HomeMy WebLinkAboutRegular Commission Meeting July 19, 2016
REGULAR MEETING COMMISSION CHAMBER
JULY 19, 2016
Augusta Richmond County Commission convened at 2:00 p.m., July 19, 2016, the Hon.
Hardie Davis, Jr., Mayor, presiding.
PRESENT: Hons. Lockett, Guilfoyle, Sias, Frantom, M. Williams, Smith, Fennoy, D.
Williams, Hasan and Davis, members of Augusta Richmond County Commission.
Mr. Mayor: Good afternoon everybody. We’ll call this meeting to order. Madam Clerk,
the first thing I’d like to do before we receive the invocation is to get unanimous consent to add
the additions to the agenda to the consent agenda. There are two items that are on the dais in front
of you. These items were previously on the consent agenda and if we could get a motion to add
them to the consent agenda.
Mr. Lockett: So moved.
Mr. G. Smith: Second.
Mr. Mayor: All right without objection. Madam Clerk.
The Clerk: At this time we will have our invocation delivered by Dr. Clarence Joyner,
Pastor of the Broadway Baptist Church after which we’d have our Pledge of Allegiance to the
Flag. And we’ll ask one our interns if they would please lead us in the pledge. Thank you.
Mr. Mayor: Please stand.
The invocation was given by Dr. Clarence Joyner, Pastor, Broadway Baptist Church.
The Pledge of Allegiance to the Flag of the United States of America was recited.
The Clerk: Mr. Loeser.
Mr. Loeser: Good afternoon my name is Michael Loeser, your Human Resources Director.
Today we are happy to recognize our Years of Service recipients. For the Month of June there are
13 5 to 20-year recipients and six 25 to 40-year recipients of which five are here this afternoon.
With 25 years of service Michael Farrell from the Marshall’s Office. (APPLAUSE) With 30 years
of service there’s two Shaun Tolbert, Tax Commissioner’s Office and Gary Hewett, Information
Technology. (APPLAUSE) With 35 years of service Paul DeCamp, Planning and Development.
(APPLAUSE) And with 40 years of service Norma Lee from Utilities. (APPLAUSE)
The Clerk: Office of Mayor Hardie Davis, Jr. By these present be it known that Dr.
Clarence Joyner, Pastor of Broadway Baptist Church is the Chaplain of the Day. His spiritual
guidance and civic leadership serves as an example for all citizens of Augusta. Given under my
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hand this 19 day of July 2016. Hardie Davis, Jr., Mayor. Thank you Reverend. (APPLAUSE)
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RECONGITIONS(S)
Certified County Commissioner
A. Congratulations! Commissioner Wayne Guilfoyle on the occasion of completing all
required course work for your certificate of recognition as a Certified County Commissioner
from the University of Georgia Carl Vinson Institute of Government and the Association of
County Commissioners of Georgia (ACCG).
The Clerk: At this time we would like to offer our congratulations to Commissioner Wayne
Guilfoyle. (APPLAUSE) Commissioner Guilfoyle, we offer our hearty congratulations to you on
the occasion of completing all the required course work for your certificate of recognition as a
Certified County Commissioner from the University of Georgia Carl Vinson Institute of
Government and the Association of County Commissioners of Georgia (ACCG). Congratulations.
(APPLAUSE)
Mr. Guilfoyle: Thank you, Lena. All right, Mr. Mayor, we have one more. Commissioner
Lockett, come on down.
RECONGITIONS(S)
President District Seven GMA
B. Congratulations! Commissioner Bill Lockett on the occasion of being elected President
of the Georgia Municipal Association’s Seventh District during the recent GMA Annual
Conference held in Savannah, GA.
The Clerk: At this time we would like to offer our congratulations to Commissioner Bill
Lockett on being elected the President of the Georgia Municipal Association’s Seventh District on
the occasion of being that President which was elected during our recent GMA Annual Conference
held in Savannah, GA. Congratulations, Commissioner Lockett. (APPLAUSE)
The Clerk:
DELEGATIONS
C. 2016 Augusta Youth Leadership Summer Internship Certificate Presentation.
The Clerk: Tax Commissioner Steven Kendrick.
Mr. Mayor: Mr. Kendrick.
The Clerk: It’s Ms. Lea.
Mr. Mayor: Okay Ms. Lea Brigham.
Ms. Brigham: Good afternoon, Mr. Mayor, members of the Commission, Madam
Administrator, elected officials, department heads and guests. It is my pleasure to introduce to
you the 2016 City of Augusta Summer Interns and present them with their completion certificate.
For the past seven years the City of Augusta has invested in youth leadership graduates and have
offered them the exclusive opportunity to work in our various departments. Each certificate reads
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as follows: City of Augusta and Youth Leadership Augusta in recognition of your committed
participation, your continuing search for knowledge, your inquisitive mind, your emerging
leadership skills and for your ability to adapt to any and all situations we congratulate you on this
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19 Day of July 2016. I would personally like to offer my congratulations to each of our interns.
Parents and departments are welcome to stand as your student’s name is called. Student’s when
your name is called and you have received your certificate please stand in front for a group photo.
We’ll begin with Ms. Alyssa Green, Outstanding Tax Assessors Office Intern. (APPLAUSE) Ms.
Mia Brown, Outstanding Human Resources Intern. (APPLAUSE) Mr. Zachery Pereve,
Outstanding Board of Elections Intern. (APPLAUSE) Ms. Taylor Thompson, Outstanding
Planning and Development Intern. (APPLAUSE) Ms. Jessica Kilpatrick, Outstanding Parks and
Recreation Intern. (APPLAUSE) Ms. India Kind, Outstanding Fire Department Intern.
(APPLAUSE) Ms. Rebecca Kilpatrick, Outstanding Utilities Intern. (APPLAUSE) Mr. Jonathan
Thomas, Outstanding Sheriff’s Office Intern. APPLAUSE) Ms. Sarah Wilson, Outstanding
Procurement Office Intern. (APPLAUSE) Mr. Nicholas Norwood, Outstanding Engineering
Intern. (APPLAUSE) Ms. Dallas Cook, Outstanding Law Intern. (APPLAUSE) Ms. Lauren
Powell, Outstanding Environmental Services Intern. (APPLAUSE) And in their absence there are
three students that were unable to join us today and I would like to congratulate them. Carly Wolf,
Outstanding Utilities Intern, Mr. Alexander Arnett, Outstanding Mayoral Intern and Mr. Miles
Jackson, Outstanding Parks and Recreation Intern. (APPLAUSE) We would know like to offer
these students and supervisors an opportunity to briefly share their experiences with the
Commission. We’ll begin with Ms. Dallas Cook.
Ms. Cook: Good afternoon, my name is Dallas Cook. I am a graduate of the Youth
Leadership Augusta Class of 2016 a rising senior at the Academy of Richmond County and an
intern at the Augusta Richmond County Law Department. First I would like to thank Mayor
Hardie Davis, Commissioners, other elected officials and department heads. I would also like to
thank everyone involved for giving me this wonderful opportunity. Working at the Law
Department as an intern has opened my eyes to the vast opportunities our community has to offer.
Having the ability to see firsthand legal representation from a government perspective has given
me great exposure for the career I want to pursue. The lessons that everyone has taught me at the
Law Department are invaluable. This experience is one that I will never forget and I will carry
each lesson I’ve learned in my daily life. I want to leave you with a short quote from former
Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice as follows: Great leaders never accept the world as it was
and always work for the world as it should be. Thank you. (APPLAUSE)
Ms. Brigham: We will now have Mr. Robert Bobby Martin, Director of Parks and
Recreation.
Mr. Martin: Actually I’m Bobby Martin, Athletic Manager for the Recreation Department.
Mr. Mayor and Commissioners, the Recreation Department has been fortunate this summer to be
afforded the opportunity to have two summer interns through the Augusta Youth Leadership
Internship Program. Jessica Kilpatrick and Miles Jackson have been very willing to assist with
any task asked of them. Both Jessica and Miles have worked hard and displayed a wonderful
positive attitude throughout the internship. Mr. Parker the Recreation Director asked early on in
internship that Jessica and Miles had the opportunity throughout the course of the internship to see
all the different areas of our department. Jessica and Miles, I hope that you both have seen several
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of our areas and what we offer to the citizens of Augusta. I hope this experience has been great
for you in moving forward. Jessica and Miles to me have displayed exactly what our future leaders
are. I want to thank both of you for your hard work this summer and last but not lease I would like
to thank Mr. Kendrick, Ms. Brigham and the entire Tax Commissioner’s Office including the
Recreation Department in this program and ask that you keep us in mind in the future. Thank you.
(APPLAUSE)
Ms. Brigham: And Ms. Geri Sams, Procurement Director.
Ms. Sams: Good afternoon. Gosh, are you all beautiful and it’s a great experience to have
you in our presence. But today we just want to take a few minutes to say all of you here today
were given an opportunity to participate in a program made possible through and innovative
school, community and a governmental partnership. In an age of increased competitiveness these
students benefited from a real world experience. These students benefited from a real world
experience that will help them prepare for graduation to enter college and their career paths. Not
only did the students have the opportunity to enhance learning while being slightly compensated
for their professional environment exposure that will propel them to succeed after graduating or
preparing for college. The program also provided students an opportunity to positively engage in
a safe and productive activity session during the summer. In the true spirit of collaboration these
young ladies and men are the true very true architects of our future, to each of you we are so very
proud. The program’s goal was designed to model was designed as a model that would keep our
students safe and motivated. I know Mr. Kendrick that you met this goal because I know that
many of our students have gone on to colleges, technical schools and some sort of military career.
So to you, Mr. Kendrick and your team, thanks for the vision that you have provided to
approximately one-hundred plus students the job experiences over the last seven years throughout
this government. But for you who are standing before us today we want to applaud you so can
you please join me in applauding these wonderful students. (APPLAUSE) We had Sarah in our
office as our intern and she taught us a lot. And, Sarah, at the end of the day I have something for
you.
Ms. Brigham: Thank you so very much for your time. Please join me one more time in
congratulating our interns as they take their seats. (APPLAUSE)
Mr. Mayor: Thank you, Mr. Kendrick, for your leadership in bringing our community’s
finest to local government. Thank you.
The Clerk:
DELEGATIONS
D. Mr. Kirby Turner regarding business and growth in Augusta, proposed Race Track,
abandoned properties, Storm Water Fee, etc.
Mr. Mayor: Mr. Kirby ---
Mr. Turner: Good afternoon, Mayor, Commissioners. I don’t know if this is a set up or not
but I don’t want to be a Mr. Killjoy and put any water on the fire.
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Mr. Mayor: --- if you’ll just pause for a moment. You have five minutes if you’ll state for
the record your name and your address just for the record.
Mr. Kirby: Yes, my name is Kirby O. Turner. I live at 4316 Creekview Drive, Hephzibah,
Georgia, 30815. And first I’d like to thank ya’ll for having me here and I really was glad to see
what our youth is doing. That’s also positive because our youth, someone has to take our places.
What I want to comment with you all today is not anything to take as negative but things for myself
and speaking with others and just a few that I have and I’d like to put them. I’m not criticizing
and hope to have them willing at any time we can meet and we can talk about anything further.
But first today, I said thanking everyone, the business and the growth in Augusta. We have I-20,
a river, a canal, and a beautiful downtown. I have been to cities that have all these elements and
those are elements of growth. Recreation and my thing is are we using them or do we have plans
on using them? They’re there. Why is the Commission so divided? You represent Richmond
County, not just your district. Richmond County needs to grow equally together that means as
district leaders you’re really Richmond County leaders. When one side grows and the other side
doesn’t grow you have an unbalance and that unbalance cannot make a whole. In order for a city
and a county to be full it has to be full on all sides. No one should be to drive from one side of
Augusta into another and be a day and night and seeing it now that’s what it is, just a concern.
Now the Commission has projects, plannings, it seems like the discussion is not fulfilled. Now
example we build a park house on someone else’s land. We had a spending years back for a race
track. I was in that meeting and the gentleman come in, he was allowed two minutes to clear up
and you all gave him the opportunity. Within that two minutes the first 45-seconds he explained
why we didn’t need a race track and that was a $25,000-dollar project they were planning and it
was canned at that time. Went nowhere else, I’m not going to say can I get an amen. Also we’ve
got people with jobs and positions and way back a man had a $100,000 position and he decided to
quit his position and he got a $50,000-dollar severance pay for doing nothing. Kind of sad where
our tax dollars are going. Missing funds. It’s very good project that we had back where we had
these funds that was in the banks and where a small business could go back and forth and get these
funds and do things. I made some of the meetings and I thought they were great meetings but then
I hear they said that the funds were lost. How can funds get lost in the bank? The bank had the
funds. They’re in the bank somewhere; the bank has to account for them. How can they be lost?
Abandoned properties, what’s the problem. I spoke with different people and seems like they’re
calling the wrong people. With my research was that the Marshal’s Office was the one that you
called when you got a car or something in your yard. And I know any property you have I found
this out that you can’t own property because you’ve got to pay taxes on it. And if you have property
anywhere somebody must be paying taxes and if that someone’s not paying taxes then you all have
the right to confiscate that property and I imagine someone would buy it. Why is the property
there? So ethnic relations. I don’t like the part of race relations. A lot of people say it because
we’re the human race. We all have ethnic origins. That’s why I just want to say I don’t like race.
In Augusta are you all as Commissioners satisfied on how things are going? How close are you
to the Sheriff’s Office, School Board, the people of this great county? Do you know them, do you
feel them, how close are they? I don’t think no one wants Augusta, Georgia to make CNN, truly
I don’t.
Mr. Mayor: Mr. Turner, your time has expired.
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Mr. Turner: I didn’t get a warning, well, I’ll end it with this. I want to thank everyone for
your time and as your decisions as Commissioners is very important to this county and that you
all are here for us and said that you’d be here for you all. Thank you very much.
Mr. Mayor: Thank you, sir. Madam Clerk?
The Clerk: I call your attention to the consent portion of our agenda which consists of
items 1-29, items 1-29. For the benefit of any objectors to any of our Planning petitions once those
petitions are read would you please signify your objections by raising your hand. I call your
attention to:
Item 1: Is a request for a Special Exception for a HI (Heavy Industry) Zone located on
property at 1831 Killingsworth Road.
Item 2: Is a request for a change of zoning from an R-1A (One-family Residential) to a
Zone P-1 (Professional).
Item 3: Is a request for a change of zoning from a Zone P-1 (Professional to a Zone R-3C
(Multiple-family Residential)
Item 4: Is a request for a change of zoning from a Zone A (Agriculture) to a Zone LI (Light
Industry)
The Clerk: Are there any objectors to any of those Planning petitions? Mr. Mayor,
members of the Commission, our consent agenda consists of items 1-29 with the addition of items
1 and 2 on our addendum agenda. No objectors to any of our Planning petitions.
Mr. Mayor: Okay, Madam Clerk, I want to pull item number 10 ---
The Clerk: Number 10 ---
Mr. Mayor: --- I want to pull item number 11 ---
The Clerk: Item 11 you said?
Mr. Mayor: --- yes.
The Clerk: Okay.
Mr. Mayor: And I’ll stop there for now. All right the Chair will entertain any additional
motions to either add or pull from the consent agenda. The Chair recognizes the Commissioner
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from the 9.
Mr. M. Williams: Thank you, Mr. Mayor. I’d like to pull item number 1 and 21.
Mr. Mayor: Well, Commissioner is item one from the regular or the ---
Mr. M. Williams: On the consent agenda.
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Mr. Mayor: --- is that the additions or the number one?
The Clerk: 28, you said 28, sir, 29?
Mr. M. Williams: Number 1 and 21.
Mr. Mayor: I got it, thank you so much, Commissioner, I appreciate it, Commissioner Sias.
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The Chair recognizes the Commissioner from the 5, Commissioner Lockett.
Mr. Lockett: Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I have a question I would like to ask the
Administrator on agenda item number five. I don’t want to pull it unless you feel I should.
Mr. Mayor: Yeah, just go ahead and pull it so we can talk about it and then we’ll move it
on quickly if there’s no issues with it.
The Clerk: Item number five, sir?
Mr. Lockett: No, number 15.
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Mr. Mayor: Okay: All right the Chair recognizes the Commissioner from the 1.
Mr. Fennoy: (Unintelligible) Mr. Lockett already ---
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Mr. Mayor: Okay. All right, the Chair recognizes the Commissioner from the 4.
Mr. Sias: I’m ready to make the motion (unintelligible).
Mr. Mayor: I’m going to add item number 12 to that, Madam Clerk, I’m sorry.
The Clerk: Okay, is that it, Mr. Mayor? 1, 10, 11, 12, 15, 18 and 21.
Mr. Guilfoyle: So moved.
Mr. Lockett: Second.
CONSENT AGENDA
PLANNING
2. Z-16-22 – A request for concurrence with the Augusta Planning Commission to approve
with the conditions stated below a petition by Lawton Wylds, on behalf of Silvercrest Baptist
Church requesting a change of zoning from Zone R-1A (One-family Residential) to Zone P-
1 (Professional) affecting property known as part of 3433 Peach Orchard Road and contains
.68 acres. (Part of 133-0-004-00-0) DISTRICT 6 No outside storage or long term parking of
service vehicles shall be permitted. The property must comply with all aspects of the Tree
Ordinance. A ten (10) foot side buffer with a six (6) foot solid board fence shall be required
on the southern and western property lines; along the northern property line, adjacent to
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the church, a six (6) foot solid board fence shall be erected and the mature trees shall remain
in place; street yard trees and parking lot trees shall be installed in compliance with the
Augusta Tree Ordinance. The site plan must comply with any other ordinances and
regulations in effect at the time of construction. The site must comply with current parking
regulations. Current access to Peach Orchard Road must be utilized and improved to
Augusta Engineering and Georgia Department of Transportation standards.
3. Z-16-23 – A request for concurrent with the Augusta Planning Commission to approve
with the conditions stated below a petition by Paul Lancaster, on behalf of Kelsey Lancaster,
requesting a change of zoning from Zone P-1 (Professional) to Zone R-3C (Multiple-family
residential affecting property known as 407 Telfair Street and contains .16 acres. Tax Map
047-4-058-00-0 DISTRICT 1 1. The use of the property shall be limited to a single family
residence or two (2) single-family units. 2. Use of the property as a family or group personal
care home, boarding house, lodging house, or fraternity or sorority house in not permitted.
3. All building and fire codes must be complied with before a Certificate of Occupancy shall
be issued. 4. A minimum of two (2) parking spaces per unit must be available in the shared
parking area for the use of tenants of the structure on the subject property.
4. Z-16-24 – A request for concurrence with the Augusta Planning Commission to approve
with the conditions stated below a petition by David E. Smith, on behalf of David Smith
Investments LLC, requesting a change of zoning from Zone A (Agriculture) to Zone LI
(Light Industry) affecting property known as 3952 and 3956 Mike Padgett Highway and
contains 17.92 acres. Tax Map 184-0-078-00-0 and 184-0-079-00-0 DISTRICT 1 1. Any
buildings constructed shall be for dry storage only and no restroom facilities may be
constructed within the buildings. 2. The property must comply with all aspects of the Tree
Ordinance and applicable standards. A minimum of 25 feet of the existing trees must be
retained and a six (6) fool privacy fence must be erected at the disturbed area along the
southern property line adjacent to 3960 Mike Padgett Highway. 3. The project site plan must
comply with any other ordinances and regulations in effect at the time of plan submission
and construction. 4. Any future curb cuts must be approved by the Traffic Engineering
Department or the Georgia Department of Transportation. 5. Stormwater runoff must be
constructed to the standards of the Augusta Engineering Department and should be retained
onsite of each of the two properties involved in the rezoning, unless the properties are
combined with each other. If the properties are combined with other properties of the
applicant, then the existing stormwater detention pond located on 3948 A Mike Padgett
Highway can be utilized after review by Augusta Engineering to ensure it has the capacity
to handle the combined amount of stormwater from the properties and that it will function
properly.
5. ZA-R-244 – A request for concurrence with the Augusta Georgia Planning Commission
to approve a petition to amend Section 3-12 (Special Building Setbacks) of the
Comprehensive Zoning Ordinance for Augusta, Georgia by deleting the special setback for
Wrightsboro Road from Barton Chapel Road to the Richmond/Columbia County line.
(Second Reading)
PUBLIC SERVICES
6. A motion to approve a Contract with NELSON/NYGAARD Consulting Associates, Inc.
to Conduct a Comprehensive Operational Analysis of Augusta’s Public Transit System.
(Approved by Public Services Committee July 12, 2016)
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7. Motion to approve the appointment of Mr. Mark Plunkett to the HVAC contractor
position on the Construction Advisory Board. (Approved by Public Services Committee July
12, 2016)
8. Motion to approve the Renewal and Amendment of Augusta Public Transit Management
and Operation agreement dated July 25, 2013 with an effective date of August 1, 2013 by and
between Augusta, Georgia and McDonald Transit Associates, Inc. for the renewal term of
August 1, 2016 to July 31, 2018. (Approved by Public Services Committee July 12, 2016)
9. Motion to approve R.W. Allen to install an energy saving photovoltaic system on the new
Public Defender’s Office in the amount of $45,666.00. (Approved by Public Services
Committee July 12, 2016)
PUBLIC SAFETY
14. Motion to approve County Capacity Agreement for state inmates being housed in the
Richmond County Correctional Institution from July 1, 2016 until June 30, 2017. (Approved
by Public Safety Committee July 12, 2016)
FINANCE
16. Motion to approve funding for July 26, 2016 General Primary Runoff with the inclusion
of satellite sites. (Approved by Finance Committee July 12, 2016)
17. Motion to approve the FY 2017 Metropolitan Transportation Planning Services contract
between Augusta, Georgia and the Georgia Department of Transportation. (Approved by
Finance Committee July 12, 2016)
ENGINEERING SERVICES
19. Motion to approve award of Bid #16-127 for the Construction of Augusta Canal
Embankment Repair and Water Line Improvements adjacent to Butt Bridge to Blair
Construction, Inc. (Approved by Engineering Services Committee July 12, 2016)
20. Motion to approve proposal from Cranston Engineering Group, P.C to provide
engineering services to design the Augusta Corporate Park Utility Extension. (Approved by
Engineering Services Committee July 12, 2016)
22. Motion to approve Capital Project Budget 324-041110-201824110 and Change Order
One in the amount of $88,393.25 for R.J. Haynie and Associates for the Downtown Signal
and Streetlight Improvements project as requested by AED/TE. (Approved by Engineering
Services Committee July 12, 2016)
23. Motion to approve entering into a Funding Agreement with the United States
Department of Interior US Geological Survey (USGS) for Establishing and Operating a
Discharge Gage on the Savannah River at a location in Vicinity of Augusta Downtown as
requested by AED. (Approved by Engineering Services Committee July 12, 2016)
24. Motion to determine that Spellman Street and Goss Lane, as shown on the attached plat
has ceased to be used by the public to the extent that no substantial public purpose is served
by it or that its removal from the county road system is otherwise in the best public interest,
and to receive as information the results of the public hearing pursuant to O.C.G.A §32-7-2,
with the abandoned property to be quit-claimed to the appropriate party(ies), as provided
by law and an easement to be retained over the entire abandoned portion for existing or
future utilities as directed by Augusta Engineering, Utilities and Law Department and right
of way property needs. (Approved by Engineering Services Committee July 12, 2016)
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25. Motion to approve award for Professional Services for 2014 CIP Bond Project
Stormwater Removal from Sanitary Sewer System Projects to Goodwyn Mills & Cawood,
Inc. (GMC) in an amount not to exceed $268,355.00 in two phases. (Approved by Engineering
Services Committee July 12, 2016)
26. Motion to approve a Deed of Dedication and Maintenance Agreement with Bright-
Meyers Windsor Springs, LLC, for the Walmart Neighborhood Market. (Approved by
Engineering Services Committee July 12, 2016)
27. Motion to approve entering into a Project Framework Agreement with the Georgia
Department of Transportation for the Wheeler Road from I-20 to Augusta West Parkway
Improvements Project (PI #0013703) as requested by AED. (Approved by Engineering
Services Committee July 12, 2106)
PETITIONS AND COMMUNICATIONS
29. Motion to approve the minutes of the regular meeting of the Commission held June 30,
2016 and Special Called Meeting held July 12, 2016.
ADDENDUM
36. Motion to approve award of RFP #16-128 for Financial Advisor for debt issuance and
economic development project evaluation to Davenport & Company. Authorize the Mayor
and Clerk of Commission to execute contract for professional services. (Approved by the
Finance Committee May 31, 2016 – deleted from the Commission agenda June 7, 2016 due
to the lodging of a bid protest – inadvertently omitted from the agenda by the Clerk’s Office)
37. Motion to approve amending the 2012, 2013 and 2014 Action Plans to re-program
$652,063.74. (Approved by the Administrative Services Committee May 31, 2016 with a 30-
day comment period to be held)
Mr. Mayor: Okay, I’ve got a motion and a second. All those in favor will vote yea and
those opposed will vote no.
Motion Passes 10-0. [Items 2-9, 14, 16, 17, 19, 20, 22-27, 29, 36, 37]
Mr. Mayor: All right, so this our posture right now. We’ve got a matter that we need to go
into Executive Session to discuss so there will be a 30-minute recess. For those of you that are
here in the audience we’ll be in Executive Session for a period of time.
Mr. M. Williams: Mr. Mayor ---
Mr. Mayor: There’s no time limit so that’s why we’re doing that.
Mr. M. Williams: --- no, no I need a Point of Order please.
Mr. Mayor: All right ---
Mr. M. Williams: If I can ---
Mr. Mayor: --- state your inquiry.
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Mr. M. Williams: --- personal privilege, I guess, not a point of order personal privilege.
Mr. Mayor: All right.
Mr. M. Williams: Mr. Turner brought an issue and he talked about it and I want him to
know that this body has been discussing economic growth. No one asked him any questions but
he was on point. I had several people ask me did I ask you to come down here because the issues
you spoke about was been some issues I’ve been having for a while. So but I did want him to
know that his comments weren’t unnoticed, that we do understand about the economic growth and
all we’ve got is the south to grow in. And I think some things are coming about, that racetrack is
a dangerous word they don’t like that. You could probably curse and get more response than you
could saying the racetrack. But that was an economic development that would’ve drew a large
number of people weekly. And once a year we was guaranteed at least a $30 million dollars I
think event that would be put on at least once a year. So nothing else said, Mr. Turner, I want you
to know that your comment didn’t go unnoticed, that we are working on some issues right now to
try to do something with the river, not just the Riverwalk but the river itself and trying to do some
more economic developments. So thank you for your time. That’s all, Mr. Mayor.
Mr. Mayor: Thank you, fantastic. All right, the Chair recognizes the Commissioner from
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the 8.
Mr. Guilfoyle: Mr. Mayor ---
Mr. Mayor: Yes.
Mr. Guilfoyle: --- Commissioner Williams had, Marion Williams had pulled under the
Planning section item number 1. Can we go ahead and handle that because the residents is actually
waiting on this to move forward because the other items doesn’t require any other citizens to be
here.
Mr. Mayor: I like your style.
Mr. Guilfoyle: I was just asking, sir.
Mr. Mayor: All right, we can do that.
Mr. M. Williams: I can do that. I’m not in disapproval but I need to know when you’re
talking about heavy industry moving into an area and you’re talking about a tank situation my
question is what else is going to be allowed on the heavy industry? Once we approve the heavy
industry they got the heavy industry there so I’m very cautious about how we allow heavy industry
to go in some areas. And when you’re talking about an above ground tank situation but what else
is going to be allowed? What stipulation is there to make sure that that’s all that’s going to be
there and not additional stuff gets added because once it’s heavy industry then it’s heavy industry.
So can somebody from Planning and Zoning address that for me, Mr. Mayor?
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Mr. Mayor: I appreciate that. All right so this is how we’re going to do it, Madam Clerk,
we didn’t get you a chance to read the caption, I know, I know.
Mr. Hasan: It’s not like ---
Mr. Mayor: Hold on one second, Commissioner, hold on one second. So I’m going to
give Madam Clerk an opportunity to go ahead and enter that into the record as we normally would
have.
The Clerk:
PLANNING
1. Z-16-21 – A request for concurrence with the Augusta Planning Commission to approve
with the conditions stated below a petition by Pete Cats, on behalf of James E. Felton,
requesting a Special Exception to establish a 30,000-gallon propane tank in a HI (heavy
Industrial) Zone per Section 24-2 (25) of the Comprehensive Zoning Ordinance for Augusta-
Richmond County affecting property as described below: Tract A: part of 1831
Killingsworth Road and contains approximately .45 acres. Part of Tax Map 070-2-017-10-0
DISTRICT 2 Tract B: property is known as 1817 Gordon Highway and contains 1.33 acres.
Tax Map 070-2-017-01-0. DISTRICT 2 1. The use of the property shall be limited to the
proposed above-ground 30,000-gallon propane tank and all uses permitted in the HI zoning.
The site must comply with all environmental and fire safety requirements. 2. The project site
plan must comply with any other ordinances and regulations in effect at the time of
construction. 3. The developer must ensure that the property complies with the Tree
Ordinance. 4. Any improvements to the existing curb cut required by the Augusta
Engineering Department or the Georgia Department of Transportation must be compiled
with. Any new or improved curb-cuts and necessary right-of-way and/or easements for the
site must be approved by the Augusta Engineering Department and the Georgia Department
of Transportation.
Mr. Mayor: All right fantastic, I’m going to ask Rob Sherman if he’ll come, I’m sorry Paul
DeCamp. I’m sorry please forgive me. All right now before you go too far, Mr. DeCamp, I’m
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going to recognize the Commissioner from the 6 or do you want me to defer it to the 9?
Mr. Hasan: No, sir, I’ve been waiting long enough. Mr. Mayor, based on the comments
that we was heading into Legal for about 30 minutes I’d like to ask to consider, I don’t know
whether he can make a substitute motion to try to go ahead and get through with the consent
agenda, let’s get through that and then we go into Legal we’d be through with 90% of the work
that was proposed at that particular time. And then we can have time to not limit our discussion
around the issues that we may have to discuss in Legal. So I’d like to make a motion that we go
into Legal after ---
Mr. Mayor: I don’t think it requires ---
Mr. Hasan: we ---
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Mr. Mayor: I don’t think it requires a motion I think again if that’s where we want to go
then I’m willing to entertain it, I’m flexible, I’m easy.
Mr. Hasan: Okay, all right.
Mr. Mayor: I’m real easy. All right okay, they say they want to work, work, work, work.
All right, I’m dog gone mercy. All right, it’s all yours, Mr. DeCamp.
Mr. DeCamp: Yeah, let me begin by saying that the property is already zoned for heavy
industry. This is just a special, any time and it allows under Heavy Industrial Zoning it allows
propane gas tanks up to 12,000 gallons by right. The reason for the Special Exception is because
the applicant wants to have a 30,000-gallon tank and thus that requires the Special Exception. So
the property and the immediate area is currently zoned Heavy Industry.
Mr. M. Williams: Okay, Paul, I don’t have a problem with that I just wanted it at least
explained that he just did. Now the Special Exception made me think that it was being turned into
Heavy Industry. But if it’s already Heavy Industry but the Special Exception is only coming with
a 30,000-gallon ---
Mr. DeCamp: Right.
Mr. M. Williams:
--- tank situation. And the reason I asked those questions was because
we have a lot of that in one, two and in south Augusta and I want to make sure that we make those
guidelines as stringent as possible to keep from spreading into more of it in one concentrated area.
So I make a motion to approve, Mr. Mayor.
Mr. Sias: Second.
Mr. M. Williams: I’m not opposed to it, but I wanted to know those answers.
Mr. Mayor: All right outstanding. The Chair recognizes the, hold on, hold on. The Chair
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recognizes the Commissioner from the 1.
Mr. Fennoy: Yes, I’ve got a question. Will the, going from a to a 30,000-gallon propane
tank would that create any type of safety issues for the people living in that community?
Mr. DeCamp: No, it should not. They have to meet certain safety requirements proposed
by the State Fire Commissioner.
Mr. Fennoy: Okay, I’m okay with it.
Mr. Mayor: All right we’ve got a motion and a second. Any additional questions? All
right voting.
Mr. Guilfoyle: Thank you, Mr. Mayor.
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Mr. Mayor: You’re quite welcome, Commissioner.
Motion Passes 10-0.
Mr. Mayor: Madam Clerk, we’ll go top to bottom.
The Clerk:
PUBLIC SERVICES
10. Motion to adopt a policy establishing procedures and guidelines for dedication plaques
to be installed in new and renovated Augusta facilities. (Approved by Public Services
Committee July 12, 2016)
Mr. Mayor: Okay, all right, I just generally have one or two questions primarily centered
around cost associated with the implementation of this policy. If you can speak to that I don’t
know what plaques generally cost. Obviously it’s a low cost item but if we could speak to that in
terms of overall if we’re going to renovate, build, et cetera. I would anticipate those costs would
be included in the overall projects costs et cetera. Maybe you could just kind of speak to that for
me.
Ms. Douse: Yes, sir, sure. The cost would range anywhere from a couple hundred dollars
to upwards of five to six hundred dollars depending on the material that would be selected. But it
would be consistent in the plaques that are currently hanging in the building that we erected now.
Mr. Mayor: So do we not have a standard plaque to your point in terms of cost and
standardization?
Ms. Douse: No, sir, we don’t. That’s the reason why the policy was drafted.
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Commissioner Williams back in October 6 made mention to wanting a policy of this type so this
draft is meant to create a consistency in how those policies how those plaques are stated.
Mr. Mayor: It would probably be appropriate then to include information in here with
regards to what the standard plaque looks like and construction and/or materials.
Ms. Douse: Okay. One thing we did do, excuse me sir one thing we did do was include
what would be what would be listed on each plaque. And so the, okay.
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Mr. Mayor: All right the Chair recognizes the Commissioner from the 4.
Mr. Sias: Thank you, sir. Mr. Mayor, are you requesting some additional input to this
policy from maybe a couple other areas?
Mr. Mayor: If you are prepared to entertain them I think that would be fine. I only had
those questions; I think they’re germane. You know if you’re going to have a policy you’d at least
want to have something about what the standard plaque looks like so there’s a consistency across
all implementations I would think.
