HomeMy WebLinkAboutRegular Commission Meeting December 3, 2019
REGULAR MEETING COMMISSION CHAMBER
DECEMBER 3, 2019
Augusta Richmond County Commission convened at 2:00 p.m., December 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.
The Mayor called the meeting to order.
The Clerk: At this time I call your attention to the invocation portion of our agenda which
will be delivered by Reverend David Kingcannon, Pastor, Trumpet in Zion Fellowship Church.
Would you please stand and Pledge of Allegiance after which.
The invocation was given by Reverend David Kingcannon, Pastor, Trumpet in Zion
Fellowship.
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 Pastor
David Kingcannon Sr., Trumpet in Zion in Fellowship, Inc. is the Chaplain of the Day his spiritual
guidance and civic leadership serves as an example for all citizens of Augusta. Given under my
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hand this 3 Day of December 2019, Hardie Davis Jr., Mayor, thank you.
Mr. Mayor: Would you join me in thanking Pastor Kingcannon for his services as our
Chaplain, thank you.
RECOGNITION(S)
Years of Service
A. Congratulation! November Years of Services Recipients.
The Clerk: I call your attention to the Recognition portion of our agenda, Years of Service.
Congratulations is offered by the Mayor and Commission to the November Years of Service
Recipients. We ask Ms. Sylvia Williams from our Human Resources Department to please come
forward to acknowledge the recipients. Thank you.
Ms. Williams: Thank you, Madam Clerk. Good afternoon Mayor Davis, Commissioners,
Administrator, Madam Clerk, Directors, special guests and the citizens of Augusta Georgia. My
name is Sylvia Williams. I’m the Employee Relations and Training Manager for the Human
Resources Department. Today it is my esteemed pleasure to recognize the November Years of
Service Recipients. For the month of November 2019 we have 33 employees celebrating between
5 and 20-Years of Service. Today we would like to recognize our 25 to 50-Years of Service
Recipients. The total years of service being celebrated here today in institutional knowledge is
435 years. When I call your name (APPLAUSE) when I call your name please come forward.
Dalton Sherrouse Augusta Canal Authority ---
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The Clerk: Dayton.
Ms. Williams: --- is it Dayton, thank you. Dayton Sherrouse, Augusta Canal Authority,
25 years. (APPLAUSE) Diane Howard, Tax Commissioner, 35 years. (APPLAUSE) Gaynell
Bonner, Augusta Law Department, 45 years. (APPLAUSE) Please join me in a round of applause
as we thank these employees for their loyal service to Augusta. (APPLAUSE)
Mr. Brown: Thank you to all the employees but I’ve just come to speak of, to Ms. Gaynell
Bonner, one of our treasured employees of the Law Department. 45 years is a very, very long
time to be committed to an organization. And I just want you to know in the Law Department we
appreciate you, we love you and we’re so glad you’re on our team. And we hope that you continue
to bless us with your presence and all the hard work that you do because we certainly can do one
thing: we can count on you. You’re there when we get there, you have so much knowledge and
so much resources and we appreciate that. Thank you. (APPLAUSE)
RECOGNITION(S)
ARC United Way Campaign
B. ARC United Way Campaign total announcement recognitions. (Requested by the
Administrator)
The Clerk: I draw your attention to Item number B under our Recognition portion of the
agenda. We would like to recognize the United Way Campaign and its total announcement
recognition.
Mr. Scott Peebles: Mr. Mayor, Commissioners, distinguished guests, thank you for
allowing me just a moment to tell you about the work that the city did on behalf of the United Way
this year and it’s fitting that we’re doing this on giving Tuesday as I found out earlier. So before
I announce the total I would like to make a special thanks to the elected officials, the department
directors and Administrator Sims for providing their leadership for this campaign. They also set
the tones within their departments to allow the funds to be raised and they also provided resources
in the way of the Employee Campaign Managers who were able to do the hard work of getting the
funds raised. But not only that they also gave their own money very generously and we’re
appreciative of that. We also have here among us a few of the Employee Campaign Managers if
you’re an Employee Campaign Manager will you please stand for just a moment so we can
recognize you? (APPLAUSE) Folks will you give these guys a round of applause. These are the
people who made this campaign happen. They’re the boots on the ground. They are working day
in and day out to make sure that this is a success. None of this could happen without them. So
without further ado I will, I would like to announce the total funds that the city has raised this year
for United Way of the CSRA and that is $47,845.00 dollars. (APPLAUSE) And, Mr. Mayor, I
think this underscores the generous nature of our employees in the city. Not only do they serve
every single day in the capacity of employees for the city but when they’re asked to go into their
own pockets they do that to make sure that those who are less fortunate in our community are also
have their needs met and we’re very thankful. And before I turn it over to you, Mr. Mayor, I’d
also like to recognize Shelly Good and she is the one who really made all this happen. She worked
day in and day out, she’s very organized, she’s determined and focused and so I’m just grateful to
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have been on her team. And with that I’ll turn it over to you and introduce to you the Executive
Director of the United Way of the CSRA Ms. Brittany Burnett.
Mr. Mayor: Thank you, Deputy Marshal Peebles. What an incredible job the City of
Augusta continues to do in being a tremendous partner again as you said it couldn’t happen without
an amazing staff. Thank you to our two co-chairs who have done a phenomenal job in making this
possible. Brittany, we welcomed you into the City of Augusta. We continue to set a record in
terms of what’s being raised every year and thank you for the work that you’re going to do in
helping to make sure that these dollars go into the neediest of hands. Once again congratulations
on behalf of the Augusta Commission and our entire city kudos to the team, thank you.
(APPLAUSE) All right, Attorney Cooper, if you’ll come and take the seat for a moment we’re
going to move on, Madam Clerk.
DELEGATIONS
C. Public Art update from the Greater Augusta Arts Council.
The Clerk: Yes, sir, item number six is on our addendum agenda for a request for a
deletion.
Mr. Mayor: Okay, I’ll tell you what ---
Mr. Frantom: Do you mean ‘C’?
The Clerk: Item C, yes.
Mr. Mayor: --- so item, all right so let’s do this, Madam Clerk. Let me draw everybody’s
attention to the Addendum agenda items; we have two. We’ve got a matter that is before us Public
Art update from the Greater Augusta Arts Council. It’s requested to be deferred to the December
17. And then there’s a request for an addition; this is an appointment addition. Do we have
concurs?
The Clerk: Do you have one and two?
Mr. Mayor: One and two, that’s correct one and two. Do we have concurrence? All right,
without objection, okay.
The Clerk: Our Consent Agenda consists of Item 1.
Mr. Mayor: Okay, all right, I think at this point what I’d like to do is entertain motions to
add items to the Consent Agenda and I think we’re going to be in a good place as we move forward
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to do that. All right, the Chair recognizes the Commissioner from the 4.
Mr. Sias: Thank you, sir. Sir, I’d like to request that we consent the following items. The
items that were added to that we added on the Addendum agenda I’d like to add those to the
consent.
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Mr. Mayor: Okay.
Mr. Sias: Also and I will go to Administrative Services portion. I’d like to consent Item
12, Item 13, Item 15, Item 16, Item 17 and Item 18.
Mr. Hasan: I have a question about Item 15, Mr. Mayor.
Mr. Sias: And I can withdraw that request for consent on Item 15.
Mr. Mayor: All right, very well.
Mr. M. Williams: And Number 13 what ---
The Clerk: Do you have a question on 15?
Mr. Mayor: Do you have a ---
Mr. Hasan: Fifteen.
The Clerk: Yeah, he has a question on 15 so we’ll take 15 out.
Mr. Mayor: All right, there’s an objection to 13 as well.
The Clerk: Okay.
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Mr. Mayor: All right, the Chair recognizes the Commissioner from the 6.
Mr. Hasan: Mr. Mayor, I wanted to delete Item 31. This item that I put on there I got my
questions answered so I’d like to delete 31.
The Clerk: Item 31 to delete, okay.
Mr. Mayor: Okay.
The Clerk: Mr. Mayor ---
Mr. Mayor: Yes, ma’am.
The Clerk: --- Item Number 32 is requested to be ---
Mr. Mayor: Deleted as well.
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The Clerk: --- referred to the December 10 committee Engineering Services committee
meeting.
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Mr. Mayor: Okay. All right again Item 32 referred to the Engineering Services Committee
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on 10 December. All right, the Chair recognizes the Commissioner from the 2.
Mr. D. Williams: Mr. Chairman, I’d like to consent Item Number 19.
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Mr. Mayor: All right, the Chair recognizes the Commissioner from the 9.
Mr. M. Williams: Mr. Mayor, I’m not going to say anything on this ---
Mr. Mayor: Okay ---
Mr. M. Williams: --- no, no ---
Mr. Mayor: --- all right.
Mr. M. Williams: --- I’m going to consent everything except Item Number 36, 20 through
37.
Mr. Mayor: All right repeat that again, sir.
Mr. M. Williams: I’m consenting everything on Engineering Services. The only item I’m
going to pull is Item 36, 22 to 37, 32 is going to be.
Mr. Mayor: Okay so the only item on the Engineering Services that is not being consented
is Item 36 ---
Mr. M. Williams: Item 36.
Mr. Mayor: --- we’ll have discussion.
The Clerk: You had a question on 35, okay, so we won’t consent that one.
Mr. Mayor: All right, so 35 and 36 are not on Consent. All right, the Chair goes to the
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distinguished lady from the 3.
Ms. Davis: Thank you, Mr. Mayor, I’d like to consent 5, Item 6 ---
Mr. Hasan: Six was deleted, wasn’t it?
Mr. Mayor Pro Tem: No, it wasn’t. That was a mistake it was, actually she said ‘C’.
Ms. Davis: --- okay so consent Item 5 and 6, 7 and 8.
Mr. Hasan: I have a question about 8 please.
Ms. Davis: Okay.
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Mr. Mayor: Okay, so 5, 6, 7.
Ms. Davis: Thank you, Mr. Mayor.
Mr. Mayor: All right, back on Administrative Services while it is in fact in the discussion
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I think the request is fitting and proper. In the words from the Commissioner from the 1 why
don’t we well, I guess we need to make that in the form of a motion that’s the only thing because
again it’s just a caption discuss and/or approve but I think we could approve that and that is again
continuing our work around Public Art so let’s consent that item, consent the approval of placing
a piano in the lobby of the Municipal Building.
Mr. Sias: I have no problem with that.
Mr. Fennoy: I’m okay with that.
Mr. Mayor: Okay, all right.
The Clerk: Are you going to consent Finance?
Mr. Fennoy: Yes ---
The Clerk: Say it.
Mr. Mayor: Yeah, I like that as well.
The Clerk: Number 21?
Mr. Mayor: Number 21, yes.
The Clerk: Add Item 21.
Mr. Mayor: Okay, hold on just one second.
Mr. B. Williams: Mr. Mayor.
Mr. Mayor: All right I’m coming to you, give me just one minute. My eyes are straining
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right now. Okay, all right the Chair recognizes the Commissioner from the 5.
Mr. B. Williams: Motion to delete Number 8.
The Clerk: To delete ---
Mr. Hasan: I had a question ---
The Clerk: There was no question about that.
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Mr. B. Williams: Okay.
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Mr. Mayor: All right, Commissioner from the 5 what’s our posture concerning Number
8, what are we doing?
Mr. B. Williams: Well, if has a question I’m fine with it.
Mr. Mayor: Okay, all right ---
Mr. Mayor Pro Tem: So we’re not deleting it.
Mr. Mayor: --- okay we’re going to have a debate about it, okay? All right, the Chair
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recognizes the Commissioner from the 1.
Mr. Fennoy: Mr. Mayor, based on the way that we have consented these items on the
agenda I’d like to make a motion that we have more 12:00 o’clock meetings.
Mr. Mayor Pro Tem: 37 we have to, we did not do 36, 36, 37 ---
Mr. Mayor: No, 35 and 36 were pulled Item Number 36 ---
Mr. M. Williams: Engineering.
