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December 5, 2017 - In This Issue:
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A Message From Mayor Steve Noble:
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Dear Friends,
While 2017 is all too quickly coming to an end, we still have a lot going on in Kingston in December. This week's issue gives you a glimpse into a number of upcoming events and meetings that may interest you. For starters, this Thursday's Made in Kingston event in Midtown is an excellent way to support our incredible local artists and businesses. In addition, o
ur Downtown Revitalization Initiative in the Stockade District is underway and we are hosting an interactive public workshop on December 19th that I encourage each of you to participate in.
Finally, how could we wrap up 2017 without a New Year's Eve Countdown Celebration?
This week's issue also includes information about an amnesty period that will be available later this month which will allow individuals who owe a late penalty on their parking citation to have that late penalty waived if the ticket is paid on-site at City Hall. In addition to saving money and starting 2018 with a clean slate, this program encourages individuals to bring in non-perishable food at the same time, which will be distributed to local food pantries in our community. This is a wonderful opportunity to start off 2018 on a good note and do a good deed along the way!
-Steve
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Kingston Downtown Revitalization Initiative
Upcoming Meetings and Events
Save the Dates
What: Local Planning Committee #2
When:Tuesday, December 12th at Noon
Where: Old Dutch Church
Interactive Public Workshop
Tuesday, December 19th
6:00pm-8:00pm
The Kirkland
Note: Staff and state planners will be available 11:00am-1:00pm on December 19th at the Kirkland for questions and comments from individuals who cannot attend the evening session.
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Ring in the New Year with the City of Kingston!
City of Kingston to host New Year's Eve Countdown Celebration in Uptown Kingston - with performances by Lara Hope & The Ark-Tones and fireworks sponsored by Basch & Keegan, LLP!
Mayor Steve Noble is pleased to announce the 2017-2018 New Year's celebration to be held at the intersection of Wall St. and North Front St. in Uptown Kingston on Sunday, December 31, 2017 at 11:00pm. Residents and visitors will be treated to an outdoor performance (bundle up!)
by local rockabilly band Lara Hope and the Ark-Tones. As the clock nears midnight, attendees will enjoy a moving rendition of Auld Lang Syne as we count down the final moments of 2017. A decorative ball, created by local business Possibility Studios, will drop as the clock s
trikes midnight. As Kingston ushers in 2018, a brilliant fireworks display sponsored by Basch and Keegan will light up the sky. A free shuttle traveling through Uptown, Midtown and Downtown will be available 7:00pm-1:00am.
This event is made possible thanks in large part to our generous sponsors and volunteers. Individuals, businesses and organizations interested in supporting this event should contact Lynsey Timbrouck, Confidential Secretary to the Mayor, at 334-3902 or at
ltimbrouck@kingston-ny.gov or Megan Weiss-Rowe, Director of Communications and Community Engagement, at 334-3964 or at
mweiss@kingston-ny.gov.
More details coming soon! For frequent updates, check out our Facebook Event!
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Mayor Steve Noble announces amnesty period for late penalties on parking citations
Participants encouraged to bring food for local pantries
Mayor Steve Noble is pleased to announce the availability of a parking citation amnesty period in the City of Kingston. Individuals with parking tickets issued earlier than December 1
st
and who owe a late penalty will have that late penalty waived if the citation is paid in person at City Hall during the amnesty period, scheduled for Friday, December 15
th
through Friday, December 29
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.
"This is an excellent opportunity to resolve outstanding parking tickets and start off 2018 with a clean slate," said Mayor Noble. "In addition, this is a chance for neighbors to help neighbors. We are accepting non-perishable food donations during the same time period. Please consider bringing in food so that we can work with our local food pantries and help our community members in need this winter."
Modeled after other communities' "Food for Fines" programs, individuals participating in the amnesty period are encouraged to bring in non-perishable food items to be distributed to local food pantries this winter. This food contribution is not required to participate in the amnesty period. In addition, individuals who are not participating in the amnesty period but who wish to donate food items are welcome and encouraged to do so.
In order to participate in this program, tickets must be paid on-site at City Hall, 420 Broadway, main floor, in the City Comptroller's office.
The office is open Monday-Friday, 8:30am-4:30pm. It will be closed on December 22nd and December 25
th
in observance of the holiday. Food donations should be brought to the same location.
Recommended items include: canned tuna or chicken; canned fruit (in water or juice); beans; soups; peanut butter; jelly; olive or canola oil; canned vegetables; bottles of 100% juice; cereal; oatmeal; rice; pasta; pasta sauce (can); crackers; granola bars; pancake mix; nuts; dried fruit; spices; etc.
Please ensure all donations are of good quality, unopened, and within their sell by date.
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Made in Kingston 2017- This Thursday!
When: Thursday, December 7th, 4:00pm-8:30pm
Where: The Metro, located at 2 S. Prospect St. in Kingston
Join us for the 5th annual expo of all things made in Kingston! One of the best events of the year right in the heart of Midtown, featuring more than four dozen local artists, local food and beverages, live entertainment, a raffle, and a new pop-up fine art market hosted by MAD.
This year's event will be held at The Metro, the former MetLife Hall of Records building, at 2 South Prospect Street (on the corner of Greenkill Avenue, opposite the Boys and Girls Club). RUPCO closed on the 70,000-square-foot underutilized factory/warehouse and is now proposing The Metro as a community wealth-building project; a film and technology hub to include maker spaces and other creative uses.
Shop LOCAL for the holidays and enjoy a fun evening with your friends and neighbors! See
www.madeinkingstonny.com for more details.
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Boards and Commission
The City of Kingston is accepting applications from individuals interested in serving on one of our Boards or Commissions.
Here is a sampling of Boards and Commissions that have immediate or upcoming opportunities to serve:
- Climate Smart Kingston Commission
- Community Development Advisory Board
- Electrical Examiners Board
- Parks and Recreation Commission
- Plumbing Board
- Police Commission
- Tree Commission
- Zoning Board of Appeals
For a full list of current appointments as of 11/30/17,
click here.
Interested in serving? Start off by completing
this application and submitting it to the Mayor's Office,
Attn: Lynsey Timbrouck, 420 Broadway, Kingston, NY 12401 or email to ltimbrouck@kingston-ny.gov
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This Friday! Only a few tickets left!
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Snowflake Festival
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City of Kingston Arts Commission accepting nominations for inaugural
City of Kingston Distinguished Artist Award
Nominations due December 17th
The City of Kingston Arts Commission is requesting nominations for the inaugural City of Kingston Distinguished Artist Award.
Nominees must be residents of the City of Kingston for at least two years. Artists in any discipline may be nominated: music, theatre, dance, literary, visual, or media arts. Finalists and recipients will be chosen based upon the level of their artistry, commitment to the art form, commitment to the community, and recognition in the field locally, nationally or internationally. The award recipient should be willing to serve for two years and perform two public community projects such as a performance, lecture, exhibition, reading, workshop, etc. A small stipend will be provided to the awardee.
Submission forms are located on the City of Kingston website at:
www.kingston-ny.gov/ArtsCommission. This should take the form of a no-more-than one-page narrative that discusses the nominee's qualifications and must be submitted with the application. Nominations must be submitted by midnight, Sunday, December 17, 2017 to the Commission at kingstonarts@kingston-ny.gov along with the form and narrative. Recipients will be selected by an awards panel comprised of professionals in the field. Note that recipients are not chosen by the quantity of nominations received, but by the QUALITY of their work and by their commitment to the community.
Award winners will be recognized by Mayor Steve Noble and Kingston arts, cultural, civic and business leaders, at a reception on Thursday, April 12, 2018 at Kingston City Hall.
For any questions, please contact Susan Linn, 845-339-4280.
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Indoor Fun!
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Community Development Block Grant
Mayor Steve Noble is pleased to launch the preparation of the City of Kingston's Annual Actual Plan for Fiscal Year 2018 (July 1, 2018-June 30, 2019), which details the use of the estimated $670,000 annual grant under the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development's Community Development Block Grant Program (CDBG) Entitlement Grant.
