Tag Archives: Government

First of two public meetings on the budget @ LCC Budget 2014-05-27

Chairman Bill Slaughter started this morning’s budget session as “the first of our two public meetings on the budget before that budget will be adopted; basically a work session to go over the budget.” Does that mean it is a Public Hearing? If so, why do the county’s front page and calendar link to a blank page for a “Budget Session”, and there’s no Public Notice, even though there were Public Notices for the two road abandonments on the agenda for the Work Session and Regular Session? How can it be a Public Hearing if it’s not announced as such and the public doesn’t know about it? Gretchen says that near the end they clarified that this was not a Public Hearing, and there would be two actual Public Hearings before the budget was adopted, although when is still a mystery.

Here’s a video playlist, followed by links to the individual videos. There are no links to an agenda, because the county didn’t publish an agenda, nor a draft budget.

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Videos: Road work and apparently annexation @ LCC Work 2014-05-27

Nevermind the County Engineer said about the Cat Creek Road bridge, “All construction will take place during the months of June and July” (Work Session 2014-03-24), it was closed when Gretchen was headed for this morning’s Work Session, so she had to go by Moody AFB on Bemiss Road, and was a few minutes late. That’s why there’s no video for the first few agenda items, and the videos are handheld. They vote 5:30 PM this evening at the Regular Session, is the same time as the Planning Commission meeting.

The smaller acreage for the return of the Hahira Annexation request is because it no longer has frontage on Hagen Bridge Road, only on GA 122, thus removing the county’s previous grounds for objection (but it’s also on the Planning Commission agenda at 5:30PM today, same time as the Regular Session). There is an appointment to the Hospital Authority and two reappointments to the shadowy Lowndes County Public Facilities Authority that approves bonds. Two Public Hearings for road abandonments, of Old Statenville Road and of Excess Right of Way on James Road and Riverside Road. All that plus a GEMA Sheltering Memorandum of Agreement and a beer license, plus Poll Manager Recognition.

Here’s the agenda, with links to the videos and a few notes. See videos from the previous Regular Session for context on the Public Hearings and on the James Road Subsidence.

LOWNDES COUNTY BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS
PROPOSED AGENDA
WORK SESSION, TUESDAY, MAY 27, 2014, 8:30 a.m.
REGULAR SESSION, TUESDAY, MAY 27, 2014, 5:30 p.m.
327 N. Ashley Street — 2nd Floor
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Work, Budget, and Regular Sessions all Tuesday @ LCC 2014-05-27

The Hahira Annexation request is back (while on the Planning Commission agenda the same day), and there is an appointment to the Hospital Authority and two to the shadowy Lowndes County Public Facilities Authority that approves bonds. Two Public Hearings for road abandonments, of Old Statenville Road and of Excess Right of Way on James Road and Riverside Road. All that plus a GEMA Sheltering Memorandum of Agreement and a beer license, plus Poll Manager Recognition.

The county’s front page and calendar link to a blank page for a Budget Session Tuesday. Guessing by previous behavior, that may mean at 5PM before the Regular Session at 5:30 PM, which in turn is the same time as the Planning Commission meeting. The Work Session is also Tuesday, at 8:30AM, due to Memorial Day Monday.

Here’s the agenda. See videos from the previous Regular Session for context on the Public Hearings and on the James Road Subsidence.

LOWNDES COUNTY BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS
PROPOSED AGENDA
WORK SESSION, TUESDAY, MAY 27, 2014, 8:30 a.m.
REGULAR SESSION, TUESDAY, MAY 27, 2014, 5:30 p.m.
327 N. Ashley Street — 2nd Floor
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Videos of votes: James Road fallout, airport, water, sewer, alcohol @ LCC 2014-05-13

In a Special Presentation to Thomas Smith on retiring from the 911 center, we saw a rare use of the county’s video camera to display the podium at the front of the room. Escalated from contingency fund to SPLOST payment (we still don’t know how much): fixing the James Road 10-inch drop in 48 hours in front of Westside Elementary School due to faulty road construction in 2008. Also due to that same hasty 2008 James Road widening and realignment for the James Road second mall and massive subdivision mega-project that never happened, they scheduled a Public Hearing for abandoning Excess Right of Way on James Rd & Riverside Dr. And they voted to fix three discrepencies MIDS, Inc. found in its contract of last year. They voted for the low bid on the lift station pump without ever saying what the other bids were.

They reappointed Airport Authority Chairman Steve Everett for another four-year term; he did not appear. They approved the 911 Center surplus item sale. They scheduled a Public Hearing to abandon part of Old Statenville Road SE because they say only seven cars a day, no, now it’s ten cars a day, use it and there are no houses on it. Nobody had any questions about the a beer license.

And the County Manager said a quarantine on the Animal Shelter was being lifted and the next Work Session would be Tuesday (27 May 2014) because of the holiday (Memorial Day).

Here’s the agenda.

LOWNDES COUNTY BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS
PROPOSED AGENDA
WORK SESSION, MONDAY, MAY 12, 2014, 8:30 a.m.
REGULAR SESSION, TUESDAY, MAY 13, 2014, 5:30 p.m.
327 N. Ashley Street — 2nd Floor
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Executive Session for Real Estate @ VLCIA 2014-05-27

The Industrial Authority is having a Special Called Meeting Tuesday at 4:45 PM, the agenda for which goes straight into Executive Session for no stated reason. Is that even legal, as I’ve asked before about a VLCIA executive session?

