Commission - Regular Meeting

It's 238. What do we have here? One, two, three, four, five, six. Where's the administrator? Madam administrator, where you at? We ready to roll?

Madam administrator is coming.

One, two, three. Commissioner Clark, Commissioner Garrett. Who else we got out there? Commissioner Scott,

Madame Clerk, I believe we have we don't have a quorum. We got to get these folks to make their way on up. All right, madame clerk, where's mine?agon.

I got a wagon full. All right. All right, Madame Clerk, it appears we have a quorum. I'm going to call today's meeting to order. The time is now 2:40 on Tuesday, February 3rd. Ladies and gentlemen, we apologize for our tardness. As um we went a little delayed in our executive session, but madam clerk, I'm going to take a brief moment of personal privilege to say it is Greater Augustus Day at our capital in Atlanta. So, we thank our delegation. We thank the Chamber of Commerce and all of the great Augustans that are in Atlanta celebrating Greater Augusta Day. Unfortunately, we couldn't make it because we're here doing official business, but please help us in celebrating Greater Augusta Day at the capital. With that, Madam Clerk, I call this meeting to order.

Thank you, Mr. Mayor. At this time, we will have our invocation. Who's doing it? Commissioner Jordan Johnson, can you please lead us in our invocation for today? After which we would like to ask Mayor Pro Tim Wayne Gil if he would lead us in our pledge of allegiance. Let Mayor Pro Tim pray.

Would y'all pray with me, please? Father, we thank you for this day that you brought us together again to do the will of your people. We ask you as always to keep our hearts and our minds clear so that we can hear from you as we make decisions. We ask you to foster a sense of community and a sense of togetherness, a unity amongst this body because God, we all understand that we all want the same thing at the end of the day and that is what is best for the city of Augusta and its people. So we commit this meeting into your hands. We commit our will to you and we ask that you lead us and guide us like only you can. We ask a special blessing on all of our employees, all of the people who do the work for the city of Augusta, knowing that you give the increase. We thank you and we praise you. It's in your name that we pray. Amen.

Amen. Aliance to the flag of the United States of America and to the republic for it stands. One nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all. Commissioner Johnson, thank you so much for that prayer and welcome back as we have been praying for you in in your absence. Madame clerk, let's continue.

Yes, sir. Call your attention to the recognition portion of our agenda. Item number A, Augusta would like to offer his congratulations to our 2025 employee of the year, Mr. Alex Feran, information technology department.

Alex, mayor, Mayor Johnson, can you hear me? Can you all hear me from here?

Can you all hear me now? How about now? No, ma'am. Try one more.

How about now? Oh, yes. Mayor Johnson employee the employee recognition committee has selected Alex Ferane as the 2025 employee of the year for Augusta, Georgia. Mr. Fan has been employed with Augusta for almost six years and currently serves in the information technology department as the GIS project project coordinator. With the untimely loss of a couple of of a couple of team members in the IT department, Alex stepped up unselfishly filled in with exceptional initiatives and unwavering dedication. Even though many of the tasks at hand were unfamiliar to him, he researched, sought out assistance, and simply figured it out to make sure that the work was completed and customers were taken care of. Alex regularly brings fresh perspective and creativity, creative solutions to the table. His initiatives was in full display when Augusta's 911 dispatch department needed to be offline for service upgrades. When approached by 911 personnel about assessing is II no gsi data. Alex jumped into action. Within 48 hours, he created an off an online application for the necessary capabilities so 911 dispatch could not could route emergency calls when their regular system was being upgraded. The solution was an overwhelming success and the server downtime came and went

without a hitch. He took on more responsibilities than ever last year, doing so with grace and efficiency. The reliability, integrity that he brings to work every day are deeply appreciated by everyone he works with. Based on the nomination, Alex's outstanding contribution to IT and service to Augusta, Georgia employee recognition committee would appreciate you joining us in recognizing Alex Baran as the 2025 employee of the year. I will always be a part of you. He wants to say something.

Okay, sure. Right here. Hold on. We'll bring Hey, no, let him gonna have his bag. Yes, they did. Oh, okay. Sorry. Just came. All right. Thank you. Um well this is a huge honor. Um just want to first thank my supervisor Evelyn Chanti for nominating me. Um and along with my team for you know equipping me with the resources like our previous CIO Miss Allen and our current CIO Reggie Horn. So couldn't do without y'all. So this is for y'all too and just thank you and hope I serve the city well.

Thank you. ALEX, THANK YOU AGAIN. THANK YOU to all of it. Thank you for the great work that you do. And I assure you, there's a lot of people that go to that GIS application than you know, more than you know. Award-winning GIS application. Madame Clerk, and while we're uh we're being handed out these documents, I want to recognize another person, Chief Lewis Blanchard. We had a lunchon for him and we could not be there today because we were in executive session with Chief Blanchard. If you're listening, we thank you for all that you do for Augusta Richmond County and that you will continue to do. as I understand he'll be here for another week and then we have an opportunity to uh to celebrate him. So, thank you Chief Blanchard and to all the members of the Richmond County Sheriff's Office and to our great sheriff, Sheriff Eugene Brantley. Madame Clerk, I think that takes us to the delegation portion of our meeting.

Yes, sir. Mr. Mayor, and members of the commission, call your attention to item number B, Mr. Miss Jennifer White, addressing root causes of community instability through early emotional support and preventionbased community partnerships. Thank you. Miss White, are you present? Ma'am, come on up. Pick either side. Left or right? There you go. Miss White, thank you so much for being here today. For the record, if you could please state your name and address, please. Uh, my name is Jennifer White. Thank you for having me. Um, my address is 24/19 Birdie Drive, Augusta, Georgia 30906.

That's why you have 5 minutes.

Thank you. Good evening, commissioners. My name is Jennifer White and I live in district 5. While that is where I reside, what I'm bringing before you today is not a District 5 issue. It affects families across every district in Augusta Richmond County. Thank you for giving me a few minutes to speak. I'm here because many of the challenges we see in our county, crime, homelessness, overwhelmed, schools, work, worker burnout, family instability are all connected to something that happens long before crisis. Unressed mental strain, poverty, pressure, and lack of early emotional support. Too often, we respond to the emergency instead of what caused the emergency. I've seen families who were trying to work, trying, working, doing their best, but because help came too late. They slip into cycles involving shelters, schools, detentions, and emergency services. Not because they failed, but because the systems off only intervenes once things have already collapsed. Many people want to grow, earn more, and stabilize, but the current systems make progress feel real risky. Um, if they improve financially, they can lose the little support holding everything together. Over time, that creates mental exhaustion, discouragement, and survival mode. Poverty becomes a mental health burden. Unadressed stress becomes burnout. Burnout becomes crisis. Safety net programs are necessary, but they were never meant to be permanent. We need early support, not just emergency intervention. What I'm proposing, this is not traditional mental health program. It's not political or religious. This is a pre-crisis human- centered prevention model that catches people before they fall into crisis. especially those who are still working, parenting, or in school, but who are close to stress or burnout. The model strengthens existing system systems by adding small walk-in pre-crisis spaces in libraries, community centers and churches, licensed counselors, uh trained mentors, uh support partners with lived experience. The focus is only um the focus is early emotional support, stress navigation, purpose development, and connection pe

connecting people to resources before problems escalate. This does not replace clinicians or emergency workers. It reduces overload and connects people to help earlier. I've seen firsthand how a simple check-in and a listening ear or a caring mentor can prevent a situation from spiraling into crisis. Early observation and support truly makes the difference. Um expected impact homelessness prevention, early youth intervention, reducing long-term crime risk, uh fewer emergency calls, breakdowns, and preventable detentions. uh why this matters across our our our county. Many people want to serve but without coord coordinating warning signs are missed and I want to highlight one area especially affected our justice and detention system. This is not isolated to one district. It it is a countywide reality across the country and here locally. We see the same pattern. Overcrowded jails, overwhelmed courts, individuals dealing with untreated trauma or stress, people cycling in and out because early support was never available. Many individuals inside detention facilities are not there because they chose failure. They simply did not have access to support early um early enough. And nationally, even federal recovery efforts now recognize the same thing. Substance use is rarely the root problem. It is often a response to deeper issues like trauma, instability, and a lack of support. Addressing those early is how communities prevent long-term crisis. Instead, uh inside facilities, stress doesn't disappear, it becomes concentrated. Most detention staff are trained to respond after a crisis, not recognize sub changes before it escalates. This is not a crit this is not a crit this is not a criticism of staff. It's a gap created by burnout, understaffing, and a lack of pre-cryin training. Precrisis supports, protects vulnerable individuals, protect officers, reduces uh um red prevents tragedies, and ultimately saves the county money. Um

my my request is a follow-up meeting with the appropriate department to discuss the next steps. Appro approval to explore a pilot program in district 5 with the intent to evaluate uh scalability for the entire county support for cross- sector partnerships across community, nonprofit, school, and government systems. Um closing, we cannot continue um responding only after things fall apart. If we work together, government, counselors, schools, workplaces, and community partners, we can strengthen families, reduce homelessness, and prevent crime, and build more stable county, build a more stable county before Christ have crisis happen. Thank you for your time. I do have printed a printed copy with me. I can email the full uh onepage summary uh to each commissioner or staff member, whoever would like it. Um if the commissioner prefers to make additional copies for review, that would be greatly appreciated. Miss White, thank you so much. Um, answer. Do you rec do you represent an organization or are you doing this as individually?

Um, individually right now, but I'm build. We're we can build. Thank you so much. There's a colleague in the queue that represents your district. Chair recognizes Commissioner from the fifth, Commissioner Don Clark. Thank you. Hey, Miss White. How are you? Hi. Hi. Good to meet you. Thank you for bringing this uh point of awareness. She brought out some really good points and um love to uh hear more about it and see how we can um establish some level of uh spread as far as the messaging and the information that you're providing. Thank you so much for that. Um I appreciate you guys. I appreciate the time here. I really do. Thank you. And you mentioned you had some handouts. If you would hand those to the clerks, she will make sure that we have them. Um we get a copy of them.

Absolutely. Thank you so much. Thank you so much for being here today and uh we look forward to continued dialogue. Thank you. Okay. Thank you. Thank you so much. Thank you so much. I'm sorry. All right, Madam Clerk. I think that takes us to uh to delegation delegation C. Allegation C, Miss Charlotte Dickerson, relative to the Titans, tackle cancer student visionaries of the year campaign.

Dickerson, are you here? Miss Dickerson calling twice and she's sitting outside. Miss Dickerson is not here today. Madam clerk, let's move on to the next delegation. Our next delegation, Miss Dolores Papa Joe, the importance of mega world era. Miss Oap. Mr. Dolores. Good day, madam. How are you today? You can pick either side. Mr. Dolores, if you don't mind, for the record, please state your name and address.

Hello, my name is Dolores Apeio. Apeio. Thank you, Mrs. Today is February the 3rd and today is Tuesday. Yes, ma'am. Miss Opasio, can you give us your address for the record, please? Mhm. Um 1420 Maple Street. That'll be fine. Thank you, ma'am. And you have the floor. Five minutes.

Okay. We would like to say to all to all to all we would like to say to everyone all over the world. We're talking about the the babies. We're talking about the children, the kids, the adults, the teenagers. We would like to say we want to welcome everyone to the mega world. Now the mega world has been here a thousand years ago. Sometimes history repeats itself and sometimes it does not. But however, we have been here in the mega world for approximately 2 years and 8 months. I am happy to join with you the contents of dignity with the process of education here in the mega world area. We must we must make a pledge to move ahead through education. We must conduct ourselves teaching the children crime don't pay. Jails are here to stay. In this mega world, we should start at home teaching our children discipline of behavior of a attitude with a personality of intellect study of intelligence on a intellectual level through all points of education. Now we know that you said it under God controls all. We pledge it to the flag and to the flag and up under the

jurisdiction you said God. So we're saying that to bring God into the plant more here. When God came into the third chapter in Exodus, he told you the truth. Yes, he did. He told you that you should have no other gods before me. Now you got many gods. many gods, but I'm concerned right now with the god of the sun, the moon, and the thunder. So, I'm saying that to say he came truthful to you. He came very truthful to you. And just like AI came to you here in the mega world, he said AI, AI, AI, artificial intelligence. I'm not real. I'm not real. So here we want to concentrate on the mega world and we want to encourage all of the children, everyone all over the world. Mega is not a color. It's an attitude of intelligence on the highest degree of wisdom. So I just stopped by to say on this journey that we're going to be in now. We're not sure we are not sure when the next era will come because we're still in the mega world era. So we're not sure if the robots are going to be able to go to the next era in the mega world. So then you got to call the humans back out of retirement and then you got to start all over again. Thank you so very much.

Mr. Pio, just sit tight there. There's a colleague in the queue that may have a qu Well, he dropped out of the queue. We certainly appreciate you being here today. Thank you for uh being a part of this delegation. You have a great day. Thank you. Madam clerk. Okay. Our next delegation, Mr. Melvin Kelly, regarding youth programs. Mr. Kelly, it's been a while. How you doing, sir? Mr. Kelly, you know the routine, sir. For the record, please.

Kelly, 2014 Olive Road, Augusta, Georgia. And I just want to share with you some things I do. I'm a research and development specialist voluntarily in the area of employment out education and recreation. I had to tell you that cuz when most people are identifying me they usually say something bad about me and I figured we get this straight today. Uh what I what I want to tell you may while I'm I'm a student at a custo tech this semester again and I was talking to some of my instructors about completing the project I told you about when I was last here related to urban revitalization. I think I mentioned something like creating two million jobs uh building 100,000 affordable houses costing $300 billion. They like my program. Now, it's not just an Augusta program. We're talking about a nationwide program all across the nation. Um, and when it's completed, I would like to just bring you a copy of it and share it with you along with people in other municipalities. So, it's it's a real deal. It's serious. And, uh, I've been working on it for quite some time. Uh, like I told you previously, Governor Nathan Dill liked it in 2015. Um, President Joe Biden elected in 2024. Just had a little trouble getting started. Now, I done connected with some good people that's going to help me out. So, whenever I get that finished, I'll bring it to you. If you don't mind, Miss uh Tasha, can I use this? Oh, it's already on at this place. I I just want to go over a little something with you. I didn't come here to start no trouble.

Miss McFarley, can you I'm sorry. Jeff, can you assist, please?

I want to show you that. I want to show you this again. Uh, is it on? I want to show you that planetarium again. Now, I don't know if y'all if you guys voted on it, if you liked it or you can't afford to have it, implement it, but I think it's a good project. I think it'll bring some money in the city. So, uh, you guys stop going up on my trash collection. And you don't have to raise storm water fees and stuff like that. You need to get your hustle on to make some money. And plus the children like it, you know, it's something and it's educational. Very Hey, Miss Ba. I didn't speak to her today. And uh it's very very educational. I'm not going to stay long. Then I I now after that I just want to show you planetarium's cousin. The planetarium have a cousin. It's called learning lab. Uh I don't know if you can see that. It's I think it's better than a school or it can be in addition to a school or placed in various neighborhoods. You don't need no you don't need no books. You need one teacher, one janitor. You don't have no athletics going on or nothing. You just go in there and you can learn learn from it. Uh who's ever teaching or what they teaching. Now, like I said, I'm I'm not going to be long and I don't think none of y'all have any questions you want to ask me, do you? I don't think so. But I want to give you a copy, Mayor.

Come on with it now. As usual, let me give you Somebody's already got your learning lab idea. You know that. That's what I'm saying. And somebody's going to have this planetarium. If y'all don't hurry up and start moving, you know, just like you had the baseball. Thank you, Miss Bonner. You give it to the the mayor and the commission there. And somebody's gonna have this planetary if you don't hurry up and do something. You had the baseball field. Y'all got rid of that. Now look at it over there in North Augusta. Look good, don't it? I'm just trying to inspire you to get to moving and to do something. Hey, Miss Scott. And and and to do something, you know, I didn't come here to start no trouble today. Uh I can't say nothing about the next time I'm here, but but I'll be polite with it.

Thank you so much, sir. I just wanted to You still have a minute now. We do have a minute. Oh yeah. Nah, I give this to somebody. That's somebody else time. That's somebody else time. Mr. Kelly, thank you as always for keeping us inspired. Sir, Madam Clerk, Texas, our final delegation F, Miss Alexandra Reynolds, concerning regarding the Augusta Richmond County Parks assessment, specifically the potential divesting of parks. Miss Reynolds, are you present? Welcome, madam. If you will, for the record, please state your name and address, please. My name is Alexander Reynolds, 2407 Castlewood Drive. Thank you, ma'am, for being here. You have five minutes. Okay.

I would like to speak to you today regarding my concerns about the Augusta Richmond County Parks Assessment. Specifically, two transparency concerns and six concerns related to the potential divesting of parks. Last fall, Commissioner Slend and I exchanged several emails about the assessment and my concerns. Now that divesting could soon be a reality, I wanted to bring the concerns I have to the entire body. First, my transparency concerns. Number one, there needs to be more transparency with the assessment and devestment information. The slides presented by the parks assessment consultant have never been a part of the agenda packet. When viewed online during the meeting, they take up a quarter of the computer screen and are either nearly impossible or actually impossible to read. This information needs to be more accessible so it can be viewed by the public. This is as easy as including the information in the agent packet. Two, early on before the fieldwork assessment was started, former commissioner Mason asked about the legality of cameras being used. It was mentioned in the September 9th, 2025 commission meeting that using cameras for the parks assessment passed legal and the assessment was allowed to progress using cameras. I have submitted two open record records requests and both were returned to me because there were no responsive records pertaining to the request. If the legal department cleared the use of cameras by a private company with no public consent or public notification that cameras were actively being used for a non-public safety function, the legal documentation or law allowing the cameras to be used should exist and should be somewhere in the public record. I would like to see the documentation or law stating that privately operated cameras in public spaces for a non-public safety use is legal. On to my devestment concerns. Number one, it needs to be confirmed that no parks being considered for devestment have approved plans for improvements or contracts in place for improvements. If contracts are in place, they need to be honored and it would make them ineligible for devestment. An example is the renovation plans for Big Oak Park. Two, it needs to be confirmed whether or not parks were created because there was an open space

requirement when the area around them was developed. If a park meets a former development open space requirement, it cannot be developed. Three, it needs to be determined if leases or agreements about a park exist or not. For example, Eisenhower Park has an agreement with Augusta National. I understand Eisenhower Park is not currently on the chopping block and its lease is a unique situation, but if other parks have leases or agreements, they must be honored and these parks would be ineligible for devestment. Four, I would like to note that the thought of turning parks over to HOAs or citizen groups will not work in the long term. I heard in the January 13th, 2026 committee meeting that there was an individual interested in buying and maintaining Alexander B. Barrett Park. This is great news for that particular park and I hope that individual can get it and keep it up. The bad news is this is likely the smallest park in the system. Almost any other park purchased by an individual or citizen group would not be able to have the maintenance kept up with. Many neighborhoods these parks are in do not have HOAs. Turning a park over to citizens was attempted in the Sand Hills neighborhood with Bump Park. The citizens could not keep up with the maintenance and now Blunt Park is an unmaintained mess instead of an asset. This will eventually be the case for any park that is turned over to a citizen group because citizen groups disband or the members age out or die. So unfortunately any park turned over to a citizen group will eventually become a detriment to the surrounding area. Five, if parks are devested and sold, there should be conditions for the development of the property. Homeowners who bought a home adjacent to a public park would never expect the park to be devested and developed as they thought they would always be beside a park. Existing zoning conditions may not be sufficient for development. Six, it is clear that many ARC parks are dying the slow death of attrition. The parks must be better funded so in the future more parks are not so degraded that more are devested. I know in theory having less parks will mean more funds towards the parks that will remain, but frankly I am not optimistic ARC will use its resources

wisely. In conclusion, it is too bad that closing parks is even a discussion. I believe there should not be any new projects undertaken until normal maintenance for all things, parks, utilities, and everything else can be adequately addressed. I cannot imagine Columbia County or North Augusta even considering reducing their park portfolio. I hope ARC devests what needs to be devested, then creates an achievable plan that adequately maintains all parks. This is the only way to ensure future devestment will not be considered because the parks will be so wellmaintained, they will be recognized as as assets. Thank you for your time and listening to my concerns. Please keep them in mind when making devestment decisions.

Miss Reynolds, thank you so much for that very detailed um delegation and uh we certainly understand your passion for the parks. I think this governing body has taken a very deliberate approach to taking a look at uh which parts make sense for this city. Um with noting that compared to one of the counties that you mentioned, we we have a lot of parks compared to Columbia County, probably most other surrounding counties. And and I assure you that we're we're doing our due diligence as we make these decisions. Okay. So I have a colleague in the queue to sit tight. Commissioner Mayor Pro Tim Wayne Gil for sir you have the floor.

Miss Reynolds thank you come for coming before us and um giving us your thoughts about these parks but you get uh you have to have a clear understanding that one we cannot afford to maintain them as is right now as during your um presentation you were saying some of the parts that's people can't even use anymore because it's been totally ignored. Our concern is is one with them being underutilized, let's close down the parts that's not used 20% or less and use that funding to where we could actually focus on the other parts to bring them up to speed and that way people can enjoy it. But when you got five parks within a mile, two mile radius, you know, it becomes a convenience. You know, I like walking down the block versus, hey, let me get in my car ride 3 minutes to a park. it gets to the point where you got to go is enough enough we can't afford it and that's how we are that's where we are right now in our budget process. Now what happened two weeks ago is um a company organization that came in and we had they actually um going to be adopting one of the parts and this is turn back the block um vision and this is what we would really consider if you know there's organizations that would like to adopt a park we would be all for it that takes the burden off of us as long as we come up with mutual of understanding on how it's going to maintain etc. But um we do take everything in consideration but we also have to be a realist.

Yeah, I understand. I think the assessment was a great tool. Absolutely. I just wanted to point out my concerns so you could consider them as you move forward with whatever is going to be done. Oh, absolutely. And the um ISM is the one that the company that we had hired to actually spend months and months on seeing how utilized these parts are. And um what they brought back was a very detailoriented and matter of fact AB could probably get you a copy of it instead of seeing it on a small font on your computer. And if you hear presently, he normally has some packages up here to hand out. So thank you. Come just saying when we're viewing it from home, it's really we you're trying to keep up with the conversation. It's like what are they talking about?

Oh, absolutely understand. It's even hard for me being behind it eyes to look at it without glasses. So, thank you for for coming before us. M Reynolds, you you you brought up a point that uh I do have a concern with. You mentioned that online you couldn't see. So, when you view it online, we have this normal this computer screen and you get a quarter of the computer screen with whatever is being showed on your TV here. So, I can see you guys up here doing your thing, but whatever is being presented is taking up a quarter of the screen. We cannot see whatever it's saying. That's true not of just the parks presentation, that's true of every presentation, madam administrator.

So what we could do to address that is once those presentations are made, we can post it on the website and then they will be able to see the entire presentation. Okay. All right. Thank you, madam administrator, for addressing that. Mr. Reynolds, I don't see any other colleagues in the queue. We certainly appreciate your your passion for the parks. It's noted. Oh, I'm sorry. Commissioner Don Clark just got into the queue. Commissioner from the fifth. Hey, Miss Reynolds. I do want to make sure you're tracking on the agenda that we do have um an update on the recreation and parks um will be in this meeting. So on the assessment uh it's on the agenda the about the audit. So they'll be talking about that. I'm not worried about that.

My mistake. My mistake. Separate issue all together. Yeah. All right. Well, thank you for your time. Thank you so much,

Madam Clerk. I think that takes us to uh the consent portion of our agenda. But I'm I'm going to take another point of personal privilege. As you know, this past the past two weekends, we've had some inclement weather. This past weekend especially, we had to open our warming shelters. And I just want to thank all of the employees and our first responders who worked long hours to not only clear our roads, but to take care of those that were in our warming shelters. And u it's it's commendable. So, thank you so much. I'm going ask my colleagues to give them a round of applause. Thank you so much, Madame Clerk. Our consent portion of the agenda.

Yes, sir. Our consent agenda consists of items 1 through 18. For the benefit of any objectors to our alcohol petitions, they will be read. And if there are any objectors, would you please signify your objection by raising your hand? Call your attention to item number three. It's a request for Sunday sales to their liquor, beer, and wine license affecting property located at 261 Deansbridge Road Sweet C. Are there any objectors?

Any objectors? Seeing or hear none, let's continue. Item number four is a request for a retail package bear and wine license to be used in connection with the location at 2614 Peach Orchard Road. Are there any objectors? Any objectors at 2614 Peach Orchard Road? Hearing seeing none, let's continue. Item number five is a request for a retail package bear wine license to be used in connection with the location at 3982 Mike Padet Highway. Are there any objectors? Any objectors? 3982 Mike Padet Highway. Hearing a saying none, let's keep moving.

Item number six is a request for an on premise consumption, liquor, beer, wine, dance, and Sunday sales affecting property located at 3594 Windsor Spring Road. Are there any objectors? Any objectors? Hearing and seeing none, let's continue. the mayor and members of the commission. Our consent agenda consists of items 1 through 18 with no objectors to our alcohol petitions. Chair recognizes Commissioner Katherine Smith Rice.

Thank you, Mr. Mayor. Um, number one, we want to approve, but also um, Miss Yolanda was going to come up here and speak on it for if we if we can hear what she has to say just for clarification. What? What a me. Item one. number one right under public services when we get a chance. Um, we're going to pull it. Yeah, let's pull it because yolanda planning and development wants to have a discuss. All right, so we're going we going to pull it. Okay. Okay. Morning is pull. All right, let's get to the list. Commissioner from the ETH, you have the floor, sir. Thank you, mayor. I'd like to consent items 25 and 26, please.

25 and 26. Items 25 and 26 has been requested to be added to the consent of agend.

All right. Thank you, commissioner. From the eighth chair recognizes Commissioner Wayne Gilmore. Uh Mr. Mayor, I'd like to consent agenda items number 23 and number 24. Madam clerk, that's 23 and 24. All right. Thank you, Mayor Pro Tim. Chair recognizes Commissioner from the first, Commissioner Jordan Johnson. Thank you, Mr. Mayor. In Commissioner Pulling's place, she had a matter to attend to, but she asked that we take number nine and and adjust the language of the motion. Does that need to be pulled or can I do that now? Well, I'm sorry.

On number nine on the consent agenda, we need to Commissioner Pium is asking to uh amend the language of that motion. Do I need to pull that to make the amendment or just make it now? If is it a brief change or is it Yes, sir. Okay. Yes, sir. Could you make the change? She's requesting that instead of task of the administrator to schedule this workshop that um workshop be created with herself serving as chair and Commissioner Clark as vice chair. Who's serving as chair? I'm sorry. Commissioner Pulium. Pullium and Mr. Clark as vice chair. Yes, ma'am. Okay. And I believe they both agree. Is that any objection from this body for making that noted change? Send that is not. Madame clerk, please note that change. Thank you, Mr. Mayor.

