Tag Archives: Gretchen Quarterman

Packet: 4 Presentations, 4 Appointments, 2 Rezonings, 1 Dec. Lighting, 16 For Consideration, 1 Pump Station Upgrade @ LCC 2025-12-08

Update 2025-12-08: Videos: 4 Presentations, 4 Appointments, 2 Rezonings, 1 Dec. Lighting, 16 For Consideration, 1 Pump Station Upgrade @ LCC Work 2025-12-08.

Many people have asked when this would happen. 8.h. Design-Build Contract for Lowndes County Animal Shelter is to award a contract to Kellerman Construction, Inc.

“The breakdown for the contract is $450,000.00 for sitework, $4,050,000.00 for construction, $200,000.00 for contingency, and $300,000.00 for Architectural & Engineering. If approved, the design process will begin immediately and the Design-Builder will submit a final proposal for construction to Lowndes County for approval in April 2026.”

That firm was selected out of seven proposals by a scoring process.

[Collage, LCC Packet 2025-12-08]
Collage, LCC Packet 2025-12-08

For 9.a. LAS Pump Station Upgrade they’re upgrading from 3 to 4 pumps at the Land Application Site (LAS), plus adding a backup generator.

Last month the Lowndes County Commission tabled appointments to two boards, Library and Planning Commission. This month they will appoint to those and also to the Board of Tax Assessors.

They also postponed a rezoning on Copeland Road. This month it’s back, plus one on Shiloh Road.

For 6.a. Greater Lowndes Planning Commission, the term of Tommy Willis expired. He and John McCall want to be appointed.

For 6.b. Lowndes County Board of Assessors, the term of Felicia Williams expired. She and Gretchen Quarterman want to be appointed.

For 6.c. Lowndes County Library Board, Catherine Ammons resigned after she resigned as Valdosta Assistant City Manager. Kendal Crawford, Dean Poling, and Gary Wisenbaker want to be appointed.

Last month they postponed 7.b. REZ-2025-16 Copeland Road Subdivision, 2480 Copeland Rd, ~18ac, County Utilities, R-10/c to R-10 because of an error in the advertisement, so it’s on the agenda for December.

Plus 7.c. REZ-2025-17 Shiloh Road, ~8.2 ac 6641 Shiloh Road, E-A to R-A, Well & Septic, which the Planning Commission heard at its most recent meeting.

This week the Commissioners will consider about $15.5 million in the items on the agenda. Some of that is paid via state or federal grants. The biggest item (MAP) is split over five years. The next most expensive item, the Animal Shelter, comes from SPLOST. Then the LAS upgrades come from federal ARPA money. But the insurance payments appear to come out of the general fund, i.e., property taxes. The power line relocation comes from TSPLOST, i.e., another penny sales tax. Continue reading →

Videos: Valdosta Mobile home CUP, AGL tank farm, DR-10 to R-P, and a county E-A to R-A @ GLPC Regular 2025-11-24

Update 2025-12-27: Packet: 3 rezonings, dogs and cats ordinance, 7 water items, etc. @ VCC 2025-12-11

Update 2025-12-06: Packet: 4 Presentations, 4 Appointments, 2 Rezonings, 1 Dec. Lighting, 16 For Consideration, 1 Pump Station Upgrade @ LCC 2025-12-08.

The Greater Lowndes Planning Commission (GLPC) voted to recommend approval of all three city cases and the one Lowndes County case, all but one unanimously.

On 3. CU-2025-09 Mary Pierce 809 ½ Nardo Street – CUP for mobile home, the vote was split 5-1-1. Commissioner Graham abstained. Commissioner Hightower voted no, saying he was concerned about setting a precedent.

On 4. VA-2025-13 Atlanta Gas Light (AGL) NW Corner Inner Perimeter – GA 84 E, Gretchen Quarterman said she wasn’t necessarily opposed to the gaslighters’ project, but she is very concerned about the safety of trucking in explosive liquid natural gas right past Valdosta High School and into the busy intersection at US 84 and Inner Perimeter.

The actual decisions will be made by the Valdosta City Council and the Lowndes County Commission.

[Collage @ GLPC Regular 24 November 2025]
Collage @ GLPC Regular 24 November 2025

Below are links to each LAKE video of each agenda item, with a few comments by Gretchen Quarterman, followed by a LAKE video playlist.

See also the Continue reading →

Videos: Appointments to 2 boards, 2 law grants, 2 lift station items, 1 Comp. Plan contract @ LCC Regular 2025-07-22

Two citizens spoke at the Lowndes County Commission Regular Session. Gretchen Quarterman about water wells, including private wells getting contaminated since Hurricane Helene, or running dry, and expenses of testing and well drilling. Commissioners actually discussed afterwards that you can take a water sample and get Public Health to test it.

Keyara Hamilton spoke about Goodwill.

[Collage @ LCC 22 July 2025]
Collage @ LCC 22 July 2025

The Lowndes County Commissioners appointed Scottie Orenstein, Joe Brownlee, and Rob Green to the Lowndes County Development Authority, which apparently never meets. Then they also reappointed Jerome Tucker and Barry Green.

They reappointed Michael Walker and J.D. Rice to the Lowndes County Public Facilities Authority. Then they also appointed Lowndes County Commissioner Mike Smith to succeed Clay Griner, and Andy Griffin to succeed Crawford Powell. They also clarified the when each term will end.

Chairman Bill Slaughter recommended that Commissioners should get a list of boards and their meeting dates and times so they can attend an learn things. This is good advice for citizens in general.

The Commissioners approved everything else unanimously.

County Manager Paige Dukes’s Reports lasted almost ten minutes, including Fire Department people speaking.

Below are Continue reading →

Two rezonings and a beer and wine license @ LCC Packet 2025-07-07

See also 2025-07-07: Videos: Two rezonings and a beer and wine license @ LCC Work 2025-07-07.

The split-vote rezoning for “a large warehouse-type campus” has arrived from the Planning Commission: REZ-2025-11 Langdale Capital Assets, Coleman Road, ~719 ac, C-C, R-1, & CON, to M-1 & CON, County Utilities.

The Lowndes County Commission will also consider a rezoning for an RV park north of Hahira, REZ-2025-10 Cain Property, 6261 US HWY 41 N, ~21ac, R-21 to PD-R, Well & Septic.

And Beer & Wine License – Mustapha Ndure of Wawa Southeast, LLC DBA WAWA Store #6308 located at 4598 North Valdosta Rd., Valdosta, GA.

[Collage @ LCC Packet 2025-07-07]
Collage @ LCC Packet 2025-07-07

The seven conditions that the Planning Commission recommended by a 4:3 vote for the warehouse rezoning are: Continue reading →

Videos: Two Lowndes County rezonings @ GLPC 2025-06-30

The first rezoning sailed through the Planning Commission Monday evening. They unanimously recommended approval for 3. REZ-2025-10 Cain Property, 6261 U S Highway 41 R-21 to PD-R.

[Collage @ GLPC 30 June 2025]
Collage @ GLPC 30 June 2025

Speaking for the second rezoning, 4. REZ-2025-11 Langdale Capital Assets, Coleman Rd C-C R-1 CON to M-1 CON, Pope Langdale said that because of the railroad, which also often has a train parked on it, something would have to change to enable developing the part east of the railroad.

[Pope Langdale spoke for REZ-2025-11]
Pope Langdale spoke for REZ-2025-11

What could change is they could get access from US 41 through Continue reading →

Videos: Rascal’s, VLPRA & DFCS appointments, two rezonings, Hazard Mitigation, $1 million Custom Pumper, $4.7 million Fire Rescue @ LCC Regular 2025-06-10

Update 2025-06-11: Half a million or zero dollars for the bar Lowndes County bought with no agenda item? 2024-07-09.

In Citizens Wishing to be Heard, Gretchen Quarterman spoke about Transparency and the purchase of Rascals, wondering why Lowndes County Commission approval of that purchase was not a lot more visible, instead of being recorded only in Minutes as a vote that took place after an Executive Session and everybody else had left. See below for more detail.

Kelly Saxon spoke about affordable housing, including asking for a town hall and a telephone contact.

The Lowndes County Commissioners at their Regular Session last night added an item, Chairman – Add agenda item to repair Hahira Health Dept (8b). That’s more than they did for the Rascal’s purchase back in July 2024. More on that in a later post.

[Collage @ LCC 10 June 2025]
Collage @ LCC 10 June 2025

Last night, they unanimously approved all the agenda items, including reappointing the incumbents to the two boards.

Nobody spoke against either of the two rezonings.

For 7.b. Purchase of one (1) Sutphen Heavy Duty Custom Pumper, they mentioned that prices had doubled, and locking in a price now would avoid further price increases.

In her Reports, County Manager Paige Dukes recognized Kellerman Construction and Jimmy Cone for their work on 8.a. Bid – A New Facility for Lowndes County Fire Rescue No. 4.

Earlier, Chairman Bill Slaughter called for Leadership Lowndes to be recognized, but, maybe for the first time ever, there were none present.

Commissioner Demarcus Marshall was absent from this meeting.

Here are LAKE videos of each Work Session agenda item, with a few notes by Gretchen Quarterman, followed by a LAKE video playlist.

See also the Continue reading →

Videos: Tax Assessor and Land Bank appointments, Assessment rate, VAWA, alcohol @ LCC Regular 2024-01-28

Update 2025-02-11: Lowndes County Considers Opting Out of House Bill 581 @ LCC Public Hearing 2025-02-10.

Commissioner Joyce Evans will rotate back into the Vice Chair position. On January 28, 2025, the Lowndes County Commission also reappointed to the Valdosta-Lowndes County Land Bank Authority.

