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Augusta commission approves lease assignment, multiple settlements and personnel actions after closed session
Summary
After a closed executive session, the commission authorized an assignment of the juvenile court lease at 985 Broad Street, approved several legal settlements (including opioid‑litigation proceeds to the city), accepted staff resignations with severance and approved an RCCI warden hire. Most motions carried; several votes noted absences.
Augusta commissioners reconvened after a closed executive session and approved a series of formal actions ranging from a lease assignment for a juvenile court property to multiple legal settlements and personnel decisions.
The commission authorized the mayor to execute an assignment of the lease for 985 Broad Street to Jones Group Augusta LLC on behalf of the juvenile court system. The motion carried 7–1, with one commissioner recorded as voting no.
In litigation matters, the commission authorized the mayor to execute settlement documents in opioid‑related litigation involving a regional supermarket; the amount identified in the meeting record allocated to Augusta was $168,637 (the transcript includes an additional figure that was not clearly stated and therefore is not asserted here). The body also approved a $101,000 settlement in the case of Chantelle Thomas v. Sheriff Brantley, to be paid from fund balance, and authorized settlement of two claims by Neil Singleton totaling $20,000; those motions carried with votes recorded in the meeting.
The commission accepted several staff resignations and approved severance payments: staff attorney Lanita Pitts (one month severance upon execution of a release), Diane Johnston (six months upon release), and James Hill (six months upon release). The body also authorized hiring (recorded in the minutes as) James Villain as warden at RCCI with a salary of $115,000 plus an annual car allowance of $6,000 and directed the administrator’s office to finalize employment terms.
Other administrative actions included approval of a cost‑sharing agreement with a developer for a traffic signal at the Highland Springs subdivision entrance; the developer was listed in committee remarks as contributing $180,000, with the remaining portion to be covered by the city from local maintenance funds.
All votes and motions described above are those recorded at the meeting; where the transcript presented unclear or inconsistent numeric details (for example, an ambiguous second figure in the opioid settlement line or variant spellings of some participant names), this article notes amounts only when clearly stated on the record. The commission noted several members absent on specific roll calls. The actions above were announced during the post‑executive‑session business and will be reflected in the official minutes and signed documents once prepared.
The committee proceeded to its scheduled standing items and adjourned the business portion of the session to committee consideration.
