February 8, 2019 - In This Issue:
A Message From Mayor Steve Noble:

Dear Friends -
 
This week, I was able to announce the members of a new Zoning Task Force, made up of Kingston citizens dedicated to helping the community rethink our existing zoning laws, and a new addition to our Grants Management team. I am excited to work with these individuals, and to see what we can accomplish. 

We continue to celebrate Black History Month here in Kingston, and at City Hall. We'll host a jazz concert next weekend in Council Chambers presented by Alderwoman Shaut and the Hudson Valley Youth Jazz Orchestra. Parks & Recreation also has some fun community events planned, which I look forward to attending. 

There will be a public hearing next week for all Community Development Block Grant applicants to attend, as well as residents hoping to discuss fair housing issues in Kingston. I encourage all interested parties to participate in the discussion. 

The Common Council and myself have been discussing a merger of the Citibus and Ulster County bus systems, and I know there are many questions. We hope to answer some of those concerns here. 

-Steve
Public Hearing for CDBG Applicants Next Week


The City of Kingston will conduct a public hearing on Tuesday, February 12, 2019, as a part of the Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) Program process. 

The City of Kingston receives an annual Entitlement Grant through the United States Department of Housing and Urban Development's CDBG Program. This year, the City will set aside 10% of the Public Services portion of the Entitlement allocation for new programs to be offered at local community centers. Additionally, $250,000 of the City's allotment is reserved for the City's Office of Economic and Community Development's Housing Rehabilitation program; a 10-year forgivable loan for low- to moderate-income households for home repair, improvements, and emergencies.
 
The remainder of the City's funding will be allocated to local not-for-profit organizations and agencies who serve low-to-moderate income populations. For 2019, the City received a total of 21 applications for public services and projects. The Community Development Advisory Board, which consists of five Common Council members and eight community members, will review the applications to consider the awards.
 
At the Public Hearing, applicants and supporters are given the opportunity to speak to the benefits of their program or project, how it serves the low- to moderate-income community, and offer additional details and personal experience that were not submitted in the application.
 
February 12, 2019 at 6:00 PM
Kingston City Hall Council Chambers
420 Broadway, Kingston, NY
(snow date: February 13 at 6:00 PM at KCSU) 
 
 
Hudson Valley Youth Jazz Concert at City Hall
 
On Saturday, February 16, i n honor and celebration of Black History Month, City Hall will host the Hudson Valley Youth Jazz Orchestra and Ward 9 Alderwoman, Andrea Shaut, for a free concert and presentation. The Hudson Valley Youth Jazz Orchestra, lead by Bob & Dan Shaut, will present a fun, kid-friendly introduction to jazz music. Jazz aficionados and total beginners alike can enjoy this event. All ages are welcome. 

Saturday, February 16
10:00 - 11:30 AM 
Common Council Chambers 
City Hall 

This concert is free and open to the public. For more information on the Hudson Valley Youth Jazz Orchestra, please visit: https://www.shautjazz.com/hvjazz

 
Black History Week events at Parks & Recreation
 
Parks & Recreation has an excellent line-up of free events to celebrate Black History Week. I will be attending the Gospel & Soul Food Night on February 21st, which will include delicious soul food, music, dancing and conversation. The Youth Talent Show and Carnival are fun-filled nights that also celebrate and honor the importance of Black History in our community. See you there! 


DPW Superintendent Ed Norman Speaks to KUBA 

Ed Norman, the Superintendent of the Department of Public Works, addressed the members of the Kingston Uptown Business Association this week. He was able to answer questions about upcoming roadwork, the Pike Plan, snow removal, and other ongoing DPW projects. 

My office will soon be putting out DPW's 2018 Annual Report, so that all the Department's work for last year will be public, as well as their plans for projects and initiatives in 2019.   

New Zoning Task Force Members Announced 

This week we announced appointees for the newly-created Zoning Task Force. The task force will explore overhauling existing zoning regulations in the City of Kingston, and will consist of nine volunteers from the City of Kingston each with a unique set of skills and a variety of backgrounds:
 
Tony Argulewicz
Tracy Dumigan
Michael Gilliard
Sydney Maresca
Karen Markisenis
Rebecca Martin
Liza Sunderlin
Anthony Tampone
Maisha Tyler
 
The first order of business will be to develop a scope of work using the recommendations from the previous Comprehensive Plan Zoning Sub-Committee, and with support from Hudson Valley Pattern for Progress, who has developed a tool kit to prioritize the City's needs. The Task Force's early work will lead to the development of a request for proposals (RFP), which will be used to solicit planning firms and proposed costs so that it can be presented to the Common Council for funding. The task force will then work alongside the consultant to ensure that zoning recommendations are consistent with the City's Comprehensive Plan, will spur responsible economic development, and maintain the community's quality of life.
 
The first meeting will be Monday, February 18, 2019 at 5:30 PM at City Hall in Conference Room 1. 
New Grants Manager Hired

We also had the pleasure of announcing this week the hiring of the new Grants Manager, Ruth Ann Devitt-Frank, who will start on March 4, 2019. Ruth Ann has been a Grant Writer/Manager at Bardavon 1869 Opera House for the last eight years and has served as their Development Director since 2014. She is also a founding member of Kingston's Midtown Arts District (MAD), where she has been a volunteer Grant Writer and Advisory Board Member since 2016. Her experience includes securing significant funds and managing major applications including the Consolidated Funding Application, New York State Council on the Arts, NYS Legislative Initiative, State/Federal Historic Tax Credits, National Endowment for the Arts, U.S. Economic Development Agency, Ulster County IDA, and more. 
 
We are so thrilled to have Ruth Ann join our Grants Management team, and know she will be an asset not only to the department, but to our expanding efforts to secure funding for a wide range of important community projects. 

The City is currently managing numerous grant-supported projects that will move forward in 2019, including transportation and waterfront revitalization, along with six New York State funded Downtown Revitalization Initiative (DRI) projects. The current portfolio of projects totals $38.7 million. 
Bus Merger FAQ
 
The Common Council and I are weighing whether to merge the Kingston Citibus with the Ulster County UCAT system. We know many people have questions about what this will mean for the current Citibus routes and schedule. 

We put together a helpful FAQ to help answer some of your questions.
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
[email protected]

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: