Tag Archives: Gretchen Quarterman

County bus system reapproved @ LCC 2013-06-25



Didn’t know the county had a bus system?

It does
; you can call

316-2153
and they’ll pick you up for a flat fee.
The county’s contract with the state Department of Transportation
and with the contractor

MIDS, Inc.
was reapproved
at

the 25 June Regular Session of the Lowndes County Commission.

7.b. Section 5311 Rural Transportation Operating Contracts

The contract is with GADOT, and
the contractor is MIDS, Inc.
Per Commissioner Joyce Evans’ request of the previous morning,
County Engineer Joe Pritchard said there had been
12,322 trips with six buses over the past 5 months.

The County Engineer referred to

some discussion of the previous morning
,
The Engineer said the federal government put in the first $220,000,
and while the county had to pick up any shortfalls,
there have been no shortfalls over the past twelve years.
This is different from County Manager Joe Pritchard’s
answer of the previous morning that it “has been budgeted”.
At least staff managed to come up with budget detail
after being asked in public by Commissioners.
No questions.
Unanimous approval.

Here’s

Part 1 of 2:

Continue reading

Corbett or George Road renamed to Caney Branch Road @ LCC 2013-06-25


The road previously known as Corbett or George,
part of which may or may not have been closed at some previous data,
was renamed
to Caney Branch Road after a creek that flows into the Alapahoochee River,
at

the 25 June Regular Session of the Lowndes County Commission.

6.1. Public Hearing Renaming George Road (CR #105)


George Road

This time County Engineer Mike Fletcher said the residents

Part to be renamed

wanted to rename George Road to be Caney Branch Road after
Caney Branch, “a small creek that runs through this area, localized”.
because

EMS, 911, and postal services have an issue with locating
the correct houses because there are two George Roads in Lowndes County.

He referred to the
previous morning,
when Commissioner Crawford Powell wanted to know Continue reading

A librarian on the library board! @ LCC 2013-06-25



The political appointee was replaced by a librarian,
and the marketing guy by a marketing guy,
at

the 25 June Regular Session of the Lowndes County Commission.

5.a. Lowndes County Library Board

Back

on June 10th

Library Director Kelly Lenz brought
candidates
Jack Hartley, Linda Most, and Matt Lawrence,
who spoke, and

at the June 24th Work Session


County Manager Joe Pritchard not naming candidates for the library board

Commissioner Joyce Evans submitted the name of Mr. Robert Jefferson,
who did not speak.

This time County Manager Joe Pritchard mumbled behind his monitor
and did not deign to name any of the candidates, referring to “a list”
that Commissioners could see but the public could not.
He did say that the openings were for the board slots previously occupied by
Kay Harris and Ray Devery.


Kay Harris

Previous political appointee Kay Harris

failed to get the new library at Five Points approved

in

last year’s failed SPLOST VII vote

and

resigned as Library Board Chair and from that board 15 March 2013
.
Here are

some related points she never seemed to discuss
.
And while she and the County Commission and the Valdosta City Council
and Mayor pointed fingers about who lost SPLOST, Continue reading

The stars all lined up for the homeless –Deidra White @ LCDP 2013-07-02


The homeless formerly living under the

James Beck Overpass

now have homes and most have jobs,

said Valdosta City Council Deidra White

at last night’s

Lowndes County Democratic Party
Annual 4th of July Barbecue.

White said the encampment under the overpass had been growing
for some time, and people in her district, which contains
the overpass, were increasingly concerned
yet had had little success in dealing with the situation.


Deidra White speaking at Lowndes County Democratic Party July 4th BBQ

So I contacted many people in the community,
homeless advocates, churches, governmental, civil,
nonprofits; anyone that I’ve ever come across who has ever
worked in any capacity helping with the homeless situation.
And in a very,almost seemingly the stars all lined up a couple
of weeks ago.
Many people came together to do something
about the specific eleven homeless persons who were living
under the James Beck Overpass.

A private citizen donated property and said
that they could stay on this property for a temporary time
until we find a permanent solution.
Members of the homeless coalition immediately
began identifying potential employers….

She referred listeners to

the recent newspaper stories

for some details, and then continued:

Continue reading

Rezonings: Lake Park, Valdosta, Lowndes County @ GLPC 2013-06-24

Three rezonings considered yesterday at the Planning Commission,


one each for Lake Park (a church), Valdosta (a business), and
Lowndes County (an individual).
Gretchen was there with the video camera; videos to come.

Here’s

the agenda:

Greater Lowndes Planning Commission

Lowndes County City of Valdosta City of Dasher City of Hahira City of Lake Park

REGULAR MONTHLY MEETING

AGENDA

Lowndes County South Health District Administrative Office

325 West Savannah Avenue

Tuesday, June 24, 2013* 5:30 P.M. * Public Hearing

Continue reading

My input to the budget “hearing” tonight @ LCC 2013-06-25

I recommend people go to

tonight’s budget “hearing”



and see what’s said, and maybe even try to ask some questions.
I’m staying home; here’s why.

Since



Ashley Paulk is apparently still running the County Commission
,
I’m going by

Ashley Paulk’s stated theory

that citizens provide input to the budget process at every meeting.
I already provided mine
14 May 2013: Continue reading

Budget Telling Tonight @ LCC 2013-06-25

Tonight you can go be told what the county’s budget will be,


5PM at the county palace.
If you want to see the proposed budget,
you’ll have to go their beforehand and view the one paper
copy they are

required by law to show you
.
They say they’re short of money,
so why are they

wasting taxpayer funds suing a legitimate business
?

On the county’s online calendar:

Budget Public Hearing (6/18/2013)



PUBLIC NOTICE

The Lowndes County Board of Commissioners will hold a public hearing for the purpose of considering

the Fiscal Year 2014 proposed budget on the following dates:

June 18, 2013 at 5:30 p.m.

June 25, 2013 at 5:00 p.m.

Location:

Lowndes County Commission Chambers

327 N. Ashley St.

Valdosta, GA

A copy of the proposed budget is available for public review in the office of the County Clerk.

For questions please call 671-2400.

Kay Harris wrote for the VDT 19 June 2013,

Lowndes County facing budget woes
,

Continue reading

Videos: 2 appointments, 3 public hearings, 9 considerations, and 2 bids @ LCC 2013-06-24



Audio feed was still not available so what you hear, is what I hear at the back of the room… -gretchen

Here’s

the agenda
, with links to the videos and a few notes by Gretchen.

LOWNDES COUNTY BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS

PROPOSED AGENDA

WORK SESSION, MONDAY, JUNE 24, 2013, 8:30 a.m.

REGULAR SESSION, TUESDAY, JUNE 25, 2013, 5:30 p.m.

327 N. Ashley Street – 2nd Floor

Continue reading

To rename George Road, first find it @ LCC 2013-06-24

Commissioners had trouble figuring out which road the County Engineer


wanted to rename, and which roads had already been closed, at

this morning’s Lowndes County Commission Regular Session
.


Commissioner Crawford Powell questioning County Engineer Mike Fletcher


View Larger Map

6.a. Renaming George Road (CR #105)

There are two George Roads in the county and residents
want to change the name of this one to Caney(?) Branch Road.
There were some questions from Commissioners, mostly about where that road is.
Commissioner Crawford Powell kept asking if it was a continuation
of Corbett Road.
County Engineer Mike Fletcher said no, and the part of Corbett
Road Powell was thinking of was closed.
Apparently the Commission has closed so many roads even the
Commissioners can’t keep track of which they are.

If the Commissioners, with their packets in front of them, were confused, Continue reading

Ashley Paulk to be reappointed to Parks and Rec. Any questions? @ LCC 2013-06-24

I guess some things are just not to be questioned,
at least at

this morning’s Lowndes County Commission Regular Session
.
However, although Commissioners did not, I do have a question.


5.b. Lowndes County Parks and Recreation Authority

County Chairman Slaughter:

“Lowndes County Parks and Recreation Authority Appointment.”

County Manager Pritchard:

“The term currently held by Ashley Paulk will expire June 30th.
Mr. Paulk has expressed an interest in being reappointed if the
board so chooses.”


Any questions? --Bill Slaughter @ LCC 2013-06-24

County Chairman Slaughter:

“Any questions?

OK, hearing none, let’s move on to agenda item number 6.”

I have a question.
Why isn’t it Continue reading