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
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
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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
Five minutes and 46 seconds Sixteen minutes to vote on the people’s business in the Lowndes County Commission Regular Session.
Where do they actually discuss things?
By far the longest item at three minutes and fourteen seconds was 5a. REZ-2019-04 Southeastern Freight 2120 West Hill Ave., C-H/R-1 To M-2,, and that only because somebody spoke in favor of the request in the Public Hearing.
Second longest at one minute and 46 seconds was the controversial 7 a. North Lowndes Spring Creek Utility Inter-connection Project Phase II, for which they made a decision about the yellow paper. They still never said who the rest of the bidders were, nor how much they bid, on this $3,889,825.23 project.
Below are links to each LAKE video of each agenda item, with Continue reading
They don’t have any wheelchair seating areas, so Jody Hall planted his wheels in front of the front row, to see the county not tell the public who bid what on an almost $4 million item.
By far the longest item at almost seven minutes was North Lowndes Spring Creek Utility Inter-connection Project Phase II, because one bidder objected that the others did not use the correct color paper. They never said who any of the bidders were, nor how much they bid, on this $3,889,825.23 project.
The third longest was 6.f. Water and Sewer Service Areas – Lake Park Area, as the county continues its plan to encircle Valdosta. Yet the county has no plan for additional sewage treatment beyond the Land Application Site (LAS), where Lowndes County sprays sewage onto land near Grassy Pond, close to the state line, and where they’re reducing the Row Crop Lease Agreement by 71 acres for unexplained reasons.
Second longest was Continue reading
How much will they drive development into places it does not belong this time? GMASS Rural Land Maintenance Contract:
The Lowndes County Board of Assessors has approved a contract between the Board of Assessors and GMASS to perform maintenance updates to the Rural Land schedules for the 2019 Digest.
They continue encircling Valdosta with county water and sewer, with the North Lowndes Spring Creek Utility Inter-connection Project Phase II. And on the south side of Valdosta, Water and Sewer Service Areas within and in the Vicinity of Lake Park, with “maps… attached” that as usual they did not show we the taxpaying public. Is the one rezoning, REZ-2019-04 Southeastern Freight Lines, 2120 West Hill Ave., C-H/R-1 To M-2, County Water/Sewer, ~18.96 Acre , related to the recent expansion of water and sewer across that same US 84? Apparently not: “existing water and sewer customer.” They’re removing 71 acres from the 219 acres they rent at the Land Application Site (LAS), where Lowndes County sprays sewage onto land near Grassy Pond, close to the state line.
They’re buying the former office of Coleman-Talley law firm at 910 N. Patterson Street for use by the Public Defender.
And no agenda is complete without a road abandonment.
Here is the agenda.
LOWNDES COUNTY BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS
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PROPOSED AGENDA
WORK SESSION, MONDAY, MARCH 11, 2019, 8:30 a.m.
REGULAR SESSION, TUESDAY, MARCH 12, 2019, 5:30 p.m.
327 N. Ashley Street – 2nd Floor
The longest item was not on the agenda: Special Recognition of Fire Rescue.
Second longest at two minutes was 7d. MOU with City of Remerton for Fire Inspection and Plan Review Services.
They’re adding to the agenda for voting Tuesday evening Carter Way emergency access. Maybe by then they’ll know Continue reading
On the agenda for this morning, with voting Tuesday evening, $18,250.00 of $73,000.00 to bore under US 84 for a water main to we don’t know who (see also LAKE videos of previous Regular session), and $7,500.00 paid in full by GDOT to close the CSX railroad crossing at Dasher-Johnson Road and to improve the crossing at Good Hope Road. Also final Public Hearing to abandon part of McLeod Road (see also previous Regular Session), first consideration of Abandonment of Doyle Kelly Road. Plus reappointment of attorney Karl Osmus to the Lowndes County Library Board, the three rezonings from the recent Planning Commission meeting, an MOU with City of Remerton to provide Fire Inspection and Plan Review Services, and Lowndes County Historic Courthouse Architect Selection, 4.5 years since the Courthouse Preservation Committee Meetings.
Gretchen is heading to the Commissioner meeting now with the LAKE video camera.
LOWNDES COUNTY BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS
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PROPOSED AGENDA
WORK SESSION, MONDAY, FEBRUARY 11, 2019, 8:30 a.m.
REGULAR SESSION, TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 12, 2019, 5:30 p.m.
327 N. Ashley Street – 2nd Floor
They approved everything that Tuesday evening that they discussed that same morning, including a special tax assessment rate.
No item took as long as two minutes. There were no special reports and no citizens wishing to be heard. The whole thing took 16 minutes and 44 seconds.
See also Continue reading
Here are the LAKE videos of the first day of the two day Annual Planning Meeting of Lowndes County Commissioners and staff. Gretchen is back down there today, videoing the rest.
Below are links to each LAKE video of each item, with a very few notes, followed by a LAKE video playlist. See also previous post for the agenda (which was not posted publicly) and a few previous comments.
Lowndes County Commissioners and staff are meeting for two days to discuss strategy, as they do every year.
They didn’t post an agenda on lowndescounty.com, but Gretchen photographed the one they had at Chairman Bill Slaughter’s pond house, so here it is:
Lowndes County
Georgia
lowndescounty.com
Annual Planning Meeting
6926 Simpson Road ~ Hahira
February 7-8
8:30 a.m.
Agenda
Audit Continue reading
