Check it out the notification thingy from the county actually works. We got notified of a special called meeting.
From: listserv@civicplus.com
Date: 22 Jan 2015 13:52:48 -0600
Subject: New Event Special Called Meeting For cp-stcity2.civicplus.com
A new Event now appears on our site. Please click on the link below to go dir ectly to the new posting.
here.
A link under “News Flash” on the county’s front page leads to this slightly different version: Continue reading
Paige Dukes told us about this Monday, but why steal her thunder about the county’s new website and the videos on it?
Joe Adgie, VDT, 17 December 2014, Lowndes County website goes live,
County residents can pay bills, read county ordinances, search for real estate and read meeting agendas on the new site.
In addition, a first for the county government, videos of the Lowndes County Commission meetings are also available through the site and on YouTube.
“Due to schedules, Continue reading
As
announced at the Lowndes County Commission meeting on Tuesday,
the new county website was available this morning. I took a little
self tour and then started sending in comments to County Clerk Paige
Dukes. Paige has been responsive in answering my questions and
comments and I heartily suggest to everyone that you take a look
around and then send in your comments.
A few things I’ve noticed so far. Continue reading
Gretchen reports from Macon that Lowndes County Commissioner Clay Griner (District 5), Paige Dukes (County Clerk), Joyce Evans (District 1), Scott Orenstein (District 2-elect), and Valdosta City Clerk Theresa Bolden (not pictured)
are all at the
VDT Open Government Symposium in Macon.
Congratulations, Jim Zachary and the VDT, on getting them to show up! Continue reading
We can’t see the draft budget before the Public Hearings, said the Chairman, answering my question after the Lowndes County Commission Regular Session of 27 May 2014.
Video. After congratulating the Chairman on recognizing the poll workers, Crawford Powell for recusing himself on an appointment of himself, and the Commission for the recent Budget Sessions, I asked:
Chairman Bill Slaughter’s answers to me after the meeting adjourned: Continue reading
The VDT report doesn’t say when or where, and doesn’t say whether
Dexter Sharper (District 177) wasn’t invited or chose not to attend.
There’s nothing about this meeting in the online agendas or calendar, even though that calendar lists Pictures with Santa at the Historical Courthouse (12/19/2013).
There is this undated public notice with no agenda:
The Lowndes County Board of Commissioners will meet with members of Lowndes County’s Legislative Delegation on Friday, December 20, 2013, at 4:00 p.m. in the Commissioner’s Conference Room located on the 3rd floor of the Judicial-Administrative Complex, 327 North Ashley Street, Valdosta, Georgia.
K. Paige Dukes, County Clerk
pdukes@lowndescounty.com 229-671-2400
Matthew Woody wrote for the VDT 22 December 2013,
Commissioners host local delegation,
oddly omitting the when and where and much of the why from
the traditional
who, what, when, where, and why of journalism.
The Lowndes County Commission hosted Continue reading
Defining away another problem,
like he already did
Internet access,
Lowndes County Chairman Bill Slaughter
said:
I can’t honestly just buy into the real problem of transparency in this community.
This was after numerous people in the room at the
VLMPO Open House on Common Community Vision at Mildred Hunter 23 October 2013
expressed concerns about needs to
video local government meetings and put them online,
and to make various processes more open.
Regarding videoing, Slaughter trotted out former Valdosta Mayor John Fretti’s old chestnut about allegedly in cities where meetings are televised citizens grandstand and the meetings drag on forever. Nevermind that there are numerous ways to do it, such as putting videos on the web and not simulcasting, and in places like Tallahassee that do both not many citizens usually show up. The people I’ve seen grandstanding consistently at local government meetings around here are Continue reading
In response to (a second) open records request, County Clerk Paige Dukes
stated in writing that Lowndes County does not have a contract with the person
referred to in numerous minutes as “County Attorney”, and that
no bids have been entertained for legal services for the county.
According to the budget documents the Clerk referred to,
the county raised the County Attorney’s budget 20% to $300,000 for 2013.
Illustrations below (some with links) were added by me. -jsq
From: pdukes@lowndescounty.com
To: b-ahuntley@hotmail.com
CC: asmith@lowndescounty.com; JPritchard@lowndescounty.com; bswaller@bellsouth.net
Subject: Open Records Request
Date: Mon, 23 Sep 2013 13:22:08 +0000Good Morning Mrs. Huntley,
In response to your open records request Continue reading
According to the county’s website:
PUBLIC NOTICE
COMMISSION MEETING CANCELLED
Due to the lack of agenda items requiring immediate action, the Lowndes County Board of Commissioners Work Session on Monday, September 23, and Regular Session on Tuesday, September 24, 2013 have been cancelled.
For questions please call County Clerk, Paige Dukes, at 229-671-2400.
Lowndes County Board of Commissioners
327 N. Ashley St – Commission Chambers, 2nd Floor
Administration Building
Valdosta, GA
5:30 p.m.
Spectra used
Dougherty County Commissioner Ewell Lyle’s question
in answer the Valdosta Daily Times about that natural gas pipeline
from Alabama to Florida.
And notice how they’re saying Tallapoosa County, Alabama now, and not
mentioning
PCB-polluted Anniston, Alabama as the source of the pipeline?
The VDT map conveniently clips Alabama completely out of the picture.
How about we clip Georgia out of the pipeline and install solar power instead?
Matthew Woody wrote on the front page of the VDT today, Pipeline intersects area: Sabal Trail project runs from Alabama to Florida,
Andrea Grover, Public Affairs Representative from Spectra Energy, said that initially the pipe was going to be a closed system, but Spectra Energy decided to turn the pipe into an “open access pipe,” meaning that any area along the pipe could potentially tap into the system to either receive gas from or supply gas to the pipeline. Describing the pipeline as a highway, Grover said it will have on-ramps and off-ramps. They provide the transportation of the gas, and once the pipe is in service, communities are encouraged to work with Sabal.
Dougherty County Commissioner Ewell Lyle suggested letting locals tap it less than a week ago.
Note that weasel word: “potentially”. I could “potentially” tap into the two (2) pipelines that cross my property, but decades they’ve been there and that’s never happened.
When asked about the benefits of the pipe, Grover stated, Continue reading