Update 2026-07-28: Datacenter meeting after Lowndes County Commission Regular Session 2026-07-28.

The draft 2026 Comprehensive Plan Update has appeared on the county’s own website, lowndescounty.com. See below for how that happened.

Below are LAKE videos of the Monday morning Work Session of the Lowndes County Commission, July 27, 2026, with some notes by John S. Quarterman. They vote at 5:30 PM this evening, Tuesday, in their Regular Session.

Don’t forget the second page of the agenda says, “There will be an information sharing session to address data center ordinance considerations following the adjournment of the regular meeting.”http://www.l-a-k-e.org/blog/2026/07/datacenter-meeting-after-lowndes-county-commission-regular-session-2026-07-28.html”>separate post. More on that in a
Comprehensive Plan Update, Appts to VLPRA and Library Board, Road Resurfacing and Widening @ LCC Work Session 2026-07-27

Monday morning I was experimenting with an external microphone, which does seem to work better, although with quite a bit of hiss.

See also the agenda and the board packet, received in response to a LAKE open records request.

Comprehensive Plan

After the meeting, I mentioned to County Planner JD Dillard and County Attorney G. Walter Elliott that the draft Comprehensive Plan Update is not on the county website, so how can citizens know what to say in the Public Hearing 6.a. 2026 Comprehensive Plan Transmittal?

Comp Plan Not on County Website, jsq to County Planner and Attorney, 2026-07-27 –jsq for LAKE

Consulting Planner Jason Davenport had already pointed out that LAKE had gotten a copy of the draft via open records request, which is true; see the board packet on the LAKE website:

http://www.l-a-k-e.org/blog/?p=25935

But why should taxpayers and voters have to depend on a third party to supply something the county could put on its own website?

I pointed out that the Georgia Open Records Act says nothing that prohibits posting draft documents, and in fact requires them to be accessible via open records requests. The County Attorney said the county had not asked for his opinion.

There is a link on the Planning Department web page labelled 2026 Comprehensive Plan Update but it has a further link to the old 2021 Greater Lowndes Comprehensive Plan (PDF), not the 2026 draft.

Comp Plan Link 2026-07-27 –Lowndes County Planning Department

And, lo and behold, they have!

https://lowndescounty.com/DocumentCenter/View/4628/DRAFT-2026-Comprehensive-Plan

LAKE videos of the July 27, 2026, Lowndes County Commission Work Session

• 
  Movie: 1. Order 4. Minutes. 5.a. VLPRA appointments, 2026-07-27 –jsq for LAKE (143M)
  Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KZX-WXz10Lg&list=PLak2U7zlDvlo&index=1&pp=iAQBsAgC

• 
  Movie: 5.b. Lowndes County Library System Board of Trustees appointments, 2026-07-27 –jsq for LAKE (218M)
  Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C6K7rCCIRH0&list=PLak2U7zlDvlo&index=2&pp=iAQB0gcJCaMLAYcqIYzvsAgC

  Typo in recent board materials: this is for the Lowndes County Library Board, not the South Georgia Regional Library Board, which also includes Echols and Lanier Counties.

  
  Movie: Lowndes Library Board, not South Georgia Regional Library Board, 2026-07-27 –jsq for LAKE (31M)
  Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t6ZQ-y7UO9E&list=PLak2U7zlDvlo&index=3&pp=iAQBsAgC

  Also, Kimberly Clyatt and David DiSalvo have applied for this board very recently, apparently Friday.

  LAKE has obtained their applications via an open records request.

  
  David Disalvo Information Form for Lowndes County Library Board
  PDF

  
  Kimberly Cliett Information Form for Lowndes County Library Board
  PDF

• 
  Movie: 6.a. 2026 Comprehensive Plan Transmittal, 2026-07-27 –jsq for LAKE (100M)
  Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3vB3Y71n5VA&list=PLak2U7zlDvlo&index=4&pp=iAQB0gcJCaMLAYcqIYzvsAgC

• 
  Movie: 7.a. Resurfacing Batch 1 P.I. # 0020532 — Local Project Delivery Application Transportation Investment Act, 2026-07-27 –jsq for LAKE (TIA) (148M)
  Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6d7-6xtH_Y8&list=PLak2U7zlDvlo&index=5&pp=iAQBsAgC

  Commissioner Michael Smith asked: All paid for out of TIA, with no county funds?

  Answer from Engineering Services Director Chad McLeod: Yes.

• 
  Movie: 8.a. Hickory Grove Road Widening P.I. 0020527 and Skipper Bridge Road Widening P.I. 0020528 – Transportation Investment Act, 2026-07-27 –jsq for LAKE (TIA) (402M)
  Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7mb1y62UF9I&list=PLak2U7zlDvlo&index=6&pp=iAQBsAgC

  Commissioner Michael Smith: start soon?
  Engineering: Probably August.

  Commissioner Mark Wisenbaker: Couldn’t hear his question.
  Engineering: Would require too much change.

  Michael Smith: Widening makes it safer?
  Engineering: Wider to drive on. Safer.

  Commissioner Demarcus Marshall: Better for bikes.
  The Commissioners laughed.

• 
  Movie: 9. County Manager Reports, 2026-07-27 –jsq for LAKE (410M)
  Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MHBzmI2MsVo&list=PLak2U7zlDvlo&index=7&pp=iAQB0gcJCaMLAYcqIYzvsAgC

  County Manager Paige Dukes had a question about accounting.
  Engineering: In TIA2, state will not figure in inflation cost, so county.

  Michael Smith: when did TIA2 start?
  Engineering: January 2026.

  Chairman Bill Slaughter: Are there remaining funds in TIA1?
  Engineering: Yes.

  Commissioner Scottie Orenstein: Can TIA1 be used on Howell and GA 376?
  Chairman: That’s a state route, correct?
  Engineering: Yes.

  Chairman: Putting local TIA into state routes is a problem.

• 
  Movie: 11. Adjournment, 2026-07-27 –jsq for LAKE (23M)
  Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JaKOIZPQ3QA&list=PLak2U7zlDvlo&index=8&pp=iAQBsAgC

Here is the LAKE video playlist:
https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLak2U7zlDvlo&si=Dj-uyn7qriDg8YLr

-jsq

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

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