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Mr. Mayor: All right, we’re going back to the Commissioner from the 5 we’re going to
delete Item Number 8 ---
The Clerk: Number 8 ---
Mr. Mayor: --- Number 8 will be deleted.
The Clerk: --- will be deleted.
Mr. M. Williams: I thought we were having a discussion.
Mr. Mayor: That’s why we’re deleting it because there needs to be more discussion about
it, okay? We’re adding it to the consent for deletion.
Mr. Hasan: Mr. Mayor, I have one question before you vote please?
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Mr. Mayor: Yes, sir, the Chair recognizes the Commissioner from the 6.
Mr. Hasan: Will it come back to the committee cycle?
Mr. Mayor: It will.
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Mr. Hasan: Okay.
Mr. Mayor: It will come back to the committee cycle.
Mr. Hasan: All right.
The Clerk: Do we need to refer it to the next one or are we ---
Mr. Mayor: That’s fine ---
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The Clerk: --- okay, to the December 10 meeting
Mr. Mayor: --- we’ll refer it to the December 10 Public Services Committee meeting. Is
that sufficient enough time, Mr. Judon? Okay, are you sure? That’s next Tuesday, all right, we’re
defer it to next year, you okay with that?
Mr. Judon: (Inaudible).
Mr. Mayor: Okay that’s fine, all right, 10 December Public Services Agenda, okay.
Madam Clerk ---
The Clerk: Yes, sir.
Mr. Mayor: --- take your time whenever you’re ready.
Mr. Mayor: So items, items, Item 22 through 37 are consented minus 35, 36. So 22 through
37 ---
Mr. Frantom: 31’s deleted.
Mr. Hasan: 31 was deleted.
Mr. Mayor: --- that’s correct, that’s correct.
The Clerk: Do you want me to call them out?
Mr. Mayor: Well, I think they’re just looking at what’s on the screen ---
The Clerk: Yeah, that’s what I was saying, let me just call them out ---
Mr. Mayor: --- okay.
The Clerk: --- so that we can have clarity. Item Number 5 added to the Consent, Item 6,
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Item 7, Item 8 is referred to the December 10 Public Services Committee. Item 11 added to the
Consent 12, 16, 17, 18, 19, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30 deleting Item 31 to the Consent.
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Item 32 referred to the December 10 Engineering Services Committee. Item Number 33 for
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approval, 34 and the two items on our Addendum Agenda Item 1 and 2. That will consist our
Consent Agenda.
Mr. Mayor: The Chair recognizes the Mayor Pro Tem.
Mr. Hasan: 37 as well right?
The Clerk: No, we didn’t get to that. Do we want to add that one?
Mr. Hasan: I thought it was on there already.
Mr. Mayor Pro Tem: Motion to approve as just stated and on the screen.
Mr. Hasan: Second.
Mr. B. Williams: Second.
Mr. Sias: You’re a little late with that one.
CONSENT AGENDA
PETITIONS AND COMMUNICATIONS
1. Motion to approve the minutes of the regular meeting of the Augusta Commission held
on November 19, 2019.
PUBLIC SERVICES
5. A motion to renew the Sec. 5311 Rural Transit grant application between the Georgia
Department of Transportation (GDOT) and Augusta, Georgia for October 1, 2020 to
September 30, 2021.
6. Motion to approve the Change Order #1 with Precision Approach-Airfield Electrical
Rehab in the amount of $308,562.88. Original Contract amount $609,381.50 with the new
scope of work and change order, new project cost will be $917,944.38. Change Order will be
covered by PFC (passenger facility charges)
7. Motion to approve the Change Order #2 McCarthy for works that will be carried out by
McCarthy Improvement Company for the GA Apron Ramp Rehabilitation Project at
Augusta Regional Airport.
8. Motion to approve the third amendment (6 month extension) with Hall Marketing for
consulting services with Augusta Regional Airport.
ADMINISTRATIVE SERVICES
11. Discuss/approve a request from the Jessye Norman School of The Arts to place a public
art piano in the lobby of the Municipal Building as part of their Public Art Project.
(Requested by Commissioner Bill Fennoy)
12. Approve Quintech Solutions, Inc. of Lithonia, Georgia to replace the flooring at the
Richmond County Sheriff’s Office in the amount of $172,262.82. ITB 19-153B.
15. Motion to approve Anthem Stop Loss Renewal.
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16. Motion to approve Housing and Community Development Department’s (HCD’s)
request to provide HOME funding to Sand Hills Urban Development to develop one (1)
single family housing unit for a low to moderate income family and to increase budget for
HOME grant project in the amount of $82,500.00 in org key 221073212-3313122-HOME
grant income and 5225110-Construction Service.
17. Motion to approve Housing and Community Development Department’s (HCD’s)
request to increase the 2019 Budget in the amount of $86,819.26 to support temporary
workforce.
18. Motion to approve Housing and Community Development Department’s (HCD’s)
request to provide Laney Walker/Bethlehem Revitalization Funding to contract with Laney
Walker Development Corporation to construct one (1) workforce unite on Boyd Lane.
PUBLIC SAFETY
19. Approve the execution of the Lease/Purchase Master Agreement with Key Government
Finance, Inc., and the Escrow Agreement with the Bank of New York Mellon Trust
Company, N.A. for core network infrastructure.
FINANCE
21. Motion to approve annual Leave Buy Back Program up to the Amount of 24 Hours to be
paid on the December 20, 2019 paycheck.
ENGINEERING SERVICES
22. Approve award of Preliminary Engineering Phase of Design Consultant Contract to Civil
Services, Inc. in the amount of $220,683.60 for Highland Avenue Bridge over CSX Railroad
(Bridge Repair and Restoration), subject to receipt of signed contract as requested by AED.
RFQ 19-242.
23. Approve entering into an agreement with Norfolk Southern Railway Company stating
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that Augusta, GA will pay for the Preliminary Engineering and Review for the 6 Street
Improvements Project in accordance with the estimate $24,975.00. Also, approve the
Agreement to be executed by the Augusta, GA Legal Counsel and the Mayor as requested
by Augusta Engineering Department.
24. Approve Sole Source Procurement of Chemical Room Floor Coating at a cost of
$39,900.00.
25. Approve the purchase of a Kubota M7060 HCD Tractor Loader-Batwing-Sweeper
Combo, bid item #19-266 to J&B Tractor Co., Inc. as they met all of the bid requirements
and are the low bidder.
26. Approve two easements on Chester Avenue for Georgia Power Company to run
electricity to a new lift station.
27. Motion to determine that a Portion of Former Hephzibah McBean Road at Peach
Orchard Road as shown on the attached map has ceased to be used by the public to the extent
that no substantial public purpose is served by it or that its removal from the county road
system is otherwise in the best public interest, pursuant to O.C.G.A. §32-7-2, with the
abandoned property to be quit-claimed to the appropriate party(ies), as provided by law and
an easement to be retained over the entire abandoned portion for existing or future utilities
as directed by Augusta Engineering Department and Augusta Utilities Department.
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28. Approve and award Preliminary Engineering Concept Phase (design phase 1) of the
Design Consultant Services Agreement to Infrastructure Systems Management, LLC in the
amount of $565,559.37 for the Skinner Mill Road Improvements Project as requested by the
AED. Award is contingent upon receipt of signed agreement. RFQ 19-239.
29. Approve and award Preliminary Engineering Concept Phase (design phase 1) of the
Design Consultant Services Agreement to Wolverton & Associates, Inc. in the amount of
$428,454.07 for the Wrightsboro Road Improvements Project as requested by the AED.
Award is contingent upon receipt of signed agreement. RFQ 19-238.
30. Approve award of Preliminary Engineering Phase of Design Consultant Contract to
Moreland Altobelli in the amount of $46,112.33 for Walton Way over Hawks Gully (Augusta
Canal) Bridge (Repair and Restoration), subject to receipt of signed contract as requested
by AED. RFQ 12-243.
31. Discuss procurement of Richmond County TIA Ban 2 Projects to meet state law
mandated deadline requiring construction to begin by the end of 2019. (Requested by
Commissioner Ben Hasan)
32. Motion to approve the Clanton Road swap with a 12-month warranty. (Requested by
Commissioner Brandon Garrett)
33. Approve and award Preliminary Engineering Concept Phase (design phase 1) of the
Design Consultant Services Agreement to Pond & Company in the amount of $187,180.32
for the Walton Way (Lake Forest Dr. to Milledge Rd.) Safety and Operational Improvements
Project as requested by the AED. Award is contingent upon receipt of signed agreement.
RFQ 19-244.
34. Approve and award Preliminary Engineering Concept Phase (design phase 1) of the
Design Consultant Services Agreement to Kimley-Horn in the amount of $302,027.14 for the
Monte Sano Ave. Improvements (Wrightsboro Rd. to Walton Way) Project as requested by
the AED. Award is contingent upon receipt of signed agreement. (RFQ 19-247.
35. Consider approving and accepting a sanitary sewer easement and pipeline that runs
across Glenn Hills Middle School.
ADDENDUM
38. Motion to approve the appointment of Mr. Edward Lowery to the Augusta Animal
Services Citizens Advisory Board representing District 6. (Requested by Commissioner Ben
Hasan)
39. Motion to approve Housing and Community Development Department’s (HCD’s) to
provide HOME funding to assist three (3) low to moderate income homebuyers with gap
financing, down payment and closing cost to purchase homes.
Mr. Mayor: Okay, all right, voting.
Motion Passes 10-0. \[Items 5-8, 11, 12, 16-19, 21-34, 38, 39\]
Mr. Mayor: Madam Clerk, let’s go 2 and then 3.
The Clerk: Ms. Walton, Item Number 2, ma’am.
The Clerk:
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PUBLIC SERVICES
2. New Location: A.N. 19-42: A request by Natalie C. Lassic for a consumption on premise
Liquor, Beer & Wine license to be used in connection with 7 Milentertainment, LLC located
at 519 Broad Street. There will be Dance. District 1. Super District 9.
Ms. Walton: Good afternoon. This item is a new location alcohol #19-42 it’s a request by
Natalie C. Lassic for a consumption on premise Liquor, Beer & Wine license to be used in
connection with 7 Milentertainment, LLC located at 519 Broad Street. There will be Dance at this
location. This application has been approved by the Sheriff’s Department and the Planning and
Development Department. Do we have any objectors to this alcohol petition? Ms. Lassic, would
you state your name and your home address.
Ms. Lassic: Natalie Cheng Lassic, 1924 North Leg Road, Augusta, Georgia 30909.
Mr. Hasan: Motion to approve.
Mr. Frantom: Second.
Mr. Mayor: Voting.
Mr. Fennoy out.
Motion Passes 9-0.
Ms. Lassic: (Inaudible).
Mr. Mayor: Thank you.
The Clerk: Same to you.
The Clerk:
PUBLIC SERVICES
3. Discussion with the Augusta-Richmond County Coliseum Authority relative to the
signage display at the James Brown Arena/Augusta Entertainment Complex.
Mr. Mayor: Okay, all right, this is our posture regarding this item. I know we’ve got the
representative from the Coliseum Authority Chairman, Vice Chair and the members. I don’t know
if everyone’s here but I know I see six of the seven member board. If ya’ll will come forward,
let’s have the Chairman and the Vice Chair come forward and then as we need to engage. We’ll
do that. All right, I’m going to all right, okay our caption says we’re going to have a discussion
about the signage and it’ll certainly be appropriate to get an update of what’s happening at the
arena and the entertainment complex. All right, the Chair’s going to recognize the Commissioner
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from the 9.
