Tag Archives: Rodney Cain

Videos: DRC Emergency Services, VSU South Campus Purchase, missing HOA, and Navigability @ LCC Regular 2024-10-23

As Gretchen noted, “There was no work session for this meeting. Shockingly there was discussion.”

The Commissioners and even the County Attorney and County Manager were quite chatty in the Lowndes County Commission Regular Session, Tuesday, October 22, 2024, about hurricane debris, and especially about their upcoming $2 million purchase. They also heard from two citizens.

Collage @ LCC 23 October 2024

They revealed in 5.a. Agreement with DRC Emergency Services, LLC that the hurricane debris removal would probably last six months.

In 5.b. Purchase of VSU South Campus Property they revealed that the likely future occupant is is the Board of Elections. They discussed this one item for ten minutes! Unheard of. Good, though.

In 6. Reports – County Manager Paige Dukes estimated about $1.5 million in property damage to Lowndes County assets. Not counting VLPRA, Hospital, and other authorities with their own budgets.

Two citizens spoke: 7. CWTBH: Jesse Bingham of 2563 Naples Lane recounted a tale of multiple developers building wildly different buildings around his house, and still no HOA.

7. CWTBH: John S. Quarterman, speaking for WWALS Watershed Coalition as Suwannee Riverkeeper, talked about the Georgia House Study Committee on Navigability and recommended Commissioners contact statehouse members. See separate post.

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

Packet: DRC Emergency Services and VSU South Campus Purchase @ LCC 2024-10-22

Update 2024-10-23: Videos: DRC Emergency Services, VSU South Campus Purchase, missing HOA, and Navigability @ LCC Regular 2024-10-23.

The board packet adds the agreements to the agenda for this evening’s Lowndes County Commission Regular Session, 5:30 PM, Tuesday, October 22, 2024.

One agreement details the $3,500 a month for renting for hurricane debris removal the failed subdivision the county bought for $568,971 in February 2022, on GA 122 between Walker’s Crossing and Banks Lake.

The other agreement specifies what the county is buying from VSU for $2,156,000. It says they’re renting part of it back to VSU at least through December, with options for following months through June 2025, for $1 (one dollar) a month.

Collage, Packet, LCC 2024-10-24

The packet does not include a map of the VSU property being purchased, but presumably it’s the same as the lots in that block owned by BOARD OF REGENTS OF THE UNIVERSITY SYSTEM OF GEORGIA in this map by the Lowndes County Tax Assessors. At least those properties match the addresses listed in the agreement: 901 N Patterson Street, 903 N Patterson Street, 109-111 E. Force Street, 906-908 Slater Street, and 112 East Gordon. Continue reading →

Agenda: DRC Emergency Services and VSU South Campus Purchase @ LCC 2024-10-21

Update 2024-10-22: Packet: DRC Emergency Services and VSU South Campus Purchase @ LCC 2024-10-22.

The agenda is so light the Lowndes County Commission cancelled the Work Session, and are going straight to voting in the Regular Session, 5:30 PM, Tuesday, October 22, 2024.

They’re finally going to get some income for the failed subdivision they bought between Walker’s Crossing and Banks Lake, and they’re buying the old Georgia Power building from VSU for $2,156,000.

Hurricane debris removal rental, VSU South Campus purchase, No Work Session, Regular Session @ LLC 2024-10-22

The “VSU South Campus Property” is the old Georgia Power building at 901 N Patterson Street and apparently most of the rest of the block.

The location of the hurricane debris removal sounded familiar.

DRC Engineering Services, LLC is a hurricane debris removal contractor of the Georgia Department of Transportation. It has asked to use approximately five acres of County owned property located at 7404 Ga. Highway 122 East for hurricane debris management purposes. It has agreed to pay the County $3500 per month for use of the property. The proposed agreement is attached.

Ah, yes, the property the county bought for $568,971 in February 2022 because Continue reading →

Videos: Stealth Commission district reapportionment and half million dollar developer giveaway @ LCC 2022-01-25

As expected, the Lowndes County Commission at its Regular Session passed the half million dollar bailout for a developer.

Not expected, they changed the agenda at the beginning of the meeting to approve new Commission district maps and a resolution supporting them, for immediate transmission to the state.

One citizen wishing to be heard spoke about the never ending noise from the 15 month old Arglass factory.

Amendment, Commissioners, New Districts

Developer Bailout

For 5.k. Property Purchase – Building Valdosta, LLC County Manager Paige Dukes said staff acted at the direction of the Commissioners, seeming to distance herself and staff from this action.

Reapportionment

I’m guessing the added agenda item was 5.l..

