Fire Chief John Reinhardt has restored integrity and credibility. Like Chief Tinti, he too has rallied the troops and created a positive energy in the department. The dedication and professional service of those men and women is to be commended. Thank you all! Let’s also recognize the continued need for volunteer firemen, volunteers and citizen groups like Neighborhood Watch.
QUALITY OF LIFE
Since I was sworn-in, I have partnered with multiple entities in our city to pursue several initiatives to take on blight, nuisance. Staying on this ensures we don’t push away good residents and businesses and hinder our own growth.
ü Code enforcement.
ü Quality of life task force.
ü Added personnel to Building Safety Division code enforcement without any effect on the city tax rate.
ü Zoning Officer enforcement.
ü Better coordination between Building Safety, Planning, Zoning and Heritage Commission, Assessor’s Office.
ü Block by Block enforcement
ü Beautification Task Force
ü Council Adoption of Tenants Accountability Act, Parental Accountability Act and Unsafe Dilapidated Building Codes.
2013:
A. Restructure Building and Safety Division
B. Have a full-time Code Enforcement Officer for midtown code enforcement only, paid for by Community Development funding
C. Increase block-by-block enforcement
D. Step-up enforcement of unsafe-dilapidated buildings
PARKS AND RECREATION
CONTINUING IN 2013….
- Funding for Everette Hodge Center
- Capital Improvement project for facilities, infrastructure, playground equipment, bathrooms—all funded by HUD.
- Installation of playground equipment and basketball courts at Colonial Gardens
- Music in the Parks
- Movies Under the Stars
- Intergenerational senior/child programs
- Rondout Area fishing pier
- Restore Rondout Center to all-year round programming
- Senior Advisory Council
- Senior Adopt a Grandparent program
- Senior Food Pantry with the Reverend Darlene Kelly of Clinton Avenue Methodist Church
- Senior BBQ
- Annual Senior dinner funded by Ulster County Community Action and the Bruderhoff Church Communities
- Art Bridge
PUBLIC WORKS
- Solid waste, recycling, snow removal
- Infrastructure –sinkholes, sewers and roads
And thank you to Superintendent Mike Schupp and the rest of Board of Public Works for doing more for less in these difficult times. The city and I appreciate those efforts.
ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT
To foster economic development we must count our assets and harness the energy of our homegrown talents. We must keep chipping away at Quality of Life concerns we hear from our residents and businesses.
In 2012, we restructured the Office of Economic Development which resulted in administrative savings and we received over $2.5M in federal and state grant funding for the Washington Avenue sinkhole, AVR Walkway Promenade and safety equipment for Kingston Fire Department.
2013 ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT INITIATIVES
- Request for Proposals for the uptown parking garage and Kings Inn site
- Midtown Revitalization – KLDC/ Community Development/Office of Economic Development Strategic Partnership
A. First-time homebuyer
B. Rehabilitation RUPCO
C. Infrastructure—sidewalks and streetscape
D. Exterior façade funding
E. Beautification
F. Police station – Bank of America
G. Hire full-time code enforcement officer
H. Block-by-Block enforcement
I. Hodge Center/Boys and Girls Club
J. Youth Bureau
K. Kingston Library
L. Farmer’s Market
EDUCATIONAL CORRIDOR/GOVERNMENT EDUCATION PARTNERSHIP
- County Executive Mike Hein STRIVE, Don Katt, President of Ulster Community College, Kingston Superintendent Paul Padalino and BOCES Superintendent Dr. Chuck Khoury.
- STAVO/Wolftec Manufacturing project is an example of a partnership with Mike Hein, UCDC, IDA, Kingston School District and Town of Ulster Supervisor James Quigley.
- Golden Hill project partnership with County Executive Mike Hein.
- Trolley rail refurbishments
- Clearwater Barn
- AVR Walkway Promenade
- Rail Trails—Partnering with Kingston Land Trust for Strand Trail and with County Executive Mike Hein for Washington Avenue to Hurley and Ashokan Reservoir and with Town of Rosendale to connect to South Wall Street in our City.
ARTS AND CULTURE
Kingston Arts Advisory Board
A. Biennial sculpture exhibit
B. Art festival
C. Art museum and culture center
TOURISM
- Event planning
- Visitors Guide
- Marketing Kingston/partnership with Ulster County
- Cultural Tourism—A partnership with Bard College to:
- Provide curator for Artist Society Kingston biennial sculpture exhibit
- Will assist with a feasibility study of establishing an Art Museum or Cultural Center
- Provide a representative for Kingston Arts Advisory Board
- Partnership with Bard College for educational initiatives in art, math, science and engineering
- Comprehensive plan
- Watershed management plan
- Sea level task force
- Climate Action Task Force
I am proud to say I believe your investment in our City is paying off. I am proud to be the Mayor of our City, the State’s first Capital and an important part of our State’s development and heritage!
I am proud to save our City’s stakeholders, a City which is one of the most unique cities in our State. A City having a diverse population, architecture, beautiful waterfront with deep water port, its historical heritage, a lunch bucket manufacturing background which contributed to the growth of our State.
I am proud that our City is attracting artists, musicians, digital entrepreneurs and tourists making our City a destination for cultural, business, recreational and sports activities.
I am proud Kingston is on the move in attracting all of these people who, after coming to our City, decide to make Kingston the City where they live, work and play. The individuality of our City gives us a sense of pride, cultural awareness and place, all necessary for sustaining our community.
Our City has the potential and now the opportunity to continue to progress, to continue to pay all our stakeholders a positive return on their investment.
We must continue to all partner to move Kingston forward. I am proud the stakeholders have given me the opportunity to partner with all of you.
However, all of you must recognize we cannot continue to move our City forward on our proposed economic development and quality of life issues if our U.S. Congress persists at practicing being a “Do Nothing But Blame and Politicize Legislative Body.”In addition, our President, the leader of my party must demonstrate leadership to partner with our Congress to resolve the financial quagmire our nation now finds itself in. Unless this occurs, our City is in danger of not succeeding to be a model city.
Thank you to all the stakeholders for this opportunity to be your partner for our City’s success! Thank you to the City Council, department heads, all our hard-working public employees, County Executive Mike Hein, Town of Ulster Supervisor James Quigley, Congressman Chris Gibson, Assemblyman Kevin Cahill and City of Kingston’s Legislator Jeanette Provenzano.
