Mayor’s Message for June 2021
Congratulations to the Rhinebeck High School Class of 2021! It was definitely one for the books (history and year)! We wish you all great success as you begin your next journey. It would not be the beginning of summer without Rhinebeck’s Memorial Day Parade, honoring Americans who died while serving in the armed forces.
Rhinebeck’s summer season is off to a great start. Outdoor tables are set up at restaurants, visitors are stopping into our local shops, and everyone is enjoying our friendly walkable community.
The pandemic is still a concern, even as more people are vaccinated, and we continue to re-open. We must also continue to protect our most vulnerable residents and visitors from Covid19. That’s why we are still providing outdoor dining and shopping options, and encouraging mask wearing in the Village Center. Let’s make sure the virus has no place in Rhinebeck to go!
We are anticipating receiving some funding from the federal government’s American Rescue Plan. The monies can be used for:
Costs from the Covid-19 public health emergency
Offsetting negative economic impacts to households, business, nonprofits and tourism
Support essential workers with funds or grants to employers
Covering revenue losses
Investments in water, sewer or broadband
We will be asking for input from the community once we know the details. The money cannot be used for tax cuts or pension fund offsets.
Summer is the busy season for our road crews. Trustee Lewit and Highway Supervisor Scott Minn conducted surveys and use data from Dutchess County as well as the Cornell Local Road Program when setting the schedule. The Orchard-Kramer loop will be next up for paving. Pothole repair is another big part of summer maintenance. Roads expected to be paved within the next 3-4 years are being patched by our Highway Department. Outside contractors will be conducting pothole repairs on roads which are not scheduled for paving within the next five years.
Tax bills will be mailed on June 1st. The amount of each bill is based on the July 1, 2019 assessment. The percentage change from the prior year is 4.8%, which includes the tax cap carry-over and is based on the total Village tax levy. The new tax rate for 2021 is down $1.02 per $1,000 from last year's budget, which will be reflected in the bill. Payment is due by July 1, 2021 to avoid late fees.
Protecting the quality of our drinking water is a high priority, and our efforts are getting a big boost with a grant from NY State! The state will be providing consultants and expertise as we develop a Drinking Water Source Protection Program Plan (DWSP2) for Rhinebeck. We had a lot of competition for this grant, as more than 50 interested communities applied. The Hudson7 communities applied jointly for all our water treatment plants, and this will help us develop a plan. You can see the announcement here.
Meanwhile, the Board has authorized replacing an outdated pump at the Water Treatment Plant. The current pump was installed back in 1968 and is highly inefficient. A new pump will save a lot of money in operating costs and efficiency. This is one of the recommendations made by the evaluation of our facility funded by Dutchess County. The cost of the new pump ($25,000) will be partially offset by a CEC grant. You can see the full report at Village Hall. We will be re-applying for a state Green Innovation grant to pay for stormwater sidewalk improvements. On this go round, there were more than 8 times more requests than funds.
The NY State Department of Environmental Conservation will be installing temporary groundwater monitoring wells at the inactive landfill at the Village Mini-Park. This is part of monitoring of old landfills being conducted across the state.
The Village and Town of Rhinebeck have begun the process of evaluating our contract for internet service with Charter Communications and Time Warner. Our current agreement is 30 years old and has never been updated despite the many changes in technology and how people use it. We collect fees in return for authorizing the companies to provide cable service and it might be time to re-negotiate the agreement.
I am very happy to report that Village Hall is opening up for walk-ins without an appointment. Please use the call button and wear your mask upon entry. Starting in July, the Village board meetings will also be open to the public. We are requiring all guests to wear a mask with social distancing spacing for seating. I look forward to seeing you there!
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
Gary Bassett
Mayor Village of Rhinebeck