Tag Archives: SGCSB

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

Continue reading →

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 →

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

Update 2025-05-28: Videos: Airport, Aging, Community Service Board Appointments, $1,677,028.92 LMIG funds from GDOT @ LCC Regular 2025-05-27.

They vote this evening at 5:30 PM in their Regular Session.

Here are LAKE videos of this morning’s Work Session of the Lowndes County Commission. Both the Work and Regular Sessions are being held today, because the Lowndes County Commission observed the Memorial Day holiday yesterday.

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

The Commissioners discussed several items, including more than four minutes on 6.b. Updated Debris Removal Contract Pricing with Ashbritt and about three minutes each on 6.a. 2025 Local Road Assistance (LRA) Administration Funds Application and 7.a. Bid for Mini Excavator for Public Works.

Plus there was a staff presentation in 8. Reports – County Manager – 10. Adjournment and County Manager Paige Dukes called for an executive session to discuss real estate.

Below are Continue reading →

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

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

Both the Work and Regular Sessions will be held Tuesday, because the Lowndes County Commission is observing the Memorial Day holiday today. On the agenda is one more than million-dollar income item, and a couple of outgos, plus three board appointments.

Ben Hogan has also applied, but Jeff Sikes will probably be reappointed to the Valdosta-Lowndes County Airport Authority.

Commissioner Joyce Evans will probably be reappointed to the Southern Georgia Area Agency on Aging and appointed to the South Georgia Community Service Board; nobody else has applied for either board.

[Agenda: Collage @ LCC 2025-05-27]
Agenda: Collage @ LCC 2025-05-27

The county got one bid that met specifications for the Mini Excavator for Public Works: $171,543 by Yancey Bros.

The big dollar item is income to the county: 6.a. 2025 Local Road Assistance (LRA) Administration Funds Application

HISTORY, FACTS AND ISSUES: The Georgia Department of Transportation announced that the Governor and the Legislature included the LRA in the amended fiscal year 2025 budget. The Local Road Assistance (LRA) funds will be distributed using the Local Maintenance and Improvement Grant (LMIG) Application System and will require no matching funds. The fiscal year 2025 LRA formula amount for Lowndes County is $1,677,028.92.

If approved, the LRA funds will be used for the following roads:

  • Newsome Road – 1.76 miles
  • Radar Site Road – 1.82 miles
  • Coffee Road – 1.43 miles
  • Hemby Lane – 0.15 miles
  • Webb Road N. – 1.78 miles

No dollar figure is given for the 1.9% increase on the Updated Debris Removal Contract Pricing with Ashbritt after Hurricane Helene.

Here is the agenda.

We do not have the board packet yet, because Continue reading →

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 →

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 →

Agenda: Howell Road Halfway House @ LCC 2023-03-27

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

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

The controversial halfway house on Howell Road is back for its final Public Hearing Tuesday evening, with review this morning at 8:30 AM.

[Agenda, The Campus @ LCC 2023-03-27]
Agenda, The Campus @ LCC 2023-03-27

$22 million is a lot of money, but almost all of it is incoming grant funds.

Cost What
$21,853,779.00A New Headquarters for Second Harvest of South Georgia
$116,286.00PowerPhone Emergency Medical Dispatch with CAD Integration
$86,266.00Acceptance of the FY2023 VAWA Continuation Grant Award
$500.00Lowndes County DUI Court Technology Supplemental Grant Award
$250.00Adult Accountability Court Technology Supplemental Grant Award
$22,057,081.00Total

Here is the agenda. The agenda sheets from the county’s website are also on the LAKE website.

We do not have the board packet because I didn’t send the GORA request until this morning. LAKE will publish it after we get it.

LOWNDES COUNTY BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS
PROPOSED AGENDA
WORK SESSION, MONDAY, MARCH 27, 2023, 8:30 a.m.
REGULAR SESSION, TUESDAY, MARCH 28, 2023, 5:30 p.m.
327 N. Ashley Street – 2nd Floor

Continue reading →

Videos: 3 appointments, 1 well public hearing, Withlacoochee River Flood Map @ LCC 2016-07-12

They tabled the Withlacoochee River Flood Inundation Map Project, which is better than rejecting the idea of spending $40,000 to match Valdosta for a composite 50% match for a USGS grant.

As expected from the previous morning, they appointed Chairman Bill Slaughter to the South Georgia Community Service Board, after he got that board to change the time of its meetings to be different from this Commission’s time.

They approved the REZ-2016-12 Salami, 3320 Bemiss Rd community well for a home school science facility.

Below are links to each LAKE video of the Monday June 12th 2016 Lowndes County Commission Regular Session, followed by a video playlist. See also the LAKE videos of the previous morning’s Work Session, and the agenda.

Here’s a video playlist:


Videos: 3 appointments, 1 well public hearing, Withlacoochee River Flood Map
Regular Session, Lowndes County Commission (LCC),
Video by Gretchen Quarterman for Lowndes Area Knowledge Exchange (LAKE),
Valdosta, Lowndes County, Georgia, July 12, 2016.

-jsq

Videos: 3 appointments, 1 well public hearing, Withlacoochee River Flood Map @ LCC 2016-07-11

They vote Tuesday 5:30 PM. Monday morning at the Work Session, after some resistance from a Commissioner, surprisingly Chairman Bill Slaughter argued for paying the $40,000 to match Valdosta on the LiDAR flood maps to prevent loss of life and property damage. He even said “folks that live in our cities are Lowndes County Citizens as well.”

Emergency Management Director Ashley Tye answered questions the Commissioners didn’t think to ask about Continue reading →