EAST PALESTINE — Eight months after the Norfolk Southern train derailment and nearly one year after former City Manager Mark McTrustry announced his resignation, East Palestine council announced Monday that Chad Edwards will be the next village administrator.

During its regular meeting, Council approved a resolution to hire Edwards as well as a resolution to hire Melissa Hiner as the village finance director. Hiner is expected to start Oct. 16. Edwards official start date was not announced.

“We wanted to do our due diligence and make sure we had the right people,” East Palestine Mayor Trent Conaway said.

McTrustry stepped down in October of 2022, citing personal reasons. The village had expected to replace McTrusty at the beginning of this year but the derailment put personnel matters on the back burner.

Finance Director Traci Spratt has been serving as interim manager since McTrusty left. Spratt announced at the end of 2022 that she, too, was leaving her position with plans to resign as finance director in late February of 2023. At that time, council held their first reading to create a new finance clerk position with the idea the person filling that role would shadow Spratt until she left and would then assume the role of finance director. Those plans were also shelved after the Feb. 3 derailment as the village’s focus shifted to response, remediation and recovery.

The announcement that both positions have been filled was met with relief as Monday’s meeting focused on economic development, shaking off the stigma of the derailment and moving past the rail disaster. Jon Varley, who’s wife owns NeNe’s Collectibles and Gifts, posed a series of questions to council about reviving the economy and boosting businesses in the wake of the derailment. Varley wanted to know what the plans were to “bring people back to shop, eat and enjoy the village,” fill the empty storefronts in town and improve communication between business owners and village officials.

Conaway said that the hiring of the public relations firm, economic development firm, city manager and finance director will get the village moving “in a positive direction.” Conaway encouraged residents to support the chamber of commerce and attend Saturday’s merchant events (Merchant Fall Festival and Fallidays in the Park). He also acknowledged the negative impact the derailment has had on village businesses and the East Palestine economy while adding that the village was struggling with revitalization and development before the derailment.

“Let’s be real. On Feb. 2, East Palestine wasn’t doing too well,” Conaway said. “The derailment was a devastating event. But we are going to get it cleaned up and grow from it and get to where we need to be.”

Councilwoman Linda May and Roberta Streifert of the Ohio Rural Community Assistance Program (RCAP) asked residents to fill out the visioning survey that is available at the library and city hall. The village is part of RCAP’s Building Thriving and Resilient Communities program, which seeks to help Ohio rural communities grow in commerce. The survey, May said, is vital to understanding the development wants and needs of East Palestine. The survey is also available online and can be found through links at eastpalestine-oh.gov and the village’s Facebook page. May said the village’s Think Tank — a collaborative group of residents representing the businesses — is relying on the information in the survey to help move the village past the derailment and towards economic recovery.

Councilman Mark Walker added that recovery is a protracted process.

“Revitalization of this town is not going to happen overnight,” he said. “It’s going to take a lot of time. I just ask for patience from the affected residents and businesses.”

In other matters, council approved an ordinance to purchase real estate and informed residents the recent boil orders were related to the waterline project and were precautionary.

seleverd@mojonews.com