Mayor's Message

WWTP Clean Water Project Completed

Cooper Lake Dam Project Completed

Midtown Winter Wonderland Event Tomorrow

New Year's Eve Concert Event

Mayor Noble's Tuesday Radio Show

Kingston's First Fast-charging EV Station Now Open

Roadwork Update for the Week of December 18

City of Kingston Job & Board Opportunities

Mayor's Message:

Dear Friends -

I hope you will save the date for the Common Council and my swearing-in ceremony on Monday, January 1, when I will also be delivering my 2024 State of the City Address. The event starts at 12pm and is open to the public.

City offices will be closed on December 22 and 25. Trash and recycling will not be picked up on Monday, December 25, and will be delayed one day that week. The Transfer Station will be closed on December 22-23, and will re-open on Friday, December 29 and Saturday, December 30, if manpower allows.

This will be the last newsletter until the New Year, so I wish you all a happy, healthy holiday season!



-Steve

Save the Date: Swearing-in & State of the City Address

Join Mayor Noble and the Common Council on Monday, January 1, 2024 at 12pm for their swearing-in ceremony as they take the oath of office for a new term.

During the event, Mayor Noble will deliver his 2024 State of the City address.

The event will take place at City Hall in Council Chambers and is open to all!

Wastewater Treatment Plant Improvements Completed

The City of Kingston’s $9.5 million Wastewater Treatment Plant facility improvement project is now complete.

The project included two components: rebuilding the outfall to allow for better mixing and dilution of treatment effluent in the Rondout Creek, and the installation of new energy-efficient blowers, piping, diffusers, and controls that supply air to the aeration tanks, providing better treatment of the wastewater. The improvements are expected to reduce an estimated 417,000 kwh per year, a 33% savings, while protecting the environment and human health.

“This extensive project upgrades our wastewater facility with vital environmental improvements, reduces greenhouse gas emissions and electricity usage, and will improve plant operations, efficiency, and reliability,” said Mayor Noble. “With this project, we will see a substantial reduction in our overall municipal electrical use, as the plant is the largest energy user in government operations. Not only will the City see savings, but we will also limit our impact to the Rondout Creek and Hudson River. I want to thank the staff at Public Works, the Wastewater Treatment Plant, and the Engineering Department for all their efforts on this important project.”

The project’s benefits include:

• Improved 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
• Improved mixing and dilution with an improved outfall nearer the creek center
• Improved plant reliability by replacing old and obsolete equipment
• Significant energy savings with modernized equipment
• Reduced maintenance with improved controls and more reliable equipment
• Compliance with the requirements of the State Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (SPDES) permit

The total project cost is expected to be $9,500,000. The City of Kingston was awarded $4,080,000 in New York State Water Infrastructure Improvement (WIIA) grants, which includes additional Federal funds authorized by the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law (BIL). The balance will be financed under a no-interest hardship loan from the New York Environmental Facilities Corporation. More info at https://engagekingston.com/wwtp-upgrades. 

Midtown Winter Wonderland Tomorrow!

The Midtown Winter Wonderland is tomorrow, December 16, from 4-7pm along the Midtown Broadway Corridor.

Businesses will be open late and decorated for the holidays, and the festivities include:

• Food & gift vendors at the Kingston Pop-Up Shop & Cafe and food trucks throughout Midtown
• Winter Wonderland including live “reindeer”, music, performances, community resource tables and free food at Broadway Bubble
• Festive light bike parade begins at the Y and traveling through Midtown
• It’s a Wonderful Life” showing at UPAC

Come join the festivities on Saturday!

Cooper Lake Dam Project Completed

The Kingston Water Department’s Cooper Lake Dam Project is complete. 

The project, which was done under a Project Labor Agreement and was estimated to cost $20 million, is now expected to be under budget at about $18 million. The improvements bring the dam at the reservoir into compliance with updated DEC regulations with a new water supply intake tower, new outlet works, new metering chamber and controls, a new spillway and energy dissipation structure, raising and flattening of the slope of the main dam, and leveling of the 1,500 feet long West Dike.

“I am pleased to announce that the Cooper Lake Dam project is now complete, is under budget, and the reservoir now meets New York State DEC highest standards,” said Mayor Noble. “We are proud of our pristine water and, with these improvements, have undertaken the costliest capital project in the Kingston Water Department’s history in order to keep our water at the highest quality for our residents.”

