Commission Meeting

COMMISSION MEETING MINUTES Commission Chamber Thursday, June 29, 2023 2:00 PM PRESENT Mayor Garnett Johnson Commissioner Brandon Garrett Commissioner Jordan Johnson Commissioner Bobby Williams Commissioner Alvin Mason Commissioner Sean Frantom Commissioner Francine Scott Commissioner Catherine Smith-McKnight Commissioner Stacy Pulliam Commissioner Tony Lewis (participates by telephone) Commissioner Wayne Guilfoyle INVOCATION Reverend Brendolyn Jenkins Boseman, Senior Pastor & Lead Servant, Hudson Memorial CME Church PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE TO THE FLAG OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA DELEGATION(S) A. Mr. Richard Jones to encourage the Commission to hire Ms. Douse as full time administrator Presentation is made by Mr. Richard Jones. CONSENT AGENDA (Items 1-2) PUBLIC SERVICES 1. Motion to approve recommended Code Enforcement Ordinance (updates) Amendments; and updates/amendments to the Harrisburg Enterprise Zoning Ordinance and the proposed updated list of parcels for the Harrisburg Opportunity Zone (Approved by Public Services Committee May 9, 2023 and Commission May 16, 2023- second reading). Motion to approve. Motion made by Frantom, Seconded by Williams. Voting Yea: Johnson, Williams, Mason, Frantom, Scott, Smith-McKnight, Pulliam, Lewis, Guilfoyle  Mr. Garrett out. Motion carries 9-0. PETITIONS AND COMMUNICATIONS 2. Motion to approve the minutes of the regular meeting of the Commission held on Tuesday, June 20, 2023. Motion to approve. Motion made by Frantom, Seconded by Williams. Voting Yea: Johnson, Williams, Mason, Frantom, Scott, Smith-McKnight, Pulliam, Lewis, Guilfoyle Mr. Garrett out. Motion carries 9-0. ****END CONSENT AGENDA**** AUGUSTA COMMISSION AUGUSTA COMMISSION REGULAR AGENDA (Items 3-24) PUBLIC SERVICES 3. Existing Location: A.N. 23-22: A request by Jeffrey D. Switzer for an on-premise consumption Liquor, Beer, & Wine License to be used in connection with Tailwinds AGS, LLC located at 1501 Aviation Way. There will be Sunday Sales. District 1. Super District 9. Motion to approve. Motion made by Frantom, Seconded by Williams. Voting Yea: Johnson, Williams, Mason, Frantom, Scott, Smith-McKnight, Pulliam, Lewis, Guilfoyle Mr. Garrett out. Motion carries 9-0. 4. Existing Location: A.N. 23-23: A request by Urvashiben Patel for a retail package Beer & Wine License to be used in connection with IN-N-OUT Market Lottery Store located at 1902 Windsor Spring Rd. District 6. Super District 10. Motion to approve. Motion made by Guilfoyle, Seconded by Frantom. Voting Yea: Johnson, Williams, Mason, Frantom, Scott, Smith-McKnight, Pulliam, Lewis, Guilfoyle Mr. Garrett out. Motion carries 9-0. 5. Existing Location: A.N. 23-24: A request by Roderick D. Stokes for an on-premises consumption Liquor, Beer & Wine License to be used in connection with Lenox on Tenth, LLC located at 211 10th Street. There will be Sunday Sales. District 1. Super District 9. Motion to approve. Motion made by Frantom, Seconded by Scott. Voting Yea: Johnson, Williams, Mason, Frantom, Scott, Smith-McKnight, Pulliam, Lewis, Guilfoyle Mr. Garrett out. Motion carries 9-0. 6. New Location: A.N. 23-26: A request by Israel Garcia for an on premise consumption Liquor, Beer, & Wine License to be used in connection with Taco Madre located at 3450 Wrightsboro Rd Ste D225. There will be Sunday Sales. District 2. Super District 9. Motion to approve. Motion made by Frantom, Seconded by Smith-McKnight. Voting Yea: Johnson, Williams, Mason, Frantom, Scott, Smith-McKnight, Pulliam, Lewis, Guilfoyle Mr. Garrett out. Motion carries 9-0. 7. Existing Location: A.N. 23-25: A request by Alfonzo Daggett for an on-premises consumption Beer & Wine License to be used in connection with Eclipse Lounge, LLC located at 3036 Deans Bridge Rd Unit 8. There will be Dance. District 5. District 9. Motion to approve. Motion made by Frantom, Seconded by Scott. Voting Yea: Johnson, Williams, Mason, Frantom, Scott, Smith-McKnight, Pulliam, Lewis, Guilfoyle Mr. Garrett out. Motion carries 9-0. 