Tag Archives: Lowndes County

Videos: Recognitions, Extension Office, Raise waste collection rates, Howell Road halfway house rezoning, appointments to 3 boards @ LCC Work 2023-04-10

Update 2023-04-24: Videos: Howell Road Halfway House approved in split vote @ LCC Regular 2023-04-11.

Yesterday the Lowndes County Commissioners had no discussion about what Chairman Bill Slaughter referred to as “One public hearing item that just will not go away.” That’s 7.a. REZ-2022-10 Campus Transitional Care, 2193 Howell Road, E-A to P-D. The Commissioners vote at the Regular Session this evening at 5:30 PM. They can make it go away for at least a year by denying the rezoning.

[Collage @ LCC 10 April 2023]
Collage @ LCC 10 April 2023

On 8.b. Amend 2015 Solid Waste Ordinance, Gretchen remarked: “In my mind, it seems super inconvenient to shorten the hours of the collection sites on Monday and Friday. If someone works 8-5, then getting their recycling there by 6 is not possible.

“Oh, but this isn’t for the health, safety and well being of the citizens, Continue reading →

Packet: Raise waste collection rates, appointments to 3 boards, crop sprayer for wastewater sprayfield @ LCC 2023-04-10

It’s back: the Howell Road halfway house rezoning, after being tabled last time, waiting for a full Commission. The Lowndes County Commission will vote on it tomorrow evening at 5:30 PM.

All the same opposition letters and petition signatures are included in the board packet. Staff still recommends approval, although the Planning Commission recommended denial by 7:3.

[Collage, LCC Packet 2023-04-10]
Collage, LCC Packet 2023-04-10

The Letter of Intent from Redeemed Living includes this: “Redeemed Residents are required to maintain full time employment, attend weekly recovery meetings, and become an active member at a Church of their choosing.” Is that establishment of religion? Continue reading →

Packet: Raise waste collection rates, appointments to 3 boards, crop sprayer for wastewater hayfield @ LCC 2023-04-10

It’s back: the Howell Road halfway house rezoning, after being tabled last time, waiting for a full Commission. The Lowndes County Commission will vote on it tomorrow evening at 5:30 PM.

All the same opposition letters and petition signatures are included in the board packet. Staff still recommends approval, although the Planning Commission recommended denial by 7:3.

[Collage, LCC Packet 2023-04-10]
Collage, LCC Packet 2023-04-10

The Letter of Intent from Redeemed Living includes this: “Redeemed Residents are required to maintain full time employment, attend weekly recovery meetings, and become an active member at a Church of their choosing.” Is that establishment of religion? Continue reading →

Videos: James Road rezoning and three water projects @ LCC 2023-03-14

The contentious James Road rezoning passed by 3:2, on March 14, 2023. After speakers for and against, and questions from Lowndes County Commissioners, Commissioner Clay Griner made the motion, and Commissioner Mark Wisenbaker seconded. They and Commissioner Scottie Orenstein voted in favor. Commissioners Joyce Evans and Demarcus Marshall voted against.

[Collage @ LCC 14 March 2023]
Collage @ LCC 14 March 2023

Everything else passed unanimously, including the $1.2 million for three water projects, two for subdivisions with golf clubs, and the most expensive one to run a watermain up Val Del Road, enticing more subdivisions up that way.

Cost What
$980,051.00Val-Del Water Main Extension
$225,910.30Francis Lake Sewer Rehab
$26,585.50Kinderlou Offsite Well Emergency Repair
$1,232,546.80Total

Below are links to each LAKE video of each agenda item, with a few notes by Gretchen Quarterman, followed by a LAKE video playlist.

See also Continue reading →

Packet: James Road rezoning and three water projects @ LCC 2023-03-13

Update 2023-04-04: Videos: James Road rezoning and three water projects @ LCC 2023-03-14.

The board packet for the March 13 and 14, 2023, sessions of the Lowndes County Commission is on the LAKE website, received in response to a LAKE open records request.

[Collage, Board Packet, LCC 2023-03-13]
Collage, Board Packet, LCC 2023-03-13

It is still mysterious why the county does not put its board packets on its own website. Under Agenda Center for each County Commission agenda there is even a pulldown slot for “Packet”. That currently has only the agenda and the one-page agenda sheets. There is no reason it could not instead have the PDF of the entire board packet.

See also the LAKE videos of the Regular Session, the LAKE videos of the Work Session, the agenda, the minutes, and the preceding Planning Commission meeting.

-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!
http://www.l-a-k-e.org/blog/donate

Videos: Howell Road Halfway House tabled @ LCC Regular 2023-03-28

Update 2023-04-10: Packet: Raise waste collection rates, appointments to 3 boards, crop sprayer for wastewater hayfield @ LCC 2023-04-10.

