Mayor’s Message for August 2022
The “dog days” of summer have arrived as they do every year. But these days we are seeing record high temperatures broken more often along with more intense weather of all kinds. Intense weather events can threaten human and animal health, air quality, and decimate farm crops. As the temperature rises, please remember to stay hydrated, wear sunscreen when outdoors, and dress accordingly.
This time of year, means a lot more foot traffic on Village streets, with children of all ages walking, biking, or just out having fun. Please keep their safety in mind when driving. The speed limit on village streets is set by state law at 30 MPH but use your own judgment and slow down on busy streets. We have one traffic light in town and using side streets to avoid it creates safety issues in our neighborhoods. The light is not that long, and you probably are not saving time taking alternative streets. Plus, our radar signs are out, and the Rhinebeck PD is actively patrolling and enforcing speed limits.
Our beautiful village is the setting for a movie! Many of you have noticed the film crews hard at work on Chestnut Street. They are making a low budget union film titled “Family”. The crew is composed of a large number of Hudson Valley locals who have worked on numerous films in the area over the years.
The film takes place over a long dark summer - it's about a young girl who is struggling to accept her father's illness. She begins to believe her family, especially her mother, is being haunted by a cosmic spirit! The filmmakers will be in and around Rhinebeck for a month before finishing the filming in Kingston. The film crew has become a part of the community in that they eat at the restaurants, shop at the stores and buy tons and tons of coffee.
We received a Municipal Grant Award for $147,000 for Intermunicipal Resource and ADA accessibility. We will use this grant to purchase updated equipment for the fire department, including defibrillators and a utility terrain vehicle (UTV) as well as improvements to our sidewalks and accessibility at Village Hall and the Fire Department.
We also received a $10,000 grant from the NYS Hudson River Valley Greenway for our Comprehensive Plan update. The Village has allocated an additional $10,000 in the current fiscal year's budget and an additional $50,000 for next fiscal year 2023.
The Village has also submitted an application for a New York State Department of State Smart Growth Community Planning and Zoning Grant of $100,000 for our Comprehensive Plan Update. We have worked hard over the past years to make our Village more walkable, bikeable, accessible, and environmentally sound. Our record should be very helpful in showing that an update to the 1993 Comprehensive Plan will further our goals to be environmentally resilient and thoughtful in the face of development pressure. I’d like to thank Trustee Lydia Slaby, our planners at Tighe & Bond, and the more than fifty members of our community who are volunteering on this important work!
Our Village Engineers (Tighe & Bond) recently completed a study of our water rates Water Rate Evaluation Presentation.pdf. Rhinebeck continues to make incremental steps in investing in its water system and is about to begin an important upgrade of the water treatment plant. Water systems are capital intensive and require continuous investments. While capital costs are the largest driver of rate increases, the number of customers is the largest factor in overall water costs due to the economy of scale, with more customers meaning less cost per household.
. Recommendations from the study include:
Evaluate Rhinecliff distribution system for condition and fire protection
Continue to evaluate the ability to expand service to areas outside the Village
Revisit the assumptions and projections incorporated into this evaluation on an annual basis to inform the annual budgeting process
The Village of Rhinebeck has a new part-time police officer, Joseph Safford who is a firefighter in the Kingston Fire department. As with others in the police department, their full-time position allows them sufficient time to work part time. The Village is sponsoring Joseph to attend the police academy prior to him starting work in the Village. Joseph and his family reside in Kingston, NY.
The Village has also hired a new water operator trainee, Keith Ungaro. Keith is scheduled to start August 1st, which may be delayed a few days as he awaits a new arrival to his family! Keith will be seeking his certification in water plant operations. Keith and his family live in Ulster Park, NY.
The following employees had anniversaries:. Police Clerk Danielle Rector – 13 years and Highway Laborer Joe Zipp – 1 year. Congratulations to you both and thank you for your hard work.
Don’t forget to vote in the upcoming special election on August 23rd. This is to fill the US Congressional seat for the 19th District vacated by Antonio Delgado, who was appointed to the position of Lt. Governor of NY. At the same time, there will be a primary for Democrats to choose a candidate for the new 18th Congressional District. The newly drawn district means we will be part of the 18th Congressional District in the next session of Congress. Early voting for August 23rd begins August 13th. For more information go to: Dutchess County Board of Elections
Reminder: Village Hall will be closed on August 25th & 26th, while we conduct our annual inventory for document storage.
As always, please reach out to me with any questions or comments. You can reach me by phone 845-876-7015 ext 2 at Village Hall or via email to MayorBassett@Villgeofrhinebeckny.gov
Mayor Gary Bassett