Many Hands
Weekly Update #247 10/13/2024 to 10/19/2024
English poet John Heywood said, "Many hands make light work," and this week, I think I will visit a few examples as I share some from my week serving as the mayor of the best small town in America.
This week, the Common Council approved the 2025 budget with a vote of 7-0. Within the budget we have the ability to add a tuition reimbursement program as a benefit to our employees. While the details of the program will have to be worked out between now and the end of the year, this was the first step in the process. Council also approved a cost of living increase for employees of 4%. This is 1.5% higher than the projected Social Security increase for 2025 and puts us ahead on eight of the last ten years up by 5.7% since 2015. Thank you to the members of the Common Council for coming together to make light work of such big tasks.
Coming up in a few months we will be requesting federal dollars to work on roadways again in Seymour. From approval to finish, this application, if approved, will take five years to complete construction. This is the same process we have used on completed projects like Burkart Blvd, 2nd Street from Lasher Dr west, and the 4th and O’Brien roundabout that was recently finished. Current projects are 2nd Street from Lasher east to the railroad tracks and O’Brien street from 4th Street south to Burkart Blvd. This past week, Department of Public Works Director Chad Dixon and I sat down with engineers to review suggestions for the next round. Hopefully, we have some luck and continue the work north on O’Brien and east and west on 4th street from O’Brien. Thank you to everyone involved in this long process as it is never easy trying to find the right combination so far out.
Substance Use Disorder was a topic of one meeting this week with the possibility of a grant on the recovery side. At the table were longtime community partner Thrive Alliance from Columbus Indiana and a member from the Centerstone team, who have both worked together on Substance Use Disorder before. As anyone who has been paying attention knows, finding ways to help people get back on their feet and become a part of society again is one of my hopes for our community. Extra points on a grant that doesn’t require investment of tax dollars is even better. Hopefully, we will hear more in the coming months and be able to share good news. Thank you to everyone who works on this topic day in and day out. The world is a better place because of your efforts.
This week, I will wrap up with the news that Sakura Helping Hands donated $3000 from their Oktoberfest booth sales to help Seymour Parks and Recreation in the coming year. This is a partnership that started way before my time and has done many different things over the years. From trees in the past to more recently as they helped the staff at the Shields Park Pool get certified for the 2024 season, they have contributed to many different improvements over the years. For those who don’t know, Sakura Helping Hands is made up of wives, and I am sure families as a whole, who are here from Japan working at Aisin. The origami creations they create are always amazing and no easy task. With many hands working together though, I am sure they make it feel like light work preparing for the festival and their annual donation to making Seymour a better place.