The City of Kingston was awarded a $3 million Water Infrastructure and Improvement Act (WIIA) Grant for the project in April 2022. Cooper Lake Dam was the first project in New York State to receive Drinking Water State Revolving Loan Fund (DWSRF) funding for Dam/Reservoir Rehabilitation under the Environmental Protection Agency’s Class Exception. The project was also awarded $100,000 through the FEMA High Hazard Potential Dam Grant.

With the completion of the project and lower water levels during construction no longer necessary, the reservoir level will be increased to full capacity and the Drought Alert has ended.

New Years Eve Concert Event

The City of Kingston, in collaboration with Ars Choralis and Old Dutch Church, will once again co-host a special New Year’s Eve concert event at Old Dutch Church.

Let Our Love Be Heard, a classical chorale concert performance, with narrations by Ulster County Poet Laureate Kate Hymes, City of Kingston Arts and Cultural Affairs Director Kitt Potter, and more, has a theme of peace, respect for one another, and inclusiveness. The event is free, open to the public, and appropriate for all ages.

At the event, donations of warm clothing are being accepted to benefit the People’s Place in Kingston. New blankets, new/gently used warm coats, hats, gloves, and socks for youth and adults will be greatly appreciated.

Let Our Love Be Heard concert

December 31, 2023

6:00pm

Old Dutch Church

272 Wall Street, Kingston, NY

Mayor Noble's Tuesday Radio Show

Mayor Noble's weekly radio show, "It's the Mayor" airs on Tuesdays at 5pm on Radio Kingston. This week, Mayor Noble spoke with City of Kingston Housing Director Bartek Starodaj discussing local housing issues.

Click below to listen to their conversation! Because of the holiday schedule, the next show will be Tuesday, January 2.

NY's First Federally Funded Fast EV Chargers in Kingston

Today, Governor Kathy Hochul announced that New York’s first high-speed chargers for electric vehicles funded through the Federal Highway Administration’s $175 million National Electric Vehicle Infrastructure (NEVI) Formula Program are now operating in the City of Kingston. 

Mayor Noble said “I thank Governor Hochul for investing in electric vehicle charging stations, and increasing crucial accessibility for EV owners living in and traveling through Kingston. We are pleased to be the first municipality in the State to use this Federal funding for our first Level 3 high-speed charging station and we appreciate the Governor’s support in helping Kingston become a leader in sustainability efforts. ” 

The new fast-charging station is located at 451 Washington Avenue.

Read the Governor's announcement here: https://www.governor.ny.gov/news/governor-hochul-announces-new-yorks-first-national-electric-vehicle-infrastructure-funded-fast

DOT Commissioner Marie Therese Dominguez & Mayor Noble at the new fast-charging station

Roadwork Next Week

Central Hudson: Service replacements are expected to be completed in this project area by Tuesday, December 19.  The restoration crew is right behind the service crew. Most sidewalk repairs should be completed this year or shortly after the new year. Crews will return in spring for any lawn restoration that was not completed this year.

Final gas main tie-ins will take place on December 20-21 in several areas throughout the project including: W. Chester St, Orchard St, W. Chestnut St, Dietz Court, and Augusta Street.

Wurts Street Bridge recent work includes Installation of mesh panels, concrete placement North barrier, continued electrical work in chambers and lighting, continued steel repairs, south slope grading, and project clean up. Noise will continue to be loud on occasion while we perform steel repairs. The project will be shut down on December 22, 2023 until January 8, 2024. 



Regular roadwork updates can be found here.

City of Kingston Job & Board Opportunities

The City of Kingston is hiring! Current openings include:



• School crossing guards

Job descriptions and details available at https://kingston-ny.gov/Employment.

Upcoming Civil Service Exams include:

Emergency Services Dispatcher I Trainee on January 27, 2024

Purchasing Assistant on February 10, 2024

Purchasing Coordinator on February 10, 2024

The following civil service examinations will be given on a continual recruitment basis. Exams will be given every six months and names will be interfiled on the eligible lists.



Office Assistant

Office Assistant I

Typist

The City of Kingston has over 25 boards & commissions, and we're always looking for volunteers to serve the community. Application at: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/KingstonBoards.