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HomeMy WebLinkAbout02-01-1999 Regular Meeting Page 1 REGULAR MEETING COMMISSION CHAMBERS February 1, 1999 Augusta Richmond County Commission convened at 12:10 p.m., Monday, February 1, 1999, the Honorable Bob Young, Mayor, presiding. PRESENT: Hons. Beard, H. Brigham, J. Brigham, Colclough, Kuhlke, Powell, and Shepard, members of Augusta Richmond County Commission. ABSENT: Hons. Bridges, Handy, and Mays, members of Augusta Richmond County Commission. Also present were Ms. Bonner, Clerk of Commission; Mr. Oliver, Administrator; and Mr. Wall, County Attorney. THE INVOCATION WAS GIVEN BY THE REVEREND WELLS. THE PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE WAS RECITED. Our first item of business today is a MAYOR YOUNG: presentation from Mr. Greg Kist of the CSRA Conservation and Development Council. And under the rules of the Commission, Mr. Kist, you have five minutes. Thank you. I would like to start off by MR. KIST: introducing myself. I'm Greg Kist, Central Savannah River Resource Conservation and Development Council Executive Director. Mr. Bridges asked me to come in today and give a quick update on what the RC&D Council has been doing and how we've been working with you and other agencies. For some of you this might be an introduction to the RC&D Council, so I will try to make it that way. The RC&D program is administered by the USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service. They pay our salaries, office rent; in exchange, we get progress reports that we turn in to them to let them know what's going on. Each Council is made up of local representatives. All decisions are made locally. There's 11 RC&D Councils in Georgia and 315 RC&D Councils nationwide. Our 13-county Central Savannah River RC&D Council area started in 1991. We're a 501(c)(3) nonprofit corpora- tion. We have 27 Council members, of which Mr. Ulmer Bridges is one of those representing the Augusta-Richmond County Commission. Our sponsors are the county commissions from 13 counties, the soil and water conservation districts from those same 13 counties, and also the Central Savannah River Area Regional Development Center. Each sponsor does pay dues to the RC&D Council to help pay for postage, letterhead, travel, that sort of thing. Our Executive Board meets monthly to address business, pay bills, decide on projects that need to Page 2 be adopted or rejected. The full Council then meets each quarter, and that would be all 27 members meeting at that time. Our officers are Pete Fulcher from Richmond County, he is our President; Frank Gordy from Jefferson County, he is our Vice President; and Carol Langford, she's from Warren County, our Treasurer. Let me talk about some of the projects that we've got in progress right now. I'll try to address ones that are specific to Richmond County. One we've been working on for a number of years is the Savannah River development. Some of you may remember a few years ago the Savannah River trips where we put a number of dignitaries and private citizens on boats and went from Augusta to Savannah. It took about three days to go down and two days to come back. We did that trip about five years in a row, trying to raise the awareness of the river and let people know what a wonderful resource we have there. Along with that project we've got a 301 marina plan. We're trying to put a marina halfway between Augusta and Savannah on the Savannah River to encourage boat traffic up and down the river: people come off the Intercoastal Waterway down in Savannah and come up to Augusta and visit our city. We also have been working--or starting to work on some proposed plans with Tom Beck with the Recreation Department on trying to put together some proposed ideas of plans for the old borrow pit area just below the Lock and Dam Park right next to the boat ramp down there. We think we've got some real good ideas, and we can put that on paper and then bring forward for the community, I guess, to approve. Wood Waste Recovery Study: About two years ago we were requested to put together a study for the 13-county area on how we could address our wood wastes, keeping those out of our landfills. That study is complete. We've partnered with a couple of other organizations to try to get that implemented. Right now we haven't gotten that done yet, but it certainly is still in the works. We have a hydro cedar and straw mulcher available for all the counties to use. Whenever there is road development or disturbances that the county is involved with, they could pay and help to get that cedar from vegetating. Spirit Creek Environmental Education Center: We're in partnership with the Georgia Forestry Commission. I believe some of you have been out to that Education Center. We're in the process of getting that developed and hope to have it open by the winter of 1999. And it'll have school groups and adult education programs out there also. Wheels of Work Program is a new program we're involved with and hopefully we'll get this program up and running in the near future. Our partners are the Salvation Army and also the Department of Family and Children Services. What we're attempting to do here is provide low-cost vehicles for recipients of welfare who are trying to make that transition to work. One of the major barriers to them is transportation, Page 3 so this program will help to address that. All of our projects are requested by local people, groups, or governments. Nothing comes down from the federal government saying you have to do this; all of it is local projects. All planning is done locally. We might draw in some federal people, we might draw in some state people, but all of it is done locally in the local communities. Funding for these projects, some of it is local dollars, some is federal, some is state, private sources, donations from individuals, businesses, and foundations. I think the overall theme for RC&D is local people working together to solve local problems. With that, if I've got any time left, I guess I could entertain a few questions. Does anybody have a question for Greg? MAYOR YOUNG: Greg, thank you for coming and giving us that informative presentation. Bob, I do have some--our annual report is MR. KIST: available here. If I could pass those around to each one of the Commission members to look at in their spare time. That'll be fine. Thank you very much. MAYOR YOUNG: Madame Clerk, if you'll go ahead and let's work on the changes to the agenda. CLERK:Per our addendum agenda, to delete Item 28 and to add Items 1 and 2: 28. Motion to approve contract award in the amount of $122,610 to James G. Swift & Associates, providing surveying and engineering services in connection with the Boykin Road Sanitary Sewer Improvement Phase I project. 1. Approve purchase of up to $5,000 in furniture, fixtures and equipment, including computer, for the Mayor's Office. (Funded from General Fund Contingency) 2. Resolution requesting Richmond County Legislative Delegation to exclude Augusta from Regional Transportation Authority. So move. MR. POWELL: Second. MR. BEARD: Are we also deleting Number 27? MAYOR YOUNG: If we could postpone that until the next MR. WALL: meeting. That way it'll keep it--the second reading. I met with the Homebuilders Association representatives this morning and we each agreed to exchange some information. And so if we can postpone that for two weeks, I would appreciate it. Page 4 Mr. Mayor, I have one question. What is MR. POWELL: the delay on the Boykin Road sewer? Mr. Hicks asked that that be deleted so MR. OLIVER: that there'd be an opportunity to discuss it in committee, because Mr. Handy had indicated he preferred it went through committee. That's the only thing I know. I mean, beyond that--he just felt that it didn't impact time-wise. But it's up to you all. We're comfortable with it either going ahead or going back through committee, whatever the pleasure of the Mayor and Commission is. Mr. Mayor, I'd like to ask if we might MR. KUHLKE: consider deleting Item Number 33. This is something that we took an action on in December of last year and I see no need in it being on the agenda. Are you asking me to amend the motion, Mr. MR. POWELL: Kuhlke? Yes, sir. MR. KUHLKE: Yes, sir, I'll amend the motion to that. MR. POWELL: Any other changes to the agenda? MAYOR YOUNG: Well, I can't--I don't think I can amend my MR. POWELL: own motion. I'm not sure of the parliamentary rule on that, Mr. Wall, but I'd like to see us go ahead and include Item 28 in the agenda rather than delete it and just have Item 33 deleted. Well, let's take them as they're coming up MAYOR YOUNG: then. Is there any objection to retaining Item 28 on the today? [No response] All right, so we'll keep that agenda on. Now, is there any opposition to amending the agenda as we've just outlined: adding these two items, postponing 27, ? Any objection? and deleting Item 33 Can I ask a question? Items 30 and 31, MR. H. BRIGHAM: will they become a part of the consent agenda or do we have to do them-- We can do that when we take up the consent. CLERK: He's now adding and deleting from the regular agenda. If there's no objection, then the changes MAYOR YOUNG: are so ordered. MOTION CARRIES 7-0. Page 5 We have a proclamation to present to a MAYOR YOUNG: fine citizen of Augusta-Richmond County. Mr. Jack Padgett is here. Jack, I'd like you to come up to the podium. If you would please introduce the delegation that's here with our honored guest today, and then we'll proceed with the proclamation. Thank you, Mayor Young. It is indeed an MR. PADGETT: honor to represent the Optimist International Foundation and Optimist Clubs in this area in honoring one of our own members in naming a playground at Eisenhower Park as the Optimist Playground to honor Mr. Rudy Goldman, who has just completed 50 years of active service with the Optimist Club of Augusta. Our club will be 60 years old this year, so Rudy has been with us almost the entire time and has served longer actively than any other Optimist in the state of Georgia. So we're very, very proud of him and we would like to honor him. We also have with us Tom Edwards, who is President of the Augusta Optimist Club. With Rudy is his wife Corrine and his son Mike. And we also have Al Ferguson with our club, and probably several others around. But we took this action to honor and forever put in place a playground where the children of Richmond County can enjoy the work not only of Optimists but certainly to commemorate Rudy and his service to this community for this amount of time. Mr. Goldman, if you will come up here, MAYOR YOUNG: please. Madame Clerk, if you will read the proclamation. In recognition of the Rudy Goldman Playground: CLERK: Whereas the Optimist Club of Augusta was founded in 1939; whereas the children and youth of our community have been served by its programs; whereas the services of the Optimists International, through its eight local clubs, will continue to be available; whereas these services will be enhanced by the development of an Optimists playground at Eisenhower Park which will serve all children; whereas this playground shall be named the Rudy Goldman Playground to forever honor the 50 years of service by this great Optimist in our community; whereas this will stand as a reminder of Rudy Goldman's love for the youth of our community and his dedication to the purposes of Optimists International; now therefore I, Bob Young, Mayor of the City of Augusta, do declare January 25th, 1999, as Youth Appreciation Day for Rudolph W. Goldman and hereby request all citizens to work toward the example he has set in service to our community. In witness thereof, I have unto set my hand and caused the Seal of Augusta, Georgia, to be affixed this 21st day of January 1999. Congratulations. MAYOR YOUNG: Page 6 This is indeed a great honor for me. I MR. GOLDMAN: was completely surprised last Monday when I first learned about it. And I've actually been in the club since the beginning, having served on the Board of Directors for several sessions, twice as Lieutenant Governor, also serving as President, and have been Secretary since 1980. It's been indeed a pleasure working with the youth of our community, and one of the real joys is through seeing a kid that can't do-- his family can't help him and the club can do something to change that boy's life forever. It's been a real pleasure and I've enjoyed my work with the club over these years. A ROUND OF APPLAUSE WAS GIVEN. Madame Clerk? MAYOR YOUNG: Mr. Mayor, I don't believe we voted on the MR. BEARD: deletions. Is it necessary, Jim? He asked if there were any objections. There MR. WALL: being no objection, the motion carried. Under the consent agenda, Items 1 through 26, CLERK: with the request of Commissioner Henry Brigham to include Items 30 and 31 in the consent agenda. FINANCE: 1. Motion to approve refund on 1997 taxes in the amount of $1,460.17 to W.A. Schweitzer for overpayment of taxes on Map 36-1, Parcel 169. 2. Motion to approve refund of 1996 taxes in the amount of $258.10 to Herman Parker for overpayment of taxes on Map 55-2, Parcel 7. 3. Motion to approve fixing and publishing the 1999 qualifying fees for Municipal offices. 4. Motion to approve funding in the amount of $1,000 for sponsorship of the Annual Legislative barbecue to be held February 4, 1999, from "Commission Other" account. 5. Motion to approve funding from General Fund Contingency in the amount of $15,000 for city's participation in the publication of a newspaper supplement to promote the Georgia Games. ADMINISTRATIVE SERVICES: 6. Motion to approve printing the 1999 Employee Benefit Statements. 7. Motion to approve revisions to the Augusta-Richmond County 1999 Action Plan as approved and recommended by HND Citizens Advisory Board. 8. Motion to approve $60,000 from the Augusta-Richmond Page 7 County Facade Rehabilitation Grant Program for the rehabilita- tion of the property located at 226-230 Fifth Street (subject to additional information) as approved and recommended by the HND Citizens Advisory Board. 9. Motion to approve reclassification of Code Enforcement Officer I (Grade 44) position to Engineering Technician I (Grade 45) position in the Public Works and Engineering Department. 10. Motion to approve Substance Abuse Drug Testing - Amendment to Policy and Change in Collections Site: - Approve changes to policy to include in safety sensitive random selection of those employees within the Recreation Department who oversee the activities of children. - Approve update Procedures portion of policy (Part VI, B, Test Levels) to reflect recent change in testing level for Opiates from 300 ng/ml to 2,000 ng/ml as reflected in federal regulations. Amend sections to also read "These levels are subject to change...and this section will automatically be amended to reflect these changes." - Approve changing collection site for substance abuse testing program for ARC to SmithKline Beecham. 11. Motion to approve Change Order #3 increasing contract amount by $1,410.99 for Small Business Incubator Facility. ENGINEERING SERVICES: 12. Motion to authorize condemnation of 1,080 sq. ft. of permanent easement and 320 sq. ft. of temporary easement (Tax Map 34-1, Parcel 19) of the Sixty-Inch Raw Water Line Treat-ment Project which is owned by the Estate of Helen Estella Johnson. 13. Motion to authorize condemnation of 1,420 sq. ft. of permanent easement and 10 sq. ft. of temporary easement (Tax Map 34-1, Parcel 17) of the Sixty-Inch Raw Water Line Treat-ment Project which is owned by twelve owners of record. 14. Motion to approve petitions for the installation and maintenance of street lights in various locations of Augusta. 15. Motion to authorize Environmental Management Associates (EMA) to perform semi-annual sampling, statistical analysis, and provide a potentionmetric surface map at a fee not to exceed $43,000. 16. Motion to authorize to award and execute contracts for installation of Greene Street Lighting with the low bidder, Dressel Electric Company, in the amount of $51,072.00. Also authorize Georgia Power Company to provide underground electrical service as a cost of $7,609.00. 17. Motion to approve bid award to low bidder, Ireland Electric Supply Company, for street light poles and fixtures for Greene Street from 14th Street to 15th Street in the amount of $53,295.00. Also approval in the amount of $500.00 for miscellaneous electrical supplies. Page 8 18. Motion to approve small projects - (Traffic Engineering Signal Projects) with Capital Project Budget #57-8075-099 in the amount of $97,500 to be funded by 1% Sales Tax Administration, County Forces Account CPB#57-8095-0606. 19. Motion to declare as surplus a portion of the property owned by the city known as Tax Map 25-3, Parcel 174. 20. Motion to approve Change Order with Environmental Management Associates (EMA) for Well Abandonment, for a fee not to exceed $2,850. PUBLIC SAFETY: 21. Motion to approve appointment of Mr. Brian Neill, reporter for the Metropolitan Spirit, to the Local Emergency Planning Committee (LEPC) to fill the unexpired term of Mr. Robert Pavey. PUBLIC SERVICES: 22. Motion to approve purchase of an airport security system upgrade from Smart Access, Inc. of Miami, Florida, at a cost not to exceed $160,000. 23. Motion to approve Change Order to the contract awarded to Two State Construction Company, Inc. in the amount of $37,571.14 for additional work associated with construction of the Augusta Aquatics Center. 24. Motion to approve bid award, purchase, and installation of multi-unit play systems for the Department of Recreation and Parks to Dominica Recreation Products, Inc. in the amount of $39,000 and Novel Hasley & Associates in the amount of $46,000. 