City Council Update

AIKEN CORPORATION WORK SESSION – The work session on February 23rd with the Aiken Corporation began with a lengthy briefing on the history and accomplishments of this non-profit community organization. They have every right to be proud of what they have done for the Aiken community since their founding in the early 1980s. After their briefing, Council had an excellent discussion which focused on several matters of importance. Issues related to the Railroad Depot and African American Cultural Museum were discussed along with several concerns I voiced about the Fiscal Year 2008 Audit. If you are interested further in this item, please refer to the minutes of the work session which are not yet available. I will post the link on the next Aiken Journal entry.

APPOINTMENTS TO BOARDS AND COMMISSIONS – I am please to announce the appointment of Stephen Mueller, who operates the Rose Hill B&B, to a position on the Accommodations Tax Committee and the reappointment of Pat Andringa to the Arts Commission and Robert Besley to the Building Code Appeals Committee.

CONVEYANCE OF CITY-OWNED LOTS TO HABITAT – At Monday’s meeting we will have First Reading of an Ordinance to give four city-owned lots to Habitat. Each year as they build houses and use these lots, we would replenish them with additional vacant lots.

AIKEN'S 175TH BIRTHDAY- This is an unusually light session for a City Council meeting so this posting will be very brief. I do want to let everyone know that planning is active for celebrating the 175^th birthday of the City of Aiken during the 2010 year. Bill Reynolds, who is the Chair of the Planning Commission, was nominated and elected as Chair for this massive planning event. Mayor Fred Cavanaugh is the Honorary Chair. Richard Pearce is the Staff Representative so please call him if you want to volunteer to serve on one of the Committees. He can be reached at 642-7657.