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From YouTube: 2023 State of the City Address ~ Mayor Rick Osbon
Description
Aiken Mayor Rick Osbon hosted fellow elected officials, City staff, and members of the public for the City’s annual State of the City address. The event summarized the City’s successes from the past year before moving into the SRNL proposal to be considered in future weeks by Aiken City Council.
A
We're
going
to
go
ahead
and
begin
our
program
this
evening
with
an
invocation
from
Dr
Tim
McClendon,
the
pastor
of
St
John's,
United,
Methodist
Church,
to
be
followed
by
the
presentation
of
Colors
by
our
department
of
public
safety's,
Color
Guard,
led
by
Lieutenant,
Matt
Comer,
and
then
the
Pledge
of
Allegiance
from
Chief
Charles,
baranco
and
our
national
anthem,
which
will
be
sung
this
evening
by
Aiken
County
Council
Vice,
chairman
Andrew
Siders.
So
if
you
were
so
inclined,
please
stand
and
join
us
in
this
opening
portion
of
our
program.
B
Let
us
pray
gracious
God.
We
are
grateful
for
Aiken
County
for
Aiken.
Indeed,
as
one
of
our
number
often
says,
if
you're
lucky
enough
to
live
in
Aiken,
you're
lucky
enough,
so
Lord
we're
grateful.
We're
grateful
for
the
leadership
of
this
County
leadership
of
this
town.
Leadership
that
is
represented
here
of
our
state
Lord
bless
us
in
all
that
we
do
that.
B
We
might
do
what
is
pleasing
in
your
sight
that
we
might
be
civil
in
our
discourse
that
we
might
love
our
neighbors
as
much
as
we
love
ourselves
that
we
might
put
aside
differences
and
that
we
might
Embrace
unity
and
work
toward
that
for
the
common
good
bless.
Our
mayor
bless.
The
city
council
bless
all
of
our
leadership.
We
pray,
amen.
C
D
D
F
F
Good
evening
welcome
to
the
2023
state
of
the
city.
It's
great
to
see
you
here
in
2017
when
we
started
our
state
of
the
city
address,
we
added
something
to
it
called
the
Aiken
award.
The
Aiken
award
is
given
out
to
recipients
who
are
ambassadors
for
Aiken
and
who
have
increased
the
quality
of
life
for
our
citizens.
F
G
I
met
Sam
years
and
years
ago
in
the
early
early
70s,
because
71
we
started
a
store
downtown
and
he
just
always
impressed
me
as
somebody
that
had
the
betterment
of
Aiken
in
his
heart
and
and
I've
got
another
mom
and
dad
and
and
they
were,
the
police
department
was
still
down
in
the
alley
and
there
was
a
place
that
was
a
older
like
a
Tavern
and
I
can't
remember
what
they
called
it.
I
know
on
the
street.
G
G
H
I
probably
have
known
Sam
since
the
late
1970s,
when
I
first
started
practicing
law
and
then
I
remember
vividly
the
opening
day
of
the
Bowery,
because
that
happened
to
be
the
day
that
Sandy
and
I
got
married
and
Sam
was
a
young
guy.
I
guess
I,
remember
Sam
when
he
was
working
with
Forrest
Holly
at
the
Commercial
Hotel
trying
to
learn
the
restaurant
business.
Well,
my
recollection
of
the
Bowery
was:
it
was
a
very
small.
H
It
was
just
two
rooms
and
it
was
the
the
beginning
of
the
Renaissance
of
the
alley
and
to
what
it
is
today.
It
was
a
big
risk,
I'm
sure
for
him
to
undertake
that,
and
he
had
a
lot
of
help
and
it
was
a
family
thing
with
his
parents
and
and
then
Donna,
but
he
was
a
risk
taker
and
it
certainly
paid
off
and
he
was
in
at
it.
32.
I
Years,
if
you
know
anything
about
Sam
he's,
probably
one
of
the
hardest
working
guys
you'll
ever
come
across
he's
he
never
stops.
I've
helped
him
with
some
project
that
is
projects
at
his
lake
house.
There's
always
Sam's
always
got
something
going
on
he's
like
a
just
a
busy
bee.
He
can't
he's
not
a
quitter
he's.
He
won't
tell
you
why
he
can't
do
the
job.
I
He
he's
going
to
tell
you
how
we
can
do
the
job
and
how
we
can
work
work
together
to
make
it
happen,
he's
one
of
those
guys
as
far
as
he
loves
the
city
of
Aitkin.
Obviously
he
he
cares
about
everything
that
goes
on
in
this
town.
He
wants
to
be
a
part
of
it
and
it's.
This
town
is
extremely
important
to
him.
This
will.
This
will
always
be
home
for
Sam.
He
wants
to
If
he
if
he
sees
something
that
he
thinks
could
improve.
I
E
Is
a
big
supporter
of
downtown
Aiken
and
Aiken
itself?
Does
a
very
good
job
with
the
corporation
he's
been
involved
with
Aiken
Downtown
Development
Association,
and
he
has
always
been
a
positive
person
to
take
risk
to
get
things
done.
He
volunteers
to
to
help
other
people
help
other
businesses
to
help
other
restaurants.
The
main
thing
that
I
remember
was
when
the
alley
was
deciding
when
they
decided
to
close
the
alley.
You
know
most
people
were
a
lot
of
people
were
anti
closing
the
alley.
He
was
very
much
for
it.
E
His
fought
for
a
good
reason
because
he
saw
more
family
people
coming
down
and
more
families
being
aboard,
and
he
has
four
family.
He
has
four
progress
and
his
he
has
a
lot
of
vision.
What
I
mean
by
science
vision?
Is
he
doesn't
necessarily
he
Visions
things
past
his
lifetime?
He
visits
things
more
in
the
future
of
our
children
and
our
grandchildren
he's
not
looking
at
himself
he's
very
unselfish
and
he's
not
looking
at
himself.
He
might
not
see
these
things
that
he
is
doing
for
future
Generations.
E
He
has
always
been
a
proponent
of
being
for
a
forward
thinker.
He's
always
been
a
proponent
of
Being
for
the
good
of
Aiken,
even
if
he
has
to
take
a
step
back.
He
always
feels
like
it's
two
steps
forward
and
that's
one
thing
that
I
did
learn
from
him
and
he
has
done
a
very
good
job
of
being
a
role
model
for
a
lot
of
people.
To
really
understand.
That's
not
about
us
is
about
100
years
from
now
on.
How
well
Aiken
is
going
to
be
served.
H
G
E
Sam
I've
enjoyed
working
with
you
very
much
on
all
the
Committees,
especially
Aiken
Corp
we've
worked
with
worked
in
Adda
together.
You've
always
been
a
proponent
of
the
alley.
You've
always
gotten
all
of
the
restaurants
together
down
downtown
and
have
done
done
your
thing
and
done
the
thing
that's
best
for
Aiken
you've
always
been
the
best
for
Aiken,
and
you
always
will
be
the
best
for
Aiken.
I
F
F
J
J
J
K
L
Carmen
and
I
immediately
bonded
Carmen
is
a
very
outgoing
motivated
high
energy
person
and
she
and
I
just
got
along
well
I
hope
I
supported
her,
but
she
certainly
supported
me
in
the
United
Way
and
our
efforts
in
raising
funds
annually
to
support
non-profits
in
our
area.
You
know
Carmen
as
well.
As
you
know,
most
of
our
agency
directors.
That's
the
beauty
of
giving
to
United
Way
is
that
non-profits
and
particularly
people
like
Carmen,
are
able
to
fund
a
lot
of
their
programs
through
grant
writing
volunteers.
M
It
was
quite
evident
when
Carmen
came
to
Helping
Hands,
that
she
had
done
her
research
and
that
she
had
a
background
in
trauma
care
or
dealing
with
people
with
trauma.
So
one
of
the
things
Karma
dates
Karma
did
as
soon
as
she
got
there.
She
made
sure
that
her
key
folks
began
to
receive
training
or
what's
called
trauma.
Focus
therapy
or
trauma
focused
training,
so
she
made
sure
that
all
of
us
were
connected
to
that.
So
we
could
respond
to
the
children.
M
M
So
she's
out
there
lobbying
she's
out
there
in
that
regard
as
well,
she's
very
connected
with
Diaz
and
she
stayed
very
close
to
them
and
them,
knowing
you
know
about
Helping,
Hands,
attending
meetings
being
a
part
of
committees
that
helped
to
write
documentation
that
better
group
homes,
so
she's,
always
from
what
I
understand
and
what
I
know
being
in
the
front
for
the
children,
even
in
helping
hands
walking
around
the
building
being
a
part
of
things.
You
know,
because
she
was
the
executive
director
of
the
CEO.
M
L
Teenage
pregnancy
was
a
was
a
huge
problem
in
Aiken
County
in
a
lot
of
the
State
some
years
ago,
and
Carmen
took
it
upon
herself
to
to
to
work
with
people
in
the
community,
as
well
as
people
around
the
state
in
order
to
bring
programs
into
Aiken
County
such
as
they
can
use
empowerment,
which
would
drive
these
numbers
down.
We
went
into
middle
schools,
in
particular
with
these
programs.
The
infant
simulators,
the
parent
power,
the
girls
circles,
the
boys
programs
to
make
sure
that
teenagers
were
aware
of.
L
You
know
that
just
getting
off
track
and
off
kilter
and
and
keeping
them
focused
and
giving
them
self-esteem
and
confidence
so
that
they
weren't
looking
in
the
wrong
places
for
the
the
love
and
affection
and
things
that
that
some
of
these
children
who
didn't
get
it
at
home
were
so
dramatically.
Looking
for.
N
So
to
our
mayor,
mayor
Osborne
to
the
general
public
who
is
here
this
evening,
the
city
council
I,
cannot
think
of
a
better
candidate
to
offer
this
prestigious
award
to
than
common
Landing
and
common.
We
know
that
you're
working
on
your
PhD
I'm
going
to
claim
it
and
say
Dr
Carmen
Landy.
We
are
so
proud
of
you
and
we
thank
you
for
all
that
you've
done
to
advance
Aiken
County,
taking
our
children.
N
K
M
J
F
Well,
good
evening
again
welcome.
We
certainly
want
to
thank
everyone
for
being
here,
we're
honored
to
see
you
our
delegation,
our
County
council
members,
I'm,
the
chairman.
It
really
is
an
honor
to
see
you
today,
January
2020,
that
seems
like
so
long
ago
now,
and
it
really
is
especially
based
on
all
that
we've
gone
through
together
as
a
nation
and
a
city
since
then,
that's
the
last
time
we
were
able
to
gather
and
take
part
in
this
annual
tradition.
F
F
Professional
and
personal
I'd
like
to
start
off
with
one
pandemic
related
item
that
just
speaks
volume
about
the
community
and
its
character
in
March
of
2020.
When
the
world
seemed
to
shut
down
in
the
face
of
the
pandemic,
our
business
Community
was
confronted
with
challenges
like
none
of
us
had
ever
seen
before,
and
we
hope
we'll
never
face
again.
F
I
can
sure
tell
you
my
small
business
took
it
on
the
chin.
In
the
face
of
all
that.
Most
of
you
recall
that
the
city
and
a
group
of
Partners,
the
Chamber
of
Commerce,
the
Aiken
Corporation
and
Security
Federal
Bank,
acted
quickly
to
raise
a
one
million
dollar
Emergency
Loan
Fund.
To
assist
our
small
business
businesses
in
our
community
even
more
amazingly,
the
program
was
up
and
running
in
just
four
days.
F
F
F
The
experts
at
the
time
warned
us
that
35
percent
or
more
of
these
loans
would
end
up
being
defaults
under
the
under
the
circumstances
involved
I'm
here
to
say
that
the
experts
were
wrong.
They
were
wrong
about
the
kind
of
community.
Aiken
is,
ladies
and
gentlemen,
I'm
proud
to
announce
that
all
those
issues
were
paid
back
on
time
in
full
late
last
year,
every
single
penny.
F
That
is
really
a
testament
to
not
only
the
confidence
that
we
had
in
our
businesses,
but
also
the
caliber
and
character
of
the
businesses
in
our
community.
It's
just
fantastic
before
I
leave
anyone
with
a
false
impression
that
no
one
else
played
a
huge
role
in
the
success
that
we
had
now
is
a
good
time
for
me
to
introduce
a
team
that
I
depend
on
so
much
and
which
is
so
devoted
to
serving
the
people
of
our
community.
F
Of
course,
I'm.
Referring
to
my
colleagues
here
at
the
Aitkin
city
council
and
I'd
like
to
introduce
do
some
to
you
at
this
time.
Councilwoman
Andrea,
Gregory,
councilwoman,
K,
brawl,
councilwoman,
Gail,
Diggs,
councilman,
Ed,
giardo,
councilwoman,
Leslie,
Price
and
councilman
Ed
Waltz.
Would
you
join
me
in
giving
them
a
hand.
F
F
F
F
During
his
tenure
mayor,
Fred
had
many
notable
accomplishments
included,
guiding
the
city
through
two
decades
of
growth
and
development,
while
maintaining
Aiken's
uniqueness
and
character.
Mayor
Kavanaugh
often
noted
that
he
was
most
proud
of
the
character
first
initiative
that
he
was
instrumental
in
bringing
to
the
city.
F
The
banner
seen
throughout
our
downtown
and
our
city
parks,
highlighting
the
value
of
these
traits
are
all
a
part
of
the
legacy
of
this
man
who
I'll
always
remember,
is
my
mayor.
On
a
personal
note,
mayor
Fred
was
close
to
me
and
my
family
and
regularly
would
ask
about
my
children.
He
was
a
God-fearing
man
whose
Legacy
will
continue
to
live
on
as
the
impact
the
mayor
has
had
on.
Our
city
will
be
recognized
for
generations
to
come.
His
leadership
and
ability
to
bring
people
together
made
him
a
special
person.
F
O
F
Tonight,
I'd
also
like
to
recognize
the
efforts
of
the
dozens
of
volunteers
who
serve
at
the
cities
on
the
city's
all-important
boards
and
commissions
as
City
Council
Members.
We
appoint
these
folks
and
ask
them
to
spend
a
lot
of
time
an
effort
weighing
very
important
and
often
difficult
questions
to
help
guide
us.
F
Certainly
none
of
us
counsel
or
the
boards
or
commissions
could
get
anything
accomplished
without
our
city
manager,
Stuart
beanbo,
in
his
management
of
our
greatest
asset,
the
400
plus
people
who
work
for
the
city
they
make
Aiken,
safe
and
productive
each
and
every
day,
let's
have
our
city
employees
who
are
here
to
please
stand,
so
we
can
give
them
a
round
of
applause.
Ladies
and
gentlemen,.
F
F
Don't
get
me
wrong.
This
is
a
government
of
and
by
the
people.
The
people
who
elect
us
should
hold
us
to
account
and
to
the
highest
standards,
passions,
Run
High
around
issues,
and
we
rarely
all
agree
on
the
best
course
of
action,
but
we
can
and
must
disagree
with
civility
more
often
than
has
been
the
case.
In
recent
years,
this
year,
I've
I've
been
honored
to
serve
as
president
of
the
South
Carolina
Municipal
Association,
a
group
that
represents
and
works
in
support
of
the
271
cities
and
towns
in
our
state.
F
F
Let
me
tell
you,
businesses,
industry
corporations
and
Manufacturing
do
not
want
to
locate
in
a
place
that
isn't
friendly
for
its
workers
and
their
families.
We
must
be
responsive
to
the
needs
and
desires
of
our
people,
while
creating
a
place
where
Executives
want
to
locate
and
hire
our
residents
into
better
and
better
paying
jobs.
F
F
F
While
we
did
endure
some
challenges,
the
city
had
many
important
achievements
and
accomplishments,
which
should
make
us
all
proud
lots
of
those
win
wins
here.
Aiken
continues
to
be
a
sought
after
location
to
live
work
and
play
every
day.
Our
city
council
Works
to
leave
Aiken
better
than
we
found
it
and
to
ensure
that
draw
always
remains
strong.
F
This
Innovative
program
provides
local
entrepreneurs
with
training
and
capital
to
succeed
and
involve
important
Partners
such
as
Security
Federal
Bank,
the
Aiken
Chamber
of
Commerce,
greater
Augusta,
Black
Chamber
of
Commerce
and
the
Aitkin
County
branch
of
the
NAACP
in
the
all-important
area
of
Public
Safety,
we've
invested
in
the
person
in
the
purchase
of
three
new
fire
engines
and
a
new
ladder
truck
four
additional
take-home
vehicles
for
adps
officers.
An
investment
in
an
expanded
camera
system.
F
F
We've
committed
to
improvements
in
city
parks
and
Facilities,
two
parks,
County
Hill,
Park
and
crosland
park,
received
upgrades
and
improved
equipment
this
year,
based
on
feedback
from
the
community,
Smith
Hazel
recreation
center
and
park
is
slated
to
receive
many
updates
in
the
coming
year.
Thanks
to
2022
grant
funding
that
will
improve
this
important
neighborhood
park
as
well
as
the
facility
and
its
accessibility.
F
This
infrastructure
Improvement
is
projected
to
reduce
traffic
on
Whiskey
Road
by
as
much
as
24
percent.
Thanks
to
the
effort
of
our
legislative
delegation,
the
city
also
has
25
million
secured
from
the
plutonium
settlement
that
will
that
will
be
used
for
downtown
and
Northside
improvements
in
2022
yeah.
Thank
you.
F
F
P
P
Ladies
and
gentlemen,
over
the
last
several
weeks,
I've
been
asked
to
take
weed
for
Council
and
exploring
a
plan
that
I
think
is
great
one.
That
will
be
one
of
those
major
win-wins.
The
marriage
is
mentioned,
as
you
may
know,
Governor
Henry
McMasters
and
our
legislative
delegation
have
committed
to
investing
in
a
new
Workforce
Development
Center
for
the
Savannah
River
National
Laboratory.
P
P
That's
in
addition
to
25
million
the
mayor
just
mentioned:
that's
45
million
dollars
of
investment.
It's
important
to
mention
at
this
point
that
I
may
be
up
here,
leading
this
charge,
but
the
credit
is
not
mine.
The
idea
belongs
to
others,
former
Aiken
Municipal
Development,
Corporation
members,
chairman
Keith,
wood,
Vice,
chairman
Christopher
rings
and
Chamber
of
Commerce.
President
David
Jamerson
really
identified
this
as
an
opportunity
more
than
one
year
ago.
P
They
have
worked
tirelessly
Robin
in
to
get
the
funds
for
it
and
to
have
it
located
here
in
Aitkin,
my
hat's
off
to
them
for
teeing
this
up
when
it
was
needed,
even
when
the
funds
seemed
like
a
done
deal
last
year.
The
question
is:
where
would
it
be
built
stayed
up
in
the
air?
Could
it
be
downtown
Aiken,
or
would
it
be
just
outside
the
Gated
SRS?
P
It
doesn't
hurt
that,
while
all
this
was
taking
place
at
about
the
same
time,
it
became
clear.
That's
a
very
nice
downtown
properties
that
he
owns
right
across
the
street
just
might
be
available
for
a
new
and
better
idea.
Sometimes
a
better
plan
comes
along
just
when
you
least
expect
it
first.
