Tag Archives: St. Augustine Road

Videos: Homestead Tax, Datacenter, Appointments to 3 Boards, 1 small subdivision, Old US 41 N widening, Alcohol, Sewage, insurance, bonds, and roads @ LCC Regular 2026-06-09

Update 2026-06-15: Proposed Local Act for Local Homestead Option Sales Tax (LHOST) @ LCC 2026-06-09.

The bulk of this long meeting was not on the agenda: another one cent sales tax, a report about services at Leila Ellis, and eight citizens wishing to be heard. Well, those citizens were collectively on the agenda of the Tuesday evening Regular Session of the Lowndes County Commission, but the other two items were not.

By far the longest item at 21 minutes was added to the agenda at the beginning of
7.f. LHOST Consideration, SB 33 Special Local Homestead Option Sales Tax The title is my guess; I think Chairman Bill Slaughter just said LHOST.

The thirteen slides County Manager Paige Dukes presented are on the LAKE website, received in response to a LAKE open records request. Images of each slide are below.

We do not yet have the draft legislation the Commissioners unanimously approved sending to the Georgia legislature to enact this additional one cent sales tax, because I didn’t think to request it until this afternoon. Why the slides and the legislation are not on the county’s own website is mysterious.

Videos: Homestead Tax, Datacenter, Appointments to 3 Boards, 1 small subdivision, Old US 41 N, Alcohol, Sewage, insurance, bonds, and roads @ LCC Regular 2026-06-09

They approved everything else unanimously, including reappointing James Ramsey and appointing Gary Wisenbaker to the Valdosta-Lowndes County Zoning Board of Appeals: his brother Commissioner Mark Wisenbaker recused himself.

They appointed James Warren to the Valdosta-Lowndes County Airport Authority.

They reappointed Andy Griffin and Scott Purvis to the Lowndes County Public Facilities Authority.

The longest regular item discussion at almost seven minutes was of the Industrial Authority Series 2026 Bonds.

Another long item (almost six minutes) not on the agenda occured when as part of the County Manager Report Paige Dukes asked Probation Director Ferlisha Rountree to talk about about services at Leila Ellis.

Six citizens spoke about the potential datacenter on Coleman Road: George Fisher, Jimmy LeFiles, John Smith, Amy Wiegenstein, Sarah Riggle, and Suwannee Riverkeeper John S. Quarterman.

Also, Skyler Ramen(sp?) said his paycheck increases less than rent does and Robert Willis would like speed bumps on Danieli Drive in Lake Park.

Here is a LAKE video playlist:
https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLshUv86fYkiG2JQe4jgsEi9L0R2O6z_GM Continue reading →

Videos: Appointments to 3 Boards, 1 small subdivision, Old US 41 N widening, Alcohol, Sewage, insurance, bonds, and roads @ LCC Work 2026-06-08

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Update 2026-06-10: Videos: Homestead Tax, Datacenter, Appointments to 3 Boards, 1 small subdivision, Old US 41 N widening, Alcohol, Sewage, insurance, bonds, and roads @ LCC Regular 2026-06-09.

They took fifteen minutes to review everything: the Lowndes County Commission at their Work Session, Monday, 8:30 AM, June 8, 2026.

They vote tomorrow (Tuesday) at 5:30 PM, with Citizens Wishing to Be Heard at the end.

3 Boards, 1 small subdivision, Widen Old US 41 N, Alcohol, Sewage, insurance, bonds, and roads @ LCC Work 2026-06-08

I tried a new video camera. The results are disappointing, as you can see. The sound is good, because of an external microphone. Maybe just get one of those for the regular cameras.

Here is a LAKE video playlist of each LAKE video of each agenda item.

https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLshUv86fYkiHlh5JBck2utM_6NdTcW1Sm Continue reading →

Packet: Appointments to 3 Boards, 1 small subdivision, Old US 41 N widening, Alcohol, Sewage, insurance, bonds, and roads @ LCC 2026-06-08

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Update 2026-06-08: Videos: Appointments to 3 Boards, 1 small subdivision, Old US 41 N widening, Alcohol, Sewage, insurance, bonds, and roads @ LCC Work 2026-06-08.

It’s a relatively light agenda for the Lowndes County Commission Work Session Monday morning at 8:30 AM and its Regular Session 5:30 PM Tuesday evening.

Nobody seems to know anything about the mysteriously withdrawn-by-applicant TWR-2026-01 Salem Church Tower.

There are appointments to three boards, a small Lake Park subdivision rezoning, an alcohol license.

The big ticket items are:

eligible project costs up to $13,252.000.00 from TIA for the Old US 41 North widening,
a GEFA loan for $2,812,500.00 for bypass pumps at all county sewage lift stations,
$2,664,355.90 from TSPLOST for Twin Lakes Road work,
$1,248,947.00 for ACCG IRMA Property & Liability Insurance Renewal.

And the county is doing a supplemental agreement for Industrial Authority Series 2026 Bonds.

Packet: Appointments to 3 Boards, 1 small subdivision, Old US 41 N widening, Alscol, Sewage, insurance, bonds, and roads @ LCC 2026-06-08

Here is the agenda.

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

Images of each page are below. Well, many of them. The bulk of the packet is long agreements and resolutions.

Packet: 3 rezonings, dogs and cats ordinance, 7 water items, etc. @ VCC 2025-12-11

Update 2025-12-27: According to a usually reliable witness, facebook live had technical difficulties for the December meeting, and wasn’t noticed until just before the meeting started, so there is no video of that meeting. I’m told the dogs and cats ordinance did not pass, but may come back in a later meeting. Everything else did pass, or so I’m told. It appears the City Council needs to get some help for the City Clerk: “2.a) The Minutes from the September, October, and November City Council Meetings are forthcoming.”

Valdosta Mayor and Council had a very busy meeting on Thursday, December 11, 2025.

First, some questions for Valdosta Mayor, Council, and City Manager:

Why does Valdosta not publish its board packets on its own website? Since anyone can get them through an open records request, they are not secret. The board packets could go on the city’s own Agenda & Minutes web page:
– https://www.valdostacity.com/city-council/agendas-minutes
Speaking of which, where are the minutes since August? They’re not on that web page.
Why did Valdosta not do publicity about the seven (7) drinking water or wastewater improvement items on this December agenda?
Where is Valdosta’s video of this December meeting? If the facebook live video is the official video of the meeting, why is it not linked into the Agendas & Minutes web page?

Valdosta complains people think they’re doing nothing about fixing their wastewater problems.

Maybe that has something to do with the city actively hiding the details in unpublished board packets, as well as doing publicity about such projects.

Collage of VCC Packet 2025-12-11

On this agenda was an ordinance copying Lowndes County in prohibiting sale of dogs and cats by retail establishments, a resolution about Valdosta City School System Refunding Bonds, and another resolution about the Georgia Historic Tax Credit Program. Plus various equipment for Engineering, Public Works, and Police.

The agenda also included the three rezonings or conditional use permits heard last month by the Greater Lowndes Planning Commission (GLPC).

http://www.l-a-k-e.org/blog/?p=25373

The seven wastewater improvement items are: Continue reading →

Three Valdosta Cases @ GLPC 2019-07-29

Here is the agenda:

qpublic Lowndes

Greater Lowndes Planning Commission
~ Lowndes County ~ City of Valdosta ~ City of Dasher ~ City of Hahira ~ City of Lake Park ~
REGULAR MONTHLY MEETING AGENDA
Monday, July 29, 2019 5:30 P.M.
Public Hearing, Lowndes County South Health District Administrative Office
325 West Savannah Avenue
Continue reading →

Videos: Chair nominations, Accessory structure in Lowndes County and sign in Valdosta @ ZBOA 2018-10-02

Two opposite nomination slates for Chair and Vice-Chair, last month at ZBOA. Also, both of the variances and the minutes were approved 6 to 0.

Here are the minutes, followed by a LAKE video playlist.

MINUTES
Valdosta-Lowndes Zoning Board of Appeals
Valdosta City Hall Annex Multi-Purpose Room
300 North Lee Street, Valdosta, Georgia
October 2, 2018
2:30 p.m.
Continue reading →

Accessory structure in Lowndes County and sign in Valdosta @ ZBOA 2018-10-02

The most exciting ZBOA thing last month was nominations for Chair and Vice-Chair.

ZBOA Members.

Here is the agenda:

Valdosta – Lowndes County Zoning Board of Appeals

Matt Martin,
Valdosta Planning and Zoning Administrator
300 North Lee Street, Valdosta, Georgia
(229) 259-3563
Carmella Braswell,
Lowndes County Zoning Administrator
327 North Ashley Street, Valdosta, Georgia
(229) 671-2430

AGENDA
October 2, 2018
2:30 p.m.
Continue reading →

Videos: Calles back again for Alexandria Street + another County + 2 Valdosta @ GLPC 2017-02-27

Here are the LAKE videos for the 27 February 2017 Greater Lowndes Planning Commission, with Wilmer Calles on behalf of Rosa Calles again about going “backwards” to agricultural zoning (the neighbors don’t like it). See the agenda. Plus another county rezoning (the county votes on those two tonight). There were also to Valdosta rezonings, but Gretchen had to leave with the LAKE camera before the first one was finished. The county or the city could video these Planning Commission meetings themselves. Continue reading →

Calles back again for Alexandria Street + another County + 2 Valdosta @ GLPC 2017-01-27 2017-02-27

Back again, Wilmer Calles on behalf of Rosa Calle still wants to go “backwards” to agricultural zoning and the neighbors don’t like it, on the agenda for tonight’s Greater Lowndes Planning Commission, after a split recommendation for tabling by GLPC a month ago, indication of many objections at the County Commission Work Session two weeks ago, and being tabled the next day at the County Commission Regular Session. Plus another county rezoning and two in Valdosta tonight.

Greater Lowndes Planning Commission
Lowndes County City of Valdosta City of Dasher City of Hahira City of Lake Park
REGULAR MONTHLY MEETING
AGENDA
Lowndes County South Health District Administrative Office
325 West Savannah Avenue
Monday, February 27, 2017 * 5:30 P.M. * Public Hearing
Continue reading →

Videos: 3 for 2 VLMPO appointments, 2 – 1 rezonings, 3 water + credit cards, alcohol @ LCC 2017-02-14

Tuesday Chairman Bill Slaughter did say there will be a retreat Thursday and Friday this week, but he didn’t say where or what time of day. Yesterday afternoon they finally put on their website that it starts 8AM this morning at Quail Branch Lodge. Here’s hoping Commissioner Joyce Evans is well enough to attend.

In a refreshing change of procedure, Continue reading →

On the LAKE front

Citizen dialog for transparent process by the Lowndes Area Knowledge Exchange