City Council - Regular Meeting

Good evening. I like to call the public power hour to uh order and just uh Jamie has got the information on here. Again, this is really an opportunity for us as a council to listen to citizens. We don't vote on anything. This is very informal. We're the only ones here except for Jamie who's our city clerk. Um, and we've got basically three folks who have emailed us. And kind of what that is is once we go through those three folks, each of them will have five minutes. If there's somebody in the audience that if we have time available that would like to speak to us and we have time available, we will let you do that. But we're going to jump right in to our friend who's here normally a couple times a week and just does an incredible job for the community. The Cumbry Center, Miss April Jordan, come on up. And you know the you know the routine, you know the drill.

Hello. Good evening. Thank you everybody for allowing me to come and share some information with you. Um CBY Center is a nonprofit agency that serves victims of domestic violence and sexual assault. We have a lot of different services that we provide to include a safe house. We provide counseling services um crisis intervention 247 hotline for victims um as well as 247 um accompaniment to the hospital um when they're uh when someone presents there and has been a victim. Um Cumby Center recog all of our services are free and confidential as well too. Just to let you know that um we recognize and participate in three awareness months every year. And I say this at every single time that I come here, but I feel the need to share it every single time. Uh February is teen dating violence awareness month, April is sexual assault awareness month, and October is domestic violence awareness month. And so the reason that I email y'all, and Jamie is so kind to always get right back to me, um, is that we like to put these awareness ribbons up and down Georgia Avenue during the month of April for sexual assault awareness month. And then we have purple ones that are um during the month of October for domestic violence awareness month. Um these ribbons um symbolize what victims go through and about becoming a survivor. Um and we have um little awareness cards that are attached to it. And so every year um mayor and all of you guys um allow us to put them up on the light poles going up and down Georgia Avenue. And these are just information cards that has our phone number on it, our 247 phone number. And just to tell a little bit about what who and what we are. Um also during the

month of April we have other initiatives that we do um such as um at Odell weeks we hold up signs. It's like picketing signs to make people aware. Um to kick off sexual assault awareness month on March 28th we have the bake off um which is also at Odell week. So it's a fun time but it's about community awareness and connection. And we have lots of different agencies and um community members that come to the bake off and they make little sweet treats. It's open to the public um from 11 to 2 on that Saturday and everybody comes in, they taste all the yummy treats and then they vote on it. But we have law enforcement is typically there. um highway patrol, the sheriff's office, sometimes public safety, sometimes North Augusta public safety, and other um places that we come. Now, on March 28th, um for this bake off, we've also got Mama and Josh is going to be there. I don't know if y'all are familiar with Mama and Josh on social media. Um Mama makes um these very questionable recipes that I'm not sure that you all would want to try. Um but anyway, her son makes fun of her. That's their whole spill on social media. Anyway, they're Edgefield's own. Okay. And they've got millions of followers and are very popular and do a lot of travel. So, um, yes, we're happy to have them join us as a team. But like I said, you know, taste at your own risk. But anyway, that is March 28th, April. We'll have these um up and down Georgia Avenue. And um I would love to share some more information about Cumby Center um to anyone who might be interested. April, if you would, I know Pat asked you something earlier. Just take a second and tell uh Pat was asking about some supplies. She was looking for someone who was getting restarted after uh divorce

divorce and you shared some information. How to state that since we live streamed this thousands?

Yes. Yes. So um because we serve victims of domestic violence and sexual assault, you can imagine that there are many different challenges that each of these victims and their families um might be going through. Um maybe they need counseling. Maybe they need some financial assistance for like um first month's rent um to relocate somewhere. Maybe they need resources for pots and pans. Maybe they need resources to get new beds. Maybe they need personal um hygiene items um for their family. So, there's lots of different things that that we can do. Maybe they need job assistance um to search for jobs. Um because we have job boards, we keep all of that open. Um so, there's lots of different things that a victim might need that maybe they need medical assistance, maybe um medical bill assistance. There's all sorts of things that um a victim and their family might need um when they're taking those very serious steps to move forward. What's the best number to reach out for that? 803.

We have a 247 hotline. It's 8036490480 and you can reach somebody 24/7. Now, of course, if they're fleeing from an immediate unsafe situation, we have a safe house and it's a 247 safe house. We have staff available 247 and you would have to call that number and we would do eligibility. Okay. Thank you. This is great. All right. Um, I Well, you know, I should I should have known that, but anyway. Okay. Well, thank you so much. Appreciate it. Thank you. I appreciate Thank you. All you do appreciate you.

All right. How about Miss Joanie Willford, she in the house? There she is. I saw her back there. I just I thought she was gonna skate down here. Come on now. Okay. Sure. Miss Willer, what I'm gonna ask you do if you would when once you get that and you get to go to the microphone just state your name and address for the record if you don't mind. Okay. It's Joanie Willilifford, 814 Hillside Drive, North Augusta. And we have been residents here for 40 plus years. Yes, ma'am.

Um, I just wanted to share a little bit. I know y'all think, gosh, she's kind of out of her mind roller skating at 70s something years old, but um I have always loved to roller skate. Uh I grew up in Ren, Georgia. We had a roller skating ring outside. It was like a sidewalk in a big circle right in the middle of town. And I'm sure y'all can remember um we didn't have the We had um metal skates. It was metal skates that you hooked onto the bottom of your shoe.

I was a little too young to skate back then. But then when I got a little older, Mckenny's Pond, y'all might some of you be familiar with that. I think it's around Milan. They had outside p covered picnic tables where families could come enjoy picnics. They had fishing and they had a big um inside wooden floor skating ring. That was a cat's meow. So that's where I really got started at it. Um and of course my family went there a lot and I have a lot of memories of that. But um you know when you grow a little bit and you're trying to finish school and I haven't been up in front of somebody like this since I graduated high school. So y'all bear with me.

You're doing very good.

But anyway, um you try to get school behind you. You find your career and your job. Get married and have a family. So roller skating kind of went to the side for me for a while. Um, and I decided to retire. Retired from University Hospital after 28 years. When I decided to retire, of course, everybody said, "Well, what are you going to do when you retire? You going to travel?" I said, "No, actually, I want to start roller skating again." And of course, they thought I was out of my mind, but I was really serious. So by then, North Augusta used to have two roller skating inside roller skating rings when we moved here, but they were kind of on the way out when we moved. So the only option I kind of had I called and talked to somebody in parks and recreation and they said, "Well, you could always go to River Walk and skate." And I thought, yeah, and time of back back then, 60s something year old woman hit those uneven parts in the pavement and fell down and broke my hip or got mugged. That didn't sound real well. So, the only other two options were there was a roller skating ring on South Augusta off of Peach Orchard. There was a roller skating ring on Washington Road. I went to Peach Orchard a couple times. It was okay, but it's not in a real good area of town. Uh the one on Washington Road I liked because it had a rail all around the floor. So for people that were a little uneasy and hadn't been on skates in years and you felt like you might be fixing to fall, I'm a rail hugger. You know, you could catch

that rail and not get hurt. But I went there a good bit. Um, even my next door neighbor when she found out what I was doing, she bought her some roller skates and went with me. But I was kind of shocked. I thought, now I'm probably going to be in here with a just a bunch of kids, you know, on roller skates, but I wasn't. There were children and kids and teenagers, but there were adults, believe it or not. Um there were families that came in there. The mother and daddy would skate with the kids, you know, whole families. Um there were sometimes I saw I could tell it was kind of like probably grandparents that would bring their grandkids to skate. They wouldn't skate, but they would sit there and watch. Um, and there was a man, he must have been in his 70s back 12 years ago when I first went there. He was he was an old man, but he was good. It was like you were at the Olympics. He didn't really skate around the rink. He got out in the middle away from everybody and kind of danced. And it was I could sit there in hours and watch him. you know, it's just something that families do, grown-ups do, believe it or not. Um, they have birthday parties there. And actually, the um I think it's a Soul City Women's Derby team. They practice there. I went several times and watched them practice. And I actually went to a game. If you've never been to one, please go. It's quite an experience. Um, so roller skating is not just for kids. You know, I have a lot of memories and a lot of grown people roller skate, but I, you know, it

kind of went to the back of my mind. About that time, COVID came in, shut everything down. So, naturally, you know, for years I didn't think about it until a friend called and said, "Well, North Augusta has an ice skating ring this year." So I thought, well, an ice skating ring is just open for a while. And probably the people that ice skate, I would think, moved here from up north. You know, most of us don't ice skate. Um, but if that's what you like to do, I said that would be great. But if we can have an ice skating room, what about a roller skating ring? It can be open 365 days a year. It's not a summer or winter thing. If it's inside, you know, you can you can go skate inside. Um, and I thought I don't know how much North Augusta maybe paid to have ice or whatever shipped in for the ice skating, which you wouldn't have to do that with roller skating. So, you could probably actually, I'm just thinking to myself, make a, you know, a profit off of it, revenue for North Augusta because you got to charge to get in to skate. If you don't have skates, you got to rent skates. And they have, you know, different a whole lot of different things at the they have birthday parties and all that. So, it's just a it's a family type atmosphere that I found out and it holds a lot of memories and I just think North Augusta would benefit, you know, if maybe you checked into that. I know we've got a bowling alley and that's great. That's a lot of people like to bowl. I'm not one of them, but you know, there are a lot of people like to bowl and I think there are probably a lot of people would like to roller skate if they had somewhere to roller skate.

So that is what I wanted to bring uh before you today. And I think you know my family, co-workers, friends thought I was crazy. But um I think after my niece especially kind of got over the shock that a 60some year old wanted to roller skate again. Of course I'm 12 years older than that now. I'm 74. So and I would still like to roller skate. I don't know if I could, but I would certainly like to try and I have my skates to to do so. Uh, and if I can't roller skate, I would love to go look, you know, and observe. But, uh, she sent me something in the mail that is still on my fridge refrigerator until this day. And I think it sums up the whole thing of what my little talk is about. And I would like to share it with y'all. I apologize. My printer is not the best in the world and but I tried to do my best with it. So, if I could come up and pass these out.

Sure. got your microphone. I brought this up, Miss Williff, because you and I talked at our um retreat the other day and one of the council members, John Felac, s I'm not going to tell what buildings,

but he suggested a building in North Augusta really that I said, "Oh my god." And then I was telling somebody else about it and they suggested another one. So, I as a council member, I'm gonna investigate those buildings and I'm also going to call um Skate Land and Redwing and see maybe one of them would like to come to North Augusta also, you know. So, I'm I'm working on this for you and then I'll present it to y'all.

Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Right. Yeah. I've been to Skate Land and not everybody copy, but I thought if y'all wanted to investigate it, that would kind of give you a start, see what other skating rooms actually do. But I'm looking into something, too. Thank you. Thank you for sharing. We appreciate it. Okay. Thank y'all for Yes, ma'am. Thank you. Very good.

Okay. Um, the third person we had was Dr. Laura Santos, and unless she's hiding somewhere, I don't see her. Okay. So, we do have just a uh we got a few minutes. We have enough if there's anybody in the audience that would like to uh say anything to council. Um this is your opportunity. We'll keep it open for see if anybody here. I'm going to just keep it. Mayor for Miss Lara. She was um she had another um appointment before. So, she was she's trying to make it, but she knows she if she doesn't make it, she doesn't.

Well, I'm going to just right now we're is we It's 5:48, so we still have time. So, we're just going to uh we're going to sit up here and y'all can just look at us uh for a few more minutes. Don, where she was? No, she did. Oh. is now when we can talk about the water payment issues.

Okay. All right. I'm Michelle Prince, 304 Fairview Street. This is Anthony

Clock. My address is 313 Serpentine Drive. I have actually spoken to David and I have also emailed you as far as the issues that people are having. Oh, I'm sorry. As far as the issues that we're having, as far as hundreds of people on all the North Augusta websites having issues as far as paying, getting errors, uh the people in the office giving people attitude, saying that it's not their issue, and just making other excuses as far as us getting down to pay whenever. Some people don't get off in time in order to go down and get a money order. Some people don't trust themselves. For instance, myself as far as checks because I've gotten in trouble whenever I was 18 years old with a check. So, I don't trust myself with it. I look at my bank account and a service that they're providing, which is a payment um option online that does not work for hundreds of people that are having the same issue and they're blaming us that it's our fault and that we need to come up with something as far as getting our water bills paid. I mean, I even called I I called and I said, "I'm having problems with the site. I keep getting this error message and it's a Clover one. It's been posted all over Facebook. We're all getting the same message." And they said, "Yeah, we know." I mean, when they answered the phone, I said, "Hey, I want to pay my water bill." Well, we can't do that over the phone. Okay. Well, I said, "Well, we can't pay online either." Well, then you have to come down here. I work 8:30 to 5. There's no way for me to come down here. So, then my water got cut off. $60 reconnect fee before you It was less than 24 hours. I

got home, my water was off again, another $60 fee. So, right now I'm at $125 that I didn't have to get to keep my water on. And then I sent my daughter down here. They told her the exact amount to write the check for and I had paid with a check prior to my water being cut off. I paid $5 extra. So, I should have had a $5 credit. So now my daughter says, "I wrote the check for the amount that they told me. I have a $28 or 28 cent balance." How do I have a 28 cent balance when my daughter wrote it for the exact amount that you told her to? And then where is the $5 that I paid extra from last month's bill?

Michelle, give me your address, please, again. 304 304 Fairview Street. Fair View. I can't answer a single one of those, but I will tell you we will uh I will find out for you. Well,

okay. And so, let me kind of background. So, we have we knew we needed last year to bring our entire utility billing up to our where the century we're in now, right? So we have gone to gov since and uh we went through a period of time where uh it took us quite a while due to a number of issues that we had as far as with bullying. That piece we got set the problem that has happened is with clover which is a third party. I will tell you and this isn't going to make any happy but I'm just telling you the facts. We've been working on that. I had my understanding was in all of council that that had gotten better. So I'm very appreciative of you sharing that with me. Okay. But we are that contract will we are we have already had conversation in offsite retreat. Um we are definitely going to upgrade that when when we look at that when that expires. Okay. Uh so we're aware of that. So, I don't I I'll just the only the biggest thing that I've heard is and the most frustrating part is that system is set up to where you have to enter your name exactly like it's on the bill. I mean, if you literally have a period as your middle initial and that just is inappropriate, okay, we just can't do it. You ought to have a user ID, a password, it's insane. So, I hear you. Uh but I'm going to look into your exactly situation at 34 Fair View Street. Um, and I'll get back with you. If you would give Jamie your your number, your cell number, I will call you personally. Um, and we're aware of that. Okay. So, thank you. And, uh, sir, fully aware you've talked to our director of finance. Um, I know. Yes, sir. And, and you're your situation's a little different than hers due to some other things, but we're aware of that. And I believe, if I'm not mistaken, you

have made your final payments and brought that up. So, I'm very appreciative of that. Uh, but yes, we're David, I know who David Mr. Buck has talked to for a long time, our finance director. So, um, again, u, I fully understand what you're saying. I also have another thing about this whole system. If you have missed a payment and you go to pay a bill, there is no way to select more than one bill. You have to individually pay each bill. and we're getting a service fee each time we pay a bill. So with him, he had to pay eight bills. He paid an extra 28 $24. Yeah. His situation a little different.

I don't know. I don't do math. Yeah. But but yes, we are fully aware of that and and this new software that we'll be changing over will allow you that ability. So what I mean I paid I tried for three weeks to pay my bill. Understand? How is that going to help me when this comes due again next month? I will just tell you I don't personally I don't know how many people I think every one of us probably my bill is drafted for my checking account. I don't have to come down here which I I don't want to wait in line. I don't want to do I know it's going to draft every month. What does your water bill do? What do you do? How do you pay your water bill? Okay. What do you do?

Okay. What do you do? Yeah. Mine's drafted. What do you do? Okay. What about you, D? Draft. Okay. But how are you paying it if you work 8:30 to 5 and you don't again? That's why we do offer the option is to have it drafted out of your checking account. I've never had a problem with it. So, that's what I would tell you until in your situation. I I can't answer that. If you're working during the day and you don't want to mail, I I don't trust I wouldn't mail it either. I don't I don't mail stuff anymore because the post was crazy. But what I'm saying is my recommendation is we would is if I was you, if you're able to, I would let us just draft it every month. You know,

so is there a way to set that up? Yes. Online or can I call and I call and talk to someone? There's a form you have to sign just like you would at any place, but we when I talk call you back about your particular bill, I'll tell you about it. Okay. Sounds great. Yes, ma'am. All right. But let me say something. May I talk or didn't talk to you, but you ema I mean messaged me and David I automatically sent that to Jim. Uh was it Friday or Saturday and I and so Jim said come Monday he was going to look into I don't know about yours young man but hers Michelle's Yeah. Oh y'all together. No two different situations.

Yeah. But Jim said he was going to look in Michelle's. But I'll tell you too, if you can't make it, that drop box that's checked every morning and got the checks out of it. You know, on your way to work, you might could drop it a check. And that's another good point. Yeah. But I want you to know I we did not neglect Jim Michelle. Jim was He's got everything you told me. Okay. Okay. Okay. We'll follow up on that tomorrow. All right. Thank you.

Thank y'all. Appreciate your time. What about as far as using the exact same amount of water for months, but yet the bills are different? Her and I were comparing over the phone, and she used the same exact amount as me, but yet her bill was half of mine. But yet, supposedly the bill is supposed to be $54 and some change, if I'm not mistaken, up to 3,000 gallons. But yet, she used 2,200 gallons and hers was $27, but yet mine's $54 something dollars. Well, at this time of year, we do we've done it since 1985. We do a three-month winter billing where we track the winter billing, which is when most people's water and sewer water is the lowest. And we are, what are we in? What are we now? Finishing it March, November, de no December, January, February. So, we have had adjustments with it. We've been doing that every year. So sir, I can't answer that particular question, but I'm going to be able to respond to Michelle to what yours is.

I can't tell where why your your bill is going to be different than mine based on our water usage. All right. Thank you. Yeah.

All right. Uh well, unfortunately, Santos is not here, but we are got two minutes, so we're going to close out the public powerhouse. Thank you. Yes. 26 orders. Great to see everybody. Thank y'all for being here. Um, you are welcome to join me in prayer.

Dear God, we come to you tonight asking for your guidance for this council as we make decisions for the citizens of North Augusta. We also ask for your protection for our country and for our men and women who serve in the military. We also ask you to watch over all elected officials and municipalities, state government, and federal government at this time. Amen. If you're able, please stand for the pledge of allegiance. Okay, we're going to do our roll roll roll call starting from our left.

John Felton, Robert Freighus, Pat Carpenter, Britain Williams, Kevin Tul, David Buck, Dennis Briatica. All right, we'll move in item four, approval of minutes. Um, are there any corrections, deletion, additions to the regular city council meeting minutes of February the 2nd, 2026, the special call city council meeting minutes of February the 9th, 2026, the study session minutes of February 23rd, 2026, or and the leadership plan and retreat minutes of February the 26, 2026. Mr. Mayor, I have one correction, small correction on the meeting minutes of February the 2nd.

Yep. Uh that would be item 14. Change catch and release to catch and release. That correct? That is correct. All right. So, um what we'll do is we'll need a motion. I need a motion first and second to uh for the vote on that chain. So, do I have a motion? Second. Who was first? Mr. Buck, Mr. Brado. Thank you, sir. And who was that second?

Thank you. Okay. Um, all in favor? All in favor? That is unanimous. And then, um, the other three special call city council meeting minutes of February 9th, 2026. Study session February 23rd, 2026, and leadership plan retreatments of February 26, 2026. Uh, they are approved as distributed. Thank you, sir. Appreciate that. Might be the first correction we've ever had in five years. Way to go, gentlemen. All right. Uh all right. I I always love these folks and opportunity to um celebrate them. I'm going to uh this is our disabilities awareness month and normally for trial development center, we have Mr. Wanda Baitman here, but instead we've got something really neat. We have a group that is very active in the trial development center. They're called the self advocacy fighters and and in attendance and I'm going ask them all to come forward and meet me here. I'm going to call their name first. Uh the the self- advocacy coordinator is Miss Jessica Harris. We have uh as president, Mr. Barry Sheileely. As for vice president, Miss Ariel Monday. And the treasure is that good-looking man with that tie on, Mr. Wesley Miner. Y'all meet me down front. All right, y'all looking sharp now. Okay. All right. So, be after I read this, we'll get a picture, but I'm going I'd like you to take tell a little bit because we we know about trial development, but I want to tell specifically an opportunity for y'all to kind of showcase what you're particularly doing with that with that advocacy. Okay. The fighters. I think it's awesome. Okay. Um whereas many North Augusta families are impacted by severe lifelong disabilities including autism, traumatic

brain injury, spinal cord injuries, and intellectual and related disabilities. And whereas people with lifelong disabilities are productive citizens deserving of respect and opportunity for economic self-sufficiency, independence, and personal growth. And whereas it's important for all North Augusta citizens whose those with and those without disabilities work together, play together, worship together, learn together, grow together, and whereas family members, caregivers, and service providers selfishly offer daily care, assistance, supervision, and physical and emotional support to individuals with disabilities to help them enjoy full participation in community life. And whereas the 2026 observance of disabilities awareness month celebrates 37 years of advocacy for and successes of people with disabilities in education, employment and community activities. Now therefore, I Britain S. Williams, a mayor of the great city of North Augusta, do hereby proclaim March 2026 as disabilities awareness month. I encourage all citizens of North Augusta to work together to promote increased opportunities for people with disabilities, to recognize the many contributions made by people with disabilities in our communities, and honor the dedication of the caregivers who bring support and hope to their fellow citizens. So, here you go. Which is fantastic. And a lot of us are and we're going to be coming out to the center uh I want to say March 17th. And we do that we've done the last few years. our council is able to will go even though we did proclamation here we'll go out and spend some time with you at the center see everybody read the proclamation again and we always have a great time with that so if you would tell a little bit about specifically about the the the the advocacy the fighter that I think it's really fascinating

good evening everybody my name is Jessica Quintterero Harris and as the mayor said I'm the coordinator of the self- advocacy fighters um with the self- advocacy fighters we started started back up four years ago after co um it was a big break in it and I put in for the job and I got it. Um and Heather Wade is our executive director which we love love love. Um but what we do we volunteer around the community. You'll see us at uh Special Olympics. Besides being um athletes at Special Olympics, we also have participated in our uh safety prevention with Terren Jackson on different family activities out at uh Odell Weeks. We also were were awarded this year um best overall and the Christmas parade of Aken. We got that this year. Um, we also one year did um uh for um help me guys. And we we do a lot. So I'm trying to go down the list here. So

Oh yeah, we have a sneaker jam where all the community uh individuals are invited which was really big last year. Also, we have meetings once a month at the end of I mean the last Monday of every month at 5:00 at our location on Aken Augusta Highway. Um, we call it Tri Development West. So, if you know anybody that's an individual community, uh, individuals also could come. When I say individuals, what I'm saying is someone that has a disability, they're welcome to come check the meeting out. If they like it, they're welcome to become a member. Um also we did a a drive with um essentials for homeless for the homeless um population which we donated to the um right the Salvation Army. And how many bags did we do? 500 and like 515 550. And they didn't even know we were going to do it. We just called them up, asked them they could come pick it up and they pulled up a truck and loaded it and they were just super excited about it. So, we did do that. Um, we do a we do a like you'll see us everywhere participating. We've been at Sam's. Um, we help out uh again safety prevention at Sam's and we also I'm from Augustus so I'm trying to think of everything. Um, right meals on No, that's not self- advocacy. That's with the um with the agency, but we've helped with the horses. Um we've helped volunteer work out there with the horses. I forgot what the event is called, but it's once a year y'all have here,

right? I would tell you when you got a coordinator like this young lady, I can tell you got this present here and there's the set of officers. Y'all are doing it. Yeah, that's awesome. The group is part of impact in Colombia. Okay. We're part of impact in Colombia and uh CLA Community Leaders Community Leadership Okay. Academy. Um all of our individuals graduated from that and that was an intense six weeks of training um from Colombia. Yes.

Well, all I know is I think we are all so proud of you and glad that you're in this community because y'all are a huge asset. the the amount of work you do, everyone there with the companies that y'all represent. It's amazing. Let's give this group a round of applause. It's awesome. So on behalf of Trivelment Center and our executive director Heather Wardell, I would like to thank the city of North Augusta for issuing the disability awareness month popition and for offering an inclusive and inessible community to people with disabilities so they can live, work, and enjoy life. Your commitment to ensuring North Augusta is a barrierfree district means people with disability can thrive as as respected citizens of North Augusta.

Thank y'all. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. I think you want

Come on up here. I'm sorry. I got here late. I got I was at work. I got here late. I'm sorry. Hold that.

Thank you. Thank y'all. Appreciate And while the mayor's coming up, y'all sitting the wrecking crew, we start our Miracle League baseball next Saturday the 14th at 10:15. Anybody want to volunteer? That till then. That's jumping all the way down to the last thing that you

All right. All right. We going now. We are here at old business. So, uh, item six, planning development ordinance number 2026-05 to amend the zoning map of the city of North Augusta, South Carolina by reszoning plus or minus 30.37 acres of land owned by True North Church, tax partial number 002-8-3-006 and 002-8-3-28 from small lot residential R7 and office commercial OC to general commercial GC. Do I have a motion to approve this ordinance on second reading?

Miss Carpenter is a second. Mr. Freighus. Thank you. Um it's been a while since we did the first reading. Anything you want to share about this, Mr. Clifford?

Uh Mr. Mayor and Council as a reminder. This has to do with the expansion of classroom space for True North. uh in order for them to put a bump out on the back side of their uh school building uh because that transited across two different uh properties that they own. Uh this allows uh them to be able to do that construction. It doesn't materially add to the number of students that they're servicing just that their current classrooms are overcrowded. Uh allows them to space it out a little better. Uh and this allows for the construction to occur on their site. Need to have the same zoning. Uh and this was the advisement of the planning department to allow them to um do this uh action which would allow for the construction that they are proposing. Okay. Any questions for Miss Clifford?

All right. Uh are there any citizen comments? Okay. Uh any council discussion? I hear none. I'm going ask for a vote. All in favor? And that's unanimous. Very good. Thank y'all. Okay. We are now in new business. Item seven, planning and development ordinance number 2026-07 amending table 5.1 use table related to telecommunication tower and antenna of the North Augusta development code article five of chapter 18 of the city of North Augusta South Carolina code of ordinance. Do I have a motion to approve this ordinance on first reading? I moved.

All right, Mr. Tulle, Mayor Pro Tim, is there a second? Miss Carpenter, appreciate it. All right. Anything you like to share about this, Mr. Clipper?

So, this is a strictly a code change for the ability for us to put uh a tower on city property. Uh this is not the action itself. You'll have a another action to consider at a future date. Uh my understanding is Verizon is interested in putting a cell phone tower inside Riverview Park uh near the activity center to handle some of the the dead zones and the the less covered areas. you as we saw with Hurricane Helen uh through the the cell phone coverage area, you know, whether you had T-Mobile, AT&T, Verizon, any of the the large carriers, you know, whether or not you had coverage in the city limits after the the hurricane kind of really depended on which which carrier had at the time. Uh and so ultimately, I believe Verizon's done their own analysis uh and felt that they would be able to have better penetration into Hammond Hills and other neighborhoods here in North Augusta by having a tower location. Uh and they've looked at a couple different options. Uh we've been negotiating with Verizon as far as physical locations of where they could potentially end up going, but again, you as the council will have a final decision to make about whether you're going to approve a plan that involves a lease in a location within city property. So, what's before you today is really the code change, which would even allow us to have further dialogue with Verizon to say that yes, you can put uh this on public space. and our director of public works this morning reminded me that there actually is a telecommunications tower on public property already over at the old uh public safety headquarters and it's one of those disguised kind of looks like a tree. Uh I hadn't previously even noticed it but he pointed it out that that's been sitting on city property for quite some time. So this is not a um a new and exciting thing other than the fact that it's not in the current development code. Uh and this would allow uh for a potential uh telecommunications carrier to put a tower up. But again, you also have a fail safe as the council uh on an approval mechanism for the next option in front of you. So by approving this doesn't necessarily say we are definitely going to put something on

there. It just allows as an option at a future council meeting. Okay. Very good. Any questions for Jim for clarity sake, the prior development code, and I'm kind of embarrassed that I don't remember this. Did it allow for it or was it? You know, Councilman, I'm sorry I can't tell you that that was allowed or not allowed under the previous development code. It might have been just one of those gap areas where it just wasn't addressed at all in the code. Uh but I can just tell you that there was at some point in time back in some, you know, maybe the 80s uh that the city made an agreement to allow a tower on city property over at the public safety building, the old public safety building. Thank you.

Are there any citizen comments? Okay. Yes, you are. You're a citizen. Come on. Well, you're not a citizen, but you're a project, so yeah. State your name and address for the record, please. Yes, sir. Name is Steven Sullivan, 6445 Woodlore Trail Northwest, Pack Worth, Georgia. Okay.

I'm here on behalf of the tower developer that we're discussing here and Verizon would be the anchor tenant, but as he alluded to, discussion right now is just whether we add this zoning to the classification. The only thing I wanted to highlight was that your current ordinance dictates that we start with public property and then if we have to go to private property, we have categories of private property we seek out. So obviously we would there's a hierarchy to that that role of sites we look for. So with that being said, uh the speaking with Mr. Paradise. That was one of the things I wanted to highlight was that your ordinance currently advocates that we utilize your public first and you go to the table and the first thing the table says you can't put it on public property. So that's just that's what we're looking to correct and as the gentleman alluded to

this is just this cycle process and we'll be back in front of you once the lease is done. So any questions for me otherwise that's all I wanted to highlight. Yeah, I don't have any. Anybody else have any? No, we're good. Thank you for clearing that up. I appreciate it. Thank you, sir. All right. Anybody else? Okay. Any other council discussion? We do generate revenue off of this, don't we?

Uh, that's correct, Councilman. So, just there the city just as an education piece for all the council members. The city generates, you know, a limited amount of revenue for tower leases, but it also has leases associated with some of our utility infrastructure with the water towers, uh, for items that are up there that again have to meet FCC compliance. There's a lot more to than just sticking an antenna on top of there. Uh there's a a a rigorous federal process uh that goes in there as far as spectrum deconliction all but ultimately the city does get leased uh uh funding if you will revenue from uh not just the water towers but from towers that go up that are on bulk property.

Very good sir. All right. Any other council discussion hearing? None. I'm going ask for a vote. All in favor? And that is unanimous. Very good. Thank you. All right. Zipping along. Item eight, planning development resolution number 2026-13, accepting deed of dedication for the water distribution system, sanitary sewer, fire suppression systems, and associated easements and rights of way along with the maintenance guarantee and letter of credit for the Hammonds at five notch. Do we have a motion to approve this resolution? So move, Mr. Freighus. Is there a second? Second.

All right, Mr. Batico, thank you. Any like to share about this, Mr. Clifford? So for council again this is a this type of actions are routine actions a ded dedication which turns over uh the road networks and uh the sewers and the things that go along with putting in a new neighborhood. I believe this particular neighborhood hasn't really gone vertical yet but the infrastructure is in place and uh ready to go and to orient the council and our citizens. This is a small development that is on five knot road proper. So if you're coming off Georgia Avenue, you made a left hand turn on to five notch and you were traveling up the road. This development is on the right hand side. There's a small retaining wall that gets it up to a grade. Uh and you can see where that development is. Uh and then if you want a little further up the road on the lefth hand side be the entrance to Nwood. So this is right on the edge of the city limits into kind of encroaching into Belvadier uh there on the right hand side of five road as you're traveling from Jordan towards I20.

Any questions for Mr. Clifford? Okay. you pushing that button. I don't know if you're just ready to push it or not.

Give us a general the generalities of what the maintenance guarantee would be like, Mr. Clifford. So they they guarantee a certain amount of lifespan of the infrastructure that they turn over and that if the uh and there's a like a bank letter of credit if you will uh and so ultimately if let's say the storm drain collapses uh you know at the three-year mark uh then at that point or within the the lifespan of that it's guaranteed for then we have the ability to go back to the developer you know with a guaranteed line of credit to know that they're going to make those repairs to that infrastructure. Thank you sir.

Right. Are there any citizen comments? Okay. Any other council discussion? Hear none. I'm g ask for a vote. All in favor? That's unanimous. Thank you. Okay. Item nine, uh, parks and recreation resolution number 2026-14, authorizing the city of North Gusta to accept the low bid from Modern Turf Sports for the Riverview Park Soccer Complex irrigation system renovation. Do I have a motion to approve this resolution? A second. All right, Mr. Buck. Thank you. Any you like to share about this, Miss Clifford or

So, Mr. Mayor Council, the next three items are all parks and recreat related. So, I'm going to defer to our assistant city administrator JD McCaulay on the next three. Sure. Just to add, this is a part of the 2026 budget, but it is to upgrade the um irrigation systems at our soccer complex. We had old outdated system that was costing a lot in maintenance, and we decided to put that up for bid and redo the whole system uh uh for this budget year. And this is the low bid award for that for that service. Because I'm tell you over the few years that's been a horrible situation. Yes, ma'am. Horrible. Soccer pills. Yeah. Yeah.

Oh, I know. Terrible. Uh water works bill we used to call it back. So, uh All right. There any citizen comments? Any other council discussion? Hearing none, I'm going ask for a vote. All in favor? And that's unanimous. Thank you. All right. We're now item 10. uh parks and recreation resolution number 2026-15 authorizing Kraton Park phase 2. We have a motion to approve this resolution. So moved. Second. Mr. Buck. All right, Mr. Pus. Thank you. Any sh about this, Mr. McCauley?

Sure. Just to recap, um we I know we talked about this at length of the offsite. Um but for the um benefit of the folks that weren't there um a silver lining in Hurricane Helen is that we got FEMA funding to uh repay ourselves for the uh investment that was made in Kraton Park phase one. Uh so we received $354,88063 um that was the expense that we incurred for phase one. Um and so we are recommending to reinvest that money into Kraton Park which is required as part of FEMA funding. Uh we had a committee that started uh investigating what we should do at Kraton Park for phase one and part of the amenities that we would love to have were part of the like to have we couldn't afford. So we've veded some of those value engineered some of those things out which includes um uh a larger playground a parking lot where the old tennis courts were uh sidewalk expansion to connect the parking lot and playground to Living History Park which is part of Kraton Park. um landscaping improvements and then um costs associated with the the donated bathroom from Northwest to Ford which we were very fortunate to have. Um these were all things we weren't able to afford in phase one. So the returned funds from FEMA and South Carolina Emergency Management Division um would pay for this expansion um and um improvement as part of phase two. And part of this resolution, I ask, is that any money that is not expended as part of this phase two um be contributed to the living history park uh renovations and and um rehabilitation from from uh Hurricane Alen uh recovery as well as as part of the lease documents. If you go to the source document, um living history park is on what is known as Kraton Park. So Kraton Park goes for both those areas is referred to as Kraton Park um originally. So that is um that is our ask with um phase two and I'll pause for any questions.

Mr. Mr. McCauley, is there a phase three or is phase two complete the project? That is up to the elected body. We can have as many phases as you like. Um but as as before us right now, phase two gets us into a great spot because this is our downtown park and we've done some connectivity activities um activities connectivity um actions as you guys know with the crosswalk and those improvements to really drive um families to our downtown to have a a nice day which is going to our restaurants, our businesses and also being able to play at the playground. But at this point nothing else planned there at this point. Phase two would be the the culmination of what we started with the committee um last over a year ago.

Any other questions for Does this delete the the road that between the living history park and Kraton Park? Oh no, sir. U there's no deletion of roads here. This would just be a connecting um to that way across. Uh yes, that would include where it would drive people from that parking lot. So right now folks park on the grass and make their way across sometimes muddy grass to live in history park. This sidewalk would give them a a cleaner, more direct path from the parking lot to that entrance, which would Yes. be a crossing across that road. Thank you, sir. Yeah, of course. All right. Are there any citizen comments?

Okay. Any other council discussion? I will say this, and I guess I ride by there a lot coming to and from uh the office, but never has Kraton Park been as active as it is now because of those improvements. I mean, it is absolutely amazing. I mean, amazing how just improving one location just attracts people. So, uh anyway, I think it's a great investment. So, um no other council discussion. I'm ask for a vote. All in favor? That is unanimous. Very good. Thank you all. All right. Uh item 11, parks and recreation resolution number 2026-16 authorizing a change of machines equipment purchase for department of parks and recreation. Do I have motion to approve this resolution?

So moved. All right. Tim Tulle. Is there a second? Second. All right. Mr. Buck. Thank you, sir. Any like share about this one, Mr. McCauley?

Yes, Mr. Mayor. Again, this is a a good a good news story. Uh you guys authorized a us to be able to have a procurement specialist in a previous budget cycle and we hired the right person. Miss Shel Shelby Wilford uh has helped us tremendously um with our contracts and purchasing and this is a story with her working with parks and wreck uh director Rick Meyer. So, we went out to purchase uh this is golf carts and gators for our parks and wreck and greenway team and we substantially underspent um based upon um getting better pricing through co-oper purching agreements and state contracts um and so we now have additional funds which we'd like to reinvest in additional carts. And the issue here is that it's spread between two departments, both general fund um kind of disparitly. And so this resolution cleans that up and allows us to spend those funds between two separate departments again within the general fund for additional go-karts. I'm not go-karts. Excuse me. I got go-karts on the brain.

Go-karts. Golf carts and a John Deere Gator for our workforce on the greenway and at Riverview Park. Mr. Mayor, I'd also like to say that uh I didn't know what JD said over there, but we did not order bumper cars uh for this either. So funny that you say that. Um, I like golf cards, bumper cars. Okay. All right. Any questions for Miss McCollum? All right. Any sen comments? All right. Any other council discussion? All right. Hearing none, I'm going to ask for a vote. All in favor? As unanimous. Very good. Okay. We're now at item 12. Anything for administrative report, sir?

Uh, Mr. Mr. Mayor and Council, based on the the feedback that we got out of the council offsite last week, uh my intention is to bring to uh the council an updated resolution uh for consideration during the study session next week for you to vote on the following council meeting. Uh that would involve the rep prioritization of capital project sales tax for funds based on the the the kind of the voting exercise you all did. uh and I'd like to be able to bring that to you because we have at least one project uh in the queue ready to bid or that has been bid that is ready to execute if you're ready to move forward on it. So that'll be the storm water project that director Zezer uh showed you that has to do over uh connecting to wood lawn. So I think that project is already been bid and is ready for action. Just needs the council to consider it after you all vote uh to rep prioritize the CPSD4 fund. So that'll be the first uh resolution you'd receive in line and the next resolution would be the storm water uh action to go ahead and fund that. And then you'll see after rep prioritization is done over the course of probably the next 90 to 120 days a series of other council resolutions uh for funding actions on capital project sales tax for based on the recommendations made to the staff and uh viewed by the council. Right. Item 13, presentation, communication, recognition of visitors. This is opportunity for citizens. Want to speak to mayor counts about anything not on the agenda. And I know one young lady who was not at the public power hour uh wanted to get here and got here probably a little too late. So, I know she's going to want to step forward. So, this is opportunity. If you would like to share with council, you can do this. And I'm gonna give Dr. Laura Santos a first dib since she was on the previous email list. So, welcome Dr. Santos. If you would just state your name and address for the record, please ma'am.

Larara Santos, 110 West Lifton Avenue. And I was just sorry I was late. Um I was wanting to kind of like I'm representing me, Best Friends Animal Care, um North Augusta Dance Studio, and the tendant um rap and row. We just had some concerns um with the possible future use of the alleyway. You know, we totally understand the city owns the alleyway. Um but we just wanted to make sure that you guys would consider us as a small business before you guys make any permanent decisions on the alleyway. I mean, we do use it.

I know it's yours and I get it. But just like open communication. Yeah.

So, thank you. Let me kind of give a little background on this. Um, so around 2015, you may already know some of this, I'm going to just say it for people who don't, okay? Uh, around 2015, the city did a master plan centered around basically our greenway. And the concept is similar to what if you've ever been to Travelers Rest when the city when the county of Greenville did the swamp rabbit trail when they brought that, which is like our greenway. When they brought came to Travelers Rest, Travelers Rest has the same problem we do. our highway 20 exit I mean highway 25 goes all the way up the Furman so it's the same four-lane road and that council at that time said let's bring the greenway in the back of the downtown businesses and what has happened is that community has flourished because you walk and you ride it drives you into downtown businesses have flourished it's been a win-win so that was kind of the template um the issue that we have with the greenway is it's been an incredible recreational asset back when Mayor Tom Green start the city did it back in the 80s. But what was never thought about was how do we make a recreational uh asset into an economic catalyst. So that's where the kind of the idea of the master plan 2015 and I guess it was two years ago we were able to bring the Bluff Avenue project. So the greenway now is the elevation has been tied down. So you can come up Bluff Avenue to get you into downtown. Basically the where the alleyway is.

The concept about the alley is that basically we have an alley on both sides of Georgia Avenue. The city owns about 90% of it. So what about that mindset? So that's kind of the vision of it. The goal really through the first phase now that we have it up to where it is is really get it to the alley. We own Clifton, get across Clifton and tie it into the uh Veterans Park, kind of activate all that, but that's kind of the extent of it. So, we we are been working with North Augusta forward. So, that was kind of their role as far as going out to start talking to y'all to say, "Hey, what are here's what we're looking at doing?" I mean, we're doing it the city, but they're kind of uh has assisted us with that and what are the concerns that we need to do. So I will tell you and I haven't seen everything just from the meeting that y'all did with them. They have already come up with some great ideas because of your feedback. Okay. So to answer your question, we are not anywhere near this at this point. We are I have I personally was not have not been ready to to sit down with y'all yet because I haven't actually seen what the plan of the of the uh developer not the developer the the consultant has put in place. Okay. So that was just to get begin to drop that because you're a new business owner. You know we got several new business owners in downtown. Some of the other businesses owner farther up knew about it. So they kind of splashed that on you. Probably kind of threw your f your head around and said, "Oh my goodness, what's this?" So to answer your question, we are not ready to do anything right now. We um what our what I would think would happen for this council is sometime this summer. We will do a resolution to begin at least the design engineering work so we can take the feedback that we're going to get that you will be telling us which you

haven't you've told the Northwest for you haven't told the city yet. We'll take that information so they can begin to say, "Here's how we would do it. Here's what it would cost." So, at this point, we haven't started the design yet. That probably won't happen till the summer, but that was strictly to get your feedback. And what I have been told is y'all gave that group a lot of good information. And my understanding is consultant has already taken some of that advice. Okay. So, yes, you are going to have plenty of opportunities to talk to us before anything get that happens. I promise. Okay. I promise. All right.

