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January 4, 2019 - In This Issue:
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A Message From Mayor Steve Noble:
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Dear Friends -
It was a joy to celebrate the New Year in Uptown with an enthusiastic crowd - despite the rain, many of you came out and we rang in 2019 together! Here at City Hall, we are also starting the New Year off with a bang. Last week, we cut the ribbon at the Restorative Justice Center at 733 Broadway, which will change the lives of many in our community, and put teenage offenders back on the right path. Also last week, I was there to witness the new Ulster County Sheriff, Juan Figueroa sworn into office.
I am seeking applicants for a new Zoning Task Force, and I encourage all interested to apply. The deadline for Community Development Block Grants is fast approaching, organizations who haven't already submitted have until January 14.
This weekend, we have a new art exhibit at City Hall, and are hosting an opening reception on Saturday, January 5. The exhibit is a range of unique works, all of which were created by former Kingston High School students.
I also want to invite everyone to my State of the City address on Tuesday at City Hall. I'll be talking about the achievements and challenges of 2018, and what we can look forward to in 2019. Hope to see you there!
-Steve
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Thank you to all those who braved the rain to celebrate the New Year together! The rain couldn't dampen the fantastic fireworks display -- thanks to local law firm Basch & Keegan for their generous contribution to the festivities! A big thanks as well to the Hudson Valley LGBTQ Center, the Kingston Uptown Business Association, to Possibility Studios for the beautiful New Year's ball, and the
International Union of Operating Engineers Local 825 and Benson Crane Services for helping us drop it. And to all of you who helped us make it a memorable night!
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Restorative Justice Center Ribbon-Cutting
The Ulster County Restorative Justice and Community Empowerment Center opened its doors last week with a ribbon-cutting ceremony. The Restorative Justice Center was built in support of New York State's "Raise the Age" legislation, which requires teenagers who are charged with a crime have their cases handled in Family Court rather than in Criminal Court. The Restorative Justice Center will serve to rehabilitate teenage offenders through mentorship, job training and mediation. We welcome the Center to Midtown Kingston, and look forward to working closely with County Executive Mike Hein to make a difference in these young people's lives.
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Juan Figueroa Sworn In as New Sheriff
Last week
, Juan Figueroa was sworn in at the Ulster County Courthouse as Ulster County's 88th Sheriff. Juan is a former Marine, a combat veteran and was a New York State Trooper for 25 years. He campaigned on tackling the opioid epidemic in our area and instituting community policing.
I wish Juan a warm welcome, and look forward to working alongside him and the Sheriff's department to keep our citizens safe.
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Opening Reception for Art Exhibit at City Hall Tomorrow
The City of Kingston's Department of Art & Cultural Affairs is collaborating with local organizations, Arts Mid-Hudson, the Kingston Arts Commission, and the Midtown Arts District, to bring a new exhibit to City Hall. The exhibition will feature the artwork by talented professional artists who have participated in the Pop-Up Gallery Group, or PUGG. The opening reception for the PUGG Alumni Exhibition will be held on Saturday, January 5, from 3:00-5:00pm in the gallery space on the ground floor. The exhibition will be available to view during regular City Hall hours until March 31,2019.
The PUGG program is an arts management program developed to support current and alumni artists of Kingston High School. The program was developed by Lara Giordano and JoAnna Ruisi of The Department of Regional Art Workers (The DRAW), and was originally funded through a grant from the Office of Economic & Community Development of the City of Kingston. The PUGG program connects Kingston High School Alumni with local exhibition & workshop opportunities, along with providing current Kingston High School students with valuable experience in arts management. The PUGG Alumni Exhibition will feature nine artists in a wide variety of mediums including photography, quilting, illustration, drawing, printmaking, painting, and more.
"I am excited to welcome works by Kingston High School alumni to City Hall and to celebrate these artists' unique talents," said Mayor Noble. "The PUGG program is an incredible resource in our community and we're happy to be partnering with them to bring this exhibition to City Hall. We are committed to continuing to support our growing arts community. This exhibition, along with the exhibitions planned for later in 2019, will put the spotlight on some of our local artists who make Kingston such a special place to live, work and visit."
The ground floor of City Hall, which has previously been used to display work, is now managed by the Department of Art & Cultural Affairs. Director Adrielle Farr is thrilled to assist in developing and managing the space for future exhibitions. "Using public spaces for the display of art promotes inclusivity, and allows for artists to share their work with visitors to City Hall," said Farr. "It is exciting to see a municipal building offer a space to celebrate the artistic community."
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State of the City Address on Tuesday, January 8
I hope you can join me next week as we look back at 2018 and discuss important work for 2019! The State of the City address will be Tuesday, January 8 at 7:30pm in the Common Council Chambers at City Hall. If you can't make it in person, the State of the City address will also be live-streamed at Radio Kingston's Facebook.
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Seeking Applications for Zoning Task Force
Mayor Steve Noble is pleased to announce the creation of a Zoning Task Force and is seeking qualified applicants to volunteer their time, energy and expertise to address multiple facets of Kingston's zoning-related issues.
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 and to assign responsibility for each objective. The Task Force's findings will be given to a qualified consultant who will assist the City of Kingston in determining the legislative changes needed to update the existing zoning code.
"I want to thank the past members of the Comprehensive Plan Zoning Sub-Committee for their work over the past few years reviewing our zoning and recommending changes to ensure we are consistent with State law," said Mayor Noble. "My hope is that the new task force will reevaluate existing zoning and together we can come up with a concrete plan to ensure that our zoning is consistent with our Comprehensive Plan, spurs responsible economic development, and preserves our community's high quality of life."
Applications for the Zoning Task Force can be filled out
online here, or can be
downloaded here and mailed to the Mayor's office at City Hall (420 Broadway, Kingston, NY 12401), and will be accepted until January 14, 2019.
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Health & Wellness Tip:
Sticking to New Year's Resolutions
The start of a new year is a great time to take stock and reflect on ways to help yourself become healthier and happier. Are you resolving to be more mindful in 2019? Want to start a workout routine you can stick with? Are you looking for ways to be more healthful in your diet?
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2019 City of Kingston Adopted Budget
Mayor Steve Noble's 2019 Adopted Budget for the City of Kingston is now available at the City's website, posted under "Service News."
This budget protects taxpayers and still advances the Mayor's ambitious agenda, and will
support a variety of core service areas within the City of Kingston, including
Infrastructure Improvements
(nearly $1 million for paving streets!),
Housing, Parks and Recreation, Public Safety and Sustainability.
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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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