HomeMy WebLinkAboutRegular Commission Meeting November 21, 2017
REGULAR MEETING COMMISSION CHAMBER
NOVEMBER 21, 2017
Augusta Richmond County Commission convened at 2:00 p.m., November 21, 2017, the
Hon. Hardie Davis, Jr., Mayor, presiding.
PRESENT: Hons. Jefferson, Guilfoyle, Sias, Frantom, M. Williams, Davis, D. Williams,
Hasan and Smith, members of Augusta Richmond County Commission.
Absent: Hon. Fennoy, (participates by telephone), member of Augusta Richmond County
Commission.
Mr. Mayor: All right, good afternoon, good afternoon. Today is a day that we have all
come to enjoy. It’s a day that we have come to not only do the people’s business but it is a day
that we have come to say thank you, a day that we come to give thanks for life, for family, for
friendships and quite frankly for the fellowship that we’ve enjoyed over these last three years that
I think we can all look back on and see the amazing things that are going on in our city and in the
lives of the great people who make up our city. Today is a day that we give thanks for our entire
city team for the great work that you do in representing the City of Augusta all across our 328-
square miles of our city. To every employee who makes up this city called Augusta on behalf of
the Commission I want to say thank you. Thank you to you, thank you to your families for giving
you the time to come and to make an effort whether it’s delivering water, engineering services,
procurement, making sure the bills get paid, whatever it is you are to be thanked. And so today it
is my hope that we not only thank you verbally but as we make decisions those decisions are
consistent with our willingness to invest and appreciate you. So again, thank you and with that,
Madam Clerk, I’m going to turn it over to you because I’ll come back and give more thanks as we
get to the close of this thing. The Chair recognizes Madam Clerk.
The Clerk: I call your attention to our Invocation portion of the agenda which will be
delivered by the Reverend Jay Todd Wiggins, Pastor of the Hillcrest Baptist Church. Would you
please stand and after which we’ll ask our IT Director Ms. Tameka Allen to please lead us into the
pledge.
The invocation was given by Reverend Jay Todd Wiggins, Pastor, Hillcrest Baptist Church.
The Pledge of Allegiance to the Flag of the United States of America was recited.
Mr. Mayor: Pastor? While I’ve already given him the certificate but would you join me
in thanking Reverend Todd Wiggins, Pastor of Hillcrest Baptist Church for not only his civic
leadership but his spiritual guidance and leadership to the parishioners there and to other members
of our community. Would you join me in thanking him be with us today? Madam Clerk, the item
that’s before us with the deletions if we can get unanimous consent to delete the item that is before
you from the Administrative Services portion of the agenda. Do we have unanimous consent
without objection?
ADMINISTRATIVE SERVICES
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30. Discuss the incident that occurred during Tuesday, November 4, 2017 Administrative
Services Committee meeting involving the Marshal’s Department. (Requested by
Commissioner Marion Williams)
The Clerk: Item number 30.
Mr. Mayor: Item number 30 on your agenda, all right without objection. Okay, all right,
I’m going to recognize Administrator Jackson to come and give comments briefly about the United
Way Campaign and then she will in turn recognize Ms. Tameka Allen who will come and share
with us our findings. Madam Administrator.
Ms. Jackson: Thank you very much, sir. As you know our organization has participated
with United Way Campaign for many years and over the last couple of years our contributions
were not as high and I knew we could do better so the first thing I did was appoint Ms. Tameka
Allen to lead our campaign. We had a marvelous campaign this year. I won’t release the number
because I think that’s part of her thunder. But suffice to say we raised enough money to put the
Mayor in the dunking booth. He made the mistaken early on of saying if we raised our targeted
amount he would submit to be dunked so we have raised enough sufficient to do that. We want to
recognize our team. We had a team of people from various departments. Every department in our
organization I think for the most part did participate enabling us to reach that lofty goal so we’re
going to call the names individually of everybody who did. We’ll ask for you to hold to the end
to save your applause and we want to recognize just everybody who did an awesome job with this.
With that I’ll turn it over to Ms. Allen.
PRESENTATION(S)
A. 2017 Augusta United Way Campaign Presentation.
Ms. Allen: Mr. Mayor, members of the Commission, of course I was honored to serve as
the 2017 United Way Campaign Chair. I was fortunate of course as Ms. Jackson stated to have a
very great team that I work with. Not only our team for the City of Augusta but United Way Team
who’s here with us today and I’m going to ask that they stand. Ms. Laverne Gold and her team
have done phenomenal. Monica and Rena and Rita have been so supportive in this campaign and
was there as soon as we made a call to get someone to come out and speak to our various
departments. So I definitely want to recognize and thank them for all of their support in doing this
because we could not have done it without their support and their leadership on the United Way
side, so thank you guys. (APPLAUSE) Of course our theme was United We Can and Ms. Jackson
is exactly right. A number of things were in discussion as it relates whether or not we would be
able to meet our goal in 2017 based on everything that’s been currently discussed as far as budgets
and salaries and compensation and things of that nature that affects some of our decisions in our
lives. However we knew that if we can come together as a group and look at the community as a
whole and the benefit that United Way serves for our community, the City of Augusta employees
would step up and get energized and excited about the campaign, and I’ll be honest with you they
have done that. If you look at our campaign history 2012 was probably our best year and in 2016
unfortunately that was probably one of our worst years so we knew we had a lot of work ahead of
us to get everybody energized, to get everybody pumped up about what we wanted to do. And
you know everybody who knows me knows I like challenges and that’s just part of the technology
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part of me. I like things that we, I like to prove people to people that we can make things happen
and I knew I had to get a great team to make that happen so we set a very aggressive goal and our
goal was to get at least $40,000 dollars. And as you can see our history that was going to be very
aggressive because to get $40,000 dollars was going to take a lot of commitment, a lot of
commitment and a lot of funds and a lot of dedication to make it happen because we were going
to be setting history. There has not been any form of collection from the City of Augusta in that
amount since we have been providing to the United Way Campaign. So we had some great fund
raisers and I want to thank Administration for supporting our thinking out of the box fund raisers
that we had. We had the first Carnival Costume Party. That was awesome and I would ask
everybody next year to try to come and attend that. We had of 50/50 Raffle which we’ll be drawing
for at our Dunking Party. We had the departmental fundraisers. The departments were so
energized, they had raffles and cookouts and luncheons and Jeans Day. I mean anything that can
get money contributed or donated they did it. The Mayor’s Challenge. He came to one of our
department heads as Ms. Jackson stated and said if you guys meet that $40,000-dollar goal I’ll get
dunked ten times and we hold him to his word. He’s going to get not dunked once, ten times he’s
going to get dunked and we’re going to be counting it so we’re going to make things happen just
like the Mayor said. Then we all set our own departmental challenges. I challenged my staff in
Information Technology that if they made 30% more than what we did the previous year then I
would get dunked so by all means they hurried up and made their contributions so I’m going to be
right beside the Mayor getting dunked so we’ve already got our wetsuits on hold and you know
Neptune knows we’re coming to get them. As well as I had a personal challenge from Mr. Scott
Peebles who stated that he would give $500.00 dollars if I get dunked so I had to get dunked twice
and he has the liberty to do it for me. So, but we had some awesome, awesome campaign
contributions and donations and things of that nature events. Here’s an actual picture of the core
team. Here’s our actual poster that was out. You may have seen it throughout the building when
we were doing it. You’ll see Foxy Brown and Cleopatra and a police officer and the Big Bad Wolf
and all of our, Little Red Riding Hood and Gomorrah all of them were at this costume party and it
was phenomenal so I was glad to see everybody come and have an awesome time. But I also have
to recognize the sponsors who made that who also committed to their community, who worked
with us to make that party a success. We had the Marion Hatcher Building, Recreation and Parks
who helped us with our decorations, Café 209 did the catering, Sounds by Design who brought
some great music, Barbarella Bartending actually gave half of their proceeds to the United Way.
Elite Image boot who did some awesome photos, Augusta Linens who provided all the table cloths,
came over and provided all the plates and the forks and all of that, James Dobbs who spotted who
made sure he put us out there. Our great Richmond County Marshal’s Office who did an awesome
job providing the security, our Fire Department who made sure we abided by all the laws and had
somebody there to protect us in case of a fire. Perry Broadcasting did an awesome job in putting
it on the radio and getting the word out there and of course Mays Mortuary who actually let us
borrow a hearse and a coffin and I have to do a special shout out and thanks to Roy Searles of
Central Services who was actually the corpse. Now it's mighty unusual to see a corpse get out of
a coffin go eat and get back in a coffin but that’s how the City of Augusta we can make things like
that happen. So, I definitely have to recognize him because he stayed in the coffin all night other
than when he had to eat but and again I’m so proud of the employees of the City of Augusta and I
would like for all of our departmental leads to stand up if you’re in the room. Anybody who led
the departments who were the contacts for the United Way for their respective department, stand
up. (APPLAUSE) These are the ones who actually communicated within their respective
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departments who did an awesome job in carrying our message throughout their organization and
throughout their department. And they’re probably so glad this United Way Campaign is over
with so they can stop seeing all my emails and all the calls and everything else that’s been going
on since we started this campaign. But we had about two months to put all this together, two
months, so we had to be aggressive. Also any good leader knows that they need to surround
themselves with a great core team. Any good leader’s going to make sure that they have the right
people on their team. It’s not about one person getting credit because one person can never do the
job alone. It takes a great team to make things happen so the best thing you can do is always align
yourself with the best people to make it happen and that’s one thing that I’ve learned in many of
my years of doing management and one thing that I kept going on with this. So I had some great
team leaders who worked and were energetic and committed and devoted to the cause of serving
the organization and the community and I want to recognize those people. Jessica Buffkin from
the Mayor’s Office if you guys could please stand if you’re here. Takiyah Douse from Central
Services, Veronica Freeman from the Sheriff’s Office, Shelly Good from Information Technology,
Pamela Griffin Human Resources, Shelette McCrae from Engineering, Kathy Murry from
Information Technology, Sheila Paulk from Procurement, Scott Peebles from the Marshal’s
Office, Geri Sams from Procurement, Shameca Weaver from Recreation and Jessica Williford
from the Administrators Office. This is the core team that led it all, thank you. (APPLAUSE)
And, I would personally like to give a special thanks to Ms. Shelly Good because not only was she
part of the core team but she’s the one who has to hear me aggravate her all day everyday about
doing all the, getting all the information gathered and documented and everything and she does an
awesome, phenomenal job for me so I appreciate that. Thank you, Shelly. The top ten fund raisers.
Again I’m proud of the commitment that the City of Augusta employees have made amongst, you
know, even though all of the discussions we’ve had every one of the employees were committed
to doing what we could do and they’ve shown dedication and commitment to their community.
So, even though I’m getting ready to recognize the top ten fund raiser, each of the departments
that participated are winners to me and to our core team because they did a phenomenal job. Some
of the had 100% participation like our Tax Assessors Office and our Board of Elections,
Compliance, Procurement and our Augusta Utilities Department. We also had some that were so
improved I mean they did ten times what they did the previous year like our Fire Department and
our Engineering Department. So, at the end of the day our top ten fund raisers was of course the
Sheriff’s Office and I have to give big accolades to the Sheriff’s Office. When we did this we
gave everybody what they did the previous year and we said let’s, if you can give me 30% of what
you gave in 2016 we should meet our goal. The Sheriff’s Office would have had to make about
$8,000 or so. They guaranteed us they’d bring in ten so they did just that. They made $10,000
dollars or more to contribute to the United Way Campaign. So, amongst all the things that we
have going on everyone is committed to doing what they can for our community, so I want to
recognize the Sheriff’s Office for that. Environmental Services Department, the Marshal’s Office,
The Clerk of Superior Court, Central Services who did a phenomenal job, Ms. Douse pulled it out
of the park. I mean she was doing all kinds of things cookouts, ya’ll are eating the chicken and
everything else that she was having. Engineering Department, Information Technology
Department, Augusta Utilities, the Tax Assessors Office and of course our Compliance
Department who has all kinds of great meals going on. I definitely want to thank them because
they did an awesome job. Now everybody at the end of it all and everybody hopefully in this room
realizes that anything is possible if you unite and get together on it and I think the theme of United
We Can was an important theme not only with the City of Augusta Employees but us as a whole.
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So, we want to continue to say that we did an awesome job, the team did an awesome job I want
to recognize the core team because I didn’t do it by myself. I was just smart enough to know who
to put on the team. You guys made it happen and I appreciate that. So now that we’ve done all
that and all of you want to know what we did. Here we go the total, remember we wanted to do
$40,000, right? We want to set history (APPLAUSE) so I’m going to ask Ms. Gold if she’ll come
up and say a few words and then we’re going to pass Ms. Gold the check and I’m going to ask
every lead person in United Way to when we finish the presentation to go outside so we can take
some photos. And I’m also going to ask that the core team come up front to take some photos
okay right after Ms. Gold responds.
Ms. Gold: We’re so thankful and it is appropriate that we’re here today because you started
out Mayor with a thank you for the city and the employees of Augusta. And so we are on behalf
of the United Way our board led by Scott Peebles, our staff that is so committed and I like Tameka
Allen have a great staff because no one person can make a great impact without a team. And so
on behalf of all of us I want to say thank you to the City of Augusta for this generous contribution.
This is the largest amount that the city has every contributed to the community in terms of
community impact. And so I want to congratulate you and ask you for an applause for yourselves
as well. (APPLAUSE) I just want to say too that we have 24 partner agencies and they provide
46 different kinds of services for the community. It is the most single one way that you can have
a greater impact on the community where you can help so many different people with so many
different causes and so many different issues. And as one of our directors would say we provide
services from the cradle to the grave and so thank you very much. And on behalf of us we will
make sure that money gets the good use next year it will be for funding for beginning in 2018 and
we’re so happy and thankful that you all had the foresight to appoint Tameka Allen to lead this
effort. So thank you so much and thank you for all of those who participated.
Ms. Allen: We’re going to hand out the check, see how Shelly keeps me in line and the
core team if you could come up front please.
Mr. Mayor: Ms. Allen, where I’m from I think the way we say it is (inaudible) ---
Ms. Allen: All we do is win, win, win. (APPLAUSE)
Mr. Peebles: (unintelligible) asked to say something very briefly. On behalf of the United
Way and the CSRA thanks to the city, thanks, Tameka, for your leadership. Leadership does
matter as you can see in this campaign. And I can attest that this money will be put to good use
and those we give it to every penny will be accountable. Thank you. (APPLAUSE)
Ms. Allen: And thanks again, Administration and Commission, for your support. And
thanks, Commissioners, for, you know, now providing support as well in United Way Campaign
and your donations, it means a lot. And again thanks to the team, the core team who did an
awesome, awesome phenomenal job, thank you guys. (APPLAUSE) The dunking party will be
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December 1 so if you don’t have anything to do come join us (unintelligible).
Mr. Mayor: All right, Madam Clerk.
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The Clerk: I call your attention to the Delegation portion of our agenda.
The Clerk:
DELEGATIONS
B. Ms. Latoya Hardman, MSW regarding Continuum of Care of the Homeless.
Ms. Hardman: Hello all. Again my name is Latoya Hardman. I’m also the Executive
Director of Family Promise of Augusta and we get funding from United Way so I’m very, very
happy about that total that you all helped raise. Today I’m here representing the Continuum of
Care, I am the Chairperson and I want to talk to you all really quickly about the Point in Time
Count that is coming up in January. For those who may not know exactly what the Point in Time
is it’s pretty much an annual census that collects data of the needs of people experiencing
homelessness in our community. It is federally mandated so we have to do this every other year
and so volunteers come together and we pretty much go out and try to get that census together of
the number of the homeless we have in the Richmond County area. And we also deal with getting
our different demographics as well where we are doing at that point in time. We count the
unsheltered, sheltered, transitional system along with heating individuals as well. Pretty much the
reason why I’m here today is just to get a recommendation from each Commissioner for each one
of your districts of where we can have a site pretty much like a hub where we can have the homeless
individual come so that we can get a more accurate count. The previous years we’ve been having
individuals or volunteers come and will go out into the community and we feel that the count is
not as accurate as we know it could be so we’re just asking for you all’s recommendation of a
place where you think that we can have a central hub with a faith-based partner. It could be a
community organization or a neighborhood association. It would also help us along with the kind
of give us ideas of how helping with the publication of public awareness and also volunteer
engagements. We need volunteers in order to help this count happen in order to show us the need
in the Augusta area. So we know the holiday time is coming up on Thursday so next week we will
send out an email to the Commissioners and just asking for you to give us feedback on what areas
do you think in your district that we can reach out to, to ask them if they can be a partner with us
to help with this Point in Time Count that we’re doing in January.
