Mayor's Message

New Grant for Fast-Charging EV Station

CDBG Annual Action Plan

ARPA Community Events Grant Program - Round 3

First Annual Youth Summit on May 3

Kingston Earth Fair on May 13

Paving & Roadwork Update for Next Week

Mayor Noble's Tuesday Radio Show

City of Kingston Job & Board/Commission Opportunities

Mayor's Message:

Dear Friends -

Happy Arbor Day! Today we celebrated by planting a sweet gum tree at the Rondout Neighborhood Center. The kids there recited special Arbor Day poetry and created a beautiful mural titled, We Got the Whole World in Our Hands, which will be on display at City Hall for the next month.

I am proud to say that the City of Kingston has been a Tree City USA for 27 years. To find out more out the Kingston Tree Commission and opportunities to get a street tree planted on your property, visit www.kingston-ny.gov/Trees. 

-Steve

Grant for Two Fast-Charging EV Stations

Kingston has received $268,644.54 from DEC’s Municipal Zero-Emission Vehicle Infrastructure Grant Program for two fast-charging EV stations.

The charging stations, which will be installed in the public lot at 2 Broadway, will be direct current fast charger (DCFC) EV stations, that will be open to the public. The City of Kingston currently has a total of five locations with Level 2 EV chargers, with four more to come online in 2023. This new award will be the first municipal installation of Level 3 DCFC stations in Kingston. More on the City of Kingston charging stations here.

In New York State Comptroller Thomas DiNapoli’s recent report on local governments adapting to climate change, Kingston scored very high, checking off all categories of measures to increase resiliency, which includes adopting building standards, initiating planning studies, and adopting zoning ordinances.

The City of Kingston is a leader in efforts to create a more energy-efficient and sustainable community. Kingston has taken a comprehensive approach to building a city that is equipped to meet modern challenges and embrace 21st century opportunities. The Sustainability Office manages the City’s environmental projects, initiatives, and programming, including energy, land use, climate adaptation and resiliency, transportation, recycling and environmental education. Current projects include Community Choice Aggregation, Organics Diversion, Community Preservation Planning, Waterfront Flooding Resiliency, Building Decarbonization and more. More information about the City of Kingston’s sustainability efforts at https://kingston-ny.gov/sustainability. 

CDBG 2023 Annual Action Plan

The City of Kingston has completed its Community Development Block Grant 2023 Annual Action Plan, a one-year planning document that designates the amount of CDBG funds expected to be available, and the proposed use of those funds in the upcoming programming year.

Of the $683,822 that the City of Kingston expects to receive, the plan recommends the following allocations:

Comm. Dev. Planning & Administration $136,764

First-time homebuyers program                             $122,500

Public services                                                       $102,573

Public Facilities                                                      $321,985

The recommended Public Services allocations are:

Boys & Girls Club for the Connecting to Careers program -- $18,990

Center for Creative Education for Find the Fun program -- $24,192

Circle of Friends for the Dying’s Jim’s & Lisa’s Home --  $10,000

City of Kingston’s After School and Summer Parks programs -- $16,675

Ulster Immigrant Defense Network’s Food Assistance prog.-- $20,000

YMCA’s Economic Development/Training/Bike Repair -- $10,287

YMCA’s Strength Training for Seniors program -- $2,429

The recommended Public Facilities allocation is to the City of Kingston’s Health & Wellness and Parks & Recreation Departments for the implementation of the Broadway/Prince Landscape Design.

The plan is available for public review, and the comment period is open until May 19, 2023. Comments can be sent to Amanda Bruck, Dir. of Community Development at [email protected]. After the comment period closes, the Annual Action Plan will be delivered to the Dept. of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) for their review and funding approval. Monies will be allocated after City of Kingston’s Fiscal Year 2023 begins on July 1, 2023.

Round 3 of ARPA Community Events Grants

The third round of APRA Community Events Grant Program awards for a total of $36,185 across four community groups for a total of ten events:

• Kiwanis Club of Kingston ($5,000) for the Kingston Classic
• Heiwa Peace and Reconciliation Foundation of NY ($5,000) for the Bon-odori Dance Festival in August 2023;
• Kingston Midtown Arts District (MAD) for two events ($10,000), the Ninth Annual Celebration of the Arts EXPO in July 2023 and the Third Annual Draw-a-Thon in August 2023
• YMCA of Kingston and Ulster County ($16,185) for the Firefly Tay Fisher Show in May, the Day of Play in August, three Movies at the Y events, and the Tour De Kingston in September 2023.

The 2023 Community Events Grant Program is made possible with Federal funding from the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA). The City has allocated $375,000 to support local events in 2023 as part of pandemic recovery efforts. Grant applications will be accepted through November 1, 2023.

More information, a list of eligible expenses, and the application can be found at: www.engagekingston.com/arpa-community-events-grant-program. 

First Annual Youth Summit on May 3

Kingston Earth Fair on Saturday, May 13

The Ninth Annual Earth Fair will be held on Saturday, May 13, 2023, from 10:00am to 5:00pm at T.R Gallo Park on the Kingston Waterfront.

This free, family City of Kingston event is hosted in partnership with Hudson River Sloop Clearwater, Hudson River Maritime Museum, Radio Kingston, Live Well Kingston, Climate Smart Kingston, Bike Friendly Kingston, Catskill Mountain Keeper, Friends of Forsyth Nature Center, and New Yorkers for Clean Power, and will feature performances by the Center for Creative Education's Energy Dance Company, Mid-Hudson Juggling Club, Percussion Orchestra of Kingston and Uptown Lowdown.

Live music performances will include Taína Asili, David & Jacob Bernz, Betty & the Baby Boomers, Tom Chapin, Reggie Harris, Lara Hope & the Arktones, The Mammals, Jay Ungar & Molly Mason, Maria y Matteo, Piedmont Bluz, The Slambovian Circus of Dreams and The Ulsterados.

The 2023 Earth Fair will also feature kid’s activities and games, face painting, a solar-powered merry-go-round, and free Solaris boat rides and Clearwater tours. Food vendors will include Reggae Boy Café, Gab’s Veg Table, and Urugula, as well as root beer floats from Keegan Ales.

At the Earth Day Exchange, attendees can swap used clothes, toys, books, or household goods. The City will be collecting electronic waste such as computers and televisions and offering refrigerants collection - free disposal of old refrigerators, freezers, dehumidifiers, or air conditioners. 

The 2023 Earth Fair is looking for volunteers! Interested volunteers can fill out an application here and/or email [email protected]. Volunteers will work in two shifts: 9:30am to 1:30pm or 1:15pm to 5:15 pm.

The Kingston Earth Fair is free and open to all, and is made possible by our generous sponsors: Coldwell Banker and Village Green Realty, RYCOR Heating and Cooling, Keegan Ales, Ulster Savings Bank, Hot Water Solutions, Herzog’s, Ulster Federal Credit Union, New York State Solar Farm, and Wallkill Valley Federal Savings and Loan Association.

For more information visit www.kingston-ny.gov/earthfair. 

Paving & Roadwork Next Week

This week we announced two paving projects to launch our 2023 paving season: North Street from Delaware Avenue to the Hutton Brickyard gate, Willow Street from North Street to the dead end, and Cordts Street from Willow Street to Delaware Ave were paved this week!

Lucas Avenue from Washington Avenue to the city line will be paved next week. Milling is expected to begin Tuesday, May 2, with paving expected to begin Thursday, May 4 and completed by Friday, May 5, weather permitting.

The City of Kingston is working in concert with Central Hudson to help repair Lucas Avenue after recent gas line replacement in the area. Due to the future Lucas Avenue sewer replacement project, this paving project will include a shallow mill and a topcoat, which will bring the roadway to good condition.

More information about paving projects in the City of Kingston can be found at https://kingston-ny.gov/paving.  

CSX will be making emergency repairs on the Flatbush railroad crossing starting Monday. The maintenance work to improve safety at the crossing is expected to be completed by Friday, May 5. Flatbush will be closed during the repair, and a detour will be in place.

Central Hudson: Main installation will continue next week on Fair Street between Main St and Pearl Street, and on Main Street between Clinton Avenue and Wall Street with road closures and detours. There will also be some gas main work on Crown and John St.

Service replacements will continue next week on Fair Street between N. Front Street and Main Street, with road closures and detours.

Regular roadwork updates can be found here.

Paving on Cordts Street today

Spring Fest at Sojourner Truth State Park

Join the community in celebrating spring at Sojourner Truth State Park at the free Community Spring Fest on Saturday May 6, 2023 from 12-4pm.

The event will feature local food vendors, art, activities, live music, DJs, dancing, and more. This family-friendly event is fun for every age.

Sojourner Truth State Park is located at 100 Sojourner Truth Way, Kingston, and since parking is limited, there will be free shuttles from 11:45 to 4:15pm:

• To-and-from YMCA main parking lot (507 Broadway) 
• To-and-from Friends of Historic Kingston (63 Main Street)
• To-and-from Kingston Area Library (55 Franklin Street)

All are welcome! More info at https://scenichudson.org/springfest.

Mayor Noble's Tuesday Radio Show

Mayor Noble's weekly radio show airs on Tuesdays at 5:00pm on Radio Kingston and the City of Kingston Facebook page.

This week, Mayor Noble talked with Kitt Potter, the City of Kingston's Director or Arts & Cultural Affairs and Isabel Cotarelo, Kingston Arts Commissioner about the upcoming Art Out Loud Youth Art Exhibition, which opens at City Hall on Saturday, April 29 at 2:00pm

City of Kingston Job & Board/Commission Opportunities

The City of Kingston Parks & Recreation Department has several seasonal jobs for the summer: Summer Camp Director, Summer Camp Counselor, Lifeguard, Pool Attendant, Tennis Instructor, Park Ranger, and Laborer. Call 845-481-7330 for more information.

The City of Kingston has the following full-time job openings, including: Motor Equipment Mechanic, Motor Equipment Operator, and Fire Inspector.

Upcoming Civil Service exams:

Office Assistant - June 3, 2023

Office Assistant - Promotional - June 3, 2023

Assessment Data Collector - June 10, 2023

Deputy Assessor- June 10, 2023

Personnel Clerk- June 10, 2023

Water Treatment Laboratory Technician - June 24, 2023

More information about job openings and exams is available at kingston-ny.gov/employment.

The City of Kingston has over 25 boards & commissions, and we're always looking for volunteers to serve the community. Currently we have an opening on the Conservation Advisory Council.

Application link: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/KingstonBoards.