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Regular Commission Meeting February 5, 2019
REGULAR MEETING COMMISSION CHAMBER FEBRUARY 5, 2019 Augusta Richmond County Commission convened at 2:00 p.m., February 5, 2019, the Hon. Hardie Davis Jr., Mayor, presiding. PRESENT: Hons. Few, Garrett, Sias, Frantom, M. Williams, Davis, D. Williams, Hasan and Clarke, members of Augusta Richmond County Commission. ABSENT: Hon. Fennoy, member of Augusta Richmond County Commission. Mr. Mayor: All right, good afternoon, everybody. All right, we’ll try that again. Good afternoon, everybody --- Mr. Speakers: Afternoon, Mr. Mayor. Mr. Mayor: --- all right, wonderful. So I don’t think that they are many Patriot fans so we’re not talking about the Patriots or the Rams or the Falcons but we are yeah, all right we’re here to do the business of the people. I call this meeting to order. The Chair recognizes Madam Clerk. The Clerk: Yes, sir, at this time we will have our invocation delivered by Pastor Loren Hodnett, Ebenezer Seventh-day Adventist Church after which we’d have our Pledge of Allegiance. Please stand. The invocation was given by Pastor Loren Hodnett, Ebenezer Seventh-day Adventist Church. The Pledge of Allegiance to the Flag of the United States of America was recited. The Clerk: To show our appreciation for you coming today, Office of Mayor Hardie Davis Jr., by these presence be it known that Pastor Loren Hodnett, Ebenezer Seventh-day Adventist Church is Chaplain of the Day. His spiritual guidance and civic leadership serves as an example th for all citizens of Augusta. Given under my hand this 5 Day of February, 2019 Hardie Davis Jr., Mayor. Thank you so much. Mr. Mayor: Would you join me in thanking Pastor Hodnett? Thank you. (APPLAUSE) The Clerk: RECOGNITION(S) 2019 January Years of Service A. Congratulations! 2019 January Years of Service (YOS) recipients. The Clerk: At this time we will have our recognition of our January 2019 Years of Service. Ms. Sylvia Williams from our Human Resources Department. 1 Ms. Williams: Good afternoon Mayor Davis, Commissioners special quests, Directors and citizens of Augusta Georgia. My name is Sylvia Williams. I am the Human Resources Employee Relations and Training Manager. Today it is my esteemed pleasure to recognize the January Years of Service recipients. For the Month of January 2019 we have 24 employees celebrating between 5 and 20-years of service. We had one employee celebrating 40 years. Unfortunately, that individual could not be here with us today and will join us next month. Please join me in congratulating our 5 to 20-years of service recipients by a round of applause. (APPLAUSE) Mr. Mayor: Madam Clerk, let me take a couple of things here. There is a, there’s an addendum item that is before us and I want to, I’m just going to poll. Do we have unanimous consent to add to the agenda? Okay, all right, there is objection from the Commissioner from the th 9 our Engineering Services Chairman. There is an objection. Okay, all right, in the event that we do not add this today and there’s some level of urgency and direction that we at least talk about the next item would be to put this on our committee agenda and or talk about it in Executive Session on next week so I think that’s where we are with regards to this matter. Okay that’ll be our next item okay? All right, okay, we have, Madam Clerk, all right, I’m going to come back to you now. The Clerk: I call your attention to the consent portion of our agenda which consists of Items 1-29, Items 1-29. If there are any objectors to any of our alcohol petitions once they are read would you please signify your objections by raising your hand. I call your attention to: Item 1: Is a request for an on premise Beer License to be used in connection with the location at 3801 Mike Padgett Highway. Item 2: Is a request for a retail package Beer & Wine License to be used in connection the location at 3706 Mike Padgett Highway. Item 3: Is for an on premise consumption Liquor, Beer & Wine License to be used in connection with the location at 901 B Broad Street. The Clerk: Are there any objectors to any of those alcohol petitions? Mr. Mayor, members of the Commission, our Consent Agenda consists of Items 1-29 with no objectors to our alcohol petitions? Mr. Mayor: All right, I’ll entertain any requests to add or remove from the Consent Agenda. All right, the Chair recognizes the Mayor Pro Tem. Mr. Mayor Pro Tem: I’d like to pull agenda items number 9 and 16. th Mr. Mayor: All right, the Chair recognizes the Commissioner from the 9. Mr. M. Williams: Yes, Mr. Mayor, I’d like to pull Item number 6 and number 19. th Mr. Mayor: Okay, all right, the Chair recognizes the Commissioner from the 8. Mr. Garrett: I’d like to pull number 20 and add 29. 2 The Clerk: All of them are on consent, sir, all of them on consent so you don’t want to pull that, right --- Mr. Garrett: No, ma’am. The Clerk: --- you want to leave that, okay. We’re going to pull Items number 6, 9, 16, 19, 20. Ms. Davis: Mr. Mayor, can I move to approve? Mr. Frantom: Second. CONSENT AGENDA PUBLIC SERVICES 1. Motion to approve New Ownership Application: A.N. 19-03: request by Michael Newsome for an on premise consumption Beer License to be used in connection with Billiards II, LLC dba Rack and Grill II located at 3801 Mike Padgett Hwy. District 8. Super District 10. (Approved by Public Services Committee January 29, 2019) 2. Motion to approve New Ownership Application: A.N. 19-04: request by Naveed Gojali for a retail package Beer & Wine License to be used in connection with S T Food Store located at 3706 Mike Padgett Hwy. District 1. Super District 9. (Approved by Public Services Committee January 29, 2019. 3. Motion to approve New Application: A.N. 19-05: request by Amy Adamo for an on premise consumption Liquor, Beer & Wine License to be used in connection with Vance’s Bakery Bar located at 901 B Broad St. District 1. Super District 9. (Approved by Public Services Committee January 29, 2019. 4. Motion to approve New Application: A.N. 19-06: request by William M. Hatch for a nd wholesale Distilled Spirits License for Carolina Moon Distillery dba 2 City Distilling th Company located at #4 8 Street. District 1. Super District 9. (Approved by Public Services Committee January 29, 2019) 5. Motion to approve Incidental On-Premise Alcohol Licenses: request approval of amendments to the Augusta, Georgia Code, Title 6, Chapter 2, Article 1, Alcoholic Beverages, to include additional definitions, Incidental Alcohol licenses for beer, wine and liquor, and amendments for regulating such licenses; and to waive the second reading. (Approved by Public Services Committee January 29, 2019) 7. Motion to approve the design work for four LED Digital Display Message Boards (Bid Item 18-204, approved 8/21/18). (Approved by Public Services Committee January 29, 2019) 8. Motion to approve the Planning & Development Department request to amend the Augusta, Georgia Code, Administrative and Regulatory Fee Structure, Section 2-1-3©, so as to establish the ‘Incidental Alcohol License’ regulatory fee, to provide an effective date, and to waive the second reading. (Approved by Public Services Committee January 29, 2019) ADMINISTRATIVE SERVICES 3 10. Motion to approve Animal Services Department request to replace two Animal Transport Trucks for the Animal Services Department – ITB 18-174. (Approved by Administrative Services Committee January 29, 2019) 11. Motion to approve establishing the “Administrative Policies and Procedures Subcommittee”, which will address the PPP Manual and other needed policy and revisions with members to include Commissioners Hasan, D. Williams, Sias, Few and Clarke. (Approved by Administrative Services Committee January 28, 2019) 12. Motion to approve Engineering Department’s Storm Water Division request the purchase of two replacement Agricultural Utility Tractors for mowing. Bid Item #18-289 Tractor Agricultural Utility. (Approved by Administrative Services Committee January 28, 2019) 13. Motion to approve tasking the Planning & Development Director to come back to the committee in 30-days with a comprehensive recommendation concerning the matter of a competitive pay range that enables the department to attract and retain qualified employees that will include 1) how much money is paid to train the inspectors, 2) whether the inspectors should be required to work for the City for a certain amount of time after training has been completed, 3) how would this action improve customer service and 4) how much money is charged, if any, by inspectors in other departments to do their reviews. (Approved by Administrative Services Committee January 29, 2019) 14. Motion to approve Housing and Community Development Department’s (HCD’s) contract procedural process (as presented for calendar year 2019) relative to authorization of Agreements/Contracts/HUD Forms and amending the flow chart with the inclusion of Item 1A for the Commission to provide input into where the investments are made in the City to effect changes for shared prosperity regarding issues of poverty and homelessness. (Approved by Administrative Services Committee January 29, 2019) 15. Motion to approve HCD’s Laney Walker/Bethlehem Revitalization Project contract procedural process (as presented for calendar year 2019) relative to authorization of Agreement/Contracts/Task Orders with amendment to flow chart to include Item 2A which allows for Commission input as indicated in Item 14. (Approved by Administrative Services Committee January 29, 2019) PUBLIC SAFETY 17. Motion to accept the GEMA FY2019 Grant for the Community Emergency Response Team and to update the EMA budget to include the $5,010. (Approved by Public Safety Committee January 29, 2019) 18. Motion to accept the $5000 grant from Maddie’s Fund and to approve the Be Still Displays, LLC, and Augusta Animal Services Contract using this fund and authorize the Mayor to sign the contract. (Approved by Public Safety Committee January 29, 2019) 21. Motion to approve an inmate telephone contract with Inmate Calling Solutions (ICS) for RCCI for a three-year term with two 1-year options for renewal (RFP 18-033). (Approved by Public Services Committee January 29, 2019) FINANCE 22. Motion to approve Excess Worker’s Compensation Insurance with Safety National Casualty with statutory limits and a $750,000 Self Insured Retentions (SIR-otherwise known 4 as the deductible) to cover all positions for a premium of $369,994. (Approved by Finance Committee January 29, 2019) 23. Motion to approve 2 additional positions for the District Attorney’s office and to approve funding for the full year. (Approved by Finance Committee January 29, 2019) 24. Motion to approve continued agreement with Brinson Askew Berry LLP for collection of hotel tax under Rome Class Hotel Incremental Tax Fund. (Approved by Finance Committee January 29, 2019) ENGINEERING SERVICES 25. Motion to approve the implementation of the plan addressing blighted areas in Augusta. (Approved by Engineering Services Committee January 29, 2019) 26. Motion to authorize the Augusta Engineering Department, on behalf of the Downtown Parking Task Force, to proceed with Procurement RFQ Process to hire a qualified parking management firm to address the downtown parking challenges. (Approved by Engineering Services Committee January 29, 2019) 27. Motion to approve an Agreement with Waste Management for Landfill Disposal pending completion of final negotiations, and approve the execution of the Agreement by the Mayor. (Approved by Engineering Services Committee January 29, 2019) PETITIONS AND COMMUNICATIONS 28. Motion to approve the minutes of the regular meeting of the Augusta Commission held January 15, 2019 and Special Called meeting held January 29, 2019. APPOINTMENTS 29. Motion to approve the appointment of Ms. Anna Maria Reeves to the Small Business Citizens Advisory Board representing District 8. Mr. Mayor: All right, voting. DELEGATIONS B. Ms. Brenda Durant for Anthony “SleepyEyez” Carter – presentation of a poem. E. Mr. Brian Green regarding individuals conflicted with behavioral health conditions/disabilities and their assimilation/inhabitation into the community. The Clerk: And just for the record, Mr. Mayor, I had mentioned to the Commission that Item B and E would be rescheduled. Could that be a part of our Consent Agenda? Mr. Mayor: Yes, for the next full Commission meeting. Thank you, Madam Clerk. Mr. Fennoy out. Motion Passes 9-0. \[Items 1-5, 7, 8, 10-15, 17, 18, 21-29\] Mr. Mayor: Okay, Madam Clerk, let’s hold for just one second. The Clerk: I call your attention to the Delegation portion of our agenda. 