HomeMy WebLinkAboutRegular Commission Meeting November 17, 2020
REGULAR MEETING VIRTUAL/TELECONFERENCE
NOVEMBER 17, 2020
Augusta Richmond County Commission convened at 2:00 p.m., Tuesday, November 17,
2020, the Honorable 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 Clerk: We will first have our invocation after which our Pledge of Allegiance to the
Flag, would you please stand, would you like me to do that or would you ---
The invocation was given by Ms. Lena Bonner, Clerk of Commission.
The Pledge of Allegiance to the Flag of the United States of America was recited.
Mr. Mayor: Okay, all right, well, good afternoon, everybody. We are here to do the
business of the people and we’re here for the November 17, 2020 Commission Meeting. We are
pleased to have with us today our Administrator Mr. Odie Donald, II. He comes in right at the
budget hour and comes to us by way of South Fulton one of Georgia’s newest cities and he now
gets an opportunity to be here helping to lead the charge of Georgia’s most important city the
Cyber Security capital of the nation, and with that we turn it over to Madam Clerk, Madam Clerk,
Ms. Bonner?
The Clerk: Yes, sir, I’m sorry.
Mr. Mayor: Okay, we’re turning it over to you.
Mr. Mayor: Yes, please. All right, Madam Clerk, we calibrate the play for today. We
have with us again Mr. Odie Donald, II our Administrator. In the Legal chair we’ve got Ms.
Denice Smith who is here and ready to help us navigate through as necessary.
The Clerk: Start with our Delegations, sir?
DELEGATIONS
C. Ms. Juanita Burney regarding the membership of the Board of Tax Assessor’s.
Mr. Mayor: Let’s do this, Madam Clerk, let’s address our Addendum Agenda ---
The Clerk: Okay.
Mr. Mayor: --- if there is no objection we like to add our Addendum Agenda without
objection.
Mr. M. Williams: What’s our addendum, Mr. Mayor?
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Mr. Mayor: Say that again, Commissioner?
Mr. M. Williams: The Addendum Agenda what is that?
Mr. Mayor: It’s just two items ---
The Clerk: If he has his book, it’s in the side pocket.
Mr. Mayor: --- all right.
The Clerk: (Unintelligible).
Mr. Hasan: Yeah.
The Clerk: Okay, our Addendum Agenda under additions a Recognition for Ms. Tameka
Allen, under our Administrative portion is to readopt a resolution relative to the recertification of
the Augusta Georgia in the Georgia Municipal Association’s Certified City of Ethics. And under
deletion Delegation #C.
Mr. Mayor: Very well, Madam Clerk, all right without objection. Okay, let’s do this,
Madam Clerk. Under Recognitions on the Addendum Agenda let’s deal with that one first and go
ahead and address that one under the Addendum Agenda and then we’ll go to the Delegations.
The Clerk: Okay, all right, under our Addendum Agenda under the Recognitions Item #1.
The Clerk:
ADDENDUM
48. Mr. Michael Hicks, Second Vice President Georgia GMIS - recognition of the selection
of Ms. Tameka Allen as Professional of the Year for all cities, counties and local
municipalities throughout the State of Georgia in their organization.
Mr. Mayor: Okay, all right, I see, all right so we have Ms. Allen there in the public space
and we have Mr. Hicks here. All right, Mr. Hicks.
Mr. Hicks: Yes, sir, Mayor, how are you?
Mr. Mayor: We’re very well, sir.
Mr. Hicks: Thank you all for giving us an opportunity to present this award to Ms. Allen,
as you see present with Ms. Allen is our First Vice President Steve Sykes and I think we should
have also our immediate (unintelligible) in the picture there. We are the Georgia GMIS Chapter
the Executive Board and we wanted to thank you all for allowing us to present Ms. Allen with the
Outstanding Professional award for the Georgia GMIS Chapter. And what this means is, this
covers at least 150 plus agencies that are part of Georgia Management Information Systems. And
out of all of those agencies Ms. Allen with along with her bio and what she’s accomplished going
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to GMIS for the past 20 years she was chosen as the outstanding professional this year. So some
of the accolades and I’ll be quickly here because I understand these agenda items are time sensitive.
But I wanted to read just some of the things on her bio, she’s been the IT Director for 20 years
for the City of Augusta and out of those 20 years I’m reading on her bio that for nine of those she
served in a dual role of being the IT Director and Deputy City Administrator and it looks like one
of those years she was also City Administrator. And Ms. Allen as a humorous note I am the Chief
Information Officer for the City of College Park and I’ve been blessed enough to sit in this seat
for our city manager when he’s been away for a couple of days. So I sat in that seat for a couple
of days so imagine what you’ve gone through for a year so kudos to you for your accomplishments.
One of the other things I wanted to point out before we move on here is I’m not shocked Ms. Allen
that you are our Professional of the Year. After reading your bio all of the accolades that you bring
we’re honored to salute you virtually here and also in present with immediate past President and
our First Vice President Steve Sykes, so congratulations to you, Ms. Allen, and I’m sure the
Immediate Past President and our First Vice President also bring salutations from our other
Executive Board Members who could not be present, so congratulations to you.
Ms. Allen: Thank you, Mike.
Mr. Mayor: Fantastic, Steve, would you like to say something?
Mr. Sykes: Well, not to waste too much time my name is Steve Sykes and Michael has
pretty much already covered everything for us. We are so proud of Tameka. She has been an
outstanding professional both for the City of Augusta and for the numerous other organizations
that we are a part of both state, local and county governments. And Georgia GMIS is a (inaudible)
place for us all the professionals from these government agencies to be able to share resources,
share our networking and understanding of technology and issues and help not recreate the wheel.
We try to work with one another on all things and I hope you have the opportunity to go our
website GAGMIS.org to see the additional things, events and education opportunities that we
present. And we’re just so happy for Tameka being a professional and leader for us so
congratulations again.
Ms. Allen: Thank you.
Mr. Speaker: My name is (inaudible) I’m the past President (inaudible) I’m also a neighbor
in Columbia County right next door. I’ve known Tameka for many years. She has a lot of great
accomplishments. She really embodies everything that GMIS sees and wants to see in our
(inaudible). Her activities in the community as well as what she does for her agency are
outstanding. All of her public outreach she is sought after by many members for advice, counsel
and just the direction she has taken in her career path and what she gives back to others. Again,
thank you, congratulations. No one deserves it better.
Ms. Allen: Thank you.
Mr. Speaker: And here we have a small token, a plaque and we thank Tameka again for
her leadership.
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Ms. Allen: Thank you.
Mr. Mayor: Wonderful, congratulations.
Mr. Speaker: Good job, Ms. Allen.
Mr. Mayor: Ms. Allen, congratulations on behalf of the City of Augusta and certainly the
Augusta Commission. You continue to make us proud and continue to make the City of Augusta
proud with the incredible work that you do and you do it for all people and for that we’re equally
proud. I’m going to recognize the Chairman of Public Safety, all right, Commissioner Dennis
Williams, you had your hand up.
Mr. D. Williams: I was clapping.
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Mr. Mayor: Okay, he waives. All right, very well. All right, Commissioner from the 9,
Chairman of Engineering Services.
Mr. M. Williams: Thank you, Mr. Mayor and to Ms. Allen congratulations again but I
wanted to ask the team that came down to support her how did we arrive to this point? I mean was
there a competition, was there a I guess a formality that everybody else went to and Ms. Allen
came out on top and she always does? How did we arrive at this award is the best way to ask the
question?
Mr. Speaker: Georgia GMIS has an award category that members can submit
(unintelligible) on your behalf for Georgia GMIS. It was set up with several others and handed
over to our partner, we partner with Carl Vinson on the educational side and the panel of educators
from Carl Vinson reviewed all candidates and she was selected out of that. And then of course
GMIS recognized that and presented that to her in the (unadible).
Mr. M. Williams: Okay, that helps me understand a little bit better than someone
nominated her so to speak I guess to put her name in you know a position to get the team to
recognize her. But again congratulations but I didn’t know how that came about. I didn’t know if
it was a competition or whether it was something that they had to do as a group and that she came
out on top. We have been proud to have her as an IT Director. We have always stated we have
an award winning IT Department. I joke about that quite often but I wanted to make sure how the
process works so I appreciate the information, thank you so much.
Ms. Allen: Mr. Mayor, can I say something real quick?
Mr. Mayor: Yes, Ms. Allen, final words, thank you.
Ms. Allen: Okay, I would just like to thank the Georgia GMIS for coming down and
presenting this award. I truly appreciate it, it has been great being a member of Georgia GMIS, we
do a lot of collaboration. I am truly, truly honored to be selected and for UGA, Carl Vinson
Institute to select me out of the other departments, CIO’s and organizations that have submitted or
had nominees for this award it truly honors me. And thank you again for the recognition, thank
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you guys for traveling to come here and thank you, Mike, for making time to be here. I truly
appreciate it. It all happens because of the people that are on the team through the day as well,
Mike, they make it happen because of their support and I do appreciate the Commission’s support
and Administration’s support as well, thank you.
Mr. Mayor: Thank you, Ms. Allen. All right, Mr. Hicks, thank you as well and the entire
team.
Mr. Hicks: Thank you all.
Mr. Mayor: Okay, thank you. All right, Madam Clerk.
The Clerk: Okay our next, we’re still on the Addendum Agenda sir or ---
Mr. Mayor: Yeah, let’s go ahead and take care of that one item.
The Clerk: Item Number 2:
ADDENDUM
49. Motion to readopt resolution relative to the recertification of Augusta, Georgia in the
Georgia Municipal Association’s Certified City of Ethics Program.
Mr. Hasan: So moved.
Ms. Davis: Second.
Mr. Mayor: Voting.
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.
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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: Yes.
Motion Passes 10-0.
Mr. Mayor: Thank you, Madam Clerk. All right and now to our main agenda.
The Clerk: I call you attention to the Delegation portion of our agenda:
DELEGATIONS
A. Ms. Astrid C. Hutley and Mr. Ralph Utley regarding 1) provide hidden driveway signs 2)
Flashing signal at Birdwell & Deans Bridge Rd. and Willis Forman Rd. & Deans Bridge 3)
Deceleration Lane 4) Median Access 5) Electronic speed board 6) More adequate response
to calls by law enforcement.
Mr. Mayor: Okay, Mr. and Mrs. Utley, you’ve got five minutes.
Mr. Lewis: Mayor, someone there’s going to have to unmute that.
Mr. Mayor: Yeah, please unmute, if we could get some assistance to unmute, thank you.
Ms. Utley: Good afternoon, hello, can you hear me?
Mr. Mayor: Yes, we can hear you, Mr. and Mrs. Utley, thank you, you have five minutes.
If you would state for the record your address and please proceed.
Ms. Utley: Okay, I am Ms. Utley, this is my brother. We’re not married.
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Mr. Mayor: Okay, I’m sorry.
Ms. Utley: That’s okay. My name is Astrid Utley. I reside at 4192 Deans Bridge Road
and (inaudible) --
Mr. Utley: I’m Ralph Utley 2168 Deans Bridge Road.
Ms. Utley: Is that good, hello?
Mr. M. Williams: Go ahead, Ms. Utley, go ahead.
Ms. Utley: Okay, my question I guess my thing is I want to thank everybody that has been
involved in the last two times that we’ve been down here and those who were very active in
accomplishing those two issues that we had that had to do with the landfill as well as the storm
drain issues. Specifically I’d like to thank Dr. Malik with the Engineering Department and
Commissioner Marion Williams. He has always been responsive to all our needs and anything
even though it’s outside of his jurisdiction. As we move forward does everyone have a copy of
the list of items that was just read or do I need to expand on what we’re trying to accomplish here
today?
Mr. Mayor: No, we have that list, Ms. Utley, we have that information.
Ms. Utley: Okay, so that will prevent me from having to if I need to expand anybody wants
to ask and has any questions for us to answer as we go through it. I live at 4192 which is at the
top of the hill. There are less than 500 feet between me and what I consider vehicles can see my
driveway and what that does is it makes it hard for us to come out and by the time they get to the
top of the hill it’s almost like (unintelligible) Highway 1 and the traffic the speed limits legally are
55. You know they’re going 70/75 so we want something to let them know that we’re there. A
hidden driveway sign which helps tremendously (inaudible) which allows us the time to get off of
the highway without being hit from behind. And also the other section if somebody can extend
and explain to me why we’re not getting traffic or crossing lines at Willis Foreman. They’re doing
expansion there to four lanes which says to me that you all are aware of the increase in traffic.
And I also saw on the agenda that there are several developments going on in the area so we’re
going to get congestion and increase in traffic so I don’t think that it just needs to be where we
have to wait until it’s a upon us before we be proactive and put a sign up there at that intersection,
crossing lights, traffic lights, it’s horrible. I was not able to get data from the Sheriff’s Department,
Public Safety about the accidents and the deaths that have occurred out there. The media 30 years
ago when the city widened the highway from two lanes to four we had a median in front of my
mother’s house which is no longer there so we had to go all the way down the furthest person
down, my other brother had to drive probably a mile. He had to go to the turn around and come
back up and try to keep the traffic up the hill to make our turn so if a median could be replaced
that would be great. The electronic boards they don’t need explanation that’s a quick fix because
we don’t have adequate, the Sheriff’s Department certainly doesn’t have time to monitor the speed
and electronic board them periodically doing a check with the speed gun, the radar would be fine
but we need something. The other thing that I’d like to say is that the Commission is a powerful
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group of people that individually as well as collectively and while we are on a state highway and
we’re governed by GDOT the word from you is more valuable than anything I could ever say to
them or anyone else outside of Augusta. You guys manage over 200,000 people is what our
population is and with that power, you know, I think it’s your responsibility to respond so that I
don’t have to try to figure out how to get in touch with GDOT or anybody else. They don’t respond
to us; they respond to ya’ll. You know so it is for me the fact that we are your eyes and ears, you
are our voice so I would hope that you would use your voice to address the things that we have
going on out there. Thank you.
Mr. Mayor: Thank you, Ms. Utley. Chairman of Engineering Services, I want to make sure
that we put this in your wheelhouse. And I know that Dr. Malik certainly needs to be involved
along with Traffic Engineering John Ussery but this is a matter that we’ve heard parts of it before
but again Engineering Services Chairman, put this in your wheelhouse and the Commissioner from
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the 8 You both need to certainly take a look at this to help drive it to a place of completion.
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Commissioner from the 9 go ahead.
Mr. M. Williams: Thank you, Mr. Mayor. Thank you, Ms. Utley, Mr. Utley for coming
down to air out some things that we can do some that we can’t do right away. I think that given
the Engineering Department in looking at what we can do you’re right we are your voice, you are
our eyes we can make some calls to GDOT and they’ll respond maybe not as fast but quicker to
us to this body than they would to you. So I say again I’ll get with the Commissioner from District
8, Commissioner Garrett, we’ll look at what we can do in those incidents. Deans Bridge Road the
City of Augusta is growing but Deans Bridge Road is rapidly growing with the transport in and
out so not just with the construction the trucks and the landfill but just with our city as a whole.
So I think ya’ll have been blessed not to have anything unfortunate to happen prior to this but I
think we ought to be proactive like you just stated, Ms. Utley, and decide to do some things that
we can to help out. So look to hear from me. Let me get with the Engineering Department, let me
get with Commissioner Garrett and see what we can do as soon as we possibly can to help alleviate
some of those issues that you’ve got on this list, so thank you so much.
Ms. Utley: And just one other thing this is where it’s out of your scope and it’s something
that we need to go to the representatives of our district and you know let us know that as well but
I’ve had no success with them as well. But if it needs to be escalated then tell us what direction to
go into, you know, because we’re just asking for guidance, we’re asking for those people who have
access to and know how to do it which is ya’ll.
Mr. Mayor: All right, so ---
Ms. Utley: I know about pharmacy, I know drugs but I don’t know this I don’t know ---
Mr. Mayor: --- Ms. Utley, Ms. Utley, we will make sure that there’s a follow up
conversation ---
Ms. Utley: --- okay.
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Mr. Mayor: --- between you and the Commission and our Engineering staff.
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Commissioner from the 8 right in the heart of your district would you like to chime in on this,
sir?
Mr. Garrett: No, I agree you know there are different measures that we can take a look at
and see where we can push forward to getting these put in place. Ms. Utley has my phone number,
she knows that she can call me anytime but we’ll definitely be working with our engineers to see
what the best plan forward to getting some of these implemented.
Ms. Utley: I know drugs ---
Mr. Mayor: Fantastic.
Ms. Utley: --- (inaudible).
Mr. Mayor: Thank you, Ms. Utley.
Mr. Utley: Thank ya’ll, thank you so much.
Ms. Utley: Thank ya’ll so much.
Mr. Mayor: All right, thank you. Next item, Madam Clerk.
The Clerk: Our next delegation is Item B and if Commissioner Fennoy had mentioned he
would like his Item #23 to be considered as a companion, can you check with him, Mr. Mayor?
Mr. Mayor: He did share that same with me and he’s still within that same place.
Mr. Fennoy: That has not changed.
The Clerk: Thank you, sir.
The Clerk:
DELEGATIONS
B. Ms. Joyce Law regarding Local Marker Expansion: A) Sand Hills Historic District
recognition of winning Augusta National Golf Course (ANGC) Black Caddies from 1934-
1983 to increase community awareness of their contributions. B) Renovation of Cedar Grove
Cemetery, jointly with Magnolia Cemetery as a historic destination to increase Augusta-
Richmond County Tourism.
ADMINISTRATIVE SERVICES
23. Motion to approve the placement of a historical marker (plaque) in the sandhill’s area
honoring African-American caddies who carried for the winners of the Master’s Golf
Tournament. (Requested by Commission Bill Fennoy)
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Mr. Mayor: Ms. Law.
Ms. Law: Good afternoon. I’d like to start by saying thank you, Mr. Mayor and
Commissioners, for your stern support of social distancing and the shelter in place mandate that
has made Augusta, Georgia a safer place to live and to enjoy. Thank you very much. And so
almost two weeks ago I had the great honor of attending a gravestone installment for Caddy Willie
Peterson, Jr., at Cedar Grove and approximately two years ago I just happened to have been at
Southeast Cemetery when a headstone, a gravestone that was being dedicated for Nathanial Avery.
