The URL can be used to link to this page

Home My WebLink About06-21-2004 Meeting I I I PUBLIC SERVICES COMMmEE COMMmEE ROOM - June 21, 2004 12:30 P. M. PRESENT: Hons. Colclough, Chairman; Smith, Co-Chairman; Hankerson and Sims, members; Lamont Belk, Attorney; Rob Sherman, License & Inspections Director; Heyward Johnson, Transit Dept. Director; Tom Beck, Recreation Department Director; Fred Russell, Interim Administrator; Lena Bonner, Clerk of Commission. ABSENT: Hon. Bob Young, Mayor. Also Present: Hon. Williams, Cheek, Boyles, Grantham and Mays, Commissioners. 3. New Ownership: A.N. 04-26: A reqnest by Shatera Prince for an on premise consumption Liquor & Beer license to be used in connection with Club Secrets located at 1370 Gordon Hwy. There will be dance. District 1. Super District 9. Ms. Prince: Shatera Prince, 1608 Central Avenue, Augusta, Ga Mr. Sherman: The Sheriff's Department and License Department have reviewed the application and recommend that it be approved. There are no objectors. Mr. Smith: I move for approval. Ms. Sims: Second. Motion adopted unanimously with Mr. Hankerson out. 4. Discussion: A request hy Julia C. HaD for a Therapeutic Massage license to be used in connection with Cindy's Hair Salon located at 3003-B Peach Orchard Rd. District 6. Super District 10: Ms. Hall: Julia Cadden Hall, 225 Heathwood Drive, Aiken, Sc. Mr. Sherman: The License Department and the Sheriff's Department have reviewed the application and recommend that it be approved. Mr. Smith: I move for approval. Ms. Sims: Second. Motion adopted unanimously with Mr. Hankerson out. I 5. Discussion: A request by Cindy Poss for a Therapeutic Massage Operator's license to be used in connection with Cindy's Hair Salon located at 3003-B Peach Orchard Rd. District 6. Super District 10. II Ms. Poss: Cindy Poss, 2301 Summit Ct., Augusta, Ga. Mr. Smith: I move for approval. Ms. Sims: Second. Motion adopted unanimously with Mr. Hankerson out. 6. Motion to renew the Sec. 5311 Rural Transit grant application between the Georgia Department of Transportation (GDOT) and Augusta, Georgia. Mr. Johnson: This is to renew our rural transit grant. Mr. Smith: A motion to approve. Ms. Sims: Second. Motion adopted unanimously with Mr. Hankerson out. 1. Presentation by Mr. Wit Brown regarding an incident that occurred with the Augusta Recreation Department. I At this time Mr. Brown appeared before the committee regarding an incident involving the Recreation Department. Mr. Brown: I wanted to have a pool party and birthday celebration for my brother at the Aquatics Center. I was told by the director verbally that I could have the event there and to call back in a couple of days to confirm it. He gave me a price to rent the facility and I came back about a week later to make a payment. I paid Mr. Barksdale a certain amount of cash to hold this event for a certain number of hours. I really didn't get any stipulations about the rules I needed to follow. About three weeks later I received a call letting me know that I wouldn't be able to use the facility. When I asked why, he couldn't exactly explain the reason for the cancellation. I had to try to find an alternate location for the party and finally found something downtown, but I had to physically pass out fliers on the night of the event to let people know about the location change. I feel that I was not treated fairly in not receiving appropriate notice ahead of time if the event was going to be cancelled. I also feel that my race may have played a part in my event being cancelled. I am asking you to look into these charges involving my situation in this case and I'm asking for some compensation as restitution. Mr. Chairman: What is the cost of the damages? I 2 I I I Mr. Brown: It is upwards of$3,500. Mr. Hankerson: Did you have a signed contract? Mr. Brown: I do not have a signed contract and did not get the money back that I had put down as a down payment. After further discussion, Mr. Beck stated that the department provides equal access and treatment to all people and citizens that are served. Discrimination would never be condoned by the department. Mr. Barksdale: I met with Mr. Brown on a Tuesday and he said he would be in on Thursday to make a payment. We close at 4:00 on Saturday so the event