HomeMy WebLinkAboutRegular Commission Meeting October 6, 2020
REGULAR MEETING COMMISSION CHAMBER
OCTOBER 6, 2020
Augusta Richmond County Commission convened at 2:00 p.m., October 6, 2020, the Hon.
Hardie Davis Jr., Mayor, presiding.
PRESENT: Hons. B. Williams, Garrett, Sias, Fennoy, Frantom, M. Williams, Davis, D.
Williams, Hasan and Clarke, members of Augusta Richmond County Commission.
The invocation was given by Commissioner Mary Davis.
The Pledge of Allegiance to the Flag of the United States of America was recited.
Mr. Mayor Pro Tem: I’d like to call to order the meeting, the Commission meeting,
Chamber meeting for October 6 scheduled for 2:00 p.m. We’re going to kick it off, Ms. Bonner,
with the invocation led by Ms. Mary Davis.
Mr. Mayor Pro Tem: And could we get the Pledge of Allegiance up please and we’ll start
with Ms. Bonner on this one.
The Clerk: Ok.
Mr. Mayor Pro Tem: Thank you, Ms. Bonner ---
The Clerk: Yes, sir, thank you.
Mr. Mayor Pro Tem: --- we’ll want to start with the Addendum Agenda and then we’ll go
straight into Delegations first.
The Clerk: Okay, do you want to acknowledge the Addendum Agenda?
Mr. Mayor Pro Tem: Yup, go ahead and do that first.
Mr. Hasan: Individually, please.
The Clerk: Sir?
Mr. Hasan: Can you read them individually, Mr. Mayor Pro Tem?
The Clerk: He’s asking if I could enumerate the Addendum Agenda.
Mr. Mayor Pro Tem: Yes, ma’am.
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The Clerk: Addendum Agenda, regular meeting October 6 2020, additions to the agenda:
ADDENDUM
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45. Motion to approve election Tuesday, November 3, 2020 as a CIVIC day off for all non-
public safety and law enforcement personnel. (Requested by Mayor Hardie Davis, Jr.)
46. Motion to approve resuming committee meetings starting October 13, 2020. (Requested
by Mayor Hardie Davis, Jr.)
44. Motion to approve the McCarthy Contract for Air Carrier and General Aviation Apron
Rehabilitation Project Phase III for $4,467,810.20 for Augusta Regional Airport. Bid Item
20-213. (Requested by Director Herbert Judon)
The Clerk: Deletions to the agenda:
DELEGATIONS
A. Mr. Gaylon Tootle regarding the reestablishment of the Compliance Department’s
Disability Diversity Advisory Committee.
PUBLIC SERVICES
5. Motion to approve the Exit Lane Security Equipment from Record-USA which is a sole
source purchase of $110,000.00.
The Clerk: Director Judon says there’s further review needed for this particular item.
Mr. Mayor Pro Tem: Do we have approval to add the Consent Agenda Items as stated?
Mr. D. Williams: So moved.
Mr. Mayor Pro Tem: Is there any objection?
Mr. Hasan: Yes, on one and two for me.
Mr. Mayor Pro Tem: Any other objections?
Mr. Sias: Mr. Mayor Pro Tem, did you say add them to the Consent Agenda or the
Commission Agenda?
Mr. Mayor Pro Tem: We have to have approval to add them so I wanted to see if there
was any ---
Mr. Sias: I know but which ones are you saying? Just to add them to the regular agenda?
Mr. Mayor Pro Tem: Yes, sir.
Mr. Sias: Okay, I don’t have any objections.
Mr. Mayor Pro Tem: Is there any other objections besides one and two?
Mr. M. Williams: Yeah, I object to one and two as well. You can’t, I mean I object to
them being put on.
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Mr. Mayor Pro Tem: Okay, all right, objections to one and two, Ms. Bonner.
The Clerk: Yes, sir, I have that.
Mr. Mayor Pro Tem: Okay, so we’ll start with the Delegations I guess Number A, I mean
B.
Mr. Brown: Mr. Mayor Pro Tem ---
Mr. Mayor Pro Tem: Yes, sir.
Mr. Brown: --- did you vote on them being the others being added?
The Clerk: They were approved by unanimous consent.
Mr. Brown: Okay, all right, thank you.
Mr. Mayor Pro Tem: Okay so we’ll start with, is it B?
The Clerk: B, yes, sir.
Mr. Mayor Pro Tem: Okay, go ahead, Ms. Bonner.
The Clerk:
DELEGATIONS
B. Mr. Ralph Utley regarding Storm Drain Neglect & Excessive trash from Waste Trucks
enroute to Landfill.
Mr. Mayor Pro Tem: Welcome, Mr. Utley. If you could state your name and address for
the record then you’ll have five minutes once you start, sir.
Mr. Utley: Ralph Utley, 4168 Deans Bridge Road, Hephzibah, Georgia 30815.
Mr. Mayor Pro Tem: Thank you, sir.
Mr. Utley: I am here primarily today (unaudible). I had a situation that triggered a three-
prong situation. I have a larger issue with the storm drainage. I spoke with one of the departments
yesterday about (inaudible) pipe burst and went down to look at it. And I discovered that it was
caused by a root from a tree that was about ten inches, growing ten inches from the meter itself.
The meter was causing it to raise up in the air about five to six inches and eventually it broke the
water pipe, PVC water pipe which is plastic. She called it in, they came out, they sent a technician
out. He said they couldn’t do anything until we fixed our pipe. I take issue with that. We should
not have to fix it because it was caused by the meter. The meter itself has moved. The meter
moved because of the neglect of the City. They have not (inaudible). All that is in the same area,
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small drainage, it extends probably the length of our entire property. Our property extends about
an eighth of a mile along Deans Bridge Road leading to the landfill. We have trees and underbrush
growing in the drainage system itself. Some trees in the (inaudible) are eight to ten inches.
(inaudible). The drain itself is filled with dirt, grass, underbrush and as I first stated trees. She
called it in but she didn’t understand what was going on so I went up to repair it. I dug it up and I
discovered the roots underneath the meter and stuff. They came out, sent a technician out, the first
guy said you couldn’t do anything until we fixed the pipe which is crazy. You can’t fix the pipe
with the meter on a 30 degree angle. You can screw a pipe, anyway, I spoke to the supervisor and
he said the same thing. I don’t feel like I should have to fix it. I’ve fixed them before when they
burst or caused by freezing or whatever, no problem. This is caused from neglect and it’s on the
City’s side or counter side or whichever. (inaudible). We can talk back and forth (inaudible). If
that highway, that part of (inaudible) Road is maintained by the State, I pay my taxes and I pay my
storm drain (inaudible) to Richmond County. Richmond County should either take care of it or at
least on our behalf go to the State and have someone come out and do something for us. As I said
our property extends about an eighth to a quarter of a mile on Deans Bridge Road. The other issue
is the constant trash and debris that blows not from citizens’ vehicles but from the City of Augusta
vehicles. Trash and if they clean it up one day and before 6:00 that evening it’s filled up again.
All this stuff blows right into the storm drainage and stays right in front of our property for weeks
at the time. If I may suggest whenever my sister calls and complains about the trash, they’ll come
out and clean it up and it’s right back. They’ll clean it up and not addressing the cause. To me it’s
(inaudible). (inaudible) the City trucks when they come out they dump. All they need to do is
close the trucks back up and the trash won’t blow out of the truck when they leave the dump.
(inaudible) they come out to clean up and it doesn’t look good because it comes right back out. I
think that’s about it except for one other issue. The supervisor that came out and looked at our
situation about the water pipe, I think his name was Mr. Harvey, he came out and was very flippant
with my sister. I spoke to him and said I didn’t think we should fix it and his reply was well, it’s
you all (inaudible) the water. I don’t think that was an appropriate statement for him to make so
as to say if you don’t fix it, you’re not going to get any water. But anyway those are my three
issues and I appreciate some help from the Commission.
Mr. Mayor Pro Tem: Thank you, sir. Any colleagues want to speak to this? Commissioner
Garrett.
Mr. Garrett: Thank you, Mayor Pro Tem. Mr. Utley, it is good to see you again.
Mr. Utley: Nice to see you too.
Mr. Garrett: I do agree with your sentiment about the trash that is blowing out there. You
know that’s something where I hope that our Sheriff is listening and our GDOT enforcement out
there. If they would just sit up there on Deans Bridge Road between Bobby Jones and the Landfill
and just check for trucks for tarps I think that a few tickets would go a long way in helping to
mitigate this. I’ve seen it happen not just from garbage trucks but it’s usually the private
individuals going out to the landfill that don’t have their loads properly secured that the trash is
blowing out of. So ---
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Mr. Utley: I disagree, I disagree. If you notice 99% of the trash is on the north side,
northbound side. Southside is coming from Augusta there’s probably no trash. All of the trash is
coming from the city trucks ---
Mr. Garrett: --- oh wow.
Mr. Utley: so they need to cover up when they leave the dump. That’s what I talking
(inaudible).
Mr. Garrett: I’m hoping our trash haulers are listening to this as well and we’ll help direct
their drivers into making sure their loads are covered on their way out. But as far as the storm
drainage issue we’re going to get you some help on that as well because that is definitely something
that needs addressing.
Mr. Mayor Pro Tem: So, Jarvis, do we have anybody in the building down there that they
can follow up with him, get his all contacts to make sure that you know he’s getting some of those
answers. Is there anybody down there that can get him before he leaves?
Mr. Sims: We can follow up with Mr. Utley, sir.
Mr. Mayor Pro Tem: Yeah, make sure he’s getting some of those answers and whatnot.
Commissioner Marion Williams.
Mr. M. Williams: Yeah, thank you, Mayor Pro Tem. My first question would be if the
water meter and Mr. Utley’s first problem is the water meter is on the city’s right-of-way from
what I understand and what I understand it’s on the city’s property is it up to the city to repair that.
If it’s behind the water meter, line breaks behind the water meter on our property then it’s your
responsibility to take care of that. But from what Mr. Utley just explained it is on the city right-
of-way. I’m wondering why somebody from the water department hadn’t addressed that being on
the city right-of-way. Is anybody here who can address that why it wasn’t addressed?
Mr. Mayor Pro Tem: Let me see if there’s anybody in the waiting room that falls under
this. I don’t see anybody.
Mr. Utley: Mayor, can I add something, can I add something?
Mr. Mayor Pro Tem: Yes, sir.
Mr. Utley: I forgot to say I did get a call this morning from Dr. Malik and he said that he
would send somebody out there about the meter issue. I had placed a call into him several days
ago. I know he’s real busy and he just got back to me actually this morning while I was on my
way. But I do want to say that he did, Dr. Malik did but nobody else did. I do want to say that he
did ---
Mr. Mayor Pro Tem: Okay ---
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Mr. Utley: --- say that he was going to you know send somebody out in the next couple of
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days but she’s been without water since September 1. And, Commissioner Williams, the actual
break is on my side of the (unintelligible) but on the private right-of-way, okay, and it’s caused by
the meter and the tree and the roots that’s on the county side (inaudible) raises up that causes the
break. It wasn’t anything, you know, --
Mr. M. Williams: And that’s my issue. If it’s on the city side or the county side however
you want to phrase it I don’t think, we should address that with a simple water fix whether it be
lowering the meter down or getting the root out of the way or whatever it should’ve been. We’ve
got people who are paying taxes, people who live like Mr. Utley on the main road that’s dealing
with this situation. We ought to be more people friendly. Now I’m for whatever’s right. If it’s
on the city side, county side then we ought to be responsible and that’s where the state even in the
inner city. So I’m surprised that we took this long to get to, Mr. Utley, I apologize for taking this
long. I know it is, it’s critical to be without water not just taking a bath but for cooking and
everything else. So I’m hoping we can get this problem resolved for you between today and
tomorrow, get somebody to fix a plastic or PVC pipe to go back in there. It’s not like you’re
talking about a 55-gallon pipe to go in something; we’re talking about a PVC pipe. So, Mayor Pro
Tem, I don’t think anybody in the room in fact that’s it’s doable, I think the Administrator ought
to direct somebody to go out there and try to assist Mr. Utley and his family with the water
situation.
Mr. Mayor Pro Tem: Are you good with that, Administrator Sims?
Mr. Sims: I am.
Mr. Mayor Pro Tem: Okay, all right well, Mr. Utley, we appreciate ---
Mr. Garrett: Mr. Mayor Pro Tem ---
Mr. Mayor Pro Tem: --- yes, sir.
Mr. Garrett: --- Mayor Pro Tem, I just got notification from one of our trash haulers that
they’re actually headed down to the Municipal Building to speak with Mr. Utley to see how they
can help solve the trash problems blowing out. They said they’d be there in about 20 minutes.
Mr. Mayor Pro Tem: Okay, thank you, Mr. Utley, for coming out.
Mr. Utley: (Unintelligible).
Mr. Mayor Pro Tem: Ms. Bonner, next delegation item.
The Clerk:
DELEGATIONS
C. Mr. Aaron Williams regarding issues with sentencing in court system.
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Mr. Mayor Pro Tem: All right, Mr. Williams, if you could state your name and address for
the record please.
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Mr. Williams: My name is Aaron Williams. I live at 1240 12 Street, Augusta Georgia
30901.
Mr. Mayor Pro Tem: Thank you, welcome, sir. You do have five minutes.
Mr. Williams: Okay, well, my first issue that I want to address to the Commission I was
wrongfully convicted and it’s been a problem with my conviction. My first pre-negotiation was
for 7-years’ probation and it was said that I reneged that probation. But today I’m here to share
the facts that I never did renege my original probation. My 7-year probation, I was sentenced to 2
years’ probation in March of ’98, I was sentenced to that and prior to after that another incident
happened to me in the 60’s and I was sentenced to 5-years’ probation for that matter. And the
reason why I was sentenced to 5-years’ probation for the second matter I went to a revocation
hearing and at the revocation hearing (unintelligible) friend stated that I was tried to kill Ms. Dixon
and during that testimony her daughter Antoinette (unintelligible) got up and said no, your honor,
that’s not how it happened. I did not hear him try to kill my Mama but I was (unintelligible). And
so at that time I asked Ms. Dixon if she (inaudible). Ms. Dixon said her throat was hurting and
she didn’t (inaudible). And so they asked me about the incident. I said well, I would pay for my
damage that I did and so after that you know I went back and on August 3 Mr. Luther Mike
McDaniel you know he (inaudible) Richmond County facility and we negotiated a plea, a five-
year probation followed by a two-year probation (inaudible). Okay, so I went to be sentenced for
my five years’ probation but when we appeared at my sentence hearing Mr. Mike Daniel did not
show up so they rescheduled for another date. And so the second appearance of my sentence date
Mr. Mike Daniel did not (inaudible) and according to my (inaudible) and my knowledge one of
my relatives approached the DA and they asked why Mr. Mike Daniel did not show up and Mr.
Mike Daniel (inaudible) the plea was one of the reasons why he did not show up. And that is very
untrue. That was (inaudible). The facts is my record still stands for my original seven years’
probation. I never did sign any papers reneging that. Now what happened Mr. Mike Daniel came
back in September and I asked Mr. Mike Daniel, I said Mr. Mike Daniel what happened. He said
oh, I forgot and I said well, just get my original plea back. And he said well, I’ll have to talk to
the DA about that and so the (inaudible) Mr. Mike Daniel came back and he told me, he said the
DA is not going to go back on that plea. They want to do your plea for five-years in prison. I said
Mr. Mike Daniel, I will not sign for that because that was not my fault. That’s your fault and Mr.
Mike Daniel asked me, he said if you make a mistake and your boss gets on your butt who’s butt
are you going to save? I said mine. He said that’s what he did. So at the time I really didn’t
understand what he was saying and he tried to get me to like sign a paper for that five year
probation and that’s five year imprisonment. That’s the plea I refused. Not my original.
(inaudible) and by he covering that up, that (inaudible) serve 16 years in prison (inaudible) so I
was sentenced to 45 years in prison with all my time running consecutively with no mercy, no
mercy on me and so that’s why when Judge Mulherin sentenced me I screamed because I knew
my life was in jeopardy for something I didn’t do, something I didn’t pay for and so I went to
prison and I was out (inaudible) and I think it was in 1994 or 95 my Attorney, my counsel, Mr.
John (unintelligible) said, Mr. Williams, you know you’re fixing to go home --
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Mr. Mayor Pro Tem: Mr. Williams, your time has expired, the five minutes, Attorney
Brown, are you there?
Mr. Brown: Yes, sir.
Mr. Mayor Pro Tem: Can you kind of guide him? I mean this kind of falls outside of the
Commission’s realm, can you kind of give him some guidance on where maybe he can go for help
and I appreciate his story and his passion today.
Mr. Brown: Yes, if he will contact the Clerk she will provide contact with me.
Mr. Mayor Pro Tem: Okay, so, Mr. Williams, please we’ll get your contact information
before you leave the building, sir.
Mr. Williams: Thank you, sir.
Mr. Mayor Pro Tem: All right, thank you for coming today.
The Clerk:
DELEGATIONS
D. Mr. Devron Mitchell requesting an update on behalf of concern citizens from Olive &
Glendale Roads that was presented to Commissioner Dennis Williams.
Mr. Mitchell: Good afternoon ---
Mr. Mayor Pro Tem: Mr. Mitchell, if you could state your name and address for the record
please.
Mr. Mitchell: Yes, I’m Devron Mitchell, 1650 Olive Road, Augusta, Georgia 30904.
Mr. Mayor Pro Tem: All right, thank you. You do have five minutes, sir.
Mr. Michell: Thank you. I appreciate the time you all, good to see you again, Mr. Williams,
Mr. Dennis Williams. I’m actually here, I’m not from here. I’m from Minneapolis, MN I just
moved here about a year ago purchased the property there on 1650 Olive Road and you know since
I’ve been there I’ve actually been there I’ve actually been a witness to about three shootings, one
with some young people you know who had to be about 15/16-years old in the back of my property
started shooting at each other and started running in opposite directions, one standing in front of
my property, seeing a car chase another car shooting at it and then recently as you all know over
at the gas station there across the street there was a young man killed. What we’re building there
is a youth center and we’re trying to bring positivity to the neighborhood. One of my goals is to
partner with people around the CSRA and make a real positive impact on that neighborhood as
well as other neighborhoods so we’re trying to reach all the districts to make a positive impact.
One of the things that I’ve noticed is that there are two different types of people that are doing
these crimes. These are people that you know are or actually some of these people are just kind of
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standing out there and being bystanders but there’s some people that are out there trying to provide
a living for their families and then there are some people they just want to look the part. What we
want to do is we want to reach those people that want to provide a living for their families and
partner with those in the CSRA to provide some jobs, to provide a GED resource. A lot of these
guys don’t have GED’s, some of the girls don’t have GED’s. We want to provide the resources.
And so I came today to let you know that we’re trying to provide solutions to the neighborhood,
we’re starting a youth center there called Dream Center for Youth. I’ve partnered with these
people already staying focused is one of them and their (unintelligible) is to reach families that
have juveniles in juvenile detention. I’ve also partnered with (unintelligible). They’re willing to
teach the welding for youth and offer them apprenticeships and so I’m also working on some other
partnerships in that neighborhood as well. But Dream Center is a place that where young people
can actually dream without limits so we want to pull young people in between the ages of 9 to 19
specifically moving toward staying focused (inaudible). We’re doing different things in the
community and we just wanted to come today to see if the Commission would be willing to provide
us a letter of support to show that you guys are behind us during this (inaudible) neighborhood.
And also giving us any sort of you know direction that may be helpful for us to actually be
successful here in Augusta.
Mr. Mayor Pro Tem: Okay colleagues, Commissioner Fennoy.
Mr. Fennoy: Yes, Mr. Mitchell, thank you for your concerns about our young folks. The
reason the Mayor is not here today is that they had a ribbon cutting for the expansion of Cyber
down on Reynolds Street. A student can graduate from high school, go to Augusta Tech, get an
Associate Degree in Cyber Security and have a job waiting on them making $60/70/80,000 a year.
Also we have some apprenticeship programs here in Augusta that I think Moses Todd has more
information about these apprenticeship programs. But these kids should make $13.00/$14.00
dollars an hour while they are in the apprenticeship program and once they complete the program
they’ll be guaranteed a minimum of $23.00 dollars an hour and I think it’s important that our
children know about these programs. But I also think it’s important that a felony conviction or a
drug arrest will prevent our kids of taking advantage of these opportunities. I think a lot of
opportunities in Augusta. I again want to thank you for being concerned about our youth and want
to lead them in the right direction but I would encourage you to look in the about the opportunities
that’s available in Cyber and encourage you to check with the local unions here to find out about
the apprenticeship programs that are here in Augusta, Georgia.
Mr. Mitchell: Yes, sir, thank you so much.
Mr. Mayor Pro Tem: And, Mr. Mitchell, just so I’m correct you’re asking for a letter of
support from us today, is that correct?
Mr. Mitchell: Yes, sir.
Mr. Mayor Pro Tem: Yeah, absolutely, I think we all agree with what you’re doing and
we appreciate what you’re doing. Commissioner Marion Williams.
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Mr. M. Williams: I was just going to comment on the letter of support he’s asking for I
think we ought to at least get that to him to let him know that we are in favor of changing the minds
of the youth and even in the seniors. So I think a letter of support is something we ought to be
able to do, Mr. Mayor Pro Tem.
Mr. Mayor Pro Tem: Sure, thank you. Commissioner Clarke.
Mr. Clarke: Thank you, sir. You know if my memory serves me correctly and we have
such a thing in the Fire Department right now needing people, didn’t the Fire Department institute
a program that while you were a senior in high school you could apply to the department and
become employed directly out of high school at 18?
Mr. Mitchell: Yeah, actually you know I had a firefighter come to my home recently and
assisted with my son, he was having a seizure and he actually told me about that program during
that visit. He found out what I did so he told me about that program and I told him I would love
to partner with him and actually direct some of those young people into that program, so yes,
absolutely.
Mr. Clarke: Okay, excellent, thank you.
Mr. Mayor Pro Tem: Commissioner Sias.
Mr. Sias: Thank you, Mayor Pro Tem. Mr. Mitchell, I commend you on what you’re doing.
I just want to ask you one or two administrative questions. Have you filed your program as a
nonprofit for here in the State of Georgia?
Mr. Mitchell: Staying Focused of Georgia is a nonprofit and that’s what we’re using for
displays and that’s one of my business partners.
Mr. Sias: Okay, so ya’ll are up under that umbrella, correct?
Mr. Mitchell: Yes, sir.
Mr. Sias: I just want to make sure because just make sure you’ve got a great idea and
you’ve got a great thought there but just to make sure you don’t leave yourself out there liable in
any way shape, form or fashion. And if this Commission gives you a letter of support it has to be
for an organized and registered entity okay ---
Mr. Mitchell: Yes, sir.
Mr. Sias: --- just to make sure we’re straight on those points as well. And I wish you the
best and I’ll drop by your place a couple of times here in the future and look at it and have a
conversation with you.
Mr. Mayor Pro Tem: All right, thank you, Mr. Mitchell. We’ll get you that letter of support
for sure, sir.
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Mr. Mitchell: Okay, thank you so much. I appreciate you all’s time.
Mr. Mayor Pro Tem: Absolutely.
The Clerk: So it’s your consensus Mr. Mayor, Mr. Mayor Pro Tem, for the letter of support.
Mr. Mayor Pro Tem: Everybody good?
Mr. Sias: As long as we have all the details, the name and make sure they register he needs
to give that information to the Clerk.
The Clerk: Okay, all right. We will seek that information before dispensing the letter.
Mr. Mitchell: Thank you.
Mr. Mayor Pro Tem: All right, Ms. Bonner, if we can do the Consent Agenda.
The Clerk: Yes, sir, the Consent Agenda consists of Item Number One.
Mr. Mayor Pro Tem: All right, colleagues, what do we want to add?
Mr. B. Williams: Mr. Pro Tem ---
Mr. Mayor Pro Tem: Commissioner Bobby Williams, go ahead.
Mr. B. Williams: --- I want to put 4 on the Consent Agenda Number 4.
Mr. Mayor Pro Tem: Okay, without objection?
Mr. Clarke: Of course you do.
Mr. Mayor Pro Tem: Commissioner Dennis Williams.
Mr. D. Williams: If my colleagues would agree I’d like to add Item #20, Item 21 and 25.
Mr. M. Williams: I’ve got a problem with 25 and have a problem with 4.
Mr. Mayor Pro Tem: All right, anything else, Commissioner Dennis Williams?
Mr. D. Williams: No that’s all, thank you.
Mr. Mayor Pro Tem: Commissioner Bill Fennoy.
Mr. Fennoy: Yes, I’d like to add Item #26, #27 and 28.
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Ms. Davis: Mayor Pro Tem ---
Mr. Mayor Pro Tem: Hold on 26, 27, 28 that’s without objection, Ms. Bonner.
The Clerk: Yes, sir.
Mr. Mayor Pro Tem: All right, Commissioner Mary Davis.
Ms. Davis: --- well, I was just going to mention 26 and 27 Ms. Bailey just wants to give a
quick one sentence thing about that because it’s a pretty big deal she got these grants and I agree
to consent, totally but if you don’t mind giving her maybe a Personal Point of Privilege after we’re
done with this.
Mr. Mayor Pro Tem: Okay ---
Ms. Davis: Just to spread some good news.
Mr. Mayor Pro Tem: --- there we go. If you can get her in the queue I’d appreciate it, Jeff.
Ms. Davis: Mayor Pro Tem, I do have a couple of requests.
Mr. Mayor Pro Tem: Go ahead.
Ms. Davis: Could we consent Item 1, Item 19, Item 22, I’m sorry I said 1 I meant 2, sorry
about that, first item on that.
Mr. Hasan: Mr. Mayor Pro Tem, I think 22 was added but I’d just like to make a comment
about that moving forward.
Mr. Mayor: Okay, hold on just a second let me see, is there any objections to
Commissioner Mary Davis’ request?
Mr. M. Williams: I need some information. I’m not against Item 2 but I do need to ---
Mr. Mayor Pro Tem: All right, pull it off. We’ll put it off, we’ll pull it off. All right and
then Commissioner Hasan, what was your comment on 22?
Mr. Hasan: Well, just on 22 and I think this goes back to last time we gave something to
Paine as well where we can do a request from the city around laptops and things of that nature. I
think rightfully so some of them are starting sometime with our IT Department I wouldn’t say
rightfully so but starting there then the Mayor’s office but nobody ever refers them to the
Administrator. And so I think when they make those conversations I think the Administrator ought
to be informed of these processes because here it looks like the person reached out to IT and IT
recommended the Mayor and then the result of that is on here but I think the Administrator needs
to be in those processes around this information because I think the same thing happened with
Paine as well.
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Mr. Mayor Pro Tem: Ms. Bonner, can you send out kind of like a statement about that a
reminder that we need to make sure that all parties get involved in that process?
The Clerk: Yes, sir.
Mr. Mayor Pro Tem: Thank you. Okay, so next up we have Commissioner Clarke.
Mr. Clarke: Okay, I’d like to add Items 23, 24 and 25 ---
Mr. Mayor Pro Tem: 25 is already off the table. 25 has already had an objection.
Mr. Clarke: --- okay and delete Item 8. It is already being taken care of.
Mr. Mayor Pro Tem: Okay, is there any objections to 23, 34 and 8 being deleted?
Commissioner Fennoy.
Mr. Sias: Not deleted now (unintelligible).
Mr. Mayor Pro Tem: I said Number 8 being deleted, Number 8 being deleted,
Commissioner Fennoy.
Mr. Fennoy: I would like to consent Item Number 38, Number 39 and Number 40.
The Clerk: Number 38, okay, 39 and 40?
Mr. Fennoy: Yes.
Mr. Mayor Pro Tem: Without objection?
Mr. M. Williams: Well, ya’ll are hustling mighty fast now. When you finish one you call
the next and I’m just trying to catch up with the people already gone by.
Mr. Mayor Pro Tem: Commissioner Marion Williams, are you against 38, 39 or 40?
Mr. M. Williams: I’m trying to look at them, Mayor Pro Tem. Ya’ll need to give me some
time here, we just hold them off.
Ms. Davis: Take your time.
Mr. M. Williams: I’m trying to keep up, Mary, they’re trying to rush me now. I’m the old
dog, I ain’t the young.
Mr. Hasan: (Unintelligible).
Mr. Mayor: All right ---
13
Mr. M. Williams: I go back to Number 8 and I’ve got some issues with Number 8 I want
to discuss ---
Mr. Mayor Pro Tem: --- it’s being deleted.
The Clerk: It’s being deleted, it’s been deleted.
Mr. M. Williams: --- so we’re not going to have that discussion then.
The Clerk: Well, if you object to it being deleted.
Mr. M. Williams: Well, it’s on the agenda now. I mean we just can’t delete it. Like I said
I’ve got some questions with Number 8.
Mr. Mayor Pro Tem: All right, we’re not going to delete it.
The Clerk: That’ll be off the table.
Mr. Mayor Pro Tem: Okay ---
Mr. M. Williams: That last group that was called Mayor Pro Tem ---
Mr. Mayor Pro Tem: --- 38, 39 and 40.
Mr. M. Williams: 38, 39 and 40. All right, I ain’t got no problem with them.
Mr. Mayor Pro Tem: Okay, Commissioner Garrett.
Mr. Garrett: Thank you. I’d like to add 31, 33, 34, 35 and 43.
Mr. Mayor Pro Tem: 31, 33, 34, 35 and what?
Mr. Garrett: 43.
Mr. Mayor Pro Tem: 43, 31, 33, 34, 35 and 43. Is there any objections to any of those?
Mr. M. Williams: 31, 33, what is 33, Mr. Mayor Pro Tem. I don’t have an objection but
you’re talking about approving the CSX ---
Mr. Garrett: It’s a temporary right of entry agreement with the railroad.
Mr. M. Williams: --- entry agreement where, where’s that entry at?
Mr. Garrett: It’s in your book on Item 33.
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Mr. Mayor Pro Tem: Let’s just pull it off, let’s just keep moving and pull it off. We’ll pull
it off and have a discussion.
Mr. Hasan: (Unintelligible) through there ---
Mr. Garrett: Yeah.
Mr. Hasan: --- got to do some work back there and so that’s why they need to get back
there.
Mr. Garrett: It’s just giving them access.
Mr. M. Williams: Okay, you can pull that. I’ve got no problem with that.
Mr. Mayor Pro Tem: All right, we’re good that one, 33 is on consent and then
Commissioner Sias.
Mr. Sias: Thank you. I’d like my colleagues to consider for consent the following items
and I’ll start with Number 9 and give everybody time to get there. All right, I want to request Item
9, Item 10, Item 12, Item 13.
Mr. Garrett: I’ve got a problem with 12.
Mr. Mayor Pro Tem: Is that everything, Commissioner Sias? 9, 10 and 13, 9, 10 and 13.
Mr. Sias: Now I’m going to flip the page now, got a couple more in the backside.
Mr. Mayor Pro Tem: Okay.
Mr. Sias: 15, 16, that’s it then.
Mr. Mayor Pro Tem: 15 and 16. Any objection to 15 or 16? All right, is there anyone else
has anything they’d like to add to the Consent Agenda?
Mr. Fennoy: I’d like to add Item Number 18.
Mr. Mayor Pro Tem: Objection to that one, yeah, objection.
Mr. Fennoy: That was Ms. Bonner.
Mr. Garrett: I’ll claim the objection.
Mr. Mayor Pro Tem: All right ---
Ms. Davis: Ms. Bonner thought it was funny.
15
The Clerk: No, no I thought that was funny because it took Commissioner Fennoy a while
to get there, that’s funny.
Mr. Mayor Pro Tem: Ms. Bonner, if you could, if you could read back all the agenda
consent items and deleted items for us so we’re all on the same page?
The Clerk: Yes, sir and I’m just asking I didn’t know if they wanted to consider Item 3 on
the Addendum Agenda on the airport but if not ---
Mr. Sias: I will ask for that one.
Mr. Mayor Pro Tem: Ya’ll good with that one? Anybody object to Number 3 ---
The Clerk: The airport.
Mr. Sias: Working on the runway.
Mr. Mayor Pro Tem: No objection.
The Clerk: Okay, all right, our Consent Agenda will consist of Item 1, Items 9, 10, 13, 15,
16, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 26, 27, 28, 33, 34, 35, 38, 39, 40, 43 and Item Number 3 on the
Addendum Agenda.
The Mayor Pro Tem: The only other one is Number 4.
The Clerk: Mr. Marion Williams objected to that one.
Mr. Mayor Pro Tem: Okay, I’m sorry okay, okay.
Mr. B. Williams: That was the company that bid on it (inaudible).
Ms. Davis: Motion to approve, Mayor Pro Tem.
Mr. Mayor Pro Tem: Got a motion ---
Mr. Sias: Second.
Mr. Mayor Pro Tem: --- got a motion and a second from Commissioner Sias. Ms. Bonner,
if we could please vote.
CONSENT AGENDA
PETITIONS AND COMMUNICATIONS
1. Motion to approve the minutes of the Regular and Special Called Meetings held on
September 11, 15, 2020.
ADMINISTRATIVE SERVICES
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9. Motion to approve the purchase of one Platform Dump Truck Body Truck from Rush
Truck Center of Augusta, GA for $88,995.00 for the Utilities Department-Ft. Gordon
Division.
10. Motion to approve the proposed draft of the dedication plaque for the Augusta 911
Center Addition and Renovation project.
13. Motion to approve execution of the Agreement with the Georgia Department of
Community Affairs (DCA), Eccovia Solutions and Augusta, Georgia for Coordinated Entry
upgrades to Augusta’s Homeless Management Information Systems (HMS) to meet
Coordinated Entry requirements set forth by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban
Development (HUD).
15. Motion to approve Housing and Community Development Department’s (HCD’s)
request to provide HOME funding to assist two (2) low to moderate income homebuyers with
gap financing, down payment and closing cost to purchase homes through the Homebuyer
Subsidy Program.
16. Motion to approve Housing and Community Development Department’s (HCD’s)
request to provide funding for (12) business owners of the Seeds of Life Program, assisting
them with sustainability and growth within their business. Seeds of Life funding assistance
will have a positive effect by impacting the economic health of our local residents through
their ability to hire and/or retain employees, particularly those who are low and moderate
income.
19. Motion to approve allowing the Personnel Board to resume meeting virtually.
PUBLIC SAFETY
20. Motion to accept contract with Community Intervention Resources to provide alcohol
and/or drug abuse counseling for participants in DUI and Veterans Court who are receiving
federal SAMHSA grant funds.
21. Motion to approve a request from the Richmond County Sheriff’s Office is to purchase
twenty (20) sets of tactical ballistic body armor for the RCSO tactical team.
22. Consider request for donation of city’s obsolete laptops from Jud C. Hickey Center.
(Requested by Mayor Hardie Davis, Jr.)
23. Motion to approve agreement with Pictometry International to provide new 2020-2021
oblique imagery and related software and product support.
24. Motion to authorize the Mayor to sign the Community Rating System (CRS)
recertification paperwork for 2020 and authorize the Mayor to sign this recertification
annually upon staff assurances that the project is being maintained until the 2023 re-
evaluation.
FINANCE
26. Motion to approve for the acceptance of a grant from the Center for Tech and Civic Life.
27. Motion to approve for the acceptance of a grant from the GA Secretary of State’s Office.
28. Motion to accept as information an emergency purchase of 250,000 disposable stylus for
voter’s use during the November, December and January elections.
ENGINEERING SERVICES
33. Motion to approve CSX917879 Temporary Right of Entry Agreement.
17
34. Motion to approve proposal from Johnson, Laschober and Associates, PC (JLA) to
provide services for Utilities Department’s Non-Potable Irrigation System on Fort Gordon.
35. Motion to approve award of Bid Item #20-226 to Blair Construction, Inc. to construct the
Fort Gordon Maglin Terrace & Boardman Lake Water and Sanitary Sewer Improvements
under the Task Order Program RFQ#18-263 in the amount of $774,187.00.
38. Motion to determine that the Alley between 1497 and 1499 Ellis Street as shown on the
attached map has ceased to be used by the public to the extent that no substantial public
purpose is served by it or that its removal from the county road system is otherwise in the
best public interest, pursuant to O.C.G.A §32-7-2, with the abandoned property to be quit-
claimed to the appropriate party(ies), as provided by law and an easement to be retained
over the entire abandoned portion for existing or future utilities as directed by Augusta
Engineering Department and Augusta Utilities Department.
40. Motion to approve the revised funding on the award of Construction Contract to J&B
Construction in the amount of $1,819,119.00 for Old Waynesboro Road Sidewalk and
Landscaping & Drainage Improvements. This Award was approved on July 21, 2020, item
#73 for the AED. Bid 19-284.
43. Motion to approve a request to perform upgrade of the Utility Billing Software that also
includes billing for stormwater.
ADDENDUM
44. Motion to approve the McCarthy Contract for Air Carrier and General Aviation Apron
Rehabilitation Project Phase III for $4,467,810.20 for Augusta Regional Airport. Bid Item
20-213.
The Clerk: Mr. Clarke.
Mr. Clarke: Yes.
The Clerk: Ms. Davis.
Ms. Davis: Yes, ma’am.
The Clerk: Mr. Fennoy.
Mr. Fennoy: Yes.
The Clerk: Mr. Frantom.
Mr. Frantom: Yes, ma’am.
The Clerk: Mr. Garrett.
Mr. Garrett: Yes.
The Clerk: Mr. Hasan.
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Mr. Hasan: Yes, ma’am.
The Clerk: Mr. Sias.
Mr. Sias: Yes, ma’am.
The Clerk: Mr. Bobby Williams.
Mr. B. Williams: Yes, ma’am.
The Clerk: Mr. Dennis Williams, Mr. Marion Williams.
Mr. D. Williams: Yes.
Mr. M. Williams: Yes.
Motion Passes 10-0. \[Items 1, 2, 9, 10, 13, 15, 16, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 26, 27, 28, 33, 34, 35,
38, 40, 43, 44\]
Mr. Mayor Pro Tem: All right, Ms. Bonner, if we could call on Ms. Lynn Bailey on to
discuss it looks like 26 and 27 and how all that went. I think she’s with us, hello, Ms. Bailey.
Ms. Bailey: Hey, Mr. Mayor Pro Tem, how’s everyone doing?
Mr. Mayor Pro Tem: Good thanks.
Ms. Bailey: Okay, so Commissioner Davis is exactly right. We have some really
exceptionally good news and it’s not often that we the Board of Elections comes to you telling you
that we are giving money but we are. About a month or so ago we applied for a grant the funding
for the grant was provided by a CEO of Facebook Mark Zuckerberg and his wife. They donated
$250 million-dollars for counties to use to for whatever they needed basically to provide for safe
th
and secure elections for November. So the dateline on that is expenditures between June the 15
st
and December the 31. So they made the donation to a very respectable nonprofit who then made
that opportunity available to counties so we applied for the grant here in Richmond County and
were notified on Friday that we received full funding in the amount of in excess of $386,000
dollars. So we are thrilled at that opportunity and I think what it’s going to allow us to do is to
meet with the Finance Department over the next week or so and the monies then some part of the
monies that were approved for the Board of Elections to CARES Act can now be repurposed for
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other needs that I’m sure the city has. So this new grant will cover only from June the 15 through
st
December 31 so we’ll be able to pull those expenditures out of the CARES Act funding so that’s
great news. Along those same lines if I may I’ll just continue to the next grant. So the next grant
is in the amount of $15,000 dollars and this grant was made available by the Georgia Secretary of
State’s Office I think that’s through Help America Vote Act Funding but we were able to, it was a
bit of a matching grant but still we were reimbursed $15,000 dollars for things that we were going
to need anyway like security cages for the new equipment and magnifying device, stations to help
divide traffic up inside the polling places, extension cords things that we needed to buy so that
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funding has now come in as well. So we’re just very pleased to inform you all of those two grant
opportunities and we certainly are busy here in the Elections Office I can say that.
Mr. Mayor Pro Tem: And, Ms. Bailey, just want to on behalf of the Commission and the
community thank you for what ya’ll have done. I know 2020’s been the most trying year of your
career I’m sure and you’re still not done another 30 days or so but just thank you for all you’ve
done. And this is a testament to your organization here to get these grants and appreciate all that
you’re doing, good luck the next 30 days.
Ms. Bailey: Thank you for those kind words and yeah, good luck to you all as well.
Mr. D. Williams: Thank you.
Mr. Mayor Pro Tem: Thank you. All right, Ms. Bonner ---
The Clerk: Yes, sir ---
Mr. Mayor Pro Tem: we’ll go top down.
The Clerk: --- yes, sir, we’ll start at Item Number 2.
Mr. Garrett: I’m pretty sure we’re supposed to skip all around.
The Clerk:
PUBLIC SERVICES
2. Motion to approve the Rehabilitate Runway 8-26 Contract with Reeves Construction
Company for $2,283,980.30. Funded through a 2021 GDOT Grant and Potentially Cares
Funds. Bid Item 20-215.
Mr. Mayor Pro Tem: Commissioner Marion Williams.
Mr. M. Williams: Thank you, Mayor Pro Tem. Reeves Construction has done a lot of work
for this government. I’m wondering why with an exorbitant amount of money no one else bid on
this contract. I mean I’m not saying it was done wrong. I’m just saying that that’s a big contract
for nobody else to even consider. Is there any explanation as to why nobody else bid on it because
it’s too bid for them, not big enough for them and I guess it went through Procurement like
everything else does.
Mr. Mayor Pro Tem: Is Ms. Sams in the, is it Ms. Sams or do we need Dr. Malik like who
do we call?
The Clerk: Mr. Judon.
Mr. Mayor Pro Tem: Judon, I’m sorry let’s see if I can get Judon in here. Mr. Judon ---
20
Mr. M. Williams: I guess it went through Procurement like everything else does.
Mr. Mayor Pro Tem: --- hi, Mr. Judon.
Mr. Judon: Good afternoon.
Mr. Mayor Pro Tem: Welcome, welcome, did you hear Commissioner Marion Williams’
question, sir?
Mr. Judon: I did, yes, sir. This was actually an ITB and there were multiple bidders I
believe there were four bidders for it, sir. And Reeves just happened to be the lowest responsive
bidder on this but there were multiple bidders.
Mr. M. Williams: Okay, Mr. Judon, that helps me lot. I was thinking that it was a single
bid the only bid but there was multiple bidders on this project and they were the lowest.
Mr. Judon: Yes, sir.
Mr. M. Williams: Okay, I’ve got no problem then Mr. Mayor Pro Tem, so moved.
Mr. Mayor Pro Tem: Okay.
Mr. D. Williams: Move for approval.
Mr. Hasan: I have a question, Mayor Pro Tem.
Mr. Mayor Pro Tem: Yes, sir, go ahead.
Mr. Hasan: Mr. Judon and I can’t remember the amount (unintelligible) did you receive
some CARES funds for the airport?
Mr. Judon: Yes, we did, sir, back in the March/April timeframe and it was, yes, we did.
Mr. Hasan: So bottom line when you say CARES Fund you’re talking about money that
was afforded to the airport when you talk about the CARES Fund.
Mr. Judon: Yeah, well as it relates to this particular action, sir, this project is being
primarily funded through the Georgia Department of Transportation through the Aviation with
what they call a 75/25 grant so we have to match 25% of it. And at the time when we initially
initiated this we were contemplating possibly using CARES Act Funds but we’re actually going
to end up using airport funds for the 25% match.
Mr. Hasan: Okay, I just wanted to make either I was just saying either way the CARES
Act that you had in hand, okay, thank you.
Mr. Mayor Pro Tem: All right, we’ve got a motion. Can I get a second?
21
Mr. Fennoy: Second.
Mr. Mayor Pro Tem: All right, I’ve got a motion and a second, Ms. Bonner.
The Clerk: Mr. Clarke.
Mr. Clarke: Yes.
The Clerk: Ms. Davis, is she muted sir?
Mr. Mayor Pro Tem: Here she comes.
Ms. Davis: Yes, ma’am.
The Clerk: Mr. Fennoy.
Mr. Fennoy: Yes.
The Clerk: Mr. Frantom.
Mr. Frantom: Yes, ma’am.
The Clerk: Mr. Garrett.
Mr. Garrett: Yes, ma’am.
The Clerk: Mr. Hasan.
Mr. Hasan: Yes, ma’am.
The Clerk: Mr. Sias.
Mr. Sias: Yes, ma’am.
The Clerk: Mr. Bobby Williams.
Mr. B. Williams: Yes, ma’am.
The Clerk: Mr. Dennis Williams, is he muted? Did I hear him an attempt to ---
Mr. D. Williams: Yes, ma’am.
The Clerk: --- okay. Mr. Marion Williams.
Mr. M. Williams: Yes.
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Motion Passes 10-0.
Mr. Mayor Pro Tem: Thank you, next agenda item.
The Clerk: Ms. Walton is in the Chamber, Mr. Mayor Pro Tem, with the applicant.
PUBLIC SERVICES
3. Motion to approve New Location: A.N. 20-36: request by Krista Wight for an on premise
consumption Liquor, Beer & Wine License to be used in connection with Tacocat/Pho-
Ramen’L located at 990 Broad Street. District 1. Super District 9.
Ms. Walton: Good afternoon. We have one alcohol item today A.N. 20-36. It’s a request
by Krista Wight for an on premise consumption Liquor, Beer & Wine License to be used in
connection with Tacocat/Pho-Ramen’L located at 990 Broad Street. This application has been
approved by Planning Development and the Sheriff’s Office there were no objectors to this
application.
Mr. Mayor Pro Tem: Can the applicant state his, is he in the Chambers?
Ms. Wight: (Inaudible) 2503 Summer Lane Drive, North Augusta (inaudible).
Mr. Mayor Pro Tem: All right.
Mr. D. Williams: Move for approval.
Mr. Mayor Pro Tem: Got a motion and a second, Commissioner Marion Williams.
Mr. M. Williams: I’ve got a question for Ms. Walton.
Mr. Mayor Pro Tem: Okay, Ms. Walton.
Ms. Walton: Yes, sir.
Mr. M. Williams: Ms. Walton, I think you said this has been through the Sheriff’s
Department, Planning and Zoning, it meets all the guidelines, is that right?
Ms. Walton: Yes, sir.
Mr. M. Williams: Okay, do we check not with this applicant but with other ones about the
licenses we give out as far as the parking concerns that it meets all the parking guidelines?
Ms. Walton: Well, this location is on Broad Street but yes we do, sir.
Mr. M. Williams: Okay and I’m not really questioning this one. My question was there
are several businesses that we issue licenses to that don’t have adequate parking and we’re not
23
following that up so I just thought I would ask that question. I’m not opposed to this one being on
Broad Street. There should be enough walking distance and everything so this is not in question
but I did want to mention that to you. I think we’ve got a motion to approve, is that right, Mr.
Mayor Pro Tem?
Mr. Mayor Pro Tem: Yes, we’ve got a motion and a second. Commissioner Bill Fennoy.
Mr. Fennoy: Yes, would she ask the applicant to spell their last name for me please?
Mr. Mayor Pro Tem: Can you come a little bit closer and spell your ---
Ms. Wight: Wight, W, I, G, H, T.
Mr. Fennoy: Okay.
The Clerk: Mr. Mayor Pro Tem, who seconded that, I have Mr. Dennis Williams.
Ms. Davis: I’ll second it.
The Clerk: Okay, thank you, Number 3.
Mr. Mayor Pro Tem: Got a motion and a second, voting please.
The Clerk: Mr. Clarke.
Mr. Clarke: Yes.
The Clerk: Ms. Davis.
Ms. Davis: Yes, ma’am.
The Clerk: Mr. Fennoy.
Mr. Fennoy: Yes.
The Clerk: Mr. Frantom.
Mr. Frantom: Yes, ma’am.
The Clerk: Mr. Garrett.
Mr. Garrett: Yes, ma’am.
The Clerk: Mr. Hasan.
Mr. Hasan: Yes, ma’am.
24
The Clerk: Mr. Sias.
Mr. Sias: Yes, ma’am.
The Clerk: Mr. Bobby Williams.
Mr. G. Williams: Yes, ma’am.
The Clerk: Mr. Dennis Williams.
Mr. D. Williams: Yes.
The Clerk: Mr. Marion Williams.
Mr. M. Williams: Yes.
Motion Passes 10-0.
Mr. Mayor Pro Tem: Thank you so much.
The Clerk: That would take us to Item #5.
Mr. Mayor Pro Tem: Ms. Bonner, Ms. Bonner ---
Mr. Garrett: That was deleted.
The Clerk: --- yes, sir.
Mr. Mayor Pro Tem: --- Ms. Bonner, Number 5 was deleted. I thought Number 4 was not
on consent.
The Clerk: Oh, I’m sorry, you’re right.
The Clerk:
PUBLIC SERVICES
4. Motion to approve Johnson, Laschober and Associates for Architectural/Engineering
Design Services for new Henry H. Brigham Community Center. RFP 20-223.
Mr. Mayor Pro Tem: Commissioner Marion Williams.
Mr. M. Williams: Yeah, yeah I guess my question would be and I’m not against the center
but when did we approve getting an architect to go ahead and start the work on this?
25
Mr. Mayor Pro Tem: We approved last year, I’m not sure, Jarvis, do you, Administrator
Sims, do you have the timeline?
Mr. Sims: I do know it was last year, I can’t think of the month. I have Director McDowell
available if you’d like to get more detail I can bring him in.
Mr. M. Williams: Well ---
Mr. Mayor Pro Tem: Do you want me to bring him in?
Mr. M. Williams: --- no, no, don’t do that. I’m just trying to remember on when we
approved the new facility coming up with our SPLOST monies now. We hadn’t approved the
SPLOST so we got the money already to do this already at the Henry Brigham? When
Commissioner Bobby Williams came on that’s when the conversation started talking about a new
facility. I’m trying to figure out how the list just started and how we get to where we need to get
at.
The Clerk: The funding is coming, Mr. Mayor Pro Tem, can I ---
Mr. Mayor Pro Tem: Yes, ma’am.
The Clerk: --- the agenda item indicates that the funding is coming from SPLOST 7 ---
Mr. Mayor Pro Tem: Correct.
Mr. M. Williams: Funding is coming from SPLOST 7.
The Clerk: --- not SPLOST 8.
Mr. Sims: That’s correct.
Mr. M. Williams: So the money’s in SPLOST 7 for the new construction or just, I mean
I’m trying to get a handle on it.
The Clerk: Yes, sir, that’s what it’s indicating.
Mr. Hasan: So can I help the Commissioner, Mayor Pro Tem.
Mr. Mayor Pro Tem: Mr. McDowell, go ahead.
th
Mr. McDowell: Commissioner Marion Williams last November the 8 the Commission
we purposed $11 million dollars that Parks and Recreation had and in that repurposing $6 million
dollars was allocated to the Henry Brigham Center so this is part of SPLOST 7 reallocation by this
body and this is one of those projects. This money here this agenda item here is actually the design
money to begin the design work that’s needed prior to us being able to go out for construction.
26
Mr. M. Williams: Repurposed that money.
Mr. McDowell: Yes, sir, basically the Commission last November repurposed $11 million
dollars Parks and Recreation had and one of those projects was $6 million dollars allocated for
Henry Brigham Community Center.
Mr. M. Williams: What’s the other projects that’s coming out of that money as well?
Mr. McDowell: I don’t have the list in front of me. I can get that to you ASAP. It’s a
matter of me emailing it to you and I can email it to Ms. Bonner so she can give it to the entire
body if that’s appropriate.
Mr. M. Williams: Okay, no problem I just I missed that one so no problem, motion
to approve.
Mr. Mayor Pro Tem: I’ve got a motion. Can I get a second?
Mr. Hasan: Second.
Mr. Mayor Pro Tem: I’ve got a motion and a second from Commissioner Hasan, Ms.
Bonner could we please vote.
The Clerk: Mr. Clarke.
Mr. Clarke: Yes.
The Clerk: Ms. Davis.
