Category Archives: Animals

Videos: 2 presentations, 4 CWTBH, Appointment Board of Health, correct Tax Assessor, Qualifying Fees, grants, road widening and paving, Lakes Blvd Water Meter Relocation @ LCC Regular 2026-01-12

They tabled (again) 9.l. Abandonment of Grice Road, this time to no definite date, at the Monday evening Regular Session of the Lowndes County Commission.

Dr. Lucy Greene is handing over her work as Moody Support. At 23 minutes, that was by far the longest item.

Four citizens spoke at the end.

Collage @ LCC Regular Session, 12 January 2026

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

Packet: 3 rezonings, dogs and cats ordinance, 7 water items, etc. @ VCC 2025-12-11

Update 2025-12-27: According to a usually reliable witness, facebook live had technical difficulties for the December meeting, and wasn’t noticed until just before the meeting started, so there is no video of that meeting. I’m told the dogs and cats ordinance did not pass, but may come back in a later meeting. Everything else did pass, or so I’m told. It appears the City Council needs to get some help for the City Clerk: “2.a) The Minutes from the September, October, and November City Council Meetings are forthcoming.”

Valdosta Mayor and Council had a very busy meeting on Thursday, December 11, 2025.

First, some questions for Valdosta Mayor, Council, and City Manager:

Why does Valdosta not publish its board packets on its own website? Since anyone can get them through an open records request, they are not secret. The board packets could go on the city’s own Agenda & Minutes web page:
– https://www.valdostacity.com/city-council/agendas-minutes
Speaking of which, where are the minutes since August? They’re not on that web page.
Why did Valdosta not do publicity about the seven (7) drinking water or wastewater improvement items on this December agenda?
Where is Valdosta’s video of this December meeting? If the facebook live video is the official video of the meeting, why is it not linked into the Agendas & Minutes web page?

Valdosta complains people think they’re doing nothing about fixing their wastewater problems.

Maybe that has something to do with the city actively hiding the details in unpublished board packets, as well as doing publicity about such projects.

Collage of VCC Packet 2025-12-11

On this agenda was an ordinance copying Lowndes County in prohibiting sale of dogs and cats by retail establishments, a resolution about Valdosta City School System Refunding Bonds, and another resolution about the Georgia Historic Tax Credit Program. Plus various equipment for Engineering, Public Works, and Police.

The agenda also included the three rezonings or conditional use permits heard last month by the Greater Lowndes Planning Commission (GLPC).

http://www.l-a-k-e.org/blog/?p=25373

The seven wastewater improvement items are: Continue reading →

Videos: Rezonings, Dogs, Roads, and Subdivisions @ LCC Work Session 2025-10-14

At this morning’s Work Session, the Lowndes County Commissioners spent the most time on the Telecommunications Tower on Rocky Ford Road (5:38) and on 6.a. Lowndes County Responsible Dog Ownership Ordinance.

They vote this evening at 5:30 PM (same day due to Monday being a holiday). Anyone can speak in the two rezoning Public Hearings,

Collage @ LCC 14 October 2025

Commissioner Mike Smith was absent this morning. Commissioner Joyce Evans is still absent due to illness.

They ended with an Executive Session about a potential real estate purchase and attorney-client privilege about potential litigation.

County Manager Paige Dukes mentioned in her Reports that the James Road water main project came out $800,000 under budget. Those funds can be used for other projects in the vicinity. She recommended a change order to work on a water main on Old Clyattville Road. Commissioner Mark Wisenbaker said to proceed.

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

Packet: Rezonings, Dogs, Roads, and Subdivisions @ LCC 2025-10-13

Update 2025-10-14: Videos: Rezonings, Dogs, Roads, and Subdivisions @ LCC Work Session 2025-10-14.

The Planning Commission unanimously recommended approval for both rezonings, but the communications tower rezoning on Rocky Ford Road near Watkins Road has acquired a petition and a lengthy letter of opposition as it goes to the Lowndes County Commission.

The commercial rezoning on Stewart Circle does not seem to have any opposition.

Collage, Packet @ LCC 2025-10-13

The county finally has an agreement to sign with GDOT and CSX about the Old Quitman Highway bridge, which will be paid for and organized by GDOT.

The county thinks it’s ready to sign the Lowndes County Responsible Dog Ownership Ordinance, “Approval of the attached ordinance will eliminate the need for the current citizen review board and move the hearing of these cases to Probate Court.”

There’s a Purchase of Wetland Credits for the Twin Lakes Road Paving Project.

And one of the usual: Acceptance of Infrastructure for The Landings Phase IV, which is 52 lots off of Val Del Road on Landings Circle and Brinlee Way.

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

See also the LAKE videos of the preceding meeting of the Greater Lowndes Planning Commission (GLPC).

LOWNDES COUNTY BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS
PROPOSED AGENDA
WORK SESSION, TUESDAY, OCTOBER 14, 2025, 8:30 a.m.
REGULAR SESSION, TUESDAY, OCTOBER 14, 2025, 5:30 p.m.
327 N. Ashley Street – 2nd Floor
Continue reading →

Videos: Hurricane Recovery, Library Board, Courts, Insurance, Animal Services, Loan to Valdosta Housing Authority @ LCC Regular 2025-06-24

Hurricane preparedness and recovery took most up of the 22-minute Regular Session of the Lowndes County Commission Tuesday.

Collage @ LCC 24 June 2025

The Commissioners appointed Sam Clemons to the Lowndes County Library Board. Monday morning at the Work Session, Malcom Warren was the only applicant, but he was not even nominated at the Regular Session.

They approved everything else unanimously, with little discussion.

