Join Brighton McConnell every Tuesday afternoon for Chatham County Roundup, a recurring series that shines the spotlight on Chatham County through engaging discussions and interviews with locals, newsmakers, officials and more.
Chatham County Commissioner Karen Howard joined 97.9 The Hill’s Brighton McConnell on this week’s Chatham County Roundup to share updates from Monday’s Board of Commissioners meeting and the ongoing Chatham 250 celebration.
The Board of County Commissioners’ April meeting saw a full agenda, with a discussion on redistricting, COVID-19 updates and several resolutions honoring national causes during the month. One of the main topics covered in the board’s work session was reviewing a utilities study examining the water infrastructure in Chatham County.
Howard said Chatham’s continuing growth puts pressure on the existing water services in some areas. Monday’s discussion helps further the county government’s goal to identify options with the Town of Pittsboro and City of Sanford to partner and share respective water resources.
“It’s something we definitely need to think through and plan properly,” Howard said, “but having safe, clean water for county residents has to be a top priority. We’ve heard horror stories about the amount of PFAS in Pittsboro water. That’s not the way we want to manage our water resource. So, investing [and] partnering with our local municipalities and developing a long-term plan to ensure there is space clean, affordable water available is critical.”
While these discussions are in early stages, Howard said there are some compelling opportunities for investment between the local governments. With Pittsboro projected to continue experiencing significant growth, the county commissioner said determining safe and reliable water options isn’t just crucial, but exciting.
“Partnering with the municipality right now, while we work towards getting beyond the constraints of now and helping them find a water source that is safe and reliable,” she said, “is a top priority for us.”
The Chatham County government is also celebrating the 250th anniversary of its founding. Having kicked off the celebrations with its Founding Day on April 10, the county is now sharing Chatham 250 passports, a way residents can explore different areas and aspects of the community.
“It’s sort of a scavenger hunt,” said Howard. “People can go around the county, discover new places, maybe revisit places they haven’t been for a while, and get to know your county all over in a better and different way.”
“A lot of Chatham County residents are new or fairly new,” the commissioner added. “It’s very easy to become very comfortable in the pockets we live in. I think this is a wonderful opportunity to bring the whole County together in a celebratory way and, and recognize and celebrate our differences.”
Listen below for the full conversation, and tune in weekly for conversations about Chatham County happenings, people, news and more.
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