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HomeMy WebLinkAboutCalled Commission Meeting August 8, 2024 CALLED MEETING COMMISSION CHAMBER August 8, 2024 Augusta Richmond County Commission convened at 1:00 p.m., Thursday, August 8, 2024, the Honorable Garnett Johnson, Mayor, presiding. PRESENT: Hons. Johnson, Williams, Frantom, Garrett, Scott, McKnight, Pulliam, Lewis and Guilfoyle, members of Augusta Richmond County Commission. ABSENT: Hons. Mason, Williams, Garrett, members of Augusta Richmond County Commission. Mr. Mayor: Good day, everybody. Okay, Madam Clerk, I call this executive session to order. Attorney Brown. 1. LEGAL MEETING A. Personnel Mr. Brown: Thank you, Mayor Johnson. Mayor Johnon, Commissioners, we would request a motion to go into executive session for the discussion of personnel. Mr. Frantom: So moved. Ms. McKnight: Second. Mr. Mayor: All right, we have a motion and a second. Madam Clerk, we’re voting. Motion carries 8-0. Mr. Mayor: Thank you, Madam Clerk, we’re now suspended to executive session. \[EXECUTIVE SESSION\] Mr. Mayor: Madam Clerk, I call this meeting back to order. Attorney Brown. 2. Motion to authorize execution by the Mayor of the affidavit of compliance with Georgia’s Open Meeting Act. Mr. Brown: Thank you, Mayor Johnson, Commissioners. We would request a motion to execute the closed meeting affidavit. Mr. Frantom: So moved. Ms. McKnight: Second. Mr. Mayor: All right, there’s a motion and a second. Madam Clerk, we’re voting. 1 Motion carries 8-0. Mr. Mayor: Attorney Brown, are there any motions as a result of our executive session? Mr. Brown: Yes, sir, Mayor Johnson. We would request a motion to approve the Interim Legal Service Transition Plan which among other things provides for the appointment of James T. Plunkett, Esq. as Interim General Counsel commencing August 16, 2024 and other terms listed therein. Ms. McKnight: So move. Mr. Guilfoyle: Second. Mr. Mayor: Thank you, Attorney Brown. Madam Clerk, we have a motion and a second. Seeing no colleagues in the queue, we’re voting. I’m sorry, Commissioner Lewis, you have the floor, sir. Mr. Lewis: Thank you, Mayor Johnson. Mayor Johnson, after hearing my colleague, I think it would be in the best interest of this city to extend the transitional period from two weeks to four weeks, from two weeks to four weeks. Ms. Scott: Second. Mr. Mayor: For Attorney Brown? Mr. Lewis: For Attorney Brown, that is correct. Attorney Brown, is that a matter we need to discuss, is a discussion for priority or can we do that here on the floor? Mr. Brown: No, it does not need to go back in executive session. It’s a matter of whether people agree or not. The Clerk: Is it going to be a companion item or is it part of this one? Okay. Mr. Mayor: All right, let’s go through the queue. All right, Commissioner Lewis, you yield? So you have a motion and I have a second. The Chair recognizes Commissioner Sean Frantom. Mr. Frantom: I’m just confused because that isn’t the conversation we just had and why was nothing said back there? I mean that’s just disappointing that we come out here with a plan and then we come out here and there’s a different plan and we all agreed to a plan so help me understand how it happened, Attorney Brown. Mr. Brown: Mr. Lewis asked me would I be willing to do four weeks. I told him that if that was the will of the body, what I placed in there was minimal. Commissioner Guilfoyle had commented that was a very short period for that type of transition. 2 Mr. Frantom: But it would have been two weeks and then you’re still on the sixth month because you’re SES, correct? Mr. Brown: Yes. Whatever is the will of the body. Mr. Mayor: All right, Commissioner Wayne Guilfoyle. Mr. Guilfoyle: You know I did say back there in legal, but you told me there was going to be a two-week transitional period. How did it change to four? Mr. Brown: The document has not changed. Mr. Guilfoyle: Okay, but as far as extending you, then it has changed. Mr. Brown: No, it has not changed. The document remains the same. I made the motion to approve what we talked about -- Mr. Guilfoyle: Okay. Mr. Brown: -- word for word. Mr. Guilfoyle: Okay. And then Mr. Lewis is suggesting what? Mr. Lewis: Can I speak? Mr. Mayor: Yes, sir, Commissioner Lewis, the floor is yours, sir. Mr. Lewis: Thank you, Mr. Mayor. Mr. Mayor, I did hear my colleague ask some th questions about, my colleague from the 10, made mention about was that enough time and we didn’t want to make sure that we didn’t want to set anyone up for failure so after further discussion, I had the discussion with Attorney Brown, and asked him was the