Update on City of Aiken Issues

October 4, 2008

NEW SPCA ANIMAL SHELTER AND CITY DOG PARK – City Council passed on first reading an ordinance to annex ten acres of property fronting on Willow Road just behind Willow Run Industrial Park. The area is accessed from Rudy Mason highway or from Beaufort Street. As proposed, the facility would house many more animals than the current facility can. Part of the facility, including the Dog Park and 3,550 sq ft of the 20,000 sq ft building, would be paid by the City. The Dog Park would be built first with the remainder of the facility completed when SPCA fundraising permits. In addition to the animal shelter, the facility would include a Regional Spay/Neuter Clinic servicing residents of the City of Aiken. Aiken County and other communities in the region. There are traffic concerns which need to be addressed at the next reading which will be at the next City Council meeting on October 13.

APPOINTMENTS TO BOARDS AND COMMISSIONS – I am pleased to announce the appointment of Derek Martin to the City of Aiken Recreation Commission. I nominated him on Monday and expect he will be confirmed at our next meeting on October 13. I also reappointed Don Barnes to the General Aviation Commission and Mary Ella Brown to the Community Development Committee.

RECOGNITION OF THE CITY OF AIKEN’S PARKS, RECREATION, & TOURISM DEPARTMENT – Each year the South Carolina Recreation and Parks Association recognizes four agencies across the state as “Agency of the Year” based on their population. Early this month the Association recognized the City of Aiken as the 2008 Agency of the Year in the population category of 25,000 to 50,000. We are one of the smallest cities in this class, along with other cities such as Rock Hill, Irmo-Chapin, the Naval Weapons Station in Charleston, etc. Since 1975 the City has been awarded this recognition sixteen times. Congratulations to Aiken PRT.

CITY PAVING SCHEDULE – Many streets in the Houndslake area will be repaved soon. This includes the following:

Peninsula Point from Laurel Ridge Circle to Cul-de-sac
Laurel Ridge Circle including semicircle
Palm Drive from Cherry Drive to Elm Street
Farrington Point from Troon Way to Cul-de-sac
Lindrick Court from Troon Way to Cul-de-sac
RaintreeCourt from Bedford Place to End
Bellreive Drive from Trail Ridge Road to Bellreive Drive
Bellreive Place from Bellreive Drive to Cul-de-sac
Hagen Court from Bellreive Drive to Cul-de-sac
Inverary Court from Bellreive Drive to Cul-de-sac
Midlothian Court East and West from Bellreive Drive to Cul-de-sac
Trail Ridge Court from Trail Ridge Road to Cul-de-sac
Essex Court from Winged Foot Drive to Cul-de-sac
Woodwind Way from Aberdeen Drive to Cul-de-sac

Paving was supposed to begin on Monday, September 29. Look for door hangers or signs announcing the paving in your area.

CITY OF AIKEN ANNUAL REPORT – The City presented the 2007-2008 Annual Report to the Council. This report contains very important and interesting information about all city departments. It represents an internal review by each department of their activities for the past year and summarizes progress to meet the goals and policies based on the budget approved by City Council. I have asked for a copy in email format so I can provide you with some of the more interesting information in periodic reports. If you have the time, you can review the report at the following link:
http://www.aiken.net/WebLink7/docview.aspx?id=79304.

CONGRESS MOVES TO PROTECT IDENTITIES - A bill that will require the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services to remove social security numbers from new Medicare cards has passed its first congressional hurdle. On 29 September the House passed HR 6600, The Medicare Identity Theft Prevention Act of 2008, sponsored by Rep. Lloyd Doggett (D-Texas). This act mandates the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services establish cost-effective procedures to ensure that a Social Security account number is not displayed, coded, or embedded on Medicare cards issued on or after the effective date of this legislation.
The legislation will also allow for individuals currently holding Medicare cards to receive new cards no later than 3 years after enactment of this bill.
Having Social Security numbers on Medicare cards makes seniors very susceptible to identity theft, a problem that has become more and more popular in recent years. Now that the House has passed H.R. 6600 the Senate must take up the measure.

OPERATION MAIL CALL – Congratulations to our local cable provider, Atlantic Broadband, for implementing a program designed to bring families closer to loved ones serving in the Persian Gulf and Afghanistan. They provide free internet for the duration of the assignment to this dangerous part of the world. So far, a dozen Aiken families have taken advantage of the program. If you know of someone, husband, wife, son, daughter, father, or mother, with a son, daughter, or spouse serving in the Persian Gulf or Afghanistan, please call 888-301-8649 to schedule an installation of equipment. The program is offered to residents of Aiken County and was recently expanded to Barnwell, Bamberg, and Allendale Counties.