Tag Archives: SGRL

Videos: seventeen minutes for three appointments and other business @ LCC Regular 2023-01-09

All the votes took less than eight minutes, at the Regular Session of the Lowndes County Commission, Monday, January 9, 2023.

Only one Commissioner had one question about a voting item, 6.e. Stop Loss Insurance Coverage through HM Insurance Group. Maybe they all knew how they were going to vote before they got to this public meeting.

There was discussion about inspections being efficient for “the development community” in the non-voting 7. Reports – County Manager.

They appointed people to three boards, accepted infrastructure for a subdivision, agreed to a lease, accepting a grant, and an insurance plan.

None of the appointees were present.

See especially Gretchen’s comments on 6.b. Extension of Agreement for ULDC Updates.

Collage @ LCC 9 January 2023

The whole thing took seventeen minutes. For sure, the County Manager’s Reports are informative, but subtract those eight minutes and the more than a minute for the preliminaries, and only eight are left.

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 LAKE videos of the preceding Work Session and the agenda and board packet. Continue reading →

Videos: Three appointments, lease, ULDC, roads, grant, insurance @ LCC Work 2023-01-09

Update 2023-01-22: Videos: seventeen minutes for three appointments and other business @ LCC Regular 2023-01-09.

No item took even two minutes, although many departments spoke, at the Lowndes County Commission Regular Session, Monday, January 9, 2023. The whole thing took eight minutes.

Collage @ LCC Work 9 January 2023

I wonder what’s in these ULDC Updates, when will the public get to see them, and why was a contractor necessary to write them? Also, how much did that contract cost?

The Regular Session was later that same day; LAKE videos of that one will also follow.

Below are links to each LAKE video of each agenda item of the Work Session, with some notes by Gretchen Quarterman, followed by a LAKE video playlist. See also the agenda and board packet. Continue reading →

Packet: Three appointments, lease, ULDC, roads, grant, insurance @ LCC 2023-01-09

Update 2023-01-22: Videos: Three appointments, lease, ULDC, roads, grant, insurance @ LCC Work 2023-01-09.

Both Work Session and Regular Session are Monday, January 9, 2023, for the Lowndes County Commission. Both will probably be brief, because it’s a short agenda of mostly routine items.

The rezoning at Skipper Bridge Road and GA 122 for a Dollar General is NOT on this agenda. However, those interested may want to show up and be seen by the Commissioners, to remind them that people care and will be there on January 24th at the Public Hearing.

Agenda, Cattle Crossing Subdivision infrastructure @ LCC 2023-01-09

They pretend as always that taking over more subdivision streets and water and sewer lines will not cost the county taxpayers anything.

The dollar items listed in the packet are small. Continue reading →

Videos: Fire, Library, rezonings, water main, road abandonments @ LCC 2019-02-11

The longest item was not on the agenda: Special Recognition of Fire Rescue.

Second longest at two minutes was 7d. MOU with City of Remerton for Fire Inspection and Plan Review Services.

They’re adding to the agenda for voting Tuesday evening Carter Way emergency access. Maybe by then they’ll know Continue reading →

Library, rezonings, water main, road abandonments @ LCC 2019-02-11

On the agenda for this morning, with voting Tuesday evening, $18,250.00 of $73,000.00 to bore under US 84 for a water main to we don’t know who (see also LAKE videos of previous Regular session), and $7,500.00 paid in full by GDOT to close the CSX railroad crossing at Dasher-Johnson Road and to improve the crossing at Good Hope Road. Also final Public Hearing to abandon part of McLeod Road (see also previous Regular Session), first consideration of Abandonment of Doyle Kelly Road. Plus reappointment of attorney Karl Osmus to the Lowndes County Library Board, the three rezonings from the recent Planning Commission meeting, an MOU with City of Remerton to provide Fire Inspection and Plan Review Services, and Lowndes County Historic Courthouse Architect Selection, 4.5 years since the Courthouse Preservation Committee Meetings.

Gretchen is heading to the Commissioner meeting now with the LAKE video camera.

