Mayor’s Message December 2024
A Happy and Healthy Holiday season to everyone! The Village is all decked out in its seasonal finery. Holiday parties and shopping and celebrations are well underway. I am so grateful for everyone who put in the time and effort to make our Village look wonderful for the holidays!
Trustee Ric Lewit is working to preserve a beautiful piece of Rhinebeck history. He is working with the New York State Department of Transportation to restore and eventually display the 19th Century wrought iron railings that had to be removed from the pedestrian bridge at Landsman Kill. The Village Board has approved the conceptual plans for development of detailed plans to use the railings as a gateway to the Memorial at Crystal Lake. You can see the proposed plan concept below. We will keep you informed as this project continues.
The headquarters of the Rhinebeck Police Department is getting a major upgrade thanks to the Rhinebeck Smart Climate Committee, which obtained a grant of $60,000 to help cover the costs. Trustee Bertozzi is seeking competitive proposals from qualified HVAC Contractors to design and install a Cold Climate Air Source Heat Pump and Water Heater. The system will include heating/cooling for the entire building, 50 gallon heat pump water heater, and the installation of 200 amp electrical service. This means we can move the electric vehicle charging stations to this service. This means big savings for taxpayers, a win for the environment as the Rhinebeck PD building will no longer depend on fossil fuels, except for the emergency backup generator.
If you’re not already aware, back in October the traffic light at the intersection of Route 9 and Market Street stopped working. That led to a traffic jam, and an investigation. We discovered that the signal discs under the roadway were obsolete, so New York State has installed a new state of the art system that uses cameras. The new cameras are variable light control cameras, they see cars and pedestrians at the intersection in real time so they can efficiently control traffic flow, making it safer for cars and pedestrians. The cameras do not store any information. For a birds eye view of what the cameras see, look at the picture below:
Village Emergency Response Coordinator Cathi Tegtmeier is retiring. She has done an extraordinary job on the Emergency Team, working with local and Dutchess County Emergency Response, and has overseen the drafting of updated procedures for how to respond in a crisis. She will be very much missed, and we also wish her a wonderful and well-deserved retirement.
The Emergency Response Coordinator (ERC) is part of a public safety committee that includes the Mayor, Village Police, Police Officer in Charge, Village Fire Department Chief and DPW. The committee is responsible for planning, response, recovery, as well as coordinating with other agencies, and local businesses and residents to make sure we are as prepared as possible for an emergency in the Village. We are now seeking her replacement.
● This position reports directly to the Village of Rhinebeck Mayor:
● The role of the ERC is complex and requires immediate availability for the duration of the event:
● Complete a risk assessment and determine planning priorities for mitigation, response and recovery for identified threats.
● The ERC is responsible for reviewing current plans and the development of plans for identified gaps
Anyone interested if fulfilling this role should possess the following capabilities
● Experience in emergency management activities:
○ Collaboration amongst multidisciplinary teams/representatives for planning and/or response to an event(s)
○ The development and writing of emergency plans
○ Public safety response experience (EMS, Fire, Law, public works)
○ Availability for planning meetings, regular staff meetings, and to respond to emergency situations and be present/available for the duration of the event
○ Understand concept of operation for an Emergency Operations Center
○ Willingness to work with diverse groups of people in open, honest and respectful manner
The Village Board entered into an Intermunicipal Agreement with the Villages of Millbrook and Millerton for the employment of Justin Noyes as Rhinebeck Village Deputy Zoning Administrator. Justin will spend 3 days a week in Rhinebeck (Tuesday through Thursday) and one day per week for the Villages of Millbrook and Millerton. Justin will start on January 2, 2025
The Village has hired three new employees to be part of our Highway Department starting on December 2nd. Please welcome:
- Highway Laborer - Benjamin Zitz
- Highway Laborer - Quinton Green
- Highway Working Supervisor - Jonathan Craft
Please join me in celebrating our employee anniversary
- Chief Wastewater Operator Will Caruso- 2 years Happy Anniversary!
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 MayorBassett@Villgeofrhinebeckny.gov
Mayor Gary Bassett