5 The Clerk: DELEGATIONS C. Mr. LeDarius Scott, Student Government Association President at Augusta University regarding their bike-share program and the creation of additional bike lanes in the city. Mr. Scott: Madam Clerk, thank you. The Clerk: Can you come over here, Mr. Scott, I’m sorry. Mr. Scott: Madam Clerk, Mayor Davis, Commissioners, thank you my name is LeDarius Scott. I’m a Senior Political Science Major at Augusta University and I serve as Student Government President representing over 5,000 undergraduates at Augusta University. We recently implemented a bike-share program. Five minutes, thank you. We recently implemented a bike share program that will allow for students to ride a bike on campus but I’m here today to speak with you all about furthering the conversation for having more bike lanes within the city and I’ve prepared a short presentation that shouldn’t go over my time today. So back in March of 2017 we started to have a conversation about implementing a bike share program at Augusta University. The company we signed with is Gotcha. They’re housed in Charleston, South Carolina. We have 18 bikes in total worth all together $25,000 dollars and the bikes are located on three of our campuses at Augusta University, Summerville Health Sciences which is commonly referred to as our MCG Campus and the Riverfront Campus which is commonly referred to as the Cyber Institute. Some details about it, the first 30 minutes of travel are free to the user daily. After the 30 minutes for every hour that you use the bikes it’ll be $5.00 dollars per hour. A bike can be put on hold and that is added to your overall duration. Anyone with an Augusta.EDU email, Augusta Tech email or East Georgia email can sign up be it the APP or website to use the bikes and I put the link in there as well for you all. This is basically how it works. Create an account simply via APP or Android. The application is called Social Bicycles. You simply on the back of the bikes type in an account number basically a PIN Number and that way you can unlock the bikes and from there you can ride wherever you want to as long as you return the bikes to one of three hubs which you’ll see soon. And basically once you’re finished with the bikes you return it to one of the hubs. You lock it and you leave it until your next ride. These are the three locations of our bikes: Summerville Campus, the Health Sciences Campus and the Cyber Institute. We have five on the Summerville Campus, ten at the MCG Campus and three at the Cyber Institute. And this is a picture of how the bikes look but I’m just here today to express the concern as students having, wanting to ride the bikes in the community but not feeling safe because lack of bike lanes, but that concludes my presentation. I don’t know if I’ll have time for questions or anything but I thank you all. Mr. Mayor: All right, that’s a fantastic job, Mr. Scott. Augusta University should be extremely proud of this young man. He has done a phenomenal job one as a student but most importantly as an ambassador for the school and then more importantly the City of Augusta. We were very honored to have him work as a Mayor’s fellow intern in the Mayor’s Office and continues to make us proud. Are there any questions? All right, outstanding --- Mr. Scott: Thank you. 6 Mr. Mayor: --- thank you. Mr. Mayor: To our Engineering Director and our Engineering Services Chairman also John Ussery I think you heard it loud and clear. More bike lanes are needed in Augusta, more bike lanes are needed in Augusta. That’ll be a good conversation for T-SPLOST. The Clerk: DELEGATIONS D. Mr. Joe Edge regarding the Adult Entertainment Ordinance. Mr. Mayor: Mr. Edge, you also have five minutes. I don’t know if you’re going to need it all. Mr. Edge: I shouldn’t. Mr. Mayor: Okay. Mr. Edge: First, I want to say thank you to all the Commissioners and the Mayor for allowing me the opportunity to come and speak. I have great respect for each one of you for the sacrifice of your time to help making our community a better place. I stood in this room yesterday at the Planning and Zoning meeting. I have a half acre tract of land on Tobacco Road that I’ve been working on building something on and getting rezoned for about six months now and while that may seem like a long time it’s not a very straight forward type of development. And you’d be proud to know that your city officials, your employees have done a great job of taking great care and due diligence to ensure that that development conforms with the community, what the residents would like to see and just generally make sense for the vision for Augusta. I believe that the same amount of due diligence if not more should be done on this issue. The proposed change to the Adult Entertainment Ordinance affects a large number of stakeholders in downtown Augusta and I believe that the public outcry that has been seen over the last seven days shows that the public has very strong opinions on this issue. The proposed change was done about a week ago in a committee and most of the general public that I’ve spoken with is unaware that this has even happened or even being talked about today. But despite that you know we’ve tried to make the public aware and have received hundreds of comments online and over a 1,000 votes to a petition all against the proposed change and all of that is in less than one week. Personally, I am a stakeholder in downtown Augusta. I’m the owner of Sherman Hemstreet Real Estate Company which has been in operation in Augusta for almost a hundred years and while other real estate firms chose to plant their flag out in Columbia County, we saw a vision for downtown and wanted to plant our flag here. We moved down here last year buying two buildings on Ellis Street. We looked at a large variety of buildings, a lot of back and forth about going to lower Broad are but we saw great potential for that area and we still do. But a lot of discussion centered around not wanting to be around the strip clubs but we did our due diligence. We did our homework on the existing codes and ordinances and saw that at some point these clubs would go away because the city had already addressed this issue and dealt with it years before. Therefore, we made an investment. We spent over $1.4 million dollars on two buildings on Ellis in the last two years. 