Thank you all for your time.
The Clerk:
DELEGATION(S)
C. Mr. William Franke, representing the Pendleton King Park Foundation in reference to
the upcoming lease expirations and possible sale of the PKP.
Mr. Blount: I’m not Billy Franke. Billy Franke’s here with me ---
Mr. Speaker: --- thank goodness it’s not Billy Franke but I’m going to refrain to President
Jim Blount.
Mr. Blount: That’s, I am president of the Pendleton King Park Foundation and I want to
thank ya’ll for this platform to come up and make some information known to the public. I’m here
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with Mr. Rudy Tucker. Him and his wife Denise have a business downtown Humana Tree House.
They’re both members of the Pendleton King Park Foundation, Billy as well and I would love if
you don’t mind the foundation that’s here would you please stand, the foundation, where’d you go
Billy, he left us so, (APPLAUSE) just to let you know who we are. I wasn’t necessarily looking
for applause but thank you, thank you for that. Just to let you know that we are an organization
that was originated in 1966 as a part of establishing Pendleton King Park. It became a 501C3 in
2003 when it became the Pendleton King Park Foundation. We drew up the mission statement
which states, the mission of Pendleton King Park Foundation is to provide financial and other
support to the preservation, maintenance, improvement, promotion and beautification of Pendleton
King Park and as a foundation we’re here to faithfully fulfill the fiduciary responsibilities of the
will. Okay, with that we has a foundation as well as the public. We have, our foundation has
established and input much effort, sweat, time and monies into the park with the understanding
that the park would remain available in totality. 64 acres would remain available to the public in
perpetuity as the will states and that’s why we’re here to try to let you know. And with that we’ve
been able to bolster with some passion in the public and at the same time I’d like for everyone here
that’s a part of the park to remain a park to please stand, so if you’re here and want the park to
remain a park please stand. And if you’ll notice we’re all wearing green so we’re talking about
and thank you very much ya’ll can (inaudible.) (APPLAUSE) I would have a little more support
with them but maybe not. But the park is a greenspace, 64-acres of greenspace that is important
to the community of Augusta. Greenspace is something that’s precious especially when you’ve
got something like we’ve got. You look at the communities around us. Aiken recently broke
ground on a brand-new park, Greenville has done great things, Columbia County’s doing things.
Columbia liked what Greenville did so much they hired the guy that ran that to come to Columbia
to do that. They just blew up the stadium in Atlanta. Part of what’s going back in is greenspace
so greenspace is important and Pendleton King Park is part of the greenspace that’s available here
to the public here in Augusta. Along with that the Foundation has been involved and has helped.
It’s not a fire drill.
Mr. Mayor: Continue.
Mr. Blount: Okay, we have been a part of having things that are first in Augusta. The first
disc golf course was established at Pendleton King Park, the first dog park was established at
Pendleton King Park. We’ve got many things like that, we’re partners with Master Gardners that
come out regularly to do work. The Junior League of Augusta has been out and incorporated the
new playground out there. Art Factory a representative of the Art Factory has seen to it that we
could get new artwork out there. The schools have been involved in creating artwork so there’s
many great things going on on the greenspace that we have out there. We just completed work on
the grant that we received for SPLOST $250,000 dollars of which we raised $50,000 dollars match.
You can go out and enjoy it and look at that. What it’s done is made the park more ADA compliant
so more people are able to go out there and be a part of the park. So we still haven’t been paid for
our part so we can pay for the work that’s been but we’re looking for that to come soon. It’s all in
time and hope to see that check pretty soon. One thing that’s been really kind of or something
that’s a bit important to me we’ve not really done a good job of promoting and that’s the history
of the park, the park, the Foundation. The property originally was John Pendleton King and he’s
the gentleman that created the Georgia Railroad, Georgia Railroad Bank, King Mill. His son Henry
Barkley King is a gentleman who’s will we’re trying to see happen and take place. His son John
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Pendleton King II died at an early age so Henry Barkley King has left his will that would provide
for a park as a perpetual memorial to his son and to whatever else must be sacrificed the park is to
remain. So that’s our crux of what we’re trying to do so in all that the history of the park is what’s,
it’s something I think we need to push for. I made the statement well I can’t substantiate it but I
made the statement there’s more history on that park then there is in the museum here downtown.
I don’t know that for a fact but there is a lot that’s out there. Mr. King in the early days would
walk from his house at the top of the hill down a row of cherry trees, catch a train that’s on the
track down there that would bring him into town. He’d go to work bring it back at the end of the
day and go back home. It’s just little things like that we’re trying to maybe bring out and make a
part of the park down the road. Why am I here? To let my voice of, my voice over the microphone
but anyway our voice of the Foundation be heard and to let you know we believe the park should
remain a park in perpetuity in 64 acres and would love to hear this body vocalize their support of
us in our effort to make sure that happens. Now who are we to make that effort? Well we’re just
one small group. We’re not in negotiations of anything that’s going on. We would happy to be a
part of it if you felt like it would help, if not we don’t mind. But we’re exhausting every avenue
possible to make sure the park remains a park in perpetuity for the public and as well as us to keep
doing it. It’s such a dynamic park and know nothing about any of the parks in the area but if you
look at the way it was constructed it’s not ---
Mr. Mayor: Mr. Blount ---
Mr. Blount: --- I’m sorry.
Mr. Mayor: --- your time has expired.
Mr. Blount: My goodness, okay. Well anyway, thank you for and hopefully ---
Mr. Mayor: Six minutes instead of the customary five, if you’ll remain there. Mr. Blount,
I’d submit to you that this body shares the concern that you have and everyone who’s stood. Based
on again everything that you know that we know I think it’s extremely important that everybody
in the audience and those that are watching by way of internet to know and understand that contrary
to what’s been communicated the city did not start this discussion about it not being a park. Our
position has and continues to be we want this to remain a park in our portfolio of 61-plus parks
that we have in this City of Augusta. It has been part of our Master Plan and it was included in
that for enhancements going forward. And so I think it’s extremely important for everyone in this
audience to know and to understand that there was money that we included or at least we included
that in the Master Plan discussion about investments in the future that we wanted to make at
Pendleton King Park. It has never been the position of this body of this government to do anything
other than that so that untruth needs to be completely remedied ---
Mr. Blount: Part of what we’re trying to do (inaudible).
Mr. Mayor: --- absolutely. So we stand with you. We share that same sentiment, okay?
(APPLAUSE) All right so to that end again your time has expired but to that end our team has
been in discussions with the trustees and want to make sure that’s understood for the record, our
team has been in discussions with the trustees. We believe that we have a immediate path forward
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beyond January 1, 2018. We will know more about that on next Tuesday. We’re going to take
this matter up on Tuesday of next week and it is our hope that the trustees come to the table willing,
okay? And so to those of you that are again in the audience might I submit to you that you engage
the trustees, you know who they are and you encourage them to work with the city, that the city
again sees this as being a very important part of our community’s fabric. Greenspace is necessary
for the overall health and welfare of our citizens. And so to that end that is what we will ask of
those of you in the audience beyond today’s meeting and discussion. Engage those three trustees
and inform them that the city is ready to continue its relationship in a way that’s constructive,
okay? All right, thank you. Are there any questions from this body? All right, thank you.
The Clerk: I call your attention to our consent agenda which consists of Items 1-27, Items
1-27. For the benefit of any objectors to our Planning petition would you please signify your
objection once the petition is read. I call your attention to:
Item 2: Is a request for a Special Exception to establish a healthcare clinic on property
known as 3416 Middleton Drive.
The Clerk: Are there any objectors to this Planning petition? I call your attention to the
Public Service portion of our agenda if there are any objectors to any of our alcohol petitions would
you please signify your objections once the petition is read. I call your attention to:
Item 4: Is a request for a Beer & Wine License to be used in connection with the Super
Express located at 1237 Gordon Highway.
Item 5: Is for a retail package Beer & Wine License to be used in connection with Hola
Convenience Store located at 2517 Milledgeville Road.
Item 6: Is for a retail package Beer & Wine License to be used in connection with the AM-
PM Food Mart located at 1898 Gordon Highway.
Item 7: Is for an on-premise consumption Liquor, Beer and Wine License and a retail Beer
and Wine License to be used in connection with the Spring Hill Suites located at 1110 Marks
Church Road.
The Clerk: Ms. Walton? Item number 28.
Ms. Walton: Okay, it’s a New Ownership Application. This is a request by Hardeep Singh
for a retail package Beer & Wine License to be used in connection with H and A Sales Enterprise
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LLC dba Bodie’s located at 306 13 Street. The Planning and Development Department approved
this application and the Richmond County Sheriff’s Office approved this application.
Mr. Singh: Hardeep Singh, 195 Whitney Street, Graniteville, SC.
Mr. Mayor: Okay all right, yes go ahead.
The Clerk: With no objections to be added to the consent agenda.
Mr. Mayor: Okay, all right.
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The Clerk: Are there any objectors to any of our alcohol petitions including, okay.
Mr. Mayor: All right, so for everybody who’s wondering all we’ve done at this point is
added it to the consent agenda. There are no objectors and we’re going to add it to the consent
agenda.
The Clerk: Our consent agenda consists of Items 1-27 with the inclusion of Item number
28 with no objectors to our Planning petition or alcohol petitions.
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Mr. Mayor: Okay, the Chair recognizes the Commissioner from the 4.
Mr. Sias: Request to pull Item 1.
Mr. Mayor: Are there any other motions to add or remove from the agenda? All right, the
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Chair recognizes the Commissioner from the 8.
Mr. Guilfoyle: Mr. Mayor, I did not know if Commissioner Dennis is going to consent
Item number 34 but I’d like to pull Item number 22.
Mr. Mayor: Okay all right so, can you start over, Commissioner? You referenced Item
number 34 ---
Mr. Guilfoyle: Yes, sir, to be on the consent.
Mr. Mayor: --- that’s probably a good idea. All right, we’ll add that to the consent agenda.
Mr. Sias: I object.
Mr. Mayor: All right, so with objection Item number 22 ---
Mr. Guilfoyle: Yes, sir.
Mr. Mayor: --- you’d like to pull from the consent agenda.
Mr. Guilfoyle: Please.
Mr. Mayor: Okay, all right. Any other motions?
Mr. Guilfoyle: So moved.
Ms. Davis: Second.
Mr. Mayor: Hold on, hold on. All right, the Chair recognizes the Commissioner from the
nd
2.
Mr. D. Williams: We’ll go ahead and consent, Mr. Mayor.
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Mr. Mayor: Okay, all right Item number 4 added to the consent agenda, 34. Okay all right
Items number 1, 22 are pulled, Item 34 is being added Ms. Bonner, is that correct?
The Clerk: Yes, sir.
CONSENT AGENDA
PLANNING
2. Z-17-36 – A Request for concurrence with the Augusta Planning Commission to approve
with the conditions stated below; a petition by Azam Nizamuddin, on behalf of the North
American Islamic Trust, requesting a Special Exception to establish a healthcare clinic as
part of the church activities per Section 26-1 (a) of the Comprehensive Zoning Ordinance
for Augusta-Richmond County affecting property containing 1.6 acres and known as 3416
Middleton Drive. Tax Map 010-0-020-00-0 Continued from October 2, 2017 meeting.
DISTRICT 7 1. Adequate landscape buffering, as determined by the Tree Ordinance, shall
be provided between the subject parcel and adjacent residences to shield residents from any
adverse impact associated with increased traffic at the site. 2. Hours of operation for the
clinic use shall be limited to two Saturdays each calendar month from 8 am to 2 pm. 3.
Labwork shall not be performed on site.
3. ZA-R- 249 – ZA-R-249 – A request for concurrence with the Augusta Planning
Commission to approve a petition to amend to the Comprehensive Zoning Ordinance for
Augusta Georgia by adding to Section 3-A (Outdoor/Street Lighting) the following: 3-A-2
Applicability 1. All new development/site plans must include information regarding installed
street lights and other outdoor lighting. All street lighting must comply with the latest edition
of Augusta’s Street and Road Design Technical Manual and be installed concurrently with
other public utilities.
PUBLIC SERVICES
4. Motion to approve New Applicant: A.N. 17-34: request by Tasneem Hassan Jamil for a
retail package Beer & Wine License to be used in connection with South Pole LLC dba Super
Express #11 located at 1237 Gordon Highway. District 1. Super District 9. (Approved by
Public Services Committee November 14, 2017)
5. Motion to approve New Applicant: A.N. 17-35: request by Padma K. Rana for a retail
package Beer & Wine License to be used in connection with Hola Convenience Store located
at 2517 Milledgeville Rd. District 2. Super District 9. (Approved by Public Services
Committee November 14, 2017)
6. Motion to approve New Ownership Application: A.N. 17-36: A request by Minesh Patel
for a retail package Beer & Wine License to be used in connection with Ramdevpir, Inc dba
AM-PM Food Mart located at 1898 Gordon Highway. District 2. Super District 9. (Approved
by Public Services Committee =November 14, 2017)
7. Motion to approve New Location: A.N. 17-38: request by Bipin Hira for an on premise
consumption Liquor, Beer and Wine License to be used in connection with Augusta Lodging,
LLC dba Springhill Suites located at 1110 Marks Church Road. District 3. Super District
10. (Approved by Public Services Committee November 14, 2017)
8. Motion to approve request by the Planning & Development Department to renew all
existing Alcohol Beverage Licenses, Arcades Licenses, and Adult Entertainment
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Establishment Licenses in the City of Augusta. This will include all Sunday Sales and Dance
Licenses. District 1-8. Super Districts 9 and 10. (Approved by Public Services Committee
November 14, 2017)
9. Motion to approve an amendment to increase the value of the Architectural and
Engineering services contract with Wendel Companies dated March 25, 2013 for the
Construction Administration of a Transit Operation and Maintenance Facility for Augusta,
Georgia. (Approved by Public Services Committee November 14, 2017)
10. Motion to approve the creation of a Task Force with Commissioner Guilfoyle as Chair
and fill the positions for the purpose of revisiting the current ordinances that provides for
the licensing and use of golf cars on public streets in Augusta. (Approved by Finance
Committee November 14,2 017)
11. Motion to approve a request by Jennifer Paulos Lewis for a Massage Operators License
to be used in connection with Cucumber and Mint, LLC located at 461 Highland Ave.
District 7. Super District 10. (Approved by Public Services Committee November 14, 2017)
12. Motion to approve a contract amendment with SKANSKA USA Building Inc. for
Construction Project Management Services for Augusta’s Transit Operation and
Maintenance Facility project. (Approved by Public Services Committee November 14, 2017)
13. Motion to approve a contract with NS Corporation for the purchase of a Bus Wash
System for a fixed price of $227,901.56. (RFP 17-249) (Approved by Public Services
Committee November 14, 2017)
ADMINISTRATIVE SERVICES
14. Motion to approve proposed Lease Renewal for Augusta Aviation, Inc. at Daniel Field.
(Approved by Administrative Services Committee November 14, 2017)
15. Motion to approve a request from Mr. Sonny Pittman, President Elect, Col. William Few
Chapter of the Georgia Society Sons of the American Revolution Patriot regarding the
placement of a grave marking honoring Georgia’s three signers of the Declaration of
Independence in accordance with city policy for placement of markers. (Approved by
Administrative Services Committee November 14, 2017)
16. Motion to approve the request that Suite 1501 of the first floor of the Augusta-Richmond
County Judicial Building John H. Ruffin, Jr. Courthouse be named The J. Richard Dunstan
Lawyers Lounge. (Approved by Administrative Services Committee November 14, 2017)
PUBLIC SAFETY
17. Motion to approve the Agreement with Georgia Emergency Management & Homeland
Security Agency and approve acceptance of the grant award in the amount of $20,000.00
(Grant No. SHO17-012) and authorize the Mayor to execute all required documents.
