Mayor’s Message for December 2020
I wish you all a safe holiday season, as we all find creative ways to celebrate without risking spreading the COVID19 virus. Local cases are on the rise again, so we must continue all our efforts to protect ourselves and each other.
Mask wearing, hand washing, and physical distancing continue to be our best tools. I would add “patience” to that list, as we may soon have the protection of a vaccine. As we social distance now, we can look forward to next year and traditional holiday gatherings .
We have all learned a lot over these past months. The staff at Village Hall are now adept at using technology and physical barriers to assist you. We have applied for FEMA aid to help us offset the costs. We have several new cases reported in the Village of Rhinebeck, and continue to monitor. If you want information on local testing sites: dutchessny.gov/coronavirustesting.
Following a special meeting of the Village Board, the Court Consolidation Plan is now on hold to allow for more study and more input from you. A Task Force made up of Village and Town Board members and Judges will review the proposal.
The Task Force will start up next year when we can have regular public meetings. Part of this process will be a series of public forums to allow a thorough airing of the pros and cons of consolidating the Town and Village Courts. We have held two forums in the past month, with more to come once the Task Force gets up and running.
Even though it’s the busy holiday season, we have a number of upcoming public forums and other chances for community involvement(all virtual).
We are making progress on the The Police Reform Committee which has put together a list of proposed changes that include increasing community engagement, policy changes and improving communication. We continue to meet on a regular basis, and will be organizing community forums in January to hear from many of you about your priorities.
You are invited on December 17th to join a Joint Village/Town Online Special Meeting about planning for the future in Rhinebeck. Our intern David Chernack will be presenting the results of his study on the Rhinebeck Comprehensive Plan(2009), the Village Master Plan (1993) and other policies related to the climate and environment.
David is a Bard CEP graduate student whose study is funded by The New World Foundation. This conversation will cover not only what we have done but what our focus should be moving forward. Please join us by signing up here, and take the pre-session survey by December 13th: https://www.climatesmartrhinebeck.org/comprehensive-review
From the Rhinebeck Autism Support Community Committee, an invitation to join one of a series of webinars that will provide information about Autism Spectrum Disorder, and highlight the Village’s initiative. While the COVID19 crisis has presented even greater challenges to ASD community members, and their families, the Committee continues to pursue its goals in support of the $10,000 matching grant from the Thomas Thompson Trust. The webinars will be held on December 3rd at 9 am, December 8th at 5 pm, and December 16th at noon. To register, please email AndersonConsulting@Andersoncares.org
We will also be scheduling public hearings allowing you to weigh in on the proposal to expand the Village Historic District to include Oak Street, Platt Avenue, and Mill Street (plus connecting blocks). It has met approval from NY State, and the application will now go to the National Register for Historic Places. This effort began when it was discovered that the very first Rhinebeck Schoolhouse on Oak Street was outside the boundary of the historic district. We are grateful to the State Historic Preservation Office which has supported us in this process. The addition of this area to the State and Federal register does not automatically increase the boundaries of the Village’s Historic District Overlay (HDO). Therefore the Village Board will be holding a series of meetings and public hearings to hear from you to determine if expanding the HDO would be in the best interests of the Village.
Meanwhile, as we start to see snow flurries, and the winter storm season begins, Trustee Bertozzi is providing regular updates on our pilot program to test the effectiveness of using brine as opposed to salt to de-ice the roads. We are comparing notes with the Town of Rhinebeck which is also conducting a pilot study, and has built a spray truck for brine application. We are proceeding with our own study to see how brine works for the slower speed traffic on Village roads. If it works well for both the Village and the Town, we will move forward with an agreement (IMA) with the Town to switch to brine and possibly apply for grants to allow us to switch to the cleaner substance. After the pilots, we will come together to debrief the effectiveness of using it. For more information, refer the the Village’s website: https://www.climatesmartrhinebeck.org/road-salt
Our application for a Community Development Block Grant for the planned sidewalk on West Chestnut Street has been tabled. It would have required funding from Dutchess County and additional grants, and given the current fiscal situation, those funds are not currently available. We will reapply in the future.
Jeff Christiansen has been appointed to the Village Planning Board by Trustee Slaby with Board approval. He will replace Tim Decker who will serve as an alternate to the Village’s Zoning Board of approval. Welcome to each of them in their new Board positions.
November Anniversaries include:
Maintenance Manager John Raimondo - 20 years
Wastewater Treatment Plant Operator David Secor - 2 years
Congratulations to both of them for their service to the Village.
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@VillageofRhinebeckny.gov