The first meeting was last week, but there will be plenty more, in the state-required five-year update process for the Echols County Comprehensive Plan.
![[Begin Echols County Comprehensive Plan Update in Statenville, organized by SGRC]](http://www.l-a-k-e.org/govt/echols/2024-12-05--echols-comprehensive-plan/fbmany.jpg)
Begin Echols County Comprehensive Plan Update in Statenville,
organized by SGRC
That was a kickoff meeting.
Continue readingEd Hightower was reappointed to the Planning Commission and. Calvin Graham was appointed to the seat previously held by Vicki Biles.
Two citizens spoke in Citizens Wishing to Be Heard. Burton Fletcher thanked various people for running for or winning office and other things. Janice Strickland spoke about flooding on Pin Oak Circle, which is in the City of Valdosta, so she was referred to the City Council.
In a thirteen and a half minute discussion, “County Planners JD Dillard and Jason Davenport went over the proposed changes to the ULDC which was “in the room” at the seat of the Lawyer Walter Elliott.”
![[Collage @ LCC 12 November 2024]](http://www.l-a-k-e.org/govt/loco/2024-11-12--lcc-regular-videos/many.jpg)
Collage @ LCC 12 November 2024
Jason Davenport mentioned their goal was to get these changes approved by the County Manager and then to the “development community”. No mention of the public, other than the request by “Mrs. Quarterman” for a copy, which LAKE did get and publish. The county did not publish them before that Regular Session. The latest copy of the ULDC on the county’s website is still earlier than that, ULDC Unsigned Searchable Copy – July 9, 2024 (PDF).
Commissioner Demarcus Marshall wanted affirmation that these changes required existing systems to have generators if they expand. Davenport agreed they do require that.
Commissioner Scottie Orenstein, County Manager Paige Dukes, and County Chairman Bill Slaughter discussed other existing systems. It doesn’t look to me like the ULDC changes require those to have generators.
Commissioner Orenstein wanted to hear more about subdivision policy goals. Davenport’s answer was they would be looked at on a case-by-case basis and “appropriately address” them. County Chairman Bill Slaughter expressed concern about dense subdivisions where the county could not bring utilities and for subdivisions with a single point of ingress and egress (cul-de-sacs). Davenport mentioned they chose not to have separate rules for septic vs. county utilities.
At the Public Hearing, Gretchen Quarterman spoke in opposition to the amendments, noting that the time available to actually review the final language was only a couple of hours before the meeting, especially since the Planning Commission no longer gets ULDC text amendments on its agenda. She also recommended “continuously” instead of “consistently” for private well generators. She liked the explicit list of grandfathered subdivisions. She mentioned Val Del Estates, which flooded recently, despite the county rezoning it a few years ago in what were claimed not to be wetlands.
The Commissioners did not discuss most of those topics, nor removing pine trees from being protected species. They did unanimously approve the ULDC text amendments.
They also unanimously approved everything else, including the Loch Winn rezoning, even though several people spoke in opposition. That one took twelve and a half minutes.
They discussed the purchase of VSU South Campus for almost five minutes.
The Chairman paused other items several times for recognition of various groups and individuals. An agenda item at the front would simplify all that. Similarly, a Commissioner Comments item at the end would be easier than ad hoc asking Commissioners for comments.
Here are LAKE videos of each agenda item, with a few notes by Gretchen Quarterman, followed by a LAKE video playlist.
See also the Continue reading
There was so much discussion at the Work Session this morning that the meeting was 30 minutes long. They spent ten minutes on the ULDC Text Amendments; the ones that remove pine trees from being protected species. Even the UPS replacement got discussion.
Regarding the purchase of VSU South Campus, Commissioner Mark Wisenbaker wondered how this could so easily move forward when the proposed animal shelter is taking so long. There was a little discussion.
They vote at 5:30 PM this evening.
![[Collage @ LCC 12 November 2024]](http://www.l-a-k-e.org/govt/loco/2024-11-12--lcc-work-videos/many.jpg)
Collage @ LCC 12 November 2024
Here are LAKE videos of each agenda item, with a few notes by Gretchen Quarterman, followed by a LAKE video playlist.
See also the Continue reading
Update 2024-11-12: ULDC text amendments remove pines and pecans from protected trees @ LCC 2024-11-12.
Because Monday is Veterans Day, both the Work and Regular Sessions of the Lowndes County Commission will be Tuesday, November 12, 2024.
![[Collage @ LCC Agenda 2024-11-12]](http://www.l-a-k-e.org/govt/loco/2024-11-12--lcc-agenda/many.jpg)
Collage @ LCC Agenda 2024-11-12
Most of the almost $2.5 million being contemplated is for the purchase of the VS U South Campus.
| Cost | What |
|---|---|
| $2,156,000.00 | Purchase of VSU South Campus Property |
| $111,223.17 | LMIG Supplemental Local Road Assistance (LRA) 2024 Restriping Bids |
| $85,097.4.00 | Bid for 60 SCBA Cylinders for the Fire Department |
| $72,103.12 | UPS Replacement at the Valdosta and Clyattville Public Safety Radio System Tower Sites |
| $2,424,423.69 | Total |
Here is the quite long agenda.
We don’t have the board packet, because I forgot to send in the open records request. However, the packet materials for the rezonings will probably be much like the ones from the preceding GLPC meeting, and the ULDC amendments should be somewhat similar to those the Lowndes County Commission previously tabled.
For the VSU South Campus, see Packet: DRC Emergency Services and VSU South Campus Purchase @ LCC 2024-10-22.
LOWNDES COUNTY BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS
Continue reading
PROPOSED AGENDA
WORK SESSION, TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 12, 2024, 8:30 a.m.
REGULAR SESSION, TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 12, 2024, 5:30 p.m.
327 N. Ashley Street – 2nd Floor
Andrew Toussaint gave a report about the Small Business Administration and EMA Director Ashley Tye gave reports on hurricane assistance and local disaster group COAD, in this Lowndes County Commission Regular Session of September 26, 2023. Because of those reports and a second recognition of Leadership Lowndes (they showed up late), the meeting took 49 minutes.
![[Collage @ LCC 26 September 2023]](http://www.l-a-k-e.org/govt/loco/2023-09-26--lcc-regular-videos/many.jpg)
Collage @ LCC 26 September 2023
Like the previous morning, Commissioners were unusually chatty.
Commissioner Scottie Orenstein had some questions and comments about 5.a. Quiet Pines Golf Course Ezgo Golf Cart Lease Agreement. and 5.b. Mental Health Model Resolution for ACCG. Commissioners Clay Griner, Demarcus Marshall, County Manager Paige Dukes, and Chairman Bill Slaughter discussed which statehouse bills the mental health resolution mentions, and that it does not support any particular current bill, specifically not HB 520. They passed the resolution unanimously. Continue reading
It turns out the board packet for today’s Lowndes County Commission meeting contained little or nothing beyond the one-page agenda sheets for the four Bid items.
![[Collage, LCC Packet, 2023-09-25]](http://www.l-a-k-e.org/govt/loco/2023-09-25--lcc-packet/many.jpg)
Collage, LCC Packet, 2023-09-25
So you actually learn more about those items from the LAKE post with the agenda and bid documents.
In the Minutes for the Work Session of September 11 and for the Regular Session of September 12, about REZ-2023-04 Chase, 6119 Quarterman Road, the LAKE letter is only alluded to as “a report from the opposition” in this passage: Continue reading
Update 2023-09-26: Packet: Golf carts, mental health, wetland credits, regional transit, Lift Station and Fire Station Access Roads, 2 TIA Road Bids @ LCC 2023-09-25.
Lowndes County Commissioners were unusually chatty in yesterday morning’s Work Session, about 5.b. Mental Health Model Resolution for ACCG, in which they sounded like prison reform advocates.
![[Collage @ LCC 25 September 2023]](http://www.l-a-k-e.org/govt/loco/2023-09-25--lcc-work-videos/many.jpg)
Collage @ LCC 25 September 2023
Also about 6.a. Grove Point Lift Station Access Road, 5.c. Purchase of Wetland Credits for Shiloh Road Bridge Project, and 5.a. Quiet Pines Golf Course Ezgo Golf Cart Lease Agreement.
They had no questions about the almost $4 million dollar item, 6.b. TIA 2023-05 Briggston Road Grading, Drainage, Base, and Paving Bids, which leads to Wild Adventures.
See below for more notes on those items, with the LAKE videos of each agenda item, followed by a LAKE video playlist.
See also the agenda and bid documents.
We have not yet received a response to the LAKE open records request for the board packet.
Sure, I only sent that request Sunday. But it is stil mysterious why Lowndes County does not put its board packets on its own website, like many counties smaller and larger in Georgia and Florida have been doing for years. Continue reading
Update 2023-09-26: Videos: Golf carts, mental health, wetland credits, regional transit, Lift Station and Fire Station Access Roads, 2 TIA Road Bids @ LCC Work 2023-09-25.
This week the Lowndes County Commission proposes to authorize spending $4.5 million on road projects, plus golf carts for the Quiet Pine Golf Course at Moody AFB that the county now operates.
