Kingston Organics Update - Phase 2 Starting Soon! | | City Refrigerant Management Plan | | City Grant for Solar at the Forsyth Nature Center | | Kingston Repair Cafe on Saturday, April 25 | | Kingston Earth Fair + Hard-to-Recycle Item Opportunities | Kingston Greenline Clean-up Tomorrow! | Upcoming Paving & Roadwork + Wayfinding | | City of Kingston Board & Commission and Job Opportunities | | |
Mayor's Message:
Dear Friends -
This week, as a part of our Earth Week celebration, we were proud to announce several exciting initiatives.
After 2.5 years, our Kingston Organics program has successfully diverted 100 tons of food scraps with no contamination. We are thrilled that Phase 2 of the program, which will include free, voluntary curbside pick-up for food scraps, is on track to launch in June.
We also announced a grant for solar at the Forysth Nature Center, the City's Refrigerant Management Plan, and opportunities to recycle hard-to-recycle items at a Paint Recycling Event and at the Kingston Earth Fair.
Kingston remains ahead of our peers in the realm of sustainability, and we're proud of our team's ongoing work.
-Steve
| | Kingston Organics Update - Phase 2 Coming Soon! | |
To date, 100 TONS of food waste have been diverted from the landfill!
Thanks to everyone who utilizes the 11 voluntary food scrap drop-off locations.
Together, we are making a big difference in reducing the City’s solid waste and related tipping fees, reducing greenhouse emissions during transportation, and producing nutrient-rich compost!
Free, voluntary curbside food scrap collection, Phase 2 of the City’s Kingston Organics program, will launch in June! Registration is open for residents to receive a free city-issued 5-gallon container, which will be used for weekly curbside organics collection on your regular trash day.
Beginning in June, a new all-electric garbage truck will be used to collect food scraps curbside, further minimizing the city’s carbon footprint.
Drop-off locations will continue to operate after curbside collection is launched, and registration remains open for drop-off participation.
The curbside collection program is for City of Kingston residents who currently receive City trash collection only. Registration for and more information is available at https://engagekingston.com/kingston-organics.
Questions about the program can be sent to organics@kingston-ny.gov.
| City's Refrigerant Management Plan | |
The City of Kingston is one of the first municipalities in New York State to complete a Refrigerants Management Plan, a plan to properly and safely manage the gases responsible for cooling homes and appliances.
Mayor Noble said, “We are so pleased to present our municipal Refrigerant Management Plan during Earth Week. When refrigerants are allowed to escape into the atmosphere, they become an intense greenhouse gas. A single pound can have the same greenhouse gas effect as 4,715 pounds of carbon dioxide over a 20-year period. We hope with the creation of this plan, as a city we can help prevent many metric tons of CO2e emissions in Kingston alone, and be an example for other municipalities around the state.”
As part of the project, the team conducted a refrigerant inventory, policy review, and robust community outreach campaign.
Leaks of these pollutants significantly contribute to climate change. Refrigerants are chemicals that play an essential role in refrigeration, air conditioning, and heat pumps. Changing back and forth from liquid to gas as they transfer heat, they are invisible and odorless. Refrigerants are harmless when properly used, but can cause burns when handled improperly.
Appliances containing refrigerants, include:
- Refrigerators and freezers
- Air conditioners and central air systems
- Heat pumps
- Dehumidifiers
- Heat pump water heaters
- Heat pump clothes dryers
- Automotive air conditioning systems
To assist residents with proper disposal, the City will be collecting refrigerant containing appliances for free at the 2026 Kingston Earth Fair from 11:00am-5:00pm at TR Gallo Park. More info at www.kingston-ny.gov/earthfair.
City staff, along with NY for Cool Refrigerant Management will be presenting on the City’s plan at a free webinar, How to Develop a Municipal Refrigerant Management Plan, hosted by the Hudson Valley Regional Council on May 18 from 12:00pm-1:00pm. More info and event registration can be found here.
Funding for the Refrigerant Management Plan was provided by the NYS Department of Environmental Conservation, which was created in collaboration with Sustainable Hudson Valley and NY for Cool Refrigerant Management.
More on how to recycle refrigerants, how to conduct regular maintenance on refrigerant systems, and more, at https://www.kingston-ny.gov/refrigerants.
| Free refrigerant disposal at Kingston Earth Fair on May 9 | Free Paint Recycling Event on May 16 | |
The City of Kingston and the Climate Smart Kingston Commission will host a Free Paint Recycling Event on Saturday, May 16, 2026.
The Free Paint Recycling Event will be held at Kingston Plaza from 9:00am to 1:00pm. Acceptable materials include house paint, stains, deck coatings, primers, and sealers. No aerosols or solvents will be accepted. Register early, as time slots are expected to fill quickly given last year’s high demand!
At the 2025 event, 480 residents participated, successfully diverting over 60,000 pounds of paint from local landfills. By partnering with GreenSheen Paint, the city is ensuring that these materials are not simply disposed of, but are processed into new, eco-friendly paint products at GreenSheen’s New York manufacturing facility in Rotterdam.
Free Latex & Oil-Based Paint Recycling
Saturday, May 16, 2026
9:00am – 1:00pm
Kingston Plaza, Kingston, NY
Registration: https://circular.eco/event/kingston26
GreenSheen Paint is a leader in sustainable paint technologies. By refining and processing collected paint into high-quality, eco-friendly coatings, GreenSheen provides a sustainable solution that benefits consumers, contractors, and the environment.
| 2025 Paint Recycling Event | | Solar Array at Forsyth Nature Center | | |
The City of Kingston has received $82,891 from the NYS Parks, Recreation, and Historic Preservation’s Zoos, Botanical Garden & Aquaria Grant Program for a solar array at the Forsyth Nature Center.
