City Council - Special Meeting

Good evening. Welcome to the July 27th special meeting of the Aiken City Council. If you're inclined, please rise for the invocation followed by the pledge. 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, please?

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. Good evening, everyone. We're glad you're here. I have no additions or deletions, so I make a motion that we accept our agenda as it was printed. Thank you so much. May I have a second from someone?

Thank you, Councilwoman Diggs. We have one presentation tonight. It is a proclamation designating August 2nd through 8th, 2026 as National Health Center Week. Councilwoman Diggs? Yes. Are you ready for this? Thank you. My honor. Oh, I'm sorry. I missed this. Sorry.

All those in favor? Thank you. Sorry about that glitch. No, it's okay. All right.

Thank you. Thank you. Okay. Councilman Diggs, would you like to read the proclamation into the record?

I would be honored. Good afternoon, everyone, or good evening. It is my pleasure to read this proclamation declaring August 2nd through the 8th as National Community Health Center Week. My employer is Rural Health Services and we are a federally qualified community health center and we serve all of Aiken County with four locations. We see people with Medicaid, Medicare, private insurance, sliding scale fees, and we don't turn anyone away for their inability to pay. And we are a one-stop shop for primary health care services. So tonight I have the pleasure of reading this proclamation and prese

Thank you. And would you all come up to the front for pictures and to receive your proclamation? Everyone from Rural Health Services.

Now we have a public input session about the proposed hospitality tax increase. Online comments were provided to Council on their agenda packets. Some additional comments you received just recently, tonight after the agenda was published, and they were just provided to you all. Mr. Biedma, will you please introduce this topic?

this proposal that is before council first reading was held last at our most recent meeting with a second reading coming up at a future meeting perhaps thank you so much and thank you all for coming and we will now move to listen to your comments and each person will have five minutes to speak and we probably will just listen to you and then take it all into account. So I saw someone raise their hand. Would you like to come up first.

Madam Mayor, I have a point of clarification. We can ask questions and comment and ask questions. I just wanted to make sure.

Oh, of course. The main gist here is for you all to express your feelings on this new thing. Thank you.

Thank you so much. Yes, ma'am. Then you're next back there after. Good evening.

You're right. They have to adjust their registers. Yes.

Thank you. Sir, in the back with the black, that would be you. Good evening.

Thank you for your comments Madam Mayor, could I ask her a question? yes miss peel do you want her to come back up yes if could you could you tell me could you come up again i'm just trying to make sure i have the name of your bakery and the other restaurant next to it yes ma'am um my name is the one with the wonderful bagels but i wanted to make sure the bakery is oh mia stelle o-h-m-i-e-s-t-e-l-l-e

The only one open during COVID. That's right. Not COVID, the hurricane.

Thank you so much. Yes, ma'am. Good evening, Dr. Waltz.

Thank you. Oops, yes, Mr. Peter. Oh, sorry, you're you go.

Thank you, Peter. Yes, ma'am. Good evening to you.

Thank you, ma'am. I'm going to let someone speak about the hospitality tax. That was the purpose of this meeting. Okay. All right. That's fine. Thank you. Yes, sir. Good evening.

Thank you. Anyone else like to speak? Yes.

We have exhausted this. Thank you all for coming and expressing your opinions we we truly appreciate it and we love the fact that you are involved in are interested in what goes on in the city. We have one item of old business this evening. It is second reading and public hearing of an ordinance to extend Oliver Hospitality Group's option to purchase property in connection with the redevelopment of Hotel Aiken and certain surrounding properties. Mr. Bedenboe.

Thank you. Do I have a motion, please, to accept the ordinance? I so move. Councilwoman Broll made the motion. Second from Councilwoman Diggs. Any comments from the public? Yes, sir.

Thank you. Any other comments? Yes, sir.

Thank you. Any other comments from the public? Comments from council? All those in favor? It is unanimous, thank you. will now move into an executive session the session notice reads as follows on monday july 27 2026 after the special council meeting the aiken city council will go into executive session pursuant to section 30-4-70 princesses a princess two and princess three there will be discussions regarding the lease of city-owned property There will also be discussions regarding negotiations incident to a proposed contractual arrangement and the receipt of legal advice where the legal advi

Is there a motion to come out of executive session? Councilwoman Price made the motion. Second from Councilwoman Morgan. All those in favor? Thank you. It's unanimous.

I so move. So with that, I need a motion.

Madam Mayor, I so move that we give Mr. Plyler the authority to negotiate the extension for the 60 days instead of the 20 days, and that the terms of the payback or the rent... Give it back.

well yeah there is in you yeah there is something else i'll need to ask you all but right now i just need to know am i authorized to negotiate that 60 days and that's a motion from councilman morgan yes and a second from councilman waldell thank you uh all those in favor thank you very much it is unanimous

So can I have a motion to accept his son?

I'd like to make a motion that we do not authorize our attorney to proceed into any further contractual monetary negotiations beyond the funds that we already agreed to as part of his lease.

We can go with that? Is there any discussion? Thank you.

My only point of clarification in regards to that amount we've extended his lease, that payback still exists for that extension. Does that make sense, what I'm asking?

but he would still be entitled under this extension to the monies of rent held in escrow, and that amount would be some $150,000. Right, so $155,700.

So nothing has changed. He is held whole for the benefits that have been promised him as long as he gets out and complies with the terms and the extension that we've given him. And the motion that Mr. Messina has just said is that in regards, that is not affected, but a desire to add $100,000 to the settlement or to authority to settle is what he says no to, not what he's entitled to already.

So I have a motion from Councilman Messina, and I need a second.

That's right. Okay, sorry. So now we're ready to do a vote.

Oh, any more discussion. Madam Mayor, if I may, Mr. Plyler, the contract that we had with Mr. Kumar was very similar to the contracts with the other clients, correct?

Okay, thank you. If there's no further discussion, we will go to the vote. All those in favor? Thank you. It was unanimous.

Thank you very much. Is there a motion to adjourn the City Council meeting this evening?

Councilman Diggs and Councilman Waldo. Made the second. All those in favor? Thank you. The meeting is adjourned.