Tag Archives: SGRL

Videos: Animals, Library Board, Lighting, Mosquitoes, Prisoners, Stormwater @ LCC Regular 2024-08-27

Citizen Burton Fletcher spoke for five minutes about Animal Control Funding, out of the fourteen minutes of the Regular Session of the Lowndes County Commission of August 27, 2024. That leaves 9 minutes, minus 2 minutes for the County Manager Report and a minute for the Call to Order, Invocation, and Pledge, means 7 minutes of actual business. They approved everything unanimously.

[Collage @ LCC 27 August 2024]
Collage @ LCC 27 August 2024

They reappointed Bill Booth and appointed Debra Ruth to the Lowndes County Library Board.

Nobody spoke for or against the 6.a. Basic Decorative Street Lighting Districts.

Below are links to each LAKE video of each agenda item, with a few notes by Gretchen Quarterman (actually none this time), followed by a LAKE video playlist.

County Manager Paige Dukes in her Reports said staff were attending the statewide Homebuilders Association meeting. Homebuilders are “stakeholders” after all.

In Citizens Wishing to Be Heard, Burton Fletcher noted $1.5 million for the Animal Shelter didn’t actually help much, and he wondered what has happened in the year or two since groundbreaking.

See also Continue reading

Videos: Library Board, Lighting, Mosquitoes, Prisoners, Stormwater @ LCC Work 2024-08-26

Update 2024-09-08: Videos: Animals, Library Board, Lighting, Mosquitoes, Prisoners, Stormwater @ LCC Regular 2024-08-27.

Four minutes is all yesterday morning’s meeting took, the Work Session of the Lowndes County Commission.

Vice Chair Demarcus Marshall chaired the meeting in the absence of Chairman Slaughter.

[Collage @ LCC 26 August 2024]
Collage @ LCC 26 August 2024

The only questions were about 7.b. Annual Contract Renewal with the State of GA Department of Corrections. Public Works Director Robin Cumbus explained that the county only pays when the work details are used and that no qualified inmates have been available for some time, however having the contract in place makes it possible to use the inmates, should any become qualified.

The County Manager’s Report may or may not have been requested. In any case, she didn’t report. She usually saves that for the Regular Session.

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 Continue reading

Packet: Library Board, Lighting, Mosquitoes, Prisoners, Stormwater @ LCC 2024-08-26

Should be a quick meeting. Monday morning, to vote on Tuesday evening, the Lowndes County Commission will review applicants to the Library Board, approve an annual mosquito identifaction contract and an annual agreement with the state for prisoner work details, as well as two Special Decorative Street Lighting Districts, for The Landings, Ph. 3 and Quarterman Estates, Ph. 4 Sec. 2.

[Collage, Packet @ LCC 2024-08-26]
Collage, Packet @ LCC 2024-08-26

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, AUGUST 26, 2024, 8:30 P.M.
REGULAR SESSION, TUESDAY, AUGUST 27, 2024, 5:30 P.M.
327 N. Ashley Street – 2nd Floor

Continue reading

Videos: seventeen minutes for three appointments and other business @ LCC Regular 2023-01-09

All the votes took less than eight minutes, at the Regular Session of the Lowndes County Commission, Monday, January 9, 2023.

Only one Commissioner had one question about a voting item, 6.e. Stop Loss Insurance Coverage through HM Insurance Group. Maybe they all knew how they were going to vote before they got to this public meeting.

There was discussion about inspections being efficient for “the development community” in the non-voting 7. Reports – County Manager.

They appointed people to three boards, accepted infrastructure for a subdivision, agreed to a lease, accepting a grant, and an insurance plan.

None of the appointees were present.

See especially Gretchen’s comments on 6.b. Extension of Agreement for ULDC Updates.

[Collage @ LCC 9 January 2023]
Collage @ LCC 9 January 2023

The whole thing took seventeen minutes. For sure, the County Manager’s Reports are informative, but subtract those eight minutes and the more than a minute for the preliminaries, and only eight are left.

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 videos of the preceding Work Session and the agenda and board packet. Continue reading

Videos: Three appointments, lease, ULDC, roads, grant, insurance @ LCC Work 2023-01-09

Update 2023-01-22: Videos: seventeen minutes for three appointments and other business @ LCC Regular 2023-01-09.

No item took even two minutes, although many departments spoke, at the Lowndes County Commission Regular Session, Monday, January 9, 2023. The whole thing took eight minutes.

[Collage @ LCC Work 9 January 2023]
Collage @ LCC Work 9 January 2023

I wonder what’s in these ULDC Updates, when will the public get to see them, and why was a contractor necessary to write them? Also, how much did that contract cost?

The Regular Session was later that same day; LAKE videos of that one will also follow.

