HomeMy WebLinkAboutRegular Commission Meeting December 16, 2014
REGULAR MEETING COMMISSION CHAMBER
DECEMBER 16, 2014
Augusta Richmond County Commission convened at 2:00 p.m., December 16, 2014, the
Hon. Deke Copenhaver, Mayor, presiding.
PRESENT: Hons. Lockett, Guilfoyle, Mason, Harris, Williams, Fennoy, Johnson,
Hasan, Davis and Smith, members of Augusta Richmond County Commission.
Mr. Mayor: With no further business to come before the body we stand adjourned and
we will adjourn as quickly as possible the Pension and Finance Committee Meeting in the
committee room. And I would call on Father Robert Fain, Pastor, Church of the Good Shepherd
for our invocation, my Pastor.
The invocation was given by Father Robert Fain, Pastor, Church of the Good Shepherd.
Mr. Mayor: Please join me in the Pledge.
The Pledge of Allegiance to the United States of America was recited.
Mr. Mayor: And, Father Fain, if you could come forward I’ve got a little something for
you. Were you trying to slip out? But I’ll just say thank you for that wonderful invocation and
being my Pastor having you do that for my last meeting in office is very special to me. Office of
the Mayor. Certificate of Recognition given to Father Robert Fain, Pastor, Church of the Good
Shepherd is Chaplain of the Day. On behalf of the Augusta Commission and the citizenry of
Augusta we extend to you our appreciation for the significant contributions and pivotal roles you
played in enhancing the quality of life in our communities through your Ministry of
Reconciliation. The City of Augusta recognizes and applauds your efforts to advance Christian
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and civic excellence. Given under my hand this 16 Day of December, Deke Copenhaver,
Mayor. (APPLAUSE)
Father Fain: (inaudible).
Mr. Mayor: Madam Clerk, on to the presentations.
PRESENTATION(S)
A. Presentations honoring out-going members of the Augusta Commission, the Honorables
Mayor Deke Copenhaver, Mayor Pro Tem Corey Johnson, Alvin Mason and Joe Jackson.
The Clerk: Yes, sir, Mr. Mayor. Mr. Mayor, would you please join us down front,
Mayor Pro Tem, Commissioner Alvin Mason and former Commissioner Joe Jackson, would you
please join us here in front of the dais. And as they make their way forward the City of Augusta
would like to recognize you for your tenure on the Augusta Commission and share our gratitude
for your dedication of service. And I’d like to share the wording on the plagues. It states:
Augusta Georgia salutes and sincerely thank Deke Copenhaver, Mayor for his outstanding
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dedication and service on the Augusta Commission December 12, 2005 to December 31, 2014.
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Presented by the Augusta Commission this December 16 2014. (APPLAUSE)
The Clerk: Next Mayor Pro Tem Corey Johnson for his outstanding dedication and
service on the Augusta Commission January 1, 2008 through December 31, 2014. (APPLAUSE)
The Clerk: Former Commissioner Joe Jackson. We’d also like to recognize his
outstanding and dedication of service on the Augusta Commission January 1, 2008 through
August 25, 2014. Congratulations. (APPLAUSE)
The Clerk: Commissioner Alvin Mason for his outstanding dedication of service on the
Commission January 1, 2008 through December 31, 2014. Thank you. (APPLAUSE)
Mr. Mayor: Shortly after being elected Mayor, Former Commissioner Jimmy Smith was
introducing me and somebody said be good, be brief and be gone. And we’ve got a good little
agenda to go through today but I just wanted to thank everybody for your support through the
years. I’ve been truly blessed to serve as Mayor of Augusta and couldn’t have done it without
working with my colleagues up here on the Commission and city staff who do an amazing job
every day. I’d particularly like to recognize our department heads and say thank you for nine
years of working together. You do an outstanding job and I think you need to know that
particularly how much I appreciate you, I support you and also appreciate your support. So to
everybody involved with the city to our city staff to our Commission I just want to say thank
you. (APPLAUSE)
Mr. Johnson: Well, first of all I ought to thank God who’s ahead of my life for just
giving me an opportunity to be able to serve my community and serve the people. It has indeed
been an honor to be up here and serve the various city that I was born and raised to be able to
help people to be able to change the direction of this city but at the same time do some things
that are making positives changes in this city. And I’ll tell you I had a good group of people in
District 2 to represent. I mean these people are awesome. They supported me you know they
stood by me and I’m just honored and grateful but I’d also like to give again some accolades to
the department heads and those who assisted me with achieving some of the goals that I set forth
when I stepped on in this chamber in 2008. And I couldn’t have done it without my colleagues.
You know I know some of them weren’t here at the time but you know and some are here now of
course but they assisted me they believed in me and as a result they even elected me to be the
Mayor Pro Tem so I’m just honored and humbled at the same time. And I’m truly going to miss
you all but I’m not going anywhere I’m still going to be around I’m still going to be here to try
to help move this community forward and assist the new Commissioner Dennis Williams will be
taking over for District 2. And I will be working with him to help along with the rest of the guys
to try to do what’s best for this community. So again thank you and thank you allowing me to
serve you. (APPLAUSE)
Mr. Jackson: Well, first and foremost I wanted to thank God and the prayers and support
that you guys as a community have supported us through in my family. It’s been an adventure,
it’s something that I’d love to do again if called to do so but for now I’m going to enjoy
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retirement and just take care of my kids. But thank you a lot, it means a lot. Thank you.
(APPLAUSE)
Mr. Mason: First and foremost I want to say thank God for allowing me to have the spirit
to serve. I’m going to do mine a little bit differently. (Unintelligible) says I’ve had some good
days and I’ve had some hills to climb. I’ve had some weary days and some sleepless nights but
when I look around and I think it all over all of my good days they outweigh my bad days and so
I won’t complain. I’ve had some good days I’ve had some hills, hills to climb. I’ve had some
weary days oh yes and some sleepless nights but when I when I look around and I think things
over all of my goods days outweigh, outweigh my bad days. I won’t, I won’t complain.
Sometimes the clouds are low I can hardly see the road. I ask the question lord why, why is
there so much pain. Well he knows he knows what’s best for me. My weary eyes oh they can’t
see but I’ll just say thank you Lord I won’t, I won’t complain. God he’s been good to me he he’s
been so good to me. God Bless You. (APPLAUSE)
Mr. Mayor: All righty, Madam Clerk. I don’t know how we top those presentations but
let’s go to Presentation ‘B’.
The Clerk:
PRESENTATIONS
B. Presentation of the Digital Cities Award to the Information Technology Department.
Mr. Shepherd: I really need to have a talk with somebody that created this agenda to
where I followed Commissioner Mason. Commissioners and Mayor, I just want to on behalf of
the business community in this town and also thank you for your services as well as all of our
other Commissioners. Thank you for everything that you’ve done for us but today first I’m Stan
Shepherd, Regional Director AT&T here in Augusta but I’m not here on behalf of AT&T and
you’ll be glad to know I’m not here on behalf of the Georgia Wireless Association or anyone like
that today. I’m here on behalf of the Center of Digital Government and to present a very worthy
honor today. The Center for Digital Government based in Fulsome, California is a national
research and advisory institute on Information Technology Policies and Best Practices in State
and Local Government. The city is a division of E-Republic, a national publishing event and
research company. Some of their publications are those such as Government
Technology, Governing and Public CIO. I’m sure all the Commissioners subscribe to each of
those publications and read them on a monthly basis. But today I am speaking on behalf of the
Center of Digital Government and the digital communities and the center’s Local Government
Program. And we would like to extend our congratulations to you for your top ten ranking in the
2014 Digital Cities Survey. Augusta placed second this year for the second year in a row up
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from 6 place in 2012. This national survey which is in its 14 year recognizes the successful
digital achievements of cities which improve life for government employees, citizens and
businesses. I’d like to just quickly highlight a new of things that the survey panel of judges
pointed out about Augusta and their accomplishments. They pointed out Augusta’s Open
Government Initiative, Augusta 365, the city’s focus on transparent government seen on the
city’s website your money, a guide to city money matters. The Financial Transparency Budget
Dashboard, additional open government measures including public outreach through Facebook
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of various departments and agencies including Emergency Management, Animal Services, The
Sheriff’s Department, Fire Department and Augusta Regional Airport and their use of data
analytics. The city re-launched its portal in December of 2013 using website matrix and
performance data. And the IT Department reviews analytics on an ongoing basis in order to
make up dates based on customer’s needs and available technology. Citizen Engagement, the
online Community Forum Tool, Community Voice allows citizens to contribute their ideas and
lastly the Citizen Engagement Outreach which started through the GIS System and now Augusta
has an award winning GIS operation that developed a transit system map along with other tools
to aid processes internally to its residents. At this time it is absolutely my pleasure to present to
Tameka Allen and the IT Department the 2014 Digital Cities Survey Winner for 2014 the second
place in the population category 125,000 – 250,000. And again on behalf of the Digital City’s it
is my honor to present this to Tameka Allen. (APPLAUSE)
Ms. Allen: I will definitely be brief. You can’t follow behind all that great singing and
everything that we just had so I will ask that the Information Technology team as many of them
that are here come before you today because as we all know things like this doesn’t, don’t
happen because of one person it takes an entire team to make things like this come through. And
this is the team or some of the team that is responsible for making things like this happen. Not
only to be second in our category but to be the only city in our category from the State of
Georgia to be recognized is truly a big accomplishment. And I want to thank these people
because I am truly, truly so very grateful to have the people that you see before you as part of the
Information Technology Team. So thank you guys for doing everything that you possibly could
do to make this come for us. We’re striving for number one believe me we’re continuously
striving for number one but we’re not going to complain about being number two because we
know it’s only one spot left for us to get to. And I’d also have to give special recognition to
three people who pulled all the information together to make it possible and that’s Michael
Blanchard, Jeff Lewis and also Kristal Singletary. But this team is an awesome team to be a part
of it’s an awesome team for us to be proud of and the citizens of Augusta you know we are
investing and using your funds to do what we are here and challenged to do. So I’d like to also
thank the Commission for their continuous support of the Information Technology Department
and Administration for the support that we actually gathered because it takes all of us. And I’d
also like to thank the department. I think you heard Mr. Shepherd bring up the various
departments that we work with. Those departments have to deal with us trying to push
technology in their arena and they embrace that. So we appreciate working with each of the
respective departments. Again this is truly and honor it is truly and honor to be part of this team
and it’s truly an honor to know that I have people that work with me that are so committed to
doing what’s best for the citizens of Augusta. Thank you guys and thank Stan at AT&T for
presenting this award. (APPLAUSE)
Mr. Mayor: Okay, Madam Clerk.
The Clerk: Yes, sir.
Mr. Mayor: First delegation.
The Clerk:
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DELEGATIONS
C. Rev. Dr. Melvin G. Lowry regarding the creation of a Memorial/Endowment Fund in
honor of the late William Quincy Murphy, Georgia House of Representatives.
Mr. Mayor: And if you could keep it to five minutes please, sir.
Rev. Lowry: I certainly will try. I asked to speak before the Commission Mayor and
Commissioners and wound up in a worship service and reading a sermon but with only five
minutes I’m not sure exactly what you have in front of you. I did send a letter and my reason for
asking for this delegation what I would like to do with my time is to read a letter that I wrote to
Mrs. Murphy and then make my request. I’m writing to you not only as the President of the
Board of Directors of the Neighborhood Improvement Project doing business as Medical
Associates Plus but as true admirer of your late husband Representative William Quincy
Murphy. I do not recall when I first met your husband but I suspect it might have been during
one of the many occasions I had to minister to the needs of some of your neighbors who were
members of my church. I believe your husband has recently been elected to the Georgia State
House of Representatives when the Neighborhood Improvement Project received its first grant to
add a permanent administrative wing to the existing double wide trailer we use for the medical
treatment of citizens living in Augusta who are uninsured and under insured. From the very
beginning your husband was a staunch advocate of the citizens receiving primary health care
from centers like ours rather than depending on the emergency room for primary care.
Whenever you would ask me how things were going at the center I recall one particular incident
when things were not going well and we were facing the real threat of closure due to the inability
to pay our employees. It was not due to the lack of funds it was due to technicalities on how to
assess those funds that the state level, at the state level that was the issue. It was late on a
Thursday afternoon in January and payroll was due on Friday morning. I was headed out of
town for a meeting and did not know what to do. And in my car as I was driving I believe the
Holy Spirit spoke to me and said call Quincy Murphy. As soon as I could I pulled on the side of
the road and called Quincy. To make a long story short because of Quincy’s influence and care
for the citizens of the CSRA we were able to meet payroll and avert the closure of the center.
While Quincy was also an inspiration to me as a minister and pastor it was due to Quincy’s
dedicated service to the people of this community that I ask for and receive permission from the
Board of Directors of the Neighborhood Improvement Project to dedicate our community room
in honor of your late husband. Now I believe God has given me one, at least one last task to
perform in my relationship with the Neighborhood Improvement Project and that is to create a
Memorial Scholarship Endowment fund in this name. Because of why I wrote to Mrs. Murphy I
am proposing of have proposed to the board a $50,000 dollars endowment fund in the name of
Representative Quincy Murphy. I am asking that this Commission consider supporting this
endowment fund at least to the tune of $14,000 dollars. The Board of Directors has already
committed to $14,000 and we’re going to go to the state and ask the representatives of the state
to submit or commit a pledge of $14,000 dollars as well. I know that you are swamped in terms
of budget requests and so what we have said is that we’re not looking for these funds
immediately but over a two or three year period. And in any way form or fashion you might be
able to support us would be welcomed.
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Mr. Mayor: And I will tell you, pastor, and thank you for doing what you’re doing. And
Quincy was a great man and a good friend. I’m not sure what we can, you know, given the
situation but I will commit to making a personal donation to your fund for sure.
Dr. Lowry: I appreciate it. Thank you very much.
Mr. Mayor: Commissioner Mason.
Mr. Mason: Thank you, Mr. Mayor. Melvin, we appreciate you coming forward. Quincy
task or direct our
was certainly a great man and certainly worthy. I would hope that we could
City Administrator to speak with you about specifics and then perhapscome back and see
what we can do if anything
. But at least give it an effort. And so do we need a motion for that
or?
Mr. Mayor: Yeah, would you put that in the form of a motion?
Mr. Mason: I do put that in the form of a motion.
Mr. Lockett: Second.
Mr. Mayor: Okay, we have a motion that’s been made and properly seconded.
Commissioner Lockett.
Mr. Lockett: Thank you, Mr. Mayor. I want to pretty much echo what Commissioner
Mason said. Reverend Lowry, I know that I’ve known Quincy since he ran for State Repetition.
He’s a man of God he was a hard worker. He loved to try and help others and I would hope that
you will find the necessary support to come up with the funding for the endowment. And as a
Commissioner I will do everything I can to help you on to that end. And I just want to thank you
for bringing that proposal before us. Thank you, Mr. Chairman.
Mr. Mayor: Thank you. Commissioner Williams.
Mr. Williams: Thank you, Mr. Mayor. Reverend Lowry, I appreciate your effort and I
support it however I don’t think that’s possible for this body as a body to do that. I’ve got no
problem sitting with the Administrator and discussing it. I think we as individuals could do
something but I don’t think the body would be able to do it because of the taxpayers are not, I
mean if we do it for one we’ve got to, I mean we’re going to create something. So I don’t want
to have you thinking that that’s a worthless solution. And I may be wrong they thrive on trying
to get me wrong up here but that’s no problem and I wish they could prove me wrong on this
incident but I just I’m going to be honest and open with you I want to let you know up front that
I don’t that’s something that and the Attorney hadn’t said anything. I don’t make his kind of
money but he should’ve stepped up and said yes that’s right or not that’s wrong. But I just don’t
believe and I think everybody up here even in this room will support will feel that way that you
feel about helping with that type of effort but legally I don’t think as a city I don’t think we can
do that. But my prayers go out my thoughts go out I’ll do all I can individually to support. And
I think we could probably do like Commissioner Johnson mentioned about a resolution or
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something like that we might be able to do but I don’t want to speak for him. But I just think
that you ought to know before you leave here where the ships are and not assume that they could
be that way.
Reverend Lowry: Just planting the seed, sir.
Mr. Mayor: Okay, we have a motion that’s been made and properly seconded. Mr.
Mayor Pro Tem.
Mr. Johnson: Thank you. Reverend Lowry I was just actually mentioning to
Commissioner Williams that I don’t the board would have a problem if needed to do a resolution
of some supporting that and that would also help raise the funding that you all are trying to
acquire for that endowment. But he’s absolutely correct I know from the body as a whole that
you know it’s kind of tough to even fathom being able to do that. But whatever we can do
support otherwise we want to be on board to make sure we do that so just for clarity.
Mr. Mason: Mr. Mayor, can I ---
Mr. Mayor: Thank you, sir. Yes, sir.
Mr. Mason: --- just a quick follow up. Dr. Lowry, I said that for a reason. Sometimes
we’ve got to take the ‘t’ off can’t and it becomes can. The ‘t’ off of won’t it becomes won. ‘T’
off of don’t add an ‘e’ is done. Can won done. The purpose of my saying meet with the City
Administrator if in fact that’s what she brings back to us than that’s what it is and then the
Commission can do what they want to do as a Commission. But you won’t know if you don’t
ask and so that’s the purpose of my motion. I’m not trying to say it’s going to be this way, it’s
going to be that way but you’ve got to have communications in order to get to the end result.
And if it comes back that perhaps we can then there’s an avenue or if we can’t then we can get
together as a consensus of Commission and say well here, here’s what I’ll do and here’s what I’ll
do and we’ll talk to Dr. Lowry and then we’ll put that in place. So there’s a purpose and a
method for the madness and that’s why I made the motion.
Mr. Mayor: Commissioner Harris.
Mr. Harris: I thought the world of Quincy. He was always so good to me when I was on
the Coliseum Authority. He always wanted to know what I was up to. But as a representative of
the taxpayer’s I can’t see you the money. No I can’t possibly even try to keep up with Deke but I
will certainly make a donation my own self because I thought the world of him. But I just don’t
see the city being able to do it just because somebody else of equal value will come along and
say you know we too would like to have some money and money’s pretty tight.
Mr. Mayor: First off I just want to say I wish I had as much money as you guys think I
have then I wanted to recognize Commissioner Lockett.
Mr. Lockett: Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I second Commissioner Mason’s motion
basically for what he just restated. I don’t know if this is possible but by the directing the
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Administrator to check it out and see if it’s possible she may have some avenues that we haven’t
thought about. And then again she may come back to us and say no it can’t be done under no
circumstances but at least we’ll know we won’t be surmising whether it can be done or not.
Thank you, Mr. Chairman.
Mr. Mayor: I had heard when she was in North Carolina they kind of taught her to grow
money trees like tobacco crops. That may be a rumor but I’m not sure. Commissioner
Guilfoyle.
Mr. Guilfoyle: Thank you, Mr. Mayor. Mr. Lowry, I’d be happy to donate some money
no different than your board of directors has done.
Mr. Lowry: Thank you.
Mr. Guilfoyle: Thank you.
Mr. Mayor: Okay, we have a motion that’s been made and properly seconded. If there is
no further discussion Commissioners will now vote by the usual sign. The motion as made by
Commissioner Mason, Madam Clerk, would you read it back for clarity?
The Clerk: Yes sir. The motion was to task the Administrator to meet with Rev. Lowry
to see if anything can be done for the support from Augusta Richmond County regarding the
Memorial Endowment Fund and report back to the Commission.
Mr. Harris votes No.
Mr. Fennoy out.
Motion Passes 8-1.
Mr. Mayor: Thank you, Pastor. And Merry Christmas to you.
Rev. Lowry: Thank you.
Mr. Mayor: Madam Clerk, next delegation please.
The Clerk:
DELEGATIONS
D. Wells Fargo recognition of the Laney-Walker Development Initiative. (Requested by
Interim Director HCD Department, Hawthorne Welcher, Jr.)
Mr. Speaker: Good Afternoon.
Mr. Mayor: Good Afternoon.
