Tag Archives: Regular Session

Agenda, Regular Meeting, Greater Lowndes Planning Commission @ GLPC 2012-07-30

Three City of Valdosta cases (two conditional use and one rezoning) and five Lowndes County rezoning cases at the Greater Lowndes Planning Commission (GLPC) Regular Session Monday 30 July 2012. The agenda was faxed to Gretchen Quarterman of LAKE by GLPC Chairman Bill Slaughter at her request.

The cases are listed below, as nearly as I can transcribe them. You may wonder, as I do, why anyone should need to transcribe them, since they were composed in electronic form in the first place before they were printed and faxed. The answer is: because both the Valdosta City Council and the Lowndes County Commission refuse to make them available online. Gretchen Quarterman and Bill Slaughter are the two candidates running for County Commission Chair, by the way.

-jsq

City of Valdosta Cases

FINAL ACTION by the City of Valdosta Mayor-Council
Thursday, August 9, 2012
Valdosta City Hall, 216 E. Central Avenue, Valdosta, Georgia
Council Chambers (2nd Floor)
5:30 p.m.

2. CU-2012-04 Jonathan Kendall
Property Location: 2209 Pineview Drive, Valdosta, GA
Conditional Use Permit (CUP) request for an existing hospital facility in a Residential Professional (R-P) zoning district
3. CU-2012-05 Ombudsman Educational Services
Property Location: 1200 North Ashley Street, Valdosta, GA
Conditional Use Permit (CUP) request for a specialized school facility in a Highway Commercial (C-H) zoning district.
4. VA-2012-09 Jim Sineath
Property Location: 2516 & 2518 Jerry Jones Drive, Valdosta, GA
Request to rezone 1.37 acres from Single-Family Residential (R-15) to Multi-Family Residential (R-M)

Lowndes County Cases

FINAL ACTION by the Lowndes County Board of Commissioners
Tuesday, August 14, 2012
Lowndes County Judicial and Administrative Complex
Commission Chambers, 2nd Floor
327 North Ashley Street, Valdosta, Georgia
5:30 p.m.

5. REX-2012-08 Barrington
Property Location: Bemiss Road, Sara Road, and Mac Road, Valdosta, GA
Request to rezone 12.11 acres from R-A (Residential Agriculture), R-21 (Medium Density Residential), and C-G (General Commercial) to Planned Development (P-D)
6. REZ-2012-10 Cain
Property Location: U.S. Highway 41 North, Hahira, GA
Request to rezone ~22 acres from R-A (Residential Agriculture), R-21 (Medium Density Residential), R-1 (Low Density Residential), and E-A (Estate Agriculture) to Rural Planned Development (PD-R)
7. REZ-2012-11 Stone
Property Location: Old U.S. Highway 41 North, Valdosta, GA
Request to rezone 40 acres from R-1 (Low Density Residential), to R-10 (Suburban Density Residential)
8. REZ-2012-12 Patten
Property Location: Parker Place Road, Hahira, GA
Request to rezone 3.4 acres from E-A (Estate Agriculture) to R-1 (Low Density Residential),
9. REZ-2012-13 Bailey
Property Location: Mulligan Road, Valdosta, GA
Request to rezone 2.88 acres from C-H (Highway Commercial) and C-G (General Commercial) to P-D (Planned Development)

Agenda Page 1:

Page 1

Page 1

Agenda Page 2:

Page 2

Page 2

TIF of fax:

-jsq

Library Board selects out-of-state architect for local library @ LCC 2012-07-24

The Library Board says no local architect was as qualified as the one they picked in Tallahassee to design a new local library here. The same Lowndes County Commission that just a month ago reappointed three members of the Library Board votes tomorrow evening on this bid selection.

Brittany D. McClure wrote for the VDT today, Library board selects architects: New main branch to be located at Five Points development

Clemons Rutherford & Associates (CRA) was chosen by the library


View Larger Map

board as the firm that will lead the design team for the new main library branch that will be moving next to the new municipal auditorium at Five Points.

Lowndes County Commissioners will vote Tuesday on the selection.

“The selection committee felt that the firm that was selected was the most qualified for the project as well as had the lowest estimate,” said Chad McLeod, Lowndes County project manager.

Though the selection process for agencies was directed by Lowndes County, the library board had input in the selection.

“The process to build the library began nearly three years ago at the county’s urging,” said Kay Harris, Library Board chairman.

Requests For Proposals (RFP’s) were advertised for 30 days, with 35 RFP’s requested by various agencies and architectural firms. Ten completed RFP’s were submitted to the county.

And when do we the taxpayers get to see these ten completed RFPs? Not unless somebody files an open records request and somebody else makes them available: it’s the county way!