They did talk about body cameras in 7.c. Axon Renewal Contract for Animal Services. Apparently they’re used to de-escalate tense confrontations, when people see the camera.

County Manager Paige Dukes in her Reports discussed the confusion over tax assessment notices. The Tax Assessors staff sent out Continue reading →

Videos: VSU Tennis Proclamation, Library Board, Courts, Insurance, Animal Services, Loan to Valdosta Housing Authority @ LCC Work 2025-06-23

Update 2025-06-27: Videos: Library Board, Courts, Insurance, Animal Services, Loan to Valdosta Housing Authority @ LCC Regular 2025-06-24.

In addition to 4. Proclamation Presentation to Mr. John Hansen, the VSU Tennis Coach, the Lowndes County Commissioners were remarkably chatty about several other items this morning at their Work Session.

Collage @ LCC Work 23 June 2025

They vote tomorrow (Tuesday) evening at 5:30 PM.

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

Packet: Library Board, Courts, Insurance, Animal Services, Loan to Valdosta Housing Authority @ LCC 2025-06-23

Update 2025-06-23: Videos: VSU Tennis Proclamation, Library Board, Courts, Insurance, Animal Services, Loan to Valdosta Housing Authority @ LCC Work 2025-06-23.

On the agenda for the Lowndes County Commission this week, the property and liability insurance is the big dollar item, followed by the proposed million dollar loan to the Valdosta Housing Authority.

Collage @ LCC Packet 2025-06-23

The rest is mostly cash match for grants to various courts, plus a renewal contract for Animal Services, which is things like body cameras for their agents. Continue reading →

Videos: Animals, Library Board, Lighting, Mosquitoes, Prisoners, Stormwater @ LCC Regular 2024-08-27

Citizen Burton Fletcher spoke for five minutes about Animal Control Funding, out of the fourteen minutes of the Regular Session of the Lowndes County Commission of August 27, 2024. That leaves 9 minutes, minus 2 minutes for the County Manager Report and a minute for the Call to Order, Invocation, and Pledge, means 7 minutes of actual business. They approved everything unanimously.

Collage @ LCC 27 August 2024

They reappointed Bill Booth and appointed Debra Ruth to the Lowndes County Library Board.

Nobody spoke for or against the 6.a. Basic Decorative Street Lighting Districts.

Below are links to each LAKE video of each agenda item, with a few notes by Gretchen Quarterman (actually none this time), followed by a LAKE video playlist.

County Manager Paige Dukes in her Reports said staff were attending the statewide Homebuilders Association meeting. Homebuilders are “stakeholders” after all.

In Citizens Wishing to Be Heard, Burton Fletcher noted $1.5 million for the Animal Shelter didn’t actually help much, and he wondered what has happened in the year or two since groundbreaking.

Videos: Ban passes 3:2 on Planning Commission reviewing ULDC changes @ LCC Regular 2024-07-09

Only Commissioners Mark Wisenbaker and Clay Griner voted against prohibiting the Planning Commission from reviewing proposed amendments to the Unified Land Development Code (ULDC). Commissioner Scottie Orenstein made the motion, seconded by Commissioner Joyce Evants. Commissioner Demarcus Marshall also voted in favor. But if you’re a “stakeholder”, which county staff define as Chamber or Homebuilders, you’ll get special email notification and maybe sit-down meetings before ULDC changes appear before the County Commission.

Collage @ LCC 9 July 2024

If you’re a private citizen, you can speak in Citizens Wishing to Be Heard, as Matthew and Debra Williams did, asking once again for the county to do something about a drainage easement draining onto their property.

Or Tara Parker, suggesting a spay and neuter program would be more effective than the new animal control building the Commissioners budgeted $10 million for. As usual, nobody answered them during the public meeting.

Everything else on the agenda passed unanimously.

Before they voted, on the ULDC changes, Gretchen Quarterman spoke in opposition, noting that they previously had ULDC text amendments in 2015 and last year, and the Planning Commission did not delay any of those. Also, if private citizens want a rezoning, they have to go through the Planning Commission first, yet this amendment means the county government does not.

Before that, Continue reading →

Videos: Danny Weeks, Millage Rate, 3 Alcohol, Animals, Paper Ballots @ LCC Regular 2023-08-22

$4.2 million per mill times 2.5 mills is $10.5 million dollars a year that the county fire department is to get with no budget.

That’s up from last year’s $3.2 million per mill for $8 million, so the county fire department is to get an extra $2.5 million. Yet they never advertised it as a tax increase.

For what, and with what accounting, was not explained. Chairman Bill Slaughter said it was to maintain a “healthy fund balance” for five years since they established the fire department. Where can citizens see this fund balance, and what it is being spent on?

Collage @ LCC 22 August 2023

Both millage rate votes passed only by 3:2. If all three of the Lowndes County Commissioners who voted against on one or the other had voted against both, or if one of the other two had joined against on those votes, the county would have had to think again.

However, for the main millage, they approved 8.778 mills, which the Chairman said is a rollback of 1.434 (from last year). This is noticeably less than the Department of Revenue recommendation of 8.896 mills. Less as in 0.118 mills or $283,200. Until Commissioner Clay Griner the previous day asked what millage would actually match the projected budget, they seemed to be heading for the larger figure.

Still no explanation of why only one of the three beer and wine licenses got a Public Hearing.

They added an item for a change order on a Val Del Road water main for “about $180,000”. That reminds me that in July they approved almost $10 million for another water main in advance of development. Got to have sprawl.

More questions about the condition of the old dog box. Continue reading →

On the LAKE front

Citizen dialog for transparent process by the Lowndes Area Knowledge Exchange