Mayor’s Message August 2025
July temperatures in this area averaged 6 degrees above normal, following the intense heat dome in late June. And this will likely continue to be a “long hot summer” as August may be hotter than normal according to the Cornell Northeast Regional Climate Center.
Public health issues brought by the extreme heat continue. We are also living with regular Air Quality alerts from the NY State Department of Environmental Protection due to smoke from the massive wildfires burning in Canada. Please keep it in mind, and remember that when it gets really hot, we have cooling centers at Starr Library and Village Hall.
The Farmers Almanac is predicting cooler than normal temperatures for September and October, followed by a warmer than average winter with less snow than usual.
As we face this “new normal”, our community needs to continue preparing for more extreme weather events. And, every effort we make to lower our “carbon footprint” becomes more urgent.
Those two happy guys are Chief Wastewater Operator Will Caruso and Wastewater Mechanic Scott Rathjen at the Wastewater Plant after the installation of a highly efficient Cold Climate Heat Pump System. The project included 2 multi-zone cold climate heat pumps with individual air ceiling handlers. This is the second Village building to transition away from fossil fuel heating. The two projects, here and at the Police Department, took advantage of $60,000 in NYSERDA grants that the Village earned through its participation in the New York State Clean Energy Communities program, as well as $14,700 in Central Hudson rebates. The new systems work wonderfully for Village employees, and all those who use the buildings.
The Village of Rhinebeck has also applied for a New York State Climate Smart Communities Grant for drainage improvements.
Grants For Climate Action - NYSDEC
The Village is seeking grant funds to support the preparation of final design and construction documents and for the construction of improvements to mitigate flooding in the Chestnut Street neighborhood. Residents there have experienced flooding due to an outdated stormwater collection system near the Chestnut Street culvert which lacks capacity to handle the larger storms we currently experience. This project would right-size the system to protect the neighborhoods from much bigger storms. Swale improvements will be made in the existing Village easement. New piped stormwater drainage will be installed on Crosmour Street and existing storm drainage pipe between Chestnut Street and Starr Drive will be increased to accommodate higher flow rates.
This project will improve the conditions of and preserve the existing outdoor space of these residential neighborhoods. Preserving these lands through this project will enable residents to continue to live and thrive in this area of the Village.
Project Schedule:
Anticipated Grant Awarded: December 2025
Contracts Executed: July 2026
Update Drainage Model Completion: September 2026
Final Design & Construction Document Preparation Completed: October 2026
Bidding - January 2027
Award - February 2027
Construction Begins: April 2027
Construction Close Out: June 2027
Grant Close Out: August 2027
The Village Board has scheduled a public workshop on August 12th to discuss our proposal to launch a free ride share micro-transit system to serve Village residents.
“Ride-Beck,” a free, public-private micro-transit service designed to improve local mobility for residents. The system would operate as an on-call car service, initially deploying one vehicle and trained driver to serve key community destinations such as Northern Dutchess Hospital, senior living communities, the Starr Library, and local shops. Operating weekdays from 9:00 AM to 5:00 PM, the service will accommodate an estimated 10–15 round-trip riders per day. The proposal is for residents to be able to book rides by calling a dispatcher, with return trips available. The service targets seniors, people with mobility issues, and those needing accessible transportation for shopping, appointments, and community programs.
Initial funding for Ride-Beck is estimated at $100,000 annually per vehicle, with costs to be shared by the Village and private partners. Community outreach conducted through organizations like Rhinebeck at Home, Wells Manor, Arbor Ridge and Village Green shows strong support and demand, with an estimated 60–70 rides needed per week. Institutions like NDH report frequent discharge needs, while surveys of senior housing residents show potential high engagement with the service. The system is designed to scale, with additional vehicles and staff to be added if ridership grows beyond capacity.
The proposal emphasizes professional service delivery, safety, and scalability. Drivers will receive CPR and customer service training, and vehicles will be appropriately sized for the community. Implementation will follow a phased timeline, beginning with outreach and contracting over the summer, service launch in October, and ongoing monitoring and potential expansion. Marketing will be conducted through local advertising and community engagement. Overall, Ride-Beck aims to improve accessibility, reduce isolation, and strengthen the social and economic fabric of Rhinebeck by offering dependable local transportation.
We are eager to hear from residents about this proposal, please join us on August 12 at 5PM at Village Hall.
We are continuing to work with ArchTop to finish the installation and trench work on the Village roads. You have noticed they are fixing some areas that were previously trenched, but did not hold up through the winter.
Meanwhile, the Highway Department is still busy cleaning up brush on the North and South sides, it seems as if it never ends. The Highway Department has also done some hot patching on old water repairs on Rhinecliff and Morton Roads. Crews also completed some patching on Mulberry and Mill Streets, as well as the Municipal Parking Lot. We will keep at it as long as time and weather permit.
Happy Anniversary!
Please join me in celebrating our employee anniversaries:
1. Officer Joe Safford – 3 years
2. Officer Ken Scattergood – 27 years
3. Officer Dan Kaelin – 30 years
4. Police Clerk Danielle Rector – 16 years
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 Bassett