Tag Archives: VAWA

Agenda: Howell Road Halfway House @ LCC 2023-03-27

Update 2023-03-27: Packet: Howell Road rezoning, Trash colleciton centers, Windstream Broadband map @ LCC 2023-03-27.

Update 2023-03-27: Videos: Howell Road Halfway House @ LCC Work 2023-03-27.

The controversial halfway house on Howell Road is back for its final Public Hearing Tuesday evening, with review this morning at 8:30 AM.

Agenda, The Campus @ LCC 2023-03-27

$22 million is a lot of money, but almost all of it is incoming grant funds.

Cost	What
$21,853,779.00	A New Headquarters for Second Harvest of South Georgia
$116,286.00	PowerPhone Emergency Medical Dispatch with CAD Integration
$86,266.00	Acceptance of the FY2023 VAWA Continuation Grant Award
$500.00	Lowndes County DUI Court Technology Supplemental Grant Award
$250.00	Adult Accountability Court Technology Supplemental Grant Award
$22,057,081.00	Total

Here is the agenda. The agenda sheets from the county’s website are also on the LAKE website.

We do not have the board packet because I didn’t send the GORA request until this morning. LAKE will publish it after we get it.

LOWNDES COUNTY BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS
PROPOSED AGENDA
WORK SESSION, MONDAY, MARCH 27, 2023, 8:30 a.m.
REGULAR SESSION, TUESDAY, MARCH 28, 2023, 5:30 p.m.
327 N. Ashley Street – 2nd Floor
Continue reading →

Videos: Dollar General rezoning tabled, Troupville Nature Park land purchased @ LCC 2022-12-13

Update 2023-01-10: Public Notice: Rezoning REZ-2022-20, GA 122 @ Skipper Bridge Road for a Dollar General 2023-01-08.

Update 2022-12-22: Videos: Lowndes County buys land from Helen Tapp for Troupville Nature Park and River Camp 2022-12-13.

The Lowndes County Commission tabled the rezoning for a Dollar General on GA 122 at Skipper Bridge Road until January 24, 2023, because they were a day short on required notice.

A dozen or more people in opposition were visible.

Turns out the county did send the correspondence about that before I asked for it in this meeting, and within the statutory three days for answering a Georgia open records request. All the letters returned were in opposition.

Collage @ LCC 13 December 2022

They made the historic purchase for Troupville Nature Camp and River Park, of Land Between the Rivers at the Little River Confluence with the Withlacoochee River. And Chairman Bill Slaughter called seller Helen Tapp up to say a few words.

Apparently they are also modest, since some of them did not seem to like compliments about that purchase.

They reappointed Franklin Bailey to the Greater Lowndes Planning Commission (GLPC).

Everything else passed unanimously.

In Citizens Wishing to be Heard, Kelly Saxon asked for assistance for the homeless, John S. Quarterman complimented the Commission on purchasing the Troupville land, and Blake Robinson said there may not be many young people who come to these meetings, but they do appreciate the local government work the Commissioners are doing.

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 Continue reading →

Videos: Dollar General rezoning legally must be tabled, Troupville land purchase is for a park @ LCC 2022-12-12

Update 2022-12-18: Correspondence: Proposed Rezoning on GA 122 at Skipper Bridge Road 2022-12-12.

County Manager Paige Dukes said they are legally required to table the rezoning for a Dollar General, because they were a day late on getting notices out, although she twice blamed that on the Valdosta Daily Times.

Collage @ LCC 12 December 2022

County Chairman Bill Slaughter said the applicant had requested tabling, and he recommended the second meeting in January (January 24, 2023). Commissioner Demarcus Marshall wanted to know why. The Chairman said, “It works out for two of the parties involved, the county and the developer.” (Nevermind the people.) Commissioner Scottie Orenstein said “I’m not in favor of tabling something only to give the developer more time… If he has true intentions on meeting with the community and having a meeting with them, a town hall, something a little more official, then I’m OK with that. But not to just give them more time.” The Chairman disagreed, “Well, I don’t think time is going to resolve anything in this particular situation.” Plus regarding the applicant, “We’re here to give them the courtesy if they make a request through that application process.”

