Chatham Borough's council worked through 26 resolutions Monday night. Most were routine. Two were not — and together, they say something about what this town chooses to remember and who it chooses to thank.

Council members authorized gold ribbons to be displayed around Chatham in memory of Callum Thomas McGookin, an 11-year-old resident who died earlier this year. Just weeks before his death, Callum had served as Grand Marshal of the Chatham Borough Volunteer Fire Department's 72nd Fourth of July Parade — riding through town as its guest of honor, cheered on by neighbors who now hang ribbons in his memory. It's a small gesture, the kind that costs a town almost nothing and means almost everything to the people who loved him.

The council also formally established a compensation program for volunteer firefighters, something Chatham residents approved at the ballot box back in November. Up to 30 qualifying volunteers could now receive as much as $1,150 a year in deferred compensation — not much, by most measures, but a real acknowledgment of people who leave dinner tables and beds at 2 a.m. for no pay, simply because their town needs them.

Before the public session began, council members met privately to discuss the borough's library project and its pending affordable housing litigation, both shielded under attorney-client privilege. The housing case has moved through Superior Court since at least last fall, with the borough's Fair Share Plan approved by the court in February.

The council authorized two grant applications to the state Department of Transportation for improvements along Washington Avenue, and recognized Jeff Davis with a mayoral commendation.

Meeting minutes confirming final votes haven't been published yet. Residents can find agendas and full recordings on the borough's Granicus page.