Many people have asked when this would happen. 8.h. Design-Build Contract for Lowndes County Animal Shelter is to award a contract to Kellerman Construction, Inc.

“The breakdown for the contract is $450,000.00 for sitework, $4,050,000.00 for construction, $200,000.00 for contingency, and $300,000.00 for Architectural & Engineering. If approved, the design process will begin immediately and the Design-Builder will submit a final proposal for construction to Lowndes County for approval in April 2026.”

That firm was selected out of seven proposals by a scoring process.

Collage, LCC Packet 2025-12-08

For 9.a. LAS Pump Station Upgrade they’re upgrading from 3 to 4 pumps at the Land Application Site (LAS), plus adding a backup generator.

Last month the Lowndes County Commission tabled appointments to two boards, Library and Planning Commission. This month they will appoint to those and also to the Board of Tax Assessors.

They also postponed a rezoning on Copeland Road. This month it’s back, plus one on Shiloh Road.

For 6.a. Greater Lowndes Planning Commission, the term of Tommy Willis expired. He and John McCall want to be appointed.

For 6.b. Lowndes County Board of Assessors, the term of Felicia Williams expired. She and Gretchen Quarterman want to be appointed.

For 6.c. Lowndes County Library Board, Catherine Ammons resigned after she resigned as Valdosta Assistant City Manager. Kendal Crawford, Dean Poling, and Gary Wisenbaker want to be appointed.

Last month they postponed 7.b. REZ-2025-16 Copeland Road Subdivision, 2480 Copeland Rd, ~18ac, County Utilities, R-10/c to R-10 because of an error in the advertisement, so it’s on the agenda for December.

Plus 7.c. REZ-2025-17 Shiloh Road, ~8.2 ac 6641 Shiloh Road, E-A to R-A, Well & Septic, which the Planning Commission heard at its most recent meeting.

This week the Commissioners will consider about $15.5 million in the items on the agenda. Some of that is paid via state or federal grants. The biggest item (MAP) is split over five years. The next most expensive item, the Animal Shelter, comes from SPLOST. Then the LAS upgrades come from federal ARPA money. But the insurance payments appear to come out of the general fund, i.e., property taxes. The power line relocation comes from TSPLOST, i.e., another penny sales tax.

Cost	What
$5,039,730.00	Motorola Migration Assurance Plan (MAP)
$5,000,000.00	Design-Build Contract for Lowndes County Animal Shelter
$2,565,305.44	LAS Pump Station Upgrade
$1,929,379.00	2026 Stop Loss Insurance Coverage Renewal
$721,989.00	PI# 0016280 Twin Lakes Road Paving and Drainage Improvements Georgia Power Relocation Agreement
$280,452.00	2026 ACCG Workers’ Compensation Insurance Renewal
$6,008.00	PI 0016280 Twin Lakes Road Right of Way Purchases for Parcels 2, 6, and 10
$4,714.00	PI 0016280 Twin Lakes Road Right of Way Purchases for Parcels 19 and 20
$2,828.00	Enhancement and Innovation/Law Enforcement Grant
$61.50	Basic Decorative Street Lighting Districts — Grove Pointe, Phase V, Sec. 3, The Landings, Phase 4, and Val Del Estates, Phases 4 and 5
$15,550,466.94	Total

Much of the extremely long board packet (288 pages) is the Animal Shelter Design-Build Contract. And even more pages related to PI# 0016280 Twin Lakes Road Paving and Drainage Improvements Georgia Power Relocation Agreement and the two Right of Way Purchases items.

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.

For the Shiloh Road rezoning, see also the LAKE videos of the November Planning Commission meeting.

For the Copeland Road rezoning, see also the LAKE videos of the October Planning Commission meeting. Videos: 1 County, 4 Valdosta, 1 Hahira @ GLPC 2025-10-27

LOWNDES COUNTY BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS
PROPOSED AGENDA
WORK SESSION, MONDAY, DECEMBER 8, 2025, 8:30 a.m.
REGULAR SESSION, TUESDAY, DECEMBER 9, 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. Presentations
   
   1. GFOA Distinguished Budget Presentation Award
      

      Documents:GFOA Distinguished Budget Presentation Award.pdf

   2. Georgia Firefighters Burn Foundation Check Presentation (Work Session)
      
   3. Historic Preservation Award Presentation by Daughters of the American Revolution (Regular Session)
      
   4. Recognition of EMA Director Ashley Tye for receiving the Prestigious Clayton R. Christopher Memorial Award by the International Association of Emergency Managers (Regular Session)
      

      Documents:Recognition of EMA Director Ashley Tye for receiving the Prestigious Clayton R. Christopher Memorial Award.pdf

