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June 12, 2020 - In This Issue:
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A Message From Mayor Steve Noble:
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Dear Friends,
The Mid-Hudson region entered into Phase 2 of re-opening this week. That included h
air salons and barber shops, retail stores, car dealerships, and offices - all with rigorous guidelines in place for public safety. This is a welcomed next step!
While our numbers in Ulster County continue to
trend in the right direction, we have to remain diligent in wearing masks, maintaining social distancing, and washing hands often. We're all in this together, so I call on each and every person in our community to be mindful of those around you and to stay vigilant in stopping the spread of the virus.
Last week, I wrote to you about my sincere hopes to bring about a change in police accountability in our community. We expect to do this in Kingston in the coming weeks but I want to thank Governor Cuomo and the New York State Legislature for taking the important step to repeal 50-A and enact a series of other laws and executive orders to create a new system of policing in New York State. We have much more to do, but I stand in support, ready and committed to this fight.
-Steve
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Outdoor Dining & Shopping Registration Guide for Businesses
The City of Kingston will be instituting a Dining and Retail Outdoor Expansion Program across the City, to utilize public areas and create more physical space for outdoor dining and open-air shopping.
To request specific areas for outdoor operations, businesses who wish to participate and will require use of parking stalls, street access or other common public space, must contact the Mayor's office at rverspoor@kingston-ny.gov or 845-334-3902. Participating businesses will then be sent the City of Kingston's guidelines and resources packet. This packet will be a step by step guide on how to quickly utilize the sidewalk, parklet or city street to assist your business.
"When we have a sense of how many restaurants and shops are going to participate, and how much space they will need, we will inform the public of potential parking restrictions, possible road closures along with days and times," said Mayor Noble. "The City of Kingston's Restaurant and Retail Outdoor Expansion program will help ensure businesses have every resource to operate successfully during the COVID-19 economic recovery. I also think it will be a fun experience and will create more ways to reengage with family, friends and our City this summer."
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City Buildings Re-Opening With Limited Capacity
City Hall and other City of Kingston administrative buildings will offer more face-to-face services, in a limited capacity, starting Monday, June 22.
City of Kingston staff has been preparing to re-open by following rigorous guidelines from State and County Health Departments to help combat the spread of COVID-19. Many precautions have been taken to protect the safety of the public and City staff, including installing physical barriers such as plexiglass windows in offices, installing hand sanitizers throughout the buildings, posting instructive signage, and requiring mandatory employee self-screenings, among other measures. The City of Kingston's complete re-opening plan can be found here.
Starting on June 22, City Hall and other municipal buildings will be open to the public Monday to Friday between the hours of 10:00am and 2:00pm and will require visitors to check-in with a mandatory health screening. Any visitor to the Department of Public Works, the Department of Parks and Recreation, or the Department of Building and Safety must first visit City Hall for a health screening and check-in. An administrator at City Hall will check visitors' temperature with a contactless thermometer, will ask a series of health screening questions, and will record which offices are being visited. The check-in station will be located inside the ADA accessible entrance of City Hall, adjacent to the Broadway Campus of Health Alliance. This is the recommendation of the Health Department and the information would only be used to aid in contact tracing of COVID-19 cases. Visitors will not be permitted in City buildings outside of these designated hours unless by appointment and all visitors must wear a mask.
"We are looking forward to opening our doors again to serve our community face to face," said Mayor Noble. "We have taken all of the necessary steps to do so in the smartest and most effective way, keeping both employees and our public safe and healthy. We look forward to seeing you all soon!"
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City-wide Book Club: Kingston Reads!
The first Kingston Reads city-wide book club will take place in July, and kicks off with a book that has deep resonance at this time in history:
So You Want to Talk About Race by Ijeoma Oluo.
The Kingston Reads initiative encourages all members of the Kingston community to read the same book, and to gather for discussions about the topics within.
About the book:
Widespread reporting on aspects of white supremacy--from police brutality to the mass incarceration of Black Americans--has put a media spotlight on racism in our society. Still, it is a difficult subject to talk about.
