HomeMy WebLinkAboutRegular Commission Meeting March 6, 2018
REGULAR MEETING COMMISSION CHAMBER
MARCH 6, 2018
Augusta Richmond County Commission convened at 2:00 p.m., March 6, 2018, the Hon.
Hardie Davis, Jr., Mayor, presiding.
PRESENT: Hons. Jefferson, Guilfoyle, Sias, Frantom, M. Williams, Fennoy, D. Williams,
Hasan and Smith, members of Augusta Richmond County Commission.
ABSENT: Hon. Davis, Mayor Pro Tem.
Mr. Mayor: All right, good afternoon, everybody. We are here to do the people’s business
and welcome to your Municipal Building, your Commission Chamber. The Chair recognizes
Madam Clerk.
The Clerk: Yes, sir.
Mr. Mayor: Madam Clerk, now that I’m thinking about it I’ll do this before we move
forward with the normal business. Here in our community we’re very fortunate to have a number
of notables. One of those happen to be the former Mayor now late Mayor Emma Gresham of
Keysville, GA. Not only a long-time staunch civil rights activist and support of the movement but
a great Mayor for the City of Keysville, GA who passed away just days ago. Her family’s living
st,
here in our city and our own distinguished Commissioner from the 1 Fennoy, is related to the
family. And so I would like for us to take a moment of silence for the now transitioned Mayor
Emma Gresham from Keysville, GA. Would you stand with us for a moment of silence? Thank
you. Madam Clerk.
The Clerk: Yes, sir. I call your attention to the Invocation portion of our agenda. We ask
Rabbi Shai Beloosesky to please come forward to deliver our invocation and we will ask our
Interim HR Director, Ms. Janice Osei, would you please lead us in our Pledge of Allegiance.
The invocation was given by Rabbi Shai Beloosesky, Congregation Children of Israel.
The Pledge of Allegiance to the Flag of the United States of America was recited.
Mr. Mayor: Rabbi, if you would approach. Again thank you for Rabbi Shai Beloosesky
from the Congregation Children of Israel who serves as our Chaplain today. We want to thank
you but we want to welcome you to this community and look forward to our time together. Having
been here now about two-plus years, thank you. All right, would you join me in congratulation
him? (APPLAUSE)
The Clerk: Ms. Jackson and Mr. Mayor, would you please join us here in front of the dais.
Ms. Sylvia Williams from our HR Department will acknowledge our Employees Years of Service.
Ms. Williams: Good afternoon Mayor, Commissioners, Administrator, Directors, special
guests and citizens of Augusta Richmond County. My name is Sylvia Williams. I’m the Employee
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Relations and Training Manager for the Human Resources Department here in Augusta. For the
Month of February 2018 we have 26 employees celebrating 5 to 25, sorry 5 to 20 years and that’s
5 to 20 years of service with Augusta Richmond County. This afternoon we would like to
recognize our 25-50 years of service recipients, as I call your name please come forward. Robin
Aldrich, Engineering, Robin are you here, okay (APPLAUSE) Miriam Streetman, Utilities please
come forward. (APPLAUSE) Once again (APPLAUSE) a big congratulations to all of our Years
of Service recipients.
The Clerk: Mr. Mayor, at this time we would like to acknowledge and recognize one of
your esteemed colleagues.
CONGRATULATIONS
Municipal Elected Official’s Certification
A. Congratulations! Commissioner Dennis Williams for having completed the required
hours of training for the University of Georgia Harold F. Holtz Municipal Training Institute
and Georgia Municipal Associations’ Certificate of Recognition.
The Clerk: Congratulations, sir, any comment?
Mr. D. Williams: (inaudible).
Mr. Mayor: Commissioner, congratulations. It’s always a good thing and we appreciate
your service.
The Clerk:
DELEGATIONS
B. Mr. Moses Todd, President Augusta East Central Georgia Labor Council and the Cedar
Grove/Magnolia Bicentennial Citizens Committee regarding the cemeteries’ perpetual care
and their bicentennial.
Mr. Todd: Good evening, Mr. Mayor and members of the Commission. As most of you
know I talked to you individually about ---
Mr. Mayor: Mr. Todd, I don’t mean to stop you but I’m, you know you’ve got five minutes.
It seems like we do this all the time. I’ll do the customary things. You got five minutes. State for
the record your address and your name.
Mr. Todd: --- yes, 2344 Naples Drive, Augusta Georgia 30906. And my name is Moses
Todd and I’m here, you know today I’m wearing two hats but we’ll start off in reference where I
was going. Approximately a month, six weeks ago, I came down and talked to Commissioners in
reference perpetual care at the city cemeteries that was Westview, Magnolia and Cedar Grove.
And in doing that I was told to check in with the Parks, Recreation and Cemetery Executive
Director Mr. Parker and come back to the Commission. When I checked in, I learned as to doing
a little research that they were a Bicentennial Committee, Citizens Committee that started 2017
and they were like a year ahead of schedule on planning the bicentennial for Magnolia/Cedar
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Grove Cemetery. And you know I’m an individual who looks for solutions you know and I was
kind of coached into heading up the committee to see what we could do about getting a committee
back together and having the bicentennial this year. So I know I have five minutes so I’m not
going to use the five minutes to present a check but in doing that I learned that one, that the Augusta
Museum Executive Director was on that committee last year that and Mr. Erick Montgomery
Historical Augusta and I thought it was a pretty good way to start. So we met at the Recreation
Department and at this time I’d like for the committee to stand up to show you who we’re working
with. And we’re working with Ms. Law over at the Laney Walker Museum and Ms. Shepherd is
a committee member, a volunteer. Also today we have with us the family that we’re presenting
the check in Marion Rock Hudson’s memorial memory to Magnolia. He’s buried at Magnolia and
he’s a member of Local 150 Plumbers and Steamfitters. And so that’s where that labor hat come
in at that I had put on the agenda and I’d like to have the Hudson family to stand up, Ms. Vera
‘Rock Hudson’s’ wife, Marion Hudson’s wife, and his two daughters and grandchildren. And the
reason that we’re here today is to present that $1,000 dollar check for perpetual care. We read the
Perpetual Care Ordinance and we see in that ordinance the line for donations to perpetual care.
It’s my understanding from reading the ordinance the new ordinance that we don’t have a like
personal perpetual care it’s a gravesite wide perpetual care now. And so, Mr. Mayor, when you’re
ready come down we’ll present the check to the Mayor’s office to Magnolia Perpetual Care City
of Augusta, the way the check’s made out. We also want to inform you that we’ve started the
committee, we’ve set up committees for grounds, for planning, for fundraising, and all of the
checks we won’t accept any funds other than a check and that check will be made out to either
Cedar Grove or Magnolia Perpetual Care. Then if we do something with a group like a church,
you know, for Cedar Grove we’ll have that church to go do a money order in that way or a check
do a check that way.
Mr. Mayor: Thank you, Mr. Todd. Thank you. I cannot tell you how important this type
of work is in and around our communities. Many times we see our cemeteries as places that we
go and visit from time to time but they really are extremely important across the nation and we
certainly need to honor it as such. And thank you for coming and highlighting the fact that we’re
celebrating the Bicentennial of those two entities. And so thank you and let’s congratulate them
for the work that they’re doing in putting this together. (APPLAUSE)
Mr. Todd: Mr. Mayor, also we’re going to need some help from the city on reprioritizing
the timeline schedule for the money that’s in the SPLOST or in the Special Purpose Local Option
Sales Tax. I think that it’s the priority right now may be 1920, 2019/20 and we need help as far as
maybe reprioritizing that and moving it up so it can be used to get ready for the Bicentennial. I’ve
also emailed the Administrator on the needs as far as what the committee looked at and the needs
for Magnolia/Cedar Grove also. And Jerry Murphy is not here so I’ll you know I’ve got a couple
of minutes so I’ll take a stab at some history.
Mr. Mayor: You actually have extended the five minutes by 45-seconds. I’m going to
come down, I’m going to come down.
Mr. Todd: We’re looking for volunteers!
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Mr. Mayor: On behalf of the Augusta Commission, we thank you for your work and we
receive this and we will in turn transmit it into the hands of our Administrator for financial
safekeeping. (APPLAUSE)
The Clerk:
DELEGATIONS
C. Mr. Ming F. Lin, regarding law enforcement issues related to 3614 Alene Circle.
Mr. Lin: Honorable Mayor and Honorable Commissioners, thank you for the opportunity.
I’m here today to present a problem ---
Mr. Mayor: Mr. Lin, would you tell us, would you state for the record your address ---
Mr. Lin: Yes ---
Mr. Mayor: --- and again your name.
Mr. Lin: --- my name is Ming Lin. I live on 3519 Turnberry Lane, Martinez, GA 30907.
Mr. Mayor: Thank you.
Mr. Lin: Thank you for the opportunity. I’m here to address a problem that we have no
solution and the solution is in the hands of the city and I believe a mutual benefit exists here. And
I believe that I’m speaking for many homeowners and many cities who might be in the same
situation. I’m a landlord and I rent homes and I have many in Richmond County and in the past
whenever if we have a criminalized vandalize we would do the logical things and quickly fix it up
and turn around and re-rent it because that’s the logical thing to do. We have bills to pay, we have
mortgages, insurance and taxes and that’s usually how it’s resolved but of course there are some
areas that the neighborhood is not as good and sometimes we have problems but we were able to
receive assistance from the law enforcement, Sheriff’s Department, and usually overcome because
they would investigate. And back then have programs called Special House Watch so that if you
see a situation not good they’ll help in watching. And if you are victimized they will diligently
investigate into it and usually the teenagers or the gang once investigation is known they kind of
back off and we are able to recover and put the unit back in service. But now the situation has
changed. I don’t know how long ago they changed maybe ten years ago but now when we get
victimized we could not get help and we just get a police report and nothing is done, just a number.
And time after time it’s the same thing so I started to actively go to them and ask them for help. I
speak to lieutenants, captains, chief and majors and now the stories I have is they don’t enough
money and they are low in manpower and they say we’re going to do the best we can and then
nothing is done. Now right now I’ve got a couple of examples that I am in a situation and a big
dilemma and I have no solution and that is for one it’s 3614 Alene Circle, another one is in Apple
Valley. And this too I have been severely damaged. I’m talking about they knocked out every
single sheetrock and you can just see through the whole house not just a little hole. And they bust
every single window and they took my A/C, they stole my appliances you know what I then went
back in there. I tried, I talked to the police and all that I talked to the neighborhood. I lobby for
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neighborhood watch and I did personal investigation, talked to kids but nobody’s helping me. You
know I tried to go back and talk to the police. Nobody do anything even if I turn over information
nothing is ever done. So, I try to fix it and one time, well, the worse problem comes is when I
don’t know what to do and Code Enforcement comes, part of the city and they say we have to cite
you for non-compliance. I say but do you know I’m the victim? You know I try to fix and they
come back and knock it out again. They say I’ve got a job to do. I don’t know what to do. I’m just
a you know an employee of the city. So, I say I do the best I could but I’m going to have to do
something so like in the case of Alene Circle I spent $5,000 dollars. I replace all my sheet rocks
and put things back and within two weeks they came back and knocked out every single window,
kicked through every door, every sheetrock and stole my appliances. All the money is wasted. I
go to the city, I mean the Sheriff’s Department. I guess when people see me they’re going to roll
their eyes here comes Mr. Trouble Maker again. I don’t know what to do. They are the official
empowered agency to enforce the law. I cannot take law into my own hands and I don’t have a
solution. And I even tell them that some neighbors told me you know which kid lives where but
nobody do anything. Now the same neighbors they say I want to stay out of it. They’re scared
now okay but I have no solution. Now a few says ago, last week the Code Enforcement for that
district he’s a good man. I mean he told me, Ming Lin, I know your pain and I feel bad for you
but this case is kind of gone on too long now. I have to do something so I’m going to have to haul
you through the court. I say what good will that do. It’s not me I mean you saw I done everything
I could. You know the solution lies in the city, lies in the police who can enforce and go investigate
and then go do something with the kids you know and so that they will be scared and they’ll back
off and maybe that’s doing a favor to the kids too but now I’m not able to do anything and I’m
stuck now. I told Code Enforcement let me present the case to the city. I need help not just me.
