The Augusta, Georgia Land Bank Authority (AGLBA) held its monthly meeting on Wednesday, with a seemingly unremarkable agenda. However, lingering questions about recent controversies cast a shadow over the proceedings.
Uncovering the Issues
The authority has recently faced criticism for its questionable spending habits, including lavish expenditures on liquor and excursions to Brooklyn, N.Y. and Jamaica. Alongside this, the Land Bank has picked up the tab on a number of hefty dining bills for high-end eateries, as well as adult entertainment venues.
Concerns have also been raised about dubious property sales such as the sale of West Vineland Park to the Augusta National Golf Club for $350,000 in March, which proceeded without public discussion.
Furthermore, Augusta Mayor Garnett Johnson expressed concern after text messages sent on government cell phones were unearthed, hinting at racially-charged sentiments from Land Bank Executive Director Shawn Edwards to Augusta Housing and Community Department Authority Director Hawthorne Welcher.
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Working Toward Public Trust
Land Bank Chair Chris Johnson spoke with the Augusta Press about the issue of exorbitant spending, and claims that the authority’s financial committee has developed “a new process” for overseeing this facet.
According to Johnson, the committee and the board will now be regularly able to examine fiscal audits and budget updates thanks to reworked policies.
“We’ve always been very transparent. Our meeting minutes have always been posted. All of our meetings are public meetings,” he said.
However, the early afternoon weekday meetings might be difficult – if not impossible – for some members of the public to attend. Currently, the Land Bank does not livestream its monthly meeting.
“I don’t really know why we wouldn’t [livestream],” said Johnson when asked about this. “I mean, it’s not like it’s something that’s private now…I actually believe we were doing it when we used to have these meetings in the Municipal Building.”
Johnson said he would inquire about this matter.
These meetings, Johnson added, are also where any public discussion around sales would take place.
Monthly Meeting Breakdown
At Wednesday’s meeting, several purchase requests were approved, including:
- The sale of 235, 232 and 239 Walker St. to Sandra Lisenbee for construction of single-family homes.
- The sale of 6 Sherman St. to CD Capital Investment Group LLC for construction of single-family homes.
- The sale of 106, 108 and 112 Telfair St. to Shaver Alexander.
- The sale of 2397 Mike Padgett Highway and 2417 Wimberly Drive for expansion of current facilities.
The board also reconsidered a request from Lauretha Williams for assistance with foreclosure on 1509 Clay St., but did not approve of this sale for a second time due to belief that the building might be occupied.
