Mayor’s Message June 2025
Summer is here, bringing the promise of vacations, long lazy summer days, and all the delights of the season that our Hudson Valley has to offer.
The beginning of summer is a very busy time at the Village Hall as it marks the end of the fiscal year. We are now busy closing the books on last year’s expenses and revenues and tracking the 2025-2026 budget. We are looking forward to the upcoming fiscal year and the numerous projects which will benefit the Village and its residents.
Without going too deep into the water, The Water and Wastewater Projects are on schedule AND on budget. HOWEVER the current (or future) U.S. tariff policies could impact prices of any sub-components that have to be sourced from other countries. We, along with Delaware Engineering, are monitoring this closely as the costs of this project could increase substantially.
The upgrade of the Village’s water plant continues and a surprise discovery is going to save us a lot of money! We found a water main in a different location than was mapped! This happy discovery means we will not have to relocate the water main and THAT saves us $85,000. That money is back in the project Contingency Fund.
Right now there is very little site activity visible at the Wastewater Plant as this project is more about replacing parts than building new structures. But there is still a lot of progress being made there every day.
(Picture of the construction project at the Water Dept)
The Safe Routes to School pedestrian improvements project is moving forward as we now have signed an Architectural/Engineering Consultant Agreement with GPI, the engineering firm that developed the proposal. GPI will act as consultant to this project which is federally funded. Village Trustee/Deputy Mayor Ric Lewit is the lead representative on this project.
The Village Board received news that Joule (CCA Program administrator) will no longer be providing renewable power through the CCA. Joule is reviewing its participation in this evolution of CCA in New York and hopes to re-engage in CCA administration in the future; as the State of New York is making some changes to the statewide Community Choice Aggregation (CCA) programs. This affects the Village as we have been working towards participation which would not only will be good for the environment, but would save residents money on energy costs. The Public Service Commission (PSC) has initiated a process to re-evaluate CCA and to determine how to best implement these programs going forward. The opt-out authority of CCA is a powerful tool and the PSC aims to enhance customer protections in future programs.
In addition, while municipalities like ours want to utilize CCA to support existing renewable resources in New York State, further regulatory development is necessary to foster partnerships between CCA municipalities and new clean energy projects.
The importance of good weather forecasting has never been more urgent, as we all face more erratic weather systems due to climate change. We are in the process of updating our weather forecasting system as part of our ongoing work to monitor flooding along the Landsman Kill. This project is part of our relationship with Marist College’s Environmental Science and Policy and Computer Science Departments.
As part of a “real-world research” program, the students have been researching flooding along the Landsman Kill and designing a predictive flood monitoring system.The weather station previously located at the Village Highway Garage has been relocated and a new “tipping bucket” style rain gauge installed. It will provide reliable, year-round precipitation collection and transmit real time data to Marist so it can be shared on to the Rhinebeck Village Website.
Here is a photo of Marist Professor Algozzine and student Gianna installing equipment at the Wastewater Treatment Plant in Spring 2025. The WWTP can also utilize the data from the equipment which tracks rainfall and other information.
To access they history with Marist go to: Marist College Collaboration with Rhinebeck Village — Climate Smart Rhinebeck: Village Task Force
The Hudson 7 celebrated its second annual Water Operators Appreciation Week from May 27 to 30, along with its 7th anniversary on May 31. Each day the group recognized one of the water operators that perform the essential work to protect and maintain our drinking water systems. Our operator Thomas Mueller, whose dedication and expertise play a vital role in delivering clean, safe water to the community, was one of those being recognized. Congratulations Tom!
The Autism Supportive Committee has developed a NEW initiative which highlights inclusivity, learning, and meaningful inclusion of autistic and neurodivergent people in the Village of Rhinebeck. This new initiative is built on the success of our first campaign “Do Just One Thing.” This new program is an opportunity for businesses and organizations to build on their commitment to inclusivity, providing ways to engage with the program.
I am happy to announce that we have two new Police Officers in the Village of Rhinebeck.
Officer Jon Rymer - John has 10 years prior experience with NYPD, and is currently a full-time officer with the Town of Hyde Park Police Department. And Officer Michael Whelan who has been a full-time officer with the Town of Ulster Police Department for the last 2 1/2 years. Both are committed to community engagement and you will see them on our streets and sidewalks soon.
Please join me in celebrating our employee anniversaries:
DPW Kyle Eighmy – 3 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
Gary Bassett
Mayor Village of Rhinebeck