in
the 22 July 2013 Work Session
Here is the letter discussed (“So at this point, in order to comply with the deadline submitted by EPD, it was necessary to go ahead and work with Lovell on this.”)
and approved (“The water is good, right?”)
at the
23 July Regular Session of the Lowndes County Commission,
obtained through an Open Records Request by April Huntley,
plus a transcription.
You may wonder, as I do, why the county didn’t just put it online
along with the agenda, like so many other county commissions and
city councils do. Continue reading
Tag Archives: John S. Quarterman
The water is good now, right? –Demarcus Marshall about Alapaha Water Treatment @ LCC 2013-07-23
A County Commissioner wanted the Utilities Director to confirm that the water was already good before the county fixes the treatment plant at Alapaha Plantation, at the 23 July Regular Session of the Lowndes County Commission.
7.b. Letter to Environmental Protection Division concerning Alapaha Water Treatment Plant Upgrade
Regarding the letter written by Lovell Engineering to GA EPD on behalf of the
county, discussed in the previous morning’s
22 July 2013 Work Session,
Commissioner Demarcus Marshall asked:
I just had a question regarding the timing of the letter. I know it says eight month pilot study. And I just wanted to know for the record, that the water is good now, right? It’s drinkable, and so forth, just for the public to be aware that it’s not some public health risk out there.
Answer from Utilities Director Mike Allen: Continue reading
Community Assessment Group and Internet access @ LCC 2013-07-22
Valdosta Mayor Gayle was standing next to the video ghetto after the county’s rather rudimentary SPLOST VII presentation Monday morning, so I asked him why I hadn’t seen anything about Internet access either Valdosta’s or Lowndes County’s SPLOST lists? He said that was because it was being handled by the Community Assessment Group (CAG). What’s that?
Mayor Gayle said CAG is a group of representatives from the county
and all the local cities, the two school districts (Valdosta and Lowndes County),
VSU, Wiregrass Tech, the Industrial Authority, the Chamber, and he may have
said others.
It’s an attempt at better local cooperation, specifically about issues
that cross all the various local governmental and non-governmental groups.
So far they’ve had two meetings, Continue reading
Videos: SPLOST, Children’s Appointment, Prisoners, and Water @ LCC 2013-07-22 @ LCC 2013-07-22
Valdosta Mayor Gayle attended, apparently because of
the SPLOST VII presentation.
Emily Golden for DFCS.
Prisoners for wastewater,
another wastewater problem,
insurance for liabilty,
and I’m not the only one who
makes jokes at Joe Pritchard’s expense.
They vote tonight at 5:30 PM, and apparently they’re going to give the SPLOST presentation again, too.
Here’s the agenda, with links to the videos and a few notes.
LOWNDES COUNTY BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS
PROPOSED AGENDA
WORK SESSION, MONDAY, JULY 22, 2013, 8:30 a.m.
REGULAR SESSION, TUESDAY, JULY 23, 2013, 5:30 p.m.
327 N. Ashley Street – 2nd Floor
- Call to Order
Chairman Bill Slaughter recognized Valdosta Mayor John Gayle, who was sitting in the back.
- Invocation
Only in the Regular Session.
- Pledge of Allegiance to the Flag
Only in the Regular Session.
- Minutes for Approval
- Work Session — July 8, 2013
- Regular Session — July 9, 2013
County Manager Joe Pritchard was also confused as to what did the Commissioners approve regarding the “conjoined” items in the 9 July Regular Session:
- For Consideration
- Video Arraignment for Magistrate and Juvenile Court Contract
- Enterprise and Backup Storage Solution Scope of Work
Pritchard noted County Attorney Walter Elliott referred to the purchase orders for item 6.a., saying purchase orders item 6.b. were “not present”. Pritchard wanted to know if Commissioners approved both of them.
Commissioner Crawford Powell said he thought the way “Walter” stated it they didn’t approve either one of them. Little joke. “Walter” got it, and eventually Pritchard did, too, after everyone else laughed. Then Powell clarified that they had approved both items.
Which anyone can see in the LAKE video of those items. Hm, if the Commission kept their own videos, Pritchard could have just looked at those and seen.
- Special Presentation & Consideration — Special Purpose Local Option Sales Tax VII
There was something new in what Joe Pritchard said:
Commissioners each had an opportunity for independent review and evaluation.For that and more, including the slides, see separate post.
