POUGHKEEPSIE – In July, the Democratic majority of the Dutchess County Legislature held a special meeting to review and vote on the homeless shelter agreement negotiated by the county and the City of Poughkeepsie. The legislature committee and full board meetings were required, with the expectation that the lawmakers would approve the negotiated settlement. On Monday, the legislature approved the settlement agreement but also approved resolutions it wanted to add.
In the weeks before the approval meeting, Legislature Chairwoman Yvette Valdés Smith told Mid-Hudson News that the legislature would follow the lead of the Poughkeepsie Common Council, which also needed to validate the agreement. Twenty-four hours before the legislature met, the city council approved the agreement. The Democratic majority of the legislature, reversing their plan to follow the city, voted to postpone the vote, citing frustration of being left out of the negotiations. The legislature is not part of any negotiations, but attempted to assert its will regarding Oakley Street.
The Democratic majority passed resolutions to create a county plan for street outreach for the homeless, create three new positions for Street Outreach Case Managers, hire an independent consultant to conduct a shelter and housing study, and establish the Dutchess County Council on Homelessness. The outreach program, personnel, and action plan are focused on the City of Poughkeepsie, and the $85,000 consultant is to study homelessness throughout the county.
With those resolutions approved by the Democratic majority on Monday night, the legislature followed by approving the settlement agreement for the shelter that the Democrats had previously delayed.
Late Monday evening, Chairwoman Valdés Smith indicated that a statement was being prepared. As of 12:40 a.m. on Tuesday, the statement had not been received.
Republican Minority Leader Michael Polasek was pleased to see the stalled plan moving forward. “For four years, we have worked toward making 26 Oakley a reality, and tonight it finally happened. After all the criticism we heard tonight about the project and the process that brought us here, the Democratic Majority ultimately voted to approve the agreement and move forward with the plan put forward four years ago. We are glad that, in the end, we agreed on the path forward. Now it is time to get to work helping people get back on their feet.”
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