Author Archives: John S. Quarterman

Videos: 911 Center Award, Appointment to 7 Rivers RC&D, Network Hardware, and Solid Waste Franchises @ LCC Work 2025-03-24

Update 2025-03-29: Videos: 911 Center Award, Appointment to 7 Rivers RC&D, Network Hardware, and Solid Waste Franchises @ LCC Regular 2025-03-25.

An additional item within another, 7. Reports – County Manager – recognition of 911 center award, added 4 minutes to an otherwise brief meeting on a light agenda, for the Lowndes County Commission Work Session yesterday morning.

[Collage @ LCC 24 March 2025]
Collage @ LCC 24 March 2025

They vote this evening at 5:30 PM.

Below are links to each LAKE video, with a few 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. Continue reading →

Videos: Opt out of HB 581 and increase local homestead exemptions, Accountability Court Grant and truck for Magistrate Court @ LCC Regular 2025-02-25

The Lowndes County Commission added two important agenda items early in their February 25, 2025, meeting: 5.b. Vote on opting out of HB-581 and 5.c. Resolution to increase local homestead exemption. They approved both unanimously, although there is more to do at the state level; see below for that.

But why did the Commissioners wait until this meeting to add those items, when they’ve known for many weeks they would have to vote on them?

[Collage @ LCC 25 February 2025]
Collage @ LCC 25 February 2025

They unanimously approved the few other items.

Can somebody explain why the County Manager does not provide a written report? I, for one, cannot remember all the stuff she runs through in a few minutes. She is clearly reading from notes. She could just make at least a bullet list, or have one of her assistants do so.

One citizen spoke: 8. CWTBH – Kelly Saxon – flooding, hurricane recovery, cooperation.

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

See also the Continue reading →

Videos: One Valdosta case, for VLDA @ GLPC 2025-02-24

There was only one case at the February 24, 2025, Planning Commission meeting: 3. CU-2025-03 VLDCA – 1804 Bimbo QSR Blvd Plastics: Manufacturing in M-1. The attending Commissioners unanimously recommended approval.

[Collage @ LCC 24 May 2025]
Collage @ LCC 24 May 2025

The agenda was so light that three Greater Lowndes Planning Commissioners did not show up, including the Chair. Vice-Chair James Miller presided.

Here are LAKE videos of each agenda item, with a few notes by Gretchen Quarterman, followed by a LAKE video playlist.

See also the agenda and board packet, received in response to a LAKE open records request. The Valdosta Mayor and City Council already decided this case at its March 6, 2025, Regular Meeting. The City has not published its minutes of that meeting yet, so we do not know the outcome. But I’m betting they unanimously approved it. Continue reading →

Packet: Lowndes County Fire Rescue for Lowndes County Commission Retreat 2025-03-07

In this report from Billy Young, Fire Chief, Lowndes County Fire Rescue, we learn that the county currently has 18 fire stations, four of them staffed with career firefighters (Clyattville, North Lowndes, Bemiss, and Headquarters).

The department would also like to staff Twin Lakes District Station #3 in Lake Park and Westside District Station #9, both because of population growth. They already have the fire engine and its equipment for Lake Park. Both stations would also need radio, hoses, extrication tools, and PPE. Plus staff, who would cost about $846,893.97 a year per station. For Westside, they also propose $1,3000,000 for Heavay Rescue Apparatus and $350,000 for Rescue Equipment.

[Collage, Lowndes County Fire Rescue packet, Lowndes County Commission Retreat, 2025-03-07]
Collage, Lowndes County Fire Rescue packet, Lowndes County Commission Retreat, 2025-03-07

About a third of their calls are for Rescue & Emergency Medical.

The Department proposes adding Quick Response Vehicles (QRV) for Emergency Medical Response. They include reasons for and program examples, as well as advantages and disadvantages.

The report also discusses training the the Office of the Fire Marshall.

