Tag Archives: Work Session

Videos: VLDA appointment, jail, taxes, water @ LCC 2015-01-12

Teri Lupo was available for questions about being reappointed to VLDA at the Monday 8:30 AM 21 12 January 2015 Work Session of the Lowndes County Commission. There were no questions, but Commissioners Demarcus and one other (I think Mark Wisenbaker) had compliments. The Chairman asked for a motion to appoint, but was reminded this was a Work Session, so wait until the next evening for that.

The agenda item for the resolution in support of the Alapaha River Water Trail, according to the Chairman before the meeting, is waiting until they’re ready to dedicate the new boat ramp at US 84, which is waiting until the river water goes down enough to pour concrete. Maybe some time this spring.

See the agenda for details on what they were considering. Below are links to the LAKE videos of each agenda item, followed by a video playlist. See also the county’s own much more professional one big long video.

Continue reading →

Budget, Surplus, Abandonment, Evidence, Workers Comp, Manhole @ LCC 2015-01-26

Update 25 January 2015: Additional item #5 Anti-Chaining Ordinance Request – Dr. Amanda Hall; see separate post.

Lowndes County won an award for its budget as “a policy document, a financial plan, an operations guide and a communications device.” All good except: as a communications device? They’d probably have to publish drafts of it before they passed it for that to be true. Unless they mean as in a public telling, not a public hearing. They won last year, too, along with 45 other winners in Georgia, including Valdosta. Award, or passing grade?

No rezonings, but surplus computing devices, abandonment of Deloach Road E (CR 95), more on the never-ending juvenile justice Evidence Based Associates topic, and sewer gasses corrode manhole covers. I wonder how much gases corrode pipelines?

The agenda (PDF) still doesn’t give the dates; just Monday and Tuesday, so I’ve inserted them in [brackets]. But congratulations on having the agenda online a week in advance!

LOWNDES COUNTY BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS
PROPOSED AGENDA
WORK SESSION, MONDAY, [January 26th] 8:30 a.m.
REGULAR SESSION, TUESDAY, [January 27th] 5:30 p.m.
327 N. Ashley Street – 2nd Floor

Continue reading →

Expanded agenda, VLDA appointment, jail, taxes, water @ LCC 2015-01-12

Whose terms are up and who’s being considered for appointment (Teri Lupo for VLDA again), who bid and how much (including showers and roofing for the jail), and some detail about two tax rates: these are all big improvements to the agenda! I do wonder where the agenda item for the Water Trail resolution is.

However, there’s room for improvement. Even though you get this same extended agenda when you select “packet” for download, it is not the complete board packet. For example, each agenda item has a one or more page agenda item form, and each proposed agreement or contract typically is include in the paper packets the Commissioners get. There are no rezoning cases on this agenda, but when there are, those always contain several maps in the board packet, and often other information. There’s an HTML version of the agenda, in addition to PDF: that’s another big improvement! The HTML code includes this at the end of each item:

<div class="documents"> </div>

So it looks like the website software the county is using is prepared to include such documents. Maybe the county will actually include them soon.

Here’s the agenda in HTML and in PDF on the county’s website, and I’ve also included it inline below. Continue reading →

Valdosta Passes Resolution Against Sabal Trail Pipeline: not in this city, this county, or this state @ VCC 2014-12-11

Go away, Sabal Trail:

NOW THEREFORE, be it resolved that the City of Valdosta supports the Lowndes County Board of Commissioners in their opposition to the construction of the Sabal Trail pipeline in any portion of Lowndes County. The City’s support includes concerns with fundamental property rights, the manner in which eminent domain might be utilized, and the lack of demonstrated benefit to the City and County. Furthermore, the City of Valdosta supports the Lowndes County Commission in their formal request to the Federal Energy Regulation Commission (FERC), and to State and Federal Legislators in the effort to have Lowndes County and the State of Georgia bypassed in the construction of the proposed pipeline.

