{"id":10666,"date":"2014-09-23T12:07:06","date_gmt":"2014-09-23T16:07:06","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.l-a-k-e.org\/blog\/?p=10666"},"modified":"2014-09-23T14:15:03","modified_gmt":"2014-09-23T18:15:03","slug":"videos-alcohol-transportation-water-and-safety-lcc-2014-09-22","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/www.l-a-k-e.org\/blog\/2014\/09\/videos-alcohol-transportation-water-and-safety-lcc-2014-09-22.html","title":{"rendered":"Videos: Alcohol, Transportation, Water, and Safety @ LCC 2014-09-22"},"content":{"rendered":"

Update:<\/strong> Board packet<\/a>.\r\n

\r\n\r\n<\/a>\r\nThey took a little longer than ten minutes,\r\nbecause Commissioners had questions about\r\n\r\nthe right of way abandonment<\/a> and\r\neven more questions about rent, tenants, and services at the\r\n\r\nLeila Ellis Social Services Building<\/a>,\r\nand about the\r\n\r\nPublic Safety Radio System System Upgrade<\/a>:\r\nCommissioners actually want to see what they’re voting in; fancy that!\r\nPlus a substantial\r\npresentation about the\r\n\r\nUSGS water level gauge on the Little River<\/a>\r\nand an unscheduled request for approval for\r\n\r\na continuation of a Victims Assistance grant<\/a>.\r\n

\r\nHere’s the\r\nagenda<\/a> with links to the videos and a few notes,\r\nfollowed by a playlist.\r\n

\r\nLOWNDES COUNTY BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS \r\nPROPOSED AGENDA \r\n
\r\nWORK SESSION, MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 22, 2014, 8:30 a.m. \r\n
\r\nREGULAR SESSION, TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 23, 2014, 5:30 p.m. \r\n
\r\n327 N. Ashley Street \u2013 2nd<\/sup><\/small> Floor \r\n
\r\n<\/blockquote>\r\n
\r\n
    \r\n
  1. \r\n\r\nCall to Order<\/a>\r\n\"1.<\/a>\r\n

    \r\nVideo.<\/a>\r\n<\/p>\r\n

  2. \r\n\r\nInvocation<\/a>\r\n

    \r\nOnly in the Regular Session.\r\n<\/p>\r\n

  3. \r\n\r\nPledge of Allegiance to the Flag<\/a>\r\n

    \r\nOnly in the Regular Session.\r\n<\/p>\r\n

  4. \r\n\r\nMinutes for Approval<\/a>\r\n
      \r\n
    1. \r\n\r\nWork Session — September 8, 2014<\/a>\r\n
    2. \r\n\r\nRegular Session — September 9, 2014<\/a>\r\n<\/ol>\r\n
    3. \r\n\r\nPublic Hearing<\/a>\r\n
        \r\n
      1. \r\n\r\nBeer, Wine and Liquor License — Cowboys Fire Pit Grill, LLC — 1088 Lakes Blvd<\/a>\r\n\"5.<\/a>\r\n

        \r\nVideo.<\/a>\r\nNo questions.\r\n<\/p>\r\n<\/ol>\r\n

      2. \r\n\r\nFor Consideration<\/a>\r\n
          \r\n
        1. \r\n\r\nAbandonment of Unopened Right of Way off Water Oak Drive<\/a>\r\n\"6.a.<\/a>\r\n

          \r\nVideo.<\/a>\r\nCounty Engineer Mike Fletcher said that section of road had never\r\nbeen maintaned by the county.\r\n

          \r\nCommmissioner Demarcus Marshall wanted to know if it would be divided\r\namong the adjoining property owners.\r\n
          \r\nAnswer: yes.\r\n

          \r\nCommissioner Crawford Powell wanted to know the original intent of the right of way.\r\n
          \r\nAnswer: to bring another road in and come back out to Rolling Pine.\r\n

          \r\n

          \r\nJust another interior loop road.\r\nBut since the Marmelgo[?] has come in there, there’s no need for that right of way.\r\n<\/p>\r\n<\/blockquote>\r\n

        2. \r\n\r\nSection 5311 Rural Transportation Program Operating Contracts<\/a>\r\n\"6.b.<\/a>\r\n

          \r\nVideo.<\/a>\r\nCounty Engineer Mike Fletcher said for the first seven months of the year\r\nMIDS has produced 20,984 trips, and in 2013 33,548 trips.\r\nHe didn’t say, but if the 2014 trips keep on at that rate for a full 12 months,\r\nthat will be about 7% above 2013.\r\nCommissioners had no questions.\r\n<\/p>\r\n

        3. \r\n\r\nLeila Ellis Social Services Building-Approval of Lease Agreements<\/a>\r\n\"6.c.<\/a>\r\n

          \r\nVideo.<\/a>\r\nRemember a year ago when it turned out\r\nthe county had no contracts for tenants of that building, and didn’t even know who they all were<\/a>?\r\nThis time Chad McCleod (why him? isn’t he engineering?) said the Commission had\r\n“in a previous Commission meeting” approved a rate of 29 cents per square foot.\r\nIn the Minutes 8 October 2013<\/a>:\r\n<\/p>\r\n

          \r\n

          \r\nLeila Ellis Building-Available Space<\/strong>,\r\n\r\n<\/a>\r\nProject Manager, Chad McLeod,\r\npresented the item. County Manager, Joe Pritchard, stated he wanted\r\nto reiterate that the Commission would be presented with leases,\r\naddressing the space requested by each agency, once staff received\r\napproval to move forward with proposed conditions. Commissioner\r\nMarshall stated he had visited the facility and had questions\r\nregarding the soup kitchen and public health. Mr. McLeod stated that\r\nstaff had been directed to address those two spaces as well, once\r\nthe current project was complete, stating public health was current\r\non their rent. Mr. Pritchard added it was staff’s intent to have\r\neveryone paying the same cost per square foot. Commissioner Page\r\nmade a motion to approve the rent in the amount of .29___per sqare\r\nfoot, per month (verify with chad), Commissioner Raines second. All\r\nvoted in favor, no one opposed. Motion carried.\r\n<\/p>\r\n<\/blockquote>\r\n

          \r\nThere’s more in the LAKE notes for that meeting<\/a>\r\nand you can follow the links to the video to see the Commissioners\r\nstill seemed quite confused as to what they were voting on.\r\nEven the minutes seem confused (“verify with Chad”).\r\n<\/p>\r\n

          \r\nThis time, Chad McCleod said they had talked to various likely\r\ntenants and he spelled out which ones would take how many square feet\r\nfor how much total.\r\n

          \r\nCommissioner Demarcus Marshall wanted to know if CASH was a nonprofit\r\nand what services they provided.\r\n
          \r\nAnswer: yes, tax services, and they have offices throughout the state;\r\nAlbany, Valdosta, and one other location.\r\n

          \r\nMarshall waned to know if future tentants would come before the Commission\r\nor would they be handled by staff?\r\n
          Answer from County Manager Joe Pritchard: to the Commission.\r\n
          Answer from Chad McCleod: and these tenants would have to come back in five years.\r\n

          \r\nCommissioner Crawford Powell wanted to know:\r\n<\/p>\r\n

          \r\nWhat are they doing, what are they affecting as far as the citizens\r\nof the county?\r\nAre they really providing the services that we need to be provided,\r\nwhen we are supporting them through the Leila Ellis grant?\r\nIs there any type of a reporting mechanism we could put in place,\r\nasking them to keep tabs on what services they are providing,\r\nnumber of citizens they are assisting?\r\n<\/blockquote>\r\n

          \r\nAnswer from Joe Pritchard: “Yessir, you can make that request for that information.”\r\n
          \r\nAnswer from Chairman Bill Slaughter: “Yeah, I would think we would be able to do that.&rdqup;\r\n

          \r\nPowell wanted to know what the rest of the Commission thought.\r\n
          \r\nAnswer: Bill Slaughter (apparently answering for all the Commissioners)\r\nsaid he had not problem with it and thought it was a good idea.\r\n

          \r\nPowell tried asking “Ms. Evans” directly.\r\n
          \r\nAnswer: Bill Slaughter once again spoke before anybody else could,\r\nsaying it didn’t even have to go in the lease agreement;\r\nthey could just ask (he also said “require”) it of the tenants.\r\n
          \r\nAnswer from Joe Pritchard: The LACC is a new organization\r\nto meet the meeds of some individuals LAMP no longer services.\r\n<\/p>\r\n

        4. \r\n\r\nGEMA Performance Partnership Agreement (FY 2014)<\/a>\r\n\"6.d.<\/a>\r\n

          \r\nVideo.<\/a>\r\nEmergency Management Director Ashley Tye said the most recent\r\ncensus data was used to figure the grant size.\r\nCommissioners had no questions, other than the Chairman joking about rounding it up to $100,000.\r\n<\/p>\r\n

        5. \r\n\r\nUSGS Funding Agreement for Hwy 122 Stream Gauge<\/a>\r\n\"6.e.<\/a>\r\n

          \r\nVideo.<\/a>\r\nEmergency Management Director Ashley Tye said this was the annual\r\nrenewal, still at the same price, of\r\nthe Little River\r\ngauge installed after the April 2009 floods per an agreement with USGS \r\nSeptember 2009.\r\nUSGS installed it, and its information is available to local citizens\r\nand to the National Weather Services (NWS).\r\nNWS uses it in forecasting for “proactive knowing what the river’s doing.”\r\nHe noted what the Withlacoochee River is doing doesn’t necessarily\r\ncorrelate with what the Little River is doing.\r\n<\/p>\r\n

          \r\nHere are current graphs from that gauge and others on the Little River\r\nand the Withlacoochee River, upstream and down, in\r\n\r\nFlooding charts<\/a> by WWALS.\r\nThere are also links to the Lowndes County guages on\r\n\r\nthe Emergency Management department page<\/a>.\r\n<\/p>\r\n

        6. \r\n\r\nPublic Safety Radio System Upgrade<\/a>\r\n\"6.f.<\/a>\r\n

          \r\nVideo.<\/a>\r\nEmergency Management Director Ashley Tye said this was to\r\nreplace the obsolescent current system, and got a proposal\r\nfrom Motorola of $6,567,000, which is slightly less than budgeted,\r\nto come out of SPlOST funds, to be split equally between\r\nthe county and the City of Valdosta, with attractive financing options,\r\nincluding no actual payments until September 2016, then three payments.\r\n<\/p>\r\n

          \r\n911 Director Danny Weeks added that they could reuse about 1200\r\nof the mobile units through a software upgrade,\r\nwhile moving to a newer platform with enhancements including\r\nelimination of several single points of failure, and abiility\r\nto double system capacity.\r\nThe current system was reaching a point where finding spare parts\r\nwas difficult.\r\n

          \r\nCommissioner Crawford Powell wanted to know whether fire, city and county,\r\nVSU, etc. would all tie in?\r\n
          \r\nAnswer: yes, also Echols County.\r\n<\/p>\r\n

          \r\nCommissioner Demarcus Marshall asked the County Manager\r\nwhether the actual amount to the county should be half,\r\ni.e, $3 million and something.\r\n
          \r\nAnswer: Yes, technically, and attorneys from Motorola and the county\r\nwere finishing documents for the next afternoon’s work session\r\nincluding a memorandum of understanding between city and county,\r\nin which the county would make the full payment and the city\r\nwould pay the county.\r\n

          \r\nMarshall wanted further clarification.\r\n
          \r\nAnswer: Motorola can’t put it in the name of two lease holders.\r\nThe county has traditionally been the lessee or owner of record,\r\nand this would continue that tradition.\r\n

          \r\nMarshall said he looked forward to seeing the documents before\r\nthey voted on it.\r\n

          \r\nPowell wanted to know if the other municipalities were also\r\ndispatched by the county, Hahira, Remerton, Lake Park.\r\n
          \r\nAnswer: yes.\r\n

          \r\nMarshall wanted to know if the lease purchase agreement would\r\nbe available before the vote.\r\n
          \r\nAnswer: \r\n<\/p>\r\n

          \r\nYes, we have a copy of that for your review here this morning,\r\nand we will also have the finalized documents from the attorney\r\nin the morning.\r\n<\/blockquote>\r\n

          \r\nMarshall made it clear that “I like to look at it.”\r\n<\/P>\r\n<\/ol>\r\n

        7. \r\n\r\nReports-County Manager<\/a>\r\n\"7.<\/a>\r\n

          \r\nVideo.<\/a>\r\nState Solicitor Juston Cabral reported on the VOCA-funded Victim Witness Program.\r\nHe previously advocated for it at the\r\n\r\n24 March 2014 Work Session<\/a>\r\nand the Commission approved it at the\r\n\r\n24 March 2014 Regular Session<\/a>.\r\nHe said he was informed last week that a 12-month renewal had\r\nbeen authorized, and he wanted the Commission’s approval for that.\r\n<\/p>\r\n

        8. \r\n\r\nCitizens Wishing to be Heard Please State Name And Address<\/a>\r\n

          \r\nOnly in the Regular Session.\r\n<\/p>\r\n<\/ol>\r\n