Eight minutes to do your business: yesterday morning’s Lowndes County Commission Work Session. Commissioner Demarcus Marshall took the day off from his work at the City of Valdosta to be there. Not clear the rest of them took it that seriously. He and at least one other Commissioner did get some questions in. And they did all show up, at least. We’ll see if they’re all there for voting this evening at 5:30 PM.
Some interesting questions on the Continue reading
In an interesting version of a revolving door,
county appointee Michael H. McDowell’s KLVB term is expiring,
so is Valdosta appointee Bubba Highsmith’s,
and the county proposes appointing Highsmith.
Highsmith is
a State Farm Insurance Agent.
Also on the Lowndes County Commission agenda for 8:30AM Monday morning are: banking services (looks like Ameris Bank costs way less than BB&T, and SunTrust even less, but Ameris has the best interest rate), a computer bulk purchase for $54,795.98, yet another pump purchase, allegedly for $0 dollars because this is actually for specifications rather than actual purchase.
Typical Application: Residential Pump System, Triple “D” Pump Company
Finally, the tabled-from-last-meeting Ordinance about Board of Health Rules: will the Commissioners have had time to read the one copy the County Manager allows them?
Plus an alcohol license, Continue reading
The most interesting items were not on
the agenda
of the Regular Session two weeks ago of the Lowndes County Commission Work Session.
The County Engineer had
One more thing: Loch Laurel Bridge Work and Closure 7/16 – 7/23,
Commissioner Demarcus Marshall
reminded everyone the Georgia hands-free driving law was going into effect,
and the Chairman announced
swearing in of the newly un-privatized Probation Officers the following morning.
The longest scheduled item at almost 3 minutes was New Consoles For 911 Dispatchers, followed by Contract With Parks And Recreation Authority, because both had questions from Commissioners.
The two grant items added the previous morning, for Accountability Court and DUI Court, sailed through, as did the Francis Lake Lift Station Repair and the LAS Storage Pond Improvements.
Below are Continue reading
By far the longest item was
a special proclamation for EMT Services,
at 4.5 minutes,
followed by
cleaning bids,
which took almost three minutes for the Lowndes County Commission to reject.
In Citizens Wishing to Be Heard, Gretchen took 2 minutes to invite them to WWALS’ Wild & Scenic Film Festival, at Mathis Auditorium, Thursday, May 31, 2018.
Almost everything else was read out and unanimously approved, except the one most contentious the previous morning, 7 b. Additional Deputy Coroner Request, was tabled.
Below are Continue reading
Not on the agenda,
County Agent Jake Price introduced two new people in his office.
The Industrial Authority Executive Director
explained the bonds are not new, she just wants to refinance them to reduce
payments.
Among items they will vote on tonight at 5:30 PM, the longest item at almost four minutes was the request for an additional Deputy Coroner. Looks like they’re finally going to sign up an attorney for the opoioid litigation. They spent more time on the cleaning bids.
The whole Work Session Monday morning took 13 minutes, including the presentaitons. Below are Continue reading
Two weeks ago, they spent the most time (5.5 minutes) on the
two
sections of
5. Proclamation Presentations for National Drug Court Month.
They spent 2.5 minutes on bids and almost 2 minutes (almost 5.5 total) on the wetland credits for the North Lowndes Park Soccer Complex.
Third most time was 4.5 minutes on recognizing retiring volunteer firefighter Scott Caldwell(?). The speaker was Chief Ashley Tye, so I guess he’s now the regular county Fire Chief.
They tabled the Airport Authority appointment waiting for more information. Maybe they noticed George Page had also asked the City of Valdosta to appoint him.
The alleged County Attorney, with his microphone three feet from his face and pointing 90 degrees away, muttered something about the mysterious Wisconsin bond issue.
The Probation agreement and Electronic Monitoring Contract got more than three minutes total. They spent a bit more than a minute voting on a law form for the opioid litigation.
The Hay Lease Agreement Amendment is a water item, because it’s about the county’s spray field, also known as its Land Application Site (LAS). And the Bevel Creek Lift Station Pump that feeds it. Final water item: dates of completion for the GEFA Loan Agreement; they did provide a clue what that loan was for.
Here are links to Continue reading
What are the Industrial Authority (excuse me, Development Authority) bonds for? Maybe they’re finally going to finance solar power for people here, since VLCIA has a budget surplus?
VLCAA Chairman Steve Everett and Executive Director Jim Galloway asking for the county to fix its shortfall in funding the Airport Authority, July 14, 2015.
Since George Page got appointed to the Airport Authority by the City of Valdosta, I suppose they’re going to reappoint Steve Everett. They last reappointed him May 13, 2014. By the way, he’s the Chair of VLCAA.
Apparently they’ve picked an attorney for the Opioid Litigation in their previous meetings two weeks ago, and now they’re down to signing the agreement.
Here’s the agenda, which has the dates off by one. Continue reading
Opioid litigation will be added to the agenda
for this evening, although not for voting, as
8.i, Selection of Legal Firm for Opioid Litigation:
Select legal firm,
The Studstill Law Firm and the Blasingame, Burch, Garrard & Ashley Law Firm have both submitted proposals to represent Lowndes County in the opioid litigation.
That was the longest agenda item at the Monday morning Work Session. The Probation Resolution and Services Agreement, which had been tabled two weeks before, got almost two minutes, including questions about cost. Add the minute and a half for the Electronic Monitoring Contract and those two items with the same presenter got the longest total.
The two North Lowndes Park Soccer Complex items, Wetland Credits and Bids, that will massively change Hahira, did not get a total of two minutes. The Hay Lease Agreement Amendment is another water item, because it’s about the county’s spray field, also known as its Land Application Site (LAS). And the Bevel Creek Lift Station Pump that feeds it. Final water item: dates of completion for the GEFA Loan Agreement, whatever it’s for.
The mysterious Wisconsin Public Finance Authority Bond Issue is to finance a project on Old Statenville Road in the Valdosta City Limits.
They’re going to reappoint Steve Everett to the Valdosta-Lowndes County Airport Authority; he did not speak. And George Page would also like to be considered.
Here are links to Continue reading
They are also talking about water tanks and treesand the work on I-75 Exit 29, including what the Georgia Department of Transportation (GDOT) hasn’t covered that may have to be picked up in SPLOST VII.
Photo:
WTXL ABC 27 News.
But the main topic, with a Public Hearing, is food trucks. That Zoning Text Amendment didn’t fare very well with the Planning Commission Monday. But of course GLPC is only advisory, and Hahira can decide whatever it wants. Expect at least the same speakers tonight as you can see in the LAKE videos of that Planning Commission meeting.
Thanks to Hahira City Clerk Lisa Mashburn for Continue reading
They would have managed less than four minutes, even with chatting with Leadership Lowndes in the audience, including 45 seconds on the only substantial agenda item, 6 a. Grant Of Easement for Utility Right of Way Moody-Azalea Commons (aka Moody Family Housing).
2013-07-29 GLPC Packet-007 REZ-2013-09 Moody Family Housing
Note the big sinkhole in Phase 2.
But citizen Jacinta Howell talked about traffic safety. Let’s remember the immortal words of former Chairman Ashley Paulk during a rezoning near Bemiss Road:
I’m not going to argue Bemiss Highway, it’s not a pertinent fact.
Below are Continue reading