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From YouTube: City of Charleston State of the City Address
Description
City of Charleston State of the City Address
A
Mayor
pro
tem
brady
and
members
of
city
council,
my
fellow
citizens
and
friends,
it's
an
honor
to
join
you
once
again
this
evening
from
one
of
america's
most
hallowed
places,
our
own
city
council
chamber,
right
here
at
charleston
city
hall,
for
more
than
two
centuries.
This
grand
old
building
raised
in
the
earliest
days
of
the
republic
under
president
thomas
jefferson,
has
served
us
faithfully
as
the
seat
of
our
city's
government
and
the
site
of
our
city's
democracy
charleston's
home
of
we,
the
people.
A
A
I
begin
tonight
with
that
old
and
honorable
american
ideal,
because
these
days
some
seem
so
ready
to
abandon
it
too
often,
and
in
too
many
places
grace
in
all
its
forms
is
being
cast
aside
by
those
who
would
have
us
believe
that
half
of
our
friends
and
neighbors
are
wild-eyed.
Socialists
and
the
other
half
are
crazed
insurrectionists
and
too
often
in
too
many
places.
The
voice
of
common
sense
majority
is
being
shouted
down
by
small
groups
of
loud
people
who
think
there's
only
one
right
way
to
say
or
do
anything
and
that's
their
way.
A
And
it's
why
city
council
and
I
will
spend
this
year
continuing
to
advance
the
concerns
of
our
city's
common
sense
majority
fixing,
flooding,
fighting
crime,
building,
affordable
housing,
partnering
directly
with
our
residents,
businesses
and
other
governments
to
expand
opportunity
and
improve
our
citizens,
quality
of
life
first
flooding
for
more
than
350
years.
Water
has
been
our
greatest
asset
and
our
biggest
liability,
but
with
the
new
reality
of
rising
seas
and
ever
more
extreme
weather.
That
challenge
has
now
become
existential
to
fa.
A
New
parks
designed
to
retain
storm
water,
improve
maintenance
and
ditch
cleaning
and
the
next
phase
of
our
award-winning
forest
acres.
Drainage
project
on
the
peninsula,
we'll
be
extending
the
low
battery
towards
king
street,
adding
drainage
capacity
with
the
rehabilitation
of
our
archway
tunnels,
continuing
our
work
along
hugey
street
and
the
low
line
and
kicking
off
the
final
phase
of
the
spring
fishburn
project,
which,
when
complete,
will
pump
more
than
1
million
gallons
of
stormwater
off
our
streets
and
away
from
our
homes
and
businesses.
A
Second,
we
must
carry
through
on
our
commitment
to
rezone
every
inch
of
our
city
to
finally
put
an
end
to
irresponsible
over
development
in
low-lying
areas,
and
while
each
of
these
decisions
will
require
resolve,
I
respectfully
ask
that
we
all
remember
the
stakes
the
water
is
rising.
The
clock
is
ticking.
A
All
our
fire
citizens
on
every
street
in
every
neighborhood
of
our
city
is
the
first
and
most
important
job
of
local
government
and
because
we
charlestonians
see
that
fundamental
truth,
so
clearly,
we've
been
able
to
avoid
the
mistakes
of
some
other
cities
around
the
country.
We've
increased
not
decreased
our
police
budget.
Every
year.
This
council
and
I
have
been
together,
increases
that
now
add
up
to
nearly
10
million
dollars
additional
each
year
for
our
police
department,
we've
invested
in
recruitment
and
retention
to
put
our
department
on
a
path
to
full
employment.
A
Now,
on,
the
strong
recommendation
of
chief
reynolds
and
his
command
staff
we'll
be
taking
two
major
steps:
new
in
2022
first
over
the
next
few
weeks,
I'll
be
asking
council
to
set
aside
one
million
dollars
of
our
federal
relief
funds
to
finance
a
new
police
department
program
to
expand
and
improve
camera
coverage
throughout
the
city
and
second,
due
to
the
high
number
of
crimes
being
committed
by
offenders.
Our
police
have
already
arrested
often
repeatedly
for
serious
crimes.
A
A
Second
to
expand
opportunity.
We'll
continue
to
work
with
our
climb
fund
to
ensure
capital
is
available
for
local
small
businesses
and
we're
partnering
with
our
metro
chamber
of
commerce
to
intentionally
support
the
work
and
development
of
minority
and
women-owned
businesses
and,
on
saturday
february
5th,
coming
up
we'll
bring
together
a
coalition
of
non-profits
that
support
mentoring
for
a
major
city-sponsored
event
to
connect
young
people
in
need
with
adults
who
are
ready
and
willing
to
help
prepare
them
for
success.
A
So
I
ask
our
citizens
this
year
in
2022
to
consider
mentoring
a
youth
this
year,
because
our
goal
isn't
just
to
leave
a
better
world
for
our
children,
but
to
leave
better
children
for
our
world
last
to
improve
our
citizens,
quality
of
life
in
2022
and
beyond,
we'll
be
expanding.
Our
keep
charleston
beautiful
program
that
was
mentioned
here
earlier
this
evening
with
operation,
neighborhood
and
adopt-a-block.
A
This
historic
people's
house,
where,
thanks
to
our
citizens,
the
power
of
grace
and
the
will
of
common
sense,
still
stands
strong,
and
with
that
in
mind,
I'd
like
to
leave
you
with
this
thought
tonight.
Never
before
in
all
of
our
352-year
history.
Has
this
city
been
as
prosperous
as
resilient
as
equitable
or
as
strong
as
it
is
today?
A
Never
before
has
our
future
been
brighter,
and
while
we
know
there
will
always
be
challenges
and
they're
things
for
us
to
work
on.
We
also
know
that,
as
long
as
we
remain
true
to
the
ideals
that
brought
us
here
to
this
point,
there
will
never
be
a
problem
we
can't
overcome
together
and
our
best
days
will
always
still
be
ahead.