Mr. Young: Thank you for allowing me the opportunity to make this announcement
today. My name is Dustin Young. I am the business banking manager for Wells Fargo Bank
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here in Augusta and also a native of Augusta so it gives me great pleasure to make this
announcement. Wells Fargo honors what we found is being done with the Laney Walker
Development Corporation and for that reason we want to support them financially. The project
brings together two concepts that are very important to Wells Fargo that being community
development and homeownership. Laney Walker Community Development does incredible
work and we are proud to support the community effort that is improving Augusta and making
this city a better place to live. I would say if you haven’t taken the opportunity recently to drive
through the Laney Walker-Bethlehem community you ought to take the opportunity to do so to
see the great work that has been done not recently so much as so over the last five years. And
it’s a process that’s going to continue to require a lot of time to see the full revitalization of that
community. With that said, Ms. Bonner, to present to Mrs. Edith People a check for
$125,000.00 dollars. (APPLAUSE)
Ms. People: Thank you, Mayor and Commissioners, for allowing us to come in today. I
don’t have to tell you how happy I am for Wells Fargo to partner with us and give us money to
leverage with other monies that we have to continue the work in the Laney Walker area. As he
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said if you’ve been down there lately there’s a big turnaround on 11 Street. We just started
Twiggs Circle and it’s continuing to grow. As you know it’s hard to get funding and we like
finding organizations like Wells Fargo that offer grants that we can apply for, monies that we can
put into the program and that will sponsor and work with us. So we’re very happy to have them
partner with us. We as most of you know partner with the Augusta Housing and Community
Development Department and this money will go towards some of our projects with them to
leverage funds that they’re also using. Hawthorn Welcher is with us today, he’s the Interim
Director and I’m going to let him speak and have a few words with you.
Mr. Welcher: Thank you. I don’t want to take away from the actual non-profit who
actually put the application together. But one of the things that I will say here is you know as it
relates to not only the revitalization project with Laney Walker but all projects across Augusta
Richmond County the one of the things that I will definitely do is be sure that I protect the
money of the citizens of Augusta Richmond County by being sure that some but not all of our
money goes into various projects. That allows us to be able to be diversified across all districts.
So what I want to say is just say congratulations to the Laney Walker Development Corporation.
With this funding we’ll be able to put some but not all of our funding across five houses to
provide decent safe and sanitary housing for persons considered low to moderate income. So
once again thank you to Laney Walker and they have been a great partner and will continue to be
a great partner for years to come. And what I want to give to the Commission as well as to
Madam Administrator is the fact that this is our charge, this is the mindset for the department
that you know we’ll take a dollar and look to turn it into five or ten. That is our charge and that
is our promise and our mission. Thank you. (APPLAUSE)
Mr. Mayor: Thank you. And I just want to say to the Laney Walker Development
Corporation to Wachovia to Hawthorne and your department thank you so much, it is so
heartwarming. I had a lady last week Wells Fargo I didn’t name but come up to me unsolicited
and say thank you for this work that the city’s doing in our neighborhood. It looks so great,
thank you for what you’re doing on Twiggs Circle we’re so excited, it’s just being transformed.
And that was just somebody who lived in the neighborhood, you know, unsolicited so all that
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working together is making a huge difference in people’s lives and I just want to thank you for it.
Madam Clerk.
Mr. Lockett: (Inaudible).
Mr. Mayor: What’s that?
Mr. Lockett: I had my hand up.
Mr. Mayor: Oh, I’m sorry. Commissioner Lockett.
Mr. Lockett: Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I just wanted to congratulate you for all of the
work that you’ve done. And I want to extend an invitation to Wells Fargo and you can come as
often as you like to our meetings.
Mr. Mayor: And the checks don’t always have to be that big. Thank you. Madam Clerk,
on to the next delegation.
The Clerk:
DELEGATIONS
E. Ms. Valarie D. Brown regarding Hyde Park residents relocation.
Mr. Mayor: And if you could keep it to five minutes please, ma’am.
Ms. Williams: Good afternoon. My name is Barbara Williams and I’m here
representing the residents of the Hyde Park Community. We the residents of the Hyde Park
Community are again appealing to this body to complete the relocation process for the remaining
74 families. Our main issue is how much longer is this process going to take? We have been
told that we cannot update our homes and as a result many of our homes are leaking, HVAC
systems are going out but yet we would not be compensated if we spent the monies to upgrade or
to repair or fix these items. So we’re asking that do not our lives continue to deteriorate with our
homes. We’re also concerned about the illegal dumping. There is an illegal dump site on
Florida Road, there’s overgrown grass and I do I’m not trying to beat up on the county but that
property is yours and we would like to see you all there cleaning it up because we’re still living
there. We are grateful because this morning the county sent out people to come and clean up the
illegal tire dump that was made in the community and we feel that if we could get more patrols
through the area until you get us out of there that would help us a great deal. We’re also
concerned that there are approximately 51 homeowners and 23 renters, families remaining in the
community. We realize that all of the residents of this community will be relocated. Our
concern is that we were told that the homeowners would be relocated first then the renters then
the land and business owners but that has not been the case. Land and business, land owners and
renters have all been moved and yet there are 51 homeowners still remaining. So we would like
to see a reversion back to the original plan. Also in this matter to help expedite this if you get to
a home and that home does not have all of its paperwork in place, move to the next home and not
hold up everybody and in that way we can move people out because truly we’re looking forward
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to this. We’re also requesting that no more demolition of structures take place. During the
razing process and if there’s someone in our group that knows differently no water was sprayed
on any of those buildings to abate any of the dust, air pollutants or allergens and in the last 30
days we have lost four more residents. So we’re asking that you all would please consider us, do
what you can to get us out of there as quickly as possible. I truly would like to thank our
commissioners, Commissioner Johnson, Commissioner Williams, you take our phone calls, you
listen to us. We’re asking that you help them to get us out. Thank you.
Mr. Mayor: Thank you, ma’am. Commissioner Williams.
Mr. Williams: I don’t know where to start at, Mr. Mayor, it’s touching to hear the
residents come and deal with what they’ve been dealing with. And I just heard all the wonderful
things about Laney Walker and I approve and I applaud all of that. But these people have been
in that situation ---
Ms. Williams: Thirty years.
Mr. Williams: --- I guess for too long. And it does bother me and I’m not in a position to
know about the finances and all of that stuff but how those rentals and the property owners have
been compensated and gone but the people who live there and actually raised their children there
and grew up there themselves they’re still there. I know we’re saying we’re doing all that we
can do but we don’t live in that situation. I know we say we care but our children are not raised
in that community and as we move those people out they’ve been treated less than animals have
been treated. That don’t sound good but that’s the truth. You wouldn’t tear down a home and
not try to stop the dust and all of the stuff that goes on associated with tearing down a home. I
mean we really left a lot of them there, we just walked away from them just like it’s nothing.
I’m going to be quiet because it bothers me.
Mr. Mayor: Okay, thank you, sir. Commissioner Johnson.
Mr. Johnson: I know we have another delegation that’s going to speak regarding Hyde
Park but I’d just like to say and echo some of the sentiments of Commissioner Williams. We
have had numerous conversations with the community and of course there’s been a lot of things
done, there’s been a lot of things done in error. There’s been some mistakes made in the process
and this is a very unique situation. I still receive phone calls to this day asking how do we even
start the process to get it done. I’m grateful in one sense that we were able to get the ball rolling
and to get the families moved. And we still have work to do and I just want the community to
know I know a lot of you are all here today, today is my last day on this Commission but it won’t
be my last day working with this project. This was my baby and of course we’re going to make
sure that everything happens the way it’s supposed to be. We have been in contact with the staff
and they understand the mission now and if you stick around you’re going to hear some things.
We’re going to talk about some stuff today. We have a plan to go ahead and expedite the
process and you’re absolutely right we will not look over or move in other words we won’t focus
on those, you know, who have title issues and overlook those who are ready to go. It is a process
and we will make sure that everybody is treated fair and in a timely manner. So again there was
some mistakes made in this process and if we had to do it all over again we would do some
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things but that’s hind sight now. We know where we are now we know what we need to do
moving forward and you’d better believe we’re going to make sure it happens and the staff
understands that as well. So we thank you all and thank you for just for your patience in this
whole you know process because we know it’s been daunting and difficult and we definitely
understand. And I want you all to know there’s not a day go by that I don’t think about it so just
know that I’m still going to be here and will be working with the Commissioner of the district as
well to continue to make that everything goes according the plan, okay?
Ms. Williams: Thank you very much.
Mr. Mayor: Thank you. Thank you, ma’am. Madam Clerk, next delegation please,
ma’am.
The Clerk:
DELEGATIONS
F. Mr. Jeffery Alan regarding the Hyde Park Relocation Project.
Mr. Mayor: And if you could keep it to five minutes please, sir.
Mr. Alan: Absolutely. Commissioners, I’m here before you this afternoon as out of
conscience and deep concern for the Hyde Park Relocation Project. I implore you to take
immediate action to relocate the 74 families remaining in Hyde Park. As a non-native Augustan
I was shocked and alarmed to learn that this historic minority neighborhood dating back to the
1950’s Segregationist Era under its sustained exposure to potent neuro toxins and deadly
industrial contaminants without recourse to emergency relocation or the criminal civil justice
system for four decades going back to the late 1960’s. In fact it is when the city first learned of
this. As a result residents have died and they have suffered a broad array of serious illnesses
over many decades. Quite simply this status quo is nonintenable moral abomination. No
civilized community can or would allow this state of affairs and obvious manifestation of
institutionalized racism to persist. Make no mistake even if the whole Commission were all and
I know some of you have worked and done things you know to try to move this along as much as
possible. Even if all of you were all African Americans this would still be a institutionalized
racism because multiple studies have demonstrated that race is the single most influential factor
in the location of hazardous waste sites and in fact across the south. The placement of the Hyde
Park Neighborhood in the outlying part of Augusta adjacent to what became industrial areas soon
after its placement is actually fairly common. I’m asking the Commission to search your
respective hearts and ask yourselves if your present response is the same as it would be if you
and your family and friends had lived in this neighborhood for their entire lives as is the case
with many of the current residents. If somebody were to dump lead, arsenic, mercury and other
hard core industrial contaminants into the Commission Chambers, would you even establish a
quorum here or would we evacuate? Clearly this deep southern town of Augusta has yet to fully
shed its legacy of institutionalized racism and the homeowners and hardworking professionals of
Hyde Park are still suffering and dying from rare cancers and a broad array of other physical and
mental ailments as a result of this. None of us and the Commission will ever be able to bring
back the community members who have died prematurely or to fully restore the health of those
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who have been physiologically assaulted by the sustained exposure to these industrial chemicals.
By beginning the relocation you have initiated the path towards justice however 74 of 150
families that originally lived there remain and they face multiple serious health hazards including
contaminated air, dust and soil, contaminated flood waters, lack of proper drainage and other
issues. Many of the remaining houses are now abandoned or partially demolished and this
makes normal community life clearly impossible and it creates further cause for concern. The
demands of the Hyde Park Community many of which you’ve already heard they’re clear. The
remaining residents must be relocated away from this contaminated area as soon as humanly
possible. Residents also asked that the elderly homeowners be relocated first and that the
relocation takes priority over the demolition of old buildings for a few different reasons because
as they were saying it kicks up dust and also they just want to be you know taken out of harm’s
way. The residents are asking for an audit of the funds that have already been allocated and it
does not appear based upon media reports and information available that the commission is able
to fully account right now for how the $4.5 million dollars already allocated to this project has
been spent. These funds must be properly appropriated and supplemented if necessary until the
relocation of all the residents is complete. I hope the Augusta Commission will recognize the
vital moral imperative of this endeavor before you and seek to complete the path to justice.
Mr. Mayor: Okay, thank you, sir, and that’s right on five minutes.
Mr. Mason: Mr. Mayor?
Mr. Mayor: Commissioner Mason.
Mr. Mason: Thank you, thank you, Mr. Alan, for coming before us and sharing that
information. We’re going to get into this a little bit. We’ve got several agenda items on the
actual agenda where we’re going to talk about this so the only thing I really want to say at this
point is that it comes down to accountability and it started with allowing the junk yard in the first
place to get a way basically scot free. And then there’s been some since I’ve been up here on
this commission for seven years who say this is not our responsibility. Well, if it’s not our
responsibility and you don’t believe that it’s contaminated, why did we put up city signs that say
danger? You don’t want you kids to play out there I mean those are signs we put up. That’s
accountability so we can’t say one thing and then turn around and do something totally opposite.
So accountability with the funds and where they went or the process and the protocol or how it
perhaps should have been done it comes down to accountability. So we do have a charge on this
commission to get it right and we do have a responsibility. And quite frankly for those who
don’t feel that this commission should be involved in this I would go all the way back to the
beginning of where we allowed a company to basically contaminate an entire area. That’s where
it goes back to and this governing body did not do all that it could to hold those folks
accountable. So that’s how it fell on our shoulders and we need to act responsibly and
appropriately and get the remaining people out of Hyde Park period. (APPLAUSE)
Mr. Mayor: Okay, if ya’ll could hold your applause until the end please. All righty do
we have any more questions? Okay, thank you, sir. Madam Clerk, on to the consent agenda.
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The Clerk: Yes, sir, our consent agenda consists of items 1-16, items 1-16. For the
benefit of any objectors to our Planning petitions once those petitions are read would you please
signify your objections by raising your hand. I call your attention to:
Item 1: Is a petition for a Special Exception to establish a Family Personal Care Home
on property located at 2818 Sanders Road.
Item 2: Is a request for a change of zoning from a Zone R1-A (One-family Residential)
to a Zone R-3A (Multiple-family Residential) affecting property known as 2132 Lumpkin Road.
Item 3: Is a request for a change of zoning from a Zone B-2 (General Business) to a
Zone R-1D (One-family Residential) affecting property at 940 Greene Street.
Item 4: Is a request for a change of zoning from a Zone B-1 (Neighborhood Business) to
a Zone B-2 (General Business) affecting property at 2320 A Gordon Highway.
The Clerk: Are there any objectors to any of those Planning petitions? Mr. Mayor,
members of the Commission our consent agenda consists of items 1-16 with no objectors to our
Planning petitions.
Mr. Mayor: Thank you, ma’am. Do we have any additions to the consent agenda and
I’m pulling for these. Commissioner Mason.
Mr. Mason: Thank you, Mr. Mayor. I would like to if it’s agreeable with my colleagues
on the Public Safety items 27, 28, and 29.
Mr. Mayor: Commissioner Guilfoyle.
Mr. Guilfoyle: Yes, sir, I was wondering underneath the Finance, Mr. Mayor, I’d like to
add on 30, 37 and 38.
The Clerk: 37 and 38?
Mr. Guilfoyle: Yes, ma’am. Have you, Mr. Guilfoyle have they identified the funding
on 38?
Mr. Guilfoyle: I apologize about that one, 30 and 37.
Mr. Mayor: Do we have, Madam Davis.
Ms. Davis: Mr. Mayor, could we consent 38? We just mentioned that but we did ask for
a funding source and I believe Mr. Cassell can answer that where he did find the funding source.
Mr. Cassell: Yeah, I spoke with Finance and we’ll get it ---
Mr. Mayor: Mr. Cassell.
Mr. Cassell: --- out of our capital fund.
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The Clerk: Can you repeat that, Mr. Cassell?
Mr. Cassell: Out of the capital for 2015.
The Clerk: Okay, capital for 2015. Okay.
Mr. Mayor: You’re good with that with the funding source attached? Okay.
The Clerk: Now you want to add it to Mr. Guilfoyle to the consent agenda?
Mr. Guilfoyle: Yes, ma’am.
The Clerk: Okay.
Mr. Guilfoyle: Thank you.
Mr. Mayor: Do we have, Commissioner Lockett.
Mr. Lockett: Thank you, Mr. Chairman, if it’s okay with the maker I would like to add
agenda item number 22, 40 and 41.
The Clerk: Forty and 41, sir?
Mr. Lockett: Yes, ma’am.
Mr. Mayor: Do we have any further additions to the consent agenda? Do we have any
items to be pulled for discussion? Yes, sir.
Mr. MacKenzie: Pull number nine and delete that one.
Mr. Mayor: Pull and delete number nine?
Mr. MacKenzie: Yes.
Mr. Mayor: Okay. Commissioner Williams.
Mr. Williams: Mr. Mayor, I’d like to get some clarity on 11 and 12 I think, items 11 and
12 and also some clarity on 15.
Mr. Mayor: Okay, so we’re pulling 11, 12 and 15.
Mr. Williams: Yeah, let’s pull those.
Mr. Mayor: Okay.
Mr. Williams: I don’t have a big issue with that I just need some clarity on it.
15
Mr. Mayor: Okay so, yes, ma’am.
The Clerk: The Deputy Administrator just asked that item 22 the funding source for that
agenda item be identified.
Mr. Williams: On 22?
The Clerk: Yes, sir.
Mr. Mayor: Do we have a funding source for 22?
Ms. Allen: Yes, Mr. Mayor, members of the Commission, the funding we got the actual
quote from Ms. Holt and she said it should not exceed $20,000 dollars that is if she has to go to a
higher level of detail when she meets with us. But we’ve identified the funding to come of the
2015 Operating Budget.
Mr. Mayor: Is everybody good with that as a funding source? Okay.
Mr. Hasan: I have a question.
Mr. Mayor: Commissioner Hasan.
Mr. Hasan: Yes, sir, but at the same time great job, Ms. Allen ---
Ms. Allen: Thank you.
Mr. Hasan: --- but also does this approve just to approve to try to get a relationship with
Ms. Holt? None of the previous discussions probably necessarily go with us as much as trying to
get an understanding and clarity of her involvement and getting us to where we are currently
where she would currently charge us.
Ms. Allen: Yes, sir, and if we should need those services that would be that actual rate
not to exceed that amount.
Mr. Hasan: Okay, so at this point in time it’s your understanding, I know we’ve been
here before I’m just trying to get some clarity on it. So if we get her involved, are we trying look
forward to going for a Disparity Study? What exactly are we trying to do?
Ms. Allen: No, sir, it was basically for us to sit down with her to see what we need to do
to make sure that we’re prepared prior to going into a Disparity Study.
Mr. Hasan: Okay, all right.
Mr. Mayor: Okay. Can we get a motion to, Commissioner Williams.
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Mr. Williams: Let me get some clarity on number six too while we have Ms. Wilson
here.
Mr. Mayor: Number six as well. Have you got six up there?
Ms. Wilson: Item number six ---
Mr. Mayor: Yes, ma’am, Ms. Wilson.
Ms. Wilson: --- I’m sorry.
Mr. Mayor: Remember there is a Chair up here?
Ms. Wilson: I’m sorry. Item six basically is a request. We had an overlay that was
placed along Alexander Drive during the time when they were doing construction and now that
construction has been completed, we’re wanting to remove the special setback that was in place.
That’s all that that does.
Mr. Mayor: Commissioner Williams, is that okay with you?
Mr. Williams: Yeah, I got no problem with that, Mr. Mayor, I just know that’s there
some other issues that came up on Richmond Hill Road and some other stuff that we’ve been
discussing with Commissioner Johnson been involved. And when we change this stuff and you
don’t know what changes are being handled then we approve something that we don’t agree with
because we didn’t ask no questions. So I was just getting clarification to make sure that it wasn’t
something that, I’ve got no problem with that one.
The Clerk: So we can take that one off the pull list?
Mr. Williams: You can take that off the pull list.
The Clerk: Thank you.
Mr. Mayor: Okay, can I get a motion to approve the consent agenda?
Mr. Mason: So moved.
Mr. Johnson: Second.
CONSENT AGENDA
PLANNING
1. Z-14-49 – A request for concurrence with the Augusta Planning Commission to approve
a petition by Sarah Ellison, on behalf of Hadi Samadi, requesting a Special Exception to
establish a Family Personal Care Home per Section 26-1(h) of the Comprehensive Zoning
Ordinance for Augusta, Georgia affecting property containing .45 acres and is known as
2118 Sanders Road. (Tax Map 098-3-208-00-0) DISTRICT 2
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2. Z-14-51 – A request for concurrence with the Augusta Planning Commission to approve
a petition by Robert Collier, Sr. requesting a change of zoning from Zone R-1A (One-
family Residential) to Zone R-3A (Multiple-family Residential) affecting property
containing 1.01 acres and is known as 2132 Lumpkin Road. (Tax Map 110-1-027-00-0)
DISTRICT 6
3. Z-14-52 – A request for concurrence with the Augusta Planning Commission to approve
a petition by Kaden and Lindsay Jacobs, on behalf of Ronald McDonald House Charities of
America-Georgia Carolina Children, requesting a change of zoning from Zone B-2
(General Business) to Zone R-1D (One-family Residential) affecting property containing
approximately .32 acres and is known as 938 and 940 Greene Street. (Tax Map 046-2-039-
01-0 and 046-2-040-00-0) DISTRICT 1
4. Z-14-53 – A request for concurrence with the Augusta Planning Commission to approve
a petition by Jon Sullivan, on behalf of Astrid Newman, requesting a change of zoning from
Zone B-1 (Neighborhood Business) to Zone B-2 (General Business) affecting property
containing approximately .50 acres and is known as 2320 A Gordon Highway. (Tax Map
067-0-016-01-0) DISTRICT 4
5. ZA-R-235 – A request for concurrence with the Augusta Planning Commission to
approve a petition to amend the Comprehensive Zoning Ordinance by amending Section 4
(Off-street Parking and Loading) by establishing and updating parking standards to allow
flexible parking strategies that are economical and encourage access management, mobility
and accessibility for all travel modes, such as shared parking lots and/or bicycle parking
that create pedestrian friendly, environmentally sustainable and affordable developments.
6. ZA-R-236 – A request for concurrence with the Augusta Planning Commission to
approve a petition to amend the Comprehensive Zoning Ordinance by amending Section 3-
12 (Area and Setback Requirements)
PUBLIC SERVICES
7. Motion to approve Bid Item 14-212 Diamond Lakes Park Campground Project, Phase I
to C&H Paving in the amount of $627,120.50. (Approved by Public Services Committee
December 8, 2014)
ENGINEERING SERVICES
8. Motion to determine that a portion of Berckmans Road from a point near the driveway
to Jay’s Music Store just off Washington Road to the intersection of New Berckmans Road,
Heath Drive, Cherry Lane, Hemlock Hill Road, Hillside Lane, and McCarthy Drive in
their entirety; and Stanley Drive from Heath Drive to its intersection with the new
Berckmans Road, as shown on the attached plat, has and/or shall cease to be used by the
public to the extent that no substantial public purpose is served by it or that its removal
from the county road system is otherwise in the best public interest, pursuant to O.C.G.A
§32-7-2, with the abandoned property to be quit-claimed to the appropriate party(ies), as
provided by law and an easement to be retained over the entire abandoned portion for
existing or future utilities as directed by Augusta Engineering Department and Augusta
Utilities Department, to be effective immediately by Augusta Engineering Department and
Augusta Utilities Department, to be effective immediately as to each of the above stated
roads, except as to said portion of Berckmans Road which shall be effective upon the
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construction and acceptance of the new Berckmans Road into the Road System of Augusta,
Georgia. (Approved by Engineering Services Committee December 8, 2014)
9. Motion to authorize condemnation to acquire title to a portion of property for right of
way, permanent construction and maintenance easement, and one temporary driveway
easement (Parcel 193-0-011-00-0) 4633 Windsor Spring Road. (Approved by Engineering
Services Committee December 8, 2014)
10. Motion to authorize condemnation to acquire title to a portion of property for right of
way and permanent construction and maintenance easement (Parcel 227-0-095-00-0) 2014
Ebenezer Drive. (Approved by Engineering Services Committee December 8, 2014)
14. Motion to determine that 0.166 acre of right-of-way at the northwest intersection of
Alexander Drive and Old Alexander Drive, as shown on the attached plat has ceased to be
used by the public to the extent that no substantial public purpose is served by it or that its
removal from the county road system is otherwise in the best public interest, and to receive
as information the results of the public hearing held regarding the issue of abandonment
pursuant to O.C.G.A. §32-7-2, with the abandoned property to be quit-claimed to the
appropriate party(ies), as provided by law and an easement to be retained over the entire
abandoned portion for existing or future utilities as directed by Augusta Engineering
Department and Augusta Utilities Department and adopt the attached Resolution.
(Approved by Engineering Services Committee December 8, 2014)
PETITIONS AND COMMUNICATIONS
16. Motion to approve the minutes of the regular meetings of the Commission held
November 18 and December 2, 2014 and Special Called meeting held December 8, 2014.
PUBLIC SAFETY
27. Motion to approve the allocation of funding for the Richmond County Sheriff’s Office
(RCSO) in the amount of $100,000.00 to implement the Department of Homeland Security
(DHS) State Homeland Security Grant Program.
28. Motion to enter into contract negotiations with Ceres for debris removal services
following a disaster for Augusta Richmond County for RFP 14-189.
29. Motion to approve entering into contract negotiations with Witt O’Brien’s for RFP 14-
190A Debris monitoring and financial recovery services.
FINANCE
30. Approve the purchase of 2 prison work detail vans for the Engineering Department-
Maintenance Division. Bid 14-195.
37. Approve a request for refund for prior tax years 2012 and 2013 in the amounts of
$160.69 and $161.10, respectively, for property located at 4410 Boulineau Road, owned by
Willie J. Cunningham. Property Map/Parcel #245-0-016-00-0
ENGINEERING SERVICES
38. Motion to present to the Commission at the next meeting the identification of a funding
source for the painted traffic box project. (Approved by the Engineering Services
Committee December 8, 2014)
APPOINTMENTS
19
40. Motion to rescind the September 16, 2014 appointments of Dr’s. Willie J. Hillson and
Bruce Riggs to the Richmond County Board of Health due to residency ineligibility.
41. Consider recommendation of the Richmond County Board of Health to appoint Dr.
Jamie De Stefano to fill BOH seat (7) formerly held by Dr. Durst.
Mr. Mayor: We have a motion that’s been properly seconded. Commissioners will now
vote by the usual sign.
Motion Passes 10-0. [Items 1-10, 13, 14, 16, 22, 27-30, 37, 38, 40, 41]
Mr. Mayor: Okay, Madam Clerk, let’s go those pulled agenda items first.
The Clerk: We’ll start with item twelve.
Mr. Williams: Eleven.
Mr. Mayor: Eleven.
Mr. Fennoy: Nine.
The Clerk: Nine?
Mr. Mayor: Nine was deleted. It’s eleven.
The Clerk: You pulled eleven as well Mr. ---
The Clerk:
ENGINEERING SERVICES
11. Motion to approve entering into a Preliminary Engineering Agreement with CSX
Transportation, Inc. (CSXT) which will enable CSXT to proceed with certain necessary
engineering and/or design services for the subject project. Also, approve for the Augusta,
Georgia Mayor and other designated representatives of Augusta, Georgia to execute three
(3) Preliminary Engineering Agreements and provide payment in the amount of $21,230 to
CSXT as requested by AED. (Approved by Engineering Services Committee December 8,
2014)
Mr. Williams: Eleven, I need some clarity on what we ---
Mr. Mayor: Commissioner Williams.
Mr. Williams: --- Mr. Mayor, I had this item pulled just to get some clarity on exactly
what are we doing.
Mr. Cassell: That’s part of the Riverwatch I-20 Corridor Improvements over there with
part of that will be getting into the railroad right of way, railroad crossing. And the way the
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railroad works is any work on their right of way they do the work and they have to do the design
but you have to pay for it. So this would be to do the design work for their railroad crossing at
Clausen and I-20, at Clausen and Riverwatch.
Mr. Williams: Clausen at Riverwatch ---
Mr. Cassell: and Clausen Road.
Mr. Williams: Clausen Road.
Mr. Cassell: It lines up with the I-20 west bound ramp.
Mr. Williams: That cost is what we’re going to have to pay them you’re saying, Steve?
Mr. Cassell: Yes.
Mr. Williams: Okay, Mr. Mayor.
Mr. Mayor: Would you like to move for approval?
Mr. Williams: So moved.
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. Fennoy out.
Motion Passes 9-0.
Mr. Mayor: Madam Clerk, next pulled item please.
The Clerk:
ENGINEERING SERVICES
12. Motion to approve bid award of RFP 14-156 Water Quality Management System
Software to Hach Company at a cost of $112,061.00. (Approved by Engineering Services
Committee December 8, 2014)
Mr. Mayor: Commissioner Williams.
Mr. Williams: I see Mr. Wiedmeier is already to the mike. I will let him talk. He did a
great job on yesterday’s, Tom, I’m surprised the media was not there. Sylvia Cooper is always
on point but because she was sleeping all day yesterday she did not come out and see the great
job that was done with License and Inspection, I’m sorry with the tag office and the water
21
department. But she’ll get by there sometime this week I’m sure. Sylvia’s over here okay.
Tom, exactly what is this?
Mr. Wiedmeier: This is Data Management Software that will compile all the data from
our water treatment facilities. Right now we maintain the data at each facility. We saw a need to
compile all that data production data as well as laboratory data. This software will allow us to
keep it all in one place and access it much more readily.
Mr. Williams: I was thinking there was something was going on with the new facility
that we opened up and I’m really pleased with what took place yesterday but I was thinking there
was something going with that. Now this is going to be in conjunction with our own IT
Department that this software is going to be able to not next year have to do another one?
Mr. Wiedmeier: No, sir, they, IT, the IT Department was involved from the very
beginning of this evaluating the software and this was their recommendation as well.
Mr. Williams: So moved, Mr. Mayor.
Mr. Mayor: Do we have a second?
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. Fennoy out.
Motion Passes 9-0.
The Clerk: Item 13.
Mr. Mayor: Did we pull 13? I thought it was 15.
The Clerk: Fifteen? Okay.
ENGINEERING SERVICES
15. Motion to approve transferring the balance of wetland mitigation credits to the
Southeast Development Area Access Project at Augusta Regional Airport as requested by
AED. (Approved by Engineering Services Committee December 8, 2014)
Mr. Mayor: Mr. Ladson.
Mr. Ladson: Yes, Mr. Chair and members of the Commission, on this particular item
mitigation credits were purchased for the Windsor Spring Road Project approximately 8.7
wetland credits were purchased. After they reevaluated we only needed 8.28 and the airport
which has SPLOST funds on their particular with the roadway they have also needed some
22
wetland credit so what we propose to do is take those credits since we already had them and give
those credits to them.
Mr. Mayor: Commissioner Williams.
Mr. Williams: Abie, when I saw transfer the balance of the wetlands I mean it kind threw
me off or so. We’re not really transferring any land we’re just ---
Mr. Ladson: No, sir ---
Mr. Williams: --- what are we’re doing?
Mr. Ladson: --- basically what happens in the way the Corp works if you’re doing some
construction and you have some wetlands and you’re impacting some wetlands you have to buy
credits to where you have to do those credits go to improvements somewhere else within that
strength. So that’s basically why, it’s just basically a transfer of money to basically lessen the
impact someplace else.
Mr. Williams: So moved, Mr. Mayor.
Mr. Johnson: Second.
Mr. Mayor: We have a motion that’s been made and properly seconded. Commissioners
will now vote by the usual sign.
Mr. Fennoy out.
Motion Passes 9-0.
Mr. Mayor: Madam Clerk, we had a Pension Committee meeting right before this and
did want to note there are a couple of people here for that but I wanted to go ahead and pull go
ahead and call item 39.
The Clerk:
SUBCOMMITTEE
Pension Committee
39. Consider recommendations of Pension Committee.
Mr. Mayor: Ms. Williams.
Ms. Williams: The Pension Committee received a request from the 1945 Pension for an
increase in their level of benefits. And there was no recommendation from the committee,
however, the actuary presented his findings in the cost estimates on that and we just wanted to
advise the full Commission that there was no action taken by the Pension Committee.
Mr. Mayor: Commissioner Williams.
23
Mr. Williams: Okay, since there wasn’t any action taken and I didn’t make that meeting
today but I had a talk and spoke with some of the retirees. What’s our next step or what do we
do just leave it in limbo. What do we do now?
Mr. Mayor: I would take it we look to Ms. Williams and also to Madam Administrator
but when we approved the budget it was not funded in that budget so as of now I would say it’s
left the way it is. Correct?
Ms. Williams: That’s correct. There is no funding source identified in the 2015 budget
for any increase in the level of benefits to the pensioners other than their regular cost of living
raise which will take effect in March.
Mr. Williams: So that means I’m still going to get the calls I’ve been getting from the
pensioners then because we hadn’t done anything. Is that what you’re saying?
Mr. Mayor: That’s what, yeah. Can I get a motion to receive this as information?
Mr. Guilfoyle: So moved.
Mr. Johnson: Second.
Mr. Mayor: We have a motion that’s been made and properly seconded. Commissioners
will now vote by the usual sign.
Mr. Fennoy out.
Motion Passes 10-0.
Mr. Mayor: All righty, Madam Clerk, let’s start with the beginning of the regular
agenda.
The Clerk:
PLANNING
17. Z-14-48 – A request for concurrence with the Augusta Planning Commission to approve
a petition by Tequila Vassar, on behalf of Vanesa Scurry, requesting a Special Exception to
establish a Family Personal Care Home per Section 26-1(h) of the Comprehensive Zoning
Ordinance for Augusta, Georgia affecting property containing .72 acres and is known
under the present numbering system as 2509 Meadowbrook Drove. (Tax Map 120-0-640-
00-0) DESTRICT 5
Mr. Mayor: Ms. Wilson.
Ms. Wilson: Thank you. This is a petition by Tequila Vassar on behalf of Vanesa Scurry
requesting a Special Exception to establish a Family Personal Care Home per Section 26-1(h) of
the Comprehensive Zoning Ordinance for Augusta, Georgia affecting containing .72 acres and is
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known under the present numbering system of as 2509 Meadowbrook Drive. This is an
overview or aerial of the property the subject property for today’s meeting is located in the rear.
It is a single family home currently. The zoning is a combination of B-1 and R-1A. The house
that’s located on the property is approximately 1,764 square feet. The driveway that joins the
property is zoned B-1 and the property in the front is used for a church ministry. Surrounding it
as you can see are single family residences in B-2. The applicant is requesting to have a special,
excuse me, a Personal Care Home that will be staffed 24 hours. The existing commercial
driveway that the applicant plans to use is located on the adjoining tract which is partially owned
by the church but they also have ownership rights for access as well. The zoning ordinance
states that special exceptions may be permitted in any zone where such uses are deemed essential
and or desirable. We also have additional criteria with regard to Personal Care Homes. They
may not be established within 400 feet of a lawfully existing Family Day Care home. They shall
not be located in an areas where health, safety and welfare of residents would be compromised
and the Planning Commission shall determine those foregoing requirements and have been
satisfied which at this point they have reviewed the application and that’s what we have for you
today. The staff for Code Enforcement has gone out and done an inspection on this property.
We found a number of items that will have to be corrected should this be approved. Right now
the structure is currently vacant so those improvements will be able to be made pretty quickly if
this were to be approved. There are two bedrooms right now in this home, one is handicapped
accessible. There are several bedrooms that needed smoke detectors. There were issues with
regards to there being debris in the yard and some of what was a consequence of how the
property was vacant. So the applicant thus far has been working on cleaning up the property and
has been moving forward with meeting the codes that we currently have in place. According to
the Georgia Department of Community Health Records we’ve got 34 Personal Care Homes in
the 30906 zip code but there is nothing located within the 1200 feet of this particular property.
We also did a crime analysis with regards to looking at crime data for this area and there’s been
no criminal activity in this area for the past six months. The proposed use will not result in
substantial physical changes to the residence. Right now there’s already a ramp on the property.
Again it sits on the rear of the property. At one time this was a property that had two homes
that’s why you’ve got the unusual subdivision of the lot there. When the new lot was created
they went around the property to insure that it would meet all the appropriate setbacks that are in
place. We also looked at the Georgia Department of Transportation and traffic counts for that
area and the proposed use should not have any adverse impacts with regards to that. And again
after meeting with the Planning Commission as well as doing additional analysis of the property
the staff recommends approval and the Planning Commission recommends approval of this
request.
Mr. Mayor: Okay, Commissioner Mason then Commissioner Smith.
Mr. Mason: Okay, thank you, Mr. Mayor. Just so that I’m clear this location that’s
closer towards the end where the CVS is I mean closer towards the CVS area. Is that, okay now
if I’m turning off of Windsor Spring and making that left onto Meadowbrook Road it’s on the
right hand side? Okay, now isn’t is there a day care also?
Ms. Vassar: It’s a church ---
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Mr. Mason: It’s a church.
Ms. Vassar: --- in front of it where it says the free clothes.
Ms. Wilson: There’s a church right now ---
Mr. Mason: Yeah, the free clothes.
Ms. Wilson: --- this is the property. These are the surrounding properties for this site so
this is the property that’s on the front of the parcel.
Mr. Mason: Okay. I know at one time I see the little, there used to be a day care at one
point if I’m not mistaken but it’s not there now.
Ms. Wilson: That’s correct.
Mr. Mason: Okay, so the 1200 feet it meets all of that.
Ms. Wilson: It meets all of the criteria that’s currently in place and again this is, at one
time this was a house as well so it was two houses on one lot and the subdivided it a couple of
years back and sold off.
Mr. Mason: Okay, so if we approve this today with the conditions that you spelled out
that still need to be done?
Ms. Wilson: Oh, absolutely. They would have to they would have to get a business
license from License and Inspections, they’d also have to pass all inspections. We have started
as I’ve said doing inspections of all of the Personal and Family Care Homes that we have before
this board. And the applicant has a list of what they requirements are that need to be made to
make this a family care home and she can talk further with regards to that. But she will not be
issued a license until those corrections are made.
Mr. Mason: Okay, my final question is do we know the number of personnel you plan to
have six and that’s ---
Ms. Wilson: That’s that ---
Mr. Mason: --- no, no not the staff, the residents.
Mr. Wilson: --- number of residents. That’s right that’s why she is here asking for a
Special Exception because she wants to have six clients.
Mr. Mason: Okay.
Mr. Mayor: Okay, Commissioner Smith then Commissioner Lockett the Commissioner
Williams and Commission Hasan then anybody else who’d like to speak feel free.
26
Mr. Smith: I’m not totally familiar with what the codes are but for a 1790 square foot
(inaudible) you’re talking about six people?
Ms. Wilson: Yes, the code with regards to the square footage for residents is 80 square
feet right now per person. One of the things that we are looking at in the department is
increasing those square footage requirements along with restroom facility requirements for that
but this board has approved smaller Personal Care Homes that had one bathroom. I mean it’s
one of the things that I kind of take issue with.
Mr. Smith: How many restrooms does this have now?
Ms. Wilson: Two. Right now it has two restrooms.
Mr. Smith: Two for six people, okay.
Mr. Mayor: Okay, Commissioner Lockett, Commissioner Williams, Commissioner
Hasan.
Mr. Lockett: Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Ms. Wilson, I understood you to say that there
are 39 Personal Care Homes in zip 30906.
Ms. Wilson: Yes, sir.
Mr. Lockett: Do you have any idea what the numbers of Personal Care Homes of some
of the other districts are, the zip codes.
Ms. Wilson: We have them mapped. I don’t have that information with me now but I’ll
be glad to share that with you all.
Mr. Lockett: Would you say that’s a very high number?
Ms. Wilson: For Personal Care Homes in Augusta ---
Mr. Lockett: (unintelligible).
Ms. Wilson: --- probably not, no.
Mr. Lockett: Okay. I know you said there are two baths. How many bedrooms did you
indicate?
Ms. Wilson: To my understanding and the applicant is here that the interior space
actually includes seven bedrooms, a kitchen, den, living room and office space. There are two
bathrooms, one which is already handicapped accessible. And several of the bedrooms of course
needed to have smoke detectors placed in them as well as a couple of other things with regards to
meeting code but um ---
27
Mr. Lockett: Has there been any opposition to this Personal Care Home from residents in
the immediate area?
Ms. Wilson: Yes, and I believe that several of them are here today to speak to this issue.
Mr. Lockett: Thank you, Mr. Chairman.
Mr. Mayor: Okay. Commissioner Williams, Commissioner Hasan, Commissioner
Guilfoyle.
Mr. Williams: I was just wondering why we didn’t have a photograph of the property
itself versus the property in front of the property.
Ms. Wilson: We do and I’ll go back to it, sir. I’ll try to make this larger, this is not
working.
Mr. Williams: You might want to hire another photographer too because that angle ain’t
too good but.
Ms. Wilson: Okay, I think that you’re right. What you see right in front where the date
is, is the property that is currently owned by the church. That big tall building, that big tall
structure is one of the trailers that is currently on that property. And we have talked with the
church about cleaning up the tractor trailers and storage units in the back of that property. Right
now they’ve got approximately nine tractor trailer units in the back of the property and as well as
some other issues. What you see now is the front the front of this property actually is facing this
fence. And the ministry group that owns the property put the fence up.
Mr. Williams: Is the, I guess the petitioner here? Are they purchasing or are you renting
this property or purchasing?
Ms. Vassar: Renting.
Mr. Williams: Renting. That’s all. Mr. Hasan had his hand up.
Mr. Mayor: Okay and I’ll recognize Mr. Hasan and then Mr. Guilfoyle then Mr. Harris
then but I’d also like to hear from the applicants and if there’s somebody to speak for the
opposition equal time there too. So Commissioner Hasan.
Mr. Hasan: Yes, sir, you just mentioned I’m going to let the objectors speak for
themselves but I just wanted to ask some questions about the process of how you analyze that.
When you establish a Personal Care Home in the neighborhood do you have to get input from
the neighborhood surrounding neighbors? Does that weigh in on your decision?
Ms. Wilson: To be honest with you, no, you don’t have to initially get input. I always
try to make sure that when people come into our office for any rezoning request or any
28
application that they talk with the people in the adjacent neighbors and people in the
neighborhood because it just helps eliminate a lot of phone calls for us. But in this particular
case when you’re talking about a Family Care Home or Personal Care Home there are more strict
guidelines. It’s not like a regular rezoning case where there are other factors that you can
consider when making a determination like this. This is pretty prescriptive though unless there’s
something really, really, really out of whack we don’t have a lot that we can do to hang our hats
on. I mean it’s a protected class there are a whole other host of issues that come when dealing
with Personal Care Homes.
Ms. Hasan: So at your meeting were the objectors allowed to speak have their say?
Ms. Wilson: Absolutely. At the Planning Commission we always make sure that the
people that have objections to all our cases have an equal opportunity sometimes more to speak
and state make their case to the Planning Commission before the Planning Commission makes
their recommendation.
Mr. Hasan: Okay, so in this instance I know like you said pretty much you don’t need
necessarily the neighbors input. Does, how does the house of worship come into play in that
decision or still no exceptions?
Ms. Wilson: Well, the house of worship or the property I mean they are adjacent
property owners. Of course we notify them but it doesn’t, they don’t come into play either.
They purchased the property in 2013 based on our records and we at least hope that there would
be some you know discussion and you know collaboration with them since they are a house of
worship and this person is trying to provide a service that is needed in the community. I know
that there is some disagreement and I think that they can talk about what their issues are but
when we look at these cases we look at criteria that has been set in place. And we kind of have
been able to take it a little step further by going and doing the inspections. In the past no
inspections were done to look at the interior of these units. Now we go in and do a
comprehensive inspection and we make sure that those improvements are made before we issue a
license. And we also partner with the folks at the state as well.
Mr. Hasan: Okay, thank you.
Mr. Mayor: Okay, Commissioner, I’m losing track here. Commissioner Lockett I
believe then Commissioner Harris. Oh you’re finished? Commissioner Harris no,
Commissioner Guilfoyle then Commissioner Harris.
Mr. Guilfoyle: Mr. Mayor, can we listen to the applicant as well as anybody that has an
objection with this building?
Mr. Mayor: That’s what I just made mention of. I was recognizing you ---
Mr. Guilfoyle: Yeah, I’d rather wait.
Mr. Mayor: --- okay. Commissioner Harris, do you want to wait?
29
Mr. Harris: I’m just, my mother in law had to be in one for years and years. They’re
some of the best things going. It keeps these people secure, it keeps them safe. If you all have
no, if ya’ll meet all the requirements in fixing the place up to meet the codes I have no problems
with this because I don’t think there’s enough of them.
Mr. Mayor: Do you want to make that as a motion for approval?
Mr. Harris: I make a motion of approval.
Mr. Lockett: Second.
Mr. Mayor: We have a motion that’s been made an properly seconded. Now we will
here from the applicant and if you could state your name and address for the record please and
I’ll give you five minutes then we’ll hear from a representative of the opposition.
Ms. Vassar: I’m Tequila Vassar, I’m representing the property at 2509 Meadowbrook
Drive. This is our second hearing. When we were here before it was concerns about the house
and it not being appropriate and I pulled some information. One of the concerns were that did
the house have a permit when they added on to the property and I have that information here that
the house does have permits. I had a thorough inspection on the house, I had a licensed
electrician come into the house, someone come in and treat the house for any kind of wood
infestation. So I would go further, I want to go further in fixing up the property but I wanted to
make sure that we got the final approval. And any requirements needed to get my license of
course my partner and I are going to do it. There’s no question. And I brought my provider here
as well and she is going to check the house to make sure that we meet the law requirement.
Mr. Mayor: Okay, thank you, ma’am. Do we have somebody that represents can we see
a show of hands of those who are here in opposition?
Mr. Grimes: Hello, my name is (unintelligible) and I own the property (inaudible). Hello
again. My name is Bishop (inaudible) Grimes ---- thank you so much.
Mr. Mayor: If you could state your address as well please, sir, and keep it to five minutes
please.
Mr. Grimes: I own the property at 2507 and 2509 Meadowbrook Drive. The property
she’s talking about is in the back of 2509. I’ve been there in the church for 17 years and I just
acquired that property next door to the church where we give out clothes, we give out food, we
do things for the community. And my concern is that no one in the area wants it. We have so
many letters where they have certified letters stating that they do not desire it. And my reason
for this because in the past we had them to come and try to burn the church down. We had, that
was the home where probably about four or five blocks away we had some AIDS homes and
other homes in that area where the people have been very disruptive. And the church is filled
with young people, old people and we’re doing a lot of things for the community and that home
if you look in your records it was built in ’65 and that home also its stated that it’s a single
30
family home in poor condition. And look at the pictures you had before you, they did that work
on that home without no permit. I submitted paperwork from the zoning board that showed that
there was no permits for that work that was done. That home was purchased I believe in 2007 by
Solomon which in 2008 he brought us down here he wanted to put a night club in it. Then he,
that was thrown out then in which his son in law got the home was going to make it a Personal
Care Home then he died and then it went over to his wife so they stopped the whole issue. And
then they come in and they are like I said all this work has been done to this home, it’s not no
junkyard in front of that home. We just met with the code enforcement yesterday that came out
the church and spent quite a time in there talking to us. That tractor what they’re saying about
the trailer is storage. We approximately clothe over 500 families per month. That tractor trailer,
it’s not nine of them no, no, it’s only three of them back there. And my other trucks are back
there. Everything is very neat, it’s not out of order I have pictures if you want to see them and
everything was approved. It’s for storage of clothes and for food that you know that’s not you
know non-dairy, no food or things we store anything to feed the community. And now yes she
did come and speak with me somewhat about what she was going to do and we all as a
community ones around there it’s not who we want. It’s not (unintelligible) it’s not, has not and
we have all the letters and all there was no permit on that I shared that with her. I said how can a
home that was in that time built was a single family home all of a sudden go to seven bedrooms
overnight? Something’s wrong and if you look at the picture of that home now, that home didn’t
look like that. I had the reports in 2005 that home was up for demolition to be tore down. It was
in poor condition falling down the ceiling everything was in bad shape but Mr. Solomon came in
and bought that home and did all that work to that home. That home was not looking like that at
all and then once he did not get approved to put a social events center right there then that’s
when they went on and added the ramps and all of that there. That home sits two feet off my
property line. They had water spouts where the water comes off the roof. They had the spouts
shooting over into my property. It’s two feet. Their front porch where the people will be sitting
on is less than two feet off of the property line where I have all my stuff there. And I’m totally
against it and you know whatever ya’ll decide, hey, I’m going to work with you. I’m going to do
whatever you tell us to do but we are against it and we’re against it as a community. As I say the
letters have been (unintelligible).
Mr. Mayor: Okay, thank you, sir, the five minutes is up.
Mr. Grimes: Thank you.
Mr. Mayor: Thank you, sir. Okay Commissioner Guilfoyle.
Mr. Guilfoyle: Are ya’ll ready to vote for it? Is there a motion on the floor?
Mr. Mayor: There’s a motion on the floor to approve.
Mr. Guilfoyle: All right.
Mr. Mayor: Okay, if there’s no further discussion Commissioners will now vote by the
usual sign.
31
Mr. Fennoy out.
Mr. Hasan votes No.
Motion Passes 8-1.
Mr. Mayor: Okay, Madam Clerk, on to the next agenda item please.
The Clerk:
PUBLIC SERVICES
18. Motion to approve an Ordinance to amend the Personnel Policies and Procedure
Manual of Augusta, GA Code Section 1-7-51; to approve edits to the following sections of
Chapters III, V and VII of the Personnel Policies and Procedures Manual relating to
Augusta Regional Airport Personnel: 300.001, 300.002, 300.011, 300.012, 300.013, 300.014,
500.001, 500.104, 500.108, 500.121, 500.308, 500.316, 800.001, 800.001, 800.004, 800.005,
800.009, 800.010, 800.013, and 800.014, to repeal all manual provisions, Code Sections and
Ordinances and parts of Code Sections and Ordinances in conflict herewith; to provide an
effective date and for other purposes. (No recommendation from Public and
nd
Administrative Services Committees November 24, 2014; referred from the December 2
Commission meeting)
19. Motion to approve an Ordinance to amend the Augusta, GA Code Title One Chapter
Three Article One Section 1-3-6 and 1-3-7 relating to the powers of the Augusta Aviation
Board and the powers, duties, salary and title of Airport Manager; to repeal all Code
Sections and Ordinances and parts of Code Sections and Ordinances in conflict herewith;
nd
to provide an effective date and for other purposes. Referred from the December 2
Commission meeting)
Mr. Guilfoyle: Mr. Mayor?
Mr. Mayor: Mr. Guilfoyle.
Mr. Guilfoyle: Yes, Mr. Mayor, both 18 and 19 is probably companion items. And we
have Cedric Johnson here to speak on behalf of the airport. If you would give us a quick
rundown, Mr. Johnson?
Mr. Mayor: Remember, through the Chair.
Mr. Guilfoyle: I am so sorry.
Mr. Mayor: Mr. Johnson, it’s my last meeting, man ---
Mr. Guilfoyle: I know.
Mr. Mayor: --- ride hard over that buddy. Commissioner Johnson.
Mr. Johnson: Mr. Mayor, you said Commissioner, I didn’t know I enough time. But the
only think I want to say there’s an ordinance that’s out there that’s been there forever that created
32
the Aviation Commission. And basically all we’re asking is to be able to do the things that you
as Commissioners and the Legislative Delegation has appointed us to do. And with that comes
the authority for the Aviation, the Executive Director to hire and fire.
Mr. Mayor: Okay. You’ve still got the floor, Commissioner Guilfoyle.
Mr. Guilfoyle: Yes, sir, Mr. Mayor, I’d like to make a motion to approve and waive the
second reading on this.
Mr. Grady Smith: Second.
Mr. Mayor: On both items 18 and 19?
Mr. Guilfoyle: Yes, sir.
Mr. Mayor: Okay, we have a motion that’s been made and properly seconded.
Commissioner Williams.
Mr. Williams: Thank you. Mr. Johnson, I’m not, I’m neither in favor or against I’m just
trying to get some clarity. If that happens would those employees come under the city’s
guidelines or do they come under the airport guidelines? I mean because there’s two distinctions
now. I’m not willing to give them any power that I don’t have to give up whatever the airport
has recommended we have always done but if they’re going to be under a different H.R. system
or different I mean I need to hear some more now and everybody up here’s ready to vote. I
guess they already know they had a meeting I guess and ya’ll didn’t call me. But I need to know
what would that do because we’ve got too many divisions of this government already around
where people on one side handling it one way and the other side handling it another way. So
what would that do if this does pass the way it’s written in there would they be up under the
same H.R or would it be a different setup, or what?
Mr. Johnson: Probably Andrew can answer that better than I could.
Mr. Williams: Okay ---
Mr. Johnson: It would be somewhat under the same but then there are FAA Regulations
that require us to handle some personnel and some other issues differently and that’s how we get
our funding.
Mr. Williams: --- okay, that’s going to create some problems but I’ll listen to my
attorney who we pay very well to sit down there.
Mr. Mayor: Mr. MacKenzie.
Mr. MacKenzie: Sure. I think what you’re really asking is what exactly would this code
amendment do and what would the effect be if it was to go through with respect to airport
employees and I’ll try to give you a summary of that. Obviously there are a number of different
33
provisions that would be impacted here one would be by way of example. For example the
airport is a standalone entity in the sense that it is an enterprise fund so the funds that the airport
generates go back to the airport funding. With respect to hiring new employees this is Section
500.108. Currently the process to have a salary that would be 15% above the starting rate will
require certain approval have to go through H.R., have to go through the Administrator approval
and if it’s over 15% have to go through this board to approve. There’s an exemption that will be
created which would mean it would have to happen for the airport. The airport executive
director would be able to make that decision without having to go through approval levels. As
an example with respect to the policies they would still be applicable to the airport and airport
employees except where places where the Administrator would be they would be replaced with
the Airport Executive Director. So the airport would be in control of its own employees without
having to go through the checks and balances that are currently in place with respect to getting
approval done at the H.R. level and the Administrator level. In summary I mean there’s a lot of
different articles there but in summary that’s what it would do. It gives them the authority and
control not only to hire and fire their employees but to make other employment decisions such as
what’s their salary going to be you know things of that nature that would normally have certain
H.R. approvals that won’t be in place anymore.
Mr. Williams: And that’s my point, Mr. Mayor. Thank you, Mr. Attorney, you did a
good job in explaining it to me. I just think that once we do that it gets out of our hands. As far
as an elected official I think that we need to make sure that we ain’t got to be, you know we hear
people coming in all the time talking about people moving to another side of town for officers or
whatever because they pay them more money. And we’re going to get into a contest here I
believe. I think this thing has been working pretty good, the old saying if it ain’t broke don’t fix
it. I think we need to leave it like it is that’s my personal opinion. I think my colleagues may
understand or may not understand but I just think that we’ve got to be mindful of creating
another whole entity and when you’re talking about a enterprise within itself is enough to
(unintelligible) this government because when it’s an enterprise our hands are tied we really
can’t do very much.
Mr. Mayor: I’ll give you another two?
Mr. Williams: Yes, sir and then we take the little responsibility that we’ve been charged
with because it’s a city airport now. It may be out in south Augusta, may be out on 56 or
wherever but it still belongs to the city and we need to keep our hands and our guidance there to
do what we can to promote it and help it and keep it going, not to hold it back. But we take it out
of our hands and the first thing that someone created once you let it a bird loose it’s hard to catch
that same bird. Now you might catch one but you won’t catch that same one. So I’m saying hey
I’m not, I mean that’s the only reason.
Mr. Guilfoyle: I understand.
Mr. Williams: It’s been working fine so I’m not against it, I just don’t see the relevance
of changing that unless there’s something somebody has not said or stated that I need to know.
But if you take it out of your hands and then people come looking at us about what’s this, what’s
that. We’ve got a fire department out there, it’s too much just too much to consume to me.
34
Mr. Mayor: Commissioner Hasan then Commissioner Lockett.
Mr. Hasan: Yes, Mr. Attorney, I’d like to know how, Mr. Johnson made a statement and
I don’t want you to speak for him per se made a statement about he’s only asking for that with
the legislators pretty much allocating, creating the authority out there, not the authority but the
enterprise fund out at airport. So my question how do we get to this point here? What brought
the necessity for us to look at these revisions and revise the policy or look at the Policies and
Procedures Manual to look at all of these modifications? What caused this at this particular time
if everything was working? And he made mention about the difference in salaries and based on
the local government here and out of the enterprise fund. Has that always been in place?
Mr. MacKenzie: There has been a code section in place which is item number 19. That
has delegated certain powers and authorities to the Augusta Aviation Commission and
specifically delineates certain powers that the airport manager would have. What this would be
an attempt to do is to further clarify those powers. And I’m not trying to put any words into Mr.
Cedric’s mouth but it would clarify what those powers are and it would create some clarity with
respect to the provisions in the Policies and Procedures Manual which weren’t in place when that
legislation was passed. It does shift some authority away from the H.R. Department and the
Administrator into the hands of the Aviation Board and the Executive Airport Director. To
answer your question with respect to how did we get here, this is clearly a policy decision.
Whether or not this board wants to delegate additional authority to that board or to the Executive
Airport Director for airport matters I’m sure there are a number of different instances where the
airport would like to do something and maybe had a hiccup with the existing process that was in
place. I can’t speak to any specific examples but that’s my guess is that this is the airport’s view
of the way they would like to have things done and they’re asking you to give them some
additional authority to be able to do those things.
Mr. Hasan: Okay. So, Mr. Mayor, I’d just like to follow up if you don’t mind. So
you’re understanding about this do you feel that the airport director had hiring and firing
authority just keep it that narrow, do you think they had the hiring and firing power?
Mr. MacKenzie: I think the Airport Aviation Board has hiring and firing power over
their director. I think the language in the existing code section does not clarify; it says
supervision and control but doesn’t necessarily mean hiring and firing. That’s why it is my
recommendation if this board would like to clarify that then this would certainly do what the
airport is asking to do.
Mr. Hasan: What you’re saying it doesn’t say yeah or nay. It doesn’t say it doesn’t have
but it doesn’t say they do have it.
Mr. MacKenzie: I would interpret it that it does not specifically specify they have hiring,
that the Airport Executive Director would have hiring and firing power over their employees.
Mr. Hasan: Well, have they been acting in that capacity? Have they been operating that
way to have hiring and firing power?
35
Mr. MacKenzie: I can’t speak to that.
Mr. Hasan: Mr. Johnson, have ya’ll been acting in that capacity?
Mr. Johnson: Yes, we have.
Mr. Hasan
: Well, Mr. Mayor, my motion would be to make a substitute motion to the
effect of just what Mr. Johnson said as opposed to making all of these policy and personnel
procedure manuals is giving them just the hiring and firing power. And if we see the need to
substitute
come back and slowly revisit those other issues but I would just like to make a
motion to give it exactly what Mr. Johnson requested and he was saying to give the airport
director hiring and firing power.
Mr. Mayor: Okay, and just for clarity, Mr. Johnson, but this, this is what the Aviation
Commission is asking for correct?
Mr. Johnson: That’s what we’ve asked for all the time. We haven’t strayed from the fact
---
Mr. Mayor: Which is this I mean we have to make these changes to get you to the point
for?
Mr. Johnson: No, we’ve asked for the hiring and firing power. There’s some FAA
regulations; we’d like to have the hiring and firing power today if that’s possible.
Mr. Mayor: Okay.
Mr. Johnson: The FAA requires us to do some things that our Executive Director needs
to have that authority to meet some of the criteria.
Mr. Mayor: Okay. So we have a substitute motion. Is there a second for that substitute
motion?
Mr. Johnson: I’ll second it.
Mr. Mayor: Okay, we have a second by the Mayor Pro Tem. I saw, hang on I saw
Commissioner Grady Smith first then Commissioner Guilfoyle then Commissioner Williams.
Mr. Lockett: You forgot me all together.
Mr. Mayor: Oh excuse me. They keep leaning forward it’s ---
Mr. Lockett: It’s no problem.
Mr. Smith: You can let him go.
36
Mr. Mayor: --- no Commissioner Lockett then Commissioner Smith, Commissioner
Guilfoyle, Commissioner Williams.
Mr. Lockett: Thank you, Mr. Chairman. We indicated per request of one of my
colleagues that we not make any piece meal changes to the Personnel Policies and Procedures
Manual until we had an opportunity to review the entire thing. What Mr. Johnson has come up
with is probably a good idea, however, I think that our Human Resources Director should be able
to sit down and review the policies that Mr. Johnson has indicated. Let her come before this
body and give us a recommendation as to how she feels. I’m like Commissioner Williams. I
don’t want to give up everything and I don’t think the airport is the only enterprise fund that we
have. But I have a problem with, you have and I’ll give you an example. An administrative
assistant at the airport and you’ve got an administrative assistant in Utilities or right here in this
building with the same education, with the same work experience everything is identical except
who they’re working for. And when you’ve got one that’s making $15 or $20 thousand dollars a
year more than the other well I have a problem with that. And a couple of years ago when these
paper proposals were submitted by the airport I had a problem with it then but it was passed. It
shouldn’t be that way. Mr. MacKenzie, are the people that work at the airport ---
Mr. Mayor: Through the Chair.
Mr. Lockett: --- oh I’m ---
Mr. Mayor: Mr. MacKenzie.
Mr. MacKenzie: Yes, sir.
Mr. Lockett: --- thank you, Mr. Chairman.
Mr. Mayor: Go ahead and ask your question.
Mr. Lockett: The people that work at the airport, are they Augusta Richmond County
employees?
Mr. MacKenzie: Yes, sir, they are.
Mr. Lockett: Their retirement is going to be based on what?
Mr. MacKenzie: Whatever qualified plan they have participated in. It depends on when
they were hired and what plan they’re in.
Mr. Lockett: And does the compensation have anything to do with it?
Mr. MacKenzie: Usually in most pension plans the salary is one of the components, yes.
37
Mr. Lockett: So very well are those two and the analysis I gave you they there were two
people with identical records, education and so forth, one that works at the airport because it’s an
enterprise fund and the one that works here in Planning and Development because it’s not an
enterprise fund ---
Mr. Mayor: I’ll give you another two.
Mr. Lockett: --- I’m almost through, Mr. Mayor, thank you could conceivably get a lot
more. That’s why I have a problem with it and I wish we would refer these two agenda items
until the January meeting and allow the H.R. Director and our Administrator to get with the
airport and let’s see, let’s take a look at those documents that Mr. Johnson is talking about rather
than making a hasty decision now and having to go back and retract some things later on.
Mr. Mayor: Okay. Commissioner Smith then Commissioner Guilfoyle then
Commissioner Williams.
Mr. Smith: Mr. Johnson, what I was going to ask you is what ---
Mr. Mayor: Through the Chair, Commissioner Smith.
Mr. Smith: --- oh yeah.
Mr. Mayor: Mr. Johnson.
Mr. Smith: I don’t want to splash you on your last meeting okay.
Mr. Mayor: Go ahead and ask your question.
Mr. Smith: Are you ready for me to go now?
Mr. Mayor: Yes.
Mr. Smith: Anyway what guidelines aren’t there some special guidelines you’ve got to
go by with the Federal FAA being involved out there? That’s why ya’ll ought to have a big part
in a lot of employee discussions and who you have and who you don’t have.
Mr. Johnson: Commissioner Smith, you are correct and that’s why we’re here. There are
some FAA guidelines that require us to do some things that are different than what the city might
do or how the city might handle certain actions.
Mr. Smith: Right, in other words what goes on at Daniel Field might not work out there
at Bush Field.
Mr. Johnson: That’s correct.
Mr. Smith: Okay.
38
Mr. Mayor: Commissioner Guilfoyle then Commissioner Williams.
Mr. Guilfoyle: Thank you, Mr. Mayor. You know the board out there as well as the
Chairman of the Board the chairman is my appointment. He had came before this body a year
and a half ago in regards to the director knowing that the director is going to be retired and from
the time lapsed from when they first give them an offer they need a quick response. I understand
the need for that board out there to be in charge of that. This ordinance right here, I’m the one
who made the motion two years ago to accept as information and it passed ten to nothing and to
be truthful if I would’ve said motion to approve it would’ve passed ten to nothing back then.
Mr. Mayor, let me amend
The ordinance has not changed. Now we talked about the disparity.
my motion, motion to approve 18 and 19 and any salary that’s not called a disparity within
this government and that should appease most except for the power part.
So if I could get a
second on that.
Mr. Mayor: Does the seconder of that motion ---
Mr. Smith: Second.
Mr. Mayor: --- agree to the amendment? Did you second that motion?
Mr. Smith: Yes, sir.
Mr. Mayor: Okay.
The Clerk: Mr. Guilfoyle, would you repeat that?
Mr. Guilfoyle: Yes, ma’am.
The Clerk: Disparity, salary disparity?
Mr. Guilfoyle: Yes, ma’am, that this ordinance when the airport cannot have a
salary disparity amongst their employees versus our employees per se.
Mr. Mayor: Okay. Commissioner Williams.
Mr. Williams: I think we’re starting off wrong because the director out there already
makes more than the Mayor makes already if you’re looking at what the disparity’s going to be.
Mr. Mayor: Pretty much every department does too.
Mr. Williams: But I’m wondering where our H.R. person that we, I mean I need to hear
from them. I need somebody that’s supposed to be the expertise in that to be standing here to tell
me the pros and the cons because I don’t understand it myself. So where is our H.R. person? I’d
like to hear from her as to her input ---
39
Mr. Mayor: Through the Chair. Ms. Bryant.
Mr. Williams: --- thank you, Mr. Mayor, through the Chair, I’m sorry. I apologize. It’s
your last meeting.
Ms. Bryant: Yes, sir, I think for me the question would be again as far as a department, is
it considered a part of the other departments that report in through the PPPM. If the intention of
the body is to make it separate so that again the H.R Department is not responsible for the
decisions that are made then that’s fine but it’s going to get a little murky for me if I’m held
responsible for those decisions. So I think it’s more of a legal matter is where does the
responsibility lie for decisions like disciplinary issues, salary issues and so on and so forth. I
really have no interest one way or the other other than what this board expects for me to do in
this role and what I’m held liable to to this board. And that’s my interest.
Mr. Williams: Mr. Mayor, if you can get Ms. Bryant just to enlighten me on her position
as it is now not as no changes just what it is now because I’m trying to figure out would that be a
good thing to do or not? And I want to hear from her who is the expert in that field to tell us as a
body up or down, yes or no, right or wrong what that entails. I know about the separation, I
know the difference between the disparity for the pay difference because that’s already existing.
So how can we pull that back and I think Mr. Guilfoyle made a great suggestion that it wouldn’t
be in there but already we started off with some. And when you’re talking about employees
working for this government we had the same incident come up, Ms. Bonner, came up when we
had the library we had people that worked for the library and we thought they were city
employees. Now here we go we’re going to create the same situation that we already had and we
had a problem with it. And Ms. Humphries back there who investigated looked at the situation
and said you ain’t got no business looking at these employees because they’re insured, they ain’t
city and they were city employees. So much, I don’t understand. Somebody needs to say
something and say it correctly so we can get it and not have to figure it out which way we’re
going to do. If it’s good it’s good and if it’s not it’s not and that’s what I want from Ms. Bryant,
Mr. Mayor.
Mr. Mayor: I think that’s subjective. I mean, Ms. Bryant, you can --
Ms. Bryant: My role and responsibility to answer the question is to make sure that I’m
advising all the departments according to policy and procedures, federal and state laws and in the
event that there’s a law suit or a case or things of that nature that we’ve done all our due
diligence and provide the proper guidance and counsel to the departments. Again if this is a
department that is a part of, you know, Augusta Richmond County then that would be my
responsibility to do. Otherwise if they’re having their own PPPM and allowed to govern their
employees according to their own PPPM than that would take H.R. out of it and if that is legal to
do as far as that’s something that would not pose a potential, you know, liability to us then I
think the interest is met in that way. But it is my responsibility to answer your question,
Commissioner, and I hope I’m answering it.
Mr. Williams: And my last question, Mr. Mayor.
40
Mr. Mayor: Ten more seconds.
Mr. Williams: That tells me that if what Ms. Bryant just stated will take it out of our
hands who have no authority at all. It’s been working, we’ve been supportive when they
recommend, we did that. We got a motion and I think we ought to leave things like they are.
Mr. Mayor: Okay. Commissioner Hasan.
Mr. Hasan: Ms. Bryant, how are you doing?
Ms. Bryant: Fine, how are you sir?
Mr. Hasan: I’m going to pretty much ask you the same question.
Mr. Mayor: Through the Chair.
Mr. Hasan: I’m sorry.
Mr. Mayor: Ms. Bryant.
Mr. Hasan: I’m sorry, Mr. Mayor. I’m sorry.
Mr. Mayor: Ms. Bryant. Feel free to ask your question now Commissioner Hasan.
Mr. Hasan: Ms. Bryant, from a professional perspective I’m going to ask you this I want
you to give your personal opinion, it’s a governmental question to you. Do you see the
government in saying giving the director just hiring and firing, forget about all the other things
just the hiring and firing power, do you see that as to much leeway? I’m not talking about the
H.R. aspect of it just the hiring and firing. Do you see that compromising the government?
Ms. Bryant: I do in the fact that it’s just not hiring or firing. There’s a lot of things that
are involved especially with the firing as far as you know policy, progressive discipline there’s a
lot of things that come into each of those actions potentially. So it’s not as easy as saying I’m
going to hire this person or I’m going to fire this person. There’s a lot of things you have to still
take into consideration which I think is why all of those sections are outlined in the ---
Mr. Hasan: Yeah, I understood that that was going to be the second part of the question.
In having that but still having to abide by the guidelines in terms of the government in doing
those things, I’m saying it because I can say well I want to dismiss Ben Hasan but still your
department will get a chance to do some oversight and see if it’s appropriate. I wasn’t taking
that out of your hands I was just asking the question could they initiate that process. Did you see
that as being any problem if they had that?
Ms. Bryant: If their decision is being made at the department and it still comes to the
H.R. Department?
41
Mr. Hasan: Like anybody else for the most part I mean it would still have to cross your
desk. I mean you may want to dismiss me but by the end of the day it goes through H.R. and
they get involved in that process but it starts with that director.
Ms. Bryant: Yes, sir, yes, sir.
Ms. Hasan: So is that, that’s what I’m asking do you see that as being a bit too much.
Ms. Bryant: I don’t if that’s what’s being asked. But I think what’s being asked is that
they just ---
Mr. Hasan: And that’s what I meant.
Ms. Bryant: --- (inaudible) go about their own PPPM, correct?
Mr. Hasan: That’s why I can’t make any motion in terms of just giving them that and
have to pretty much abide by our manual. So let me move on to another part of the question
then. The secondary part of that question is, is it or do you understand or is it because it could be
a myth I don’t know so what I’m saying are you of the mindset that there still are some FAA
regulations that they have to abide by as it pertains to employees that we don’t necessarily have
in our manual that we would have to put in the manual to accommodate him to do business out
there.
Ms. Bryant: Absolutely. I think whatever FAA laws that they have so that we’re not, you
know, presenting them an obstacle for them to be able to govern their employees or there’s an
FAA concern then absolutely that’s something that, you know, we don’t want to hinder them or
hinder their process with that at all.
Mr. Hasan: And my final question is this. Is what you see up on the screen right now
your personal opinion in protecting the integrity of the government you see this is a little too
broad here? Is that your point as well?
Ms. Bryant: Well, I think it’s broad if the consensus from the body is that ---
Mr. Hasan: It is not the question.
Ms. Bryant: Okay.
Mr. Hasan: That’s not the question.
Ms. Bryant: Yes, sir.
Mr. Hasan: Okay. Okay. So, Mr. Mayor, I stick with my original motion, I stick with
my original motion for that purpose that (unintelligible).
42
Mr. Mayor: Your substitute motion.
Mr. Hasan: My substitute motion which I stick to my substitute motion then.
Mr. Mayor: Mr. MacKenzie.
Mr. MacKenzie: I’d like to seek a little bit of clarity on all these because this is some
proposed code amendments. The substitute motion and Commissioner Guilfoyle’s main motion
both of those I would recommend that procedurally the way those be done is for staff to come
back with a modified version that does what that motion would do because you know there’s a
number of different code sections in here. And to do either one of those actions would require us
to make further amendments to this draft because those things are directly addressed by these
code provisions. So to effectuate either one of them you’re going to have to come back with a
modified document because these things are so integrated into the Policy and Procedures Manual
it’s not something you just approve without having a written version of it if that’s what you’re
anticipating.
Mr. Mayor: Well, procedurally though we do have a motion and a substitute motion on
the floor so those both need to be voted on, correct? And so whatever the implications ---
Mr. MacKenzie: I agree on this.
Mr. Mayor: --- okay. Mr. Mayor Pro Tem.
Mr. Johnson: Thank you, Mr. Mayor. Mr. Mayor, if I may ask Andrew and then Cedric
a question, Andrew, first?
Mr. Mayor: Sure.
Mr. Johnson: Andrew, I think what we need to be clear about here is its several different
things happening in this motion the original motion. And in order to be successful with what
they are asking for do all of these need to be amended to adequately address what they’re trying
to do in its entirety? Because what I’m saying is we don’t to say yeah we’re going to give you
hiring and firing power but you know the code 300.001 and code 300.002 and so on and so on
gives them that but then you need the 500, you know, amendments in their codes that address
certain things and then 800 to address because again we could create a manual if when they go
back and do that that would highlight only for FAA or you know employees they would be able
to do x, y, z and so on and so on. So do we need to have all of these amendments made to give
them that authority without having a conflict?
Mr. MacKenzie: Well, here’s how I’ll try to answer that. If you look at these sections
start with 300 all those deal with disciplinary matters. The ones that start with the 500 those get
into compensation related matters and so it depends on what the scope is that the airport would
like to do. Now this is the version that came from the airport. I did make some adjustments and
amendments to it to make sure it was legally compliant something this board could do but this is
what they want to do. This is their, you know, A Plan so to speak. My best guess and I’ve
43
talked to Cedric earlier before the meeting I think they will probably live with a B Plan that
might be less maybe not include some of the compensation pieces relating to the authority to set
salaries without any oversight from H.R. and things like that. I think they would probably be
willing to budge on a little bit. I think what the real gist of what they’d like to do is to have
hiring and firing decision making power to eliminate the requirement they need their employees
go to the personnel board. So that seems to be the most important thing they want. So this is
their version of what they want. One solution could be to task the staff including the
Administrator who wasn’t involved in this whole process to maybe sit down with representatives
from the airport and see if we can narrow the scope to come up with a plan that is a win, win for
everybody. Maybe the airport doesn’t get everything they want with respect to alterations of
hiring, setting salary grades and things of that nature but maybe focus more on the disciplinary
aspect of it and come back with a recommendation to that affect.
Mr. Johnson: Okay, so basically in a nutshell this whole thing still needs to be revised
even if it’s voted on today. You need to be able to go back and bring back another version,
basically a cleaned up version of what’s been passed here today if anything is passed correct?
Mr. MacKenzie: Yeah, it would. It would depend on what passes.
Mr. Johnson: Right.
Mr. MacKenzie: I mean either one of those we’d have to make adjustments to effectuate
what it is that each of those motions purported to do.
Mr. Johnson: So would a motion here today pass the item or would it just get you to draft
something that reflects what they’re asking to do and then they have to vote on it again.
Mr. MacKenzie: The only way I could see it could be done we’d have to draft something
because you don’t currently have in front of you the written documents that contain the changes
that were the substance of the amendments that were made. The motion was made ---
Mr. Johnson: Okay.
Mr. MacKenzie: -- and that was something so you could vote on that.
Mr. Johnson: Now we’re getting somewhere. And I think that’s where I wanted to get
some clarity because I understand what you’re saying. If some things need to be tweaked
whether it’s Ben’s motion or substitute motion or Commissioner Guilfoyle’s main motion, you
still got to make some changes.
Mr. MacKenzie: That’s correct.
Mr. Johnson: And we can’t vote on it until you make those changes because those
changes don’t appear before us here today.
Mr. Mayor: I’ll give you another two.
44
Mr. MacKenzie: Your vote would be the direction on what you want to see us bring
back.
Mr. Johnson: Okay, so basically that’s where we are. Cedric, do you understand why I
asked that question because I wanted to make sure that this item in its entirety wasn’t voted on
then of course or approved then they’ve got to make some changes based on what tweaks they
agree to do here basically at the end of the day to bring back a modified version showing exactly
what or reflecting what the Commission has voted on.
Mr. Hasan: I was going to ask the Mayor. I didn’t want to get in trouble again.
Mr. Mayor: No, Mr. Johnson.
Mr. Johnson: Okay, thank you. I think we sent the information in front of you and
Andrew and I have talked but we’ve down here four meetings or five meetings trying to get this
worked out. And the things that he’s saying that we could’ve done, we should’ve done before
we got here today.
Mr. Mayor Pro Tem: Right, absolutely.
Mr. Johnson: So that’s why I’m saying it’s important for us to go ahead and then we can
then work and get what needs to be done then. The Aviation Commission has always worked
well with this commission and that hadn’t been an issue but it seems to be a stalled or delayed
tactic to keep this from happening. It’s time for us to go ahead and do something, Mr. Mayor.
Mr. Mayor: Thank you, sir.
Mr. Mayor: Commissioner Lockett then Commissioner Guilfoyle.
Mr. Lockett: I’ll be brief. I support I think what Mr. Johnson wants to do, however, it’s
been a long time but, Mr. Mayor, if I may ask Mr. Johnson a question please.
Mr. Mayor: Mr. Johnson.
Mr. Lockett: Is this something that the drop dead date is today or tomorrow or if we
waited for the first meeting in January after allowing the Administrator, H.R. and somebody
from the airport to go through these and take a look at it.
Mr. Johnson: Commissioner Lockett, the Administrator hadn’t been here but she did
have an opportunity not to get fully into it but look at it. That’s what happened at the last
meeting, that’s what was recommended.
Mr. Lockett: How about the how about the Human Resources Director and whoever
from the airport you or somebody else have they had an opportunity to sit down and look at those
45
regulations that govern you all out there to see how it fits into our Personnel Policies and
Procedures Manual. Has that been done?
Mr. Johnson: I do know that the attorney that we actually have works for the city so
she’s y’all’s employee.
Mr. Lockett: Mr. MacKenzie, Mr. Mayor, may I ask Mr. MacKenzie then I’ll be through.
Mr. Mayor: (inaudible).
Mr. Lockett: Mr. MacKenzie, what is happening in that respect?
Mr. MacKenzie: He’s correct the attorney that actually works primarily with the airport,
Pam Everett, she did the original draft of all of these amendments and then we reviewed those.
This is the version of what the airport would like to do and does not necessarily reflect, you
know, the opinions of the Administrator’s office as she hasn’t had a chance to get into that.
Mr. Lockett: Thank you, Mr. Chairman.
Mr. Mayor: Commissioner Guilfoyle, I’ve recognized you twice. I’ll give you one
minute.
Mr. Guilfoyle: I’m ready to vote.
Mr. Mayor: I think everybody’s pretty much ready to vote. Okay, we have a substitute
motion on the floor. Madam Clerk, for clarity could we read that back?
The Clerk: The substitute motion was to grant hiring and firing authority to the Augusta
Regional Airport Director.
Mr. Mayor: Okay, Commissioners will now vote by the substitute sign of voting.
Mr. Lockett, Mr. Harris and Mr. Williams vote No.
Motion Passes 7-3.
Mr. Mayor: Madam Clerk, on to the next agenda item.
The Clerk:
PUBLIC SERVICES
20. Discuss the immediate termination of the current public transit contract. The vendor
has been in breach of contract on multiple occasions. Some of these breaches could have
subjected this government to multiple lawsuits and the possible loss of federal funding.
Consider an in house operation that would provide better service at a significant cost
savings. (No recommendation from Public Services Committee December 8, 2014
46
Mr. Mayor: And I’m just going to make a request because I know that there the majority
of the rest of the agenda items are items that have been requested to be discussed by individual
Commissioners. I know that we have five agenda items which are dealing with Hyde Park so I
know that we’ve got a large contingency from Hyde Park but I would ask did anybody would
there be any consideration to forward any of the other discussions on to the next full commission
agenda?
Mr. Hasan: (unintelligible). Sorry, Mr. Mayor.
Mr. Mayor: Commissioner Hasan.
Mr. Hasan: 23 is definitely important, Mr. Mayor, to myself and some of my colleagues
as well so we definitely need to keep 23. I do understand your request but 23 is definitely
important to the Hyde Park Community I think the City of Augusta as my colleagues.
ADMINISTRATIVE SERVICES
24. Personnel Issues. (Requested by Commissioner Alvin Mason referred from the
th
December 8 meeting)
Mr. Mayor: Okay. Commissioner Mason.
Mr. Mason: Mr. Mayor, I don’t need to address 24.
Mr. Mayor: Okay. So can you make a motion to delete 24?
Mr. Mason: Yes, I make a motion to delete 24.
Mr. Lockett: Second.
Mr. Mayor: We have a motion that’s been made and seconded on agenda item 24.
Commissioners will now vote by the usual sign. Are there any other ones that can be forwarded
or? All righty, Madam Clerk, let’s keep moving out.
Mr. Guilfoyle out.
Motion Passes 9-0.
The Clerk: They just deleted item 24, Mr. Guilfoyle. Item 20.
Mr. Mayor: Madam Clerk, she called 20? Okay. Commissioner Lockett.
Mr. Lockett: Mr. Mayor, if it’s okay I would like the Administrator probably.
Mr. Mayor: Madam Administrator. Would like the Administrator to?
47
Mr. Lockett: Mr. Mayor, if you want me to speak or I’ll speak first but I want the
Administrator, Mr. Mayor and colleagues I have some major problems with this particular public
transit vendor. They have had multiple cases of breach of contract I mean so many are
horrendous. Some of the drivers that were out there that have failed a drug test and were still
operating. You’ve got drivers out there with suspended licenses. You’ve got a loss of personnel
information through hacking, retirement plan promised to employees. It just goes on and on and
on. Those are the ones that I know about. I know representatives of the company here now;
they’re trying to put duct tape on it and repair it but where were they when all these breaches
were occurring? It reminds me of the previous public transit vendor that we had same scenario,
same song, same dance, Johnny come lately. You put something on the agenda to get rid of
them and they’re here in full force trying to take corrective action. Now we are familiar with
many of the breaches but my concern is how about those breaches that we are not familiar with
that the company is and they haven’t taken no action on. So my recommendation is that we
should terminate their contract for multiple breaches and lack of attention to detail. Thank you,
Mr. Chairman.
Mr. Mayor: Okay. Ms. Jackson, the Commissioner said he wanted you to comment on
it. Did you have a comment?
Ms. Jackson: Yeah, I’m not exactly sure, Commissioner Lockett, is it, what is it that
you’d like me to speak to?
Mr. Mayor: Commissioner Lockett.
Mr. Lockett: Well, I think that the, if I’m not mistaken that the Administrator was tasked
to do something at the last meeting. If you think that this is not the appropriate time then we can
go on to either my colleagues or to representatives of the company whichever.
Ms. Jackson: As I recall the discussion at the last meeting was that staff would be given
‘x’ amount of time. I think the initial discussion was about 30 days. In fact I don’t recall if that
motion actually passed but you were actually going to give us some time frame in which to study
a transition period and whether it would be advantageous to the organization to bring that in
house. So until that motion is made and passed, you know, there has not been any study on our
part. What we have done in between the last meeting is that I along with Ms. Tameka Allen and
Sharon Dottery have met with representatives of MacDonald Transit so that they could give us a
plan of action for how they would correct the deficiencies that have been before us. I think that
some representatives of the organization are still here so if you would like them to talk about the
corrective actions they’re taking I think they’re prepared to do that but we have not done
anything further than that in the absence of a motion from, an approved motion from the board.
Mr. Mayor: And I’m just going to say you know moving forward this is my last meeting
but I’ve noticed on a lot of issues that I feel like we need to get the input of the Administrator
because she’s the only person sitting in this room that I’m aware of that’s been trained to run a
municipal government. You know I would think that in going forward it’s probably like
drinking from a fire hose right now but I have all the faith in the world in her abilities. And so I
48
think a lot of these things you know give her some time to give her input and put her stamp on it.
Yes, sir, Commissioner Lockett.
Mr. Lockett: Mr. Chairman, if it’s okay I would like to have Ms. Sharon Dottery. I
understand that is a task of the Administrator. I’m not trying to get on the Administrator’s turf
but I’d be derelict in my responsibilities as an elected official serving on this Commission if I
was aware of multiple cases of a complete disregard to the contract. And I did bring this to the
point of the Commission and my colleagues when I put it on the agenda. And I didn’t know if
she was prepared today or not but I know Ms. Dottery is prepared and I would assume that the
people from MacDonald is prepared also, Mr. Mayor.
Mr. Mayor: Okay, well we can hear from Ms. Dottery and then we’ll hear from the
representatives of MacDonald. I’ll give each five minutes to be fair and then I’ve got some
Commissioners to recognize.
Ms. Dottery: Good afternoon, Mr. Mayor and Commissioners. The areas of deficiencies
that Commissioner Lockett is talking about is areas that needed to be corrected for the drivers,
drug and alcohol screenings that were not done properly, complaint response time, accident
reporting standards were not met properly. There were times when there were reports I need to
know within 30 minutes according to the contract when an accident happens. Usually I get the
30 minute notice but then within three days I’m to be notified by paperwork that the accident is
recorded. And then within seven days I am to have the paperwork from the police department
and that corroborates the entire accident. There are occasions that that has not happened. This is
why I brought all of this forward. There was the case of good faith effort. This good faith effort
is whenever they hire safety sensitive employees every time the documentation must be done
from a previous employer to say that those safety sensitive employees passed their drug screens
with that previous employer. That was not done. ADA Call Outs. We had people who were
vision impaired to actually that there are no ADA Call Outs being done on the vehicles and that
is something that must be done regardless of where we have if we have technology to do it, if we
have the technology that’s great. Technology breaks down, it still has to be done so that was one
of my areas of it must be done regardless. Time checks knowing that the vehicles are arriving on
time and they’re not running hot meaning they’re not getting there before the time that they are
due. Route deviations, when routes are taken off the regular route that they’re supposed to be
running I am to know that. I need to have it in writing to say these routes were taken off of the
routes, this is where they’re going and we’re going to do this for an hour, fifteen minutes, it’s for
the full day what have you but I need to know that information. Schedule blocks, who you have
signed up for your runs. We have some incidences where people who have been placed on runs
that should not be, they should not be out there and that’s because of their backgrounds. We
have background checks come up and the only reason the information came out is because with
our new route at Fort Gordon we were asked by the Department of Defense to do background
checks from their standpoint and so once they ask for the information then things came out about
the driver that was out there. There have been numerous occasions that I’ve had conversations
and we’ve talked not only to Mr. Dorner but to the people responsible for doing these things, the
people responsible for giving the drug screens, the people responsible for giving me the accident
reports and those things continue to happen even though we had the conversations. So this why
this was compiled to let them know these things are not happening. Since that time as Ms.
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Jackson said, we met with them we talked with them they gave me a plan of action on their
operating standards, their maintenance standards, their reporting standards and they also gave me
customer service standards in this letter the things they were going to correct and take care. Mr.
Lett who is the supervisor, Mr. Dorner has stated that he made Mr. Dorner totally responsible for
all of it so regardless if the employees do it or not Mr. Dorner is supposed to be responsible for
all that information and so that is their plan of action at this moment from what I have been
given. Now they can speak to you much better than I can on what they’re really going to do.
Mr. Mayor: Okay. Thank you, ma’am. And now I’ll have representatives of McDonald
and give you five minutes as well for equal time and then we’ve still got a lot on the agenda to
get through, lady and gentlemen.
Mr. Babbitt: Mr. Mayor, members of the Commission, I’m Robert Babbitt from
McDonald Transit, President, CEO. We acknowledge and have done so in writing that from the
moment we were made aware of the challenges in the records we’ve been working hard to
correct them. We understand Mr. Lockett’s concerns. This is the fourth that I’m aware of
perhaps there’s more times that we’ve been on the agenda. There are many things that we do
very well and some of those are beginning to show. Ridership per mile is increasing, ridership
per hour is increasing. We’re very proud of the work that we did assuming in four days with the
transition from the prior contractor. We’re very proud of the work that we’ve done to work with
an older fleet. We’re very proud of the fact that we’ve spent a whole lot more on maintenance
than we budgeted for the fleet. We offer no excuses for records that were out of date. We offer
no excuses for records that were incomplete. There are in this contract pages I believe 27
through 40 of things we’re supposed to report every month. They’re all important but there are
no contracts in our 32 that have A-Z and then AA through CC. There are many opportunities for
us to slip on the record keeping. We slipped, we’re in the wrong, we’re correcting that as fast as
we can. We look forward to serving you as long as we may. We are very proud of our hard,
hard work and it has not been perfect, we made errors. We thank you for any consideration that
you will give us. If you have specific questions Tim Lett, the Senior Vice President for this
system, and Mark Dorner, the General Manager for this system, are with me. If you choose to
end this relationship we would encourage you to consider doing it through a much simpler
method than any of the others which is simply we’ll agree to whatever you ask us to do in terms
of an early termination through simply a contract modification of the term of the contract. It’s
not that we want to leave but we have helped cities across the country, we now serve 32. We’ve
helped them across the country improve their transit systems. We’ve been doing it for 42 years.
We have made errors here, we’re correcting those errors here, but if it’s your decision that we’re
not what you need we’re happy to help you get to what you do need. We thank you very much.
Mr. Mayor: Thank you, sir. Commissioner Hasan.
Mr. Hasan: Yes, sir, Mr., the young man that was up there. Your name again, sir, I’m
sorry.
Mr. Babbitt: Robert Babbitt.
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Mr. Hasan: Mr. Robert, I’ll keep it simple. And I apologize to you, I stepped to the back
just a moment and so you might have said this so I’m just trying to go somewhere in asking this
question. Obviously I heard you acknowledge that you all made some mistakes so did you do
you have a plan of correction?
Mr. Babbitt: Yes, sir.
Mr. Hasan: You do, okay. Number two is there some things that this government can do
along the way as well in terms of making this relationship? Do we have anything we need to do
as well to make all of this? I know you admitted some mistakes on your end. Did you see any
mistakes that we possibly made as well on this end?
Mr. Babbitt: No mistakes, sir, just we haven’t been paid for anything since July, number
one. And number two each of things that are errors and that need to be corrected could have
been corrected months ago if we knew about them months ago. It’s our fault for not knowing
about them but if we’re going to be corrective action quicker is better than slower.
Mr. Hasan: So obviously you get paid biannually if you haven’t been paid since July. Is
that, how often are you supposed to get paid or compensated?
Mr. Babbitt: Once a month.
Mr. Hasan: Is there any particular reason why you have not been compensated?
Mr. Babbitt: That’s not for me to say.
Mr. Hasan: Hello.
Ms. Jackson: I was not familiar with that, sir, so I’ll have to look into that and find out.
Mr. Hasan: Okay, thank you, Ms. Jackson. Have you inquired about your money?
Mr. Babbitt: Yes.
Mr. Hasan: And what kind of response did you get.
Mr. Babbitt: That it would be processed.
Mr. Hasan: And so you don’t see us not paying you as being a mistake that we’ve made?
Wow. Okay, well I was just trying to find out if there’s something that we could do as well but
obviously we need to find out why they’re not being paid as well. It doesn’t omit the mistakes
that you have admitted to but I was trying to understand why you had not been paid. Okay,
thank you, Mr. Mayor.
Mr. Mayor: Okay. Commissioner Fennoy, did you?
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Mr. Fennoy: Yeah, I had (inaudible).
Mr. Mayor: Okay then Commissioner Smith.
Mr. Fennoy: I guess my first concern is whether or not the, what was not being done was
not immediately brought to someone’s attention or how long was this going on?
Mr. Babbitt: That’s a great question and it’s very, Mr. Mayor, may I address?
Mr. Mayor: Please.
Mr. Babbitt: A very good question and we don’t pretend for any moment that any of
those things were not ours to report. But when there’s a list of over ten pages of things that have
to be reported and there’s things that are reported but there’s questions about how detailed the
report was, it would be good to know about those quickly, that’s all I meant.
Mr. Fennoy: Okay. And I guess my question probably to Ms. Dottery is that one of the
things that was brought to my attention is the fact that our public transit is missing about three
positions that should’ve been filled.
Ms. Dottery: Yes, sir.
Mr. Fennoy: Okay. Has the, do you think these missing positions had anything to do
with the service level of services we would get from McDonald?
Ms. Dottery: To put it in perspective for you, Commissioner Fennoy, just as Mr. Babbitt
said he takes full responsibility for what they have done. I take full responsibility for what I’ve
done and on my side of that train, no, I do not have enough assistants to do everything I am
supposed to do. So with me monitoring the contract and trying to keep up with the ADA Call
Outs that I talked about, it’s hard for me to do. With me keeping up with the drivers, I don’t
even know half the people that work there. With me keeping up with the drivers and what
they’re doing and how they’re hiring and the training that’s going on I know they have a training
class. I don’t know every single thing that they’re getting from that.
Mr. Fennoy: Okay.
Ms. Dottery: So there are areas that I am responsible for, at the end of the day I’m
responsible for but I don’t have enough assistants to monitor all of those areas. So as those
things start to compile, yes, I did not speak to Mr. Babbitt about this I did not go directly to him.
But I did talk to the people that were responsible. This is not some blind sidedness all of sudden
out of the blue I say you haven’t done this, this and this. I’ve been talking for months to people
about what you need to do. Please give me the drug screens; I have to have those. Please give
me the accident reports; I have to have those. These conversations have been had so it’s not like
it never happened. Now what Mr. Babbitt knew or didn’t know I don’t know from that level
because I didn’t go that far. But I did talk and talk and talk until it reached the point this is what
you have before you.
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Mr. Fennoy: And, Ms. Jackson, the vacancies that exist on our part in Public Transit, are
there any efforts being made to fill these vacancies and have these unfilled positions been
advocated in our 2015 budget?
Ms. Jackson: I don’t have complete information, sir, but what I do understand is that
some of the positions actually have been advertised. They were funded in the 2014 budget so the
positions do exist.
Mr. Fennoy: They were funded in 2014.
Ms. Jackson: In the 2014 budget, yes.
Mr. Fennoy: And this is 2013?
Ms. Jackson: Fourteen, sir.
Mr. Fennoy: I’m just wondering why, I mean are we having that difficulty filling these
positions or what’s and I’m not I don’t want to I’m not here to point fingers at anybody. What
I’m here to do is make sure that the citizens of Richmond County get the best possible service
available. Everywhere I’ve been they talk about how our transit system is important when we
look at economic development when one of the things that corporations and businesses look at
when they decide to come to a city is public transportation. And I don’t want to see us lose out
on an opportunity because we’re not able to provide adequate services to the people that may
ride the bus.
Ms. Dottery: Yes, sir.
Mr. Fennoy: So that’s I’m not, I’m not trying to point the finger.
Ms. Dottery: That’s okay, sir.
Mr. Fennoy: Okay, thank you, Ms. Dottery.
Mr. Mayor: Ms. Allen.
Ms. Allen: Yes, Mr. Mayor, members of the Commission, in regards to the position. If
you recall a couple of months ago we came before you to get the Transit Director position
clarified so that we can proceed with the advertisement. That advertisement was provided to
Human Resources and they actually advertised the position and we posted it and I think it went
from 30 – 60 days. And in waiting for the arrival of the Administrator we just received, we
received the application from the Human Resources a couple of weeks ago and we are
proceeding to look through those applications to provide the Administrator with a
recommendation.
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Mr. Mayor: Okay Commissioner Smith then Commissioner Williams then
Commissioner Lockett then Commissioner Guilfoyle then Commissioner whoever else wants to
go. But let’s try to, we do have a lot more and I think I don’t know that there’s going to be any
resolution today but there’s no real transition plan if there was a decision to make a transition.
And I think it would behoove us to be able to give the staff the opportunity to put one together
that we could take a look at if we so chose. Commissioner Smith.
Mr. Smith: Mr. Mayor I’d like to make a motion that we receive this as information
and give them time to repair or whatever they got to do to correct their situation.
And one
little tip I’ll give you as a private enterprise is the older it gets the colder it gets so you need to
get your money and find out who you’re dealing with and let’s get it straight. We had a similar
problem a while back here and it got taken care of but you get to the right people you can get
your money. We don’t I don’t, being up here I don’t want to owe anybody. If you do a service
we want to pay for it. So I might make a motion to say we give it three months let them get
corrected on what we want and what they want. If we have to have a little session about it again
we can set that up but let’s give them a chance to correct the action.
Mr. Hasan: I’ll second the motion.
Mr. Mayor: Okay. We have a motion that’s been made and properly seconded.
Commissioner Williams I believe then Commissioner Lockett then Commissioner Guilfoyle then
Commissioner Mary Davis.
Mr. Williams: Thank you, Mr. Mayor. I don’t understand either parties. I don’t
understand a company who hadn’t got paid since July and hadn’t been in front of this
Commission asking why, where’s your money? I don’t understand Ms. Sharon to come up and
say that this has been going on for quite some time and I’m just really hearing about it. Now
Commissioner Lockett’s been complaining but as an elected official if this company had not
been doing their job and you don’t have the staff but you do have the staff to do what you can do.
And what you can do is all you can do, you can’t be required to do more than that. But I’ve got
some issues though when all of the disruptive drivers, conditions and all of that but nobody had
brought it to committee or nobody has sent anything out. I mean this phone in fact I’ve got two
of these with the emails and all the stuff that goes out I’m surprised to hear all the stuff I’m
hearing now. Now I’ve been hearing bits and pieces. Commissioner Lockett’s been on it but I’m
trying to figure out why nobody else has been on it. Why is it that he, you know, he’s got a
crystal ball? I’ve got some issues though when we sit here and say that the company hadn’t done
its job but we hadn’t done ours. They should’ve got paid, I’ve got no doubt about that and we
should’ve made sure they were paid because we can’t say well we want you to do your job but
we ain’t paying you. And I know you don’t work in Finance I understand but there’s TSPLOST
money there’s funds there’s been available for transit. We’ve been talking about how to move
the bus system forward. I rode on the bus to Fort Gordon, I thought it was a great event. I
thought we’re fixing to move, we’re fixing to do something and now all of a sudden I’m hearing
how bad the situation is. I really don’t know who to point the finger at. I’m really lost that we
had not been informed if it’s to this magnitude of bad stuff going on with this company. That’s
the first thing you should’ve said that’s the first thing that should’ve been brought to this body
and say hey, you know we hired a company, ya’ll need to look at this because the buck stops
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with us. You don’t make that vote we do but we can’t make it if you don’t inform us. And not
having the staff ---
Mr. Mayor: I’ll give you another two.
Mr. Williams: --- yes, sir not having the staff I understand that, Sharon, but I’m really
disappointed to hear all of this stuff supposed to have been going on bad and nobody came to the
Commission and said look, Commissioners, we need to have a meeting, we need to get with the
Administrator or the Interim Administrator who was in this position and say let’s sit down and
talk because there’s some issues we’ve got to address. The safety of the community the driving
of these buses if the allocation and stuff they’ve stated is true we sure should’ve been at the table
if we had to have a midnight meeting. And there’s a lot of meetings going on at night so we
should’ve had one down here to talk about what was going on if all of those things you
mentioned the allegations were founded. So I don’t know what to do now, Mr. Mayor, I don’t
know what process is next. I don’t think we’ve got a plan to transit this back into house. I don’t
have another company lined up. I thought the bus was running pretty good. I see more buses
than I’ve ever seen now than in the history of Augusta I think. I see buses up and down the
highway. No whether they’re running on schedule I don’t know. Whether they’ve got drunk
drivers I don’t know that either I just know I see more buses that I’ve ever seen. But I don’t
work in that department Wayne I don’t make that kind of money.
Mr. Guilfoyle: You’re right.
Mr. Williams: I still need somebody to tell me, hey, they ain’t doing good. I expect
somebody to tell me because that’s what we’re supposed to do if the directors and department
heads tell us that there’s a need for or a situation or there’s a something that warranted we need
to know. That’s your responsibility in that position. What happened to the TSPLOST money
that was supposed to have been set aside for transit? Where’s that money coming in place at?
How come that money wasn’t used?
Ms. Dottery: Those dollars you would have to talk to Finance about because my
understanding is the TSPLOST dollars are to take care of the deficit that transit has.
Mr. Williams: Okay well, Mr. Mayor, can I get Finance to tell me something then
because that’s some sources that’s some monies I mean if they were used somewhere else
somebody needs to tell us something. I mean I’m sitting here facing two businessmen ---
Mr. Mayor: I’ll give you one more minute if we can find a ---
Mr. Williams: Thank you, Mr. Mayor, that’s all I’m going to need. But I’m sitting here
facing three businessmen to tell them that we need move forward and do something different and
everybody coming to the table. And we paid hundreds of thousands of dollars a year to
employees. I said that before what we’re creating now is the same situation just left with the
airport. We’ve got folks on one side doing something else and the folks on this side don’t know
what we’re doing and we’re in the middle. And it ain’t going to work like that. Somebody’s got
to take the responsibility and call it what it really is.
55
Mr. Mayor: Okay, and just to clarify those aren’t meetings that are going on tonight,
those are Christmas parties.
Mr. Williams: Christmas parties (inaudible).
Mr. Mayor: Okay Commissioner Lockett then Commissioner Guilfoyle. Secret meetings
don’t go on during the holidays do they?
Mr. Lockett: Thank you, Mr. Chairman, if I may ask Ms. Dottery a question, Mr.
Chairman?
Mr. Mayor: Please.
Mr. Lockett: Ms. Dottery, they indicated they haven’t been paid since July of 2014. I
understand there was an inordinate amount of fines that were imposed on them for breaches?
Ms. Dottery: I did take some monies away from them because what had happened in
some of their checks the young lady that they had processing the data for Transit (unintelligible)
she was doing it incorrectly. So I had to recoup dollars from that and I wound up recouping
$12,000 dollars back from them. Let me be clear to all of you, sir, I take my responsibilities
really serious about Transit, I really do. And just because I did not come to you all directly and
say these things were going on nobody was sitting there had no clue, they had a clue then I come
to you all but they had a clue as to what was going on. I’m not sitting down there just doing stuff
willy nilly to myself and nobody knows what’s happening. They do but I didn’t come to you all
as this body with it. And as for them getting paid they haven’t been paid since July, I take that
on me, I don’t take it on anybody else, I take that on me. They weren’t performing, they were
not doing what they were supposed to be doing.
Mr. Lockett: Mr. Mayor, I wanted to follow up.
Mr. Mayor: You have the floor, Commissioner Lockett.
Mr. Lockett: Yeah and then I’ll be finished. I would like to ask Robert, I can’t
pronounce his last name so I’ll just refer to him as Robert, no disrespect.
Mr. Babbitt: Babbitt like rabbit.
Mr. Lockett: Oh, Mr. Babbitt, you admitted to a long list of things that you are not
properly doing. And you said you were going to take corrective action. You indicated that much
of this stuff, if not all of it, you were unaware of. Is that correct?
Mr. Babbitt: There were two driver issues that I became aware of in the last ten days and
both of them have been dealt with.
Mr. Lockett: In the last ten days.
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Mr. Babbitt: Yes, sir.
Mr. Lockett: Okay, but how about the others?
Mr. Babbitt: There were many reporting issues and in fairness I’m not trying to make it
complicated but there are, for example, on an accident report. Many of the accident reports were
done but the police report was missing. Our fault, it’s our fault, but it’s not that we weren’t
trying to produce.
