Gratitude
Weekly update #309 12/21/2025 to 12/27/2025
By this time next week it will be the new year, and 2025 will be in the rearview mirror. This week, I would like to go ahead and take a look in the rearview as we gear up for the new year. Let me share some of my year serving as mayor of the best small town in America.
This year was no different than any of the last five. We had plenty of good news to choose from for an update like this, and narrowing it down won’t be easy.
Water Pollution Control wrapped up several State Revolving Fund projects this year that will help control costs over the next few years. Belt presses use less electricity than our previous centrifuges as well as less polymer to achieve a dryer product at the end of the cycle. Another of those items was a much needed ultra violet system that is used from April 1st to October 31st each year. The new system also reduces electric usage at the plant. These were two of the larger projects for WPC, but they paid enough attention to the costs to be able to request an additional project for 2026. Thank you to everyone at WPC for all your hard work over the years, and I look forward to seeing what the future holds.
Seymour Fire Department welcomed a new ladder truck to the fleet with Ladder 3 arriving and being dubbed Maverick after the tragic loss of Maverick Flinn to a farming accident. The accident also led to the start of the Maverick Minute, encouraging everyone to take a minute and check their surroundings before they roll out. This past year also saw some new faces bringing SFD to full staff with lots of training hours being finished by both new and veteran firefighters alike. One of those new trainings was ice rescue training back in January that saw several take the plunge in a frozen detention pond. In 2026, we should see the arrival of a live fire training facility and many new opportunities to grow and learn. Thank you, SFD, for all your hard work; it shows on every scene as you work.
Unless the next four days are unbelievably busy Seymour Police Department will see a decrease in case load for the eighth year in a row. Just a few of the areas down are overdoses, found syringes, and motor vehicle theft. One area that has been up this year, though, is Operating While Intoxicated, and I would expect to see a few more over the next several days. With that said though, I challenge everyone to find a designated driver and don’t put yourself or anyone else in danger by driving drunk. Thank you to everyone at SPD for all you do keeping our streets safe.
While I could go on to each department one by one and pluck out a few items, I will try to keep this weekly update to normal length and give you a couple more in this last paragraph. Seymour Parks Department had a good year with park visits up through the third quarter compared to the previous year. It will be exciting to see if they reach the 600,000 visit mark by the end of December like I challenged them to back in January. Parks is also wrapping up a pool bond next week and getting ready to get shovels in the ground. The Department of Public Works saw a change in leadership with Allen Axsom coming in as previous director Chad Dixon moved over to serve as Employee of Responsible Charge overseeing major projects. Under Alan’s leadership, DPW has continued to upgrade equipment and try to improve processes as the year went along. They were also a major part of a successful Oktoberfest. In the ERC world, 2nd Street is all but wrapped up with just a few items left to finish in 2026. The O’Brien Street project is waiting on two parcels to clear the courts before it can go out for bids and get under construction after that. Transit has seen several new faces in 2025 both as riders and in employees. Rider count is up as they work to improve their processes. I say it several times each week, and will end this week no differently, by simply saying thank you to all our City of Seymour team. Without you we could not accomplish all that we do. Author Melody Beattie said, "Gratitude can turn a meal into a feast."