Tag Archives: Lowndes County Commission

Two rezonings and a beer and wine license @ LCC Packet 2025-07-07

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The split-vote rezoning for “a large warehouse-type campus” has arrived from the Planning Commission: REZ-2025-11 Langdale Capital Assets, Coleman Road, ~719 ac, C-C, R-1, & CON, to M-1 & CON, County Utilities.

The Lowndes County Commission will also consider a rezoning for an RV park north of Hahira, REZ-2025-10 Cain Property, 6261 US HWY 41 N, ~21ac, R-21 to PD-R, Well & Septic.

And Beer & Wine License – Mustapha Ndure of Wawa Southeast, LLC DBA WAWA Store #6308 located at 4598 North Valdosta Rd., Valdosta, GA.

[Collage @ LCC Packet 2025-07-07]
Collage @ LCC Packet 2025-07-07

The seven conditions that the Planning Commission recommended by a 4:3 vote for the warehouse rezoning are: Continue reading →

Videos: Two Lowndes County rezonings @ GLPC 2025-06-30

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The first rezoning sailed through the Planning Commission Monday evening. They unanimously recommended approval for 3. REZ-2025-10 Cain Property, 6261 U S Highway 41 R-21 to PD-R.

[Collage @ GLPC 30 June 2025]
Collage @ GLPC 30 June 2025

Speaking for the second rezoning, 4. REZ-2025-11 Langdale Capital Assets, Coleman Rd C-C R-1 CON to M-1 CON, Pope Langdale said that because of the railroad, which also often has a train parked on it, something would have to change to enable developing the part east of the railroad.

[Pope Langdale spoke for REZ-2025-11]
Pope Langdale spoke for REZ-2025-11

What could change is they could get access from US 41 through Continue reading →

Videos: Special Called Meeting to adopt FY 2026 Budget @ LCC 2025-06-30

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Only two voting Commissioners were present: Demarcus Marshall and Michael Smith.

Commissioner Scottie Orenstein rushed in to complete a quorum of the Lowndes County Commission.

Commissioners Joyce Evans and Mark Wisenbaker were absent.

Apparently there was an agenda, although it is not on the county’s website.

At the end Chairman Bill Slaughter mentioned they would set the millage once they got the tax digest.

[Collage @ LCC 30 June 2025]
Collage @ LCC 30 June 2025

This meeting took four and a half minutes, even counting the minute saying they would recess until there was a quorum, and the 45 seconds of Chairman’s comments at the end thanking Finance Director Stephanie Black.

It is still mysterious why they couldn’t schedule this vote to be during their Regular Session last week, and why they only announce this Monday morning meeting Friday afternoon.

Below are Continue reading →

Notice: Special Called Meeting to adopt FY 2026 Budget @ LCC 2025-06-30

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Update 2025-06-30: Videos: Special Called Meeting to adopt FY 2026 Budget @ LCC 2025-06-30.

Lowndes County announced this 8:30 AM Monday meeting on Friday afternoon.

Why they have to have it during a workday is mysterious.

I hear they have to adopt the budget by the end of the month, but they could have scheduled the previous Public Hearing early enough to adopt the budget at last week’s Regular Session.

And if they knew they had to adopt by the end of the month, they could have announced the date of adoption at the Public Hearing.

[Notice: Special Called Meeting, to adopt FY 2026 Budget, Announced Friday, @ LCC Monday 2025-06-30]
Notice: Special Called Meeting, to adopt FY 2026 Budget, Announced Friday, @ LCC Monday 2025-06-30

For the LAKE videos of the Public Hearing and the presentation slides, see previous post.
http://www.l-a-k-e.org/blog/?p=25068

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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!
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Packet: Two Lowndes County rezoning materials @ GLPC 2025-06-30

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As promised, JD Dillard and BOC Records provided the packet materials for the two county rezonings on the agenda for the Monday evening Greater Lowndes Planning Commission (GLPC) meeting. Staff wants conditions on one, but not the other.

[An RV park and a large warehouse type campus @ GLPC 2025-06-30]
An RV park and a large warehouse type campus @ GLPC 2025-06-30

Staff lists conditions, but does not propose including them as conditions in approval, for the RV park north of Hahira halfway to Cecil, in the watershed of Franks Creek, which goes to the Little River. Continue reading →

Agenda: Two Lowndes County rezonings @ GLPC 2025-06-30

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Update 2025-06-26: Packet: RV Park and Warehouse Campus Lowndes County rezoning materials @ GLPC 2025-06-30.

Two county rezonings are the only action items on the agenda for the Greater Lowndes Planning Commission (GLPC) for Monday evening at 5:30 PM.

[Two Lowndes County rezonings, @ GLPC 2025-06-30, Cain, 6161 US 41 N, Langdale CA, Coleman Road]
Two Lowndes County rezonings, @ GLPC 2025-06-30, Cain, 6161 US 41 N, Langdale CA, Coleman Road

One is north of Hahira halfway to Cecil, in the watershed of Franks Creek, which goes to the Little River.

The other is directly across the Withlacoochee River from Langdale Park, on Coleman Road off of North Valdosta Road. Presumably the part proposed for M-1 (Light Manufacturing) zoning is next to Coleman Road, not next to the river. We will know after the County Planner finishes the board packet materials.

Meanwhile I have included maps of the subject properties from the Lowndes County Tax Assessors.

Here is the agenda.

According to Lowndes County Planner JD Dillard this morning at 8:55 AM, “The board packets have not been completed yet. Once available, I will send them to the BOC Records.”

Presumably then BOC Records will send them to LAKE to finish their response to the LAKE open records request. After we get them, I will publish them.

So far, the agenda and the Minutes of the previous GLPC meeting are on the LAKE website. Continue reading →

Videos: Budget Public Hearing @ LCC 2025-06-23

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Update 2025-06-29: Notice: Special Called Meeting to adopt FY 2026 Budget @ LCC 2025-06-30.

The 2024 millage of 5.283 is little more than half the 8.974 it was in 2017. Not counting the 2.5 mils of fire tax on unincorporated Lowndes County since 2021, and of course the 1 mil to the Industrial Authority and the 1.25 mils to Parks and Rec, which have not changed since 2008.

About 85% of the county’s revenues come from taxes. About 57% of that comes from property taxes, and about 31% Local Option Sales Tax (LOST).

Of expenditures, about 41% goes to Public Safety (Sheriff Department, Jail, etc.), about 12% to Juducial (courts), and about 18% to General Government.

[Collage @ LCC Budget Hearing 23 June 2025]
Collage @ LCC Budget Hearing 23 June 2025

Commissioner Demarcus Marshall asked how the rising cost of gasoline was dealt with. Finance Director Stephanie Black said there was some leeway built into the budget, but if the price rise exceeds that, at the end of the year, additional funds would have to be allocated.

Commissioner Scottie Orenstein wondered about the fire services budget. FD Black said it is going down 10%, because new fire trucks were moved into a SPLOST line item.

County Manager Paige Dukes said a few words about property assessments that were mailed out by Tax Assessors staff. I think this was about the recent opt-out of the county from the statewide homestead exemption (the county actually has better homestead exemptions).

Almost no citizens attended, and none asked any questions.

Below is the LAKE video of the session, with a few notes by Gretchen Quarterman, followed by a LAKE video playlist of this Lowndes County Commission presentation at 9AM this morning.

See also Continue reading →

Budget Public Hearing @ LCC 2025-06-23

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Update 2025-06-23: Videos: Budget Public Hearing @ LCC 2025-06-23.

Monday morning after their Work Session, the Lowndes County Commission is holding a Public Hearing on its Fiscal Year 2026 proposed budget.

As usual with no posted agenda and no public copy of the proposed agenda.

Here’s the notice in the county’s calendar.

[Budget Public Hearing, Lowndes COunty Commission, 9 AM, 2025-06-23]
Budget Public Hearing, Lowndes COunty Commission, 9 AM, 2025-06-23

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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!
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Half a million or zero dollars for the bar Lowndes County bought with no agenda item? 2024-07-09

Did the Lowndes County Commission spend nothing or half a million dollars to buy an old bar in Lake Park? And why did they vote to buy it after an Executive Session, with no item entered on a public meeting agenda?

Where did the money come from? Apparently, it did not come from SPLOST. Since the property is to be repurposed for a fire station, did it come from the special fire tax?

[Half a million or zero for the bar Lowndes County bought with no agenda item?, Rascal's into a fire station]
Half a million or zero for the bar Lowndes County bought with no agenda item?, Rascal’s into a fire station

The only times I see Rascal’s appearing in Lowndes County Commission meetings of the past five years is in this week’s meetings of June 9 and 10, 2025, in April 2023, and in March 2025.

April 2023 Liquor license for Rascal’s become Twin Lake Club and Grill

Continue reading →

Videos: Rascal’s, VLPRA & DFCS appointments, two rezonings, Hazard Mitigation, $1 million Custom Pumper, $4.7 million Fire Rescue @ LCC Regular 2025-06-10

Update 2025-06-11: Half a million or zero dollars for the bar Lowndes County bought with no agenda item? 2024-07-09.

In Citizens Wishing to be Heard, Gretchen Quarterman spoke about Transparency and the purchase of Rascals, wondering why Lowndes County Commission approval of that purchase was not a lot more visible, instead of being recorded only in Minutes as a vote that took place after an Executive Session and everybody else had left. See below for more detail.

Kelly Saxon spoke about affordable housing, including asking for a town hall and a telephone contact.

The Lowndes County Commissioners at their Regular Session last night added an item, Chairman – Add agenda item to repair Hahira Health Dept (8b). That’s more than they did for the Rascal’s purchase back in July 2024. More on that in a later post.

[Collage @ LCC 10 June 2025]
Collage @ LCC 10 June 2025

Last night, they unanimously approved all the agenda items, including reappointing the incumbents to the two boards.

Nobody spoke against either of the two rezonings.

For 7.b. Purchase of one (1) Sutphen Heavy Duty Custom Pumper, they mentioned that prices had doubled, and locking in a price now would avoid further price increases.

In her Reports, County Manager Paige Dukes recognized Kellerman Construction and Jimmy Cone for their work on 8.a. Bid – A New Facility for Lowndes County Fire Rescue No. 4.

Earlier, Chairman Bill Slaughter called for Leadership Lowndes to be recognized, but, maybe for the first time ever, there were none present.

Commissioner Demarcus Marshall was absent from this meeting.

Here are LAKE videos of each Work Session agenda item, with a few notes by Gretchen Quarterman, followed by a LAKE video playlist.

See also the Continue reading →