HomeMy WebLinkAboutRegular Commission Meeting January 5, 2016
REGULAR MEETING COMMISSION CHAMBER
JANUARY 5, 2016
Augusta Richmond County Commission convened at 2:00 p.m., January 5, 2016, the
Hon. Hardie Davis, Jr., Mayor, presiding.
PRESENT: Hons. Guilfoyle, Sias, Frantom, M. Williams, Smith, Fennoy, D. Williams
and Hasan, members of Augusta Richmond County Commission.
ABSENT: Hons. Lockett and Davis, members of Augusta Richmond County
Commission.
Mr. Mayor: It’s good to be back, we’re excited for what will lie ahead in the year 2016.
I want to welcome our Administrator back from vacation and holidays, our Attorney, our Clerk,
Ms. Natasha and without question the distinguished men on the dais minus the fair lady who is
on other business outside of the chamber. Madam Clerk, we’ll call this meeting to order.
The Clerk: We’ll ask Rev. Jim Knight, Asst. Pastor of the First Presbyterian Church
who will deliver our invocation after which we will do the Pledge of Allegiance to the Flag.
Would you please stand.
The invocation was given by Rev. Jim Knight, Asst. Pastor, First Presbyterian Church.
The Pledge of Allegiance to the Flag of the United States of America was recited.
Mr. Mayor: Rev. Knight, we have something for you. Madam Clerk?
The Clerk: At this time I call your attention to the presentation portion of our agenda.
The Clerk:
PRESENTATION(S)
A. Presentation from Colonel Sam Anderson, Fort Gordon Garrison Commander.
Mr. Mayor: The Chair recognizes Col. Anderson.
Col. Anderson: Thank you, sir. Members of the Commission I really do appreciate the
opportunity to speak to you today. I know you have a busy agenda and I’m going to do my best
to keep my comments brief. My intent today is really to provide you an update and if desired
recurring updates on the Fort Gordon initiatives and ongoing efforts regarding our growth at the
installation. In order to help provide some context to the decisions that you have to make either
on behalf of your constituents or to answer to answer any direct questions that you may have to
help guide your decision making. And I really would like to start with a simple pie chart. I don’t
know if you see this up in front of you, I’m looking at it do you see a pie chart from ---
The Clerk: It’s coming.
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Col. Anderson: --- okay. Are we good? Okay and the reason I use this pie chart and it
doesn’t come across quite as readable as I would like in this format but it talks a couple of
different things. The first thing you see the area in dark blue kind of in the upper right quadrant
is the Cyber Center of Excellence which for most people that are here in the local community
recognizes the school house. Fort Gordon has long been known as the Home of the Signal
School, Home of the Signal Center of Excellence where all soldiers got trained and that was the
predominant mission at Fort Gordon. What you see is part of this growth. By the end of the
growth only about 27% of the population of Fort Gordon will actually be associated with that
training mission. By comparison the light blue portion of the map plus the orange portion of the
map represents intelligence and cyber-operations respectively.That constitutes a little over 40%
of the population of Fort Gordon and that population is fairly unique in the fact that it is a 24/7
operational work force conducting missions of strategic importance to the nation. So what that
should tell you is that we’re really fundamentally transforming the Fort Gordon that you all have
grown up with or know about this community and it has a very different feel and with different
requirements. And so that’s one of the things that I’m hoping to continue to dialog today to start
insuring that everyone understands that not only are we growing but the types of missions that
we are conducting on Fort Gordon are transforming. And another piece on this map that’s of
importance is the number of 4,100 personnel. There’s been discussion over the past year and a
half or so we started off with 3,700, it went up to about 4,600 and now it’s down to what we
would estimate to be about 4,100 personnel aggregate growth over a 5-year period of time. That
number has fluctuated a little bit because in some cases units grew bigger than we expected them
to and in other cases the Army made decisions to draw down other units that did impact Fort
Gordon’s in strength such as the Warrior Transition Unit on Fort Gordon as well as the Army
Signal Corp Band. So we assess right now that number of 4,100 is probably pretty good
planning estimate for what we see the growth looking like going through fiscal year ’19. When
you think of a number of 4,100 that’s the number of service members. The Army tells us that a
service member has approximately 1.5 family members from a modeling perspective so that
really counts out to about 7,300 family members that will come to this area as part of this
growth. We don’t have exact numbers right now in the family members but we are using that as
a planning figure. So if you look at the 4,100 number that we’re projecting one thing that people
may not realize is about 2,400 of them are already here. The growth that we discussed with
Army Cyber Command is only one portion of the growth. A lot of this growth in other units
related to cyber and intelligence missions is already here, already living in our communities,
already having children going to our schools so we estimate about with 2,400 service members
here that probably equates to about 3,600 family members living in the area. Again we don’t
have the statistics exactly to tell us how many family members we have but we did see impacts
in the school systems throughout the CSRA that the growth that had impacts on the population in
our school systems. A little bit on growth in FY15 Fiscal Year ’15 for us which goes from
October to September is our kind of fiscal year. We spent about $50 million dollars just on
growth projects on the installation and we expect to spend about $130 million dollars just on
growth projects going into FY16. Again lots of opportunities for expansion on the installation
which hopefully will also mean opportunities for local business. And our current priority going
forward is the construction of a cyber campus on the installation. Approximately one-million
square feet of office and classroom space that if approved would be a little bit over $700 million
dollars of investment a combination of new construction and renovation that is designed to build
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a world class cyber campus to train cyber and signal soldiers in the creation of a new cyber
workforce for the nation. We recognize that we have a lot of competition for that talent out in
industry and with academia and we need our facilities to be able to compete with that and now
that is really from a Major General Fogerty’s perspective one of the highest priorities going
forward in the next year. Now with the exponential growth and really the complete
transformation of the installation from a predominantly training post to a global signal/cyber and
intelligence platform that is going to create some challenges but I chose to use the word
opportunities as opposed to challenges. And one of the opportunities I think we have is to really
take the next step from the close relationship that we have with the community to actually having
a true partnership with community leaders that collectively allow us to plan on how to manage
the challenges that come with this growth and maximize the opportunities that it creates. You
know one of the obvious areas of concern for me as the Garrison Commander is the development
around the boundaries of Fort Gordon. Now the local community which recently approved to
receive and update to the Joint Land Use Study and a Transportation and Utilities Infrastructure
Study would probably be beneficial to look at how those resources are being stressed and if we
could conduct a detailed analysis of that infrastructure and transportation networks with an eye
towards smart and informed development it would mutually beneficial. Obviously such a
strategy or such a study would require a collaboration across county boundaries. We can
continue to receive favorable information regarding our new Access Control Point off of Gordon
Highway and while that should be considered as part of an overall transportation strategy it will
not provide any immediate relief towards the current traffic challenges that we are facing. And
finally an area that is of mutual concern is the ability to attract the necessary talent to this region
to build a cyber workforce for the nation. This is a great place to live and work and we need to
figure out ways to tell that story and set the conditions necessary to recruit and retain the type of
talent that we’re going to need to serve in the Army Cyber Command and in the Cyber Center of
Excellence and a cornerstone of recruitment of a highly skilled workforce is a highly performing
school system. We look forward to the opportunities to work with the school boards across this
region to tell the good news stories, support the efforts to inject stem into the high school
curriculums and help improve the quality of education opportunities across the region. There’s
incredible activities happening on Fort Gordon today and those are going to continue. And while
other military communities across the county are dealing with the downsizing force Fort Gordon
and this community has a unique opportunity to be part of a new capability for the nation. And
while I’m speaking to the Augusta leadership my hope is that as a region we’re going to be able
to come together in a way that helps us determine outcomes that will be mutually beneficial and
we at Fort Gordon hope to be able to play a small part in shaping that. So I want to thank you for
your leadership and for the opportunity to speak to you today and I’ll attempt to answer any
questions you may have.
Mr. Mayor: Thank you so much, Col. Anderson. We appreciate you coming to share that
information. We are certainly partners in this process and we will continue to be as we move
forward. You’ve highlighted a number of things that I think are important to us and we look
forward to being actively engaged in cross collaboration to include around the region. The Chair
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recognizes the Commissioner from the 4.
Mr. Sias: Thank you, Mr. Mayor.
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Mr. Mayor: Okay.
Mr. Sias: Thank you, thank you, Mr. Mayor. Col. Anderson, thank you so much for
coming. There’s so many folks in this community who are active duty military, civilians who
are affiliated with the military and retired folks like myself. So we really appreciate the
opportunity and the things that you brought forth concerning Fort Gordon. I spent many years
out there and it’s great to see the growth and we mean growth potential that’s coming here now.
And I will be the first one to ask you to continue and your successor to keep working with us.
And we appreciate all the information you brought and we’re looking forward to a super year.
Thank you, sir.
Col. Anderson: Thank you, sir.
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Mr. Mayor: The Chair recognizes the Commissioner from the 6.
Mr. Hasan: Thank you, Chairman Davis. Col. Anderson, it’s good to see you again, sir.
Col. Anderson: Thank you, sir.
Mr. Hasan: In terms of the information you shared which is about reminding us of that
Fort Gordon or the installation that we’re looking at now is nothing like we’re used to growing
up with. I been living here all my life so it’s changing to your point but you also said as opposed
to looking at it being a challenge this is more of an opportunity and I think once you said that
you included us as an opportunity for this whole region. And you said to work with leadership
and to plan with them. So what do you want that to look like and how do we get together and
make that happen as a governing body here?
Col. Anderson: Well, sir, thanks for your question and I think that this type of setting is a
good start to make sure that we have the means to communicate about actions that affect each
other. The things that we are doing on the installation are going to have impacts on the local
community and the actions that you make decisions on clearly have an impact on us. I think that
in the past we have operated independently to a certain extent and in some cases we were our
own little enclaves and we were very supportive and appreciative of each other’s work but we
were able to kind of work independently and it not be there would not be any penalty for that.
And I think we’re at the point now with the growth and with all the opportunities that exist here
that it really requires us to have some type of entity that allows us to interact on the types of
planning whether it be on an education front or whether it be on a transportation front, whether it
be on a marketing front you know because the things that are going to benefit this community are
also going to benefit us. We cannot attract and retain the type of talent that we’re going to need
for this workforce without the community support. So we, we welcome any opportunity to
engage whether it be through planning commissions, through meetings with the leadership of the
community itself or any other venue that you would think it would be appropriate for us to add
our expertise or insight to our mission set so that it would guide your decision making.
Mr. Hasan: Okay so great and just to follow up, Mr. Chairman. So would be appropriate
for us in the meantime as a body here and I was talking with our Mayor getting with you all and
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letting you know that there’s a body in place among us that will be very supportive
understanding what you all are doing as well as what we can bring to the table and so we can be
working a collaborative mindset. Do you think we need to put something together obviously like
that that starts with our Mayor and to reach out to yourself and others?
Col. Anderson: I think that any type of planning group or kind of growth we would in
the military speak we would call it a transformation cell. You know any type of transformation
cell or planning cell that was designed to address the growth to this community that you would
want to put together in any form that would be we would be welcome participants in that.
Mr. Hasan: Thank you, sir. Thank you, Mr. Chairman.
Mr. Mayor: Thank you, Commissioner. All right are there any other questions or
comments? Col. Anderson, thank you so much. Please give our kind regards to Major General
Fogerty.
Col. Anderson: Yes, sir, again, thank you for having me here today.
Mr. Sias: Thank you.
Mr. Mayor: All right.
The Clerk: At this time we will have acknowledgement of our Years of Service
Employee. Ms. Michelle Elam Interim H.R. Director.
Ms. Elam: Good afternoon Commissioners, Mr. Mayor. Again my name is Michelle
Elam, your Interim Human Resources Director. Today we’re happy to recognize a Years of
Service Recipients. For the Month of December there are nine 5 to 20 year recipients and six 25
to 50 year recipients of which one is here this afternoon. With 30 years of service Nathaniel De
Loach, Utilities. (APPLAUSE) Once again, a big congratulations to our Years of Service
recipients. (APPLAUSE) Thank you.
RECOGNITIONS(S)
2015 Employee of the Year
B. Congratulations! – Ms. Annette Coker, Augusta Information Technology Department
as the 2015 Employee of the Year for Augusta, Georgia.
The Clerk: It is with pleasure that we acknowledge our 2015 Employee of the Year, Ms.
Annette Coker with the Augusta Information Technology Department. Ms. Coker, would you
please come forward? Your department wants to come up with you? They won’t come? Ya’ll
don’t want to come up and share? Okay, Ms. Allen is coming up. Mr. Blanchard she needs you
guys. The Employee Recognition Dear Mayor Davis. The Employee Recognition Committee
has selected Annette Coker as the 2015 Employee of the Year for Augusta, Georgia. Ms. Coker
works with the Augusta Information Technology Department. Annette has been employed with
Augusta Richmond County for 32 years which includes her tenure with the Augusta Information
Technology Department. The IT Department knows that she does the work of many but will be
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astounding to all the customers if they had even an inkling. Every piece of information used by
this government is some ways stored in a database of some sort. While there are several
application teams to support the applications there’s only one database administrator and that’s
Annette. Annette gives tirelessly of her time in order to support the plethora of databases always
giving 110% to get the job done right to reduce downtime for her customers. When there’s an
upgrade to be performed she works with all perspective parties for the initial phase, service
setup, software installation and also assists with the application upgrade. Most recent Annette
was involved in the One Solution Upgrade where she worked with the Finance Group interacting
and providing a technical support to vendors. Annette played a role in the implementation of
Utilities City Works in 2014. She provided support on weekends, evenings insuring mobile
work orders and new business processes were established in a timely manner. She received
numerous accolades from developers and workers who praised her for her expertise and
knowledge resulting in legendary customer service to the citizens of Augusta, Georgia. As such
Annette was most recently recognized as the Employee of the Month for 2015. Annette
extensive knowledge, expertise and strong work ethic permits Augusta to save many thousands
of dollars in project related costs each year because she has sufficiently performed the work that
other governments have to contract with vendors to perform. Annette has a strong sense of
community service involvement and was integral part of the team leading the way when IT
introduced Camp Data. She always can be counted on to lead a committee and get the job done.
The Employee Recognition Committee felt that based on this nomination and Annette’s
outstanding service we would appreciate you in joining us in recognizing her as the 2015
Employee of the Year. (APPLAUSE) Congratulations!
Ms. Coker: Thanks to my team. They are a great bunch of people. Thanks to my team,
they’re a great bunch of people to work with.
Mr. Mayor: Congratulations, Ms. Coker.
Ms. Coker: Thank you.
Mr. Mayor: Thank you for being a part of the team.
The Clerk: We need security to escort her out, we need security to escort her out! I call
your attention to the delegation portion of our agenda.
DELEGATION(S)
C. Mr. Alfred Barnes regarding Retention Ponds and the Storm Water Fee.
Mr. Mayor: Madam Clerk, can you suspend –
The Clerk: Oh, okay.
Mr. Mayor: --- just suspend for a moment.
The Clerk: Okay.
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Mr. Mayor: Mr. Barnes, if you’ll just suspend.
The Clerk: Yes, sir, we’re sorry. I called you a little prematurely.
Mr. Mayor: He just went to get some water.
Mr. Barnes: Happy New Year to everybody. I’ve been out here looking around at these
what they call retention ponds and I ain’t found none. What are ya’ll going to clean up and
straighten out in the water?
Mr. Mayor: Mr. Barnes, Mr. Barnes, Mr. Barnes, if you can just state for the record your
name and your address.
Mr. Barnes: Alfred Barnes, I live at 2114 Sibley Road, Augusta, Georgia. I live out in
the county.
Mr. Mayor: Thank you, continue.
Mr. Barnes: Thank you. I live in the Harwood Subdivision, it’s a, shaped like this.
Water runs in a creek on this side and no retention pond. The other side goes into Rae’s Creek.
The roads did have ditches on it that caught some water. Now it’s been paved and it’s in a
shambles the road since the sewer department dug it up. I’ve been trying for three years to get
them to come out there and patch it. And they come out and they patch it and somebody puts a
blue mark on it and said that’s all they’re authorized to do, patch. Trenches 3 to 400 feet long
sunk down this much. I called them again last week while I was down here to talk to the
Mayor’s office and they sent somebody out there. They put a camera in the drains, the sewer
drain and said it looked like water was washing dirt out of there. I don’t think so, the place
wasn’t compacted when it was put in there. I stood out there on my front porch watching them,
the guy couldn’t even see his head all I could see is the grate pole he was using. Ten minutes
later the guy done filled the trench up and he’s up to his knees. They run that little ole’ track hoe
about this wide about yay long and expect that track hoe to pack four or five feet of dirt, no, it’ll
only pack about three inches. I’ve been in construction 30/40 years. Nobody never checked the
compaction test in those trenches. I’ve never seen nobody out there in the three months it was in
there putting it in or longer. They’ve been out there in the last three years patching, patching and
patching and they patched the patch five times so to speak. I stood out one morning and it rained
and I stuck a pole in the hole I’d like to run into and put a tie an orange flag around it. It stayed
there about three days before anybody every come out and looked at it. They pulled the flag out
and left it. I called them back and they finally come back and done a little patching on it. I don’t
understand why they didn’t do better a job when they had the sewer department or whoever the
contractor was in there. The railroad is another item on my agenda. It’s nothing to do with the
flood control but we’ve got there’s hubcaps bounced off of there every day. When they come
over the railroad about ten feet the cars nosedive if you don’t know it it’s that high at night
nosedive into the street and got gauges in it where the vehicles hit it. I’ve called the county three
times about it, I’ve called CSX about it, CSX says we only go back to our property line which is
about 20 feet. The railroad’s what 8 foot wide, the rest of it belongs to the county and the
railroad has raised the track three times in the past five years and it’s getting worse and worse
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from three to six inches three, six, nine, ten, eleven, twelve I’ll bet 16/18 inches if you went up
there and surveyed it. It drops right off at six feet. It’s terrible and I’ve called the county about
it but they ain’t done nothing with it yet.
Mr. Mayor: Mr. Barnes, if you’ll suspend for a moment. You’re on the agenda to talk
about retention ponds and the storm water fee. Can you ---
Mr. Barnes: Well, this is on the road the storm water fee there or whatever you want to
call it. I think it’s a shame that you can our good Lord blessed us with little rain and ya’ll got to
charge us a tax on it because it rains. Look at Clarks Hill right now. It’s overflowing with
sending it right down the river here. Who’s going to tax it?
Mr. Mayor: Well, your concern is that you want to make sure that the retention ponds are
taken care of and that we are fixing ---
Mr. Barnes: I haven’t seen any retention ponds. We don’t have any in my area ---
Mr. Mayor: All right ---
Mr. Barnes: --- Gordon Highway all the trailer parks ---
Mr. Mayor: --- we’ll do this for you, Mr. Barnes.
Mr. Barnes: --- it all drains into the Rae’s Creek.
Mr. Mayor: Do this for me, Mr. Barnes. What is your concern state your immediate
concern so we can document it and we can ---
Mr. Barnes: The tax that you are trying to pass or going to pass to the customer every
customer in the neighborhood. There’s probably 150 houses right there not counting the
subdivision behind me. This is all of it like I said it sits like this one runs to the creek and the
other runs to wetland.
Mr. Mayor: All right, time has expired. Thank you for coming to present to us.
Mr. Barnes: Well, I got a lot more I could talk about. There’s Augusta Mall don’t have
any retention ponds ---
Mr. Mayor: All right I understand, your time has expired. Thank you, Mr. Barnes.
Mr. Barnes: (unintelligible).
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Mr. Mayor: Thank you. The Chair recognizes the Commissioner from the 8 state your
inquiry.
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Mr. Guilfoyle: It’s no inquiry, Mr. Mayor, one of his concerns was to do with the sewage
where it was patched five times with another patch. So if we could delegate the Utilities
Department to address that issue it’d be one less thing we’d have to be concerned about.
Mr. Mayor: To include checking the compaction.
Mr. Guilfoyle: The compaction was already completed and done it just, Tom needs to go
out there and look at the issue the ongoing issue and see if we could get that resolved.
Mr. Mayor: All right, I see our Utilities Director here. He’s taken that information and
he’ll caucus with Mr. Barnes and make sure we’ve got the right location. All right, the Chair
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recognizes the Commissioner from the 4.
Mr. Sias: Thank you. And also, Mr. Mayor, we can ask our Engineering Director to take
a look at the road situation and the railroad track there that would be the railroad track at Sibley
Road. Is that right, Mr. Jim, can we confirm that, Mr. Barnes? Our engineer’s back there he’ll
take a look at that, Mr. Barnes.
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Mr. Mayor: Okay, the Chair recognizes the Commissioner from the 1 the Engineering
Chairman Engineering Services Chair.
Mr. Fennoy: And while the engineers are taking a look at that particular railroad crossing
I would love for him to take a look at the railroad crossing at I think it’s Fenwick and James
Brown Boulevard where they have signs that say rough crossing. We do have a warning, Mr.
Barnes, for this it’s just as bad as the area you’re talking about.
Mr. Mayor: You know I appreciate that, Mr. Chairman of Engineering Services, and I
think there’s a better way for us to do these kinds of things so that we can actually document and
track it. You know we’re having a loose conversation and I think we need to put some time into
just putting together a document that we can transmit and say let’s do this whether it’s a work
order or something. It’s just I don’t think this is the best way to do it moving forward so let’s
give consideration to that.
Mr. Fennoy: Okay.
Mr. Mayor: As a body let’s give strong consideration to that. All right, Madam Clerk,
we’re ready for our next delegation.
The Clerk:
DELEGATION(S)
D. Ms. Alice Thomas regarding Hyde Park property, 201 Dan Bowles Road and the
hardship of renters being relocated.
The Clerk: Ms. Thomas.
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Mr. Mayor: Ms. Thomas ---
Ms. Thomas: Good evening.
Mr. Mayor: --- if you’ll state for the record your name and your address.
Ms. Thomas: My name is Alice Thomas my address that I am talking about today is at
201 Dan Bowles Road but that is not where I reside. Would you like to know where I reside?
Mr. Mayor: We want it for the record yes, please.
Ms. Thomas: Okay, 2118 Boykin Road, Augusta, Georgia 30906. My property at 201
Dan Bowles Road I grew up in that property I was raised there, I walked to Clara Jenkins School
there. My mother deceased in ’98 and I inherited the property and I was not living there at the
time. I rented it out when I inherited it. And then I decided to move in myself because I was
having problems with tenants. So I had some work done on the home. As a matter of fact I have
the list of a whole lot of things that I had done to the home to kind of get it just kind of renovated
it. Spent quite a bit of money had a new roof put on also, had a garage built in the back that cost
me pretty good so I have quite a few things that I spent money on. I got a loan from Wells Fargo
for this property to have all of these things done to make the property up to date and I moved in.
So with that being said I have an equity line of credit with Wells Fargo for this property. My
tenant is being moved out of this property and I’m going to be left owing Wells Fargo money.
When my tenant moves out the day that she moves out probably within 20 minutes after she
moves out my house will be destroyed because they’re going to take whatever they can off of it
to sell it which I’m still going to owe Wells Fargo money on this. I am still having to pay taxes
each year and I’ve been asking why if you’re going to tear it down, build a retention pond, why
am I having to pay taxes every year on the property which I just paid in December, November
excuse me. An also I have insurance to pay on it which the insurance company does not want to
insure it if there’s no one living there. When the property, the owner lived, the renter moved out
so I’m going to be stuck with a home that I owe quite a bit of money to the bank and I’m still
going to be responsible for having insurance on this property. And I’m not going to have an
income coming in from this property that I have now. As a matter of fact I think I have gotten all
the renter money that I’m going to get because my rent has been paid. She just hasn’t moved out
she’s in the process of moving so bottom line is that my thing is that I feel that I have been
overlooked. M property was supposed to have been looked at, was supposed have been done in
Phase 1 because it sits right on a corner of Dan Bowles Road and Walnut Street but it wasn’t
done. You went down Walnut Street, went down Golden Rod, you went down all the other
streets then you left my property sitting there. So I was told I would be picked up in Phase 2.
Now I’m told Phase 2 is just my renter and I’m going to be picked up in Phase 3. Well, that’s
after everybody’s gone. I don’t know if there’s going to be any money left to pay for what I owe
the bank for it. I’m not being told what it’s being appraised at. I know what I appraised it at
when I got the loan with Wells Fargo but what it’s appraised at now I don’t know. I don’t know
if you’re going to have money to pay me so that I can pay the bank. So that is my hardship in
reality what I’m saying is you’re taking my income from the house that’s going to be destroyed
and I’m still going to owe money on it with no property, that’s a hardship.
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Mr. Mayor: The Chair recognizes the Commissioner from the 6.
Mr. Hasan: Mr. Chairman, the only thing I can see pretty much since we’ve been here as
a Commission we’ve always been focusing more on the homeownership and people who are
living in those homes. I think we’re up to the point which the young lady’s addressing, I’m
sorry, ma’am, what’s your name again?
Ms. Thomas: Alice Thomas.
Mr. Hasan: Ms. Thomas which Ms. Thomas is addressing right now. The only thing I
can see right now that I think we can consider doing if it hasn’t already been done is appraise her
property currently for what it is because I can concur with her. I believe is what she said in
terms that once her tenant is gone maybe in a couple of days that house will be demolished. If
we come back in three or four weeks and then you won’t be getting assessed the true value of it.
So if it has not been appraised to go ahead and appraise it immediately and that way she won’t
lose you know the value of the home itself I think that’s the best. I think we may be at a point
now that we may be have more tenants I don’t know where we are if Mr. Hawthorne can answer
that I most assuredly would recommend that we do it immediately if it has not been done do an
appraisal of her property.
Mr. Mayor: Okay, thank you. All right I’m going to recognize the Chair from the
Engineering Services first and then I’ll come to you Mr. Chairman from Administrative Services.
Mr. Fennoy: Ms. Thomas, have you been in contact with the housing ---
Ms. Thomas: I have spoken to quite a few people. I have spoken to the ladies that work
out there in the center and they have referred me to the engineers. The engineers have referred
me to, I have spoken with Ms. Hogan, I’ve spoken with Hawthorne, I’ve spoken with the
engineers, I’ve spoken with so many people but like I said I’ve just feel like I’ve been given the
runaround you know with no help at all.
Mr. Fennoy: Okay.
Mr. Mayor: Okay, all right let’s do this. All right, Director Welcher, if you’ll approach.
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I believe that I’m going to fall back to where the Commissioner from the 6 is. All right I’m
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going to recognize the Commissioner from the 9 first, come on come on proceed.
Commissioner?
Mr. M. Williams: Thank you, Mr. Mayor. First of all I told Ms. Thomas a while back
myself in speaking with Mr. Welcher who’s the director that there’s a process. And Ms. Thomas
is not the only person who owns property and has been renting it out over there, there’s been
several if I’m not mistaken who have rental property in that area. And when we first started this
there were people who were trying to buy properties so they can turn and resell it back to the city
and we kind of prevented that. But I don’t want anybody to think that she’s the only one who’s
dealing with a situation like that. Mr. Welcher explained and I guess he can speak for himself
how the process has to work because I asked those same questions that we’re asking now. And
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my understanding he’s here to speak for himself that the process has to be where we move the
property owner out because when we first started this we left the property owners sitting in the
middle of everything and I tell you something’s wrong. The people that actually live there 75,
80, 85, 90 year old people living there and we started a process but then the system had to be as
such the way I understand it. Mr. Welcher he can come on up and take this now, that we would
move the property owners out then the renters then we’ll deal with the landowners after that.
But, Mr. Welcher, come and explain the details of how the guidelines say we have to do this
because if we’re going to start picking and choosing we’re going to be shooting all over the
place.
Mr. Mayor: All right, Mr. Welcher, if you’ll approach. What I’d like for you to do is
start with Ms. Thomas’ specific issue first. We’ve got her issue and then if you can in doing that
talk about the process.
Mr. Welcher: Okay.
Mr. Mayor: We don’t want to, we don’t want to cause a situation of injury we want to be
able to remedy this okay?
Mr. Welcher: Okay, Mr. Mayor, members of the Commission, in speaking directly to
Ms. Thomas and her matter let me take you back to before December of 2014. The first phase
when we first started relocation and our department was charged with being I guess at the
forefront of using the Uniform Relocation Act to move all renters and homeowners from Hyde
Park. The initial process that was used at that time was we went street by street so that’s what
she was referring to. We went street by street and wherein if you had a owner who had a tenant
in the house we would relocate the tenant as well as we would go ahead and acquire that
particular house at that time. Well what happened was based on the resources that were
available funding started being expended at a high rate. And then based on what Commissioner
Marion Williams indicated you had a lot of homeowners on other streets who indicated that they
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had been there for 30 years, what about me? So on December the 16 of 2014 myself and Abie
Ladson came back before this body and it was decided at that time that the highest and best use
of the funding at that time was to not go street by street to do away with that phase to revise the
phase and move all homeowners and renters out first. Also with that relocation of the
homeowners and renters it was also stated to us that we didn’t want to use any of the funding to
stabilize any of the properties as well. So to date what we’ve done is we’ve treated these cases
as a ASAP type case. You know don’t want to throw out numbers definitely don’t want to do
that but we are very, very close to being completely moving all homeowners and renters. We are
prepared going through the Administrator’s office to come before this body in Executive Session
on next week to talk with you about the next phase and how we believe the next phase should go
about and what should be included in this next phase. So that’s really where we are. You know
based on the resources that are available you know the homeowners and renters we’re ending
that process, we really, really are. So we’re prepared and we’ll give you an update on Tuesday.
Mr. Mayor: I don’t know if I’m having a hard day or what but I don’t know if I got an
answer to her situation. Okay, I want to, all right, I want to try to get an answer to her situation.
Madam Administrator.
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Ms. Jackson: Yes, if I can start off and Mr. Welcher can add to this. Mr. Welcher and I
had a brief conversation about this earlier today. It appears that we are following the policy that
was outlined by the Commission a year ago, I think Commissioner Marion Williams made
reference to that. What that policy said was that we would deal with homeowners first then we
would deal with tenants and then we would deal with properties that were either vacant or not
occupied not owner occupied. So that’s that third phase that we’re going into now for those
properties that are not owner occupied once the tenant is relocated I think the priority at that time
was to move individuals out, first homeowners then tenants. So that’s where we get into a
situation where we are with Ms. Thomas where we’ve got a vacant property sitting there and
then we have to deal with that as well as other vacant properties some of those being vacant
houses some of those being vacant lots. What Mr. Welcher is describing if I have this correct
please correct me if I’m wrong he’s prepared to come in next week in our Legal session to
discuss how we move forward and what amount of funding will be required for us to deal with
those now vacant properties and hers is one of many properties that are now vacant properties.
Mr. Welcher: That is correct. The only approval that was given by this body, the only
approval that you’ve given is to relocate the homeowners and the tenants. We must come back
before you all and talk about the next phase which would include demolition clearing and also
would include those owners of property that don’t necessarily live in Hyde Park.
Mr. Mayor: Madam Administrator?
Ms. Jackson: Mr. Mayor, yes to make sure you understand that yeah the amount of
money that was approved so far was to just get the individuals out. We now have to come back
with the plan to get to deal with those vacant properties and unfortunately that’s the situation Ms.
Thomas has described. And her house is now going to be vacant and she’s asking I think how
does the city deal with us ultimately and we’ve got to make some recommendations to you and
you’re going to make an approval about. You know once we have a handle on how much money
is that going to be and how swiftly can we deal with those now vacant properties now that those
tenants are out, tenants and homeowners are out.
Mr. Mayor: All right, so help me understand this. We had an appropriation of an
additional I believe $2.4 towards the latter part of last year and that was only for getting occupied
properties people out.
Mr. Welcher: Correct.
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Mr. Mayor: Okay, the Chair recognizes the Commissioner from the 9.
Mr. M. Williams: A question for Mr. Welcher. My question would be how many other
situations like Ms. Thomas that we’re dealing with. She’s here at the table now but I’m saying
how many others have been put in the same position because of the way the process works and
they’re waiting as well. Is this the only one we’ve got?
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Mr. Welcher: It’s definitely not the only one we have. You know there are I don’t want
to throw out a number but there are quite a few owners that have used this property as rental
property. You know the things that our department is really focusing on knowing that this is a
major issue so I can assure you that staff and myself are really, really pushing ahead. We’re
treating this matter as an ASAP type matter. We want to go ahead and get everybody relocated
we’re very close as I stated to you and we’ll talk more in Executive Session but we’re very close.
And then our immediate attention can turn to situations such as Ms. Thomas. We understand and
we definitely empathize with her and there’s no easy way to say it but the decision that was made
back on December of ’14 was the highest and best use period of that funding and we just pretty
much followed that order that was given.
Mr. Mayor: All right this is, I’m going to recognize the Chair recognizes the
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Commissioner from the 1.
Mr. Fennoy: Mr. Welcher, if the, our next Executive Session will you be in a position to
let us know exactly how much money you’ll need in order to bring closure to Hyde Park?
Mr. Welcher: Yes, sir, we’ll be in a position to provide you with some estimates
knowing that based on historical data of relocation costs for two, three, four bedroom properties
in the past we’ll be prepared to advise you with estimates with detailed estimates, yes, sir.
Mr. Fennoy: Okay. May I continue?
Mr. Mayor: Please.
Mr. Fennoy: I think in Ms. Thomas’ situation we have vacant property but we have two
kinds of vacant property. We have vacant property that used to be rented out that people still
owe a second mortgage a mortgage on. And then we have vacant property that are lots and
vacant houses I mean vacant property that is houses that nobody have lived in for years. And I
don’t and when we look at consideration I think that we need to look at the vacant property that
was at one time rented out that the property owners have mortgages either first or second on so
that we won’t create any additional hardship on these property owners. And then we could look
at the lots and the houses that nobody actually lives in or haven’t lived in in a long time.
Mr. Mayor: I fully understand that, Commissioner. I certainly don’t want to cut you off
but I think what we’re doing is we’re getting into a slippery slope. I think our posture is we need
to take this matter up in Executive Session and be prepared to have a right response not just in
terms of Ms. Thomas’. Ms. Thomas, I know you came today with a hardship, you expressed that
to us, I think we generally understand that. What I’d like to ask you to do is if we’ll have staff
get back with you within the next ten days after we’ve had an opportunity to bring resolution but
also clarification where we are with regards to Hyde Park if you’ll be so gracious as to allow us
to do that.
Ms. Thomas: Mayor, I understand about the ten days but my tenant is gone in ten days
and the house is destroyed in ten days where am I?
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Mr. Mayor: I think based on what we’re sharing today the house will not be destroyed in
ten days.
Ms. Thomas: As soon as this person moves out it’s destroyed. They take the pipes the,
whatever they can get out of the home.
Mr. Mayor: I believe that we’re here to be able to make that decision that that doesn’t
happen.
Mr. Welcher: Yeah that you know based on the house being stripped it still does not
affect the valuation of the property.
Mr. Mayor: Okay, all right, so okay.
Mr. Guilfoyle: Mr. Mayor, I’ve just got one ---
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Mr. Mayor: The Chair recognizes the Commissioner from the 8.
Mr. Guilfoyle: --- thank you, Mr. Mayor. Ms. Thomas, you spoke about doing an
addition to your property adding on a garage.
Ms. Thomas: Yes, I had a garage built on the property. It cost me $13,000 and some odd
dollars almost $14,000 to have it built.
Mr. Guilfoyle: Can you tell me what year please?
Ms. Thomas: What year?
Mr. Guilfoyle: Yes, ma’am.
Ms. Thomas: I surely can it was in ’05, 4-4-05 is when I had it built. I had to get a
permit to have it built because of the size of it ---
Mr. Guilfoyle: Yes, ma’am.
Ms. Thomas: --- so I do have all of that paperwork on it.
Mr. Guilfoyle: That was all I needed. I was making sure there was a permit and the year
(inaudible).
Ms. Thomas: Yes, there was a permit done for it it was done in ’05. It was done by T.O.
Clark.
Mr. Guilfoyle: Thank you so much.
Ms. Thomas: Uh-um.
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Mr. Mayor: All right so here’s what we’ll do. Ms. Thomas, if you will it sounds like
you’ve already had a, Madam Administrator will Administrator Jackson will be in contact with
you with regards to this matter. Madam Clerk.
The Clerk: I call your attention to our consent agenda. Our consent agenda consists of
items 1 and 2.
Mr. Fennoy: Motion to approve.
Mr. G. Smith: Second.
Mr. Mayor: Are there any motions to add items to the consent agenda?
Mr. Fennoy: I’d like to add 3, 4, 5, 6, 7.
The Clerk: We need to see if they’re in the chamber, sir, according to our policy.
Mr. Fennoy: All right, okay.
The Clerk: Do you want to ---
Mr. Mayor: We want to check, Madam Clerk, yeah we want to check ---
The Clerk: Okay.
Mr. Mayor: --- do you want to do that now?
The Clerk: Do you want them to come up now? Okay.
Mr. Mayor: Would you.
The Clerk: Mr. Sherman.
Mr. Sherman: Do we have any objectors to these alcohol petitions? Ms. Bonner, there
are no objectors. If I could point out one issue with each license the correct number begins with
16 and it’s 1 through 5 just in the order that they are on the agenda. Do you want me to call each
applicant?
The Clerk: Yes, sir and so we just make sure they’re all here.
Mr. Sherman: Do you want them to come forward?
The Clerk: And give their name and then we’ll just ---
Mr. Sherman: Okay.
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The Clerk: --- go down the line.
Mr. Sherman: Okay, the first item is a motion to approve a New Ownership Application:
A.N. 16-01. It’s a request by Alpeshjumar Patel for a retail package Beer & Wine License to be
used in connection with Goshen Grocery located at 1657 Goshen Road. District 8. Super District
10.
Mr. Patel: My name is Alpeshkumar Patel, 1031 Belair Drive, Evans, Georgia 30809.
Mr. Sherman: The Sheriff’s Department and Planning and Development recommend that
it be approved.
The Clerk: We’re going to do them in succession. They’re going to add them but they
want to make sure that the petitioners are here.
Mr. Sherman: The second is a motion to approve New Ownership Application A.N. 16-
02 request by Neelam A. Patel for retail package Beer & Wine License to be used in connection
with ANJ, Inc. d/b/a Andy Food Mart located at 1236 Gordon Highway. District 1. Super
District 9.
Ms. Patel: My name is Neelam Patel, I live at 1439 Isaac Way, Hephzibah, Georgia.
Mr. Sherman: The next is a motion to approve New Ownership Application: A.N. 16-03
a request by Aratiben Vijayhbhai Patel for a retail package Liquor & Wine License to be used in
connection with Shiv Kali, Inc. d/a/a Inwood Spirits located at 2940 Inwood Drive STE B.
District 5. Super District 9. Please state your name and address.
Ms. Patel: My name is Aratiben Patel I’m living in 520 Richmond Hill Road Augusta,
Georgia.
Mr. Sherman: Okay, the next is a motion to approve ---
Mr. M. Williams: I’ve got a question, Mr. Mayor.
The Clerk: On number 5 sir?
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Mr. Mayor: The Chair recognizes the Commissioner from the 9.
Mr. M. Williams: I just wanted clarification. You said liquor and beer and then you said
liquor and wine. What’s the difference there?
Mr. Sherman: Well, I misspoke. On the agenda it is liquor and wine and I said beer but I
meant to say wine. It is liquor and wine.
Mr. M. Williams: But that doesn’t change from selling beer does it?
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Mr. Sherman: Well, they don’t have a license to sell beer.
Mr. M. Williams: So it’s a liquor and wine not a beer.
Mr. Sherman: Correct.
Mr. M. Williams: I thought they all once you approved the license I thought you get it
all. I just wanted to make sure I was clear, that’s all. I’ve got no problem with it, Rob, I just
wanted to make sure I’m understanding it.
Mr. Sherman: It was my mistake.
Mr. M. Williams: Okay.
Mr. Sherman: It is liquor and wine.
Mr. M. Williams: All right, I ain’t got no problem.
The Clerk: Number six.
Mr. Sherman: Number six. Number six is a motion to approve a new application A.N.
16-04 a request by Thomas A. Denlinger for an on premise consumption Wine License to be
used in connection with Green Jackets Hospitality & Food Services, LLC located at 78 Milledge
Road. This is a sporting concession Augusta Green Jackets. District 1. Super District 9. State
your name and address please?
Mr. Denlinger: Tom Denlinger, 2516 Carriage Creek, Augusta, Georgia.
Mr. Sherman: Now this is for wine he presently has a beer license but that’s already been
approved.
Mr. M. Williams: Just want to get it straight.
Mr. Sherman: Okay the next is a motion to approve a New Ownership Application: A.N.
16-05 a request by Iqbal H. Mohammed for a retail package Beer & Wine License to be used in
connection with Shoppers Shop located at 1649 Olive Road. District 2. Super District 9.
Mr. Mohammed: Good afternoon my name is Iqbal Mohammed. I live at 202
Williamsburg Road, Hephzibah, Georgia.
Mr. Sherman: For all applicants the Sheriff’s Department and Planning and
Development recommend that they be approved.
The Clerk: Our consent agenda consists of items 1-2 with the additions of items 3, 4, 5, 6
and 7 with no objectors to our alcohol petitions.
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CONSENT AGENDA
PETITIONS AND COMMUNICATIONS
1. Motion to approve the minutes of the regular meeting of the Commission held December
15, 2015.
APPOINTMENT(S)
2. Motion to approve the appointment of Mr. Earl B. Culver to the ARC Personnel Board
representing District 4.
PUBLIC SERVICES
3. Motion to approve New Ownership Application: A.N. 15-66: request by Alpeshkumar
Patel for a retail package Beer & Wine License to be used in connection with Goshen
Grocery located at 1657 Goshen Road. District 8. Super District 10.
4. Motion to approve New Ownership Application: A.N. 15-67: request by Neelam A. Patel
for a retail package Beer & Wine License to be used in connection with ANJ, Inc. d/b/a
Andy Food Mart located at 1236 Gordon Highway. District 1. Super District 9.
5. Motion to approve New Ownership Application: A.N. 15-68: request by Aratiben
Vijayhbhai Patel for a retail package Liquor & Wine License to be used in connection with
Shiv Kali, Inc. d/b/a Inwood Spirits located at 2940 Inwood Drive STE B. District 5. Super
District 9.
6. Motion to approve New Application: A.N. 15-69: request by Thomas A. Denlinger for an
on premise consumption Wine License to be used in connection with Green Jackets
Hospitality & Food Services, LLC located at 78 Milledge Road. This is a sporting event
concession. District 1. Super District 9.
7. Motion to approve New Ownership Application: A.N. 15-70: request by Iqbal H.
Mohammed for a retail package Beer & Wine License to be used in connection with
Shoppers Shop located at 1649 Olive Road. District 2. Super District 9.
Mr. Mayor: All right, any other motions to add to the consent agenda? There being
none, voting.
Mr. Lockett and Ms. Davis out.
Motion Passes 8-0. [Items 1-2]
Motion Passes 8-0. [Items 3-7 with the corrected number of A.N. 16-01 through 16-05]
The Clerk: Okay, Mr. Mayor, Item #8?
Mr. Mayor: Yes.
The Clerk:
ADMINISTRATIVE SERVICES
8. Motion to approve dividing the 2016 Commission’s travel and training budget
$29,020.00 equally between the ten Commissioners with the following conditions. a.) Each
Commissioner’s allocation is $2,902.00. b.) Commissioners may elect to share part or all of
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their allocation with other Commissioners. C.) Any monies requested from another budget
requires Commission approval. D.) The Administrator’s budget will not be used to support
Commission travel and training. (Requested by Commissioner Sammie Sias)
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Mr. Mayor: The Chair recognizes the Commissioner from the 9.
Mr. M. Williams: Happy New Year to you, Mr. Mayor. I said that or not but I don’t
know how new this year is going to be. First of all I think we’ve got some things confused about
training and the travel. This is about training, it’s not about travel. Sometimes you have to go
and travel in order to get the training but we have not had any conversation among this body
unless they always do have a meeting before the meeting and don’t include everybody. I just
think that this is something that ought to be taken as information and sit down and discuss. Now
I depend on our Clerk to keep us abreast of the different organizations that this body is a member
of. We pay dues, we have joined the Association of County Commissioners, ACCG. We have
joined GMA, Georgia Municipal Association. We are members of the National League of Cities
for information and technology and different training that they provide for this government. I
think when you get elected you have to be at least certified at some point as they’re taking the
classes that they offer here in Georgia that we’re required to go to. I don’t know we all of us
have completed that or not. So I take a different look at this situation Item A ought to be
something that we ought to willing to sit down and talk about. First thing we’ve got to
understand this is not a slush fund for us to argue about who went and who didn’t go who’s
going to let me have or that you have some money to go on a trip. It’s not about the trip, it’s
about the requirements and the education that we need to have. If it’s my money if you
designate me a certain amount you can’t tell me when to go and where to go. Now we know this
whole situation is centered around one unique individual and we ought to just make it plain we
ought to talk about it. We act like we don’t know what’s going on up here, we act like nobody
else knows what’s going on up here. But if you’re going to travel if you’re going to have to
travel if you’re going to have to get trained you’re going to have to go someplace in order to get
that done. If I’m going on vacation you ain’t going to tell me when to go on vacation at, you
ain’t going to tell me when to come back if I go. So I really think that this was done wrong. I
think it ought to be sent back to Administrative Services where we ought to have some dialogue
where we ought to be able to talk about it to decide what this body needs or what this body wants
and not a few people getting together and decide. So I really take offense to that, Mr. Mayor. I
think that we’re looking at this thing wrong the media will beat you up about going off training
but that’s what the media is supposed to do, that’s why they get paid to write articles in the paper
to try to make you feel bad about what you’re doing. If you’re doing what’s right then you ought
not to worry about what they print whether it be televised or whether it be in the print section.
But it’s about not locking this Commissioner down, locking this body down we’re still in
Augusta, Georgia in the 1900’s. Right now it’s 2016 and we’re still back in I could go back to
1800 but I’m going to leave it somewhere in the 1900’s. But we need to quit acting like little
boys up here and act like grown men and accept the responsibility and do what is right. If it’s
training where’s Mr. Welcher he might already left but he asked me about going on a trip to look
at to do something that Housing and Neighborhood Development is doing I said no I don’t want
to go to that. Why should I go to a situation about something Housing and Neighborhood
Development is doing? And there are some people that do do that but we ought to be men
enough to know and a woman Ms. Davis is not here now to do what is right for this community,
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spend this money on what it needs to be spent on to help us be better Commissioners, to help
these people like this young man coming about the drainage and stuff he’s got that some people
got the same problem and figure out a solution to it. We’re still sticking our heads up in the sand
don’t know what to do. They got equipment out there we could be getting and using. Somebody
already invented a wheel we’re trying to make another wheel. The wheel’s still around ain’t no
square wheel working nowhere yet, wheel’s still around so we need to use those same tools that
somebody else has already done used and use it to our advantage to help our constituency live a
better life in this community. So I’m very disappointed about trying to divide up and who’s
going to say what we need. The Clerk ought to be telling us what entities we are a part of and
what we need to participate in and it ought to be mandatory to go. Don’t sit and choose what
you want to go to if it’s training you ought to go to training and you ought to come back and let
somebody know that you had that training. And I can tell up here a lot of us ain’t had no
training.
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Mr. Mayor: All right, the Chair recognizes the Commissioner from the 4.
Mr. Sias: Thank you, sir. It amazes me how often where there doesn’t seem to be a
solution to a problem when someone brings a solution we got all kinds of controversy. And
make no mistake about it when I was prepared to go do some training the latter part of last year
there was absolutely zero dollars left to do it. Now are we going to be men about it or are we
going to be grown folks about it then we should be aware that if one, two or three people are
spending all of the training and travel dollars no one should have to rush to get to the front of the
line to do required training that’s makes absolutely no sense. So there’s a simple solution
provided to take care of a problem but in this particular arena I guess of the 2016 if you bring a
solution there’s not one already there and there’s a big old issue about a solution being brought.
We done talked about this before this is not the first time, this is not the second time. As far as
dividing and preparing an allocation for each one that’s not a new idea and I don’t take credit for
it from my personal standpoint but it’s a solution to a problem. I was the only one who desired
to go get some needed and required training and there was nothing to do it in the latter part of the
year. So the question would be if we’re going to be grown folks about it then we should take
what’s the fair get the required training and leave some for someone else to get some required
training. So I’m not sure why it’s always got to be a big deal when there’s a solution to a
problem. That is why this particular item was put on the agenda as 2016 was started there was
no solution on the same problem we had in 2015. With that I move to approve.
Mr. Frantom: Second.
Mr. Mayor: All right, I didn’t recognize you for a motion yet, we keep doing this. I’ve
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got a Commissioner from the 8 who asked to be recognized to speak on this matter and we’re
trying to get forward with motions but let’s hear the debate first and I will come back and
recognize you for a motion if you don’t mind. He had his hand up he wanted to speak on the
matter.
Mr. Sias: That’s a point of clarification if you don’t mind sir. A motion doesn’t stop
debate, I would think not. If not I can withdraw my motion I’ll wait for your recognition to
make it.
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Mr. Mayor: If you don’t mind I’d appreciate that.
Mr. Sias: Consider it withdrawn.
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Mr. Mayor: The Chair recognizes the Commissioner from the 8.
Mr. Guilfoyle: Thank you, Mr. Mayor. I had talked to a couple of my colleagues about
this starting this morning as well as some of the staff of Augusta Richmond County. And what
this actually derived from last year when we didn’t have the money for some of our colleagues to
do our training to be certified you know with ACCG and GMA that’s done here in Georgia
basically down there in Savannah or Athens et cetera. But it’s not a vacation for us whatsoever;
it’s time away from our families which I understand. But when we do have to take these
required courses to become certified and there’s no funding there, that poses a problem. And
like everybody’s aware of there’s no hidden agenda we do have a few that abuses the privilege.
But when they not consider it for the new people on the floor that’s required to take the
certification this is where agendas like this come up to play. There’s ways of overcoming this,
there’s solutions to it, but it should’ve been started years ago not right now showing
consideration for and respect for each of our colleagues instead of just going and going and
going. There’s going to be a lot of communication on this and it’s probably advisable for it to go
back to committee for more discussion. It’s not to shoot it down or anything, it’s just to make it
what’s best and fair for all. When you look at the division of the $2,902.00 dollars and you
spend on an average between $18/1,900 dollars a year to go to the classes in Savannah at least
$1,139.00 dollars to do the National League of Cities shoot that’ll probably barely cover the
plane ticket. And so this is where it’s makes it where the other colleagues would have to reach
out and say hey, can I get some money. Something like that’s going to have to be worked out or
just cancel the membership with the National League of Cities all together and this whole budget
issue becomes moot, this agenda item because moot because with the GMA, ACCG you can’t
spend all that money to go into different classes. That’s just food for thought I know that that
there’s other colleagues that’s going to be wanting to talk and chime in a little bit. Thank you
Mr. Mayor.
