One single issue. If serving as mayor is about one single issue, we are all in trouble.
Not to worry because multiple departments will keep you moving from piece to piece trying to assemble the puzzle with no box to refer to.
Now to share some recent happenings before I finish this thought.
The Seymour Redevelopment Commission met recently to start the approval process on the economic development plan that was started early this year. The pandemic slowed down the process, but we are finally seeing the many meetings lead to a final product to help guide towards the future.
The Seymour City Council approved an abatement to help a company who is investing $250,000 and adding four jobs to its Seymour operations. If my math is correct, this will save the company about $7,000 in taxes over the next 10 years. The four jobs created, though, will more than offset those savings by providing for families and with that income being used at other stores both local and beyond.
Ribbon cuttings are still happening frequently in our area. JayC Plus now offers online ordering that can be picked up in the parking lot.
Another recent ribbon cutting was for Rumpke’s Medora Recycling Center. Since opening in 2017, they have recycled around 16 million pounds of materials, much of which goes to companies right here in Indiana to be turned into new products. Follow the Seymour Department of Public Works on Facebook to learn exactly what is accepted in your curbside recycling, which ends up at the recently expanded Rumpke Medora Recycling Center.
At the Youth Council meeting, I turned them loose to discuss what they want to achieve this school year. When I returned a short time later, they had five bullet points with many related ideas under each to discuss. We spent the rest of the session exploring the ideas and seeing what could possibly come from them.
They went on to create a group chat, and the conversation continued for several hours into the evening. It is easy for us as adults to decide what we think the kids want to see, but it is much harder to sit down and have an open discussion to learn from them. Don’t shortchange our youth. They will provide much-needed information when given the right chance to be a part of our future.
Back to the one single thought. Well, in the world of serving as mayor, it just doesn’t exist. In the previous paragraphs, you saw several different areas that I had to consider this week. The list of other things varies tremendously from hour to hour.
Then you have things that are troublesome for a few days of the year. Just because they are noticed by the general public on those few days doesn’t mean they are not on my mind on the other days, as well.
Erno Rubik said, “If you are curious, you’ll find the puzzles around you. If you are determined, you will solve them.”
The next time you sit down to do a jigsaw puzzle, remember you have a set outcome.
What the future holds and how it looks for Seymour is much the same as solving that jigsaw puzzle except it has no set outcome or box to refer to.
It is all from the imaginations of many that are determined, not just curious.