Tag Archives: LAKE

Videos: 3 rezonings, 4 road items, 1 beer and wine, VLCIA bonds, servers, debris hauler @ LCC Regular 2026-05-12

Gretchen noted about these LAKE videos of the May 12, 2026, Regular Session of the Lowndes County Commission, “Still having camera problems. No audio on two of the bits and agenda items 6e and 6f and the start of 7a did not get recorded at all.”

Yes, we know the county videos its own Regular Sessions:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1PRqnqJwM8k

LAKE continues to video those meetings anyway, for a number of reasons I don’t have time to go into here.

Also, the county does not post videos of its Work Sessions, nor of the Planning Commission, nor of any of the other numerous Boards and Authorities, not to mention School Board meetings. LAKE does post videos of those Work Sessions and Planning Commission meetings. You can help. Volunteer to video some meetings. Or donate to LAKE to buy a better video camera.

Once again, Lowndes County plans to widen Old US 41 North the rest of the way up to the Hahira City Limits: 6.c. TIA – Local Delivery Application for Old US 41 North Widening Phase 4

Other than the Clyattville case was withdrawn by applicant, the Commissioners approved all the agenda items unanimously.

[Collage @ LCC 12 May 2026]
Collage @ LCC 12 May 2026

Two citizens spoke about datacenters: Continue reading

Videos: 3 rezonings, 4 road items, 1 beer and wine, VLCIA bonds, servers, debris hauler @ LCC Work 2026-05-11

Update 2026-05-24: Videos: 3 rezonings, 4 road items, 1 beer and wine, VLCIA bonds, servers, debris hauler @ LCC Regular 2026-05-12.

In case you haven’t heard, Lowndes County plans to widen Old US 41 North the rest of the way up to the Hahira City Limits: 6.c. TIA Local Delivery Application for Old US 41 North Widening Phase 4.

[Collage @ LCC 11 May 2026]
Collage @ LCC 11 May 2026

The Clyattville case was withdrawn by applicant: 5.a. REZ-2026-04 Jay Ma Khodiyar 5507 Central St. (Clyattville), R-10 to C-G. This is the same rezoning that was tabled for a month back on March 10, 2026, on a motion by Commissioner Mark Wisenbaker. I wonder how many times it will reapppear?

The Old Bemiss Road Blackwater case had quite a bit of discussion about roads, railroad, and access: 5.b. REZ-2026-11 Blackwater Development 4130 Old Bemiss Rd., (part 1).

Aaron Kostyu, Information Technology Services Director, spelled out a problem with so-called AI: 6.e. Replacement of Three Servers. Commissioner Michael Smith wondered why there was only one quote for the three servers IT requested.

It’s because we can’t find hardware anywhere. They have increased over the last two months by 800 to 1000 percent.

None of the drives are available; none of the memory is available, because the AI industry is sucking it all up. They have done something unprecedented, and the memory industry has allowed them to purchase the next three lots before they are even created. And so we don’t see this ending anytime soon.

We’ve had difficulty getting hardware that normally choose because the prices have gotten out of control. We’re jumping on the right now.

We know already that there’s a hundred and five day time limit on these quotes. They’ve already gone up since we got these quotes, but she agreed to extend it.

This is last month’s quote. It’s already higher.

She’s agreed to hold this pricing, and hopefully we’ll get 105 days. Tomorrow, if we purchase the next day, that will potentially get just in time to pay out of this year’s budget. So it’s a real race to get it done.

Continue reading

Packet: 3 rezonings, 4 road items, 1 beer and wine, VLCIA bonds, servers, debris hauler @ LCC 2026-05-11

Update 2026-05-24: Videos: 3 rezonings, 4 road items, 1 beer and wine, VLCIA bonds, servers, debris hauler @ LCC Work 2026-05-11.

Yes, you can speak about datacenters, animals, water, or whatever else in Citizens Wishing to Be Heard at the voting Regular Session, 5:30 PM, Tuesday, May 12, 2026.

The Lowndes County Commissioners will notice if you show up for the Work Session, 8:30 AM, Monday, May 11, 2026.

The board packet doesn’t mention that 5.a. REZ-2026-04 Jay Ma Khodiyar, ~1ac, 5507 Central St. (Clyattville) was tabled for a month back on March 10, 2026, on a motion by Commissioner Mark Wisenbaker.

[Collage @ LCC Packet 2026-05-11 --LAKE]
Collage @ LCC Packet 2026-05-11 –LAKE

Here is the agenda.

The board packet, received in response to a LAKE open records request, is on the LAKE website, with images of each page below.

For the other two rezonings, see also Continue reading

Videos: 1 Lake Park, 2 Lowndes County, 4 Valdosta @ GLPC 2026-04-27

Update 2026-05-10: Packet: 3 rezonings, 4 road items, 1 beer and wine, VLCIA bonds, servers, debris hauler @ LCC 2026-05-11.

“Is a daycare center technically a club for babies?” GLPC Chair Steve Miller.

Lowndes County Planning JD Dillard said he would have to ask the zoning administrator for her interpretation, of 7. VA-2026-03 Request, Jonathan Irvin amended PD, mixed-use Child Daycare – School.

The Planning Commissioners found a way not to recommend denial even of the one item for which Valdosta City staff recommended denial, 6. CU-2026-02 Request by Hedgecock Investments LLC, Conditional Use Permit (CUP). They added to one of the conditions. Calvin Graham was the lone vote against. Afterwards he told me he just didn’t think it belonged there.

[Collage @ GLPC 27 April 2026]
Collage @ GLPC 27 April 2026

Everything else sailed through, except the first Lowndes County rezoning got a split vote for recommending approval.

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

See also the Continue reading

Packet: Lake Park annexation item @ GLPC 2026-04-27

Update 2026-05-10: Videos: 1 Lake Park, 2 Lowndes County, 4 Valdosta @ GLPC 2026-04-27.

Due to some confusion about who to ask, the packet materials for the one Lake Park item came in after the Greater Lowndes Planning Commission (GLPC) meeting on April 27, 2026.

  1. LP-2026-01 Request by the City of Lake Park to Rezone upon Annexation 1.12 acres
    from Single-Family Residential (R-1 County)
    to Single-Family Residential (R-15 Lake Park).
    The subject property is located at the East side of Long Pond Road, in Lake Park, Georgia,
    (Portion of Tax Map 0221C Parcels 002 & 003).

[Packet: Lake Park, annexation item, Calvary Baptist Church, @ GLPC 2026-04-27]
Packet: Lake Park, annexation item, Calvary Baptist Church, @ GLPC 2026-04-27

These packet materials are on the LAKE website. Images of each page are below. Continue reading

Videos: Datacenters, Sinkholes, Animals, Emergencies, Disasters, Judges, Drugs, and Wells @ LCC Regular 2026-04-28

There was some discussion among Lowndes County Commissioners, but their Regular Session on Tuesday, April 28, 2026, as they approved all the voting items unanimously.

In her Reports, County Manager Paige Dukes called on both Utilities Director Steve Stalvy and Fire Chief Billy Young about the current drought and fire situations.

Six Citizens Wished to Be Heard.

George Fisher spoke about his water research, which includes he’s discovered the line of sinkholes running across the county.

Pam Kelly Jarvis and Amanda Hall spoke about animal issues.

Jimmy LeFiles, Michael Noll, and Susan Wehling spoke about datacenters.

[Collage @ LCC 28 April 2026]
Collage @ LCC 28 April 2026

After the meeting adjourned, County Chairman Bill Slaughter came down to talk to several people about datacenters. County Manager Paige Dukes joined in. The Chairman said it was their procedure not to answer Citizens Wishing to Be Heard during the meeting, but he made himself available afterwards.

I mentioned that the Continue reading

Videos: Emergencies, Disasters, Judges, Drugs, and Wells @ LCC Work 2026-04-27

Update 2026-05-08: Videos: Datacenters, Animals, Emergencies, Disasters, Judges, Drugs, and Wells @ LCC Regular 2026-04-28.

The Lowndes County Commissioners asked many questions yesterday morning in their Work Session.

Especially about 5.a. Adoption of the Lowndes County Resolution for Emergency Management – LEOP and 5.d. …Procurement Determination Declaring Initial Proposal Non-Responsive….

In the elevator after, I told Commissioner Joyce Evans she needs to stop making those long speeches. (Joke: she famously never has said much during County Commission meetings.)

The meeting lasted more than 32 minutes, which is quite long for them.

Commissioner Scottie Orenstein was absent.

They vote today at 5:30 PM, Tuesday, April 28, 2026, in their Regular Session.

You can speak at the end of this evening’s meeting, in Citizens Wishing to Be Heard.

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

See also the Continue reading

Videos: 7 CWTBH, one appointment, two subdivisions, huge and small @ LCC 2026-04-14

At the Lowndes County Commission Regular Session of April 14, 2026, seven citizens spoke in Citizens Wishing to Be Heard (CWTBH):

[Collage @ LCC 13 April 2026]
Collage @ LCC 13 April 2026

CWTBH took about 18 minutes. 4. Purple Up For Military Children Proclamation took 9.5 minutes. The usual preliminaries took 1.5 minutes. So that’s 29 minutes. The whole meeting took 46 minutes.

So that’s 17 minutes the Commissioners took to unanimously approve all the voting items.

Below are Continue reading

Packet: 1 Lake Park, 2 Lowndes County, 4 Valdosta @ GLPC 2026-04-27

Update 2026-05-09: Packet: Lake Park annexation item @ GLPC 2026-04-27.

In a rare situation, Valdosta planning staff actually recommend denial of

  1. CU-2026-02 Request by Hedgecock Investments LLC for a Conditional Use Permit (CUP)

Staff for Valdosta or Lowndes County recommend approval of all the other cases before the Greater Lowndes Planning Commission (GLPC) tomorrow at 5:30 PM.

[Packet: 1 Lake Park, 2 Lowndes County, 4 Valdosta cases @ GLPC 2026-04-27]
Packet: 1 Lake Park, 2 Lowndes County, 4 Valdosta cases @ GLPC 2026-04-27

Here is the agenda.

The board packet materials are on the LAKE website, with images of each page below.

Except Lowndes County did not send the Minutes of the previous GLPC meeting. I will remind them.

We do not yet have the packet materials for the Lake Park case, because we had the wrong address for the Lake Park planner. I’ve now sent a request.

Greater Lowndes Planning Commission
~ Lowndes County ~ City of Valdosta ~ City of Dasher ~
~ City of Hahira ~ City of Lake Park ~ City of Remerton ~

Monday, April 20, 2026 5:30 P.M. Work Session
Monday, April 27, 2026 5:30 P.M. Regular Session
Lowndes County South Health District Administrative Office
325 West Savannah Avenue, Valdosta, Georgia Continue reading

Packet: Emergencies, Disasters, Judges, Drugs, and Wells @ LCC 2026-04-28

Update 2026-04-28: Videos: Emergencies, Disasters, Judges, Drugs, and Wells @ LCC Work 2026-04-27.

The Lowndes County Commission has no rezonings and no appointments to review Monday morning at its Work Session, nor to vote on at 5:30 PM, Tuesday, April 28, 2026, at its Regular Session.

Most of the agenda items are continuation or updating of things they were already doing, such as 5.c. Renewal of Disaster Related Debris Contracts, since we seem to keep having disasters.

[Packet: Emergencies, Disasters, Judges, Drugs, and Wells @ LCC 2026-04-27-28]
Packet: Emergencies, Disasters, Judges, Drugs, and Wells @ LCC 2026-04-27-28

But two items are cleaning up projects that failed. 5.d. Consideration of Procurement Determination Declaring Initial Proposal Non-Responsive and Award of Contract to Cowart Electric is because Current Edge Solutions failed to meet requirements.

5.g. Potable Well Testing is to try once again to get water wells working correctly at Alapaha Plantation.

Here is the agenda.

The board packet, received in response to a LAKE open records request, is on the LAKE website, with images of each page below.

LOWNDES COUNTY BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS
PROPOSED AGENDA
WORK SESSION, MONDAY, APRIL 27, 2026, 8:30 a.m.
REGULAR SESSION, TUESDAY, APRIL 28, 2026, 5:30 p.m.
327 N. Ashley Street – 2nd Floor

Continue reading