The Lowndes County Commission this Monday and Tuesday will consider and decide on many appointments to two boards, and two Juvenile Justice grants.

The county is also outsourcing part of its five-year Comprehensive Plan Update to the Southern Georgia Regional Commission (SGRC), for $30,000.

Collage @ LCC Packet 2025-07-21

Lowndes County is still fixing problems from Hurricane Helene, this time at the Blue Lake Lift Station.

• In September 2016 they replaced a pump there for no-bid $43,959.
• In June 2020 they did a $71,789 no-bid emergency repair there due to corrosion.
• In October 2021 they applied for $700,000 from the federal American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) for “Permanent bypass pumps at lift station” for Bevel Creek, Whitewater, Heart road, Blue Lake, Highway 84, and Frances Lake, as well as $300,000 for “On-Site Crane/ Hoist lift station” for Whitewater, Frances Lake, and Blue Lake, all at the recommendation of Carter & Sloope.
• In June 2022 they approved an apparently no-bid agreement with Carter & Sloope:

  “The scope of work at the County’s lift station is two-fold. A permanent bypass pump will be installed at the following six (6) lift stations: Bevel Creek, Whitewater, Heart Road, Blue Lake, Highway 84, and Frances Lake. The bypass pump will serve as the station’s backup/redundancy method if the primary pumping failed at any time. The new pump will be connected to the existing wet well and force main at the station on a concrete housekeeping pad. Where necessary based on location, the pump can be installed in an enclosure to reduce sound (i.e. if near a residential neighborhood). Electrical and controls will be installed on site with the new pump. Of the 6 stations, the following three (3) will also be retrofitted with an on- site crane/hoist system: Whitewater, Frances Lake, and Blue Lake. Those stations need a local mechanism for retrieving pumps from the wet well because of their layout and location.”

This time they have bids for the control panel, but still only one no-bid source for the pump: xylem, Inc. However, the county is going for repairing the pump this time, for $44,661.

It’s good Lowndes County is fixing its sewer infrastructure before it breaks. And it’s good they’re bidding at least part of the repairs this time.

Meanwhile, we still don’t know where the Blue Lake Lift Station is. So far as I can tell, there is no waterbody, road or street, or subdivision name Blue Lake in Lowndes County. More on that in a later post.

Cost	What
$44,661.00	Blue Lake Lift Station Pump Repair
$43,615.00	Blue Lake Lift Station Control Panel
$88,276.00	Blue Lake Subtotal
$30,000.00	2026 Comprehensive Plan Technical Assistance Contract
$118,276.00	Total

Here is the agenda.

The board packet, received in response to a LAKE open records request, is on the LAKE website. Images of each page are below.

LOWNDES COUNTY BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS
PROPOSED AGENDA
WORK SESSION, MONDAY, JULY 21, 2025, 8:30 a.m.
REGULAR SESSION, TUESDAY, JULY 22, 2025, 5:30 p.m.
327 N. Ashley Street – 2nd Floor

1. Call to Order
2. Invocation
3. Pledge of Allegiance to the Flag
4. Minutes for Approval
   1. Work Session – July 7, 2025 & Regular Session – July 8, 2025
      
5. Appointments
   1. Lowndes County Development Authority
      

      Documents:Lowndes County Development Authority 7.pdf

   2. Lowndes County Public Facilities Authority
      

      Documents:Lowndes County Public Facilities Authority 4.pdf

6. For Consideration
   1. 2026 Comprehensive Plan Technical Assistance Contract
      

      Documents:2026 Comprehensive Plan Technical Assistance Contract.pdf

   2. FY 2026 Juvenile Justice Delinquency Prevention Grant Application
      

      Documents:FY 2026 Juvenile Justice Delinquency Prevention Grant Application.pdf

   3. Acceptance of FY2026 Juvenile Justice Incentive Grant Award
      

      Documents:Acceptance of FY2026 Juvenile Justice Incentive Grant Award.pdf

   4. Blue Lake Lift Station Pump Repair
      

      Documents:Blue Lake Lift Station Pump Repair.pdf

   5. Blue Lake Lift Station Control Panel
      

      Documents:Blue Lake Lift Station Control Panel.pdf

7. Reports – County Manager
8. Citizens Wishing to be Heard-Please State Your Name and Address
   
9. Adjournment

-jsq

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!
http://www.l-a-k-e.org/blog/donate

July-22-2025-Meeting-Packet

PROPOSED AGENDA
PDF

Lowndes County Development Authority

The terms of Mr. Brooks Akins, Mr. Jerome Tucker, Mr. Gary Cannon, Mr. Barry Broome, and Mr. Clay Griner have expired. Mr. Akins, Mr. Tucker, Mr. Cannon, and Mr. Broome have all expressed an interest in being reappointed to the board. Mr. Griner is not interested in being reappointed at this time. There are now three vacant seats on the board previously held by Mr. Gary Moser, Mr. Crawford Powell and Mr. Clay Griner. Mr. Robert Green has also expressed an interest in being appointed to the board.
PDF

Lowndes County Public Facilities Authority

The terms of Mr. J.D. Rice, Mr. Michael Walker, and Mr. Clay Griner have expired. Mr. J.D. Rice and Mr. Michael Walker have expressed an interest in being reappointed. Mr. Clay Griner is not interested in being reappointed at this time. This leaves two vacant seats on the board previously held by Mr. Clay Griner and Mr. Crawford Powell. Mr. Robert Green has also expressed interest in being appointed to the board.
PDF

2026 Comprehensive Plan Technical Assistance Contract

BUDGET IMPACT: $30,000.00 purpose of this assistance is to ensure that the 2026 Comp Plan Update in its entirety will be in compliance
PDF

FY 2026 Juvenile Justice Delinquency Prevention Grant

BUDGET IMPACT: $50,000.00 – All expenditures are paid by Lowndes County and reimbursed 100% by the CJCC through the grant.
PDF

Acceptance of FY2026 Juvenile Justice Incentive Grant

BUDGET IMPACT: $325,000.00 CJCC Funding 100% of eligible expenses
PDF

Blue Lake Lift Station Pump Repair

BUDGET IMPACT: $44,661.00 FUNDING SOURCE: (X) Annual
PDF

Blue Lake Lift Station Control Panel

BUDGET IMPACT: $43,615.00 FUNDING SOURCE: (xX) Annual
PDF

July-7-2025-Work-Session-Minutes

Page 1
PDF

July-8-2025-Regular-Session-Minutes

Page 1
PDF

-jsq

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!
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