HomeMy WebLinkAbout05-02-2000 Regular Meeting
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REGULAR MEETING COMMISSION CHAMBERS
May 2, 2000
Augusta Richmond County Commission convened at 2:02 p.m., Tuesday, May 2, 2000,
the Honorable Bob Young, Mayor, presiding.
PRESENT: Hons. Beard, Bridges, H. Brigham, J. Brigham, Cheek, Colclough, Kuhlke,
Mays, Shepard and Williams, 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 REV. JOYNER.
THE PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE WAS RECITED.
Mayor Young: Before we get into the agenda, the Chair would like to recognize
Commissioner Jerry Brigham. Commissioner Jerry Brigham is appropriately flowered today as a
new grandfather, the child having arrived two days ago. Jerry would like to put on the official
record who your grandchild is?
Mr. J. Brigham: Thank you, Mr. Mayor. Our grandchild is a little lady by the name of
Brittany Taylor Brigham. She was born yesterday at 5:45 in Honolulu, Hawaii. I'm sure she's
enjoying it a whole lot more over there than I'm going to enjoy it in here.
Mayor Young: Thank you, Commissioner Brigham. Madame Clerk, are there any
changes to the agenda?
Clerk: Yes, sir, Mr. Mayor. We have a request to delete Item 22 from our
the support of the City of
Addendum Agenda, and two additions, a Resolution pledging
Augusta for the designation of Georgia State Route 121 as the Woodpecker Trail, and a
Resolution expressing condolences to the family and friends of Dr. I. E. Washington
Mayor Young: Gentlemen, what's your pleasure?
Mr. Mays: I so move.
Mr. Shepard: Second.
Mayor Young: Is there any objection to these deletions and objections? None heard.
So the changes are so ordered. Madame Clerk, let's move ahead.
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RECOGNITION:
Ms. Judith A. Winters
Ms. Wheelchair Georgia
Clerk: First we'd like to do a recognition of Ms. Judith Winters, Ms. Wheelchair
Georgia. Commissioner Shepard and Mayor Young, if you would please join us.
Mayor Young: This is a certificate of recognition which we have put together for
Judith Winters, Ms. Wheelchair Georgia, and this talks about her outstanding contributions,
leadership and dedication to public service. I can tell you first hand since I've been Mayor,
Ms. Winters has been a true resource in helping to raise the awareness of this community for
issues that concern the disabled. She and I have talked about specific City projects, and take
the information she has provided us that will benefit people for a long time to come. We
continue to have an excellent working relationship, and Judith, I offer my personal
congratulations to you on this honor. Is there anything you would like to say?
Ms. Winters: I would like to thank Commissioner Shepard and Mayor Young. It's
been a pleasure always to work with you. You've always been available in willing, and I think
the citizens of Augusta should be proud of our Mayor and Commissioners.
Mr. Shepard: Ms. Winters, we are very proud of you, that you're representing our
community and Richmond County. We're doubly proud that you are representing our entire
State and wish you well in your endeavors.
A ROUND OF A ROUND OF APPLAUSE IS GIVEN. IS GIVEN.
Clerk: Under our consent agenda, Items 1 through 40b:
Mr. Shepard: I move approval of the consent agenda, Mr. Mayor
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Mr. Cheek: Second.
Mayor Young: Motion and second. Are there any zoning issues or alcohol issues,
Madame Clerk, that we need to bring to the attention of the public? Okay. We're going to
pull Item 39. I think that goes without saying.
Mr. Colclough: Mr. Mayor?
Mayor Young: Mr. Williams tried to get my attention first, then I'll come back to you,
Mr. Colclough. Mr. Williams, go ahead.
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Mr. Williams: I just had a couple of questions, Mr. Mayor, on the consent agenda. On
Item 1 and 8. I'd like to get some clarification, if I can, from the Recreation Department.
Mayor Young: Items 1 and 8.
Mr. Cheek: Item 13, Mr. Mayor.
Mayor Young: And Item 13.
Mr. Beard: I would like to pull 24 and 31.
Mayor Young: 24, 31. Mr. Colclough, let's come back down to you.
Mr. Colclough: Item 32.
Mayor Young: Okay. Gentlemen, any other items you'd like to pull?
Mr. J. Brigham: Mr. Mayor, item 28.
Mayor Young: No. 28. Mr. Mays?
Mr. Mays: 37.
FINANCE:
1. Pulled from consent agenda.
Motion to approve the purchase of one Work Detail Van for the Public Words
2.
Department, Operations-Maintenance Section from Augusta Dodge at a cost of
$24,779.45 (low bid). (Approved by Finance Committee April 24, 2000)
Motion to approve the purchase of one Prisoner Transport Van for the Marshal’s
3.
Department from Augusta Dodge at a cost of $24,787.45 (low bid). (Approved by
Finance Committee April 24, 2000)
Motion to approve the purchase of two Prisoner Transport Vans for the Sheriff’s
4.
Department from Augusta Dodge at a cost of $24,787.45 each (low bid).
(Approved by Finance Committee April 24, 2000)
5. Motion to approve the purchase of one Cargo Van for the Public Works
Department-Facilities Maintenance Section from Bobby Jones Ford at a cost of
$17,642.25 (low bid). (Approved by Finance Committee April 24, 2000)
Motion to approve the purchase of one 15-passenger Van for the Fire
6.
Department from Love Chevrolet at a cost of $27,748.60 (low bid). (Approved by
Finance Committee April 24, 2000)
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Motion to approve the purchase of two Work Detail Vans for the Trees and
7.
Landscape Department from Augusta Dodge at a cost of $24,779.45 (each).
(Approved by Finance Committee April 24, 2000)
Pulled from consent agenda.
8.
9. Motion to approve the purchase of a Wheeled Tractor for the Richmond County
Correctional Institute (Bid 00-051) from Meeks Tractor at a cost of $13,000 (low
bid). (Approved by Finance Committee April 24, 2000)
Motion to approve the purchase of a Tractor/Loader/Trencher for the Trees and
10.
Landscape Department (Bid 00-052) from Jenkins Tractor at a cost of $20,225
(low bid). (Approved by Finance Committee April 24, 2000)
Motion to approve the purchase of a Wheeled Tractor for the Recreation
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Department (Bid 00-051) from Meeks Tractor at a cost of $13,000 (low bid).
(Approved by Finance Committee April 24, 2000)
Motion to approve the purchase of a Bucket Truck for the Public Works
12.
Department - Traffic Engineering (Bid 00-049) from Isuzu Trucks at a cost of
$61,981 (low bid). (Approved by Finance Committee April 24, 2000)
Pulled from consent agenda.
13.
Motion to approve hiring the prior year consultant to provide technical assistance
14.
to prepare annual report and semi-annual publications at a cost not to exceed
$15,000. (Approved by Finance Committee April 24, 2000)
Motion to approve for new signature cards for Augusta Regional Airport at Bush
15.
Field. (Approved by Finance Committee April 24, 2000)
Motion to approve the purchase of four (4) patrol motorcycles for the Sheriff’s
16.
Department (Bid 00-050) from Vic’s Harley Davidson at a cost of $14,995 each
(sole bid). (Approved by Finance Committee April 24, 2000)
ADMINISTRATIVE SERVICES:
17. Motion to approve deleting one each Sr. Property Appraiser I, I and III (three
positions total) and create the Senior Property Appraiser IV’s; delete one
property Appraiser I by 12/31/00; and upgrade Property Appraisers I and I
(current year lapsed salaries with a small savings in 2001 Budget). (Approved by
Administrative Services Committee April 24, 2000)
Motion to approve Tier #2 Facade Restoration Grant in the amount of $15,000
18.
for Michael Harrison, 937 Ellis Street subject to verifying grantee has no
outstanding obligations to Augusta-Richmond County. (Approved by
Administrative Committee April 24, 2000)
ENGINEERING SERVICES:
19. Motion to accept counteroffer for $3,000.00 to acquire the necessary easements
from property identified as Tax Map 17, Parcel 21.8 owned by John Fleming.
(Approved by Engineering Services Committee April 24, 2000)
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Motion to approve Resolution authorizing that a Road Name be assigned to an
20.
existing unnamed public road located at the rear of Federal Paperboard, adjacent
to Augusta Newsprint Co. be named “Sundberg Way.” (Approved by
Engineering Services Committee April 24, 2000)
Motion to authorize condemnation to acquire necessary right-of-way and
21.
easements (Tax Map 12, Parcel 8.05) which is owned by 1075 Hospitality L.P., in
connection with Stevens Creek Road Project. (Approved by Engineering
Services Committee April 24, 2000)
Deleted from the agenda.
22.
Motion to approve change order in the amount of $13,600 deduct (project funded
23.
by Account 507043410-5425110/8900240-5425110). (Approved by Engineering
Services Committee April 24, 2000)
Pulled from consent agenda.
24.
25. Motion to approve change order #6 to Chandler Construction Services contract
for construction associated with the 60” Raw Water Main. ($35,776.72 from
account no. 508043410-5425110). (Approved by Engineering Services Committee
April 24, 2000)
Motion to approve award of the Little Spirit Creek Ground Water Treatment
26.
Plant No. 3 Facility construction contract (includes high service pumps) to South
Atlantic Construction, Inc., in the amount of $1,682,000 (funds available in
account no. 508043410-5425110, Bond Project W-3B). (Approved by
Engineering Services Committee April 24, 2000)
Motion to approve change order #3 in the amount of $57,475.51 to AquaSouth
27.
Construction for work at the Water Treatment Plant on Highland Avenue
($57,475.51 from account no. 508043410/5425110). (Approved by Engineering
Services Committee April 24, 2000)
Pulled from consent agenda.
28.
Motion to approve Land Application proposal from OMI, Inc., subject to the
29.
approval of the Attorney and Administration and amend the OMI contract as
appropriate. (Approved by Engineering Services Committee April 24, 2000)
PUBLIC SAFETY:
30. Motion to approve additional fencing for security as Phinizy Road Jail at a cost
of $37,435. (Approved by Public Safety Committee April 24, 2000)
PUBLIC SERVICES:
31. Pulled from consent agenda.
Pulled from consent agenda.
32.
Motion to approve the submission of a proposal to CSRA RDC for contracted
33.
transportation services with DHR, subject to proposal being cost neutral to
Augusta-Richmond County. (Approved by Public Services Committee April 24,
2000)
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Motion to approve change order #12 for the final contract quantity adjustments
34.
for Diamond Lakes Regional Park to Blair Construction, Inc., as a deductive
change order in the amount of $21,855.78. (Approved by Public Services
Committee April 24, 2000)
Motion to approve the renewal of an agreement between Augusta and Sand
35.
Ridge Community Association for operation of Jamestown Community Center.
(Approved by Public Services Committee April 24, 2000)
Motion to approve a resolution to authorize a pre-application to be filed with the
36.
Georgia Department of Natural Resources for a Land and Water Conservation
Fund (LWCF) grant for land acquisition at Sand Hills Park. (Approved by Public
Services Committee April 24, 2000)
Pulled from consent agenda.
37.
PLANNING:
39. Pulled from consent agenda.
ATTORNEY:
40. Motion to approve an Ordinance to amend an act entitled “An Act to create a
Board of Commissioners for Roads and Revenues for the County of Richmond;
to define their powers and duties; and for other purposes” approved August 19,
1907 (GA.L. 1907, P. 324 as amended, particularly by an Act approved August
14, 1931 (GA.L. 1931, P. 555), by an Act approved March 22, 1974 (GA.L. 1974,
P. 3034), by an Act approved March 28, 1974, (GA.L. 1974, P. 3562), and an
Ordinance adopted under the Home Rule provisions of the State of Georgia
approved on May 1, 1979 and May 15, 1979 (GA.L. 1980, P. 4590), and by “An
Act to provide that the governing Authority of Richmond County shall be a
Board of Commissioners consisting of Chairperson-Mayor and ten members, to
designate the Board as the Commissioners-Councilpersons, and for other
purposes” (1995 GA. LAWS, P. 3648), as amended (1996 GA. LAWS, P. 3607;
1997 GA. LAWS, P. 4024; 1997 GA. LAWS, P. 4690; and 1999 GA. LAWS, P.
4143) so as to provide for the audit requirements of Augusta, Georgia; and for
other purposes. (Approved by Commission April 19, 2000 - second reading)
APPOINTMENTS:
40a. Motion to approve the following appointments:
* Mr. Bernard Harper, District 4 appointment to the Coliseum Authority.
??
Mr. Herbert Thomas, District 4 appointment to the Housing &
Neighborhood Development’s Citizen Advisory Board.
* Ms. Amanda Carroll-Barefield, District 8 appointment to the Augusta-
Richmond County Library Board.
MINUTES:
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40b. Motion to approve the minutes of the regular meeting of the Commission held
April 19, 2000.
Mayor Young: 37, okay. Are there any others? So we have items 1, 8, 13, 24, 28,
31, 32, 37 and 39. Did we leave any out? We have a motion and second to approve the
consent agenda minus those items. All in favor of the motion, please vote aye.
Mr. Kuhlke: Mr. Mayor?
Mayor Young: Yes, sir, Mr. Kuhlke?
Mr. Kuhlke: Did you -- after 28, give me those numbers.
Mayor Young: 31, 32, 37 and 39.
Mr. Kuhlke: Okay.
Clerk: Before you vote, let me just clarify, Item 38 and 44, there is backup material in
our book, but those items were deleted from the agenda, but we failed to pull out the backup.
It's not a part of this agenda book. Items 38 and 44, the backup material in the agenda books.
Mayor Young: The question has been called. All in favor of the consent agenda
minus those items, please vote aye.
Motion carries 10-0.
Clerk: Item 1: Motion to approve the purchase of one 15-Passenger Van for the
Recreation Department from Augusta Dodge at a cost of $22,672.50 (low bid).
(Approved by Finance Committee April 24, 2000)
Mayor Young: Let's take Item 8 with that.