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Mr. M. Williams: Thank you, Mr. Mayor. I was very adamant about having the Board
come over and I’m glad they took time out of their busy schedules to kind of share with us. I
apologize for our Legal lasting maybe a little longer but this is a very sensitive and very important
issue to me. I did speak with the Chairman when I first heard about this and I even went down at
10:30/11:00 o’clock that night to view the changes of the sign. I got a call from Ms. Deanna Brown
who was very upset and I thought she was really confused as to what she was seeing and what she
was thinking but after I went down there I found out. I’m hearing that there’s some changes and
that there was a unanimous vote by the Board to change the sign. After speaking with the board
members I spoke with several board members who understood there was to be some signage on
the inside but nobody knew about the outside. I’m still disappointed about that. There is no other
name that I can think of in the entertainment industry that would draw people to our city the City
of Augusta than James Brown. So I’m trying to figure out how this happened, how did this slip
through the cracks, how do we hire a company who designed the sign then brought the sign and
put it up and the Board really didn’t know anything about it or didn’t, wasn’t familiar with it. So
I see the Chairman, Mr. Johnson, if you can kind of help me understand a little bit I’ve got several
questions but that’s my first one.
Mr. Johnson: Okay, good afternoon, everyone. The best way I can explain it and again I
take full responsibility for it, it was an error. Now it wasn’t the marketing company. I want to
make sure that’s clear. We found out that the marketing company didn’t do it. It was basically
done by a staff member who though he was doing the right thing so we’ve taken care of that issue.
We unanimously a couple of weeks ago voted for a new sign that will have the James Brown logo
on it and we’re hoping within the next two to three weeks that sign will be up.
Mr. M. Williams: Can I respond, Mr. Mayor?
Mr. Mayor: Absolutely.
Mr. M. Williams: Okay, Mr. Johnson, you and I had this conversation and you know I
think you shared those comments with me before but whether the staff person or not to make that
decision I guess kind of bothers me a little bit. But the name of the new sign is going up is going
to be what? I mean you know we talked about a sign but what?
The Clerk: Do you want me to put it on the screen?
Mr. M. Williams: While she’s doing that, Mr. Johnson, can you enlighten me what the
name’s going to be?
Mr. Johnson: James Brown.
Mr. M. Williams: Okay, so it’s going back up to be the James Brown Arena.
Mr. Johnson: Yes, sir.
Mr. M. Williams: Okay and I’ve been adamant about not just the James Brown Arena.
You and I had several conversations. And, Mr. Mayor, what really bothered me when I see and
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this weekend there’s a show at the Miller that I bought tickets already to go to. I purchased that
ticket to go to the Miller. But the Miller’s been putting on about maybe ten or twelve events a
year but the arena has not been putting on very much and I’m trying to figure out how can the
James Brown Arena allow the Miller to do all of these different shows and they’re a larger facility
than the Miller theater. So when the name came down and the name changed to Augusta
Entertainment Complex, it’s got a lot of people upset got a lot of people that’s kind of disappointed.
If the Miller can do that, Mr. Johnson, why are we not doing those type shows that at the James
Brown Arena?
Mr. Johnson: Commissioner, I guess one of the things you would have to look at the
bottom line and what’s making money and what’s not making money. If you look at our figures
over the last 5 years we’ve been able to drop about $500,000 dollars from our negative budget and
that’s because of a new contract but also being good stewards of the entertainment that we brought
in. Now you can bring in a lot of acts but that doesn’t mean people are going to come to those acts
and pay money for them so that’s why we have a company Spectra that does that for us.
Mr. M. Williams: Well, here again I just purchased a ticket for this weekend and I don’t
know how many shows I’ve been there. I just, I’m really confused as to what the management I’m
going to use is doing at the James Brown Arena. Now you and I had a conversation about the
outside the appearance. I met you down there, we talked about it. We brought some of the I guess
the promoters that came out and I showed you how desolate and dogged the James Brown Arena
looked on the outside. I know we’re going to change that. I get that, I don’t want to confuse that
but the Miller Theater is bright and it looks like it’s got a great future and people are steadily
coming in but we have not down very much over there. Now if you, if we got a larger facility and
we’ve been hearing talk about building a new arena, a bigger arena. If we’re not doing anything
with the one we’ve got why would we build a bigger arena if we can’t fill up the one that we’ve
got? Now this show that’s coming up this weekend is a blues show I believe, Mr. Mayor, I don’t
the name of it. I just had to buy two tickets and that’s what I did. So but my point is we’re sitting
in the heart of Augusta with a nice arena that didn’t even have a wallet size picture of James Brown
inside the arena and the Miller Theater is steadily doing stuff progressively and I’m trying to figure
out why. The Board is here, you’re here, I need just have plain talk today to find out why we’re
not, where they are.
Mr. Owens: I want you to know that the Bell Auditorium is the number one grossing arena
in the State of Georgia outside of Atlanta.
Mr. M. Williams: Okay well, I didn’t doubt that, I didn’t say it wasn’t. I just know I don’t
see the same type shows coming to the Miller coming to the Bell Auditorium or the arena there.
Mr. Owens: That does include the Miller and the Bell is the number one grossing arena
outside of Atlanta.
Mr. M. Williams: Okay, I’m confused now because you’re throwing the Miller, the Miller
being put in there and I’m thinking about the Bell and the Arena. So you’re talking about in this
region then when you’re talking about stuff coming to this region.
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Mr. Owens: The State of Georgia.
Mr. M. Williams: The State of Georgia, okay.
Mr. Owens: Outside of Atlanta.
Mr. Mayor: Let me ask a couple of questions. So, one, I appreciate you all bringing over
the new signage. Clearly this was a conversation that persisted for a few days in the community.
I think without question there’s a great interest in our city for a new arena, a new entertainment
complex. We’ve had a host of conversation about that for over a year at this time. And so to the
degree that the Authority has now come together and put up appropriate signage or signage that
comports with what the community is certainly looking for I think without question this body is
supportive of what’s going on in spite of again the conversation’s that have happened as it relates
to the sign, as it relates to a location for whether the arena can or should be built. I think we’ve
reached a point in time in our city’s history where without question if we’re going to move forward
as a city we’ve got to now engage at a level of where we bring not only all of our stakeholders
together to include the community who largely will be responsible for supporting through their
funding of this matter when we talk about building a new arena. But everything that we do today
in going forward needs to be consistent with that and moving us in that direction. I think that’s the
charge you all have as a board that if we’re going to move forward with building a new arena, a
new multipurpose facility that the community will get the benefit of. Let’s be as transparent as
possible, let’s engage the community in a way that perhaps we may have not done before. Those
are the words that I would echo to the degree that your vice chairman shares data about this being
the most profitable complex or arena, The Bell, in the State of Georgia. What I would encourage
you to do is to send over your annual report to this body, transmit that through Ms. Bonner, I don’t
know if that happens already. I know I see that but I would encourage you to do that so that the
lines of communication are open and they’re open on a consistent basis not just when we’re at the
place of you know being at discussion like this right here. Those would be the things that I would
offer and while you’re here can you give us an update on where we are with regards to the
discussion around a new arena.
Mr. Johnson: Yes, sir and Mr. Mayor, we do send our annual report to all the
Commissioners. I hope you get them but we do send them over here. Where we are now we voted
I guess a couple of weeks ago on three companies to be our owners rep. We will have those
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interviews on the 10 of December. And basically as a body and a group we realize that none of
us put together have the expertise to start building an arena so we have three excellent companies
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who we feel that we brought in that we will hear from on the 10 and will pick one of those
companies. And the information and the transparency of what we were doing we’ll have someone
who knows the process and then can give us that information and we will do a better job in getting
that information to ya’ll.
Mr. Mayor: I appreciate that. I think community engagement around this issue will be
extremely important. This will be as I understand it, Madam Clerk, the largest single project in
the city’s history order of magnitude up to almost $200 million dollars. This needs to be a project
that is diverse in nature. It needs to be very modern for future generations of Augustans not just
those of us who are here today. And again I think that without question when you talk about
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putting it together and all of those things it needs to be reflective of the community that we certainly
live in as well.
Mr. Johnson: Mr. Mayor, can I make, that’s one of the things and let me first I didn’t have
an opportunity let me acknowledge the Coliseum Authority members that are here. They work
very hard at trying to make sure we carry on and they’re good stewards of the money that we have.
But getting back to the point that you made part of the process that we have once we get our owners
rep on will be to go out in the community so that the community can look at the type of designs,
the type of things that we are looking at. We definitely know that we have to have some
community support in order for this to be successful and that’s part of the job that the owner’s rep
will do for us.
Mr. Mayor: Will the Coliseum Authority members please stand so everybody knows who
you are? Okay thank you for your service, we appreciate you. All right, I’m going to come here
and then I’m going to come to my Mayor Pro Tem all right, yes, sir.
Mr. M. Williams: I’ve just got a couple of questions, Mr. Mayor. I’m still not satisfied
with the signage issue because the money we spent on the putting up a new sign and taking it down
or changing it that’s something I guess the Authority’s going to handle themselves. But when you
talk about a new arena no one has mentioned yet and I don’t want to put the cart in front of the
horse but I guess that will consist of tearing the old building down and building another facility.
What do we do for that length of time not only that where would the additional parking come from,
what will happen to those entities or those things when you’re talking about building another
arena? Now it’s been talked about and I’m disappointed because of the way the straw poll went
out, very confusing, Mr. Mayor. People didn’t know what they was voting on. And that’s by
design because you know we’re trying to put it back between two railroad tracks. Well you know
we don’t even have a schedule for the train to run on but that’s just my personal opinion. But I
still think that we need to consider it if we tear down a building how much time that’s going to
take, how much money that’s going to cost then where are we going to park when we build another
facility in that same location because that what it seems to be coming to building back at the same
location. Now we’re talking around some things but we ain’t talking about some things.
Mr. Mayor: All right, Chairman, Vice Chairman, do you want to address that in terms
what our posture is?
Mr. Johnson: Well, again, you know hopefully within the next month we’re bringing the
owner’s rep but the tentative plans, Commissioner Williams, basically have been to continue to
operate out the Bell, I mean the James Brown Arena and build on the other side of it. Now the
parking will be somewhat of a challenge for a while but we have decks, we’ll look at shuttles,
people don’t come as much as they usually come in driving. They use rideshare or they use Uber
or Lyft so those things we will work out.
Mr. Owens: The other arena will be operating while we’re building the new arena. We
won’t have a time when we’re not have an arena downtown.
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Mr. M. Williams: So somebody’s going to invent some more land to operate on because
if you’re building something and I’m not a builder but I do know that if you’ve got a structure
going on next door to the structure you’re trying to operate at the same time with a very limited
parking space there are some place especially going to be taken up. So I mean I’m just not satisfied
personally.
Mr. Mayor: All right, Mayor Pro Tem.
Mr. Mayor Pro Tem: Thank you, Mr. Mayor. First off, thank you to the Coliseum
Authority for coming out today. I think one of the things that we have to understand is that
comparing the Miller Theater and the James Brown Arena is not even closely, remotely right. I
think when you look at what the James Brown does and the amount of acts just like this weekend
you have the Black Nativity and you have WWE going on at the arena and a lot of times you have
something going on at The Bell as well when you look at The Bell versus The Miller I think that’s
the comparison. But you have to understand The Miller just reopened. They came to this market,
they wanted to make a statement and that’s the reason they had that many shows and if you notice
they haven’t had as many shows over the past few months as well as you know, you come into this
market and you want to make, like I said you want to make a statement. I think also when you
look at the impact of The Bell and the James Brown Arena from a community layer they told me
there’s a lot more hotel rooms that are serviced because of those facilities as opposed to The Miller
because The Miller is a little bit more of a local shows and venues and things of that nature. And
whereas James Brown Arena brings in the big acts and people want to go downtown and have a
good time and stay. I think also is that you know it’s been the Augusta Entertainment Complex
and marketed that way for a good reason because of the two venues I want to say 10 or 11 years.
