No education, all law enforcement:

Sheriff’s Office or

Public defender’s office.


Either would save the county money in the long run and preserve the courthouse
through use of its services (heat, light, air conditioning).
Plus some points on renovating the courthouse building and grounds.
Judge McLane referred to this report in his

talk at the Commission Work Session 9 March 2105,
in which he said it would not be possible for VSU to use the courthouse
without “some pretty dramatic and we think negative” changes to the building.

In his cover letter, Judge McLane said he was not sending the actual
report to the Commissioners, yet clearly they were reading it in the
Work Session, because they asked questions from it.
And now you, the public can see the report.
LAKE did not get it from the Commission, which so far as we know has
not published it.
The cover letter and the report are below in full.
For context and videos of all three courthouse hearings, see

Courthouse Preservation Committee Meetings.

H. ARTHUR MCLANE

P. O. Box 505

VALDOSTA, GA 31603

January 12, 2015

Hon. Bill Slaughter

Chairman, Lowndes County

Board of Commissioners

P. O. Box 1349

Valdosta, GA 31603

Re: Historic Courthouse Preservation Committee

Dear Chairman Bill:

The Historic Lowndes County Courthouse Preservation Committee has
completed its work and I am enclosing our final report.

The committee appreciates the trust placed in us by the Board of
Commissioners and we hope that we have fiilfilled our
responsibilities in a manner satisfactory to you. If you have any
questions of us, or if we can assist you further, please contact us.

Sincerely yours,

Historic Lowndes County Courthouse

Preservation Committee

By [signed]

H. Arthur McLane, Chair

HAMc:m

c: (letter only) Commissioners

Committee members

Lowndes County Historic Courthouse

Preservation Committee

Report to the Board of Commissioners

The Lowndes County Board of Commissioners appointed the undersigned as a committee to consider, and recommend to the Board of
Commissioners, proposed usage of the historic Lowndes County
Courthouse for the foreseeable future.

Soon after the appointment, the members of the committee toured the
courthouse to review the overall layout and usable space. The
committee also obtained information from Chad McLeod and other
members of the building maintenance staff concerning the overall
stability of the building and the probability of needed upgrades and
modifications to the building and the operating systems within it.

Further active work was postponed until an election could be held to
determine whether or not SPLOST fimds would ultimately be available
to fund the cost of necessary modifications and upgrades. With the
positive election results on the SPLOST issue, further consideration
was given to the best means of pursuing the process for gathering
information concerning the opinions of the general public concerning
the courthouse. Informal announcements and comments were made by the
committee members to civic clubs and interested citizens requesting
their opinions concerning the courthouse and its future use.

There was total unanimity in comments made to the committee members
on three points: (1) the historic courthouse should be preserved and
upgraded as necessary to provide for its future use as an iconic
part of downtown Valdosta; (2) the main courtroom on the second
floor, and the rooms on that floor, should be maintained for
future use for high-profile cases, special ceremonies, and other
appropriate related uses; and (3) the interior and exterior should
be renovated and upgraded to restore the building, insofar as
reasonably possible, to its historic appearance. While no specific
inquiry has been made by the committee since the November, 2014,
elections, it has been the understanding of the members of the committee
that the members of the Board of Commissioners concurred in the comments
made to the committee members and the same opinions held by the members of the committee.

The committee then decided that the best means of affording the
general public an opportunity for meaningful input into the overall
situation would be to have public hearings. With the valuable input
and assistance of County Clerk Paige Dukes and her staff, three
public hearings were scheduled in the summer of 2014. The hearings
were held on June 9,2014, at 6:00 pm, June 10, 2014 at 4:00 pm. and
June 12, 2014, at 1:00 pm, in order to accommodate as many members
of the public as possible. There was a very good turnout at the
public hearings. Approximately fifieen people spoke at the hearings
and some additional material was submitted after the hearings.

A broad variety of concepts for consideration were submitted. These
concepts included: a business incubator for Valdosta and Lowndes
County; a satellite location for educational expansion by an
institution not currently located in Lowndes County, such as the
Savannah College of Art and Design; a location for state government
offices; a downtown location for VSU offices and/or programs;
relocation of the Public Defender’s office from its current location
in the Bank of America building; administrative offices for the
Lowndes County Sheriff’s office; a tourist welcome office; and
others.

In considering each concept presented, the committee addressed eight
questions: (1) would the concept be a clearly legal use for
county-owned real estate; (2) would the concept favor, or appear to
favor, a particular business or class of businesses over another
business or classes of busi- nesses; (3) would an incoming concept,
or one new to the community, be in competition with businesses or
organizations already located in Valdosta- /Lowndes County; (4)
would the concept be a new or different concept from one already in
Valdosta/Lowndes County; (5) would the concept require substantial
change in the structure of the courthouse; (6) would the concept be
financially favorable to Lowndes County; (7) would the concept
promote efficiency in its operations and/or Lowndes County
operations; and
(8) would the concept enhance downtown visitation by the citizens.

After reviewing the information received, and discussing the
information in a meeting, the committee hereby recommends two
concepts to the Lowndes County Board of Commissioners for their
consideration. The two concepts, and the committee’s decision on the
questions addressed, are in alphabetical order according to the
title ascribed to the concept by the organization involved.