Mr. Lockett: Well, do you still have confidence in your local manager?
Mr. Babbitt: We’ve had a number of discussions.
Mr. Lockett: You didn’t answer my question.
Mr. Babbitt: I’m trying to be careful and, yes, there is confidence. He’s a very hard
worker and yes we’ve had many conferences that are very important.
Mr. Lockett: You know you can work hard, Mr. Babbitt, and not be productive. Thank
you. Thank you, Mr. Chairman.
Mr. Mayor: Okay Commissioner Guilfoyle and the Commissioner Davis and we do have
a motion on the floor.
Mr. Guilfoyle: Sharon, as far as ---
Mr. Dottery: Yes, sir.
Mr. Guilfoyle: --- what I’ve been gathering from listening to the management company
as well as listening to you I think we’re forgetting the main thing we two and a half years ago
when we started this joint venture is it’s a public private/partnership. He already spelled out
everything that he has been doing wrong as far as his company he’s willing to resolve but then
again on the other side of the coin the same verbiage came from our government. You’re
understaffed, you could not keep up with the contract, we might want to look at them ten pages
where it shows all the detail. It’ll kill you in paperwork alone not only expire their time in order
to get it to you. You don’t have the funds, capabilities or the people to review it, do you?
Ms. Dottery: No, sir, I don’t.
Mr. Guilfoyle: Okay, so we’re requesting something whoever put this contract together
for somebody we don’t have to oversee it so it’s a waste of money and effort from both sides.
Things that’s not needed scratch it out of the contract and make sure that both parties comply.
You told that they had not been paid in six months because they, you had fined them $12,000
dollars. Now if a company owed this government private entity where they did not pay for six
months this government would be willing to get rid of them. That shows character for a
57
company that has not been paid in six months to continue to do our Transit for us and willing to
work together. I can’t ask for better partners. I know that you had brought up you brought this
forward but you brought this forward to one of our colleagues and it was just presented before
our Legal session. You talk about drug, alcohol, accident reporting, ADA Call Out not being
done, not on time, route deviation, scheduled blocking, background checks these are the same
employees that work for this government as driving for this company.
Ms. Dottery: Not all of those.
Mr. Guilfoyle: Not all of them but the majority of them. And then we have a union that
this thing here says discuss immediate termination. What are you going to do about the union
employees? There’s been no forethought put into this process. I think what we might want to do
is take a step backwards ---
Mr. Mayor: Okay, I’ll give you one more minute.
Mr. Guilfoyle: --- thank you, Mr. Mayor, and realize what we have to work together.
Let’s make sure that H.R. gets you the supplement employees that you need. Let’s look at that
contract, reduce the waste, the waste for both sides and we’ll probably find out we’ll get along.
That bus was there at the grand opening at the license tags and Utilities boom, they were on time.
It impressed me but that was a deviation that our government put on the responsibility of them.
They still done it without being paid in six months. They’re doing this Fort Gordon route, they
deviated from the contract and they’re still doing it and they’ve not got paid in six months. I
wouldn’t work for somebody if I ain’t got paid in a month and I don’t think anybody else in this
room would but let’s sit back and see what we do have instead of throwing everything at one
time. You talk about, I know, Mr. Mayor, you talk about you keep calling, you keep calling
requesting (inaudible) ---
Mr. Mayor: Your one minute’s up ---
Mr. Guilfoyle: --- do emails so (inaudible) is on the record.
Mr. Mayor: --- Commissioner.
Mr. Guilfoyle: Thank you.
Mr. Mayor: Okay, we have ---
Ms. Dottery: Mr. Mayor, may I add one thing, sir?
Mr. Mayor: Yes, ma’am.
Ms. Dottery: Please understand, Commissioners, I did not request that they be
immediately terminated. I didn’t even do that agenda item, sir, so please don’t hold me
accountable for something I didn’t do.
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Mr. Mayor: Okay, Madam Clerk, we have a motion that’s been made and properly
seconded. If you could read that back, there you are.
Mr. Williams: Can I get a point of personal privilege, Mr. Mayor?
Mr. Mayor: I think I already gave you one but I’ll give you another.
Mr. Williams: Mr. Mayor, I want to make sure that this company be paid at least be paid
because they haven’t been paid in six months. And then we start to look at the situation very
closely to see what we’re asking to do to work this thing out or dissolve it. But I don’t think we
ought to keep going on like this it’s like a bad marriage you can’t (inaudible).
Ms. Dottery: Mr. Chairman?
Mr. Smith: Mr. Mayor.
Mr. Mayor: Commissioner Smith, what’s the motion?
Mr. Smith: I’d like to add that to my motion what Commissioner Williams just said.
The Clerk: What was that?
Mr. Smith: That they be paid.
Mr. Williams: To make sure those company gets paid give back their money from July
they hadn’t got paid and start to look at what we need to do.
Mr. Smith: Yeah, but I want them to go ahead and be paid ---
Mr. Mayor: The motion ---
Mr. Smith: --- pay it now. If we owe them we need to pay them.
Mr. Mayor: --- okay, so your motion, can you repeat it concisely?
Mr. Smith: Yes, sir. Have them go over deficiencies and procedures and then we can
have ---
Mr. Mayor: Give them three months.
Mr. Smith: --- three months to clear everything up but go ahead now and pay them for
what we owe them that we’re arrears for.
Ms. Hasan: Second again, Mr. Mayor.
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Mr. Mayor: Okay, we have a motion that’s been made and properly seconded. If there’s
no further discussion Commissioners will now vote by the usual sign.
Ms. Dottery: I wanted to say one last thing on their pay.
Mr. Mayor: Okay, go ahead.
Ms. Dottery: It has been submitted, it is being processed and they will have all of their
back pay by next week.
Mr. Mayor: Okay, well that takes care of part of the motion.
Mr. Fennoy and Mr. Mason out.
Mr. Lockett votes No.
Motion Passes 7-1.
Mr. Mayor: Okay, Madam Clerk, I believe we have agreement amongst the
Commissioners of agenda item 33. I’d like to call that one next please, ma’am.
The Clerk:
FINANCE
33. Motion to adopt a resolution in support of Development Authority of Richmond
County’s efforts to recruit a new industry to the Augusta Corporate Park and to authorize
the funding of the construction of an extension of Valencia Way to be owned by Augusta,
Georgia if the prospect announces on before February 1, 2015 its intent to locate at the
corporate park and begin construction of the plant of or before September 1, 2015. The
funding for such road extension to come from the sources as more fully described in the
background materials to this motion. (Requested by Commissioner Wayne Guilfoyle)
Mr. Mayor: Commissioner Johnson.
Mr. Johnson:
Thank you, Mr. Mayor. In lieu of the conversations we’ve had with the
Development Authority and Walter Sprouse, this is definitely a viable plan here and we’re
And so I move to approve this item.
looking forward to making it a reality.
Mr. Smith: Second.
Mr. Mayor: We have a motion that’s been made and properly seconded. Commissioner
Williams.
Mr. Williams: Mr. Mayor, I’m in support. I’ve got the documents and looked over them
and I think everybody knows that we need that but what guarantee does the Development
Authority have as whether it be a letter of intent or something that this is going to go all the way
through. We get to the door and a lot of times not ya’ll the Development Authority but other
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things backs up. So I just want to know is there anything in place that would guarantee that once
we do this, this is going actually going through.
Mr. Mayor: And, Mr. Ingram, and I will please come up and I will speak to that to and
correct me if I’m wrong. But if it is not announced prior to February 1, it’s null and void
correct?
Mr. Ingram: That’s correct but first of all let me say thank you so much, Mayor and
Commission. Number one let me just say thank you for nine years thank you, Commissioner
Johnson, for your eight and Commissioner Mason for your eight. I will be brief I can be brief
because over the course of the last five years our performance speaks for itself. Let me just utter
these words since 2010 we have brought in over $1 billion dollars in new investment over 6,000
jobs. Today we are here asking you to extend the road that we think will help us recruit a very
valuable and significant client as it relates to a guarantee that they will come. We can’t give you
that but let me just say the mindset I think for this commission and this community is to think
about our future economic development. What we’re trying to do at the corporate park is put us
in place or put us in a position where even with this new company coming in that we’ll have the
opportunity to bring in others. Again it’s there where Starbuck’s is. Starbuck’s was the first
client to locate there in the Corporate Park and every company that locates in the Corporate Park
is a catalyst for bringing others. I know you’re challenged here with limited resources that you
have to actually distribute in many different areas but it’s almost like the commercial you can
pay us now or pay us later. And I’m not being facetious or aggressive when I say that. I mean
by that if we don’t set the stage and create the scenario for future investment then we’re going to
regress rather than progress and it’s a situation where we’ve been very, very fortunate. I think
when you look at the Development Authority with our Executive Director Walter Sprouse we’ve
worked will with this organization. The collaborative efforts emanating from this organization
has been just extraordinary. I am just so pleased with our outgoing Mayor, I call him the
Economic Development Mayor. But it’s a collaborative effort emanating from the state from
this local government and certainly from the Development Authority. And I think our
relationship indicates that we will never ever and this is for Commissioner Williams, we will
never bring any frivolous project to this body. We never have and we never will. We do ask for
your support for all of Augustans to move this community forward. Thank you.
Mr. Mayor: And I just to say with regards to the efforts of the Development Authority
representatives of UNISYS are in town. I’m sorry I was not able to make dinner last night but
that’s where I was at 12:30. I did not know we had the Legal meeting, was meeting with Tracey
Lawrence one of their senior vice presidents. Their new head of the facility here nine year
resident off of Fort Gordon you know former military but she could not say enough about the
quality of the collaborative effort here. She said she’s not seen anything like it in any other city
in the world. So that’s, I was telling Al if that doesn’t make you feel good and the quality of our
labor force she said has far exceeded their expectations. So thank you for the great job that you
guys do and it’s been a pleasure working with you. (APPLAUSE)
Mr. Ingram: If I can let me leave you with this. We cannot be successful without you.
Thank you so much.
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Mr. Mayor: Thank you.
Mr. Lockett: Mr. Mayor, I believe he exceeded his five minutes.
Mr. Mayor: We’ll let him talk on that one. But we 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. Mason out.
Motion Passes 9-0.
Mr. Mayor: Thank you, gentlemen. Madam Clerk, next agenda item.
The Clerk:
ADMINISTRATIVE SERVICES
21. Discuss issues regarding handicapped accessibility for the Municipal Building.
(Requested by Commissioner Marion Williams)
Mr. Mayor: Commissioner Williams.
Mr. Williams: Mr. Mayor, I’ve been hearing this over and over again. You know with
you talking about facilities and someone from License and Inspection Department needs to be
here to answer to this. We enforce that rule on other businesses that open up. Any time you, the
rules say if you remodel a building, if you change the structure of a building you’ve got to make
it handicapped accessible. The doors are still not handicapped accessible, there’s so many
different things the entry’s coming in there’s no rail for anyone who could go out that door and
go right into the street. But we hearing about we’re going to get it fixed. This building
should’ve never been allowed to be open until all that was done at first. So I’d like to know from
I guess License and Inspection Ms. Wilson, Melanie Wilson is the Director. What how can we
enforce this on other folks, how can we ask other businesses or homeowners or businesses do it
really and we’re not doing it ourselves? If we’re not holding our own selves accountable how
can we expect for the businesses to be held accountable? And we do that to businesses now and
they come in here all the time complaining. But they cannot open up. And we just heard a few
minutes ago that the lady was talking about opening up a Personal Care Home had to go by the
rules before they get a license. So somebody needs to explain to me why is it that that we done
allowed this to go on all of this time.
Mr. Mayor: Well, Commissioner, and I’d and correct me if I’m wrong and I am going to
go to the Administrator on this and the Deputy Administrator. But we did I think in so many
different areas we have been, you know, we’ve been having to respond to not get out in front of
things so correct me if I‘m wrong but in this year’s budget the ADA Coordinator position is
funded correct?
Ms. Jackson: That’s correct.
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Mr. Mayor: And I think that’s what we need I mean that’s the biggest step we could take
forward to have somebody that’s tasked with assuring that we are in compliance with those
issues.
Mr. Williams: But the state law, Mr. Mayor, we don’t supersede the law now. The state
law says that we’re, these buildings before a tax payer can come in this building it needs and has
to be handicapped accessible. That’s the state law that’s not about a coordinator, it’s nothing
about a director. But we allowed this building to be open with these doors out here. There’s no
automatic doors on those even the front door and someone came up and said that they were easy.
How easy for a man that don’t have any arms?
Mr. Mayor: Okay.
Mr. Williams: Now this is ---
Mr. Mayor: I’ll give you another two.
Mr. Williams: --- I don’t need no more but this ain’t nothing new. We’ve been talking
about this but we let the people we’re paying and there’s hundreds of thousands of dollars we
done paid the companies to come in here to do preventive stuff and be our guides so to speak and
look what we end up with.
Mr. Mayor: Ms. Jackson.
Ms. Jackson: I have been told by Heery International that this is in compliance. But
what I would like to do is take the time to research that and have our staff that’s knowledgeable
research that to make sure that we really are in compliance. I’ll get with Ms. Wilson and her
staff to make sure of that and we’ll get a report back to you, sir.
Mr. Williams: Through the Chair, Mr. Mayor.
Mr. Mayor: Yes.
Mr. Williams: Can I ask Ms. Jackson to ask her attorney next to her who knows the law
I’m not a lawyer but the attorney ought to be able to tell you whether this is legal or not. We
don’t have to wait for Ms. Wilson to come in. He should be able to quote us what the law says
about handicap accessibility when it comes to rehabbing a building. Now we had never touched
it, it had been like that from the beginning we had no problem. But once we started we had to
make it handicapped accessible before the people could be able to come in this building. And
we’re breaking the law ourselves.
Mr. Mayor: Mr. MacKenzie, any?
Mr. MacKenzie: Well, I’ll echo that it certainly should be when the project is complete it
will need to be handicapped accessible I agree with that. It’s not clear when you have a
transition construction which is what we have here in going from a building with 1950’s
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standards to one to today’s standards. You know during the transition stage if you have the
building being occupied there’s not really clarity on when you have to do that but it must be done
at the end of the project. And I agree it should be done and should be done immediately.
Mr. Williams: Through the Chair, Mr. Mayor.
Mr. MacKenzie: It may not be a legal requirement (inaudible).
Mr. Williams: I don’t need him to agree I just need for him to state the law because if we
renovate this building we are not supposed to occupy this building until it is handicapped
th
accessible. And we could’ve stayed on the 8 floor and when this building was completed we
could’ve came in here. But everything had to be done even the out of doors. But now he’s
telling me he agrees and he ought to agree because that’s the right thing to do but what the law
says that’s what I’m asking him. State law says you have to have this building handicapped
accessible once you start to renovate it. Now if you never touched it the law says you know you
don’t have to do anything but once you start to renovate those are the first things you do not the
last thing you do. I mean that don’t make good sense.
Mr. Mayor: Okay. Commissioner Fennoy.
Mr. Fennoy: You know I think that the issue with ADA a lot of issues that we have in
this city that will be addressed once we hire an ADA Coordinator. Tim Hollobough, I think
that’s his name, he’s very knowledgeable about the laws, rules and regulations concerning ADA
and I think if asked he would volunteer or to do an assessment. And I think if we work with him,
Ms. Jackson, you talked about you and other people getting together but I think he’s an expert in
that area. And I think that he would be more than willing to sit down with us and find out what’s
missing and what’s needed in order for us to become compliant with the ADA and make sure
that all our disabled, and just for the record people with disabilities do not like to be referred to
as handicapped, but that the people with the disabilities would have equal access not only to this
building right here but all of the facilities in Richmond County.
Mr. Mayor: Thank you, sir. Can I get a motion, Wayne? I was going to say can I get a
motion to receive this as information?
Mr. Guilfoyle: Yeah I’ll be happy to make a motion on that, Mr. Mayor, but I just want
to do some clarity. As far as this ADA Compliance, Ms. Jackson, just check and see if we are in
compliance. Check with the architect before this building was even one piece of sheetrock was
taken off there was a set off drawings. And on that drawings was a stamp to make sure that
everything was approved from the heat and air to the plumbing. Flooring would not have it but
the ADA Compliance would. Now in order to get that stamp, somebody had to stamp it and that
would be somebody you would pay to make sure they go through your plans. Now in order for it
to be processed during the construction it has to be done with inspections. The inspections is
within our own departments License and Inspections Department. Make sure that we have
complied with them that they had approved the plans. And I understand what Mr. Williams is
saying because it’s an issue and if we’re in compliance we’re good. If we’re not then we know
the corrective measures to take. So that’s all I have to say on that, Mr. Mayor.
64
Mr. Mayor: Okay, were you going to make a motion?
Mr. Guilfoyle: I make a motion to receive as information.
Mr. Smith: Second.
Mr. Mayor: We have a motion that’s been made and seconded. Commissioner Lockett.
Mr. Lockett: Thank you, Mr. Mayor. I just want to echo part of what Commissioner
Fennoy said about Tim. Tim is a member of the Age Friendly Community. And you know often
times if you don’t have a disability there are things that you don’t notice whereas a person with a
disability will know them right away. And Tim has accompanied us on what we call walk-
abilities throughout many parts of this city and he is an expert in that particular area. And I’m
quite sure that he would volunteer his services if no more than just, he’s wheelchair bound but no
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more than just go through this building from the entrance way all the way through the 9 floor
and there are things that he’ll notice, things that he feels he’s unable to do because he’s bound to
a wheelchair that you and I can walk by for months and years and never notice. Thank you, Mr.
Mayor.
Mr. Mayor: Thank you. Wayne, we have a motion that’s been made and properly
seconded?
Mr. Guilfoyle: Yes, sir, if I could just do a little modification to that motion just for
so it doesn’t die in the wording that we’re using today is task the Administrator in 30 days
to come back to make sure we are in compliance or a goal to correct and defective
measures we might have to take (inaudible).
Mr. Mayor: Okay, so to receive as information and to include that.
Mr. Guilfoyle: Yes, sir.
Mr. Mayor: Okay, we have a motion that’s been made and properly seconded.
Commissioners will now vote by the usual sign.
Motion Passes 10-0.
Mr. Mayor: Okay, Madam Clerk, because I know the residents of Hyde Park have been
here for a long time I’m going to try and somewhat expedite the process. I think looking at
agenda 23 and 26 they seem to be companion items to me. Let’s take those together.
The Clerk:
ADMINISTRATIVE SERVICES
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23. Receive an update from staff relative to the November 4 Commission directive to
bring back recommendation(s) regarding the transfer of funds to Hyde Park Relocation
Project from like projects. (Requested by Commissioner Ben Hasan)
26. Update from staff on the relocation of the remaining Hyde Park property owners.
nd
(Requested by Commissioner Marion Williams; referred from the December 2
Commission meeting)
Mr. Mayor: And with regards to staff you can cover both of those in the same
presentation? Okay.
Mr. Ladson: Mr. Mayor, members of the Commission, what you have in the handout
what you see is a list of all of our TIA projects. And on some of those TIA projects before they
were TIA projects they were SPLOST projects. And so what we did was we looked at these
projects, the one that actually may that had some funds left on them what we did was we went
through it and took some funds off of each of the projects that actually have funds on there. And
if you look at your bottom here we have projects there which is Hyde Park $2.8 million dollars
which would bring that up to $8 million dollars which is the original estimate. Based on this we
didn’t want to take everything off of there because we still hadn’t bid the majority of all of these
projects especially if you notice in the first top half of this we have about 30 projects that we
have actually bid next year. And we wanted to keep some funds on it just in case if the budget is
if the actual bids come in higher than what we had budgeted. But with this you see that we
actually have about $1.8 million dollars right at $2 million dollars left. And hopefully we won’t
have to use that in our TIA projects but we wanted to have it there just in case. And we also
have a couple of projects these are two major projects that we’ve been talking about probably for
the past couple of years. And we wanted to kind of start working on those. But the $2.8 million
dollars that you actually see there would be for the remaining relocation. At that point we still
would need money to actually build the pond and to finish the project. As though the two other
projects that you see Forest Hills and National Hills it’s just basically for design so we still
would need funds for those particular projects. With that I’ll take any questions that you have,
I’ll try to answer any questions that you have.
Mr. Mayor: And let’s do this. I know Hawthorne’s there and he can update us on the
relocation efforts. And then let’s do that and take any questions and take the action necessary.
Mr. Welcher.