And so it becomes very important that although there is a lot of international recognition by the
Augusta for the Augusta National Golf Course caddies. There’s been movies done, there have
been national exhibitions done, there have been two books written about them. There is still no
permanent recognition of our caddies who infused so much of their earnings into the Augusta
community during the time that they worked exclusively at the Masters during the tournament
time. And so if we can move to Page 4 please, I mean I’m sorry Page 5. So on this particular sheet
there is a link to the most recent Golf Channel video that was done honoring those two Augusta
caddies and it shows a wonderful overview of Cedar Grove Cemetery there. The picture that’s
shown on the (unintelligible) that’s just a promotional picture for the film that came out in 2019 if
there’s anyone who did not have an opportunity to see that. But where it says Golf Channel video
there is a direct link, an eight-minute video that was done during the time focusing primarily on
the dedication at Cedar Grove Cemetery. Thank you, next slide. So you may have, be familiar
with this area. This is directly in front of the Sandhills Community Center the southwest corner
oriented to downtown. It’s a nice little pocket park there. It’s not named but a lot of the guests
were there playing checkers and relaxing. They are former caddies. And on the mural on the face
of the beige building there is a mural of a caddy and so and the green space they’re proposing for
a statue to be there and it would be four sided and those sides will be composed of the names of
the champion caddies along with some honorary positions such as the Caddy Masters that were
there, some quotes about the importance of the Augusta caddies and there’s some other awards.
And then to also at the floor level they have bricks in place to honor the other long-term caddies
that were specifically mentioned and then on the back. As I’ve stated before there’s no permanent
commemorative placed to honor these caddies who were so important to our, to the economic and
cultural infusion for Augusta. The height of this is not likely to impede either vehicles or walking
traffic. It’s in walking proximity to the Summerville campus which means that those are folks
who are in the golf, the teams to learn more and more exclusive history about Augusta golf. And
traffic engineering has given a preliminary review of this and they’ve given their approval but also
at the final site approval would be by Planning and Development. And the projected budget I can’t
say that but one thing it would have to be juried. But we have a very recent major announcement
of the Augusta National Golf Course giving $10 million dollars and my understanding from
(unintelligible) Clayton that they are also amenable to providing additional funding for this
commemorative statue and so I’m hoping that that will be in favor to say yes let’s do this.
Mr. Mayor: All right, Ms. Law, thank you, thank you so much. This item, all right, Mayor
Pro Tem.
Mr. Mayor Pro Tem: Thank you, Mr. Mayor and thank you, Ms. Law. I love the idea. My
question is do we have to go to the Augusta Arts Council in any fashion to approve this?
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Ms. Law: The Augusta, I talked with Brenda Durant and she would like a budget set aside
of $1,500 dollars for management golf fees because one of the things we’re looking at is to approve
the statue of a caddy, you would need that type of support. The example would be an iconic statute
that everyone is probably familiar with is that of Ms. Laney. We have a pedestal and then the bust
on top and then surrounded by the brick but we’re using those four sides of the pedestal to engrave
information onto the pedestal itself.
Mr. Mayor: Okay, thank you, Mr. Mayor.
Ms. Law: The Arts Council is very much aware of the project and they’re excited about it
because it is very different.
Mr. Mayor: Okay, thank you, great job, great job.
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Mr. Mayor: Fantastic all right, okay, Commissioner from the 9 go ahead, sir, state your
inquiry.
Mr. M. Williams: Ms. Law, thank you again for coming. I’m in favor of this idea. I think
we’ve got a great opportunity to build a tourist city here in Augusta which we had not done in
many, many years and we need to take those type things you’re talking about. I just think there
needs to be some more conversation among several groups not just the Commission. I believe that
we need to set the standard and not the Arts Council set the standard. We need to know what our
history is. We need to do it professionally and whether it be attractive to enhance people to come
I agree with that. We might need their expertise but I don’t think we ought to ask the tail to wag
the dog. I think we need to wag the tail ourselves. I think we need to be of the mindset this is
something that is needed, something that’s going to draw visitors, where do we place it at whether
it be in that location that Ms. Law is talking about or not I’m not sure. I think it needs to be where
people can access it. We don’t want to have it there any they can’t access it like they need to to
create a tourist type situation there. So I’m in favor of the idea. I think there just needs to be some
more dialogue, there needs to be some more conversation. Ms. Law, I won’t be here when it’s
probably erected as an elected official but I think it’s something certainly worthy of our attention.
We are the golf capital of the world. We don’t do those things even when (unintelligible). We
don’t do those things that we need to be doing in my opinion to attract other golfers and get people
interested in golf. So again I’m in support of this. I think we need to have more dialogue. We
need to look around and see what other entities are doing things similar that we can, we don’t have
to reinvent the wheel we just need to copy some of that other invention and make it work in
Augusta so, Mr. Mayor, I’m in support.
Mr. Mayor: All right, so here’s what I’d like to do in light of this. We’re taking this along
with Item #23 from the Regular Agenda and if we can get a motion to approve Item #23.
Mr. M. Williams: So moved.
Mr. Hasan: Second.
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Mr. Mayor: All right we’ve got a motion and a second, Madam Clerk voting.
The Clerk: Mr. Clarke.
Mr. Clarke: Absolutely 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.
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. Dennis Williams he’s muted.
Mr. Mayor: He’s muted.
Mr. D. Williams: Yes, ma’am.
The Clerk: Mr. Marion Williams.
Mr. M. Williams: Yes.
Motion Passes 10-0.
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Ms. Law: Part B of the request if I may have my IT assistant to move to Page 14.
Mr. Mayor: Hold on a minute. I hate to do this to you, Ms. Law, but you’ve got two items
and I gave you five minutes. I didn’t realize you had two items here now.
Mr. Law: Well, that’s why I’m moving to Page 14 so I can kind of like put it into
supersonic speed.
Mr. Mayor: Okay.
Ms. Law: Give you a little more visual support. Is that the last page? Okay, I’ll just talk,
I’ll just talk, thank you. I’m from the old school. Yes, thank you, that’s it, thank you very much.
So is McDowell from Recreation and Parks in the booth right now? So I spend a lot of time doing
cemetery research especially for African American, our history. There are not a lot of biographies
that are written specifically for individuals in Augusta but of course you don’t live in a vacuum by
yourself so I’m pretty good at Georgia history. So one of the things that I have noticed, recently
in Magnolia Cemetery now because of social distancing we can support outdoor activities so there
are a lot of people now that are taking walks into Magnolia. Now if you’ve ever gone down Walton
Way and happen to notice on your right hand side there’s a huge boulder there that is dedicated to
Joseph Wheeler who was a Confederate Cavalry Officer who had a little skedaddle outside of
Waynesboro with Justin Kilpatrick. And so recognize him as a Confederate General. Most people
do not realize that after the Civil War he went back into the US Army and he is one of the few
confederate officers that is buried at Arlington National Cemetery. And so when I was the
museum’s program manager very often we had visitors to the museum they would ask well what
else is there to see? So at Cedar Grove and Magnolia there’s plenty of things to see however we
have a little decrepit appearance down there and we have assets that rival any of those of any major
city in the United States. I’d like to bring the attention to the left hand side of the slide where you
see that large breach there and that’s where the monument to the Wheeler family is located but
those breaches, the largest one at Magnolia and some small ones, some cracks in the wall are not
only do they not look nice but they are also safety hazards. That’s something I’d like to see on the
short term for more robust infusion of funds for the wall repair, the signage needs to be updated
so those are two things short term. For both cemeteries we’d like to see laminated visitors guides
so that people when they’re out walking they can do self-guided tours but at Cedar Grove in
particular on the long range there needs to be a multi plan development for drainage there. On
East Boundary it’s flooded a lot and when we have very, very heavy rains sometimes Cedar Grove
turns into a lake and so of course is very difficult to promote. A legacy (inaudible) to (inaudible)
people to go and spend time downtown if it’s not safe because of the ecological or topographical
features and so that’s what I’m asking for for a survey to be done and what we can do to correct
the drainage problems in Cedar Grove to further support its maintenance.
Mr. Mayor: Director McDowell, I don’t know if you want to speak to this but two minutes
so we can move on. We’ve got a lot of business in front of us today.
Mr. McDowell: No, Mr. Mayor I think, I spoke with Ms. Law earlier. I think she
summarized it pretty well. We’re going to continue to have a follow up conversation with Ms.
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Law and so, yes, this is one of those things we can move forward with. I think she articulated all
the points that needed to be hit today.
Mr. Mayor: Wonderful. Ms. Law, thank you for your fantastic presentation on both fronts
and more importantly for the work that you do as our historian in the community, thank you.
Ms. Law: (Unintelligible).
Mr. Mayor: Thank you. Madam Clerk, let’s see if we can get some items on the Consent
Agenda.
The Clerk: Okay.
Mr. Mayor: Madam Clerk?
The Clerk: I’m ready, sir.
Mr. Mayor: I’m waiting on you.
The Clerk: Oh, I’m sorry. I thought you were soliciting additions to the Consent Agenda.
Mr. Mayor: Well, I wanted you to go into our preamble just as you normally would. I
didn’t (inaudible).
The Clerk: Okay, our Consent Agenda consists of Items 1 through 8, Items 1 through 8.
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Mr. Mayor: Okay. All right, the Chair recognizes the distinguished Lady from the 3.
Ms. Davis: Thank you, Mr. Mayor. If the Commission would agree and the Chair of
Administrative Services I was going to see if we could consent 16, 17, 19 and 20 ---
Mr. Sias: You can add 18 in there as well.
Ms. Davis: --- 18 ---
Mr. Sias: Yeah, it’s information about a repair.
st,rd,
Mr. Mayor: 19 and 20 we’re moving until the 1 Commissioner from the 3 we’re moving
those to the December meeting.
Ms. Davis: --- okay, great, sorry about that.
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Mr. Mayor: Yes, they’re moving to the December 1 meeting.
Mr. M. Williams: That’s 19 and 20?
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Mr. Mayor: Yes, sir.
Mr. Sias: That’d be 5 December.
Mr. Mayor: Yeah, 5 December.
The Clerk: 5 December.
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Mr. Sias: 19 and 20 at our December meeting. Isn’t that on the 5?
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Mr. Mayor: No, that’s on the 1.
Mr. Sias: All right, I stand corrected.
The Clerk: Okay, are we going to keep them on the Consent but moving them to the
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December 1 meeting, is that what we’re doing?
Mr. Mayor: Yes, ma’am.
The Clerk: Okay.
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Mr. Mayor: Commissioner from the 3 are you done?
Ms. Davis: I’m good right now, thank you.
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Mr. Mayor: All right, Commissioner from the 1.
Mr. M. Williams: It’s not 20, (unintelligible).
The Clerk: They did include 19 and 20. You object to ---
Mr. M. Williams: Yeah, I need to find out why are we, I’ve got a question about 20 that’s
all.
The Clerk: Okay.
th.
Mr. Mayor: It’s the same thing, Commissioner from the 9 They both are very similar
and we want to make sure we’ve got a chance to have some more discussion about it and it will
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give us time to do that if we move it to the 1.
Mr. M. Williams: Okay and we’re going to have this discussion when we have a committee
meeting to talk about it? When are we going to have the discussion?
Mr. Mayor: We could have a committee meeting. a ZOOM meeting it don’t matter.
Whatever it takes but we need to have some conversation before we get to this point of having it
on the agenda.
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Mr. M. Williams: I just want to make sure we have some conversation. I don’t want to put
it off to another meeting and then you’ve got to pull it again.
Ms. Speaker: You comfortable back there?
Mr. Mayor: Oh, oh, oh, oh ---
Mr. M. Williams: I’m comfortable.
Mr. Mayor: --- yeah, I don’t know who that was (unintelligible)
The Clerk: I’ve got you on the record, Commissioner Williams.
th.
Mr. Mayor: I appreciate that, Commissioner from the 9 You pulled that out at a right
time. I want you to stay comfortable for the rest of the meeting now ---
Mr. M. Williams: Right, right.
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Mr. Mayor: --- okay, okay all right very well, Commissioner from the 1.
Mr. Fennoy: Yes, I’d like to consent 39, 40 ---
The Clerk: Hold on just a minute, 39 and 40 ---
Mr. Fennoy: --- 41 ---
The Clerk: --- okay 39, 40, 41 ---
Mr. Fennoy: --- 42 ---
The Clerk: --- okay, you still got another meeting.
Mr. Fennoy: --- 43 ---
The Clerk: Okay.
Mr. Fennoy: --- 44 ---
The Clerk: Okay.
Mr. Fennoy: --- and 45.
The Clerk: Okay.
Mr. M. Williams: (Unintelligible).
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Mr. Mayor: Oh my, come on, I thought you said you were comfortable.
Mr. M. Williams: I was (inaudible) ---
Mr. Mayor: So ---
Mr. M. Williams: --- hey, I’m going to let it go, Mr. Mayor. I just feel when you call them
out like that you might as well not have a meeting in my opinion.
Mr. Mayor: --- I understand.
Mr. M. Williams: You might want to make sure before we just approve that that I’m
looking at it. I can’t keep up, I can’t read them and keep up with as fast as you call them out.
Mr. Mayor: All right, so 39-44 are abandonments in place as provided by law and an
easement for the abandoned portion of existing roads so it’s a routine measure that we do and that’s
why I’m not objecting to it either.
Mr. M. Williams: I’m not objecting to it. I’m (unintelligible) because they’re
abandonments, I got that ---
Mr. Mayor: Yes, sir, they are abandonments. that’s the only reason I made mention of that.
Mr. M. Williams: --- yeah, but you can’t call them out that fast and want them to go. They
can’t fly like that.
Mr. Mayor: I understand, I understand. All right, I’m going to go to the Commissioner
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from the 2.
Mr. D. Williams: (Unintelligible) am I on?
Mr. Mayor: You are.
Mr. D. Williams: If my colleagues would agree I’d like to consent Item #27 and Item #29
to go along with Item 30.
Mr. Clarke: I have a problem with 29.
Mr. Mayor: Okay, there’s a problem with 29, all right #27 is the motion to approve the
amendment of the Inmates’ Food Services contract with Aramark.
Mr. D. Williams: And Item #30?
Mr. M. Williams: There’s a problem with that.
17
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Mr. Mayor: With objection so #27, all right, going to the Commissioner from the 4.
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Mr. Sias: Thank you, sir. The Commissioner from the 3 kind of dumped into my rhythm
now but let me pick it back up where I had it. Also request to consent Item #21 and 22.
Mr. M. Williams: I’ve got a problem with both of them.
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Mr. Mayor: Okay, all right with objection. Okay, all right, Commissioner from the 8.
Mr. Garrett: Commissioner Fennoy got most of mine but I do want to add Item #26.
Mr. Mayor: Okay, very good. All right, if there’s no problem with Item #28 there were
some changes that needed to be made around the Richmond County Local Emergency Operations
Plan. If there’s no objection it’s an update using the GEMA template and if there’s no objection
I’d like to add that to the Consent Agenda.
The Clerk: Mr. Mayor, just as an FYI the update revised version is not included in the
Commission book. They informed me that it was transmitted on yesterday ---
Mr. Mayor: Okay.
The Clerk: --- but I didn’t include it on this agenda so it would we be better served if we
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moved it to the 21, I mean the 1.
Mr. Mayor: I think the changes were cosmetic in nature, Madam Clerk, but they were
certainly appropriate to make and I think we could still move forward with it and adopting it today,
I do.
The Clerk: Well, okay, I just wanted for the record that it’s not (inaudible).
Mr. Mayor: Absolutely, absolutely ---
The Clerk: Okay.
Mr. Mayor: --- and if there’s objection I’m okay with moving it but I think it’s sufficient
enough for us to move forward with it.
Mr. M. Williams: So, Mr. Mayor, I don’t know what the changes are and I’m not saying
they’re wrong but if it’s not going ---
Mr. Mayor: Okay, we can wait then. There’s nothing wrong with that.
Mr. M. Williams: --- if it’s not going to delay anything you know we can just push it back.
Mr. Mayor: I’m fine with that, that’s no problem.
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Mr. M. Williams: Okay.
Mr. B. Williams: Mr. Mayor ---
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Mr. Mayor: Commissioner from the 5.
Mr. B. Williams: --- I want to pull Number 4 off the Consent Agenda.
Mr. Mayor: You want to pull it off the Consent Agenda?
Mr. B. Williams: Yes, sir.
Mr. Mayor: Okay, Number 4?
Mr. B. Williams: Yes, sir.
Mr. Mayor: Okay, understood. All right, so Item #28, Madam Clerk, we’re going to move
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to December the 1.
The Clerk: Okay.
Mr. Mayor: And the changes again cosmetic in nature. We’ll have single lead sheet sent
around that everybody will have, Madam Clerk, so when you transmit that there’s just a single
sheet that you can send with that that everybody can just look very quick and see what the changes
were.
The Clerk: That will be great, thank you.
Mr. Mayor: Okay.
Mr. M. Williams: Now what are we doing with Number 4, Mr. Mayor?
Mr. Mayor: You’re going to debate it here in just a minute. He’s removing it from the
Consent Agenda.
Mr. M. Williams: Okay.
Mr. Mayor: All right, I’d like to add to the Consent Agenda Item #34, 35, 37 ---
The Clerk: 37?
Mr. Mayor: --- 37.
Mr. B. Williams: What about 38?
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Mr. Mayor: I’m okay with that as well, that’s the Jones Street Development that area.
Okay, Madam Clerk, under Administrative Services Item #14 is it not true that we did in fact hear
from the Director with regards to that? That was the utilities position recruitment?
The Clerk: He said she was underway but she would come back and give an update on the
processes, she had just ---
Mr. Mayor: Okay ---
The Clerk: --- started pulling that together.
Mr. Mayor: --- all right, now in light of the fact that we’ve got our Administrator in place
I think we’ll get an update and then I think it would be prudent for the Commission to turn that
over to Administrator Donald to see that to fruition.
Mr. Donald: Mr. Mayor, I can give you an update on that now ---
Mr. Mayor: All right, fantastic.
Mr. Donald: --- in the time that I’ve been here we’re actually taken care of that. I think the
Commission approved a version of the or at least reviewed a version of the job description for the
Utilities Director and made some non-substantial changes to it to removing which Deputy
Administrator that the position would report to just simply stating that it would report to a Deputy
Commissioner I’m sorry Deputy Administrator and approve the posting. So it was actually out
there and online and is an active recruitment now.
Mr. Mayor: All right, fantastic, so let’s move that to Consent as well, okay? All right,
outstanding. All right, in light of that, Madam Clerk, we can go back through the list just for
brevity and I think we’ll be ready to move on. So Item #4 is being removed from the Consent
Agenda, Item 14 is added to Consent 16, 17, 18, 19 moved to Consent with the understanding that
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it’s December 1, 20 added to Consent for December the 1, 23 was adopted, Item #26 moved to
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Consent, 27 moved to Consent, Item 28 moved to December the 1, 34 Consent, 35 Consent, 37
Consent, 38 Consent, 39, 40, 41, 42, 43, 44, and 45 to Consent.
