Augusta’s Charter Review Committee discussed, but postponed action on several charter change recommendations Thursday to allow more time for input from consultants and the public.
Of five motions that appeared on the committee’s Thursday agenda, four involved the “manager” position the committee recommended to lead the new government. The manager would replace Augusta’s weaker “administrator” and report to the Augusta Commission but have hiring and firing authority over all unelected personnel. Legislative and voter approval is required for most of the recommendations to take effect.
Committee Vice Chairman Clint Bryant made the first motion Thursday, for the charter review committee to convene again in seven years. Member Sheffie Robinson motioned for the committee to convene every seven years.
The committee agreed to postpone a vote on Bryant’s recommendation for the Carl Vinson Institute of Government, which is assisting with the process, to supply language for it. The delay would also give the public a chance to review it, Bryant said.
Next, member Roderick Pearson, Mayor Garnett Johnson’s committee appointee, made a motion that the mayor presents up to three candidates for the manager position. Six commission members would then need to approve the mayor’s choice, but could include the mayor, who gained a vote on all commission matters last year.
Committee Secretary Angela Bakos and Robinson as well as League of Women Voters Co-Chair Gayla Keesee raised a number of questions about the review process and matters going for votes Thursday.
The committee has never discussed Pearson’s motion in public and by the time Thursday’s meeting agenda went out, the deadline for the public to sign up to comment passed, Bakos said. “We haven’t had that conversation,” she said.
A third motion, made by committee member Charlie Coleman, was to require seven commission votes to terminate the new manager, instead of six required for most actions. The motion received no second and Vinson consultants were asked to return with options for how to structure it.
A motion for the manager or other personnel to present and the commission to approve the city’s annual budget by certain dates did pass Thursday. After debate about the dates, the commission voted 10-1 with Bakos opposed to require the presentation by the first meeting of the ninth month after the start of the fiscal year, and a commission vote two months later after public hearings.
The schedule is largely the commission’s current process, which centers around its January-December fiscal year. Robinson said not to specify particular months in the event the fiscal year changed.
The committee returned to a concern member Robert France had that an earlier motion unwittingly gave the commission power to micromanage the manager’s hirings and firings. France said the language used led some to believe the manager needed specific commission approvals for individual acts.
Member Frank Lewis, who made the original motions, said his intent was not that while Vinson will supply appropriate language specifying the intent for the charter.
The talk Thursday was “an unnecessary discussion about something that’s already been resolved,” Lewis said.
Bryant also sought to approve qualifications for the manager’s position, which the committee discussed in a later work session.
Confusion about the process is “procedural,” according to Robinson, who said Vinson should supply charter language ahead of committee decisions.
“So far, it’s just been kind of in the wind,” she said.
Committee Chairman Marcie Wilhelmi said despite any confusion about the motions, Vinson is heavily involved in setting of the committee agendas for its meetings every other Thursday.
With the committee and public brimming with suggestions for changing the government, Vinson officials noted they are drafting multiple documents besides the new charter.
Lori Brill, Vinson’s lawyer who works on the language, said in addition to a charter they will present a report that includes suggestions for ordinances, information about the process, research Vinson has done and even member commentary.
Less likely is a strikethrough version of Augusta’s charter, she said, due to its current disarray. The committee is working from a document that combined the 1995 Consolidation Act with numerous city ordinances, resolutions and state laws.
Robinson expressed additional discontent with Vinson’s work on the project. “As of now, the turnaround time for Carl Vinson to provide us with certain things is not consistent,” she said.
Vinson’s lead on the project, public administration professor Rex Facer, said Bryant, Wilhelmi and Vinson personnel met each Monday after committee meetings to review the process, discuss its “roadmap” and determine whether research requests are appropriate.
“Our assumption is that the chair is communicating that process back to the committee,” Facer said.
Robinson said the process remains unclear and difficult to relay to the public.
“We don’t have a clearly defined plan of where this is to go, what sections are we doing each time, what are we navigating each time,” she said. “We’re out here flying by the seat of our pants at a half-million dollars for your services.”
