In these LAKE videos of the February 27, 2024, Lowndes County Commission Regular Session, you can see they spent three minutes discussing the 6.e. Spring Creek Well Pilot Study. Everything else they breezed through.
They vote again this evening at 5:30 PM on three rezonings and other items.
![[Collage @ LCC 27 February 2024]](http://www.l-a-k-e.org/govt/loco/2024-02-27--regular-videos/many.jpg)
Collage @ LCC 27 February 2024
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: Continue reading
Update 2024-03-09: ULDC Text Amendment Status @ LCC 2024-03-26.
Yesterday morning at the Lowndes County Commission Work Session, they went straight into the ULDC Text Amendment. The changes County Planner J.D. Dillard discussed were not in the board packet. I have filed an open records request to get them. It’s fine that they want to be business friendly for incoming businesses, as he said. A little more friendly to we the taxpayers and voters would also be good, for example by publishing the board packet and proposed ULDC changes on the county’s own website, lowndescounty.com.
They could even put the proposed ULDC Text amendments on lowndescounty.com before they vote this evening at 5:30 PM.
![[Collage @ LCC 26 February 2024]](http://www.l-a-k-e.org/govt/loco/2024-02-26--lcc-work-videos/many.jpg)
Collage @ LCC 26 February 2024
While discussing minutes for approval, Chairman Bill Slaughter asked when the rezoning cases that were not decided two weeks ago due to the meeting being cancelled due to Commissioner illness: when will those rezoning cases be heard? Answer: March 12 there will be five rezoning cases. So apparently the old ones plus the new ones from yesterday’s Planning Commission meeting. County Manager Paige Dukes further clarified that they had to go back through the process of public announcements of the rezoning Public Hearings. Thank you, Chairman, for asking that question.
Those were the two longest items, at 3 minutes and 30 seconds and one minute and 20 seconds, each. The entire meeting took eleven minutes.
About 6.e. Spring Creek Well Pilot Study, Gretchen noted, “I hope this money comes from the enterprise fund for water and sewer and not the general fund.”
About 7.d. Golden Oaks Subdivision Force Main she noted “$100,500 to service around 30 homes. Again, I hope this is funded by the enterprise fund. Perhaps in the interest of transparency, the source of funds could be mentioned.”
Below are links to each LAKE video of each agenda item, followed by a LAKE video playlist.
See also Continue reading
Update 2024-02-27: Videos: ULDC Text Amendment, new well, force main, and elevator with For Consideration and Bids from previous cancelled session @ LCC Work 2024-02-26.
In the board packet Lowndes County sent this morning in response to yesterday’s LAKE open records request, there is more information on the 6.e. Spring Creek Well Pilot Study and 7.d. Golden Oaks Subdivision Force Main, including bid sheets and a contract. There was nothing additional on the third new agenda item, 7.a. Bid to Upgrade the Main Elevator at the Human Resource Building.
The ULDC Text Amendment (TXT-2024-01) Update Presentation was not included in the board packet. I have filed an open records request to get it.
![[Packet: new well, force main, and elevator @ LCC 2024-02-26]](http://www.l-a-k-e.org/govt/loco/2024-02-26--lcc-packet/many.jpg)
Packet: new well, force main, and elevator @ LCC 2024-02-26
Since no map was included of the Golden Oaks Subdivision, I have added one from VALORGIS. Continue reading
Update 2024-02-27: Packet: Missing ULDC Text Amendment, new well, force main, and elevator with For Consideration and Bids from previous cancelled session @ LCC 2024-02-26.
Another stealth ULDC presentation heads this morning’s Work Session at the Lowndes County Commission. You will be able to see it in the LAKE videos Gretchen is taking. You won’t see it in Lowndes County’s own videos, because they no longer post video of their Work Sessions.
![[Old and new items @ LCC 2024-12-26]](http://www.l-a-k-e.org/govt/loco/2024-02-26--lcc-agenda/many.jpg)
Old and new items @ LCC 2024-12-26
Other new items are:
Everything else is carried forward from the cancelled previous Regular Session.
But none of the rezonings were carried forward, possibly because they had to advertise the Public Hearings again. I guess they’ll handle those next month along with the new ones on tonight’s Planning Commission agenda.
Here is the agenda.
I neglected to request the board packet after the previous meeting was cancelled due to lack of quorum due to Commissioner illness. However, I have included on the LAKE website the board packet items from the previous meeting’s packet.
LOWNDES COUNTY BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS
Continue reading
PROPOSED AGENDA
WORK SESSION, MONDAY, FEBRUARY 26, 2024, 8:30 a.m.
REGULAR SESSION, TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 27, 2024, 5:30 p.m.