Below are links to each LAKE video of each agenda item of the Work Session, with some notes by Gretchen Quarterman, followed by a LAKE video playlist. See also the agenda and board packet. Continue reading

Packet: Three appointments, lease, ULDC, roads, grant, insurance @ LCC 2023-01-09

Update 2023-01-22: Videos: Three appointments, lease, ULDC, roads, grant, insurance @ LCC Work 2023-01-09.

Both Work Session and Regular Session are Monday, January 9, 2023, for the Lowndes County Commission. Both will probably be brief, because it’s a short agenda of mostly routine items.

The rezoning at Skipper Bridge Road and GA 122 for a Dollar General is NOT on this agenda. However, those interested may want to show up and be seen by the Commissioners, to remind them that people care and will be there on January 24th at the Public Hearing.

[Agenda, Cattle Crossing Subdivision infrastructure @ LCC 2023-01-09]
Agenda, Cattle Crossing Subdivision infrastructure @ LCC 2023-01-09

They pretend as always that taking over more subdivision streets and water and sewer lines will not cost the county taxpayers anything.

The dollar items listed in the packet are small. Continue reading

Videos: Fire, Library, rezonings, water main, road abandonments @ LCC 2019-02-11

The longest item was not on the agenda: Special Recognition of Fire Rescue.

Special Recognition of Fire Rescue

Second longest at two minutes was 7d. MOU with City of Remerton for Fire Inspection and Plan Review Services.

They’re adding to the agenda for voting Tuesday evening Carter Way emergency access. Maybe by then they’ll know Continue reading

Library, rezonings, water main, road abandonments @ LCC 2019-02-11

On the agenda for this morning, with voting Tuesday evening, $18,250.00 of $73,000.00 to bore under US 84 for a water main to we don’t know who (see also LAKE videos of previous Regular session), and $7,500.00 paid in full by GDOT to close the CSX railroad crossing at Dasher-Johnson Road and to improve the crossing at Good Hope Road. Also final Public Hearing to abandon part of McLeod Road (see also previous Regular Session), first consideration of Abandonment of Doyle Kelly Road. Plus reappointment of attorney Karl Osmus to the Lowndes County Library Board, the three rezonings from the recent Planning Commission meeting, an MOU with City of Remerton to provide Fire Inspection and Plan Review Services, and Lowndes County Historic Courthouse Architect Selection, 4.5 years since the Courthouse Preservation Committee Meetings.

Historic Lowndes County Courthouse

Gretchen is heading to the Commissioner meeting now with the LAKE video camera.

LOWNDES COUNTY BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS
PROPOSED AGENDA
WORK SESSION, MONDAY, FEBRUARY 11, 2019, 8:30 a.m.
REGULAR SESSION, TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 12, 2019, 5:30 p.m.
327 N. Ashley Street – 2nd Floor

Continue reading

A librarian on the library board! @ LCC 2013-06-25

The political appointee was replaced by a librarian, and the marketing guy by a marketing guy, at the 25 June Regular Session of the Lowndes County Commission.

5.a. Lowndes County Library Board

Back on June 10th Library Director Kelly Lenz brought candidates Jack Hartley, Linda Most, and Matt Lawrence, who spoke, and at the June 24th Work Session County Manager Joe Pritchard not naming candidates for the library board Commissioner Joyce Evans submitted the name of Mr. Robert Jefferson, who did not speak.

This time County Manager Joe Pritchard mumbled behind his monitor and did not deign to name any of the candidates, referring to “a list” that Commissioners could see but the public could not. He did say that the openings were for the board slots previously occupied by Kay Harris and Ray Devery.

Kay Harris Previous political appointee Kay Harris failed to get the new library at Five Points approved in last year’s failed SPLOST VII vote and resigned as Library Board Chair and from that board 15 March 2013. Here are some related points she never seemed to discuss. And while she and the County Commission and the Valdosta City Council and Mayor pointed fingers about who lost SPLOST, Continue reading

Library Board candidates set an example @ LCC 2013-06-10

Three unscheduled candidates for the Lowndes County Library Board set examples for informative applications to an appointed board.

At the 10 June 2013 Work Session the Chairman did clearly say library board appointments were not on the agenda but would be at their next meeting. He didn’t define “next meeting”, but he meant two weeks later, when it is indeed on the agenda for this morning and tomorrow evening. Back two weeks ago, South Georgia Regional Library Director Kelly Lenz said two nominees were present for two vacant positions. Then she named three people: Jack Hartley, Linda Most, and Matt Lawrence.

Jack Hartley’s LinkedIn profile says he is “Franchsie Owner of Home Instead Senior Care, Valdosta, Georgia”. He said: Continue reading