(Approved by Public Safety Committee November 14, 2017)
18. Motion to approve acceptance of the award of a State grant for the Richmond County
DUI Court to fund a part-time contractor to work as a laboratory technician in the court’s
DUI and Drug Court drug testing laboratory. (Approved by Finance Committee November
14, 2017)
FINANCE
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19. Motion to approve a resolution authorizing the filing of an application with the Federal
Transit Administration (FTA) for a grant under Title 49 U.S.C., Section 5303. (Approved by
Finance Committee November 14, 2017)
20. Motion to approve (1) year renewal of agreement with Corvel, acting as Third Party
Administrator, to provide Worker Compensation Claims Administration services to
Augusta, GA. (Approved by Finance Committee November 14, 2017)
ENGINEERING SERVICES
21. Motion to approve ESD to Utilize the Georgia EPD Local Government Scrap Tire
Abatement Program and Authorize the Administrator and Mayor to execute Agreement and
Required Documents. (Approved by Engineering Services Committee November 14, 2017)
23. Motion to determine that the Alley East of Eleventh Street, One Block South of Telfair
Street and One Block North of Walker Street, as shown on the attached map 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 in otherwise in the best public interest, and to
receive as information the results of the public hearing held regarding the issue of
abandonment pursuant to O.C.G.A. §32-7-2, with the abandoned property to be quite-
claimed to the appropriate party(ies), as provided by law and an easement to be retained
over the entire abandoned portion for existing or future utilities-as directed by Augusta
Engineering Department and Augusta Utilities Department and adopt the attached
Resolution. (Approved by Engineering Services Committee November 14, 2017)
24. Motion to determine that Hebron Court as shown on the attached map 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, pursuant to
O.C.G.A. §32-7-2, with the abandoned property to be quit-claimed to the appropriate
party)ies), as provided by law and an easement to be retained over the entire abandoned
portion for existing or future utilities as directed by Augusta Engineering Department and
Augusta Utilities Department. (Approved by Engineering Services Committee November 14,
2017)
25. Motion to approve the installation of 19 LED street lights along Harper Street between
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15 Street and St. Sebastian Way for the Augusta Medical District. (Approved by
Engineering Services Committee November 14, 2017)
26. Motion to approve award of Construction Contract to Reeves Construction Co. in the
amount of $4,959,790.31 for Resurfacing Various Roads (Richmond Hill, Boykin Rd., Old
Waynesboro Rd., and Gardeners Mill Rd.) as requested by AED. Award is contingent upon
receipt of signed contracts and proper bonds. (Bid 17-243) (Approved by Engineering
Services Committee November 14, 2017)
PETITIONS AND COMMUNICATIONS
27. Motion to approve the minutes of the regular meeting held on November 7, 2017, and
Special Called meeting held November 14, 2017)
PUBLIC SERVICES
28. Motion to approve New Ownership Application: A.N. 17-37: A request by Hardeep Singh
for a retail package Beer & Wine License to be used in connection with H and A Sales
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Enterprises LLC dba Bodies’ located at 306 Thirteenth Street. District 1. Super District 9.
(No recommendation by Public Services Committee November 14, 2017)
PUBLIC SAFETY
34. Motion to authorize the Mayor to execute the FEMA Public Assistance Alternative
Procedures Acknowledgement for Debris Removal associated with Hurricane Irma and the
FEMA Recovery Policy Agreement for Participation for Direct Administrative Costs
associated with Hurricane Irma. (Requested by Commissioner Dennis Williams
Mr. Mayor: Okay all right, we’ve got a motion and a proper second. All those in favor
will vote yea and those opposed will vote no.
The Clerk: I need a motion.
Mr. Mayor: Well, you had that.
Ms. Davis: Commissioner Guilfoyle, who seconded?
The Clerk: You did, okay thank you.
Mr. Fennoy out.
Motion Passes 9-0. \[Items 2-21, 23-28, 34\]
Mr. Mayor: Okay.
The Clerk:
PLANNING
1. FINAL PLAT – Highborne Phase II – S-858 – A request for concurrence with the Augusta
Planning Commission to approve a petition by H & C Surveying Inc., on behalf of TCA,
LLC requesting final plat approval for Highborne Phase II. This townhome subdivision is
located off Waynesboro Road and contains 75 lots. DISTRICT 6 Approval by all Reviewing
Agencies (112-06-2017) under Performance Guarantee with the following conditions: 1.
Show on final plat the width of roadway on all roads; 2. Add 80’ diameter turn around at
the end of Kingman Drive; 3. Streetlights shall be installed and operational prior to
Certificates of Occupancy being issued or during construction of infrastructure per Augusta
Engineering Department Street and Road Technical Manual (current edition)
st
Mr. Mayor: All right, the Chair recognizes the Commissioner from the 1, no I’m sorry
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from the 4.
Mr. Sias: Yes, sir thank you, Mr. Mayor. There’s no requirement for any of addressing
from any contractor or Planning and Development. I pulled this item because I wanted to bring
our attention to the wording in this document, in this agenda item where it says streetlights shall
be installed and operational prior to ---
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Mr. Mayor: Commissioner, would you suspend for a moment? We’re going to let
everybody clear the chamber first. All right continue, sir.
Mr. Sias: --- thank you, sir. I just wanted to bring everybody’s attention to the item in
this particular agenda item where it says streetlights shall be installed and operational prior to
Certificates of Occupancy being issued or during construction of infrastructure per Augusta
Engineering Department Street and Road Technical Manual. I want to thank our city departments
and things, our Planning and Development, City Engineering for allowing us to start moving
forward with streetlights in place prior to folks actually moving into a housing. And that’s been
an issue in Augusta I really want to thank them for moving forward on that and I only pulled this
item just so we could know that we have a development now that has streetlights already in prior
to folks moving in and having to get a petition. Move to approve.
Mr. Frantom: Second.
Mr. Mayor: We’ve got a motion and a second. Voting.
Mr. Fennoy out.
Motion Passes 9-0.
The Clerk:
ENGINEERING SERVICES
22. Motion to approve award of Bid #17-238 for exterior painting for 1840 Wylds Road for
Augusta Utilities C & M Department. (Approved by Engineering Services Committee
November 14,2 017)
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Mr. Mayor: The Chair recognizes the Commissioner from the 8.
Mr. Guilfoyle: Thank you, Mr. Mayor. Tom, I don’t believe you could answer this, this
is probably going to fall underneath the Compliance Department.
Mr. Wiedmeier: Okay.
Mr. Guilfoyle: Do we have anybody from the Compliance, Mr. Mayor?
Mr. Mayor: Not that I’m aware of but ---
Ms. Jackson: I know Ms. Irving is out of town.
Mr. Mayor: --- right yeah, I think she communicated that to all of us that she’d be out of
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town until the 28. And so all right ---
Mr. Guilfoyle: My question, Mr. Mayor ---
Mr. Mayor: --- yeah, direct your question to him if you don’t mind, sir.
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Mr. Guilfoyle: --- my question is we have been, pains taken over the years trying to use
local businesses and then we started this Compliance Department and then we ended up using a
firm out of Tucker, GA which I believe should be the same firm that’s doing Riverwatch with
doing the painting. Would that be correct, does anybody know that answer?
Mr. Mayor: Well, the group that’s out of Tucker who did the Riverwatch railings or should
I say the Riverwalk railings that was a bidded process as you are well aware.
Mr. Guilfoyle: Yes, sir, and it came in higher but we ended up finding the local
participants, local vendors non-compliant. And my question is as we could see it’s $7,280 dollars
more but we had somebody here locally. I was just trying to ask the question what made them
non-compliant?
Mr. Mayor: Well, I certainly am not able to answer that question. What I would ask you
to do again to the degree that you’re holding it up is unless this is an emergency matter why don’t
we just table it. And in fact maybe a proper motion would be for you to, all right the Commissioner
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from the 2 he has the information that’s included in your books that has the appropriate
information that refers to that.
Mr. D. Williams: It’s under the tab ---
Mr. Guilfoyle: Yes, sir.
Mr. Mayor: Tab 22.
Mr. D. Williams: --- it’s down on the bottom it says the following vendors are deemed
non-compliant for not submitting a bid bond, HJB Enterprises and Dream Home Painting. The
following vendors were deemed non-compliant by the Compliance Department, Windsay
Incorporated and Georgia Drywall. And then the following vendors would not respond
(unintelligible), AW Contractors and Pro Painters (unintelligible).
Mr. Mayor: I think you’re (unintelligible) Commissioner.
Mr. Guilfoyle: Can I respond to that, sir ---
Mr. Mayor: Well ---
Mr. Guilfoyle: --- because I think it’s being taken out of context on the reply because the
following vendors were deemed non-compliant for not submitting a bid bond which is HJB
Enterprises and Dream Home Painting. Now the following vendors were deemed non-compliant
by the Compliance Department which is Windsay Inc. and Georgia Drywall LLC but does not give
a reason. Because if you look at the tab above it, the breakout, Georgia Drywall did have an
Attachment B they did have Addendum #1 the did have the (unintelligible) form, they did have
the bid bond but the lowest price $40,000 dollars – non-compliant. So that was the only reason I
was bringing this up.
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Mr. Mayor: All right, so here’s what I’d like for you to do. Why don’t we refer this back
to committee ---
Mr. Guilfoyle: Thank you, sir.
Mr. Mayor: --- then when Ms. Irving is here. So if I can get a motion to that effect that
would be appropriate.
Mr. Guilfoyle: Motion to send it back to committee.
Mr. M. Williams: Second.
Mr. Mayor: All right, we’ve got a motion and a proper second to refer it back to committee,
very good. All right, voting.
Mr. Fennoy out.
Motion Passes 9-0.
Mr. Mayor: All right, Madam Clerk, I want to go to Item number 38, Item number 38.
The Clerk:
ADMINISTRATOR
38. Approve FY 2018 budget for Augusta Georgia.
Mr. Mayor: All right okay, had a lot of work going into this to date and I want to thank
everybody who’s helped work to get it to this point, department directors as well and our Finance
team and I want to make sure we give appropriate enough time today to address any final issues.
All right, the Chair recognizes the Administrator, Administrator Jackson ---
Ms. Jackson: Thank you, sir ---
Mr. Mayor: --- to (inaudible) the budget.
Ms. Jackson: --- there are several documents that I think are being circulated now. We’ve
prepared new budget books based upon the changes that we have agreed upon since the
recommended budget was presented on October 17. We also have a letter summarizing what those
changes are and will be since October 17. I’ll allow staff a few minutes to distribute those materials
and then we’ll walk through exactly what’s different from what you were presented to begin with.
I’ll go over the summary with you and then we can open it up for questions. I believe everybody
has the revised book now, okay I’ll walk you through briefly what sections have changed. Under
Tab 1 there’s our All Fund Sheet. If you see the shaded portion at the very top that just indicates
that the General Fund number has changed and we’ll talk in detail about that, the shadings
represent any changes from the recommended budget. Under Tab 2 you have the Revenue Budget
for 2018. Again on that first page which is Page 1 of 95 are shaded and highlighted changes we
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discussed during the various budget meetings. And under Tab 3 is the Expense Budget if you go
to Page 6 of 88 you will also see Page 5, Pages 5 and 6 of 88 you’ll see shaded entries there
consistent with what we discussed during our budget meeting. So, that in brief fashion is what
you have before you. Everything that’s not shaded should be the same as what was presented in
the recommended budget back in October.
Mr. Speaker: (Inaudible).
Ms. Jackson: On Page 3 I’m sorry, thank you, thank you very much for calling that to my
attention. All right, the Cover Sheet that Chester handed out for you is the summary. I’ll try to go
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through and summarize everything that sort of happened from October 17 forward to bring you
up to date. I’ll just go over that in brief form and then from there we’ll open it up for questions.
The first section just goes through the themes that we discussed at the very beginning, one
investing in ourselves and our employees, two refining financial administrative practices and three
adjusting to new realities. Some of the changes, one of the major changes we proposed which has
already been ratified by the Commission that being the Healthcare Premium Increase; it’ll focus
on wellness. You all graciously approved our recommendations for that and we’re now in the
open enrollment season for the budget per the material changes that you all approved for the plan.
Next on the Page 2 next session I want to highlight three things that were in the proposed
recommended budget. One was holding all of our operations at status quo. That is easier said then
done and we’ll acknowledge because various types of changes are highlighted. Three examples
of those types of changes that are incorporated in this budget one is for things that we cannot abort
such as having an election that’s for the best example I can give you. We don’t have any choice;
we can’t decide not to fund the election so we’ve added some 300-plus thousand dollars for that.
Next, we have some changes associated with the new programs that may have been implemented
during the year such as the campground at Diamond Lakes for instance that was opened up during
the year and of course we have to be prepared to budget the full operations of that. And then next
one of the smaller aspects but affects but in fact smaller departments more so than the larger ones
as they have new employees come in those new employees may have chosen more expensive
health coverage than the previous employees that have caused the increases in their budgets.
We’ve had several departments come to us and tell us that was problematic we will be going
through each department on a case by case basis to determine if any budget adjustments would be
necessary. If they are, we’ll bring those back to you sometime in early 2018 after we get a chance
to review all of those. Next the Fire District Property Tax Increase we had discussed that we just
want to highlight that because that is a major aspect of this budget. We’re looking at a $17.50 per
year increase for the owner of a $100,000-dollar property. Third, we did not talk about this earlier
but it is built into the budget and wanted to make sure I brought this to your attention. Our
Recreation and Parks Department has not adjusted rental fees for various facilities in quite some
time. They are proposing to increase some of these fees which would result into a net estimated
$100,000-dollar increase to their revenue for those facilities. Also during the workshops we
discussed the elimination of vacant full time positions. At the time I presented the recommended
budget I projected elimination of at least 25 positions. Our Human Resources, Finance and
Administrative teams perform a comprehensive review of long-term vacant positions which is to
say those that were vacant for two years or longer. This review identifies 79 positions across all
funds which could be eliminated. In deference to concerns of our department directors we will
review the listing a third time in December and January. If I’ve concluded there’s a need for any
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changes to the list I’ll present you with a revised listing at that time however we’re confident that
we can eliminate up to 2 ½ to 3% of positions in the organization and that would move our
headcount down from 2,842 to 2,763. Also in the last work session, we talked about another option
to update our revenue related to our franchise fees. In the initial recommended budget I presented
an option of imposing an Energy Excise Tax. Instead you all came back and asked us to look at
the idea of increasing our Internal Franchise Fee. I had built it in at 5% from 5% to 5 1/2% for our
internal utilities and you all asked us to take a look at what the revenue would be if we bumped
that up to 6% so we have included that adjustment in the budget. As well we’ve reduced our
Allocation to Fund Balance from $1.1 million to $250,000 and reduced our Contingency from a
million to $750,000. Also per the last discussion we’ve made some adjustments to NGO Funding
which has resulted in a net increase of $30,000 dollars for NGO’s. The net increase after all of
those ups downs and rearranges it’s yielded an additional $492,000 dollars that could be used for
implementation of the Compensation Study and we’re recommending that that be placed in
Contingency for that purpose. Next section I’ve summarized the changes to our (unintelligible) to
the non-governmental agencies which is identified there with that net increase of $30,000 dollars.
