Videos: Surprise trash, Hotchkiss Landing, 3 rezonings, 3 contracts @ LCC 2013-02-11

Surprise! Veolia, excuse me, Advanced Disposal showed up to try to defend their record so far with their new exclusive franchise solid waste contract. Also at this morning's Work Session of the Lowndes County Commission, three rezonings, three contracts, and some new wrinkles on the proposed closing of the part of Old State Road leading to Hotchkiss Landing on the Alapaha River, revealed after the session was over. They vote Tuesday evening at 5:30 PM.

Here's the agenda, with links to the videos, and a few notes, followed by a video playlist.

LOWNDES COUNTY BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS
PROPOSED AGENDA
WORK SESSION, MONDAY, FEBRUARY 11, 2013, 8:30 a.m.
REGULAR SESSION, TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 12, 2013, 5:30 p.m.
327 N. Ashley Street — 2^nd Floor

1. Call to Order
2. Invocation

   Not at this meeting.

3. Pledge of Allegiance to the Flag

   Not at this meeting.

4. Minutes for Approval

   Commissioner Joyce Evans wanted an addition that Mr. Phillip Connell also said he would give people other than churches access, presumably referring to Hotchkiss Landing.

   1. Work Session — January 21, 2012
   2. Regular Session — January 22, 2013

      Commissioner Demarcus Marshall wanted clarification that some statements were made at the 5:30 PM Regular Session, not in the morning.

5. Appointment - Keep Lowndes/Valdosta Beautiful

   Aaron Strickland spoke about KLVB, $50,000/year budget, 12 member board, position available on the board, formerly held by Evan Shuckman of Wild Adventures, relocated to New York at the end of 2012. Three candidates: Althea Spriggs, Nick Henson (also a Wild Adventures employee), and Kim Pascale. Presumably the correct spellings were in the Commission packets which we the taxpayers who pay that $50,000/year budget don't get to see. Strickland said Spriggs and Pascale were present. He then praised the Commission for their recent trash decision, claiming it would encourage recycling and cut down on roadside trash.

   Commissioner Raines then said he thought littering was a moral issue, because

   In our modern society it's not hard to find even a public waste basket or trash cans.

   Sure, in the city. What does that have to do with the unincorporated parts of the county?

   1. KLVB applicant Althea Spriggs works for Moody.
   2. KLVB applicant Kim Pascale moved here in 2009 and purchased and H&R Block office.
   3. KLVB applicant Kim Henson was out of town and did not speak.
6. Public Hearing
   1. Abandonment of a portion of Old State Road (CR 16)

      County Engineer repeated a minimal rereading of the case and Commissioners had no questions. But see separate post for what they said afterwards.

   2. REZ-2012-20 Corbett Property, US 41 S & Newsome Rd. E-A to C-H, Well & Septic, ~5 acres

      Commissioner Crawford Powell said he had spoken with the applicant and would be adding a few requirements tomorrow evening. Plus he wanted County Planner Jason Davenport to get the applicant a copy of the airport overlay requirements. Hm, so Commissioners can direct county staff to hand over documents without an open records request being filed.

   3. REZ-2013-01 Barrentine, David Rd E C-H to R-1, Well & Septic, 1.29 acres

      Some sort of letter of opposition is expected.

   4. REZ-2013-02 Interstate Land Management, L.L. C., Briarwood Rd/I-75 R-1 to C-H, Well & Septic, 87 acres

       

7. For Consideration
   1. Piney Woods Saddle Club Contract Renewal
   2. Section 5311 Rural Transportation Program Capital Contract

      Three free vans for the county's on-call MIDS bus system. 26,442 trips last year.

   3. Mutual Aid Agreement and Resolution between Spartanburg County Sheriff's Office and Lowndes County Sheriff's Office

      Formalization required by new SC legislation.

   4. Kevin Beall(?) retirement plans and the Tax Commissioner (not on the agenda)

      Basically, the Tax Commissioner would have been without any retirement plan because of a recent County Commission decision, but they decided to fix that.

8. Reports-County Manager
   • Dave Shepler, regional manager of Advanced Disposal (not on the agenda)

     See separate post.

   • Commendation —John Page
9. Citizens Wishing to be Heard Please State Name And Address

   Not at this meeting; only at the Regular Session, which is Tuesday 5:30 PM.

Here's a video playlist:

Videos: Surprise trash, Hotchkiss Landing, 3 rezonings, 3 contracts
Work Session, Lowndes County Commission (LCC),
Video by Gretchen Quarterman for Lowndes Area Knowledge Exchange (LAKE), Valdosta, Lowndes County, Georgia, 11 February 2013.

-jsq