1. Lowndes County Sheriff’s Office -Administrative Offices. The
   Lowndes County Sheriff’s office has outgrown ltS current available
   space at the Lowndes County Jail, and is in great need for larger
   quarters. It strongly appears that, if other space is not otherwise
   obtained, it will be necessary to construct additional facilities in
   the near future. Placing the LCSO administrative offices in the
   historic courthouse would be a clearly legal use of that
   county-owned real estate. Placing the administrative offices in the
   historic courthouse would not favor the LCSO over a private business
   or classes of business. Placing the offices would not be in
   competition with another business already located in Lowndes County.
   Placing the offices would only be a continuation of operations now
   
   
   being conducted by the LCSO, but would allow the LCSO a much better,
   and more reasonably roomy, working environment for administration.
   Placing the offices would not require a substantial change in the
   structure of the courthouse. Placing the offices would be
   financially favorable to Lowndes County in that it would (a) cost
   substantially less than the construction of new offices and (b)
   would, through regular use, prevent deterioration of the electrical,
   HVAC and plumbing systems in e courthouse. Placing the offices would
   promote efficiency in the operation of the LCSO in that it would (a)
   provide better administrative working conditions than now exist and
   (b) would provide quicker response time, when and if needed, to the
   new judicial and administrative complex, city hall and the Valdosta
   police department, the Lowndes County tax office, and other
   emergencies in the downtown and central Lowndes County area. And
   placing the offices would, in some measure, enhance downtown
   visitation in that citizens who now visit the LCSO to file reports,
   report for interviews, complete fingerprint requirements for certain
   permits and complete
   other routine civil business would be in central downtown rather than
   at a detention facility.

2. Southern Circuit Public Defender’s Office. The Southern Circuit
   
   
   Public Defender’s office is, likewise, in need of additional office
   space. Its current space, in the Bank of America building, is
   somewhat difficult to find if someone is not already familiar with
   its location. Placing the Public Defender’s office in the historic
   court- house would be a clearly legal use of that county-owned real
   estate. Placing the PD office in the historic courthouse would not
   favor the PD office over a private business or classes of business.
   Placing the office would not be in competition with another business
   already located in Lowndes County. Placing the office would only be
   a continuation of operations now being conducted by the PD office,
   but would allow the PD a better and more convenient working environ-
   ment and would, in addition, give the PD office easier access to
   both the historic courtroom and the courtrooms in the judicial
   complex for practice with witnesses and courtroom preparation for
   trials. Placing the PD office in the historic courthouse would not
   require a substantial change in the structure of the courthouse.
   Placing the PD office in the historic courthouse would be
   financially favorable to Lowndes County in that it would (a)
   
   
   eliminate the current payment of annual rent which the committee
   understands is approximately $ 72,000.00 per year and (b) would,
   through regular use, prevent deterioration of the electrical, HVAC
   and plumbing systems in the courthouse. Placing the office would
   promote efficiency in the oper- ation of the PD office in that it
   would (a) make the offices easier to find for those not already
   familiar with its location and (b) would provide faster and easier
   access to records in the Clerk’s office and the courtrooms. And
   placing the offices would, in some measure, enhance downtown
   visitation in that it would be easier for many people to locate the
   office.

The committee, as a part of its overall inspection of the historic
courthouse and the block on which it is located, believes that it
would be helpful to the Board of Commissioners to make four general
requests and/or recommendations:

1. 
   
   When the main courtroom on the second floor was renovated
   in the late 1980s, “energy efficient” lights were
   installed in the ceiling. Those lights have not worked
   satisfactorily; when power is interrupted, as in a thunderstorm or
   other power failure, those lights do not return to full lighting
   capacity for three to seven minutes and, in addition, they have, on
   a number of occasions, made noise that interferes with the ability
   to hear clearly. The committee is aware that much progress has been
   made with LED and other types of lighting and feels that the current
   lights should be replaced with new lighting that will return to full
   power and lighting capacity immediately when power is restored.

2. Again, when the main courtroom on the second floor was
   renovated, the aluminum-framed windows were replaced with dark-colored
   (anodized ?) metal which very closely resembled the window
   frames shown in old photographs of the courthouse. The committee
   recommends that that treatment be done for all remaining windows in
   the courthouse, as well as for doors at outside entrances to the
   courthouse.

3. When the courthouse was originally built, light fixtures were
   placed on either side of the entrances. Those fixtures were long ago
   discarded, but several years ago, attractive light fixtures were
   mounted at the locations of the original fixtures. It apparently
   could not be determined, at that time, where the wiring in the
   fixture boxes led so that the fixtures could be operable again. The
   committee recommends that wiring be installed so that the fixtures
   can, once again, be lit.

4. Benches and a nice seating area have been placed at the northeast
   area of the courthouse yard, under the live oak tree. The committee
   recommends that that area be enhanced and that one or more
   additional areas be established so that visitors to the downtown
   area can visit and refresh themselves in an attractive park-like
   spot.

The committee appreciates the trust placed in us by the Board
of Commissioners, and we hope that we have fullfilled our
responsibilities in a manner satisfactory to you. If you have any
questions of us, or if we can assist you further, please contact us.

Respectfully submitted, this 12th May of January, 2015.

[signed]

H. Arthur McLane, Chair

[signed]

Donald O. Davis

[signed]

L. Michael Dover

[signed]
W. Tyson McLane

-jsq