would be from 5 :00 to 9:00 p.m. on that day. A birthday party lasts two hours and is $150. He wanted to be there four hours so I did that for $300. It was to be 30 to 40 people on our main floor to listen to a CD with a musician. I was going to be there and I did ask a lifeguard to work the event just to have an extra person there. He came in on Thursday, paid the $300 and I wrote him a receipt. A lifeguard came in and said that she had seen a flyer at the Chinese restaurant at Daniel Village about the Aquatic Center. It said there was a $500 first prize reward for a contest, $5 to enter the door, $10 for VIP and none of this had been discussed with me. I called him and said it was cancelled because we could not accommodate a large number of people with only two staff people. He came back to the Center and I gave him his $300 in front of our receptionist and other staff members were there. I did not call other centers for him but gave him the numbers of our other facilities to contact. There is nothing we charge $1300 for at the Center. We base our figures on numbers at the pool. We have one lifeguard per 25 swimmers. Ifwe have 50 swimmers in the pool, we cannot let anyone else in and we refer them to another pool. Mr. Williams stated that he felt the public should come first in the use of the facilities. He noted that he was more concerned about the receipt. Mr. Barksdale stated that he had been disciplined by his supervisors about the procedures conceming the receipt. Mr. Russell: I would appreciate the opportunity to work with Mr. Brown and our department to reach a solution regarding this matter. Mr. Chairman: I'm going to ask for a motion to have the Administrator work with the Rec Department and Mr. Brown to see if they can come to some mutual understanding. Mr. Smith: So move. Ms. Sims: Second. Mr. Hankerson: Will that come back here? 3 Mr. Chairman: We can have the Administrator bring the results of the meeting back to this committee here. { I Mr. Hankerson: Can the motion be so amended? Mr. Smith: I'll second it. Mr. Mays noted that all rules and regulations should be carefully discussed with anyone who wishes to use the recreation facilities. After further discussion, the motion was adopted unanimously with Mr. Hankerson out. 7. Discuss recently purchased School Board properties in the Laney Walker area. (Requested by Commissioner Williams) Mr. Williams: 1 have some pictures to pass out to show some dilapidated properties in this area. These homes look terrible, someone could be injured in them and I think we need to get our attorney to contact the School Board to get someone to address it. Mr. Chairman: We're going to direct the attorney to meet with the School Board and see if they can get these houses demolished to keep people from getting hurt. I Mr. Smith: I so move. Ms. Sims: Second. Mr. Chairman: We'd like a report from the attorney on this back at our next meeting. After a short discussion, the motion was adopted unanimously. ADJOURNMENT: There being no further business, the meeting was adjourned. Lena J. Bonner Clerk of Commission nwm I. 4 ... -.' . -.' ..-) I I - - - r-J I. PUBLIC SERVICES AGENDA COMMmEE ROOM - June 21, 2004 12:30 P. M. 1. Presentation by Mr. Wil Brown regarding an incident that occurred with the Augusta Recreation Department. 2. Presentation from the Augusta Museum of History. (Requested by Commissioner Sims) 3. New Ownership: A.N.04-26: A request by Shatera Prince for an on premise consumption Liquor & Beer license to be used in connection with Club Secrets located at 1370 Gordon Hwy. There will be dance. District 1. Super District 9. 4. Discussion: A request by Julia C. Hall for a Therapeutic Massage license to be used in connection with Cindy's Hair Salon located at 3003-B Peach Orchard Rd. District 6. Super District 10. 5. Dis.cussion: A request by Cindy Poss for a Therapeutic Massage Operator's license to be used in connection with Cindy's Hair Salon located at 3003-B Peach Orchard Rd. District 6. Super District 10. 6. Motion to renew the Sec. 5311 Rural Transit grant application between the Georgia Department of Transportation (GDOT) and Augusta, Georgia. 7. Discuss recently purchased School Board properties in the Laney Walker area. (Requested by Commissioner Williams)