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Mr. Sias: Well then I think ---
Mr. Mayor: I’m referring it back to you, sir.
Mr. Sias: --- okay I think that would be appropriate then with consideration from this body
to give an opportunity to get some input maybe from the Mayor’s office. And because they’ve
done a lot of these dedications to get some additional information from there if that would be
appropriate with this body. And if we could bring that back at the next Commission meeting with
that input as well on this draft policy and I think that would give us a chance to make sure that
everyone is comfortable with the policy. Consider that a motion.
Mr. Mayor: Well, I’d ask you to withdraw your motion so I’m not asking for anything
formal, I was just asking the question. And I think our new Central Services Director understands
that if we’re going to have a policy let’s also understand what that looks like, that’s all. I don’t
think it needs to be formal, Commissioner.
Mr. Sias: Move to approve as stated.
Ms. Davis: Second.
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Mr. Mayor: All right hold tight the Chair recognizes the Commissioner from the 9.
Mr. M. Williams: I’m going to pass, Mr. Mayor ---
Mr. Mayor: Thank you.
Mr. M. Williams: --- I’m not going to comment.
Mr. Mayor: Okay, fantastic.
Ms. Speaker: Thank you.
Mr. M. Williams: Right that down now.
Mr. Mayor: That’s him coming trying to make amends now. All right, we’ve got a motion
and a second, voting.
Motion Passes 10-0.
The Clerk:
ADMINISTRATIVE SERVICES
11. Motion to adopt/approve the attached recommendations of the Finance Director
regarding the city’s Link Deposit Program. (Approved by Administrative Services
Committee July 12, 2016)
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Mr. Mayor: All right thank you, Madam Clerk. All right, Deputy Administrator Brazzell.
Mr. Brazzell: Our Finance Director had a family emergency and is not here but she was
present last week so I’ll try to answer in her absence.
Mr. Mayor: Okay and I too was not available last week due to a death in the family. On
the policy as it’s related to or at least the recommendations in the back of our books here in Tab
11 and you can defer these if necessary. Under recommendation one it talks about the funds to be
returned to Augusta’s pool cash. That’s a big term. There’s no specificity there but then more
importantly as part of our investment existing investment pool are we investing that in mutual
funds? Are we investing that in stocks, bonds? What does that look like because again if it’s all
just CD’s today which is what it is this doesn’t sound like we’re going to return that back to a CD.
It’s in a CD today which I fully understand.
Mr. Schroer: Yes, sir, Mr. Mayor, we, typically our investments are guided by state statute.
Most of our investments are in the LGIP or Georgia Fund 1 Pool otherwise we do have CD’s
invested in local banks. These CD’s, what the proposal is was to when the CD’s come due we
would just cash those in and either reinvest the funds into a new CD as six, we usually go for a
six-month term or put the funds in monies into Georgia Fund 1 and sit there until the program is
redesigned and then move them back out to a bank in an investment CD.
Mr. Mayor: Okay, here’s my follow-up question. I’m concerned and I think I share the
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concern of the Commissioner from the 9 that however many years ago this was established under
the premise of a Link Deposit Program with an emphasis around small minority and disadvantaged
businesses that presupposes that there’s a program that was already established that was just never
implemented or executed and to the degree that we’re coming back and saying well we’re just
going to reinvest those dollars until a new program is established. I do have some general concerns
about that because it once again says we’re in a huddle and the game is played in the field.
Mr. Brazzell: I think, Mr. Mayor, one of the presentations we made talked about the fact
that the court actions that occurred here a number of years ago regarding the DBA Program
effectively undermined the program at that time. And in fact a former staff person actually showed
a letter saying from a previous General Counsel indicating that she was to cease and desist, some
of her efforts in that regard. So I guess we’re sort of using that as today when the program started
to go in decline I understand there was some attempted activity based on earlier comments made
by Ms. Sams and others from Procurement’s standpoint. But in recent years there’s been no
activity.
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Mr. Mayor: Okay, I’m going to defer to the Commissioner from the 9 because I do have
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series of other questions. The Chair recognizes the Commissioner from the 9.
Mr. M. Williams: Thank you, Mr. Mayor. I know Mr. Brazzell hasn’t been here that long
but let me try to hopefully bring him up to speed. Rachel, you help me out if I need any help or
my attorney but first of all it was never put there for a disadvantaged business That’s a
misunderstanding that’s been put out there for quite some time. It was for local business to do
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business with small businesses for sure but it’s not anything to do with the court order or the
injunction or anything else we had to do with. The money’s been there for over 15 years and when
we didn’t have a program we had a couple of people to borrow money at even another bank, I
don’t know if Regions Bank is still in existence or not. But the money, it’s been an old program
that never been used is a good word so let’s not mix apples and oranges together here. It wasn’t
about disadvantaged business. It wasn’t about minority business. It’s about small business, local
business here in Augusta and the money’s been up there for some 15 years. Now Ms. Williams
said the other day she was not going to reinvest that money anywhere until we made a decision.
Now if we’re going to adopt a program we ought to at least have some conversation as to what
what’s what. But from my understanding and somebody can correct me if I’m wrong it was not
disadvantaged or minority. It was for small businesses to be able to go to the bank, the bank had
guidelines that we didn’t talk to them about relaxing their guidelines but we invested that money
so they would have the incentive to help local businesses. A lot of people just can’t just can’t get
that loan they can’t get up to get on their feet. So I don’t know what we need to do with it, Mr.
Mayor, but this is, it’s been twisted a lot of different ways and I want to make sure we’ve got an
understanding that it wasn’t a program like that. Mr. Guilfoyle, I think we talked about it at the
last meeting and I shared that then this was not for disadvantaged or minority business. It was for
small, local businesses. And so that’s what that was for, Mr. Mayor.
Mr. Mayor: Okay so Commissioner and I think you’re accurate. It was for local small
businesses to not only be able to activate them but to assist in helping to grow them. All right, the
Chair recognizes Madam Administrator to speak to this matter.
Ms. Jackson: Thank you, Mr. Mayor. I just want to call your attention to Step 2 in the
recommendation behind Tab 11 which talks about Augusta taking the opportunity to revamp and
overhaul the existing program. Mr. Williams, you are correct from the standpoint that there seems
to be a, some misunderstanding about who was the intended target for the program. And as such
there was also never a clear emphasis upon promoting the program among businesses who might
be eligible to participate. In my conversations with several local bankers over the years who helped
participate with the program their feeling was that it was never effective for certain reasons. What
I’d like to do as part of this recommendation would be to speak to some stakeholders i.e. local
businesses in the community to see what type of program would benefit them best, talk to some of
those bankers to see what faults they saw in program and how it could be reshaped. I mean our
goal is just to suspend the operations for a while although there’s not much of the suspensions as
not much has been happening but we would just take a look and revamp the program and come
back to you with specific recommendations about what this program needs to look like so we can
get something that could be useful and effective because it has not been in the past.
Mr. M. Williams: If I can follow up, Mr. Mayor?
Mr. Mayor: Yeah, you need to.
Mr. M. Williams: Thank you. Madam Administrator, and I appreciate that very much.
You know as long as I’ve been here and I’ve been here as long as Commissioner Hasan I guess
but we have trying to get the banks to work with us as a city and we house a lot of money in a lot
of different places but we can’t no participation. And now folks give you that song they sang with
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the church but they won’t come, they won’t give, they won’t do that. So while we’re at this
threshold we need to look at everything and find out what is it that we’re going to get. We don’t
want the bank to lose money we understand why a bank is a bank but we do the business with them
but we can’t get them to do business with us. And that really bothers me to have a situation where
we have allowed them to use funds and to put funds in but we can’t get the participation to help.
We’re not talking about giving anything; we’re not talking about losing anything. But they have
not come to the table. And this is not a new song this is something they have not done in years out
of all the banks we got around here. So I think we need to look at that program and I welcome the
opportunity to sit down and at least discuss some things that other areas are doing other cities are
doing that we can do to help the local people here to get up. Now we’re at a growth point in our
city Mr. Mayor and I think a lot of people meet the guidelines, who have the credit rating and all
the things they need but for whatever reason we have not been able to get that to the table.
Mr. Mayor: Okay, all right, that’s fantastic. All right I’m going to come back to you in
just a moment Madam Administrator. Mr. Schroer would you, is it not true that the CD’s in August
they reach maturity, is that what happens?
Mr. Schroder: Yes, sir, the CD’s mature in August.
Mr. Mayor: Okay and is it also not true that we could simply allow that CD to roll over
and continue that?
Mr. Schroer: Yes, sir, we’ve got ---
Mr. Mayor: Okay.
Mr. Schroer: --- with the current banks, yes.
Mr. Mayor: With the current banks, okay. I would suggest that and hopefully those of you
here can help me with that as opposed to taking that and putting it in the pooled cash. I think that
again it’s extremely vital for us to establish a program that will be functional and that will be
applicable to our local small businesses tomorrow. And we should be working on that in advance
of the Compliance Director coming on board. All right, Mr. Schroer.
Mr. Schroer: If I may, sir, pooled cash is a term we use. It is our basically our savings
account. If we pull those funds from the bank and put into pooled cash into the LGI Pier Fund
One account it’s a two-day transaction, sir. So if we deposit that and we decide that we want to
the program gets reinstated and we want to put those funds back it will take us two days to get
those funds transferred back. We look at that, when we do look at our investments we look at what
rate of return we’re getting. Currently one bank is giving us a very favorable rate of return and
another bank not so favorable. We usually compare those to how to Georgia Fund One. We can
leave the funds there but as Donna said our recommendation is we pull the funds out and then once
the program gets restarted we can move those funds relatively easily back into a new CD.
Mr. Mayor: Are you suggesting that the Georgia One Fund is going to have a higher rate
of return than these two that we see here?
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Mr. Schroer: Currently they have a higher rate of return than one of the banks, yes.
Mr. Mayor: Okay, but that’s based on time and value.
Mr. Schroer: Yes, sir, we usually have a six-month CD and ---
Mr. Mayor: Instead of pulling dollars again whether it be two days or twenty days it’s a
wash, is that not true?
Mr. Schroer: Well, we would earn a higher rate on the one bank, we would earn a higher
rate of return if we invest in Georgia Fund One.
Mr. Mayor: Okay, all right let me go down ---
Mr. Hasan: Mr. Mayor?
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Mr. Mayor: --- to the Commissioner from the 8 and then I’m going to come back this
way okay?
Mr. Hasan: Okay.
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Mr. Mayor: The Chair recognizes the Commissioner from the 8.
Mr. Guilfoyle: Thank you, Mr. Mayor. After the conversation we had last Tuesday during
the committee meeting about this process, it was a good discussion on it and yes, it is set aside as
far as this Link program was set aside for the small business. It’s my understanding that the banks
was on the hook if they put out a loan they was held to the same criteria, conditions if an individual
just walked in. You’ve got required to meet certain thresholds, credit scores et cetera. What might
be good to do is once we get this Compliance Director in let’s look at a new policy but let’s also
reach out to Randy Griffith with the SBA to give us some insight on how to help out small
businesses succeed. That might be a good start I don’t know it’s just I was just thinking about.
Thank you.
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Mr. Mayor: The Chair recognizes the Commissioner from the 6.
Mr. Hasan: Thank you, Mr. Mayor. Mr. Mayor, when you look at to your point when you
look at number one if there if he was not here it does kind of give you the impression when it said
it becomes part of the existing investment pool so he’s absolutely correct. But actually the motion
was simply once it matures it will go there and it would not be reinvested at this particular time
and what that is is that $5.6 million dollars here that we’re talking about. I don’t know what they
did with the others and that’s a good point you were asking also what does that other money look
like in terms in how it’s being invested. But in terms of that money once it comes in at $5.6 that
money will be there up until we revamp or create a program. That’s one part of it. The second
part of it is that when Ms. Gentry was here when Commissioner Williams first brought this up
when she was before us she gave us a list of loans that had been made by First Bank which is now
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State Bank so some loans was made. Now to say how aggressive the different branches were I
can’t speak to that but she gave us a list of businesses that had acquired loans as a result of that
money being in First Bank at that particular time. So that doesn’t speak to how aggressive the
program was, that doesn’t speak to the need to revamp the program but it does say that it did have
some success. How aggressive it was I can’t speak to that but it did have some success in terms
of doing that. It wasn’t successful enough obviously I can say that.
Mr. Mayor: Well, I don’t know much but just on the surface of it and I appreciate you
sharing that history for us but the reality of it is if we’re going to work on establishing taking the
framework of what was supposed to be in place was we have to at least include in that process,
marketing the effect that we have a Local Small Business Program that includes an option to assist
with cash and it doesn’t sound like that was the case before so, Madam Administrator, as we’re
working on this, I think without question we have to communicate, we have to market the fact that
we have it and then I don’t think that it’s prudent upon our parts to say that it’s the bank’s
responsibility to solely just administer it because based on what we know we only had one bank,
First Bank, who took advantage of the fact and they weren’t even the ones, you know, who started
the program. And so I think we need to look at that as well. All right I’m going to come back this
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way and I’m going to go the Commissioner from the 9, Commissioner to the 4 and then we’ll
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wrap it up. Okay then to the Commissioner to the 8.
Mr. M. Williams: Mr. Mayor, with all of the workshops and different stuff we’ve been
putting on to pull in small businesses and talk to people about doing business with the City of
Augusta and people who are trying to do business not just with the city but just business period.
You know we talk about the length of time it takes to move the money two days the money’s been
in where it’s been located for 15 years. And really it gives me some heartburn to be there for 15
years and then you’re worrying about how many days it takes to transfer the money back. Now I
say what about mentioned how many days, two days compared to that. I think like anything else
we’ve got to get banks, people, whoever’s attention to let them know that we’re trying to do the
right thing. You know we’re not asking them to do anything that they shouldn’t do but I think
we’ve got to get serious enough to understand that it’s a serious situation for that type funds of the
taxpayers whether it be sales tax or however the money gets there. And to be there for 15 years
and do nothing so that really, that’s really what spurred this whole thing up. And hopefully that
we can next month when it comes into maturity we can put the money back into our pool and then
we need to reinvest it we can do that that we can see where it comes back at a high interest rate, I
think we ought to do that too. But I just think that somebody’s needs to know that I mean we don’t
wait the 15 years whether the bank did anything or this government did anything now’s the time
to do something different now than what we had so those are my comments, Mr. Mayor.
Mr. Mayor: Okay thank you, I appreciate that. All right the Chair recognizes the
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Commissioner from the 4.
Mr. Sias: Thank you, sir. First off with your consent, sir, I’d like to start off with asking
the Administrator a question.
Mr. Mayor: Certainly.
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Mr. Sias: Ma’am, I think it’s pretty clear what you’ve indicated that you all want to do
here particularly with Item number two that is clear cut to get the program reexamined up and for
us to come back and approve it. The question I have for you, Madam Administrator, is what would
be your projected timeline to have a draft of this back to this body, your thought pattern on that.
Ms. Jackson: Given the number of stakeholders that I’d like to talk to I would say 60 days.
Mr. Sias:
That’s kind of aggressive, Madam Administrator, but if so and you’ve heard the
So
conversation up here about the different entities SBA and the different banks and that one.
with that being said I move that we approve as stated.
Mr. Frantom: Second.
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Mr. Mayor: Well, okay, I appreciate that. Commissioner from the 4 if I may I believe
that’ll, thank you for again 60 days is September 1, well actually September 30, okay and that is
aggressive and I think that’s a good date. But in light of the other stuff called budget and this is
extremely important my question to this body is given all of what you have been looking at learning
and listening and there are other municipalities who have similar programs is this something we
could put a small working group together and have them work on that and work on getting that to
a place of putting a draft together again working with the Administrator and her staff and then we
come back with something while we’re working on, again our Administrator’s going to be leading
that whole budget process so just a thought. All right, let me go to before you say anything I’m
going to recognize the Administrator.
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Ms. Jackson: Just one thing to add. Our Compliance Director will be here on August 1
and I would imagine she would play a very key role in pulling together too so this should be a top
can be a top priority for her if you want it to be.
Mr. Mayor: Well, I think that this body wants it to be like yesterday’s priority. The
challenge there is that you’ve still got three people to be hired which is probably going to be her
most important priority. All right, I’m going back to you now Commissioner Sias.
Mr. Sias: Thank you, sir. It wouldn’t quite be 1 September however you know we’re
talking about a, Madam Administrator, are you completely comfortable with 60 days or should we
say 90?
Mr. Mayor: I’m trying to put you all in that mix and say hey let’s work on this as a working
(inaudible).
Mr. Sias: I’ve got a motion on the floor, Mr. Mayor. We’re ready to roll.
Ms. Jackson: Actually 90 days from now we’ll be so deep into the budget process. I think
this is something I’d like to get out of the way prior to us getting too deep into the budget because
once we’re in that we’re in and I don’t want to be distracted by this or anything else quite frankly.
Mr. Sias: Madam Administrator, I fully accept your word on that.
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Ms. Jackson: So the end of we said the end of September correct?
The Clerk: September 30.
Ms. Jackson: Yes, we can make that deadline.
Mr. Sias: Mr. Mayor, if I may continue. If I get my second to amend we’ll say the, put the
date for the draft to be available to this Commission will be 30 September 2016.
