Tag Archives: Internet access speed

Videos: Dollar General rezoning tabled, Troupville Nature Park land purchased @ LCC 2022-12-13

Update 2023-01-10: Public Notice: Rezoning REZ-2022-20, GA 122 @ Skipper Bridge Road for a Dollar General 2023-01-08.

Update 2022-12-22: Videos: Lowndes County buys land from Helen Tapp for Troupville Nature Park and River Camp 2022-12-13.

The Lowndes County Commission tabled the rezoning for a Dollar General on GA 122 at Skipper Bridge Road until January 24, 2023, because they were a day short on required notice.

A dozen or more people in opposition were visible.

Turns out the county did send the correspondence about that before I asked for it in this meeting, and within the statutory three days for answering a Georgia open records request. All the letters returned were in opposition.

[Collage @ LCC 13 December 2022]
Collage @ LCC 13 December 2022

They made the historic purchase for Troupville Nature Camp and River Park, of Land Between the Rivers at the Little River Confluence with the Withlacoochee River. And Chairman Bill Slaughter called seller Helen Tapp up to say a few words.

Apparently they are also modest, since some of them did not seem to like compliments about that purchase.

They reappointed Franklin Bailey to the Greater Lowndes Planning Commission (GLPC).

Everything else passed unanimously.

In Citizens Wishing to be Heard, Kelly Saxon asked for assistance for the homeless, John S. Quarterman complimented the Commission on purchasing the Troupville land, and Blake Robinson said there may not be many young people who come to these meetings, but they do appreciate the local government work the Commissioners are doing.

Below are links to each LAKE video of each agenda item, with a few notes by Gretchen Quarterman, followed by a LAKE video playlist. See also the Continue reading

Videos: Dollar General rezoning legally must be tabled, Troupville land purchase is for a park @ LCC 2022-12-12

Update 2022-12-18: Correspondence: Proposed Rezoning on GA 122 at Skipper Bridge Road 2022-12-12.

County Manager Paige Dukes said they are legally required to table the rezoning for a Dollar General, because they were a day late on getting notices out, although she twice blamed that on the Valdosta Daily Times.

[Collage @ LCC 12 December 2022]
Collage @ LCC 12 December 2022

County Chairman Bill Slaughter said the applicant had requested tabling, and he recommended the second meeting in January (January 24, 2023). Commissioner Demarcus Marshall wanted to know why. The Chairman said, “It works out for two of the parties involved, the county and the developer.” (Nevermind the people.) Commissioner Scottie Orenstein said “I’m not in favor of tabling something only to give the developer more time… If he has true intentions on meeting with the community and having a meeting with them, a town hall, something a little more official, then I’m OK with that. But not to just give them more time.” The Chairman disagreed, “Well, I don’t think time is going to resolve anything in this particular situation.” Plus regarding the applicant, “We’re here to give them the courtesy if they make a request through that application process.”

Commissioner Mark Wisenbaker wanted clarified that the main issue was the date issue. Alleged County Attorney G. Walter Elliott reminded them they have to vote to table (the Chairman cannot just unilaterally table).

Commissioner Demarcus Marshall wanted to know if the Planning Commission knew about the timing issue. Continue reading

Videos: Strengthening Families, Fire Prevention, Broadband, Public Safety, Courthouse, Delinquency @ LCC 2022-11-07

They had a fire alarm in the middle of the Broadband Presentation, before the Fire Prevention Activities Presentation, at the Lowndes County Commission Work Session of November 7, 2022.

[Collage @ LCC 7 November 2022]
Collage @ LCC 7 November 2022

Other long items included 9.a. Emergency Repairs to Public Safety Radio System due to Lightning Damage.

The whole meeting took half an hour.

Below are links to each LAKE video of each agenda item or fire alarm, with a few notes, followed by a LAKE video playlist. See also the agenda and board packet. And the Video: Windstream Proposed rural Fiber Internet @ LCC Rural Internet 2022-11-07. Continue reading

Video: Windstream Proposed rural Fiber Internet @ LCC Rural Internet 2022-11-07

It’s good Lowndes County is finally doing something about Internet access.

[Windstream presenter, map, Lowndes County officials]
Windstream presenter, map, Lowndes County officials

It took a pandemic to impress upon the county that fast Internet access for everyone really is necessary, and Windstream volunteering, plus state funding, but something is apparently finally happening. Lowndes County Chairman Bill Slaughter thanked state Senator Russ Goodman for helping.

Slaughter also made it clear that Windstream would be making all the decisions about deployment. Slaughter emphasized that the county would be working closely with windstream, but apparently the county’s role is mostly telling people about it.

Slaughter said information about this program would be available on the county’s website, but I can’t find anything on lowndescounty.com.

Here’s a LAKE video playlist:

Continue reading

Packet: Dollar General may be tabled @ LCC 2022-12-12

Update 2022-12-12: Videos: Dollar General rezoning legally must be tabled, Troupville land purchase is for a park @ LCC 2022-12-12.

Update 2022-12-12: Lowndes County to purchase land for Troupville Nature Park and River Camp @ LCC 2022-12-13.

Update 2022-12-10: Fixed my number dyslexia in the dates.

Lowndes County Chairman Bill Slaughter tells me the applicant for the Dollar General at GA 122 & Skipper Bridge Road (REZ-2022-20 Teramore Development) has requested tabling until a later meeting. Bill says he intends to table it until the second January 2023 meeting. So that’s January 25 24, 2023. He asked me to tell people that.

If I were you, I would show up this Tuesday, December 12 13th, anyway, so they see you are watching. Also, the agenda has not yet changed, and the item has not yet been tabled.

[Second meeting in January 2023]
Second meeting in January 2023

In any case, keep them letters, telephone calls, and petition signatures going in. Ask them to hold the public hearing and then just vote to deny it instead of tabling it.

For anyone tuning in late, here’s why: https://wwals.net/?p=60348

The board packet, received in response to a LAKE open records request, is on the LAKE website. The county did not send letters from citizens to Commissioners or staff about the Dollar General rezoning, even though those were specifically part of the request.

See also the agenda.

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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!

Agenda: Sprawl on Skipper Bridge Road and Purchase of Land Between the Rivers @ LCC 2022-12-12

Update 2022-12-09: Packet: Dollar General may be tabled @ LCC 2022-12-12.

Most of the budget dollar items on the Lowndes County Commission agenda are recurring, but the Purchase of Between the Rivers, L.L.C. Property for incorporation into the proposed Troupville Nature Park is one-time.

The most contentious item, REZ-2022-20 Teramore Development, LLC, ~3 acres at Hwy 122 & Skipper Bridge (Part of 0067 051), E-A to C-C, Well and Septic, for a Dollar General store in an agricultural and forestry Character Area, has no dollar value attached in the agenda, even though the potential costs to the county are large.

[Dollar General sprawl and Land Between the Rivers park]
Dollar General sprawl and Land Between the Rivers park

Cost What
$356,405.55Storage Area Network Replacement
$181,424.00 2023 ACCG Workers’ Compensation Insurance Renewal
$121,500.00Purchase of Between the Rivers, L.L.C. Property
$36,266.00Approval of Solicitor General’s VAWA Continuation Grant Application for 2023
$22,894.96MyGov Intergovernmental Agreement
$718,490.51Total

Here is the agenda.

LOWNDES COUNTY BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS
PROPOSED AGENDA
WORK SESSION, MONDAY, DECEMBER 12, 2022, 8:30 a.m.
REGULAR SESSION, TUESDAY, DECEMBER 13, 2022, 5:30 p.m.
327 N. Ashley Street – 2nd Floor

Continue reading

Greenlight Enhanced Decorative Lighting, Fire, Broadband, Courthouse, other Bids @ LCC Packet 2022-11-07

Two presentations the Lowndes County Commission will hear tomorrow morning: on Broadband and Fire Prevention. That’s at the Work Session. Tomorrow evening there will be a Proclamation on Operation Greenlight, whatever that is.

[Collage @ LCC Packet 2022-11-07]
Collage @ LCC Packet 2022-11-07

Most of the board packet consists of details on Enhanced and Basic Decorative Lighting Districts and bids for aspects of renovation of the historic Lowndes County Courthouse.

There are also items on repairing lightning damage to the Public Safety Radio System, a grant acceptance, and a service provider. Continue reading

Unanimously voted down: Miller Bridge Road subdivision @ LCC 2022-02-08

The Commissioners unanimously denied the rezoning for the subdivision on Miller Bridge Road. Applicants spoke a minute over their time, yet did not present the slides they said the previous morning they were going to present; we include scans of those slides here for historical reference, for when the next subdivision like this comes up, next week or next year.

Commissioners unanimously approved the other two rezonings.

They also unanimously approved 6.a. Transportation Investment Act (TIA) Local Project – Coleman Road NW and 6.b. Transportation Investment Act (TIA) Local Project Kinderlou-Clyattville Rd. Road building and improvement projects attract subdivisions. But the opponents to the Miller Bridge Road subdivision had already left after that one item. Chairman Bill Slaughter mentioned that the crowd was gone in 6.c. Internal Network Firewalls.

Below are links to each LAKE video of each agenda item, with a few notes, followed by a LAKE video playlist. See also the LAKE videos of the previous morning’s Work Session, the agenda and board packet and the LAKE videos of the preceding Planning Commission meeting, as well as Secrecy of Lowndes County Commission and Staff.

Here’s a LAKE video playlist:


Unanimously voted down: Miller Bridge Road subdivision @ LCC 2022-02-08
Lowndes County Commission Regular Session, Valdosta, Lowndes County, Georgia.
Videos by Gretchen Quarterman for Lowndes Area Knowledge Exchange (LAKE),

Applicant Slides REZ-2022-03 Miller Bridge Road

How did we get them? The County Manager handed them to LAKE’s Gretchen Quarterman at the previous morning’s Work Session.

Images below (apologies for the accidental cropping of the right side), and the whole thing as PDF.

The developer’s last point in their Justification for Zoning Request does identify a widespread problem:

7. Almost every subdivision built in Lowndes County is adjacent to some form of agriculture or timber production

However, there is no need to make it worse.

Another point in that same slide is plain wrong:

5. There will be minimal impact to County facilities or services, while increasing the taxes of the county approximately $70k per year

The Dorfman Report

sprawl The Local Government Fiscal Impacts of Land Use in Lowndes County: Revenue and Expenditure Streams by Land Use Category, Jeffrey H. Dorfman, Ph.D., Dorfman Consulting, December 2007.

As Dr. Dorfman summarized in a different presentation,

Local governments must ensure balanced growth, as
sprawling residential growth is a certain ticket to fiscal ruin*
* Or at least big tax increases.

It’s interesting that the developers put Groundwater Recharge Area first in their OPPOSITION POINTS ADDRESSED:

  1. Groundwater Recharge Area:
    1. Lowndes County adheres to Local and State standards when in the Groundwater Recharge Area
    2. Notable Developments in Recharge Area in Lowndes County)
      1. Landfill
      2. Kinderlou Forest and Foxborough Subdivisions
      3. Valdosta Regional Airport
      4. Moody Airforce Base
      5. City of Dasher
      6. City of Lake Park and surrounding area
      7. Lake Park Industrial Park

While probably all these points are true (I haven’t checked each location), most of them precede current concerns about groundwater recharge, and there is no need to make the problem worse.

[WINDY HILL SUBDIVISION, Lowndes County Rezoning Application, REZ-2022-03]
WINDY HILL SUBDIVISION, Lowndes County Rezoning Application, REZ-2022-03


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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!

Ten minute Work Session @ LCC 2022-02-07

Update 2022-03-18: Unanimously voted down: Miller Bridge Road subdivision @ LCC 2022-02-08.

The developer of the proposed 5.c. REZ-2022-03 Windy Hill Subdivision, 7532 Miller Bridge Rd. plans to make a presentation this evening at the voting Regular Session, we heard at yesterday morning’s February 7, 2022, Work Session of the Lowndes County Commission.

Below are links to each LAKE video of each agenda item, with a few notes by Gretchen, who was there, followed by a LAKE playlist. See also the agenda and board packet, and that post has links to the previous relevant meetings and materials.

[Chairman and Miller Bridge Road rezoning]
Chairman and Miller Bridge Road rezoning

Continue reading

Board’s Pleasure should be Deny: Miller Bridge Road rezoning @ LCC 2022-02-07

Update 2022-03-08: Ten minute Work Session @ LCC 2022-02-07.

On the agenda for tomorrow morning’s Lowndes County Commission Work Session, county staff included the petition against REZ-2022-03 Windy Hill Subdivision, 7532 Miller Bridge Rd.. County staff note “RECOMMENDED ACTION: Board’s Pleasure or Deny”, unlike the other two options, where the second option is “Approve”. Those who do not want that rezoning to pass would do well to contact their Commissioners before the meetings, and then show up at the meetings, or at least the Tuesday 5:30 PM voting Regular Session.

For REZ-2022-01 Hamilton Green Townhomes, Bemiss Rd., 045D 006A, they cited a parcel that does not exist. The correct parcel number, 0145D 006A, was in the Planning Commission agenda.

[Miller Bridge Road rezoning: Petition, Opposition parcels; Bemiss Road rezoning]
Miller Bridge Road rezoning: Petition, Opposition parcels; Bemiss Road rezoning

As usual, county staff say rezonings do not cost the county anything. Nevermind that subdivisions far from county services will never pay enough in property taxes to fund sending school buses, fire trucks, and Sheriff vehicles, so all the taxpayers subsidize those costs.

Cost What
$72,653.86Internal Network Firewalls
$72,653.86Total

Here is the agenda, and the board packet, on the LAKE website, received in response to a LAKE open records request. See also Continue reading