5. Minutes for Approval
   1. Work Session & Regular Session – November 12, 2025
      
6. Appointments
   1. Greater Lowndes Planning Commission
      

      Documents:Greater Lowndes Planning Commission.pdf

   2. Lowndes County Board of Assessors
      

      Documents:Lowndes County Board of Assessors.pdf

   3. Lowndes County Library Board
      

      Documents:Lowndes County Library Board.pdf

   4. Valdosta-Lowndes County Conference Center and Tourism Authority
      

      Documents:Valdosta-Lowndes County Conference Center and Tourism Authority.pdf

7. Public Hearing
   1. Basic Decorative Street Lighting Districts – Grove Pointe, Phase V, Sec. 3, The Landings, Phase 4, and Val Del Estates, Phases 4 & 5
      

      Documents:Basic Decorative Street Lighting Districts.pdf

   2. REZ-2025-16 Copeland Road Subdivision, 2480 Copeland Rd, ~18ac, County Utilities, R-10/c to R-10
      

      Documents:REZ-2025-16 Copeland Road Subdivision 2480 Copeland Road.pdf

   3. REZ-2025-17 Shiloh Road, ~8.2 ac 6641 Shiloh Road, E-A to R-A, Well & Septic
      

      Documents:REZ-2025-17 Shiloh Road.pdf

8. For Consideration
   1. FY2027 5311 Rural Transit Authorizing Resolution
      

      Documents:FY2027 5311 Rural Transit Authorizing Resolution.pdf

   2. Abandonment of Grice Road
      

      Documents:Abandonment of Grice Road.pdf

   3. PI# 0016280 Twin Lakes Road Paving and Drainage Improvements Georgia Power Relocation Agreement
      

      Documents:PI 0016280 Twin Lakes Road Paving and Drainage Improvements Georgia Power Relocation Agreement.pdf

   4. PI 0016280 Twin Lakes Road Right of Way Purchases for Parcels 19 and 20
      

      Documents:PI 0016280 Twin Lakes Road Right of Way Purchases for Parcels 19 and 20 -.pdf

   5. PI 0016280 Twin Lakes Road Right of Way Purchases for Parcels 2, 6, and 10
      

      Documents:PI 0016280 Twin Lakes Road Right of Way Purchases for Parcels 2, 6, and 10 -.pdf

   6. Transportation Investment Act (TIA) Local Delivery Application for Hickory Grove Road Shoulder Widening and Skipper Bridge Road Shoulder Widening
      

      Documents:Transportation Investment Act Local Delivery Application for Hickory Grove Road Shoulder Widening and Skipper Bridge Road Shoulder Widening.pdf

   7. Transportation Investment Act (TIA) Local Delivery Application for Val Del Road Widening
      

      Documents:Transportation Investment Act (TIA) Local Delivery Application for Val Del Road Widening.pdf

   8. Design-Build Contract for Lowndes County Animal Shelter
      

      Documents:Design-Build Contract for Lowndes County Animal Shelter.pdf

   9. Quit Claim Deed (QCD) for Navigable Waters, LLC at 4939 Bemiss Road
      

      Documents:Quit Claim Deed for Navigable Waters, LLC at 4939 Bemiss Road.pdf

   10. Adoption of 2027 Budget Calendar
       

       Documents:Adoption of 2027 Budget Calendar.pdf

   11. 2026 Public Defender Contracts
       

       Documents:2026 Public Defender Contracts -.pdf

   12. 2026 ACCG Workers' Compensation Insurance Renewal
       

       Documents:2026 ACCG Workers Compensation Insurance Renewal.pdf

   13. 2026 Stop Loss Insurance Coverage Renewal
       

       Documents:2026 Stop Loss Insurance Coverage Renewal.pdf

   14. Enhancement and Innovation/Law Enforcement Grant
       

       Documents:Enhancement and Innovation Law Enforcement Grant.pdf

   15. Motorola Migration Assurance Plan (MAP)
       

       Documents:Motorola Migration Assurance Plan.pdf

9. Bid
   1. LAS Pump Station Upgrade
      

      Documents:LAS Pump Station Upgrade.pdf

10. Reports – County Manager
11. Citizens Wishing to be Heard-Please State Your Name and Address
    
12. Adjournment

Presentations, Appointments
PDF

Public Hearings, For Consideration

Bid, Reports, CWTBH, 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

GFOA Distinguished Budget Presentation Award

From the Government Finance Officers Association (GFOA) of the United States and Canada, for the 20th consecutive year.
PDF

Recognition of EMA Director Ashley Tye

U.S. Council of the International Association of Emergency Managers (IAEM-USA) recently selected Ashley Tye, AEM, as the 2025 recipient of the prestigious Clayton R. Christopher Memorial Award.
PDF

GLPC

Tommy Willis term expired. He and John McCall want to be appointed.
PDF

Lowndes County Board of Assessors

Felicia Williams term expired. She and Gretchen Quarterman want to be appointed.
PDF

Lowndes County Library Board

Catherine Ammons resigned. Kendal Crawford, Dean Poling, and Gary Wisenbaker want to be appointed.
PDF

