Mayor & Commission Meetings

Unified Government of Athens-Clarke County, Georgia Mayor and Commission Special Called Session Tuesday, October 17, 2023 6:00 p.m. City Hall The Unified Government of Athens-Clarke County, Georgia met this date in a special called session. Present: Mayor Girtz; Commissioners Link, Taylor, Wright, Fisher, Houle, Culpepper, Myers, Thornton, and Hamby. Absent: Commissioner Davenport The purpose of the meeting was to consider several items of new business and enter into executive session for discussion of real estate acquisition and/or disposal. Resident input There was none. New business – Consider under suspension of Rules A motion was made by Commissioner Fisher, seconded by Commissioner Taylor, to suspend Rules of Commission for consideration of new business items. The motion passed by unanimous vote. A motion was made by Commissioner Wright, seconded by Commissioner Houle, to adopt the following resolution. The motion passed by unanimous vote. A RESOLUTION OF THE COMMISSION OF ATHENS-CLARKE COUNTY, GEORGIA TO APPROVE AND AUTHORIZE RETENTION OF COUNSEL FOR PARTICIPATION IN IN RE AQUEOUS FILM- FORMING FOAMS PRODS. LIAB. LITIG., MDL 2873 WHEREAS, on December 7, 2018, litigation involving the contamination of water and soil by Per- and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances manufactured by various entities was consolidated in the United States District Court of South Carolina as In re Aqueous Film-Forming Foams Prods. Liab. Litig., MDL No. 2873, before the Honorable Richard M. Gergel; and WHEREAS, settlements have been filed in MDL 2837 on behalf of manufacturers 3M and DuPont/Chemours to compensate public water systems, including the Unified Government of Athens- Clarke County (“A-CC”), for the contamination and remediation of PFAS; and WHEREAS, A-CC desires to hire outside counsel to investigate and pursue civil remedies against parties and/or corporations that are found to be liable to A-CC for wrongs and injury suffered by A-CC as a result of PFAS contamination, including to advise A-CC on the rights, obligations, and processes of the aforementioned settlements; and WHEREAS, the Commission finds it to be in the best interests of A-CC to hire outside counsel as set forth below; NOW, THEREFORE, the Commission hereby resolves as follows: SECTION 1 The Commission does hereby approve and authorize the retention of the law firms of Atkinson Ferguson, Pope McGlamry, Hall Booth Smith, and The Ferraro Law Firm on a contingency fee basis to represent A-CC in the 3M and DuPont/Chemours class action settlements currently pending in In re Aqueous Film-Forming Foams Prods. Liab. Litig., (D. South Carolina), and to investigate and as war- ranted pursue civil remedies arising out of surface water and/or soil contamination by Per- and Polyfluoro- alkyl Substances (“PFAS”). SECTION 2 The Mayor of A-CC shall have authority to take all further actions necessary to carry out the in- tents and purposes of this Resolution, including but not limited to, the authority to sign the Client Fee Agreement.  SECTION 3 The Commission hereby declares that the foregoing preamble and whereas provisions set forth hereinabove constitute, and shall be considered to be, substantive provisions of this Resolution and are hereby incorporated by reference into this provision. SECTION 4 In the event scrivener’s errors shall be discovered in this Resolution after the adoption hereof, the Commission hereby authorizes and directs that each such scrivener’s error shall be corrected in all multiple counterparts of this Resolution. SECTION 5 This Resolution shall become effective immediately upon its approval by the Mayor or upon its adoption into law without such approval. A motion was made by Commissioner Houle, seconded by Commissioner Myers, to adopt the following ordinance (#23-10- ) which was presented by title only. The motion passed by unanimous vote. AN ORDINANCE TO RESCHEDULE THE REGULAR NOVEMBER MONTHLY BUSINESS MEETING OF THE MAYOR AND COMMISSION FROM WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 8, 2023, TO TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 7, 2023; AND FOR OTHER PURPOSES. WHEREAS, on Tuesday, January 3, 2023, the Commission of Athens-Clarke County adopted an ordinance providing that when a regularly scheduled business meeting of the Mayor and Commission falls on a Tuesday which is the date for any primary, election, or run-off, the Mayor and Commission of Athens-Clarke County, Georgia, shall hold its business meeting on the Wednesday immediately following such Tuesday at 6:00 p.m. in the Commission Chamber of City Hall, 301 College Avenue, Athens, Georgia; and WHEREAS, given that the special election for the office of Clerk of Superior Court on Tuesday, November 7, 2023, is the only matter on the ballot, the Mayor and Commission find that it is in the best interests of the citizens of Athens-Clarke County to reschedule the regular November monthly business meeting from Wednesday, November 8, 2023, to Tuesday, November 7, 2023, to avoid any disruption to the normal regular business meeting schedule; NOW, THEREFORE, the Commission of Athens-Clarke County, Georgia hereby ordains as follows: Section 1. The regular November monthly business meeting of the Mayor and Commission shall be rescheduled from Wednesday, November 8, 2023, to Tuesday, November 7, 2023, at 6:00 p.m. in the Commission Chamber of City Hall, 301 College Avenue, Athens, Georgia. Section 2. All ordinances or parts of ordinances in conflict herewith are hereby repealed. Section 3. The Clerk of Commission, in consultation with the County Attorney, shall have the power to correct scrivener’s errors. A motion was made by Commissioner Fisher, seconded by Commissioner Taylor, to adjourn and enter into executive session for discussion of real estate acquisition and/or disposal. The motion passed by unanimous vote. The meeting adjourned at 6:08 p.m. ___________________________________ Clerk of Commission