{"id":25203,"date":"2025-08-26T16:29:59","date_gmt":"2025-08-26T20:29:59","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.l-a-k-e.org\/blog\/?p=25203"},"modified":"2025-08-26T16:29:59","modified_gmt":"2025-08-26T20:29:59","slug":"packet-millages-opioid-litigation-hightower-road-splost-ix-trees-act-pfas-groundwater-claims-lcc-2025-08-25","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/www.l-a-k-e.org\/blog\/2025\/08\/packet-millages-opioid-litigation-hightower-road-splost-ix-trees-act-pfas-groundwater-claims-lcc-2025-08-25.html","title":{"rendered":"Packet: Millages, Opioid Litigation, Hightower Road, SPLOST IX, TREES Act, PFAS Groundwater Claims @ LCC 2025-08-25"},"content":{"rendered":"

\r\nThe board packet includes the SPLOST IX Agreement and Project Lists,\r\nas well as the agreements for the Opioid and Groundwater Claims\r\nand the Hightower Road Quit Claim\r\nand a resolution for the TREES Act.\r\n

\r\nThis is for yesterday’s Work Session and this evening’s Regular Session\r\nof the Lowndes County Commission.\r\n

\r\n\r\n\"[Collage,<\/a>\r\n
Collage, Packet @ LCC 2025-08-25-26<\/a>\r\n<\/p>\r\n

\r\nThe SPLOST IX Agreement and Project Lists are the same as\r\n\r\nLAKE already published<\/a> two weeks ago from a usually reliable source.\r\n

\r\nThe entire board packet,\r\nobtained in response to a LAKE open records request,\r\nis\r\n\r\non the LAKE website<\/a>, and images of each page are below.\r\n

\r\nIt is still mysterious why Lowndes County does not publish its board packets on its own website, like many counties larger and smaller have done for years in Georgia and Florida.\r\n

\r\nSee also the\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\nLAKE videos of yesterday morning’s Work Session<\/a>\r\nand the\r\n\r\nagenda<\/a>.\r\n

-jsq<\/p>\r\n

Investigative reporting costs money, for open records requests, copying, web hosting, gasoline, and cameras, and with sufficient funds we can pay students to do further research. You can donate to LAKE today<\/a>!\r\n
\r\n\r\nhttp:\/\/www.l-a-k-e.org\/blog\/donate<\/a>\r\n<\/p>\r\n

Agenda 2025-08-25-26<\/a><\/H4>\r\n\r\n

\r\n\r\n\"[Millages<\/a>\r\n
Millages and Opioid Litigation<\/a>\r\n
PDF<\/strong><\/a>\r\n<\/p>\r\n\r\n

\r\n\r\n

\r\n\r\n\"[Hightower<\/a>\r\n
Hightower Road, SPLOST IX, TREES Act, AFFF\/PFAS Groundwater Claims<\/a>\r\n
PDF<\/strong><\/a>\r\n<\/p>\r\n\r\n<\/div>\r\n\r\n

Adoption of the 2025 Millage Rate<\/a><\/H4>\r\n\r\n

\r\n\r\n\"[The<\/a>\r\n
The county-wide millage rate for 2025 should be set at the rollback rate of 5.051 mills. This represents a reduction of 0.232 mills from 2024.<\/a>\r\n
PDF<\/strong><\/a>\r\n<\/p>\r\n\r\n

\r\n<\/div>\r\n\r\n

Adoption of Special District Millage for the Industrial<\/a><\/H4>\r\n\r\n

\r\n\r\n\"[The<\/a>\r\n
The Industrial Authority rate was set at 1.00 mill since it was first implemented, but was reduced to 0.823 mills in 2024. The proposed millage for 2025 for the Industrial Authority is 1.00 mill.<\/a>\r\n
PDF<\/strong><\/a>\r\n<\/p>\r\n\r\n

\r\n<\/div>\r\n\r\n

Adoption of Special District Millage for the Parks and Recreation Authority for 2025<\/a><\/H4>\r\n\r\n

\r\n\r\n\"[The<\/a>\r\n
The Parks and Recreation Authority rate was set at 1.25 mills since it was first implemented. The proposed millage for 2025 for the Parks and Recreation Authority is 1.25 mills.<\/a>\r\n
PDF<\/strong><\/a>\r\n<\/p>\r\n\r\n

\r\n<\/div>\r\n\r\n

Adoption of Special District Millage for Fire Services for<\/a><\/H4>\r\n\r\n

\r\n\r\n\"[The<\/a>\r\n
The 2025 rate should be set at 2.50 mills which is no change from the prior year millage.<\/a>\r\n
PDF<\/strong><\/a>\r\n<\/p>\r\n\r\n

\r\n<\/div>\r\n\r\n

Opioid Litigation – Purdue Pharma<\/a><\/H4>\r\n\r\n

\r\n\r\n\"[Special<\/a>\r\n
Special counsel for Lowndes County, Cale Conley, recommends Lowndes County participate in this settlement and accept the Purdue Bankruptcy Plan to receive funds from Purdue to abate the opioid crisis.<\/a>\r\n
PDF<\/strong><\/a>\r\n<\/p>\r\n\r\n

\r\n\r\n

\r\n\r\n\"[Exhibit<\/a>\r\n
Exhibit K: Subdivision Participation and Release Form<\/a>\r\n
PDF<\/strong><\/a>\r\n<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n

\r\n\r\n\"[Page<\/a>\r\n
Page 9<\/a>\r\n
PDF<\/strong><\/a>\r\n<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n

\r\n\r\n\"[Page<\/a>\r\n
Page 10<\/a>\r\n
PDF<\/strong><\/a>\r\n<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n

\r\n\r\n\"[Page<\/a>\r\n
Page 11<\/a>\r\n
PDF<\/strong><\/a>\r\n<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n

\r\n\r\n\"[Settlement<\/a>\r\n
Settlement Document<\/a>\r\n
PDF<\/strong><\/a>\r\n<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n

\r\n\r\n\"[I.<\/a>\r\n
I. Definitions<\/a>\r\n
PDF<\/strong><\/a>\r\n<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n

\r\n\r\n\"[II.<\/a>\r\n
II. Allocation between State and Local Governments<\/a>\r\n
PDF<\/strong><\/a>\r\n<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n

\r\n\r\n\"[Page<\/a>\r\n
Page 15<\/a>\r\n
PDF<\/strong><\/a>\r\n<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n

\r\n\r\n\"[III.<\/a>\r\n
III. Funds to be used for Approved Purposes; Clawback and Recoupment<\/a>\r\n
PDF<\/strong><\/a>\r\n<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n

\r\n\r\n\"[IV.<\/a>\r\n
IV. Compliance and Reporting<\/a>\r\n
PDF<\/strong><\/a>\r\n<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n

\r\n\r\n\"[Page<\/a>\r\n
Page 18<\/a>\r\n
PDF<\/strong><\/a>\r\n<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n

\r\n\r\n\"[Page<\/a>\r\n
Page 19<\/a>\r\n
PDF<\/strong><\/a>\r\n<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n

\r\n\r\n\"[Page<\/a>\r\n
Page 20<\/a>\r\n
PDF<\/strong><\/a>\r\n<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n

\r\n\r\n\"[Page<\/a>\r\n
Page 21<\/a>\r\n
PDF<\/strong><\/a>\r\n<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n

\r\n\r\n\"[Exhibit<\/a>\r\n
Exhibit 1: ACKNOWLEDGEMENT AND AGREEMENT<\/a>\r\n
PDF<\/strong><\/a>\r\n<\/p>\r\n\r\n<\/div>\r\n\r\n

Quit-Claim Deed of Abandoned Section of Hightower Road<\/a><\/H4>\r\n\r\n

\r\n\r\n\"[The<\/a>\r\n
The Air Force has now asked the County for a quit-claim deed of the abandoned section of right-of-way.<\/a>\r\n
PDF<\/strong><\/a>\r\n<\/p>\r\n\r\n

\r\n\r\n

\r\n\r\n\"[RESOLUTION<\/a>\r\n
RESOLUTION 2023-05-09<\/a>\r\n
PDF<\/strong><\/a>\r\n<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n

\r\n\r\n\"[Plan<\/a>\r\n
Plan of the portion of Hightower Road to be abandoned.<\/a>\r\n
PDF<\/strong><\/a>\r\n<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n

\r\n\r\n\"[Aerial<\/a>\r\n
Aerial Map of the portion of Hightower Road to be abandoned.<\/a>\r\n
PDF<\/strong><\/a>\r\n<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n

\r\n\r\n\"[Quit-Claim<\/a>\r\n
Quit-Claim Deed<\/a>\r\n
PDF<\/strong><\/a>\r\n<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n

\r\n\r\n\"[IN<\/a>\r\n
IN WITNESS WHEREOF (Lowndes County)<\/a>\r\n
PDF<\/strong><\/a>\r\n<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n

\r\n\r\n\"[IN<\/a>\r\n
IN WITNESS WHEREOF (USAF)<\/a>\r\n
PDF<\/strong><\/a>\r\n<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n

\r\n\r\n\"[CORRECTED<\/a>\r\n
CORRECTED PLAT OF ABANDONED COUNTY ROAD RIGHT OF WAY FOR: LOWNDES COUNTY<\/a>\r\n
PDF<\/strong><\/a>\r\n<\/p>\r\n\r\n<\/div>\r\n\r\n

SPLOST IX<\/a><\/H4>\r\n\r\n

\r\n\r\n\"[Further<\/a>\r\n
Further to the SPLOST IX Agreement approved by the Board on August 4, 2025, and also thereafter by each of the cities, the Resolution of the Board of Commissioners calling for the tax to be reimposed is attached.<\/a>\r\n
PDF<\/strong><\/a>\r\n<\/p>\r\n\r\n

\r\n\r\n

\r\n\r\n\"[A<\/a>\r\n
A RESOLUTION<\/a>\r\n
PDF<\/strong><\/a>\r\n<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n

\r\n\r\n\"[Page<\/a>\r\n
Page 33<\/a>\r\n
PDF<\/strong><\/a>\r\n<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n

\r\n\r\n\"[Lowndes<\/a>\r\n
Lowndes County Project List<\/a>\r\n
PDF<\/strong><\/a>\r\n<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n

\r\n\r\n\"[Valdosta<\/a>\r\n
Valdosta Project List<\/a>\r\n
PDF<\/strong><\/a>\r\n<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n

\r\n\r\n\"[Hahira<\/a>\r\n
Hahira Project List and Remerton Project List<\/a>\r\n
PDF<\/strong><\/a>\r\n<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n

\r\n\r\n\"[Lake<\/a>\r\n
Lake Park Project List<\/a>\r\n
PDF<\/strong><\/a>\r\n<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n

\r\n\r\n\"[Dasher<\/a>\r\n
Dasher Project List<\/a>\r\n
PDF<\/strong><\/a>\r\n<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n

\r\n\r\n\"[Election<\/a>\r\n
Election Superintendent<\/a>\r\n
PDF<\/strong><\/a>\r\n<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n

\r\n\r\n\"[So<\/a>\r\n
So resolved, this 26th day of August, 2025<\/a>\r\n
PDF<\/strong><\/a>\r\n<\/p>\r\n\r\n<\/div>\r\n\r\n

TREES Act Resolution<\/a><\/H4>\r\n\r\n

\r\n\r\n\"[Subsection<\/a>\r\n
Subsection (b) of this Act provides that the Board may grant temporary property tax relief from taxes levied for certain eligible standing timber pursuant to OCGA \u00a7 48-5-7.5 during the final quarter of 2024 and each quarter of 2025. Subsection (c) provides that to grant such temporary tax relief the Board shall adopt a resolution or ordinance including certain specified provisions.<\/a>\r\n
PDF<\/strong><\/a>\r\n<\/p>\r\n\r\n

