Category Archives: Law

Videos: VLDA appointment, VAWA Grant, Cross Connection Control Plan, Jail Addition, Code Red, 911 addition @ LCC Regular 2023-11-14

Last month, they unanimously approved everything, with little discussion, in the Lowndes County Commission Regular Session, November 14, 2023. They were all present.

The entire meeting took twelve minutes, including the 3-minute County Manager’s Report.

[Collage @ LCC 14 November 2023]
Collage @ LCC 14 November 2023

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:

And now the LAKE videos of the Regular Session: Continue reading →

Videos: ULDC contractor extension, hospital revenue certificate reissuance, LAS generator, Juvenile Justice grant, Val Del Estates infrastructure @ LCC Regular 2023-10-24

EMA Director Ashley Tye reported that all the disaster recovery centers were closing after Hurricane Idalia, with Cook County still open for a bit. This was six weeks ago, at a Lowndes County Commission Regular Session.

[Collage @ LCC 24 October 2023]
Collage @ LCC 24 October 2023

That took six minutes of the seventeen-minute meeting. County Manager Paige Dukes took another three minutes for her report.

The Commissioners breezed through the other agenda items and unanimously approved them all.

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

And now the videos: Continue reading →

Videos: ULDC contractor extension, hospital revenue certificate reissuance, LAS generator, Juvenile Justice grant, Val Del Estates infrastructure @ LCC Work 2023-10-23

Update 2023-12-07: Videos: ULDC contractor extension, hospital revenue certificate reissuance, LAS generator, Juvenile Justice grant, Val Del Estates infrastructure @ LCC Regular 2023-10-24.

The Lowndes County Commission took six minutes to breeze through this Work Session agenda.

[Collage @ LCC 23 October 2023]
Collage @ LCC 23 October 2023

Below are links to each LAKE video of each agenda item, with a few notes by Gretchen Quarterman, followed by a LAKE video playlist. Well, she made no notes this time, because no Commissioners asked any questions, and the whole thing only took six minutes. The only slightly new information is that J.D. Dillard said the ULDC Updates were still within budget even with the requested extension.

See also the agenda and board packet, received in response to a LAKE open records request. Continue reading →

Videos: VLDA appointment, VAWA Grant, Cross Connection Control Plan, Jail Addition, Code Red, 911 addition @ LCC Work 2023-11-13

Update 2023-12-11 Videos: VLDA appointment, VAWA Grant, Cross Connection Control Plan, Jail Addition, Code Red, 911 addition @ LCC Regular 2023-11-14.

Several of the Lowndes County Commissioners were absent at yesterday morning’s Work Session.

[Collage @ LCC 13 November 2023]
Collage @ LCC 13 November 2023

The Commissioners who were present breezed through the agenda in a few minutes. Joyce Evans, Scottie Orenstein, Clay Griner, and Chairman Bill Slaughter had no questions on any item. Commissioners Demarcus Marshall and Mark Wisenbaker were not present.

Below are links to each LAKE video of each agenda item, with a few notes by Gretchen Quarterman, followed by a LAKE video playlist. Actually, she did not make any notes this time. And I did not hear anything new in the videos.

See also the agenda. Continue reading →

ULDC contractor extension, hospital revenue certificate reissuance, LAS generator, Juvenile Justice grant, Val Del Estates infrastructure @ LCC Packet 2023-10-23

Update 2023-12-07: Videos: ULDC contractor extension, hospital revenue certificate reissuance, LAS generator, Juvenile Justice grant, Val Del Estates infrastructure @ LCC Work 2023-10-23.

The ULDC updates are taking so long they’re extending their contractor agreement, in the Lowndes County Commission meeting Monday 8:30 AM and voting Tuesday 5:30 PM.

[Collage @ LCC Packet 2023-10-23]
Collage @ LCC Packet 2023-10-23

The Hospital Authority of Valdosta and Lowndes County, Georgia, wants its revenue certificates reissued in the name of South Georgia Medical Center, Inc. They already had a public hearing that you didn’t hear about.

Lowndes Utilities got a deal on a generator for the Land Application Site (LAS).

And yet another acceptance of subdivision infrastructure claiming no budget impact, this time for 22 house lots in Val Del Estates Phase 4.

Cost What
$48,068.00Land Application System (LAS) Generator
$15,000.00Extension of Agreement for ULDC Updates with Goodwyn Mills Cawood
$-50,000.00Acceptance of FY2024 Juvenile Justice Delinquency Prevention Grant
$13,068.00Total

It’s a one-page agenda with no rezonings, so it probably won’t take long.

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, OCTOBER 23, 2023, 8:30 a.m.
REGULAR SESSION, TUESDAY, OCTOBER 24, 2023, 5:30 p.m.
327 N. Ashley Street – 2nd Floor

Continue reading →

Colquitt EMC, Conference Center, 2 rezonings, 2 water, HVAC, Solar, Controls @ LCC Packet 2023-10-09

Update 2023-10-15: GT’s Wrecker Service rezoning denied @ LCC Regular 2023-10-10.

The HVAC agreement includes 38 pages of covered buildings and rooms within them, ranging from several sites in Hahira to the wastewater treatment plant near the GA-FL line.

The materials received from Lowndes County in response to an open records request are on the LAKE website. Lowndes County says they sent the packet Saturday. It did not appear in LAKE’s email then, so apparently there was some sort of transmission error. In any case it is here now.