We also looked at adjustments for our part-time workers. In fact our PPM requires us to
compensate our part-time workers at the same hourly rate to our full-time workers and we made
that adjustment based upon the new salary levels identified in the comp study so we budgeted
$130,000 dollars for that. In terms of implementation of the Compensation Study after all of the
changes we’ve come back to and expect a $2.8 million-dollars. We started off with $2.3 for comp
study implementation after those changes our recommendation is $2.8 million dollars. As I
indicated, I felt like with more money we could put towards that, the better we could treat our
workforce in accordance with your wishes. With that having been said we’ve done the comp study
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our consultant presented that on November 7At that time it was presented in draft form with the
idea that it would not become the final study until it was adopted by the Commission. Also, I
would like to take a final round of review for that before I present it to you for approval. There
are maybe a few omissions, errors or so forth that need to be corrected in that so we’ll be bringing
that back to you as soon as we’ve reviewed it for, to correct any omissions or errors. In terms of
strategy for implementation for the Compensation Study, I just want to reiterate first 1 ½% increase
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for all employees effective with paychecks that will be instituted on January 19. Next adjustment
to new market minimums for all employees who are currently below the minimums which is to
say anybody in the organization who is currently below the minimum there’s enough money in
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this budget to get them up to minimum effective with the paychecks issued on March 16. And
finally, we have adjustments above the minimum as appropriate for employees with at least 10-
years of service in grades 4-14 which essentially represents the lower half of the classifications in
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our pay table with paychecks that are issued as of March 30. The reason we’ve spread those
dates out is just to give our payroll and HR staffs adequate time to insure they’ve got this right. I
made it clear that you know we can’t afford to have any errors so I want to make sure we’ve given
them adequate time to insure that they have the right compensation levels and they have it properly
uploaded and into the system within the timeframes that are prescribed there. Overall there are
approximately 917 employees that are below the new minimum market levels for their positions
which is to say we’ll increase those up to all 917 up to market minimums. That having been said
that means there are approximately 1,573 employees who are currently being compensated in
accordance with the market if they are in that category to get the 1 ½%. We also obviously have
had extensive discussions about the Sheriff’s Office compensation. As referenced earlier in the
memo regarding our discussions with the Sheriff between the Mayor, Finance and myself, we have
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proposed that the Sheriff’s Office eliminate 30 positions and that that funding could be used
approximately $743,000 dollars in addition to the $860,000 that we had set aside as part of our
$2.8 million for pay adjustments within the Sheriff’s Office. We also had discussed discussion
although admittedly not conclusively about the concept of using reduction in overtime. The Sheriff
anticipates that there will be some reductions in overtime expenses as a result of pay increases that
could also be used to offset the cost of implementation of his pay plan. Overall the General Fund
Budget decreases from $155,165,000 that was in the recommended budget to $154,763,000 as a
result of the decision not to pursue the Energy Excise Tax but in fact make those other adjustments
related to the Franchise Fees and et cetera. Sir, I think that’s an overall summary of where we are
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where we’ve gotten since October 17 and we’ll take questions from here.
Mr. Mayor: Fantastic, Ms. Jackson. I did want to take an opportunity to one, thank you
and our Finance team. When you look back from a historical perspective that a Compensation
Study was done effectively 18-plus years ago there was an opportunity to do something and those
steps were not taken moving forward. But yet we have standing in front of us an opportunity as
you have so eloquently stated a chance to invest in our people and it’s all of our people. It’s not
just Law Enforcement but it is our core employees who everyday help us to deliver on public
services providing for the health, welfare and safety of all our 2 hundred two thousand plus
citizens. And so I want to thank you. I want to thank Donna and the team, I want to thank
everybody who’s had an opportunity to help engage in getting us to this conversation. Again, and
I’ll then want to applaud this Commission for being willing to take it up to not just talk about it
but to take this matter and effectively say we’re going to implement these changes in a constructive
way. So, again kudos to everybody. All right, I’m going in this order, the Chair recognizes the
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distinguished Dean of the Commission the Commissioner from the 9.
Mr. M. Williams: Thank you, Mr. Mayor. I’ve got a couple of questions. I do appreciate
the effort of work from Finance, staff and Ms. Jackson but I’ve got a couple of questions. And I
guess my first question is that the insurance that we just increased in the 1 ½% I think you said
that employees will receive, is that going to offset is that going to be a wash where it really won’t
be a raise? I mean I’m just, I know this is a tough time budget time is always tough but I don’t
want to pretend like I’m doing something that we’re not doing. So, is that ---
Ms. Jackson: Sir, as we ran the numbers it seems like the only employees who could
possibly wind up in a negative position are those employees who did not participate with the
Wellness program and have family coverage. So the choices with the employee the, makes the
decision to go through the Health Risk Assessment Process and participate in the Wellness
Program they will wind up in a positive position like everybody else.
Mr. M. Williams: You know I stated in the other meeting that a lot of people are riding
bicycles now for their health. They’re riding bicycles for transportation and I don’t think with the
Wellness Program means and how we ought to take advantage of that but everybody’s not at that
same level and that really concerns me to that effect. I may switch gears and ask another question.
The reduction that the Sheriff Department’s talking about, how many positions is that?
Ms. Jackson: Thirty is the recommended level.
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Mr. M. Williams: Thirty is the recommended level and that’s going to get us how much
money?
Ms. Jackson: Based upon our calculations that would generate at a minimum of $743,000
dollars that he could use to distribute throughout the organization in accordance with the pay plan
that he presented to you. In addition, we already had identified $860,000 dollars in our budget that
would be devoted to the Sheriff’s Office so you’re looking at approximately $1.5 million dollars.
Mr. M. Williams: I thinking about those vacancies that the Sheriff has and with those thirty
not being filled and you lose some more then he comes back and says I don’t have the manpower
and I can’t hire the manpower because of the cuts we done made. I don’t want to put us in a bad
position, Ms. Jackson, and like I said I didn’t participate a whole lot with this budget but I’m really
kind of nervous about it I guess, that’s the best way to do it. And I’m really concerned as we’re
doing something if we’ve got to face down the road and we ought to be facing it now versus facing
down the line. So, those are my questions, Mr. Mayor (inaudible).
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Mr. Mayor: Absolutely. All right, the Chair recognizes the Commissioner from the 4.
Mr. Sias: Thank you, sir. Mr. Mayor, if you don’t mind my question may be for the
Administrator and the Attorney. The question I have is in our system of compensation for all the
employees, General Fund Employees, specialty employees and employees of elected officials, we
have present pay scale guideline or position number and we are amending that under the
Compensation Study I believe to go from 1 to 34 versus the old one we had that went, I’m going
to just say from 0 to 90. Do all employees regardless of who they work for under their job position
classification as a Lineman 5 or a Lineman 92, are all employees compensated from that pay scale
that pay scale setup?
Ms. Jackson: All employees regardless whether they report to an elected official or not are
part of our Compensation System as it’s currently set up.
Mr. Sias: They are ---
Ms. Jackson: They are.
Mr. Sias: --- they are. So my question then would be say I’m an elected official and I have
an employee or two employees have been reclassified under the Compensation Study from an
Assistant 19 now to an Assistant 10 and that Assistant 10 salary is greater than the salary that I’m
already, that person is already receiving. And under this study we have said that that position 10
should be say $1,500 or $500.00 more. Is that person by legal law allowed to receive that pay or
can I just as an elected official refuse that person that pay under that scale that’s universal to our
entire county?
Mr. MacKenzie: Well, (unintelligible) generally the elected officials do have authority to
set the salaries of their employees however traditionally when additional funding’s made available
to the Commission they have been cooperative in trying to remain consistent with similar positions
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with what we have. But technically each elected official does have the legal authority to set the
salary for the employees that work within their department.
Mr. Sias: Follow up, Mr. Mayor?
Mr. Mayor: You may.
Mr. Sias: So here’s so what I’m trying to get to you said if the funding is made available
to that elected official then if the elected official decides that that person should not receive that
additional compensation that has been granted through the study and the change of position
number, how do we deal with that? Do we create a new pay scale for that individual or that I just
decided I don’t want to receive the additional compensation under the new scale number? Do the
city then obligated to add that additional burden to its Human Resources to create additional
positions? And if I’m not mistaken Mr. Study Man was saying that that was a real bad thing to do
is why we have a scale down scale of things. Now if we wanted to helter skelter go back and
compensate the employees we will create new pay scales that way or new pay categories. So do
you understand my question?
Mr. MacKenzie: I think I do and the way I’ll answer that is there is a way to make
adjustments. There’s something called Red Circling and Green Circling which is part of our
existing procedures which allows for notations to be made with respect to those kinds of anomalies
without making additional adjustments to the pay scales. But there’s a way to do that without
affecting ours. And also mostly what our system is, is it’s a structure and if a department elected
official chooses not to have a salary fall within the recommended ranges on that structure then we
just capture it but we don’t have to create a new structure to accommodate what the decisions are
made by specific departments.
Mr. Sias: Final point, Mr. Mayor. Then in that case to this body if we have folks who do
not want to pay their folks the scale amount that we came to under the Compensation Study by no
means should be give them the additional funding. Thank you.
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Mr. Mayor: The Chair recognizes the Commissioner from the 8.
Mr. Guilfoyle: Can I talk to the Administrator, Mr. Mayor?
Mr. Mayor: You may.
Mr. Guilfoyle: Madam Administrator, under the implementation of the Compensation
Study I’m glad that the staff had, it was able to have $2.8 million-dollars in cutting and holding
people from last years’ numbers to this year. I’m glad we’re taking care of our employees. We’re
also glad that we’re able to take care of our firemen in the Fire Department by increasing the taxes
by up to $1.7 million-dollars which is an additional $52.50 on my personal feeling. My problem
is with the Sheriff’s Department. We give them $860,000 dollars. The Sheriff’s cutting thirty of
his people in order, he’s the only person that’s actually doing the actual cutting just to get the
$860,000, is that right?
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Ms. Jackson: Several departments have experienced cuts that have been incorporated into
the overall budget (inaudible).
Mr. Guilfoyle: Right, the first elimination that you gave us I think it was 29 positions all
together.
Ms. Jackson: We started off at 25, we’re up to 79 at this point.
Mr. Guilfoyle: Okay so the Sheriff is actually taking more of a hit ---
Ms. Jackson: It’s the largest department, sir.
Mr. Guilfoyle: --- oh yes and with the largest department with the salary you can’t, let me
see how to say this politely. You can’t look at the salary study for the Sheriff’s Department in the
State of Georgia because in the State of Georgia with it’s Georgia State Patrol getting an increase
in their salaries is making every Sheriff’s department go up on their rate. Augusta Richmond
County is the only county that has not fully supported the needs and the wants of the Sheriff’s
Department. In three to five years from now he’s going to need them 30 positions back. Where
are we going to be as a city to accommodate that request because without a safe city you don’t
have no city at all.
Mr. Mayor: Well, I want you to answer the first part and then I’m going to answer the
second part about what’s happening across the State of Georgia because that’s not a true statement.
Mr. Guilfoyle: Okay.
Ms. Jackson: In terms of 30 positions the Sheriff was actually in discussion with the Mayor
and myself ---
Mr. Guilfoyle: Yes, ma’am.
Ms. Jackson: --- and agreed to try that and see how that goes. As you know that department
over this year has had over 80 vacanies every month of this year so a reduction of thirty still leaves
him with over 50 positions to fill.
Mr. Guilfoyle: Okay, Mr. Mayor?
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Mr. Mayor: Yeah, so we’re fortunate during the week of October the 11 through I think
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13 we hosted ACCG here and they have been engaging all of 159 counties in terms of trying to
address what the Governor did. I don’t think any of our 535 municipalities across the great State
of Georgia whether it be through GMA or ACCG had the ability to write a $50-million dollar plus
check and pay all of our law enforcement and public safety personnel as the Governor was able to
do. Again, we’re very thankful, very fortunate that our governor had the foresight to do that but it
affectively boxed local governments in in a way that even whether it’s this county or you go to
rural Georgia, they’re unable to do that. You can’t have a starting salary of $47,900 almost
$50,000 dollars that you’re paying law enforcement and public safety personnel. So what has been
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done is that Lt. Governor Cagle engaged the Senate and others across the State of Georgia, ACCG
and GMA, in doing a study of law enforcement compensation. That work is still ongoing. We are
one of a few governments who at least have a capacity to start stepping into how we’re going to
make our law enforcement salaries more competitive. Again, in the conversations I’ve been a part
of with Ms. Jackson, our Finance team and others and the Sheriff’s team that has come over here
on two occasions this has been a collaborative effort and they’ve invested in this conversation and
we’ve invested in this conversation. I think this is the right first step forward. The Sheriff has
consented to that not under duress but he understands that this city is making an effort to
compensate our public safety personnel at a competitive rate. When you look at the numbers, at
the raw data, the data that we have that we’re tracking it says that we are quite frankly starting out
competitive. That number’s roughly about $38,088 dollars when you look at that on par with how
many hours they actually work. And so with these adjustments that are going to be made with the
recommended $1.8 million-dollars that’s here, it gets them even closer to that number of
effectively being $40,000 plus in terms of base pay. That is where we are. That is where the State
of Georgia is. That’s where other municipalities are again across the State of Georgia. There’s
going to continue to be work being done. When this next legislative session convenes that first
Monday in January, the second Monday in January and I think we’ll continue to monitor that.
Mr. Guilfoyle: Can I respond, Mr. Mayor?
Mr. Mayor: I would rather you didn’t but you’re more than welcome to.
Mr. Guilfoyle: Mr. Mayor, let me tell you my intent ---
Mr. Mayor: Okay.
Mr. Guilfoyle: --- it might not happen today, but I know that the first phase of this budget
is just to pass this, and we’ll worry about the money to be distributed I believe it’s on the second
or is all that going to be passed today, Madam Administrator, as far as the Compensation Study
paying out the employees, the Fire Department?
Ms. Jackson: As I indicated the 1 ½% increase would be effective with paychecks issued
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on January 19. As we go back through the Compensation Study with a fine-toothed comb we’ll
bring back the final study for you all’s approval and adoption and we’ll also bring the specific
implementation study being able to tell you at that point exactly how much money goes to each
department in fact each individual in the government.
Mr. Guilfoyle: All right but my intent, Mr. Mayor, if it’s gets down to it and I don’t have
a problem doing it whatsoever I would never have done it on this floor but I’ll be willing to raise
taxes to make sure that our Sheriff’s Department’s taken care of. And it’s only designated for the
Sheriff’s Department because we’ve got our employees taken care of, we got our Fire Department
taken care of but we’ve got to make sure we take care of our Sheriff’s Department.
Mr. Mayor: Well if we, you felt like you had support to do that I will ask this body to
suspend the rules, we’ll draft a motion and we’ll let you do it today.
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Mr. Guilfoyle: (Inaudible).
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Mr. Mayor: The Chair recognizes the Commissioner from the 6.
Mr. Hasan: Thank you, Mr. Mayor. Commissioner Guilfoyle, I concur with you around
that but I think we at this point this year we have been able to pretty much solve the problem where
we don’t have to do that. It would be something maybe considered next year. Based on the
conversation that has Sheriff has had that we had last week as you know the Sheriff and I started
on this side of the room and we ended up over there, we ended up in the same place. Actually
when the budget conversation started actually Ms. Jackson was actually looking at that $2.3, he
was just going to get $750,000 dollars and then we put out there about potentially defunding about
30 positions or cutting about 30 positions but I had 40 and 40 would have got us based on my math
based on what I thought was $34,000 dollars and when you put in the benefits a little over $45,000
dollars would’ve got us to $1.8. As you know Ms. Jackson came back and put some numbers to
it and those numbers came back to be actually that the Sheriff’s people are now making $34,000
dollars based on the numbers of hours that they’re working and they’re making between $36 to
$38,000 dollars. So what we’re giving them right now the Sheriff has agreed that the 30 positions
is fine. If you do 30 times the $50,000 dollars with all the benefits in it it’s actually a million and
a half dollars, it’s not $1.8 so he’s getting an additional $300,000 dollars there. The 30 positions
times $50,000 dollars a year is actually a million and a half dollars. So actually he’s got $300,000
dollars more than the actual positions that he actually cut. So he’s in good shape this year by his
own admission. Do the math.
Mr. Guilfoyle: (Inaudible) math.
Mr. Hasan: Yeah, I know you do so you already ran the numbers so you know my numbers,
my math is right and so he’s $300,000 dollars above at this point and he has accepted this so he
agreed to this.
