Tag Archives: Lowndes Area Knowledge Exchange

3 Appointments, Alcohol and Public Transportation @ LCC 2019-04-22

With no prior notice to the public, and no invitation for people to apply, the Lowndes County Commission will appoint members to three boards:

Ms. Kelly Saxon reappointment to the Georgia Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Disabilities
Mr. Gary Wisenbaker appointment to the Valdosta-Lowndes Metropolitan Planning Organization (VLMPO)
Mrs. Creacy Sermons appointment to the Valdosta-Lowndes County Conference Center and Tourism Authority

Valdosta Daily Times: Sermons named Soror of the Year for 2016.

As usual, the county did not publish the applications the applicants turned in, nor any information about them. You could file an open records request for those, but three days from when the agenda is posted on Friday is after they vote on Tuesday.

You do still have time to turn in your own application if you want to be on one of these boards.

There’s also a Beer, Wine, and Liquor License for a new restaurant and Updated Section 5311 Rural Transportation Program Drug and Alcohol Testing Policy.

So the Monday morning Work Session will probably last less than ten minutes.

LOWNDES COUNTY BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS
PROPOSED AGENDA
WORK SESSION, MONDAY, APRIL 22, 2019, 8:30 a.m.
REGULAR SESSION, TUESDAY, APRIL 23, 2019, 5:30 p.m.
327 N. Ashley Street – 2nd Floor
Continue reading →

Southern Company Stockholder Meeting 2019-05-22

In this year’s pilgrimage to Pine Mountain, we will hear how part of Southern Company CEO Tom Fanning’s compensation will be tied to meeting the company’s low-carbon goals.

When: 10AM, Wednesday, May 22, 2019

Where: The Lodge Conference Center at Callaway Gardens,
4500 Southern Pine Drive, Pine Mountain, Georgia 31822

What: Southern Company 2019 Annual Meeting of Stockholders

That Annual Report page on Microgrids and Batteries looks good. Until you start to notice what’s missing from the documents.

So does this comparison of energy mixes in 2007 and 2018, at least as far as “Hydro, Wind, Solar” going from 1 to 11%. However, quite lacking is Continue reading →

Videos: Special Called Meeting for a Mutual Easement @ LCC 2019-04-08

Six minutes, almost as long as the preceding Work Session, for this special hurry-up real estate item that couldn’t wait one day for tonight’s Regular Session.

Lowndes County Project Manager Chad McLeod explained the easement. Commissioner Mark Wisenbaker asked wasn’t there an existing implied easement. Real Estate Agent Tom McCall said there wasn’t, although what he described sounded awful like that. However, he pointed out they had no idea Continue reading →

Videos: DFSCS Board appts, Old Hwy 41 N rezoning, paving, and alcohol @ LCC 2019-04-08

About six minutes in yesterday morning’s Lowndes County Commission Work Session, including the office space rezoning recommended last month by the Planning Commission.

They vote tonight at 5:30 PM. Below are Continue reading →

Videos: Office on old US 41 N @ GLPC 2019-03-25

The Planning Commission unanimously voted to recommend the one case before it last month: rezoning for offices on Old US 41 North.

Lowndes County still does not have a County Planner and now not a Zoner, either, since Carmella Braswell resigned last month. As usual, Molly Stevenson spoke for Planning. I see she is now listed as Department Head on some county documents.

Below are links to each LAKE video of each agenda item, with a few notes, followed by a LAKE video playlist. See also the agenda and the more recent Lowndes County Commission meeting.

1. Call to Order, Invocation, and Pledge
Video.
3. REZ-2019-05 Rodney Tenery – 4555 Old US 41 North, Hahira
Video. This is between Old US 41 North and the railroad, between Valwood and Scruggs.

Map: Lowndes County Tax Assessors, Parcel 0053 112, 4555 Old US 41 North.

Misty Yeargan of 4501 Wellington Woods Drive, across US 41 from the point of the subject property, wanted to know if there was a plan for the subject property. The proponent answered to say that there’s not room for a driveway down there, so any driveway would have to be farther north, about where the current driveway is now. Acting county planner Molly Stevenson added that there would be buffer requirements in place, as well. They voted unanimously to recommend the rezoning with no conditions.
Other Business – 2. Approval of February Minutes – Ajournment
Video.

Here’s a LAKE video playlist:

Videos: Office on old US 41 N
Regular Session, Greater Lowndes Planning Commission (GLPC),
Video by Gretchen Quarterman for Lowndes Area Knowledge Exchange (LAKE),
Valdosta, Lowndes County, Georgia, 25 March 2019.