Mr. Mayor: All right, I’ve got a motion and a second. All right the Chair recognizes, all
right I’m going to go this way as I said I would. The Chair recognizes the Commissioner from the
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8. We’ve got a motion and a second 30 September 2016 to have a draft. All right Commissioner
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from the 8.
Mr. Guilfoyle: Thank you, Mr. Mayor. This is a question either for the Administrator or
Tim. As far as this, I’m using Commissioner Hasan’s, the $5.6 million dollars. Where was this
funding money allocated from?
Ms. Jackson: I’d have to defer to Tim for that.
Mr. Schroer: I believe it was initially from the General Fund, fund balance. That was
when the funds were initially set up in what 2004 I’m not really sure whether where the initial
funds came from, sir.
Mr. Guilfoyle: Okay, it might be good to find out on that one. Thank you, Mr. Mayor.
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Mr. Mayor: The Chair recognizes the Commissioner from the 5 Commissioner Lockett.
Mr. Lockett: Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Mr. Mayor, this is for Tim I believe.
Mr. Mayor: Okay.
Mr. Lockett: It’s my understanding these CD’s are supposed to mature next month?
Mr. Schroer: Yes, sir.
Mr. Lockett: What impact, if any, will this have if what we are proposing happening at the
end of September would that have an impact at all because if they mature are you going to pull
them out and reinvest them, is that correct?
Mr. Schroer: Yes, sir, we would let them mature, we’d move the funds into Georgia Fund
One and then once the program is redesigned or re-implemented then we would take the funds out
of Georgia Fund One and reinvest them in the local banks.
Mr. Lockett: Okay, so it wouldn’t cause a delay at all, is that correct?
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Mr. Schroer: No, sir.
Mr. Lockett: Okay, thank you. Thank you, Mr. Chair.
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Mr. Mayor: Okay, I’m going to go down to the 6. The Chair recognizes the
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Commissioner from the 6.
Mr. Hasan: Thank you, Mr. Mayor. Mr. Mayor, I’d just like to speak to the Administrator
directly.
Mr. Mayor: Sure.
Mr. Hasan: Madam Administrator, once you decide to put that together I do think you
ought to encourage or kind of send out to all the Commissioners or something that who may want
to be a part of this process as well as I would think in my mind also that First Bank and I think Mr.
Johnson was at the bank at the time. I don’t know whether you have the liberty to be a part of this
process as he was the one at First Bank who maybe see what some of those obstacles was firsthand.
If we could get a handle on that and we move forward as we try to form something. But I know
some of us for sure not all of us want to be a part of that process along with whoever you had in
mind that you consider to be stakeholders. So just consider that whether it’s 60 days or 90 days in
moving forward with this program.
Ms. Jackson: Yes, sir.
Mr. Sias: Call for the question.
Mr. Fennoy: I’ve got a question, Mr. Mayor.
Mr. Hasan: You got it.
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Mr. Mayor: All right, the Chair recognizes the Commissioner from the 1.
Mr. Fennoy: Well, I’ve got two questions. The first is that the Links Deposit Program,
what’s the status of that?
Mr. Mayor: All right, we’ll refer that to Tim.
Mr. Schroer: I believe the program is still there with State Bank and Georgia Bank and
Trust. I don’t believe there’s any activity with the banks. From our standpoint we have two CD’s
with those banks.
Mr. Fennoy: Okay and the second part of my question is that if a business person wanted
to go through the Link Deposit Program today they could do that and or would they have to wait
until we come back with the end of September?
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Mr. Schroer: They would have to go through the normal bank underwriting and if you all
suspend the program today we’ll notify the banks that the program has been suspended. So if they
were in there today and they went through the normal underwriting for this program I believe they
could get a loan. But as I said there’s been no activity recently.
Mr. Fennoy: And my point and I guess the point I’m trying to make is that up until the
time of the end of September if someone wanted to go through the Links Deposit Program they
could do that?
Mr. Schroer: After the CD is mature and there’s no program we would effectively cancel
the program after the CD’s mature.
Mr. Fennoy: So once the CD matures the program is no longer in existence.
Mr. Schroer: There would be no backing so I don’t know if, that would be a question for
the bank if they would continue the program without the CD’s in place.
Mr. Fennoy: Once, and I guess my last question is once the CD’s mature and we don’t
move the money to another bank there could still be no program?
Mr. Schroer: If the CD’s mature and we don’t do anything with them they would sit at the
bank earning it’s zero interest or a very nominal interest. That’s why we looked at when the CD’s
mature we look for the best interest rate within the program. If the funds are moved out of the
banks, once again it would be up to the banks if they wanted to do something with the Links
program.
Mr. Mayor: Okay all right let’s do this, let’s do this, all right. I’m going to go back to the
question that I posed a little while ago about execution on this. Fifteen years of history with three
maybe four loans, $5.4 million dollars or whatever that number is, $5.4 million dollars and we’re
drawing interest. 61% of the contract that’ll let in our community arts and local small businesses
but yet we’ve got a program that’s not functioning. Would the, would the Commissioner from the
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4 entertain amending his motion to include or to be restated as establish subcommittee for the
Link Deposit Program consisting of the Finance Chair, the Engineering Chair and the
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Administrative Services Chair and the distinguished lady from the 3 along with the Administrator
in putting together or revamping this program and come back to us 30 September 2016. All right,
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the Chair recognizes the Commissioner from the 4.
Mr. Sias: Thank you, sir. In the military we always say Bottom Line up Front so I will
say no to that, sir, but here’s why. I think our Administrator with her tools and the staff and folks
can do exactly what you are saying and it gets rid of the burden of a subcommittee status on that.
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We need to move expeditiously with this program and as the Commissioner from the 6 stated
that invitations can go out to any Commissioner that wants to be involved. But I truly understand
what you’re saying but at this point based on what I’ve stated I’m not willing to amend my motion.
Thank you, sir.
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Mr. Mayor: That’s fair. All right the Chair recognizes the Commissioner from the 8.
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Mr. Guilfoyle: Thank you, Mr. Mayor, as far as the Administrator, Madam Administrator,
as Finance Chair I would like to be a part of that little team not a subcommittee or whatever to get
this into play. Thank you.
Mr. Mayor: All right we’ve got a motion and a second. All right voting.
Mr. Lockett: Mr. Chair, could you read the motion please.
Mr. Mayor: All right, I’m going to refer to Madam Clerk.
The motion is to approve adopting the recommendation of the Finance
The Clerk:
Director regarding the city’s Link Deposit Program with a draft copy of the revised plan to
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be sent to Commissioners no later than September 30 2016, 60 days.
Mr. Mayor: Voting.
Mr. Speaker: (Unintelligible)
Motion Passes 10-0.
Mr. Mayor: I appreciate that we’re working on it, that’s why we’re having this
conversation, economic growth and development things they’re working on. Thank you.
The Clerk: Next item, Mr. Mayor?
Mr. Mayor: Yes, ma’am.
The Clerk:
PUBLIC SAFETY
15. Motion to approve the establishment of a Sheriff’s substation in Unisys Building at a
projected construction cost in the amount of $150,000 and to task the Administrator with the
identification of a funding source. (Approved by Public Safety Committee July 12, 2016)
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Mr. Mayor: The Chair recognizes the Commissioner from the 5.
Mr. Lockett: Thank you, Mr. Chairman. If I may this question is for the Administrator.
Madam Administrator, you were not present last meeting and according to the agenda item you
were supposed to identify a funding source for this. And I would like to know and my colleagues
would like to know what is the funding source.
Ms. Jackson: On this item, sir, I would like for our funding source to be our Capital Fund
Contingency. At this time right now we only have about $140,000 dollars in our Capital
Contingency but it’s also true that at this point we haven’t done any specific building plans for that
space. That $150,000 dollars was very much a ballpark estimate. What I’d like to do or like to be
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authorized to do by you is to have our Central Services staff along with our Sheriff’s Office staff
the appropriate persons sit down with the developer and come up with a realistic cost estimate for
this project. It could be more or less than that and then I’d like to be authorized at that point to
negotiate with the developer on a payment arrangement. We may be able to work this out so we
don’t have to pay all of it this fiscal year. So I would like to be authorized to A: Get a specific
cost and B work out financing arrangements that I would bring back to you so at that point we’d
have a better idea what the exact cost figures would be.
Mr. Lockett: Mr. Chair, if I may follow up?
Mr. Mayor: You may.
Mr. Lockett: Did I understand you to say once you get all this information before our
decision is made you would come back to this body?
Ms. Jackson: That is correct, sir.
Mr. Lockett: All right thank you, Madam Administrator, Mr. Chairman. Move to approve.
Mr. Frantom: Second.
Mr. Mayor: Okay, fantastic, we’ve got a motion and a second. The Chair recognizes the
Engineering Services Chairman Commissioner Fennoy.
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Mr. Fennoy: Mr. Mayor, this agenda item resurfaced because of a 4 of July incident that
took place down on the river. To my knowledge there’ve only been two or three incidents that’s
taken place down on the river. A part of my district and this is a part of my district but another
part of my district is East Boundary. East Boundary has had a high number of shootings and
incidents to take place in that area. They’ve even had murders to take place in that area and if the
reason we are putting this substation is to protect and serve the people then I think the substation
needs to be moved somewhere on East Boundary because that’s where the need exists, not on the
riverfront or the Riverwalk.
Mr. Mayor: All right, thank you for your inquiry. The Chair recognizes the Commissioner
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from the 6.
Mr. Hasan: Thank you, Mr. Mayor. Mr. Mayor, I think the benefit of doing it to
Commissioner Fennoy’s point is that the substation would put about 25 officers a minimum of 25
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officers spending 24 hours in East Boundary area backup to 13, 15 Street in Zone 1 and part of
Zone 2 be more readily available. Right now there is no substation for the officers and things like
that where they can kind of hover around. The closest one I think is up on Ellis Street and the next
one is out on in Daniel Village and the next is out on 56. So it would give them a greater presence
in that particular area to Commissioner Fennoy’s point. The other thing, Mr. Mayor, I’d like to
make a substitute motion to go back to what the motion says and ask for the Administrator to find
a funding source so we can go ahead and do the substation as opposed to coming back here per se
finding a funding source and go ahead and execute. I think the work in terms of the paperwork I
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have from the Sheriff there have been some preliminary that’s how we came up with the figure of
$150,000 dollars that has already been done. You know that don’t mean and we’re talking about
this was done about 90-120 days ago and we very well may be able to get a reduction in costs
because they do have some contractors in the building as we speak. So I would like to go back
and make a substitute motion to go back to what the motion said and that is for the, to authorize
the Administrator to find the funds and go ahead and execute for the substation.
Mr. Mayor: Okay all right so we’ve got a motion and a second and that motion was to
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approve and I think the Commissioner from the 5 said motion to approve he only asked a series
of questions he did not change the premise of the original motion he didn’t change that.
Mr. Hasan: I think it changes the mere fact that he felt that she had to come back to us and
we don’t and we don’t I don’t think she needs to come back to us she needs to go ahead and
implement it, find the money and let them do what they need to do.
Mr. Mayor: The Administrator said she was going to come back with a recommendation
about whether you pay for it over time or you pay it all at once.
Ms. Jackson: Yeah, I think there’s just a couple unresolved questions here. One is with
the construction costs is that $150,000. It was very, very general figure there it may be more it
could be less. And the other was to identify whether I could work out some payment arrangements
with the owner and the developers such that we would not have to pay all of that in one year.
That’s what I was proposing.
Mr. Mayor: Right which didn’t change where you get the money from.
Mr. Hasan: Well, it didn’t change where you get the money from but still or also the
arrangements that the Administrator’s speaking to is possibly one of the ones is a 10-year
arrangement that we pay them if it’s a $150,000 dollars we probably entered something over that
period of time. I just didn’t want to see her come back. I want to see the move forward and come
back and get bogged down that’s my concern. The motion doesn’t intercede in any kind of form
or fashion (unintelligible) she can move full steam ahead then I withdraw my motion.
Mr. Mayor: I haven’t heard anything that impedes the progress or project execution. I
think the path forward is one, get an appropriate bid or cost estimates of what it actually is going
to cost to construct the substation there and then fully executing that. The payment arrangements
whether that be a single payment or a payment over, you know, this year next year you know I
think that’s certainly appropriate but it doesn’t stop the action. All right I’m going to go back ---
Mr. Fennoy: Commissioner Lockett had his hand up.
Mr. Mayor: --- okay all right you first or ---
Mr. Fennoy: You can go to Commissioner Lockett.
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Mr. Mayor: --- okay all right. The Chair recognizes the Commissioner from the 5.
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Mr. Lockett: Thank you, Mr. Chair. I have the utmost respect and trust in the Administrator
but I don’t like giving anybody a blank check. We’ve got too many moving parts here. We know
this is going to be approved but we need to have all the specifics before we say Madam
Administrator go on and do it. Thank you, Mr. Chair.
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Mr. Mayor: All right the Chair recognizes the Commissioner from the 1.
Mr. Fennoy: Yes, Mr. Mayor, I’d like to make a substitute motion and the substitute motion
is that we move the substation to the East Boundary area where the need actually exists.
Mr. Mayor: Okay.
Mr. Fennoy: I can’t second the motion too?
Mr. Mayor: Well, you ask Commissioner Williams feels whether or not you can. Can he
second his own motion?
Mr. M. Williams: He can second it but it won’t go nowhere.
Mr. Mayor: Fantastic, I love it. That substitute motion fails due to the fact that it didn’t
receive a proper second. All right, we’re back to the main motion. All right we have a second on
the motion, a motion and a second. Voting.
Mr. Fennoy votes No.
Mr. Sias out.
Motion Passes 8-1.
The Clerk:
ADMINISTRATIVE SERVICES
12. Motion to approve a Budget Resolution and a Contract with the Georgia Department of
Natural Resources (DNR) for Meadow Garden Rehabilitation Project, and authorize the
Administrator to execute a contract not exceeding $45,000 for rehabilitation of the windows
at Meadow Garden. (Approved by Administrative Services Committee July 12, 2016)
Mr. Mayor: So the question is real simple on this one and it may not be for you, Paul ---
Mr. DeCamp: Right.
Mr. Mayor: --- but rather the State of Georgia DNR they provided this to us. This is a
Historical Preservation Fund Grant ---
Mr. DeCamp: Right, correct.
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Mr. Mayor: --- and the execution authorization on that is inaccurate based on the caption.
It says to the Administrator and my point was it simply needed to be clarified. The budget
resolution post pays twelve comes to our office and it just simply needed to be clarified ---
Mr. DeCamp: Right ---
Mr. Mayor: --- that’s all.
Mr. DeCamp: --- okay ---
Mr. Mayor: --- that’s all ---
Mr. DeCamp: --- all right.
Mr. Mayor: --- the authorization on the caption is incorrect.
Mr. DeCamp: All right.
Mr. Lockett: Move to approve.
Mr. Frantom: Second.
Mr. Mayor: We have a motion and a second again changing that to ---
The Clerk: The Mayor.
Mr. Mayor: --- right. Voting.
Ms. Davis out.
Motion Passes 9-0.
The Clerk:
FINANCE
18. Motion to approve the waiver of the Augusta Port Authority fees and the reimbursement
of the Port Authority Fee in the amount of $6,450 for the Augusta Southern Nationals Drag
Boat Race venue and task the Administrator to identify a funding source. (Approved by
Finance Committee July 12, 2016)
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Mr. Mayor: The Chair recognizes the Commissioner from the 4.
Mr. Sias: Thank you, sir.
Mr. Mayor: Mr. Brazzell? Okay, thank you, I’m just bringing him forward.
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Mr. Sias: Okay, I may have to defer this to the Commissioner from the 6 but for right
now, Mr. Mayor, if you have Mr. Brazzell to speak on this that would be fine.
Mr. Mayor: (Inaudible) Mr. Rhinehart to speak on this.
Mr. Sias: Mr. Rhinehart.
Mr. Mayor: All right, it’s on you, sir.
Mr. Rhinehart: I wasn’t here last week but I think what the discussion was is that the new
fee schedule that had been adopted last fall and presented to the Augusta Nationals they were
expecting a waiver like previous years because these are jointly operated facilities by the city and
Port Authority. I think the Port Authority felt they couldn’t independently waive the whole
schedule so they brought to this board concurrence to waive the schedule which you did.
Obviously the race took place last weekend so they didn’t pay a fee. The race went on successfully.
The Port Authority’s budget is part of your General Fund budget so if they collect fees like this it
offsets the bottom line budget. If they don’t then I think Tim’s standing there then they’ve got an
appropriation to live within either offset by fees or not offset by fees. So in terms of a funding
source offset essentially it’s offset within its own budget is my understanding. Is that the question?
I’m not sure if that’s what you’re ---
Mr. Hasan: What, if I may continue.
Mr. Mayor: You may continue.
Mr. Hasan: One of the things we have, Mr. Rhinehart, is the fact that when this came
before this body, it was days before the race and a solution whether temporary or permanent had
to be addressed. And the point that we made in this initial request at the committee level was that
we, the city reimburse the Port Authority. Now from my personal view point that really has to be
cleared up for future events. This one came at the very, very last minute. So for now part of
pulling this item was to identify the funding source for the $6,450 dollars. And be it not on there
now but also that requires some clarification for the future and that’s why I made reference to my
colleague from District 6. And I’ll be looking for him to address that sooner or later because it’s
a topic that’s going to come back again and again based on the fee schedule. So the question today
was to find the funding source and I hope we will address this whole entire issue as for these kind
of events for the future and do it quick. Thank you, sir.
Mr. Mayor: Are you suggesting he’s going to pay for it out of his pocket?
Mr. Sias: I’m suggesting that we find the funding source and being the Administrator’s
office you know we task the Administrator with everything so I will task them with finding the
$6,450 dollars. Thank you.
Mr. Mayor: Last year you all approved as part of the budget a Special Event Fund. That
seems like a reasonable source for these types of things to take place, that may be a good start.
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The Chair recognizes the Commissioner from the 8 and then I’m going to come back to the
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Commissioner from the 9.
Mr. Guilfoyle: Mr. Mayor, last week there was some heated discussion about this. As far
as Frank Carl from the Port Authority I figured he might have been here today hopefully to come
back with saying hey, we looked at this, talked to the board members, we decided to waive all or
part of it so apparently that did not happen. But he did send me an email and in regards to this
email from him as far as the Port Authority Rental Application was this approved by this body?
All right because he was also with this email he was showing to me what the Regatta and the other
functions, Day in the Country, are being charged. But the money that the Port Authority gets does
that go to the Rec Department, directly to the Rec Department?
Mr. Rhinehart: No, there is I guess a Special Revenue Fund that receives money from fees
collected but is offset then as part of your general budget. So in other words you’re mostly funding
the Port Authority’s budget out of the city budget but any fees they collect offsets that. So similarly
in parks tennis isn’t going to be fully pay its own way so there’s a budget for tennis. Any fees they
collect offset the amount that has to come out of general revenues. But if revenues are good, the
bottom line impact is less. If revenues are bad one year, the bottom impact is a little greater.
Mr. Guilfoyle: Right as far as ---
Mr. Rhinehart: Tim could probably explain that better than I but I think that’s generally
how it works.
Mr. Guilfoyle: --- right, as far as last week Frank Carl was speaking about needing the
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money for the fees to maintain along the river from 5 to 10 Street and do all this work but the
Port Authority don’t have employees. All it is is board members. So who’s actually the hands on
the ground that’s doing the cleaning the grass the maintenance et cetera?
Mr. Rhinehart: It’s, the city and the Port Authority jointly own facilities they’ve generally
used the same vendor in the past to maintain and operate. As you know the vendor was in default
of contract and got booted by the court so Parks is temporarily pinch-hitting for the contractor.
They’ve got an RFP process to get a new contractor that would then jointly going back to Port
Authority and the city for the facilities we both own as a new operator. So in the meantime Parks
is doing what the vendor otherwise would do but there’s properties we both own and then share
the operations of.
Mr. Guilfoyle: Right you know what Commissioner Sias was speaking about this is going
to come back around next year about the same time. We need to prevent this we need to come up
with some kind of solution so we don’t lose venues in Augusta. It’s like the Regatta I think it was
$1,200, $1,600 dollars. This is college. If we lose that, that’s a thousand, two-thousand people
that comes into this area. It might not seem like a lot of money $1,600 dollars but it’s a lot of
money to them so we might want to look at that and address it. I know that they have First
Thursday of every month, they have their Port Authority meeting at 9:00 o’clock. It might be wise
or good for some of my colleagues and myself to attend it to see if we can’t come to some kind of
resolution. Thank you.
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Mr. Mayor: Well I’ll speak to at least the Southern Nationals Drag Boat Racing a $5.4-
million-dollar economic investment here to our city and we want to keep them going 30 years, the
longest running. And whatever we can to do to support that event is extremely important. All
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right, the Chair recognizes the Commissioner from the 9.
Mr. M. Williams: Thank you, Mr. Mayor. Ted, I’ve got a question and maybe a legal
question. I’ve got an attorney I use all the time but she might be busy back there now so I’m going
to ask you this question. How can the Port Authority and the city own the river? I mean who
owns the river? Is it ours or the Port Authority? Who owns it?
Mr. Rhinehart: The river would be waters of the United States and so the State of Georgia
DNR has jurisdiction over the river itself so you can’t pollute it or you can’t dam it up et cetera.
We have facilities that encroach on the river like docks, a marina, a warehouse and so some of
those are property owned by the Port Authority some of those are property owned by the city
government. And the tradition has been to jointly operate them for the benefit of the customers so
they don’t have to get confused over do I go talk to you for this dock and you for this dock when
I need to use both. Now the process of the marina vendor going defunct has created a little extra
coordination in the meantime, confusion or whatever you want to call it. I believe the attempt to
have a joint schedule of fees last year was so that a customer could see, here’s things that one party
owns, here’s things another party owns and what you might have to pay if you want to use them.
But I think the intent of that was as new business came in and so somehow existing business maybe
got a bit sideways on something that I don’t the original intent was to change but that’s something
as Commissioner Guilfoyle said you have to ask the Port Authority directly if that was their intent.
Mr. M. Williams: So when Tameka Allen parks her boat on the river who does she pay
the Port Authority or does she pay the city?
Mr. Rhinehart: It depends on who owns the dock that she’s renting.
Mr. M. Williams: Well, I think that’s where our problem lies. If we’ve got, we got so
many entities and we need to get them together. I agree with the Mayor this 30-year event that’s
drawing people from all over the country coming here. We need to keep that that’s no doubt. We
shouldn’t let that stop us but when we talk about the Port Authority then you’ve got the people
docking their boats and the people using the ramps and who they pay. That’s like the old question,
Sean, who’s on first and what’s on second. Well, it all falls back on this governing body so I don’t
know why we are stashing other folks to be in charge of stuff we’ve got to ultimately answer for
whether it be this body or the next body that’s elected. So I think we need to really look at that. I
think that the comment that Commissioner Guilfoyle made that we might need to have a meeting
and sit down and talk about some stuff that’s why we develop an entity like the Port Authority that
you’ve got to know what you’re doing because once they are established then your hands are really
off of it. Now when this fee schedule came up I questioned all of that then how are we going to
do this and how are we going to do that. This body chose to pass it, we thought it sounded good
but now we’re coming back with an impact of all of the people and all of the money the boat race
brings and then we’re having problems. One other question is, if all those people the Mayor came
and I didn’t go this year I’ve been down there but I didn’t go this year how much percentage of
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that does the Authority or the boat Dayton Sherrouse and his crew gets out of that money. I hear
“saying that we’re giving something to charity” or something, but nobody tells me how much it is.
Now I know all of the money comes in and it’s been going somewhere. I need to know where that
money is. I need to know how much percentage was brought in so they might be able to pay their
own way if we could get some numbers. But when people tell me we donating to Ronald
McDonald House and we give then $10.00 dollars but we done made $10,000 that don’t add up.
So we ought to at least know what percentage, we ought to have somebody to make sure that that’s
being done so we can keep up with this kind of stuff because what happens is it comes back to us
and we take it off the backs of the taxpayers so we end up paying those fees but they done made
money. I know the boat race makes money but all the people down there you can’t tell me they
didn’t make money. The hotels everything probably was when that happens. So we got them up
and it’s been running, it’s been running for 30 years. You can’t do better for 20 years and stay in
business now.
Mr. Mayor: So, so let me respond to that, Ted. The Convention and Visitors Bureau they
have that data, Commissioner Williams, they have the data in terms of what they’ve economic
impact is to our city. They also have the information as it relates to the hotel/motel revenue that
comes from that that they for previous years they can make that available. We can get that and
have that ready at our next meeting.
Mr. M. Williams: My question is the boat races how much gate money is what I’m talking
about. I mean I know we’ve got an impact on the hotel; I don’t need it but I don’t know how much
gate money was collected then how much was given out. Now I hear through conversations that
you know we donated ‘x’ amount to some group or whatever and now I understand that. How
much was actually donated from the gate, the ticket sales is what I’m talking about.
Mr. Mayor: So I think then what we should do is put in a request to get that information
for our next Administrative Services committee meeting from the Port Authority.
Mr. Rinehart: Or we may have to go to the sponsors for that that kind of detail. I don’t
know if the Port Authority will have that from the sponsors.
Mr. Mayor: All right what’s your pleasure, Commissioners?
Mr. Hasan: I have a question.
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Mr. Mayor: Okay, all right, the Chair recognizes the Commissioner from the 6 for a
question.
Mr. Hasan: Yes, sir, Mr. Mayor, first I’d like to respond to what Mr. Ted just said I can’t
think of his, Rhinehart, Rhinehart just said. I think that I heard him just say that he don’t think the
Port Authority would have that kind of information. He wasn’t talking about the Port Authority
were you or that Mr. Williams’ request about information or something like that.
Mr. Mayor: Could you restate your question?
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Mr. Hasan: It’s okay let me move forward. In terms of Commissioner Wayne Guilfoyle’s
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question about when do we approve it. This item came before us the first time in November 24
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2015. December the 1 2015 a motion to approve Augusta Port Authority rental application and
fee schedule. It was approved by the Public Services Committee at the committee level and the
body approved it in 2015 and the schedule was attached to it. Also when it came before us to
Commissioner Williams’ point he did thoroughly question this. I also agree with Commissioner
Wayne Guilfoyle that we ought to consider attending the meeting with support in mind for the Port
Authority because they do have some sense of responsibility to the government. I know ever since
I’ve been here prior to me getting here you’ve had people who’ve been evicted from out of the
Port Authority so it’s been a very contentious process throughout all of it. And I’m not quite sure
that there’s not been some sort of fee attached to Mr. Sherrouse and company because as we’ve
heard last week the Port Authority was given a check just recently for $2,800 dollars. He said he
was getting $.50 cents off a ticket you know and so I don’t know whether that was an impetus for
him to create a fee schedule that he had more control of the process and know what he was going
to get. I don’t know. I’ve never had that conversation with him or the full disclosure he is my
appointee on that board. He is from District 6 but as far as having a conversation with him I have
not had that so I don’t have full disclosure. So I do think it makes sense if that’s what we to do to
go to that meeting with in mind as to how can we be supportive of them and the body of work they
have to do as opposed to and if we have to protect and take up the event as well for the $6,400
dollars if you’ve got 25,000 people or just knock it down to 15,000 people at $30.00 a head over
a couple of days’ period your purse $130,000 dollars that’s still a lot of profit there. If you say
you’ve got nothing but just volunteers and so that’s the Commission we just want. He wanted to
know what was that profit margin looked like at the end of the day and he’s not asking from that
from the Port Authority. He’s asking from the appropriate people who would have that
information. And so, yes, we did approve it and I concur with Commissioner Wayne Guilfoyle
look forward to going to the meeting and trying to see how we can make this a success at the end
of the day. Thank you.
Mr. Mayor Pro Tem: Okay any other comments concerning this issue?
The Clerk: From the Attorney, sir, General Counsel.
Mr. Mayor Pro Tem: Oh yeah, okay go ahead.
Mr. MacKenzie: Just real quickly and this came up at the committee level. The way the
motion’s currently worded I don’t know what the will of the body is but the Port Authority is
actually the one that would be doing the waiver of the fees. This came up at the committee
discussion. I do have some alternative wording if it is the will of the Commission to move forward
with reimbursing the funds for the Port Authority. I just have some alternate wording to make it
legally correct.
Mr. Mayor Pro Tem: Okay, all right. Okay, do we have a motion of this?
Mr. M. Williams: I didn’t hear it. What was it?
Mr. Hasan: (inaudible) reworded.
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motion would
Mr. MacKenzie: If you’d like to approve the transfer of funds in an alternate
be motion to approve a $6,450 transfer of funds to the Augusta Port Authority to fund the
waiver of the Augusta Port Authority fees with such funds to come from the General Fund
Contingency.
Mr. Lockett: So moved.
Mr. Guilfoyle: Second.
Mr. Mayor: Commissioner Williams.
Mr. M. Williams: Okay and I’ve got no problem with that but what’s going to happen the
next time? Are we going to do that every time or are we going to look at what’s been coming in I
mean that would get us through now in my mind so I’m trying to figure out how do we resolve
this so we won’t have to keep coming back because next year they’re going to come back? It’s
been 30 years and we’re hoping another thirty at least so are we going, is that going to be a
standard, add it into the budget I mean how is that going to work?
Mr. Mayor Pro Tem: Andrew, go ahead.
Mr. MacKenzie: I was just going to say my recommendation would be to look at all of the
events that are going to be occurring on an annual basis whereby fees would be collected from the
Port Authority and to deal with that as part of the 2017 budget discussion which is forthcoming.
Mr. Mayor Pro Tem: Can we get a motion to that effect? I think that would be the route to
go is deal with all of them and set up some rules where you know we don’t have to go through this
for every event that comes to town. And you know you do one do for one you’d better be prepared
to do for the next two or three that comes through the gate.
Mr. Lockett: Mr. Chairman.
Mr. Mayor Pro Tem: Go ahead.
Mr. Lockett: A motion has already been made. To me it would seem that we need to take
care of this agenda item and go ahead and get it off the table and all this other stuff in the future
we can deal with that later.
Mr. Mayor Pro Tem: That’s what we’ve been doing the last several years and it’s getting
later and later but how about I agree we need to do something but need to make it where you know
we set some rules down there for all these events because you know we want them to come here
and make money and feel good about being in Augusta but so that’s one thing. Mr. Sias.
Mr. Sias: Thank you, sir. Just one quick point the Attorney’s motion I know he read it but
I did not hear the Augusta National Southern Drag Boat Race in that motion and that is what this
item is particularly and only germane to. And if I missed it, Mr. Attorney, I apologize but did I?
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Mr. MacKenzie: I didn’t have that in there but if you’d like I can reword it again and
include that. Would you like to hear that motion?
Mr. Sias: It would have to be in there.
Mr. MacKenzie: Okay.
Mr. Mayor Pro Tem: I would like to see a motion that would be, set up something where
we can deal with these things at one time, set the rules and then no matter who comes to town
everybody’s treated fairly and you know we won’t have all these questions coming up you know
in front.
Mr. Speaker: (Inaudible).
Mr. Mayor Pro Tem: That’s fine, that’d be good. Okay why don’t we do that and what
motion we’ve got on the floor now?
Mr. MacKenzie: The alternate language would be a motion to approve a $6,450 transfer
of funds to the Augusta Port Authority to fund the waiver of the Augusta Port Authority fees
associated with the Augusta Southern National Drag Boat Race with such funds to come from the
General Fund Contingency.
Mr. Lockett: So moved again.
Mr. Guilfoyle: Second again.
Mr. Mayor Pro Tem: All right, let’s again we’ll call for the we have a motion, we have a
second and I appreciate Mr. Lockett reminding me so let’s call for the vote.
Motion Passes 10-0.
The Clerk:
ENGINEERING SERVICES
21. Motion to approve the CSX General Crossing Agreement for Augusta, Georgia.
(Approved by Engineering Services Committee July 12, 2016)
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Mr. Mayor: The Chair recognizes the Commissioner from the 9.
Mr. M. Williams: Thank you, Mr. Mayor. You know I asked for this just to get some
clarity on what this agreement is really about, how much money is involved with this agreement.
I see Tom coming to the podium, Mr. Mayor.
Mr. Mayor: All right, the Chair recognizes the Utilities Director Mr. Wiedmeier.
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Mr. Wiedmeier: Mr. Mayor and members of the Commission, this is just to establish
standard rates when we cross CSX tracks. In past they’ve been kind of negotiated on a case by
case basis and this will set the fees for the next five years and I believe it will be a good deal for
us.
Mr. M. Williams: What are those fees, Tom?
Mr. Wiedmeier: It’s in the agreement. It depends on the type of crossing and the size of
the pipe in our case. For an overhead cable it will be $4,000 dollars a crossing, a pipe crossing up
to 12” will be $4,000, above 12” and less than 24” $6,000 and once you get above 24” it’s
negotiated. And then there’s some other ancillary fees that probably won’t pertain to us.
Mr. M. Williams: Tom, can you get me not today but later a, I guess a fee schedule of
what we paid last year or something for that? I didn’t realize that that fee structure was that amount
and I mean we’ve got to pay it because we’ve got to go up under those I understand that. But I
didn’t know I just saw the agreement and I want to know what ---
Mr. Wiedmeier: Okay, I’ll get you the history for the last couple of years.
Mr. M. Williams: Okay, so moved, Mr. Mayor.
Mr. Grady Smith: Second.
Mr. Mayor: We’ve got a motion and a second to approve. Voting.
Motion Passes 10-0.
The Clerk: Mr. Mayor, that concludes our pulled items from our consent agenda. I call
your attention to the regular portion of our agenda.
Mr. Mayor: All right, we’ll keep going, Madam Clerk.
The Clerk:
ADMINISTRATIVE SERVICES
30. Provide an update on efforts made to obtain a potential developer for the Regency Mall
property. Explain how other communities have been successful in the rehabilitation of these
eyesores and why we appear to be deadlocked or devoid of any constructive ideas. The
defunct Regency Mall has stymied the growth of a large portion of the Gordon Highway –
Deans Bridge Corridor. Eminent Domain should be considered but utilized as a last resort.
(Requested by Commissioner Lockett)
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Mr. Mayor: The Chair recognizes the Commissioner from the 5.
