Just Something 2 Think About

2012 Budget Recommendations

2011-11-02T14:28:00.002-04:00

I presented this to Council President Jim Noble & Finance Committee Chairman Charlie Landi:

November 1, 2011
RE: Mayor’s Proposed 2012 Budget

Dear President Noble & Chairman Landi,
As you know, the City of Kingston’s finances are in a fragile state. The uncertainty of the economy, the increases in costs which are out of our control, and of course the 2% tax cap puts a strain on how our City operates. Our taxpayers can no longer sustain the costs that have been passed along to them any longer and it is beginning to show by the erosion in our property values and business opportunities. The Mayor is proposing to take over $1.2 million from our City’s Fund Balance (nearly half) which is a risky move, especially when you consider the unpaid items that we still have to deal with before the end of 2011 (Kings Inn Lawsuits, Pike Plan cost overruns, Tax assessment settlement refunds of over $250,000 for Stony Run & Holiday Inn, and others). Raiding our fund balance will put us at risk to operate below the recommended 5% of New York’s guidelines. This will surely affect our bond rating which is not a good idea. This year we have had to bond for repairs to Washington Avenue, we’ve bonded $100,000 for Tax Certiorari Claims (and now our Assessor is asking for another $175,000), we bond for Police Cars and DPW equipment that may not last as long as the payments. A lower Bond Rating will increase the costs just to borrow for the things we should not be borrowing for in the first place, let alone the major infrastructure improvements which are necessary and long overdue. Our role as the Common Council is protect the people we represent, and allowing this to happen is not in their best interest. We must look at the long term effect on what this budget will do to the City of Kingston’s finances. I am making the following recommendations to the 2012 Budget in order to save wherever we can. Thank you.
Respectfully Submitted,

Andi Turco-Levin
City of Kingston Common Council Minority Leader
1st Ward Alderman

2012 City of Kingston Budget Amendments
Submitted by Common Council Minority Leader – Andi Turco-Levin
November 1, 2011

1. Combine the Economic Development and Community Development Offices. We can save by eliminating the Director’s position and combining the efforts of this office with Community Development. Recent accomplishments of this office have been more focused on grant writing as opposed to business opportunities. It is time to re-focus and streamline. Savings could be as much as $150,000.

2. It is time to look at the cost of the City’s Annual Audit budget line. It is also prudent for the Common Council to request that this go out for bid to encourage other accounting firms to offer proposals for our business. Besides, a fresh set of eyes can find many things when going through the finances. There could also be savings or us with competitive bids, perhaps by $10,000.

3. Eliminate the position of the Urban Cultural Parks Coordinator. This office has produced very little for the cost to the taxpayer. The revenues generated from the gift shop are projected as a dismal $100. The Visitor’s Center can be staffed by volunteers on the weekends or we can close it, or we could make arrangements with either a local business group or Artist Associations to work together. The press releases can be generated through the City Clerk’s office. With the move towards social media and electronic notices it will help fill the gap. Savings will be $70,000.

4. Review all leases the City of Kingston holds and begin to review new opportunities. This will include entering into agreements for local dining establishments who currently take up City sidewalks. Implementing a Sidewalk Dining Permit. Not only will it help create revenue, it may encourage new restaurants with new opportunities to succeed.

5. I realize how much the City benefits from the Federal and State dollars that come to us through our Citibus program. However, something must be done to increase ridership and also review the routes that are in place now. Every bit of feedback that I have received from riders has been that the routes and the schedules are not user-friendly. I still stand by the recommendation that we should strongly consider a merge with Ulster County Area Transport in order for our residents to benefit from this service. (not something for this year’s budget I suppose) However, the City could benefit from advertising sales. There are advertising agencies that can put together proposals to coordinate everything with the City sharing some of the revenue. Something is better than nothing.

6. Eliminate the Deputy Assessor OR eliminate the Consultant (GAR). The poor performance of this office has cost the City taxpayer a lot of money. With the hiring of an actual appraiser as the new City Assessor perhaps this office will finally get on track. If the Assessor is qualified there is no reason for us to have such a large department for a City this size. Ultimately it would be wise to consider shared services for this on either the County level or with the Town of Ulster.

7. The Sewer Rates, although a pay for service fee is scheduled to increase by nearly 15% (the 2011 increase was 6%) and the Common Council needs to be aware that these increases also add to the financial burden our property owners have to bear. The overtime line at the Waste Treatment Plant has been commented on year after year, yet I must ask the question. If it is scheduled OT, how is there a 3 hour callback mandate each time? I concur that CAMO plays a valuable role in the operations of our Treatment Plant and believe that they need to remain in place. We need only one Senior Operator at that Plant.

In Summary, we must do a better job at looking at how business is done. I have other items which I will be submitting to you in the upcoming weeks. I am looking forward to asking our Department representatives to come before the Finance Committee to shed light on how they can work with us to find new and creative ways to help us balance this budget. Coming up with new and creative ways to improve our revenue projections, finding solutions with public/private partnerships, and keeping an open mind to allow change is how we can accomplish this task. In the future we may have to re-visit how we collect our garbage to control our labor costs and tipping fees. As long as the Common Council communicates to the public their intentions and encourages the Public’s input we could actually find ourselves moving in a positive direction.

Budget Time in the City of Kingston

2011-10-18T09:38:00.004-04:00

I wanted to be sure that everyone knew that the Mayor's Proposed 2012 Budget is available online (you can also go the the City Clerk's office and purchase one if you prefer to have a paper copy) You can also click on the link below where you can download the .pdf file.

The Public Hearing date has been set for Wednesday November 2nd beginning at 7pm in the Common Council Chambers at City Hall. I urge you to take a look at this budget and I welcome everyone to come to this hearing and speak up with your thoughts.

http://www.ci.kingston.ny.us/filestorage/76/78/1007/2012-proposed-budget.pdf

As you know, we are dealing with the 2% tax cap which made this budget a difficult one. With the mandated items such as health insurance costs, retirement and debt service the Mayor has decided to tap into the City's fund balance to the tune of $1.2 million leaving us with a very small nest egg for the future. This is very scary as we will have very little to fall back on.

