Received yesterday. Includes an update on T-SPLOST and a Public Comment item. -jsq
Good Afternoon,
Please find attached
the agenda for the
Valdosta-Lowndes Metropolitan Planning Organization
Policy Committee
meeting on January 10, 2012 at
1:30 pm. At the SGRC office (address below). The public is welcome to
attend.
If you have any questions please contact Corey Hull at chull@sgrc.us or
at 229-333-5277.
Corey Hull, AICP
MPO Coordinator
Valdosta-Lowndes MPO
327 W. Savannah Ave.
Valdosta, GA 31601
I really support this idea. Initially, I was concerned about it, because
I know that things like the SCRAM bracelet and the ignition interlock
devices are very expensive to install and maintain, especially if you
consider the costs involved with probation fees. $213.00/month may not
sound like a lot of money to some people, but it is a king’s ransom
to others (saying $7.00/day makes it seem more manageable). Still,
allowing non-violent offenders the opportunity to work and rehabilitate
themselves outside of a prison is a big step forward in the philosophy
of crime and punishment in this county, in my opinion.
Tuesday the Lowndes County Commission approved ankle bracelet monitoring
for nonviolent jail inmates so they can serve the rest of their time
outside the jail, putting them in a better environment and
decreasing expenses at the Sheriff’s office.
This sounds like a good idea.
I have not expressed an opinion because,
as Barbara Stratton pointed out,
the public doesn’t really know what was in the proposal County Commissioners
got in their agenda packet.
However, I would like to compliment Commissioner Joyce Evans about trying to do
something about nonviolent prisoners.
Summarizing the
ankle monitoring discussion of Monday morning,
County Manager Joe Pritchard Tuesday evening asked the Lowndes County Commission
to approve continued work by county staff with the Sheriff’s office in implementing
an ankle monitoring system to move some inmates out of the county jail.
Commissioner Richard Raines gave the credit to Commissioner
Joyce Evans for both proposing a drug court and for
proposing ankle monitoring.
Commissioner Evans declined comment but did make the motion,
seconded by Commissioner Powell, and approved unanimously.
I’m a super fan of planning,
and I’m a fan of the
Comprehensive Plan.
I think that if we don’t know where we are going,
and we don’t have a plan on how we’re gonna get there,
we’re not gonna get there.
And the five year plan that tells us exactly what we’re going to
in the next five years to get to our 2030 plan is a groovy idea.
So that part I’m in favor of.
I’ve been over this document pretty thoroughly with Jason,
and I still have some questions outstanding which I’m sure
that they’ll get resolved.
He’s been super helpful.
The one thing I talked to Mr. Raines about and I would encourage
the other Commissioners to consider is that in section 4.5.1,
at least that’s what I have it on my document.
Investigate
Answering part of
Barbara Stratton’s questions,
the audio access was part of
the award the Commission gave LAKE
for blogging questions like yours.
You may know it as
a bill of attainder.
When the commission moved to the palace, we tried sitting in several locations and found that the front couple of rows, near the edges have the best sound. When we were banished to the back corner, we found the audio on the recordings was nearly inaudible. Perhaps our readers and listeners noticed that too.
When we mentioned the poor audio quality to
Aaron Kostyu, Director of Technology,
he informed us of the possibility of a direct microphone feed in the “media nook” (to the right of the door as you go in) to a properly equipped camera. He even showed Gretchen a camera that had the proper features.
A bit of shopping later, we purchased a Canon HFR21 that appears to have many of the features needed for effective recording of these meetings.
Because the “media nook” speaker output had never been used before Monday,
Continue reading →
These videos are fantastic & I love the sequential playlist. How did
you get permission to connect to the county microphones? Thanks to both
of you, John & Gretchen, we citizens who can’t make all the numerous
meetings have excellent access to view the proceedings. I need info on
the new camera please.
I have a question. Since all meetings are open to the public & all
information is accessible by open record requests why do the various
entities have a habit of not publically answering questions related to
money amounts publically? Very often I have noticed all local government
entities share a habit of referring money & budget amounts and/or bid
questions to the packets each member has in front of them instead
of vocalizing them. Since the public attendees do not have access
to this information I feel we are selectively being left out of the
process. Citizens should not have to process & fund open record requests
for information that should be part of the public meeting. Since you
have more experience with local entities can you explain this practise?
Here are videos for the entire Lowndes County Commission
Regular Session of Tuesday 13 December 2011.
Gretchen took these using a new camera with fast stop-start,
high zoom, and taking audio input directly from the county’s own
microphones.
How do you like it?
Videos for Lowndes County Commission 13 December 2011
Regular Session, Lowndes County Commission (LCC),
Valdosta, Lowndes County, Georgia, 13 December 2011.
Videos by Gretchen Quarterman for LAKE, the Lowndes Area Knowledge Exchange.
Since we posted the
Reapportionment maps
obtained Tuesday evening,
the county has posted PDF versions
of this same information on their own website.
Copies are
on the LAKE website and appended
below.
I’ve added HTML tables of the statistics.
VAP is Voting-Age Population.
-jsq
Commission Explansion Update
At the December 13, 2011, meeting of the Lowndes County Board of
Continue reading →
Here are
the new County Commission District maps
that the Commission
just agreed on tonight for reapportionment due to the new census
and population changes in the county.
These are the districts that will be used for next year’s County Commission elections.
These documents were obtained by John S. Quarterman for LAKE from
County Manager Joe Pritchard by asking the County Commission
during Citizens Wishing to Be Heard at their Regular Session of
13 December 2011.
I made a little list of requests, and the County Manager fulfilled all of them.
I’m convinced this demonstrates that Joe Pritchard is indeed typecast
as Santa Claus.
County Manager Joe Pritchard briefly described
agenda item
8.a. Ankle Monitoring System
He said it would permit jail inmates to serve some of their time outside the jail.
He mentioned early discussions with Commissioners Joyce Evans and Richard Raines,
and said it started related to drug court, but the idea had expanded.
He recommended the board approve the County Manager working with the
judges to organize the monitoring.
Chairman (and former Sheriff) Ashley Paulk remarked that this could lower the jail population.
He seemed to be in favor of it.
Sheriff Chris Prine had some concerns that were hard to hear,
but seemed to be related to budget.
Pritchard indicated that everybody realized the program was an experiment,
and everyone would work with the Sheriff to avoid any unnecessary impact.
Commissioner Raines also reassured the Sheriff along the same lines.
8.a. Ankle Monitoring System –Joe Pritchard @ LCC 12 December 2011
Work Session, Lowndes County Commission (LCC),
Valdosta, Lowndes County, Georgia, 12 December 2011.
Videos by Gretchen Quarterman for LAKE, the Lowndes Area Knowledge Exchange.
the agenda for the Valdosta-Lowndes Metropolitan Planning Organization Policy Committee meeting on January 10, 2012 at 1:30 pm. At the SGRC office (address below). The public is welcome to attend.
