Eight candidates are on the November ballot for Plain City Council.
The village’s charter, approved in March, dictates that council will have six members elected from the municipality at large. Every four years, three seats will expire.
To create a staggered schedule for council terms, one person will be elected in November to serve a two-year term. Three candidates will be elected to serve a normal, four-year term.
Vying for the two-year term are incumbent Sherry Heineman and newcomers Rochelle Pellegrene and James Sintz.
Incumbents Lauren DeCamp Giaimo and Michael Terry were each appointed to vacated council seats in 2020 and are now seeking election. Also seeking one of the three four-year terms are Jim Eudaily, Kerri Ferguson and Tyler Harriman.
James “Jim” Eudaily
Jim Eudaily, 51, is a husband, father of six, civil engineer and “proud to be a resident of Plain City.”
He has served on Design Review Board for three years, during which the board developed the village standards for the historic Uptown district. He also served on the Plain City charter commission and on the parks and recreation committee.
Eudaily and his family moved to the village 14 years ago, as “it was the best decision for our family.”
“This community has supported my family and we in turn have supported others while we’ve seen this village grow,” he said.
Eudaily said he does not want to be a bystander, “just watching our village grow into a small city.” Instead, he wants “to help shape and guide our village’s future” by serving on council.
Throughout his career as a civil engineer, Eudaily said he has worked extensively with villages, municipalities, cities, counties and state agencies on planning and designing roadways, bridges, water and wastewater projects.
He said his knowledge of infrastructure projects will allow him to assist the village with “making good and practical decisions” surrounding its growth.
As the village grows into a city, he said there will be more opportunities to improve Plain City.
He said grants, programs and low interest loans are available to small cities that are not available to larger villages. He said these can assist in improving local infrastructure – “a main concern of my campaign.”
He said the village’s current infrastructure is “lagging well behind” the pace of residential development.
“We need to balance and control this growth so that our infrastructure works with our growth,” Eudaily said.
He said he is excited to see the village grow into a city, but wants to “keep the small town feel while still having controlled balanced growth.”
Eudaily said he would like to establish a technology/business district along the U.S. 42 corridor to attract new companies, allowing residents to live and work in Plain City.
He said he views the park system as one of the village’s “great resources” and would like to expand it.
Eudaily would like to create a trailhead that would connect Glacier Ridge Park and the Heritage Trail to Plain City.
“Plain City is already a place for cyclists to ride through, why not make Plain City a destination?” he said. “Instead of riding through, they stop, shop and eat and in turn help our local businesses.”
Kerri Ferguson
Kerri Ferguson, 56, is a local business owner who served on village council from 2015-2019.
She also served as a charter commission member, participated on the comprehensive plan steering committee and worked on the employee compensation study while on the personnel and finance committee.
“Undoubtedly, the number one issue facing Plain City is growth,” she said.
She said she believes “it is past time” to invest in economic development.
“This is not a new issue and has been discussed for the past few years, however, council was not willing to move forward in creating a position for economic development,” Ferguson said. “Now is the time.”
Through creating a dedicated position, she said that employee would work for the interests of Plain City. Ferguson said it would enable the village to build relationships with local property and business owners in order to build a strong business community from within.
Ferguson noted that there are “several local partners” who are willing to invest in the revitalization of older buildings and develop properties within the village.
She said they live and work locally and understand what residents want to see in the community.
An economic developer would then identify any voids and target additional businesses needed in the community, Ferguson said.
“Growth aside, council should continue to be concerned with the safety and well-being of all residents,” she said.
She added that water and sewer issues should remain a top priority until a permanent solution is identified and implemented.
Ferguson said, as a resident, she feels that community safety is one of Plain City’s best attributes.
“I love that our residents feel safe when they are out walking, whether it is day or night,” she said.
Ferguson said she would like to see more connectivity throughout the village so all residents “young or old” can walk, run and bike through the area.
She said the village also needs to continue to support the police department.
“As our village grows, they will be challenged to provide the same service that we have all become accustomed to,” Ferguson said.
The village should continue to invest in PCPD’s community outreach programs to impact local youth, she said.
Overall, she said planning for the future of the village is essential.
“I will be looking for council and administration to stick to their goals and work with residents and the business community to keep Plain City a great place to work and live,” Ferguson said.
Lauren DeCamp Giaimo
Lauren DeCamp Giaimo, 29, is a behavioral health policy analyst for the Ohio Department of Medicaid.
“For the past decade, I have been a public servant with the state of Ohio,” she said.
Giaimo spent much of that time working as a legislative aide in the Ohio House of Representatives. She worked with local governments on budgetary issues and projects such as sewer treatment updates.
She said this experience has benefited her as an appointed member of council.
Moving forward, Giaimo said she wants to focus on managing growth and effectively communicating with village residents.
She noted that Plain City is growing quickly and said she would like to facilitate responsible growth.
“We currently do not have the infrastructure in place to support the massive influx,” Giaimo said.
As a council member, she said it is necessary to look forward and plan for the future of the village.
While planning for growth, Giaimo said council members need to be cognizant of keeping residents informed. She said this will be especially important as the village continues to welcome new residents.
Giaimo said she will continue to support Plain City’s residents, businesses and safety officers in her role as a council member.
“I would like to work alongside my neighbors to keep the charm and comfort of the village,” she said.
Giaimo added that, along with her public service with the state, she is a youth group leader at her church and she participates in mentorship programs.
“My heart is in service and I want my community to see that,” she said.
