HomeMy WebLinkAboutRegular Commission Meeting September 3, 2019
REGULAR MEETING COMMISSION CHAMBER
SEPTEMBER 3, 2019
Augusta Richmond County Commission convened at 2:00 p.m., September 3, 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: Good afternoon. We are here to do the people’s business. We’ll call this
meeting to order. The Chair recognizes Madam Clerk.
The Clerk: Thank you, Mr. Mayor. I call your attention to the invocation portion of our
agenda which will be led by Reverend Linda Burchell, Pastor of the St. Mark United Methodist
Church after which would you please stand for the Pledge of Allegiance.
The invocation was given by Reverend Linda Birchall Pastor St. Mark United Methodist
Church.
The Pledge of Allegiance to the Flag of the United States of America was recited.
The Clerk: Office of Mayor Hardie Davis, Jr., by these presence be it known that Reverend
Linda Burchell, Pastor of the St. Mark United Methodist Church is Chaplain of the Day. Her
spiritual guidance and civic leadership serves as an example for all citizens of Augusta. Given
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under my hand this 3 Day of September 2019 Hardie Davis Jr., Mayor.
Mr. Mayor: Would you please join me in thanking and congratulating Reverend Birchall
for her time (unintelligible). Thank you so much. Madam Clerk, I want to take a few minutes just
to direct us to some items of interest in the community. One, I think it’s extremely important for
all of us in the room to recognize that we have evacuees that are showing up in our city from along
the eastern seaboard, along the coast not just from the great State of Georgia with our native friends
and fellow Georgians from Chatham County but Glynn, Camden County, Bryan County from
Brunswick but folks from as far away as Florida have shown up in Augusta and South Carolina
residents are here as well. I want to thank our EMA Team and our First Responders for the good
work that they’re doing and certainly our partners in Red Cross for helping us to stand up the
shelters that we have online currently and those that will soon be online. This conversation can’t
happen without our School Board. Dr. Bradshaw was hired and immediately upon coming back,
Administrator Sims, he has thrown back into the throes of having to deal with evacuees from along
the coast. But again, thank you to all of our responders the entire team that’s helping to make this
possible. Members of the Commission, you received a communication earlier from our EMA
Director and Fire Chief about the number of evacuees that we currently have as well as those who
will be arriving in the city, the first wave of six buses 50 persons per bus arrived here around 1:00
o’clock today and there’s a protocol upon which they are following as they will be showing up at
the first shelter that’s come online. Anyone who’s a self-evacuee is starting at Trinity on the Hill.
Thank you to Trinity on the Hill for their longstanding support of this effort not just this year but
previous years they have been partners in that and they do a fantastic job of housing our self-
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evacuees. There’s been a public communication of needed items so that we can serve the residents
from Chatham and who are at our shelters, 2163 Central Avenue the old fire station there is the
location once again for those needed items. We will be taking items through this afternoon and
then we’ll shut that office as I understand it so that we don’t have a deluge of items and then we’re
trying to figure out where do we put those and shelter those or should I say inventory those items.
But new and unused pillows, insulin syringes, AA Batteries, diapers and pullups, adult diapers,
baby and adult wipes and of course disposable pads. Those are the things that are needed at this
time. Once again, tonight at 7:00 p.m. we’ll cut off the receipt of donations but please govern
yourselves. Those of you in the audience and those of you that are watching by way of the internet
we certainly are in need of those items. This is also a time for tourism season here in Augusta.
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We know that very quickly the Arts in the Hearts International Festival September the 20 through
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the 22 will be kicking off. It begins our heavy tourism time. Shortly after that will be the Ironman
70.3 Bike Race that will be taking place along with a swim and a run. For those of you ironmen
and ironwomen that will be taking place in the city as well. And of course around that same time
the Westabou Festival will be taking place in the City of Augusta. In your notebooks is the latest
annual report from the Augusta Entertainment Complex. It gives us a picture of the activities that
have taken place from 2018 to 2019 at the Augusta Entertainment Complex, those two facilities
the Bell Auditorium and the James Brown Arena. It highlights those events as well as the success
that is happening there. We see our representative Mr. Bennish Brown in the audience as well and
know that if you have questions please do not hesitate to call him and his team at the Convention
and Visitor’s Bureau. They’re doing a fantastic job of highlighting all of the good stuff that’s
happening in the Augusta region. Thank you for your partnership and continued work that you’re
doing. Madam Clerk, that’s all I have. Actually, I’ve got one more thing from the Compliance
Office. They will be hosting an event talking about Major Mobility Investment Programs here in
the City of Augusta in partnership with GDOT. You can see our Compliance Director Ms. Treza
Edwards for more information and her team. They’re looking forward to engaging the community
around Major Mobility Investments in the State of Georgia. There are a number of projects eleven
projects that are part of that initial thrust and you can again get more information from Ms.
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Edwards with regards to that. All right, the Chair recognizes the Commissioner from the 1, state
your inquiry.
Mr. Fennoy: Mr. Mayor, I think it’s very important that you make everybody aware of the
more than 3,000 people that’ll be coming to the Augusta from the Savannah area. But I also think
that it’s important that the people that come here are identified as evacuees rather than refugees.
It’s a big difference in a person being an evacuee and a refugee. And I think that during the time
the people are here we want to make them feel as welcome as possible and I think by identifying
them as evacuees is a step in the right direction.
Mr. Mayor: Thank you, sir. I think any official communications that have gone out has
referred to and I use the word official communications have gone out everyone’s been identified
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as an evacuee. The Chair recognizes the Commissioner from the 9.
Mr. M. Williams: Thank you, Mr. Mayor. On that line you mentioned Mrs. Edwards I
attended a workshop that she had on Thursday and it was very instrumental and knowledgeable
and lot of good information went out so those of us who did not make that even though you may
not be in business but she had quite a bit of good information. I think I don’t know how many
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participants were there but I do want to recognize her and tell her thank you for allowing me to sit
in. I learned so much about small businesses and how they operate and how they should be
operating so hats off to Ms. Edwards for staring on putting this together.
Mr. Mayor: Absolutely. Again thank you, Ms. Edwards. That brings me to one more item
I don’t want to miss this and omit it. But we will be kicking off the Yerby Film Festival. Frank
Yerby, native son, started with a literary festival and now a film festival. Yerby, a Painite, was
the first African-American to take his novels to Hollywood and have feature length films created.
That festival will be taking place, Madam Clerk, here in Augusta at the library so please avail
yourselves of that as well. Additional information at the library website as well as on the Augusta
Chronicle. All right, Madam Clerk, I yield.
The Clerk:
RECOGNITION(S)
Years of Service
A. Congratulations! August Years of Service Recipients.
The Clerk: I call your attention to the Recognition portion of our agenda. The Mayor and
members of the Commission would like to offer their congratulations to the August Years of
Service Recipients and we ask that Ms. Sylvia Williams from our H.R. Department please come
forward to make the presentations. Thank you. Mr. Administrator.
Ms. Williams: Thank you, Madam Clerk. Good afternoon Mayor Davis, Administrator,
Commissioners, special guests, Directors and citizens of Augusta, Georgia. My name is Sylvia
Williams. I’m with the Human Resources Department. It is my esteemed pleasure today to
recognize the August Years of Service Recipients. For the Month of August 2019 we had 12
employees celebrating between 5 and 20-Years of Service. This afternoon we would like to
recognize our 25 to 50 Years of Service Recipients. For the Month of August the total Years of
Service and institutional knowledge being celebrated here today is 525 years. When I call your
name please come forward. James Compton, Sheriff’s Office 30 years. (APPLAUSE) Arlene
New, Central Services 30 years. (APPLAUSE) If you are here and I did not call your name please
come forward at this time. Congratulations to our Years of Service Recipients. Please join me in
a round of applause in thanking our employees for their loyal service. (APPLAUSE)
The Clerk: Mr. Mayor, recognize the Central Service employees again. They deserve to
be recognized.
Mr. Mayor: All right, all the redshirts, Central Services, if you’ll please stand we want to
recognize part of our Central Services team. (APPLAUSE)
Mr. Mayor: Okay, Madam Clerk, before we proceed there’s been a request to add an item
from Engineering Department. You have it in front of you. It’s a single sheet and it’s the issue of
the Olive Road Overpass. We’d like to add this to the agenda without objection if possible. Is
there an objection? Without objection. Madam Clerk.
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The Clerk: I call your attention to our Consent Agenda which consists of Items 1 through
23, Items 1 through 23.
Mr. Mayor: Okay at this time we’ll entertain motions to add or remove from the Consent
Agenda. Madam Clerk, I’d like to add Number 27 to the Consent Agenda. All right, the Chair
recognizes ---
The Clerk: Twenty-seven?
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Mr. Mayor: --- twenty-seven, the Chair recognizes the Commissioner from the 6.
Mr. Hasan: Thank you, Mr. Mayor. I’d like to pull Item Number 5 as well as Item Number
7 ---
The Clerk: Item 5 ---
Mr. Hasan: --- and seven.
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Mr. Mayor: Okay, all right, the Chair recognizes the Commissioner from the 9.
Mr. M. Williams: Thank you, Mr. Mayor. I’d like to pull Item Number 11 please.
Mr. Mayor: And Number 8. All right, any other motions to add or remove? The Chair
recognizes the Mayor Pro Tem.
Mr. Mayor Pro Tem: Motion to approve.
Mr. Sias: Second.
CONSENT AGENDA
PUBLIC SERVICES
1. Motion to approve an ordinance to correct a clerical error and amend Augusta, Georgia
Code Section 6-6-45 License to Operate Arcades so as to define ‘Arcade’ as it was adopted
by the Augusta Commission on February 15, 2011, under Ordinance No. 7232; and waive
the second reading. (Approved by Public Services Committee August 27, 2019)
2. Motion to approve FAA AIP Grant 3-13-001-043-2019. (Approved by Public Services
Committee August 27, 2019)
4. Motion to extend the Lease of the New Savannah Bluff Lock and Dam Park with the
United States Army. (Approved by Public Services Committee August 27, 2019)
ADMINISTRATIVE SERVICES
6. Motion to approve Utilities Department-Construction Division request to purchase of two
replacement Dome Style Service Trucks at a cost of $72,932 each for a total of $145,864.
Wade Ford – Bid Item 19-237 (Approved by Administrative Services Committee August 27,
2019)
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PUBLIC SAFETY
9. Motion to approve Resolution final adoption pursuant to the Home Rule Provisions of the
Georgia Constitution amending the fee schedule for service of process in the Civil Court and
Magistrate Court of Augusta-Richmond County, Georgia. (Approved by the Commission
May 7, 2019 – second reading)
10. Motion to approve the award of RFP 19-298 Fire Station Alerting System to Purvis
Systems Incorporated for a total contract price of $1,099,830 and to authorize the Mayor to
execute the appropriate documents. (Approved by Public Safety Committee August 27, 2019)
ENGINEERING SERVICES
12. Motion to approve funding for Design Consultant Services Supplemental Agreement
Three to Alfred Benesch & Company (formally WR Toole Engineers) in the amount of
$53,095 for the East Augusta Roadway and Drainage Project as requested by the AED. RFQ
06-202 (Approved by Engineering Services Committee August 27, 2019)
13. Motion to approve Initial Phase funding for Streambank Stabilization Design, Permitting
and Construction Engineering Services Agreement to Pond & Company in the amount of
$14,300 for Sandpipe Lane Site and $9,700 for Morningside Drive Site as requested by AED.
RFQ 19-152 (Approved by Engineering Services Committee August 27, 2019)
14. Motion to accept proposal from Goodwyn, Mills and Cawood, Inc. (GMC) to provide
engineering and construction services for Utilities Department’s Fort Gordon Screening and
Equalization Improvements project, Irrigation Water Treatment Plant Valve Actuation
Improvements project and Cross Basin Lift Station and Force Main project in the amount
of $126,120. (Approve by Engineering Services Committee August 27, 2019)
15. Motion to approve an amendment to the Georgia Power Governmental Encroachment
Agreement for Easement #30894. (Approved by Engineering Services Committee August 27,
2019)
16. Motion to approve an Easement Abandonment and Deed of Dedication for New
Easement with Georgia Vitrified Brick and Clay. (Approved by Engineering Services
Committee August 27, 2019)
17. Motion to determine that East Telfair Street, as shown on the attached map has ceased
to be used by the public to the extent that no substantial public purpose is served by it or
that its removal from the county road system is otherwise in the best public interest, and to
receive as information the results of the public hearing held regarding the issue of
abandonment pursuant to O.C.G.A. §32-7-2, with the abandoned property to be quit-
claimed to the appropriate party(ies), as provided by law and an easement to be retained
over the entire abandoned portion for existing or future utilities as directed by Augusta
Engineering Department and Augusta Utilities Department and adopt the attached
Resolution. (Approved by Engineering Services Committee August 27, 2019)
18. Motion to approve a Deed of Dedication and Maintenance Agreement for River Watch
Parkway Commercial/Retail Center. (Approved by Engineering Services Committee August
27, 2019)
19. Motion to approve an Agreement for Relocation of Easement from Berkmans Residential
Properties. (Approved by Engineering Services Committee August 27, 2019)
20. Motion to approve adoption of the revised Street Lighting Ordinance (Augusta, Georgia
Code Chapter 3 Street Lighting, Section 7-3) to incorporate current fee structures for the
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street light system. Requested by AED. (Approved by Engineering Services Committee
August 27, 2019)
21. Motion to approve an Access, Utility and Fiber Agreement between Augusta and Verizon
Wireless of the East L.P. d/b/a Verizon Wireless. (Approved by Engineering Services
Committee August 27, 2019)
PETITIONS AND COMMUNICATIONS
22. Motion to approve the minutes of the regular meeting of the Augusta Commission held
on August 20, 2019 and Special Called Meeting held August 27, 2019.
APPOINTMENTS
23. Motion to approve the appointments of Mr. Lee Powell to the Animal Control Board;
Ms. Kigwana Cherry to the Augusta Transit Citizens Advisory Board; reappointment of Ms.
Annette Harland to the ARC Tree Commission and Mr. Davis Barbee to the ARC Personnel
Board representing District 10.
FINANCE
27. Motion to approve the minutes of the Finance Committee held on August 13, 2019. (No
recommendation from Finance Committee August 27, 2019)
Mr. Mayor: Motion and a second, all right, Madam Clerk, do you have them all? 27 is
Consent, Madam Clerk, okay there you go. All right, everybody suspend. The Chair recognizes
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the Commissioner from the 9.
Mr. M. Williams: Mr. Mayor, I don’t know Item Number 3 ---
The Clerk: Do you want to pull that?
Mr. M. Williams: --- yeah, pull Item Number 3.
Mr. Mayor: Okay all right, okay all right, we’re amending the Mayor Pro Tem’s motion
and adding Number 3 to it.
Mr. Sias: Pulling that item?
Mr. Mayor: Yes, Item Number 3. All right again Item Number 3 is added to be pulled
from the Consent. Voting.
Motion Passes 10-0. \[Items 1, 2, 4, 6, 9, 10, 12-23, 27\]
Mr. Mayor: Item Number 7 Madam Clerk.
The Clerk:
ADMINISTRATIVE SERVICES
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7. Motion to approve 2019 and 2020 Complete Count Census Budget in the respective
amounts of $30,000 and $45,000. (Approved by Administrative Services Committee August
28, 2019)
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Mr. Mayor: The Chair recognizes the Commissioner from the 6.
Mr. Hasan: Thank you, Mr. Mayor. Mr. Mayor, you had the Clerk send some information
about your Complete Count Committee and you had Commissioners I think and I’m trying to find
it, but can you elaborate on that outline for me if you don’t mind exactly what’s going on in terms
of what the when we have the Commission 1 through 10.
Mr. Mayor: Yeah, I’m going to ask our Chief of Staff if he’ll come forward and speak to
this if you don’t mind. The Chair recognizes Marcus Campbell.
Mr. Campbell: Yes, sir ---
Mr. Mayor: If you could explain, Mr. Campbell, the committee structure under
Government you have listed here who those individuals are I think the question that the
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Commissioner from the 6 specifically asked is the Commission, the role.
Mr. Campbell: --- sure so when you pull the Complete Count Committee together there
are different ways that a city can organize that committee. There are different headings that the
city can organize a committee under. And if you look at the outline one of the headings is the
Government and then you have the Faith Based Community, you have your Education, your Senior
Citizens. You have the Business Community, your nonprofits, your Veterans and Military
Community, your media volunteers. So under your Government what was done is just put all your
government elected officials under the Government Committee. And then you would go down
you look at your Law Enforcement anybody that touches the government, they would be under
that committee. It is one person from those areas except for the Commission where all ten
Commissioners can be part of the committee.
Mr. Hasan: So that was going to be my question was it a representative or whether it was
the Commissioners themselves so was it a representative or was it the Commissioners themselves?
Mr. Campbell: It’s the Commissioners themselves because the issue is if there’s something
that’s going to require Commissioner approval then all of you would be involved in that. If you
choose to amongst yourselves to determine one person could represent you in a particular meeting
it can, that can be done or anybody can attend the meeting.
Mr. Hasan: Okay, my next question is for this part of the year you’re requesting $30,000
dollars so do you plan to put boots on the ground this year?
Mr. Campbell: Yes, we do but we need to do is start that so we have identified persons to
be on the committee and we’re in the process of notifying those persons to see if they would like
to participate on that committee. We’ve also been approached by our Regional Representative and
they’re standing ready to assist us in getting the items that we’re going to need to advertise to get
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the word out with regards to the 2020 Census. And we need to start now and so we’re not going
to wait until next year to start purchasing items that we’re going to need or advertising what we
need to do or do what we need to do for the 2020 Census. We just want to (unintelligible) on 1
April.
Mr. Hasan: So do you think when you total up the thirty-five, the thirty and the forty-five
which would be a total of $75,000 do you think that’s going to do everything you need to do
throughout this whole census process?
Mr. Campbell: That’s the whole, we went off of what was done historically, and we figured
today’s dollars $75,000 would do it and we may have some left over but we just don’t want to get
caught without.
Mr. Hasan: Thank you, Mr. Mayor.
Mr. Mayor: All right sir, all right, the Chair recognizes ---
Mr. Hasan: Motion to approve, I’m sorry, motion to approve.
Mr. Clarke: Second.
Mr. Mayor: --- all right, thank you. All right, I’ve got a motion and a second. The Chair
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recognizes the Commissioner from the 9.
Mr. M. Williams: Thank you, Mr. Mayor ---
Mr. Mayor: Yes, sir.
Mr. M. Williams: --- I have no problem with the process and what was said but I was
trying recall the time go back in my mind to think about the previous. I thought and I don’t want
to call on my Clerk. She may not have the information either but either the Commission appointee
or someone from that district was allowed to be a part of that. Now and you’ve got the Super
District which I take in for half of this city, Commissioner Clarke taking the other half which
would be four districts but wouldn’t that be the process? I mean you know if you’ve already done
decided who you’re going to call on to ask to participate then my appointee or my person in that
area may or may not be that person that’s chosen. So we would have to just wait and see who
you’ve got because if we’re going to participate now and I’m hearing Marcus said that either we
can participate or appoint someone. I’ve got enough to do on my plate, Mr. Mayor, but I’ve got
somebody that wants to serve and there’s a difference in having somebody that wants to serve and
somebody that’s asked to serve. I mean people don’t agree with you necessarily but they don’t do
the job effectively especially if it’s something you really don’t want to do so I guess my question
is do we have an opportunity to appoint and if we can’t appoint then you elect.
Mr. Mayor: So the question the answer is yes. I think as Mr. Campbell just articulated
under the Government heading it speaks to those of us who are in an elected capacity and/or
represented from the staff perspective. To the degree that as you say you’ve got so much on your
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plate you want to appoint someone to serve representing Super District 10. You certainly can do
that. That information you just tell Mr. Campbell who that is and they’ll be included and have the
same access that everybody else will have. We don’t want to limit opportunities for people to
serve. What we have been told is that in the last count we were a bit lacking in the last count. We
don’t want to be at that place in 2020 so we need as many boots on the ground as possible in order
to get as accurate an account so the short answer is yes you can absolutely do that.
Mr. M. Williams: And not just District 9 but I think all of us ought to have someone and
not just one Commissioner but all of us because as you just stated, Mr. Mayor, we as many boots
on the ground we can get to make sure we get an accurate count. So I would think that we all
would have at least try and find someone. If you can’t get anybody that’s one thing but to have
that opportunity to see do we have constituents that want to serve. People are looking for reasons
and places to help at so we need to get them involved. We need to get them a part of this
(unintelligible) I think.
Mr. Mayor: Absolutely and again in no wise are we looking this is not a limiting
conversation but this is an inclusive one where you want as many boots on the ground. And you
to your point I think what I heard Campbell say is everyone of you here has an opportunity to say
I’d like for this person to work and serve in this capacity. All right, so we’ve got a motion actually
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the Commissioner from the 1, yes, sir.
Mr. Fennoy: Mr. Mayor, just as information would the person that we appoint meet the
same test as if we were making an appointment to a board or, they’d have to fill out a ---
The Clerk: Talent Bank?
Mr. Fennoy: --- Talent Bank sheet?
The Clerk: Well, the first time we did that was in 2000 Census Count and most of them
did. They were appointees from the Commission. Each Commissioner appointed a member to
the Complete Count Committee ---
Mr. Fennoy: Okay ---
The Clerk: --- and that’s to make sure that they’re represented in the Richmond County
area.
Mr. Fennoy: --- okay.
Mr. M. Williams: My memory ain’t failed me yet, Ms. Bonner. You can bet on it, it’s still
good.
The Clerk: You have great recall, sir.
Mr. M. Williams: I thought I was slipping but I ain’t slipped yet, Mary.
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Mr. Mayor: All right, we’ve got a motion and a second, voting.
Motion Passes 10-0.
The Clerk: Are we going top to bottom or do you have ---
Mr. Mayor: That’ll be fine, Madam Clerk.
The Clerk: --- okay.
The Clerk:
PUBLIC SERVICES
3. Motion to approve having the next Gateway Sculpture placed at the gateway at Sand Bar
Ferry Road with the exact location to be defined. (Approved by Public Services Committee
August 27, 2019)
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Mr. M. Williams: The Chair recognizes the Commissioner from the 9.
Mr. M. Williams: Thank you, Mr. Mayor. I pulled this item for two reasons. One, I was
told in fact this committee was told that Purchasing had looked at all three of those locations and
I think this item is to approve the next location at Sand Bar Ferry Road but before we get to
approving any of them I think we need to talk about the sculpture that we’re talking about
approving. I think, I’m very disappointed myself in what I’ve seen as representing this city as a
gateway. The Commission should’ve been shown this prior to that selection as far as who’s on
first and what’s on second. I totally disagree of what I’ve seen and many of my colleagues have
no problem with it but I’m quite embarrassed to look at what I thought was going to be something
totally different than it is. And then we are, went through all of the conversation about the location
wanting to start at East Boundary and put it up but I really think the big issue is what we’re putting
up, Mr. Mayor. So I don’t know if my colleague got any comments but I think before we put up
any of them up we need to have some more dialogue as to what’s been spent, what’s been done
and what’s been actually created before we go to that point.
Mr. Mayor: All right, I have a series of questions for you. The most important one is given
that this conversation is in front of us right now there was a public unveiling of them last week I
think, what would you like to see happen? What actions would you like to see happen starting
now?
Mr. M. Williams: I would like to hold up on placing any of these, Mr. Mayor, right now
until this body not just me not just you as the Mayor but this body have an opportunity to weigh
in on what we’re being, how we’re going to represent this city. I think there’s a lot better
opportunities right now before we spend any more money than been already spent to go forward
with this now. I hadn’t heard anything out of my colleagues. Maybe everybody’s satisfied with
it, maybe it looks exciting, may it’s just the wow effect than it is but it ain’t on the positive side as
far as I’m concerned. But I think we just need to hold up and not move too fast on this one until
we can look at some other ways of sculpturing something.
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Mr. Mayor: All right, so what I’m hearing you say is that you’d like to suspend activity
on the gateway sculptures and have additional discussion about how to how to do that, how to
engage, is that what you’re saying?
Mr. M. Williams: Yes, sir, I think we should have more discussion on a better sculpture
than what we’ve got presently so I think conversations need to be had before we just go and put
them up. They may go up anyway but I think we need to have some conversation before we go
ahead and mount those and go through that expense.
Mr. Mayor: Okay, would you like to make a, would you like to put that in the form of a
motion, motion to suspend all work on the gateway sculptures and activity ---
Mr. M. Williams: So moved.
Mr. Mayor: --- until 30 days?
Mr. B. Williams: Second.
Mr. Mayor: All right, I’ve got a motion and a second.
The Clerk: Who was that, who seconded?
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Mr. Mayor: All right, the Chair recognizes the Commissioner from the 2.
Mr. D. Williams: Mr. Mayor ---
Mr. Mayor: Yes, sir.
Mr. D. Williams: --- do we know how much dollars is already been spent on the project
thus far?
Mr. Mayor: Well, I’m not the best person to ask that question. We’ll get somebody else.
All right, the Chair recognizes the Director of Parks and Recreation Mr. Houck.
Mr. Houck: Thank you, Mr. Mayor. To date we’ve spent $1,500 dollars per artist that’s
$3,000 dollars for their travel and material costs. According to the MOU they’re due another
$1,500 dollars after they’ve made their public presentation and did their marquette so we’ll be into
this project $6,000 dollars right now.
Mr. D. Williams: Mr. Mayor ---
Mr. Mayor: Continue.
Mr. D. Williams: --- was the cost of the model included in that $1,500 dollars?
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Mr. Houck: In their total $3,000 dollar cost per artist to total six, yes sir.
Mr. D. Williams: Well, let me give my little bit of opinion. I’m not all that keen on art. I
don’t know the creativity and all of that but the two artists that presented last week did a very good
job of explaining their thought pattern, I guess is a good way of saying it, of the piece and you
know by giving the public an opportunity to voice their like or dislike of them because you have
two, one I like and one I didn’t like at all. So you know it’s just a thing that I think the public,
we’re not never going to be satisfied when it comes to a piece of art because we all have our own
individual interpretation of what the creative method or the artist is pretty much.
Mr. Mayor: Okay all right, the Chair recognizes the Mayor Pro Tem.
Mr. Mayor Pro Tem: Thank you, Mr. Mayor. I too totally agree that the first sculpture
process needs to slow down, disappointed in all of that went down. Ron, my question to you is
that if we if we approve this today what are we I guess what’s the next steps if we approve this
today?
Mr. Houck: Well, I think the motion in front of you is to approve the next gateway
sculpture location which ---
Mr. Mayor Pro Tem: But does that mean now that the Arts Council’s going to start looking
for artists to bring them back?
Mr. Houck: --- no, sir, we haven’t finished this first process yet which entails another week
of public input then the arts panel and the Greater Arts Council will take that information, they’ll
make their recommendation back to the evaluation team that consists of members of the Arts
Council, Traffic Engineering, Recreation and Parks. We’ll finish the RFQ Evaluation Process
which is a Phase 2 scoring process then we will come to the Commission. The Commission will
have the final say so if they either want to choose the recommended artist and sculpture or reject
all of them.
Mr. Mayor Pro Tem: Okay, so basically us stopping this, I think the motion is 30 days is
not going to have any effect on.
Mr. Houck: If wouldn’t in terms of us finishing the RFQ process and bringing something
back to this board.
Mr. Mayor Pro Tem: Thank you, Mr. Mayor.
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Mr. Mayor: The Chair recognizes the Commissioner from the 5.
Mr. B. Williams: Thank you, Mr. Mayor. I have to agree that I think we need to take
another look at this, I think that we need to slow down this process. I think some other
Commissioners have said what I think is most important and that is that I don’t see any way shape
or fashion that this represents Augusta. I think that the sculptures need to be in such a way that if
you have a lot of money or no money, quite a bit of education or no education that you can ride by
12
it as someone said quickly and say that’s Augusta. And I just didn’t understand and probably
because I’m not the arts enthusiast but I think we have to think of the common people that aren’t
who would recognize and say this is Augusta. So I think $6,000 dollars is something that we
probably just have to sacrifice and we’re going to get it right, thank you.
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Mr. Mayor: Okay, all right, the Chair recognizes the Commissioner from the 6.
Mr. Hasan: Thank you, Mr. Chairman, Mr. Mayor. Mr. Mayor, I’d like to ask the Clerk to
read back the motion she has before her.
Mr. Mayor: All right, hold on a minute. Let me ask you this. Are you referring to ---
Mr. Hasan: The one yes, yes Commissioner Marion Williams’ motion ---
Mr. Mayor: --- okay.
Mr. Hasan: --- I’m sorry.
Mr. Mayor: Madam Clerk.
The Clerk: The motion was to suspend the gateway sculpture project to provide for
additional dialogue on the process of the selection with the Commission for a 30-day period.
Mr. Hasan: Okay well I asked that Mr. Mayor and to my colleagues just because
Commissioner Frantom’s question to Mr. Houck and he thought that he was addressing the motion
that was before us here. And I think Commissioner Williams or this caption actually is not in this
motion Commission Williams had made an official motion so whatever passes this one passes
before us that’s where we are. But if Commissioner Williams’ don’t pass then we are shutting it
down for 30 days and try to you know get it start some dialogue so I wanted to make sure I was
clear about that. I don’t know how where it’s going to go but I wanted to make very clear about
that it’s not only make sure it’s moving forward what’s before you unless this caption here passes
that’s before, thank you.
Mr. Mayor: All right, that was excellent, Commissioner. Let me also echo that as he well
said what’s in front of us is just the caption. There’s only a motion on the floor from the
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Commissioner from the 9. In lieu of that what I would ask for is a copy of the RFP that was
published so that this body could fully ascertain what the requirements were. There’s been a lot
of discussion about well it’s this, it’s that and maybe we start with the end we begin with the end
in mind and if we don’t know what the end was it’s very difficult to make decisions. So I would
ask Madam Clerk that the Procurement Office working in concert with Parks and Recreation send
that to us electronically ---
The Clerk: Okay.
Mr. Mayor: --- that’ll give us a chance to see what the scope of the request was, okay? All
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right, I’m going to the Commissioner from the 1.
13
Mr. Fennoy: Mr. Mayor, I think that what we are looking at right now is a location and
not necessarily the art.
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Mr. Mayor: That’s why his motion was comprehensive. The Commissioner from the 9
went back to the beginning of this discussion and said we need to have a full-throated discussion
about the process and not just the location. The caption today was let’s just talk about Sand Bar
Ferry. His motion is no, let’s talk about the entire process.
Mr. Fennoy: So are we going to talk about the three locations?
Mr. Mayor: In that conversation you will.