8. Motion to transfer the deed for Blount Park to the Sand Hills Urban Development, Inc. Motion to delete this item from the agenda. Motion made by Frantom, Seconded by Williams. Voting Yea: Johnson, Williams, Mason, Frantom, Scott, Smith-McKnight, Pulliam, Lewis, Guilfoyle Mr. Garrett out. Motion carries 9-0. 9. Discuss the status of the hiring of Plan Reviewers for the Planning and Zoning Department from H.R. Director and the current status of the Planning and Zoning from the Director Carla Delaney. (Requested by Commissioner Wayne Guilfoyle) Motion to approve receiving this item as information. Motion made by Guilfoyle.  Motion dies for lack of a second. Motion to approve establishing a salary range of $70,000 to $72,000 for the position of Plan Reviewers. Motion made by Guilfoyle, Seconded by Smith-McKnight. Voting Yea: Garrett, Johnson, Williams, Mason, Frantom, Scott, Smith-McKnight, Pulliam, Lewis, Guilfoyle Motion carries 10-0. ADMINISTRATIVE SERVICES 10. Motion to approve change order #1 in the amount of $394,606.41 with $145,239.00 going to Johnson, Laschober & Associates and $249,367.41 to R.D. Brown Contractors. Motion to approve. Motion made by Frantom, Seconded by Williams. Voting Yea: Johnson, Williams, Mason, Frantom, Scott, Smith-McKnight, Pulliam, Lewis, Guilfoyle Mr. Garrett out. Motion carries 9-0. 11. Motion to approve one (1) Rehabilitation project located at 2121 Richards Road. Motion to approve. Motion made by Frantom, Seconded by Williams. Voting Yea: Johnson, Williams, Mason, Frantom, Scott, Smith-McKnight, Pulliam, Lewis, Guilfoyle Mr. Garrett out. Motion carries 9-0. 12. Motion to approve HCD's Laney Walker/Bethlehem Revitalization Project contract procedural process relative to authorization of Agreements/Contracts/Task Orders, for the reminder of calendar year 2023 (June – December 2023). Motion to approve. Motion made by Frantom, Seconded by Williams. Voting Yea: Johnson, Williams, Mason, Frantom, Scott, Smith-McKnight, Pulliam, Lewis, Guilfoyle Mr. Garrett out. Motion carries 9-0. 13. Motion to move forward with a nationwide search for an Administrator using an outside firm to start the search within 2 weeks. (Requested by Commissioner Wayne Guilfoyle). Motion to approve starting a nationwide search within two weeks for an Administrator using an outside firm, leaving the search open for 30 days and modifying the job description to require applicants to have worked in a government job within the last three years. Motion made by Frantom, Seconded by Garrett.  No action is taken on this motion due to the passage of the substitute motion. Substitute motion to approve starting a southeastern regional search within two weeks for an Administrator using the previous process adopted by the Commission and using an outside firm, leaving the search open for 30 days and modifying the job description to require applicants to have worked in a government job within the last three years. The previous process for the search as adopted by the Commission was to use a search firm who will cull the group down to 12 candidates who will be sent to the Commission and the Commission will cull the group down to 7 candidates all of whom will be interviewed and sent to the Mayor to select in order of priority the final candidates. Motion made by Mason, Seconded by Scott. Voting Yea: Garrett, Williams, Mason, Frantom, Scott, Smith-McKnight, Pulliam, Lewis, Guilfoyle Voting Nay: Johnson Motion carries 9-1. 14. Discuss the renaming of Fort Gordon to Fort Eisenhower as it pertains to the city and the businesses on Fort Gordon. (Requested by Mayor Garrett Johnson) It was the consensus of the Commission that this item be received as information without objection. 15. Discuss the naming/renaming of the Augusta Riverwalk Park to the name of Edward M. McIntyre, Sr. - Charles A. DeVaney Riverwalk Park and placed their names on the entrance of the 8th Street bulkhead archway. (Requested by Commissioners Bobby Williams, Francine Scott and Jordan Johnson) Motion to approve starting the process to rename the Augusta Riverwalk Park to the name of Edward M. McIntyre, Sr. Riverwalk Park and place his name on the entrance of the 8th Street bulkhead archway. with Mr. Edward M. McIntyre, Jr. to serve as the applicant who will sponsor this request. Motion made by Williams, Seconded by Scott. Voting Yea: Garrett, Johnson, Williams, Mason, Frantom, Scott, Smith-McKnight, Pulliam, Lewis, Guilfoyle Motion carries 10-0. 