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Mr. Mayor: All right, the Chair recognizes the Commissioner from the 7.
Mr. Frantom: Thank you, Mr. Mayor. To follow up on my colleague’s recent comment, I
talked to the Sheriff yesterday and he might agree but he’s not happy, let’s just be real about it and
I think the citizens need to know that he’s not happy. He felt forced into this, didn’t feel like the
budget process was pure and that’s how he feels so let’s not try to sugarcoat it at all. My issue
with this budget though goes back to fire tax and we’re going to tax the citizens an extra basically
million dollars of money we don’t even need in the 2018 budget. Now I have no problem we need
the Fire Department, we need to give them the raises, they need $840,000 dollars and benefits well
that’s what the tax needs to be $840,000 dollars plus benefits. It doesn’t need to be $1.7 million-
dollars when we’re talking about fire stations down the road and I think the citizens deserve that.
My second question is to the Mayor what happens if we were not to pass this budget today.
Mr. Mayor: Well, I think in the words of my good friend Casey Cagle I’m going to leave
that up to each and everyone to determine for themselves.
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Mr. Frantom: He’s going to let us determine that I don’t know what that, I mean legally I
mean is there any reason that we have to pass it today?
Mr. Mayor: Statutorily we know that there is a date certain and, Attorney MacKenzie, you
certainly can speak to that, I’m going to yield to you. But again these are good questions. I’m
going to have a better question in a minute.
Mr. Frantom: And my last comment is ---
Mr. Mayor: No, I’m going to let him answer your question. Attorney MacKenzie.
Mr. MacKenzie: (unintelligible) there’s a Section 2-3-6 of the Augusta Georgia Code it
says the budget shall be finally adopted by the Commission at or before the adjournment of the
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regularly called meeting on the 3 Tuesday of the Month of November.
Mr. Frantom: --- so we could adjourn it.
Mr. Mayor: Well, you could but we won’t.
Mr. Frantom: So and my final I guess comment is that when this budget through the
discussions we went, we increased NGO Funding, we talked about no department or no cuts from
up here like the second Administrator’s Deputy. The Mayor mentioned in the meeting my
Brother’s Keeper probably will give him back some money, the Mayor’s budget and even the
Commissioners’ budget. I mean even if you would just take $20,000 dollars from each three plus
the Administrator that’s $200,000 dollars right there. And we haven’t this discussion I have to
throw it on the floor because this budget process we had about 20 minutes of going back and forth
and there was only four of us up here and the citizens deserve better than that, Mr. Mayor, so thank
you.
Mr. Mayor: The citizens, they do deserve better and as you said at one point in time four
of us here and as eleven individuals are free moral agents, have the ability to come and go as you
chose, and I’ve seen that happen on many occasions and in particular at our budget meetings people
came and went as they chose. And I submit to you I was here from start to finish. I didn’t leave I
stayed here to respond to the needs of the general public and I can’t say that everybody else did
that but I was still here, I shut the place down that night. All right, the Chair recognizes the Mayor
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Pro Tem Commissioner from the 3.
Ms. Mayor Pro Tem: Thank you, Mr. Mayor. Can I speak to the Administrator?
Mr. Mayor: You may.
Ms. Davis: As far as the fire tax what Commissioner Frantom brought up is it there and
needs of $840,000 for their pay increases for their for the employees in that department, is that
correct?
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Ms. Jackson: That’s yeah, one of the two challenges facing the Fire Department. Yes the
first is compensating their personnel at market. The next challenge is opening up the new fire
stations that we know are coming up soon and so I mean we could do a smaller, theoretically yes
you could do a smaller millage increase now but you’re going to have to come back and do another
one later on in order to accommodate those new stations so we thought it wise to do it once and
get it out of the way.
Ms. Davis: When you say later on, though, where do we think we are, we talking about a
year or two?
Ms. Jackson: The following year.
Ms. Davis: That is one area that I’m struggling with too because I know Commissioner
Guilfoyle said he would be entertaining an idea of raising taxes for the Sheriff’s Department so
we’re kind of doing the same thing here ---
Mr. Mayor: (Unintelligible) conservative ---
Ms. Davis: --- so we’re kind of doing the same thing here though is my point to help with
the pay increases for the Fire Departments so I’m not in favor of the whole one half, right now it’s
the one-half mill. I’d almost be more in favor if we do have a consensus up here to raise this mill,
that we do what we need now and hopefully a year from now something is different as far as
revenue. I know we can’t predict that but that’s just what I have a hang up with right now.
Mr. M. Williams: Comment, Mr. Mayor?
Mr. Mayor: Hold on a second I want to make sure that we give the distinguished lady all
the time she needs.
Ms. Davis: That’s just what I’m having an issue with right now because we are talking
about, well, you know we need more money for the Sheriff’s office and I know that this is their
right now the only thing that we’re saying can get the Fire Department their raises like we’re doing
across the board with everyone else in our city government. But I know we’re saying down the
road we need this extra what close to $1 million-dollars. If we decide that this is the only thing
we could do was to raise this tax, I’m just not in favor of the whole 1.75.
Mr. Mayor: I understand.
Ms. Davis: It’s like there’s still some unknowns in there as far as the cost for the new fire
departments and operations.
Mr. Mayor: Yeah, well you know again I’m going to yield to the Administrator and to our
Finance Director. We know what fire stations have cost us in previous dollars and in previous
years that information is readily available. We know that you know and I’m not certainly
suggesting that this is fact the case but with our new certification for our fire department it should
cause the end user to have a decrease in their insurance which is a good thing. And so again to the
27
degree that this is what’s being proposed there are as always in government tradeoffs. I think
there’s a debate going on right now in Washington about pros and cons of healthcare and whether
there’s a middleclass tax cut or mill tax class increase. These are tough decisions they are and they
are tough decisions because at the end of the day you want to do what’s right for the people. You
want to do what’s in the best interest for the people and you always try to do the most good, try to
do the most good and these decisions are tough, they are. And that’s why your citizens or your
constituents elected you in your districts. They said you’re going to go down there and make the
tough decisions for me. Sometimes I may agree with you, sometimes I’m going to disagree with
you but it doesn’t change the fact that your citizens your constituents elected you to make the tough
decisions.
Ms. Davis: Mr. Mayor ---
Mr. Mayor: Ms. Mayor Pro Tem.
Ms. Davis: --- did we have any idea of what the possible savings could be with the new
ISO rating?
Ms. Jackson: It’s hard to estimate. Each insurance company may treat that differently as
well as other factors go into it such as your credit history and you know various other, your
neighborhood, you know various other things that they consider so they are very hesitant to tell us
what the savings would be.
Ms. Davis: Thank you.
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Mr. Mayor: All right, the Chair recognizes the Commissioner from the 9.
Mr. M. Williams: Thank you, Mr. Mayor. Along the lines you were just speaking about
we’re planning fire stations and ISO ratings and we ought to at least know what we’ve got to do
before budget season comes and say now we need the money. Now we planned these fire stations
before budget time. We should’ve known what we had or will need before this day got here. I’m
a little bit concerned as well when we add that $17.50 I think you said when the ISO rating ought
to be coming down and we don’t know what that is, we’re really putting a heavy burden I think.
Someone mentioned about raising taxes and I’m not in favor of raising taxes. I think if you’re
going to raise taxes you ought to raise them to the magnitude we can do something that’s going to
be effective and not keep coming back every two years or every other year. The other thing I’ve
got a problem with Mayor Pro Tem she said something that really stuck in my mind that where are
we generating the revenue from? I mean I’ve been preaching just about trying to get economic
development. I don’t see nothing in this budget that’s going to help for us to get no money into the
city so if we don’t have a way of getting money in there ain’t but one thing to do and that is to
raise taxes and I’m not up to that. So, it bothers me when we wait every year and get to this point
and don’t know what to do. We stick our heads in the sand and like when we pull it up it’s going
to be gone but it’s going to be right here looking at us when we’re finished. Mr. Mayor, maybe
you can answer that.
Mr. Mayor: Would you please restate the question, sir?
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Mr. M. Williams: Economic impact that this budget’s going to have for this city to draw
to bring money in, do you see anything in there that’s going to help us ---
Mr. Mayor: Well ---
Mr. M. Williams: --- get better than where we are?
Mr. Mayor: --- well you know if I was at the Wharton School of Business they would
probably talk about it from this prospective that there are two things there’s economic growth and
then there’s economic development. The growth is the bricks, the mortars those things that you
see going up. The development is where people’s incomes change, where’s there’s a distribution
and an advancement of wealth and as such again in the previous 18 years based on what you all
have told me from the historical perspective this has not happened sans the 2% that we gave
everybody last year or 2015, okay 2016 there was a 2% increase and that was effectively just a
cost of living adjustment. Then in the re-org of 2011 again I’m talking from a historical perspective
there were certain individuals who received increases. That did not happen unilaterally across the
entire organization. But in this budget, Commissioner Williams, you are making a decision that
you are taking your employees and you’re going to put them in a better financial position. When
you look at the fact that we are a city with effectively 26.9 plus percent poverty, we have rampant
poverty in this city and much to my chagrin and I’m sure yours as well many of those employees
who work for this government are at or below poverty. What we’re now saying is we’re going to
make a decision to invest in them, a decision that should’ve, could’ve , would’ve happened at least
18 years ago but it didn’t. And now you’re saying that we’re going to make a decision collectively
even if we feel bad about it, even, Ms. Bonner, if in making the sausage as this often times referred
to doesn’t look good, doesn’t feel good but it does taste good on Saturday morning when it’s cold
outside and I’m able to eat a buttermilk biscuit to go along with it. That’s what’s happening right
now, Commissioner. It’s a tough decision. It is. It’s our tough decision and may require making
decisions in motion with the data that you have available to you. I think that if the Finance Director
was speaking and will tell you that we’ve seen an uptick in sales tax collections over the last couple
of months but prior to that we were flat and that things were looking a little suspect or shaken I
think we would say at that point in time we’d make a different decision. But I’m very optimistic
about Augusta, I wouldn’t bet against Augusta.
Mr. M. Williams: Mr. Mayor, I’m with you. I’m not betting against Augusta but I’m a
realistic person. When I look at other cities and I see what other cities are doing, they’re not
compared to this city and you’re talking about their economic impact from two angles. My
question has always been what are we doing compared to other cities. Don’t look across the bridge
in North Augusta but just anywhere what other cities are doing that we are not doing to get to
generate funds or to create a reason for folks to come to our city. Now unless we’re going to raise
taxes, unless we’re going to do the same thing and you’re talking about making sausages but if we
ain’t got no butter or milk you ain’t going to do nothing but eat meat by itself. So, my point is that
I’m hoping that we will see how cities across the United Sates are thriving and what they’re doing.
If it works in Waynesboro, it works in Millen, it works in North Augusta, it’ll work in Augusta but
we’re not doing the same thing but we expect the same thing.
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Mr. Mayor: Well let me, I’ll summarize it this way and it’s a good you know this is a good
fireside conversation. I was in Oakland and San Francisco a couple of weeks ago and the Mayors
who were there they said you guys are killing it in Augusta, I wish we had the things going on in
our city that you have going on in your city. When you look at, again we’re all excited about
what’s going on in North Augusta with our friends over there Mayor Bob Petit and you know the
$120 million-dollar, you know, project Jackson Park. But this body just made a decision to support
two projects, two projects in the last two weeks that total, that rival Project Jackson. That’s just in
the last two weeks. If you take and include the fact that Starbucks in expanding and doubling to
the tune of $130-million, that’s the reason why you come to Augusta, that’s the reason why you
want to live in the city. When you couple that with the fact that again this body agreed to support
EdenCrete we’re going to have a global manufacturing headquarters in our industrial park called
EdenCrete where what we commonly refer to as concrete will be developed and made here and
it’s going to be sold across the world so those are reasons why. I think from an entertainment
perspective and you know from a tourism perspective, we haven’t hit our stride yet but again
you’re going to get there, we’re going to get there. All right, the Chair recognizes the
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Commissioner from the 4.
Mr. Sias: Thank you, Mr. Mayor. We’ve had a number of budget meetings, budget
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hearings and I’m very disappointed that we get to this point as the saying goes at the 9 hour and
then we start hemming and hawing about the decisions that we need to make. I made sure I was
available to come to all the hearings to be a part of all the discussions and be prepared to make a
decision. And I think it’s time for us to make the decision and stop hem/hawing around. So, I’m
ready to call for the question Mr. Mayor, thank you.
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Mr. Mayor: All right, the Chair recognizes the Commissioner form the 8.
Mr. Guilfoyle: I’m sorry, Mr. Mayor. Could we have Donna come up and speak in regards
to my intent?
Ms. Williams: Yes, sir.
Mr. Guilfoyle: Donna, as far as if I just wanted to raise the taxes just designated for the
Sheriff’s department when can that be done?
Ms. Williams: July. You cannot set the millage rate until after you’ve gone through the
procedure which publishes your digest, sets your five-year history and then you come back and
you set the millage rate at that particular time. If you wanted to today you really couldn’t set the
mill rate. You could say just like you’re doing now that you may propose to have to increase or
you may have to do this and that’s all, I mean that’s just the way the process works. That’s the
timing.
Mr. Guilfoyle: So come July the bills go out in September, we get paid November,
December usually some of us pay to get that little discount and we backpay him to where he could
substantiate paying his workforce to where he’s not losing because he’s going to be at the shortfall
come the end of next year.
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Ms. Williams: We do that as a regular occurring item because we know our tax collections
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don’t come in until the 4 quarter of the year. We’ve scheduled our outflow, our cash flow,
through the year so that is not a hindrance. We have sufficient reserves coming in through the
year. We have income plus reserves that carries us through the point of our tax collections without
causing an impact on any department. Once you set the budget, we have sufficient cash flow to
implement anything that is included in that budget on a regular operational basis.
Mr. Guilfoyle: Thank you, Donna.
Ms. Mayor Pro Tem: Commissioner Sias.
Mr. Sias: Move to approve the budget as presented.
Mr. Hasan: Second.
Ms. Mayor Pro Tem: Okay, any other discussion? Commissioner Sias, Commissioner
Fennoy had requested if we come to a motion on this item he wanted to be called in so Madam
Clerk is going to call him in for a vote.
Mr. Sias: Thank you, Madam Mayor Pro Tem, thank you.
Mr. Roundtree: (inaudible).
Ms. Mayor Pro Tem: All right, Sheriff, hold on one second.
Mr. Roundtree: (inaudible) you may vote the way you like (inaudible) this discussion
(inaudible).
Ms. Mayor Pro Tem: Thank you, Sheriff.
Mr. Mayor: Okay, all right, I don’t have a question for you, Sheriff. The Commissioner
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from the 3 was just bringing me up to speed on where we were. Okay all right, is the
Commissioner on the line ---
The Clerk: Yes.
Mr. Mayor: --- okay. All right, we’ve got a motion and a second. Was there a proper
second?
The Clerk: Yes, sir.
Mr. Mayor: Okay all right, voting.
The Clerk: Commissioner Fennoy, I need your vote.
Mr. Fennoy: I support the budget.
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The Clerk: Okay.
Mr. Mayor: He votes yes.
The Clerk: He votes yes.
Mr. D. Williams, Mr. Sias, Mr. Jefferson, Mr. Hasan and Mr. Fennoy vote Yes.
Ms. Davis, Mr. Frantom, Mr. Guilfoyle and Mr. G. Smith vote No.
Mr. M. Williams abstains.
Motion Fails 5-4-1.
Mr. Mayor: Okay all right, is he still on the line, Ms. Bonner?
The Clerk: Yes, sir.
Mr. Mayor: Okay all right, we’re going to stand in recess for five minutes. All right, the
Chair will entertain a motion to reconsider.
Mr. Hasan: Motion to reconsider.
Mr. G. Smith: Second.
The Clerk: Okay, motion to reconsider, sir ---
Mr. Sias: The budget, right?
The Clerk: --- item number 38.
Mr. Mayor: All right, we’ve got a motion and a proper second for the Commission to
reconsider its action. All right, voting.
Mr. Frantom votes No.
Mr. M. Williams abstains.
Motion Passes 8-1-1.
Mr. Mayor: Okay all right, I want to take a moment to address something and I think the
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Sheriff has communicated to the Commissioner from the 6 and maybe some others. There seems
to be some confusion about this issue of the 30 positions. Now on multiple occasions we’ve
communicated in meetings with the Sheriff that we’ll be defunding those positions. I’m not quite
sure where there’s a disconnect at but that’s what we’ve said in meetings with he and his staff and
that is a posture that we’re in and we’re defunding those positions so I’m not quite sure where the
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confusion is. The Chair recognizes the Commissioner from the 6.
Mr. Hasan: Thank you, Mr. Mayor. Mr. Mayor, I just wanted to let it be known as my
colleague said from the floor in my brief conversation with the Sheriff here that is his major
32
concern per his conversation with yourself and the Administrator that he would not like to see
those positions eliminated. He prefers for us to defund those positions for the 2018 budget process.
Mr. Mayor: I think we talked about that. I’m not quite sure where the confusion’s at but
and the $2 million that I was a part of that’s what we said. All right, here’s our posture. We have
a Special Called Meeting that we must address for a real estate matter. We’re going to suspend
the Commission meeting and then we’re going to go into a Special Called Meeting. The Chair
recognizes Attorney MacKenzie.
Mr. MacKenzie: Sure I think it would be appropriate to call to order the Special Called
Meeting and we have a proposed motion as well.
Mr. Mayor: Okay, all right, call to order Special Called Meeting.
\[SPECIAL CALLED MEETING IS HELD\]
Mr. Mayor: All right, we’ll call this meeting back to order. This body has moved to
reconsider ---
The Clerk: (unintelligible).
Mr. Mayor: --- okay, we moved to reconsider our action concerning the budget. All right,
there’s been some movement and we are prepared to move forward with that at this time. There
were a few sticking points. We’ve had an opportunity to make some adjustments and we think
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there may be some movement. All right, the Chair recognizes the Commissioner from the 4.
Mr. Sias: Thank you, Mr. Mayor, and I want to say thanks to my colleagues, yourself
the Sheriff, the Administrator, Finance people as we move to work through this process. So,
I want to make the following motion for our 2018 budget is that we accept the 2018 budget
as presented by the Administrator with the following changes: reference the Sheriff’s Office
we would change the word eliminate to defund. We would also provide $1.876 million dollars
for his salaries. Also, we will adjust the Fire tax to one-quarter mill instead of a half mill.
Mr. Hasan: Motion to approve.
Mr. Speaker: Second.
Mr. Sias: That was the motion.
Mr. Hasan: I’m sorry, I second the motion.
Mr. Mayor: All right, we’ve got a motion and a proper second. All right, Madam Clerk,
let’s get the callers first.
The Clerk: Did you all hear the motion?
33
Mr. Fennoy: That he’s going to amend the budget, yeah, I heard it.
The Clerk: Okay. Ms. Davis, did you hear it?
Ms. Davis: Yes, ma’am.
The Clerk: Okay, thank you.
Mr. Mayor: All right.
The Clerk: When they get ready to vote then I’ll ---
Mr. Mayor: All right, are they ready?
The Clerk: --- (unintelligible).
Mr. D. Williams, Ms. Davis, Mr. Fennoy, Mr. Jefferson, Mr. Hasan, Mr. Guilfoyle, Mr. Sias
and Mr. G. Smith vote Yes.
Mr. Frantom votes No.
Mr. M. Williams abstains.
Motion Passes 8-1-1.
Ms. Davis: Madam Clerk ---
The Clerk: Yes, ma’am.
Ms. Davis: --- can you call when the Regency Mall?
The Clerk: Yes, ma’am, do you want to hold on?
Mr. Mayor: Why don’t you just hold, we’ll take it up right now.
The Clerk: Hold on, we’re getting ready to address that item.
Ms. Davis: Okay.
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Mr. Mayor: Madam Clerk? Okay the Chair recognizes the Commissioner from the 4.
PUBLIC SERVICES
29. The possibility of building the new Civic Center Arena at the old Regency Mall site was
very exciting for many residents living in South Augusta. The old mall property has been a
constant eyesore for more than two decades. Therefore, it is easy to see why the interest was
sky high. The efforts of the Mayor to facilitate a revitalization of this area deserves
commending. However, the time for a hard decision reference this project site is well past
due, therefore I am presenting the following resolution: Move to approve if an acceptable
agreement is not reached by 11:00 PM on Thursday, November 30, 2017 the Augusta
34
Coliseum Authority should move forward and select another site for the arena. (Requested
by Commissioner Sammie Sias)
Mr. Sias: Thank you, Mr. Mayor. As we move forward with this agenda item one of the
things I want to make clear in my concept and process as far as addressing this agenda item I did
no interviews, nothing with the press. I wanted my intention to be absolutely pure as far as the
addressing the situation of Augusta-Richmond County and our taxpayers. The possibility of
building the new Civic Center Arena at the old Regency Mall site was very exciting for many
residents living in South Augusta. That includes myself as well. The old mall property has been
a constant eyesore for more, approximately two decades. Therefore, it is easy to see why the
interest was sky high. The efforts of the Mayor to facilitate a revitalization of this area deserves
commending (unintelligible) commendation. However, the time for a hard decision reference this
project site is well past due, therefore I am presenting the following resolution. And let me make
clear this resolution is not to tell the Coliseum Authority what to do but to give them an idea that
this decision needs to be made and possibly may have some understanding of what this body’s
willing to tolerate. There have been many, many meetings reference this subject and I have
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participated in some meetings and I didn’t ask my colleague from the 7 for permission. We need
to do this for the citizens of Augusta-Richmond County. I move to approve if an acceptable
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agreement is not reached by 11:00 PM on Thursday, November the 30 2017 the Augusta
Coliseum Authority should move forward and select another site for the arena. Thank you, Mr.
Mayor.
Mr. Hasan: Second.
Mr. Mayor: Okay, all right, I’ve got a motion and a second. The Chair recognizes the
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Commissioner from the 5.
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Mr. Jefferson: Thank you, Mr. Mayor. I agree with my colleague from the 4 that this has
rocked on long enough but the Coliseum Authority meets once a month; we meet weekly. And
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where I feel that this needs to be brought to a close I just feel that November the 30 2017 at 11:00
o’clock is not a realistic timeframe. I know that it’s been going on for a while but they wasn’t hit
with an ultimatum or a timeline. I would like to make a countermotion to extend this to, a substitute
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motion to extend this to January 30 That way it will give us time to get the holiday season out
of the way and I don’t know what their meeting schedule is going to be like. I’m not saying this
of my colleague but there are some people that will put this thing to rest because they are anti-
Regency Mall site not necessarily because they want to put it to rest but this is a way to put that
site off the table. So I would like to make a substitute motion that we give them at least to the end
of January to make a decision.
Mr. M. Williams: I’ll second that again on the floor, Mr. Mayor, but ---
Mr. Mayor: All right, I’ve got a substitute with a proper second, okay? All right, I’m
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going to go down to I’m going to come back this way to the Commissioner from the 9 I’m going
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to the 8 and I’ll come back to you okay?
35
Mr. Guilfoyle: Mr. Mayor, you know Regency Mall in the beginning was a good site and
hopefully it will be a good site for somebody here in the future. I’ve been patiently waiting for
information and the only information I’ve got on the Civic Center was no different than what the
general public has. I was trying to find out the financials on this before I could really look into
this to digest it because everything works off financials, investments, returns, liabilities, guarantees
from the developer. And so what I did was spent the past couple weeks just looking at that first
offer come up with that number. The second offer of the late of last two weeks ago I was able to
compile some numbers from the Triple Net Lease to paving, asphalt removing, regrade asphalt,
parking lights, $123 total landscaping as well as the tax abatements. I got a copy for each and
every one of my colleagues and this based on from the distributers to contractors to engineers to
financials but, you know, we could get a more accurate because it’s no different that what this
body had told Hawthorne Welcher when he was bringing the foundry before us, quit bringing it to
us in pieces. Bring it to us in one whole form to where we could look at it from the prospect of
the financials, the guarantees and all. So, whatever the Civic Center Coliseum Authority does I
would ask them to bring the financials with it instead of bringing it in piecemeals and I will share
this information with my colleagues.
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Mr. Mayor: Okay all right, the Chair recognizes the Commissioner from the 9.
Mr. M. Williams: Thank you, Mr. Mayor. I agree with both my colleagues in the time
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restraint that we put on this thing. Like the Commissioner from the 5 said that I think people
want to just kill the location more so than the idea. There’s nothing that I can think of that would
have a greater impact than using that facility for a James Brown Arena or a James Brown Museum.
There’s nothing that I can think of unless we move the Augusta National down in that corner it’s
going to have more impact than that. I don’t care what the Coliseum Authority decides. We are
the deciding factor up here. They’re not the deciding factor. We appointed them to be able to, to
the Coliseum Board. So I’ve got some issues with that when I hear that kind of language but to
move forward and to grow our city we can’t do everything downtown. And I heard the news and
I seen some of the articles about people saying that’s not a good location but neither was the
baseball stadium was a good location in North Augusta but they made it out of a good location
because they did something that’s going to wow the community and when you look at it it’s really,
really different, it’s nice and if we did the same thing and quit straining on camels and straining
on gnats and swallowing camels, I think it’s the way it goes, still looking at what could be there
we’re always looking at what can’t be there. So the site is not the problem. I think the site is a
good site, I think the site will work. What I had a problem with it and I hadn’t been in any
conversation like my colleague with anybody about it except the letter that I got, Mr. Mayor, that
you had proposed about the two offers. So we needed to be in negotiation and talk about how we
can do this. It won’t happen over night. I don’t think it’s going to happen in 30 days but I think
we need to make sure that if we spread the wealth so to speak and don’t just sit in one area looking
at what we could’ve done. There’s nothing I can think of, maybe somebody else on this board
might know that you can come up with, that’s going to have a greater impact than what we could
do at that location with the James Brown Arena and build in a real arena not just a building and
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put it in and call it an arena that we’ve got down on 7 Street. But that’s what we did. We call
that a James Brown Arena but it’s really not a James Brown Arena. There’s no pictures. There’s
only one sign that a high school student looked like they wrote outside to say James Brown Arena.
There’s no photographs, there’s no music, there’s no lights, there’s nothing going on in that
36
building except the name, Mr. Mayor. So I believe I really believe if you build a real James Brown
Arena that people will come just to see that if you build one to that magnitude. So, whether we
move it next week or next month wherever you’re going to move it I think that there’s a hidden
agenda to focus off of that area, that’s the whole thing, that’s the real deal right there. It ain’t
nothing about nothing else it's about the real deal. Now I don’t agree and I said this publicly to
the media I love the location and I think it could really be great. If we did enough positive stuff
there all the negative stuff would have to go. In fact it would disappear before you get there if you
build enough positive stuff. But if you just put a building there and call it and walk away from it
it'll be just like we got downtown. Now who in their right mind ever put that facility between two
railroad tracks in the beginning needed some work on their heads when they did that. Now we’re
going to add to that knowing what we already experienced with that before. We’ll be able to
change like the person who come up with it initially, Mr. Mayor. So I can support the substitute
motion change it to another deadline but not abandoning the idea of going over there.
Mr. Mayor: All right, I’ve got a motion a substitute motion with a proper second. All
right, that substitute motion is to amend the date to January 30, 2018, voting.
Mr. Fennoy: Now what are we voting on?
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The Clerk: The substitute motion to revise the date to Tuesday, January 30 2018 that’s
the substitute motion. The original motion is to have an agreement reached by Thursday,
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November 30, 2017, we’re on the substitute motion now.
Mr. Fennoy: Okay I’ll vote for the substitute.
The Clerk: Okay.
Ms. Davis: And I’m a no vote.
The Clerk: Okay, all right.
Mr. Sias, Mr. Guilfoyle, Mr. Hasan, Mr. Frantom, Mr. Guilfoyle and Mr. G. Smith vote No.
Mr. Jefferson, Mr. M. Williams and Mr. Fennoy vote Yes.
Motion Fails 3-7.
The Clerk: Okay, that motion failed. The original motion an acceptable agreement by
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11:00 PM on Thursday November 30, 2017.
Mr. Mayor: All right, voting.
The Clerk: Okay, how are you voting on that one?
Ms. Davis: No.
The Clerk: Mr. Fennoy?
37
Mr. Fennoy: No.
Mr. Jefferson, Mr. M. Williams and Mr. Fennoy vote No.
Motion Passes 7-3.
Ms. Davis: Madam Clerk ---
The Clerk: Yes, ma’am.
Ms. Davis: --- I’m going to have to go.
The Clerk: All right, hope you feel better.
Ms. Davis: Thank you. Thank you. Bye, bye.
The Clerk: Bye.
Mr. Fennoy: Have a good Thanksgiving, Mary.
Ms. Davis: Thank you.
The Clerk: What about the rest of us?
Mr. Fennoy: (inaudible).
The Clerk: We just asked what about the rest of us.
Mr. Fennoy: I ain’t hanging up.
The Clerk: Okay, no, sir, all right then.
Mr. Fennoy: (inaudible) to the end.
The Clerk: Okay, all right then. Where are we headed, sir?
Mr. Mayor: I think there’s a gentle lady sitting in the audience. Item number 35.
The Clerk:
FINANCE
35. Consider a request from Mavel Wings LLC, regarding a refund of the penalties in the
amount of $7,327.94 on their business personal property tax bill. (No recommendation from
Finance Committee November 14, 2017)
38
Ms. Margedant: Thank you again for seeing me. As requested last week in the committee
meeting my client has taken care of paying their tax bill in full including the penalties and they are
again requesting a refund of those penalties for the business personal property tax.
Mr. Mayor: Would you state for the record your name again, ma’am?
Ms. Margedant: I’m sorry yes, my name is Beth Margedant. I’m a CPA representing Mavel
Wings.
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Mr. Mayor: All right, the Chair recognizes the Commissioner from the 7, Finance Chair.
Mr. Frantom: Thank you, Mr. Mayor. Is anyone here with Mr. Ross’ department to speak
on this? I was given information that we’ve never given money back in this area before. Can you
confirm that in this way for a late file?
Ms. Melanie Oglesby: I’ve been here for 40 years so, yes, I have seen this happen before.
Mr. Frantom: You have seen it, okay.
Ms. Oglesby: Not a lot but I have seen it, yes.
Mr. Frantom: Okay, thank you, Mr. Mayor.
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Mr. Mayor: The Chair recognizes the Commissioner from the 8.
Mr. Guilfoyle: As far as this is a state issued fee ---
Ms. Oglesby: Yes, sir.
Mr. Guilfoyle: --- how many times have we reached out to the property owner?
Ms. Oglesby: Actually the Georgia Code, they file a return from January 1 to April 1.
They failed to do that. We get listings from Bush Field Airport as well as Daniel Field. They were
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on the list. They were sent a letter July the 2 requesting that they file a return on this aircraft. We
heard nothing from them. So we, staff prepared a return for them and gave them 45 days to appeal
that. We never heard anything. And today we still do not have a return from them just the one
that we the staff prepared in the office.
Mr. Guilfoyle: Would you like to respond?
Ms. Margedant: I would like to respond. My firm was unaware of the communication
from the Assessor’s Office, That does not excuse the lack of response, however, had we received
a copy from our client or from the county because we have been representing FPL Foods which is
the affiliate company with Mavel Wings for many years and submitted property tax returns for all
of those FPL locations for many years as well. This was the first year that the plane was purchased
by Mavel Wings and as a result, unfortunately, the filing was missed. We are not disputing the
39
tax in any way, shape or form which is honestly why a return was not submitted at the time that
we received an assessment and late filing or non-filing penalty. At the time I did reach out to the
Assessor’s Office to start communication with the Assessor’s Office about how we can go about
potentially requesting a reprieve or a refund of those penalties which is what brings us here today.
Mr. Guilfoyle: What is staff’s recommendation?
