Revenues |
Expenditures |
Thanks to Ashley Turner and Paige Dukes for sending them along.
-gretchen
from Valdosta to Moody AFB
and on to Ray City and Nashville in Berrien County,
and Willacoochee in Atkinson County.
This proposal is to aid freight, but with this upgrade to the track,
the same track would be even more readily usable for passenger rail.
That same track was used for passenger travel up into the 1950s.
My mother used to catch the train at Barretts (just north of Moody) to go visit her relatives in Pearson (a bit east of Willacoochee).It’s true the project sheet talks about “potential customers in the region”:
This project will provide for more efficient train operations along the rail corridor to accommodate the increase rail traffic serving the existing and potential customers in the region.However, rail promotes development in existing population centers and at stations, unlike all along automobile roadways.
This project is also another example of how the economic area of Moody AFB includes Continue reading
One short stretch of road vs. a three-line bus system to connect Wiregrass Tech, Five Points, Downtown, Moody, East Side, South Side, West Side, and the Mall.
Road and bridge proponents usually mutter that a bus system won’t pay back for years, if ever. And that’s right: bus systems usually operate at a loss because local governments subsidize them for the social and economic benefits they bring, such as these:
This project will provide mobility options for all travelers; improve access to employment; and help mitigate congestion and maximize the use of existing infrastructure by promoting high-occupancy travel.Employment, safety, and less sprawl, all from a bus system.
What road and bridge proponents don’t ever mention is: Continue reading
Board of Education meeting of 30 August 2011.
As you can see, it really was almost all about approving
a resolution against school consolidation.
We’ve already posted that resolution and the unanimous vote.
The actual resolution is a model of such things: simple and easy to read, yet complete enough to cover the territory, and leaving no doubts as to the board’s position. Congratulations to LCBOE on that resolution!
Playlist, called meeting, Lowndes County Board of Education (LCBOE),
Valdosta, Lowndes County, Georgia, 30 August 2011.
Videos by Gretchen Quarterman and John S. Quarterman
for LAKE, the Lowndes Area Knowledge Exchange.
Let me also take a moment to thank some LCBOE staff. Continue reading
Here is the complete
playlist for yesterday’s (8 September 2011) Lowndes County Lunch and Learn,
in which County Manager Joe Pritchard reviewed the county’s budget process.
County Clerk Paige Dukes said she would also send the slides for posting.
County Manager Joe Pritchard presents the budget process
Lowndes County Lunch and Learn 8 September 2011
Videos by Gretchen Quarterman for LAKE, the Lowndes Area Knowledge Exchange
Here are last month’s Lunch and Learn playlist and slides.
-gretchen
The
public meetings for Transportation Sales Tax Project List
are coming up in a few weeks.
The one in Lowndes County is:
Monday, September 19, 2011; 10:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m.; at the Valdosta City Hall Annex; 300 North Lee Street, Valdosta, Georgia; presentation will begin at 10:30 a.m.There’s a meeting in Fitzgerald later that same day, and an earlier meeting in Waycross on Wednesdday, September 7th.
If you’re interested in saying something about
the 50% increase in the Old US 41 North widening project
or about
some of the other projects still on the constrained list,
this would be the place to do it.
You can also send in written comments.
Here’s
contact information.
-jsq
The organization that considers every rezoning request
for Lowndes County
or any of the cities of Valdosta, Dasher, Hahira, or Lake Park,
the Greater Lowndes Planning Commission,
meets tonight, 5:30 PM, 29 August 2011.
This appointed body decides nothing, but it does make recommendations to the
elected governing body of the appropriate county or city,
which does take those recommendations into account before deciding.
If you want to rezone, or if there’s rezoning near you,
you would do well to go to the Planning Commission meeting
before it gets to your local elected body.
The Planning Commission’s remit is not just rezoning cases. According to the City of Valdosta’s writeup:
The mission of the Greater Lowndes Planning Commission (GLPC) is to look beyond short-term solutions in planning for the future of the Greater Lowndes community; to improve the public health, safety, convenience and welfare; and to provide for the social, economic and physical development of communities on a sound and orderly basis, within a governmental framework and economic environment which fosters constructive growth and efficient administration.
The Planning Commission meets at the old Lowndes County Commission offices: Continue reading
After the County Commission meeting today, Chairman Ashley Paulk
and I were chatting and he mentioned that starting at the next meeting
everyone with a camera would be moved to the back of the room.
As I went out of the commission chambers, Continue reading
Here are videos of yesterday’s Lowndes County Commission work session.
Tonight, come see the local government decide about
a change order for routing around the sinkhole at Snake Nation Road.
Agenda after the videos.
Here’s a playlist:
Snake Nation Decision, Lowndes County Commission, Tonight 5:30PM
Work Session, Lowndes County Commission (LCC),
Valdosta, Lowndes County, Georgia, 22 August 2011.
Videos by Gretchen Quarterman for LAKE, the Lowndes Area Knowledge Exchange.
Here’s the agenda.
LOWNDES COUNTY BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS PROPOSED AGENDA
WORK SESSION, MONDAY, AUGUST 22, 2011, 8:30 a.m.
REGULAR SESSION, TUESDAY, AUGUST 23, 2011, 5:30 p.m.
327 N. Ashley Street – 2nd Floor
- Call to Order
- Invocation
- Pledge of Allegiance to the Flag
- Minutes for Approval
- Work Session — August 8, 2011
- Regular Session — August 9, 2011
- For Consideration
- Change Order to Snake Nation Road Contract
- Assistance to Firefighters Grant
- James Road Water Main Repair
- Capacity Fee Waiver for Country View Mobile Home Park
- SCADA Upgrade
- USGS Funding Agreement for Hwy 122 Stream Gauge
- Declaration of Merchandise as Surplus — Fire Department and Public Works
- Approval of TAN and Resolution
- Bids
- Training Tower for the Fire Department
- Asphalt Surfacing at Naylor and Clyattville Parks
- Striping and Signage on 29.34 Miles of Roadway
- Reports-County Manager
- Citizens Wishing to be Heard Please State Name And Address
-jsq
5.a. Change Order to Snake Nation Road ContractWe heard last time from Joe Pritchard that the county had received some estimates for resurfacing on Snake Nation Road, but he needed some time to organize funding before presenting details. OK, fair enough, but why is it a Change Order? Didn’t they just vote on realignment of Snake Nation Road in June? Why two months later a Change Order, which usually means have to do it right now with no competitive bids?
Here’s a backgrounder from the VDT about
a sinkhole being discovered on Snake Nation Road last December.
And here’s the VDT in May on
costs for fixing it:
“We are purchasing the property to the north, 5.22 acres, for $40,000 to reroute the road,” said County Manager Joe Pritchard.Rerouting the road will cost approximately $300,000 versus at least twice that amount to reinforce the hole, put in concrete supports, and fill it to prevent the road from collapsing again.
Here’s the agenda for this morning and tomorrow evening.
Continue readingLOWNDES COUNTY BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS PROPOSED AGENDA
WORK SESSION, MONDAY, AUGUST 22, 2011, 8:30 a.m.
REGULAR SESSION, TUESDAY, AUGUST 23, 2011, 5:30 p.m.
327 N. Ashley Street – 2nd Floor