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Investigative reporting costs money, for open records requests, copying, web hosting, gasoline, and cameras, and with sufficient funds we can pay students to do further research. You can donate to LAKE today!

Special Called Meeting for a Mutual Easement @ LCC 2019-04-08

This morning at 8:45 AM, according to their calendar, apparently related to their decision a month ago to buy the former office of Coleman-Talley law firm at 910 N. Patterson Street for use by the Public Defender. It seems there’s a shared driveway with the other half of the property. Why this item couldn’t wait one day for tomorrow evening’s Regular Session is mysterious. One might even say poor planning.

910 N Patterson Street, Valdosta, GA 31601, previously listed for rent for $8,206/month by RealLiving Real Estate, as “Landmark Professional Office Space available on centrally located Patterson Street. This red brick office stands out in terms of craftsmanship, quality, and location. Built-ins throughout with (16) private offices, (10) work stations, multiple conference rooms, break room, mechanical rooms, storage closet, fireproof rooms and over 2,000 SF unfinished 3rd floor open space storage. From the well appointed receptionist area to the functional layout this property was designed with the professional in mind and is sure to impress your clients.”

Special Called Meeting
Monday, April 8, 2019
A special called meeting will be held for consideration of an agreement between Coleman Talley and Lowndes County for a mutual easement. *There could be a slight delay if the work session runs longer than expected.

Date: Continue reading →

DFSCS Board appts, Old Hwy 41 N rezoning, paving, and alcohol @ LCC 2019-04-08

On the agenda for this morning is reappointing Mrs. Elsie Napier to the Lowndes County Division of Family and Children Services Board. I don’t know if she will speak, but here’s video of her previously speaking at the Valdosta City Council about community grants.

Photo: Gretchen Quarterman, still of LAKE video of Elsie Napier at Valdosta City Council, 2016-10-05.

There’s also a rezoning for offices on Old US 41 North, two alcohol licenses, a Bid for Purchase of Structural Fire Fighting Gear, and two road paving items, for Boring Pond Lane and 2019 Resurfacing of Five County Roads, plus 2019 Re-striping of Four County Toads.

They expect this Work Session to take less than 15 minutes, since they have a Special Called Meeting at 8:45 AM: “There could be a slight delay if the work session runs longer than expecte.” Why they couldn’t wait one day to vote on that also in tomorrow’s Regular Session is mysterious.

LOWNDES COUNTY BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS
PROPOSED AGENDA
WORK SESSION, MONDAY, APRIL 8, 2019, 8:30 a.m.
REGULAR SESSION, TUESDAY, APRIL 9, 2019, 5:30 p.m.
327 N. Ashley Street – 2nd Floor
Continue reading →

Cancelled: Deep South Solid Waste Authority special called meeting today, 2019-03-27

According to DSSWA Chair Kevin Beals, today’s special called meeting is cancelled. Instead, they will handle business at their regular April meeting. There is no agenda for that meeting yet, but he will ask for one to be sent when it is ready.

The topics of the special called meeting were the July 1, 2019 increase in local government surcharges per ton, from $1.00 to $2.50, as passed last year in HB 792 and SB 385. Also ADS wants to increase its rates, due to that and apparently some federal rule changes.

In other news, Julia Shewchuk is no longer with SGRC, since about a year now. According to the February 2018 SGRC newsletter, In the Region,

…Julia Shewchuk received Continue reading →

Videos: six minutes on Lighting, Paving, and Trash @ LCC 2019-03-26

Subtract out the invocation, pledge, and approval of minutes (which you couldn’t hear anyway because the county’s sound system wasn’t working) and the Chairman’s ending comments on Youth Leadership, and your elected Commissioners spent about six minutes on the business of the county, including spending some unknown amount of money on road services.

Below are Continue reading →

Videos: Lighting, Paving, Trash, retirement, and death @ LCC 2019-03-25

Chairman Bill Slaughter mentioned the recent death of his predecessor Fred DeLoach. County Manager Joe Pritchard said he tried to talk Carmella Braswell out of retiring, but she has done so.

County Engineer Mike Fletcher clarified that more than one engineering firm was working on professional surveying and engineering for road projects.

Kevin Beals presented the solid waste franchises for annual renewal, and we were reminded he is also Chairman of the Deep South Solid Waste Authority that dispenses funds from their tipping fees, and which the next day announced a special called meeting for Wednesday.

Chad McLeod said the county has successfully cleaned up from a nearby closed gasoline station.