Clerk: Item 8: Motion to approve the purchase of one Crew Cab Truck for the
Recreation Department (Bid 99-152) from Pontiac Masters in the amount of $28,346
(low bid). (Approved by Finance Committee April 24, 2000)
Mayor Young: Commissioner Williams?
Mr. Williams: Yes. I just wanted some information from Mr. Beck or somebody in
Recreation. Are we exchanging? Are we buying this type of van in place of an old van? Are
we replacing? Is that what we are doing?
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Mr. Beck: Yes, sir. Mr. Mayor and Commission, this van will actually replace one of
our 15-passenger vans that was converted over to a prison inmate van during this past year, so
this actually replaces that van that was converted over. As far as no, Commissioner Williams,
that crew cab will replace a 1988 crew cab that is being turned in.
Mr. Williams: And what we're doing with these -- is that what we're using to pull our
tractors and stuff with? Is that what --
Mr. Beck: No, sir, the main purpose of the crew cab, it's the trucks that have the
second full seat in them and it allows us to be able to carry up to five employees to a job site
at one time, as well as to haul equipment, also.
Mr. Williams: That's what I wanted to know. I was concerned about the crew cab and
the truck. I thought if we was getting a van and we was hauling, like taking five or more
people we use our van, but I think you said you're taking equipment as well.
Mr. Beck: That's correct.
Mayor Young: Thank you, Commissioner Williams. Any other questions? Is there a
motion with respect to these two items?
Mr. Shepard: I move approval of Items 1 and 8.
Mr. Bridges: Second.
Mayor Young: Motion and second. Any further discussion? All in favor of that
motion, please vote aye.
Motion carries 10-0.
Mayor Young: The next item is No. 13.
Clerk: Item 13: Motion to approve the purchase of two (2) Ford Crown Victoria
Automobiles for the Sheriff’s Department-Canine Patrol at a cost of $20,592.60 (only
vehicles available) from Bobby Jones Ford. (Approved by Finance Committee April 24,
2000).
Mayor Young: Mr. Cheek?
Mr. Cheek: Mr. Mayor, I asked that this one be pulled. I know that we have the return
of the vehicle from the 911 Center that is now the -- that the Director is driving to that fixed
facility. Are there any other vehicles, for instance, at Phinizy Road or anywhere else where
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we have employees that report to these facilities on a daily basis that don't have need to drive
their cars home that we can allocate to this, rather than buying new vehicles?
Mr. Siddall: These two particular vehicles, case in point, I put a request in to the 911
Steering Committee, which will meet this month, to make a determination whether there is a
requirement for that vehicle during daytime usage or not. I don't have an answer back on that
so I can't confirm that or not. As far as determination of other departmental vehicles, whether
they could be used or not, at this point I would say we have to do a further calculation on
those. But these two particular vehicles would be covered by grant monies and it would be
zero cost as far as acquisition to the county.
Mr. Cheek: Thank you.
Mr. Oliver: I would not that we are going to have to put for the ongoing operation and
maintenance, and at the point replacement becomes necessary, it's unlikely there would be
another grant coming to help on that.
Mr. Cheek: Perhaps we will be able to find many other vehicles that are being driven
unnecessarily to replace that one then.
Mayor Young: Mr. Shepard?
Mr. Shepard: I move approval of Item 13.
Mr. Bridges: Second.
Mayor Young: Any further discussion? All in favor of Item 13, please vote aye.
Motion carries 10-0.
Mayor Young: Next is 24.
Clerk: Item 24: Motion to approve award of the Mid-City Relief Chafee Lift
Station construction contract to J.S. Haren Company, Inc. in the amount of $1,687,000.
(Funds available in Account #508043420, Bond Project S-8) (Approved by Engineering
Services Committee April 24, 2000)
Mayor Young: Gentlemen, your pleasure?
Mr. Bridges: I move for approval.
Mr. Shepard: Second.
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Mayor Young: All right, Mr. Beard, you had some questions about this?
Mr. Beard: I asked that it be pulled because I didn't quite understand it, and maybe
Max or Jim could help me out a little bit on this.
Mayor Young: All right. Mr. Hicks?
Mr. Beard: Would you mind, Max or Jim, explaining the pricing process of this
particular project? It seems a little confusing.
Mr. Hicks: When the bids were received, the lowest prices were given by -- one was
MMT Enterprises, Inc. The other was Tommy O. Griffin Plumbing and Heating of Macon,
Georgia. And then the third was J.S. Haren Company. Those prices were reasonably close
together. But we had asked Zimmerman, Evans & Leopold, or ZEL Engineers, to review the
bidders, those proposing prices, which is the common practice. So Jorge Jimenez is with us
this afternoon, who actually did the investigation of these contractors. So I would like to ask
Mr. Jimenez, if it would be all right with the Commission, to present to you his findings
regarding those bidders.
Mayor Young: Mr. Jimenez, if you'll come to the podium and give us your name and
address for the record, please.
Mr. Jimenez: My name is Jorge Jimenez. I'm a partner with Zimmerman, Evans &
Leopold Engineers on Telfair Street. These bids were very close. The lowest price from
MMT was the first one that we investigated, and there were a couple of deficiencies in the
bid, the first one being that Georgia law requires for the utility contractor's number to be put
on the bid. It was not. We also, you also require that the bidders provide references of
similar-type work so that we can ascertain that they are capable of doing the type of work for
which the bids are. This is a relatively complex lift station, as evidenced by the amount of
money you have to spend. The contractor -- I mean the bidder provided, didn't provide the
references. I called the bidder, then they faxed me a lift of references. I checked those
references and none of the projects on those references were of the type complexity that this
project is. They were mostly pipeline-type projects. I advised the bidder of that. They sent
me some more, and they also did not check. They were mostly pipeline-type work, not
poured-in-place large, concrete structures, deep in a big hole with water to deal with.
Consequently, we judged that contractor not capable enough to handle the project. We did
not address the issue of a license. We forwarded that to the City Attorney. The second low
bidder is Tommy O. Griffin from Macon, Georgia. Likewise they had a list of projects that
they submitted with the bid, all of which were pipeline work and precast lift stations, which is
not what this is about. This is a cast-in-place lift station. We called those folks also and
asked them for more references, and they sent us some, and those didn't check out.
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Consequently we judged them also to be non-responsive because they had not provided the
information with the bid. The third low bidder, J.S. Haren, is doing three projects for you
right now of the same type. They are capable of doing the job. And consequently, we made
our recommendation to the department to award the contract to the lowest responsible bidder,
J.S. Haren.
Mr. Hicks: I appreciate that. We did indeed concur with that recommendation based
on background investigation that had been performed and then submitted the recommendation
accordingly.
Mayor Young: Mr. Beard? Does that answer your question, Mr. Beard?
Mr. Beard: Well, part of it. Maybe Mr. Max, I guess. Have we awarded these
contracts to prime contractors before where they had sub-contractors in [inaudible] for
licensing purposes?
Mr. Hicks: To my knowledge, we have not awarded one where the prime contractor
did not have a contractor's license. I stand to be corrected, but to my knowledge we have not
done that. Are you aware of any, Jorge, in your history?
Mr. Jimenez: No, sir, not since the law was passed requiring that.
Mr. Hicks: Jim, are you?
Mr. Wall: Not a utility contractor as such. You may recall that we got into this
discussion insofar as the Maddox Road soccer field where the utility component was a small
part and the contractor on that one did not put his license and utilized the license of a
subcontractor, and I don't remember the percentages, but the utility portion of that soccer field
was a small portion of the overall project. That's the only one that I have any recollection of.
Mr. Beard: Max, you're satisfied with the first two, that they could not do the job,
from all the information that you got?
Mr. Hicks: Yes. I was not familiar with MMT. I was with Tommy Griffin. And as
Mr. Jimenez pointed out in his letter of recommendation, Tommy Griffin does a fine job on
line work, and had it been a line project, we'd have no problem with it. But in this instance,
we did. So I fully concurred with the recommendation from the engineers.
Mayor Young: Commissioner Cheek you wanted to say something?
Mr. Cheek: On this design, are we designing in a backup system in the event of the
primary pump failure and is it also designed for easy of maintenance and repairs?
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Mr. Hicks: It is. This is the system, you might remember, Commissioner, that's
designed to act as a siphon, and the pumping station will be used as a backup, so we do have
a primary and a backup means of getting the sewage through the line.
Mayor Young: Commissioner Williams?
Mr. Beard: I had one other thing.
Mayor Young: I'm sorry, Mr. Beard. Go ahead.
Mr. Beard: Do we have a representative here from MMT?
Mayor Young: I was going to recognize him in a moment. Commissioner Williams,
I think and then we'll --
Mr. Williams: I just wanted to ask the question of how many projects has J.S. Haren
done that is presently doing work for us, or how long, or how many projects have they been
doing for us already? I mean, this is somebody that is already been working for us, right?
Mr. Jimenez: Yes, sir, they're doing three projects for you right now. And they did
one for Columbia County just last year.
Mr. Williams: Okay. And when they've done this project, it's a great amount, as far as
dollar wise, they had all the criteria that we wanted in the initial --
Mr. Jimenez: Yes, sir, they completely qualified and their price was quite competitive.
I think, out of the $1.7 million, it was within $50,000, the first three.
Mr. Williams: I don't have a problem with them at all. I really don't. I'm just looking
at when it look like when we get our feet in the door, we tend to stand there, we tend to stay
there, we tend not to get the best bid or the price. We question those other companies who
may be able to do, I wouldn't want anybody to do it who could not do it. I trust your
judgment, your insight on that. But it just looks like we get stuck in a rut. When I say stuck
in a rut, those people get in the door, do a contract, we don't allow anybody else the
opportunity to get there that can do the work. I mean I wouldn't put a person, a contractor in
there that could not do it. When you mentioned about the number, they did not show their
number on the application, that's a Georgia law, you said?
Mr. Wall: That is correct, and I guess even more of a consequence is the fact that they
are not licensed. They were going to, as I understand from my conversation with Jorge, they
were going to use someone else's license. In my opinion, that's totally improper.
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Mr. Williams: I understand, Mr. Wall. Like I said, I'm just looking at how we've got
an organization or company that's been doing projects for us and done three and evidently
done a good job, and now it's like nobody is going to get in there to get a chance to bid.
We're trying to be competitive, I think, and naturally want to be fair to the City. We want to
get somebody that is going to do the work for the money and do the work right, but I was
asking the question. That's all that's in my mind. I just wanted to know.
Mayor Young: Have you ever given a contract to a company that failed to put a
number on a form or failed to have references that were letter perfect?
Mr. Oliver: I view that as being a technicality, put a number on a form.
Mayor Young: Can you respond to the question? Have we ever done that before,
because somebody failed to put a number on a form?
Mr. Oliver: If we have, I would be surprised.
Mayor Young: Have we ever taken people's references and scrutinized them and
found them perhaps deficient in some part and went ahead and gave them a contract anyway?
Mr. Wall: No.
Mr. Oliver: When you check the references, you're looking for someone who has
performed the complexity of the work before. We are concerned that these two firms that are
slightly lower have not done work of this nature and have failed to be able to provide
references for work that they've done of this type.
Mayor Young: We had somebody back here, I think wanted to speak. Would you
come up to the podium and give us your name and address for the record?
Mr. Saul: My name is Max Saul. I'm with MMT Enterprises, 4230 Belair Frontage
Road, Augusta, Georgia. I'm president of MMT Enterprises. Gentlemen, we're taking about
some [inaudible] projects. Now, we have done 22 years of work on projects, from work on
nuclear plants to any smaller items. But as far as this project, it's nowhere near the [inaudible]
work we have done. In my humble opinion, $50,000 worth of difference of the price there,
from this [inaudible] which I think we should be given the opportunity to do the job. And we
can do the job. Any job that we referenced, and they checked every single one of them, have
been three to six months ahead of schedule. We've done jobs for the County before. 1989.
Some gentlemen probably remember. We were six months ahead of schedule then. And the
same question came up at that time. Had we done any jail before? No, we hadn't. But that
doesn't necessarily mean we couldn't do it. We did it and finished it ahead of schedule. Same
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thing with this. If you want to increase the capacity of something or have a new design, it
doesn't mean you have done the same thing but you can do it.
Mayor Young: What about the question of the license? Are you licensed?
Mr. Saul: Yes.
Mayor Young: Were you licensed at the time you submitted the bid?
Mr. Saul: Yes, we have someone in the [inaudible] that works for us in underground
utilities. Yes, we do have license.
Mayor Young: Your company is licensed? Do you have a license in your company's
name?
Mr. Saul: Not in my company's name, as I said. But we have someone who works for
us that oversees the underground utilities portion of this project. This project doesn't have
much underground utilities anyway.
Mayor Young: Are there any questions from the Commissioners? Mr. Cheek, you
had some questions?
Mr. Cheek: Just a couple of questions. You said you'd done work on nuclear power
plants?
Mr. Saul: Yes, all over the country.
Mr. Cheek: If you could, describe the systems that you put in and are you NRC
licensed to the federal government?
Mr. Saul: The systems that I have worked on?
Mr. Cheek: Yes.
Mr. Saul: I've been at TG&V, which is Thermal Growth & Vibration. Has been
expansions. I've been to [inaudible], I've been to concrete containments, which is a lot larger
than what this project is all about. Pour-in-place concrete, [inaudible] domes all over the
United States. I can't recall the plants that's I've worked with. The two recent once that I've
worked with are Plant Vogtle and SRS. And as I said, all the references checked out. As a
matter of fact, the gentleman that was talking, Mr. Jimenez, said nobody said anything bad
about you, and I'm trying to find someone who said something bad. That surprised me.
Because if they don't say anything bad, why are you fishing for something that is bad?
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Mayor Young: Any other questions? Any comments, gentlemen?
Mr. Bridges: Call the question.
Mayor Young: Thank you. The question has been called. And we have a motion to
approve the award to J.S. Haren Company. All in favor of the motion, please vote aye.
