Hamilton small businesses to be celebrated with upcoming event

“We’ve been told by American Express that we have the best Small Business Saturday in the region, based on engagement and involvement with the community,” said Dan Bates, president and CEO of the chamber. “We get major involvement from the community.”

For some shops and other businesses, that Saturday is the biggest sales day of the year. There will be online maps and fliers in stores, “so people know how to get from shop to shop,” Bates said.

Participants include stores in Bridgewater Falls and the west side of Hamilton beyond the Main Street business corridor.

“It’s not just downtown,” Bates said. “Each year we try to grow it a bit more.”

According to the city’s proclamation, small businesses employ 47.3 percent of workers in the private sector nationally.

In other matters on Wednesday, the council:

• Approved a five-year contract with Rumpke of Ohio for residential and commercial trash and recycling collection and disposal. Under the contract, monthly residential rates next year will remain the same rate as this year, $17.15 per month, before climbing 11.8 percent in 2021 to $19.17, and remaining at that level through 2024.

• Held a first of two considerations of legislation that would approve the sale of about 7.7 acres in Hamilton Enterprise Park to Synergy Flavors (Ohio) LLC, for a current expansion and future ones. The property will be sold for $20,000 per acre. The company plans a $6 million, 15,000-square-foot expansion. The company expects to employ 10 new employees by June of 2026.

• Approved an ordinance to deter unsolicited commercial materials from being left on driveways. The legislation requires the materials be dropped off on a porch, if one exists, nearest to the front door; left attached to the front door; dropped through a mail slot or in a distribution box; put on a hook designated for such deliveries; or handed to the property’s owner or occupant.

• Held first consideration of legislation to fund the Greater Hamilton Convention and Visitor’s Bureau at a rate of $75,000 per year for the next two years. In 2022, once the Spooky Nook Sports Champion Mill sports facility and convention center is operating, Hamilton’s 6 percent hotel tax is expected to fully fund the bureau at $125,000 per year, with the city funding any shortfall.