City Council - Regular Meeting

Our regular meeting begins at 7 p.m. See you then.

Good evening, everyone. Welcome to the August 24th meeting of the Aiken City Council. If you are inclined, please rise for the invocation followed by the Pledge of Allegiance. Almighty God, our Heavenly Father, send down upon those who hold office in the city of Aiken the spirit of wisdom, charity, and justice that with steadfast purpose they may faithfully serve in their offices to promote the well-being of all people. In your name we pray. Amen. Chief, would you lead us in the Pledge of Allegiance?

As the meeting begins, I will review the guidelines. Meetings are public forums in which many opinions are expressed and the business of the city must be conducted. As such, discipline, honorable, and professional decorum is paramount. Courteous and respectful communication is required. During public meetings, all questions and statements from the public should be directed to the chair. If you wish to speak, raise your hand and I will recognize you. Please approach the podium and state your name and address. In order to allow an opportunity for everyone who wishes to address Council, speakers

Thank you, Mayor Milner. Good evening, everyone. We're glad to have you here this evening. There are no additions or deletions, Madam Mayor, so I move that we accept the agenda as it was printed.

Thank you. She made the motion. Councilman Brohl made the motion. May I have a second?

Oh, girls and boys. I heard him first, so Councilman Messina made the second. All those in favor? Thank you. The minutes were provided to Council for review prior to the meeting. Is there a motion for approval of the minutes?

Councilman Waldo made that motion. I second. A second from Councilwoman Morgan. Any comments or changes? All those in favor? There are two presentations tonight. The first is the presentation of the Municipal Association Achievement Award. Hi, how are you? Desiree Fragosa from the Municipal Association of South Carolina. Come and tell us about that.

embrace the conservation efforts for the people that are coming to Aiken because a lot of them are interested in outdoor recreation and one of our major concerns is having clean drinking water and with this this conservation effort that will be definitely provided to them.

Thank you for that. Our next second presentation is a quarterly report on the water treatment plant.

The second presentation is a quarterly report on the water treatment plant construction. Nicholas Winkler, assistant project manager from Harper General Contractors, will give us our report.

Madam Mayor, so we're on target and on budget, right? That's right. That's what we love to hear. Yeah.

How many million gallon storage is there? Storage, two million gallons. Two million.

Thank you very much. And now we open the floor to public comments on non-agenda items. Comments are limited to three minutes per speaker and for a total of 30 minutes. Yes, sir. Good evening.

Thank you. All right. Good evening, Lex.

Well, I know that staff will find out for you.

One more time, I don't see anyone else. We will go on to approval of the consent agenda. Mr. Beanbow, will you please read the titles of the items on the consent agenda?

I thank you for all of those. Is there a motion, please? So moved, Madam Mayor. Councilwoman Price made the motion. I'll second that, Madam Mayor.

Since there's no comment on the consent agenda, we will go straight to a vote. All those in favor? Thank you. We now have approval and discussion of appointees to various city boards, committees, and commissions.

Thank you. Do I have a motion to accept his nomination? Councilman Waldo and second from Councilwoman Morgan. Comments from the public? Comments from council? All those in favor? Thank you unanimous are there any nominations to consider at our next meeting.

And madam mayor, I would like to reappoint Angela Fleming to the community development committee and doctor and Sir Mo Arthur to the general aviation commission.

Mayor, I'd like to reappoint Josh Raines to the Recreation Committee.

Thank you. Got all of that? The next item under old business is second reading and public hearing of an ordinance to approve a concept plan for property at Whiskey Road, Stratford Drive and Mammoth Pass.

Madam Mayor, I make a motion to accept the concept plan.

Councilman Messina made the motion. I'll second, Madam Mayor. Second from Councilwoman Broll. Any comments from the public? Good evening.

Thank you very much. Any other comments from the public? Yes, sir. Good evening.

Thank you very much for your comment. Any comments from council?

And there are yes says this project is in my district on I had been aware know on my past tense on the planning Commission about other types of developments that have been proposed for this one corner and the the concerns of the adjacent neighborhood concerning that. The one thing that strikes me here, after seeing several different types of intensive developments here, it appears from what's being proposed this evening is a very low intensity use from a traffic perspective. A dental office or a medical office, a small drive-through coffee, that's going to be probably 7 in the morning to 2 in

Thank you, Madam Mayor. I just wanted to comment a little bit about our safe streets for all initiative. because I think we all know, especially those of us new to council, how much traffic on Whiskey Road was a concern for pretty much everybody. And we have some good news. We've won an award to get Safe Streets for All to look at what has happened between Whiskey Road, between Pine Log and Chukar Creek. Just for the record, they know that there's been 11 people killed or seriously injured. It's called a KSI crashes during a study period. We know we have a problem, and I know we can work toget

and the implementation grant that we received which is the 10 million with match we'll go to those specific things that were identified as safety concerns along whiskey road so we we're working toward it and and i think that's the transparency and accountability we need to have as we look at the numbers councilman messina said how many new residences in that area quite a few Not in this specific area. Planned, planned.

Not on Stratford, but the whole. It's more on the north side.

Yes, and that's gonna flow in. So my concern is that we need to take a look and be a little better about, not against this development whatsoever. especially given the length of time. But I also think I kept looking at different time frames they were saying when they were going to implement the traffic corrections. And I am concerned about council having a really good idea with a responsible developer about what's going to happen and why. So it's not against you all. It's about are we planning appropriately? Do we really understand that that median is going to be four feet tall? I'm sorry, wha

Yeah. That's right. And I think there's some things that we need to know. When is it going to be done?

I assume it will be done prior to occupancy.

Right. If it's required by planning, they can't go and just do whatever they want. It's required.

They would not get a certificate of occupancy. That's right. So all the traffic improvements have been done.

And what I want to add to this is I don't disagree with doing a study of whiskey, but I agree with Commissioner Messina. We're looking at this, and all we have to base most of this on is what we have seen in our experience and Pete has more experience than any of us, and the fact that we've had a traffic study and our traffic engineer, so if we're not going to trust them and follow what they say, then we just don't do anything. And, you know, I'm not... willing to do that we pay people to give us this advice and having been a planning commissioner i was a planning commissioner for seven years

Madam also in that regard my constituent base is directly affected they live on Stratford and The fact that they were not very enough vocal at the Planning Commission meeting. They're not vocal tonight the developer and has met with them I'm aware of that home Association and They have to agree that this is the least intense traffic generation that they're ever going to see here. I And so I would prefer to approve this than wait till someone comes in with another Parker's Kitchen and another gas station or whatever and try to force it down our throats. Take something that's low key, it works,

my biggest concern with the traffic report is the increase from the tribute parkway once it opens up and how that's going to affect everything along that that area and i'm not i i'm not saying what i'm voting yay or nay i am saying that as a council person and as a person responsible for what we hear in the community traffic is a problem

And I think the city should do a corridor study, traffic study. And I still question the tribute study. But now that we have more and more impact, yeah, let's do that with any future build-out analysis on Whiskey Road specifically looked at. But we have an application before this evening that Again, I can't say it enough times. It's a low generation, trip generation number. I can imagine not approving it.

And may I add one more thing, Madam Mayor? If I'm, Ms. Moultrie, please correct me if I'm incorrect, but in reading the Beale Engineering, it says This is currently in the engineering phase by SCDOT. It's also included in the arts transportation improvement program. The preliminary engineering is happening right now. Right of way acquisitions are planned for fiscal 2027. $360,000, and construction plan for 2028, $1,560,000. Okay, so that's construction in 2028. This particular development, it says on the page before, will not be completed until 2030. So that intersection should be well underwa

But timing and phasing is something you can do rarely to a cookie. I used to do that for a living. It's a very, very simple process to do. I can do that tomorrow, maybe.

I just feel like I have to say something, that this parcel of land is for sale. So previously there was a business that wanted to come and the people of Stratford were very upset. And if I saw a room here full of people that were belligerent and upset and scared about something, I would be much more inclined to vote against. However, I think this is a very good project, and I do have to say that Aiken is growing, and if there's a parcel of land somewhere that looks like it can be used for a project, it's going to get sold. So that is my feelings. Thank you. We'll take a vote now. All those in

So Councilman Waldo is our opposed, and Councilman Morgan is abstaining. Thank you so much. That is the vote count. Thank you, gentlemen. The next item under old business is second reading of an ordinance to amend the concept plan for 199 Willow Run Road. Mr. Beanbow.

Thank you. Is there a motion to amend the consent plan?

Councilwoman Diggs and a second from? I'll second, Madam Mayor. Councilwoman Bruhl. Are there any comments from the public? Any comments from Council?

Thank you. Unanimous. Fourth item under old business, second reading of a master bond ordinance providing for the issuance and sale of hospitality fee revenue bonds of the city of Aiken, defining the terms and security for such bonds and other matters relating thereto. Mr. B.

Thank you. Is there a motion to accept this? I so move man a mayor Councilman role. Made the motion. 2nd from Councilman Waldo. Comments from the public. Comments from Council. All those in favor. Thank you unanimous. much like the other, this is the final item under Old Business, second reading of a series ordinance of the City of Aiken, South Carolina, providing for the issuance and sale of hospitality fee revenue bonds in the aggregate principal amount of not exceeding $7 million. Mr. Beanbow.

Do I hear a motion? I so move, Madam Mayor. Thank you.

Councilwoman Roll? Second. Councilman Waldo, second. Comments from the public? Comments from council?

I have a clarification, Madam Mayor. in the first paragraph regarding...

So you don't think it's gonna fluctuate with this?

Thank you. Any other comments from the council? All those in favor? Thank you. It's unanimous. We now move to new business. The first item is first reading of an ordinance to rezone five acres located at 102 Gaston Road Northeast from industrial to planned commercial and approve a concept plan. Mr. Bedenboe.

Thank you so much. Do I have a motion to accept this?

Wait now. Have a second. Oh, Councilman Morgan made the motion. Gail made the motion.

Councilwoman Diggs made the motion and Councilman Morgan second the motion. Are there any comments from the public? Are there any comments from Council? I personally would like to say I think this is a fantastic idea and great use of space and thank you for. Planning this. And repurposing a property. Yes, of course.

Yeah, it's a great it's the Biddle property, is that right? What a wonderful way to celebrate what you can have. Right next to high fields. I mean, it's awesome.

Councilman Morgan made the matter may before we do that.

I need to recuse myself because of being a board member.

OK. Thank you for saying that. Councilman Price is going to be absent for this.