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HomeMy WebLinkAboutRegular Commission Meeting October 4, 2016 REGULAR MEETING COMMISSION CHAMBER OCTOBER 4, 2016 Augusta Richmond County Commission convened at 2:00 p.m., October 4, 2016, the Hon. Hardie Davis, Jr., Mayor, presiding. PRESENT: Hons. Lockett, Guilfoyle, Sias, Frantom, M. Williams, Fennoy, D. Williams, Hasan, and Davis, members of Augusta Richmond County Commission. Absent: Hon. Smith, member of Augusta Richmond County Commission. The invocation was given by Pastor Terry Eubanks, Pastoral Care Pastor, New Life Church. The Pledge of Allegiance to the Flag of the United States of America was recited. Mr. Mayor: We’ll call this meeting to order. We’ll do a couple of things, Madam Clerk, before we get started. We want to give a shout out to the Mayor Pro Tem Grady Smith who is recuperating after a slight fall. We ask everyone to keep him in your prayers, he and his family. As many of you all know Grady can tell stories a time or two and I’m sure Ashley and the rest of them are hearing a lot of stories right now. So, Mayor Pro Tem, if you’re watching we’re giving you a shout out today to let you know we thank you and appreciate you and we miss you. (APPLAUSE) All right, the next thing we’ll do, Madam Clerk, is in the words of the Commissioner st from the 1 a great legend has passed and we want to take a moment here in the City of Augusta to recognize the late Arnold Palmer and we’ll have a moment of silence. He has certainly meant a lot not just to this country but to our community having been a legend and continues to be in the game of golf and we know what that means to our community. So, if you’ll all join us in a moment of silence for Mr. Arnold Palmer. Thank you. Thank you, Commissioner Fennoy, for wanting to make sure we do that today. All right, the Chair recognizes Madam Clerk. The Clerk: At this time we would like to ask Pastor Terry Eubanks, Pastoral Care Pastor of New Life Church to please come forward to deliver our invocation after which the Pledge of Allegiance. Would you please stand. Mr. Mayor: Pastor Eubanks, thank you so much for your spiritual leadership and your guidance to our community. We want to recognize your efforts on today and thank you on behalf of all of the citizens of Augusta. If you’ll come forward thank you for your service again to the community and to New Life Church. Thank you would you join us in thanking him. (APPLAUSE) The Clerk: At this time, sir, we’d ask you along with Ms. Jackson would you please come forward to recognize our Years of Service employees, Mr. Mike Loeser, H.R. Director. Mr. Lozier: 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 September there are 21, 5 to 20 years’ recipients and 3 25 to 50 year recipients of which two are here this 1 afternoon. With 25 years of service Daryl Walker of Central Service. (APPLAUSE) With 35 years of service Betty Griffin of Finance. (APPLAUSE) Mr. Walker: First of all I want my wife and my daughter and my grand-daughter to stand, they came out for me. (APPLAUSE) My Director’s here and all my co-workers they stand, will you all stand please, they came out. (APPLAUSE) All the guys have been working with me for a while well Todd here we’ve been together since the beginning and Todd was here a little bit before me but we done did the whole 25 together. And I just see a lot of ya’ll out there I’ve been working with and over the time I just thank ya’ll for coming out and I’m just glad hey, I’m glad to be here for 25. I hope I don’t have to be here for 25 more but if I do you know it’s all good but I’m just glad to have this 25 under my belt. Thank you. (APPLAUSE) Ms. Griffin: Well, I just want to say thank you for the memories. The majority of them have been good ones and if I ask my supporters to stand it would be each and every one of you because you want to receive another check. But I will ask that my immediate supervisor Donna Williams please stand and my two oldest sons, well, my oldest son and my youngest son was unable to be here because they’re out of town but I do want to recognize my other son William, do you mind standing? That’s William Griffin III and I’m so happy to have him join our family. Now all of my immediate supporters please stand. (APPLAUSE) Thank you so very much. The Clerk: DELEGATIONS A. Ms. Brenda Durant regarding 2016 Report of the Arts in the Heart of Augusta Festival. Mr. Mayor: Ms. Durant, welcome. Ms. Durant: Thank you, Mayor, thank you, Commissioners. It’s my honor for getting this on the agenda with the City Administrator. Next year I’d to request that we go before the Years of Service that we have a full house. We’re all familiar with African proverb, It takes a village to raise a child. In Augusta it takes a village to raise the Arts in the Heart Festival. It takes a 37- member volunteer steering committee, partnerships with many community organizations for one the CVB who awarded the Arts Council $61,106.00 dollars to spend on out of area advertising, we (unintelligible) some more notes below. Media partnerships, Perry Broadcasting, Beasley Broadcasting, The Metro Spirit, The Augusta Chronicle, The Metro Courier, Lamar Billboards and Georgia Public Radio. Business partners. A few of them are Ranko Tents who partners with other tent companies to insure that we have tents covering the Common, the 700, 800 and 900 block of Broad Street, our seven ticket gates and four outdoor stages. Redemption Church who offered us their auditorium for the troubadour stage, indoor stage for the first time this year. Jana King who donates to the festival by insuring that the dining tent is clean all weekend and helping us keep the Common and Broad Street free of trash by running three golf carts donated by E-Z Go and equipped with a volunteer who built special trash boxes for the back. They run on Broad Street all weekend. Tracer Audio who lays cable on the three blocks of Broad Street, rents generators to power Broad and our 115 fine arts and crafters and our sponsor member booth and family area tents. And the cookers who have spilled out of the Common and on to Broad Street and who tax all our stages and makes every act sound and look professional. Fort Gordon who 2 supplies our color guard on Friday night opening ceremonies. And the City of Augusta who works with us every step of the way. Special events coordinating the use of the Common and the pre- cleanup of Broad Street who assigns a Sheriff’s deputy as part of the steering committee. The Finance team made up of employees of the Tax Commissioners office, numerous departments, the city electrician who helps us power the cookers on the Common, the Mayor’s office who writes the Proclamation and the Mayor for coming and kicking off our Friday night celebration. The numerous schools, businesses, banks and organizations who volunteer all weekend to selling our tickets, greeting our guests and helping in the family area and filling our over 800 volunteer slots over the two and a half days. I’d like to introduce Rhian Swain the owner of Red Wolf, Inc. who programs our marketing for the festival and who will give you a report on where our advertising ran. Ms. Swain: Thank you and let me tell you that I’m very, very pleased that the reputation for Arts in the Heart of Augusta continues to grow. It is an award winning festival and it is one of the top 20 festivals in the Southeast and we are starting to receive national recognition for it too. In addition to all of our local media partners who you heard about from Brenda I think this is one of the few events where we have everybody that comes together and helps sponsor to make sure that the local community also knows what’s going on with the festival to celebrate the diversity in our community and also the arts. We ran local ads and in magazines, newspapers, TV stations, radio stations also in Aiken, North Augusta and Fort Gordon. CVB grants along with festival advertising budget allowed us to run ads in the following cities, Athens, Columbia, Macon, Savannah, Charleston, Statesboro, Atlanta, Greensboro and new this year Jacksonville, Birmingham, Charlotte and Knoxville. And we did receive feedback that we were well received in those other cities. In fact, Charlotte, NC had an uptick on our web stats so there