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HomeMy WebLinkAbout12-13-1999 Meeting 1 ADMINISTRATIVE SERVICES COMMITTEE COMMITTEE ROOM - December 13, 1999 2:00 P. M. PRESENT: Hons. Bob Young, Mayor; H. Brigham, Chairman; Powell, Vice- Chairman; Beard and Shepard, members; Jim Wall, Attorney; Randy Oliver, Administrator; John Etheridge, Human Resources Director; Rob Sherman, License & Inspections Director; North Williamson, Tax Commissioner's Office; Heyward Johnson, Transit Dept.; Lena Bonner, Clerk of Commission and Nancy Morawski, Deputy Clerk of Commission. Also Present: Stacey Eidson of The Metropolitan Spirit, Sylvia Cooper of The Augusta Chronicle, Raphael James ofWJBF Television, Hons. Bridges and Handy, Commissioners; Cheek and Williams, Commissioners-Elect. The Clerk: We have one item from our addendum agenda to add. Mr. Beard: I so move we add it. Mr. Powell: Second. Motion adopted unanimously. ;1 A request to approve a policy that provides guidelines for the cleaning of vacant lots and lots with vacant buildings, was read. Mr. Sherman: This will provide guidelines that the inspectors can consistently apply to the cleaning of vacant lots and allow them to tell the property owners what they need to do to bring the lots into compliance. After a short discussion of the matter, Mr. Powell: I move that we bring this back to the next Administrative Services Committee meeting. Mr. Oliver: And I would suggest that everyone think about the number of square feet involved because that's the key in equalizing what you're going to do. Mr. Shepard: I'll second the motion. Motion adopted unanimously. I A request to approve an Ordinance providing for the demolition of certain unsafe and uninhabitable properties in the Laney Walker Neighborhood: 907 Dugas Street, 1129-31 Hopkins Street, 842 Adams Street, 1101 Eighth Street (District 1, Super District 9); Olde Town Neighborhood: 219 Watkins Street, 227-29 Watkins Street, 413 Second Street, 24-26 Ellis Street (District 1, Super District 9); Sand Hills Neighborhood: 2830 Wheeler Road (District 1, Super District 9); South Augusta Neighborhood: 1943 Haynie Drive (District 5, Super District 9) AND WAIVE 2ND READING, was read. iVIr. Beard: I so move. I Mr. Powell: Second. Motion adopted unanimously. A request to approve Customer Service Training for 200 employees, was read. Mr. Powell: I so move. Mr. Shepard: Second. Motion adopted unanimously. The Committee next discussed giving $50 to all full and part-time employees (minimum 30 hours per pay period) as of December 17, 1999 as additional compensation for services dnring 1999. Mr. Oliver; I was asked to look at this and it would only provide this to employees eligible for overtime. Some supervisors would not receive it. The cost implication is about $75,000 and it will reduce our General Fund balance forward. I Mr. Etheridge: This will only apply to non-exempt employees and in the past it was given to all employees. Mr. Oliver: This would be for employees who are eligible for overtime. About 75% of the work force would receive it. Mr. Powell: What kind of difference in money would it be if we gave it to everyone? Mr. Oliver: It would be $27,000 for a total of $1 02,000. After further discussion, iVIr. Powell: I'd like to make a motion that we give the 550.00 across the board. Mr. Shepard: I'll second that. Mr. Oliver; And it would exclude, as we have done in the past, elected officials, state supplemental employees, poll workers and bailiffs. iVIr. Powell: I'll include that as an amendment. I .3 I Motion adopted llnanimously. A request to approve an Ordinance to amend the Augusta Richmond County Code to add to Title 1 Chapter 1, a new Article 2 to provide for a Code of Ethics for employees and public officials of Augusta, Georgia; to renumber Augusta Richmond Connty Code Section 1-1-11; to provide definitions; to establish a Code of Conduct; to provide sanctions; to amend the Augusta Richmond County Code to amend and renumber Code Sections 1-10-10 through 1-10-22; to repeal conflicting laws; and for other purposes, was read. Mr. Shepard: I was at work over the weekend looking at the ethics ordinance that was formulated by the ethics sub-committee and I asked Mr. Wall to break our dealings in this area into two different ordinances. The fIrst ordinance deals with the amendments to Title I, Chapter 4 of the Augusta Richmond County Code concerning the qualifications for board and authorities. I would suggest that we amend the Talent Bank form to add additional questions whereby applicants would certify that they had not been accused or convicted of a crime of moral turpitude or are under a felony indictment. I would move approval for this separate ordinance on that point. Mr. H. Brigham: I'll second for discussion. I Mr. Shepard: And I will amend my motion to pick up the technical changes that rewriting C will make in Subdivision A. I think it will renumber Subdivision B, it will add language to D and it will add language to E relating to the changes made in C. C is a new section as outlined above. Mr. Powell: Would you also add into the motion that residing outside of Richmond County would also disqualify you from serving on a board? Mr. Shepard: I don't have a problem with that. Mr. Wall: I can write it in here that you want them to be an Augusta Richmond County resident if this ordinance applies to them. Mr. Shepard: Where it is permitted and not prohibited by some other law. I'll accept that amendment. After further discussion, the motion was adopted unanimously. I Mr. Shepard: Regarding the second ordinance in Section 1-1-22, I was concerned about the definition of "agency" whereby citizens' committees would be excepted from our defmition. I was also concerned about the definition of "gift" and I chose an amount of$100.00 which would provide a line of demarcation where those who do business with the City can know whether they fall below it or not. I was concerned about 1-1-23 and asked Jim to call them Rules of Conduct. On the matter of gifts I thought it would be " clearer if it should just state "receipt of gifts by employees and public officials are prohibited" but you can report them and then if you report them, a gift received can be an I authorized receipt of a gift if you dispose of it properly. The receipt of a gift is not prohibited; it is the receipt and retention. If you receive a gift on behalf of the City and don't retain it and report it, you haven't done anything wrong. Mr. Powell: On the definition of relative, I'd like to move that we amend that to be spouse, parent or child and amend the vendor definition to mean a person or any person who contracts or sells and not solicit to sell. That would remove the word solicit. Mr. Shepard: Under 1-1-21 under retaining of gifts, I think we should say rather than "any person" that "or any other person who is seeking to influence official action". You don't receive gifts from vendors, lobbyists or persons who are seeking to influence official action. Under A3 concerning the reporting of gifts, I think an effective date should be given and the first reporting deadline is February 1,2001 and February I of each year thereafter. I then considered number B of 1-1-23 that just says "conflict of interest" and I added the word "prohibited" after conflict of interest. Mr. Oliver: Five needs to conform to our nepotism policy. Mr. Shepard: I asked Jim to make the changes on B 1, A, B, C and D which make it more clear but there are no substantive changes there. On 1-1-24 when there are violations or sanctions, I thought it should be clear that some violations or sanctions I would apply to employees. They could be disciplined through termination or appropriate administrative reprimand. If there are complaints about public officials, those could be referred to this body and the remedy is a censure or reprimand. These are most of my changes in the fIrst article. In the second article on ethics and public procurement, Jim can elaborate on that. Mr. Wall: In article 2 with the exception of defining "official" as being a "public official", you have the same basic wording with one exception. Regarding what was the LaPan situation, there is a provision in the ordinance for a prohibition against an employee or immediate family member doing business with Augusta except in those four limited situations. State law would allow someone to bid if it is a sealed bid process. Mr. Bridges: I feel that as long as it is a sealed bid process, then there would not be a real problem. Mr. Powell: I agree and we may be paying a lot more for various products. Mr. Shepard: If this is state law that allows the bidding, and if it is the consensus of the Committee that we follow that, then I can live with that. I'll keep Alternative I. I haven't made a motion, but I would move to approve as amended the second ordinance which would provide for the Code of Ethics and provide for the definition, establish the Code of Conduct, provide sanctions and amend the code as we have amended it by the I I various amendments which have been offered here, the last of which was to keep Alternative I for Subparagraph A in 1-1-27. lvIr. Beard: I'll second that. "::J After further discussion, Mr. Wall: These provisions have been moved over to Mr. Shepard's ordinance: Provision I is in, 2 is in, 3 is not, 4 is not as of today, 6 is in there with the exception of subpararaph C and there is a residency requirement there in lieu of C and the last phrase is out because it is included elsewhere, 5 is out, 7 is not included, 8 is not included as worded but the first sentence of 8 is included, subparagraph A is included under disciplinary action against a public official but subparagraph B is not included. Motion adopted unanimously. A request to approve Option B (12-18) as recommended by our Benefit Consultants (Buck Consultants), was read. Mr. Shepard: I'll make a motion to approve for purposes of discussion. '1'.:-1 ,.",! Mr. Chairman: Second. "'1 .'i.. 'J =.;:.1 Motion adopted with Mr. Beard voting "No". ADJOURNMENT: There being no further business, the meeting was adjourned. Lena J. Bonner Clerk of Commission NWM I , I I \ ADMINISTRATIVE SERVICES AGENDA COMMITTEE ROOM - December 13, 1999 2:00 P. M. 1. Approve a policy that provides guidelines for the cleaning of vacant lots and lots with vacant buildings. 2. Approve an Ordinance providing for the demolition of certain unsafe and uninhabitable properties in the Laney Walker Neighborhood: 907 Dugas Street, 1129-31 Hopkins Street, 842 Adams Street, 1101 Eighth Street (District I, Super District 9); Olde Town Neighborhood: 219 Watkins Street, 227-29 Watkins Street, 413 Second Street, 24-26 Ellis Street (District I, Super District 9); Sand Hills Neighborhood: 2830 Wheeler Road (District I, Super District 9); South Augusta Neighborhood: 1943 Haynie Drive (District 5, Super District 9) AND WAIVE 2ND READING. 3. Approve Customer Service Training for 200 employees. 4. Discuss giving $50 to all full and part-time employees (minimum 30 hours per pay period) as of December 17, 1999 as additional compensation for services during 1999. 5. An Ordinance to amend the Augusta Richmond County Code to add to Title I Chapter I, a new Article 2 to provide for a Code of Ethics for employees and public officials of Augusta, Georgia; to renumber Augusta Richmond County Code Section 1-1-11; to provide definitions; to establish a Code of Conduct; to provide sanctions; to amend the Augusta Richmond County Code to amend and renumber Code Sections 1-10-10 through 1-10-22; to repeal conflicting laws; and for other purposes. I ADDENDUM ADMINISTRATIVE SERVICES AGENDA December 13, 1999 2:00 P. M. ADDITION TO THE AGENDA: 1. Approve Option B (12-18) as recommended by our Benefit Consultants (Buck Consultants). I I