Tag Archives: Paige Dukes

Cancelled: Lowndes County Commission meetings this week 2016-02-22

Lowndes County website, 17 February 2016, Commission Meetings Canceled:

Due to a lack of agenda items requiring attention at this time, the Lowndes County Commission Meetings scheduled for Monday, February 22, 2016, at 8:30 am and Tuesday, February 23, 2016, at 5:30 pm, have been canceled.

The VDT 17 February 2016 quoted County Clerk Paige Dukes: Continue reading

Videos: Sold out to Sabal Trail @ LCC 2016-01-26

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

The hazardous waste Lowndes County Clyattville landfill is not just another Sabal Trail easement @ LCC 2016-01-26

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.

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The County Clerk tried to roll back the clock to Continue reading

More Lowndes County news reported on an individual facebook page: US41N

It’s great that the Lowndes County Comissioner for District 2 300x94 I received word from the County Engineer that..., in US 41N congested; Scruggs Co. no longer working during day, by Scottie Orenstein, 12 August 2015 is reporting about a highway in his district, but why isn’t the county reporting it on its own facebook page, website, twitter account, etc.? While the county doesn’t have facebook account (why not?) it does have those other things and there’s nothing on them about this news: Continue reading

$9.40 for a mound of paper @ LCC 2015-08-10

Gretchen made an Open Records request Monday morning and it was available Tuesday 4:37 PM: mostly on paper and less than an hour before the Commission voted.

The rezoning material from the Planning office was sent by electronic mail. The rest cost $9.40 to retrieve on paper. Nevermind in the email earlier Tuesday of the old ordinance from 1992 the county staff demonstrated they can put a paper document on their copier and produce a PDF. They could have done that with the rest of the board packet. Why didn’t they?

The Work Session was Monday morning at 8:30 AM 10 Aug 2015. Gretchen was notified by telephone about 4:30 PM Tuesday 11 Aug 2015. The County Palace closes at 5PM. The Commission met at 5:30 PM Tuesday to vote. So none Continue reading

Minutes from 2006, Lowndes County Commission

Minutes aren’t on Lowndes County’s new website back more than a few years. 300x388 DecemberX12,X2006-015, in Loco minutes, by John S. Quarterman, 11 August 2015 Even on their previous website, three sets of minutes were not there. More than four years after Gretchen asked, she asked again, and today we finally got those three. Look who signed those minutes as County Clerk: K. Paige Dukes, the same County Clerk who took four years to return them in response to an Open Records request. Here’s the message, and I’ve linked in those minutes.

-jsq

From: Amanda Smith <asmith@lowndescounty.com>
Date: Tue, 11 Aug 2015 16:43:18 +0000
To: “‘land@quarterman.org'” <land@quarterman.org>
Subject: Meeting Minutes

As per your request, I have attached the meeting minutes from 8/8/06, 12/12/06, and 12/20/06. Continue reading

Got one Lowndes County ordinance (nuisance abatement) after five years asking @ LCC 2015-08-10

Back in 2011 the County Clerk didn’t say which May she would provide that list of ordinances…. 300x388 Attest: Inez M. Pendleton, in Noise Abatement Ordinance, by John S. Quarterman, 11 August 2015 Her response of today is below. The old ordinance is so old it’s signed by Inez Pendleton. It’s still in force, though, so shouldn’t it be on the county’s website, along with all the other ordinances in force that also aren’t there? See below for list; also notice the dates I’ve boldfaced. The proposed new ordinance is not readily translatable to plain text; looks like she scanned a paper copy. Both are relevant to today’s Lowndes County Commission meeting. For the minutes she mentioned, see separate post.

-jsq

From: Paige Dukes <pdukes@lowndescounty.com>
Date: Tue, 11 Aug 2015 15:42:29 +0000
To: John and Gretchen Quarterman <land@quarterman.org>
Subject: RE: Open Records Request for Ordinances

Good Afternoon Gretchen,

As per your request, please find the attached Continue reading

County and news media digging deeper on Shiloh sinkhole story

Will nearby buildings fall into this 120-foot sinkhole? Will Shiloh Road have to be moved like Snake Nation Road was? What about sinkhole insurance? If there are “fault lines” causing sinkholes heading westwards in Lowndes County, wouldn’t they cross the proposed path of the Sabal Trail fracked methane pipeline? What will Lowndes County do if that thing goes in and a sinkhole opens under it? What if Sabal Trail declares such a sinkhole force majeure and doesn’t pay?

More on the usual detour on Shiloh Road. Joe Adgie, VDT, 6 August 2015, Sinkhole threat to Shiloh Road, Continue reading

The usual detour around Shiloh Road sinkhole

LAKE learned about this because the County Clerk shared it on facebook to her friends some of whom happen to be Gretchen’s friends. Maybe mighty Lowndes County can afford its own facebook page? 300x533 IMG 1545, in Shiloh Road Sinkhole, by Gretchen Quarterman, 4 August 2015

PLEASE SHARE. Lowndes County Engineering has closed Shiloh Road at Franks Creek due to a very large sinkhole. Citizens will need to take the usual detour. Please do not visit the area, this is not a photo opportunity. Sinkholes are unpre…

That personal Paige Dukes facebook post did not seem to have any corresponding information on lowndescounty.com last night.

The VDT took it as a photo opportunity. Adam Floyd, VDT, 7:27 am 5 August 2015, Large sinkhole swallows pond, closes Shiloh Rd., Continue reading

Videos: Solid Waste Special Called Meeting @ LCC Waste 2015-01-26

Videos of the 9:15 AM 26 January 2015 Special Called Meeting on Solid Waste Management by the Lowndes County Commission. There’s another such meeting today 2-4 PM.

Both ADS and Deep South Sanitation spoke Monday morning, which is a welcome change from the county suing the one on behalf of the other. Rather than give ADS the raise it wants, let’s not forget there is a termination clause in that exclusive franchise. Continue reading