Mayor's Message

ARPA Arts & Culture Internship Applications Open

Sterling Street Sewer Repair to Begin

Pedestrian & Bicycle Master Plan Draft and Public Meeting

Disaster Preparedness Resource

Kingston City Land Bank Applications for Two Homes Closing Soon

Mayor Noble's Tuesday Radio Show

ARPA Small Business Grant Program - Deadline Extended!

Mayor's Message:

Dear Friends -

We spent many months engaging the community to create our Economic Recovery Plan, a community-driven plan for spending our federal American Rescue Plan Act funding, a plan which was unique to Kingston and our specific needs. We have been launching several programs over the last few weeks that get this money directly into the community: the ARPA Small Business Grant program (which has been extended one week - see below!) and the ARPA Community Events Grant Program. This week we announced the ARPA Arts & Culture Internship Program.

Our arts community was thriving here in Kingston before the pandemic, and we want to ensure that both artists and arts businesses and non-profit organizations can continue to thrive here. We hope this program will help two-fold – by encouraging young people to enter the arts, and to assist the organizations in getting back on their feet.

We are also seeing other ARPA-funded initiatives getting underway, like the Sterling Street sewer project, and other partially-funded projects like the Henry Street Safe Routes to School Project, ADA compliant curb ramps throughout the City, and repairs to the Central Fire Station. More on those soon!

-Steve

ARPA Arts Internship Applications Open

The ARPA Arts & Culture Internship Grant Program, which is made possible with funds from the federal American Rescue Plan Act, is intended to respond to the negative economic impacts of the pandemic by focusing on youth arts and culture workforce development.

Per the City of Kingston’s Economic Recovery Plan, the Arts & Culture Internship Grant Program will use ARPA funding to aid the creative economy by encouraging young people to develop an interest in, and the skills needed, to participate in the arts industry. The program will support both nonprofit and for-profit arts and culture orgs that experienced losses due to the pandemic.

Creative industries can include advertising, architecture, arts and crafts, fine arts, design, fashion, film/video, photography, music, performing arts, publishing, computer games, and TV/radio. The creative economy, as defined by this program, can include trade, labor, and production aspects of the arts.

Eligible institutions may apply for cash assistance to hire interns at their business or organization for one semester: Summer 2023, Fall 2023, Spring 2024, or Summer 2024. Interns must be a high school, undergraduate, or graduate student or individual who graduated from high school, college, or graduate school in 2023 or 2024.

To be eligible for an award, an entity must:

• Be a nonprofit or for-profit business contributing to the creative economy based in Kingston
• Have been operating in the City of Kingston prior to October 1, 2021

Deadline for application submission is Friday, April 14, 2023. More program info and the application at www.engagekingston.com/arpa-arts-culture-internship-program. 

Additional APRA funding opportunities available to arts and culture institutions include ARPA Small Business Grants, ARPA Community Events Grants, and ARPA Nonprofit Services Grants (coming soon). 

Sterling Street Sewer Work to Begin Soon

The Sterling Street Sewer and Stormwater Reconstruction project will begin in April. The project includes replacement of the sanitary sewer along Sterling Street from Henry Street to Cedar Street, and is Phase 1 of citywide sewer upgrades. Before the City’s work can begin, Central Hudson will be replacing a gas line in the project area. Once that work is complete, sewer construction work will begin. The project is expected to be completed in July 2023.

Detours may be in place during construction, but every attempt will be made to minimize disruption. The street may be closed intermittently to through traffic, but access for residents will be maintained for the duration of construction.

Construction for the Sterling Street Sewer and Stormwater Reconstruction project is expected to cost approximately $822,822 and is funded by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development’s Community Development Block Grant and from the City of Kingston’s American Rescue Plan funding.   

Pedestrian & Bicycle Master Plan Public Meeting

The City of Kingston has released a draft Pedestrian and Bicycle Master Plan (PBMP). The plan will inform the City’s efforts to improve conditions for non-motorized transportation users, reduce vehicle congestion and emissions, and support a culture of health across the community.

City staff and consultants from Barton and Loguidice will present the Pedestrian and Bicycle Master Plan draft at an in-person public informational meeting on March 13, 2023, at 6:00pm at City Hall. Live Spanish interpretation will be available.

Comments on the draft PBMP plan will be accepted until April 14 and can be made via an online form here, or emailed to [email protected].

More info at https://engagekingston.com/pedestrian-bicycle-master-plan

Disaster Preparedness: Know Where to Go

The City of Kingston, in collaboration with Cornell Cooperative Extension of Ulster County, has prepared Disaster Recovery and Resiliency resources for Kingston residents. This week's tip: Know Where to Go

For Ulster County Emergency maps, evacuation and detour routes, mass sheltering, and more visit https://ulstercountyny.gov/emergency-services/management/plan.html.

Local Kingston Emergency Shelters :

· Andy Murphy Midtown Center at 467 Broadway

· 2nda Iglesias La Mission Church at 80 Elmendorf St.

For this and other Disaster Preparedness resources, visit https://kingston-ny.gov/disasterpreparedness.

KCLB Applications for Two Homes Close 3/18

Applications for the Kingston City Land Bank (KCLB) opportunity to purchase two fully-renovated, affordable single-family homes closed on March 18, 2023. The 3-bedroom homes, located at 237 E. Union Street and 63 German Street, are currently undergoing extensive renovations, including energy efficiency upgrades and new windows, kitchens, bathrooms and heating/cooling systems. Construction is expected to be completed by July 2023.

The homes are available to first-time homebuyers, and each home will have a maximum cash purchase price of $194,995. The homes will be sold through a lottery system, and the application period will end on March 18, 2023. First-time homebuyers interested in learning more about the opportunity and starting an application can begin the process by visiting KCLB.org/homes.



These two homes are part of New York State’s Legacy Cities ACCESS Program. Both homes were formerly vacant properties foreclosed on by the City and purchased by the KCLB for the full price of back taxes. 

Mayor Noble's Tuesday Radio Show

Mayor Noble hosts a weekly radio show on Tuesdays at 5:00pm which airs live on Radio Kingston and the City of Kingston Facebook page.

This week, Mayor Noble spoke with Kate Cook of the Shamrock Run and Patty Jacob and John Kelly of the St. Patrick's Day Parade, both happening on Sunday. Click below to hear their conversation.

ARPA Small Business Grant Program - Deadline Extended!

Mayor Noble has extended the application deadline for the ARPA Small Business Grant Program to March 24, 2023.

The City of Kingston has allocated $1,000,000 of its $17.3 million ARPA award to aid local businesses in responding to the negative economic impacts of COVID-19. 

Grant awards of up to $10,000 each will help businesses keep their doors open, protect local jobs threatened by the pandemic, support community recovery, and increase resiliency.  

The grant application has been extended to Friday, March 24, 2023. Further details and the application are available at Engage Kingston.