While the Augusta Commission has haggled over what the signage at the renamed Edward M. McIntyre Riverwalk will ultimately look like, a much bigger problem is festering at the Augusta Marina.
The electrical towers that deliver power to the 68 boat slips are old and in need of replacement.
Rather than provide a cost estimate to replace the towers, Interim City Administrator Takiyah Douse is proposing to cut off the power and water service to the facility where 35 boats are currently moored.
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Francis Christian, who leases the property from the city and runs the Riverwalk Gift Shop, says such a decision could be devastating for the downtown boating community.
“(Douse) is trying to walk back her comments now, but at the meeting last Monday, she told us that (cutting the power) was her decision,” Christian said.
According to Christian, after a good soaking rain, boaters need electricity to run their bilge pumps and that it is impossible to live out on the water during the summer without air conditioning.
Currently, there are nine permanent boater tenants; however, during the summer, the slips fill up quickly, Christian said.
Many years ago, the funding given to the Augusta Port Authority to maintain the facility as well as the Boathouse, was reallocated to the Parks and Rec. Dept. and maintenance then fell under that department.
Christian said that Parks and Rec. has never provided proper maintenance to the area. Other tenants have been forced to cut the grass and that led to an altercation between District 5 Commissioner Bobby Williams in May 2022 outside the commission chambers when he was confronted by business owner Cortez Walker.
Walker had been forced to cut the grass when the city would not and instead of getting help from the commission, he ultimately faced an arrest warrant.
A notice was sent by email to Christian in August from the Central Services Department stating officially that the city of Augusta would no longer provide any maintenance at the Marina.
Christian says that there is no danger of anyone being electrocuted from the aged wiring as it has special shielding to keep electricity from coming in contact with water.
“They don’t need to shut it all down and replace everything, they could just do two towers at a time. But these towers are 29 years old and they simply don’t last forever,” Christian said.
District Three Commissioner Catherine McKnight says that adding the Marina to the long list of properties neglected by the Parks and Rec. Department is not at all surprising to her; however, simply cutting off the power just before the summer season is not the answer.
“Here it is nearly springtime and they are talking about cutting the power, it’s just ridiculous to me. They should have been looking at this matter years ago and not wait until there is some kind of a crisis,” McKnight said.
Douse did not return a call for comment.
Scott Hudson is the Senior Investigative Reporter and Editorial Page Editor for The Augusta Press. Reach him at scott@theaugustapress.com
