The Board of Health meets this morning at 7:30 AM,
according to the
VDT calendar.
There’s nothing about this
on
its own web page.
Gretchen is there with the LAKE video camera.
-jsq
Tag Archives: Gretchen Quarterman
Videos: paving and suing @ LCC 2013-05-14
See how the Commission does “the people’s business” one of the
Christian minister Commissioners mentioned in
his invocation
before another Baptist minister Commissioner
expressed concerns about a different religion’s choice of location.
No explanation for
why county citizens can’t choose their trash service
or
why the county is suing a local business on behalf of New York City investors,
and
half a million dollars for paving without any competitive bid named
while
one man says the county took his property for road right of way.
One more potential board appointee showed up, for 2 out of 3.
Here’s the agenda with links to the videos and a few notes. See also the videos of the previous morning’s Work Session.
Continue readingLOWNDES COUNTY BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS
PROPOSED AGENDA
WORK SESSION, MONDAY, MAY 13, 2013, 8:30 a.m.
REGULAR SESSION, TUESDAY, MAY 14, 2013, 5:30 p.m.
327 N. Ashley Street – 2nd Floor
Fiscal responsibility and legal actions –John S. Quarterman @ LCC 2013-05-14
Chairman Bill Slaughter said “At this time we can’t discuss that issue” of why the Commission thinks its a good use of taxpayer funds to sue a local business with a valid business permit, after the Commission apparently recently didn’t want to defend against a potential lawsuit against itself.
In the
Lowndes County Commission Regular Session Tuesday 13 May 2013,
I spoke in Citizens Wishing to Be Heard, noting
a trust indenture is a legal contract, and since
as building a well often leads to development, as someone
(Commissioner Page a few minutes before)
pointed out, why don’t trust indenture decisions lead to public hearings?
This might be a legal question for the state (although I would guess
the County Commission could hold a public hearing on whatever it likes,
even if the state doesn’t require it).
But a lot of commissions actually let the public speak on any item. For example, the Tallahassee Council lets anyone sign up at the beginning and say I want to speak on X. It’s a thought.Continue reading
But during that particular item I found it particularly refreshing to hear Commissioner Page say that he was concerned about what the majority of the neighbors and property owners think about the use or potential use of the property, and nearby property owners and the majority of people who live in that area.
Now it’s curious how we did not hear much concern about that on an item a few meetings back about Old State Road. The majority of the people who live in that area did not want that road closed. The majority of the property owners, as near as I can tell from the names on the petition, did not, but no one seemed concerned about that. It is a nice concern to have.
Now at that time I heard through various people that the main reason, and correct me if I’m wrong here,
Religious freedom and the neighbors @ LCC 2013-05-14
Apparently concern about a different religion is what it takes to get a Lowndes County Commissioner to speak up for the majority of the neighbors.
After Utilities Director Mike Allen outlined the case again
at the
Lowndes County Commission Regular Session 14 May 2013
Commissioner John Page
elaborated on his question of
the previous morning:
But the trust deed that we have in our notebook says it’s for the Valdosta Islamic Center Corporation, so this is a, uh, I know they’re calling it the Mercy Community Center, but isn’t this going to be a Muslim worship center instead of a subdivision?
County Planner Jason Davenport responded:
Continue readingKevin McCraney for Airport Authority: Nope @ LCC 2013-05-14
The applications are in their Commissioner packets,
and you don’t get to see them.
The other of two applicants showed up to speak at the Lowndes County Commission Regular Session 14 May 2013. Chairman Bill Slaughter said:
Commissioners in your packets you should see applications from two potential appointees. You’ve had a chance to review those.
The public, as usual, did not see those applications. Nor do I recall seeing a list from the county of available appointments. At least we sometimes get to see the applicants speak, which, if I recall correctly, was Joyce Evans’ idea.
I believe we had an opportunity to hear from Mr. Sykes yesterday; is that correct. The other applicant is Mr. Kevin McCraney. I think at this time I’d like to call on Mr. McCraney if he’d like to come forward and make a statement.
Here is
video of Jeff Sykes the previous morning.