There’s another few houses in that same subdivision now falls in the same situation okay. We all
need help and the city wants to beautify the city, the government. If you don’t aim at the root of
the problem and stop the people who trash the city or who damage and criminalize the city you
can penalize the property owner all you want. We don’t have a solution. You’re really double
jeopardizing us. And what we going to do? I don’t know what to do; I’m reaching out to you
gentlemen. Help us you know for the betterment of everybody.
Mr. Mayor: All right, your time has expired ---
Mr. Lin: Thank you.
Mr. Mayor: --- for presentation, remain standing. If you’ll come back, come back, there
are questions.
Mr. Lin: Okay.
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Mr. Mayor: All right, the Chair recognizes the Commissioner from the 9.
Mr. M. Williams: Thank you, Mr. Mayor. I certainly understand and I feel probably like
Mr. Lin does. I don’t own any property out there in fact I had a piece of property and did everything
I could to get out from under it because of the same thing. But my question to this body is what
do we do because this young man is right. We can’t sit here, and we don’t control the Sheriff’s
Department. We don’t have any powers to tell the Sheriff to do anything. The Sheriff is an elected
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official with his own rights but we have got to, something’s got to change. I know some people
wouldn’t have been as tolerant as you have been, Mr. Lin, someone would’ve been hurt by now
because that’s really taking money out of your pocket just throwing it away when people, we allow
certain things to happen. It don’t happen all over this city now. It only happens in certain areas.
If it happened everywhere you can say well that’s a problem but it ain’t just everywhere it’s in
certain parts of this community and we allowed that. I don’t care how poor you are, you ought to
be responsible for your property and I think you’re being responsible, but we can’t let people just
come in and do whatever they want to do. Now I don’t know what’s the solution and I’m like you,
Mr. Lin, I want to hear what this body can do. Code Enforcement will pressure you because you’re
trying to follow the rules but there’s some people that don’t follow the rules.
Mr. Lin: Right.
Mr. M. Williams: Code Enforcement ain’t done nothing with them. I can tell you about
houses that’s been boarded up for ten or fifteen year’s so I know exactly what you’re saying. But,
Mr. Mayor, my question to you is, how do we correct this? I mean do we need to get the state
involved and get, the Sheriff was just here earlier this morning for the meeting. Somebody’s got
to be held accountable.
Mr. Lin: Can I also add you know I spoke to the frontline deputy and he says I feel for
you. In fact I know who are those kids, he said he knew who are those kids but he says his hands
are tied.
Mr. M. Williams: Well but somebody’s hands’ got to get untied and that’s the problem
we’ve got too many hands tied. People make too much money to be having to have their hands
tied when they’re supposed to be doing a job.
Mr. Lin: Right.
Mr. M. Williams: If you don’t want that job I understand that but if you accept that job
you accept responsibilities that go with that job. And until we get aggressive and let people know
if you do right we’re going to support you but if you do wrong we’re not going to support that. So
I still don’t know the solution to your problem. I’m asking the Mayor and these other panel, this
panel to tell me what is it can we do to change the negativity that’s going on in certain parts of this
city to let the citizens know that we are a thriving city all over and we’re not going to stand by
anymore. Now if we need to build more jails I ain’t got no problem with that because if you break
the law you ought to be put somewhere. But we can’t sit here and act like it’s going to go away.
It’s not going to go away.
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Mr. Mayor: All right so, the Chair recognizes the Commissioner from the 9 in that your
question directed to me is how are we going to respond to Mr. Lin’s issue, is that correct?
Mr. M. Williams: That’s right.
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Mr. Mayor: Okay all right, Mr. Lin, if you will have a seat right there for a moment, Ms.
Wilson, would you approach? I saw your hand, Commissioner, I’m coming to you. Director
Wilson ---
Ms. Wilson: Yes, sir.
Mr. Mayor: --- you’ve heard the same concerns raised to us that Mr. Lin just indicated. I
have a series of questions for you. Mr. Lin has raised the concern of law enforcement not
responding to the issues of his property being broken into, trashed, appliances stolen so you’ve got
the criminal activity of breaking and entering but also theft. What I also heard from Mr. Lin is
that Code Enforcement has then come and raised a series of questions to him about his
nonconformance or non-compliance. I think that’s the better term, noncompliance. All right, I
want you to speak to the issue of noncompliance because that is in your wheelhouse and we’re
going to put the criminal activity in the parking lot for now. But can you speak to the issues that
bring him to us today particularly with regards to the issue of non-compliance?
Ms. Wilson: Yes and I’ve got the manager for the division for Code Enforcement here
here as well if I can provide some additional historical information. But I will say this. We have
been working with Mr. Lin on a number of properties that he owns throughout the southern part
of the city. We have spoken with him about properly boarding up this particular property when it
became vacated. That was not done. You know Code Enforcement will go out when people call
---
Mr. Mayor: (inaudible) suspend for a moment.
Ms. Wilson: Okay.
Mr. Mayor: All right, I want to, I don’t want to cloud the issue of 3614 Alene Circle ---
Ms. Wilson: Okay.
Mr. Mayor: --- with his other properties in the south side of town. I want to speak
specifically to the issue that he put on this agenda and deal directly with the non-compliance issues
because that’s what he’s raising the concern about.
Ms. Wilson: We went out to talk with Mr. Lin. Actually this property has had a series of
code enforcement issues starting from 2016. Most recently staff went out and visited the property
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on February 18 which was when the case number was originally entered in 2016. We have been
dealing with this ever since with regards to trying to get him to come into compliance regarding
what are and your approved policy is for dealing with boarding and stabilizing the property. We
went back out to the site, and I’m not sure that he requested, did you make a request that we come
out or did we go? When we saw that he was going to be on the agenda and we took pictures with
regards to the damage that he’s talking about so we do have those if you want to see the damage
he’s referring to. But we’ve been trying to get this property into compliance working with Mr.
Lin for two years and we have yet to get this particular piece of property brought back into
compliance.
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Mr. Mayor: Okay all right, so to the Commissioner from the 9 there are two matters here.
There’s the matter of criminal activity to include theft by taking but there’s an issue that is long-
standing that is the responsibility of the owner, Mr. Lin, of being noncompliant as a result of a
vacant property and that needs to be addressed pursuant to the ordinances we have established.
And that again could provide collateral benefit as it relates to having appliances or other things
that’s certainly not within my purview or ours to try to translate that. But we have an expectation
that all of our citizens are going to comply with the local laws that we establish and it is our
responsibility to enforce said laws. So what I’m hearing is that there’s an issue of noncompliance
as a result of not following the law on Mr. Lin’s part number one. The issue of theft by taking, the
criminal activity, that’s a conversation that obviously I believe that is in the Commissioner from
nd
the 2’s district and we need to obviously need to have the Sheriff and his team. As I understand
it there is a new substation right there on Highway 56. Their response times are better there. That
is where deputies they then proceed out into the community and so if we’re not getting the type of
law enforcement support that we need in that area that’s a conversation we need to be having with
the Sheriff because there’s a substation of record that’s right there.
Mr. M. Williams: Can I respond, Mr. Mayor?
Mr. Jefferson: (inaudible) District 5.
Mr. Mayor: It’s in District 5 ---
Mr. Sias: Yes.
Mr. Mayor: --- all right, it’s in Augusta. It’s on the south side of town, there’s a substation
right there on Highway 56 that is right down the street from Apple Valley and we know where it’s
at. And this is again the same type of ---
Mr. M. Williams: Can I respond, Mr. Mayor?
Mr. Mayor: --- all right okay all right, I’m going to give you a chance, I’m going to the
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Commissioner from the 4 I know we don’t want to debate this too much, but, Mr. Lin, let me
say this. What we’ve just heard is that there’s a responsibility you have to follow the law and that
is to address the issue of a vacant property that you must bring into compliance and we have an
expectation that you’re going to do that, do you understand that? Okay all right very well, hold
on I’m going to come back to you. I am going to give you an opportunity to respond all right, hold
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on. All right Commissioner from the 9 yes, sir.
Mr. M. Williams: Mr. Mayor, I’m confused again and don’t take credit for that because
it’s easy to do but it sounds like Mr. Lin’s done been put on trial here today about his property that
he brought in to us that we’re having some issues with. Now I don’t know whether he’s in
compliance or not in compliance but he’s been trying to bring a piece of property back and hadn’t
got no help. I mean something don’t sound right because there’s a lot of other properties that’s as
bad I’ll say as probably his and I hadn’t seen his but I’m wondering where the law comes in not
the code, the law comes in when there’s theft, when there’s damage. I guarantee you if you cross
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Walton Way and go up to any part of Walton Way you ain’t, this ain’t going to happen to nobody
else’s property and the Sheriff’s Department ain’t going to do nothing about it. It’s going to be
something done before midnight. Somebody’s going to be standing in line in front of somebody
whether they’re right or wrong. So I’m wondering why is that tolerated or is that acceptable on
that side of town when we kind find nobody everybody’s running scared, nobody won’t say
nothing. Now let me just finish now. Mr. Lin may be out of compliance. I’m not taking up for
him; I don’t know him. I just saw him; he probably needs to do what he needs to do and I’m with
that but when someone brings this body a problem that can’t get no assistance and then done what
he said. Now he’s not under oath but from what he said I believe his plight about what he just said
about how he’s been trying to bring it back. I know when I was in just in District 2 that was a part
of that district at that time how bad Apple Valley was and I remember Grady Smith when Apple
Valley was a thriving neighborhood when everybody just rode through Apple Valley just to look
around how it grew and how nice it was. Now people get to Apple Valley and they speed up to
keep from being caught at the traffic light there so something changed now. And the houses are
still there. The district’s still the same. It’s still got people in them I mean what’s up, something
changed, Mr. Mayor.
Mr. Mayor: All right, so let me say this then I’m going to recognize the Commissioner
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from the 4. Mr. Lin is not on trial. You posed a question to the Chair and I’ll try to respond to
your question. The caption reads Mr. Ming F. Lin regarding law enforcement issues related to
3614 Alene Circle. Mr. Lin articulated what he perceived and believed to be a lack of law
enforcement and support in responding to the issue of criminal activity at said property and in that
area. Mr. Lin then proceeded to say that Code Enforcement has come down on him but the issue
is the criminal activity, that’s what he said. Now we being the purveyors of writing the ordinances
and then being responsible for the enforcement of them I took the approach of trying to respond to
your question in full. There’s a two piece to this, two parts to this. There is an issue of criminal
activity that the law enforcement personnel that we have should be responding to but since he
brought it up, he being Mr. Ming F. Lin, the issue of code enforcement what we need to understand
is why is Code Enforcement involved in this conversation. They’ve now communicated that to
us. And I don’t think he’s on trial. I think he’s in noncompliance based on what the laws we have
written said he should be doing with a piece of vacant property. And so I’m going to come back
you’re going to have the final word. Just hold tight. Okay, I see a deputy in the room and I don’t
know if he can speak to the issue of what’s going on in Apple Valley and what our response is as
it relates to criminal activity and law enforcement but I’m going to give you an opportunity to
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think about that and be prepared to come up. The Chair recognizes the Commissioner from the 4
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then the Commissioner from the 8.
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Mr. Sias: Thank you, Mr. Mayor. I spoke with my colleague from the 5 District and what
I proposed to him is that we meet with Mr. Lin and any other necessary officials and we start
looking at this problem in, on Alene Circle. I’m very familiar with Alene Circle. I have some
friends that live over there and so we definitely want to look for a solution. I don’t think we’re
going to find one on the dais today but I think if we have an opportunity to get Mr. Lin’s
information then we can sit down with Mr. Lin and start working on a solution that involves all
our agencies included. I just really don’t think we’re doing to find it here at this moment but we
are more than happy and willing to try to eradicate any real issue there. So Mr. Lin to you,
Commissioner Jefferson, Mr. Lin, I want to get your attention right here. To you, Commissioner
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Jefferson and myself we want to have an opportunity to sit down with you, look at the issue, look
at the properties, consult with our agencies the Sheriff’s Office and other agencies that can help us
with this. There’s a concept that’s been working pretty good in Richmond County very well, We
have a Task Force that when we have areas that has these kinds of issues we not only, we try to
address some of the underlying issues that cause the problems you’re discussing. You do have
quite a few properties in Augusta, Richmond County and we want to appreciate that. I believe
I’ve spoken with you about a property in another subdivision that was about two, three years ago
but we had a very good conversation about that so, and I think that one worked out for you. So
we can still do that again so, Mr. Mayor, I just wanted to ask if we could do that. We’re not going
to find an answer at this moment so I’d like to have my colleague and I have an opportunity to get
with Mr. Lin and various departments and agencies to work that out. Thank you, sir.
Mr. Mayor: Okay, I heard what you said. I want to recognize the Commissioner from the
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8.
Mr. Guilfoyle: Mr. Mayor, thank you for recognizing me. You know this whole subject
right here maybe the next time somebody puts something on the agenda regarding law enforcement
maybe if we could ask the Clerk to reach out to the Law Enforcement to where they could have
representation here. We’re not in the Sheriff’s Department behind this dais if we could table this.
Apparently Mr. Lin has time, he took time out of his day to be here, the Sheriff’s Department is
five minutes away to see if we could table this for the end of the discussion to see if we could have
---
Mr. Mayor: Well, I think all of those are absolutely germane things that we could do. I
told Mr. Lin I’d give him a chance to at least to speak to it but we have Lt. Johnson here with us
today who is over that area but also there at the substation that’s just right across the street. Would
you speak for just a few moments about what’s going on and I think everything we’ve heard we
can partner Mr. Lin with our sheriff’s deputy and they can look at a strategy about how they can
address that part of it and then the issues with Code Enforcement they need to be addressed as
well. Lieutenant, thank you, sir.
Lt. Johnson: Good afternoon. This is first that’s been brought to my attention. My zone
is part of Apple Valley; this is the first time it’s been brought to my attention. We do have a lot of
abandoned houses over there which the Commissioners over the years condemned and has got the
money to tear them down. I’ll be happy to sit down with Mr. Lin and get the actual address that
he’s concerned about in Apple Valley. I do know that when we do a report the report is sent up to
the CID Division and they follow up on those reports. If it’s a juvenile and if we know who the
suspects are and can prove that they did it, we will be doing a juvenile report and sending it over
to the juvenile authorities which they will bring them to court to answer to those charges. So at
this time I don’t mind getting with Mr. Lin and we can sit down and discuss what I need to do with
Apple Valley which is part of my area.
Mr. Mayor: Okay all right, thank you, that’s fantastic. All right again this is why you talk
about things like this because the property of record, the property of record that he, that he being
Mr. Lin has brought to our attention 3614 Alene Circle that is not in Apple Valley.
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Mr. Lin: (inaudible).
Mr. Mayor: Well, I understand, I understand. But what you put on the paper was in
Meadowbrook not in Apple Valley, okay? And one of the things that we have an expectation of
is that this active Commission likes to get involved and help the citizens of Augusta no matter who
it is. But when we juxtapose an issue that’s in one area to another area and then we’re talking
about stuff that is not consistent then that creates a problem for us, okay? So, Mr. Lin in the future
when you proceed to come and it is your right. Government is supposed to be working for the
people by the people and of the people but let us make sure we communicate the facts and that
what we’re talking about we’re communicating in a manner that’s consistent. We talked about
Apple Valley and what’s going on over there but the property that you’ve got on this paper is in
Meadowbrook, okay?
Mr. Speaker: (inaudible)
Mr. Mayor: I’m going to give you a chance to but that’s my guidance going forward. All
right, thank you to Lieutenant and the Commissioners. I’m going to give you closing comments,
okay?
Mr. Lin: As far as the name Apple Valley shows up initially I already described to you is
exactly the property that I say Alene Circle. All the windows are knocked out, all the sheet rocks
are knocked out, A/C stolen, appliances stolen, that is Alene Circle. I just mentioned Apple Valley
to show that there are other areas also have similar situations, not that I sidetracked. Now as far
as the Code Enforcement what they mentioned is not a separate issue. They say I have code
violation and property damage needs to be bring up. Well what they’re saying is not separate
damages. What they’re saying is the damages that I just presented to the board that those criminals
knocked out, it is one issue because I have tried to rebuild back and they knock it out again so how
many people in this city can just keep on throwing $5,000 dollars and then law enforcement won’t
support me to make sure that nobody vandalizes it again. Yes, it is two years old and that’s exactly
what I say. The problem just started I don’t know long ago the Sheriff’s Department changed their
policy no longer gives citizens support and since then the problem grows bigger and bigger. As I
have there now there’s other houses just like mine now in Alene Circle Street, okay? This whole
thing is consistent and what the Code Enforcement is talking about oh, I should have put a board.
Actually I did other houses. I pick one as an example (unintelligible).
Mr. Mayor: Mr. Lin suspend.
Mr. Lin: Okay, okay so I use Alene Circle as one example ---
Mr. Mayor: Mr. Lin, I want you to, if you’ll stop and just stop. The Commissioners have
indicated that they want to partner with you in resolving and most importantly responding to this
issue ---
Mr. Lin: Okay, I appreciate that.
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Mr. Mayor: --- all right. The Commissioner from the 5 and this is in his backyard and
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the Commissioner from the 4 are going to work with you directly and the 9 as a Super District
---
Mr. Lin: Thank you.
Mr. Mayor: --- but let me say this from a global perspective. Again, you mentioned a
series of properties ---
Mr. Lin: Okay.
Mr. Mayor: --- this property is off of Meadowbrook.
Mr. Lin: Right.
Mr. Mayor: Okay, this is not Apple Valley ---
Mr. Lin: I know.
Mr. Mayor: --- this is at least 7.8 miles away from Apple Valley at least. And when those
who have been in this community for a long time frame communities of interest, the Commissioner
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from the 9 he went there. The perception and the reality for those who live in Apple Valley is
that this is a crime ridden and invested community and to juxtapose 3614 Alene Circle which is
effectively 7.7 miles away, it sends a message. Let us be mindful of that because we have to
address the community in a way that says we’re providing services to include law enforcement for
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everybody. Final comment, the Chair recognizes the Commissioner from the 6.
Mr. Hasan: Thank you, Mr. Mayor, I appreciate that. Ms. Wilson or either Mr. Lin, I have
one question please. Based on, and my question is based on the body of work that Mr. Lin said he
had been had done at that property previously if I understood him correctly who would’ve had
taken from a city perspective any type of permit or anything to do that body of work?
Ms. Wilson: Yes, but no permits had been pulled.
Mr. Hasan: So no permits have been there.
Ms. Wilson: No, sir.
Mr. Hasan: And the reason I asked that question for my colleagues is that he was saying
that he had been investing money in it and it was being torn up again so I just wanted to know if
that was the case. That don’t mean it hadn’t happened, I don’t know, but did it take a permit,
somebody came in a got a permit to go out and do that body of work, replacing all the sheetrock
replacing all those other amenities that he said was lost in the process. To replace that would we
have needed a permit to do that work, somebody would need a permit?
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Ms. Wilson: For some of the work, yes, I mean when you start talking about going in and
dealing with HVAC, dealing with electrical work, things of that nature then you need to have
permits pulled that protects the public because he’s renting to people that you know have an
expectation that they’re going to renting safe.
Mr. Hasan: So in short for this address here you’re looking at today is there any record of
permits in between 2016 up until now?
Ms. Wilson: No ---
Mr. Hasan: Okay all right ---
Ms. Wilson: --- not at all.
Mr. Hasan: --- thank you.
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Mr. Mayor: All right, thank you. All right to the Commissioner from the 9, 4 and 5 if
you’ll again get that information from Ms. Bonner with regards to being able to contact Mr. Lin
and they’re going to be in touch with you, okay?
Mr. Lin: (inaudible).
Mr. Mayor: No more comment, thank you. On a lighter note I’m going to take one from
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the Commissioner from the 1. I do want to acknowledge somebody who’s here with us today in
the audience. We have an Augusta native and a fine Eagle from T.W. Josey High School. We
know that on tomorrow the Lucy Laney Wildcats, Lady Wildcats and the T.W. Josey Lady Eagles
will be competing for the State Championship at 2:00 p.m. in Macon, Georgia. But we also have
in our audience today one of Augusta’s finest actor Reggie Lewis who was in the White House
movie of 2013, THE INEVITABLE MR. PETE, BOARDWALK EMPIRE and also NBC’s
Chicago PD. Mr. Lewis, thank you for being here today. (APPLAUSE)
Mr. Fennoy: May I have a ---
Mr. Mayor: Point of Personal Privilege?
Mr. Fennoy: --- personal point?
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Mr. Mayor: The Chair recognizes the Commissioner from the 1.
Mr. Fennoy: Yes, you know I know that the Laney Wildcats and the T.W. Josey Eagles
are going to be playing for a State Championship tomorrow but what I want to remind everybody
here is that those kids didn’t start playing basketball when they got to T.W. Josey or Lucy Craft
Laney. Most of those kids started off in Recreation and Parks. They started off at May Park and
other communities centers around the city. And I just think that we’ll be doing our Recreation and
Parks Department a grave injustice if we don’t acknowledge the park that they played and these
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kids getting to the point that they’re going to play for a State Championship. Regardless of who
wins, I think Augusta is going to be the beneficiary.
Mr. Mayor: I agree, I agree 100%. Madam Clerk, okay we have one more. Aquinas, the
Aquinas the Fighting Irish of Aquinas are also playing for a State Championship so we had the
Glenn Hills Boys and the Lucy Laney Boys teams playing as well so it’s a great time in Augusta.
We can give our students a hand, that’s right, that’s right.
The Clerk: I call your attention to our Consent Agenda which consists of Items 1-17, Items
1-17. For the benefit of any objectors to our Alcohol petition would you please signify your
objections by raising your hand once the petition is read.
Item 1: Is a request for an on premise consumption Liquor, Beer & Wine License to be
used in connection with the R & R Bar and Grill located at 2706 Gordon Highway.
The Clerk: Are there any objectors to this Alcohol petition? Our Consent Agenda consists
of Items 1-17 and, Mr. Mayor and members of the Commission, Fleet Management is requesting
on behalf of the Sheriff’s Department to have Item 5 deleted from today’s agenda.
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Mr. Mayor: The Chair recognizes the Commissioner from the 4.
Mr. Sias: Mr. Mayor, just a point do we need to add or pull any items?
Mr. Mayor: This is the appropriate time for that, sir.
Mr. Sias: All right, I’d like to pull Item 8 please.
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Mr. Mayor: Okay, the Chair recognizes the Commissioner from the 9.
Mr. M. Williams: Item number 2, Mr. Mayor.
Mr. Mayor: Okay.
Mr. M. Williams: And 15, I need some clarity on 15.
The Clerk: You said number 15, sir, okay.
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Mr. Mayor: Okay, the Chair recognizes the Commissioner from the 1.
Mr. Fennoy: Mr. Mayor, I would like to add Item number 21 to the Consent Agenda.
Mr. Sias: Not full consent on that, Mr. Mayor.
Mr. Mayor: Okay, all right with an objection. Are there any other motions to add or
remove from the Consent Agenda?
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Mr. Guilfoyle: So moved, Mr. Mayor.
Mr. Frantom: Second.
CONSENT AGENDA
PUBLIC SERVICES
1. Motion to approve New Application: A.N. 18-09: request by Suzann M. Mischel for an on
premise consumption Liquor, Beer & Wine License to be used in connection with R & R Bar
and Grill located at 2706 Gordon Highway. There will be Dance. District 4. Super District 9.
(Approved by Public Services Committee February 27, 2018)
3. Motion to approve tasking the Law Department with the development of a Resolution –
Supporting and Encouraging the Department of Energy/National Nuclear Security
Administration’s consideration of the Savannah River Site to locate the Plutonium Pit
Production Mission for presentation at the next Commission meeting. (Approved by Public
Services Committee February 27, 2018)
ADMINISTRATIVE SERVICES
4. Motion to approve the request to purchase one Case backhoe from Border Equipment for
Utilities – Fort Gordon. Bid Item #17-199. (Approved by Administrative Services Committee
February 27, 2018)
5. Motion to approve the purchase of one F-250 Pickup Truck using a sub-grant funded by
the Federal Homeland Security Grant Program through the State of Georgia. (Approved by
Administrative Services Committee February 27, 2018)
6. Motion to approve new position for the Coroner’s Office (Administrative Assistant 1,
Salary grade 42). (Approved by Administrative Services and Public Safety Committee
February 27,2018)
PUBLIC SAFETY
7. Motion to approve applying for Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services
Administration grant to develop enhancement programs to the participants of the DUI court
program. (Approved by Public Safety Committee February 27, 2018)
9. Motion to approve funding for Consultant Services Supplemental Agreement Nine to
Cranston Engineering Group/ERM in the amount of $197,397.00 for Construction Phase
Services for Augusta Canal Basin Dredging Project as requested by the AED. (Approved by
Engineering Services Committee February 27, 2018)
10. Motion to approve award of Sediment Dredging and Disposal Construction Services
Two-Phase Contract (Phase 1 (Heirs Pond) and Phase 2 (Lake Aumond)) to Waterfront
Property Services, LLC dba Gator Dredging subject to Value Engineering as requested by
the AED. Also approve and authorize executing Phase 1 contract not to exceed in the amount
of $2 million. Award is contingent upon receipt of signed contract. RFP 17-301 (Approved
by Engineering Services Committee February 27, 2018)
11. Motion to approve establishing a subcommittee to study the downtown parking situation
and the creation of a professional management parking system. (Approved by Engineering
Services Committee February 27, 2018)
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12. Motion to approve a Deed of Dedication for the water and sanitary sewer systems TCA,
LLC, for Longpoint Townhomes, Phase III, Section 2. (Approved by Engineering Services
Committee February 27, 2018)
13. Motion to approve a Deed of Dedication for the water and sanitary sewer systems for
Longpoint Townhomes Phase IV, from TCA, LLC. (Approved by Engineering Services
Committee February 27, 2018)
14. Motion to approve a Deed of Dedication and Maintenance Agreement for the gravity
sanitary sewer system from Euchee Creek Development Co., Inc. (Approved by Engineering
Services Committee February 27, 2018)
16. Motion to approve and award Preliminary Engineering Concept Phase (design phase 1)
of the Design Consultant Services Agreement to Wolverton & Associates, Inc. in the amount
of $1,005.511.85 for the Willis Foreman Improvement Project as requested by the AED.
Award is contingent upon receipt of signed agreement. RFQ 17-265 (Approved by
Engineering Services Committee February 27, 2018)
PETITIONS AND COMMUNICATIONS
17. Motion to approve the minutes of the regular meeting of the Augusta Commission held
February 20, 2018 and Special Called meeting held February 27, 2018)
Mr. Mayor: All right, we have a motion and a second, voting. And again, note for the
record that we are deleting Item number 5.
Ms. Davis out.
Motion Passes 9-0. \[Items 1, 3-7, 9-14, 16, 17\]
Mr. Mayor: Okay all right, it’s 3:05. Let’s run the clock top to bottom, Ms. Bonner.
The Clerk:
PUBLIC SERVICES
2. Motion to approve tasking the Recreation Director and Administrator with conducting a
feasibility study on whether to relocate Jones Pool and/or renovate it in its current location
and bring back a recommendation in 90 days. (Approved by Public Services Committee
February 27, 2018)
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Mr. Mayor: All right, the Chair recognizes the Commissioner from the 9.
Mr. M. Williams: Thank you, Mr. Mayor. I’ve got some issues doing a study to relocate
or to renovate. There is a need for another pool for sure. The inside of the building is really, the
cost would be astronomical to try to renovate the old building. And then it’s the present location
behind the school next to the steel plant back by the old compress. Some folks don’t even know
where Jones Pool sits at but I think we need to look at trying to relocate and find another place for
a public pool for sure. But to renovate that or to do anything to that would be I think throwing
good money after bad money to do that, Mr. Mayor. If I need to make a motion, I will.
Mr. Mayor: Okay all right, would you like to make a motion?
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Mr. M. Williams: Well, I thought maybe someone who suggested to do a study may have
some other comments or may see a better, have a better vision on the study they’re talking about.
I guess my question about that Mr. Mayor what would the study cost to do for that pool back there
who don’t have a diving board, who’s not equipped to put your clothes and stuff in, I mean what
would a study cost? Anybody have any idea about what we’re talking about spending?
Mr. Mayor: All right, we’re going to bring our Recreation and Parks Director Glenn
Parker.
Mr. Parker: Thank you, Mr. Mayor. To address Commissioner Williams’ question on the
cost a few years ago staff had a similar feasibility study tasked of them and at that time it ran about
$7,500.00 dollars. I think with what we know based on our Master Plan we could bring it in at
that or less just depending on what we really want in the feasibility study. That’s sort of where
we’re at right now with what it would cost to have that done.
Mr. M. Williams: Okay, Mr. Mayor, if I can continue?
Mr. Mayor: You may.
Mr. M. Williams: Thank you, sir. I’m, in my mind to relocate that pool because it’s behind
the school, it’s in a very, what’s the word, inaccurate area for people to want to participate in that
pool. You wouldn’t want to fix that pool back the way it was in 1940 when it was built. It’s been
that way for a long, long time. It’s the only place people had to go in that area. We just did a,
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Housing Authority just did a renovation of 15 Street to bring people back in that area. I think we
can find a better place for a pool than to put any more money into that location and where that sets
and where that is. We don’t have any other pools in that type of situation in that setting. Why
would put anybody back in that setting that it is now? I don’t think you’ll find anybody that will
say they appreciate, now some of the children I’m sure may appreciate the pool because they want
to go swimming and I understand that but I met with the media today and I talked about the lives
that were lost over on Savannah Road, Ms. Bonner, what did they call it the old deep blue sea back
in there back behind (inaudible) Gas or something where people would get in that water and drown.
I know there had to be at least 10 or 15 people that I remember losing their lives over there in that
water going up. Why would we want to put anybody back in that same location for a pool? If
we’re going to build a pool we ought to have a pool nice enough to have a diving board. That pool
is too shallow so I’ve been told. I mean people dived in there for 40 years and nobody got hurt.
Now the rules have changed and it’s too shallow for a diving board; you don’t have a diving board.
You got a slide tube that the little children can play in, a slide-through, but we need to do, we need
to start looking progressively and find another location to build a public pool where people can
enjoy and not just do, spend money in this particular same area.
Mr. Mayor: All right, I’ve got a whole bunch of hands, this is a high topic. All right, let’s
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keep talking. The Chair recognizes the Commissioner from the 4.
Mr. Sias: Thank you, Mr. Mayor, I’ll be very brief. One of the things is when I requested
that we look at this pool rather call a feasibility study or whatever when we have a new growth in
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that area we have, and that was one of the things I thought that would be important that we account
for that. It doesn’t have to be an expensive study but do we have the population and the
demographics in that area to support the pool? Now I know during the summertime we’ve taken
our kids over there on more than one occasion so the pool is functional but it needs to be some
kind of idea. Before we said we were going to go to some other place and start building a least in
reference to that pool because the last few times that this body has met there’s been discussion
about other pools that already have all those amenities but are done properly or are not operating
properly. So I just think we need to find out if this is a viable idea for this area based on the growth.
We have the Foundry Project we have the I think it’s the Greens that’s coming over there as well
so I just think we need to know that before we declare this pool done and gone. Thank you.
Mr. Mayor: Okay, Madam Administrator, with regards to this question is there an action
that’s currently on the way to close this pool?
Ms. Jackson: At this point not. In the Recreation Master Plan there was some mention
that that was something we needed to review. We need to take a serious look at it given the fact
they’re not nearly as many people in that area as there had been.
Mr. Mayor: All right and so you referenced our Recreation and Parks Master Plan that we
adopted a year and a half ago now almost two years ago. In that comprehensive Recreation and
Parks Master Plan in this area if we get rid of the pool which is as I understand it’s something to
be looked at, just last week as I understand it this body made a decision to enlist the services of a
consultant to take a look at the park at Dyess and take that pool and transform it into a splash pad,
is that correct?
Mr. Parker: Yes, sir.
Mr. Mayor: So effectively you have at this juncture you have no pool at May Park, you
will have no pool at Dyess Park, okay?
Mr. Parker: Let me come back to you, Mayor, I apologize we were trying to get this up I
didn’t hear your question correctly. The suggestion at Dyess is to ---
Mr. Mayor: Is to put a splash pad there and close the pool.
Mr. Parker: --- in the pool with a pool. One of the things I’m trying to pull up right now,
in the Master Plan they do an analysis of outdoor pools where they are, where they’re needed and
who they serve. A pool serves 40,000 people so when you look at the overlap between Dyess,
Jones and Bernie Ward they are all overlapping each other, significantly between Dyess and Jones.
With the approval of doing Dyess and Bernie Ward, we need to keep Jones open and functional at
this time. I agree with Commissioner Williams I won’t put a lot of money into it until I know
where we’re going but we need to keep Jones open at this time while we do the renovations on
Dyess and Bernie Ward.
Mr. Mayor: And the only reason I even weighed in on this is that I want to bring everyone
back to the Recreation and Parks Master Plan. And the reality of it is instead of us having these
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singular conversations we need to bring everyone back to the Recreation and Parks Master Plan
with any and everything that we’re doing that we’re expending resources on, whether it be the
action last week to talk about Dyess Park in that work we should tie that back to the Recreation
and Parks Master Plan, and if we’re not doing that then we’re missing a step.
Mr. Parker: I can pull that up over here if you’d like to see that graph, that chart.
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Mr. Mayor: Okay all right, I want to make sure that the Commissioner from the 4 is
complete, Commissioner?
Mr. Sias: 10/4.
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Mr. Mayor: All right, I’m going to recognize the Commissioner from the 8 and then
we’re coming back this way.
Mr. Guilfoyle: Mr. Mayor, as far as doing a feasibility study we should have an in-house
number as far as the uses of that facility number one. Number two, all you have to do is estimates
on what it would cost to repair the decking and/or the pool if it’s a Gunite pool or a liner pool I
think Commissioner Sias could answer that since he attends that. But as far as I would follow the
Director and I appreciate him following the Master Plan of what was set forth years ago. Thank
you.
Mr. Mayor: All right, thank you. All right before you proceed, Mr. Parker, and I may be
ahead right now in terms of the thought process, Ms. Bonner, but I’m going to go back to this
comment a moment ago and that is we have a Recreation and Parks Master Plan. We have also
done a bond towards part of that work, that was this year well last year 2017, it was in February
of last year that was a $28 million-dollar bond to do some work to include some of the Recreation
and Parks stuff. I believe it is vital for us to be communicating not only to the public but most
importantly to this body what work is being done towards that so that we don’t have these one-
off’s like we’re having now and it becomes an issue of service delivery, Mr. Parker, okay and
that’s a concern. Again last week we do the one-off, this week we’re coming and having another
conversation about maybe we need to do a feasibility study when the guiding document we should
be operating from is in fact the Recreation and Parks Master Plan for anything we’re doing.
Mr. Parker: And I would just say the previous commission meeting you approved one that
was Lombard Pond. That’s not really us but you approved four improvements to start the process
on four different recreation centers to basically implement the Master Plan through the SPLOST.
Fleming, Bernie Ward, Dyess Park I don’t remember them right now but there were, thank you
Jamestown and Lake Olmstead, those four parks and we have initiated those contracts. We
actually have a meeting Friday to start the process of meeting with the staff and the community
and then the next step is public meetings.
Mr. Mayor: Okay, Ms. Jackson, I think it’s extremely important for us to start documenting
this from the standpoint of our communications to the general public that we said this is what we
were going to do, now this is what we’re doing and then that information be readily communicated
to this body as well so that when we’re making decisions everybody knows we said we were going
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to do this now we’re actually doing it. Okay all right, I’m going to go down here to the
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Commissioner from the, all right I’ll come back to you Commissioner from the 1 and the 6
okay?
Mr. Fennoy: Mr. Mayor, one of the things that and I don’t know whether this has been
considered or not but some of the greatest swimmers ever to come out of Augusta were swimmers
that at Jones Pool. You had Dr. Latimer Blount and his brother Sonny Blount that got scholarships
through Morehouse College because of their swimming ability. You have Harry Sanders and his
brother Timothy Sanders that were great swimmers, got college scholarships and it all started at
Jones Pool. Something else and I think Commissioner Williams mentioned the number of
drownings that he could remember but one of the things that we’ve got to remember is that the
biggest cause of accidental death among African-American kids is drowning and we have got to
make the opportunity to learn how to swim available for our kids. Now I could tell my son don’t
jump in the water but if he’s out with his friends and they’re trying to swim across the pond they
may try to and that’s how it all starts. I think there’s a need for a pool in the African-American
community and there’s also a further need to teach swimming to African-American kids. And I
hope we don’t lose the historical significance of those that have for a lack of a better term graduated
from Jones Pool and gone on to bigger and better things in life.
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Mr. Mayor: The Chair recognizes the Commissioner from the 6.
Mr. Hasan: Thank you, Mr. Mayor. Mr. Mayor, in light of and in many ways I’m
concerned just like Commissioner Williams is about Jones Pool walked many days probably two
or three summers in a row every day going there. I’d of liked to be one of those great swimmers
too, Commissioner Fennoy, I’d like to have been, almost. But any way you know but in light of
what Mr. Parker is saying about the Master Plan, I don’t think it’s financially conducive for us to
put any more money talking about doing another study and coming back in 90 days when he just
said that he was going to keep the pool open in the meantime while they make the necessary
adjustments to Dyess Park as well as Bernie Ward’s pool out there and in the meantime they’re
trying to make some decisions. I think the only thing that’s still standing out there Commissioner
Williams seeing though he wanted another pool somewhere you know that’s a whole other
conversation. But I’m going to recommend at all that we take and spend any money to do a
feasibility study at Jones Pool, Mr. Mayor, and I’d like to make a motion that we delete this
item from the agenda.
Mr. Sias: Second.
Mr. Mayor: We have a motion and a second, voting. The Chair recognizes the
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Commissioner from the 5.
Mr. D. Williams: Thank you, Mr. Mayor.
Mr. Mayor: They should get the electronic system; it shows up when you push the button.
Mr. M. Williams: Or we could look around.
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Mr. Mayor: Yes, it’s a long-standing issue.
The Clerk: Mr. Williams?
Mr. Mayor: Commissioner.
Mr. Jefferson: Okay, I was looking at the voting and I see five have voted but I hadn’t
pressed the button but that’s neither here nor there we’ll see how it comes out. I guess this is from
earlier.
The Clerk: Yes.
Mr. Jefferson: But I just wanted to weigh in on the Jones Pool because just like
Commissioner Hasan and Commissioner Williams, I too used to walk to Jones Pool and that’s
where Jip Curtis taught me how to swim. And I’m wondering with the closing of Sunset and
opening of the new complex how many people in that complex are going to be interested in going
to a public pool because you are going from one type of residential and another as far as income.
And I don’t really see that population being a population for a pool and basically a public pool in
that area. I do see the need of a pool because that pool has to be going on 60 years old or better
and it’s only so many times you can Gunite, concrete and do other things because the infrastructure,
the building itself, the lockers, the locker room, the showers, I can’t remember the last time it’s
been updated. It’s just a hole in the wall, a hole in the ground that holds water that’s fenced in. I
think that pool has outlived it’s usefulness and I think that another pool probably in that vicinity
the Grand Boulevard area or somewhere where the OAC Gregg School used to be would probably
be more conducive it’s more wide open because that is an area where you have closed down factory
buildings formerly the Compress and you have houses that are being demolished possibly it’s
going to be renovated but the school was torn and rebuilt, the pool stayed, the community around
the pool is deteriorating. And just like that neighborhood is leaving I think that pool should, we
should say that pool has seen it’s better days as well. I’m going to leave it at that.
Mr. Mayor: All of those are I mean are great historical perspectives. As we think about
this conversation along with the Recreation and Parks Master Plan, I would submit to us that we
need to think about the kind of city we want Augusta to be. When you have these types of
amenities but then we lack the coordination through the Recreation and Parks team to have swim
teams in Augusta which is extremely popular all across the great State of Georgia, we need to be
thinking in terms of how we tie all of that together so that if we have these community pools and
parks that there’s an incentive to build this type of capacity in our city because that’s the city we
want her to be in having folks having an opportunity to participate on swim teams whether it be
through Rec’s and Parks and then graduate to your point to the high school level and then compete
at our Augusta Aquatic Center we’ve got to think about we got to be thinking about that from a
wraparound services standpoint and not as a snapshot in time to tie it all together so we’ve got
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folks participating in those things. All right, we’re voting and the Commissioner from the 9 is
going to close.
Mr. M. Williams: Mr. Mayor, I agree with your statement just now and that’s all I’ve been
advocating is for us to have the type pool that the people will enjoy in this city not to keep a pool
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that’s over 60 years old, Mr. Jefferson, maybe 100 years old by now I don’t really know the age
of the pool. But rather than keep that and add to it we need to change and that’s, I’m not talking
about closing the pool down where people can’t learn to swim or make it but we ought to be
looking for something bigger and better now than keeping the same thing we had in that location
where it is now. And in the Master Plan it didn’t say nothing about moving a building nothing
different. It said it needs some improvement. I can’t improve that because that’s telling me to
stay in the same position that it’s been in. Even though we may put some paint on it or put another
room onto it but we need to build something different in the close proximity as close as we can to
that so people have a public pool to go to. Not behind a school in corner next to a steel plant that
you’ve got nothing else going to. So that’s my comment, Mr. Mayor, and I’m supporting pulling
it off this agenda.
Mr. Mayor: Thank you, thank you, Ms. Bonner.
The Clerk: In the spirit of transparency, Mr. Jefferson, how are you planning to vote in the
event it doesn’t reflect that way on this? Are you voting to delete the item, sir? That’s what I’m
asking, okay.
Ms. Davis out.
Motion Passes 9-0.
Mr. Mayor: All right.
The Clerk:
ENGINEERING SERVICES
8. Motion to approve the Award of Bid Item 17-273, Landfill Compactor to Yancy Brothers.
(Approved by Engineering Services Committee February 27, 2018)
thth
Mr. Mayor: The Chair recognizes the Commissioner from the 8, I’m sorry the 4.
thth
Mr. Sias: Thank you, Mr. Mayor, you done made me the 6 and the 8 (unintelligible) so
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now I’m back to the 4 I appreciate that. On this particular item I have no objection to this item
but, Mr. Mayor, if I can I want to get the attention of the Administrator and other department heads
on this item. If you go to Page 2 of this item where it reflects the alternatives and recommendations
many of our bid items come up, I’m sorry our agenda items come up with alternatives and
recommendations being exactly the same. That’s not an alternative. We need to stop doing that.
If the recommendation is to approve something and there’s an alternate possibility either
disapprove it or some other alternate. But I just think it’s just a little disingenuous to put the same
thing for both the alternative and the recommendation. Move to approve.
Mr. Frantom: Second.
Mr. Mayor: We have a motion to approve and a second. Voting.
Ms. Davis out.
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Motion Passes 9-0.
The Clerk:
ENGINEERING SERVICES
15. Motion to approve lease extension with Thompson Farms on a 29-acre portion of the Big
Farm property. (Approved by Engineering Services Committee February 27, 2018)
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Mr. Mayor: The Chair recognizes the Commissioner from the 9.
Mr. M. Williams: Thank you, Mr. Mayor. I just had a couple of questions about the Big
Farm and whether or not this lease is a continuation, how long the lease has been in place, how
long will it be in place, is that something we’re going to continue to do? Do anybody have an
opportunity to come in and apply for that same lease, Tom?
Mr. Wiedmeier: Mr. Mayor and members of the Commission, this tract of land is the only
remaining piece of the Big Farm property that doesn’t have the constructed wetlands built on it.
There’s really only one party that can use this piece of property and that’s the Thompson Brothers.
They do all the farming down along the levee and the river. They’re the only ones that can access
it. It actually is good for us to have them utilizing that tract of land. They keep up the road and it
is on the backside of our wetlands so I do like having them down there.
Mr. M. Williams: I didn’t have any problems with the item, Mr. Mayor, but I did want to
know exactly how it was playing with the city versus you know somebody else just letting it sit
there. But if somebody is using the land you’re saying, Tom.
Mr. Wiedmeier: Ask that again?
Mr. M. Williams: Are they using this land or are they using the ---
Mr. Wiedmeier: No, they farm it.
Mr. M. Williams: --- they farm this land.
Mr. Wiedmeier: Yes, sir.
Mr. M. Williams: So moved, Mr. Mayor.
Mr. Frantom: Second.
Mr. Mayor: We’ve got a motion and a second. All right, the Chair recognizes the
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Commissioner from the 6.
Mr. Hasan: Thank you, Mr. Mayor. Mr. Wiedmeier, I don’t have a problem with it either
but it looks like it’s $250,000 dollars per year for this. Any particular reason this $250,000 dollar’s
is not going to our General Fund or is it going to the General Fund?
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Mr. Mayor: $250.00 dollars.
Mr. Hasan: $250.000 dollars for 29 acres? Oh my God. Well ya’ll can keep the $250.00
then. You can keep the two-fifty, Tom.
Mr. Wiedmeier: Thank you.
Mr. Hasan: Okay.
Mr. Mayor: All right, we’ve got a motion and a second. Voting.
Mr. Fennoy: Is that one lump sum or?
Mr. Hasan: Even if he was going to pay it for 5 years then $1,250.00 dollars to get it over
with, my bad (unintelligible) that was a good deal we can use that in our budget, Mr. Mayor.
Mr. Mayor: I would submit to you that the Thompson farms ---
Mr. Hasan: I know Thompson.
Mr. Mayor: --- has been good to Augusta.
Mr. Hasan: Oh yeah.
Ms. Davis out.
Motion Passes 9-0.
The Clerk:
ADMINISTRATIVE SERVICES
18. Receive information from the Office of the Richmond County Tax Commissioner
regarding the taxes and ownership of property located on 433 Fairhope Street. (Requested
by Commissioner Marion Williams)
Mr. Mayor: Do we have a representative from the Tax Commissioner’s Office?
Mr. Hasan: Mr. Mayor, I don’t think ---
Mr. Mayor: Hold on.
Mr. Hasan: -- this is the Tax Commissioner’s item
Mr. Mayor: Okay, this is the Tax Assessor’s Office.
Mr. Hasan: Tax Assessor’s item.
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Mr. Mayor: Okay all right, the Chair recognizes the Commissioner from the 9 this is his
issue and Scott from the Tax Assessor’s Office.
Mr. M. Williams: Thank you, Mr. Mayor. This is an issue where someone had been paying
their father’s their parent’s property taxes and the house was taken by the city saying that they was
lacking in their taxes and they foreclosed on this property but the people that had paid the taxes
have receipts for paying the taxes. And I had this put on the agenda because it took me I don’t
know how long I got the Clerk to call the Tax Commissioner down here to try to talk to somebody.
I kept getting this automated sound to go to another kiosk or to another one to another one so I got
eventually tired and just got the Clerk to contact somebody. But my problem is I know it had to
have been an accident but how did this happen with all of the technology we’ve got and all of the
people we’ve got working, how did someone’s property who paid their taxes didn’t get the proper
credit for it?
Mr. Mayor: All right so two things one, let us for the record reflect that this is information
from the Office of the Richmond County Tax Assessor so we’ll update as such. All right, Scott.
Mr. Scott Rountree: I guess a quick timeline and history of the property and what was
going on. This is in Marion Homes Subdivision and there’s a lot of acquisition and easements
being acquired for the drainage and roadway improvements in that neighborhood. This particular
parcel had an imminent domain order granting a possession filed in August of last year. And we
had a clerk who misinterpreted this as a deed transferring the entire property when in fact it was
only an easement, a temporary easement for the duration of the project. So there was no sale, there
was no condemnation of the entire parcel. It was just a temporary easement for the duration of the
project. So we were notified by the Tax Commissioner’s that this was transferred and probably
should not have been. We looked into it and found that the deed in fact was just an easement deed
and returned it into the property owner’s name. So as far as for the taxation purposes they were
mailed the bill right after this was filed in the courts was I think two days after this was filed was
when the tax bills went out so this would’ve gone to the Owner of Record as of January 1 and we
do have the error corrected.
Mr. Mayor: Thank you, Commissioner?
Mr. M. Williams: Thank you, Mr. Mayor. If Joe Q. Citizen came in and paid late on their
taxes they would’ve paid a penalty and interest for coming in because they hadn’t done their job.
This is somebody who done their job. Back in October there wasn’t an easement situation done
with some infrastructure work going on in Marion Homes and they had, was contacted by several
attorneys about coming in a signing some papers and the people did that to get the easement to
come in and put in whatever infrastructure that had to put in. But meanwhile that’s got translated
into the wrong department or the wrong person hands and got to this point now. But if they had
of came in late they would’ve had to pay this city for either late fees or penalties or whatever it is.
So when Joe Q. Citizen does that and we do them wrong what does this government do we just
say I’m sorry I made a mistake because if I say I’m sorry I made a mistake paying my taxes I got
to pay a penalty and interest. Grady taught me that if it works for the goose it’s good for the gander
ain’t it Grady?
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Mr. Smith: (Inaudible).
Mr. Mayor: Okay all right, the issue of record has been corrected ---
Mr. Rountree: Yes.
Mr. Mayor: --- and the taxes on said property were paid?
Mr. Rountree: Correct.
Mr. Mayor: Were there any penalties with interest?
Mr. Rountree: There were I believe around $45.00 dollars in penalties and interest.
Mr. Mayor: Did we return that to the citizens?
Mr. Rountree: I couldn’t speak to that.
Mr. Mayor: Okay all right okay, Commissioner, can you speak to that?
Mr. M. Williams: For my understanding they had not been reimbursed but I think that’s
something this body needs to do. I don’t think that office had the authority to do it. But they paid
that and they was in right, and it’s right they should be reimbursed I believe that’s what my point
was.
Mr. Mayor: Are you making a motion in that form?
Mr. M. Williams: So moved.
Mr. Hasan: Second.
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Mr. Mayor: Okay, okay all right, the Chair recognizes the Commissioner from the 8.
Mr. Guilfoyle: Mr. Mayor, this problem has been resolved and if we look at the history on
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this 433 Fairhope they paid their taxes on December 28 2017. They paid their taxes before that
the year previous on 12-29-2016 the year before that 12-29-2015. I don’t think this is the county’s
problem when it comes to penalties and interest when they decide to pay late because it wasn’t just
one year it was the past three years, four years where the problem has came into play not just this
one year. I mean we’re opening up a can of worms we ain’t going to be able to close, sir, but I
appreciate and I’m sorry for the resident being put through that but the Tax Assessor’s Office had
corrected the problem. You know we’re all human.
Mr. M. Williams: Can I respond, Mr. Mayor?
Mr. Mayor: Well, I don’t know if you should ---
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Mr. M. Williams: Well ---
Mr. Mayor: --- hold on just a second. So, the issue at hand was the issue of an easement
and somehow that got muddied water, no pun intended. And the easement that was necessary was
to complete the project. Has the project been completed?
Mr. Rountree: I’m not sure of that.
Mr. Mayor: Okay the Marion Homes work is still going on I think we all know that’s a
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drainage. All right so the Commissioner from the 9 raised this issue with regards to one the issue
of ownership of the property which has been resolved and then the issue of taxes which they’re
responsible for their taxes. And now the issue of penalties and interest had nothing to do with the
easement in that matter.
Mr. Rountree: No, I’ll note that the error and the transfer occurred a full 60-days after tax
bills were mailed ---
Mr. Mayor: Okay.
Mr. Rountree: --- so it wasn’t until after the tax bills went out that this issue arose.
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Mr. Mayor: And the Commissioner from the 8 has raised the issue that they waited until
December to pay their taxes for the last three years or more is that not true, Commissioner?
Mr. Guilfoyle: That is true.
Mr. Mayor: Okay all right, so the issues of paying taxes on said property had nothing to
do really with the easement issue with regards to the project, Mr. Scott.
Mr. Rountree: That could be interpreted as that.
Mr. Mayor: That’s an excellent answer. I’m going to sign you up it’s a junior attorney in
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the making. All right, I’m going to close with you Commissioner from the 9.
Mr. M. Williams: Yes, sir, I would hope you would. I mean if this issue had not been
brought by one of us or yourself there is no telling where the property or whether the hands of the
property would’ve been in because they had it as property belonged to the city and got it from this
lady who her parents had. So it was brought so it was addressed but it had not been addressed
until there wouldn’t have been would’ve been caught. This lady who had went down and spoke
to someone several times and still didn’t get anywhere with it but showing me that she had paid
the property taxes and I asked the Clerk to contact somebody. Now we’re talking about giving
what $40.00 dollars back to somebody who done paid their taxes. If you pull mine up and I ain’t
st
got no problem pulling mine up you’re going to find I ain’t paid mine until December 31 or maybe
st
January 1 but I paid the interest and the penalty whatever it costs because that’s the penalty you
get for that. I ain’t going to penalize nobody because they don’t have the funds to do like other
27
folks do pay it on a certain date. Some people got automatic withdrawal. Some people don’t have
a checking account to even take it out of they get a money order to come do it. I think the city
ought to be lenient enough and understanding enough to give the little $40.00 dollars back to
somebody who they done charged. And if that’s going to open up a can of worms they’re already
crawling.
Mr. Mayor: Yeah, I believe the gentleman has great passion for what he says.
Mr. M. Williams: Well but it’s just sinful it shouldn’t have been. It’s an accident, it wasn’t
intentional but to make people pay the penalty and they shouldn’t have paid it, putting them
through all this.
Mr. Mayor: Yeah, well again I believe the gentleman knows of what he speaks. The Chair
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recognizes the Commissioner from the 7.
Mr. Frantom: I’d like to make a substitute motion to receive as information.
Mr. Sias: Second.
Mr. Mayor: All right, I’ve got a substitute motion with a proper second to receive as
information. Voting.
Mr. D. Williams, Mr. Sias, Mr. Jefferson, Mr. Frantom, Mr. Guilfoyle and Mr. G. Smith
vote Yes.
Mr. Fennoy, Mr. Hasan and Mr. M. Williams vote No.
Ms. Davis out.
Motion Passes 6-3.
The Clerk:
ENGINEERING SERVICES
19. Motion to approve the Award of Bid Item 17-3-3 – Deans Bridge Road MSW Landfill
Phase 3, Stage 1, Cell 3 Construction for the Environmental Services Department to Gearig
Brothers Civilworks. (No recommendation from Engineering Services Committee February
27, 2018)
st,
Mr. Mayor: All right, the Chair recognizes the Commissioner from the 1 Engineering
Services Chairman, can you speak to this issue?
Mr. Fennoy: Yes, I’d just like to make a motion to approve.
Mr. Guilfoyle: I’ll second that.
Mr. Mayor: All right, fantastic. I’ve got a motion and a second.
Mr. M. Williams: Yes, sir, Mr. Mayor, I’ve got a ---
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Mr. Mayor: I’m going to come to you.
Mr. M. Williams: --- yes, sir.
Mr. Mayor: All right again I’ve got a proper motion and a second. The Chair recognizes
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the Commissioner from the 9.
Mr. M. Williams: I want to make a substitute motion that we, to deny.
Mr. Mayor: That’s well within your right.
Mr. Hasan: Second.
Mr. Mayor: We’ve got a motion, we’ve got a substitute motion to deny with a proper
second. Again, the substitute motion is to deny with a proper second. Voting. That substitute
motion fails. We’ve got a motion ---
The Clerk: Let me record it, Mr. Mayor.
Mr. Jefferson, Mr. Hasan, Mr. M. Williams and Mr. G. Smith vote Yes.
Mr. Fennoy, Mr. D. Williams, Mr. Sias, Mr. Frantom and Mr. Guilfoyle vote No.
Ms. Davis out.
Motion Fails 5-4.
Mr. M. Williams: Mr. Mayor ---
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Mr. Mayor: The Chair recognizes the Commissioner from the 9.
Mr. M. Williams: --- yes, sir, this item is a very serious item that we’re trying to vote on
here today. Section 1-10-28 it talks about employees who work for this government had initially
one year and someone said six months from leaving this employment to go work for another entity
that works for this government and that’s been violated. I mean along with some other things have
been violated but that’s my issue. If we’re going to do this that we’re going to change the rules
and everybody don’t know the rules have changed but you can’t work for this government and
within six-months’ time go out and hire up with another firm to do work for this government when
you was a part of this government when the whole thing initiated. So those are my issues with
this, Mr. Mayor, and that’s why I’m supporting not approving the contract. And I think
somebody’s here from Procurement who can speak to that, Mr. Mayor.
th,
Mr. Mayor: Well, the Commissioner from the 9 your issue which you raised certainly is
a valid issue. It’s one that again in the course of having a debate about it at the point in time you
made your substitute motion I would submit that you should’ve clearly articulated that and brought
this to light and sharing that with your colleagues if this was a concern. But you had a substitute
motion that was defeated and then you had a main motion which was to approve at which point
that was done and after the vote was taken you proceeded to share this. I’m going to ask Attorney
29
MacKenzie to again it certainly is a relevant concern but I’m going to ask Attorney MacKenzie to
speak to this.
Mr. MacKenzie: Sure, I’ll be happy to do that. The relevant Code Section 1-10-28c it
states, former employees no former employee or officer shall participate directly or indirectly in
an Augusta, Georgia procurement for six-months after termination of employment. Her service
with Augusta, Georgia we did reach out to the company. Their attorney sent a letter in response
to our inquiry to see whether or not this provision had potentially been violated. I do have copies
of that if ya’ll would like to distribute it out. But the attorney indicated that based on the timeline
of when Mr. Johnson was employed with the organization and when they bid on this particular
project that Mr. Johnson did not have any participation in it and that from the attorney’s opinion
it’s not violated the code provision.
Mr. M. Williams: May I respond, Mr. Mayor?
Mr. Mayor: Not right now, hold on. I have consistently said to this body, Ms. Bonner, let
me start with you if you’ll take a copy of this, I don’t know. I’ve consistently said to this body
that if we’re going to do the people’s business we need to operate from a common set of facts.
And when we’re not operating from a common set of facts, we end up making decisions and again
you’ve had broad support for moving forward with this award of Bid Item 17-303. And so we’re
going to continue to move forward. I just want to pass them down, right, I’m just passing another
group down there and then, they don’t have a copy, Ms. Bonner. It’s extremely important, it’s
extremely important for us to operate from a common set of facts that everybody’s seeing the same
thing, talking about the same thing. And when we you know get to this juncture where a decision
is made whether it would’ve changed the outcome or not it would have been much more helpful
to us to have a common set of facts before we even got to this point and we did not. So, hold on,
hold on, to the degree that you have a set of facts and you should’ve shared that with all of us prior
to today. Attorney MacKenzie, to the degree that this was an issue he should’ve shared that with
us before today.
