In the Assembly Hall at the Paulskirche in Frankfurt in 1963, President John F. Kennedy famously stated, “And our liberty, too, is endangered if we pause for the passing moment; if we rest on our achievements; if we resist the pace of progress. For time and the world do not stand still. Change is the law of life, and those who look only to the past or the present are certain to miss the future.”

 

How many municipalities take that message to heart the way our city does?

 

Bridgeport is virtually never standing still. As a forward-thinking and progressive community, we continuously upgrade, renovate, and improve our town. Don’t believe me? There are many recent, notable, and visible examples of this.

 

For instance, the newly renovated Fire Station on Main Street, the expanded Parks & Recreation facility along Route 131, and the construction of a new main water line from Clarksburg installed under I-79. In the future, we will see this trend continue with a significant renovation of the Civic Center grounds and Bridgeport City Pool, a new Police Station, and the construction of the Inclusive Playground at the Bridge. These are all considerable ventures with high price tags. However, they are critical in continuing and expanding the high quality of life we have come to expect in our community.

 

Simultaneously, a handful of smaller projects are always in the planning stages, are being executed, or have been recently completed. Improvements like the new Teen Area in the Bridgeport Public Library, new sidewalks around town, upgraded backstops at the Bridge, the Glice skating rink downtown, etc. The list goes on and on, augmenting and improving the lives of our residents. My “to-do” list for Bridgeport is pretty long, with projects in every part of town. There is no danger of running out of things for the city to work on.

 

Most of these improvements are very visible and well publicized. One notable exception is the recent and continuing renovation of the City of Bridgeport’s Municipal Garage. This long overdue and necessary project is needed to improve the work environment and effectiveness of the city’s two mechanics, Tom Palmer and Cecil Moore.

 

Tom and Cecil are two of the hardest-working employees in the city. The number of vehicles and equipment owned and operated has exploded as the city has grown. Today, they are responsible for maintaining over 200 on-road vehicles, two motorcycles, more than 25 riding mowers, over 20 pieces of heavy equipment, and almost a dozen side-by-sides.

 

In addition, they service dozens of weedeaters, a dozen generators, a wood chipper, half a dozen chainsaws, dozens of leaf blowers, nearly a dozen push mowers, a dozen salt spreaders, and countless other small engines and tools. The volume and diversity of equipment they work on is staggering.

 

They are also two of the least visible employees in the city. Somewhat hidden away in their garage, located along Main Street between the Bridgeport Municipal Complex and the Manchin Clinic, Tom and Cecil work quietly, diligently, and out of the spotlight to keep the City of Bridgeport and its equipment up and running.

 

Through the years, the garage building had also served as storage for other departments in the city. Everything from paddle boats and holiday street decorations to the Bridgeport Police side-by-side has called the garage home. Tucked away as it is, crowded and heavily used, the Municipal Garage had fallen into less-than-desirable condition. The facility had seen no significant renovations in decades. That is until now.

 

Several factors make this project somewhat unique for the City of Bridgeport. There was no direct City Council proposal or vote. No outside engineering or design firms were employed. There was no significant budget impact. No news stories. No progress updates are being given to the Council. There will likely be no ribbon cutting or ceremony upon completion. In this day and age, how can something like that be accomplished?

 

To describe it, I will coin the phrase: Municipal Interdepartmental Cooperation. What does that mean? This project is being done through the efforts of multiple individuals in different departments across city government working together. Utilizing their planning and building knowledge, they have designed, constructed, and are working on completing this desperately needed project with minimal expense to the city and its taxpayers.

 

Tom and Cecil are working on the project with members of the Safety, Public Works, Community & Economic Development, and Engineering Departments. They have done the framing, run wiring, installed outlets, put up lights, hung and finished the drywall, installed the drop ceiling, finished floors, installed air conditioning, and scavenged unwanted office and breakroom furniture from other departments.

 

The final product will include an expanded office area, a new breakroom, refinished floors in the garage bays, an expanded shop area, more shop shelving, and a more organized storage section in the building. Costs have been minimized by using in- house design and labor, repurposing some on-hand materials, and finding extra furniture already owned by the city. The remaining materials are being purchased with unused monies already budgeted. The result will be a much better working environment for these two vital employees who keep the rest of the city, its vehicles, and equipment moving and productive.

 

Why so little fanfare for this project? Like so many of the outstanding employees of the City Of Bridgeport, Tom and Cecil want it that way. They are prime examples of so many of our city staff. They are dedicated and work tirelessly at their jobs with little expectation of recognition or praise. They take pride in their work and the many things they accomplish for our city and its residents. We should never take them or any of our city staff for granted.

 

“Why Bridgeport?”

 

We are blessed with great municipal employees. We have an enterprising City Council and a supportive community filled with intelligent, civic-minded citizens. With all of them working together, Bridgeport is truly never standing still. We are constantly and consistently moving forward. As Kennedy said, “Change is the law of life, and those who look only to the past or the present are certain to miss the future.” The City of Bridgeport has no intention of missing the future.

 

Editor's Note: Top photo shows Cecil Moore, foreground, and Code Enforcement's Bob Noworyta in the background. Second photo is of Tom Palmer, while a work area is shown below.