In So You Want to Talk About Race, Oluo guides readers of all races through subjects ranging from intersectionality and affirmative action to "model minorities" in an attempt to make the seemingly impossible possible: honest conversations about race and racism, and how they infect almost every aspect of American life. Salon called the book "generous and empathetic, yet usefully blunt...it's for anyone who wants to be smarter and more empathetic about matters of race and engage in more productive anti-racist action."
So You Want to Talk About Race is available for purchase, with a 10% discount, at Rough Draft Bar & Books now through the end of July.
The audiobook is also available to purchase through
Libro.fm
, an affiliate partner of Rough Draft.
Three virtual conversations will be announced soon, with c
onversations held in partnership with Rough Draft and Radio Kingston. On each night, we'll discuss a third of the book. Discussion questions can be found here.
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Kingston Point Beach to Open on June 20
Kingston Point Beach will officially open on the first day of summer, Saturday, June 20, 2020. Lifeguards will be on duty five days a week, Wednesday through Sunday, from 10:00am-5:00pm.
The City of Kingston has been quickly working to ensure that the Kingston Point Beach will meet all New York Department of Health guidelines for beaches by opening day. The protocols that must be met and maintained in order for the beach to remain open, include:
- Operating a half capacity-- beach facility will be reduced to 50% of normal season capacity.
- Shared facilities, including restrooms, will be cleaned and sanitized throughout the day
- Physical Distancing - a distance of at least six feet must be maintained at all times, excluding members of the same household or family and in the case of emergency assistance.
- Visitors must ensure 10 feet distance between beach blankets and chairs, except for members of the same household or family.
- Individuals must be prepared to don a face covering if another person unexpectedly comes within 6 feet.
- Multiple entrances to the beach must be used to avoid congestion.
- Lifeguards and water safety personnel must wear a face covering when on patrol and when interacting within 6 feet of members of the public, except for lifesaving or emergency response activities.
- Lifeguards will self-screen before the start of each shift
In order to meet these criteria and protect the health of all, there will be a safety site coordinator at the beach regulating capacity and monitoring social distancing. The parking lot will be reduced to half capacity and there will be no parking along the entry road.
"It is with great joy that we announce that we are able to open the beach this summer," said Mayor Noble. "With so many activities for families being limited in this uncertain time, we know how important it is to have time outdoors. Kingston Point Beach is one of our most popular local attractions, so we as a community will need to be vigilant in following guidelines and safety protocol so that everyone can continue to enjoy the beach all summer."
"While many of our favorite programs are temporarily closed, the Department is here to help and support our residents to find safe, affordable and accessible activities this summer," said Lynsey Timbrouck, Recreation Director. "We are looking forward to opening the beach for another fun summer, but it will require everyone's help. Public health is our top priority and we will need the community's support to ensure that the beach continues to be a safe space or all who wish to enjoy it. In addition, parents are encouraged to visit our Facebook page or call our office for tips on fun, engaging activities to enjoy with their children."
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Mayor Noble's Daily Update
Mayor Noble is live on the City of Kingston's Facebook page and at Radio Kingston at 5:00pm daily from Monday to Thursday.
Submit your questions for the Mayor on Facebook and he will try to address all related questions and concerns. Then tune in to hear the day's news and updates.
Click below to hear Thursday's update.
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Kingston Point Park Improvements Project
The plan for the project has been divided into two phases. Construction for Phase 1 will soon begin, which includes building a soccer field and parking lot on the north side of Delaware Avenue, near Kingston Point Beach. The new parking lot will serve as a connection point to the Empire State Trail. Phase 1 also includes the preparation of a site for a new playground, new landscaping, tree planting, and bioswales for storm water. Phase 1 is expected to be completed in 2020.
As part of the evaluation and design phase of the project, the Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) conducted a wetland delineation of the site in 2019. As a result, in Phase 2 of the project, half of the existing parking lot on the south side of Delaware Avenue will be designed and constructed to facilitate an official wetland. The other half of the existing parking lot will be raised to prevent future flooding and will remain in use for parking.
"This project will allow more opportunity for physical activity and will help increase the overall quality of life in our City," said Mayor Noble. "Kingston's parks are truly an asset to our community and these improvements will enhance one of our already wonderful recreation areas."
"As a part of our long-term commitment to sustainability, the City of Kingston thoughtfully incorporated adaptation considerations into the project's design," said Julie Noble, Environmental Educator and Sustainability Coordinator. "We are working to not only add more amenities to the park for outdoor play, we are also improving Kingston Point Park's accessibility for the long term, helping to preserve the area for generations to come."
The Kingston Point Park Infrastructure Improvements Project is funded through a grant from the NYS Office of Parks, Recreation, and Historic Preservation.
More information, including design plans, can be found here.
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Intersection Improvements Project at EngageKingston.com
The City continues to make investments to improve the walkability of its neighborhoods, including upgrades and adjustments to sidewalks, roads, and intersections to increase pedestrian safety.
This fall, with funding from the New York State DOT's Pedestrian Safety Action Plan Program, seven key intersections across Kingston will be upgraded to ensure that people crossing some of our busiest roads can do so safely.
The targeted intersections include:
- Joy's Lane at Municipal Stadium Road
- Broadway at McEntee
- Broadway at Yosman Towers
- Broadway at Delaware Avenue
- Broadway at Andrew Street
- North Front at Crown Street
- Albany Avenue at Maiden Lane.
These intersections were chosen as part of the City's Complete Streets strategy, which aims to provide easy navigation for all types of travelers, whether they're on foot, riding a bike, or in a vehicle. These locations in particular have high pedestrian traffic and have been found to be at greater than average risk for accidents. Several have extra-long crosswalks, which add even further to safety concerns for walkers.
Potential improvements include the extension of curb lines to shorten long crossing distances, the addition of sidewalk ramps and retroreflective signs, and upgrades to existing crosswalk markings and pedestrian signals to include countdown timers.
Engineering consultants have created proposed designs that are available for feedback at EngageKingston. Comments will be open until June 26.
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Roadwork Update
Central Hudson: Gas main replacement work this week will take place on Pearl Street in several locations working between Emerson St and Clinton Ave. Gas main replacement work will also be on Hooker St (Monday), and Hoffman Street (Tuesday - Friday). Ongoing work will continue on Mary's Avenue.
Service installation this week will update services on Maiden Lane, Tremper Ave, Clinton Ave and Elmendorf Street.
Broadway Streetscape:
Contractors will continue to grade, clean up, and set up for the installation of the sidewalk from Henry Street to Pine Grove starting on June 15. They will complete setting the curb in this area, including the pieces with slots for drainage into the bioswales. Preparation of the pad for bluestone under UPAC will be under way. A gutter with a backstop curb (poured concrete cast-in-place) will be installed from Napa to the YMCA. Meanwhile, work of saw cutting and removal of old sidewalk will also continue between Henry and Van Buren Streets.
Empire State Trail: Sidewalk and striping and intersection work will be completed over the next week with minimal traffic impacts. The required excavation and shoulder paving has been delayed due to material fabrication, this work is be expected to start in early July.
I-587 Roundabout: Sewer installation along with manholes continue on Broadway, moving toward Albany Ave along E. James Street. The contractor will continue the installation of the infiltration system adjacent to Albany Avenue and East St. James Street.
Health Alliance of the Hudson Valley - Mary's Avenue Campus Construction:
Contractors will begin blasting rock on the Mary's Avenue Campus on Friday, June 12 and periodically thereafter at times between Monday to Friday, 9 am-5 pm until
mid- to late-July.
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For each blast, there will be 3 horn blasts 5 minutes before and 2 horn blasts 1 minute before the actual blast. The blast will sound and feel like the rumble of thunder. Once blasting is complete, a single long horn blast will sound the all-clear.
To learn more about this project, see construction photos
here
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Kingston 311
The
Kingston 311 app, website and phone
system allow residents to quickly and easily report issues and submit service requests. The Kingston 311
app, available for
Android
&
iPhones
, is a fast and simple way to connect to City officials in non-emergency situations.
This system is a valuable resource to submit service requests for streetlight replacement, roadwork, City signage, traffic calming measures and other concerns. Issues with snow removal and reporting of vehicles and sidewalks not in accordance with the Snow Emergency restrictions can also be submitted via Kingston 311.
Photos can also be attached to illustrate service orders. Dial 311 from any phone within City limits to reach us.
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