With the funding, a metal barn will replace the deteriorating horse barn, which was formerly the stable for the Kingston Police Department’s historic mounted patrol horses and now serves as a storage area for the facility’s maintenance equipment. The solar array will be a roof mount solar system on the new storage barn roof, estimated as a 25kW sized system, and will serve the Forsyth Nature Center facility directly, providing power for operations including lighting, heating, and cooling electrical loads for the critical animal facilities on the property, as well as covering the demand from the building itself.
The solar array project at the Forsyth Nature Center is expected to take 18 months to complete, once the City has a signed contract with NYS.
The City has previously installed solar arrays at the Andy Murphy Neighborhood Center, the Albert Brown Community Center (formerly the Rondout Neighborhood Center), and the Andretta Pool House, with solar projects planned for Hasbrouck Park pavilion and a solar field on First Avenue.
Kingston is a designated Clean Energy Community and a Silver Certified Climate Smart Community. In our 2030 Climate Action Plan, we committed to achieving 100% renewable electricity in municipal operations by 2030.
More about the City of Kingston’s solar projects can be found at https://engagekingston.com/solar-projects.
| | Kingston Repair Cafe on Saturday, April 25 | | |
The next Kingston Repair Cafe is Saturday, April 25 from 11:00am to 3:00pm at Redeemer Lutheran Church, located at 104 Wurts Street.
Please limit two items per person.
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Recycling Opportunities at Kingston Earth Fair | |
The 12th annual Kingston Earth Fair is a free, family-friendly event on Saturday, May 9, 2026, from 11:00am to 5:00pm at T.R. Gallo Park with lots of music, entertainment, kids activities, boat rides, vendors, and more.
There’s also several opportunities to recycle hard-to-recycle items!
* Free electronic waste collection for items like computers and televisions
* Free refrigerant collection for refrigerators, freezers, dehumidifiers, or ACs
* Free paper shredding/recycling, sponsored by Archtop Fiber
There will also be an outdoor Gear Giveaway of gently-used raincoats, boots, gloves, mittens, hats, and more. Donations are open now!
For more info, visit www.kingston-ny.gov/earthfair
| Kingston Greenline Clean-up Tomorrow! | |
The Wallkill Valley Land Trust is hosting a community trail clean-up on the Kingston Greenline on Saturday, April 25 at 10:00am.
Participants will assist with removing litter, clearing debris, and tending to the trail—helping keep the Kingston Greenline safe, accessible, and enjoyable for everyone. WVLT will also host additional Celebrate Trails Day events, including a volunteer clean-up on the Wallkill Valley Rail Trail in New Paltz and a guided tree walk exploring the local landscape and ecology also in New Paltz.
All events are free and open to the public, no prior experience is needed. WVLT will provide tools and guidance; volunteers should bring gloves, water, and sturdy footwear.
To volunteer, register here: https://wallkillvalleylt.org/events/
| Upcoming Paving & Roadwork | |
Wayfinding: Gateway signs have begun to be installed across the City. See photo. More about the Wayfinding Project can be found here.
Paving: the first round of paving in 2026 will be the following streets:
Charlotte Street from Roosevelt Ave. to North Manor Ave.
Harrison Street from Charlotte St. to Jefferson Ave.
Amsterdam Avenue from Lipton St. to Kiersted Ave.
Lipton Street from Amsterdam Ave. to Kiersted Ave.
Westrum Street from Albany Ave. to Clarendon Ave.
In addition, Hasbrouck Park road from the stone house to Delaware Avenue will be milled and paved early next week.
Milling is expected to begin on Monday, April 27 and paving is expected to be completed by Friday, May 1, weather depending.
During this time, there may be detours and changes in traffic patterns. During milling and paving operations, all vehicles must remain off the street. Never move or go around barricades.
The next round of paving will be announced in the coming weeks. Paving season is expected to continue through October 2026.
Central Hudson - gas main installations will begin on Albany Ave between S. Manor Ave and St. James Court with lane changes and/or closures.
NYSDOT will be starting work along Albany Ave sidewalks from St James Court to Flatbush Ave. Demolition of the old sidewalks will require daily lane closures along Albany Ave. Access for residents will be maintained during construction, but the sidewalks will be closed as work progresses. During this time, single lane closures along Albany will be in place from 9:00am-4:00pm.
Weekly roadwork updates can be found here. For more information on paving projects, please visit https://kingston-ny.gov/paving
| New gateway sign as part of the Wayfinding project | City of Kingston Job and Board/Commision Opportunities | | |
The City of Kingston is hiring!
The Department of Public Works has several opportunities for Motor Equipment Operators. The annual salary is $58,101 with competitive benefits.
The position requires a commercial drivers license. Apply today!
Additional available positions include:
For more information on civil service exams and job opportunities, please visit https://kingston-ny.gov/employment
The City has over 25 boards & commissions, and we're always looking for volunteers to serve the community. For more information on what these boards & commissions do, read up here.
The following currently have openings:
Find the application at: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/KingstonBoards.
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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/
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Sent on behalf of:
Mayor Steven T. Noble
845.334.3902
mayor@kingston-ny.gov
If you were forwarded this newsletter and would like to sign up, click here.
The purpose of this newsletter is to share important information, project updates, pictures and news from the City of Kingston. For more detailed information, visit: www.kingston-ny.gov
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