HomeMy WebLinkAbout05-04-1999 Regular Meeting
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REGULAR MEETING COMMISSION CHAMBERS
May 4, 1999
Augusta-Richmond County Commission convened at 2:03 p.m.,
Tuesday, May 4, 1999, the Honorable Bob Young, Mayor,
presiding.
PRESENT: Hons. Bridges, H. Brigham, J. Brigham,
Colclough, Handy, Kuhlke, Mays, and Shepard, members of
Augusta Richmond County Commission.
ABSENT: Hon. Powell, member 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 TROWELL.
THE PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE WAS RECITED.
DELETION FROM THE AGENDA
Delegation from The Laney-Walker Development Corporation
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
Supporting documents for Items 39, 41A, and 41B
ADDITIONS TO THE AGENDA
1. Consider award of Main Lift Station construction to
the low bidder, Heavy Constructors, Inc., in the amount of
$1,495,000. (Funded by Account 508043420-5425210.)
2. Appoint Mr. Bryan Haltermann to the Historic
Preservation Board representing District 9.
3. Reappoint Mr. Rick Beard to the Augusta Aviation
Commission at Bush Field representing District 9.
4. Reappoint Ms. Barbara Gordon to the Housing &
Neighborhood Development Citizens Advisory Council represent-
ing District 9.
5. Award contract to the low bidder, Mabus
Construction Co., in the amount of $942,683.27, subject to the
receipt of signed contracts and proper bonds for the Hyde Park
Drainage Improvements Project (CPB#321-04-292822571).
MR. J. BRIGHAM:So move.
Second.
MR. BRIDGES:
Is there any objection? These items are
MAYOR YOUNG:
added to the agenda.
MOTION CARRIES 10-0.
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Under the consent agenda, Items 1 through 33.
CLERK:
FINANCE
1. Motion to approve bid award for $35,000.00 to
Jenkins Ford Tractor for one (1) 4x2 Backhoe/Loader for the
Augusta-Richmond County Recreation Department (Bid #99-052).
2. Motion to approve bid award for $91,000.00 to
Jenkins Ford Tractor for two (2) 4x4 Backhoe/Loaders, one for
the Augusta-Richmond County Public Works Department-Roads and
Bridges and one for the Utilities Department-Construction
Division (Bid #99-051).
3. Motion to approve engagement letter with Patton
Boggs LLP in an amount not to exceed $10,000 plus expenses to
help secure a national cemetery for Augusta. Funded from
Mayor's Contingency.
4. Motion to approve award for $172,557.00 to Altec
Industries for three (3) 40-foot bucket trucks, one for the
Augusta-Richmond County Public Works Department-Traffic
Engineering Division and two for the Facilities Maintenance
Division-Electrical Section (Bid #99-050).
ADMINISTRATIVE SERVICES
5. Motion to approve Subordination Agreement to
Wachovia Bank, N.A., subordinating City's Deed to Secure Debt
securing facade grant made on property located at 1115-1117
Laney-Walker Boulevard.
6. Motion to approve the reclassification of one Bus
Operator II (Grade 39) to Maintenance Support Technician (new
title with proposed Grade 38) for Augusta Public Transit.
ENGINEERING SERVICES
7. Motion to approve engineering services for Augusta
Commons Project with Cranston, Robertson and Whitehurst in the
amount of $98,370. Also approve Capital Project Budget 327-
04-296812009 in the amount of $98,370 for the project.
Resources for the project to be allocated from the Special One
Percent Sales Tax-Phase III.
8. Motion to approve Resolution to adopted Revised
Flood Insurance Rate Maps (FIRM) panels: index, 0020, 0060,
0070, 0080, 0090, and 0155 effective March 23, 1999.
9. Motion to approve Change Order #4 with Two State
Construction Company, Inc. increasing the contract amount by
$1,154.17 for additional changes to Small Business Incubator
Facility. Funded by Account #06-4793-00-0851.
10. Motion to approve easement agreement with metered
service for the Augusta Country Club, Inc. for $50,520.00.
11. Motion to approve easement agreement with metered
service for the Augusta National, Inc.
12. Motion to approve engineering contract with
Electrical Design Consultants, Inc. in the amount of $80,000
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regarding the engineering services for the design and install-
ation of the equipment purchased from the Department of Energy
at the Savannah River Site. Funded by Account #506043530-
5421110.
13. Motion to approve engineering contract with ZEL
Engineers in the amount of $282,000 regarding the engineering
services for design and contract administration for treatment
plants at the proposed Old Waynesboro Water Facilities and the
Kimberly-Clark Tract Water Facilities. Funded by Account
#508043410-52121115.
14. Motion to approve easement in perpetuity to the
Church Wardens and Vestrymen of the Episcopal Church in
Augusta (known as St. Paul's Church) for the purpose of
connecting new two-story Children's Ministries Center to
Riverwalk.
15. Motion to approve easement agreement with metered
service for Westover Memorial Park, Inc.
16. Motion to authorize engineering services for
materials testing program with CSRA Testing & Engineering Co.
in the amount of $4,000.00 per month for a two-year period
with a thirty (30) day termination provision. Resources for
this program will be allocated from the Special One Percent
Sales Tax-Phase III, Account #323041110-296823097-6011110.
17. Motion to approve funds for relocating and
replacing a 14" water line resulting from the construction of
two deceleration lanes along State Highway 56 for the Augusta
YDC parking lot expansion.
18. Motion to approve Change Order #5 with no increase
in cost extending the contract time by 19 days for Small
Business Incubator Facility.
PUBLIC SAFETY
19. Motion to approve road name change of Gracewood
Road to Gracewood Drive.
20. Motion to approve the purchase of nine (9) printers
at an estimated cost of $9,351 and provide the necessary
funding. The License and Inspection Department will be
receiving new computer software for administrative operations
in July 1999. The printers will maximize the efficiency
potential of the new software. Funded from Y2K.
PUBLIC SERVICES
21. Pulled from consent agenda.
22. Motion to approve an agreement between Augusta and
Sandridge Neighborhood Association, subject to approval of
Attorney, for operation of Jamestown Community Center and
eliminate one part-time position.
23. Motion to approve Memorandum of Agreement between
Augusta Housing Authority and Augusta-Richmond County
Recreation and Parks for Summer Youth Program funded by the
Housing Authority and implemented by the Recreation Department
in the amount of $50,000.00.
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24. Motion to approve new ownership request by Kwang
Bong Chong for a retail package beer and wine license to be
used in connection with Get N Go Convenience Store located at
2350 Windsor Spring Road.
25. Motion to approve new ownership request by Omar Z.
Sarsour for a retail package beer and wine license to be used
in connection with Ace Market, Inc. located at 839 East
Boundary.
26. Motion to approve new ownership request by Jackie
C. Wall for a consumption on premises liquor, beer and wine
license to be used in connection with The Country Club
Restaurant located at 1102 Broad Street.
27. Motion to approve new ownership request by Jackie
C. Wall for consumption on premises liquor, beer and wine
license to be used in connection with The Country Club Lounge
located at 1102-A Broad Street. There will be a dance hall.
28. Motion to approve new ownership request by Melanie
L. Jones for consumption on premises liquor, beer and wine
license to be used in connection with Big Daddy's Lounge and
Restaurant located at 3626 Walton Way. There will be a dance
hall.
29. Motion to approve new ownership request by Jong
Song Nathanson for a retail package liquor, beer and wine
license to be used in connection with J.C. Package Shop
located at 2501 Peach Orchard Road.
30. Motion to approve payment of attorneys fees and
expenses of Paul, Hastings, Janofsky & Walker LLP in the
amount of $1,847 from Airport's revenue account for advice
relating to Augusta Regional Airport at Bush Field.
31. Motion to approve the reclassification of one (1)
Bus Operator II (Grade 39) to Maintenance Support Technician
(new title with proposed Grade 38) for Augusta Public Transit.
PETITIONS & COMMUNICATIONS
32. Motion to approve minutes of the Augusta Commission
held April 20, 1999.
ATTORNEY
33. Motion to approve an Ordinance providing for the
demolition of certain unsafe and uninhabitable properties in
the Turpin Hill Neighborhood: 1732 Meadow Street, 1711 Meadow
Street, 1613 Ramsey Street, 1681 Emory Street (District 5,
Super District 9); East Augusta Neighborhood: 209 Holloway
Drive, 1906 Alabama Road, 1920 Alabama Road (District 2, Super
District 9); Sand Hills Neighborhood: 2610 Hazel Street
(District 1, Super District 9); and South Augusta Neighbor-
hood: 3212 Old Louisville Road (District 8, Super District
10). (Approved by Commission April 20, 1999 - second reading)
MR. SHEPARD:Mr. Mayor, I move approval of the consent
agenda, Items 1 through 33.
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Second.
MR. KUHLKE:
MR. BRIDGES:Can we pull Item 21?
[THE CLERK READS THE ALCOHOL LICENSE REQUESTS; NO OBJECTORS
PRESENT.]
We have an amended motion to approve the
MAYOR YOUNG:
consent agenda, removing Item 21, and we have a second. Any
discussion? All in favor, please vote aye.
MOTION CARRIES 9-0.
Mr. Mayor and members of the Commission, Mr.
CLERK:
Powell will not be in attendance in today's meeting. He's
somewhat under the weather.
All right. Madame Clerk, we'd like to go
MAYOR YOUNG:
ahead and take up Item 40 now. We have a number of people
here who are interested in that item and we'll take that one
next.
CLERK:Item 40: Motion to approve a request by Susan
Faircloth to transfer the retail package liquor, beer and wine
license used in connection with McBean Package Store located
at 5274 Mike Padgett Highway to 908 Hephzibah-McBean Road. No
recommendation from the Public Services Committee on April 12,
no action vote by the Commission on April 20.
MR. BRIDGES:Mr. Mayor, could I make a motion on this,
please? Due to the general character of the neighborhood
there in McBean at the crossroads of 56 and Hephzibah-McBean
Road, that--there is a recreation facility across the street
from where this business will be located. It's used by
seniors during the day, it's the senior center, and during the
evening it's used for kids. The children congregate there.
There's a recreation area there. And due to that recreation,
because there's minors that congregate in that vicinity, I
don't think that a liquor store in that area is compatible
with the neighborhood and I don't believe it's in the best
interest of that community and, therefore, I would make a
motion that the request be denied.
I'll second that motion. Mr. Mayor, I
MR. KUHLKE:
would like to say something for my colleagues also. I took
the opportunity to go out there, and the last time I voted for
giving this transfer, but I was misinformed as to where the
location was. When you stand on this piece of property,
you're right across from the fire department or adjacent to
the senior citizens. And I'd say this: If we were in the new
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center I'd probably vote for it, but considering that we're
probably three to four to five years away before that center
is going to be built, I'm going to have to vote in opposition
to the transfer.
Mr. Nicholson, you're here on behalf of
MAYOR YOUNG:
the petitioner?
Yes.
MR. NICHOLSON:
Is there some new information you'd like
MAYOR YOUNG:
to present to the Commission?
No, Mr. Mayor. All I would like to do
MR. NICHOLSON:
would be to enter this into the record, which is a statement
of Ms. Faircloth's position with regard to this transfer and
also which sets forth the criteria in the County Code, Section
6-2-65(a), and that we contend it's our position that she has
met each one of those criteria. And we'd like to have this
placed in the minutes of the meeting:
IN THE COMMISSION COUNCIL
FOR THE CITY OF AUGUSTA
STATE OF GEORGIA
IN RE: SUSAN FAIRCLOTH - TRANSFER OF RETAIL PACKAGE
LIQUOR,
BEER & WINE LICENSE.
NOW COMES SUSAN FAIRCLOTH and hereby requests that this
statement of her position be entered upon the minutes of the
regular meeting of the Augusta Commission of May 4, 1999.
Ms. Faircloth hereby states her position that the
ordinance in question is unconstitutional and its application
by the Commission in her case in making its decision this
transfer is arbitrary and capricious and is in violation of
her due process and/or equal protection rights. Ms. Faircloth
shows that she has complied with all legal requirements in
having her Application for Transfer granted and that the
Commission has not stated any specific reasons for denial.
County Code 6-2-65(a) set forth the criteria for which
the Commission shall consider in determining whether or not
the granting of the transfer of license shall be considered in
the public interest and welfare. Those are: 1) Reputation and
character; 2) Previous violation of liquor laws; 3) Manner of
conducting prior liquor business; 4) Location; 5) Number of
licenses and trading area; 6) Dancing; 7) Previous revocation
of license; 8) Payment of taxes; 9) Congregation of minors;
10) Prior incidents; and 11) Previous denial or revocation.
Of the 11 areas of consideration set forth above, the
Commission has not set forth any reason or evidence of any
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problems associated therewith. Therefore, there is no reason
for the Commission to deny or not grant this transfer of
license.
Wherefore, the petitioner, Susan Faircloth, hereby moves
that this statement of her position be placed upon the minutes
of the regular meeting of May 4, 1999.
This 4th day of May, 1999.
Respectfully,
Sam G. Nicholson
Attorney for Susan Faircloth
Is there any other discussion on this
MAYOR YOUNG:
item?
Sam, if I could just address one or two
MR. SHEPARD:
questions. Presently the location that was taken by the
condemnation is down near McBean Creek, I think; is that
right?
That's correct.
MR. NICHOLSON:
And this is up by the recreation center?
MR. SHEPARD:
That's correct.
MR. NICHOLSON:
I mean right across the street from it;
MR. SHEPARD:
isn't that right?
The new or the old one?
MR. NICHOLSON:
The one that presently exists.
MR. SHEPARD:
No, it's not right across the street
MR. NICHOLSON:
from it.
But isn't there a fire department and a
MR. SHEPARD:
ball field that's used for recreation by the Rec Department
across the street? It may not be the recreation center, but
it's a recreation facility, is it not?
I don't believe it is. I think it's
MR. NICHOLSON:
down Hardy McManus Road from where you're talking about.
Point of order, Mr. Mayor. I believe Mr.
MR. BRIDGES:
Shepard is talking about the new location for this business is
directly across the street.
That's correct, not the one that's been--
MR. SHEPARD:
the new location where you want it transferred to.
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Okay. That's correct.
MR. NICHOLSON:
Am I correct on that location, the
MR. SHEPARD:
location change, it's closer to the recreation facilities than
the present location which was taken by condemnation? What
was taken by--or will be taken by condemnation is like on the
county line?
Can I ask Ms. Faircloth if she can--
MR. NICHOLSON:
Sure.
MR. SHEPARD:
Now, I got a statement showing that the
MS. FAIRCLOTH:
road, the highway, saying it was safe. We even got a exit to
go on and a exit to go off. We don't do our business mostly
till nighttime when they're all gone home. These are my kids
y'all are taking from. I mean y'all don't have to worry about
this. I have to worry about taking care of--
Ms. Faircloth, the question is--ma'am,
MAYOR YOUNG:
just a minute. Mr. Shepard, did you have any other questions?
I think that cleared it up.
MR. SHEPARD:
But far as the road, it's not going to
MS. FAIRCLOTH:
have anything to do with anything. We called the highway
department and they said it would not have no problem with
that center at all. That's the reason I brought the paper. I
gave it to your secretary. And we talked to them and they
said it wouldn't be no problem. She keeps saying I can go to
Milton's. Well, it's right across from the center. She said
I could move there and build a facility, but--
Ma'am, no one has said anything except
MAYOR YOUNG:
these members of the--
But it's just--but I know--
MS. FAIRCLOTH:
No, no one from audience has spoken today.
MAYOR YOUNG:
We went through this two weeks ago. Now, if you have some new
information we'll hear from you today--
But the highway department said it's
MS. FAIRCLOTH:
okay.
-- but we're not going to sit here and
MAYOR YOUNG:
revisit everything we did two weeks ago.
The highway department said it's going
MS. FAIRCLOTH:
to be okay.
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One of us will speak at a time, please.
MAYOR YOUNG:
We're not going to revisit--
This is my life.
MS. FAIRCLOTH:
I understand that, and we're trying to
MAYOR YOUNG:
give you a fair hearing, but we went through this two weeks
ago. Now, if you have some information you'd like to present
to the Commission today, you may do that.
I got people on my side.
MS. FAIRCLOTH:
Is there somebody who would like to speak?
MAYOR YOUNG:
A bunch of people here on my side.
MS. FAIRCLOTH:
Is there someone who would like to speak
MAYOR YOUNG:
in favor of the petition?
My name is Betty Crook and I have two
MS. CROOK:
addresses. I have a place on Hephzibah-McBean Road and I also
have one in Burke County. I'm not trying to take any type of
community side here, I'm just looking for things not more from
a political issue of who's going to reelected and who made
promises to who. The liquor store--we have a liquor store at
every county line. Every county line there is a liquor store.
This liquor store generates sales tax money. I attended a
meeting that Mr. Bridges had before that there was plans to
move the community center. I don't think that Ms. Faircloth
would have bought this property ahead of time if she had known
that all the people were going to say, well, no, you can't put
a liquor store here and, you know, this is what we say you
can't do. The law doesn't stipulate any reasons why she
cannot put a liquor store there. The community center is
similarly across the street. It's kind of like in a diagonal
thing. And, yeah, if you stood out in front of the community
center and--you know, you could see, this kind of stuff. But
it's not technically in kind of a thing that would interfere
at all with the community center being able to go on with what
they do. I don't think that she intends to have any
loiterers. I think that the Richmond County Sheriff's
Department would help see to it that that didn't happen. And
I don't see any reasons at all why she should be denied the
right to put a liquor store there if she meets the guidelines.
Ms. Faircloth, have you closed on this
MAYOR YOUNG:
property?
I got it closed today. I got 40 days to
MS. FAIRCLOTH:
get out.
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No, I mean on your new location where
MAYOR YOUNG:
you'd like the license. Have you closed on that property?
I'm waiting for y'all to approve it.
MS. FAIRCLOTH:
All right. So you've entered a contract
MAYOR YOUNG:
subject to approval of transfer of the license?
Approval.
MS. FAIRCLOTH:
Okay. So you haven't invested any money
MAYOR YOUNG:
in the property then.
Yes, I bought some land. And till I get
MS. FAIRCLOTH:
the business started off, I can't pay that loan off. And then
if that shuts down, I'll have to--
No, I mean the property in question that's
MAYOR YOUNG:
the subject of this discussion today. Have you taken title to
that property yet?
Oh, yes.
MS. FAIRCLOTH:
You already purchased it?
MAYOR YOUNG:
Yes.
MS. FAIRCLOTH:
You didn't buy it subject to the
MAYOR YOUNG:
Commission transferring your license; is that correct?
I bought it for a transfer, to put my
MS. FAIRCLOTH:
[inaudible].
Are there any other questions? Let's get
MAYOR YOUNG:
a count of the people. We'll do this twice now. The people
in favor of Ms. Faircloth getting a license, would you please
stand so we can get a count, or just raise your hand.
[APPROXIMATELY 18 IN FAVOR.]
Thank you. You may be seated. And then
MAYOR YOUNG:
the people who are opposed, if you'd please stand or raise
your hand.
[APPROXIMATELY 60 IN OPPOSITION.]
Thank you very much. You may be seated.
MAYOR YOUNG:
We have a motion and a second on the floor. Is there any
further discussion among the Commissioners?
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Mr. Mayor, if you'd clarify. A yes vote
MR. SHEPARD:
is a vote to deny the motion?
That's correct, the motion is to deny. So
MAYOR YOUNG:
we'll call the question at this time. All in favor of the
motion to deny the petition, please vote aye.
MR. BEARD & MR. MAYS VOTE NO.
MR. H. BRIGHAM & MR. HANDY ABSTAIN.
MOTION FAILS 5-2-2.
Mr. Mayor, may I say something just for
MR. NICHOLSON:
the record? This is the second time that this has been here
and there has been no action taken. And I would just like to
say that the petitioner has no choice but to proceed legally,
and that we set forth as our grounds for that a violation of
her due process and equal protection of the law, and that also
we would take the position that there would be some--that we
would like the Commission to state on the record a reason for
not granting this license and also have her given five days--a
notice within five days of the reason why it has not been
done.
And, Mr. Nicholson, we'll be glad to do so.
MR. WALL:
As you noted, five individuals voted with the motion. And Mr.
Ulmer Bridges set forth the criteria set forth in Section
6-2-65 of the Augusta-Richmond County Code dealing with the
location, the general character of the neighborhood and the
effect that it would have upon the neighborhood, which is
Subparagraph 4; and in addition to that, the congregation of
minors, which is Subparagraph 9. And those are the two
specific paragraphs that are relied upon, and we'll set forth
that in a letter to you.
Thank you.
MR. NICHOLSON:
Thank you, Mr. Nicholson. Let's move
MAYOR YOUNG:
along with the order of the day.
CLERK:Item 21: Motion to approve a request from the
Greater Augusta Arts Council for a waiver of the special
events section of the City Ordinance that bans open containers
on the streets of downtown Augusta with Arts Council providing
security as directed by the Sheriff's Department.
MR. SHEPARD:I so move, Mr. Mayor.
Second.
MR. COLCLOUGH:
We have a motion and a second. Is there
MAYOR YOUNG:
any discussion?
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Mr. Mayor, there seems to be some
MR. BRIDGES:
confusion whether or not the Sheriff's Department supports
this move. I'd like to hear from them, please.
What is your recommendation from the
MAYOR YOUNG:
Sheriff's Department?
We're not in favor of it. We're totally
SGT. BERRY:
against any alcohol being sold on Broad Street sidewalks. The
Sheriff's Department also is not in favor of blocking off the
street to sell alcohol, but the Sheriff's Department will go
along with blocking off the street as long as you have some
type of security in the area to help and assist emergency
vehicles if they need to get through this area. That's the
main concern is safety. Our understanding was they had a
building on 10th and Broad or either 11th and Broad, and if
they sold alcohol out of there, we have no problem with them
walking out with it or whatever, you know, but not setting up
tents and selling alcohol on the streets.
So you're not opposed to selling alcohol
MAYOR YOUNG:
from the storefronts, just selling the alcohol on the street?
Inside the building, not on the streets.
SGT. BERRY:
I've got a question, Sheriff. Will this
MR. BRIDGES:
set some kind of precedent that we haven't done before if we
allow this on Broad Street?
I believe it would set precedence throughout
SGT. BERRY:
the county, yes.
MR. BRIDGES:That being the case, Mr. Mayor, I'll make
a motion that this be denied--a substitute motion that it be
denied.
I'll second.
MR. COLCLOUGH:
Mr. Mayor, when this passed--I think it
MR. KUHLKE:
passed committee, didn't it?
Yes, sir.
CLERK:
When it passed committee I had had a
MR. KUHLKE:
conversation with Mr. Strength, and Mr. Strength contended to
me that it was a state law and subsequent to that I found out
it isn't a state law. But I talked with some of the folks
back here and I think they are willing to move the sale of
alcohol inside of a building and abide by what the Sheriff
would like to do. Am I correct? Otherwise you're not going
Page 13
to get it.
I'm Ginger Chew with the Greater Augusta Arts
MS. CHEW:
Council. I live at 2310 Cumming Road. I certainly
understand, we don't want to cause any friction. Our purpose
in wanting to have the Wet Paint Party and the reception on
Broad Street was at the prompting and suggestion of, I
believe, our previous mayor and Main Street Augusta. My boss
had met with them and they wholeheartedly support moving the
festivals that the city has onto Broad Street as a way to
promote downtown. I certainly understand that beer is not
allowed to be sold on Broad Street. With this event we would
not be--and I don't know if this makes a difference or not,
it's an invitation event. Patrons would pay to attend the
cocktail reception. It's not open to the public, no children
would be invited, and attendees would be identified in some
manner so we would know who is there as one of our guests.
And it wouldn't be like you could walk up on the street on
Broad Street and purchase the beer or glass of wine, it would
just be for guests of the reception, and that's really our
stance on this. I know with the closing of the Riverwalk area
where a lot of the--or not closing but the construction on the
Riverwalk, a lot of festivals in town will be moving, so I
know this will not be the last time that this is brought up
before the Commissioners as groups are moved off of the
Riverwalk where we have had our events in this--I don't know
if it was this Commission, but the Commissioners did designate
areas on Riverwalk for that specific purpose, the sale of
alcohol. We would just ask that that be taken into consider-
ation, too, as our sites for festivals are taken away from us,
that we will be moving to Broad Street, which I think is
great. We are very happy to do so, but we would like to be
able to do [inaudible].
For a clarification, Mr. Wall, maybe you
MAYOR YOUNG:
can help me with this. Is there an ordinance that says you
cannot specifically sell it on Broad Street? Because I know
in some events there are tents that sell beer on 8th Street at
Riverwalk in the middle of the street, and also on 9th Street
at Riverwalk on the sidewalk. What's the difference between
those locations and Broad Street? Is there a statute that
treats Broad Street differently?
Well, there's a statute which treats those
MR. WALL:
locations that you've just identified on 8th and 9th Street
differently. We have a provision in the alcohol where we
designated certain areas in the Riverwalk area as being
permissible places to have licenses, so those are the only
public streets currently where you can have those sales.
I would note, for the benefit of the
MR. OLIVER:
Page 14
audience, I think the Mayor and Commission know this, but the
Augusta Commons project you just approved today, the design of
that, and that project will start sometime early next year,
and I would anticipate that that will be green space and that
that could be used along this type of--you know, for this type
of an event in the future once it's completed.
Thank you, Mr. Oliver. Any other
MAYOR YOUNG:
discussion on the substitute motion?
Yes, Mr. Mayor. I voted for it in committee,
MR. MAYS:
and, you know, I think the young lady made a valid point. One
reason I did vote for it was the fact that I don't think it's
going to be the last time. I think it's one issue that we
can't solve today, but I would hope that in some conversations
with our city administration and the Sheriff is that the
Commons are not going to be built and developed overnight, and
with the events that are pre-scheduled, you know, I would
think that the city ought to be big enough--when I say the
city, the whole city, the Sheriff's Department and us--at some
point that we either could move away from some written in
stone activities that if that's going to just die because one
street is addressed or not addressed--and maybe we're going to
have to revisit that idea and debate it and try and get some
type of alternative set up either on a yes or no basis as to
what we're going to do with these other events whether it be
on vacant space properties that we've got near Riverwalk that
we have ownership of or have an interest. But I think this is
a clear case of where this is not one that's going to go away,
and I kind of had hoped that it was something that was going
to be worked out, and--you know, I just was thinking it was
something that we were going to be able to totally support.
But if this one is going down the tubes in that fashion, you
are correct, there are going to be others, and I think
probably some talk needs to be done so that we know whether or
not this is going to happen all the time or whether or not we
need to deal with some adjustment, Mr. Wall, in the ordinance
to--if it's nothing other than temporary, why you can't use
Riverwalk. I mean millions of dollars have been invested in a
situation there, and you've got some construction going on on
a temporary basis, and then you go from being a city to a town
all of a sudden because one street differs from another, and
that, I don't think, is getting us into--as long as it's legal
and as long as it's supervised planning, and I think that's
something we need to pre-address, Mr. Mayor. And I know we
can't do it today, but I think it does need to be addressed
because they aren't going to be the only group on a legitimate
basis going to approach us with this.
Well, that's true, and I'm sure we'll be
MAYOR YOUNG:
coming back with some similar request for our New Year's Eve
Page 15
celebration on Broad Street, too, Mr. Wall.
I guess if I could get some clarification.
MR. WALL:
The event they're seeking an immediate waiver on is June 5th,
and people are talking about construction on Riverwalk and I'm
not sure what they have reference to. If it's the hotel
that's going up, that--
Where the crane fell.
SPEAKER:
Where the crane fell, I mean that--we hope to
MR. WALL:
have that walk-bridge--
We anticipate that will be opened back up
MR. OLIVER:
to pedestrian traffic before that time. The hotel, though,
won't really impact the Riverwalk except for possibly access
in that direction.
Mr. Mayor, maybe I just don't quite under-
MR. BEARD:
stand, you know, what they are attempting to do. I wasn't in
on that committee. But it appears to me that--looks like
somewhere down the line before we just vote this down, that
the Arts Council could possibly get with the Sheriff and work
something out. All this, to me, would be the better thing to
do than to just vote this down and say no. Because there are
circumstances which exist and maybe something could be worked
out with the Arts Council and the Sheriff's Department.
Well, I believe the Arts Council and
MS. CHEW:
representatives from Celebrate 2000 and Main Street Augusta
have a meeting with Mayor Young, and I believe the Sheriff
will be in attendance, on May 10th to discuss exactly this.
And I'm sorry for the confusion about the June 5th event, and
that's what we're here today for is the June 5th event and to
be able to have beer available and wine available on Broad
Street. And Plan B was moving into one of the artist's
galleries right there on Artist Row and having a corridor from
our reception into that gallery so nobody from the general
public that wasn't invited to the--or wasn't attending the
party couldn't come in. So we are, you know, more than
willing to accept that, and, you know, we don't want to be
difficult, but we just wanted to [inaudible].
Mr. Mayor, maybe this is a question for
MR. BRIDGES:
Jim, but if they go indoors, what kind of permit do they need?
Do they need approval from us or is that something they can
just do?
With this being a nonprofit, as long as
MR. WALL:
License and Inspections and the Sheriff's Department are
satisfied, I think that they can proceed.
Page 16
So they wouldn't need our approval to go
MR. BRIDGES:
indoors?
The only way they would need your approval is
MR. WALL:
if the Sheriff's--
To go on Broad Street?
MR. BRIDGES:
Right.
MR. WALL:
But, Jim, don't they need our approval to
MR. KUHLKE:
close Broad Street?
I think the Mayor has given that approval, if
MR. WALL:
I understand correctly.
Have I?
MAYOR YOUNG:
I heard that.
MR. WALL:
We'll get that worked out, Mr. Kuhlke.
MAYOR YOUNG:
Mr. Mayor, while we're on this, I think
MR. J. BRIGHAM:
the what the young lady was alluding to was also the Arts in
the Heart Festival and [inaudible] and I think we ought to
look at addressing the changes that Mr. Mays was saying before
that can be a problem in the fall.
Perhaps we can put this on the next agenda
MAYOR YOUNG:
of the committee to begin to take a look at it. We've got a
substitute motion on the floor, and that's a motion to deny
the request. All in favor of the substitute motion, please
vote aye.
MR. BRIDGES & MR. COLCLOUGH VOTE YES.
MOTION FAILS 2-7.
That takes us to the original motion,
MAYOR YOUNG:
which is to approve the request. All in favor of the
original--
Mr. Mayor, can I ask a question? Is this to
MR. HANDY:
approve it with the stipulation that you stated, Mr. Kuhlke,
to go inside?
I didn't make the motion.
MR. KUHLKE:
I made the motion. It was just to approve
MR. SHEPARD:
it as presented from the committee to approve it. I didn't
add the stipulation, I just wanted to approve it as requested.
Page 17
Would you accept that, to go inside?
MR. HANDY:
Mr. Shepard, the Sheriff's Department has
MR. KUHLKE:
specifically asked us not to approve that, and the Arts
Council has agreed to bring it inside. I think if we're going
to have it pass today, we might want to consider that.
MR. SHEPARD:I'll accept that stipulation that the
Sheriff suggested, that the alcohol be served inside. I'll
amend the motion to that effect.
And is that something there that y'all
MR. BRIDGES:
agree with?
Yes, sir. As long as it's all inside and
SGT. BERRY:
not on the street, that's fine.
I'll accept that amendment.
MR. SHEPARD:
Then, Mr. Mayor, we don't need to vote
MR. J. BRIGHAM:
on that. That's already being done without [inaudible].
That's true.
MR. WALL:
We don't need to vote? Then the motion is
MAYOR YOUNG:
just here. All right, let's move along.
Mr. Mayor, do they need to go any further or
MR. MAYS:
is there any potential conflict before we leave this issue in
reference to street blocking if they're dealing with that on
the inside as long as the security part is what they need to
do [inaudible]?
Mr. Mays, it's my understanding that all
MAYOR YOUNG:
the conditions that were requested by the Sheriff have been
agreed to by the Arts Council, so we have no more conflicts.
Thank you, gentlemen. We'll move along now, Madame Clerk.
CLERK:Item 34: Z-99-32 - Request for concurrence with
the decision of the Planning Commission to approve a petition
from Dennis Boydstun, on behalf of Dennis and Elise Boydstun,
requesting a Special Exception for the purpose of establishing
a family day care home as provided for in Section 26-1,
Subparagraph (f) of the Comprehensive Zoning Ordinance for
Augusta-Richmond County, on property located on the southwest
right-of-way line of Merrico Street, 283.54 feet northwest of
a point where the northwest right-of-way line of Sterling Road
intersects the southwest right-of-way line Merrico Street (805
Merrico Street).
Page 18
Are there any objectors to this item?
MAYOR YOUNG:
[NO OBJECTORS PRESENT]
Shall we hear from the Planning
MAYOR YOUNG:
Commission?
Bob Austin from the Planning Commission,
MR. AUSTIN:
sitting in for George Patty. There was never any objectors to
this case. And there was one motion on the last Commission
meeting from Jerry Brigham, and it failed, and we didn't make
another motion to approve it. The Planning Commission
approved it and the staff recommends approval.
So we are revisiting it today. Is there a
MAYOR YOUNG:
motion today?
MR. KUHLKE:I move that the request be denied.
Second.
MR. J. BRIGHAM:
A motion and a second to deny this. Is
MAYOR YOUNG:
there any discussion? Mr. Brigham, are you raising your hand?
No, but I'll just that the reason I
MR. J. BRIGHAM:
seconded the motion to deny is I had a request from residents
of the neighborhood to make a motion to deny [inaudible].
We don't have any objectors to this; right?
MR. BEARD:
There are no objectors?
None present.
MAYOR YOUNG:
It's just from the Commissioners that are
MR. BEARD:
denying this? Mr. Kuhlke, do you have--is there anything that
maybe I should know?
Only that some people from the neighborhood
MR. KUHLKE:
have called me as well as Mr. Brigham and asked that this not
be passed. They're opposed to it.
Mr. Mayor, I've received some calls, too,
MR. BRIDGES:
from people that said they were residents of this neighborhood
and did not want it passed.
I received a call, not some calls. But if
MR. HANDY:
no one is objecting, what's the reason for not having it? I
mean if they called, then they ought to be here to fight for
themselves.
That's a choice they made not to come, so.
MAYOR YOUNG:
Page 19
Is the petitioner here?
MR. HANDY:
Dennis Boydstun, is he here?
MAYOR YOUNG:
He knew of the hearing, Mr. Mayor.
MR. AUSTIN:
So the petitioner is not here and the
MAYOR YOUNG:
objectors are not here, and we have a motion on the floor to
deny this.
MR. HANDY:I'd like to make a substitute motion since
neither one of them are here, that we don't do anything unless
they're here to defend themselves. So I'd like to put that in
the form of a substitute motion and invite them back here to
make sure that when we deny it or give it to them, they'll be
here to receive it either way.
So your motion is to, what, carry this
MAYOR YOUNG:
over to the 18th meeting?
Yes, sir.
MR. HANDY:
I second.
MR. MAYS:
Any discussion on the substitute motion?
MAYOR YOUNG:
All in favor, please vote aye.
MR. BRIDGES, MR. J. BRIGHAM, MR. COLCLOUGH, MR. KUHLKE
& MR. SHEPARD VOTE NO.
MOTION FAILS 4-5.
That takes us back to the original motion
MAYOR YOUNG:
to deny the petition. Is there any further discussion on
that? All in favor, please vote aye.
MR. BEARD, MR. H. BRIGHAM & MR. HANDY VOTE NO.
MR. MAYS ABSTAIN.
MOTION FAILS 5-3-1.
See you the 18th.
MR. HANDY:
CLERK:Item 35: Motion to approve release of interest
and execute Quit-Claim Deed for release of real property on
parcel owned by Roger Greene regarding ad valorem tax fifas.
MR. KUHLKE:So move.
Second.
MR. MAYS:
Motion and a second. Any discussion?
MAYOR YOUNG:
Page 20
Mr. Mayor, as a matter of fact, it's
MR. J. BRIGHAM:
routine, and Mr. Wall can correct me, that we collect fifas on
all outstanding properties no matter whether or not that piece
of property is being traded or not?
Well, in a normal situation, yes, sir. I
MR. WALL:
mean all the taxes are collected. However, when they have
been presented to the Commission, the Commission in the past
has allowed each piece of property to stand for its own taxes.
Here you've got properties that are under common ownership,
and so therefore the tax fifa went against all of those
properties. But where we have assurances that there is ample
equity in the properties so that each property can stand on
its own, then we have on occasion in the past, and I would say
the times that it's been presented, allowed each piece of
property to stand on its own. And in this case Mr. Williamson
has looked at it and is satisfied that there is sufficient
equity to allow each property to stand on its own, and that's
the basis of my recommendation that you go ahead and allow
this one transaction because you're not jeopardizing the
city's ability to collect the taxes ultimately.