Mr. Fennoy: And then we’re talking about the we’ll also talk about the art pieces that will
go in the three locations?
Mr. Mayor: You will.
Mr. Fennoy: That’s fine.
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Mr. Mayor: Okay all right, the Chair recognizes the Commissioner from the 9.
Mr. M. Williams: Thank you, Mr. Mayor. I want to address Ron one more time. Ron, in
the process you just gave us everything would’ve been done when it was brought back to
Commission. We wouldn’t have time if we follow that process that you just stated to us about the
Arts Council and everybody else looking at it then it comes back to the Commission. After the
work had been done we’ll probably spend another whatever dollar amount unless we get ahead of
that because if we do not then it’s like it’s too late to even have any more dialogue, Mr. Mayor.
I’m trying to get us to be involved before the artists create something on paper or in their heads
that we hadn’t a look at until they created it, then we got to go back and then disapprove it. We
need to be ahead of that. So the process that you just and maybe I missed it. Can you repeat that
process again?
Mr. Houck: I can tell you there’s no more financial obligation. They’ll go through this
RFQ process which again is a Procurement process. We’ll do scoring, evaluation and bring a
recommendation back to this Commission for your approval either up or down. If it goes up, that’s
fine. If it goes down then we start this process over and find out which direction we want to move
in this process.
Mr. M. Williams: But if we had something to look at then we could make a concerted
decision as to go up or down but not approving something and that’s my problem. Once I saw that
I mean I was totally disappointed. We was told at committee that the Procurement had looked at
all of these locations and had made a decision where the others are supposed to go and the first
one’s supposed to go there and they wasn’t going to approve, didn’t want to change the artist or
anything else. And when I talked to Procurement they had no knowledge. They only looked at
the one so I’m, everybody needs to be in the same room talking at the same time looking at the
14
same situation and if that’s not going to be the case then we would never be able to come to. And
I think this body wants to move forward with something but I think it wants to move forward with
something that’s going to be something that Augusta’s going to be proud of for many, many years
to come.
Mr. Mayor: All right, I have a motion and a second, voting.
Ms. Davis, Mr. B. Williams, Mr. Hasan, Mr. Frantom, Mr. Garrett, Mr. M. Williams and
Mr. Clarke vote Yes.
Mr. D. Williams and Mr. Sias vote No.
Mr. Fennoy abstains.
Motion Passes 7-2-1.
Mr. Hasan: Mr. Mayor, personal privilege. I just want to make a comment around that.
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Mr. Mayor: All right, the Chair recognizes the Commissioner from the 6.
Mr. Hasan: Thank you, Mr. Mayor. Mr. Mayor, can we make sure that the Administrator
gets to Brenda Durant and her board the decision that the Commission made today. I know Mr.
Houck he’s not the Chairman of it. Brenda Durant is. He’s our representative but for sure the
board understands what we actually took today.
Mr. Mayor: Thank you. Madam Clerk ---
The Clerk: Item Number 5 ---
Mr. Mayor: --- no, ma’am ---
The Clerk: --- oh, okay.
Mr. Mayor: --- twenty-five.
The Clerk: Who pulled 25?
Mr. Mayor: Pulled Number 27 ---
The Clerk: Oh, you said 27?
Mr. Mayor: --- 27 was the item that was put on the Consent Agenda. 25 is a debatable
matter.
Mr. Sias: 25 is on the Regular Agenda.
Mr. Mayor: That’s correct.
The Clerk:
15
ADMINISTRATIVE SERVICES
25. Motion to approve that any voting member of this body can make a motion at any point
without being recognized by the Chair. (Requested by Commissioner Marion Williams)
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Mr. Mayor: The Chair recognizes the Commissioner from the 9.
Mr. M. Williams: So moved.
Mr. Hasan: Second.
Mr. Mayor: All right, I’ve got a motion and a second, voting.
Mr. D. Williams, Ms. Davis, Mr. Hasan, Mr. Frantom, Mr. Garrett and Mr. M. Williams
vote Yes.
Mr. Fennoy, Mr. Sias and Mr. B. Williams vote No.
Mr. Clarke out.
Motion Passes 6-3.
Mr. Mayor: Attorney Brown, is it my understanding that now you’re going to update based
on this action the Commission Rules of Procedure as well as the City Code to reflect that you do
not have to be recognized to speak and make a motion?
Mr. Brown: That would be the proper next step.
Mr. Mayor: Okay.
Mr. M. Williams: Point of Order, Mr. Mayor.
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Mr. Mayor: All right, the Chair recognizes the Commissioner from the 4.
Mr. Sias: Thank you, sir. With your statement to the Attorney and his concurrence I would
venture to say that is a step to bring an ordinance proposal change back to this body.
Mr. Mayor: That is correct.
Mr. Sias: This is an ordinance so the Attorney can’t update the ordinance or that to reflect
that. They can bring a draft back of an ordinance to do this because this is, this rule is engrained
in our ordinance.
Mr. Mayor: And of course the rules.
Mr. Sias: Thank you.
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Mr. Mayor: Okay, the Chair recognizes the Commissioner from the 9.
16
Mr. M. Williams: Thank you, Mr. Mayor. Point of Order. The motion was clearly says
that anyone any voting member of this body can make a motion. You said to make a motion and
speak or speak and that’s not true. That’s confusing to everybody else and that’s confusing even
to this body I think, Mr. Mayor. What we voted on was simple and plain. It wasn’t confusing.
You added to it. One word can get you in trouble. I’m going to leave it like it is. Just changing
one word can get you in trouble, Mr. Mayor.
Mr. Mayor: All right, the Chair recognizes the Mayor Pro Tem.
Mr. Mayor Pro Tem: Thank you, Mr. Mayor. If we were to have a management system
would that trump this to where you push a button and it would come as opposed to speaking out
the way that we are currently doing it?
Mr. Mayor: I don’t even want to entertain that ---
Mr. Mayor Pro Tem: I mean ---
Mr. Mayor: --- I think again I mean let’s not spend any more time on this than we’ve had.
We’ve had seven meetings and one hour and forty-five minute workshop talking about rules so
let’s move as swiftly as possible to just shut it down. The Chair recognizes the Commissioner
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from the 1.
Mr. Fennoy: So does the motion have to be ---
Mr. Mayor: It means you just blurt out.
The Clerk: Can I get you to speak into your mike, sir?
Mr. Fennoy: --- is that a motion, Ms. Bonner?
The Clerk: Yes, sir.
Mr. Fennoy: So does that mean that we can be talking about one thing and somebody can
make a motion about something else?
Mr. Mayor: That’s what he just said.
Mr. Fennoy: So what I’ve been pleasantly surprised about, Mr. Mayor, is the order that we
have been able to maintain because the Mayor would have to recognize the person before they
speak. What I see coming down the pipe is total chaos because anybody can speak out and make
a motion about anything anytime they get ready and it’s going to be rough.
Mr. Mayor: Madam Clerk, next item ---
Mr. Hasan: Mr. Mayor, Point of Personal Privilege on that ---
17
Mr. Mayor: --- next item.
Mr. Hasan: --- (unintelligible) can’t get that now ---
Mr. Mayor: No ---
Mr. Hasan: --- all right, that’s okay, I’ll leave it alone.
Mr. Mayor: --- well, the Parliamentarian just told me this matter has been debated and
disposed of so he’s telling me I need to follow ya’ll’s rules. Madam Clerk, next item.
The Clerk:
PUBLIC SERVICES
5. Motion to approve the Second Amendment to the Hall Marketing Contract for a 60-day
extension. (Approved by Public Services Committee August 27, 2019)
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Mr. Mayor: The Chair recognizes the Commissioner from the 6.
Mr. Hasan: Thank you, Mr. Mayor. Mr. Mayor, I’d like to speak to Mr. Judon if you don’t
mind, Mr. Mayor?
Mr. Mayor: Mr. Judon.
Mr. Hasan: Mr. Judon, I see this is your second amendment request to get a 60-day
extension. What is different about this contract in terms of having an advertising agency than
previous ones?
Mr. Judon: This is the only one we’ve had since I’ve been here so I guess I really don’t
know the history but I can tell you kind of what they do for us if that ---
Mr. Hasan: It’s not so much that I’m just trying to figure out to shorten it, I’m just trying
to figure out because you know this is the second extension 60-day. And I know Hall Marketing
has been one of your vendors you’ve had for quite some time and I’m not questioning that part.
I’m just saying so there’s some familiarity there. So I’m asking what’s the real challenge here that
now we enter into another extension from them as opposed to choosing a vendor. What are your
real challenges you’re having that you can’t choose a vendor?
Mr. Judon: In the procurement process there was one more element that Procurement
requested from the shortlisted companies in order to make a final selection so that’s really the piece
right now that we’re waiting for and once we get that that should discern or help the evaluation
team make the final selection.
Mr. Hasan: So did anybody, so would those firms who had already submitted because it
seems like you said nine firms or eight firms that submitted, was any of those firm in any kind of
way hurt by additional information being required or had to drop out or couldn’t meet the criteria
18
because you’re talking obviously it sounds like you’re talking about information that was not
originally requested from what you just said. That’s how I’m interpreting it.
Mr. Judon: I would say not. I would say that the evaluation team they shortlisted it based
on their criteria and this last piece of information is to again to narrow it down from those
shortlisted companies.
Mr. Hasan: Okay, okay, well, and my other concern is to Mr. Mayor and my colleagues I
was looking at the back at the second amendment agreement and I have some concerns with your
first, the first paragraph there as well as at the signature lines because it says that you’re acting on
behalf of the City of Augusta here but when we signed the document, there’s no signature line for
Augusta. You had Augusta, Georgia but you had the Chairman of Augusta Aviation Commission,
you have Donna Hall the Vice President of Marketing. And so I’m trying to figure out if it’s
Augusta’s interest you’re protecting here and it’s coming before us wouldn’t we have a signature
line here and that’s what I was discussing with the Attorney, Mr. Mayor. He could let the Attorney
weigh in on that if you choose to to try to see what was his take away on what my thought was
(unintelligible).
Mr. Mayor: The Chair recognizes Attorney Brown.
Mr. Brown: I believe that the proper drafting of the contract would have a signature line
for the City of Augusta. It should be the Mayor who’s making this agreement effect, the
Commission is evidenced by the signature of the Mayor that would make this amendment
effective.
Mr. Hasan: So, Mr. Mayor, I don’t, I’m sorry. Mr. Mayor, I don’t have a problem if we
can, I don’t know what you normally do here put some signatures here and write Augusta in there
but I think there needs to be a signature line for us, however you want to do it. I’m not
recommending sending it back. I’m just saying I want to identify that and we should correct that.
Mr. Mayor: I think what would happen is that he’s simply amend that or send it over to
our Attorney and he’ll add that necessary signature block in there and that’s what will happen.
Mr. Hasan: Okay, motion to approve.
Ms. Davis: Second.
Mr. Mayor: All right, we’ve got a motion and a second. The Chair recognizes the
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Commissioner from the 9. Thank you, Commissioner Hasan.
Mr. M. Williams: Mr. Mayor, I’d like to hear from Procurement who is a part of this. This
company familiar company has been doing business at the airport for quite some time but there’s
too many coincidences to be a coincidence. So I need to know, I need to hear from Procurement
as to their take on where we are or why we’re here or what the holdup is. Now I don’t see anybody
from Procurement but I’m thinking that we ought to least hear that side. This government runs
through a process and Procurement is that main process when they’re talking about awarding bids
19
and anything else. Anything to do with the Airport goes through this government so I would love
to hear from somebody from Procurement, Mr. Mayor, before we take a vote on this, or somebody
here from Procurement, Mr. Mayor, I’d like to hear from them please.
Mr. Mayor: All right, the Chair recognizes Ms. Sams.
Ms. Sams: Afternoon, Mayor, Commissioner. Mr. Judon was correct. There was some
information that the vendors, the shortlisted vendors needed to clarify in order to evaluate the three
vendors in the same way.
Mr. M. Williams: Can I address Ms. Sams? I’d appreciate letting me do that, Mr. Mayor.
Ms. Sams: Yes, sir.
Mr. M. Williams: Ms. Sams, are you saying that we had three vendors but there’s
information that all three should’ve brought, one didn’t bring I’m trying to figure out we’re at this
junction. You’re talking about 60 days on a company who has been doing business with this city
for a long time. They ain’t just got started. They were here when I got here. Mr. Mayor reminded
me that was 15 years ago so 15 years I’ve been here.
Ms. Sams: Yes, sir.
Mr. M. Williams: Okay, so why is that now that that information is not there? To me that
should’ve been something they would’ve had anyway.
Ms. Sams: Well, yes, sir, and you’re exactly right. The particular company that you are
talking about has furnished services to Augusta for 15 years plus and what we’re asking them to
do is a best and final offer all three of them because sometimes when you have vendors who have
been exposed to the city and given contracts through the city they have access to information that
other competing vendors may not have access to. So to level the playing field you ask all of them
for a best and final offer so that all of them will judged or evaluated equally.
Mr. M. Williams: So this 60 days would just extend their contract until you get all the
information you need, is that right?
Ms. Sams: Yes, sir.
Mr. M. Williams: Okay, I understand a little bit better now, thank you, Mr. Mayor.
Mr. Mayor: All right, I’ve got a motion ---
Ms. Sams: (Inaudible).
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Mr. Mayor: --- the Chair recognizes the Commissioner from the 8.
Mr. Garrett: Thank you, Mayor. I’ve got a question for Mr. Judon.
20
Mr. Mayor: Certainly.
Mr. Garrett: Just a couple of questions. What would happen if they did not get the 60-day
extension? What do you need them for for the next 60 days?
Mr. Judon: Some of the type of work that they do is they do creative work for us. They,
some of the media pieces that we have in the different media modes, the commercials, the print
etc., so they’re kind of ---
Mr. Garrett: Don’t you have a Marketing Director already on site?
Mr. Judon: We do, yes but they do a lot of the work for us. I mean we do some internal
and they do, some is done externally.
Mr. Garrett: Okay, thank you, sir.
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Mr. Mayor: The Chair recognizes the Commissioner from the 4.
Mr. Sias: Call for the question.
Mr. Mayor: All right, we have a motion and a second, voting.
Mr. M. Williams: Got to follow the rules, Mr. Mayor. They’re going out the window now
because he called for the question. He didn’t tell you to vote. Call for the question means you
vote to see if there’s enough, is that right, Ms. Bonner. Those are the rules I think ain’t it ---
The Clerk: Yes.
Mr. M. Williams: --- okay well, I’m sick of folks talking about the rules and don’t know
them.
The Clerk: Are you going to vote, sir?
Mr. M. Williams: It don’t do no good. I’m just here; that’s all I can do.
Mr. Garrett votes No.
Mr. M. Williams not voting.
Motion Passes 8-1.
The Clerk:
ADMINISTRATIVE SERVICES
8. Motion to approve tasking the Administrator with setting up a meeting with Mr. Welcher,
The Land Bank Authority and anyone working with economic development to meet and
consider holding a workshop to discuss the lack of economic growth in the underserved areas
21
of Augusta e.g. the James Brown Heritage Trail and James Brown Tract. (Approved by
Administrative Services Committee)
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Mr. Mayor: The Chair recognizes the Commissioner from the 9.
Mr. M. Williams: Yes, Mr. Mayor. Mr. Welcher’s got some information I think he can
bring forward. I believe that’s why he wanted this pulled to share with us about the Trail I suppose.
Maybe he knows something about the Trace and Trail, I don’t know.
Mr. Mayor: All right, the Chair recognizes Administrator Sims.
Mr. Sims: That’s correct, Commissioner. Staff would like to provide a brief presentation
as well as request for some additional time to provide a Completed Assessment Feasibility Study
with a recommended request from Commissioners for a Trace/Trail Plan of Action.
Mr. Mayor: Administrator Sims, is there a handout or just a presentation?
Mr. Sims: Just a presentation, I think it’s six or seven slides.
The Clerk: Ask him to make them available to us so we can get them out to them.
Mr. Sims: We will.
The Clerk: --- okay.
Ms. Welcher: All right, we’ll operate like this. The system is not complying. Mr. Mayor,
members of the Commission. First thing I’d like to say is that we openly acknowledge that this
Trace and Trail conversation started back in 2017 and to date you have not seen significant or
impactful progression. However, since last week as of today through the office of the
Administrator I will say that HCD shall assume an initiative lead and I can assure you that this
conversation moving forward will flow much differently. So recommendations starting out real
quick. I won’t bother you too long will be if you all would allow HCD, Recreation and other team
members to complete a Community Assessment and a Feasibility Study in return with the
recommended Trace and Trail Plan of Action within a period of 120 days. The purpose of you
know what we are doing internally is we all want to create a sustained wow factor wows. You
know whether that be through a fountain, monuments or historical markers that lead to the heart
of the community or churches at home. However, I also believe as we just talked about previous
agenda items that is very important that we are methodical in our approach to get it right. Our
overarching culture, tourism Trace/Trail approach should take a strong walk or stroll through a
footprint of culture and history of significance. So the two goals that I believe that we must keep
in mind when we talk about Traces and Trails and those two goals they’re very simple and one of
them is to help visitors find their way around Augusta’s historic neighborhoods and two would be
to promote community pride. Traces and Trails solidify once again, we’ve talked about it, I’ve
given you the definition you’ll see there and really don’t want to bring attention to what those
definitions of a trace and a trail are but I think the pictorials here on this slide are of major
significance. If you look to the banner on your right, on your left you’ll see something as simple
22
as a Heritage Trail that speaks to a walking trail along giving you information at every stop.
However, you know significantly more importantly here in 2019 as we move to 2020 if we’re
talking about the wow factor, we’re talking about being very impactful and creative in having
something that draws people then we need to be sure that as we’re taking our time and we’re
having conversations with various partners here and around or stakes-persons in and around
Augusta that we’re also able to create something that sustains on an annual basis something as a
Soul City Music Fest which is a part of the Heritage Trail there in Washington, DC. It does us not
good enough just to put down benches and receptacles as well as banners but I think we must think
long-term and hard in something that brings people back to Augusta year in and year out. So what
you see here is something when we initiated the conversations back in 2017 we had six destination
points when we talked about The Trace. HCD was a part of a team that looked at a trace and a
trail that commerced and coerced upon each other so there was an overarching trail and that trail
had several destination points and those destination points there you see twenty-two and those
points I believe Commissioner Marion Williams were a part of your conversations with various
colleagues and the Mayor at that time and traces that HCD was to create was sort of bleed upon.
So with being said you know two last things that I could say is funding is very important and that’s
why I indicate that I really want to take up to 120 days. The faster we can get it done the faster we
will get it done to be able to bring you something to be able to articulate the point. So there’s a
couple of things that’s already taking place. On one scale you have the Greater Arts Council that’s
already has secured $12,000 dollars currently in the process of doing or implementing what you
call the Golden Blocks Project. With the Golden Blocks Project there was a mural that has already
been put there on I believe Wallace Branch Library with the second mural that’s coming on Pilgrim
Life so there are some artists’ renderings that’s already taking place. HCD has already moved
forward to submit a $3 million-dollar grant through the Georgia Department of Health for the
purpose of removing lead-based paint in homes revitalization of neighborhoods. Why is this
important? It’s very important. We start talking about beautification and the esthetic look of our
area. And then also since last Tuesday we heard the call and heard the passion in regards to exactly
how cultural art and trails and mixed use trails and those things are important. So what we’ve
done since last Tuesday we’ve moved forward and done our homework and we found two trail
program grants that we’re looking to apply for by September or beginning of September 1 to meet
the deadline. One is in October and one is in November. So we have every anticipation of applying
for both of these grants with your approval. And finally what we believe just to reiterate what we
indicated starting off the recommendation and provide you with some next steps with timelines.
Now we would ask that you would graciously allow us 120 days to complete a Community
Assessment Feasibility Study and return with a recommended trace/trail plan of action. As you
see there from the note, we are putting ourselves before you every 30 days to bring an update. We
feel as though you may ask why 120 days. We believe 120 days are important because once again
this is not HCD’s plan. This is not something that we do every day. This is not something that
the government does every day but we really believe that from a stakeholder’s standpoint there are
conversations that need to be had with departments internally as well as with the professionals
externally from a tourism perspective. And you can read those stakeholders there of course you
know we’re open to additional stakeholders that you think should be a part of it. Also from a
funding standpoint we want to take these 120 days which will allow us to be able to move to apply
for at least two of the grants that we’ve talked about as well as continue to look for additional ones.
And then there’s an assessment. We need to have a conversation with you all offline in regards to
what are your priorities, what do you want to see as well as make a determination as to what
23
process what is the best process to bring somebody, do we need to bring a third party in here to
sort of move forward and direct you know this monumental task that we’re trying to be sure that
we get it right the first time. And then the last thing when we talk about 120 days we really want
to be sure that whatever we’re trying to assess and whatever the scope of service is, is it really
feasible for us to be able to do so at this time. You know I definitely did not want to insult you all
and didn’t want to embarrass myself by standing up here and giving you a trace or a trail and at
each stop bring in a bench or a fountain. That’s not what HCD is about and I know that’s definitely
not what this Commission, the Mayor, and the Administrator’s Office is about. I really think that
if we’re very methodical in our approach I think we can get to really where we want to get to and
make this really a destination for all of Augusta.
Mr. Mayor Pro Tem: Thank you, sir. Commissioner Marion Williams.
Mr. M. Williams: Thank you, Mr. Welcher. I agree with everything that’s been said. We
have laid, set back on this and hadn’t made any effort to move forward. Hopefully 120 days that
you’re asking for we’ll be able to see some difference. On our agenda we talk about Item 11 is
coming up and talking about doing some things with Cranston and Engineering but those things
maybe need to work hand in hand with what you’re doing with your Trace. The Trail is another
entity. Hopefully we can get moving because I was very disappointed at the lack of not moving
in that direction before. Now we, it’s not like it’s a desert that we’ve got to build everything up.
There’s some stuff that’s already there. When you say James Brown Boulevard, maybe to the
people in this room that don’t ring no bell but people outside this room that rings a bell. When
they go to James Brown Boulevard they’re looking for something and they’re looking to see
something. They’re thinking there is something other than a sign on the wall on a post saying
James Brown Boulevard and that’s it. Even without James Brown Arena that’s not even a wallet
sized picture in James Brown Arena that you can look at so that, I mean for us to create something
we’ve got to start somewhere and so the Trace and your 120 days hopefully we’ll get this moving.
Item 11 I wanted to pull to discuss some money we’ve already got with some engineering work
but we hadn’t done one thing yet not one thing and everything start with one. So I appreciate this
to have a shot this has been great. I enjoyed what I heard and looking for the 120 days to keep right
on moving, look for every 30 days to bring me an update.
Mr. Mayor Pro Tem: Thank you, Commissioner. Commissioner Sias.
Mr. Sias: Thank you, sir. As Mr. Welcher was closing out his presentation, he got to some
things that I was thinking and I don’t want Mr. Welcher to think I’m insulting him but I’m going
to say this. I really think we have almost put this in the wrong place. What I heard a lot about Mr.
Welcher saying was tourism and we have an organization here and the CEO of that organization
or the president or chairman or whatever that type is is sitting in this room and I really think they
should be taking the lead on this. Mr. Bennish Brown and CVB should be talking the lead on this
issue because we’re really talking about tourism. With the Housing and Development Community
Development should be a strong partner in that they really should be but the folks that’s really
equipped to do just what Mr. Welcher laid out is the CVB and we really need to bring them into
this and my suggestion is to allow them to take the lead on this. I was, I heard Mr. Welcher, he
had a great presentation but I might be wrong but I also heard the struggle in that presentation and
really the CVB is fully equipped design already doing those very same things that we’re asking
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Mr. Welcher to do. I’m not saying they don’t need doing. I’m saying we just need to change the
folks in the bow of this ship and give the CVB the opportunity to come in and really take a strong
leadership role in this in assisting Mr. Welcher and the Recreation Department and anybody else
in bringing those updates and things back to this Commission. They are fully equipped and they’ve
done this and I’ll just give you an example. We also, there are a couple of things we do have if
I’m not mistaken a James Brown display in the Augusta Regional Airport and that is for folks
coming through and having an opportunity to catch that one. We have some golf statutes and
things out there as well. So I just want to propose that we bring also the CVB in to help with the
lead on this request to really get it done and that’s a motion to that effect as well.
Mr. Mayor Pro Tem: We’ve got a motion okay, Commissioner Fennoy.
Mr. Fennoy: Yes, Mr. Welcher ---
Mr. Welcher: Yes, sir.
Mr. Fennoy: --- I think the Heritage Trail already has a wow effect because if you go up
James Brown Boulevard and you cross Walton Way and you pass Dyess Park and you see the
property on the left hand side it has a wow effect because you’ve got grass six and seven feet tall.
If you look across the street, it has the wow effect because you have property with grass six and
seven feet tall and then when you get to the corner the bank and the little plaza it also has a wow
effect because you don’t know the front door from the back door. And you have trash cans that
are sitting there and you have the old Church’s across the street on James Brown on the corner of
James Brown and Laney Walker that’s all boarded up and it has a wow effect for me. And then
once you cross Laney Walker and you pass Mays Funeral Home and you go up a block, block and
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a half again it has the wow effect. And then when you come down on 8 Street it has a real wow
effect because it’s just a total disaster. I don’t know who’s best to lead this project but I believe
it’s going to take the Business and Convention, Community Development, Environmental
Services, Code Enforcement. It’s going to take a bunch of different people working together to
bring about what Commissioner Marion Williams wants to see. I know that there are certain things
that you have no control over. I’m aware of that but I think that if we want to create something
that’s going to give us a different wow effect we’re going to need a bunch of different agencies
and department heads for the city working together. We got to clean it up and make that area more
attractive.
Mr. Mayor Pro Tem: Thank you, sir. Commissioner Hasan.
Mr. Hasan: Thank you, Mr. Chairman Mr. Chairman, I’d like to speak to Mr. Bennish
Brown please if you don’t mind.
Mr. Mayor Pro Tem: Okay.
Mr. Hasan: Mr. Brown, how are you doing, sir?
Mr. Brown: Great, thank you, Commissioner.
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Mr. Hasan: I think you’ve heard all the conversation as well to that also from the Director
Welcher you know he says it’s not his expertise but at the same he’ll do what we can to make it
happen. Commissioner Sias has suggested that you be lead because obviously you’re a part of
even Director Welcher’s performance team I will call it. So but are you and do you foresee yourself
being a part of this and what value do you add to it and could you see yourself being a team lead?
Mr. Brown: Commissioner Hasan, members of the Commission, absolutely see value in
the list that’s already up there. I think we all bring different strengths and I think given the
opportunity to now go back and talk about structure. Obviously this was a plan that hasn’t started
yet but I think you’ll find willing organizations, willing people. Each of us will put our best people
at the table. I would certainly be intimately involved in this and actually value where we’re headed
with this.
Mr. Hasan: All right, so let me get away from the political answer and get a straight answer
---
Mr. Brown: Definitely (unintelligible).
Mr. Hasan: --- okay appreciate that but let me and thank you for answering the question.
Let me say this to Commissioner Sias and also I feel the same way that he has made mention and
it didn’t say it much earlier is the Recreation Department being involved with the sculpture. I
understand that because that’s how we acquired the million-dollars being that was required through
the Recreation Department. But I do think with all that we have going on in the Recreation
Department right now that needs to be done, I think that’s a tall order for the Director to have to
pull himself or other team members away to be involved in the sculpture as well so I hope we can
consider that as well moving forward, thank you.
Mr. Mayor Pro Tem: Commissioner Garrett.
Mr. Garrett: Motion to receive this as information.
Ms. Davis: Second.
Mr. Hasan: I thought we had a motion on the floor.
Mr. Garrett: Did it get a second?
Mr. Hasan: I make a motion that it go back to Commissioner Sias.
Mr. Mayor Pro Tem: Do you have a substitute motion?
Mr. Hasan: Substitute motion to go back to Commissioner Sias’ motion to let the
CVB be the lead team.
Mr. Sias: Second.
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Mr. Mayor Pro Tem: Okay, all right, we’ve got a motion and a second on the substitute
motion to let the CVB lead this discussion moving forward, CVB leading the discussion moving
forward.
Mr. Sias: Not to do it all but to take the lead on it.
Mr. Mayor Pro Tem: Voting.
Mr. Fennoy, Mr. D. Williams, Ms. Davis, Mr. Sias, Mr. Hasan, Mr. Frantom and Mr. M.
Williams vote Yes.
Mr. B. Williams, Mr. Garrett and Mr. Clarke vote No.
Motion Passes 7-3.
Mr. Mayor: Number 11, Madam Clerk.
The Clerk:
ENGINEERING SERVICES
11. Motion to approve supplemental funding (SA1) for Engineering Phases of Design
Consultant Services Agreement to Cranston Engineering Group, Inc. in the amount of
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$29,900 for the 9 Street (James Brown Blvd.) Improvements Project as requested by the
AED. RFP 18-171 (Approved by Engineering Services Committee August 27, 2019)
Mr. Mayor: Thank you, Madam Clerk. The Chair’s recognizing the Commissioner from
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the 9. Director Malik, if you’ll approach.
Mr. M. Williams: Thank you, Mr. Mayor. Cranston Engineering has already has funds
through the Downtown Development to do work on James Brown and to get started. I don’t know
where this additional money’s coming from, this $29,000, $30,000 or whatever round number
would be. Malik, can you help me understand why we’re giving them another $30,000 dollars
when they already have funds that’s coming through the Downtown Development Corporation to
do this work anyway?
Dr. Malik: Yes, sir. This work is separate or additional work we can call it with the
Downtown Development is doing. This is the project funded through the Frontier Program and
includes improvements the sidewalk, resurfacing the road, streetlights so it’s additional during the
final design process there is a need for an additional survey to define the right-of-way, storm
sewers and also some other (unintelligible) utilities, more work needed to locate their exact
location so that’s what the additional funds. This is a Band two project so we have to get this
project under construction the contract under contract by the end of this year.
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Mr. M. Williams: Okay so, Mr. Mayor, if I can this is for 9 Street, originally 9 Street
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James Brown Boulevard so that’s not, is that TIA Project going up 9 Street?
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Dr. Malik: Yes, sir. It’s from Reynolds to Laney Walker and my understanding the DDA
is either applying or they have a grant from Laney Walker to Twiggs or something like that, they’re
going to be doing the work.
Mr. M. Williams: Malik, just meeting with Margaret a couple three weeks ago now about
the sidewalks and she said they had Cranston Engineering doing some work. Do anybody know
how much money is available, how much money they’ve got to work with? Finance, Tim, anybody
can tell me what because I’m seeing $29,000 dollars and it’s a TIA Project. And they already have
a contract with the DDA. Just met with Margaret on the corner of Laney Walker and James Brown
about three maybe four weeks ago and she was talking about redoing the sidewalk, putting some
LP albums down, Mr. Mayor. So I mean who’s watching the henhouse? I mean who’s on first and
what’s on second. I mean everybody’s works but nobody knows who’s working or where they’re
working at. Can somebody help me understand what monies are out there and what project is the
DDA doing?