Ms. Davis: Yes, ma’am.
The Clerk: Mr. Fennoy.
Mr. Fennoy: Yes.
The Clerk: Mr. Frantom.
Mr. Frantom: Yes, ma’am.
The Clerk: Mr. Garrett.
Mr. Garrett: Yes.
The Clerk: Mr. Hasan.
Mr. Hasan: Yes, ma’am.
27
The Clerk: Mr. Sias.
Mr. Sias: Yes, ma’am.
The Clerk: Mr. Bobby Williams.
Mr. B. Williams: Yes, ma’am.
The Clerk: Mr. Dennis Williams, is Mr. Dennis Williams muted, sir?
Mr. Mayor Pro Tem: Yes, ma’am, he is.
Mr. D. Williams: Yes.
The Clerk: Mr. Marion Williams.
Mr. M. Williams: Yes.
Motion Passes 10-0.
Mr. Mayor Pro Tem: All right, thank you, next agenda item please, ma’am.
The Clerk:
PUBLIC SERVICES
6. Motion to approve the SD Clifton Contract – Baggage Handling System, for $2,346,083.00
for Augusta Regional Airport. Bid Item 20-214.
Mr. D. Williams: Motion for approval.
Mr. Clarke: Second.
Mr. Mayor Pro Tem: I’ve got a motion and a second any other discussion, voting please
Ms. Bonner.
The Clerk: Mr. Clarke.
Mr. Clarke: Yes.
The Clerk: Ms. Davis.
Ms. Davis: Yes, ma’am.
The Clerk: Mr. Fennoy.
Mr. Fennoy: Yes.
28
The Clerk: Mr. Frantom.
Mr. Frantom: Yes, ma’am.
The Clerk: Mr. Garrett.
Mr. Garrett: Yes, ma’am.
The Clerk: Mr. Hasan.
Mr. Hasan: Yes, ma’am.
The Clerk: Mr. Sias.
Mr. Sias: Yes, ma’am.
The Clerk: Mr. Dennis Williams.
Mr. D. Williams: Yes.
The Clerk: Mr. Marion Williams.
Mr. M. Williams: Yes.
Motion Passes 10-0.
Mr. Mayor Pro Tem: Next agenda item please, ma’am.
The Clerk: That would be Item Number 8.
PUBLIC SERVICES
8. Discuss plants and shrubs around city and tree growth within same parks and recreation.
(Requested by Commissioner John Clarke)
Mr. Clarke: Mr. Mayor Pro Tem, I thought we deleted that.
Mr. Mayor Pro Tem: Yeah, it was objected so can you kind of give your two-cents on that
and then I’ll give it to Commissioner Marion Williams.
Mr. Clarke: Okay, the only thing is I had some complaints about trees and what have you
growing up out of the center of the bushes and the shrubs and it looks bad but the you know general
maintenance of it is good. I talked with our person Recreation Director and he is taking care of it
so that’s the reason why I was going to pull it off.
Mr. Mayor Pro Tem: Okay, Commissioner Marion Williams.
29
Mr. M. Williams: Thank you, Mayor Pro Tem. Like Commissioner Clarke I’m in favor of
supporting the Rec Department but there’s a lot of areas around the Rec Department and take
Bernie Ward. We was out there with the street naming the lot on the side of the park that belongs
to the city. Trees have grown up into the vegetation, you can’t see, it’s very dark. I mentioned to
the park director as well I know he hadn’t had time to get to that yet. But there’s a lot of wild
vegetation I’ll call it that’s growing around our parks our parks ought to be clean and clear. We
spend a lot of money on a lot of things but this particular area at Bernie Ward is really in need and
I think the Parks and Recreation will agree. I pointed out to him when we was out there naming
the street after the young man that lost his life with the incident that we had at the Bernie Ward
but I don’t think that’s been corrected yet. I think we need to keep that on the radar. That’s why
I didn’t want it to go by without at least continuing to discuss this. If Parks and Rec wants to share
in that conversation that’s fine if not we just keep it moving and make sure that they understand
we’re going to be looking at that.
Mr. Mayor Pro Tem: Okay, and other discussion on this topic? Commissioner Garrett.
Mr. Garrett: Yes, in regards to Parks and Rec I just wanted to kind of throw up what
Commissioner Clarke said that I’ve seen some great progress made since Maurice has taken over
there. I’m impressed by the attention to some of the areas that have been problems throughout our
city. So I’m looking forward to that department continuing to improve. That’s all I got to say.
Mr. Mayor Pro Tem: Thank you (unintelligible) as well on that, thank you. Ms. Bonner,
we’re going to move forward and receive this as information ---
The Clerk: Without objection?
Mr. Mayor Pro Tem: --- without any objection to that.
The Clerk: Mr. Mayor Pro Tem, I need to back up in my haste I overlooked Item #7.
Mr. Mayor Pro Tem: Okay.
The Clerk:
PUBLIC SERVICES
7. Motion to approve amending the taxicab rate card to include the Transportation Services
Tax that was recently approved by the Georgia General Assembly under House Bill 105. The
rate card will become effective upon approval and will remain in effect until reset by the
Commission.
Mr. Hasan: Motion to approve.
Mr. D. Williams: Second.
30
Mr. Mayor Pro Tem: Got a motion and a second from Commissioner Dennis Williams,
Commissioner Marion Williams.
Mr. M. Williams: What does that mean remain in effect until reset by the Commission? I
mean how does that work?
The Clerk: Mr. Rob Sherman is available, Mr. Mayor Pro Tem.
Mr. Mayor Pro Tem: Yeah, let’s let Rob answer that. Rob, you’re coming in. Here he
comes. Mr. Sherman, can you hear us?
Mr. Sherman: Yes.
Mr. Mayor Pro Tem: Did you hear Commissioner Marion Williams’ question?
Mr. Sherman: No, I did not.
Mr. Mayor Pro Tem: Marion, if you could please repeat your question.
Mr. M. Williams: Yeah, Rob, it says remain in effect until reset by the Commission. What
does that actually mean when you say reset by the Commission?
Mr. Sherman: The Commission sets the rate card. Typically the taxi companies will come
to you and ask if the rates be increased. The Commission approves the rate card and then that’s
posted in their taxicab. What this is doing this recent House Bill it’s creating the Transportation
Services tax so for each trip there’s a 50-cent tax and if it’s a shared trip it’s 25 cents and then at
the same time they deleted the requirement for the to collect the sales tax the local and state sales
tax. This will apply not only to taxicabs and to the limousines but it will also apply to the rideshare
network services, the hotel, the online hotel services that also coordinate the rental of vehicles so
this will be in effect until you change it.
Mr. M. Williams: Okay and so, Rob, what about the Uber and stuff like that? Will that
affect them as well or that’s something we don’t control?
Mr. Sherman: It does affect them so whenever a rideshare network Uber or Lyft or one of
those coordinate a ride the 50 cents fee is included in that ride or 25 cents or whatever it may be
and so the Uber or Lyft the rideshare services collect the fee and then in turn pay it to the Revenue
Department for the State.
Mr. M. Williams: Okay and do you have a way of monitoring that? Do we have a way of
knowing or we just it’s on a ---
Mr. Sherman: Well, we do not but the state will. The state will monitor it.
Mr. M. Williams: --- okay all right, so moved.
31
Mr. Hasan: So moved.
Mr. D. Williams: Second.
Mr. Mayor Pro Tem: All right, we’ve got a motion and a second, Ms. Bonner, from
Commissioner Dennis Williams I think seconded it.
The Clerk: Okay and that’s, well Mr. Hasan had the motion ---
Mr. Mayor Pro Tem: Yeah.
The Clerk: Okay, Mr. Dennis Williams, Mr. Clarke.
Mr. Clarke: Yes.
The Clerk: Ms. Davis.
Ms. Davis: Yes, ma’am.
The Clerk: Mr. Fennoy, is he muted, sir?
Mr. Mayor Pro Tem: Yes, ma’am, he’s muted. Give him just a second.
Mr. Fennoy: Yes.
The Clerk: Mr. Frantom.
Mr. Frantom: Yes, ma’am.
The Clerk: Mr. Garrett.
Mr. Garrett: Yes.
The Clerk: Mr. Hasan.
Mr. Hasan: Yes, ma’am.
The Clerk: Mr. Sias.
Mr. Sias: Yes, ma’am.
The Clerk: Mr. Bobby Williams.
Mr. B. Williams: Yes, ma’am.
The Clerk: Mr. Dennis Williams.
32
Mr. D. Williams: Yes.
The Clerk: Mr. Marion Williams.
Mr. M. Williams: Yes.
Motion Passes 10-0.
Mr. Mayor Pro Tem: All right, Ms. Bonner, are we moving on to the next one?
The Clerk:
ADMINISTRATIVE SERVICES
11. Consider request from the Augusta Museum regarding SPLOST VII Allocation.
The Clerk: Nancy Glaser is in the Chamber.
Mr. Mayor Pro Tem: Okay.
Ms. Glaser: Good afternoon (inaudible) this the museum does have and has been included
in SPLOST VII ---
Mr. Mayor Pro Tem: Ms. Glaser, could you state your name address for the record please?
Ms. Glaser: No problem. Nancy Glazier, I’m with the Augusta Museum of History, 560
Reynolds Street, Augusta, GA 30901. The Augusta Museum of History was included in SPLOST
VII for $1 million dollars. This project was bid out and it came in well over was close that we
were $2 million dollars when the bids came in. At that point I sat back with a couple of my staff
and we looked at what had to be done to bring it into scope and we came up with a new projection.
We would like, my request to you all is that we would like to be able to rebid it through
Procurement with the adjustments that we have made. We’ve actually cut back on our square
footage which was almost an automatic reduction. We have put a number of alternatives such as
the paint booth, fumigation room, the card readers for collection and storage, the dust collector
and a mezzanine for the woodshop. So with those reductions we feel like we can bring it within
budget of the $1 million and what I’m requesting today is for you all’s permission to go and rebid
this through Procurement.
Mr. Sias: So moved.
Ms. Davis: Second.
Mr. Mayor Pro Tem: Motion and a second. Any other discussion? All right, Ms. Bonner,
if we can go to voting.
The Clerk: Mr. Clarke.
33
Mr. Clarke: Absolutely yes.
The Clerk: Ms. Davis.
Ms. Davis: Yes, ma’am.
The Clerk: Mr. Fennoy, he’s muted.
Mr. Mayor Pro Tem: He’s muted.
Mr. Fennoy: Yes.
The Clerk: Mr. Frantom.
Mr. Frantom: Yes, ma’am.
The Clerk: Mr. Garrett.
Mr. Garrett: Yes.
The Clerk: Mr. Hasan.
Mr. Hasan: Yes, ma’am.
The Clerk: Mr. Sias.
Mr. Sias: Yes, ma’am.
The Clerk: Mr. Bobby Williams.
Mr. B. Williams: Yes, ma’am.
The Clerk: Mr. Dennis Williams.
Mr. D. Williams: Yes, ma’am.
The Clerk: Mr. Marion Williams.
Mr. M. Williams: Yes.
Motion Passes 10-0.
The Clerk:
ADMINISTRATIVE SERVICES
34
12. Motion to approve conducting the final 2020 Commission meeting on December 1, 2020.
(Requested by Commissioner Sammie Sias)
Mr. Mayor Pro Tem: Commissioner Sias.
Mr. Sias: Thank you, Mayor Pro Tem. Hey, it’s been a long year. We have dealt with a
lot of issues this year, COVID, our employees have really been on the edge so this is just a
suggestion. And I spoke with several of the, them. They had no (unintelligible) so they said that
would be a good deal for them. So just to say we can conduct our last meeting of the year in
December and then look forward to 2021.
Mr. Mayor Pro Tem: Okay, Commissioner Garrett.
Mr. Garrett: Thank you, Mayor Pro Tem. Ms. Bonner, when is our normal last meeting of
the year?
The Clerk: That would be the second meeting in December.
Mr. Garrett: Right and you know that’s kind of what concerns me about this is why would
we change that. I’m sure there will be business that we need to do in December and I would hate
to make this decision this early. I mean we’re still two months out from that date. And we don’t
know if anything will come up and I would hate to have to call a special called meeting to handle
something if it did come up.
Mr. Mayor Pro Tem: Okay, Commissioner Marion Williams.
Mr. M. Williams: Thank you, Mayor Pro Tem. I guess I’ve got no problem with that but
if we did that that would end my term early so I wouldn’t be completing my eight years. I could
run again I guess so I’m in support (inaudible) those are the rules now.
Mr. Hasan: You want us to vote on it?
Mr. M. Williams: Yes, let’s vote on it but I can’t vote to approve that and I can turn around
and run again.
Mr. Mayor Pro Tem: Appreciate it, Commissioner Sias.
th
Mr. Sias: I’m going (unintelligible) what my colleague from the 8 said. When I
mentioned that I spoke to several directors I won’t say key directors but just asked them would
they have any issues with getting all their final year stuff in by that particular meeting and all of
them said that wouldn’t be a problem. If in case whether we had two meetings or whatever if there
was an emergency meeting that would still come up to be a special meeting that we call. So it’s
not just something I picked out the air but I questioned I met with key department heads and asked
them would that interrupt what they do or could they have it done and I received no objection from
any of them. They could work easily with that. And they need to know a good distance out. That
35
was why I said that and they could plan for it and I got that from them. Thank you, Mayor Pro
Tem.
Mr. Mayor Pro Tem: Commissioner Mary Davis.
Ms. Davis: Thank you, Mayor Pro Tem. Can I just ask them and I’m favor of it if we can
conduct all the business before then, can we ask the Administrator his thoughts on this please
because I know Commissioner Sias has talked some department heads but I want his thoughts too,
please.
Mr. Sims: I’m glad you asked, Commissioner Davis. I’m not opposed if we decide or if
st
you all decided to move the date to December 1 it would allow the directors to go ahead and make
sure we have identified all of the agendas now and be ready for that deadline so I don’t have any
st
objection to that date December 1.
Ms. Davis: Okay, Mayor Pro Tem, can I also ask the Clerk ---
Mr. Mayor Pro Tem: Sure.
Ms. Davis: --- if that would interfere with any of their business out of her office.
The Clerk: No, ma’am, no, ma’am. I think we could work with that.
Ms. Davis: All right, thanks, Mayor Pro Tem.
Mr. Mayor Pro Tem: Commissioner Clarke.
Mr. Clarke: Yes, refresh my memory when we’re going to start back committee meetings.
Mr. Mayor Pro Tem: That has not been determined yet.
Mr. Clarke: Okay.
Mr. Mayor Pro Tem: Commissioner Marion Williams.
Mr. M. Williams: Yeah, Mayor Pro Tem, my question would be the government will we
st
shut the government down after December the 1 or the government will still be open because we
do handle the city’s the people’s business. You can’t determine what’s coming up or what’s not
coming up. Our department heads don’t make that decision about whether they want to get their
stuff together or not. They work for the government because we are the elected body for this
government and handle whatever business there may be. So I don’t understand that. That ain’t
got nothing to do with department heads. That’ll be the last ones considered in this event. It’s
about whether or not the government would be functioning or are we going to shut down
everything and close it. So either way it’s fine with me but I just want to know what are we looking
at because those functions don’t belong to department heads. It belongs to this body.
36
Mr. Mayor Pro Tem: I want to get my two cents worth, I’m fine with it with the
understanding that if we need a special called meeting or an executive session then we do it. You
know executive session does not need to happen (unintelligible) government as long as we keep
an open mind to that then I don’t see a problem with it.
Ms. Davis: Absolutely.
Mr. Sias: It’s just the last scheduled meeting. It doesn’t mean (unintelligible) it’ll just be
the last scheduled meeting. Move to approve.
Ms. Davis: Second.
Mr. Mayor Pro Tem: Okay, Commissioner Fennoy, you good?
Mr. Fennoy: (Inaudible)
Mr. Mayor Pro Tem: Okay.
The Clerk: Was that Commissioner Hasan who made the motion? I had Ms. Davis second.
Mr. Mayor Pro Tem: Sias and Davis, Commissioners Sias and Davis.
The Clerk: Mr. Sias, okay. Mr. Clarke.
Mr. Clarke: Yes.
The Clerk: Ms. Davis.
Ms. Davis: Yes, ma’am.
The Clerk: Mr. Fennoy.
Mr. Fennoy: Yes.
The Clerk: Mr. Frantom.
Mr. Frantom: Yes, ma’am.
The Clerk: Mr. Garrett.
Mr. Garrett: No.
The Clerk: Mr. Hasan.
Mr. Hasan: Yes, ma’am.
37
The Clerk: Mr. Sias.
Mr. Sias: Yes, ma’am.
The Clerk: Mr. Bobby Williams.
Mr. B. Williams: Yes, ma’am.
The Clerk: Mr. Dennis Williams.
Mr. D. Williams: Yes, ma’am.
The Clerk: Mr. Marion Williams.
Mr. M. Williams: Yes.
Mr. Garrett votes No.
Motion Passes 9-1.
Ms. Davis: Commissioner Williams, you get to retire early.
Mr. M. Williams: No, no I get to run again. I get to run again.
Mr. Mayor Pro Tem: Okay, Ms. Bonner.
The Clerk:
ADMINISTRATIVE SERVICES
14. Motion to approve one (1) Emergency Rehabilitation project.
Mr. Hasan: So moved.
Mr. D. Williams: Second.
Mr. Mayor Pro Tem: Got a motion and a second any discussion, voting.
The Clerk: Mr. Clarke.
Mr. Clarke: Yes.