LOWNDES COUNTY BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS
PROPOSED AGENDA
WORK SESSION, MONDAY, FEBRUARY 11, 2019, 8:30 a.m.
REGULAR SESSION, TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 12, 2019, 5:30 p.m.
327 N. Ashley Street – 2nd Floor
Continue reading →

A librarian on the library board! @ LCC 2013-06-25

The political appointee was replaced by a librarian, and the marketing guy by a marketing guy, at the 25 June Regular Session of the Lowndes County Commission.

5.a. Lowndes County Library Board

Back on June 10th Library Director Kelly Lenz brought candidates Jack Hartley, Linda Most, and Matt Lawrence, who spoke, and at the June 24th Work Session Commissioner Joyce Evans submitted the name of Mr. Robert Jefferson, who did not speak.

This time County Manager Joe Pritchard mumbled behind his monitor and did not deign to name any of the candidates, referring to “a list” that Commissioners could see but the public could not. He did say that the openings were for the board slots previously occupied by Kay Harris and Ray Devery.

Previous political appointee Kay Harris failed to get the new library at Five Points approved in last year’s failed SPLOST VII vote and resigned as Library Board Chair and from that board 15 March 2013. Here are some related points she never seemed to discuss. And while she and the County Commission and the Valdosta City Council and Mayor pointed fingers about who lost SPLOST, Continue reading →

Library Board candidates set an example @ LCC 2013-06-10

Three unscheduled candidates for the Lowndes County Library Board set examples for informative applications to an appointed board.

At the 10 June 2013 Work Session the Chairman did clearly say library board appointments were not on the agenda but would be at their next meeting. He didn’t define “next meeting”, but he meant two weeks later, when it is indeed on the agenda for this morning and tomorrow evening. Back two weeks ago, South Georgia Regional Library Director Kelly Lenz said two nominees were present for two vacant positions. Then she named three people: Jack Hartley, Linda Most, and Matt Lawrence.

Jack Hartley’s LinkedIn profile says he is “Franchsie Owner of Home Instead Senior Care, Valdosta, Georgia”. He said: Continue reading →

Members of the press or citizens are not welcome at library board? —George Boston Rhynes

Received today. To quote a VDT editorial of 3 March 2012:

When officials act like they have something to hide, they often do….

Here’s George’s Open Records Request. -jsq

February 7, 2013

George Boston Rhynes (229-251-8645)
5004 Oak Drive
Valdosta, Georgia 31605
TO: Valdosta-Lowndes County; South Georgia Regional Library Director/Chair person along with Board Members Respectively, Georgia News Media Outlets concerned about open government and the sunshine brightness…

SUBJECT: An open records request on behalf of the general public right to know…

Continue reading →

Library Architect Submissions (part 3)

Here are the submissions from the final four architects that were considered for the new Five Points Lowndes County Library. This continues the series with Library Architect Selection Documents (part 1) and Library Architect RFP and “Bible” (part 2) which presents documents received by LAKE from SGRL in response to an open records request.

The four architect submissions are linked on this LAKE web page. Here they are separately:

If we missed anything please let us know.

Architects: feel free to put your submissions on your own web pages and send us a link.

-jsq

Library Architect RFP and “Bible” (part 2)

Here is the Request for Proposals and the “Bible” of related documents that served as background for the architect selection process for the new library at Five Points. These were received on a CD as part of the library architect selection documents in the very organized open records response from the South Georgia Regional Library; see the previous post for related agendas and minutes.

Included in the RFP (which was issued by the County, not by the Library Board), is a list of fourteen numbered submittal instructions that looks like it might have been the basis for the list of 90 items on the Library Scoring Worksheet.

The RFP also includes this interesting section:

RESERVATIONS
Lowndes County Board of Commissioners reserves the following rights:

Rejection of any and all submittals
Negotiate changes in the Scope of Work
Negotiate services to be provided
Negotiate fee proposal
Waive any and all technicalities

That last line basically seems like it could be interpreted to mean they could select whatever appealed to them no matter what the fit (or not) with what was asked for in the RFP.

The “Bible” includes a cover sheet that says: