March 22, 2019 - In This Issue:
A Message From Mayor Steve Noble:

Dear Friends -
 
As you may have heard, big changes are coming to our recycling process. We hope you have received our information in the mail, have seen the City's Facebook posts, or attended an informational meeting. Several of the Aldermen will be holding meetings or walking their wards with handouts and addressing constituents' concerns in the coming days. We want the public to be fully informed, and this process to be as smooth as possible, so we ask for your patience and cooperation during the transition.  If anything is unclear, please reach out to DPW or recycling@kingston-ny.gov with questions.

It's not too late to weigh in on the proposed design for the Henry Street Safe Routes to School Project. We'd love feedback from the public before the survey closes next Friday. 

Central Hudson will be giving us regular updates for their ongoing gas line replacement across the City and any resulting road closures. Check here or Central Hudson's website for the latest on roadwork. 

There's a great opportunity for an engaged citizen to get involved in the community with a new opening on the Housing Authority Board. Details below on how to apply. 

We also have a beautiful new addition to City Hall, a large oil painting by local artist Todd Samara. I hope you'll stop in to see it next time you're in the building.  

-Steve
City of Kingston Dual-Stream Recycling FAQ
 
This was the last week of commingled, single-stream recycling pick-up in the City of Kingston. Starting now, paper must be separated from glass, plastic and metal. There will be no recycling pick-up the week of March 25 (refuse only), when Kingston residents will start to receive their new recycling totes for paper and cardboard, which have a yellow lid.

The week of April 1, DPW will be picking up glass, plastic and metal ONLY in your existing tote. All paper and cardboard pr oducts should be removed from the existing tote starting today. Set aside paper products until the yellow-lidded tote arrives. The week of April 8, DPW will be picking up paper and cardboard only in the new blue tote with yellow lid.

Week of March 18      Last week of single-stream pick-up.
Week of March 25      No recycling pick-up. Refuse only.
Week of April 1           Glass, plastic and metal. No paper/cardboard.
Week of April 8           Paper/cardboard picked up in tote with yellow lid. 

Cascade, the City's tote vendor, will be delivering a new blue recycling tote with yellow lid to each household beginning March 25 through early April. The City of Kingston's Public Works Department will be removing the existing black or blue lids affixed to the current blue tote, with a new blue lid starting in early April.
 
This change is due to a mandate from the Ulster County Resource Recovery Agency (UCRRA), our recycling disposal site, which has issued tighter restrictions in reaction to changing demands. UCRRA will no longer accept single-stream recycling after March 31, 2019.

Each residence should have received this week information through the mail, including the new calendar/collection schedule. Residents will also receive the flyer below that is easily displayed for quick access. The new yellow and blue lids will be affixed with labels that show exactly what items belong in each tote.  Additional resources - including all materials in Spanish -- are available at www.kingston-ny.gov/recycle   

Questions can also be addressed to DPW Dispatch at 845-338-2114 or recycling@kingston-ny.gov. 

Listen to the Mayor's radio show discussing these changes in detail on Radio Kingston 

Henry Street Safe Routes to School Project  
 
There is still time to weigh in on the proposed design for the Henry Street Safe Routes to School Project via the  public survey , which closes on Friday, March 29, 2019 at 4:30pm. 
 
This project, funded in part by the New York State Department of Transportation's Transportation Alternatives Program, aims to improve the Henry Street streetscape from Broadway to the George Washington Elementary School by improving access for pedestrians and bicyclists. One of the important goals of the project is to improve safety for children traveling to and from school. 
 
The proposed design includes:
- The complete reconstruction of sidewalks
- Addition of trees along the street
- Addition of a side-path for walkers, bicycles and scooters
- The installation of a secure, covered bicycle rack at the school
- Traffic calming measures in front of the school on Wall Street
- Preserved on-street parking
- Paving of the street once project is completed
 
The proposed design documents are available at  https://www.kingston-ny.gov/henrystreet
 
Written comments about the project design can be submitted  via the survey, or by mail to Kristen Wilson, Director of Grants Management, City Hall, 420 Broadway, Kingston, NY, 12401 or in person at the main office at the George Washington Elementary School, 67 Wall Street, Kingston. All written comments must be received by 4:30 pm on Friday, March 29, 2019.



Vacancy on the Housing Authority Board 

There is an opening on the City of Kingston's Housing Authority Board, and applications are currently being accepted. I encourage all interested parties to apply for this important position.

The Kingston Housing Authority provides homes for low-income City of Kingston families.  Since 1948, hundreds of apartments were constructed and have provided the foundations for family and elderly communities around Kingston. The Authority owns and manages 481 units of affordable housing at six complexes in the city of Kingston: Colonial Gardens, Colonial Gardens Addition, Wiltwyck Gardens, Rondout Gardens, Stuyvesant Charter and Brigham Senior Housing.

Applications can be downloaded at the at the City's website, or submitted at:  https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/KingstonBoards
   Update on Gas Line Work by Central Hudson 
 
Central Hudson continues to replace gas mains and service lines with new, more durable pipelines  as part of an initiative to address aging infrastructure. Many of the lines being replaced are over 50 years old, and the improvements are required by state regulation. 

Next week, streets that will be affected include:
* Progress Street
* Ten Broueck Ave between O'Neil St and Cornell St. 
Stephan St from Foxhall to S. Farrelly 
* Farelly St from Stephan St to Derrenbacher St.

Starting April 1, streets that will be affected include: 
* Derrenbacher St from S. Farrelly St to Foxhall
* Bruyn Ave between O'Neil St and Cornell St. 
Foxhall Ave between O'Neil and Cornell St. 

These streets may be open to local traffic only during this scheduled work. 

Central Hudson is also currently working on restoration of the soft surfaces and sidewalks on Washington Ave.

For more information, visit  https://www.cenhud.com/gas-projects 
  
   Painting by Todd Samara Gifted to City Hall
 
City Hall has a new permanent piece of art, a painting called "Down in the Valley" by Todd Samara. The oil painting, which depicts Rondout Creek and the Wurts Street Bridge, was donated by the Todd Samara Project committee members, and is currently on display in the Arts & Cultural Affairs office at City Hall. Samara has lived in the Hudson Valley for 40 years, and his paintings often depict the local landscape with vibrant colors and keen emotional intensity. 

The committee members who graciously gifted the painting for all City Hall visitors to enjoy are Nancy Donskoj, Chris Gonyea, Jay Bedient, Lynn Woods and Jim Marzano in collaboration with Richard Frumess and Anne Bailey from MAD. The committee organized a series of exhibitions of Samara's work  throughout Kingston, which culminated in an auction.  The proceeds from the auction will be awarded yearly  in Todd Samara's name  to artists and art projects in the City of Kingston. The first award ceremony and accompanying exhibit will take place in June 2019. For more information, visit the Todd Samara Project Facebook's  page .

Delivering the painting to City Hall / photo courtesy  Nancy Donskoj
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: