Outlast
Weekly update #279 5/25/2025 to 5/31/2025
Not long ago I sat down with a few different people to talk about Outreach Ministries Seymour or OMS for short. Before I expand on this though, let me share some of my week serving as mayor of the best small town in America.
This past week, the Seymour Redevelopment Commission held their monthly meeting. The agenda was minimal with the usual items like approval of minutes and claims. They also had the annual Tax Increment Financing update piece where they approve the letters that will be sent to other local bodies of government to show the impact the TIF districts have on them. This is an annual requirement to show they are within the allowed range of the Indiana Code. The one item that was not a monthly or yearly item was the resolution approving the lease related to the pool bond for improvements. While RDC is not a part of the repayment process, they are required by code to approve the Redevelopment Authority holding the lease. This process is all established in Indiana Code and requires many steps to get to a finished project. Thank you to the RDC and the RDA both for their work this week as we worked our way through the process towards much needed Shields Park Pool updates.
While we are on the topic of Shields Park Pool updates, I will go ahead and jump to the Common Council meeting. This week, the council approved the bond issuance for those much needed updates. As I mentioned a few weekly updates ago, the project will include items on the competition side of the pool as well as the children's play area side of the pool. From replacing 35 year-old mechanical items to expanding the concession area, the overall project will take two years of construction to complete with a goal of keeping the main part of the pool open during the 2026 season with the entire new design opening for the 2027 season. The final vote on this work was six in favor with one absent. Thank you, council members, for understanding the value a community pool brings and supporting the work Parks and Recreation has been putting in for several years now to get to this point.
I started off mentioning Outreach Ministries Seymour in my opening paragraph this week. Not that long ago they requested a meeting with me to share how their story started and what they hoped to accomplish with the work of OMS. One of those in attendance was Scott Larrsion. Scott recently lost his battle with cancer, but the work he put in on OMS will live long past his time to help many. This past week, I had a chance to participate in the Scott Larrison Memorial Golf Scramble for OMS. They shared that since its start OMS has served over 40,000 meals to those in need. Along with the meal, they also take an opportunity to share the word of God. While this started as a chance to help those in need here in the area, it has quickly grown to help storm victims and pretty much become a group that has served around the country with more dates planned. It takes many different people to do what they do, but they have a great group of volunteers from all walks of life helping them accomplish their goals. To the OMS team, from the original few that shared their vision with me a few years ago to the newest volunteers, thank you for all you are trying to do to nourish the body and souls of those you meet. I believe that philosopher William James said it best when he said, "The great use of life is to spend it for something that will outlast it."