‘She put her heart and soul into Prescott’

Posted 10/24/22

Brand will retire as city clerk on Nov. 11 PRESCOTT – For nearly 25 years, Jayne Brand has served Prescott. She started working the front counter at city hall in 1998. She became city clerk. On four …

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‘She put her heart and soul into Prescott’

Posted

Brand will retire as city clerk on Nov. 11

PRESCOTT – For nearly 25 years, Jayne Brand has served Prescott. She started working the front counter at city hall in 1998. She became city clerk. On four diuerent occasions, she served as interim city administrator but didn't ovcially apply for the position until it opened up again in 2013. The city council didn’t hesitate to select her, with then-Mayor Mark Huber noting at the time that all city employees and elect- ed ovcials endorsed her hir ing. She stepped back into the clerk role in 2021 with the intention of looking to retirement but staying around to guide the transition to the leadership of new administrator Matt Wolf.

Now, she's making that retirement ovcial. “Nov. 11 will be my last day,” she said. She’ll oversee one more Prescott election, and that’s taking a lot of her time as her service to the community winds down.

“Matt’s been here a year now. It’s time for me to move on to something diuerent, which is retirement,” Brand said Monday.

At the Prescott City Council meeting Monday night, the council unanimously passed a resolution honoring Brand’s commitment to her city career.

It reads in part:

“WHEREAS, Jayne Brand has displayed true dedication to her position, outstanding leadership, sincere concern for all citizens of the City of Prescott, and devotion for the common good of Prescott.

“NOW, THEREFORE, upon motion duly made, seconded and passed by a majority vote; BE IT RESOLVED by the City Council of the City of Prescott as follows: “Jayne Brand is commended for the 24 years of dedicated service you have given to the City of Prescott and its residents. We all wish you great health and success in all endeavors.”

Those endeavors include plans to volunteer at the Prescott Food Pantry and for other organizations. But there are bigger things, too.

“I have two grandkids,” she said. “They always want grandma to do something but most of the time, I have to work that day. Now I’ll be able to say this grandma can do it.”

Under Brand’s city leadership, Prescott has grown dramatically. New housing developments have sprung up around the community, and the Eagle Ridge Business Park has been a huge success.

“I think that’s one of the best things of the last several years, the economic develop- ment. We have definitely grown, which will only help the tax base,” she said.

She’ll miss the job and interacting with residents.

“The residents are so good to work with. I’ve really enjoyed it,” she said.

She recalled a call from an elderly resi- dent whose fish had passed, and the woman didn't want to simply flush her pet. The city arranged for her to bury it among plantings at Freedom Park.

“She was so happy. She’d walk up there and visit,” she said.

Asked about the imprint Brand will leave behind with her retirement, Mayor Robert Daugherty said, “Where do you start?”

“Jayne knows everything. She knows where everybody lives. She’s meant everything to the city for nearly 25 years. She was a great clerk. She was a super administrator. We’re all going to miss her dearly,” Daugherty said. “When Mike Hunter was the mayor and Elizabeth Frueh was the city adminis trator, they kind of laid the pavement down, put a plan in place. Jayne continued on with it. We started fixing streets again and taking care of our infrastructure. I think it’s been great since then.”

Former Mayor David Hovel said the city will definitely not be the same without Brand.

“She put her heart and soul into Prescott because she was born and raised there,” he said. “I didn’t question her often. The one or two times I did, we worked it out. She gained the respect of not only the residents but the city council and employees. We’ll miss her.”