Mayor’s Message for December 2021
Our beautiful village is now decked out in its holiday finery. Many thanks to everyone who helped make the holiday lighting a successful event! Our local traditions are part of what makes Rhinebeck such a special place to live and visit. Sinterklass will be on Dec 4th. As the celebrations begin, I want to wish everyone a safe, joyous and healthy holiday season.
We must all continue to be vigilant about COVID-19. NY Governor Kathy Hochul just declared a State of Emergency in New York amid a surge of cases in New York, and the new threat posed by the OMICRON Variant. The best defense is to get vaccinated, and if you already are, to get a booster shot as well. Mask wearing and social distancing in crowded areas will also protect you.
Village residents have chosen not to allow Cannabis dispensaries or consumption establishments in the Village. The vote totals from the November 16th Marijuana Special Election were:
Opt Out retail sales:
● Yes - 185
● No - 115
Opt Out consumption:
● Yes - 235
● No - 63
Trustee Neuneker and CFO Karen McLaughlin have prepared everything needed to submit a grant proposal for upgrading our water treatment plant/tank. If the Water Infrastructure Improvement Act grant is awarded, it can cover up to $3 million or 60% of the total cost of the project. The Village is prepared to contribute matching funds through the Drinking Water State Revolving Fund Loan program. The upgrades are badly needed to bring us into regulatory compliance, replace outdated equipment, improve system operations,and address issues of pollutants and turbidity from releases at the Ashokan Reservoir. In other words, the system upgrades will keep our drinking water available, safe, and clean.
Improving our streets and keeping them safe for drivers, pedestrians and bicyclists is a long-term goal of a study we want to conduct with the Dutchess County Transportation Council.
The area of focus is the corridor from Mill Street (Route 9) and Rockefeller Lane north to Montgomery Street and Springbrook Avenue. The northernmost end of the corridor is Northern Dutchess Hospital, and the bridge over the Landsman Kill is the south end. It’s a mixed commercial/residential area. The bridge at Landsman Kill has already been slated for replacement in 2023. The study will evaluate improvements consistent with the “Rhinebeck Village - Worth Walking” report and the “Moving Dutchess Forward” plan.
We are extremely grateful for the loan of a dump truck, plow and sander for the winter season from the Town of Poughkeepsie’s Highway Department while we wait on the delivery of our new plow truck in March/April 2022. Thanks Poughkeepsie, it’s going to come in handy soon.
On November 20th, we held a Tree Party to honor the wonderful volunteers who purchase, plant and prune Rhinebecks urban forest. Trustee Lewit and Tree Commission Chair Meg Crawford hosted the event at Crystal Lake Park right by a newly planted American Holly Tree.
The New York State Urban Forestry Council gave us two Holly trees in recognition of the Village’s successful 20 years of planting and maintaining trees.
Over the past 20 years, volunteers of the Village of Rhinebeck Tree Commission have planted more than 400 street and parkland trees! The Frost Foundation has been a wonderful partner in this wonderful accomplishment. In 2020 the foundation awarded a grant to the Village which funded a municipal tree database and a multi-year urban forest management plan. A public presentation of the plan will be made at an upcoming Village Board meeting on November 30.
I am so proud that Rhinebeck has a strong commitment to being a leader in creating a greener environment that is adapted to climate change and all these efforts are part of that.
Congratulations to the Village of Rhinebeck and its Autism Supportive Committee on winning Dutchess Tourism's "Accessible Hospitality" Award of Distinction. Anderson Center Consulting began its partnership with the Village of Rhinebeck in the Fall of 2018 to assist the Village in becoming the first Autism Supportive Community in the region. For more information about this initiative please visit: https://villageofrhinebeck.org/asc
Update from our Village Fire Department: Chief Kyle Eighmy reported a total of 98 Fire/EMS calls for the month of October. Three members completed the NYS Fire Police course, and two members completed the NYS Firefighter 2 Class held at the Dutchess County Training Center. The election for office positions will be held on December 6th. The Fire Dept currently has 49 active firefighters/EMT’s.
And, congratulations to Wastewater Plant Operator David Secor on his three year anniversary! We are glad to have him with us.
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
Mayor Gary Bassett