November 6, 2017 - In This Issue:
A Message From Mayor Steve Noble:
Dear Friends,

We had a great kick-off event last week for our Downtown Revitalization Initiative (DRI) and received a lot of important feedback from participants about what improvements they wished to see in our DRI focus area- the Stockade District. We will be hosting a number of public engagement events over the next few months, so please stay involved. If you have ideas or questions about the DRI, please send them to DRI@kingston-ny.gov. 

Also, this is a reminder that Election Day is this Tuesday, November 7th. If you are unsure of where your polling site is, visit the Ulster County Board of Elections site.

-Steve
Service News

Holiday Closures:

Tuesday, November 7th- Election Day
City Hall Closed

Friday, November 10th- Veterans Day
City Hall Closed
CitiBus Services Suspended 


Notification of Wurts Street Bridge Closure:

The New York State Department of Transportation along with Modjeski & Masters will perform a detailed inspection of the suspension bridge carrying Wurts Street over Rondout Creek in the City of Kingston. This detailed inspection is being performed for the detailed design for future repair work on the Wurts Street bridge. To perform the inspection, they must close the bridge to all vehicular and pedestrian traffic.
The inspection will be performed by Modjeski & Masters and has been scheduled for Monday, November 6, 2017 through Friday, November 10, 2017 and Monday November 13, 2017 through Friday November 17, 2017.
Wurts Street will be closed between Abeel Street in Kingston and Connely Road in Port Ewen from 7:00 a.m. through 5:00 p.m. each day. Traffic will be detoured to Route 9W during the closure periods.

For Executive Orders, traffic advisories, changes to service delivery, etc., visit www.kingston-ny.gov and view the "Service News" section.
Downtown Revitalization Initiative Now Underway


Thank you to everyone who joined us for our DRI Kick-Off event last week at City Hall! We learned a lot from our State partners about Governor Cuomo's "Downtown Revitalization Initiative" (DRI) and began the dialogue about opportunities for our DRI area- the Stockade District.

Over the next few months, there will be a number of opportunities to participate in this process. Stay up to date by following our local DRI page at: 
 
It's still under constructi on, but will be updated frequently.

We also posted the PowerPoint presentation, along with video from the event. Special thanks to Kale Kaposhilin of Evolving Media Network for filming the presentation.
City of Kingston Arts Commission Accepting Nominations for Inaugural 
City of Kingston Distinguished Artist Award

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.
SAVE THE DATE
City of Kingston Public Tax Foreclosure Auction Scheduled for Tuesday, November 14th

Date: Tuesday, November 14th 
Start time: 10:00am 
Doors open for registration: 9:00am 
Location: Kingston City Hall - 420 Broadway - Kingston, NY

Click here for a full listing of properties to be auctioned.
Click here for a printable book of parcel maps.
Click here for auction terms.
Click here for Ulster County Tax Maps.
Click here for deletions, alternate starting bids and amendments.
Click here for Broker's Client Protection Registration Form.
Click here for Bidder Registration Form and Frequently Asked Questions

Transit Bus Systems Integration: 
Draft Final Plan Public Meeting

Contact: Dennis Doyle, Director Ulster County Transportation Council  
Tel: (845) 340-3340 
Email: ddoy@co.ulster.ny.us 

PUBLIC MEETING 
Public Invited To Learn About Future Options For Kingston Citibus and Ulster County Area Transit Ulster County 

Executive Michael P. Hein, Chairman of the Ulster County Transportation Council (UCTC), invites the public to attend a pubic meeting to learn about the proposed integration of the City and County public transit systems and options for improving service in the Kingston area. The meeting will be held at Kingston City Hall Council Chambers on Monday, November 13th from 4:00 - 7:30pm. An open house format will begin at 4:00pm to allow individuals to review project materials and speak directly with project staff; a formal presentation will begin at 6:00pm followed by opportunity for the public to provide input. 

Project staff will discuss the results of the work that has been conducted over the course of the past year examining the opportunities and costs associated with merging transit operations in the Kingston area into a single system operated by Ulster County. Work accomplished to date can be found on the project website at:  http://ulstercountyny.gov/planning/planning/active-studies/transit-system-integration

The project has identified opportunities to increase cooperation, improve service and, if possible, decrease taxpayer costs by moving to a single public transit provider. Recommendations follow the results of public surveys and route optimization analysis that was done as part of the analysis. Final decisions regarding integration rest with the elected officials of the City of Kingston and Ulster County. 

The planning effort has been directed by Ulster County Transportation Council, in cooperation with staff from the City of Kingston, Ulster County, and the New York State Department of Transportation (NYSDOT). Staff from these agencies and the consulting team will be on hand to answer any questions the public may have. All local residents are encouraged to attend. 

The Ulster County Transportation Council (UCTC) is committed to ensuring that no person is excluded from participation in, or denied the benefits of, its metropolitan transportation planning process on the basis of race, color, national origin, sex, age, disability, or economic status, as protected by Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and related statutes and regulations. Individuals in need of special accommodations are encouraged to contact Brian Slack (bsla@co.ulster.ny.us or (845) 334-5590) prior to the meeting so that arrangements can be discussed
Economic Development Services in 
Ulster County and Kingston

Join Ulster County and the City of Kingston for an overview of the services provided to businesses, nonprofits and communities. Topics of discussion include Payments-In-Lieu-Of-Taxes (PILOTs), sales and mortgage tax abatements, site assistance, grants, business counseling and more. Come learn how your government helps existing businesses in our area grow and thrive.

With special thanks to  KingstonCitizens.org.


New York Green Business



Upcoming Webinars

Halloween Party at Hodge Center

Children participating in after school programming at the Everette Hodge Community Center enjoyed a special day on Halloween with a large celebration, Halloween parade, and lots of yummy treats. Thank you to all of our staff and volunteers who worked so hard to ensure all of the children had a wonderful time!









The City of Kingston, in partnership with the Ulster County Department of the Environment, will host the 2017 Conference on the Environment to be held Friday November 17th and Saturday November 18th, 2017. The conference, a program of the New York State Association of Conservation Commissions ("NYSACC") and the New York State Association of Environmental Management Councils ("NYSAEMC"), will take place at The Chateau in Kingston. 

Registration for the Conference is $60 and includes all conference sessions, meals and events as well as a half day field trip to explore the path of food production, marketing and recovery locally. Conference registration can be purchased through the conference website at: 

Scholarships are available for students and persons appointed to county Environmental Management Councils. Exhibitor and Sponsor packages are also available. 

Facebook Event
Employment Opportunities and Exam Announcements

The City of Kingston recently posted a number of job vacancies. 

View these announcements and stay up to date on employment opportunities by visiting:  www.kingston-ny.gov/employment

Save the Dates
Special Finance Meetings

The following are the dates of Special Meetings of the Finance Committee of the Common Council, as well as the Departments whose budgets are to be considered:

Monday, November 6th - 6:30pm - Parks and Recreation; Citibus 
Wednesday, November 15th - 6:30pm - Regular Finance 
Monday, November 20th - 6:30pm - Fire Department; Building Safety 
Tuesday, November 21st - 6:30pm - City Hall 
Monday, November 27 - 6:30pm - Department of Public Works; Waste Water Treatment Plant

Note: All meetings are held at City Hall, Conference Room #1.

Note: To learn more about Mayor Noble's 2018 Recommended Budget, check out last week's Special Edition newsletter.
Upcoming Municipal Meetings

Monday, November 6th
Special Finance Meeting
6:30pm
City Hall, Conference Room #1

Tuesday, November 7th
City Hall Closed

Wednesday, November 8th
Electrical Examiners Board
3:00pm
Central Fire House

Water Board
5:00pm
Water Department Offices

Human Rights Commission
6:00pm
City Hall, Conference Room #2
 
Thursday, November 9th
Arts Commission
4:30pm
City Hall, Conference Room #1

Zoning Board of Appeals
6:00pm
City Hall

Friday, November 10th
City Hall Closed

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.
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!
Sent on behalf of:
Mayor Steven T. Noble
845.334.3902
mayor@kingston-ny.gov

The purpose of this newsletter is to share important information, project updates, pictures and news from the City of Kingston. For more detailed information, visit: