Tag Archives: Valdosta State Prison

Appointments to Parks and Rec and LCDFCSB, prisoners, DUI, courts, liftstation, budget, and bids @ LCC 2019-06-24

On the Lowndes County Commission agenda for discussion this morning and voting tomorrow evening, Dan Deaver wants to be reappointed to VLPRA, and Keith Jackson has also expressed interest in being appointed.

Dan Deaver
Linkedin profile: Dan Deaver

Lonnie Denton wants to be reappointed to the Lowndes County Division of Family and Children Services Board, and Tonya Davis and Keith Jackson are also interested.

There are two water items, the first of which is not obvious: Continue reading

Videos: fire truck, radios and phones, Hahira annexation, prison details @ LCC 2018-08-14

The most exciting thing last month was the new fire truck, on display outside, seen here driving off with its lights flashing:

Lights flashing, Fire Truck
See LAKE video.

This was the most recent Regular Session, because the Lowndes County Commission meetings for the end of August were cancelled.

County Manager Joe Pritchard again said he wanted higher staff approval limits for items in the budget. There was some question about campaign contributions on the Hahira rezoning and annexation; they didn’t know, but they approved it anyway. The longest discussion was on the Intrado phone system, which will have Lowndes County be the first south of Atlanta with text to 911. A suprising number of and variety of Commissioner questions on the 911 radios. The only question on the three utilities items was whether they were in the budget; they are. As usual, they rubberstamped the three Valdosta State Prison work details, with the only question being whether they were getting enough for the money. A: Yes, because prisoners work cheap.

Below are Continue reading

Valdosta Solar Power on Val Tech Road

On the closed landfill across from Valdosta State Prison on Val Tech Road, what looks like maybe a megawatt of solar panels by the City of Valdosta.

Lots of solar panels
Pictures by John S. Quarterman for Lowndes Area Knowledge Exchange, 1 September 2017

Parcel-0081A-001

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Landfill Solar on Wetherington Lane, Lowndes County, Georgia

These 1.0 megawatts (MW) of solar panels across from the old closed Evergreen Landfill will soon feed the new Withlacoochee Wastewater Treatment Plant (WWTP) a short distance up the same Wetherington Road. To get the electricity there, a power line will either have to be bored underground or put on poles overhead; that’s as yet undecided.

Solar panels with reference dogs
Photo: John S. Quarterman for LAKE, 25 July 2017

Another solar field, started a couple of weeks ago, will be on land right to the WWTP, for another 275 KW.

This is according to Continue reading

Videos: sidewalk, KLVB, DFCS, SGCSB, LCLB appointments, prisoners, mosquitos, grants, contracts @ LCC 2016-06-14

In a very unusual move, they tabled trust deed or a well system that a developer wants because he does not want to have property annexed into the city of Valdosta. Valdosta services are across the street. The Chairman said he asked the Engineer who asked the developer first.

Citizens Lawrence and Helen Williams expressed concern about dogs and a gun at a neighbor’s house.

They unanimously approved everything else Continue reading

Videos: KLVB, DFCS, SGCSB, LCLB appointments, prisoners, mosquitos, grants, contracts, and a sidewalk bid @ LCC 2016-06-13

Sandra Tooley, Valdosta City Council District 2, was among the very few people present who did not have business on the agenda of the Lowndes County County Commission Work Session this Monday morning. They vote 5:30 PM Tuesday evening.

Below are LAKE videos of Monday morning’s Work Session, with a few notes, followed by a video playlist. Continue reading

KLVB, DFCS, SGCSB, LCLB appointments, prisoners, mosquitos, grants, contracts, and a sidewalk bid @ LCC 2016-06-13

Here’s the agenda for this morning’s 8:30 AM Work Session and tomorrow evening’s voting Regular Session: will the Lowndes County Commission spend more on mosquito testing than on renting prisoners from Valdosta State Prison? (Answer: no, $45,790 on mosquitos and $118,500 on three prisoner work details at $39,500 each: “The details are utilized in the maintenance of over 5,000 easements that require manual hand cutting.” Hm, if the county didn’t insist on 80-foot easements….

They’re also appointing people to four different boards. If you wanted to apply, how would you know to do so?

LOWNDES COUNTY BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS
PROPOSED AGENDA
WORK SESSION, MONDAY, JUNE 13, 2016, 8:30 a.m.
REGULAR SESSION, TUESDAY, JUNE 14, 2016, 5:30 p.m.
327 N. Ashley Street – 2nd Floor

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Videos: GP Investments, Hahira, Pipeline, Alapaha Water Trail @ LCC 2014-09-09

Five citizens spoke, on topics including the “horrible wretched smell” from ADS, the Sabal Trail pipeline, the proposed local charter school, and the board packet and the Alapaha River Water Trail. Chairman Bill Slaughter asserted there had been nineteen applicants for the Planning Commission appointment and seemed to think the public should be happy about that, having learned it presumably by telepathy. He didn’t divulge who those applicants were, and the only one in the board packet (charming young white guy Brad Folsom) 300x450 2014-09-09-uldc-map-001, in wndes County Zoning Map, by Lowndes County Planning and Zoning, 9 September 2014 was appointed after somebody reminded the Chairman to at least get a motion first. They also appointed Commissioner Joyce Evans to the Georgia Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Disabilities. On the GP Investments water rezoning, County Planner Jason Davenport didn’t know whether there had been a dump site there or where the well would go, but they approved it anyway. They also approved the bookkeeping ULDC updates for Special Events, Zoning Map, Fees and they have since put the new zoning map online!

They approved unanimously the annual prisoner work detail contract without even mentioning the cost. And unanimously with no discussion they approved the Hahira extratorial request.

Here’s the agenda with links to the videos and some notes. See also the board packet, obtained for you by LAKE through an open records request, and the LAKE videos of the previous morning’s Work Session, which have quite a bit more information, including applicants for appointment speaking.

LOWNDES COUNTY BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS
PROPOSED AGENDA
WORK SESSION, MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 8, 2014, 8:30 a.m.
REGULAR SESSION, TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 9, 2014, 5:30 p.m.
327 N. Ashley Street – 2nd Floor
Continue reading

Board packet @ LCC 2014-09-08

232x300 Survey plat REZ-2014-15, in Board Packet, Lowndes County Commission, by John S. Quarterman, 8 September 2014 Here is the board packet for this morning’s Work Session and Tuesday evening’s Regular Session. First time I’ve ever seen one before they vote on it. I thank the county for that, and you can all see what they are considering.

Hoever, it cost me $33.50, because staff included all 385 pages of the ULDC, even though that (unlike the rest of it) is online on the county website.

They also delivered it only on paper, and only in black and white, even though the Planning Department produces all the land use maps electronically and in color. And they didn’t deliver before the Work Session as I asked, even though obviously the board packet was assembled Continue reading

Videos: GP Investments and Hahira’s Extraterritorial Request @ LCC 2014-09-08

Update 2014-09-09: Board packet via LAKE open records request.

Twelve minutes. When do they actually talk about things? They vote Tuesday at 5:30 PM. “Hahira’s Extraterritorial Request” is for water and sewer for John Bailey. “Rezoning case REZ-2014-15” is also about water and sewer. The other obscure public hearing is to fix something county staff didn’t do correctly back in June.

Yes, it’s the old white guy to replace the young black woman on the Planning Commission, and it’s Commissioner Joyce Evans for the Georgia Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Disabilities. And yes, it’s the annual renewal of hiring prisoners from Valdosta State Prison.

Here’s the agenda with links to the videos and some notes.

LOWNDES COUNTY BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS
PROPOSED AGENDA
WORK SESSION, MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 8, 2014, 8:30 a.m.
REGULAR SESSION, TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 9, 2014, 5:30 p.m.
327 N. Ashley Street – 2nd Floor
Continue reading