Vice Chair Joyce Evans, presiding over the meeting in the absence of Chair Bill Slaughter, introduced the agenda change for district reapportionment indicating the Commissioners all already knew this was going to happen. Continue reading →

Discussion of court grants and Loch Laurel Road project, little of property subsidy @ LCC 2022-01-24

Update 2024-10-21: The county is finally generating some income from that half a million dollar subdivision buyout. Agenda: DRC Emergency Services and VSU South Campus Purchase @ LCC 2024-10-21.

At yesterday morning’s Lowndes County Commission Work Session, there was no discussion by the Commissioners about 5.k. Property Purchase – Building Valdosta, LLC, but new wrinkles did come to some small light.

County Manager Paige Dukes said “This is a follow up on the Building Valdosta purchase of property we have discussed with you several times…” In what public meeting did those discussion take place? She also said the county attorney had worked out an agreement with Building Valdosta, yet that agreement was not in the board packet. And she remarked, “Any other claims related to this will continue through, um, any process with ACCG that they may have for lost profits.” She immediately called for an Executive Session for “Client-privileged communication regarding potential or pending litigation and for the purchase of property.”

Sounds like the county got sued by a developer, or was threatened with a lawsuit, and is resolving that by bailing out the developer with half a million of our tax dollars.

How can any developer who did the slightest due diligence not know that the subject property on GA 122 east of Bemiss Road is in the Moody Activity Zone (MAZ)? If that’s not their beef, what is?

Joyce Evans presiding, VOCA/CESF grant, Loch Laurel Road project, Property Purchase — Building Valdosta, LLC

Below are links to each LAKE video of each agenda item with a few notes by Gretchen, followed by a LAKE video playlist. See also Continue reading →

Why should Lowndes County spend half a million dollars to subsidize a developer? 2022-01-24

Update 2022-01-25: Discussion of court grants and Loch Laurel Road project, little of property subsidy @ LCC 2022-01-24.

The $568,971.00 for 5.k. Property Purchase – Building Valdosta, LLC is a markup of $323,971 over the price that property sold for last year, supposedly to protect Moody AFB, even though how is not said and it’s 2.4 miles away. The developer is the same as for the 5999 Val Del Road rezoning last October. And there appear to be more previous subsidies from the County Commission to the same developer.

This current giveaway on GA 122 is on the agenda for this morning’s Work Session and Tuesday evening’s voting Regular Session of the Lowndes County Commission.

Who does it profit? And how does it protect Moody AFB?

Building Valdosta parcel, Comprehensive Plan with MAZ

After I pointed out to the Lowndes County PIO and Clerk that the county was apparently in violation of the Georgia Open Records Act (GORA) by not returning the board packet within three days, they sent it at 7PM on Saturday. The packet is on the LAKE website. However, the packet includes no information about this item beyond the agenda sheet, which says:

HISTORY, FACTS AND ISSUES: At the direction of the Commission, staff has worked with the County Attorney to prepare a purchase agreement that will provide for Lowndes County to purchase 41.543 acres of property on Highway 122 inclusive of development costs incurred by the current owners and as reflected in the agreement, for the purpose of protecting Moody Air Force Base from encroachment.

It doesn’t say where that 41.543 acres is. But the Lowndes County Tax Assessors online web pages and map find it as 7404 E HWY 122, 2.4 miles north of Moody AFB. Continue reading →

No rezonings: Moody AFB, Courts, DA, Safety, Road, Nelson Hill Lift State @ LCC 2022-01-24

Update 2022-01-24: Board packet and Why should Lowndes County spend half a million dollars to subsidize a developer? 2022-01-24

The neverending Miller Bridge Road subdivision is not in this Lowndes County Commission agenda for Monday and Tuesday. For that, see the Planning Commission agenda for January 31, 2022.

But the County Commission agenda does contain two examples of how taxpayers are subsidizing development in Lowndes Counta. The $45,742.00 for the 5.d. Nelson Hill Lift Station Pump Upgrade is “Due to growth in the area”: growth the county is actively promoting.

Agenda, Nelson Hill Lift Station

Cost	What
$568,971.00	Property Purchase – Building Valdosta, LLC
$45,742.00	Nelson Hill Lift Station Pump Upgrade
$16,496.88	AT&T Switched Ethernet Circuit Continuation of Service
$631,209.88	Total

Nelson Hill Sewer Lift Station

On the one hand, I commend Lowndes County Utilities for staying ahead of sewer system demand and thus preventing sewage spills. On the other hand, look at why the agenda sheet says: Continue reading →

On the LAKE front

Citizen dialog for transparent process by the Lowndes Area Knowledge Exchange