An Augusta Commission vote Tuesday paved the way for the Saturday Market to reopen in downtown Augusta next month.
Commissioners voted to lift the restrictions that prohibit outside events on city property for the Market on Eighth Street only, leaving other outside dining restrictions on city property intact.
Commissioner Sean Frantom had pushed for a vote to let the Market reopen using CDC guidelines that include social distancing, face coverings, hand washing stations and limiting the number of people attending at one time.
In other action Tuesday:
-Commissioners voted unanimously for a resolution opposing Georgia Senate bills aimed at tightening up election laws, including those that would require a valid driver’s license or a photocopy to obtain absentee ballot applications and the way absentee ballots are delivered. Also, those ending no-excuse absentee voting by mail and allowing more partisan poll watchers to witness the vote counting process.
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The mayor contends on his agenda item proposing the resolution that the measures are “aimed at restricting methods available to Augusta residents to exercise their right to vote or cause undue financial burden on voters.”
-The commission’s administrative services committee voted to have City Administrator Odie Donald conduct a 45-day review of the impact, feasibility and cost of giving landlords who did not evict residents during the pandemic up to a 15 percent property tax break this year.
Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp announced $552 million in state stimulus funds for rental assistance Friday that will come through the Department of Community Affairs. Donald hopes to partner with the DCA Department of Community Affairs and assess what money is available to the city from the stimulus, he said.
Donald said he would do a high-level overview, crunch the numbers and figure out how Augusta can partner with DCA.
Commissioner Sammie Sias said he was concerned about people living in apartment complexes owned by mega companies.
“I think that needs to be an integral part of the inquiry,” he said.
-The committee also forwarded to next week’s full commission meeting Mayor Hardie Davis’ request for a Blue Ribbon Committee to study the city’s consolidation law and recommend changes and consider pay increases for the mayor and commissioners.
“From day one, I was of a mindset we didn’t need a Blue Ribbon Commission,” said Commissioner Ben Hasan. “I’m still of that mindset.”
However, the mayor’s salary needs to be increased. The commissioners’ salary needs to be increased, he said.
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“My position on the need for a Blue Ribbon Committee has been consistent,” Davis said.
“Discussion needs to be open and transparent. We were elected by the community, and we should engage the very people who brought us to this position,” he said.
-The administrative committee also approved Housing and Community Development Director Hawthorne Welcher’s request to procure two Georgia real estate brokerage firms to work for the Laney Walker-Bethlehem project.
Donald said the thought behind hiring two new firms was “to increase diversity of businesses to participate.”
Welcher said seeking RFQ’s through the procurement department provided equal competition.
Donald also said the city should provide the companies with technical assistance in submitting RFQ’s because it is too easy for applicants to kicked out of the process because of mistakes in filling out the forms.
“Welcher has done his part, but we need to add some education or assistance,” Donald said.
-The committee also voted to allow Donald to review, procure and implement electronic signature software.
“It’s the rule of the day,” Davis said. “It’s how governments move forward and be effective.”
Sylvia Cooper is a Correspondent with The Augusta Press. Reach her at sylvia.cooper@theaugustapress.com
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