HOUNDSLAKE GOLF COURSE - While this is my first post in a while, it does not mean that little of importance has been happening in Aiken. Most of you know about the turmoil and stress imposed on the residents of Houndslake North regarding the proposed closure of the Laurel golf course. I spent many hours helping other members of the Steering Committee to communicate options available to residents involved. We concluded with a very successful community meeting held at Odell Weeks.
While residents recently received a confirmation letter regarding the closure on December 31, I have been advised that there is a possibility of a delay in the closure while repairs are being made to the Azalea and Dogwood courses. Please keep in mind that this is a very fluid situation and plans change rapidly.
ZONING ORDINANCE CHANGE – At our last Council Meeting on November 17, we were asked to approve an ordinance dealing with Accessory Buildings in the Horse District. Currently an accessory building cannot be larger than 50% of the heated floor area of the principal building. Some feel that this has caused problems in the horse district since accessory buildings are used for horses, carriages, feed supplies, etc. While the Planning Commission recommended approval, I asked for input from the horse community since it was most affected. Accordingly, this matter has been delayed until we hear from the Equine Committee.
LANDSCAPING BY SCE&G – We received input from residents of Highland Park concerning problems caused by SCE&G tree trimming. While everyone understands that SCE&G must trim trees to prevent power disruptions, there is genuine concern about their process. In the Highland Park area, there was significant damage to the area. While SCE&G v-cuts the trees, they do not share the concern of residents who want minimum visual disruption. The City has made arrangements with SCE&G with regard to South Boundary Road to preserve a treasured city asset. The City will not permit the utility cut trees in this area; instead the City performs that task. The City Manager is working with SCE&G to determine if similar arrangements can be made elsewhere within the City to trim trees at SCE&G cost to eliminate this kind of problem. I will continue to monitor this issue.
B&W SALVAGE YARD – Much of the last Council meeting was consumed by the issue of the junk yard on Highway One. Many residents are dismayed that one of the main entrances to the City passes by this unsightly location. This issue had been long standing and dates to 1985. Nothing so far has been successful in removing this eyesore to one of the main entrances to the City. County Councilman Scott Singer has worked with County Council and South Carolina Department of Transportation with help from Senator Greg Ryberg in an effort to more effectively resolve this issue. Their recommendation is to build a fence to screen the property from public view. If the owner parks vehicles on the highway side of the fence, SCOT will enforce existing law by imposing daily fines until the law is followed. Funding for the fence would be a joint effort by both the County Council and City Council and approximate $50,000 each. While everyone wants this issue resolved, there was little consensus by the Council on action. Concern was raised about the cost of the fence, the ability and willingness of authorities to enforce the law, and public support of our efforts. At Monday’s City Council meeting we will consider a resolution supporting the County’s efforts to deal with this issue.
FISCAL YEAR 2007-2008 AUDIT OF CITY FINANCES – The firm of ElliottDavis was selected by bid process to perform an audit of city finances for the past fiscal year. We briefly reviewed their report at last Council meeting and will give final approval at Monday night’s meeting. The firm concluded that the City of Aiken is properly managing funds collected and spent. They identified no material weaknesses or significant deficiencies relating to the audit of the financial statement and no instances of noncompliance material to the financial statements. While audit reports can be dry reading, they do reveal significant findings. For example, the City has a 98.07% collection percentage for real and personal property taxes. The City has no outstanding general obligation debt. Our revenue sources are:
Charges for Services 47.74%
Property Taxes 18.08%
Business Taxes 11.61%
Capital Project Sales Taxes 9.87%
Unrestricted Investment Earnings 6.67%
Operating Grants 3.04%
Capital Grants 2.41%
Intergovernmental 1.69%
Accommodations Taxes 1.43%
Miscellaneous 0.46%
Our Government-Wide Expenses include:
Water & Sewer 29.77%
Public Safety 26.12%
General Government 12.00%
Recreation & Parks 10.56%
Public Works 9.16%
Sanitation 7.98%
Economic Development 3.14%
Storm Water 1.09%
Debt Service Interest 0.18%
Most of the City revenue from the previous year is from growth in property taxes from new resident and from business licenses. Major expenditures include over $300,000 in planning and traffic studies and over $5,000,000 in benefits and insurance. Despite a 5% increase in water and sewer rates last year, only one city in South Carolina has lower rates than Aiken. We exceeded expenditures over budget in the Aiken Community Playhouse Fund ($5,099). Community Development Block Grant Fund ($57,008) and Local Accommodations Tax Fund ($59,671). In every other case, our budgeted amounts exceeded what we spent. The Aiken Corporation owes the city $2,670,035 for several loans in past years. Some of this money will be collected when property is sold and the Aiken Corporation has been making satisfactory progress in repaying loans. Overall, the City is handling your money well and in accordance with acceptable accounting standards. The City Manager recognized our current economic climate and will act accordingly in controlling expenses during the year.
