March 13, 2020 - In This Issue:
A Message From Mayor Steve Noble:

Dear Friends,

Today I declared a State of Emergency in the City of Kingston, and announced that we will be limiting the public use of administrative buildings including City Hall, Parks and Recreation, Public Works, the Water Department and Building Safety. 
In order to keep the City running smoothly and in order to keep staff safe, the City's administration offices will be operating and fully functioning with limited public access.

We are urging residents to use the City's website to pay parking tickets, pay taxes, or bills. Many of the City's functions can be accessed at www.kingston-ny.gov or over the phone. The Clerk's Office, Comptroller, and Building Safety will be taking special appointments for necessary in-person interactions. 

What you need to know:
  • All Parks and Recreation programming is suspended.
  • All non-essential City meetings will be postponed. For now, Common Council meetings will be held, but all other Boards and Commissions meetings will be cancelled or postponed. 
  • Per the State of Emergency decree, no large gatherings (50 people or more) may be held at this time, as such conditions threaten or imperil the public safety of the citizens of Kingston. 
The Water Department is also taking every precaution necessary to continue to provide safe, reliable drinking water to the City of Kingston. The Water Department sent out a notice about what they are doing to maintain the City's water supply, which can be found here. At this time, the Water Department is limiting all service work to emergency calls to avoid in-home/business visits, but the staff will be assisting customers by phone at 845-331-0175 or by email at water@kingston-ny.gov. There is a pneumatic tube in front of the Water Department office building for bill payments or pickup samples kits. 

Public Works will continue to collect refuse and recycling, and City Hall will be offering essential functions by appointment. For those who need birth or death certificates from the City Clerk's office, please call 845-334-3915 to have those documents mailed, or to schedule an appointment for pick-up. 

The Kingston Police and Fire Departments are fully operational. If you are experiencing symptoms of the COVID-19 virus, please do not call 911. Instead, call the Ulster County Department of Health or your healthcare professional before calling an ambulance or arriving at a healthcare facility. 

The Hodge and Rondout Neighborhood Centers will be closed for after-school programming for the duration of the school closure.

The County's COVID-19 phone service will be operating from 9:00am to 7:00pm seven days a week: 845-443-8888.  NYSDOH Novel Coronavirus Hotline 24/7: 1-888-364-3065.

For the most current information, please visit the City Facebook page or the City's website, where updates will be regularly posted under "Latest News" on the homepage.

A few quick links to City services online resources:
City Hall: 331-0080

I am having daily calls with the Governor's office and the County health team. I want to reassure you that we are staying updated and taking every available measure to keep this community safe. If you have any questions, please don't hesitate to reach out to my office. Everyone stay safe and take good care! 

-Steve
Mayor Noble Declares a State of Emergency 

Mayor Noble was live today on Facebook to declare a State of Emergency in the City of Kingston and give residents an update on City services. Watch Mayor Noble's statement here:

People's Place Offers Meals for Those in Need of Food 

People's Place at 17 St. James Place will have meals for pick-up, and their food pantry is operating on limited hours. Check People's Place Facebook for hours, or call  845-338-4030. 

We will be updating the community with information on where students can get meals while school is closed for the next two weeks. Stay tuned for updates. 
Charter Offers Free Wi-Fi Access for Students' Households

Beginning Monday, March 16, Charter Communications will offer free Spectrum broadband and Wi-Fi access for 60 days to households with K-12 and/or college students who do not already have a Spectrum broadband subscription. To enroll, call 1-844-488-8395. Installation fees will be waived for new student households. 

For eligible low-income households without school-aged children, Charter continues to offer Spectrum Internet Assist, a low-cost broadband program. 

As the Kingston City School District is now closed for two weeks, Charter is helping to enable students to continue to learn and for their parents to work remotely. 
Coping with Stress During COVID-19

While we encourage everyone to heed the recommended safety precautions to keep your family safe, we understand that stress can also take a toll on your health and well-being. Click below for resources on how to recognize and deal with stress. 

City's Health & Wellness 2019 Annual Report

Mayor Steve Noble and the Department of Health and Wellness  Emily Flynn are pleased to release the department's 2019 Annual Report .
 
"The Department of Health and Wellness was established in 2018, and I am so proud of the work that has been accomplished in just two years," said Mayor Noble. "Quality of life in our City starts with the health of our residents and that often goes beyond medical care. We want our community members to thrive in all aspects of their lives and I believe that starts with creating a culture of wellness."
 
The Department of Health and Wellness is charged with coordinating the Live Well Kingston Commission and its five subcommittees, being a community health liaison, and supporting projects that increase health in the City of Kingston. Along with coordination, the department is tasked with communicating about health, community organizations, and LWK initiatives via social media and online, radio interviews, and networking.
 
The Live Well Kingston Commission's five focus teams: Eat Well, Play Well, Travel Well, Age Well, and Heal Well, have built coalitions with over 40 community organizations and 312 participants during 40 meetings in 2019. The department has managed grant projects, expanded community connections, added capacity to ongoing City projects, implemented many Focus Team projects, and continued Live Well Kingston communications and outreach.
 
"Together with our community partners, we have offered programming, hosted events, changed policy, and encouraged systems change," said Director Emily Flynn. "Much of the work we do is coalition building and our connections with our community has never been stronger. In 2020, we plan to strengthen those relationships, identify gaps in resources, and create shared goals. We would like to improve the daily life for everyone in Kingston by increasing healthy options."
 
To read more about the 2019 accomplishments and 2020 goals for the City's Health and Wellness department, please see the 2019 Annual Report.

Kingston Visitor's Guide Seeks Photos

Mayor Steve Noble is putting out an open call for photographs to be used in the 2020 Kingston Visitor's Guide, which will be published by ColorPage in May. Photos should highlight the unique attractions that make Kingston a wonderful place to live, work, play and visit. The theme of the 2020 Kingston Visitor's Guide will be the thriving local arts and culture scene: A City of Creativity. Photos that reflect Kingston's myriad artists, makers, artisans, and artistic community, as well as of special events, distinctive architecture, natural landscapes, and other local attractions will be used to illustrate the 2020 guide. 
 
"The Kingston Visitors Guide showcases what makes our City so special, and who better to reflect our community than the people of Kingston themselves," said Mayor Noble. "We get requests from all over the world for the Kingston Visitor's Guide, but it is also beloved by locals who refer to the book throughout the year. The guide serves as a primer for our community and a year-long calendar for important events and community happenings."
 
The City is collecting photographs via an online submission form. All photos should be saved with the photographer's credit in the file name so photos can be properly credited (for example, "Photocredit:John Doe.jpg").
 
Photos to be considered for the 2020 Kingston Visitors Guide must be submitted by Friday, March 20, 2020 and will only be accepted via this link: https://kingston-ny.gov/content/11632/14823/default.aspx
 
The 2020 Kingston Visitor's Guide will have a print run of 10,000 and will be distributed across New York State. Last year's guide and an interactive map can be found at www.kingstonvisitorsguide.com.
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. 
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: