Mayor Steve Noble's Weekly Update

October 23, 2020 - In this issue:

Mayor's Message

Halloween Guidance

Postcard from the Past

Arts & Cultural Master Plan - Take the Survey!

Kingston City Land Bank Announces Phase 1 RFPs

Fall Clean-up on the Rail Trail

New Roof for the Hasbrouck Park Pavilion

Mayor Noble's Tuesday & Thursday Live Updates

A Message From Mayor Steve Noble:

Dear Friends,

Today at 5:00pm, the Common Council's Finance Committee will have a public hearing on the 2021 Proposed Budget. The hearing will be live-streamed on the City of Kingston YouTube channel and will later be posted at Kingston Live.

If you have comments on the proposed budget, you can still email CommonCouncilComments@kingston-ny.gov to offer your feedback.

Starting next week, there will be a series of meetings with the Finance Committee and City departments regarding their 2021 budgets. All meetings and links are available on the City website and Facebook page.

We hope you'll tune in and follow this year's budget process.

-Steve

Halloween Guidance

Even in these unusual times, trick-or-treating will not be cancelled this year. However, Mayor Noble urges caution when participating in Halloween activities. As in years past, there will be a curfew of 8:00pm on October 31, 2020.

Suggestions for creative ways to celebrate safely:

• Host a virtual Halloween costume party with costumes and games

• Car parade to show off costumes while staying socially distanced

• Consider non-candy treats such as stickers, temporary tattoos, glow sticks, or other small toys

• Create a scavenger hunt where kids find candy with each clue

• Decorate your house and have a neighborhood contest

• Carve pumpkins and try new creative decorating ideas

• Play Halloween-themed games

• Watch spooky movies

• Trick-or-treat room to room in your own home

Please remember:

• Don’t trick-or-treat or leave candy out if you are sick or have been in contact with anyone who is sick

• If there is crowding at a home, or if treats are being directly handed out, skip that house and find a safer option

• Avoid any crowding in elevators, hallways or stairwells

• Trick-or-treat in small groups

• Gatherings & parties are discouraged, whether indoor or outdoor

• Ensure that your Halloween mask meets face covering guidance, or wear a cloth face mask that compliments your costume

Redistribution of Happiness - Gift from the Past

Mayor Noble received a postcard in the mail from an unusual pen pal. Mr. Lowell Joerg of Stockton, California collects postcards from antique stores and mails them to those who might enjoy a glimpse into the past. He calls his hobby a "Re-distribution of Happiness." Mr. Joerg, who is 92 years old, sent Mayor Noble the following postcard of City Hall postmarked 1907.

Take the Cultural Participation Survey!

As a part of the Arts & Culture Master Plan project, the City of Kingston has released two cultural surveys. The Cultural Participation Survey and the Cultural Asset Inventory Survey are critical tools for gathering information on arts & culture resources in Kingston. Let us know how you experience arts & culture in your community:

Take the Cultural Participation Survey here.

Take the Cultural Participation Survey in Spanish here

Click Here to Add to the Arts & Cultural Asset Inventory

Please join us for a series of community workshops to add your voice to creating the first ever Kingston Arts & Culture Master Plan:

Thursday November 5

12:30 PM - 2:00 PM

Creative Businesses

Thursday November 19

5:30 PM - 7:00 PM

Kingston Community

Workshops are free and open to the public, we encourage you to join the conversations. Attendees are asked to register in advance to receive the Zoom link to participate.

If you'd like to learn more about the Arts & Culture Master Plan, please visit EngageKingston.com

KCLB Announces Phase 1 Request for Proposals

The Kingston City Land Bank (KCLB) is pleased to announce it has released its first Request for Proposals (RFP), for the redevelopment of three homes. Proposals are due December 1, and site-walkthroughs will be conducted next week. Interested contractors may download the RFP package at: https://kingstoncitylandbank.org/rfp/

In July 2020, the KCLB purchased these homes—248 Main Street, 174 Hasbrouck Avenue, and 64 Van Buren Street—from the City of Kingston for the full value of unpaid taxes. Once construction is complete, the homes will be sold to families earning at or below 100% of the Area Median Income in Ulster County. Currently, this limit for a family size of four is a gross household income of $83,700.

Sales of the homes will be made through a public application process, details of which will be made available on the KCLB website. No homes are currently offered for sale by the KCLB at this time.

“At the Land Bank, we’re beyond excited to transform these distressed properties into affordable homes that both the occupants and their neighbors can feel proud of,” said Daniel Kanter, Board Chair of the KCLB. “Issuing these RFPs on our first round of acquisitions is backed by nearly two years of dedicated work from our staff, volunteer-led board, community stakeholders, and the City government—paving the way not only for affordable homeownership opportunities in the City of Kingston, but also employment opportunities for our local workforce, tax revenue for the City, and healthier neighborhoods overall.”

“This Phase I RFP is the latest milestone in our deep commitment to moving the needle in Kingston,” said Mike Gilliard, Executive Director of the KCLB. “We look forward to this next opportunity to engage with the community at large as we continue our transformative mission.”

The Kingston City Land Bank was formed with the purpose of acquiring title to tax-foreclosed and other distressed properties in the City of 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 about the KCLB and to join our mailing list for updates, visit www.kingstoncitylandbank.org.

Fall Clean-Up on the Rail Trail

Walking on the Kingston Point Rail Trail today, we spotted fall clean-up in action. Pat Burke from the Parks and Recreation maintenance team drives a sweeper to clear the newly fallen leaves off the trail.

As mentioned previously, my 2021 Proposed Budget includes added capacity for park and trail maintenance. As we grow our trail system and increasingly turn to our parks for refuge, the City will continue to make these spaces safe and clean for everyone to enjoy.

New Roof for the Hasbrouck Park Pavilion

Work was completed this week on a brand new roof for the Hasbrouck Park pavilion. Funding for this project was made possible through the Recreation Trust Fund and Community Development Block Grant. Work was completed by O'Brien Construction.

The roof looks fantastic, and the pavilion is the perfect place to get a peek at the fall foliage.

Mayor Noble's Tuesday & Thursday Live Updates

Mayor Noble has been live on Radio Kingston since mid-March to give the latest information about Coronavirus and issues effecting the community. These updates also stream on the City of Kingston Facebook page.

Click below to watch Thursday's update:

Kingston 311

The Kingston 311 app, website and phone system allow residents to quickly and easily report issues and submit service requests. The Kingston 311 app, available for Android & iPhones, is a fast and simple way to connect to City officials in non-emergency situations.

This system is a valuable resource to submit service requests for streetlight replacement, roadwork, City signage, traffic calming measures and other concerns. Issues with snow removal and reporting of vehicles and sidewalks not in accordance with the Snow Emergency restrictions can also be submitted via Kingston 311. Photos can also be attached to illustrate service orders. Dial 311 from any phone within City limits to reach us.

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:

www.kingston-ny.gov