The Clerk: Ms. Davis.
Ms. Davis: Yes, ma’am.
The Clerk: Mr. Fennoy.
38
Ms. Davis: He’s muted.
Mr. Fennoy: Yes.
The Clerk: Mr. Frantom.
Mr. Frantom: Yes, ma’am.
The Clerk: Mr. Garrett.
Mr. Garrett: Yes, ma’am.
The Clerk: Mr. Hasan.
Mr. Hasan: Yes, ma’am.
The Clerk: Mr. Sias.
Mr. Sias: Yes, ma’am.
The Clerk: Mr. Bobby Williams.
Mr. B. Williams: Yes, ma’am.
The Clerk: Mr. Dennis Williams.
Mr. D. Williams: Yes.
The Clerk: Mr. Marion Williams.
Mr. M. Williams: Yes.
Motion Passes 10-0.
ADMINISTRATIVE SERVICES
17. Motion to approve Housing and Community Development Department’s (HCD’s)
request to procure (3) three Associate Real-Estate Brokers with an agreement for a period
of one (1) year (with two (2) annual renewal periods at the option of Augusta, GA. An
Associate Real-Estate Broker is an individual licensed as a real-estate broker but works in
the capacity as a salesperson for another responsible broker that provides Real Estate Sales
and Marketing Services in the Laney Walker Bethlehem area.
Mr. Mayor Pro Tem: All right, Commissioner Sias.
39
Mr. Sias: Thank you, Mayor Pro Tem. I’m going to ask Mr. Welcher if he could bring this
back in the next meeting. I just want to have a little bit more discussion on a couple of things about
this. And this is just a request I’d like to ask him to bring that back at the next meeting.
Mr. Hasan: Second.
Mr. Mayor Pro Tem: Welcher, you good waiting until the next meeting? Are you good,
Mr. Welcher?
Mr. Welcher: Yes.
Mr. Mayor Pro Tem: Okay, thank you. All right, so we’ve got a motion and a second to
bring it back in two weeks to us.
The Clerk: Can we do that without objection, sir?
Mr. Mayor Pro Tem: Is that without objection, Commission? Yes, ma’am, it’s without.
The Clerk:
ADMINISTRTATIVE SERVICES
18. Motion to approve the erection of a Memorial Wall at River Walk in honor of Augustans
who lost their lives to COVID-19. (Requested by Commissioner Bill Fennoy)
Mr. Mayor Pro Tem: Commissioner Fennoy.
Mr. Fennoy: Everybody, everybody’s aware of the losses that have taken place in Augusta
as a result of COVID-19. This is something that the world has not seen in over 100 years. I’m
quite sure that everybody on the Commission knows of someone that has lost their lives and
because this is an event that happened every 100 years I think that we ought to have a Memorial
Wall to remember those that lost their lives as a result of this virus. And I think that the River
Walk would be an excellent place to have it. There’s a, in the Augusta Arts Council has agreed to
help come up with something that’s appropriate for us to approve if we decide to move forward
with it.
Mr. Mayor Pro Tem: Commissioner Sias.
Mr. Sias: I just want to say in reference to this idea I support it, however, I support it in a
slightly different manner. I think it’s real admirable that Commissioner Fennoy has brought this
idea to the table but I would ask us to consider one other way of doing it. Number one, everyone
may not agree to having their names put there and so that would have to be (unintelligible) by
anyone before we put anybody’s name up there. So I think if we could consider a virtual wall that
could be located on our website or displayed on any other that can be put on other websites as well
coming from the city. So if we had a virtual memorial wall it could easily add names or change if
somebody decided they didn’t want the name of the relative decide that because this is a very
sensitive subject as well. I just think we should consider a virtual wall where it would be much
40
less expensive to maintain and much more versatile, so that’s my thoughts on that. I support the
idea, I just thought we consider a virtual wall. Thank you.
Mr. Mayor Pro Tem: Okay, Commissioner Fennoy.
Mr. Fennoy: Yes, I like the idea of getting consent but I think that 50 years from now
people need to know what happened in the world in the Year 2020. And to have a wall that you
could look and see and touch and feel and have supporting documentation about what happened
in the Year 2020 and the people who lost their lives in the Year 2020 as a result of this virus would
be more appropriate. I want to see something that’s going to be here to the end of time.
Mr. Mayor Pro Tem: Commissioner Mary Davis.
Ms. Davis: Thanks, Mayor Pro Tem. First of all I’m not sure you can even get names
because of the HPPA Law in the medical industry. Second of all, I don’t support necessarily a
wall with names. I think that what we could think about is an historical marker at some point just
to talk about what happened as far as world deaths, national deaths, Georgia, local that might be
something a small just acknowledgment of it but that’s all I can even think about right now for
this. But I mean of course we’re all upset with anybody who’s been sick with this or passed away
but as we know again I don’t even know how you would get names for that. But just something
to think about maybe down the road some kind of a plaque.
Mr. Mayor Pro Tem: Okay ---
Ms. Davis: Thanks.
Mr. Mayor Pro Tem: --- all right, what’s the pleasure of the Commission today?
Mr. Fennoy: Motion to approve.
Mr. Mayor Pro Tem: Okay, no second.
Mr. Fennoy: I’ll second it if nobody else will.
Ms. Davis: Mr. Mayor Pro Tem, I make a motion ---
Mr. Mayor: Okay, Commissioner Mary Davis.
Mr. Hasan: Second.
Mr. Mayor Pro Tem: Are you seconding his motion?
Mr. Hasan: Yeah, I second it.
Mr. Mayor Pro Tem: You’re seconding Commissioner Fennoy’s motion?
41
Mr. Hasan: Yes.
Mr. Mayor Pro Tem: Okay, Commissioner Mary Davis.
Ms. Davis: --- let’s just go ahead and vote, that’s fine.
Mr. Mayor Pro Tem: Any other discussion?
Mr. B Williams: Yeah, hold on a second so what are we approving?
Mr. Mayor Pro Tem: We’re approving what how it states on the agenda Item 18.
Mr. B. Williams: What is it saying?
Mr. Mayor Pro Tem: Erection of a Memorial Wall at River Walk.
The Clerk: He did say he was going to bring it back.
Mr. Hasan: Oh, you’re going to bring it back, I’m sorry, that’s what we’re voting on?
The Clerk: I’ll let Commissioner Fennoy speak. He said he was going to get the assistance
of the Augusta Arts Council with the design that they bring back if you’re in support of it.
Mr. Fennoy: Yeah.
Mr. Hasan: I’m taking my second back, I don’t (unintelligible) the Arts Council.
Mr. Mayor Pro Tem: Okay, so we don’t have a second on Commissioner Fennoy. Okay,
Commissioner Mary Davis.
Ms. Davis: I make a motion to receive as information today.
Mr. Clarke: Second.
Mr. Mayor Pro Tem: Okay, we’ve got a motion and a second to receive as information is
that without objection or do we want to vote?
Mr. Sias: Without objection.
Mr. Mayor Pro Tem: Without objection, okay.
Mr. Fennoy: Yeah, I object.
Mr. Mayor Pro Tem: Ms. Bonner, we’ll go ahead and vote to receive as information.
Mr. D. Williams: Mayor Pro Tem.
42
The Clerk: Mr. Clarke.
Mr. Clarke: Yes.
The Clerk: Ms. Davis.
Ms. Davis: Yes, ma’am.
The Clerk: Mr. Fennoy.
Mr. Fennoy: No.
The Clerk: Mr. Frantom.
Mr. Frantom: Yes, ma’am.
The Clerk: Mr. Garrett, Mr. Hasan.
Mr. Hasan: Yes, ma’am.
The Clerk: Mr. Sias.
Mr. Sias: Yes, ma’am.
The Clerk: Mr. Bobby Williams.
Mr. B. Williams: Yes, ma’am.
The Clerk: Mr. Dennis Williams and Mr. Marion Williams. Is Mr. Dennis Williams muted,
sir?
Mr. Mayor Pro Tem: Yes, ma’am.
Mr. Sias: Yes, ma’am.
Mr. Garrett: I was a no as well.
Mr. D. Williams: Yeah, I was trying to get in because I had a question.
Mr. Garrett: We can’t see you.
Mr. D. Williams: Okay, so couldn’t Commissioner Fennoy bring back the plans once he
gets with the Arts Council?
Mr. Mayor Pro Tem: He absolutely can now.
43
Mr. D. Williams: He could still bring it back.
Mr. Mayor Pro Tem: He absolutely can.
The Clerk: So Mr. Garret is out right, sir.
Mr. Mayor Pro Tem: No, he said no.
The Clerk: He’s muted.
Mr. Mayor Pro Tem: Yes, ma’am, he’s muted.
The Clerk: Mr. Garrett, are you voting to receive this as information?
Mr. Garrett: No, my vote was a no ---
The Clerk: Okay ---
Mr. Garrett: --- I was trying to support Commissioner Fennoy.
The Clerk: --- oh, okay.
Mr. Fennoy: I’ll be voting for you in a couple of --
Mr. Garrett: I hear we’re going to be neighbors.
Mr. D. Williams: Okay, thank you.
The Clerk: Mr. Marion Williams.
Mr. M. Williams: Yes.
The Clerk: That motion carries with Mr. Fennoy and neighbor Garrett.
Mr. Fennoy and Mr. Garrett vote No.
Motion Passes 8-2.
Mr. Mayor Pro Tem: All right, we’re moving on the 25?
The Clerk:
PUBLIC SAFETY
25. Motion to approve the award of Bid Item #20-219 Extrication Equipment for Augusta
Fire Department to Municipal Emergency Services for $118,000.00.
44
Mr. Mayor Pro Tem: Commissioner Marion Williams, are you still with us?
Mr. M. Williams: Yes, sir.
Mr. Mayor Pro Tem: Okay, you object to this one?
Mr. M. Williams: Yeah, I did, I did. Look, I checked it out. I wanted to get some more
information about the $118,000 what was the total amount Ms. Bonner?
The Clerk: $118,000 dollars, that’s it.
Mr. M. Williams: So can somebody tell me I mean out of all of the equipment we done
bought for the Fire Department again here we are now spending another $118,000 dollars, what’s
been already spent, what equipment we already got I don’t understand. We bought a Command
Station, we done bought all kinds of stuff. Are we just buying stuff for what, nobody showed me
the need for this equipment. Is anybody here to address that?
Mr. Mayor Pro Tem: Who can speak to this?
Mr. Sias: It’s what it says, get folks out of vehicles when they’re stuck in there in a wreck.
Mr. Sims: The Fire Chief is available to speak on this.
Mr. Mayor Pro Tem: Okay, let me get Chief James in, Chief James, here we come. All
right, Chief James.
Chief James: Can you hear me, sir?
Mr. Mayor Pro Tem: Yes, sir, can you mute the live feed? There you go, perfect.
Chief James: Okay, can you hear me now?
Mr. Mayor Pro Tem: Yes, sir. Did you hear Commissioner Marion Williams’ question?
Chief James: This is extrication equipment. The extrication equipment we have on our
apparatus are old and we need it to update the equipment so that we had equipment that was strong
enough to cut through the A & B posts on the new vehicles.
Mr. Garrett: Motion to approve.
Mr. Mayor Pro Tem: Hold on, Commissioner Marion Williams, are you done? You still
have questions, right?
Mr. M. Williams: Yeah, I’m asking the Chief a question because he sounded like new
vehicles are made sturdier than the old ones. I certainly disagree with that now but he’s saying the
45
stuff we had wasn’t strong enough to cut through the new stuff but it could through the old stuff,
is that right?
Chief James: Yes, sir. They reinforced some of the posts in the vehicles and the equipment
that we are purchasing are, is a more mobile where they can get off the road and cut cars open.
We put a committee together. The committee went and researched what extrication equipment
that was best because our equipment was old and we budgeted it in our budget. It was approved
for purchase in the budget last year for 2020 and now we’re moving forward with those purchases.
Mr. M. Williams: Well, I’m not in support. I don’t know, I’m not saying you don’t have
the votes to get this equipment, Mr. Chief, but I totally disagree with that myself and I think that
we’ve got to be mindful about how we spending the taxpayers’ dollars so I motion to, well, I won’t
make a motion. I’ll just leave it like that. I can’t support it but I won’t make a motion.
Mr. Mayor Pro Tem: Okay, thank you, sir. Commissioner Clarke.
Mr. Clarke: Thank you. I’m not opposed to this but I do have one question to answer my
curiosity. With all of the bidders bidding on the same specs for the equipment, why did the bid go
to the highest bidder?
Chief James: The bid went to the lowest responsible bidder that had all the equipment.
Mr. Sias: So moved.
Mr. Clarke: I think, I don’t think that was it.
Mr. Mayor Pro Tem: Are you looking it up, Mr. Clarke?
Mr. Clarke: Yeah.
Chief James: They were the overall lowest bidder.
Mr. Mayor Pro Tem: Any other questions, John?
Mr. Clarke: No, that was it.
Mr. Mayor Pro Tem: Okay, we have a motion from Commissioner Sias and I didn’t get a
second yet or I didn’t hear one.
Mr. Hasan: Second.
Mr. Mayor Pro Tem: Commissioner Ben Hasan, welcome back to the Mayor. I’ve got a
motion and a second, Ms. Bonner and I’m turning it back over to the Mayor.
The Clerk: Mr. Clarke, are we voting, sir, before you leave?
46
Mr. Clarke: Yes.
The Clerk: Ms. Davis, is she muted?
Mr. Mayor Pro Tem: She’s out.
The Clerk: She’s gone, okay, Mr. Fennoy.
Mr. Fennoy: Yes.
The Clerk: Mr. Frantom.
Mr. Frantom: Yes, ma’am.
The Clerk: Mr. Garrett.
Mr. Garrett: Yes, ma’am.
The Clerk: Mr. Hasan.
Mr. Hasan: Yes, ma’am.
The Clerk: Mr. Sias.
Mr. Sias: Yes, ma’am.
The Clerk: Mr. Bobby Williams.
Mr. B. Williams: Yes, ma’am.
The Clerk: Mr. Dennis Williams.
Mr. D. Williams: Yes, ma’am.
The Clerk: Mr. Marion Williams.
Mr. M. Williams: No, ma’am.
Ms. Davis out.
Mr. M. Williams votes No.
Motion Passes 8-1.
Mr. Mayor Pro Tem: On you, Mr. Mayor.
47
Mr. Mayor: I know Mayor Pro Tem you’re doing such a fantastic job I was going to sit
here and just, I was going to vote instead of you voting. All right, Madam Clerk, I guess we’ll go
to Item Number 29.
The Clerk:
FINANCE
29. Discuss employees’ time clock procedures, rules and tracking. (Requested by
Commissioners John Clarke and Brandon Garrett)
thth
Mr. Mayor: Commissioner from the 10 and then the 8.
Mr. Clarke: Thank you. The concern that was brought up is that the employees of Augusta-
Richmond County can clock into any facility that they happen to be close to. And there has been
some, you know, I would say discussion about people that did not work in the Municipal Building
clocking in at the Municipal Building and then going on to their work assignments or their
workplace. And in trying to find out some information about this we discovered that the employees
can clock in at any of the time clock locations. They can also log into the website and clock in so
they really don’t even have to be physically on premise of anything to clock in. And we asked the
question did it have a tracking device on it or that you can track a location of where somebody
clocked in even on a computer or their cellphone internet and the answer I think was yes but how
often is that checked, how often are the clock in clock out’s checked for accuracy because the way
it stands you know you could possibly clock in and clock out and not even show up to work that
day. So we’re just wondering what kind of securities are in place to prevent those things.
thth,
Mr. Mayor: Commissioner from the 10 and the 8 let’s yield for a minute. I think this is
certainly interesting conversation. Let’s kick it to the Administrator to speak to what you just
th,th
posed, Commissioner from the 10 then I’ll come to the Commissioner from the 8, Administrator
Sims.
Mr. Sims: Yes, sir ---
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Mr. Mayor: Okay did you hear what the Commissioner from the 10 iterated ---
Mr. Sims: --- I did.
Mr. Mayor: --- about security, yes.
Mr. Sims: I did. Mayor and Commissioners, I also have our Finance Director as well as
our H.R. Director both that are here to talk about this matter. Unless there is an issue that we’re
not aware of about employees improperly signing in or something of that nature, we’re not aware
of any misuse of employees clocking in. Our employees utilize the time clocks that are available
to clock in. Our Finance Director Williams did email Commissioner Clarke about our employees
have the opportunity to clock in at various time clocks. We are also monitoring and making sure
that if there is any type of improper use of clocking in that that is addressed. So unless they are
aware of something that we’re not, we don’t have an issue with this.
48
Mr. Mayor: All right, let’s do this. Commissioner Garrett, I’ll let you go ahead and pose
your concern and then Director Williams we’ll come back to you, okay? That way you can
hopefully answer all questions that may be out there. Thank you, Administrator Sims.
Mr. Sims: No problem.
Mr. Garrett: Thank you, Mayor. You know as Commissioner Clarke stated you know this
is just kind of an eye raising issue that was brought to our attention. Someone said that this was
brought into effect because of COVID but it’s my understanding that this was happening
beforehand before COVID began. And really I think the ideal solution to this is just to make sure
that when people are logging in from their cellphones that they have their location service turned
on so at least the time clock system is pinging where they’re at to make sure that we can account
that they are actually at work.
Mr. Sims: I’m not aware of employees logging in on a cellphone, Commissioner Garrett.
Mr. Garrett: Well, this is told to us directly from our H.R. Director and she’s the one that
informed us that this was what was taking place.