Without getting too complicated, this budget will be raising our tax rate by .67% for homestead and .72% for non homestead properties when compared to the 2011 Budget. However when you take into consideration that our assessed values across the city dropped nearly 12% this past year the actual amount per thousand you will be paying increases by about 11.9%. (It's confusing) The rates per thousand are this: $7.09 for residences and $14.37 for commercial properties.

One other part of the 'smoke & mirrors' portion of this is the increase in both the sewer rates and the water rates. These fees sneak up on you and most definately increases the burden on our taxpayers.

I would also be remiss if I did not point out that the bill for our Safety Net is $1.4 million dollars for the upcoming year.

It is now up to the Council to go through the budget and make recommendations for adjustments. Raiding the fund balance is like playing Russian Roullette.

A Fond Farewell To A Friend

2011-10-16T10:55:00.011-04:00

This week Tony and I lost one of our beloved Westies who you have seen photos of through the years on this blog. Sherlock had one of the sweetest souls I've ever known and he taught me many lessons. He loved his walks and had to stop and say hello to every person or child he would see along the way. Those walks introduced me to my neighbors over the years where conversations of community issues, rising taxes, and other things eventually led me to run for the Alderman's seat.
This autumn has been a roller coaster of emotions, especially after the Primary results, but we all look ahead and celebrate the good things in life we have as well as the joy and great memories we are left with. I owe a lot to Sherlock for keeping me grounded throughout all of it.

Walking through the neighborhood will never be the same.

A Vibrant Uptown Business District

2011-10-10T18:17:00.007-04:00

Over this last weekend the City of Kingston was the happening place to be. All weekend long the 2nd Annual O+ Festival (Oh-Positive in case you are not familiar) was the catalyst for all the activity. Organized by local artists, this event was covered by the New York Times and the Wall Street Journal shining a light on our wonderful City. Artists from around the world and bands from up and down the East Coast took part offering their talents in exchange for the opportunity to see a doctor or dentist or whatever they needed in terms of their health (many do not have health care).
Here are some photos of the celebration. There is still time to take a walk around to see the wheat paste up works that are on the sides of the buildings. Congrats to the everyone at O+, and thank you for all the hard work.

To BID or Not to BID

2011-10-01T12:22:00.001-04:00

The Common Council recently passed a resolution allowing for the preparation of a BID (Business Improvement District). This project has evolved out of the Main Street Manager program that was implemented several years ago. Under the stewardship of the Business Alliance of Kingston there were focus groups, meetings, and presentations given to educate the public on the benefits of having a BID. I was present for several of these meetings including the presentations given at City Hall. From the beginning I’ve had reservations because of the current tax structure of the homestead/non-homestead rates putting a tremendous burden on our commercial property owners. However, I kept an open mind and agreed to support this measure as long as there was enough room to adjust or modify this plan. The devil is in the details, and I think some things need to be brought to the forefront here before we go any further. I will try to outline this as simply as I can although this is a very complex issue.

Before I get into details, if you are reading this and are a stakeholder, please make sure you educate yourself on this BID, you have only 30 days to file your comments along with your objection or approval.

Simply put, this BID is not acceptable the way it is. Where I can support the concept, this BID is far too large in scope and does not define the duties, staffing, and cost benefits to allow this plan to go further. I also find the nature in which this entire process has been done has not encouraged participation from the stakeholders who will be paying for this BID. The way it is written, once it has been enacted it will be very difficult to dissolve and there is far too much authority to spend taxpayer money without oversight and shareholder approvals.
If you would like to review the proposal you can download it here:

http://thestorefrontgallery.com/BID_DISTRICT%20PLAN-FINAL_091611-2.pdf

Here are the comments and issues that I have, many of them were echoed at last week’s Public Hearing.
This BID includes a major part of our commercial corridor including the entire Broadway Corridor which was originally proposed. The needs of the businesses in midtown are much different than those in the Rondout and there is little information on how these services will differ. The other issue is that the map that was passed by the Council was not what was presented to us. At the 11th hour additional areas were added in order to make up the funding needed so this BID now includes parts of Abeel Street, East Strand, Saint James Street, Pine Grove Ave, Summer Street, Oneil Street, Andrew Street, Cornell Street, Prince Street, Jansen Ave, Cedar Street and others. These property owners were not part of the original plan and many are hearing about it for the first time through articles in the newspapers. When I was actively campaigning as mayor and talking with business owners along the corridor I found very few of them were aware that this was going on even after nearly 2 years of ‘reaching out’ from a marketing company who was hired to do so. What concerned me even more was the method of notice for these stakeholders for this very important Public Hearing. A notice was sent to the property owner (often an office manager) which was a copy of the Resolution (very hard to understand unless you are familiar with local laws) and a letter on why a BID is a good thing. There was no clear explanation addressing the financial impact, specific details, or even a copy of the proposal included. If one wanted more information they needed to visit City Hall to review the document. Another misleading item was the fact it would cost about “$1 a day” on average. To clarify one detail, it is the median price, not the average which is actually about $1.60 per day as per their report that outlines properties that are in the BID area. Like all statistics, it depends on how you look at them. Let’s take a property that is assessed for $200,000 where the BID will cost the property owner approximately another $550 on their property tax bill. With our local assessments so out of whack I would be very concerned, especially if you keep in mind that property values continue to fall (especially commercial properties). How will that affect the bottom line for this BID in the future, will they have to raise the rate? How much more can our commercial property owners sustain when they already pay nearly double of what a homeowner pays? Adding the fact that tax-exempt properties do not have to contribute is another issue that will increase the burden.
Looking further into the details, about 80% of the money will be going for administration (2 full time jobs that pay $40k a year) This leaves very little for the actual improvements that need to be done, especially a BID that is this large in scope. As written, the organization that will implement the BID has the authority to take loans which brings up the issue of what could happen if the BID fails, who will be left with the debt? There is no mention of term limits for Board Members, and the administrator (BAK) has the authority to charge additional fees for expenditures without approval, and there is no mention of annual meetings for shareholders. It also seems to me that BAK’s performance will not be reviewed on a regular basis as the overseer of this BID. There are many other concerns that I have which I will outline in detail and submit to the Council President.

Primary Results and Press Statement

2011-09-22T13:51:00.000-04:00

Elect Andi Turco-Levin for Mayor: Primary Results and Press Statement: FOR IMMEDIATE PUBLICATION: FROM THE ANDI TURCO-LEVIN FOR MAYOR OF KINGSTON CAMPAIGN HEADQUARTERS, September 22, 2011 Alderwoman Andi Turco...

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2011-09-14T01:01:00.000-04:00

Elect Andi Turco-Levin for Mayor: Primary Day Recap: As I expected, this year's Mayor's race would be hard to predict, especially with a four way race on the Republican side. Tonight we can ce...

Letter to Council President & The Mayor

2011-09-07T09:25:00.002-04:00

After last evening's Common Council meeting I went home and drafted this letter which was sent to the Mayor and Council President Noble for their consideration.

Dear President Noble & Mayor Sottile,
In light of our Common Council meeting this evening as well as the meeting of the Finance Committee I am urging you to have the Common Council launch an investigation on this issue.

Clearly, regardless of the Mayor authorizing work to be done without a formal contract outlining the scope of work, we have serious issues here if our Building Inspectors were on site to witness workers without proper protection going in and out of a known Asbestos area. The City has known about the presence of asbestos for months, yet the City’s project manager or whoever is overseeing the demolition should know the protocol with New York State Regulations. We now have a 4 day period with City officials in charge of a demolition preparation project who knew there was asbestos inside allowing work to continue. It is not about the theft of the copper pipes here, that is another issue entirely, but the City of Kingston is facing a lawsuit which includes asbestos exposure, and how many more workers were there those 4 days without proper protection?

We can blame as much as we want on a careless contractor, but City Officials, in particular our Building & Safety Enforcement should know the laws and the liability the municipality faces. The City has a responsibility to make sure the Kings Inn property was secure, safe, and all precautions were in place as soon as asbestos was identified. Even the supervisor to the Alternative Sentencing Program refused to allow his crew to work in these rooms as stated in Chief Salzmann’s report to the Finance Committee.

I feel that we (the Common Council) are justified to explore several issues:
Violation of safety guidelines with known asbestos (NYS Rules & Regs Sub-part 56-1.4 laying out guidelines for Multi-Vendor Work Sites),
Why did our Building Inspectors who are there to insure safety measures are being met fail to identify this problem? Shouldn’t they have halted all operations if employees were without protective gear?

Work permits issued: Was there a work permit in order to insure that the contractor (McGowan) used insured and qualified employees, and was he notified beforehand that this work site had known asbestos? Department of Labor outlines this in Sub-section 23-1.5 (especially part ‘D’) outlining the General Responsibility of the Employer (in this case the City)

When the City owns a property that has been identified with having asbestos it is our responsibility to make sure that all vendors are aware of the potential dangers. If the Mayor indeed negotiated this contract himself, in my opinion, he had to disclose this to the potential contractor. If he did not, then he acted recklessly exposing the City to potential lawsuits and potential harm to persons performing work for the City. With that said, it would bring into question a possible violation of his general powers and duties outlined in our Charter as it reads “The Mayor shall…..maintain the peace, good order and prosperity of the City; take care that within said city the laws of the state and the ordinances of the Common Council…..”.

What we have here is a mess. I understand that it is within the power of the Mayor to grant emergency projects (McGowan to prep the site) but in this instance, the City was well aware of the presence of asbestos. To not insist on proper protocol and ignore state regulations on safety precautions has now increased the cost by nearly $200,000. We will now incur additional legal fees to defend these actions in court, and I can assure you that asbestos cases are not easily won.
I am absolutely requesting an investigation.

Respectfully,

Andi Turco-Levin
City of Kingston Alderman 1st Ward
Common Council Minority Leader
anditlevin@gmail.com
Cell: 917 975-3039

Elect Andi Turco-Levin for Mayor: Press Release on Economic Development

2011-09-05T20:52:00.000-04:00

Elect Andi Turco-Levin for Mayor: Press Release on Economic Development: FOR IMMEDIATE PUBLICATION: FROM THE ANDI TURCO-LEVIN FOR MAYOR OF KINGSTON CAMPAIGN HEADQUARTERS, September 4, 2011 Alderwoman Andi Turco...

Coppergate

2011-09-03T00:01:00.001-04:00

As outlined in previous postings I have asked for more details on why the Council should approve an additional $135,000 (in addition to the first $100,000) for asbestos abatement on the Kings Inn. The more layers that unfold only proves that there is a complete disregard for taxpayer money and that the rules only apply to some.

There are bookkeeping guidelines that a municipality must follow in order to be eligible for grants, federal aid, etc. These guidelines include having a central purchasing agent to insure that all expenditures have a layer of oversight. (Remember a former DPW Superintendent who was stockpiling chemicals that the City had no use for?) We have since put in place a “Procurement Policy” that should be followed making sure that all contracts awarded by the City offer a fair opportunity and also insure that the scope of work is clearly defined. This is not to be confused with putting out an RFP for larger contracts, this policy applies to all contracts. Prevailing wages must be offered, the vendor must provide Workman’s Comp, and safety measures met if they are going to work on a City project. The other key component of having this oversight in place will not allow Department Heads to spend as they see fit which is how you control wasteful spending and stay within your budget. This is why we have a procedure in place to insure that we are spending our money wisely and efficiently. (I must add that another GOP opponent has called for the elimination of the Purchasing Department which would send us backwards with his ‘budget plan’)

With the ‘theft’ at the Kings Inn there is more than asbestos being exposed here. As I dig deeper, I’m told there is no contract that anyone can produce between the contractor and the City, at least not yet. Nobody seems to know who awarded the job to Mr. McGowan, there were no specs drawn up (no contract, no specs) and this did not go through the Purchasing Department. The mayor said “I told him not to touch the pipes” so apparently he knew who was awarded this job. Chief Salzmann has been away all week so I am told it will all be explained upon his return. Really? Don’t cell phones work in Florida to ask if he knew the details of this agreement? On top of this mess, apparently there are possible serious Labor violations that come into play. We now have a claim against the City for an injury of a worker who was not covered by any employer insurance, not to mention these workers were told to go in a room with known asbestos without any protection whatsoever exposing them to a known health hazard when it becomes airborne. This is serious stuff. The complete disregard to rules, procedure, and common sense will once again cost you, the taxpayer who is footing the bill.

