Tag Archives: Sheriff

Videos: Law, radio, solid waste, busses, and qualifying fees @ LCC 2015-11-10

A month ago, nobody on the County Commission or staff knew how much the extra equipment might cost for the three Sheriff’s pursuit vehicles, but they awarded the bid to Langdale Ford anyway. The automobile dealer on the Commission did have some computations on why the higher bid might be more cost-effective. “We have the bids in the room” said the County Engineer, recommending awarding $1,188,500 to the Scruggs Company for Graded Aggregate Base, Curb-and-Gutter and Asphalt. He also noted “they will come in and place the curb and gutter”. The County Engineer also announced flashing and then regular traffic lights at Tillman Crossing on Old US 41 North.

Two citizens talked about dog problems: three dogs perhaps without shelter and barking dogs and arson.

Commissioner Demarcus Marshall is holding a Town Hall December 15th.

Here’s the agenda. See also the LAKE videos of the previous morning’s Work Session. Below are links to each of the videos of the Regular Session, followed by a video playlist. Meanwhile, they already met again this morning and will vote again Tuesday evening. Continue reading →

Videos: Law, radio, solid waste, busses, and qualifying fees @ LCC 2015-11-09

The bid on three pursuit vehicles for the Sheriff got a question from Commissioner Scottie Orenstein about maintenance costs for which a staffer from Public Works just happened to be available to answer. Result: not the low bid. Commissioner Demarcus Marshall asked if they were going to pay $7,000 more per vehicle ongoing. Answer from County Manager Joe Pritchard: case by case. This was Monday morning 8:30 AM. They vote this evening (Tuesday) at 5:30 PM.

There was also a report from County Engineer Mike Fletcher about coordination with the railroad about traffic crossing from Old US 41 N.

Here’s the agenda. Below are links to each of the videos, followed by a video playlist. Continue reading →

Law, radio, solid waste, busses, and qualifying fees @ LCC 2015-11-09

Monday morning 8:30 AM: a million bucks for road paving (Phillips Road, Burkhalter Subdivision, Cannon Drive, and Terracewood Drive), and an unknown (but smaller) amount in a grant re-application for the county’s on-demand MIDS bus system.

$30,534 plus shipping for two “screwpeller aerators” for the county’s Land Application Site (LAS), aka spray field: the county does not have a wastewater treatment plant. I’m pretty sure that’s the county’s LAS just east of Grassy Pond, southwest of Lake Park.

It only costs $360 to qualify to run for Tax Assessor, here in the only Georgia county that elects them.

Here’s the agenda. Continue reading →

Videos: Justice, Trash, Telephones, Investment, DUI, Liquor @ LCC 2015-04-27

They vote tonight at 5:30 PM on what you can see them discussing yesterday morning in these videos.

They got a Deep South Sanitation, LLC Application for Franchise for trash collection, including use of the county’s collection facility at 345 Gil Harbin Industrial Blvd. Commissioner Demarcus Marshall asked what about recycling; Chairman Bill Slaughter said there would be recycling at the collection centers. Which means yes ADS’ price went up and service reduced since no curbside recycling collection anymore.

County Manager Joe Pritchard asked County Engineer Mike Fletcher to report and to be added to the Regular Session emergency Nankin Road Repair due to a water-eroded box culvert. And it’s a single-source no-bid, this time for Rountree Construction.

Commissioner Mark Wisenbaker had a few remarks about the letter to support plans to “renovate Arbor Trace II Apartments in Lake Park” by Investment Management Company of Valdosta, Inc.

The body armor request from two weeks before got Continue reading →

Justice, Trash, Telephones, Investment, DUI, Liquor @ LCC 2015-04-27

Finally on the agenda for the meeting right now this morning: Deep South Sanitation, LLC Application for Franchise. That’s some improvement in the ongoing county trash situation previous versions of the County Commission caused.

If the Commission can sign a letter to support plans to “renovate Arbor Trace II Apartments in Lake Park” by Investment Management Company of Valdosta, Inc., maybe it can sign a letter of support for expanded public transportation in Lowndes County. Arbor Trace is low income housing. Bus systems typically include many low-income riders.

Even the agenda item PDF doesn’t say, but FY 2016 HEAT Grant for the Sheriff’s Department is about Highway Enforcement of Aggressive Traffic “to combat impaired and aggressive drivers,” with the purpose of reducing traffic fatalities. And the Juvenile Court wants to continue with its 2015 Request for Proposal (RFP) Juvenile Justice Incentive Grant Program.

Also on the agenda is saving money with an AT&T telephone discount and a Wine and Liquor License – VHS Corporation – 2418 Rocky Ford Road liquor license.

LOWNDES COUNTY BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS
PROPOSED AGENDA
WORK SESSION, MONDAY, APRIL 27,2015, 8:30 a.m.
REGULAR SESSION, TUESDAY, APRIL 28, 2015, 5:30 p.m.
327 N. Ashley Street – 2nd Floor

Continue reading →

Report of the Historic Courthouse Committee @ LCC 2015-03-09

No education, all law enforcement: Sheriff’s Office or Public defender’s office. 300x413 Cover letter, in Report of the Historic Courthouse Committee, by H. Arthur McLane, 12 January 2015 Either would save the county money in the long run and preserve the courthouse through use of its services (heat, light, air conditioning). Plus some points on renovating the courthouse building and grounds. Judge McLane referred to this report in his talk at the Commission Work Session 9 March 2105, in which he said it would not be possible for VSU to use the courthouse without “some pretty dramatic and we think negative” changes to the building.

In his cover letter, Judge McLane said he was not sending the actual report to the Commissioners, yet clearly they were reading it in the Work Session, because they asked questions from it. And now you, the public can see the report. LAKE did not get it from the Commission, which so far as we know has not published it. The cover letter and the report are below in full. Continue reading →

Sheriff’s office and VSU @ Courthouse 2014-06-12

The Sheriff’s office could use more space, and VSU would like a research center downtown. For context, videos of the other hearings, and the Committee’s report, see Courthouse Preservation Committee Meetings.

Continue reading →

Videos: Day 2 of Budget Hearings @ LCC Budget 2015-03-04

Maybe Georgia should fund mental health facilities instead of local jails having to act as mental hospitals. On a positive note, Agriculture is an $81M industry in Lowndes County. Law, taxes, and education, in the second day which was only in the morning, of the three days of “Budget Hearings” which aren’t really hearings because nobody from the public can speak and they don’t have a budget to hear yet. See yesterday for the agenda. Here are links to videos of each item with some notes by Gretchen, followed by a video playlist. And one more day to go today. Continue reading →

Video: SPLOST Facility Update with boatramp @ LCC 2015-02-05

The Naylor boat ramp might be finished this fall, and here’s a list of other SPLOST expenditures, from yesterday’s Lowndes County Commission Annual Planning Meeting.

County Manager Joe Pritchard asked Chad McLeod Project Manager and Mike Fletcher County Engineer to come forward, saying “Turn in your book to that tab….” A book you, the taxpaying public reader, do not have. The county can publish board packets on their new website if they want to.

McCleod presented current facilities for SPLOST VII, after a long introduction by Pritchard, who said McLeod was the county’s liaison with Parks and Rec (VLPRA) and the Sheriff’s Department and other offices. McLeod said VLPRA projects are built by the county and turned over to VLPRA for administration, except for two projects at Freedom Park, which are being managed by VLPRA due to House Bill 489. He listed dollar amounts. I couldn’t catch all of them, but here are some of them: Continue reading →

Board Packet @ LCC 2014-11-11

Here is the board packet for the 11 November 2014 Regular Session and 10 November 2014 Work Session of the Lowndes County Commission.

Although the County Clerk once again provided this packet only on paper and only in black and white, we got via CD-ROM color maps for REZ-2014-17 Grand Bay Estates and REZ-2014-18 White from County Planner Jason Davenport in response to a separate Open Records Request. The request to the County Clerk also asked for electronic copy, but once again she chose not to honor that part of the request.

But who can say? Perhaps things will be different after the Open Government Symposium this Friday, 21 November 2014.

Meanwhile, I have already filed an Open Records Request for the board packet for the next County Commission meeting, which is in December.

-jsq