Packet: Two Lowndes County rezoning materials @ GLPC 2025-06-30

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As promised, JD Dillard and BOC Records provided the packet materials for the two county rezonings on the agenda for the Monday evening Greater Lowndes Planning Commission (GLPC) meeting. Staff wants conditions on one, but not the other.

[An RV park and a large warehouse type campus @ GLPC 2025-06-30]
An RV park and a large warehouse type campus @ GLPC 2025-06-30

Staff lists conditions, but does not propose including them as conditions in approval, for the RV park north of Hahira halfway to Cecil, in the watershed of Franks Creek, which goes to the Little River. Continue reading →

Agenda: Two Lowndes County rezonings @ GLPC 2025-06-30

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Update 2025-06-26: Packet: RV Park and Warehouse Campus Lowndes County rezoning materials @ GLPC 2025-06-30.

Two county rezonings are the only action items on the agenda for the Greater Lowndes Planning Commission (GLPC) for Monday evening at 5:30 PM.

[Two Lowndes County rezonings, @ GLPC 2025-06-30, Cain, 6161 US 41 N, Langdale CA, Coleman Road]
Two Lowndes County rezonings, @ GLPC 2025-06-30, Cain, 6161 US 41 N, Langdale CA, Coleman Road

One is north of Hahira halfway to Cecil, in the watershed of Franks Creek, which goes to the Little River.

The other is directly across the Withlacoochee River from Langdale Park, on Coleman Road off of North Valdosta Road. Presumably the part proposed for M-1 (Light Manufacturing) zoning is next to Coleman Road, not next to the river. We will know after the County Planner finishes the board packet materials.

Meanwhile I have included maps of the subject properties from the Lowndes County Tax Assessors.

Here is the agenda.

According to Lowndes County Planner JD Dillard this morning at 8:55 AM, “The board packets have not been completed yet. Once available, I will send them to the BOC Records.”

Presumably then BOC Records will send them to LAKE to finish their response to the LAKE open records request. After we get them, I will publish them.

So far, the agenda and the Minutes of the previous GLPC meeting are on the LAKE website. Continue reading →

Videos: Budget Public Hearing @ LCC 2025-06-23

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The 2024 millage of 5.283 is little more than half the 8.974 it was in 2017. Not counting the 2.5 mils of fire tax on unincorporated Lowndes County since 2021, and of course the 1 mil to the Industrial Authority and the 1.25 mils to Parks and Rec, which have not changed since 2008.

About 85% of the county’s revenues come from taxes. About 57% of that comes from property taxes, and about 31% Local Option Sales Tax (LOST).

Of expenditures, about 41% goes to Public Safety (Sheriff Department, Jail, etc.), about 12% to Juducial (courts), and about 18% to General Government.

[Collage @ LCC Budget Hearing 23 June 2025]
Collage @ LCC Budget Hearing 23 June 2025

Commissioner Demarcus Marshall asked how the rising cost of gasoline was dealt with. Finance Director Stephanie Black said there was some leeway built into the budget, but if the price rise exceeds that, at the end of the year, additional funds would have to be allocated.

Commissioner Scottie Orenstein wondered about the fire services budget. FD Black said it is going down 10%, because new fire trucks were moved into a SPLOST line item.

County Manager Paige Dukes said a few words about property assessments that were mailed out by Tax Assessors staff. I think this was about the recent opt-out of the county from the statewide homestead exemption (the county actually has better homestead exemptions).

Almost no citizens attended, and none asked any questions.

Below is the LAKE video of the session, with a few notes by Gretchen Quarterman, followed by a LAKE video playlist of this Lowndes County Commission presentation at 9AM this morning.

See also Continue reading →

Videos: VSU Tennis Proclamation, Library Board, Courts, Insurance, Animal Services, Loan to Valdosta Housing Authority @ LCC Work 2025-06-23

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In addition to 4. Proclamation Presentation to Mr. John Hansen, the VSU Tennis Coach, the Lowndes County Commissioners were remarkably chatty about several other items this morning at their Work Session.

[Collage @ LCC Work 23 June 2025]
Collage @ LCC Work 23 June 2025

They vote tomorrow (Tuesday) evening at 5:30 PM.

Below are links to each LAKE video of each agenda item, with a few notes by Gretchen Quarterman, followed by a LAKE video playlist.

See also Continue reading →

Budget Public Hearing @ LCC 2025-06-23

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Update 2025-06-23: Videos: Budget Public Hearing @ LCC 2025-06-23.

Monday morning after their Work Session, the Lowndes County Commission is holding a Public Hearing on its Fiscal Year 2026 proposed budget.

As usual with no posted agenda and no public copy of the proposed agenda.

Here’s the notice in the county’s calendar.

[Budget Public Hearing, Lowndes COunty Commission, 9 AM, 2025-06-23]
Budget Public Hearing, Lowndes COunty Commission, 9 AM, 2025-06-23

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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!
http://www.l-a-k-e.org/blog/donate

Packet: Library Board, Courts, Insurance, Animal Services, Loan to Valdosta Housing Authority @ LCC 2025-06-23

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Update 2025-06-23: Videos: VSU Tennis Proclamation, Library Board, Courts, Insurance, Animal Services, Loan to Valdosta Housing Authority @ LCC Work 2025-06-23.

On the agenda for the Lowndes County Commission this week, the property and liability insurance is the big dollar item, followed by the proposed million dollar loan to the Valdosta Housing Authority.

