Category Archives: Transparency

Agenda: New Library Board, Wisenbaker Rd rezoning, communications tower in Langdale Park, Pre-Disaster Logistics, Juvenile Justice, Lift Station Bypass @ LCC 2026-07-14

Draft Minutes: Lowndes County small subdivision and communications tower, Valdosta doublewide and contractor office @ GLPC 2026-05-26

And, finally, the draft minutes for the May 26, 2026, Greater Lowndes Planning Commission (GLPC).

Draft Minutes: Lowndes County, small subdivision and comm. tower, Valdosta doublewide and, contractor office @ GLPC 2026-05-26

In the LAKE videos of the following month’s June 29, 2026, GLPC meeting, Gretchen Quarterman noted, “The approval of the minutes was tabled until next meeting because not all commissioners had received, or reviewed the minutes.”

https://youtu.be/YbAOx7HWXEM?si=UNTUFyFILY2xKyfg

So maybe the May minutes will get approved in July.

These draft minutes are on the LAKE website, with images of each page below.

Work Session Monday or Tuesday? @ LCC 2026-07-14

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Which is the first meeting next week of the Lowndes County Commission?

The Valdosta Daily Times for Wednesday, July 8, says the Work Session will be Tuesday morning at 8:30 AM.

Work Session when? Monday says lowndescounty.com, Tuesday says valdostadailytimes.com @ LCC 2026-07-14

But the calendar on lowndescounty.com says it will be Monday morning at 8:30 AM, which is the usual day of the week.

So I called the County Clerk’s office. They said the Work Session will be Tuesday morning.

I asked, have you considered updating the county website?

They said they hadn’t gotten to that yet.

And by the Georgia open meetings law, as long as they informed the local newspaper of record 24 hours before the meeting and put a notice out front, they’re good.

Still, a bit more transparency would be better.

Both sources agree the voting Regular Session will be Tuesday at 5:30 PM.

We don’t know what will be on the agenda. They don’t usually post that until late Friday.

It’s a pretty safe bet it will include the two Lowndes County items from the preceding Greater Lowndes Planning Commission. For the mostly uncontroversial REZ-2026-14 6808 Wisenbaker Road and the misguided TWR-2026-02 proposed communications tower in Langdale Park, see:

Whatever is on the agenda will first be discussed Tuesday morning before they vote on it Tuesday evening. Continue reading →

Videos: DFACS, DUI, Accountability, Juveniles, Camelot Crossing Infrastructure, Email Software, Alcohol Ordinance @ LCC Regular 2026-06-23

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The Regular Session of June 23, 2026, took 39 minutes, largely because a special presentation, an unscheduled report on the 911 center, and five Citizens Wishing to Be Heard.

One of the citizens asked a question about the Alcoholic Beverages Ordinance that he could have read the answer to for himself if the county had published the draft ordinance before the meeting.

Why does the county continue to make more work for itself and everybody else by not publishing its own board packets?

Unsurprisingly, the Lowndes County Commissioners unanimously approved every voting item, including reappointing Raymond Conner to the Lowndes County Division of Family and Children Services (LCDFCS). Commissioner Demarcus Marshall was absent.

Collage: Datacenter, Craig Center, Alcohol Ordinance, DFACS, DUI, Accountability, Juveniles, Camelot Crossing Infrastructure, Email Software @ LCC Regular 2026-06-23

Three citizens spoke about Datacenters: George Fisher about sinkholes, Michael Noll about a datacenter ordinance, and Tetiana Babcock, who wanted to know where the county stands in developing a datacenter ordinance. You may recall that in March she alleged encroachment on her property from the datacenter site, which would be a violation of one of the conditions of the July 2025 rezoning of that potential datacenter site.

This time she asked for a timeline of development of a datacenter ordinance and robust citizen involvement. Which would be refreshing, compared to what we just saw as the usual Lowndes County ordinance public engagement: none. They just slapped the alcoholic beverage ordinance update on the agenda and voted on it, without any public hearing and without even publishing the draft beforehand.

Kelly Saxon spoke about Craig Center warming/cooling center funding.

Mr. Patel wanted to know how the Alcoholic Beverage Ordinances changes would affect established businesses.

If the county had simply published that ordinance before voting on it, they wouldn’t get so many questions, and we wouldn’t see at least one Commissioner trying to explain it on facebook.

As you may know, LAKE published that ordinance as soon as we got it by open records request.

http://www.l-a-k-e.org/blog/?p=25794

The county has finally published it on lowndescounty.com: Continue reading →

Videos: DFACS, DUI, Accountability, Juveniles, Camelot Crossing Infrastructure, Email Software, Alcohol Ordinance @ LCC Work 2026-06-22

Update 2026-06-30: Videos: Datacenter, Craig Center, Alcohol Ordinance, DFACS, DUI, Accountability, Juveniles, Camelot Crossing Infrastructure, Email Software @ LCC Regular 2026-06-23.

