HomeMy WebLinkAboutCalled Commission Meeting December 11, 2006.do
CALLED MEETING COMMISSION CHAMBER
December 11, 2006
Augusta Richmond County Commission convened at 11:45 a.m., Monday,
December 11, 2006, the Honorable Deke Copenhaver, Mayor, presiding.
PRESENT: Hons. Deke Copenhaver, Mayor; Smith, Grantham, Harper, Hatney,
Williams, Beard, Cheek, Bowles, Brigham and Holland, members of Augusta Richmond
County Commission.
The meeting was called to order by Mayor Copenhaver.
4. Legal meeting.
A.Pending and potential litigation
B.Real estate
C.Personnel
Mr. Cheek: So move.
Mr. Grantham: Second.
Mr. Holland and Ms. Beard out.
Motion carries 8-0.
[LEGAL MEETING]
At the close of the legal meeting, the meeting was reopened to the public.
5.Motion to approve authorization for the Mayor to execute affidavit of
compliance with Georgia’s Open Meeting Act.
Mr. Brigham: So move.
Mr. Cheek: Second.
Mr. Harper, Mr. Holland, Mr. Hatney and Mr. Grantham out.
Motion carries 6-0.
Mr. Shepard: I would ask that we add and approve from the legal session
the lease of the Tag Office with the attorney to negotiate a possible favorable rate,
otherwise to accept the rate as proposed by the Office of the State Agriculture
Commissioner.
Mr. Brigham: So move.
Mr. Cheek: Second.
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Mr. Harper, Mr. Holland, Mr. Hatney and Mr. Grantham out.
Motion carries 6-0.
Mr. Shepard: From the legal session I’d ask that there be a motion to add
and approve that the Mayor sign a letter of employment that sets out the terms and
conditions of the employment of Ms. Diana Darris as EEO Coordinator and that
those terms and conditions be as outlined by staff counsel and that she further be
approved to draft a policy in that regard.
Mr. Cheek: So move.
Ms. Beard: Second.
Mr. Williams: Is that with the language for the year’s probationary period? I
think there should be some language to that effect in every contract.
Ms. Flournoy: In that letter it is proposed that she is an at-will employee and I
will add the language that she is probationary for a year if that is your desire.
Motion carries 10-0.
Mr. Shepard: In connection with the administrative proceedings presently
pending before the Internal Revenue Service we ask that the Mayor and Clerk be
authorized to sign the appropriate documentation which will confer a power of
attorney status on our attorneys in Washington in the firm of Paul, Hastings and
Janofsky, those persons being Mark Poerio, Lynda Noggle and Lisa Brown, to sign
a penalty of perjury statement that the facts in the application are true and correct.
Mr. Cheek: So move.
Mr. Williams: Second.
Motion carries 10-0.
Mr. Shepard: In connection with the sale and disposition of the pension
property and potential litigation involved with specialists in environmental
litigation, I ask that the Commission entertain an engagement letter from the firm of
Bell and James who will evaluate the environmental liabilities that may be there,
that the same be completed within 30 days, that the firm further give an estimate for
their fee and that if the fee from there forward is not satisfactory with the
Commission, that the attorneys have indicated a waiver of their evaluation time
would be appropriate and in addition, to support that effort with those attorneys,
we ask the Administrator to continue to develop the necessary information
concerning the environmental conditions on that site that would support the
attorneys’ work.
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Mr. Cheek: So move.
Mr. Hatney: Second.
Motion carries 10-0.
Mr. Shepard: I’d also ask that we add and approve in the area of public
officers’ compensation the November statement from my firm which would be a
personnel matter and that the statement being in amount of $46,594.30 as broken
into the categories which I’m going to file with the Clerk with the detailed bill.
Mr. Cheek: So move.
Mr. Grantham: Second.
Motion carries 10-0.
1.Motion to approve amendments to Augusta Richmond County Code Section
6-2, Alcoholic Beverages, so as to increase the application fee, and to increase
the alcohol license fees. (10% increase)
2.Motion to approve amendments to Augusta Richmond County Code Section
2-1 Business Tax Certificate, so as to increase the administrative fee and
regulatory fees, to increase the business tax, and to increase the business tax
for professionals. (10% increase)
Mr. Williams: So move.
Mr. Cheek: Second.
Mr. Sherman: Could we perhaps amend the motion to waive the second reading
and go ahead and get this in place?
Mr. Shepard: That would be appropriate.
Mr. Williams: I’ll accept that.
Mr. Bowles votes No.
Motion carries 9-1.
3.Proposed editorial and technical changes in anticipation of the recodification
of the Augusta Richmond County Code, 2006 Edition.
Mr. Cheek: So move.
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Mr. Williams: Second.
Motion carries 10-0.
[MEETING ADJOURNED]
Lena J. Bonner
Clerk of Commission
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