[Collage @ LCC Packet 2025-06-23]
Collage @ LCC Packet 2025-06-23

The rest is mostly cash match for grants to various courts, plus a renewal contract for Animal Services, which is things like body cameras for their agents. Continue reading →

Vote today: GA PSC Election 2025-06-17

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Concerned about solar on agricultural land? Want more solar on rooftops and parking lots? Tired of natural gas pipelines and Liquid Natural Gas (LNG)? Want to stop wasting money on nuclear? Don’t want higher electric rates?

Today is Primary Election Day for the Georgia Public Service Commission (GA-PSC).

Any registered Georgia voter can vote, even though the two districts up for election include parts of Atlanta, Augusta, and Savannah, and nothing in south central Georgia. If that seems odd to you, it also does to the people who have been suing about it for around five years, which is why this is the first PSC election in that time.

For sample ballots and where to vote, go to GA My Voter page:
https://mvp.sos.ga.gov/

[GA PSC Election, Vote Today, July 17, 2025, Two Districts, All Georgia Registered Voters]
GA PSC Election, Vote Today, July 17, 2025, Two Districts, All Georgia Registered Voters

Here are the candidates. For more about them, see Emily Jones, WABE, Grist, The Current, June 10, updated June 16, 2025, Meet the Ga. Public Service Commission candidates. Continue reading →

Half a million or zero dollars for the bar Lowndes County bought with no agenda item? 2024-07-09

Did the Lowndes County Commission spend nothing or half a million dollars to buy an old bar in Lake Park? And why did they vote to buy it after an Executive Session, with no item entered on a public meeting agenda?

Where did the money come from? Apparently, it did not come from SPLOST. Since the property is to be repurposed for a fire station, did it come from the special fire tax?

[Half a million or zero for the bar Lowndes County bought with no agenda item?, Rascal's into a fire station]
Half a million or zero for the bar Lowndes County bought with no agenda item?, Rascal’s into a fire station

The only times I see Rascal’s appearing in Lowndes County Commission meetings of the past five years is in this week’s meetings of June 9 and 10, 2025, in April 2023, and in March 2025.

April 2023 Liquor license for Rascal’s become Twin Lake Club and Grill

Continue reading →

Videos: Rascal’s, VLPRA & DFCS appointments, two rezonings, Hazard Mitigation, $1 million Custom Pumper, $4.7 million Fire Rescue @ LCC Regular 2025-06-10

Update 2025-06-11: Half a million or zero dollars for the bar Lowndes County bought with no agenda item? 2024-07-09.

In Citizens Wishing to be Heard, Gretchen Quarterman spoke about Transparency and the purchase of Rascals, wondering why Lowndes County Commission approval of that purchase was not a lot more visible, instead of being recorded only in Minutes as a vote that took place after an Executive Session and everybody else had left. See below for more detail.

Kelly Saxon spoke about affordable housing, including asking for a town hall and a telephone contact.

The Lowndes County Commissioners at their Regular Session last night added an item, Chairman – Add agenda item to repair Hahira Health Dept (8b). That’s more than they did for the Rascal’s purchase back in July 2024. More on that in a later post.

[Collage @ LCC 10 June 2025]
Collage @ LCC 10 June 2025

Last night, they unanimously approved all the agenda items, including reappointing the incumbents to the two boards.

Nobody spoke against either of the two rezonings.

For 7.b. Purchase of one (1) Sutphen Heavy Duty Custom Pumper, they mentioned that prices had doubled, and locking in a price now would avoid further price increases.

In her Reports, County Manager Paige Dukes recognized Kellerman Construction and Jimmy Cone for their work on 8.a. Bid – A New Facility for Lowndes County Fire Rescue No. 4.

Earlier, Chairman Bill Slaughter called for Leadership Lowndes to be recognized, but, maybe for the first time ever, there were none present.

Commissioner Demarcus Marshall was absent from this meeting.

Here are LAKE videos of each Work Session agenda item, with a few notes by Gretchen Quarterman, followed by a LAKE video playlist.

See also the Continue reading →

Videos: VLPRA & DFCS appointments, two rezonings, Hazard Mitigation, $1 million Custom Pumper, $4.7 million Fire Rescue @ LCC Work 2025-06-09

Update 2025-06-11: Videos: Rascal’s, VLPRA & DFCS appointments, two rezonings, Hazard Mitigation, $1 million Custom Pumper, $4.7 million Fire Rescue @ LCC Regular 2025-06-10.

The Lowndes County Commissioners didn’t have much to say at their Work Session yesterday morning. They did discuss potential paving of dirt roads under 6.b. REZ-2025-09 All Metal Buildings, 2515 Madison Hwy, ~2 acres, C-G to C-H.

They vote this evening at their Regular Session at 5:30 PM.

[Collage @ LCC 9 June 2025]
Collage @ LCC 9 June 2025

This Fire Station #9 is on James Road: 7.b. Purchase of one (1) Sutphen Heavy Duty Custom Pumper.

[Station Locations]
Station Locations

This one is in Minneola, near the Stone Creek subdivision: 8.a. A New Facility for Lowndes County Fire Rescue No. 4. In which County Manager Paige Dukes revealed that the county had obtained the old Rascal’s building. That’s at 4875 US 41 South in Lake Park. More later in another post about the somewhat irregular conveyance of that former Rascal’s location to the county.

Here are LAKE videos of each Work Session agenda item, with a few notes by Gretchen Quarterman, followed by a LAKE video playlist.

See also the agenda and the board packet, received in response to a LAKE open records request. Continue reading →