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HomeMy WebLinkAboutCalled Commission Meeting July 27, 2021 CALLED MEETING COMMISSION CHAMBER July 27, 2021 Augusta Richmond County Commission convened at 11:00 a.m., Tuesday, July 27, 2021, the Honorable Hardie Davis, Jr., Mayor, presiding. PRESENT: Hons. B. Williams, Garrett, Sias, Johnson, Frantom, Scott, McKnight, D. Williams, Hasan and Clarke, members of Augusta Richmond County Commission. Mr. Mayor: Good afternoon. We’ll call this meeting to order. The Chair recognizes Attorney Brown. 1. LEGAL MEETING A. Pending and potential litigation B. Real estate C. Personnel Mr. Brown: Good morning, Mayor and Commissioners. We request a motion to go into executive session for the discussion of pending or potential litigation, real estate and personnel. Mr. B. Williams: So move. Mr. D. Williams: Second. Mr. Mayor: The Chair recognizes the Mayor Pro Tem. Mr. B. Williams: For the motion? Mr. Mayor: Yes, sir. Mr. B. Williams: So move. Mr. D. Williams: Second. Mr. Mayor: Okay. Voting. Mr. B. Williams: We’re going to be serious today? All right. Mr. Frantom out. Motion carries 9-0. \[EXECUTVE SESSION\] Mr. Mayor: Thank you. All right, we’ll convene. The Chair recognizes Attorney Brown. 1 2. Motion to authorize execution by the Mayor of the affidavit of compliance with Georgia’s Open Meeting Act. Mr. Brown: Thank you, Mayor Davis. We request a motion to execute the closed meeting affidavit. Mr. Mayor: Mayor Pro Tem. Mr. B. Williams: So move. Mr. Frantom: Second. Mr. Mayor: Voting. Motion carries 10-0. Mr. Mayor: Thank you. Attorney Brown. The Chair recognizes Attorney Brown for the reading of a motion. Mr. Brown: Mayor Davis, we would like to request a motion to adopt a Resolution to approve the appointment of retired former presiding Richmond County Magistrate Judge H. Scott Allen and retired Richmond County Magistrate Judge Stephen E. Shepard to the office of Senior Magistrate for a term ending on December 31, 2022. nd Mr. Mayor: Commissioner from the 2. Mr. D. Williams: Move for approval. Mr. Garrett: Second. Mr. Mayor: Voting. Motion carries 10-0. Mr. Mayor: The Chair recognizes Attorney Brown for the reading of a motion. Mr. Brown: We request a motion to approve the request by Director Rob Sherman to withdraw his notice of resignation and retirement. th Mr. Mayor: Commissioner from the 8. Mr. Garrett: Motion to approve. Ms. McKnight: Second. 2 Mr. Frantom: Second. Mr. Mayor: Voting. Motion carries 10-0. Mr. Mayor: The Chair recognizes Attorney Brown for the reading of a motion. Mr. Brown: We request a motion to ratify a Memorandum of Understanding between the Richmond County Board of Health and Augusta, Georgia dated April 1, 2021 relative to the use of 1001 Fourth Street. rd Mr. Mayor: Commissioner from the 3. Ms. McKnight: So move. Mr. B. Williams: Second. Mr. Mayor: Voting. Motion carries 10-0. Mr. Mayor: The Chair recognizes Attorney Brown for the reading of a motion. Mr. Brown: Mr. Mayor, we would request a motion to approve the acquisition of 1133 Sharpe Lane and 1640 Forest Street to support the Augusta Housing Initiative for housing opportunity for persons with Aids Program. th Mr. Mayor: The Chair recognizes the commissioner from the 9. Ms. Scott: So move. Ms. McKnight: Second. Mr. Mayor: Voting. Motion carries 10-0. Mr. Mayor: Thank you, Madam Clerk. The Chair recognizes Administrator Donald for the reading of a motion. Mr. Donald: Motion to approve the change order associated with the State Properties Commission lease on behalf of the Department of Family & Children Services for a facility construction not to exceed $350,000 above the existing contract and tasking the Administrator to identify the funding source. 3 th Mr. Mayor: The Chair recognizes the commissioner from the 4. Mr. Sias: So move. Mr. B. Williams: Second. Mr. Mayor: Voting. Ms. McKnight, Mr. Frantom and Mr. Garrett voting No. Motion carries 7-3. Mr. Mayor: The Chair recognizes the Administrator for the reading of a motion. Mr. Donald: Motion to approve a salary adjustment to Mr. Frank Ross from $28,028.30 to $32,389.00 reflecting a change in job title from Administrative Assistant I to Public Information Assistant. rd Mr. Mayor: The Chair recognizes the commissioner from the 3. Ms. McKnight: So move. Mr. Sias: Second. Mr. Mayor: Voting. Motion carries 10-0. Mr. Mayor: The Chair recognizes the Administrator for the reading of a final motion. Mr. Donald: Motion to authorize the Administrator to provide a supplemental letter of support to the State Properties Commission committing Augusta to remove and demolish designated buildings within the proposed limits of the project contingent upon the project area contingent upon state approval of the award of a State Veterans Cemetery at Gracewood. th Mr. Mayor: The Chair recognizes the commissioner from the 8. Mr. Garrett: So move. Mr. Sias: Second. Ms. McKnight: Second. Mr. Mayor: Voting. Motion carries 10-0. 4 Mr. Mayor: Thank you, Madam Clerk. I want to take a point of personal privilege and acknowledge that we find ourselves even in the community that we treasure so dearly, Augusta, experiencing an increase in COVID cases. It is incumbent upon us, every single one of us, those that are in this Chamber and those that are outside, those that are watching via livestream that if you have not been vaccinated I urge you please get vaccinated. It’s worth a shot to the degree that we care about our loved ones, it’s necessary. As a county we are experiencing about 4.6% positivity. While at the same time only 31% of our residents have been fully vaccinated and only 34% have received at least one dose. This is not a new thing. We have in front of us an even more transmissible variant of the virus called Delta and I want to just urge us to be thoughtful, to be considerate that these numbers are real and it is so important for us, everyone talks about going back to some sense of normalcy and that sense of normalcy will continue to be challenged if we do not take heed to the federal science, the science from Moderna, Pfizer, Johnson & Johnson and others. The CDC, the FDA, it’s important. There are so many events that are in front of us. You’ve got Arts in the Heart International Festival, you’ve got Westobou, you’ve got Ironman, all of these things which we so desperately want to see take place in our city and I want to urge all of our residents now is not the time to take our foot off the gas of safety but rather to press it even harder and drive this thing to stop the spread of the virus any more. So I come to you with a sense of urgency across the entire community please go and get vaccinated. If you have not been vaccinated, put a mask on. I urge you to do so. Put a mask on. Think about the people who you are around, your loved ones, your friends and neighbors and let’s keep folks safe. Commissioner th from the 6. Mr. Hasan: Thank you, Mr. Mayor. I was just trying to make sure before you close it I wanted to make some comments on that but if you’re finished, I’ll wait until (inaudible). th Mr. Mayor: Well, no, I’ve got one more motion. All right, commissioner from the 6, go ahead, sir. Mr. Hasan: Thank you, Mr. Mayor. I appreciate you addressing that, Mr. Mayor, because I was about to attempt to get added to my Administrative Services Committee to address that and look forward to asking the Administrator to invite Dr. Goggans in at the Commission meeting to give us an update because as you know Savannah just yesterday went back to some sense of masks and I think you know better than myself probably that some level of mandate masks and things like that so just wanted to thank you for addressing that issue and I look forward to asking the Administrator to ask Dr. Goggans and give us some sense of update as to where we are as a city because we don’t want to wait too long and put our, press forward. Mr. Mayor: What I’ve shared with you is the findings from our meeting on this past Friday in terms of the vaccination rate as well as the positivity rate. What happened in Savannah yesterday with our colleague, Mayor Van Johnson, their numbers are significantly higher than ours and again, as an international city people are coming from across the nation and certainly the globe to Savannah and he felt that it was prudent based on their numbers working in concert with his local health professionals there. In our meeting on this past Friday there is a heightened level of concern and we’re sharing that with you now and we’ll continue to bring that information forward but 5 again, to the Richmond County citizens, it’s necessary for us to take these precautions and to do it now. The Chair recognizes the attorney for the reading of a motion. Mr. Brown: Mayor Davis, we request a motion to transfer from Augusta, Georgia to Historic Augusta Inc. buildings and property commonly known as the Synagogue and the Court of Ordinary which is housed on the Augusta, Georgia Municipal Campus located at 535 Telfair Street pursuant to the terms of the lease between Augusta, Georgia and Historic Augusta dated July 26, 2016 with said closing to be done under the guidance of the Augusta Law Department. th Mr. Mayor: The Chair recognizes the commissioner from the 10. Mr. Clarke: Make a motion to approve. Ms. Scott: Second. Mr. Mayor: Voting. Motion carries 10-0. Mr. Mayor: Thank you, Madam Clerk. Attorney Brown, Administrator Donald, I believe that’s all that’s before us for the special called meeting. Mr. Brown: Yes, sir. \[MEETING ADJOURNED\] Lena J. 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 Called Meeting of the Augusta Richmond County Commission held on July 27, 2021. ________________________ Clerk of Commission 6