Tag Archives: Joe Pritchard

Confused bids for pest control @ LCC 2013-08-26

We get to pay some unknown amount chosen from bids we didn’t get to see for pest control with no bond. They vote tonight about what was proposed at the 26 August 2013 Work Session of the Lowndes County Commission.

7. Bid-Pest Control Service

Purchasing Director Kari L. Sands said this was a renewal for rodent and insect control for all county buildings including the fire department, beginning September 1st 2013 with first and second year renewal options. Staff recommendation. is to approve the bid (for unannounced amount) from Baird’s Pest Control and Termite Services (she didn’t mention any other bids).

Commissioner Crawford Powell wanted to know if there was a bonding requirement.

Answer: No.

Powell then wanted to know “do we need a bonding requirement for this?”

Answer from County Manager Joe Pritchard: Continue reading

7.b. Lovell Eng. letter to EPD for Lowndes County @ LCC 2013-07-23

in the 22 July 2013 Work Session Here is the letter discussed (“So at this point, in order to comply with the deadline submitted by EPD, it was necessary to go ahead and work with Lovell on this.”) and approved (“The water is good, right?”) at the 23 July Regular Session of the Lowndes County Commission, obtained through an Open Records Request by April Huntley, plus a transcription. You may wonder, as I do, why the county didn’t just put it online along with the agenda, like so many other county commissions and city councils do. Continue reading

The water is good now, right? –Demarcus Marshall about Alapaha Water Treatment @ LCC 2013-07-23

A County Commissioner wanted the Utilities Director to confirm that the water was already good before the county fixes the treatment plant at Alapaha Plantation, at the 23 July Regular Session of the Lowndes County Commission.

7.b. Letter to Environmental Protection Division concerning Alapaha Water Treatment Plant Upgrade

The water is good now, right? --Demarcus Marshall Regarding the letter written by Lovell Engineering to GA EPD on behalf of the county, discussed in the previous morning’s 22 July 2013 Work Session, Commissioner Demarcus Marshall asked:

I just had a question regarding the timing of the letter. I know it says eight month pilot study. And I just wanted to know for the record, that the water is good now, right? It’s drinkable, and so forth, just for the public to be aware that it’s not some public health risk out there.

Answer from Utilities Director Mike Allen: Continue reading

Nelson Hill waivers by staff @ LCC 2013-08-13

Before tonight’s vote on Moody Housing on Val Del Road, maybe somebody should review these administrative waivers from county staff for Nelson Hill, one for the minimum lot size, and the other for setbacks for the lots along the “lake”. I haven’t yet found who waived the requirement for condominiums, or for their fronts to be staggered, or for them to be at least 1800 square feet, or the traffic calming measures, or how all this fits the submitted site plans, nor for that matter what happened to the gate or guards or the road connecting to Grove Point. Maybe you can find those things in the materials about Nelson Hill received in response to an Open Records Request. If staff can waive all these things without any of them coming up again for a vote before the elected Commission in a public hearing, why do we have the elected Commissioners vote in the first place?

Here’s a waiver for lot setbacks next to the pond by Joe Pritchard “In my official capacity as County Manager”, 22 September 2009, for AAW-2009-06.

Here’s a waiver for minimum lot sizes by Jason Davenport, County Planner, 18 July 2011, for AAW-2011-16:

Good afternoon. Based on recent questions from multiple parties regarding Nelson Hill we thought it best to respond in writing to all. For us the question is “Will the County require a minimum lot size in Nelson Hill?” and our answer is Continue reading

No mold or unpaid contractors this time for Moody Housing @ GLPC 2013-07-29

Unlike Moody AFB’s last go at privatizing housing, no mold or unpaid contractors this time, or so we’re told. But not so solid assurances that local contractors will be used. And what if this new thing turns into something radically different like Nelson Hill did only a short way up Val Del? GLPC Voting

Speaking for that proposed privatized Moody housing on Val Del Road, Lawyer Tom Kurrie said this was “an opportunity for our community”. He spelled out that the proposal was “90 homes for off-base houses, for enlisted personnel, non-commissioned officers, and officers”, with gates. He went on about Balfour Beatty‘s experience in building such housing, and their option to build Phase II, although at the moment they’re only requesting Phase I. He said “the unfortunate issue that took place with the prior development” would not occur with this one.

I can guess he’s referring to the mold issue, Beth Mahoney detailed in Little Rock Military Families Examiner 6 April 2009.

Or since he lauded Balfour Beatty’s credit rating, maybe he was referring to the nonpayment of subcontractors, as Kari L. Sands wrote for VDT, 4 March 2007, Military housing woes: Non-payment forces work on military housing project to stop.