Mr. Mayor: Thank you, Commissioner, thank you. The Chair recognizes the
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Commissioner from the 1.
Mr. Fennoy: Mr. Mayor, can I address the Clerk?
Mr. Mayor: Madam Clerk.
Mr. Fennoy: Madam Clerk ---
The Clerk: Yes, sir.
Mr. Fennoy: --- are you aware of the various organizations that the Commissioners are a
part of?
22
The Clerk: Yes, sir.
Mr. Fennoy: And the not necessarily down to the dollar but the cost or the amount of
money it would cost if we attended the conferences that we are members of?
The Clerk: Yes, sir.
Mr. Fennoy: Would the $29,020 dollars cover that cost?
The Clerk: If you’re planning to attend both State Association Conferences and the two
National Conferences, no, sir.
Mr. Fennoy: Okay, do you know approximately what it would cost if we say a plan to
attend the two-day conferences and maybe one National Conference.
The Clerk: You would probably need maybe $1,200, $1,500 dollars additionally and
that’s because of the National Conferences will require that you do air travel. And if you do air
travel of course that would more than likely exceed the per diem mileage that you receive going
to Savannah so that would somewhat increase your costs for those particular conferences. The
State Association Conferences I would think would, will run you pretty close to the $1,200
dollars to include registration, hotel costs per diem and mileage.
Mr. Fennoy: Okay.
The Clerk: And the State Association will cost you your registration, your hotel and your
airfare.
Mr. Fennoy: Not airfare for state now.
The Clerk: The State Conference you do mileage and per diem and for the National
you’ll do per diem, airfare and registration.
Mr. Fennoy: Okay and does the membership for the State and the National, does it come
out of the $29,000?
The Clerk: No, sir, that’s a separate line item. The Association dues are paid from a
separate line item. We budget different from separate from those and those would be our
Georgia Municipal Association, Association of County Commissioners of Georgia, the National
Association of County Officials and the National League of Cities.
Mr. Fennoy: And if this item goes back to committee could you bring us back, Ms.
Bonner, the total costs of the travel and training for these say each Commissioner to attend three
of the four?
The Clerk: Yes, sir, I can, an estimate can we do an estimated cost, yes, sir, we could do
that for two State Association and one National?
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Mr. Fennoy: Right.
The Clerk: Okay now, well what we’re going to do it’s going to be estimate because it
depends on where the conferences are going to be held that particular year so the airfare changes
according to where the conference is going to be held but we can do that, sure.
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Mr. Fennoy: Mr. Mayor, once the Commissioner from the 4 makes his motion I’d like
to make a substitute motion.
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Mr. Mayor: Well, I think the Commissioner from the 4 is listening to the wisdom of the
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conversation with regards to what the Finance Chair from the 8 said your comments and he’s
probably going to make a better motion.
Mr. Fennoy: Okay, you’re not putting words in your mouth.
Mr. Mayor: I’m not ---
Mr. Fennoy: All right.
Mr. Mayor: --- I’m just thinking because he and I are connected like that he and I are
connected like that.
Ms. Davis: (on the phone – inaudible). Are we voting on the substitute first?
The Clerk: No, ma’am, we’re waiting on the motion to be placed.
Mr. Mayor: We’ve got more debate. I’m going to recognize the Commissioner from the
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8 from the 6. The Chair recognizes the Commissioner from the 6.
Mr. Hasan: Thank you, Chairman Davis. My conversation’s not about the item itself as
much as the motion that Commissioner Sias made. Actually as I understand it he can make the
motion and we can continue to debate after the motion is taken. Most times I suggest that’s
when actually the debate began after the motion is made. Also when he’s to withdraw the
motion if there’s no objections because once he makes the motion and it’s seconded it belongs to
the body. And if he withdraws it and if there’s no objections then it can be withdrawn but if
there’s and objection then we do a head count or vote to see can he officially withdraw it. Just
wanted to make mention of that.
Mr. Mayor: Well, Mr. MacKenzie, you now have a new parliamentarian. There was no
objection to him withdrawing his motion.
Mr. Hasan: Yes, yes ---
Mr. Mayor: Right.
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Mr. Hasan: --- yes but I was taking about the first but there was two parts. The first part
him having the ability to withdraw the motion to continue debate. Actually the debate actually
starts after the motion is made if truth be told.
Mr. Mayor: All right, a lot of discussion. Madam Clerk, I think there’s some things that
could be helpful in helping to determine what that looks like moving forward. All right I’m
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going to swing back around and recognize the Commissioner from the 4.
Mr. Sias:
Thank you. Just based on a couple of times we’ve done this little dance about
the time to make a motion. I think we may also need to clarify that as well because from my
perspective of i.e. the parliamentary process is that there is no specific relation to a member
speaking and making a motion or it does relate to speak on it to make a motion. So I think there
needs to be clarified a bit. But as far as the agenda item itself today I have no problem with this
going back to committee. I would have a problem if it goes back and we don’t come back with a
move that we send this
solution. That would be a problem for me. So with that being said
back to Administrative Services Committee and that we come back with a solution.
Mr. G. Smith: Second.
Mr. Hasan: Mr. Mayor, before we vote can I speak to Ms. Bonner?
The Clerk: Who was second?
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Mr. Mayor: Hold on a minute. We’ve got a motion from the Commissioner from the 4
and we have a second from the Mayor Pro Tem to refer this back to committee. Ms. Bonner, you
got that?
The Clerk: Yes, sir.
Mr. Mayor: Okay.
Mr. Hasan: Mr. Mayor?
Mr. Mayor: All right, I’m going to recognize you. We’ve got a motion and a second to
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refer to committee. The Chair recognizes the Commissioner from the 6.
Mr. Hasan: Thank you, Chairman Davis. Mr. Mayor, if you don’t mind I’d like to ask
Ms. Bonner to ask Commissioner Davis possibly this is going to be successfully going back to
committee would she consider not wasting her vote on this because she can only do it twice a
year and it’s probably going to happen if she was to have any type of you know to have it and
she wouldn’t have an opportunity to participate in the future so we might not need her vote for
this to happen.
Ms. Davis: (inaudible).
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Mr. Mayor: All right, I’m going to come down there. The request is not necessary. The
vote’s going to take (unintelligible) on two separate days and so there’s no procedural
requirement that if she voted today it would nullify her from being able to vote in the future in
the event that she was absent. All right the Chair recognizes Attorney MacKenzie to speak to
this matter.
Mr. Hasan: Mr. Mayor, that wasn’t my point.
Mr. Mayor: The Chair recognizes Attorney MacKenzie to speak to the matter.
Mr. MacKenzie: Sure. The exception for the Georgia Open Meeting Act which allows
participation by phone is per date so you can participate by phone on one day and then another
date participate a second time during a calendar year so whether you vote once or twice or ten
times on that one day it’s not going to have any impact on your second opportunity to participate
by phone at a later date.
Mr. Mayor: Was that your concern?
Mr. Hasan: No, sir, that was not my concern. My concern was that if she participated
today and just say next Tuesday the same thing at that point she would’ve utilized two votes at
that particular time and she wouldn’t be able to do that anymore for the rest of the year.
Mr. Mayor: Okay, duly noted.
Mr. M. Williams: Is that right, Mr. Parliamentarian? We mean so we looked to him and
he I mean that’s what I was thinking but I don’t know. He’s the parliamentarian, is that right?
Mr. Mayor: The Chair recognizes Attorney MacKenzie.
Mr. MacKenzie: Correct if you participate twice by telephone in a calendar year on two
separate occasions then you’re no longer given that opportunity because you’ve used them up.
Mr. M. Williams: I think what Commissioner Hasan was bringing to the table to let her
know that it wasn’t important to use it now because she may need to use it at a later date not that
she had to ---
Mr. Mayor: I think we’re all on the same page now.
Mr. M. Williams: --- I think we need that training.
Mr. Mayor: Thank you, Commissioner Hasan.
Mr. Hasan: Thank you, sir.
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Mr. Mayor: The Chair recognizes the Commissioner from the 8.
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Mr. Guilfoyle: Thank you, Mr. Mayor. Can I address the Madam Clerk please?
Mr. Mayor: Certainly.
Mr. Guilfoyle: Madam Clerk, I got an email last week for the National League of Cities
who wants to attend.
The Clerk: Yes, sir.
Mr. Guilfoyle: Can we kind of refrain from doing any kind of making appointments or
setting aside anything until we get this clarified on this agenda please? So we’re not signed up
for it.
The Clerk: Yes, what I did if you received the notification it was just advising you of
those dates ---
Mr. Guilfoyle: Yes.
The Clerk: --- that you could save the date on your calendars. And for planning purposes
only I ask that you return that for those that had desired to attend the conference so that we
would know because there’s certain deadlines that you have to meet when the registration period
opens and when it closes you get a better opportunity for the better site, property site hotel site.
So it was just a mechanism for a little advanced planning.
Mr. Guilfoyle: Okay, so we do have a couple weeks before anything has to be done.
The Clerk: Yes, sir.
Mr. Guilfoyle: Thank you, Madam Clerk. All right thank you, Mr. Mayor.
Mr. Mayor: Certainly. We have a motion and a second to refer this to committee.
Voting.
Mr. Frantom votes No.
Mr. Lockett and Ms. Davis out.
Motion Passes 7-1.
The Clerk:
PUBLIC SAFETY
9. Consider the following proposal for the enhanced operations of the commission and
committeemeetings: a.) Consider the will of the body to support a Microphone
Management System for the Commission Chambers. B.) This system must allow all
members to see the current state of members desiring to speak or otherwise be engaged.
(Example: if I am the second or third person in the queue, I should be able to see that on
my personal screen) c.) This system shall not allow a master controller the ability to shut
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speakers down. D.) We should consider the Clerk’s Office as the master console operator.
If a consensus is reached on this item, I request that it be refereed back to the Public Safety
Committee for further consideration. (Requested by Commissioner Sammie Sias)
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Mr. Mayor: The Chair recognizes the Commissioner from the 4.
Mr. Sias: Thank you. I had to get a queue to get you know my right one on there but
thank you sir. The idea of this is to make this simple and find out what we as a body would like
to do with this. This item has been up before or the consideration of this kind of a system. The
thing that I would ask this body to do is say is what kind of system do we want. The initial
consideration had been no talk about what kind of system we want it just the fact we wanted it to
be there. So it’s my idea and my thoughts of this agenda item is for this body to take a look at it
because we actually do need some kind of a process to insure that we are don’t have our leader’s
head on a swivel trying to see who everybody is and the same thing in the committee process.
