Tag Archives: Transportation

Calles again, Val North PD Water Sewer, Habitat CDBG, Sewage Valves, Stone Creek Antenna, Sheriff, Alcohol @ LCC 2017-03-13

The county apparently doesn’t want its Peterson Road Isolation Valves leaking like Valdosta’s famous January 2017 WWTP failure. Two other water cases are on the agenda for this morning’s 8:30 AM Work Session, both rezonings: REZ-2017-02 Calles, Alexandria St, R-10 and CON to R-A and CON, Well and Septic, ~13 acres back again (Planning Commission still doesn’t like it; staff maybe), a new one, REZ-2017-03 Val North Dr, Stewart Circle, PD Amendment and Conditions Removal, Water & Sewer, ~9 acres.

Parcel 0167 098A
Parcel 0167 098A

The “Conflict of interest certification, resolution, and authorization” under FY 2017 CDBG Grant, Valdosta- Lowndes County Habitat for Humanity actually means no conflict of interest, according to the agenda sheet, which also notes “Lowndes County is currently on course to apply for $750,000.00 in CDBG funds from the Georgia Department of Community Affairs (DCA) for a new public facility for the Valdosta-Lowndes County Habitat for Humanity.” Well, they’re not on course until they stop feuding with the local cities about tax revenue allocation, because they can’t apply for any state or federal grants until that is resolved.

Two safety items: Stone Creek Antenna Space License Agreement and Sheriff's Office Vehicle Lease Agreement.

And no County Commission meeting is complete without alcohol: Beer & Wine License – Rajendrakumar N. Patel of Bhumi Corporation – 6685 Bemiss Rd., Valdosta, GA. I don’t recall they’ve ever denied one of those, so I don’t know why they don’t just make an ordinance that permitting staff can approve them.

Here’s the agenda. Gretchen is there with the LAKE camera. Will the meeting take more than the three minutes last time?

LOWNDES COUNTY BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS
PROPOSED AGENDA
WORK SESSION, MONDAY, March 13, 2017, 8:30 a.m.
REGULAR SESSION, TUESDAY, March 14, 2017, 5:30 p.m.
327 N. Ashley Street – 2nd Floor

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Deputy Butler, Jacobs Ladder road paving, and seven minutes on the agenda @ LCC 2017-02-28

Front camera They started with some words about Deputy Chris Butler and a moment of silence (see VDT Obituary. Then they plowed through agenda. Commissioner Demarcus Marshall did introduce a little levity by asking if the drug testing for the MIDS bus service was just for the drivers. Answer: yes.

On the dozen Sheriff pursuit vehicles bid, Commissioner Marshall also noted that a few years ago (they voted 25 March 2014 there was a similar bid of Cass Burch vs. Langdale Ford for which they had additional testimony. The excuse for picking Cass Burch even though once again not the low bid was that it was that the Burch price was still less than the state contract price, and maintenance would cost less. It’s refreshing to see them actually discussing bids. It’s curious they only ever seem to choose a bid that is not the lowest when it’s from Cass Burch.

The County Manager had no additional report to his no report of the previous morning.

There was one citizen wishing to be heard: Leslie Jacobs of Jacobs Ladder on 5866 Bradford Road North, in Continue reading →

Videos: Three minute Work Session @ LCC 2017-02-27

Why do they bother having Work Sessions at all, if they’re not going to discuss anything? Chairman Bill Slaughter, who at the recent planning session said, “Lowndes County is as transparent as we could possibly be,” was absent. Commissioner Demarcus Marshall, who argued at the planning session for moving the Work Session to a time when citizens are not working, also was not at the Work Session as usual, I hear because he works during the day. I don’t know why Commissioner Mark Wisenbaker was not there. Other than Vice-Chair Joyce Evans, who didn’t read the agenda item numbers, only Commissioners Scottie Orenstein and Clay Griner were there this morning. They asked no questions, as Griner had said at the planning meeting there was no need to, because staff supplied them with everything they needed to know.

To her credit, Joyce Evans asked the only question, whether the Rural Transportation Drug and Alcohol Testing Program was new (It’s not new, answered County Engineer Mike Fletcher.)

The only two citizens there were Gretchen Quarterman and Jody Hall, each of whom had hour-long round-trips to attend this three-minute non-meeting.

The Valdosta Daily Times reporter arrived after the meeting was adjourned. He at least got the packet provided at each meeting to the “Legal Organ”. You, the citizens and taxpayers did not get that courtesy from the county.

You can see for yourself the lack of information in the links below to each of the LAKE videos, followed by a LAKE video playlist. I didn’t bother with notes on the items this time. See also the agenda, which I spent more time posting than they did holding the meeting. Continue reading →

Videos: Annual Planning Meeting Day 2 @ LCC 2017-02-17

We learned why Lowndes County has gotten religion about Internet access and speed: Moody AFB wants it.

Commissioner Scottie Orenstein made the case for board packets and agendas in electronic form instead of the paper packets they currently use. Maybe they’ll even reveal them to the public before their meetings, like real MSAs do. Meanwhile, Community Engagement means marketing, as in telling people what the county did, not listening to the citizens.

They talked about interconnecting (almost) all of the county’s water systems, about routes to get trucks out of downtown Valdosta. The water-sewer ordinance is in ten or twelve pieces, and the county is all for expanding water and sewer throughout the county as long as it doesn’t cost developers money.

There’s a regional T-SPLOST meeting in Waycross by SGRC Feb 28 2017, but Lowndes commissioners and staff said nothing Continue reading →

CSX road closure and bridge + dozen sheriff vehicles @ LCC 2017-02-27

Back on the agenda this morning, the Old Quitman Road Bridge replacement over the CSX RR has been discussed since at least 2011 when it was on the T-SPLOST list, and in September 2016 it came up for discussion again, and the Commission approved surveying and engineering. Last month they discussed the plans, drawings, etc., and approved those. See this playlist of LAKE videos of this item in previous meetings.

This morning’s item for voting tomorrow evening is 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 →

Videos: 2 VLMPO appointments, 2 rezonings, 3 water + credit cards, alcohol @ LCC 2017-02-13

They vote 5:30 PM today. The longest item at yesterday morning’s Work Session was 6b. REZ-2017-02 Calles, Alexandria St, R-10 and CON to E-A, Well and Septic, 0213 acres, which also got the longest discussion of any county case at the recent Planning Commission meeting, where GLPC voted to recommend denial. All parties want the other rezoning, 6a. REZ-2017-01 Cone/Malone, tabled.

The second longest item yesterday morning was 7c. Request for Relief for Tuscany Palms Utility Tax District, which had a long list of staff involved in it.

They did name the three three candidates for two VLMPO vacancies, but none of them were present. At least one wasn’t even aware he was actually a candidate.

Below are links to each Continue reading →

2 VLMPO appointments, 2 rezonings, 3 water + credit cards, alcohol @ LCC 2017-02-13

On the agenda for 8:30 AM this morning, three candidates for two VLMPO vacancies, and none of the candidates are incumbents, according to Valdosta or Lowndes County. Rezonings on Madison Hwy and Alexandria St, both probably uncontroversial; see the LAKE videos of the preceding GLPC meeting for those two items. Yet again Approval of Elected Officials Using County Issued Purchasing Cards and Credit Cards and as usual a Beer License. Three water items: Bevel Creek Lift Station Automatic Transfer Switch, Professional Engineering Services and Environmental Permitting for Jumping Gully Road Bridge Replacement, Drainage Improvements – Valencia Street.

LOWNDES COUNTY BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS
PROPOSED AGENDA
WORK SESSION, MONDAY, FEBRUARY 13, 2017, 8:30 a.m.
REGULAR SESSION, TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 14, 2017, 5:30 p.m.
327 N. Ashley Street – 2nd Floor

Continue reading →

Another county floor area case @ ZBOA 2017-02-07

2:30 PM today: one county case, VAR-2017-01 north of Clyattville, on a very light agenda for the decision-making Zoning Board of Appeals.

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
February 7, 2017
2:30 p.m.

Continue reading →

Possible corporate takeover of CSX

CSX stock went up 29% in January on rumors of a corporate takeover. The same CSX that let a plume of toxic chemicals leak below its Rice Rail Yard in Waycross, including into the upper Suwannee River watershed. It’s not clear a corporate takeover would do anything to stop that, or other possible contamination in for example Valdosta.

John Burr, WJCT, 6 February 2017, Business Brief: CSX Board To Consider Possible Takeover Friday, Continue reading →