Dr. Malik: My understanding is that their projects Phase 3 I believe is from Laney Walker
to Twiggs and all of that. They did some work previously on the Library in that area so we will
incorporate that work improvement whatever it is to involve all projects ---
Mr. Mayor: All right ---
Dr. Malik: --- (unintelligible).
Mr. Mayor: --- (unintelligible) information for you. All right, the Chair recognizes Mr.
McDowell.
Mr. McDowell: Yes, Commissioner, I think the project that you are referring to these are
two separate projects. It’s the same corridor with two separate projects. The one that Ms. Margaret
and them are working on is a TAP Grant via the State of Georgia and they will be doing some
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sidewalk improvements I think on the east side of 9 Street going to Twiggs Circle from Laney
Walker. Dr. Malik’s project is a TIA Project. They’re separate but they’re in the same area.
Mr. M. Williams: Okay well because I met, I wasn’t on the east side of Laney Walker ---
Mr. McDowell: Right the east side is the sidewalks project on the east side and it’s a TAP
grant that the DDA’s working on.
Mr. M. Williams: --- so, Mr. Mayor, I think my next move should be to put this on the
agenda to get everybody to come to the table so we can see because I’m hearing what Mr.
McDowell is saying but at the same time when I met with Margaret, we was talking about some
LP albums and different stuff to upgrade and bring in close to, and that’s when I put it back on the
agenda so there wasn’t no growth in the inner city at all. But now I mean, and I’ve got no problem
with this item here, the $29,000 dollars, but if there’s money out there through a grant through the
DDA and whatever else I mean we need to be working in concert I mean.
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Mr. Mayor: Well, I’m not going to suggest that you aren’t working in concert. Just two
weeks ago, maybe three weeks ago, the same body voted on Phase 2 of the work from Reynolds
Street over to continue the sidewalk expansion that Mr. McDowell is referring to. That was an
agenda item that was already here. You voted on it, you said let’s move forward with Phase 2 of
this work which is what he’s speaking to. The work again that Dr. Malik’s talking about is a
collaborative project. While it’s an independent project it’s collaborative in nature in that this has
been work that’s been needed to be done in the James Brown corridor for some time. What I
would suggest is that you not put it on the agenda but rather you bring those two entities together,
have a meeting with our Capital Improvements Deputy Director Program Manager and have that
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conversation there on the 9 floor, 2 floor, it doesn’t matter but I think that’s the better way to
have that conversation and not necessarily put it on the agenda.
Mr. M. Williams: Well, I didn’t want to have a meeting among the staff with me. I want
this body to be involved in whatever I’m doing. I don’t participate in any of those sidebar
meetings. The first thing, well then I’m calling the shots. I’m not calling the shots. What I want
to do I want to get an understanding as to what we’ve got. When I saw the Cranston Engineering
with $29,000 dollars I know Cranston was the same ones who had the other money. That’s what
made me pull it. Not because the project, stopping the project but Cranston was already gotten
approved to some work. Now we’re approving some more work Cranston’s doing so I’m trying
to figure who’s on first and what’s on second again.
Mr. Mayor: Yes, sir, the Chair recognizes the Mayor Pro Tem.
Mr. Mayor Pro Tem: Motion to approve.
Mr. Garrett: Second.
Mr. Mayor: We have a motion and a second, voting. Thank you, thank you both.
Motion Passes 10-0.
Mr. Mayor: All right, Madam Clerk.
The Clerk:
PLANNING
24. Z-19-30 – A request for concurrence with the Augusta Planning Commission to deny a
petition by Malisa Wanjala, on behalf of Kimberly Godbee, requesting a Special Exception
to establish a Family Day Care Home per Section 26-1(F) of the Comprehensive Zoning
Ordinance for Augusta, Georgia affection property containing 0.46 acres and known as 4004
Madison Lane. Tax Map 053-4-012-00-0 DISTRICT 3
Mr. Mayor: All right, the Chair recognizes the Mayor Pro Tem.
Mr. Mayor Pro Tem: I make a motion to approve.
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Mr. Hasan: Second.
Mr. Mayor: We have a motion and a second, voting. All right, everybody suspend. The
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Chair recognizes the Commissioner from the 1.
Mr. Fennoy: Is this, where is this property located, Rob?
Mr. Sherman: Barnett Crossing, that’s off Wrightsboro Road between Wrightsboro Road
and Dyess Parkway.
Mr. Fennoy: Is there an issue with sex offenders living within 1,000 feet of this piece of
property?
Mr. Sherman: It is listed that way on the overlay maps and that’s one of the conditions for
this type use is that there not be persons registered with the Richmond County Sheriff’s
Department as a sex offender that lives within 1,000 feet. A person based on our information is at
roughly 920/940 feet as the crow flies so that ---
Mr. Fennoy: So if, is that why Planning and Zoning denied it?
Mr. Sherman: --- well, at the Planning Commission meeting the staff report was given and
that was included and there were seven objectors at the meeting. One person who lives next door
to this property objected to it concerned about the traffic. And then there were several people that
are members of the Homeowners Association and they were speaking out against it.
Mr. Fennoy: So what does state law I mean say about the 1,000 feet and us approving it?
Mr. Sherman: This is a local ordinance and I’m not certain what year this was added to
the guidelines for Family Day Care Homes but that is one of the conditions that is listed.
Mr. Fennoy: So may I ask our Attorney a question, Mr. Mayor?
Mr. Mayor: Sure.
Mr. Fennoy: Mr. Brown ---
Mr. Brown: Yes, sir ---
Mr. Fennoy: --- if we approve this does that mean we have to change the ordinance?
Mr. Brown: --- we cannot, well, I shouldn’t say we cannot, it would not be proper for the
Commission to violate its own ordinance. I am not sure that, I believe, Rob, I didn’t hear you say
it today, Rob, but I believe that that became an issue of whether a sex offender remained there at
the time that the Planning Commission voted, is that right?
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Mr. Sherman: It was at that time and then one of the members of the staff looked at the
maps this morning and it is that way this morning. Now if you ask me are the maps current, I can’t
tell you that.
Mr. Brown: Does it, if I may?
Mr. Mayor: Continue, sir.
Mr. Brown: Does the sex offender still reside within a thousand feet?
Mr. Sherman: As indicated by the maps. Again I don’t know that those maps are current
but it is online. It’s a layer on our GIS Maps.
Mr. Brown: Well, Commissioner Fennoy, if the, if there’s, if you find that a sex offender
does live within a thousand feet, Augusta ordinance says that the request should not be granted.
Mr. Fennoy: May I continue?
Mr. Mayor: You may.
Mr. Fennoy: So what would happen with future requests if we go against our own
ordinance and?
Mr. Brown: I would strongly recommend that the body not violate its own ordinance. In
the event that this Commission takes an action that’s in violation of its own ordinance, it will
subject the city to a lawsuit from any citizen seeking a court action forcing the Commission to
obey its ordinance which would mandamus.
Mr. Fennoy: I’d like to make a substitute motion to deny.
Mr. Sias: That was already what it was.
Mr. Fennoy: No, it was to approve it.
Mr. Mayor: Motion is to approve the Day Care.
Mr. Sias: I got it. Okay, I don’t see it that way.
Ms. Davis: I don’t see it that way either.
Mr. Mayor: Well, the Mayor Pro Tem is going to clarity (inaudible) to approve.
Mr. Mayor Pro Tem: Based on what I’ve been told on how before I just heard the Attorney
that they were going to have three children, a school fairly close to it as well ---
Ms. Davis: Six children.
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Mr. Mayor Pro Tem: Six children now, it’s not three?
Mr. Mayor: All right, so your current ordinance allows you for Home Day Cares and this
is consistent with state law you can up to six children in the home. That is something that happens
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on a regular basis here in Augusta. I know of several in the Commissioner from the 6’s district
in fact just down the street from where he lives. And so what I want to do is I want to hear from
the petitioner, Madam Clerk. I’m going to give them an opportunity to be heard.
The Clerk: Yes, ma’am ---
Mr. Mayor: All right, I want to hear from them. The Chair recognizes the Commissioner
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from the 5.
Mr. B. Williams: Okay, as I read it here it says this is a request to deny, Mr. Mayor?
Mr. Mayor: No, the Mayor Pro Tem did not read the caption ---
Mr. B. Williams: Okay ---
Mr. Mayor: --- his motion was to approve the Day Care.
Mr. B. Williams: --- was to approve the Day Care.
Mr. Mayor: That is correct.
Mr. B. Williams: Okay, so if we want to deny then we would ---
Mr. Mayor: Then you will come to a substitute that the Commissioner ---
Mr. B. Williams: --- okay.
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Mr. Mayor: --- from the 1 is going to make. All right, we’re going to hear from the
petitioner right now. All right ---
Ms. Speaker: Hello ---
Mr. Mayor: --- Madam Clerk. If you will state for the record your name and your address
as well, okay?
Ms. Wanjala: Hello, my name is Malisa Wanjala. I reside at 4004 Madison Lane. Thanks
for the opportunity to allow me to speak again. I’m petitioning, repetitioning actually for the Day
Care Center at 4004 Madison Lane. Statistically the average cost of child care for one to three-
year old children in Augusta is $800 to $1,000 dollars per month for one child to attend fulltime
depending on the area in which they live. The average cost of a one-bedroom apartment is
$741.000 dollars, the average monthly wage of a low-income single parent is $1,500 dollars not
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to mention a car payment, gas and utilities and groceries if they have to buy them. The average
single parent does not make half of that monthly cost and is struggling from paycheck to paycheck
to make ends meet to provide decent care for their children while they are at work. My in-home
daycare rates are much, much lower than the average daycare center. I can work one on one with
the families depending on their income situations. The purpose of my in-home daycare center is
to bridge the gap with single mothers have to choose between working to live and living to work.
I have been in the childcare business for over 26 years. I was recently the Assistant Director for
South Richmond Head Start which I stepped down from in order to open up my own in-home
daycare center. For two years of working at South Richmond Head Start I saw first-hand the need
for more in-home daycare centers for Moms who’s needs were not being met by the public school
systems because of having extra siblings. My in-home daycare childcare will allow the children
to have a 6 to 1 ratio where they will learn and receive first hand care with the lower ratios. I can
also access learning disabilities and behavior problems that would be seen much earlier so that can
have a better chance of success. Barnett Crossing is the perfect and safe place to have an in-home
daycare center per the association. It has a Neighborhood Watch Committee for helping to keep
the neighborhoods safe. Michael Dobbins leads the Neighborhood Watch Committee. He and the
Block Watch Captain that works with the Board of Richmond County Police and the other
members are volunteers in the committee thus I do not see any problem with the safety being the
issue as previously stated for denying my home daycare.
Mr. Mayor: All right, there’s a series of questions that possibly will come to you. All
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right, the Chair recognizes the Commissioner from the 3.
Ms. Davis: Thank you, Mr. Mayor. Mr. Sherman, the thing that concerns me is it says
there’s been 15 criminal instances in the last five years within approximately within 1,000-feet of
the property. Do you have, I mean obviously that comes from the Sheriff’s Office. Does that in,
I mean is that have anything to do with also the residence of what you have said that the sex
offender is living or is this something different, different incidences from different residents?
Mr. Sherman: It’s different as well. Two different sections of the code, one talks about a
high incident of crime in the neighborhood. The only thing that we have is from our overlay maps,
15 incidents within a 1,000-feet over a five year period, the car break ins ---
Ms. Davis: It could be what, sorry.
Mr. Sherman: --- it could be car break ins, cars parked along the street so I don’t know if
they gave us anything other than specific about what the incidents are.
Ms. Davis: So the Sheriff’s Office also suggested to deny based on those incidences?
Mr. Sherman: No ---
Ms. Davis: Okay.
Mr. Sherman: --- no, this is based on information from the Sheriff’s Office that they have
posted on our GIS Maps ---
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Ms. Davis: Okay.
Mr. Sherman: --- we didn’t contact them directly for the input.
Ms. Davis: Okay.
Mr. Sherman: But those are the criteria that we gauge by when we make a
recommendation.
Ms. Davis: All right, okay. These situations are always tough on the Commission because
we want to be pro-business. I know the need of daycare centers. I’ve always had that with my
children as well. It gets tough with us when we have our ordinances in place so I just want you to
know we have to stick by our rules so that we don’t set precedents moving forward.
Ms. Wanjala: Can I ask a question when they, he did ---
Mr. Mayor: Hold on, hold on, are you?
Ms. Davis: I’m good.
Mr. Mayor: Okay, all right, okay, I’m going to recognize Ms. Wanjala.
Ms. Wanjala: --- okay so when he did give me the ordinance I guess that’s what that was
when Mr. Boyd gave to me. He did, first of all talked about the thousand feet or whatever that it
had to be but when you look on the paperwork it does not say anything about a specific destination
or distance. It says safety. Now I do have that but I actually left my paper at the house but it
doesn’t state a specific distance. It says for the safety that he showed me that it wasn’t for a
thousand feet it was not specified.
Ms. Davis: Mr. Mayor, can I ask Mr. Sherman?
Mr. Mayor: (Inaudible).
Ms. Davis: So you mean on the application process.
Ms. Wanjala: On that paperwork that they gave me it does not specify a thousand feet.
That’s what they originally told me but then when I came to the actual meeting with them it was
not specified on the paper as a distance.
Mr. Sherman: Well, with the code and this is Number 7 in the Code it says no person listed
with Richmond County Sex Offenders Registry reside within 1,000 feet of the property.
Ms. Wanjala: Well, that wasn’t what I was given.
Mr. Mayor: Ma’am ---
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Ms. Wanjala: I’m sorry.
Mr. Mayor: --- I’m sorry. The Chair recognizes the Mayor Pro Tem.
Mr. Mayor Pro Tem: I withdraw my motion to approve.
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Mr. Mayor: All right, the Chair recognizes the Commissioner from the 1, I’m sorry the
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Commissioner from the 6.
Mr. Hasan: Yes, sir. Mr. Mayor, I would appreciate very much if and it may be current to
try to see how current is their website, the Sheriff’s sex offenders’ website, you know because
that’s what it looks like. And I appreciate the Attorney reminding us not to violate our own
ordinance but least we ought to know whether the list is current before we make a decision. I think
we owe her that much, the applicant that much to do that.
Mr. Mayor: All right, can we suspend action on this and have it come back after having
checked can we, all right, everybody suspend. All right, here’s our posture. Ms. Wanjala, before
taking any action on this we’d like to do some more research. Do you consent to allowing us to
review the website and get the information and then bring this matter back? Okay, can you state
that for the record that you do consent?
Ms. Wanjala: I do consent.
Mr. Mayor: All right, thank you, okay all right. All right, so we’ll table this matter. Can
I get a motion to table, would that be proper, Attorney Brown ---
Mr. Brown: Yes, it would be with a motion.
Mr. Mayor: --- yeah, with a motion.
Mr. Brown: And with a date.
Mr. Fennoy: I’d like to make a substitute motion, Mr. Mayor.
Mr. Mayor: You don’t need, a substitute is not necessary, hold on a minute, with a date
certain, okay. All right, so you’re making a motion, this will be the main motion, to table until
two weeks.