Now, the Common Council will be voting to approve or reject the extra $135,000 to cover the additional costs that have been incurred from this mess. I will not vote on any additional funding for this fiasco until I know who is responsible for acting is such an irresponsible manner and if we will be able to recoup this loss. At this point, each room has been sealed again so the asbestos is not an immediate threat to anyone’s safety. What we need to do is take stock of what we have here. The City of Kingston was owed $130,000 in back taxes, we have already committed to $100,000, now another $135,000, and perhaps another $50,000 for tipping fees and it is no longer on the tax roll. We are on the hook for over $400,000 and we will have a vacant parcel that will need even more money invested just to pave it for a parking lot. You have to wonder if the term “cost benefit analysis” has come up……probably not.

Ahem...Ethics Anyone?

2011-08-31T08:38:00.004-04:00

Talk about validation! I have been quite vocal on the fact that we have Ethics issues here in our City's government from what I have been witnessing since I was elected to the Common Council. I've spoken about lack of oversight and cronyism which is one reason we see our taxes continue to skyrocket.
In the latest story on the Kings Inn the Freeman has reported some hanky panky going on with the removal of copper pipes at the Kings Inn site.

http://www.freemanonline.com/articles/2011/08/31/blotter/doc4e5d97f6d7e5d500485225.txt?viewmode=fullstory

The Council was asked to approve an additional $135,000 for asbestos removal from the Kings Inn. The committee was ready to approve but I insisted we have more information. It was then Sue Cahill told us there was a theft at the sight which left many questions unanswered. (you can read them in a previous post)
Now, there may be more to it than we thought. This "theft" is now morphing into another mess where the City hired a contractor to prep the sight, was there a bid process for this work? Did this firm have insurance and are we now putting taxpayers on the hook for an asbestos exposure lawsuit? I have also discussed this with Alderman Landi who chairs the Finance Committee and he agreed that the lack of details on what we have spent with little oversight could also jeopordize the bond which is needed to cover the costs.

This is why we need to pay closer attention to details, without those unpopular questions this entire thing could have gone by without anyone noticing. $135,000 is a lot of money and the fact that this job was given to a regular vendor of the City is troubling. I have requested a full disclosure of the money we have spent so far on the Kings Inn site as well as ask for an Ethics Panel review. They Mayor claims we've had this panel in place for over a decade but they never met. Well, now they have a damn good reason.

Sunday's Freeman Story: "City Ethics Panel Inactive"

2011-08-28T22:52:00.000-04:00

By PAUL KIRBY
Freeman staff

KINGSTON – A Republican candidate for mayor says if elected she would insist on more active role for a Board of Ethics that has not met in a decade.

Alderwoman Andi Turco-Levin said she wants the Board of Ethics to do what it is, in part, charged to do and that is to review matters and make recommendations.

“It is troubling,” said Turco-Levin, referring to the lack of activity on the part of the Board of Ethics.

According to Mayor James Sottile there is a bona fide Board of Ethics but it only required, under the city charter, to meet to deal with ethics complaints that are filed.

In the 10 years that he has been mayor Sottile said that there have been no official ethics violations made so there has been no reason for the board to meet.

However, Sottile said the Board of Ethics can get together to occasionally do revisions and make recommendations. As far has he knows, Sottile said, that hasn’t been done.

“They are not a group that goes in and investigates unless they get accusations of unethical (behavior) and there has been none of that,” Sottile said.

Turco-Levin, R-Ward 1, is the Republican-nominated candidate for mayor. She is also the minority leader of the Common Council.

In a press release, the alderwoman said that she pledged to establish the Board of Ethics. She said that Sottile’s administration had not “enforced” the provisions in the city charter.

Turco-Levin said she is concerned that “a cloud hangs over City Hall due to the number of lawsuits and ongoing investigations of city employees.”

“I am concerned that the current mayor and his administration did nothing to enforce provisions in the city charter empowering the mayor to appoint a board which would provide an ethical guideline for the official conduct of all city employees.”

My Comment:
Although no 'formal complaint' had been filed to trigger a meeting of the Ethics Board, I would like to point out that there has been a sexual harrasment lawsuit, overtime abuse, and according to a recent school audit there may be other issues to consider. This is unacceptable.

The Budget Process

2011-08-25T10:26:00.000-04:00

Over this past week I have been sitting in with the Mayor to hear the department heads present their proposed budget needs for 2012. So far, I’ve been the only Mayoral Candidate who has been in attendance (of the 3 Alderman who have access to these meetings) to get a head start on what we will be faced with in October. Last year I sat through this process which was important in order to have a full grasp of the needs for each department. This year is the first time that we will have a 2% tax cap in place which will make this budget nearly impossible to meet without deep cuts or sacrifices.

Health insurance costs, pension, retirements, raises, and other contractual obligations are going to push us over the edge and I am wondering how we are going to survive without significant changes. The mayor has already hinted that he is considering taking trash removal out of the budget in order to balance things out. This coming Monday I will be there to hear the DPW’s budget request and it will be interesting. One of the other candidates is boasting that his cuts will lower our taxes however some of those cuts are impossible to achieve. It is written in the Charter that we must have an Economic Development office yet this candidate’s proposal is to eliminate it. Our annual audit is a key component as well as a requirement which is also included in his cuts along with the elimination of a central purchasing agent. My point is this, running a City and working within a budget is not as easy one thinks and cuts just can’t be made without repercussions. Instead we need to evaluate each department and its way of doing business to find ways to be more efficient. If we hiring a consultant to do the job that should be covered with staff then perhaps it is time to either hire someone who is qualified, or allow a consultant to do it (without paying the benefits, insurance, etc.). Each year we pay consultant’s fees when we also have employees who should be capable of these responsibilities. (Waste Treatment Plant is one example, and the Assessor’s office is another) It is in these areas we need to focus our attention in order to cut our budget. I would also be remiss if I didn’t mention the astronomical amount of money we pay outside attorneys to fight our union grievances and tax assessment court cases when we already have two Corporation Counsel representatives for the City.