7 We’ve renovated both buildings and moved over 40 employees to lower Broad. We’ve invested in our community in a positive way and we’ve invested in the future of downtown but we’re not alone. There’s a lot of residents, developers and business owners that are also invested in downtown. Every single one of those that I have spoken to personally is against changing this ordinance so my company, my agents, and myself we are actively involved with trying to recruit business to come to downtown and we’ve heard the same thing for years. Users will not go past th 6 Street. The reason is always the same that they will not relocate near the strip clubs. CPA’s, law firms, financial planners, restaurants and even traditional retail users have all expressed an interest in that section of Broad and as long as these clubs remain open it will stifle development and those businesses will not relocate there. And I’ve heard a lot of critics over the last few days that have said that these strip clubs do not affect property values. Nothing could be further from the truth. In fact a Realtor.com study done in 2016 of the top 100 markets in the U.S. did a study on the top ten things that affect property values. Strip clubs was on the list. The only thing that was higher than strip clubs was bad schools. In fact if you look at that study in detail the average decrease in property value was 14.7% in or around strip clubs. That means that homeless shelters, shooting ranges and even power plants don’t hurt property values as much as strip clubs according to the study. I love this city and I want to see it grow and prosper. I want to be a part of the future of that and we have tremendous momentum downtown right now that has never been seem before in both retail, office space and multi-family apartment growth. I have a vision for this city as I know each of you do with the Depot Development, the Cyber Center growth and all of the renovation of these older buildings. You know I have to ask are these strip clubs a part of our vision for the future of Augusta? Cities like Savannah, Charleston and Greenville said no. They were not part of their vision for their city. I believe that it should not be a part of our vision as well. Again, I thank you for the opportunity to speak and I hope you’ll consider my comments and vote against changing the downtown ordinance related to adult entertainment. Thank you. Mr. Mayor: Okay, all right, thank you so much for your commentary. We’re going to go to Item number 9 but I do want to take a Point of Personal Privilege while we’re talking about this matter and take one little data point out. I think Mr. Edge talked about things they look at in terms of you know what holds growth back. Let me state for the record that we have some amazing schools in Augusta Richmond County so that’s not holding us back. We’re graduating 80% of our students and I would encourage everyone to come out to Superintendent Pringle’s State of the Schools Address on next week at First Baptist Church. It’s a great opportunity to hear more of what’s going on in Richmond County public schools. All right, Madam Clerk. The Clerk: PUBLIC SERVICES 9. Motion to approve Transfer of Adult Entertainment Permit: amend the Augusta, Georgia Code, Title 6, Chapter 1, Section 6-1-15, so as to provide conditions under which an adult entertainment permit may be transferred. (Approved by Public Services Committee January 29, 2019) Mr. Mayor: All right, you can just pause. Mr. Edge: Okay. 8 Mr. Mayor: All right --- Mr. Hasan: Motion to deny, Mr. Mayor. Mr. Garrett: Second. Mr. Mayor: --- I’ve got a motion and a second to deny, okay? All right, the Chair, all right, we’re good we’re tracking, we’re tracking thank you so much. All right, the Chair recognizes th the Commissioner from the 4. Mr. Sias: Thank you, sir. I appreciate my colleague’s --- Mr. Mayor: Absolutely. Mr. Sias: --- however, I just want to say one thing. We do have areas in Augusta the last several years ago we got into this and that was a real issue that cost this city some money. The city designates certain industrial areas for this kind of entertainment and then that is the place they should be. So, even before the recent outcry many of us had considered this very seriously. We want to honor what was put in place several years ago to attract folks and give folks the understanding of what would occur downtown. Thank you. Mr. Speaker: (Unintelligible). Mr. Mayor: All right, we’ve got a motion and a second. The Chair recognizes the rd distinguished lady from the 3. Ms. Davis: Thank you, Mr. Mayor. I just wanted to say pretty much that I appreciate all of the input that we’ve had from our constituents and that’s what we want is people to be involved and to care. You know sometimes we don’t get the whole picture on all of the agenda items that we have every week and that’s why we do have committees so that’s a good thing because then we have a chance again to come back as a full Commission. So I just want to say you know that’s what we’re up here is to represent our constituents and we all heard everyone loud and clear. So I just want to say I appreciate your, and it was a very respectable outcry too so that’s even better, so thank you so much. th Mr. Mayor: All right, the Chair recognizes the gentleman from the 9. Mr. M. Williams: Thank you, Mr. Mayor --- Mr. Mayor: Yes, sir. Mr. M. Williams: --- I want to hear from Rob Sherman who got up to bring a statement of some sort and then there’s a motion before he could ever speak. I want to see what he’s proposing what he had. 9 Mr. Mayor: Well so and I appreciate that and I respect that but I think we’ve got a motion and a second and he was going to remind us of what he told us last week and I think it’s germane, it is but we’ve got a motion and a second. Mr. M. Williams: Well, Mr. Mayor, I missed a couple of meetings before but I’ve been here --- Mr. Mayor: Yeah --- Mr. M. Williams: --- but I try to make them all and I can count