City manager reports ConAgra extension, project milestones and new police hire

HURON — In his Jan. 13 city manager report, City Manager Hamilton told the Huron City Council that the ConAgra development team requested the second and final 60-day due-diligence extension; the extension runs through March 3, 2026, after which the developer must decide whether to proceed under the purchase agreement.

Hamilton reported two capital milestones: the east-side sidewalk project and the Route 13 crosswalk project are complete and the city has scheduled a final walk-through with the Ohio Department of Transportation this coming Friday. The Route 6 Phase 2 bid due date was extended to Jan. 29 to clarify phasing and closure dates.

On recreation and staffing, Hamilton said a cold snap may allow the city’s temporary ice rink to freeze and urged residents to watch city social media for status updates. He also announced that the police department hired Officer Devon Woods, who started this week and will be sworn in at the next council meeting; Hamilton said Woods brings more than seven years’ experience and is certified as a marine patrol officer.

Hamilton reported that police personnel and others raised more than $11,000 in Red Kettle fundraising and that income tax receipts through December outperformed 2024 by 4% and the 2025 budget by 3%, totaling just over $4,300,000 as of year-end.

During Q&A, Hamilton said that if ConAgra elects not to close when extensions expire, the sales agreement becomes null and void. He also responded to a councilmember relay of a constituent complaint about nighttime greenhouse light, explaining regulatory differences between industrial greenhouses (which he identified as held to stricter standards) and commercial greenhouses and advising residents to file official complaints rather than relying on social media posts.