Mr. Cheek and Mr. Williams vote No.
Mr. Beard, Mr. Mays and Mr. Colclough abstain.
Motion fails 5-2-3.
Mr. Bridges: Call for the order of the day, Mr. Mayor.
Mayor Young: The next item is Item 31.
Mr. Speaker: Isn't it 28?
Clerk: 28, yes, I'm sorry. 28.
Mayor Young: I'm sorry, that's my fault.
Clerk: Item 28: Motion to approve sewer lines for interim funding in the amount
of $751,000. (Approved by Engineering Services Committee April 24, 2000)
Mr. J. Brigham: Mr. Mayor?
Mayor Young: I'm sorry, I didn't mean to skip over the newest grandfather here.
Mr. J. Brigham: It's not easy being old. I didn't think I had been forgotten about. My
concern about this item is not the projects that are being funded, but how quick we are
moving on the bond issue for the water and sewer and is this necessary or will all the pre-
planned engineering items moved forward at the same rate?
Mr. Oliver: All of them are going to move forward. The direction of the Finance
Committee, and we're bringing back at the next Finance Committee meeting and the Citizens
Committee recommended for sales tax, we move up the bond issue for water and sewer. It's
our plan at this point to try to go with that bond issue at the end of July or early part of
August. At that point, we would move those projects together. One of the key components is
going to be to approve a project list and hopefully by the next meeting we will have a project
team together. You previously selected CH2MHILL to do the feasibility study and to prepare
16
that for the bond offering, and at the next meeting you will be asked to consider selecting both
bond counsel, as well as an underwriter.
Mr. J. Brigham: My real question, though, is about the interim financing.
Mr. Oliver: What I anticipate doing is to try to time this in such a manner that we get
the contracts and the bid documents out and essentially award the contracts at the same time
that the financing is issued, and I would hope to do the same thing on the Wrightsboro Road
project to the school. I'm told that our drop-dead date for starting that is October 1 for the
school, and based on our current schedule we believe that's workable. But it's our intent at
this point to bring everything that we engineered together and just go ahead and issue the
construction documents for bids. It will take four to six weeks to get the bids in and tabulated
and to make that coincide with the issuance of the bond.
Mr. J. Brigham: What about the other projects that have already been engineered?
How are we going to go about the inclusion of these?
Mr. Oliver: We can do that in the same manner. I think Mr. Hicks can speak better as
to what may be on the shelf than I can.
Mayor Young: Mr. Hicks, can you respond to that?
Mr. Hicks: There are a number of projects that have already been designed that, if
we're going to go for the bond issue as early as what I've heard, then perhaps they could be
advertised and bid. I presume that's what the Administrator was talking about. Those projects
would be the Colony Park pocket area, the National Hills pocket area, the Boykin Road
pocket area. Another one that has been designed -- we didn't anticipate it going forward this
quickly, but it has been designed -- is the one that serves the Warren Road area. It's called the
Skinner Road pocket. Those have been designed. Those are sewer projects. The water
project that has been designed that could be moved on up would be the Doug Barnard
Parkway water line. It has already been designed and would be ready to go. So there are a
number of projects that could be bid real quickly, if that were the desire of the Commission
and if, in fact, the bond issue were moved so that the funds could be available before October.
Mr. Oliver: I would note with the bond issue that one of the things, after the project
team gets together, that the Mayor and Commission are going to need to do is to identify
specifically what projects are going to be included in the initial $85 million offering.
CH2MHILL has said that approximately $218 million is needed over the next five years, so as
a result of that, this will represent a portion of those projects and it will be up to you to decide
which projects will go forward at this time.
17
Mr. Hicks: There are other studies and design projects that could move forward, that
is the engineering design, for instance. We could then move right on into the watershed
assessment, which would be necessary before we can actually get a permit to locate a new raw
water intake and construct that new water filter plant. We can also move ahead with the site
studies for the sites for the new raw water intakes. There are a number of projects that we can
move right ahead with that would be in a number of areas, should the Commission decide to
move.
Mr. J. Brigham: Mr. Mayor, part of what my problem is that we prioritize a list of
unpocketed sewer areas, and I haven't been complaining as much in the last two years because
I know we have raw water problems, and water problems, and there's just as much a problem
if you can't flush if you can't get water to drain, in some people's minds. And I've got a district
that has more of those problems where they can't flush than where they can, and my concern is
we've already had the Health Department already tell us we've got to do something about
these areas, and we prioritized based on their recommendations, and I want to make sure that
these projects are not shelved only for water projects, and I am very concerned about that.
These people have gone as much as 50 years on a septic tank system. It's a matter of time
before they are going to fail.
Mr. Oliver: Well, might I suggest there have been a series of four meetings that have
been set up in which CH2MHILL, at the request of the Mayor and Commission, is going to
make presentations. I think once those four meetings are completed, it would be appropriate
to come back at that point and let the Mayor and Commission prioritize what the first $85
million for the project should be.
Mr. Hicks: Certainly those that are already been designed, as Commissioner Brigham
stated, those top ranked in the pockets are already designed and ready to go, so we can hit the
road with those very quickly.
Mayor Young: Mr. Cheek?
Mr. Cheek: Mr. Mayor, I have two areas that are probably equal to 1/3 the total
unpocketed sewer in my district, but I think we would all be remiss if we did not put a
pumping station and filtration plant above all things in this county, because if we don't have
adequate supply, we will not grow, we are not within a satisfactory margin of safety. These
have to be the priorities. These are the things the people have asked for first, irregardless of
sewer anywhere.
Mayor Young: Mr. Bridges?
Mr. Bridges: I move for approval.
18
Mayor Young: We have a motion. Do we have a second?
Mr. Cheek: Second.
Mayor Young: A second. Any further discussion on this item? All in favor of this
item, please vote aye.
Motion carries 10-0.
Mayor Young: Let's try 31 again.
Clerk: Item 31: Motion to approve increase to contract with TSDG Architects,
LLC for additional services related to renovations to the Main Library on Greene
Street. (Approved by Public Services Committee April 24, 2000)
Mayor Young: Mr. Beard?
Mr. Beard: Mr. Mayor, I asked that his be pulled because I needed a couple of
clarifications on this, and since we've talked so much about change orders, I want to ask Mr.
Oliver, isn't this really a change order that we're talking about right here?
Mr. Oliver: Mr. Acree is here. I think at the Committee there was a lot of discussion
about this particular item, from the standpoint of whether it was prudent to do it at all, since
there was envisioned in the next sales tax there may be a new building. Mr. Acree can speak
to that, Mr. Beard, better than I can.
Mr. Acree: Mr. Beard, this is a change in scope of the project. They had to redesign
the main facility to bid it as a separate project from when we bid the entire library package.
There are some needs that the library has identified that they have received grant funding to
deal with, and this incorporates the work necessary for them to get the electronic technology
into the library.
Mr. Oliver: $750,00 I believe is the increase in the grant and 4% of that is the amount
of the design fee.
Mr. Beard: But didn't they know this prior to --
Mr. Acree: No, sir, we had to do this after the fact. They didn't know they were going
to get the grant.
19
Mr. Beard: It looks like that if you are going to bring this to the attention that this is
necessary, then you get a grant, where is the funding coming from? All of the funding is
coming from the grant?
Mr. Acree: No, sir, a portion of it came from the original sales allotment to the library.
We came to the Commission several months ago when we first bid the library project and
made you aware of the fact there was additional funding for a grant available and that were
applying for that and asked permission to break the main library out from that package. The
Commission approved that. This is the design fees to incorporate the additional work into
that project.
Mr. Beard: Well, will this grant go only directly to the Greene Street or how about
other libraries?
Mr. Acree: It will --
Mr. Beard: I'm talking right now, okay? Let me talk.
Mr. Acree: I'm sorry.
Mr. Beard: Is this grant available to other libraries throughout the county or just to
Greene Street?
Mr. Acree: No, sir, it was specifically set aside for main libraries.
Mr. Oliver: Mr. Lee channeled that in part of what he represented to us as only
available for the main branch and we did not have sufficient funds to do what needed to be
done at the main branch, and that was when they came back to the Commission and asked
that you fund the branches. And then we applied for the grant for the main library, and we
were successful in getting that grant. Hence, the change in scope.
Mr. Beard: My only point would be if we are considering one library, then maybe you
need to look at county-wide, if you've got a grant that's coming. And that's why I wanted to
know if it could be used county-wide instead of main.
Mayor Young: Thank you, Mr. Beard. Mr. Shepard?
Mr. Shepard: Thank you, Mr. Mayor. Mr. Acree is the Commission's representative to
the Library Board. I note in our backup material that the Library Board has approved the
proposed change. The funding here is from the State; is that correct? And it came with the
strings that it only go to main libraries, wherever they're situated. So I think we often see,
20
gentlemen, that the State Library Board sees fit to attach conditions and we would be remiss
to pass this opportunity to improve the main branch and I ask you to support it.
Mayor Young: Any further discussion on this item? Mr. Mays?
Mr. Mays: For a little bit more clarification for those that may not have been on that
Committee and I guess to probably go back to what Commissioner Beard was talking about,
that was a concern that we had, particularly after we had gone over the situation with the
branches. But two things happened. One was that we were not going to back away from
what we had done with the branches. That was one. The other one was in looking at the time
frame of not knowing where there sales tax money was going to take us, if we did not use it
on the grant side, and coupled with the amount we had left over to do the main with, that was
going to take us up to approximately about $585,000. And so we had a lot of discussion on it.
But that was how we finally approved it, that it was not going to endanger what we were
already going to do for the branches, and at the same time, take advantage of it to deal with
the one for the main, or just completely let it go back, and that would have left us -- you
know, we still would have had a surplus there, but we wouldn't have been able to do anything.
So that was why we went ahead and moved with it.
Mr. Shepard: I move for approval, Mr. Mayor.
Mr. Beard: I second that.
Mayor Young: Motion and second. Any further discussion? All in favor of the item,
please vote aye.
Motion carries 10-0.
Mayor Young: Next item is 32.
Clerk: Item 32: Motion to approve the installation of promotional banners on
the light poles in the public right-of-way along Broad Street and other downtown streets
by AUGUSTA RICHMOND COUNTY Public Works-Facilities Maintenance personnel
with banners and brackets being provided at no cost to Augusta Richmond County by
Main Street, subject to approval of Traffic Engineer. (Approved by Public Services
Committee April 24, 2000)
Mr. Colclough: Mr. Mayor?
Mayor Young: Yes?
21
Mr. Colclough: I asked we pull this one. We had put together a committee to look at
signage in Augusta, and this committee spent quite a number of meetings coming up with a
proposal for it. Now we're looking at voting on having banners and signs on Broad Street.
What is that going to do for the integrity of our committee that we asked to serve and to put in
their time, to come back and allow this to happen?
Mayor Young: I think just generally speaking that promotional banners are just
traditional downtown activities that you see. These are not advertising banners. They don't
carry any advertising on them. The sign ordinances was with respect to commercial signage
primarily, so these are different. In many cities, the cities actually pay for the banners that go
up. In this case, the merchants are going to pay for them.
Mr. Colclough: I understand that, but they are still a form of advertisement, whether
they have letters on them or not.
Mayor Young: Your point is well taken. Yes, sir. Any other questions? Do we have
a motion with respect to Item 32?
Mr. Shepard: I move approval, Mr. Mayor.
Mr. Bridges: Second.
Mayor Young: Any further discussion?
Mr. Cheek: Mr. Mayor?
Mayor Young: Yes, Mr. Cheek?
Mr. Cheek: Is their language incorporated into this if the banners become tattered,
torn or otherwise not representative of the beauty we want for Augusta --
Mayor Young: Yes, sir, they'll come down.
Mr. Cheek: Good.
Mayor Young: Absolutely.
Mr. Oliver: There's a five-year no fade warranty on the banners.
Mr. Cheek: But at the end of one year, if there's a fade or a tear, we're going to bring it
down?
22
Mayor Young: Yes, sir, no question about that. Any other questions? All in favor of
the motion, please vote aye.
Mr. Colclough votes No.
Motion carries 9-1.
Mayor Young: This brings us up to Item 37.
Clerk: Item 37: Motion to approve the transfer of SPLOST Phase III funding in
the amount of $45,000.00 from Heath Street Pool (District 5) to Wood Park (District 5)
and to approve a bid award to Dominica Recreation Products for a multi-unit play
system in the amount of $19,820.00 (Bid item 00-042) for Wood Park. (Approved by
Public Services Committee April 24, 2000)
Mr. Mays: Mr. Mayor?
Mayor Young: Mr. Mays?
Mr. Mays: I had this one pulled. We had the Recreation Director to work with
the neighbors in that area in trying to get us back some figures for Committee, which we
approved, and I still am in favor of that, and I'm going to we support what's on the
agenda, with one different twist. When we looked at the time line that this was going to
be done, I had a problem with that from the standpoint that we were taking it on the
best bid, which I support, and I think we're getting the best situation. But we do a lot of
business with this company and it bothered me that we're looking at summertime and we
were talking about two months plus another three weeks and some bad weather in it,
you might be looking at Labor Day before you get equipment into a park, and the
motion I want to make is that we approve it but that Recreation and Purchasing get
together on this situation, whether it be under an emergency guise or what-have you,
because I wasn't satisfied with the time line and I did my own checking on the time line,
and with what we do for them, Mr. Mayor, they can get it in a whole lot quicker than
what they originally said they could get it in quicker if we go ahead and get the purchase
order through, and then the two of them get together on that and get this done. This
stuff can be in there hopefully by the first of June or end of May, and that's what I want
to incorporate into the motion that we do it that way.
Mr. Beard: I second that.
Mayor Young: Motion and second. Any further discussion on this item? All in favor
of that motion, please vote aye.
Motion carries 10-0.
23
Mayor Young: Thank you gentlemen. Next item?
