Commission - Special Meeting

All right, we need a clerk. There's a clerk. Good afternoon, everybody. Thank y'all so much for being here for this special call meeting. The time is now 10:06 p.m. Madame Clerk, I call this meeting to order. Attorney Plunkett. Mr. Mayor, we request a motion to go into executive session for the purpose of discussing personnel matters. Second.

There's a motion by Mayor Pro 10 Wayne Gilo, second by the commissioner from the fifth, commissioner Don Clark. Madame clerk, we're prepared to vote. Waiting on the fourth shot. [laughter]

Hold up. That motion carries with Mr. Johnson, Mr. Lewis, Mr. Garrett out. Thank you, Madam Clerk. We're now suspended to executive session room 293. 293 next door.

Ladies and gentlemen,

we uh we appreciate your patience. We're going to get started here in just a second. Three, four, five, six. All right, colleagues that are in the audience, I'm gonna ask you to please make your way to the disparate. We have seven. Madam clerk, looks like we have a quorum. Attorney Plunkett.

Mr. Mayor, would we request a motion to authorize you to execute the closed meeting affidavit? Is there a motion? So there's a motion by the mayor prom second by commissioner Don Clark.

Madam clerk see no colleagues in the queue voting. [snorts] That motion carries with Mr. Johnson out. Mr. Garrett and Miss Scott. Thank you, Madame Clerk. Attorney Plunker, are there any motions as a result of our executive session? There are none, sir.

If there are not, Madame Clerk, I call a regularly scheduled commission meeting to order. The time is now 2:35. Ladies and gentlemen, again, we apologize for our tardiness, but we're prepared to get started. Madam clerk, you have the floor. Thank you. Call your attention to the invocation portion of our agenda will be shared with us today by Reverend Melvin Ivy, pastor of the Greater St. John Baptist Church. After which, we'd like to ask our fire chief if he would please lead us in the pledge of allegiance, Mr. Antonio Burton. [clears throat]

Let us pray. Father, as we have assembled ourselves here in this house today, we seek your divine guidance. We seek your divine intervention into the affairs of the Augusta Richmond County officials. We ask Father that you would just touch their hearts and help them to understand that every decision that they will make regardless whether it's easy or hard that it will impact someone. But most of all remind them that we all whether we sit on the das or whether we sit out in the congregation that we all will have to give an account for what we do. So we just ask that you would touch all of our hearts and remind us of our call. Some are called to serve and some are not called to serve. We ask that you would just help us to get a good understanding of what you have called us to do. We ask that you bless the employees of this city. You bless the citizens of this city. Continue to remind us all that we will one day have to come together if we're going to make Augusta a great place to live. We cannot go forward divided, but we must come together. So we ask father that you bless now this session bless all that are in the house today and help us to understand that this government should work for the people not against the people. So we thank you now. Bless us in all that we say and do that you might receive all honor all glory and all praise for it is in the name of Jesus Christ that we pray. Amen.

Amen. To the flag of the United States of America and to the republic for which it stands, one nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all.

Reverend Busy, [laughter] it's always a pleasure to have you come and pray for us. We thank you for your pastorial blessing as well as that really powerful much needed prayer. Thank you. By these presence be it known that Reverend Melvin Ivy, pastor of the Greater St. John Baptist Church is our chaplain of the day. May his spiritual wisdom and civic leadership continue to inspire and to set an example for all citizens of Augusta. given under my hand this 20th day of January, 2026. Garnett L. Johnson, mayor. Thank you [applause]

so much, Madame Clerk. Reverend Ivy, thank you so much for all that you do for the community. It was a beautiful day for a great parade this past Saturday. Uh recognizing, commemorating Dr. Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King. What a beautiful day for a parade. Madam clerk, before we continue, I'm going to take a point of personal privilege in that we have some guests in the audience that are angels to Augusta. It's the Menite Disaster Services crew. Are you guys here? Menite, can you guys come up? Come, come up. Come up for just a second. We're going to Christian disaster services. It's Christian disasters and Christian. So, it's not. Ladies and gentlemen, these two men represent hundreds of people that are in our community on a volunteer basis to help those that are underinsured or not insured. They have sacrificed time away from their families in Ohio, Pennsylvania, and places far off to help us recover. And today, they provided the Augusta Richmond County Commission with some delicious um cinnamon rolls that we are enjoying back in the back. So on behalf of this great city, we can't thank you enough for what you do. For those of you that have families or friends that still need help in recovering from Hurricane Helen, our former mayor Dee Copenhaver is working with these groups and they do all sorts of trades from completely redoing houses to roofing to windows to everything. If you need help or you know someone that needs help, help is available. So gentlemen, free of charge. That's right. I forgot it. free of charge. So, gentlemen, on behalf of this city and this commission, we thank you and we're going to give you a standing round of applause for all that you do. [applause] [applause] This group, this group is led by uh a gentleman by the name of Gideon Yoder.

And we want to say a prayer for Mr. deodorant that he had to leave um within the last couple of days because his father passed away and he was here helping our community and his he he got work that his dad passed away so I think he's going back to Ohio but he will be back. Would you guys like to say anything to this to this group? All right, [laughter] thank you so much for being here and we understand that you guys are actually working on a job so you could uh certainly take off and thank you for your time again. Okay, take care.

You want to get a [applause] picture? Thank you so much. All right, then my my my last point of privilege is that we are anticipating hopefully not as bad as it is expected some some weather this weekend. So, we want to be weather aware. Please make sure you stay in touch with all the city's uh social media pages and everything and that we're expected to have some inclement weather. So, please stay weather aare as we enter the weekend. Madame clerk. Yes. We're ready to move forward with our recognition portion of this program.

I call your attention to the recognition portion of our agenda which our HR director, Miss Anita Rooker, would make the presentations accordingly. We offer our congratulations to all of the recip today's recipients.

Good afternoon. I'm going to try to cover December, November, and December. So bear with me. First, I'd like to recognize um Mayor Johnson, commissioners, Madame Administrator. It gives us great pride to recognize our November and December years of service recipients. For the month of November and December, we had 56 employees celebrating 5 to 50 years of service with Augusta. The total years of service and institutional knowledge being celebrated today is 645 years.

Yes. [applause] This afternoon, we're going to recognize the 25 to 50 years of service recipients. Some of them had to leave to get back to a particular job. So, I'm going to rush through them, but I'm going to say their names because I think they they they're owed that. Um, Gerald Wall, utilities, 40 years. [applause] Ronald Sylvester, the sheriff's office, 35 years. [applause] Our very own sheriff is out of town, but Sheriff Eugene Brantley is celebrating 25 years. Rhonda Ross, the sheriff's office, 25 years. [applause and cheering] Kenya Turner, E911, 25 years. [applause]

[laughter]

Finally, Mr. Nathaniel Delos, Utilities, 40 years. [applause] Mayor Johnson, the employee recognition committee has selected Taiisha Busy as the 2025 November employee of the month for Augusta, Georgia. Miss Busy. [applause] [cheering] Miss Busy has been employed with Augusta for 11 years and currently serves in the finance department. Tai, as we affectionately call her, consistently exemplifies excellence through her unwavering dedication, professionalism, and team oriented mindset. She plays a vital role in the review and processing of invoices, bills, and helping the departments avoid late fees and unnecessary expenses. Her proactive communication with departments to ensure timely invoice submission contributes significantly to smooth financial oper operations in a fast-paced and demanding environment of accounting. Hi. Thai remains steady, dependable, and focuses and focused, reliable, and positive attitudes sets a standard of excellence and inspire those around her. Based on this nomination, Tai out Tai's outstanding contribution to the finance department and service to Augusta, the employee recognition committee would appreciate you joining us in recognizing Taisa Busy as the 2025 November employee of the month. [applause]

Mayor Johnson, the employee recognition committee has selected Charles McJunkin as the 2025 December employee of the month for Augusta. Mr. Juncan has been employed [applause] Mr. Juncan has been employed with Augusta for 16 years and serves in the Richmond Sheriff's Office in the Charles B. Webster Detention Center. As a key member of the facilities maintenance team, Chuck has played an instrumental role in drastically improving the all around conditions, cleanliness, operations, reliability to the jail. His tireless work ethic has transformed around areas that had no longer required attention. Through persistence and pride in his craft, he has helped create a safer, cleaner, and more functional environment for both staff and inmates. His efforts directly support the mission of the detention center by ensuring that critical systems remain reliable, that living and working space remain sanitary and safe, that operations can run smoothly without interruptions. Based on this nomination, Chuck's outstanding contribution to the sheriff's office and the service to Augusta, the employee recognition committee would appreciate you joining us in recognizing Charles McJunkin as the 2025 December employee of the month. [applause]

[cheering] [applause]

Thank you. Ladies and gentlemen, let's give another round of applause. 645 years of service [applause] to Chuck and to Ty. And you know, Chuck told me he could not have a better jail if it were not for the major. Major Huffman, thank you so much. Round of applause for MAJOR HUFFMAN. [applause] ALL RIGHT, MADAM CLERK, we're running behind, so let's move on.

Amen.

I think that takes us to delegation the delegation portion of this meeting. Mr. Mayor, members of the commission, I call your attention to the delegation portion of our agenda. Item number C, Mr. Michael Dixon. Do we, the people, not deserve clean air, clean water, and clean land to live on? How can you justify about the quality of life in our city? Good afternoon, Mr. Dixon. Hello, Mayor.

If you if you don't mind, for the record, please state your name and address. Do you have handouts for this governing body? Is that for you, or would you like that on the screen? All right, that's a prop. Miss McFarley, can you make sure that gets on the screen for us? 1822 Irvine Street, 30904. And for the record, state your name, please. Michael Dixon. Thank you so much. We're going we going to get we going to wait to get your display up before you get started. Okay. We're going to give you just a minute. It all be in order.

[snorts]

All right, start off with the first part of the question. The people of Augusta, Richmond County not deserve clean air, clean water, and a clean environment to live on. I would like a response from each one of the commissioners to their own personal answer. Do we deserve that as a city? Well, Mr. Dixon, this is a dialogue portion. We can't force a commissioner to answer, but you certainly uh if there's anybody that's interested to answer that question, you're more than welcome. And right now, I don't see any colleagues in the queue, so I would ask that you continue with your presentation. And if any commissioner desires to answer, I'll let you know. Okay.

Yes, sir. And the first screenshot that I have up on the prompter is from the AD AEDA, the Augusta Econ Economic Development Authority. Under that, some of the incentives that they have put forth for Augusta to promote ourselves to other corporations is that we have an excellent quality of life in our city. I have laid out several more screenshots beneath it that show that the quality of life in our city is not up to what we are advertising to each other and that is what prompted the first question of do we not deserve clean air, clean water and clean land to live on. Our healthy inequalities here in the city are some of the worst in the country. This is displayed for life expectancy for our city and for each district. And this is in comparison of the entire United States. This is not just looking at localities in the south or north or jerry gerrymandering the data one way or the other. This is in comparison of the entire United States. And our city is ringing out over and over for some of the larger health concerns dealing with us. Those things range from life expectancy, heart disease, asthma. We are having higher rates of cancer in localized areas in certain districts along with a higher percentage of people with disabilities are being born with disabilities. [cough and clears throat] [snorts] This is a screenshot of a study that was pulled out of another state, another city, another university that has nothing to do with this. None of them have ever they probably have been to our city at least once but they found us because of the data that our city has been producing from our uh illquality of life effects. These are from the districts based in 1933 using all the metrics of data and health that they had at the time comparative to now. And you can see some of these districts have fallen lower in comparative standing they were in the 1930s as we are presently standing here today.

goes on to what I was talking about about the environment. This was a study done by the United States military in in preparation to try to find out some of the PAS contamination zones. In this they directly quote our city as being a result of some of the PAS contaminations in their in their lakes at uh the Golden Golf Lake and that they had directly had proed it back to us and that we were the ones responsible for it. And these are some of the things when we start looking at the data around the people that live in Augusta. Even though this study was mainly around Fort Gordon, it was still looking at all the outside wells that could have been affected by this. And we know that our wells have been in suspect for a long time. And that we still have many people using portable wells from RV parks to mobile homes. There's still a lot of data that's out there that we don't know about. We haven't been looking into, but yet other municipalities, other places have it. That was the last one. And so I urge the commission to start taking these things serious because this is our city. This is our lives. This is your lives as well. Your family, your children, your loved ones all live in this environment that is affecting us. And every metric point of the data is showing that we're getting worse and worse and worse. And it's not just been over 5 years or 10 years. For over 60 years, our city has been the beating back of some of the larger corporations. And we have paid the price for it on ultimately and unfortunately. And it's to the point where we even advertise.

One minute. Thank you. We even advertise a lie that we have excellent quality of health even though from market hub studies, wallet studies to even our own government is saying that that is not true. Like it says up there, the national health report for um air quality in Augusta. All the data is there saying we have a lot of work to do and not just we have a lot of work we have a lot of studying and a lot of funding that needs to be put towards this because it's only going to get worse if we don't stop it now the first thing to do to solve a problem is to recognize that you have one thank you all Mr. Mr. Dixon, thank you so much and thank you for always being that advocate for the environment for this community. Yes, sir.

Please know that. And uh I'm going to open it up to the floor. There is the mayor prom that's uh in the queue. So chair recognize mayor pro Tim Wayne Gilful. Thank you, Mr. Mayor. Mr. Michael, thank you coming for coming before us. Where does the EPA EPD come into this picture?

Uh unfortunately not in good ways. Uh there have been large changes at the EPD and the EPA level, both federal under the Trump administration, that have redacted and removed a lot of these regulations that were being put in place to protect us. And now a lot of this is being left up to local municipalities and local states while the state is not doing much. A good example would be with PAS. We know there's about eight known contaminate PAS in our water systems, but we as a state and as a federal government are only regulating two of those to be dealt with.

Right. the PAS that you speaking of it's you saying it's no longer well you said for 60 years Trump's only been in it for this past year and four years prior so it's been a long there's been a lot of president long time running and the recent changes in the EPA through the federal administration has made it 10 times worse down the road that's correct as far as these industries industrial plants that we have around here they still have to follow the same guidelines no different than this building here if we was going to renovate it. We got to um bring it up to code to make it handicap accessible. True.

In most parts, but there are there have been a lot of ways that they have gone around these uh as well as we just had meetings over the EPD SV hearing and we still have not gotten full word about SV and the how they're going to go about doing the things that they were supposed to do. A lot of this kind of just gets pushed under the rug. people forget and then there's little followup from you know the public and it's only really environmentalists that actively control and follow that

right m Mr. Michael, you and I have a lot of conversation, but you talk up here on this kind of information where I'm way down here, but one something that surprised me in the your pictures, page two and page three. No different than the picture right here. You can leave it there, Natasha. The bottom left hand corner, right below that curve, there's a dark dark spot. That's Huba. Yes, sir. The only thing we have in Hza as far as industry is a chalk mine.

There is a legacy. It's a it's a wide birth. So an industry could be 60 miles away that is still producing active contamination that makes it through the wing currents that it gets deposited on the ground gets breathed in through that shown through the asthma studies as well as legacy contamination. Uh I know I had ran out of time but I had a few other right

like there are pro industries prior to the last 20 years that are still affecting the health of people living out there as well as the environments they're going to uh I think I even sent a picture to the mayor where he had spoke at an event and above the event is a large dark spot from where the contamination is building up inside of buildings. It's it is a lot. It's not just one industry or one type of industry. It is continuous years of people not trying to understand these problems that are all combining together to affect us in ways that not necessarily one person would understand or one branch of the government would actually be in control of because it deals with air, water, what's in the air, how much is in the air, at the times it's in the air. A good example would be a lot of the factories around here. We have higher increased rates of emissions during the night while people are sleeping and that can have adverse effects on just your regular sleep patterns which then can culminate down into lower life expectancy or heart disease. It is

told you talk up here. I'm down here. Is it is unfortunately a lot. It is a jango building. Well, I will tell you this. You know, we do have a good director of our utilities. I guess that's the one we pointing at as far as PEX, but you know, I do entrust in Wes and again um he's open for us to sit down for lunch whenever you get ready so we can have a one two conversation. Yes, sir. I will have all my doubles ready to sit down with Mr. West and actually be able to explain this in a better way than just the five minutes with little screenshots. Yes, sir. Thank you. Thank you for coming before us. Yes, sir. Thank you, Mayor. Thank you, Mayor Pro 10. Uh Mr. Mr. Dixon, I don't see any other colleagues in the queue. Certainly appreciate your presence here today and thank you so much for this information.

Yes, sir. I hope every has a good afternoon. Thank you. You too, sir. Uh, yes, ma'am. You guys, Madam Clerk, I think that takes us to item delegation D, please. Item D, Miss Zakia Mayberry Marry Marry, I'm sorry, regarding community impact to the Hannes Station subdivision related to the proposed data center development. Thank you so much, Miss Mary. Thank you so much for being here today. For the record, please state your name. And as I understand, you've already provided your address. Would you please state your name for the record, please? My name is Zakia Mabry. Thank you, ma'am. You have five minutes.

Good afternoon, everyone. Mayor, Madame Administrator, commissioners, and staff. Again, my name is Zakiyia Mabry, and I'm speaking today on behalf of residents of Hayes Station subdivision and surrounding areas. [snorts] At the onset, I want to make it very clear. I am not in opposition of development or the data center. Our concern is about process and a voice. Residents recently became aware of proposed Eisenhower data center and began organizing after realizing neighbors were not aware of it until very late around December 29th to be very specific of 2025. While I do not speak for every individual resident in Hang Station or the surrounding areas, a small group of volunteers have come together and we meeting weekly daily to um research and figure out what the facts are. What information do we have? What was publicly available and we're seeking information to seek clarity through the appropriate public process. That's why we're here today as this data center could affect our health and our wellness of our family members. Residents are approaching this with a focus on facts, data, and documented processes because with information when information is limited and unclear, it can lead to unnecessary speculation rather than than informed participation.

[clears throat]

Our purpose today is not to debate the merits of the data centers or the spec specifics of this process. We are here to request clarity on whether public notice was issued in accordance with applicable requirements and whether residents were provided meaningful opportunity to participate in the review of said process. Based on the information currently a available to the residents, there appears to be some questions regarding how notice was provided, including timing, method, visibility of notice prior to the hearings. Because notice is a fundamental in due process, residents are respectively requesting a review of the notice process used for this particular process. and if any deficiencies are identified, appropriate corrective action. Again, this request is not intended to oppose development. This reflects concern that the residents lack a meaningful opportunity to be informed and to be heard. I will now yield the remaining of my time to my colleague on our committee, Mr. Zable. Thank you for your attention,

Miss Mayberry. Thank you so much. Uh before you you well I don't see any colleagues in the queue because Mr. Zable has a separate delegation. Uh I don't see any colleagues in the queue. So Mr. Zable if you want to come forward please. I actually have handouts for you guys. Okay. If you would hand them all right. Mrs. Ael again I need your name. Your address has been submitted to the clerk. So you don't need to provide that but please for the record what is your name sir? My name is Charles Ael. Okay. Mrs. is able you have five minutes.

All right. Thank you, sir. Um, my biggest thing is I am an active duty service member. I have been stationed uh here at Fort Gordon for the last uh 5 years. Um, and I am in I am in the the the field that this data center will provide a lot of things. I'm not opposition to it. Um, but a lot of things that I do oppose are things that I have uh I have seen downrange as far as uh the generators that these things are going to use. um whether it be um they're going to be tested uh no telling what their what their time schedule is for for testing these uh when they're going to be running. Um also there were uh things that uh the city had created DRI there were two of them uh 3715 back when uh these were four buildings. Um there were many things that were are different from that one and the new one which is uh 4171. Um a biggest thing are the amount of water that these things are going to use. The amount this that both of these DRI state that there will be no hazardous waste produced on everything that I have researched. Every single data center in the country and in the world has hazardous waste. It will be the the diesel, the oil that these generators need to run. They're going to have the battery from the the UPS that these uh if there the power goes down that these have unapproable power systems. These have batteries. Also, the computers, they're going to wear out. They have they have all types of things inside of them. These all have to be removed. Um the refrigeration units that they're going to be used, all these things are hazardous chemicals. So, how is it the DRRi that your planning commission created on on your sites state that there are there is none going to be created? But it these things will

definitely have this. So, those are that's one of the things that I I bring up is is the fuel, the batteries, cooling chemicals, electrical equipment, things that will be are are going to wear out. They're going to have to be disposed of. New ones will have to come in. So, how is that not considered hazardous waste? Also when both uh DRRi 3715 and 4171 is that uh these things are this data center is going to be company is going to be mainly in Richmond County probably about 95% in Richmond County 5% probably in Columbia County this data center sits on wetlands this data center sits on uh flood planes this data center sits on um the watershed how is it that this was also there was a question on the DRRI if anything is selected yes that this has to be explained except at the bottom of the DRRi that section is left blank. So if the if this data center going from four to six buildings is going to encroach on wetlands the water pl the the water planes and the flood plane. How has this not been addressed by the planning commission and the zoning commission on the DRRI? Because this should be something that I would think that the county would want everybody that the city would want everybody to to for transparency want to know exactly what was going to be is going to be done. Not to mention where I live in Hayne Station um is below this it this this data center sits up on a hill. So, and as everybody knows in in Augusta the last few years, we get rain, a lot of rain. Um, usually some days we get rain that's 3 to 4 in. Where is all that rain going to go when that's sitting up on a hill? It is now paved. It now has buildings. It's going to go where everything else goes. It's going to

follow the natural plane of of the uh of the the terrain. So, one minute, Mrs. Ael.

Yes, sir. So my my request is that the commission director staff to to schedule a public meeting within the next 30 days uh and that to be held in the evening hours uh for the purpose of providing meaningical public uh participation regarding the proposed T5 cloud data center including both of the the DRI that uh I've submitted to you guys for for to review. Um and also to have these this this occurrence so that um most people like myself, I'm active duty. I left work to come here. Um I have the rank to where I can do that. A lot of people cannot. So active duty can can attend these meetings. Uh the reser even the federal employees that are are that are stationed on the base that live in Hayne Station because we are we are selected or we're right next to Fort Gordon. That's all I have, sir. Thank you.

This is Ael. Thank you so much for being here. Uh just one point of clarity, T5 is no longer associated with this potential product project. And I say potential because it's nothing finalized, but uh back in 2022, there was a potential development with T5 for this particular site, but they're no longer involved uh in this actual potential project. Okay. All right. Just sit tight. There's some colleagues in the queue that I'd like uh like to [snorts] uh to engage you. Chair recognizes Mayor Pro Tim Wayne Gilful.