the ones I missed and if I was here last week I’m sure I heard it but --- Mr. Mayor: --- yes, sir. Mr. M. Williams: --- we’re here to make a vote and I think the Commission’s going to what is best for this community. But that’s why we pay Directors. That’s why we have Mr. Sherman in that position so would it hurt to let him reiterate to me who didn’t fully understand maybe what he said last week --- Mr. Sias: Call for the question. Mr. M. Williams: --- if he said the same thing? Mr. Mayor: Well, it won’t hurt but it would with a lot more business in front of us and there’s a lot of business in front of us that I’m going to need you to really, really, really weigh in on and I’m going to ask you to yield on this one right here if you don’t mind. All right, voting, the motion is to deny. Mr. M. Williams: Well, I hired my Director but I can’t listen to him so I’m going to go ahead and vote anyway but I really don’t appreciate not having all my facts that I need when from who I need them from. Mr. Fennoy out. Motion Passes 9-0. Mr. Mayor: Okay. All right, Madam Clerk, let’s go to Number 16. Okay let me say this before we do move on. For those of you who are here for Item number 9 if you want to exit the Chamber we’re going to give you an opportunity to do that right now. All right, Madam Clerk. The Clerk: ADMINISTRATIVE SERVICES 16. Motion to approve allocating additional funding in the amount of $138,000 for the Juvenile Court Budget and charge it to the General Fund Contingency with the salary structure to be included. (Approved by Administrative Services Committee January 28, 2019) 10 Mr. Mayor: All right, the Chair recognizes the Mayor Pro Tem. Mr. Mayor Pro Tem: Thank you, Mr. Mayor. We definitely know the great work they do over in Juvenile Court but this process in my mind should’ve been handled during the budget th process. Did we agree to $49,000 when you include fringe benefits effective February 15 for these employees? So with that I make a motion to deny. Mr. Hasan: Second. Mr. Mayor: I’ve got a motion and a second, voting. Mr. M. Williams votes No. Mr. Fennoy out. Motion Passes 8-1. Mr. Mayor: Okay there is a, all right, Madam Clerk, we’re going to go to Item number 6. Mr. Hasan: What number, Mr. Mayor? Mr. Mayor: Six. The Clerk: PUBLIC SERVICES 6. Motion to provide an assessment of the Augusta Public Transit System bus shelters that are in our inventory and how many will be needed where the locations are and a cost estimate for the new signage and bring it back to the next committee meeting and come back with a sample of the signage to the Commission meeting on Tuesday (2/5/19). (Approved by Public Services Committee January 29, 2019) Mr. Mayor: The Chair recognizes the Chairman of Engineering Services, the th Commissioner from the 9. Mr. M. Williams: Thank you, Mr. Mayor. I was hoping, I did get this information passed out to me about the signage but I’d like to talk to Ms. Dottery for just a minute to see whether these signs are sized. And I’m looking at the sheet of paper but the size of these signs doesn’t, there’s no specs on here. So do you, you don’t have one in person, you don’t have one with you. Ms. Dottery: No, sir, it has not been designed yet. This is the draft that we came up with and IT helped me in designing that sign because we wanted to really address a couple of things. One is the new signage and new design the other is one of your fellow commissioners, Commissioner Sias, wanted some information on the sign that we don’t have right now and that is to know when the bus is coming. This sign will work in conjunction with the APP that IT is producing for us so when you look at the sign and you see that Text Stop Code. That’s a code that will alert any rider, they can go to their cellphone be it the I-Phone or Android put in that number 11 and be able to pull up when the bus is coming. So we haven’t designed it yet to have the, a hard sign for you. Mr. M. Williams: The draft who IT drafted this and ya’ll got this in house --- Ms. Dottery: In house. Mr. M. Williams: --- in house. Okay the Go Augusta Transit on the other side and I see one sign is larger and the other sign is smaller but --- Ms. Dottery: Yes, sir --- Mr. M. Williams: --- there’s no dimensions on how this is going to play out I mean how it’s going to look actually be what size. Are they going to be on their on poles like this sign is here they won’t be on the old telephone poles that’s out there now? Ms. Dottery: --- no, sir, it won’t it will be on the poles that you see on there and we get those through Engineering because in the end Engineering will be putting this together for us but IT is helping with the design of the sign. And the reason you see two signs is because the premise is the smaller sign, it says Go Transit Augusta Transit, that is so that it identifies the stop that we have regardless at any time you go out there you know that’s a bus stop. If we make any changes to it and that can happen over time when you’re changing routes so any changes that will be made we can take down the larger sign and make those changes to the sign but the stop itself is still identified and we would put that part back up. Because if we put everything on one sign and we have to make changes then you’re either going to be caught with taking the sign down and there’s no sign or you’re going to have to be putting little stickies all over the sign to address the changes that you make. So this is the idea we had to come up with two signs on one pole. The stop is always identified. That never changes. But then any changes come from the longer sign. Mr. M. Williams: Okay it says Go Augusta Transit, Mr. Mayor, can I continue --- Mr. Mayor: Yes, sir. Mr. M. Williams: --- it says Go Augusta Transit in the old school when Mary Davis came along they used to just say Bus Stop but the other sign, it, you just say bus stop. And, Sharon, I’m not being hard on you. I’m just trying to figure out what can we do since we’re in the process of drafting to do something that’s going to be effective like you talked about the two signs. It makes sense but we need to enhance and entice people to ride the bus so the signage or whatever it is ought to be something that people are going to identify and not be just something there. Now I’m going back on the bus again. I plan to ride. Now I don’t how soon these signs will be up. Today, just today I noticed a young man sitting on one of our benches in dead heat. I’m glad we’ve got the spring like weather but the sun was shining right down on him. Those shelters that we need that’s a necessary evil we’ve got to do something to get them out of that element in order to get them to ride. The other thing I guess I want to ask about if you take your cellphone and call this 821 number it goes straight to the dispatch somewhere? 