Mr. Fennoy: We have a ---
Mr. Mayor: He withdrew it, he withdrew his motion.
Mr. Fennoy: --- but what about my motion to deny?
The Clerk: He didn’t get a second to it.
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Mr. Mayor: Right ---
Mr. Fennoy: Nobody seconded?
Mr. Mayor: --- he didn’t get a second.
Mr. Fennoy: Okay and I’m going to hope I get a second, I want to make a motion to
table ---
Mr. Mayor: For two weeks.
Mr. Fennoy: --- until we get additional information for two weeks.
Mr. Hasan: Second.
Mr. Mayor: I’ve got a motion and a second, voting.
Mr. Fennoy: May I say something, Mr. Mayor?
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Mr. Mayor: Sure, the Chair recognizes the Commissioner from the 1.
Mr. Hasan: I don’t think so. Can he say something?
Mr. Mayor: We hadn’t voted yet.
Mr. Hasan: I’m just checking.
Mr. Fennoy: I just want to let Ms. Wanjala know that I appreciate her desire to work with
kids and get them on the right path at an early stage. And I also hope that if this doesn’t work out
for you then hopefully you can find another location that we could approve so you could continue
doing the work that you do because I believe there’s a great need for people like you to work with
our kids.
Mr. Mayor: Okay all right, Madam Clerk?
Mr. D. Williams votes No.
Mr. Clarke out.
Motion Passes 8-1.
The Clerk:
ADMINISTRATIVE SERVICES
26. Discuss and direct Administration and Law Departments to review the city’s current
substance abuse policy in association with the proposed amendments to Augusta Code
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Section 3-7-33 Marijuana and report back in 90 days. (No recommendation from
Administrative Services.
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Mr. Mayor: All right, the Chair recognizes the Commissioner from the 5.
Mr. B. Williams: Thank you, Mr. Mayor. First I want to disclose my intent. You know
I’m from the School of Thought where you value people or where we value human resources,
where we look at situations where we try to help people before we try to hurt people. And I think
some people did not understand my intent last week. I think so people thought that I was trying to
get rid of the code that governs substance abuse. That’s not what I was looking at. What I was
looking at is whether or not this day and time zero tolerance when it comes to substance abuse,
Marijuana, pain pills, opioids, alcohol is what we should do. I just think there should probably be
a second step. But what I’m asking is that we do a review of what we have and after doing a
review maybe we should stay with what we have or maybe we should change. In this day and
time when you have Marijuana being used for medication, where you have Marijuana being
legalized, where you have drugs that were previously prescribed are now over the counter, where
you have situations where you have workers who have been with you for a long period of time that
may have been valuable and now you have a situation where they’re caught for the first time and
you get rid of them, now you have to bring in someone else and train those folks. What about
giving them an opportunity? So without making this a long conversation I just want us to consider
reviewing what we do with our substance abuse. It may be that it comes back that we need to
leave it as is and maybe we need to make some changes. It’s maybe just putting in one extra step
to help people. Think about their families because when you get rid of a person you don’t know
what kind of impact you’ve made. One here working with the city you probably created a gap as
far as experience is concerned but also and I can almost guarantee you without looking that most
of the people who are affected are people who are not making very much money, probably
struggling already and now without any income at all they become a statistic hopefully in a good
way, sometimes in a bad way but I’ll leave that up to you, discussion.
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Mr. Mayor: All right, the Chair recognizes the Commissioner from the 1, I got your hand
sir.
Mr. Fennoy: Okay. You know alcohol, Marijuana, opioids are all mind altering drugs and
people that work with other people that are under the influence of mind altering drugs put the
people that are working around them at risk. I hate to see anybody lose their job but I also hate to
see anybody lose their life or limb or become permanently disabled because their coworker was
under the influence of a mind-altering drug. If and I think and I don’t know what the policy says
but I think that we ought to make it perfectly clear that if anybody is having issues with substance
abuse they need to come forward and the city will do everything we possibly can to get that person
on the right track. But I also know how difficult it is for someone who has issues with alcohol and
drugs to admit that they have problems with alcohol and drugs. Usually everybody around us
knows that except ourselves, I know that for a fact. So we need to look at it and we need to do
what’s best for the, our workforce and I’m okay with that to have a discussion around what’s best
for the workforce.
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Mr. Mayor: All right, the Chair recognizes the Commissioner from the 4.
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Mr. Sias: Thank you, sir. Under the Policy and Procedures Subcommittee which has been
operating that very topic of zero tolerance has been discussed and we have those two items teed
up, substance abuse and the severance pay and those things can fit right into the discussion that
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my colleague from the 5 and 1 have mentioned. And one of the things that was discussing will
be re-discussed is whether or not we should have zero and there was a lot of robust discussion on
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the ones who attended. And what I’d like to do is request The Clerk for the 12 of September at
1:30 p.m. to schedule another Policy and Procedures Subcommittee Meeting with Substance
Abuse and Severance Pay the lead topics, the only two topics for that meeting because we already
have done work and research on that and I look forward to, I look forward to doing that. So
basically my colleagues have explained this not so much about just Marijuana but rather or not we
should have a zero policy and a review of our drug policy and I welcome that. We had already
been working on that and I’m not short-putting anything but we have it already teed up. There’s
a lot of research that’s been done and there can be some more done. Thank you.
Mr. Mayor: Mr. Brown, this body took action for an ordinance change. What is the status
of that work around the underlined issue here? What is the status of that work?
Mr. Brown: This matter?
Mr. Mayor: The Commission made a decision to amend this Code Section.
Mr. Brown: It has been drafted to be presented at the next committee meeting at the end
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of the month which is the 24 I believe.
Mr. Mayor: Okay, all right, I’m going to come back with that in just a second, all right?
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The Chair recognizes the Commissioner from the 6.
Mr. Hasan: Mr. Mayor, I’m kind of confused about your question but I do want to make a
comment here.
Mr. Mayor: Well, let me explain it ---
Mr. Hasan: Okay.
Mr. Mayor: --- want to tie the two together. So this body’s already made a decision to
amend the ordinance. One of the concerns around that was making sure that upon the ordinance
amendment being drafted and then this body officially adopting that that we not exclude employees
from the discussion which is how we ended up here.
Mr. Hasan: Okay, okay well, let me say for the record and to my colleague I think in June
when we the last time we discussed the severance pay when we was kind of we pretty much made
a motion at that particular time not to have the PPM Subcommittee meet again up until we got and
HR professional in here. And we made that decision at the request actually I’ll be frank with you
the request of our Attorney felt that we were making, we were about to make too many HR
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decisions about any HR professional and he asked us to refrain from that up until we get an HR
professional onboard and the Commission honored that.
Mr. Mayor: Okay, all right, so what are you suggesting?
Mr. Hasan: I’m suggesting that pretty much if Attorney Brown is supposed to bring
something back which he says is already put in place, we may consider doing that but in terms of
having any meeting from the PPM right now I think the Commission has temporarily shut that
down until an HR professional came on, come on board.
Mr. Mayor: All right, hold on, hold on, I’m going to come back. All right, my cautions
right now are the following. One, this body has made a decision to amend Code Section 3-7-33
Marijuana. All right, that officially has happened. Attorney Brown indicates that the draft is being
prepared and it will be presented to this body. That issue only addresses fines and fees, okay? It
only address that component of it. What came out of the discussion was the broader concern that
if I’m relaxing those associated fines/fees for the general public, why then would we not include
the conversation around our employees who when John Q. Public comes to work, had a party this
past weekend, smoked the blunt and ran a list check and then he gets terminated. That’s why this
conversation is before us and it is a real conversation. It needs to be had and this matter needs to
be addressed, okay? So I don’t want us to lose sight of that. It’s a real conversation and if you’re
going to move forward with the adoption of the amendment to the code section you should be at
the same time parallel path having that other conversation is all I’m suggesting. In light of that
and I hear what you said with regards to the subcommittee and I don’t want to put our Deputy
Administrator McDonald on the spot but I know that he is providing oversight to Human Resources
and has worked in that area and is our resident expert with regards to that conversation. Again this
is one of those matters where it’s important to you know trust your team, your staff to be able to
flush that out and I’m confident he’ll be able to add some value around this conversation.
Mr. Hasan: Okay.
Mr. Mayor: All right, back to you, sir.
Mr. Hasan: Yes, Mr. Mayor, I mean I’m in wholeheartedly in support ---
Mr. Mayor: Yes, sir.
Mr. Hasan: --- of what we have here whether we wait but I think it needs to be done one
way or the other. My only concern from my colleague was saying about standing back up setting
up a committee meeting that was recommended and the Commission honored that in terms of right
now that subcommittee is not meeting right now.
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Mr. Mayor: Okay, okay all right, the Chair recognizes the Commissioner from the 9 and
then I’ll come back to you.
Mr. M. Williams: Thank you, Mr. Mayor. Let’s not forget the Solicitor and the State
Senator brought this fine issue to us. It wasn’t something this body decided to do but the Solicitor
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and the Senator brought this in front of us and we agreed with it. But the other side needed to be
talked about as well but like Commissioner Hasan said I remember in the discussion when we said
that we didn’t have a professional HR Director there now and we was going to wait to do that.
Now since we didn’t have an HR Director, we done gave some what’s it called severance packages
that was way out of the ballpark so now we want to pull it back in and go back to talking about
those things. I think we need to wait until we get a professional in that position and do that. What
we’re doing now is what the Senator and the Solicitor brought to us at our committee meeting.
We agreed, it’s happening all over the country, it’s not just happening in Augusta so I want to
make that point clear.
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Mr. Mayor: All right, the Chair recognizes the Commissioner from the 4.
Mr. Sias: Thank you ---
Mr. Mayor: Yes, sir.
Mr. Sias: --- maybe I missed that part but I don’t remember anything where the Policy and
Procedures Subcommittee was shut down. I don’t recall that at all. The last thing that came from
the Policy and Procedures Subcommittee as that we were waiting on input from staff about
different service issues from around our area, other cities as we like to say. So I’m not sure where
all that part about shutdown came from. If I will ask the Clerk if you don’t mind, sir, do the Clerk
recall that we actually shut down the Policy and Procedures Subcommittee?
Mr. Mayor: Madam Clerk?
The Clerk: Yes, sir. In deference to Commissioner Hasan he did ask if I could research
the minutes where the Commission discussed the fact of waiting for an H.R. Professional to be
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hired. In fact on June 18 of this year there was an issue on the Commission agenda regarding
severance where you were going to reduce the package from 6 months to 3 months. In the course
of that discussion several of you all had difference opinions on which direction you wanted to go.
Then General Counsel Wayne Brown advised the Commission because of the legal ramifications
that could be the result of changing those severance packages regarding employees who had been
hired under the prior policy and now changing it, it could in affect do harm the city and he
recommended that you hold off on making any decision on that particular item until an H.R.
Professional hired. The Commission subsequently by consensus received that as information and
with the indication that you would wait for an H.R. Professional.
Mr. Sias: But there was no official vote on that.
The Clerk: Yes, sir because originally the motion was to deny it and you didn’t take any
official action after hearing from the Attorney. You received it as information and you took no
action on it.
Mr. Sias: So it’s still open for consideration then, thank you, sir.
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Mr. Mayor: The Chair recognizes the Commissioner from the 8.
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Mr. Garrett: Thank you, Mayor. I’ve talked to quite a few of the colleagues about this
discussion. I work for a company that’s nationwide. We function in states where it’s perfectly
legal to smoke Marijuana as a recreational item but yet it’s still against our company policy to not
test positive for Marijuana because your job in company vehicles a lot of those are CDL drivers
which you know also applies here locally to us so I think we want to be cautious and not be too
lenient in our policy when it comes to regards to Marijuana. You know it’s legal now to drink
alcohol but yet if a CDL test comes up and you blow and blow positive for alcohol you get fired
because technically you’re driving under the influence. There’s not a current test now to see if
you’re under the influence of Marijuana other than a sobriety test so you know even if you do pop
positive on a drug test for Marijuana, you know, as you said, Mayor, smoke a doobie over the
weekend at a party there’s no way to actually be sure whether you’re high or not. So I think we
need to be very cautious in how we proceed with this.
Mr. Mayor: I don’t disagree but if you don’t have the conversation you’re just thinking.
Mr. Garrett: Absolutely.
Mr. M. Williams: Can we have one on the weekend?
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Mr. Mayor: The Chair recognizes the Commissioner from the 5.
Mr. B. Williams: Yes, sir. We also need to be cautious that we don’t get public mixed
up with private. You always make different decisions when it comes to private. And when was
the last time a plane was crashed or a train was derailed and they checked for a Marijuana level.
They probably checked for what, alcohol, painkillers what have you. I’m not saying Marijuana’s
not something, I’m not saying Marijuana’s something that we should do but I am saying that is
zero tolerance is what we need to do? I make a motion to approve vote it up or down.
Mr. Hasan: Second.
Mr. Mayor: And the motion is to direct Administration and Law Department to review the
current substance abuse policy.
Mr. Garrett: Correct.
Mr. Mayor: Okay, based on the caption, okay.
Mr. Garret: And this doesn’t mean we’re going to change anything.
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Mr. Mayor: Okay, would you like to add a date certain to that of September the 24 so it’s
consistent with this conversation?
The Clerk: 90 days.
Mr. Hasan: It’s 90 days.
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Mr. Garrett: Do you want to do 90 or 60? 90, all right.
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Mr. Mayor: Voting. All right, the Chair recognizes the Commissioner from the 1, state
your inquiry.
Mr. Fennoy: So we’re having two we’ve having the Administrator and the Attorney to
look into it and then we’re having the subcommittee?
Mr. Mayor: No, no, you’re only approving this right here, what’s on the screen.
Mr. Fennoy: Okay then, okay.
The Clerk: Does that mean you’re voting?
Mr. Fennoy: Yeah, I mean I’m going to vote for it but in the meantime your
subcommittee’s going to look into it?
Mr. Sias: I’ll schedule a meeting.
Mr. Fennoy: You scheduled a meeting on this issue right here?
Mr. Sias: This issue no, this is a different issue.
Mr. Fennoy: Okay.
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Mr. Mayor: All right, the Commissioner from the 1 will vote.
Mr. Fennoy, Mr. D. Williams, Mr. B. Williams, Mr. Hasan, Mr. Frantom, Mr. M. Williams
and Mr. Clarke vote Yes.
Ms. Davis and Mr. Garrett vote No.
Mr. Sias abstains.
Motion Passes 7-2-1.
Mr. Mayor: Number 29, Madam Clerk.
The Clerk:
SUBCOMMITTEE
RFP Pension Investment Management
29. Motion to award RFP 19-003 Investment Management and Trustee Administration
Services of 1945 and 1949 Pension Plans to Morgan Stanley as recommended by Selection
Committee. (No recommendation from the August 20, 2019 Pension Committee)
Mr. Mayor: The Chair recognizes the Mayor Pro Tem.
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Mr. Mayor Pro Tem: Thank you, Mr. Mayor. I’d like to make a motion to deny.
Mr. Garrett: Second.
Mr. Mayor: I’ve got a motion and a second.
Mr. Hasan: Mr. Mayor, I have a question.
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Mr. Mayor: The Chair recognizes the Commissioner from the 6.
Mr. Hasan: Yes, sir, Mr. Mayor. I’d like to speak to Ms. Donna Williams please.
Mr. Mayor: Okay.
Mr. B. Williams: She’s a moving target today, she’s changed sides.
Mr. Hasan: I think as well as Ms. Sams too.
