HomeMy WebLinkAboutAugusta Port Authority Minutes December 17, 2009
Minutes Augusta Port Authority Meeting
Thursday December 17, 2009 - 9:00AM
Port Authority Chairman, Frank Carl, called the December meeting to order at 9:10 AM by asking
everyone present to introduce him/herself. Present were Authority members Catherine Thompkins,
Lawrence Washington, Mildred Irish, and Frank Carl and guests Gene Gilbert, Michael Cobb, Bill
Bricker, Larry Walcott, Garrett Weiss, Chrislynne Kuhlke, Robert Brown, Jeff Banks and Johnny
Christian.
No additions were proposed for the agenda. The acting secretary for the October meeting was
absent and no minutes had been submitted to the chair, therefore, there were no written
minutes to approve.
Johnny Christian passed out copies of the Marina Report (attached). Discussion ensued about
stabilization of the riverbank. It was concluded that several sections of riverbank in the riverfront area
need stabilization including the three mentioned in the Marina Report. Frank indicated that there is a
plan in progress not only to stabilize the riverbank but to improve the entire riverfront area from the
warehouse upstream through the Riverfront Marina. A letter to that effect was sent to Mayor
Copenhaver and City Administrator Russell. Specific designs for that work will be solicited.
Bids will be sought for replacing the warehouse dock, but an agreement on the basic design of the dock
must be reached before those bids can be solicited. Currently the marina operator wants a dock with
24” freeboard, the Rowing Club wants a dock with 8” freeboard and the representatives from the
Southern Nationals have no preference. There was some discussion about building a dock that has
both an 8” freeboard and a 24” freeboard. Gene Gilbert volunteered to find out from his sources
whether that could be done and how much more expensive it might be.
In response to the complaint by the marina operator that he was being billed for water that was leaking
from city owned pipes on city owned property, Frank volunteered to present that case to the Utilities
Department.
Chrislynne indicated that repairs to the water heater in the gift shop restrooms had been ordered and
that those repairs should be completed soon.
Chrislynne indicated that if the marina operator supplied her with a list of delinquent customers that she
would see that he would get notified if the boats of any of those delinquent customers were locked
downstream.
Frank reported that he had received a letter from Col Edward J. Kertis, Commander of the Savannah
District of the Corps of Engineers in response to his request for an analysis of the weed problem in the
waters backed up by the New Savannah Bluffs Dam. Col. Kertis indicated that a team from the Corps
would be assembled to analyze our aquatic weed problem. It went on to state that the solution that has
been working best for them is lowering the lake level to expose the weed and spraying it with an
aquatic herbicide. They will contact us when the team has been assembled.
Bill Bricker reported that funds had been raised from private sources to supplement the city funds that
had been promised to hire a harvester to mow the weeds in the race course for the Head of the South
Regatta. Ken McInnis, the same contractor who was hired to minimize the weeds for the Ironman
swimming course, was hired to minimize the weeds for the Regatta. Mr. McInnis requires a three day
minimum to move his equipment to a site. It was estimated that it would take him at most two days to
mow the weeds on the regatta course, so money was solicited from Waters Edge to bring the funding
up to the three day minimum. The efforts of Mr. McInnis concentrated on the regatta course for a day
and moved to Waters Edge for the other two days. The city has requested to be reimbursed for the day
that the city paid for that Mr. McInnis spent at Waters Edge. Gene Gilbert and Bill Bricker volunteered
to work out that reimbursement.
With the encumbrances for security and advertising for the regatta Chrislynne Kuhlke reporting for the
Finance Committee said that we were broke and that we had no more funds to encumber and that any
additional expenses would have to wait until the 2010 budget was finalized. She also indicated that we
have not received the financial report from the Southern Nationals. And finally, the numbers are not in
yet for the 2010 budget, but we can expect some cuts.
Frank reported for the Administrative Committee. He indicated that absent feedback from the legal
department we cannot proceed on the surcharge issue unless we want to force the legal department by
taking action and making them react. He presented a list of the appointees to the Authority and the
districts they were appointed from and the expiration dates of their appointments. Appointments from
odd numbered districts (1,3,5,7,9) expire March 31, 2010 and appointments from even numbered
districts (2,4,6,8,10) expire March 31, 2011. State law allows appointees continue in office until they
have been replaced by an appointed successor, they resign, or they miss three consecutive regularly
scheduled meetings at which time they will have been assumed to have resigned. The current
composition of the Augusta Port Authority as of January 2010 is attached.
Frank reported that he had also registered the Authority for 2010 with the Georgia Department of
Community Affairs and updated the composition of the Authority on their website..
Frank reporting for the Facilities Improvement Committee indicated that the riverside utilities trough of
the new public dock above the Boathouse had been covered with a fitted aluminum cover, but that the
land side trough remained a trip hazard.
Security for the riverfront near the Boathouse and the Port Authority Building were discussed. A bid
from Estroff Protective Services has been received. Wayne Hawkins and Gene Gilbert are working on
gathering two other bids.
2010 Event Dates
Day in the Country – May 2
Southern Nationals – July 16-18
Wake Board Championships – July?
Paddlefest - August 21
Iron Man 70.3 – September 26
Coastal Plain Meander ?
Head of the South Regatta – November 12-13
Christmas Parade – December 3
Robert Brown and Gene Gilbert agreed to reset wandering buoys twice each year if the Port
Authority pays for the gas for the modified pontoon boat used to reset buoys.
Larry Walcott presented an informal idea to create a restaurant on a barge tied to the idle dock
supports between the Port Authority Building and the Warehouse. The Port Authority asked him
to come back with more detailed plans about he would meet the permitting requirements for
such an endeavor.
Frank announced that the next meeting would be February 18, 2010, 9:00 AM at the Boathouse.
Respectfully submitted, Frank Carl, Acting Secretary