Also, why is G. Norman Bennett still listed as a board member and Vice Chairman, even though according to the VDT he resigned from VLCIA 13 March 2014? I asked him about that in Hahira a month ago today and he said he’d talk to VLCIA. Somebody didn’t follow through.

Here’s the agenda, which says they’re having an invocation for the purpose of discussing real estate and gives no reason for the Executive Session. Also from the Georgia Open Meetings Act of 2012, 50-14-3(b)(1): Continue reading →

Hahira annexation again, two county, and four Valdosta w. Phi Sigma Kappa @ GLPC 2014-05-27

Return of the Hahira rezoning and annexation, down from 66.1 to as 58.09 acres, even after the Lowndes County Commission letter of objection of 22 April 2014, and on Tuesday next week, same time as the County Commission meeting. A ULDC amendment request for Special Events and such and an LDR amendment request for unspecified reasons. A county rezoning to agricultural and three Valdosta use changes: daycare, fraternity, and commercial office.

Here’s the agenda, which arrived as a PDF actually convertable to text!

Greater Lowndes Planning Commission

Lowndes County City of Valdosta City of Dasher City of Hahira City of Lake Park

REGULAR MONTHLY MEETING

AGENDA

Lowndes County South Health District Administrative Office
325 West Savannah Avenue
Tuesday, May 27, 2014* 5:30 P.M. * Public Hearing

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Nimble –Videos of Gretchen at VSU @ YR 2014-05-15

Elected officials need to adapt to new information and new circumstances, while all working together. Here are videos of Gretchen saying she will be nimble if elected, at VSU last Tuesday at an event organized by the South Georgia Young Republicans and others. Remember, this Special Election is tomorrow, Tuesday May 20th, because the seat is vacant. The winner will take office immediately upon certification of the election results. LAKE supports Gretchen Quarterman for Lowndes County Commission District 5, with her calling for financial stewardship and community transparency for economic development.

Here’s a video playlist, followed by links to the individual videos with transcriptions.

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School Board Candidates at VSU @ YR 2014-05-15

Here are videos of the school board candidates from the “debate” of last Tuesday at VSU. Remember, this school board election will be decided tomorrow, Tuesday May 20th, unless there’s a runoff for some seat, so tomorrow is the day to vote.

This is everything they said at VSU, except some of the answers to the first question, since I was late from the Lowndes County Commission meeting; sorry about that.

District 1: the incumbent, Mike Davis, spoke, and challenger Bobby Watford was absent.

District 2: the incumbent Fred Wetherington, has chosen not to run. All three candidates for this open seat spoke: Eric Johnson, Tara Parker, and Mark Barber. And here are videos when all three of the District 2 candidates also spoke:

District 3: the incumbent, Brian Browning, is running unopposed, and did not speak at VSU.

Here’s a video playlist of the school board candidates at VSU, followed by links to each of the videos. As usual, anyone may use these videos, provided they cite the source, Lowndes Area Knowledge Exchange (LAKE).

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Unnecessary lawsuit against local business in GA Supreme Court today

Why is the Lowndes County Commission spending our tax dollars to sue a local company for collecting trash, in appeal at the Georgia Supreme Court this morning? Why not just let Deep South Sanitation compete with Advanced Disposal Services? Perhaps we should “stop wasting taxpayer money”, as Gretchen said to the Commission a year ago.

From DSS’s facebook page 5 May 2014, LOWNDES CO & ADVANCED DISPOSAL VS DEEP SOUTH UPDATE:

Dear Friends of Deep South, we have been notified that a date for the “APPEAL” has been set for Monday, May 19, 2014 @ 10am to be held in Atlanta, Ga. before the Supreme Court. The Lowndes County Attorney along with Advanced Disposal’s Attorney’s will have the opportunity to argue their case. Our Attorney, Rob Plumb will speak on behalf of Deep South and for the people. There will not be a ruling on this day. We will post the results of the Court’s ruling on our FB page as soon as we receive word.—As always, we thank all of you for your prayers and support. God Bless America!

And from DSS’s facebook page yesterday: Appeals Court Tomorrow Morning @ 10am.

“Thank you” to every one for your thoughts and prayers. Cary and Trevor just left headed to Atlanta. The appeal will be heard by the Supreme Court and a ruling should come at a later date. Hopefully, this will be the end of the lawsuit filed by the County and Advanced Disposal. We will post any news on our FB page as soon as we get word from our Attorney. Thanks again, your support means the world to us.

As Gretchen said a year ago to the Commissioners who voted for that unnecessary lawsuit,

I wonder which one of you said “This will really attract people to start or relocate business in our county when we sue one of our local business owners.”

If I were considering a business move, I wouldn’t move to a county that eats its own.

I ask that you drop the lawsuit and stop wasting taxpayer money. Thank you.

We don’t have to be a county like that. Let’s change some Commissioners and stop this waste of taxpayer money.

LAKE supports Gretchen Quarterman for Lowndes County Commission District 5. Please vote tomorrow, Tuesday May 20th. It’s not a primary: that’s Election Day for this Special Election for District 5. Your vote matters.

-jsq

Study before Levee –Tim Carroll @ VCC 2014-05-06

Comment on facebook 10 May 2014 and he told me the same by telephone.

It is clear a full watershed wide study must be completed before any decisions can be made. As established in this first study—The City of Valdosta is the recipient-not the origin- of the flood waters. While it confirms what we already knew, my job is to try and keep the ball rolling forward. Engage congressional leaders, secure funding and find long term, sustainable solutions that benefit all communities within the watershed basin. A levee by itself is not the answer.
–Tim Carroll

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