HomeMy WebLinkAboutRegular Commission Meeting May 21, 2019
REGULAR MEETING COMMISSION CHAMBER
MAY 21, 2019
Augusta Richmond County Commission convened at 2:00 p.m., May 21, 2019, the Hon.
Hardie Davis, Jr., Mayor, presiding.
PRESENT: Hons. B. Williams, Garrett, Sias, Fennoy, Frantom, M. Williams, Davis, D.
Williams, Hasan and Clarke, members of Augusta Richmond County Commission.
Mr. Mayor: We’re going to go ahead and call this meeting to order. The Chair recognizes
Madam Clerk.
The Clerk: I call your attention to the invocation portion of our agenda. We would like to
ask Reverend Angel Maestre, Pastor of Oasis of Blessing Christian Center. I’m sorry, sir, after
which we will have our pledge of allegiance. Please stand.
The invocation was given by Reverend Angel Maestre, Pastor, Oasis of Blessings Christian
Center.
The Pledge of Allegiance to the Flag of the United States of America was recited.
The Clerk: The Office of the Mayor by these present be is known that Reverend Angel
Maestre, Pastor, Oasis of Blessing Christian Center is the Chaplain of the Day. His spiritual
guidance and civic leadership serves as an example for all citizens of Augusta. Given under my
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hand this 21 Day of May 2019, Hardie Davis Jr., Mayor. Thank you so much. (APPLAUSE)
Mr. Mayor: We appreciate it, thank you. He’s also joined today by his wife. Would you
please stand. (APPLAUSE)
The Clerk:
PRESENTATIONS(S)
A. Presentation from McLaughlin Whitewater Design Group regarding city-commissioned-
Design and Concept Study for the Whitewater/Savannah River Project.
The Clerk: Mr. Wiedmeier.
Mr. Wiedmeier: Mr. Mayor, members of the Commission, Rick McLaughlin and his team
are here to present their River Vision Plan as requested by the Commission so, I’ll turn it over to
Rick now.
Mr. McLaughlin: Thank you, Tom. So here to present the River Vision Plan. What we’re
going to be talking a little bit about is White Water/White Water Recreation. You happen to have
one of the best examples in the country if not the world down in Columbus, Georgia. This is some
video that they used to present their town and community. And a group of us went down a while
back and visited the site. Things are kind of hard to describe but when you’re there I think you
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get a good picture of what’s possible. When I first went down there this was a kind of an old mill
town. The last of the mills were leaving and they said that you good buy the downtown for the
cost of the bricks, it’s not like that now. It’s a very vibrant community. There’s been two
university extensions, all sorts of young folks going around and this one project really I think
everybody there would agree it was what turned things around now. So in getting down to brass
tacks here the economic impact that they felt there was incredible beyond what was predicted.
These are actual numbers not some economic study. They had, in the first actually two years they
had 100,000 paying rafting customers, about $74 million dollars in capital investment, 42 new
businesses, $24 million in gross revenues, 400 new jobs and taxes and tax receipts in one year
went up 18% and this is again the way that they were set up. They could actually document all
that. On the visit I kind of realized a few things and one is that some similarities between the two
communities. They’re both on large rivers which form a state boundary, both cities are
approximately the same size and both cities are on what’s called a geologic fall line and that’s
actually quite pertinent to what we’re talking about. And that project had very significant
environmental, economic and quality of life impacts and I think this one has equally so if not more.
So what I’d like to talk about today is kind of the overall river vision. This is a vision plan, very
broad, trying to get some concepts out then we’ll talk about the downtown (unintelligible)
concepts, things that we see and have heard going on in the Augusta and North Augusta
downtowns and then kind of end up at the Savannah Lock and Dam site. First of all the objectives
I guess it’s just kind of in general or what you’ve kind of heard or I think the primary one is to
create a great amenity for all Augustans. The second is something that I’m starting to hear more
and more from a lot of communities. They want to attract a young and vibrant workforce. There’s
a lot of competition now and there’s more than one community that are looking at this type of
venue and others, create kind of economic prosperity and my kind of call is to get people active
and enjoying rivers, kind of away from the computer and out enjoying nature. What I’ll be talking
about a lot has to do with whitewater that’s one part of what the plan involves. It’s kind of
backbone maybe the catalyst is what we see but it’s just one part. This again was the picture on
the left, there was Columbus when I went down on a weekend. They spent tens of millions of
dollars on the Riverwalk lots of stuff and that’s you can tell it’s missing there. I went down there
year before last and that’s what I saw lots and lots of people, everywhere. The scope of this study
originally was started out at the New Savannah Bluff Lock and Dam and then included kind of the
downtown areas. We kind of quickly saw that we should be looking at a little bit bigger range that
than and I’ll get into the reason why but really we’re looking at kind of a 36-mile long potential
recreational corridor. It would start kind of just downstream at the Thurmond Lake Dam and
continue down to the New Savannah Lock and Dam. So why here and why now? I have a whole
presentation on just this one slide and I won’t bore you with all that but a lot of communities come
and say we want a Columbus or we want a Denver or we want Boise and the problem is they don’t
have one of these three factors so you need available flow and a reliability flow and there’s very
few rivers, I’ve been doing this for 35 years and this river has besides being absolutely gorgeous
has incredible flow and liability flow. We don’t have that anywhere close in Colorado and most
states don’t have that. Then you need vertical drop. You can’t have some whitewater without the
water falling over something. Here again the New Savannah Bluff Lock and Dam has that drop
and you also have natural drop, the shoals and so can we make a plan that kind of integrates all
this together. And then what’s really most important or I don’t know most important, but this is
something that’s often missed is the adjacent area and access and I’ll get to that here. So why
now? In all these big types of projects they were very expensive, they’re very involved. When
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you’re dealing with a river to get big projects done, it takes a lot coordination, thinking, planning
from a lot of different aspects and so that has to start early. I can’t tell you how many projects I’ve
been involved in that started a little too late. But I think one way or another something is likely to
happen at the New Savannah Bluff Lock and Dam and I think being prepared for that is a good
reason why to why now. I just wanted to throw this slide in. I think there’s some kind of
miscommunication or just to clear things up here but this presentation again is about the Vision
Plan so a lot of the work that we have done recently I guess relates to the response of the Corp but
this is about the recreation plan itself. Just to keep things clear there is no negative impact on the
pool level or anything else that I can tell that we’re planning or this proposes as far as the
whitewater recreation on the pool level. Those are totally independent. And the whitewater plan
that we’re showing integrates very well with Alternative 1-1 so again this is really about the whole
plan but just wanted to clear this one point up. Actually the original project well for sure in the
US and again probably the world this type project is done in my hometown this is what it looked
like when I was growing up. That’s what we call a river. I don’t think you would even name such
a thing but this is what it looks like today. When you fly into DIA Denver International Airport
this picture on the lower right that’s what you see. You don’t see all our great natural rapids, you
see that. And then you go down on a weekend or any day in the summer and you see what’s down
in the left this is really iconic for the city and even though it’s a trickle of really not very clean
water it’s just a huge, been a huge success. It’s used by all sorts of people mostly kids in tubes,
mostly people watching but this is what it looks like quite a bit different than Columbus but the
basics of this are in what we’re thinking about here and they apply to Columbus 30 years later.
I’m getting very solid economic data here. The main thing that is back in the 70’s properties along
the river were 17% lower than average in the city. In 2017 there’re at 36% higher, over 50%
difference in values in property along the river primarily due to this and some adjacent projects.
Again they’ve realized increased tax revenues and all sorts of things. So often what’s kind of not
well understood is who uses these parks and so these are some pictures from various venues that
we’ve designed and again I think you get a good idea of who’s the primary user here. There was
a very good study done. About ¾ of people who use these parks are spectators, people that don’t
get in the water, they’re watching their kids, they’re watching people, they’re enjoying themselves
and that’s who we design things for really. Children, 40% more than 40% are those that are in the
water and then followed by adults and seniors. What’s important here there’s only 2% of the users
are these kind of elitist kayaker people and I would argue that while they’re only 2% they are an
important 2% because it’s kind of like watching an interactive water feature and it also gives kids
something to aspire to I think. I noticed in the last World Cup Freestyle Competitions enticed
every kid has been a town with a man-made whitewater project but that’s not who we design these
things for or why you would go forward with it. Are there people in the river? Again mostly kids,
the early gnarly whitewater that was shown in the Columbus video. This, the picture on the right
there this is according to the rafting guys is the most popular part of the whole event. People just
like to get in and float down a little channel. This is a venue we did in western Maryland. It’s
used mostly by these types of people. Usually they’re not shaking so much but this venue has
hosted the World Cup Freestyle and the World Cup Slalom events. A slalom event is what they
use in the Olympics. So again, I think this community knows something about hosting
international world cup events. I think one thing that’s kind of interesting too is when you design
that venue as this one we designed it so that the levels could be adjusted and I thought they would
kind of de-tune it for recreation, it turns out that they found this in Columbus also that their rafting
guides get bigger tips when they dump people out of the rafts so actually we have to de-tune it for
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doing these kind of national events. All right recently probably the largest growing sport
(unintelligible) in the country is paddle boarding and this is quite accessible, much more adjustable
than kayaking, very popular. This a venue we did in Boise. It’s really focuses on surfing, river
surfing, creating a wave where you actually surf and it’s hard to describe this to people especially
just to show people surfing. Of course this is an incredibly popular sport. There’s 30 people out
there Monday at 7:00 o’clock. It’s like this all the time; it really creates a high level of activity,
easily accessible by people much more so than versus kayaking and when you think about it there’s
a whole culture related to surfing. I think the other thing that’s very important here is that we
found that whitewater recreation and what I call flat water what I call flat water recreation kind of
like in the pool boating work very well together. There’s a lot of synergies going on there. And
so that’s what we found here and in other sites. There’s just when you get the two kind of water
recreations going it really builds on each other, it really creates a lot of energy. So that’s kind of
the recreation side of it so how that would be applied here again we’re looking at the vision plan,
spent a lot of time talking about that but so ---
Mr. Mayor: Rick, you have two minutes left.
Mr. McLaughlin: --- two minutes left, okay all right, so we started with New Savannah
Bluff Lock and Dam along the way there’s two other dams the Stevens Creek Dam and the Augusta
Canal Lock that could also be retrofitted and work well with future improvements for creating this
kind of recreational corridor. But kind of a 50-yard line here of the whole recreational reach is
the, is the downtown area and with two minutes left I don’t probably the presentation is another
15 minutes’ longer so is there ---
Mr. Mayor: Well what we’ll do is we’ll take just a few questions but a presentation like
this is more appropriate for either a work session or we should’ve taken this up during the
committee meeting process. I think the goal here today was that we were expecting a series of
deliverables pursuant to the contract that was provided and that’s what we were anticipating, not
necessarily a presentation on what the vision may potentially be and I think that’ll be the
questioning that you get from this body. All right, I’m going to go to my right, okay he yields,
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I’m going to go to my left all the Chair recognizes the Commissioner from the 8.
Mr. Garrett: Actually the question is for Mr. McLaughlin.
Mr. Wiedmeier: Let me just make a comment. I understood this to be the presentation. We
will have the Vision Plan printed and delivered tomorrow, I just didn’t finish printing them to hand
out today but they will be out tomorrow.
Mr. Mayor: Yeah, I’m not sure where the disconnect was, Tom, but that’s what everyone
was anticipating that today would be the deliverables that have been asked for on more than one
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occasion now. All right, the Chair recognizes the Commissioner from the 8.
Mr. Garrett: I appreciate the brief presentation that we got; I have a couple of questions. I
know that the conversation around the Lock and Dam has gotten really muddied with the Corps of
Engineers and this project that they’re working on. And I know the Whitewater Project was
supposed to have been you know if we can get it while this change is happening it would be great.
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So you know I think having the whitewater here would be great. I mean we can definitely hope,
we see that kind of impact it would have but you know one of my questions that I have is what
will a project like this cost? You know if we implement this into what we’re having the discussion
with now with the Corp of Engineers which you know I don’t know if you have any better
information that we do, we’re not really where that’s headed. Where does that conversation take
place and how much does it cost?
Mr. McLaughlin: Well, that’s a good question. Again, this is kind of a vision plan, right,
so we didn’t do costing and things like that and it depends on what your cost would be is how well
you can integrate the project with the Corps project. So if you were just to go out and build
something like this it would be you know $10/15 plus million and so if you integrate it with the
Corps project then it would be some share of that, I don’t know.
Mr. Garrett: Well, I know this conversation started last year. I think you consulted with us
for $40,000 dollars and part of your contract that you have it says that you’re going to have a
schematic plan and rough cost estimate for zipline and ropes course and/or ropes course so do we
have any of that today?
Mr. McLaughlin: That’s in the report.
Mr. Garrett: Where’s the report?
The Clerk: Mr. Wiedmeier said he’d have it for us tomorrow.
Mr. Mayor: Tomorrow Tom, Tom, would you yeah just come forward, Tom.
Mr. Wiedmeier: So like I said I did not finish printing the hard copies however this plan
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has been delivered to the Commission. On February 26 actually we sent this out to the
Commission so this is just a formal presentation of that draft.
Mr. Garrett: Wasn’t that part of the conversation with the Corp though? I think a lot of us
may have missed this as being separate back in February because around that time the whole
conversation was around you know the pool levels and all that.
Mr. Wiedmeier: That was but this conversation occurred in the committee meeting and
the question came up about the whitewater plan which had been delivered in draft form at the end
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of January so it was sent to the Commission at the request of the Mayor on February 26.
Mr. Garrett: Any of my colleagues remember that? Okay well, if I can ask Mr.
McLaughlin a couple more questions. You mentioned something about flow earlier; it’s important
if I’m going to talk about cost. So what is the flow that we need for whitewater? If we’re going
to have this whitewater discussion, what kind of flow do we need?
Mr. McLaughlin: So the Confluence Park Project that’s kind of more on the minimal local
that has probably about 100-cubic feet per second which is very small. I think typical flow here
average flow is about 5,000-cubic feet per second. Optimum for something like this might be 500
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to 1,000 cubic feet per second so you’d be dealing with a portion of the river flow and again that
could be varied over time for recreational variation or for passage, fish passage (unintelligible)
things like that.
Mr. Garrett: How much fall does Columbus have compared to Augusta?
Mr. McLaughlin: That’s a good question. So fall is a good question. For an Olympic
venue you need maybe 10 or 13 feet. Columbus has about 20, the Lock and Dam it’s got maybe
12 feet. It’s got a lot but then if you look at the whole corridor I’m sure it’s well over 30/40-feet.
Mr. Garrett: And when you say corridor you’re talking about the 36-miles?
Mr. McLaughlin: Yes, sir but the Lock and Dam have enough drop to make it really
whatever you want.
Mr. Garrett: And if we did a whitewater course where Lock and Dam is now, how long a
course are you talking?
Mr. McLaughlin: Again that could be variable but I think we’re looking probably looking
at 1,200 feet long, could be 1,500, could be 2,000.
Mr. Garrett: How long is Columbus?
McLaughlin: Two miles but again it’s, it doesn’t have one feature that’s that powerful
right there that has that much localized drop.
Mr. Garrett: So going back to the conversation that we had with implementing this with
the Corpss of Engineers and their plans to alter the Lock and Dam first of all, does this plan keep
the dam in place?
Mr. McLaughlin: This plan I think works best with the dam in place. It probably works
with other alternatives but the other alternatives, the other alternatives presented by the Corp I
think would pretty much obliterate the park. And so the, when I say that they’re basically trying
the, they route a lot of flood flows through the park which pretty much turns it into a spillway. So
it could work with those but not great.
Mr. Garrett: And with the plan that we received in February I need to find that, is NOAA
okay with it?
Mr. McLaughlin: No. It’s a, for NOAA to be okay with that we’d have to do a lot of work
it’s a, I’d need to do kind of detailed hydraulics and show them that it can work. I think they’re
okay with the whitewater part of this thing.
Mr. Garrett: So would the whitewater work in conjunction with the fish ladder and all of
this other stuff?
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Mr. McLaughlin: The tentative read is yes. I haven’t heard any negative things, I don’t
know of technically any reason why it wouldn’t so but again it’s dealing with four NOAA
regulatory agencies and something in and of itself.
Mr. Garrett: Ultimately that’s what we’re going to have to deal with before we even have
this whitewater discussion is making sure that the Corp approves of everything so I was kind of
hoping that we would have that in place as well as part of this.
Mr. McLaughlin: That’s a very involved task. Everybody wants to kind of know it’s a big
project so I guess everybody wants to know kind of the answers but to get there is very involved,
no question in my mind.
Mr. Garrett: I appreciate it.
Mr. Mayor: Rick, we’ve got a few more questions. The documents of record that were
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sent out in February, February 26 that is the two I have access to. Because of the size of the files
there was one in criteria that was sent out by former Administrator Janice Jackson by way of Tom
Wiedmeier. And the second one because of the size of the file was the Augusta Feasibility Study
which is I believe the summation of all of the documents because of the size so that’s what we
have available to us the feasibility study, I’m not sure again if that’s what we’re tracking with
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today. All right, the Chair recognizes the Commissioner from the 6.
Mr. Hasan: Thank you, Mr. Mayor, Mr. Rick, how you doing, sir?
Mr. McLaughlin: Fine, thank you, sir.
Mr. Hasan: In terms of your overall presentation and factor in the 15minutes or so that you
did not get to present as well, how many different sites where you’re showing as in terms of cities
and how many of those did you develop?
Mr. McLaughlin: How many ---
Mr. Hasan: How many sites did you work on, did you create in those towns?
Mr. McLaughlin: --- so probably in this kind of industry there might be 50 sites in the
country. Of those there’s probably ten or so that are big projects, big rivers something like this.
There’s a lot of tiny ones but a big projects and we’ve probably done eight of those or so.
Mr. Hasan: Okay, you’ve done eight? Can you name us if you don’t mind some of those
cities?
Mr. McLaughlin: Well, so we did I’ve done Columbus ---
Mr. Hasan: Columbus ---
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Mr. McLaughlin: --- there’s the 1996 Olympic Venue in Tennessee. I did, actually have
done Confluence Park in Denver twice and have done probably we just did another venue that’s a
large size on the south Platte, did the largest whitewater project in the whole western part of the
country in northern California, did a project PPL Holtwood ---
Mr. Hasan: --- but you also done Columbus, right ---
Mr. McLaughlin: --- yes, sir.
Mr. Hasan: --- went to Columbus yes. Okay, I just wanted to identify for my colleagues
as well as the listening audience here this was probably a substantial audience that you have here
today and even you know let them know that you do pretty much have done this body of work that
you’re sharing regardless of what the Corp does at the end that you’re very familiar in what you’re
doing. Thank you.
Mr. Mayor: Just a few more, the Chair recognizes the Mayor Pro Tem.
Mr. Mayor Pro Tem: Thank you, Mr. Mayor. I had the opportunity to go to Columbus and
zip line across the Chattahoochee. Where did you put zip line in Augusta? What were the
recommended sites?
Ms. Laurie Fickling: (Inaudible) I’m the landscape architects they’re on the consulting
team so I’ve dealt a lot more with the upland side of things on the river. We looked at potential
sites at the Riverwalk, at the marina park or at the Lock and Dam site. My personal
recommendation would be at the Lock and Dam site. I think it could be very cool going over the
whitewater course itself. You can have a large crowd gathered there to see the whitewater and
also have the zip line included in that and the potential to have the ropes course there as well kind
of attached to that is a fun experience. We have a plan view as part of the presentation at the Lock
and Dam site if ya’ll would like me to skip forward a few slides.
Mr. Mayor: I got nowhere to go but home. All right, before you answer the question this
will be made available electronically to the Commission this afternoon is that correct, Tom?
Mr. Wiedmeier: Yes, sir.
Mr. Mayor Pro Tem: So is this three different jumping points I guess, is that what this is
or is it five different points?
Ms. Fickling: The large lines like you’ve got over the river would be for the course itself
and then with some smaller ones kind of getting you back down towards the ground at the end.
It’s very schematic.
Mr. Mayor Pro Tem: What’s the cost estimate on the ropes course on something like this?
Ms. Fickling: That is a question that we did not do and that is what we were kind of waiting
to hear from if it goes here and the design of it you take that forward from there.
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Mr. Mayor Pro Tem: My final questions are number one, how much was the Columbus
ropes course and then how much was the whitewater Columbus, who paid for it, for all that?
Mr. McLaughlin: So the Columbus project I believe in aggregate was around $25 million
and it was funded by I believe a local, a private local and part of it was I believe funded by the
Corp. It was a joint program between the Corp and the local community.
Mr. Mayor Pro Tem: And how much was the ropes course there?
Mr. McLaughlin: I think it was I want to say $300,000 or so but, and I have that number,
I just don’t have it with me.
Mr. Mayor Pro Tem: Yeah and I’m just I mean that’s a large price tag for in Augusta $10
or $15-million when the Corp seems to want to do what they want to do right now and I just hope
that maybe as a Commission we can look at the ropes course because I think that’d bring a nice
new attraction to Augusta somewhere within the future so, thank you, Mr. Mayor.
Mr. Mayor: All right, Rick, you’ve got some more. The Chair recognizes the
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Commissioner from the 10.
Mr. Clarke: How long is this rapids on this picture. What’s the length of it?
Mr. McLaughlin: I think it’s about 1,500 feet and again this is a vision plan so it can vary.
We kind of also looked at plans of extending it further downstream so but I think this is shown at
about 1,500 feet or so.
Mr. Clarke: Okay, the one in Columbus is what, two?
Mr. McLaughlin: It’s two and a half it’s 2.2 miles or something like that but again the I
guess what would be comparable to here is it’s probably similar to 1,500 feet.
Mr. Clarke: Well, I also went down to Columbus and I was the one they talked into to
getting in the raft and going down the rapids and I’m going to tell you something, it’s absolutely
entertaining. It’s fun all except of where I almost drowned and Ms. Bonitatibus has got film of
that by the way. I would love to see this in Augusta. I really would. I would love to see it in
Augusta. My main concern is I think before we get ahead of ourselves we have to wait to see
what’s going to happen with the Corp of Engineers. Downtown Augusta’s developing and our
river is I mean it is an absolute focal point and I’m waiting to see the rest of the information before
we can before I’ll go into anymore discussion about it. But I do admire what you’ve done, what
your group’s done and I plan on going back and doing it again.
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Mr. Mayor: All right, the Chair recognizes the Commissioner from the 8 for closing
questions.
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Mr. Garrett: One of the things that, I was looking through $45,000 dollar contract you had
with us. Is there a reason why we didn’t get the chance to hear this last year? I think according to
the contract we were supposed to have heard back from you by October.
Mr. Wiedmeier: So I don’t believe we got started until September or so but like I said the
draft was essentially finished at the end of January and exactly what Commissioner Clarke just
said with everything that was going on with the Corp and the Lock and Dam, this is to me a
secondary issue. The most important thing is saving the pool. So I didn’t think it appropriate to
bring this forth until we had some further information on where we were going to wind up with
the Corp.
Mr. Garrett: Well, I know when this discussion started last year it was leading up to this
time period with the Corp of Engineers. You know it was kind of presented like we need to hurry
up and get out in front of the Corp of Engineers to kind of have a plan in place that we wanted to
see before they started presenting their plans.
Mr. Wiedmeier: When we started this at the very beginning we hoped that we could
integrate some of this construction in with the Corp’s project and get them essentially to assist
with getting this developed then we saw what the pool level was actually going to look like and
whitewater became not as important at the time. So then the second thing was well, here’s an
economic opportunity that’s being lost because of what the Corp’s planning to do that will destroy
the park and drop the pool so we used the study in our comments to demonstrate that that if the
Corp does what they want to do, we’ve lost this opportunity completely and that’s how we wound
up here. And this is a very dynamic situation and we’ve been reacting as best we can.
Mr. Garrett: I think the question that most of my colleagues up here have is what are we
getting for $40,000 we just approved more money to help fight the Corp of Engineers when that
process was happening. And we just approved more money to continue that fight so is it all getting
muddled together, is it separate, is it together?
Mr. Wiedmeier: No the original contract was for this plan and the whitewater plan. The
other is being used for Merrick and Company and Cranston to help us with our comments and then
any subsequent negotiation that’s going to happen with the Corp if there’s any.
Mr. Garrett: All right, how long will McLaughlin be in town? Are they just here for the
day?
Mr. Wiedmeier: They’re leaving tomorrow.
Mr. Garrett: I’d like to pick your brain some more on you know their presentation since
you know we’re not getting a full presentation today but I’m just really concerned that like I said
all of these different money amounts are getting tossed around and I’m not really sure what we’re
getting for it so I hope I can get that clarified. Thank you, Mayor.
Mr. Mayor: All right, Tom, you’ve got one more. The Chair recognizes the Commissioner
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from the 1.
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Mr. Fennoy: And I guess this question is to you, Mr. Mayor. Would it be feasible to refer
this to next committee cycle so that we will have an opportunity to look at the entire plan and have
a real discussion about the direction that we want to go into and what we want to do?
Mr. Mayor: The Chair recognizes the Interim Administrator to speak to matter and what
he’d like to see happen.
Mr. Sims: Yes, that’s what I would like to see happen ---
Mr. Mayor: Very well.
Mr. Sims: --- thank you.
Mr. Fennoy: And my next, may I ask Mr. Judon a question?
Mr. Mayor: Is it germane to this topic?
Mr. Fennoy: Yes, sir.
Mr. Mayor: All right.
Mr. Fennoy: Mr. Judon, how far is the Lock and Dam from the airport?
Mr. Judon: I would say maybe a mile and a half from the east of the airport.
Mr. Fennoy: And how much acreage do you all have at the airport that could be used for
development?
Mr. Judon: Just at the airport in general?
Mr. Fennoy: Yeah.
Mr. Judon: I would say in excess of 150 acres but most of that in the southeastern portion
of the airport.
Mr. Fennoy: Okay and I guess you know we’re talking about economic development but,
I think that a project like this would end up having an economic impact on the airport, Mr. Mayor.
And again, I’d like to wait until I get a copy of the plan and take a look at what we can and cannot
do and hopefully we can move forward.
Mr. Mayor: You know this has been a, how can I say this, Ms. Bonner, not quite church.
And as he was talking the commercial that came to my mind is the following, (unintelligible) are
sitting in one chair and the other girl is in another chair and they’re in a salon and as the commercial
closes (unintelligible) says Google I see what you did, Commission, I see what you did ---
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Mr. Fennoy: Okay.
Mr. Mayor: --- that’s over most everybody’s head but I see what you did, nice move, nice
move. John Clarke caught that. All right, we’ll move this to the next committee cycle. I’m waiting
on everybody else to catch up.
The Clerk: That would be the Engineering Services Committee.
Mr. M. Williams: Mr. Mayor ---
Mr. Mayor: Dean of the Commission.
Mr. M. Williams: --- I’ve got no problem doing that I just, I’m sitting here and I enjoyed
the presentation and kind of understand that. I’m looking for economic development for sure but
nobody has actually said what the Corp is or where we’re really going to or want to be. So how
can we plan if we don’t know, if I don’t know because the comment period is still out I think, Tom
and for whatever reason nobody has said anything to make a decision as to how we can work with
the Corp with this I mean I’m hearing it and it don’t sound good. But as I tried not to say nothing
I had to end up saying something, Mr. Mayor, because maybe my colleagues understand it but if
we don’t know then how can we give direction to move in any direction. I mean I hadn’t got that
part clear.
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Mr. Mayor: Well, the Commissioner from the 1 he just brought the Airport Director up
so I guess I’ll continue with that Segway and we’re in a holding pattern right now. And so the
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comment period expired, Commissioner from the 9 on 16 April. All of the comments from the
communities of interest both Georgia, South Carolina were submitted to the Corp. It is my
understanding as late as today that we will, every person who provided a comment will receive a
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response within 60 days post April 16. So I’m anticipating that somewhere within the next two
not more than three weeks, we’ll begin receiving comments back from the Corp of Engineers with
regards to what has happened during the public comment period but that period closed 16 April.
Mr. M. Williams: But, Mr. Mayor, shouldn’t we wait until at least that time before we
meet and talk about something that we don’t know what we’re talking about until we get that
information back? Wouldn’t that be feasible just to give a little bit more time and then have
something solid that we can look at and know which direction, that’ll give everybody just a day or
two more.
Mr. Mayor: All right, what I’m hearing is we’ll continue this until the date in the future.
Okay? We’ll continue this to the date in the future, a date not certain, date not certain, okay?
Thank you, Tom. All right so, Ms. Bonner, in terms of deliverables tonight, tomorrow morning,
some timeframe Tom’s going to transmit an electronic document to you if you’ll transmit that to
the members of this body.
The Clerk: Will do.
The Clerk:
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DELEGATIONS
B. Mr. Ron Harrison regarding the lack of code enforcement/removal of abandon/junk
vehicles and Hardin Road Retention Pond.
Mr. Mayor: Mr. Harrison, if you will as you approach you have five minutes. If you’ll
state for the record your name and address please, sir.
Mr. Harrison: My name is Ron Harrison, 2442 Dickey Road. I live in the old neighborhood
which was originally called Knob Hill. It’s in the area, it’s in the neighborhood up above the old
Mall there. You know that neighborhood is kind of cut up by the mall and the mall failed and the
neighborhood has too; we have a lot of hits down there. And let me just say this. That property
values are affected by the Code Enforcement. When a neighborhood starts going down, the
property values fall and when the property values fall, taxes fall. Last year I called and said you
know I challenged my tax evaluation because I said you know how can I get this? I’ve got a vacant
house next to me that’s been vacant for years, falling in, leaking in the roof, trees growing up in it,
eating me alive. It’s got kudzu all over it. And just about every year we call about this thing. It’s
been vacant for probably ten years and they came out and lowered my property value by $5,000
dollars. Well, that’s a loss of your tax money. Now we have code enforcement but like last week
or a couple of weeks ago before I made the, I called Code Enforcement as I do occasionally. I went
through the neighborhood had seven, I live in one little city block there on Dickey Road, one little
city block had seven houses with code enforcement. Some of them for grass not being kept, some
were totally overgrown lots, some of them were houses falling in and every time I called I said
well you have to call this, you have to take each house number and you have to call this number
for the grass, you have to call this number to remove the old cars, you have to call this number if
it’s an overgrown lot that’s not being taken care of. My proposal here is that why should we call
all these different numbers? We should be able to call just one number and say this is the problem
and it needs to be taken care of. It really got quite frustrating ---
Mr. Mayor: Mr. Harrison, you can actually dial one number 311 ---
Mr. Harrison: --- well, I was told by Code Enforcement every time I mentioned something,
call this number but and it’s, they gave me three different places to call on one telephone call.
Mr. Mayor: --- all right, we’re going to give you one number. 311. You can call 311 and
express your concerns.
Mr. Mayor: Okay, I’ve got that. I believe why does Code Enforcement not know this?
Okay and I’ll say that this is a recurring thing. I mean it comes back, I do this occasionally and if
property values fall, it affects me and it affects the county revenue. We all want the property to
look better but there has to be some enforcement and come out and actually apply the laws and
like this building next to me, it’s been vacant for probably ten years why has it not been
condemned, torn down or sold or whatever. Okay and the next thing this is very quick. Harden
Road, I’ve noticed that one of the collection ponds that’s supposed to control flooding in the area,
that pond is built on a hilltop. Rain does not flow up hill. Every year they come out there and clean
that land, they were out there cleaning it last week. I have never seen any pool of water in that
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pond. I drive by there every week for years and years. I’ve never seen any water collected in that
pond and it needs to be repurposed. You know I’m sure the county bought this and pays money
to keep it up every year but it needs to be repurposed, sold or used for something else I don’t know,
and that’s the end of that thank you, sir.
Mr. Mayor: Don’t go anywhere, Mr. Harrison, you have a couple of questions.
Mr. Harrison: Okay.
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Mr. Mayor: All right, the Chair recognizes the Commissioner from the 5.
Mr. B. Williams: Well, not a question. That is my district and I want to let you know that
the Ms. Keys and Ms. Dixon call me from time to time and they get me to come over and we look
at whatever needs to be done and we make sure we take care of it. I believe the house you’re
talking about, is it a blue house they had a tree on top of it?
Mr. Harrison: No, it’s a brick house.
Mr. B. Williams: Well we ---
Mr. Harrison: It’s on Dickey Road at the end up here at Rocky Creek.
Mr. B. Williams: --- but we took care of that. Now one of the initiatives I’m starting is
that I’m going to have a district committee and I’m inviting a couple of people from each area.
Let’s say I’ll have somebody from Woodlake, someone from your area over behind Augusta well
Regency Mall, someone maybe from Meadowbrook or what have you. So all of (unintelligible)
people to come and meet with me once a month. Make sure you bring your ideals or bring your
needs and wants to me that you can express and you’ll be able to meet with me. I’ll try to get some
people to come in like from the Engineering Department where we can sit down so you’ll be able
to talk with me and make sure you get your needs taken care of. So give me a call. You can
probably get my number from Ms. Bonner or someone and when I get started with that committee
I’ll make sure I give you a call.
Mr. Harrison: Okay, good. I think there’s a number on my agenda application.
Mr. B. Williams: Give me a call.
Mr. Harrison: Thank you, sir.
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Mr. Mayor: Mr. Harrison, that is the Commissioner from the 5 Mr. Bobby Williams.
Mr. Harrison: I’ve got it ---
Mr. Mayor: Very good.
Mr. Harrison: --- thank you, sir.
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Mr. M. Williams: Mr. Harrison ---
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Mr. Mayor: All right, the Chair recognizes the Commissioner from the 9.
Mr. M. Williams: --- Mr. Harrison, this is Bobby Williams’ cousin. This is Marion
Williams. But I do, I mean it may be comical right now but this a very serious issue, Mr. Harrison.
Mr. Harrison: It is to me.
Mr. M. Williams: Well, it is to me too. You are one of the districts that I represent and I
don’t care where it is in this city we ought to at least be able to clean up. Now as a child my Mom
said we may be poor but you don’t have to be nasty ---
Mr. Harrison: Absolutely.
Mr. M. Williams: --- and I still believe that to this day. We’ve got Code Enforcement,
we’ve got the Marshal, we’ve got water meter readers, we’ve got people who ride up and down
the road all day long with tinted windows and air conditioning and they don’t ever report or turn
in anything. I get tired of calling in myself. That’s not my job. You know I’m not putting it on
anybody but if I see it, you see it, why don’t the people who are driving these city vehicles see it
and something should be done. Now we’re always going to have some but it’s just too much. I
don’t care how old you are, if you own property and you’re not taking care then you need to get
rid of it. The city needs to move in and do something, you just can’t do that. I brought something
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back to this body, Commissioner from the 5 in Atlanta you’ve got to have a physical body to see
about your property. You just can’t be an absentee landowner and be out of state somewhere but
we allow a lot of things to happen but it only happens on Knob Hill. It only happens on your side
of town and you’ve one or two on the other side of town but it ain’t nothing like what we’re dealing
with. Abandoned cars. I had an issue the other day where men just turn the car upside down and
just take whatever you want off and just leave them and we ride by there and think it’s okay but
the property value goes down and we say well we can’t get nothing done. So I’m going to crank
it up again, Mr. Harrison. I’m going to try to get this body tuned up again to get out there. We did
an inner city cleanup one weekend and walked away from it and if you go back there now you
would never know we’d been in there.
Mr. Harrison: I was part of that.
Mr. M. Williams: Well, what we’ve got to do now we’ve got to get some people who are
dedicated to doing this job. Now I ain’t got no friends. If you’re right, you’re right but if your
wrong you’re wrong now and I’m just like you. I’m really fed up to ride through certain parts and
I see the negative growth that we allow to happen and say well that’s and there’s nothing they can
do about. Yeah it is, there’s something you can do about it.
Mr. Harrison: Mr. Williams, I appreciate what you said about you reporting these things
and it seems like nothing happens. That kind of develops into the attitude but why should I call?
I call every year and nothing. But you know I love our police coverage in that neighborhood. It’s
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really been great, it’s really been great here lately. I speak to the policemen that come by. They
come through the neighborhood on a regular basis. I’ll tell you I’d love to see the policemen when
they see these, you know I don’t have to call. Anybody can call to see these things and see these
houses if the policemen writes this down it ought to be reported. It’s really a crime, isn’t it?
Mr. M. Williams: It’s against the law, it really is against the code.
Mr. Mayor: All right, time has expired on this matter.
Mr. Harrison: Thank you, sir.
Mr. M. Williams: Ms. Bonner ---
The Clerk: Yes, sir ---
Mr. M. Williams: --- you know what to do.
The Clerk: --- yes, sir, the next committee meeting, sir?
The Clerk: I call your attention to our Consent Agenda which consists of Items 1-23, Items
1-23. For the benefit of any objectors to our Planning petitions once those petitions are read would
you please signify your objection by raising your hand. I call your attention to:
Item 1: Is a request with conditions a petition requesting a change of zoning from a Zone
LI (Light Industry) to a Zone R-3C (Multiple-family Residential) and as part of the conditions the
Planning Commission has modified Condition #3 which should read because this is a proposed
over 55 development any change in the residential age requirement must be approved by the
Planning Commission. I will repeat, Item Number 3 is modified to read because this is a proposed
over 55 development any change in the residential age requirement must be approved by the
Planning Commission.
Item 2: Is a request for concurrence to amend conditions on Zone B-2 (General Business)
affecting property at 1251 Flowing Wells Road.
The Clerk: Are there any objectors to either of those Planning petitions? I call your
attention to the Public Services portion of our agenda:
Item 5: For a request for a retail package Beer & Wine License to be used in connection
with the location at 502 Highland Avenue.
The Clerk: Are there any objectors to this alcohol petition? Mr. Mayor, members of the
Commission, our Consent Agenda consists of Items 1-23 with no objections to our Planning
petition nor our alcohol petition noting the modification on the conditions under Number One
listed three, thank you.
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Mr. Mayor: Okay, thank you, Madam Clerk. All right, I’m going to try to move things
along a little bit here. All right, I’m going to go to the East Coast and the Chair recognizes the
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Commissioner from the 5.
Mr. B. Williams: May we add 24 and 25 to the Consent Agenda?
Mr. Speaker: What did he say?
Mr. B. Williams: Add 24 and 25 to the Consent Agenda.
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Mr. Mayor: All right, the Chair recognizes the Commissioner from the 4.
Mr. Sias: I want to pull Item 21 that’s supposed to be on the regular agenda just want to
pull it off because it wasn’t supposed to be.
Mr. Mayor: All right, Madam Clerk, let’s pull Item 8, 12 and 13.
The Clerk: 8, 12 and 13.
The Clerk: In view of the fact that Items 24 and 25 has been recommended to be added to
our Consent Agenda if there are any objectors to either of these Planning Petitions would you
please signify your objection by raising your hand.
The Clerk:
PLANNING
24. Z-19-15 – A request for concurrence with the Augusta Planning Commission to deny a
petition by Rose Cliff, LLC, on behalf of Cathie Williams, requesting a Special Exception to
establish a Family Personal Care Home per Section 26-1-(H) of the Comprehensive Zoning
Ordinance for Augusta, Georgia affecting property containing 0.23 acres an known as 2675
Crosscreek Road. Tax Map 130-0-226-00-0 DISTRICT 5
25. Z-19-16 – A request for concurrence with the Augusta Planning Commission to deny a
petition by 143 Ministries International Inc., on behalf of Jeannette E. Norris, requesting a
Special Exception to establish a non-treatment based Transition House per Section 26-1-G
of the Comprehensive Zoning Ordinance for Augusta, Georgia affecting property containing
0.43 acres and is known as 2327 Cadden Road. Tax Map 121-3-099-00-0 DISTRICT 5
The Clerk: Are there any objectors to those Planning Petitions?
