Tag Archives: Safety

Videos: DBHDD appointments, VAWA, Juvenile Justice, Naylor Tower Top Amp, LMIG Resurfacing @ LCC Regular 2025-04-22

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It is mysterious why 7.b. Val Del Rd and N. Valdosta Rd. Intersection improvement was only added in this Regular Session of the Lowndes County Commission. They’ve been leading up to it for a long time. Apparently the two bids were only opened the previous day; I thought bid openings were scheduled.

[Collage @ LCC 21 April 2025]
Collage @ LCC 21 April 2025

In this meeting, they talked about that intersection for almost seven minutes, which is very long for this body. The intersection will completely close starting May 27, probably for most of the summer. It will end up with two lanes going north, and three lanes going south: one left only, one left or straight, one right only.

The old US 41 North facebook group has renamed itself to follow this development
https://www.facebook.com/LowndesCoHwy41WideningRoadProjectUpdates

Second longest was Continue reading →

Videos: DBHDD appointments, VAWA, Juvenile Justice, Naylor Tower Top Amp, LMIG Resurfacing @ LCC Work 2025-04-21

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Update 2025-04-29: Videos: DBHDD appointments, VAWA, Juvenile Justice, Naylor Tower Top Amp, LMIG Resurfacing @ LCC Regular 2025-04-22.

It took 14 minutes, the Monday morning Work Session. Much of that the Lowndes County Commission spent on the LMIG road resurfacing item and on the two court grant items.

They voted this evening at 5:30 PM: LAKE videos to come.

[Collage @ LCC 21 April 2025]
Collage @ LCC 21 April 2025

At the Work Session, Lowndes County Commissioner Michael Smith volunteered for one of the two posts available on 5.a. Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Disabilities (DBHDD), with Juliana Powell having already applied for one of them.

Commissioner Demarcus Marshall wanted to know whether there were any problems with DEI on the 6.a. Acceptance of the VAWA Continuation Grant Award for 2025. Nobody seemed to know, or to address the question.

Commissioner Marshall asked a similar question about 6.b. FY2026 Juvenile Justice Incentive Grant Application. County Manager Paige Dukes said basically that with things changing daily in the federal goverment, nobody knows. Commissioner Michael Smith had a question about service areas.

There was some chit-chat about 6.c. Emergency Purchase – Naylor Tower Top Amp Replacement.

There was some discussion of districts, specific roads, and state funding, after Commissioner Wisenbaker asked to have the list of roads being repaved read out for 7.a. 2025 LMIG Resurfacing Bids (Project #: ENG 2025-01).

Here are LAKE videos of each agenda item, with a few comments by Gretchen Quarterman, followed by a LAKE video playlist. Continue reading →

Videos: Three rezonings, three tax items, Sheriff Office and Water Wells bids @ LCC Regular 2025-04-08

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The Tuesday evening Regular Session two weeks ago took 28 minutes, 5 of which were a Citizen Wishing to be Heard: 10. CWTBH – Brian Cosey – 4881 Newton Circle – dangerous dogs. He was actually speaking for three people.

[Collage @ LCC 8 April 2025]
Collage @ LCC 8 April 2025

The Lowndes County Commissioners did not repeat 4. Georgia 811 Safe Digging Month Proclamation. For that, you’ll need to see the LAKE videos of the preceding Work Session.

There was some Commissioner discussion of the first of the three rezonings, but all three breezed through unanimously, as did everything else.

Once again, the item with the longest discussion, this time 2.5 minutes, was 8.a. Alapaha Plantation Water Treatment Plant New Wells – Water Main Ext.

Commissioner Scottie Orenstein wanted to know when.

Answer from Utilities Director Steve Stalvey: “We’re ready to roll” on approval.

He also wanted to know when it would be finished.

Answer: It’s a 180-day project. Within 3 or 4 months of completion we will know if we need to do a nanocompression or not.

Commissioner Demarcus Marshall asked about the Consent Order.

Answer: I couldn’t make out the answer.

Paige Dukes in 9. Reports – County Manager said the county’s hurricane debris collection program is finished.

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

See also the LAKE videos of the preceding Work Session and the agenda and board packet, received in response to a LAKE open records request.

See also the board packet and LAKE videos for the preceding GLPC meeting.

Here is the LAKE video playlist:
https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLshUv86fYkiHashqrEifx8y43B9CUY_5-&si=duQqM6Qu3sQv7p75

-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

Packet: DBHDD appointments, VAWA, Juvenile Justice, Naylor Tower Top Amp, LMIG Resurfacing @ LCC 2025-04-21

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Update 2025-04-22: Videos: DBHDD appointments, VAWA, Juvenile Justice, Naylor Tower Top Amp, LMIG Resurfacing @ LCC Work 2025-04-21.

It’s a pretty light agenda for the Lowndes County Commission Work Session Monday morning, April 21, with voting the Regular Session Tuesday evening, April 22.

Two posts are open with only one applicant for appointment to the Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Disabilities (DBHDD).

There is a regular court grant renewal and an application for another.

Lightning caused the Emergency Purchase – Naylor Tower Top Amp Replacement.

And there are road resurfacing projects using state and SPLOST funds.

[Collage @ LCC Packet 2025-04-21]
Collage @ LCC Packet 2025-04-21

Of those projects, two are mostly or completely reimbursed from funds outside the county. So it is hard to add them up in a simple table like this.

Cost What
$-36,776.00Emergency Purchase – Naylor Tower Top Amp Replacement (Capital funding)
$-342,493.00FY2026 Juvenile Justice Incentive Grant Application (reimbursed by CICC)
$-1,478,673.942025 Local Maintenance and Improvement Grant (LMIG) Resurfacing Bids (Funding: SPLOST/LMIG)
$-1,857,942.94Total

Here is the agenda.

