Category Archives: Economy

New judge, river gauge, park deed, personnel costs, and pest control @ LCC 2013-08-26

The request for a new State Court Judge by Judge John Kent Edwards Jr. took 27 and a half minutes, plus his eight minute explanation of fines moving from Sheriff to State Court. More people might have showed up to hear if anybody had known about these items. Commissioners asked a surprising number of questions about them and about the Little River stream gauge and the opaque pest control bids. Of course, then people might have seen the proposed third no-bid contract to the same firm this month. They vote tonight.

Here’s the agenda, with links to the videos and a few notes:

LOWNDES COUNTY BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS
PROPOSED AGENDA
WORK SESSION, MONDAY, AUGUST 26, 2013, 8:30 a.m.
REGULAR SESSION, TUESDAY, AUGUST 27, 2013, 5:30 p.m.
327 N. Ashley Street – 2nd Floor
  1. Call to Order
  2. Invocation
  3. Pledge of Allegiance to the Flag
  4. Special Presentation

    See separate post.

  5. Minutes for Approval

    As is his custom, Chairman Bill Slaughter directed Commissioners to tell the Clerk of any changes, so we don’t know what they are. Then he introduced the special presentation out of agenda order.

    1. Work Session — August 12, 2013
    2. Regular Session — August 13, 2013
  6. For Consideration
    1. Environmental Engineering Services for GDOT Land Deed for Parks and Recreation

      Invisible Engineer proposed a third no-bid contract for same firm proposed this month; see separate post.

    2. USGS Funding Agreement for Hwy 122 Stream Gauge

      This time Emergency Director Ashley Tye said it’s on the Little River, why it’s there, how it’s maintained, etc. See separate post.

    3. Budget Adjustment — Personnel Costs

      Judge John Kent Edwards Jr. explained that many of the people going through his court or paying fines in Lowndes County don’t live here; they come off of I-75, and now the fine-collecting needs to move from the Sheriff’s office to the Clerk of Court; see separate post.

  7. Bid-Pest Control Service

    Pest control for an unannounced amount with no bond from one of two unannounced bids. See separate post.

  8. Reports-County Manager

    County Manager Joe Pritchard requested an Executive Session for pending litigation and they adjourned into that.

  9. Citizens Wishing to be Heard Please State Name And Address

Here’s a video playlist:


Work Session, Lowndes County Commission (LCC)
Valdosta, Lowndes County, Georgia, 26 August 2013.
Videos by Gretchen Quarterman for Lowndes Area Knowledge Exchange (LAKE).

-jsq

Confused bids for pest control @ LCC 2013-08-26

We get to pay some unknown amount chosen from bids we didn’t get to see for pest control with no bond. They vote tonight about what was proposed at the 26 August 2013 Work Session of the Lowndes County Commission.

7. Bid-Pest Control Service

Purchasing Director Kari L. Sands said this was a renewal for rodent and insect control for all county buildings including the fire department, beginning September 1st 2013 with first and second year renewal options. Staff recommendation. is to approve the bid (for unannounced amount) from Baird’s Pest Control and Termite Services (she didn’t mention any other bids).

Commissioner Crawford Powell wanted to know if there was a bonding requirement.

Answer: No.

Powell then wanted to know “do we need a bonding requirement for this?”

Answer from County Manager Joe Pritchard: Continue reading →

Fine collection moving from Sheriff to State Court @ LCC 2013-08-26

Could you have guessed what this was about from the agenda item? Why do we the taxpayers of this $130,000 or $173,000 have to guess? They vote tonight about what was proposed at the 26 August 2013 Work Session of the Lowndes County Commission.

6.c. Budget Adjustment — Personnel Costs

Judge John Kent Edwards Jr. explained that many of the people going through his court or paying fines in Lowndes County don’t live here; they come off of I-75. The Sheriff’s office, in attempting to comply with state law, decided it didn’t want to continuing handling fines. There’s a piece of new legislation proposing to have the Clerk of Court process and retain all the relevant information; Judge Edwards thinks it will pass next year. This requires shifting funding from the Sheriff’s office to the Courts. But it will simplify processing (and presumably costs) by not having it go through both Sheriff and State Court. Meanwhile, Judge Edwards is not aware of any other county that still does this processing through the Sheriff’s department.

Here’s Part 1 of 2: Continue reading →

Gauging the Little River west of Hahira @ LCC 2013-08-26

After the 2009 floods, Lowndes County agreed to help USGS fund a stream gauge on the Little River west of Hahira. It’s time to renew that. They vote tonight about what was proposed at the 26 August 2013 Work Session of the Lowndes County Commission.

6.b. USGS Funding Agreement for Hwy 122 Stream Gauge

This time Emergency Director Ashley Tye said it’s on the Little River.

He said during ihe 2009 floods the county only had a gauges on the Withlacoochee River at Skipper Bridge and US 84, and no way to monitor the level of the Little River, so he contacted USGS, who supplied and installed the equipment. The county since then pays for the maintenance. If something breaks, USGS comes and fixes it. He’s also worked with the National Weather Service to establish flood stages for better warning for residents. It’s time to renew the funding.

Commissioner Demarcus Marshall wanted to know how many inspections were carried out by USGS.

Answer: Continue reading →

Third no-bid contract for same firm proposed this month @ LCC 2013-08-26

This time the County Engineer said Lovell was the only qualified consultant for an ecological and environmental study (because of what requirement we don’t know), for a land swap (for what we don’t know), not funded by the county (funded by whom we don’t know). You the taxpayers and people potentially affected by any ecological and environmental problems: do you think you might want to know? They vote tonight about what was proposed at the 26 August 2013 Work Session of the Lowndes County Commission.

