Category Archives: Water

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

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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]
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

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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]
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.

See also the Continue reading →

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]
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 →

Videos: Coleman Road NW Paving and Drainage and Animal Shelter Build Go-Ahead @ LCC Regular 2026-05-26

The Lowndes County Commission took 23 minutes for its Regular Session, Tuesday evening, May 26, 2026.

Eleven minutes of that was Citizens Wishing to Be Heard. A minute and a half was Order, Invocation, Pledge, and Leadership Lowndes. And six and a half minutes for the County Manager Report.

So four minutes for the voting items, which all passed unanimously.

The two Citizens Wishing to Be Heard both spoke against datacenters: Jimmy LeFiles about chemical safety and George Fisher about aquifer recharge.

The County Manager reported among other things that the governor has lifted the state burn ban, which affects non-residential areas of Lowndes County. The county’s own burn ban, which affects residential areas, is still on, but may be lifted next week.

[Collage @ LCC 26 May 2025]
Collage @ LCC 26 May 2025

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 Continue reading →

Coleman Road potential datacenter site @ GLPC 2025-06-30

Somebody asked why three Planning Commissioners opposed the rezoning for the potential datacenter site south of North Valdosta Road and the Foxborough subdivision, on the west (right) bank of the Withlacoochee River.

According to the draft minutes of the July June 30, 2026 2025, GLPC meeting, “Four (4) voted in favor, three (3) opposed (Graham, J. Miller & Foreman) (4-3). Motion carried.”

Also according to those draft minutes:

  • “Commissioner Graham asked if tractor trailers are a concern. Mr. Dillard explained that Condition #2 addresses that with regard to any change of use and requirements.”
  • “Vice-Chairman Miller asked if studies have been done to assess the impacts on groundwater with similar developments. Mr. Langdale explained that new models address that with cooling/recycling water systems.”
  • “Commissioner Foreman asked to verify that the development is currently speculative. Mr. Langdale confirmed.”

See below for LAKE videos of everything everyone said about that rezoning item in that meeting.

[Coleman Road rezoning of potential datacenter site @ Greater Lowndes Planning Commission, June 30, 2025]
Coleman Road rezoning of potential datacenter site @ Greater Lowndes Planning Commission, June 30, 2025

If you want to know what they were thinking beyond that, you could go to tonight’s 5:30 PM GLPC meeting and ask them before or after the meeting.

For much more about datacenters, including the LAKE videos of the Lowndes County Commission meetings about this rezoning, see:

https://wwals.net/issues/datacenter

Commissioner Calvin Graham is a Lowndes County appointee. Commissioner George Foreman and Vice Chair James Miller are Valdosta appointees.

Please note that James Miller and Chairman Steve Miller are not the same person. Continue reading →

Packet: Lowndes County small subdivision and communications tower, Valdosta doublewide and contractor office @ GLPC 2026-05-25

The Greater Lowndes Planning Commission (GLPC) will meet Tuesday instead of its usual Monday, because of the Memorial Day Holiday.

Valdosta City staff recommend denial of a request to put a doublewide mobile home on N Barack Obama Boulevard because it might gasp! be unsightly. Nevermind the floor plan looks more substantial than many a stick-built house.

Lowndes County staff are fine with a tiny subdivision on US 41 S just north of the planned Lake Park Fire Station.

We don’t know their take on a communications tower near Meetinghouse Creek, upstream from the Little River west of Hahira, because they did not send that part of the board packet materials.

[Collage @ GLPC Packet 2026-05-26]
Collage @ GLPC Packet 2026-05-26

Here is the agenda.

The board packet materials, received from Lowndes County in response to a LAKE open records request, are on the LAKE website. Except for the materials they did not send for TWR-2026-01 Salem Church Communication Facility, Old Valdosta Road N., Hahira, GA ~25ac, Parcel 0008-010, and the minutes of the previous GLPC meeting. For the tower I’ve inserted a Lowndes County Tax Assessors map.

Images of each packet page we’ve got are below.

Greater Lowndes Planning Commission
~ Lowndes County ~ City of Valdosta ~ City of Dasher ~
~ City of Hahira ~ City of Lake Park ~ City of Remerton ~

Monday, May 18, 2026 5:30 P.M. Work Session
Tuesday, May 26, 2026 5:30 P.M. Regular Session
Lowndes County South Health District Administrative Office
325 West Savannah Avenue, Valdosta, Georgia Continue reading →

Videos: Datacenters, Sinkholes, Animals, Emergencies, Disasters, Judges, Drugs, and Wells @ LCC Regular 2026-04-28

There was some discussion among Lowndes County Commissioners, but their Regular Session on Tuesday, April 28, 2026, as they approved all the voting items unanimously.

