CROSLAND PARK UPDATE - Renovation work in Crosland Park is set to begin Monday, October 26, 2009. Joe Walker of Joseph M. Walker Construction is completing his certification in asbestos abatement. He is utilizing two workers who are participating in the Workplace Investment Act Program. Once asbestos has been abated in the initial homes which are part of this neighborhood revitalization project, we will hold a house christening at a time and location to be announced, more than likely in mid-November.
LOCAL OPTION SALES TAX (LOST). Preliminary meetings have commenced to develop a preliminary list of city capital improvement projects to include on the next ballot for LOST funding. As we have done for the two previous lists, a joint meeting with Aiken County and City of North Augusta officials will be held in order to avoid any duplication of projects. A separate LOST III board will be selected to review the entire list before it is put on the ballot in November, 2010.
2010 FEDERAL CENSUS: We are also making preparations to work with other local government officials to support the 2010 official federal census. As part of these preparations a public relations campaign will be promoted. Once information as to how to best support the decennial census information is shared in more detail, we will continue to provide more updates to you. Census figures are used in a multitude of ways, including the number of representatives we have in the U.S. Congress and State legislature. Also, how much funding we receive is based on our population figures.
CITY/SPCA DOG PARK - Over the last 12 months the City and the SPCA have been working on the development of their dog park at the future SPCA location on Willow Run Road. This area has been annexed into the city, and there were several items that needed to be dealt with before this park could start. The last few items are currently being completed, and we have tentatively set a date of Saturday, December 12, 2009, at 10 A.M. for the opening of the dog park. We would like Council to place this on their calendar since you have all been involved with this from the very beginning. The SPCA has nearly completed it capital campaign for the new structure, and will be asking the City for its contributions toward this new building. Currently we use approximately 40% of their space which would amount to approximately $1.68 million towards the new construction. We have had several meetings with the SPCA over the past year and due to in-kind support they will be asking City Council to only contribute $1 million towards this new building. This will be one of the items that will be on the suggested One Cents Sales proposal that Council will be receiving later this winter.
SANDWICH BOARD SIGNS - At the last Aiken Downtown Development Association meeting the Board recommended changes to the temporary sidewalk signs. They are currently not allowed in the downtown area, but the City has been working with the merchants and not enforcing this ordinance based on previous discussions with City Council. The ADDA Design Committee has developed several changes to the current ordinance and these are being sent to our Planning Commission for review and then be sent back to City Council for final review and approval. This should be back to City Council some time early next year.
APPOINTMENTS TO BOARDS AND COMMISSIONS – I am please to announce that I have appointed Al Snell to the Parks Commission and reappointed Marsha Rodgers to the Environmental Committee and Charles Herbst to the Design Review Board. My new appointment to the Aiken Housing Authority is Frances Farley. I am very grateful when such outstanding citizens volunteer to serve their community.
RESOLUTION FOR APPROVAL OF PURCHASE OF PROPERTY AT 2340 WHISKEY ROAD - .Several years ago the City and County of Aiken formed a committee of nine citizens who developed alternate routes for a new road from Powderhouse to Whiskey. After two years they decided that the best location was the extension of East Gate Drive with the new road extending in a northeasterly direction until it meets Powderhouse Road. Additionally, a north-south road parallel to Whiskey would also be built behind the Bonnieview Subdivision extending from Corporate Parkway to this new roadway. In order to begin the planning and development of this future road, the City of Aiken needs to first obtain the property opposite East Gate Drive. This property is currently owned by Shirley Dyer, and she has agreed to sell it for $850,000. She previously had a contractual agreement to purchase the property for $850,000 in 2007 and another agreement in 2001 for $810,000. We feel this is a fair and appropriate price for the purchase of this property and recommend the approval of the attached resolution so we can obtain the property before the end of the year. Within this agreement it states that the City of Aiken will continue leasing the property to the present veterinary business until February 15, 2012. We will purchase the property using funds from the One Cents Sales Tax. During the next couple of years the City of Aiken will begin obtaining permits and approvals from the South Carolina Department of Transportation and DHEC for the proposed roadway. The road currently under construction at Pawnee and Neilson took over two years to design and obtain these permits. If we are to begin construction within the next couple of years, we feel this purchase is absolutely necessary for the proposed alignment of this new roadway. For City Council consideration, this is approval of the purchase of property at 2340 Whiksey Road for the Powderhouse Road extension from Shirley K. Dyer for $850,000.
FIRST READING OF AN ORDINANCE TO ANNEX PROPERTY AT 103 THOMAS STREET - The owners of a .39 acre lot at 103 Thomas Street are requesting annexation in to the City of Aiken under the RS-10 zone. The present location is occupied by a single family home and is contiguous to the City of Aiken to the east and to the west. The applicant is interested in receiving sanitary sewer and other city services. This is part of the overall plan that City Council established approximately 10 years ago towards annexing Virginia Acres through the means of establishing sanitary sewer in this area. The Planning Commission voted unanimously to approve this annexation.
FIRST READING OF AN ORDINANCE TO ANNEX PROPERTY AT 138 LYNWOOD DRIVE - The owners of a .45 acre lot at 138 Lynwood Drive are requesting annexation for their single family home under the RS-15 zone. The parcel is contiguous to the City of Aiken to the north and west. The applicant is interested in receiving city services. This is the second property on Lynwood Drive that has annexed in the past month, and we will be surveying the other properties in this area to determine if there are others who desire annexation in this area. The Planning Commission unanimously approved this annexation.
RESOLUTION ACCEPTING THE CORNERS DEED OF DEDICATION - The Corners Subdivision was completed in 1989 with the intent that these roads would be maintained by the homeowners association. The homeowners association however has also been maintaining the water, the sewer and stormwater since that time. They have approached the City and are asking us to assume ownership and maintenance of these systems. The Engineering Department has reviewed these systems and recommend their dedication. Our Staff Attorney, Ben Moore, has developed a quitclaim deed resolution which will allow us to continue to maintain the utility systems for the benefit of the homeowners in this area. We feel it is important to have the rights and ability to service these lines and are recommending the approval of this quitclaim deed.
WINTHROP POLO FIELD PROJECT - The City has been contacted by the Executive Director of the Aiken Land Conservancy (ALC) concerning a potential partnership between ALC and the City of Aiken concerning the Winthrop Polo Field. This field is owned by the ALC, and due to lack of funding they would like to partner with the City to clean up the area along Sumter Street. They would clear out the hedgerow along the field and replace it with a wooden fence and shrubs. This will eventually help screen the area, reduce the maintenance costs, and beautify the field for the adjoining residents and those using the facility. They are willing to pay for the clearing of the property and managing the entire project. They are asking the City to pay for hauling off the debris, the cost of the fence, and the plant material along the fence line. Altogether they are asking the City for approximately $12,000 consisting of $5,000 for the fence, $4,000 plant material and $3,000 for debris removal. They in turn would provide over $6,000 of in-kind help to remove the existing trees and undergrowth in this area. Eric Radford will be at tonight's meeting to answer any questions Council may have concerning this, and Bob Gore would provide the equipment and labor to remove the trees and shrubbery. The City has worked in a cooperative manner such as this in the past on projects which are of mutual benefit to both parties. If Council decides to move forward with this project, we would use funds from the Accommodations Tax dollars since this property is used by the entire community and the fencing and shrubbery will add additional value to this property. There is no current designation for these funds in the Accommodations Tax budget and $100,000 was set aside this year for new projects.
PROCLAMATION SUPPORTING UPCOMING CENSUS IN APRIL, 2010 - The Census Bureau has asked us to approve a proclamation concerning their upcoming census in April, 2010. The Census Committee consisting of various citizens within our community and other governmental leaders feel it is important to approve this proclamation showing the cooperation amongst all the bodies to get an accurate count of the residents within our community.
SECOND READING OF AN ORDINANCE TO REFUND WATER AND SEWER SYSTEM BOND. - Over the last several months the City has been reviewing revenue bond debt for utilities. Currently the City is paying approximately $1 million a year to retire two water and sewer revenue bonds: one which was issued in 1997 and will be paid off in 2015 and the other a water and sewer revolving fund loan from the state. The state loan will be paid off in 2011, and the revenue currently used to pay off this loan would help pay off the 1997revenue debt. The state loan is at 2.24% annual interest, and we will continue paying this debt off as scheduled. However, the other debt which has its next debt payment on December 1, 2009, is at an interest rate of between 3 and 5.1%. Given the fact that there are only five more years remaining on the debt and the small amount remaining to be paid, we have discussed obtaining a short term bond with banks in our area. Based on information from our bond attorney, we can save over $200,000 over the remaining life of this debt by refinancing the 1997 bond.
SECOND READING OF AN ORDINANCE ACCEPTING FISCAL YEAR 2008-2009 AUDITED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS – Elliott Davis, LLC has completed our audit for fiscal year 2008-2009. Within the audit, the 2008-2009 line items show the changes with respect to the proposed actual revenue and expenditures. In essence the audit is a reconciliation of what was approved by City Council in June, 2008, and what was actually spent during the past fiscal year. The audit report will show that there were no deficiencies found in our financial records.
FINANCIAL INFORMATION - Please feel free to use the link http://www/cityofaikensc.gov/financialtransparency to access our financial reports.
AGENDA FOR SEPTEMBER 28, 2009 CITY COUNCIL MEETING:
http://www.cityofaikensc.gov/index.php?mact=News,cntnt01,detail,0&cntnt01articleid=1125&cntnt01returnid=277.
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