Our Garden City must be growing stinkweed in the commission chambers because it’s stinking to high heaven in there. Parks and Recreation must be using loads of fertilizer because the smell grows stronger with each passing week.
The behavior of certain commissioners has gotten totally disrespectful and completely out of control. If you have any doubt about this viewpoint, please, go online and watch the last couple of commission and committee meetings.
With one commissioner behaving all sanctimonious and pious toward other commissioners who have the audacity to have a difference in opinion than his.
Another commissioner seems to have all the “DIS” covered very well. For he is continually disrupting, disrespectful, disingenuous, dismantling, disagreeable and disconnected.
Three other commissioners sit in near silence awaiting their instructions via text message from the other two, or so it seems.
Commissioner Bobby Williams seems to have found much personal delight in speaking out of order whenever the notion moves him to do so. Interrupting other commissioners and even the mayor as they are speaking.
Maybe Commissioner Williams has watched too many YouTube videos of Flint, Mich.’s city councilman Eric Mays with his outlandish and bizarre behavior during Flint’s council meetings. Councilman Mays has been ordered removed from the meetings a number of times. In some instances, he has even been led out in handcuffs. Yet, he continues his ways and gets re-elected.
It seems that the rules of procedure for the Augusta Commission has no way of having a member removed. Note the following rules as of January 2016.
2.04 Discussion Through the Chair: All discussion shall be made through the chair, and one commissioner may not interrogate another Commissioner or person speaking from the public except through the chair ( or with permission of the chair).
2.05 Disruptions during discussion or voting: No commissioner shall disturb the other commissioners in any way that may be considered disruptive to the proceedings or hamper the transaction of business by the commission.
2.06 Call To Order Action: The chair may rule as “out of order “any action deemed inappropriate or dilatory and may interrupt a speaker for reasons deemed necessary by the chair. The chairman-mayor shall say,” Commissioner/speaker, those remarks are out of order. Please cease this line of comment and make appropriate comment to the issue.
2.07 Call of ” Out of Order:”
207.01 If a member of the commission refuses to comply with these rules of procedure the following procedure shall be used.
207.01 (a) The commissioner shall be “called to order” by the chair, who shall say, ” commissioner ( using name), you are now out of order. If you persist a reprimand will be entered into the record.
WOW, REALLY ? A reprimand?
In other words, continue the bad behavior for there are no consequences.
Ah, for the good old days when commissioners knew how to behave and have heated disagreements but with civility. Commissioners such as Ulmer Bridges, Willie Mays, Bill Lockett, Jerry Brigham and Joe Bowles. They still took care of business and got things done with dignity.
I want to say thank you to Commissioner Catherine McKnight for continuing to pursue the journey for an audit that she and I joined together to fight for over two- and one-half years ago. No, it wasn’t the forensic or in-depth financial audit that is so desperately needed but an operational audit. However, it’s a start and McKnight brought it home.
Commissioner McKnight was forced to take important and pivotal words out of the motion. The words taken out were, “internal financial,” thus leaving the motion for an operational audit of each department.
McKnight’s successful motion calls for each department is to be audited every four years and results of audits are to be given to the full commission quarterly.
The audit will determine if the departments are operating as per department guidelines. Determine if procedures are being followed. Show where they are not. This should raise any “red flags” in those departments. The commission would then determine how far they want to delve to find the answers to as why and who. This may indeed lead to financial matters.
Commissioner Stacy Pulliam wanted assurances that no city employee would be held liable for any issues that may be found, that is if the employee has never been taught how to do their job duties correctly.
It would be interesting to hear what four departments our TAP readers think should be audited first. For me it would be, Mayor’s Office, Stormwater Program and the Parks and Recreation and Engineering departments.
With a new Gated Home Community that will consist of 100 homes being built in the Brown Road, Hepzibah area, the sounds of, “wanta” can be heard . We wanta grocery store, we wanta upscale sit down restaurant, we wanta retail stores.
Both Commissioners Brandon Garrett and Wayne Guilfoyle have explained that rooftops come first. Then the other will follow. It’s akin to how a school is built. The children have to come into a sector first and then the school is built to fill the need.
Note to Mayor Garnett Johnson: What patience you have sir. You are indeed a true gentleman. You have been benevolent, patient and nice.
The movie Roadhouse has a scene in which Dalton, the bouncer/cooler is talking to the security team on how to handle the rowdy overzealous and out of control patrons. He states,” I want you to be nice until it’s time not to be nice.” One of the team members ask, “Well, ah, how we supposed to know when that is?” Dalton replies, “You won’t. I’ll tell you.”
Well, Mr Mayor, Dalton says it’s time.
