What would you be willing to vote for in SPLOST VII this November?
There will be a presentation on the proposed SPLOST VII projects at the work session.
in Valdosta News posted yesterday Valdosta City Council Holds Work Session and Council Meeting This Week. And as an ad in the VDT Sunday:
Scan by John S. Quarterman for Lowndes Area Knowledge Exchange (LAKE),
Lowndes County, Georgia, 7 July 2013.
-jsq
Valdosta’s proposed SPLOST list will be presented Tuesday at the city’s Work Session 5:30PM Tuesday 9 July 2013: be there, or be blindsided by what’s on that list.
Scan by John S. Quarterman for Lowndes Area Knowledge Exchange (LAKE),
Lowndes County, Georgia, 7 July 2013.
You know that if you read to the middle of the ad in today’s VDT about the Work Session and Regular Session. That’s in the paper paper; ads in the paper don’t get put online. There’s no agenda online for the Work Session. The agenda for the Regular Session says nothing about SPLOST. There’s nothing on the city’s calendar about SPLOST. There’s no PR about this on the city’s website. There’s nothing about it in any of the city’s TV videos that I can find. Don’t be surprised if nobody shows up….
-jsq
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
“Hopefully” there will be four town hall meetings before
the final SPLOST lists are settled, said
Lowndes County Commissioner Joyce Evans (District 1)
at last night’s
Lowndes County Democratic Party Annual 4th of July Barbecue.
We’re beginning to put things together for the SPLOST.
Hopefully we’ll be able to do several…. I know the mayor has stated that they were going to do two town hall meetings and the county’s going to do a couple of town hall meetings and then we’re going to come together with the information that we’ve received from the community and go and put together an overall SPLOST for the city and the county.
So please, take time, think about it, and be involved.
We shall see. At least it’s a small change in the old boy backroom behavior so popular among elected officials around here that the famously reclusive commissioner said this in front of a video camera.
Here’s the video:
Four SPLOST town hall meetings –Joyce Evans
July 4th BBQ, Lowndes County Democratic Party (LCDP),
Gretchen Quarterman (Chair), Dennis Marks (Vice-Chair / Elections),
Amanda Hall (Vice-Chair / Membership), Richard Saeger (Vice-Chair / Qualifying), Jerrell Anderson (Secretary), James J. Parker (Treasurer),
Video by John S. Quarterman for Lowndes County Democratic Party (LCDP),
Valdosta, Lowndes County, Georgia, 2 July 2013.
-jsq
Tonight you can go be told what the county’s budget will be,
5PM at the county palace.
If you want to see the proposed budget,
you’ll have to go their beforehand and view the one paper
copy they are
required by law to show you.
They say they’re short of money,
so why are they
wasting taxpayer funds suing a legitimate business?
On the county’s online calendar: Budget Public Hearing (6/18/2013)
PUBLIC NOTICE
The Lowndes County Board of Commissioners will hold a public hearing for the purpose of considering
the Fiscal Year 2014 proposed budget on the following dates:
June 18, 2013 at 5:30 p.m.
June 25, 2013 at 5:00 p.m.
Location:
Lowndes County Commission Chambers
327 N. Ashley St.
Valdosta, GA
A copy of the proposed budget is available for public review in the office of the County Clerk.
For questions please call 671-2400.
Kay Harris wrote for the VDT 19 June 2013, Lowndes County facing budget woes,
Continue readingReceived 26 April 2013. Basically Valdosta is accelerating its plans to do something about wastewater, including adding pumpstations and force mains, as well as relocating the Withlacoochee Wastewater Treatment Plant uphill. Here are the summary pages; there’s much more detail in the plan. -jsq
Utilities Department 5-Year Action Plan:
Continue readingSince 1992, the City has received $179 million in SPLOST funding and over the same time period has invested nearly $168 million in capital projects for the Water and Wastewater system. This includes SPLOST funding, system revenues, bonds, and GEFA loans.
Since 2009, the Utilities Department has expended over $49 million on sewer system improvement with approximately $5.6 million spent on the Withlacoochee Treatment Plant. When the projects listed below are completed by December 2018, the City will have invested approximately $230 million in capital projects for its Utilities system from 1992 to 2018, a 26-year period.
PUMP STATION, FORCE MAIN, HEADWORKS AND EQUALIZATION BASIN PROJECT
The city of Valdosta responds. I have decorated this PR with a few images with links, and a few comments after it. -jsq
Mayor and Council Address Recent Wastewater Issues,
Continue readingThe Valdosta Mayor and City Council are committed to providing quality municipal services that meet the expectations of our citizens. In addition to providing fire and police protection and other beneficial quality of life services, the city leadership is equally committed to providing adequate water and wastewater treatment services to its citizens, maintaining a functioning sewer collection system and discharging treated water in an environmentally responsible manner.
Recently, citizens have been inundated with information about the current state of the city’s wastewater treatment plant and sewer collection system, as well as the decisions made during the recent flood event. The following information is provided to explain the recent event and to help citizens better understand these important issues and the dedicated work of their elected officials and municipal staff.
THE SITUATION
Received yesterday. -jsq
Continue readingDate: Sun, 24 Mar 2013 15:43:47 -0400
All, just so everyone is on the same page- the sewer line is currently spilling sewage. It just started at mu house but has been going strong at sugar creek for awhile by the looks of it. Here are some current pictures as of 3:30 today. It will get worse until the river crests..
Gabe
Some thoughts on the
Kay Harris resignation letter.
Certainly a SPLOST is better than a MOST.
-gretchen
Received today: PDF, with transcription appended below. -jsq
Continue readingMarch 15, 2013
Joe Pritchard
County Manager
Lowndes County
327 N. Ashley St.
Valdosta, GA 31601
Dear Mr. Pritchard:
It is with great regret that I find the need to step down from the Lowndes County
and South Georgia Regional Library Board of Trustees. I fear that I am no longer
capable of holding this position in light of the county’s recent actions.
As you are aware,