So we're making a special rule for a
MR. J. BRIGHAM:
special person [inaudible]? Are we going to do this for every
taxpayer?
Well, we have done it in the past. I mean I
MR. WALL:
don't know that--you say for every taxpayer. In situations
where it has been presented where there is a common ownership
and there's sufficient equity, we have in the past allowed
each piece of property to stand on its own, so it's not
something that would be done for the first time here.
Any further discussion? We have a motion
MAYOR YOUNG:
to approve and a second. All in favor, please vote aye.
MR. BEARD, MR. J. BRIGHAM & MR. SHEPARD VOTE NO.
MOTION CARRIES 6-3.
CLERK:Item 36: Motion to approve three-year service
agreement with Robinson Humphrey for investment of Pension
Plans for the period July 1, 1998 - June 30, 2001 with
Robinson Humphrey as recommended by the Pension Committee.
.
MR. SHEPARD:Move for approval
Second.
MR. COLCLOUGH:
We have a motion and a second. And I know
MAYOR YOUNG:
there are some people in the audience who want to speak to
Page 21
this, so we'll give them that opportunity.
May I speak first?
MR. HANDY:
Certainly, Mr. Handy, if you'd like to.
MAYOR YOUNG:
Please go ahead.
MR. HANDY:First of all, I've done some checking and
we've never had a contract. We've never had a contract to--
we've never given a contract for anyone to handle our pension
service, so is this something new? And if it is, I want to
know why are we doing it. And if you're going to make any
changes on it, then we ought to go out for proposals and put
it out for bid for everybody and then start all over again if
we're going to bother it. But if you're going to leave it
like it is, then I can vote for just letting Robinson Humphrey
keep it. But if you're planning on setting out a contract for
three years, then we ought to put it out for proposals and let
everybody bid on it and see who the best man is.
Do you want to make that as a substitute
MAYOR YOUNG:
motion?
That's exactly right.
MR. HANDY:
I'll second.
MR. J. BRIGHAM:
We have a substitute motion and a second
MAYOR YOUNG:
to seek RFP's for the management of the pension fund.
Marshall, if you'll please identify yourself and give us your
address.
My name is Marshall Brown and I live at 2749
MR. BROWN:
Walton Way. I represent the investment firm of Jason Bradley
and Company, and I have with me today three gentlemen from
Interstate/Johnson Lane and Wachovia, if you will raise your
hands and identify yourselves. And Mr. Handy has summed up my
concern. There are some seven investment firms in this
community, and the city has made it a policy in the past to
bid for services, and this contract, in fact, was not bid. I
made an unsolicited proposal in June of last year to manage
these funds that resulted in a significant savings to the
city, and our concern is that it never was bid. And we are
completely in agreement that it should be a multi year, two or
three year contract to--that would foster a better working
relationship with whoever has it, but that, in fact, it should
be bid, and there are seven very capable firms in this
community that could handle that. Thank you.
Well, I'll point out for the record that
MAYOR YOUNG:
there are some items that were approved on the consent agenda
Page 22
today that were not subject to RFP's, so some professional
services are put out without competitive bidding. I'll just
state that for the record. Is there any discussion on the
substitute motion?
Mr. Mayor, I agree partially with Mr. Handy's
MR. MAYS:
motion if that's what, you know, we're going to get. But, you
know, I kind of hoped that when we voted this down two weeks
ago that it would have given the political signal--and I don't
change my words when I say that--that it would have given the
signal that the marriage that we're in, that those things that
are working out fine, let them work out fine and that it not
restrict us from going anywhere else in terms of dealing with
offers within that given period. I have a mixed emotion about
it because, one, I think without the contract it in some ways
encourages a current provider to stay on their toes and to
work hard. At the same time, I think on the two to three year
lock in where I would slightly disagree is the fact that once
you are locked in, then we also are going to need to have a
comfort zone for two to three years. So if we've got a
situation that's worked out fine in some areas--and I do
believe that there are some areas that stand open probably
that we need to do some things about that our pension systems
are not covering. Where we've got some gaps in there, we need
to be open to dealing with that. But I think that the
contract gets us into an area that we may want to be in, but
also that we may not want to be in. And also, for the
protective side of it, if we do that out based just on the
bidding numbers--I don't want to see us get in the predicament
that old county government was in for years with insurance
where it was based totally on the numbers, and the coverage
that our folks got in so many cases was disastrous simply
because we dealt with the numbers, and the benefit levels in
there probably in some cases for a few dollars more could have
gotten them far much better coverage in terms of a broad
spectrum than what they were dealing with just based on the
numbers.
So I'm kind of of the opinion that--I'll just be honest
with you, I hope both motions fail and that the competitive
spirit stays out there and we've got the flexibility when a
good plan comes up, if we want to deal with it, then we can
deal with it. We can go to any one of those other seven or
somebody that may not even be in this city to deal with it.
And at the same time we don't create a comfort zone with that
seven or with somebody else that they may sit down to a point
they work real hard for the first year and [inaudible] and
maybe not move as aggressively on it. So I think you've got
one of them kind of marriages that you may not have the
license with it, but it's working out fine. You know, I don't
know whether you need to move that way or not, that's just my
personal feelings.
Page 23
Mr. Mayor, that follows up my question.
MR. SHEPARD:
The relationship now with our investment manager is an at-will
relationship as the Pension Committee members address that?
That's correct, it is. It's at-will.
MR. OLIVER:
To be terminated at our pleasure or--
MR. SHEPARD:
That's right. And the only thing I would
MR. OLIVER:
urge, regardless of the process that you do, I think it has to
be viewed as a little bit longer term relationship or you
could wind up changing month to month depending whatever the
numbers are at a particular point in time.
How long have we had the at-will
MR. SHEPARD:
relationship?
It was that way when I got here, so I do
MR. OLIVER:
not know, sir.
The city started in '87--I mean '88.
CLERK:
I'm sorry, could you repeat that? How long?
MR. BROWN:
She said the city started in 1988.
MAYOR YOUNG:
Mr. Mayor, I have sort of mixed emotions
MR. BEARD:
about this. I've been working with the Pension Committee. I
don't quite agree with everything that's been said here, I do
agree with some of it. I think that the contract is necessary
and I just believe that people need to be assured, if they are
working for you, that they are not going to change from month
to month or the next six weeks or the next eight months. I
think that there is a need for a contract. I also think there
is a need to put this out for proposal, for bids. In the same
line--because I think we have other companies here who need to
express their opinion in this. In the same line, I also feel
that you have a company that's been working with you through
this year, and I'm saying this because I think maybe the votes
are there to keep them there for this year, and then after
this year probably go out for bids on this. But I'm just a
little opposed to changing this at this particular time today.
Mr. Mayor, if I may state, it's been our
MR. OLIVER:
intent--and this wasn't originally covered, but if this helps
any, it's been our intent to go out for proposals for banking
services the end of this year, specifically for consolidation
of certain things effective 1/1, but this deals with our other
banking relationships.
Page 24
MR. J. BRIGHAM:Mr. Handy, I'm going to ask you to make
an amendment to your motion that I seconded for you. Instead
of being for proposals, I think we need to go out for qualifi-
cations.
That's no problem with that.
