050823 Study Session Mins AdoptedPage 1 of 2
MINUTES OF MAY 8, 2023
Briton S. Williams, Mayor
Jenafer F. McCauley, Councilmember – Mayor Pro Tem
David B. Buck, Councilmember
Pat C. Carpenter, Councilmember
David W. McGhee, Councilmember
Eric H. Presnell, Councilmember
Kevin W. Toole, Councilmember
ORDER OF BUSINESS
STUDY SESSION
The Study Session of May 8, 2023 for the City Council of the City of North Augusta, having been duly
publicized, was called to order by Mayor Briton S. Williams at 6:00 p.m. and also streamed online for
public viewing at the City Facebook page: “City of North Augusta – Public Information” and City YouTube
page: “City of North Augusta Public Information.”
Per Section 30-4-80(e) notice of the meetings was sent out by email to the current maintained “Agenda
Mailout” list consisting of news media outlets and individuals or companies requesting notification.
Notice of the meetings was also posted on the outside doors of the Municipal Center, the main bulletin
board of the Municipal Center located on the first floor, and the City of North Augusta website.
Members present were Mayor Williams, Councilmembers Buck, Carpenter, McCauley, McGhee, Presnell,
and Toole.
Also in attendance were James S. Clifford, City Administrator; Rachelle Moody, Assistant City
Administrator; Kelly F. Zier, City Attorney; Thomas C. Zeaser, Director of Engineering and Public Works;
Chief John Thomas, Director of Public Safety; Rick Meyer, Director of Parks, Recreation & Tourism; Thomas
L. Paradise, Director of Planning and Development; Lynda Williamson, Director of Finance; Kayla Ferguson,
Interim Manager of Human Resources; Ricky Jones, Manager of Information Technology, and Jamie Paul,
City Clerk.
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DRAFT AGENDA: CITY OF NORTH AUGUSTA REGULAR CITY COUNCIL MEETING
May 15, 2023 – 6:00 p.m. – Municipal Center – 100 Georgia Avenue, 3rd Floor - Council Chambers
The Regular City Council meeting will be streamed for public viewing online at:
•“City of North Augusta – Public Information” on www.Facebook.com
•“City of North Augusta Public Information” on www.YouTube.com
CITIZEN COMMENTS: Citizens may speak to Mayor and City Council on each item listed on this agenda. The Mayor will call
for comments prior to Council’s discussion. Speakers shall give their name and address in an audible tone of voice. Speaker
Forms are provided on the credenza at the entrance for speakers desiring that the minutes indicate that they addressed Council
on a specific topic. The form will be included as part of the minutes of the meeting. Citizen comments are limited to five
minutes.
CITIZEN ASSISTANCE: Individuals needing special assistance or sign interpreter to participate in the meeting, please notify the
Administration Department 48 hours prior to the meeting.
1.CALL TO ORDER:
2.INVOCATION AND PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE:
3.ROLL CALL:
4.APPROVAL OF MINUTES:
•City Council Meeting minutes of May 1, 2023
•Study Session minutes of May 8, 2023
5.PROCLAMATIONS:
a.National Police Week, May 14-20, 2023
b.National Public Works Week, May 21-27, 2023
6.PERSONNEL: Employee of the Quarter – January, February, and March 2023 – Lauren Wertz
OLD BUSINESS
7.ADMINISTRATION: Ordinance No. 2023-10 Authorizing the City to Enter into a Lease Agreement with
Sabal Designs Limited Company and IRA fbo William Lance Jones IRA, LLC, Related to Property
Consisting of Approximately 0.62 Acres and Known as Tax Map and Parcel No. 007-13-01-006 – Second
Reading
8.PLANNING & DEVELOPMENT: Ordinance No. 2022-12 to Amend the Zoning Map of the City of North
Augusta, South Carolina by Rezoning ± 10.73 Acres of Land Owned by R. Greg Kenrick and Jimmy L.
Martin, Aiken County Tax Parcels #001-15-02-002 and 001-19-03-001 from PD, Planned Development to
TC, Thoroughfare Commercial – Remove from Table; First Reading
9.ADMINISTRATIVE REPORTS:
ATTACHMENT #1 Page 1 of 2
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10. PRESENTATIONS/COMMUNICATIONS/RECOGNITION OF VISITORS:
A. Citizen Comments: At this time, citizens may speak to Mayor and City Council regarding matters not listed on
the agenda. Speakers shall give their name and address for the records. Speaker Forms are provided on the
credenza for speakers desiring that the minutes indicate that they addressed Council on a specific topic. The
form will be included as part of the minutes of the meeting. Citizen comments are limited to five minutes.
B. Council Comments:
11. ADJOURNMENT
ATTACHMENT #1 Page 2 of 2
FINANCE:
•Cycle 1 Disconnect - May 17th and 18th
•Cycle 2 Due Date - May 19th
•City Tax Penalties were applied on May 2nd and notices will be sent out this week.
PUBLIC SERVICES:
•Mosquito Control May 17 – October 18, 2023
•Hammonds Ferry Road – Soccer Complex Water Service
•Commercial Sanitation Dumpster Enclosure Inspections
PLANNING AND DEVELOPMENT:
•Code Enforcement did a sign sweep over the weekend
•Planning Commission next week
PUBLIC SAFETY:
•Jr. Johnson will be the new Captain of Patrol effective June 7th
•August 2023 is the expected go-live date for Smart Cop - the new software for Public Safety
•This past Friday, May 5th, Public Safety Officers and Firefighters were at Hammond Hills
Elementary school for Career Day
PARKS, RECREATION AND TOURISM:
•Bids for the Riverside Village Boat Dock will be received and read publicly out loud this Friday,
May 12th, 10am at the Riverview Park Activities Center.
•North Augusta High School Girls Softball team will be hosting Upper State semi-final game of the
South Carolina High School playoffs this Saturday at Riverview Park.
•PRT and Property Maintenance are teaming up to provide tree signs that will identify the
different tree species along the Riverfront Greeneway. The signs will also have a QR code on
them. This project is part of the Tree City Growth Award for 2023. (See Attachment #1)
•Riverview Park Activities Center hosted a 160-team travel basketball tournament this past
weekend. The tournament lasted into Sunday night and with limited staff available the building
did not get completely cleaned until today. The Activities Center has hosted 7 travel events so
far in 2023, 5 basketball tournaments, 1 volleyball tournament, and 1 pickleball tournament.
These events not only produce tourism economic impact for the City of North Augusta but they
also allow the City to keep the Activities Center membership rates affordable and competitive.
Riverview Park has also hosted 3 travel baseball tournaments in 2023.
•Hammond’s Ferry Soccer Complex field update. Combination of factors have contributed to the
athletic fields not being up to our normal standards. Issue #1 is the amount of play that our
fields are getting year-round. Issue #2, this spring the cool nights have lasted into May and we
have yet to have a growing season for the Bermuda grass. In addition to these issues, PRT
Maintenance staff has dealt with major irrigation leaks at the soccer complex and soil
compaction. PRT spent $14,000 in the fall adding 40 tons of Soil 3 compost mix to improve field
drying ability. We believe that this addition, irrigation repair, fertilization, and aeration of the
fields will bring the fields back to the condition that our community is accustomed to. It will be
necessary to close the soccer complex for the summer.
DEPARTMENT DETAILS
for May 8, 2023
ATTACHMENT #2 Page 1 of 4
•“Down to the River” event, a sports and music festival is scheduled for June 2-3 in Riverside
Village. The event begins on Friday, June 2nd with a Critical Nice Bike ride, the Hammond’s Ferry
mile road race with cash prizes awarded to the winners, and nationally recognized recording
artist Jordan Feliz concert in the Sharon Jones Amphitheater. Saturday, June 3rd features an
Urban trail 5K and 10K run and paddle races on the Savannah River.
ENGINEERING AND PUBLIC WORKS:
•Knobcone Avenue Sidewalk
•Bluff Avenue Streetscape
•Detention Pond Maintenance
•Household Hazardous Waste Collection Event
HUMAN RESOURCES:
•See the following page for the Employment Opportunities list
ATTACHMENT #2 Page 2 of 4
To apply and to see full job descriptions please visit www.northaugustasc.gov/jobs. You may also contact Human Resources
for more information at 803-442-5710 or kferguson@northaugustasc.gov.
The City of North Augusta is an Equal Opportunity Employer
EMPLOYMENT
OPPORTUNITIES
Center Program Coordinator – PRT
Grade: 10
Salary/Pay Rate: $18.90 - $22.68/hour
Closing Date: Until Filled
Communications Technician – Public Safety
Grade: 9
Salary/Pay Rate: $17.96 - $21.56/hour
Closing Date: Until Filled
Engineering Inspector – Engineering & Public Works
Grade: 13
Salary: $21.69 - $26.03/hour
Closing Date: Until Filled
Firefighter – Public Safety
Grade: 4
Salary/Pay Rate: $13.31 - $15.97/hour
Closing Date: Until Filled
Grounds Worker II – PRT
Grade: 6
Salary/Pay Rate: $15.17 - $18.20/hour
Closing Date: Until Filled
Grounds Worker II – Property Maintenance
Grade: 6
Salary/Pay Rate: $15.17 - $18.20/hour
Closing Date: Until Filled
Heavy Equipment Mechanic – Sanitation
Grade: 9
Salary/Pay Rate: $17.96 - $21.56/hour
Closing Date: Until Filled
Laborer – Streets and Drains
Grade: 4
Salary/Pay Rate: $13.31 - $15.97/hour
Closing Date: Until Filled
Part-time Center Program Coordinator – PRT
Grade: UN
Salary/Pay Rate: $14.06/hour
Closing Date: Until Filled
Public Safety Officer – Public Safety
Grade: 15
Salary/Pay Rate: $22.04 - $26.45/hour
Closing Date: Until Filled
Trades Worker – Streets & Drains
Grade: 8
Salary/Pay Rate: $17.03 - $20.44/hour
Closing Date: Until Filled
Utility Technician – Water/Wastewater
Grade: 9
Salary/Pay Rate: $17.96 - $21.56/hour
Closing Date: Until Filled
Vehicle Operator I – Sanitation
Grade: 6
Salary/Pay Rate: $15.17 - $18.20/hour
Closing Date: Until Filled
ATTACHMENT #2 Page 3 of 4
ATTACHMENT #1
ATTACHMENT #2 Page 4 of 4
North Augusta City Council Remarks
May 8, 2023
Margaret M. Key
Executive Director
Aiken County Commission on Alcohol and Other Drug Services (Aiken Center)
Tiffany Birt, BSN, RN
Midlands Operations Director
Community Health Services
SC Department of Health and Environmental Control
Tamara Smith
Executive Director
Aiken Barnwell Mental Health Center
South Carolina Department of Mental Health
Mental Health, DHEC, and Aiken Center propose that we collectively partner with North Augusta
to establish a North Augusta Health Services Center – a one-stop-shop under one roof—for
Mental Health, Substance Use Treatment, Recovery Support, and some basic Health Services
through DHEC as core partners.