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

LOWNDES COUNTY BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS
PROPOSED AGENDA
WORK SESSION, MONDAY, APRIL 21, 2025, 8:30 a.m.
REGULAR SESSION, TUESDAY, APRIL 22, 2025, 5:30 p.m.
327 N. Ashley Street – 2nd Floor

Continue reading →

Videos: Three rezonings, three tax items, Sheriff Office and Water Wells bids @ LCC Work 2025-04-07

Update 2025-04-21: Videos: Three rezonings, three tax items, Sheriff Office and Water Wells bids @ LCC Regular 2025-04-08.

The Monday morning Work Session took 17 minutes.

Several minutes of that were for 4. Georgia 811 Safe Digging Month Proclamation. Turns out you can call 811 and they will come locate your water, sewer, and electrical lines, even if you put them in.

The county’s visual system was not working for the first two rezonings, but you can see many of the visuals in the board packet as provided by LAKE through open records request.

The longest item at almost 3 minutes was for 8.b. Alapaha Plantation Water Treatment Plant New Wells – Water Main Extension. As Gretchen noted, “To be paid out of SPLOST funds. No guarantee that this will work.
Wells are to be 600 feet deep and further away from the river.
There could still be river water infiltration.”

The Lowndes County Commission voted this evening at 5:30 PM; videos to come.

[Collage @ LCC 7 April 2025]
Collage @ LCC 7 April 2025

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

See also the Continue reading →

Packet: Three rezonings, three tax items, Sheriff Office and Water Wells bids @ LCC 2025-04-07

Update 2025-04-08: Videos: Three rezonings, three tax items, Sheriff Office and Water Wells bids @ LCC Work 2025-04-07.

This week’s agenda for the Lowndes County Commission looks long (and the board packet is 90 pages), but I predict everything will get approved unanimously in little time.

[Collage: LCC Packet 2025-04-07]
Collage: LCC Packet 2025-04-07

The three rezonings had no opposition at the Greater Lowndes Planning Commission (GLPC), which recommended all three unanimously.

The three tax items are thoroughly supported by evidence.

The county is not going to not pay for the repairs already done to the hurricane damage at the Sheriff’s office.

And the county has to drill two new water wells for Alapaha Plantation because of a Consent Order from GA-EPD.

Here is the agenda.

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

See also the board packet for the preceding GLPC meeting.

LOWNDES COUNTY BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS
PROPOSED AGENDA
WORK SESSION, MONDAY, APRIL 7, 2025, 8:30 a.m.
REGULAR SESSION, TUESDAY, APRIL 8, 2025, 5:30 p.m.
327 N. Ashley Street – 2nd Floor

Continue reading →

Packet: Lowndes County Fire Rescue for Lowndes County Commission Retreat 2025-03-07

In this report from Billy Young, Fire Chief, Lowndes County Fire Rescue, we learn that the county currently has 18 fire stations, four of them staffed with career firefighters (Clyattville, North Lowndes, Bemiss, and Headquarters).

The department would also like to staff Twin Lakes District Station #3 in Lake Park and Westside District Station #9, both because of population growth. They already have the fire engine and its equipment for Lake Park. Both stations would also need radio, hoses, extrication tools, and PPE. Plus staff, who would cost about $846,893.97 a year per station. For Westside, they also propose $1,3000,000 for Heavay Rescue Apparatus and $350,000 for Rescue Equipment.

[Collage, Lowndes County Fire Rescue packet, Lowndes County Commission Retreat, 2025-03-07]
Collage, Lowndes County Fire Rescue packet, Lowndes County Commission Retreat, 2025-03-07

About a third of their calls are for Rescue & Emergency Medical.

The Department proposes adding Quick Response Vehicles (QRV) for Emergency Medical Response. They include reasons for and program examples, as well as advantages and disadvantages.

The report also discusses training the the Office of the Fire Marshall.

As mentioned in Packet: Utilities in Lowndes County Commission Annual Planning Meeting 2025-03-06, after an open records request and a followup and 20 days, we got this response from Lowndes County:

Please see the below link with information from our Utilities Department and our Fire Rescue Department. Our Public Works Department was already sent, it was the paved/dirt road documents. Regarding the South Health District, Dr. Eanes came and met with the commissioners.

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: Development Authority appointment, VOCA grants, Coleman Road paving, LMIG, Water projects, Windstream @ LCC Regular 2025-01-15

Ms. Terri Lupo was reappointed to the 5.a. Valdosta Lowndes Development Authority.

The Lowndes County Commission at their Regular Session of January 14, 2025, also passed everything else unanimously, with little or no discussion.

[Collage @ LCC 14 January 2025]
Collage @ LCC 14 January 2025

Commissioner Demarcus Marshall did have a question about 7.k. GEFA Loan DWLSL2023097 for Lead Service Line Inventory. He also had a special thanks for Samaritan’s Purse in Commission Comments.

Former Valdosta City Council Alvin Payton, Jr., sat front and center the entire meeting.

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

See also Continue reading →

Packet: Development Authority appointment, VOCA grants, Coleman Road paving, LMIG, Water projects, Windstream @ LCC 2025-01-13

Update 2025-01-16: Videos: Development Authority appointment, VOCA grants, Coleman Road paving, LMIG, Water projects, Windstream @ LCC Regular 2025-01-14

Yesterday morning Commissioner Mark Wisenbarker wanted to know whether the staff had a list of roads needing striping for 7.g. 2025 Georgia DoT Local Maintenance – Improvement Grant (LMIG) Application. Here’s the project list:

[Road paving list and Broadband map @ LCC Packet 2025-01-13]
Road paving list and Broadband map @ LCC Packet 2025-01-13

The map appears to be where Windstream thinks Lowndes County already had broadband in 2021. Continue reading →