HomeMy WebLinkAboutCalled Commission Meeting April 17, 2012
CALLED MEETING COMMISSION CHAMBER
April 17, 2012
Augusta Richmond County Commission convened at 4:30 p.m., Tuesday, April 17, 2012,
the Honorable Deke Copenhaver, Mayor, presiding.
PRESENT: Hons. Lockett, Guilfoyle, Mason, Smith, Hatney, Aitken, Jackson, and
Bowles, members of Augusta Richmond County Commission.
ABSENT: Hons. Brigham and Johnson, members of Augusta Richmond County
Commission.
Mr. Mayor: We have a quorum and in the interest of everybody’s time, I’ll go ahead and
call the legal meeting to order. And first wanted to recognize Mr. Russell.
Mr. Russell: Yes, Mr. Mayor, as a point of personal privilege I want to trespass on your
time for a couple of minutes. As you know several weeks ago we made the decision to move
forward with the sale of the bus barn through the Land Bank Authority to developers to bring in
the Wal Mart grocery store. That generated a lot of conversation about that entire piece of
property there. I think that conversation has ended in a fairly good result at this particular point
in time. I’ve got a couple of gentlemen here with me that I’d like to introduce and they range
from people representing the community to people representing the Foundation and developers
here that have worked with us in this. And what that’s done is created a partnership to where we
as a community, the combined universities, MCG Foundation, is not only looking at that small
piece of property that we had in that area but that whole corner, the 15 or so acres there totally,
that includes that parking lot and attempting to make that into an area that would reflect not only
as a great gateway to our community but a great gateway to the university and an opportunity to
provide both retail and other parts of that community that would benefit everybody. I just
wanted to take a second to introduce them as a group that took a call that we made and has
actually helped that blossom a little bit into a whole lot bigger thing for the community. And I
just wanted to express my appreciation for that as we move forward. We’ve got Jim Hull, Cedric
Johnson, Mr. McKnight and Vic Mills. Mark is not here but they told me he wasn’t here. But
these gentlemen have come together; they represent some of the bigger and better developers we
have in our community and I’m just excited about that potential as I think each and every one of
you are as we move forward with that and I just wanted to take a second to do that. If you have
any questions, we’d be happy to try to respond but it’s a little premature to talk details but I did
want you to get a big picture of what we’re doing to work together here.
Mr. Mayor: Commissioner Lockett.
Mr. Lockett: Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I would just like to welcome them aboard and I
look forward to working with you.
Mr. Mason: Ditto.
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Mr. Mayor: And I just want to say it’s been a pleasure to see people come together to
work for the betterment of the community as a whole, the development community, the new
combined university and everybody involved and this is what we need to always shoot for is the
win/win and I want to thank you gentlemen as well.
Mr. Aitken: Mr. Mayor, I just want to comment, thank you, Mr. Mayor, on just the
district and what we’re seeing in our city is a very unique thing right now. Relationships are
being built and the direction that we’re going and all of us working together, pulling together
with the airport and the development and the developers and banks and community and all of
that so it’s a very exciting time for us in the city of Augusta. Whatever I can do and I’m sure is
the sentiment’s here that whatever we can do to support that especially as we look at the needs of
the community. Thank you.
Mr. Mayor: Thank you. Gentlemen, thank ya’ll for being here. Mr. MacKenzie.
1.LEGAL MEETING
A. Pending and potential litigation
B. Real estate
C. Personnel
Mr. MacKenzie: I would entertain a motion to go into a closed legal meeting to
discuss personnel and pending and potential litigation.
Mr. Guilfoyle: So move.
Mr. Lockett: Second.
Mr. Mayor: We have a motion and a second. If there’s no further discussion,
commissioners will now vote by the usual sign of voting.
Mr. Hatney out.
Motion carries 7-0.
Mr. Mayor: We are in legal.
[LEGAL MEETING]
Mr. Mayor: We do have a quorum so in the interest of time, I’ll go ahead and call the
meeting back to order. Mr. MacKenzie.
2.Motion to authorize execution by the Mayor of the affidavit of compliance with
Georgia’s Open Meeting Act.
Mr. MacKenzie: I would entertain a motion to execute the closed meeting affidavit.
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Mr. Mayor: Do we have a motion to that effect?
Mr. Mason: So move.
Mr. Guilfoyle: Second.
Mr. Mayor: We have a motion that’s been property seconded. Commissioners will now
vote by the usual sign of voting.
Mr. Hatney and Mr. Smith out.
Motion carries 6-0.
Mr. Mayor: If there’s no further business to come before the body, we stand adjourned.
[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 Called Commission meeting held on April 17, 2012.
________________________
Clerk of Commission
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