Hamilton City Council approves donations, facility projects and several personnel moves

The Hamilton City Council approved a series of spending, personnel and property items in a regularly scheduled meeting that included donations from the city’s opioid-settlement funds, a contract for a softball clubhouse, a short-term animal-rescue payment and several personnel actions.

Council members voted to spend $3,000 from the city’s opioid-settlement account to support Red Ribbon Week activities scheduled Oct. 23–28 and separately approved an unspecified additional donation from the same settlement account to the Grace Project, an organization the council described as providing recovery support and post‑sobriety services.

The council approved renewing a certificate of deposit at First State Bank of the South for the original principal of $1,000,000 for seven months at a 4.1% interest rate; the meeting record shows the accrued interest to be paid to the city as $138,323.37. Council members also approved granting a small easement to a private property owner, Steve Howell, for an existing driveway encroaching on what the city described as a fractional portion of city‑owned property (approximately 0.02 acres as discussed at the meeting).

On animal services, the council authorized a six‑month payment plan of $1,200 per month to Hoof and Paw to support spay/neuter, veterinary care, food and temporary shelter for stray…