Appointment – Department of Family & Children’s Services Board
Emily Golden is the candidate; see separate post for much more.
- For Consideration
- Prison Detail Contracts
Three details at $39,500 each, no increase from last year, said Public Works Director Robin Cumbus; see other post for what Commissioners Marshall, Slaughter, and Powell had to say.
Letter to Environmental Protection Division concerning Alapaha Water Treatment Plant Upgrade
It’s because of a notice of violation from GA EPD, said Utilities Director Mike Allen, and he’d been working with Lovell Engineering on a letter to say the problem of disinfection byproducts would be fixed by the end of March 2015.
Commissioner Demarcus Marshall wanted to know if Lovell Engineering would be submitting “on our behalf, or would we be submitting it?” See separate post for more.
- Contract with GA Department of Transportation for Off System Safety Action Program
The county has received a grant from GDOT for striking, signs, and raised pavement markers for 30.79 miles of road, for $142,491.75.
I will also give you a copy of the roads that will be restruck under this contract. Commissioners had no questions.Why wasn’t that copy in the board packet and online with the agenda? How can you find out if your road is on that list? File an open records request.
Adopt Resolution accepting infrastructure for Barrington Subdivision Phase I
Engineer said it was mostly complete but they were waiting on a punch list from the developer before signing off on it. Commissioners had no questions.
- ACCG IRMA Liability Program Renewal
So the county does have liability insurance that covers Commissioners, and all other employees, too. See separate post.
- Resolution for ACCG-GEBCorp Retirement Eligibility Amendment
Couple of new employees missed being in county’s retirement plan, and this deals with that. See separate post.
- Reports-County Manager
No report, but he asked for an executive session “for purposes of attorney-client communications”.
In this video of them returning from that executive session, you can see local attorney Tom Gooding coming out of the side room with them.
Then they adjourned the Work Session.
- Citizens Wishing to be Heard Please State Name And Address
Only in the Regular Session, which is tonight at 5:30 PM.
Here’s a video playlist:
Videos: SPLOST, Children’s Appointment, Prisoners, and Water @ LCC 2013-07-22
Work Session, Lowndes County Commission (LCC),
Videos by John S. Quarterman for Lowndes Area Knowledge Exchange (LAKE),
Valdosta, Lowndes County, Georgia, 22 July 2013.
-jsq
Liability and retirement ACCG plans @ LCC 2013-07-22
The county does have liability insurance that covers
all employees, including Commissioners, we learned
at the
Monday 22 July 2013 Lowndes County Commission Work Session; they vote tonight.
And the county is also adopting an ACCG plan for retirement for
a couple of new employees.
7.3. ACCG IRMA Liability Program Renewal
Someone (I couldn’t interpret the Chairman’s mumble) said it’s for both property and personal liability. This Interlocal Risk Management Agency (IRMA) program from the Association of County Commissioners of Georgia (ACCG) offers Continue reading
Wastewater violation on the Alapaha River @ LCC 2013-07-22
The County has another wastewater violation, this time at the Alapaha River,
and is late in doing something about it.
Don’t be surprised if we see an emergency change order in a future session.
This was at the
Monday 22 July 2013 Lowndes County Commission Work Session; they vote tonight.
7.b. Letter to Environmental Protection Division concerning Alapaha Water Treatment Plant Upgrade
It’s because of a notice of violation from GA EPD, said Utilities Director Mike Allen, and he’d been working with Lovell Engineering on a letter to say the problem of disinfection byproducts would be fixed by the end of March 2015.
Commissioner Demarcus Marshall wanted to know Continue reading
Prisoners with Guards @ LCC 2013-07-22
State prisoners deal with water issues for Lowndes County said Public Works Director Robin Cumbus
at the
Monday 22 July 2013 Lowndes County Commission Work Session; they vote tonight.
7.a. Prison Detail Contracts
Three details at $39,500 each, no increase from last year, said Public Works Director Robin Cumbus.
Commissioner Demarcus Marshall wanted to know if that was three times a year. Continue reading
Ellen Golden for DFCS @ LCC 2013-07-22
“I was not aware DFAC has a board of directors,”
said Ellen S. Golden, local attorney, sole candidate for
the local Division of Family and Children Services (DFCS) board,
at the
Monday 22 July 2013 Lowndes County Commission Work Session; they vote tonight.
