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HomeMy WebLinkAbout09-19-2003 Called Meeting CALLED MEETING COMMISSION CHAMBER September 19, 2003 Augusta Richmond County Commission convened at 10:00 a.m., Friday, September 19, 2003, the Honorable Stephen Shepard, Acting Mayor, presiding. PRESENT: Hons. Hankerson, Boyles, Mays, Kuhlke, Cheek and Williams, members of Augusta Richmond County Commission. ABSENT: Hons. Bob Young, Mayor; Colclough, Mayor Pro Tem; Beard and Bridges, members of Augusta Richmond County Commission. Also Present: Walter Hornsby, Deputy Administrator; Nancy Morawski, Deputy Clerk of Commission. Election for an Acting Mayor. Mr. Hornsby: Ladies and gentlemen, Commissioners, we’d like to at this time, in the absence of the Mayor, who is out of town, and also the Mayor Pro Tem, we’d like to have an election for an Acting Mayor at this time. If possible, open for any nominations. Mr. Mays: Deputy Administrator, since we’re dealing with a finance item first, I’m going to nominate Mr. Steve Shepard. Mr. Kuhlke: Second. Mr. Hornsby: You’ve heard the nomination. Are there any other nominations? Closed. Those in favor of the nomination, please let it be known by aye. Motion carries 7-0. Mr. Shepard: Thank you. Members of the Augusta Commission, I call the meeting to order, please. We’ll begin with the invocation and the Pledge of Allegiance to the Flag. If Mr. Mays would give us our invocation and Mr. Cheek lead us in the Pledge of Allegiance to the Flag. The Invocation was given by Commissioner Mays. The Pledge of Allegiance was recited. Mr. Shepard: Item 1, Madame Clerk. The Clerk: 1. Readopt the 2003 annual millage rate. 1 Mr. Shepard: What’s your pleasure, gentlemen? Mr. Boyles: Move for approval. Mr. Cheek: Second. Mr. Shepard: Discussion, gentlemen? Mr. Cheek: One thing. Mr. Shepard: Mr. Cheek. Mr. Cheek: Mr. Chairman, we discussed this before at the last meeting, and I just wanted to reiterate the fact that in light of our millage rate, and the flatness of our growth I would encourage the Commission to work with the Mayor, over the past few years, the Chamber of Commerce, the Convention and Visitors Bureau and all other entities to identify ways to grow our economy and to focus on those objections, to do that in the near term as soon as possible to outline a course of action for 2004. Mr. Shepard: Further discussion, gentlemen? Mr. Williams. To my right and to my left. You want to -- What I’d like to do is set that as an objective, and if the maker of Mr. Cheek: the motion will accept that as a friendly amendment, add that to the motion. Mr. Boyles: I’ll accept, Mr. Chairman. Mr. Shepard: Thank you, Mr. Boyles. Does the seconder accept? Obviously. Further discussion? Hearing none, I rule it’s been adequately debated. All in favor of the motion, please signify by the usual sign of voting. The lights are working, gentlemen. Motion carries 7-0. Mr. Shepard: Next item, Madame Clerk. The Clerk: 2. Consider amendment to the First Friday guidelines. Mr. Shepard: Mr. Naylor. Mr. Naylor: Commissioners, the Downtown Advisory Panel met last night with the key principals in the First Friday, those who are presenting putting electric thth bands on 8 Street and 10 Street only. Also a representative from Main Street was there to voice their opinions about the modification. The Downtown Advisory Panel 2 voted to put a temporary modification on the guidelines at this point for at least the th next 90 days or three First Fridays allowing electric banks to be put only on 8 th Street Broad to Ellis and 10 Street from Broad to Ellis. Those folks who requested that will be responsible for establishing the banks, setting up stages, having security available, and the banks will play from five until ten o’clock and then shut down at that point. This is the recommendation from the Downtown Advisory Panel to the Commission, to do it on a temporary basis, because the Downtown Advisory Panel will be meeting in the next month or so to look at specific sound and noise guidelines that include decibel levels, day, nighttime, inside and outside. So that’s what their recommendation is to you to approve on a tentative basis for at least the next 90 days. Mr. Cheek: Move to approve. Mr. Kuhlke: Second. Mr. Shepard: It’s been duly moved and seconded. Further discussion, gentlemen? Mr. Williams. Mr. Williams: Thank you, Mr. Shepard. I just want to get some clarity to what I thth just heard, and I thought I heard you say only 8 Street and 9 Street and they would have to provide their own security, you’re saying, that -- Mr. Naylor: That is correct. And that is what we understand was agreed with those people promoting the bands. Mr. Speaker: Yes, that was what they voted on. Mr. Williams: Well, I hear that, what they voted on, but I’ve got a little problem with, first of all, with what we charging and how we providing security anyway. I think when the City put on a function, and just my personal opinion, Chris, you know, I was down there last First Friday and plan to be there this First Friday. But when the City put on a activity, the City needs to be responsible for security. You know, we, we, we, somehow we done missed something. I don’t know what it is. Maybe [inaudible] the time. I got no problem with the extension for the 90 days but I think we need to look at when the City of Augusta puts on something, the City of Augusta responsible for certain things. That’s like a man comes through town and say well, we had a pothole, well, you know, you’re not part of this City so we don’t have to take care of that. So I just think we need to look at that very carefully. It’s some issues with that I got and I think we need to -- that’s all, Mr. Shepard. Mr. Shepard: Thank you, Mr. Williams. Mr. Boyles. Mr. Boyles: Thank you, Mr. Shepard. I’m just wondering why the acoustical, the electrical bands, why they were not put in to start with, the reason to start with. Mr. Naylor: Excuse me, I’m sorry. 3 Mr. Boyles: What was the reason to start with? Mr. Naylor: That rationale was that in September and October of last year, we did not have established guidelines and we had electric bands just coming down and plugging into light poles up and down. At one time, in October, we had 17 bands, electric bands on Broad Street, and it was so loud, because there was no control and no guidance over it, they would not respond to folks asking them to either turn it off or turn it down, that Main Street felt that they needed to put that in there at this time to sort of bring all the cows back into the corral and then starting working on it at a later date. They were going to look at it at a later date, however this came, this proposal came to the Commission and the Commission then turned it over to the Downtown Advisory Panel. But it was just too loud, too many people just plugging in. And we had no way of knowing who was coming. They weren’t registering. This way now we know who will be registered, what bands will be here, what they’ll be playing primarily as far whether it will be jazz, whether it will bluegrass, and that gives us a little semblance of control. Mr. Shepard: Mr. Hornsby and then Mr. Cheek. ththth Mr. Hornsby: I think it was erroneously stated as 9 and 10 Street, but it’s 10 th and 8 Street. thth Mr. Naylor: Yes, 10 and 8 Street. Mr. Hornsby: Between Broad and Ellis. Mr. Naylor: Correct. Correct. Mr. Shepard: Mr. Cheek and then Mr. Mays. Mr. Cheek: Thank you very much. What we’re witnessing is an evolution of a development within the city that is disciplined and it’s been guided by the people that occupy and maintain those facilities downtown. Certainly this is not the end step, but it is a step in, I consider, the right direction. My main concern is, and will always be, that we communicate completely, even if these groups do maintain their own function within that area, that there is coordination between all groups, there is discussion, that the City’s agencies be involved in that, and that we conduct ourselves with the ability to respond to any need, be it medical emergency or anything else, that we think through and mitigate problems before they occur. Mr. Shepard: Mr. Mays. Mr. Mays: Yes. Thank, Mr. Mayor. I think if there has been somewhat a compromise reached, if you are going on a trial basis and you’re dealing with this on two streets, then that, that may be good. But if I could back up just a second to where Commissioner Williams was in reference to the security element. Cause I think if you, if 4 you doing this in terms of seeing how it’s going to work, I mean it would be a beautiful thing if other than maybe music crossover to a point of having more. But if that’s where you are testing the trial basis, I think to a point that if the committee, you know, bent in that direction, then fine. But I’m a little worried if, if, if the bands are to be apart of the overall First Friday festivities, it seems as though, and the groups doing this, and I wasn’t there so I can’t be judgmental, but I just didn’t want to see us look like even though we might be amending it and it might be welcoming it to change and to deal with on a trial basis, that the ones that are on those two streets or people in that area since, in other words, if you turn the corner it seems as though, for lack of a better word, Chris, seem thth like they maybe a little bit First Friday’s step-children