Mayor Margaret Feierabend
presented the award to Janet during the July 8 meeting of City Council.
The award, established in October
2014, recognizes City employees who serve with pride and excel in the work they
do. Nominations are accepted from members of the public, co-workers, elected
leaders, and others.
Community member Patty Lee
nominated Ross for the award after chance encounter at a local grocery store. Lee
was struggling to load groceries into her car one evening when Ross, having
just finished a long day of mowing and trimming shrubs in the hot sun, came to
her rescue. The longtime City employee loaded the bags, then made sure Lee was
safely in her vehicle and headed home.
A second nomination came a few
days later from Bristol resident Nancy DeFriece, who observed Ross clearing
overgrown shrubbery from the roadway and teaching her co-workers the proper way
to handle the task.
“The women seemed to have such
respect for Janet and were carefully observing and working with her,” DeFriece
noted in her nomination. “The very next day, I happen to pass that same area
again, and there was Janet with better equipment, cutting even more of the shrubbery so two cars could pass each
other without a problem. This time she was personally doing the work herself.”
The Bristol First Award recognizes
employee who put people first, demonstrate respect and integrity, deliver
services that exceed expectations, and excel in an environment that stimulates
innovation and continuous improvement. A total of 36 employees have now been
recognized since the award’s inception.
Additional details about the award and the nomination form
are available online at www.bristoltn.org/bristolfirst
