Tag Archives: Valdosta City Council

Videos: FY24 5311, USGS, Code Red, Disaster, Hazard, Facilities, TIA, FY23 Law, SDS, Exit 13 @ LCC 2022-10-25

Everything passed unanimously at the Regular Session of the Lowndes County Commission on Tuesday, October 27, 2022. There were a few questions, but nothing contentious.

Collage @ LCC 2022-10-25

Chairman Bill Slaughter said Valdosta had supplied all the needed signatures from the City of Valdosta for the Service Delivery Agreement, although two of the smaller cities (unnamed) still needed to sign. City Manager Paige Dukes whispered to the Chairman that Valdosta City Council Andy Gibbs was in the room, and the Chairman thanked him.

The County Manager in her Report said Finance Director Stephanie Black had finished the “budget report” and it is on the county’s website for use by Commission, staff, and citizens. She didn’t say where, but I’m guessing she meant the Operating Budget, Fiscal Year 2023. She also said the county is going to update its noise ordinance to “get in line with citizens’ expectations”. On November 7th at 4-7 PM there wil be an Internet session with Windstream.

Rachel Thrasher said the county’s new videos have gotten 6,000 views in six weeks. She didn’t say where. But here’s one, on facebook, about golf cart accidents.

Robert Tracy proposed a special session of the Commission that citizens could attend, about property taxes. Apparently as the Tax Assessors catch up with a many-year backlog of appraisals, there have been some sudden rises in appraisals.

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

Continue reading →

Videos: River Gauges, Lift Station, Disaster Relief, Hazards, Facilities, TIA, Service Delivery @ LCC 2022-10-24

Most items sailed through this morning’s Work Session of the Lowndes County Commission. They vote tomorrow, Tuesday evening, at 5:30 PM.

The county continues to be unhappy with the City of Valdosta about the Service Delivery Agreement.

Chairman Bill Slaughter asked to have the Patrol Car Laptop Lease tabled for further clarification.

River Gauges, Hazard Mitigation, Facilities, Service Delivery, Lift Station, Reports @ LCC 2022-09-24

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 the agenda and board packet. Continue reading →

Videos: Many rezonings, some contentious @ GLPC 2022-09-26

Update 2022-10-31: Packet: Two rezonings, Pictometry, Lift Station quit claim, Val Del Estates subdivision infrastructure 2022-10-10

Actually, not contentious: the planners and applicants spoke for a long time. Nobody spoke against the rezoning requests, and the Greater Lowndes Planning Commission (GLPC) voted unanimously to recommend approval of all of them, last month on September 26, 2022.

Four of many rezonings @ GLPC 2022-09-26

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 the agenda and board packet. Continue reading →

Packet: Lift Station & Force Main, River Gauge, Transit, Code Red, Facilities, TIA, SDS, etc. @ LCC 2022-10-24

Update 2022-10-24: Videos: River Gauges, Lift Station, Disaster Relief, Hazards, Facilities, TIA, Service Delivery @ LCC 2022-10-24.

It’s a long agenda even with no rezonings, at the Lowndes County Commission Work Session this morning.

They vote Tuesday evening at 5:30 PM on $3 million in expenditures. The agenda says that $1,839,820 for Hazard Mitigation will be “Fully reimbursed to Lowndes County (90% from FEMA 10% from Pruitt Health Corporation)”.

Cost	What
$1,839,820.00	Approval of Hazard Mitigation Grant Program (HMGP) Applications
$1,084,938.91	Exit 13 Lift Station and Force Main Project
$50,300.00	Patrol Car Laptop Lease
$31,500.00	Code Red Service Renewal
$23,850.00	Joint Funding Agreement with USGS for Stream Gauge Maintenance
$3,030,408.91	Total

Agenda @ LCC 2022-10-24

The Stream Gauge item is for the river gauges on the Withlacoochee River at Skipper Road [sic] (Hagan Bridge) and the Little River near Hahira (Folsom Bridge).

Here is the agenda.

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

Cancelled: GLPC has no agenda items

There is no meeting this month of the Greater Lowndes Planning Commission (GLPC), due to lack of business.

However, the lists of GLPC members by Lowndes County and Valdosta do not match.

According to Loretta Hylton of SGRC there are no agenda items for Dasher or Lake Park.

According to City Planner Matt Martin, there are no agenda items for Valdosta or Hahira.

Remerton City Planner Jessica Freeman was not heard from.

But Lowndes County Planner JD Dillard summed it up: “There are no GLPC agenda items for the County either, and therefore the October meeting of the GLPC has been cancelled.”

Lowndes County and Valdosta lists of GLPC members

Lowndes County may want to update its list of GLPC members, considering that Valdosta appointed Robert Jefferson to GLPC on November 11, 2021, almost a year ago.

