Tag Archives: Law

Ashley Paulk’s Guardian Bank sues Hahira

Hahira declared a moratorium on water and sewer taps in a subdivision
financed by Guardian Bank, apparently in hopes of getting the bank
to do something about a drainage problem there.


Instead, the bank is suing Hahira, echoing a lawsuit the county is pursuing
about a contract let when the bank’s Chairman was Lowndes County Chairman.

According to

Stuart Taylor in the VDT Friday,
Guardian Bank’s chairman said, perhaps using the royal “we”:

“We’re a little disappointed with Hahira,” said Ashley
Paulk, Chairman of the Board of Directors for Guardian Bank.
“We’ve actually helped them build up their tax base up
there…Over the years, we’ve encouraged builders to be up
there.”

Me, I think Hahira should have Continue reading →

Videos: Attorney set different prices, Commissioners set millage date @ LCC 2013-07-09



The most interesting developments were not on the agenda.
Commissioners approved dollar amounts

for two purchase orders
that were completely different
from the ones they were quoted the morning before, with no discussion:
the County Attorney quoted the new figures, asked for approval,
and immediately got it.
Commissioner Richard Raines still didn’t want to enforce
a neighborhood covenant
yet it was Commissioner Raines

who made the motion last fall to let

an Exclusive Franchise
with

Advanced Disposal Services;
a covenant the county is now trying to enforce

by having the County Attorney
sue local business Deep South Sanitation.
They said nothing about

that 100 foot wide pipeline barrelling through the county.
They could have the County Attorney investigate that, but they aren’t.
They approved meeting for millage rate approval 8:30 AM Friday 26 July 2013:
that’s for the property taxes they collect, which presumably
partly go to pay the County Attorney.
And the Chairman refused to let a citizen speak on a technicality.

Here’s

the agenda with links to the videos and a few notes.
See also

videos of the previous morning’s Work Session.



LOWNDES COUNTY BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS

PROPOSED AGENDA

WORK SESSION, MONDAY, JULY 8, 2013, 8:30 a.m.

REGULAR SESSION, TUESDAY, JULY 9, 2013, 5:30 p.m.

327 N. Ashley Street – 2nd Floor

Continue reading →

Millage rate to be set 8:30 AM 26 July 2013 @ LCC 2013-07-09

They approved setting millage rates 8:30 AM Friday 26 July 2013
that’s for the property taxes they collect,
at the

9 July 2013 Regular Session of the Lowndes County Commission.

7.

Reports-County Manager


County Manager Joe Pritchard on millage

County Manager Joe Pritchard reminded Commissioners they were required
to set a date to set tax millage.

Finance Director Stephanie Black said:


Finance Director Stephanie Black
You can have it as early as the
26th of July,
but it has to be done and ready for the tax commissioner by July 31st.

County Manager wanted to know if there would be a quorum present for
26 July 2013 at 8:30.
Chairman asked for a show of hands, and got two, which is not a quorum.
Commissioner Demarcus Marshall checked his calendar and said he could
also attend, and three is a quorum.
Commissioner John Page asked if this was the day they previously
had been advised in an email.
Answer: no, that was Thursday, and this date is a Friday.
County Manager also clarified that they couldn’t set their millage
until the School Board did.
Commissioner Marshall noted he had previously been told the 25th,
and once again staff admitted that was so.
Three days later, there is still nothing on

the county’s online calendar
for 26 July 2013.

Video is

here.

-jsq

Attorney declares prices @ LCC 2013-07-09

Commissioners approved dollar amounts for two purchase orders that were completely different
from the ones they were quoted the morning before, with no discussion:
the County Attorney quoted the new figures, asked for approval,
and immediately got it
at the

9 July 2013 Regular Session of the Lowndes County Commission.


County Attorney Walter G. Elliott


  1. For Consideration

    1. Video Arraignment for Magistrate and Juvenile Court Contract
    2. Enterprise and Backup Storage Solution Scope of Work

Chairman Slaughter said they would “conjoin a and b together”.

What we have at this time are the work orders and what we would like
to get at this time is a motion to approve and ratify the purchase orders.

County Attorney Walter G. Elliott asked to clarify: Continue reading →

The Covenant at James Road @ LCC 2013-07-09

“All right, we’ll take one more!”


said County Chairman Bill Slaughter
in a public hearing
at the

9 July 2013 Regular Session of the Lowndes County Commission.
The Commission declined to enforce a covenant for the neighbors,
but it is still playing enforcer for a garbage company owned by
investors in New York City.

5.
Public Hearing — REZ-2013-07 Leatherwood, 2402 or 2406 James Rd. R-1 and R-21 to R-10, LC Water and Sewer, ~0.71 acres


REZ-2013-07 map 1
County Planner presented the case

the same way he did the previous morning at the Work Session.
This time they had a copy of the agreement with the neighbors signed by
the applicant.
The neighbors still wanted the Commission to guarantee that covenant.


REZ-2013-07 map 2

Speaking Against


Curtis Hankins, 2109 Jeff’s Place, said Continue reading →

Valdosta budget with goals and accomplishments for each department

It’s too bad nobody came to Valdosta’s two public budget hearings,
because the city prepared
183 slides with details for each
department, including goals and accomplishments.


On

the LAKE website is that presentation sent on request by City Clerk Teresa Bolden,
and
converted to HTML by LAKE.
Plus the actual budget.
No open records requests were required.
Oh, and Valdosta runs garbage collection on a balanced budget
without any exclusive franchises.

Valdosta News PR 20 June 2013,

City Delivers a Balanced Budget:
No property tax increase proposed for citizens,



The Valdosta City Council approved the fiscal year 2014 budget for
the City of Valdosta at the June 20 City Council meeting, after
having the opportunity to hear the proposed budget at the hearings
on June 11 and 12. City staff presented the council with a balanced
budget, as required by the City Charter, possibly one of the most
challenging and difficult budgets prepared in years.



City leaders decreased the overall city budget from $86.2 million to
$77.3 million, a result of Continue reading →

Videos: Water, Sewer, Video Arraignment, and Backups @ LCC 2013-07-08 @ LCC 2013-07-08


Not big enough, I guess:

I don’t have any interest at all in this board enforcing covenants like that.

Commissioner Richard Raines said that at yesterday morning’s Work Session about
a covenant the neighbors want
a rezoning applicant to sign, yet it was Commissioner Raines
who made the motion last fall to let an Exclusive Franchise
with Advanced Disposal Services;
a covenant the county is now trying to enforce by suing
local business Deep South Sanitation.
They said nothing about

that 100 foot wide pipeline barrelling through the county.
They vote tonight, 5:30 PM.

County sound still wasn’t working, going on a month now, back in the videoing pen in the
back of the room, so what you hear is what we hear back there, as recorded by the LAKE camera.

Here’s

the agenda with links to the videos and a few notes.



LOWNDES COUNTY BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS

PROPOSED AGENDA

WORK SESSION, MONDAY, JULY 8, 2013, 8:30 a.m.

REGULAR SESSION, TUESDAY, JULY 9, 2013, 5:30 p.m.

327 N. Ashley Street – 2nd Floor

Continue reading →

Water, Sewer, Video Arraignment, and Backups @ LCC 2013-07-08

A very light agenda for the Lowndes County Commission,
still avoiding topics of public interest, such as

that 100 foot wide pipeline barrelling through the county
and

the county suing a local business to the benefit of a monopoly
owned by investors in New York City.

Here’s

the agenda.



LOWNDES COUNTY BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS

PROPOSED AGENDA

WORK SESSION, MONDAY, JULY 8, 2013, 8:30 a.m.

REGULAR SESSION, TUESDAY, JULY 9, 2013, 5:30 p.m.

327 N. Ashley Street – 2nd Floor

  1. Call to Order

  2. Invocation

  3. Pledge of Allegiance to the Flag

  4. Minutes for Approval

    1. Work Session — June 24, 2013

    2. Regular Session — June 25, 2013
  5. Public Hearing — REZ-2013-07 Leatherwood, 2402 or 2406 James Rd. R-1 and R-21 to R-10, LC Water
    and Sewer, ~0.71 acres

  6. For Consideration

    1. Video Arraignment for Magistrate and Juvenile Court Contract

    2. Enterprise and Backup Storage Solution Scope of Work
  7. Reports-County Manager

  8. Citizens Wishing to be Heard Please State Name And Address

-jsq

Videos: a pipeline! 2 appointments, 3 hearings, 9 considerations, and 2 bids @ LCC 2013-06-25



Got a pipeline aimed at your house?
The county takes no responsibility.
And videos are good for juvenile court, but still not for the Commission.
Lots more; see below.

Here’s

the agenda, with links to the videos and a few notes.
See also

the videos of the previous morning’s Work Session.

LOWNDES COUNTY BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS

PROPOSED AGENDA

WORK SESSION, MONDAY, JUNE 24, 2013, 8:30 a.m.

REGULAR SESSION, TUESDAY, JUNE 25, 2013, 5:30 p.m.

327 N. Ashley Street – 2nd Floor

Continue reading →