Mayor's Message

Stockade District Signage & Awning Grant

School Speed Zone Camera Warning Period to Begin Next Week

Loughran Park Tennis & Pickleball Court Ribbon Cutting

Mayor Noble's 2026 Listening Tour

Distinguished Artist Award Nominations Open

Go All In for Mental Health Plunge Event

Community Yard Sale on April 18

Parks & Recreation Summer Jobs!

City of Kingston Board & Commission and Job Opportunities

Mayor's Message:

Dear Friends -

Removing the non-historic canopy from Wall and North Front Streets has transformed the Stockade Historic District and brought to light hidden facades. We are already seeing major improvements underway.

The City of Kingston has been working with property owners to provide legal settlements that could assist with repairs and restoration. We are working with property owners who are interested in having the City provide a signboard. And now we are offering grants for signage and awnings to continue beautifying our historic district. We won’t be able to fund every project, but I encourage property owners to apply for this additional support.

-Steve

Stockade District Signage & Awning Grant

The City of Kingston has launched a Minor Exterior Improvements Grant Program to provide up to $9,000 for signage and awnings on commercial buildings in the Stockade Business District.

The City of Kingston has approximately $70,000 in funding for the Minor Exterior Improvements Program to provide grants from $1,000 to $9,000 for property owners seeking to install approved new signage or awnings to their commercial property building in the Stockade Historic District of Kingston.

The eligible grant area is the entire Stockade Historic District, which is bounded by the Esopus Creek and Route I-587 to the north and east, St. James Street to the south, and Washington Avenue and Dietz Stadium to the west. View the boundary map here.

Commercial property owners in the eligible area can apply for reimbursement for projects that do not exceed $10,000. Eligible expenses include signage (projecting or wall sign), awnings, and, in some cases, signage lighting. Applicants must have Planning Department/HLPC approval for design, which in most cases can be achieved with a desk review.

The Planning Office can be reached at 845-334-3955 or planning@kingston-ny.gov. Fees associated with the signage and façade reviews will be waived until October 2027.

The deadline to apply for the Minor Exterior Improvements Grant Program is Friday, April 17, 2026, by 4:30pm.

The Minor Exterior Improvements Grant Program is part of the DRI Stockade Business District Small Grants Program, administered by NYS Homes and Community Renewal.

More grant information is available at www.engagekingston.com/kingston-stockade-restoration. 

conceptual rendering

School Speed Zone Cameras Starting Warnings Next Week

The school speed zone cameras, which are installed on Broadway in front of Kingston High School, will begin issuing warnings next week.

Mayor Noble said, “During the last several weeks that the cameras have been installed on Broadway, we have not yet begun issuing warnings, but the cameras have been recording speed data. To date, there have been an average of 1,400 violations per week that would have received a warning or ticket. Starting next week, drivers will begin seeing these warnings arrive in their mailboxes, and we hope and expect that this number will drop precipitously before the 30-day warning period is up.”

Cameras are installed on Broadway in the northbound and southbound lanes in front of Kingston High School and are still being installed or connected on W. O’Reilly near the high school entrance, Washinton Avenue at Marius Street for George Washington Elementary, and on Delaware Avenue at Corporate Drive and Murray Street for JFK Elementary.

After the 30-day warning period, tickets will begin to be issued in all four ticketing areas.

The speed limit is 15 miles per hour in the elementary school zones and 20 miles per hour in the high school zones. Cameras will be operational on weekdays when school or school-related activities are in session from 7:00am to 4:00pm at JFK and George Washington and 7:00am to 8:00pm at Kingston High School during the school year.

The equipment, which was supplied by Jenoptik Smart Mobility Solutions, Inc., will bill vehicles by mail, issuing tickets with a charge of $50 and a $25 late fee. Every violation will be reviewed by the City’s Parking Violations Bureau.

More information, including an FAQ, available at https://kingston-ny.gov/parking. 

Loughran Park Pickleball & Tennis Courts Ribbon Cutting

Please join Mayor Noble for a ribbon cutting event and official opening of the Loughran Park Tennis & Pickleball Improvements Project on Friday, March 27!

Courts will open at 8:00am for play, with the ribbon cutting event at 10:00am. All are welcome!