So this simply is do we want a microphone system management system and what type of system
do we want. Thank you.
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Mr. Mayor: The Chair recognizes the Commissioner from the 9.
Mr. M. Williams: Mr. Mayor, I’ll tell you what these rocket scientists are smart but I’ll
tell you what I guess my first question and I’ve got several. My first question how much costs,
how much money would this cost this government to have eleven people up here and they can’t
communicate with each other to say who was in the queue first. How much money are we
talking about I guess that’s my first question? Don’t nobody know? My junior colleague says
twenty thirty thousand I mean I can’t listen to him because he don’t carry no figures he just
talking over here. I need somebody to tell me how much money that this will cost this
government to put on a system for ten, eleven people. Not twenty or thirty but eleven.
Mr. Mayor: All right, the Chair recognizes Administrator Jackson.
Ms. Jackson: Sir, I’m sorry we have not researched this item to come up with a specific
figure for you but if it’s the will of the body we can.
Mr. M. Williams: I don’t know about this body. I just wanted an idea before I vote on
something like that how much money we’re going to spend. If it’s twenty or thirty thousand
dollars at least on the low side and we just through arguing about travel and how much money
we ought to be spending on travel we’re going to spend thirty thousand thirty thousand dollars on
a machine that tells you who pushed the button first. I mean something don’t make good sense
to me. Now, Mr. Mayor, I know you mentioned this and I heard my colleague say that
something we wanted it. I ain’t never wanted this. I mean I’m right next to you in fact I look in
your face more than anybody else does I guess but I never said one time I want a machine to tell
me who pushed the button. But I’m saying why are we wasting taxpayers’ money on a system
that we really don’t need. I mean we ought to be able to say hey you overlooked me let
Commissioner Hasan speak or let Commissioner Fennoy speak. Now I’ll wait and I’l speak after
him. I mean who’s on first and what’s on second don’t make no difference. You ought to get a
chance to speak now if you don’t get a chance to speak now I could see maybe wanting a
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machine but you do recognize, Mr. Mayor, it may not be in sequence like we raise our hands up
but Grady’s watching on one side I’m watching on this side so I’m sure you know everybody
that raised their hand. But nobody can tell me what the price is and we’re going to sit here and
talk about a situation like this? I make a motion that we receive this as information, Mr. Mayor,
and move on with the people’s business.
Mr. G. Smith: Second.
Mr. Mayor: Okay, we’ve got a motion and a second to receive as information. The Chair
recognizes if you’ll approach Director Allen.
Ms. Allen: Mr. Mayor, members of the Commission, the Administrator’s absolutely
correct. When we investigated this option maybe a year or so ago we were currently putting an
RFP out the street. The Commission at that time pretty much you know halted that process
therefore we never did get any responses back to review. We had received some information
from some qualified vendors however we were not allowed to finish that process. Commissioner
Williams has a great concern in regards to the actual cost. Depending on what we’re looking or
what the Commission is directing us to do the cost may vary in regards to what you’re expecting.
If you want a piece of equipment itself that’s going to control microphones and things of that
nature that’s one variation. If you’re wanting something that going to simply display votes or
who’s next in the queue that’s another variation. It’s really going to be determined upon, the
cost is going to be determined upon what the Commission directs Information Technology to
investigate.
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Mr. Mayor: The Chair recognizes the Commissioner from the 1.
Mr. Fennoy: Mr. Mayor, I think that we need to refer this back to committee so that ---
Mr. Mayor: We’ve got a motion and a second to do it.
Mr. Fennoy: --- well that’s where it needs to go because we don’t really know what we
want and I have a real concern about who will be the master control operator you know. And
again this discussion needs to take place in committee.
Mr. Mayor: I couldn’t agree with you more, I couldn’t agree with you more. All right
we’ve got a motion and a second to refer back to committee. The Chair recognizes the
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Commissioner from the 4.
Mr. Sias: Thank you, sir. You know it doesn’t take a PHD to read this agenda item
where it says if we give some thought as to what we were looking at and would go back to
committee. It doesn’t take a PHD to figure that one out and it’s not new that this item has come
in before. You don’t have to be a rocket scientist to put an agenda item up there, we get a bunch
of them up there. So the idea was to consider if there was a need for a microphone management
system and that item’s been on the floor before. All right, thank you.
Mr. Mayor: All right, we’ve got a motion and a second.
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The Clerk: Okay I didn’t, I know Mr. Fennoy who seconded. Is this ---
Mr. Hasan: Well, Grady seconded it.
The Clerk: --- okay to go back to committee.
Mr. Mayor: We’ve got a motion (inaudible).
The Clerk: The primary motion was to receive it as information.
Mr. Mayor: That is correct. You and I are on the same page.
The Clerk: Okay.
Mr. Mayor: And we had a second.
The Clerk: We had a second, I mean I didn’t hear it a substitute motion.
Mr. Mayor: There was no substitute motion.
The Clerk: Thank you.
Mr. Fennoy: I was trying to make one, Mr. Mayor.
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Mr. Mayor: But you didn’t have to the Commissioner from the 4 came back and said
we refer this to committee, is that not true? You said you wanted it referred back.
Mr. Sias: I didn’t see it in the queue.
Mr. Mayor: Okay, we’ve got a motion and a second to refer back to committee.
Mr. Hasan: Mr. Mayor, can I ---
Mr. M. Williams: (inaudible) wrong.
Mr. Mayor: (inaudible) refer back but refer to committee.
Mr. Hasan: Mr. Mayor, can I help straighten that out?
Mr. Mayor: I heard that twice.
Mr. M. Williams: I didn’t hear it in here. You might have heard it outside but
(unintelligible).
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Mr. Mayor: All right the Chair’s going to recognize the Commissioner from the 6.
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Mr. Hasan: Yes, sir, thank you, Chairman Davis. Commissioner Sias did say he had no
problem with it going back to committee but Commissioner Williams’ motion was to receive it
as information and Grady seconded it. That’s the motion on the floor. Commissioner Sias said
he didn’t have a problem doing it but it never made an official motion or if he did it never got a
second.
Mr. Mayor: Okay, he didn’t make a motion. All right I’m going to use my favorite
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word, our posture is the following. The Commissioner from the 9 made a motion to refer back
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to receive as information. The Commissioner from the 10the Mayor Pro Tem seconded that
motion. Is that not true?
Mr. Hasan: Yes (inaudible) information.
Mr. Mayor: Madam Clerk, is that what you originally had?
The Clerk: Yes, sir.
Mr. Mayor: Okay. We’ve got a motion to receive as information. All right okay the
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Chair recognizes the Commissioner from the 1.
Mr. Fennoy: Yes, I would like add that if we do decide to get this piece of information
that it could keep up with the motions.
Mr. Mayor: There is a system that does that too, there absolutely is. All right, voting.
Mr. Fennoy, Mr. D. Williams, Mr. Sias vote No.
Ms. Davis and Mr. Lockett out.
Motion Fails 5-3.
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Mr. Mayor: The Chair recognizes the Commissioner from the 1.
Mr. Fennoy: Mr. Mayor, can I ask the Clerk to add this to our next committee agenda at
this time?
Mr. Mayor: I believe that’s certainly well within your rights, you absolutely can do that.
Mr. Fennoy: Ms. Bonner, would you add this to our next committee meeting please?
The Clerk: Yes, sir.
Mr. Fennoy: Thank you, ma’am.
The Clerk:
APPOINTMENT(S)
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10. Motion to approve the appointment of Mr. Frank Middleton to Board of Tax Assessors
to fill the seat held by Bernard Johnson. (Requested by Commissioner Marion Williams)
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Mr. Mayor: The Chair recognizes the Commissioner from the 9.
Mr. M. Williams: Thank you, Mr. Mayor. This issue will continue to be a New Year’s
resolution I guess that we make the necessary changes to those boards that we need to be made.
This is not personal but it’s about the holdover status that’s been in place for too many years not
just last year not just the last 15 but the last for almost 20 years we’ve got people that have been
held over and held over status. We was told some untruths in this room we made a decision and
I spoke on that before we took that vote that we wasn’t legally impaired to do that but we did it
anyway. Now that I’m suggesting that we change positions on that board I’m still holding to that
and I think that we need to go ahead and allow Mr. Middleton to take the place of Mr. Johnson
the Tax Assessors Board, so that’s my motion.
Mr. Hasan: Second.
Mr. Mayor: We have a motion and a second. Any further discussion? Voting.
Mr. Hasan, Mr. M. Williams vote Yes.
Mr. D. Williams, Mr. Sias, Mr. Frantom, Mr. Guilfoyle, Mr. G. Smith vote No.
Mr. Fennoy absent.
Ms. Davis and Mr. Lockett out.
Motion Fails 2-5.
Mr. M. Williams: Madam Clerk, you know what to do, don’t you?
The Clerk: No, sir, I didn’t hear it.
Mr. M. Williams: Put it back on the agenda.
The Clerk:
APPOINTMENT(S)
11. Motion to appoint one to serve as chairperson of the Richmond County Board of
Elections from the following as recommended by the Augusta-Richmond County
Legislative Delegation in accordance with state law:
1. Cynthia Rhodes
2. Tim McFalls
3. Anna Smith
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Mr. Mayor: Recognize the Commissioner from the 6.
Mr. Hasan: Thank you, Chairman Davis. I’d like to nominate Tim McFalls.
Mr. Guilfoyle: Second.
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Mr. Mayor: Are there any other nominations?
Mr. Fennoy: Mr. Mayor ---
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Mr. Mayor: Recognize the Commissioner from the 1.
Mr. Fennoy: --- are either of the candidates here?
Mr. Mayor: I have no idea we’ll ask that question. Is Tim McFalls in the audience? Is
Ms. Cynthia Rhodes or Ms. Anna Smith in the audience today? Neither of them are here.
Mr. Fennoy: Well, is there anybody here that could speak to Ms. Rhodes or Mr. McFalls’
ability to serve in this capacity?
Mr. M. Williams: Mr. Mayor, something ain’t right there. You can’t let somebody do
that.
Mr. Mayor: All right.
Mr. Fennoy: Mr. Mayor, I take back what I said.
Mr. M. Williams: You can’t take it back.