Clerk: Item 39: Request for concurrence with the decision of the Planning
Commission to approve a petition from the Augusta Richmond County Planning
Commission requesting an amendment to the text of the Comprehensive Zoning
Ordinance to revise all regulations related to signs. (Approved by Commission April 19
- second reading)
Mayor Young: Gentlemen, what we'd like to do is try to expedite our discussion on
this. We took it up last meeting. We approved the ordinance as originally presented on first
reading, and then as directed by the Commission, we had a public hearing a week ago, and
we're back here for second and final reading. And to move the process along, what the Chair
would like to do is entertain any amendments to the proposed ordinance that we have
approved on first reading. Let's take up each amendment. Let's vote each amendment either
up or down. And then once we've waded through the amendments, if there are any, then we'll
take up the ordinance as amended on second reading. And I think that will move the process
along. Do we have any amendments to the motion? Mr. Kuhlke?
Mr. Kuhlke: Mr. Mayor, I may need some help from Mr. Patty on this, but in Section
28B10, Off-Premises Signs, I would like to see Riverwatch Parkway from the Riverwatch
Parkway period eliminated from that list. How would we do that, George?
Mr. Patty: 28B10 regulates Off-Premises Signs. It says off-premises signs are
prohibited within the following areas and sites, and it lists a number of those, one of which is
Riverwatch. There are two sections of Riverwatch Parkway, and I think what you want to do,
Mr. Kuhlke, is prohibit off-premise signs on all of Riverwatch Parkway from 15th Street to
the County line.
Mr. Kuhlke: Exactly. That and also Tobacco Road from US 1 to Windsor Spring
Road.
Mr. Cheek: Tobacco Road in its entirety.
Mr. Kuhlke: Move approval.
Mr. J. Brigham: Second.
Mayor Young: We have a motion and a second to amend the ordinance, with the
prohibition of Off-Premise Signs on Riverwatch and Tobacco Road.
Mr. Kuhlke: Tobacco Road in its entirely.
24
Mayor Young: Let's see. We have a motion and second. Let's have some discussion
on the amendment. Let's start here with Mr. Colclough and we'll go around. Mr. Colclough?
Mr. Colclough: Yes, Mr. Mayor. Tobacco Road right now is fairly free of signs,
and if we delete this item from that sign ordinance, we are going to have a problem, and
I would like to make a substitute motion that we leave Tobacco Road [inaudible].
Mr. Cheek: Second.
Mayor Young: Just a moment. That's what Mr. Kuhlke's motion would do, prohibit
the signs. In other words, you're supportive of Mr. Kuhlke's motion?
Mr. Cheek: Except to Windsor Spring Road.
Mayor Young: I think we are going to have a lot on the table before we get through.
Anyone want to address the amendment that is on the table now? Mr. Beard? Yes, sir?
Mr. Beard: I just -- I'm with the -- just so I understand what we are talking about,
these are the billboard signs that we once said would not go on Riverwatch; right? Just so I
understood what we are talking about.
Mayor Young: Mr. Patty?
Mr. Beard: Because I read through this thing once and it's kind of difficult to
understand.
Mr. Patty: It would be billboards.
Mr. Beard: Billboard signs? We won't have any on Riverwatch?
Mr. Patty: That's what Mr. Kuhlke's amendment would say. None on Riverwatch or
Tobacco Road. No additional signs.
Mr. Beard: Okay.
Mayor Young: Okay, Mr. Cheek?
Mr. Cheek: Mr. Mayor, one of the primary gateways for visitors to the City of Augusta
is from Augusta Regional Airport at Bush Field. They come down Tobacco Road to a point
that the Messerly Plant, and the smell. Well, I don't think we need to have signs anywhere on
there that are going to show a cluttered garden city. I would like to include all of Tobacco
25
Road, and I concur with Mr. Kuhlke on Riverwatch, but I would like to see all of Tobacco
Road included and limited from signs. It is free of signs.
Mayor Young: I thought that was what Mr. Kuhlke said. Is that what you said?
Mr. Cheek: I heard Windsor Spring Road.
Mr. Oliver: He made it all of Tobacco Road in the motion.
Mr. Cheek: Very good. I completely concur.
Mayor Young: All of Tobacco. Anyone else want to address this? Anybody in the
audience? Now we're not having another public hearing. If you'd like to say something
briefly to the Commission, you can do that. Please give us your name and address for the
record.
Mr. White: My name is Jeff White. I'm with Lamar Advertising. 1396 Salisbury
Drive. We -- I was part and participated in the Committee. I understand the Tobacco Road
issue. The only problem we have, we'd like to address, which we addressed in that meeting
was part of the Riverwatch that was proposed to allow the signs, we call that a gateway, but
what's happening is we have allowed it to be heavy industrial. And so we spoke with Mr.
Wall, he was in the meeting as well, about how we've got -- supposedly we're regulating the
type of businesses that are going to be in that area, but we've allowed cement factories, we've
allowed heavy industrial, we've allowed everything that basically the gateway didn't want, and
that's why we are basically asking that this point from Stevens Creek to I20 be approved,
because it would be tough to deny one company that they can go in and do exactly what you
don't want, and then you won't allow a sign in a heavy commercial area. If there was a
particular reason that added the whole Riverwatch, we only chose that little bit because of the
amount of business in that area. There wasn't anything from I20 down, it wasn't from Stevens
Creek all the way up to the county line.
Mayor Young: All right. Any questions? Yes? Name and address for the record.
Ms. Stewart: Diane Stewart, 2060 Bridgewater Drive, Augusta, Georgia. Thank you
for just allowing me to bring you a little bit of information. Since 1988, I've come before a lot
of you talking about limited access for Riverwatch Parkway and also being concerned about
the last developable land. I know you all know this, but the first sign that went up was
Bedford Nurseries on Riverwatch, and Mr. Anderson kindly took his sign down and then y'all
decided we would not have signage on there. And right now, the first sign is this River
Shoals. And from River Shoals to Claussen Road, there is much undeveloped land on both
sides of there until we get up to Wendy's and Pilot is, and from Wendy's/Pilot to the next sign
is Martin Marietta, and there's about 40 acres that's for sale now that's industrial, and that's
26
wide open land. And then the next area it says Riverwatch Center. That's the next sign that
you see. And then the last sign that you see is Masters Industrial Park, that there are only two
sign on it, and it says Lesco Service Center and AAA Sign Company, and I think you
remember last January me passing around a picture trying to get this area improved, since we
have the industrial park close to neighborhoods. So my concern has been trying to get that
landscaped, and Mayor Young said that he would allow me to get up an talk to you, and I did
find the letter that I want you have from Drew Goins, and I'd like to give that to Lena Bonner.
Mayor Young: Yes, ma'am, but I also said I'd like you to get up and speak about
billboards and not landscaping. Let's stick to the motion that is on the floor, please.
Ms. Stewart: But I did just want to pass that on to you, and I did get to speak with
Drew Goins, and he wanted to tell you that Barry Smith is the one I have to coordinate with,
not him.
Mayor Young: Do you want the billboards or not?
Ms. Stewart: The billboards I do not want. The ones that we have there are sufficient.
I wrote y'all a letter March 17 kind of opening my heart up to y'all about some concerns, and
one paragraph that I hope you will have remembered reading was curb appeal of all streets
sets the tone for everything else, whether it is a home, town, shopping center, roadway,
school, and so forth. And the next paragraph I talked to y'all in this letter, it said street
signage and proper updates of map show visitors we are on top of things. It distresses me that
major businesses along Washington Road and even Riverwatch in this area do not have
identifying numbers, neighborhoods have missing numbers on mailboxes, or no numbers on
houses, and for safety's sake, I know that this is something —
Mayor Young: Now we're getting off topic here. Let's get back to the billboards,
please.
Ms. Stewart: We get the Masters Industrial Park, I did a little survey up there, very
quickly, and the people are not putting the numbers on the buildings, and the AAA Sign
Company had no number on their mailbox, nor did they have any identifying sign. The only
thing it said on their building was --
Mayor Young: Let's do this, Ms. Stewart. In deference to your appears today, we'll
do this. If the billboards are permitted, we'll require them to have numbers on them.
Ms. Stewart: I just really feel like you -- Bill Kuhlke, I appreciate your making that
amendment, and the rest of you feeling the same way on your Tobacco Road as I do on
Riverwatch.
27
Mayor Young: Thank you, Ms. Stewart. We appreciate your dedication to the
neighborhood. We know you're quite a trooper up there and very aggressive in trying to get
the neighborhood improved. Any other debate? Any discussion? Any questions on the
amendment? The amendment on the floor would be to ban the billboards, the off-premise
signs on Riverwatch Parkway and on Tobacco Road, the entire lengths of both. Please vote
aye if you're in favor of that amendment.
Motion carries 10-0.
Mayor Young: So that amendment will go forward when we have a second reading
of the total ordinance. Are there any other --
Mr. Oliver: This is the second reading.
Mayor Young: No, we're doing amendments to it first. Are there any other
amendments to the Ordinance?
Mr. J. Brigham: I move the ordinance be approved.
Mr. Cheek: Second, Mr. Mayor.
Mayor Young: We have a motion and a second to approve the ordinance as amended.
Any discussion on the ordinance? All in favor of the motion, please vote aye.
Motion carries 10-0.
Mayor Young: Mr. Wall, for the record, when is this ordinance effective?
Mr. Wall: The ordinance is effective upon adoption.
Mayor Young: So it's effective this afternoon?
Mr. Wall: That's correct.
Mayor Young: Thank you.
Clerk: Item 41: Consider a request from Augusta Tomorrow to participate in
the Center City Master Plant Study. (No recommendation from Finance Committee
April 24, 2000)
Item 42: Consider a request from Augusta Tomorrow for reconsideration of
budget 2000 allocation. (No recommendation from Finance Committee April 24, 2000)
28
Mayor Young: Mr. Kuhlke?
Mr. Kuhlke: Mr. Mayor, I've talked with some of my fellow Commissioners. I see
an organization like Augusta Tomorrow and Greater Augusta Progress as arms of this
city in trying to really make some positive things happen. And I think if you look
around, particularly downtown at this point, you see that a lot of progress has been
made. I’d like to recommend and make a motion on Item 41 that this Commission
appropriate two-thirds of the study’s cost to be funded out of Contingency.
Mr. Shepard: Second.
Mayor Young: Motion and a second with respect to Item 41. Gentlemen, discussion?
Mr. Beard?
Mr. Beard: Mr. Mayor, I guess some of us were not part of the Finance Committee
and probably didn't hear what this is all about. And personally, I don't know whether you're
going to do 41 and 42 together, this is just 41, I assume. But I do understand that Augusta
Tomorrow has done a lot for the city and they've been very instrumental in progress and I
know we have other groups out there who are also doing the same thing. I guess my
particular would be on this is Contingency. You know, we have to worry about that. Where
are we getting the funds from and how is going to be funded? Now I notice that we saved a
little money from indigent care and to me, now we're coming back and we're going to be kind
of pick and choose what project and before we know it, we're going to pull all of that money
that we've saved from indigent care and spend it out on different projects. And I think how
can one organization come in almost mid-year and demand, request money, not demand, but
request funds, and are we going to consider all the other organizations that come between
now or should this be a budgetary project that should be instituted at the budget hearing and
look forward to next year? I do understand what they do for the city and I think it's a good
organization. But I'm not going to vote for anything that is coming out of Contingency.
Mayor Young: Thank you, Mr. Beard. Mr. Bridges?
Mr. Bridges: Mr. Mayor, I'd like to hear from Mr. Osbon again on how much money
he's asking in this number 41 and what that money is to be used for.
Mayor Young: Julian, if you'll come up and identify yourself and give us your
address. And this is, Item 41 goes to the master plan. The cost of the master plan.
Mr. Osbon: Thank you, Mr. Mayor. I do appreciate the opportunity to address this
and be here with you. The master plan, as you recall, was first put in place in 1982, updated
in 1990, and again in 1995. And the current proposal is to braid together the same
29
organization that is in the original plan [inaudible] to review what has been done and what
needs to be done. Along with the question Mr. Beard addresses, is a very good question.
With all the organizations doing different things, are we eliminating duplication? One of the
missions of this updated master plan is to review what is being done by all the organizations.
I calculated recently better than a dozen organizations are doing some form of economic
development in Augusta and there needs to be some coordination. If you look at what
Augusta Tomorrow is doing, what Greater Augusta Progress is doing, if you look at what is
being done by the Metro Chamber, Main Street, along with many others, there is a question of
whether or not priority is given and the projects being addressed in the right kind of way.
What we've asked LDR to do is to come to Augusta and to simply address the future needs of
the center city area in collaboration with the rest of the community. As you know, Greater
Augusta Progress was given birth out of Augusta Tomorrow to address a lot of the problems
in the outlying areas away from downtown, away from the center city, and is working along
with Pride & Progress to address many of the problems on the south side of Augusta. What
I've got here, briefly, and I passed out [inaudible], is a conceptual design developed by LDR
talking about the proposed development of our whole county. This represents the entire
county right here. The center city area is this portion right in here, and it's not just a
downtown area, it includes much more area than simply downtown. But so many of the
projects that go on throughout the county are relative to what goes on in the center city.
Currently there are some major problems that we're faced with right now in our community,
and if I could just have a moment to put a little umbrella over some of them. Our three main
industries in our area are Savannah River, Fort Gordon, and the collective health care
industries. They're all under threat now of downsizing. You saw in the paper this morning
where 30 people that have been laid off at St. Joseph Hospital. MCG is taking early
retirement. There's question about what is going on at Savannah River and Fort Gordon.
Some of the opportunities we have are in biotech and in tourism. And thank goodness for the
work that came out of '82 plan, we are in a position [inaudible]. Now we feel like that this
updated master plan is not an Augusta Tomorrow plan, it is a plan for the community. The
proposal is $89,000. We are willing to pay part of it out of our budget. We can say why
doesn't the city just do it themselves, but we feel like we've got the leadership that can bring
this issue to the table and can help make it work. We are very proud of the fact that our '82
plan led to a little over $200,000 in economic development. $200 million. Did I answer your
question, Mr. Bridges?
