Putnam County’s Rules Committee on Tuesday advanced a package of procedural changes to how the legislature handles its rulebook, public comment and appointment confirmations. Committee members voted to return to the 2024 legislative manual as the baseline and to carry forward three specific additions developed this year: live‑streaming, a public comment requirement for certain full‑legislature votes and a clarified confirmation process for county executive appointments.

The committee’s public‑comment addition requires that, when a draft resolution or local law has not gone through a standing committee before appearing at a full or special legislative meeting, the public be given an opportunity to comment prior to the vote. The committee amended the draft to ensure the standard applies to both regular and special full‑legislature meetings. The change is intended to preserve committee deliberation as the standard route for most policy changes while giving the public a chance to speak if an item appears on the full body’s docket without prior committee review.

The rules committee also adopted a procedural change to confirmations of county executive appointments. The amendment requires nominees to submit baseline materials — a resume, three references and a signed disclosure of interests — and allows references to be held under confidential cover consistent with the New York Public Officers Law. Committees will interview nominees and report to the full legislature with a recommendation to confirm, not confirm, or take no position.

Committee members debated whether to treat the manual’s adoption differently at the annual reorganization meeting. Several members said the change prevents ad‑hoc rule changes at reorganization before committees are appointed. One proposed alternative — leaving the current manual in place until committees can modify it in the regular process — was adopted: the committee voted to present the 2024 manual (with the three additions) at reorganization and require committee hearings for any future amendments.

The committee approved the package for submission to the full legislature in August. The rules chair said the litigation report and a confidential packet would be handled separately and that any further amendments would follow normal committee referral and public‑comment procedures.