Tag Archives: 13 December 2011

I really support … allowing non-violent offenders the opportunity to work and rehabilitate — Jessica B. Hughes

Received yesterday on

Ankle monitoring for Lowndes County Jail. -jsq

I really support this idea. Initially, I was concerned about it, because


I know that things like the SCRAM bracelet and the ignition interlock
devices are very expensive to install and maintain, especially if you
consider the costs involved with probation fees. $213.00/month may not
sound like a lot of money to some people, but it is a king’s ransom
to others (saying $7.00/day makes it seem more manageable). Still,
allowing non-violent offenders the opportunity to work and rehabilitate
themselves outside of a prison is a big step forward in the philosophy
of crime and punishment in this county, in my opinion.

-Jessica B. Hughes

Ankle monitoring for Lowndes County Jail @ LCC 13 December 2011



Tuesday the Lowndes County Commission approved ankle bracelet monitoring
for nonviolent jail inmates so they can serve the rest of their time
outside the jail, putting them in a better environment and
decreasing expenses at the Sheriff’s office.
This sounds like a good idea.
I have not expressed an opinion because,

as Barbara Stratton pointed out,
the public doesn’t really know what was in the proposal County Commissioners
got in their agenda packet.
However, I would like to compliment Commissioner Joyce Evans about trying to do
something about nonviolent prisoners.

Summarizing the

ankle monitoring discussion of Monday morning,
County Manager Joe Pritchard Tuesday evening asked the Lowndes County Commission
to approve continued work by county staff with the Sheriff’s office in implementing
an ankle monitoring system to move some inmates out of the county jail.

Commissioner Richard Raines gave the credit to Commissioner
Joyce Evans for both proposing a drug court and for
proposing ankle monitoring.

Commissioner Evans declined comment but did make the motion,
seconded by Commissioner Powell, and approved unanimously.

The VDT had a little more information
in David Rodock’s Wednesday story:

Continue reading →

County Public Hearing on Comprehensive Plan



Tuesday the Lowndes County Commission finally held

the missing public hearing about the Comprehensive Plan,
and it was pretty painless:
only one citizen spoke, and she spoke for.
If they’d held it two months ago like all the local cities did,
they wouldn’t now be risking not getting state or federal grants
because they may not be certified.
They still didn’t
distribute the draft STWP and ROA before the hearing
as the state requires them to do,
so they could still be in trouble with the state.
However, at least they

reset their timeline and held the hearing.
That’s a step towards transparency as defined by

the state guidelines the county already agreed in writing to follow.

Commissioners had as much to say as they did

at the Work Session Monday morning: nothing.

The one citizen, Gretchen Quarterman, said:



I’m a super fan of planning,
and I’m a fan of the

Comprehensive Plan.
I think that if we don’t know where we are going,
and we don’t have a plan on how we’re gonna get there,
we’re not gonna get there.
And the five year plan that tells us exactly what we’re going to
in the next five years to get to our 2030 plan is a groovy idea.
So that part I’m in favor of.



I’ve been over this document pretty thoroughly with Jason,
and I still have some questions outstanding which I’m sure
that they’ll get resolved.
He’s been super helpful.

The one thing I talked to Mr. Raines about and I would encourage
the other Commissioners to consider is that in section 4.5.1,
at least that’s what I have it on my document.
Investigate

Continue reading →

Videos for Lowndes County Commission 13 December 2011



Here are videos for the entire Lowndes County Commission
Regular Session of Tuesday 13 December 2011.
Gretchen took these using a new camera with fast stop-start,
high zoom, and taking audio input directly from the county’s own
microphones.
How do you like it?

See also the previously-posted

agenda
and the
videos of Monday morning’s Work Session.

Here’s

the playlist:




Videos for Lowndes County Commission 13 December 2011

Regular Session, Lowndes County Commission (LCC),

Valdosta, Lowndes County, Georgia, 13 December 2011.

Videos by Gretchen Quarterman for LAKE, the Lowndes Area Knowledge Exchange.

-jsq

County’s website: Reapportionment maps



Since we posted the

Reapportionment maps
obtained Tuesday evening,
the county has posted PDF versions
of this same information on their own website.
Copies are
on the LAKE website and appended
below.
I’ve added HTML tables of the statistics.

VAP is Voting-Age Population.

-jsq

Commission Explansion Update

At the December 13, 2011, meeting of the Lowndes County Board of

Continue reading →

Reapportionment maps, Lowndes County, 13 December 2011





Here are

the new County Commission District maps
that the Commission
just agreed on tonight for reapportionment due to the new census
and population changes in the county.
These are the districts that will be used for next year’s County Commission elections.

These documents were obtained by John S. Quarterman for LAKE from
County Manager Joe Pritchard by asking the County Commission
during Citizens Wishing to Be Heard at their Regular Session of
13 December 2011.

I made a little list of requests, and the County Manager fulfilled all of them.
I’m convinced this demonstrates that Joe Pritchard is indeed typecast
as Santa Claus.

-jsq