Why did bridge repairs turn up on the agenda for yesterday morning’s Work Session and tonight’s Regular Session only after problems were reported by citizens (Clyattville Nankin Road) or GDOT (Jumping Gully Road)? Also, “>neither GDOT restriping nor county road resurfacing take into account the complete streets initiative for bike lanes or sidewalks, even though two Commissioners asked about that. Hm, three Commissioners could vote to require it.

County Clerk didn’t have the minutes of December’s Work Session ready, so Lowndes County Commissioners will get very little time to review them before voting this evening.

This is the only county in Georgia that does not appoint its Tax Assessors, and the County Commission is considering a resolution to ask the General Assembly to start the process to change that. For hush-hush Project Max, the big-fish container manufacturing plant proposed for Rocky Ford Road, next to the protected watershed of Mud Swamp and near Valdosta Airport, see separate post for what little the public (or the Planning Commission) is allowed to know. Also on the Lowndes County Commission agenda for Monday morning and voting Tuesday evening, are quite a few other items as the Commission catches up after the holidays.

Below are links to each LAKE video of yesterday morning’s Work Session, followed by a video playlist.

• 1. Call to Order 4. Minutes for Approval

  Video.

• 5.a. REZ-2016-01 Project Max, Rocky Ford Rd, E-A to M-2 ~123 acres

  Video.

• 6.a. Code Red Service Agreement

  Video.

• 6.b. Anti-Virus Software Lease

  Video.

• 6.c. Maintenance for uninterruptable power supply

  Video.

• 6.d. Workers’ Compensation Insurance Renewal

  Video.

• 6.e. Resolution to Adopt Amended and Restated Retirement Plan

  Video. Appointing Tax Assessors will take an act of the legislature and a local referendum to repeal the 1972 state law that made Lowndes County the only county in Georgia to elect them, subject to approval by voters, so after 1 January 2021 they’d be appointed, not elected. After the extremely unusual rural land revaluation last year, it does seem something needs to be changed.

• 6.f. Adopt Resolution accepting infrastructure for Creekside West Phase III

  Video.

• 6.g. Adopt Resolution accepting infrastructure for Ivy Gate Phase II

  Video.

• 6.h. Clyattville Nankin Road Bridge Repairs

  Video.

• 6.i. Jumping Gully Road Bridge Repairs

  Video.

• 6.j. Georgia Department of Transportation LMIG Grant

  Video. County’s 30% match of $240,346.69 will come from SPLOST, for resurfacing of Touchton, Clyattville-Nankin, and Old Lake Park Roads. GDOT awarded a contract in October for 40.5 miles to a company from Dublin, GA as a part of a 19-county initiative for striping and marking of Lowndes County roads, which will probably start in March or April. There is a list, including 2.39 miles of Old Lake Park Road, but since that one is being resurfaced, it’s being replaced on the list by Sekkinger (sp?) Road.

  Commissioner Demarcus Marshall asked if the complete streets initiative would cause this work to include bike lanes or sidewalks? Nope.

  Commissioner Mark Wisenbaker asked if that would happen when Old Lake Park Road was resurfaced. County Engineer Mike Fletcher didn’t understand the question until it was elaborated, but the answer was also no. So much for the county and the complete streets initiative.

• 6.k. 5426 Danieli Drive

  Video.

• 6.l. Beer License- Eagle Food Mart #1- 4357 Bemiss Road

  Video.

• 6.m. Beer and Wine License-Eagle Food Mart- 4952 Bemiss Road

  Video.

• 6.n. North Lowndes Park Quitclaim Deed and Custodial Agreement

  Video. It’s about a soccer facility. It’s just north of the skate park west of Hahira.

• 6.o. Appointment of Board of Tax Assessors

  Video. Chairman Bill Slaughter said this topic has come up at every Commissioner retreat since he’s been on the board, and has also been a topic of discussion at ACCG, so he thinks it’s time to ask the voters of the county to decide.

• 7. Reports – County Manager 9. Adjournment

  Video.

Here’s a video playlist:

Videos: Why Emergency bridge fixes? Appoint Tax Assessors? Rush Project Max?
Work Session, Lowndes County Commission (LCC),
Video by Gretchen Quarterman for Lowndes Area Knowledge Exchange (LAKE),
Valdosta, Lowndes County, Georgia, 11 January 2016.

-jsq

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