All right. Thank you, Commissioner Johnson. Chair recognizes Commissioner from the fourth, Commissioner Lonnie Wimbley. Uh, I'd like to pull number seven. Number seven, Mr. Wimbley. Yes. And number 17. Madam clerk, there's seven and 17.

Thank you, Commissioner L. Wimberly. Recognizes Commissioner Darian Clark. Hey, Mr. Mayor. Um, do we need to read in the addendum um items first before we recommend consent? Yes, sir. Madam Clerk, can you read those in for the record, please? Yes, sir. Item number one on the agenda agenda, restore budget reductions to the Augusta Regional Airport's 2026 budget requested by administration on behalf of the regional airport. Number two, update from QTS regarding data center. Thank you, Madame Clerk.

All right, Mr. Mayor. Um, I like uh addendum item number one. I'd like to go ahead and um move that to consent. All right. Commissioner from the fifth is asking for addendum item number one to be added to consent. There was also a request that the hiring freeze not be implemented for the airport as well as part of this item. Well, let's go ahead. Let's go ahead and pull it then um for discussion. I mean uh added to the discussion or we'll just consent this and yeah because if it's two different ask. Yeah. Yeah. We'll just consent this one and they can they can make another request. Okay. All right. So, it's not in this request. No.

No. Okay. Then I still say move it to consent, please. All right. It is consented and hearing no objection. Chair recognizes Commissioner from the Commissioner Brandon Garrett. Motion to approve as stated. Second. There's a motion by Commissioner Brandon Garrett. I'm coming to you. And there's a second by Mayor Pro Tim Wayne Gilfo. Attorney Planket. We would ask that number 19 be pulled. We have received communication from the attorney for um Redwood. Oh, I'm sorry. I thought was on consent. I apologize.

Okay, Commissioner Clark, I see you in the queue. Are you out? All right, colleagues, we see it on your screen. We're ready. Madam clerk, I think we're ready to vote.

Yes, sir. That motion carries with Miss Pullium and Mr. Lewis out. Thank you, Madam Clerk. We're going to move around just a little bit and that we have some commissioners that have to take off. Uh, can we take item 21 and 22 and make them companion items? Is that all right, colleagues? Yes.

All right, we're going to start at 21 and 22. Okay. Item number 21 is to discuss and approve vegetation and landscaping department or division within an existing department based on administrative recommendations on how to implement. 22 discuss and approve path forward for vegetation maintenance function. Thank you madam clerk. Madam administrator floor is yours.

All right. Good afternoon everyone. Um during our 2026 budget discussions in November, we had some extensive conversation about vegetation and grounds maintenance with all of the other budget items and of course then we had to move into our splice items. This topic was not resolved at that time. So I am bringing it back to you again in hopes that we can have some clear consensus uh about the ultimate path forward. At that meeting, we presented three options to you. One was to keep the current structure with some additional resources. Two was to create a whole new department focused on vegetarian vegetation and grounds. And three, to combine all of the vegetation and grounds functions under central services. After speaking more with Director Green, who's over our central services department, what he sees and is trying to do in central services, I am not recommending that the third option be considered at this time. I think central services has their hands full to be totally honest with you with our facilities and fleet at this time. We would only be creating the current challenge that we have already been dealing with and that is you know with Dr. Malik in engineering whereas one director and a huge scope to oversee. So we are going to focus on the two other alternatives. My hope is that we will have some consensus on which way you want to go for 2026. I know the groundhog has seen a few more weeks of of cold weather, but we know grass will be growing soon. I will say upfront that either path is really a starting point. We were not able to add huge amounts of new resources to this work this year. So I really so we're really focusing on how to use what we have to be more efficient. But if we have a good path forward from an accountability

perspective, we can also build on that. I know there's been discussion regarding reestablishing a public works and other options. This can be the starting point to doing that. So I want us to look at actually what we have currently. I just want to remind you since not everyone was here for the prior presentations just to look at our current structure and then the budget for those two options. Just to be clear when we talk about vegetation and grounds we are including mowing, landscaping, medians, tree management and so forth. the items that we get the most calls from, especially around March until roughly around July, from our constituents. First, just to set the stage, here are a few stats on our portfolio of assets to maintain. We have just over a thousand center lane miles of roadway to mow, including some landscaping and medians. We have 168 city-owned detention ponds per engineering's previous report to us. We have about 70 linear miles of ditches to cut, of which we are able to get to between 9 to 15 miles each year. We have 49 parks and recreation facilities on the mowing schedule. We have 21 non-p park facilities and libraries on the schedule and we have three city cemeteries and five private cemeteries that currently we maintain. So, of course, you can see this is not a small task. Currently, responsibility for these functions is shared among multiple departments. Services are provided by a mix of city staff and contractors in each department. Funding for those functions is shared among the general fund, our storm water fund, and our

splash funds. Central services and its contractors are primarily responsible for grounds maintenance at various city facilities. Recreation and parks and its contractors are primarily responsible for grounds maintenance at parks and cemeteries. And of course, we have the assistance of RCCI. Engineering and Environmental Services and its contractors are primarily responsible for vegetation in the public right ofway including trees as well as medians, detention ponds and storm water ditches. Again, they also have support with RCCI. Also want to note that this slide does not show engineering's org chart as we normally would see it. This is my functional presentation just for the purposes of our discussion. I have a few slides here breaking down the staff and contractors in each department. In the interest of time, I'm going to hit only the highlights, but they are here for you to refer to if you have any additional questions. So, starting with central services, we have three contractors and two small crews to provide grounds maintenance at our facilities. Please note that the Augusta Libraries, which are city-owned, are served by these contractors as well, but the Augusta Library pays for their portion of the services from the money that we pay them. So, it's kind of like a a circle.

Yes. Recreation and Parks also uses a mix of contractors and staff. For this scope, we are talking about their parks mowing unit, their downtown unit that serves the Riverwalk and Augusta Common and their Pendleton King Park crew. The cemeteries are maintained by RCCI and on paper RCCI has six crews assigned to the cemeteries. Though, as we previously discussed, with their staffing challenges, they are averaging more like three or four crews. Pendleton King Park also has its own crew of three full-time and one part-time. And then the big one, engineering and environmental services. Engineering uses a mix of contractors and staff to mow the rightway, maintain the detention ponds, maintain medians, and manage trees. They also use RCCI crews for detention ponds and ditches. They are theoretically 11 RCCI officer details and two engineering civilian details in service. According to both engineering and RCCI's records, they average more like five crews in service. So we look at the current actual resources that we have. Here are the current employees and contracts we're working with across these three departments. We have a total of 41 full-time and three part-time frontline employee and supervisor positions and 18 contracts across these functional areas. In addition, we have RCCI crews. If fully staffed, because I know we always talk about RCCI, if fully

staffed, we could have 19 in service for these areas. But in practice, we currently have about nine to 12 crews at work depending on the daily assignments. I will pause here to note that the rest of the discussion today assumes we will continue to have RCCI as a county function. The future of RCCI is a separate discussion of course for another day. However, with the current RCCI operation, we need to really figure out how to increase utilization so that the user department have the crews that they actually need to make a dent in what we the problems that we are facing. That may mean converting some of our vacant detail officers to civilian staff, which has worked well for engineering and fire on a limited basis. It may mean contracting out some of the cemetery work so that RCCI can divert those crews back to the ditches and detention ponds. Those are all things we're asking the department to explore. But that is just one of the many um areas for improvement regardless of any of the other changes. Another change that is needed regardless of our operating structure is to look at opportunities to rebid some of these contracts. That's something we have discussed previously and I've asked departments to look at thoroughly. We know costs are still rising in general. So I want to be very cautious about promising major cost savings, but there may be opportunities for better results based on how we structure the actual bids. Your approved 2026 budget included a total of $800,000 in additional funding for vegetation management. Of this, $450,000 was requested by engineering

for continuation of their current median contracts. In addition, we added 350,000 in new funding as a source of startup funds for the program changes we are discussing. So again, that's a total of $800,000 in the 2026 budget. Both of the options we're discussing today are based around this same $800,000 plus our existing resources that we have. So again, here are the two options before you today. The first option can be considered sort of a status quo plus. In this model, we would keep the current services mostly where they are, but we would look at making some incremental changes and add additional resources to priority areas. The second option is what we had previously discussed, creating a new standalone department. This model would move staff and contracts from the three different departments into one new department with new leadership. I'll break down our projected costs for each. We have tweaked these proposals slightly since our last presentation, but pretty much they're the same. Option one, first for both options, we know our cemeteries need a lot of help. This year, we will set aside $100,000 for cemetery maintenance improvements. Currently, cemetery maintenance is provided by RCCI crews. As just mentioned, we have talked about potentially bidding this work out and redeploying those RCCI crews elsewhere. Past bids suggest that it's probably not cost-effective to use contractors for the cemeteries entirely, but we won't know until we actually see the real numbers. So, we will have these additional resources available to either add contractor support or to add additional civilian crew leaders. In engineering, we would implement a plan from Dr. Malik to restructure several of his existing positions to create

designated contract managers. Many of the services provided by engineering are performed by contractors. As you may have heard, these positions would be providing more hands-on management and monitoring of those contractors to ensure that they are providing the expected service. Engineering has proposed combining four positions into three to perform these tasks. So that of course would be budget neutral. We now we also know that downtown maintenance is another priority area especially with all of the projects currently underway and proposed in splats 9 and other plans. We still have funding set aside in the urban services fund for our downtown upkeep which is currently managed by our ACE program. During the budget discussions, you voted for us to competitively bid out what ACE currently provides this year, and we are working on those specifications and that proposal to get out. We will use that process to look at their scope of services and make sure it aligns well with what our staff should be providing. We are set setting aside a small amount of additional resources here to either supplement that work or to add resources to the recreation downtown crew. The goal is to have a more comprehensive approach for the whole downtown core. We would also add support to engineering for a strike team pilot program model. The goal would be to divide the city into zones with regular assigned crews in each with the strike team being able to float address pressing needs without disrupting scheduled work. It is the model achieves good results. We would look at further expanding it over time. The remaining funds will be designed designated for engineering to continue the median maintenance we discussed. We

would also continue to engage our own call operates to ensure that they are engaged in any project that involves the major tree maintenance or removal. So that's option one. I know I said a mouthful. That's option one. Option two is to create a new standalone department. That department will continue to leverage RCCI crews and the existing contractors. We would also charge this new department with evaluating if we truly have the right mix of staff and contractors and adjusting as needed. One common message we have heard from all the departments that will be involved in this transition is that it will be a major lift as staff and equipment move. We would recommend an ambitious phased approach for this transition. However, we also recognize that things that sound great on paper might not look much different that might look much different in the field. So while we will be pushing to move quickly, I would also want to allow this new leadership to assess the operations and to help shape the implementation plan. In this model, we would again add resources for the cemeteries. We would also again go through the bid process for downtown services with the goal of a comprehensive approach for a new department. We will first combine the existing positions and equipment from the department's existing budgets. In addition to the actual personnel cost, we will bring over a proportionate amount of operating costs for uniforms, cell phones, vehicles, etc. from each of those respective units. Each crew would include the staff and the existing supervisors in those crews, which may be redistributed as needed in the combined teams. We would also bring over at least one restructured contract management position from engineering to help support the heavy contract load. We will need of course a new department director and they will need at least one support

staff person to help manage these operations. Most of our departments have one or more deputy directors as well as administrative assistants and other support personnel. But in an attempt to keep this operation as simple as possible, we will start with just one administrative coordinator. We will also need to find a location to house this combined operation. While we can start out with the collocation approach, this department will ultimately need secure warehouse space as well as small office space. Central services has been evaluating options for unused county space or modular buildings. The current recommendation is to put a prefab building on an existing county property. This would be funded from our 2026 capital budget, not the operating budget. So, we do have separate funding available for those initial costs. However, on the operating side, we know that we need to anticipate utilities, facility maintenance, and other operating costs. Again, we are trying to keep this as bare bones as possible, but we truly want to be realistic. And finally, the remaining funds will be left for the median contracts. So, in summary, for option one, the primary benefit is that it would allow more resources to go more quickly to service delivery versus the overhead of creating a new work unit. The primary disadvantage is that the responsibility will still be divided between multiple departments. We would still have three directors to hold accountable for these areas and to make their own cases for additional resources. For option two, the biggest potential advantage is that it will be provide more centralized accountability under one umbrella. With combined crews, we may have more flexibility in assigning crews between functions. And with a new

department director, you would have a leader focused on improving this service area and charged with identifying better ways to do things. The obvious disadvantage of this approach is that it comes with more overhead and disruption. Those new personnel and space in operations still have costs. Finally, many of these functional areas are also part of our storm water requirements. So even it is a separate department, this department will still need to coordinate closely with engineering. I think it is possible for that to work. But please keep in mind even with a different structure, we will never be able to get away entirely from issues of shared responsibility. Although $350,000 is of course significant, it is just scratching the surface of what we would be investing in maintenance. And that's with any of the respective options. As one of our staff pointed out, the ACE program has required 550,000 to deliver their level of service in just one very small geographic area. So that kind of lets you know that it is costly to continue to do the services that we are charged to do. So you might multiply that and look at it count around the county. We need to be really realistic about the level of service we can provide with our current resources regardless of each regardless of what option that we choose to move down. We also need to do a better job of educating the public. In all honesty, we need to let them know what services we provide and how we provide it versus what property owners are responsible for as well. All that being said, I do think these two models give us a good foundation. Again, it gives us a good foundation to build on and to make sure that we have something to move forward with. I believe either approach could work and will yield good results for Augusta. This decision is a key step in an

ongoing process to improve these services. With that, I will turn it over now and open it up to the governing body for any respective questions. Thank you so much, Madam Administrator, for that thorough um presentation you've given. But I'm I'm missing one piece of information. Of these four departments that's responsible for this, how much is budgeted towards cutting the grass besides $800,000 that you talking about? So whatever we currently have, Mr. Mayor, allocated in those respective departments will be moved over to this one department. But what is that amount? How many millions of dollars is that? I don't have that, Matthew. We don't have that amount. Here we are. Many of it is associated with contracts and things of that nature.

But I know but we spend millions of dollars. Yes, sir. We do. We're not just talking about $800,000. We're talking We're talking millions and millions and millions of dollars

to deliver one of the most necessary necessary things that we have to provide for our city. The beautifification, there's no accountability to it now. I think we need to have it now. It's not grass cutting season. It's going to start here in probably mid-March. And I think this governing body has to make a decision as to what we're going to do this year because as you know all of us receive calls almost daily about ditches that need to be cut, rightways that need to be cut this time of year. I've heard a lot of complaints about the leaves that hasn't been collected. So it's time for us to make a decision. I think we also ought to add in the trees. We have a tree crew. How many how many crews is in the the tree department? that's included in this proposal as well

because that gives us total accountability to the upkeep and the beautifification of our city. I'm open up to uh the colleagues on the commission. The chair recognizes the commissioner from the fourth commissioner Lonnie Wley.

Thank you, Mr. Mayor. Uh and this is for the body as well as for the administrator. Uh I agree that we we need some change made right now in how we maintain the city. uh not only in the urban area but also in the suburban area. I live in this the uh suburban area and we call that country now uh where I see the need for a good maintenance program trash along the uh right away and sometime overgrown area. But what I I I want to caution us on and you gave you you you put some good information out here, but I want to caution us on this. Want to step back and uh provide some historical context over what we're trying to do. Over the years, this body undertake under undertook a u multiple reorganization efforts separating environmental service from engineer uh renaming public works to roads and uh roads and public works and roads and bridges to public service. Uh dismantling public service into maintenance. Alternate uh uh altering the scope of environmental service. Uh de dismantling the landscape department uh shifting responsibility to parks recreation later removing facility from maintenance from parks and recreation and created central service. All these steps we didn't receive the efficiency that we was trying to achieve and despite therefore we continue to re

revisit the same operational challenges. That tell me the issue may not be the structure of any single department but rather our overall organization design, staffing and service deliverable model and truly optimized or truly optimized I rather say given that the uh past reorganization have not produced the efficiency originally promised. I believe it will be prudent before we stand up a new vegetation department to engage in independent third party organization review. This review would evaluate all relevant department for efficiency, staffing levels, scope alignment, service outcome and provide datadriven recommendations. My goal is not to delay the progress, but to ensure that whatever path we choose is sustainable, efficient, and does not simply repeat a cycle we've already seen. Thank you.

Thank you, Commissioner Wimbley. Please note um our former administrator Fred Russell who still lives in this community says one of his biggest regrets is dismantling our ability to have a centralized grass cutting and ground maintenance crew. He said that um I remember Augusta used to be a beautiful place to drive down. We maintained our our gateways. Right now we have a great community steward luckily that does and his name is Barry Story and we thank him for that. We need to take action on this. Grass cutting season starts in two months if we're lucky. This action needs to be taken today. Chair recognizes Commissioner from the third, Commissioner Katherine Smith Rice.

Thank you, Mr. Mayor. Uh I'm going to say this. I've been on this DAS for over five years. This has been an ongoing top topic and we've kicked the can down the street, but we can't continue to kick it down anymore. This current structure, the way that this is being um done with having three, four departments. It's not working out um the way that it should. It's not fair to the citizens who call daily, weekly, especially in the summertime. I get more calls about detention ponds not being maintained because the grass is overgrown and people are worried about snakes and

you know whatever. But it it is it's time that we get back to being called we're called the garden city. We need to um get back to that. And the best way possible that I see is by having a new department. It is confusing to have to call parks and recreing RCCI. If it's confusing for me to have to do that, imagine what it's doing to for the citizens. They don't know who to call and calling 311. But things still are not getting done quick enough to maintain Augusta the way it should be maintained. So, you know, trees, limbs, leaves, rightaways, medians, detention ponds, you name it, we've got it all. And one department could make this city look a lot better than how this is going. We won't change. It's time to change. And so I see that we've got other I see that we've got some other people in the queue, but today I'd like to make a motion to approve a new standalone department for vegetation and landscaping.

Second. Okay, we got motion and a second. Thank you, Madam Clerk. We do have a motion in a second, but there's other colleagues in the queue. Um chair recognizes Commissioner Tina Slendett. Thank you. Um Mayor, um Miss Allen, I was just listening. Um and you said we maintain uh is it three uh city cemeteries? Yes ma'am. And five private cemeteries ma'am. Why are we maintaining private owned citiz cemeteries? Why is the city doing that?

So that is a very valid question. We have researched some of those commitments that have been made prior to this governing body as well as prior to this administration that has been put in place. Um we would have to actually get with legal to see if that is something that we could modify or discontinue doing. Um but yes ma'am that is one of the things that Okay. Okay. Yeah. Because I um I fully don't believe that the city needs to be paying for privately owned maintenance when we can't keep our own property maintained. Um,

you know, I'm I'm in favor of um also probably I mean I'm definitely um forming a new department. You know, in my I'm thinking maybe if the grass cutting part of a lot of these departments wasn't on those departments, maybe they could concentrate a little more on some other stuff in their department. So, um I was just really um asking about the privately owned cemeteries and could we see if that is something that we can figure out? Yes, ma'am. Um to take off our role of responsibility. Yes, ma'am. I'll get with the legal team. Thank you.

Thank you, Commissioner Slindac. Chair recognized Commissioner from the 9th, Commissioner Francine Scott. Thank you, Mr. Mayor. Um Mr. Mayor, I'd like to ask Administrator Allen a couple of questions. Yes, ma'am. Proceed. Um, good job. Thank you. And I do like option two with the new development, but let me ask you the potential staff that you will be moving from the other. You would just take the people that's actually doing the grass cutting and upkeeping um from the designated area that they're assigned to now and move them over to the new department.

Yes, ma'am. Those positions will move over to the new department. Yes, ma'am.

Follow up to that question, would they these staff are they only doing grass cutting and maintenance vegetation or do they have other assigned jobs? And what I'm asking is uh for instance if you uh for Dr. Malik and engineering. If we move five people, five staff members, would that put a burden that he would have to hire someone else to do something uh to do other duties that the potential staff that you're moving to the new department?

As I understand it, these positions are the ones that focus on those respective duties of vegetation and maintenance fulltime. Yes, ma'am. Okay. And Dr. Malik could could address it if it needs to be further clarification. If it's all right with my colleagues, can I have Dr. Malik come up and uh and answer that or someone rec someone come and ask answer that question for me? Dr. Malik, you've been requested, sir.

Yes, sir. Good afternoon. Thank you, Dr. Malik. By transferring your staff that's designated for uh vegetation upkeep for the county, um would this make a burden on you that you would have to hire other people because you have the uh the staff, potential staff that's going to move? Um are they doing something other than grass cutting? So um primarily they do the grass cutting but they do help uh incidental work like this storm for example we did that. So most of the workers who were out there was part of this grass cutting. So um some of those functions engineering may not be able to perform the way we perform in the past or this weekend.

So that mean that you would have to hire some uh some other staff either that or contract. So you would still need money.

Money will still be coming out of your budget if we pull money from staff from engineering and put them in this new department. Do we think about so what I would envision in situations as Dr. Malik is speaking of you would just direct those same people to go out and do that and provide storm assistance. So, it's not any different. What he's saying is that he sent that staff out this past weekend, but their major role is grass cutting. That would continue to stay the same. And if you needed someone to go out there and provide assistance with the storm, they could also do that same function.

Okay. Thank you, Dr. Mal. Um, Miss Allen, the last question I have on your option two, number two, downtown maintenance bid process for ACE. Yes, ma'am. Now, what is what is that exact? What are we talking about here?

So, the governing body directed us to bid that out. And so, what we'll do is actually bid that service out. I've already spoken to Miss Dallas, so she's informed and we're working through that. But they asked that we bid that process out for ACE. And so that means we'll have to develop the respective scope of services and put that actual bid on the street where anybody could actually bid on those respective services including ACE. But they will have that opportunity to bid on them as well. And that's with either option. Thank you. Yes ma'am.

Thank you. Um commissioner from the ninth. And I'm going to remind this body as you see all this great work that's going downtown and as part of the tier project, there's a lot more landscape maintenance and vegetative beds and grass cutting that's going to be growing here coming soon. So keep that in mind. Our responsibility to the upkeep of this city is growing with the great changes that are happening. Chair recognizes commissioner from the first, Commissioner Jordan Johnson. Thank you, Mr. Mayor. I have a question about the bid for ACE. I don't remember this body voting to to to do that. Do we have the record where we voted to put that out for bid? Yes, sir. I could get that information, but it was voted on. It was a motion. Yes, sir.

To bid Ace out? Yes, sir. I would I think it was made by Commissioner Clark, but we could get that information for you,

please. Because I I look at ACE as being an essential service to the city right now. They've been in place for years and I don't know how many of y'all be are downtown um on a trashy night and wake up and and see how much different it looks in the morning. But um even before the the TIA project began, Ace was cleaning downtown um in the wee hours of the night and early hours in the morning. Even when the snow came down, they were out cleaning up. And so I want to just say for the record that the the relationship that they have built with the downtown business owners um is not broken. You you fix what's broken. And I don't believe that the a service has has been broken. Um they've even extended I think to to the fifth street bridge to a degree. But I would I would really look into the why we feel like it's necessary to to take away that service from ACE that they've been doing to almost perfection for at least four to five years to gamble with another service or another company that we're not really sure if they can handle the the load. Um I remember very vividly a program prior to ACE that couldn't cut the mustard, right? But this program has been it has met it has exceeded our expectations. Um and then even speaking in regards to the um the vegetation beds and even some of the brick structures that are on broad and other places, they're there faster than the city. I don't even call our city to deal with downtown stuff. I call ACE. They pressure wash the stoops that smell like urine. Like you don't have to call ACE twice. And so sitting here, I don't understand the why. Um, but I'm sure uh somebody can tell me, but I would like to see where we voted specifically to bid that ACE project out. Um, secondly, um, what are the unknowns? Can you go back to the option two page where we see the unknowns, the unknown variables?

We know what the what the what the parameters are for the first option, but for the second option, I believe you had a slide in here. Let's see which one was it. It's where you were laying out option two, the budget for it.

The next one. The respective options. Sir, go to the next slide. Okay. Next one. right here. The office where warehouse space uplift capital budget estimated $400,000. Where's that coming from? Do we have that in the in the queue ready to go? We have those funds in our capital budget. Yes, sir. The 400,000 is available this budget cycle. Yes, sir. That would that would not be part of the operating budget. Will we be able to maintain this in the future? That is a good that is an unknown, Commissioner Johnson. That is truly. So, the goal would be to do that.

Well, I I understand But but what I want to what I want to try to really wrap my wrap myself around is if we make this decision today to go with this option and we have the 400,000 today, what happens in 27 when we don't have it or what happens in 28 when we don't have it? Are we going to put ourselves back in the same budget position that we were in in 25 trying to cover for decisions that that we've made prior? And I think that is that's my concern here. I think that if this is the plan that we want to have, which I think that it is very necessary to have a standalone department for the for for something like this, maybe we forecast this out, we build over the next few years or just over the next year to figure out how to maintain that $400,000 cost. Um because I I I I have doubt that we're going to be able to get to this by the by the peak of grass cutting season. So even if we approve this right now, I have a I have a very little confidence that we're going to be able to have this stood up by by the peak of grass cutting season. So this might be a late 26 27 thing. So it's just my thought and I could be wrong, but how about building towards this department with clear understanding about the long-term sustainability of it? A lot of our conversations during the budget cycle was about long-term sustainability on some of the things that we funded. What I'm seeing right now doesn't give me faith that this can be maintained long term. Um the first option, um I do understand that what we're trying to get out is accountability, but there's a slide on here that shows which department is responsible for which area. And I think that's where the that's where the accountability comes at. like we know who's responsible for it. Hold those folks responsible for it. But a new department at this moment, I don't see it as being feasible. It might

be able to get us through 26, but when it comes to 27, 28, where are we going to be cutting? We already we just had a conversation about, you know, budget projections. I would really caution us about creating another bill that we don't really know we're going to have the revenue to to fulfill later on down the road. Okay. If I could address the the 400,000 capital expense, Commissioner Johnson, will be a onetime expense. So, it wouldn't be an annual expense, but even with that, you're going to have to maintain that warehouse space. Yes. And we've included that in regards to the operational cost. That's what we were looking at when I showed the other slide with the respective operational costs and utility costs. You see the $80,000.

That's only $80,000 that we think we're going to have towards that. That would be the actual operational cost because once you spend the money and have a facility, that would be a one-time cost. So, we don't foresee that fluctuating at all. I I can't say that. I could probably try my best to be a forecaster. Um, but you know how the forecasting goes. I would say the operational cost though once you expend the capital funds, that is our goal is to have that as a one-time expense and then you're projecting what your operating expense. They could come under 80,000 for you utilities. How soon do you think we'll be able to stand this operation up?

As soon as this governing body gives us the approval, if that's the desire, we would start immediately and trying to get it all done. And as far as the director and things of that nature goes, we we do feel confident that we'll be able to fill that position fairly easily. Yes, I've had people, and I will just be honest, ask about when is that job going to be posted. Now, I'm not saying they're qualified for it. I I don't go into discussions because I always say the governing body has not yet approved anything but you do have people that have interest.

Okay, last question and this might be for the department directors who are responsible for these services. So Dr. Malik, I'll just pick on you if you'll come to the podium please.

Nice to Miss Williams today. Dr. Malik, for the for the for the lapse of for the let me let me make sure I'm asking you this correctly. For the expectation that we're that we that we have of the department to cut ditches and do these types of things, what has been the main hindrance from your department to get us what we're looking for? What is what has been the gap between our expectation and the delivery? So that's I mean I've said multiple time at this floor those are the resources. It's not deliver the services or come up with a plan you know and for engineering we constantly making changes to improve the services and actually uh we just implement a few changes uh start of this year in December where we allocating more resources on to the hotspots and all that. So the simple answer really is the resources. So um

are there enough she has to allocate more resources whatever shape or form are there enough crews to maintain what we're what we're asking your department to maintain? Do we have the crews to do that in-house contract in-house crews? Do we have enough crews to do it? No sir. Not the level of service I heard keep hearing from this body.

Yeah. And again that's just my concern. I think it would make more financial sense to spend the resources in hiring the crews to get the work done since there's already a plan in place versus uprooting a department creating something different causing a level of throwoff between multiple departments and and with the hope that's something that's going to get better if we have the funds allocate the resources and then if that don't work we come back together and figure out how to move forward but I don't think that we've we've done our due diligence and allocating the proper resources to even meet our own expectations. Um but thank you Dr. Malik and thank you Mr. Yeah, just point of clarity you know I will support and make it work what I see you do but one of the key things I haven't heard the maintenance of the easements we have miles and miles of easement in the city

it was mentioned yeah it was mentioned mad administrator can you put the slide back up where you uh have how many people with the 41 people in the crews and all that stuff and and while and while you're doing that um let me just remind folks we currently have how many departments you say madam administrator? Four departments. Yes, sir.

Of those four departments, I'm quite sure there's a space that we could use to house just the grass cutting efforts. It in my opinion, it doesn't require going out and building a new building and find a new space. We got four departments to pick from. I'm quite sure they're storing lawnmowers, weed eaters, trucks, trailers, just about anything you need to cut the grass. Ladies and gentlemen, we're not asking the city to go up and mow the lawn at the Augusta National and maintain the greens. This this is man right ofway simple task jobs that were done for people that were young men. I recall cutting grass at 12 years old. Ain't no rocket science to this. We need to make this decision today. Mayor Pro Wayne Gil for you have the floor, sir.

Thank you, Mr. Mayor. Mr. Mayor, can I have uh Dr. Malik come up for one minute? Dr. Malik, you may want to sit up on the front row, sir. That's how you say so slim up and down. Up and down there. Dr. Malik, um I don't have anything to say except thank you everybody that was in that um snowstorm that we had this weekend and the roads was cleared um salted with the brine and scrape. Dr. Malite was heading that up. So, thank you for keeping us all safe. THAT WAS IT. DR. MALIK, thank you. Thank you.

Don't go far and I thank you because you stayed up a lot of long hours. Yeah.

To maintain the city. So, thank you so much. Madam administrator, I see this screen now. Dr. Malik, stay right there. We got 41 people that could be used for the city to cut grass and maintain our city. We got 18 contracts. How many more dozens of individuals is that? and you add in the crews from RCCI, you're literally talking hundreds of people. And I I I would question the audience. Grass isn't growing right now. How many of you see anybody out doing anything on the side of our roads picking up litter or anything? So, what are these 41 people doing right now? Ain't no grass being cut. What are they doing? I thought this that's the reason we need this this done. We need more efficiency. Terry, I can I'm sorry, Mayor Pro Tim, you still have a floor, sir.

Thank you. All right, come on. I'm passionate about this. Let's come on. Turn off your microphone so I could talk to Thank you. That's the only way I could be able to. So, um, madame administrator, we got five different departments. We got RCCI, rec, central service, engineer, and storm water. That all does grass cutting. Correct. Yes, sir. Okay. Recreation. Did you say recreation? I'm sorry. I made it. Yes, I did. That was the second item.

All right. So, with us combining all these departments together, where's the efficiency going to come from by combining 41 to three part-time people? And no different than um consolidation. It was supposed to be come become efficient. If I'm combining apartments together, it's going to be efficient see through um the grass cutting the um schedules being done on time. It'll lower my um exposure as far as cost. Do you Is there a business plan or anything that's And I I see what you presented. Yes, sir.

And with the business plan, you're going to have your hard cost, soft, soft cost, etc. Um you was talking about a building right past the boat house. Um Mr. Lampkin, uh we got a slab there. It's a lot easier putting red iron and skin on it. slab is probably over half your cost anyway um to put down. So that's a idea or including out there um where the engineering layown yard is. They have buildings there. So let me continue on with my thing. Rightways, we're doing G dot rightways for some reason. No different than um my colleague had brought up doing cemeteries. We're doing something that doesn't really belong in our wheelhouse, but I was told we was being reimbursed, but not at the expense that is costing us. That'll reduce our exposure. you know, with these 800 um $800,000 that you had figure, $450,000 is um designated for the downtown cleanup um where we hiring that contractor to do um to maintain it.

Yes, ma'am. It's roughly around 549.

Okay. So years ago back when I was on the commission people was paying a separate tax to downtown business people was paying a separate tax because it was a lot of focus on one keeping the streets clean street they had you had have a lot more street lights downtown than you do in any anywhere else in the community. um it had more sheriff's department, you had your fire department. That was all in constrated area. And we done away with that because one, it wasn't being promoted as far as getting businesses down there. Um street sweeping wasn't being done um from the company that we had doing at one of our authorities. Um and the other three items that I had mentioned, will it be a good time if we don't implement the parking um meters when the downtown gets completed? We might want to look at that to help offset the cost and include helping the sheriff's department um be able to provide security downtown.

You know, about a business improvement district. Yes, ma'am. We actually um done away with that I think 2014. A long time ago. Yes, sir. Yes, ma'am. It was okay. So, um, I already talked up the business plan and before storm water was implemented back in 2012, I believe it was 16

2016, people cut their own grass. Um, the county did maintain out there in the rural area u with bush hogs, but you know, we come to the point where our lives become convenient and with that convenient comes a cost. I like the idea that you're able to put a package together, but we need a defined package because using that one time that $450,000 is a onetime money out of the 800,000 that you had on the presentation. I don't want to get into the same thing like the COVID money. Yes, sir. That was used to given out in raises and then four years later we $7.5 million in debt.

Yes, sir. And so we need to find a one either a fun stream um do it through efficiency. And I like the way that you said let's go back out um let's redo the contracts. That way every instead of us telling the people what we willing to pay them, let's do it on a um closed bid contract. That way everybody don't know what somebody else is bidding. Then they're going to sharpen their pencils. No different than I would. But I do want to say thank you for your presentation. But you might want to look at um Mr. Lanin about that um slab that's right down past the boat house.

Yes, sir. And and to your point, Commissioner Gil, all of those things that you're identifying are things that are part of the efficiency, proving that the efficiency, those are the things that we have to put in place. You have to have some accountability as well as to Dr. Malik's point, the respective resources necessary to be successful. Right. So all of the pieces that you mentioned are definitely a major role in the efficiency, right? Coming back to show you that it's an efficient process.

Well, that's kind of like when we um uh started a whole department called central service back in the day. Took it away from parts and wreck. That was a we had to hire directors, secretaries, deputy directors, employees and all. Did it get better? No, it actually cost us money. And you know, we got a new uh director that's over that and he's focused on making sure that our building stays, you know, maintained. So, I just don't want to go down the same path of the rabbit hole. I understand. Yes, sir. Thank you, Mr. Mayor. Thank you, sir. Chair recognizes Commissioner from the fourth, Commissioner Wimberly.

Uh, thank you, Mr. Mayor. Uh, I'm not in opposition to standing up a new department that is going to focus on ground maintenance or grass cutting, whichever we want to call it. But we're talking about pulling folks from current departments to put into that department actually setting it up properly. That's my position. I'm not opposed to a of a ground maintenance or we can call it landscape department. We have one. That was during the time when you said it looked pretty good. So So I could agree to that. But to just say, "Well, let's let's go right now, tear everything down, put this group together, and then we're going to stand back and see how it works." That that just doesn't make any sense to me. Well, thank you, uh, Commissioner Wembley. With all due respect, everybody that we're talking about pulling, their only responsibility is cutting grass. That's all they do. They maintain grass right now.

That's That's not all. Um, now Dr. Malik and he did mention that during storm related matters, sometimes he'll pull those same people to do storm related stuff, but they're not on task every day to do storm related stuff. They cut grass and maintain beautifification. And they're not going out reading water meters or doing anything else. They're cutting grass. No, he don't do water meters to do water meters. Whatever. But they their only responsibility is cutting grass.

And see, that's the thing I that I I find really kind of amazing is that we sometime mingle up on on this dice here duties of departments. utility has uh uh uh engineer has nothing to do with your drinking water. It's your storm water. When you talk about putting a department together, I think you need to do it in a manner in which it's going to be efficient and you want the people that's in there to be successful rather than get finger pointed at them. Because once recreation doesn't get its parks cut and they got a big event going on, then what are you going to say? Don't tell me it won't happen because it does. Director Williams, can you come to the mic? Thank you.

I'm not saying that it that this happened to their department, but I'm saying those things that's why you have fingerpointing now. Director Williams, in your department, the people that are responsible for cutting grass, maintaining the ball fields, what else do they do? Well, once they do that, they may be called to do an event. They may be called to go and um clean the bathroom at one of the park facilities. So grass cutting was is their focus, but they do other things. I think we're pretty versatile in our department where we need to pull people and they can go and adjust and do another um job outside. So thank you ma'am.

But they're hired, you know, for that position and their on the job training or experience can actually have allowed them to do other things. And I think that's great. But ladies and gentlemen, we know the grass ain't getting cut. I have heard many complaints about the bathrooms not being clean, but I heard that the grass doesn't get cut. I've heard that there's litter on the side of our roads. You ride down any corridor now. I dare you to ride down Deans Bridge, Windsor Spring, Peach Orchard Road, Boy Scout, Washington. Well, I'm not going to say what ride down any any road, sir. Ain't been done. Chair recognizes the commissioner from the fifth, commissioner, Don Clark.

All right. I think it's good dialogue. Um I think it's great concerns. I think madam administrator, you all have taken some time to really go through this. Um it does seem as if we have um some apprehension about the efficiency of how it's going to run. Um but I think if we make the decision today, you all will then go into motion of really determining what that looks like and then presenting back to the body, hey, this is what we've established. This is how it will flow. this is how it'll be structured and so on. Yes, sir.

Okay. So, the biggest thing is you all need a decision from the body so that we can deter determine one way or the other. Are we going to stay with what we have or are we going to allow the staff to jump in and determine what is this going to look like from a structure standpoint? and and with that taking in consideration if there are uh roadblocks or or points of inefficiency that are added to this that weren't really considered with the planning but basically go through how to stand up and establish this. Correct? Yes, sir.

Okay. So, um Mr. Mayor, we got a motion. We got a second. Um I say let's go ahead and vote. If it doesn't go, then we continue to go through this, but continue to go through the each of it. The staff's going to do that for us and they're going to bring that back to us. And if there's something between the administrator leading this with the departments themselves, they'll bring that to us. But let's make a decision so that we can go ahead and move this thing forward one way or the other cuz we'll be here all night going back and forth with the whatifs. So, can we go to I call for question? Um, we have a motion and we have a second.

Madam clerk, there's been a call for the question. There's a proper motion made by Commissioner Katherine Smith Rice to adopt option two with a second by Commissioner Don Clark. We're voting and I call for a roll call vote. That's right. Keep kicking the can down the street. Are we allowed to ask questions? Yeah, we can. Yeah, we can. Absolutely. You ready? But once a month, Mr. Clark.

Yes, ma'am. Mr. Garrett, absent. Mr. Gilo. Mr. Garnett Johnson. Mayor. Yes, ma'am. Mr. Jordan Johnson. No, ma'am. Mr. Lewis absent. Mr. Wimberly, Colorado. No, ma'am. Miss Rice. Yes, ma'am. Miss Pull absent. Miss Scott. Miss Lind. Yes.

53. Mr. Mayor. Thank you, Madam Clerk. Let's move on to the next item. We need to move around a little bit. And then as I understand, we got some some visitors that are here. Let's move to item 19. Nope. Nope. Nope. I take that back. Attorney Planket. Mr. Mayor, regarding item number 19, we'd ask that be deleted from today's agenda. We have received correspondence from council for um Redwood and we need to deal with this in legal session as opposed to on the floor. All right, madam. Question. Clerk, I see Commissioner Wimbley, you sir.

Oh, sorry. Commissioner Katherine Smith Rice. Uh, yes. About item number 19. um when we know something because I know that we've got uh one few people in the audience that um have been here for a while and wanted to get updates. So, uh when will we have any kind when are we going to have updates on this improvement?

Miss Rice, we received the correspondence during the executive session. So, um we're having basically the dispute is over some zoning issues and um and also some HPC issues. There is some strong push back and threatening push back from Redwood's attorney and I would like to be able to explore that a little bit more since I got it during the day and then I can be more than happy to re give you a little bit more information um at Tuesday's legal session. Okay. Thank you, Attorney Plunkett. Thank you.

Thank you so much, Attorney. She she's been there the entire time regarding item number 19, but Attorney Plunk could please clarify for the record that as a result of pending lindication, we cannot address this item. It's my s it's my recommendation that we not discuss this matter any further on the record. All right. Thank you. All right, Madam Clerk, I'm in the queue still, sir. Yes, I'm sorry. Commissioner Jordan Johnson. Thank you. I want to also add that somehow the Maxwell House slipped out of the the view of this or did they come by and I missed it?

There's been reports and updates on Maxwell House and the Bonaire. Most recently, there's been some concern in the the general neighborhood that there were certain improvements done on the property without HPC approvals. Uh namely some windows and some fencing issues. The windows were Hold on, hold on, hold on. I don't want you to go no further. I I understand that part, but I'm speaking specifically about the Maxwell House and the living conditions of the residents at these places. I understand the aesthetics. I believe that that has all been reported on when they came back in uh first part of January. Was the Maxwell House included in that? Cuz if I'm not mistaken, I just think that Mr. Long represented Redwood.

Can you can you double check that for me, please? I will double check. Thank you. Thank you. I was thinking you were referring to Summit on Green. I'm sorry. The one Yeah, Maxwell and Maxwell and Richmond Summit are redwood, but M I'm sorry. Bonire and Richmond Summit are Redwood. Yes, but Maxwell is a I was thinking of the the parallel. I will get you an update on Maxwell House. Thank you. Thank you, Attorney Planket. Madam Clerk, we're going to move around just a little bit. We're going to go to the addendum agenda and go to item two, please. As I would been instructed that it should be very brief. Item number two, update from QTS regarding data center.

Thank you so much, Madam Clerk. Madam, if you don't mind, welcome to the Augusta Richmond County Commission. For the record, please state your name and who you represent, please.

Thank you, Mayor Johnson, members of the commission, my name is Gabrielle Deiz. I'm the head of southeast government relations for QTS data centers and our address is going to be 288 Gordon Highway, Augusta, Georgia 30909. We did have some slides. Thank you, very quickly. Perfect. Okay. That's just a one pager. Yeah,

how do I put this in present or Thank you. Click through. Perfect. I will just click through then.

So again, Gabrielle Deise, thank you for your time. Um, a little bit about QTS. We are the leading collocation data center developer in the industry. We own and operate over 85 data centers across the globe. And we have had a 20-year track record of delivering safe and reliable infrastructure for our tenants. Since our initial investment in Georgia in 2006, we've invested over 20 billion dollars in the state and our tenants are approaching investing over a hundred billion. So with that being said, um our application for reszone was approved by this body in 2024 and we are now officially excited to roll out our project to the community and begin work this year. We're very much so looking forward to working with our elected officials, our planning and city staff and get engaged in the community. I need to click. So, a little bit more project specific information to update the body on. Um our initial proposal we are estimating 160 to 220 permanent jobs. That is a conservative estimate that is across our data center operators, our tenants and our contractors. Our director of development for the project is a local Augusta boy, Bryce Gin, that I know some members of the commission know that he's very excited to move back to his hometown and invest in such a largecale significant economic development opportunity. We plan to hire locally and we plan on invest in investing in a um a development workforce pipeline from Fort

Gordon to QTS because of our close proximity and that there is a significant workforce already established and it's one of the reasons that it attracted us to Augusta. We are very proud that 25% of QTS employees are former military and one of our co-CEOs is former army too. So he's very excited to come visit this site and start working on our workforce development initiatives. I think just some more for the good of the order quickly. Um, we plan to invest around $2 billion and can conservatively estimate that our tenants will invest 3 to 4x the number of our investment. A nice um example in Fagetville, Georgia, one of our projects, we negotiated a tax package that included giving significant revenue to the school board. And from one building being online for one year, we were able to cover the salaries of seven public school teachers. That's just from one building. And that campus is still in the very early stages of development. So we're excited to continue to invest in the community and give back through taxation and our community initiatives. Just briefly about some site specific details. This site was previously zoned for data center use in 2022 by T5. They since then pulled their application. We purchased that land, reszoned in 2024 to add on some adjacent property, and we are very excited to start beginning work in Q1 of 2026. We're not going to get too much into sight specific details right now, but what I can share is we will be deploying our standard freedom design which includes our closed loop cooling system

which so the technology how it works is traditional evaporative cooling will recycle will go through water continuously and we realize we cannot use so much water. is not sustainable for the communities that we entered. So therefore we developed this closed loop cooling which we unload the water initially into the pipes, seal them and then recirculate that water throughout the building essentially turning our WU our water efficiency to zero over the deliverance of the over the project. Um I think that's pretty much all I just wanted to briefly touch on. We always say that there's a difference between a data center and a QTS data center. And a key portion of that is philanthropy and giving back is at the cornerstone of every single deal that we do. Our QTSers move to these communities. We have a corporate responsibility to improve the communities that we enter. not just through tax generation, that's a big portion, but um getting involved in local groups, building those local partnerships, seeing where we can find gaps in the community. Um in Fagetville, Georgia, for example, for this past Thanksgiving, we gave out 5,000 turkeys and over our corporate giving last year, we estimated about 10 billion, no million dollars in um charitable giving. pretty much all that I had for you guys. I just wanted to lead all of that into we have a community event next week. So, please share with your constituents. It's going to be an open house. We're going to have it be more informal. We'll have stations for constituents to come. If they have questions surrounding power use, there will be a power use table. or

if they have questions surrounding water or landscaping, sighting, what the project's going to look like, get into some renderings of what constituents can expect and have this be an open dialogue as we move forward through this process. Um, I know one question commission might have I know that there was an article that stated our DRRI was supposed to have a completion date of 2026. That was T5's initial date. So, we are not delivering a building this year. We are starting site work this year. Um, but we are going to deliver buildings probably forecasting into the next few years. Um, but most importantly, we would love for people to come to our community event. Please come by. We'll provide dinner as well. Um, we have our website live so that link you can click on. You can get access to our sustainability report. So that's all of our great environmental team, all of their facts about our tree replanting program, our water use programs and ways that we try to be a sustainable partner in our communities. And then also there is a little email um that you can submit questions to and so we can have some of those prepared for constituents um when they come. Do I have any other questions? Um we're very excited to roll out this project and appreciate

Yes, ma'am. Just sit tight and there questions. Chair recognizes Commissioner Francine Scott from the night.

Thank you. Um Mayor Johnson, you u really answer my question with your last slide about open house event and community. I think you lost me when when your statement about the waterfree loop and all. So I kind of zoned out and I didn't look back up. So, uh, I'm glad to hear because we did have some people here last week that that's concerned. I'm concerned. I think at our national association of county official, we had a, um, a session on data centers, the pros and cons, and I do have a white paper. So, uh, I'm going to try my best to make it to the open house and hope it'll be we get some definite, um, information so that our constituents will feel comfortable in uh, bringing this data center to that area. Thank you so much for your um, presentation. Thank you uh, Commissioner from the third.

You are so welcome. Thank you. Um, Commissioner Scott here recognized Commissioner from the Fifth, Commissioner Don Clark. Uh, Mr. Mayor, I'll uh delay my time for Commissioner Rice since this is her district. Thank you, sir. Chair recognized Commissioner from the third, Commissioner Katherine Smith Rice.

Thank you, Mr. Mayor, and thank you, Commissioner from the Fifth. Um, I want to say thank you and if anybody's listening on live stream, uh, from Hayne Station and neighborhoods on Gordon Highway and also in in district 5, uh, neighborhoods that are along the corridor of Jimmy Das, uh, they will be hopefully attending this meeting so that they can get more, you know, knowledge on what's going on with the data center. But thank you for your quick little presentation and look forward to seeing you uh next week. Thanks. Thank you, Commissioner from the 5th. Yes, ma'am.

Thank you. Chair recognized Mayor Pro Tim Wayne Gilful.

Thank you, Mr. Mayor. Thank you for coming before us. Thank you for doing this presentation. Once we found out that the QTS was coming, um the phone call was made. that was generated by um Commissioner Clark and Commissioner Rice. Um and y'all was very responsive at that during that phone conversation. Hey, we'll set up a schedule, a time to where we could meet the citizens. And I appreciate y'all going above and beyond because the last thing we need to do is be behind the curve on this one. We seen um some of our neighbors catch it and we don't want we want to be in the forefront, be transparent and be ahead of it. And I do thank you and I look forward to seeing you on February 11th.

You and Miss Pric. Thank you. Thank you, Mayor Pro Tim. Uh, commissioner from the 5th. The floor is yours, sir.

All right, Gary. I appreciate you coming in. Thank you all again. I think everyone has echoed the same sentiment. I think the biggest thing is for the community members to understand although this will be positioned, you know, in the Gordon Highway corridor in district 3, this is a community opportunity for everyone to get educated about a data center. Um, Georgia is on the cusp of being one of the national leaders of data centers coming in communities. So, I think it's beholden upon everyone to come out here. Um, this is a a company that's opening up themselves to be questioned, to be introduced appropriately, but also that they're investing in the area. Um, so take opportunity to come out. It's February 11th. Um, starts at 6:00 p.m. Uh, they're even providing the uh dinner for you. So, I appreciate and a shout out of acknowledgement to our uh school partners. Um, this will be held at Bair Elementary off of Harper Franklin Avenue. So, uh, everyone come out. This is not a District 3, District 5 specific event. This is an Augusta community event for us to come out and learn about something that is on the rise throughout the state of Georgia. Thank you again for coming.

Thank you again, Commission. Any other questions? I think that's it, madam. Thank you so much for being here. We appreciate your patience. Of course. See you next week. That's right. Thank you so much, Madam Clerk. Let's move on. We got another group about some uh folks that are visiting from um we're going to item number 20 20 and then also item number 20 item one. Item number 20. Item 20 is to receive his information and update on the recreation and parks audit.

All right. Mr. Mayor, if I could say something real quick. Yes, ma'am.

Of course, you know, the governing body approved for UHY to conduct an audit on our recreation and parks for a certain period of time with pretty specific items that you wanted them to review. during their audit process they have provided today an executive summary. You will notice that this executive summary is still in draft form and the reason for that is um just in case there are any questions or concerns from the respective governing body. If this information is actually approved today without any additions or anything that needs to be uh responded to in regards to this, it will become final and then that final document will be provided to the governing body in its entirety. So just wanted to give you that um brief bit of information as to why you see draft going across this respective document. Also in regards to the responses from the city um from our recreation department as well as our um other departments that are affected by this response respect uh affected by this audit I should say they will have responses given back to you provided after we do this response I mean after we do this presentation. I'll turn it over now to uh hy. Thank you, Madam Administrator. Sir, if you will, for the record, please state your name and of course the organization you represent.

Sure. My name is Jack. J A C Regan. R E A G-N. No relation. Always have to put that in. That's Reian. You talking about Rean?

Uh, well, I pronounced it the uh Irish Catholic way. I think he pronounced it the Protestant way to appeal to more voters, but that's just my my urban legend that I I adhere to. Um, I'm a managing director with UHY. We were engaged by uh the city to perform certain uh forensic audit procedures over transactions that occurred at the parks and recreation department. Uh you have in front of you the executive summary from the work that we did. Uh I'm going to hit the highlights from my take and I'm going to turn it over to Raina to take you a bit uh deeper through Raina Hernandez who's our senior manager uh who uh was on the engagement. Um the root cause of a lot of the findings that we uh present to you today are due to outdated policies and procedures. We found that many of the operating policies and procedures that were in place guiding the activities of employees may not have been updated in more than 10 years. Um because of the outdated policies and procedures, uh a lot of the information that needs to get captured in either the parks and recreation systems or uh then interfacing over into the city's general ledger systems weren't covered in or captured in sufficient detail in order to provide the granular level information the management needs uh to effectively monitor a lot of the transactions that are going on out at uh or many of the transactions that are going on out at the uh parks and recck department. Uh overall, we did not find any fraud. We looked at 20,000 plus transactions. So, we did not see uh anything that we overtly believed were

fraudulent uh transactions. Uh we do believe that the findings and our recommendations that are an outgrowth from them provide the city with implementable um policies, procedures, other considerations that again will help u the efficient and effective processing of transactions that are out there. Again, to me, the root cause of all of this or a lot of a lot of what you find were lack of updated policies and procedures that uh led to a lot of the things we find or we found. With that, I'm going to turn it over to Raina to walk you through a little bit more detail on the U findings.

Thank you so much, Mr. Rian. Madam, I need the same from you. Your name, organization you represent for the record, please. Raina Hernandez representing UHY um adviserss. Thank you.