Mr. Mayor: All right, you have a question for ---
Mr. Hasan: Yes, I do ---
Mr. Mayor: --- Director Williams?
Mr. Hasan: --- yes, I do. Ms. Williams, how you doing?
Ms. Williams: Good.
Mr. Hasan: In terms of the money that we’re going to have to I think the city’s going to
have to kind of add to this Pension Fund are there some shortages here that we’ve have to address?
Ms. Williams: As far as the funding level ---
Mr. Hasan: The funding level, yes, ma’am.
Ms. Williams: --- they’re not shortages. They’re required amounts to keep us in
compliance with the funding for these pension plans per the State of Georgia Regulations so you
can look at it either way. There are required amounts that the city is required to put into the plans.
Mr. Hasan: So is that amount beyond because of the lack of performance of the handlers
of the investments investment?
Ms. Williams: No, sir. As your, as the Actuary presented their information pertaining to
the other pension plan the GMEBS Plan when he was here during the Pension Committee, he
mentioned that the required level of funding is caused by several things. It is return on investments,
it is the number of actives contributing to the plan, it is the level of expenditures that are required
43
because of benefits associated with the plan. So there are numerous moving parts into what is
required to fully fund your pension plan. It’s not usually attributable to one single item.
Mr. Hasan: So is there any way I think you gave about four different distinctions that make
up that conversation. Is there any way to identify from an investment perspective among those
four what you actually receive on you investment per se, whether your investments were sound or
not sound in terms of return. I know you’ve got three other things that you mentioned there but is
there any way that identifies the return on how your money was invested and what those returns
look in the midst of that?
Ms. Williams: Yes, sir. I think in the presentation that was previously given there were
some comparative analyses between our pension plan the return on those two plans and some other
comparable plans. And it is pretty much the rate of return was pretty much in the same categories
and we I think Augusta out performed everything that was on the chart except for the GMEBS
Plan which has a couple of billion dollars in assets statewide, is that correct, okay ---
Mr. Hasan: So you’re saying ---
Ms. Williams: --- because Mr. Schroer gave the presentation.
Mr. Hasan: --- for good returns, okay. My final question for you if we choose not to
support this what happens here?
Ms. Williams: Lacking some other action for the governing body, the, it would continue
to stay at Morgan Stanley because you have to have someone administering the assets. We could,
you know, we would need another action. If you deny this, the recommendation of the Selection
Committee, then there has to be another action in order to effect any changes.
Mr. Hasan: Are you part of the Selection Committee?
Ms. Williams: No, sir. I recused myself because I am on the Pension Committee and would
be available to vote, however, I have two CPA’s that are members of the Finance Department, the
CPA from the Utilities Department as well as a member from the Administrator’s Office sat on
the Evaluation Committee for this proposal.
Mr. Hasan: Mr. Mayor, my final question then to talk to Ms. Sams if you don’t mind.
What did you recuse yourself of now?
Ms. Williams: I recused myself ---
Mr. Hasan: Ms. Sams, please.
Ms. Williams: --- I don’t need any help.
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Mr. Hasan: Ms. Sams, if the Commission was to take action against this, where are we?
Where would we be and what would it take before we have something before us again if that
happens?
Ms. Sams: As Donna had stated, the current provider would need to be a part of this
conversation and perhaps an extension of this contract which at this juncture would be Morgan
Stanley. Does the committee, may I ask them a question, Mr. Mayor? Does the Commissioner
have a reason to not want to proceed with the award?
Mr. Hasan: I personally don’t. That’s why I’m asking questions and try to see because the
motion is on the floor so I’m trying ascertain possibly what are we missing so that’s why I’m
asking the questions.
Ms. Sams: Yes, sir.
Mr. Hasan: So I didn’t make the, that’s probably the maker of the motion to do that one,
I’m just asking.
Ms. Sams: Okay, but you would have to extend, I would suggest that you would extend
the current provider which would be Morgan Stanley.
Mr. Hasan: So is that, so if we was to vote it and the first order of business would be to
extend it and then you put another RFQ out ---
Ms. Sams: Yes, sir ---
Mr. Hasan: --- is that how it works out?
Ms. Sams: --- but I would have to ask this Commission for a reason because when you
cancel a process, there has to be a reason for the cancellation. And I stand before you to say this
process was followed and I don’t see any reason to cancel it.
Mr. Hasan: So you support what was the recommendation you’re saying.
Ms. Sams: Yes, sir, I do.
Mr. Hasan: Okay, thank you. If I can make a substitute motion to accept the motion
as read, the caption as read.
Mr. Fennoy: Second.
Mr. Mayor: Ms. Sams ---
Ms. Sams: Yes, sir.
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Mr. Mayor: --- is it not true that this RFP was put out because there was no contract in
place?
Ms. Sams: There was a Financial Advisor in place.
Mr. Mayor: We’re talking about something different.
Ms. Sams: You’re talking about something different.
Mr. Mayor: Is it not true that the reason there’s an RFP is because there was no contract
before.
Ms. Sams: (Inaudible).
Mr. Mayor: No, they’ve been managing this post-consolidation since that time and quite
frankly before without a contract.
Ms. Sams: Mr. Mayor, I’d have to check your facts about that but the contract that’s here
followed the process of procedures of this city ---
Mr. Mayor: I didn’t ask you ---
Ms. Sams: --- I know, Mr. Mayor.
Mr. Mayor: --- about that part what you’re stating is that your office has in fact followed
your normal procurement process ---
Ms. Sams: Yes, sir, absolutely.
Mr. Mayor: --- and I fully agree with that. That’s not the question.
Ms. Sams: Okay.
Mr. Mayor: We agree with that, we know that, but that’s not the question ---
Ms. Sams: Okay.
Mr. Mayor: --- okay.
Mr. B. Williams: Mr. Mayor ---
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Mr. Mayor: All right, the Chair recognizes the Commissioner from the 9.
Mr. M. Williams: (Inaudible) common set of facts, Mr. Mayor. You always talk about and
if you know some information that we don’t have whether or not there’s a contract then that puts
me in a bad light because I can’t defend what some have and some don’t have. Ms. Sams, I guess
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I guess my question to you or to Donna or whoever. We did follow the process we were supposed
to have followed, right?
Ms. Sams: Absolutely.
Mr. M. Williams: Okay and the Mayor Pro Tem didn’t give a reason for not approving
this contract. If there’s no reason not to approve then we almost are at a juncture where we have
to approve it, is that right?
Ms. Sams: I would recommend that you do and I have since the Mayor’s question come
up with some more detail. It is up to the Pension Committee to decide when there will be an RFP
let so the Mayor being a part of that board has some information that I did not that they did not
request and RFP be let until now.
Mr. Mayor: All right, suspend right there.
Mr. M. Williams: No, no, no I’ve got the floor now. I’ve got the floor. Now you’re going
to suspend me when you get ready. I mean no, no ---
Mr. Mayor: You can talk as long as you need.
Mr. M. Williams: --- okay, thank you, sir. No, not as long as I can now you won’t go home
if I talk as long as I can. Ms. Sams, if that information wasn’t requested then we followed the
protocol to do what we need to do.
Ms. Sams: You did.
Mr. M. Williams: And whether we like this group and I don’t know them but they’ve been
here a long time. If we like them or not our job is to go ahead and go through the process because
it’s been going, went through the proper procurement.
Ms. Sams: Exactly.
Mr. M. Williams: Okay, do we have a motion to approve or disapprove?
Mr. Mayor: You have a substitute motion. You have a substitute motion to approve by
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the Commissioner from the 6 and a second.
Mr. M. Williams: Okay, I’m finished now, Mr. Mayor.
Mr. Mayor: Okay all right, I love it when you go to the common set of facts.
Mr. M. Williams: That’s right, that’s what you always say but I don’t never see them.
Mr. Mayor: And I qualify by saying put both hands on the table ---
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Mr. M. Williams: Don’t mean nothing when you got a gun under the table now.
Mr. Mayor: --- well (unintelligible) 9mm today.
Mr. M. Williams: I don’t care what it is you still got a gun under the table.
Mr. Mayor: And so to Ms. Sams’ statement, I am on the Pension Committee. In fact the
position of Mayor is the Chair of the Pension Committee ---
Ms. Sams: Yes, sir.
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Mr. Mayor: --- and again, I don’t have the history that the Commissioner from the 9 has.
I wasn’t here right after consolidation but now that I am the information that was shared with me
by our Finance Director just a couple of weeks ago was that we did not have a contract, not my
facts. And that is how we’ve operated in the city up to this point. I’m only articulating that so if
there was a decision or lack of one by the Pension Committee it predates Hardie Davis.
Ms. Sams: Yes, sir.
Mr. Mayor: And to that end the procurement process as you have continued to follow that
is what is before us today.
Ms. Sams: Yes, sir, it is.
Mr. Mayor: It is still within this body’s right to either award or to deny even with your
recommendation. And so we’ve got a substitute with a second and it came forward from the
Pension Committee without a recommendation because there was unreadiness and a lack of
support from the Commission members who make up the Pension Committee. That is how we got
here. And as we do again have input from even members who are not on the Pension Committee
there was a suggestion that we bring it to the full Commission which is what we did. The Chair
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recognizes the Commissioner from the 5.
Mr. B. Williams: Well, Mr. Mayor, I’m really on the fence and you said you were there
that day and I don’t think you would mess up your own pension I guess, could you give me some
pros that would help me make up my mind ---
Mr. Mayor: What I’d rather you do ---
Mr. B. Williams: --- or anyone for that matter.
Mr. Mayor: --- the Chair recognizes the Mayor Pro Tem.
Mr. Mayor Pro Tem: Thank you, Mr. Mayor. So the RFP process was pure. Nobody’s
questioning that but my issue is the RFP process did not take into consideration the performance
of the plans and that should be number one. When you look over the past ten plus years the amount
of money that we’ve had to put into this plan out of the General Fund when we didn’t put any
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money into in 2007, 2006 and I don’t have all the numbers with me, it’s basically the plan we
continue to have to supplement the plan through the General Fund. And when we talked about
aggressive versus passive approaches and how one company has that the other company didn’t
have it or it wasn’t discussed or was discussed whatever for me I just can’t support it. It’s too
much unrest. And when you, I look at facts, I’m a facts person. When you look at the numbers
you see how much over the past, I mean this is the only company to have the plan in I don’t know
30 years or something I think. We’ve never had a contract with them and I’m not saying they
don’t do a good job but when you look at the plan it doesn’t look like priority has been taken to
make sure that we don’t supplement the General Fund. And I think last year it was 1.7, 2.1 million,
we can do a lot in the General Fund with 2.1 million if we were managing this plan better. And I
think that’s partly on this Commission to give the Finance team direction but I think this is a prime
time opportunity for Augusta to become big boys. You know I think we need to have a discussion
about getting a CFO in this town. We’re not where we need to be. We’re growing. We need to
have that discussion as a Commission and that’s just part of this conversation so I said to deny
today because there’s a bigger conversation. Yes, the RFP process was pure but the RFP process
in my mind didn’t get to the heart of the performance of the plans the way it’s currently set up.
Thank you, Mr. Mayor.
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Mr. Mayor: All right, the Chair recognizes the Commission from the 1.
Mr. Fennoy: Yes, Mr. Mayor, and I guess my question and concern is whether or not there
are any guarantees that somebody other than Stanley Morgan could give us a better deal. Whether
I don’t know how much Mr. Mayor Pro Tem said we put in and we’ve been putting in since 2007
but I don’t know if anybody else could’ve required us to put in more or less. And if we don’t go
with Morgan Stanley and go with Merrill Lynch will we be putting in more money or would we
be putting in less money or we have to put in any money at all. There’s no guarantees in this type
of business and you know you hope for the best and you want to minimize the risk but again there’s
no guarantee so I make a call for the question, Mr. Mayor.
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Mr. Mayor: Okay all right, the Commissioner from the 1 wants to know if debate should
continue or not and he wants us to vote on it. This is whether or not debate should be, all right
again you’re not voting on the caption in front of you. You’re voting on whether debate should
continue, he called for the question.
Mr. Sias: You didn’t ask if there’s any objectors, sir.
Mr. Mayor: Voting, he called for the question.
The Clerk: The substitute motion is to approve ---
Mr. Mayor: Oh yeah, you’ve got to the substitute is the superior motion. The caption it’s
in the parking lot but he wants to stop debate, I saw some other hands still up though folks still
wanted to keep talking.
The Clerk: --- there was some unreadiness.
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Mr. Mayor: You had some more questions on the end down there ---
Mr. Hasan: Are you looking at me?
Mr. Mayor: --- yeah you.
Mr. Hasan: I’m through with it now. I just wanted to ask if I could get some cookies. I
went and got them.
Mr. Mayor: All right, I’ve got a substitute, Madam Clerk.
The Clerk: The substitute is to award the RFP 19-003 Investment Management and Trustee
Administration Services of the 1945 and 1949 Pension Plans to Morgan Stanley as recommended
by the Selection Committee.
Mr. Mayor: All right, that’s what you’re voting on.
Mr. Fennoy: Is this a roll call?
Mr. Mayor: No, we’re just simply voting.
The Clerk: Voting, sir ---
Mr. Mayor: We are.
The Clerk: --- okay.
Mr. Fennoy, Mr. D. Williams, Mr. Sias, Mr. B. Williams, Mr. Hasan and Mr. M. Williams
vote Yes.
Ms. Davis, Mr. Frantom, Mr. Garrett and Mr. Clarke vote No.
Motion Passes 6-4.
The Clerk: Item 28, I believe that’s our last.
Mr. Mayor: Our last item.
The Clerk:
ENGINEERING SERVICES
28. Discuss changing existing crossing time for pedestrians crossing Broad Street.
(Commissioner John Clarke)
Mr. Mayor: Actually, Madam Clerk, we actually have two items the addendum item ---
The Clerk: Yes, sir ---
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Mr. Mayor: --- we’ve not discussed that.
The Clerk: --- right.
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Mr. Mayor: All right, Number 28 the Chair recognizes the Commissioner from the 10.
Mr. Clarke: Thank you, Mr. Mayor. This is going to be real quick. I had a couple of calls
from some citizens talking about the time to cross on Broad Street was only 20 seconds and not
enough time to really make it all the way across the street so I went down and I checked it and
indeed it’s averaging 20 seconds to make it across the street. So I think Broad Street is a 166 feet
wide and an average adult unaffirmed without complications averages 4 ½ feet per second so that
doesn’t give an unencumbered adult enough time to cross the street much less anyone with you
know any physical difficulties, children and anything else. So I would like to ask Traffic is there
any way that we can adjust those crossing lights to at least 38 seconds and that way it’ll give people
enough time to cross.
Mr. Mayor: All right, the Chair recognizes Traffic Engineer Ussery.
Mr. Ussery: Good afternoon. Let me lay a little groundwork first and then I’ll answer your
question. The Federal Government mandates that all municipalities use the walking speed of 3 ½
feet per second for the average citizen in the United States so that’s what we use to time our traffic
signals as far as the pedestrian phases go. I don’t know where on Broad Street you’re referring to
but Broad Street many sections have a pedestrian refuge in the middle of the street. That’s a wide
median where the pedestrian can get out of the path of oncoming vehicles. The law also requires
that I give sufficient time for somebody to get to that pedestrian refuge, not all the way across the
street. And so if there was no median then yes I would have to I would have to give them time to
get from one corner to the other corner but because there’s a pedestrian refuge, I have to give them
enough time to get from the corner to the middle. We can look into extending the pedestrian green
times in traffic. There’s always a balance between safety and efficiency and so if I triple the
pedestrian walk time it depends on the direction but you could severely hamper the flow of traffic.
