AIKEN CITY COUNCIL MEETING

From Dick Dewar

BOARDS AND COMMISSIONS – Tonight at 6:30 PM we will have a work session to discuss revamping all boards, commissions, and committee appointments to coincide with City Council elections. At the present time and due to the fact that I was elected last November, I am the only member of the City Council immediately affected with the current system. Of ten or eleven appointments each Councilmember has (some have an appointment to the Aiken Housing Authority; I do not), I have only made five appointments. Two of those appointments were due to resignations.
However, the primary purpose of this change is to ensure that newly elected City Council members are able to make their appointments on the January 1st date after their election. We will also consider whether appointments should be for two or four years or a combination. State Law, for example, requires that the Design Review Board be for a term of between three and five years.

SMOKING ORDINANCE - Tonight we consider the Smoking Ordinance for the second (and probably last) reading. I expect requests to exempt bars and special club facilities at which smoking is permitted. There has been a major effort on the part of many to develop a consistent ordinance between North Augusta, the County of Aiken, and the City of Aiken. While we have not met as a group, we have exchanged information and I hope, through that process, to be as consistent as possible with a smoking ordinance. I know there are some of you who feel that we are infringing on a person’s right to smoke and others who feel that smoking is harmful to the workplace and should be controlled or prohibited. Tonight may be your last chance to voice your concerns and I hope you take the time to do so.

NEW WALGREENS – First, there is no limit on the number of drugstores/pharmacies that are permitted in the City of Aiken. That said, Walgreens is seeking to build a second store near the corner of Richland Ave and University Parkway. The major concerns at this second reading are traffic and storm water detention. The developer wants to gain access to the store from Pepper Hill Way which borders the property, a “right-in/right-out entrance/exit on Richland Ave, and a new curb cut which would replace an existing curb cut near the Buffet Restaurant on University Ave. The entrance on Richland would only allow access by a right turn into the site and exit by a right turn onto Richland Ave. I still have some concerns about the widening of Pepper Hill Way and the granting of waivers to our Access Management Ordinance passed last November. The remaining issue is that of storm water drainage which we were not able to discuss in sufficient detail at the first reading.

RESIDENTIAL CARE FACILITIES IN A NEIGHBORHOOD – We discussed this issue at the last Council meeting and have determined that the process of developing a Residential Care Facility in the City must begin with the Department of Health and Environmental Control (DHEC). If that is done, we can consider if the applicant complies with City zoning requirements.

CITY HALL SPACE – At our last meeting, we approved the purchase of land immediately adjacent to City Hall. The cost is $930,851.06 which would be payable in four installments. While the size of the lot is small (0.2117 acres), it will permit the addition of the needed space to accommodate future needs. It may be several years before building commences, but the purchase will ensure that City Hall remains in downtown Aiken.