So, as Jack mentioned, um, in the executive summary before you, uh, we structured it in the way, um, to reflect the items that were requested in the original RFP. So, with the first task being to determine if charges to Lake Olmstead ledger codes are appropriate, uh, for the three years that we reviewed, we found 177 transactions totaling $90,937. A little over 50% of those transactions had no exception. Meaning that based on the invoice detail, the um transaction was recorded to the appropriate general ledger account and the amount was um amount recorded was accurate. Uh 73 transactions that were identified as portable service were inconsistently recorded to seven different um object codes. And one transaction stood out to us that was $5,000. uh we followed up on it and ended up being it was for a guest speaker and it was recorded to other advertising general ledger account. In the second task um we needed to determine all community center user groups and the dollar amounts taken in from each group. We found that parks does not maintain a master registry list of all community center user groups. We therefore leveraged keywords used to record activity in the department subsidiary system called active. Uh we did that to identify similar transactions and categorize them into similar groups and determine the amount of revenue from each of those user groups. We identified 43 different types of user groups with the top three being weddings with 612,000. Birthdays coming in at 564,000 and aquatics being the number three at $448,000. All user groups over the three fiscal years totaled uh 6,691,112.

Uh our third task was to determine Riverwalk expenditures from all areas including the additional 150,000 for 8 Street Bulkhead. Uh during the three-year audit period, Riverwalk expenditures totaled 1.479 million. The top expenditures, when you get the full report, you'll see a breakdown of all these expenditures, but the top ones were um recorded to special events, temporary workers, and security services. there wasn't a specific general ledger account for Bulkhead um or an identifier to know what expenses were specific to Bulkhead. So, as a result, we reported all Riverwalk expenditures. The fourth item was to determine all vendor expenditures and jobs they performed, including consult uh consultant, lawn services, etc. As Jack mentioned, there were a total of 36,22 general ledger transactions during those three years in which a check was issued. 14,201 of those were payments made to utilities. Uh we deemed those low risk since utility bills are based on usage, come from regulated companies, and are posted by finance. As a result, we reviewed the remaining 22,000 general ledger um transactions to determine whether an invoice supported the actual vendor payment. Our review did not identify any instances of fraud. Rather, we identified a variety of recording inconsistencies. Those inconsist inconsistencies included incorrect invoice dates in the GL uh missing invoices as supporting documentation. And then there were invoices where they were itemized in the general ledger versus other invoices that were recorded as a total. So for example, if you had a supply invoice, there were instances where every single supply item was recorded to the general

ledger and in other instances it was just the total um invoice amount of that supply invoice. The next task was to determine all park expenditures broken down by the park with the general with the ledger codes. Uh the parks directory identified 68 parks and facilities. We then compared it to a list of active general ledger account codes for parks and we found that 21 of the 68 park facilities did not have a designated organization code. And then conversely, we found 30 um active GL accounts for parks or facilities were not on the list provided by uh parks management. In total, there were 66,326 general ledger transactions recorded to parks from 2021 to 2023, totaling 32,445,619 worth of expenditures. If we exclude uh personnel categories such as wages, Medicare, FICA, the uh total came out to $16,248,696 in true um expenditures. Another uh the next task was to determine all hotel stays with locations by all employees in the department. So there were several stays at luxury hotels that were approved for the previous parks director while attending national conferences in 2022 and 2023. Uh those stays were at the Weston and another luxury hotel called the Adulus in Dallas, Texas. There was a total of $84,731 recorded directly to the travel expense general ledger account. We also identified uh additional travel expenses recorded to inappropriate general ledger accounts such as equipment, special

instruction services, and other tournament supplies. So in the instance of other tournament supplies, we found that those travel expenses were for lodging for the officials of the different sports. Next, we were tasked with determining candle light jazz money totals for each state and how um the money collected how the money is collected and used. uh reporting was unavailable to determine candle light totals by day or by week. Rather, we were provided a report for each year and using the documentation provided our reconciliation identified variances between the different four source documents that we were giving given. Overall, in all the fiscal years, bank deposits were less than the candlelight revenues recorded in the parks active net system and the city's uh general ledger central square. in 2021 specifically, $6,21. Uh, so there was $6,21 less in bank deposits than revenues recorded. In 2022, there was $6,739 and in 2023 there was $17,293. Uh, we were informed that there is a year-end reconciliation that's done between Central Square and Activenet. However, the individual performing said reconciliation wasn't sure if the procedures to do that reconciliation were correct. Next, we had uh evaluate IT department's review of any deleted files for the recreation department that are personnel or financial. Uh we found that it's policy that departments needing access to a terminated employees data must submit a written request to the CIO or design after HR's terminate termination notice. It deletes all data uh unless retention is requested. The CIO provided uh documented evidence that the interim

parks director approved the deletion of the prior parks director's um email account. As a as a result, we weren't able to review any of the requested email documentation. However, uh the request did follow the internal work order process as it would for any um terminated employee. uh determine review all contracts of $25,000 or less for the depart uh to determine if there was department head signature on the document. Uh we found that parks does not maintain a list of vendor contracts. As a result, we were unable to verify whether contracts 25,000 or less received appropriate approval. During our review, uh we identified that approval thresholds in the parks purchasing matrix appear unreasonable. So, we found that there is no approval authority that has been delegated to the deputy directors. All purchases starting at $25 or more require director approval. And then purchases between 10,000 and 25,000 require administrator approval. The next task is to determine whether internal controls over assets are adequate to provide reasonable insurance that assets exist and are safeguarded against loss or theft. Uh we found that parks maintains a current list of all parks and buildings. However, it does not include other key assets such as facilities, infrastructure, and amenities. Parks does manually track equipment issued to employees such as cell phones and tablets. However, that list is not periodically updated. And then lastly, determine whether controls over government operations provide reasonable assurance, that resources are used effectively and efficiently, and that expenditures follow established policies and procedures. And this goes back to the point that Jack made that um parks does have the Augusta Recreation Parks and Facilities Department policies and

procedures manual, but it was last revised on January 11th, 2012. Uh the manual did cover a wide range of information, but due to the absence of ownership of who should be updating the policies and procedures, it didn't reflect any current uh processes. As a result, there's just a reliance on informal policies, uh staff knowledge, and just verbal communication in general. Um on starting on page six, we have listed uh recommendations that will help address these observations and findings. uh we like to make them practical so that way as Jack likes to say you don't hire 10 people to fix these issues more uh strategic a way of approaching these findings.

Any questions? Mr. Hernandez certainly appreciate this but um a comment regarding hotel stays is Weston considered a luxury hotel as you know most of our conferences in the government are at these type of hotels either Sheridans Weston's Marriotts well what we found in these instances is that other department employees would stay at um more reasonable hotels such as Marriott Fairfield and it was typically the parks director that would stay at the So they would be at the same conference and he would have an upgrade. Oh, I understand. All right, I'm going open up to my colleagues, Mayor Pro Tim, Wayne Gil.

Thank you. Thank you for doing this um audit for us as well as Mr. Rean. Um I hope I said that correctly.

It seems like, you know, the expenditures on here, you can't define it. no different than the uh previous uh not picking but uh the when the mayor came to use his credit cards there wasn't a policy in place even though it was being used everything seems to reflect within government and if something goes wrong we didn't have a policy in place to cover that issue no different than they um I would look at if I had employees that we were going out of town I'll stay in the same hotel as the employees will you eat at the same restaurants etc I'm no better than they are. Um it looks like that we're going to need some good policies put in place not only for this department but we have seemed like a lot of departments we are going to have to upgrade and improved and bring up to speed. Um do you have any suggestions on that or is that outside your realm? Uh no, we routinely assist in updating policies and procedures

uh at a at a higher level. You know, the government finance officers assoc association, GFOA, puts out a lot of good recommended practices in areas. You can drill down into certain membership uh associations. For instance, there's an abundance of examples of policies around procurement cards over, you know, employee travel expense policies that are out there from various member associations. You can go out and do a search on uh other governments. Those tend to be pretty widely uh available on the internet to start from,

right? The thing that I worry about as you're updating those policies is you just grab them and you say these are our policies without regard to what's actually going on and how folks are actually doing it. We call it a gap analysis. I mean my standard joke on that and I've served a wide variety of governments um over the years that at and you are by no means alone in having policies and procedures that are outdated. Uh again, my running joke is when I ask for policies, procedures, someone will turn around behind their desk, get the three- ring binder, go the dust blows off, and you know that is the written policies and procedures that we will then through our walkth through testing. All right, how do you really do it? And then look at what the gap is between what you say you do in your policy and what you're actually doing. Um there are the other thing that I would encourage you to do as you start down this road of updating these policies and procedures is it's got to be integrated with your IT system capabilities. What we find often times is that there are capabilities that are inherent in whatever newest version you have of your IT system here at Central Square that you're not fully taking advantage of because when the person in that position started 101 15 years ago, they didn't do it that way. They did it this way and they've continued to do it that way. even though the system may be more capable of doing some of the stuff, some of the activities that that employee does. So, handinhand with that, not only is what are folks doing and how they're doing it, but what can the system do and you evaluate those as you're updating your policies and procedures.

I definitely appreciate that answer, Mr. Mayor. Can I uh ask administrator? So,

yes, sir. Proceed. Madam administrator, if we wanted to um we know we got fallacies within our policies, etc. within different departments and when it comes to departments that um has money, there's really no control in it. And that's a scary factor. No, that's no different than what we're seeing in this draft. Um there was no set designation for any expenditure. They just collaborated all together in one ledger. Um, so how could we better ourselves by utilizing a company like theirs? So,

and it benefits us as a government as as far as additional auditing or um up upgrading the policies, improving our policies because that's basically everything that they're pointing to is that we didn't have policy in place to um rectify in place with this audit.

Yes, sir. We would have to engage them because they would have to look at as as Mr. Regan stated look at some of our um respective practices because this also connects and Mr. And correct me if I'm wrong with the finance. You know, all of those things have to be integrated and the processes have to be streamlined. So if you do utilize the system and the staffing have to be retrained or trained to utilize the technology to their benefit and by using that it automatically feed that information to our financial system which should have all our general ledgers associated in it broken down so that you can actually track what activities we're doing. That's one thing that this report demonstrated that some of that is not taking place,

right? So, we would have to engage them further to develop that or someone, you know, you could put it out for competitive bid. I mean, I'd love to do the work, but there are plenty of firms that are out there that can Yes, sir. kind of work. That might be a great idea, Madam Administrator. Um, because if we're going to turn the right size this government, we got to have structure in place in order to have success. Thank you. Thank you, Mayor Pro Tim. Chair recognizes Commissioner from the fifth, Commissioner Don Clark.

Thank you, Mr. Mayor. Um, uh, I appreciate you all greatly on your diligence, your detailed analysis, and even um, your very specific recommendations. Um it gives each and every person that has a role and responsibility in this something to work towards improving identify you all have identified a number of gaps that we have um and this is a part of the transparent aspect of what we're trying to do um for the public to see that we're safeguarding um public dollars but also that we're trying to be um as efficient as possible in our departments. So I appreciate you all greatly. Um, madame administrator, Mr. Mayor, can I have a question to uh the administrator?

Yes, sir. Proceed. All right, madame administrator. So, what's next steps with this? Um, this is a big uh piece of it towards introducing the fact that uh this team um worked hard on getting us this, but what's next steps? Our goal would be to provide a management response. We have already spoken um with uh they have an actual format for us to respond and we'll pro provide that response back to the governing body.

Okay. Yeah. Cuz what I didn't want was for you all to get peppered with all the each um give you all the opportunity to generate the responses and then we kind of go into this, you know, comprehensively. Um as opposed to kind of nickel and dime the each. Um I I mean I have some questions but I'll wait for you to compile that. um and we can kind of make this more productive. But again, um can't say enough about you all. This is this is top-notch on giving us um some openness and some understanding of what's going on with the department. Um but also giving the department u the opportunity to really kind of add some improvement uh towards uh increasing how we do business. I do have a question, last question, Mr. Mayor. Um, uh, Miss, uh, can we, uh, bring up Miss Williams?

Yes, sir. Miss Williams.

Hey, Miss Williams. You had an opportunity to look at this. I did. Okay. Um, I know it's given you some some things to look at and to identify as points of improvement as well. Um, I mean, you were hired for for your, you know, skill sets and your ability to come in and manage operations. So, I know with administrator and with the team that we'll dig into this and and get in. Is there something you wanted to kind of share with it in addition? Um, I can kind of say that some of it is is not surprising.

Um, being that when I came into the department, I discovered some of these things were actually going on. Um you know for instance just prime example of the policy and procedures

outdated um and I have talked to my team um even last year we have already sat down and kind of went through the entire policy book what needs to be updated um and revised what processes are we doing right now um and what has changed um because even though things have changed with the policy and different um process procedure have been changed it may have been via email or verbal Um, and so it haven't been like truly written. Um, and in reference to um, you know, us going out and finding um, you know, someone to be able to create policies and do all things, I think I'm competent enough to be able to look at our policies and procedures and see what we need for our department and how we're working um, our our areas. Um, looking at different um, we we last year we did a procurement training. Um, we had staff come in. So that's those are some of the things that I've encountered, you know, last year coming in. And so we're we're moving in the right direction. We haven't got there yet. And like I said, some of those things um were were not surprising to me that they actually found, but once they were discovered even last year, we talked about better um practices,

best practices to be able to move forward. So well, this gives us a great a great start. looking forward to hearing you and the administrator and Deputy Jackson since he of course he's our swing man that's always coming in to uh be Mr. Fix it when we have a gap. Um but I know he'll be a part of this as well. So thank you all. Uh I can't say enough about it. Um thank you all for your willingness to continue even providing additional support um with this as well. Um, I just wanted to say too that I I appreciated them um coming in and just um you know just showing where we have gaps, what we need to improve on so that that makes a difference and how we can move forward.

