Council releases executive-session minutes and approves revised Hamilton Canal plan with 15-year tax break in 8-2 vote

City Councilors voted to make public the previous year's executive session minutes and approved revised parameters for the Hamilton Canal Innovation District project by an 8-2 vote, granting the developer a 15-year tax break.

Council discussion and the newly disclosed executive-session minutes contained detailed material about the Hamilton Canal project. During council debate some members expressed dissatisfaction with what they called a scaled-back vision for the district, while others said they wanted to avoid litigation and get construction underway.

The recorded vote on the project parameters was 8 in favor and 2 opposed; the transcript identifies the 15-year tax break as part of the new terms. The transcript did not record additional financial details (such as estimated tax expenditure) or the full text of the adopted agreement.

Council also voted to make public last year's executive session minutes; the transcript records the release but does not provide a vote tally for that item.

The council's decision alters the project's approved incentives and may affect development timelines; specific implementation steps and any outstanding approvals were not specified in the record.