CLOSURE OF UNOPENED PORTION OF COKER SPRINGS ROAD – The Hitchcock Woods Foundation in a friendly suit sued the City to close a portion of Coker Springs Road between Newberry Street and Laurens Street. Adjacent property owners have been notified.Since this section of roadway has never been opened in the past as a public roadway the ordinance is expected to pass first reading on Monday.
Posted by Dick Dewar
Foxnews Ticker
Saturday, December 6, 2008
Thursday, December 4, 2008
Thursday, November 27, 2008
HAPPY THANKSGIVING
Today Ed Giobbe and I were trying to remember what word the Italians use for turkey. Ed speaks fluent Italian and I used to be reasonably competent but neither of us could recall the word. I did know that in Turkey the bird is called a hindi which of course means India.. I "googled" for an answer and found this interesting bit of information. So now we all know.
The Story of How the Unofficial Bird of the United States Got Named After a Middle Eastern Country
(by Giancarlo Casale)
How did the turkey get its name? This seemingly harmless question popped into my head one morning as I realized that the holidays were once again upon us. After all, I thought, there's nothing more American than a turkey. Their meat saved the pilgrims from starvation during their first winter in New England. Out of gratitude, if you can call it that, we eat them for Thanksgiving dinner, and again at Christmas, and gobble them up in sandwiches all year long. Every fourth grader can tell you that Benjamin Franklin was particularly fond of the wild turkey, and even campaigned to make it, and not the bald eagle, the national symbol. So how did such a creature end up taking its name from a medium sized country in the Middle East? Was it just a coincidence? I wondered.
The next day I mentioned my musings to my landlord, whose wife is from Brazil. "That's funny," he said, "In Portuguese the word for turkey is 'peru.' Same bird, different country." Hmm.
With my curiosity piqued, I decided to go straight to the source. That very afternoon I found myself a Turk and asked him how to say turkey in Turkish. "Turkey?" he said. "Well, we call turkeys 'hindi,' which means, you know, from India." India? This was getting weird. I spent the next few days finding out the word for turkey in as many languages as I could think of, and the more I found out, the weirder things got. In Arabic, for instance, the word for turkey is "Ethiopian bird," while in Greek it is "gallapoula" or "French girl." The Persians, meanwhile, call them "buchalamun" which means, appropriately enough, "chameleon."
In Italian, on the other hand, the word for turkey is "tacchino" which, my Italian relatives assured me, means nothing but the bird. "But," they added, "it reminds us of something else. In Italy we call corn, which as everybody knows comes from America, 'grano turco,' or 'Turkish grain.'" So here we were back to Turkey again! And as if things weren't already confusing enough, a further consultation with my Turkish informant revealed that the Turks call corn "misir" which is also their word for Egypt!
By this point, things were clearly getting out of hand. But I persevered nonetheless, and just as I was about to give up hope, a pattern finally seemed to emerge from this bewildering labyrinth. In French, it turns out, the word for turkey is "dinde," meaning "from India," just like in Turkish. The words in both German and Russian had similar meanings, so I was clearly on to something. The key, I reasoned, was to find out what turkeys are called in India, so I called up my high school friend's wife, who is from an old Bengali family, and popped her the question.
"Oh," she said, "We don't have turkeys in India. They come from America. Everybody knows that."
"Yes," I insisted, "but what do you call them?"