Mr. Mayor: Administrator Sims, if you could I don’t see Ms. Rookard in the waiting room
but if you could prompt her so that we can bring her on I think it certainly would be appropriate
for her to chime in on this. I’m not sure if this is a Finance question at this point.
Mr. Sims: This is why we had Finance because Ms. Rookard as you are aware is new to
our organization and Ms. Williams our Finance Director is very familiar with the clocking in
matter.
Mr. Mayor: Okay, Director Williams.
Ms. Williams: Okay, I’m not familiar with the conversation between Ms. Rookard and
Commissioner Garrett. I was asked the question by Commissioner Clarke and began to check.
When Augusta originally implemented the ADP system the conditions were such that we were
allowed to disable the cellphone access to clock in and out. When this question was posed because
I do, Finance does not administer the ADP contract, just familiar with it, but we don’t administer
it so I checked with IT to see if there were changes that I was not aware of and today I was told
that ADP processed an upgrade about two months ago and that they had systemwide for all their
users enabled the cellphone clock in and clock out and we are unable to opt out of that. That being
said the IP address is always available to be checked like I explained to Commissioner Clarke
there’s a timestamp and there is information as to where those employees clock in and out and any
activity that is done there’s a complete audit trail within the ADP system. When the timecards are
approved ---
Mr. Garrett: Donna, can I ask you a question about that part of it, Ms. Williams? Do you
know whether there’s ever any audits actually done during that process?
49
Ms. Williams: --- okay, as I was about to explain the employee’s timecard goes through
an approval process. Just because an employee enters a transaction does not mean that they
automatically that transaction goes through the system. There are various levels of approval within
the system where you have departmental timekeepers that are supposed to sign off on those
transactions as well as the employee themselves are able to go in and to certify that what they have
entered and it’s in the employee’s best interest of course to make sure that the hours that show up
on their timecard are the ones that they’re going to get paid for so to see if they’ve missed a punch,
etc. But the approval process is within the department to go through and to verify that those
employees that have hours showing are the hours that are worked by their employees. I mean that’s
not a real far-fetched idea that the hours that the employee puts on there are checked at another
level.
Mr. Garrett: Dennis, your phone’s ringing.
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Mr. Mayor: All right so all right so let’s go to let’s go to the Commissioner from the 1.
Mr. Fennoy: And, Donna, I don’t know if you’ll be able to answer this for me or not but
on the weekend if we have a water or something to break or we got a hole that needs a cone on the
street and we call an employee, do they go to their building and clock in and then go to the job site
or how does that work?
Ms. Williams: Okay, you’re kind of getting outside of my level of comfort but if the
employee does not have the equipment that they need if they have, let’s say it was a water main
break and they had to go to the Utilities Department to get supplies, to get the truck, get whatever
and they could clock in at that point if they were, because there are time clocks available in between
65 and 70 of our locations. Okay, so if they were unable to clock in then they simply would inform
their timekeeper or their shift foreman could take care of it on the next day and the timekeeper
could enter those that time that was worked so there’s always a failsafe.
Mr. Mayor: Ms. Williams, thank you. Ms. Rookard, if you’ll go live, Ms. Rookard. Ms.
Rookard, this in reference to Item Number 29 employees’ time clock procedures, rules and
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tracking. The Commissioner from the 10 and the 8 have posed a series of questions and as we
understand it you’ve had some conversations with one if not both of them and would you speak to
this matter please. Thank you.
Ms. Rookard: Yes, our clock in clock out process is web based which means that
employees can clock in from their cellphone or from a desktop somewhere other than where we
have time clocks posted. So when I spoke to Commissioner Garrett that is absolutely correct. You
can clock in from your cellphone because it’s web based. All you need is the internet.
Mr. Garrett: But, Ms. Rookard, is there a way to implement ---
Mr. Mayor: Commissioner Garrett, hold on, hold ---
Ms. Rookard: I can’t hear him.
50
Mr. Mayor: --- Commissioner Garrett, hold on one second. As we go through this I want
to make sure we get a chance to hear from everybody. All right, Administrator Sims, I saw your
hands going earlier. I want to get you first then I’ll come back to you, Commissioner Garrett.
Mr. Sims: My only comment, Mayor, is that I was not aware our employees were clocking
in using their cellphones. That’s my only comment about that.
Mr. Mayor: All right, very well. All right, Commissioner Garrett, I’m going to try and
recognize everybody. Go ahead.
Mr. Garrett: Thank you, Mayor ---
Mr. Mayor: Mr. Garrett, it’s on you, sir.
Mr. Garrett: --- Ms. Rookard, can you hear me now?
Ms. Rookard: I can.
Mr. Garrett: Okay, I guess the question we’re trying to ask is there a way and I know Ms.
Williams has tried to explain there’s a system in place where they go through and check the
timecards that are submitted. Is there a way to validate the location for those that log in via the
internet on their phone?
Ms. Rookard: I believe there should be. I would have to go through ADP to find out how
we could block that so that people would have to clock in at a particular location.
Mr. Garrett: Is that something that you know we could task you with doing and coming
back with us with some information?
Ms. Rookard: Yes, sir.
Mr. Garrett: Thank you, thank you, Mayor.
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Mr. Mayor: Thank you, Commissioner Garrett. Commissioner from the 10 do you have
any, yes, sir, go ahead.
Mr. Clarke: No, sir, I would just like to say that I agree with Commissioner Garrett that
we’d like for her to check this information and come back to us with a little more detail on it and
possible solutions as to preventing any fraudulent clock in and outs.
Mr. Mayor: Okay, let me qualify this. We’re having a broad public conversation around
what I will perceive as multiple methods of how individuals could potentially clock in because
these are technology based systems and I would encourage folks not to assert or insinuate that
fraud’s taking place at this point without any audit process or any methods of having to determine
or ascertain that especially in light of folks needing to understand how this technology works in
51
terms of folks being able to clock in when they’re working remotely so let’s just be tempered or
measured in that if we will, okay?
Mr. Clarke: Yes, sir, Mr. Mayor, I agree with you 110% on that. Commissioner Garrett
and I in no way are stating that that is happening. We’re wanting to know how the safeguards and
the way that it is administered is done and therefore we agree that Ms. Rookard bring back the
more information on it.
Mr. Mayor: All right, so let me go a step further. Because these are technology based
systems we brought everybody into the conversation minus who I will refer to are the key people
and therefore our Information Technology folks. I see Reggie Horne on the call here and Reggie,
in all deference to ya’ll seem, do you want to speak to this matter, sir?
Mr. Horne: Yes, sir, you don’t mind.
Mr. Mayor: I don’t mind at all. I think it’d be extremely prudent for you to speak on this
matter.
Mr. Horne: So today we began to have some additional conversations with ADP regarding
restrictions that can be put in place per the discussion. That conversation is ongoing with ADP
and at this moment I don’t have an answer for how we can limit clock in and clock outs only from
city property but we have raised that issue. I think we are moving that conversation forward. And
so if it would be appropriate I can speak with Ms. Rookard regarding what those options are.
Mr. Mayor: It is absolutely appropriate for that conversation to happen. I think that’s what
Administrator Sims would encourage that this collaborative team would work on this issue
together and they report back to the Commission.
Mr. Horne: Yes, sir.
Mr. Mayor: All right, fantastic. All right, Madam Clerk, we’ll receive this as information
with the understanding that the action item is that the team of Information Technology and H.R.
and Finance as necessary will report back to the Commission in 14 days.
Mr. Clarke: Thank you, Mr. Mayor.
Mr. Mayor: Thank you. All right, Madam Clerk, we’ve got as I understand Items 30, 32,
36, 37, 41 and 42 left, is that correct?
The Clerk: Yes, sir.
Mr. Mayor: Okay all right, let’s go ahead and take on Item Number 42. Just go ahead and
get that out of the way because several of these are related items when it comes to waste haulers
and so forth. Let’s deal with Number 42 and go ahead and dispose of that matter.
The Clerk:
52
ENGINEERING SERVICES
42. Update on the September 18, 2020 Storm Water Meeting. (Requested by Commissioner
Marion Williams)
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Mr. Mayor: Commissioner from the 9.
Mr. M. Williams: Yes, sir, right here, present.
Mr. Mayor: Okay.
Mr. M. Williams: There was a meeting held, Mr. Mayor, and I didn’t, I’m the Engineering
Services Chairman but I don’t know what that meeting was about why was that meeting called
why I was not even informed about it. I’d like to know the results of that meeting and what was
the reason for it.
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Mr. Mayor: Okay, all right, Commissioner from the 1.
Mr. Fennoy: Yes, the meeting was called because I had talked to Dr. Malik about whether
or not there’s a need to raise the Storm Water fee because some of the services that the Storm
Water Program was scheduled to provide is not really moving fast enough. And what Dr. Malik
said is that the money that we have is sufficient but some of the money that’s collected for Storm
Water goes to the General Fund. So I asked if I could meet with Dr. Malik along with Finance
along with the Administrator, the Attorney, and the Mayor and to see if there’s any way that we
could get some of the money that’s going into General Fund going directly into the Storm Water
Program.
Mr. M. Williams: Okay, if I can respond, Mr. Mayor. I understand the inquiry and the
questions that the Commissioner has but that’s something the body has to decide. That’s not what
a group decides, that’s not a handpicked few that decides that we want to know because this body
this governing body but you know all of us ought to be a part of that. As Engineering Chair and I
guess that doesn’t give me the power but at least the Committee Chair should have been invited
along with any other Commissioners that wanted to be there. But we done got to the point now
we got a lot of these little side meetings I’ll call them that we think we can maneuver some things
around and get some things done but the way to do it is to put it on this agenda or on the committee
agenda so everybody will have an input. I took offense to it and I told Ms. Bonner I said you know
I heard about the meeting but nobody called me as the Engineering Chair. You’re talking about
storm water fees. This body was supposed to go back and look at the storm water fee and you
know readdress it if it was failing on one side or too much on the other side. We never did that,
we have never done that. So I really took offense when I heard about the meeting that was called
with the Mayor, the Engineering Director and all the other parties involved but the Engineering
Chair person was not involved. Now I didn’t speak with the Engineering Director not about this.
I put it on the agenda that we all ought to do and quit trying to hold our own little courtrooms or
our own little meetings in the back and address it so everybody will be at the table at the same
time.
53
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Mr. Mayor: Commissioner from the 9 if you go back to your agenda Item Number 31 of
which again under the Engineering Services says we’re going to start that review process and it be
brought back for additional discussion and comment. You just said that you know put it on the
agenda I think that’s being done, it’s on the agenda ---
Mr. M. Williams: But what you see, Mr. Mayor, but what you’re missing is it’s on the
agenda now because I placed it on the agenda but you done had a meeting and you was present at
the meeting and it wasn’t on the agenda. You was a part of the group that had the special meeting
but now you’re saying oh put it on the agenda. That’s the way it should’ve been in the first place.
Mr. Mayor: --- no, that’s not what I said. I said that because conversations are happening
you have Item Number 31 which is getting to the real heart of it and I appreciate the Commissioner
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from the 8 putting that on. And what you’re asking for in your item on 42 you just asked for an
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update and I think the Commissioner from the 1 the Finance Committee Chairman, former
Engineering Services Committee Chairman, he just gave you an update why he asked for that
meeting. It was Finance related and it certainly was well within his right to be able to do it because
it was a Finance related question in terms of how do we handle stormwater fees, how do we do
that ---
Mr. M. Williams: Mr. Mayor, you said ---
Mr. Mayor: --- it was well within his right to do that.
Mr. M. Williams: --- listen, his right is no more than yours or mine. He can call any
meeting he wants to but when you’re talking about an agenda item that I’m the chairman of
Engineering Services and talking about the stormwater monies you can’t have no separate meeting,
Mr. Mayor. Now we talked about this earlier, man, we almost (unintelligible) the Mayor Pro Tem
did a good job and I thought he was going to get out before you got back but he didn’t and I’m
sorry about that but I’m telling you now you can’t have it both ways. You can have it one way or
the other but you can’t have it two ways now. Anything we (inaudible) ---
Mr. Mayor: Okay, hold on, I appreciate that. We’re going to receive it as information,
Commissioner.
Mr. M. Williams: --- you don’t call no meeting and don’t tell nobody else.
Mr. Mayor: Yeah, we’re going to receive it as information. All right, all right, Madam
Clerk, we’re going to go back ---
Mr. B. Williams: Mr. Mayor ---
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Mr. Mayor: All right, the Commissioner from the 5. For those of you who are on the
meeting do you mind showing your faces? I mean if you’re raising your hand I can hear you, I
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can’t see you otherwise you’re just going to blurt out. Commissioner from the 5 would you
graciously just go back live if you don’t mind, sir.
54
Mr. B. Williams: --- I’m not live?
Mr. Mayor: No, sir, we just hear you.
Mr. Garrett: No, we ain’t seen you the whole meeting.
Mr. B. Williams: Well, it’s a technical difficulty over here then.
Mr. M. Williams: It’s the operator.
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Mr. Mayor: Okay, Commissioner from the 5 state your inquiry.
Mr. B. Williams: Well, I just wanted to make a statement. I know we’ve got some items
on here about the waste haulers but I do think that the Administrator has a workshop ---
Mr. M. Williams: I can’t see him, Mr. Mayor. I’m not meeting with nobody I can’t see, I
can’t see him, Mr. Mayor (unintelligible).
Mr. B. Williams: --- well, let me (unintelligible) ---
Mr. M. Williams: I can’t see him, Mr. Mayor, I can’t see the Commissioner who’s
supposed to be talking who represents a district, he’s not representing a district (unintelligible)
he’s not being seen.
Mr. Mayor: Okay all right, I’m going to come back. Let’s let the Commissioner from the
thnd
5 get his technology working, the Commissioner from the 2 get his technology working. Ya’ll
are in a public meeting, you’re representing the City of Augusta and you need be visible. You
need to be visible.
Mr. Sias: Move on.
Mr. B. Williams: Can you see me now, Mr. Mayor?
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Mr. Mayor: Hold on, Commissioner from the 5 just hold on a minute. I’m going to
recognize you in just a second. You’re in a public meeting and I’m going to ask everybody to
come back and to come on the screen. If you’re not going to do that then do what I did and leave
the meeting and come back until you’re ready to be a part of the conversation. All right,
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Commissioner from the 5 the floor is yours, sir.
Mr. B. Williams: Well, I was just reminding you that the Administrator has a workshop
on the waste haulers. I understand we’ve got a couple things on the agenda about waste haulers so
I don’t know if we should sit here and discuss what they were going to have a workshop on.
Mr. Mayor: I think you ought to make a motion to defer these. That’s just my
recommendation but I’m going to let you decide how you want to proceed.
55
Mr. B. Williams: I make a motion that we defer these until after the workshop.
Mr. Fennoy: Second.
Mr. Garrett: One of the haulers is in the Chamber that’s willing to speak to 32 if we want
to hear him.
Mr. Mayor: Yeah, I think, I appreciate that, Commissioner Garrett. I think you talked about
20 minutes they were going to come down to deal with the other issue but I think it’d be prudent
you’ve got the work session that’s being had it’d be prudent for us to have a full throated
conversation at that time.
Mr. Hasan: 32 is a different item now.
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Mr. Mayor: All right, Commissioner from the 5 which items are you referring to, sir?
Mr. B. Williams: I’m referring anything that refers to waste haulers. 32 is a different item
so they want to talk about a supplement.
Mr. Mayor: Yeah, I understand. You’ve only got one item 41 that’s dealing with waste
haulers so we’re not at that I mean we’re not (inaudible).
Mr. B. Williams: Okay well, okay.
ENGINEERING SERVICES
41. Discuss the process for rebidding waste haulers contracts. (Requested by Commissioner
Marion Williams)
Mr. Mayor: So we’ll receive as information Item Number 42 after the stormwater
conversation. Item Number 31 is related to that then we’re coming back to talk about that during
the work session.
Mr. Sias: Did we get Item 30?
Mr. Mayor: Yep ---
Mr. Sias: Can we kind of get back in order (unintelligible).
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Mr. Mayor: Hold on, Commissioner from the 4. All right, so, Madam Clerk, Item 42
we’ll receive as information, okay? All right without objection Item Number 30.
The Clerk:
FINANCE
30. Motion to approve funding request to assist Greater Augusta’s Interfaith Coalition’s
Total Census Count Initiative. To support census responses from hard to count citizens and
56
the support for 15 sites of activities for respondents of the local Census Count. (Request by
Commissioner Ben Hasan)
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Mr. Mayor: Commissioner from the 4.
Mr. Sias: Thank you, sir. First off I have a couple of comments but I would like to know
if Mr. Johnson is in the Chambers to make a presentation on this agenda item.
The Clerk: Yes, sir.
Mr. Mayor: He’s here.
Mr. Sias: Can we hear him and then I can get my say?
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Mr. Mayor: All right, so let’s do this if you don’t mind. Commissioner from the 6 this
is his agenda item. Let me recognize him first and then we’ll go in that order, okay? (inaudible)
hand up.
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Mr. Sias: I apologize, my good friend from the 6.
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Mr. Hasan: That’s all right, my good friend from the 4 I won’t cut your head off this
time.
The Clerk: Are we on CSPAN?
Mr. Garrett: Man, ya’ll being all sweet. That’s kind of scary.
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Mr. Mayor: Commissioner from the 6.
Mr. Hasan: Mr. Mayor, since he had the (unintelligible) go ahead and make the
presentation and I’m make my comments after if you don’t mind.
