Tag Archives: public works

Packet: Airport, Aging, Community Service Board Appointments, $1,677,028.92 LMIG funds from GDOT @ LCC 2025-05-27

The board packet for the Tuesday Work and Regular Sessions of the Lowndes County Commission, received in response to a LAKE open records request, is on the LAKE website.

[Packet: Airport, Aging, Service, Board Appointments @ LCC 2025-05-27, $1,677,028.92 LRA funds via GDOT LMIG, Public Works mini-excavator bid]
Packet: Airport, Aging, Service, Board Appointments @ LCC 2025-05-27, $1,677,028.92 LRA funds via GDOT LMIG, Public Works mini-excavator bid

Images of each page of the packet are below.

See also the LAKE videos of the Tuesday evening Regular Session, the LAKE videos of the same morning’s Work Session and the agenda.

-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

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Videos: Airport, Aging, Community Service Board Appointments, $1,677,028.92 LMIG funds from GDOT @ LCC Regular 2025-05-27

Commissioner Joyce Evans was absent at both the morning’s Work Session and the evening’s Regular Session, but they appointed her to two boards anyway.

At the Tuesday evening Regular Session, the Lowndes County Commission approved everything unanimously, including appointing Jeff Sykes to the Airport Authority, and “Miss Evans” to the Aging and Community Services Boards.

County Manager Paige Dukes said the opening on the Community Services Board was because Chairman Bill Slaughter had been appointed to a statewise board, and thus could not continue to serve on a local board.

[Collage @ LCC Regular 27 May 2025]
Collage @ LCC Regular 27 May 2025

Director of Engineering Services Chad McLeod clarified which parts of which roads would be resurfaced if the county gets the GDOT LRA funds.

Finance Director Stephanie Black said it’s a mid-size excavator that Public Works wants, following up from discussion in the Work Session.

County Manager Paige Dukes said Val Del Road work began at North Valdosta Road that day (yesterday) and there’s a county facebook page about it. She indicated a meeting with FEMA and a need to deal with less federal funds and more local preparedness. She also talked about SPLOST IX, the Metropolitan Planning Organization, the civic center, and emergency operations, rattling off a string of dates. Seems like she could provide a written report if she expects people to remember those dates. She did say the bicentennial dates would be updated on the county’s website, although I cannot find them there.

Commissioner Demarcus Marshall Scottie Orenstein wanted to know if there was any update on the animal shelter. Chad McLeod said the RFP was 90% approved.

There were no Citizens Wishing to Be Heard.

Below are LAKE videos of each agenda item, with a few notes by John S. Quarterman, followed by a LAKE video playlist. There are some one-second gaps between videos, because I was using my phone, which does not cycle off and on quickly enough. Plus one towards the beginning of the Minutes item, because I accidentally bumped it off and had to turn it back on.

See also the Continue reading

Packet: Lowndes County Commission Annual Planning Meeting 2025-03-05

Update 2025-03-23: Packet: Utilities in Lowndes County Commission Annual Planning Meeting 2025-03-06.

Here is what we got in response to an open records request for the agenda and board packet for the Lowndes County, Georgia, three-day Annual Planning Meeting, which you may recall was held on Jekyll Island with one day’s notice to the public.

There are packet materials for many of the agenda items, including Finance (in some detail), SPLOST VIII, VLPRA (in great detail), TIA I and II, Comprehensive Plan, and E-911.

[Lowndes County Commission, Annual Retreat 2025-03-05-7, Agenda and Board Packet]
Lowndes County Commission, Annual Retreat 2025-03-05-7, Agenda and Board Packet

I don’t seem to see materials for South Health DIstrict, Utilities, Public Works, or Lowndes County Fire Rescue. If any of those are in here, somebody please point them out.

Not listed on the agenda there are long sections by the Engineering Department, and lists of the U.S. Senate Armed Services Committee staff.

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

Agenda:

Lowndes County Board of Commissioners
2025 Annual Planning Meeting Agenda
March 5 1:00 p.m. — 4:30 p.m.*
March 6 8:30 a.m. — 4:30 p.m.*
March 7 8:30 a.m. — 1:00 p.m.*
(*times may vary based on length of discussion)
The Westin — Jekyll Island
110 Ocean Way, Jekyll Island, Georgia

Wednesday-
1:00 p.m. Finance
2:30 p.m. SPLOST VIII
3:00 p.m. SPLOST IX
Thursday-
8:30 a.m. VLPRA
10:00 a.m. South Health District
11:00 a.m. TIA I
11:30 a.m. TIA II
12:00 noon Lunch
12:45 p.m. Utilities
2:00 p.m. Public Works
3:00 p.m. Comprehensive Plan Review
Friday-
8:30 a.m. Lowndes County Fire Rescue
9:30 a.m. E-911
Continue reading

Videos: Tourism Authority appointments, rezonings, water repairs, hurricane damage @ LCC Regular 2024-12-10

At their December 10, 2024, Regular Session, the Lowndes County Commission reappointed Rick Williams to the 5.a. Valdosta Lowndes County Conference Center and Tourism Authority, and appointed Amanda Peacock to replace Michael Smith (who was recently elected to join the Lowndes County Commission in 2025)

[Collage @ LCC 10 December 2024]
Collage @ LCC 10 December 2024

There was quite a bit of opposition to 6.a. REZ-2024-18 LSO Invest, 3910 Old US 41 N, ~0.93ac, R-21 to C-C. Previously, GLPC recommended Denial 7:1. Lowndes County Commissioner Scottie Orenstein recused himself. The other County Commissioners unanimously approved this rezoning. Disgruntled citizens filed out, with grumbling and finger pointing at a certain Commissioner.