As mentioned in Packet: Utilities in Lowndes County Commission Annual Planning Meeting 2025-03-06, after an open records request and a followup and 20 days, we got this response from Lowndes County:

Please see the below link with information from our Utilities Department and our Fire Rescue Department. Our Public Works Department was already sent, it was the paved/dirt road documents. Regarding the South Health District, Dr. Eanes came and met with the commissioners.

Continue reading →

Appointment to 7 Rivers RC&D, Network Hardware, and Solid Waste Franchises @ LCC 2025-03-24

It’s a light agenda for the Lowndes County Commission this week, with one board appointment, one request for replacement for various end-of-life network hardware, and renewal of the two solid waste franchises to Advanced Disposal Services and Deep South Sanitation. The only BUDGET IMPACT listed is $79,351.45 for the network hardware.

For the Seven Rivers Resource Conservation and Development Council, Inc. they will consider replacing retiring Jake Price, who is the UGA Extension Service county agent for Lowndes County, with Corey Millirons, who lists his Knowledge & Skills as “Agricultural, common sense & desire to improve community”.

Here is the agenda.

The board packet, received in response to a LAKE open records request is on the LAKE website.

LOWNDES COUNTY BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS
PROPOSED AGENDA
WORK SESSION, MONDAY, MARCH 24, 2025, 8:30 a.m.
REGULAR SESSION, TUESDAY, MARCH 25, 2025, 5:30 p.m.
327 N. Ashley Street – 2nd Floor

Continue reading →

Packet: Utilities in Lowndes County Commission Annual Planning Meeting 2025-03-06

See also 2025-03-26: River water and groundwater interchange interacts with drinking water treatment 2025-03-26.

Update 2025-03-24: Packet: Lowndes County Fire Rescue for Lowndes County Commission Retreat 2025-03-07.

Here is another chunk of the board packet for the March 5-7, 2025, Lowndes County Planning Meeting on Jekyll Island, Georgia. This one is for the Utilities Department, which was on the agenda for March 6.

[Utilities Department, Lowndes County Retreat 2025-03-06, Projects, Floridan Aquifer, River water infiltration & Nanofiltration]
Utilities Department, Lowndes County Retreat 2025-03-06, Projects, Floridan Aquifer, River water infiltration & Nanofiltration

These Utilities materials include an org chart, lists of projects completed during 2024, ongoing, and future, and some details on river water infiltration into the Floridan Aquifer producing a need for improved nanofiltration to get rid of harmful chemicals formed by interaction with chlorine.

Both the lists of projects and the nanofiltration information are pretty clear that they are mostly to support private for-profit subdivisions.

While posting the rest of the board packet I noticed there were pieces missing.

So on March 14 I sent a request for the rest: Continue reading →

Packet: Lowndes County Commission Annual Planning Meeting 2025-03-05

Update 2025-03-23: Packet: Utilities in Lowndes County Commission Annual Planning Meeting 2025-03-06.

Here is what we got in response to an open records request for the agenda and board packet for the Lowndes County, Georgia, three-day Annual Planning Meeting, which you may recall was held on Jekyll Island with one day’s notice to the public.

There are packet materials for many of the agenda items, including Finance (in some detail), SPLOST VIII, VLPRA (in great detail), TIA I and II, Comprehensive Plan, and E-911.

[Lowndes County Commission, Annual Retreat 2025-03-05-7, Agenda and Board Packet]
Lowndes County Commission, Annual Retreat 2025-03-05-7, Agenda and Board Packet

I don’t seem to see materials for South Health DIstrict, Utilities, Public Works, or Lowndes County Fire Rescue. If any of those are in here, somebody please point them out.

Not listed on the agenda there are long sections by the Engineering Department, and lists of the U.S. Senate Armed Services Committee staff.

The board packet, received in response to a LAKE open records request, is on the LAKE website.

