Tag Archives: Transparency

Subdivisions, solar, and alcohol @ LCC 2018-11-12

A farm to subdivision, 2 Howell +3 Valdosta, 6 Nijem Remerton @ GLPC 2018-10-29

The six Joe Nijem Remerton cases are merely for public input. Wait, isn’t everything before the GLPC merely advisory? So how are these items different?

Two of the five Valdosta cases are for Michael Howell on West Gordon Street.

And then there’s Knights Landing Development, LLC, for which the Tax Assessors’ acreages don’t add up to the stated 42 acres, for the sketched out medieval street names on Hoyle Lane and the nearby property on Bemiss Knights Academy Road, off Bemiss Road.

Knights Development LLC, parcel 01458 357, REZ-2018-18

All on the agenda for this evening at the Planning Commission.

Greater Lowndes Planning Commission
Lowndes County City of Valdosta City of Dasher City of Hahira City of Lake Park
REGULAR MONTHLY MEETING
AGENDA
Monday, October 29, 2018 * 5:30 P.M. * Public Hearing
Lowndes County South Health District Administrative Office
325 West Savannah Avenue
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Neighbors oppose Val Del rezoning @ LCC 2018-10-09

If not consistent with the Comprehensive Plan, nor with the water and sewer growth plan, fire and rescue doesn’t want it, and the Planning Commission recommended rejecting it, what does it take for the Lowndes County Commission to reject a zoning, in this case for REZ-2018-17 for The Settlement North, 5999 Val Del Road?

Only three people were allowed to speak against, of the five whose hands went up.

The developer promised restrictive covenants enforced by nobody but the homeowners. County-imposed conditions on the Nelson Hill development, also on Val Del, were largely waived by county staff without public hearings. What promises should we believe?

Will the developer’s demand to ignore the Comprehensive Plan because of “market conditions, supply and demand” prevail? Do property values of neighbors not matter? How about saddling the county school system with houses priced too low for property taxes on them to cover expenses of sending school buses? Or is profit for a few all that matters?

See the Continue reading →

Those Rascals are at it again @ LCC 2018-10-22

On the agenda for this morning, a public hearing for a beer, wine, and liquor license for Roy E. Taylor Sr., with merely “For Consideration” for for beer and wine licenses for Daniel K. Smith. and Kalpeshkumar B. Patel.

Also continuation of the Solicitor-General's VOCA Continuation Grant and Bid on Two Motor Graders with Rome Sloper for Public Works.

LOWNDES COUNTY BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS
PROPOSED AGENDA
WORK SESSION, MONDAY, OCTOBER 22, 2018, 8:30 a.m.
REGULAR SESSION, TUESDAY, OCTOBER 23, 2018, 5:30 p.m.
327 N. Ashley Street – 2nd Floor
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Force Main, appointments * 3, Val Del rezoning @ LCC 2018-10-08

A Val-Tech Road 16" Force Main Emergency Repair with recommendation:

The 16” force main between Coleman Road lift station and James Road has experienced repeated issues with pipe failure. Several repairs have been made on one section near 3624 Val-Tech Road. After detecting another pipe failure along this section staff recommends we replace a 400′ section of the 16” force main. This is an emergency and needs to happen ASAP to prevent a sewage spill. Staff received a quote from RPI for $99,935.00. Staff recommends the emergency repair be approved for $99,935.00 from RPI.

I think everyone would be in favor of fixing that recurring leak, near the green dot at the top of this map.

VALORGIS Map → Streams Waterbodies plus Utilities Service Areas and Lowndes County Sewer Line.

Plus the annual USGS Funding Agreement for Hwy 122 Stream Gauge, on the agenda for this morning. Also appointments to three boards, as usual with no previous public invitation to apply: Linda Most reappointment to the Lowndes County Library Board, Clay Griner reappointment to the Lowndes County Public Facilities Authority, and Jim Scruggs reappointment to the Valdosta-Lowndes County Construction Board of Adjustments and Appeals.