6.a. Environmental Engineering Services for GDOT Land Deed for Parks and Recreation

Invisible County Engineer Mike Fletcher said he had received a proposal from Lovell Engineering Services for the 62.49 acre tract just north of the existing skate park Parks and Rec owns and just north of the old rest area.

The county Tax Assessors maps don’t show any tract of that size near that location, but they Continue reading →

Special Presentation by State Court Judge John Edwards @ LCC 2013-08-26

State Court Judge John Edwards came before the Lowndes County Board of Commissioners to ask them to begin the process of asking for an additional State Court Judge for Lowndes County. An additional State Court Judge would have to be authorized by the Georgia Legislature, then filled initially by an appointee by the Georgia Governor.

At this morning’s Work Session, the Judge noted that with the recent reforms enacted by the Georgia Legislature, many crimes previously classified as felonies are now classified as misdemeanors. This has reduced the burden on the Superior Courts and on the prison populations (a good thing) however, it has raised the load on the State Court without an increase in resources.

Here’s Part 1 of 2:

Continue reading →

Videos: SPLOST VII open up, Prisoners, Water, Roads, and Costs @ LCC 2013-07-23

The closest we’re apparently going to get to a town hall or public hearing about the county’s SPLOST VII list: Chairman said “we’re going to open up” for comments. The only taker was Airport Authority Executive Director Jim Galloway. Confusion about the minutes continued. They appointed Ellen Golden to the Department of Family & Children’s Services Board. They hired prisoners again to compete with local labor. They approved a letter from Lovell Engineering to GA EPD on behalf of the county; it wasn’t clear whether any of the Commissioners knew about all the previous violations at the same water treatment plant. They accepted Barrington subdivision infrastructure, whereever that is, saying it wouldn’t cost the county anything, except, of course, maintaining those roads as county development sprawls outwards. They approved their their Directors and Officers insurance. This was all with a bare 3 of 5 quorum, because Commissioners Raines and Powell didn’t show up for work. A citizen thanked the Commission for increasing library funding.

Here’s the agenda, with links to the videos and a few notes. See also the previous morning’s Work Session.

LOWNDES COUNTY BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS
PROPOSED AGENDA
WORK SESSION, MONDAY, JULY 22, 2013, 8:30 a.m.
REGULAR SESSION, TUESDAY, JULY 23, 2013, 5:30 p.m.
327 N. Ashley Street – 2nd Floor
Continue reading →

Airport Authority Director pled for SPLOST VII funding @ LCC 2013-07-23

The Executive Director of the Airport Authority pled for runway funding at the 23 July 2013 Regular Session of the Lowndes County Commission.

5. SPLOST VII request from Executive Director of Airport Authority

The one public speaker when County Chairman Bill Slaughter “opened up” the SPLOST VII item was Jim Galloway, Executive Director of the Valdosta-Lowndes County Airport Authority, who noted SPLOST VII included nothing for the airport from the county or any of the cities. The long runway is federally funded, but the shorter runway is not. He asked for county funding. which I see now lists its board members on its website:

Steve Everett – Chairman
Jeff Sikes
Nathaniel Haugabrook
Dr. James Sinnott
Anthony Payton
Jane Shelton
Jim Galloway – executive director/airport manager (229) 333-1833

Here’s Jim Galloway in a Valdosta CEO video explaining what the Airport Authority is and does, for example Continue reading →

River gauge, park deed, personnel costs, pest control, and a special presentation @ LCC 2013-08-26

Five minutes for tomorrow morning’s Lowndes County Commission Work Session? The mysterious “Special Presentation” might take longer Tuesday.

The last time the river stream gauge funding came up was I think 10 September 2012. At that time I thought Emergency Director Ashley Tye was referring to the Withlacoochee River, but he actually didn’t say which river, and USGS only lists a gauge on the Little River at GA 122, not on the Withlacoochee. If the county put agenda packet information online with the agenda, that sort of confusion wouldn’t be so easy.

Here’s the agenda:

LOWNDES COUNTY BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS
PROPOSED AGENDA
WORK SESSION, MONDAY, AUGUST 26, 2013, 8:30 a.m.
REGULAR SESSION, TUESDAY, AUGUST 27, 2013, 5:30 p.m.
327 N. Ashley Street – 2nd Floor
Continue reading →

AGL pipeline station in Atlanta leaking, eroding, substandard construction

Citizens are calling for GA PSC Chuck Eaton to call it off. Since apparently GA PSC does have authority over natural gas pipelines, maybe we should talk to our Commissioner H. Doug Everett about that proposed Sabal Trail natural gas pipeline through Lowndes County. Wasting resources on natural gas now is foolish when solar will overtake everything within a decade and we should be getting on with sun power for Lowndes County instead of methane for Florida.

Brookhaven Post 23 August 2013, Deteriorating conditions at AGL regulator station site has citizens calling for its removal,

An Atlanta Gas Light (AGL) regulator station that is being constructed on Parcel 36 off of Clairmont Rd., has been a project of concern for some time now. Site conditions such as trenches full of water, deteriorating banks, eroding foundations, corrosion, substandard and hazardous construction practices, and a host of other issues, have become the catalyst to amplifying an effort to have Public Service Commissioner, Chuck Eaton, intervene and ask that AGL cease construction and remove the station.

-jsq