Mr. Bridges: You haven't got to the money yet. Your proposal is $89,000; you're
going to put up how much?
Mr. Osbon: Well, the proposal was that 2/3 of the $89,000 is $59,332. Now a local
writer said this past -- two weeks ago, that he could do it all for [inaudible]. Well, that's a
pretty good [inaudible]. This $59,332 would a 2/3 portion, with Augusta Tomorrow paying
for the balance of it from its own budget.
30
Mr. Bridges: Mr. Mayor, I make a substitute motion here. I'm supportive of
what Augusta Tomorrow has done and their cooperation with Greater Augusta, but I
know what I felt comfortable with coming into this meeting, I'll make this substitute
motion that we fund half of the amount that Augusta Tomorrow is seeking.
Mayor Young: Which is what $44,500?
Mr. Bridges: Yes.
Mr. Oliver: It's $89,000. Two-thirds would be $59,300.
Mr. Osbon: One more thing --
Mr. Bridges: Let me see if I can get a second.
Mr. Shepard: I’ll second it for purposes of discussion only.
Mayor Young: Yes, sir, Mr. Osbon?
Mr. Osbon: This proposal will probably be spread out over a two-year period, so I
would ask that whatever you do, you give us the permission or allowance to come back at a
future time and maybe discuss other funding of our [inaudible] budget. We feel like this is
going to take about two years to recover the cost.
Mr. Bridges: You're saying the $44,500 would be spread out over two years?
Mr. Osbon: No, sir, the total amount. The $89,000.
Mr. Bridges: I think you're asking for permission at the wrong time.
Mr. Osbon: I understand that but I guess I'd like to let it be known that we would like
to come back to you, have the right to come back to you and discuss it at the appropriate time.
Mayor Young: I can assure you you'll be welcome back here if you'd like to come
back and discuss it. I don't know what kind of answer you are going to get. Let's see. Mr.
Cheek?
Mr. Cheek: Mr. Mayor, I'm in favor of supporting Augusta Tomorrow, but two things
we can do for free, after walking down Broad Street and the connecting streets, Greene Street
and so forth. We're paying money to folks to supposedly organize and bring things to fruition
in this city, and frankly, every business I went into had talk to no one, no one had talked to
them about being organized as part of a group. There's a safety issue on Broad Street. We
31
need bike patrols down there. We need to pick up the trash on First Friday a couple of times.
Those are things we can do free without additional monies, and I'd like to see those things
done at least before we fund a full study, things that we can do with existing staff that don't
cost us any additional money, to help promote tourism on Broad Street and that surrounding
area.
Mayor Young: Thank you, Mr. Cheek. Mr. Beard, you wanted to speak?
Mr. Beard: If we are saying we are going to pay half, that's $44,500 of that?
Mayor Young: $44,500.
Mr. Beard: I think -- look like I've heard somewhere before, Mr. Osbon, maybe I'm
off key here, but didn't we refuse some private sector money? Augusta Tomorrow?
Mr. Osbon: Recently?
Mr. Beard: I heard that somewhere. I don't remember where I heard it. Is that true?
That you were selective in your --
Mr. Osbon: Okay, you're talking about my friend Phil Kent's article saying we were
[inaudible]?
Mr. Beard: That's where -- okay. I do read that sometime. That was one of those days
I happened to read it.
Mr. Osbon: We did discuss this in the Finance Committee meeting, and I don't mind
talking about it. Augusta Tomorrow has never blackballed anyone. Now we have denied
membership based on a number of factors. Augusta Tomorrow does not solicit members. It
is not in our best interest, nor the community's, for us to simply bring in people as members
just to collect membership fees. I mean, we're not the Chamber of Commerce.
Mr. Beard: What is the membership fee?
Mr. Osbon: I'm sorry?
Mr. Beard: How much, what is the membership fee?
Mr. Osbon: As a private member of Augusta Tomorrow, I write a check for
approximately $5,000 a year, and so does each of the members. It's one of the few groups
where you get to pay a lot of money and do a lot of work for nothing. And that's basically
what we do. We've had some people who have applied or requested membership and for
32
whatever reason it was felt like they didn't complement the kind of talents we were looking
for. We've got a good track record and I think it's important that we bring together the best
possible leadership we can. If there's any suggestion that any of this could be based on
anything other than simply business, that's not true. We're probably not as diverse as we
probably need to be, but we do have a minority member. We have a female member who
happens to be the same person. But that's not necessarily something that we have planned or
not planned. We've had some people who have indicated that they wanted to belong and we
simply made a decision that it wasn't appropriate.
Mayor Young: Mr. Shepard?
Mr. Shepard: Thank you, Mr. Mayor. To supplement the record, in the Finance
Committee this came before us, I think in the first meeting in April. It was delayed two weeks
to the second meeting in April and I've had passed out the memo that Mr. Osbon sent us for
his requests. And No. 41 speaks to -- and correct me if I'm wrong, Mr. Administrator --
speaks to something that was not in the budget at the time, was not requested. Item 42 is a
request for budget adjustment. So the item that is under debate right now, gentlemen, is a
new request, a funding request which has come up subsequent to the voting on the budget,
and I think the motion that Mr. Bridges has made is a good one in that it shows that we are an
equal partner with this group.
Mayor Young: Mr. Jerry Brigham?
Mr. J. Brigham: Mr. Mayor, I want to say first of all I am supportive of Augusta
Tomorrow, but they're not going to like my decision today. This is a financial decision on my
part on the city of Augusta, and I am not going to support either motion that is on the floor. I
want it to be understood up front it's not that I don't think Augusta Tomorrow does great
work, because I do believe they do. But I said when we went through the budget the first
time, and I find myself unusually agreeing with Mr. Beard this time that the reserves were the
key to the budget and that we do not need to just spend our reserves without giving it very,
very careful consideration. I think if we want to look at this next year in the budget, I might
have a different opinion as to the funding of the study, but at this point I am not willing to
vote to reduce our reserves.
Mayor Young: Any further discussion on this side? Mr. Cheek? I'm sorry, Mr.
Mays?
Mr. Mays: Mr. Mayor?
Mayor Young: Yes, Mr. Mays?
33
Mr. Mays: I think it's important that we have partnerships. I said that in Finance
Committee meeting. Not the last one, but when this first came up. Two meetings ago. In
reference to a relationship period. With the business community. I am concerned, though,
that -- and I expressed this to some of their members with reference to funding, particularly in
reference to the study. There are some areas that we are trying to study, be in those that relate
to river front, we've got some canal aspects in there, and the expanded version where you talk
about center city that goes out to Laney-Walker Boulevard. I would have probably have liked
to have seen us deal with a more creative source of funding, other than the Contingency,
inasmuch as you've got some entities -- and I agree with Julian, it may not be in reference to
all these difference groups. You've got a whole lot of groups that are supposedly doing this
and that and I think everybody has good intentions. But I think that somehow how they are
related should come from some of those different sources of funding. For instances, if there
are millions of dollars, per se, that are planned to come through and deal with the canal,
you've got quite an interest. I know as a Laney-Walker resident, the dried-up version of the
canal, I'd like to know if it's ever going to be spit in again. So I mean if they've got money
that may say their major plans are not being dealt with, maybe that might be one partner's
source of funding. If you are talking about further into Laney-Walker in terms of where you
may be dealing with low-to-moderate income areas there, you may be looking at a portion of
it in terms of dealing with [inaudible]. If you're talking about the river, we've had an incident
that dealt with the Corps. Our future as to whether or not the river is going to be same river or
not, we all ought to be concerned about that, and I expressed that even to parts of their
membership, that maybe a source might be in terms of where you have got water reserves
there that technically could deal with water. I mean, the last time I checked, the river was still
water. And if that's going to be a concern as to what you can build or put on the rest of it,
then that might give a different funding source. So I know they don't want to deal with a
different delay, but I'm just looking at imagining where I think that you've got possibly some
legitimate sources to put together. If you're going to deal with public funds of it, still get it
done, or even to a point if you want to look back maybe at some of those of putting it back
into Contingency. The only deal with going to the Contingency first, and I agree with Jerry, is
that once you go there and you get it, you stop looking for the other sources and you don't
really put them back. You pretty much satisfied there's somewhere to go and get them and
then they're gone. And I just think that maybe that might, Mr. Mayor, give us a different way,
particularly on the study part of it. I do agree that if we're going to deal with an increase on
operations, it probably has to come out of Contingency.
Mayor Young: Mr. Mays, I'm going to need to call time on you under the
Commission rules.
Mr. Mays: I was finished. I beat you to it.
Mayor Young: Thank you, Mr. Mays. Mr. Cheek?
34
Mr. Cheek: Mr. Mayor, I'm very supportive, as I said earlier of what Augusta
Tomorrow is doing. However, I do have great concerns about us financing with public
money any group that has exclusive membership. This should be open and public money
should make the door open to any group we give the money to, to all citizens that have the
initiation fee or whatever. And I don't like us giving money to groups that have exclusive
memberships, whether they are white, black, or yellow, whatever. The promotional aspects of
what can be done in this city are moving way too slow. The resources are here. There's a lot
of things we can do in-house, and again, I'll have to agree with Mr. Brigham on this, I'd like to
wait on our funding.
Mayor Young: All right. Any further discussion, gentlemen? Mr. Kuhlke?
Mr. Kuhlke: Mr. Mayor, I just want to reiterate to particularly the new members that
Augusta Tomorrow and the City of Augusta is a partnership, in Augusta Tomorrow, so Mr.
Bridges' motion to fund 50 percent whereby Augusta Tomorrow has to fund the additional 50
percent appears to be an appropriate substitute motion, but I think there's some perception
there that we are giving money to somebody that is outside of us, and yet we are a part of a
partnership.
Mayor Young: Thank you, Mr. Kuhlke. Mr. Williams?
Mr. Williams: Mr. Mayor, I'd like to say that I, too, support Augusta Tomorrow and
think they have done some great things and got some great ideas. My problem is with
Contingency money, with the money that was not appropriated for indigent care, once we
move this money, once we do that, like Mr. Mays has said, we don't look for other sources,
we tend to say well, we've got it and we spend that. We've got several other businesses, and
not just necessarily businesses but situations with our government that is already thinking hey,
we can go back now and we can get some more and some more and some more. I don't care
how much we got stacked up, but we keep pulling it down. It's coming lower and lower to
the ground. My thing is that I'm in support of what Mr. Bridges had already said. On Item
41, I think we should go with that substitute motion he made to fund half of it and hopefully
that when they come back next year that we'll be able to do what we did at least year if
nothing else. But I'm supportive of the motion Mr. Bridges has made already. I think we
need to call the question on it and go ahead.
Mayor Young: The question has been called on the motion. All in favor of the
substitute motion, which is to fund the study with Augusta Tomorrow at one-half of the cost,
which is $44,500 please vote aye.
(Vote on substitute motion)
Mr. Beard and Mr. J. Brigham vote No.
Mr. Mays abstains.
35
Motion carries 7-2-1.
Mayor Young: To follow up on what Commissioner Mays talked about, perhaps Mr.
Oliver, you and the Finance Department could look for other sources for that money, and if
we need to make an adjustment and not take it from Contingency but take it from another
source or a combination of sources, you could bring that back to us.
Mr. Oliver: The only other source I'm readily aware of would be potentially CDBG for
parts that may be eligible. You know, non-local government source. I will check on that.
Mayor Young: We're always reprogramming money around here, so there may be
some additional funds.
Mr. Mays: Mr. Mayor?
Mayor Young: Yes, Mr. Mays?
Mr. Mays: Just a comment. I mainly made that suggestion because of where you were
talking about extending the line, but Randy, if we're going to talk about CDBG money, and
I'm going to be real quick, Mr. Mayor, on my time, that's because of where that eligibility
might be, but also I don't see how you can talk about bringing CDBG money as the only
money when you've still have got all that Savannah River down there, Randy, and we've got
water reserves. Now one's a fact and another one's a fact. We've got millions of dollars in
one, we don't have it in the other one. So I mean if we're going to creatively go back, let's
creatively go back to both places or don't go back at all. I mean, we've been criticized enough
for where we spent CDBG money and have to pay it back to the federal government. Now
don't let all this rest on there to go back just out of Kevin's department. If we've got millions
of dollars somewhere else, then let's look at both of them but don't bring that back to me to
deal with that.
Mayor Young: Mr. Kuhlke?
Mr. Kuhlke: Mr. Oliver, Mr. Cheek gave a report last week in regard to the Health
Department where there appeared to be a significant savings in that area, and you may
investigate that if you haven't already gotten the final report.
Mr. Oliver: That's sales tax money and I think the Attorney would have to speak to
this one, but I don't think that that was a listed project in the sales tax, so I think it's unlikely
that's usable, but clearly we need to recapture that money.
Mr. Cheek: $480,000 plus or minus a few.
36
Mayor Young: Some of the projects, though, that are in the study area are in the sales
tax, so there may be an opportunity there. Let's move along with the order of the day,
Madame Clerk.
Clerk: Item 42: Consider a request from Augusta Tomorrow for reconsideration
of budget 2000 allocation. (No recommendation from Finance Committee April 24,
2000)
Mayor Young: Gentlemen, your pleasure on Item 42? Mr. Bridges?
Mr. Bridges: I move we receive that as information.
Mr. Cheek: Second.
Mayor Young: Motion and second. Any discussion?
Mr. Kuhlke: This is 42?
Mayor Young: 42.
Clerk: Receive as information.
Mayor Young: That's to reconsider the budget allocation to Augusta Tomorrow.