The Valdosta list of GLPC members includes Robert Jefferson.

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Investigative reporting costs money, for open records requests, copying, web hosting, gasoline, and cameras, and with sufficient funds we can pay students to do further research. You can donate to LAKE today!

Packet: 1 Dasher art studio, 2 Lowndes County, 7 Valdosta @ GLPC 2022-09-26

Update 2024-01-24: Why the traffic light: The Towns at 4443 (Bemiss Road @ Studstill Road) letter of intent and Conceptual Plan @ GLPC 2022-09-26.

Update 2022-10-24: Videos: Many rezonings, some contentious @ GLPC 2022-09-26.

Thanks to Loretta Hylton of SGRC for the Dasher agenda item, to City Planner Matt Martin for the seven Valdosta items, and to BOC Records for the two Lowndes County Items, presumably made by County Planner JD Dillard.

The board packet for the September 26, 2022, Greater Lowndes Planning Commission (GLPC) Regular Session is on the LAKE website.

Videos: Redo rezonings and a citizen paving request @ LCC 2022-09-13

Two weeks agao the Lowndes County Commission at its Regular Session recognized Fire Chief Lloyd Green for finishing second in his age class in a recent road race.

Then they unanimously approved the previously-rejected O’Neal James Road rezoning, after applicant’s attorney Bill Langdale pointed out the code infractions would have to get fixed regardless of the rezoning decision.

Rezonings and Citizens To Be Heard, Lowndes County Commission Regular Session 2022-09-13

On the previously-decided Campus Howell Road rezoning, they voted twice to invalidate their previous vote. because first they forgot to hold the public hearing. Twice because the Chairman first forgot to hold the Public Hearing. In the Hearing, several citizens spoke against the rezoning. The actual rezoning decision will be taken somewhere between six and nine months later, after the other Public Hearing held just after this Public Hearing.

In the other Public Hearing, they took no vote, since the vote will be sometime between March and May 2023. The rezoning may also go before the Planning Commission again before then. One citizen spoke against, asking why bother going through the Planning Commission again considering that the County Commission rejected the previous GLPC recommendation. County Chairman Bill Slaughter said GLPC will be asked if that is required for due process. Joshua Knight and Brent Moore spoke for.

All the extraterritorial water and sewer extensions passed, but both the Valdosta ones by split votes.

Commissioner Mark Wisenbaker voted against the Griner Park work, saying it is not a top priority and later they might get more than one bid. It passed anyway.

Everything else passed unanimously.

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

Agenda: Dasher 1, Lowndes County 2, Valdosta 7 including VLCDA 2 @ GLPC 2022-09-26

Update 2022-09-29: Packet: 1 Dasher art studio, 2 Lowndes County, 7 Valdosta @ GLPC 2022-09-26.

At the Greater Lowndes Planning Commission (GLPC) meeting this evening at 5:30 PM, the only sizeable rezoning they will discuss will be REZ-2022-16 Townes at 4443, 4443 Bemiss Road, and that one is next to another subdivision, on the county’s main northside drag.

Both pages of the agenda @ GLPC 2022-09-26

It will be interesting to see how this Valdosta rezoning goes, after recent shenanigans involving a Lowndes County halfway house rezoning: REZ-2022-16 Townes at 4443, 4443 Bemiss Road.

The Valdosta Lowndes County Development Authority (VLCDA) wants to rezone and annex into Valdosta an acres at 1349 Old Statenville Road, which is next to one of VLCDA’s existing industrial parks. Continue reading →

Videos: 6 Remerton, 4 Valdosta, 1 Hahira, 1 Lowndes County cases @ GLPC 2022-08-29

The most contentious case at the Greater Lowndes Planning Commission on August 29, 2022, was, at 28 minutes, Lowndes County REZ-2022-15 Gary O’Neal, 2547 US 84 West, 0089-094 and 095, 3.24 Acres, Current Zoning: R-21 (Medium Density Residential) Proposed Zoning: C-H (Highway Commercial). This was the only split vote. For that past case and for the Lowndes County Commission decision this time, see Packet: redo 2 rezonings, 3 extraterritorial water & sewer, $438,537 RR crossing, $2,542,586 Griner Park @ LCC 2022-09-12.

Second at 21 minutes was Continue reading →

Food Pantries 2022-09-18

Jane Fleming Osborn advises:

Food pantries (outdoor boxes attached to buildings or freestanding in an agency/business yard) in this area are up to fourteen.

If you have been blessed, consider refilling the shelves with non perishable foods, personal hygiene items and toiletries to help people experiencing homelessness.

Pictures of food pantries