Let’s look at the bigger picture here; we must have cooperation with staff, the unions, and our constituents in order for us to get through this economic tsunami.

Questions on the Kings Inn

2011-08-24T11:24:00.003-04:00

The recent headlines in the Freeman about the Kings Inn don’t cover the entire story. At last week’s Finance Committee meeting the Mayor requested that the Council approve an additional $100,000 to cover new costs and additional tipping fees, and I hear that this amount will increase before our next Caucus. What amazed me was the willingness of the Committee that was ready to vote on it without asking further questions. I had questions and wanted to know what these additional costs were for. The final decision was put off until our next Caucus on September 6th. The answers that were given still leave me with many questions.

Question #1: What is the additional money for?
Answer #1 “We had a theft where someone broke in and stole the copper pipes leaving the asbestos hanging there. These new costs were to now remove the asbestos instead of wrapping it.”

Question #2: Has the City filed an insurance claim for the damages, who is responsible to secure the sight and what was being done to insure it was secure?

Question #3: Where are we with the investigation on this 'robbery' since it is not so easy to take out copper pipes at night.

The answer to that was not as clear so I asked the Mayor yesterday when I was in his office. What was most troubling to me was his casual attitude on the theft and his dismissal of my concern. I realize that thieves steal copper pipes on construction sites, usually ones out in the country, not those on a major city street, besides this type of job is not done in 5 minutes in the dark of night. I also want to know how a building is to be demolished when asbestos is still present (which it would have been with the original plan to wrap the pipes instead of removing them).
I am concerned that this property has become an albatross around the City and taxpayer’s neck as we are now looking at nearly $300,000 to demolish the building (not including the owed taxes that we assumed when taking this property). The Mayor has instructed the work to move forward although the Council has not yet approved the additional funding. I am certain that the rest of the Council will quietly approve these costs without taking into account the financial impact it adds to the bottom line. Initially I was ok to make a small investment in a site to make it ready for new possibilities, but having the cost triple no longer makes sense. Now, the newest item that has surfaced is that the developer who brought CVS to Washington Ave is interested in this sight for a new Dollar Store. This Comprehensive Plan process that is supposed to begin soon needs to kick into high gear so we can lay out a roadmap for our City’s future.

A Collection Of The Finest Hudson Valley Musicians

2011-08-01T12:38:00.004-04:00

Our Campaign 'FunRaiser' at Keegan Ales was a huge success. It would not have been possible without the teamwork, support, and efforts of everyone involved.
A huge THANK YOU to a great team of volunteers and also to my husband Tony, his brother Pete, and their network of world class musicians who live in our general area. Those who were there got to see a reunion of sorts for the orignial Peter Gabriel band which was a first. Sid McGinnis(David Letterman Band), Larry Fast, Jerry Marotta, and Tony Levin...(although my brother-in-law Pete does look a lot like PG himself!)
Others included Jim Weider, Dave Malachowski, Genya Ravan & Machan Taylor, Nicole Hart, Joe Beesmer, Joe Scheibelhoffer, Paul Grimsland, Charley Niceley and I'm sure I'm forgetting someone.
Here are some photos I wanted to pass along.

Grand Opening of our Headquarters

2011-07-29T09:52:00.002-04:00

Elect Andi Turco-Levin for Mayor: The City of Kingston is at a crossroads. In my we...

2011-07-26T17:55:00.000-04:00

Elect Andi Turco-Levin for Mayor: The City of Kingston is at a crossroads. In my we...: "The City of Kingston is at a crossroads. In my weeks of campaigning I have met with many voters who are home owners, business people, City ..."

Why Safe Harbors Is a Bad Idea - Revised

2011-07-23T22:29:00.006-04:00

July 22 UPDATE:
A few days have passed with this issue clearly a hotbed. I wanted to pass along some information which will help you understand why the City of Kingston is over-saturated with low income and subsidized housing. Let's look at the 2010 numbers for Ulster County for rentals. For the entire County, nearly 42% of all subsidized rentals are in the City of Kingston. Another fact is nearly 52% of all homes are rental properties in the City of Kingston which is well above the national average. In addition, studies have shown that owner occupied neighborhoods tend to be more stable and have less crime. I would be interested to study the rate of rentals in midtown compared to owner occupied homes. If you are interested in reading this report on Rentals in Ulster County here is the link:

http://www.co.ulster.ny.us/planning/ucpb/house/rental/rent2010.pdf

Where Safe Harbors may very well be a success in Newburgh I do not believe it is the right thing for our Broadway corridor. There are talks of a BID (Business Improvement District) which would allow the possibilities for public/private partnerships to re-energize this entire corridor in the future. Agreeing to a project like this now is foolish planning. Where the Kings Inn is an eyesore now, it will be coming down in the fall, the asbestos will be long gone and we will have a clean site ready to go.

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July 20: I have to go on record to say that the Safe Harbors proposal for the Kings Inn site is a BAD IDEA.
The City of Kingston has suffered from an overwhelming percentage of affordable housing which needs to be addressed. We have a golden opportunity to recapture a valuable location along our Broadway business corridor. That's right, business corridor, not another housing project. The lack of vision, and taking the easy way out instead of solid economic growth can no longer continue.

I hope that my fellow Council members recognize this and urge the Kings Inn Committee and the Mayor that this is not acceptable.

Why Safe Harbors Is a Bad Idea

2011-07-20T12:50:00.004-04:00

I have to go on record to say that the Safe Harbors proposal for the Kings Inn site is a BAD IDEA.
The City of Kingston has suffered from an overwhelming percentage of affordable housing which needs to be addressed. We have a golden opportunity to recapture a valuable location along our Broadway business corridor. That's right, business corridor, not another housing project. The lack of vision, and taking the easy way out instead of solid economic growth can no longer continue.