It will be easier for everyone when Lowndes County starts putting its board packets on its own websites, like many counties larger and smaller in Georgia and Florida have been doing for years.

See also:

[Collage @ LCC Packet 2023-10-09]
Collage @ LCC Packet 2023-10-09

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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

Colquitt EMC, Conference Center, 2 rezonings, 2 water, HVAC, Solar, Controls @ LCC Agenda 2023-10-09

Update 2023-10-10: Videos: Colquitt EMC, Conference Center, 2 rezonings, 2 water, HVAC, Solar, Controls @ LCC Work 2023-10-09.

Despite four working days to do it, more than the three days allowed by the Georgia Open Records Act (GORA), Lowndes County has not returned the board packet for this week’s Lowndes County Commission meetings.

However, most of the materials for the two rezonings will probably be similar to what the county put in the preceding Planning Commission packet.

They also plan to spend a third of a million dollars, most of it on heating and air conditioning maintenance. The agenda sheet says, “Attached in your packet is an equipment list for each building to be maintained.”

But we the taxpayers don’t get to see that list, because the county does not publish its own board packets and, despite the state open records law, has not returned it so LAKE can publish it.

Cost What
$255,029.00HVAC Maintenance Agreement
$24,825.00Joint Funding Agreement with USGS for Stream Gauge Maintenance
$23,370.00Water Treatment Agreement
$0.00Solar Panel Maintenance Agreement
$0.00Quarterly Controls Inspection Agreement
$303,224.00Total

[Collage @ LCC Agenda 2023-10-09]
Collage @ LCC Agenda 2023-10-09

Here is the agenda.

LOWNDES COUNTY BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS
PROPOSED AGENDA
WORK SESSION, MONDAY, OCTOBER 9, 2023, 8:30 a.m.
REGULAR SESSION, TUESDAY, OCTOBER 10, 2023, 5:30 p.m.
327 N. Ashley Street – 2nd Floor

Continue reading →

Videos: Four Citizens, Permitting and Inspections Ordinances and fees, Water main extension, Service contracts, court grants, and a fire truck @ LCC Regular

The July 25, 2023, Lowndes County Commission Regular Session took half an hour, only because four citizens spoke: one about tax assessments, one about youth advisory council, and two about voting machines.

[Collage @ LCC 25 July 2023]
Collage @ LCC 25 July 2023

Commissioners approved every item unanimously, spending more than $10 million, mostly on 7.a. Exit 13 Touchton Road Water Main Extension.

The only discussion was when Commissioner Scottie Orenstein asked if it was the original Engine 10 and Commissioner Wisenbaker asked how the exhaust could fail.

Commissioner Demarcus Marshall was absent.

County Manager Paige Dukes 8. Reports – County Manager praised staff for the new Permitting and Inspections Ordinances, but did not say where they might be found on lowndescounty.com. She also extolled the rollout of the new county website at the same URL. Maybe permitting is on there under Services, which leads to Technical Standards under Engineering.

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 LAKE videos of the previous morning’s Work Session and the agenda and board packet. Continue reading →

Videos: Probate, Permitting and Inspections Ordinances and fees, Water main extension, Service contracts, court grants, and a fire truck

Update 2023-08-07: Videos: Four Citizens, Permitting and Inspections Ordinances and fees, Water main extension, Service contracts, court grants, and a fire truck @ LCC Regular 2023-07-25.

By far the longest item at yesterday morning’s Work Session of the Lowndes County Commission was 4. Recognition of Pretrial, Probation, – Parole Supervision. That item accounted for about five minutes of the sixteen-minute meeting.

They vote tonight at 5:30 PM.

[Collage @ LCC 24 July 2023]
Collage @ LCC 24 July 2023

They didn’t say where the Permitting and Inspections Ordinances might be found on lowndescounty.com.

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 Permitting and Inspections Ordinances and fees, Water main extension, Service contracts, court grants, and a fire truck @ LCC Packet 2023-07-24. Continue reading →

Permitting and Inspections Ordinances and fees, Water main extension, Service contracts, court grants, and a fire truck @ LCC Packet 2023-07-24

Update 2023-07-25: Videos: Probate, Permitting and Inspections Ordinances and fees, Water main extension, Service contracts, court grants, and a fire truck 2023-07-24.

No rezonings, but something much more pervasive at this week’s Lowndes County Commission meetings: Permitting and Inspections Ordinances and a Building Permit Fee Schedule.

[Collage, LCC Packet, 2023-07-24]
Collage, LCC Packet, 2023-07-24

And $10 million in expenditures, mostly on a water main extension.

Cost What
$9,754,718.88Exit 13 Touchton Road Water Main Extension
$489,310.00 Motorola SUAII (Evergreen)
$346,372.00Acceptance of FY24 Juvenile Justice Incentive Grant Funding
$64,205.17Fire Rescue Engine 10 Emergency Repair
$50,000.00Approval of FY24 Juvenile Justice Delinquency Prevention Grant Application
$28,892.56 Vertiv Service Contract for the Liebert UPS at the 911 Center & the Four Tower Sites
$10,733,498.61Total

Here is the agenda.www.l-a-k-e.org/govt/loco/2023-07-24–lcc-packet”>on the LAKE website.

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, JULY 24, 2023, 8:30 a.m.
REGULAR SESSION, TUESDAY, JULY 25, 2023, 5:30 p.m.
327 N. Ashley Street – 2nd Floor

Continue reading →