Category Archives: Transportation

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 →

Traffic study? –John Page; Who pays? Richard Raines; Tax exemption –Demarcus Marshall @ LCC 2013-08-13

Traffic and taxes were discussed by Commissioners about REZ-2013-09 Moody Family Housing on Val Del Road, but none of them thought those topics important enough to make them conditions, and they didn’t even discuss use of local contractors or sinkholes like the one in the Phase II site, or the missing geotechnical study mentioned in the USAF Draft Environmental Assessment whose comment period wasn’t even ended when they voted at the 13 August 2013 Lowndes County Commission Regular Session.

Traffic study? --John Page As he had at the previous morning’s Work Session, Commissioner John Page wanted to know if that traffic study was going to be required before the development could start. Planning Commissioner Tommy Willis had also asked about that back in July. This time Page didn’t ask about GA 122 or anywhere other than “Val Del and that area”.

Answer from County Engineer Mike Fletcher: Continue reading →

What happened at Nelson Hill on Val Del Road? @ LCC 2013-08-12

Staff promises evaporated, many of 13 conditions voted by elected Commissioners didn’t get implemented: what happened at Nelson Hill, the subdivision County Planner Jason Davenport referred to as the neighborhood on Val Del Road for REZ-2013-09 Moody Housing? Well, it has a reputation, as someone nearby said in opposing another development:

And we’re certainly not interested in what they built out on Val Del Road.

What happened at Nelson Hill?

As Gretchen Quarterman mentioned to the Planning Commission, there were supposed to be condominiums and a gated community there, but:

if you go out to Nelson Hill now you don’t find anything resembling a gated condominium community; you find ticky-tacky houses where they cut down the swamp.

So what was supposed to be there? In the Minutes for the Work Session of 12 February 2007 condominiums are mentioned: Continue reading →

Videos: a pipeline! 2 appointments, 3 hearings, 9 considerations, and 2 bids @ LCC 2013-06-25

Got a pipeline aimed at your house? The county takes no responsibility. And videos are good for juvenile court, but still not for the Commission. Lots more; see below.

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

LOWNDES COUNTY BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS
PROPOSED AGENDA
WORK SESSION, MONDAY, JUNE 24, 2013, 8:30 a.m.
REGULAR SESSION, TUESDAY, JUNE 25, 2013, 5:30 p.m.
327 N. Ashley Street – 2nd Floor
Continue reading →

Video Arraignment for Juvenile and Magistrate Court @ LCC 2013-06-25

Hm, if video saves the county all this money, how about video of the County Commission’s own meetings to save the public money keeping track of what the Commission is up to?

7.h. Video Arraignment for Juvenile and Magistrate Court

IT Director Aaron Kostyu said at the 25 June Regular Session of the Lowndes County Commission:

As discussed yesterday morning, this is the video arraignment solution for the magistrate juvenile court. This solution will save tens of thousands of dollars a year for staffing and transportation that will not be required. It will save us quite a bit of money, and time as well. This solution will allow for the video presentation, signature, and certification of warrants and the carrying out of video arraignments and first appearances as well for Magistrates and Juvenile. And this will benefit the Magistrate Court, Juvenile Court, and all the local law enforcement agencies. As noted yesterday, the city of Valdosta is awaiting your approval, and they will purchase a portion of this to go in their facilities as well that will allow them to speak in the video warrants portion.

Commissioners had no questions. County Manager Joe Pritchard recommended Continue reading →

County bus system reapproved @ LCC 2013-06-25

Didn’t know the county had a bus system? It does; you can call 316-2153 and they’ll pick you up for a flat fee. The county’s contract with the state Department of Transportation and with the contractor MIDS, Inc. was reapproved at the 25 June Regular Session of the Lowndes County Commission.

7.b. Section 5311 Rural Transportation Operating Contracts

The contract is with GADOT, and the contractor is MIDS, Inc. Per Commissioner Joyce Evans’ request of the previous morning, County Engineer Joe Pritchard said there had been 12,322 trips with six buses over the past 5 months.

The County Engineer referred to some discussion of the previous morning, The Engineer said the federal government put in the first $220,000, and while the county had to pick up any shortfalls, there have been no shortfalls over the past twelve years. This is different from County Manager Joe Pritchard’s answer of the previous morning that it “has been budgeted”. At least staff managed to come up with budget detail after being asked in public by Commissioners. No questions. Unanimous approval.

Here’s Part 1 of 2:

Continue reading →

Corbett or George Road renamed to Caney Branch Road @ LCC 2013-06-25

The road previously known as Corbett or George, part of which may or may not have been closed at some previous data, was renamed to Caney Branch Road after a creek that flows into the Alapahoochee River, at the 25 June Regular Session of the Lowndes County Commission.

6.1. Public Hearing Renaming George Road (CR #105)

George Road

This time County Engineer Mike Fletcher said the residents Part to be renamed wanted to rename George Road to be Caney Branch Road after Caney Branch, “a small creek that runs through this area, localized”. because

EMS, 911, and postal services have an issue with locating the correct houses because there are two George Roads in Lowndes County.

He referred to the previous morning, when Commissioner Crawford Powell wanted to know Continue reading →

Videos: 2 appointments, 3 public hearings, 9 considerations, and 2 bids @ LCC 2013-06-24

Audio feed was still not available so what you hear, is what I hear at the back of the room… -gretchen

Here’s the agenda, with links to the videos and a few notes by Gretchen.

LOWNDES COUNTY BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS
PROPOSED AGENDA
WORK SESSION, MONDAY, JUNE 24, 2013, 8:30 a.m.
REGULAR SESSION, TUESDAY, JUNE 25, 2013, 5:30 p.m.
327 N. Ashley Street – 2nd Floor
Continue reading →

To rename George Road, first find it @ LCC 2013-06-24

Commissioners had trouble figuring out which road the County Engineer wanted to rename, and which roads had already been closed, at this morning’s Lowndes County Commission Regular Session.

Commissioner Crawford Powell questioning County Engineer Mike Fletcher


View Larger Map
6.a. Renaming George Road (CR #105)

There are two George Roads in the county and residents want to change the name of this one to Caney(?) Branch Road. There were some questions from Commissioners, mostly about where that road is. Commissioner Crawford Powell kept asking if it was a continuation of Corbett Road. County Engineer Mike Fletcher said no, and the part of Corbett Road Powell was thinking of was closed. Apparently the Commission has closed so many roads even the Commissioners can’t keep track of which they are.

If the Commissioners, with their packets in front of them, were confused, Continue reading →

2 appointments, 3 public hearings, 9 considerations, and 2 bids @ LCC 2013-06-24

Who’s applying to be appointed Tuesday evening? The Commission doesn’t tell you. Come to the Work Session Monday morning and maybe you’ll be able to hear the County Manager mumble the names, if he names them. Those library board applicants from two weeks ago are finally on the agenda. Also an appointment to Parks and Rec, three liquor licenses, and many other items, but nothing about solid waste or trash.

Here’s the agenda:

LOWNDES COUNTY BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS
PROPOSED AGENDA
WORK SESSION, MONDAY, JUNE 24, 2013, 8:30 a.m.
REGULAR SESSION, TUESDAY, JUNE 25, 2013, 5:30 p.m.
327 N. Ashley Street – 2nd Floor
Continue reading →