Tag Archives: VLAA

Updated Packet: Lowndes County Commission @ LCC 2019-05-14

Lowndes County did supply the items missing from the May 14 and 15, 2019 board packet, on 11 June 2019, and those items are now on the LAKE website.

Letter

LAKE looks forward to the county putting all these packet documents on the county’s own website, along with the agenda and agenda sheets.

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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: Lowndes County Commission @ LCC 2019-05-14

Update 2019-07-09: Missing items supplied by the county.

Here’s the mysterious Moody AFB “Helicopter Corridor and Class D Airspace” map from item 6.c. TWR-2019-01 Value Concepts, Inc., US Hwy 84 E. E-A, New 300′ Telecommunications Tower on the May 13 and 14, 2019, Lowndes County Commission agenda.

Page 24

This in the agenda packet, now on the LAKE website, including files returned by the county in response to a LAKE open records request. The county supplied those files on a USB drive, for which it charged LAKE $6.65.

Missing from what the county sent: Continue reading →

Videos: Tower, appointments, sewer main, boat ramp, water trails, Paddle Georgia @ LCC 2019-05-14

All three rezonings breezed through, except slightly the longest was the tabling of the proposed 300′ communications tower off of US 84 East. The tower had the most people: those sitting in the back.

Surprisingly, one of the two Authority appointments was not the incumbent. None of the candidates were introduced, and none spoke.

One Citizen spoke, me, on behalf of WWALS, thanking them and inviting them.

Commissioner Clay Griner was not present. The other four voting Commissioners unanimously approved everything, including the one tabling. At least two staff speakers were not introduced, one not named except by last name, and one never named at all.

Below are Continue reading →

Videos: Tower and online packets @ LCC 2019-05-13

As expected, the longest item was about the 300′ communications tower proposed south of US 84 E. Second was bids for rotary mowers (really). And a Commissioner wanted to know what’s a blade.

Afterwards, at 9AM, was a special appearance by Tax Commissioner Rodney Cain and his staff, which at 16 3/4 minutes, took almost as long as the entire Work Session.

In between, Commissioners answered my question: Continue reading →

Sewer main replacement, 2 Authority appointments, roads and rezonings @ LCC 2019-05-13

Appointments to two more Authorities with no prior public notice nor requests for applicants: the Hospital Authority and the Airport Authority.

About the Hospital Authority:

HISTORY, FACTS AND ISSUES: The term of Dr. Mary Richardson on the Hospital Authority of Valdosta and Lowndes County will expire on June 1, 2019. Ms. Shirley Garland, Mrs. Elsie Napier, and Dr. Mary Margaret Richardson’s names have all been submitted for appointment.

For the Airport Authority, Anthony Payton’s term is up and he wants to be reappointed.

Lowndes County Commissioners will be hearing about a bunch of purchases and bids. Two of them are water items: Georgia Department of Transportation – TIA Project Agreement – Hightower Road/Cooper Road NE Paving and Drainage Improvements and Professional Services for Coleman Road Lift Station Force Main Replacement. Look at this about that lift station:

HISTORY, FACTS AND ISSUES: Lowndes County received a Proposal from Lovell Engineering for the engineering and construction plan preparation for Coleman Road lift station force main replacement. Coleman Road force main has experienced repeated failures and is in need of replacement. Coleman Road force main is the beginning of the main trunk line that transports waste water from the north Lowndes region to the LAS. Costs will be 9% of construction.

Lowndes County is replacing a sewer main because it has failed before. Wait, is this the same main from back in October, when Commissioners approved $99,935 to fix “The 16” force main between Coleman Road lift station and James Road”?

Map: VALORGIS.

There are two transportation items: that TIA paving and drainage project, and Professional Engineering and Surveying Services for TIA Projects.

The two rezonings and the communications tower from the recent Planning Commission meeting are on the agenda.

No, we haven’t posted the LAKE videos of that Planning Commission meeting yet. Yes, we will do so soon. Meanwhile, Lowndes County has its own video equipment and editing software and could video Planning Commission meetings, and budget meetings, for that matter.

LOWNDES COUNTY BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS
PROPOSED AGENDA
WORK SESSION, MONDAY, MAY 13, 2019, 8:30 a.m.
REGULAR SESSION, TUESDAY, MAY 14, 2019, 5:30 p.m.
327 N. Ashley Street – 2nd Floor
Continue reading →

Videos: EMT, Cleaning, Bids, VLCIA bonds, Airport Authority, Opioids @ LCC 2018-05-22

By far the longest item was a special proclamation for EMT Services, at 4.5 minutes, followed by cleaning bids, which took almost three minutes for the Lowndes County Commission to reject.

In Citizens Wishing to Be Heard, Gretchen took 2 minutes to invite them to WWALS’ Wild & Scenic Film Festival, at Mathis Auditorium, Thursday, May 31, 2018.

Almost everything else was read out and unanimously approved, except the one most contentious the previous morning, 7 b. Additional Deputy Coroner Request, was tabled.

Below are Continue reading →

Videos: New County Agents, VLCIA bonds, Airport Authority, Opioids @ LCC 2018-05-21

Not on the agenda, County Agent Jake Price introduced two new people in his office. The Industrial Authority Executive Director explained the bonds are not new, she just wants to refinance them to reduce payments.

Among items they will vote on tonight at 5:30 PM, the longest item at almost four minutes was the request for an additional Deputy Coroner. Looks like they’re finally going to sign up an attorney for the opoioid litigation. They spent more time on the cleaning bids.

The whole Work Session Monday morning took 13 minutes, including the presentaitons. Below are Continue reading →

VLCIA bonds for what? Airport Authority, Opioids @ LCC 2018-05-21

What are the Industrial Authority (excuse me, Development Authority) bonds for? Maybe they’re finally going to finance solar power for people here, since VLCIA has a budget surplus?

VLCAA Chairman Steve Everett and Executive Director Jim Galloway asking for the county to fix its shortfall in funding the Airport Authority, July 14, 2015.

Since George Page got appointed to the Airport Authority by the City of Valdosta, I suppose they’re going to reappoint Steve Everett. They last reappointed him May 13, 2014. By the way, he’s the Chair of VLCAA.

Apparently they’ve picked an attorney for the Opioid Litigation in their previous meetings two weeks ago, and now they’re down to signing the agreement.

Here’s the agenda, which has the dates off by one. Continue reading →

Videos: Bottled water, prisoner details, board appointees, and Easter Seals @ LCC 2015-05-11

One appointee bowed out, architect selection and public defender to the courthouse were clarified, and dog kennels were discussed, in these LAKE videos from yesterday morning’s 11 May 2015 Work Session of the Lowndes County Commission, with a few notes. See also the agenda, plus a new item 6 f. Server Replacement/Network Core Replacement. Continue reading →

Bottled water, prisoner details, board appointees, and Easter Seals @ LCC 2015-05-11

Picture by Michael Rivera, CC

Why is the county accepting Bids for Bottled Water Service? If its own water, or Valdosta’s, is good enough for the taxpayers, shouldn’t it be good enough for Commission and staff? They’ve also got a Bid for Coffee Service, but we don’t grow coffee here, as far as I know, so that’s not the same issue.

With many local people needing jobs, why does the county continue to renew an Annual Contract Renewal for Prison Work Details?

Looks like Joseph G. Stevens will be reappointed to the Lowndes County Public Facilities Authority. Both G. Norman Bennett and incumbent Anthony Payton want to be appointed to the one slot opening on the Valdosta-Lowndes County Airport Authority. Their applications were not included with the agenda, so who can say which one is most qualified?

I guess they didn’t decide to relocate the Public Defender’s Office into the historic Lowndes County Courthouse, since on the agenda is a three-year Lease Agreement for the Public Defender’s Office at its present location.

Looks like J. Glenn Gregory will provide the Architectural Services for the Lowndes County Civic Center Renovations and the Architectural Services for the Naylor Community Center, both funded via SPLOST VII. Both apparently without competitive bids.

Here’s the agenda, which also has Declaration of Surplus Items and Authorization for Sale/Disposal and Easter Seals Southern Georgia Presentation (Work Session Only).

LOWNDES COUNTY BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS
PROPOSED AGENDA
WORK SESSION, MONDAY, MAY 11, 2015 8:30 a.m.
REGULAR SESSION, TUESDAY, MAY 12, 2015 5:30 p.m.
327 N. Ashley Street – 2nd Floor
Continue reading →

On the LAKE front

Citizen dialog for transparent process by the Lowndes Area Knowledge Exchange