Mr. Lockett: Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I had this on committee but I didn’t get my
comments made before I was abruptly cut off. Regency Mall. I was working with a committee
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way before I was elected in 2009 trying to come up with uses for Regency Mall. There have been
so many big box malls that have some of them have been torn down, some of them have been
converted since that time but we haven’t done anything. Aiken, SC had a mall and their primary
store shut down but before they could take the sign down they had somebody else in. With their
KMART in North, Augusta the same thing. It doesn’t seem to me that we’re putting forth
sufficient effort in order to get something done with that mall. And if you look at our agenda item
there is no mention or threat anywhere. I said that we should, eminent domain should be
considered but utilized as a last resort. This Regency Mall is an eyesore. It has stymied the growth
in my community, you noticed I said not my district but my community and my district. All we
can get is Title Pawns, Family Dollars or whatever. And when you go to a city you know when
you see the Title Pawns or Family Dollars and the liquor stores you’re in the poor part of town.
And we have lots of people retired military, retired educators, retirees that have a decent disposable
income. We don’t want to divorce ourselves from our community which most of us could but yet
and still we don’t want to continue to live in the manner that we’ve been forced to live now because
of Regency Mall. And I know somebody’s going to say well Georgia’s got property right, yep but
I have a property right, my neighbors have property rights and what are we going to do. Speaking
of property rights on Sand Bar Ferry Road I read where the Historical Society has stopped a person
from tearing down a building that they own because of its historical significance. And I’m mighty
afraid that if we don’t hurry and do something with Regency Mall we’re going to have that problem
with them because it’s going to be an historical marker because it’s been there so long. Some
months ago the Administrator was tasked with trying to use your knowledge and expertise, staff
and associates and see if ya’ll can come up with something that really could use that mall and all
I got was in a subsequent meeting was turn it over to Housing and Community Development. Well
this something we should’ve thought about years ago because we do have a Master Plan that was
completed by F.A. Johnson and Son about eight, nine years ago on how Regency Mall could be
utilized. And from my perspective that is prime real estate; it’s right at the apex of Gordon
Highway, Deans Bridge. It’s close proximity to Cyber Command, to the medical complex. It’s
near Bobby Jones Expressway and multiple hotels. It’s near the airport but you would think that
somebody would want to come in there and develop and all I want and hope we can get is an
agreement from my colleagues to task the Administrator with seeing if something can be put
together. Not only the Administrator but the Mayor’s office also to see if we can put forth a
concerted effort to get something done out there, that’s all I’m asking for.
Mr. Mayor: Okay, I’ve got a lot of hands. All right, I’m just having fun today. All right,
I’m going to go to my right since it’s the right kind of week. I’m going to start with the
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Commissioner from the 6 ---
Mr. Hasan: Thank you, Mr. Mayor.
Mr. Mayor: --- and back this way.
Mr. Hasan: Thank you, Mr. Mayor. To my colleague’s point in his closing comments
there, Commissioner Lockett, and having a conversation with the Mayor off line he do have some
ideas about that. And so we’ll be getting into that conversation at some point in time to try to get
something done. I think three things concern me around this issue. Number one, we don’t own it
so there’s little we can do. Number two, we’re not necessarily at this point considering doing a
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private/public partnership. Number three is that we’re not ready to probably ready to move in the
area of eminent domain. So with those three things there may be other four, five or six options
that we may have but those three things does concern me in terms of trying to have a full blown
public conversation around it. But you are absolutely right, Commissioner, about how long you’ve
been on top of this. You’ve been on it much longer than you just mentioned. You ran on this
platform that was part of your platform when you ran for public office, the Regency Mall. So
you’re absolutely right we do need to do something around it and I’m hoping we can come to a
common ground and fight for it but I do I don’t believe a public conversation is the way to get it
started. Thank you, Mr. Mayor.
Mr. Mayor: Thank you, thank you. All right I’m going to go to the Commissioner from
st
the 1 ---
Mr. Fennoy: (Inaudible).
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Mr. Mayor: --- all right the Chair recognizes the Commissioner from the 4.
Mr. Sias: Thank you, sir. Am I to understand, Mr. Mayor, that you’re ready to jump into
this from your office perspective?
Mr. Mayor: I think I’ve jumped into it already.
Mr. Sias: So then can we request then that the Mayor’s office explore the options of
this agenda item versus the word tasking. Can you request that the Mayor’s office explore
these options?
Mr. Mayor: You can task me if you want to. I don’t mind.
Mr. Sias: So moved.
Mr. Hasan: Second.
Mr. Frantom: (Inaudible)
Mr. Mayor: All right, I’m going to come to you, I’ve got you. All right we’ve got a motion
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and a second. The Chair recognizes the Commissioner from the 7 Commissioner Frantom.
Mr. Frantom: Thank you, Mr. Mayor. Just want to let people know that there is some
movement going on at Regency Mall. If you say the news last night Augusta Films has had direct
conversations with the owners and possible investors about making production companies using
that facility. So there is been discussion about that facility in the last week or so. Thank you, Mr.
Mayor.
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Mr. Mayor: Thank you. All right the Chair recognizes the Commissioner from the 8.
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Mr. Guilfoyle: Mr. Mayor, I appreciate this. I spoke with the owner last night. The
owner’s actually watching this live streaming right now as we speak just to see what the viewpoints
are. He’s been in contact with Walter Sprouse. He speaks very highly of him and he’s willing to
do whatever it takes to be successful as far as Regency Mall. He has approximately $30 million
dollars invested in this property over the last 15 years. If somebody comes up with an idea or
solution, he’s willing to look at it to invest more money into this community to make it successful.
I believe what we need to do is you know still keep on the Development Authority keep them you
know keep supporting them as well as the film industry with what Brad Owens is bringing in but
that’s good that there is some good conversation going on about this. So I’d like to thank my
colleagues on that.
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Mr. Mayor: The Chair recognizes the Commissioner from the 5.
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Mr. Lockett: Did you say 5?
Mr. Mayor: I did.
Mr. Lockett: Okay, thank you, Mr. Chairman. Well I’m really glad that they’re looking
and listening. This Commissioner has lived in that community in excess of 40 years and travels
by that location on a daily basis. And I see the potential for that particular community when
Regency Mall is redeveloped or whatever. I can see an explosion and growth at that particular
location. And we are talking about economics. I’m quite sure if we do something positive there
there’s going to be an onslaught of business and we’re going to attract people from the Cyber
Command, from the medical complex and everywhere else. And so please, owners, give us your
support because we want to do something. We are not threatening, we’re not in a mode at all. I
don’t believe in threats. I put eminent domain on there because I know that is a way sometimes
you can get profited at a market value but I also indicated as a very last resort. Thank you, Mr.
Chairman.
Mr. Mayor: All right, thank you, you’re quite welcome. All right the Chair recognizes the
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Commissioner from the 9.
Mr. M. Williams: Thank you, Mr. Mayor. With all that’s been said we had an opportunity
here to get that building years ago but because of the conversation that we kept having we got the
weak somebody. And we talked about putting a government complex there. Somebody saw an
interest and went and bought the facility and had the money to do it and let it just sit there. We
have not grown to the capacity that we need to inherit, to have two malls, a lot of people don’t
understand that. I had this conversation last week most people don’t put an outlet store or major
outlet store maybe something small but a major outlet store unless there’s 500,000 people. They
don’t put an outlet store with 250 because we don’t have enough economic impact to support both
of those. When he was talking about an outlet mall coming here and I said an outlet mall would
work because I mean 80% of the people are coming to be shopping at the outlet mall and that’s
going to put the other mall out of business. So with all this conversation about the old Regency
Mall building. The owners is following the guidelines, they’re doing what we asked them to do.
The only entity I can see and not, it wouldn’t be just where that particular building but with all our
buildings we’ve got an ordinance about keeping the building boarded up. Now our ordinance says
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I think it’s a year. We’ve got some buildings not just that building but have been boarded up for
15 to 20 years. So if we’re going to do something we might need to address that issue but not just
with that particular building but with all our buildings and let people know we’re getting aggressive
about what we’re doing. Now that’s huge facility that the film industry can come in here so be it,
I think it would be great. I don’t know if that will work or not but if they’ve got some people
they’re talking to that’s willing to invest and get with the owners and rent, buy or sell whatever I
mean I’m all for that. And I think all of us have been of the same mind set but you can’t force
people to do something when they’re following the guidelines and that’s what’s really been I guess
disturbing about this situation. If they were out of compliance, they weren’t doing what we had
required for them to do I can see doing it but the more conversation we have the more the price
goes up. It’s as simple as that so we’ve got to remember that if they’re following our guidelines,
the only one I can’t the only one I can think of about that they’re maybe not following but it
wouldn’t just fit them it would fit all of those abandoned and boarded up properties that we gave
a year’s time to and they’re still boarded up. So we might want to revisit that, Mr. Mayor, and
look at to see. Now I hadn’t heard your plans so if you’ve got a plan for the Mall. you’re the owner
or you’re in anybody else I’m in support. We need to do something with it but I hadn’t seen
anything yet.
Mr. Mayor: All right, thank you. We’ve got a motion and a second. All right, voting.
Mr. M. Williams: A motion to receive as information.
Mr. Lockett: No.
The Clerk: Motion to task the Mayor’s office with exploring rehab options regarding this
property.
Mr. M. Williams: If anybody can do it if the Mayor can do it, good. He wouldn’t done it
though if he could’ve done it (inaudible) doing it.
The Clerk: He accepted the challenge going there, we’re going there.
Mr. Mayor: He keeps forgetting, Ms. Bonner, I’ve only been here 18 months.
Motion Passes 10-0.
The Clerk:
ADMINISTRATIVE SERVICES
31. Provide an update on actions taken or anticipated to minimize the threat of the Zika
Virus being transmitted in this community. The Zika Virus has been declared a global health
emergency by the World Health Organization and the Centers for Disease Control and
Prevention. These organizations encourage state and local governments to diligently prepare
to combat this virus and prevent outbreaks. Questions! Do we have adequate trained staff
that understand the behavior and biology of mosquitoes? Are adequate resources made
available? Do we have a Zika Response Plan? The CDC recommended on June 10, 2016 that
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Zika Action Plans be developed to guide response activities should a local transmission occur.
(Requested by Commissioner Bill Lockett)
Mr. Lockett: Mr. Chairman, we’re waiting on you.
Mr. Mayor: Yeah, I know, I know. All right we’re waiting on our good friends, all right
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the Chair recognizes the Commissioner from the 5 and our good friends from ---
Mr. Lockett: Thank you, Mr. Chairman. First of all, I’d like to thank my colleague
Commissioner Fennoy for putting this on the agenda a couple of months ago. And what prompted
me to do it at the Georgia Municipal Association Convention in Savannah I was active as usual
and I spoke with some people about the Zika Virus and they know these gentlemen and they told
me some things that I thought that I should ask them about. And good minds think alike because
the Augusta Chronicle just did an article on that exact thing today. And I told them had I known
that the Augusta Chronicle was going to do an article I wouldn’t have had to put this on the agenda.
But this Zika Virus is, we still don’t understand all the ramifications of it. We’ve got the Olympics
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starting in Rio beginning August the 5. we’re going to have lots of people out of the country and
we don’t know what they’re going to bring back so we need to be prepared. So, Mr. Chair, if I
could I would like for them to make a presentation and when they conclude I’ve got me one or two
quick questions I would like to ask them. So I don’t think this is going to take long at all.
Mr. Mayor: All right may I have, let me ask you a question. Is it proper for you to go
ahead and ask that questions based on what you already know and they then to their presentation
as necessary?
Mr. Lockett: I can do that, Mr. Chair.
Mr. Mayor: Thank you, sir, that’d be great.
Mr. Lockett: Basically the agenda item I was questioning whether or not you had the
expertise to stay on top of this as I was told in Savannah. I’d like to know what is it that we
probably should be doing now that we aren’t doing. I know we have a problem with funding.
What would it, how much additional funding would it take for you to do the kind of job that you
feel that should be done? Do you have a contingency plan? What happens if there’s a major
outbreak with this in this community? And lastly you are all on our Augusta website where people
can pull up the Zika Virus and so forth and stay on top of it. And so basically that’s it. I know I
asked you lots of questions out there but that’s per the Chair’s request so if ya’ll go on and talk
about it I’d appreciate it.
Mr. Fred Koehle: Well, let me go from the last question backwards because I would like
to answer the media or the website. We are tied in with the East Central Public Health District.
The Richmond County Mosquito Control has its own website and again the state updates the Zika
web information on a daily basis and so we are tied in and it has direct links to CDC to the state
website also. Again do we have a plan set in place. We do it’s not a Zika plan, it’s not a West
Nile Virus plan, but we manage or investigate any mosquito vectors or disease as the come up.
With West Nile Virus we’ve had numerous cases in Augusta and south Augusta, east Augusta,
42
west Augusta and again we already have that plan in place. We do a surveillance of that area, we
do an education, we do a neighborhood survey of the yards to see if they’re being grown locally
in artificial containers. We step up our presence as far as a (inaudible) program as far as a
larviciding program. And so through the trapping and surveillance we know how well we’re doing
if we need to expand anymore. Is the mosquito control tasked with a heavy burden? Yes, they
are. You know we handle twenty-five to thirty complaints every night so to tell you that we could
use assistance in somebody working more on monitoring for the Zika and West Nile Virus it’s
true. But again we do not have any Zika that’s grown in the state of Georgia. Every case that
we’ve had in the state, it’s all travel related and again the antibodies are only alive in the body for
a certain period of time. And so you know we do have a plan in place to handle it. We’ve had to
activate it for the West Nile Virus numerous times.
Mr. Lockett: You know with the military installation being here and as a former soldier I
know we travel extensively. That is a concern of mine. And I think maybe the well, the
notification process, if an outbreak should break out you’re notified. How is the public notified?
Mr. Koehle: Well, the public would be notified by after we were. We would actually go
out and canvas the neighborhood, educate those people in that neighborhood about repellents,
investigating the neighborhood for mosquitos being grown larvicide for harborage areas. So again
that’s how the public that would have the worse or the major impact they would be learned or learn
of the event and it’s time for protection.
Mr. Lockett: And the last thing, Madam Administrator, would you be willing to sit down
with them when we come up with the new budget to see if we can provide a little more resources
from them because it doesn’t appear that our Congress is going to do anything soon in this regard.
Ms. Jackson: Yes, sir, we can certainly have those conversations going into the budget
process.
Mr. Lockett: Thank you all very much I really appreciate it. Mr. Chair, thank you too.
Mr. Mayor: All right thank you all, thank you so much yeah fantastic. Okay, I’m sorry
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hold on, hold on the Chair recognizes the Commissioner from the 1.
Mr. Fennoy: Yes, sir, thanks for the information that you all just gave us. One of my
concerns is the large numbers of retention ponds that we have in Richmond County and are we
able to monitor those retention ponds especially after a rain to make sure don’t have any standing
water over a long period of time? And the same thing about right around the 56 the swamp land
around the 56, Highway 56 and whether that creates a problem for not necessarily the Zika or West
Nile but for mosquitos, period.
Mr. Koehle: Well, with the retention ponds and again they do create their own problems.
Not all retention ponds hold water. You know in our past history we’ve tried out best to keep the
inventory of those retention ponds, those that hold water and those that went dry after a rainstorm.
So they do but you know working through the disease prevention control we’re going to be
working focusing directly on retention ponds and stormwater ditches that sit and hold water and
43
don’t drain well. As far as on that side of Augusta by the airport, Lumpkin Road, Doug Barnard,
yes, they do. The benefit that the public has and mosquito control has is the mosquitos that are
grown there they don’t travel that far from their birth place and so you know it’s not a residential
area. Our biggest problem with that area has been the bus depot for Richmond County Board of
Education and we work with maintenance and Benton Starke and they got the ditches all cleaned
out for us and we were able to treat and made a big difference in the bus yard for the bus drivers.
And so you know that’s how we handle those areas.
Mr. Fennoy: Has a motion been made to receive as information?
Mr. Mayor: No.
Mr. Fennoy: I’d like to make a motion to receive as information.
Mr. Lockett: Second.
Mr. Mayor: All right, a motion to receive as information.
Mr. Fennoy: Thank you, sir.
Mr. Lockett: Thank you all very much, I appreciate it.
Mr. Mayor: All right.
Mr. G. Smith out.
Motion Passes 9-0.
The Clerk:
FINANCE
32. Receive as information the results of the 2015 financial audit.
Mr. Mayor: Recognize Deputy Finance Director Schroer.
Mr. Schroer: Good afternoon. We have Miller Edwards here our partner with Mauldin
Jenkins to go over the audit results. Let me bring up the Power Point real quick.