It’s been a pretty long time if I’m right. And I think you know when you see a commercial right
it’s AETIKS. Com. Now it says James Brown Arena right across the front as it should but I
understand the marketing aspect of why you’re doing that and I think we need to understand that
as a body. So I think that I agree that the sign situation was not good for this community but I
think let’s give ya’ll a chance to see what ya’ll can do and make all those changes and I think if
ya’ll are going to come up with something we’re going to be proud of. So thank you for that and
all the Coliseum.
Mr. Hasan: Motion to receive as information.
Ms. Davis: Second.
Mr. Mayor: All right, we’ll receive that as information and thank ya’ll for your time.
Mr. Johnson: Thank you very much.
Mr. Mayor: Number 4, Madam Clerk.
The Clerk:
PUBLIC SERVICES
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4. Presentation by Brian Stewart to place a James Brown mural at 879 Broad Street located
on James Brown Blvd. (Requested by Commissioner Sean Frantom)
Mr. Mayor: All right, the Chair recognizes the Mayor Pro Tem.
Mr. Mayor Pro Tem: Thank you, Mr. Mayor. I’ve known Mr. Stewart going on I guess
five or six years now and he is a local artist that has done many significant paintings in this
community. And when you look at what the CVB and the destination blueprint came out with it
talked about these murals and it talked about the aspect of we need to have these destination points
in our city to promote our city and show off our city. And his presentation today has already been
approved by the Arts Council and the Public Art Panel and it’s already been approved to start with
that the owner of the building. So we have a chance to really get something done today
Commission by moving forward with this and I’ve kind of talked about what I think where we can
go after he’s done so Mr. Stewart thank you for being here.
Mr. Mayor: All right, so Mr. Stewart well you’ve got a presentation so I’m going to give
you 10 minutes.
Mr. Stewart: Thank you, ladies and gentlemen. Thank you for having me, Mr. Mayor.
My name is Brian Stewart. I’m a local artist as Sean has said. I’ve been a freelance artist and
illustrator in Augusta since 1995. I want to first show you some of the work that I’ve done around
town just to kind of give you an idea of what you know of what I can do as far as my skill level.
I’ve done work in the Ronald McDonald House murals, Mellow Mushroom, I do all the Diablo’s
Restaurants on the inside. I do 3D sculpture, 3D art. I did Laney and Josey High School murals.
This is in a bar restaurant on Broad Street, Whiskey Bar Kitchen. I do a lot of large wall murals,
3D sculptures. This was done in the Tax Slayer Building on Broad Street the new one. I do a
variety of different types of murals and wall designs and artwork, hand paint, everything’s hand
painted custom. This is a gym floor I did at the Josey High School so I do a variety of wall murals
and designs, the O’Malleys Restaurant. One thing I’ve noticed after doing some research online
there was a lot of cities around the United States who have murals of their celebrities who have
passed and I found this one of Prince in Minneapolis. This is a large mural that was done in
Minneapolis, Minnesota. Ray Charles, a big icon in Georgia. You know several murals of James
Brown are in other cities and you know I just thought it was really important to have one here in
Augusta since this is his hometown so that’s why I came up with the idea of doing a mural. You
know the statue’s great and a lot of people love the statute but something very large and iconic
would be a great addition to downtown especially for tourism. So I found this wall that had a
previous mural that was done by a Will Fonda a long time ago and it’s on James Brown Boulevard,
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this is the corner of 9 and Broad James Brown Boulevard. And I approached the owner of the
building and showed him the idea. He thought it was a great idea so I did this design to put on the
wall. And it shows the four decades of James Brown and his career and I just thought it would be
a great addition to downtown. The wall’s in bad shape, not the wall itself but the prior mural so it
would take at least a week and a half to fully scrape, seal and prime the wall because one thing
about murals if it’s not prepped right if it’s not prepped and primed right, it's not going to last so
something of this nature would need to be professionally scraped, primed and sealed in order for
the mural to last a long time. Murals I’ve done around town this Kamo building I don’t know if
you remember seeing the building before this mural was painted but the wall was in really bad
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shape. It had to go through the process of pressure washing it, scraping it, priming it, sealing it for
any artwork was even been applied and I did that mural five years ago and if you go and look at it
the paint it looks just like I just did it last week so it’s really in good condition after five years. I
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just recently did this on 13 Street and this has got a lot of attention. While I was painting this
mural I had so many people stop and get selfies, take photographs, get pictures taken in front of it
and this just says “Love where you live, Augusta” People are proud of Augusta and they want to
stop and have their photo taken and taking photos of it and selfies so I really think that this James
Brown mural would really be an iconic addition to downtown.
Mr. Mayor: Okay, Mayor Pro Tem.
Mr. Mayor Pro Tem: Yes, so I’m hoping that today when, first off let me say that do you
have the picture with the lights by chance ---
Mr. Stewart: I do.
Mr. Mayor Pro Tem --- okay. I ran it to Deanna Brown and she was every excited about
it. She loved the aspect of the different phases of his life as well as the fact that there’s lights on
it and she said that she felt like that would be a huge selling point for people to visit this area. Now
we’re going to need to take about or put planters in and take out those two trees to really show it
off but he had talked about this being, Brian, I guess $35,000 dollars is the total cost?
Mr. Stewart: That’s the total for materials, equipment and labor, yes.
Mr. Mayor Pro Tem: And I know you’ve had discussions in the community about in-kind
gifts, lifts and things of that nature, correct? So I would hope that today that at least this
Commission would support a $5,000 dollar start to this project so that we could get this going.
Brian, do you see that you can complete this by Masters Week?
Mr. Stewart: I believe so. I figure it would take at least a week and a half to fully prep the
wall so if we could do that in January fully scrape, prime and prep the wall then the months of
February and March we could get the mural finished by Masters.
Mr. Mayor Pro Tem: Yes, so I’m starting that we’re looking at least $5,000 put in but I
open to more discussions on that so thank you, Mr. Mayor.
Mr. Mayor: Okay thank you. All right, the Chair recognizes the Commissioner from the
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1.
Mr. Fennoy: Yes, would you go back to the James Brown statue?
Mr. Stewart: Yes sir, I had a couple of them. Which one? With the people standing around
it?
Mr. Fennoy: Right, yes, is it, is it possible that you could do something on the walls on
Broad Street behind the statue that would make pictures like this more attractive?
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Mr. Stewart: Well, that was actually brought up by several people but I, I mean ---
Mr. Fennoy: Yeah, I’m okay with what on James Brown Boulevard. I don’t have a problem
with that.
Mr. Stewart: --- are you talking about in addition to that one ---
Mr. Fennoy: In addition.
Mr. Stewart: --- oh absolutely, absolutely.
Mr. Fennoy: Yeah.
Mr. Stewart: Of course the wall, the walls along that you’re talking about in the park area
there okay you’re talking about the walls aligning The Commons?
Mr. Fennoy: No, I’m talking about the Kress Building.
Mr. Stewart: Oh, okay absolutely.
Mr. Fennoy: So if I take a picture with James Brown, I won’t have in the background
what’s in there now.
Mr. Stewart: Oh, I see like a backdrop behind it, sure.
Mr. Fennoy: Yeah ---
Mr. Stewart: Absolutely.
Mr. Fennoy: --- okay.
Mr. Mayor: Okay the Chair recognizes, all right, continue.
Mr. Fennoy: Yeah, but I’d like to what you ask is $5,000 to get started?
Mr. Mayor: That’s what the Mayor Pro Tem’s asking for.
Mr. Mayor Pro Tem: That’s why I was asking. I’m willing to go more. I just felt that that
start (unintelligible) because I think there is going to be some opportunities for CVB for some
grant funds too, I mean not CVB well CVB and the Arts Panel, am I correct in that?
Ms. Speaker: (Unintelligible).
Mr. Mayor Pro Tem: Yeah, we’ve applied for it, yeah but I do think that more money
could be.
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Mr. Fennoy: Mr. Mayor, I’d like to see this project up and running and whatever it would
take from our part to get it started if the Administrator could come up with funding I’d like to see
us go ahead and move forward.
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Mr. Mayor: Okay, all right, the Chair recognizes the Commissioner from the 6.
Mr. Hasan: Thank you, Mr. Mayor. Mr. Stewart ---
Mr. Stewart: Yes, sir.
Mr. Hasan: --- in terms as one of my colleagues, Commissioner Frantom in particular, he
made mention about those two trees there ---
Mr. Stewart: Yes, sir.
Mr. Hasan: --- so you say you can probably start in January and it’ll take you about a week
and a half to scrape the wall down.
Mr. Stewart: Yes, sir.
Mr. Hasan: What do you suggest or how soon do you suggest if we wanted to, and I don’t
know if this is the right thing to do for them to take those trees up and then put and put brick it in
or something like that do you prefer we get started on that prior to you doing what you do or wait
until after?
Mr. Stewart: It doesn’t have to be done before, sir. Actually there’s one tree where there’s
limbs actually touching the walls. Those limbs could be cut back in order to actually do the mural.
But the trees don’t really have to be taken down before we can start prepping the wall.
Mr. Hasan: Okay.
Mr. Mayor: I would also caution us on our tree removal for no apparent reason other than
as a city, particularly a city focused around sustainability, trees are good. They help us from a
climate perspective. And so if we just unilaterally just start cutting trees down I want to caution
us against that. I do agree that you know pulling them back the limbs so that they’re not on the
building is appropriate but we have very little green space in downtown and we need to maximize
that even as we’re thinking about projects like this so I want to caution us on that.
Mr. Hasan: Mr. Mayor, I haven’t finished my questions if you don’t mind please.
Mr. Mayor: All right, continue.
Mr. Hasan: Thank you, I appreciate that. Also as you just made mention I think you heard
it was going to be a potentially, a grant was going to be pursued whatever we was going to be
doing so how soon will you have any idea whether that’s the Convention and Visitor’s Bureau or
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the Arts Council before you know how successful you’re going to be in pursuit of that grant. Do
either one of you have any idea, I know you probably do because you’re the artist in the house.
I’m asking Ms. Brenda Durant.
Ms. Durant: I think we’ll know at end of (inaudible).
Mr. Hasan: Okay all right, thank you, Mr. Mayor.
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Mr. Mayor: The Chair recognizes the Commissioner from the 3.
Ms. Davis: Thank you, Mr. Mayor and that’s what I was going to bring up too as I would
like us to increase our funding too if it’s needed. And so do we, how much did ya’ll ask, Ms.
Durant, as far as the grant?
Mr. Mayor: All right, so ---
Ms. Davis: Do you want to come up?
Mr. Mayor: --- Ms. Durant, come on and approach.
Mr. Mayor Pro Tem: Yeah, the one thing is that ---
Ms. Davis: I think we might start ---
Mr. Mayor: --- talking all over the room here.
Mr. Mayor Pro Tem: --- we would want to give the money to the Arts Council.
Mr. Mayor: Right, the conduit for this would be the Arts Council.
Ms. Durant: The CVB Grant was a very large grant and they added some new areas that
we could apply for this year. I’m not sure how much our application was for. It may have been
for $20,000 dollars and then you need a match for the CVB Grant so we could use the city money
as the match for the grant which is why I asked Commissioner Frantom not to cut the check too
soon to wait until January of 2020 because it’s a calendar year grant. And we should know I think
it’s by midmonth by the end of this month we should know about the, our success with that grant.
As Sean said, it fits exactly into the CVB Destination Blueprint which is their plan for moving
Augusta forward and it fits exactly into the City of Augusta’s Master Plan. A James Brown mural
I believe was mentioned precisely in the Public Art Master Plan so it fits with both of those items.
Ms. Davis: So, Mr. Mayor, I mean I’d like to make a motion that we do task the
Administrator to look for a funding source right now until we find out exactly the amount of
money that we’re talking about and that could be mid-December end of December.
Mr. Mayor: Okay, do you want to second it?
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Mr. Mayor Pro Tem: Yeah, I’ll second it. I mean are we talking dollars or not ---
Ms. Davis: Yeah ---
Mr. Mayor Pro Tem: --- fifteen, twenty?