Mr. M. Williams: The Mayor didn’t share, I mean the lawyer didn’t share his common set
of facts, Mr. Mayor.
Mr. Mayor: Hold on, hold on ---
Mr. M. Williams: Wait a minute, the same rules.
Mr. Mayor: --- I just stated, I just stated that Attorney MacKenzie you too should’ve shared
these common facts that’s what I just stated okay, I’m hold both you and Attorney MacKenzie
responsible for not sharing common facts and it should have been done. And now we’re having a
debate about a matter that all of us could’ve been well informed of had you two shared those
common facts and you did not. You had an opportunity to make a substitute and you did. You
had a second it was defeated and we came back to the main motion and it was approved.
Mr. Speaker: Not yet.
30
Mr. Hasan: (Unintelligible) vote on the floor.
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Mr. Mayor: Okay all right, okay. The Chair recognizes the Commissioner from the 4.
Mr. Sias: Thank you, sir. Mr. Mayor, if you’ll permit me I want to go back to the Attorney
when he was reading about the employee Mr., if that’s fine.
Mr. Mayor: You may.
Mr. Sias: Mr. Attorney, Mr. MacKenzie, did you say employee had been terminated or
just had ceased or ended employment with the city? I’m just trying to get a fact of what you read
out of Section 1-20-30 or whatever that you read.
Mr. MacKenzie: What it says six-months after termination of employment but that the
word termination itself could mean resignation as well. It just means that your employment has
ended, it doesn’t have to be that you were terminated involuntarily.
Mr. Sias: Okay, thank you, Mr. Mayor.
Mr. Mayor: Okay all right, we have a main motion. We’ve got a motion and second. You
now have a common set of facts in front of you. Voting.
Mr. M. Williams: There’s some information that we need to hear.
Mr. Mayor: Well, Commissioner, again, Ms. Bonner, would you, hold on everybody
suspend would you hand me that one right there for just a moment that one yes, okay.
Mr. M. Williams: Point of Personal Privilege, Mr. Mayor.
Mr. Mayor: Okay, we’re going to do two things here. Ms. Bonner, if you will put this up
on the screen so that everyone can see it okay? This page is the same thing that we have; everybody
has that. Again, if we’re operating from the same common set of facts before the meeting it makes
our job easier and we don’t have these types of things going on. I want to be sensitive to the
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Commissioner from the 9 concern but again I’m going to hold he and the Attorney responsible.
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We should not be at this place. All right, the Chair recognizes the Commissioner from the 9 to
walk us through this timeline.
Mr. M. Williams: I think the timeline explains itself, Mr. Mayor. That’s why I had
someone up from Procurement who can really walk us through this timeline without giving us a
bunch of repeated conversation. If I could have someone from Procurement to come up and walk
us through ---
Mr. Mayor: Okay.
Mr. M. Williams: --- and then ---
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Mr. Mayor: I have a question for you ---
Mr. M. Williams: --- okay.
Mr. Mayor: --- did Procurement develop this timeline?
Mr. M. Williams: No. Procurement didn’t develop the timeline. Procurement knows about
this timeline though ---
Mr. Mayor: Okay, who (inaudible).
Mr. M. Williams: --- who developed the timeline is really not important. Is the timeline
true?
Mr. Mayor: Well ---
Mr. M. Williams: I mean if it’s not, if it’s a false statement then it’s one thing but can I get
Procurement to articulate this timeline so we can better understand it because this surely clears up
that the six months was not in place like the lawyer tried to indicate a few minutes ago. And if
we’re going to protect some people we need to protect them all. I mean I’m really fed up with that.
Mr. Mayor: --- I’m not trying to protect anybody ---
Mr. M. Williams: Okay, well (inaudible).
Mr. Mayor: --- the Chair’s going to direct the question to you. To the Commissioner from
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the 9 is it not true that Procurement did not produce this timeline?
Mr. M. Williams: (Unintelligible).
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Mr. Mayor: Okay, here’s my follow up question, Commissioner from the 9. Is it also not
true that the Phase 2 of this timeline Procurement did not produce this?
Mr. M. Williams: Phase 2?
Mr. Mayor: You’ve got Phase 1 and you’ve got Phase 2. Procurement did not draft this
document is that not true?
Mr. M. Williams: Now I don’t remember about Phase 2. That’s not important to me
whether ---
Mr. Mayor: The sheet of paper itself, is it not true that Procurement did not put this
together?
Mr. M. Williams: --- well, Procurement put the bottom part of this together but, Mr. Mayor,
who put together if it’s not true if it’s a true statement, and I’m not going to throw Procurement or
32
anybody else under the bus. If this is inaccurate then let’s say it’s inaccurate but Procurement can
tell you whether it’s not is accurate or not. But if it is then that tells me that we’ve done violated
our own rules then.
Mr. Mayor: All right, so okay, why don’t we do this, go on and we’ll see where this falls
out at. And you had a substitute motion that was defeated. You’ve got the main motion, unless
somebody says they want to make another substitute motion and I’ll table this, okay? All right, so
I’ve got a motion and a proper second. Voting.
Mr. Fennoy, Mr. Sias, Mr. Hasan, Mr. Frantom, Mr. Guilfoyle and Mr. G. Smith vote Yes.
Mr. D. Williams, Mr. Jefferson and Mr. M. Williams vote No.
Ms. Davis out.
Motion Passes 6-3.
Mr. M. Williams: Point of Personal Privilege now, Mr. Mayor.
Mr. Mayor: You’re recognized.
Mr. M. Williams: Okay, thank you, sir, and we just need to throw that rule out of the
window because that rule doesn’t apply anymore. Anybody that leaves this government can do
any work they want to the next day if they so choose because this proves that that can happen, is
that right?
Mr. Mayor: Well, I don’t know ---
Mr. M. Williams: I know. I mean we just voted to violate our own rule and it certainly was
not (unintelligible). We’re trying to throw Procurement under the bus or whoever put the
document together. What difference does that make if the document was true? If it fell out the
air, if it’s a true document I’ve got some serious issues with that, Mr. Mayor.
Mr. Mayor: --- I understand, I understand. All right, the Chair recognizes the
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Commissioner from the 1.
Mr. Fennoy: Mr. Mayor, once again on an agenda item there’s information that everybody
does not have access to until the last minute. I would just like to encourage all of my colleagues
that if they have information that’s pertinent to an agenda item that they get that information to
Ms. Bonner so that myself and the rest of my colleagues would have a chance to review that
information before we take a vote on that agenda item.
Mr. Mayor: I believe the gentleman knows of what he speaks. The Chair recognizes the
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Commissioner from the 6.
Mr. Hasan: Thank you, Mr. Mayor. Mr. Mayor, I don’t disagree at all with Commissioner
Williams with the information Commissioner Williams has because it’s not Commissioner
Williams information he has. I think what really creates a problem for the government along these
lines is when this process was looked at in 2001, again in 2005 and in 2011, 2001, 2005 was talking
33
about a year 2011 and some kind of way got in the book to be six months. But here was the think
that was talked about in 2001 and in 2005 and it was to put it in the handbook or put it in the
contracts because I as a vendor can do business with Augusta Richmond County I’m not going to
look at the Personnel and Policy Manual, you know what I’m saying? So it needs to be somewhere
in contracts for people who typically do business with us so they’ll see that going in. The way it
is now they have no way of knowing until we get to points like this. So, it was suggested back
then that that’s where it needs to be in the handbook or it needs to be on the contracts and so other
than that you won’t find it. Thank you, sir.
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Mr. Mayor: Thank you. The Chair recognizes the Commissioner from the 5.
Mr. Jefferson: Thank you, Mr. Mayor. I would like to ask a question of the Attorney. Mr.
MacKenzie, looking at what we just did here, looking at the vote we just took and looking at the
information that was provided that wasn’t provided that cropped up. And you read a letter from
the other attorney saying that in his opinion he didn’t feel like that was a violation. Well, whether
it was an opinion or not what would the interpretation be as far as right or wrong or correct or
incorrect?
Mr. MacKenzie: Sure, I’ll be happy to address that. I’ll just point out as well we just got
this letter yesterday. It’s dated yesterday as well. The prohibition is not on being employed by
another organization. It’s whether or not you participate directly or indirectly in a particular
procurement. And what the attorney’s letter said is that their company representatives are saying
that Mr. Johnson did not participate directly or indirectly so there’s no violation of the six-month
prohibition. So it’s not just county whether or not he was employed there within six-months, the
issue is whether or not he participated directly or indirectly in this procurement. And the company
has affirmed through their letter that he did not and whether you believe that or not that’s for us to
decide but I don’t see anything inappropriate with what was done. It’s consistent with our policy.
If we believe the letter was provided by the attorney that he didn’t participate directly or indirectly
then there is no violation of our code.
Mr. Jefferson: Okay just to satisfy my curiosity we talk about directly or indirectly directly
means hands on indirectly could vary between night and day so let’s break down the directly versus
the indirectly.
Mr. MacKenzie: But I think indirectly would mean maybe he participating in drafting
specifications or something of that nature but did not attend any of the bid openings or directly
participate in the outcome of the agreement. And I think the letter speaks for itself from the
attorney. They produced a timeline and they are saying that he was not a participant in it at all.
Mr. Jefferson: So based on the timeline that when we got that letter yesterday if we had
gotten the letter last month, would’ve it made a difference in the eyes of the Augusta attorney as
far as making the bid valid or invalid?
Mr. MacKenzie: I don’t believe the timeline makes any difference. It’s whether or not he
participated directly or indirectly; he could’ve been employed there the whole time.
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Mr. Jefferson: Because earlier you said well we only got the letter yesterday like that was
relevant so I figured since you brought it up it had to be relevant as far as the timeline was
concerned. And directly and indirectly it’s like we’re playing a game of chance because I think
we spent far too long on this issue when as an attorney you could’ve given us an opinion as a
commission on what we should or should not do, I mean it’s relevant to me personally because I,
the job’s going to be done but I just want to leave here feeling like my vote was cast not out of
malice for Mr. Johnson, not out of malice for the company, but I just want to feel I’ve done the
right thing legally and I’m depending on the attorney for Augusta Richmond County to tell us or
guide us or to help us make a decision that’s not going to come back to bite us in the fanny six
months down the road when this comes up in the same room again because this isn’t the only case
that’s going to happen. But like my colleague said earlier what’s good for the goose should be
good for the gander and I feel like that what we did was a gross double-standard.
Mr. MacKenzie: I concur with your assessment on that. I was happy to provide the opinion
same as every other case. In this instance I don’t see where the Commission is taking this step.
Mr. Jefferson: And in respect for my colleagues I’m going to drop it right there because I
feel like I could talk until I get blue in the face. That’s a heck of a lot of talking but I’m going to
stop right here because I’m not getting anywhere. But I just feel that this just wasn’t right.
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Mr. Mayor: The Chair recognizes the Commissioner from the 4.
Mr. Sias: Thank you, sir. The attorney answered my concern while he was talking, thank
you.
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Mr. Mayor: The Chair recognizes the Commissioner from the 8.
Mr. Guilfoyle: Mr. Mayor, as far as all this discussion that we had about employees that
terminate or quit, fired et cetera any time that somebody leaves Augusta Richmond County and
does work for another company, how are we supposed to know number one is Procurement
supposed to ask for a list of all the employees of that company to find out if any of our ex-
employees had worked there? I mean just different standards.