A a subdivision rezoning: The Settlement North, 5999 Val Del Road. GLPC voted 5-2-1 against and of TRC only Engineering wanted approval, with the rest saying:

Overall Planning and Zoning found this request inconsistent with with the Comprehensive Plan. Utilities found that development in that area is not supported by the County Water System Growth Plan.

And road abandonment, and quit claims for another road.

LOWNDES COUNTY BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS
PROPOSED AGENDA
WORK SESSION, MONDAY, OCTOBER 8, 2018, 8:30 a.m.
REGULAR SESSION, TUESDAY, OCTOBER 9, 2018, 5:30 p.m.
327 N. Ashley Street – 2nd Floor
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Videos: Appointment to Tourism Authority, Roads and Towers @ LCC 2018-09-24

“You have an appointee information sheet in your packet,” said County Manager Joe Pritchard, and that’s all we learned about Michael Smith, who did not appear to speak, either, at yesterday morning’s Work Session. County Chairman Bill Slaughter did encourage the Commissioners to send in information sheets on any other nominees they might come up with for the Tourism Authority before tonight’s 5:30 PM voting Regular Session. He did not encourage the public to apply. But if you want to, here is the application form.

Also apparently the Internet really is made of pipes. It’s durious how the county can help a private company with television (that was the longest item at just under 2 minutes) but can’t use its plethora of towers to help with citizen Internet access.

And the county discussed in executive session buying real estate. The whole meeting before that took just under 8 minutes.

Below are Continue reading →

Appointment to Tourism Authority, Roads and Towers @ LCC 2018-09-24

Why does the county leave us guessing and not just name who resigned, and say who Michael Smith is? Maybe they’ll say at the Lowndes County Commission Work Session this morning at 8:30 AM, or maybe when they vote tomorrow at 5:30 PM.

“Mr. Michael Smith has expressed interest in being appointed to” the Valdosta-Lowndes County Conference Center And Tourism Authority, says Continue reading →

Videos: farewell Jason Davenport, approval limits, CALEA, personal care home @ LCC 2018-09-11

The county held a ceremony for departing Lowndes County Planner Jason Davenport. I asked the person sitting in his former seat, Engineering/Planning Technician Molly Stevenson, if she was confirmed yet. She would only say it was confirmed that she was sitting there right then.

They also had a 911 CALEA Re-Accreditation Presentation and the Chairman recognized Leadership Lowndes.

Citizens Bob Harlan and Fred E. Blanton Jr complained about road conditions. I thanked Utilities Director Steve Stalvey for sending information about recent Lowndes County sewage spills (two in July), and I thanked him advance for sending the NPDES-permit-required followup testing (not yet received).

On the REZ-2018-16 Stovall rezoning, the applicant revealed the reason for the previous restriction when Continue reading →

Videos: Naylor Boat Ramp, approval limits, CALEA, personal care home @ LCC 2018-09-10

News about the Naylor Boat Ramp in an Engineering Projects Report! Chad McLeod also reported about the 911 center, the North Lowndes Soccer Complex, the fire warehouse classroom, the animal shelter, and the courthouse renovation project, all still to be completed from SPLOST VII funds, which run out next year. Even with that three-and-a-half-minute special engineering report, the whole meeting took ten minutes Monday morning.

Also not on the agenda, HR has a new employee. Also there will be a new traffic signal.

Should the County Manager and the Finance Director be able to approve Continue reading →

Videos: fire truck, radios and phones, Hahira annexation, prison details @ LCC 2018-08-14

The most exciting thing last month was the new fire truck, on display outside, seen here driving off with its lights flashing:

See LAKE video.

This was the most recent Regular Session, because the Lowndes County Commission meetings for the end of August were cancelled.

County Manager Joe Pritchard again said he wanted higher staff approval limits for items in the budget. There was some question about campaign contributions on the Hahira rezoning and annexation; they didn’t know, but they approved it anyway. The longest discussion was on the Intrado phone system, which will have Lowndes County be the first south of Atlanta with text to 911. A suprising number of and variety of Commissioner questions on the 911 radios. The only question on the three utilities items was whether they were in the budget; they are. As usual, they rubberstamped the three Valdosta State Prison work details, with the only question being whether they were getting enough for the money. A: Yes, because prisoners work cheap.