Ms. Oglesby: We’re governed by the Georgia Code and if I may read the Georgia Code
48-5-299. In all cases which unreturned personal property is assessed by the Board after the time
provided by the law for making tax returns has expired the Board shall add to the assessment of
the property a penalty of 10% which shall be included as part of the taxable value for the year.
The Board of Assessors has no authority to extend the deadline so we’re following Georgia law.
Mr. Mayor: Did you just say the state, you just indicated that you have no legal right to
usurp the authority of the state?
Ms. Oglesby: To extend the deadline of filing.
Mr. Mayor: That’s correct ---
Ms. Oglesby: Yes, sir.
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Mr. Mayor: --- okay. Okay the Chair recognizes the Commissioner from the 4.
Mr. Sias: Thank you, Mr. Mayor. Ma’am, what’s your name again?
Ms. Margedant: Beth Margedant.
Mr. Sias: Ms. Beth ---
Ms. Margedant: Yes.
Mr. Sias: --- okay did you bring proof to this body that the attached bill has been paid in
full including the penalty?
Ms. Margedant: I have and I provided it ---
The Clerk: It’s in your book, sir.
Ms. Margedant: --- I provided it with our request to be ---
The Clerk: It’s in your agenda book.
Ms. Margedant: --- her today ---
Mr. Mayor: Tab 35.
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Ms. Margedant: --- but I do have a copy of it with me as well.
Mr. Sias: Thank you, ma’am.
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Mr. Mayor: All right, the Chair recognizes the Commissioner from the 9.
Mr. M. Williams: Mr. Mayor, I think in the committee meeting we asked this young lady
to go and pay that penalty and the whatever amount that was due then come back. Now if we
wasn’t going to refund, why did we instruct her to go and pay and then come back to the full
Commission? So to me that was the instruction I heard sitting here that she was to go and to pay
it in full and then bring us something back which is in our book that it had been done. So if that’s
not what we’re going to do then we were wrong within ourselves to give her those instructions,
Mr. Mayor.
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Mr. Mayor: Understood. The Chair recognizes the Commissioner from the 5.
Mr. Jefferson: Thank you, Mr. Mayor. It’s my position just like my taxes with the IRS
and the State of Georgia, you know, if I don’t meet the deadline I have to pay the penalty. So, I’d
like to make a motion to accept the recommendation of the department to assess the penalty.
Mr. Frantom: Second.
Mr. Hasan: Mr. Mayor, I have a question.
Mr. Mayor: I’ve got a motion and a second ---
Mr. Hasan: Mr. Mayor?
Mr. Mayor: --- I’m coming to you, to assess the penalty and that is the recommendation
of the in fact what you’re recommending is to follow the law ---
Ms. Oglesby: Follow the law, yes, sir.
Mr. Mayor: --- that’s what you’re recommending follow the law, okay. All right, the Chair
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recognizes the Commissioner from the 6.
Mr. Hasan: Thank you Mr. Mayor. Mr. Mayor I’d like to speak to the young lady from
the Tax Assessors Office, what’s your name, ma’am?
Ms. Oglesby: Melanie Oglesby.
Mr. Hasan: Ms. Oglesby ---
Ms. Oglesby: Yes, sir.
41
Mr. Hasan: --- and I apologize in advance if I didn’t hear this. I assume I heard you say
something about 2015. Did I hear anything along those lines? When was your first, when you
sent it out okay, I didn’t hear that. When you all reached out to them to inform them after you say
you all created a document to send them about their late taxes?
Ms. Oglesby: That’s correct.
Mr. Hasan: Did you send it certified?
Ms. Oglesby: No, sir.
Mr. Hasan: Okay but go ahead I’m sorry go ahead and say what you actually said.
Ms. Oglesby: The filing time is January 1 to April 1, that’s when all personal property is
supposed to file their returns ---
Mr. Hasan: Right.
Ms. Oglesby: --- they did not. We get a listing from Bush Field and this is what we’re
talking about. They were on the list. We send out to them and numerous other aircraft owners a
letter that says you know we know that you have an aircraft at Bush Field. Please submit this tax
return to us, give us the information about the aircraft, give us the engine hours. We failed to get
that so what we did we staff prepared the return with the best information. We give the FAA
information where we have the model and manufacturing name I use the VREF Publication that’s
a market guide for aircraft and I went in and used that with the best information and I got the $5
million-dollar airplane and they were sent a notification and they did not reply to that notification.
Mr. Hasan: Okay.
Ms. Oglesby: But again it was after the April 1 deadline.
Mr. Hasan: Yes, ma’am. I was just wanted, trying to figure out why contact was responded
but like my colleague did say, did mention that if she paid those things we would consider that we
got that information out of you, Ms. Oglesby, than we got previously from a clarity perspective.
Okay all right, thank you, ma’am.
Mr. Mayor: All right, I’ve got a motion and a proper second. The Chair recognizes the
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Commissioner from the 4.
Mr. Sias: Mr. Mayor, I’d like to make a substitute motion, please, that we refund the
penalty.
Mr. Hasan: Second.
Mr. Mayor: I’ve got a substitute motion with a proper second. Does everybody understand
what the substitute is?
42
The Clerk: To refund the penalty.
Mr. Mayor: Okay, that’s the substitute to refund the penalty all those ---
The Clerk: To deny the request.
Mr. Mayor: --- yeah, all right.
The Clerk: No, the substitute is to approve the request for the refund.
Mr. Mayor: That’s correct, okay.
Mr. M. Williams: Mr. Mayor ---
Mr. Mayor: Yes, sir.
Mr. M. Williams: --- well if the Tax Assessor can’t do it, this body does have that authority
to do it.
Mr. Mayor: I believe the gentleman know of what he speaks. All right, voting.
The Clerk: Mr. Fennoy?
Mr. Fennoy: Are we voting on the substitute motion?
The Clerk: Yes, sir, to approve the refund.
Mr. Fennoy: (inaudible).
Mr. Sias, Mr. Hasan, Mr. Fennoy and Mr. M. Williams vote Yes.
Mr. D. Williams, Mr. Jefferson, Mr. Frantom, Mr. Guilfoyle and Mr. G. Smith vote No.
Ms. Davis out.
Motion Fails 4-5.
The Clerk: The original motion is to deny the request for a refund.
Mr. Mayor: Okay, all right, the original motion is before us with a proper second. Voting.
Mr. Fennoy, Mr. Hasan and Mr. M. Williams vote No.
Mr. D. Williams, Mr. Sias, Mr. Jefferson, Mr. Frantom, Mr. Guilfoyle and Mr. G. Smith
vote Yes.
Ms. Davis out.
Motion Passes 6-3.
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Mr. Mayor: Madam Clerk, we’re going to go to Item number 32 and we’ll give the
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Commissioner from the 1 an opportunity to get back to his vacation time with his family.
The Clerk:
ADMINISTRATIVE SERVICES
32. Motion to approve expenditures for members of the commission to attend the December
5, 2017 Georgia Local Elected Official’s White House Conference paid from commission’s
legislative accounts. (Requested by Commissioner Bill Fennoy)
Mr. Mayor: All right ---
Mr. Hasan: Motion to approve.
Mr. Jefferson: Second.
Mr. Mayor: --- okay, voting.
Ms. Davis out.
Motion Passes 9-0.
Mr. Mayor: Ms. Bonner ---
The Clerk: Yes, sir.
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Mr. Mayor: --- let us give encouraging words to the Commissioner from the 1 and let’s
relieve him of any longer being with us. I’m sure he’d like to get back to his wife and nephew
(unintelligible) Afghanistan.
The Clerk: Your time is up, yes, sir.
Mr. Fennoy: To the Mayor it seems like old times (unintelligible) 8:00 o’clock meetings.
The Clerk: Okay.
Mr. Mayor: Trust me, it won’t happen again.
Mr. Fennoy: Ya’ll have a good Thanksgiving.
The Clerk: You too, sir.
Mr. Fennoy: All right, bye.
Mr. Mayor: All right, Madam Clerk, let’s run the clock straight down.
The Clerk:
44
ADMINISTRATIVE SERVICES
31. Discuss staff attorneys working for specific departments. (Requested by Commissioner
Marion Williams)
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Mr. Mayor: The Chair recognizes the Commissioner from the 9.
Mr. M. Williams: Thank you, Mr. Mayor. This has been a process that has always started
I guess with the Attorney’s office but when we decided, somebody decided to put a staff attorney
in each department I’ve got a little bit of heartburn because I know two departments that asked for
a staff attorney that couldn’t do it. Now I’m hearing that we’ve got one in the Utilities and one for
the Fire Department with pay differential. I guess my question, Mr. Mayor, who made this official
or who I guess is responsible for making this official. That’s probably my first question.
Mr. Mayor: Okay well the Chair’s going to yield that to the Attorney.
Mr. MacKenzie: Sure, I’d be happy to respond to that. The departments who are desirous
of having a higher level of legal services initially contacted the Law Department and make that
request known. Before anything can happen they need to identify the funding available for that.
If they have the funding available then the request is forwarded to the Administrator and an
assessment is done to determine whether or not there’s actually a need or justification to support
the need to have the higher level of legal services and if it’s justified then that’s a procedure that’s
approved by a Memorandum of Understanding between the Administrator, the Law Department
as well as the user department.
Mr. M. Williams: Mr. Mayor, if I can respond?
Mr. Mayor: Yes.
Mr. M. Williams: Thank you, sir. When the Law Department was fixing to be reorganized
it came before this body and there was a series of requests that had to be done through H.R. And
if I’m not mistaken the Attorney said that he had done those things through H.R. the last time and
in my research in talking with H.R. they had no such thing. I guess it bothers me though when
Procurement asked for a person as a lawyer and Mr. What’s his name who just left here, Kenneth
Bray, and he was rejected. He was not given an opportunity to do that. Now if you’re going to
pick and choose, if we’re going to pick and choose and those departments who have the money
can have a lawyer and those who don’t are just flying by the seat of their pants, I mean I’ve got
some issues with that. I’ve got an issue when one department, one department and I’m thinking
about Utilities now who’ve got a whole lot more law requests than maybe the Fire Department
have, they’re paying a lawyer one rate of pay and then the Fire Department who’s got less
responsibility is paying a lawyer another rate of pay so who determined these rates of pay and who
determined who gets a lawyer and who don’t get a lawyer? If your budget decides that this body
don’t have anything to do with that we just because Ms. Kelly Irving requested a lawyer as well
and if anybody needs one I think she certainly would need one. But I know that Purchasing
requested Mr. Bray to come in because of the legal stuff they have to do so I think we’re picking
and choosing. I’ve got some issues when this city has been scrutinized for discrimination when
45
we’ve got two female lawyers, one black and one white and the white female’s making $25 to
$30,000 dollars more than the black female and doing the same kind of work in fact doing more
work because there’s more responsibilities there. One lawyer was hired before they ever passed
the Georgia Bar to be in Georgia. They were in Carolina but they was hired here before they ever
passed the bar to be in Georgia so I think we’re picking and choosing and I think we’re not being
fair. We’ve been scrutinized a lot about discrimination and being fair. The Disparity Study says
we are discriminating against women and minorities in this city and that hadn’t went away yet so
I’m wondering how do we approve or who approved these kind of things to be done.
Mr. MacKenzie: Very briefly just to clarify there have been no allegations of
discrimination whatsoever with respect to any of the positions referenced. Whether or not a request
to have an attorney approved for a department, the legal services are provided to every department.
Some departments feel that they need to have a higher level of legal services and that’s something
that there’s a process in place now that’s been utilized to do the two that have been in place. If the
Commission would like for a department to grant a department’s request to have a higher level of
legal services than the other departments are being requested ya’ll can certainly approve it too.
You’re not excluded from the process. I would prefer to have a lot more legal services to give to
every department honestly because some of them have felt that because of their operations and the
needs of the department or upcoming events that are going to be occurring within the department
that they have a need for it, they went through the process to request the petition and it got approved
for the ones that got it. And the ones that didn’t I wouldn’t say that the door is ever closed. I think
the opportunity is there. If Procurement is one of the ones that’s being considered, I mean I’m not
shutting the door on anybody. It comes down to need and funding and as well as the
Administrator’s input as well so I encourage you all if you’d like to go back and revisit Item 38,
amend the Law Department budget to double in size, I could probably provide every department
with an attorney or at least a higher level of services and I’d be happy to do that.
Mr. M. Williams: Mr. Mayor, if I can respond. Thank you, sir. First of all, I think the
lawyer is a very lacking in his knowledge about what I said. I didn’t say there was a discrimination
filed but knowing that there are pay differences between two lawyers of different races can create
that scenario and that’s what I mentioned. The other thing is that we created a Law Department to
handle the government’s legal entities, not hire a lawyer for every department. Now if we’re going
to hire a lawyer, we don’t need a General Counsel if each department is going to have their own
General Counsel. Then we need to eliminate his position and just put a General Counsel in every
position and won’t have a Law Department. But his job and I thought when we created the Law
Department, Mr. Jim Wall sitting in that same seat, Mr. Steve Shepherd sitting in that same seat
and before I came Bob Daniels I think sat in that same seat, handled all our city business but did
not go to the length of placing attorneys in each department. Now we had one attorney who was
working in five different departments. I’m going to use five maybe more but, they got moved to
one department and make the same amount of money they were making when they were working
under five. Then you got another attorney who’s got a larger position, a larger department that’s
dealing with the legal aspect of that department and making $25 to $30,000 dollars less than that
person. Now maybe you don’t care about creating a law department doubling your staff but, the
taxpayers can’t do that, Mr. Attorney. So, I take issue with that, Mr. Mayor. All I’m doing is
trying to make sure that we’re playing above board, everybody playing the same with the same
rubber ball. I can’t bounce no lead ball. Give me a rubber ball too like everybody else has got and
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I think we’ll be fair. So, I wanted to bring that to this body, Mr. Mayor. Whether this body decides
to keep it like that it's fine. It doesn’t matter to me but don’t let the lawyer tell a bunch of stuff
and tell us anything and we’re supposed to sit there and accept that.
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Mr. Mayor: All right, the Chair recognizes the Commissioner from the 8.
Mr. Guilfoyle: Thank you. I understand about Commissioner Williams about this
discrimination between male and female because our last Administrator made $50,000 less than
what the female makes at this time. But I understand where my colleague’s coming from as far as
any department that would actually have the funding could request an attorney. There’s got to be
a stopping point. There’s got to be a way if, I don’t know if, the other departments have it. I don’t
know that, I’m sorry, go ahead, I just had a loss of thought.
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Mr. Mayor: The Chair recognizes the Commissioner from the 2.
Mr. D. Williams: Move to receive as information.
Mr. Sias: Second.
Mr. Mayor: Voting.
Mr. M. Williams votes No.
Mr. Fennoy and Ms. Davis out.
Motion Passes 7-1.
Mr. Guilfoyle: Point of Privilege, Mr. Mayor?
Mr. Mayor: Well, I’m going to come back to you when we get this next item.
The Clerk:
PUBLIC SAFETY
33. Discuss ambulance services contract or lack thereof. (Requested by Commissioner
Marion Williams)
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Mr. Mayor: The Chair recognizes the Commissioner from the 9.
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Mr. M. Williams: The 9 Mr. Mayor, still in the 9. I had this put on the agenda because
we do not have an ambulance contract now. When we decided not to give Gold Cross the subsidy
that we were giving them, we’ve been without an ambulance service at all and I think this city
deserves someone to pick up the people who are sick on the side of the road having an accident or
even in their homes. We have not even addressed that; we act as if that just went away. We were
all focused on one ambulance service and since that didn’t work out we started talking about the
zoning and everything but we don’t have an ambulance service at all. So, I’m really concerned
about the people that live in Richmond County as to what they’re supposed to have, what they’re
supposed to get. We ought to be providing, we talk about public safety a while ago but we ought
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to at least be trying to provide a way for folks to get transported to and fro as far as injury is
concerned. Now I don’t know where we are but I think we ought to be at least trying to go out for
an ambulance service or, Mr. Mayor, if at all I make a motion that we do that maybe Ms. Jackson
or the attorney can address that issue as to where we are with the ambulance service.
Mr. Mayor: The Chair recognizes Madam Administrator.
Ms. Jackson: Yes, per your vote in October and the subsequent meeting of the EMS
Council the, Augusta is pursuing the ambulance zone. If we’re successful in getting that, that will
give us the opportunity to make a decision as to whether we want to contract out those services or
we want to provide them in-house.
Mr. M. Williams: Can I respond, Mr. Mayor.
Mr. Mayor: Sure, yes.
Mr. M. Williams: Thank you, sir. Ms. Jackson, what good is the general public supposed
to be doing while we’re pursuing this zone as far as using ambulance services since we don’t have
a contract with anybody. So what are the taxpayers to do when they need an ambulance service
now that we are not providing?
Ms. Jackson: As long as Gold Cross has the zone, sir, they’re responsible for providing
that service to the public.
Mr. M. Williams: Okay, so we’re pursuing the zone and by us pursuing the zone and they,
have we been in discussion with them about what that process is or because we hadn’t had any in
the last two years is that right, Mr. Mayor?
Mr. Mayor: Yeah (inaudible).
Mr. M. Williams: We hadn’t had a contract.
Ms. Jackson: It’s been about a year. They refused to sign the contract that was presented
to them so that’s correct we don’t have a contract now. There are some issues that we’ve had on
our legal agenda for the last I think two meetings that we want to bring to your attention hopefully
we’ll get to those in the next Legal agenda.
Mr. M. Williams: It still doesn’t help me, Mr. Mayor. I’m trying to figure out what do we
do if the Fire Department didn’t have a fire truck I think we would call Aiken or Columbia County
or somebody to come in here but we just say we don’t have anything. So if that’s not a reliable
resource to use I’m trying to think where this body is, not necessarily the Administrator, but where
we are as far as pursuing something to make sure there’s something in place. Now I heard about
the high costs of transporting and what the ambulance service was charging that they got the zone
and they required to take care and pick up and use their services but we’re not satisfied with that
so what are we doing?
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Mr. Mayor: Well, I think the posture that we’re in, Commissioner, is that Gold Cross by
reason of acquired action of the EMS Council State Board they are in fact the zone provider of
record. What this body did some weeks ago was to vote to petition the same body for opening that
zone, that we would then secure the zone and become the zone provider of record. By becoming
the zone provider of record we have the opportunity then to contract those services out. We can
do that and that’s where we are that is the current posture that we’re in, okay. I think there’s a
follow on meeting that’s going to be happening and a decision coming from the state so that’s kind
of where we are but Gold Cross is in fact the zone provider of record.
Mr. M. Williams: And if we acquire the zone back, you’re saying that we’ll be obligated
or it will be our responsibility to ---
Mr. Mayor: To do what Gold Cross is doing.
Mr. M. Williams: --- to do what Gold Cross is doing and how will we do that because if
we get the zone back today or tomorrow how do we proceed?
Mr. Mayor: Well, I think again you’ve got a number of options as I understand it from a
historical perspective. When the county had the zone they contracted those services out thus you
had the subsidy that Gold Cross was being provided in the past. This body made a decision in the
fall of last year to no longer provide Gold Cross with a subsidy or in the event there was a subsidy
it was a reduced amount which they rejected.
Mr. M. Williams: Mr. Mayor, I think you’re wrong with that. I think we had a co-zone. I
think we were co-owners at that point with somebody else. We didn’t have it ourselves. So, if we
get the zone back then we won’t be coinciding with anybody we would have it. It would be our
responsibility and we don’t have the funds or the equipment or the manpower to do it ourselves.
So, at that point you’re speaking about we had a co-zone. They didn’t just have it, we didn’t just
have it. We had it together and now.
Mr. Mayor: Well, yeah and I again you’ve got certainly more institutional knowledge than
I do, Commissioner, but if memory serves me halfway correct there was a period in time where
you did have the co-zone and then the zone was awarded to Richmond County. And the same
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Administrator that the Commissioner from the 8 referred to a moment ago wrote a letter that
many of you didn’t know about that many of you had not seen and that you bought that at the point
of time that it was brought to your attention that a letter was written to the state that said grant the
zone to Gold Cross. That’s the historical perspective. Again with my limited knowledge from an
institutional perspective that’s how that went down.
Mr. M. Williams: Mr. Mayor, I’m going to close on this but let me say this and you’re so
right but since this body, since the previous Administrator acted on our behalf like other folks do
---
Mr. Mayor: Yeah, I wasn’t here.
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Mr. M. Williams: --- I understand, neither was I, but spoke for us and gave it to somebody
else so what are they supposed to do? I mean because of the previous Administrator you said ---
Mr. Mayor: Well, I read that.
Mr. M. Williams: --- and you’re right but I’m saying if we’re just whipping air we know
where it went but somebody deliberately wrote something and sent it in, gave it up and we’re
sitting here like oh, the ambulance service did something.
Mr. Hasan: Motion to receive as information.
Mr. D. Williams: Second.
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Mr. Mayor: Okay all right, the Chair recognizes the Commissioner from the 6.
Mr. Hasan: A motion to receive as information.
Mr. Mayor: All right, I’ve got a motion and a proper second. Voting.
Mr. M. Williams: Mr. Mayor, we might need to talk about this again at another time. I
don’t feel like talking about it today but (inaudible) going nowhere.
Mr. Mayor: I understand.
Mr. Guilfoyle votes No.
Ms. Davis and Mr. Fennoy out.
Motion Passes 7-1.
The Clerk:
ENGINEERING SERVICES
36. Discuss contracts related to storm water projects. (Requested by Commissioner Marion
Williams)
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Mr. Mayor: The Chair recognizes the Commissioner from the 9.
Mr. M. Williams: Thank you, Mr. Mayor ---
Mr. Mayor: Yes, sir.
Mr. M. Williams: --- I’ve got several contractors who have I’m going to say have
potentially been approved three maybe four months ago to work with the stormwater group and
they have hired people and have got set up to go to work. I talked to Mr. Malik about it and he
tried to enlighten me on some of that but I’ve got at least two maybe three people that have applied
and they hear in the last week they pulled it back in for these people to reapply. Now these people
had put in about three maybe four months ago, applied for to be a subcontractor under the
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Stormwater Fee monies and been waiting to go to work. And the young man shared with me and
I understand that how you when you hire people and they’re ready to go to work and if you don’t
send them work they have to get another job. They have to do something. So, Mr. Malik may
have some more information than us and I forwarded him about it and he tried to share with me
what they’re going to do as far as pulling it back in and trying to talk to these people about the unit
prices. The unit prices in my mind ought to be set up already and if we’ve got other contracts
working, that’s the same price that the new contractors would come in. But now you’ve got to
reapply, come back through this you done did it four months ago, I’ve got some heartburn with
that.
Mr. Mayor: All right, let me ask you a question, sir. All right, Mr. Malik is here, and you
raised some very valid points with regards to contracts. What is your question to Dr. Malik?
Mr. M. Williams: My question is when well the first question is do these contractors who
already been applied, went through Procurement, went through the interview process did all that
stuff do they have to reapply? That’s my first question.
Dr. Malik: Yeah, Mr. Mayor and members of the Commission, my understanding is that
the previous RFP was put out and there were several contractors who did not provide the minimum
required information per the Procurement process. So we didn’t have the needed information to
st.
move the process forward. The pre-bid is set now to December 1 It’s a mandatory pre-bid and
all interested contractors has to attend those and we’re going to run them through and explain the
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process and then the bid is scheduled to close on the 19.
Mr. M. Williams: Mr. Mayor, I think Mr. Malik said December the what?
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Dr. Malik: December the 1 is the pre-bid, mandatory pre-bid mailing so whoever is
interested they need to show up in that meeting so we can go through the process and explain. If
they have any questions, they’re going to have a week or so the period to submit the questions they
may have later on too and then we respond to the questions. Right now the bid’s going to close
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the RFP’s going to close on December 19 and then we’ll reevaluate those submittals.
Mr. M. Williams: Okay ---
Dr. Malik: The unit prices are part of the RFP packages in the package.
Mr. M. Williams: --- it’s been four months, Mr. Mayor, I’m sure if they waited four or
five it won’t make that much difference. So I mean all they can do is come back I guess and re-
apply but this has been four months ago. And I remember talking to them about that and they’re
coming down, going through Purchasing, going through the process and thinking everything was
okay, thinking everything was approved and had not had any work and wondering why they hadn’t
had any work. Now they pull that and they’ve got to reapply so they’re small business, you know,
they’re small business, can work anytime, wanted to know I guess they don’t have no ---
Mr. Mayor: Are these emergency contracts?
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Mr. M. Williams: I think they’re just regular stormwater right-of-way stormwater contracts
I guess, Mr. Mayor, we’ve got ---
Dr. Malik: Yes, sir ,we’ve got (inaudible).
Mr. M. Williams: --- I don’t know how many it is in total. Abie, I mean Malik, can you
tell us how many you’ve got roughly, contracts?
Dr. Malik: Right now we have over 15 contractors working in all our local, you know, we
have 22 different contracts except one fee company is from Atlanta but for us out of 18 contracts
17 are local contracts.
Mr. M. Williams: That helped me, Mr. Mayor. I don’t know how much that helped you.
Mr. Mayor: Yeah, I’m not sure that answered my question. You want to talk about this
another time?
Mr. M. Williams: Perhaps I’m going to get with Mr. Malik since he’s stepping into shoes
of Mr. Ladson. I’m letting the fee soak in those shoes for a little while to see if he can help me out
to help me understand a little bit better as to ---
Mr. Mayor: Right.
Mr. M. Williams: --- and I’ll probably get some information on contractors too and bring
that back.
Mr. Mayor: All right, I think that’d be good. I’d like to look at that as well. Okay all right,
we’ll just receive this as information. All right next item, Madam Clerk.
The Clerk:
APPOINTMENTS
37. Consideration of Community Service Board recommendations to re-appoint Lonnie
“Jim” Showman and Dr. Franklin McPhail.
Mr. Frantom: So moved.
Mr. Guilfoyle: Second.
Mr. Sias: Will ya’ll wait, thank you, be courteous.
The Clerk: Did we get a second?
Mr. Sias: He seconded already.
The Clerk: Who made it? Yeah, that’s what I thought.
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Mr. Sias: So impatient there.
Mr. Mayor: All right, we’ve got a motion and a proper second.
The Clerk: And just as an FYI we still have one vacant position. They changed the statute
in 2014 that required that the Commission appoint either an elected official and/or an appointed
official so just keep that in your, yeah, I didn’t know that.
Mr. Guilfoyle: (inaudible) Sammie Sias?
Mr. Sias: I’m raising my hand. I’m not talking to you all.
Mr. Mayor: Okay so again there’s another vacant ---
The Clerk: We have one vacant position left. The fourth position was re-appointed by the
Board itself. The Legislation gave the CS Board an appointment so originally we had four. Now
we have three and the Board has one.
Mr. Mayor: All right, hold on everybody, hold on, hold on.
The Clerk: The Attorney’s in the room he could ---
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Mr. Mayor: All right, the Chair recognizes the Commissioner from the 4.
Mr. Sias: Thank you, sir. Mr. Mayor, do you mind if I ask one of my colleagues a question,
Commissioner Hasan from District 6 please, sir?
Mr. Mayor: I’m sorry, say that again?
Mr. Sias: Do mind if I ask one of my colleagues a question particularly the Commissioner
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from the 6.
Mr. Mayor: Well ---
Mr. Sias: And my question is, Mr. Mayor, is I believe he’s supposed to be on that Board.
Mr. Mayor: --- okay.
Mr. Hasan: Mr. Mayor, the only Board, excuse me.
Mr. Mayor: All right, the Chair recognizes the, so when we made the appointments at the
top of the year, Ms. Bonner, did we make an appointment at that time?
The Clerk: No, sir, these are the Commission Consensus appointments so we’re just
peeling them off now. In the Community Service Board has on numerous occasions asked the
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Commission to either fill these positions by re-appointment or appointing other members to the
Board. Both Mr. Showman and Mr. McPhail has agreed for re-appointment and they’re
recommending those. And as I said the Board itself appointed the last one. It’s now their
appointment so they fulfilled that obligation and we have one vacant position left that has to be
either an elected official or an appointed official.
Mr. Mayor: All right, you’ve got two appointments that you are prepared to adopt today.
All right, what’s the pleasure of this body? Would you like to recommend on of your own?
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Mr. Mayor: The Chair recommends the Commissioner from the 5 The Chair
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recommends the Commissioner from the 5 to serve in that position.
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Mr. Hasan: I nominate the Commissioner from the 5 (inaudible).
Mr. Jefferson: I accept it (unintelligible).
The Clerk: Okay, so Commissioner Jefferson. All right, we’ll add Mr. Jefferson to the
motion to approve the appointments.
Mr. Frantom: So moved.
Mr. Guilfoyle: Second.
Mr. Mayor: All right, voting.
Mr. Mayor: All right, the Chair is going to go back down to the Commissioner from the
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8.
Mr. Fennoy out.
Motion Passes 9-0.
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Mr. Mayor: All right, the Chair recognizes the Commissioner from the 8 for a Point of
Personal Privilege.
PUBLIC SERVICES
10. Motion to approve the creation of a Task Force with Commissioner Guilfoyle as Chair
and fill the positions for the purpose of revisiting the current ordinances that provides for
the licensing and use of golf carts on public street in Augusta. (Approved by Finance
Committee November 14, 2017)
Mr. Guilfoyle: Thank you, Mr. Mayor. I would ask my colleagues to reconsider agenda
item number ten, the motion to approve the creation of a Task Force with a commissioner. Instead
of myself Commissioner Sean Frantom it was his idea. I misunderstood last week and I threw my
name in there by mistake. But this is still in the current ordinance that provides licensing and use
of golf carts on public street in Augusta, so it’ll be changed from myself to Commissioner Frantom.
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Mr. Mayor: All right, so instead of having to reconsider your action on that I think it’s
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proper for us to again just have the Commissioner from the 7 serve in that capacity, I think we
can do that effectively. Again, it’s a Task Force. We could just motion to do that.
Mr. Guilfoyle: So moved.
Mr. Hasan: Second.
Mr. Mayor: All right, Attorney MacKenzie?
Mr. MacKenzie: I would prefer you do a motion to reconsider and to substitute.
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Mr. Mayor: All right, I’m going back to the Commissioner from the 8.
Mr. Hasan: A motion to reconsider.
Mr. Mayor: All right.
Mr. Hasan: --- the appointment to the Task Force.
The Clerk: We need a second.
Mr. Mayor: He motioned, he already motioned to reconsider.
Mr. Hasan: Second.
Mr. Mayor: So we’ve got a second. Okay everybody, hold on. I know you’re getting a
little giddy. You’ve been here a little later than you’re normally used to being here. All right, let
me get everybody’s attention. All right, we’re moving to reconsider Item number 10. All those
in favor should vote yes. Voting.
Ms. Davis and Mr. Fennoy out.
Motion Passes 8-0.
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Mr. Mayor: All right, now the Commissioner from the 8.
Mr. Guilfoyle: Motion to appoint Commissioner Sean Frantom.
Mr. Hasan: Second.
Mr. Guilfoyle: Oh, agenda item number ten?
Mr. Mayor: Yes.
Mr. Guilfoyle: Madam Clerk, would you fill in the rest?
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Mr. Mayor: Hold on everybody.
Mr. MacKenzie: It would be a motion to approve Item 10 except substituting
Commissioner Frantom in place of Commissioner Guilfoyle that we also get the item approved.
Mr. Mayor: All right, can we get a second to Attorney MacKenzie’s ---
Mr. Hasan: It’s been seconded already.
Mr. Mayor: All right, very good. All right, voting.
Ms. Davis and Mr. Fennoy out.
Motion Passes 8-0.
Mr. Mayor: Attorney MacKenzie, any additional business? Madam Clerk?
Mr. MacKenzie: Happy Thanksgiving to all.
The Clerk: Happy Thanksgiving.
Mr. Mayor: All right, this meeting is 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
November 21, 2017.
______________________________
Clerk of Commission
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