Mr. Mayor: Well, you know, we’ve had a again a substitute motion and a main motion
and I’m going to iterate this one more time. Our ability to operate with a common set of facts is
central to doing the people’s business. My question to the Attorney would be what prompted the
attorney from the company of record who’s now the beneficiary of this procurement, what
prompted them to send us this letter, not only what prompted them to send us this letter but okay,
that issue was raised in the committee meeting. Okay so, we should’ve gotten this before
yesterday, we should have. And if it was raised in the committee meeting we not only should’ve
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had your information before today or we should’ve had the Commissioner from the 9‘s
information before today. And all of the conversation is in fact relevant up to this point and the
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question that the Commissioner from the 9 has raised with his timeline to his point regardless of
who put it together the assertion is that the former employee was involved in drafting the bid
solicitation. That is a problem whether that be true or not. And it puts us in a position of where
we’re having to then deal with the people in the general public who say well you know the
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government’s corrupt, I don’t want anything we’re doing to be called corrupt because we’re
operating from a common set of facts and that we can make decisions based on those said and pre-
provided facts. I would hope this doesn’t happen again. The Chair recognizes the Commissioner
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from the 9.
Mr. M. Williams: Mr. Mayor, the common set of facts you’re talking about was brought
up in committee. We presented this to the full Commission today with no recommendation
because it came up. Anybody that was interested in knowing what was really happening and had
an opportunity then and those of us who knew was simply just scared to talk about it or not even
being afraid to talk about it but just had our minds made up. We have some employees who have
a whole year and we monitored them to make sure they didn’t do no work for this government but
then we let some employees do whatever they want to do. And Procurement was asking when
who could explain the document that showed all the timelines but we wanted to know who put the
document together. What difference does that make? So that tells me that not only this lawyer
but several of it wasn’t on the same common set of facts and that is to do whatever they want to
do. If it’s a rule it ought to be a rule now. I’m sick and tired of some folks doing and some folks
can’t and that’s what we’ve got in this government. And I don’t blame people for distrusting this
government because of what we just did today. Now the lawyer just read what the other lawyer
said. I want to know who do he work for because he gave us this scenario from the other lawyer
who sent it in. I never heard him take a stand and say this was good, right, wrong or indifferent.
He sat there like a knot on a log and I’m embarrassed about that. He can’t make this body do
anything but he ought to be guiding this body and giving us the information in doing what is right
not what two or three or four or five and even what six want to do but whatever is right but then
we don’t want to talk about it. But this ain’t just happened last night and got on the agenda. This
was talked about in committee and we talked about sending it to the full Commission without any
recommendation. Ms. the Landfill Director Ms. DeVito (sic) came up asked the question was Mr.
Johnson was working at the time she said yes so this ain’t no dream. This is real, this is real life,
this is really what happened here.
Mr. Mayor: I understand.
Mr. M. Williams: No, I don’t think you do understand, Mr. Mayor, because you wouldn’t
have done what you just did a few minutes ago if you really understood it. Now you say you do
but your actions say you don’t.
Mr. Mayor: I understand.
Mr. Sias: Can we move on?
Mr. M. Williams: We’ve been doing too much moving on.
The Clerk:
SUBCOMMITTEE
Pension Committee
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20. Consider recommendation(s) from the Pension Committee regarding possible changes to
Augusta’s Georgia Municipal Employees Benefit System (GMEBS) retirement plan.
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Mr. Mayor: All right, the Chair recognizes the Commissioner from the 7.
Mr. Frantom: Thank you, Mr. Mayor. This has been a long time coming to update
this plan and it’s been a good partnership with the Pension Committee and this body and
our Public Safety partnership. And I would like to make a motion of the recommendation
that we gave in pension where the contribution’s 1% city, 2.25% employee as well mandatory
healthcare briefing will continue.
Mr. G. Smith: Second.
Mr. Speaker: (Inaudible)
Mr. Frantom: That’s for all employees.
Mr. Mayor: That is correct. All right ---
Mr. Sias: Mr. Mayor.
Mr. Mayor: --- yeah, I’m coming to you, I’m coming to you.
Mr. Frantom: As well as increasing the multiplier to 2% the most important thing.
Mr. Sias: He’s choking. Can we have Ms. Bonner read it? He only spit out half.
Mr. Frantom: Will you reread the motion for us if I haven’t messed it all up.
Mr. Mayor: We have a motion and a proper second. Just for the record, Madam
Administrator, do you want to speak to this matter?
Ms. Jackson: Yes. I can just give a little bit more detail to enlighten everybody on what
this means. We are increasing the multiplier from the current 1.65% to 2% for all participating
employees in the 2008 GMEBS plan for all years of service, I want to make that clear. The target
date ---
Mr. Mayor: As of the date of service in the plan.
Ms. Jackson: --- as of the date of service in the 2008 GMEBS plan. The target date for
adoption is July 1 of 2018. The target date for contributions to be made by the increased
contributions to be made by employees is January 1, 2019. I can also speak briefly to a survey
that we conducted at the request of the committee two weeks ago. We have 490 of our employees
participating with that survey. We had 12.2% were against the contributions going up to the
2.25%, we had 87.8% in favor of saying they would support contributions at the 2.2% increase
level. Also there was some sentiment expressed about perhaps splitting the cost 50/50 I think
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given the financial reality of the situation this is best we feel like we can do at this time and that’s
why we made the recommendation to do it this way. Also we’ll be scheduling some meetings for
our workforce so that we can have clear communications with them about what this means, how
it effects the individual circumstances et cetera. We’ll get those dates out as soon as we get a
schedule developed.
Mr. Mayor: Fantastic. All right, Madam Clerk, okay if you would just recap the motion
for us.
The Clerk: The motion was to approve staff recommendation changes regarding the 2008
Georgia Municipal Employees Benefit System retirement plan with employee increase of 2.25 for
the employee, 1% for the employer, a 2% multiplier for every employee with an effective date of
January 1, 2018 with a payment from employees January 1, 2019 with the mandatory healthcare
briefing for all employees.
Ms. Jackson: Excuse me healthcare is separate. Healthcare is a separate issue from that.
Mr. Mayor: The mandatory statement he made with regards to healthcare was just a
conversation.
Mr. M. Williams: A common set of facts we’re talking about.
Mr. Sias: Mr. Mayor, that effective date is 1 July isn’t it?
The Clerk: July 1, 2018.
Mr. Sias: Correct. I understand that (unintelligible).
Mr. Mayor: Okay.
Mr. Frantom: No, I just didn’t read all the details.
Mr. Mayor: All right, Ms. Bonner, thank you. All right, Attorney Smitherman.
Ms. Smitherman: Mr. Mayor, we just wanted to clarify that was a 2.25% increase in
employee contributions for a total of 6.25% just for clarity of the record.
Mr. Mayor: That’s correct. Okay all right, we’re going to move forward. What this means
is that we continue the path of investing in our most important resource and that is the people who
make up this government. Not only did we move forward with the implementation of the
Compensation Study but once again through a partnership, partnership with the government and
her employees to give everyone an opportunity to succeed today and tomorrow, that is what this
is about. And once again I want to thank our Administrator, our staff and this body for working
together to make those types of investments in the people and thereby making this government
better today, tomorrow and for future generations of Augustans, so thank you. Voting. The Chair
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recognizes the Commissioner from the 4.
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Mr. Sias: Mr. Mayor ---
Mr. Mayor: Yes.
Mr. Sias: --- I would like to make a substitute motion that is entirely the same with the
exception of request to waive the second reading.
Mr. Mayor: All right, we don’t have to do that.
Mr. Sias: We don’t have to do a second reading?
Mr. Mayor: We don’t.
The Clerk: We don’t have the ordinance prepared. This is giving them permission to draft
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the ordinance. We could have that done on March 20.
Mr. Mayor: All right so let me speak to it as well, Ms. Bonner, not to cut you off but the
folks from GMEBS will prepare that ordinance, they will get that sent over to us and at that time
we will adopt it and we can appropriately make those ---
Mr. Sias: I withdraw my request.
Mr. Mayor: --- thank you.
Mr. Hasan: Will he need to add that, Mr. Mayor, for him to draft an ordinance or is that
already a part of it?
Mr. Mayor: The GMEBS is responsible ---
Mr. Hasan: Okay.
Mr. Mayor: --- for this ordinance, not the attorney.
Mr. Hasan: Okay.
Ms. Davis out.
Motion Passes 9-0.
Mr. Mayor: All right, Ms. Bonner, I’m going to, it’s 4:21 not 4:30, 4:00 o’clock I’m going
to mention a couple of things. I want to draw everybody’s attention to the front leaf of your
notebooks. In there the Administrator’s office in concert with Ms. Bonner has provided some
information about tomorrow’s bus tour. The bus tour agenda is attached in your notebooks if
you’ll pay attention to that. We’ll be departing the Municipal Building for Lake Aumond at 10:00
well that’s Thursday yes but we won’t be together Thursday. I at least want to highlight it and
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remind everybody because I don’t want you to forget it, that’s Thursday I’m sorry that is Thursday
so that’s Thursday from here. We do have more business, don’t leave, we have more business ---
The Clerk: Another p.s.a., sir?
Mr. Mayor: --- that’s right ---
The Clerk: One more.
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Mr. Mayor: --- all right I’m mentioning that one, Ms. Bonner, that’s the March 8 bus tour
10:00 a.m. here and then we’re leaving going to Lake Aumond. All right then there’s also the
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ribbon cutting on tomorrow that will take place Wednesday March the 7 at 10:00 a.m. that’s at
3630 Peach Orchard Road, all right, that’s the ribbon cutting for the new community development
that’s taking place there. All right, Ms. Bonner.
The Clerk: Yes, sir. Commissioner Dennis Williams who’s our liaison with the Board of
Education would like for the Commission to please RSVP to the Second in Series Summit
Education Building Community Collaboration on March 15, 2018 from 7:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. at
the Kroc Center.
Mr. Mayor: Okay fantastic, fantastic, thank you.
The Clerk:
APPOINTMENTS
21. Approve the appointment of Mr. Jack W. Evans to the Downtown Development
Authority seat no. three (3) effective immediately and expires 12/31/2021. (Requested by
Commissioner Bill Fennoy)
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Mr. Mayor: The Chair recognizes the Commissioner from the 1.
Mr. Fennoy: Mr. Mayor, the recommendation of Mr. Evans came from Margaret Woodard
who’s the Director of the Downtown Development Authority. And I think in the past she would
submit a recommendation through a Commissioner and I presently serve on that Authority.
Mr. Mayor: Yes, you do absolutely. All right, I appreciate that. All right, are you making
a motion?
Mr. Fennoy: Motion to approve.
Mr. Mayor: I’m coming to you, just hold tight. All right, we’ve got a motion and a proper
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second. All right, the Chair recognizes the Commissioner from the 4.
Mr. Sias: Thank you, Mr. Mayor, a couple of points ---
The Clerk: Commissioner Sias, I need you to speak (inaudible).
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Mr. Sias: --- yes thank you, Mr. Mayor, a couple of points. I have nothing against Mr.
Evans but I want to go back to what my colleague said a couple of motions ago where we all need
that information. It would’ve been nice. Now I made some recommendations to a consensus
appointment recommendation but I sent that out about 30 days early to all my colleagues so
everybody would’ve had a word and I could’ve definitely appreciated the same courtesy on any
other consensus appointment. And also, Mr. Mayor, when I have a question there I would
appreciate it if my question had been requested prior to accepting the motion. That makes my
request a little bit more difficult but I understand the picture. So really I just wanted to have a, if
we’re going to do consensus appointments we can all get that word out ahead of time. I have no
problem with Mr. Evans. I just have a problem with that process there where we didn’t get a chance
to say well we had anybody else that’s no issue, that’s the issue for me there and I will support the
nomination.
Mr. Mayor: I appreciate that he has a great passion for what he’s saying. We have a motion
and a second. Voting.
Ms. Davis and Mr. Guilfoyle out.
Motion Passes 8-0.
Mr. Mayor: Is there any other business before us today, Ms. Bonner?
The Clerk: No, sir, that’s it.
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
March 6, 2018.
______________________________
Clerk of Commission
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