12 Ms. Dottery: Yes, sir, it will. Mr. M. Williams: And they can tell them whether the bus at that location has been by or coming by or where it’s at --- Ms. Dottery: Yes, sir. Mr. M. Williams: --- okay, okay. Ms. Dottery: The number that’s on this draft at the current time they would not use. Mr. M. Williams: I understand but there will be a number that you can call --- Ms. Dottery: Yes, sir. Mr. M. Williams: --- and I learned that from one of our workers, Mr. Mayor, who’s coming into the building told me she had to call. She gets off late at night and she calls so much they know her by her first name basis because she wants to make sure that she ain’t standing out in the dark waiting on the bus that’s already gone and it makes a lot of sense. Ms. Dottery: Yes, sir. Mr. Mayor: All right --- Mr. Frantom: Motion to approve. Mr. Mayor: --- motion to approve? Mr. Hasan: Second. Mr. Mayor: Okay, all right, that came from the Mayor Pro Tem, Madam Clerk, and a th second from the 6. All right, voting, oh I’m sorry. Again you know hold on everybody just suspend. Had I had a screen right here I would’ve seen your hand still up. All right, the Chair th recognizes the Commissioner from the 4. Mr. Sias: Thank you, sir. Every time I keep it up you tell me I saw it already. Mr. Mayor: Well, I normally do. Mr. Sias: Ms. Dottery, let me first congratulate you on I call it a hashtag it ain’t up yet but I want to congratulate you on moving this forward. But also I owe you another congratulations. You achieved something that’s been happening up here for a long time and you’re about the first one to be successful with it with no objection to looking at it in here now. Boy, I’ll tell you, you really hit a good one there. So but I really appreciate the work ya’ll have done with this. I’m looking forward to it and but the hashtag and then same 821-2043 you get the same information you get with that hashtags? 13 Ms. Dottery: Yes, sir. Mr. Sias: So bottom line if I’m at home then then I would step to the bus stop one time next time I know if I call either one of them numbers I can avoid the rain, I know when to get there. Ms. Dottery: Yes, sir. Mr. Sias: Okay I congratulate you on it and I look forward to the implementation of it, okay? Ms. Dottery: Okay. Mr. Sias: And then a little bit later on I’m going to still wait for that masterpiece I’m looking for but I want to say congratulations of this, thank you, sir, thank you (unintelligible). Mr. Mayor: All right, we’ve got a motion and a second, we’re voting. Mr. Fennoy out. Motion Passes 9-0. Mr. Mayor: All right, Madam Clerk, Items 19 and 20 I want to talk about together and I think if we go ahead and address this matter then we can move to what might be our next issue which is going into Legal for a few minutes. The Clerk: PUBLIC SAFETY 19. Motion to approve the following emergency transport rates for the City of Augusta ambulances Activities Charge. (Approved by Public Safety Committee January 29,2019) 1. Patient Transport $1,150.00 2. Mileage Rate $16.50/mile 3. Treat without transport $200.00 4. Insurance Company Payments: Patients will not be billed if the insurance payment is less than the charged amount. 5. City employees and family members will be billed only if non-city insurance applies. 20. Motion to approve Emergency Ambulance Service Fees and to direct staff to complete processes to allow for billing by Augusta Ambulance with no balance billing. (Approved by Public Safety Committee January 29, 2019) th Mr. Mayor: I believe the Commissioner from the 8 pulled these --- Mr. Garrett: I pulled 20. 14 Mr. Mayor: --- you pulled 20? The Clerk: I think Marion Williams pulled 19. th Mr. Mayor: Okay all right, the Chair recognizes the Commissioner from the 9. Mr. M. Williams: Thank you, Mr. Mayor. A couple of things I’m really confused about here. If we approve this and there is no process for collecting where’s that going to set this body who shouldn’t be billing in my opinion anyway for services that we’re providing because the taxpayers already bought this equipment. But what’s that going to do for the subcontractors too? If we approve that and there’s no way for them to collect and we’re essentially setting them up to fail because if we approve that, that says that we can’t bill and they can’t bill. So how, somebody needs to explain that to me how that works. Mr. Mayor: Okay, all right, we’ll just put questions out there and then we’re going to deal with it once and for all and then we’re going to vote on this matter. I want to do that. All right, the th Chair recognizes the Commissioner from the 8. Mr. Garrett: You know one of the reasons why I pulled 20 was you know the balance billing section I think when people hear that they’re going to assume that they’re not going to responsible for anything past what their insurance pays. But the question I have is if they haven’t met their deductible yet, are they going to be responsible for that? Mr. Mayor: All right, all in good stuff okay all of those are good questions. All right, Madam Administrator, you’re going to be on deck so be prepared to, I’m coming to you okay? th All right, the Chair recognizes the Commissioner from the 4. Mr. Sias: Thank you, sir. You know I guess things can be complicated when we want them to be complicated but balanced billing seems very simple. The balance of left what’s from the agency that paid. The deductibles as far as car insurance goes you only have a deductible on comprehensive. We ain’t doing that. This is liability (unintelligible) so I don’t understand the issue there. Medicaid, Medicare --- Mr. Mayor: Well --- Mr. Sias: --- those ain’t, I don’t understand the difference --- Mr. Mayor: --- let me interject for just a moment --- Mr. Sias: --- sure --- Mr. Mayor: --- I’m going try to bring everybody --- Mr. Sias: --- and then I’ll finish up. 15 Mr. Mayor: --- (inaudible) on the issue of germaneness. We’re talking about billing for transport for EMS services not automobile not all that other stuff. Let’s just focus on the issue of billing right now. Mr. Sias: All right, move to approve. Mr. D. Williams: I’ll second it. Mr. M. Williams: I ain’t got the answers (unintelligible). Mr. Mayor: I know --- Mr. M. Williams: Okay well I mean --- Mr. Mayor: --- I told you I’m coming back --- Mr. M. Williams: --- anybody can make a motion. It’s like suing somebody. You can sue a ham sandwich that don’t mean you’re going to get nothing I mean just because you made a motion I mean --- Mr. Mayor: --- I understand. Mr. M. Williams: --- we was in discussion right? Mr. Speaker: Yeah and we still (inaudible). Mr. M. Williams: --- okay well and then somebody throws a motion out there and we’re supposed to change now because there’s a motion. Mr. Mayor: Well, I’ll tell you what. Just yield to the Chair we’re going to get through it, we’re going to get through it. All right, Madam Administrator, do you want to speak to one of the questions that were brought before us to the issue of 19 and 20. What we’re really after and that’s the issue of one, approving the rates and two, the fact that we would bill and then subsequently we will allow balanced billing. All right, if you’ll speak to those three matters which I think takes into account all of what’s been asked in front of you. Ms. Jackson: All right, I’m going to describe the philosophical underpinnings of the recommended approach and hopefully that responds to all of the questions. Number one, at this point we have been providing transports for a number of years at no cost whatsoever so anytime the city ambulance would’ve picked up a patient or treated a patient we receive no compensation because we did not bill at all. Under this approach, we would provide transport for whatever the insurance company for that individual would pay. We know that from our research that some insurance companies pay varying, insurance companies pay varying rates but they most of them will pay for an emergency transport if it is indeed a legitimate transport so that would place us in a better position to get something than we are now because right now we get nothing. Third, we know that many of the ambulance companies are sending unpaid bills into a collection agency --- 16 Mr. Mayor: Ms. Jackson, can you suspend for a moment? Ms. Jackson: --- uh-hmm. Mr. Mayor: All right, what’s critical is that first statement and that is historically we’ve transported and we have not billed. Today there’s a desire to bill okay that’s one. There’s a desire to bill. All right, ya’ll haven’t asked me to weigh in on this but I will weigh in on this. I believe that it is justifiable and it is prudent for us to bill if you’re transporting people, I do believe that. Okay all right, continue, I’m coming back to you, I’m coming back to you. Ms. Jackson: And the third point I’d like to make is that or what I was about to say is that various agencies do spend unpaid accounts through a collections agency. Their service providers send to a collections agency and those collection agencies can get extremely aggressive. Citizens will wind up with unpaid bills for ambulance services on their credit report. The philosophy behind this was that we would not treat our citizens or visitors with that type of aggressive action where they could wind up with something on their credit report for not having paid an exorbitant ambulance bill. So that was the philosophical underpinning for the proposal as you see it today. th Mr. Mayor: All right, I’m going to go to the Commissioner from the 9 and then I’m going th to the 8. Mr. M. Williams: Mr. Mayor, I totally disagree with the fact that and we can bill but we didn’t take it to the general public. We didn’t take it to the voters and ask them did they want us to do that. We pay fire protection those funds came from fire protection what taxpayers are already paying. I said this earlier that we took the fire protection money, bought these ambulances with. We paid the employees their salary with the same money but then we turn around now and we’re going to start to bill then we’re going to say if we can’t bill if you don’t have the money to bill then we’re not going to get aggressive there’s nothing we can do. Well, how’s that going to spin off when you’ve got an outside agency or subcontractor billing but then you’ve got the Fire Department saying okay if you can’t pay don’t worry about it. I mean that’s going to create for our taxpayers, that’s going to create for the ones that use the service the ones that don’t have a car to drive to the emergency room or hospital or whatever they need to do. It’s going to put a burden on those who are already burdened now. And I think we need to think about this very seriously before we, I mean a lot of cities do it but I think it should’ve been carried to the voters and let them make a decision as to or we just put them in that that vein. Now here we are now we’re saying that well, we don’t want to put a burden on it if they can’t pay. Well, if you can’t pay the city fire department if they pick you up how are you going to pay an outside agency if they pick you up? It’s going to be the same thing. You’re going to be saying I can’t pay and everybody’s going to be saying who’s going to say yeah, I can pay because you know you came to my house. When I call a taxicab I expect to pay but I don’t expect to ride if I don’t pay so if you expect to ride you ought to expect to pay. But we’re trying to, what we’re doing is creating a monster for ourselves now maybe not today but tomorrow for sure. We’re creating a situation now where it’s going to give us all kinds of headaches, all kinds of heartburn and the taxpayers are going to be the ones that suffer. They’re going to be the ones that come in saying well I can’t afford to pay and this one said I didn’t have to pay and that one said and you said you weren’t going to get aggressive. 