR SESSION, TUESDAY, JUNE 28, 2022, 5:30 p.m.
327 N. Ashley Street – 2nd Floor
Continue reading →

RIP Sonny Vickers + two sewer lines fixed @ VCC 2022-06-23

Update 2022-06-27: Trash boom good; more needed –Suwannee Riverkeeper @ VCC 2022-06-23.

Flags are to fly half-mast Sunday ~~across the entire state of Georgia~~ at the state Capitol and in Lowndes County for the late Sonny Vickers, whose absence loomed large over the Valdosta City Council meeting. The funeral will be 3 PM Sunday. There will be a special election for his Council seat, as required by the city charter.

Sonny Vickers and other matters

Mayor and Council also increased the number of vehicles for their on-call transit service, and approved two sewer line fixes.

One Citizen to Be Heard proposed renaming Cherry Street to Sonny Vickers Lane. Two others asked the city to do more about trash.

Also, that was the last Council meeting for Utilities Director David Frost, whose last day was today (Friday).

Below are links to each LAKE video of each agenda item with a few notes, followed by a LAKE video playlist. See also the agenda. The board packet, received in response to a LAKE open records request, is on the LAKE website. Some of the materials are out of order (I don’t know why), so if you don’t find something at first, keep looking.

I missed the first few items.
3.c. Special Election to fill vacant position for Valdosta City Council District 3.
Video.

The city charter requires a Special election, so one is being scheduled.
4.a. bids for the electrical outlets in the City Customer Service parking lot.
Video.

Outlets will allow food trucks to not have to use generators. The outlets can be locked off when not in use.
4.b. Amendment to the Master Terms and Conditions for the Via Transit Service.
Video.

Due to increased demand (300 rides per day), increasing the number of vehicles to ten total.
Thanks to Richard Hardy
Video.
4.c. Governmental Affairs Representation for the City of Valdosta.
Video.
5.a. Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) Annual Action Plan, Fiscal Year 2022.
Video.
5.b. payment of an invoice for emergency sewer repairs near Sustella Avenue.
Video.

Cave in at manhole on Sustella Ave. along One Mile Branch. Inspection discovered 525 feet also in danger of collapse. Due to emergency, Utilities selected a contractor without bids.
5.c. payment for emergency replacement, sewer line, Withlacoochee Wastewater TP.
Video.

Main input line to the plant, so “pretty critical.” Replaced 5500 feet of cement line with epoxy line. Emergency contractor selection with no bids. Work already completed April 6th. $259,430.86.
Council Tim Carroll pointed out that this is David Frost’s last Council meeting, and tomorrow is his last day. Applause, and mutual thanks from Frost.
6. CTBH Gregory Williams proposed renaming Cherry Street to Sonny Vickers Lane
Video.

Gregory Williams, 806 West Gordon Street, said he was a son of Sonny Vickers’ work. He proposed renaming Cherry Street to Sonny Vickers Lane. Vickers always lived on Cherry Street.
6. CTBH Gracie Bacon wants junk cars and trash cleaned up on Holly Drive
Video.

Gracie Bacon, 708 Holly Drive, said three houses had junk cars and trash that made it difficult to breathe. She invited Council to come see for themselves, then do something about it.
6. CTBH John S. Quarterman, Suwannee Riverkeeper, thanks: trash boom, Sugar Creek
Video.

John S. Quarterman, Suwannee Riverkeeper, thanked the city for fixing two sewer lines and installing a trash boom at Sugar Creek. He reminded them that there was more to do. For example, that trash on Holly Drive probably washes into waterways. More than that, fast food parking lots need trash cans and to keep trash from escaping. The city has ordinances, so if they don’t do it, the city can fine them. And the city should put trash cans on its own parking lots to set an example. He invited Mayor and Council to a chainsaw cleanup on the Withlacoochee River.
7. Manager Report (none) 8. Council Comments
Video.

