Not on
the agenda,
they started with
a public hearing on the Comprehensive Plan.
Expecting from
the email announcement about the Comprehensive Plan
that this would be a typical SGRC tables-and-easels mill-about meeting,
I didn’t show up on the dot and was quite surprised to find
the Planning Commission and staff in their usual spots.
See separate post.
Here are the LAKE videos with some notes, followed by a video playlist. Continue reading
Monday morning 8:30 AM, the Lowndes County Commission
will hear about
(they vote Tuesday evening)
four well and septic rezoning cases,
one of them
from R-10 to E-A,
and another
of 114 acres from E-A to R-A.
The usual wine, beer, and liquor licenses,
a
County Purchasing Card and Credit Card Ordinance,
a
2016 Public Defender Contract Renewal
and
Proposal from Lovell Engineering for Stafford Wright Road Paving Project.
I remember residents of that road asking years ago for it to be paved;
instead the county paved Quarterman Road.
Here’s
the agenda.
See also the LAKE videos of the Planning Commission Work Session and Regular Session.
LOWNDES COUNTY BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS
Continue reading
PROPOSED AGENDA
WORK SESSION, MONDAY, FEBRUARY 8, 2016, 8:30 a.m.
REGULAR SESSION, TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 9, 2016, 5:30 p.m.
327 N. Ashley Street – 2nd Floor
Suing local businesses
helps run up fees to the county attorney, says County Manager Joe Pritchard.
He didn’t mention that continuing to promote sprawl for example through the county’s thoroughfare plan also runs up fees that property taxes will never meet.
Commissioners seemed
very concerned about “stakeholders” whom they said were “the development community, the real estate community” and “the construction and homebuilder industries”.
Maybe somewhere they mentioned the agricultural and forestry industries,
or sales tax payers even if they don’t own real estate; if so I missed it.
At least they’re thinking about the Comprehensive Plan
and the general direction of the county in a public forum.
And the County Planner did talk about quality of life.
Plus it seems business prospects bringing that up got the attention of the County Manager.
They said they have a responsiblity to set the direction of the county.
How about instead of continuing to drive sprawl outwards,
which is a fiscally (and environmentally) irresponsible path,
turn to directing development to be more dense in already-developed areas?
They continue this morning at 8:30 AM, and Gretchen is there again with the LAKE video camera.
Here’s the agenda followed by links to each LAKE video with a few notes. See also two previous pictures.
We are looking forward to the improved communication that was touted in the VDT headline. Jason Stewart, VDT, 4 February 2016, Slaughter wants to strengthen communication, Continue reading
They were waiting on Demarcus Marshall. He arrived shortly with his own food. Can being the lone vote be worrisome? Here’s the agenda.
-jsq
Turns out they did post an agenda for the Planning Meeting this morning and tomorrow,
just not on
the county calendar nor in their agenda section.
Hm, Accountability Court: will they have to go to that?
Gretchen is there with the LAKE video camera at
Quail Branch Lodge, 7601 Zeigler Road, Lake Park, GA.
LOWNDES COUNTY BOARD OF COMMSSIONERS
2016 Commlssion Plahning Meeting Agenda
Quail Branch Lodge
7601 Zeigler Road, Lake Park, GeorgiaThursday, February 4-
0:00 a.m. Breakfast 8:30 a.m. Audit Report — Henderson & Godbee, LLC 9:15 a.m. Finance — Stephanie Black 10:15 a.m. Break 10:30 a.m. Speclal Purpose Local Option Sales Tax — Harrison Tillman Continue reading
2:30 PM today, only one case on the Zoning Board of Appeals agenda:
VAR-2016-01 (CrossPointe Church, Valdosta GA).
Not clear what are the buffer or landscape requirements they want a variance from.
If ZBOA published its board packets online, we all would be able to see that.
Same issue as for Lowndes County Commission, Valdosta City Council, and the other four cities in the county. Continue reading
Thank you Commissioner Demarcus Marshall
for voting no.
Calling it
“a good business decision”, the CEO of Waller Heating and Air
lauded the others for voting to sell county land for a pittance to a company from Houston, Texas, nevermind their resolution of a year ago.
We thought we elected them to represent the people of Lowndes County,
and we thought they did
back in December 2014 when they unanimously voted
“the Lowndes County Board of Commissioners opposes the construction of the Sabal Trail pipeline in any portion of Lowndes County.”
But at least one of them (“Wisenbaker) didn’t even remember that the county voted to oppose Sabal Trail.
Apparently most of them concur with what the County Engineer said about landowners who have not taken
Sabal Trail’s money, “I don’t know who they are.”
Update 2016-01-28: WCTV report, plus Gret chen’s question: “Is less than 50 cents per person in Lowndes County enough to risk drinking water for all?”
Landowners who did take the money mostly did not have Continue reading
There is no reason our only county-wide elected government should rush to take a pittance from a company from Houston, Texas for an easement through the closed landfill toxic waste site that would risk our drinking water and enable more easement takings from local landowners. On the front page of today’s VDT the County Clerk contradicted what Lowndes County Chairman Bill Slaughter has written repeatedly to FERC, that he and the Commission represent “Citizens of Lowndes County”. She also didn’t mention the GA-EPD permit for any work within that landfill that the Chairman previously demanded from Sabal Trail, nor the multiple state other and federal permits Sabal Trail does not have. Although it’s still not on the published agenda, the Commissioners have an opportunity tonight to vote to support their own unanimous resolution of December 2014 against Sabal Trail.
The County Clerk tried to roll back the clock to Continue reading
The main Work Session took six minutes this morning,
followed by an executive session,
which turned out to be about
easements for the Sabal Trail fracked methane pipeline,
which they’re adding to the agenda to vote on tomorrow evening at 5:30 PM.
See also the agenda. Below are links to each video, followed by a video playlist.
Continue reading
Did you know there were openings on three boards?
Probably not, since the county didn’t post anything in public.
Now the day before they’re appointed, we learn
“Dr. Lynne Feldman resigned from the Hospital Authority, leaving a vacant seat on the board.
Dr. Steven Brian Dawson, Dr. John W. Devine, and Dr. John D. Roan have all been recommended for the position.”
County Manager Joe Pritchard did not say who recommended them, or how they knew to apply.
Similarly, on the
Lowndes County Division of Family and Children Services Board (DFCS),
somebody unnamed didn’t want to be reappointed, and “Elsie C. Napier has been recommended for the position.”
And on the
Valdosta-Lowndes County Conference Center and Tourism Authority Board,
David Motley wants to be reappointed.
At least we know how he knew.
There’s more on the agenda.
LOWNDES COUNTY BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS
Continue reading
PROPOSED AGENDA
WORK SESSION, MONDAY, JANUARY 25, 2016, 8:30 a.m.
REGULAR SESSION, TUESDAY, JANUARY 26, 2016, 5:30 p.m.
327 N. Ashley Street – 2nd Floor