\r\n\r\n

\r\n\r\n\"[ACCG<\/a>\r\n
ACCG Summary: \u2018Disaster area\u2019 means any county designated for public assistance or individual and public assistance<\/a>\r\n
PDF<\/strong><\/a>\r\n<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n

\r\n\r\n\"[All<\/a>\r\n
All county, city, school, and consolidated governments located in whole or in part in the disaster area are<\/a>\r\n
PDF<\/strong><\/a>\r\n<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n

\r\n\r\n\"[Requires<\/a>\r\n
Requires that taxpayers seeking such relief submit the certification form established by the<\/a>\r\n
PDF<\/strong><\/a>\r\n<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n

\r\n\r\n\"[Audits,<\/a>\r\n
Audits, State Grants, Initial Funding<\/a>\r\n
PDF<\/strong><\/a>\r\n<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n

\r\n\r\n\"[A<\/a>\r\n
A RESOLUTION<\/a>\r\n
PDF<\/strong><\/a>\r\n<\/p>\r\n\r\n<\/div>\r\n\r\n

AFFF\/PFAS Groundwater Claims<\/a><\/H4>\r\n\r\n

\r\n\r\n\"[Stag<\/a>\r\n
Stag Liuzza, a law firm in New Orleans that specializes in representing local governments in the AFFF\/PFAA litigation, and Carothers & Mitchell, a law firm in Buford, Georgia, have offered their services to counties in Georgia related to making a claim for a portion of the settlement funds paid by 3M and DuPont. These firms would be paid on a contingency basis, i.e., attorneys\u2019 fees and expenses would be taken out of any settlement recovery. If the County recovers nothing, it would pay nothing in fees and expenses to these firms.<\/a>\r\n
PDF<\/strong><\/a>\r\n<\/p>\r\n\r\n

\r\n\r\n

\r\n\r\n\"[Page<\/a>\r\n
Page 48<\/a>\r\n
PDF<\/strong><\/a>\r\n<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n

\r\n\r\n\"[A<\/a>\r\n
A RESOLUTION AUTHORIZING THE EXECUTION OF AGREEMENT FOR LEGAL SERVICES RELATED TO AFFF\/PFAS LITIGATION SERVICES<\/a>\r\n
PDF<\/strong><\/a>\r\n<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n

\r\n\r\n\"[AGREEMENT<\/a>\r\n
AGREEMENT FOR LEGAL SERVICES AFFF PFAS LITIGATION<\/a>\r\n
PDF<\/strong><\/a>\r\n<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n

\r\n\r\n\"[Page<\/a>\r\n
Page 51<\/a>\r\n
PDF<\/strong><\/a>\r\n<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n

\r\n\r\n\"[Page<\/a>\r\n
Page 52<\/a>\r\n
PDF<\/strong><\/a>\r\n<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n

\r\n\r\n\"[Page<\/a>\r\n
Page 53<\/a>\r\n
PDF<\/strong><\/a>\r\n<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n

\r\n\r\n\"[Page<\/a>\r\n
Page 54<\/a>\r\n
PDF<\/strong><\/a>\r\n<\/p>\r\n\r\n<\/div>\r\n\r\n

August-11-2025-Work-Session-Minutes<\/a><\/H4>\r\n\r\n

\r\n\r\n\"[look<\/a>\r\n
look at the land use pattern, you will notice that many of the lots surrounding this are more appropriate<\/a>\r\n
PDF<\/strong><\/a>\r\n<\/p>\r\n\r\n

\r\n\r\n

\r\n\r\n\"[Dillard<\/a>\r\n
Dillard mentioned that Riley Church Pew Repair had been on the property for 30 plus years. It was an<\/a>\r\n
PDF<\/strong><\/a>\r\n<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n

\r\n\r\n\"[Riley's<\/a>\r\n
Riley’s Church Pew business. This is the second time that he has sold the property. When the current<\/a>\r\n
PDF<\/strong><\/a>\r\n<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n