As suggested by Commissioner Mark Wisenbaker yesterday, the rezoning was tabled until the next Lowndes County Commission meeting: 6.a. REZ-2022-10 The Campus Transitional Care Facility, 2193 Howell Road. It was tabled before the Public Hearing, so I would guess that means they have to send out notice again for a Public Hearing. The motion to table was by Commissioner Wisenbaker, second by Commissioner Scottie Orenstein, and it passed unanimously by the four voting Commissioners present. Commissioner Clay Griner was not there, which was the purpose of tabling: wait until all five Commissioners are there.

Interestingly, most of the people who came for the Howell Road public hearing stayed to the end. They didn’t leave when the item was tabled. This was very unusual.

[Collage @ LCC 28 March 2023]
Collage @ LCC 28 March 2023

The Land Bank Authority appointment was also tabled until the first meeting in April, due to lack of nominations.

Everything else passed unanimously.

On the waste collection franchises by Continue reading →

Agenda: Four Valdosta cases @ GLPC 2023-03-27

Update 2023-03-29: Videos: Four Valdosta cases @ GLPC 2023-03-27.

All four Planning Commission cases for tonight are Valdosta cases.

[Agenda, cases, GLPC 2023-03-27]
Agenda, cases, GLPC 2023-03-27

Here is the agenda.

Thanks to Valdosta City Planner for sending those board packet items, which are on the LAKE website.

When we get the minutes for the previous GLPC meeting from Lowndes County, we will put that there, too.

Update 2023-03-29: those previous minutes are in the post with the LAKE videos of the most recent GLPC session.

Greater Lowndes Planning Commission ~ Lowndes County ~ City of Valdosta ~ City of Dasher ~
~ City of Hahira ~ City of Lake Park ~ City of Remerton ~
Monday, March 20, 2023 5:30 P.M. Work Session
Monday, March 27, 2023 5:30 P.M. Regular Session
Lowndes County South Health District Administrative Office
325 West Savannah Avenue, Valdosta, Georgia

Continue reading →

Videos: Four Valdosta cases @ GLPC 2023-03-27

All four cases got recommendations from the Greater Lowndes Planning Commission (GLPC) for approval by the Valdosta Mayor and Council. However, all but the first and last were on split votes, and the last had one Commissioner recuse himself.

[Collage @ GLPC 27 March 2023]
Collage @ GLPC 27 March 2023

Below are links to each LAKE video of each agenda item, with a few notes by Gretchen Quarterman, followed by a LAKE video playlist.

See also the agenda and the board packet items for the Valdosta cases. Lowndes County later sent the minutes of the previous GLPC meeting in response to a LAKE open records request, after only one reminder. Continue reading →

Packet: Howell Road rezoning, Trash colleciton centers, Windstream Broadband map @ LCC 2023-03-27

Update 2023-03-30: Videos: Howell Road Halfway House tabled @ LCC Regular 2023-03-28.

The Lowndes County Commission board packet for this week’s meetings contains no letters supporting the Howell Road halfway house rezoning. It does contain eleven opposition letters plus 31 pages of opposition petition signatures, which at about a dozen a page comes to somewhere around 372 signatures. Commissioners will decide tomorrow evening at 5:30 PM, after a Public Hearing.

[Howell Road rezoning, Trash colleciton centers, Windstream Broadband map @ LCC Packet 2023-03-27]
Howell Road rezoning, Trash colleciton centers, Windstream Broadband map @ LCC Packet 2023-03-27

The packet, received in response to a LAKE open records request, is on the LAKE website.

See also the agenda and the LAKE videos of this morning’s Work Session.

-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!
http://www.l-a-k-e.org/blog/donate

Videos: Howell Road Halfway House @ LCC Work 2023-03-27

Update 2023-03-27: Packet: Howell Road rezoning, Trash colleciton centers, Windstream Broadband map @ LCC 2023-03-27.

Commissioner Wisenbaker asked this morning whether they could table 6.a. REZ-2022-10 Campus Transitional Care Facility 2193 Howell Road, E-A to P-D. He was concerned that Commissioner Clay Griner will not be present, so once again the Chairman may have to break a tie, as happened last year in the vote that they later had to rescind because they did not give proper notice of the Public Hearing.

Answer from Chairman Bill Slaughter and the Attorney: yes, Commissioners can move and vote to table.

Does this mean they’ve all already made up their minds before they even listen to the Public Hearing tomorrow evening?

[Collage @ LCC 27 March 2023]
Collage @ LCC 27 March 2023

Both DSS and ADS asked for a trash pickup fee increase from $20 to $25/month, and deposit center hours changed from 7AM to 7PM to 8AM to 6PM. According to the Chairman, those things will not change yet, rather they will be addressed in the retreat. Also, Deep South Sanitation has 6,900 customers and Advanced Disposal Services has 9,000.

Below are links to each LAKE video of each agenda item, with a few notes by Gretchen Quarterman, followed by a LAKE video playlist.

See also the agenda and agenda sheets. Continue reading →