Mr. Edwards: Well, good afternoon. I appreciate you all having me here. Tim is going to
pass out something we call our Audit Discussion Analysis. What I’m going to do with the Power
Point is just kind of go through the highlights of the audit process and also which included in this
document he sending to you all. Of course the first thing to talk about is what’s the purpose of this
meeting here today. As your annual auditors we always believe it’s important to meet with people
in your position governing boards, governing authorities to talk about the audit process to see if
you’ve got any questions about it all. We’re also here to just talk and give you an overview of the
results of the audit, look at any kind of required communications to give you as auditors and of
course be here to try to give you any recommendations for improvements and answering questions
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that you may have. A little bit about the firm Mauldin and Jenkins, we’ve been around since
approximately 1920. We’ve got about 260 people at the firm, we provide about 70,000 hours-
worth of service to governments on an annual basis and that includes serving about 300
governments across mostly across Georgia about 250 of our 300 are in Georgia. We also have
about 85 clients you get something called the GFOA Certificate of Achievement for Excellence in
Financial Reporting for which I hope that you all are going to be a recipient of this upcoming
cycle. The audit that has been issued is the first time that I know of ever in Augusta is called a
Comprehensive Annual Financial Report and the industry in Canada and the United States they
call that a CAFR, Comprehensive Annual Financial Report. The CAFR is again a first time for
Augusta; you all never put together such a document before. What this does is it goes beyond the
minimum. Right now you’ve been doing the minimum for the state of Georgia and all of the
compliance elements relative to the audit process. You’ve been issuing a pretty thick set of
financial statements but this actually got thicker so now your document’s over 200 pages long. As
part of a CAFR you have 10 years’ worth of comparative information so someone like yourself
that might be sitting on the board if you’ve got questions as to how do we look today as to how we
might have looked six years ago it’s in the CAFR that Tim’s going to be providing to you. So it’s
pretty good piece of information it goes a long way towards financial reporting and meeting all the
standards of the transparency and disclosure et cetera. So again hats off to management for going
down that road this year first time ever. As far as the audit opinion of course the number one thing
I think you want to know is there any kind of problems with financial statements, are we in good
shape as far as what we have to present you all. Our auditor’s opinion is called an Unmodified,
that used to an entry term called unqualified. In layman’s terms it’s a Clean Audit Report meaning
we do believe that the financial statements that have been presented and prepared for you all do
present fairly in all mature respects, financial position and results of operation cash flows and
disclosures that are required by the standards. We believe it meets all such standards and is a very
good overall document. The auditing standards we follow for a government auditing standards.
A clean opinion again has been issued. We did look at your federal programs. You all took in
about actually I say it another way, you spent about eight and a half million dollars this year of
federal money monies that came through federal grants, the state or directed to you all. A good
example would be like CDBG, Federal Aviation Authority monies, Federal Transit Administration
monies also came through here. Those are some of your bigger items. We did a special audit on
those three programs I just mentioned as part as your overall eight and a half million and
represented about 50% coverage that we did when we tested these and we come back to you today
to tell you that we believe Augusta Richmond County did indeed follow all the guidelines and
compliance elements relative to your federal grant programs and that’s a good, again a good thing.
I say that to you these federal guidelines just get more and more complicated i.e. FEMA money. I
know you all had FEMA money this last year. I know you’ve heard a lot about it. I know that you
had to go to the appeals process to get some of the funds that you thought we due to you and I
understand you’ve got some pretty news about it two weeks or so ago. Working with FEMA is a
bear; working with any of these federal agencies is a bear. The rules of the game are constantly
moving and changing even after the grants have been given to you. Hats off to you all for having
people in Grants Management that stays on top of the game and on top of all the evolving and
changing rules that are (unintelligible) all these federal programs. We had no findings relative to
that; that’s a great thing. As far as looking at the financial statements I know you don’t have them
in front of you right now but I’m going to hit the highlights of what we have here. You all are
considered by myself to be a pretty large local government. I mean you know outside the Atlanta
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are you may be the largest to tell you the truth. You’ve got about 1.8 billion dollars-worth of assets
and of that, that’s not cash that’s 1.8 billion when you look at infrastructure, look at capital assets,
look at everything which amounts to about $1.3 billion dollars. You’ve got liabilities just short of
$800 million dollars giving you an equity position of what we call is Net Position this is across all
funds of the city. You’ve got about $984 million dollars’ worth of equity of again a balance sheet
that I sure wouldn’t mind being the underwriter of. I don’t know about you but it’s a very good
looking balance sheet is one that I think you should be proud of. You also took in about $400
million dollars’ worth of revenues across all funds, all departments, all agencies, a pretty big
operation. You spent about 348 with a bottom line of $53 million. Some people want to always
say well $53 million bottom line that’s why don’t we make it a bottom line. This is not included
as an expense any capital outlay. When you look at entity wide we’re in full accrual so when you
go out there and buy a bus as when you buy a facilities, they’re not expensed at this level like you
might do at the department level. So that $53 million bottom line that you’ve got there has to go
towards debt service and capital improvements that you have here and it’s working very well for
you. So again I think things look good there. When you do look at the General Fund which is the
heart and soul of everything you have about $41 million in total assets. A large part of that is some
inter-fund balances that are due to the General Fund called Due from Other Funds about $21
million. You’ve got about $14 million of liabilities, $27 million in fund balance. Of the $27
million in fund balance you’ve got about just short of $7 million dollars’ worth of cash so as of
12/31 you’ve got about two weeks’ worth of cash in the General funds operation. Now you do get
some franchise fees that come in in February it comes in the form of cash which helps you all very
much so, you’ve also got pooled cash. I heard you all talking of course earlier in the meeting about
the LGIP, the CD’s and all that you’ve got a pooled cash account here whereby funds can kind of
be used across all governmental funds and all proprietary funds so if all of sudden we’ve got some
needs in the General Fund you can kind of borrow from this fund and then pay it back when you
get the revenues in. It’s kind of like any business. If you own a business that had twelve different
operations, you’d probably be moving money around at all times to keep all operations running
and running in a harmonious mode. You’ve got about $146 million dollars in revenues that ran
through the General Fund, $143 million in expenditures that gave you a net increase in the fund
balance of about $3 million okay so not a bad year for the General Fund at all. Special Sales Tax
Phase IV, Phase VI, excuse me you had about $65 million in total assets, $4 million in total
liability, $61 million in fund balance that’s mostly cash. That’s just waiting on you all to spend it
as designed by referendum just spend it on the projects that you have. You took about $34 million
in this year, you spent about $32 million. You also had transfers out of about $18 million to other
funds for a net decrease of $16 million. Again that fund is working as designed. I want to give
you a comfort there. We do a lot of special tests relative to your SPLOST programs to make sure
that you are indeed spending the monies the way they were designed by referendum and that there’s
no kind of problems going on there. You’ve got a pretty good operation there. They’re doing a
good job. Water/Sewer funds is one of your business type funds, your enterprise funds you can
see and by the way it has a separate standalone financial report that’s issued on it as well as the
airport that we’ll cover in a second but you’ve got a pretty large operation there about $700 million
dollars’ worth of assets. $592 million of that is capital assets that’s water/sewer pipe facilities,
infrastructure etc. etc. Equity position about $174 million. You took in $90 million in revenues
this year. You spent $96 million with a $6.4 million-dollar net loss. A lot of that was depreciation
okay. Depreciation is one of the things you have to depreciate. It’s a non-cash flow item but it
makes it look like your bottom line is not doing well. When you add it back you’ve got good cash
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flows going there which is important because you have to have good cash flows in such an
operation to do what? Be able to pay back debts and things of those kinds. So again that
operation’s working pretty good. Your airport, let me just say on the top end I don’t know of an
airport outside of the Atlanta area that you should be more proud of than ya’ll’s airport. That
airport is a mighty fine looking facility. One that I don’t see when I go to Savannah, Macon,
Columbus anything like that and I think that you’ve got something there. I don’t know if you
people really realize and appreciate how nice that facility is. Another good thing about it’s one of
the few facilities of an airport facility that I’ve seen that actually can break even and make a little
bit of money. Often time airport funds usually get supplements from the General Fund. I said
something earlier today to some people I’ve seen airports that are just nothing more than an old
cornfield with a few hangers and it’s still costs out the wazoo to that local government to take care
of the airport activity. You all have a mighty fine looking airport here. It does a good service for
you all and it is funding itself financially, that’s a really good thing. Another thing that’s of great
interest to me is your garbage collection. Your garbage collection is considered to be one of your
major funds. That’s why I’m talking about these they’re considered to be one of your bigger
operations. Your garbage collection fund makes money. It made about $1.8 million. Now before
we get all excited about that you also have a Waste Management Fund that I’m not going to talk
necessarily about here today as far as a slide but your Waste Management Fund is the one that
actually manages the landfill, has all the closure, post closure and all that. Well, it lost about a
million, okay. So now you take these two together you break even. And let me just say again
you’re one of the few governments that I’ve seen that the sanitation, landfill, garbage pickup all
that is breaking even or doing better than that. You all are doing something right. Your rate
structures and everything must be working well for you because when you look at the total
combined efforts of those two funds not too bad okay. Other things we’re required to talk to you
about is talk to you if there’s any kind of issues any issues we have with management. Do you get
along with management, do they give us everything that we needed, did we have any kind of
problems we had to go outside of ourselves and go get an external specialist to give us some kind
of opinion on something. We didn’t have to do any of that. Independence is something that we
take very seriously we have since the days of ENRON if you remember that name. The standards
changed greatly about ten plus years ago and we’ve observed that and management here as
observed it. What I mean by that is that financial statement those are their numbers that is not your
auditor’s representation of numbers. It is their numbers and we did a pure audit and that’s really
good thing. We did have some management points, some recommendations. None of these is
what I would call life threatening, none of these are something that I think should give you much
heartburn but we did have four items here that we have recommendations. You can see the first
three right here are to your constitutional offices so again not really something the Board of
Commissioners can really be that influential in but we do think that the Sheriff’s office needs to
work on some cash bond listings that it maintains. We do think the Sheriff’s office also has some
unclaimed property in the form of funds that needs to probably go down the avenue of sending to
the State of Georgia’s Unclaimed Property and follow the escheat laws of the state. Additionally,
at the number three you’ve got the Magistrate, Civil Court and Probate Court that has some excess
funds. When I say excess funds what I mean by this is these constitutional officers they don’t have
an equity position, none of that money belongs to them. It belongs to somebody else. It belongs
to the county, it belongs to the citizens, it belongs to other people and so every dollar they’ve got
should be offset by a liability to someone else. What we have in this case we’ve actually got more
money than who we know we owe it to. Do you follow what I’m saying there and it’s to the tune
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of $33,000 and $9,000? Again not a big dollar but enough that gets my attention that I wanted to
share with you all as a management point. You’ve got a Federal Transit Grant which is our fourth
item here. You’ve got indirect cost rates that you have to use. That’s the nature of this particular
type of operation. We would just recommend that you do a little bit better job of documenting the
basis for the indirect cost rates being used. I think they look reasonable, I think they look fine, but
we could document the basis for them a little bit better. So that’s really, these are points to keep
you out of trouble going forward nothing that’s alarming today.
Mr. Mayor: Yes, so what we’ll do we’ll try to take a few questions as they come up so.
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I’ve got the Commissioner from the 3 Commissioner Davis for a question.
Mr. Edwards: Okay.
Ms. Davis: Thank you and I was just going to go back a few slides back to the
Water/Sewer. I think it said a $6.4 million-dollar loss. Can you can we kind of get some
information on what exactly that is?
Mr. Edwards: Well, again I mentioned earlier that that’s probably is coming from
depreciation. You’ve got a big depreciation amount there I mean it’s up there in like the $15, $17
million-dollar amount so depreciation often times causes losses. The Macon Water Authority is
another good example. They are a very clean stand-alone water/sewer operation. They do a great
job but they show losses a lot of times because they’ve got about $18 million in depreciation. You
pad the depreciation out of the loss $6 million you’re often sitting there in a cash flow positive
operating position. That’s what most people are going to be looking at to seeing what your cash
flows are about and are you generating positive cash flows and your operation is doing that so it’s
looking not too bad.
Mr. Mayor: Okay, my second question is on the fund balance. I believe it was $27 million,
is that correct?
Mr. Edwards: Yes, ma’am.
Ms. Davis: I know last year we were of course saying that we you know needed to beef
that up just from the ice storm. Where are we do you feel like as far as percentage of what we
should have?
Mr. Edwards: Well, it’s interesting that you asked that question. We talked about that
when we had our meeting about two weeks ago with management and a few other people.
Personally being the conservative guy that I am I wish it was a little higher but like Janice said like
management said to me you know your franchise fees come to your rescue. You get those pretty
early in the year they’re over $20 million dollars that you take in. It’s some really quick cash.
Another good thing you’ve got here is you’ve got these other funds that do have some cash. You
heard me mention the pooled cash how you can move monies around. So you know if you’re a
business and you’ve got an auto parts over here, you’ve got a garage over here, you’ve got a rental
pool over here. You’re kind of always looking at things and saying where do you need to put the
money today. And if there’s any seasonality maybe we take it from here and put it over here now
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we give it back in this other season. When you get your property taxes in the fall you take a lot of
that and you start paying back different funds. That’s how you avoid going out and getting a tax
anticipation date. If you didn’t have those proprietary activities, the water/sewer and those kinds
of things, this might be a little different situation. But you’ve got an overall, I look at the overall
city. I look at it and say you know I can sit there and nitpick on any one fund or I can sit there and
say let’s talk entity wide. And entity wide you all are in pretty strong shape is the way I look at it.
I wouldn’t be bothered if you went up on Fund Balance. You heard me also say earlier you’ve got
about $7 million dollars’ worth of cash in the General Fund. Well that’s only two weeks’ worth
of operations. If you took a $146 million divided by 12 divided by 2 that’s what we have there
about $7 million dollars’ worth of cash, two weeks, that’s a little tight. But fortunately you have
these other funds that can come to the rescue and you have these other cash flow resources coming
in February so I don’t want you to lose sleep over it.
Ms. Davis: All right good, I won’t. Thank you, Mr. Mayor.
Mr. Mayor: All right, thank you. All right, the Chair recognizes the Commissioner from
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the 6.
Mr. Hasan: Thank you, Mr. Mayor. Yes, a couple of slides back it might be one of the
forward where you had the management points around the Sheriff’s office and Civil and Magistrate
Courts. How far back did that go back to try to at least all three of these points that you’re making
here?
Mr. Edwards: They go back a while and again I don’t want you to lose sleep by thinking
a (unintelligible) dollars. When you’re talking about a $400-million-dollar operation not to
mention all the other funds that run through these agency funds that don’t really get recognized as
a revenue here, these are not big dollars. What I look at is the media speculation to the people out
there every dollar counts and I like my clients to stay out of the news. This isn’t my attempt to try
to get something across to you all and to those agencies to say we need to get our arms around this.
Like on number three the easiest way to handle number three and really number two if two and
three could go away like that if we could go ahead and just say we may have some unclaimed
property that ought to go to the State of Georgia. We send it over there and also we clean up our
records here. That’s the way you take care of these problems otherwise they just linger and hang
around and hand around. We audit 41 counties. Every county has this issue when it comes to
these balances, excess funds or in some cases not enough funds. So when I look at this they’re not
huge, they’re not something of magnitude here but they are something that I felt you should know
about, talk to those agencies and see what can be done to remedy this and have it go away. These
things do go back a long way ---
Mr. Hasan: Thank you.
Mr. Edwards: --- it’s not something that just developed.
Mr. Hasan: Thank you, Mr. Mayor.
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Mr. Mayor: Thank you. All right, if you’ll go to the next slide where you’ve got item
number four and that is the recommendation for better documentation related to how we do that
calculation and the basis. Can you speak to that?
Mr. Edwards: Sure. When we started doing the audit on this particular program we started
to ask the question about where, where’s this documented, where did you come up with this
number. And you heard me say a moment ago it’s reasonable because they were able to
demonstrate to us here’s how we came up with the number. The trick is is not to have us do the,
give you the impetus for doing that. So what they need to be doing when they’re putting in these
indirect cost rates is they need on the front end do a good job of documenting things so that if
anybody came in whether it’s an auditor or it’s somebody from the Federal Transit Program if
anybody came in that could just whip something out and say here’s our basis for it no questions
asked it’s documented on the front end. This is more of a back end documentation; we like people
to be more on the front end.
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Mr. Mayor: All right the Chair recognizes the Commissioner from the 1. I’m sorry thank
you, sir.
Mr. Fennoy: Compared to other municipalities of similar size how do we, how do we look?
Mr. Edwards: I think you look pretty good. I mean I really do. Everybody’s got their
issues you know you all have your issues here too. There’s all kinds of things coming and going
but again you had some things here that I spoke of earlier that you don’t see in lot of places.
Garbage and sanitation usually are something that sucks a lot of money out of the General Fund,
Not here. Airports usually create a problem they have to get supplemented by the General Fund,
Not here. So those are some really good things. You’ve got a water/sewer operation working
really well, you’ve got some enterprise funds that are working as they should, they’re enterprising.
So many times we have clients that have enterprise funds that are loser funds, they don’t really
enterprise so you’ve got a good thing here. You’re General Fund and your SPLOST funds are all
operating as designed. I think overall you look pretty good compared to other governments that
we go to.
Mr. Fennoy: Okay earlier you had mentioned that we received about eight and a half
million dollars in federal grants.
Mr. Edwards: Yes, sir.
Mr. Fennoy: Is that a reasonable amount of money for a city this size or?