More about the project at https://engagekingston.com/pickleball

Mayor Noble's 2026 Listening Tour

Mayor Noble is pleased to announce that he, along with Council members from each ward, will host monthly ward meetings to meet with residents and hear their concerns.

Starting with Ward 1, Mayor Noble will host a monthly listening session, partnering with the Alderperson in a location either in the ward or nearby. The Ward 1 meeting will be held on Monday, March 23, 2026, at 5:30pm at The Pointe of Praise at 243 Hurley Avenue.

The Ward 2 listening tour meeting will be held on Monday, April 20, 2026 at 5:30pm at St. John’s Episcopal Church at 207 Albany Avenue.

Future monthly ward meetings will be announced in the coming weeks.

Immediate requests for services can be made by calling 311 during business hours (Monday to Friday from 8:30am to 4:30pm) or submitting a ticket here: https://www.kingston-ny.gov/311

Distinguished Artist Award Nominations Open

The Department of Arts & Cultural Affairs and the Kingston Arts Commission are now accepting nominations for the 2026 City of Kingston Distinguished Artist Award.

The Distinguished Artist Award, established in 2018 through a partnership with Mayor Noble and the Kingston Arts Commission, is a bi-annual recognition of a Kingston resident’s creative excellence, artistic accomplishments, and involvement in the community. The award is open to creatives in any artistic discipline including, but not limited to: painting, sculpture, literature, architecture, theater, film, and music. The awardee will be chosen based on their artistry, commitment to the art form, commitment to the community, and recognition in the field locally, nationally, or internationally.

The deadline for nominations is Friday, March 27, 2026.

The awardee will be selected by a panel comprised of peers and professionals in the field. The awardee is not chosen by the quantity of nominations received, but by the quality of the nomination, of their work, and by their commitment to the community. The selected artist will be recognized at an award ceremony and reception held at City Hall on Thursday, May 21, 2026.

The online nomination form can be found here, and the fillable pdf to be emailed or mailed can be found here.

The Distinguished Artist Award was presented to artists Peter Wetzler and Julie Hedrick in 2018, musician Lara Hope in 2020, performance artist Jaguar Mary X in 2022, and to visual artist/illustrator Matthew Pleva in 2024.

More information at https://www.kingston-ny.gov/distinguishedartists. 

Go All In for Mental Health Plunge

Rewind Kingston’s fifth annual cold plunge in the Hudson River returns to Kingston Point Beach on Sunday, March 22 at 1:00pm to raise awareness and support for mental health.

The free event includes donuts, coffee, tea, and Big Towel sauna by donation.

Any donation will support LoveCass, a 501(c)(3) non-profit created by Rewind Kingston to support accessible mental health and wellness programming, distribute resources + coping skills to the community.

Learn more at www.rewindkingston.com

Community Yard Sale on April 18

Kingston Parks & Recreation Summer Jobs

Kingston Parks & Recreation is hiring for summer jobs! The deadline to apply is April 10.

Applicants must be 16 by June 1, 2026 to apply. Camp Director must be at least 21. Many positions open - apply here!

City of Kingston Job and Board/Commision Opportunities

The City of Kingston is hiring! The following positions are currently open:

• Part-time Temporary Clerk
• Assistant Director Building Safety and Zoning 
• Assistant Corporation Counsel
• Heavy Motor Equipment Operator
• Motor Equipment Operator 
• Senior Account Clerk
• WWTP Mechanic II

For more information on civil service exams and job opportunities, please visit https://kingston-ny.gov/employment

The following civil service exams are scheduled:

• Occupational Therapist on April 1 (deadline: 3/19/26)



The City has over 25 boards & commissions, and we're always looking for volunteers to serve the community.

The following currently have openings:

• Community Preservation Advisory Board
• Historic Landmark Preservation Commission
• Ethics Board
• Conservation Advisory Council
• Zoning Board of Appeals
• Ulster County Planning Board (Kingston representative)

Find the application at: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/KingstonBoards.

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. Photos can be attached to illustrate service orders.



This system is a valuable resource to submit municipal service requests. Examples include:

• Streetlight replacement
• City signage, including overgrowth blocking traffic signs
• Snow removal, reporting parking violations, and other snow issues
• Parks & playground repairs
• Report graffiti or vandalism
• Trail issues

Dial 311 from any phone within City limits to reach us, use the app or visit www.kingston-ny.gov/311/