Valdosta-Lowndes County Conference Center and Tourism Authority

Jonathan Vigue term expiring. Donald Spiller III, Wild Adventures GM, wants to be appointed.
PDF

Basic Decorative Street Lighting Districts — Grove Pointe, Phase V, Sec. 3, The Landings, Phase 4, and Val Del Estates, Phases 4 and 5

staff has verified that the Petitions are ready for LCBOC consideration, including the verification that at least 2/3 of the owners’ signatures for the proposed lot additions have been obtained, and testing the financial solvency of the addition. Additionally, notice for the proposed district has been advertised in the VDT and signs have been posted to advertise the public hearing on the Petition. The current charge for the basic decorative street lighting district is $61.50 per lot per year.
PDF

REZ-2025-16 Copeland Road Subdivision, 2480 Copeland Rd, ~18ac, County Utilities, R-10/c to R-10

to remove several of the conditions that were placed on the property as a result of REZ-2018-07….
PDF

REZ-2025-17 Shiloh Road, ~8.2 ac 6641 Shiloh Road, E-A to R-A, Well & Septic

to be subdivided into legally conforming parcels. GLPC unanimously recommended approval for R-A zoning only on the 2.5-acre portion.
PDF

FY2027 5311 Rural Transit Authorizing Resolution

to continue operating the regional transit system on behalf of the participating local municipalities.
PDF

Abandonment of Grice Road

Staff asked for any comments from stakeholder departments and Public Safety. The comments were all from Public Safety relating to access to all of the parcels in case of an emergency.
PDF

PI# 0016280 Twin Lakes Road Paving and Drainage Improvements Georgia Power Relocation Agreement

BUDGET IMPACT: $721,989.00 FUNDING SOURCE: (xX) TSPLOST. Georgia Power will have to relocate 17 poles and the lines for these poles.
PDF

PI 0016280 Twin Lakes Road Right of Way Purchases for Parcels 19 and 20

BUDGET IMPACT: $4,714.00 FUNDING SOURCE: (xX) TSPLOST purchase from Brenda Johnson and Katrina Moore
PDF

PI 0016280 Twin Lakes Road Right of Way Purchases for Parcels 2, 6, and 10

BUDGET IMPACT: $6,008.00 FUNDING SOURCE: (xX) TSPLOST purchase from L. Warren Turner
PDF

Transportation Investment Act (TIA) Local Delivery Application for Hickory Grove Road Shoulder Widening and Skipper Bridge Road Shoulder Widening

The Local Delivery Application starts the process by allowing Lowndes County to manage the project at the local government level.
PDF

Transportation Investment Act (TIA) Local Delivery Application for Val Del Road Widening

The Local Delivery Application starts the process by allowing Lowndes County to manage the project at the local government level.
PDF

Design-Build Contract for Lowndes County Animal Shelter

BUDGET IMPACT: $5,000,000.00 FUNDING SOURCE: (xX) SPLOST Seven Design-Build firms turned in a proposal. If approved, the design process will begin immediately and the Design-Builder will submit a final proposal for construction to Lowndes County for approval in April 2026.
PDF

Quit Claim Deed (QCD) for Navigable Waters, LLC at 4939 Bemiss Road

shows a drainage easement on plats dating back to 1968. Lowndes County does not have any record of any rights to the drainage easement. The owner has requested a Quit Claim Deed from Lowndes County stating that Lowndes County has not had or claimed, and does not now have or claim, any interest in said described property, including any interest in the 25-foot drainage easement.
PDF

Adoption of 2027 Budget Calendar Work

The final budget must be approved by June 30, 2026 by the Board of Commissioners.
PDF

2026 Public Defender Contracts

BUDGET IMPACT: FUNDING SOURCE: (Xx) N/A (.) same as have been presented annually for several years with no changes.
PDF

2026 ACCG Workers Compensation Insurance Renewal

BUDGET IMPACT: $280,452.00 FUNDING SOURCE: (XxX) Annual With a dividend credit and reduction in premium.
PDF

2026 Stop Loss Insurance Coverage Renewal

BUDGET IMPACT: $1,929,379.00 FUNDING SOURCE: (XxX) Annual
PDF

Enhancement and Innovation/Law Enforcement Grant

BUDGET IMPACT: Less than or equal to $2,828.00. match funds to purchase additional drug testing supplies to support participant monitoring.
PDF

Motorola Migration Assurance Plan (MAP)

BUDGET IMPACT: Total budget impact is $5,039,730, split into five annual payments. FUNDING SOURCE: (X) Capital. Continuation agreement to sustain the Public Safety Radio System.
PDF

LAS Pump Station Upgrade

BUDGET IMPACT: $2,565,305.44 FUNDING SOURCE: (xX) ARPA. From 3 to 4 pumps, plus back-up generator.
PDF

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