17 You weren’t going to bill me, you weren’t going to put it on my credit report and all this other stuff. So think we need to look at this thing very seriously now before we actually take a vote. We’re trying so hard to mess this thing up --- Mr. Mayor: Okay --- Mr. M. Williams: --- I’m not saying we are, Mr. Mayor, but that’s what we’re doing. th Mr. Mayor: --- okay all right, the Chair recognizes the Commissioner from the 8. Mr. Garrett: I’m going to make a substitute motion to add balance billing. Mr. Frantom: Second. Mr. Mayor: Okay, Madam Clerk, are you tracking? The Clerk: Yes, sir. th Mr. Mayor: All right, the Chair recognizes the Commissioner from the 10. Mr. Clarke: I have no questions. Mr. Mayor: Okay all right, very good. Okay all right, so I want to make sure that we’re tracking again, Madam Clerk. We’ve got a substitute motion that’s before us with a second. All right that is to include balance billing. All right, voting. Mr. M. Williams: Point of order, Mr. Mayor, when you hear the vote please. Mr. Mayor: All right, go ahead, state your inquiry. Mr. M. Williams: I’d like to ask Ms. Bonner a question. Mr. Mayor: Okay, you want to ask the Chair a question? Mr. M. Williams: I want to ask Ms. Bonner the Clerk if I can. I mean I can ask the Chair. Mr. Mayor, can you ask the Clerk because I don’t think you could answer, can you ask the Clerk what do call for the question mean? I mean I hear that all the time up here. I mean I think we need to tell Tom so when you’re printing this you have this right. Can you explain that? Okay, somebody needs to explain that. Mr. Mayor: Call for the question says we’re going to take a vote that we want to stop debate and again because we had a motion a substitute motion and a second, I didn’t even yield for that. 18 Mr. M. Williams: I understand but we called for something we need to know what we’re calling for that’s like calling a fire truck if you ain’t go no fire you’d better not call it. So when you call for the question then we can take another vote now --- Mr. Mayor: Yeah, we’re going to take a vote --- Mr. M. Williams: --- we’re going to take two votes. Mr. Mayor: --- that’s right, that’s correct. Mr. D. Williams and Mr. Sias vote No. Mr. Fennoy out. Motion Passes 7-2. ADDENDUM 30. Motion to approve going into a Legal Meeting. Motion to approve going into an executive session to discuss personnel and pending and potential litigation. Mr. Mayor: There was an email exchange that we had earlier or towards the latter part of last week to talk about a matter in Legal and I’d like to entertain a motion to go into Executive Session for the express purpose of talking about those matters. Mr. Mayor Pro Tem: Motion to go into Legal. Mr. MacKenzie: To clarify that would be for personnel and pending and potential litigation. Mr. Frantom: So moved. Mr. Hasan: Second. Mr. Sias votes No. Mr. Fennoy out. Motion Passes 8-1. \[EXECUTIVE SESSION\] 33. Motion to authorize execution by the Mayor of the affidavit of compliance with Georgia’s Open Meeting Act. Mr. Mayor Pro Tem: Attorney MacKenzie. Mr. MacKenzie: I would entertain a motion to execute the Closed Meeting Affidavit. Mr. Sias: So moved. 19 Ms. Davis: Second. Mr. Mayor Pro Tem: We’ve got a motion and a second, please vote. Mr. Fennoy out. Motion Passes 9-0. Mr. Mayor Pro Tem: Attorney MacKenzie for a motion please. ADDENDUM 32. Motion to approve an employee retention incentive in the amount of $7,500, per employee, for employees of the Richmond County Probation Office provided such employees remain employed through May 17, 2019. Mr. Garrett: So moved. Mr. D. Williams: Second. Mr. Mayor Pro Tem: We’ve got a motion and a second from District 4, please vote. Mr. Hasan and Mr. M. Williams vote No. Mr. Fennoy out. Motion Passes 7-2. Mr. MacKenzie: I would entertain a motion to add to the agenda for discussion Addendum Item One. Ms. Davis: So moved. Mr. D. Williams: Second. Mr. Mayor Pro Tem: We’ve got a motion and a second, please vote. The Clerk: Okay, you don’t have unanimous consent to add. Mr. Williams abstains. Mr. M. Williams: I’m going to change my vote to vote yes. You can add it on. Mr. Mayor Pro Tem: Thank you, Commissioner. The Clerk: We now have unanimous consent to add the addendum item to the agenda. Mr. Fennoy out. Motion Passes 9-0. Mr. Mayor Pro Tem: Madam Clerk, addition to the agenda Item Number One please. 20 ADDENDUM 31. Motion to approve Agreement made by and between Judicial Alternatives of Georgia, Inc., a corporation organized under the laws of the State of Georgia, with its principal place of business at 418 Flint Ave., Albany, Georgia hereinafter called “Judicial Alternatives of Georgia” and the Richmond County State Court, Augusta, Georgia hereinafter called “Court”. The parties enter into the Agreement under the specific authority of Augusta, GA, Code Section 1-10-57. (Requested by Administrator Janice Jackson. Mr. Sias: So moved. Mr. Hasan: Second. Mr. Mayor Pro Tem: Commissioner Marion Williams. Mr. M. Williams: Yeah, I’d like for the Attorney to tell me exactly what this motion would entail. Mr. MacKenzie: Sure. This is a motion to approve on an emergency basis some temporary employees, approximately ten employees, from a private probation company but it’s only on a limited basis until the RFP process is complete. Mr. M. Williams: Just ten employees. This is not a contract deal with the services. Mr. MacKenzie: It’s an employment agreement is only to provide ten employees. Ms. Jackson: For up to three months --- Mr. M. Williams: Up to three months. Ms. Jackson: --- limited to (unintelligible) duration. Mr. Mayor Pro Tem: Madam Clerk. The Clerk: Yes, sir, at a cost of $30,000 dollars per month paid from Probation Department’s budget. Mr. Mayor Pro Tem: Okay, we’ve got a motion and a second, please vote. Mr. M. Williams abstains. Mr. Fennoy out. Motion Passes 8-1. Mr. Mayor Pro Tem: Madam Clerk, is there any other meeting before us? The Clerk: No, sir. 21 Mr. Mayor Pro Tem: This meeting is adjourned. \[MEETING ADJOURNED\] Lena Bonner Clerk of Commission CERTIFICATION: I, Lena J. Bonner, Clerk of Commission, hereby certify that the above is a true and correct copy of the minutes of the Regular Meeting of The Augusta Richmond County Commission held on February 5, 2019. ______________________________ Clerk of Commission 22