Why does the county leave us guessing and not just name who resigned, and say who Michael Smith is? Maybe they’ll say at the Lowndes County Commission Work Session this morning at 8:30 AM, or maybe when they vote tomorrow at 5:30 PM.
“Mr. Michael Smith has expressed interest in being appointed to” the Valdosta-Lowndes County Conference Center And Tourism Authority, says Continue reading
The county held a ceremony for departing Lowndes County Planner Jason Davenport. I asked the person sitting in his former seat, Engineering/Planning Technician Molly Stevenson, if she was confirmed yet. She would only say it was confirmed that she was sitting there right then.
They also had a 911 CALEA Re-Accreditation Presentation and the Chairman recognized Leadership Lowndes.
Citizens Bob Harlan and Fred E. Blanton Jr complained about road conditions. I thanked Utilities Director Steve Stalvey for sending information about recent Lowndes County sewage spills (two in July), and I thanked him advance for sending the NPDES-permit-required followup testing (not yet received).
On the REZ-2018-16 Stovall rezoning, the applicant revealed the reason for the previous restriction when Continue reading
News about the Naylor Boat Ramp in an Engineering Projects Report! Chad McLeod also reported about the 911 center, the North Lowndes Soccer Complex, the fire warehouse classroom, the animal shelter, and the courthouse renovation project, all still to be completed from SPLOST VII funds, which run out next year. Even with that three-and-a-half-minute special engineering report, the whole meeting took ten minutes Monday morning.
Also not on the agenda, HR has a new employee. Also there will be a new traffic signal.
Should the County Manager and the Finance Director be able to approve Continue reading
The most exciting thing last month was the new fire truck, on display outside, seen here driving off with its lights flashing:
See
LAKE video.
This was the most recent Regular Session, because the Lowndes County Commission meetings for the end of August were cancelled.
County Manager Joe Pritchard again said he wanted higher staff approval limits for items in the budget. There was some question about campaign contributions on the Hahira rezoning and annexation; they didn’t know, but they approved it anyway. The longest discussion was on the Intrado phone system, which will have Lowndes County be the first south of Atlanta with text to 911. A suprising number of and variety of Commissioner questions on the 911 radios. The only question on the three utilities items was whether they were in the budget; they are. As usual, they rubberstamped the three Valdosta State Prison work details, with the only question being whether they were getting enough for the money. A: Yes, because prisoners work cheap.
Below are Continue reading
Should the County Manager and the Finance Director be able to approve 2.5 times as much in dollar value on budgeted items as they currently can?
Also a rezoning to reconfigure for two parcels and another to permit personal care homes, plus a 911 CALEA Re-Accreditation Presentation are on the agenda for 8:30 AM this morning at the Work Session and tomorrow evening’s voting Regular Session.
The rezoning REZ-2018-16 Stovall, 6002 N. Oak St. Ext. to permit personal care homes is “as a result of a potential buyer’s interest in developing the property into an assisted living facility”. This same Tuesday, the same property is on ZBOA’s agenda for a variance on the buffer condition.
The 2015-03-10 agenda for the earlier rezoning from R-21 to C-G, Well & Other did not say anything specifically about private care facilities, nor did the Continue reading
ZBOA has on its agenda for Tuesday setbacks for the same Stovall property at 6002 N. Oak Street Ext., Valdosta, that is on the Lowndes County Commission agenda the same day for removal of the prohibition on personal care homes.
Plus a family ties variance in the county and a church setback in Valdosta.
Valdosta – Lowndes County Zoning Board of Appeals
Matt Martin,
Valdosta Planning and Zoning Administrator
300 North Lee Street, Valdosta, Georgia
(229) 259-3563Carmella Braswell,
Lowndes County Zoning Administrator
327 North Ashley Street, Valdosta, Georgia
(229) 671-2430AGENDA
Continue reading
September 11, 2018
2:30 p.m.
The Hahira annexation and rezoning from the Lowndes County Commission meeting two weeks ago (and see comment below) was on the agenda for the Greater Lowndes Planning Commission (GLPC) last night, along with another subdivision, a church expansion, and some industry, in Valdosta and Lowndes County. I did not go, and Gretchen is out of the county, so there is no LAKE video.
You may ask yourself, as I do: why doesn’t the county video GLPC meetings? Or the city of Valdosta? Both have the facilities to do so.
On the
LAKE website,
Hahira annexation and rezoning HA-2018-03, HA-2018-02.
LAKE received this comment yesterday on the Hahira case:
Here is more info on this project which I am proud to bring to the community and which I believe will be a wonderful addition to it that all will feel proud to have. It ties into the community roots, it honors those that came before, and it meets a need today in north Lowndes County and does so in a wall all can feel proud of. I am a concerned citizen like anyone else and that is a big part of why I have gone out of my way with my engineer and planners to create something not only compliant, but that goes well above the line to bring something truly beautiful, that reflects both my family and my community in a way I can hold my up about when I walk around the community. Thank you for your interest. Sincerely, Chris Connell http://www.mcnealestates.com
LAKE does not have a position on this case. We will be happy to publish other comments for or against.
Greater Lowndes Planning Commission
Continue reading
Lowndes County City of Valdosta City of Dasher City of Hahira City of Lake Park
REGULAR MONTHLY MEETING
AGENDA
Monday, August 27, 2018 * 5:30 P.M. * Public Hearing
Lowndes County South Health District Administrative Office
325 West Savannah Avenue
Apparently due to lack of agenda items: Lowndes County website News Flash, 21 August 2018, Commission Meetings Cancelled- August 27/28, 2018,
The Lowndes County Commission Meetings scheduled for Monday, August 27, 2018, at 8:30 am and Tuesday, August 28, 2018, at 5:30 pm, have been cancelled.
-jsq
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!
As Lowndes County Finance Director Stephanie Black always reminds everybody, of the total 8.814 county millage, 1 mil goes to the Development Authority, and 1.25 mils to Valdosta-Lowndes Parks and Recreational Authority. Here is a table from the PDF of her presentation slides.
Property Tax Example City of Valdosta Resident Unincorporated Resident Property Value $200,000 $200,000 Assessed Value (40%) $80,000 $80,000 Homestead Exemption $(6,000) $(6,000) Net Taxable Base $74,000 $74,000 Tax Calculation: Lowndes County — 8.814 PY 8.974 $652 $652 Development Authority — 1.00 $74 $74 Parks & Recreation Authority — 1.25 $93 $93 Lowndes County Schools — 16.541 PY 16.839 $1,224 City of Valdosta — 8.001 PY 8.001 $592 Valdosta City Schools — 16.980 PY 16.980 $1,257 Total Estimated Taxes $2,668 $2,043
Since she made that table, Valdosta actually lowered its millage to 7.916, which in the above example would mean $50.32 less per year, for an example of how little difference these minor millage rollbacks or increases actually mean to taxpayers. The Valdosta Board of Education wants to increase its tax rate (but not its millage).
Last year the Lowndes County Commission voted on the millage during a Regular Session, Tuesday, August 22, 2017.
This year Continue reading
A pipeline much smaller than Sabal Trail destroyed a business in Homerville, Georgia yesterday.
Photo: GA Insurance and Fire Commissioner, of
Coffee Corner demolished, Homerville, GA.
So small the U.S. agency supposedly responsible for safety doesn’t even show it in its maps. A pipeline is owned by Southern Company, and apparently originates on my property, starting from another pipeline half-owned by Southern Company.
That SONAT pipeline in 2014 was snagged by a dirt road ditch puller, sending a plume of dust 300 feet into the air. If there had been a spark, people I’ve known all my life might not have had homes to go back to.
So why does Sabal Trail claim its 500-mile-long IED is safe? And why is Southern Company wasting our resources and risking our safety by buying into pipelines while ramping down its new investments in solar power?
Brunswick Daily News, 17 August 2018, The Latest: Leaking gas blamed for coffee shop explosion, Continue reading