Mrs. Sable, thank you for coming before us. This is going to be um as well as the young lady who came before you, um Miss Mabberry. Uh this going to be a learning thing for us as well. We have been discussing about getting in front of this issue. U we've been watching what's been going on in Columbia County. Um and actually everybody's I love Miss Mabber's um comments. You know, we're not against it. We just would like to get more information on it, no different than you would. Um, I notice on some of your discussion you was talking about the the water use, the generators leaking oil and fuel. Yes, sir.

You probably got more generators on Fort Gordon's property or will have. But the generators these days has come a long ways. every community uses it through every one of the wells at any given tank. Um so I think you won't have that issue. We can make it you know saying it will you know if you have oil seal uh loose seal of something but in essence usually they are selfcontained. Um, as far as the, um, computers, when they changing them out, most likely one goes in, one goes out, doesn't get buried on the property. We got the Amazon plant right there on Highway 56, which is in the wet zone. It was actually the ground was built up. Um, and you could go by there and you could see that acreage, a big lot being cleared out for the Amazon um, distribution center. But I would like to try to see if I could get the um intern director um Mr. Basser to come up and speak on this u because a lot of us in in the dark about this as well. Yes, sir.

But we do we do realize we need to have public meetings, but I don't think anything's etched in stone at this not that I know of is etched in stone at this point. So that's what we waiting on to see what comes out um if anybody if anything's going to be definite. and and like you said sir we we just want we want more information mainly because there are so many data centers going up um there are so many proposed uh I I understand like I said I'm in the field of of it I'm in the field of cyber um I know what it what these data centers bring and believe me I'm not opposed to them because I I I need them as as my job right

um but at the same time given the proximity to where this is normally there's situ situated out away from things. They're not nestled right up against three uh three residential areas and especially since the the one that's on Gordon Highway right now, the Weststone that's actually being built and those those are going to be town homes and they're going to see the data center front and center because they're going to be on the same level as them where we're Yes. in Hane Station, we're down we're down the hill, but we're still going to hear I mean I I know you said that as far as the the generators, they've gotten better. Um but they still it all depends on the person who is taking care of those. Um that's correct.

How are the I mean like I said I've been deployed I've heard the I've heard them we've had data centers on the bases that I've been at. Um they are very loud. Everything that I've written and I've read about um about these things is yes as you get farther away they get louder but that's one generator. most of these and they on the on the plans that we've seen and everything that we've we've looked at it states no nowhere what how much or how many generators will be placed for each building. Right. But but Mr. Zable they like this buildings is on the generator. Yes. The only time it's going to come on if the power goes out here.

Exactly. Uh but under normal circumstance under I've been reading up research on this um data centers they put out five ohms of noise which is equivalent to a refrigerator. Um I think they have a lot um large buffer that surrounds their properties no different than Columbia County does but I would love to but you are right we are going to get in front of it but I would like to hear from our um intern director to give us some information. Good afternoon everyone. How you everyone doing today? You're not too sir.

Um this property sits on about 211 acres. Uh this the applicant in two this applic uh public hearing meetings. So they did go through the process of that. Uh as of lately what we did with the project that you you have before you today that just added on track. They wanted to add on some more land because they was like you said the wetland was a concern for them between the buildings. So they went ahead and added more more land for that to have separation between the wetlands and some of the buildings. The uh project itself is um when it come down to what you said about the hearing as far as us putting it out um advertising that we we advertise the 15 days prior to it going to before the planning commission. So that would be advertisement in newspaper and also we post the property as well.

Okay. Commissioner mayor prom you you yield. Just one question Mr. Basser. Yes sir. Um is there any um insight of is a data center coming to this area? Give us idea or is there more than one data center coming to Augustus so we could get prepared for it. Okay. Uh, look at

Kevin Boy, development services manager. This is the primary Danish center that's proposed for our area. Um, and it should consist of about five warehouse buildings. There may be a smaller one. I heard that there may be a smaller one that's being proposed, but not nearly to the scope of this. is more of a contemporary size of a warehouse building, but this is the primary one that's protected for our our jurisdiction. And the property is zoned for that. Yes, sir. It's zoned for that. Thank you. I guess I need to make one more statement too. The DRRi Yeah.

Also, what um the DRRi was uh before you guys approved that, it went through that process first. Um and that's where you get the approval from them on projects that are so big. So that's why before we gave to you guys for the approval, it went through their process. Then in 2022, they went ahead and approved it after that. Thank you. Uh interim director Vassor chair recognizes commissioner from the third commissioner Katherine Smith Rice.

Thank you, Mr. Mayor. Thank you for being here. um Hayne Station residents. I'd like to say um that and I do know that there were signs that were put out, but as a uh commissioner that represents Hayne Station, uh I I feel like it I owe it to the residents to be able to have a um a meeting and we get together and have the attorney uh you know, that represents uh the data center and some folks come talk to you about it. But I do feel that you ought to have a voice in this. So I would like to um make sure that we have a community meeting and that you all get to have your voices heard as well and speak.

Yes, ma'am. That would be great. Okay. All right. Thank you. We I'll get with um who can I contact? Well, either either one of us, ma'am. We'll Okay. And you you've got my email, so email me and we'll get a date together and set up something fair. I would say mayor um you probably be there too as well. Yes, ma'am. That meeting will probably take place within the next 30 to 60 days. Okay. Is that good with you? Yes, ma'am. Okay. Thank you both for being here. Amen.

As as soon as we know more, we don't mind sharing with the community, but as of right now, we don't have anything to share regarding what the plans are for that property at this moment. All right. Chair recognizes Commissioner from the 5th, Commissioner Don Clark. Thank you, Mr. Mayor. Uh Mr. Zable, thank you for uh your service, your continued service to country. Um Mr. Vasser, what's the buffer zone um between the proposed site and the residential? It's a 100 foot buffer. So 100 ft between the proposed site and the nearest residential. That's correct. Okay. All right. Yeah. So yeah, hold on. Kevin want to add one more thing to that.

All right. So this is kind of confusing, but there is a um power line easement that runs to the east side of the property. Um and so that is a 100 foot wide and at the southern portion extends further. um that uh is a separate parcel than the subject property. It is zone commercial and so it serves as a buffer to the east side. To the west side there's a 50-ft buffer as shown their concept plan and to the north side um there's a a roughly 500 um foot separation from the boundary to the nearest building. So there's adequate uh separation on all sides.

Okay. Thank you for clarifying that. Um this is new um and and really um fast approaching um issues that many communities throughout the state of Georgia are about to embark upon. Um not trying to be sly about this at all. Um the fact that this was zoned back in 2022 um and it's already zoned forward. The biggest problem is having a solidified understanding of if this is approved, if it's going to happen. Um that those signs you all saw um from the previous uh company T5, they were in this same situation had a proposed project and it never came to fruition. So in this case right now, we don't know if this one's going to come in fruition, but um it's definitely something that is on the horizon for many communities throughout Georgia um about data centers.

Ma'am, would you like to add something? Um thank you for having this discussion with us and I appreciate you saying that we're learning together. Um stating that the signs were there. We've used Google map. Yes. and we didn't see those signs. So, if you could, our emails on foul. Can you send us documentation of the signs being there in the newspaper um article or ad being printed because we couldn't find that information? Yes, we have no problem doing it. We we can get you the information. Thank you so much. Welcome.

Yeah. And ladies and gentlemen, this is going to be a conversation that you're going to not only be hearing about in Augusta, Richmond County, but within counties throughout the state of Georgia. Data centers are prevalent throughout the entire state. um you know what's happening in our neighboring county or you hear about what's happening and you know because of AI and the the the added necessity for more technology data centers are becoming more and more prevalent um throughout the state of Georgia and the southeast. So certainly understand your concerns with where you live and they're noted and as I pledge we will make sure we have meetings as we know more. Okay. So thank you guys so much for being here. Thank you sir. You guys have a great rest of the day. You too. Thank you. Thank you.

Madame Clerk, our last delegation. F Miss M. Well, we we may want to hold up a second. We got a lot of Hannes Bridge folks. Thank y'all for being here. I appreciate it. We're going to give you just a second to clear out. Okay. I I should have asked how many people here representing the neighborhood, but I see how many are here now. All right, Madame Clerk, let's continue.

Yes, sir. Call your attention to delegation F, Mrs. Nomi Stanton, regarding homeless task force updates. Thank you so much, Miss Stanton. Welcome. Thank you so much for being here. For the record, will you please state your name, please? I think we know where you live. Naomi Harris Stanton, uh, 3810 Shaw Creek Court, Musta, Georgia 30907. Thank you, ma'am. You have the floor and you have five minutes. [clears throat]

Commissioners, mayor, thank you so much for allowing me to come and be on the schedule. Uh, Commissioner Scott, thank you so much for putting me on the schedule. This is actually my third time coming to speak to the commission, which I'm honored. And each time I have asked, I've never been asked to be here. I wanted to be here. My ultimate goal was to open up an alliance of communication and keep you informed about things that we are working on to help our neighbors. And right now, we are officially in pit count season. Um, I did bring a handout. I want to specifically recognize Bethany Trap. uh from the Mary and Barnes Resource Center who has spent hours and hours and hours, volunteer hours putting this together. The pick count is our point in time count which allows us to collect data on one of our most vulnerable populations for the unhoused. So we can submit those numbers to HUD and based on those numbers, it allows us the ability to seek funding opportunities to help our neighbors in this community. Currently, we are still seeking volunteers that would like to be a part of this opportunity. Thanks to Bethany Trap and all of her hours of hard hard work, we have several dates and times that someone can come as well as a virtual training to help those.

Oh, hello Bethany Tre. This is Bethany Trap. Hello, Miss Trap. Thank you so much for being here. You've been here since 1:00. Well, thanks for calling me out, mayor. [laughter] No, I'm just I'm just saying you you're you're ability. We are very punctual if not early. Thank you so much. [clears throat] Volunteer registration has been cut off. We are full. But however,

we do have a virtual training. And what I've just given you, these are the dates and the locations. Um, what's significant about this is if you look on each one of these places, this is another really a beautiful way of showing how our community comes together and collaborates to help our our neighbors. Um, I would really love for any of you to participate in this. When PIT concludes, the data collected will be submitted by our new collaborative applicant, the United Way. Besides um giving you the information on the pick count, I also really wanted to highlight some very significant things between the hot team. The hot team is the homeless outreach team which has been put together by the sheriff's office. Um they are a special group, a high caliber of individuals. Got my glasses on. Uh, Lieutenant Shawn Rhodess, Shawn uh, Sergeant Harden, Deputy Nelson, Debbie Colby Herell, and Deputy Jones um, have been absolutely outstanding. I've worked with them personally at my organization. Uh, between the hot team, Pastor Luke Naid G ministries, Salvation Army, and Marian Barnes, we've collectively reunified over two dozen people from this area with family members outside of Augusta. Thanks to our mailboxes, over 50 people who otherwise would not have been able to get uh vital documents have been able to do so, which would then in turn um mean that they could get safe housing or solid employment. That is an actual huge gift. Thanks to our community care tickets, hundreds of individuals, and I mean hundreds, have been able to get to Serenity for mental health treatment, department of public health for doctor's appointments, DCS to see their parole probation officers, or the hospital for follow-up care. As a side note, Miss Sharon was actually

here. I was asked by Dr. Paige to speak at the Georgia Transit Conference that was held here in Augusta to share this program. We actually have a tremendous amount to be proud of in our community. I do not think that these are little wins. I think these are tremendous wings. Wins. My real reason for coming is because I am the outgoing chair and I need to tell you about folks who have worked hours and I mean hours if I haven't beat that horse yet. Uh since we are all we all have full-time jobs. This is a volunteer position that people have volunteered for either nominated for volunteered for. and I feel compelled to say their names in this forum to give them massive thanks. I want to hugely thanks Angela Bakus from Resource Augusta, Olga Hernandez from Salvation Army, Bethany Trap from Marian Barnes, Sher Coleman from Easter Seals, Shawn Edwards from the Augusta Land Bank, Tiffany Howard from the United Way, Brennan, which I know you know from the mayor's office, Sean Harus Rhodess from the sheriff's office, Britney Mnet from United Way, Angela Collins from United Way, and last but not least, Pastor Luke Naidday. I have never asked anything of the commission before and what I'm asking now is to please support Pastor Luke Naid who I believe was here about a week ago to give the um opening prayer and support him as the incoming chair of the Augusta Homeless Task Force as they move onward and upward in a positive beautiful direction.

Miss Stanton, thank you so much. And ladies and gentlemen, let's give her a round of applause for her year. [applause]

You've given so much sometimes you call heat for it and doing the right thing. And I will I will if anyone knows anything about me, I will never not speak up if there is something that I feel that is um that is not okay. And really the beautiful thing about the task force is that we are a huge collaboration of several groups in the area trying to make a real real difference and I think that that is I think that's really incredible and we're celebrating. You're not trying to make a difference, you are making a difference. Yes, I

agree. So, so thank you so much. And ladies and gentlemen, if you look at these states, this is so important that, you know, we we get volunteers to go out and do this work. And I'm not going to say that it's easy work, but it's meaningful work to go out to our community and help with these counts. So, I would ask that if you have any interest or you know of anyone that may be interested that you share because this is important for our community that we do this count and we get it right. So, Miss Stanton, if you sit there for just a second, I got a few colleagues in the queue. Absolutely. Uh, Commissioner Francine Scott from the Ninth. Ma'am, you have the floor.

Thank you, uh, Mayor Johnson. I would like to also extend a very thank you to all of you who are here today for the task force and just stand up if you're a part of the task force or have been a part of the task force and let's give all of them a hand because we could not do it without them. [applause] Miss Dan, I would like to thank you for your tenacity, for your willingness to come forward and work not just from 8 to 5, but all it's almost 24 hours a day because anytime you call, if you know her and she has a problem, she's going to resolve that within matter of minutes. So, I applaud you for

help of all of these people.

Abs. Absolutely. And I would just like to thank you for having um [snorts] the willingness to work for the people who are our neighbors who are unhoused. So uh I know you're not going anywhere. You're just rolling off the task force and if any of my colleagues get um an opportunity uh you I I suggest that you go down and listen to them on uh on their meeting dates. Could you give us the meeting dates again? And if you have any time just go down and not and listen to what they are doing and when the next uh when Luke come back next year after his year is over with and listen to the accomplishment they they have had.

Yes ma'am. This full schedule is going to be posted on the Augusta Richmond County Continuum of Care page which is our Facebook page. Um we keep that updated very regularly. That's another thing that the dynamo Bethany trap uh does. Um we will always be meeting at the croc the last Thursday of every month. That can be counted on. And um I know that Pastor Luke is going to do an outstanding job. [snorts] Thank you again. Thank you, Mayor Johnson.

Ladies and gentlemen, let me just let me brag on Mrs. Nomi Stanton for just a second. Her husband used to be the commanding general at Fort Gordon who has now gone on to bigger and greater things someplace else. So, she could have easily followed her husband and not been here. But to stay in this community to help with this important initiative, it means a lot to us and it says who you are. So, thank you so much. That's number one, he's he's a soldier. He's a soldier. Uh and number two, if you know anything about a military spouse really, you try to leave a place better than you found it. Wow. That is and I I love the community of Augusta and we are all lucky to have these people in it. Thank you for that. All right, just sit tight. Mayor Pro Tim Wayne Gil. Thank you, Miss Stanton. Well, sir,

I want to publicly apologize to you from the last time you came before us. I question what your mission statement was and how many people that you got off the street uh caught you off guard and I do want to apologize. You do good. Your heart's in the right place. Your entire staff as well as working well with these other departments and other community um community activists. And I just want to tell you thank you and I want you to know that with all my heart I appreciate that very much. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you, Mayor Prom Gil. Voltier recognizes commissioner from the second, Commissioner Stacy Bullion.

Thank you, Mayor Johnson. I also want to just publicly thank you and everyone that helps with the homeless task force and not just with the homeless task force, but even within your own organizations, what you do, the continuum of care. Um, I was so super excited when we went to our eggs and issues breakfast on last week and we learned about the governor actually putting forth a homeless awareness grant or putting more funding towards that. Immediately I thought about you all and I was like this is going to be so great. So, I don't know the ins and outs of that, but it was just it was a very exciting moment because I know that there's a need for it and according to what he was saying, there's a need across Georgia, not just across Georgia, but across our nation. So, thank you so much for everything that all of you do and that you will continue to do.

I really appreciate that. And uh and this is the truth. We will never eradicate homelessness. That is a fact. But what we can do is try to help our neighbors succeed with a true hand up. And I believe that my colleagues and I do that. So, thank you so so much. I appreciate your time, Mr. Danny. Thank you again. Thank you.

And again, ladies and gentlemen, these dates, if you know anybody who wants to volunteer, they could use a lot more volunteers. [applause] This is very, very important to our community. Madame Clerk, I think that takes us to the consent portion of this agenda. Yes, sir. Our consent agenda. Mr. Mayor, before we get started, we have one request for an addendum. I think you have it at your place. Yes, ma'am. I see it here. And if you will, for the record, please state, please read it in for the record, please. It's to approve state court accountability courts contract with way Augusta outpatient center for the provision of behavioral health treatment services as a sole source vendor.

Thank you so much, madam clerk. Colleagues, is there any objection to adding this to today's agenda? I don't hear see any objections, Madame Clerk. So, it is added. [snorts]

All right. Call your attention to our consent agenda. For the benefit of any objectors to our planning petitions, would you please signify your objection once the petition is read? call your attention to item number one is a request Augusta Planning Commission to approve a reszoning from a zone B1 neighborhood business to a zone B2 general business to establish a public event venue for property located at 1755 Gordon Highway. Are there any objectors?

Any objectors? 1755 Gordon Highway. Madame clerk, see here none. Let's continue. Item number two is to approve a petition on behalf requesting a reszoning from a zone R11 family residential and a R1A1 family residential to a B1 neighborhood business to develop a private school campus for property located at 3118 Skinner Mill Circle. Are there any objectors? Any objectors to 3118 Skinnmill Circle? hearing a none. Madame clerk, let's continue.

Item number three is a request for approval regarding a reszoning from zone Agriculture and Light Industrial to zone B2 general business regarding the development of a retail complex for property located at 3416, 3430, and 3438 Mike Padet Highway. Are there any objections? Any objections to those Mike Padet highway addresses hearing or seeing none. Interasser, do you have a question regarding item item number two? Yes. Um, the applicant has went ahead and withdrawn from the uh for putting their application in. So, they no longer want to do that one. So, that's the item two. Number three.

Number three. All right, madam clerk. So, number three we need to delete from today's agenda. The applicant has decided not to move forward. Okay. [cough and clears throat] All right, let's move on to number four, please. Item number four is a request for a special exception for property located at 1060 Clawson Road to develop an extended stay hotel. Are there any objectors? Any objectors to Clawson Road? Hearing or seeing none.

Okay, let's continue. We call your attention to the public service portion of our agenda. If there are any objectors to any of our alcohol petitions, would you please signify your objections by raising your hand? Item number six for information to approve a resolution designating Sunday, February 8th, 2026 as the designated Sunday for bars to be open for a Super Bowl Sunday. Motion to approve the soul source upgrade purchase of hardware. Are there any objectives? Any objectives to Super Bowl Sunday alcohol

here? Hear seeing none. Let's continue. Madam clerk, item number seven is a request to approve retail package beer wine license for location at 2657 Barton Chapel Road. Are there any objectors? 2657 Barton Chapel Road. Hearing or seeing none, let's move on. Item number eight is a request for a retail package beer and wine license to be used in connection with 2749 Barton Chapel Road. Are there any objectors? 27 Barton Chapel Road. Any objectors hearing or seeing none, let's continue.

Item number nine is a request for a pack retail package, liquor, beer, and wine license to be used with the location at 2751 Barton Chapel Road. Are there any objectors? Any objectors? That is a lot of locations for Bar and Chapel Road, but I don't see any objectors. Item number 10 is a request for on premise consumption, liquor, beer, and wine license and Sunday sales for property located at 1209 Broad Street. Are there any objectors?

Any objectors at 1209 Broad Street? Hearing seeing none, let's move on. Item number 11 is for existing location consumption on premise beer and wine license to be used in connection with the location at 1025 Broad Street. Are there any objectors? 1025 Broad Street. Any objectors hearing? Seeing none, let's move on. Mr. Mayor, point of clarity. Yes, sir. Um, can I get uh uh the uh interim director Vasser to come up and clarify um for the public the uh source up uh soul source upgrade purchase of hardware software equipment. What is that? It's on numerous items.

It's on It's on here about four times. I just want you all to uh clarify what that is. I'm not sure what that is. That that that one belonged to us though. I don't know why how that got on there. Typo maybe. Yeah. So I see it on here for from number six. Item number six 789. That's That's probably a typo. That has nothing to do with the alcohol petition. All right. So So what are what are we doing here? That's I just need to make sure we clarify this. Um let's just modify the record. Say again. modified with the deletion of that language from those stated,

right? But are they requesting an alcohol license or do they already Mr. Basser? He's he [laughter] they buy the alcohol license from planning and development. So he's saying that was probably a typo. Yeah, it's probably a typo that that uh I don't know why that solo source is even on there cuz it's not a part of that. Yeah, I need some clarity on that, y'all, because um we'll get calls on this and we're voting for something that we don't really have clarity on one way or the other. To say it's a typo, to say we don't know what it is. Um

it could be. Item number five is really a motion to approve the sole source upgrade purchase of hardware, software, equipment for bus reporting data for ridership and fair collection. So it got copied and pasted. Got copied over. So that would have sound like all we got to do is make a motion to we'll take responsibility for that. All we got to do is just remove the language. Right. Thank you. When the motion is read with the deletion of that language, so clarifying, we're saying that all these are petition license um alcohol license petitions.

No sir. We're saying that the language the sole source upgrade purchase of hardware software equipment for for bus reporting data for writership and fair collection data be deleted from items 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 and 13. Okay. So these are just requesting beer and wine alcohol petitions. Yes sir. The other language was a

and other related items. On 12, which is a toable restroom trailer to Rockland Cargo Equipment, Inc. and 13 is just a motion to approve the memorandum of understanding between Augusta, Georgia, the city-owned cemetery citizen committee for raising funds for cemetery projects at Magnolia Grove, Magnolia and Westview cemeteries. All right. So these are existing locations basically change in ownership and because there's two there's different uh classifications on this. One's um changing ownership, one's uh requesting for consumption on premises.

All that language should be approved as stated with the deletion of the motion to approve the sole source upgrade of hardware equipment. Yeah, I just got to remove that one language. Just remove that one language. That language. Go ahead. When it comes to the consent agenda, you would be approving items 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, and 12 with deletion of the last sentence of each agenda item. Yeah. I just needed some clarity cuz like I said, I know if I was confused, others would be as well. Thank you. Thank you. Uh, Commissioner, Madam Cler, let's continue. It takes us to item number 11.

You got to do a better job. about to get somebody behind it. [laughter] Number 11, Madam Clerk. Number 11. Item number 11.

Yeah, you were we were reading for the record all of the uh public services. That's it. Number 11 as I call beer and wine, right? 1112. Yes, sir. Yep. Item 11, the consumption of beer wine license to be used in connection with the 1025 broad. Are there any objections? Any objectors? Hearing seeing none, let's continue. Number 12. Nope. That that is it. That's what I saw of them. [snorts] That's it. All right. We have read in the alcohol petitions. Commissioner from the second. I see your your mic on. Is there anything you'd like to

I just wanted to add something. Thank you, Mayor Johnson. Wanted to add something to the consent agenda or request to Yes, ma'am. Item 27. Item 27. Did you like to add that to the consent agenda? Yes, sir. Colleagues, there's been a request to add 27 to the consent agenda. All right. Anybody else? Turn. Yes. I would request that you defer number item 23 to the next full commission. We learned about an issue yesterday involving um [snorts] zoning and a fence height. And I just need to be able to do a little bit more understanding before we give you a full report. Remind us what what number is that?

That was number 23 regarding um the bonire. We just learned of something yesterday. I need to get a little bit more clarity on before I can give you the report. We're going to ask that number 23 be removed from today's agenda while we get clarity on that. Can we do a public announcement on 24 so we could consent it? That person wasn't here. Right. All right. So, madame clerk. Yes, sir.

Can you read item number 24 in, please, for the record? Item number 24, it's new ownership applicant Spirits LLC requesting a retail package of liquor, beer, and wine license to be used in connection with the location at 2372 Barton Chapel Road. Are there any objectors? Any objectors to 2372 Barton Chapel Road? There is an objector. Madam clerk, one is noted. You You missed out because we're going to have about five or six of these. He's talking about No, I saw Mr. Todd with the objection. Are you objecting to

All right. All right. So, have you are you objected to all the Barton Chapel or just this location? Well, the these are are liquor license renewals for existing. Madam clerk, I do note that there's one objector to this most recent one. The address is 2372 Barton Chapel Road. So, there's one objector or there's two objectors. Yes, ma'am. I would like to ask if the applicant's actually in the building because if he's not, then I'd like to go ahead and withdraw it. He didn't make the last one either.

All right, that's a good idea. 2372 Barton Chapel Road is the owner or representative here in the chambers. Mahhatwa. Is is he responsible for any of the other Barton Chapel location? Just that one. Just that one. And they are existing locations and a lot of them are convenience stores and I think one is a liquor store. All right. Well, we're going to ask Madame Clerk for the record number 24 be removed from consideration today that the applicant is not available. missed a second chance second time that without objection sir is that is there any objection to removing item 24

hearing or seeing none it's it's removed all right chair recognizes commissioner from the fifth commissioner Don Clark yeah [snorts] Mr. Mayor. Um item 25, I'd like to move that to uh the next committee cycle so that we can really uh deep dive into this one. Um and give it the attention it needs. Um also 28 and 29. Um I'd like to move forward for consent as well. I beg your pardon, sir. Give us those numbers again. Number 25. Let's move that to the next committee cycle. Yes, sir.

Uh 28 and 29. Let's move um to uh the next uh I mean let's move those uh for uh consent. Sorry. Oh okay. 28 and 29. Commissioner from the second 25 is your item. Are you good with moving it to the next committee cycle? Is there any objection? There is no objection. However, this will be the last time we move this item. Thank you. No, sorry. There's no objection. All right. Thank you so much. Chair recognizes commissioner from the ninth. Commissioner Francine Scott.

Yes, Mayor Johnson. I just wanted to hear I don't know who made the motion, but to move uh number 23. It said move to Is that to uh the next committee or the next full commission? Next full commission meeting. That recommendation was asked for by the attorney and that attorney blanket. Yes, sir. Miss Scott, it was to the next full commission. All right, Commissioner Clark. I'm sorry. Commissioner from the ETH, Commissioner Garrett, you had the floor, sir. Motion to approve as stated.

There's a motion to approve as stated by Commissioner Brandon Garrett. I heard a second by Mayor Pro Tim Gilfoil. Commissioner Clark, I still see you're out of the queue now. Madam Clerk, we're prepared to vote. Mr. Mayor, sorry. Are we adding the addendum to the consent? That is Yep. Thank you. Addendum is added. Any objection to adding the addendum hearing and seeing none, madame clerk, it is added. All right, take a picture here. [clears throat]

They they removed it, so there's no reason to now. All right, madam clerk, we're prepared to vote. That motion carries with Mr. Johnson out. Thank you, Madam Cler. We're going to go top to bottom. So, I think that takes us Let's get on down here.

Number 22. Two. Yes, sir. Item 22, a motion to reject the unsolicited proposal for the revitalization of the Vernon Park part. Thank you so much, Madam Clerk. Attorney Plunk, I see you in the queue. Is there anything you need to add before we get started with this conversation? It was I have some information on 22. All right. Do have information on 22. Chair recognizes first mayor pro Tim Wayne Gilfor. You up first, sir. Thank you, Mr. Mayor. Mr. Mayor, we had um some long in debt conversation last week and bring back the block did a unsolicited proposal. Turn back the block.

Huh? Turn back the block.

Turn back the block. I apologize. Anyway, they gave us a bug with the presentation of what they are going to do and they got to have aou in place in order to start accepting grant money. Um, no cost. They trying to get it to where it's no cost to the city, but they are willing to take over a park that we actually had on the cut list um that was underutilized of 20% or less. And um I'd like to if the attorney has anything to add different I'd like to move forward on um to have the attorney draft ofou with the turn back the block organization.

Thank you mayor prom attorney blanket.

Mr. Mayor procedurally we should reject the unsolicited proposal. I did uh attorney Pitts and I met with representatives from Turnback the Block last week. Uh part of the issue in terms of disposing of the park as to be sold or donated is that they're trying to get some grants and it needs to have a government component to it. We discussed um at length the idea of anou to have uh certain um benchmarks where they would come back with um efforts to find this in terms of how would we manage the property and who would maintain it. One of the suggestions if we do theou is that they would take over caring for the park until we can do something about it. So, I would request that y'all reject the um unsolicited proposal and and direct us to draft anou with with them as Commissioner Gilfor said.

Thank you, Attorney Blanket. All right, Commissioner Gilmore. Uh Mr. Mayor, I'd like to make a motion to um reject a motion that's on agenda item number 22 and move forward doingou with turn back to block. Second. The mayor prom has made a motion. I heard a second come in first by the commissioner from the third commissioner Katherine Smith Rice. Madam clerk, I don't see any colleagues in the in the queue. We're prepared to vote. Thank you.

[sighs and snorts]

Mr. Jordan Johnson and Mr. Tony Lewis out. Thank you, Madam Clerk. Let's move on to item item 26, please. Item 26, address concerns of the fire department employees and staff. Thank you so much, Madam Clerk. Mayor Pro 10 Wayne Gil.

Thank you, Mr. Mayor. Mr. Mayor, it's it's not easy subject to be discussing. Um I would like to try to figure this in a twofold um method. Uh we had the first time in history we had um three losses in one year of last um within the fire department. It's it's not an easy thing pill to swallow by any means. Um, and I know that some of the things that attribute it to it is there's no uh group support. Um, the employees are working mandatory overtime. They working day and night. There's no downtime whatsoever for them or there's no vent for them to or to talk to organization or group. I had spoken with Chief Burden about this yesterday. There was nothing hidden on this and the twofold I we do have um Mr. Andy Carrier with the Valor station I would like to have come up as well after we speak with Chief Burden. But the twofold process is one I would like to try to figure out how we could get gain support um from the Valor station for the fire department as well as the sheriff's department and our first responders. I mean, we got people in 911 as well that's going to need some um support. Um there's there's nowhere for them to vent to. There's no nobody for them to talk to besides their colleagues. But the second part of this fold was um it was brought up um a couple years ago on the right sizing plan and um I had spoke to Chief Burden about this yesterday is we got to find a way to reduce the exposure of the employees having to work overtime. um if there's any way we could do a um plan ahead right now and then we could

see it every 6 months to where we could show a reduction, show a graph where we actually reducing the exposure to the employees to where they actually have some downtime, some um my my time, me time. Um I think we all have require that in our lives. Um the challenge that I see with the fire department, you know, they are able to retire early, but their lifespan after they retire is about normally about 5 years on average. And so what that tells you is that the stress levels that they have to put up with, including sheriff's department, including 911, is that they see things that we as average citizens do not. they have to hold things in to where they don't have anybody to express it to. So, Chief Burden, um, coming forth, um, do you does the department have any plans in place or any I know that you have been corresponding. Um, you have been I've been hearing that you've been doing a great job and I appreciate you doing that. you concerned about your staff, your employees, and um I'd like to see where you are at with this. And then I would like to hear from Mr. Andy Carrier with the Valor Station.

Sure. Sure. And uh good afternoon uh Mayor Johnson

and the governing body. Uh Commissioner Gore, I really want to thank you for bringing this item forward. Uh the Augusta Fire Department has faced an incredibly difficult year in 2025 marked by the tragic loss of some of our own. Uh these events have deeply imp impacted our department and the community we serve. In response, we are not only activating immediate crisis resources, but also fortifying a multi-year strategy to shift our culture from one of suffer and silence to one of proactive, comprehensive mental health support. The following briefing outlines our fundamental efforts, our foundational efforts and immediate response to recent tragedies and our road map to a more sustainable resilience department. We recognized early on back in 2022 that the cumulative trauma of firefighting requires a specialized approach. Our initial steps focused on breaking the stigma and building in an internal infrastructure. We formalized and prioritized mental health by organizing our first uh critical incident stress management team. This provided a structured psychological first aid, if you will, uh framework to help our members process traumatic calls immediately. We implemented joint critical incident briefings following significant events recognizing that trauma is shared across the radio. These briefings included the sheriff's office, 911 operators, and central EMS. We introduced firefighter mental health safety standowns. These are mandatory periods where we

pause operations to focus on training. uh checking in on our crews and normalizing conversations about stress. Partnering with local nonprofits, we integrated a therapy dog program for station visits. These visits proven effective in lowering cortisol levels and opening doors for more difficult conversations among personnel. In the wake of recent losses, we mobilized a tiered response involving national, state, and local partners to ensure no member is left without support. We partner with the International Association of Firefighters who have deployed regional peer support teams to Augusta on several occasions. These are fellow firefighters who speak the language of the floor and provide a level of relatability that clinical settings sometimes lack. We've utilized state support through support one to provide one-on-one sessions for both our rank and file firefighters and our command staff. Acknowledging that leadership also carry the weight of these tragedies. The International Association of Firefighters is currently scheduled to deliver departmentwide resilience training focusing on the long-term biological and physiological impacts of a career in the fire service. We partnered, as you mentioned, with Val Station. We received critical immediate support and are current currently formalizing a more per permanent sustainable partnership to ensure our members have a dedicated local pathway for specialized behavioral health care. We continue to provide and ensure 247 availability of EAP services or a concern for all of our personnel and

their families. We're moving beyond reactive crisis management towards a more positive life cycle type mental health. We're currently transition our critical incident stress management team to a more robust peer support team. This model moves beyond the just afteraction debriefings to a everyday wellness check. Next month, our team will undergo formal certification training to ensure that they meet the highest standards of peer-to-peer care uh care. In 2023, we partnered with the Augusta University. We implemented QPR training. Uh that stands for question, persuade, refer. Think of that as the mental health equivalent of CPR. You see, not only did we take the entire department through that training, we also mand mandate that that training is within every recruit class moving forward. Next month, our peer support and training staff will undergo a train the trainer certification class. This ensures that the ability to teach suicide prevention remains internal and more sustainable capability. Physical fitness. We've successfully secured over $240,000 in federal grant funding for new workout equip equipment across all stations. Physical fitness is a core component of mental health. Regular exercise helps regulate the autonomic ner nervous system which is often overtaxed in first responders. This investment is an investment in the longevity and neurological health of our members. And so we're committed to a kind of a

wraparound uh care model that protects our members from the first day that they join the department to well after they hang up their their gear. And I mentioned before our partnership with Augusta University has really been critical and crucial throughout this process. Today we've heard from the the coroner's office that the city of Augusta, Richmond County has experienced 34 suicides in 2025. Again, Augusta University have been a great partner. Dr. Marlo Michelle Vernon, M. PH, is an associate tenure professor in the school of public health at Augusta University. She re she receives her M. Ph. University of South Carolina College of Public Health and her PhD in health sciences from Augusta University. Dr. Verer's research focuses on community engage engaged approaches and while her areas of research span several important public health issues, all of her efforts focus on prevention. She is passionate about preventing suicides in in Richmond County and other counties across the state of Georgia. I would like to present some and introduce the others uh this fair.

Miss Ferman, thank you. Good afternoon. If record, just state your name. That's the organization you represent if you don't mind, please. My name is Dr. Marla Vernon and I represent Augusta University.

Thank you, ma'am. Uh good afternoon commissioners and mayor Johnson and thank you for the opportunity to speak today. I serve as one of the project directors for the Augusta University Suicide Prevention Project. We are funded by the Georgia Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Disabilities or DBHD. We work very closely with the Richmond County Suicide Prevention Coalition and we have for the last five years. Our work supports suicide prevention efforts through training, education, and coordination across Richmond, Columbia, and Jones counties in partnership with public safety agencies, schools, healthc care providers, and community organizations. Today, I do want to briefly highlight our important work with the Augusta Fire Department. But first, why does this matter to Richmond County? Richmond Countyy's suicide rate is 16.3 per 100,000 deaths. This is higher than Georgia's rate of 14.6. Since 2020, our community has lost more than 165 people to suicide. These are friends, family members, neighbors, and their loss creates a ripple effect throughout our community. not only to the people who personally know these people, but also to the rest of us who will never have that opportunity. I would like to highlight one key piece of information that captures why our prevention response must include first responders. The largest share of deaths related to suicide in Richmond County occurs in working age adults. Ages 25 to 34 account for 37% of suicide deaths. This is more than one in three. Ages 20 to 24 account for 18%. Together, this makes up 55% of the suicide deaths in Richmond County. This matters because this is the same age range that includes a substantial portion of our active public safety

workforce. So, when we talk about suicide prevention with firefighters, we are not talking about just an abstract risk. We are talking about a prevention strategy for one of the county's most affected populations. We do also see warning indicators in our youth. According to the Georgia Student Health Survey, 9% of Richmond County High School students reported that they seriously considered attempting suicide. This is in the last year. This is again higher than the state average. This is not only an adult issue and it's not only a school issue, but it's a county issue. Firefighters experience repeated exposure to trauma and crisis. This is not unknown. They work in high stress schedules, often with disrupted sleep. And in many departments, there is still a culture that makes it hard to raise your hand and ask for help. And that is one of the key points and purposes of our work is to reduce that stigma of asking for help and to ensure that people know that there is hope. That's why our approach is focused on capacity building and not just awareness. We have worked since 2023 with the Augusta Fire Department and after their significant loss last year, they've reached out and asked for a deeper and more sustainable model. This represents culture shift. This represents the leadership demonstrating asking for help. And so in March, as Chief Burton shared, we will be training um 30 members of the Augusta Fire Department to do QPR in a train and trainer model. They will no longer need to rely on us or all other volunteers to provide this training for their partners. They will be able to do it themselves. What this delivers is practical and concrete skills to identify distress early, confidence to intervene, as shared language for hard conversations, which we know is often the hardest part, and

reinforcement that helpseeking is strength and not weakness. Our goal is simple, to make sure our firefighters are as prepared to care for each other off the call as they are to care for our community on every call. I would like to thank Chief Burton, the Augusta Fire Department leadership, and Mr. Thomas Stokes, retired battalion chief and member of the Richmond County Suicide Prevention Coalition for their leadership and commitment. Thank you again for your time and your continued support of suicide prevention efforts in Richmond County. Dr. Vernon, thank you so much for being here. Thank you. Appreciate it. Um before we uh I'm sorry, Mayor Pro Tim.

Yes, sir. The floor, sir. Miss Vernon, thank you for coming before us. And apparently AU takes care of more than just u the Augusta Fire Department. They apparently you handle all of Augusta Richmond County. Out of 34 deaths uh suicides last year almost 10% was in one department here in Augusta Fire Department. And that's scary. That was the reason why this conversation is being had now. Now you talked about um the reasons stress and other related things. But one thing I I do know that it takes a first responder to talk to a first responder. [cough] And I don't know if AU has that.

Well, and that's why we're training the first responders to train each other and to be equipped to have those conversations. Yes, ma'am. Um I appreciate that. I appreciate the dialogue with you. Um my concern is uh with Chief Burden if you don't mind. Chief Burden. Chief Burden. You had stated back in 2023 that ASU came on board to help prevent um when was and you were saying that you implemented all these things. When was it implemented? In terms of which one?

You talked about IAFF, the International Association of Firefighters. Um and that's a union. Is that correct? That is the International Association of Firefighters. Yes. We partnered with them uh last year in 2025 on two occasions. Right. Uh to bring uh peer support to our members. Yes. Right. And they are actually not local. They came from all over. Okay. Not local. We put the call out. Some were local. Uh some were from other states.

Okay. The only reason why I'm saying is that we, you know, we we have somebody here loco that is right here in our own hometown. If you don't mind, Mr. Mayor, can we hear from Mr. Andy Kerry, what he could bring to the table and help um chief um with his staff? Thank you, Chief. Yes, sir. We may before we get started, attorney Plunkett needed to add just a note of content. Yeah, as long as we're speaking, let's make sure that we're not going into too many details about personal people that were working for this government. I don't, you know, just so that we're that's a personnel issue and and privacy issues. So, thank you. All right, sir. For the record, would you state your name and the organization you represent, please?

Yes, sir. Mr. Mayor, my name is uh Andrew Carrier, and I work at Valor Station Augusta, uh which is right down the street on Telfare. Mr. Carrier, you have the floor, sir. Thank you, Mr. Mayor. Thank you for having me. Uh, Commissioner Gil Foil and the rest of you all, thank you for having me. Uh, Chief, good to be here with you. Good to see you, sir.

Um, so I'm a licensed clinical social worker as well as I'm a retired state trooper here in Georgia with over three decades of service, uh, in that capacity. So, I'd like to put maybe the I don't know if it would be the horse before the carriage, uh, but not how this benefits firefighters or police officers or who or whoever it's deal we're dealing with or talking about. Um, it's the public. It's all of us. Uh, in 33 years of wearing a badge and a gun, I've been a part of others worse days, more than more than I can count. So whether it's at a crash scene doing CPR or first aid or on someone's front porch or in their living room giving a death not notification, what were their expectations of me? So the family members, what would they expect of me? They want me to be on my agame. They want me to be the very best that I can be so I can do my job. Um, so often in police work and the fire service, we all start out curious, compassionate, uh, helpful. Uh, at some point, and it's different for everyone, that turns into cynicism. It turns into callousness. We become jerks. We become the people that make the headlines. Now, why is that? I think we're talking about it right now, but why that is. Trauma is trauma is trauma. It does not matter uh where it comes from. How we react to it is where it's at. We spent several minutes talking about alcohol licenses. There's a a formula in in our line of work and a friend of mine in Cliffs came up with this years ago. Uh and addiction uh if we can imagine some of us are old enough to remember chalkboards. On a chalkboard, pain plus your drug of choice equals relief. So if that's alcohol or drugs, if that is your relief, it's only temporary. You got to keep feeding that beast every day. Whatever your drug of choice is,

you got to keep doing it every day. Um and we're here to stop that. There's another you can fill that drug of choice with something very, very productive. Uh and that's all we're trying to do um at Valor Station. Um Christie, would you come up here for a sec and just explain what we do as far as the model that we use? Um sorry, I didn't mean to call you out. Um everyone, this is Christy Leadford. She is our clinical director at Valor Station. Miss Leadford, just for the record, can you please state your name and who you represent? Christy Leadford, I'm clinical director at Valor Station.

Thank you so much, ma'am. You have the floor. And so a little bit of what we're doing at Valor Station is um I mean they're exposed to chronic trauma, cumulative stress um and we're trying to mitigate some of that. Um help them be able [clears throat] to function at a high level. The job requires it. I absolutely need those first responders to be able to function in a fight orflight state so that they come home every day. Um I'm not trying to take that away. I'm trying to teach them how to shift between those states. And um that you know they can do superhuman things, things that our bodies were never meant to do. And in fact, they will meet their humanity because they have a very much human body. And what that does over time is wears down their body and their ability to um you know regulate or function. A lot of them they're having their issues in their personal lives. Um but we [clears throat] have um our treatment center there. It's about a four-week program where we come in and we've condensed 18 months worth of therapy into four weeks. Um it's intense. It's exhausting. Our our people when by the end of the week they're exhausted. uh they're they're doing the work. Um what I would speak, you know, as it pertains to suicide in this population, um you know, I'm curious about the prevention strategies that are being discussed and the warning signs to look for. Um if there's one QPR tailored specific to first responders because what I can tell you, um they don't display the signs 99% of the time. um the signs that would be there for the general population that we would be trained on that we would know to look for [clears throat] um they're not going to show those signs. Um and and that's important. So the standard training for suicide prevention and awareness is not going to prevent death necessarily or not at a high enough rate in that population. Um you know we emphasize connection over detection because sometimes there's no detection. Sometimes it's a rash split-second decision when their body and their minds

and their nervous system are so exhausted that they don't have access to any like rational part of their brain. And so I would love to, you know, I I learned that very quickly in this work. Standard sleep hygiene. I know firefighters, I know law enforcement officers, they don't sleep. They have a very abnormal sleep schedule. I can't teach them the standard sleep hygiene that any population would because it will not work. It will not fit that demographic. If I go in and I try to teach them what I'm teaching the general public, they're going to be discouraged, rightfully so, because it will not work. It does not fit their lifestyle. I'm not asking them to give up their career or their life of service. I'm teaching them to have both. And what works for the general public does not work for this population. I I don't believe I won't speak to personal issues, but I I I think that a lot of people in recent losses and in the losses that I hear for people um that have called us for help, I've had first responders, firefighters, police officers call us. Um some of them don't make it to us. They complete suicide before they get into our doors. Um you know, they even if it's a drive away, but it's just getting them in there, but they're not showing the signs. um it's they're fine and then they're in a crisis. Um and and that's what that's what matters. The standard approach does not work for this population. The standard detection does not work for this population and I've seen it firsthand.

