Videos: 3 appointments, 1 rezoning, 2 wastewater @ LCC 2013-06-10

Update 23 June 2013: Now with sound!
Update 24 June 2013: Added links to separate posts for the newly audible items.

Unscheduled: Emergency Director Ashley Tye said more about the proposed juvenile justice grant; Kevin Beals announced the winners of the county’s Wellness Weightloss Challenge; and three unscheduled Library Board applicants. You can hear starting with the third of those last, but you can’t hear the few potential appointees for KLVB, VLCCCTA, ZBOA, because the county’s sound system was out (due to a consultant or lightning, depending on who you ask) and Gretchen didn’t notice and go to the camera’s mic until a few minutes in. They did talk about fixing the sewer force main that spilled into the Withlacoochee River. Nothing was said about the exclusive franchise for solid waste services. Maybe you’d like to come tonight and say a few words.

Here’s the agenda, plus links to the videos and a few notes.

LOWNDES COUNTY BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS
PROPOSED AGENDA
WORK SESSION, MONDAY, JUNE 10, 2013, 8:30 a.m.
REGULAR SESSION, TUESDAY, JUNE 11, 2013, 5:30 p.m.
327 N. Ashley Street – 2nd Floor
  1. Call to Order

    Update 23 June 2013: Now with sound!

  2. Invocation

    Only in the Regular Session.

  3. Pledge of Allegiance to the Flag

    Only in the Regular Session.

  4. Minutes for Approval

      Update 23 June 2013: Chairman instructed Commissioners to tell Clerk of any proposed changes.

    1. Work Session — May 27, 2013
    2. Regular Session — May 28, 2013
  5. Appointments

    Still no sound; sorry.

    Update 23 June 2013: Now with sound!

    1. Valdosta/Lowndes County Conference Center and Tourism Authority

      Somebody spoke, apparently an applicant for this board. We’d tell you who it was, but no sound.

      Update 23 June 2013: Now with sound!

      Update 24 June 2013: County Manager Joe Pritchard said Commissioners had a letter of resignation from Bob Montgomery from VLCCCTA and a letter (he didn’t say who from) recommending Molly Deese to replace Montgomery. See separate post for details.

      Of course, the Commission could just put the names of applicants in the agenda, and they could put written applications for same online with the agenda like Effingham County, with half the population of Lowndes, does.

    2. Keep Lowndes/Valdosta Beautiful Board

      Apparently nobody showed up to speak.

      Update 23 June 2013: Now with sound!

      Update 24 June 2013: Emily Macheski-Preston did speak at the following evening’s Regular Session. See separate post for details.

    3. Valdosta/Lowndes County Zoning Board of Appeals

      I recognize Paul Alvarado, so apparently he’s applying to be reappointed to ZBOA.

      Update 23 June 2013: Now with sound!

      Update 24 June 2013: See separate post for details.

    4. Unscheduled Library Board applicants —Kelly Lenz

      The Director of the South Georgia Regional Library System, Kelly Lenz, introduced three applications to be appointed to the Library Board. They spoke (even though we can’t hear them). We also can’t hear their names, and the county hasn’t seen fit to provide them, neither in the agenda nor elsewhere online.

      Update 23 June 2013: Now with sound!

      Gretchen unplugged the county sound while the third one was speaking, so we can hear him on the LAKE camera’s mic:

      It is extraordinarily important to be able to sit down and read through and comprehend and understand and to have the way that we think shaped by what we use as tools to learn.

      Hm, we could say that about Internet access as well.

      Update 24 June 2013: See separate post for what all three candidates said.

  6. Public Hearing — REZ-2013-06 Hughes, 3776 White Water Rd. C-G to C-H, LC Water & Septic,~1.59 acres

    Commissioners had no questions.

  7. For Consideration
    1. Force Main Break Repairs

      This appears to be the repair for the recent county sewer spill into the Withlacoochee River. As is the county way, there was no discussion of a longterm plan, only “a very needed hasty repair” as County Manager Joe Pritchard put it.

    2. Bevel Creek Lift Station Pump Repair

      Several Commissioners had questions about price (typical), life expectancy (6-10 years), subdivisions, etc. Amusingly, the Chairman kept trying to move on but Commissioners kept asking questions. That’s an improvement. Since every other Commissioner asked at least one question, the Chairman finally asked Commissioner Evans if she had a question. She didn’t.

  8. Reports-County Manager
    • Juvenile Justice Grant —Ashley Tye

      He continued discussion from the previous Commission sessions about how to implement and who to coordinate with a potential grant from the state. There were questions from Commissioners, mostly about cost. The numbers quoted would be far less than it costs to lock someone up. County Manager Joe Pritchard said Commissioner Evans and several staff had had further meetings about this since the last Commission meeting, and they all endorsed the evidence-based approach Tye was proposing. One Commissioner asked if some of the programs would be performed here. Answer: yes, for example the home-based therapy would be in the home here. Pritchard remarked that Tye had “agreed to volunteer” to coordinate with Judge Council about this.

    • Add to agenda

      Nobody objected, so the Chairman added the juvenile justice grant to the agenda for Tuesday evening’s Regular Session.

    • Wellness Weightloss Challenge Winners —Kevin Beals

      Kevin Beals(?) reported on the county’s wellness program.

    • Appreciation to wellness team —Joe Pritchard
  9. Citizens Wishing to be Heard Please State Name And Address

    That’s only in the Regular Session, which is 7:30 PM tonight.

Here’s a video playlist:


Videos: 3 appointments, 1 rezoning, 2 wastewater
Work Session, Lowndes County Commission (LCC),
Videos by Gretchen Quarterman for Lowndes Area Knowledge Exchange (LAKE),
Valdosta, Lowndes County, Georgia, 10 June 2013.

-jsq