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HomeMy WebLinkAboutCalled Commission Meeting March 24, 2014 CALLED MEETING COMMISSION CHAMBER March 24, 2014 Augusta Richmond County Commission convened at 12:00 Noon, Monday, March 24, 2014, the Honorable Deke Copenhaver, Mayor, presiding. PRESENT: Hons. Lockett, Guilfoyle, Mason, D. Smith, Williams, Fennoy, Johnson, Jackson and G. Smith, members of Augusta Richmond County Commission. ABSENT: Hon. Davis, member of Augusta Richmond County Commission. Mr. Mayor: In the interest of time I’ll go ahead and call the legal meeting to order. Mr. MacKenzie. Mr. MacKenzie: We have several items on there in order and whatever the preference of the committee we have a legal meeting if you want to do these other two items first. Mr. Mayor: That would be great so I’ll just turn it over to Ms. Allen. Ms. Allen: Mr. Mayor and members of the Commission, we thought we were going into legal first. Mr. Mayor: We can if you – 1.LEGAL MEETING A.Pending and potential litigation B.Real estate C.Personnel Mr. MacKenzie: We can do that. I’ll entertain a motion to go into a closed meeting to discuss personnel and pending and potential litigation. Mr. Lockett: So move. Mr. Fennoy: Second. Mr. Mayor: We have a motion that’s been made and properly seconded. Commissioners will now vote by the usual sign. Mr. Johnson, Mr. D. Smith and Mr. Jackson out. Motion carries 6-0. Mr. Mayor: We are in legal. [LEGAL MEETING] 1 Mr. Mayor: 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. Mr. Lockett: So move. Mr. Mason: Second. Mr. Mayor: We have a motion that’s been made and properly seconded. Commissioners will now vote by the usual sign. Mr. Williams abstains. Mr. D. Smith and Mr. G. Smith out. Motion carries 6-1. Mr. Mayor: Mr. MacKenzie. Mr. MacKenzie: That’s all I have. We can proceed with the rest of the special called meeting. Mr. Mayor: Ms. Allen. . Item 1 on the add-on Ms. Allen: Yes, sir, Mr. Mayor and members of the Commission agenda is a discussion of the Alternative Procedures Pilot Program – Debris Removal. FEMA has actually provided us with the public assistance pilot program that they have entered into and what we need is basically a decision from the Commission as to whether or not this is the (inaudible) we want to go in. I’m going to let Steve discuss a little bit what this alternate program is and then you can decide as to whether or not you want to proceed in this manner. Mr. Cassell: The alternative program was developed after Hurricane Sandy was to allow, to give you an incentive to clean up things quicker. What it does is you get accelerated debris removal (inaudible) increased cost share and the quicker you do things. I touched on this at the last special called meeting but you get an 85% reimbursement for everything you do zero to thirty days. Thirty-one to ninety days you get an 80% reimbursement and then ninety-one to 180 you go back to 75%. There’s really, there’s not a disincentive to do this. Otherwise you just get a 75% so there’s an increased incentive to do it quicker such as the way we’re doing it. We’ll be getting out of here in less than 180 days and I think it’s up to ya’ll how you do it. Mr. Mayor: So it’s the recommendation of Ms. Allen and Mr. Cassell, that would be staff recommendation to move forward with that? Ms. Allen: Yes, sir. Mr. Mayor: Commissioner Williams. 2 Mr. Williams: Yes, sir. And in doing this, Steve, what would that do for the local haulers? Would it help them in any way? Would that still be an outside source for the people who come in here or would you be able to cooperate with the local businesses here? Mr. Cassell: This purely involves the city reimbursement. So whatever we have, no matter who it is to, everything we did within that first thirty days would be at 85% reimbursement to the city. It doesn’t impact what contractors – Mr. Williams: In other words it’s going to remain the same if the contract we’ve got now that outside agencies come in, it’s just going to help us with the finance part of it. Okay. Mr. Cassell: In addition we’ve been researching some grants that would be available from this cleanup. There’s some (inaudible), 404, 406 type grants that help blighted communities recover that you use your federal disaster funds to offset that. We have more information on that. Mr. Mayor: Thank you. Commissioner Fennoy. Mr. Fennoy: Steve, once it’s been determined that the cleanup is over, if there’s some areas or neighborhoods that still have debris, will they be able to get someone to come by and pick that up? Mr. Cassell: Well, here is basically the way it’s going to work. From this day forward we’re starting at the Savannah River and just sweeping south. You’re going to hit every street, every roadway so beginning next week, if you’re still getting complaints about people not having anything removed, that would be the time to call us. After they clear a road, a quality assurance supervisor will go down there and take a picture or whatever documentation they need and from that point forward that street is under its normal solid waste contract. So this will be most of the debris. There may be some little piles, needles and stuff like that and we’ll have to come back and have our Solid Waste Department pick up as far as their normal collection but we’re sweeping every street starting today. Mr. Fennoy: Sweeping? Mr. Cassell: I mean they’re getting all the piles. Mr. Mayor: Commissioner Mason and Commissioner Guilfoyle. Mr. Mason: All right, Steve, I thought I was finally going to see some street sweepers out there. So you’re telling me as you stand there today in a nice tie and blazer that every street will be done in a week before this piece is over. Mr. Cassell: Right. Mr. Mason: So you’re telling me in a week that every street will be swept that hasn’t been done in six weeks. 3 Mr. Cassell: They’ve spent the last two weeks with a heavy roll out. (inaudible) more than 75% of what was still countywide is gone. So they’re coming through, some of these roads they’re coming through today don’t have anything left. They just have a little bit left. So once we got it, at some point stop that and start closing out streets. And so that begins today and we’ll move south. The contract has a performance bond so whatever, they’re not leaving until it’s done. Mr. Mason: Okay, because I’ve got some real concerns I think I mentioned this to you before that there’s, as you well know, there’s areas that haven’t been touched once let alone a final time. Mr. Cassell: Right. Mr. Mason: So I’ve got some real concerns about those areas and whether or not the pickup will happen. I certainly hope it does because that stuff has been sitting out there. It’s turned brown and all kinds of colors now that it’s been sitting out there so long and some of the problems that it can cause on folks’ yards, up underneath that, once they remove it that’s going to be a problem for them to get their yards back the way that they were before then. I’m just throwing it out there. I’m trying to grasp the idea of getting every street in a week that hadn’t been gotten to in six weeks. I’m having some problems with that so I understand that they’re not going to be stopping and totally taking all the time as if stuff was already there so if there’s nothing there, they’ll be rolling through and go on to the next street. Mr. Cassell: Yesterday was the last day to have debris on the street so anything that was on the street, it’s not there this morning (inaudible) but that’s the last day. Mr. Mason: So you’re starting at what end and going towards what end? Mr. Cassell: We’re starting at the Savannah River and coming down. Mr. Mason: So that means south is towards the end of that. Mr. Cassell: Right. There are several reasons for that. One is the site that we’re using as a temporary debris site (inaudible) so we have a second debris management site at the Landfill so what we’re trying to do is get everything within 15 miles of the Landfill and then (inaudible) and it’s pretty much (inaudible) hauler resources up here and going down. Mr. Mason: Of course you fully realize that some haven’t got that one. Mr. Cassell: They’re going to get it. Mr. Mason: Yeah, I just don’t like the way they’re getting it. Mr. Cassell: I understand. I hear you clearly but this was the way they recommended doing it because of the debris management site down there at the fairgrounds. We have to have th that cleared by the 26 and we had to have it cleaned out. The way our contract with AshBritt 4 works is there is a different haul rate for zero to fifteen miles and it goes to a different haul rate for 16 to 31 so the closer area for that so that we don’t kick that second haul rate (inaudible). Mr. Mason: Well, I think what I’m going to do is I’m going to give you my cell phone, my government cell phone after this week so you can take all those calls I’ve been getting. Mr. Cassell: You can shoot emails up. I’ve been answering emails all weekend and I’ve talked to several citizens. We’ll take the phone calls. We can tell them where the trucks are (inaudible). Mr. Mayor: Commissioner Guilfoyle. Mr. Guilfoyle: Steve, I know I have been in communication with you and AshBritt over these past few weeks, emailing and I know that you’re getting tired of me emailing about the roads. One question that came up yesterday from a resident in Goshen and he was using words I can’t say right now and he could not figure out why the trash truck picked up everywhere around him and he’s watching the truck pick up the debris on the opposite side of the road but left his. Mr. Cassell: They’ve had to deal with parked cars, decorative fences, there’s some different equipment that has to come and get some of it. Some is stacked so high that the grab hooks can get into the power lines so they have monitors with them to get everything that they possibly can and if they can’t get a pile, there’s a reason for it. Mr. Guilfoyle: I know that Hephzibah McBean Road, maybe a week ago, they had to get the Sheriff’s Department – Mr. Cassell: That’s another issue, the higher speed roads require the police and the Sheriff’s Department had some resources dedicated and if Commissioner Smith has anybody from the state highway patrol that can help as well – Mr. Guilfoyle: Can you get help from the local Sheriff’s Department? Mr. Cassell: Yes, we can, but he’s still got to do what they normally do so it will be where we work with the shifts. They promised more resources this week but we’ve also been hiring off duty – Mr. Guilfoyle: (inaudible) Mr. Cassell: Keep in mind that Hephzibah has opted out. Mr. Guilfoyle: The city limits of Hephzibah has, I realize that, but Hephzibah McBean Road and Highway 25, Highway 56, (inaudible). I don’t understand what the mindset of the Mayor out there was for doing that. Mr. Mayor: Commissioner Williams, did you have your hand up? Then Commissioner Lockett. 5 Mr. Lockett: Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Mr. Cassell, in going around I find that there are many yards, some in the front but primarily in the back where trees have fallen, limbs have fallen and so forth, that for some reason or another the occupant has chose not to put it on the street. Will there any action with your department and Code Enforcement or something down the road to make sure that these people take action and we won’t find rotten trees five years from now from this ice storm that we had? Mr. Cassell: You would have to contact Code Enforcement. There are volunteer organizations in town helping the elderly and people like that who couldn’t get the stuff out to the street. They’ve finished their work. Mr. Lockett: Lastly I think you mentioned blight. Will there be a possibility of any grant money for blight that wasn’t caused by the ice storm, blight that was preexisting? Mr. Cassell: Yes, that’s what that program is for. There are different programs that we’re looking into and I’ll have some information on Wednesday about those. Mr. Lockett: Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Mr. Mayor: Mr. Mayor Pro Tem. Mr. Johnson: Thank you, Mr. Mayor. Steve, I did see them out this weekend actually on Boy Scout Road, the trucks along there picking up debris so I do understand it is a process and actually while you were speaking I got a phone call about the same situation. Everybody on one street was picked up except one lady but I know you all have prepared a statement for the press. Of course some people are thinking that today is the last day but they got it confused with the last day of putting debris out on the street yesterday so they were thinking that the last day is today on pickup. So for all media out there today is not the last day for pickup. It will be the st 31 which is next Monday so we need to make sure we get that out there because people are calling based on what they hear on the news or reading in the press but also I do know there are certain circumstances that surround certain areas, like you said before, where those power lines st are hanging so after the 31 of March they will resume the normal pickup in Solid Waste collection which is the 5 x 5 x 10 piles of debris. Mr. Cassell: We sent out a press release to that effect and any street that’s been closed out at this point, we’ll start sending out lists of those as they occur. We’ve got a couple of fluff st days on the 31 to try to get substantial completion but we have the performance bond and we’re not going to release their bond until it’s taken care of. Mr. Johnson: Are ya’ll taking any calls from 311? I know it’s been kind of tough because in cases where like you said before if you do have somebody that’s maybe omitted and this one person on one street and they’re not backtracking and they maybe need to make sure that at least when people do call 311, they can go back out and take care of that. 6 Mr. Cassell: The process that we’re using with 311 is Kellie instead of sending out each individual complaint, she summarizing at the end of the day so she provides a spreadsheet that lists each and every complaint and that goes to our monitor in Leidos and they verify what’s been done. They’re going to close all those out. Mr. Johnson: Good deal, we appreciate that. Mr. Mayor: Commissioner Guilfoyle. Mr. Guilfoyle: Thank you, Mr. Mayor. Steve, just for clarification, Hephzibah, 30815, actually becomes Mr. Mason’s district, Joe Jackson’s district, including Commissioner Fennoy – Mr. Cassell: It’s just the city limits. Mr. Guilfoyle: Okay, they know the difference between the city limits – Mr. Cassell: Oh, yes. It’s on the map so that they know. Mr. Mayor: Okay, we’ve had a good discussion. Can we get a motion to proceed with the Alternative Procedures Pilot Program – Debris Removal? Mr. Johnson: So move. Mr. Fennoy: Second. Mr. Mayor: We have a motion that’s been made and properly seconded. Commissioners will now vote by the usual sign. Mr. Lockett and Mr. D. Smith out. Motion carries 7-0. Mr. Mayor: Next agenda item, please. The next agenda item, Mr. Mayor and members of the Commission, is Ms. Allen: just for the authorized signature for FEMA Project Worksheets. These are the worksheets that are instrumental in making sure everything is documented for FEMA to reimburse the city their funds. Right now we’re looking for a directive from the Commission as to who they want to have final authorization on signing off for those worksheets, whether it be your EMA Director, your Administrator, your Mayor or what have you and that’s what we’re looking for because they have to be consistent with what we send in to FEMA. Mr. Jackson: I nominate the Mayor. Mr. Mason: I second that. Mr. Mayor: Commissioner Fennoy. 7 Mr. Fennoy: Can we have a primary person and a secondary person or does it have to be just one person? Ms. Allen: According to the Law Department and we made sure they attended that workshop as well, it has to be one person. Mr. Mayor: Somebody want to make a motion to approve the Mayor? Mr. Johnson: I make a motion to approve the Mayor. Mr. G. Smith: Second. Mr. Mayor: I have a motion that’s been made and properly seconded. If there‘s no further discussion, commissioners will now vote by the usual sign. Mr. D. Smith out. Motion carries 8-0. Mr. Mayor: I feel a hand cramp coming on. With no further business to come before the body, we stand adjourned. [MEETING ADJOURNED] Nancy W. Morawski Deputy 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 Meeting of Augusta Richmond County Commission held on March 24, 2014. ________________________ Clerk of Commission 8