Thank you, ma'am. Mayor Pro Tim Gil for you the floor. So, Mr. Carrier, don't go anywhere. We might need you. Yeah. [laughter] Tell me about the challenges as a first responder. How come they don't talk to their colleagues, their supervisor, the administration? Tell me

stigma. That is the number one uh I think most identifiable reason is the stigma. Um, I remember I did my clinical rotation at the VA uh years ago when I was in school and there were posters all over the the place that said it takes courage to ask for help. This it takes a long time to turn a battleship around and this is turning so slowly at a snail's pace and even today in in this climate it's still a stigma. I think that's the number one thing. Uh so things like peer peer support teams uh those are helping those are helping uh us in that turnaround but stigma is the biggest thing and uh you know we've had several in our area that have come through our program that when they left they were involved in some very very critical incidents that have made the headlines. So I often wonder had they not come through our program what would it have like been looked like for them going through that incident? How would they have navigated that? What would life look like at home for them afterwards when no one's looking? You know, what are their thoughts that

does if a um one of the first responders came told his colleague or told his supervisor and word got out that he's in need, did they get shunn or

It depends. Yeah. you know, there are still some old school folks and chief can back me up on this that that and I think it all comes down to firstline management supervision at that very uh they're working with the guys and gals at that that uh frontline supervision. Uh if they're, you know, if they don't think they're going to be open to it, they're not nothing's going to be said to them. you know, they would just suffer in silence or go find a bottle somewhere or, you know, you name it.

I hate that they go on forth without showing any signs until it's too late. And actually, two of two of them was actually my nephew's good friends and it hit home and um [clears throat] so I'm going to get out of queue. We got other colleagues. So, thank you. Thank you. Thank you, sir. Chair recognizes Commissioner and Commissioner Don Clark. this for me.

Okay. Thank you, Mr. Mayor. Um, this is a um, you know, it's a sensitive topic. Um, [snorts and clears throat] you know, I think it's interesting though, we put a lot of emphasis about this particular topic and others um, like PTSD and other and we make it a military issue. And I think we kind of glaze over the fact that our first responders are dealing with this on a more repeat basis. And that's from fire, law enforcement, even ambulatory services. Um, and I think it's even more apparent that we need to multi-ter this approach. So, Chief, I'm glad that we have such expertise in AU. I'm glad that we also have the Valor folks that are here local. Um, but my opinion, I think we need to try to combine um a a solid program that really uh assists um because a part of a part of this and I'm I'm coming from from a military background over 20 years. A part of it is building trust in the environments. Um a part of it could be building peer team support teams as well. I think you guys said that whole connectivity aspect of it. Um it's not one approach that's going to penetrate. Um the longer you're in, the harder it is to penetrate sometimes because you just continue to just pack it down and continue to keep going and you you tack on the priorities and the pressures of the mission and everything and it's just go go go. So, um I hope in this case, this is great conversation, but I'd like to see chief if we can try to get a comprehensive approach of trying to multi-ter this effort and utilize all of our uh resources that we have and if you can

come back before us with uh a robust plan of how we can do this, um I'd like to see us do that. Um I know I'm I don't want to hijack Commissioner Gilfoil Okay. Yeah, cuz he he brought this to us, but I'd like to put that in a motion of uh having the chief uh bring the resources together and give us a solid plan of what we're going to do um to safeguard and address the uh concerns and needs of our men and women that proudly serve us from a first responder stance. Keith, you had something you need to add before we

I I wholeheartedly agree. I mean, this is a a topic that we need to talk about. We need to continue to uh bring awareness on and you know I for one uh will stand in the middle of that because we need to because it affects it affects uh our public safety personnel, our military personnel, uh our families and our community. Um, and so we actually had a a meeting uh last month with HR uh moving towards something permanent. Uh, and we'll continue that. I'll second of that motion.

All right, Madame Clerk, we have a motion by Commissioner Darn Clark to task the fire chief with looking at possible solutions for this. It's a second by Commissioner from the ETH, Commissioner Brandon Garrett. Commissioner Wembley, you have been in the queue patiently, sir. You have the floor. Uh, Mr. Ma'am, may I ask the young lady, what's what's your name again? Christy Leford.

Okay. My question is Thank you. My question is for for the uh or my statement rather for the fire chief. Thank you. Because all she said was actually right on the money. Um you can look right at him and you don't see it. Uh that's from experience. But so now my question to you, you got members of your department that are providing this train to trainer service, uh this coaching and this counseling. How is that uh affecting your operation? The reason I'm asking that question is that [snorts] just as she told you, you don't see it. So the trainer might be suffering.

Mhm. While he's there because he got the other stress of the job. So what would be your answer to say I want to make sure I don't put too much pressure on the trainers and the counselors and those that are helping me within the department to deal with this. uh would you need some on staff capabilities?

I think that is a great point, Commissioner. I'm glad you brought that up. Uh we've had as we moved from our SISM team to a more peer peer support team. We've had over 20 members of our department volunteer for this team. So, first and foremost, we need to set the foundation. we need to establish policy and we need to get those folks uh certified and then we kind of move from there. And so the idea is to have those branches if you will throughout the department in different stations where they can make immediate contact when something is seen or something is shared. So that's our approach as it relates to that.

Thank you. Uh, Commissioner Wimbley, chair recognizes Mayor Pro Tim Wing Gil. Chief, I just want to tell you thank you for your leadership. Thank you for taking care of your employees, your staff, and thank you for willing to work with the Valley Station. And I would like to personally thank Miss Vernon with AU for these past three years of working with Augusta Richmond County Fire Department. Thank you. Yes. Yes. I I think you know in Augusta Fire Department, we're family. Uh we spend a third of our lives with one another. It's a brotherhood. I can promise you that.

Brother and sisterhood. It is. And so, you know, one when one is affected, we're all affected. And it and if we're affected, it affects our community. So, it's a it's a community issue and it's going to take a community uh uh solvent to to to identify and solve this issue. Definitely want to thank Val Station, Miss Christie. It's really good to see you and thank you for for what you've provided for us thus far. and we're excited about the next phase. Thank you, Chief. Guys, before you leave, the commissioner from the fifth would like to just clarify his motion for the record, please.

Yeah, just clarifying it. So, chief, um if you can work with the valid station folks, work with our uh AU folks, and even if it's um solidification of a policy that you're going to add to this as well and bring it back to us. Yes, sir. Thank you. All right. Commissioner from the ETH. You good with that clarification? All right, Madame Clerk, I'm sorry, Commissioner Tone Lewis is in the queue. Commissioner Lewis, you have the floor.

Thank you, Mayor Johnson. Just one question for the I heard you say you have a the program is so many months program condensed into four four weeks and my question is, is this is this um inpatient or outpatient once you have a person into the program? I did hear you say you've taken so many months of something and condensed it into four weeks. Is it inpatient or outpatient? So, it's not inpatient. We're an out intensive outpatient program. Everything happens outside. It's not a 24-hour. You don't

24hour when that's one of the last things that a first responder probably wants to be done is locked into a facility. Um, and you know, one of the reasons that we did take it and compress it down if we someone had asked about some of the barriers. Um, you know, I I I bargained. I I was like, "Oh, this is this is like year a year and a half worth of work. How can I have a little bit more than four weeks to try to get this in?" And the reality of the population is that they don't have the financial means um to support being gone for longer than that. So, we took it and we condensed it into some really intense work to try to eliminate the multitude of barriers that they face. A lot of my work has been with destro Navy destroyer squadrons working with underserved and marginalized communities and eliminating barriers. And that's one way that we eliminated a barrier specific to this population because I've also had first responders who come for those four weeks and they're out of PTO and they're out of sick leave and they have to leave treatment early because they can't shoulder the financial stress of that. Um, so yes, to answer your question, I mean, the treatment's best if they can have, you know, those days off and not be worried about, um, you know, coming and doing that intense therapy and going to work, but there's also the reality of some of them are not getting paid. We've been fortunate that some departments do offer admin pay for those first responders while they're in treatment or some kind of training payment, and we do our best to connect them with financial resources. But again, we have had some that have come for their 6-hour day of treatment and worked a night shift that night and they're exhausted. Um but but yes, to answer your question, they come there at 8 8:30 a.m. We're done by about 2:30 and they can go home.

Can I add one thing to that? Um so there's an acronym called BAT, barrier against treatment. The number one barrier and in what we do is they will say someone a prospective client will say, "I can't do it right now. I'll do it later." They put it off. You know, when they finally come, when they're this close to getting fired. So, instead of being proactive and and getting healthier sooner, they wait till they're at rock bottom before they come see us. And that's a shame. Thank you. Thank you, Mayor Johnson.

Yes, sir. Thank you, Commissioner. All right, Madame Clerk. We have a motion in the proper second to help Many of our first responders certainly in desperate need of help. We're prepared to vote. Motion was made by Commissioner Don Clark, seconded by Commissioner from the ETH Commissioner Brandon Garrett.

It's unanimous. Thank you so much, Dr. Vernon. Um, Mr. carrier. Miss Leford, thank you so much for all the work that you do. Chief, thank you for uh being an advocate for this, for all of our men and women that are first responders, and we appreciate you. Thank you so much. Madam clerk, takes us to uh item number item number 30. Item 30, approve incentivebased construction completion schedule for the transportation in investment act project. Broad Street improvement project roadway between 13th and 7th Street.

Thank you so much, Madam Clerk. Dr. Malik, sorry we didn't get an opportunity to discuss this last week, but I think this is one of the most important things that we need to address as it relates to our downtown business owners. I don't know if many of you do, but I drive down the Broad Street almost every day. And you know, initially, you know, I I've heard the concerns of the business owners and if you drive down, if you've driven there in the last couple weeks, you would understand them in that, you know, there's not a lot of people present doing any work. And Dr. Malikica is going to address that. Um, as you know, we have some uh some restaurant tours and small businesses that are making investments and they've always been concerned about how do we stay in business while we undergo this transformation that's going to benefit Augusta, but we just need to get through it. So, Dr. Malik, you have the floor, sir.

Yes, sir. Uh, good afternoon. You know, as a department, um, we always, uh, think it through um, to get project completed um, on time in the budget. Uh, broad street is probably the complex project department taking or anybody will take, you know. Um, when this project come on board, I told AB, I don't want to be here when this project go in construction. So, I can tell you Yeah. uh how complex this project is. Uh given that just a quick history actually we did not uh um we as a team in the department's research what is the best mechanism to get this project

uh in construction and the method we use is um is called the CMGC construction manage general contractor. This is the method um is used for very complex projects. Um not that many u entities in Georgia use it but start using it now. I think we were one of the few who started this is provide flexibility uh and efficient way to deliver complex project. uh is a qualification based uh process where we you know all three teams the design the department and the contractor has ability to uh move the project in efficient way and negotiate the the prices as a project develop. Um so right now the way schedule is there um it's very long schedule. Um so my request you know I've been on this floor with several other requests so this is my other request and the tri to um to escalate this project there is a way to escalate this Sunday base basically it has no condition attached to it if they can complete it um we will um add additional funds to the payment uh if not nothing nothing will happen so contractor has to brought more crews and escalate the schedule um on that. So with this actually I started you know the this agenda in December that time I got time giving so may have other 30 days back and forth but the goal is to get out of this business corridor if is approved um by end of this year um complete inside outside boat there may be some lighting part left because

that was um the actual lighting will be installed in a different um either by the department or the other vendor because of the cost of the lighting the contractor cost was almost double. Uh so uh we work with DOT and we also work with the DOT to securing some federal funds to buy the lighting material not the construction. That's really um the request from the department myself is that um if you all kind of give um good consideration to this uh there is a need to uh to complete this project in a timely manner. Um and this is one way to get it done.

