Author Archives: John S. Quarterman

Millage Rate Meeting @ LCC Millage 2020-08-11

The board packet for the Tuesday Lowndes County Commission Regular Session says,
on page 65, which is the

agenda sheet
for

agenda item 6.a. Adoption of Millage Rate:

HISTORY, FACTS AND ISSUES: The Board of Commissioners is required to set the county-wide millage rate for
2020. A public hearing was held prior to this adoption as required. The county-wide millage should be set at
10.851 mills with the County receiving 8.601 mills, the Industrial Authority receiving 1.00 mill and the Parks
and Recreation Authority receiving 1.25 mills. This represents a reduction of 0.087 mills.

I wondered: when was this public hearing?

10.851 mills, 8.601 County, 1.00 VLDA, 1.25 VLPRA. reduction of 0.087 mills.

According to the county’s online calendar, it hasn’t hapened yet, because it’s

5:00 PM that same Tuesday.

So if you’re going to the Regular Session, might as well show up half an hour earlier
for the Millage Rate Meeting.
Chances are, you’ll be the only member of the public there.

-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!

Packet: $0.9 million paving project, reduction of millage rate, 3 small rezonings @ LCC 2020-08-10

For the Monday morning Work session and Tuesday evening voting Regular Session,
the Lowndes County Commission has
only one item that has “BUDGET IMPACT” in its agenda sheet, but it’s a doozy:

Cost	What
$899,744.40	Ridgecrest, Woodland and Glenview Paving & Drainage Project
$899,744.4	Total

The agenda sheet says:

Lowndes County solicited bids for Ridgecrest, Woodland and Glenview
Grading, Drainage, Base and Paving. The project will consist of
Grading, Drainage, Base and Paving of Ridgecrest and Woodland and
the installation of a box culvert under Glenview Drive. Vendors
present for the pre-bid meeting held on July 21, 2020, were James
Warren & Associates, Southland Contractors, Reames & Son
Construction, Rountree Construction, and The Scruggs Company. Three
bids were received on August 4, 2020.

Here are the bids:

Bids, NC-TIA 2019-04: Ridgecrest Street and Woodland Drive

Where is that?
South of the west end of W Savanna Ave, near I-75 Exit 16.

Google map:

Ridgecrest Street & Woodland Drive

Ah, yes, I got stuck in traffic there not so long ago,
trying to get around a stopped train.

We know this much because LAKE obtained a copy of the board packet
through an open records request; it’s
on the LAKE website.

I suppose if we rummage around enough we’ll find details of
NC-TIA 2019-04 somewhere on the county’s website.

Here is
the agenda.

LOWNDES COUNTY BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS

PROPOSED AGENDA

WORK SESSION, MONDAY, AUGUST 10, 2020, 8:30 a.m.

REGULAR SESSION, TUESDAY, AUGUST 11, 2020, 5:30 p.m.

327 N. Ashley Street – 2nd Floor

Continue reading →

Packet: Moody AFB, Library board, renaming and dedicating roads, two subdivisions, liability insurance @ LCC 2020-07-27

Will it take fifteen minutes, or twenty minutes, to approve almost a million dollars, in a packed agenda for Monday and Tuesday at the Lowndes County Commission?
It’s mostly Property & Liability insurance,
followed by a consulting contract for

a go-between with Moody AFB,
plus

UPSes for county radio sites.

Cost	What
$818,021.00	ACCG IRMA Property & Liability Program Renewal
$96,000.00	Agreement with Cornerstone
$24,257.88	Vertiv Service Contract for the Liebert UPS at the 911 Center & the 4 Tower Sites
$0; past gate name it Harper’s Lane	Renaming a Portion of Sara Road
$0	Acceptance of Infrastructure for Brayden Place Subdivision
$938,278.88	Total

They’ll also

appoint Thomas Lovett to the South Georgia Regional Library Board,
rename a road, and accept some subdivision roads.

Aerial Map: Sara Road Renaming

Received Friday 5:14 PM in response to a LAKE open records request,
the board packet is
on the LAKE website.

Here is the agenda:

LOWNDES COUNTY BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS

PROPOSED AGENDA

WORK SESSION, MONDAY, JULY 27, 2020, 8:30 a.m.

REGULAR SESSION, TUESDAY, JULY 28, 2020, 5:30 p.m.

327 N. Ashley Street – 2nd Floor

Continue reading →

Packet: Budget, MIDS, Rezoning, Clyattstone Road, Mosquito, Law, Fiber Optic, Alcohol @ LCC 2020-07-13

$3,200,415.50 was on the agenda for this week,
presumably approved by now by the Lowndes County Commission,
in which they also appointed Paige Dukes to succeed Joe Pritchard as Lowndes County Manager.

Table of Costs (by LAKE)

Cost	What
$2,500,000.00	GEFA Loan Application
$289,498.00	Acceptance of FY 2021 Juvenile Justice Incentive Grant
$198,775.00	Fiber Optic to Lowndes EOC
$102,762.00	Judicial System Software Purchase
$45,790.00	Annual Contract Renewal for Mosquito Identification and Testing
$40,000.00	Office of the Governor Criminal Justice Coordinating Council Accountability Court Lowndes County DUI Court- State Court
$23,590.50	Approval of Clyattstone Rd.-Simpson Ln. ROW and Easement Purchases (Parcels 26 and 34)
$0.00	Amendment to TPO Agreement FY2021 – Transit
$3,200,415.50	Total

That’s 2.6% of the $120 million county annual budget.

Curious that they’re willing to spend
$198,775.00 for fast, reliabile,

Internet connectivity to their own offices but nothing for the rest of the population of Lowndes County.

I’ve lost track of how much they’ve spent on

Clyattstone Road to connect Old US 41 N and Val Del Road
to promote development in that area.

I commend the county for the
GEFA Loan Application
for wastewater utilities projects:

HISTORY, FACTS AND ISSUES: The Georgia Environmental Finance
Authority offers funding through the State Revolving Fund. Local
governments are able to secure low interest loans to be used for
utility projects. Lowndes County has identified several lift station
and manhole rehabilitation improvement projects.

The loan can be structured to spread repayment over a period of up
to 30 years; however, there is no penalty for paying the loan off
early. The proposed interest rate will not exceed 1.94% While the
total loan amount is $2,500,000.00 it includes a grant component
which allows for forgiveness of up to $625,000.00 of the loan
amount. Staff recommends approval of the GEFA Loan Application.

The entire board packet is
on the LAKE website.
Documents received 12:26 PM, Friday, July 10, 2020, in response to a LAKE open records request.
LAKE looks forward to these documents being posted on the county’s own website
along with the agenda. Continue reading →

Pritchard hands over to Dukes as Lowndes County Manager @ LCC 2020-07-14

On August 1, 2020, Paige Dukes will be the new County Manager,
after the 20-year reign of Joe Pritchard.

Paige Dukes, County Clerk, Lunch and Learn, 2011-10-13

Chris Herbert, Valdosta Daily Times, 14 July 2020,

Dukes named Lowndes County Manager,

The vote was a split decision, 3-2, with commissioners Joyce Evans,
Clay Griner and Scottie Orenstein voting in favor. Demarcus Marshall
and Mark Wisenbaker opposed.

Marshall said his no vote was because he wanted to see the position
advertised to open the pool up to other candidates.

“I would expect no less than to have this position advertised,”
Marshall said. “To advertise it is saying, ‘we’re not just the good
ole boys system or good ole girls system.'”

Wisenbaker said he wanted to see a “fresh” perspective from county
leadership and hoped a broader search could provide some new
outlooks for the county’s future.

“I voted no because I think the citizens of Lowndes County need to
be better represented. We need to advertise this job…There’s
nothing personal against Ms. Dukes. She’s been here a while. She
does a good job. It’s just being able to look out there and see what
we may be missing,” he said. “We got a $120 million budget. That’s
not small and we need the right people and the right person to carry
this on. And we need fresh ideas. We need a fresh person, in my
opinion, that can bring new things to the table.”

Those two were in the minority, however, and the three in support
said they are certain Dukes is the right decision.

“I’ve been on this board for six years, and Continue reading →

Stick with old budget for now @ LCC 2020-06-26 @ LCC 2020-06-26

The Lowndes County Commission did not pass a new budget,
and nobody seems to know or at least be willing to say why,
even though that was
on the agenda for that Tuesday meeting.

Instead, they’ve scheduled a “Special Called Meeting on Friday, June 26, 200, at 9:00 a.m., to consider a resolution to temporarily continue the operation of the 2020 Fiscal Year budget.”

We don’t have the new draft budget, but here’s the general fund expenditure chart from

the old budget they’re extending:

General Fund Expenditures

37.12% + 12.17% = 49.29%

I wonder if this delay has anything to do with sales tax revenues
being way down due to the pandemic,
and nobody really knowing when they might recover?

There’s no video of the meeting, but fortunately the VDT was on the job.
Chris Herbert, Valdosta Daily Times,
24 June 2020,

Lowndes County Commission tables 2021 budget, Continue reading →

Budget, Bevel Creek Lift Station, Val Tech Road widening, Appointments: ZBOA, Library, VLPRA, Construction @ LCC 2020-06-22

The big item on the Lowndes County Commission agenda for Monday to vote on Tuesday evening
is the
Adoption of Fiscal Year 2021 Budget totaling $59,443,920, with $22,774,781 or 38% to Public safety, i.e., the Sheriff’s department, including the jail.

A RESOLUTION ADOPTING THE FISCAL YEAR 2021 OPERATING BUDGET

PDF

The board packet is
on the LAKE website after we obtained it through an open records request.

Although I hear the hotel/motel tax is down 80% due to virus pandemic,
the
Hotel/Motel Tax FY 2021 County Budget
Budgeted Proceeds are $400,000.00.
They are budget to go to:

$171,429.00
Transfer to Lowndes County’s Special Services Fund from which the County funds
(i) services the County provides primarily for the benefit of the unincorporated area and

(ii) the County’s share of funding of services the County
and one or more municipalities jointly fund

$171,429.00 Transfer to Valdosta-Lowndes County Conference Center and Tourism Authority

to promote tourism, convention, and
trade shows in accordance with the FY 2021 Budget Plan of
said Authority for same which is made a part of this Budget Plan

$57,142.00 Transfer to Valdosta-Lowndes County Parks and Recreation
Authority

for capital costs and operating expenses of parks and
recreational facilities owned and operated by said Authority

A rare no-match federal grant: Acceptance of FY20 Coronavirus Emergency Supplemental Funding brings the total expected expenditures from this Tuesday’s Regular Session down to less than a quarter million dollars:

Cost	What
$148,345.58	Val Tech Road Grading, Drainage, Base and Paving
$82,000.00	Bevel Creek Manhole Emergency Repair
$57,300.00	The Modernization/Upgrade of the Elevator in the Governmental Building
($58,008) in Federal Funding. There is no local match requirement.	Acceptance of FY20 Coronavirus Emergency Supplemental Funding
$229,637.58	Total

I commend Lowndes County Utilities for moving ahead to fix the recent manhole collapse at the Bevel Creek Lift Station on GA 376 near Loch Laurel Road. See also Sewer line repair between manholes, Bevel Creek Lift Station @ LCC 2020-06-22.

Photo: Terry Richards, The Valdosta Daily Times,

Heavy rains cause problems in Lowndes 2020-06-08.

It’s a busy agenda for appointments, to Continue reading →

Storm drains, Smart Community Challenge Grant @ VCC 2020-06-11

I give them credit for livestreaming while they work out the kinks in for example better sound.

City Manager Mark Barber is reading questions from citizens.
First one is about how to prevent situations like with George Floyd.
Second one is about unnecessary use of force, more funding for educators,
minimum wage, etc.

Vcc-facebook-live

Valdosta City Council’s own

facebook livestream. Continue reading →

Packet: 2 Appointments, 2 Rezonings, Lift Station, Drainage, Facilities @ LCC 2020-06-08

Thanks to Sabrina Denson for sending the board packet Friday.
It is
on the LAKE website.

The Work Session is this Monday at 8:30 AM,
and they vote at the Regular Session 5:30 PM Tuesday.

Cost	What
$71,789.00	Blue Lake Lift Station Emergency Repair
$1,208.80	Approve Condemning ROW and Drainage Easement for Clyattstone Rd.-Simpson Ln. TSPLOST Paving Project
$72,997.8	Total

Zoning Location Map

2 Appointments, 2 Rezonings, Lift Station, Drainage, Facilities @ LCC 2020-06-09

Update 2020-06-08:

Packet: 2 Appointments, 2 Rezonings, Lift Station, Drainage, Facilities @ LCC 2020-06-08.

Tuesday at 5:30 PM the Lowndes County Commission proposes to spend
about $73,000 on water projects, which is a good thing.
Monday at 8:30 AM they also do have a Work Session scheduled.

Cost	What
$71,789.00	Blue Lake Lift Station Emergency Repair Work Session/Regular Session DATE OF MEETING: June 9, 2020
$1,208.80	Approve Condemning ROW and Drainage Easement for Clyattstone Rd.-Simpson Ln. TSPLOST Paving Project
$72,997.8	Total

I commend the county for proactively preventing major sewer system leaks.
Hm, only one bid?

“HISTORY, FACTS AND ISSUES: The discharge pipes at Blue Lake lift
station are leaking due to corrosion. Staff has deemed this an
emergency due to the condition of the pipes and the pumps not
operating at capacity. A bid was received from RPI Underground Inc.
for $71,789.00 to make the necessary repairs to bring the station
back to designed capacity and operation. Staff recommends approval
of Blue Lake lift station emergency repairs and authorize RPI
Underground Inc to make the repairs for $71,789.00.”

The two rezonings that were not previously heard by the Planning Commission
(which did not meet last month due to pandemic)
are not listed as having any “BUDGET IMPACT”.

4055 Knights Academy Road location map
for
Rezoning Case REZ-2020-05 (Districts 1 & 4) Jose Lage, 4055 Knights Academy Rd. R-A to P-D, Well/Septic, ~36.926 acres

Image:

Lowndes County Tax Assessors Map.

Also they will (almost certainly)
reappoint Andrea Schruijer and Clay Griner to the
South Regional Joint Development Authority.
And almost certainly they will
reappoint Victoria Copeland to the

Valdosta-Lowndes County Zoning Board of Appeals (ZBOA), plus someone else,
with no candidates listed.
Interestingly, the agenda sheet for ZBOA says
“DEPARTMENT: Zoning DEPARTMENT HEAD: JD Dillard”
even though the county’s website still says Continue reading →

On the LAKE front

Citizen dialog for transparent process by the Lowndes Area Knowledge Exchange