Mr. Sias: Thank you, Madam Clerk.
The Clerk: You’re welcome, sir.
Mr. Mayor: The jury said Amen.
Mr. Garrett: Motion to approve.
Mr. Sias: Second.
CONSENT AGENDA
PLANNING
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1. Z-20-50 – A request for concurrence with the Augusta Georgia Planning Commission to
approve with the following conditions a petition by Sankait Thomannagai, on behalf of The
Whitfield Co. and Meyreddy, LLC, requesting a change of zoning from Zone R-MH
(Manufactured Home Residential) and R-1C (One-family Residential) to Zone R-1C
affecting property containing approximately 90 acres and known as 2920 Old Hwy. #1; 3530
Pebble Creek Dr. and 4109, 4111, 4112 and 4114 Darsey Ct. Tax Map 129-0-001-04-0, 118-
0-464-00-0, 118-0-469-00-0, 118-0-470-00-0, 118-0-471-00-0 and 118-0-472-00-0 DISTRICT 4
1. This development shall substantially confirm to the concept plan filed with this application
except for the reduction of townhome lots developed in Phase 1. This shall be limited to no
more than 92 lots by removing the furth quad of townhomes on road one and four. 2. The
depth of each lot containing townhomes shall be a minimum of 100 feet to ensure that there
is adequate space to meet the required setbacks. 3. Four additional visitor parking spaces
shall be provided per roadway. 4. Sidewalks must be provided on at least one side of the
street within the development and comply with ADA standards. 5. Street Lights will need to
be installed and operating (or bonded) prior to Final Plat approval. 6. Conduct a traffic study
to assess whether acceleration/deceleration lanes are needed on Old Highway 1. 7. All new
street must meet the minimum specifications of Augusta Engineering and Fire Departments.
8. This development must meet all open space requirements. These areas do not include
stormwater detention. 9. Provide an amenity area consisting of a pool and clubhouse within
the overall site. Addition of this amenity to the development plan doesn’t require
resubmission to the Planning Commission for approval. 10. All single detached homes shall
have a minimum width of 55’ with no more than 3 units per acre. 11. This project shall not
be phased. 12. This project shall comply with all development standards and regulations set
forth by the City of Augusta, GA at the time of development.
2. Z-20-51 – A request for concurrence with the Augusta Georgia Planning Commission to
approve with the following conditions a petition by Sankait Thomannagai, on behalf of The
Whitfield Co. and Meyreddy, LLC, requesting a Special Exception in accordance with
Section 13 to develop a mix of single family residential lots and townhomes at a density not
to exceed 7 units per acre per Section 11-2-(a) of the Comprehensive Zoning Ordinance for
Augusta Georgia affecting property containing approximately 90 acres and known as 2920
Old Hwy. 1, 3530 Pebble Creek Dr. and 4109, 4111, 4112 and 4114 Darsey Ct. Tax Map 129-
0-001-04-0, 118-0-464-00-0, 118-0-469-00-0, 118-0-474-00-0 and 118-0-472-00-0 DISTRICT 4
1. This development shall substantially confirm to the concept plan filed with this application
except for the reduction of townhome lots developed in Phase 1. This shall be limited to no
ore that 92 lots by removing the fourth quad of townhomes on road one and four. 2. The
depth of each lot containing townhomes shall be a minimum of 100 feet to ensure that there
is adequate space to meet the required setbacks. 3. Four additional visitor parking spaces
shall be provided per roadway. 4. Sidewalks must be provided on at least one side of the
street within the development and comply with ADA standards. 5. Street Lights will need to
be installed and operating (or bonded) prior to Final Plat approval. 6. Conduct a traffic study
to assess whether acceleration/deceleration lands are needed on Old Highway 1. 7. All new
streets must meet the minimum specifications of Augusta Engineering and Fire
Departments. 8. This development must meet all open space requirements. These areas do
not include stormwater detention. 9. Provide an amenity area consisting of a pool and
clubhouse within the overall site. Addition of this amenity to the development plan doesn’t
require resubmission to the Planning Commission for approval. 10. All single family
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detached homes shall have a minimum width of 55’ with no more than 3 units per acre. 11.
This project shall not be phased. 12. This project shall comply with all development
standards and regulations set forth by the City of Augusta, GA at the time of development.
3. Z-20-52 – A request for concurrence with the Augusta Georgia Planning Commission to
approve with the following conditions a petition by Tonya Self, on behalf of Bruce Hitt,
requesting to establish a Family Personal Care Home per Section 26-1-(h) of the
Comprehensive Zoning Ordinance for Augusta Georgia affecting property located at 2082
Brown Road. Tax Map 196-0-043-01-0 – Zoned R-1 (One-family Residential) DISTRICT 6
1. The home shall be staffed on a 7-day, 24-hour basis. 2. The home shall be limited to 4
residents total with staff coming in shifts. Any live-in staff will be counted towards the
maximum occupancy of 4 residents. 3. Additional paved front parking shall be provided by
widening the existing driveway and/or providing an additional parking pad. Grass parking
shall be discontinued. 4. Complete the fencing of the property to ensure a safe and secure
outside space for residents. 5. Any changes in the definition of the use, nature of the clientele
or increase in numbers of occupants shall require another Special Exception. 6. The
applicant must receive and maintain a City of Augusta business license and a license with
the State of Georgia. Proof of compliance with the minimum requirements of Chapter 111.8-
62.01 of the O.C.G.A must be provided, and the applicant must provide annual fire
department inspection reports. 7. All requirements must be met within six (6) months of
approval of the Special Exception, or the Special Exception is void. 8. If wheelchair bound
persons reside in the residence all 2010 ADA Standards for Accessible Design requirements
must be met, including but no limited to: • All doorways must be at least 3 feet wide. • At
least one bathroom that permits a wheelchair dependent person to use all bathroom facilities
unimpeded.
5. Z-20-55 – A request for concurrence with the Augusta Georgia Planning Commission to
approve with the following conditions a petition by Nevin Mahmoud requesting a change of
zoning from B-1 (Neighborhood Business) to Zone B-2 (General Business) affecting property
containing 0.99 acres and known as 3637 Morgan Road. Tax Map 129-0-006-00-0 DISTRICT
4 1. If selling beer and wine the entrance of the establishment must measure at least 300 feet
from the nearest church. The required distance is measured from door to door. 2. Sidewalks
must be provided adjacent to the property on Morgan Road and Tobacco Road and meet all
applicable standards for Augusta Traffic Engineering and ADA (American with Disabilities
Act). 3. Proposed development must comply with aspects of the Augusta Tree Ordinance. 4.
This project shall comply with all development standards and regulations set forth by the
City of Augusta, GA at the time of development.
6. Z-20-56 – A request for concurrence with the Augusta Georgia Planning Commission to
approve with the following conditions a petition by Stevens Creek Church, Inc., on behalf of
Deborah Ward Perkins, requesting a change of zoning from Zone R-1A (One-family
Residential) to Zone B-2 (General Business) affecting property containing 2 acres and known
as 3354 Peach Orchard Road. Tax Map 122-3-106-00-0 DISTRICT 6 1. Prior to the submittal
of a site plan for future development, the parcels must be combined. 2. If the property to the
north (3352 Peach Orchard Road) is residential at the time of submittal of a site plank a
fence and vegetated buffer shall be provided with at least 15 feet buffer. 3. This project shall
comply with all development standards and regulations set forth by the City of Augusta, GA
at the time of development.
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7. Z-20-57 – A request for concurrence with the Augusta Georgia Planning Commission to
approve with the following conditions a petition by Xytex Properties LLC requesting a
change of zoning from Zone R-2 (Two-family Residential) and Zone R-3C (Multiple-family
Residential) to Zone P-1 Professional) affecting two properties containing 0.36 acres and
known as 1614 and 1616 Parnell Street. Tax Map 045-2-231-00-0 and 045-2-230-00-0
DISTRICT 1 1. Any future parking lot or security lighting must be directed away from
nearby residential properties. 2. Combine lots involved in the new development of the
project. 3. Proposed development must comply with aspects of the Augusta Tree Ordinance.
3. This project shall comply with all development standards and regulations set forth by the
City of Augusta, GA at the time of development.
PETITIONS AND COMMUNICATIONS
8. Motion to approve the minutes of the Special Called and Regular Meetings of the
Commission held on November 4, 2020.
ADMINISTRATIVE SERVICES
14. Update from Director of Human Resources regarding the recruitment process for the
position of Director of Augusta Utilities Department. (Deferred from the October 20, and
November 4, 2020 meetings)
16. Motion to approve award of contract to prepare construction documents to renovate
Appleby Branch Library to Studio 3 Architects of Augusta in the amount of $36,800.00. RFP
Item 20-235
17. Motion to approve Bid Award contract to construct Law Department Renovations, in the
amount of $757,900.00, to Kuhlke Construction and Associates of Augusta. Bid Item 20-237.
18. Receive as information the emergency replacement of three roof top HVAC units at the
Housing and Community Development Department Building in the amount of $32,745.00 by
Mobley Mechanical.
19. Motion to approve HCD’s contract procedural process relative to the authorization of
Agreements/Contracts/HUD Forms related to HCD’s federally funded programs for the first
quarter of calendar year 2021.
20. Motion to approve HCD’s Laney Walker/Bethlehem Revitalization Project contract
procedural process relative to the authorization of Agreements/Contracts/Task Orders for
the first quarter of calendar year 2021.
26. Receive as information the emergency replacement of the boiler at the Richmond County
Sheriff’s Administrative Building in the amount of $39,064.85.
PUBLIC SAFETY
27. Motion to approve amendment of the Inmates’ Food Services contract with Aramark
Correctional Services, LLC.
28. Motion to approve the update to the Augusta-Richmond County Local Emergency
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Operations Plan and authorize the Mayor to sign the plan. (Deferred from the November 4
meeting)
ENGINEERING SERVICES
33. Motion to extend the purchase order (PO) to Duke’s Root Control Bid 18-262 for the
combined grease, odor management, and root control for mainline gravity sewer lines.
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34. Motion to approve increase funding for approved RFQ #18-263: Task Order Program
(2018) for Utilities Department (AUD) in the amount of $6,000,000.00.
35. Motion to approve award of Bid Item #20-240 to Gearig Civil Works, LLC to construct
the Fort Gordon Cyber CoE Campus Utilities Project D1 (MCA-1) under the Task Order
Program RFQ #18-263 in the amount of $1,677.089.41.
36. Motion to approve awarding contract to S&ME, Inc. for RFP Item #20-176 Geotechnical
Testing Services.
37. Approve award of Construction Contract to Horizon Construction & Associates, Inc. in
the amount of $1,877.064.00 for Tobacco Road Improvements and Various Sidewalk
Rehabilitation Project. Award is contingent upon receipt of signed contracts, proper bonds
and applicable License associated to subject work. Request by AED Bid 20-247.
38. Approve Michael Osbon/Julian W. Osbon Family Partnership Encroachment request to
Place Concrete Stoop and Steps in Augusta, GA Right-of-way, more specifically in area
depicted at Exhibit A (attached), as part of 1236-1240 Jones Street Development Project.
Also authorized Augusta Mayor to process and sign all associated documents with
consultation of Augusta Legal Counsel. Requested by AED.
39. Motion to determine that the Alley between 1497 Ellis Street 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, and to receive as information the results of the public
hearing held regarding the issue of abandonment 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 and
adopt the attached Resolution.
40. Motion to determine that the Alley between 1512 Laney Walker Blvd and 1514 Laney
Walker Blvd, 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, and to receive as information the results of the
public hearing held regarding the issue of abandonment pursuant by 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
and adopt the attached Resolution.
41. Motion to determine that Ellis Street between 209 Fifteenth Street and 211 Fifteenth
Street, as shown on the attached map has ceased to be used the public to the extent that no
substantial public purpose is served by it or that tis removal from the county road system is
otherwise in the best public interest, and to receive as information the results of the public
hearing held regarding the issue of abandonment pursuant to O.C.G.A. §32-7-2, with the
abandoned property to be quite-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 and adopt the
attached Resolution.
42. Motion to determine that Emmett Street Lane up to 1109 Emmett 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
24
best public interest, and to receive as information the results of the public hearing held
regarding the issue of abandonment 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 and adopt
the attached Resolution.
43. Motion to determine that a portion of Jim Dent Way, 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,
and to receive as information the results of the public hearing held regarding the issue of
abandonment 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 fore existing or future utilities as directed by Augusta
Engineering Department and Augusta Utilities Department and adopt the attached
Resolution.
44. Motion to determine that Tenth Street between Walker Street and the Augusta Canal, 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, and to receive as information the results of the public
hearing eld regarding the issue of abandonment 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 August Engineering Department and Augusta Utilities Department and adopt
the attached Resolution.
45. Motion to approve awarding contract to Cranston Engineering Group, PC for RFP Item
#20-260 NPDES Storm Water Monitoring and Inspections in the amount of $122,800.00.
ADDENDUM
49. Motion to readopt resolution relative to the recertification of Augusta, Georgia in the
Georgia Municipal Association’s Certified City of Ethics Program.
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Mr. Mayor: Okay, distinguished Lady from the 3.
Ms. Davis: I was just going to say, Mr. Mayor did you say 33 and if not can we look at
that?
Mr. Mayor: I did not. I was tempted to say it, I just didn’t understand enough about it.
Ms. Davis: Okay, no problem, we’ve got a motion.
The Clerk: That was Mr. Garrett and Mr. Sias?
Mr. Mayor: Yes.
The Clerk: Mr. Garrett and Mr. Sias.
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Mr. Sias: Yes, ma’am.
The Clerk: 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: 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: Yes.
Motion Passes 10-0. \[Items 1-3, 5-8, 14, 16-20, 26-28, 34-45, 49\]
26
Mr. Mayor: Thank you, Madam Clerk. All right, so all right this is our posture, Madam
Clerk. Let’s take up, let’s deal with the Public Services items where we’ve got folks waiting on
us over here ---
The Clerk: Okay.
Mr. Mayor: --- and then we’re going to go from there.
The Clerk: I call your attention to the Regular Agenda under Public Services, we will ask
Ms. Walton who is in the public space to bring forth the alcohol petitioners.
Mr. Lewis: Ms. Walton, we’ll need you to unmute. Thank you, Natasha.
Ms. Walton: Good afternoon, we have two items for alcohol approval:
PUBLIC SERVICES
9. Motion to approve New Location: A.N. 20-45: A request by Alexandrea Kneece for a
consumption on premise Beer & Wine & Wine License to be used in connection with Draft
Society located at 875 Broad Street. District 1. Super District 9.
Ms. Walton: This application has been approved by the Richmond County Sheriff’s Office
and Planning and Development.
Mr. Mayor: Okay, Ms. Walton.
Ms. Kneece: Hello, this is Alexandrea Kneece and I live at 255 Laurens Street SW, Aiken,
South Carolina 29801.
Mr. Mayor: Thank you.
10. Motion to approve New Application: A.N. 20-44: A request by Meade Thornton-
Madugula for a retail package Beer & Wine License to be used in connection with City Hub
Convenience Store located at 2228 Rosier Rd Ste.F. District 6. Super District 10.
Ms. Walton: This application has been approved by the Richmond County Sheriff’s Office
and Planning and Development.
Ms. Madugula: Hello, I am Meade Thornton-Madugula and I live at 253 Broad Street,
Augusta, Georgia 30901.
Mr. Mayor: Thank you, Ms. Thornton, Ms. Madugula, sorry. All right, the Chair will
entertain a motion.
Mr. M. Williams: There’s no objections, Mr. Mayor?
Mr. Mayor: Thank you, sir, Ms. Walton do we have any objectors?
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Ms. Walton: No, sir, no objections to these alcohol petitions.
Mr. Mayor: Thank you.
Mr. M. Williams: So moved.
Mr. D. Williams: Second.
Mr. Mayor: Voting.
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.
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.
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The Clerk: Mr. Marion Williams.
Mr. M. Williams: Yes.
Motion Passes 10-0.
Mr. Mayor: Madam Clerk, let’s take up Number 4.
Ms. Self: Hi, my name is Tonya Self ---
Mr. Mayor: Hold on just a minute, ma’am.
The Clerk:
PLANNING
4. Z-20-53 – A request for concurrence with the Augusta Georgia Planning Commission to
approve with the following conditions a petition by Tonya Self, on behalf of Bruce Hitt,
requesting to establish a Family Personal Care Home per Section 26-1-(h) of the
Comprehensive Zoning Ordinance for Augusta Georgia affecting property located at 2311
Mura Drive. Tax Map 121-3-060-00-0 – Zoned R-1A (One-family Residential) DISTRICT 5
1. The home shall be staffed on a 7-day, 24-hour basis. 2. The home shall be limited to 4
residents total with staff coming in shifts. Any lie-in staff will be counted towards the
maximum occupancy of 4 residents. 3. Additional paved parking shall be provided as needed
by widening the existing driveway. Grass parking shall be discontinued. 4. If the rear of the
property is not enclosed by a fence one must be installed to ensure a safe and secure outside
space for residents. 5. Any changes in the definition of the use, nature of the clientele or
increase in numbers of occupants shall require another Special Exception. 6. The applicant
must receive and maintain a City of Augusta business license and a license with the State of
Georgia. Proof of compliance with the minimum requirements of Chapter 111.8-62.01 of the
O.C.G.A must be provided, and the applicant must provide annual fire department
inspection reports. 7. All requirements must be met within six (6) months of approval of the
Special Exception, or the Special Exception is void. 8. If wheelchair bound persons reside in
the residence all 2010 ADA Standards for Accessible Design requirements must be met,
including but not limited to: • All doorways must be at least 3 feet wide. • At least one
bathroom that permits a wheelchair dependent person to use all bathroom facilities
unimpeded.
Mr. Mayor: All right, Ms. Self ---
Ms. Self: Yes, sir.
Mr. Mayor: --- again if you would please state your name and your address and what it is
you’re trying to do.
29
Ms. Self: My name is Tonya Self. I am the Augusta area Administrator for RHA Health
Services and we are located our business office is located 208B Pitcarin Way Augusta, Georgia
30909 and we are currently in the process of getting the (inaudible) living arrangements because
they are limited to four individuals that once were operated by Gracewood State School and
Hospital. RHA Health Services took over those homes and we are in the process of getting the
business licenses for the homes that were already established. It’s not a new startup and RHA
Health Services is a agency that is not only in Georgia but they have offices in Tennessee, North
Carolina and now Florida and they’re an accredited facility for profit so we have to be regulated
by the Department (inaudible) and HFR so we do have regency oversite for this home and they are
regulated by Columbus Community Services.