Dr. Malik, before we move forward, I I think you and I had a conversation last week about the 500 block and that we have one of our most historic restaurants, Luigi's, that's been a vocal uh advocate for for speeding this along. I noticed that it stops at seven. Were you able to address that block? Because I mean that block is now growing. You got the Luigi's, you got Fifth and Fire, you got a lot of other restaurants that are there too. We don't want to do partial. And then they said, "Well, what about us?" Have you been able to include them in this in this scope? Yes, sir. you know, when we move forward, I'm I'm positive we can include it. Probably we're going to include it. Um, it's going to take another negotiation within the same um framework.

Okay. All right. We're going to open up to our colleagues some question. There's plenty of questions. Chair recognizes Commissioner Brandon Garrett from the A. Thank you, Mayor. Uh, this question is for Dr. Malik, if that's okay. Yes, sir.

Dr. Malik, thank you for coming back with us with a a much more palatable option to speed up this project. Um, I think that I speak for all of us when 2 million is a much easier number to swallow than 13 million was a few months ago. Um, but I I do have a question in regards to I guess this incentive to complete this a couple years earlier. What does substantial completion mean and who makes that determination? So that is u the department make the determination basically is completing all the key elements of the project you know like the road paving the sidewalk all of the stuff you know I say um there may be some landscaping far left and all that but all the key open the road to um the traffic all that things so and um establish the access to all these businesses. Okay. So, all the lanes will be open, all the parking will be open.

Yes, sir. All the drainage will work. Yes, sir. And the parking, you know, um actually we are um reestablishing as we go. So, they already working on the block they're working. So, in another week or two, they should they're going to pave those parking area going to open up. I'm going to move to the next block. So that's that's ongoing effort is they say is very challenging but um we're working to and that's one of the um flexibility this procurement method provide us to really do CMDC you know and those stipulations are those going to be plainly stated in your agreement?

Yes sir. Yeah. Well, I appreciate this and you know, I'm going to support this because I think that the business owners deserve it as well as um the rest of Augusta seeing that a project can actually get completed in a timely manner. All right. Thank you, mayor. All right. Thank you, Commissioner from the ETH Commissioner. Lonnie Wimberly from the fourth. The floor is yours, sir. I was making a motion to approve. All right. There's a motion and there I hear a second. There's a motion by Commissioner Lonnie Wimblely, seconded by the mayor prom. We got a few other folks in the queue. Attorney Blanket.

Mr. Mayor, one of the things that we need to bring this, not today, bring it back, but the document for approval. Incentives are kind of a it typically has to be put into the RFP, the incentive part. So what we may see it more structured as may caption more of is a change order to provide for funding for additional as you mentioned additional crews and we'll compensate them if they use it use the crews in order to get the the the um the project done timely. So, I just want you to be aware that when it comes back for signature, it may look slightly it won't sound as as much of an incentive as it's more of a change order to additional crews if that makes sense.

Yeah. Can we also clearly define the substantial completion very similarly what uh Dr. Malik said about making sure that the sideways sidewalks are done, the the roadways there. I'm I'm fairly sure that substantial completion is already in the contract, but I will verify that and if we need to, we'll put it in the agreement. All right. Thank you, Attorney Blanket. Chair recognizes Commissioner Don Clark from the fifth. Yeah, Mr. Mayor, you were spot on with that one. That was that was what I wanted to know was really kind of add some more definition to the success criteria. So that because I mean essentially we're we're asking them to condense this uh timeline that really was going out to 2028.

Yes, sir. by the end of the year. And the last thing I want is for us to incentivize something that is really kind of we wish we didn't do this type scenario. And so that's why I'm saying if we can really um Attorney Plunkett and Dr. Malik add some really clear delineation between what we're stating as success criteria for accepting this for them to receive the incentive as opposed to all right, hey, we just threw this together and we got this done at the end of the year. Um, let's make sure we're getting a true ROI out of this. Yes, sir. So, we can work together and actually we can drop that language from our end. Thank you. Okay. All right. Commissioner Stacy Ping from the second.

Thank you, Mayor Johnson. May I address attorney Plunkett? Yes, ma'am. You may. Should we not reframe or restate our motion to take Can you come up with a replacement for that portion even though we know what our intent is? That way the word incentive is not in the motion. I I don't have a problem with the motion. What we just need to do is say to bring back a document for final approval. And when we bring back the final approval, you might not see the word incentive, but the intent will be in there. I But you know, I I think we're okay. We all understand what we're trying to accomplish and I don't want to get rid of the intent. I just have to make it compliant.

I'm you know, I'm perfectly fine with that. But I do wanted to point it again. This is the CMGC precurren method. It provide more flexibility than the RFP or the bid and all that. So my reading of that is um is doable. But whatever language you all agree, you know, I'm go with it. Right. And we will work closely together to get something done. And my [snorts] my my questioning is in line of cuity clauses and things of that nature. Just making sure that word incentive because I know we've been um warned against that in the past.

Yes, ma'am. But what I'm saying is that I think the motion is fine as long as the final document comes back as compliant with such as with constitution and things of that nature. So I mean but we can say that you know approve um change order for construction completion schedule if you wanted to call it that. But I just wanted y'all to understand that we're going to work with Dr. Malik in his department to come up with something that has an incentive to it, but it just may have different vocabulary,

right? And so I'd rather that I don't know if the maker of the motion could change it to what Attorney Plunkett just said or if Attorney Plunket can restate that to take that word incentive out even though we know the intent of what we're doing. I just want us to be extremely cautious of that word. So if we were to do that, it would instead of be incentive based construction completion, it would be a change order for construction completion. So if the maker would make that small change, we could do it that way. Commissioner Wimberly, do you note that change? I accept the change. You accept the change. Do uh Mayor Pro Tim, you seconded a motion. Do you accept the change made by Commissioner Wimbley? Yes, sir.

All right. just noted. All right, Commissioner Clark from the Finn. Last question for Dr. Malik. Mr. Mayor, um Dr. Malik, um first of all, appreciate you um you know, meeting um with the business owners and and also kind of um meeting the expectation of all of us to try to get this done as rapid as possible. Um, with that being said, the uh the uh company that's rendering the work, we've had the initial conversation with them that they would be able to meet this.

Yes, sir. So on on that and you know we we working through several other options working with Augusta destination or convention where actually we're working as a team um on that and very soon we're going to have a lot more visibility of this project including um you know directly we cannot really um promote the [clears throat] businesses but the project itself like you know though the downtown is under construction there but still open all that stuff. So um on that uh so as far as this particular request it's more construction related and schedule really is not the PR type related type

right and and I apologize if if I was off on how I pose that. So the the company who's actually doing the work um we've had the initial conversation that if we accelerated this they'd be able to meet that. Yes sir. I have several conversation. Actually, it was a lot more they were asking than I brought it to you. All right. Thank you, Dr. Malik. I just needed that point of clarity for the record.

All right, Madam Clerk. Dr. Malik, for the public that's watching, you know, there's a lot of business owners, this is very visible. Can Can you explain when they don't see workers present, what's actually going on? Because I I I hear the complaint from time to time. Sometimes these products go days, weeks without seeing somebody present. But you you you gave me an explanation earlier this way late last week. Can you explain to the public why?

Yes sir. So they may be waiting on um you know simple example is conflict with utility and you know so maybe power line. I don't want to pick up our own water and sewer maybe power line. So we're waiting on Georgia Power to come out and work work with us. So it may take they are too and all that. Um because there's a lot of utilities not only in the road actually road has a full dock power you know with a tunnel but the sidewalk has all kind of utilities uh and access doors and all that. So all those um you know conflicts uh create u some some delays and all that you know of course the rain also get delayed too though that may happen today but it takes few days uh for dirt to dry out and be suitable uh to do the ne next work on that. Um but I'm I'm confident you know the way they working actually they they they already working on their own to speed this up and also um some of the specialized work which general contract will not do it. So they have to schedule on um when that subcontract will come out. So it may cause some some delay you know. So it's easy to do the grading and all that's what happened initially but right now like James around linear park they almost there to do some other stuff. So okay and [snorts] attorney blanket as you draft this this this agreement make sure we we get that 500 block included. We cannot omit some of those business down the lower in the broad. Okay. Just make All right. All right, madame clerk, we have a motion by the commissioner from the fourth that's been amended, also accepted by commissioner Wayne Gil. We're prepared to vote.

[snorts] It's unanimous. All right. Thank you, madam clerk. That takes us to I think this is the last item. Yes, sir. Business day, number 31. Item 31, discuss discuss floating local option sales tax in May election related to the local homestead exemption. House Bill 581. Thank you, Madam Clerk. Mayor Pro Tim Wayne Gil, you got the floor.

Thank you, Mr. Mayor. Mr. Mayor, the reason why I put this on the agenda because I did not know if we was able to put this floss on the May election, but um come to find out u maybe attorney could answer it. It was what we voted on last time um did it show that it goes on the May election?

We can have both the splast and the floss in the May election. I've talked to the elections department and they're good with that. We have um prepared an initial draft of a a resol excuse me a resolution to call for the a referendum. The other part of that is we had a a small question about a tax you know one of the tax taxing districts resolve that earlier end of last week yesterday. So we're kind of good to have this to bring it forth um timely with the splash resolution.

Okay. And I I got word that up there in Atlanta, they actually going to mandate it for everybody to accept as they probably changed it from House Bill 581 to another digit. Um but um it's [clears throat] going to be mandated for every community if it goes forward there. So in order to move forward putting this on the May ballot, all we got to do is make a motion. Attorney,

a little bit more than that, but we'll bring it. it'll be coming on the agenda. Um probably my goal was to try to get on the February 3rd meeting that works for the board of elections which is meets on the the 9th of February. That gets us in the 90-day requirements for building the ballot and that is also um the third is the same date we're trying to bring the splast for final approval.

And for any anybody that's watching this at home, etc. to House Bill 5801. Um if this floss pass in May, what it does is hold your um property taxes down um in L in lie of this floss. Is that correct, attorney? Well, actually 581 had a float. We opted out of that, but then we had a referendum

that we have a we have our own floating homestead. So that was approved by the voters and that now enables us to have a floating local option sales tax. Um, I don't know that the body has specifically voted on the amount. Well, actually, I don't know that y'all have voted to move forward with the floss. But the other part of that is I'm I'm making the assumption drafting it as though it would be for the full half cent, right? Um, as opposed to some smaller increment than that, right? Which helps out the citizens. Um, all right. I' I'd like to move forward with this if we could um have the attorney um draft something up. All right. Make a motion for that.

I can second that. Well, we got to have a mo make up the motion first. Commissioner from third. Can you make the motion? Is can you make the motion to move? So, who made the motion? I did. Okay. All right. Mayor Pro10 made the motion. second by Katherine Commissioner to authorize the attorney to move forward with a path to put this on the May 19th ballot. And Mayor Prom, you're correct. There's a Senate bill introduced uh to address the number of school districts that opted out of House Bill 581. Okay.

And that it's their intent to get more participation into this valued uh tool that helps homesteaded property owners. All right, Madame Clerk, we're ready to vote. There's a motion by the mayor pro Tim, second by Commissioner Katherine Smith Rice. Thank you. To engage the attorney. All right.

Sorry. That motion carries with Mr. Johnson and Mr. Clark out. Madam clerk, does that conclude our business day? Yes, sir. If that does, this beaten hereby adjourned. Thank you so much. Ladies and gentlemen, don't forget be weather aare this weekend.