![[Collage @ LCC Agenda 2023-09-25]](http://www.l-a-k-e.org/govt/loco/2023-09-25--lcc-agenda/many.jpg)
Collage @ LCC Agenda 2023-09-25
The biggest project at almost four million dollars is TIA 2023-05 Briggston Road Grading, Drainage, Base, and Paving Bids, leading from Madison Highway to Old Clyattville Road, where you will find Wild Adventures.
| Cost | What |
|---|---|
| $3,892,229.54 | TIA 2023-05 Briggston Road Grading, Drainage, Base, and Paving Bids |
| $240,119.00 | Fire Rescue Station 10 Pavement Resurfacing Bids |
| $222,377.49 | Grove Point Lift Station Access Road |
| $194,166.66 | NC-TIA 2023-01 Rocky Hill Church Road Grading, Drainage, Base, and Paving Bids |
| $85,440.00 | Purchase of Wetland Credits for Shiloh Road Bridge Project |
| $50,160.00 | Quiet Pines Golf Course Ezgo Golf Cart Lease Agreement |
| $4,684,492.69 | Total |
Perhaps a longer search would find information on the county website about the Purchase of Wetland Credits for Shiloh Road Bridge Project. At least we can say what it is a bridge (or box culvert) over: Big Creek, which runs into Franks Creek, which ends up in the Little River.
![[Shiloh Road Bridge in WLRWT]](http://www.l-a-k-e.org/govt/loco/2023-09-25--lcc-agenda/2023-09-24--map-shiloh-road-bridge-wlrwt.jpg)
Shiloh Road Bridge in
the WWALS
map of the Withlacoochee and Little River Water Trail (WLRWT).
However, the Lowndes County Finance Department has a Bids web page that leads to specifics on each bid, including for the Grove Point Lift Station, Briggston Road, Rocky Hill Church Road, and Fire Rescue Station 10 projects. Three of them include a location map and engineering drawings. The exception is for Fire Station 10, but its Bid Documents do reveal the location of that fire station: 2981 US Hwy 84 East, Valdosta, Georgia.
Copies of all these documents and images of their pages are on the LAKE website.
We do not have a copy of the board packet, because I forgot to send the open records request.
Although it is still mysterious why the board packet is not on the county’s webiste where they have an option “packet” that only produces the agenda and an agenda sheet for each item.
Here is the agenda.
LOWNDES COUNTY BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS
Continue reading
PROPOSED AGENDA
WORK SESSION, MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 25, 2023, 8:30 a.m.
REGULAR SESSION, TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 26, 2023, 5:30 p.m.
327 N. Ashley Street – 2nd Floor
Remerton at almost 28 minutes was far the longest item at the Greater Lowndes Planning Commission Monday. Second was for Hahira, at 12 minutes. Everything else breezed through.
![[Remerton and Hahira Cases @ GLPC 2022-04-25]](http://www.l-a-k-e.org/govt/glpc/2022-04-25--glpc-videos/many.jpg)
Remerton and Hahira Cases @ GLPC 2022-04-25
The sound is not so good because the county has still not fixed the audio in the room.
Below are links to each LAKE video of each agenda item, with a few notes by Gretchen Quarterman, followed by a LAKE video playlist.
See also the Lake Park packet item, which Loretta Hylton of the Southern Georgia Regional Commission sent, saying she heard I was looking for it. It’s now on the LAKE website (PDF). Also, she said “The attorney pulled the Dasher item before submitting it to the Planning Commission.”
We still don’t have the Remerton item. The Valdosta and Hahira items were already on the LAKE website, previously sent by City Planner Matt Martin. We still don’t have the Remerton items. There were no Lowndes County packet items. Continue reading
Update 2022-02-01: LAKE videos: Recommend deny 8:3, Miller Bridge Road Subdivision @ GLPC 2022-01-31.
Minutes from SGRC vs. too many days from Lowndes County.
In the previous post I detailed how Lowndes County had referred me to the Southern Georgia Regional Commission (SGRC) to get the board packet item for the Dasher item on the agenda for tonight’s Greater Lowndes Planning Commission (GLPC) meeting, Monday, January 31, 2022.
So I sent email to Loretta Hylton at the SGRC. She returned a PDF of the document within less than ten minutes. No need for an open records request.
![[Land Use and Rezoning maps, DA-21-01, GLPC 2022-01-31]](http://www.l-a-k-e.org/govt/glpc/2022-01-31--glpc-packet/da.jpg)
Land Use and Rezoning maps, DA-21-01, GLPC 2022-01-31
That contrasts with more than three days and only after I quoted the open records law Lowndes County was probably violating.
So that Dasher packet item is on the LAKE website along with the others.
You may ask, why did it take me four days to put this packet item online?
Fair question, but I ask: why doesn’t Lowndes County put the entire GLPC board packet online where everyone can see it, like many counties larger and smaller in Georgia and Florida have been doing for years? Continue reading