Council Vivian Miller-Cody said the funeral for Sonny Vickers will be 3:00 PM this Sunday at Woodlawn Forrest Church of Christ, 1515 Barack Obama Blvd. If there’s no room, people can go to Harrington Funeral Home, 713 Lake Park Road, 229-242-2828. She said the family requests no flowers, rather donations to a cancer foundation which they are starting in honor of Council Sonny Vickers.
Mayor Scott James said the state proclamation from the governor is to fly flags throughout the state at half mast this Sunday. Standing ovation.

Here’s a LAKE video playlist:

RIP Sonny Vickers + two sewer lines fixed @ VCC 2022-06-23
Valdosta City Council Regular Session, June 23, 2022, Valdosta, Lowndes County, Georgia.
Videos by John S. Quarterman for Lowndes Area Knowledge Exchange (LAKE).

-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!

Videos: Process for non-profit applications for ARPA funds 2022-05-27

The Valdosta meeting about grants to non-profits from American Rescue Program Act (ARPA) funds consisted of a five-minute welcome by Valdosta City Manager Mark Barber, and a summary of the application process by Mike Smith of Valdosta United Way, followed by a half hour of questions and answers.

Chuck Dinkins, Valdosta Finance Director, and Mike Smith, Valdosta United Way

The actual application is thirteen pages, yet is pretty straightforward.

Below are links to LAKE videos of those three segments, followed by a LAKE video playlist. See also Continue reading →

Airport, parking lots, transit, CDBG, sewer, and WWTP @ VCC 2022-06-23

Update 2022-06-24: LAKE videos.

The Valdosta City Council tomorrow will consider two sewer line issues, at Sustella Avenue and at the Withlacoochee Wastewater Treatment Plant. Also two airport issues, and more.

Including a special election for City Council District 3, now vacant because of the death of Sonny Vickers (pictured, top left). Terry Richards, Valdosta Daily Times, June 17, 2022, Vickers passes: Remembering Valdosta’s first Black mayor

Front Row: Mayor Scott James Matheson; Middle Row: Ben Norton, Council At-Large, Sandra Tooley, District 2, Tim Carroll, District 5, Vivian Miller-Cody, Mayor Pro-Tem, District 1; Back Row: Sonny Vickers, District 3, Andy Gibbs, District 6, Eric Howard, District 4.

Here is the agenda.

AMENDED AGENDA
REGULAR MEETING OF THE VALDOSTA CITY COUNCIL
5:30 PM Thursday, June 23, 2022
CITY HALL, COUNCIL CHAMBERS
Continue reading →

Videos: Request to table, another rezoning withdrawn @ LCC 2020-06-16

Update 2022-06-28: LAKE videos, Two controversial rezonings, Medical Council, Courts, Prisoners, Utilties @ LCC Regular 2022-06-16.

The applicant’s request to table 7.a. REZ-2022-09 Flannigan, James Rd. until August was met with scepticism by Commissioner Scottie Orenstein, who said it sounded like panic after the Planning Commission had unanimously recommended denial. But he said it would be OK since the stated purpose of tabling was for the applicant to talk to the opponents, who are numerous.

Rezonings, Courts, Paving, Water

There is also a petition and letters against 7.b. REZ-2022-10 The Campus Transitional Care Facility, 2193 Howell Rd., and the neighboring property owner opposes, as two Commissioners clarified.

County Planner JD Dillard said there were petitions pro and con the Dairy Queen rezoning, 7.c. REZ-2022-11 Makesh, LLC, 900 Lakes Blvd. We have not seen them, but we have sent in an open records request for them. Update 2022-06-28: for those two peitions, see, Two controversial rezonings, Medical Council, Courts, Prisoners, Utilties @ LCC Regular 2022-06-16.

The fourth rezoning, 7.d. REZ-2022-12 Pittman, Phelps, Leonard, Moss Oak Trail, was withdrawn by the applicant.

The Commissioners vote this evening at 5:30 PM in the Regular Session. Before that, Continue reading →

Videos: Everything unanimously approved in fifteen minutes @ LCC 2022-05-24

The Lowndes County Commission approved everything as fast as they could hear each item read and vote, at their fifteen-minute Regular Session of May 24, 2022.

Some agenda items