Tag Archives: Remerton

Workshop 1, Lowndes County Comprehensive Plan Update 2025-10-20

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Why I went to the Monday GLPC Work Session: after it was the first Workshop for the Greater Lowndes Comprehensive Plan, including the cities of Valdosta, Hahira, Remerton, Dasher, and Lake Park. Updates to the Comprehensive Plan are required by the state of Georgia every five years.

James Horton of the Southern Georgia Regional Planning Commission (SGRC) conducted the Workshop.

[Workshop 1, Lowndes County Comprehensive Plan Update, James Horton, SGRC, Monday, October 20, 2025]
Workshop 1, Lowndes County Comprehensive Plan Update, James Horton, SGRC, Monday, October 20, 2025

For the current Plan, see:
https://lowndescounty.com/DocumentCenter/View/1512/2021-Greater-Lowndes-Comprehensive-Plan-PDF?bidId=

James Horton gave a very comprehensive review of what’s in the Comprehensive Plan and what it is for. Then most of the session consisted of people filling out a SWOT analysis, mostly online. That’s Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, and Threats. You can SWOT, too: follow the QR code.

Afterwards, County Manager Paige Dukes mentioned she had just been to a session with One Valdosta-Lowndes (OVL) and we all needed to make all these plans work together. I was slow to get the camera restarted, so I missed the first part of what she said, but you can get the gist from what’s on the video.

Each of the cities has its own planning beyond what’s in the Comprehensive Plan, Parks and Rec and the Tourism Authority each have their plans, and of course OVL was intended for projects that affect all of the above.

Reminds me of the old joke about when there were a dozen standards, so somebody started another standard to merge the standards. Then where were a dozen plus one standards.

James Horton says:

The next meeting is Workshop 2 on Monday November 17, 2025 at 325 West Savannah Avenue at 6:00 PM following the work session of the Greater Lowndes County Planning Commission.

And the third Workshop will also be after a GLPC Work Session, on January 20, 2026. Continue reading →

Lowndes County and Cities SPLOST Agreement and Project Lists 2025-08-04

Update 2025-08-24: Agenda: Millages, Opioid Litigation, Hightower Road, SPLOST IX, TREES Act, PFAS Groundwater Claims @ LCC 2025-08-25.

Update 2025-08-12: Videos: Proclamations, 2 small rezonings, Comprehensive Plan, USGS Gauges, GDOT for Shiloh Road, Civic Center Hurricane Repair @ LCC Work 2025-08-11.

On August 7, Lowndes County told me in response to the LAKE August 4, 2025, open records request:

“Regarding your below open records request, we will have this information ready for you next Thursday, August 14, 2025.”

Meanwhile, a usually reliable source has sent what appears to be the SPLOST IX Agreement and the Project Lists for the county and each of its cities. They are on the LAKE website.

[Lowndes County SPLOST, Agreement and Project Lists, Valdosta, Hahira, Remerton, Dasher, Lake Park]
Lowndes County SPLOST, Agreement and Project Lists, Valdosta, Hahira, Remerton, Dasher, Lake Park

Text and images of the Project Lists are below.

We’ll see if they match what I get from the county on Thursday.

This is what I asked for: Continue reading →

Rome-Floyd SPLOST Committee 2024-12-31

The opaque SPLOST process the Lowndes County Commission is using, in which it just sent an Agreement and a Project List to its cities for approval without the taxpaying citizens ever seeing either, is not the only way.

[Rome-Floyd County, GA, Citizen SPLOST Committee, Less Population than Lowndes, More transparent process]
Rome-Floyd County, GA, Citizen SPLOST Committee, Less Population than Lowndes, More transparent process

Rome and Floyd County, Georgia, have a citizen committee that decides what is on their Special Local Option Sales Tax (SPLOST) list. That committee has open meetings and publishes its draft lists.
https://www.floydcountyga.gov/bc-splost

Floyd County, at 100,113 people, has less population than Lowndes County, at 120,712.

If Floyd County can be transparent, Lowndes County can also choose to be transparent. Continue reading →

Video: Special Called Meeting about SPLOST IX Agreement @ LCC 2025-08-04

Update 2025-08-05: Rome-Floyd SPLOST Committee 2024-12-31.

Here is the one LAKE video of the two-minute Special Called Meeting in which the Lowndes County Commissioners unanimously agreed to forward a SPLOST IX Agreement to the cities within the county.

[Collage @ LCC 4 August 2025]
Collage @ LCC 4 August 2025

The tax-paying citizens have not seen this Agreement nor the list of projects on which the county projects $17 million to be spent in Fiscal Year 2026.

According to County Manager Paige Dukes, the County Commission will have to vote again after the cities approve it.

Citizens get to vote on SPLOST IX in the General Election on November 4, 2025.

Today, they unanimously approved sending to the cities, on a motion by Commissioner Scottie Orenstien and a second by Commissioner Michael Smith. Continue reading →

Agenda: Special Called Meeting about SPLOST IX Agreement @ LCC 2025-08-04

Update 2025-08-04: Video: Special Called Meeting about SPLOST IX Agreement @ LCC 2025-08-04.

Since LAKE posted the VDT notice of the SPLOST IX Special Called Meeting for this afternoon, an agenda and agenda sheet have popped up on LowndesCounty.com.

They’ve been working on this SPLOST IX Agreement since April, yet they couldn’t discuss it during a regularly-scheduled meeting, nor tell the tax-paying public what’s on the project list?

[Agenda and Sheet @ LCC 2025-08-04, 4 PM, Special Called Meeting, SPLOST IX Agreement]
Agenda and Sheet @ LCC 2025-08-04, 4 PM, Special Called Meeting, SPLOST IX Agreement

Here is the agenda:

LOWNDES COUNTY BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS
SPECIAL CALLED MEETING
PROPOSED AGENDA
MONDAY, AUGUST 4, 2025, 4:00 P.M.
327 N. Ashley Street – 2nd Floor

Continue reading →

Packet: Remerton variances for Bryce Nerland, Woodard Street @ GLPC 2024-05-20

The Greater Lowndes Planning Commission heard two requests for variances on two adjoining lots, “The main motivation behind the request is to allow a reduction in setbacks to allow new construction for 6 single family homes on 2 vacant lots.”

Nobody spoke against. The Planning Commissioners unanimously voted to recommend approval of each request. The Remerton City Council probably has approved the requests by now.

[Setback variances for two lots on Woodard Street, Remerton @ GLPC 2024-05-20]
Setback variances for two lots on Woodard Street, Remerton @ GLPC 2024-05-20

Jessica Freeman sent the Remerton packet materials a week after the Planning Commission meeting. They are on the LAKE website.

Now that I know an email address that seems to work for her, probably future Remerton packets will arrive more speedily after she gets the LAKE open records request. Continue reading →

Videos: Two Remerton setback cases, 1 Lowndes County multiple residence rezoning, 1 Valdosta CUP @ GLPC 2024-05-20

Update 2024-06-10: Packet: Rezoning on Glenn Road, Abandon part of Valencia Street, pave Kinderlou Clyattville Road @ LCC 2024-06-10.

Update 2024-06-10: Packet: Remerton variances for Bryce Nerland, Woodard Street @ GLPC 2024-05-20.

Update 2024-06-04: Agenda: Budget, Personal Care Home, streets and transit, 2 sewer repairs @ VCC 2024-06-06

Apparently the Greater Lowndes Planning Commission (GLPC) also thought these cases were unremarkable, since the Planning Commissioners breezed through them, unanimously recommending approval for all of them.

Steve Miller chaired the meeting. Ed Hightower was not present.

We never did get the board packet materials for the Remerton cases, despite being promised them at the Planning Commission meeting.

[Collage @ GLPC 20 May 2024]
Collage @ GLPC 20 May 2024

Below are LAKE videos of each agenda item, with a few notes by Gretchen Quarterman, followed by a LAKE video playlist.

See also the agenda and board packet. Continue reading →

Two Remerton setback cases, 1 Lowndes County multiple residence rezoning, 1 Valdosta CUP @ GLPC 2024-05-20

Update 2024-06-10: Packet: Remerton variances for Bryce Nerland, Woodard Street @ GLPC 2024-05-20.

Update 2024-05-27: Videos: Two Remerton setback cases, 1 Lowndes County multiple residence rezoning, 1 Valdosta CUP @ GLPC 2024-05-20.