They asked a few questions about the three court grant cash match items, the Lowndes County Commission in their 14-minute Monday morning Work Session, June 22, 2026.

Regarding the Alcoholic Beverage Ordinance, Gretchen Quarterman wondered, “I would have thought that the commission might want to have a public hearing on an issue like this to hear from both liquor store owners and churches and schools.”

14-minute Lowndes County Commission Work Session, 2026-06-22 –LAKE videos

Here is a LAKE video playlist.

https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLshUv86fYkiHj9P_d0XwfATVAWOI3xNiy&si=vDsQm_cdRJcXLBfq Continue reading →

Packet: DFACS, DUI, Accountability, Juveniles, Camelot Crossing Infrastructure, Email Software, Alcohol Ordinance @ LCC 2026-06-22

Update 2026-06-24: Videos: DFACS, DUI, Accountability, Juveniles, Camelot Crossing Infrastructure, Email Software, Alcohol Ordinance @ LCC Work 2026-06-22.

You can now see the proposed Alcoholic Beverage Ordinance the Lowndes County Commission intends to adopt this evening at 5:30 PM, and something about the infrastructure they intend to approve for the Camelot Crossing Commercial Development.

You can speak about pretty much anything, including datacenters, in Citizens Wishing to Be Heard.

Don’t forget the 5:00 PM Budget Public Hearing.

Packet: DFACS reappointment, DUI, Accountability, Juveniles, Camelot Crossing, Email Software, Alcohol Ordinance @ LCC 2026-06-22

Raymond Conner wants to be reappointed to the Lowndes County Division of Family and Children Services (LCDFCS).

Three court grants require county matches, plus Microsoft has left little option but for shifting to Microsoft Exchange Online.

Cost	What
$42,404.00	Lowndes County DUI Court FY 27 Grant Award
$32,459.00	Lowndes County Accountability Court Grant Approval and Cash Match
$31,886.40	Email Software License
$12,773.00	Lowndes County Juvenile Accountability Court Grant Approval and Cash Match
$119,522.40	Total

This Monday after 4 PM the county satisfied the LAKE open records request of last Tuesday. The resulting board packet and minutes from the previous Commission meetings are on the LAKE website. Images of each page are below.

Agenda: DFACS, DUI, Accountability, Juveniles, Camelot Crossing Infrastructure, Email Software, Alcohol Ordinance @ LCC 2026-06-22

Update 2026-06-19: Notice: Two Budget Public Hearings @ LCC 2026-06-22.

It would be interesting to see the Alcoholic Beverage Ordinance the Lowndes County Commission will be voting on Tuesday evening, and the infrastructure they intend to approve for the Camelot Crossing Commercial Development.

But there is nothing on the county website but the bare agenda, and the county has not yet responded to an open records request for the board packet.

We do know that Tuesday evening at the 5:30 PM Regular Session you can speak in Citizens Wishing to Be Heard.

But not at the 8:30 AM Monday Work Session, where you do get to hear staff and Commissioners discuss agenda items.

Agenda: DFACS, DUI, Accountability, Juveniles, Camelot Crossing, Email Software, Alcohol Ordinance @ LCC 2026-06-22

Here is the agenda.

All the agenda sheets linked under “Documents:” are blank.

LAKE still does not have the board packet, even though the LAKE open records request went to Lowndes County at 8 AM on Tuesday, June 16. I would think Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday count as the three days permitted to respond to a Georgia Open Records Act (GORA) request. If so, they’re late.

I’ve included a map of Camelot Crossing from the Lowndes County Tax Assessors website. I’ve marked some well-known nearby sinkholes. I wonder how many of the other visible wetlands are also sinkholes?

LOWNDES COUNTY BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS
PROPOSED AGENDA
WORK SESSION, MONDAY, JUNE 22, 2026, 8:30 a.m.
REGULAR SESSION, TUESDAY, JUNE 23, 2026, 5:30 p.m.
327 N. Ashley Street – 2nd Floor
Continue reading →

Videos: Homestead Tax, Datacenter, Appointments to 3 Boards, 1 small subdivision, Old US 41 N widening, Alcohol, Sewage, insurance, bonds, and roads @ LCC Regular 2026-06-09

Update 2026-06-15: Proposed Local Act for Local Homestead Option Sales Tax (LHOST) @ LCC 2026-06-09.

The bulk of this long meeting was not on the agenda: another one cent sales tax, a report about services at Leila Ellis, and eight citizens wishing to be heard. Well, those citizens were collectively on the agenda of the Tuesday evening Regular Session of the Lowndes County Commission, but the other two items were not.