In her Reports, County Manager Paige Dukes called on both Utilities Director Steve Stalvy and Fire Chief Billy Young about the current drought and fire situations.

Six Citizens Wished to Be Heard.

George Fisher spoke about his water research, which includes he’s discovered the line of sinkholes running across the county.

Pam Kelly Jarvis and Amanda Hall spoke about animal issues.

Jimmy LeFiles, Michael Noll, and Susan Wehling spoke about datacenters.

[Collage @ LCC 28 April 2026]
Collage @ LCC 28 April 2026

After the meeting adjourned, County Chairman Bill Slaughter came down to talk to several people about datacenters. County Manager Paige Dukes joined in. The Chairman said it was their procedure not to answer Citizens Wishing to Be Heard during the meeting, but he made himself available afterwards.

I mentioned that the Continue reading →

Videos: Emergencies, Disasters, Judges, Drugs, and Wells @ LCC Work 2026-04-27

Update 2026-05-08: Videos: Datacenters, Animals, Emergencies, Disasters, Judges, Drugs, and Wells @ LCC Regular 2026-04-28.

The Lowndes County Commissioners asked many questions yesterday morning in their Work Session.

Especially about 5.a. Adoption of the Lowndes County Resolution for Emergency Management – LEOP and 5.d. …Procurement Determination Declaring Initial Proposal Non-Responsive….

In the elevator after, I told Commissioner Joyce Evans she needs to stop making those long speeches. (Joke: she famously never has said much during County Commission meetings.)

The meeting lasted more than 32 minutes, which is quite long for them.

Commissioner Scottie Orenstein was absent.

They vote today at 5:30 PM, Tuesday, April 28, 2026, in their Regular Session.

You can speak at the end of this evening’s meeting, in Citizens Wishing to Be Heard.

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

See also the Continue reading →

Packet: Emergencies, Disasters, Judges, Drugs, and Wells @ LCC 2026-04-28

Update 2026-04-28: Videos: Emergencies, Disasters, Judges, Drugs, and Wells @ LCC Work 2026-04-27.

The Lowndes County Commission has no rezonings and no appointments to review Monday morning at its Work Session, nor to vote on at 5:30 PM, Tuesday, April 28, 2026, at its Regular Session.

Most of the agenda items are continuation or updating of things they were already doing, such as 5.c. Renewal of Disaster Related Debris Contracts, since we seem to keep having disasters.

[Packet: Emergencies, Disasters, Judges, Drugs, and Wells @ LCC 2026-04-27-28]
Packet: Emergencies, Disasters, Judges, Drugs, and Wells @ LCC 2026-04-27-28

But two items are cleaning up projects that failed. 5.d. Consideration of Procurement Determination Declaring Initial Proposal Non-Responsive and Award of Contract to Cowart Electric is because Current Edge Solutions failed to meet requirements.

5.g. Potable Well Testing is to try once again to get water wells working correctly at Alapaha Plantation.

Here is the agenda.

The board packet, received in response to a LAKE open records request, is on the LAKE website, with images of each page below.

LOWNDES COUNTY BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS
PROPOSED AGENDA
WORK SESSION, MONDAY, APRIL 27, 2026, 8:30 a.m.
REGULAR SESSION, TUESDAY, APRIL 28, 2026, 5:30 p.m.
327 N. Ashley Street – 2nd Floor

Continue reading →

Videos: Lake Laurie Drive case withdrawn, another Valdosta case, 2 county cases @ GLPC 2026-03-30

There was nothing for the Greater Lowndes Planning Commission (GLPC) to vote on regarding the controversial subdivision application on Lake Laurie Drive, because it was withdrawn by applicant.

Everything else got unanimous recommendations of approval: the other Valdosta rezoning and the two Lowndes County subdivisions.

That other Valdosta rezoning, 5. VA-2026-01 Alpha Britton, Johnson Lane, 0118C 017, did get quite a bit of opposition, mostly about drainage, but the Planning Commissioners and city staff assured people that staff would handle that as the permitting process continued.

[Collage @ GLPC 30 March 2026]
Collage @ GLPC 30 March 2026

Here are links to each LAKE video of each agenda item, followed by a LAKE video playlist.

VA-2026-01 got three videos, because the first LAKE camera ran out of space, and I had to switch to the other one. I did lose a minute or so of what one opposition citizen was saying.

See also the Continue reading →