I hope that my fellow Council members recognize this and urge the Kings Inn Committee and the Mayor that this is not acceptable.

What Needs To Be Done

2011-07-06T14:57:00.000-04:00

Let’s face it, each of the Mayoral Candidates have their platforms. Although none will agree on every measure, we need to step back and look at the needs of Kingston residents and business owners. What is important to them? Safety? Affordability? Employment/Hiring Opportunities? Good Schools? Convenience?
Is one more important than the other? It depends on who you ask. Parents insist on quality education and a safe environment for their family, a business owner needs the numbers (dollars) to work. Each and every issue is significant although some may carry more weight without a doubt. If we get down to basics, the system is broken and the insane are running the asylum at this point. What needs to be done is take a totally new approach to how City Hall works from the way it communicates both with each other and with the public. So much money is wasted from lack of communication. As Mayor I will insist on department head meetings at least twice per month. The City is one unit with many departments and they all need to be on the same page. These meetings don’t need to be long and they can be held early before the work day begins. I will be giving this job 110% and expect the same of others, especially the heads of each department. In respect to public communication, I don’t see why meeting agendas and public notices are seldom put on the City’s website, and when they are it is done within 24 hours of a meeting. As Mayor I will be out there, in the neighborhoods, talking with homeowners and business leaders, and if I personally need to hunt down a deadbeat landlord who pays little attention to the quality of life for the surrounding neighbors I will do so. This is a hands on job at all levels.

We need to be more efficient in how we do things. I know it’s not much but I believe that take home vehicles are not necessary, especially when living outside Kingston (in some cases 15-20 miles each way). Obviously, Police & Fire it is justified, but the Mayor, DPW, Engineer and others don’t need a vehicle 24 hours a day. Should an emergency arise mileage could be reimbursed to cover the incident. I also believe that putting qualified people in positions can save money spent on consultants. The City spent money on an Ill-timed revaluation and has had to pay large sums in lawsuits, lost assessment tax rolls, and attorney costs to defend ourselves. Having a Certified Appraiser in that position could have saved as much as $75,000 a year in consultant’s fees (there are also 2 assistants to the Assessor in City Hall).

While we’re at it, let’s talk about appointments to Commissions and Boards. I do believe that each appointee should be vetted before a final approval for that position. It is no secret that some who serve on very important Boards such as Community Development, Zoning Board of Appeals, Housing Authority, Heritage Commission, or others that could have a conflict of interest. I have a problem with this. I will look to form an Ethics Panel to review all appointments. Also, as we work to move forward after the recent Det. Matthews allegations, it is important that an Ethics Panel be put together in order to create a Code of Ethics & Conduct for City Employees. Had an Ethics Panel instituted a policy outlining unacceptable behavior we (the taxpayer) might not be on the hook for a full pension if a guilty verdict was decided.

As you can see when you peel away the layers, the most fundamental issue that needs to be corrected first at City Hall is how things are done. Having an efficiency review to look at all the departments to see where we overlap in services, looking at how technology can save in manpower, and taking a long hard look at our assets including vehicles, property, and other infrastructure will be helpful in knowing exactly what we have, what we no longer need, and what to plan for. Last year the City spent money on a software system that is not being fully utilized because some do not want to change old habits. We can’t continue with that mindset. We must re-define the rolls of the key players with Community Development and Economic Development high on the list for a make-over.

From this, you can see that I base my entire professional career on ethics, being honest, and providing customer satisfaction. Taking this model and applying it to City Government is exactly what we need in Kingston.

I will be posting the second installment of this outline very soon.
Up next:
Dollars and Sense (Cents?)
Community & Economic Development
Planning & Future Strategic Goals
Public Safety
Sustainable Costs including Labor Agreements

New Campaign Headquarters

2011-07-02T08:42:00.003-04:00

It's funny how things come full circle in life sometimes. I am extremely thrilled to announce the location of our new Campaign Headquarters for the upcoming election in November. We will be located at 759 Broadway at the corner of Saint James St. which is considered the 'Gateway to Kingston'.
It was nearly 30 years ago when I worked at this very location when Franklin Pharmacy was one of Kingston's most popular drug stores where I spent many afternoons delivering prescriptions to seniors and families who lived in the midtown neighborhood. Although the building still stands, the neighborhood it served has changed dramatically. Once a modest, but solid community now suffering neglect from irresponsible landlords, and lack of respect from the residents who live there. Some of original families still remain, yet many of them have left out of fear or inability to keep up with the taxes. In addition, the Broadway corridor was a hub of business...(including the fabulous Hub Deli, Beck's Meats, Artcraft Camera and others) To me, these are the reasons I chose to locate in midtown to show support and commitment to restore this once great neighborhood.
We will do our best to have someone there as much as possible, and I will be making this my new 'office' so I'll be there a lot. I will be posting regular hours so residents and business owners can come in and talk to me. We will have an open door policy and welcome everyone to stop in and tell us what their concerns are for Kingston. This is the style of leadership that I will also bring to the Mayor's office. For far too long the people of Kingston have not had a voice, and I plan to change that.
Watch for our grand opening which will be coming in mid July.

Important Meeting

2011-06-22T19:20:00.004-04:00

I would like to pass this meeting information along to everyone. The scheduled speaker will be enlightening and I encourage you to attend. Long time readers of this blog know that I have been a vocal critic on this issue and I applaud the folks at KURA for their efforts. I have a commitment to be at City Hall for our Public Safety meeting and hope we get out early enough to join in before the end of the program.

Term Limits Revisited

2011-06-20T14:19:00.004-04:00

UPDATE 6/21/2011: The Term Limits Referendum proposal died at the Laws & Rules committee meeting this evening. Not one committee member would second the motion to allow the vote. Ok, so the Council will not support the resolution, I didn't expect them to. However our Charter allows for the public to ask for the referendum through signatures which can force it on the ballot. It is attainable and I am prepared to take on the challenge in getting signatures from Kingston voters. Let them decide how their government should work. Regardless if you are pro or con on this issue, it should be put out there for you to decide.
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Formally on the agenda for this month's Laws & Rules Committee meeting will be my proposal for term limits. We will find out if other members of the Common Council are willing to put this referrendum into the voter's hands allowing the people of Kingston to decide how they wish to structure their government.
Times are changing and City Government needs to realize that doing things the same way for eternity can hold back progress. Opening up a dialog for new ideas, new and often improved proceedures might be a good thing.

