Board approves lease amendment with Boys & Girls Club; resident asks legal questions about statutory requirements

The Board of Education approved resolution number 26-145, an amendment to a lease agreement with the Boys and Girls Club, during the consent portion of the meeting. The motion to approve 26-145 was moved by Member Ross and seconded by Member Clayton Fernandez; the motion carried with an abstention by Board President William Iannuzzi, who earlier said he would abstain from the last resolution because it involved his employment.

During public comment before the vote, resident Lorraine Carm asked the board to confirm whether "section 801 of the General Municipal Law or section 410 of the Education Law" apply to the proposed sublease and noted that the lease is "supposed to be signed by the president of the board." Carm asked whether a vice president would sign in the president's stead and raised broader questions about development financing and per-pupil cost figures used in local development discussions.

The board approved the resolution at the meeting; Iannuzzi recorded an abstention from the vote. The board did not provide an on-the-record legal answer to Carm's statutory questions during the meeting; the president said public comments would be forwarded to the superintendent and appropriate staff for follow-up.

Because Carm raised statutory questions, staff or legal counsel should confirm how General Municipal Law §801 and Education Law §410 apply to this lease, and who is authorized to sign on the board's behalf when a member must abstain or is disqualified.