were a lot of people that were coming and were interested in the festival from the ads that we ran there. We also had Georgia Public Broadcast radio ads in conjunction with their sponsorship. Statewide magazines like Georgia Travel Guides, Sunshine Artists, Southern Distinction, Georgia Magazine. We had Georgia and South Carolina newspaper insert buys which put ads in over 130 newspapers throughout two states. So you can see we’re working really, really hard to make sure that the state of Georgia and surrounding states also know about our great festival. We had a reach of 352,000 over 352,000 engagements on Facebook with 18, over 18,000 shares so people were liking, sharing, commenting spreading the word for us about the festival. We also ran Google ads and a lot of CVB co-op ads. Our conservative estimates at this point internally is over 90,000 attending the festival which makes it our biggest event so far. We also provide free admission to the numerous community organizations including St. John’s Towers, Royal Bee Girls Club, American Works Peer Center, Maxwell House through Action Ministries and Gracewood. This year we had online ticket sales for the first time and that was significant. People were able to get advance $5.00 badges through the new local City Spins tickets and our advance badges with also in addition with our Sun Trust locations we sold over 16,000 advance badges, normally we do 6,600. So thank you. Ms. Durant: I also want to let you know that the people around us are some members of our volunteer steering committee and Mary Jones who serves a dual role. She is the President of our Board of Directors and also has served on the Arts in the Heart steering committee longer than I have so over 20 years so I’d like to thank the steering committee and all of you for your work to make this festival a success. 3 Mr. Mayor: Thank you, Ms. Durant and the Arts Council, for the great work that you all have done. I’m sure that there are others who would like to make some comments but I will tell you this, and I’ve been coming for many, many years was perhaps the most amazing Arts in the Heart Augusta festival that I’ve attended, the crowds were just, you know, outstanding. And so thank you all for your vision and the work that you do in putting this on. We want to be not just one of the top 20 but we want to be the one in the United States of America. The Chair recognizes th the Commissioner from the 8. Mr. Guilfoyle: Thank you, Mr. Mayor. Brenda, I do want to say I have missed ya’ll. I was out of town for this occasion. But this is one place my wife and myself likes to volunteer we get, they actually work hand in hand with the gentleman Mr. Dennis back there the cook I just didn’t recognize him without an apron on. But you’re talking about a joyous weekend and entertaining weekend and it brings people from all around together in one place. I applaud you and your steering committee I sure have missed you, honey. Mr. Durant: We miss you in the hot dog stand, Wayne. We expect you back in 2017. Mr. Guilfoyle: My wife and me will be there for sure. th Mr. Mayor: The Chair recognizes the Commissioner from the 9. Mr. M. Williams: Thank you, Mr. Mayor. To this outstanding group and the festival you put on this year I attended, Brenda, and I think that it keeps growing it keeps getting better and better. I want to say congratulations to you and your staff this is what I’ve been trying to get a lot of the City of Augusta to look at and that’s how you attract people into your city. When you attract people in and I know people get upset by all the traffic and all of the things that upset but that comes with growth. And your festival is continuing to grow and I applaud you again. I’ve got one question since I can’t draw a straight line so I don’t know anything about art you know I can’t do that but I was at the bus unveiling last week and a young man had a snapshot on his phone of a drawing on the wall I think in Chicago of my good friend James Brown. And I’m wondering why we don’t have a large drawing somewhere in Augusta that people can come and stand with. And since you’re here today I thought it would be a great opportunity to just inquire to you as to how of what we need to do because like the Arts in the Heart James Brown would draw people just for that one painting if it’s done right. I don’t know where the location would be but I do know that we keep talking about economic development and that’s one drawing card we’re not using very well. If we did half of what you all are doing with the Arts in the Heart for James Brown just to attract them not to sell anything just to get them in the city we could raise a lot more money. So, do you have any comments? Ms. Durant: Yes. First Commissioner Williams I don’t know if you’ve read your issue of Augusta Magazine yet but you might have noticed if you did that the James Brown statue became number one, the number one tourist attraction in the Best of Augusta voted by readers of the Augusta Magazine. So, indeed, James Brown is a big draw for this city. As I would say about any public art request we are your public art agency and were going to switch hats from a festival producer to your public art agency. We would be happy to work on a program just as we did for 4 the traffic boxes, traffic signal boxes, and we’re about to do for the bus shelters. With money anything is possible. Mr. M. Williams: And without it? Ms. Durant: But we have the system already for doing a call for getting it approved we can scout locations for a mural honoring the Godfather of Soul but to put it as simply as possible, with money anything is possible. Mr. M. Williams: And I agree, I understand that it’s just money so it shouldn’t be that impossible. Ms. Durant: The rest is easy we can make the rest easy for you. You know if you listen to my radio show we say it. We work hard to make your plan easy. We’ll do the work. Mr. M. Williams: Well and I don’t want to keep this going much longer but I do know a good idea if it’s the right idea money will follow that someone will support that if it’s the right thing. And knowing the impact that James Brown have now, Mr. Mayor, I don’t want to put my preacher’s hat on but the Bible says a prophet is in its own hometown is without honor. People in Augusta don’t think as much about James Brown as folks outside of Augusta does. So we need to find the money, we find the effort in order to do that and watch the attraction, watch the change that it will make. So me and you will have another sidebar conversation because we’ll talk a long time if I get started on my good friend the Godfather of Soul. Ms. Durant: If I could just add this year we sold some different tee shirts during the festival. We sold a tee shirt that listed the food booths on the back but we also did a tee shirt based on the th James Brown traffic box that Commissioner Williams had suggested we place that we have a 9 Street traffic box be the James Brown so we made a tee shirt. And I’m sorry to say that we sold out except for one I think XXXL so it was a very popular tee shirt this year the James Brown tee shirt and we’ll continue doing that. So, if anyone happens to wear an XXXL I think I’ve got a James Brown tee shirt left that you can purchase. Mr. Mayor: I have another alternative. Ms. Durant: I’m not looking at anyone. I’m looking down and if I’m looking at the Mayor it’s just because he’s the Mayor not because I’m guessing his tee shirt size. Mr. Mayor: It would be a large. Since it’s art you could always hang it downstairs. Ms. Durant: Yes, we could put it in your, I mean the Municipal Gallery which I have to put stickers on two more pieces of art that have sold in your gallery so thank you for that support. Mr. Mayor: That would be another opportunity. Anyone else? The Chair recognizes the th Commissioner from the 5. 