{"id":3672,"date":"2013-05-29T14:17:37","date_gmt":"2013-05-29T18:17:37","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.l-a-k-e.org\/blog\/?p=3672"},"modified":"2013-05-29T15:18:07","modified_gmt":"2013-05-29T19:18:07","slug":"videos-trash-appointment-gema-juveniles-mowing-and-wellness-lcc-2013-05-28","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/www.l-a-k-e.org\/blog\/2013\/05\/videos-trash-appointment-gema-juveniles-mowing-and-wellness-lcc-2013-05-28.html","title":{"rendered":"Videos: trash, appointment, GEMA, juveniles, mowing, and wellness @ LCC 2013-05-28"},"content":{"rendered":"

\r\n\r\n<\/a>\r\n\r\nTrash<\/a> wasn’t on the agenda, but it was the biggest issue.\r\nLike\r\n\r\nlast Regular Session<\/a>\r\na Commissioner who happens to be a Christian minister\r\nprayed for one thing<\/a>\r\nwhile\r\n\r\nthe Commission does the opposite<\/a>.\r\nCommissioners and staff also seemed confused about\r\na mowing contract<\/a> but we don’t know why,\r\nsince none of us have seen what they were looking at.\r\nA Board incumbent was reappointed without discussion<\/a>.\r\nIn good news, county employees have lost 600 pounds<\/a>.\r\n<\/p>\r\n

\r\nHere’s\r\n\r\nthe agenda<\/a>, with a few notes and links to the videos.\r\nSee also\r\n\r\nthe Work Session of the same morning<\/a>.\r\n<\/p>\r\n

\r\n\"Lowndes<\/a>\r\n\r\nLOWNDES COUNTY BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS \r\n
\r\nPROPOSED AGENDA \r\n
\r\nWORK SESSION, TUESDAY, MAY 28, 2013, 8:30 a.m. \r\n
\r\nREGULAR SESSION, TUESDAY, MAY 28, 2013, 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
  2. \r\n\r\n<\/a>\r\n\r\nInvocation<\/a>\r\n

    \r\nCommissioner Richard Raines prayed for “the freedoms we enjoy”, even as the\r\nCounty Commission\r\n\r\nstill plans to sue a local business<\/a>, depriving\r\nlocal citizens of the freedom to choose who disposes of their trash,\r\nas\r\nSteve Parker pointed out later<\/a>.\r\n<\/p>\r\n

    \r\nRaines also prayed “that unity would prevail among citizens and their government”.\r\nIs that code for “suck it up people; we decided frog and you need to jump now”?\r\nlike in that\r\n\r\nunsigned letter to taxpaying former customers of the county’s waste collection centers<\/a>\r\nor like\r\n\r\nunnamed “representatives” of the county told the VDT<\/a> back in January?\r\n<\/p>\r\n

  3. \r\nPledge of Allegiance to the Flag \r\n
  4. \r\n\r\nMinutes for Approval<\/a>\r\n

    \r\nNo discussion; unanimous approval.\r\n<\/p>\r\n

      \r\n
    1. \r\nWork Session — May 13, 2013 \r\n
    2. \r\nRegular Session — May 14, 2013 \r\n<\/ol>\r\n
    3. \r\n<\/a>\r\n\r\nAppointment – Valdosta\/Lowndes County Construction Board of Adjustments and Appeals <\/a>\r\n

      \r\nCounty Manager Joe Pritchard repeated more or less what he said\r\n\r\nthat same morning<\/a>, that\r\nRandall Crews had asked to be reappointed.\r\nThis time Pritchard said there were “several” other names,\r\nbut he still deign to tell the public who they might be.\r\nWith no discussion, and\r\nas \r\npredicted<\/a>,\r\nthe Commission unanimously reappointed Crews.\r\n<\/p>\r\n

    4. \r\nFor Consideration \r\n
        \r\n
      1. \r\n\r\n<\/a>\r\n\r\nGEMA Sheltering Memorandum of Agreement<\/a>\r\n

        \r\nEmergency Director Ashley Tye said it was about renewing\r\nan agreement of 2011 to provide a place for evacuees from the coast to go.\r\nHe added GEMA had provided some equipment.\r\n

        \r\nQ: Commissioner Demarcus Marshall asked about the equipment,\r\nwas it 20 cots between 4 facilities?\r\n

        \r\nA: Yes\r\n

        \r\nQ: What if more people than that show up?\r\n

        \r\nA: American Red Cross is the lead agency,\r\nand these cots are specialized ones (oversized, etc.) in addition\r\nto the ones Red Cross provides.\r\nAnd GEMA can send more.\r\n

        \r\nUnanimous approval.\r\n<\/p>\r\n

      2. \r\n\r\n2013 Juvenile Justice Incentive Grant Program Application <\/a>\r\n

        \r\nEmergency Director Ashley Tye said\r\nhe had been working on this grant proposal with Judge Council, applying to the\r\n\r\nJuvenile Justice Incentive Grant Program<\/a>:\r\nJudge Council did not speak this time.\r\nUnanimous approval.\r\nSee previous\r\n\r\nseparate post<\/a>\r\nfor longer discussion in the morning’s Work Session.\r\n<\/p>\r\n

      3. \r\n\r\n<\/a>\r\n\r\nDepartment of Transportation Right of Way Mowing <\/a>\r\n

        \r\nPerhaps due to\r\n\r\nCommissioner Crawford Powell’s question of the morning<\/a>,\r\nCounty Manager Joe Pritchard said there was a breakdown of costs and miles\r\nin Commissioners’ packets, plus an update to the contract,\r\nwith a change of reference from city to county.\r\n

        \r\nCommissioner Demarcus Marshall\r\nwondered about $57,200 to be reimbursed,\r\nwhen Exhibit A he said said\r\n$180,925, or $15,000 per month for fiscal year 2014.\r\n

        \r\nCounty Clerk Paige Dukes said that was to be sure Commissioners\r\nwould be aware there was money, but the actual amount would\r\ndepend on the number of cuts required.\r\n

        \r\nCounty Manager said the numbers were estimates.\r\n

        \r\nCounty Clerk said the $180,000 was in case the maximum cuts were used.\r\n

        \r\nCounty Chairman Bill Slaughter referred to\r\n\r\nthe morning’s discussion<\/a>\r\n(which was actually much less extensive than the discussion they were having\r\nright then).\r\n

        \r\nThey approved unanimously a contract with Georgia Department of Transportation\r\nfor mowing; a contract none of us have seen,\r\nand that seems to have vague dollar figures in it.\r\n<\/p>\r\n<\/ol>\r\n

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

        \r\n\r\nHR Director Kevin Beals<\/a> reported on the county’s wellness program,\r\nfor example employees have collected lost about 600 pounds.\r\n<\/p>\r\n