Putnam County’s Audit and Administration Committee approved $95,000 on June 23 to furnish the Youth Bureau’s new space at Tilly Foster Farm, including indoor furnishings for 11 rooms and a specified outdoor seating set.

The committee voted to fund furniture and fixtures after Janine Cunningham, director of the Youth Bureau, described plans for flexible, child-friendly furnishings and multipurpose spaces. “So we are so excited to have our own space finally, over at Tilly Foster Farm,” Cunningham told the committee. She said much current programming is run in office buildings and that the new site will let children “be kids” and use adjacent outdoor space for programs.

Why it matters: County officials said outfitting the new site will allow more youth programming, make space adaptable for activities such as youth court and camps, and improve access for students in the Brewster School District. Procurement staff noted the supplier is on a New York State Office of General Services contract, which the county may use to source items and share vendor information with other departments working on similar purchases.

Key details: The committee approved $95,000 to outfit 11 rooms plus one outdoor area. Staff said lead time for ordered furniture is about six to eight weeks and that the outdoor furniture package is priced at $16,767.50. Procurement staff advised that because the vendor is on the New York State OGS contract, similar pricing is available to other county departments and could be shared with the Early Learning Center and health department teams working on children’s furniture.

Debate and oversight: Legislators discussed whether to buy all items now or phase purchases; some said locking prices now could protect the county from later supply-chain or cost increases. Committee members also discussed potential indoor storage or seasonal exposure for outdoor pieces and confirmed that computers and phones will move from existing county inventory.

Formal action: Chairwoman Sage moved to approve the budget amendment for $95,000 for furniture; the motion passed at the committee meeting. Procurement and the Youth Bureau staff were directed to finalize ordering, coordinate lead times with Public Works for storage or delivery, and share contract details with other county departments.

Next steps: Staff will place orders under the OGS contract and schedule delivery. Officials said they expect to receive furniture within the vendor’s six-to-eight-week lead time and to coordinate any needed storage with the Department of Public Works.