If you are interested in hearing the debate at our Committee meeting come on down to City Hall, Tuesday night at 7pm. I'll keep you posted.

Elect Andi Turco-Levin for Mayor: Working To Find Solutions

2011-06-14T11:14:00.000-04:00

Elect Andi Turco-Levin for Mayor: Working To Find Solutions: "I recently submitted this suggestion to President Noble and Mayor Sottile. This is the style of thinking our leaders need to embrace if we ..."

Clearing Up the Myths

2011-06-12T10:02:00.001-04:00

It’s amusing; the blogosphere is like the Wild West. There are no rules, few morals, and a lot of hot air. Since I have enough sense to acknowledge that the ones who post have agendas and have no restraint under the veil of anonymity, it allows them to be bold, hateful, and untruthful. After all, who is going to challenge them? Others ask why I read them, especially now with me being a target during this heavily contested Mayor’s race. I guess because these are the things that make you stronger and keep you focused on the task at hand. I also am grateful to have this blog to define who I am with the integrity and courage to have my name on it. I do not allow anonymous posts, therefore I do not post on my own blog which is common practice for others. With that said, I would like to take this opportunity to correct some of the myths that seem to circulate.

Experience: Let’s face it; none of the candidates have previously served as Mayor so the idea of them having more ‘experience’ than the other is not a strong argument. Instead, one needs to look at who the person is, what they bring to the table in terms of vision, personality, and ability. How do they communicate, do they listen, do they have a full understanding of each neighborhood and the nuances of them? Does their job and background directly touch their lives? If you think about it, our economy is driven by the housing market and it plays a key role in our daily lives. For the last decade I have worked with people from all walks of life to help them find a home or place of business. I hear their needs, I am in the car with families who are considering Kingston when they seek a new place to settle while showing and selling them our neighborhoods and possibilities. I also hear the reasons why they choose another location instead of Kingston. Taxes are too high, it looks ‘run down’ and there are other places with better job opportunities. It is frustrating, especially when you see the potential that is there.

Union Negotiations: By design, Realtors are negotiators and problem solvers. We take two parties from opposite ends of the spectrum and work with them to reach a common goal. Problems arise, tempers flare, and egos are bruised. It happens all the time, but one of my most valuable assets is the ability to have both sides reach an agreement that works. I recently completed an intensive training program on mediation in Chicago where I studied how to resolve conflict. What I learned was how to neutralize anger and work to bring two opposite sides to a mutual agreement where both feel ok about the end result. Remember, in mediation there are 2 winners, in arbitration there is only one. Don’t you think this mentality will come in handy as Mayor? I do.

Budget Qualifications: Let me be clear, I have had to prepare detailed budgets. I have worked on budgets for organizations including the Ulster County Board of Realtors, as a department head for various record companies as well as very large budgets when preparing promotional & marketing plans for recording artists and international concert tours. I was also responsible for the budgeting for advertising, staffing, and promotions for large radio stations through the years.

Recent Transplant: I was born here, I spent the first 26 years of my life here, and I returned 15 years ago in 1996, then convinced my husband to purchase our home in Kingston 10 years ago. We did it because we too believed that Kingston was going places and still believe it can happen with the right leadership. Quite honestly, having the opportunity to move about the USA was a wonderful thing in order for me to realize how special our City is. One thing is certain, with every task I’ve set out to accomplish, I’ve done it well with a level of professionalism and ethics which I will carry over to City government. Something which is sorely lacking at City Hall today. Stay tuned…there’s lots more to come.

City Convention

2011-06-06T23:05:00.005-04:00

It's late, I will update in more detail in the days to follow.
Tonight we had our City Republican Convention where the City Committee made it very clear that I would be their Candidate for Mayor. By an overwhelming margin they sent the message that we are heading in a new direction.
This is just the beginning and it remains to be seen if the other candidates will put aside their personal feelings and move forward as a unified Party. (the press will cover the dirty details of what took place after the vote, I'll leave that part for them)
The bigger issue is this...the election in November and the hurdles, issues, and problems that our City faces.

TAX GRIEIVANCE DAY IS MAY 24th

2011-05-10T16:12:00.005-04:00

By now many City of Kingston residents have received notices in their mailbox alerting them that their assessments have changed. Most residential properties in the City saw about a 9% reduction, while commercial properties saw a drop of about 12%. Is this enough to fix the imbalance that plagued our tax rolls in previous years? Not really, but it's a start. After a 3 hour meeting with the Mayor, Assessor, GAR Associates, fellow Council member Hayes Clement, and 2 members from the community; one an attorney, the other a CPA we were able to outline the proof.
As a Realtor who knew truly knew the real estate market and loaded with MLS stats as ammunition we were able to prove that our assessments were far above a true 100% market rate, thus the reduction this year.

I have been a vocal critic of our Assessor and the Consultants who played a shell game with our home values at the expense of City taxpayers. It has cost our City a lot of money in legal battles, loss of assessed value, and extra dollars out of your pocket to pay the School & County tax rates. Each month the Council's Finance Committee continues to approve thousands of dollars for appraisals to argue that the inflated assessments were incorrect. We also vote to approve the reduction on property assessments (sometimes as high a million dollars) after the Courts decide in favor of the property owner. Who makes up the difference? The rest of the taxpayers, that's who.
With that said, you can fill out the forms and ask that your property's value be lowered through the grievance process if you still feel you are over assessed.

For more information, you can find it at:
http://www.orps.state.ny.us/

You can download the necessary forms and if you need help you can contact a Realtor, attorney who specializes in assessment review, or the New York State Office of Real Property Services.

