Parents, commissioners and neighbors urge town to keep RCMA services at 220 Main St.

Several residents and an elected county official urged the Pomona Park Town Council on May 12 to reverse or reconsider its decision not to renew the lease for a Resource Center for Migrant and Agricultural (RCMA) childcare site at 220 Main St.

Felecia McClendon, a local parent, said the center provides meals, education and other supports and warned of immediate harms if the location closes. "The children in the classroom are the future of the community," McClendon told the council, describing risks that some parents could lose work and that staff jobs could vanish.

Board of County Commissioner J.R. Newbold also spoke during public comment, calling for changes to the county animal code and noting coordination with the sheriff’s office on local safety staffing. Other speakers — including Valaria Humprey Murray and representatives of local groups — described 40 years of services at 220 Main St. and urged continued partnership with RCMA.

Councilwoman Kuleski and other council members acknowledged that the vote not to renew the lease had been discussed previously. Councilwoman Cooney invited participants to confirm whether they had been part of the RCMA discussions. The public exchange grew tense: one resident asked whether alternate town-owned buildings would be available if the lease were not renewed, and another criticized the mayor publicly.

The council did not take an immediate new motion on the lease during the May 12 meeting; public commenters asked for clearer council communication and for the town to seek alternatives that would avoid service disruption.