At the Tuesday Regular Session,
Kevin McCraney said Continue reading
Give back what I’ve had for 37 years –Lamar Clements @ LCC 2013-05-14
A Lowndes County resident asked for school bus safety and his land back
that the county took; this was in the
Lowndes County Commission Regular Session Tuesday:
I was asked to do this for the benefit of our community. Lamar Clements is my name, and my wife Winona. We live at 5138 Coppage Road, out in Hahira. So you’d know, we’re not new residents out there. We’ve lived there 37 years. We’ve seen a lot of change.
My concern is the corner of Coppage Road and Griffin Road. I know Mike Fletcher has been recently, visited that location. I want to report that I have seen personally as a resident; I’ve seen two county school buses that could have been a fatal accident because of the structure around it. My concern, it needs to be eliminated; that will, bottom line save lives.
Secondly, I live on the corner, and the county has progressively moved the road over to the west, which is literally taking my some of my yard. All I ask is: give back what I’ve had for 37 years. And for goodness sake, when I saw those two school buses that makes a chill go down your spine when you’ve got that many children in danger.
So it’s in good hands. You guys know what to do. Go for it. Continue reading
Why can’t we choose our trash pickup service? –Tom Hallman @ LCC 2013-05-14
Hahira life-long resident Tom Hallman asked a simple question in the Lowndes County Commission Regular Session Tuesday:
I just can’t for the life of me figure out why, myself as a resident, I don’t have a choice to choose who picks up my trash.
Chairman Bill Slaughter said he’d be glad to explain it to Hallman after the meeting. Chairman didn’t offer to explain it to the public. And the Executive Session lasted so long all the citizens left before it was over, so I don’t know if Tom Hallman ever got an explanation.
Here’s the video:
Why can’t we choose our trash pickup service? –Tom Hallman
Regular Session, Lowndes County Commission (LCC),
Video by Gretchen Quarterman for Lowndes Area Knowledge Exchange (LAKE),
Valdosta, Lowndes County, Georgia, 14 May 2013.
-jsq
Videos: Why do we need to pave those roads? @ LCC 2013-05-13
Half a million dollars for paving without any competitive bid:
it’s the county way!
Only one of three potential board appointees showed up.
Commissioners asked a surprising number of questions,
including about a water system trust indenture,
but not enough.
They vote this evening at 5:30 PM.
Here’s the agenda with links to the videos and a few notes.
LOWNDES COUNTY BOARD OF COMMISSIONERSContinue reading
PROPOSED AGENDA
WORK SESSION, MONDAY, MAY 13, 2013, 8:30 a.m.
REGULAR SESSION, TUESDAY, MAY 14, 2013, 5:30 p.m.
327 N. Ashley Street – 2nd Floor
Paving questioned @ LCC 2013-05-13
Commissioners asked a few questions about the half a million
for paving with no apparent competition at yesterday morning’s
Lowndes County Commission Work Session.
Maybe you have more questions; you could ask them tonight at the Regular Session.
You’ll have to catch them before the session starts, because you don’t get to speak
in the session until after they vote.
8. Bid – Soil cement, bituminous prime (with sand), and paving for Bayhill Drive, Pinewood Drive, Grand Pine Drive, Glenn Hill Drive, Bay Wood Drive, Bemiss Knights Academy Road North, a portion of Old Bemiss Road, Payton Place, and Dodd Road
Purchasing Director Kari L. Sands said staff recommendation is to award
the bid to Scruggs Company for $495,845.
No other bids were mentioned.
County Engineer Mike Fletcher said the money was already received from the
LMIG program.
LMIG is Continue reading
Why a water system trust indenture? @ LCC 2013-05-13
Commissioners had questions when
Utilities Director Mike Allen said a trust indenture was required by the state
for any new water system, so if anything fails the trustee
can step in and operate it, in this case for
Merciful Community Center Trust.
This was at yesterday morning’s
Lowndes County Commission Work Session.
Commissioner John Page wanted to know if a site plan had been seen.
A: Nope.
Page also wanted to know if the indenture
was for running a pipeline to the site.
A: Nope: it’s for a well.
Commissioner Richard Raines wanted to know whether the indenture
was necessary because of the size of the well.
A: Because it’s for a business, not a private residence.
Here’s the video: Continue reading