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Home My WebLink About08-12-2002 Meeting I ADMINISTRATIVE SERVICES COMMITTEE COlY1MITIEE ROOM - August 12, 2002 1:00 P.M. PRESENT: Hons. Bob Young, Mayor; Beard, Chairman; Kuhlke, Co-Chairman; Hankerson and Cheek, members; Vanessa Flournoy, Staff Attorney; George Kolb, Administrator; Walter Hornsby and Fred Russell, Deputy Administrators; Judge Isaac Jolles, Probate Court; Rob Sherman, Director of License & Inspections; Danny Craig, District Attorney; Judge Gayle Hamrick, State Court; Lena Bonner, Clerk of Commission. Also Present: Heidi Williams of The Augusta Chronicle, S. Norris of The Augusta Focus, StaceY'fidson of The Metropolitan Spirit and Hons. Williams, Bridges, Boyles and Shepard, Coinmissioners. , CONSENT AGENDA ITEMS: \ , 1. Approve retirement of Mr. Robin Alexander under the 1977 Pension Plan. 2. Approve retirement of Mr. Leonard Dangler under the 1977 Pension Plan. 3. Approve retirement of Mr. Carl Tankersley under the 1977 Pension Plan. , I 5. Approve an Ordinance providing for the demolition of certain unsafe and uninhabitable properties in the Laney-Walker Neighborhood: 1103 13th Street, (District 1, Super District 9); Bethlehem Neighborhood: 1647 Chestnut Street, 1120 Davis Street, (District 2, Super District 9) (Approved by the Augusta-Richmond County Historic Preservation Committee on July 25, 2002) and waive 2nd reading. Mr. Hankerson: I move for approval. Mr. Cheek: Second. Motion adopted unanimously. 4. Reclassify Deputy Clerk I, Salary Grade 38 to Administrative Assistant II, Salary Grade 43. Judge Jolles: This is for a person who is doing the processing of both gun permits and marriage licenses. These were previously two separate jobs. Mr. Kolb: This would be about $1,400 for the rest of the year. I Mr. Kuhlke: I would assume that this would have to come from contingency. How much do we have left in contingency? Mr. Kolb: Probably about a million dollars. Mr. Beard: I'll second it for discussion. I Mr. Kuhlke: I move approval. Mr. Kolb: I probably wouldn't take it out of contingency unless we had to since it is such a small amount. It would probably come from lapsed salaries. Motion adopted unanimously. 6. Request the Commission to reverse the decision of the Historic Preservation Commission thereby approving the demolition of the structure, and approve an ordinance providing for the demolition of a certain unsafe and uninhabitable property in Bethlehem Nei~hborhood: 1128 Davis Street, (District 2, Super District 9) and waive 2" reading. Mr. Sherman: There is a structure on this property and we don't see why anyone would restore it. We haven't been able to get in touch with the owners. Mr. Cheek: I make a motion that we concur with Mr. Sherman and reverse the decision. Mr. Kuhlke: Second. I Motion adopted unanimously. 7. Consider a request to fund a new Assistant District Attorney position. Mr. Craig: This was previously funded by the federal government and that will end as of October I. There is a possibility that we can get additional funding from the state at the legislative session that begins in January, but there are no guarantees there. If we got the funding there, it would not be in place until July first of next year. Mr. Cheek: I make a motion that we fund the position depending upon a funding source. Mr. Kolb: If we can get it out oflapsed salaries, we'll do that. If not, we'll have to put together a resolution and appropriate it out of the contingency fund. Mr. Kuhlke: I'll second the motion. After further discussion, the motion was adopted unanimously. 8. Consider request to reclassify existing personnel and add additional personnel to meet new standards in the Indigent Defense Office. I 2 I After a discussion of the new requirements which necessitate this change, Mr. , Kolb: We would like the opportunity to take a look at this and analyze ifthere are other methods of providing this service to bring on two or three attorneys. I would request that the Committee defer this decision until we've had an opportunity to look at it. After further discussion, Mr. Kuhlke: I'd like to make a motion that we defer any action on this request today and ask the Administrator to develop his analysis of this, working along with Mr. Long, and come back to us at our next committee meeting with a recommendation. Mr. Cheek: Second. Mr. Shepard: We would probably also need a budget amendment for this approved at Finance. Motion adopted unanimously. 9. Request the Commission authorize the Administrator to approach the Coliseum Authority Board for the purpose of Augusta operating and maintaining the Civic Center and Bell Auditorium. (Requested by Commissioner Kuhlke) I Mr. Kuhlke: I've had some discussions about this with Mr. Kolb and I asked him to come up with two or three versions of approaches that we might discuss with the Coliseum Authority to see if they are amenable to the ideas we develop. Mr. Chairman: We're having a meeting with the delegation on Thursday and I'd like to see the present Chairman and present acting Interim Manager at that meeting also so that we can hear what is happening and get their recommendations. Mr. Kuhlke: I would like to request that Mr. Kolb be able to explain the three scenarios and I have no problem with the committee then discussing these scenarios with the delegation members and authority members. I Mr. Kolb: This memo is designed to help the Coliseum get on the right track and we put forth three options to help them in this regard. The first and I think the best of the recommendations is to assign the Parks and Recreation Department to the operation of that facility. I believe that the current operation based on the their experience with similar operations would be the most appropriate to operate the Coliseum and Bell Auditorium in conjunction with the Metro Augusta Convention & Visitors Bureau and using national promoters. I believe we could bring activities back up to par. The second option would be to contract with a national Civic Center management firm. I would not recommend this option at this time because we need to get a feel for what's going on and could make that analysis maybe six months in the future after we look at the current situation. The third option would be to assign it to another portfolio or contract with the management firm directly. I would not recommend that option at this time because it will take a lot of time and attention for anyone to get a handle on it. 3 Mr. Kuhlke: 1'd like to make a motion that we pass these three options along with the backup to the committee to be considered or discussed when they get together with the delegation and the Coliseum Authority. I Mr. Cheek: Second. Motion fails with Mr. Beard and Mr. Hankerson voting "No". ADJOURNMENT: There being no further business, the meeting was adjourned. Lena J. Bonner Clerk of Commission nWID I I 4 ADMINISTRATIVE SERV1CES AGENDA COl\1MITTEE ROOM - August 12,2002 1:00 P.M. 1. Approve retirement oflvIr. Robin Alexander under the 1977 Pension Plan. 2. Approve retirement of Mi. Leonard Dangler under the 1977 Pension Plan. 3. Approve retirement oflvIr. Carl Tankersley under the 1977 Pension PlarL~ !fJv"i/;;z.; 4. Reclassify Deputy Clerk 1, Salary Grade 38 to Administrative Assistant II, Salary Grade 43. 5. Approve an Ordinance providing for the demolition of certain unsafe and l1ninh~hitable properties in the Laney-Walker Neighborhood: 1103 13th Street, (District 1, Super District 9); Bethlehem Neighborhood: 1647 Chestnut Street, 1120 Davis Street, (District 2, Super District 9) (Approved by the Augusta- Richmond County Historic Preservation Committee on July 25,2002) and waive 2nd reading. 6. Request the Commission to reverse the decision of the Historic Preservation Commission thereby approving the demolition of the structure, and approve an ordinance providing for the demolition of a certain unsafe and uninhabitable property in Bethlehem Neighborhood: 1128 Davis Street, (District 2, Super District 9) and waive 2nd reading. 7. Consider a request to fund a new Assistant District Attorney position. 8. Consider request to reclassify existing personnel and add additional personnel to meet new standards in the Indigent Defense Office. 9. Request the Commission authorize the Administrator to approach the Coliseum Authority Board for the purpose of Augusta operating and maintaining the Civic Center and Bell Auditorium. (Requested by Commissioner Kuhlke)