Hope city officials said Tuesday night that 242 workers who lost their jobs in the closure of Hope Baking Company will be the focus of an employment assistance effort led by Hempstead County Economic Development Corporation President Anna Powell as the Hope City Board met in the City Hall boardroom.
Video of the meeting will be placed below this article as soon as it is processed.
Mayor Don Still told the board Powell reported that 242 employees were displaced by the bakery's shutdown, including 141 Hempstead County residents, and that her organization is planning a job fair with partner agencies to connect the workers with new employment opportunities.
"We need to keep them in our prayers," Still said. "Kind of hard deal when you leave work and not have to go back on Monday."
City Manager J.R. Wilson said the City of Hope plans to participate in the employment fair to take place on July 28th at Hempstead Hall on the UAHT campus from 8:00 - 5:00 PM. by recruiting applicants for several municipal positions, including a parks maintenance supervisor opening and several parks labor positions paying about $15 an hour plus benefits.
Earlier in the meeting, the board approved updated plans for the new Hope Fire Department headquarters after months of revisions driven largely by suggestions from firefighters and Fire Chief Todd Martin.
Engineer Jeremy Stone said the design had gone through "several renditions" as firefighters, the chief and city staff refined the layout to better meet the operational needs of a modern fire department.
Among the revisions were improvements to the living quarters, a dedicated decontamination shower outside the living area so firefighters can clean up before entering the station, expanded workout space, improved truck circulation, a FEMA-rated safe room, additional landscaping, secured parking with automatic gates, and parking for both employees and visitors. Stone also said the apparatus bays were enlarged to accommodate the department's newest fire truck while allowing firefighters to move safely around it.
Director Gary Johnson suggested preserving the historic brass fire pole from the old fire station so it could be brought into the lobby of the new building as a display.
Questions also centered on the state's new infant surrender requirements. Martin explained that the station will include a "baby box" to allow the anonymous surrender of infants while immediately alerting firefighters.
Wilson asked Stone to outline the project's schedule once the revised plans received approval. Stone said he will complete the final drawings, obtain the remaining state plumbing permit, driveway permit and wastewater approvals before advertising for bids.
He said he expects the project to be ready for bid in mid-August, with bids opening in September. After later discussion of the advertising schedule, Stone said the city hopes to receive bids by the middle of September.
Construction itself is expected to take about 210 days.
Stone said the only significant supply concern is the emergency generator, which currently carries a lead time of 24 to 32 weeks, although that delay should not prevent the station from opening.
The board unanimously approved the revised plans so final engineering can proceed.
The remainder of the meeting included these actions:
Recreation center architects presented options for adding restroom access for patrons using the future outdoor pool. Rather than immediately pursuing either of two proposed renovations, board members asked architects to study construction of a separate standalone restroom building that also could serve visitors using nearby ball fields year-round.
Architects also recommended installing conduit during construction so security cameras mounted on exterior light poles can be connected to the building without later trenching across completed site work.
Phil Wright recommended machine planting containerized pine seedlings as the preferred method for reforesting timberland at Hope Municipal Airport following the recent timber harvest, citing better survival rates and more consistent planting than traditional hand planting. After discussion, the board agreed to proceed only with replanting acreage that previously contained timber and to postpone consideration of planting additional gravel-covered acreage until a later meeting, when staff will present a more detailed proposal.
Code enforcement officials updated the board on the city's continuing demolition of condemned structures.
The board approved a resolution allowing the city to move forward with a Federal Aviation Administration grant application for rehabilitation of Runway 16-34 at Hope Municipal Airport.