MR. HANDY:
And the other thing is I made the
MR. J. BRIGHAM:
motion two weeks ago that we do nothing because I was
relatively pleased with our investment bankers. I don't think
that we ought to go into a contract, though, without looking
at our other options, and that's why I'm asking that we change
this motion to request qualifications instead of a request for
proposals. And, also, if we want to move on with looking at
issuing a contract, we do not need to do anything, in my
opinion, until we get those qualifications back in and see
what options are available to us.
I don't have a problem with that, Mr.
MR. HANDY:
Brigham.
We have a substitute motion on the floor,
MAYOR YOUNG:
and that is to solicit requests for qualifications, and it's
been duly seconded. So all in favor of the substitute motion,
please vote aye.
MR. BEARD, MR. BRIDGES & MR. COLCLOUGH VOTE NO.
MR. MAYS ABSTAINS.
MOTION FAILS 5-3-1.
So that brings us back to the original
MAYOR YOUNG:
motion. Would anybody like to speak to that? The motion is
to approve the three-year agreement with Robinson Humphrey.
All in favor, please vote aye.
MR. H. BRIGHAM, MR. J. BRIGHAM, MR. HANDY, MR. KUHLKE
& MR. MAYS VOTE NO.
MOTION FAILS 4-5.
Order of the day, Mr. Mayor.
MR. HANDY:
Next item?
MAYOR YOUNG:
CLERK:Item 37: Motion to enter into a lease with
Lamar Advertising for signage located at 1820 Doug Bernard
Parkway at the Wastewater Treatment Plant at an annual rental
rate of $1,500.00.
MR. SHEPARD:Mr. Mayor, I move we not enter this lease.
This sign is in proximity to the wastewater treatment plant,
it's in one of the gateways we're working on, and it's one of
Page 25
the only signs out there. I think we need to go ahead and
seize the initiative to do the right thing in the sign control
district that comes in from the gateway of Augusta Regional
Airport, and I would ask that we consider carefully what's put
in that area. Right now I think this advertisement is
advertising not any local business, but is advertising Bud
Light.
I'll second it to get it on the floor, Mr.
MR. BRIDGES:
Mayor.
Mr. Shepard, would you like to include in
MAYOR YOUNG:
your motion a timetable to remove that billboard?
I'd ask that it be removed in a reasonable
MR. SHEPARD:
time. I would think 90 days.
All right. We have a motion and a second.
MAYOR YOUNG:
Discussion, Mr. Bridges?
Mr. Mayor, I guess this is for somebody in
MR. BRIDGES:
Planning and Zoning. According to the ordinance that we drew
up, for Jim, can we--my understanding, the signs were grand-
fathered in. Is this grandfathered in or can we deny it?
You can deny it. I mean it would be grand-
MR. WALL:
fathered in so that it could continue if there was a valid
lease on it, but you're not obligated to lease space on it.
The difference is it's our sign in this
MR. OLIVER:
case. If it was a private company's sign, it would be grand-
fathered in and we could not make them remove it. However,
since it's our sign, we're grandfathered in, but we don't have
to lease it to them.
Any other discussion?
MAYOR YOUNG:
My name is Eddie Kugler and my address is
MR. KUGLER:
518 Fairfield Way, Evans. The city owns the property, but
Lamar Advertising actually owns the sign. The sign would be
grandfathered in and we have a current lease and all that sort
of thing, but obviously the city does have a right to deny
leasing us that property after the city bought it from the
prior lessor that we had the lease with. You know, we under-
stand the city's position that this is one of your gateway
areas and, you know, don't really have a big problem with
being denied with these. We might possibly ask that the city
look at offering us some alternative spot that the city owns
that's not part of the gateway project, you know, if that's
possible or a replacement area for the sign.
Page 26
In other words, billboard mitigation.
MAYOR YOUNG:
It would work for us.
MR. KUGLER:
Okay. Is there any other discussion on
MAYOR YOUNG:
the motion? We have a motion and a second to not enter into a
lease and to remove the billboard within a reasonable amount
of time. All in favor, please vote aye.
MR. J. BRIGHAM VOTES NO; MR. COLCLOUGH ABSTAINS.
MOTION CARRIES 7-1-1.
CLERK:Item 38: Motion to approve Change Order of
$20,650.00 to Blair Construction, Inc. for work completed on
the Columbia Nitrogen Road 12" Force Main Project.
MR. J. BRIGHAM:So move.
Second.
MR. BRIDGES:
Motion and a second. Any discussion? All
MAYOR YOUNG:
in favor of the motion, please vote aye.
MR. BEARD OUT.
MOTION CARRIES 8-0.
CLERK:Item 39: Discuss contracting out the operations
of food and beverage concessions at Fleming, Eisenhower, and
May Park.
Mr. Mayor and members of the Commission, what
MR. BECK:
we're bringing before you today is a proposal to privatize our
food and beverage operations at our three primary sports
facilities, which are May Park, Eisenhower and Fleming Parks.
A request for qualifications was issued through the Purchasing
Department and qualifications were opened this past Friday,
the 30th. We had one vendor who showed interest and submitted
qualifications. That vendor is Fruit and Juicy, the name of
the company. Ms. Cynthia Jones, the owner of Fruit and Juicy
is here. Ms. Jones, please stand. And Robert Howard from our
staff handled the interview process with Fruit and Juicy to
see if they did meet the criteria set forth in the qualifica-
tions. Mr. Howard feels like that they are. And what we've
done, we've put before you some other information regarding
this contract. If you have any questions for me in that
regard, I'll be glad to address them or have Mr. Howard
address them.
Tom, as I was reading this, this could
MR. BRIDGES:
have the potential of financial impact of $23,000 a year
available to us?
Page 27
Yes, sir, that's correct. What this proposal
MR. BECK:
does, we currently have a full-time employee who operates our
food and beverage concessions year round, and we currently--
because of the salary, the benefits, and everything that goes
into having that charged against the concession budget, that
is really the primary reason why we do lose dollars in that
account. Should this proposal pass, that employee--we are
recommending that that position obviously be abolished because
there wouldn't be any need for it anymore, but we do have a
vacancy that we will retain this employee in the department at
the present salary he's in now. We estimate, based on the
income that we are projecting, that the 6% contract would
bring in in the neighborhood of $3,000 as a positive gain to
our department. We have lost anywhere between 10,000 and
20,000 dollars with everything charged against the account
over the last several years.
MR. BRIDGES:Move for approval.
Second.
MR. SHEPARD:
We have a motion and a second. Tom, has
MAYOR YOUNG:
Mr. Wall looked over this contract?
This would be subject to Mr. Wall's
MR. OLIVER:
approval, I would ask.
That's correct. This is a draft.
MR. BECK:
Because when you and I talked about this
MAYOR YOUNG:
before, we talked about the issue of liability since they're
going to be using our equipment selling our property and we
need to be held harmless.
That's correct. This is a draft contract and
MR. BECK:
Mr. Wall will fine-tune it.
Tom, how long is this--is this a yearly
MR. BEARD:
contract and would it be evaluated at the end of the year to
see what type business has been going on?
Yes, sir. This contract would be through
MR. BECK:
December 31st of this year. And the reason for that, quite
frankly, is that we do need time to evaluate it. One of the
issues, even though we have lost some dollars and have been
running in the red with the program, one of the main concerns
that we've got when you're running new sports programs is
service. We want to make sure to keep the quality of service
there, and we do feel comfortable with Ms. Jones. As the
references suggest in your packet, she has run many of these
Page 28
kind of events before. She has worked for us before in some
special event programs for concessions. She's done a
wonderful job. She projects the kind of image that I think
you would want with your food and beverage concessions. But,
Mr. Beard, you're correct that that would be the process. It
would be just through December 31st and then there would be a
new contract issued then.
Could I ask just one question? It
MR. H. BRIGHAM:
might have been discussed when I was not in the city. What
about the new natatorium, will we have a concession stand out
there? Will they be large enough to be put into this sort of
arrangement?
The way we've started the operation at the
MR. BECK:
Aquatics Center is that we have put in vending machines there,
which we will receive the income from the vending machines.
Because on a regular daily basis it wouldn't be profitable for
us to hire staff to keep a concession stand open. We feel
like it's a good situation for vending machines. During the
swimming events we will either contract those concessions with
the group renting the facility, which will be part of the
rental with the facility, and that's a way that the swim teams
end up making money on their events is for their groups to run
concession operations, and we would operate just the swim
events alone like that. And there may be some that we would
operate concessions ourselves outside of the contract, our
staff there would actually run the concessions. These three
primary sports locations are areas where we don't have staff
at and that we have to bring in additional staff to man it,
and that's where the profit has been taken up through the
years by having to hire the additional staff to operate these
three areas.
Any other discussion? We have a motion
MAYOR YOUNG:
and a second. All in favor, please vote aye.
MOTION CARRIES 9-0.
CLERK:Item 41A: Resolution supporting the Character
City initiative - to establish our city as a City of Character
with the International Association of Character Cities. Item
41B: Resolution supporting the location of a National Cemetery
in Augusta - requesting Congress to pass legislation enabling
Fort Gordon as the site of a future National Cemetery.
MR. SHEPARD:I move approval of both resolutions,
Madame Clerk.
Second.
MR. BRIDGES:
Page 29
Motion and a second. Any discussion?
MAYOR YOUNG:
I've just got one question, Mr. Mayor. I'm
MR. KUHLKE:
not exactly sure I know that much about the national cemetery.
Could you tell me, because I know this is something that
you're interested in, what's a national cemetery going to do
for us?
The national cemetery is operated by the
MAYOR YOUNG:
Veterans Administration. It provides a cemetery for veterans
of military service. There is no such burial site around here
now. The closest one is in Beaufort, South Carolina, and then
there's one in Andersonville, Georgia. The one in Marietta,
Georgia, is full. The VA is in the process now of identifying
sites to open up new national cemeteries, and we are trying to
get a presentation before the committee that will make that
decision when it meets in June. The whole thrust of it is is
to provide a final resting place here for military veterans
and hopefully to keep their survivors here in town after the
veteran is deceased. And we see that there is some potential
economic development from this.
And Fort Gordon is in concert with this?
MR. KUHLKE:
Fort Gordon has offered about 150 acres
MAYOR YOUNG:
for the location of this cemetery, which makes us a prime site
since the government already owns the property. And we've
talked to Senator Coverdell and Representative Norwood about
introducing the legislation.
I would just like to thank the Mayor. Many
MR. MAYS:
times in the heat of campaigns we talk about a lot of things
and we promise a lot of things we're going to do. This was
something that I know you talked about very early on in
reference to this national cemetery idea. And to expound a
little bit, Bill, a little further into that area, you know,
is with the large number of veterans who settle in this area,
particularly the retirees from Fort Gordon, and those that are
not career veterans, I think that the veterans period can
attest to this. As I get a little bit older I notice that the
amount of VA basic burial allowance has not increased over
several decades, it has remained in the same spot, so a lot of
people that are in veteran status, quite frankly, may have
outlived the total value of what the burial insurance might be
or what their veteran status maybe 10, 20, 25 years ago would
do. This would go a long way in terms of helping to make up
that level of compensation where they are not able in so many
cases in private situations to even afford to purchase
anything of that nature. And this would also provide that
space for widows and widowers as well.
Page 30
And we have an estimated 90,000 veterans
MAYOR YOUNG:
who live in the Greater Augusta area.
Mr. Mayor, one other thing that may be
MR. H. BRIGHAM:
in here, but I don't think it ought to be highlighted, that
our junior senator who was stationed at Fort Gordon and also
was Chairman of Veterans Affairs ought to be certainly
encouraged to work with this. I think that there are some of
us that were running with him to help encourage it, and it was
not a part of this, but we ran it at the forefront.
Yes, sir. Senator Cleland has already
MAYOR YOUNG:
assured me he'd sign the legislation.
Thank you, sir.
MR. H. BRIGHAM:
Is there any other discussion? All in
MAYOR YOUNG:
favor of the motion, please vote aye.
MOTION CARRIES 9-0.
Did you want to offer 1 through 5 as a consent?
CLERK:
MR. HANDY:I'll put that in the form of a motion, that
Items 1 through 5 of the addendum be as a consent agenda:
1. Pulled from consent agenda.
2. Appoint Mr. Bryan Haltermann to the Historic
Preservation Board representing District 9.
3. Reappoint Mr. Rick Beard to the Augusta Aviation
Commission at Bush Field representing District 9.
4. Reappoint Ms. Barbara Gordon to the Augusta
Aviation Commission at Bush Field representing District 9.
5. Award contract to the low bidder, Mabus
Construction Co. in the amount of $942,683.27, subject to the
receipt of signed contracts and proper bonds, for the Hyde
Park Drainage Improvements Project (CPB #321-04-292822571).
Second.
MR. SHEPARD:
Motion and a second to take addendum Items
MAYOR YOUNG:
1 through 5 as a consent agenda, please vote aye.
Mr. Mayor, can we pull Item Number 1?
MR. BRIDGES:
That's a million and a half dollars. I'd like to just throw
it out there for discussion.
All right. Items 2 through 5. All in
MAYOR YOUNG:
favor of 2 through 5, please vote aye.
MR. BEARD ABSTAINS ON ITEM 3.
Page 31
MOTION CARRIES 8-1, ITEM 3.
MOTION CARRIES 9-0, ITEMS 2, 4, 5.
CLERK:Item 1: Consider award of Main Lift Station
construction to the low bidder, Heavy Constructors, Inc., in
the amount of $1,495,000. (Funded by Account #508043420-
5425210)
MR. BRIDGES:Move for approval.
Second.
MR. J. BRIGHAM:
Tom, can you tell us something about it,
MR. BRIDGES:
please?
This is a project that was included in
MR. WEIDMEIER:
the '96 bond program. It's for the construction of a new lift
station at the wastewater plant. It is required by EPD and
we're under a schedule, which is why it's been brought
straight to the Commission.
Are we on schedule?
MR. BRIDGES:
Yes.
MR. WEIDMEIER:
Any other discussion? All in favor,
MAYOR YOUNG:
please vote aye.
MOTION CARRIES 9-0.
That's it, Mr. Mayor.
CLERK:
Is there a motion to adjourn?
MAYOR YOUNG:
MR. SHEPARD:So move.
Second.
MR. HANDY:
Motion and a second.
MAYOR YOUNG:
One thing I wanted to do, and this doesn't
MR. MAYS:
even require a motion, but just to recognize one of our
colleagues, our own Commissioner Jerry Brigham, at the recent
conference in Jekyll Island as the newest member of the Board
of Managers for the Association of County Commissioners of
Georgia. And Mr. Brigham was sworn in on our last day there,
and I think all of us can be proud of that as well as the
people in our city that we represent.
Okay. We have a motion to adjourn on the
MAYOR YOUNG:
floor. All in favor, please vote aye.
Page 32
MOTION CARRIES 9-0.
[MEETING ADJOURNED AT 3:10 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 Augusta Richmond County Commission held on
May 4, 1999.
Clerk of Commission