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April 26, 2019 - In This Issue:
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A Message From Mayor Steve Noble:
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Dear Friends,
Spring has arrived, and with it some celebrations that honor the power and precariousness of our natural world. On Earth Day, we released the impressive 2018 Sustainability report from the Environmental Education ans Sustainability Office, which highlights all the good work they did last year to make our community more sustainable and leave it better for the next generation. And on Arbor Day today, we planted a tree on the lawn of City Hall, for many future generations to enjoy. We recently added two new electric vehicles to our growing "Greenfleet" in our efforts to green the streets of Kingston.
Spring weather makes us all want to head outdoors, and now Kingston has a new opportunity to play well: the 9-hole disc golf course at Kingston Point Park. I hope you'll join us at the grand opening tomorrow!
Warmer temperatures also means the City can begin repairing roads and potholes. We announced today a new patching truck for the City, which will be out next week filling potholes. We will also start paving streets next week. The winter was hard on our roads and now's the time for spring renewal.
Looking forward to May, which is Mental Health Awareness Month, we'll be kicking off the month-long series of events here at City Hall. Please save the date for the Optimism + Action event on May 3! Also in May, the annual Memorial Day Ceremony and Parade. Businesses and groups interested in participating can register now.
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Parks & Recreation Announces Grand Opening for New Disc Golf Course
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Arbor Day Celebrations at City Hall
Today, City Hall hosted a wonderful Arbor Day 2019 celebration. Mayor Noble gave a proclamation for Arbor Day and then, the George Washington Elementary School Peace Singers performed in the front hall. NYS Department of Environmental Conservation Senior Forester George Profous spoke in acknowledgement of Kingston as a Tree City for 23 years
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A presentation of artwork about nature created by local home-schooled students will be on display on the first floor at City Hall for the week.
Each year, a tree is planted in our community to commemorate Arbor Day. This year, a yellow magnolia
tree was planted near the Flannery Drive entrance to City Hall for all to enjoy.
George Washington Elementary Peace Singers
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The City of Kingston's Greenfleet
The City of Kingston recently added two new electric cars to our Greenfleet, which currently includes
nine Plug-in Hybrid Electric Vehicles with one more on the way in the next couple of weeks. The Plug-in Electric Vehicles are being used by the Police Department, Building Safety, Parks and Recreation, City Hall and Parking Enforcement.
The Greenfleet now has:
- Two 2017 Chevrolet Volts - each get 106 MPGe
- Two 2018 Chevrolet Volts - each get 106 MPGe
- Three 2018 Nissan Leafs - each get 112 MPGe
- Two 2020 Mitsubishi Outlanders - each get 74 MPGe
MPGe is the abbreviation for "miles per gallon of gasoline-equivalent." It's an energy efficiency metric to compare the amount of energy consumed by alternative fuel vehicles to that of traditional gas-powered cars.
We currently
operate three municipal charging stations in the Cornell, Lower Broadway, and Dock Street parking lots.
For the first three months in 2019, these three stations have dispensed 1,530 kWh of energy to 64 unique drivers used them a cumulative 196 times.
Our charging stations saved 192 gallons of gas from being used to fuel these vehicles, the equivalent amount of gas it would take to drive the average passenger vehicle 4,172 miles. The City has
grants to install three more charging stations at Dietz Stadium, Prince Street Parking Lot and at the City's Building Safety Office.
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On Earth Day, 2018 Sustainability Report is released and
Earth Fair Announced!
On Earth Day, the City of Kingston's
Environmental Education and Sustainability Office released its
2018 Sustainability Report. The latest report provides an overview of active grants, educational experiences and programming, and public outreach efforts.
This annual report outlines progress in:
- Energy and Renewables (Climate Smart Community, greening our street and municipal building lights)
- Land Use (green infrastructure, cultivating street trees)
- Transportation (Kingston on the Move, Kingston Greenline and electric cars)
- Adaptation and Resiliency (waterfront projects)
- Recycling/Waste Management.
The report also includes collaborations with community groups and City-sponsored boards and commissions including the Conservation Advisory Council, Climate Smart Kingston Commission, Friends of Forsyth Nature Center, and Climate Mayors.
We also announced that this year's Earth Fair will be held on May 11, 2019 from 10am-4pm in Forsyth Park. This free event features a variety of sustainability and green initiatives and resources for the community, and will include food, music, electric vehicles, bike rides and more. Free shredding will be provided by AARP from 10am-2pm or until full (limit three grocery bags per person). UCRRA will provide free electronic recycling.
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We Are Filling Potholes and Paving Streets!
This week, DPW Superintendent Edward Norman and I announced that the City has acquired a patching truck, and will begin filling potholes and paving City streets starting next week.
The patching truck, a 2019 International truck with a PB Loader Patch Body, called "Patchzilla," will be operated by City workers, who will begin filling potholes in the City of Kingston next week. The new truck keeps up to eight tons of asphalt hot, allowing DPW to use one bed-load for 8-10 hours, and creates less waste of lost material. The heated bed will also make it possible for DPW to extend patching into the winter season, working with hot patch much longer than previously capable. Overall, the dependable new truck, which cost $210,000, will reduce expenses and increase efficiency in street maintenance. For reference, the previous asphalt box from the same manufacturer was purchased in 1988 and outlasted three separate trucks. Patchzilla will also be outfitted with an 11-foot plow for use in emergency snow situations.
In addition to patching, City contractors will begin Round 1 of DPW's anticipated paving projects this year. Starting April 29, milling and paving will begin on the following streets:
South Washington Avenue - from Boulevard to dead-end
Petit Avenue - all
Klingburg Avenue - from Boulevard to dead-end
Condie Street - from Albert to Route 32
Wilbur Avenue - near the Sewer Annex and additional sections near Chapel St.
The subsequent rounds of paving will include up to 10 additional streets in 2019, and will begin after the completion of the first round.
DPW Superintendent Ed Norman and Mayor Steve Noble with Patchzilla
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Mental Health Awareness Month Kick-off event at City Hall
Save the date for the Optimism + Action kick-off event at City Hall on Friday, May 3.
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Registration is Open for the Annual Memorial Day Parade
T
he City of Kingston and Kingston Veterans Association will host the annual Memorial Day Ceremony and Parade on Monday, May 27, 2019. The ceremony will begin at 1:00pm in Veterans' Park in front of City Hall, and the Memorial Day Parade will step off from Andrew St. at 1:45pn and will proceed along Broadway towards Uptown Kingston.
The Grand Marshall will be documentary filmmaker, Marty Klein, whose film "Why Can't We Serve?" addresses veteran suicide rates.
Businesses and organizations interested in participating in the parade can find the
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Cornell Street Parking Rehabilitation Phase 1
Phase One of the Cornell Street Parking Lot Rehabilitation Project is well underway. Workers have been out all week, and expect to wrap the construction within the month. The parking lot is being reconfigured to add sidewalks along the street and green infrastructure. Residents should be aware - the entrances to the parking lot have been moved. It may not seem intuitive at first, but it is part of a larger plan to improve the parking lot. Stay tuned for more updates!
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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!
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