Before
tonight’s vote on Moody Housing on Val Del Road,
maybe somebody should review
these administrative waivers from county staff for Nelson Hill,
one for the minimum lot size, and the other for setbacks for the lots along the “lake”.
I haven’t yet found who waived
the requirement for condominiums,
or for their fronts to be staggered,
or for them to be at least 1800 square feet,
or the traffic calming measures,
or how all this fits the submitted site plans,
nor for that matter what happened to
the gate or guards or the road connecting to Grove Point.
Maybe you can find those things in
the materials about Nelson Hill received in response to
an Open Records Request.
If staff can waive all these things without any of them coming up
again for a vote before the elected Commission in a public hearing,
why do we have the elected Commissioners vote in the first place?
Good afternoon. Based on recent questions from multiple parties
regarding Nelson Hill we thought it best to respond in writing to all.
For us the question is “Will the County require a minimum lot size in
Nelson Hill?” and our answer is Continue reading →
if you go out to Nelson Hill now you don’t find anything resembling a gated condominium community; you find ticky-tacky houses where they cut down the swamp.
As reported on Monday, the computer hacking collective known as
Anonymous Analytics published a blog warning investors that a
declining prison population and reforms designed to reduce
incarceration rates in the U.S. point to shrinking revenue for
Corrections Corporation of America (NYSE: CXW) going forward.
CCA flatly denied the Anonymous Analytics conclusions in a
statement.
It’s about time!
The War on Drugs has failed, admits the U.S. Department of Justice,
by saying it will “avoid charging certain low-level and nonviolent drug offenders with crimes that carry mandatory minimums”.
The Justice Department will avoid charging certain low-level and
nonviolent drug offenders with crimes that carry mandatory minimums,
Attorney General Eric Holder will announce Monday. The policy shift
will allow certain defendants — those without ties to
large-scale organizations, gangs or cartels — to avoid what
Holder called “draconian mandatory minimum sentences.”
Holder, in a speech before the American Bar Association in San
Francisco on Monday, Continue reading →
Winston Churchill famously said America would always do the right
thing after exhausting the alternatives. The right thing in climate
policy for all the big countries is a carbon tax, which is simpler
and less vulnerable to fluctuations in emissions than cap-and-trade
schemes. For years, such a tax has been a non-starter politically.
But as the alternatives are tested to destruction, it deserves to be
looked at again. Current environmental policies will not keep the
rise in global temperatures to below 2°C—the maximum that
most climate scientists think safe. A carbon tax, if stiff enough,
could. Big polluters should assume that such a tax will one day
arrive, and start planning for it now.
Entergy announced on Tuesday that a former supervisor, who worked at
the Indian Point nuclear power plant north of New York City for
twenty-nine years, had been arrested for deliberately falsifying
critical safety records and lying to federal regulators last year.
The utility said that Daniel Wilson, age 57, who was in charge of
ensuring compliance in critical safety areas, falsified tests and
records related to the quality of fuel in back-up tanks for the
emergency diesel generators installed at the nuclear power plant
which are necessary to prevent core damage in the event of a loss of
power. Federal charges have been brought against the former employee
by the U.S. Attorney’s Office, who was released on bail and could be
sentenced up to 7 years in prison.
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
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
maybe somebody should review
these administrative waivers from county staff for Nelson Hill,
one for the minimum lot size, and the other for setbacks for the lots along the “lake”.
I haven’t yet found who waived
the requirement for condominiums,
or for their fronts to be staggered,
or for them to be at least 1800 square feet,
or the traffic calming measures,
or how all this fits the submitted site plans,
nor for that matter what happened to
the gate or guards or the road connecting to Grove Point.
Maybe you can find those things in
the materials about Nelson Hill received in response to
an Open Records Request.
If staff can waive all these things without any of them coming up
again for a vote before the elected Commission in a public hearing,
why do we have the elected Commissioners vote in the first place?
Here’s a waiver for lot setbacks next to the pond
by Joe Pritchard “In my official capacity as County Manager”,
22 September 2009, for AAW-2009-06.
![[Open Records Request]](http://www.l-a-k-e.org/govt/loco/accg-irma/2013-07-25--d-and-o/small/SCAN0441.jpg)
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![[Contribution Breakdown]](http://www.l-a-k-e.org/govt/loco/accg-irma/2013-07-25--d-and-o/small/SCAN0443.jpg)
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