Parking meters, sidewalk cafes go for Augusta committee approval

Augusta Commission members could clear the way Tuesday for sidewalk cafes and parking meters downtown.

They also will take up the stormwater utility fee and the process for hiring a city administrator during committee meetings set to begin after a 11 a.m. closed legal session ends.

Mayor Hardie Davis has shepherded a proposal from parking management firm SP Plus since November, but the commission hasn’t warmed to the plan yet. Under the proposal, motorists would pay $1.50 per hour for a maximum of two hours per block to park along Broad Street between Fifth and 13th streets from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. Additional paid parking on side streets and permits for downtown residents and employees also is available.

SP has projected $921,567 in revenue from paid parking plus $297,219 from citations, with a net income of $314,453 during the plan’s first year if the spaces are at 40% occupancy. Details that remain unresolved include who in city government will oversee the operation and how to collect unpaid fines.

A code revision creating an “Entertainment Zone” on Broad Street and side streets would permit downtown businesses to set up tables or other items on sidewalks, as long as they allow sufficient space for pedestrian traffic. Another revision going for committee approval moves noise restrictions in the same area from 11 p.m. to midnight.

Commissioners have been talking about changing the process for hiring a city administrator for some time, said Commissioner Ben Hasan, who placed the process on the agenda.

The current process is for the commission to decide by majority vote among nominations presented by the mayor, along with the mayor’s recommendation. The proposed changes would allow the commission “to be more involved in vetting the candidates,” Hasan said.

The city has been without a permanent administrator since Janice Allen Jackson resigned last April, and the hiring process to replace her has not begun.

Augusta’s stormwater management ordinance calls for a city review of the program in its fifth year, and several on the commission are calling to take a hard look. The program charges homeowners from $6.40 up to $12.80 or more per month, based on their square footage of non-draining surface. It has raised around $15 million annually for the past four years.

Commissioner Brandon Garrett said the program is “90% reactive” and based on complaints, but should be more proactive in developing long-term solutions for the city’s drainage issues. An Augusta Chronicle review of fee spending showed in 2018 the program paid a handful of local contractors $3.4 million to mow city rights of way, purportedly to ensure cleaner and smoother storm runoff.

Garrett said cutting the roadside is a frequent complaint of his constituents, but not because of drainage concerns.

“Why hasn’t the program been implemented in the way it was designed?” he said.

In another matter, the Richmond County Sheriff’s Office is asking the commission to consider suspending the business and alcohol licenses of the Private “I” nightclub, where two people were killed outside Dec. 7.

According to a letter to the city public safety committee, the club has had a problem with staying open past mandatory closing hours, including remaining open overnight the morning of Nov. 30, sheriff’s Investigator Jose Ortiz said.

The club, located behind the shuttered Regency Mall on Thomas Lane, doubles as the Jokers Comedy Club.

It has been the scene of fights between people with firearms, firearms and drugs located both inside and outside the club, armed felons, robberies and vehicles being shot, Ortiz said. The club was told to keep a minimum of four deputies present while open, but it has been open with none or fewer than four, he said.

Augusta Commissioner Marion Williams is taking issue with the $25,000 raise his colleagues gave Fire Chief Chris James last week.

The increase, which brings James’ salary to more than $140,000, was attributed to his additional role as Emergency Management Agency director, Williams said. The EMA appointment is made by the mayor, and the office has a staff of two.

“My question is, what additional duties is he doing to get the $25,000?” Williams said. “Is the person doing that work getting that money, or is he getting the money?”

Williams said there are several female department heads who have not seen raises in years.

The item appears on Tuesday’s today’s for print public safety committee agenda.

Commissioner questioning fire chief’s raise