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HomeMy WebLinkAbout09-08-1998 Meeting I PUBLIC SERVICES COMMITIEE COMMITTEE ROOM - September 8,1998 4:00 P.M. PRESENT: Mayor Larry E. Sconyers; Mays, Chairman; J. Brigham, Kuh1ke, members; R Oliver, Administrator, J. Wall, Legal Counsel; D. Collins, Finance; G. Sarns, Purchasing Director; H. Johnson, Transit Director; T. Beck, Recreation Director; J. Goodman Sports Section Photography; R. Sherman, License & Inspection; ALSO PRESENT: T. Powell, Augusta Chronicle, S. Eidson, Metro Spirit; L. Bonner, Clerk of Commission; B. Brown of the Clerks office. Mr. Kuh1ke: Mr. Chairman, I would like to request that Item 8 under the Engineering Services Agenda are transferred to the Public Services Agenda Mr. Brigham: Second. Motion carried nnanimously, 3-0. I A request from the Recreation Director to approve a letter of intent to commit $12,000 as a bid fee to allow Augusta to bid on hosting the 1999 Senior Softball Players Association World Tournament. Mr. Beck: This is one of types of events that we are hopefully going to market our new regional park. All of these events corne with a bid fee and as it states in your information, the bid fee is a part of the 1999 budget for the overall tournament should we get the bid. Mr. Kuh1ke: There is a note here asking whether we can legally commit funds that have not been approved at this point. If it's a matter of bidding on it and we want to just wing and hope we get it and then come up with the money at that point. Mr. Wall: The question is, in the event it is taken out of the 1999 budget, do you have funds in this years budget that will cover it? Mr. Beck: I think if that's the case, 1'11 have to come back to you. Mr. Kuh1ke: I move that we approve this subject to Mr. Beck fmding $12,000 to cover this in the event it does not get approved in the Recreation Department budget for 1999. I Mr. Brigham: Second. My question is are we going to adopt a budget before the end of this year, for 1999 and that money is included, why can't we just go ahead and approve this. Mr. Wall: You can if you approve the 1999 budget with that included in there. But committing the funds at this point when it's not in the 1998 budget and you haven't approved the 1999 budget, you're committing to something you don't have. I Mr. Beck: I think that this is important enough that we'll just have to make some transfers in some other accounts. Mr. Oliver: I would note this on the $12,000 fee, that if we get the games, we will get the fee back through revenue. Motion carried unanimously, 3-0. A request from the Attorney to approve an Ordinance to amend Section 6-7-10 of the Augusta Richmond County Code regulating taxi cabs; to remove the limitation on the number of taxicabs; to provide an effective date. Mr. Wall: In putting together the revision of the code we discovered that the ordinance that would remove the limitation on the number of taxi cabs was only read one time. There was a question asked about there being an anti-trust prohibition against limiting the number of taxicabs. What the courts has generally said is that you are allowing the use of public roads you have general authority under the police powers to regulate that in a fashion that is deemed by the governmental authority to be appropriate. I We did not find a specific case that said that a government did or did not have the right to restrict the number of cab licenses that could be issued. You also inquired as to whether or not other governmental entities had similar restrictions and Mr. Sherman has looked at that. We looked at the codes of Athens, Macon, Columbus at one point did, but they have since removed that restriction. Savannah has no restriction on the number. The argument ofMr. Fields is that allowed some method by which you could regulate the quality of the vehicles and the service. But our code provides for semi-annual inspection of the vehicles as far as insurance is concerned. So I think that you can regulate the quality of the vehicle and of the service by enforcement of the regulations, rather than a restriction on the number of licenses. I was also asked about the restriction on the number of limousine licenses and that was removed in the consolidation of the city and the county code and there is no such restriction in so far as limousines are concerned. I don't see the need for a restriction on the number oflicenses. I think what precipitated it last time was that someone sought a license and could not get one because supposedly all the existing licenses had been used up. Generally, you'll that there is one company that holds in excess of one hundred licenses and one that holds twenty licenses, but most of them hold two or three licenses for cabs. Mr. Kuhlke: So move. Mr. Shepard: Second. Motion carried unanimously, 3-0. I I Next W.R Toole Engineering gave a presentation regarding the construction plans for Eisenhower Park improvements. A request from the Recreation Director to approve and award bid item #98-170 for renovations and improvements to Eisenhower Park. Mr. Oliver: Mr. Brigham: So move to award contract not to exceed $1,266,730 to Mabus Brothers and reprogram $40,000 from Garrett Gymnasium project. Mr. Kuh1ke: Second. Motion carried unanimously, 3-0. Discuss Youth Athletic Photography Bid. I Mr. Beck: Based on the past performance of the Sports Section and Goodman Studios, I am recommending that we accept the Sports Section as bidder for the youth athletic photographer. Mr. Kuh1ke: I move we award the bid to Mr. Goodman subject to the preparation of a specific contract with all of the ramifications involved; time, deadlines, cancellation of the contract and so forth that meet with the approval of the Mayor, Administrator, Attorney and department head. Mr. Brigham: Second. Motion carried unanimously, 3-0. A request from the Transit Director to acquire property known as 620 and 624 Chafee Avenue from Nora Pascarella for the sum of $49,200.00. Mr. Johnson: This is some property that is adjacent to the Transit Department. We have contacted the Federal Transit Administration and the one requirement is that if the appraisal that was done by Mr. Wall's office has to be reviewed by another appraiser. So what I would like the Committee, if possible, is to approve a recommendation that the purchase be approved. The Federal funds are there, pending meeting all of the Federal Transit rules and regulations . I Mr. Oliver: The appraised value is $23,150 and that the tax assessor's value in the sale price is $49,200. I wanted to make sure that we can comply with the federal requirements, because if not, when we get audited, they will disallow the difference and say that was not the appraised value. I Mr. Kuh1ke: Why do we need the property? Mr. Johnson: Over the years the old city has land locked the department in the area where those are the only two lots of land available near the transit department. As you know, in the future years, all governments are going to have to change over to some type of alternate fuel. So that area would allow me around the transition time to set up an alternate fuel station in that area while the entire fleet is converting over. Without that land, if we were to continue with the transit system, we would have to buy land elsewhere away from our present location just to fuel any alternate fuel vehicle. With this land acquisition I would have the additional land right there and that land could be used as the alternative fuel sight while we are in the process of converting over. Mr. Brigham: I move we postpone. Mr. Kuh1ke: Second. Motion carried unanimously, 3-0. A request from the Recreation Director to approve proposal from Environmental Management Associates to perform Compliance Status Report associated site work and prepare Compliance Status Report for Municipal Golf Course, IDS No. 10463 for a fee not exceed $10,870.00. (Funding from Golf Course revenues) Mr. Oliver: This item is for the chemical clean up of the golf course. It needs to be done as it relates to the state laws. This was on the Engineering Services Agenda because the clean up will be done by Public Works. The funds will corne from golf course enterprise funds. I Mr. Kuh1ke: So move. Mr. Brigham: Second. Motion carried unanimously, 3-0. With no further business to discuss the meeting was adjourned. Lena J. Bonner Clerk of Commission I