to a point on 8 and 10 Streets, because if they going to provide their own security, you know, seem to me that, you know, you can look and basically see with bad eyesight everything from Broad to Ellis on a side street, per se. And if it’s going to turn to a point where they are doing that, it seems to me like it’s okay, fine, we’re going to allow it on a trial basis but then whatever goes on in terms of the security of being there, then you know, you’re kind of own your own, that we didn’t want you there, we going to let you stay there but you provide your own deal. And I think if it’s going to be a part of it, then it ought to be a part of it. But if it’s not going to be a part of it, then it ought not fall under the guidelines of what you doing on Broad Street. They ought to just be able to go and do their thing period. If that’s going to be the case, if they going to provide their own security, then they ought not be limited then to what’s going to happen on First Friday. And I’m not trying to muddy that water, but it just a little bit sticky with me to a point that if they going to provide their own security, it seems as though they on a sublevel to what else is going to be going on. Cause I think you, you, you, you have, if your security was monitoring what was going on as a part of the overall effort, then they could get a total watch, if that’s what you checking on a trial basis. Seems to me you would get a total watch on the security that’s monitoring everything, rather than it being there sort of an asterisk by it and it being by itself. And that’s the only, that’s my only concern about it. Mr. Shepard: [inaudible], Mr. Williams? Anybody else want to speak before Mr. Williams speaks again? Mr. Williams. Mr. Williams: I just wanted to comment, Steve, on what Chris said about they wouldn’t turn the music down and wouldn’t listen to anybody. But even if they was [inaudible] law enforcement either on duty by the City or off duty officers that been paid, they would not even respect the officer, you saying, when they was there in the beginning, they wouldn’t, even the officers could not get their attention? Mr. Naylor: Absolutely. Mr. Shepard: Further discussion, gentlemen? Hearing none, I rule it’s been adequately debated. All in favor of the motion, please signify by the usual sign of voting. Mr. Mays: Mr. Chairman, I’m going to vote for it, because if I vote against it, it will restrict them from being there at all, but I do want to voice for the record that I think that this particular issue, we still need to address, that they should be a part of security 5 that’s there for First Friday. If it’s going to be First Friday, it’s going to be inclusive of those bands, and the people who turn the corner, cause what it’s saying to me is if you turn the corner on the street, then you lose the security of First Friday, and I don’t think that’s quite fair. But there’s only seven of us here and I’m not going to vote to block it because it’s not an extra person, and that’s the only reason I’m going to vote for it. But I, but I think it should be to where security should be blanketed and that they should have that right to be protected. It says to me if I’m a citizen, if I turn the corner, then do I lose the security of First Friday? And I’ve not gone but 30 or 40 yards on the side street? I don’t like that. But anyway I’m going to vote for it to allow the [inaudible] won’t be restricted. Mr. Shepard: Madame Clerk, I only see six votes. There are seven of us here. Mr. Williams abstains. Motion carries 6-1. Mr. Williams: Mr. Chairman, as Chairman of Public Safety I would really like to see that the law enforcement meet with Chris’ group. We need to come up with something that’s going to handle the security for First Friday. First Friday is going to be a growing event, and it’s [inaudible] growth come after that. And it’s going to grow and we need to get ready for growth, we need to understand we’ve got a city, just like any other city that put on functions, they handle them, we need to learn how to handle this. So as Chairman of Public Safety [inaudible] we can sit down and get something worked out. Mr. Shepard: Thank you, Mr. Williams. This was a called meeting and we can only address the matters on the call. Therefore the only other motion that’s in order is a motion to adjourn. [MEETING ADJOURNED] Nancy W. Morawski Deputy Clerk of Commission CERTIFICATION: I, Nancy W. Morawski, Deputy Clerk of Commission, hereby certify that the above is a true and correct copy of the minutes of the Called Meeting of Augusta Richmond County Commission held on September 19, 2003. ______________________________ Deputy Clerk of Commission 6