Tag Archives: Day 1

Videos: Day 1, Planning, Lowndes County Commission @ LCC 2018-02-19

The 2018 Lowndes County Commission Retreat was just about the exact opposite of a commission meeting, except that same group of people are present (almost). There was discussion, disagreement, laughing, sighing, interrupting, listening, inside jokes, outside jokes, and general exchange of views. Those things don’t happen in a commission meeting. This year’s retreat was particularly different because there was no time frame attached to any agenda item and they didn’t discuss topics in exact order, and some topics got covered repeatedly. Commissioner Evans said to me during a break that the previous format of having departments just give a report can “get boring” and she had suggested that they have a different format with more discussion about communications.

The agenda was available on-line but was hard to find and the link I followed to find it is gone now. I did manage to download it before it went away. Find it here: 2018 LCC Annual Planning Meeting Agenda (plus searchable text). There were paper copies available at the meeting after the first break.

I sometimes think that the commissioners may be getting used to me but then, no, don’t be silly.

At the lunch hour, the Commissioners stepped outside to take a group picture and as County Clerk Page Dukes suggested that they get closer and not have so much “space” between them, Commissioners Orenstein and Griner (I live in their districts) huddled together.

Commissioners Gather Group Photo Close Group Photo
  Commissioners Orenstein and Griner

Below are links to each LAKE video, with a few notes followed by a LAKE video playlist. Continue reading →

Agenda, 2018 Commission Annual Planning Meeting @ LCC 2018-02-19

Update 2018-02-19: And a picture of the participants.

Still no agenda posted on lowndescounty.com. Below is the paper agenda Gretchen got at the meeting this morning. It has no times of day and no speakers listed. I wonder if the Commissioners got something more detailed than this?

One page, Agenda

LOWNDES COUNTY BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS
2018 Commission Annual Planning Meeting
6926 Simpson Road. Hahira. Georgia
Monday. February 19—Tuesday. February 20
8:30 am.

FINANCE
Audit Report Continue reading →

No Agenda for Lowndes County Commission Retreat @ LCC 2018-02-19

Lowndes County’s annual two-day Planning Meeting, aka retreat, which begins today, a bank holiday, with no agenda posted. I hear it is at Chairman Bill Slaughter’s place south of Hahira. Gretchen is on her way with the LAKE video camera.

When: 8:30 AM, Monday 19 Feb 2018, Tuesday 20 Feb 2018

Where: 6926 Simpson Rd, Hahira GA 31632

Event: 2018 Annual Planning Meeting

6926 Simpson Road, Hahira
Parcel ID 0031 042, Lowndes County Tax Assessors

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Investigative reporting costs money, for open records requests, copying, web hosting, gasoline, and cameras, and with sufficient funds we can pay students to do further research. You can donate to LAKE today!

Videos: Planning Meeting, Lowndes County Commission @ LCC 2016-02-04

Suing local businesses helps run up fees to the county attorney, says County Manager Joe Pritchard. He didn’t mention that continuing to promote sprawl for example through the county’s thoroughfare plan also runs up fees that property taxes will never meet. Commissioners seemed very concerned about “stakeholders” whom they said were “the development community, the real estate community” and “the construction and homebuilder industries”. Maybe somewhere they mentioned the agricultural and forestry industries, or sales tax payers even if they don’t own real estate; if so I missed it. At least they’re thinking about the Comprehensive Plan and the general direction of the county in a public forum. And the County Planner did talk about quality of life. Plus it seems business prospects bringing that up got the attention of the County Manager. They said they have a responsiblity to set the direction of the county. How about instead of continuing to drive sprawl outwards, which is a fiscally (and environmentally) irresponsible path, turn to directing development to be more dense in already-developed areas? They continue this morning at 8:30 AM, and Gretchen is there again with the LAKE video camera.

Here’s the agenda followed by links to each LAKE video with a few notes. See also two previous pictures.

We are looking forward to the improved communication that was touted in the VDT headline. Jason Stewart, VDT, 4 February 2016, Slaughter wants to strengthen communication, Continue reading →

It Begins: Planning Meeting @ LCC 2016-02-04

They were waiting on Demarcus Marshall. He arrived shortly with his own food. Can being the lone vote be worrisome? Here’s the agenda.

