County exec, legislators unite to fight coronavirus

In his first address to lawmakers since taking office, Ulster County Executive Pat Ryan said the county has yet to see the worst impact of the coronavirus and that stemming the spread will take the efforts of all county officials working together.

Ryan appeared briefly before the county Legislature during its regular meeting Tuesday. It was the first time he had spoken to the entire body in an open session since taking office last June.

“I hope I’m wrong about this, but if we look at how the public health aspect of this has played out, we really are just at the beginning of what could be really a steep curve up,” Ryan said. “We are starting to begin to see that surface in the data through the [county’s COVID-19] hotline.”

Ryan, who provided legislators with an update of the county’s efforts to date, also thanked them for their support of his administration’s efforts and reminded them they all have a role to play.

“These are the moments when those kinds of ideas of community and being in this together really matter,”

he said. “Every single person in this community is looking to us, everyone in this room, as leaders who can have a plan ... a vision of how we can get out of this together, and the only way we do that is by everybody working together.”

Ryan, a Democrat, said he’s been “blown away” by the support and cooperation he’s received from the Legislature and individual legislators, and that he hopes that spirit of cooperation will continue once the

virus threat has passed.

Legislature Minority Leader Ken Ronk, RWallkill, commended Ryan for what Ronk said was the “calm demeanor and reasoned and fact-based approach” the administration has taken in addressing community needs, and he credited the administration with keeping panic at bay.

“In a situation like this, panic is absolutely the worst thing, and it’s the only thing that can’t be fixed in a public

health crisis, so I think the way you and your team have handled it ... [has] really helped the people of Ulster County stay calm,” Ronk said to Ryan.

Ryan has conducted daily briefings on the coronavirus and has taken numerous steps to address some of the most pressing community needs. Earlier Tuesday, he announced plans for a program he has dubbed “Project Resilience,” which is designed to help get food to county residents in need.

Legislature Chairman David Donaldson also commended Ryan for his handling of the situation.

“I’m quite comfortable with the way the county executive is handling this,” said Donaldson, D-Kingston, crediting the training Ryan received at West Point for the calm and professional manner in which the executive has acted.

“The way you and your team have handled it ... it’s really helped the people of Ulster County stay calm,”

Donaldson said.

The Legislature met in an abbreviated session that was closed to the public out of concern over the potential spread of the coronavirus. The meeting was streamed live and can be viewed on the Legislature’s website, ulstercountyny. gov/legislature.

For local coverage related to the coronavirus, go to bit.ly/DFCOVID19. For live updates, visit bit.ly/ DFcovid19live.