These cases for the Greater Lowndes Planning Commission (GLPC) Monday evening seem unremarkable to me.

We do not yet have the packet materials for the Remerton cases, so I inserted a map from the Lowndes County Tax Assessors. We will post the Remerton materials when we get them.

[1 Remerton, 1 Valdosta, 2 Lowndes @ GLPC 2024-05-20, Woodard St., Glenn Road, W Magnolia St.]
1 Remerton, 1 Valdosta, 2 Lowndes @ GLPC 2024-05-20, Woodard St., Glenn Road, W Magnolia St.

Here is the agenda.

The packet materials we have received from Valdosta and Lowndes County, in response to a LAKE open records request, are on the LAKE website.

Greater Lowndes Planning Commission
~ Lowndes County ~ City of Valdosta ~ City of Dasher ~
~ City of Hahira ~ City of Lake Park ~ City of Remerton ~
Monday, May 13, 2024 5:30 P.M. Work Session
Monday, May 20, 2024 5:30 P.M. Regular Session
Lowndes County South Health District Administrative Office
325 West Savannah Avenue, Valdosta, Georgia

Continue reading →

Videos: Solid Waste Franchises, Roads, Water Main, Hospital Revenue @ LCC Work 2024-03-25

Lowndes County Sheriff Ashley Paulk made a rare appearance to answer questions about the Speed Zone Ordinance, at the Lowndes County Commission Work Session yesterday morning.

The longest item was 7.d. Georgia County Internship Program Grant for Summer 2024 Grant Period at three and a half minutes. Commissioner Joyce Evans had some questions, which were mostly inaudible.

Second longest was 4. Georgia 811 Safe Digging Month Proclamation, at more than two minutes.

County Manager Paige Dukes mentioned that people were getting frusted with Deep South Sanitation Advanced Disposal Services (ADS) customer service since it was moved upstairs to Waste Management. However, she had no suggestions for changes this year to the 7.f. Advanced Disposal Services Residential Solid Waste Franchise Renewal.

Instead of her Reports, the County Manager requested an executive session to discuss real estate transactions, and they moved into that session.

The Lowndes County Commissioners vote tonight at 5:30 PM.

[Collage @ LCC 25 March 2024]
Collage @ LCC 25 March 2024

Gretchen remarks about 7.b. Purchase of Property on Harbin Circle from Second Harvest, Continue reading →

Packet: Solid Waste Franchises, Roads, Water Main, Hospital Revenue @ LCC 2024-03-25

The two solid waste collection company franchise agreements are up for annual renewal, at the Lowndes County Commission. This time there are no changes except for dates.

Engineering is publishing a revised Speed Zone Ordinance, incorporating streets in Valdosta and Remerton.

[Packet: Solid Waste Franchises, Roads, Water Main, Hospital Revenue @ LCC 2024-03-25]
Packet: Solid Waste Franchises, Roads, Water Main, Hospital Revenue @ LCC 2024-03-25

Lowndes County Utilties is apparently getting a better price for running a sewer line on Holly Lane by doing it the same time as the Golden Oaks Subdivision installation.

That and other items run up almost a million and a half dollars this session.

Cost What
$1,082,688.00Bid for Quantity of 25 – 1/2 Ton Trucks for Various County Departments
$161,500.00Purchase of Property on Harbin Circle from Second Harvest; Short-term
$76,200.00Bid for Quantity of 60 SCBA Cylinders for the Fire Department
$63,176.00Coleman Road NW Right of Way Purchases
$42,652.50Golden Oaks Subdivision Force Main Change Order
$140.00Hospital Authority Revenue Certificates (TEFRA)
$0.00Deep South Sanitation, LLC, Residential Solid Waste Franchise Renewal, April 1, 2024
$0.00Hospital Authority Revenue Certificates
$0.00Advanced Disposal Services Residential Solid Waste Franchise Renewal, April 1, 2024
$1,426,356.50Total

Here is the agenda.

The board packet, received in response to a LAKE open records request, is on the LAKE website.

LOWNDES COUNTY BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS
PROPOSED AGENDA
WORK SESSION, MONDAY, MARCH 25, 2024, 8:30 a.m.
REGULAR SESSION, TUESDAY, MARCH 26, 2024, 5:30 p.m.
327 N. Ashley Street – 2nd Floor

Continue reading →