Mr. Kuhlke: I am going to make a motion, substitute motion, that as y'all recall
Augusta Tomorrow was cut from $44,000 down to $11,000 in the budget process, and
that money was supposed to go into Contingency because at that point we had made a
commitment to University Hospital. You heard what Mr. Osbon said, that the members
of Augusta Tomorrow participate financially on an annual basis. I would like to make a
motion that we increase the funding from $11,000 to $33,000 for this year.
Mr. Shepard: Second.
Mayor Young: Motion and second. Mr. Bridges?
Mr. Bridges: Mr. Mayor, whereas I might agree that we should participate more in
Augusta Tomorrow, I think because that's an ongoing year-to-year thing, it's not something
that we do one time like we did with the previous issue, I think that should be considered in
the budget. I think that's where that needs to stay.
Mayor Young: Mr. Beard?
37
Mr. Beard: Mr. Mayor, I just want to make it clear for the record that, you know, as I
said earlier I think this is a good organization, I think they are doing very wonderful things for
our city, but my main contention here, as it was in the other one is the funding. Where are we
getting the funding from? And each time I see it, we're going back to contingency. And, you
know, I'm trying to be consistent. On the last items, not only 41 but other ones that would
come up when we have had to go into contingency for money, it's just a problem with me and
it appears to me that Item 42 could rest for another six months and we consider it in the
budget process when that comes up a couple of months from now.
Mayor Young: Thank you, Mr. Beard. Any other discussion? Mr. Oliver, what is the
balance in the Contingency fund?
Mr. Oliver: After the last $44,500, it's $1,076,486.
Mayor Young: Do you recall how much we spent in Contingency in 1999? What we
spent last year?
Mr. Oliver: Ballpark figure was about $400,000. It's varied dramatically for the last
three years. It was in the high six-figure area for '97 and '98 and then it dropped to about high
$300,000's in '99. It's really a f unction of -- Contingency is for unexpected items. It's really a
function of what the Mayor and Commission decide that they want to fund. There are some
things that are unavoidable. For example, the lock and dam, and then there are some things
that you all may view as desirable.
Mayor Young: Further discussion, gentlemen?
Mr. Mays: Mr. Mayor?
Mayor Young: Yes, Mr. Mays?
Mr. Mays: I yield.
Mayor Young: Go ahead, Julian.
Mr. Osbon: I wanted to say one thing. When we started this partnership back in '82, I
realize this was the old city, there was a commitment to match dollar for dollar what the
membership put in, and at that time that was done. Currently our membership puts about
$75,000-80,000 a year in and the percentage that the City has been putting in has constantly
dropped. It went down to about 33 percent, and now it's about 10 percent. There is a 90/10
percent partnership. To address your comment, Mr. Cheek, I understand your concerns about
being exclusive, which hopefully that's not the impression we're giving. The City has two
members on that, in the membership, and the City can at any time can make any
38
recommendations for membership, like any other member, and it will be considered. We'd
actually like to have other members. But we want to make sure they fit what the City, what
we think we're capable of doing. I'm sorry if it sounds exclusive, but we're just trying to put
together the best team we can.
Mr. Cheek: Mr. Mayor?
Mayor Young: Yes, Mr. Cheek?
Mr. Cheek: That sounds as if some of the same criteria had been used in the 50's,
people that fit our description of what will help us to be more progressive. That is my main
concern with that, that we have open membership in anything we fund with public money, to
build a bridge of trust rather than to continue the Broad Street/Laney-Walker fight that has
existed in this City for years for funding. It's time to build a bridge instead of continuing the
same walls.
Mr. Osbon: Let me suggest that if you have concerns, why don't you propose some
members for our organization because we are certainly looking for that.
Mr. Cheek: I'll go one further. I'll help organize downtown by going door-to-door,
which isn't being done right now, and get the city merchants working together to help promote
this, just like the mall or any other place. It's overdue, needed to be done, and all the studies
in the world aren't going to reach the grass roots and bring them together.
Mayor Young: Mr. Williams?
Mr. Williams: Thank you, Mr. Mayor. Again, I agree with Mr. Bridges, who is on a
roll today, that we need to take this back to our budget process and decide then. We're going
to have a lot of issues that are coming to us that we need to consider and I think that although
we are in support of Augusta Tomorrow and what they are doing, I just think that the 2000
allocation of the budget need to be done at budget time and not at this present time, and I'm
calling for the question.
Mayor Young: The question has been called on the substitute motion, which would
increase the City appropriation to Augusta Tomorrow for this year by $33,000.
Mr. Kuhlke: To $33,000.
Mayor Young: I'm sorry. To $33,000. To $33,000. All in favor of that motion,
please vote aye.
(Vote on substitute motion)
39
Mr. Cheek, Mr. Williams, Mr. H. Brigham, Mr. J. Brigham, Mr. Bridges & Mr.
Colclough vote No.
Mr. Beard and Mr. Mays abstain.
Motion fails 2-6-2.
Mayor Young: Next item, Madame Clerk.
Clerk: We have the original motion to receive as information. That was the substitute.
Mayor Young: I'm sorry, we do have the original motion. All in favor of the original
motion --
Mr. Mays: Mr. Mayor?
Mayor Young: Yes, sir, Mr. Mays?
Mr. Mays: Only an observance, and I yielded a minute ago. Quickly, and I know the
finance people don't always agree with me, but one thing about finding these other sources
that I think we need to seriously consider is the fact that we've talked about bonds, we've
talked about where we stand with our monies, and I think with more requests dealing with
water lines, filters, sewage plant, judicial complex, the whole nine yards, it's going to be
important that whoever looks at us looks at the reserve in there, hopefully of seven figures of
money, and we can whittle away, but I think where we've got some money, we better go into
those areas if we're going to do some things. If not, that Contingency is going to stick very
much out there when we start getting into the rating market and we start looking around as to
what it's going to cost us to do some of these eight- and nine-figure projects. And that's going
to be a major difference in terms of what we have to pay back, how long we have to pay it
back, and what rate we're going to pay it back. So we need to look at it.
Mayor Young: Thank you. Now let's call the question, then, on the original motion
to receive as information.
(Vote on original motion)
Mr. Kuhlke votes No.
Mr. Mays abstains.
Motion carries 8-1-1.
Mayor Young: Item 43.
Clerk: Item 43: Approve reorganization of the Department of Housing and
Neighborhood Development, with salary ranges as recommended by Tonya, Inc. See
40
attached Organization Chart. (No recommendation from Administrative Services
Committee April 24, 2000)
Mr. Beard: Mr. Mayor?
Mayor Young: Yes, Mr. Beard?
Mr. Beard: I move for disapproval of Item 43.
Mr. Williams: Second.
Mayor Young: Motion and second to disapprove Item 43.
Mr. Kuhlke: I make a substitute motion that we consider approval of the
reorganization of Housing and Neighborhood Development.
Mr. Shepard: I second the substitute motion.
Mayor Young: All right, we have a substitute to approve it. It's been seconded.
Mr. Oliver: I've want a clarification on the motion to approve. Would this only be for
the positions of manager of development, senior rehab inspector, and an additional inspector?
Mr. Kuhlke: Exactly. As your footnotes indicate.
Mayor Young: Motion to approve as indicated in the footnotes then. Mr. Mack,
would you like to address the board with respect to the reorganization as it's outlined in the
footnote in the agenda item?
Mr. Mack: We brought a Powerpoint presentation.
Mayor Young: Can you highlight those points that are addressed in the footnote, then,
because that's the substitute motion?
Mr. Mack: Basically, that's all we're asking for. No one is going to lose their
positions. We are basically creating three new positions, that is the manager of development,
senior rehab inspector, and an inspector. And also, these positions are within our
administrative capital from our CDBG funds, our HOME funds, and we would not need any
resources from the general revenue.
Mayor Young: Any questions of Mr. Mack? Gentlemen, any discussion with respect
to the substitute motion?
41
Mr. Mays: Mr. Mayor?
Mayor Young: Yes, Mr. Mays?
Mr. Mays: I'm not on that Committee, but I've observed very closely some of the
things that have gone on, particularly this past year with this. This recommendation from
Tonya, when was this originated? When did this come about in terms of being presented to us
in terms of organization period?
Mr. Mack: You mean how did the entire study originate?
Mayor Young: When did they present their report
Mr. Mays: A date line. I remember when it popped up in Committee, but I'm talking
about when did this come over to Housing and Neighborhood Development from Tonya?
Mr. Oliver: It was originally scheduled to be completed by September 30 of last year,
but my recollection is that Tonya was late in completing the work and it was completed --
Mayor Young: And it was sent to HUD, and HUD had to send it to us.
Mr. Oliver: HUD was involved with it and they wanted some changes made to it.
And the delay, I don't think was in making the presentation to you all. I think the delay was
the internal process with HUD. It was originally scheduled by HUD for completion in
September because they wanted it to coincide with their fiscal year.
Mr. Mays: So the two-year number that popped up, this was presented some time ago
in terms of internally, I guess that's not correct, then?
Mr. Oliver: I don't believe that to be correct but my candid opinion is it was probably
six or nine months before it actually started, I believe.
Mr. Mays: What I'm getting to is that we are here almost halfway through 2000,
looking at a reorganization middle way through a budget year. And my reason for asking
when did this start is because I always like, Mr. Mayor, to separate the fact from the fiction
and the rumor from the truth. But it's been floating that this has been around for a long time,
per se, and I'm not really concerned about whether Tonya presents something to us for
reorganization or whether the department does. But we started a whole new consolidated
government, and we're into 2000, of talking about now of a major reorganization. I'm not
saying you don't have to go back and deal with that from time to time, but it just hits us when
you start, in any department, when you start in the middle of the year dealing with increases,
42
swapping around folk, folk reapplying and all this in the middle of a year, it makes it difficult
to get a unanimous kind of reading from a committee or from a Commission on the time line.
And that may or may not be the department's fault, but I'm trying to basically get information.
Mr. Mack: According to what's on this study, I know, Mr. Mays, almost a year, a little
over a year. And it was done subsequently to consolidation.
Mayor Young: We received this about three months ago?
Mr. Mack: Right.
Mr. Oliver: And Tonya made a presentation, too.
Mr. Mays: I sat in on that, but what I'm also saying is that we've not hired that many
new people over there, and I made it clear whether Tonya made the presentation or whether
they did it from within, my main concern is that we get results out of the department. We are
still here in 2000 talking about what we are going to do. And if you're talking about a
difference in financial changes, I'm not clear on whether or not y'all are actually doing lateral
shifts in there, whether you've got folk that are, to a certain extent, being phased out, some
that may have to reapply. I'm not clear on where this is going at all. I'm going to be point
blank clear, Kevin, I'm getting one thing where it's being presented in this memo book from
your department, but then I'm also getting in-house reports that folk aren't afraid to put writing
and are sending to me as a Commissioner. And that's where I'm trying to get some clarity,
Randy and Kevin. We're reorganizing here now and this is in May.
Mr. Oliver: The three positions that are proposed here, there's only one person in-
house that would be eligible for a position, and that would be potentially the person in charge
of rehabilitation. The one inspector would be a new position and the director of development
would be a new position. The purpose of the director of development would be to stimulate
economic development type of transactions within that department. But these do not affect
any existing positions, do not eliminate any positions, don't require any person within that
department to be reclassified. However, there may be one or two that are going to apply for
one of those positions.
Mr. Beard: Mr. Mayor?
Mayor Young: Mr. Mays?
Mr. Mays: I'm going to yield for while. I just got -- you're talking about inspectors.
You've got Commissioners here. I'll let them relate to it. We are going to fan this fly today,
we might as well go on and fan it. Because you've got questions about what's going on in
Inspections already. You've got internal stuff in here. This is one, I'm going to say this to the
43
Administrator and the Director, I wish they had took it the hell off the agenda, not dealt with
it. But it's out here. So now let's deal with it.
Mayor Young: All right, let's see. Somebody else has a fly swatter. Mr. Beard?
Mr. Beard: Mr. Mayor, you know, there has been no effort to clarify any of this from
the Administrator, to the department head, there has been no real effort to clarify what is
going on here. We have heard from people in the department. We've heard from other
people, and every time you ask what is going on, an organizational chart is put in front of your
face and saying this is what we are going to do. Then the next point is no, we're not going to
do this, we're going to do part of this. And I will be the first to admit that maybe some of this
needs to be done. Maybe you need inspectors. Maybe you need other people. But for the
past three or four years, nothing has been done at Housing and Neighborhood together to
make me feel that there is something that needs to be done now. Yes, I believe that there
should be some reorganization, and I've said before I really didn't want to get into this, and
I've done it on a couple of occasions not to get into this, but the Administrator and the
Director keep pushing this, that this is what they want and this is what is needed. And then
you hear in private conversations, well we got to do something over there to move the
department. Now, I've heard that personally from people who are telling me, people who are
connected with this government. I've had Commissioners to tell me that we have to do
something in there if we're going to get anything done. And for the last two months, we've
had bickering from Laney-Walker development to the Business League to Housing and
Neighborhood Development, and nothing is getting done. Every time a proposal comes up,
you have something that is blocking it. So we get nothing done there. So we ought to get to
the top and just clean house and that's what I think we need to look at.
Mayor Young: I think we have a gentleman in the audience who wanted to address us
on this? If you'll come to the microphone, please, just give us your name and address for the
record.
Mr. Brown: Ronnie Brown, 1540 Flagler Road. I'm sitting here listening to this and
I'm also the Chairman of the Board of the CSRA Business League. I've never seen
reorganization, and I just heard Randy make a statement that the only person qualified for
these positions and the person he named is working under a department head, and yet the
department head is not qualified, but the person under that person is qualified, to me -- I run a
business. I ain't never heard of nothing like that. If a person working under a department
head is eligible, why is the department head ineligible? That just doesn't jive with me. And
secondly, and I'm saying this simply because I'm concerned and I address the issue also about
submitting proposal. Yes, the Business League submitted a proposal this week. The Laney-
Walker Development Corporation. And it wasn't even addressed. Instead, it's being
addressed by the Committee. They address about who has the legal right. It wasn't but one
proposal on the Committee, I mean submitted to the Committee. It wasn't even addressed.