The applicant withdrew 6.c. REZ-2024-20 Wilson Estate, 5917 Thunder Bowl Rd., ~1.7ac, E-A to R-1.

The Lowndes County Commissioners unanimously approved everything else.

Not on the agenda: Continue reading

Packet: Tourism Authority appointments, rezonings, water repairs, hurricane damage @ LCC 2024-12-09

Update 2025-01-14: Videos: Tourism Authority appointments, rezonings, water repairs, hurricane damage @ LCC Regular 2024-12-10.

The board packet for the Lowndes County Commission meetings of December 9 and 10, 2024, received in response to a LAKE open records request, is on the LAKE website.

[Collage, Packet @ LCC 2024-12-09]
Collage, Packet @ LCC 2024-12-09

See also the agenda and the LAKE videos of the December 9 Work Session.

Plus the packet and LAKE videos of 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

Continue reading

Videos: Tourism Authority appointments, rezonings, water repairs, hurricane damage @ LCC Work 2024-12-09

Update 2024-12-23: Packet: Tourism Authority appointments, rezonings, water repairs, hurricane damage @ LCC 2024-12-09.

Almost an hour might be a record for the Lowndes County Commission Work Session yesterday morning.

Part of that was three Special Recognitions and a twelve-minute Special Report – Ashley Tye and FEMA Deputy Director, none of them on the agenda.

[Collage @ LCC 9 December 2024]
Collage @ LCC 9 December 2024

The longest actual agenda item was 6.a. REZ-2024-18 LSO Invest, 3910 Old US 41 N, ~0.93ac, R-21 to C-C at three and a half minutes. Remember the Planning Commission voted 7-1 to recommend denial, and I hear the underlying applicant is a County Commissioner.

Then the $3,068,176.54 TSPLOST project, 8.a. PI# 0016279 TIA-07 Coleman Road NW Paving and Drainage Improvements Bids, at three minutes.

All others took less than two minutes each.

They vote tonight at 5:30 PM.

Below are LAKE videos of each agenda item (or Special Recognition), with a few notes by Gretchen Quarterman, followed by a LAKE video playlist.

See also the agenda. Continue reading

Agenda: Tourism Authority appointments, rezonings, water repairs, hurricane damage @ LCC 2024-12-09

The Lowndes County Commission be busy Monday morning at their Work Session and Tuesday evening at their voting Regular Session.

[Collage @ LCC 2024-12-09]
Collage @ LCC 2024-12-09

It will be interesting to see what they do with REZ-2024-18 LSO Invest, 3910 Old US 41 N, since the Planning Commission voted 7-1 to recommend denial, and I hear the underlying applicant is a County Commissioner.

They will vote on two members for the Valdosta Lowndes County Conference Center and Tourism Authority, one reappointment, and one to replace Michael Smith, who was elected to the Lowndes County Commission.

They will also be voting on close to $5 million, most of it in one paving project, of Coleman Road NW, that one using TSPLOST funds.

The other big ticket items are hurricane damage repair, new motor graders, and several kinds of insurance. Continue reading

Videos: Mayor announces first trash trap, committees for ARPA funds @ VCC 2022-05-19

Update 2022-06-23: Videos: Process for non-profit applications for ARPA funds 2022-05-27.

Update 2022-06-21: Valdosta Watergoat installed in Sugar Creek 2022-06-21.

Council Sonny Vickers was welcomed back warmly after abscence due to illness (I welcomed him before the meeting). Later, he thanked staff and council for their assistance.

[Collage]
Collage

Mayor Scott James added two council members each as observers to each of the ARPA fund disbursment committees, for non-profits and for for-profit businesses.

After Suwannee Riverkeeper John S. Quarterman asked for action about trash, Council Andy Gibbs and Mayor James vied for who would get to announce what the city had already done. Mayor James in Council Comments announced the city had ordered Continue reading

Videos: rezonings on Long Pond Road & Lakeland Highway, Land Bank appointment, Public Defender, Public Works @ LCC Work Session 2022-03-07

At this morning’s Work Session of the Lowndes County Commission, they still had no applicants for the 5.a. Valdosta-Lowndes County Land Bank Authority.

[Rezonings, Public Defender, Public Works]
Rezonings, Public Defender, Public Works

The county is making this one too complicated: 6.a. REZ-2022-04 Radney, 5761 Long Pond Road, R-10 w/conditions to R-10.

Below are links to each LAKE video of each agenda item, with a few notes by Gretchen Quarterman who took the videos, followed by a LAKE video playlist. See also the agenda and board packet, and the LAKE videos of the preceding Planning Commission meeting.

Two small rezonings, Land Bank Authority appointment, Public Defender contract, Public Works truck @ LCC 2022-03-07

Update 2022-03-07: LAKE videos.

A slack agenda for this morning’s Lowndes County Commission Work Session, with voting Tuesday evening at 5:30 PM. Two small rezonings, plus an appointment to the Valdosta-Lowndes County Land Bank Authority with no candidates thus far, annual unchanged reapproval of Public Defender Contracts, and a Bid for Vehicle Lift for Mechanical Shop at Public Works.

[Rezonings]
Rezonings

They only admit one thing as affecting the budget.

Cost What
$44,900.00Bid for Vehicle Lift for Mechanical Shop at Public Works
$44,900.00Total

Here is the agenda and the LAKE videos of the preceding Planning Commission meeting. The board packet, received in response to a LAKE open records request, is on the LAKE website. Continue reading