Preferred Builders and Renovators, LLC., the Home Builders Association of South Georgia and CMS/ Dumpster Co. are among those affected. Subcontractors are alleging that Continue reading

Gated Moody housing on Val Del Road, REZ-2013-09 @ GLPC 2013-07-29

Only 81 of 396 proposed units have been built at current Moody Family Housing on Roberts Road. Why should we build more on Val Del Road?

At the 29 July 2013 Greater Lowndes Planning Commission meeting, County Planner Jason Davenport said that in addition to the initial materials for GLPC, he’d provided an update about Magnolia Grove, which was Phase I of Moody Family Housing. The real reason for the rezoning wasn’t stated in the initial materials given to GLPC. In the materials obtained through open records request, we can see that the GLPC agenda item contained the boilerplate “The general motivation in this case appears to be so that the subject property can be developed at a greater residential density.” In the update it’s assumed that the real reason is housing for Moody personnel, since Magnolia Grove is the existing Moody housing off of Roberts Road. Which isn’t even built out yet, as you can see in this map from the county Tax Commissioners, so why does Moody need more housing?

Lots of interesting back history in that July 29th GLPC Lowndes County Rezoning Update – 2, to which I’ve added Continue reading

Liability and retirement ACCG plans @ LCC 2013-07-22

The county does have liability insurance that covers all employees, including Commissioners, we learned at the Monday 22 July 2013 Lowndes County Commission Work Session; they vote tonight. And the county is also adopting an ACCG plan for retirement for a couple of new employees.

7.e. IRMA Liability Program Renewal 7.3. ACCG IRMA Liability Program Renewal

Someone (I couldn’t interpret the Chairman’s mumble) said it’s for both property and personal liability. This Interlocal Risk Management Agency (IRMA) program from the Association of County Commissioners of Georgia (ACCG) offers Continue reading

Wastewater violation on the Alapaha River @ LCC 2013-07-22

The County has another wastewater violation, this time at the Alapaha River, and is late in doing something about it. Don’t be surprised if we see an emergency change order in a future session. This was at the Monday 22 July 2013 Lowndes County Commission Work Session; they vote tonight.

Mike Allen, Utilities Director 7.b. Letter to Environmental Protection Division concerning Alapaha Water Treatment Plant Upgrade

It’s because of a notice of violation from GA EPD, said Utilities Director Mike Allen, and he’d been working with Lovell Engineering on a letter to say the problem of disinfection byproducts would be fixed by the end of March 2015.

on our behalf, or would we be submitting it? --Demarcus Marshall Commissioner Demarcus Marshall wanted to know Continue reading

Ellen Golden for DFCS @ LCC 2013-07-22

“I was not aware DFAC has a board of directors,” said Ellen S. Golden, local attorney, sole candidate for Ellen S. Golden raising her hand the local Division of Family and Children Services (DFCS) board, at the Monday 22 July 2013 Lowndes County Commission Work Session; they vote tonight. Nor was I. Maybe the county should tell us who they are. Anyway, Ellen Golden is willing to serve, and we have video of what she said, plus a little detail about her relevant experience.

County Manager Joe Pritchard 6. Appointment – Department of Family & Children’s Services Board

County Manager Joe Pritchard said Commissioners had before them a letter from Virginia Boswell recommending a replacement for the expiring position of Mr. [Loud Click!] Farrell(?). He said the recomendee is Ellen Golden.

He didn’t say, but Continue reading

SPLOST VII county list @ LCC 2013-07-22

Not quite most of the money for roads, streets, and bridges (none of them named to the public), plus everything from animals to public safety, in the county’s SPLOST VII list. But don’t be alarmed: it contains no new library and no new auditorium, and the Chairman referred to it as a “back to basics” list. It also contains nothing about Internet access; more on that in a separate post. You can be told about this list tomorrow night or at a forthcoming joint county-cities public telling: no town hall meetings have yet been scheduled. These videos and slides are from this morning’s Lowndes County Commission Work Session.

5. Special Presentation & Consideration — Special Purpose Local Option Sales Tax VII

There was something new in what Joe Pritchard said:

Commissioners each had an opportunity for independent review and evaluation.

That’s better than the county tradition of the staff write down the list and Commissioners rubber-stamp it. However, where are those town hall meetings Commissioner Joyce Evans promised? She reminded me afterwards that she had said “hopefully”. Mayor Gayle told me afterwards the problem was they were too close to the deadline for turning in the lists for the election. He indicated that was because the county was late. Remember Valdosta already presented its list 9 July 2013. Rumor has it the delay was in some Commissioners insisting on actually having input. That’s a good thing, but if the county planned ahead, there still would have been time for the rest of us to provide input before the lists were finalized.

The slides presented say they’re also available on the county’s website, but I don’t see them there, so I’m posting stills from the LAKE video here.

Continue reading