Last week Sheriff Chris Prine volunteered his opinion of private prisons:
You were talking about the private jail system.
I’d like to voice my opinion of that.
The private jail from our study so far, the cost….
I’m going to use a figure of around 800 inmates;
we’re pretty close to 900 in our jail now.
We figure around maybe $36 a day to feed the inmate,
counting of course the food and our employment.
And looking at the private jail sector.
And of course I’m responsible for the inmate whether he is in a private
jail or in my jail.
If I’m going to be responsible for that inmate, I want him here;
I want him in my jail, not a private jail.
[applause]
George Page, Executive Director of the Valdosta-Lowndes County
Parks and Recreation Authority (VLCPRA), said at the 9 January 2012
meeting of the Lowndes County Democratic Party (LCDP),
that amateur baseball tournaments were coming in April 2012,
bringing 1200 room nights to Valdosta.
That caused applause.
He said the Black Softball Association is coming in February,
with 80-100 teams, and more room nights.
Local players won’t have to go to Atlanta for tournaments anymore.
At its monthly meeting on Wednesday, the Valdosta-Lowndes County
Parks and Recreation Authority announced the
United States Specialty Sports Association (USSSA)
is set to bring its highly-respected
baseball tournament to Valdosta and Lowndes County in April.
The tournament features 24 teams from the state of Florida and 24
from Georgia, and consists of teams from ages 9-14 years old. The
tournament will run from April 22-24, and will be played at Freedom
Park, Vallotton Park, South Lowndes Park, Lowndes and Valdosta High
Schools and possibly Valdosta State University.
“It will be the absolute best 9, 10, 11, 12, 13 and
14-year-old teams coming out of the state of Georgia to face
Florida,” Bubba Smith, Director of Tournament Operations for
the USSSA said. “Obviously, it is a real competitive
tournament that we put together, but it is real exciting to give the
teams opportunities to mingle with each other.”
…
VLPRA director George Page also announced the Black Softball Association
Tournament, which features 80-100 teams, will be played in Valdosta this
upcoming February. The tournament will bring in around $200,000 to the
local community.
At LCDP, he said all those tournaments would bring
close to half a million dollars into the economy.
More applause.
“I’m not a director to sit behind my desk and wait for them to come to us.”
Apparently he’d modest, as well, because even more tournaments are coming,
and the expected economic benefit
of all those tournaments is actually larger.
Continue reading →
Videos of last night’s Lowndes County Commission Regular Session @ LCC 2012 01 24
Regular Session, Lowndes County Commission (LCC),
Valdosta, Lowndes County, Georgia, 24 January 2012.
Videos by Gretchen Quarterman for LAKE, the Lowndes Area Knowledge Exchange.
We still don’t know what the county is going to do about
that cost overrun for the Moody AFB gate.
Nobody said at the work session yesterday morning; maybe they’ll say
at the regular session tonight when they vote on a contract with
some sort of revised dollar figures in it.
County Manager Mike Fletcher waved around a copy of the revised
contract with Scruggs Company for the new Moody AFB gate,
but said he had not provided it to the Commissioners.
I wonder if they’ll see it before they vote tonight?
He said it was 226 pages long, but most of that was DOT boilerplate,
and only something like 20 pages was the actual county contract.
Seems like they could read that much by tonight.
So could we, the public, if it was somewhere we could see it.
He also didn’t say what happened to the
$128,497.05 cost overrun.
The Commissioners asked no questions.
Commission had not seen Moody AFB gate contract with Scruggs before Work Session @ LCC 2012 01 23
Work Session, Lowndes County Commission (LCC),
Valdosta, Lowndes County, Georgia, 23 January 2012.
Videos by Gretchen Quarterman for LAKE, the Lowndes Area Knowledge Exchange.
OK, the new camera and video conversion software are sorted out,
so here are videos of this morning’s work session on the same day.
Here’s
agenda.
More about specific items later, but meanwhile feel free to view ahead
and post your comments on what went on.
Videos of this morning’s LCC Work Session, 2012 Jan 23
Work Session, Lowndes County Commission (LCC),
Valdosta, Lowndes County, Georgia, 23 January 2012.
Videos by Gretchen Quarterman for LAKE, the Lowndes Area Knowledge Exchange.
Valdosta-Lowndes County Parks & Recreation Authority (VLCPRA) 2012 Jan 19
Regular Session, Valdosta-Lowndes County Parks & Recreation Authority (VLCPRA),
Valdosta, Lowndes County, Georgia, 19 January 2012.
Videos by Gretchen Quarterman for LAKE, the Lowndes Area Knowledge Exchange.
Quite a few people showed up at the Lowndes County Commission
public hearing about abandoning part of Bethany Road, speaking pro and con.
We learned many interesting reasons for abandoning that road,
which would apply to many dirt and maybe paved roads in the county,
many of which are on the county’s paving list.
More about that and an interesting view of the press in later posts.
First, here’s what we’re talking about.
Abandonment of a Portion of Bethany Road,
County Engineer, Mike Fletcher, presented a request by citizens for the
abandonment of a portion of Bethany Road. Mr. Fletcher explained that
the Commission was being asked to make an initial determination that
either the section of the county road system has been ceased to be used
by the public to the extent that no substantial purpose is served by it,
or that its removal from the county road system is otherwise in the best
public interest. Mr. Fletcher added that once the initial determination
was made, staff would move forward with the appropriate advertising of
a public hearing at which time the Commission could make a final decision.
Here’s
video
in which County Engineer Mike Fletcher said the part of Bethany Road
to be abandoned runs from Bethany Drive down through the Stith
and Turner family properties towards Old US 41 North
as far as the Rykard property,
and that all residents would still have access out to other roads.
County Manager Joe Pritchard noted that
Continue reading →
Staff presented the
agenda item
“7.b. Entrance Gate at Davidson and Roberts Roads”:
Lowndes County received
a $2M grant from the Federal Highway Administration
for construction of a new Moody AFB entrance gate,
the gate to be located located at the intersection of
Davidson and Roberts Roads.
$477,991 of this money has already been taken for the
railroad crossing improvements,
leaving a balance of $1.52 million.
The low bid is from Scruggs Company, $1,648,497.05.
Wait, what?
The low bid is for more than the funds available?
Surely somebody will explain that?
Nope, no discussion. Instead, Commissioner Crawford Powell said:
I’ll make a motion we approve the bid as presented by staff.
Commissioner Evans seconded, and they all voted for it.
Hey, what $128,497.05 discrepancy?
Commission voted for $128,497.05 road cost overrun without discussion @ LCC 2012 Jan 10 Part 1 of 2:
Regular Session, Lowndes County Commission (LCC),
Valdosta, Lowndes County, Georgia, 10 January 2012.
Videos by Gretchen Quarterman for LAKE, the Lowndes Area Knowledge Exchange.
If we look at the previous morning’s work session (9 January 2012),
we do find a bit more information.
The grant was presented as involving both the Federal Highway Administration
and Homeland Security, and:
Who is on the Tourism Authority Board, and why do they have
such rapid changeover in executive directors?
The Commissioners considered Monday 9 January and made Tuesday 10 January
three appointments to the Tourism Authority:
Commissioner Joyce Evans (reappointment),
Jerome “Andy” Anderson (reappointment),
and Greg Charbeneau apparently to replace
Linda Jenson (who had been appointed to fill a vacancy for ? Montgomery).
5.a. Valdosta/Lowndes County Conference Center and Tourism Authority
County Manager Joe Pritchard said at the Tuesday Regular Session that
Greg Charbeneau is a Vice President at Wild Adventures.
Here’s
video of that session:
3 Appointments to VLC Conference Center and Tourism Authority LCC 2012 Jan 10
Regular Session, Lowndes County Commission (LCC),
Valdosta, Lowndes County, Georgia, 10 January 2012.
Videos by Gretchen Quarterman for LAKE, the Lowndes Area Knowledge Exchange.
We learned a little more at the Monday Work Session, but not much.
Here’s
video:
3 Appointments to VLC Conference Center and Tourism Authority LCC 2012 Jan 9
Work Session, Lowndes County Commission (LCC),
Valdosta, Lowndes County, Georgia, 9 January 2012.
Videos by Gretchen Quarterman for LAKE, the Lowndes Area Knowledge Exchange.
Videos of 10 Jan 2012 LCC Regular Session
Regular Session, Lowndes County Commission (LCC),
Valdosta, Lowndes County, Georgia, 10 January 2012.
Videos by Gretchen Quarterman for LAKE, the Lowndes Area Knowledge Exchange.
