VALDOSTA – County commissioners swapped offices and suits for halls adorned with deer antlers and puffy vests last week.

While no hunting was done, commission members spent 72 hours weighing different issues for the county to tackle in 2020. 

Stretching from Tuesday to Thursday, the Lowndes County Board of Commissioners held its annual retreat at Quail Branch Lodge, a hunting plantation in Lake Park.

Installing high-speed broadband internet around the county was one of the main topics discussed on the first day of the retreat.

“There hasn’t been much movement at all,” said Joe Pritchard, county manager.

Bill Slaughter, chairman of the board of commissioners, said it would cost nearly $40 million to build out that kind of network.

Page Dukes, county clerk and public information officer, suggested the commission should wait before it decides on a broadband initiative. The current broadband map was inconsistent and an effort to craft an accurate map of Georgia broadband should be finished by year’s end, according to Dukes.

Some members expressed concerned over the cost and feasibility of such an expansive program.

Commissioner Scottie Orenstein said he opposed spending SPLOST money on broadband infrastructure, while Dukes and Commissioner Clay Griner noted that infrastructure can quickly become obsolete.

For alternative methods of funding, Commissioner Mark Wisenbaker brought up the recently authorized Federal Communications Commission move allocating $20.4 billion for high-speed broadband for rural American communities.

Slaughter said the commission would need to discuss in the future whether they will be a broadband-friendly community or not. He emphasized that the county wants to be as friendly to providers as possible.

Echoing the chairman, Commissioner Demarcus Marshall said he wanted to meet with providers to discuss what they like and how to become a “more friendly broadband community.”

The discussion ended with Pritchard pointing out that the 5G will be technology of the near-future and staff was evaluating some 5G plans.

Commission members also revisited the topic of Service Delivery Strategy, specifically about water/sewage services.

Slaughter said both he and Griner met with Valdosta City Councilman Tim Carroll recently. While their discussion was positive, the three did not get close to resolving the matter, he said. The chairman mentioned a desire to set up a meeting between city councilmen and county commissioners with Mayor Scott Matheson and himself present to help solve the issue.

Griner brought up that the city’s position of offering their services to parcels outside the city limits could cause a potential problem with other neighboring customers.

The county lawsuit’s against the Georgia Department of Community Affairs also came in during discussion. The county needs the lawsuit to be resolved, according to Slaughter, saying he wanted to get clarity that on whether sanctions during an SDS dispute are legal.

Additionally, during an overview of county finances, Griner offered up an idea of changing county transaction fees from the current $2.50 per transaction to a percentage charge.