Mr. Mayor: All right, so, Ms. Burgess, all right, Ms. Burgess, please come forward. All
right, can you give us background on the Planning Department’s position on this then I’m going
th.
to turn it over to the Commission from the 5 He’s got some questions.
Ms. Burgess: Certainly, sir. This is just under our standard Special Exception to operate
the Personal Care Home as the applicant stated. It is at Gracewood, it was run by the state so they
didn’t have to come into compliance with the Special Exception. Now that it’s going into private
practice it’ll go, it has to come through our process and get the business license and get established
with the Special Exception. We didn’t have anybody, objectors to this petition and we have our
standard conditions making sure that it is in good standing. (inaudible) said it is in good standing
and we went out and did an inspection and they passed the inspection with flying colors.
Mr. Mayor: Thank you, Ms. Burgess. All right, the Chair recognizes the Commissioner
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from the 5.
Mr. B. Williams: All right, Ms. Burgess, is this home in a neighborhood? How close is
the nearest home to that to this facility? Is it in between two other houses, right next to another
house?
Ms. Burgess: Yes, these smaller Personal Care Homes are in residential neighborhoods.
That’s why they need the Special Exception.
Mr. B. Williams: Okay and this is a company that has Personal Care Homes all over the
place or what?
Ms. Burgess: Yes, that’s what Ms. Self just said that this is a, they have them in multiple
jurisdictions and over state lines as well. They don’t have, they have a good reputation for running
these homes and we haven’t received any complaints for them.
Mr. B. Williams: Did you also (inaudible) any of the residents?
Ms. Burgess: They said that they have spoken with the residents in the neighborhood.
Mr. B. Williams: I ---
30
Ms. Burgess: (Inaudible) posting where we put the sign in the front yard with all the
information ---
Mr. B. Williams: --- well, those signs are very small and you never, you never know. You
know just like those homes where you rent you’ve got those companies coming into neighborhoods
renting, renovate 20 homes in the neighborhood and then they rent them out and then we look for
them, we can’t find them or what have you. You said this company is reputable and how long
have they been in business?
Ms. Burgess: The company has been in, 20 years. This house is existing, it’s been there
for over 10 years being used as a Personal Care Home but because it was under Gracewood, state
run so it didn’t have to come into conformance with our bylaws but now that this company is
taking over.
Mr. B. Williams: Okay, you’re saying this home is a part of Gracewood? Is that what you
said?
Ms. Burgess: Yes, originally. yes ---
Mr. B. Williams: Previously ---
Ms. Burgess: --- yes ---
Mr. B. Williams: --- it was state run.
Ms. Burgess: --- yes.
Mr. B. Williams: Mr. Marion Williams, you’re part of that board. Are you familiar with
this?
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Mr. Mayor: Commission from the 9 the gentleman from the 5 wants to know whether
or not you’re familiar with these homes that formerly were there at Gracewood. I believe the
property of record again over on Mura Drive meets the requirement and I don’t want to go into a
long history of how we got to this place of putting people in the community but Commissioner
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from the 9.
Mr. M. Williams: Thank you, Mr. Mayor. I don’t want to get into all the history but Ms.
Burgess was trying to explain some of that earlier. Gracewood is closing down or probably has
closed down and they got these all over the state not just in Augusta, they’ve got them everywhere.
This company I think is coming in and taking over. They’re not asking our permission. They are
going in because they are no longer keeping people in those areas in Gracewood, they’re putting
them in regular homes. You can’t tell they’re there. There’s no signage up, there’s no way of
saying this is a Personal Care Home, the yards are maintained. This is not a fly by night company
and this is not somebody coming in and just trying something. I just heard the lady say they’re
now in Florida so these people are being placed in a position who can’t take care of themselves,
who have staff to take care of them and treat them on a normal basis as if you and I were living
31
there. So I just think that you know it’s a good thing. I think they’ve got a good record. I think
that we have vetted through the License and Inspection to see that they meet the guidelines and
Ms. Burgess just said they exceeded, she said they exceeded our guidelines. So if I need to make
a motion to approve I will ---
Mr. Clarke: Second, I got, Mr. Mayor ---
Mr. Mayor: Okay, hold on, hold on a minute, hold on a minute. I’m going to ask everyone
with background noise televisions, radios whatever it is if you will please turn them down or off
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if you would. All right, I’m going to go, the Commissioner from the 9 was making a motion, the
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Commissioner from the 5 stepped in, he’s certainly has an opportunity to make a substitute if
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that’s necessary but Commissioner from the 9 you were making a motion?
Mr. M. Williams: --- yeah, I make a motion to approve, Mr. Mayor.
Mr. Mayor: Okay ---
Mr. Clarke: Second, I’ll second that.
th,
Mr. Mayor: --- okay, all right, we’ve got a second. Commissioner from the 5 back to
you.
Mr. B. Williams: Yes, sir, I don’t necessarily have a problem with this but one thing that
I do want to make sure of like we have all these companies that come in and they renovate houses
in a particular neighborhood. You may have 40 houses in a neighborhood and they’re renting
twenty of them and it’s eroding our neighborhoods. I’m just making sure that we don’t have that
same similar problem with these. I call them nursing homes come in to our neighborhoods. I’ve
got to live next door to a Personal Care Home I want to make sure that it’s taken care of the way
it needs to be taken care of and that it’s not going to erode our neighborhood. We have one near
where I live and it’s atrocious so I just want to make sure that doesn’t happen to anybody else. As
far as you know the upkeep and everything I’m pretty sure that they’re going to try to do their best
however we need to make sure that we in Augusta get these things as they need to be investigated
making sure that they don’t erode our neighborhoods. And as you see where they’re asking us to
put this house it’s in South Augusta. We’ve got enough mess in South Augusta so go forward with
your voting.
Mr. Mayor: Hold on, everybody ---
Mr. B. Williams: I’m on board for voting it up so don’t think that I’m not for it, okay?
st,
Mr. Mayor: --- all right, sir, thank you, Commissioner from the 1 state your inquiry.
Mr. Fennoy: Mr. Mayor, one of my concerns about people that were formerly being served
by Gracewood being served by private companies is that you have a high number of people that
were being serviced by Gracewood at one time that are placed in homes like this that are dying.
One of my concerns is the quality of care and whether once you get a resident in these homes what
32
type of monitoring will take place to make sure that the residents are receiving the care that they
deserve?
Mr. Mayor: Ms. Self.
Ms. Self: Yes, sir, I understand I actually do 100% understand what your concerns would
be. These types of homes that you’re talking about they are the ones that make it difficult for the
companies like ours they have services. We have a quality assurance team across RHA Health
Services that monitor the houses, we have program managers, development disability professionals
and house managers that are our frontline workers (inaudible) to call them ESA, (unintelligible)
associates that also run the facilities. And many of these employees have been dedicated to these
particular group of individuals that we served for many, many years many of them since they were
children in Gracewood. So they’re just not people that come in and out of their lives. These people
have been in their lives for quite some time. We are monitored by (unintelligible) in the Region
II office which there are six different regions across Georgia and then we are also monitored by
Healthcare Regulatory Services and Columbia Community Services and Deacon Community
Services as we have multiple layers of quality assurance that make sure that we are meeting the
criteria. And the one thing about RHA Health Services and I have been in this business since I
was 17 years old and I’m 55 and the one thing that I can tell you about RHA Health Services is
they are person-centered people. They take seriously the business of making sure that the homes
and the individuals have what they need. And it’s not like a fly by night person that’s just running
this business out of their home and if they had the money to fix this they will and if they have you
know they’ll keep this together or they won’t. If the landlord, if we rent a house the landlord
doesn’t make the repair we still have to meet certain criteria and RHA Health Services knows that
and they make, they make the money available for those repairs to be done and make sure that the
houses are safe. We have a regular maintenance person that goes out Mr. Clarence that cuts the
grass for us, Mr. Joe (unintelligible) that comes out and makes sure that we have whatever needs
that I have so it’s not, it’s not some small business that’s in it to make money. This is, these are
people that have dedicated their lives to individuals with developmental disabilities and behavioral
health challenges for many, many years through ups and downs and changes in the way that
services and because of the Ombudsman Act and it has made it increasingly hard for Gracewood
State School and Hospital to operate homes within a community because of the budget cuts. We’re
privately owned and we’re able to build the way directly and then combine our resources from
across all the states if one area needs money to make sure that those homes are maintained.
Mr. M. Williams: We’ve got a motion to approve already.
Mr. Mayor: Yeah, you have a motion to approve and, Madam Clerk, we’re going to vote
th.
on it. We have a second from the Commissioner from the 10 Madam Clerk, you’re muted.
The Clerk: Mr. Clarke.
Mr. Clarke: Yes.
The Clerk: Ms. Davis.
33
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.
Mr. D. Williams: Yes, ma’am.
The Clerk: Mr. Marion Williams.
Mr. M. Williams: Yes, ma’am.
Motion Passes 10-0.
Mr. Mayor: Madam Clerk ---
Ms. Self: Thank you so much I appreciate that ---
Mr. Mayor: --- you’re quite welcome, thank you so much.
Ms. Self: --- (inaudible).
Mr. M. Williams: Mr. Mayor, Point of Personal Privilege please?
34
Mr. M. Williams: Yes, state your inquiry.
Mr. M. Williams: Thank you, sir. I do wish my colleagues would ride out to South Augusta
I guess District 5 for sure behind Barton Village and look at the hundreds of homes that have been
built that does not so much for the quality of life for anybody and I’m going to leave it just like
that. You need to ride behind Barton Village and look at the homes that someone has been able to
build in that area. I wouldn’t let my German Shepherd stay there.
Mr. B. Williams: That’s District 4.
Mr. M. Williams: Then you’ve been out there.
Mr. Mayor: Madam Clerk, we’re going to Item #47, Item #47.
The Clerk: Mr. Mayor, if I could Item #11 Ms. Walton is down with the renewal for the
Alcohol Petition. Would you consider that one so the staff could be excused?
Mr. Mayor: Madam Clerk, I thought ya’ll said I was in a happy place.
The Clerk: Well, I don’t know. Mood changes.
Mr. Mayor: I’m sliding and shifting right here real fast.
The Clerk: Well, you know I mean ---
Mr. Mayor: All right Number 11, Number 11.
The Clerk:
PUBLIC SERVICES
11. Motion to approve a request by the Planning & Development Department to renew the
existing Alcohol Licenses in the City of Augusta for the 2021 Year. There will be Sunday
Sales, Dance, Wholesale, and Arcade Licenses. Districts 1-8. Super District 9-10.
Mr. Fennoy: Motion to approve.
Ms. Davis: Second.
The Clerk: Who’s that Mr. Fennoy?
Mr. Fennoy: Yes, ma’am.
The Clerk: And Ms. Davis.
Mr. M. Williams: That’s right.
35
Ms. Davis: And Hasan.
The Clerk: Okay, Mr. Clarke.
Mr. Mayor: So let me, let me, Ms. Bonner, suspend if you don’t mind. With this Item #11
there’s been considerable conversation about what can be done to help and support small
businesses which is why I was holding on this one. And one of the options that the Commission
has available to it particularly with this motion is that the Commission may approve extending the
date for alcohol licenses to be renewed and in light of that the Commission may also approve
setting the date for when the penalty is effective. So in light of all the information we have if we
want to ‘help businesses’ with the understanding that 2020 business licenses have already been
purchased, have already been met but this will be a prudent action to provide some level of relief
going into 2021 that perhaps the motion to approve might be amended to say, motion to approve
alcohol licenses renewals being effective July 1, 2021 when the notices go out, okay? So I’m
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going to recognize the Mayor Pro Tem first then I’m going to go to the 9 and try to bring this
back in full circle.
Mr. Mayor Pro Tem: Thank you, Mr. Mayor. my question is around the fact that we talked
about a 25% off aspect on 2021 licenses and I guess from Rob I would ask this question how would
that look from the standpoint of our approval today and how do we move forward with the body
implementing that and do we need to vote on that today as well?
Mr. Sherman: Mayor and Commissioners, today you’re just voting on the existing licenses
st
for 2020 that end December the 31 2020 and you’re approving them to be renewed for 2021. As
far as setting the fee I supposed you could do that now if that’s what you’re discussing is to reduce
st
it 25%. Typically the bills go out the 1 of December, they have to be paid in December, now
we’re talking about alcohol licenses so that they will have a valid license come January 1. We
were in touch with the Revenue Department if we delay renewing the licenses until July 1 say of
2021 they will accept that. They just ask that we send a letter to the businesses, the alcohol license
holders, letting them know that their 2020 license is valid until the set date that you come up with.
Mr. Mayor Pro Tem: So we necessarily or you’re saying we necessarily don’t have to
make that decision today on the 25% even though we’re approving these licenses?
Mr. Sherman: That’s correct.
Mr. Mayor: Yes.
Mr. Mayor Pro Tem: Okay, thank you.
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Mr. Mayor: Commissioner from the 9.
Mr. M. Williams: Thank you, Mr. Mayor. How can we, I mean COVID-19 has affected
everybody but are we going to just give a 25% off for the alcohol license and not the other people
who buy licenses from this government whether they be business licenses, whatever? To me that’s
unfair, Mr. Mayor, if we’re going do that COVID-19 hasn’t just affected bars, it affected all of us.
36
So if we’re going to give a reason it’s going to be because of the epidemic. We’re not going to
address the other people’s licenses, we’re opening up a Pandora’s Box here now. I’m not opposed
to that but if we’re going to do it.
th,
Mr. Mayor: Commissioner from the 9 what you’re referring to is not what’s being
debated at this time.
Mr. M. Williams: So what I’m referring to is we’re considering giving 25% off. We just
approve the license, I get what Rob does. I’ve done it for 16 years.
Mr. Mayor: (Unintelligible).
Mr. M. Williams: Okay, so I get that but the conversation is that we’ll come back later and
give 25% off for the alcohol licenses and if that ---
Mr. Mayor: That’s not what we’re saying. There was a global conversation about business
licenses and renewal fees globally that we were slated to have a conversation about and that was
thth
supposed to be slated for the 19 or the 20 of this week. That was consistent with what we said
however many days to when our last meeting was. What the Mayor Pro Tem is referring to is in
the context of this. He added that around how does that apply as it relates to this piece. But the
global conversation was specifically around 25% potential reduction in business fees, business
licenses and fees globally.
Mr. M. Williams: Okay, that helps me understand a little bit better. I’m just not debating
that. I’m just making sure that we understand that that if it’s good for the goose it’s good for the
gander ---
Mr. Mayor: Right.
Mr. M. Williams: --- I mean for everybody so that’s it’s just a comment.
Mr. Mayor: Absolutely ---
Mr. Hasan: Mr. Mayor ---
th,
Mr. Mayor: --- I’m going to go back, Commissioner from the 6 state your inquiry.
Mr. Hasan: --- thank you, Mr. Mayor, is Finance there, is Finance out there?
Mr. Lewis: Yes, sir, they’re coming in now.
Mr. Mayor: Director Williams.
Ms. Williams: Yes, sir ---
Mr. Hasan: Ms. Donna, I have a simple question ---
37
Ms. Williams: --- yes, sir.
Mr. Hasan: --- and because since we said that we’re not going to vote on those business
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licenses today to give the 25% let’s just assume we vote on them December the 1 and as we
remember the business license when it comes to a $1.3 million dollar, $1.2 million dollar shortfall
if we give the 25%. Aren’t we leaving a hole in the budget if we do that?
Ms. Williams: If it was not replaced from the source that was mentioned earlier the
designation from some of those monies that we (inaudible) from the State of Georgia ---
Mr. Hasan: Somebody’s trying to drown you out.
Ms. Williams: --- then yes, sir but as Director Sherman mentioned you don’t have to make
that decision today as to the relief to the businesses from the business license, alcohol license fee
structure.
Mr. Hasan: Yeah, I mean I get that Ms. Donna. I’m just saying but won’t it create a 1. 2
½ you know a shortfall somewhere that we got to make up somewhere that’s my question.
Ms. Williams: It could.
Mr. Hasan: Thank you, Ms. Donna, so you’re going to be able to find a way to replace it
when we take that vote?
Ms. Williams: I hope to be able to give ya’ll some options before you take the vote rather
than on the floor when you’re taking the vote. That would help out.
Mr. Hasan: So that means if we’re considering doing that we don’t need to pass the budget
until we find the money.
Ms. Williams: No, no, no, no, sir. You need to pass the budget and then you, if necessary
if you take another action then you would amend that budget but I would strongly encourage each
one of you guys to pass the budget today.
Mr. Hasan: And you’re going, so we can hold you accountable to finding this $1.3 million
dollars?
Ms. Williams: You are anyway.
Mr. Mayor: Let me ask that question to Director Williams ---
Mr. Hasan: Mr. Mayor, let me finish with the (unintelligible) Finance Director.
Mr. Mayor: --- so let me, I’m going to step in right and I’m going to chime in. We’ve got
a really prudent path forward in terms of where we are. There is great interest by the Commission
38
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to look for ways to be helpful to the business community. To the Commissioner from the 9’s
point and that’s the entire business community. I don’t think there’s any need for couching around
this conversation. We’ve got a balanced budget that’s been presented to us. Administrator Donald
is going to be prepared, he’s on deck here in just a moment ---
Mr. Hasan: Mr. Mayor, do I get do I have ---
Mr. Mayor: --- to be prepared to take this up ---
Mr. Hasan: --- Mr. Mayor ---
Mr. Mayor: --- and so I think we need to ---
Mr. Hasan: --- do I have the pleasure you know at least complete my conversation? I mean
you can weigh in after that but I’m just asking the question will we be able to find the $1.3 million
and did we need, and she answered no. I just want to make sure we can come up with the money.
And so I’m not trying to stop the budget. She said yes, she can find the money. I just don’t need
her to freeze up when it comes down to finding the money. That’s all.
Mr. Fennoy: I’ll write the city a check, Commissioner Hasan.
Mr. Hasan: Okay, Ms. Donna, you got that on record?
Mr. Mayor: --- all right, so let’s get back to the business here. We’ve got a motion in front
of us and it’s again late in the evening. We’ve got a lot of business in front of us. All right, I’m
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going to go to the Commissioner from the 8 and then I’m going to the Administrator because I
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want to adopt this motion here and move forward. Commissioner from the 8.
Mr. Garrett: Thank you, Mayor. This is in reference back to the, you know, trying to help
out the business owner for the 25% cut. Let’s try this a different way. That 25% that, you know,
we’re trying to discuss here is basically the same amount of time that a lot of these businesses were
closed this year so to me that kind of puts it in reference for a lot of people. I would hope that
people would take that into account.
Mr. Mayor: All right, thank you. All right, we’ve got a motion and a second. Administrator
Donald, would you like to weigh in on this matter before we vote?
