PITTSBORO — At the Chatham County Board of Commissioners’ final regular session meeting of 2020 Monday night, each of the county’s 533 government employees were named as the “top secret winner” of employee of the year award.
“Our staff has done a tremendous job,” board member Jim Crawford said during his closing remarks. “Not only with COVID, but with the cyber disruption. There were no major breakdowns in service … It was very inconvenient but it wasn’t a crippling blow, and that’s not by accident.”
The special presentation by County Manager Dan LaMontagne was preceded by a presentation in which the board adopted a resolution honoring Chatham County Schools Superintendent Dr. Derrick Jordan.
Jordan, who will depart as superintendent in early 2021 to join the state’s Department of Public Instruction, thanked the board for its support of CCS and of him during his tenure as superintendent.
“Thank you so much, it’s an honor,” Jordan told the board, adding he trusted the partnership between the school district and county would remain strong. “Thank you so much for caring about our employees and thank you so much for caring about Chatham County as a whole.”
The board also approved the recommended Capital Improvement Plan (CIP) for fiscal years 2022-28, heard an annual report from the Recreation Advisory Committee Annual Report, received a COVID-19 update and reviewed its 2021 committee liaison assignments.
Among many other constent agenda items, the board also approved November 2020 Tax Releases and Refunds, approved appointments to the Juvenile Crime Prevention Council and to the Planning Board and authorized the county manager to negotiate and execute the contract with OpenGov for software services for a three-year period.
During his county manager remarks, LaMontagne also thanked Vicki McConnell, the county’s deputy county manager and finance officer, for her 44 years of service to the county government. She is retiring in February 2021.
“Congratulations again to all our employees of the year and happy holidays to all,” chairperson Mike Dasher said before calling to adjourn the meeting. “Please, please wear a mask, wash your hands, stay six feet, stay home. If you want to get back to normal — wear a mask.”
Reporter Hannah McClellan can be reached at hannah@chathamnr.com.