Mayor's Message

WWTP Project Update

Childcare Centers Reduced Speed Zones

Mayor Noble Statement on NYS Budget Process

City of Kingston Job Opportunities

Mayor Noble's Tuesday Radio Show

Roadwork Update, Week of March 27

Sound the Alarm Event - Sign up for a Free Smoke Detector!

Mayor's Message:

Dear Friends -

Much has been said and written about the regulatory agreement at Stony Run apartments. I am holding a roundtable discussion with the tenants of Stony Run on Monday at 6:00pm at City Hall and hope I can clarify any misinformation and ease their minds about this transition.

One thing I want to make very clear, is that the tenants at Stony Run will retain their current protections under ETPA. With the regulatory agreement - if its approved by NYS Homes & Community Renewal, would ensure that, in the event that ETPA should end, Stony Run will never return to market-rate. The agreement makes the apartment complex workforce housing for the next 40 years while also giving the property owners access to funding for much- needed renovations.

We have heard from many Stony Run tenants that their units desperately need these improvements. My first concern is the health and safety of Kingston tenants. From conducting a vacancy study and being the first upstate municipality to opt into the ETPA, to signing Good Cause Eviction law, to mandating affordable housing in every new housing development, and to undertaking the massive effort to rezone our entire community, housing has been my top priority. I established the Office of Housing Initiatives in 2020 to help me use every tool available to combat our housing crisis. If you want to know more about the City's numerous housing efforts, please visit https://kingston-ny.gov/housing.

If you have any questions about our housing initiatives, please reach out to me or Housing Director Bartek Starodaj.

-Steve

Waste Water Treatment Plant Project Update

Mayor Noble visiting the Waste Water Treatment Plant this week to get an updated on the $10 million facility upgrade project.

The project, which began in June 2022, includes rebuilding the outfall to limit the ammonia and nitrogen emitted into the Rondout Creek, and the installation of new energy-efficient blowers in the aeration tanks, which will reduce an estimated 417,000 kwh per year, a 33% savings.

“If you have driven down East Strand lately, you have seen extensive construction activity and a huge crane working near the Rondout Creek. The upgrades at the plant are progressing nicely, with the energy-efficient blowers partially installed, much underwater work happening to build the new outfall into the Rondout Creek,” said Mayor Noble. “This is an enormous project that makes vital environmental improvements, reduces greenhouse gas emissions and electricity usage, and will improve plant operations, efficiency, and reliability. I would like to thank the Chief Operator at the treatment plan, Allen Winchell, who has overseen this project and the City Engineering and Public Works staff who have all contributed to this project.”

The project’s benefits include:

· Improving water quality in the Rondout Creek and Hudson River by reducing nitrogen/ammonia in the treated effluent and implementing seasonal nitrification/ denitrification of the wastewater

· Improving mixing and dilution with an improved outfall nearer the creek center

· Improving plant reliability by replacing old and obsolete equipment

· Saving significant energy due installing modern equipment

· Reducing maintenance efforts with improved controls and new equipment

· Allowing the City to comply with NYS's permit requirements

The project is expected to be complete by summer 2023. More info at https://engagekingston.com/wwtp-upgrades. 

WWTP Chief Operator Allen Winchell, Mayor Steve Noble

Childcare Centers Can Request Reduced Speed Zones

Childcare centers within the City of Kingston that meet the NYS Department of Transportation criteria, can now request, via the City Engineer’s Office, a 15mph zone. The application can be found here.

After meeting with community members in the wake of a recent, tragic cyclist death near the Y, one of the solutions we discussed to help improve safety conditions across the City of Kingston was to institute a 15-mpr speed limit in childcare center areas. We felt, because this crash happened in a childcare area, creating a reduced speed zone is one action we could take to help improve the safety of all. After our discussion, I moved quickly to propose this legislation to the Council, and I thank the Council members for their swift action in approving this crucial safety measure.

The adoption of the speed regulation in childcare areas is another initiative in Mayor Noble’s ongoing efforts to create a safe, walkable and bikeable City. We recently released a draft of the Pedestrian and Bicycle Master Plan, a strategy document that includes safety features such as improved intersections, signals and sidewalks. Recently completed projects include the Broadway Streetscape Project, Broadway Grand Intersection Improvements Project, the Franklin Street Complete Streets Project, and the Pedestrian Safety Action Plan Intersection Project, among many others.

Current or upcoming road safety projects include the Henry Street Safe Routes to School Project, ADA curb ramp replacements across the City, Safe and Accessible Flatbush & Foxhall, the Uptown Transportation Improvements Projects, and many more to come.

Under Mayor Noble’s administration, the Kingston Point Rail Trail Phase 1 (Phase 2 is under design) and the Midtown Linear Park have been created, both of which provide off-street paths and connections for walking and biking. The Kingston Greenline is a network of urban trails, complete streets, improved sidewalks, bike lanes, and linear parks in the City of Kingston.