Ms. Davis: Madam Clerk, you have one.
Mr. Speaker: (Inaudible)
Mr. Mayor: Okay, all right with objection for 25 okay, Madam Clerk, all the Chair ---
The Clerk: We’ll take 25 off (inaudible).
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Mr. Mayor: Yes, we’ll take 25 off. All right, the Chair recognizes the Commissioner from
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the 9.
Mr. M. Williams: Thank you, Mr. Mayor. I’ve got a question about Item 15. I’m in support
but I do have a question about ---
Mr. Mayor: Okay.
Mr. M. Williams: --- Item 15. And, Ms. Bonner, if you can explain, if Ms. Bonner can,
Mr. Mayor, Item 3 I think on the Consent what did you say about that one?
The Clerk: Oh, the modification on the condition number three under Item number one?
Mr. M. Williams: Yeah, is that number one?
The Clerk: Item, the petition yes, sir, the Z-19-19 the third condition under that petition
should read because this is a proposed over 55-development any change in the residential age
requirement must be approved by the Planning Commission.
Mr. M. Williams: I need to ask a question about that one so can I pull that one, Mr. Mayor?
Mr. Mayor: (Inaudible) pull that one too so 1 and 3?
Mr. M. Williams: No, not 3 just 1.
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Mr. Mayor: The Chair recognizes the Commissioner from the 6.
Mr. Hasan: Mr. Mayor, I’d like to pull Item number 9.
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Mr. Mayor: Okay all right, the Chair recognizes the Commissioner from the 4.
Mr. Sias: (Unintelligible).
Mr. Mayor: Any other motions to add or remove from the Consent Agenda?
Mr. Garrett: Motion to approve.
Ms. Davis: Second.
CONSENT AGENDA
PLANNING
2. Z-19-20 – A request for concurrence with the Augusta Planning Commission to approve
a petition by Willie H. Mays, on behalf of Flowing Wells Business Park LLC, requesting to
amend the conditions on the Zone B-2 (General Business) from Z-08-48 affecting property
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containing approximately 16 acres and known as 1251 Flowing Wells Road. Tax Map 029-
0-004-00-0 DISTRICT 3
PUBLIC SERVICES
3. Motion to approve the adoption of the Congestion Management Process as required to be
updated by Federal Law. This study is used to make transportation decisions utilizing
existing traffic conditions within the MPO’s jurisdiction. (Approved by Public Services
Committee May 14, 2019)
4. Motion to approve the Contract with Viking Engineering for Airport Parking Canopies.
Re-Bid 19-139A. (Approved by Public Services Committee May 14, 2019)
5. Motion to approve New Locations: A.N. 19-15: a request by Ayaz Ali for a retail package
Beer & Wine License to be used in connection with Custer & Moreland located at 502
Highland Ave. District 1. Super District 9. (Approved by Public Services Committee May 14,
2019)
6. Motion to approve to enter into Phase IV contract with MCCi, LLC as a sole source
vendor for the amount of ‘not to exceed $85,000.00’ for the purpose of digitizing and indexing
historic building plans. (Approved by Public Services Committee May 14, 2019)
7. Motion to approve the adoption of the FY2020 UPWP for the MPO/ARTS annual budget.
(Approved by Public Services Committee May 14, 2019)
ADMINISTRATIVE SERVICES
10. Motion to approve Central Services Department – Fleet Management Division request
the purchase of 7 Pickup Trucks for various departments in the General Fund. Bid Item 19-
140 – Gerald Jones Ford. (Approved by Administrative Services Committee May 14, 2019)
11. Motion to approve the Utilities Departments request to purchase 11 Pickup Trucks for
various divisions. (Approved by Administrative Services Committee May 14, 2019)
14. Motion to approve change order #3 to the contract to Renovate Former Office for
Records Retention in the amount of $42,845.00. (Approved by Administrative Services
Committee May 14, 2019)
PUBLIC SAFETY
16. Motion to approve the award and contract of RFP #19-163-911 Logging Recorder Project
to Replay Systems, Inc. (Approved by Public Safety Committee May 14, 2019)
17. Motion to approve 2 State Court Accountability Court grant contracts for treatment
services provided for participants in the DUI and Veterans Court programs. (Approved by
Public Safety Committee May 14, 2019)
18. Motion to approve Augusta-Richmond County FY20 Capacity Agreement for state
inmates being housed at the Richmond County Correctional Institution (Approved by Public
Safety Committee May 14, 2019)
19. Motion to approve the replacement of obsolete computer equipment (laptops, computers,
servers, printers, scanner, switches, routers, VOIP phones, other telecommunication devices,
uninterrupted power supplies, radios and MDTs) as well as the purchase of any required
computer software upgrades. (Approved by Public Safety Committee May 14, 2019)
ENGINEERING SERVICES
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20. Motion to authorize condemnation to acquire title of a portion of property for permanent
easement and temporary construction easement (Parcel 154-0-023-00-0) 4132 Wallie Drive.
(Approved by Engineering Services Committee May 14, 2019)
22. Motion to approve the reallocation of the SPLOST 4 through 6 funded projects to
projects as listed by the Engineering Department. (Approved by Engineering Services
Committee April 30 and May 14, 2019)
PETITIONS AND COMMUNICATIONS
23. Motion to approve the minutes of the regular meeting of the Augusta Commission held
on May 7, 2019 and Special Called meeting held May 14, 2019; and correction to the May 7,
2019 minutes-caption read $58,941 should have been $128,060 as listed in the agenda item
financial impact.
PLANNING
24. Z-19-15 – A request for concurrence with the Augusta Planning Commission to deny a
petition by Rose Cliff, LLC, on behalf of Cathie Williams, requesting a Special Exception to
establish a Family Personal Care Home per Section 26-1-(H) of the Comprehensive Zoning
Ordinance for Augusta, Georgia affecting property containing 0.23 acres and known as 2675
Crosscreek Road. Tax Map 130-0-226-00-0 DISTRICT 5
Mr. Mayor: All right voting.
Motion Passes 10-0. \[Items 2-7, 10, 11, 14, 16-20, 22, 23, 24\]
Mr. Mayor: All right, Madam Clerk, I’m going to 26.
The Clerk: Item 26.
Mr. Mayor: Yes.
The Clerk:
PLANNING
26. Z-19-17 – A request for concurrence with the Augusta Planning Commission to approve
with the conditions listed below a petition by TISHCO Development LLC, on behalf of Nixon
Trust, requesting a change of zoning from Zone P-1 (Professional) to Zone R-3C (Multiple-
family Residential) to establish a 55+ Independent Living Facility affecting property
containing 6.63 acres and known as 105 Robert C. Daniel Jr. Parkway. Tax Map 023-001-
00-0 DISTRICT 7 1. The general layout of the development shall substantially conform to
the concept plan submitted on 5/6/2019. 2. Install sidewalks along internal private driveway
and Robert C. Daniel Jr. Parkway adjacent to the subject property that meet ADA
accessibility standard and specifications of Augusta Traffic Engineering. 3. Reposition of
proposed apartment building 1 to meet the required 50 foot rear setback or seek approval of
a variance from the Board of Zoning Appeals. 4. Because this is a proposed over 55
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development, any change in the residential age requirement must be approved by the
Planning Commission.
Mr. Mayor: All right, let me just state this in your notebooks there is as I see a presentation
with regards to this item. I just wanted everybody to be aware of that. And again under Tab 26
there’s additional information regarding that. Here’s our posture. We’re going to hear from clearly
the members of the Commission but if there are those who want to speak on this matter with
regards to Number 26 for or against, Madam Clerk, we’ll give them appropriate time to do that all
right? All right, if you’ll check in with Madam Clerk if you want to speak on this matter. Do you
want to do it that way, Ms. Bonner?
The Clerk: Yes, sir, we’ll put a sign in sheet at the podium here.
Mr. Mayor: I’m going to limit debate on this matter to 20 minutes so be judicious who
speaks, two minutes apiece. You can yield the balance of your time to somebody but I’m going
to limit debate to 20 minutes on this matter. If they want one spokesperson they certainly can do
that as well.
The Clerk: Okay, we’ll ask the Planning Commission representative to please come up
and address the Commission first regarding the petition.
Ms. Burgess: Good afternoon, Commission members. This project is a proposed over 55
development to be located at off Robert C. Daniel. It’s behind the Best Buy next to the Social
Security Building and adjacent to the Eagle Point Subdivision. This was approved through the
Planning Commission for an 11 to 1 vote and the main concern that we heard from the neighbors
was the height of the buildings to be adjacent to the subdivision and also the buffer to remain in
place for perpetuity. So with conditions added to ensure those concerns were met, we did condition
it so that we would protect their needs in the future. We felt that this was a good location for an
over 55 development with the location of all the amenities and also the less dense use of this
property. As you know in a P-1 you can have 3-story buildings by right and they would not have
to come before this board to get approval for that. So with having the 2-story building that is
adjacent to the subdivision and also the 1-story building that is adjacent to the subdivision we think
this would be the best use of the property that would keep the community and also the needs of
the residents happy.
Mr. Mayor: Are there any questions for Ms. Burgess? All right, the Chair recognizes the
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Commissioner from the 4, Commissioner if you will pull your microphone down, sir.
Mr. Sias: Thank you, thank you, sir. Your name again, ma’am?
Ms. Burgess: Mary Elizabeth Burgess.
Mr. Sias: Ms. Burgess, can I shorten it to that?
Ms. Burgess: You certainly can.
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Mr. Sias: Ms. Burgess, I have a question for you. When we talk about age limits on
residents what is the protection or here is the enforcement or say I move in there I’m 56 and I’ve
got 14 grandkids. How do you certify or how do you enforce the fact if I move in there and I bring
all my grandkids is that against the rules or if it is how do you enforce it or does everybody that
lives there have to be 55 or older?
Ms. Burgess: It varies from development to development. This development would
require at least one resident to be over 55. One of the things that is also unique to each development
is whether or not they’re allowed to have children or not and also how long they’re allowed to
stay. So sometimes they say you know you can’t have children under 12 for more than ten
consecutive days. But these are restrictions that the development will put on and that’s how they
are able to offer the amenities that they offer because it’s not supposed to be open for you know
children 24/7.
Mr. Sias: Well, here’s my question then following up, sir ---
Mr. Mayor: Yes, sir.
Mr. Sias: --- okay, Mayor Pro Tem, you all have proposed this as a 55 and over
development but what you’re telling me is that’s not really the case. It’s just as long as somebody
is 55 you can bring 25, 23, 19 that concerns me because I don’t see ---
Mr. Mayor Pro Tem: Easy, easy please keep it down please, thank you.
Mr. Sias: --- I don’t see how that works. But we’re approving a 55 and over development
for age wise for tenants but then again all I’ve got, basically you just and I’m just going by what
you told me and I’m not picking on you. I’m just saying you said well as long as somebody in
there is 55 you can just bring whoever else you want. So that’s not really truly 55 and I think that
is what a lot of folks are concerned about and I am as well because so many times I used to hear
in some of our housing developments they said well the folks that are causing the problems are not
on the lease but they are there living with the folks. So until that can be resolved, you know, I’m
not trying to get out in front of it but I can’t support that because there’s no, there’s no enforcement
or rule of what you’re saying we’re approving. And it said well it’s up to the folks and they’re
agreeing in this agenda item that it’s 55 but you can’t tell me it’s going to be 55 so thank you, Mr.
Mayor Pro Tem.
Mr. Mayor Pro Tem: All right, Commissioner Dennis Williams.
Mr. D. Williams: Have you determined in the rough annual revenue that we’ll generate
from this project?
Ms. Burgess: I’m sorry I couldn’t hear you.
Mr. D. Williams: Have you determined the rough annual revenue that will come from this
project?
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Ms. Burgess: No.
Mr. D. Williams: Got a wild guess?
Ms. Burgess: Well, it’s just I know that these are going to be luxury apartments for the
over 55. I know that the developer has also addressed some of the concerns that Commissioner
Sias has so when he’s able to give his presentation I think a lot of those items will be cleared up.
Mr. D. Williams. So we don’t know how much property tax (inaudible).
Ms. Burgess: No, I’m not aware of that.
Mr. D. Williams: Thank you.
Mr. Mayor Pro Tem: Commissioner Bobby Williams.
Mr. B. Williams: All right, if I’m 15 how long can I stay with my parents?
Ms. Burgess: Again, I’d say that’s a question for the developer. He has addressed that
with some of his comments but he also so what I’ve been told the developer went door to door
over at Eagle Point and that was one of the concerns that came up. And he also he had emailed
today information regarding how they do that in his other developments.
Mr. B. Williams: And I have a problem with making a decision in not having all of the
information, thank you.
Mr. Mayor Pro Tem: Commissioner John Clarke.
Mr. Clarke: Going back to what the Commissioner from District 4 stated and that’s the
concern I also have and it states in some correspondence that no person under the age of 55 shall
be permitted to reside within the grounds of the development more than 14 days unless said person
is a spouse or primary caregiver of an individual age 55 or older who lives within the same unit.
And my concern is that of Commissioner Sias and the residents of the neighborhood is that is
somebody wants to move in for 14 days they can move in then they leave for 10 days, come back
---
Mr. Mayor Pro Tem: Commissioner Clarke, can we suspend the comments and let’s here
from the developer ---
Mr. Clarke: --- yes.
The Clerk: TISHCO Development LLC ---
Mr. Mayor Pro Tem: --- because I think them answering them might clear this up as well.
Commissioner Davis has a quick question.
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Ms. Davis: Just for Planning it might be on here but I couldn’t find it, how many parking
spaces are proposed in this development?
Ms. Burgess: 144. They’re not seeking a parking variance and they provided more than
what was required.
Ms. Davis: Okay because another one of my main concerns is the traffic over in that area.
I drive that way you know two or three times a week and Skinner Mill scares me anyway and
coming in and out of neighborhoods it’s always just so congested I couldn’t imagine adding to
that, that’s one of my main concerns.
Mr. Mayor Pro Tem: All right, the developer, please state your name and address for the
record and you will have five minutes, sir.
Mr. Thompson: Jeff Thompson, 1150 Mount Vernon Highway, Suite 800, Atlanta Georgia
representing TISHCO, Steve Johnson with TISHCO heads up their construction and acquisitions
and Alyssa Thigpen heads up their property management division. As you all have reviewed the
documentation that we provided, TISHCO Clubs is a endeavor that we are providing housing for
those that are 55 years and older that don’t necessarily need restrictive healthcare but are
independent but still want to have community. Our motto is we only provide what a daughter
would provide for a mother and a given situation of what a son would provide to their parents.
The rents are significantly lower than what you would find in a traditional assisted living setting,
even with independent living, assisted living facilities typically charge $3,500 to $4,500 dollars a
month and it goes up from there our rents included services are $800 to $1,200 dollars a month for
a one-bedroom and $900 to $1,300 dollars a month for a two-bedroom. And what we’ve done
we’re willing to bring our success that we’ve had in West Georgia and Carrolton as well as Central
Florida Inverness to Augusta. We know about the, all the economic development drivers that have
taken place here in Augusta and you all have a great medical hub, you have a very diverse economy
and it fits exactly with the folks that we are reaching out to for our clients. We want to be a part
of the success of Augusta and we feel as though we can provide a property that exceeds what exists
in the city as it stands at a valuable price. As Ms. Burgess said, we received an 11 to 1 vote from
the Planning Commission. We’re very proud of that. We’re proud of the development that we put
together. There’s a lot of folks that live here are above, there are nearly 14% are in excess of age
55 and a lot of them are paying more than 30% of their income towards rent but that’s the citywide.
If we just look at the census tract of the subject is located in and yes it is let’s admit it’s a wealthy
census tract. Average incomes in excess of $100,000 dollars a year. But it doesn’t mean there
aren’t people who we’re reaching out to. There are three distinct types of folks, fixed income
folks, there’s 63 people just in this census tract that meet the criteria of fixed income tenants.
Those with fixed incomes and savings there’s roughly 106 that fit into our category. And then the
pensioners, the folks that are military retirees, obviously that’s a big number at 149. But that’s
really not even the extent, it’s not fair to just look at that census tract if you look at the surrounding
census tracts you find that the fixed income over 55 persons exceed 1,000 people, 1,000
households. Those that are in the moderate category that are living on fixed income and some
savings are 1,500 folks and the pensioners are nearly 1,700 plus. In fixed income you know folks
who are living on social security, they range, these folks aren’t just in one family. I’ve got folks
who have excellent pensions and I have uncles that are retired on social security and this doesn’t
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negatively reflect on their character. They came from the same places and did the same things.
It’s just that life is a journey and sometimes you end up experiencing some detours. What we
really found valuable is we’ve gotten feedback from the Commissioners and here’s some of the
more coded questions. What if the tenants do not invest in the service packages? What if you
know people just pay the rent and that’s it? We’ve actually investigated this with a fair housing
compliance professional that we regularly employ and we can prefer those who pay for the services
so the $1,400 rent and the $1,200 rent is likely the rent that we’re going to get so we don’t even
have to underwrite it at that level.
Mr. Mayor Pro Tem: Mr. Thompson, your time has expired. I’m sure there’s probably
some questions coming from body here. Commissioner Bobby Williams.
Mr. B. Williams: The same question. Who can live in the home besides the 55 person?
Ms. Thigpen: So as was discussed we can draft a lease that clearly defines who can live in
the household and who cannot live in the household and that would be established at 55 or older.
We manage many different apartment communities and we’re very good at doing that.
Mr. B. Williams: So it would change all according it would be an individual contract, it’s
not across the board?
Ms. Thigpen: We have one standard apartment lease per project so whoever lives in Unit
1 is charged the same as somebody who lives in Unit 2 so if we say that it’s 55 and older then it’s
55 and older. If we say she can have a guest come and visit for 14 days and then more than that
then it’s the same for everyone.
Mr. B. Williams: So in other words it has not been established for this particular place.
Ms. Thigpen: It is (inaudible) but the lease will come from the attorney as everything
moves forward.
Mr. Thompson: We’re willing to work with the city at restrictions of whatever they feel
comfortable with.
Mr. Johnson: We understand that this is step one. We still have to go through the
development phase and the perming process and we’re more than willing to enter into a declaration
with the city of what they feel comfortable with who we allow. 55 whether it’s everybody in the
unit including spouses or whatever we have that rider in homes for older people to make that
designation in their lease and we’re willing to work with the city. We want to work with you guys.
What we’re really wanting to do is bring the services, the meals, the transportation, the
housekeeping, these things that people can’t afford them in a $3,500 a month setting.
Mr. B. Williams: What I try to do in think in terms of the neighborhood and what they
would like to see in their particular neighborhood. When you think in terms of retirement homes
or retirement communities you think of something pretty much subdued so I wouldn’t want to see
children running around, cars out front playing loud music and things like that.
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Mr. Johnson: We can address that with working with the city to how we draft our lease.
Also we only have one and two bedrooms so you’re not going to have a family setting. And on
our other projects that are designed like this only 30 to 40% of our tenants even own cars much
less drive them. They usually use the transportation service to take them to the grocery store, they
eat in the dining hall, we provide the meals. We have a full kitchen and we cook you know they
can pick their service plan to have one, two, three meals a day.
Mr. Mayor Pro Tem: Commissioner Sias.
Mr. Sias: Thank you. Sir and to the team there let me ask a question. When you name the
price for the cost of an apartment I think you named about eight something and nine something for
a one bedroom and nine for a two bedroom, is that correct? There about’s? Now you named all
the amenities and let me be clear on this. To take the apartment with the amenities is that optional
or is that mandatory?
Mr. Johnson: It is not mandatory but we can give preference and we’ll have a two-year
waiting list to build our waiting list and we can give preference to the people that can use the
service and that would be what we would want in the project.
Mr. Sias: Correct me if I’m wrong. Those amenities are what $400.00 dollars, am I correct,
per month?
Mr. Johnson: Four to six hundred dollars, yes.
Mr. Sias: Four to six hundred dollars. So if I don’t want the amenities then I can subtract
that amount from what you stated for the apartment, am I correct?
Mr. Johnson: Except for on our waiting list if you decided you didn’t want the amenities
we have the right to move to the next person on the waiting list that could use the amenities ---
Mr. Sias: So ---
Mr. Johnson: --- that’s how we keep the apartments full of people that could use the
amenities.
Mr. Sias: --- I get that but here’s, I just want to get a clear understanding that the price you
named for those apartments are only if you are paying the amenities. So I could technically get in,
rent an apartment there for a little as five-hundred some odd dollars a month, am I correct?
Mr. Johnson: Yes, sir, technically you could do that.
Mr. Sias: Technically correct and in Augusta folks are kind of technical; we’ve got a lot
of smart folks around here. So the bottom line I’m just concerned about number one and I’ve
stated that already they come in there the age of the tenants that come in with one person being 55
and now I’m understanding that, housing needs to be affordable. There’s no question about that
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but then when we talk about housing we really need to be up front about what it actually is and
what I see here is a great plan with all the amenities but it’s optional so I’m a little concerned about
that. So I wanted to get that on the table find out if my concern about that was accurate and you
verified that for me. Thank you, Mayor Pro Tem.
Mr. Mayor Pro Tem: Okay, thank you (inaudible) hear from the guest speakers now?
The Clerk: First on our list Mr. David Fields of Eagle Point Drive.
Mr. Mayor Pro Tem: Mr. Fields, state your name and address for the record.
Mr. Fields: I’m David Fields. I live at 21 Eagle Point Drive in Eagle Point subdivision and
we have about 46 homes in that neighborhood where they’re trying to put the apartment complex
in next to us. I have petitions here signed from everybody that lives in the neighborhood and I’ll
give it to the Clerk for ya’ll’s. You know I’ve lived in Eagle Point twice in my life which is
unusual. I lived in the house a long time ago and then I actually bought the house back but I’ve
stayed in Richmond County because I like Richmond County. It’s hard to get in and out on to
Skinner Mill Road as you know, Mary. I mean we used to turn left to right coming out of there but
now you’re going right maybe you’ll go down and turn around and do something else but on the
key times of the day you’ve got to go right, you can’t take a left. They’re talking about putting in
150 more cars and putting that traffic on the street there is nowhere for nobody to walk on Skinner
Mill Road. They’re putting in bike paths, there’s nowhere to ride a bike on Skinner Mill Road
without getting run over, I promise you. And you go down that road and it’s not lit. I know there’s
a lot of discussion about streetlights and things that ya’ll been having to go over. You can’t see
people walking up and down that street. There’s five apartment complexes up and down Skinner
Mill Road and lot of those people do walk to work. They go to Target, they go to Best Buy. I’ve
been up there many times you’re either going to walk in the ditch and not walk in the ditch. But
anyhow we don’t want it. We’d love for ya’ll to oppose it, deny it. We’d rather deal with a
professional building than deal with more apartments. We have people going through our cars at
night, walking in from behind on I-20 and property values. Somebody said it won’t decrease your
property value but it will decrease your property value if you put more apartments and they put
them right beside your house. I mean if you had an apartment in your back yard it’d depreciate it,
thank you.
Mr. Mayor Pro Tem: Thank you, Mr. Fields. We have about seven minutes left in the
discussion, next presenter.
The Clerk: Ms. Becky Core, she’s at 18 Eagle Point Drive.
Ms. Core: Good afternoon, everyone. I am Becky Core, 18 Eagle Point Drive and
something happened this past weekend that really bothered me and it’s because Mr. Jeffry
Thompson showed up in our neighborhood. We have a very small neighborhood and we are very
senior neighbors. We have many senior neighbors. I happen to be one of the younger ones, lucky
me. But he had the nerve to go up and down our street ringing the door bell telling people about
how wonderful this apartment’s going to be and he happen to hit on our 92-year old neighbor and
her friend had just died that morning. She was very, very sad, thought somebody in the
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neighborhood or a friend was coming by, it was him trying to convince her how wonderful this
apartment complex is going to be. Of course she was sad. I’ve already signed the petition against
it. I don’t want it, it will be right directly behind my house. So that was a real sad thing and she
called me crying and telling me about it. Some of the neighbors called and said they felt like they
were being harassed about it. That is a wrong thing to do. One thing I happened to be out of town
and I was getting these phone calls from the neighbors but also our neighborhood watch person is
Valerie Ketner and she got in the neighborhood, she got in the street and she found him and she
talked to him and she asked him to leave because we have a no soliciting sign at the entrance of
our neighborhood. It’s one way in and one way out and he was not leaving right away, and she
said she was going to call the police. She did call the police and by then he was gone but what the
police lady told us is that we should call Richmond County Intelligence Division which shows the
numbers of drastic increases in crime where there are apartment complexes of any size. It doesn’t
matter if they’re big or small but the crime is drastic and it is increasing. And she said there’s also
a decrease in time response for ambulances and police and fire engines to come to the vicinity.
And so I just wanted to share one more thing. We had a terrible random shooting on Skinner Mill
Road and luckily the person’s house that got hit was out of town and when he came home the
bathroom was shattered, mirrors all over, glass every which way. The police did find the bullet in
the sleeve of his mother’s old fur coat which was in a closet right behind the bathroom. I mean
that was just amazing police work. And then his next door neighbor happens to be principal of
one of our schools and he also was shot up. Luckily he was home and he wasn’t hurt. So it’s a
very, very frightening to happen we’ve never had anything like that. We love Eagle Point; it’s a
small neighborhood, we like each other but we’re all different ages and we do not need apartment
complexes right behind our houses.
Mr. Mayor Pro Tem: Okay, thank you, Ms. Becky, your time has expired.
Ms. Core: Thank you.
Mr. Mayor Pro Tem: Our last presenter due to time from the neighborhood.
The Clerk: Ms. Peggie Koon.
Ms. Koon: Thank you. My name is Peggie Koon and I live at 26 Eagle Point Drive and
my house is one of the houses that would be adjacent to these apartments in other words they
would back up against my backyard. One of the things that concerns me is that we have, we do
have trees behind our homes but in the wintertime the foliage falls from those trees and so if you
have a two story or three story building there, there will be strangers who can look into our
windows, our kitchen, our bedroom, our bathroom windows so I consider these apartments an
invasion of our privacy. The other thing that everybody mentioned is the traffic. So you know
you’re talking about all the traffic that you’ll be adding and we already have a really hard time
getting onto and coming in, coming out of and going into our neighborhood. And I think finally I
think about not just the impact on our neighborhood but the impact on the older people who use
public transit to come to social security. So one of the things that I haven’t heard anybody address
is what will happen to that transportation which is a public bus that comes into that area and turns
around and lets people off who don’t have any other way to get to the Social Security
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Administration. How will they accomplish that if that is privately owned? I think the city has an
obligation to consider that for the seniors in Augusta. Thank you.
Mr. Mayor: Thank you, Ms. Koon. All right, the Chair recognizes the Commissioner from
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the 7 the Mayor Pro Tem, to close the debate.
Mr. Frantom: Thank you, Mr. Mayor. I appreciate all the residents from District 7 coming
out. A lot of good feedback. We’ve heard the traffic concerns, the height concerns, the 55 and
over concerns, the Transit which I agree with as well concerns and I think one of the things we
have to understand this property is prime land so there’s going to be other developments that come
if this one doesn’t get approved today. So I’d like to make a motion based on the district I
represent to deny.
Ms. Davis: Second.
Mr. Mayor: All right, I’ve got a motion to deny with a proper second from the
rd
Commissioner from the 3.
Mr. M. Williams: I have a question, Mr. Mayor.
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Mr. Mayor: The Chair recognizes the Commissioner from the 9, state your inquiry.
Mr. M. Williams: I have two questions, Mr. Mayor. I guess my first question is was there
a height concern that’s been addressed or is that still an issue Planning and Zoning or somebody,
was there a height concern?
Ms. Burgess: There ---
Mr. Mayor: Okay hold on everybody, hold on, hold on.
Ms. Burgess: --- I have that right here. Yes, there was a height concern for those two
buildings that we going to be abutting the subdivision property. There is a 50-foot buffer and
between the property line and the building and also it’s going to be two stories. And they’ve also
proposed fencing underneath in order to address the, if you see those trees they’re very top heavy
with less growth underneath so they propose to put a fence under there to protect the neighbors as
well. The property is slopping so with the topography going the way that is does it is going to be
lower than what a standard two-story building would be.
Mr. M. Williams: You just answered one of my questions. The other question, Mr. Mayor,
is I guess is for Legal. This passed through Planning and Zoning but a legal obligation I mean I
don’t want to put the city in a position. I sympathize with the neighbors and I want to help them
but at the same time I want to know what our legal.
Mr. Brown: I believe that it probably needs to be called to the focus of the Commission
that this is a land use issue. This is not the content of operation of the apartments or the lease. The
issue before you is whether or not this land, the proposed use of this land is suitable and compatible
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with Augusta’s zoning ordinance. If it is compatible with it you then have to look at other factors
that are outlined in your handout, factors such as compatibility. Does it fit with the other
surrounding uses, does it impact people in a negative way in terms of traffic, transportation,
whether there’s a need, is there actually a growing 55 or older population. The question is whether
or not is this a proper use for this land.
Mr. M. Williams: And, Mr. Mayor, if I can follow up and I get that I want to support the
neighbors but at the same time I didn’t want to put the city in a position to be sued about a zoning
situation. If it meets the guidelines and whether we like it or not then I’m trying to make sure that
we are on solid ground as to how we either support or not support but that helps me understand a
little bit better, Mr. Attorney.
Mr. Mayor: All right, fantastic. All right, we have a motion to deny with a proper second,
voting.
Mr. Fennoy and Mr. M. Williams vote No.
Motion Passes 8-2.
Mr. Mayor: Thank you, hold your applause. All right, we’re going to give those petitioners
and those who were here to support that matter we’ll give you an opportunity to exit the Chamber
if you’d like, at this time we have a lot more business to attend to if you’d like to exit at this time.
Let’s take it from the top, Ms. Bonner.
The Clerk:
PLANNING
1. Z-19-19 – A request for concurrence with the Augusta Planning Commission to approve
with the conditions listed below a petition by LE Capital LLC, on behalf of James E. Well
Testamentary Trust, requesting a change of zoning Zone LI (Light Industry) to Zone R-3C
(Multiple-family Residential) for senior apartments affecting property containing
approximately 1.82 acres and known as 811 Fifth Street. Tax Map 047-3-276-00-0
DISTRICT 1 1. The Site plan must meet all zoning requirements for the Section 18-1 for
development of multifamily residential development in an R-3C zone which includes a
maximum of 54 apartments which coincides with the 29 units per acres allowed in this
district. 2. The proposed development must substantially comply with the presented plan
and drawings including the number of parking spaces drawn (80). 3. A deed restriction shall
be placed on this property to allow only those tenants that are 55 and over. Any change in
this designation requires the applicant/owner to return to the Planning Commission. 4. If the
application is not acted upon within 18 months the zoning shall revert to the current LI
(Light Industry) zone.
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Mr. Mayor: The Chair recognizes the Commissioner from the 9 for some questions.
Mr. M. Williams: My question is the same as we (unintelligible), Mr. Mayor. Can we
regulate who stays in any place if you’re a resident and you’re renting and somebody’s got 18
grandkids and I’ve got 22. If I want mine over there, I mean they’re coming over. So my point is
30
how do you do that? I mean how do you regulate once you rent and go through your lease process
you can sign that lease as if but if that changes how can we regulate that? I’m not against this
project. I’m going to support this project but I want that to be brought out. We just had a similar
incident a few minutes ago and we use anything we can to state our case but I’m sorry I mean.
Mr. Mayor: You’re fine. I appreciate that so we’re going to do a couple of things. One,
we’re going to hear from the petitioner, Madam Clerk. We’ll do that, we’ll go in our proper order.
But in terms of what statutes what regulations do we have. We’ve got the Fair Housing Standards
Act and the Housing for Older Americans Act and those with disabilities so those are the primary
tools that we use to engage when it comes to who can be housed in residences particularly
multifamily units. All right, we’re going to go in that order, Madam Clerk.
The Clerk: LE Capital LLC petitioner, are you in the Chamber?
Mr. Mayor: Okay again if you’ll approach and share with us what your intentions are about
this property. Ms. Burgess, if you’ll be on deck to speak to the matter if necessary, okay?
Mr. Welch: Dennis Welch. I’m with Cranston Engineering, 542 Ellis Street. Okay, so the
actual developer is not here present but I’ve been texting with him and he indicates that they can
restrict their residents to 55 and older and that is his intention on this property. But I guess I have
a question about this particular property. It’s a little bit different than the last one as it’s not in a
residential area and is that still a concern for this project?
Mr. Mayor: Well, there may be a series of concerns. The question from the Commissioner
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from the 9 I think you summarily answered that there are laws that allow you to do that, okay so
that’s consistent with again federal law so I don’t think that a concern at this point. What I was
asking for specifically is state for us absent what’s in the book if there is any additional project
information of what the project disposition is. I’m going to yield to the Commissioner from ---
Mr. M. Williams: And I think the gentleman stated what the application is required of but
even the renter wouldn’t have any way of regulating or the property owner wouldn’t have any way
of regulating because once you sign the lease as 55 you may have to show proof of ID but that
doesn’t regulate, it doesn’t give us any authority. And like I said I’m in support of the project and
I’m going to vote to support the project but that same incident we just had in another area talks
about regulations and they use that to say hey we don’t want the project here. But I mean if there’s
a code or guideline that’s states that I mean the Fair Housing Act, Mr. Mayor, is going to make
sure that you know you treat people fair ---
Mr. Mayor: --- it will do that and again pursuant to the Fair Housing Act and again I
certainly don’t want to give the appearance that I’m acting as a junior attorney as you often times
referred to us I’m going to yield to the real attorney on that matter. But it speaks to the issues of
the protected classes of people and make sure that it prevents discrimination and there are seven
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classes to that. But with regards to this let me just summarize it in this fashion. On 15 Street
there is development Walton on the Greens that meets the same condition and we have provided
housing for senior citizens in Phase 1 of that development right there and we’re using the same
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tools okay so we’re currently doing this through our Housing Authority today so this is not a unique
situation.
Mr. M. Williams: But, Mr. Mayor, I mean this can of worms is going to crawl all over this
building because I mean the federal guideline does state about seniors. And you know probably
better than a lot of folks know that a lot of seniors who can’t, don’t tell their grandkids because
they can’t tell their grandkids you’re not supposed to be here. So we’ve got a lot of situations like
that now but the federal guidelines says they’ll all be seniors there. But everybody that’s living in
that residence is not seniors and we’ve got no way of protecting that or changing that so our hands
are off of it and that’s that point.
Mr. Mayor: So I’m not sure what your concern is, Commissioner.
Mr. M. Williams: My question was how can we regulate that, the same question as a while
ago and the young man said you know the property owners plan to have a lease to state 55 years
or older. My question was how can we regulate it? We don’t have a way.
Mr. Mayor: Well, it’s a private project, a private property; we’re not attempting to regulate
that. The matter that is before us is simply a zoning matter. That is what under debate right now,
a zoning matter. Not who lives there; it is a zoning matter. And again pursuant to what the attorney
just stated this is a matter of land use. Is this consistent with our zoning code and if so you’ll vote
this up or down and so that’s the matter that is before us. All right, I’m going to go the
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Commissioner from the 4 his hands been up for a while now then I will come back to west side.
Mr. Sias: I’ll be real quick, sir ---
Mr. Mayor: Yes, sir.
Mr. Sias: --- simply put I was just asking the applicant the same as I did before. Are you
true to what you’re proposing when ya’ll proposed I think for tenants 55 and older and I see that
the guidelines in this agenda item is a little bit different from the last one. So the bottom line I’m
only saying in asking that if you say you’re having this is this what you’re really having? So
according to what I see in this agenda item that’s exactly what they’re having. I’m not trying to
regulate, I’m just saying I want to vote on what’s a true and accurate presentation or what the issue
is and is that correct, sir?
Mr. Welch: That’s correct. He says it’s managed by their management company. Their
guidelines are set forth clearly up front and in line with the HUD guidelines.
Mr. Sias: And tenants are those are people, and tenants that live in the building are those
just, are those people that is that tenant, is that everyone that lives in the building or in an apartment
or does tenant mean the only one signed on the lease?
Mr. Welch: It’s everyone that lives in the building as I understand it.
Mr. Sias: Thank you.
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Mr. Mayor: All right, the Chair recognizes the Commissioner from the 6.
Mr. Hasan: Thank you, Mr. Mayor. Mr. Mayor, I think early on I think our Clerk asked
if there was any objectors to this as well as supporters so I make a motion to approve.
Ms. Davis: Second.
Mr. Mayor: All right.
Mr. D. Williams: I have a comment.
Mr. Mayor: I’m coming to you all right you and three others. All right, the Chair
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recognizes the Commissioner from the 2.
Mr. D. Williams: May I ask the representative a question? Sir, on the property there’s a
property manager to run the complex correct?
Mr. Welch: Yes, sir.
Mr. D. Williams: And that individual will be the one that will be enforcing the rules and
regulations of the organization correct?
Mr. Welch: Yes, sir.
Mr. D. Williams: So that one would determine if Ms. Jane had too many grandchildren
too long in her apartment, correct?
Mr. Welch: Yes, sir.
Mr. D. Williams: Thank you.
st.
Mr. Mayor: Okay, the Chair recognizes the Commissioner from the 1 He waives.
Mr. Fennoy: No, I’ve got on quick question.
Mr. Mayor: Okay.
Mr. Fennoy: What would be the cost, monthly cost to rent one of these units?
Mr. Welcher: I’m sorry, I don’t have that answer. I would assume it would be market rate
but if you give me a second he’s watching on line so he might text me and let me know that.
Mr. Fennoy: Okay, I mean it doesn’t exactly alter my vote so I just wanted to know.
Mr. Mayor: I’ve got a motion and a second, voting.
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Motion Passes 10-0.
The Clerk:
PUBLIC SERVICES
8. Motion to approve tasking the Recreation Department Interim Director and Special
Events Coordinator with coordinating with the Miller Theater to hold a two-day James
Brown Birthday Event for next year and report back to the committee their
recommendations in 60-90 days. (Approved by Public Services Committee May 14, 2019)
Mr. Mayor: I asked for this item to be pulled to ask a question. It may lead to two or three.
Just a few weeks back there were two events that happened with relationship to the James Brown
birthday, the one on The Commons and one of course that took place at the Miller Theater. Is the
intent here to have multiple events across the two days and if so, how does this dovetail into a prior
conversation that this body engaged in regarding this idea around the Soul Food Festival? Are
they working in concert, are they working independent of one another and the reason I ask that is
there was an allocation, there was a budgeted amount for that and what I don’t want to see happen
is us come back and have a separate conversation about additional resources when we’ve already
allocated if I remember correctly one-hundred plus thousand for that event that has no definition
at this time.
Mr. Houck: I think you’re correct, Mayor. There is $100,000 dollars I believe and I’m
still trying to play a little catchup with some of these events so but there’s involvement with the
CVB on that and our staff really hasn’t had the opportunity to sit down since last week to discuss
this event yet but hopefully we’d be involving the CVB and the dollars are available so we
wouldn’t have to come back for additional resources.
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Mr. Mayor: All right, the Chair recognizes the Commissioner from the 6.
Mr. Hasan: Thank you, Mr. Mayor. Mr. Mayor, I think my colleague will speak to it,
Commissioner Fennoy, in general but as I look at this item it’s saying coordinating with the Miller
Theater. Truth be told I think the best ally for us, Mr. Mayor, to work with our Special Events
Coordinator would be Ms. Brenda Durant who puts on what she puts on and work with her in
trying to get this event who has a track record, a very successful event over a three or four-day
period, as opposed to the Miller Theater being vendor that it is. If we want the kind of success,
she has a great record in putting on a phenomenal event. If we can bring her into the fold and
working with the Special Events Coordinator I think we end up with a better project with what
you’re talking about the resources that’s already been allocated.
Mr. Mayor: Okay so what I don’t want to do is I don’t want to muddy the conversation
and I think if I step into what you just said I might muddy the conversations so let me do this. Let
me yield and offline we’ll have some discussion about that. And the Chair will entertain a motion
with number eight.
Ms. Davis: Move to approve.
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Mr. D. Williams: Second.
Mr. Hasan: I’d make a substitute motion, Mr. Mayor, well I just want, I thought he was
going to table it for now and come back for another conversation ---
Mr. Mayor: Well ---
Mr. Hasan: --- because I don’t see the benefit of us coordinating with the Miller Theater
on this event when you’re talking about the Soul Food Festival and somebody who has an
opportunity, who has a track record, I’d rather see us have that conversation.
Mr. Mayor: --- okay.
Ms. Davis: Do you want to bring it back, Mr. Mayor, for another committee ---
Mr. Mayor: Well ---
Ms. Davis: --- is that your intention?
Mr. Mayor: --- well, my intention was not to have a long debate about it really. It was just
to talk about how we’re taking the resources we’ve already approved and there’s a conversation
that has no definition to it around the Soul Food Festival but yet we’re talking about a James Brown
Birthday Bash which was the genesis for the whole Soul Food Festival discussion and I just think
that that’s prudent for us to do that. I think if we’re going to have a conversation, let’s have a
complete conversation around this issue. I’m not opposed to us continuing this until later. I just
want to have a complete conversation around this issue as opposed to piecemealing it. All right,
so Commissioner Fennoy, okay.
Mr. Fennoy: Are you ready for me?
Mr. Mayor: All right, I can do. All right, the Chair recognizes the Commissioner from the
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1.
Mr. Fennoy: The reason I put this item on the agenda is because the Miller Theater had a
free event and it was a very successful event and on the same day in The Commons First Friday
the Recreation and Parks had a very successful event. And what I would like to see is rather than
two events being held on the same day honoring James Brown is that we have two events on
separate days honoring James Brown which would hopefully attract more outsiders, when I say
outsiders people that don’t necessarily live in Augusta, to come to the event at the Miller Theater
one day and at the Augusta Commons one day. I think that the two-day event you know would be
very beneficial for Augusta. It could or it doesn’t necessarily have to be a Soul Food Festival but
we have several options and I believe that the time to be talking about how can we make this a
multi-day event is now rather than April or March of next year.
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Mr. Mayor: All right, I don’t disagree. Let’s do this right here. This is an extremely
important conversation. There are pieces to it that quite frankly the way we’re approaching it, it
will be less than what it can be. Let’s take a step back and yeah, I feel pretty confident about that.
Let’s take a step back; instead of us taking you know approach to just have a local party let’s have
an international party if that’s what we’re going to call it, take the resources that have been
approved and let’s put it all together. At the end of the day we’ll arrive at who’s best to have it
but it needs to be better than what we’ve done not to suggest that what we’re doing isn’t good, but
this is the second time we’ve had a James Brown Birthday Bash and they were both free in Augusta
and they both happened at the Miller Theater.
Mr. Mayor Pro Tem: (Unintelligible) Bell Auditorium.
Mr. Mayor: Okay, ya’ll want it at the Bell Auditorium but I’m supportive of it. We just
need to have a complete conversation. All right, I’m going to go in this order and then I’m going
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to come back to you Mayor Pro Tem, Commissioner from the 6.
Mr. Hasan: Mr. Mayor, I mean with that in mind I don’t mind a whole conversation but
I would like to make these comments around it. In intertwining this conversation into the Soul
Food Festival it gives the city more flexibility in terms of becoming a revenue stream for the city
in a holistic manner and move away from the James Brown name even though we can incorporate
the spirit and the energy of James into this conversation. And with that being said we can sit down
and just have this conversation at this time I’d just say we vote to table it and come back with
how we’re going to put it back on the agenda. I make a motion to do that.
Ms. Davis: I’ll second it, I’ll pull my previous motion, Mr. Mayor.
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Mr. Mayor: All right on the substitute. So to the Commissioner from the 6’s point that
was the original intent because we were told around this construct of using the word James Brown
that’s how this whole thing started and I don’t want us to lose sight of it. All right, the Chair
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recognizes the Commissioner from the 9.
Mr. M. Williams: Mr. Mayor, I couldn’t agree more with what I just heard about sitting
down and having more dialogue about this. What bothers me though is we talk about The
Commons or the Miller Theater. Are we going to do an international event? It is much more
bigger than any one of those places and if we talk about just those two it’s telling me we’re not
thinking international. So if we’re going to do something maybe at those locations I’ve got no
problem with it along with other stuff that may be happening at the same time. I think about some
other festivals that take place and how large and somebody mentioned Brenda Durant as to what
she did down on Broad Street and folks come in from everywhere. We’ve been talking about this
for years but we have not gotten to that point yet and hopefully this will get us there to start an
annual something that would attract people that would bring revenue into our city. And just to
name those two places would be I think limiting to what we want to do not to put those facilities
out because we should have something going on all over our city. So I can support that, Mr.
Mayor. We just table this until a specific date or receive as information, either one you want to do,
so we can continue to have some dialogue and get some ideas about other facilities and other
professional taking place.
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Mr. Mayor Pro Tem: Thank you, sir. The only, one thing I just want to state is the reason
that is I think written this way from Commissioner Fennoy’s is the fact that the Coco Rubio and
the James Brown family they will be having a James Brown Bash every year moving forward at
st
the Miller Theater. On the next year is May 1 that was the reason in stating that way. I agree the
that Soul Festival and the James Brown name should help promote and collaboratively we do it so
I’m willing to accept the table when are we going to table it to, Mr. Mayor?
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Mr. Mayor: All right, if you’ll yield to the Commissioner from the 6 he’s going to amend
his substitute motion.
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Mr. Hasan: I would like to amend my motion and give us a date of Thursday June the 6
to have a conversation about having a workshop because I don’t think we can do it through a
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committee process so do a workshop on June the 6 and then come up with a date.
Mr. Mayor: It’s a bit early, let’s push it out the week ---
ththth
Mr. Hasan: The 20 or June 13, June 13?
Mr. Fennoy: (Inaudible).
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Mr. Mayor: --- that is not until the week of the 20.
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Mr. Hasan: Let’s go with June 13.
Mr. Mayor: Okay.
Mr. Fennoy: Question, Mr. Mayor.
Mr. Mayor: All right, Madam Clerk, June 13.
The Clerk: Yes, sir.
Mr. Mayor: Okay, all right ---
Mr. Fennoy: Mr. Mayor?
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Mr. Mayor: --- and the Commissioner from the 3 she seconds that. The Chair recognizes
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the Commissioner from the 1.
Mr. Fennoy: Who all are we going to bring to the table for that?
Mr. Mayor: Let’s not solve that today ---
Mr. Fennoy: Okay.
37
Mr. Mayor: --- let us not solve that today but you will be at the table.
Mr. Fennoy: (Inaudible).
Mr. Mayor: Madam Clerk, are we good with the substitute?
The Clerk: Yes, sir.
Mr. Mayor: Okay, voting. Ron, thank you.
Mr. Sias abstains.
Motion Passes 9-0-1.
The Clerk:
PUBLIC SERVICES
9. Motion to approve rescinding of bid award and contract as approved by the Aviation
Commission on March 28, 2019 to ALL SOUTH ROOFING and award to ROOFING
PROFESSIONALS, INC. as approved by the Aviation Commission on March 28, 2019.
(Approved by Public Services Committee May 14, 2019)
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Mr. Mayor: The Chair recognizes the Commissioner from the 6.
Mr. Hasan: Thank you, Mr. Mayor. Mr. Mayor, my concern with this particular agenda
item was it was rescinded and awarded I think to a person who possibly came in second because
the primary was awarded the bid. At the end of the day they could not get the necessary clearance
to get behind the fence and do the necessary work. So my first question is what was the second
person’s bid? What did they bid?
Mr. Judon: The second bid was approximately $71,000 dollars ---
Mr. Hasan: About a $5,000 what about a seven, $8,000 dollars difference?
Mr. Judon: --- about a five, $6,000 dollar difference.
Mr. Hasan: Okay, I’d like to talk to I guess I don’t see Ms. Sams I see Ms. Nancy ---
Mr. Mayor Pro Tem: Ms. Sams is here.
Mr. Hasan: --- Ms. Sams or somebody else, where’s Ms. Sams at, okay, I don’t see her.
Can somebody tell me why did we why not, if that person did not make the person didn’t make it,
why did the second person have to come and acquiesce their price to meet the first requirement
from the first vendor?
Ms. Sams: Repeat the question, sir?
38
Mr. Hasan: If the prices were not the same, I mean the other day we talked the other day
and I’m going to paraphrase when I saw you out there in the hall and I asked you about the bids.
And the first thing I said to you I said well the only way I can see you the second person paying
the same price is that they bidded the same price and you said well they didn’t and then you came
back and said well, no, it went through a negotiating process. I would think if I’m in second place
the first person did not qualify so why would I have to adjust my price to theirs and I’m trying to
understand that.
Ms. Sams: Well, all prices for Augusta are negotiated or are negotiable. And in this case
the Aviation Board approved a specific price to a vendor who did not, was not able to perform the
task. Staff reached out to the person who was in the second seat and asked them if they could do
it for that same price and that vendor agreed to do it at the same price.
Mr. Hasan: Was that fair to them though? I mean is that fair because I mean the first
vendor is no longer qualified and mostly, and let my just say from a historical perspective and all
situations are not the same, Ms. Sams, but we’ve companies in here to come in and to appeal
because they were not awarded the bid and in some times those prices was a million dollars
difference or what have you. But the person who received the bid they never had to come back
and bid the same price of the person who lost the bid because of price. This is the first time I’ve
seen this. Maybe it happened before but I never seen one have to meet the price of the previous
bidder when I didn’t qualify. If I lost my qualifications the person in the next chair normally was
awarded the bid. That’s what it’s been historically from me looking at it. Now it might have been
different but I’ve never seen it that way before and that, so I didn’t want to see us change the rules
nor do I want to see a vendor get hurt for something that they had rightfully, had a right to because
for me I also have a concern that I don’t see how we put a bid in a person’s hand when security is
primary. Security’s primary and a person got the bid in their hand and they couldn’t pass the
security clearance. It’s like before they was awarded the bid for me looking at it they had to prove
they could pass the security clearance.
Ms. Sams: Okay, you have a number of questions ---
Mr. Hasan: And I do because I can’t get no answers.
Ms. Sams: --- you have a lot of questions and I’m going to make every attempt to answer
them. And I don’t know if you’re going to accept my answer but let’s go with number one. The
reason why a vendor in this case was awarded the bid because he assured the evaluating team and
the airport that he would be able to secure the security passage so therefore he was awarded the
bid at the cost that he submitted to us. Well, when the airport made every attempt to get in contact
with the vendor it was only then that it was realized that the vendor could not pass the security
clearance. Okay, so that’s how he got in the loop without being able to pass the clearance because
everything looked as though he was going to be able to perform the task. Okay, so when the airport
realized that the vendor was not going to be able to secure the security badges they then called us
and said what do we do. So we suggested to them that we stop all negotiations, stop all calling the
vendor because regardless of what we would do it would not give a remedy to him being to secure
the security. So then we went to the person in the next seat which was the second vendor giving
him that same opportunity at the cost and dollar amount that the airport authority had awarded to
39
the first vendor and he agreed to that so that’s why we’re here today. We’re just simply changing
the award of the name of the vendor keeping the cost the same.
Mr. Hasan: I still think the process is unfair to the vendor. I just really, I really do. I know
we’re about saving money and I think that my colleagues would tell you I cry about money more
so than anybody else but I think of being the vendor who was awarded the bid at this point that
you’re asking us to vote on I would feel cheated because I didn’t have to do that because you had
nowhere to go because the vendor that was the primary, they were excluded at that point so you
had nowhere to go and so automatically you had to deal with me and deal with my price so I have
a concern about that. I really think it’s a disservice to the vendor to do that but thank you very
much.
Mr. Mayor Pro Tem: Commissioner Garrett.
Mr. Garrett: My question has to do with the security concerns as well and I think that Ms.
Sams answered that so I’m good.
Mr. Mayor Pro Tem: Okay, Commissioner Fennoy.
Mr. Fennoy: Ms. Sams ---
Ms. Sams: Yes, sir.
Mr. Fennoy: --- I’ve got an easy question for you.
Ms. Sams: I’ve been waiting for on all day, sir.
Mr. Fennoy: Is it fair for the bird to eat the worm?
Ms. Sams: Yes, sir because that’s what the bird is accustomed to eating.
Mr. Fennoy: Okay.
Mr. Mayor Pro Tem: Is that it, Commissioner Dennis Williams.
Mr. D. Williams: May I ask Ms. Sams a question?
Mr. Mayor Pro Tem: Sure.
Mr. D. Williams: Ms. Sams, was this bidding process using in using the second bidder was
it legal and according to the regulations?
Ms. Sams: Yes, sir.
Mr. D. Williams: Thank you.
40
Mr. Mayor Pro Tem: All right, Commissioner Sias.
Mr. Sias: Move to approve.
Ms. Davis: Second.
Mr. Mayor: I’ve got a motion and a second please vote. Commissioner Hasan.
Mr. Hasan: Let me, I’m not going to stop this. Let me when you vote commission let me
ask a question my colleague. He needs to know this I think.
Mr. Mayor Pro Tem: Commissioner Hasan.
Mr. Hasan: Let me say from the floor, I done voted.
Mr. Mayor Pro Tem: Okay.
Mr. Hasan: Oh, you called it already.
Mr. Mayor Pro Tem: Yeah.
Mr. Hasan: Oh, I apologize. Madam Clerk and the Attorney, for the record if we do just
what just happened in terms of awarding to the second person is it important that there be a
comeback so we’ll know who the new vendor is or we don’t need to know that, so we can
something for our records.
Mr. Brown: I don’t understand your question.
Mr. Hasan: My point is that my colleague and I we were discussing he was thinking
because they went to another bidder that was not important they didn’t have to come back to us.
So from my perspective we wouldn’t have a company of record who actually was awarded the bid
and so I’m saying to him I think it’s important for the record book that we need to know who
actually ended up with the bid.
The Clerk: Commissioner, you’re absolutely right. When the first award was made to
ALL SOUTH the Commission actually approved the awarding of that bid. When the contract for
PROFESSIONALS, INC. was submitted to the Clerk’s Office, we had no record that the bid had
been awarded to PROFESSIONALS, INC. We inquired to Procurement and Ms. Sams gave the
same explanation she gave today and my thought and my response to her was that the Commission
never took an official action on the awarding the contract to PROFESSIONALS, INC. However
it was done by the Aviation Commission they in fact rescinded the bid and then awarded it to
PROFESSIONALS but the Commission had not taken an official action to award the bid so until
today we would not have had any official record had it been done I think where you’ve asking the
question that you just asked us.
41
Mr. Hasan: Well, let me follow up, Mr. Mayor. I had the floor, let me finish up with a
question. Well, that’s a whole different conversation. That really makes it troubling for me now
if the bid when it came back to us but the Airport Authority was doing it. If I understood you
correctly, the Authority got the opportunity to rescind it and vote to rescind it but the Commission
never would have. They don’t have the authority to award bids without this Commission
approving them. We’ve already done it now but I’m just saying if that’s what you just said then
that’s a whole different conversation.
Motion Passes 10-0.
The Clerk:
ADMINISTRATIVE SERVICES
12. Motion to approve Memorandum of Understanding and Financial Stipend for Financial
Literacy Program. (Approved by the Administrative Services Committee May 14, 2019)
Mr. Mayor: Madam Clerk, I had pulled these. I yield and we’ll entertain a motion.
Mr. Sias: Move to approve.
Mr. B. Williams: Second.
Mr. Mayor: Thirteen needs to be corrected, voting.
Ms. Davis out.
Motion Passes 9-0.
The Clerk:
ADMINISTRATIVE SERVICES
13. Motion to approve Housing and Community Development Department’s (HCD’s)
request to provide Laney Walker/Bethlehem Bond Funding to contract with Cranston
Engineering for site Surveys of three (3) areas within the Laney Walker/Bethlehem
neighborhoods for the purpose of redistribution of narrow lots to accommodate slightly
wider homes. (Approved by Administrative Services Committee May 14, 2019)
Mr. Mayor: Madam Clerk, in reading the caption on this as it was submitted to you it has
a Bond Funding. I do not believe this has anything to do with Bond Funding. If HCD now has
unilateral authority to begin Bond Funding then we really don’t have a real problem. So I think
we want to just correct that and the Chair recognizes the Administrator Sims.
Mr. Sims: Yes, Mayor, we’ll correct the wording.
Mr. Mayor: All right, thank you very much.
Mr. Hasan: Motion to approve.
42
Mr. B. Williams: Second.
Mr. Mayor: Again, you can strike bond funding.
Mr. Sias: Strike bond funding?
Mr. Hasan: Yeah.
Mr. Sias: Strike the word bond?
Mr. Mayor: Bond and funding.
The Clerk: And Bethlehem to contract with Cranston Engineering.
Mr. Mayor: Voting.
Ms. Davis out.
Motion Passes 9-0.
The Clerk:
ADMINISTRATIVE SERVICES
15. Motion to approve bid award of RFP #19-123A Architectural/Engineering Design
Services for the Lucy Craft Laney Museum (2019) to 2 KM Architects, Inc., as the qualified
and selected architectural/engineering firm. (Approved by Administrative Services
Committee May 14, 2019)
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Mr. Mayor: The Chair recognizes the Commissioner from the 9.
Mr. M. Williams: Thank you, Mr. Mayor. I pulled this item, I’m in support, I’m going to
support the motion but I guess my question would be the engineering firm that’s doing this will
they bring us what back, what I mean going to the Laney Museum doing this architect work what
would that bring back to us as far as a design or what, exactly what?
Mr. Mayor: All right, I’m going to do two things here. Once again we’re going to
recognize Mr. Maben but I want to recognize the Chair of Administrative Services to speak to this
matter as it came through your committee.
Mr. Sias: Thank you, sir. I will go ahead call on the museum folks to give us a good
explanation.
Mr. Mayor: I’ll call on them ---
Mr. Sias: Well, you can call them.
43
Mr. Mayor: --- I wanted you to tell us why ya’ll moved this forward.
Mr. Sias: I’m going to let him tell you.
Mr. Mayor: Okay, Mr. Maben.
Mr. Maven: Leon Maben, Vice President of the Board of Directors Lucy Craft Laney
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Museum and I reside at 1306 11 Street, and what was the question again, Commissioner?
Mr. M. Williams: I’ve got no problem with this 2 KM firm but I guess my question would
be what would this architect do and will it be brought back to this body or what would be brought
back to this body?
Mr. Maven: Yes, the step by step plan once we meet with them to go over with the Board
on what we feel would be the necessary areas of renovation for the museum with I guess with the
budget. And we have step one, step two, step three, we’ll bring it back before the Commission.
Mr. M. Williams: Mr. Maben, can you tell me about how long this will take I guess I guess
do you have any idea and if you don’t I understand.
Mr. Maben: With our discussion we’re looking at, we are in hopes within a two-year period
if there are no restrictions as far as when it comes to Historic Augusta with the historicalness of
the museum. Things that we want done quite naturally some areas may have to be approved since
we fall under jurisdiction with not only Historic Augusta but also with, also with the state.
Mr. M. Williams: I’m going to make a motion to approve. Mr. Maben, I didn’t want to
hold you up but I would thought we’d get it in a quicker timeline than two years is what I was
shooting for, for this architect not to have to bring something back to this body so we’ll know what
direction we’re going in.
Mr. Maben: Okay well no, we, that’s our game plan as far as the completion of the entire
project but as far as bringing you step by step on what we’re planning, on what we’re planning on
doing that can be done. I thought the question was what you felt or what we felt would be the
timeline for the completion of the entire project.
Mr. M. Williams: Okay well, thank you very much that helps a little bit that changes a
little bit the perspective on that but you’ve got a motion to approve, Mr. Mayor.
Mr. Hasan: Second.
Mr. Sias: I’ve got a final comment on that, Mr. Mayor. I just wanted to stress that the
museum went through the city procurement process. No issues there, they followed everything
that I could see to the letter. We thank them for that.
Mr. M. Williams: Mr. Mayor ---
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Mr. Mayor: (Inaudible) voting, did you make a motion?
Mr. M. Williams: Yeah, I made a motion and I got a second but I wanted to comment too
now I mean ---
Mr. Mayor: Okay, hold on, I’ve got a motion and a proper second, Ms. Bonner. All right,
the Chair recognizes ---
Mr. M. Williams: I’m going to yield, I’m going to yield. I just know everybody don’t
follow the same rules but we’re going to make sure everybody follows the same rules from this
point on.
Mr. Mayor: --- voting.
Motion Passes 10-0.
Mr. Maben: And if I may, Mayor, if I may Commission, we’d definitely like to thank the
Procurement Office Director Geri Sams and her office along with the Executive Director of the
museum Ms. Christine Betts. We definitely could not have gotten this far without their
professional help. Thank you again to Ms. Geri Sams.
The Clerk:
PLANNING
25. Z-19-16 – A request for concurrence with the Augusta Planning Commission to deny a
petition by 143 Ministries International Inc., on behalf of Jeannette E. Norris, requesting a
Special Exception to establish a non-treatment based Transition House per Section 26-1-G
of the Comprehensive Zoning Ordinance for Augusta, Georgia affecting property containing
0.43 acres and is known as 2327 Cadden Road. Tax Map 121-3-099-00-0 DISTRICT 5.
Mr. Mayor: Madam Clerk, let’s hear from the petitioner first.
The Clerk: Okay, Ms. Jeannette Norris.
Mr. Snyder: Mayor and Commissioners, my name is Mitch Snyder and I live at 506
Ashand Drive in Richmond County and I’m an attorney with Hull Barrett Law Firm and I represent
143 Ministries International. And I have Mr. Cliff Nobles who is the Pastor of a local church Near
the River which has a large following and he is also the leader of 143 Ministries International
which is 501C3 Organization which is requesting a Special Exception to allow four unrelated men,
one of whom will be a staff member, to reside at 2327 Cadden Road and the Special Exception
specifically relates to the operation of a transition house there. My understanding reading our
ordinance is that four unrelated men could reside at that residence if they worked at Plant Vogel
or if they were friends with each other or any other four unrelated men according to the definition
of a family in an R-1A Zone property. However here because they are going to be receiving
services related to drug and alcohol primarily drug treatment then they fall under a transition house
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status and therefore we need your approval for a Special Exception. Here in Augusta and all over
the country addiction to pain killers, opioids and other illegal substance is a problem that gripping
our city, our state, and our nation in a unique way in the present. I hear the Attorney General, the
U.S. Attorney, our District Attorney, and the local coroner even talking all the time about the
devastation that this impact, this epidemic is having. It’s a timely topic where people always are
saying let’s get tough on crime, let’s lock these people up and crack down on drug dealers, illegal
drug users and even now physicians and pharmacists. However another equally important piece
to the puzzle of this epidemic is the, the solution to this crisis involves men in programs like Mr.
Nobles and 143 Ministries International. The problem which is a real problem in our community
and it’s, is that we need to focus on rehabilitation and recovery, that’s exactly what this Special
Exception here today is focusing on at 2327 Cadden Road. We want to run a home for recovering
addicts to rehabilitate them and make them productive and functioning members of society. This
program has a proven track record. They run homes in Columbia County. They have a number
of people if you look in your packet we have written to you and told you how the Residential
Rehabilitation Program is uniquely suited to lead them to successful recovery. And it’s important
here that there’s been other bodies or other organizations who have come before you that this is
different in that these people are not court ordered to be there. There is no in-house treatment,
there’s no nursing staff, there’s no doctors, they’re all voluntarily there receiving guidance and
support. They’re all required to have a job, they’re all required to have a sponsor and it’s the sense
of community and support that is essential to recovering people. Also you’ll notice it’s in a
residential community. It’s in an R1-A zoned section. This is intentional. It is proven that these
people need to be away from bars and restaurants, they need to be away from commercial and
industrial places where the temptation to use again is greater. This house is a good neighbor; you’ll
see in your packet too that ten neighbors have signed a petition in support of this Special Exception.
You’ll also, I believe you’ll hear from one neighbor here today who is in support of this. You’ll
notice from the Planning Commission and from the employees of the city that this home is well
kept, it’s well maintained. You’ll see pictures in your packet that shows that this home is run
efficiently, it’s clean, safe. There is no crime related to this home. I’ve done an Open Records
Request with the Sheriff’s Office. There’s not a single call since this home began in operation
related to any crime or even any potential crime, no one’s even called the Sheriff once about this
home. The benefits and impact that this specific program will have on our city and town are real
and tangible. I think Richmond County needs to decide whether it wants to be in the forefront and
be a solution to the problem and provide recovery and rehabilitation or whether it’s going to just
take the lock them up and ignore the problem approach. This is a real and pressing and timely
problem. And then I just want to wrap up, Mayor and Commissioners, with a quote from one of
the men who has been a part of this residential recover program. ‘Emanuel House is a safe place
to lay my head at night, a place full of support and friends who care. I’m grateful for the
opportunity given to me by Cliff to become a productive member of society. Without Emanuel
House and God I would not have stood a chance’. These men need this program and this city
needs programs like this.
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Mr. Mayor: Thank you. All right, the Chair recognizes the Commissioner from the 5.
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Mr. B. Williams: That was a great presentation. I am the Commissioner from the 5and
it is in my district and I realize that we do need programs for people drug and alcohol what have
you but this is a residential area. And I was here on the day when the Planning Commission looked
46
at this item I understand that you have one person, but there were many people here on that
particular day who were against this. I do have one other home in the district that was already
there before I started as a Commissioner and really and truly, I don’t want to take a chance. I’m
just going to be straight with you. Some days I go by there because I get complaints they have
underwear hanging outside of the front, there are trash cans in the front. Some days there are three
cars, some days there are five cars, some days are six or seven cars. Some days they had someone
over there washing their car and playing loud music, some days the people are sitting out front, no
shirt on, maybe shorts, no shoes on, walking around, trash can, don’t pull the trash cans in. You
may end up being a good example somewhere but I don’t think in the residential area is where you
need to be in. When I say residential right next door to people. There are many people in that
particular neighborhood who don’t want this in their neighborhood. I have a great problem with
these going into established neighborhoods that have been there for a long time. You have
neighborhoods that have legacy people in those neighborhoods, have a great history and they want
the neighborhoods to stay a certain way. I don’t think they’re going to be pristine always but I
don’t think having a drug and alcohol treatment program right next door to them is my ideal
neighborhood or neighbor, thank you.
Mr. Snyder: Mayor, may I respectfully respond briefly to that?
Mr. Mayor: No, sir, no, sir. There’s a series of comments we’ll come back to you. The
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Chair recognizes the Commissioner from the 6.
Mr. Hasan: I make a motion to deny.
Mr. Clarke: Second.
Mr. Mayor: We have a motion to deny with a proper second. All right, what I don’t want
to do again we’ve given you the opportunity to present. I think that, Madam Clerk, just for the
record I think it’s appropriate for us to do this. He’s indicated there’s petitioners here who are in
support of this if we will just ask them to stand so we can get an account of who they are.
Mr. Snyder: Mayor, I would ask that they be heard. There’s neighbors here and people
and I think it’s only fair that the community be heard.
Mr. Mayor: All right, those are in support of this if you will please stand. All right ---
Mr. Snyder: Mayor, we’ve waited 2 ½ hours, I would ---
Mr. Mayor: --- we have an accounting eight. You may be seated. Okay I’m sorry, just
hold stand please, please keep standing. Okay, all right, you may be seated. All right, are there
objectors here? Are there any objectors to the petition? All right, those that are in support of it
how many of you live in Cadden Woods Subdivision of Rosier Road? Would you please stand,
those that live in the neighborhood would you please stand? All right, very well, okay all right,
three of the nine okay and again for those who don’t know Cadden Woods neighborhood is in
South Augusta right off of Rosier Road. It’s at the intersection of Windsor Spring and Rosier
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Road. All right, the Chair recognizes the Commissioner from the 5.
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Mr. B. Williams: I think you’ve gotten to what I wanted to know. How many people
actually live in that neighborhood?
Mr. Mayor: We’ve got a motion and a second to deny, voting. I’m sorry, everybody
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suspend. The Commissioner from the 1 he did have his hand up and I apologize. The Chair
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recognizes the Commissioner from the 1.
Mr. Fennoy: Mr. Mayor, time and time ---
Mr. Mayor: Speak into your microphone.
Mr. Fennoy: --- time and time again we have requests like these and people from the
neighborhood say yes or it’s a great idea but we don’t want them in our neighborhood. In the
district that I represent right around the corner from me is a Federal Transition Center, there’s a
State Transitional Center, there’s the Hale House. There are numerous personal care homes and
there’s about to be another transitional center. Now the people that are in these facilities are not
going to be there for life. Once they’re released they’re going back to neighborhoods. It could be
my neighborhood, it could be your neighborhood but if they complete that program they will go
back to those neighborhoods that will make them a more productive citizen, some one that could
be trusted, someone that could help you if you need neighborly help. And I just think it’s criminal
when people develop an attitude that we don’t want them in my neighborhood. To me it’s just
plain criminal. I went through a 12-step program more than 31 years ago and if it hadn’t been for
the program of Alcoholics Anonymous, the program of Narcotics Anonymous or a sponsor that I
could call 24/7, I wouldn’t be here today. The only thing that’s left for people that don’t have
access to treatment facilities are jails, institutions and death and I believe that in the year 2019 we
ought to have a more positive alternative to offer people that are seeking help. None of these
people, none of them grew up with the intention of being an alcoholic or an addict. If you talk to
them, they had dreams and aspirations and I’ve seen a number of people fulfill their dreams and
aspirations because of programs like this. I see people that couldn’t read, couldn’t read go through
these programs, go get their GED, go to college, become teachers, become doctors, become
lawyers and I think it’s criminal on our part if we deny these opportunities to people. The program
of Alcoholics Anonymous and the program of Alcoholic Anonymous, Mr. Mayor, you may not
believe this but have gotten more people involved in church because they found a God of their
understanding. And if we are to be a people of a second chance we need to afford this opportunity.
Mr. Mayor: Okay all right, here’s our posture. I have a motion and a second to deny this.
There’s been lengthy debate on this matter, passionate debate. We have some petitioners who
stood and supported this matter and we’re going to leave it up to each and every one to determine
for themselves the outcome of this. But there is again a motion and second to deny this (inaudible).
Mr. Snyder: Mayor, I would ask again that they be heard ---
Mr. Mayor: --- okay, hold on a minute. All right, that’s the last outburst that I’m going to
hear the last one. We’re going to vote on this matter that’s what we’re going to do, all right voting.
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Mr. Fennoy, Mr. D. Williams and Mr. M. Williams vote No.
Motion Passes 7-3.
Mr. Snyder: Thank you.
Mr. Mayor: Thank you.
The Clerk: I think we had number 21 ---
Mr. Mayor: Yeah, we’re going to give them an opportunity to exit, Ms. Bonner.
The Clerk: --- okay.
The Clerk:
ENGINEERING SERVICES
21. Motion to approve authorizing the Engineering Dept. to proceed with a temporary
solution of installing a left turn lane at an estimated cost of $120,000 to improve an extremely
dangerous entrance to the Augusta Regional Airport. (Requested by Commissioner Sammie
Sias)
Mr. Mayor: I’m going to limit debate on this matter to ten minutes. The Chair recognizes
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the Commissioner from the 4.
Mr. Sias: Thank you, sir. Initially this item was approved by Engineering Services and
we came back to full Commission and we took no action. We brought this item back before the
Commission I want to give the Commission a little bit more information on this issue. Now we
have some people from the airport here. We have an Airport Director, we have regional member
of the Aviation Commission and Standard Aero’s Director is here as well. And I would like to
hear from Standard Aero, sir, and then the airport director if you don’t mind.
Mr. Mayor: And again debate on this matter is limited to ten total minutes. We’ll come in
that order we’ll hear from the Airport Director and any associated parties, all right?
Mr. M. Williams: Point of Order, Mr. Mayor?
Mr. Mayor: State your inquiry.
Mr. M. Williams: If you’re going to limit it to ten minutes I mean when you say ten minutes
total so what does this Commission do because if the ---
Mr. Mayor: Well, why don’t we let the Airport Director start speaking and then we’ll step
into it.
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Mr. M. Williams: I mean I’m thinking put me in a box with that, Mr. Mayor, and give me
those ten minutes and then you’re going to combine it with you know the other speakers I mean if
there’s some questions to be had ---
Mr. Mayor: Well, precious time ---
Mr. M. Williams: --- that’s right I mean and I’m elected to do that, Mr. Mayor, that’s why
I doing to get clarity now.
Mr. Mayor: --- well, if you’ll let him speak maybe he might have your questions answered.
Mr. M. Williams: Okay.
Mr. Mayor: All right, Mr. Judon.
Mr. Judon: Good afternoon, Commissioners. I know this item came up a couple of weeks
ago and we talked on it but this is the road that is on the south of the airport off of Doug Barnard
Parkway and I’m sure that Standard Aero will talk about some of the, you know, we’ve had an
accident, a pretty serious accident and many near misses on this particular road. And if you’re
familiar with this particular road as you travel south on Doug Barnard Parkway as you go through
the intersection of Tobacco Road the road at that point narrows pretty significantly. So this
particular roadway we tend to have first of all a lot of commercial vehicles, a lot of logging trucks
a lot of other types of large commercial vehicles. It also has a section of roadway where the drivers
tend to speed pretty significantly so the individuals that turn into the south entrance of the airport
often times have vehicles behind them and also approaching at pretty significant speeds. So we
met with the Engineering Director several weeks back and again this has been looked at for several
months as well and he came up with a plan to create a turning lane there to again to enhance the
safety in this particular area. And I don’t know if he’s here today but my understanding is any of
this work that would be done would be inclusive of any other work that would be done in the future
so any funding that would go to support this would be, again it wouldn’t be wasted, it would be
inclusive of the overall project. I guess a couple of final comments. This particular turn as it goes
into the south end of the airport it is as I mentioned earlier a lot of commercial vehicles use it. It’s
also a gateway that we use during the Masters, for example, we bring a lot of our patrons into the
airport through that entrance so it’s also a gateway that not only the employees use, commercial
vehicles use, but also our patrons that come here during that time of year.
Mr. Sias: And can we get the Standard Aero?
Mr. Mayor: All right, Mr. Sasser, are you going to speak? All right, very well, Standard
Aero.
Mr. Bodine: Good afternoon, Mayor and Commissioners. My name is Chris Bodine. I
live at 1510 Karen Lane. I’m the Vice President and General Manager at Standard Aero. You
know I’ve worked at the facility now for 29 years coming up on 30. August will be 30 years and
when I leave my house every day my wife says have a good day, I’ll see you tonight and I say well
I tell you if I’m going to see you tonight or not it’s all going to depend on whether I get run over
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by a log truck turning into work. And that’s really not a joke. Months back you know we had one
of our employees coming into work was rear ended. Thank God he was in a great big Ford
Expedition that rolled up into a ditch up against the telephone pole because somebody decided to
pass right there. There’s multiple issues there if you’re familiar with this you’ve got a speed limit
of 55 miles an hour next down to 45 miles an hour right there then you’ve got a turn. 30 years ago
that road that was sufficient. There’s been a lot of industry, a lot of growth there. It’s not sufficient
anymore. As Mr. Judon mentioned, it’s also the most disgraceful entrance into the airport. It’s
not Standard Aero’s entrance. It’s Augusta’s entrance at the end of the day. Everybody that owns
a corporate airplane comes in that exit. All your firemen, Mr. Morse, FAA people who work in
the control tower, during the Masters every corporate airplane that lands there and those vans
leaving going to Augusta National, they’re taking them out of that gate right there. It’s horrible.
There’s even a, there’s some works going on I was told to raise the speed limit on the road. I’m
going to tell you right now when they come through that traffic light at 55 miles an hour today
there’s supposed to slow down to 45 miles an hour. Our log trucks are subsidized and paid for by
the load right? You run more loads you make more money. The faster you go the more loads you
run so it’s something that needs to be addressed. A turning pocket is a good start. It’s our
understanding that the turning pocket would lead into a turning lane at some point later down the
road. We need to fix that just from our employees’ perspective but honestly all of the airport
employees’ perspective. Any questions?
Mr. Mayor: Are there any other speakers? All right, there being none all right, okay.
Mr. Sias: All right, thank you, sir. I just want say that section of the airport, that section of
the airport is a very large economic part of the airport and this city. If you look at that area of the
airport, it is three times or four times the size of the terminal part of the airport. So we have a lot
of traffic and stuff going out of there that’s where firetrucks and everything goes. If all those folks
use the entrance the main entrance they will be crossing through the terminal and you don’t want
all that traffic going across the passenger terminal in the front there so $120,000 dollars is a very
small investment. Just Standard Aero alone, they’re not the only one out there, they have a $17
million-dollar payroll and we say we want businesses and things to come here but we have to take
care of the growth and the airport has outgrown that. The thing that I want for that entrance, the
thing that I asked the airport to do is bring it before their commission and come back to us, they
need to improve that gate. They need to go ahead and dress it up and it’s the south gate. They
need to quit calling, it needs to be quit called a service entrance. We are bigger than Bush Field
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now so we, if you just take a look at it that is a that is 5/6 of the airport right in that area going
through that gate - firetrucks, car haulers, rental cars all that stuff is out that side there. So I just
want to implore this Commission to make an investment in our future at the airport, thank you.
Mr. Mayor: All right, I’m going to go in this order I’m going to recognize the Mayor Pro
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Tem and the Commissioner from the 9.
Mr. Mayor Pro Tem: Thank you, Mr. Mayor. You know I’m not there yet to support this
but I understand it. My question is why can’t we make it a one-way out and make everybody come
through the main entrance at the light? It’s much safer I mean why not make it an exit only going
onto Doug Barnard from there?
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Mr. Mayor: Okay all right, let’s do this. All right I’m going to ask our Traffic Engineer
John Ussery if he’ll come up as well.
Mr. Mayor Pro Tem: And I’m saying that until we can fix it. I mean obviously down the
road we know that we need to fix it but it makes sense to ---
Mr. Mayor: Let’s, I want him to answer that question (inaudible) alternative to what’s
being considered.
Mr. Ussery: The, turning it into an exit only.
Mr. Mayor: That’s correct.
Mr. Ussery: From the road system standpoint that would be acceptable. I don’t know how
the internal workings of the airport work so I couldn’t really answer that but from the how traffic
flows that would be okay.
Mr. Judon: I think from the airport operation that’s a bit problematic because then that
entrance becomes an entrance where you have more commercial vehicles. So that’s that main
entrance right there at Tobacco Road and Doug Barnard so you would have delivery trucks, we
would have the car haulers, we would have many of those commercial entities trying to comingle
with the passenger traffic and also again a lot more traffic on that particular section of the road.
Mr. Mayor Pro Tem: I don’t know I don’t think we have that much traffic at the airport. I
mean safer would be going to the light and making a left to turn into the airport and then you take
an immediate right I don’t know. So thank you, Mr. Mayor.
Mr. Mayor: All right okay, hold on, hold on. All right, is there anything else you want to
add, Mr. Ussery, with regards to this?
Mr. Ussery: Well you know I don’t dispute anything that was said. I looked at the numbers
this morning. There’s approximately 7,000 vehicles a day on that section of Doug Barnard that’s
in a 24-hour period. On a normal road you should expect about 5% of the vehicles to be semi-
trucks on this section. It’s about 16% so it’s much higher. It’s about three times higher than
normal on a normal street. As far as the speed limit that they mentioned earlier there’s no plans to
change any of the speed limits anywhere on Doug Barnard at this time but that’s all I want to add.
Mr. Mayor: Okay, I was aware that there were no plans to do such. All right, yes, sir.
Mr. Bodine: I just wanted to respond to the traffic. We probably get eight to ten deliveries
a day in 50-foot long semis, aircraft engines that will impact the airport through that road there not
to mention all of the regular freight carriers. We ship about 500 to 600 aircraft engines a year and
break that down to a weekly thing you’re talking, you know there’s ten engines a week leaving out
of that facility and just that many engines coming in every day too. It will definitely increase that
traffic and wear down the main entrance to the airport with heavy trucks.
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Mr. Mayor: Very well, thank you, sir. All right, the Chair recognizes the Commissioner
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from the 9.
Mr. M. Williams: Thank you, Mr. Mayor. A couple of things, Mr. Ussery. Don’t go
nowhere, I’m going to need you. The papermill has been down there since the airport’s been there
a long time. They go hand in hand so there’s nothing new about where the trucks are going. But
I guess, Mr. Ussery, I need to know how many accidents have been reported down there and how
many speeding tickets have been written as far as you know people speeding down the highway.
We’re talking about $120,000 dollars. If it’s just a dollar and a quarter out of your pocket because
I ain’t got a dollar and a quarter in mine but we talk like that’s just nothing. So have you got a
record that shows how many accidents have been taken place, how many speeding tickets have
been written because we do have a Sheriff’s Department with the vehicles that operate in that area.
Do you have any of that?
Mr. Ussery: I can tell you that the number of reported accidents and so when somebody
asks me how many accidents have occurred at this specific location the only accidents that I have
access to are the ones where a police officer has been called out and a report has been written. And
so in the last two years, 24-months there’s been three accidents at this location. One has been the
one that we mentioned several times about the person who was injured.
Mr. M. Williams: And I get that. Even beyond that road, beyond that entrance there’s
accidents on that road that wasn’t associated with that entrance going in there. I mean that’s traffic,
things happen like that. I’m not against this but I still think when you say extremely dangerous
situation as if people are going to ‘scare’ the Commission into saying well we’ve got to do
something. There’s a lot of areas that I’ve got extreme danger in the neighborhood where people
are crossing everyday but we hadn’t addressed that so I take issue when we’re going try to get
ahead of the crowd so to speak or we’re going to get ahead of the line and do that. If there hadn’t
been any traffic reports just those three if there hadn’t been any speeding tickets that you know
about ---
Mr. Ussery: I can’t answer that one because I don’t (inaudible).
Mr. M. Williams: --- I understand but it looked like somebody would’ve had a record to
look at how many speeding tickets have been written out there if that’s an extreme situation that
would’ve been the first thing I’ve thought about. I’d have wanted somebody to have an officer
sitting out there to try to slow this traffic down. You write enough tickets people are going to start
to slow down when you start talking about the wallet and effecting them there. So I take issue
with that that we’re going to ‘have an extreme situation’. If we’re going to take airport grant
money to do this I ain’t got no problem but I’m not taking anything out of Engineering or any
other dollars to put into a situation over there when I’ve got other areas who as important no more
but certainly no less important than what you’re talking about out there. So, Mr. Mayor, I’m
going to make a motion to go in and deny this.
Mr. Garrett: Second.
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Mr. Mayor: All right, I’ve got a motion and a second to deny. There’s more conversation,
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I think the Commissioner from the 6 had his hand up. I think the Commissioner from the 5 had
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his hand up as well. All right, I’m going to come to the Commissioner from the 6.
Mr. Hasan: Thank you, Mr. Mayor. Mr. Mayor, I’m going to keep mine short because
we’ve got a motion on the floor. And for me I think a way that we could potentially solve this I’ve
talked with the Engineering Department about this. Why don’t we potentially deed from the airport
entrance, main entrance to the industrial park is 1.4 miles. That 1.4 miles, Mr. Mayor, is
something. Why don’t we consider deeding that to the airport as part of their footprint. As long
as they would keep it open for the same traffic that comes and goes you know up and down to
other facilities up there they can go ahead and fix it. And the reason for me is not that I don’t
understand the significance of the concerns that my colleagues as well as from Aero what they’re
concerned about. The thing about it, Mr. Mayor, about midway that 1.4 miles is about 50 feet
there where the road has buckled. The road has buckled, it needs repairs as well. So what do I
mean so why is that important? Because we need to fix that so if we start right there to put that
turning lane into the property we’re going to end up going further and we should and we should.
So to say $120,000 dollars it’s going to be much more than that. It’s going to be much more than
that at the end of the day and we ought to be honest about that because once we get out there we
know we’re going to have to do more and then we find ourselves in a way strapped where are we
going to get the money from and so instead of looking at this holistically trying to do that whole
1.4 stretch there and get that right because the road is horrible. So not only like the gentleman
said, it’s our airport but also inside the gate is horrible as well so let’s deed that 1.4 miles to them
and let them (unintelligible) federal money, the SPLOST money, whatever that that becomes part
of the airport’s footprint. My concern in talking to some of the board members there we didn’t
have the discussion not that it’s not needed to have the discussion but the board as my colleague
said we’ll go back out to the board and let the board fix this. But technically the board doesn’t
even know that they’re here, the board is supposed to have this conversation. The board had made
that decision; that don’t mean they don’t want it done. Let me be very clear about that. So there
are other ways of doing it. Another option we can do before you get to the red light going south
you can break the speed down you can reduce the speed to 25/30 miles an hour on this side or the
other side of the light and once you come from the industrial park you can reduce the speed to 25
between there’s 1.4 miles there. You can do it until we get money to do the whole thing. The
whole stretch there, Mr. Mayor, is 3 ½ miles to 56 and Hameed said he would take two or three
million dollars I suspect to do that. That’s without widening the road and things like that. So let’s
not try to put this $120,000 dollars and we make a mess there. That ain’t, that’s not going to work,
that’s not going to work.
Mr. Mayor: Okay, so hold on ---
Mr. Hasan: And my substitute motion is to deed them the land.
Mr. M. Williams: Second.
Mr. Mayor: --- so, everybody suspend, everybody suspend. All right, I’m going to the
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Commissioner from the 5, he yields all right I’m going to the Commissioner from the 8.
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Mr. Garrett: Well, the reason I seconded the motion to deny this is we haven’t seen a plan
for the place for what this $120,000 dollars is going to go for. You know anytime you’re talking
about a road improvement project usually you have some engineering so has any of that been done
yet? I mean it’s hard to vote on something you can’t see.
Mr. Mayor: Mr. Judon, would you approach. All right, can you speak to that if you can
answer the question.
Mr. Judon: Again, I know that the County Engineer has assessed the site and I’m not sure
if he has put together a plan but he was the one that developed the cost estimate and the review of
the site.
Mr. Garrett: I just can’t vote to support you know basically a piece of paper that has
nothing on it.
Mr. Mayor: Okay, I appreciate that. Mr. Ussery, do you want to speak to this or do you
want to yield?
Mr. Ussery: I can answer that question. We’ve done the survey, we’re in the process of
doing the design. Intuitively we know want we wanted to do and we know how we’re going to do
it, it’s just not on a plan yet.
Mr. Garrett: Are you willing to bet your paycheck that it’s going to cost a $120,000 dollars
or do you want to wait until you see a plan too?
Mr. Mayor: All right, that’s an improper question, improper question. I know you’re
talking in jest but let’s not put our people through (inaudible). All right, here’s what I want
everybody to do. Let’s just suspend for a moment okay, all right. Okay all right, let me give a
little bit of perspective on this matter. There’s some considerable debate about how to approach
this and solve this. It’s not a single source solution but it’s also not a single concern. There are
concerns around the speed that’s used on this road, there’s concern about the again the durability
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of the road. The Commissioner from the 6 has raised some very important concerns. They are
real, they are true. We know they are but one of the things that we’re very fortunate to have in our
community is perhaps the nation and possibly the world’s best small aircraft maintenance
organizations here in the City of Augusta. Standard Aero they are a $3 billion-dollar organization
across the world. That’s important. The fact that we have them here as one of our existing industry
partners certainly is important for us to give them voice with what’s going on and we appreciate
the good work that goes on out there formerly Garrett now Standard Aero, very familiar with them.
And so what I would encourage we have a main motion to deny with a second but then there’s a
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substitute that was provided. I’m going to ask the Commissioner from the 6 to withdraw his
substitute. It’s not proper, the language associated with it is not proper. I’m going to ask you to
withdraw that and then for us to continue this conversation. If you’re more comfortable with the
word table, we’ll table this until we have an opportunity to get the appropriate cost estimates and
a review out there and take some of us out there and take a look at it as well so that there’s is a full
perspective of what’s going on, but I think that’s probably more appropriate for us to do that at
this time to table this matter.
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Mr. Hasan: Mr. Mayor, can I respond to that?
Mr. Mayor: Well, I would ---
Mr. Hasan: I’m not, I won’t disagree with what you’re saying, Mr. Mayor. You and I had
this conversation early on.
Mr. Mayor: --- yeah we did but I’m just talking about the deeding part ---
Mr. Hasan: No, no, no let me ---
Mr. Mayor: --- that’s what I’m referring to.
Mr. Hasan: --- well, let me finish.
Mr. Mayor: Hold on ---
Mr. Hasan: Go ahead.
Mr. Mayor: --- so that’s what I’d like to do. If we can get you to if you’ll withdraw your
substitute.
Mr. Hasan: Well, will you tell me why it’s improper? I wasn’t going to ask that Mr. I’m
going to go back to your broader question I understood you to say. You were saying let’s move
the whole thing and let’s have a broader conversation and go and look at it.
Mr. Mayor: That’s correct.
Mr. Hasan: My point was going to be, Mr. Mayor, is that you and I talked before the
Commission meeting started ---
Mr. Mayor: We did.
Mr. Hasan: --- we suggested, you and I talking about this to go out there this weekend and
ask our colleagues to go and let’s look at script and try to see how do we fix the whole process ---
Mr. Mayor: That’s what I’m ---
Mr. Hasan: --- that was rejected according to you.
Mr. Mayor: --- no, no, no that’s what I’m trying to get you to do right now.
Mr. Hasan: Well, I know it but earlier you told me you rejected so you reject the whole
motion just table it?
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Mr. Mayor: I’m not quite sure what you said just the end but let me say this. The
conversation you and I had the sidebar before the meeting started it’s consistent with what I’m
suggesting you do right now.
Mr. Hasan: So will it be ---
Mr. Mayor: At some point in time that I said I didn’t agree with you, I’m not sure where I
came up with that.
Mr. Hasan: --- no, no, no not you you were saying you were suggesting it and they’re
saying no I’m full steam ahead ---
Mr. Mayor: Well ---
Mr. Hasan: --- that wasn’t you.
Mr. Mayor: --- okay, so that’s why we have conversations ---
Mr. Hasan: Right.
Mr. Mayor: --- so even (unintelligible) the conversation ---
Mr. Hasan: Right.
Mr. Mayor: --- now we’re back to a good place, okay?
Mr. Hasan: So do we vote on either one of these motions or do we extract both motions?
Mr. Mayor: What I’m asking you to do is withdraw yours and then we’re going to get to
a better place.
Mr. Hasan: I’m going to trust you, who seconded my motion?
Mr. M. Williams: I seconded your motion and I ain’t withdrawing my second nowhere.
Mr. Mayor: Okay all right again the legality of that is being raised. We can vote on it up
or down, it’s just not prudent for us to do that.
Mr. M. Williams: So we could talk about the speed and have the speed limit changed in
that same area that’s the big issue it’s so ---
Mr. Mayor: We’re trying to address all of that ---
Mr. M. Williams: --- ‘extremely dangerous’.
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Mr. Mayor: --- okay, we’re trying to address all of that. That’s a better place for us to be
in. We’re going to address the whole thing, we’re going to do it holistically as opposed to, okay?
All right, Madam Clerk ---
The Clerk: Yes, sir.
Mr. Mayor: --- let’s do this right here. We’ve got a substitute motion with a second, all
right. Madam Clerk, the Chair recognizes Attorney Brown.
Mr. Brown: I just want to bring this to the attention of the Commission. I have spoken,
since the motion was made I have spoken with the Engineering Director. I think you may want to
impart from him as to the ownership of that road and some limitations of what that may mean.
Mr. Mayor: That’s enough right there to say let’s withdraw the substitute motion.
Mr. Hasan: That’s not true, Mr. Mayor.
Mr. Brown: I wasn’t saying that, Mr. Mayor. I was simply saying that I think the
Engineering Director may have information that you need to hear so that you can understand what
you’d be voting on or the impact or problems that may be with the approach that’s being taken.
Mr. Mayor: What I’d like to do is I’d like to just vote on the substitute. Let’s vote it up or
down.
Mr. M. Williams: Mr. Mayor, the Attorney just gave us some advice. Whether we take it
or not is up to us. Now if he gave us advice I want to hear the advice. I want to hear from the
Engineering. I want to hear from, I mean there ain’t no sense in having no attorney if we don’t
listen to what he’s advising us.
Mr. Mayor: I heard exactly what he said, I heard exactly what he said.
Mr. M. Williams: Do we get a chance to hear that?
Mr. Mayor: All right, what I’d like to do is vote on this absent the Commissioner
withdrawing his substitute and us taking the derivative approach which is what we wanted. Again
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we had a sidebar conversation. The Commissioner from the 4 is at the same place with the sidebar
conversation. Let’s go out, let’s do the investigation and look at it holistically and let’s move it
forward that’s a better place for us to be in.
Mr. M. Williams: But, Mr. Mayor, you just had a sidebar conversation behind us and the
rest of the Commission sat at the table while ya’ll had a sidebar conversation. The whole body
should have known what the bar was talking about and we didn’t. Now you want us to agree to a
sidebar you just had standing in front of us, no, sir.
Mr. M. Williams: You absolutely weren’t even here, you were not here when we had the
sidebar.
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Mr. M. Williams: No, no I’m talking about the one you just had. Not the first I don’t know
about that one I’m talking about the one you just had.
Mr. Mayor: So we’re going to vote on the substitute absent the Commissioner
withdrawing. I would encourage everybody to vote against the substitute.
Mr. B. Williams: Can you read the substitute?
The Clerk: The substitute motion was to deed the 1.4 miles of land to the airport,
Commissioner.
Mr. Mayor: All right, voting.
Mr. B. Williams, Mr. Hasan, Mr. M. Williams vote Yes.
Mr. D. Williams, Ms. Davis, Mr. Frantom, Mr. Garrett and Mr. Clarke vote No.
Mr. Sias abstains.
Mr. Fennoy out.
Motion Fails 3-5-1.
Mr. Hasan: I’m fine. We still have a motion out there, Mr. Mayor.
Mr. Mayor: All right, there’s a main motion with a second and that is to deny this request.
All right, I’m going to make a substitute motion. The substitute motion is to suspend all action
and allow Traffic Engineering to do a complete cost estimate and the members of this body may
proceed to the designated area and do a complete survey of not only the ‘service road’ and the
adjacent 1.4 tract.
Mr. Hasan: I don’t have a problem with that, Mr. Mayor ---
Mr. Sias: So moved.
Mr. Hasan: --- but I don’t think you can make the motion. He can’t make the motion, the
Mayor can’t make the motion.
Mr. Sias: So moved.
Mr. Hasan: I don’t have a problem with it, Mr. Mayor. You just can’t make the motion.
Mr. Sias: I’m making the motion. So moved on the substitute.
Mr. Hasan: Now why do you want it now? I offered it to you earlier, you wouldn’t take
it.
Mr. Sias: Say what?
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Mr. Hasan: I offered it to you earlier, you wouldn’t take it.
Mr. B. Williams: Let’s move forward. I’ll second it from Mr. Sias, can we vote?
Mr. M. Williams: You’ve got a main motion, Mr. Mayor. You can’t put a substitute
motion when you’ve got the main motion you never voted on. I mean I know you’re making some
rules up but these things ain’t making good sense. You’ve got to follow the first one then go back.
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Mr. Mayor: All right, the Commissioner from the 4 had a substitute, the Commissioner
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from the 5 has seconded that substitute motion. That’s what we have before us right now.
Mr. M. Williams: No, we don’t, Mr. Mayor. You had a substitute motion. We voted on
and it failed. You’ve got a main motion then you’ve got to go to. You can’t get another substitute
motion because you don’t like the first one.
Mr. Mayor: It doesn’t matter whether I liked it or not ---
Mr. M. Williams: Well, evidently you don’t like it if you don’t want to vote on it.
Mr. Mayor: --- I’m stating rules of procedure. I can have as many substitutes
(unintelligible).
Mr. M. Williams: After you go through the process you can get another substitute motion
but you didn’t even go through this one now.
Mr. Mayor: We have a substitute motion ---
Mr. M. Williams: Mr. Attorney, you might want to step in and speak to matter which is at
hand and let the Mayor know what the rules are.
Mr. Mayor: --- all right, so we’ve got a substitute with a proper second.
Mr. M. Williams: Mr. Mayor, I want a point of clarity.
Mr. Mayor: I didn’t recognize anybody.
Mr. M. Williams: I want a Point of Order ---
Mr. Mayor: All right, Madam Clerk ---
Mr. M. Williams: --- Point of Order (unintelligible).
Mr. Mayor: --- we have a substitute and that’s the matter that we’re voting on, voting.
Mr. M. Williams: You can’t vote on a substitute motion, Mr. Mayor, if you have a main
motion you hadn’t resolved yet. You don’t add another substitute motion. Let the lawyer tell us.
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Mr. Mayor: The Chair recognizes Attorney Brown, that’s precedent as it happens I’ve
been here five years (unintelligible).
Mr. M. Williams: People break the law everyday and don’t never get caught.
Mr. Brown: My ruling would be that the proper step to take would be to vote on the main
motion.
Mr. M. Williams: That’s what it is. He can’t just come up with another motion because
you don’t like the last one, man, I tell you what. You’ve been here five years doing that?
Mr. Mayor: Attorney Brown ---
Mr. Brown: Yes, sir.
Mr. Mayor: --- is it not true that the substitute would be the superior motion?
Mr. Brown: There’s already been a substitute that was voted upon. The motion was on
the floor was the main motion.
Mr. Mayor: And that substitute failed.
Mr. Brown: If it did, the standard procedure would be then to proceed to motion and have
the vote. In the absence of, I’ll leave it there.
Mr. Mayor: In the absence of another substitute, okay, all right.
Mr. B. Brown: Mr. Mayor, in light of the Attorney’s advice I withdraw my second ---
Mr. Mayor: Hold on, hold on ---
Mr. B. Williams: --- I withdraw my second.
Mr. Mayor: --- hold on. The main motion is to deny. All right with a proper second, we’ll
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vote on that, voting. Madam Clerk, hold on, the Commissioner from the 4 again wants to make
sure his vote is correct (inaudible).
The Clerk: So are we revoting or are you going to allow him to tell me what he’s voting
now?
Mr. Hasan: Mr. Mayor, it’s been displayed. He don’t have that authority now, he’s got to
rescind it. He’ll have to rescind it. Once it’s posted, it’s posted.
Mr. Sias: Ms. Bonner, you know what to do, you know what to do put it back on the next
Commission meeting.
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The Clerk: Well, let me, okay.
Mr. Sias, Mr. B. Williams, Mr. Hasan, Mr. Frantom, Mr. Garret and Mr. M. Williams vote
Yes.
Mr. D. Williams votes No.
Mr. Clarke abstains.
Mr. Fennoy and Ms. Davis out.
Motion Passes 6-1-1.