And I want to say something to Dr. Santos. Probably since 2016 or when we started talking about the alleys, I'm going to tell you Pat Carpenter has always said and some of these know it is these businesses come first. Because a lot of them, especially up on the West Avenue, use that alley for their parking. And I know all of y'all coming through the dance and and y'all. So I have promise you as a council member, my eyes and ears will be open for that for y'all. Okay. Because that has always been a concern of mine, you know, with these small business in downtown North Augusta.

Yeah. All I ask is open communication. Absolutely. Have a good day. Thank you. Yeah. Thank you, Doc. Any other citizen comments? Yes, sir. Come on down. Come on down.

State your name and address for the record, please. Randy Stewart. I live at 2021 Ren Road. How you doing, sir? Oh, pretty good. I just got a question. might be a stupid question, but they tell me no question stupid. Not with this council,

but uh I've heard through the grapevine that the sewage treatment plant is overloaded and y'all not issuing no more sewage tapins and uh the way that everything's growing around here. I was just wondering if that was true and uh are y'all planning on building a new sewage treatment plant or expanding on to the one that you got now or what? Well, it that's not true and I'm g let our city city administrator Jim Clifford kind of tell you a little bit about that. That's a good question, but it's not true.

So, just as some background, sir, the county operates the the wastewater treatment plant. The city operates uh interceptor pipes and the collectors through the neighborhoods that pull it into the interceptors and then passes it downstream to the treatment plant itself, which the Horse Creek facility is administered by the county. Uh, and there are a number of elements that use that wastewater treatment plant. So, not just City North Augusta, but we pass Edgefield waste water and even some Saluda waste water through their pipes to our pipes down to the Horse Creek facility. It's fair to say that on paper that they're reaching the max capacity of that facility, but for the city of North Augusta, for all of the planned developments and the things that are in the planning department now from a from a a planning perspective have capacity to be able to service those developments. What I can't allocate to is if the city decided at some point in time to uh annex a large piece of property for residential use, whether or not we would have the existing store capacity to do that. But everything that's currently within the city limits of North Augusta uh for even if we have a developer that just says, "Hey, I'm thinking about doing these things." And they do an interest form and say, "Here's what I think I'd be putting here. Do you have the capacity to service it?" Right now, the answer is yes. We've not hit a false ceiling, if you will, on development inside the city limits. Now, if we want to do something outside the city limits, that was a draw, uh I think that's something I have to bring to council and say, "Hey, there's a a potential mismatch here, and we may have to go back to the county because the county is in the process of uh selling extra capacity for an expansion that they're going to do. But that expansion is at a much higher rate uh than the current level of payment that we have to make to get into the facility. So if you're in the city limits already, I don't have any great concern about the ability to service uh a new, you know, if you were just going to do a different, you know, a new house on your property. Uh there's really no concern about being able to service

that. I guess what I was getting at is I was just wondering if you had to build another one if where did the money come from? Would that be higher taxes or whatever? I guess what I was guessing

it would come from the county, but understand also that our our sore rates are a direct reflection of what the county charges. So if the county raises a sewer rate because we're a pass through, then we're going to end up having to raise our sewer rates as well because we pay that sore rate as a pass through. Um, for the sewer system here within North Augusta, I would tell you the city council uh made, in my opinion, some very good investments with the uh American Rescue Plan Act funds and the Rural Infrastructure Authority grant program. And the city recently put in uh just shy of $10 million into our wastewater system, which was through federal money and through grants, not through any general fund or uh sewer rates that you're charged as a citizen in the in the city. So, our overall system uh is at least from a pass through perspective in pretty good shape. Uh especially with the most recent uh upgrades we've made to the system itself. And we don't envision uh any major repairs or updates needed to the source system. There going to still need to be uh incremental improvements and replacement of pipes over time, but we do that as a long-standing program through the penny sales tax uh as a grant match with the rural infrastructure authority. So, I don't believe we've had, at least not in my tenure here in five plus years, uh, any point in time where we've had to go directly to a taxpayer to say, "You've got to raise the rates to meet an improvement project we're doing in the city."

So, it's in good shape. Yes, I think so. Yes, sir. Thank you. Okay. All right. All right. Great questions. Anybody else? Okay. Um, council comments. Uh Pat, you want to say what you're going to you mentioned about your program? Something you were mentioned this I'm going to mention two programs. It's time to do it now. Okay. Uh first of all, North August High School girls and boys are playing in the state finals Saturday. Well, yeah, two years in a row. Yeah, look up there. Thank you. And uh if you can go to Columbia uh Saturday, which I cannot I am very sick over that, but I'm going to be praying. four boys, the girls at four and the boys at six.

That's correct. And also the wrecking crew. We start our baseball program this not this Saturday 14 10:15 if you like to come out. Now you don't have to know one thing about baseball. You just there and we sort of one onone with people and it's a wonder and a lot of times we have around 60 65 people there participating and it's at the miracle league field which is at Riverview Park at not activity center building at Riverview Park, the baseball fields and softball. So, we'd like to invite and matter of fact, Wesley, the young man just left. He's one of our participants.

Uh, can you buy tickets at the at the Colonial Life? Um, they're on ticket master, huh? They're on Ticket Master. You have to buy them through Ticket Master, I'm pretty sure. Just buy them at the door. Yeah. Okay. Excuse me. That's right. Fox 32. Thanks for a lot of success around here. Okay. Um All right. That's all we have for the good of the order and we stand and thank y'all for being here.