Hamilton Council approves consent agenda; affordable housing contract to Isles made contingent on Fair Share approval

The Hamilton Council on Feb. 20 adopted a 23-item consent agenda that includes pursuing a Green Acres grant of a little over $2,000,000, a Same Park pond restoration estimated at $350,000, two road-paving projects and the purchase of a 90-foot aerial lift vehicle charged to the tree escrow account.

The council also approved awarding CA15 — the township's affordable housing rehabilitation program administrator contract — to Isles, a Hamilton-based community development organization, with the award made contingent on receiving approval from the Fair Share Housing Commission. Director Dumont told the council that Isles has prepared the plan and "they have to get Fair Share Housing Commission to give their okay," and that the township cannot execute the agreement until that approval is received.

Council members said the consent agenda items rely largely on nonoperating developer/affordable trust funds rather than taxpayer operating dollars. "This is not operating budget or coming from taxpayer dollar. This is actually coming from the affordable and it's going to be proactive," the presiding officer said during the summary presentation.

Other items included an online auction for surplus township property, two caterers contracted for the Nottingham Ballroom, and a variety of refunds listed on the docket. The motion to adopt the consent agenda, with CA15 contingent on Fair Share Housing approval, passed on roll call.

Next steps: staff said Isles will await the Fair Share Housing Commission's decision before the township executes the agreement; the council recorded the roll-call adoption of the consent agenda.