Mr. Donald: Yes, sir. I think the only comment that I had is having a unique experience of
kind of leading our region in coming up with opportunities to support businesses and assist them
in reducing their costs and the burden of COVID-19 while not necessarily damaging the city’s
coffers. I think we’ve done that successfully in a previous jurisdiction that I am leaving but also
in helping to advise other cities both larger and smaller. In doing so I think we’ve got some good
ideas to bring back to the Commission prior to you taking this action that may put a little pressure
on our Finance Director. What I would recommend is is that you’re passing this initial motion not
necessarily addressing the 25% in this meeting because once you pass the budget you can make
amendments as necessary which is a practice municipalities are taking on based on the changing
39
nature of COVID-19. Being only my second day I’m not actually being able to sit down with the
Finance Director until tomorrow I would humbly ask that an additional action related to the
reduction in those in the cost of the licenses be delayed until we have an opportunity to put our
minds together.
Mr. M. Williams: Mr. Mayor, can I ask the Administrator a question?
Mr. Mayor: All right, last question.
Mr. M. Williams: Can I ask the Administrator a question, Mr. Mayor ---
Mr. Mayor: Yes, sir.
Mr. M. Williams: --- Mr. Donald, can we recess this meeting? We don’t have to take the
budget up today. We can recess this meeting and then come back to it at a later time and still be
in good standing to give you time to do the things that you need to do, can’t we?
Mr. Donald: Well, I think you could do that but I think but once statutorily you have to
approve the budget by a certain date. I don’t have in front of me the date for the City of Augusta
or Augusta-Richmond County but I think the adjustments that you’ve made which I have had a
chance to review and follow are the right ones for right now. But the budget is your living
breathing document and the way that the pandemic is wreaking havoc on us I think I would my
recommendation would be to approve the budget as is now and I think without a long period of
time I’m going to be able to make some assessments and some recommendations you know within
a reasonable amount of time. But I would recommend just as the Finance Director had that you
take on this balanced budget now and then you adjust as necessary.
Mr. Mayor: All right, Madam Clerk, I’ve got a motion and a second. Voting.
The Clerk: Mr. Clarke.
Mr. Clarke: Yep.
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. Clarke, I’m sorry, Mr. Garrett.
40
Mr. Fennoy: It’s getting late.
The Clerk: Mr. Garrett, he’s muted, I’ll come back to him, 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: Okay, Mr. Garrett, okay, he’s still muted, Mr. Marion Williams.
Mr. Garrett: Yes, ma’am.
Mr. M. Williams: Yes.
Motion Passes 10-0.
Mr. Mayor: Madam Clerk, Item #47.
The Clerk:
ADMINISTRATOR
47. Approve FY 2021 budget for Augusta Georgia.
Mr. Mayor: Administrator Donald.
Mr. Donald: All right so again, Mayor and Commission, I’m sorry, Mayor, you did defer
this to me, correct?
Mr. Mayor: I did, sir.
Mr. Donald: Mayor and Commission, just highlighting the conversation I think also the
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Commissioner from the 9 I apologize I wasn’t clear. Today is the statutory deadline to actually
pass the budget. And just to highlight you have made the appropriate adjustments to balance the
budget and I think you’ve made some prudent actions kind of highlighted here. Just in summary
you eliminated the transfer from the General Fund to Transit which decreases those expenditures
41
by a little more than $3.8 million dollars. You also have a change in revenue projection which I
think again was also appropriate based on the sales tax revenues that greatly I guess exceeded with
the expectations and projections were based on the pandemic. Also the use of the Fund Balance
of the $2.5 million dollars also highlighted to the increase in revenues and the reduction of
approximately 25% reduction in travel and training and adjusting your contribution which also
decrease expenditures of about approximately $600,000 dollars brings you to a balanced budget.
In addition to those changes, I think I did want to highlight that. You know this pandemic is going
to continue to impact the budget in ways that we don’t necessarily know so I will be asking for an
opportunity to come back before the Commission with additional recommendations at some point
in the near future approximately 60 days after the proposed passage of the budget. I’d also you
know just say being very early in my tenure I have had the opportunity to watch your very spirited
discussions related to the budget and know you had to make some very difficult and hard choices
which is why I very much harp on the fact that this being a living and breathing document and the
pandemic continuously changing you know you should rest assured that your decision today is just
one of many related to the budget. And so, Mayor, I would defer to our counsel with any specific
questions that they may have in relation to the budget.
Mr. Mayor: All right, very well. let’s put another slide is there more than one slide in the
deck?
Mr. Donald: I apologize. I went through just the summary there are I think the staff wanted
to make sure the two Deputy Administrators who are in the room with me currently wanted to
make sure to highlight the great work of all the administrative staff who came together to make an
attempt on the 2% cut in additional concessions. Finance definitely put in yeoman’s work to make
the changes; all departments and agencies contributed in some way. And I think it was important
to them to highlight that to both the Commission and for the edification of the public.
Mr. Mayor: All right, wonderful, and again if you could back to Slide 2 and that’s not
necessary I think we’re at a point where we can have some discussion.
Mr. Donald: And, Mayor, for the record just to highlight all of these changes are the ones
that were discussed in your multiple budget work sessions and so they were, the numbers were
kind of crunched a little bit after the decisions and guidance provided by the Commission was
given to staff. But those adjustments that I summarized were simply incorporated into the original
proposed budget provided by the Interim Administrator.
Mr. Mayor: All right, fantastic and so in light of that as everyone sees here on Slide 2
General Fund Law Enforcement total budget for 2021 $167,729,500 revenue expenditures with an
overall budget to include special revenue funds and other funds are $802 million. All right, the
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Chair recognizes the Commissioner from the 6, state your inquiry.
Mr. Hasan: Thank you, Mr. Mayor. Mr. Administrator and Finance had an opportunity
today, I think ya’ll might have spoken with the Transit Director Ms. Sharon Dottery and we was
talking about a $2.6 million dollars to get some busses and things that matter, and she said you all
assured her for all intents and purposes that she would be able to receive the resources to get that
because she had put those orders in and was about to cancel it per our conversation the other day.
42
So I hear you, Mr. Administrator, you keep mentioning a live and breathing document which I
think is a good statement there so talk to us about the Transit because I talked to several of the
Commissioners that they concerned me and I think it concerns them as well to kind of put us at
ease about the $2.6 million dollars for Transit.
Mr. Donald: Some of the concerns around the Transit budget was the reduction related to
the Cares Act Fund. Through multiple conversations many of those led by Finance and the now
Deputy Administrator Sims they had conversations with the Transit Director and, yes, they came
to an agree on what the meaning of those and amount of those funds were and we believe that this
balanced budget and the funds that are made available resolve all of her issues, am I correct in that,
Mr. Sims?
Mr. Hasan: Excuse let me let me can I restate that for a minute. This is a recent
conversation so it was not a part of the budget. This just came up as a last within the last five days.
So I think we may be talking about somebody or Ms. Donna somebody can help me maybe talk
about a different finality because she was talking about she had $6.4 million dollars left from a
grant. $3.8 was to kind of like put in the budget which was clearly understandable, no problem
about that, but there’s about $2.6 million dollars there so she was assured today that she would get
it so I don’t think unless they make some substantial adjustments since yesterday that that was
included.
Mr. Donald: I think the concern is yeah I think the concern was she felt that her $3.8
million dollars was not included in the budget based on the changes related to the Cares Act. And
so I’ve been following all the correspondence and have confirmed with the gentleman in the room
that those funds have been included and that information was relayed to the Director. I actually
followed up on that with our team as recent as about 2:00 p.m. today so I haven’t received any
different information so I’m fairly confident that those issues are rectified.
Mr. Hasan: (Unintelligible) one more time, Mr. Donald, because I’m and I apologize
because I’m a little slow ---
Mr. Mayor: No, Commissioner Hasan, let me ask you this, Commissioner Hasan ---
Mr. Hasan: --- Mr. Mayor, hold up now (unintelligible) let me finish ---
Mr. Mayor: --- now don’t you tell me hold on. I’m asking you did he not answer your
question?
Mr. Hasan: --- no, he has not answered. I just was saying that and you cut me off.
Mr. Mayor: Okay, so why don’t you direct the question to Finance.
Mr. Donald: I apologize, Commissioner. If you’ll restate the question I’ll make sure to
get you the correct answer here. I may be missing your inquiries, I apologize, could you restate it
for me please?
43
Mr. Hasan: This probably, Finance can weigh in on it too in fairness to you, Mr.
Administrator, because it just come up the last couple of days. The $3.8 is a foregone conclusion,
we’ve been looking at and discussing the budget so that’s a given but there was a $6.4 million
dollar grant so all of the grant was consumed within the budget. So there’s about $2.6 million
dollars that she needs to get that the $3.8 is a foregone conclusion. We’re talking about an
additional $2.6 million dollars to get her Transit to get her busses, get her vans, get things of that
nature, that’s what I’m talking about I’m not talking about the $3.8.
Mr. Donald: Again I do think you’re correct, Commissioner, but I’m confirming with our
staff here those funds are in the budget and it has been confirmed with the Transit Director and
Finance but as you said I’m a new guy and we have the Finance Director on and I’m sure she’ll
tell you the same thing that I did. And so, Ms. Williams, if you’d like to chime in with any further
clarification that could make Commissioner Hasan more comfortable please do.
Ms. Williams: I don’t know that I necessarily have any further information to contribute
because you pretty much summed it up. We have, I’ve been out a couple of days as most of you
guys know but it was reconfirmed with the Transit Director that what we had originally intended
the $3.8 would be used out of Cares Act for her operations instead of substitution of the General
Fund monies that have traditionally been used. There will still be monies and we will still proceed
as we have done continuously for Transit to use incoming grants to purchase her buses. There
should be, I’ve spoken with Ms. Dottery in middle of October. Until yesterday I thought
everything was great but I understand there were follow up conversations yesterday. We once
again confirmed that there will be money available for her through the grant process to buy her
capital for her busses as is normal. And if Tim is on the line if there’s anything else that needs to
be added but ---
Mr. Hasan: Well, Ms. Donna ---
Ms. Williams: --- but it’s my understanding that everything is fine.
Mr. Hasan: --- Ms. Donna, I’m going to leave it alone after this, Mr. Mayor, and I apologize
to yourself, Mr. Administrator, to yourself the Mayor as well but what I’m hearing you are talking
about additional grant process. I am talking about the $2.6 million dollars from the $6.4 million
dollars there that she was placing an order currently not from an additional grant to come. We’re
talking about a grant she had in hand. That’s the money I’m talking about.
Mr. Mayor: Commissioner Hasan ---
Mr. Hasan: Mr. Mayor (unintelligible) I’m through with it.
Mr. Mayor: --- there’s not a Cares Act funding available to Transit that has not been
adjusted. What happened is this body again and what has been presented is by eliminating the
transfer from the General Fund to Transit the use of Cares Act funding has been shifted to cover
operational expenses instead of capital expenditures for the Transit Department. And Sharon has
been made aware of that and is conscious of that and it does nothing to hinder her ability to continue
to purchase capital using other grant dollars that are available to fund her expenditures.
44
Mr. Hasan: Mr. Mayor, but that’s not what I’m asking ---
Mr. Mayor: That’s absolutely is what you’re asking. It goes back to the very heart of the
$2.5 that you say she’s expended to use for the purchase of busses, paratransit vans and so forth.
That’s where the $2.5 comes in.
Mr. Hasan: --- she don’t have it though.
Mr. B. Williams: Mr. Mayor ---
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Mr. Mayor: All right, hold on a minute. I want the Commissioner from the 6 to exhaust
his questions and concerns to try and get him an answer. Go ahead, Commissioner.
Mr. Hasan: You’re not getting any answers, Mr. Mayor, because you’re about future grants
and things of that that nature and we’re talking about the $2.6 million dollars from money that she
had in hand from a $6.4 million dollars. So I understand some of these things, so she had placed
an order for things that she was about to purchase from the $6.4 million dollars and she don’t have
the money to do it at this point and these was for busses, these were for vans so that’s what I’m
asking about.
Mr. Mayor: Tim ---
Mr. Schroer: Yes, sir.
Mr. Mayor: --- go ahead, sir, all right before you speak to Tim. Tim, hold on a moment.
thth
All right we’re going to go in this order the Commissioner from the 9 and then the 10, in that
order after Tim speaks. Go ahead, Tim.
Mr. Schroer: Okay, the conversation we had with Sharon this morning was the $6. for the
total amount of Cares Act funding $6.4 million. We’re using $3.8 for operations, the remaining
balance of $2.6 is there for capital expenditures and that’s what we all agreed to this morning so I
think that, we’re not taking anymore, we’re not taking anything away from her. We’re just shifting
to operations and she still has the remaining $2.6 million dollars backing for capital if that’s the
best choice.
Mr. Hasan: Okay, well, that’s good. You just said she can spend that money
(unintelligible).
Mr. Schroer: Yeah.
Mr. Hasan: --- okay.
Mr. M. Williams: I guess I can go ahead, Mr. Mayor.
Mr. Mayor: What we’ve been saying the whole time.
45
Mr. Hasan: No, you haven’t, you said future grants not, that’s not what they’re talking
about.
Mr. M. Williams: And Commissioner Hasan is right, Mr. Mayor. That was stated by future
grants and that caught my attention as well. Transit has never gotten the support they needed to
have anyway. Transit has been the first child to be put outside with no coat on so I’m concerned
about that. And I’m concerned about we are talking about transferring the money but when she
talked about having the equipment, she done already placed there’s an order but she’s not going to
order and it hadn’t been put there so I’ve got some issues with that. We need to make sure that
we’re doing what we need to do, Mr. Mayor. That’s why I mentioned about trying to delay or
postpone this meeting until later so we can work those things out. We’ll still meet the deadline if
we don’t end this meeting. All we got to do is just postpone this meeting until an hour before our
next meeting and then have a chance to work through that to make sure our budget is balanced.
And we can go ahead and approve, we can approve this, we can go ahead and approve it and say
our budget’s balanced and then go back and work on it again because it’s a breathing document. I
get that. But I don’t want to approve it and not knowing that they got the equipment they’re
supposed to have on order that’s going to be there. N,ow this ain’t no rocket science, this ain’t
hard but we can adjourn this meeting and move it to the next meeting an hour before time, vote on
the budget once we get all the particulars worked out because I agree that Commissioner Hasan
was right.
Mr. B. Williams: Mr. Mayor?
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Mr. Mayor: Commissioner from the 5.
Mr. B. Williams: You know I think everybody’s going to always have some issues. As
we said this is a breathing document, it lives every day and you make changes to it every day. I
also had a concern about the Transit Department. Tim has answered that question so I’m going to
make a motion that we approve it.
Mr. Fennoy: Second.
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Mr. Mayor: All right, I’ve got a motion and a second. Commissioner from the 10.
Mr. Clarke: Thank you, Mr. Mayor. To answer I think what everybody’s been asking and
you know I talk with the Director quite often this is conversation from this morning and a text to
answer my questions at 10:34 this morning from the Director of Transit said good morning,
Commissioner, I had a conversation with Finance and Administration. The $3.8 million I put into
Cares Act the Cares Grant is good with Finance and me. The remaining dollars can be used for
capital purchases. Thanks for all your help. So she’s fine with what was worked out.
Mr. Mayor: Thank you, sir. I’ve got a motion and a second, voting.
The Clerk: Mr. Clarke.
46
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.
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.
Mr. M. Williams votes No.
Motion Passes 9-1.
Mr. Mayor Pro Tem: All right, Ms. Bonner, we’re going to go to top to bottom and start
back at the top please.
The Clerk: Okay, that’d be #12.
47
PUBLIC SERVICES
12. For Discussion. On August 3, 2020, Governor Kemp signed HB 879 into law. The
legislation amends the state laws governing five categories of alcohol regulation: centralized
permitting (Department of Revenue), Sunday sales of alcohol, home delivery of alcohol, local
control of distance requirements, and pouring events at package stores.
Mr. Mayor Pro Tem: Mr. Sherman, are you going to speak to this?
The Clerk: He’s muted, sir, you’re muted, Mr. Sherman.
Mr. Sherman: Yes, Mayor and Commissioners, I put this on the agenda just to give you
an update some recent legislation House Bill 879. We had a few inquiries and I don’t have all the
details at this time and you’ll understand that in a minute. So when the Legislature passes a new
bill in this case for alcohol the Department of Revenue writes the rules to administer that new
legislation. The Revenue Department has not completed writing the rules for these five issues that
are mentioned in the agenda item. One of the amendments to the legislation was that they have a
centralized permitting so for instance when someone locally applies for an alcohol license it will
be on a software system that is being distributed to the cities in the state by the Revenue
Department so everything will be coordinated. Sunday sales of alcohol, this is talking about
restaurants who are recognized as a restaurant meaning that they have 50% of their gross sales
from the sale of food, alcohol is incidental too and retail businesses that sell alcohol. So we’ve
had two referendums. The first referendum allows businesses to sell alcohol on Sundays. That
was some time ago. The more recent referendum was in 2018 and it allowed restaurants to begin
selling alcohol at 11:00 a.m. which was called the Brunch Bill rather than starting at 12:30. What
this new legislation does is it allows all businesses to have an alcohol license, not bars but all other
retailers to begin selling at 11:00 a.m. as well. Now that is optional. The state has approved it.
The Commission can approve amending the local ordinance to allow that. The other thing is home
delivery of alcohol and there are a lot of uncertainties about this, the Revenue Department is still
working through it. What that means, what it’s proposed to mean is that all retailers including
restaurants and including bars will have the ability to sell alcohol to be delivered to homes. The
third party that’s delivering or the business itself the drivers have got to be certified through the
state and again there are a lot of uncertainties on that. The Revenue Department is working on it;
that in part is one of the reasons for centralized permitting. That is the way the legislation was
written. Those retailers can sell for home delivery. The municipalities have the option to approve
for them to sell or to put regulations in the local ordinance for them to sell for home delivery or
they can deny that and not include it in the ordinance. Local control distances we’re in compliance
with that, there is no need to make any amendments. The last is the liquor stores can have tastings,
52 tastings per year, one a week 52 straight. It has to be free, it has to be in a room that’s not in
the display room for the liquor store and they’re working out the details on that. If that is approved,
we would locally have to write the regulations on how we administer it. Liquor stores also the
way the legislation is written will be able to have home delivery so those are some items that we’ll
be bringing back to you. I hurried through it. I know you’ve got a lot to discuss on the agenda and
if you have any questions I’m here to try to answer them.
Mr. Mayor Pro Tem: Okay, Commissioner Clarke.
