Tag Archives: Lowndes County Commission

$3 million T-SPLOST to widen Val Del Road

In the Lowndes County T-SPLOST boondoggle of the day, the county wants $3 million to widen Val Del Road: all of it that’s in the county, plus adding paved shoulders, and at some intersections turn lanes, plus fiddling with drainage. Nothing in the writeup about promoting new development, although we saw in the proposal for Old US 41 N that that’s exactly what road widening projects are for.

Here’s what Lowndes County submitted for T-SPLOST funding, extracted from the 171 page PDF.

Project Sheet

Continue reading →

$10 million T-SPLOST to widen New Bethel Road for Lanier County sprawl?

Lowndes County wants $10 million dollars in T-SPLOST funds to widen New Bethel Road from 2 to 5 lanes, even though Bemiss Road (GA-125) is right next to it and also connects to GA 122.

That $10 million might save Lanier County residents about one minute getting to Lowndes County to spend their money, while promoting more sprawl of developments into Lanier County.

It would cost a lot less to put a four-way stop or a light at Walker’s Crossing where GA-122 and GA-125 meet.

The details of this $10 million boondoggle are appended below, extracted from this 171 page PDF.

-jsq

Project Sheet

Continue reading →

Animal cruelty does not require malicious intent to be illegal

A blog called Rattlin’ Georgia’s Cages wrote at some unspecified date recently:
I beg to differ with Mr. Pritchard’s opinion regarding “malicious intent”.

Lowndes County Manager Joe Pritchard says, “I don’t believe through our investigation, nor through any info we received from the Department of Ag, are able to indicate any malicious intent.”

Mr. Pritchard should understand that it matters not if this was done with “malicious intent” or not. “Malicous intent” should be determined by the investigating criminal agency, not a county manager. “Malicious Intent” is only important in determining whether the crime should be filed as a felony, or a misdemeanor.

The law is crystal clear regarding the denial of necessary medical care, and/or humane euthanasia, for any animal deemed to be in need of such. Any time a shelter impounds/houses a live animal, the shelter is required, by law, to afford that animal with humane care – to include necessary medical care or treatment.

The blogger then goes on to quote Georgia Code, which only brings in the word “maliciously” for higher fines or imprisonment for aggravated cruelty to animals.

The blogger summarizes: Continue reading →

VLCIA land accounting

Chairman Jerry Jennett is asking for an accounting of the land VLCIA has bought using their $3 million a year in dedicated 1 mil property tax and $15 million in bonds that Lowndes County guaranteed for them. And it seems that much of it is in lots too small to be useful.

While the VLCIA board was approving minutes for their 17 May 2011 regular meeting, Chairman Jennett said this:

On the last page, where we’re talking about the industrial park acreage, this is real good the way you’ve presented this, it shows Azalea West 17 acres Lake Park 10, Hahira 10, [?] 165, Miller 220, West Side 155.

Let me ask you that in future you do one more thing. That you tell me how many 100 acre sites you have, how many 50 acre sites you have, and how many 25 acre sites you have,

[Col. Ricketts made some response.]

Then I’m going to assume that everything else is ones, fives, and tens. And my point would be that we track those, and that when someone comes with a project that and they need 200 acres, we can’t do it. But I think there might be room for at least one and maybe two 100s. I think that’s important when we think about people….

It’s good Chairman Jennett is having Col. Ricketts keep track of all this land VLCIA has acquired. He started on this project at Brad Lofton’s last board meeting, when he asked Lofton about lot sizes. I look forward to the results.

Incidentally, while that list Chairman Jennett read does add up Continue reading →

How did Lowndes County approve a contract with VLCIA that could force raising taxes?

We’ve seen that the inter-governmental contract between Lowndes County and the Valdosta-Lowndes County Industrial Authority (VLCIA) could force the county to raise taxes to pay for VLCIA’s debts. How did the county pass such a thing? Apparently in a rush, with little review.

Matt Flumerfelt wrote in the VDT 19 November 2008, County approves bond issue:

LOWNDES COUNTY — The Lowndes County Commission heard a presentation Tuesday evening from Glenn Thomson, Alston & Bird LLP regarding a bond issue the County has entered into for the purpose of providing needed funding for the Valdosta-Lowndes County Industrial Authority.

After the presentation, a vote was taken accepting the issue and Lowndes County Commission Chairman Rod Casey, County Attorney Walter Elliott and County Clerk Paige Dukes adjourned to an adjoining chamber to complete the signing of the documents that will enable the Industrial Authority to negotiate for the acquisition of property pursuant to their mission of attracting manufacturing and other businesses to Lowndes County.

Bond Counsel, Glenn Thomson, stated, “Mr. Chairman and Commission, I would like to take this opportunity to thank you for your time and brag on your staff and consultants. Your staff put this transaction together very quickly. In fact, the underwriter’s counsel remarked that he had never encountered county employees and staff that had worked so diligently and that due to their preparedness and hard work, he was able to put his information together in near record time. Their performance and that of County Attorney, Walter Elliott, who worked tirelessly on this project as well, is a tremendous credit to those responsible for managing the business of the county.”

Why was it necessary to put together a guarantee for a $15 million dollar bond issue in “near record time”? Continue reading →

Industrial Authority debts could force Lowndes County to raise taxes

A mil here, a mil there; soon we’re into real money! Can the Valdosta-Lowndes County Industrial Authority (VLCIA) commit we the local taxpayers to a $150 million bond issue for a private company like the Macon-Bibb County Industrial Authority just did? Maybe.

VLCIA has already issued $15 million in bonds for which apparently the Lowndes County Commission has committed the county, that is, we the taxpayers, to pay the debt service. That comes out of VLCIA’s one mil of dedicated tax income. But according to the intergovernmental contract, it’s actually not even just from VLCIA’s current millage:

Section 4.4 Security for Contract Payments and for Bonds.

(a) The obligation of the County to make the payments required pursuant to Section 4.1(a) hereof shall be a general obligation of the County for which its full faith and credit is pledged, and shall be payable from any lafully available funds, subject to the Tax Funding Limit. In particular, the County agrees to levy an annual tax on all taxable property located within its boundaries, as now existent and as the same may be extended, at such rate or rates, as limited by the Tax Funding Limit, as and when it may be necessary to provide the County with sufficient revenues to make all payments required to be made by the County under this Contract.
The current VLCIA millage is one mil, or about $3 million a year, collected by the county in property taxes and handed over to VLCIA.

But VLCIA’s charter says (in Section 5): Continue reading →

I am disappointed these matters are being swept under the rug —Susan Leavens

These comments came in yesterday and today on Find out the truth about allegations of animal cruelty and abuse. -jsq

Yesterday:

Tomorrow will be a week and I have had no response! Very disappointing.

-Jane Osborn

Today:

Mrs. Osborn,

Thank you so much for your support. The County manager and several county employees interviewed all the workers after a drug screen was conducted on all employees back in late august of 2010. Several (4) employees advised the people conducting the investigation (Joe Prichard, Mickey Tillman, Page Dukes and Suzanne Pittman) of the charges brought to the Department of Agriculture. From the

Continue reading →

I think that addresses the issues —Joe Pritchard

In David Rodock’s VDT story on the animal shelter tour Joe Pritchard made the case for cameras:
“It’s no longer a case of an individual making a claim, as it will be evident by the physical evidence provided by the security cameras,” said Pritchard. “The standard operating procedures such as frequency of inspection of the animals and how often an animal will be reviewed or examined, along with the veterinarian care, have been revised to the general procedures set by guidelines of the Department of Agriculture and the animal control ordinance we adopted several years ago.”

“You take that policy, coupled with the updated standard operating procedures, added to the technical verification and I think that addresses the issues,” said Pritchard. “My purpose is to eliminate any problem or potential problem.”

Sounds to me like he’s saying the issues are resolved. Remember, “resolved” is the word Chairman Paulk used a few hours before.

If anyone is interested in watching the watchers, the animal control ordinance is online.

-jsq

VDT incorporates video into animal shelter tour report

Guess they thought a good time to start in-line YouTube video was when they could show kitties and puppies. Hey, if that gets the VDT doing video, I’m for it!

David Rodock wrote 26 May 2011, Tour of the Lowndes County Animal Shelter

As promised at Tuesday’s Lowndes County Board of Commissioners meeting, the Lowndes County Animal Shelter (LCAS) allowed the public the opportunity Wednesday afternoon to get a behind-the-scenes look at the facility that has recently come under fire.

Employees, both past and present, have accused several shelter employees of inhumane treatment of animals, the mishandling of tranquilizers and illegal operating procedures.

At least two of the speakers at the commission earlier in the day took the tour: Jessica Bryan Hughes and Judy Havercamp.

One of the visitors summed it up: Continue reading →

Find out the truth about allegations of animal cruelty and abuse —Jane Osborn

This came in to the submission address Thursday. More in this topic and this VDT story. -jsq
From: “Jane Osborn”
Date: Thu, 26 May 2011 23:21:09 -0400
Subject: criminal issues

Here is what I just sent to the Sheriff’s office by email:

I wanted to ask if someone who witnessed the alleged abuse of animals at the Lowndes County Animal Shelter has to make a direct report to law enforcement for an investigation to be started or if second-hand information from the media would be good enough. I will include a link to a video of the testimony of a shelter officer at the Lowndes County Commission meeting this week. I am under the impression that animal abuse is a criminal offense and that just having these reports go to the Department of Agriculture will only result in a fine for the shelter, not resolution of possible criminal wrongdoing.

Here is the link: http://lake.typepad.com/on-the-lake-front/2011/05/neglect-abuse-suffering-falsifying-documents-susan-leavins-lcc-24-may-2011.html

Please let me know if it is possible for a criminal investigation can be started to find out the truth about allegations of animal cruelty and abuse.

Thank you. Jane Osborn

If the commissioners will not handle this, perhaps law enforcement will. Jane

Jane F. Osborn, MSSW
Valdosta, GA