Yes, ma'am. Last question. Mr. Mayor, I apologize. I said that was my last one, but I had one more that I was thinking about. UHY when you all were going through this process um you had mentioned about internal controls. Were you all just engaging just parks and wreck or were you all also engaged with um finance? We did discuss with finance to the extent that the information came over to finance and we needed to trace things from active net into the general ledger to see how that information uh moved back and forth. So yeah, we did talk to finance quite a bit through this. Right. And the internal controls that you had called out, is that specific to the department or are you talking about the overarching flow between the department and finance?

It's between the parks and recck department and finance, not overall at at finance. We didn't look at anything broader than parks and reccks transaction impact at at the finance department level.

Okay. Thank you for clarifying that. Again, thank you both. Yeah, just briefly, um, as you embark down this road on updating policies and procedures, we're not talking war in peace. It's clear, it's concise. It doesn't need to be overly um, you know, lengthy. You know, the I joked about the three- ring binders in the past. Those sort of things were overkill. They're not usable documents. You want something that's going to hit the highlights, tie in to people's job descriptions. Uh so please air on the side a little bit of brevity is would be my advice on going through this. I think you can get caught up a lot in doing that. Uh and then I would encourage as the administration provides their response and the corrective action plan to this a best practice for your uh role would be 6 months nine months down the road have a question on okay you put together a corrective action plan management how are we doing in implementing the corrective action plan uh corrective action plan should have specifically who's responsible for implementing the fix and by what date it would be um fixed and we can provide a template. I think we've provided a template like that to uh to management already. And then I'd be remiss if I didn't say we are, you know, financial dentists in that regard. You know, we're a necessary evil in the doing these audits and things like that that we do. Uh the consideration, cooperation, and grace that staff here showed us uh was very very much appreciated. uh you know, we felt like folks had their hearts in the right place and wanting to get to uh a good clear picture of what's going on and they assisted us in every way

possible. I wanted to make sure you knew that um the process was not adversarial at all. I felt like we got access to everything and everybody that we needed to to get the work done in accordance with the scope of work that you laid out. and we really appreciate that level of cooperation uh from the the administration and the staff at at parks and wreck. Awesome. Thank you, Commissioner Clark. Chair recognizes Commissioner from the fourth, Commissioner Lon Wimbley.

Thank you, Mr. Mayor. I have a question for how you want to be pronounced. Reagan or Reagan's fine. bring uh during your uh auditing um park and wreck now is on a cash only a card no cashless. Thank you. How did that tie into the efficiency? So it's not completely cashless. Uh the candle light jazz series still um handles cash which is where we found the discrepancies um which is where we identify there should be improved controls over that area

and I can see how that still still is cashless but that's the only one that's the only area. Yes, I I mean cash rather. Okay. Thank you. Thank you Commissioner Wimbley. I don't see any colleagues in the queue. Uh Miss Hernandez and Mr. Rian. Thank you so much um for the work that you've done and please re-emphasize there were no criminal findings in this audit. Did not find anything that we felt like we needed to make a referral on? No, sir. If is there is there one important aspect of your find is that you do need for us to take into consideration based on everything that

I really I just think updating those policies and procedures is is the the best oversight that you can provide. Um as uh you know was the was indicated. It's probably not just isolated to parks and recreation. it may be a little bit more uh you know universal across the organization. Again, it's not uncommon. Uh it's it's something that we see we see quite often. So I don't want to mislead anybody into believing that this is somehow on the worst end of the spectrum. Um it is it is not. It's it's fairly typical. But the tone at the top from city manager, from director of the department is appropriate, you know, and wanting to get those things turned around and that tone at the top is absolutely critical.

Mr. Rian, thank you so much. Mr. Hernandez, thank you kindly. You guys have safe travel back home. Madame administrator, is there anything additional you need to add before we move on to the next item? No, sir. Thank you. Thank you so much. All right, madam clerk, we got a couple items that uh were asked to be pulled by the commissioner from the fourth. I think they're seven and 17. Let's go to item number seven, please. Item number seven is a motion to approve an amendment to change order number one for purchase order as stated in the amount of 48,274 by train company. Mr. Wimbley, I believe.

Thank you, Commissioner Wimbley. I see you had some folks up here at the das at uh I'm sorry, at at the lectern here. Is there anything you need to add before we get started? Uh yes uh Mr. Mayor and I like to address them because I wanted someone to be able to talk about this uh because when I first uh got elected and came here I think this uh item seven was related to a topic that we was discussing in uh in executive session. So my question is uh can you explain the original scope of work and how it was uh intended to function on this item?

Uh Commissioner Wimbley, just for the record, those are two different items. This is a separate item for what you're talking about. Um this item was a change order that was approved by commission during construction. Um that change order did not cover the amount once we went through rec reconciliation of the project. So, we needed to add the other 48,200 because it wasn't enough on that original change order.

I understand this is a change order, but I was just saying my question was because I I was aware that they was talking about something related to this. Um, but this did did this have any effect on the original uh work? I mean, when you did this had to do this change order, was it because It wasn't thought of in the initial bid or what?

Well, you got two things. This was a construction change order. Um, of course, when the project was put together over time, I think it was a two-year process once construction started. And so, people moved out of buildings. We uh did not we had already replaced some HVAC units in some of the buildings because they went out before it got to that building. So we had to pivot and maybe use that into another building. So we kind of made the best of it. And so after you go through the reconciliation, then you have those change or this is all construction period change orders. Thank you. Motion. Thank you, Commissioner Wman. There's a motion to approve by the mayor prom. Is there I'll second.

Second by Commissioner Katherine Smith Rice. Madam Madame Clerk, it's been a long time since we voted. We get to vote now. Been doing a lot of talking, ain't we? That motion carries with Mr. Jordan Johnson out. Miss Pium, Miss Rice, Mr. Lewis, and Mr. Garrett. Thank you, Madam Clerk. Item 17. know where I stand.

Item number 17, motion to approve Tetrate Tech, Inc. Change order number two for hazardous mitigation grant programs support in the amount of 100,76650 increasing the total not to exceed amount for the task order to 330,93550 and allocate general fund contingency as needed for the project. Thank you, Madam Clerk. Commissioner Wimbley also asked this and be pulled. Uh, you see the new deputy administrator, Miss Maddie Sue Stevens. Congratulations, ladies and gentlemen. Come on with it.

Maddie, Commissioner W. Again, I'm gonna put on my uh new commissioner hat and instead uh um can you brief briefly explain the purpose of this hazardous mitigation grant? What what is the true purpose? I just got to get a I read the material in the uh believe it or I did read the material in the uh my book, but how you can you break it down?

Certainly. Um the hazard mitigation grant program is a federal program through FEMA that is initiated whenever there's a disaster or can't be initiated when there's a disaster declaration. So in our case, there was a there's a we say HMGP allocation that followed the hurricane Helen situation and that means that there's federal money available for grants for mitigation to make things better for a future disaster. So it's like a funding opportunity for Augusta apply to apply. It's a competitive process that's managed at the state level and we had to submit pretty detailed applications for different projects. We reviewed a bunch of potential projects and we ultimately submitted six of them um focused on generators for critical facilities, improvements to the water system and wind hardening at fire stations. Um since those applications are so technical to assist us with preparing them, we engage Tetratech which is our standing consultant for disaster services. This is something that they do all the time whereas we don't do those kinds of grants very often. And so Tetrate Tech has been working with the departments to put those applications together and get them submitted. So we have those applications submitted to the state. They're currently under review, but the state's review process will rev in will require um a lot of requests for information. And so we're engaging Tetrate Tech. We're extending their contract to allow for that time period so that we can continue to use them if we need to throughout the grant process. Uh, and I'm glad you brought up uh, Tetro Tech. Their role in this is they they're our on call um, or they just our consultant?

Yes, sir. So, after the hurricane in December 2024, we did a RFP process to find a disaster consultant and the scope of their engagement is pretty broad. They're basically um on retainer with us for any disaster response that might include the actual disaster response, the FEMA public assistance process, and any grants like this one. And then every time we want to use them for something, we issue a specific task order for that. So, we have a task order with them to help us do the FEMA cost recovery from Helen, for example, and then we have a separate task order for this application process. later this year there'll be other funding opportunities that open up and we may ask you to approve a new task order for that one separately. So we that gives us cost control so that they don't just have millions of dollars available for work that we give them very specific scopes of work. My last question then uh what what is the uh length of the agreement with us?

Ted overall it's three years so I think it expires at the end of 2027 this particular task order will expire at the end of 2026. Thank you. Thank you Mr. Mayor. You're welcome commissioner. I hear a motion from the mayor prom to approve. Is there a second? I'll second. There's a second by commissioner Katherine Smith Rice. And I'll vote this time. I did vote last time. Madam clerk, we're voting. No, the machine said she didn't vote. Thank you. Thank you. Yeah. Yeah. Get it right

before you put it out. That motion carries with Mr. Jordan Johnson out, Miss Pium, Mr. Lewis, and Mr. Garrett. Thank you, Madam Clerk. I think that concludes our business. So, I want to give I'm sorry, we got one more. One more. Item number number one. One. Yeah. Okay. Item number one is a motion to approve the RFQ award and execute the congestion management process update contract with Cebridge Systematics, Inc., Miss Rice. All right. Director Vasser. Good afternoon, everyone. How everyone doing today? Good.

Good evening. All right. Well, this here is a a federalmandated traffic study that was uh we needed some changes for as far as uh a compliance. There's nothing wrong with the contract. So, I don't want to say the wrong thing. So, I won't ask the compliance director, Mr. Miss Doc, Miss Dr. Yolanda Jackson, to come up and speak so she can clarify. Perfect. You want to send these? Yeah, I'm going to pass it up. All right. Good afternoon, mayor, commissioners. Good afternoon, madam. No, it's good evening now.

I know, right? It's okay. So, um, this agenda item was brought to my attention on yesterday. Um, and to give you a little bit of context as to why um, it was pulled from the consent agenda when this item initially was advertised and went through the process. um because it's funded with funds from federal highway, it had a DBE goal applied to it. Since then, back in October, October 3rd of 2025, US DOT issued a interim final rule which greatly impacted the DBE program. And so as a result of that, a part of that change impacts any solicitation that were or will be awarded after the rule change. So this is one of those solicitations. As a result, the rule specifically states that any solicitations previously advertised with DBE goals must now be amended to remove that goal. So on yesterday I provided to procurement um as well as to planning the amendment that needs to go with the contract that will effectively remove the DB the DBE goal and any DBE requirements on this solicitation. So um Mr. Vasser has provided to you I'm sorry interim director Vasser has provided to you a copy of that amendment. This language has been approved by G DOT because I have had to provide this on other um solicitations.

This is the first one that we caught prior to the contract being signed. Um and just to give you a little bit more insight on it, Transit currently has a contract um where the DBE goal has to be removed. Um and so I provided legal the language to amend that contract so that it will I believe at some point come back before you all for approval as well. So again this is an amendment that can go with the current contract. Just letting them know that the DBE goal has been removed. So that's pretty much why. And so I'll take any questions if any of you have questions at this time.

Thank you so much. here recognizes Commissioner Don Clark from the fifth. Dr. Jackson, it's great meeting you. Yep. Thank you for uh continuing to step in as our interim compliance director as well. No problem.

Um I got a question. Uh Mr. Mayor for uh legal and the administrator. Um attorney Plunkett, uh you all uh vetted this and determined uh the language with what Dr. Jackson is stating. U Commissioner Clark, this the attorney that would normally handle this is out of the office today, Miss Pitts. Um but if it's been sent to her, I would think that she would have vetted and this this is clearly consistent with the policies. So I don't have much issue with with the language. We'll make sure it's compliant. And Dr. Jackson, this went through the attorney that

it went through Yes, it went through the process. I've done it before. The initial one went through the process. This is the exact same language. The only thing that was changed on it is the project information. Okay. Madam administrator, any issues from your vantage point, ma'am? No, sir. All right. Thank you, Dr. Jackson. You're welcome. Yeah. I'd like to go ahead and uh Well, there's some questions. I'll make a motion afterwards. Thank you. Uh chair recognizes Commissioner from the third, Commissioner Katherine Smith Rice. Thank you. U Mr. Mayor, that's what I was in the queue for. I was going to go ahead and make a motion to approve. Second.

All right, madame clerk, there's a motion to approve by the commissioner from the third, second by the commissioner from the fifth, commissioner Don Clark. We're voting.

It's not easy. Who you telling? That's all right. I was just making sure to Yes, that motion carries. Just to be clear that the vote was for the motion with the removement with the with the amendment. Correct. I just want to make sure for the record the DB go requirements removed, right? Yes, ma'am. Okay. Um that's with Mr. Johnson, Miss Pullium, Mr. Lewis, and Mr. Garrett out.

Thank you, Madam Clerk. Uh before I I adjourn this meeting, I want to give a shout out to members of the charter review committee that has sat patiently through this entire commission meeting. Thank you guys so much. And madam administrator, I have to give my third state of the city speech on Thursday at noon at First Baptist Church with the Augusta Exchange Club. So all are welcome to come. It'll be from 12:00 to 1 and we will be walk out the door at 1:00. So with that being said, we are hereby adjourned.