OK, so why was CRA selected?

Continue reading →

Grants, Taxes, and a Fair Housing Committee! @ VCC 2012-07-19

Hot topic Impediments to Fair Housing returns to the Valdosta City Council tonight:

5.a. Consideration of a request to establish a Fair Housing Committee.

I’m told they’re going to appoint members to that committee tonight. More about that from their 5 April 2012 meeting.

They will also consider bids, grants, and taxes, and make a couple of award presentations.

Here’s the agenda.

-jsq

AMENDED AGENDA
REGULAR MEETING OF THE VALDOSTA CITY COUNCIL
5:30 PM Thursday, July 19, 2012
COUNCIL CHAMBERS, CITY HALL
Continue reading →

Governor Announces CDBG Award Recipients @ LCC 2012-07-10

Received 11 July 2012, about that mysterious block grant. -jsq

Here is the original announcement of the Haven getting that CDBG grant. They have had some issues with the land that have kept it from being built before now.

-Jane Osborn

Text of announcement:

Governor Announces CDBG Award Recipients

Tuesday, September 7, 2010 Contact: Office of Communications 404-651-7774

ATLANTA— Governor Sonny Perdue announced that Georgia has been awarded over $43 million in federal grants from the U. S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) for the state’s Community Development Block Grant Program.

“The Community Development Block Grant program provides an essential financial resource to Georgia’s smaller communities in their efforts to fund projects that will assist low- and moderate-income citizens,” said Governor Perdue. “As communities large and small are making tough spending choices, today’s grant announcement represents an important funding source for various local quality of life, economic development and job creation programs.”

Nearly $35.7 million is now being allocated for CDBG awards that will be used to support projects in 75 Georgia communities. Projects include water and sewer improvements, senior citizen facilities, health facilities, domestic violence centers, street and drainage improvements and replacement or rehabilitation of sub-standard and dilapidated housing. A complete list of projects and award amounts is included at the end of the news release. Remaining grant funds will be made available on an ongoing basis as opportunities arise for funding job creation and redevelopment projects in various parts of the state.

The CDBG program is administered by the Georgia Department of Community Affairs (DCA), which uses funds allocated through HUD to support local initiatives that focus on improving living conditions and economic opportunities.

“We are pleased that these funds will be used to fund critical community development projects,” added DCA Commissioner Mike Beatty. “Each year, the annual CDBG funding announcement demonstrates how federal, state, regional, and local partners are working together to support local communities and build a brighter future for all Georgians.”

The following is a complete listing of CDBG awards. Communities are listed in alphabetical order.

The line item from the governor’s table:

RecipientProject DescriptionAmount
Lowndes County Domestic Violence Shelter $500,000.00

-jsq

Started on Time! Lowndes County Commission finally set its clock @ LCC 2012-07-10

Somebody finally set the invisible clock in front of the Lowndes County Commission Chairman: Even the old dog was surprised! for the first time in recent memory, they started on time, instead of four or five minutes before the announced start time. Even the old dog on the phone was surprised.

The whole meeting took about seven minutes long. Note the Millage Hearing announced for just before the next Regular Session.

Here are videos of the previous morning’s work session. Here’s the agenda.

Here’s a video playlist of this Regular Session:

Continue reading →

Hospital board, awards, contracts, and a bid @ LCC 2012-07-09

The Lowndes County Commission meets 8:30 AM tomorrow morning (Work Session) and 5:30 PM Tuesday evening (Regular Session). Here’s the agenda.

-jsq

LOWNDES COUNTY BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS
PROPOSED AGENDA
WORK SESSION, MONDAY, JULY 9, 2012, 8:30 a.m.
REGULAR SESSION, TUESDAY, JULY 10, 2012, 5:30 p.m.
327 N. Ashley Street – 2nd Floor
  1. Call to Order
  2. Invocation
  3. Pledge of Allegiance to the Flag
  4. Minutes for Approval
    1. Budget Public Hearing — June 19, 2012
    2. Work Session — June 25, 2012
    3. Budget Public Hearing — June 26, 2012
    4. Regular Session — June 26, 2012
  5. Appointments – Hospital Authority of Valdosta and Lowndes County
  6. For Consideration
    1. FY2012 EMPG Response and Recovery Award Application
    2. FY2012 Planning and Preparedness Award Application
    3. Code Red Service Agreement
    4. Cisco Unified Computing System
    5. FY 2010 CDBG Deed, Lease, & Promissory Note
  7. Bid – FY 2010 CDBG Construction Contract
  8. Reports-County Manager
  9. Citizens Wishing to be Heard Please State Name And Address

Budget, boards, and abandonment @ LCC 2012-06-26

The Lowndes County Commission appointed people to four boards, approved a budget for next fiscal year, made some unspecified changes to this year’s budget, and demonstrated they could both stop speeding traffic on a rural road and put a cap on a construction contract! All this in one meeting, their Regular Session of 26 June 2012.