\r\n\r\n\"[Moody<\/a>\r\n
Moody AFB Emergency Water Connection Easement Supplemental Agreement<\/a>\r\n
PDF<\/strong><\/a>\r\n<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n

\r\n\r\n\"[ADJOURNMENT]\"<\/a>\r\n
ADJOURNMENT<\/a>\r\n
PDF<\/strong><\/a>\r\n<\/p>\r\n\r\n<\/div>\r\n\r\n

August-12-2025-Regular-Session-Minutes<\/a><\/H4>\r\n\r\n

\r\n\r\n\"[Page<\/a>\r\n
Page 1<\/a>\r\n
PDF<\/strong><\/a>\r\n<\/p>\r\n\r\n

\r\n\r\n

\r\n\r\n\"[Page<\/a>\r\n
Page 2<\/a>\r\n
PDF<\/strong><\/a>\r\n<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n

\r\n\r\n\"[which<\/a>\r\n
which was Riley Church Pews. Commissioner Marshall made a motion to approve the request with<\/a>\r\n
PDF<\/strong><\/a>\r\n<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n

\r\n\r\n\"[Moody<\/a>\r\n
Moody AFB Emergency Water Connection Easement Supplemental Agreement<\/a>\r\n
PDF<\/strong><\/a>\r\n<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n

\r\n\r\n\"[ADJOURNMENT]\"<\/a>\r\n
ADJOURNMENT<\/a>\r\n
PDF<\/strong><\/a>\r\n<\/p>\r\n\r\n<\/div>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"The board packet includes the SPLOST IX Agreement and Project Lists, as well as the agreements for the Opioid and Groundwater Claims and the Hightower Road Quit Claim and a resolution for the TREES Act. This is for yesterday’s Work Session and this evening’s Regular Session of the Lowndes County Commission. Collage, Packet @ LCC […]","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2},"_links_to":"","_links_to_target":""},"categories":[41,570,571,73,10675,449,178,450,55],"tags":[13105,8786,13103,13100,13102,6109,3334,13099,997,8701,111,8718,10908,8702,12,7,13107,8783,12207,8784,1329,13106,13101,13095,13104,13108,13096,8731,260,13076,383,13098,8767,13097,6,180,2275,8749,7920,8768,8727],"class_list":["post-25203","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-health-care","category-military","category-moody-afb","category-safety","category-taxes","category-transportation","category-vlcia","category-vlpra","category-water","tag-3m","tag-accg","tag-afff","tag-and-earnings-stability-act","tag-aqueous-film-forming-foams","tag-association-of-county-commissioners-of-georgia","tag-dupont","tag-exemption","tag-fire","tag-georgia","tag-groundwater","tag-health-care","tag-hightower-road","tag-lake","tag-lowndes-area-knowledge-exchange","tag-lowndes-county","tag-mdl","tag-military","tag-millage-rate","tag-moody-afb","tag-moody-air-force-base","tag-multi-district-litigation","tag-ocga-48-5-33-1","tag-opioid-litigation","tag-per-or-plyfluoroalkyl-substances","tag-pfas","tag-purdue-pharma","tag-safety","tag-special-local-option-sales-tax","tag-splost-ix","tag-taxes","tag-timberlands-recovery","tag-transportation","tag-trees-act","tag-valdosta","tag-valdosta-lowndes-county-industrial-authority","tag-valdosta-lowndes-county-parks-and-recreation-authority","tag-vlcia","tag-vlda","tag-vlpra","tag-water"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p585fK-6yv","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack-related-posts":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.l-a-k-e.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/25203","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.l-a-k-e.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.l-a-k-e.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.l-a-k-e.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.l-a-k-e.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=25203"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"http:\/\/www.l-a-k-e.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/25203\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":25205,"href":"http:\/\/www.l-a-k-e.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/25203\/revisions\/25205"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.l-a-k-e.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=25203"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.l-a-k-e.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=25203"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.l-a-k-e.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=25203"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}