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[inaudible] one way or the other. I mean it seems like we continue and continue to bicker in
this department, and everybody's upset. The community is upset. We are upset. Because
nothing gets done. And back to this issue here, if you're going to reorganize and bring an
organizational chart, I know in my business, when I tell somebody to do that, they bring back
an organizational chart with titles and names. They don't tell me this is what we're going to
do. I want to see what we're going to do. And I think that's the only fair to the people that
work for you. Y'all represent the people that work for the City. I mean if somebody is going
to bring you a reorganizational chart, they should bring you something with names and titles
and what you are going to do with the people that are there. To say that everybody is going to
have a job is ludicrous, cause you are paying for other jobs. Okay. To sit there and say that is
ludicrous. Y'all as the elected officials should have more respect for the people that you
elected you and worked for you than to listen to that. If you reorganize, you are making
change. So somebody is going to lose a job somewhere, and for somebody to sit here and for
me to hear that nobody is going to lose a job, is absolutely ludicrous. You're addressing three
or four jobs in the plan. The plan is only addressing additional people, but it has not said how
it is going to affect the present structure. Those people that presently work, where are they
going to fit into this structure? Will somebody explain that to me? The entire department,
where will they fit at in this structure? Will someone answer those questions for me as a
concerned citizen?
Mayor Young: All right. Thank you, Mr. Brown. Mr. Cheek?
Mr. Cheek: Mr. Mayor, I understand Mr. Mack's need for staffing as far as
conforming to federal government requirements and providing the resources to move this
project along. I do have a continued concern. I don't have a fly swatter with this one, I have a
can of gasoline and a match. We have situations occur where inspectors look at HUD
renovations and okay painting of rotten boards, paint on glass, shoddy roof jobs be done,
shoddy wallpaper, or painting over wallpaper, sorry workmanship in not one, but every
project we've looked at. If we expand that to larger projects, then what quality can we expect
And I expect Mr. Mack to address that issue and clear it up, because that is what existed a
month ago and it still exists today. And I don't care what anybody says, the poor people of
this community that are having their houses repaired deserve the same quality of work that the
people living in West Lake or on the Hill deserve. We don't want to come back next year and
repair things that we've paid for to repair this year.
Mayor Young: Thank you. Mr. Williams?
Mr. Williams: Thank you, Mr. Mayor. I've got a couple of things I need to say. First
of all, I think this organization needs some reorganizing. The study that come back about pay
hikes and raises, I'm going to harp on that because I'm upset with what I have talked with
individuals in the department, what I've heard, and what I've seen with my own eyes. I talked
with Mr. Mack several times and I think that he has tried but has not done the best that he
45
could have done, in my opinion. I talked with some of the inspectors. Like Mr. Cheek,
myself as well, I witnessed a lot of stuff that is not acceptable to myself. The last house I
looked at, I was so upset about it I said I wasn't going to look at any more because the more I
looked at, the worse they got. So reorganization or reorganizing is really needed. We need to
clean out some people that are in those position, doing some of the things that they are getting
paid to do and they're not doing. I have no problem with a man doing what he can do. But I
have not seen, I talked with them, I asked them to do their very best, I even gave some
suggestions to some things I thought he might be able to do to help the people. When you
spend government monies for work to be done, you are to do the best work that you can. And
if you can't do it for that price, then it should be said. We have elected to have people do
work for us who have not done the work for the money they were paid. And I fault the
inspectors. Now I fault the department head for going along with the inspectors. And maybe
if they had not inspected -- when somebody bring it to your attention, you ought to have
enough initiative to go out and look at it for yourself. Several Commissioners have went out
and looked at at least one home that was unsatisfied. I got a big problem with this. I think we
need to be reorganizing. Reorganize and get some people to go in those places we got some
people in there now to do the work that they ought to been doing in the first place.
Mayor Young: Thank you. Mr. Bridges?
Mr. Bridges: Mr. Mack, of these three positions Mr. Kuhlke's proposed, which are the
two new positions? I didn't catch that.
Mr. Oliver: They are all three new.
Mr. Bridges: They are all three new?
Mr. Oliver: They are all three new. The only thing I was eluding to was is that one of
those three positions, that there may be some interest inside for, but all three of the positions
are new. There will be no position -- nobody's position is going to be eliminated. I would
add that the new lead-based paint standards go into effect in September that are going to
impact everyone, and that is going to have a dramatic impact on the volume of rehabilitation.
Mr. Bridges: So we're actually adding two new inspectors to this, then?
Mr. Oliver: Two new inspectors and a director of --
Mr. Bridges: And nobody's losing their job? Is there attempt for anybody -- and that
brings up another matter. I think Mr. Mays referred to it. I got a letter, too, from a
subordinate of Mr. Kevin Mack's on department stationery. I think that's highly out of order
to criticize a department head in the manner that was done and use our stationery to do it. I
hope you'll address that with the employee, Mr. Oliver. But I mean, to me, I think we're
46
getting way out of bounds of what we're trying to do here. We're just trying to add three
people here that have been recommended as an adaption of a recommendation by Tonya.
Now we're getting into what quality of work the inspectors are doing. If they're not doing the
work, then that's a different issue that needs to be addressed with those inspectors and through
the proper channels. But what kind of work the inspectors are doing is not the issue before us
today. The issue before us today is this adaptation of Tonya's recommendation for improving
that department. And I think that's what we need to stay clear on and stay concentrated on,
and I think it's a good move.
Mayor Young: Mr. Williams?
Mr. Williams: Thank you, Mr. Mayor. Mr. Mayor, let us not forget about we had a
similar problem with the 911 situation where we reorganized. We got people who are losing
jobs or going back to other positions and change around anytime we do this. We are opening
the door for people who may not be at the front now, but at some point will be up front, at a
point of losing a job.
Mayor Young: I think Mr. Johnson wanted to address the Commission briefly. Mr.
Johnson, if you'd give us your name and address for the record, please.
Mr. Johnson: Yes, I do it very briefly. Cedric Johnson, 3387 Tanglewood Drive. I'm
here today as a concerned citizens. I'm a Board Member with [inaudible] Development
Corporation. I'm also a member of the CSRA Business League. One of the things I am
concerned about, the Advisory Board that y'all appointed as Commissioners did not approve
this organizational chart. That should bring some concern to you all. Secondly, the money for
these new positions would be taken from HUD funds that could be used to better help fund
projects in this community. And the third thing, to kind of address Mr. Ulmer Bridges'
concern, is the person that probably wrote you that letter was very concerned because her job
was being threatened and she had no knowledge of this and tried to do this through the
Advisory Committee without letting them know exactly that some jobs could be lost. Thank
you.
Mayor Young: I think the letter will speak for itself. Mr. Kuhlke has the floor right
now.
Mr. Kuhlke: I just wanted to ask this. Mr. Mack, how long have you been the
director?
Mr. Mack: Three years.
Mr. Kuhlke: How many people did you hire in that department?
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Mr. Mack: About three or four may have already been in that department.
Mr. Kuhlke: Only three or four?
Mr. Mack: I think so.
Mr. Kuhlke: And you hired everybody else in that department? Okay.
Mayor Young: Are you through, Mr. Kuhlke?
Mr. Kuhlke: Yes.
Mayor Young: Mr. Mack, address your question to the Chair.
Mr. Mack: I'd like to ask the Mayor to ask Mr. Johnson how did he know about the
letter?
Mayor Young: Well, that's not relevant.
Mr. Mack: Okay.
Mayor Young: The letter's been discussed openly. The Mayor has not seen the letter,
I can tell you that, so I don't know what you're talking about. Mr. Kuhlke?
Mr. Kuhlke: I think that what Mr. Mack is trying to do through the resource of the
consultant is to try to reorganize his department so that he can do a good job. I asked Mr.
Mack the question concerning employees because I didn't know how many people he
inherited when he took that position. But from the standpoint of a few weeks ago, a project
was brought to the Administrative Services. Everybody on that was excited about it. It was
the Laney-Walker area. I understand now that particular thing has been withdrawn. For what
reason, I don't know. Laney-Walker was given -- the development corporation was given
$250,000 almost two years ago to acquire property adjacent to it. I don't think that's been
completed yet. But the squabble became involved the way I understand it is because Laney-
Walker Development Corporation thinks they have the exclusive right to develop the second
phase of Armstrong Galleria. If they do, it's a moot point. If they don't, then it ought to be
wide open. So I think a lot of things are being thrown back to Mr. Mack when they are
external things that are causing some confusion in that department. And for somebody to
write me a letter and say that their main concern is not the department but that they're going to
lose their job if we reorganize is asinine. If they're not qualified, if there's not a position for
them, they ought to lose their job. So I just wanted to point that out. I think a lot of things,
there's personalities involved in this.
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Mayor Young: All right, Mr. Colclough, and then we'll go ahead and take a vote on
the substitute motion.
Mr. Colclough: Mr. Mayor, since there is a lot of concerns about the organizational
chart, I think the gentleman made a good point. Why can't we ask Mr. Mack to fill in the
names and the positions on this organizational chart and bring it back to us?
Mayor Young: Well, actually the motion that is on the floor is to create three new
positions. I don't know that you've got names you cane put with those.
Mr. Mack: We did three organizational charts that I can explain everything right now.
Mayor Young: Well, I'll give you 30 seconds. You say it won't take long. We've
talked about this long enough and we're ready to move ahead with the vote.
Mr. Mack: [inaudible] will remain. [inaudible] there will be three new positions, a
manager of development, a senior rehab inspector, and a rehab inspector.
Mayor Young: All right. We have a substitute motion on the floor with the
reorganization of the department to create the new positions as enumerated in the back-up, a
manager of development, grade 56, senior rehab inspector, grade 49, and one rehab inspector,
grade 45. We'll call the question on the substitute motion. All in favor, please vote aye.
(Vote on substitute motion)
Mr. Mays, Mr. Cheek, Mr. Williams, Mr. H. Brigham and Mr. Beard vote No.
Motion carries 6-5. (Mayor votes Yes.)
Mayor Young: The Chair would like to note for the record that he, too, shares the
concern of many of these Commissioners about the progress of projects and development of
projects and even conceptual ideas through this department. The Chair is willing to give the
department the benefit of the doubt and go along with this reorganization and see if they can
produce, and if not I'm sure this matter will be back before this Commission in the not too
distant future, so the Chair votes aye on the motion.
Clerk: Item 45: Ratify the Legislative appointment of Ms. Jeanie C. Allen to the
Augusta Canal Authority.
Mr. Shepard: I so move.
Mr. Kuhlke: Second.
Mr. Cheek: Mr. Mayor?
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Mayor Young: Yes, sir?
Mr. Cheek: Just like to make one comment. Ms. Allen was my representative before,
or Commissioner Powell's representative, and she is an excellent representative for the people
of Augusta on the Canal Authority and will serve us very well as a representative there.
Mayor Young: Thank you, Mr. Cheek. Call the question on the motion. All for
ratifying the appointment, please vote aye.
Motion carries 10-0.
Clerk: Item 46: Consider request from Community In Schools asking Augusta-
Richmond County to act as fiscal agent for the following grant applications:
* Children and Youth - Youth Violence Prevention Grant
* Children and Youth - Juvenile Mentoring Program
Mayor Young: Gentlemen, what's your pleasure?
Mr. Mays: I so move.
Mr. Shepard: Second.
Mayor Young: Discussion?
Mr. J. Brigham: Mr. Mayor, who is the fiscal agent on these programs?
Mayor Young: Mr. Oliver?
Mr. Oliver: I think it currently is the Board of Education.
Mayor Young: We are not the fiscal agent, is that the answer?
Mr. Oliver: I don't believe that we are. They are asking us to be.
Mayor Young: If we approve this motion, we will be the fiscal agent for these grants?
Mr. Oliver: And we have a responsibility to ensure their summer program.
Mayor Young: Is that your question, Mr. Brigham?
Mr. J. Brigham: Why are we being asked is my question? Why are they wanting to
change from the School Board?
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Mayor Young: Is there someone from the Community In Schools in the audience
who can respond to this? If you would give us your name and address just for the record.
Ms. Craig: My name is Pat Craig, and my physical address for Community In Schools
of Augusta Richmond County is 329 Telfair Street. Would you please ask your question
again?
Mr. Oliver: Who is currently your fiscal agent?
Ms. Craig: We really don't have a fiscal agent and we're not receiving funds presently
from these particular programs. We are currently making applications to the Department of
Juvenile Justice for these programs so that we do qualify for it, but just in case we are
allocated funds, we need a fiscal agent for the funds. The Richmond County Board of
Education is a partner in all of our programs, but we are right now asking you all just in case
we are turned down some other place for a fiscal agent for the funds.
Mayor Young: Have you ever received a grant before where you've needed a fiscal
agent?
Ms. Craig: We are, we have several applications in at the moment. One through the
Governor's office, which is the Children's Coordinating Youth Council for a substantial
amount of funds.
Mayor Young: And who is the fiscal agent on that?
Ms. Craig: The fiscal agent on that, because of the amount of funds, will come
st
directly to Communities In Schools. However, we have a $6.5 million grant in with 21
Century grant through the State Department that will come through the Richmond County
Board of Education. The programming funding coming directly through Community In
Schools.
Mayor Young: Mr. Bridges?
Mr. Bridges: Mr. Mayor, I think given the nature of it being Community In Schools, I
think a better fiscal agent would be the Richmond County School Board as opposed to us. I
think maybe she should seek them as a fiscal agent first before coming back to the
Commission.
Mayor Young: What is the deadline on your grant application?
51
Ms. Craig: The deadline is May 23, and we will pursue the Richmond County Board
of Education also.
Mayor Young: I think they have a meeting before then and we have another meeting
before then, so probably you need to go to the School Board and talk to them. Mr. Beard?