Waiting on Demarcus Marshall

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Agenda, Planning Meeting @ LCC 2016-02-04

Turns out they did post an agenda for the Planning Meeting this morning and tomorrow, Agenda just not on the county calendar nor in their agenda section. Hm, Accountability Court: will they have to go to that? Gretchen is there with the LAKE video camera at Quail Branch Lodge, 7601 Zeigler Road, Lake Park, GA.

LOWNDES COUNTY BOARD OF COMMSSIONERS
2016 Commlssion Plahning Meeting Agenda
Quail Branch Lodge
7601 Zeigler Road, Lake Park, Georgia

Thursday, February 4-

0:00 a.m.Breakfast
8:30 a.m.Audit Report — Henderson & Godbee, LLC
9:15 a.m.Finance — Stephanie Black
10:15 a.m.Break
10:30 a.m.Speclal Purpose Local Option Sales Tax — Harrison Tillman Continue reading →

Videos: Day 1 of Budget Hearings @ LCC Budget 2015-03-03

300x400 Commission and agenda, in Agenda, by John S. Quarterman, 3 March 2015 It’s good the Commission is having these meetings where they can hear directly from the various department heads. And with LAKE’s videos, you the citizens can hear what the departments are asking for.

Also, why are these called budget hearings? The public doesn’t get to speak, so they are not actually public hearings, and they are not the state-required budget hearings before passing a budget: they don’t even have a draft budget yet. And the next time the Commission rushes citizen speakers to finish, remember this 14 minutes of dead air or the several others like it in yesterday’s meeting.

They met in the Commission Chambers, nevermind the address on the Commission’s calendar yesterday, and still says for today’s meeting.

There’s still no agenda posted, except for paper copies in the Commission building, which read as below. Continue reading →

Three days of Budget Hearings @ LCC Budget 2015-03-03

Billed back in December as “Commission Meets with Constitutional Officers, Elected Officials, and Outside Agencies” and two weeks later than originally scheduled, it’s three days of what is on the County’s calendar now as Budget Hearings, today, Wednesday, and Thursday, all three days at the Lowndes County Governmental Building, 300 N. Patterson St., Valdosta, GA 31601.

There’s no agenda posted.

At least these meetings are on the county’s calendar before the last minute, which is an improvement on last year. However, last year they did publish an agenda. Here are videos of last year’s similar hearings.

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HB 170 to convert fuel sales tax to excise tax at local government expense @ LCC 2015-02-05

HB 170 is a stealth tax raise by the state that would force county and city governments to vote for higher local taxes. The Transportation Funding Act of 2015 is bad news according to every city councillor and county commissioner I’ve heard from.

Harrison Tillman estimated about $335,000 reduction in taxes to the county and a $12.6 million overall loss in revenue in his presentation yesterday morning to the Lowndes County Commission Annual Planning Meeting. Commissioner Demarcus Marshall and Chairman Bill Slaughter went to Atlanta to talk to the proposers of this bill, with little effect.

Here’s ACCG’s HB 170 writeup Tillman used, and Continue reading →

Video: SPLOST Facility Update with boatramp @ LCC 2015-02-05

The Naylor boat ramp might be finished this fall, and here’s a list of other SPLOST expenditures, from yesterday’s Lowndes County Commission Annual Planning Meeting.

County Manager Joe Pritchard asked Chad McLeod Project Manager and Mike Fletcher County Engineer to come forward, saying “Turn in your book to that tab….” A book you, the taxpaying public reader, do not have. The county can publish board packets on their new website if they want to.

McCleod presented current facilities for SPLOST VII, after a long introduction by Pritchard, who said McLeod was the county’s liaison with Parks and Rec (VLPRA) and the Sheriff’s Department and other offices. McLeod said VLPRA projects are built by the county and turned over to VLPRA for administration, except for two projects at Freedom Park, which are being managed by VLPRA due to House Bill 489. He listed dollar amounts. I couldn’t catch all of them, but here are some of them: Continue reading →