Commissioner Mark Wisenbaker wanted clarified that the main issue was the date issue. Alleged County Attorney G. Walter Elliott reminded them they have to vote to table (the Chairman cannot just unilaterally table).

Commissioner Demarcus Marshall wanted to know if the Planning Commission knew about the timing issue. Continue reading →

Packet: Dollar General may be tabled @ LCC 2022-12-12

Update 2022-12-12: Videos: Dollar General rezoning legally must be tabled, Troupville land purchase is for a park @ LCC 2022-12-12.

Update 2022-12-12: Lowndes County to purchase land for Troupville Nature Park and River Camp @ LCC 2022-12-13.

Update 2022-12-10: Fixed my number dyslexia in the dates.

Lowndes County Chairman Bill Slaughter tells me the applicant for the Dollar General at GA 122 & Skipper Bridge Road (REZ-2022-20 Teramore Development) has requested tabling until a later meeting. Bill says he intends to table it until the second January 2023 meeting. So that’s January 25 24, 2023. He asked me to tell people that.

If I were you, I would show up this Tuesday, December 12 13th, anyway, so they see you are watching. Also, the agenda has not yet changed, and the item has not yet been tabled.

Second meeting in January 2023

In any case, keep them letters, telephone calls, and petition signatures going in. Ask them to hold the public hearing and then just vote to deny it instead of tabling it.

For anyone tuning in late, here’s why: https://wwals.net/?p=60348

The board packet, received in response to a LAKE open records request, is on the LAKE website. The county did not send letters from citizens to Commissioners or staff about the Dollar General rezoning, even though those were specifically part of the request.

Agenda: Sprawl on Skipper Bridge Road and Purchase of Land Between the Rivers @ LCC 2022-12-12

Update 2022-12-09: Packet: Dollar General may be tabled @ LCC 2022-12-12.

Most of the budget dollar items on the Lowndes County Commission agenda are recurring, but the Purchase of Between the Rivers, L.L.C. Property for incorporation into the proposed Troupville Nature Park is one-time.

The most contentious item, REZ-2022-20 Teramore Development, LLC, ~3 acres at Hwy 122 & Skipper Bridge (Part of 0067 051), E-A to C-C, Well and Septic, for a Dollar General store in an agricultural and forestry Character Area, has no dollar value attached in the agenda, even though the potential costs to the county are large.

Dollar General sprawl and Land Between the Rivers park

Cost	What
$356,405.55	Storage Area Network Replacement
$181,424.00	2023 ACCG Workers’ Compensation Insurance Renewal
$121,500.00	Purchase of Between the Rivers, L.L.C. Property
$36,266.00	Approval of Solicitor General’s VAWA Continuation Grant Application for 2023
$22,894.96	MyGov Intergovernmental Agreement
$718,490.51	Total

Here is the agenda.

LOWNDES COUNTY BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS
PROPOSED AGENDA
WORK SESSION, MONDAY, DECEMBER 12, 2022, 8:30 a.m.
REGULAR SESSION, TUESDAY, DECEMBER 13, 2022, 5:30 p.m.
327 N. Ashley Street – 2nd Floor
Continue reading →

Videos: Camelot Crossing subdivision tabled for two weeks @ LCC 2022-04-12

The Camelot Crossing subdivision, with no currently-planned outlet on Val Del Road, was tabled for two weeks at the request of the opponents, who filled the room. The county also still has an issue with a chokepoint through which both exits route, as mentioned by Commissioner Clay Griner, who made the motion to table, seconded by Demarcus Marshall. Commissioner Mark Wisenbaker said there was an outlet onto Old US 41 North, and he voted against tabling.

Presentation and rezonings

Commissioner Scott Orenstein mentioned that the YMCA still plans to build “an aquatic center” on its nearby property.