Ms. Davis: --- I think right now I guess up to $20,000 for the Administrator to look for
funding sources.
Mr. Mayor Pro Tem: I’ll second that.
Ms. Davis: We don’t know exactly but up to and that could change possibly.
Mr. Mayor: Okay, all right ---
Ms. Davis: I just think it’s something we need to move forward on.
Mr. Mayor: --- all right, well let’s let that sit in the crockpot for a minute. The Chair
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recognizes the Commissioner from the 9.
Mr. M. Williams: Thank you, Mr. Mayor. You know we’ve been talking about the James
Brown Trace and the James Brown Trail with the TIA Project and even with Margaret Woodard,
supposed to be doing some stuff with some LP albums in the ground. Housing and Neighborhood
Development may have some funds that may be able to fit in this as well but here we are, we’re
worried about how much it’s going to cost. We’ve got a price on it but I think it’s going to attract
especially with the light situation we’ve got it’s going to attract people and that’s what we’re about,
attracting people to the city to be able to view this kind of stuff. This stuff, the mural is going to
sell itself because when enough people take pictures with it and come into Augusta and want to
leave with something it’s going to enhance us. We’ve been talking about the sign they took down.
I mean all this other stuff but still we’re moving forward, we’re trying to talk ourselves out of it it
sounds like. So I mean that’s what it sound like, Mr. Mayor, I’m for moving forward ---
Mr. Frantom: We’re moving it.
Mr. M. Williams: --- no yeah I mean we ain’t used to moving much so I don’t trust that.
Mr. Mayor: All right, all right so ---
Mr. M. Williams: So I’m trying to figure out why we don’t (unintelligible).
Mr. Mayor: --- so here’s our posture. We’ve got a motion and a second because you had
your hand up that’s why I said just put it in the crockpot for a minute that’s the only reason why,
you had your hand up and I didn’t want to move on without recognizing you. So, we’ve got a
motion and a second to fund up to $20,000 with the Administrator finding a source for that. All
right, I’m coming to you. Ms. Durant, would you come back and maybe it’s not a primetime
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conversation but I’m going to at least ask it. Because the Commissioner from the 9 is accurate.
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I think we’ve got full support to move this forward and it will move forward today. But the
conversation around the Trail, the LP’s in the sidewalk and so forth. We’re getting ready to go to
this next wave of TIA funding for the extension over in the Dyess Park from Reynolds and yet we
still haven’t done anything so I’m going to reecho that. And I think that Ms. Durant this is not to
you this is just me talking to the air right now and that is we need to do something instead of keep
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talking about it. The Commissioner from the 9 has been very deliberate about that, Mr. Welcher,
and we have a responsibility to act on it. My question to you, Ms. Durant, is we talk also about
asphalt art. This would be a tremendous compliment to the Asphalt Art Competition that we are
working on right now and along James Brown would be phenomenal to do that so I just want to
make sure we’re moving forward with that.
Ms. Woodard: We are, it’s being written.
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Mr. Mayor: Outstanding. All right, the Commissioner from the 1 and then we’re going
to vote on it, I’ve got a motion and a second.
Mr. Fennoy: Mr. Mayor, would the maker of the motion be willing to amend the motion
rather than have a dollar amount, let the dollar amount be whatever the matching fund will
be?
Mr. Mayor: Yeah ---
Ms. Davis: Sure.
Mr. Mayor: --- okay, I think that’s appropriate. All right, so I’ve got a motion and a second
with that amendment, Madam Clerk, which is appropriate, voting.
Mr. Mayor: All right, we’re going to get you some LP’s and some asphalt before you leave
---
Mr. M. Williams: I’ll be waiting.
Mr. Mayor: --- we’re going to make it happen.
Mr. D. Williams votes No.
Mr. Clarke out.
Motion Passes 8-1.
Mr. Mayor: All right, I’m ready to go home now, Madam Clerk.
Mr. Garrett: Second.
The Clerk:
PUBLIC SERVICES
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9. Discuss the changes at the Municipal Course as it relates to veterans. (Requested by
Commissioner Bill Fennoy)
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Mr. Mayor: All right, the Chair recognizes the Commissioner from the 9, all right let’s
run the clock now.
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The Clerk: It’s the Commissioner from the 1.
Mr. Mayor: Okay, I’m sorry ---
Mr. Fennoy: Yeah, he’s ready to go home.
The Clerk: He’s ready, he’s ready.
st,
Mr. Mayor: --- Commissioner from the 1 I’m sorry.
Mr. Fennoy: Ron, you want to talk about?
Mr. Houck: Sure, for those that remember we had a ribbon cutting ceremony for the
Warrior Alliance Double Eagle Performance Center which is the training center that will work
with veterans to get them back into meaningful employment in the workforce specifically in the
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golf industry. That ribbon cutting was July 24 On the 29 of July construction began on this
performance center. It was completed in four weeks at the end of September. If you haven’t been
by the golf course along Damascus Road I encourage you to do that and you’ll see the progress
that’s been made on that. Currently TWA has secured four veterans to maintain that Performance
Center for us. They’ve also secured an adjunct instructor Scott Smith who recently retired from
Augusta Tech to teach the program. Augusta Tech will provide the classroom space and then of
course the Performance Center will be actual on sight area where the veterans will get their
training. Their training will start the first module will start in February of 2020 and that’ll include
ten veterans per module or cohort they call it and they plan on doing four to five of those throughout
the year in 2020. They’ve also had some success in securing some equipment. John Deere in
Greenville, Greenville Tractor donated $10,000 dollars for equipment to maintain that property.
In terms of some of the capital funding that goes along with this project because not only is this
Performance Center part of the agreements that the Commission approved but also is a course
renovation project to the tune of about $6 million-dollars that again not costing the city a dime for
this. But they’ve acquired and got some commitments for about $4 or $500,000 dollars right now.
They’re doing an individual campaign starting in mid-December. They’ve got a pretty aggressive
campaign with a number of foundations who try to raise money. They’re working with the PGA
of America. They’re going to be doing a fundraiser tournament here in Augusta early in 2020,
they’ve secured Larry Nelson, a former PGA professional to be here to help with that program.
So they’re making some progress that looks like maybe a lot of behind the scenes type work but
they are progressing. The original plan was to have Scott Johnson with the Warrior Alliance to
come here the first committee meeting in January and give a more detailed presentation if that’s
the will of the body.
Mr. Mayor Pro Tem: Okay, Commissioner Fennoy.
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Mr. Fennoy: Yes, I think that would be a great idea but, Ron, I would also like for you to
remind this body when the first class is going to take place because some of our colleagues might
want to go up to the golf course and welcome the first class of this Wounded Warrior Project.
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Mr. Houck: Absolutely, that will start February 3 and run through March 27 That’s the
first session that they’ll be training ten volunteers.
Mr. Mayor Pro Tem: Can you send it to us?
Mr. Houck: I can, yes, I will.
Mr. Fennoy: Okay and while we’re on the subject of The Patch I would also like for us to
look at the next SPLOST and see if we could come up with some additional funding’s out of the
next SPLOST that’s dedicated to The Patch to improve the golf course also.
Mr. Houck: We’re looking at that.
Mr. Fennoy: All right, thank you.
Mr. Mayor Pro Tem: All right, can I get a motion to receive as information?
Mr. Fennoy: So moved.
Ms. Davis: Second.
Mr. Mayor Pro Tem: I’ve got a motion and a second. Please vote.
Mr. Clarke out.
Motion Passes 9-0.
Mr. Mayor Pro Tem: Number 10.
The Clerk:
PUBLIC SERVICES
10. Discuss a plan to update the processes of how businesses get licenses for catering/one day
alcohol permits and receive them once completed. (Requested by Commissioner Sean
Frantom)
Mr. Mayor Pro Tem: Thank you. Yes, I put this on the agenda and, Rob, I appreciate you
coming forward. Due to recent discussions of individuals that host one-day catering events, events,
nonprofit events or whatnot in the community and the process is very much outdated. The fact
that people have to use a fax machine still today is something that we shouldn’t be doing. The fact
that people have to drive all the way to get their license is something that we shouldn’t be doing.
And the fact that basically there was a seminar where staff was out and nobody could do it but the
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people that were out. I mean we have got to do a better job of cross training people to where we’re
performing a better customer service in the community. And I’d love to hear your thoughts on
how we can this system more automated to where it’s more timely manner because some of these
businesses they need this license to get the job and if they don’t have the license and they can’t the
job so.
Mr. Sherman: Well, Julietta and I have been talking about this since you and I discussed
it the other day and of course there are ways that we can improve it. The forms now well, let me
go back. The single event license one-day license are for nonprofits and for profit businesses to
have a alcohol license for just that a single event. The process right now is that you can go online
and you can download the forms but you have to fill them out, scan them and then fax them back
to us or even email them to us. So what we’ve looked at doing is getting with our IT Department,
have the forms online where they can actually be filled in on line but then still they would be
emailed to Julietta and Pam and the others and then they have to be, they have to review it and
forward it to the Sheriff’s Office for review so it’s not something that can happen instantaneously
as far as receiving the license. It’s going to take the turnaround from the Sheriff’s Office so it
takes probably a week. In the ordinance I think that we have it’s a 30-day process. If it’s a for
profit business now think of the businesses that get a single event license during Masters Week.
Those businesses have to advertise, a 30-day advertising period. But as far as removing the steps
where someone actually has to come to the office we can do that and then get with IT Department
as far as paying for it online. But we still want to control the printing of the permit and then we
could scan it and email it to them. They don’t have to come pick it up.
Mr. Mayor Pro Tem: Yeah, I think that’s probably the biggest issue that people have to go
there twice in a sense if you don’t have a fax machine and then when you get it you have to go in
and pick it up. And it seems like in today’s that we could auto sign it through Adobe or something
and then send it to them and let them print it off and hang it at their event.
Mr. Sherman: Yeah, we can make some improvements.
Mr. Mayor Pro Tem: So how long do you anticipate it would take to make some changes
to get where it needs to be?
Mr. Sherman: It’s a simple process to make the changes. It’s just getting it to IT
Department’s workflow. So I would say you know within two weeks.
Mr. Mayor Pro Tem: So when you say that why can’t the forms be put into and Adobe as
you write in, you’re able to fill them out and then just attach on your website.
Mr. Sherman: I’m not IT so I can’t answer that I mean if it’s that simple ---
Mr. Mayor Pro Tem: Yeah, it is. It could be done in 30 minutes is my point.
Mr. Sherman: --- yeah.
Mr. Garrett: You have Docu-Sign.
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Mr. Mayor Pro Tem: Yeah, Docu-Sign.
Mr. Mayor: So let’s do this right here. Let’s not try to solve it. Let’s get IT working on it
and allow them to provide us with a technology solution just as you know it can be done, so let’s
take that approach. All right, can I go down on this end, Mayor Pro Tem. The Chair recognizes
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the Commissioner from the 6.
Mr. Hasan: Thank you, Mr. Mayor. In terms of what percentage of the businesses that
have this with a one-day license or the Masters license what percentage of those are repeat
customers year and year out?
Mr. Sherman: Masters Week, I would say the majority of them are repeat customers.
Mr. Hasan: Okay, so would those customers also once they request their license I think
you mentioned about a 30-day notice is that state law ---
Mr. Sherman: It could ---
Mr. Hasan: --- to the public or something and I might have misunderstood you.
Mr. Sherman: --- no, in those situations where they have a current alcohol license, it’s not
the 30-day period ---
Mr. Hasan: Okay.
Mr. Sherman: --- because the businesses we’re talking about during Masters it’s generally
what’s the one, it’s a restaurant and they want to have a tent outside so they’ve got a current they’ve
got a license on the premises. A 30-day notice would be it’s for profit and it’s going into a
commercial location that does not have an alcohol license.
Mr. Hasan: And yeah, that was my real question. I was trying to get to a point to where
for businesses who does this on an annual basis would they have to go back to the Sheriff’s process
as well because when you pick them up they’ve done this on a, so why would you consistently
take them through the Sheriff’s every year unless there’s been some infractions?