25. Motion to approve a change in the professional services contract for the Blythe Community Center to Nicholas Dickinson & Associates, P.C., in the amount of $1,437.51. PETITIONS & COMMUNICATIONS: 26. Motion to approve minutes of the regular meeting of the Commission held January 19, 1999. APPOINTMENTS: 30. Appoint Mr. King Singleton, Jr. to the Board of Zoning Appeals representing District 9. 31. Appoint Mr. Al Ferguson to the Augusta-Richmond County Personnel Board representing District 5. MR. SHEPARD:I move approval of the consent agenda, Mr. . Mayor, as amended by 30 and 31 I second that. MR. BEARD: All in favor, please vote aye. MAYOR YOUNG: MOTION CARRIES 7-0. Page 9 Mr. Mayor and members of the Commission, for the CLERK: record, Commissioner Mays is out of the city today. And Commissioner Ulmer Bridges called to say that he would be out due to business and, if he could, he'd try to come later. Item 28: Motion to approve contract award in the amount of $122,610 to James G. Swift & Associates providing surveying and engineering services in connection with the Boykin Road Sanitary Sewer Improvement Phase I project. MR. POWELL:So move. Second. MR. H. BRIGHAM: The Utilities Department has reviewed it MR. OLIVER: and we're in agreement that it needs to be done. Any discussion? All in favor, please vote MAYOR YOUNG: aye. MOTION CARRIES 7-0. CLERK:Item 29: Motion to approve contract with Georgia Municipal Association (GMA) to act as a buyers agent for Augusta-Richmond County in procuring Natural Gas under their Gas Aggregation Service (GAS) plan. What this motion does is it just makes us MR. OLIVER: part of the GMA buying pool to negotiate a gas contract for the total county rather than doing it ourselves. The terms and conditions would be consistent with all of the govern- mental entities. Will this save us money, Mr. Oliver, MAYOR YOUNG: buying in bulk like this? Yes. We believe that it will give us more MR. OLIVER: negotiating power both on price and terms and conditions. MR. SHEPARD:Move approval, Mr. Mayor. Second. MR. KUHLKE: Just a little information, Randy. You MR. POWELL: know, gas providers are going through a lot of change now and I want to make sure that, you know, we're not signing ourselves into something that six months down the road is going to be not a good deal. It's like a lot of services right now, they MR. OLIVER: Page 10 are changing, Mr. Powell, as you indicated, daily in a number of things. But we'll make sure that it provides for our best interest. Anybody else have any discussion on this? MAYOR YOUNG: All in favor of the motion, please vote aye. MOTION CARRIES 7-0. CLERK:Item 32: Motion to approve contract with the Coliseum Authority for use of RCCI inmates, with Augusta- Richmond County to be reimbursed for costs. The representatives of the Coliseum MR. OLIVER: Authority came to us the end of last week indicating that there are times that they would like inmate labor to help them during peak periods to put the Coliseum back into--to prepare it for other events. We talked about it and we felt like that the best way to do this was with a contract with the Coliseum Authority. We would ask that this be made subject to the approval of the Administrator and the Attorney because we see this as something that will be used periodically, but we don't see this as an ongoing thing. You know, a couple of times we don't mind helping them out, but clearly we cannot spare our inmate crews on a continuing basis to work at the Coliseum because of other commitments that they have. Do we have a motion? MAYOR YOUNG: MR. KUHLKE:I move approval, with the contract being approved by the Administrator and the Attorney. Second. MR. SHEPARD: Again, Mr. Oliver, you know, we've entered MR. POWELL: into a contract with the Coliseum Authority--or our Coliseum Authority has entered into a contract with a private firm to handle the management. I just want to make sure that we're not going back and changing some things that could increase our cost drastically, so I think we need to take a real close look at that. Well, you have to remember that certain MR. OLIVER: costs are pass-through costs. And obviously if the pass- through costs are higher, it's going to increase the cost to operate the Coliseum. The one thing I would also point out is we see this as being just the way to provide what I call peak labor services, and we don't anticipate--and I'm going to provide for that in the contract, that it's not going to involve more than one inmate crew. And as I say, I don't envision it happening more than a couple of times a year, and Page 11 it's going to be totally at our discretion. Because if we need these inmates to do other things, we need that flexibility. Anyone else have a comment? Let's go MAYOR YOUNG: ahead and vote then. All in favor of the motion, please vote aye. MOTION CARRIES 7-0. CLERK:The next item, on our addendum agenda: Approve purchase of up to $5,000 in furniture, fixtures and equipment, including computer, for the Mayor's Office. To be funded from General Fund Contingency. MR. J. BRIGHAM:So move. Second. MR. SHEPARD: Any discussion? All in favor, please vote MAYOR YOUNG: aye. MOTION CARRIES 7-0. CLERK:Item 2: Resolution requesting Richmond County Legislative Delegation to exclude Augusta from Regional Transportation Authority. Mr. Oliver, do you want to address this, MAYOR YOUNG: or Mr. Wall? Sure. As you are aware, the Governor last MR. OLIVER: week introduced a bill to create a Regional Transportation Authority. The intent currently is to include the 13 counties in and around Atlanta by a 15-member board. The way that the bill is currently worded, it would provide for any jurisdic- tion that fell into noncompliance to become a member and that membership additions would be made based on two criteria: you would get a member for being brought into this group and then you would get an additional member for each 200,000 people over the first 200,000. So we would get one member the way this is set up. Based on our discussion with our Delegation, and this is going to be discussed in more detail tomorrow morning with the Delegation, 70% of the air quality problems in Atlanta are caused by automobiles, based on rough estimates, 30% by industry. In Augusta we have just the reverse: 30% of these problems come from vehicles and 70% come from industry. EPD is the controlling factor as it relates to industry, and they have the power under the federal legislation to mandate improvements that must be made by industry, but they have to Page 12 take the lead in that. We can ask, but we can't make these industries do anything. We are indicating that because of the change in those numbers, that traffic is not our primary problem. And we are asking that Augusta--and we have been advised that Macon and Savannah also will be asking to be excluded--that that provision in the bill to include these other entities not be considered until they see how effective this is in the Atlanta area and to see where the air problems emanate from. And so, consequently, we would ask for this resolution so we can take it and present it to our Delegation in the morning. Is there any discussion on this? I had MAYOR YOUNG: one question about one sentence in here where it says "whereas the Georgia Regional Transportation Authority would have minimal impact on the air quality in Augusta". I think we might want to add to that, that it would have--it has a potential to have a tremendous disruption and impact on the transportation in Augusta if indeed we're going to lose money to Atlanta for transportation projects. How the funding is done in the bill is a MR. OLIVER: little unclear. What the bill does provide for is that any improvements to the transportation infrastructure that are going to be made would have to be approved by this 15-member board, and we think that this is a level of bureaucracy at this point that is not necessary in Augusta. There are obviously some things that we need to look at, but, you know, the only two things we can do as it relates to fuel or as it relates to vehicle emissions currently would be to do emissions testing and then also to look at oxygenated fuel. I think very rarely here in Augusta will someone have to wait more than two traffic lights, and clearly that's not the case in Atlanta. Let me ask a question. And I've just seen MR. KUHLKE: this. Does this have any impact at all outside of air quality, I mean, from a transportation standpoint? And I guess I'll direct my question to Mr. Shepard, who has been involved in looking at rail and so forth. Does this have any impact on that, Randy, on how highway systems or-- The purpose of this is, in the Atlanta MR. OLIVER: area, to force coordination between the various counties. For example, this committee may decide that, you know, a new road that will ultimately be subject to development not be put in and that that money be used for MARTA improvements and things of that nature. Well, why wouldn't