Nor was I.
Maybe the county should tell us who they are.
Anyway, Ellen Golden is willing to serve, and we have video of what she said,
plus a little detail about her relevant experience.
6. Appointment – Department of Family & Children’s Services Board
County Manager Joe Pritchard said Commissioners had before them a letter from Virginia Boswell recommending a replacement for the expiring position of Mr. [Loud Click!] Farrell(?). He said the recomendee is Ellen Golden.
He didn’t say, but Continue reading
SPLOST VII county list @ LCC 2013-07-22
Not quite most of the money for roads, streets, and bridges
(none of them named to the public), plus everything from animals to public safety,
in the county’s SPLOST VII list.
But don’t be alarmed: it contains no new library and no new auditorium,
and the Chairman referred to it as a “back to basics” list.
It also contains nothing about Internet access; more on that in a separate post.
You can be told about this list tomorrow night or at a forthcoming joint county-cities
public telling: no town hall meetings have yet been scheduled.
These videos and slides are from
this morning’s Lowndes County Commission Work Session.
5. Special Presentation & Consideration — Special Purpose Local Option Sales Tax VII
There was something new in what Joe Pritchard said:
Commissioners each had an opportunity for independent review and evaluation.
That’s better than the county tradition of the staff write down the list and Commissioners rubber-stamp it. However, where are those town hall meetings Commissioner Joyce Evans promised? She reminded me afterwards that she had said “hopefully”. Mayor Gayle told me afterwards the problem was they were too close to the deadline for turning in the lists for the election. He indicated that was because the county was late. Remember Valdosta already presented its list 9 July 2013. Rumor has it the delay was in some Commissioners insisting on actually having input. That’s a good thing, but if the county planned ahead, there still would have been time for the rest of us to provide input before the lists were finalized.
The slides presented say they’re also available on the county’s website, but I don’t see them there, so I’m posting stills from the LAKE video here.
Continue readingAT&T 4G LTE now in Valdosta @ VLCIA 2013-07-16
Verizon won’t be the only 4G LTE access in Valdosta anymore: AT&T has turned theirs on. It’s not clear how far out of town that extends (looks to me like I still need to go stand by my west gate if I want on), but at least it’s a start of competition, and maybe T will get around to increasing its coverage (see next post). If Softbank + Sprint + Clearwire comes here, as well, maybe we’ll see something like a competitive market. It’s not clear even that will be enough to get fast affordable access everywhere in south Georgia. For that, maybe our local elected and appointed officials will continue with the advocacy they started back in February.
As mentioned at the Industrial Authority yesterday evening by
Executive Director Andrea Schruijer (video to come), here’s
AT&T’s PR of 2 July 2013,
AT&T 4G LTE Available In Valdosta:
Customers to benefit from nation’s fastest 4G LTE network on the latest devices,
VALDOSTA, Ga., July 2, 2013 /PRNewswire/ — AT&T* has turned on the nation’s fastest 4G LTE network** in Valdosta, bringing customers the latest generation of wireless network technology. Watch here to see several of the benefits AT&T 4G LTE provides, including:
- Faster speeds. LTE technology is capable of delivering mobile Internet speeds up to 10 times faster than 3G***. Customers can stream, download, upload and game faster than ever before.
- Cool new devices. AT&T offers several LTE-compatible devices, including new AT&T 4G LTE smartphones and tablets.
- Faster response time. LTE technology offers lower latency, or the processing time it takes to move data through a network, such as how long it takes to start downloading a webpage or file once you’ve sent the request. Lower latency helps to improve services like mobile gaming, two-way video calling and telemedicine.
- More efficient use of spectrum. Wireless spectrum is a finite resource, and LTE uses spectrum more efficiently than other technologies, creating more space to carry data traffic and services and to deliver a better network experience.
“Wireless infrastructure investment is critical to Georgia’s future and I am very pleased to see AT&T investing in Valdosta and Lowndes County and bringing LTE service to our community,” said Andrea Schruijer, Executive Director of the Valdosta-Lowndes County Industrial Authority. “Advanced technology like LTE will help stimulate our economy and provide new tools and services that we need to compete for business.”
“We continue Continue reading