So it depends on the location and it depends on the direction they want to walk so it’s definitely
something I can get with you, Commissioner, and we can look at the specific location you’re
referring to and we can see what we can do to give the pedestrian as much time as possible.
Mr. Clarke: Okay, thank you, sir. I make a motion that we receive this as information
at this time.
Mr. Garrett: Second.
Mr. Mayor: Voting.
The Clerk: Mr. Fennoy, are you there?
Mr. Fennoy: I’m trying to figure out some, Ms. Bonner.
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The Clerk: Okay, sir. Waiting on you today is like being stalked by a turtle. We need a
little levity. I just thought of it it’s kind of lame but I mean.
Mr. Fennoy: Stalked by a turtle, got that part right.
Motion Passes 10-0.
Mr. Mayor: Addendum Item, Madam Clerk.
The Clerk: Addendum Item, Dr. Malik or Mr. Ussery.
The Clerk:
ADDENDUM
30. Discuss Augusta Engineering Department’s recommendations for the opening of the
Olive Road Overpass. (Requested by Administration)
Mr. Ussery: So again good afternoon. Last week at the Committee meeting I was tasked
with coming up with some recommendations for the issues that we seem to continually have at the
Olive Road Railroad Crossing. And so what I’m going to go through is I’ll keep this quick. I know
we’ve all been in here a long time. Some of the recommendations from our department on what
we would like to do at that location. So this picture from an accident right before the Masters
Tournament in case you’re wondering so this year up to this date we’ve had seven crashes at this
location. All of them have been in the northbound direction so basically you’re heading away
from Martin Luther King Boulevard heading towards the bridge. There’s three alternatives that
we’ve come up with. We have our department recommendation that I’ll go through in more detail
that’s the first one. The second one is we can continue to allow truck traffic to go through this
location. Basically we would keep it sort of the way it is. We could update the signage and see if
we could do a more effective way to do that but basically leave it the way it is and then the last
choice is the CSX recommendation to close the bridge to all traffic. So the Augusta Engineering
Department’s recommendation is to do three things: install new guide and detour signs to direct
all truck traffic around the low hanging bridge. We would not differentiate between the type of
trucks like we do now and so any person, any truck we would ask that they detour around this
bridge. The second thing would be to install speed bumps prior to the existing stop signs for both
directions as you approach this bridge and lastly we would replace the standard stop and stop ahead
signs with signs that with the same sign that has an LED embedded in the sign itself. These are
some examples of some signs that we would use to detour the truck traffic. The one on the far left
we would change to read Road Closed to Truck Traffic not Thru Traffic so if you’re in a passenger
vehicle or bicycle or pedestrian you can still utilize Olive Road to get underneath the railroad
tracks. The second one and the third one are just examples of various approved signs that we can
use to detour the truck traffic around this overpass. Speed bumps, I tried really hard to put it on a
map and get it in here but it just was not looking good so I decided I’d describe it instead of show
it. Basically what I’d like to do is put two speed bumps for each direction. One speed bump would
be just a few hundred feet behind the existing stop bars and then several hundred feet behind the
first bump would be a second bump so within the span of about five/six hundred feet you’d have
two speed bumps to slow down the traffic hopefully as they approach the stop bar. This last
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recommendation is the LED signs that I was referring to so we would remove the standard stop
sign and the standard stop ahead sign and we would replace them with signs that have LED lights
embedded in them. You can see on the picture on the left that even during the bright daytime
hours you can still see the LED lights they’re quite bright. These signs are solar powered so they
have a battery in the back of the sign and they’re charged by the sun. Also I recommend it’s a
little bit more expensive there’s also a radar component we can add to the sign so the sign doesn’t
just flash all the time the sign will only flash when a vehicle approaches it. So about four hundred
feet, 300 hundred feet from the stop sign itself the sign would light up so the sign isn’t always lit.
It’s only lit if a vehicle is approaching it. I think that’s important because if a sign always is lit or
it’s always blinking people that frequent the area will just get used to seeing it and then they’ll
start ignoring it so that’s I think it’s important we spend a little extra money for the radar detection
and on the right is the stop ahead sign same idea. I was also asked to provide the cost to provide
these recommended changes so you can see we would need to install four speed bumps at a cost
of $3,500 dollars each, ten approximately 10 street signs or so $150.00 each and four LED signs
at $2,500 dollars apiece for a total cost of a little over $25,000 dollars. The LED signs and the
street signs can be absorbed in the Traffic Engineering budget. I can take care of those and then
I’ll have to work with the Director and the Administrator on the speed bumps which is basically
asphalt and some paint and that kind of thing.
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Mr. Mayor: The Chair recognizes the Commissioner from the 8.
Mr. Garrett: Thank you, Mayor. I’ve got a couple of questions for Mr. Ussery ---
Mr. Mayor: Microphone please.
Mr. Garrett: --- I’ve got some questions for Mr. Ussery.
The Clerk: Microphone please.
Mr. Garrett: It’s right there, is this better?
The Clerk: Much better.
Mr. Garrett: Mr. Ussery, is there a reason why we can’t put a sign hanging over the top of
the road? I mean it doesn’t have to be a metal beam, doesn’t have to I mean like you see when you
go into parking garages if you hit this you’re going to hit the bridge.
Mr. Ussery: We have a sign already handing over the top of the road. We can modify that
sign to say that if you would like and that’s one of the items that we had discussed. I just don’t
want to hang so low that it can be hit. That’s my goal.
Mr. Garrett: I guess my question was to make it the same height as the bridge that way it
would get hit before the bridge.
Mr. Ussery: I do not recommend that.
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Mr. Garrett: Is there a reason behind that?
Mr. Ussery: It’s never a good practice to put something in the roadway that can
intentionally be struck. Right now the bridge is it’s a railroad bridge so the railroad is responsible
every time that bridge is struck. If we put something in the right-of-way at the same height as the
bridge even though we know it’s three feet too low then it’s our responsibility when it gets hit.
Mr. Garrett: I got you. Is the railroad helping with any of these costs that you’re
recommending we implement?
Mr. Ussery: The only offer we’ve received of assistance from CSX is if we close it they
said they can provide some funding to upgrade nearby crossings for the detour.
Mr. Garrett: I remember that conversation. That’s why I asked the question. Thank you,
Mayor.
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Mr. Mayor: Thank you. The Chair recognizes the Commissioner from the 9.
Mr. M. Williams: Thank you, Mr. Mayor. Mr. Ussery, the cost of the asphalt speed bump
kind of bothers me. You mean to tell me it’s going to cost us $3,500 dollars to put down speed
bumps and that we don’t have a crew we don’t have an in-house somebody can put down? I mean
we’re not talking professionally done. I mean you can put some rocks in the road as far as I’m
concerned. I just want the traffic to be able to go through there. But why is it going to cost $3,500
dollars to put down asphalt in that area there for the trucks to do that?
Mr. Ussery: I checked with our Maintenance Division and they don’t have the capability
right now to install the proper kind of speed bump. The speed bump we’re talking about is not the
speed bump you would see in a grocery store parking lot. Those bumps are too short or too high.
And so it would severely hamper emergency services from getting to where they need to go and it
would also cause injury so when we talk about a speed bump our speed bumps are not as high and
longer. And so there’s lot more asphalt involved in that plus they have to be shaped a certain way
so that’s all specialty items and that’s why you know it’s $3,500 dollars apiece.
Mr. M. Williams: Well, I get that but at the same time this is a bridge that’s been hit
numerous times and I’m not worried about how the look and how they’re going to affect other
people who are speeding we’re trying to prevent. There’s a stop sign and as they come to that stop
sign they hit those and won’t hit those out there when they approach those speed bumps and I
know some in the neighborhoods they kind of rise up a little bit that’s not going to stop it. We’re
wasting our time now. If we’re going to put that kind of rise just to go over they’re going to by
flying so fast. Something’s got to make them put on brakes that may slow them but that’s going
to stop them. When they need to come to a stop you know they can’t through there. Then if they
start off again they won’t do any damage because they got a short distance so if you’re talking
about a rise up I think we’re wasting our time. I go through neighborhoods got a rise up and people
just go on across there. We need a speed bump. We don’t need ten. We need about two of them
if they’re at a distance enough apart when they hit that they won’t hit brakes. Now the people in
that community are going to understand that and they’re going to ease up to them and ease on
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across folks who travel that road frequently. But those that don’t understand, don’t know that
road, they come down there and it’s a rise enough that’s going to stop them from approaching that
at that kind of speed but if we just do a rise it’s just going they’re just going to float with it. Now
I lived on Heard Avenue. Ms. Bonner, here I go again. I’ve been into everything but I lived up the
street on Heard Avenue nineteen something along there but right there on Heard Avenue coming
off the hill, there’s a stop sign and they’re not using it but we need to put those speed bumps so
when they have to stop at that stop sign because it’s going to make them, going to make an effect
like that. But if you’re talking about a rise, I’m not supportive of that because I don’t think a rise
is going to do it. You’ve got to have a speed bump that’s going to stop them from coming and if
it wasn’t something necessary and they ride through the neighborhood I can’t do that. This is not
a neighborhood. These are people coming through town using that entrance so we need to have
something that’s going to be effective, Mr. Mayor. A rise is not going to be effective. We need a
speed bump.
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Mr. Mayor: The Chair recognizes the Commissioner from the 6.
Mr. Hasan: Thank you, Mr. Mayor. Mr. Ussery, just once again the speed bump, what
impact do you think this bump will have?
Mr. Ussery: A speed bump in a public street is recommended by the Federal Highway
Administration. You can traverse it at approximately 15 miles an hour. That’s the bump is
designed for that speed. A speed bump in a parking lot that you would see in front of a grocery
store or Walmart of whatever those are designed to be 5 mile and hour speed bumps. But because
of emergency services and because it’s because a public right-of-way, it’s very difficult to put in
something that you can require somebody to put up you know to go over it at 5 miles an hour.
Every time an emergency vehicle has to go over the bump in like a parking lot it takes then 30
seconds. The fire truck has to essentially stop, crawl over it and keep on going and if we put the
series of these in, you can only imagine the time you just adds and adds. And so when you’re
talking about an emergency where somebody’s having a stroke you need to get to them within a
few minutes. You know if I have two, three, four bumps in the way and it takes them 2 minutes
to get over the bumps you’ve effectively doubled their response time. And so that’s why I do not
recommend we put any sort of bump that’s two sharp and too tall in the public right-of-way
because we have other considerations besides the speed.
Mr. Hasan: What you have before us if the Commission were to approve this today how
soon can you install all of this?
Mr. Ussery: The signs we can get in within probably two weeks. We have to make the
signs and then we have to mount them and all of that. The LED signs I would have to go through
the Procurement process. If the anticipated cost is around $10,000 dollars then the Director could
sign off on it. If it’s between ten and twenty-five the Administrator would have to approve it but
I would still have to go through the process, it would still take a few weeks. And the bumps I don’t
know. We have talked to several companies in town that do asphalt and we have yet to get back
on you know much Heard would take.
Mr. Hasan: Is the road still closed?
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Mr. Ussery: It is closed. It was supposed to be opened today but as directed last week we
kept it closed until I brought this back and then a decision is made.
Mr. Hasan: So my point to that point is that and I think the Procurement Director has left
at this point but for me I see this being an emergency situation. You’re talking about $10,000
dollars there for one of them which one you said you had to procure, which one was it?
Mr. Ussery: The LED signs.
Mr. Hasan: The LED signs. I mean will the Administrator somebody can do that in an
emergency situation because we can’t wait for that road to be closed forever.
Mr. Ussery: So I’d say a minimum of two more weeks.
Mr. Hasan: Okay, I like to make a motion to approve.
Ms. Davis: Second.
Mr. Mayor: All right, I’ve got a motion and a second.
Mr. M. Williams: Point of Order, Mr. Mayor.
Mr. Mayor: Okay, hold on a minute. All right, the Chair recognizes the Commissioner
st
from the 1.
Mr. Fennoy: Mr. Ussery ---
Mr. Ussery: Yes, sir.
Mr. Fennoy: --- the speed bumps that they have on Laney Walker between R.A. Dent and
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15 Street, are these the type of speed bumps you’re talking, referring to?
Mr. Ussery: I’m not familiar with those but the speed bumps I’m referring to are
approximately 15-feet long, four inches high and the top if it’s a good about half of it’s flat so it
goes up it’s flat it goes down.
Mr. Fennoy: Okay, I go through Augusta University on Laney Walker all the time and
they’ve got speed bumps but they don’t slow anybody down.
Mr. M. Williams: That’s right.
Mr. Fennoy: And I’m not sure this is the kind ---
Mr. Ussery: The whole goal of the speed bump is to slow them down enough to see the
enhanced visibility of the stop sign that has the embedded lights in it. That’s how it works together
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so it’s not to stop them. It’s to slow them down enough where they the stop sign actually the stop
ahead sign will start to flash at them several hundred feet before they get to the stop sign and then
they have to go through speed bumps which should keep the speed low then they see the stop sign
that’s the point.
Mr. Fennoy: --- all right.
Mr. Mayor: Okay, all right ---
Mr. M. Williams: Can I ---
Mr. Mayor: --- I’m going to recognize you. All right, the Chair recognizes the
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Commissioner from the 9.
Mr. M. Williams: --- thank you. Mr. Ussery, first of all we’re coming to a stop sign. The
emergency equipment you’re talking about do not travel through that. None of our Fire
Departments, none of our ambulance services use that corridor so that’s really going into a stone
wall. We’re not talking about a regular traffic. We’re talking about people who are coming with
rental trucks and maybe are not familiar. I don’t think you need no more in my opinion two of the
speed bumps. But if you’ve got a rise and somebody’s coming traveling pretty fast that means
they’re still going to hit the bridge. There’s a stop sign there. We’re coming to a stop and they
don’t even heed to that so we’ve got to do something because the neighbors are suffering even the
time they’re closed down like we’ve been closed a couple, three weeks already another week or
two. I mean the people are being impacted that live in that area because we’ve got some drivers
not everyone but a few drivers with these rental trucks coming through there. So if we put two
speed bumps not rises but speed bumps, Commissioner Fennoy’s right you go through Laney
Walker on the overpass there where they built across it doesn’t slow you down. They rise up but
you keep right on going so we need to put something that’s going to be effective. You say man
you done made these people stop, impact them in such a way where they had to slam on brakes.
That’s not true. They’re coming to a stop sign on both directions and if the firemen was driving
and Mr. Mayor hadn’t been a fireman but if he was driving he would swing into the outside and
go around the speed bump to make that right turn White Road. I mean he wouldn’t just go straight
up into that. So I’m a firm believer that we can do a lot of good this time. This has been before
us too many times. Build something with a speed bump that’s going to be effective. You don’t
need but two of them. Just enough distance between here and the middle of this room when you
hit that first one and you’re coming to the second they’ve got enough time to stop but beyond that
I don’t think we have a much problems as we think we have.
Mr. Mayor: All right, I’ve got a motion and a second with the appropriate
recommendations, voting.
Mr. Mayor: Madam Clerk, I don’t think there’s any other business before us beyond this,
is that correct?
The Clerk: No, sir, you’re right. Let me publish this.
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Mr. Frantom out.
Motion Passes 9-0.
The Clerk: That’s it, sir.
Mr. Mayor: All right, thank you.
\[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
September 3, 2019.
______________________________
Clerk of Commission
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