Mr. Edwards: You know that’s one of those numbers that kind of comes and goes. I’ve
seen it in a place like this I’ve it up there at $30 million you know. And we had that error money
a few years ago when Obama came in we had all the recession issues and it created all the extra
funds for communities. Every community just all of a sudden went really sky high with all the
funds. Things have settled down greatly right now; you don’t see a lot of governments with a lot
coming in. It’s a little low overall. When I look at an urban area like this with the different issues
that you have to face a little on the low side but I’m not going to sit here and say it’s unreasonably
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low. Things kind of come and go. I might go to Macon this year; we do the audit in Macon. I
might go there and find out that it’s $15 million but I could find out next year it’s $5 million. It
just kind does like this everywhere I go. The only place that it’s level is when you go to school
districts. You know I bet if I go to Richmond County School District they’re going to be bringing
in a lot more federal monies and it’s going to be consistent from year to year because a lot of things
don’t change when it comes to Title 1 Title 2 and that kind of thing. Local governments like
yourself, it’s up and down everywhere.
Mr. Fennoy: Thank you.
Mr. Edwards: Yes, sir.
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Mr. Mayor: The Chair recognizes the Commissioner from the 8.
Mr. Guilfoyle: Thank you, Mr. Mayor. Miller, thank you for your time and your company
that’s doing this audit and this great news that you had presented to us. But you know thanks go
out for our staff who made this audit good ---
Mr. Edwards: I agree.
Mr. Guilfoyle: --- including the Administrator for overseeing it.
Mr. Edwards: Well, you know I’ll say it another way I think it’s the tone at the top and the
tone starts with you guys. And if you all want to have the best of the best if you want accountability
to be at high level then I can see that within governments that I serve. If I go to a government
where the tone at the top is not that way guess what I see? I see issues down below; I think it starts
at the top. I know you all got other things to do and I’ll keep going unless you’ve got questions.
I do want to just talk about a couple of little things and then I’ll be done. There’s a lot of new
GASB statements that have come out. I think it’s important for you to know that this year we had
to adopt a new print out that’s brought the unfunded elements of your Pension Plan into your entity
wide balance sheet. Remember when I talked about you had like a $900-million-dollar equity
position? That came down this year from the inclusion of bringing some unfunded liabilities
associated with your Pension Plan. Every government in the entire country had to adopt it this
year and it’s become a real problem for a lot of places. The one thing I want to touch on here is is
it that you are about 80% funded. And you might say well is that good? Is that bad? Well 93
other city county clients that I serve they’re at 80% so you’re right there where everybody else is
that we’re serving. That can go up and down depending on market conditions. You know if all of
a sudden everything’s going great in the fair market value of investments then that funding
position’s going to get better. If we have something bad, it’s going to come down. Overall a
community of your size and nature with this kind, you’ve got several pension plans, you’re at 80%
funded. You’re right on board, you’re right on par with everybody else that’s out there when it
comes to cities and counties. There’s another pronouncement that’s coming out in the next couple
of years. This one’s going to be kind of an ouch kind of moment. If you take what you’ve got for
other post-employment benefits right now what that means is when your employees retire if they
retire let’s say at 58, 62 whatever it might be they’re going to take some benefits of healthcare with
them. And what the GASB wants you to do is go ahead and recognize the liability the unfunded
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element of that right now. And so in 2018 you’re going to have that be recognized. If we use the
numbers that available just this year that would’ve been just short of $100 million dollars, okay?
So that equity position and that $900 million would go down to about $800 million. Again not
saying the sky’s falling but this is something that’s going to be a problem for a lot of governments
to face. This will put a lot of governments into a deficit situation. It’s not going to do that to you
all so that’s a good news there.
Mr. Mayor: Do you have any long term recommendations?
Mr. Edwards: I just say stay on top of it, keep an eye on it, make sure that you’re picking
up the right things and not picking up the wrong things. Make sure that when you think about
early retirements you think about these things as well. There’s so many different elements that
comes into it and the cost of healthcare you’ve only got so much control of but you’ve got people
here that just need to stay on top of it to see where we can do the best as far as the deductibles and
where we can make cuts, where we can include people, not include people. You’re going to see a
lot of governments going forward in the future they’re going to probably freeze its benefit plans.
They’re probably going to sit there and say in future if you start after the year 2017, 18, 19 whatever
they’re going to probably start freezing it which is going to really hurt the attractiveness of
governments, that’s one of the things that governments have had. You think about the teachers
across the state of Georgia for example, TRS. The state of Georgia’s got the same dynamic to
have to deal with. They’re up there in the billions of dollars they’ve got to face with this
pronouncement when it comes out. But again that would be effective if we had to do it this year.
Probably the most significant new standard going out there for this upcoming year the year we’re
now in the 12/31/16 there’s a new standard called Tax Abatement Disclosures. As you know when
you’re trying to bring in businesses or even keep businesses here in town sometimes you’ll abate
taxes to a certain level to make yourself attractive. What GASB decided to do in the name of
transparency they want to know going forward, each year going forward meaning this 2016 year,
how much was abated revenue. And it’s going to be one of those things it may not be a big item
it could be a huge item. Perspective if you’re Atlanta, GA and you’ve got a billion dollars running
through the General Fund and all those funds, what if they only abated a million dollars only. I bet
it’s a lot higher than that. It could still be ACCG material on the front page. It could still be
something people could misunderstand misuse. I hear you all talking before this about some of
the blighted areas that you have to face. I think you were talking about Regency Mall also having
to look at that so if you also had to attract somebody is it for the betterment of the community if
you maybe abated some taxes that’s what you do as a government. But then it’s also going to be
brought forth in the footnotes only in the footnotes as information for people to see how much was
abated in each of these years going forward. So all future audits that you have will have a footnote
now that will talk about that. It could be a sentence long, it could be a paragraph long, it could be
five pages long. It depends on the size of the programs. As I’ve said to management as I’ve said
to ACCG in your constituencies county governments need to take the lead. You think about
Gwinnett County. Gwinnett County has 26 interested parties. They’ve got sixteen cities, two
school districts, the state of Georgia itself, several CID’s community improvement districts.
Twenty-parties are of interest that are going to have this footnote in their footnotes. Who should
be best to put that together and lead the charge? Probably Gwinnett County’s general government.
They’re going to have to work with the tax assessor, development authority and all these different
people to come up with what this challenging number’s going to be this year. After the first year
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it’ll probably be one of those things it won’t be that hard going forward but the first year’s going
to be a bugger, I mean it’s just going to be a tough thing to do. But again management’s aware of
that already thinking out loud together about what they need to do. I just want you to know that
it’s coming. It’s probably going to be the most politically incorrect footnote disclosure I will have
ever seen.
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Mr. Mayor: All right, the Chair recognizes the Commissioner from the 4.’
Mr. Sias: Thank you, sir. I was going to say thank you for coming but I just have a question
I want to ask you in reference to some of the new disclosures that you mentioned and some of the
strain that may have on some of our local governments to include ours. We have a very fine
financial department but when we talk about from an outside perspective based on your
professional knowledge are the financial advisors for various local government entities like us and
others, are they really gearing up to be able to advise the counties on these issues or what would
you recommend in a sort of general sense as to how we get prepared to face this. In other words,
is our general advisor, financial advisory community are they really gearing up to assist counties
with these new disclosures and processes coming up?
Mr. Edwards: Your financial advisor community can help me out on this.
Mr. Sias: In other words and you are in the financial business you all know who the
financial advisors are and what sort of things that they’re bringing to local governments. So my
question to you was in a general sense. Are the financial advisory community really gearing up to
assist these counties with this issue?
Mr. Edwards: Well, I know that your, let me go to your finance part first. They’re on
board with what this is and they’re going to have to deal with it. The good thing about this is you
don’t have 16 municipalities to deal with on this disclosure, you’ve only got yourself and just a
couple other communities to deal with plus the Board of Education. So this particular one’s going
not to be as hard for you all as it might be for like a Gwinnett County. Your ACCG is on top of
this. I’ve already talked to webinars and went to five summer meetings to talk about this just a few
weeks ago across the state so your ACCG’s on top of this. All the people that I know that have an
influence or a role with you all seem to understand what this is going to be. It’s just that we need
to get it going and get it started and tackle it. Your people, the people that advise you have always
been on top of the game when it came to bond refinancing when is a good time to do those, all
those all those kinds of things come into play. I think you’ve got a lot of good people involved in
different ways whether they’re outsourced talent of it’s in house talent you’ve got a lot of people
that are helping you all out. I don’t know if I’ve addressed that or not.
Mr. Sias: Exactly.
Mr. Edwards: Okay.
Mr. Mayor: All right.
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Mr. Edwards: All right, well again that will be that for this year. Is there any other
questions on this?
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Mr. Mayor: Yes, we’ve got a question from the Commissioner from the 5 Commissioner
Lockett.
Mr. Lockett: Thank you, Mr. Edwards. I’ll tell you if I had to pay for this it couldn’t be
better timing you came after Regency Mall and you came just before, I’m getting ready to ask this
governing body for a million dollars for blighted structures and so forth. Now you told us about
all this money we have and so basically Commissioner Williams found out we’ve got about $6
million dollars that’s been sitting in the bank for the Link Fund. So rather than ask for the million
dollars I’m going to ask for the whole two-hundred, two-hundred, two and a half million dollars
to take care of all the blight. So I just want to say thank you very much and I also want to applaud
staff for their outstanding job they did. Thank you very much.
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Mr. Mayor: All right, the Chair recognizes the Commissioner from the 9.
Mr. M. Williams: Thank you, Mr. Mayor. My question is kind of simple. I’m concerned
about an abatement of taxes for businesses and industry to come into our city to grow. What would
be your recommendation to this governing body who’s doing fairly well we’re trying to attract and
trying to grow more. Now before you answer a lot of people say they want to grow but what they
do they don’t add up to that. So what should we be doing I guess to get industry and other areas?
Mr. Edwards: Well let me just, I’m going to offer an answer this way. I’m from Macon,
Georgia, Warner Robbins is growing, Bibb County is not. I go across this whole state. I mean I
go from corner to corner. On the front end one thing that I recognize when I come to Augusta
Richmond County is how much more industry it feels like you all have. Savannah’s the only thing
close. Well they’ve got a port down there that we the Georgia’s Port Authority as well that kind
of gives them an unfair advantage. So when I go to other communities across the state, when I
could to Chattanooga, we have an office up there and we do the work for Hampton County which
is Chattanooga, when I come here this place just kind of jumps out at me as having so much more
industry for its size, for its nature than other places that I go. And I think it even ties into like the
airport that I was talking about earlier. I mean I don’t know any other community ya’ll’s size,
smaller, that has any kind of airport like this. I’m impressed is what I’m trying to say. What you
all have done overall to get here today. I think you’ve all got a good base going forward. Every
community has its blight, every community has its problems, every community wants to bring in
jobs but apparently over time this community’s done a pretty good job and I think ya’ll probably
have the right kind of system set up right now to continue doing so. As far as abatements that’s a
case by case basis and you’ve got to look at each of the elements of each of those opportunities.
What’s the nature of the jobs, what’s the nature of where they’re going to be residing, are these
jobs that are going to be coming here from our base or are they going to be coming from outside?
There’s a good and a bad answer to both. You’ll have to look at each situation independently and
objectively and make decisions. Historically it looks like you’ve done that because again I’m
impressed as I come into town and see the things that you’ve got. I heard people earlier when I
was listening in the other room about your river and the railway all these different things you’ve
got. As an outsider I couldn’t even be more impressed along the river. It’s a very beautiful place
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out there and what you all have done over time is very commendable. No other place, Albany,
Georgia doesn’t have anything like this, Macon, Georgia doesn’t have anything like this. The
closest would be Chattanooga. Columbus has done a pretty good job but it’s not quite what I see
here. So again you’ve got a good thing here I say you know let’s be smart going forward and make
sure we continue to make good things happen.
Mr. M. Williams: And I appreciate that, Mr. Mayor, if I can follow up. I had a conversation
with someone at church on Sunday who said they talked with someone in Arizona who had talked
to several people who came in for the Cyber and talked about what feelings they got about Augusta
who’s never been here from other folks so it goes right along with what you’re saying even though
“the media might or we might misunderstand what they’re saying” and try to make it look in one
way. But we’ve got to be proud of what we’ve got in order to move forward by enhancing that
and not let the blindness cover our eyes to continue to grow. But thank you for your comments.
Mr. Edwards: You know as an outsider and external party that don’t live in this area I think
I bring some objectivity to your question. And again I think you all got a lot of good things here
and I just say keep it going that way. I really do. The only other thing just to close and say thank
you. I want to make sure that you always know that we give free continuing education to our clients
periodically during the course of the year if something new comes up. We have sessions all across
the state of Georgia and we invite our clients only to these. We also have newsletters that we offer
that we issue that are based on things that we see that are happening here in Georgia that our clients
need to know. And my closing thought is again thank you so much for letting us be of service to
you. I love serving this government and things that you all have got going on here are challenging
at the same to us auditor nerds it’s kind of fun so again we appreciate it.
Mr. Mayor: All right, thank you. All right the Chair recognizes the Commissioner from
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the 5.
Mr. Lockett: Oh I was just going to make a motion, Mr. Chair, to receive this as
information.
Mr. Guilfoyle: Second.
Mr. Mayor: We’ve got a motion and a second to receive as information. All right, thank
you, thank you, sir.
Mr. Edwards: Thank you.
Mr. Frantom out.
Motion Passes 9-0.
Mr. Mayor: All right now okay we know we’ve got some other business to attend to and
we have tried to move the calendar forward. In light of the fact that we do need to go into Executive
Session we’ve got two items that I think certainly warrant robust discussion. I’m going to ask the
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Commissioner from the 5 if he would defer these last two items to our next full Commission
meeting.
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FINANCE
33. Direct the Administrator to transfer $1,000,000 from Contingency Fund to be utilized by
Environmental and Engineering Departments to rid this city of blighted structures and over
grown right of ways. (Requested by Commissioner Bill Lockett)
ENGINEERING SERVICES
34. Status of prior request for Milledgeville Road improvements between Gordon Highway
and North Leg Road. This section of the road is not ADA Compliant and over the past several
years four young people were struck by automobiles, one fatally. An October 2014
Walkability Study highlighted many of the dangers Bayvale Elementary School Students
face on a daily basis. Safety of our children should be a top priority. (Requested by
Commissioner Bill Lockett)
Mr. Lockett: Will do. So moved that the last two agenda items be referred to the next full
Commission meeting.
Mr. Hasan: Second.
Mr. Mayor: All right thank you, sir. All right, voting. We included those in the consent
agenda, already voted on them.
Mr. Fennoy: Mr. Mayor ---
Mr. Mayor: All right, okay hold on everybody, if you’ll just suspend for just a moment.
All right, the Chair recognizes the Engineering Services Chair. State your inquiry.
Mr. Fennoy: --- would it be best if these items be moved to the next committee rather than
the full Commission so that we’ll have time for discussion?
Mr. Mayor: Whatever your pleasure is I’m okay with it. I do think it’s important to defer.
Mr. Fennoy: I’d like to make a substitute motion that ---
Mr. Lockett: I’ll amend my motion in that it goes ---
Mr. Fennoy: --- Well, I’ll second your amended motion.
Mr. Lockett: --- yeah, that it goes to the committee cycle ---
Mr. Mayor: Fantastic.
Mr. Lockett: --- both items, yes.
Mr. Mayor: Without objection. All right, we’re making that amendment to the motion.
Voting.
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Mr. Sias and Mr. Frantom out.
Motion Passes 8-0.
Mr. Mayor: Fantastic thank you so much to our Public Safety Chair, I appreciate you doing
that working with us on that. All right, the Chair will entertain a motion to go into Executive
Session.
LEGAL MEETING
A. Pending and Potential Litigation.
B. Real Estate.
C. Personnel.
ADDENDUM
35. Motion to go into a legal meeting.
Mr. M. Williams: So moved.
Mr. Lockett: Second.
Mr. MacKenzie: This will be to discuss personnel.
Mr. Mayor: All right. Voting. Thank you, Madam Clerk.
Mr. D. Williams votes No.
Mr. Sias and Mr. Frantom out.
Motion Passes 7-1.
[EXECUTIVE SESSION]
Mr. Mayor: The Chair recognizes Attorney MacKenzie.
38. Motion to approve execution by the Mayor of the affidavit of compliance with Georgia’s
Open Meeting Act.
Mr. MacKenzie: I would entertain a motion to execute the Closed Meeting Affidavit.
Mr. Lockett: So moved.
Mr. M. Williams: Second.
Mr. Mayor: Motion and a second, voting.
The Clerk: Mr. Mayor, we need to do a roll call.
Mr. Mayor: Okay, that would be fine. We’re going to do a roll call vote.
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The Clerk: We need to do a roll call on this. Ms. Davis out.
The Clerk: Mr. Fennoy.
Mr. Fennoy: Yes.
The Clerk: Mr. Frantom’s out. Mr. Guilfoyle.
Mr. Guilfoyle: Yes, ma’am.
The Clerk: Mr. Hasan.
Mr. Hasan: Yes.
The Clerk: Mr. Lockett.
Mr. Lockett: Yes.
The Clerk: Mr. Sias.
Mr. Sias: Yes.
The Clerk: Mr. Smith. He’s out. Mr. Dennis Williams.
Mr. D. Williams: Yes, ma’am.
The Clerk: Mr. Marion Williams.
Mr. M. Williams: Yes, ma’am.
Mr. Frantom, Mr. Smith and Ms. Davis out.
Motion Passes 7-0.
Mr. Mayor: We’re adjourned.
[MEETING ADJOURNED]
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 July
19, 2016.
______________________________
Clerk of Commission
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