Only moments before council voted 4-3 in favor of moving forward with Osage Bio Energy, the company that wants to bring the 55-million-gallon barley ethanol facility to the city, the council members spoke of being courteous to one another, following the code of conduct and enforcing it. Despite the derailing and sometimes confusing exchanges between council members, the debate spilled over into the subject of the second and final reading of the Osage ordinance. This time around the conversations were much shorter than the initial reading and debate.

None of the council members changed their vote from the previous reading. Ward 7 Councilman Greg Cuffey, Ward 1 Councilwoman Christina Luman-Bailey, Ward 4 Councilman Randy Sealey and Ward 6 Councilwoman Brenda Pelham all voted in favor of the plant coming to the Exeter property. The remaining council members — Mayor and Ward 5 Councilman Steve Taylor, Ward 2 Councilman Curtis Harris and Ward 3 Councilman Ken Emerson — all voted against the ordinance.

Earlier Tuesday morning, Harris went to court after filing a lawsuit against the city in the hopes of a temporary injunction that would halt the sale of 12 acres on the Exeter property. The petition for injunction cited environmental justice concerns, as well as the issue of selling public property without a proper supermajority vote.

Hopewell Circuit Court dismissed the injunction.

“This morning we went to court to have the judge to tell us whether or not it was proper for us to have a discussion on the contract,” Harris said during the meeting. “The judge ruled in the city attorney’s favor.

“I want the citizens to know, the council to know and the world to know that within the next 15 days I will appeal the decision on the ethanol project in the city of Hopewell. Having said that, I’m prepared to vote and vote against this motion as I did the first time.”

Cuffey spoke of Wilmot and his involvement in defending the city.

“He is very capable and he did a great job representing the city of Hopewell,” Cuffey said.

“It will pass tonight,” Emerson said of the ordinance. “I don’t think it’ll change their minds. ... I think this is a terrible thing for Hopewell. I’ll continue to vote no.”

Taylor said the decision was one that had a profound impact on the city.

“This decision is one that polarized our city,” he said. “This council debates issues and moves forward. I remain unchanged — I’m going to vote against it.”

Luman-Bailey mentioned the Kaufman and Canoles study that many opponents of the ethanol plant cited during the public hearing.

“The study many people referred to was never approved by council,” she said, adding that the study cost $19,000 and was “not extremely well-done.”

“In fact, they made mistakes [regarding] the name of the company,” she said. “They should not be looking at that as evidence by any means.”

Luman-Bailey also said having the ethanol plant in the city would be part of “greener governments.”

“I feel very good about supporting this project,” she said.

Emerson attempted to table the issue for 30 days to look at other opportunities for the site. The motion died after no one seconded it.

• Lindsay Simpson may be reached at 732-3456, ext. 272 or lsimpson@progress-index.com.