Mr. Mayor: All right, Mr. Johnson, Reverend Johnson.
Reverend Johnson: Mayor, (unintelligible) and the Commissioners Richmond County
(unintelligible) come before you again. I’ve been trying to get here. Every time I’ve been running
late. Today I was running late. I wanted to make sure I arrived on time and got to talk today and
thank God he’s given us a chance to appear before you. It’s always been my position if you arrive
late for church you don’t (inaudible) but the other times I arrive late and I couldn’t get in when the
others representatives from Antioch Interfaith were talking. I stand here today to say thank you
for allowing us to come back to you again to (inaudible) support for the Greater Augusta Interfaith
Coalition’s (inaudible). We have been doing a lot of work in season and out of season and thank
God for COVID. COVID allowed us to expand the time that we initially were going to do the
st.
census all the way down to October 31 COVID caused us to use some innovative ideas,
innovative ways to try and capture the vote and count the census. We have used a lot of resources
both volunteer and as well as paid resources and improvement in technology. We’re grateful for
57
the opportunity again to come and approach you to find out, answer any questions that you may
have and (unintelligible).
Mr. Mayor: Mr. Johnson ---
Reverend Johnson: Yes, sir (unintelligible).
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Mr. Mayor: --- okay, Commissioner from the 4.
Mr. Sias: Thank you, sir. Mr. Johnson, first off I want to commend ya’ll for the work
you’ve done in the census and are you all still working? I believe the census has been extended
back to its original date, end date of 31 October. Are you aware of that or does that sound true to
you?
Mr. Johnson: We are aware of that and as you very well know as you go into the Municipal
Building and Courthouse, you go in South Augusta, you go all around, you see the Greater Augusta
Interfaith continues to work. We have been working, working, working because we even work
when they want us to stay inside we worked and we worked and worked and we thank God we’re
able to work.
Mr. Sias: Okay, all right ---
Mr. Johnson: I have on three masks because I’m also concerned about TM2.5 which is
something also causes some circulatory problems (unintelligible) in the midst of this COVID, the
other disease that spreads in the air. Thank you, sir.
Mr. Sias: --- no problem. Mayor, thank you for that. I might have a question later but I’ll
have a proposal I’d like to put on the table but I want to get out for the moment so my colleague
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from the 6 can get back to his agenda item. Thank you.
Mr. Johnson: Thank you, sir, appreciate it.
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Mr. Mayor: Commissioner from the 6 go ahead, sir.
Mr. Hasan: Thank you, Mr. Mayor. Mr. Mayor, I’d like to say this item’s been on the
agenda I think if it’s possibly the third time if not the fourth and I think I mean even though the
organization has not had any success before the Commission body, they have not stopped working
they stayed the course and I think they’ve been the most consistent thing in terms of getting with
the census. We know how important the census is. It has a ten-year impact and as a result of that
we want to do what we can to be supportive of them. And so I was initially going to make a request
th
financially but I’ll let my colleague from the 4 make it and I’ll be supportive of that motion that
he makes at this particular time. But I thank the Greater Augusta Interfaith Coalition for staying
the course because the census is important and you at least one thing you have been consistent so
we appreciate that very much.
Mr. Johnson: Thank you, sir. I appreciate it ---
58
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Mr. Mayor: All right, the Commissioner from the 8.
Mr. Johnson: --- I didn’t get a chance to sing I’m one of those working engineers. I have
some you know engineers we all upon to do work at any time we had a pipe that was down been
in that area since 7:00 o’clock the morning and you know we thought it would be over by 12:00
but it kept going so just wanted to (unintelligible) my preacher out there.
Mr. Mayor: Reverend Johnson, thank you so much. All right, we’ve got some more
thrd
questions from Commissioners. Commissioner from the 8 then the Commissioner from the 3.
Mr. Garrett: Thank you, Mayor. This question is for the gentleman that’s speaking towards
this item. You know I appreciate the work that went into helping to get people counted. You
know I appreciate the fact that this was a volunteer effort and to me I’m still just trying to
understand what the ask is for and what it’s going to go towards. Were there paid employees and
if that’s the case then I guess it’s really not a volunteer so if you can help me understand a little bit
of that then maybe I can make a better decision.
Reverend Johnson: Thank you, Commissioner Garrett. When we started out we started
out putting together folks from the census, started last year in November of last year and we we’re
all getting together planning on getting together. In fact we even went over there met with the
(unintelligible) team and said we were going to try and get it done. We are going to try to have
boots hit the ground when the census kicked off and we’ll be able to knock the two months off
without any problems. What happened COVID kicked in and as COVID kicked in our volunteers
went down. Our volunteers practically stopped because most of our volunteers are like me, you
got the young and the restless and you’ve got the old and the nervous and most of our volunteers
we have all kinds of medical problems, all of us over age so we had to cut back and as a result of
that we had to still get the work done because you know the city shut down. When the city
resources could not move because of one person to another and also the federal government the
federal government people couldn’t do it but we knew that the clock was ticking. The clock kept
on ticking because we knew that we had to get it in but we took it all we had it in but we had to
reach the heart of the county because one of the concerns that we have with Augusta Interfaith and
we (unintelligible) the total count because we have a situation where a lot of the black males don’t
get counted and a lot of black with children minority with children don’t get counted. There’s a
lot of cynical people. What I mean by cynical people a lot of people that don’t believe in
government, don’t want to have nothing to do with the government even though some of them
work for the government. We have a site here at the Municipal Building. If we don’t pay our staff
in the Municipal Building we wouldn’t have collected almost like 450 registrants here at the
Municipal Building. So yes we had to shift, we had to shift like anyone else would do. We had
to shift because when we looked around, Commissioner Garrett, when we looked around there was
nobody standing with us. In fact this past weekend the Mayor had someone to call our office to
see whether or not we could have somebody at the (inaudible) with the Shriners. They called the
Greater Augusta Interfaith to provide the logistics and support for the collection of information
that the census (unintelligible). We have worked all over this place and yet some said what about
here and there. We’ve worked, we’ve worked, we’re workaholics. They don’t like to showboat
and we don’t like to stand. In fact we don’t like to ask for much and we’re spending more money
59
than we’re actually asking for. We just say look we’ve to put to where we rob Peter to pay Paul.
One thing about it we can’t put the voter registration people on the ground because it requires too
much person to person touch so we had to take some (inaudible). We hired specialists in
(inaudible) in order to get the job done because when you look at the hard to count people, they
had to work strategically to get the hard to count people counted and if you look at the numbers
right now Richmond County is up there at 60% and we can talk about how many people, the hard
to count people, those people that come to you with a laptop in their hand or a smart phone in their
hand, a computer that they sit at and they don’t want to sign nothing, they don’t want to do
anything. So what we do we’ve had to stop them and plead with them and say look this is about
the future, this is about us. I mean ---
Mr. Mayor: Reverend Johnson, Reverend Johnson ---
Reverend Johnson: Yes, sir.
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Mr. Mayor: --- Reverend Johnson, the Commissioner from the 8 asked you a specific
question ---
Reverend Johnson: (Inaudible).
Mr. Mayor: --- hold on, hold on, hold on. He asked you a specific question in terms of
what these resources (unintelligible) for us. That was his question. Now I’m going to qualify
something you said because you said it which means that I’m now got to respond to it. The
Mayor’s office didn’t call your group. You called me specifically about this matter and talked to
me about lending support for the agenda item and you indicated to me at that time that the
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Commissioner from the 6 was placing this on the agenda and not the Commissioner from the 1.
You then had a broader conversation with me about this at which point in time at the conclusion
of that conversation I said to you we’re having a food giveaway. Would you and your team come
over and volunteer and support those efforts because we were giving 800 boxes of fresh fruit and
vegetables away to citizens of Augusta. Let me go a step further. In that partnership that we had
through the Mayor’s Office you had the New Georgia Project who is doing voter registration
coupled with when we all vote (unintelligible) the vote so I just want to clarify that about what
your role was because onsite we had the census the 2020 Census team ambassadors who had their
devices. Six of the ten team ambassadors had their IPADS and they were having individuals fill
out the census as well as getting folks registered to vote so let me just clarify that. The question
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that the Commissioner from the 8 has posed to you is what the main resources need to go for ---
Reverend Johnson: (Inaudible).
Mr. Mayor: --- and I’m not finished yet, I’m not finished yet, I’m not finished yet. What
you need to clarify, Reverend Johnson, what you need to clarify is to tell the Commission what it
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is you need and I believe the Commissioner from the 4 is prepared to make a motion to try to
support your organization but I want you to be factual in that.
Reverend Johnson: Well, I am being factual because from day one, from day one you
asked what can we partner here, we have no partner. When we turned out on day two and nobody
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was there but us, we had people on the ground. People were working, people were calling. We
have a calling team that continue to call all the time. We had two people that came up with COVID
and what you did, Mayor, you stood up and asked all the members who came down with COVID
because they shouldn’t have been out there. (Unintelligible).
Mr. Garrett: Hey sir, sir, can I try this another way? Is part of this money to pay others
that have helped you guys with services?
Reverend Johnson: Part of the money, well, three parts (inaudible) one part of it, we spent
money for resources from everyplace in order to get the job done. Some of the resources we made
from commitments for us. Some of the talent that we’ve used we made commitments for. We
hadn’t been able to pay them people because we haven’t maintained keeping the boots on the
ground in the midst of everything. Our first priority was boots on the ground, all the other teams
hold on and wait.
Mr. Garrett: What were the commitments that you made? Help me understand that.
Reverend Johnson: All right, our internet services with websites and all that program we
have not paid for those yet. We haven’t paid for the company that set up our website, that runs,
the public relations people, all that we haven’t paid them their money. We have not paid, we have,
we brought a consultant in, we thought the consultant was going to be with us, but COVID caused
us to keep the consultant working with us in order for us to try to (inaudible). We haven’t paid
those people, yes, I’ll be the first one to say, almost half is to pay other folks back that we’ve
expended money for. Yes, so you’re right, I agree with you and then the third part of it we paid
(inaudible) every day for people who worked. Thank you.
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Mr. Mayor: All right, the Chair recognizes the Commissioner from the 4.
Mr. Sias: Thank you, sir. This has been then I guess a good discussion. I had a lot of
reservations concerning this from early back when it first came up but what I would like to propose
and I believe they have done a good job. I am a little distressed that the last time when this group
was here we asked them to just let us know exactly what they were going to spend the money on
and if they had already spent it or what they had already spent knowing the census was near the
end to simply say then who or what they we reimbursed for and that was supposed to have been
computer, internet services so forth but unfortunately I didn’t hear that today. So and I think it
was important to everyone here that we hear that today so I’m going to make this motion that we
provide them $15,000 dollars for the work that they’ve done.
Mr. Hasan: Second.
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Mr. Mayor: Commissioner from the 3.
Ms. Davis: Thank you, Mr. Mayor. So I know that I think the Interfaith you all have, the
Coalition has signed what 1,400 people did you say to date and so I was curious what’s the total
number, Mr. Mayor, that has signed up for Richmond County? Do we have available? I’m just
trying to figure out percentage wise and trying to get the big picture here.
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Mr. Mayor: So I want to paint the picture once again that the census is completed three
ways. There is dialing 1-844-330-2020 ---
Ms. Davis: Right.
Mr. Mayor: --- by filling out the form that they mail to your home or going online to My
2020 Census.gov. That is what they refer to as the self-response method. The enumeration method
which is what the Census Bureau conducts when they deploy their people in the field to knock on
doors, what happens is the city provides them with a local file that is all the residences in our
community. 100% of that has already been done, okay?
Ms. Davis: Okay.
Mr. Mayor: --- that’s the enumeration where they’ve gone to every single residence in
Augusta-Richmond County. What I would suggest is that the Greater Augusta Interfaith Coalition
has done what the Augusta Complete Count Committee was working on and that is going in the
community, helping people fill it out directly. That’s what the team ambassadors have done on
the ground and gone and filled out. That is what we refer to as self-response.
Ms. Davis: Okay.
Mr. Mayor: And so that number as of last night self-response in Richmond County was
60.8%.
Ms. Davis: Okay if we decided, Mr. Mayor, ya’ll said that ya’ll had offered what $3,500
dollars for this these efforts?
Mr. Mayor: That was correct at our previous meeting that was rejected. The Commissioner
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from the 6 just indicated that this has been the third, this is the third time I suspect. And so those
resources have not been expended ---
Ms. Davis: I can’t hear you; someone has their (inaudible).
Mr. Mayor: --- those resources, those resources have been expended ---
Ms. Davis: I can’t hear you.
Mr. Mayor: --- okay, hold on just one minute, Commissioner Davis. Those resources have
been expended and are no longer available so if there’s an allocation it would have to come from
anything additional that the Commission would do which is what I think the Commissioner from
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the 4 just offered.
Ms. Davis: So if we do allocate some resources, is that coming from the General Fund?
Mr. Mayor: I can’t answer that ---
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Ms. Davis: Could the Administrator ---
Mr. Sims: Yes, it would have to come from Contingency Funds, that’s correct.
Ms. Davis: --- okay, thanks, Administrator. All right, thanks, Mr. Mayor.
Mr. Mayor: --- all right, thank you. We’ve got a motion on the floor, a motion in the
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amount of $15,000. Commissioner, you’re muted, Commissioner from the 6 you’re muted.
Mr. Hasan: Yes, sir, Mr. Mayor. I’ve noticed, Reverend Johnson, I appreciate very much
if you don’t respond to my comments right about now. I realize Reverend Johnson has a lot of fire
in his belly about things that he’s passionate about. The one thing we can’t deny is his body or
work is undeniable. And with that I would like to try to see can we at least can we get him $25,000
dollars. Now here’s why. If you look at each one of those 1,400 persons if we just watch and we
cut off 400 of them and say 1,000 persons times $2,300 dollars a year times ten years. That’s
what you’re looking at and so $2,500 dollars, $25,000 dollars I’m sorry, is not a whole lot for the
effort. And I can tell you ya’ll being in the building several times a week and they are down there.
In the Judicial Building they are there. They’re out in the Tag Office. So they’re actually working.
I know Reverend Johnson once again he can get kind of passionate about things but let’s not
diminish the body of work that they’re doing and I’d like to make a motion for $25,000 dollars.
Mr. Mayor: Motion fails without a proper second ---
Mr. B. Williams: Mr. Mayor?
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Mr. Mayor: --- Commissioner from the 4.
Mr. Sias: I want to go back to the answer that the Administrator gave, Administrator, do
we not under the COVID criteria that we have any money in COVID that could cover this?
Mr. Sims: If we’re saying this is going to be allowable expenses for his COVID related
than that is correct, Commissioner.
Mr. Sias: And if I’m not mistaken if I may continue, Mayor ---
Mr. Mayor: Yes, sir.
Mr. Sias: --- one of the expressed items (inaudible) mentioned about COVID was that it
affected census. At first you know it was (unintelligible) because of COVID I believe from 31
October to 30 September and I think the judicial action got involved to kind of stretch it back out
again. But a lot of the census takers were taken off this thing because of COVID so it was my
thinking even though I didn’t say it that’s my problem I thought this would come from COVID
because of that the original census thing was narrowed due to the COVID-19. It was actually held
up at one time until they got back in the rolls. So my thinking was that this would come from
COVID not General Fund or Contingency.
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Mr. Mayor: All right so the Commissioner from the 1 made a motion and it didn’t get a
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second. The Commissioner from the 6 made a motion and it didn’t get a second. What’s our
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pleasure? And let me offer this to the Commissioner from the 4 you just heard a conversation as
I understand it that pursuant to the two grants that we’ve received from the Board of Elections
there are dollars that would be potentially returned back and no longer needed as Cares Act funding
so that might be a source of revenue for that purpose. So the question that would have to be
answered is now that we’ve already submitted those expenditures in that first phase of Cares Act
reporting do we make an adjustment just how we do that but I just want to put that out on the table
that there are potentially are additional Cares Act dollars available for you to use as well as Cares
Act dollars that are available in Housing and Community Development. You can’t have
community development without having an accurate census count so I just want to offer that as
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well, Commissioner from the 4.
Mr. Sias: If I may, sir, since my motion didn’t get a second that means it didn’t go
anywhere.
The Clerk: Yes, sir, Mr. Mayor, Commissioner Hasan seconded his motion.
Mr. Mayor: No, Commissioner Hasan made his own motion, didn’t he?
The Clerk: He seconded that one and then he made his own substitute motion.
Mr. Mayor: Okay, well then his motion would’ve been a substitute ---
The Clerk: Yes.
Mr. Mayor: --- okay.
Mr. Sias: What I would like to do is restate my motion for $15,000 and that would come
from for lack of a better term recaptured Cares Act funds particular coming from the Board of
Elections.
Mr. Mayor: So ---
Mr. Hasan: Second.
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Mr. Mayor: --- all right, so Commissioner from the 4 I would ask you if amend your
motion and just simply say from potential Cares Act funding as opposed to recapture. I don’t want
us to get caught throwing in a cog in the wheel there with what that reporting because that’s already
been submitted to the governing office.
Mr. Sias: Can you restate that for me please then so I make sure I’m straight? I’m a little
slow sometimes so could you handle that for me?
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Mr. Mayor: Certainly. Motion to approve $15,000 from potential Cares Act funding for
the Greater Augusta Interfaith Coalition ---
Mr. Sias: So moved.
Mr. Mayor: --- for census related activities.
Mr. Hasan: I’ll give him a second on it.
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Mr. Mayor: Okay, all right, Commissioner from the 3.
