It Takes a Team
Weekly update #313 1/18/2026 to 1/24/2026
Another busy week where the team came together in several different areas. Let me share some of my week serving as mayor of the best small town in America.
The Seymour Fire Department had a busy week with a couple of structure fires this week. A home and an apartment building brought SFD out as they battled the two blazes. The most recent one started just before sunset last night and shut down Oak Street for several hours. Thank you to all the firefighters for all you do, and thank you to the Seymour Police Department for shutting down traffic to allow the water to flow from the nearest hydrant and Seymour Transit for bringing out a couple of buses to help keep residents warm and transport them to the American Red Cross site.
The latter half of this week was filled with meetings related to preparing for winter storm Fern. From tuning into the meetings with the National Weather Service to meetings with several departments, we didn’t lack preparation. When we get the kind of numbers we are talking about with this storm, we have the Department of Public Works who is tackling the roadway portion of the work. Parks and Recreation takes care of city-owned parking lots. Water Pollution Control assists as needed during major storms, mostly in the downtown area. Throw in the communications with Jackson County Emergency Management, and it really does take a team. Thank you to everyone involved. We appreciate all you do.
A few days ago, the pre-construction meeting for the Shields Park Pool project was held at City Hall. With a room full of people from the construction company, equipment vendors, long-time pool staff, members of the engineering team, and so many more, we hit the ground running. The timeline is tight for phase one of the project to get completed prior to the opening for the 2026 season on May 23rd. While this meeting focused on the first phase, we still had a few items to go over for when the 26 season ends and they get started on phase two. I can’t wait to see the pool for the 2027 season with the new children's area, slide, and so much more. Thank you to the entire team on this project because it would not be possible without you.
It should be pretty easy to see the theme after the last three paragraphs, but just in case, it takes a team. We have departments that are quick to jump in and help one another. It could be a major snowstorm that brings them all together. And just yesterday, it could be an assist to Seymour Transit with the use of a few buses during a winter fire. In the case of the Shields Park Pool Project, it is several different companies coming together to work on a major project for our community. Everybody has their piece of the puzzle, and they know when and who has a different part available when they need it. Many years ago, I was told the Seymour departments didn’t work together to help one another. Now I believe they do find a way to share equipment and staff when the moment calls for it. They also have great lines of communication that bring them together to share knowledge. Over the last several years, we have worked hard on moving forward together, and as Henry Ford said, "If everyone is moving forward together, then success takes care of itself." The rest will take care of itself.