Make it Better
Weekly Update #212 2/11/2024 to 2/17/2024
DPW, GSTF, and IU are just some of the acronyms from this week. I will try to get to as many of them as possible over the next paragraphs as I share some of my week serving as mayor of the best small town in America.
My department visit this week was with the Department of Public Works, and I had a chance to work with the mechanics as they serviced one of Seymour Police Department's patrol cars. Oil and brakes later and it was back on the road for shift on Friday. While the shop at DPW doesn’t do 100% of our repair work, it is a good way for the City to keep costs down and our City fleet in better condition. Thank you to the DPW crew for the chance to help out and learn a little while I was at it.
This week was the annual review of requests for the Greater Seymour Trust Fund or GSTF for short. This cycle is when they help out area agencies with equipment and projects. I believe they were able to help around a dozen different organizations with at least a portion of their requests. If you would like to help grow the funds used each year, you can learn more at greaterseymourtrustfund.com or give Brandon Hunsley a call at Jackson County Bank.
This week, the Jackson County Solid Waste District had their first meeting of 2024. Along with the usual items, they also approved renewing the sponsorship of the Tree City programs for municipalities across Jackson County. The program is pretty simple and is available for any of the four cities or towns who become a recognized Tree City by the Arbor Day Foundation. In doing so, the district will sponsor $1 per capita to be used for planting new trees or maintaining existing trees. This year will be the second year for Seymour with one of last year's projects being the addition of 40 trees along Burkart Boulevard and many more in city parks. Thank you for supporting the communities in Jackson County and helping us grow our tree canopy along the way.
I started this week by speaking at the O'Neill School of Public and Environmental Affairs at Indiana University. I shared the ups and the downs of public service and my history as a business owner and non profit director. I shared that not everyone is going to join you as you try to find options for your community's tomorrow, and it is ok if they don’t. Most importantly, we talked about having a love for your community and a desire to see it be the best it can be. We discussed how being involved helps accomplish that goal. We talked about finding your passion and how to plug into it because you will find energy you didn’t know you had. We talked about how politics should not be a part of the conversation because we have to work with anyone who wants to make our little parts of the world a better place regardless of which side of the aisle they fall. Thank you, Professor Hughes, for the chance to speak with your students this week. It was an honor to get to share my experience with them, and if it inspired even one to give back to their community in the future, it was well worth the time. This week, I will leave you with a quote from me that I said during my presentation at IU, “Take pride in your community even if at times you might be frustrated. Together we can make it better for the next generation.”