On the LAKE Front

Additional license fee for Sunday alcohol sales? @ LCC 2012-12-10

Why should businesses have to pay an additional license fee for Sunday alcohol sales, if the only justification is to raise money to pay for administering that license? That was a topic at yesterday morning's Lowndes County Commission Work Session for agenda item 6.a. Revision to the Lowndes County Alcoholic Beverage Ordinance.

Finance Director Stephanie Black mentioned the things we already heard from the staff, brown bagging, social hosts (serving alcohol at private events to underage drinkers), and the Sunday package sales. She said for the voter-approved Sunday alcohol sales the license fee would be $250, plus a requirement for an immigration affidavit. Commissioner Powell took exception to that additional license fee, which would be on top of a license fee already necessary for the rest of the week. Black and Chairman Paulk defended it as necessary to collect money to administer the license fee. Powell wondered if they'd need the money if they didn't have the license fee. Paulk said the city of Valdosta charges $1000 for a Sunday license. Powell said he disagreed with that, too.

Here's the video:

Additional license fee for Sunday alcohol sales?
Work Session, Lowndes County Commission (LCC),
Video by Gretchen Quarterman for Lowndes Area Knowledge Exchange (LAKE), Valdosta, Lowndes County, Georgia, 10 December 2012.

-jsq

Rezoning near Moody: fire code would prohibit a single entrance @ LCC 2012-12-10 @ LCC 2012-12-10

Commissioner Crawford Powell may have found solid grounds to deny the proposed rezoning for a development near Moody AFB, he revealed at this morning's Work Session of the Lowndes County Commission.

County Planner Jason Davenport explicitly linked this rezoning case,

7.a. REZ-2012-17 Lowndes Development, LLC, Davidson Rd MAZ II and MAZ III to R-10, County Water & Sewer, ~23.49 acres

to the zoning text code amendment on the same meeting agenda.

7.d. TXT-2012-02 MAZ II Residential Density

He also mentioned the TRC (the Technical Review Committee composed mainly of Lowndes County and Valdosta staff) had a split vote on this item, although he didn't say how it was split. And he said the Commissioners had the Planning Commission recommendation before them, although he didn't mention the Planning Commission recommended against.

Commissioner Crawford Powell brought up a good point:

The fire department and the TRC say in the notes that it fails to comply with fire rescue ingress-egress requirements.

Fire Chief Guyton appeared to confirm that was the case, although since he wasn't at a microphone, it's hard to hear. Commissioner Powell continued:

Glimmers of open discussion about Moody AFB zoning by the County Commission @ LCC 2012-12-10

Lowndes County Commissioners had a small amount of open discussion about the proposed changes to the zoning code related to Moody Air Force Base at their Work Session this morning. However, most of the discussion was not about the changes currently proposed, which the County Planner once again explicitly linked to a rezoning case on the same agenda. At least they discussed tabling the zoning code changes until there could be more discussion. They did not, however, say they would make drafts available to the public or invite the public to discuss those drafts.

County Planner Jason Davenport introduced agenda item 7.d. TXT-2012-02 MAZ II Residential Density:

This text amendment is part of the response to some of the questions that were raised with the additional rezoning. At the end of the day what this text amendment is going to do is to take that very outer blue color, the lightest color, which is the MAZ-3, and recommend change the zoning to 1 acre. Currently it's 2 and a half acres.

He mentioned they missed the 30 day requirement to inform Moody AFB by about a week, but Moody responded anyway. Hm, that's not what he said to the Planning Commission; there he said they had allowed 31 days.

Commissioner Richard Raines said he'd prefer to table this amendment until next year, because:

I think there are other issues that we've discussed related to MAZ. If you have a mobile home and it becomes unlivable, under the restrictions you can't replace it....

Chairman Ashley Paulk responded that he didn't have a problem with that, and:

More developer favors at the County Commission Work Session this morning? @ LCC 2012-12-10

At the 8:30 AM Work Session this morning, will the Chairman

Clint Joyner (speaking) and J.D. Yeager (seated on right) of Joyner Realty at LCC Work Session 2012-11-12

invite Clint Joyner of Joyner Realty to speak like he did last month, without inviting anybody else? Will Chairman Ashley Paulk invite J.D. Yeager of Joyner Realty (and formerly Sheriff Paulk's lieutenant at the Sheriff's office) to speak? That plus solid waste (if privatization is bad for Moody, why is it good for a county public health and safety service like solid waste collection?), Dollar General (where's the marketing plan to indicate whether tiny Naylor needs the area's nineteenth Dollar General?), Library, (Houston County's SPLOST passed in a landslide after they held public hearings; maybe Lowndes County should try that), and Alcohol (county staff say they're coalescing previous changes into the body of the ordinance), all at the Lowndes County Commission Work Session this morning; here's the agenda.

When he spoke 12 November 2012, Clint Joyner started by referring to a nearby subdivision "In 2007". 2007 was the year Mr. Joyner got (according to the Commission's minutes of 26 June 2007) $130,000 in road construction labor from the Commission because of "an unforeseen Department of Transportation requirement regarding a costly intersection improvement." Why couldn't the County Engineer or Mr. Joyner forsee such a requirement?

This time many people do forsee that rezoning to develop in the Moody Activity Zones would be a bad idea. Houston County is using state and local tax money to buy up houses in similar zones around Warner Robins Air Force Base. Doubtless Houston County would love it if Lowndes County encroached enough on Moody AFB that Moody's missions moved to Robins AFB.

