Hamilton council approves pay increase, settlement-funded equipment purchases and small property sale; amends grass ordinance

Hamilton City Council approved a series of routine personnel and purchasing items, a small property sale and changes to the city's grass ordinance during a regularly scheduled meeting.

The council voted to increase an hourly wage, buy safety and training equipment using settlement funds, approve small donations, correct a parcel number for a car wash zoning file, and agree to sell a narrow strip of city-owned land behind the former Hamilton Plastics site (now known as Praxis) to a private owner at appraised value. The body also voted to change the grass enforcement start date to May 1 and raise the maximum allowed grass height from 12 inches to 15 inches.

The most-discussed items were purchases intended for first responders and public safety. Police and fire officials described plans for five automated external defibrillators (AEDs), to be paid from opioid-settlement funds, and a forcible-entry training prop the fire department said would also benefit police training. The police chief said the five AEDs, budgeted at $8,436 total, would be placed so an AED would be available on each 12-hour shift and kept in the department and municipal courtroom; "our goal is to never use these, but unfortunately, the line of work we're in, most times we're the first responder to the scene of an unresponsive person," the chief said.

Council approved a $9,500 purchase for a portable entry training device; the council record shows the funding split as $4,750 from the Oak Island settlement…