Let
me
be
clear:
none
of
this
is
finalized,
and
city
council
has
just
had
initial
discussions
about
it,
and
so
we're
not
close
to
finalizing.
P
P
This
will
provide
for
a
40
to
45,
000
square
foot
office
and
exhibition
space
requested
by
srnl
between
B
Lane,
Newbury,
Street
and
Richland
Avenue.
The
building
will
house
approximately
100
or
more
paid
srnl
workers
with
a
rotating
group
of
faculty
and
students
from
srnl's
University
collaborative.
P
P
The
plan
is
to
preserve
the
existing
businesses
on
the
Block
leaving
Newbury
Hall.
Excuse
me,
untouched,
relocate
warranty
cleaners
to
the
buildings
at
front
Orchard
Avenue
these
retail
buildings
on
Richland
Avenue
will
be
renting
an
upgrade
as
part
of
the
project,
and
the
Thai
restaurant
would
remain
on
Richland
Avenue
The
Proposal
allow
for
the
Johnson
drugstore
here
on
the
corner
of
Richmond
Newbury
to
undergo
historic
renovation
and
preserve
it
and
return
the
exterior
to
more
of
its
original
look.
P
The
next
big
question:
what
about
parking?
We
need
to
plan
ahead
for
parking
the
demand
created
by
this
project.
We
do
that
through
creating
a
surface
parking
lot
across
from
St
John's
Church
on
Newberry,
and
that
would
provide
dedicated
workday
parking
for
srno
employees
that
would
be
available
to
the
public
and
the
church.
Goers
nights
and
weekends
we'd
also
be
looking
for
the
possibility
of
more
parking
behind
the
room,
we're
in
right
now,
which
would
be
a
structured
facility.
P
O
Just
three
years
ago,
the
department
of
energy
acted
on
their
long-standing
vision
of
an
enduring
National
Laboratory
in
South
Carolina,
and
created
an
opportunity
for
the
lab
to
be
operated
as
an
independent,
National
Laboratory.
The
purpose
of
a
National
Laboratory
is
to
address
large,
complex
research
and
development
challenges
with
a
multi-disciplinary
approach.
O
O
Today,
our
laboratory
is
operated
by
vital
Corporation,
with
University
of
South
Carolina
Clemson
South,
Carolina,
State,
University
of
Georgia
and
Georgia
Institute
of
Technology.
Our
mission
is
ensuring
America's
security
and
prosperity
by
addressing
its
energy,
environmental
and
nuclear
challenges
through
transformative,
Science
and
Technology
Solutions.
O
This
new
facility
in
Aitkin
allows
a
laboratory
to
have
a
more
direct
presence
in
the
community.
We
serve
with
the
goal
of
developing
a
pipeline
of
new
Talent,
as
well
as
developing
the
existing
employee
base.
It
will
also
complement
our
brand
new
Advanced
manufacturing
collaborative
as
USC
Aiken,
creating
a
hub
for
partnership
with
industry
and
Academia.
O
O
There
is
a
joke
there,
somewhere
right,
srl
employees
will
perform
some
of
our
computational
modeling
and
simulation
we'll
have
a
team
of
employees
working
with
the
university
to
increase
our
engagement
with
faculty
postdoctoral
and
graduate
students,
interns
and
minority
serving
institution
programs.
Some
of
our
employees
will
work
on
non-proliferation
training
programs,
while
other
will
work
on
Workforce,
Development
and
HR
functions.
O
Moreover,
as
a
collaboration
Hub,
this
facility
will
host
faculty
and
students
and
allows
for
scientific
Gatherings,
including
technical
discussions,
poster
presentations
and
other
student
programs.
We
will
have
the
Next
Generation
classroom
space
for
training
sessions
and
will
support
remote
learning
environments.
It
will
host
science
and
technology,
engineering
and
math
camps
for
Teacher
development
workshops,
but
a
specific
focus
on
K-12.