Mr. Welcher: Mr. Chairman, members of the Commission let me, I have a wealth of
information but if I can based on what Mr. Ladson actually just put forth and to actually being a
housing professional I think it’s my job and responsibility through the Administrator as well as
through you all as the governing body to provide in my opinion how to make best use of this
$2.8 that Mr. Ladson has actually put forth. If you from a relocation standpoint you know not
only do you have to relocate persons and provide for the most you know the housing extension to
acquire their property but of course along with that you actually have the demolition and the
asbestos abatement and the clearance of the lot. Now however based on if you look at my
number here that $4.5 million dollars actually is a total number, a total relocation expense
number if you were to take the remaining 74 families and not only relocate them but demolish
the properties. However from a housing professional standpoint I feel the highest and best use of
66
the funding is to get persons, to get the homeowners out. So you know what I would say through
the Administrator is based on that $2.8 million dollars allow my department to actually go back
and to do an assessment in regards to all those 74 families exactly you know strategically how
and if we can relocate all of those families because basically what you could do you could
relocate those families and something of this magnitude in my opinion would take about a year,
year and a half. But we could relocate the families as well as board up the units and get back to
there. But the highest and best use of the funding at this time is to get the families out not to
spend all the money relocating and demolishing and clearing the properties. So that’s my two
cents, that’s my conclusion in regards to the highest and best use of how I feel this $2.8 million
should be used.
Mr. Mayor: Commissioner Hasan then Commissioner Williams.
Mr. Hasan:
Yes, sir, Mr. Mayor, I’d like to thank Mr. Welcher and thank Mr. Ladson
for (inaudible) putting this together as well as Finance in terms of coming up with the $2.8
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million dollars per the directions of November the 4 of this year to come back with it. I think
it’s a good thing as well as there’s other Forest Hill Drainage Program and drainage project as
well as National Hills project as well with additional funds there. And I’m going to go back to
what Ms. Williams said in her presentation I appreciate Mr. Welcher being consistent in terms of
what she has requested. And I think my observation from going out this week and talking to
your staff that as well as well as talking with Ms. Hogan by way of phone. The real issue here I
think for this government in my mind is we deal with the 51 homeowners that’s out there to get
them out of there as well as get those renters out, spend no money in demolition as you
suggested, those kind of things to make sure that we get the people out of there. I think in many
ways we’re going to have almost what we need to take care of that and that alone so with that,
a motion that we take the $2.8 million dollars we take it and put it
Mr. Mayor, I make
directly toward moving the homeowners and the renters, no demolition and nothing else
other than relocation purposes strictly for the residents of Hyde Park.
Mr. Johnson: I’ll second that motion.
Mr. Mayor: Okay, we have a motion that’s been made and properly seconded.
Commissioner Williams.
Mr. Hasan: I’m sorry, Mr. Mayor, I’m sorry I didn’t include all the monies. I didn’t
want to exclude the National Hills and all of that but I was speaking specifically to the Hyde
Park area but everything, all the monies are included in that.
Mr. Mayor: Okay. Commissioner Williams.
Mr. Williams: Thank you, Mr. Mayor. I’ve got no problem, I can support that. Maybe
this is not the time but I’m going to go ahead and take the vote to go ahead and do that. I do
have some more questions I’d like to ask on what I’m hearing now that this will suffice as far a
moving the residents out of there that’s been suffering in dealing with this. But I’ve still got
some other issues so I’m going (inaudible) ---
67
Mr. Mayor: Okay.
Mr. Williams: --- I’m ready to vote.
Mr. Mayor: Commissioner Fennoy.
Mr. Fennoy: Mr. Welcher ---
Mr. Welcher: Yes, sir.
Mr. Fennoy: --- what you’re saying is that $2.8 million would get everybody out of Hyde
Park?
Mr. Welcher: I’d say it would be an approximation but you know the thing is you know I
don’t have the exact costs today but it would be very close, it would be very close. I mean as
opposed to being on the other side all the way if you’re doing A to Z all the way on Z if we try to
look to abate the properties and demolish and clear I know we wouldn’t make that of course as
you see from my estimation there. But this $2.8 would put us very close. One thing I would also
add is that as we relocate persons we need to stabilize I would offer you to stabilize those units.
When I say stabilize to sort of board them up.
Mr. Fennoy: Okay. What I would hate to see is that we take this $2.8 million dollars and
get everybody out of Hyde Park and we have five or six families left. What I’m concerned about
is we coming up with something today that’s going to reasonably assure us that everybody will
be out of Hyde Park. And I guess Mr. Hasan had mentioned the homeowners but would be
easier to get the renters relocated than it would the homeowners?
Mr. Welcher: No, no.
Mr. Fennoy: I don’t know, I don’t know, that’s why I asked. That’s why I asked.
Mr. Mayor: Calm down everybody. Feel that Christmas spirit flowing through the room.
But just to clarify for Commissioner Fennoy you can reasonably say that this would get virtually
everybody out.
Mr. Ladson: Yeah, and also like I said we have almost two million dollars left in the
SPLOST. If it doesn’t I mean we can hold something back some funds back if ---
Mr. Mayor: Okay.
Mr. Ladson: --- you know so I mean we’re being safe in this
Mr. Mayor: Okay. Mr. Johnson then Commissioner Harris.
68
Mr. Johnson: No, Mr. Mayor, I just wanted to just reiterate that that was other
contingency of what Abie just mentioned that additional funding that if need be they can pull it
over to do.
Mr. Mayor: Okay. Commissioner Harris then Commissioner Lockett.
Mr. Harris: Well, two things. What’s involved when you demolish these houses? I
mean you’re talking about (unintelligible). Something that needs to be done and you’re not just
bulldozing them and put them in a dumpster.
Mr. Welcher: By law you can’t do that. A couple things that you have to do you have to
do an assessment in regards to lead. If there’s lead there you also have to do an assessment in
regards if there is asbestos there is asbestos dust supersede lead. So if there is asbestos you
pretty much have to encapsulate it or you actually have to abate it. So in these instances most of
the time we’ll have to abate it, take it out before we even demolish the property and clear it.
Mr. Harris: Well and I guess my other quick question as far as renters and I certainly
don’t want to sound cold but you know renters don’t own property down there and I’m not really
one hundred percent certain I fully understand why we’re responsible for paying to move people
who are renters. And that’s not saying anything belittling it’s just they don’t own property down
there they rent and I just don’t understand why we’re spending money for people who are, I
mean they’re renters. If this was an apartment complex and there was a fire you know I mean
they move you know. I mean I just don’t understand I mean it just seems like the homeowners
need to be first and foremost the property owners.
Mr. Welcher: The, what I would say to that is you know renters as part of the Uniform
Relocation Act I mean they’re displaced just like homeowners through no fault of their own.
However in my professional opinion you have homeowners who have been there for thirty,
twenty plus years and you don’t know when the renters came in so in my professional opinion
you would take care of the homeowners first.
Mr. Hasan: Mr. Mayor, call for the vote.
Mr. Mayor: Call for the question?
Mr. Hasan: Call for the question, whatever.
Mr. Mayor: Is there a readiness to vote? Is there an unreadiness to continue discussion?
Mr. Lockett: I need my time.
Mr. Mayor: I’ll give you yours and then let’s vote on this.
Mr. Lockett: It won’t be long. I just wanted to applaud Dr. Ladson and Mr. Welcher and
all of those associated with putting this packet together. It’s been a long time coming but I thank
both of you very much. Thank you, Mr. Mayor.
69
Mr. Mason: Let’s vote.
Mr. Mayor: With no further discussion Commissioners will now vote by the usual sign.
Motion Passes 10-0.
Mr. Mayor: (APPLAUSE) Thank ya’ll, Merry Christmas. Thank ya’ll for hanging in
there. Now ya’ll are free to go home and I would if I could. Merry Christmas. Happy New
Year to ya’ll, too. Madam Clerk.
The Clerk:
ADMINISTRATIVE SERVICES
25. Accept the resignation of Robert Levine, Director of Augusta Recreation, Parks &
Facilities and name Interim Director. (Requested by Mayor Pro Tem Corey Johnson)
Mr. Lockett: Move to approve.
Mr. Mayor: Commissioner Johnson.
Mr. Johnson: Thank you, Mr. Mayor, we do have ---
Ms. Speaker: Can I ask ya’ll (inaudible) one question.
Mr. Mayor: I’ll tell you can we answer that afterwards because we’ve already called the
next agenda item.
Mr. Johnson: We had a request from Mr. Levine, Mr. Mayor. He submitted a letter of
resignation if you will to the body and he wanted to change it to retirement. I think he did speak
with the Attorney and I think he insinuated it don’t make a difference whether it’s resignation or
retirement but I think at this point you know I guess if we can hear from Mr. ---
Mr. Mayor: Mr. MacKenzie.
Mr. Johnson: --- MacKenzie on what difference does that make as far as him and also the
date effective of his resignation.
Mr. MacKenzie: I think it was my understanding what he intends to do is modify his
letter to state retirement so that he can get that letter into the retirement plan he’s going into. So
that’s why he made the request to me to suggest it. So as long as the Commission is willing to
accept the modification to his letter then I think a motion would be appropriate to be a, to accept
the retirement.
Mr. Lockett: So moved.
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Mr. Harris: Second.
Mr. Mayor: We have a motion that’s been made and properly seconded.
Mr. Guilfoyle: Well what about the Interim Director?
Mr. Mayor: Commissioner Johnson.
Mr. Johnson: Well, I leaned on my colleagues to see what Ron Houck, is it the will is it
Ron?
Mr. Williams: Ron Houck.
Mr. Mayor: I would say no, I would say too that the Administrator might have an
opinion on this but ---
Mr. Johnson: Well I was going to say let her weigh in on it.
Mr. Mayor: Madam Administrator.
Ms. Jackson: I have discussed the matter with Ron Houck and he is willing to serve if
he’s appointed by the board.
Mr. Lockett: So moved.
Mr. Harris: Second.
motion includes accepting the retirement of Robert
Mr. Mayor: Okay, that’s so that
Levine and the appointing Ron Houck astheInterim Director of Park and Rec.
Okay.
Commissioner Fennoy.
Mr. Fennoy: Ms. Jackson, have you discussed with Ron who will serve in his capacity
while he’s serving as?
Ms. Jackson: We have not gotten that far yet, sir. What I did with the Housing and
Community Development Department what I would like to do here once if this done we’ll sit
down and talk to him to see if he needs anybody else to be elevated into his position in order to
make that work. But we just haven’t had a chance to have those conversations yet.
Mr. Fennoy: That’s fine. Thank you.
Mr. Mayor: We have a motion that’s been made and properly seconded. Commissioners
will now vote by the usual sign.
Motion Passes 10-0.
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Mr. Mayor: Madam Clerk, next agenda item please.
The Clerk: Number 31 and 34.
The Clerk:
FINANCE
31. Received from staff a comprehensive report regarding all fees paid to consultant(s) in
association with the Hyde Park Relocation Project. (Requested by Commissioner Marion
Williams)
34. Receive from staff to date all-inclusive/comprehensive/detailed report of all
expenditures associated with the Hyde Park Relocation Project as requested on November
nd
4, 2014. (Requested by Commissioner Marion Williams referred from the December 2
Commission meeting)
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35. Discuss the action taken in the December 8 Commission meeting to rescind tasking the
Internal Auditor to conduct an audit of all expenditures associated with the Hyde Park
Relocation Project broken out in defined/appropriate categories and submit a
comprehensive/detailed report to the Augusta Commission. (Requested by Commissioner
Marion Williams)
Mr. Mayor: Yeah and let’s do ---
Mr. Guilfoyle: Can we get 32 out of the way?
Mr. Mayor: Let’s do, I mean 31 and 34 I think if that’s just presenting itself to the
Commission for us to digest then, who’s speaking to 31 and 34?
The Clerk: I think Mr. Welcher. Is he here?
Mr. Mayor: Is Mr. Welcher here?
The Clerk: Mr. Welcher is, was requested to address item 31 and Mr. Welcher and Mr.
Ladson regarding 34.
Mr. Mayor: They might have felt like their work here was done.
Mr. Johnson: Mr. Mayor?
Mr. Mayor: Commissioner Johnson.
Mr. Johnson: Thank you, Mr. Mayor. I think the information is in this packet that he
submitted. I just looked through it and I saw as it relates to the fees to whom it was paid it’s
listed in this packet that he gave us.
Mr. Mayor: Okay, would it could it be Commissioner Williams since the reports are in
the packet that the Commissioners would have time to digest them prior to?
72
Mr. Williams: No, sir, because I’ve got a ---
Mr. Mayor: Commissioner Williams.
Mr. Williams: --- problem with him handing it to me on this dais. I’ve saying it for quite
some time, I ask for a report, I could’ve got this earlier, I did not. I need to know some details I
mean we can either do it today or do it at our next meeting but we are going to talk about it.
Some things came up today to reassure me that what had been done was not done right with the
first half. That just opened my eyes up even more ---
Mr. Mayor: Well, can ---
Mr. Williams: --- for us to be able to take what we’re saying now and be able to go
forward to tell me that we did not do the things that we’re supposed to do.
a motion to refer these to ---
Mr. Mayor: Can we get
Mr. Mason: So moved.
the first meeting of next year.
Mr. Mayor: ---
Mr. Mason: So moved.
Mr. Harris: Second.
Mr. Mayor: We have a motion that’s been made and properly seconded. Commissioner
Johnson.
Mr. Johnson: Mr. Mayor, I would just like to just add to this. I think what Commissioner
Williams is questioning is the same thing that I’ve sat down with them in the beginning this year
to get the information on as it relates to exactly where we were you know at this point, what we
need to do next what we did wrong the first time, what we need to do right this time. And so
forth and so on so I think if he probably wanted to set up something the first of the year with
them and all of the departments not just Housing and Community Development but all of them
that would give them the opportunity to really adequately dig down into what the meat of what
he’s trying to get out of them because that’s what I did earlier on this year to get that
information.
Mr. Mayor: Commissioner Mason, would you like to include 35 on that as well?
Mr. Mason: Yes, sir, I would.
Mr. Mayor: Okay. Commissioner Williams.
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Mr. Williams: Thank you, Mr. Mayor. I know Mr. Johnson he sat down and talked with
them and he got some information. I’m still concerned and still going to pursue the audit we
talked about because there are some things that I feel sure now that was done I’m going to say
non-professional because it’s Christmas. Mr. Mayor, you talked about a Christmas party we
ain’t going to have one but we ought to get along this time. But there are some things that were
done non-professionally that I think really need to be looked at. That’s a lot of money that we’re
spending in the Hyde Park area and I’m not going to be satisfied until somebody sits down and
gives me those numbers and show me where that money went to. Now Mr. Welcher opened my
eyes up and some things he didn’t say and some things that he said but I really want to know
exactly. Now if this, what we just passed can be done that tells me that some money was paid
out to some entities in some areas that we shouldn’t have been doing. It was about moving the
people and that’s what was brought out but it wasn’t about moving the people it was about
somebody making money. And I want to know who made that money.
Mr. Mayor: Okay, thank you, sir. We have a motion that’s been made and properly
seconded. Commissioners will now vote by the usual sign.
Mr. Williams votes No.
Ms. Davis out.
Motion Passes 8-1.
Mr. Mayor: Madam Clerk, next agenda item please.
The Clerk: That would be item 36. To receive, do you want to go back to 32?
Mr. Mayor: Yeah, 32.
The Clerk:
FINANCE
32. Consider a request from Mr. Dana M. Higgins for an abatement of his property taxes
on the property at 3518 Crawfordville Drive. (Referred from November 24 Finance
Committee)
Mr. Mayor: Commissioner Guilfoyle.
Mr. Guilfoyle:
Yes, Mr. Mayor, I appreciate this gentleman coming here numerous
times to look for his taxes to be abated. He’s currently an H-10. He’s actually getting the
deductions at a tune of about a $701.05 a year. We actually have 432 of our tax properties that’s
under the H-10 Program. Now if you look at that if we do it for this gentleman we’re going to
have 432 come before this body which is just going to be a little bit over to the tune of $300,000
make a motion to
dollars. Now the Tax Office had not recommended it for approval and I
deny.
Mr. Mason: Second.
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Mr. Mayor: We 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. Johnson and Ms. Davis out.
Motion Passes 8-0.
Mr. Mayor: Madam Clerk, next agenda item.
The Clerk:
FINANCE
36. Receive from the Finance Director a report on fees paid to Public Financial
Management relative to the Water & Sewer Bonds – Series 2014 Issuance as requested on
October 3, 2014. (Requested by Commissioner Marion Williams referred from the
nd
December 2 Commission meeting)
The Clerk: Mr. Williams, they did submit a revised list some time ago, well, it was sent
out so I don’t know if you want to consider that today for the Financial Public Management I
think you had requested how much --
Mr. Williams: I see Ms. Williams here. Maybe she can just.
Mr. Mayor: Ms. Williams.
Ms. Williams: Yes, sir, as Ms. Bonner stated the original request was responded to
th
October the 12. At that time we did not have the bill from PFM, however, we submitted a
th
revised listing on November the 18 which included the bill from Public Financial Management
for financial advisory services related to the Water and Sewer Bond Issue. And that invoice was
$100,661.36 and should be this document that you’re seeing up there and I’ll give you
(unintelligible).
Mr. Mayor: Commissioner Williams.
Mr. Williams: Thank you, Mr. Mayor. And the reason I asked for this was because well
maybe all the information wasn’t back from Ms. Williams in order to get it to us but can we see
the impact that we have when we’re talking about having bonding companies and different
people bid and trying to get our process how much money. And this is just a one deal, this is not
all of the bond services that have been done with all of these same organizations all of these
attorneys that’s making the same money. Every time we do a bond in this community this is
what we pay out and I just think I wanted to see what everybody was bringing even when the
airport came by and had a bond done the same people did the same bond for them. And I think
we’ve got to make sure we’re inclusive and we have not been doing that. We talk like we’re
going to do it we say we’re going to do it but we had not been doing it. So I think Ms. Williams
I finally got it. It took me a little while but I appreciate it. It’s a nice Christmas present, I can’t
spent it and I can’t where it but I can sure use it.
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Mr. Mayor: And you can’t eat it. Can I get a motion to receive this as information?
Mr. Mason: So moved.
Mr. Lockett: Second.
Mr. Mayor: We have a motion that’s been made and properly seconded. Commissioner
Fennoy.
Mr. Fennoy: Ms. Williams.
Ms. Williams: Yes, sir.
Mr. Fennoy: Was the fee that we were charged, the fees that we were charged for the
water bonds ---
Ms. Williams: Yes, sir.
Mr. Fennoy: --- are these fees considered reasonable and customary or I mean is that the
going rate?
Ms. Williams: We pay Ms. McNabb to be our Financial Advisor. She is our registered
agent to give advisory services, professional recommendations for bond issues. And she has
reviewed these and in her opinion they are fair and reasonable. Now keep in mind that this
payment, this was not these folks just didn’t appear one day and issue a bond and it was all over
and done with and it was one transaction. As you recall this bond issue was discussed numerous
times and dating back to the original planning date for it which was mentioned, brought before
this body in 2012. So this was an ongoing process. These were the fees that were paid out at
culmination which is at the sale of the bond issue at that time.
Mr. Fennoy: That’s all I need to know. Thank you.
Mr. Mayor: Okay. Commissioner Hasan and be quick I’m trying to get us out of here by
six.
Mr. Hasan: Okay, yes, sir. Ms. Williams, Ms. McNabb?
Ms. Williams: Yes, Diane McNabb.
Mr. Hasan: Yes, Ms. McNabb. Are we under contractual obligations with her and her
firm?
Ms. Williams: We do not have a contract. We have secured her services under a
professional service arrangement.
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Mr. Hasan: So as we move forward who determines that as we move forward who
represents us in that capacity?
Ms. Williams: Well, until another financial advisor is named she is our registered agent
until somebody until another person is put in that. She is our person that looks after our interests.
Mr. Hasan: So does that say, so are you saying to me that, Commissioner Hasan, that’s a
Commission decision to choose another agent?
Ms. Williams: It would be.
Mr. Hasan: Okay, that’s what I was asking. Okay. So we’re at liberty to do that moving
forward because there’s no contract involved?
Mr. Mayor: Yes.
Ms. Williams: Yes, sir.
Mr. Hasan: Okay, thank you.
Mr. Mayor: We have a motion that’s been made and properly seconded. Commissioners
will now vote by the usual sign.
Mr. Guilfoyle and Ms. Davis out.
Motion Passes 8-0.
The Clerk: That’s it, gentlemen.
Mr. Mayor: To my colleagues thank ya’ll for nine good years, I appreciate it. We had
some good times together. (APPLAUSE) With no further business to come before the body we
stand adjourned.
[MEETING ADJOURNED]
Lena Bonner
Clerk of Commission
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CERTIFICATION:
I, Lena J. Bonner, Clerk of Commission, hereby certify that the above is a true and correct copy
of the minutes of the Regular Meeting of the Augusta Richmond County Commission held on
December 16, 2014.
______________________________
Clerk of Commission
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