Trustees approve transportation consultant hire after dispute over process

The Connetquot Central School District Board of Education approved a personnel appointment and contract agreement for a transportation consultants position after a brief dispute about the hiring process.

A trustee raised procedural concerns before the vote, saying, "this was a very unorthodox way that we are doing this," and alleging the candidate was brought to the board by a fellow trustee instead of being routed through district vetting. The trustee urged the public be informed that the board “did not follow proper procedure.”

Other trustees pushed back. One said, "According to our attorneys it is not unorthodox," and several speakers said the district's lawyer had consulted with outside parties and that the candidate had been vetted previously. Madison, identified on the record as speaking during the exchange, said, "unorthodox does not make it illegal." Another trustee noted the candidate "has worked in the district for 40 plus years." Those defenses were made before the board voted.

After the exchange, the chair called the question and the motion to approve the personnel appointment and contract agreement for the transportation consultants position passed with the board announcing "five yes." The transcript does not record which individual trustees cast each vote or who moved and seconded the motion. The board then immediately moved to adjourn and the meeting ended.

The discussion centered on process, not the candidate's qualifications. Trustees cited consultations with New York State and a Nassau/Suffolk board association (referred to in the transcript as "NISBA") and legal counsel during their remarks. The transcript does not specify the name of the hire, the contract value, or the effective start date of the appointment.

The board’s next procedural steps were not specified in the transcript. No additional formal directions or follow-up assignments were recorded during the portion of the meeting provided.