Plain City: Costello stepping down
By Kevin Dye
Staff Writer
Plain City Village Council members were given notice on Monday that one of their employees regretfully will have to step down from his current position in February of 2013.
Village solicitor Eamon Costello informed the council of his decision to resign in February, citing his increased workload as assistant prosecutor for Madison County. Costello made it clear that he did not want to leave the village until a high-quality individual had been found to replace him. He hoped the February 2013 deadline would give them ample time to fill the post.
“I want to emphasize, as someone who lives here, that we need the proper person to do this job,” Costello said. “My workload with the county has increased to where I feel I can no longer do both jobs. I don’t want the work to slip on either front.”
Later in the meeting Costello and all of council were challenged by a third reading of a resolution to lower the speed limit on U.S. Route 42 from 50 mph to 45 mph. With council president pro tem Mark Hostetler absent for the meeting, the vote became two votes for the measure, three votes against. Prior readings had been tied with Mayor Adkins breaking the tie in favor of lowering the speed limit.
Mayor Sandra Adkins and Uptown Plain City Organization (UPCO) representative, Shannon Pine, reminded everyone that on Saturday, Dec. 1, the holiday season will kick off in grand style as the traditional Christmas Under The Clock celebration will be held.
The holiday festival will begin at 5 p.m. at Bicentennial Park on Chillicothe Street with the lighting of the village Christmas tree. There will be many activities: live music, tractor and horse drawn wagon rides and the arrival of Santa Claus.
Village administrator Steve Hilbert asked motorists to exercise caution during the festivities as there will be many people out that night and the wagons rides will be on the roadway.
“I would ask for motorists to be extra cautious Saturday night during Christmas Under The Clock,” Hilbert said. “The carriages will have lights and reflectors on them.”
Pine said that a local church was providing a live nativity scene near the library and that Rock on Ice will cut an ice sculpture on site that evening. Many local businesses in the downtown area will be open offering visitors free food and hot drinks. There will also be a drawing for a $500 gift certificate.