-jsq

Changes to the alcohol ordinance @ LCC 2012-12-10

Being curious about the changes to the alcohol ordinance, I had the opportunity to talk with a county staff member who said that the changes were to incorporate recent amendments regarding brown bagging, social hosts (serving alcohol at private events to underage drinkers), and the Sunday package sales into the body of the ordinance, rather than having those items as amendments to the document. Also, the setting of the license fees for Sunday sales will be established (from the referendum that passed 59.80% to 40.20%).

-gretchen

Solid Waste, Developer Favors, Dollar General, Library, and Alcohol: Agenda @ LCC 2012-12-10

Updates 9 Dec 2012: Marked with *.

Will the Lowndes County Commission Tuesday evening finish railroading through their non-solution to solid waste disposal, without shouldering its legal responsibility to protect the environment and the public health, safety, and well-being from solid waste, and what's this about a vendor change? Will the Chairman once again invite a developer to speak in Monday morning's Work Session without letting anyone else speak? Will the Commission change the zoning code and rezone inside and against the Moody Exclusion Zone for that same developer they already provided $130,000 in road construction labor to back in 2007? Does Naylor need the area's nineteenth Dollar General, and who's behind it, anyway? How come the Five Points library is still on the agenda even though SPLOST VII failed? And what are they doing to the Alcoholic Beverage Ordinance this time? Come Monday morning at 8:30 AM and Tuesday evening at 5:30 PM and see! Better yet, also call or write your Commissioner before then.

Trash

6.b. Solid Waste Ordinance

Will the Commissioners finish railroading through their already-failing non-solution to solid waste disposal in the last session of this Chairman? The plan for which they held zero public hearings while any of the Commissioners who voted on it this October were on the Commission, yet someone down there feels free to anonymously ridicule concerns about that plan failing? Two citizens spoke up anyway, even though Citizens Wishing to Be Heard was after the scheduled vote last time, and another on this blog, all willing to state their names, unlike the anonymous pro-trash-railroad ridiculer. What was that unspecified new information that caused them to table it last time, anyway?

8.b. Exclusive Franchise Agreement for Residential Solid Waste Collection Services with Advanced Disposal Services of Central Alabama, Inc.

What happened to Veolia;

Car wash, parking, alcohol, and night flights: Videos @ GLPC 2012-10-29

The Greater Lowndes Planning Commission made recommendations on cases involving buffering a car wash, sizing parking spaces, alcohol at a corner store, and a development inside the Moody exclusion zone, all at its 29 October 2012 Regular Session.

Here's the agenda, and here's a video playlist, followed by a summary of the cases.

Regular Session, Greater Lowndes Planning Commission (GLPC),
Video by Gretchen Quarterman for Lowndes Area Knowledge Exchange (LAKE),
Valdosta, Lowndes County, Georgia, 29 October 2012.

Valdosta, Final action Thursday 8 Nov 2012

2. CU-2012-07 Stafford Properties

1609 Norman Drive, Valdosta
Request for a Conditional Use Permit (CUP for a Car Wash in a Community Commercial C-C zoning district.

Developer from Columbus spoke for.

Alcohol at the corner store? @ GLPC 2012-10-29

The old store at the corner of GA 122 and Cat Creek Road was the subject of debate over alcohol at the Planning Commission's 29 October 2012 Regular Session. Here's a playlist.

This was the rezoning item:

4. REZ-2012-16 Cook County Land Ventures
SW corner of Georgia Highway 122 East and Cat Creek Road, Hahira
Request to rezone ~2 acres from E-A (Estate Agriculture) to C-C (Crossroads Commercial)

County Planner Jason Davenport said the owner wants commercial zoning for a store, since previous conditional use had expired, and there was concern about prohibiting alcohol, especially if

Congratulations Dexter Sharper, Demarcus Marshall, Chris Prine, and Justin Cabral!

Congratulations to Valdosta's new state rep for District 177 Dexter Sharper who won by 67% to 33% over opponent Glenn Gregory, who fought a spirited and clean campaign. I look forward to Representative Sharper meeting with the governor and working for our community without compromise under the gold dome in Atlanta.

I'll come back to the other statehouse races in a separate post. Ditto the other statewide races. Meanwhile, congratulations to some local winners below.

Congratulations new Lowndes County Commissioner for District 4 Demarcus Marshall, winning 64.91% to 35.09% after spirited debate and much agreement with opponent John Gates. I look forward to Commissioner Marshall grappling with education, jobs, tourism, and personnel down at the county palace.

Congratulations on re-election, Lowndes County Sheriff Chris Prine! Challenger J.D. Yeager fought a good fight, but the voters said 63.53% to 36.47% they did not want to go back to the previous administration. I look forward to Sheriff Prine continuing to protect the safety of all the citizens of Lowndes County, including those in the cities.

Congratulations Solicitor General Justin Cabral on retaining your post 51.56% to 48.44%! Very honorable mention to challenger Jason Cain, who canvassed himself pretty close to winning.

Congratulations Joyce Evans

Most Early Voting Ever in Lowndes County, Georgia

More people have voted early in Lowndes County than ever before, with cars often backed up onto the street waiting to get into the Board of Elections.

Eames Yates wrote for WCTV Friday, Record Breaking Number of Early Voters in Lowndes County,

More people have now voted early in Lowndes County than any time in history. Sherrie Luther was voter 22,00[0]... making her ballot the one that broke the previous record set four years ago.

In the 2008 presidential election, there were 45 days of early voting in Lowndes County. In this year's election there were just 16 days. Nevertheless the record was broken.

Sherrie was rewarded