The other two subdivision rezonings were approved unanimously, as were all the other voting items.

Below are links to Continue reading →

Videos: Turn lanes and EV charging @ LCC 2022-04-11

Videos: Camelot Crossing subdivision tabled for two weeks @ LCC 2022-04-12.

An updated plan that no longer has any egress onto Val Del Road arrived Friday for 6.b. REZ-2022-07 Hayden Park. Nonetheless, the turn lanes on Val Del Road were already scheduled as a T-SPLOST project, expected to be completed in 2023. Not clear whether there are two egress points in the current plan.

Rezoning, EV, VAWA, Quit claim

The county’s sound system is working, so the LAKE video camera was plugged into it at yesterday morning’s Lowndes County Commission Work Session.
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 →

Subdivisions subsidized by roads, EV charging, VAWA, Soccer complex, Courtroom AV @ LCC 2022-04-11

Update 2022-04-12: Videos.

Thanks to Joe Brownlee of Georgia Power for getting Lowndes County to agree to Electric Vehicle Charging Stations at the county palace.

REZ-2022-06 Kinderlou Forest aims to go pretty close to Spring Branch and the Withlacoochee River.

Rezonings, Val Del Road traffic, Electric Vehicle Charging

The agenda item for REZ-2022-07 Hayden Park, Camelot Crossing & Val Del Rd says “BUDGET IMPACT: N/A” for “a mixture of residential and commercial sites for development in various stages.” Yet the Lowndes County Commission board packet contains 52 pages of traffic study for the intersection of Val Del Road and North Valdosta Road. Staff notes “Plans for two left-turn lanes from Val Del to North Valdosta Road are anticipated to be complete by 2023.” The applicant’s Letter of intent says, “Lowndes County has been wise to pro-actively invest in infrastructure here, anticipating and preparing for new growth.” Continue reading →

Videos: Comprehensive Plan, rezonings, tower, Hospital Authority, elections @ LCC 2021-11-09

All the main items breezed by unanimously, including the Comprehensive Plan and the Hospital Authority re-appointment of Ben Copeland, at the Lowndes County Commission Regular Session, November 9, 2021.

The only things taking longer than three minutes were the County Manager’s Report and Citizens Wishing to Be Heard about how the Board of Elections is appointed and funded.

Comprehensive Plan, Communications Tower, Manager’s Report, Electios

Below are LAKE videos of each agenda item with a few notes, followed by a LAKE video playlist. See also the LAKE videos of the previous morning’s Work Session, the agenda and Board packet, and, for the rezonings and the tower, the LAKE videos of the preceding Planning Commission meeting.

For the Comprehensive Plan, see also the LAKE videos of the preceding Comprehensive Plan Update Meeting 2 and the Character Area Maps for it, the Lowndes County Commission Regular Session before that, and the quite lengthy first Comprehensive Plan Public Hearing.

1. Call to Order 2. Invocation 3. Pledge Continue reading →

Videos: One Valdosta-Lowndes, Troupville River Camp, Hospital Authority re-appointment, Godfrey rezoning, VAWA staffing @ LCC 2021-11-08

By far the longest item at 33 minutes at the Lowndes County Commission Work Session was a presentation about One Valdosta-Lowndes (OVL).

OVL River Camp, Hospital Authority appointment, Godfrey rezoning, VAWA staffing

Second longest at almost five minutes was 8.e. Request For Cash Match Increase For VAWA ASG Salary Supplement, about the Violence Against Women Act. Third at four minutes was 7.c. REZ-2021-24 Barry Godfrey, Mt. Zion Church Road.

The likely re-appointee to the Hospital Authority did attend.

Everything else got little discussion, including the final approval of the Comprehensive Plan Update.

They voted the following Tuesday evening.

Below are LAKE videos of each agenda item, with a few notes, followed by

On the LAKE front

Citizen dialog for transparent process by the Lowndes Area Knowledge Exchange