By far the longest item at 21 minutes was added to the agenda at the beginning of
7.f. LHOST Consideration, SB 33 Special Local Homestead Option Sales Tax The title is my guess; I think Chairman Bill Slaughter just said LHOST.

The thirteen slides County Manager Paige Dukes presented are on the LAKE website, received in response to a LAKE open records request. Images of each slide are below.

We do not yet have the draft legislation the Commissioners unanimously approved sending to the Georgia legislature to enact this additional one cent sales tax, because I didn’t think to request it until this afternoon. Why the slides and the legislation are not on the county’s own website is mysterious.

Videos: Homestead Tax, Datacenter, Appointments to 3 Boards, 1 small subdivision, Old US 41 N, Alcohol, Sewage, insurance, bonds, and roads @ LCC Regular 2026-06-09

They approved everything else unanimously, including reappointing James Ramsey and appointing Gary Wisenbaker to the Valdosta-Lowndes County Zoning Board of Appeals: his brother Commissioner Mark Wisenbaker recused himself.

They appointed James Warren to the Valdosta-Lowndes County Airport Authority.

They reappointed Andy Griffin and Scott Purvis to the Lowndes County Public Facilities Authority.

The longest regular item discussion at almost seven minutes was of the Industrial Authority Series 2026 Bonds.

Another long item (almost six minutes) not on the agenda occured when as part of the County Manager Report Paige Dukes asked Probation Director Ferlisha Rountree to talk about about services at Leila Ellis.

Six citizens spoke about the potential datacenter on Coleman Road: George Fisher, Jimmy LeFiles, John Smith, Amy Wiegenstein, Sarah Riggle, and Suwannee Riverkeeper John S. Quarterman.

Also, Skyler Ramen(sp?) said his paycheck increases less than rent does and Robert Willis would like speed bumps on Danieli Drive in Lake Park.

Here is a LAKE video playlist:
https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLshUv86fYkiG2JQe4jgsEi9L0R2O6z_GM Continue reading →

Videos: Lowndes County small subdivision and communications tower, Valdosta doublewide and contractor office @ GLPC 2026-05-26

Update 2026-07-09: Draft Minutes: Lowndes County small subdivision and communications tower, Valdosta doublewide and contractor office @ GLPC 2026-06-29.

Update 2026-06-07: Packet: Appointments to 3 Boards, 1 small subdivision, Old US 41 N widening, Alcohol, Sewage, insurance, bonds, and roads @ LCC 2026-06-08.

The Greater Lowndes Planning Commissioners unanimously recommended approval of all the cases, except the communications tower, which was withdrawn by applicant.

They spent by far the most time (17 and a half minutes) on 5. CU-2026-03 Request by Latoyona Speed and San Antonio Graham for a Conditional Use Permit (CUP) for placement of a mobile home in a Single-Family Residential (R-6) zoning district. They even suggested orienting the doublewide parallel with the street, until they realized that would leave only half a foot setback on each end.

Videos: Lowndes County small subdivision, Communications tower withdrawn, Valdosta doublewide and, contractor office @ GLPC 2026-05-26

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

Packet: communications tower and minutes of previous meeting @ GLPC 2026-05-26

Update 2026-05-30: Videos: Lowndes County small subdivision and communications tower, Valdosta doublewide and contractor office @ GLPC 2026-05-26.

Yesterday we finally got half of the missing items from the board packet for the Tuesday evening Planning Commission. We got the draft Minutes of the previous meeting, but not the materials for the withdrawn communications tower item.

Packet: communications tower @ GLPC 2026-05-25, Minutes of previous meeting @ GLPC 2026-04-27

The Greater Lowndes Planning Commission (GLPC) almost never modifies their minutes from the initial draft. For example, for the June 30, 2025, GLPC meeting, there is no difference, other than the lack of a big slanted DRAFT marker, between the draft minutes and the approved minutes, by my visual and mechanical comparison. The approved minutes came from the Archive Center linked at the top of the Agenda Center page on lowndescounty.com.

The county could just go ahead and put the minutes of the previous meeting in the agenda center when they post the agenda for the current meeting.

The agenda also is not approved until the actual meeting, and sometimes changes. For example, for the May GLPC meeting, the TWR-2026-01 item was withdrawn after the agenda was posted.

I do not understand what advantage the county thinks it derives from lack of transparency.

We got the other Lowndes County parts of the GLPC packet for May 25 on May 22, in response to a LAKE GORA request of May 19. The City of Valdosta had already sent their items, and the other municipalities had responded saying they had none.

On May 24, I asked the county again: Continue reading →

On the LAKE front

Citizen dialog for transparent process by the Lowndes Area Knowledge Exchange