Mr. Beard: Mr. Mayor, I just understand what these people are doing for the
community down here, and I was visiting one of their facilities not too long ago and they are
doing a very good job for the community. I am kind of slow on where we are here at this
point, but if they're just asking to be the agent, I do know we take some of the responsibility,
but I don't see why, if the grant is due and May and we are already in May, why would we
have to wait on the School Board. We ought to take this as an opportunity to assist some
people. It appears that we do this most of the time anyway. I was hoping -- is there a motion
on the floor?
Mayor Young: Yes.
Mr. Beard: To approve it?
Mayor Young: To approve it.
Mr. Beard: Oh, okay, then.
Mayor Young: Mr. Shepard?
Mr. Shepard: Ma'am, are we being asked to do this, fiscal agent, because we're the
governing authority of the county? The School Board is not. I mean in this process, is the
governing authority of each county requested to act as fiscal agent?
Ms. Craig: No, it isn't. Actually, the grant guidelines state that the local education
agency must be a partner in this partner in this particular grant but they do not have to be the
administrative agency, so we're just asking you all just in case, you know, the Richmond
County Board of Education turns us down, which I have no that they may or may not.
Mr. Shepard: Are you on their next agenda to ask them that?
Ms. Craig: We are getting there.
Mr. Shepard: Is that a no?
Ms. Craig: We have plans to do that.
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Mr. Colclough: Mr. Mayor?
Mayor Young: Mr. Colclough?
Mr. Colclough: Communities In Schools has come a long way in this community
since its inception. I have been privileged to work with this organization when I was Task
Force for the Homeless President. And these folks have taken a little bit and done a lot with
it. And I think we as a governing agent should support Communities in Schools and I'll ask
my fellow Commissioners to support this endeavor.
Mayor Young: Mr. Mays?
Mr. Mays: Mr. Mayor, I think one of the things that -- and it may be very little -- but
does strengthen it and doesn't take anything away from it, even though they've got various
funding sources that they've applied to, the one particular in terms of youth violence
prevention. The crime aspect of who controls that budget, we as the government deal with
that from the standpoint of law enforcement of what we provide. The School Board is
naturally a partner in there. But I think from the standpoint if they are partner and we are
talking about that aspect which may deal with crime prevention, and whatever aspects we may
need to liaison, they may have to interact with the Sheriff's Department, with some things that
they are doing. I think this just strengthens them from both ends in terms of us being able to
deal with this one, and it probably won't hurt them, and it definitely won't hurt them for both
of us to sign on and deal with the School Board as a partner, but I don't see where it's going to
hurt in terms of doing that.
Mayor Young: Thank you, Mr. Mays. Mr. Bridges?
Mr. Bridges: I just make a substitute motion that we become the fiscal agent
upon rejection by the School Board.
Mr. Cheek: Second.
Mayor Young: Gentlemen, any discussion on the substitute motion? Mr. Beard?
Yes, sir?
Mr. Beard: Ulmer, I don't quite understand that, what you're saying.
Mr. Bridges: I really think since this is a Community in Schools, the School Board
would be the primary body that should deal with this and be the fiscal agent. I don't have any
trouble being the fiscal agent, but if for some reason the School Board rejects being the fiscal
agent for this organization, then we would automatically be responsible for fiscal agent. I just
don't think we should be the primary one.
53
Mayor Young: If the School Board rejects them, it will be us.
Mr. Beard: Okay. I need some clarification. Does this have to come back?
Mr. Wall: It would go to the School Board. If the School Board approves it, then you
would not be. If the School Board rejects it, then you would be the fiscal agent.
Mr. Beard: Okay.
Mr. Bridges: They'll have an agent by the end of the month either way.
Mayor Young: Gentlemen, we have a substitute motion on the floor. Let's go ahead
and call the question on that.
Mr. Mays: Seems like we're backing into it.
Mayor Young: Well, sometimes you do that, Mr. Mays.
Mr. Mays: Sometimes you don't.
Mayor Young: Sometimes to get there we have to back into it.
Mr. Mays: Sometimes we just go ahead and do it, too, Mr. Mayor.
Mayor Young: Yes, sir, I understand what you're saying. We have a substitute
motion on the floor. All in favor of the substitute motion, please vote aye.
Mr. Mays abstains.
Motion carries 9-1.
Mr. Mays: And let the record show, Mr. Mayor, my abstention is that I don't think we
ought to do it contingent on the School Board. I think we ought to have done it anyway.
Mayor Young: Yes, sir.
Clerk: Item 47: Approve Resolution on delaying congressional action on Internet
Tax Moratorium.
Mayor Young: I asked this be put on the agenda. Essentially there's a bill in the
Senate right now which would extend the moratorium on collecting taxes on internet
purchases for five years beyond the expiration, which is already scheduled for later this year.
What this would do would preclude local governments or the states from enacting any
54
legislation to allow them to move ahead and collect sales tax on these purchases, and as we all
know, we're being impacted adversely because of internet purchases with the loss of sales tax.
So all we're doing is sending a resolution to our members in Congress saying do not approve
the extension of the tax moratorium, to let the cities and states move ahead with developing a
taxing structure to collect on the sales on the internet. That's the thrust of the resolution. Any
questions?
Mr. Cheek: A motion to approve.
Mr. Bridges: Second.
Mayor Young: All in favor, vote aye.
Motion carries 10-0.
Clerk: Item 48: Approve sponsorship of table (or tickets) for Annual Mayor’s
Prayer Breakfast, Thursday, May 4 at a cost of $250/table - $15/ticket funded from
Commission Other Account.
Mr. Cheek: I move to approve.
Mr. Shepard: Second.
Mr. Oliver: $6,655 in Commission Other.
Mr. Shepard: How much, Randy? I was going to ask that question.
Mr. Oliver: $6,655.
Mr. Shepard: Thank you.
Mayor Young: All in favor of the motion, please vote aye.
Motion carries 10-0.
Mr. Mays: Mr. Mayor, I make the substitute motion we buy them.
Clerk: That you buy a table or a ticket?
Mr. Mays: That we buy them individually.
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Mayor Young: We've already voted on the original motion. We've already voted on
the original motion, but any Commissioner is free to buy individually his own ticket.
Clerk: Item 49: Approve Resolution requesting assistance from Board of
Education regarding a request from ADDS-CSRA, Inc. for use of facilities for Camp
Future.
Mr. Mays: I move it be approved.
Mr. Kuhlke: Second.
Mayor Young: Any discussion? All in favor --
Mr. Mays: Mr. Mayor?
Mayor Young: Yes, sir?
Mr. Mays: I hope that and I have got to speak to some of the members of the Board in
reference to this. I hope that this will be approved by them, but I do want to go on record that
if it's not, I do plan to bring it back before this Commission for approval. I think this program
has been within our system for Recreation for three years now. I think it serves a lot of young
people with disabilities and I state on the floor the same thing I said in the Committee to our
director and staff, I think it was -- quite frankly, I didn't like the way that this was handled in
terms of a basic push-out in terms of making room and then we shift them to a place that was
totally inadequate, did not meet State standards or anything else, so I hope this will be
approved by the Board and I hope this will be a way out for it, but if it's not accepted by the
Board, I do plan to put it right back on here and for them to find a way to make it work. We
found a way to make it work to serve these children for three years and we ought to continue
to do it, and simply because they are disabled. If we get to that point, then we have a point
where everything else that we do for folk who are disabled, then do we get to the point where
somebody else is able, then we push them out the door. So I hope it works, but if doesn't I'm
going to bring it right back.
Mayor Young: Thank you. Did we get a motion on that?
Clerk: Yes, sir.
Mayor Young: We have a motion. Let's go ahead and vote then. All in favor of the
motion, please vote aye.
Motion carries 10-0.
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Clerk: Item 50: Consider approval of a Resolution to declare official intent
pursuant to the provisions of section 1.150-2 of the Income Tax Regulations
promulgated under the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended for financing of
certain capital improvements consisting of a Testing Facility, a hangar expansion, and
facilities and equipment related thereto.
Mr. Cheek: I move to approve.
Mr. Shepard: Second.
Mayor Young: Any discussion, gentlemen? All in favor of the motion, please vote
aye.
Motion carries 10-0.
Mayor Young: Let's take up the additions and then we'll go to Mr. Wall.
Clerk: Addendum Item 1: A Resolution pledging the support of the City of
Augusta for the designation of Georgia State Route 121 as the Woodpecker Trail.
Mr. Shepard: I so move.
Mr. Cheek: Second.
Mayor Young: Any discussion? All in favor, please vote aye.
Motion carries 10-0.
Mayor Young: Next item?
Clerk: Addendum Item 2: A Resolution expressing condolences to the family
and friends of Dr. I. E. Washington.
Mr. Beard: I so move.
Mr. Shepard: Second.
Clerk: For the record, we'd like to read this into the record so that we can present it to
the Washington family:
WHEREAS, Dr. Isaac Edward Washington, affectionately known as Dr. Ike, was born
October 19, 1908 in Blyth, Georgia, and
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WHEREAS, Dr. Ike attended public schools in Augusta, received his B.A. degree
from Paine College in 1993, a Masters of Education degree from Temple University in
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, and was awarded the Doctor of Letters degree by Allen
University, Columbia, South Carolina; and
WHEREAS, Dr. Ike served on the Augusta City Council for 17 years and served as
principal of C.T. Walker Elementary School for 25 years, A.R. Johnson Junior High School
for six years, and Lucy C. Laney High School for five years; and
WHEREAS, Dr. Ike was active in a number of professional organizations, he served
as the Senior Warden of St. Mary's Episcopal Church, member of the Salvation Army Board
of Directors, Senior Council; he was also a member of the Augusta Richmond County
Museum Board of Trustees and the Augusta Richmond County Zoning and Appeals Board,
where he served as Chairman from 1996 through March 2000; and
WHEREAS, God in His great wisdom chose to call Dr. Ike home for rest on April 29,
2000, leaving a legacy of civil rights activism integral to Augusta's history; and
WHEREAS, the family and friends of Dr. Ike may always remember and never, ever
forget his love for them, his gentle touch, his kind words, and his smile as he shall ever live in
their hearts.
THEREFORE, it be resolved that it is with our sincere care and concern that we, the
Board of Commissioners of Augusta Richmond County, Georgia, send these humble words
expressing our heartfelt sympathy. May you find comfort in knowing that others care and
share your loss.
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, That a copy of this resolution be forwarded to the
family and friends of Dr. Isaac Edward "Ike" Washington, this second day of May in the year
of our Lord 2000.
Mayor Young: Gentlemen, we have a motion on the floor. All in favor of the
resolution, please vote aye.
Motion caries 10-0.
Mayor Young: Mr. Wall?
Item 52: Legal Meeting - Discuss possible settlement of claims against the City.
Mr. Wall: Mr. Mayor, I request a legal meeting for the purposes of discussing
two claims against the City.
Mr. Shepard: I so move.
Mr. Williams: Mr. Mayor?
Mayor Young: Yes, Mr. Williams?
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Mr. Williams: I’d like to add that we discuss personnel in legal meeting. I want to
bring that out so when we get in the legal meeting.
Mr. Beard: I would second Steve’s motion.
Mr. Shepard: I’ll amend it to accept Mr. Williams’ suggestion that we discuss the
personnel issue.
Mayor Young: We have two claims and one personnel item? All in favor of going to
executive session to discuss these items, please vote aye.
Motion carries 10-0.
[LEGAL MEETING 4:20-5:56 P.M.]
Mayor Young: Call the meeting back to order. Do we have any additions to the
agenda?
Mr. Wall: I would ask that you add to the agenda to consider approval of the
settlement of R. Glen Owen claim by payment of actual damages not to exceed cost of
repairs and loss of use and securing a complete release from Dr. Owen and his wife.
Mr. Bridges: I so move.
Mr. Shepard: Second.
Mayor Young: Is there any objection to adding this to the agenda? None heard so it
is ordered in.
It was the consensus of the Commission that this item be added.
Mr. Wall: I would ask you to approve settlement.
Mr. Shepard: I so move.
Mr. H. Brigham: Second.
Mayor Young: Motion and second to approve. Any discussion? All in favor, please
vote aye.
Mr. Bridges votes No.
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Mr. Beard and Mr. Mays out.
Motion carries 7-1.
Mayor Young: We need to approve the affidavit.
Item 53: Motion to approve authorization for Mayor to execute affidavit of
compliance with Georgia’s Open Meetings Act.
Mr. Shepard: I so move.
Mr. Cheek: Second.
Mayor Young: All in favor, please vote aye.
Mr. Beard and Mr. Mays out.
Motion carries 8-0.
Mayor Young: And the final item is the proclamation for Stroke Awareness Month,
and we'll entertain a motion to approve that and waive the reading of it and we'll spread it on
the minutes.
Proclamation: IN RECOGNITION of Stroke Awareness Month 2000.
WHEREAS, the American Stroke Association, a division of the American Heart
Association, is devoted exclusively to stroke, the nation’s number three killer and a major
disabler of Americans; and
WHEREAS, Georgia has the fourth highest rate of death from stroke in the United
States; and
WHEREAS, 600,000 people suffer a new or recurrent stroke per year in the United
States and nearly 160,000 of them died from stroke; and
WHEREAS, it is important to build awareness of the signs and symptoms of stroke
and the critical need for emergency response.
NOW, THEREFORE, I, Bob Young, Mayor of the City of Augusta, do hereby
proclaim May 2000 to the STROKE AWARENESS MONTH in Augusta, Georgia, and urge
all citizens to support the Stroke Awareness Campaign of the American Stroke Association in
Augusta.
IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand and caused the seal of
Augusta, Georgia to be affixed this first day of May, 2000.
/s/ Bob Young, Mayor
Mr. Shepard: I so move.
Mr. Cheek: Second.
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Mayor Young: All in favor, please vote aye.
Mr. Beard and Mr. Mays out.
Motion carries 8-0.
[MEETING ADJOURNED]
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 2, 2000.
Clerk of Commission