November 15, 2019 - In This Issue:
A Message From Mayor Steve Noble:

Dear Friends,

With the weather turning cold and our first snow already fallen, it's a good time to remind folks about the Snow Emergency procedures. We encourage residents to register with our emergency notification system, Swift 911 to receive  calls or texts as soon as a Snow Emergency is declared.  Updates about the Warming Center hours will be posted to the City's Facebook page. Please share with anyone who might need that information. 

This week, I share some good news from the Kingston City Land Bank and announce a ribbon-cutting for a new chess playground in T.R. Gallo Park, as well as other important public meetings and holiday events. 

-Steve
New Chess Table "Playground" Ribbon-Cutting

A ribbon-cutting ceremony for the newly installed chess "playground" will take place at T.R. Gallo Park on Friday, November 22, 2019 at 3:30pm.
 
The City of Kingston was awarded $11,224 from the AARP Community Challenge in July 2019 to build a chess playground, which includes two chess tables, four benches, and a monthly chess meetup, to be built in a park or public space. The City held a public poll for feedback on the best location to install the chess tables. Ninety four people responded and T.R. Gallo Park won with 40% of the votes. The tables have been installed between the T.R. Gallo monument and the bathrooms. Monthly chess programming will be developed and announced in the spring.
 
The City of Kingston is one of 159 winners out of 1,660 applicants to the AARP Community Challenge.The  AARP Community Challenge  grant program is part of the nationwide  AARP Livable Communities   Initiative that helps communities become great places to live for residents of all ages. 
 
We thank AARP for the generous support that made this Chess Playground possible.   By investing in our public spaces, we create places that invite our residents to connect and build community. 
 
Traffic Signal Public Meeting

A public meeting to discuss the results of an evaluation of traffic conditions at selected intersections throughout the City  will be held at 6:30pm on Tuesday, November 19 at the Ulster County Restorative Justice Center. 

The study evaluated traffic signals, primarily in the Uptown area, to understand if their continued operation is needed from a traffic and pedestrian safety standpoint.   A detailed field assessment, crash history analysis, and existing traffic, pedestrian and cyclist volumes were compiled for each location.  Intersections that were evaluated include: 

Washington Avenue/Linderman Avenue (Pre-Timed Traffic Signal) 
Washington Avenue/Pearl Street (Pre-Timed Traffic Signal) 
Washington Avenue/Main Street (Traffic Signal set to Flash) 
Wall Street/Pearl Street (Pre-Timed Traffic Signal) 
Fair Street/Pearl Street (Pre-Timed Traffic Signal) 
Clinton Avenue/St. James Street (Traffic Signal set to Flash) 
Clinton Avenue/Franklin Street (Traffic Signal set to Flash) 
Clinton Avenue/Henry Street (Traffic Signal set to Flash) 
  
A copy of the draft Project Brief can be found here. 
Reminder: Snow Emergency Procedures
 
When a snow emergency is declared, parking is permitted on the odd side of the street on odd numbered calendar days and on the even side of the street on even numbered calendar days. The odd or even side of the street is determined by the house numbers of that street. An odd day is any calendar date that ends in 1, 3, 5, 7, or 9. An even day is any calendar date that ends in 0, 2, 4, 6, or 8.
 
If the Snow Emergency is still in effect, at 7:00am the following day, vehicles must move to the opposite side of the street.

Snow Emergencies will be announced in several places: 
-  Online at www.kingston-ny.gov and at www.facebook.com/KingstonNY
-  By phone or text . Enroll at  www.kingston-ny.gov/Swift911
-  By e-mail . Recipients of the Mayor's newsletter will receive an e-mail. 
-  By media -  all local media will be alerted

During a snow emergency, here is what you need to know:

* Snow Emergency Alternate Side Parking is available city-wide.
* Regular alternate side parking rules are suspended
* On-street and off-street parking meters are suspended Paying the meters is not       required during snow emergencies.
* Pre-existing parking restrictions which allow or prohibit parking on a particular        side of the street are temporarily superseded by snow emergency alternate side      of the street parking rules.
* No parking is allowed within fifty feet of any street corner
* Vehicles must not block fire hydrants, driveways, entryways or exits for parking       lots, or in any manner which presents a hazard

Municipal parking lot locations:

Uptown Area
◊ All 3 North Front Street lots
◊ Forsyth Park lot adjacent to the tennis courts
◊ Dietz Stadium lot
 
Midtown Area
◊ Sea Deli lot
◊ Hodge Center lot
◊ AME Zion Church on Franklin St. lot
◊ Cornell St. lot
◊ Prince St. lot
◊ Lot next to Arace Electronics (357 Broadway)
◊ Broadway Commons (615 Broadway)
 
Downtown Area
◊ Dock St. Lot
◊ 117-165 Abeel St.
◊ Trolley Museum lot
◊ Block Park
◊ Kingston Point Beach

Questions? Email info@kingston-ny.gov for further information. 

Kingston City Land Bank to Begin Property  Acquisitions

The Kingston City Land Bank will begin its acquisition of 36 tax-foreclosed properties from the City of Kingston, paying the balance of taxes owed to the city for each of these properties. The properties will be acquired over the course of approximately eight weeks and will then be further stabilized and secured. This initial acquisition process is generously supported by an anonymous private donation in the amount of $1,048,221.00 through the Community Foundations of the Hudson Valley.

Since we founded the KCLB almost exactly one year ago, we have been working diligently to get all the pieces in place, and I'm thrilled that we are able to move forward at this time. Kingston urgently needs housing stock and this is an important step in the right direction to provide equitable housing in our community. 

The KCLB was formed with the purpose of acquiring title to tax-foreclosed and other distressed properties in Kingston, removing barriers to redevelopment, and returning properties to the tax rolls. Its mission is to foster an equitable community where vacant or distressed properties are transformed into community assets that improve the quality of life for Kingston residents, stabilize and enhance neighborhoods, and create new pathways for social and economic development.

For more information and to stay informed on the Kingston City Land Bank's activities, please visit www.kingstoncitylandbank.org.
KPFA  Annual Tree Lighting


Call for Boards and Commissions

We encourage all individuals who are interested in serving on a Board, Commission and/or Committee, to please complete an application online. 

This information will be used in determining which individuals are best suited to serve on each Board, Commission and Committee, based on their qualifications, backgrounds, skills and interests. The purpose of this application process is to enable the City to recruit individuals who have a strong desire and ability to serve and to ensure that each Board, Commission and Committee reflects the rich diversity of our community. We are striving to build an inclusive process that seeks to attract applicants who embody the values and principles of our community and who are committed to serving in this important role with integrity, respect, compassion, and professionalism.

The online application can be found here. 
Kingston Happenings
The City of Kingston often receives requests to share upcoming events happening in our community. Our partners at 
KingstonHappenings.org  do an excellent job of centralizing this community information. So while our website is the best resource to gain information about City of Kingston sponsored events and important municipal information, Kingston Happenings can give you a greater preview of community events. Check them out today!
Sent on behalf of:
Mayor Steven T. Noble
845.334.3902
mayor@kingston-ny.gov

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: