Tag Archives: Gretchen Quarterman

Videos: Opposition gets Dollar General on GA 122 & Skipper Bridge voted down @ GLPC 2022-11-28

Update 2022-12-09: Agenda: Sprawl on Skipper Bridge Road and Purchase of Land Between the Rivers @ LCC 2022-12-12.

Update 2022-12-09: Massive citizen opposition to development foothold in agricultural and forestry area @ GLPC 2022-12-08.

The eight citizens who spoke against the Dollar General rezoning at GA 122 and Skipper Bridge Road get star billing.

[Collage @ GLPC 28 November 2022]
Collage @ GLPC 28 November 2022

“We don’t need to have new commercial zoning in our area.” —Gretchen Quarterman

“We have no interest in adding convenience to our peaceful little community.” —Becky Rowntree Harris

“The river is literally my back yard.” —Danielle Jackson

“Ten-day is an absolute joke.” —Samuel Heath Dawson

“And the other 112 acres would be the next battle.” —William Pope

“Put it across from Ashley Paulk’s development.” —Roxanne Newton

“Even with the goose egg [?] it’s still a Dollar General and I do not want this.” —Dan Richardson

“Please take the wishes of the many, versus the dollars of the few.” —Last Speaker

GLPC voted 7:1 to recommend disapproval. The actual rezoning decision will be made by the Lowndes County Commission at its Regular Session, Tuesday, December 13th, 2022, 5:30 PM. If you don’t want that store in an agricultural area, attracting still more subdivisions still farther north in the county, call or write your county commissioner or come speak against at that meeting. If somebody wants to start a petition, that might also help.

Or you can jump to the full meeting, in which you’ll learn the Hahira deannexation was unanimously voted against, GLPC has a new board member, Ron Bythwood, and a new Chair and Vice-Chair starting in January.

So, about 5. REZ-2022-20 Teramore, Hwy 122/Skipper Bridge Rd, 0067 051, 3.0 ac.E-A to C-C. Continue reading →

Videos: FY24 5311, USGS, Code Red, Disaster, Hazard, Facilities, TIA, FY23 Law, SDS, Exit 13 @ LCC 2022-10-25

Everything passed unanimously at the Regular Session of the Lowndes County Commission on Tuesday, October 27, 2022. There were a few questions, but nothing contentious.

[Collage @ LCC 2022-10-25]
Collage @ LCC 2022-10-25

Chairman Bill Slaughter said Valdosta had supplied all the needed signatures from the City of Valdosta for the Service Delivery Agreement, although two of the smaller cities (unnamed) still needed to sign. City Manager Paige Dukes whispered to the Chairman that Valdosta City Council Andy Gibbs was in the room, and the Chairman thanked him.

The County Manager in her Report said Finance Director Stephanie Black had finished the “budget report” and it is on the county’s website for use by Commission, staff, and citizens. She didn’t say where, but I’m guessing she meant the Operating Budget, Fiscal Year 2023. She also said the county is going to update its noise ordinance to “get in line with citizens’ expectations”. On November 7th at 4-7 PM there wil be an Internet session with Windstream.

Rachel Thrasher said the county’s new videos have gotten 6,000 views in six weeks. She didn’t say where. But here’s one, on facebook, about golf cart accidents.

Robert Tracy proposed a special session of the Commission that citizens could attend, about property taxes. Apparently as the Tax Assessors catch up with a many-year backlog of appraisals, there have been some sudden rises in appraisals.

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

See also the LAKE videos of the previous morning’s Work Session and agenda and board packet.

Continue reading →

Videos: slides @ LCC Millage 2022-08-23

Update 2022-09-14: Videos: Millage, tax assessment, 3 utilities, ZBOA, Juvenile Justice @ LCC 2022-08-23.

They rolled back the millage slightly. Millage rates for Parks and Rec and Development Authority were unchanged, also for the unincorporated county fire district.

[Pie and Commissioners]
Pie and Commissioners

As usual, no citizens showed up for the millage rate public hearing. Gretchen was the only person there who was not a Commissioner or staff, and since she is a Tax Assessor, I guess she’s staff, too, although she was there for LAKE, taking these videos.

Two of the Lowndes County Commissioners also did not show up for that meeting nor for the Regular Session that same evening. But they voted to adopt the millage anyway.

Here’s a LAKE video playlist: Continue reading →

Hunter rezoning, insurance, objections to rejection of Beasley rezoning @ LCC Regular 2022-07-26

Last month at the Lowndes County Commission, the Hunter rezoning acreage was finally resolved, the rejected Beasley rezoning came back in Citizens Wishing to Be Heard, and the Alapaha Plantation water filtration system still doesn’t work after a year.

[Hunter, Insurance, CWTBH]
Hunter, Insurance, CWTBH

Even the property owners didn’t know whether 6.a. REZ-2022-13 Hunter Property was for rezoning 2 or 7 acres. Commissioner Mark Wisenbaker resolved the issue by Continue reading →

Recommend deny 8:3, Miller Bridge Road Subdivision @ GLPC 2022-01-31

Update 2022-02-06: Board’s Pleasure should be Deny: Miller Bridge Road rezoning @ LCC 2022-02-07.

Everything else sailed through, but the Miller Bridge Road rezoning took half an hour.

Nick Clark from Quitman spoke for the rezoning. As Brad Folsom remarked on behalf of the opponents, the only significant difference between this and the previous request is the lot size, with the newly requested R-A zoning for 6. REZ-2022-03 Windy Hill Subdivision 7532 Miller Bridge Rd., E-A to R-A.

[6. REZ-2022-03 Windy Hill Subdivision, 7532 Miller Bridge Rd., 0010 022, ~34 ac., E-A to R-A.]
6. REZ-2022-03 Windy Hill Subdivision, 7532 Miller Bridge Rd., 0010 022, ~34 ac., E-A to R-A.

Some new arguments were heard against. Gretchen Quarterman said the taxpayers don’t need any more community wells that the county has to assume and pay for if there are problems with it. Chase Gregory said the current zoning is working well. People do buy larger size parcels (4-80 acres); he gave several examples.

Tommy Kenny, spoke against as immediate neighbor to north and active local farmer.

The Planning Commissioners voted to recommend denial, 8 for, and 3 against.

The Lowndes County Commission decides next Tuesday at 5:30 PM.

Below are links to each LAKE video of each agenda item, with some notes, followed by a LAKE video playlist. See also the agenda, the Lowndes County board packet items, returned late by Lowndes County in response to a LAKE open records request, the Dasher packet item, returned in less than ten minutes by SGRC.

Videos: Subdivision way out of bounds approved, and million-dollar water main, but Wells Road stays open 2021-10-12

The good news: Wells Road and Folsom Bridge Landing remain open, after the Commissioners unanimously denied the road closure. Thanks to Commissioner Clay Griner for making the motion, saying that the request met none of the criteria.

The bad news: by a 3:2 vote they approved the subdivision way too far north on Val Del Road, far outside the subdivision character area, despite the Planning Commission, county staff, and three speakers against in the Public Hearing. Griner also made that motion. The audience was not happy, especially at Commissioner Scottie Orenstein for voting for that motion.

[Subdivision too far north on Val Del approved, audience reaction, Wells Road stays open, un-needed $million water main approved]
Subdivision too far north on Val Del approved, audience reaction, Wells Road stays open, un-needed $million water main approved

The Commissioners also approved without comment the $1 million unnecessary water main as part of the $5 million utilities package.

They approved everything else unanimously.

Below are LAKE videos of each agenda item with some notes, followed by a LAKE video playlist. See also the agenda and board packet and the LAKE videos of the previous morning’s Work Session.

Continue reading →

Videos: Many objections at Comprehensive Plan Stakeholder Meeting @ LCC Comp Plan 2021-09-28

Update 2021-11-08: Videos: Comprehensive Plan Update Public Hearing 2 @ LCC 2021-10-26.

All of the speakers at the Comprehensive Plan Stakeholder Meeting were opposed to moving the Suburban Area line farther north on the Character Area Map. They presented cogent reasons, such as they live up there and aren’t going to sell, there are already 750 lots available for sale while it took a decade for Nelson Hill’s 500 lots to sell, and the county should be looking out for its people and preserving much of the county for the next 50 years.

[Comprehensive Plan Update, Crowd, Lowndes County Character Areas, Map of those opposed to changing Character Areas]
Comprehensive Plan Update, Crowd, Lowndes County Character Areas, Map of those opposed to changing Character Areas

Most of the Commissioners acted like further development northwest in the county is a force of nature over which they have no control, and expressed more concern for developers and investors than for the room full of people in front of them or the 900 petition signatories opposed.

Here are links to each LAKE video of each speaker with copious notes, followed by a LAKE video playlist. There was no agenda. The lowndescounty.com online calendar had only a title, Comprehensive Plan Stakeholder Meeting, date, time, and place, with no agenda. The draft minutes are sketchy, omitting key points such as the Dorfman report, but you can find that report below. Continue reading →

Code Enforcement Appreciation and new Tourism Authority Director @ LCC Regular Session 2021-09-14

At the recent Lowndes County Commission Regular Session, County Manager Paige Dukes in her Reports mentioned many then-upcoming events, two of which are still coming, and may be of public interest:

  • 2021-09-21, 4:30 PM, at Georgia Beer Co.: Meet and greet for new Executive Director, David DiSalvo, of Valdosta-Lowndes Conference Center and Tourism Authority. https://www.linkedin.com/in/david-j-disalvo-9048b24
  • 2021-09-28, 6PM, in Commission Chambers: Comp Plan stakeholder meeting just after next LCC meeting, Most recent draft of Comprehensive Plan was on Commissioners’ desks; is available electronically (where?).

None of these events are on the lowndescounty.com online calendar.

[Code Enforcement, RV Sales, Reports, End time]
Code Enforcement, RV Sales, Reports, End time

Below are links to each LAKE video of each agenda item with a few notes, followed by a LAKE video playlist. See also Continue reading →

Millage Rate Hearing w. new fire millage @ LCC 2021-08-24

With the new 2.5 mil fire millage on unincorporated Lowndes County, property taxes in unincorporated Lowndes County will still be lower than in Valdosta.

The slides, presented by Finance Director Stephanie Black, were informative, although somewhat hard to read on the screen behind the Commissioners. They are not on the county’s website, and also not in the board packet.

Commissioner Mark Wisenbaker asked one question, wanting to know what the total millage would be for residents in the unincorpated parts of the county. Answer: 13.1.

Nobody spoke for or against at the Millage Rate Hearing, so it took less than eleven minutes.

[Slides, Finance, Fire millage, Commission]
Slides, Finance, Fire millage, Commission

The Lowndes County Commission voted in its Regular Session 20 minutes later.

Here is the LAKE video of the Millage Public Hearing. See also Continue reading →

Tax Assessors appointed, sworn in, Lowndes County, Georgia 2020-01-05

After many years of rising sentiment, the voters in November 2019, approved changing Lowndes County from being one of only two of 159 Georgia counties that elected its Tax Assessors to appointing them, and the legislature agreed. Finally in September 2020 the Lowndes County Commission appointed three new Assessors, and on January 5, 2021, they were sworn in. Their first official meeting is tomorrow.

[Vote, Swearing, Judge, Assessors]
Vote, Swearing, Judge, Assessors

Applying for the Board of Tax Assessors according to the agenda for the 21 September, 2020, Work Session and the Tuesday, 22 September Regular Session were Mr. Gene Felts and Mrs. Gretchen Quarterman. The Tuesday voting was a bit more complicated. Continue reading →