The three-year process of creating a community college for Erie County has hit an important juncture, as a Memorandum of Agreement has been drafted between a county task force and the board of the Northern Pennsylvania Regional College. But that agreement has been tabled by county council pending additional public discussion, which was a reason for a public meeting held last night at the Jefferson Educational Society.
About 150 citizens heard a presentation from panel members then were afforded an opportunity to provide input on the partnership between the county and the NPRC. Erie County’s Director of Administration Gary Lee tells TalkErie.com that the delays for the college are taking their toll.
“For all of the debate that’s going on, each day, each week, each month, each year, we fall further and further behind because we do not have that infrastructure of a community college. So we are hoping that this will advance us a little bit further this evening,” Lee said.
Lee says the Task Force is focusing on a framework of partnership, and identifying a facility for Workforce Development.