Applications for proposed funding for the Fiscal Year 2018 Annual Action Plan are now available for pick up or can be mailed or emailed. Applications will be accepted until 12:00 PM (Noon) on Monday, January 22, 2018. As in FY2017, priority will be given to programs that support the operations and further engagement and enrichment of youth attending the City's community centers, as well as capital projects in public facilities.
PUBLIC INFORMATIONAL MEETINGS:
At these meetings, questions are encouraged regarding general project eligibility, program guidelines and specific proposed projects. An overview of priority projects that the City would be interested in funding will be presented.
- Monday, December 11, 2017, 5:30 PM, Hudson River Maritime Museum, 50 Rondout Landing
- Wednesday, December 20, 2017, 7:00 PM, Everette Hodge Center, 21 Franklin St.
- Thursday, January 4, 2018, 6:30 PM, City Hall, Conference Room #1, 420 Broadway
- Wednesday, January 10, 2018, 5:30 PM, Kingston Library, 55 Franklin Street
- Tuesday, January 16, 2018, 7:00 PM, Rondout Neighborhood Center, 105 Broadway
At these meetings, comments will be heard regarding applicants and their proposed projects or programs.
- Wednesday, February 7, 2018 - 6:00 PM Common Council Chambers, City Hall, 420 Broadway
- Thursday, February 15, 2018 - 6:00 PM Common Council Chambers, City Hall, 420 Broadway
PROJECT SELECTION
The Mayor, Economic & Community Development Director, Common Council's Community Development Committee, and the Community Development Advisory Board review all submitted applications for adherence to HUD eligibility requirements and examine them with respect to the prioritized needs outlined in the City's Consolidated Plan. The Mayor takes into consideration the public comment and recommendations of the Board, then offers a final recommendation to the Common Council. Prior to the Council's vote, the recommended slate of projects is published in The Daily Freeman followed by a thirty-day public review and comment period. Following the comment period, the Common Council votes on the annual slate of activities and the Community Development Director submits the final plan to HUD for approval in May.
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION ABOUT THE CDBG PROGRAM
Annually, the City of Kingston ("City") receives an Entitlement Grant allocation through the United States Department of Housing and Urban Development's ("HUD's") Community Development Block Grant ("CDBG") Program. In accordance with the administration of the CDBG Entitlement funding, the City's Office of Economic & Community Development has prepared a five-year Consolidated Plan which serves as the long-range plan for spending the City's annual CDBG allocations. This plan sets forth community needs, long-range program goals, specific program objectives, annual goals and benchmarks for measuring the program's progress.
The primary objective of the CDBG program is to benefit persons of low and moderate income. By regulation, the City must allocate at least 70% of its annual CDBG funding on activities that benefit persons of low and moderate income, households, and neighborhoods.
For further information, please contact Brenna Robinson in the Office of Economic and Community Development at (845) 334-3924, or email her at
brobinson@kingston-ny.gov
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Upcoming Municipal Meetings
Tuesday, December 5th
Common Council Meeting
7:30pm
City Hall, Council Chambers
Wednesday, December 6th
Tree Commission
3:30pm
City Hall, Conference Room #1
Heritage Area Commission
7:00pm
City Hall, Council Chambers
Thursday, December 7th
Parks and Recreation Commission
3:00pm
Andy Murphy Neighborhood Center
Historic Landmarks Preservation Commission
6:30pm
City Hall, Conference Room #1
Friday, December 8th
No meetings scheduled at this time.
To stay up to date on all municipal meetings each month, check out our monthly calendar
here. Most meeting agendas and minutes can be found
here.
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Kingston Happenings 
The City of Kingston often receives requests to share upcoming events happening in our community. Our partners at
KingstonHappenings.org
do an excellent job of centralizing this community information. So while our website is the best resource to gain information about City of Kingston sponsored events and important municipal information, Kingston Happenings can give you a greater preview of community events. Check them out today!
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