Mr. Mayor: Are there any other nominations for the position from the slate of
candidates? Are there any other nominations? All right I’d like to have a motion to close
nominations. I think that’d be in order.
Mr. Hasan: Motion to close.
Mr. Mayor: Without objection we’ve got a motion for Mr. Tim McFalls and a second.
Voting.
Mr. Fennoy votes No.
Ms. Davis and Mr. Lockett out.
Motion Passes 7-1.
The Clerk:
APPOINTMENT(S)
12. Consider the following recommendations for a four-year term from the Richmond
County Hospital Authority:
For the position currently occupied by James W. Bennett, Jr., who is eligible for
reappointment:
1. James W. Bennett
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2. Daniel Boone
3. Sanford Loyd
For the position currently occupied by James Sherman, M.D. who is eligible for
reappointment:
1. Hugh L. Hamilton
2. Catherine D. Knox
3. Terry D. Elam
For the position currently occupied by Eugene F. McManus who is not eligible for
reappointment:
1. Anne D. Trotter
2. William P. Fair
3. Stephen Hagler
Mr. Mayor: All right, what we’ll do we’re going to take these individually, okay, we’re
going to take them individually and we’ll start with the first one, Madam Clerk, for the position
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occupied by, the Chair recognizes the Commissioner from the 6.
Mr. Hasan: Chairman Davis, I nominate Sanford Loyd.
Mr. Mayor: Okay, all right, we’ve got a nomination for Sanford Loyd. Okay, the Chair
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recognizes the Commissioner from the 8.
Mr. Guilfoyle: Mr. Mayor, just a question on this. The first ones in all three different
items agenda item number twelve in bold letter. Were they in bold letters who somebody
recommended or what?
The Clerk: Yes, sir, that’s the recommendation of the Hospital Authority. That’s just
their recommendation; however, it’s at the discretion of the Commission whether you wish to
accept that.
Mr. Guilfoyle: All right if my colleague didn’t get a second on that nomination I’d like
to nominate ---
Mr. Hasan: You don’t need a second on this.
Mr. Guilfoyle: --- all right.
Mr. M. Williams: Who do you want to nominate?
Mr. Guilfoyle: This James Bennett, Hugh Hamilton and Anne Trotter.
Mr. Mayor: Okay, we’re taking them in order.
The Clerk: You’re nominating Mr. Bennett ---
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Mr. Guilfoyle: --- Dr. Bennett?
Mr. Guilfoyle: Yes, ma’am.
The Clerk: Okay Mr. Bennett, okay.
Mr. Mayor: Okay. All right I’ve got a nomination for Sanford Loyd and a nomination
for Mr. Jim Bennett. Are there any other nominations? All right there being none, Madam
Clerk, we recommend we take them one at a time to vote.
The Clerk: They’re voted on in the order in which they’re nominated so Mr. Loyd would
be the first ---
Mr. Mayor: Okay.
The Clerk: --- and Mr. Bennett would be number two.
Mr. Mayor: All right, very well. All right.
The Clerk: Mr. Loyd.
Mr. Mayor: Voting.
Mr. D. Williams, Mr. Sias, Mr. Hasan vote Yes.
Mr. Fennoy, Mr. Frantom, Mr. Guilfoyle, Mr. M. Williams and Mr. G. Smith vote No.
Ms. Davis and Mr. Lockett out.
Motion Fails 3-5.
The Clerk: The second nominee Mr. James Bennett.
Mr. Mayor: Voting.
Mr. D. Williams and Mr. Hasan vote No.
Motion Passes 6-2.
The Clerk: For the position currently occupied by James Sherman, M.D. who is not
eligible for reappointment Mr. Hugh L. Hamilton, Ms. Catherine D. Knox, Mr. Terry D. Elam.
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Mr. Mayor: All right, the Chair recognizes the Commissioner from the 1.
Mr. Fennoy: Yes, I’d like to nominate Mr. Terry D. Elam.
Mr. Mayor: Okay, any other nominations? The Chair recognizes the Commissioner
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from the 8.
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Mr. Guilfoyle: Hugh Hamilton.
Mr. Mayor: Any other nominations. All right.
The Clerk: Terry Elam.
Mr. Mayor: Voting.
Mr. Fennoy, Mr. D. Williams, Mr. Sias and Mr. Hasan vote Yes.
Mr. Frantom, Mr. Guilfoyle, Mr. M. Williams, Mr. G. Smith vote No.
Ms. Davis and Mr. Lockett out.
Motion Fails 4-4.
The Clerk: Hugh L. Hamilton.
Mr. Mayor: All right, voting. As we’re getting down to this last one our posture is we’re
going we need to go into Executive Session. There’s a matter we need to talk about.
Mr. Frantom, Mr. Guilfoyle, Mr. M. Williams and Mr. G. Smith vote Yes.
Ms. Davis and Mr. Lockett out.
Motion Fails 4-4.
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Mr. Mayor: The Chair recognizes the Commissioner from the 1.
Mr. Fennoy: Mr. Mayor, can I nominate the third person that’s on this list at this
particular time ---
Mr. Hasan: He closed it, Mr. Mayor.
Mr. Fennoy: --- since we didn’t get a candidate.
Mr. Mayor: We did not.
Mr. Fennoy: I mean is that appropriate at this time to do?
Mr. Mayor: Attorney MacKenzie.
Mr. MacKenzie: According to Rule 1.11 (unintelligible) of Appointments it does have a
statement in it that says if any nominee however nominated fails to receive a majority vote an
alternate candidate may be nominated until the position is filled by a majority vote.
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Mr. Mayor: The Chair recognizes the Commissioner from the 1.
Mr. Fennoy: At this time I’d like to nominate Catherine D. Knox.
Mr. Mayor: All right. Voting.
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Mr. Fennoy, Mr. Guilfoyle, Mr. M. Williams and Mr. G. Smith vote Yes.
Mr. D. Williams, Mr. Sias, Mr. Hasan and Mr. Frantom vote No.
Ms. Davis and Mr. Lockett out.
Motion Fails 4-4.
Mr. Mayor: All right.
The Clerk: For the position currently occupied by Mr. Eugene F. McManus who’s not
eligible for reappointment.
1. Anne D. Trotter
2. William P. Fair
3. Stephen Hagler
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Mr. Mayor: All right, the Chair recognizes the Commissioner from the 4.
Mr. Sias: I nominate Anne D. Trotter.
Mr. Mayor: All right, any other nominations? All right there being none, voting. The
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Chair recognizes the Commissioner from the 8.
Mr. Guilfoyle: No, I’m just waiting.
The Clerk: Mr. Fennoy ---
Mr. Fennoy: Yes.
The Clerk: --- he’s waiting on you, sir.
Mr. M. Williams votes No.
Motion Passes 7-1.
Mr. Mayor: Okay, we’re going to go back to the second slot. All right, the Chair
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recognizes the Commissioner from the 6.
Mr. Hasan: Thank you, Chairman Davis, I’d like to once again nominate I mean this
time nominate Terry D. Elam.
Mr. Mayor: Any additional nominations?
Mr. Guilfoyle: Hugh Hamilton, that’s who they’re working with.
Mr. Mayor: All right, Terry Elam?
The Clerk: Terry Elam, yes, sir.
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Mr. Mayor: Voting.
Mr. Fennoy, Mr. D. Williams, Mr. Sias, Mr. Hasan vote Yes.
Mr. Frantom, Mr. Guilfoyle, Mr. M. Williams and Mr. G. Smith vote No.
Ms. Davis and Mr. Lockett out.
Motion Fails 4-4.
The Clerk: Next is Mr. Hugh Hamilton. Motion Fails 4-4 with ---
Mr. M. Williams: Wait, wait, wait (unintelligible).
The Clerk: Who didn’t vote? You didn’t vote?
Mr. M. Williams: Mr. Hamilton right?
The Clerk: You voted no.
Mr. M. Williams: I was trying to vote yes but I was waiting on the vote to take place.
The Clerk: Okay, well let me ask the Mayor. They claim, well, they didn’t claim they
said they didn’t vote so can we clear the ---
Mr. Mayor: We’ve gotten 4-4 four times.
The Clerk: --- yes.
Mr. M. Williams: We were getting ready to vote but I was waiting on the Mayor, he’s
supposed to lead this thing off so we’ll know when we’re voting. If people start voting on their
own ---
Mr. Mayor: I said voting.
Mr. M. Williams: Well, I’m sorry, Mr. Mayor (unintelligible).
The Clerk: Do we have another nomination and let’s try it again.
Mr. Mayor: All right what we’re going to do is we’re going to suspend the nomination
on this one we’ll come back to it. We’ll put this on the agenda at our next meeting, Madam
Clerk, if we can.
The Clerk: Okay, the next Commission meeting?
Mr. Mayor: The next Commission meeting.
The Clerk: Okay.
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Mr. Mayor: We’ll put it on the agenda at that time. All right, the Chair recognizes
Attorney MacKenzie.
ADDENDUM
13. Motion to approve going into a legal meeting.
Mr. MacKenzie: I would entertain a motion to go in an Executive Session to discuss
pending and potential litigation and personnel.
Mr. Hasan: So moved.
Mr. G. Smith: Second.
Mr. Mayor: Voting.
Mr. Guilfoyle votes No.
Ms. Davis and Mr. Lockett out.
Motion Passes 7-1.
Mr. Guilfoyle: Is it going to be a long one, Mr. Mayor?
Mr. Mayor: That’s determined by you all.
[LEGAL MEETING]
Mr. Mayor: The Chair recognizes Attorney MacKenzie.
Mr. MacKenzie: I would entertain a motion to execute the closed meeting affidavit.
Mr. Fennoy: So moved.
Mr. Hasan: Second.
Mr. Mayor: Voting.
Ms. Davis, Mr. Lockett, Mr. Guilfoyle and Mr. G. Smith out.
Motion Passes 6-0.
Mr. Mayor: All right, tomorrow morning at 10:00 o’clock, 291 and an agenda will be
forthcoming.
Mr. Fennoy: Where are we going to meet at tomorrow?
Mr. Mayor: 291, conference room. Meeting is adjourned.
[MEETING ADJOURNED]
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Lena Bonner
Clerk of Commission
CERTIFICATION:
I, Lena J. Bonner, Clerk of Commission, hereby certify that the above is a true and correct copy
of the minutes of the Regular Meeting of the Augusta Richmond County Commission held on
January 5, 2016.
______________________________
Clerk of Commission
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