At the Work Session yesterday morning, Gretchen Quarterman noted, “Not a Data Center Moratorium, just an application moratorium. State Law changed this year, because of pressures from big money, to require that permitting of Data Centers be processed in 30 days. Should the county get an application, they would not have time to make an ordinance. Seems like reaction, rather than proaction to me and while lip service was given to community involvement, 60 days isn’t very long for that to happen.”

There was also no promise to show the draft datacenter ordinance to the people, instead of the usual Lowndes County Commission practice that until it shows up in an agenda on a Friday to be voted on the next Tuesday, as is the usual practice with Lowndes County ordinances.

Collage @ LCC 24 August 2026

Finance Director Stephanie Black said millage rates for the two Authorities and Fire would remain the same, while there would be a rollback on the main millage rate.

The presentations on each of the millage rates will be this evening at the Regular Session.

Commissioners had questions on almost every item at the Work Session.

The CDBG-DR grant application is supposed to be for Community Development Disaster Recovery, but seems to be exclusively to help developers who want to develop in the Riverside Road area without taking responsibility to pave the road. Why not use those funds for actual disaster recovery?

The Land Application System (LAS) Holding Pond Sludge Removal is complicated; thus the wildly varying bid amounts.

Below are links to videos of each agenda item, with some notes by Gretchen Quarterman, followed by a LAKE video playlist.

See also the agenda and the board packet, received in response to a LAKE open records request. Why the county does not put that packet on its own website continues to be mysterious.

• 1. Call to Order 4. Minutes for Approval
  

  Video:
  https://youtu.be/zB6YSKRVTrI

  Lowndes County Board of Commissioners (LCC) Work Session – 2026-08-24

  Videos by Gretchen Quarterman for Lowndes Area Knowledge Exchange (LAKE).
  http://www.l-a-k-e.org/blog/2026/08/videos-datacenter-moratorium-millage-rates-tia-agreements-cdbg-dr-application-las-holding-pond-sludge-removal-lcc-work-2026-08-24.html

• 5.a. Adoption of the County Wide Millage Rate
  

  Video:
  https://youtu.be/0XrvF4ny3Bk

  5a. Adoption of the 2026 County-Wide Millage Rate
  5b. Adoption of Special District Millage for the Industrial Authority
  5c. Adoption of Special District Millage for the Parks and Recreation Authority
  5d. Adoption of Special District Millage for Fire Services

  A presentation will be given at the regular session.
  The Industrial Authority, Parks and Recreation Authority, and Fire Districts are expected to remain the same.
  The County Wide Millage is expecting a roll back.

  
  

• 5.e. Batch 1 Resurfacing P.I. # 0020532 – TIA Project Agreement
  

  Video:
  https://youtu.be/QgMrTLarbUU

  5e. xBatch 1 Resurfacing P.I. # 0020532 – Transportation Improvement Act (TIA) Project Agreement

  
  

• 5.g. 2026 Community Development Block Grant Disaster Recovery (CDBG-DR) C-of-I
  

  Video:
  https://youtu.be/l2yUAHkSIA8

  5g. 2026 Community Development Block Grant Disaster Recovery (CDBG-DR) Funding Application – Conflict of Interest

  A long list of elected officials, staff, associates, family, etc, must be disclosed regarding potential conflicts of interest in the Riverside Road project.

  While this application is for \

• 5.h. 2026 CDBG-DR Funding Application – Engineering Selection
  

  Video:
  https://youtu.be/CDIW6bBKaJQ

  5h. 2026 Community Development Block Grant Disaster Recovery (CDBG-DR) Funding Application – Engineering Selection

  Selection of a firm that is familiar with Lowndes County and the CDBG application process for the design of the project only.

  Again, why this project?

• 5.i. 2026 CDBG-DR Funding Application – Submittal Resolution
  

  Video:
  https://youtu.be/0ytvlLrIMB0

  5i. 2026 Community Development Block Grant Disaster Recovery (CDBG-DR) Funding Application – Submittal Resolution

• 5.j. Data Center Moratorium
  

  Video:
  https://youtu.be/j6j-cAjwydg

  Not a Data Center Moratorium, just an application moratorium.
  State Law changed this year, because of pressures from big money, to require that permitting of Data Centers be processed in 30 days. Should the county get an application, they would not have time to make an ordinance. Seems like reaction, rather than proaction to me and while lip service was given to community involvement, 60 days isn’t very long for that to happen.

  
  

• 8.a. Land Application System (LAS) Holding Pond Sludge Removal
  

  Video:
  https://youtu.be/pPOPZqwatYI

  This item is significantly complicated with regards to the wide range of bid pricing, what actually will happen to the sludge, and which pot of money the money comes from (ultimately from tax payers).

• 7. Reports – County Manager – held until tomorrow
  

  Video:
  https://youtu.be/kQhKeSGa9Dc

• 9. Adjournment
  

  Video:
  https://youtu.be/s19X6NrXBlc

Here is the LAKE video playlist:
https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLWHvkNsSEaxw&si=-6JpznrmbbJhXMiM

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