Agenda:

Lowndes County Board of Commissioners
2025 Annual Planning Meeting Agenda
March 5 1:00 p.m. — 4:30 p.m.*
March 6 8:30 a.m. — 4:30 p.m.*
March 7 8:30 a.m. — 1:00 p.m.*
(*times may vary based on length of discussion)
The Westin — Jekyll Island
110 Ocean Way, Jekyll Island, Georgia

Wednesday-
1:00 p.m. Finance
2:30 p.m. SPLOST VIII
3:00 p.m. SPLOST IX
Thursday-
8:30 a.m. VLPRA
10:00 a.m. South Health District
11:00 a.m. TIA I
11:30 a.m. TIA II
12:00 noon Lunch
12:45 p.m. Utilities
2:00 p.m. Public Works
3:00 p.m. Comprehensive Plan Review
Friday-
8:30 a.m. Lowndes County Fire Rescue
9:30 a.m. E-911
Continue reading →

Cancelled: Lowndes County Commission meetings 2025-03-10-11

Update 2025-03-13: Packet: Lowndes County Commission Annual Planning Meeting 2025-03-05.

Maybe they were tired after three days on Jekyll Island.

Once again, they let the public know the day before.

Their alert system civicplus sent a notice at 9:30 AM this morning, Friday, March 7, and a notice appeared on lowndescounty.com.

There has been no response yet to the LAKE open records request for the board packet for the now-cancelled meetings. Nor to the other LAKE request for the agenda and board packet for the three-day Jekyll Planning Meetings.

[Cancelled: LCC, Meetings 2025-03-10-11, Lowndes County Commission, Lack of agenda items]
Cancelled: LCC, Meetings 2025-03-10-11, Lowndes County Commission, Lack of agenda items

Posted on: March 7, 2025

Commission Meetings Cancelled

Due to a lack of agenda items requiring attention at this time, the Lowndes County Commission Meetings scheduled for Monday, March 10, 2025, at 8:30 am and Tuesday, March 11, 2025 at 5:30 pm, have been cancelled.

-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

One Day Notice: Lowndes County Annual Planning Meeting, Jekyll Island, GA 2025-03-05

Update 2025-03-13: Packet: Lowndes County Commission Annual Planning Meeting 2025-03-05.

Update 2025-03-07: Cancelled: Lowndes County Commission meetings 2025-03-10-11 2025-03-10.

If you were signed up for Lowndes County’s civicplus alert system, yesterday you got a notice that today starts the three-day Lowndes County Annual Planning Meeting on Jekyll Island.

No agenda is posted.

The name of the venue is not mentioned, but at 110 Ocean Way, Jekyll Island, GA, is The Westin Jekyll Island Beach Resort, with rooms listed at $299/night, or $372 with taxes and fees.

[One Day Notice: LCC Annual Planning Meeting, Westin Jekyll Island Beach Resort 2025-03-05-07]
One Day Notice: LCC Annual Planning Meeting, Westin Jekyll Island Beach Resort 2025-03-05-07

Generally I agree the budget of the Lowndes County Commission is frugal.

But not this resort island splurge away from the eyes of the taxpayers and voters.

LAKE has filed a Georgia Open Records Act (GORA) request for the agenda and board packet. The three-day statutory limit does not expire until after this retreat is over. We would have filed the request earlier, had we known. Continue reading →

Videos: Final Public Hearing: Intent to Opt Out of Homestead Exemption, HB 581 @ LCC 2025-02-24

2025-03-25: Videos: Opt out of HB 581 and increase local homestead exemptions, Accountability Court Grant and truck for Magistrate Court @ LCC Regular 2025-02-25.

Yes, the Lowndes County Commission will vote on the subject today, Tuesday, February 25, although that item is not yet on its agenda.

Yesterday they held the third and final Public Hearing about opting out of the homestead exemption scheme passed by the state legislature as HB 581. No citizens spoke, and very few even attended.

[Collage @ LCC 24 February 2025]
Collage @ LCC 24 February 2025

The county already has better homestead exemptions for both people younger than 65 years and older. Staying in would have no option of opting out later. Opting out leaves the possibility of opting in later.

For the previous Public Hearings, see Continue reading →