PITTSBORO — At a specially called work meeting Monday late afternoon, the Chatham County Board of Commissioners approved edits to the county’s Emergency Housing Fund policy and received an annual report from the Chatham County Cooperative Extension 4-H Program.
Following this special meeting, the board also met for its regular session at Chatham County Agriculture and Conference Center, with both meetings livestreamed through the GoTo Webinar platform.
Stephanie Watkins-Cruz, a policy analyst with the Chatham County Manager’s office, presented the edits to the policy for the Emergency Housing Fund, which is comprised of funds allocated for emergency housing by the BOC in a given fiscal year. This year, there are also coronavirus-related funds, many of which must be dispersed by Dec. 31.
The purpose of the funds are to provide support to those experiencing homelessness, mass displacement or need of immediate shelter. During the pandemic, Watkins-Cruz said she realized the fund could be more accessible by creating another way to request assistance. Now, in addition to writing a letter, people can complete a form at the following link: cutt.ly/housingform.
This change, along with a note about the allowance of an abbreviated administrative process in the case of crisis, was noted in red font as an edit to be approved.
“This is sort of giving the policy, and staff, the space and flexibility to immediately begin as funds are available,” she said. “2020 has taught us that we really don’t know what to expect — being prepared and being able to disperse funds quickly is important.”
The county’s 4-H program then provided a report, breaking down their presentation into “pre-COVID-19” planning from January to March, and then from April to now. The presenters noted that their normal programs — 4-H Healthy Living Teen Leadership Retreat, School Incentives and Developing Healthy Habits course — were unable to continually normal due to COVID-19 meeting guidelines. The organization hosted multiple virtual camps this summer, as well as distributing craft kits with CORA and Chatham Resources Hub. In the future, presenters said Chatham 4-H plans to host club Zoom meetings, school enrichment and after-school hybrid programs and subscription learning kits.
“COVID really did affect all aspects of our 4-H program here in the county — from school programming, to club work , to workshops, to camps, at the state level and truly, national events for us as well,” said Ginger Cunningham, a county 4-H extension director and extension agent. “Engaging youth and volunteers truly took on another meaning for us as we really pivoted.”
Commissioner Diana Hales applauded the group’s efforts.
“Your staff seems to have risen to the occasion of creating new opportunities in COVID,” she said. “I am definitely delighted in terms of the partnership you all have had with CORA and food distribution.”
“Thank you for pivoting so quickly,” Commissioner Karen Howard added.
The board’s regular session meeting, which began at 6 p.m., was shorter than usual, with presentations regarding approval for final plats and a reclaimed water system from NNP Briar Chapel, LLC and Old North State Water Company, LLC postponed to the board’s Oct. 19 meeting. Nick Robinson, who presented on behalf of both groups, gave a brief update, saying he would “report some hopeful news.”
“There’s much we would like to report,” Robinson said. “But I’m also given to understand that some of the representatives of the Homeowner’s Association and Stop Chatham North were prepared as well to make comments in the public input session tonight and have deferred.”
He added: “In the meantime, in the background, over the last few weeks at Briar Chapel’s urging, there have been very productive conversations afoot to try to reach a compromise as to all the pending wastewater treatment issues and concerns. This would be a great development, I think you all would agree, for all the parties.”
He said positive progress had been made, but there are still issues the four parties are hoping to resolve prior to the full presentation before or on the Oct. 19 meeting.
During the board’s public input session, two residents spoke in opposition to approval of the projects, while two other people yielded their time until the Oct. 19 presentation. In September, the Chatham County Planning Board voted for non-approval of Phase 13 & 14 final plats for Briar Chapel, and it was after that point that NNP Briar Chapel, LLC and Old North State Water Company, LLC took the matter to the BOC.
At the end of the meeting, the board voted to adopt a resolution amending the board’s meeting calendar for the rest of the year — to hold work sessions at 2 p.m. and regular sessions at 6 p.m. — and approved the meeting calendar for when and where the board will meet in 2021. That calendar indicates that the board will meet at the Chatham County Historic Courthouse, something that Board Clerk Lindsay Ray said could be adjusted if need be.
During his county manager report, Dan LaMontagne addressed COVID-19 updates in the county, and said a press release would go out later in the week to inform the public of all changes at county facilities. He emphasized that as things open back up, social distancing and the wearing of masks will still be required.
“As you know, the governor moved us to Phase 3 of the stay-at-home order, that went into effect Friday at 5 p.m.,” he said. “I’ve notified all our department heads that we would be moving towards reopening some of our lobbies in certain facilities to in-face service to our public. This is by no means a business-as-usual, as we know the coronavirus is still with us ... keeping everyone safe is paramount to us, our employees and our customers and clients, but the departments are coming up with plans of how the can reconstitute those services.”
The board’s next meeting will take place on Oct. 19 at the Historic Courthouse, according to the county’s website, and it will also be livestreamed over GoTo Webinar.
Reporter Hannah McClellan can be reached at hannah@chathamnr.com.