Ms. Davis: Thank you, Mr. Mayor. Can we just hear real quick from Finance Director
because feeling uneasy without seeing a budget, I’m feeling uneasy that we’re hearing different
ways of maybe taking this money out of two different pots or can I hear from Wayne Brown, our
Legal Counsel, please? Somebody, nothing is definitive right here and I feel like we still haven’t
seen a budget and whenever we give money to nonprofits we have a process. I’m just concerned.
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Mr. Mayor: The Finance Director is coming online, Commissioner from the 3.
Ms. Davis: Thank you, Mr. Mayor.
Mr. Mayor: Yes, ma’am, thank you.
Mr. Hasan: Mr. Mayor, can I can I say something about what my colleague just made
mention of in the meantime? Are you telling me to go ahead?
Mr. Mayor: Yeah, Commissioner Hasan, let’s here from Director Williams and then I’m
come to you. Go ahead, Donna. Commissioner Davis, please pose your question.
Ms. Davis: Oh, to Ms. Williams?
Mr. Mayor: Yes.
Ms. Davis: --- Ms. Williams, so we’re hearing two different things. If we allocate funds
to Interfaith Coalition for the census count where would those funds come from? I’ve heard
Contingency then I’ve heard maybe some recaptured Cares Act. Give me some guidance here if
you don’t mind. And also do we need a budget before we approve some of the expenditures right
now to a nonprofit?
Ms. Williams: Okay that’s a lot of questions and ---
Ms. Davis: Okay, sorry, it’s just too many questions. Where would the funding come
from?
Ms. Williams: --- number one is I’m 100% certain that you have it within your power to
allocate it through Contingency. There’s $62,000 dollars still left in Contingency ---
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Ms. Davis: Okay.
Ms. Williams: --- but I’m less certain of is the process for coming through Cares Act
because I have not looked at this particular use of Cares funding. I’m of the general opinion that
it probably would fit but you should probably follow along the same procedure that you have
already used to make an allocation to an external agency for use of Cares funds. You sent, you
approved the appropriation to Paine College contingent on processing through the Legal
Department and then turning in some documentation. I would suggest that you it would be a good
idea not to deviate from the procedure that you set up with the one item that came before this. That
would seem to me the consistent use.
Ms. Davis: The funds for Paine College, the same procedure ---
Ms. Williams: The same.
Ms. Davis: --- okay.
Ms. Williams: Yes.
Ms. Davis: Okay, thank you. Yeah, Mr. Mayor, I would support this if we were able to
pull it from Cares funds but again I would need to like Ms. Williams said to go through Legal like
we did before and follow the same process. Thank you.
Mr. Mayor: All right, Madam Clerk, we’ve got a motion and a second, Commissioner
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from the 6 he waives.
Mr. Hasan: No, no, no I didn’t waive, Mr. Mayor, I still ---
Mr. Mayor: Okay.
Mr. Hasan: --- I think there’s a fundamental difference here. Most times organizations are
providing a service to us in terms of a quality of life and trust me we all appreciate that. But here’s
an entity at this particular time they’re putting money in the city’s coffer for the next 10 years. I
mean so that’s there’s a fundamental difference there in terms of how we are approaching this.
And so if it’s going to be if it has to be given an alternative, if the Cares Act won’t work then give
an alternative to get it out of Contingency Fund if need be if you’re going to do that and not
(unintelligible).
Mr. Mayor: So you’ve got a motion that was direct about where the funding would come
from and now you’re effectively changing the motion so ---
Mr. Hasan: I’m giving an optional funding source.
Mr. Mayor: --- I think you should vote on the motion that you’ve got before you, not be
able to move it forward. Madam Clerk, let’s vote.
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The Clerk: Mr. Clarke.
Mr. Clarke: No.
The Clerk: Ms. Davis.
Ms. Davis: No, ma’am.
The Clerk: Mr. Fennoy, is he muted, sir?
Mr. Garrett: He’s gone.
Mr. Mayor: He’s gone, Ms. Bonner.
The Clerk: Mr. Frantom, Mr. Garrett.
Mr. Garrett: No.
The Clerk: Mr. Hasan.
Mr. Hasan: Yes, ma’am.
The Clerk: Mr. Sias.
Mr. Mayor: He’s muted. Commissioner Sias, you’re muted.
Mr. Sias: My bad, yes, ma’am.
The Clerk: Mr. Bobby Williams.
Mr. Mayor: He’s muted.
The Clerk: Did he unmute?
Mr. Mayor: We’re waiting on him.
Mr. Garrett: He’s not there, here he comes.
Mr. Mayor: Let’s come back around to him, Madam Clerk.
Mr. B. Williams: Yes, ma’am.
The Clerk: Is that a yes, sir?
Mr. B. Williams: Yes.
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The Clerk: Mr. Dennis Williams.
Mr. D. Williams: Yes.
The Clerk: Mr. Marion Williams.
Mr. Clarke, Ms. Davis and Mr. Garrett vote No.
Mr. Fennoy and Mr. Frantom out.
Motion Fails 5-3.
Mr. Mayor: Madam Clerk, next item.
The Clerk:
ENGINEERING SERVICES
32. Motion to approve a request by Advanced Disposal and Orion Waste Systems for
supplemental compensation for additional work performed during the COVID-19 pandemic
in accordance with Section 20.28 Force Majeure per their respective contracts with Augusta.
This time period covers April, 2020 through December, 2020.
Mr. Mayor: Administrator Sims, you want to speak to this matter, Administrator Sims?
Mr. Sims: Mayor, we actually have the Director that will be able to speak on this matter.
Mr. Mayor: Is this ---
Mr. Sims: Mark Mehall ---
Mr. Mayor: --- okay ---
Mr. Sims: --- and Becky Padgett.
Mr. Mayor: Okay, I don’t see them in the waiting room.
The Clerk: The haulers are in the Chamber, sir, when, if it’s appropriate for them to make
their presentation.
Mr. Mayor: All right, we’re going to here from Mehall and then we’ll go from there. All
right, it’s 5:33. Let’s pick up the pace on these conversations, everybody, let’s pick up the pace
on these conversations. All right, Director Mehall.
Mr. Mehall: Yeah, good afternoon, Mayor and Commission. This agenda item is a motion
to approve a request by Advanced Disposal and Orion Waste Systems for supplemental
compensation for additional work performed during the COVID-19 pandemic. This in accordance
with Section 20.28 Force Majeure per their respective contract with Augusta. This time period is
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April 2020 through December 2020. In researching and conducting considerable discussion with,
for this particular agenda item they’ve come with several hardships that they’ve experienced
during COVID-19 both in a marked increase in solid waste collected and considerable collection
difficulties including lack of drivers due to COVID-19 so those are the major factors driving this.
In considering this particular item we came today with a request to ask the Commission to waive
liquidated damages for each month assessed in the monthly performance summary from April
through December as I stated earlier. This will be a start. We chose liquated damages first because
they were the most easily quantifiable (unintelligible).
Mr. Mayor: Director Mehall, go ahead.
Mr. Mehall: So that is our request basically we’ve stated right now it’s been approximately
$450.00 dollars’ worth of effect in this that. That’s what we present to you.
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Mr. Mayor: Commissioner from the 5.
Mr. B. Williams: Yes, sir, can you define liquidated damages for this act.
Mr. Mehall: Yeah, I may have Becky try to speak to exactly what the liquidated damages
are.
Ms. Padgett: So according to the contract, the collection contract, there are certain
requirements that the haulers have to provide and that would be mainly timeframe. If they, if we
get a request for service where’s there’s been a miss and they have to service that with the same
day a call comes in before 5:30 or the next day a call comes in after 5:30. So liquidated damages
consists of misses, repeat misses, area misses, damages to our carts to the wheels and to the body,
not going back and picking up litter within the timeframe, not addressing and working property
damage claims and leaks and spills, not removing a leaking vehicle and not cleaning up a spill
within the timeframe of the contract. So that’s liquidated damages.
Mr. Hasan: Mr. Mayor, I have a question.
th.
Mr. Mayor: I want to make sure we get to the Commissioner from the 5 Is he clear?
Mr. B. Williams: Yes, sir, I don’t mean to be harsh or anything like that but that seems
something that the haulers themselves should be taken into account for. I mean if they miss
somebody’s trash and I call them all the time about missing somebody’s trash or a trash can that
was (unintelligible) and you’ve got a spill everywhere and nobody is cleaning it up. I don’t know
about that. Thank you.
Ms. Padgett: I will tell you this that with everybody staying home during the pandemic
you know and the beginning and it just kind of it kind of multiplies throughout the week. Let’s
say that everybody’s home and they are cleaning and they are, they can’t go to work, the kids are
out of school, they’re at home doing homeschool, that the amount of debris that was placed at the
right-of-way for pick up increased and it increased so much that they weren’t able to finish their
routes. In addition to this excess of garbage that’s out on the street they experienced drivers who
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had to be quarantined, drivers that came down with COVID. They had people in the shop, they
had people in the office and so they really got behind the eight ball and as a result they were unable
to finish the route which if you don’t finish a route on Monday it rolls into Tuesday so you don’t
finish Tuesday’s routes and it keeps rolling and they assessed some pretty substantial liquidated
damages during this COVID outbreak.
Mr. Hasan: Mr. Mayor ---
Mr. Mayor: Hold on, hold on ---
Mr. B. Williams: Let me make a statement that I’m going to, we’re talking about
extending, we’re pretty much getting to the point where we’re talking about either extending or
rebidding their contract. Without saying a lot I think that needs to be taken into consideration with
what we’re talking about now and I’m through.
Ms. Padgett: Absolutely, we’re preparing for our workshop and that’s one of the topics,
liquidated damages.
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Mr. Mayor: Very well, thanks so much, Ms. Padgett. Commissioner from the 6 state
your inquiry.
Mr. Hasan: Thank you, Mr. Mayor. Excuse me, I’m on my phone hoping that (inaudible)
---
Mr. Mayor: (Unintelligible) we hear you.
Mr. Hasan: Okay, I’m believing that this was supposed to be, we’re supposed to be just
waiving the fees or the penalties that result of all the things that Ms. Becky mentioned. We’re not
trying to change monies in any form or fashion. I just think it’s really nothing but the King’s
English on this it begins to confuse persons like myself. But I think all they’re asking is just waive
the fees because of what has happened during the COVID so we’re not trying to change any money
at this particular time. The penalties that we’re assessing to them we’re trying to waive and I make
a motion to approve that if that’s what we are talking about. Am I correct, Ms. Becky?
Ms. Padgett: Yes, you are, sir.
Mr. Mehall: Yes, you are.
Mr. Clarke: Second.
Mr. Hasan: I make a motion to waive the fees.
Mr. Clarke: Second.
Mr. Mayor: All right, we’ve got a motion and second. Madam Clerk, voting.
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The Clerk: Mr. Clarke.
Mr. Clarke: Yes.
The Clerk: Ms. Davis.
Ms. Davis: Yes, ma’am.
The Clerk: Mr. Fennoy, Mr. Frantom.
Mr. Frantom: Yes, ma’am.
The Clerk: Mr. Garrett.
Mr. Garrett: Yes, ma’am.
The Clerk: Mr. Hasan.
Mr. Hasan: Yes, ma’am.
The Clerk: Mr. Sias.
Mr. Sias: Yes, ma’am.
The Clerk: Mr. Bobby Williams.
Mr. B. Williams: Yes, ma’am.
The Clerk: Mr. Dennis Williams, Mr. Marion Williams.
Mr. Fennoy, Mr. D. Williams and Mr. M. Williams out.
Motion Passes 7-0.
Mr. Mayor: Madam Clerk ---
The Clerk: Yes, sir.
ENGINEERING SERVICES
37. Discuss the process for collection of non-compliance waste and streetlights on Massiott
Drive, McDuffie Woods Subdivision. (Requested by Commission Marion Williams)
41. Discuss the process for rebidding waste haulers contracts. (Requested by Commissioner
Marion Williams)
Mr. Mayor: --- all right, I’d like to take Item #37, #41 and we’re going to defer them to
our next committee meeting.
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Mr. B. Williams: Don’t forget you have the workshop.
Mr. Mayor: Yep, absolutely.
The Clerk: Number 41 by consensus was referred to the workshop.
Mr. Mayor: Okay, that’s good and Number 37 ---
The Clerk: You want to refer that to the next meeting?
Mr. Mayor: --- next meeting, next committee meeting, whichever comes first. All right,
that means that the last item we have in front of us then is Item #36, is that not correct?
ENGINEERING SERVICES
36. Discuss the security measures or lack thereof at the Augusta Landfill. (Requested by
Commissioner Sammie Sias)
The Clerk: If that’s that.
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Mr. Mayor: All right, Commissioner from the 4 you’ve got the last item on today, sir.
Mr. Sias: Thank you very much. Mayor and my colleagues, one of my concerns that has
been brought up was a lack of security at the landfill where we had apparently we had folks going
out there undermining the length the Environmental Services process at the landfill. And I received
notice from Mr. Mehall and Mr. Wimberley that they were looking at some changes out there and
I think they’ve made some good adjustments already so if you don’t mind, Mayor, I would like to
hear from Mr. Mehall reference the upgrades they’ve already accomplished and intend to do.
Mr. Mayor: All right, Mr. Mehall, go ahead, sir.
Mr. Mehall: Thank you, Mayor, thank you, Commissioner Sias. Yes, we’ve made several
upgrades to our security in the last month on our southern perimeter. As you may know we have
three operational exits to the Deans Bridge Landfill. There’s the main exit off of Deans Bridge
Road and then there’s two southern exits, entrances and exits, that go into our southern perimeter.
One leads directly into the Pinetucky Gun Club and the other leads into the Sheriff’s training
facility and they’re located within about 150 feet of each other. And one of the things that EPD
pointed out is that you know we needed to control that better and an access road that goes from
the Sheriff’s training area back onto the top of Phase 3. And there have been in the past in that
particular position a chain that blocked off the road but several times the Sheriff’s Department
easily took it down because they needed to access the shooting areas that they have and target
practice and shooting areas that have on our back perimeter. So we’ve enacted a couple of things
on our southern perimeter that is a fully functional two portion gate which is padlocked and that
prohibits any vehicle access between either Pinetucky or the Sheriff’s training facility into our site.
We’ve also put up a restricted access sign. We have two at that particular point of entry and we
also put some down further near the beginning of the top of Phase 3. Those are recommendations
that EPD gave us. I’ve also been in contact with both the Sheriff’s Department and Pinetucky
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about their entry protocols and when they keep the gates open, who has access, who has access to
the two code boxes that are there so I’m working with them to make sure that we have truly
restricted access between those two locations on our southern perimeter and our operational area.
Finally I have talked to Commissioner Sias about his concern at our main gate and what the
concern is, is for several years now we have had an open lane beside the scale as you’re coming
in on your right hand side in which the scale, the two incoming scales can be bypassed. What we
have done is looked at the feasibility of getting a security gate like they have at the airport. It
would essentially be one arm that could activated by both barcode, code input and gate operator
so we could restrict that access of people coming in. We’ve looked at several styles. We’re going
to look at one that has functionality like I say for both scale operation and scanning and barcode
hopefully tied to employee entry cards, employee ID cards so you know we can have people who
need to be here need to come in easy access to that so we’re looking at that and we think it can be
fairly affordable. Right now we’re still exploring our possibilities but it would probably be in
around the $10,000 dollar range for something that would be multifunctional on that end. So that
is what we’re doing currently and we’re asking for Commission consideration for that.
Mr. Mayor: Commissioner Sias, go ahead, sir.
Mr. Sias: Yes, sir, thank you, and I want to thank Mr. Mehall and them for looking at this
and taking it very seriously because when you go across the scales there are cameras and
everything that can record who is going in and out of the landfill. However on the main gate
bypass there’s nothing so we’ve had folks out there who shouldn’t have been out there in the
landfill and this I think will go a long way in securing the landfill from folks that’s just out there
as predators or for whatever reason they want to be there and it’ll also stop any drive bys on the
scales where the scales we have two sets of scales. People go across there fairly quickly; I’ve been
out there a number of times and (inaudible) cameras they know who’s out there and they have a
record they can go by. So I want to thank them for that and I appreciate that thank you. Thank
you, Mr. Mayor.
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Mr. Mayor: Thank you, Commissioner from the 4. All right again we discussed this
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matter. Commissioner from the 4 did you have any additional recommendations that we want to
further talk about or what’s our next step sir from your vantage point?
Mr. Sias: I think we also need to support the idea that was brought up about insuring that
we get these give the, we’ve done it already so that they can get these things done because we have
folks just going out there looking around taking pictures sending them up to EPD or ED or whoever
that is. And I think not that we have anything to hide but at least if we make a mistake at the
landfill at least we should be the first to know it and get a chance to work on it and report it as it
correlates require. So I just want to say I’m looking forward to these improvements at the landfill.
Thank you, sir.
th,
Mr. Mayor: All right, very well, Commissioner from the 6 you had something you
wanted to say.
Mr. Hasan: No sir, no sir, I’m fine, sir.
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th
Mr. Mayor: All right, Commissioner from the 8.
Mr. Garrett: Do I get to make a motion to adjourn this meeting yet?
Mr. Mayor: Absolutely, right now.
Mr. Clarke: Second.
Mr. Mayor: All right, there being no further business before us this meeting is adjourned.
Mr. Garrett: Thank you.
Mr. Mayor: Thank you.
\[MEETING ADJOURNED\]
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
October 6, 2020.
______________________________
Clerk of Commission
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