Mr. Sherman: When it goes to the Sheriff’s Office, it’s for a background check. If it’s the
same person, the same applicant as the prior year it should be a speedy process. If it’s a different
person that is applying for the license at that location, they just have to be sure that they were as
good last year as they were (inaudible).
Mr. Hasan: So does your policy currently say that if I’ve been doing this for five years and
I’m currently the person that’s requiring to the have this one day affair or what have you that
currently I can just get, I can get the license or I still have to go through the Sheriff and expedite
the process.
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Mr. Sherman: Well, the Sheriff’s Department they review for background checks but they
also review to determine how many deputies off duty that they’re going to need, how big is the
event going to be, the location of it, is it going to be in a confined area so they still, the Sheriff’s
Office still needs to review the applications.
Mr. Hasan: So I ask my ask my colleague a question. Well, is your issue being resolved
because you’re still going through all those processes there other than just the Adobe part of it that
you just mentioned.
Mr. Mayor Pro Tem: I just think it needs to be more automated than it currently is ---
Mr. Hasan: Okay.
Mr. Mayor Pro Tem: --- and the ability that people don’t have to drive there to pick it up
and I think they said they can make that happen.
Mr. Sherman: Yeah, we can make it happen.
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Mr. Mayor: All right, the Chair recognizes the Commissioner from the 9.
Mr. M. Williams: Rob, I’m still not clear about the Sheriff’s Department have to weigh in
on the repeat customers that come back. I mean we understand their department but if they had an
infraction or something or if you gave them a license and they violated for instance if you gave
Attorney Brown a permit and he violated that permit when the Sheriff’s Department gets that then
he’ll be in jeopardy with the Sheriff’s Department. So by him going through they just know he's
got a permit but I mean they still got to do their jobs if they find some infraction or something
wrong. I’m just trying to figure out how to eliminate all of the steps.
Mr. Sherman: We can talk with the Sheriff’s Office to see if there are situations where it’s
not necessary to forward the application to them.
Mr. M. Williams: Yeah, I just think if you can shorten those steps for, now if they’re going
into business for long period of time or open up an establishment they’ve got to be checked for a
lot of different stuff but for the established already been established and they want a one-day thing
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for the Masters Week or for the 4 of July or whatever you’re going to grant it, it looks like it
ought to be step we ought to be able to take out of there so I mean either way I just thought we
could find a way to make it shorter, that’s my comment.
Mr. Sherman: We’ll look at that.
Mr. Mayor: All right, the Chair recognizes the Commissioner from the, the Mayor Pro
Tem, for a motion.
Mr. Mayor Pro Tem: So is the motion you’re going to bring us back a solution or you’re
going to handle it without any needs from us?
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Mr. Sherman: Well, we’ll handle it but we’ll let you know what we did.
Mr. Mayor Pro Tem: Okay so 30 days?
Mr. Sherman: Oh, yeah.
Mr. Mayor Pro Tem: Motion to bring back an update on this agenda item in 30 days.
Mr. Hasan: Second.
Mr. Mayor Pro Tem: Thank you.
Mr. Sherman: Okay.
Motion Passes 10-0.
Mr. Mayor: Madam Clerk, let’s go to Item 20.
The Clerk:
PUBLIC SAFETY
20. Provide an update on the P25 Land Mobile Radio System Project (LMRS) and request
approval of the site lease agreements with SBA Structures, LLLC and Crown Castle
(Pinnacle Towers, LLC).
Mr. Mayor: The Chair recognizes the Chairman of Public Safety.
Mr. D. Williams: I’m going to turn it over to the Director of IT.
Mr. Mayor: Okay the Chair recognizes the IT, the Mayor recognizes the Chief Information
Officer.
Ms. Allen: Thank you, Mr. Mayor. Good afternoon, Mr. Mayor and members of the
Commission. In September 2018 this body approved for the City of Augusta to go into a deal with
getting their own radio system. And as previously presented the project was estimated to take 18-
24 months at the contract signing. So we have made great progress as it relates to the City of
Augusta having its own radio system and I’m here today with our Consultant Mr. Mike McGannon
of Engineering Associates as well as our Project Manager Karen Rigsby of Motorola to kind of
give you an update and ask for the approval for not only what we’re doing as it relates to the update
but the approval for the three lease agreements that are also in your commission agenda books as
well. So I’ll turn it over to Mike and Karen then we’ll address any respective questions that you
may have as it relates to the project.
Mr. McGannon: Good afternoon Mayor, Commission I’m Mike McGannon with
Engineering Associates. We’ve been helping you guys with the design, the project management
and consulting on this Land Mobile Radio System Project. We’re going to go a little bit back in
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time and talk about the needs first and the issues with your current system and then we’re going to
talk about the design goals of the current project and then Karen’s going to give us a status update
on the system performance and construction side. So the most important thing for radio systems
is that it protects the lives and properties of Augusta-Richmond County citizens, your visitors that
come to see the murals and golf courses and stuff like that so it’s a lifeline for public safety. It
completes the call to 911. So you dial into 911 on your cellphone or your home phone and really
it’s radio communications that gets that officer or firefighter out in response to the citizen in the
request. Your current system has independent sites. I’ll show you a graph of it here in a second.
It’s a feed based system and it’s all switched out of Columbia, SC so with this new system we’re
going to move everything back into the City of Augusta in Richmond County. Our design goals
most importantly coverage right just like location, location, location. If it doesn’t talk like your
cellphone, if it doesn’t talk all the other features really go away so from a radio perspective
coverage is the most important. Really channel capacity is second in this case. You fundamentally
have about ten communications channels right now out there for wide area conversations. This
one’s going to double that not only taking care of current needs and technology but also setting us
up for the future. Reliability and redundancy, big issues in this radio system from the design
perspective. We’re trying to build as much redundancy and reliability into it and flexibility and
organization again to take care of today’s needs, use industry’s best practices and look forward to
what we’re doing in going forward. APCO25 standards right Association of Public Safety
Communications Officers, its best practices, industry standards, technology to allow you
compatibility with your neighbors and other communication systems. And then a big issue is
mutual aid. You know sharing resources not only radio resources which is called interoperability
here but also sharing fire departments in lots of cases are going to mutual aid going outside the
county giving mutual aid and having other folks come in to county to provide mutual aid to you
guys. So coverage and we’ll walk through coverage maps and I think we have a graphic over here
of the mobile radio so what’s mounted in the vehicle kind of a new piece in a lot of areas of
Augusta. But our design goals were we want a portable radio one that you can hold on your hip
to work throughout the county, outside, in residential buildings and in commercial structures in
your areas that are zoned for commercial and really kind of beyond that and we’ll show you the
maps and we had ten critical buildings highlighted in the RFP and addressed by Motorola. And
as I said before you have capacity. We really can put out 10-TDMA Channels that really allows
up to two conversations per channel that’s out there so really the latest technology. Your current
PAL800 System this is outside so if and officer or firefighter, public works if you’re standing
outside per industry standards this is where your shaded in blue is where your radio system will
work 95 times out of 100 or greater so very you know pretty good reliability here out of the
PAL800 System but we’ll show how we’ll improve that with your new system. And you had only
three tower sites within the county and really poor coverage in the downtown Augusta area so
those are the issues we tried to address and you had one tower site in North Augusta on the existing
system. The new system shown here is a 6-site system. You have two towers sites in downtown
Central Avenue, Augusta 911 then you have Barton Chapel, Blythe, Hephzibah and Cedar Ridge
providing again this is a portable outside coverage map, really good coverage throughout the
through the county. We’ll get a little more granular inside the ABB Building is fundamentally a
residential building so as we look at residential coverage you have good coverage throughout the
county. If you’ll look down at the southwest portion of the county that’s fundamentally marsh
land. The radios will work, it’s just not guaranteed to be more than 95 times out of 100 so it's not
really a lot of population there it’s more water and wetlands so not a big issue. And really this
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blue outline here is Fort Gordon right so you know it will work throughout but you’re really not
100% first responders in Fort Gordon itself. 12-BB Buildings via zoning so this was the you know
critical areas in your zoning and planning that have 12-BB and really your higher density areas.
This is part of the contract but really you look at it this way. This is where the radio system will
provide communications again at industry standard for commercial type buildings throughout the
county so you have good countywide coverage even in larger building structures. As I said before
reliability is huge in our design and what Motorola’s providing. It starts with quality equipment.
We have lots of redundancy out there in the equipment as we get into computers and repeaters and
those types of things. We have duplicates really through the network to try to keep this system up
and operational as much as possible. We’ll talk about testing of that and Karen’s really going to
get into it Systems Staging in fact pretesting we did in the month of November where we started
to test and demonstrate those features and Motorola demonstrated those to the City of Augusta.
We’re eliminating single points of failure as we get from just equipment we get into tower sites.
Each tower site is looked at as how do we keep that up and operational as much as possible with
generators, UPS’s etc. and then we tie them all together with back call and microwave. As I said
before we have APCO Project 25 standards. The biggest issue there it allows you to get
Department of Homeland Security Grant Funding so that’s a requirement to have that technology
to be grant funded eligible for regional systems. I’ll turn it over to Karen to talk about the project
status and where we are with the sites.
Ms. Rigsby: Good afternoon. So as you’ve noted you have six new sites actually six
communication sites. Three of them are already existing tower sites and those are Blythe, Barton
Chapel and Hephzibah. Those leases are on the agenda for today for approval and we have already
initiated the permitting process for approval as well. You have three new construction sites which
we refer to as green sites and we chose county owned properties for those sites or you know for
reductions in costs. Cedar Ridge, 911 and Central Avenue are those three sites. Cedar Ridge has
completed all of the permitting processes and is under construction, 911 we have a preconstruction
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meeting on December 5 this Thursday and Central Avenue is owned by the Water Department
and we have an extra step to go to Georgia and Environmental Protection Division so we are in
that process with them. Those documents as well have been submitted to review to Planning and
Zoning. Of the six sites five of them are getting new buildings. One has a shelter that’s being
renovated in order to maximize your current assets. These are some photo examples of a
renovation in the end an old building will look like a brand new building. It will be repainted,
pressure washed, resealed, the roof resealed or redone and it’s a great way to maximize your assets.
The other five sites will receive new shelters: Barton Chapel, Hephzibah, Cedar Ridge, 911 and
Central Avenue. The shelters you chose are 12’ by 26’ they wider door there to the left is an indoor
generator and as you notice you do have two HVAC units for redundancy as well as UPS and
backup inside the building. The connectivity between the sites will be a microwave back hall. It
is configured you can see the lines that is the direction that the paths will aim toward one another.
And the next this illustrates the microwave flows in a ring and it has full redundancy and that, if
you lose one particular segment of the ring the path will reverse itself and be self-healing so you
have full redundancy in the microwave. The project process itself we’ve, we’re flowing through
and so with what has been completed so far we’ve had our project kickoff, our design review.
We’ve been working on site acquisition for the last 12 months and we have attended system
staging. Currently in progress we’re working out fleet mapping and site development followed by
the insulation, training and testing. But to expand on that a little bit the Site Acquisition Process
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is a very lengthy process. It’s laden with a lot of government requirements and permissions and
they all, you kind of juggle them all until they all come together because you do have to get
permission from the FCC, the FAA, Environmental Protection Agency as well as the State Historic
Preservation Office and local Indian tribes so it is a juggling process so the three green sites have
completed that process. All sites have gone through the site design process which is surveying the
land, completing the necessary construction drawings and the building, permitting and zoning
process. The Fleet Mapping Process is an iterative process as well. It does take several months
and requires end user participation. We’ve had two or three meetings so far, we have another one
coming up next week and if we pull together representatives from all the different agencies and
everyone is working together to review the programming that they want in the radios and at the
same time review any procedural changes that need to be made. So again it is iterative and
everyone has to work together. It also impacts interoperability with neighboring partners. Your
new system has special features like encryption, call alert, scan and scan-less, conventional
operation, alert tones and emergency that all need to be considered in the fleet mapping. This past
November your core team attended the first of several testing sessions that we’ll do in Elgin, IL.
As you can see here it is the first time your entire system is assembled all in one location before it
is packed and shipped to the field so before we pack it and ship it to the field the customer will
come and participate in the testing and you can see here and it took several days to go through 80
funtionality tests. Again that was the first of several testings that will be conducted. We will still
have additional coverage testing and acceptance testing in the field. The equipment has arrived.
It is in Augusta. It’s at Augusta Communications right now. We are in the process of constructing
the sites followed by the installation of the equipment where we will then again retest, train end
users and then migrate on to the new system which completes our process and then we have a
tentative migration date of September 2020.
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Mr. Mayor: The Chair recognizes the Commissioner from the 1.
Mr. Fennoy: Yes, I noticed that this system involved the Sheriff’s Department and the Fire
Department but the Marshal’s Department isn’t?
Mr. McGannon: We really have all Public Safety so we just listed a couple samples there
---
Mr. Fennoy: Okay ---
Mr. McGannon: --- just to keep the slide, so I apologize ---
Mr. Fennoy: --- no problem.
Mr. McGannon: --- for underrepresenting everybody but it’s Public Safety, Public Works
I mean we’re considering everybody as we go through this process.
Mr. Fennoy: And my last question, Mr. Mayor, you know when I if I dial 311 a lot of times
my phone will go to Columbia County. Would this connect me to Richmond County?
Mr. McGannon: Not really ---
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Ms. Allen: Are you talking about the radio system? Will it stay within Richmond County
are you talking about?
Mr. McGannon: --- this is a radio system independent of your cellphone ---
Mr. Fennoy: Okay (unintelligible).
Mr. McGannon: --- so it will separate the two so where you’re cellphone call goes is up to
ATT, Verizon and those folks their routing up there, the call. This radio system is independent to
that so kind of response to answer your question.
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Mr. Mayor: The Chair recognizes the Commissioner from the 3 for a motion.
Ms. Davis: I’d like to make a motion to approve, is that the motion you need to accept
---
Mr. Mayor: For the lease.
Ms. Allen: Yes, sir ---
Ms. Davis: --- to approve the site lease agreements?
Ms. Allen: --- Yes, ma’am.
Ms. Davis: Okay, that’s my motion.
Mr. D. Williams: Second.
Mr. Mayor: All right, I’ve got a motion and a second, the Chair recognizes the
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Commissioner from the 4.
Mr. Sias: Thank you, sir. I want to say I don’t have that many questions but I want to say
congratulations for the work that ya’ll have done. And one of my main emphases has always been
its interoperability with different agencies such as Columbia County and counties that we have
borders with so that when one of our folks is in an area closest to somebody else they can get help
from that folk and the same thing for us so I believe ya’ll have conquered that. I was a little
disappointed. I thought, I guess I didn’t fit in the circle but I really thought the water tower on
Lumpkin Road would be one of the tower sites. That was just my thoughts I never brought that to
ya’ll’s attention. But I know it was, you can see that water tower out in Hephzibah you can actually
spot it from out there so but I believe ya’ll have done a great job on this so my only thing today is
just thank you.
Ms. Allen: Thank you and if I could just thank the core committee who struggled in
Chicago with that cold air you know the cold temperatures because of the required staging process
that we went through we actually sat in the room for days testing this actual equipment which is
34
our equipment that was actually shipped here as Ms. Rigsby said. So we have a great committee
core team that has been working on this and a great group that we’re right here working with us as
well because we’re within the scope of what we stated to the Commission and we will continue to
work to meet that respective deadline, and thank you for your support.
Mr. Mayor: Okay, all right, I’ve got a motion and a second. The Chair recognizes, I’m
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coming to you, the Chair recognizes the Commissioner from the 6 and then we’re going to vote.
Mr. Hasan: Thank you, Mr. Mayor ---
Mr. Mayor: Yes, sir.
Mr. Hasan: --- as consultants are you also responsible because one of the things that or
one of the selling points to the Commission when they put this on the SPLOST was the ability to
bring other governmental entities or other entities online with us. Who’s responsible for that and
where are we now in that place?
Ms. Allen: As we scheduled today to give you guys an update on where we were we’re
going to be sending out notifications to those respective agencies. We’ve been keeping them
informed as best we can and our goal is to meet with them again in January and we’ll be working
out the respective details.
Mr. Hasan: So it that the consultant’s along with the IT Department doing this ---
Ms. Allen: Yes, sir.
Mr. Hasan: --- okay. And also in the information it says funding for the first year of the
tower lease payment is included in the 2020 System Funding Operating Budget. What is it going
to be moving forward beyond that on an annual basis?
Ms. Allen: The actual lease agreements includes a 3% increase annually so it would be,
what it is currently for 2020 with an additional 3%. And I would like to say that and give Gary
Hewett and Ms. Rigsby a hand on the negotiation of that because based on what we currently have
the lease agreements for is probably estimated about 40% less than what our current Palmetto 800
is paying for it as well.
Mr. Hasan: Okay and I’m going to do this again, Mr. Mayor. Ms. Allen and so what is
that currently that number currently do you have an idea moving forward? I know it’s 3% increase
kind of like my water bill I get that ---
Ms. Allen: Included as like eighty ---
Ms. Hasan: --- I see an $89,400 dollars, is that it?
Ms. Allen: --- yes, sir.
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Mr. Hasan: Okay and that’s for all three sites?
Ms. Allen: Yes, sir.
Mr. Hasan: And so you said it will be 3% each year ---
Ms. Allen: Yes, sir.
Mr. Hasan: --- year thereafter, okay all right, thank you.
Mr. Mayor: All right, voting, you’re voting to approve the lease agreements the site lease
agreements.
Motion Passes 10-0.
Mr. Mayor: Okay ---
Mr. B. Williams: That’s it right?
Mr. Mayor: --- no, I’ve got ---
Mr. Hasan: Fifteen?
Mr. Mayor: --- I’ve got 14 and 15 and then 35 and 36 ---
The Clerk: And 37.
Mr. Mayor: --- and 37.
The Clerk: You going in that order, sir?
Mr. Mayor: Well, I’m trying to see if there’s anything we can consent.
Mr. Hasan: Go ahead, I’ll pass on 15 then.
Mr. Mayor: I’m going to come to you I mean ---
Mr. Hasan: Okay.
Mr. Mayor: --- I think it’s one we could probably consent but Number 35 yeah, I think the
concern around the Sole Source Procurement on 37 is maybe what folks had questions about but
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if I’m wrong on that then if the Commissioner from the 6 waives and we can move on with 15
and consent that and Number 35.
Mr. Hasan: I’m fine.
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Mr. Mayor: Okay ---
The Clerk: But you want to consent ---
Mr. Mayor: --- 35 and 15.
The Clerk: Thirty-five?
Mr. Mayor: Yes, ma’am.
Mr. Hasan: Motion to approve 15 and 35.
Mr. Clarke: Second.
Mr. Mayor: All right, thank you sir, thank you.
The Clerk: Who seconded that?
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Mr. Mayor: The Commissioner from the 10.
The Clerk: Mr. Clarke?
Mr. Mayor: Yes, ma’am.
The Clerk: Thirty-five and Fifteen.
Mr. Mayor: Okay and all right let’s vote on that and then we’ll get and then we’ll get after
Number 14, that’s just an update on the airbag situation. All right, so we’re voting on 15 and 35.
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Thank you to the Commissioner from the 6. We appreciate that. I think we’re fading over here.
We’re all giving out of gas. All right, voting. You’re voting on Items 15 and 35, motion to
approve.
Motion Passes 10-0.
Mr. Mayor: All right fantastic, we’ll go to 14, Madam Clerk, and then we’ll close out with
that.
The Clerk:
ADMINISTRATIVE SERVICES
14. Status and information on the Ford Ranger airbag recall, as requested by the
Commission on November 5, 2019.
Mr. Mayor: Mr. Crowden.
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Mr. Crowden: We were asked, I was asked to provide the information on airbag, status of
the airbag recall. I did provide you a general information sheet in your agenda books and I’ll give
a summary of that. Basically Augusta had 70 Ford Rangers under the recall or excuse me has 70
Ford Rangers. 46 of those were under the recall requiring 92 recalls because of the driver’s side
and the passenger side airbag. All of those have been completed. As part of your agenda book I
did give you a listing of each one of those when the airbags where the inflators were replaced. The
Fire Department had seven, four of them were impacted on the airbag recall which means there
were eight recalls for those. Now you have to understand that truck came in for the first recall,
went back to the customer, came back in for the second recall. We started in October 2015 and
based on the recall notices we were completed April of 2019 on the recalls. Environmental
Services had three trucks. All three required airbags, six recalls actually for the three and Transit
had one.
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Mr. Mayor: All right, the Chair recognizes the Commissioner from the 6.
Mr. Hasan: Thank you, Mr. Mayor. Thank you, Mr. Crowden for the update around those
issues. We just didn’t have any knowledge because I know for a couple years Commissioner
Lockett was asking us to try to take them offline and so I’ll be honest with you I don’t remember
the time. And it’s good to know that they have been fixed. I just don’t remember if we ever took
action on that because I know you’ve always he was trying to get them out of circulation and
thought that just didn’t make sense to have employees riding around in vehicles that were
potentially had their lives in jeopardy. So like I say once again it’s good to know that you
completed them in terms of driver’s side and passenger side ---
Mr. Crowden: Yes, sir.
Mr. Hasan: --- but I just remember we took action to say well we want them fixed as
opposed to taking them out of circulation. So thank you for the update. I’ll make a motion to
receive as information.
Ms. Davis: I’ll second it.
The Clerk: Okay, receive it as information.
Mr. Mayor: All right very well, okay, thank you. All right, it looks like we’ve got to go
back to 13, 13, Madam Clerk.
ADMINISTRATIVE SERVICES
13. The Engineering Maintenance Division of the Engineering Department request the
purchase of one new truck, non-CDL Trash Dump Body, at a cost of $84,987.95 from Rush
Truck Center of Augusta, GA. Bid item 19-272.
Mr. M. Williams: Mr. Mayor, I got my answer. I wanted some questions on 13 but we
need to, I make a motion to approve, Mr. Mayor.
Ms. Davis: I’ll second it
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The Clerk: Okay.
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Mr. Mayor: All right the Commissioner from the 9, thank you, sir. All right, we’ve got
a motion and a second, voting.
Motion Passes 10-0.
Mr. Mayor: Okay 36.
The Clerk:
ENGINEERING SERVICES
36. Discuss suspending the Augusta Recycling Program. Over 300 cities and more every day
have either suspended or eliminated their Recycling Programs. Augusta’s recycling program
is losing money every day. (Requested by Commissioner Sammie Sias)
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Mr. Mayor: All right, the Chair recognizes the Commissioner from the 4.
Mr. Sias: Thank you, sir. At this time could I get, before I can I get the Environmental
Services Director to come forward because this will be short ---
Mr. Mayor: Okay, all right ---
Mr. Sias: --- for my part anyway.
Mr. Mayor: --- yes, sir.
