The Augusta Press has devoted what would once have been gallons of ink documenting the deplorable state of some of the city’s recreation areas, and just because Masters week is over, there is no reason to start leaning on shovels.
Mayor Gernett Johnson has enjoyed probably the longest honeymoon period of any mayor in recent memory, and, after only two years, he has managed to add some extra arrows in his quiver in the form of a commission vote.
Our newly sworn-in commissioners, Don Clark and Tina Slendak, have had plenty of time to get into the routine and are also still riding the wave of public popularity that put them into office. If those folks took a straw poll, they should be able to muster up the six votes to get RFPs through the Procurement Department and start replacing the busted out bricks at Riverwalk.
It’s time for them, along with the mayor, to set the example for the “old wood” on the commission and cause civic enthusiasm to become contagious. It is time to roll up the sleeves and get to work on returning the city back to what its nickname suggests: the Garden City.
The mayor also enjoys a bully pulpit, and he has immediate access to information in the city budget, such as how much money the Parks and Recreation Department has earmarked for infrastructure maintenance and upkeep and weekly tasks such as mowing grass and tending to public flower and shrubbery displays.
Nothing is stopping Johnson from forming a coalition to get the six votes necessary to either move the responsibility of grass and shrub maintenance to the Central Services Department or create a new department that is charged only with assuming such tasks.
Once the recreation department is freed up to be able to focus on infrastructure, then the new permanent director can be authorized to get a handle on what needs to be done to prevent Lake Olmstead Stadium from further deterioration, raze the Boathouse and restore Riverwalk back to its original glory.
The city of Augusta has a billion dollar budget, so there is no question in our minds that the mayor and his colleagues can find the funding in the sofa cushions if they look hard enough.
We understand that the government operates on its own timetable, but if the city gets started now, those immediate projects could be complete by the first day of summer.
Riverwalk is a magnet that attracts visitors to downtown where they can enjoy Augusta’s unique personality, so it should appear exactly as it is portrayed on Visit Augusta’s website.
The public needs to grab its kazoos and jump on this bandwagon. Every commissioner’s email is available at augustaga.gov. We urge that citizens to take five minutes and send a quick email to both their district and super district commissioners requesting they take immediate action and commit to cleaning up the Garden City, one block at a time, as they say.
While you are at it, send the folks at the Convention and Visitors Bureau an email and make a request that they organize some community clean-ups so that the public can get involved.
It is time for Augustans to be proud of the city where they live and it is time to quit kicking the empty can down the road and put it in the trash bin where it belongs.