Here’s the agenda. Here are videos of the previous morning’s Work Session. And here are videos of the 5PM (actually 4:57PM) budget hearing.

Here’s a video playlist:

Budget, boards, and abandonment
Regular Session, Lowndes County Commission (LCC),
Video by Gretchen Quarterman for Lowndes Area Knowledge Exchange (LAKE), Valdosta, Lowndes County, Georgia, 26 June 2012.

-jsq

County puts a cap on a construction contract! @ LCC 2012-06-26

The county can put a cap on a construction contract! That's welcome news.

At their 26 June 2012 Regular Session the Lowndes County Commission approved an item listed on the agenda as "9. FY 2010 Community Development Block Grant". They added three qualifications:

  1. That the grant applicant delivers the deed to the Board of Commissioners that is acceptable to the Board of Commissioners.
  2. That the construction contract not exceed 700,000.
  3. That the grant applicant is in agreement with the Board of Commissioners to pay the difference between the grant funds and project costs.

That's all admirable, and quite a difference from the approach the Commission took to another grant-funded project: the no-bid contract with Scruggs Co. for the new Moody AFB gate. Did we the taxpayers ever find out how much the final contract was for and how much the final cost overrun was?

Of course, in this new case, we never learned who the construction contractor was, or whether there were bids, of anything else about the contract. Why doesn't the Commission want us to know such things?

-jsq

 

Closing one end of Brinson Drive to stop speeders @ LCC 2012-06-26

Closing one end of a dirt road to stop speeders: it turns out the county can do that, after all! And it’s a popular thing to do.

One spoke against, but changed to be for. Three others spoke for. The agenda item at the 26 June 2012 Regular Session of the Lowndes County Commission was

7. Public Hearing: Abandonment of a Portion of Brinson Drive
  • John L. Lewis who lives in Lanier County but owns property at 4718 Brinson Road spoke against closing Brinson Drive. County Engineer Mike Fletcher clarified that they weren’t closing the whole road; they were abandoning a portion of it near Pikes Pond Road, making Brinson a dead end to stop speeding through traffic. Lewis seemed mollified.
  • Richard Rigby spoke for the closing of Brinson Road, saying it was the greatest thing the Commission had done in the last ten years, other than keeping Haunted House Road open.
  • Amanda Parker spoke for closing Brinson Drive; she lives on Oak Hill Drive at the end of Brinson and almost got run over that morning.
  • Loretta Steed spoke for closing Brinson Drive; she lives on Pikes Pond Road near one end of Brinson. She said she had been against the closing until she learned from Rigby that the county was keeping Haunted House Road open. Instead she wanted to know how it would be closed so as to stop the speeders from getting on it. Chairman Paulk said a culvert would be removed.
  • Commissioners voted unanimously to close one end of Brinson Drive.

Three years ago in a similar situation, the county insisted on paving Quarterman Road instead. Quarterman Road, which, unlike Brinson Drive, doesn’t even go anywhere. Paving resulted in speeders and drag racers through a residential neighborhood. As resident Carolyn Selby put it:

You designed a mile and a half straight-away, and they have come. Welcome to the Quarterman Road Drag Strip!

The county continues to insist speed humps are out of the question. It’s good to hear Commissioners have become concerned about safety somewhere in the county.

-jsq

Mickey Tillman recognized @ LCC 2012-06-26

As an unscheduled item at the 26 June 2012 Regular Session, Lowndes County Chairman Ashley Paulk and County Manager Joe Pritchard recognized the many years of service of Mickey Tillman. Here's an excerpt from what Joe Pritchard said:

Mickey was hired in 1975. Lowndes County was referred to as the Commission of Roads and Revenue. and the county had a population of approximately 60,000 people and was served by 150 employees. Today of course Lowndes County serves nearly 110,000 citizens with an employee base of 575. Mickey has been a part of this historical growth and he has been instrumental in the early development of several key services that continue to meet the needs of the citizens today.

Then the Commissioners posed for photographs with Mickey Tillman.

Here's the video:

Mickey Tillman recognized
Regular Session, Lowndes County Commission (LCC),
Video by Gretchen Quarterman for Lowndes Area Knowledge Exchange (LAKE), Valdosta, Lowndes County, Georgia, 26 June 2012.

-jsq