[Collage @ LCC 28 January 2025]
Collage @ LCC 28 January 2025

In a break with tradition, the incumbent was not reappointed as a Tax Assessor. Gretchen Quarterman, the incumbent (although technically not, since the County Commission did not do reappointments before her term expired at the end of 2024) got a nomination and two votes. James Michael (Mike) Tanner also got a nommination and two votes. Commissioner Scottie Orenstein was not present for that item, since he came in late. That left Chairman Bill Slaughter to break the tie, and he voted for Tanner.

The previous morning, Commissioner Demarcus Marshall said he wanted to ask questions of the applicants for 6.a. Appointment to the Board of Tax Assessors. Chairman Bill Slaughter said they weren’t doing that in the Work Session because both applications were not there, but they can do it in the Regular Session Tuesday.

Mike Tanner did not attend the Regular Session. Gretchen Quarterman was there as usual, videoing the meeting.

The voted on the added agenda item, 8.d. Publish the intent to opt out of HB 581, to do that. That item and all the others were approved unanimously, except as noted above.

Below are links to each LAKE video of each agenda item, with a few comments by Gretchen Quarterman, followed by a LAKE video playlist.

See also Continue reading →

Packet: Tax Assessor and Land Bank appointments, Assessment rate, VAWA, alcohol @ LCC 2025-01-27

Update 2025-02-10: Videos: Tax Assessor and Land Bank appointments, Assessment rate, VAWA, alcohol @ LCC Regular 2025-01-28.

Finally received on February 6, 2025, the board packet materials are on the LAKE website for the January 27 and 28, 2025, Lowndes County Commission meetings.

[Packet: Collage @ LCC 2025-01-27]
Packet: Collage @ LCC 2025-01-27

See also the agenda and the LAKE videos of the Work Session; Regular Session up soon.

Lowndes County included this note with the board materials:

The January 27-28, 2025 meeting packet is attached. We did not receive the email on January 25th. Thank you for resending it.

As I mentioned in response: Continue reading →

Videos: Tax Assessor and Land Bank appointments, Assessment rate, VAWA, alcohol @ LCC Work

Update 2025-02-10: Videos: Tax Assessor and Land Bank appointments, Assessment rate, VAWA, alcohol @ LCC Regular 2025-01-28.

Update 2025-01-28: Added back the inadvertently omitted video of the 8.c. Approval of the Solicitor General’s FY2025 VAWA Grant Application.

At this morning’s Lowndes County Commission Work Session, Commissioner Demarcus Marshall said he wants to ask questions of the applications for 6.a. Appointment to the Board of Tax Assessors. Chairman Bill Slaughter said they weren’t doing that in the Work Session because both applications were not there, but they can do it in the Regular Session Tuesday evening.

[Collage @ LCC 27 January 2025]
Collage @ LCC 27 January 2025

The Chairman asked to add an agenda item: Consideration for discussion of opting out of new homestead exemption law. Deadline to decide and paperwork to Department of Revenue is March 1, 2025. He noted he voted for this law, but he isn’t sure he completely understood it. For the county consider opting out, they first need to announce that possibility and ask the public for input. They discussed this for almost eight minutes.

Below are links to each LAKE video of each agenda item, with a few comments by Gretchen Quarterman, followed by a LAKE video playlist.

See also the agenda. Continue reading →

Agenda: Tax Assessor and Land Bank appointments, Assessment rate, VAWA, alcohol @ LCC 2025-01-27

Update 2025-01-27: Videos: Tax Assessor and Land Bank appointments, Assessment rate, VAWA, alcohol @ LCC Work 2025-01-27.

For discussion Monday morning and for voting Tuesday evening, the Lowndes County Commission will consider appointments to two boards: Tax Assessors (reappoint Gretchen Quarterman or appoint James Michael Tanner) and Land Bank Authority (reappoint Commissioner Joyce Evans).

[Tax Assessor appointment, Land Bank Appointment, Special assessment rate, VAWA, alcohol @ LCC 2025-01-27]
Tax Assessor appointment, Land Bank Appointment, Special assessment rate, VAWA, alcohol @ LCC 2025-01-27

They will also hear a change-of-ownership beer, wine, and liquor license application, set the special assessment rate to 9.5%, and probably approve purchasing cards for Tax Commission Clay Guess and Probate Judge H. Burke Sherwood.

Plus they will consider $26,371.00 in cash match while the Solicitor-General’s Office applies for $79,112.00 in federal funding related to the Violence Against Women Act (VAWA).

Here is the agenda.

LOWNDES COUNTY BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS
PROPOSED AGENDA
WORK SESSION, MONDAY, JANUARY 27, 2025, 8:30 a.m.
REGULAR SESSION, TUESDAY, JANUARY 28, 2025, 5:30 p.m.
327 N. Ashley Street – 2nd Floor

Continue reading →