Tyler Harriman
Chief Pilot Tyler Harriman, 40, said he is running for council to become more involved with the village and give back to the community.
“With the changes that will be happening I want to work to make sure that Plain City doesn’t lose its feel and identity that makes this town so great,” he said.
Harriman is a session member and clerk at New California Presbyterian Church and serves on the Alder Lacrosse Club board. He has also coached youth sports that his children participate in and volunteered with the Cub Scouts and Plain City Elementary School.
“My family is very involved in community,” he said. “Whether it is going to the pool, parks, ball games, community events, bike rides or just walks around the neighborhood.”
Harriman’s wife serves on the parks and recreation committee, which he said allows him to “have a good sense of what are the needs of our community.”
He said the biggest challenge for council is ensuring the village and administration is prepared for all the new developments and growth that are slated to come to the area.
“There is going to be a lot of work for the village to handle and, as a member of council, it will be our responsibility to make sure the residents are represented and concerns addressed,” Harriman said.
He said he wants to ensure the village’s infrastructure will be prepared for upcoming changes and ready to welcome new businesses.
Harriman also wants to work to continue improvements underway in the Uptown area and address upcoming needs, including parking, sidewalk repair and paths around the village.
“I want to make sure that Plain City remains the type of community that we are proud of and want to be a part of,” Harriman said. “I want to make sure that we can hold onto our heritage and continue to grow the village with those values in mind.”
Sherry Heineman
Sherry Heineman, 55, has served on Plain City Council for the past four years. In this capacity, she is also the council representative for the parks and recreation committee.
Heineman is also a homemaker.
With the community’s support, she said she would like to continue to help build Plain City’s future.
“I’ve lived in Plain City all my life and love this community,” Heineman said. “I know it’s hard to see it change, but I hope with your support I can continue to be a part of some great things to come.”
In conjunction with recent growth throughout the village, she said several improvement projects are underway. Heineman said she hopes to continue facilitating and contributing to them.
Heineman also wants to work toward balancing residential growth with commercial development.
“With the new housing coming in, I think we are in need of some essential businesses and it’s time to focus on bringing them in,” she said.
Heineman said she anticipates more residents moving to the community and calling Plain City home.
With that, she said she would like to continue to develop community-wide events to bring local neighbors together.
“We will see a lot of new faces come to town,” Heineman said. “Let’s welcome them and make some new friends.”
Rochelle “Shelly” Pellegrene
Rochelle “Shelly” Pellegrene, 52, is an administrative secretary.
She said her ultimate goal as a council member would be to ensure all members of the community have a voice in council’s decisions.
Pellegrene said she will focus on regulating growth in the community to “maintain the small town atmosphere myself (and) many have grown to love.”
“In the past few years there has been many changes to our town,” she said.
While she feels many “have been positive and refreshing,” she said growth needs to be balanced.
“My objective is to balance the growth of the community while maintaining the environment and feel that many residents desire,” Pellegrene said.
If elected, she said she will strive to represent the community in her decision-making.
“I vow my leadership to be respectful, polite and differential to all opinions and viewpoints,” Pellegrene said.
James Sintz
IT Manager James Sintz, 51, is a native of Columbus who has lived in Plain City with his wife and two children for 14 years.
His children both attended Jonathan Alder schools and are “mostly grown and out of the house now.”
Sintz has a bachelor’s degree from Judson University and a Master of Business Administration from Franklin University. He currently works at one of Ohio’s retirement systems, where he manages technology, people and budgets.
“I have a passion for serving others and have served in different capacities over the years,” he said.
Sintz has coached youth sports, served on volunteer boards for church finances and chaired the Alder Lacrosse Club from 2011 to 2016. He was recently elected to serve on his neighborhood’s homeowners association.
“I feel it is important to come alongside my fellow residents and the local business owners to help continue in the responsible growth that has been occurring in Plain City,” he said.
He feels measured growth will attract new residents, businesses and development, along with supporting the lifelong residents and existing local businesses.
Sintz said he has three primary goals that drove him to run for council.
First, he would like to “make a strong and positive impact on Plain City Council and the community.”
Sintz would also like to “build consensus through collaboration and open communication between residents, developers and local businesses.”
Lastly, he hopes to “keep the small-town feel of Plain City while ensuring it remains a great place to live, work and play.”
Michael Terry
Current council member Michael Terry, 36, is a director of finance in the automotive industry.
“I am proud and grateful to be a lifelong Buckeye,” Terry said.
He was educated in Ohio public schools and graduated from The Ohio State University, where he met his wife, Erin.
“We have two children, Henry and Emma, that are the meaning behind everything that I do, including choosing Plain City to be the place we call home,” Terry said.
He said he feels Plain City is a community in the midst of change.
“Residents who have spent their entire lives here are proud of who we are and what we have built but can feel uneasy as the population grows, wondering will we lose who we are?” Terry said.
On the other hand, he said “new residents are drawn to the quality of life they can have for their families here but want to be part of making our future.”
Terry said he is running for office because he feels it is important that every member of the community has a voice in what comes next for Plain City.
He said he values thoughtful and balanced investment of local tax dollars. He also cares about the relationships between Plain City’s neighbors, local businesses, places of worship, schools and city services.
“I am running because Henry and Emma are going to grow up alongside our neighbors in Plain City,” Terry said.
He said his current work as a council member and on the Board of Zoning Appeals is focused on three areas: economic growth through investing in our hometown, restoring families by building better communities and fiscal responsibility through controlling spending by cutting waste.