Mayor Noble to State: Keep Housing a Priority in NY Budget

I am proud of the recent actions we have taken here in the City of Kingston in response to our housing crisis. With our Kingston Forward project, we are on the cusp of historic, comprehensive zoning reform. Last year, we were the first upstate municipality to opt into the Emergency Tenant Protection Act. Through our collaborations with the Land Bank, RUPCO, and others, we are ensuring that vacant city-owned properties are redeveloped into much-needed housing. However, I recognize that lasting solutions require coordination with other levels of government.

I urge the State Legislature and Governor Hochul to adopt the following measures as part of the budget negotiations:

Pass and fund the Housing Access Voucher Program (S568/A4021):

By many measures, New York State is in midst of the worst homelessness crisis since the Great Depression. HAVP will offer immediate rental assistance to New Yorkers, both helping people secure permanent housing and preventing others from losing it in the first place. HAVP would provide financial stability to building owners, ensuring a steady stream of rental income from low-income tenants.

Pass Good Cause Eviction: We passed Good Cause Eviction in January 2022 to give every Kingston tenant the right to a lease renewal and to protect tenants against predatory rent increases and unfair evictions. Since we passed our legislation, a series of courts decisions have struck down similar laws in Newburgh, Albany, and Poughkeepsie. It is now clear that State legislative action is needed to ensure these commonsense protections are upheld.

Pass the New York State Housing Compact: Governor Hochul has announced a goal to build 800,000 new homes In New York. The proposal calls for an increase of 3% in the downstate housing supply and 1% for upstate communities. New York needs more housing and especially affordable housing. The goals of the Housing Compact are reasonable and will ensure that New York will create enough homes to support a growing population.

In particular, I urge the State to pass a version of the proposal that will require all municipalities throughout the state to do their part to address our housing crisis. Decades of data and research have shown that incentives-based housing programs, though often well-intentioned, do not produce enough housing, nor do they reduce exclusionary housing practices.

Mayor Noble Visits to JFK Kindergarten Class

As part of Cornell Cooperative Extension of Ulster County's Agriculture Literacy Week, Mayor Noble enjoyed visiting a kindergarten class at JFK Elementary to read Tomatoes for Neela by Padma Lakshmi to these bright students!

City of Kingston Job Opportunities

The City of Kingston has a number of job openings, including: Motor Equipment Mechanic, Motor Equipment Operator, Fire Inspector and a part-time evening Cleaner.

There are a number of upcoming Civil Service exams:

Account Clerk on April 15, 2023

Custodian on April 15, 2023

Receptionist on April 15, 2023

Environmental Educator & Sustainability Coordinator on April 22, 2023

Administrative Assistant on April 22, 2023

More information at https://kingston-ny.gov/employment

Mayor Noble's Tuesday Radio Show

On his weekly radio show, which airs on Tuesdays at 5pm on Radio Kingston, Mayor Noble talked with Grants Director Ruth Ann Devitt-Frank about current ARPA funded grant-opportunities for the community. Visit EngageKingston.com to learn more!

Roadwork Update

Due to an emergency water main repair, Marys Ave will be closed from West O'Reilly to Andrew Street starting Saturday morning and is expected to take all day.

Central Hudson has begun replacement of approximately 4,600 feet of gas lines in the uptown area. The project is estimated to take 3 months to complete. During the project, construction trenching will occur along:

• Fair St, between N Front St and Pearl St

• Main St, between Wall St and Clinton Ave

• Clinton Ave, between Main St and Albany Ave

• John St, between Green St and Clinton Ave

• Crown St, between N Front St and Green St.

Next week, gas main installation will continue on Crown St between N. Front St and Green St., and John St between Wall St and Green Street with road closures and detours in both areas.

Additionally, a gas line repair will close North Front Street on Monday.

For more on Central Hudson gas work, see their project page.

Kingston Forward DGEIS Public Comment Period

The public hearing for the Kingston Forward Draft Generic Environmental Impact Statement (“DGEIS”) took place on March 23. The recording is now available here. The public hearing includes a short presentation reviewing the purpose of the DGEIS, the process for submitting feedback, and next steps in the process.

Written comments may be emailed to Bartek Starodaj, Director of Housing Initiatives, via bstarodaj@kingston-ny.gov or dropped off at the City Clerk’s Office. All written public comments must be received no later than April 10.

The DGEIS considers all potential environmental impacts and reasonable project alternatives to the adoption of the Citywide Form-Based Code. If applicable, it also recommends mitigation measures where impacts might occur. The DGEIS includes a discussion on issues such as plants & animal resources, open space & recreation, historic resources, and community services & infrastructure.

Learn More: https://engagekingston.com/kingston-forward

Sound the Alarm - Free Smoke Alarm Installation

To mitigate the effects from home fires, the Kingston Fire Department and the American Red Cross will host a Sound the Alarm event off on Saturday, April 15, 2023 from 9:00am to 4:00pm at the Andy Murphy Neighborhood Center.

KFD and Red Cross volunteers will be installing smoke alarms in Kingston homes. Working smoke alarms can cut the risk of death from home fires in half. Sign up today! For more information or to schedule a free smoke alarm installation, please contact Red Cross's Eastern New York Preparedness Team at (518) 649-5121 or preparedness.eny@redcross.org.