We would welcome the opportunity to investigate the feasibility of that location being in the current
Summary Court/ CID building that will be vacated with the completion of the new Public Safety
Headquarters. We realize that there would be a number of steps ahead to know if this is a feasible
location and partnership.
Representative Bill Hixon reminded me this past week that co-located public health services like
this have a history in North Augusta—it is not a new idea. It was needed then and is needed now.
And such a center was successfully operational for a time beginning in 1982. I appreciated that
important bit of history. Today ready access to critical health services is more important than
ever.
We envision hope-filled prevention, treatment, recovery support, and health & wellness-promoting
space. We sincerely desire to partner with the City of North Augusta toward that end.
Additional comments from Tamara Smith and Tiffany Birt.
ATTACHMENT #3A Page 1 of 4
Good evening to Mayor Williams, City Council members, staff, and
North Augusta community members. My name is Tiffany Birt, and I
am one of the Operations Directors for DHEC’s Midlands Region, and
I am also a Registered Nurse at DHEC.
The Midlands Region is one of the four regions that comprise the
Department of Health and Environmental Control. In the Midlands
region, Aiken County is one of the counties that I oversee. Today,
I’ve come here to speak in favor of the co-location of health
services to include agencies like DHEC, Aiken Center, and the Aiken
Barnwell Mental Health. The co-location of these services will offer
many benefits to the city residents of North Augusta. In Aiken
County, we currently have a health department that is located on
Beaufort Street in Aiken, SC. At the health department, we offer
services such as Preventive Health Services which includes Family
Planning, STD services, Immunizations which includes COVID,
Monkeypox, and other routine immunizations for adults and children,
Maternal Child Health, TB, Vital Records, and the Women, Infants,
and Children Program. In many years past, we had a health
department located in North Augusta which was a great benefit for
those who resided in North Augusta. As many of you know, the city
of North Augusta has significantly grown over the years. If you have
ever done a little research, you will find that the land mass of Aiken
County is comparable to the state of Rhode Island, and that Aiken
County is the fourth largest county in South Carolina by land area.
These are important factors to consider when deciding to offer a
health center with multiple agencies and resources for residents
since transportation is a barrier for . In public health, we understand
that social determinants of health such as health care access can
greatly hinder the overall health of a community. As a resident of
North Augusta for over 30 years and a public health servant, I truly
have a vested interest in ensuring that this vision of DHEC becomes a
reality. Our vision is healthy people living in healthy communities. The
co-location of a health center would be one step closer to
narrowing the gap that social determinants such as healthcare
Tiffany Birt Operation Director - DHEC
ATTACHMENT #3A Page 2 of 4
access and transportation create. Thank you for your time and
attention.
ATTACHMENT #3A Page 3 of 4
Tamara Smith Executive Director – Aiken Barnwell Mental Health Center
Aiken Barnwell MHC is a community mental health center operating as part of the SC Department of
Mental Health. We are a state agency. 50% of our budget is provided via general allocations through
SCDMH via General Assembly. The other 50% is earned via revenue/contracts.
We provide an array of outpatient mental health services to children, adolescents, families and adults in
Aiken and Barnwell counties.
We have three offices. Our main office is in Aiken, and we have two satellite offices- Barnwell and North
Augusta. We’ve been delivering services in North Augusta since 1978.
We provide services to approximately 1000 individuals in North Augusta and approximately 6000
contacts (total) to these individuals.
We currently lease the building at 431 West Martintown Rd, NAUG. (formerly known as the Trotter
Building). Currently, we have no room for growth/expansion. Offices are small and don’t allow for the
delivery of group room and limited family therapy. There is limited parking at this location to
accommodate need.
1 in 5 individuals experience a MH issue- Approximately 5000 individuals in North Augusta have a MH
issue/need. 50% of individuals with a serious mental illness are diagnosed with a co-occurring disorder
(Mental illness/substance use). Individuals with serious mental illness on average die 25 years earlier.
We support co-location and one-stop model with providers as it provides an opportunity for growth,
expansion, privacy, and collaboration. NAPS headquarters is: easily accessible, offers privacy, offers
opportunity for growth/expansion and collaboration.
ATTACHMENT #3A Page 4 of 4