"Well, we don't have them!" she said. She wasn't being very helpful. Still, I persisted:
"Look, you must have a word for them. Say you were watching an American movie translated from English and the actors were all talking about turkeys. What would they say?" "Well...I suppose in that case they would just say the American word, 'turkey.' Like I said, we don't have them." So there I was, at a dead end. I began to realize only too late that I had unwittingly stumbled upon a problem whose solution lay far beyond the capacity of my own limited resources. Obviously I needed serious professional assistance. So the next morning I scheduled an appointment with Prof. Sinasi Tekin of Harvard University, a world-renowned philologist and expert on Turkic languages. If anyone could help me, I figured it would be Professor Tekin.
As I walked into his office on the following Tuesday, I knew I would not be disappointed. Prof. Tekin had a wizened, grandfatherly face, a white, bushy, knowledgeable beard, and was surrounded by stack upon stack of just the sort of hefty, authoritative books which were sure to contain a solution to my vexing Turkish mystery. I introduced myself, sat down, and eagerly awaited a dose of Prof. Tekin's erudition. "You see," he said, "In the Turkish countryside there is a kind of bird, which is called a chulluk. It looks like a turkey but it is much smaller, and its meat is very delicious. Long before the discovery of America, English merchants had already discovered the delicious chulluk, and began exporting it back to England, where it became very popular, and was known as a 'Turkey bird' or simply a 'turkey.' Then, when the English came to America, they mistook the birds here for chulluks, and so they began calling them 'turkey" also. But other peoples weren't so easily fooled. They knew that these new birds came from America, and so they called them things like 'India birds,' 'Peruvian birds,' or 'Ethiopian birds.' You see, 'India,' 'Peru' and 'Ethiopia' were all common names for the New World in the early centuries, both because people had a hazier understanding of geography, and because it took a while for the name 'America' to catch on.
"Anyway, since that time Americans have begun exporting their birds everywhere, and even in Turkey people have started eating them, and have forgotten all about their delicious chulluk. This is a shame, because chulluk meat is really much, much tastier."
Prof. Tekin seemed genuinely sad as he explained all this to me. I did my best to comfort him, and tried to express my regret at hearing of the unfairly cruel fate of the delicious chulluk. Deep down, however, I was ecstatic. I finally had a solution to this holiday problem, and knew I would be able once again to enjoy the main course of my traditional Thanksgiving dinner without reservation.
Now if I could just figure out why they call those little teeny dogs Chihuahuas....
Happy Thanksgiving from Dick and Donna
The Story of How the Unofficial Bird of the United States Got Named After a Middle Eastern Country
(by Giancarlo Casale)
How did the turkey get its name? This seemingly harmless question popped into my head one morning as I realized that the holidays were once again upon us. After all, I thought, there's nothing more American than a turkey. Their meat saved the pilgrims from starvation during their first winter in New England. Out of gratitude, if you can call it that, we eat them for Thanksgiving dinner, and again at Christmas, and gobble them up in sandwiches all year long. Every fourth grader can tell you that Benjamin Franklin was particularly fond of the wild turkey, and even campaigned to make it, and not the bald eagle, the national symbol. So how did such a creature end up taking its name from a medium sized country in the Middle East? Was it just a coincidence? I wondered.
The next day I mentioned my musings to my landlord, whose wife is from Brazil. "That's funny," he said, "In Portuguese the word for turkey is 'peru.' Same bird, different country." Hmm.
With my curiosity piqued, I decided to go straight to the source. That very afternoon I found myself a Turk and asked him how to say turkey in Turkish. "Turkey?" he said. "Well, we call turkeys 'hindi,' which means, you know, from India." India? This was getting weird. I spent the next few days finding out the word for turkey in as many languages as I could think of, and the more I found out, the weirder things got. In Arabic, for instance, the word for turkey is "Ethiopian bird," while in Greek it is "gallapoula" or "French girl." The Persians, meanwhile, call them "buchalamun" which means, appropriately enough, "chameleon."
In Italian, on the other hand, the word for turkey is "tacchino" which, my Italian relatives assured me, means nothing but the bird. "But," they added, "it reminds us of something else. In Italy we call corn, which as everybody knows comes from America, 'grano turco,' or 'Turkish grain.'" So here we were back to Turkey again! And as if things weren't already confusing enough, a further consultation with my Turkish informant revealed that the Turks call corn "misir" which is also their word for Egypt!
By this point, things were clearly getting out of hand. But I persevered nonetheless, and just as I was about to give up hope, a pattern finally seemed to emerge from this bewildering labyrinth. In French, it turns out, the word for turkey is "dinde," meaning "from India," just like in Turkish. The words in both German and Russian had similar meanings, so I was clearly on to something. The key, I reasoned, was to find out what turkeys are called in India, so I called up my high school friend's wife, who is from an old Bengali family, and popped her the question.
"Oh," she said, "We don't have turkeys in India. They come from America. Everybody knows that."
"Yes," I insisted, "but what do you call them?"
"Well, we don't have them!" she said. She wasn't being very helpful. Still, I persisted:
"Look, you must have a word for them. Say you were watching an American movie translated from English and the actors were all talking about turkeys. What would they say?" "Well...I suppose in that case they would just say the American word, 'turkey.' Like I said, we don't have them." So there I was, at a dead end. I began to realize only too late that I had unwittingly stumbled upon a problem whose solution lay far beyond the capacity of my own limited resources. Obviously I needed serious professional assistance. So the next morning I scheduled an appointment with Prof. Sinasi Tekin of Harvard University, a world-renowned philologist and expert on Turkic languages. If anyone could help me, I figured it would be Professor Tekin.
As I walked into his office on the following Tuesday, I knew I would not be disappointed. Prof. Tekin had a wizened, grandfatherly face, a white, bushy, knowledgeable beard, and was surrounded by stack upon stack of just the sort of hefty, authoritative books which were sure to contain a solution to my vexing Turkish mystery. I introduced myself, sat down, and eagerly awaited a dose of Prof. Tekin's erudition. "You see," he said, "In the Turkish countryside there is a kind of bird, which is called a chulluk. It looks like a turkey but it is much smaller, and its meat is very delicious. Long before the discovery of America, English merchants had already discovered the delicious chulluk, and began exporting it back to England, where it became very popular, and was known as a 'Turkey bird' or simply a 'turkey.' Then, when the English came to America, they mistook the birds here for chulluks, and so they began calling them 'turkey" also. But other peoples weren't so easily fooled. They knew that these new birds came from America, and so they called them things like 'India birds,' 'Peruvian birds,' or 'Ethiopian birds.' You see, 'India,' 'Peru' and 'Ethiopia' were all common names for the New World in the early centuries, both because people had a hazier understanding of geography, and because it took a while for the name 'America' to catch on.
"Anyway, since that time Americans have begun exporting their birds everywhere, and even in Turkey people have started eating them, and have forgotten all about their delicious chulluk. This is a shame, because chulluk meat is really much, much tastier."
Prof. Tekin seemed genuinely sad as he explained all this to me. I did my best to comfort him, and tried to express my regret at hearing of the unfairly cruel fate of the delicious chulluk. Deep down, however, I was ecstatic. I finally had a solution to this holiday problem, and knew I would be able once again to enjoy the main course of my traditional Thanksgiving dinner without reservation.
Now if I could just figure out why they call those little teeny dogs Chihuahuas....
Friday, November 21, 2008
Free Medical Clinic of Aiken County Opens its New Facility
The Free Medical Clinic of Aiken County has taken one of the biggest steps in the life and work of the clinic. A new facility has been purchased in the City of Aiken from which to operate. This new location will enable the clinic to fully realize its mission. The clinic will be able to expand the hours of operation, and extend the provision of service to both chronic and non emergency needs.
On Friday, November 21, 2008, at 10 am, there was a ceremony to publicly open the new facility. The opening of this facility fulfills a key strategic goal established for the clinic,
During the ceremony the name of the Free Medical Clinic of Aiken County was changed to the Community Medical Clinic of Aiken County. The distinction of the name change is to ensure that present and future patients recognize the clinic as the Aiken Community's primary medical care provider for those who do not have the means necessary to employ other medical providers. Going forward, the Community Medical Clinic of Aiken County will strive to become part of the medical community in delivering to the needs of Aiken County citizens, and work in coordination with other medical providers.
The new facility is located at 244 Greeneville Street, two blocks behind Aiken Public Safety's facility,The phone number is (803) 226-0631.
Silver Bluff May Get Turn Lanes
In case you missed it the following report appeared in the Aiken Standard today. The wheels of government move slowly!
Silver Bluff may get turn lanes
http://www.aikenstandard.com/Local/1121ARTS
11/21/2008 12:54 AM
By HALEY HUGHES
Staff writer
A representative with the South Carolina Department of Transportation has unveiled plans that call for the addition of several turn lanes at key intersections along Silver Bluff Road in lieu of widening the thoroughfare to five lanes.
The improvements were approved unanimously by the South Carolina subcommittee of the Augusta Regional Transportation Study (ARTS) with a few provisions, laying to rest a prolonged debate which weighed the merits of widening the two-lane road versus adding turn lanes.
The state originally supported the widening - which would have transformed Silver Bluff Road from 0.4 miles west of Richardsons Lake Road to approximately 600 feet east of Indian Creek Trail from two lanes to five - but many in Aiken felt turn lanes were a better, less expensive alternative that would also damage fewer trees.
"This is far superior to the five-lane widening," said Gary Bunker, a member of Aiken County Council who was present at the meeting. "I think it's really good."
On top of approving the turn lanes, the subcommittee asked that SCDOT consider making lanes at least 24 to 39 inches wide with the exception of the turn lanes, not installing a traffic light at the entrance to Woodside Plantation, minimizing the taking of right-of-way, consider installing a left-turn lane at Savannah Drive and use curb and gutter.
"The plans are still conceptual," said Fred Cavanaugh, committee chairman and Aiken mayor. "There is still a lot of design work to do."
The plans will now be forwarded to ARTS for its consideration. Public meetings will also be held in the future to go over the turn lane plans.
BREAKOUT
Proposed turn lanes on Silver Bluff Road
Silver Bluff Road at Richardsons Lake Road (possibility of installing a traffic light at intersection)
Northbound on Silver Bluff: left- and right turn lane
- Southbound on Silver Bluff: dual left-turn lanes and a right turn lane
- On Richardson's Lake Road: left-turn lane
Silver Bluff at Woodside Plantation Drive (possibility of installing a traffic light at intersection)
- Northbound on Silver Bluff: right turn lane
- Southbound on Silver Bluff: left-turn lane
Silver Bluff at Hartwell Drive/Woodside Executive Court
- Northbound on Silver Bluff: left-turn lane
- Southbound on Silver Bluff: left-turn lane
Silver Bluff at Town Creek Road
- Northbound on Silver Bluff: left-turn lane
- Southbound on Silver Bluff: right turn lane
- On Town Creek Road: left-turn lane
Silver Bluff may get turn lanes
http://www.aikenstandard.com/Local/1121ARTS
11/21/2008 12:54 AM
By HALEY HUGHES
Staff writer
A representative with the South Carolina Department of Transportation has unveiled plans that call for the addition of several turn lanes at key intersections along Silver Bluff Road in lieu of widening the thoroughfare to five lanes.
The improvements were approved unanimously by the South Carolina subcommittee of the Augusta Regional Transportation Study (ARTS) with a few provisions, laying to rest a prolonged debate which weighed the merits of widening the two-lane road versus adding turn lanes.
The state originally supported the widening - which would have transformed Silver Bluff Road from 0.4 miles west of Richardsons Lake Road to approximately 600 feet east of Indian Creek Trail from two lanes to five - but many in Aiken felt turn lanes were a better, less expensive alternative that would also damage fewer trees.
"This is far superior to the five-lane widening," said Gary Bunker, a member of Aiken County Council who was present at the meeting. "I think it's really good."
On top of approving the turn lanes, the subcommittee asked that SCDOT consider making lanes at least 24 to 39 inches wide with the exception of the turn lanes, not installing a traffic light at the entrance to Woodside Plantation, minimizing the taking of right-of-way, consider installing a left-turn lane at Savannah Drive and use curb and gutter.
"The plans are still conceptual," said Fred Cavanaugh, committee chairman and Aiken mayor. "There is still a lot of design work to do."
The plans will now be forwarded to ARTS for its consideration. Public meetings will also be held in the future to go over the turn lane plans.
BREAKOUT
Proposed turn lanes on Silver Bluff Road
Silver Bluff Road at Richardsons Lake Road (possibility of installing a traffic light at intersection)
Northbound on Silver Bluff: left- and right turn lane
- Southbound on Silver Bluff: dual left-turn lanes and a right turn lane
- On Richardson's Lake Road: left-turn lane
Silver Bluff at Woodside Plantation Drive (possibility of installing a traffic light at intersection)
- Northbound on Silver Bluff: right turn lane
- Southbound on Silver Bluff: left-turn lane
Silver Bluff at Hartwell Drive/Woodside Executive Court
- Northbound on Silver Bluff: left-turn lane
- Southbound on Silver Bluff: left-turn lane
Silver Bluff at Town Creek Road
- Northbound on Silver Bluff: left-turn lane
- Southbound on Silver Bluff: right turn lane
- On Town Creek Road: left-turn lane
Tuesday, November 18, 2008
Election 2008: S.C. red starts to fade
From The State.com
Posted on Sunday, Nov. 16, 2008
Election 2008: S.C. red starts to fade
By WAYNE WASHINGTON
Barack Obama did not carry South Carolina in winning the presidency, but future Democratic nominees could find the Palmetto State to be much more fertile territory.
An analysis of voting patterns over the past eight years shows that Democrats have made big strides in a state that has been reliably Republican since Jimmy Carter last won it for the Democrats in 1976.
Those strides have not yet borne fruit for Democrats. Republicans still occupy the governor’s office and control both houses of the General Assembly. Republican presidential nominee John McCain also beat Obama here by a comfortable 9 percentage points.
Read More.. .
Posted on Sunday, Nov. 16, 2008
Election 2008: S.C. red starts to fade
By WAYNE WASHINGTON
Barack Obama did not carry South Carolina in winning the presidency, but future Democratic nominees could find the Palmetto State to be much more fertile territory.
An analysis of voting patterns over the past eight years shows that Democrats have made big strides in a state that has been reliably Republican since Jimmy Carter last won it for the Democrats in 1976.
Those strides have not yet borne fruit for Democrats. Republicans still occupy the governor’s office and control both houses of the General Assembly. Republican presidential nominee John McCain also beat Obama here by a comfortable 9 percentage points.
Read More.. .
Sunday, November 9, 2008
November 10, City Council Meeting
DOUGHERTY CONNECTOR ROAD TO WAL-MART – At the last City Council meeting on October 20 our City Manager advised that the contract to complete the long-awaited connector road between Dougherty Road and Wal-Mart has been awarded. The work should be completed in late 2009.
FINANCE DEPARTMENT DIRECTOR RETIREMENT – Anita Lilly, our award-winning Finance Department Director since September 3, 1985, has announced her retirement effective January 29, 2009. Anita has led her department to achieve Certificates of Achievement for Excellence in Financial Reporting every year since 1992. Her accomplishments also include annual reports with no comments from our auditing firm. She has been instrumental in implementing our computer technology systems beginning in 1987. We wish Anita well as she completes her City service to enjoy her well-earned retirement.
COMPREHENSIVE PLAN REVIEW – Planning Commission Chairman Bill Reynolds has reported back on the Commission’s review of the Aiken Comprehensive Plan. Our plan was amended regarding the South and Southeast sections of the City in 2002 and 2003. Under state law, these plans are required to be reviewed every five years. The Planning Commission review revealed no need for any changes to this section of the Comprehensive Plan at this time. In the coming months, the Planning Commission anticipated making other recommendations to Council regarding open space areas, items required under the state Priority Investment Act and an update of certain socioeconomic information.
CITY PAVING SCHEDULE – Paving has now started in the Trail Ridge/Bellreive area and should be completed soon.
PRESERVE AMERICA GRANT – The City of Aiken is one of 44 cities across the country to receive a grant from the National Park Service under its Federal “Preserve America” Program. This $20,000 grant will be used toward our city’s continuing historic preservation efforts. The NPS considered 119 applications, so our selection is a welcome recognition of our local preservation efforts.
APPOINTMENTS TO BOARDS AND COMMISSIONS – I am pleased to announce the appointment of Pat Andringa to the Arts Commission. She replaces Mary Ellen Krippner who recently resigned. I want to thank Mary Ellen for her long service to the Arts Commission and with Pat well. Pat is no stranger to the Arts Community having been involved in one way or another for over twenty years. I sincerely appreciate people like Pat and Mary Ellen who are willing to serve their community.
I have also reappointed Pete Seaha to the Planning Commission. Pete has served admirably in his position and has proven to be a valuable asset to the Planning Commission.
ABANDONED VEHICLES – We will consider under first reading an ordinance to deal with abandoned vehicles. This program is similar to one found in Anderson that deals with inoperable vehicles. It involves the owners selling the vehicle to the City for $75. In turn, the City will take these vehicles to a recycling center. The program has been very successful in the City of Anderson during the past three years and has resulted in the removal of 220 vehicles through this buyout program. This is the kind of program which will improve the neighborhoods in our city.
HOUNDSLAKE GOLF COURSE - Many of you know that Houndslake Country Club has announced plans to close the Laurel golf course effective December 31, 2008. I have been working with Houndslake North volunteers to study the issue and report to residents on options available. We hope to soon disseminate information to materially help the 265 residents near the Laurel golf course make whatever decision is in their best interests. I expect the Aiken Standard to continue to cover this issue.
FINANCE DEPARTMENT DIRECTOR RETIREMENT – Anita Lilly, our award-winning Finance Department Director since September 3, 1985, has announced her retirement effective January 29, 2009. Anita has led her department to achieve Certificates of Achievement for Excellence in Financial Reporting every year since 1992. Her accomplishments also include annual reports with no comments from our auditing firm. She has been instrumental in implementing our computer technology systems beginning in 1987. We wish Anita well as she completes her City service to enjoy her well-earned retirement.
COMPREHENSIVE PLAN REVIEW – Planning Commission Chairman Bill Reynolds has reported back on the Commission’s review of the Aiken Comprehensive Plan. Our plan was amended regarding the South and Southeast sections of the City in 2002 and 2003. Under state law, these plans are required to be reviewed every five years. The Planning Commission review revealed no need for any changes to this section of the Comprehensive Plan at this time. In the coming months, the Planning Commission anticipated making other recommendations to Council regarding open space areas, items required under the state Priority Investment Act and an update of certain socioeconomic information.
CITY PAVING SCHEDULE – Paving has now started in the Trail Ridge/Bellreive area and should be completed soon.
PRESERVE AMERICA GRANT – The City of Aiken is one of 44 cities across the country to receive a grant from the National Park Service under its Federal “Preserve America” Program. This $20,000 grant will be used toward our city’s continuing historic preservation efforts. The NPS considered 119 applications, so our selection is a welcome recognition of our local preservation efforts.
APPOINTMENTS TO BOARDS AND COMMISSIONS – I am pleased to announce the appointment of Pat Andringa to the Arts Commission. She replaces Mary Ellen Krippner who recently resigned. I want to thank Mary Ellen for her long service to the Arts Commission and with Pat well. Pat is no stranger to the Arts Community having been involved in one way or another for over twenty years. I sincerely appreciate people like Pat and Mary Ellen who are willing to serve their community.
I have also reappointed Pete Seaha to the Planning Commission. Pete has served admirably in his position and has proven to be a valuable asset to the Planning Commission.
ABANDONED VEHICLES – We will consider under first reading an ordinance to deal with abandoned vehicles. This program is similar to one found in Anderson that deals with inoperable vehicles. It involves the owners selling the vehicle to the City for $75. In turn, the City will take these vehicles to a recycling center. The program has been very successful in the City of Anderson during the past three years and has resulted in the removal of 220 vehicles through this buyout program. This is the kind of program which will improve the neighborhoods in our city.
HOUNDSLAKE GOLF COURSE - Many of you know that Houndslake Country Club has announced plans to close the Laurel golf course effective December 31, 2008. I have been working with Houndslake North volunteers to study the issue and report to residents on options available. We hope to soon disseminate information to materially help the 265 residents near the Laurel golf course make whatever decision is in their best interests. I expect the Aiken Standard to continue to cover this issue.
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