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Mr. Clarke: Yeah, I just, I want to understand. You said that liquor stores will have, can
have 52 tastings a year but it can’t be in the display area?
Mr. Sherman: That’s correct. It’s supposed to be in a separate room and the, they can have
one product like they can have a bourbon four different brands open at one time. They cannot
open the fifth brand until one of those four is closed. They cannot charge, it’s free, you have to be
21 of course and they have to register with us the Planning and Development prior to having it.
Those details have not been worked out yet whether or not you would want to charge them
probably up to you whether there’s a fee involved for having it but that’s correct.
Mr. Clarke: All right, I was just thinking, I don’t know how many package stores in
Augusta have a separate room. You can come on back to my office but anyway, thank you.
Mr. Mayor Pro Tem: Any other discussion? Ms. Bonner, can we receive this as information
and move on to the next agenda item please?
The Clerk: Yes, sir, without, and before Mr. Sherman leaves, Mr. Mayor Pro Tem, can
you ask him for the record on the Planning Zoning petition if there were any objectors to any of
them that we can place that on the record?
Mr. Sherman: No, Ms. Bonner, there were no objectors.
The Clerk: To any of the Planning Petitions?
Mr. Sherman: That’s correct.
The Clerk: Today’s Planning Petitions ---
Mr. Sherman: Yes.
The Clerk: --- okay, thank you, Mr. Sherman.
Mr. Mayor Pro Tem: Thank you, Rob.
The Clerk:
ADMINISTRATIVE SERVICES
13. Discuss the Augusta Commission’s Rules of Procedures. (Deferred from the November
4, 2020 meeting. Requested by Commissioner Marion Williams)
Mr. Mayor Pro Tem: Commissioner Marion Williams.
Mr. M. Williams: Thank you, Mayor Pro Tem. I had this put back on the agenda and you
you’ve been a witness to some of this yourself. You see there’s rules and procedures that we’re
supposed to go by that we don’t. One is there’s some unreadiness. You just don’t take the vote
on the issues. The rules say you vote to see if there’s enough conversation enough people want to
49
continue to debate or not. We’ve been going taking these votes. I tell the Mayor he do it every
time. You ask a question and he’ll want to answer for some of the directors or somebody in front
of you. That’s why those classes are there so we know the procedure and it has not been followed.
Now the Mayor’s not here, you’re presiding right now. This is something that we need to get a
handle on. The new Commissioners are coming in, they’re going to be bamboozled because they
don’t think that it’s okay to do it anyway they want to do it and there’s a procedure. Even if there’s
some we want to get a vote through or we wanted to talk about getting consensus. I mean you can’t
take a consensus in Legal to see how many, those are votes. If you’ve got six people consenting
that’s just six votes. I mean there’s an oath we got to sign to go back in Legal and do those things.
We’ve been doing those things and we act like you know the general public don’t know no
different because we’re in Legal. Those things are wrong, Mr. Mayor Pro Tem. And I, it’s not
going to do any good but when there’s unreadiness you don’t have to say there’s unreadiness, you
voice your opinion says there’s some unreadiness but the Mayor wants to take it a different route
when nobody says unreadiness. You don’t have to say those words. Today Commissioner Hasan
was there and he had a couple of issues he wanted to talk about and the Mayor wanted to come in
and filibuster for two or three minutes to get him off the point he was on. He does that all the time.
The rules are for all of us, it ain’t just for the Mayor, it’s for all of us. So I guess that’s enough
said about it. I don’t think I’m going to get anywhere with it today but I plan to at least keep it on
the radar for people to understand how we’re supposed to be doing and what we’re supposed to be
doing.
Mr. Mayor Pro Tem: Yes, sir, any other colleagues want to comment? All right, Ms.
Bonner, if we could accept that as information and move on to the next agenda item.
The Clerk:
ADMINISTRATIVE SERVICES
15. Receive as information the project update on the HVAC repair and improvements
currently underway at the Augusta Aquatic Center.
Mr. Mayor Pro Tem: Mr. McDowell is going to speak to this? Mr. McDowell, can you
hear us?
The Clerk: He’s connecting.
Mr. Mayor Pro Tem: Director McDowell.
Mr. McDowell: Yes, I think is a Central Services agenda item ---
Mr. Mayor Pro Tem: Okay.
Mr. McDowell: --- it relates to the update on the project but if there’s any specific questions
pertaining to operation by all means I can update the Commission on that.
Mr. Mayor Pro Tem: Okay, let’s find Ms. Douse I believe she’s coming in now. Hey, Ms.
Douse ---
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Ms. Douse: How are you doing, Commission?
Mr. Mayor Pro Tem: --- welcome in. Can you give us an update on this agenda item
please?
Ms. Douse: I sure can and I also have a member from Trane, Mr. Cal Smith, who is one
of the facility support managers within this region that is also on the line in the event you have any
technical questions that you would like to ask. As you all know the Augusta Aquatic Center is one
of the region’s largest aquatic centers that used by many of the schools in our area as well as local
recreational groups that want to stay fit. Our aquatic center has experienced some humidity issues
for quite some time and if you’ve been in there in the summertime the temperatures were
unbearable, in the wintertime the temperatures were unbearable. Most recently actually December
of 2019 the Commission approved, excuse me, November 2019 the Commission approved the
Parks and Recreation Division Department to utilize $2 million dollars to fund some needed repairs
to this facility. Because Trane was already onboard doing many of the energy service audit
functions of our facilities they were deemed as being the best fit vendor to proceed with the
dehumidification and HVAC upgrades needed to this facility. These projects have been underway
since March and the attachments included in this agenda item detail many of the upgrades that
were completed to include improvements around the boiler system, the corroded electrical
disconnects as well as the infamous humidity issues that I mentioned previously. We’ve had two
change orders since March, the first totaling a little over eight almost $9,000 dollars excuse was
found during a pool pump inspection in which that was taken care of and the second was most
recent when multiple failure points was detected also in the piping system. So we are looking for
this project to be completed the first of December with the facility being open to the public. And
again I have Mr. Cal Smith in the event that you have some technical questions that I cannot
answer.
Mr. Mayor Pro Tem: Okay thank you, Commissioner Marion Williams.
Mr. M. Williams: Yes, thank you, Mayor Pro Tem. I think Ms. Douse said we had $2
million dollars allocated for the repairs on that building, is that right?
Ms. Douse: Yes, sir, that was $2 million dollars of Parks and Recreation’s SPLOST dollars
that were allocated specifically for this project. Of course that was not enough to cover the
shortfalls so Central Services and the SPLOST existing facility upgrades funds were used to cover
the shortfall.
Mr. M. Williams: And you said we’ve been working on it since March and it still hasn’t
been completed?
Ms. Douse: Yes, sir, since March and reason being this is not a off the shelf HVAC system.
It had to be ordered, it had to be manufactured and it had to be specifically designed to fit this
space. And so the machinery was on order for quite some time but March is when the purchase
order was first procured and approved.
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Mr. M. Williams: So we are replacing the HVAC system, is that what we’re doing?
Ms. Douse: Yes, sir. Cal, if you would get into more specifics. You’re currently on mute
by the way, Cal.
Mr. McDowell: Ms. Douse, if I may chime in not for the Commissioners to misunderstand
what you’re saying. We actually installed a dehumidification system which is a little more broad
in scope and terms than just an HVAC system so I don’t what us to think that we were just replacing
an HVAC system. He had as Ms. Douse alluded to some years dealing with some corrosion and
issues related to that facility housing a lot of humidity which caused a lot of rusting of parts and
components in that particular facility so the Commissioners in their wisdom allocated $2 million
dollars for these improvements. In our Park and Recreation’s SPLOST 7 reallocations back in
November last year and so this project got underway around March of this year and yes, we, it’s a
pretty exhaustive system. If you go over to the aquatic center you will see it’s not now inside the
building but outside the building on the rear side of that building. It had many components to it.
But there was a lot of other issues that we discovered during that process so we do have those
change orders and it did drag this project out a little longer than we anticipated but we did some
necessary repairs to get that particular facility up and running to the level that it should be so we
are proud of the work that we are doing. Unfortunately is was a little timely. I know several
Commissioners got phone calls from several groups about when can we get back in that facility so
to Ms. Douse’s point hopefully the first week of December we’ll be back open and operating.
Mr. M. Williams: Do we have any maintenance programs with the stuff that we’re doing
now? Is there anything to maintain or is this something we just wait until it happens again to us?
Ms. Douse: No, sir, absolutely not. This project is one of the many that will have various
maintenance programs attached to it for not only servicing but also inspections on a regular basis
to include the boiler as well as the dehumidification system. And I’ve also included along the way
various pictures and progress updates in the Administrator’s advisory so I don’t know if you all
had a chance to see any of those but I’ve made certain to make sure that the Commission was
abreast of what was happening at the aquatic center but I just wanted todays message to be more
broad in scale.
Mr. Mayor Pro Tem: Thank you. Mr. Cal Smith, do you want to add anything to the
conversation, sir?
Mr. Smith: Yes, sir. What was done has generally vastly improved conditions in there.
I’ve been researching some of the causes for what we were confronted with. We learned of things
called chloromine and that’s the, if you go into an aquatic center and smell the chlorine you’re
smelling chloromine and that’s another word for poor indoor air quality. So you can go in there
now and smell nothing and we’ll find everything about the room at about 85° which is good for
swimmers coming out of an 82° pool to keep them from freezing and like Ms. Douse said we’ve
got a couple of new energy efficient boilers, those kinds of things. If I can address the pool piping
all of that was functioning and really complaint free when we started this process and sad to say
we’ve been under conditioned air since about the middle of September and we still have a few
th
things to work out so the Parks and Recreation designated October 12 as the start up but then they
52
ran into problems with all this pool piping. It’s big pipe, it’s expensive work. We’re going to try
and get it done in two weeks-time starting tomorrow and I think you’ll have a project you can be
proud of and you can sleep with both eyes closed at night.
Mr. Mayor Pro Tem: We appreciate you, sir, Ms. Douse?
Ms. Douse: I did want to add from a financial standpoint that this project is going to reap
almost $20,000 dollars annually in savings just because of the enhanced upgrades that we’ve been
able to make to this facility and that does not include the $25,000 dollars in rebates that we’ll
receive from Georgia Power. So this is definitely for Augusta headed in the right step in the right
direction concerning our energy performance with our facility.
Mr. Mayor Pro Tem: Thank you for that. Commissioner Marion Williams, are you done,
sir?
Mr. M. Williams: I’m done. Thank you, Mr. Mayor Pro Tem?
Mr. Mayor Pro Tem: Okay, Commissioner Mary Davis.
Ms. Davis: Thank you, Mayor Pro Tem, and I just wanted to ask a few questions because
I’ve been one of the Commissioners in touch a lot with Mr. McDowell. Have ya’ll been in touch
with I know the Augusta-Aiken Swim Group and Maurice might, he’s been in contact with them,
what about GHSA and GESA schools, that’s who I’ve had a lot of contact with as far as if they’re
going to be able to get in as well. I know you temporarily allowed what group, Maurice, to use
Brigham ---
Mr. McDowell: Correct.
Ms. Davis: --- I believe can I ask him, Mayor Pro Tem, where we are as far as the
communication with these swim groups because they’re just worried they’re not going to have a
swim season.
Mr. McDowell: I had our manager of our aquatic facility meet with all the local coaches
in the area. Unfortunately the middle school teams aren’t going to have a season this year so we’ve
been relegated really towards the high school teams centered around ASL so we’ve allowed them
to utilize our Henry Brigham Aquatic Center. Unfortunately for them because we have the senior
therapeutics over there we couldn’t lower the temperature enough to accommodate both groups so
we faced some I would say some feedback back about that not being able to get those water
conditions conducive to, for the high school kids. But however we have been in constant
communication, we’ve talked to all the coaches. Most of those kids are part of ASL so even though
that would impact the public schools standpoint they do because they’re part of a group they still
get their practice times in. And too Ms. Douse’s point we’re in great partnership with Central
Services in trying to expedite this project and get us back up and operating as soon as possible.
I’ve had those communications we know various groups and kind of let them know where we are
and they’ve been you know very conciliatory in terms of understanding. I know there have been
numerous phone calls and we’ve been able to work it out by staying in communication with them
53
and let them know what type of updates that we do have to provide for them so it’s welcoming to
here that maybe December 1 we can get them back into our facilities. We’re going to continue to
allow them to use Brigham if they can based on those water conditions but we’re looking forward
to this opening back up really soon so we can accommodate particularly the high school students
who we are really focusing on at this point because the middle school based on what the coaches
are saying their seasons are a wash because they typically ---
Ms. Davis: Yes, a little different season. Okay, thank you for that and I appreciate ya’ll’s
work on this, Ms. Douse as well. And just to follow up real quick long-term can ya’ll really give
us, well, I won’t be on the Commission in two months but the next Commission because this
facility is so important for schools and the community you know 40 miles surrounding us because
there’s not a facility so do ya’ll feel like, is there any way to tell this next Commission or whoever
in the next few years really how we can make this just a continual, I know Marion, Commissioner
Williams mentioned maintenance but any other capital improvements really be aggressive with
that because I think that this is such a necessary facility for just this entire area.
Mr. McDowell: --- oh, absolutely and Ms. Douse may want to speak to it as well so from
an operations standpoint because this is one of our premiere facilities. It’s very important that we
continue to have various improvements. We do have some plans, I think we’ve got some bid
documents in to do some massive painting of the facility so we’ll be working that out very soon
as well to kind of give it a facelift if you will. So we’ll continue to invest in this property. It’s
very heavily utilized as you alluded to, Commissioner Davis, so we’re hoping that the Commission
will see that it’s one of our jewels in terms of Parks and Recreation and that we continue to invest
in it long-term and I think Ms. Douse can speak to any type of maintenance (inaudible).
Ms. Davis: Okay just so, thank ya’ll for your work and if we can have another update on
st,
December 1 Ms. Bonner, if we could just put that on the agenda just to have that follow update
at the next meeting please. Thank you.
Mr. Mayor Pro Tem: Ms. Douse.
Ms. Douse: I just wanted to reiterate and continue to hone the fact I know this Commission
has heard me talk about preventative maintenance in the past and I’ll continue to do so as long as
I am in this role. Us being proactive with maintenance agreements and service agreements and
regular maintenance is going to be key for not only the aquatic center but for all of Augusta’s
facilities. When we become reactive it costs our taxpayers more dollars more resources on the
back end. And so that’s definitely something we’re pushing for so, Commissioner Davis, I
appreciate you bringing that to light as well.
Mr. Mayor Pro Tem: Okay, Commissioner Hasan and the Commissioner Fennoy.
Mr. Hasan: Thank you. Yes, I was just wondering what type of maintenance in terms of
warranty comes with this $2 million dollars, a little over $2 million dollars.
Ms. Douse: Cal, you can speak to the manufacturer’s warranty and then Commissioner
Hasan you’ll also be receiving within a couple of weeks the agreements for service packages
54
because I’m certain those will be in excess of $10,000 dollars or even $25,000 dollars which will
include boiler maintenance and HVAC maintenance.
Mr. Smith: Yes, the heart of the system is the dehumidification system and the longest,
there are staggered warranties on that equipment but the longest warranty piece in there is 10 years
and I believe the compressor probably at 5 years, I don’t have it in front of me but of course our
workmanship is guaranteed for a year, just different things like that. I wanted to add in with the
maintenance I think ya’ll can probably, you’d probably want to know the original design of that
building the only way you can work on those old dehumidification units is go up straight up ship
ladder hanging on the wall and go up through a scuttle hole. We have included an outside stairwell
on that with the new door to it so it’s very easy to get into the components but we took the major
components off and put them on the ground outside so there won’t be anything holding you back
on doing the right kind of maintenance.
Mr. Hasan: In the event we have any kind of problems, are the mechanics local?
Mr. Smith: They absolutely are. Trane has about 30-employees out on off of Barton Chapel
Road in our new building that we opened about two years ago.
Mr. Hasan: Okay, all right, all right, thank you.
Mr. Mayor Pro Tem: Commissioner Fennoy.
Mr. Fennoy: Yes, is Maurice still on the ---
Mr. Mayor Pro Tem: He is.
Mr. McDowell: Yes, sir.
Mr. Fennoy: --- Maurice, what are some of the schools that utilize the aquatic center?
Mr. McDowell: I don’t have that unfortunately, Commissioner. I can get that list to you
but most of our local schools that is their home in terms of utilizing the aquatic. Most of the
schools do not have their own personal pool and so they utilize our facility. Most of the time it’s
in a collaborative effort because a lot of those kids belong to almost like the equivalent of AAU
teams with other sports and so I can get you a list of all the schools that participate and utilize our
facility from the aquatic standpoint.
Mr. Fennoy: All right, thank you.
Mr. McDowell: Yes, sir.
Mr. Mayor Pro Tem: All right, any other comments, questions? It looks like not. I want
to just thank all of ya’ll for being a part of this and thank you for what ya’ll are doing on the aquatic
center. We’ll look forward to that update in two weeks. Ms. Bonner, if we could receive this as
information and move on the next agenda item please.
55
The Clerk:
ADMINISTRATIVE SERVICES
21. Motion to approve four (4) Homeowner Rehabilitation projects in partnership with the
Georgia Department of Community Affairs (DCA)
22. Motion to approve eighteen (18) Emergency Rehabilitation projects.
Mr. Mayor Pro Tem: Who wanted to speak to this, who pulled this agenda item?
The Clerk: Mr. Marion Williams.
Mr. Mayor Pro Tem: Commissioner Marion Williams.
Mr. M. Williams: Yeah, I needed to just get an update on what we’re doing with the
rehabilitation project at the end of the year, Mr. Mayor Pro Tem. Can Mr. Welcher or whoever is
going to answer 21 and 22 could I guess (inaudible).
Mr. Mayor Pro Tem: If we can get Mr. Welcher in here, Director Welcher.
Mr. Welcher: Mr. Mayor and members of the Commission, this is HCD’s request to
approve (4) Homeowner Rehabs in partnership with the Georgia Department of Community
Affairs via their Community Home Investment Program also known as CHIP. Basically what you
have here there are four homeowners, two in 30904 area code I mean zip code as well as one in
30906 and one in 30909.
Mr. M. Williams: Mr. Welcher, I get that. Is that because we received the funds so late is
why this at the end of the year is that (unintelligible) come in at a certain time that’s why we’re
doing it at this time of the year I’m thinking?
Mr. Welcher: No, sir. You know this is just a continuation and we’ve been very consistent
with our Homebuyer Rehab Program to include homebuyers as well as Emergency Rehab
programs. If you go back in your commission cycles we’ve been pretty consistent over the most
of the year especially the last three to four months. And you can also make reference to Item 22.
