In the last session of the year, Chillicothe Council in part prepared for the new year, Thursday evening. The session was delayed from Monday night to avoid Christmas eve.
Two city parks got funding for recent and upcoming work.
Ceil Corcoran saw almost $46,000 of ODNR grant money to pay for work at Millennium Grove - a trail and a shelter. The final work will be a kiosk with general information.
The grove is the descendants of famous trees, at the end of North Plaza Boulevard off Bridge Street.
Corcoran also saw the city agree to be a pass-through for another state grant, for the Coppel Soccer Complex off US 50 past North Fork Village.
The grant is for $200,000, mostly for an entrance and perimeter road. The park is co-owned by the Ross County Park District and the city.
Dave Tatman saw the city clear up a couple minor right-of-way issues for the widening of Western Avenue at Plyley's Lane.
Some trees have already been cut down and survey markings have been made. Tatman hoped it would be done in 2018, but now hopes it will finished this coming spring.
That will add turn lanes, as well as a sidewalk between Kroger and Woodbridge Avenue.
Speaking of which, the water line and the bridge over Honey Creek at Woodbridge and Allen avenues need help. That work may also be done in 2019.
The city also gave permission for a rear exit from the "Raising Cane's Chicken Fingers" restaurant to be built on Bridge Street. It's going in where the Ponderosa was, and where Nourse briefly had a car lot.
The 2019 budget was added to the agenda at the last minute, and then passed on first reading.
Dustin Proehl said that was because the Law Director had some staff absences because of vacations and sickness that delayed preparation of the ordinance.
Kevin Coleman regularly reports on Chillicothe & Circleville councils and local culture