If you were having trouble finding Perry City staff yesterday, that may have been because many of them were in attendance at the sixth annual Safety and Employee Appreciation Day.

The event was held in the new police sally port at the Public Safety Building, and served as both an educational event for employees and as a way for the City to say thank you to them. Deputy Public Works Director Josh Wuebker once again organized the celebration, and he got the festivities started by welcoming the first speaker: Mayor John Andorf. Andorf offered his heartfelt thanks on behalf of the City Council and Perry residents to everyone in the room, as well as to those who couldn’t attend because they were busy working hard to keep the City running.

Other speakers throughout the event included Financial Director Susie Morehead, City Administrator Sven Peterson, Skip Lowe from Bernie Lowe and Associates, Colette Klier from TrueNorth, and Dallas County Emergency Medical Services Director Mike Thomason. The employees were also recognized for their years of service, which Wuebker says always leaves everyone with a good feeling. “Everyone really likes getting together (and) meeting new people. And it’s kind of nice to recognize those employees that have a milestone, or just all of them! You know, we introduce every employee, from the ones that (have) been here 30 years to the part-timers. So it’s a great day, and (we) hope to keep doing this every year!”

There was also a free lunch provided to the employees by El Tren, and each of them was able to get their yearly flu shot if they wanted.