I know we’re not talking about 22. If you look at 22 you can see exactly the amount of activity
that we have going on but keep in mind this was something different. This is not dealing with your
normal federal four grants that we normally deal with. This is where we stepped outside of the
box and applied for additional funding from the state so this is from Georgia Department of
Community Affairs who awarded $612,000 total. Of the $612,000 total $475,000 has already
expended to date, $475,000 for a $95,000 house was used on Perry Avenue for new construction.
And of course of those five new construction workforce houses on Perry Avenue of course four
are either under contract or have sold and the fifth one is in the process of being constructed now.
So this is your remaining $137,000 dollars that is being used for affordable units for rehab.
56
Mr. M. Williams: And because they’re so different so many different grants and so much
different funds coming, Mr. Welcher, you and I had a conversation about specifically Perry
Avenue for sure.
Mr. Welcher: Yes, sir.
Mr. M. Williams: Some of these are rentals I’m thinking. They’re not all homebuyers.
Everybody’s not going to purchase a home. There are some people able to purchase a home and
won’t do it because they are accustomed to renting. So it wasn’t a effort to stop your process. I
just wanted to be assured of what we’re doing. You just enlightened me about this state money
coming in because I’m thinking it’s federal dollars coming in. But there’s a lot and I’m hoping
we can get people to not just buy into it but to pull themselves up by their bootstraps. I don’t want
this program to be a continuation program. I want people to be able to go from where they are to
a better place and I think you’re at the same junction with that as well. But it wasn’t nothing to
hold it up. I’m going to make a motion to approve but I do think that we need to be informed and
know exactly how much and what we’re doing. Thank you, sir. My motion is to approve, Mr.
Mayor Pro Tem, both 21 and 22.
Mr. Mayor Pro Tem: Can I get a second?
Mr. Clarke: Second.
Mr. Mayor Pro Tem: All right, a second from Commissioner Clarke, Commissioner Sias.
Mr. Sias: I was going to make, ensure that we did 21 and 22 together as far as the motion
th
goes but the Commissioner from the 9 cleared that up so I’m ready to vote.
Mr. Mayor Pro Tem: Okay, Ms. Bonner, Ms. Bonner, are you there?
Mr. B. Williams: She left with the Mayor.
Mr. Sias: I was about to say we could have Commissioner Hasan run that. He takes care
of everything, we could have him do it. He (unintelligible) the Mayor, the Clerk, the Attorney,
everything.
The Clerk: I was trying to multitask. It didn’t work well.
Mr. Mayor Pro Tem: I understand.
The Clerk: Okay, Item 22, are we going to vote ---
Mr. Mayor Pro Tem: 21 and 22.
The Clerk: Okay, we have a motion for those, I’m sorry.
57
Mr. Mayor Pro Tem: Commissioner Marion Williams and Commissioner John Clarke with
a second.
The Clerk: Mr. Clarke.
Mr. Clarke: Yes.
The Clerk: Ms. Davis, she out?
Mr. Mayor Pro Tem: Yes.
The Clerk: 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: Yes.
Ms. Davis out.
Motion Passes 9-0.
58
Mr. Hasan: Ms. Bonner, if you have to leave let me know and I’ll assign somebody to do
that for you.
Mr. Mayor Pro Tem: All right, Ms. Bonner, next agenda item please.
The Clerk:
ADMINISTRATIVE SERVICES
24. Discuss recent reorganization of the Board of Tax Assessor’s Office. (Requested by
Commissioner Marion Williams)
Mr. Mayor Pro Tem: Commissioner Marion Williams.
Mr. M. Williams: Thank you, Mayor Pro Tem. Again I think we all received an email
from a couple of the members of the Tax Assessors Board. I had a conversation earlier this
morning with one of the members as well and I asked Ms. Bonner to pull that email just in case
we had forgotten it or didn’t have it. The reconstruction or the reorganization of the Board of Tax
Assessors done by the Tax Assessor Mr. Ross who’s leaving. A couple of things bothered me with
this now. We know we’ve been talking about the Tax Assessor’s Board for quite some time that
board and I don’t know, Mayor Pro Tem, how much do we that board receive severance pay?
Mr. Mayor Pro Tem: I’m not sure, it’s more than any board I do know that.
Mr. M. Williams: It’s more than any board, any other board, right?
Mr. Mayor Pro Tem: Yeah but they definitely do a lot of training too.
Mr. M. Williams: Well, they do a lot of training?
Mr. Mayor Pro Tem: Training, yes, sir, they have certifications they have to meet and
everything.
Mr. M. Williams: Well and I get that but my issue is that last year we had Ms. D’Antignac,
Ms. Rene D’Antignac was on the board to be removed because of her time limit and we put her,
placed her back on the board I say we they folks who were there to place her back. The state have
come in and put the same people back on the Board of Tax Assessors that’ve been there for years.
The Chairman has probably been there for 20 plus years. When it’s time to rotate off, we have not
been men and women that’s elected to do what we need to do and the Tax Assessor’s Board itself
is disturbed about it. I’ve got some issues when we can let people sit in there for 20 plus years on
these boards. I’ve got an issue when the Tax Assessor can reorganize the board, don’t tell us
anything and then he or she leaves. Now my colleagues ain’t going to have no questions and I
really don’t care whether they got any questions or not. Commissioner Hasan had this on the
agenda and pulled it off. I placed it back on the agenda because I thought it was important. He
said he emailed us to talk about it but nobody was interested. Well if we are interested or not I
think the general public needs to know what is going on. That’s why I asked what the pay was for
that board. The state official Representative Gloria Frazer had someone on there and they ended
59
changing and putting somebody else back on the board who had served before. So my question,
Mr. Mayor Pro Tem, to you is how do we get our hands around putting other people on these
boards without leaving people in there for years and years. Your term limit’s going to be up soon
not right now but it’s going to be up because that’s what the rules say you got to come out but can
we leave people on the Tax Assessors Board forever and a day? Can we act as if they don’t they
don’t answer to us. If you figure after 20 years that $600.00 dollars a month for 20 years you
could’ve paid a mortgage off.
Mr. Mayor Pro Tem: So the only thing I have a question for Attorney Brown here in just
a second ---
Mr. B. Williams: Mr. Pro Tem ---
Mr. Mayor Pro Tem: --- give me just a second, Commissioner Williams, is that the
chairman of that, that chairman has only been the Chairman for 3 years and then we did put District
10 Ms. Burney on there a few years ago so there has been a little bit. But I do understand you but
this isn’t the only board that has people rotating on. As you say it takes six votes to do anything
and I think that’s where the Commission’s got to be in the future looking at it where we don’t
recycle the same individuals if we want to move this city forward. I think in this situation though
and this board you have to understand this board works harder than any board from the standpoint
of certifications and what they have to do and all the training they go through more than any board
there is. So my question was for Attorney Brown was about the reorg which is the agenda item.
Did they have the ability to do that as what they’re under or should that’ve come through the
Commission like can you explain kind of what that is from the reorg because that’s what the agenda
item’s actually about with the reorganization.
Mr. B. Williams: And I have some information about that also.
Mr. Mayor: Okay, you’re next.
Mr. Brown: If, let me give you my current answer and I will follow up. I do not, I think
Commissioner Williams was saying not so much saying the reorg but the reorg by a Chief
Appraiser who is on his way out ---
Mr. M. Williams: Correct.
Mr. Brown: --- was part of the concern. I’ve not been tasked to investigate the reorg to
see if there was anything improper about it but normally as departments reorganize as long as they
do not create any type of new structure or authority or positions they’re at will to do so and if so
they will be able to go through H.R. to that extent but the board does, is able to control things
that’s within the board’s purview without necessarily coming to the Commission because the state
established a partial theme of being independent in order to protect the valuation. I’m not saying
reorganization was a good idea. I’ve not looked into it but they can be reorganized within the
limits.
60
Mr. Mayor Pro Tem: Okay, we’ll come back to you, Commissioner Marion Williams,
we’ll come back to you. Commissioner Bobby Williams and then we’ll come back to you.
Mr. B. Williams: Yes, sir as you know I’m the liaison to the Tax Commissioner Board and
so when I got the email I called around and talked to various people and my understanding is that
Mr. Alvino did not do this. This was a recommendation from the Human Resource Committee
from the Tax Assessors Board. And they put it on the floor and it was voted on by the entire I say
again by the entire Tax Assessors Board and it passed unanimously and which means all of the
members voted for it. So I found out that you guys wanted two people after they voted for it then
they complained about it to different Commissioners. So you got the Tax Assessors Board that
had a recommendation from the Human Resource Committee headed by Bob O’Neal and it was
voted on and voted on and passed unanimously and then one or two people got mad afterwards
because they didn’t like something they said Mr. Alvino was doing. Mr. Alvino did not do it. The
Human Resource Committee did it, thank you.
Mr. Mayor Pro Tem: All right, Commissioner Ben Hasan.
Mr. Hasan: Thank you, sir. Mr. Mayor Pro Tem, I kind of caught the tail end of your
comments around the current chairman. What was your point about her, him on the board?
Mr. Mayor Pro Tem: He’s only been the Chair for like 3 years. He hasn’t been the Chair
for 20 years. Commissioner Marion Williams acted like the same Chair has been there 20 years.
Mr. Hasan: He’s speaking more about his length of time on the board. He’s been on the
board over 20 years.
Mr. Mayor Pro Tem: Yeah, I think he’s been on the board 18 years.
thth
Mr. Hasan: He may be going on his 24 or 25 year that was why I was trying to get some
clarity on that and I definitely think you know we need to we need to replace him and others
who’ve been there a length of time.
Mr. Mayor Pro Tem: Okay, Commissioner Marion Williams, do you want to have the final
say, sir?
Mr. M. Williams: Yes, thank you, sir. Regardless whether or not everybody voted on it
and I hear the District 5 Commissioner saying that everybody voted and now they want to
complain. The email was sent to all of us about two of the board members and they were showing
some dissatisfaction there. We at least should’ve been courteous enough just to hear their issues
about it. Now the replacement goes back so far as when the previous elected official for the state
Mr. Quincey Murphy was there. These people were on the board when he was alive and now
they’re back on the board. I just don’t understand how we allow people to get on the board and
stay there as if you know there’s no other taxpayer no other citizen in Richmond County. I heard
you say they work hard, they do a lot of training. I mean they’re not the only ones that work hard.
I’m sure they don’t work any harder than this Commission work is being done. So regardless of
how hard they’re working if it’s that hard they wouldn’t want to stay there but since they’re there
61
forever and a day evidently it's pretty easy. So I take issue with that. I just think and this is not the
first time I brought it up but I assured the people that I talked to I was going to put it back on the
agenda to find out why. I’m very disappointed in the state rep Mr. Harold Jones, State Rep, Mr.
Wayne Howard, Mr. Bryan Prince. They appoint people to these boards and even send down
mandates with no money. They don’t have no conversation with us. They don’t talk to us about
the issues going on in the City of Augusta that we got to deal with. They just do it. Same thing
with the Coliseum Authority. They got a right to put a person in there but they don’t have no
conversation with the Commission to say well what’s working, what's good, what’s not. They just
do it because they can do it. I’ve got some serious issues with that. But the way when you do that
you change the elected people in those positions is I think what you ought to do. So this not about
them though this is about this Commission sitting here. We have problems from day one with the
Tax Assessors Board from way back from Charles Smith all the way back. I can go all the way
back (unintelligible) but we’re afraid to even talk to them when there’s an issue when there’s
something going on. Mr. Ross used to come in here and filibuster and fast talk us. We didn’t even
know what he was saying he’d be talking so much craziness in my mind and sit there and act like
he just sold us a bunch of turkeys with feathers on it already been cooked.
Mr. Mayor Pro Tem: So based on your agenda item what’s your pleasure? I mean it’s
about the reorganization. Attorney Brown talked about the Commission hasn’t tasked, hadn’t
tasked him to look into it whether they could do it or not ---
Mr. M. Williams: If I can make a motion to task and I can’t task the Attorney, but
my motion would be to get someone whether it be the Attorney go into look at the
reorganization how it was done and what those complaints are there. There’s some problems in
this government, Mayor Pro Tem. You talked about that, you talked about showing credibility of
this government and check and balances and we don’t do that so that’ll be my motion to get
someone whether it be the Attorney, Administrator whoever can go in that department and look at
what was being done and see how we can correct these problems we have. The oncoming
Commission ain’t going to know. They’re brand new, they’re not going to understand it because
they’re going to think wrong is right when they come in here they was already there that’s what
everybody gets bamboozled about so that’s a motion I got whether I get a second or not I’ll put it
back on the agenda if I don’t get a second so that’s fine.
Mr. Mayor Pro Tem: I think Commissioner Hasan seconded it. All right, so just to be
clear we’re tasking Attorney Brown to look into the reorganization of the Tax Assessor’s Office
and just seeing the justification of it, I mean if things were done the way they properly can be done,
is that correct?
Mr. M. Williams: That’s correct.
Mr. Mayor Pro Tem: Okay, all right Ms. Bonner, we’ve got a motion and a second any
other discussion? All right voting then, Ms. Bonner.
The Clerk: Mr. Clarke.
Mr. Clarke: Yes.
62
The Clerk: Ms. Davis, Mr. Fennoy.
Mr. Mayor Pro Tem: Mr. Fennoy you’re muted.
The Clerk: He’s muted, okay all right 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: No, ma’am.
The Clerk: Mr. Dennis Williams.
Mr. D. Williams: Yes, ma’am.
The Clerk: Mr. Marion Williams.
Mr. M. Williams: Yes.
Ms. Davis out.
Mr. B. Williams votes No.
Mr. Fennoy not voting.
Motion Passes 7-1.
Mr. Mayor Pro Tem: All right, Ms. Bonner, next agenda item please.
The Clerk:
ADMINISTRATIVE SERVICES
25. Motion to approve: A. Change the title of the Information Technology Director to the
Chief Information Officer. B. Change the title of the Deputy Director if Infrastructure &
Communication to the Deputy CIO of Infrastructure & Communication. C. Change the title
63
of Deputy Director of Business Application Services to Deputy CIO of Business Application
Services. D. Discuss a salary increase for the DIT and DDI&C of 10%. E. Discuss a salary
increase of 5% for the DDBAS. (Requested by Commissioner Dennis Williams)
Mr. Mayor Pro Tem: Commissioner Dennis Williams, this is your agenda item, sir?
Mr. D. Williams: Yes, Mr. Mayor Pro Tem and fellow Commissioners, I have talked with
the Director Tameka Allen and there was a request to change the title of the Chief Information
Director. And what it simply is, is changing our titles to kind of be in line with that particular
career field. It’s just changing the titles. And also it kind of helps include the technical aspect
since we now have the radio tower and the maintenance and operation of that and along with those
that changing the titles there was a salary increase. Now I talked with Ms. Allen and emailed a
breakdown of the spreadsheet showing that the only affect that it'll have on the 2021 budget is
roughly $625.00 dollars because what they’ve done they had a long time empty slot up in their
department that couldn’t get filled due to the starting salary and nobody would come in and take
that job so they just took that and reallocated the funding, the funds for that to help cover the price
increase of these three individuals. And I don’t know how to put it on the screen so but it’s in your
email and it’s just including you know costing roughly $625.00. Ms. Allen is available well she
may be available in the pool if anybody has any conversation. And really I probably should’ve
done this in two different phases the titles and then the raises so I would make a recommendation
now that they have the control of the radio tower and that technical aspect and any actions that
they have to do with different agencies surrounding our community that it would only be fair. And
there’s also a recommendation for the consultant that we had a while a few years back with the
Compensation Study. Thank you.
Mr. Mayor Pro Tem: Okay, Commissioner Hasan.
Mr. Hasan: Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I don’t disagree necessarily, I disagree with the
pay but what I kind of disagree with talking to the Deputy Administrator Sims to try to see what
his position was on this because it made the agenda by coming by way of the Commission this
request and he said pretty much at this point he didn’t think it was appropriate as far as he did not.
So I would I’d like to make a motion that we take just from the title just from the title send this
back. We have a new Administrator and allow him to that he decides if this is appropriate to do
it. I’m not even talking about the money for me for the state of where we are has some of that
money right now, the raise is not even an option. But let’s give it to the new Administrator I think
is the appropriate person because especially when one Administrator previous Administrator said
no and then you drop it in the Commission I find it to be disrespectful to the Administrator and I
don’t think we want to do that moving forward. So just send it back to the Administrator for just
the changing of the names and things and if he wants to come back at some point in time and do
that I’m fine with it but I think that’s where it ought to go especially when the previous
Administrator said now is not the time. And to come to one of us we’re always saying that’s the
Administrator’s job I mean this is a great time he’s on the scene today and I think we ought to give
him an opportunity to look at this but I’m not talking about the money for sure at this particular
time. So I make a motion to send it back to the Administrator and that he look at it when he
sees fit.
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Mr. Clarke: Second.
Mr. Mayor Pro Tem: Got a second from District 10 ---
Mr. D. Williams: (Unintelligible).
Mr. Mayor Pro Tem: --- give me just a second, Commissioner Dennis Williams, we’ll
come back to you. Commissioner Sammie Sias.
Mr. Sias: I believe you skipped me ---
Mr. Mayor Pro Tem: No, I wouldn’t.
Mr. Sias: --- but anyway I don’t necessarily disagree with Commissioner Hasan but one
thing I have two comments and a substitute motion. If we’re going to have if we’re going say
we’re going to let the Administrator both do their job and I hope that we apply all aspects of
everything to that and not cherry pick and things that we often do. So but as far as it not being any
money I don’t support the raises but of the discussion of the item I was going to, I make a substitute
motion that we approve A, B and C only the titles. That’s my substitute motion.
Mr. Mayor Pro Tem: Okay, is there a second?
Mr. D. Williams: I’ll second it.
Mr. Mayor Pro Tem: Okay, got a second from Commissioner Dennis Williams. Next up
Commissioner, are you done, Commissioner Sias?
Mr. Sias: Yes.
Mr. Mayor Pro Tem: Okay, Commissioner Marion Williams, then Commissioner Dennis
Williams.
Mr. M. Williams: Thank you, Mayor Pro Tem. I’ve got some issues, I’ve got some
heartburn with changing the name to the Chief now when we was on the Fire Department, the
Sheriff’s Department we had lieutenants and chiefs and none of these other name changes is
ranking officers. When we say Chief and I don’t know who come up with this Chief of Information
Technology name I don’t think Ms. Allen probably come up with that. Somebody else probably I
don’t think she would be that bold to put it on herself. But if you’re going to have lieutenants and
captains in IT I can see her being the Chief. Now corporate sponsor may do this but in government
you ain’t going to find no Chief Technology Information person there. I mean you might I mean
what so I guess if anybody’s going to be Chief it’s going to be that Director that’s not necessarily
her but whoever the Director is be the Chief everybody else be just peons under the Chief. No,
no, no, that don’t make good sense to me so I’ve got some issues with that. I want to know did
the H.R. come up with this name. I need to hear from H.R. did they come up with this name and
these raises at this particular time of budget season. Can you get H.R. to answer that please,
ma’am, please, sir.