O
But,
most
importantly,
this
building
is
the
community
face
of
the
laboratory.
A
portion
of
this
building
will
be
open
to
the
public
to
Foster
Community
awareness
of
the
work
we
do
at
srnl
and
it
benefits
to
the
society.
The
lobby
will
display
our
most
recent
scientific
work
and
this
facility
is
the
first
stop
for
all
new
laboratory
employee
upon
their
entry
for
onboarding
and
training.
O
It
takes
a
great
Community
to
make
something
like
this
possible
I
want
to
make
sure
that
I
take
a
moment
to
recognize
Governor
Henry
mcmaster's
hard
work
to
identify
this
need
and
to
allocate
a
20
million
dollar
for
this
facility.
We're
grateful
for
governor
mcmaster's
enduring
support,
moreover,
we're
grateful
to
the
South
Carolina
state
legislatures
for
their
wisdom
to
recognize
the
need
and
the
necessity
for
this
building
to
help
us
bring
the
laboratory
to
the
community.
O
I
also
want
to
recognize
the
city
of
Aitkin,
the
mayor's
office
and
the
city
council
members
for
their
steadfast
supports
to
bring
this
project
to
reality.
I
want
to
recognize
the
department
of
energy
for
selecting
the
betal
Savannah
River
Alliance
as
the
management
and
operating
company
for
the
laboratory
to
create
an
enduring
capability
in
South
Carolina.
O
O
F
F
Thank
you
and
your
team
for
choosing
Aiken
Ed.
Thank
you
for
taking
the
lead
on
exploring
this
for
Council
I,
look
forward
to
seeing
it
become
a
reality,
so
in
full
disclosure,
I
won't
be
directly
involved
in
the
planning
for
those
specific
Parcels
involving
srnl,
because,
as
you
know,
Wernicke
cleaners
and
my
business
Osmond's
cleaners
are
friendly
competitors.
But
it
sounds
like
these
plans
are
doing
a
good
job
in
protecting
their
business
and
keeping
them
in
place
on
that
block,
which
nothing
could
make
me
happier.
I
assure
you.
F
Why
are
we
so
excited
about
srnl?
Locating
their
offices
here
in
downtown?
Well,
the
department
of
energy
17,
National,
Lab
Laboratories,
are
powerhouses
of
Science
and
Technology.
Their
researchers
tackle
some
of
the
world's
toughest
challenges,
their
Laboratories
support
scientists
and
Engineers
from
Academia
government
and
Industry,
with
access
to
specialized
equipment,
world-class
research
facilities
and
skilled
technical
staff.
F
It
is
often
said
that
the
Laboratories
exist
to
tackle
particularly
difficult
problems
that
fall
beyond
the
capabilities
of
Private
Industry
in
individuals
and
universities.
Each
lavatory
contributes
specific
core
competencies,
unique
facilities
and
research
teams
representing
an
array
of
disciplines
to
push
the
boundaries
of
science,
engineering
and
Technology.
F
F
F
Another
thing
I'm
personally
very
excited
about
is
that
I've
mostly
been
on
the
sidelines
in
marriage
related
to
the
hotel,
Aiken
and
its
future
for
quite
some
time
because
of
the
cleaners.
Now
that
we're
exploring
breaking
the
properties
and
projects
on
that
block
into
smaller,
more
manageable
pieces.
As
our
friend
Mark
Twain
suggested,
it's
likely
I'll
be
able
to
get
more
involved
in
planning
for
the
future
of
that
all-important
property
on
that
crucial
corner
of
Lawrence
and
Richland.
F
F
While
I
don't
have
a
final
answer
for
you
this
evening,
I
can
tell
you
that
I
have
had
extensive
discussions
with
the
leadership
of
the
Aitkin
County
Government
city
council
has
discussed
the
best
use
for
the
building
moving
forward
and
there
appears
to
be
a
consensus
that
offering
it
for
sale
to
the
county
to
house.
The
solicitor's
office
is
the
best
path
forward.