Category Archives: Transparency

Videos: ESPLOST V kickoff meeting @ ESPLOST 2015-02-24

Co-Chair Jerome Tucker emphasized that ESPLOST helping public schools also helps economic development. See below for who we now know are the committee members for the Educational Special Local Option Sales Tax (ESPLOST). It’s mysterious why that information wasn’t in the PR before the meeting, but now we know, since Gretchen went and took the videos and collected the flyers you’ll find below.

Early voting already started that same day and continues through March 13th, with the final Election Day 17 March 2015.

Lowndes/Valdosta Citizens for Excellence in Education
Education Special Purpose Local Option Sales Tax
For Lowndes County Schools and Valdosta City Schools Continue reading →

Videos: 1 commercial, 1 subdivision @ GLPC 2015-02-23

In the briefest Planning Commission meeting I can recall, Stovall got her rezoning of 5.84 acres to General Commercial on Oak Street Extension recommended unanimously Monday 23 February 2015. Ivy Gate subdivision’s second phase to rezone 10.33 acres to R-10 on Cat Creek Road at 4088 Cat Creek Road was also recommended unanimously. Nobody spoke for or against either rezoning, and there was no discussion from Commissioners, other than a recommendation by Commissioner Wildes that all lots face interior roads for Ivy Gate.

After the rezonings, Commissioners joked that with a meeting so brief they might catch up with the County Commission. County Chairman Bill Slaughter responded, “Actually, we just showed up to show you how to run a quick meeting.” The difference is GLPC actually does discuss when there’s something to discuss. These cases will show up on the County Commission agenda for March 10th, so we’ll see who takes longer on them then.

Here’s the agenda, and below are links to the videos, followed by a video playlist. Continue reading →

1 commercial, 1 subdivision @ GLPC 2015-02-23

Stovall wants to rezone 5.84 acres to General Commercial on Oak Street Extension and Ivy Gate subdivision wants a second phase to rezone 10.33 acres to R-10 on Cat Creek Road. The existing Ivy Gate Subdivision is on Bowen Way. The only nearby property on Cat Creek Road is 4088 Cat Creek Road, across the road, owned by James Arthur Kutzli.

Thanks to Lowndes County for starting to post Planning Commission agendas including this one.

Greater Lowndes Planning Commission
Lowndes County City of Valdosta City of Dasher City of Hahira City of Lake Park
REGULAR MONTHLY MEETING
AGENDA
Lowndes County South Health District Administrative Office
325 West Savannah Avenue
Monday, February 23, 2015 * 5:30 P.M. * Public Hearing
Continue reading →

REZ-2015-02 Devine packet materials @ LCC 2015-02-24

Gretchen filed an open records request for all the natively-electronic materials from the board packet, especially including the list of the Commission’s own goals, but all we got was the one rezoning item, REZ-2015-02 Devine for the 23 February 2015 Work Session of the Lowndes County Commission. At least they sent that much by email, but even so it’s missing important information that I wonder if the Commissioners noted wasn’t there before they voted.

New material in here, different from Continue reading →

What does conversion of the Land Bank Authority mean? @ ESPLOST VLCLBA 2015-02-25

What does “conversion of the Land Bank Authority” mean? What are they converting this Authority to? Or do they mean the Authority is voting on converting some real estate from non-taxable to taxable?

Valdosta News, City of Valdosta, 23 February 2015, In The City This Week, Feb. 23-28,

Feb. 25: Land Bank Authority Meets. Members of the Valdosta-Lowndes County Land Bank Authority will hold a meeting on Wednesday, Feb. 25, at 9 a.m., in the Neighborhood Development Conference Room (Room 202, Valdosta City Hall Annex). This meeting is being held to vote on the conversion of the Land Bank Authority. The Land Bank Authority exists to foster the public purpose of returning property which is in a non-revenue generating, non-tax producing status to effective utilization status in order to provide housing, new industry and jobs for citizens. For information, call (229) 671-3617.

Even the state doesn’t have up to date information about this board. According to the Continue reading →

ESPLOST V kickoff meeting today @ ESPLOST 2015-02-24

A committee of unknown members is holding a kickoff meeting today for the Educational Special Local Option Sales Tax. Various local news media carry the announcement below, but none of them seem to have the names of the committee members beyond one co-chair. I guess we’ll find out from the videos Gretchen is going there now to take.

In the City of Valdosta’s In The City This Week, Feb. 23-28,

Feb. 24: ESPLOST V Campaign. The ESPLOST joint committee will host a campaign kickoff on Tuesday, Feb. 24, at 5 p.m., in the Valdosta City Hall Annex Multi-Purpose Room. At the meeting, committee members will share proposed projects for Lowndes County and Valdosta City Schools with citizens. Early voting runs Feb. 23 through March 13. The final opportunity to vote will be on the official Election Day, March 17. For more information, email Co-Chair John Eunice at jleunice@yahoo.com.

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Videos: Dr. Grow, Devine, VLPRA @ LCC 2015-02-23

Dr. William R. Grow, District Health Director, presented about the state of the Health Department, and County Manager Joe Pritchard reported revisions to both the county’s Solid Waste Ordinance and the franchise agreement for solid waste were in progress. They ended by going into an executive session to discuss real estate.

For Parks and Rec Board, former Lowndes County Commissioner Richard Raines read a prepared statement, while Scott Willis, hearing specialist with Hearing Care Resources, gave an extemporaneous presentation, including that he was formerly on the VLPRA Advisory Board, and he’s been coaching children and working with the elderly. Commissioners had no questions for either applicant.

Tonight they’ll vote on a list of goals that is in their packet but they haven’t shown you the taxpayers.

Perhaps coincidentally, Continue reading →

Devine Subdivision returns @ LCC 2015-02-23

Tabled last time, partly due to opposition from residents of nearby Stone Creek about safety due to increased traffic, REZ-2015-02 Devine Subdivision on Tillman Crossing Rd is back, as is REZ-2015-01 Gramercy 2 in the form of Adopt Resolution accepting infrastructure for its predecessor Gramercy 1.

Also on the agenda for tomorrow morning is Dr. Grow Presentation-Work Session and an open Parks and Rec position has two applicants: former Lowndes County Commissioner Richard Raines and Scott Willis, hearing specialist with Hearing Care Resources.

LOWNDES COUNTY BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS
PROPOSED AGENDA
WORK SESSION, MONDAY, FEBRUARY 23, 2015 8:30 a.m.
REGULAR SESSION, TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 24, 2015 5:30 p.m.
327 N. Ashley Street – 2nd Floor
Continue reading →

LCC Rezoning items packet materials @ LCC 2015-02-10

Here are the rezoning items from the board packet for the 9 February 2015 Work Session and the 10 February 2015 Regular Session of the Lowndes County Commission. For the maps from the Engineering Department items, see separate post.

The County Clerk once again provided this information only Continue reading →

Maps for Naylor Boat Ramp, Frank’s Creek Bridge, and Deloach Road @ LCC 2015-02-10

The three maps arrived by email for the engineering items in the Lowndes County Commission Monday Work Session and Tuesday Regular Session. The rest of the response to that Open Records request did not, so I’ll have to go back again to pick up the rest of it on paper. And the other Open Records request, for Continue reading →

On the LAKE front

Citizen dialog for transparent process by the Lowndes Area Knowledge Exchange