we want a representative MR. KUHLKE: on there if they're going to be spending state funds to Page 13 protect our interests should we have any? Well, we believe that we're better off MR. OLIVER: keeping our funds separate from Atlanta. This committee would also have the ability to take the funding from those 13 counties, and if they believe that to eliminate a bottleneck all those funds needed to be spent in one given county, they could do that. And we believe that controlling our own funds locally is superior. It would be nice to have an interface or a liaison with them, but to actually be a full-fledged participant, the way the bill is currently worded, we do not believe is in our best interest. Well, Randy, what we are saying here then, MR. BEARD: are we saying we are against the Authority itself or just the way that the bill is written and inclusive because-- No, we are not against the Authority. What MR. OLIVER: we feel should happen is that Augusta, Macon, and Savannah should not be included under the bill until it's seen how effective it is in Atlanta and until the problems that are in Augusta are isolated. We don't believe our major problems are transportation. But it's only going to include the 13-county MR. BEARD: area around Atlanta anyway, so-- But what the bill provides for is that when MR. OLIVER: another jurisdiction becomes in noncompliance, it forces them automatically to be a member. And the federal law is worded so that it's a three-year rolling average and that two years are in. And so, consequently, it's going to, to some extent, depend upon whether we are given transitional status or not. If we don't get transitional status, we will come in fairly quickly. If we do get transitional status, we have an opportunity to make some improvements. But we don't think that we should be brought in now, and we think that--we think it's a good idea, but we think that's up to the area around Atlanta to create such a thing in that area. But we don't think the coordination of traffic problems with Columbia County, Augusta, and that type thing is an issue in this part of the state. Bill, you had mentioned my name. I have MR. SHEPARD: not seen the bill. Of course, we had the Georgia Rail Passenger Authority meet here a few months ago, and that Authority has some plans which are very remote and not funded to extend the state-wide rail system. And one of the corridors under study would be Atlanta/Augusta, but I don't know how that interfaces with this particular new Authority proposed by Governor Barnes, if it's even been considered. I Page 14 haven't studied this transportation bill, Mr. Kuhlke, and I don't know that I could offer you much guidance at this point, but I think we want something here that would not necessarily be implicated by an automatic catch or trigger mechanism that may apply to Atlanta. I think that's the concern is the trigger mechanism in the bill, and I don't think we need to be caught by the trigger, so this is probably--the passage of this resolution is probably indicated at this time. And that bill does provide for the state- MR. OLIVER: wide rail, but as you aptly noted, there's no funding mechanism in the bill, but they could direct that federal and state funds be used for it out of that area. We are on the second or third leg of that--what I understand is a draft plan. I haven't seen it formalized yet. I have a copy from that meeting. If MR. SHEPARD: anybody is interested, I can get it to you. Is there any other discussion? All in MAYOR YOUNG: favor of the motion, please vote aye. MOTION CARRIES 7-0. And we'll deliver this to the Delegation MAYOR YOUNG: tomorrow up there. They're meeting in the Senate, I understand [inaudible]. Yes. The Senate is scheduled to consider MR. OLIVER: that bill this week, and that was the need for moving quickly. Next item? MAYOR YOUNG: CLERK:Legal meeting. Mr. Mayor, I had two items that I wanted to MR. WALL: give an update on in legal session that are involving litigation matters, and I request a motion that we-- MR. SHEPARD:Move we go into legal session for litigation, Mr. Mayor. Second. MR. KUHLKE: All in favor, please vote aye. MAYOR YOUNG: MOTION CARRIES 7-0. [LEGAL MEETING, 12:40 - 1:00 P.M.] Page 15 MR. KUHLKE:I move we adjourn. Second. MR. BEARD: All in favor. MAYOR YOUNG: MOTION CARRIES 7-0. [MEETING ADJOURNED AT 1:00 P.M.] Lena J. 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 February 1, 1999. Clerk of Commission