Early Learning Center Passes County Legislature

In an 8-0 vote in a Special Full Legislative meeting Tuesday Night, the Putnam County Legislature passed the resolution approving the leases that will allow the Early Learning Center to move forward. I was thrilled to attend this meeting, as I have every time it has been on the agenda.

This was preceded by a Special Physical Services committee, because as part of the legislative process, unless under unusual circumstances, these resolutions first pass through the requisite committee before going to a full legislature vote.

In committee, much discussion was had about the two leases, one for a contingency/interim space, and one for the long term space for this program. Legislators Jonke and Ellner asked several questions and expressed concern about both the price of the build out of the long term space, as well as the fact the two leases were contingent on each other.

This meant that the legislature, for example, could not approve one without approving the other. This led to a lengthy Executive Session, when the legislature meets away from the public which occurs when discussions need to be had about things such as contracts and leases.

Following the executive session, the committee returned and voted unanimously to move approve the leases and move the issue to the full session.

All eight legislators present voted to move the measure forward, with one absent. That was Legislator Dan Birmingham who presumably was not in attendance due to a conflict of interest. Each time this issue has appeared on an agenda he has recused himself because the law firm he works for represents two of the school districts directly involved.

Now that this has moved forward, the hope is that the application started by Early Learning director Valeri Kurtz can be completed for New York State, and this program can begin receiving students in September.

This is part of the Think Differently initiative championed by County Executive Kevin Byrne. It is something I have repeatedly, since learning of it in March, come out in full support of.

I wrote about it extensively back on May 16th, and admonished the Legislature for how it was conducting itself at a prior meeting on this issue, reminding them that these decisions impact the lives of real people, which can be viewed in the video below:

Both of these meetings, two of the four that were held this evening, can be seen in their entirety here.