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Mr. Mayor Pro Tem: I’m trying to see if they’re in the queue or not and I do not see H.R.
in the queue.
Mr. D. Williams: Well, it’s after six o’clock.
Mr. Mayor Pro Tem: All right, we’ll come back and see if we can get H.R., Commissioner
Williams, we’ll come back to that.
Mr. M. Williams: Can I hear from the Administrator then? I mean somebody’s I mean
how did this get here? I know the Commission put it on the agenda but we hadn’t (inaudible) any
increases at all. Now it’s coming through another way.
Mr. Mayor Pro Tem: Okay, Mr. Donald.
Mr. Donald: Mayor Pro Tem, were you addressing me?
Mr. Mayor Pro Tem: Yes, sir.
Mr. Donald: I’m sorry, could you repeat your inquiry?
Mr. Mayor Pro Tem: Can you speak to Commissioner Marion Williams’ question about
how it got here or if there’s anything?
Mr. Donald: So I know that in speaking with both the Deputy Administrators and Human
Resources we’ll be discussing you know raises and things of that nature in the future. I know that,
I’ll tell you I’ll speak broadly because most personnel items I’m used to those being taken or
spoken to in Executive Session so I don’t want to go deep into it. But I think that the posture of
the administration is that those things should be done holistically and they have not been brought
forth to the Commission because they’ve not holistically been evaluated.
Mr. Mayor: Okay thank you, Commissioner Dennis Williams, back to you, sir.
The Clerk: He’s muted, sir.
Mr. Sias: Dennis, take off your mute man.
Mr. Hasan: He raised so much sand ---
Mr. D. Williams: You’d better be glad I ain’t there but there was no intent of being
disrespectful to our new Administrator. I got the information and I put it in and I did some
counseling not counseling some discussion regarding it and it felt that it was in order. And also
we can laugh all night also it had gone through H.R. Ms. Keith she had looked at it. Now Ms.
Allen is in the pool group or whatever you call it and we could bring her in and I’m sure she could
explain it a lot better than me you know. But I’ll go along with the motion to approve Items A, B
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and C and then we’ll carry the others on until next time. But there was no disrespect intended to
the past Administrator or the current Administrator.
Mr. Mayor Pro Tem: Thank you, Commissioner Williams. Commissioner Garrett closes
out and then we’re going to vote.
Mr. Garrett: Thank you. I was going to talk to what Commissioner Williams stated I think
it would prudent to hear from Tameka Allen.
Mr. Mayor Pro Tem: I think as the Administrator mentioned he believes that these agenda
items are handled in Legal, Executive Session and I think we’ve had a lot of good discussion about
it. I think we know where we are. I think we’ve two good motion I think were made. The
gentleman that put the agenda on here is kind of content where we are today so I think, Ms. Bonner,
let’s go ahead and vote this up or down the substitute motion.
The Clerk: Our substitute motion is to approve title changes A, B and C Mr. Sias, Mr.
Dennis Williams. Mr. Clarke.
Mr. Clarke: No.
The Clerk: Ms. Davis, Mr. Fennoy out, Mr. Frantom.
Mr. Frantom: No, ma’am.
The Clerk: Mr. Garrett.
Mr. Garrett: Yes.
The Clerk: Mr. Hasan.
Mr. Hasan: No.
The Clerk: Mr. Sias.
Mr. Sias: Yes, ma’am.
The Clerk: Mr. Bobby Williams.
Mr. Mayor Pro Tem: He is gone.
The Clerk: Mr. Dennis Williams.
Mr. Sias: Dennis.
Mr. D. Williams: Yes, ma’am, I don’t see why it’s so funny that when, never mind
(inaudible).
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The Clerk: Mr. Marion Williams.
Mr. D. Williams: --- (unintelligible).
Mr. Mayor Pro Tem: All right, come on now, Commissioner Marion Williams.
Mr. M. Williams: No.
Mr. Clarke, Mr. Frantom, Mr. Hasan and Mr. M. Williams vote No.
Ms. Davis, Mr. Fennoy and Mr. B. Williams out.
Motion Fails 3-4.
Mr. Mayor Pro Tem: All right, back to the original motion, Ms. Bonner.
The Clerk: Yes sir, the original motion is to refer this matter to the Administrator, Mr.
Hasan and Mr. Clarke. Mr. Clarke.
Mr. Clarke: Yes.
The Clerk: Ms. Davis, Mr. Fennoy, Mr. Frantom.
Mr. Frantom: Yes, ma’am.
The Clerk: Mr. Garrett.
Mr. Garrett: Restate the motion please.
The Clerk: To refer the matter to the Administrator.
Mr. Garrett: Yes.
The Clerk: Mr. Hasan.
Mr. Hasan: Yes, ma’am.
The Clerk: Mr. Sias.
Mr. Sias: I don’t know, yes, ma’am.
The Clerk: Okay, thank you, Mr. Bobby Williams, Mr. Dennis Williams.
Mr. D. Williams: Yes, ma’am.
The Clerk: Mr. Marion Williams.
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Mr. M. Williams: No, ma’am.
Ms. Davis, Mr. Fennoy and Mr. B. Williams out.
Mr. M. Williams votes No.
Motion Passes 6-1.
Mr. Mayor Pro Tem: All right, Ms. Bonner, next agenda item please.
The Clerk:
PUBLIC SAFETY
29. Motion to approve the award of – RFP 20-233 Rear Mount Aerial Platform Truck for
Augusta Fire Department to Ten-8 & Safety in the amount of $1,203,380. (Deferred from the
November 4, 2020 meeting.
Mr. Mayor Pro Tem: Commissioner Marion Williams.
Mr. Sias: No, that was Mr. Clarke.
Mr. Mayor Pro Tem: Commissioner Clarke, I’m sorry.
Mr. Clarke: Yes, I just two or three questions on this ---
Mr. Mayor Pro Tem: Okay, bring in the Chief or ---
Mr. Clarke: --- I think he could answer these, yes, he’d be best.
Mr. Mayor Pro Tem: Okay Chief James is coming in, yep here he comes. Chief James, are
you there, sir?
Chief James: Yes, sir, I’m here.
Mr. Mayor Pro Tem: Okay great, Commissioner Clarke.
Mr. Clarke: Hi Chief, how are you doing?
Chief James: Hey, Commissioner, how are you?
Mr. Clarke: All right, I just have a couple about three questions here, how many of the
Rear Mount Aerial Trucks do we have, ladder trucks do we have right now?
Chief James: We have two. We have out of all of our aerial ladders we have this particular
type of truck you have some that are what we call Straight Sticks. They don’t have a bucket on
the end of it, it’s just a straight ladder. Out of the ones that have a bucket on it we have two. One
of those is a 2010 and one of them is 1999 which is a reserve apparatus.
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Mr. Clarke: Okay, where are these stationed at?
Chief James: The 2010 model is stationed on Richmond Hill Road with our Urban Search
and Rescue Team and the 1999 is a reserve apparatus.
Mr. Clarke: Okay, where would this new one be stationed at?
Chief James: This new one would be stationed on Richmond Hill Road. The apparatus at
Richmond Hill Road being ten plus years at this particular time will move to the reserve status.
Mr. Clarke: Okay, just for clarification real quick wouldn’t we need a ladder truck
stationed downtown in the downtown corridor?
Chief James: Yes, sir. We have a ladder station stationed at Station 2, the new station that
we just built and they have, it’s a ladder truck stationed right there at that location at Telfair Street
th
and 9 Street.
Mr. Clarke: Okay, so this in essence will replace an active truck and place it in reserve ---
Chief James: Yes, sir.
Mr. Clarke: --- and so we’ll two in reserve then or are we going to get rid of one?
Chief James: Yeah, that would give us four aerial ladders in reserve. We’ve had four aerial
ladders in reserve. One of the aerial ladders was traded in because the ladder had showed some
damage and some rust on it and so we traded that in on one of our previous purchases and that
ladder was sold by Pierce after we traded it in. One of the other ones was a newer vehicle that we
purchased before.
Mr. Clarke: Okay, thank you, Chief. Mr. Mayor Pro Tem, in regards to the answers
to these questions I make a motion that we approve.
Mr. Sias: Second.
Mr. Mayor Pro Tem: Got a motion and a second. We have a couple of colleagues,
Commissioner Sias, did you anything further or are you just making a motion?
Mr. Sias: No, I’m making a second, thank you.
Mr. Mayor Pro Tem: Okay, Commissioner Marion Williams.
Mr. M. Williams: Yeah I got a couple of questions about the aerial ladder. Chief, the new
ladder truck you’re talking about made in the ---
The Clerk: (Unintelligible).
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Mr. M. Williams: --- (inaudible) ---
Chief James: Yes, sir.
Mr. M. Williams: --- what’s the extent of the aerial ladder? How long is it?
Chief James: It’s 100-foot aerial ladder.
Mr. M. Williams: A 100-foot aerial ladder. All our ladders we got now is 100-foot, is that
right?
Chief James: At least 100-foot. Some of the ladders go some of them are 105-foot but all
of them are at least 100-foot, yes, sir.
Mr. M. Williams: Okay, have we got any shorter ladders, I mean aerial ladders that, I mean
because when you talk about stations in South Augusta and we know the fire trucks can go
downtown, they can go out of town I get all that. So my colleagues might want to tell him about
fire prevention and apparatus but they can’t tell me nothing at all about fire equipment or nothing
else so I don’t want to hear that. So I’m asking you do we have anything less than 100-foot that
we can place at Lumpkin Road versus 100-foot aerial ladder? We’ve got less 100-foot aerial ladder
I mean it’s going to be too much ladder for everything out that way. Downtown maybe yes but
out that way do we have anything, any other truck less than 100-foot aerial ladder for 50, 75, 80, I
don’t know ---
Chief James: No.
Mr. M. Williams: --- you do not have anything less than 100-foot, everything will be 100-
foot or better.
Chief James: And the 100-foot, Commissioner, as you would know it it’s the maximum
extent of those ladders ---
Mr. M. Williams: Right.
Chief James: --- so it gives you the versatility to where if you only need 75 or 50 feet that’s
all you have to raise it to but if you needed to go to 100-feet then you have that ability to go there
as well.
Mr. M. Williams: Well and that’s a math deduction. Thank you, Chief, for the math class
I get that but I’m saying and where we’re talking about in Augusta now not nowhere else we don’t
have the capacity to go that high. We wouldn’t need the aerial ladder in that area unless we build
something that’s different. Now maybe you know where something else is. I know we got the
Marvin Griffin Road right there where the old plant was that something else is there now textile
something on 56 but I’m talking about where we would need those types of equipment at. I just
think that we got a ’99 in reserve, we’ve got a 2010 that’s still working we got two more you say
we got four in reserve, is that right?
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Chief James: Yes, sir. Right now we have three reserve apparatus. Once we purchase this
apparatus which will take a year to construct then we will have four apparatuses in reserve and the
1999 shortly thereafter will be probably be ready to be decommissioned.
Mr. M. Williams: Well, I just think that we’re spending some money, Chief, that we might
need to hold on to in my opinion. We got two or three in reserve and they’re still working good.
I’m sure you’ve got men training with them every week so you know it ain’t like you use them
and say well darn this thing done broke. We maintain the service on them, you’ve got your own
crews now. I know you remember and I don’t want to get into the history but the old aerial ladder
we had on Broad Street it didn’t have power steering, it didn’t even have a cover over it. It had to
sit in the weather so we may do with better equipment at one point because we maintain our
equipment. So those are my questions and I’m through I just wanted.
Mr. Mayor Pro Tem: Okay, Commissioner Sias, did you want to speak?
Mr. Sias: I’m good.
Mr. Mayor Pro Tem: Okay, Ms. Bonner, we’ve got a motion and a second from
Commissioner Clarke and second by Commissioner Sias. Can we go ahead and vote please?
The Clerk: Yes sir, Mr. Clarke.
Mr. Clarke: Yes.
The Clerk: Ms. Davis, Mr. Fennoy.
Mr. Fennoy: Yes.
The Clerk: Mr. Frantom.
Mr. Frantom: Yes, ma’am.
The Clerk: Mr. Garrett.
Mr. Mayor Pro Tem: He’s out.
The Clerk: Mr. Hasan.
Mr. Hasan: Yes, ma’am.
The Clerk: Mr. Sias.
Mr. Sias: Yes, ma’am.
The Clerk: Mr. Bobby Williams, he’s out. Mr. Dennis Williams.
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Mr. D. Williams: Yes.
The Clerk: Mr. Marion Williams.
Mr. Mr. Williams: Present.
Ms. Davis, Mr. Garrett and Mr. B. Williams out.
Mr. M. Williams voting Present.
Motion Passes 6-0-1.
Mr. Mayor Pro Tem: All right, Ms. Bonner, agenda item Number 30 please.
The Clerk:
FINANCE
30. Motion to approve $10 million funding from SPLOST for the redesign of the entrance
way of the Gracewood State School property for the proposed State of Georgia (CSRA)
Veterans Cemetery to include but limited to traffic signs/lights/utilities etc. (Requested by
Commissioner Dennis Williams)
Mr. Mayor Pro Tem: Okay, Commissioner Dennis Williams please.
Mr. D. Williams: Okay, I spoke to some of my Commissioners about this. This is in
conjunction with the Veterans Cemetery for Augusta. And what it is is that we met with the
Governor last week and we’re waiting on a reply that we should have back in January I believe if
the state is going to fund the construction of the cemetery. But they wanted the local government
to look out to fill, have some input in it and we’re looking at changing the entrance way to the, out
there at Gracewood where the cemetery is and then we need a little bit of funding for that and
redirecting traffic and also other little things that’s unexpected that the state won’t cover. So we’re
looking we want to kind of set aside that to make sure we have that money available. And I’m not
absolutely sure where we if we can get it out of some unused SPLOST 7 or put it on SPLOST 8
and it may be that we may not need the $10 million dollars. It just depends on what the state won’t
pay for during the construction and we won’t know that until the construction time.
Mr. Mayor Pro Tem: Okay, so you basically didn’t have a preference. You wanted to see
whether we had unused funds versus putting this straight on SPLOST 8. That was my question.
Mr. D. Williams: Right, right.
Mr. Mayor Pro Tem: All right, Commissioner Marion Williams and actually I think we
don’t have a quorum anymore here.
Mr. M. Williams: Well, we probably don’t, Mayor Pro Tem, but let me say this. I’m in
favor of the Veterans Cemetery for sure but to take $10 million dollars out of the unused SPLOST
or put it on an additional SPLOST we got some more things that could be done versus putting $10
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million. Now I can understand getting some money from SPLOST but $10 million I’m not going
to designate, I’m not going to sit here and support $10 million dollars talking about using it for a
gateway and coming in. I think we need to see what the state’s going to do, what the Governor’s
going to come up with any money and then we need to assist for sure but I’ve got an issue with
$10 million dollars. I remember when the guy came and talked to us about another event we
wanted to do in Augusta that would draw money in and my colleagues wanted to know how long
he’d been in business and what he had and all that other stuff and now we want to take $10 million
dollars just throw it up like it’s nothing, I can’t support that.
Mr. Mayor Pro Tem: Okay thank you. All right, Ms. Bonner, we did lose our quorum so
I’ll Dennis Williams kind of have Commissioner Dennis Williams have the word and then we’ll,
do you want to say anything further, sir?
Mr. D. Williams: Well, what I was going to say is the $10 million dollars is a rough
estimate and not knowing exactly how much it would cost to redirect the traffic and to change the
entrance we want to make sure we have enough. Now the whole project the cemetery project is
been official well worth $10 million dollars over the number of veterans that you have because if
you’re a veteran and get buried out at a veteran owned cemetery it saves your family so much
money in burying you because there’s a lot of benefits in that. And $10 million dollars is you
know we talk about it’s a whole lot of money but we’ve done a whole lot of dumb things for $10
million. This is something constructive and beneficial for the whole community and even our
surrounding community you know and it’s not saying that we will use the whole $10 million. It
says that’s a rough estimate of what we may need and that’d be a good amount on hand to help us
get the project approved through the state because the state has to approve it and then it goes
through the VA and as long as the local government is in support of it we will get the support from
the state and the VA.
Mr. Mayor Pro Tem: Do you think that (inaudible) because obviously this meeting is going
to be adjourning here shortly do you think by the first that you’ll have any updates like in
information ---
Mr. D. Williams: It says January, my last email says January, give me one second ---
Mr. Mayor Pro Tem: --- but do you think you’ll know anything more by our next meeting
like for this agenda item?
Mr. D. Williams: --- December, not too much more but I’ll find out something. As a
matter of fact I’ll write up a little white paper so everybody will see what’s going on and how it’s
moving along.
Mr. Mayor Pro Tem: That’d be great, thank you.
Mr. D. Williams: All right.
Mr. Mayor Pro Tem: All right, Ms. Bonner, it looks like we’re adjourning I guess we’ll
pick back this up.
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st
The Clerk: All right good evening, well, we’ll move the others on to the 1.
FINANCE
31. Motion to approve ratifying $25,000 funding to assist Greater Augusta’s Interfaith
Coalition’s Total Census Count Initiative. To support census responses from hard to count
citizens and the support for 15 sites of activities for respondents of the local Census Count
funded from the 2020 Contingency Fund. (Requested by Commissioner Bill Fennoy)
ENGINEERING SERVICES
32. Update from the Utilities Department on the Sanitary Sewer Connection Program-areas
serviced, scheduled areas and future scheduled areas. (Deferred from the November 4, 2020
meeting; requested by Commissioner Bill Fennoy)
(These items will be considered at the next Commission meeting)
Mr. Mayor Pro Tem: Okay all right thank you Mr. Donald (inaudible).
Mr. D. Williams: Ms. Bonner ---
The Clerk: Yes, sir.
Mr. D. Williams: --- I apologize ---
Mr. Mayor Pro Tem: Thank you all.
The Clerk: Yes, sir ---
Mr. D. Williams: --- for the bad words but my feathers were being ruffled.
The Clerk: --- apology accepted, thank you, sir.
Mr. Mayor Pro Tem: Thank ya’ll.
\[MEETING ADJOURNED\]
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
November 17, 2020.
______________________________
Clerk of Commission
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