327 N. Ashley Street – 2nd Floor
A rare split vote on a bid, in 7.a. ENG 2021-02: Repairing 3 Box Culverts.
ADS wants to raise its trash colleciton rates but can’t do that without an ordinance change, which was not on the table this time.
Ashley Tye gave a weather report as part of the County Manager Reports.
A candidate for Superior Court Judge spoke in Citizens Wishing to Be Heard, which is an interesting change of policy; previously the Commission didn’t allow candidates for office to speak in CWTBH.
![[Trash, Drainage, Reports, CWTBH]](http://www.l-a-k-e.org/govt/loco/2022-03-22--lcc-videos/many.jpg)
Trash, Drainage, Reports, CWTBH
Below are links to each LAKE video of each agenda item, with a few notes, followed by a LAKE video playlist. See also the Continue reading
Update 2022-03-22: Videos: Trash collection, drainage, reports, candidate @ LCC 2022-03-22.
The replacement for the built-on detention pond on Little Viking Road turns out to be 0.277 acres horse-shoed around it. That’s what was quit-claimed to Lowndes County Tuesday.
![[Waste collection and water retention]](http://www.l-a-k-e.org/govt/loco/2022-03-21--lcc-packet/many.jpg)
Waste collection and water retention
This is at the request of Rubber Tire, LLC, Franklin Bailey, Member/Manager.
![[Signed, sealed,* and delivered]](http://www.l-a-k-e.org/govt/loco/2022-03-21--lcc-packet/March-22-2022-Meeting-Packet-2-0042.jpg)
Signed, sealed,* and delivered
The board packet, received in response to a LAKE open records request, is on the LAKE website. See also the Continue reading
Update 2022-03-22: Packet: 0.277 acres for a county detention pond @ LCC 2022-03-21.
Update 2022-03-23: Three LAKE videos inadvertently omitted are added back to this blog post and the LAKE playlist: 6.d. Advanced Disposal Services Residential Solid Waste Franchise Renewal (9,500 customers), 6.e. Deep South Sanitation, LLC, Residential Solid Waste Franchise Renewal (6,200 customers), and 6.f. Little Viking Road Drainage Easement and Quit Claim Deed.
Yesterday morning they read out the items with almost no discussion, at the Lowndes County Commission Work Session, which lasted 13 minutes. They vote this evening at 5:30 PM.
The only item to get more than one question was 6.c. FY2022 Delinquency Prevention Grant.
The audio feed in the room is still not working, thus the second or so of no sound at the start. For the thousands of dollars they have spent on the system, it would be nice if the sound in the room worked.
![[Lighting, TIA, Juvenile delinquency, box culverts]](http://www.l-a-k-e.org/govt/loco/2022-03-21--lcc-videos/many.jpg)
Lighting, TIA, Juvenile delinquency, box culverts
Below are links to each LAKE video of each agenda item, followed by a LAKE video playlist. See also the agenda.
Update 2022-03-22: Videos: Delinquency, water, roads, and subdivisions @ LCC 2022-03-21.
More road building TIA projects to promote more sprawl, a redot to let a developer off the hook for not doing drainage as required, a subdivision special tax lighting district, several water projects in already-developed areas, a grant to prevent juvenile delinquency, and the annual renewal of permits for both waste collection companies, all on the agenda for this morning’s Lowndes County Work Session, for voting Tuesday evening.
Funny how they never count the later cost of box culverts and water main extensions when they approve rezonings for subdivisions, but here some of those are later.
| Cost | What |
|---|---|
| $448,621.14 | Exit 22 Water Main Extension |
| $296,726.73 | ENG 2021-02: Repairing 3 Box Culverts |
| $0.00 | Deep South Sanitation, LLC, Residential Solid Waste Franchise Renewal, March 31, 2023 |
| $0.00 | Advanced Disposal Services Residential Solid Waste Franchise Renewal |
| $-41,500.00 | FY2022 Delinquency Prevention Grant |
| $703,847.87 | Total |
That former detention pond site is actually parcel 0144 205A now, and it’s at 4115 Little Viking Road. They also don’t tell we the taxpayers and voters where the new detention area is.
HISTORY, FACTS AND ISSUES: Map 0144 Parcel 205 owned by Rubber Tire, LLC was originally designed for the entire lot to be one of the detention areas for Roswell Place Subdivision and has been the detention area since the subdivision was built. Rubber Tire, LLC had the detention area redesigned, approved, and constructed so the lot could become a buildable lot. Lowndes County will need to Quit Claim the existing detention area back to Rubber Tire, LLC and accept a drainage easement for the new detention area from Rubber Tire, LLC.
The agenda is below. The board packet will follow when LAKE gets it. My fault this time: I didn’t send the open records request. Although it is still mysterious why Lowndes County doesn’t put the board packet on its own website like many counties larger and smaller have been doing for years in Georgia and Florida. The rudimentary expanded agenda with one-sheet agenda items is on the LAKE website.
LOWNDES COUNTY BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS
Continue reading
PROPOSED AGENDA
WORK SESSION, MONDAY, MARCH 21, 2022, 8:30 a.m.
REGULAR SESSION, TUESDAY, MARCH 22, 2022, 5:30 p.m.
327 N. Ashley Street – 2nd Floor
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.
Commissioner Mark Wisenbaker wanted to know if this was for private wells. County Planner JD Dillard said the application was for a community well, and while the lots were big enough for private wells, the soils had not been tested for that.
Don Powell spoke for the applicant. Jesse Bush also spoke for, listing many things they were not there to talk about, including aquifer recharge or community wells. He said the only question was six homes (which the landowner can do by right anyway) or twelve homes. Chairman Bill Slaughter cut them off saying he’d given them an extra minute, and he’d give the other side an extra minute.
Brad Folsom spoke against on behalf of a room full and a 360-signer petition of opponents. He reminded the Commissioners that the subject property was in an Agricultural and Forestry Character Area. While R-A was permissible in such an Area, it was not appropriate. He discussed nearby zonings and lots that had been brought up by staff previously. Among the many other points he brought up was flooding would be exacerbated by tree cutting and paving for a subdivision. He reminded the Commissioners that they had told him they did not want any more community well systems.
Somebody else (unnamed, but see below) speaking against said it would be spot zoning. He said he owned 320 acres and had been there for more than a hundred years. This rezoning would change the character of the community and would be a precedent for other rezonings. He said he owed this community a debt and he would like to repay it. Elton D. Redding, 7649 Webb Road, representing the Redding property, John L. Redding his brother.
Demarcus Marshall moved to deny, Mark Wisenbaker seconded, unanimous vote to deny.
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),
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 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:
- Groundwater Recharge Area:
- Lowndes County adheres to Local and State standards when in the Groundwater Recharge Area
- Notable Developments in Recharge Area in Lowndes County)
- Landfill
- Kinderlou Forest and Foxborough Subdivisions
- Valdosta Regional Airport
- Moody Airforce Base
- City of Dasher
- City of Lake Park and surrounding area
- 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]](http://www.l-a-k-e.org/govt/loco/2022-02-08--lcc-videos/REZ-2022-03-applicant-slides-0001.jpg)
WINDY HILL SUBDIVISION, Lowndes County Rezoning Application, REZ-2022-03
![[WINDY HILL SUBDIVISION CHARACTERISTICS]](http://www.l-a-k-e.org/govt/loco/2022-02-08--lcc-videos/small/REZ-2022-03-applicant-slides-0003.jpg)
WINDY HILL SUBDIVISION CHARACTERISTICS
![[Justification for Zoning Request]](http://www.l-a-k-e.org/govt/loco/2022-02-08--lcc-videos/small/REZ-2022-03-applicant-slides-0005.jpg)
Justification for Zoning Request
![[OPPOSITION POINTS ADDRESSED (1 of 3)]](http://www.l-a-k-e.org/govt/loco/2022-02-08--lcc-videos/small/REZ-2022-03-applicant-slides-0007.jpg)
OPPOSITION POINTS ADDRESSED (1 of 3)
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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!
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]](http://www.l-a-k-e.org/govt/loco/2022-02-07--lcc-videos/many.jpg)
Chairman and Miller Bridge Road rezoning
![[EASEMENT]](http://www.l-a-k-e.org/govt/loco/2022-03-21--lcc-packet/March-22-2022-Meeting-Packet-2-0041.jpg)
![[Requested Zoning Change]](http://www.l-a-k-e.org/govt/loco/2022-02-08--lcc-videos/small/REZ-2022-03-applicant-slides-0002.jpg)
![[Location of Property]](http://www.l-a-k-e.org/govt/loco/2022-02-08--lcc-videos/small/REZ-2022-03-applicant-slides-0004.jpg)
![[Zoning map]](http://www.l-a-k-e.org/govt/loco/2022-02-08--lcc-videos/small/REZ-2022-03-applicant-slides-0006.jpg)
![[OPPOSITION POINTS ADDRESSED (2 of 3)]](http://www.l-a-k-e.org/govt/loco/2022-02-08--lcc-videos/small/REZ-2022-03-applicant-slides-0008.jpg)
![[OPPOSITION POINTS ADDRESSED (3 of 3)]](http://www.l-a-k-e.org/govt/loco/2022-02-08--lcc-videos/small/REZ-2022-03-applicant-slides-0009.jpg)