Continuous
Weekly update #265 2/16/2025 to 2/22/2025
Mark Twain said, "Continuous improvement is better than delayed perfection." Below I will share some examples related to Mark Twain’s words. Thank you for another week serving as the mayor of the best small town in America.
About 18 months ago Seymour Fire Department implemented some changes in the inspection division. Seeing reports that site code along with a picture of the violation helps eliminate questions on reports and often helps speed up the follow-up. Besides the previously mentioned software changes, recently we have added a full-time inspector to make it easier for businesses to ask questions and schedule new inspections. This week, I had a chance to spend some time with our head inspector, Mark Gillaspy, and walk through a couple of inspections with him. The process starts on the way in, noting the nearest fire hydrant in case of emergency later it will pop up in the truck as they respond. Then a 360 walk around the outside of the building noting locations of utilities meters, shut-offs, and more before even entering the building for the inspection. Mark inspects a building much like he was trained to clear a structure during a fire, and it helps him make sure he doesn’t miss anything along the way. Except in this case he is taking pictures of violations and noting the code violation when he does. Thank you to everyone at Seymour Fire Department for all your hard work that many may never notice, and thank you, Mark, for the time this week helping me understand the inspection process.
Training is nothing new for Seymour employees. Last week, I shared some of mine, and this week, I get to share a couple from Water Pollution Control. Brent Hurt wrapped up an electrical-related certification with Vincennes University right here in Seymour at the Jackson County Learning Center on Dupont Drive. Having properly and improperly wired a few things in my time I enjoyed as he walked me through one of the stations before the ceremony and could tell he learned more than a few skills that he is taking back to the job with him. Doug Gregory passed his Class Four test recently and just has to wait a few months to have enough time in the field for his license to be updated. Congratulations, gentlemen, and thank you for your service to our community.
The Youth Council met this week and had a chance to hear from Mayor Bill Bailey. He shared about his time in office and some of the major challenges, like Seymour Recycling Center, his administration faced. Bill, thank you for taking some time out of your day to share. I know I learned a few things, and from the conversation after you left, I would say the members did as well.
Above, I shared just a few areas of continuous improvement. Inspection processes, educational training, sharing with our youth council about the past, looking ahead to the next downtown mural project, growing our leadership skills, or reviewing the reports that we use to make decisions to see if they have what is needed or should be updated are examples of how we regularly improve ourselves to make our community better and often more efficient. I opened with it, and I will close with it because I believe Mark Twain was correct when he said, "Continuous improvement is better than delayed perfection."