Let’s pretend it’s spring and time for First Friday

With ominous forecasts of snow hanging in the air, the Greencastle City Council was encouraged Thursday night to think about warmer, better days ahead.

It may only be January, but it’s not too soon to begin planning for monthly First Friday events that enliven the downtown, Main Street Greencastle President Kristin Clary, who also serves as Greencastle/Putnam County Economic Development director, told the Council at its January meeting.

She received unanimous approval for the customary street closures that go along with the First Friday events that have become a major monthly gathering in the downtown not only along the north and east sides of the square, but also down Indiana Street to Walnut and down Franklin Street to Vine.

“Like I’ve said in the past,” Clary continued, “downtowns differentiate, and our downtown is getting notoriety and getting noticed and people love it.”

Councilor Stacie Langdon readily agreed. She noted that a recent visit to the Statehouse prompted State Sen. John Crane, who represents the northern half of Putnam County (from the center of Washington Street in Greencastle north) to make the unsolicited comment: ”How about Greencastle and First Friday.”

Clary said there are a lot of people to thank for what’s happening downtown.

“DePauw University alumni have just poured a ton of money into it,” she said. “Bridges (Craft Pizza and Wine Bar) and Joyce and Judson Green have bought Taphouse Burgers and now are going to break ground on their bakery in February (in the lot north of the fire station and west of the post office), so they have some great plans and we’re just so grateful for their partnership.”

She also credited Lee Tenzer for the work he’s done on the second floor of the building on the east side of South Indiana Street and Crown Equipment for work on its facilities on the west side of the street, just north of the Taphouse Burgers location.

“We’re keeping the momentum going,” Clary said, noting that it began with the Stellar Communities Grant during Sue Murray’s mayoral administration.

Clary also shared a couple more pieces of downtown news.

First, Main Street’s lighting project, which began with lighting the community Christmas tree and continued with a city-DePauw partnership that spawned the party lights that hang over and illuminate South Indiana Street will be expanded this year.

A Greencastle Civic League grant will allow those party lights to be extended all the way up to Washington Street (U.S. 231), Clary said.

Meanwhile, Main Street Greencastle will also be bolstering its staff with its first paid position, partnering with the city and Economic Development office to hire Mike Richmond as a consultant to run Main Street’s social media and events like First Friday. Richmond, who also works two days a week for the Convention and Visitor Bureau, came on board just this past week, Clary said.

Although Main Street asked the city for the street closures to begin in March and continue through December, Clary said the First Friday events most likely won’t begin until April.

The first meeting of 2019 also served as the seven-member City Council’s organizational session.

And for the 11th consecutive year and without opposition, Adam Cohen was elected Council president. The First Ward Democrat initially assumed the role in 2009 during just his second year on the Council when he succeeded John Lanie in the leadership role of the then five-member panel

It was also unanimously agreed that the City Council will again conduct regular monthly meetings on the second Thursday of each month, beginning at 7 p.m. at City Hall.

Traditionally, the first meeting of the new year also means time for restructuring the Council’s city board appointments and department liaison assignments, and this year was no different.

Stacie Langdon will serve on the Development Center Board, replacing Dave Murray, and will also retain her position on the 911 Board.

Gary Lemon will retain his seat on the Commission on Sustainability but will give up his spot on the Tree Board to Steve Fields.

Tyler Wade keeps his appointments to the Economic Development Commission and Cable Access Commission for another year, while Police Chief Tom Sutherlin will serve another year on the Putnam County Animal Care and Control Board.

Mark Hammer, who is in the midst of a four-year appointment to the City Planning Commission that expires Jan. 31, 2020, will also serve as liaison to the city’s Planning Department.

In other liaison assignments, Council President Cohen takes over the Fire Department from Murray after a two-year stint, while Wade retains his Forest Hill Cemetery appointment.

Fields retains his Parks and Recreation Department liaison assignment for a third straight year, while Langdon keeps her City Police post for the second consecutive year.

Murray will take over the Public Works Department liaison role from Cohen, while Lemon will keep his association with the Utilities Department for another year.

The Council also reappointed Erika Gilmore and Lottie Barcus to one-year terms on the Greencastle Redevelopment Commission.

Meanwhile, independent of his City Council duties Cohen told the group that he has agreed to accept a position on the Operation Life Board.

Other items discussed at the Thursday Council meeting will be included in a later Banner Graphic article.

Present for the January meeting were Mayor Bill Dory, Clerk-Treasurer Lynda Dunbar, Councilors Cohen, Langdon, Fields, Wade and Hammer. Councilmen Murray and Lemon were absent.

The next regularly scheduled City Council meeting is set for 7 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 14 at City Hall.