Here is Continue reading →

Resolution against Sabal Trail pipeline + 3-1 ordinances @ VCC 2014-12-11

The resolution against the Sabal Trail pipeline, including to be filed with FERC, was passed 6 to 1 by the Valdosta City Council Thursday 11 December 2014, supporting the resolution the Lowndes County Commission passed unanimously Tuesday, plus a clause about protecting our drinking water in the Floridan Aquifer; see separate post. John Robinson thanked the city for a VSEB contract. The personal care home rezoning passed. The taxicab ordinance was deferred (not all cab company owners had been consulted yet), while two others passed. Also some bids rejected while others were approved, a reappointment of Tom Kurrie to the Valdosta Housing Authority, and recognized employee of the month Terrial Small.

Here’s the agenda. For background, see the videos of the Tuesday Work Session, including a bomb report by Police Chief Childress. The videos from the Thursday Regular Session are linked below, followed by a video playlist.

Continue reading →

Against Sabal Trail pipeline + 3 ordinances + bomb report @ VCC 2014-12-09

The Valdosta City Council discussed a resolution against the Sabal Trail pipeline at their Work Session Tuesday, as you can see in these videos. Come see them vote on it tonight at 5:30 PM at City Hall.

They also heard a bomb report at the Work Session, in addition to discussing all the other business, especially the taxicab ordinance.

At the same time Tuesday, the Lowndes County Commission unanimously Continue reading →

Videos: Pipeline, Tourism + KLVB appointments + flowers @ LCC 2014-12-09

The vote was unanimous for the resolution against the Sabal Trail pipeline at the Lowndes County Commission Tuesday, to be followed tonight by the Valdosta City Council voting on their resolution of support for Lowndes County against Sabal Trail, including an additional clause about protecting our drinking water in the Floridan Aquifer. This follows a long string of county and city resolutions against that unnecessary, destructive, and hazardous pipeline boondoggle.

Speaking of boondoggles, Continue reading →

Thanks for concern about drinking water from the Floridan Aquifer –Don Thieme about Valdosta draft resolution against Sabal Trail pipeline @ VCC 2014-12-09

Water matters, too, said a comment yesterday on We all live in Lowndes County: Valdosta Draft Resolution Against Sabal Trail Pipeline @ VCC 2014-12-09. The Valdosta City Council votes tonight at 5:30 PM on this resolution. And don’t forget to get your comments or motions to intervene to FERC before the deadline of 24 December 2014. -jsq

Many thanks to Tim Carroll for adding the part about this important environmental issue which affects everyone in the city of Valdosta and Lowndes County as well. This is not just about the property rights of a few concerned citizens although those are important as well and demand protection from elected politicians.

–Don Thieme

We all live in Lowndes County: Valdosta Draft Resolution Against Sabal Trail Pipeline @ VCC 2014-12-09

Last night, while the Lowndes County Commission unanimously approved 300x169 Council discussing the resolution, in Valdosta Draft Resolution Against Sabal Trail Pipeline, by Valdosta City Council, 10 December 2014 their resolution against the Sabal Trail fracked methane pipeline, the Valdosta City Council discussed a supporting resolution at its Work Session. Council Tim Carroll said Valdosta had added a clause about the Floridan Aquifer. Council Robert Yost said he didn’t think such a resolution was something the City of Valdosta should be doing, and he would not vote Thursday. No other Council members expressed any reservations. Council Sonny Vickers said he thought it was worth doing to show unity. Mayor John Gayle remarked, “We all live in Lowndes County.” Continue reading →

Board packet: Trash, Pipeline, Tourism + KLVB appointments @ LCC 2014-12-08

The text of the Resolution Opposing the Sabal Trail Pipeline, the Commission meeting schedule, the budget calendar, and the proposed sign for the G. Robert Carter Law Enforcement Complex, plus maps for all those special tax lighting districts and details of budget and requests, all in the board packet for the 8 December 2014 Work Session and the 9 December 2014 Regular Session of the Lowndes County Commission.

The County Clerk once again provided this packet only on paper and only in black and white. The request to the County Clerk asked for electronic copy, but once again she chose not to honor that part of the request.

There’s no change in that after the Open Government Symposium of 21 November 2014. Also, this request was sent shortly after the previous Commission meeting, and with more than three weeks notice the county only made this latest packet available at 4:35 PM the Friday before the meeting, when they close at 5PM.

-jsq