Tag Archives: JD Dillard

Videos: Race Track Road SE abandonment and TXT-2024-01 ULDC Amendments @ LCC Regular 2024-04-09

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“We’re down to one!” said Commissioner Scotti Orenstein, seeing Commissioners Joyce Evans and Demarcus Marshall coming out of the elevator before the April 9, 2024, Lowndes County Commission Regular Session.

“Due to an issue with some advertising, staff is requesting this item be tabled until until the May 14, 2024, meeting,” said Engineering Director Chad McLeod, in 5. Public Hearing a. Abandonment of a Portion of Race Track Road SE.

[Collage @ LCC 9 April 2024]
Collage @ LCC 9 April 2024

They meet again this morning at 8:30 AM for their Work Session, and Tuesday at 5:30 PM for their voting Regular Session.

Their Regular Session two weeks ago would have been very brief, except for Continue reading →

Videos: Race Track Road SE abandonment and TXT-2024-01 ULDC Amendments @ LCC Work 2024-04-08

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The Lowndes County Commissioners had no questions about the two items in their Work Session Monday morning.

In the meeting, the only thing unusual was the County Manager gave her report, because she was going to be absent the next day.

[LAKE Videos: Racetrack Road SE Abandonment and ULDC Text Amendments @ LCC Work 2024-04-08]
LAKE Videos: Racetrack Road SE Abandonment and ULDC Text Amendments @ LCC Work 2024-04-08

The interesting parts were outside the meeting:

  • Before the meeting, I asked Information Technology Services (ITS) Director Aaron Kostyu if the sound box in the video pen at the back of the room would be fixed soon. He said that was a $1700 item, but they were working on it. I asked loudly enough that all of the Commissioners could hear me, including when I noted that it’s hard to hear Commissioners on our videos without the direct audio feed. He said some of them probably would still be inaudible.
  • I went up to where Commissioner Joyce Evans was sitting and indicated that if Commissioners push their microphones away, they’re hard to hear. She said I was pointing at Commissioner Scottie Orenstein’s microphone. We shall see.
  • I had a video camera fail, so I took these videos with my phone, starting after they did, so the call to order and approval of minutes agenda items are not in these videos. Also, my phone does not stop and start videos quickly, so there may be a second or two missing between clips.
  • After the meeting was adjourned, Commissioner Mark Wisenbaker said he was disappointed to get dressed to come there for such a brief meeting. I feel his pain. It’s an hour round trip for me, this time for a five minute meeting.

Below are links to each LAKE video of each agenda item, followed by a LAKE video playlist.

See also the agenda and the board packet. Continue reading →

Packet: Race Track Road SE abandonment and TXT-2024-01 ULDC Amendments @ LCC 2024-04-08

Update 2024-04-10: Videos: Racetrack Road SE Abandonment and ULDC Text Amendments @ LCC Work 2024-04-08.

This is the briefest Lowndes County Commission agenda I’ve seen in a while, with only two items: Abandonment of a Portion of Race Track Road SE (for Southern Gateway LLC) and TXT-2024-01 ULDC Amendments, both Public Hearings.

[Race Track Road SE abandonment and TXT-2024-01 ULDC Amendments @ LCC 2024-04-08]
Race Track Road SE abandonment and TXT-2024-01 ULDC Amendments @ LCC 2024-04-08

This is the last Public Hearing for the ULDC Amendments, after the one last month at the Planning Commission. So if you have any input, better show up Tuesday, or contact Commissioners or Planning/Zoning department head JD Dillard beforehand, preferably in writing.

The bit that may affect the most people is 10.00.07 Board of Commissioner Public Hearing Procedures. Continue reading →

ULDC Text Amendment Status @ LCC 2024-03-26 2024-02-26

Update 2024-03-23: Packet: ULDC text amendments, Hahira Personal Service Shops, Valdosta PSS and rezonings @ GLPC 2024-03-25.

Here is the ULDC Text Amendment handout from the Lowndes County Commission Work Session of February 26, 2024, received in response to a LAKE open records request.

[ULDC Text Amendments Status, Public Hearings @ LCC 2024-02-26]
ULDC Text Amendments Status, Public Hearings @ LCC 2024-02-26

Continue reading →

Why the traffic light: The Towns at 4443 (Bemiss Road @ Studstill Road) letter of intent and Conceptual Plan @ GLPC 2022-09-26

Here is why the traffic light at Studstill Road on Bemiss Road:

Major road improvement plans are proposed for construction at the intersection of Bemiss Road and Studstill Road, which directly impact the subject property. The road improvements to Bemiss Road include the addition of a signal light at the intersection as well as sidewalks which are tied into the development of the subject property.

[The Towns at 4443 (Bemiss Road @ Studstill Road): letter of intent and Conceptual Plan @ GLPC 2022-09-26]
The Towns at 4443 (Bemiss Road @ Studstill Road): letter of intent and Conceptual Plan @ GLPC 2022-09-26

That is in the board packet for the September 26, 2022, meeting of the Greater Lowndes Planning Commission (GLPC). It’s on the second page of the letter of intent by Advanced Engineering Services, LLC, on behalf of Stoker Utilities, for rezoning REZ-2022-16, for a subdivision with frontage on Bemiss Road at Studstill Road, as well as frontage on Mulligan Road. The site plan also includes a Pizza Hut.

As you can see in the LAKE videos, GLPC unanimously recommended approval.

At the Lowndes County Commission Regular Session of October 11, 2022, after 25 minutes of discussion (very long for them), the Commissioners required a fence between the subject property and the adjoining church, and unanimously approved the rezoning, as shown in the LAKE videos. Also, a speaker in favor of the subdivision said the traffic light is being paid for by the developer (so not by the county).

So the traffic light installation is part of the implementation of this rezoning.

-jsq

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!

Continue reading →

Videos: ULDC contractor extension, hospital revenue certificate reissuance, LAS generator, Juvenile Justice grant, Val Del Estates infrastructure @ LCC Regular 2023-10-24

EMA Director Ashley Tye reported that all the disaster recovery centers were closing after Hurricane Idalia, with Cook County still open for a bit. This was six weeks ago, at a Lowndes County Commission Regular Session.

[Collage @ LCC 24 October 2023]
Collage @ LCC 24 October 2023

That took six minutes of the seventeen-minute meeting. County Manager Paige Dukes took another three minutes for her report.

The Commissioners breezed through the other agenda items and unanimously approved them all.

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

And now the videos: Continue reading →

Videos: ULDC contractor extension, hospital revenue certificate reissuance, LAS generator, Juvenile Justice grant, Val Del Estates infrastructure @ LCC Work 2023-10-23

Update 2023-12-07: Videos: ULDC contractor extension, hospital revenue certificate reissuance, LAS generator, Juvenile Justice grant, Val Del Estates infrastructure @ LCC Regular 2023-10-24.

The Lowndes County Commission took six minutes to breeze through this Work Session agenda.

[Collage @ LCC 23 October 2023]
Collage @ LCC 23 October 2023

Below are links to each LAKE video of each agenda item, with a few notes by Gretchen Quarterman, followed by a LAKE video playlist. Well, she made no notes this time, because no Commissioners asked any questions, and the whole thing only took six minutes. The only slightly new information is that J.D. Dillard said the ULDC Updates were still within budget even with the requested extension.

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

Videos: 2 Lowndes County Cases, 4 Valdosta City Cases @ GLPC

All the items got unanimous recommendations of approval from the Greater Lowndes Planning Commission, except 5. CU-2023-03 2525 N Ashley Street CUP for an Event Center in C-H zoning got a recommendation of approval with no conditions by a 6:2 vote. This was at the Monday, September 25, 2023, meeting.

[Collage @ LCC 25 September 2023]
Collage @ LCC 25 September 2023

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

Also below is what happened in each case according to the Minutes.

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

ULDC contractor extension, hospital revenue certificate reissuance, LAS generator, Juvenile Justice grant, Val Del Estates infrastructure @ LCC Packet 2023-10-23

Update 2023-12-07: Videos: ULDC contractor extension, hospital revenue certificate reissuance, LAS generator, Juvenile Justice grant, Val Del Estates infrastructure @ LCC Work 2023-10-23.

The ULDC updates are taking so long they’re extending their contractor agreement, in the Lowndes County Commission meeting Monday 8:30 AM and voting Tuesday 5:30 PM.

[Collage @ LCC Packet 2023-10-23]
Collage @ LCC Packet 2023-10-23

The Hospital Authority of Valdosta and Lowndes County, Georgia, wants its revenue certificates reissued in the name of South Georgia Medical Center, Inc. They already had a public hearing that you didn’t hear about.

Lowndes Utilities got a deal on a generator for the Land Application Site (LAS).

And yet another acceptance of subdivision infrastructure claiming no budget impact, this time for 22 house lots in Val Del Estates Phase 4.

Cost What
$48,068.00Land Application System (LAS) Generator
$15,000.00Extension of Agreement for ULDC Updates with Goodwyn Mills Cawood
$-50,000.00Acceptance of FY2024 Juvenile Justice Delinquency Prevention Grant
$13,068.00Total

It’s a one-page agenda with no rezonings, so it probably won’t take long.

The board packet, received in response to a LAKE open records request, is on the LAKE website.

LOWNDES COUNTY BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS
PROPOSED AGENDA
WORK SESSION, MONDAY, OCTOBER 23, 2023, 8:30 a.m.
REGULAR SESSION, TUESDAY, OCTOBER 24, 2023, 5:30 p.m.
327 N. Ashley Street – 2nd Floor

Continue reading →

Videos: Hurricane assistance, Golf carts, mental health, wetland credits, regional transit, Lift Station and Fire Station Access Roads, 2 TIA Road Bids @ LCC Regular 2023-09-26

Andrew Toussaint gave a report about the Small Business Administration and EMA Director Ashley Tye gave reports on hurricane assistance and local disaster group COAD, in this Lowndes County Commission Regular Session of September 26, 2023. Because of those reports and a second recognition of Leadership Lowndes (they showed up late), the meeting took 49 minutes.

[Collage @ LCC 26 September 2023]
Collage @ LCC 26 September 2023

Like the previous morning, Commissioners were unusually chatty.

Commissioner Scottie Orenstein had some questions and comments about 5.a. Quiet Pines Golf Course Ezgo Golf Cart Lease Agreement. and 5.b. Mental Health Model Resolution for ACCG. Commissioners Clay Griner, Demarcus Marshall, County Manager Paige Dukes, and Chairman Bill Slaughter discussed which statehouse bills the mental health resolution mentions, and that it does not support any particular current bill, specifically not HB 520. They passed the resolution unanimously. Continue reading →