5 Mr. Lockett: Thank you, Mr. Mayor. Ms. Durant, I just want to say that I’m so appreciative of the hard work that you and your staff and volunteers do year after year after year. And I have spoken to many people that were in attendance and no one had anything negative to say. And I didn’t read any police reports about shootings or whatever so whatever it is you all are doing please keep on doing it okay? Ms. Durant: I promise, thank you. Mr. Lockett: And that shirt if Commissioner Williams can’t grow into it I may take it. Ms. Durant: I’m not laughing. I’m just looking at the Mayor because he’s a size large. Mr. Mayor: Thank you so much. All right, Madam Clerk. The Clerk: Mr. Mayor, members of the Commission our consent agenda consists of items 1-23, items 1-23. Mr. Mayor: All right, the Chair will entertain requests to add or remove from the consent th agenda. All right, the Chair recognizes the Commissioner from the 5. Mr. Lockett: Thank you, Mr. Mayor, I would like to add agenda item 24 to the consent agenda. Mr. Hasan: I have a question about that one, Mr. Mayor. th Mr. Mayor: All right, okay, Commissioner from the 5 if you will if you don’t mind can you waive on that one. I know that there are a series of questions that are there for that item if you’ll wait on that, sir. Mr. Lockett: That’ll be fine. Mr. Mayor: Okay, thank you. All right the Chair recognizes the Commissioner from the1st. Mr. Fennoy: Yes, I’d like to add number 25 to the consent agenda. Mr. Mayor: Okay. All right, you’ve got objections. All right, I’d like to add number 26 to the consent agenda. Mr. Fennoy: I’m okay with that. Mr. Mayor: Okay, all right, without objections 26. Any others no, there being none, okay, item 26 is added to the consent agenda. All right. Mr. Sias: Move to approve. 6 Mr. Lockett: Second. CONSENT AGENDA PUBLIC SERVICES 1. Motion to approve bid award of $59,375.00 from Municipal Emergency Services Company for the purchase of life saving equipment for the Augusta Regional Airport ARFF Department as approved by the Augusta Aviation Commission at their August 25, 2016 meeting. Bid Item 16-210. (Approved by Public Services Committee September 28, 2016) 2. Motion to approve the First Amendment to Ordinance 7318, Specifically Section 4.11, which amends the Airport Rules and Regulations as approved by the Augusta Aviation Commission at their August 25, 2016 meeting. (Approved by Public Services Committee September 28, 2016 3. Motion to approve the First Amendment to the Georgia Power Underground Easement as approved by the Augusta Aviation Commission at their Augusta 25, 2016 Meeting. (Approved by Public Services Committee September 28, 2016) 4. Motion to accept the bid from McCarthy Improvement Company in the amount of $16,722,436.70 as approved by the Augusta Aviation Commission at their August 25, 2016 meeting. Bid Item 16-209. (Approved by Public Services Committee September 28, 2016) 5. Motion to approve an award of contract with Ram Enterprises for $39,000 for Bid Item 16-217, refinishing of gym wood floors. (Approved by Public Services Committee September 28, 2016) ADMINISTRATIVE SERVICES 6. Motion to approve the purchase of one prepared food transport van for the Augusta Recreation Department, Community Services, to support the Senior Nutrition Program. (Bid 16-165B) (Approved by Administrative Services Committee September 28, 2016) 7. Motion to approve the purchase of five (5) 4-inch bypass pumps for the Utilities Department-Facilities Maintenance Division to be used at sewage lift stations using the GMA lease program. (Approved by Administrative Services Committee September 28, 2016) 8. Motion to approve continuing in-house Records Retention and Management as in-house operation and bring back suitable options for commission review for the proper facility. (Approved by Administrative Services Committee September 28, 2016) PUBLIC SAFETY 9. Motion to accept the FY2016 Emergency Management Performance Grant (EMPG) in the amount of $60,165. (Approved by Public Safety Committee September 28,2016) 10. Motion to accept the FY 2016 Homeland Security Grant in the amount of $7,820 for the Community Emergency Response Team (CERT). (Approved by Public Safety Committee September 28, 2016) 11. Motion to accept the FY 2016 Homeland Security Grant in the amount of $30,000 for Georgia Search and Rescue (GSAR) Team equipment. (Approved by Public Safety Committee September 28, 2016) 12. Motion to approve awarding Bid Item #16-215 Resurfacing Kennel Floors and Pens in the amount of $36,000.00 to M.C. Painting. (Approved by Public Safety Committee September 28, 2016) 7 13. Motion to authorize award of Bid Item #16-211 to purchase trailer mounted 200Kw generator to Cummins Power South. (Approved by Public Safety Committee September 28, 2016) FINANCE 14. Motion to approve the purchase of one (1) utility tractor for the Augusta Regional Airport. (Bid Item 16-210) (Approved by Finance Committee September 28, 2016) ENGINEERING SERVICES 15. Motion to approve Award Bid 16-143A for the purchase of (1) Automatic Tarping System to Southwestern Sales for the amount of $48,433.60. (Approved by Engineering Services Committee September 28, 2016) 16. Motion to approve the deed of dedication, maintenance agreement, and road resolutions submitted by the Engineering Department for McCoy’s Creek, Section I. (Approved by Engineering Services Committee September 28, 2016) 17. Motion to approve funding for Design Consultant Services Supplemental Agreement Four to Clark Patterson Lee in the amount of $69,570.00 for the Old Savannah/Twiggs Street Improvements Project as requested by the AED. (Approved by Engineering Services Committee September 28, 2016) 18. Motion to approve Award Bid Item #16-167 for Boom and Crane Truck Services for the Utilities Department. (Approved by Engineering Services Committee September 28, 2016) 19. Motion to approve supplemental purchase of INSync Adaptive Signal Control equipment in the amount of $40,900.00 from Rhythm Engineering for the Riverwatch Parkway Adaptive Signal Project. This Project is in Band 1 of the approved Richmond County Project List for the Transportation Investment Act of 2010 (aka, TIA, TSPLOST) as requested by AED. (Approved by Engineering Services Committee September 28, 2016). 20. Motion to supplement the Georgia DOT contract with Beams Construction in the amount of $202,520.67 to cover the additional costs of installing fiber optic communications for the Riverwatch Parkway Adaptive Signals Project as requested by AED/TE. (Approved by Engineering Services Committee September 28, 2016) 21. Motion to approve Change Order One for Contract to R.J. Haynie & Associates, Inc. in the amount of $381,446.00 for Transportation Investment Act (TIA) Project, Signal Modernization Walton Way – Phases II and III as requested by Augusta Engineering Department. (Approved by Engineering Services Committee September 28, 2016) 22. Motion to approve entering into a Mowing and Maintenance Agreement as well as an indemnity Agreement with the Georgia Department of Transportation in conjunction with the Walton Way Landscape Median Improvements Project as requested by AED. (Approved by Engineering Services Committee September 28, 2016) PETITIONS AND COMMUNICATIONS 23. Motion to approve the minutes of the regular meeting of the Commission held September 20, 2016 and Special Called Meeting September 28, 2016. ADMINISTRATIVE SERVICES 26. Motion to approve language for a Strategic Alliance Memorandum (SAM) with the U.S. Small Business Administration. (Requested by Mayor Hardie Davis, Jr.) 8 Mr. Mayor: Okay, I’ve got a motion to approve and a second. Voting. Mr. Smith out. Motion Passes 9-0. \[Items 1-23, 26\] The Clerk: Item 24, sir? Mr. Mayor: Yes, Madam Clerk, we’ll go to 24. The Clerk: ADMINISTRATIVE SERVICES 24. Request to approve by Resolution the FY 2017 Annual Action Plan for the following programs funded by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD): Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) Program, Home Investment Partnerships (HOME) Program, Emergency Solutions Grant (ESG) Program, Housing Opportunities for Persons with AIDS (HOPWA) Program. (No recommendation from Administrative Services Committee) th Mr. Mayor: All right, the Chair recognizes the Commissioner from the 6 for a series of thth, questions and then I’ll go from the 6 to the 9 all right? Mr. Hasan: Thank you, Mr. Mayor. Mr. Mayor: Yes, sir. Mr. Hasan: Mr. Mayor, I’d like to speak to Mr. Welcher --- Mr. Mayor: Okay. Mr. Hasan: --- in terms of exactly what they want us to do with this because if you look at the recommendation on the back I mean in the agenda book it says accept the FY 2017 Annual Action Plan by resolution at the conclusion of the 30-day public comment period. So, the 30-day comment period I think we’re just in that season so what does he want from us today because we know we had this before committee cycle now we’ve got it before the Commission. And as I understand this he wants our support it at the end of 30-days so what do we do at this point? Mr. Mayor: That’s a very valid question. All right, the Chair recognizes Mr. Welcher for th a series of questions and answers from the Commissioner from the 6. Mr. Welcher: Mr. Mayor, members of the Commission, what we would like for you all to do is accept it as information. We also it seems as though that we are into the 30-day public comment period we would like to receive your series of questions and so therefore we can provide applicable answers to those. And they could actually be documented as your questions or comments as we are in the 30-day public comment period. Seeing as though based on us coming 9 back before you November 1 which will actually conclude the 30-day public comment period at that time we’ll be in a position to either do one or two things. Based on the comments that were received via the 30-day public comment period we can take the comments and just receive them as comments, however, if it’s the lot of the Commission to with a six vote to take any of your comments and actually adopt them into the final plan that can be done as well and it will become a part of the final plan which will be considered a substantial amendment to the final action plan. Mr. Hasan: Yes and I appreciate it. Mr. Mayor, may I do a follow up please? Mr. Mayor: Absolutely. Mr. Hasan: Yes, sir, Mr. Welcher, my question came from because when we was at the committee cycle Commissioner Williams had some concerns or some questions he needed some clarity on. And in the midst of that we ended up the Administrative ended up with no recommendation. Mr. Welcher: Correct. Mr. Hasan: So now you’re saying that you us to receive it as information and if that didn’t come across clearly that you wanted us to receive it as information and that’ve could’ve been said and that might have been, it wouldn’t even have had to come here based on what you’re saying today it would’ve just been received as information --- Mr. Welcher: Yes, sir. Mr. Hasan: --- and so it could’ve saved a lot of time. Mr. Welcher: We cannot move we cannot move to have you all vote on a final plan until we have given all citizens of Augusta Richmond County to include you as a Commission the opportunity 30 days to comment. Mr. Hasan: Okay, thank you, Mr. Mayor. th Mr. Mayor: Thank you, the Chair recognizes the Commissioner from the 9. Mr. M. Williams: Thank you, Mr. Mayor. Mr. Welcher, that wasn’t brought out at the last committee cycle, excuse me that wasn’t brought out last committee cycle as to this was to receive as information. We talked about how funds get backed up I guess is a good word for several years and I was trying to make sure that that doesn’t happen, that the action plan won’t change, that we won’t use the funds as programmed for whatever HOME funds, CDBG funds or whatever it is would be the same. What happened to and I think you gave me a little information earlier but what happened to the steering committee I guess we’ll call that or the committee that was elected to --- Mr. Welcher: Citizens Advisory. Mr. M. Williams: --- advisory right, where is that? 10 Mr. Welcher: Well, the Citizens Advisory Committee to date is active. The actual Chairman of the Citizens Advisory Committee is Bishop Green. It’s his advisory committee and I came before you all back in 2015 and asked that you reenact that committee. Currently the committee is active; we meet on a quarterly based and we have one remaining meeting for the remainder of this year. Mr. M. Williams: Okay, you mentioned a couple of things. I’ll forget them but I’ll go back to the first one is that you know this just needs to be received as information. That wasn’t brought to us when they came to committee it was something to the effect that it had to be approved so the time limit wouldn’t expire. So help me understand that little bit first. If that’s the case if it’s just going to be received as information now, the time limit done moved, the time limit’s still the same what is the difference? Mr. Welcher: Our time limit, our deadline to have you’re Annual Action Plan by law submitted to HUD is by November 15 that’s the deadline, you can submit it any time before. So however based on where we are, what we want to do is provide you with the two readings to say hey, this is our recommendation, departmental recommendation for our Annual Action Plan. We wanted to present it to you before we put it on the street and published it via local periodicals so thus was the reason why we brought it before you. Next week that Thursday or Friday after we brought it before you last Wednesday, we moved to publish it to give the public an opportunity to sort of make comments and we received those comments electronically via our website. We received those comments via our department walk in as well. So as I stated before it’s not just for the citizens it’s for you as Commissioners, the Mayor and Administrator as well to be able to offer those comments and if there are any revisions that’s a part of the substantial amendment which will be included and voted on via the final plan that we will bring before you at the end of the st public comment period on November 1. Mr. M. Williams: What guarantee do we have the elected body that this Action Plan is going to be the same Action Plan today if it is two, three years down the road because a lot of times when reprogramed money comes back in I said we’ve been reprogramming some money because we don’t want to lose it. And I want to make sure that if the money and I said this last meeting that if the money is used and the federal government and still let us have even more money to help with the needs of the people. This money was sent down for special needs, needs for people who can’t meet their obligations for whatever reasons, not people just walking the streets, homeless people, people who because their illness they can’t perform their duties at their job and to keep their lights on, to keep the rent paid and keep a lot of different situations. So what guarantees I guess I’m asking. Mr. Welcher: The plan that you will review that and or approve is the plan that we submit to HUD and it becomes the law for 2017. The way that the law reads is anything over $50,000 dollars that we change within the plan creates what is called a substantial change so we must bring it back before you and give you the opportunity to say we would like to move 50 or 75,000 from the rehab line over to the demolition line. You have to vote to approve anything above $50,000 dollars that’s how the law reads. 11 Mr. M. Williams: And the public comment period you said you can either take it as a comment or you can do something with it. I mean how does that work? Mr. Welcher: You will receive, I’m sorry. Mr. M. Williams: Well, I was saying if the public comment period doesn’t have any fiber to it I mean if it’s just something you’re going to receive how what are we having a public comment period, I’m just asking the question I’m trying --- Mr. Welcher: It’s the law because by law you have to give the citizens an opportunity to participate in the plan. Mr. M. Williams: But you don’t have to do anything you just have to --- Mr. Welcher: You don’t have to do you can just receive but it’s a part of the plan and its documentation to show, you don’t have you don’t have to bring or adopt any of the comments but you have to receive it. You have to give the public 30 days to render their opinion on what we recommended. Mr. M. Williams: That’s all, Mr. Welcher. I’ve got it. If the program’s not going to be reprogrammed and nothing’s going to be changed. I had several calls people calling me about the program and how it’s working and how it should work and I don’t know the answers to answer those people but I did get several calls about it and how the program or should be working. I don’t have those guidelines. Do you have a list of those guidelines and how each one of these programs works, HOME funds, the different? Mr. Welcher: We can definitely make that available to you. Mr. M. Williams: I’d like to have a copy of that. That’s all I got, Mr. Mayor. Mr. Hasan: Motion to approve. Mr. Lockett: Second. Mr. Hasan: Motion to receive as information, I’m sorry. th Mr. Mayor: All right, so let’s, Commissioner from the 6 clarify your motion. Mr. Hasan: Motion to receive as information. Mr. Lockett: Still second. Mr. Mayor: All right, we’ve got a second. Okay, all right, that’s the correct posture; we th should receive it as information. All right the Chair recognizes the Commissioner from the 4. 12 Mr. Sias: I was going to make a motion to receive it as information but it’s a moot point at this point. Mr. Mayor: Yeah, your twin beat you to it. Mr. Sias: I had my finger on there (unintelligible). Mr. Mayor: Well, it all depends on which one you had in there. Come on now, you’ve th been slow all day, wake up, wake up. The Chair recognizes the Commissioner from the 5 who has his whole hand up. Mr. Lockett: Thank you, Mr. Mayor, just for clarification --- Mr. Mayor: Yes, sir. Mr. Lockett: --- that there’s some questions as to whether or not the motion to receive as information is going to be adequate for the Housing and Community Development to continue the process. It’s my understanding that it will be adequate but I want to direct this to the Director. Mr. Welcher: Yes, it will be back before you at the end of the 30-day public comment period at the next Commission meeting which is November 1 asking for your approval at that time. Mr. Lockett: Thank you, Mr. Director and Mr. Mayor. Mr. Mayor: Thank you, sir. Mr. Sias: Call for the question, Mr. Mayor. Mr. Mayor: All right, hold on, hold on, hold on. The Chair recognizes the Commissioner th from the 9 state your inquiry. Mr. M. Williams: Yes, sir, I would hope the Director would have said something if that was not the case receiving as information, if that was not the case I think he would’ve said something is that right? Okay I just I mean because I’m (unintelligible). Mr. Mayor: Voting. Mr. Smith out. Motion Passes 9-0. The Clerk: Twenty-five, twenty-seven, sir? Mr. Mayor: I’m trying to decide. The Clerk: You’re pondering? 13 Mr. Mayor: I’m pondering, Ms. Bonner. The Clerk: Okay. Mr. Mayor: Twenty-seven is real easy. It ain’t much let’s go to 27. The Clerk: ADMINISTRATIVE SERVICES 27. Discuss upcoming visit from What Works Cities team to Augusta. (Requested by Mayor Hardie Davis, Jr.) Mr. Mayor: All right, Natasha. Mr. Hasan: Mr. Mayor, I’d like to make a comment if you don’t mind. Mr. Mayor: Well, I’m going to ask you to reserve it. Mr. Hasan: I’ll reserve it. I don’t have a problem. Just don’t forget me. Mr. Mayor: I want to make sure we’ve got audio. Can you turn the volume up? All right very good if everyone will pay attention to the video that’s before us. (Video is shown) Mr. Mayor: Thank you, Natasha. All right, we can stop it now before it goes to that next video. I wanted to one, bring before the Commission the information related to a site visit that will take place on next week. What Work Cities was launched by Bloomberg Philanthropies in April of 2015. It is a national initiative to help 100 midsize American cities with populations between 100,000 and a million people better make decisions by tackling head on the challenges that we as leaders face in our communities from a safety, from economic development, from affordable housing, blighted and abandoned and dilapidated properties perspective and in many th instances where there is a lack of resources. And so on next week October the 12 and I’ve engaged Administrator Jackson in this conversation as well. We’ve met twice about this in terms th of preplanning for their visit on October the 12and it will be an opportunity for us to have access to if we are one of the cities selected. They’ve chosen 39 cities to date, 39 cities have been chosen across the country Mesa, Arizona, Scottsdale, Arizona, Jackson, Mississippi. We would be the first city in the State of Georgia to be selected to be a partner in this process where they are selecting cities who will then receive technical support. There are grant opportunities up to $250,000 dollars to assist in these efforts. There’s access to expertise and then peer to peer learning from cities. Many times in our conversations we talk about what cities are doing, what other cities are doing, what Austin, Texas is doing. We’re going to have access to all of that if we’re one of those cities chosen and the goal is to identify one-hundred. Right now we are in that queue to be one of the cities selected which I think is a wonderful opportunity for the City of Augusta to be considered as one of those top one-hundred cities across the country. And so I wanted to make sure that we brought this information the Commission and to share with you what is before us and 14 what’s happening. To help facilitate this effort it’s going to require again a meeting with some of our key stakeholders and staff which is why I’ve engaged Ms. Jackson in that conversation so she th can bring the right people to the table at our meeting on October the 12. Just as a point of mention Boston, MA, Charlotte, NC where Ms. Jackson was for a period of time, Little Rock, Arkansas, Milwaukee, Wisconsin, Raleigh, NC and the list goes on. Just those cities alone taken together represent nearly 11 million Americans with annual budgets exceeding a combines 38 billion dollars. I think it’s time for us and the City of Augusta to be mentioned in those same conversations as a city of excellence, as a city of opportunity that we talk so much about and now we’ve got an opportunity for us to be highlighted in a national way. The Chair recognizes the Commissioner st from the 1. Mr. Fennoy: Yes, Mr. Mayor, I hope that we are one of the cities that is selected but in case we are not is there a possibility that we could look at a city similar to Augusta that’s been selected and what takes place there and maybe pattern our habits after that city? Mr. Mayor: Well let me, I’ll mention this I think that is an opportunity but if we go through th this process starting on next week on October the 12 I’m not a betting man but I feel very confident that if Augusta puts her best foot forward, we’re going to be one of those cities selected and we’ll be one of the next ones to go into this queue. Jackson, MS is a city similar in size to us. They had a deficit of almost $1.4 billion dollars just in terms of where they were. They were engaged, their city leadership was engaged and they said we’re going go through this process and it’s allowed them to turn that city around in a very significant way. So, I feel very good about where we are and I just want to again share this opportunity with the elected body knowing that this is the kind of step that we as a city ought to be taking moving forward. The decision you made just a moment ago with the Strategic Alliance Memorandum and now coupling this that we won our business-friendly city and we have an opportunity to be considered in the same vein is just good for Augusta. Mr. Fennoy: And my next question, Mr. Mayor, is there anything that the Commission can do to --- th Mr. Mayor: Well, what I would offer is that on the 12 it would be great if any of you could come and attend that meeting. Ms. Jackson and I will kick it off and then it will really be the stakeholders, our IT, our Procurement folks, our Compliance Director and others who they will be engaging with a series of questions to really kind of drill down in terms of how we do business in the City of Augusta and help us be able to make better decisions as we move forward, thank you. th All right, the Chair recognizes the Commissioner from the 5. Mr. Lockett: Thank you, Mr. Mayor. Do you have a timeframe for this site visit? th Mr. Mayor: They’re going to be arriving in town on October the 11 that evening and then th they will be here all day on the 12. Mr. Lockett: The reason I asked that question is because the Policy Subcommittee is slated to meet from 2:00 to 4:00 with our consultant on that particular day. 15 Mr. Mayor: Okay. Ms. Jackson: Sir, I believe the materials you gave us was from about 9:00 to 12:30 so actually I think they’ll be done by the time we start that subcommittee meeting. Mr. Lockett: Thank you very much. th Mr. Mayor: The Chair recognizes the Commissioner from the 8. Mr. Guilfoyle: Mr. Mayor, I’d like to think the fact that you and the Administrator working hand in hand and trying to come up with the incentive to send our ideas to move Augusta forward. I applaud you as well as Ms. Jackson if I can make it I would love to be there just to be a fly on the wall to hear what kind of ideas are out there for other cities, how other cities work together and I do thank both of you all. Mr. Mayor: Thank you so much. All right, thank you, that’s all I have for that. Mr. Fennoy: Do we need to receive as information, Mr. Mayor? Mr. Mayor: That would be great. Mr. Lockett: Second. Mr. Mayor: A motion to receive as information and a proper second. Voting. Mr. Smith out. Motion Passes 9-0. Mr. Mayor: Okay, all right, very good. All right, can I do one more before we go to item number 25? Mr. Sias: Yes, sir. Mr. Mayor: Okay, all right, I’m going to do one more. I am excited, I’m excited on one hand and maybe a little sad on the other but I wanted to take an opportunity today to share with all of you in local government and certainly the members of the Commission and those folks who have worked with my office for the past 20 months. And the highs, the lows, the ups and the downs, they’ve caused me to have a lot more gray hair than I had anticipated. But that comes with the territory when you care about people, when you care about what you do in local government that you serve in you give it everything you’ve got. And after given it everything you’ve got you decide to give it a little bit more, you do. But sometimes there are other opportunities that come along and you move on and so on today I want to share with all of you that Ms. Lynthia Owens my Chief of Staff will be moving on. She has been named the Director of Communications and Public Relations at Doctors Hospital and I’m very excited and proud of her because it speaks of the caliber of person who we’ve had working in our office. (APPLAUSE) Lynthia, in the words 16 thth of I’m going to decide whether if the Commissioner from the 9 or the 6 right now, you’ve got five minutes. Ms. Owens: I don’t need five. Thank you, Mr. Mayor. It’s been a real privilege to serve with you, the people of Augusta it’s been a pleasure for me to work with all the members of the Commission. And even more so no harm no slight to the Commissioners even more so the people who make up this government and work hard and give their best to the people that we have the privilege to serve every day. And so, I thank you for the opportunity. I am excited about the opportunity to serve our city in a new capacity and I’m always of course a phone call away. I’m sure I’ll show up in meetings occasionally because it runs in my blood but I do, I do, I just want everyone to know that this government and the people who make it up are stellar. And so it’s been a pleasure for me to be a part of what’s happening here. Thank you. Mr. Mayor: I also want to recognize in the audience --- Ms. Owens: Let me do it, please. My husband Keith is here today he wanted to come knowing that Mayor Davis (APPLAUSE) was going to (inaudible) And as you all know the sacrifice of public service doesn’t stop with just us. It also affects our family so I thank him and my son Ross and our daughter Allie for their support as well. Mr. Mayor: Thank you. Ms. Owens: Thank you. st Mr. Mayor: The Chair recognizes the Commissioner from the 1. Mr. Fennoy: Ms. Owens, you’re not going to change your number are you? Ms. Owens: It’s been the same for 11 years. I’ll keep it. Mr. Mayor: Ms. Owens, thank you for your leadership. Thank you for being a part of the th team and you will continue to be. All right the Chair recognizes the Commissioner from the 5. Mr. Lockett: Thank you, Mr. Mayor. I’d just like to say that I’m going to miss you I mean you’ve done an outstanding job up here but congratulations on the new job. Mr. Mayor: Thank you. All right, Madam Clerk. The Clerk: The system couldn’t take that news, Lynthia. It went out on us here having a little technical difficulty, Mr. Mayor, so item number 25, sir? Mr. Mayor: Yes, yes item number 25. The Clerk: ADMINISTRATIVE SERVICES 17 25. Motion to approve referring to the full Commission with no recommendation the matter of the reinstatement of compensation to the ex-officio Commission member who serves on the Planning Commission and receive information regarding which boards have provided such compensation in the past. (Approved by Administrative Services Committee September 13, 2016 deferred from the September 20, 2016 Commission Meeting) th Mr. Mayor: The Chair recognizes the Commissioner from the 9. Mr. M. Williams: Thank you, Mr. Mayor. This was has been on the agenda for quite some time. It’s been something that it’s personal with me because I have been serving and have served for a good while on the Planning Committee. You know someone wanted to pull this, I think Commissioner Fennoy wanted to pull it and put it on the consent but really I don’t see how you can vote on an issue that was never voted on in the beginning. There’s no documents, there’s no official move by this body to change any of that. Our Attorney didn’t tell us that but I don’t see how we can vote on something that was already in place anyway. Now somebody in some room in corner in the back in the dark I guess made a decision to stop but they did everything but cross the ‘T’, they dotted some ‘I’s’ but they didn’t cross the ‘T’, they didn’t come before this body and I’ve got documents that say that to that effect. Now I was only asking for the time that I served the meetings that I attended but now if this don’t get resolved today it’ll be on here until it get resolved whether it’s the next meeting or the meeting after that or the meeting after that but whatever meeting it takes because it’s only fair. Now I say all the time I fight for others so I’m certainly going to fight for myself and if I didn’t deserve this that’d be one thing, but I served on the board and I stopped going after about three or four meetings after they wasn’t paying me. I’m crazy but I ain’t stupid. I’m not going to show up if they’re not going to give me my pay. So, the state has set forth where there was four or five different boards not everyone but four or five different ones and Planning and Zoning was one of them. Now when they changed hands into another area they say there was no official action taken anywhere to change that and until that’s done I do expect to get paid. st Mr. Mayor: The Chair recognizes the Commissioner from the 1. Mr. Fennoy: Yes and Mr. Mayor, I don’t who to direct this question to but I would like to know who made the decision to stop paying the ex-officio Commissioner that serves on the Planning Commission. Mr. Mayor: Well, I certainly can’t answer that either but I’m sure we can, I’ll direct the question to the Administrator. Administrator Jackson, do you have any background on this? Ms. Jackson: I can give you a little back ground but I’ll probably have to surrender to those who were here during that timeframe to get a full understanding of it. But as I understand it when the Planning Commission was absorbed into the Augusta Government at that point the decision was made that the ex-officio members of the Planning Commission or member of the Planning Commission would discontinue to receiving compensation similar to ex-officio members of other bodies that are appointed by this board. There was also I think a reference in that act that the Commission would set, it would be the Commission’s responsibility to set compensation for all board members and apparently there was never any decision made by the Commission to set that 18 compensation so it was open ended and staff apparently made a judgement call based upon how they handle other ex-officio members. Mr. Mayor: Continue. Mr. Fennoy: Ms. Jackson, could you, you know for my benefit get me some documentation that, it’s not that I don’t believe you but I just want to see --- Ms. Jackson: Yes, I can certainly pull together some of the documents that had been presented to me as we discuss this issue so you can see what they were using as justification for that decision during that time period. Mr. Fennoy: And that’s for the full Commission? Ms. Jackson: Yes. Mr. Fennoy: All right, thank you. th Mr. Mayor: The Chair recognizes the Commissioner from the 6. Mr. Hasan: Yes, sir, Mr. Mayor, can we hear from Ms. Bonner or would you like me to put this under the --- Mr. Mayor: What is that, Commissioner? Mr. Hasan: That is the code in terms of Mayors and Commissioners being compensated and things of that nature. A couple things here that Commissioner Fennoy and Commissioner, I’m sorry, Ms. Jackson just eluded to what we have in our agenda book, we have the reorg took place in 2011. What happened in 2011 one of the things that happened for sure --- Mr. Mayor: Just a moment. All right point us to what you’re talking about, I mean you said the reorg. I want to make sure we’re all on --- Mr. Hasan: Exhibit B in your book. Mr. Mayor: All right, item number 25 Tab 25. Mr. Hasan: Tab 25 go to Exhibit B. Mr. Mayor: All right. Mr. Hasan: That’s not what I’m having put up on the screen. I just wanted to, that’s just something different. It has Exhibit B and it’s clear it’s not anything drawn through that that’s the one where it’s clear. And item number E can I go ahead, Mr. Mayor, in the meantime? Mr. Mayor: Yes, I’m sorry go ahead. 19 Mr. Hasan: Yes, sir, that’s no problem, thank you. And what happened in 2011 actually was it was a reorg and one of the things that happened the Planning Commission at that particular time came inside of the government. With it coming inside of the government one of the things that you could see on E here was members of the Planning Commission deserve such compensation as shall be extended by the Augusta Georgia Commission. That’s goes back to the question asked by Commissioner Fennoy and the point that was made by Commissioner Williams and as well as Ms. Jackson there was no action on any record. I’ve asked the Clerk as well for any action that was taken to even continue paying the board itself so no action was taken. Now in fairness to staff, staff assumed that they made a decision not to pay the ex-officio but once again the law says here, the bylaw says here that the Commission had to take an action to even compensate the board which there is no record of. Commissioner Fennoy just asked for it but there is no record where the Commission took action on this. Now let’s go to what Miss under the what Ms. Natasha just put up for us where you see highlighted here. And this is what Miss, this is what the staff used but they missed the exception clause when it came to ex-officio. They said the Mayor and the Commissioner will prohibit from holding other office, contract with Augusta Richmond County and it says exceptions. It shall be unlawful for the Mayor or any member of the Commission to hold any office, appointment or contract under the Commission during the term for which he was elected whereby such a Mayor or member of the Commission may derive any profit or (unintelligible) from Augusta Richmond County. Here’s the exception, as such office, appointment or contract authorized by the commission. The appointment to this board is by the Commission so there was no reason to even stop it, there was no reason to continue. If you continue to pay the board you was supposed to continue to pay the ex-officio. There was no reason to do that; there was no appointment by the Commission. There’s an exception there so I think in all fairness, Mr. Mayor, I go back to Commissioner Williams’ statement this is to be something we should not be voting on no action was ever taken to even continue paying the board so or to continue stop paying the board or anybody else. And we instruct the Administrator to go ahead and continue to do business as usual as they’re currently doing because no action was ever taken to stop paying, to continue paying the board or stop paying the ex-officio. th Mr. Mayor: The Chair recognizes the Commissioner from the 8. Mr. Guilfoyle: Thank you, Mr. Mayor. Mr. Mayor, I’d like to have my colleague give me some clarification under Exhibit B Section E. It does talk about members of the Planning Commission shall serve for such compensation that shall be established by the Augusta Georgia Commission. That’s true but if we go up to the Section 14-82 under Section VI members of the board appointed by the Commission of the respective districts to succeed in their subsections three, four, five hereof shall serve for the term of office for four years until the successor or appointed and qualified. We trying to tie in this member when the member’s actually clarified under the membership terms of office and compensation. So it doesn’t show anything about the ex-officio here. Now under this paperwork that’s on the screen if we slide down it does show that the, what represents a member of this board. And it also has in parentheses that the, it’s up to the Commission to appoint the ex-officio to this board. So if we’re going to clear, make it clear and I do agree on one thing that this body did not take action not to pay a board member. But in 2011 when we restructured, the Planning and Zoning Board was outside this agency, outside this government. They were paid not from our Finance Department but it was paid through grant 20 money in that department. Then in 2011 we brought them board members, we brought George Patty in to this government to simplify things and at that moment the elected official ex-officio was Matt Aitken. Before the end of his term on this board he ceased getting paid from this authority because of part of the restructure the person that came in behind him --- Mr. Hasan: Alvin Mason. Mr. Guilfoyle: --- Alvin Mason was not paid either and he questioned it and they gave him the reason of during the restructure and that was satisfactory. Five years later we’re back at this moment and I did speak with my colleague Commissioner Marion Williams last week about this if you go for back pay, are we going to have to back pay Alvin Mason, back pay Matt Aitken? But our Charter clearly states exactly what each elected official makes from the regular sitting Commission to a Pro-Tem. It doesn’t have anything in our articles in our Charter that states that sitting on any kind of appointment board that you should get paid ‘x’ amount more. Each and every one of us Commissioners sit on either one, two, three different boards and we do this as part of our civic duty. I never would have thought that this would even come up until these past couple of months and again I understand what has happened in the past but this is the future now. If we’re going to open up doors, I understand that Commissioner just wants for this one board to be paid but you’re talking about a lot more boards out there and where does it stop? Thank you, Mr. Mayor. th Mr. Mayor: Thank you. All right, the Chair recognizes the Commissioner from the 6. Mr. Hasan: Yes, to my colleague, Mr. Mayor, he made a lot of points but I didn’t see him refute any of the things that we had addressed there because still once again by the department Planning and Zoning coming inside the government now all of it is city money. Once again we go back to 2011 there was no action to even continue paying the boards so how do we justify paying the board that’s paid from the same money now. No vote was ever taken to do that and it clearly says here in E members of the Planning Commission deserving such compensation shall be established by the Augusta Georgia Commission, that’s one thing. Now let me go to 2014 when Ms. Melanie Wilson done a reorg. The reorg I’m sorry not a reorg she done a revision of the policy. And in speaking with her directly it was not about trying to change any of the bylaws as much as it was trying to address the issue of some meeting status. When she talked about membership she talked, she identified the ex-officio, when she talked about compensation she identified as members, when she talked about a quorum she said excluding ex-officio. When she talked about voting privilege she excluded ex-officio so any time it came to compensation the ex- officio was included in that as well. It was not excluded as we mentioned, just mentioned. So my thing here is this is not about Commission Williams. What has happened here he has identified through his persistence and I will say for the record he’d be right on some of these things 50% of the time. And so what he has identified for us for sure that we have been compensating a board that has not been authorized by this Commission and it clearly says that from 2011. All the way from 2011 there has been no action in any way to compensate the members of the board not alone the ex-officio so how do we chose and pick. When you look at what’s on the monitor once again it makes the exception that we can do that so if you want to serve at your pleasure that’s your right but if it says here that the board, the commission has authority to compensate someone it makes the exception that we can do that. And so the law states if we can put our feelings into it and I get 21 that we can talk about the ethical merits. I get that but in terms of what you have before you from 2011 what you have before you about the what Mayor and the Commission and the exception clause it is evident that it can be done and it should be done because no action was ever. So now do we sit here so the question becomes do we continue to pay the board after today if we’re going to pay the ex-officio? No action was ever taken. th Mr. Mayor: All right the Chair recognizes the Commissioner from the 9. Mr. M. Williams: Thank you, Mr. Mayor, I really appreciate that. You know what I’m madder than a wet hen right now and I’m trying to be quiet because when I get mad I don’t normally say anything but we can fight this all we want to. I already talked to some legal perspective as to this and I’m trying to work with this city, I’m trying to work with this government, but because we don’t like personalities and that’s what this is. If it’s right, it’s right. And you ain’t got to like me I don’t have to go home with nobody in fact I don’t go home with nobody I go home by myself. But my point is if this is not right then don’t support it but if it is right then do, but it won’t stop today though I guarantee you it will not stop today because all of the evidence all the documents, there’s no legal vote there’s no record anywhere where nothing’s been changed but we decided we’re going to hold some people hostage. And it ain’t about the money for one thing and I wasn’t talking about no back pay. I don’t care about Matt Aitken or Alvin Mason if they listened to the song and didn’t dance that’s fine but I ain’t going to listen to no song and dance to a song I don’t like. If it ain’t right, it ain’t right so I’m going to hold to what do I have to do and I ain’t got nothing else to do but keep this on the agenda, keep this where it needs to be until I get paid for doing the job I served on. Now somebody said I’d be making two moneys. Well the Mayor Pro Tem gets extra money for being the Mayor Pro Tem because he’s the ex-officio member of every committee. That’s what the rules say now. We’re going by the rules. We ain’t just reading off some stuff because we went past third grade. This is serious business with me. Now we can stay here and do this early or do it late; we can do it tomorrow but we’re going to do it. th Mr. Mayor: The Chair recognizes the Commissioner from the 4 I’m sorry the Chair st recognizes the Commissioner from the 1 Commissioner Fennoy Engineering Services Chair. Mr. Fennoy: Yes, Mr. Mayor, I’d like to make a motion to receive this as information until we get documentation from the Administrator stating the status of the pay for the ex- officio members of the Planning Commission. Mr. Hasan: I’d like to make a substitute motion, Mr. Mayor, or you maybe haven’t gotten a second so I may have a motion. Mr. Mayor: Restate your motion, Commissioner Fennoy. Restate your motion. Mr. Fennoy: That we receive this as information until we get documentation from the Administrator --- Mr. Lockett: Second. Mr. Fennoy: --- stating the status of the ex-officio member of the Planning Commission. 22 Mr. Mayor: We’ve got a motion and a second. Mr. Hasan: May I make a substitute motion, Mr. Mayor? Mr. Mayor: All right, you’re recognized for that, continue. Mr. Hasan: Yes, sir, Mr. Mayor, I’d like to make a substitute motion asking the Administrator to bring back information to show where anybody, whether the board was authorized to be paid period as of the 2011 reorg bring back that information was anybody authorized to be paid. Mr. Mayor: All right, so I have a suggestion, Commissioner, if you would, would you waive on your motion? Mr. Hasan: Any particular reason why? Mr. Mayor: Because I think if you include that as part of the request that he has that the Commissioner from the first has it’s just part of that information packet that she’s going to bring back to you. You didn’t change substantially what he asked for. You just simply said you want the Administrator to bring you some additional information. So, if you waive and just include that as part of his motion I think you’re going to get to the place that (inaudible). Mr. Hasan: No problem since it’s out there and we understand all that will be included I don’t have a problem with that I support his motion. I withdraw my motion, Mr. Mayor. th Mr. Mayor: Okay, all right, the Chair recognizes the Commissioner from the 9. Mr. M. Williams: Mr. Mayor, thank you, sir --- Mr. Mayor: Yes. Mr. M. Williams: --- but the information that Commissioner Bill Fennoy did ask for has already been presented to us by Commissioner Hasan. Now if you’re asking for any additional information if Ms. Jackson or the lawyer or anybody got something different they need to state that now and let them bring that. But the information that we’re asking for is already been put on the screen, it’s already here. Mr. Mayor: Okay, I believe the gentleman knows of that which he speaks and I’m not th questioning that but I think the Commissioner from the 6 to your point just made a specific request st and all we’re saying is just include that in what the Commissioner from the 1 has asked for. All we’re doing right now is really trying to get you to a better place. That’s all we’re doing trying to get you to a better place. Mr. M. Williams: If it wasn’t voted on, how can we vote on something that was never voted on? It was done administratively. 23 Mr. Mayor: And that’s my point --- Mr. M. Williams: Okay --- Mr. Mayor: --- I’m trying to get you to a better place. Mr. M. Williams: --- this don’t make good sense now. Mr. Mayor: Well, you just stated if it wasn’t voted on why are you, and again, Commissioner, I’m trying to be as diplomatic with this. You indicated it wasn’t voted on but now you’re saying I’m going to vote on it and I’m telling you if you let this take place you can get to a better place. I’ve got a motion and a second. Voting. Mr. Sias abstains. Mr. Smith out. Motion Passes 8-0-1. LEGAL MEETING A. Pending and Potential Litigation. B. Real Estate. C. Personnel. ADDENDUM 28. Motion to go into an executive session to discuss pending and potential litigation. Mr. Mayor: All right we have a matter that we need to take up in executive session. The Chair will entertain a motion to go into executive session. Mr. MacKenzie: This will be to discuss pending and potential litigation. Mr. Mayor: Oh my goodness, all right, we understand a motion to go into executive session for pending litigation, potential litigation. Mr. Hasan: Motion to approve, whatever. Mr. Mayor: Okay. Ms. Davis: Second. thrd, Mr. Mayor: All right, I’ve got a motion and a second, voting from the 6 and from the 3 thrd yes, ma’am, 6 and the 3. Mr. M. Williams not voting. Mr. Smith out. Motion Passes 8-0. 24 \[EXECUTIVE SESSION\] ADDENDUM 29. Motion to approve a Resolution authorizing the settlement of all claims by Donna Murray; authorizing the Mayor to execute settlement documents and the Finance Department to disburse the settlement amount; waiving Augusta, Georgia Code or Ordinances sections in conflict for this instance only; and for other purposes. Mr. D. Williams: Motion to approve. Mr. Fennoy: Second. (Voice vote as per Mayor Davis) Mr. Smith, Mr. Frantom and Mr. M. Williams out. Motion Passes 7-0. 30. Motion to approve execution by the Mayor of the affidavit of compliance with Georgia’s Open Meeting Act. Mr. Sias: Motion to approve. Mr. Fennoy: Second. Mr. Smith, Mr. Frantom and Mr. M. Williams out. Motion Passes 7-0. \[MEETING ADJOURNED\] 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 October 4, 2016. ______________________________ Clerk of Commission 25