16. Discuss the naming/renaming of the Augusta 8th Street Plaza to the Edward M. McIntyre, Sr. Plaza at 8th Street. (Requested by Commissioners Bobby Williams, Francine Scott and Jordan Johnson) Motion to approve starting the process to rename the Augusta 8th Street Plaza to the Edward M. McIntyre, Sr. Square at 8th Street with Mr. Edward M. McIntyre, Jr. to serve as the applicant who will sponsor this request. Motion made by Williams, Seconded by Scott. Voting Yea: Garrett, Johnson, Williams, Mason, Frantom, Scott, Smith-McKnight, Pulliam, Lewis, Guilfoyle Motion carries 10-0. 17. Motion to approve Lead Hazard Reduction Project located at 237 Walker Street.  Motion to approve. Motion made by Frantom, Seconded by Williams. Voting Yea: Johnson, Williams, Mason, Frantom, Scott, Smith-McKnight, Pulliam, Lewis, Guilfoyle Mr. Garrett out. Motion carries 9-0. ENGINEERING SERVICES 18. Motion to receive as information the new TIA updates website (www.augustadtp.com). Requested by Engineering. It was the consensus of the Commission that this item be received as information without objection. 19. Approve Change Order one to Supplement Construction Contract to Horizon Construction & Associates, Inc. in the amount of $483,469.00 for Tobacco Road Improvements and Various Sidewalk Rehabilitation Project. Requested by Engineering. Bid 20-247 Motion to approve. Motion made by Frantom, Seconded by Williams. Voting Yea: Johnson, Williams, Mason, Frantom, Scott, Smith-McKnight, Pulliam, Lewis, Guilfoyle Mr. Garrett out. Motion carries 9-0. FINANCE 20. Resolution to call for election on November 7, 2023 to authorize a ½% sales tax to be used for the construction of the new James Brown Arena Complex. Motion to approve. Motion made by Frantom, Seconded by Williams. Voting Yea: Johnson, Williams, Mason, Frantom, Scott, Smith-McKnight, Pulliam, Lewis, Guilfoyle Mr. Garrett out. Motion carries 9-0. PUBLIC SAFETY 21. Information Only/ Emergency Purchase- Cameras for the Charles B. Webster Detention Center It was the consensus of the Commission that this item be received as information without objection. 22. Motion to approve the acceptance of a $53,550 BOOST Grant from the Georgia Department of Education. Motion to approve.  Motion made by Frantom, Seconded by Williams. Voting Yea: Johnson, Williams, Mason, Frantom, Scott, Smith-McKnight, Pulliam, Lewis, Guilfoyle Mr. Garrett out. Motion carries 9-0. APPOINTMENT(S) 23. Motion to approve the re-appointment of Ms. Shell Knox Berry to the Augusta Economic Development Authority, (Requested by Commissioner Francine Scott) Motion to approve. Motion made by Frantom, Seconded by Williams. Voting Yea: Johnson, Williams, Mason, Frantom, Scott, Smith-McKnight, Pulliam, Lewis, Guilfoyle Mr. Garrett out. Motion carries 9-0. LEGAL MEETING A. Pending and Potential Litigation B. Real Estate C. Personnel 24. Motion to authorize execution by the Mayor of the affidavit of compliance with Georgia's Open Meeting Act. ADDENDUM ITEMS 1. Motion to approve the appointment of Mr. Scylance B. Scott to the Augusta Economic Development Authority to the seat currently held by Bill Hollingsworth. (Requested by Commissioner Bobby Williams) Mr. Frantom objects to adding this item to the agenda. 2. Motion to approve Housing and Community Development Department’s request to provide funding for the façade improvement (materials only) of the Armstrong Galleria Shopping Center, identified as 851 Laney Walker Blvd.: part of the Laney Walker/Bethlehem Revitalization Project. (Requested by Administrator Douse) It was the consensus of the Commission that this item be added to the agenda without objection. Motion to approve. Motion made by Frantom; Seconded by Mason. Voting Yea: Garrett, Johnson, Williams, Mason, Frantom, Scott, Smith-McKnight, Pulliam, Lewis, Guilfoyle Motion carries 10-0.