two weeks based on the th conversation and based on the question that my colleague from the 10 asked, I asked Attorney Brown did he think that was a reasonable amount of time, the two weeks, to allow for counsel to come in and to be able to do what they need to do and not be set up for failure and upon our further discussion, Mr. Brown said well, you know, two weeks is normally a good time but sometimes if you have some extra time that you can allow for them to have some extra time and that wouldn’t be a problem, and I asked Mr. Brown would it be a problem if you stayed an additional week or two and he said to me that it would not so that’s why I made the motion. Mr. Guilfoyle: All right, for clarity when I said set up, I’ve got to respond to this one, my words were pretty plain and simple about the hours, setting up for failure. And I appreciate it that you was willing to spend time and bring the new attorney on but this discussion should have happened in the room instead of a private sidebar and you’ll probably find out that we wouldn’t have this discussion on this floor right now. We’ve just got to do better. Thank you. 3 Mr. Mayor: Thank you, Commissioner Guilfoyle. The Chair recognizes Commissioner Sean Frantom. Mr. Frantom: I’m good. Mr. Mayor: All right, there’s a motion and there’s a second. Please restate the motion, Commissioner Lewis. Mr. Lewis: My motion was that we extend instead of two weeks of transitional period with legal counsel now General Counsel Brown with the new counsel from the two weeks transitional period to a four-week transitional period. Mr. Mayor: All right. Mr. Brown: That would need to be put in the form of a substitute motion. I believe the first motion had already been motioned and seconded, I believe. Unless the maker of the motion is willing to modify it. Mr. Mayor: All right. Commissioner Lewis, please restate your motion as a substitute motion, if you don’t mind. Mr. Lewis: Well, Attorney Brown said the motion was made by myself and it was seconded so what we can do is we can vote on the motion. Mr. Mayor: Attorney Brown. Mr. Brown: I have no idea who made the main motion. The Clerk: The motion was made by Ms. McKnight. To approve the document. Mr. Mayor: That’s right. The Clerk: I have Ms. McKnight and Wayne Guilfoyle, second, for the main motion. Mr. Mayor: So there needs to be a substitute motion to extend Attorney Brown’s tenure for an additional two weeks, correct? The Clerk: Along with approving the legal service plan with Jim Plunkett being appointed as a transitional attorney and extending four-week extension of General Counsel Brown. Mr. Mayor: So is that additional four weeks or two weeks on top of the two weeks that you’re, two weeks on top, okay, all right, that’s clarification. The Clerk: So, Mr. Lewis, who seconded that, I didn’t— 4 Mr. Mayor: Commissioner Scott. So Attorney Brown, just for the record for this consideration, what would then be your end date instead of August 15, what would that move to? Mr. Brown: The four weeks would be September 12. Mr. Mayor: All right, September 12. All right, two weeks and two weeks. Commissioner Lewis, you’re still in the queue. Is there anything you’d like to add? He’s out of the queue. Commissioner McKnight. Mr. Brown: Commissioner Frantom is right. The correction made so it would start on the th 16. That would be September 13. Start on Friday and end on Friday. Mr. Mayor: So, it’s September 13. All right, so the date is September 13. All right, so let’s vote, colleagues. Madam Clerk, just for clarification, can you restate the motion and make sure we have it including the date. The Clerk: The motion is to approve the legal service plan with appointing Attorney Jim Plunkett for the transitional attorney and extending a four-week extension General Counsel Brown to September 13. Ms. McKnight: Substitute, correct? The Clerk: Yes, ma’am. Mr. Mayor: All right, we’re voting. Ms. McKnight and Mayor Johnson vote No. Motion carries 6-2. Mr. Mayor: Thank you, Madam Clerk. Attorney Brown, does that conclude our business for this session? Mr. Brown: Yes, it does, sir. Mr. Mayor: Madam Clerk, does that conclude our business? The Clerk: Yes, sir. Mr. Mayor: If so, this meeting is hereby adjourned and we’re moving forward into the Land Bank discussion meeting. \[MEETING ADJOURNED\] Lena J. Bonner Clerk of Commission 5 CERTIFICATION: I, Lena J. Bonner, Clerk of Commission, hereby certify that the above is a true and correct copy of the minutes of the Called Meeting of the Augusta Richmond County Commission held on August 8, 2024. ______________________________ Clerk of Commission 6