Mr. Sias: All right, one of the things that we are aware of as you see in the caption over
300 cities or more have suspended or eliminated their Recycling Programs. I’m a very, I’m a
strong advocate for recycling. Always have been but there’s a point when you’re losing money
daily, monthly and yearly on your recycling program you really need to reexamine it so today’s
idea this agenda item was to start that conversation. I’ve been told a lot and I’ve got some phone
calls people are concerned about are we abandoning recycling. No, I don’t suggest we abandon
the recycling I suggest that we abandon anything where we are not making any money off it we
need to be concerned about that. And what I would like to ask this body to do is direct the
Environmental Services Department to come back with a five-year reference of how much money
we’ve lost in the recycling program. That should not be very difficult for them to dig up, put a
five-year reference on it. And also some alternatives, suggestions for this body to consider say for
example if we did suspend recycling what would be our steps from there. What will we do with
the bins? Do what we have then can use a couple of bins for both the recycling and another bin
for the normal regular trash or whatever? And these are some of the things that folks across the
country have done. I would also ask them to engage our haulers particularly the ones who have
knowledge and have I received some information from Orion, I didn’t ask anything from Waste
Management but I would like them to engage these folks as well. So if we can design a path
forward that we can have either a working recycle program where we’re not losing money or we
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can look at it where we can say this is maybe what we need to do in lieu of continuing to lose
money. And that would be what I would ask that this body consent to have Environmental Services
bring back bring this back to us at not the next committee cycle I want to give them time to get it
done but the committee cycle the first one in January.
Mr. Hasan: Second.
Mr. Mayor: All right, we’ve got a motion and a second. All right, the Chair recognizes
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the Commissioner from the 9.
Mr. M. Williams: Thank you, Mr. Mayor. I’m glad we had this conversation but I’m not
ready to ask the Environmental Services to do anything just yet. I think we need to have some
more dialogue about recycling. We may not be making money and that’s not the only thing this
is not making money on but we’ve got to try to figure out a way to save the environment. I mean
if you look at throwing the cans and the plastic and the stuff away we’re the second largest city in
the State of Georgia where would we be at. Now this ain’t Mayberry. I mean we act like Mayberry
sometimes but we’re a little bit bigger than that. And I think we ought to understand that we got
to sell that program, we got to get people to know how important it is to recycle. Now you know
some of us may think that we’re losing money and don’t think people are recycling using that
services but you can’t expect people to recycle on one end and on the other end they’re not getting
anything else. You look at the south of this county and see how the same amenities are not
affordable to other to this side that they got on the other side but we want them to follow the
recycling. I think that’s a learning tool. We have forced people from the inner city to the southside,
we forced them, we moved them out. We didn’t train them, we didn’t tell them anything. We put
them out there and we say okay we’re going to do what’s right. So I don’t think anybody’s using
it like we should use it. I don’t think that it’s going to happen overnight but I’m not ready to vote
on anybody bringing nothing back until we at least have another conversation to talk about
recycling and how important it is. So you’ve got a lot of facets to recycle, Mr. Mayor, not just
plastic and I know we got enough plastic around here to do some stuff with so it’s important to
know about recycling and how important that is to save the environment ---
Mr. Mayor: Yeah ---
Mr. M. Williams: --- we’ve got to take care of this planet. Now you may not like it but
we’ve got to take care of it.
Mr. Mayor: --- I couldn’t agree with you more let me just qualify. I think that what the
motion is is to have that conversation that you’re wanting to have. The request was just for
additional information to help support the conversation as we get to that point, that’s all.
Mr. M. Williams: But if we talk about the loss factor and we start to say oh we’re losing
money I mean I don’t think, I don’t have no problem with the Environmental talking about what
recycling should be doing or what it’s not doing but when you go to comparing the cost factor to
what we don’t have and these Commissioners say okay we’re going to stop recycling and if you’re
going to talk we’ve got to talk both sides now. That’s what I’m talking about.
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Mr. Mayor: I think absolutely that’s what will happen at the next committee meeting in
January. Not only that but I want to acknowledge Ms. Alisha Williams who is here, in a minute
not yet I’m going to give her a chance to just say a few words with the understanding that you’ll
get a chance to come back and we’ll have a full-throated conversation at the top of the year. All
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right I’m going to go in this order. I’m going to recognize the distinguished Lady from the 3, I’m
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going to go to the 1 and then I’m going to come back to the 4.
Ms. Davis: Thank you, Mr. Mayor and I do agree that the public’s not educated enough
and we don’t promote it throughout the year. I know we’ve kind of talked about this over the years
with past Directors that people don’t really know how to recycle properly. So I don’t know if the
maker of the motion could also include I know we’re bringing back costs but also what has been
our plan of promoting and educating like you were talking about, Commissioner Williams, like
what do we do as far as our city promoting this if that could also be part of the presentation.
Mr. Sias: If I may, Mayor?
Mr. Mayor: Hold on, hold on one minute.
Ms. Davis: I would like to know really what we do to continually try to promote recycling
and how to educate people how to properly do it.
Mr. Mayor: All right and again what I would like to do is let’s just bring it all together and
have that conversation and absolutely not just the money. So let’s plan on having that conversation
and then it may be appropriate for us to again have that recycling workshop conversation so that
we’re having a more full-throated discussion about what we’re not doing. And I don’t think the
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Commissioner from the 4 is expecting any formal action to suspend, get rid of it today but rather
starting a conversation, that’s what I’ve heard so let’s make sure we’re all at that place okay.
st,
Commissioner from the 1 are you going to yield ---
Mr. Fennoy: (Unintelligible).
Mr. Mayor: --- absolutely, that’s what we’re doing. All right, the Commissioner from the
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6 do you yield?
Mr. Hasan: No, I mean as we broaden the conversation because I think, I think really truth
be told that’s a part of it but I do think my colleagues are concerned that we’re looking at it one
sided. So if we want to make it a holistic conversation let’s do a workshop on it as opposed to
doing it in committee and rushing through it.
Mr. Mayor: Okay ---
Mr. Hasan: I suggest we do a workshop in January.
Mr. Mayor: --- all right, so we’re going get with ---
Mr. Hasan: I make it a motion and a second that’s a motion ---
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Mr. Mayor: --- (unintelligible) to have a chance to ---
Mr. Hasan: --- substitute motion.
Mr. Mayor: --- amend it and modify it.
Mr. Hasan: Okay.
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Mr. Mayor: All right, let’s go to the Commissioner from the 8 and then we’re going to
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close out with the 4.
Mr. Garret: Thank you, Mayor ---
Mr. Mayor: Yes, sir.
Mr. Garrett: --- actually I have a couple of more asks from our Director if that’s okay.
Mr. Mayor: All right, so let me say this right here let’s do this let’s go ahead and push this
to a workshop in 2020 at the top of 2020 and we will provide the ESD Director all of the requested
information so that he can come back and we can have a full conversation and presentation to go
along with it, okay?
Mr. Garrett: Can we kind of give him some direction on what we’re looking for in that
workshop?
Mr. Mayor: Well, why don’t we take a few minutes to send that information to the Clerk
and let her distribute that and get that back to us.
Mr. Garrett: Okay.
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Mr. Mayor: Okay, if we can just do that, all right? All right Commissioner from the 4
I’m not trying to, how can I say this, abridge anybody’s conversation but I think we know where
we want to be. I want to hear from this young lady so that she’ll know she gets a chance to come
back okay all right, Ms. Williams if you’ll come all right, right here, all right I’m going to give
you two-minutes.
Ms. Williams: Oh okay hi, I’ve never done this before so I’m not really sure what I’m
doing.
Mr. Mayor: Oh, no worries ---
Ms. Davis: (Inaudible) name and address.
Mr. Mayor: -- yeah, state for the record your name and address.
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Ms. Williams: --- oh hi, I’m Alisha Wilson ---
Mr. Mayor: Wilson.
Ms. Williams: My address is 228 Thread Needle Road, East Augusta 30907. I’ve never
done this before so I don’t really know what I’m doing, I just found out about it earlier today. And
I just wanted to say that while we think that a lot of people don’t recycle one of the big points was
going to be that is difficult when people don’t know what they’re doing and even if somebody that
strongly believes in it, it is a bit confusing from time to time to know what our area does because
every region and area does a different type of recycling. As well as if we’re looking for alternatives
I did hear about Augusta getting and amazing opportunity through a Waste to Energy Plant at the
landfill and that’s going to take all of our items and turn them into objects that will build money
for our city. And if that is an option, no, that didn’t get passed?
Mr. Mayor: So everybody suspend continue, it’s a conversation that the city’s been
engaged in but your next point.
Ms. Williams: It seemed like a really good idea but okay. Again sorry, I don’t know this
is the first thing here. I grew up in Augusta and I know that most everybody I know does recycle.
I personally don’t use my trash can hardly at all. I’ve got composting in the back yard for any food
waste. The main thing that I use it for and I was hoping to find out later who to talk to about it is
for Styrofoam. Augusta has so much styrofoam so maybe in the future we could work on that, I
know that’s another issue but in the future. So it’s important to a lot of people that we don’t get
rid of it it’s not just me so.
Mr. Mayor: So, Ms. Wilson, in 2020 there will be a public notice that goes out about our
workshop and you’re more than welcome to come and participate in that so stayed tuned.
Ms. Wilson: Yes, sir.
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Mr. Mayor: Okay, all right the Chair recognizes the Commissioner from the 4.
Mr. Sias: First off, I’ve got a couple of things but first off we was talking about expanding
this to a workshop. Did we make than into a motion or anything yet?
Mr. Mayor: Well, you were (unintelligible).
Mr. Sias: I have the opportunity to amend my motion to include that?
Mr. Mayor: That’s correct.
Mr. Sias: Okay, first off, good, thanks, I will do that. Secondly, when I brought this issue
up before us I heard the comments one side and a few other things that I disagreed with. The point
being here we have a problem and if we don’t work to solve it then the issue never gets resolved,
that is why it’s here. I did not bring a one-time one-way only solution to this body. I brought an
issue to this body that we need to look at. It's not what my favorite point is to counsel recycling
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or such as that but we have an issue that needs to be addressed and as stewards of the public’s
money there are programs that don’t make money but there are ways that we have to be responsible
for that and address those issues and decide if we’re going to operate a program that loses money
such as Transit and stuff like that. So let’s not misconstrue what was brought forth as you see in
the caption it says 300 cities have addressed this issue one way of the other.
Mr. Mayor: Yeah, I know.
Mr. Sias: So, say again?
Mr. Mayor: All right, you’re going to amend you motion?
Mr. Sias: I’m going to amend the motion ---
Mr. Mayor: All right.
Mr. Sias: --- but I’m going to say what I’ve got to say. So we can get we can and I totally
support doing a workshop but I have resistance for this one-sided issue thing. So with that I’ll
amend my motion and say we’ll have a workshop on recycling and as we have stated we need
the Environmental Services to bring us all the information they can bring back and that’s it,
thank you.
Mr. Fennoy: I second that.
Mr. Mayor: Okay, I’ve got a motion and a second ---
Mr. M. Williams: I don’t know what we’re seconding I mean there was a lot.
Mr. Mayor: --- well, we’re having a workshop, that’s what you seconded.
The Clerk: January 2020.
Mr. Mayor: January 2020. Okay all right, we’ve got one more item, we’ve got one more
item, well one you’ve got to vote on this and then you’ve got one more item. All right, everybody
just hold on, all right, voting. Thank you, Mr. Mehall. You’re voting to move forward with a
work session January 2020, date to be determined.
Motion Passes 10-0.
The Clerk:
ENGINEERING SERVICES
37. Approve Sole Source Procurement of Replacement Parts for Hypochlorite Generation
Equipment at a cost of $190,768.00.
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Mr. Mayor: All right, the Chair will entertain a motion from the Commissioner from the
st
1.
Mr. Fennoy: Motion to approve.
Mr. Hasan: Second.
Mr. Mayor: We’ve got a motion and a second.
Mr. M. Williams: What are we approving now?
The Clerk: Item number 37.
Mr. Mayor: All right, voting.
Motion Passes 9-0.
Mr. Mayor: All right, Ms. Kindel, secure the microphone. There be no further business
over for us to take care of this meeting is adjourned.
\[MEETING ADJOURNED\]
Lena Bonner
Clerk of Commission
CERTIFICATION:
I, Lena J. Bonner, Clerk of Commission, hereby certify that the above is a true and correct copy
of the minutes of the Regular Meeting of The Augusta Richmond County Commission held on
December 3, 2019.
______________________________
Clerk of Commission
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