Mr. Sias: Put it on the next committee meeting (inaudible).
The Clerk: Yes, sir.
Mr. Mayor: All right, Madam Clerk.
The Clerk: We’re at Item 27 I believe.
Mr. Mayor: Madam Clerk, did we address Number 26 ---
The Clerk: Yes, sir ---
Mr. Mayor: --- oh, we did that first, I’m sorry.
The Clerk: --- we did that 26, we’re at 27.
The Clerk:
PUBLIC SERVICES
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27. Motion to approve getting an update on Tuesday (May 21) from the Marshal’s Office
and Code Enforcement regarding whether the VIN verification process has begun relative
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to the “Notice of Violation” for 1901-15 Street regarding abandoned/stripped vehicles.
(Approved by Public Services Committee May 14, 2019)
Mr. Mayor: All right, the Chair recognizes Mr. Wynder.
Mr. Wynder: How ya’ll doing?
Mr. Mayor: Yes, sir.
Mr. Wynder: The VIN verification process has begun and should be completed Friday,
this Friday. After the VIN verification process is completed, the owner will be responsible for
sending out notices to all owners giving the 30 days to come back in and claim those vehicles. If
the vehicles are not claimed within that time, the owner of the business is able to remove those
vehicles off of the lot and have them crushed.
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Mr. Mayor: The Chair recognizes the Commissioner from the 6.
Mr. Hasan: Mr. Mayor, we also made a request that someone from the Marshal’s Office
be here today. Is someone here? Mr. Mayor, can you ask the Clerk if she notified the Marshal’s
Office?
Mr. Mayor: Well, did you ask somebody?
Mr. Hasan: Yes, yeah.
Mr. Mayor: If you asked somebody to be here ---
Mr. Hasan: Yeah but I want to make sure that was done. That’s what I’m asking now.
Was that actually done?
Mr. Mayor: --- I’m 100% sure Ms. Bonner did that.
The Clerk: Yes, sir.
Mr. Mayor: You know my question (inaudible).
Mr. Hasan: Huh?
Mr. Mayor: (Inaudible).
Mr. Hasan: Well, I just need to know for the record that Ms. Bonner done what she was
supposed to do and they just refused the request that we asked them to be here. We can discuss it,
we just can’t take no action.
Mr. Mayor: Ms. Bonner ---
The Clerk: Yes, sir.
Mr. Mayor: --- let’s, well, it says motion to approve getting an update. All we need to do
is receive as information.
Mr. Hasan: The update ---
Mr. Mayor: We’ll receive it as information.
The Clerk: Okay.
Mr. Mayor: There’s no action we need to take on this matter. We’ll receive as information
and we’ll note the lack of attendance by the Marshal’s Office.
Mr. Hasan: Thank you.
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The Clerk:
PUBLIC SAFETY
28. Discuss ambulance service contract between Augusta and Gold Cross Ambulance Service
and receive a report from the commission’s Ambulance Services Subcommittee. (Requested
by Commissioner Marion Williams)
Mr. Mayor: I want to suspend right now (inaudible).
Mr. Mayor: The quorum has been called into question; at best all we can do is have
conversation. I’m going to take Item 28, 29 and we’ll move them to the next full Commission
meeting.
The Clerk: Okay.
Mr. Mayor Pro Tem: I also have a Special Called Meeting.
The Clerk: With six votes you certainly can do that.
Mr. Mayor Pro Tem: It’s an important item ---
Mr. Mayor: It is ---
Mr. Mayor Pro Tem: --- and we need to talk about it.
Mr. Mayor: --- well, I mean I’m not opposed to talking about it now but ---
Mr. Mayor Pro Tem: Let’s talk about it then.
Mr. Mayor: --- certainly we can’t take any action on it but if you want to talk about it I
ain’t got a problem with it. All right, the Chair recognizes Madam Clerk. We’ll go to Item number
28.
Mr. Mayor: All right, the Commissioner who put this on the agenda is not here. The Chair
recognizes the Mayor Pro Tem.
Mr. Mayor Pro Tem: Thank you, Mr. Mayor. Obviously I would’ve hoped we’d have this
conversation two hours ago, it didn’t happen. But I have some grave concern when this body
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approved on October 9 that in good faith we would have discussions, meetings, everybody at the
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table, Gold Cross and the City. And the fact that since October 9 this committee’s met twice
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once on November 16 and then you, and then Ms. Smitherman came to Legal and gave us the
details of what was agreed upon and what needed further discussion and then there was another
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meeting on December 19. Since then there’s been no meetings. There’s been numerous attempts
to have meetings and the fact that we are stalling in my mind for what I have no idea because there
is no court decision coming for us to get the Zone. We need to have these meetings, we need to
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stop this subcommittee stuff and just put it on the floor and that’s why I believe we ought to have
a Special Called Meeting. The representatives from Gold Cross are here and I mean I apologize
we wasted you know four hours of their time today and I know that they’re probably not going to
want to speak today and I get it and that’s fine if they don’t.
Mr. Speaker: Mr. Mayor, we’ve lost our quorum.
Mr. Mayor: I mean (inaudible).
Mr. Mayor Pro Tem: Can I continue or do we need to stop?
Mr. Mayor: No, you can continue.
Mr. Mayor Pro Tem: Well, I mean this is important information that people need to know.
So there has been some back and forth dialogue between Gold Cross and Chief James since and
Jody Smitherman a couple of times. I’ve sent this body a contract that Gold Cross agreed to where
Gold Cross would give up the Zone and I thought (unintelligible). And the fact that we have been
sitting around for seven months plus and not gotten any action is a disservice to this community,
it’s disrespectful to this governing body when it was a 7-3 vote to have negotiations with them.
Negotiations didn’t even happen and frankly it’s time that we get this solved. And I believe that
we should abolish the subcommittee. The subcommittee, it was not a subcommittee, let’s be real
about it. It was just the City of Augusta going through the motions that we approved up here and
I’m the one who recommended it. And for us to sit here and act like this is not a big issue is crazy
because number one, if we had a subsidy which is one thing that they want, the citizens, your bills
would be lowered from $2,100 to $1,150 dollars, the rates that our fire department agreed upon.
Your show up fee would be reduced from $400 to $200 dollars as well. You’d also have better
service because there’d be some accountability measures as well. So for the City of Augusta to
continue not to negotiate and sit in the corner and basically think they were going to get the Zone
is crazy and a disservice to the citizens. And I’m hoping, and I’m going to continue to put this on
the agenda because the citizens deserve better, the community deserves better, the City of Augusta
should act better when it comes to this because this has not been right. So I close in saying that
you know I’m going to try and have a Special Called Meeting to approve this contract. Chief
James wants to put this behind him and he’s told me multiple times and he wants to work with
God Cross. He’s told me multiple times so it’s time that we put this behind us because this has
been a fight that the community has heard about for so many years and it’s time for us to put good
faith, Gold Cross is giving good faith, it’s time for the City of Augusta to show some good faith
too. Thank you, Mr. Mayor.
Mr. Mayor: All right, as a member of this as you refer to it not so committee subcommittee
is not so functional in working committee. I find your comments to be specious at best particularly
in light of the fact that (unintelligible) as you’ve indicated this body, the full Commission on
10/2018 said that it would establish a subcommittee to begin working in concert with Gold Cross.
Not only did that happen, not only did that happen as you’ve indicated you mentioned two
meetings but let me state for the record that there have been three meetings of the full
subcommittee and there have been a host of other meetings with partial groups to include Gold
Cross and their representatives. What each member who’s still currently here has is a timeline of
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contract negotiations and what’s even more significant in this conversation and I’ve said it before
and I’m going to say it again today. I am not aware of any other city, any other organization that
has been mandated or forced to work with a single entity other than Gold Cross in the City of
Augusta, Georgia. And we sit here and we have these types of conversations and every time I turn
around it’s about the city must work with Gold Cross, must work with Gold Cross. I don’t know
of any other community where that happens and this is being thrust down our throats as if we don’t
want to work with them. I couldn’t agree with you more that Chief James wants to get this behind
him. I will go a step further; the subcommittee has wanted to get this behind us. Let me note for
those that don’t have the document that I have in front of me on 11/7/2018 the Augusta team met
in preparation of a meeting with Gold Cross. On 11/16 the full Augusta team met with Gold Cross
and their learned attorneys. On 12/19 there was a second meeting that took place. On 1/04 a
subset of the team met with a group to include Gold Cross on 1/09 to discuss ambulance placement.
On 1/17 the full teams came back together which I was at the meeting as well to discuss with Gold
Cross where we were going. On 1/28 a draft contract was provided to Gold Cross. On 2/19 of
this year redline of the contract were received from Gold Cross. On 3/22 the Augusta Contract
Negotiation Teams met to review and discuss the redline contract from Gold Cross. And what
was significant about that is that everything that was sent back to us was in complete contrast to
what we had agreed upon, in complete contrast. To add insult to injury as a nonmember of the
subcommittee, as a nonmember of the subcommittee, as a nonmember of the subcommittee, Gold
Cross then unilaterally sends you a confidential document that you then provide to the Chief and
to the Attorney subsequent that you then provided it to the full Commission which we’re not
talking about. I find that to be problematic at best. And to that end the assumption is that well
they’re not getting anything done so we need to go to the Mayor Pro Tem. I find that to be
extremely problematic. And so when we talk about operating in good faith, we’ve had our
technology teams working together, we’ve had our 911 team work together, we have had
opportunities to not only try to bridge the gap but find a way to make Augusta and Gold Cross
operate as partners. And so to come to this conversation today and call into question that this
subcommittee that this full body established under the guise and premise that there’s nothing being
done, that there’s no effort, that this is just a ruse, I take issue with that. Not only do I take issue
with that but on Page 1 of what members of this body have been provided, what you have in front
of you is pursuant to the last meeting and the redline that was provided to Gold Cross is what
substantially was agreed to by the City of Augusta and by Gold Cross and we’ll make a copy
available to you, Tom Corwin, you don’t have to go and do an Opens Records Request or anybody
else here who wants to have a copy we’ll make it available to you. And in the left column is what
was substantially agreed to and then we get your confidential document, Mayor Pro Tem,
transmitted and provided to you by Gold Cross and their attorneys and their current proposal which
is in direct contrast to what was agreed upon. So make no mistake about it what we are not going
to do today is come in and call into question the good work of the people who are making it happen
and were part of that subcommittee that you all appointed who have operated and worked in good
faith, that’s what we’re not going to do.
Mr. Mayor Pro Tem: Ms. Smitherman (unintelligible) Williams said they only had two
meetings. It wasn’t me, it was Ms. Smitherman, two meetings.
Mr. Mayor: Well ---
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Mr. Mayor Pro Tem: She said that, not me ---
Mr. Mayor: --- not a document ---
Mr. Mayor Pro Tem: --- I’ve got emails that show you hadn’t we hadn’t responded.
Mr. Mayor: --- well, by Ms. Smitherman for the express purposes of this meeting today
and again everything is in line. But probably what’s more significant than anything, what’s more
significant than anything is one of the things and I remember this like it was yesterday, I remember
like it was yesterday, Director Williams, is that in this meeting we set the rules of engagement and
what we said is because we want to be partners in this conversation what we’re not going to do
was get out there fighting publicly back and forth which was what was happening before we got
to today, which was what was happening before we sat down at the table. That’s what Pat Rice
agreed to, that’s what the Gold Cross folks agreed to, that’s what Augusta agreed to and here it is
we find ourselves wanting to have a public conversation around this premise or the guise that we’re
not operating in good faith. That’s what we’re not going to do. Now if Mr. Coursey would like
to speak, you can approach and I’d love to hear from you but again the rules of engagement and
we all sat in Room 291 over here and said what we’re not going to do is get out here calling each
other names, going back and forth, going to sit around the table and we’re going to try and work
some stuff out and I’m having a real problem with that today.
Mr. Speaker: I understand that and I also expressly recall those meetings as being very,
very positive ---
Mr. Mayor: Absolutely.
Mr. Speaker: --- each one of those meetings. In fact I remember your statement about
getting out of the huddle and Gold Cross has been trying to get out of that huddle and we’re here
today sitting at the table ready to do a deal, ready to get out of the huddle. We want to understand
those big differences in the contract to bring up so we can discuss them. In my line of work I’ve
never received a document and just made proposed comments and had discussions stop and that’s
what we have here. We’ve been trying to get to a forum where the discussions can continue
collaboratively because it is a partnership. We would be giving up the Zone which is an enormous
concession for Gold Cross.
Mr. Mayor: Mr. Coursey, is it not true that neither the City of Augusta nor Gold Cross
controls who is the zone provider?
Mr. Coursey: We have the zone right now.
Mr. Mayor: That’s correct but in the determination who ultimately is the zone provider is
it not true that neither Gold Cross or Augusta controls that?
Mr. Coursey: The state controls that. There are a number steps in place to that.
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Mr. Mayor: Absolutely and is it also not true, Mr. Coursey, that as we were working in
‘good faith’ and towards a agreement that we all said we would do that in the spirit of unity and
that we would not be doing what we’re doing now and that is having this public kerfuffle.
Mr. Coursey: Well, I don’t think this is a kerfuffle. In my profession we’d be yelling if
we were kerfuffleing.
Mr. Mayor: I’m almost to that point.
Mr. Coursey: Well, then perhaps we can all digress it’s been a long day ---
Mr. Mayor: It has.
Mr. Coursey: But what I want the record to reflect is that Gold Cross has been here all day
and we ---
Mr. Mayor: I have too.
Mr. Coursey: --- and we’ve been at the table since 2016 in good faith and I just want the
record to reflect that at the end of the day.
Mr. Mayor: Okay all right, I believe again in the spirit of trying to do this I’m going to say
this emphatically. Unfortunately and maybe in most people’s opinion it’s probably fortunate that
I don’t get to vote but what we will not do while I’m sitting in this chair is allow Gold Cross or
anyone to bludgeon the City of Augusta into submission around the construct of this is the only
way we can do business. That’s what we will not do. And if we’re going to come to the table and
we’re going to work together and do it in a way that is amicable to both parties, then I’m open for
that because that’s what we said we would do we sat in that room and we all said this is the right
thing for us to be doing and this is the right approach to be doing it in. And so I’m prepared for us
to continue to be at the table, Pat, for us to continue to have these conversations in the spirit in
which we did in down in 291. The challenge, Mr. Coursey, is that the conversation stalled when
a document was provided to you that was substantially agreed upon and then you sent it back to
us completely different that what had been substantially agreed upon.
Mr. Coursey: I would love the opportunity to go through line by line with your group and
see those substantial revisions that you speak of.
Mr. Mayor: All right, we will move forward with a meeting at the top of next week and
do just that.
Mr. Coursey: Thank you.
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Mr. Mayor: All right, the Chair recognizes the Commissioner from the 6.
Mr. Hasan: Thank you, Mr. Mayor, to the attorney what’s your name, sir?
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Mr. Coursey: Brian Coursey.
Mr. Hasan: Mr. Brian, to the Mayor, to the Mayor Pro Tem, I appreciate all your
commentary around this but I do see (unintelligible) respond to this (unintelligible) respond to it.
I see agreed upon terms that you passed out to us and also have the one that Commissioner Frantom
a proposed key terms and I just want to say for the record I have some concerns in both of them
that concerns me so I just wanted to make that known for the record.
Mr. Mayor: Absolutely, I understand, I understand. All right, so here’s what will happen
Mr. Rice, Mr. Coursey, on tomorrow you’ll get two dates from us of a meeting certain. We’ll let
you choose one of those dates and we’ll convene on next week and we’ll stay at the table and we’ll
have a broader discussion that addresses these issues and we’ll go from there, please, Pat.
Mr. Rice: I’m Pat Rice. I’m probably the oldest practicing attorney, Mr. Hasan, out of
Augusta. I have probably known the Mayor ---
Mr. Mayor: Don’t tell them.
Mr. Rice: --- as long as anybody in this room. We have been best friends for longer than
either one of us wants to admit. Mr. Mayor, you and I should’ve sat and settled this matter a couple
of years ago. We could have. I was not allowed to speak with you and I don’t blame this council
for that that I was not allowed to speak to you or to any of you Commissioners so I regret that. I
do want to take exception as your friend and admirer the one thing I don’t know about all the others
the non-specifics of that when (unintelligible). I take exception, Mr. Mayor, as your friend to the
word bludgeoning. If the word bludgeoning should be used in this conversation with all due
respect, sir, you need to look in the mirror. That’s where the bludgeoning started. It started in
your mirror your personal mirror your personal reasons and we understand, I understand those
reasons. And I would like to yield publicly on the record to retract that statement because my
client and its attorneys and your attorneys have worked honestly, professionally and as
enthusiastically as they could to a settlement which is unbelievable to me as far as what it provides
to the city or to its citizens. So, Mr. Mayor, as your friend, as your adversary in this matter, I’d
ask you to retract that one word and then we’ll walk out of this room good friends.
Mr. Mayor: Well, to the distinguished gentleman in the well I appreciate your concern but
let me state for the record you know after having a looking glass in front of me other than the word
of God there is no animus that I have as it relates to Gold Cross nor have I. I have been a neutral
party in this conversation since day one when again there’s been great effort to disassociate the
City of Augusta from that relationship. What I am most concerned about today and tomorrow are
the 202,000 citizens that are here as natives and the 380 plus thousand that come into this
community and working here transitorily on a daily basis. And statutorily Gold Cross to date is
the provider of EMS Service pursuant to the EMS Council. My simple expectation is that they
meet that example in full faith and that they do that to the best of their ability. And as we have
come to the table post October 2018, I will continue to look in the mirror and say that if we have
a new partner who wants to sit down at the table then we can continue the discussions. I’m prepared
to do that in the City of Augusta meeting the intent of what this body has asked us to do and if
69
we’re prepared to do that on tomorrow we’ll provide you with two dates and we’ll move forward
on next week having a meeting to do the same.
Mr. Rice: Would you retract your terminology please, sir?
Mr. Mayor: I will not.
Mr. Rice: I would have to say publicly here Gold Cross Ambulance Service may be the
finest ambulance service in the State of Georgia. It has been recognized nationally and is a member
of nationwide organizations and only the finest and only the best ambulance service since I have
been admitted to. It’s not something you just sign up for; you have to be voted into it. And I know
this today in absence of the populace of the City of Augusta expression your concerns we have
storeroom full of letters commending the services of, may I say life-saving services of Gold Cross
to the citizens of this community. There’s no outrage in this community about the ambulance
services. As a matter of fact exactly the opposite and I’m disappointed that you don’t recognize
that and I’m very disappointed that you use that most mis-chosen word to categorize somebody,
some entity in this community which is a private business which has saved untold lives in this
county and in this city and in this area through their excellent services, unselfish service and has
contributed to the wellbeing of this community far beyond mere ambulance services. So with that
thank you for hearing me out and we’ll look forward to seeing you again (unintelligible) thank
you.
APPOINTMENTS
29. Consider recommendation of appointments/reappointments by the Richmond Board of
Health of the following: (Requested by Commissioner Sammie Sias)
1) Deborah Presnell seat #5 Recommendation from the RC BOH (to be re-appointed) If re-
appointed, this will be here last term on the Board (Term: 01/01/2019 – 12/31/22)
2) Cheryl Newman seat #9 Recommendation from the RC BOH (Member-at-large (to be re-
appointed) Terms 01/01/2019 – 12/31/22)
3) Jack Padgett seat #11 (vacated by Rosa Clemons) Member-at-large (needs to be
appointed) (Terms: 01/01/2019 – 12/31/22 formerly served as Board of Education
representative.
Mr. Mayor: Madam Clerk, there being no further business, we’ll move what I believe Item
number 28 to the next full Commission meeting.
They Clerk: Do you want to leave 29 (unintelligible) to the full Commission?
Mr. Mayor: That’s correct.
The Clerk: Okay.
(No action taken on this item due to the lack of a quorum)
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\[MEETING ADJOURNED\]
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
May 21, 2019.
______________________________
Clerk of Commission
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