Trotwood residents, council look to continue post-tornado momentum in 2020

Credit: DaytonDailyNews

Trotwood residents and city officials are confident they will rebuild their city, ripped apart in the outbreak of tornadoes in 2019, better than it was before the storms.

The city council met Monday night, for the first time in 2020, to discuss new plans for a new year. Residents and politicians are having to regroup after one of the 21 Memorial Day tornadoes did enough damage to displace more than 800 families.

RELATED: Miami Valley Tornadoes 2019: Complete Coverage

A new library, courthouse and Goodwill Easter Seals facility are among the projects on the board for this year.

"We had a lot of momentum, then we had a tornado," Mayor Mary McDonald told News Center 7's Ronnell Hunt on Monday night. "So, the tornado really kind of slowed things down. But what we are doing now is going back and we are bring able to get those folks that are engaged."

Council member Rhonda Finley said the council wants to be able to bring the city's citizens home.

Resident Rap Hankins, one of dozens of residents who attended Monday's meeting, said, "We would have not made this progress without this council, without the help of this great region and ODOT as far as the state of Ohio" is concerned.

Residents are looking to continue the progress that began the city's post-tornado period.

"I can see the optimism everywhere and so when you feel good about the community you come home to that community and remind them of the good efforts that are being done," Hankins said.

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