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HomeMy WebLinkAbout06-22-1998 Meeting I I I ADMINISTRATIVE SERVICES COMMITTEE COMMITTEE ROOM - June 22, 1998 2:00 P. M. PRESENT: Hons. H. Brigham, Chairman; Powell, Vice-Chairman; Beard and Shepard, members; Jim Wall, Attorney; Randy Oliver, Administrator; Lillian Katharine Blanos, Augusta Clean & Beautiful Director; Keven Mack, HND Director; Rob Sherman, License & Inspection Director; Stewart Walker, License & Inspection Office; Lena Bonner, Clerk of Commission and Nancy Morawski, Deputy Clerk of Commission. ABSENT: Hon. Larry Sconyers, Mayor. Also Present: George Eskola of WJBF Television, Stacey Eidson of The Metropolitan Spirit, other members of the news media and Hons. J. Brigham, Todd and Bridges, Commissioners. The Clerk: We have a request to add two items to the agenda. Mr. Powell: I move for approval. Mr. Shepard: Second. Motion adopted unanimously. A request to authorize donation of two (2) 386 PC's each to Augusta-Richmond Weed and Seed project and Goodwill Job Connection to permit them to provide computer training for program participants, was read. Mr. Beard: I so move. Mr. Shepard: Second. Motion adopted unanimously. At this time Mr. Don Wheelis of the Augusta Association of Baptist Churches appeared before the Committee regarding the efforts of World Changers and New Hope Community Center to rehabilitate approximately 15 houses in Bethlehem housing area with up to $156,708 in funds used from the 1994 Housing Development line item. These funds are only to be used for the purchase of materials. Mr. Wheelis: We would like to ask you to host the World Changers in 1999. They are volunteers who repair and renovate inner-city houses and what we need from you are project sites and funding for materials. Mr. Oliver: We're comfortable with the program and could identify the properties and the funds are for materials. Mr. Shepard: Would we need a contract with them to supply the materials? Mr. Wall: Yes and also to deal with the liability issue. A short video was presented regarding this program. I Mr. Shepard: I make a motion that we participate with the World Changers organization and that an appropriate contract incorporating the Administrator's recommendation and the lawyer's concerns about having a contract for liability be included in that as well. Mr. Powell: Second. Motion adopted unanimously. At this time Mr. Mack made a presentation to the Committee regarding a status report on community and economic development projects involved in the Housing & Neighborhood Development Department. After a short discussion, Mr. Beard: I think that we need to have the staff continue to proceed with work since they are the professionals in these matters. Input from the Advisory Committee is good but I hope that the staff will continue to take the lead in the work that needs to be done. I'll so move that we receive the report as information. Mr. Shepard: Second. I Motion adopted unanimously. The Committee next considered recommendations from the Administrative Services Sub-Committee. Mr. Powell: We have completed Phase I of the study for the sub-committee which was all of the employees that reported to the Commission. We interviewed the EEO officer for the county and she feels that one of the things she needs is a more adequate staff and additional office space. Mr. Beard: We also interviewed Mr. Thomas from Human Relations and he also stated a need for more help and office space. He also suggested possibly combining with another entity if that would help. Mr. Powell: We also talked with Mrs. Bonner from the Clerk's Office. She wanted to know who would give her evaluations and who would approve her salary. We have decided that in her case the Commission and Mayor should approve the salary for the Clerk versus having her go through the salary study because she works directly for the Commission and Mayor. As far as the evaluation process, we recommend that the Mayor do I the evaluations for the Clerk which may be appealed through the full Commission if there is a problem. Mrs. Bonner basically stated she needed no additional staff. We have no I I I recommendations for changes for the Clerk other than the salary to be approved by the Mayor and the Commission and the job evaluation to be done by the Mayor with the appeal process to the Commission. Mr. Beard: Regarding Human Relations and the EEO officer, we recommend that these two work together and that the EEO officer be housed in the Human Relations Department and supervised by the Human Relations Director and the Board and that would be in the form of a motion. Mr. Shepard: Could the EEO officer be made subordinate to the Human Relations Director since it is a charter office? Mr. Wall: Yes, I think you could do that. The organizational structure as far as where that individual may flow within the organizational structure is a Commission decision. If you put the person in the position that reports to some other department, that can be done. Mr. Beard: I'm going to move that those recommendations, including Mrs. Bonner and the Human Relations person and the EEO officer, be approved and passed on to the full body. Mr. Powell: I'll second the motion. We do want to make sure there is adequate room and staffing prior to this. We will now begin undertaking Phase II with departments that report to the Administrator. We did omit the County Attorney in this report in order to give that sub-committee an opportunity to bring back a recommendation concerning what they want to do. We also felt the Administrator should be evaluated by the Mayor and/or Commission as deemed necessary with an appeal to the Commission. After further discussion, the motion was adopted with Mr. Shepard voting "No". A request to approve an Ordinance providing for the demolition of certain unsafe and uninhabitable properties in the Turpin Hill, East Augusta and Lombardy Neighborhoods: 1728 Meadow Street, 1108-08 1/2 Seventh Avenue, 231 Thompson Road, 123 Pollard Drive & 804 East Boundary, was read. Mr. Powell: I so move and we recommend waiver of the second reading. Mr. Beard: Second. Motion adopted unanimously. A request to create a Secretary position in the Code Enforcement Division of the License and Inspection Department, was read. Mr. Sherman: We had a Senior Inspector who retired and we can almost fill his position and hire the secretary for the previous salary which was above the range. I Mr. Oliver: The $6,000 overage would have to come from contingency. Mr. powell: I move for approval. Mr. Shepard: second. Motion adopted unanimously. ADJOURNMENT: There being no further business, the meeting was adjourned. Lena J. Bonner Clerk of Commission NWM I I