{"id":23718,"date":"2023-07-16T10:39:22","date_gmt":"2023-07-16T14:39:22","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.l-a-k-e.org\/blog\/?p=23718"},"modified":"2023-07-16T10:41:25","modified_gmt":"2023-07-16T14:41:25","slug":"videos-uldc-amendments-voting-machine-security-library-board-boat-and-rv-storage-alapaha-plantation-water-purchase-houses-by-griner-park-insurance-lmig-lcc-regular-2023-07-11","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/www.l-a-k-e.org\/blog\/2023\/07\/videos-uldc-amendments-voting-machine-security-library-board-boat-and-rv-storage-alapaha-plantation-water-purchase-houses-by-griner-park-insurance-lmig-lcc-regular-2023-07-11.html","title":{"rendered":"Videos: ULDC amendments, Voting machine security, Library Board, Boat and RV Storage, Alapaha Plantation Water, Purchase houses by Griner Park, Insurance, LMIG @ LCC Regular 2023-07-11"},"content":{"rendered":"

\nCommissioner Demarcus Marshall asked for clarifications on chickens
\nbeing excluded from conservation in
\n
\n6.a. TXT-2023-01 ULDC Text Amendments<\/a>,
\nCounty Manager Bill Slaughter said there were two kinds of conservation: land use and taxes,
\nand the exclusion only applied to one of them; not clear which one.<\/p>\n

\n
\n\"[Collage<\/a>
\n
Collage @ LCC 11 July 2023<\/a>\n<\/p>\n

\nGretchen Quarterman spoke against the amendments being voted on without more time
\nfor the general public to review and comment,
\nas she did at the preceding Planning Commission meeting<\/a>.
\nShe pointed out she still could not find the amendments on the county’s website,
\nthere had been only one county announcement of these changes,
\nand no listing of the changes.
\nNobody spoke for.
\nThe Chairman asked for rebuttal, but there was none.<\/p>\n

\nCommissioners had no discussion, and voted unanimously to approve the ULDC text amendments.<\/p>\n

\nThey unanimously approved everything else, except<\/p>\n


\n6.b. Purchase of 412-416 North Lee Street Property<\/a>,
\nwhich was withdrawn from the agenda because of lack of clear title to the property. “A few more difficulties with the title search,” said the Chairman.<\/p>\n

\nIn
\n5.a. Appointment – South Georgia Regional Library Board<\/a>,
\nalong with the reappointments, on a motion by Valdosta City employee and County Commissioner Demarcus Marshall,
\nthey appointed
\nValdosta Deputy City Manager Catherine Ammons
\nto the seat previously held by Gary Wisenbaker, who was term limited.<\/p>\n

\nIn
\n
\n9. Reports<\/a>, Gretchen notes, “County Manager Paige Dukes called on Permitting to give an update on how the new office is doing after two weeks in operation.”<\/p>\n

\nMindy Bates said
\n44 applications submitted and processed,
\n26 permits have been issued,
\n7 have been completely
\n1 commercial
\n26 residential,
\neverything else is still in process for inspections to be requested, fees to be paid, and “things like that.”
\nShe added that on the very first day of county-handled permitting
\nthey had two applications come in, processed through, and two inspections.
\nThey’re registered and verified 70 contractor licenses and occupational tax registrations, which “smooths the process”.
\nThey’ve assessed about $10,000 in fees, collected about $2,500, and about $7,200 is still outstanding waiting to be paid.
\nJust before 5PM they received their first large application,
\nfor a $7,500,000 warehouse coming to town.<\/p>\n

\nSo they’re happy to service “the development community” as the County Manager often calls it.
\nAnd I understand they want to generate economic development.<\/p>\n

\nMaybe they could be as solicitous of the rest of the general public,
\nespecially county voters and taxpayers.<\/p>\n

\nGretchen added,
\n“I’m not sure where I find information about permitting on the lowndescounty.com web site. I don’t find an announcement in the “news flash” area and when I search for “building permit” it gives a list of permits that one could get but nothing about where to go to get a building permit (as a regular person, not a commercial contractor).”<\/p>\n

\nAlso, Billy Young is the new Lowndes County Fire Chief.
\nFormer Chief Lloyd Green has moved to a senior Fire Marshall position
\n(even though Green is still listed as Fire Chief on lowndescounty.com<\/a>.<\/p>\n

\nIn Citizens Wishing to Be Heard,
\nfour citizens voiced concerns about Dominion voting machines and said the county had the power to go to paper ballots:
\n
\nCatherine Reese<\/a>,
\n
\nDiane Cox<\/a>,
\n
\nCheri Whitney<\/a>,
\nand
\n
\nMary Gebbia<\/a>.<\/p>\n

\nBelow are links to LAKE videos of each agenda item,
\nwith a few notes by Gretchen Quarterman,
\nfollowed by a LAKE video playlist.<\/p>\n

\nSee also:<\/p>\n