Tag Archives: Gretchen Quarterman

Tabled for two weeks: proposed Old State Road to Alapaha River @ LCC 2013-02-12

The good news: they didn’t close the road to Hotchkiss Crossing at the Alapaha River. Lowndes County Water Resource Protection Districts Ordinance (WRPDO) Overlay Map They tabled it until their next meeting, which is in two weeks, 26 February 2013. Video will follow tomorrow, in which you will see the room was packed, mostly with people opposed to the road closing, some from as far away as Tifton. All concerned now have two weeks to absorb all the new information and work out a solution.

Below is what I sent to the Lowndes County Commission at Commissioner Joyce Evans’ request before the meeting tonight, followed by a bit more information.

Subject: River Corridor Protection Plan
Date: Tue, 12 Feb 2013 16:49:50 -0500

Dear Commissioners and County Planner,

When I was talking to Joyce Evans just now, I mentioned the 100 foot natural vegetative buffer state law requires local governments to establish next to perennial rivers. Here is a summary of the state law, the definition it contains, the GA EPD rules, and some notes on the relevant parts of the Lowndes County Comprehensive Plan.

Continue reading →

No list of who bought waste collection center cards? @ LCC 2013-02-12

How can Lowndes County not have a list of who it sold waste collection center cards to? How can it not provide it in response to an open records request?

In the 9 October 2012 Regular Session, Lowndes County Manager Joe Pritchard said:

Just under 5,000 residents who have purchased the cards

That was in his curiously redacted summary of the history of solid waste handling in the county, and he was referring to the access cards to the waste collection centers.

Paige Dukes to April Huntley 2013-01-28 Yet when April Huntley submitted an open records request asking for the names of the 5,000 people who would be affected by the waste collection centers, this is what County Clerk Paige Dukes replied:

In regards to your open records requst for a copy of the 5,000 residents in unincorporated Lowndes County who will be affected by the closing of the recycling centers, the document you have requested does not exist.

Maybe this explains part of why Veolia, excuse me, ADS, seemed so confused yesterday morning. Come tonight to see if any Commissioners ask about this.

-jsq

Letters against closing Old State Road to the Alapaha River @ LCC 2013-02-12

Here is a list of the letters I have copies of that oppose closing Old State Road to the Alapaha River; probably more have been sent. The vote is tonight 5:30 PM 12 February 2013 at 327 North Ashley Street 2nd Floor, Valdosta, GA. According to state law and the public hearing notice,

Any citizen of Lowndes County or any person wherever residing may be heard by the Lowndes County Board of Commissioners during the aforesaid public hearing.

That means anyone from anywhere may speak.

Here’s the list.

Continue reading →

Videos: Surprise trash, Hotchkiss Landing, 3 rezonings, 3 contracts @ LCC 2013-02-11

Surprise! Veolia, excuse me, Advanced Disposal showed up to try to defend their record so far with their new exclusive franchise solid waste contract. Also at this morning’s Work Session of the Lowndes County Commission, three rezonings, three contracts, and some new wrinkles on the proposed closing of the part of Old State Road leading to Hotchkiss Landing on the Alapaha River, revealed after the session was over. They vote Tuesday evening at 5:30 PM.

Here’s the agenda, with links to the videos, and a few notes, followed by a video playlist.

LOWNDES COUNTY BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS
PROPOSED AGENDA
WORK SESSION, MONDAY, FEBRUARY 11, 2013, 8:30 a.m.
REGULAR SESSION, TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 12, 2013, 5:30 p.m.
327 N. Ashley Street — 2nd Floor
Continue reading →

Surprise trash talk: repeat scheduled for tomorrow! @ LCC 2013-02-11

Not on the agenda, Veolia, excuse me, ADS, stood up to talk about trash collection Monday morning’s Lowndes County Commission Work Session. All of the new Commisioners had questions, some of which were answered. A repeat performance is scheduled for Tuesday evening: don’t miss it!

Dave Shepler, regional manager of Advanced Disposal (not on the agenda)

He said ADS wanted to start March 1 in order to give people time to mail in their cards and sign up, but the February 1st date was “what the county wanted to do.” About 400 accounts that had slow delivery, even though they called in very early; “coding error”. Can deliver about 200 carts a day, one crew is doing nothing but handling complaints. Some carts delivered without pickup information; he blamed that on the wind. Missed pickups. When the Bemiss center (presumably the one at Pine Grove) was closed over 3,000 people had not signed up, and there is trash on the ground that ADS is picking up. After 30 days Continue reading →

News about Hotchkiss Landing @ LCC 2013-02-11

After the Monday morning’s Lowndes County Commission Work Session was over, a couple of Commissioners indicated to inquiring citizens that they had seen a contract by which Acree Investments LTD sold land on both sides of Old State Road to the Alapaha River to Phillip Connell. This contract has not been filed with the county, and that’s why the Tax Assessors’ database doesn’t show it. I confirmed later today with Dr. Acree that he had sold 16 acres to Phillip Connell several years ago. Very interesting; if it is even Old State Road they’re considering closing (see below).

Public Hearing sign on Old State Road What sort of public hearing is it going to be tomorrow evening when this new information was not revealed to the public even in the Work Session, and the only way the public could find out was by going and asking a Commissioner personally?

In positive news, various Commissioners expressed approval of the idea of Continue reading →

Acree Park at Hotchkiss Landing?

How about if Lowndes County buys the land next to Old State Road at Hotchkiss Crossing on the Alapaha River and turns it into Acree Park? That would be a much better solution to the trash, tresspassing, and hunting problems there than closing the road. And Lowndes County itsels claims it has plenty of money available for just such a purpose.

As we’ve seen, Lowndes County’s own Comprehensive Plan says the county has $500,000 in Acquisition Funds Available to “Adopt, implement, and update provisions of the Greenspace Initiative Plan to include land acquisition and resource enhancement/protection.” And that it plans to “Continue preparation and implementation of the Withlacoochee River Greenway Plan.”

What say the county acquires parkland at Hotchkiss Landing from Continue reading →

Hotchkiss Landing Road Closing, 3 rezonings, 3 contracts @ LCC 2013-02-11

Monday morning and voting Tuesday evening at the Lowndes County Commission, three rezonings, three contracts, and the proposed closing of the part of Old State Road leading to Hotchkiss Landing on the Alapaha River, with all its complications such as why did Code Enforcement do nothing about that road being blocked for many months? And why was there no public hearing sign on the road until (I hear) it suddenly appeared late yesterday?

Here’s the agenda. -jsq

LOWNDES COUNTY BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS
PROPOSED AGENDA
WORK SESSION, MONDAY, FEBRUARY 11, 2013, 8:30 a.m.
REGULAR SESSION, TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 12, 2013, 5:30 p.m.
327 N. Ashley Street — 2nd Floor
Continue reading →

Why did Lowndes County do nothing about a blocked public road?

Old State Road at the Alapaha River is a county-maintained public road. How could Lowndes County not have known that it was blocked by two huge blocks of concrete Seen by google earth 2012-01-24 at Hotchkiss Landing from late 2010 through at least early 2012? Why did Code Enforcement do nothing about it?

These blocks of concrete have to be quite heavy. This is not random litter, and no partier or hunter or 4-wheeler would have any motivation to block the road, much less with blocks this size. Who would? Why didn’t the county find out and do something about it?

-jsq

About that flyer

Sent Wednesday. -jsq

Date: Wed, 06 Feb 2013 19:43:49 -0500

Dear Mr. Pritchard,

Thank you for your message of 1 February.

Yes, the binders of the documents for the closings of the various bonds are the sort of financial instruments I requested in my message of 28 January, and that Chairman Slaughter listed in his letter dated 18 January (that I received 28 January). Monday 11 Feb 2013 after the Work Session will be a good time for me to inspect and copy those binders. I will bring a camera and a photocopier. If that time will not work, please advise me of times that would.

Yes, there are other documents I would like to inspect. Please provide

Continue reading →