A million dollar loan wasn’t worth scheduling on the regular agenda for the May 9, 2023, Lowndes County Commission Regular Session?
Apparently not, since Chairman Bill Slaughter added it after the previous morning’s Work Session. Commissioner Demarcus Marshall wanted to know Continue reading
Big news: One Valdosta-Lowndes has hired an Executive Director, Mary Beth Brownlee, previously with ACCG. See 8. Reports.
Almost three minutes on 5.c. REZ-2023-06 Wild Adventures, 3766 Old Clyattville Road, P-D amendment was the longest at the Lowndes County Commission Work Session yesterday morning. They vote tonight at 5:30 PM.
In her 8. Reports, County Manager Paige Dukes said for the tire amnesty starting that day (yesterday), people could take tires to either the county or city locations. Ordinary vehicle tires, not for tractors or semi-trucks.
She said the tax assessment notices will go out mid-May. There will be some increases, since Continue reading
Update 2023-05-09: Videos: Wild Adventures glamping, AB Motorsports withdrawn, a road abandonment and RoW purchase, Clyattville Community Center, plus alcohol @ LCC 2023-05-08.
Update 2023-05-09: Videos: ULDC Updates, AB Motorsports withdrawn, Wild Adventures glamping @ GLPC 2023-04-24.
A Wild Adventures rezoning for glamping will be at the Lowndes County Commission Work Session Monday morning at 8:30 AM and at the voting Regular Session Tuesdahy 5:30 PM. Plus a $50,000 road project to Wild Adventures’ front door is on the agenda.
![[Collage @ LCC Packet 2023-05-08]](http://www.l-a-k-e.org/govt/loco/2023-05-08--lcc-packet/many.jpg)
Collage @ LCC Packet 2023-05-08
The AB Motorsports rezoning was “withdrawn by Continue reading
Two weeks agao the Lowndes County Commission at its Regular Session recognized Fire Chief Lloyd Green for finishing second in his age class in a recent road race.
Then they unanimously approved the previously-rejected O’Neal James Road rezoning, after applicant’s attorney Bill Langdale pointed out the code infractions would have to get fixed regardless of the rezoning decision.
![[Rezonings and Citizens To Be Heard, Lowndes County Commission Regular Session 2022-09-13]](http://www.l-a-k-e.org/govt/loco/2022-09-13--lcc-videos/many.jpg)
Rezonings and Citizens To Be Heard, Lowndes County Commission Regular Session 2022-09-13
On the previously-decided Campus Howell Road rezoning, they voted twice to invalidate their previous vote. because first they forgot to hold the public hearing. Twice because the Chairman first forgot to hold the Public Hearing. In the Hearing, several citizens spoke against the rezoning. The actual rezoning decision will be taken somewhere between six and nine months later, after the other Public Hearing held just after this Public Hearing.
In the other Public Hearing, they took no vote, since the vote will be sometime between March and May 2023. The rezoning may also go before the Planning Commission again before then. One citizen spoke against, asking why bother going through the Planning Commission again considering that the County Commission rejected the previous GLPC recommendation. County Chairman Bill Slaughter said GLPC will be asked if that is required for due process. Joshua Knight and Brent Moore spoke for.
All the extraterritorial water and sewer extensions passed, but both the Valdosta ones by split votes.
Commissioner Mark Wisenbaker voted against the Griner Park work, saying it is not a top priority and later they might get more than one bid. It passed anyway.
Everything else passed unanimously.
Below are links to each LAKE video of each agenda item, with a few notes, followed by a LAKE video playlist. See also Continue reading
Update 2022-09-26: Videos: Redo rezonings and a citizen paving request @ LCC 2022-09-13.
Update 2022-09-21: Videos: 6 Remerton, 4 Valdosta, 1 Hahira, 1 Lowndes County cases @ GLPC 2022-08-29.
Other than the seven-minute not-on-the-agenda Georgia Forestry presentation by Lowndes County Chief Ranger Mike Williford, the highest-dollar item got the most discussion: Griner Park, at the corner of Webster and Ashley Street.
There was no discussion of the items about redoing their botched rezoning decision.
They did kvetch about each of the extraterritorial jurisdiction items for water and sewer, alleging it was all somebody else’s fault. But why did the county not catch these earlier?
That was at the Work Session yesterday morning. The Lowndes County Commission voted this evening at their Regular Session.
Some Commissioners seemed unclear on why they were spending so much on Griner Park. Here’s Gretchen’s take: Continue reading
Update 2022-09-21: Videos: 6 Remerton, 4 Valdosta, 1 Hahira, 1 Lowndes County cases @ GLPC 2022-08-29.
Update 2022-09-13: Videos: GA Forestry, $3 million, redoing 2 rezonings, 3 extraterritorial water and sewer @ LCC 2022-09-12.
Update 2022-09-13: County rehab center vote invalid –Valdosta Daily Times 2022-09-12.
Update 2022-09-13: Videos: slides @ LCC Millage 2022-08-23.
Lowndes County will approve spending almost $3 million this week, on a downtown Valdosta park and a railroad crossing, but you wouldn’t know that from the agenda.
Fortunately, the board packet, received in response to a LAKE open records request, is on the LAKE website.
Maybe Lowndes County could put board packets on its own website, like other counties large and small in Georgia and Florida have been doing for many years.
| Cost | What |
|---|---|
| $2,542,586.00 | Griner Lot Improvements |
| $438,537.00 | Briggston Road Paving Project Agreement with Valdosta Railway, L.P. |
| $2,981,123.00 | Total |
The county will also redo two rezoning decisions for which the the Chairman previously decided split votes.
Plus three extraterritorial jurisdiction water and sewer requests, one from Hahira for a sprayfield, and two for commercial properties by Valdosta.
And the county is accepting infrastructure for a subdivision, while as usual pretending that won’t cost the taxpayers anything.
Here is the agenda. See also: Continue reading
Four million dollars in tax money discussed this morning, to be voted on at 5:30 PM tomorrow (Tuesday) by the Lowndes County Commission.
Yet their video cameras seem to be broken and I haven’t seen anything about paying to fix them or buy new ones. Meanwhile, Valdosta City Council started online through an iphone, and numerous other counties in Georgia and Florida have made their meetings accessible online.
We don’t know where are the lift stations or manholes to be financed through a GEFA loan for $1,875,000, but I’d say that’s a good use of funds. Not so sure about the $1,974,139 for relocating utilities for widening Lake Park Bellville Road, because I’m not clear on why that road needs widening. I do wonder why sewer and drinking water improvements have to be funded through loans while road building gets tax funds.
Here is the agenda. The board packet is on the LAKE website, received Friday in response to a LAKE Open Records request.
LOWNDES COUNTY BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS
Continue reading
PROPOSED AGENDA
WORK SESSION, MONDAY, FEBRUARY 22, 2021, 8:30 a.m.
REGULAR SESSION, TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 23, 2021, 5:30 p.m.
327 N. Ashley Street – 2nd Floor
The T-SPLOST motion passed, but as a very unusual split vote, two weeks ago in the Lowndes County Commission Regular Session, 9 May 2017.
4. Peace Officers Memorial Week Proclamation Presentation,
Vice-Chair Joyce Evans presiding, they spent about five minutes on this item, including a speech by Sheriff Ashley Paulk, in which he said his department would be having a bigger presence. Chairman Bill Slaughter returned from his “good little trip” some time in there and took up the gavel after the minutes to be approved.
They reappointed Continue reading
Not on the agenda this morning:
Public Works is applying to GA-EPD for a grant for
tire disposal amnesty.
11 of 18 counties have voted to hold a
Regional T-SPLOST referendum,
and Lowndes County now needs to decide whether to support or oppose that: they vote Tuesday at 5:30 PM.
County Manager Joe Pritchard asked why all the lift station pump repairs. Utilities Director Steve Stalvey said the county has 114 lift station pumps, all either duplex or triplex, with the duplication very important to maintain service. They typically last about 15-20 years, there were periods when money was short and maintenance was slack, and quite a few of them are coming to end of life, most recently this one at US 84.
They spent the longest time, 3 3/4 minutes, on the Continue reading
They list the three applicants for ZBOA, Victoria Copeland, Michael Cooper, Mike Elkins, but they do not supply the actual applications. These are for two slots, currently held by Dr. Willie Houseal, who does not wish to be reappointed, and ZBOA Vice Chairman Gretchen Quarterman, who does.
Both the rezoning cases have different applicant names than the Planning Commission listed two weeks ago, this time as REZ-2017-05 Jay Carter rezoning from R-A to R-1 for subdividing for independent sale and REZ-2017-04 Rieffel rezoning to CON and E-A for animals. REZ-2017-04 is located at 3621 SE Johnson Road, which is just north of Mud Swamp Creek, which downstream joins with Grand Bay Creek to form the Alapahoochee River, which flows into the Alapaha, into the Suwannee, into the Gulf.
Lowndes County Tax Assessors Parcel 0188 167H
After the regional T-Splost roundtable meeting 1PM Monday, April 17, 2017, in Pearson, the Lowndes County Commission this week votes to Take action to support or oppose Regional T-SPLOST. If I understand correctly, 10 of the 18 counties in the region voted Continue reading
![[Hightower Road, Wild Adventures, Briggston Road, $1 million housing loan, @ LCC Regular Session, 9 May 2023]](http://www.l-a-k-e.org/govt/loco/2023-05-09--lcc-regular-videos/many.jpg)
![[Collage @ LCC 8 May 2023]](http://www.l-a-k-e.org/govt/loco/2023-05-08--lcc-work-videos/many.jpg)
![[Videos and a picture]](http://www.l-a-k-e.org/govt/loco/2022-09-12--lcc-videos/many.jpg)
![[Maps]](http://www.l-a-k-e.org/govt/loco/2022-09-12--lcc-packet/many.jpg)
![[Table: Four Million Dollars]](http://www.l-a-k-e.org/govt/loco/2021-02-22--lcc-packet/four-million-dollars.jpg)