Bedford Rehires Laid-Off Worker Frank Zipp to DPW

BEDFORD HILLS, N.Y. — Bedford town officials welcomed back one of the recently laid-off employees whose job had been cut in an "unprecedented" move when the Bedford Town Board adopted its 2012 budget last December.  Frank Zipp returned to his old job on Friday, Feb. 17 as a mechanical equipment operator (MEO) for the Bedford Department of Public Works (DPW), with the official announcement made at Tuesday night’s town board meeting. 

During budget talks late last year, much was made of the town board’s decision to eliminate two town positions – Zipp and custodian Kevin Carroll – because the cuts were the town’s first layoffs due to budget restraints. Supervisor Lee V.A. Roberts said Tuesday how pleased the board was to reintroduce Zipp to the community. 

“It was very painful to have to lay off Frank last December and it was only because of his being the least senior of the employees of the DPW,” Roberts said.“We are excited to be able to rehire him and we’re happy to have him back.”

Zipp was brought back onto the Bedford payroll because another MEO retired due to disability. Kevin Winn, commissioner of the Bedford DPW, would not release the name of the disabled retiree, but said he was happy to bring Zipp back.

“Frank’s a great worker and really is an asset to the town. We are already down two positions here in the highway department, and we’re trying to do more with less and further reduction in staff leads to less ability to get work done,” Winn said. “So bringing him back is beneficial in that perspective. It allows us to get more jobs done and to provide better service to the residents.”

Zipp, a resident of Sherman, Conn., said he had been moving from side job to side job during his nearly two months of unemployment, trying to do his part to pay the rent. His happiest thought is not that he is in a secure job, but in an occupation he calls a career that has put his “life back on track.” 

“I’ll never make up what I lost, but I’m happy to be back. It’s not a job – it’s a career. I’m not looking to job-hop, and I’m looking for a career atmosphere,” Zipp said.  “Unemployment is not a good thing, it doesn’t do anything for your mind.  Getting up and going to work, feeling you’re accomplishing something is where you need to be. It’s good to be back.”

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