Alderwoman presses for term limits in Kingston - DailyFreeman.com

2011-05-09T16:15:00.002-04:00

Alderwoman presses for term limits in Kingston - DailyFreeman.com

We will be discussing this issue at our upcoming Laws & Rules Committee meeting at City Hall on May 16th (Monday night) beginning at 7pm. It is unclear if the there will be a second to this motion in order to have a discussion or a vote. I encourage you to attend and see the committee process in action. If you have an opinion, you can call your Alderman and let it be known to them where you stand.

The Verdict

2011-05-03T14:56:00.002-04:00

Today a federal court made its decision in the sexual harassment suit between the City of Kingston and 3 women in the DPW. Jeanne Edwards was awarded $25,000 for pain & suffering in addition to another $30,000 for lost wages and will be returning back to work as a code enforcement officer. Ms. Soria was awarded $25,000 for having to endure a "Hostile Work Environment".
Ms. Huppert was deemed not to have a valid claim and did not recieve any monetary award.
It was decided that Jeanne Edwards' position was eliminated in retaliation and she will be going back to work. It will be interesting to see how the Mayor will suggest funding this position when the DPW is already cut to the bone.
Former DPW Supt. Gorsline was not charged with sexual harassment but was found responsible for allowing a 'Hostile Work Environment". The City of Kingston will also have to pay for each plaintiff's court costs and attorney fees which could hit another $100,000 (not to mention paying our own defense attorney fees)

This is prime example of city officials turning a blind eye and refusing to stand up and do the right thing. Instead, the old boys have their way until someone challenges them...leaving the City of Kingston with a reputation lacking in self respect, honor, and a professionalism.

Mayoral Platform

2011-04-16T13:33:00.004-04:00

If you would like to read the outline of my Platform for the upcoming Mayor's Race you can find it here:

www.electanditurcolevin.com

UPDATE: CDBG 101 - Lessons in Spending Grant Money

2011-03-31T14:29:00.000-04:00

UPDATE: Tonight there were 2 out of 9 Council members in attendance. What message does that send to the public? I realize there was a fundraiser for one of the mayoral candidates, but the Chair of the Community Development Committee and other members should have made an effort to be there, even if only for a short while.

On Wednesday evening (3/30) at 6pm in the Council Chambers of City Hall there will be the final opportunity for the public to come address the Community Development Committee and Council members on how they hope to see this year’s grant money be spent. (CDBG is for Community Block Grant Money) Some of you may want to know a little more about the program so I’ll do my best to shed light on this process.

Each year the City receives Community Development funding to distribute throughout the City targeting neighborhoods that are considered low income areas based on Census data. Each year the amount changes, this year there is $830,000 in funds. The mayor appoints an Advisory Board to recommend how this money will be spent, then notices go out to the community that the City will be accepting applications through our Community Development Office which is now directed by Mike Murphy and his staff. There are limits on how much of this grant money can be spent, and where it is spent. Each category is outlined: PUBLIC SERVICE which includes organizations such as Boys & Girls Club, The Hodge Center, etc.; THE CITY OF KINGSTON which is for infrastructure improvements such as sewer repairs, sidewalks, and this year the Mayor’s Bandstand; HOUSING funds are spent for improvements for qualified families to make repairs to their homes and to Youth Build; PUBLIC FACILITY is distributed to various public projects like Kingston Land Trust, Bardavon Theater, Maritime Museum and others. There is also administration costs that come out of this grant which is $166,000 this year to cover salaries and other things.
The Common Council is given the applications to review, then a 5 member committee meets, then they adjust the Mayor’s recommendations on how it will be spent. The flaw with how we vote on this is that we have to accept it as one package making it difficult to single out one element on the Council floor if you disagree. This is why it is important for the public to come out and voice their opinions, especially when a large portion of these funds could be spent in a more productive way (in my opinion). Case in point is the $65,000 for a bandstand on the Rondout. We have horrible sidewalks, repaving projects and other things that need attention. In these economic times, although a great idea, it may not be the right time for icing on the cake when you need meat and potatoes. I urge you to come speak out on how this Grant money will be spent at the Public Hearing, and if you have any concerns make sure to contact your Alderman and discuss it with them before they cast their vote.

On To The Next Step

2011-03-25T22:28:00.005-04:00

Surrounded by family, friends, and neighbors I officially launched my campaign for Mayor of the City of Kingston. This will definately be one of the most memorable days of my life and I was touched by the support of those who came out to Forsyth Park to be part of it. This is just the beginning!

Making It Official

2011-03-23T12:44:00.004-04:00

Friday afternoon (3/25) at 4pm at Forsyth Park I will be launching my 2011 Campaign for Mayor. It is time for a new direction in the City of Kingston and I am prepared to go the distance and work to be a voice for the people. It's time for a change and I look forward to the challenge.

A Great Quote

2011-03-20T11:35:00.003-04:00

I was listening to an interview on the radio and heard a phrase that rang true.
I had to share it as it is something that the City of Kingston has suffered from over the years.

"Having a vision without taking action is a daydream, taking action without having a vision is a nightmare."

One trip down Broadway should verify that statement.

The Impact of Closing a Neighborhood School

2011-03-16T23:19:00.001-04:00

I wanted to attend the School Board meeting at Miller School, but it interfered with the Common Council Finance Committee meeting at City Hall. I came home to read that the School Board had voted to close Meagher Elementary School and it seems that this decision was made with total disregard to the what is truly best for the community. I wish to address this issue not from an elected official’s perspective, but from one of a Realtor. The impact of this school closing will send a rippling effect to the home values and desirability of this neighborhood. Ask any Realtor that you know who is familiar with the housing market inside the City of Kingston and they will tell you, one of the main attractions to this area was the close proximity to the school and that is exactly what young families want when they shop for a home. It is not just the house that makes them decide, it is the area, the quality of the nearby school, and the convenience of having it within walking distance. These are key components to a solid neighborhood. In fact, Meagher School was one of the primary reasons that this neighborhood remained stable throughout the recent housing crisis. The argument that the school is not up to modern day classroom standards is weak, after all, it’s what is taught in our schools, not the classroom that shapes the child. I also understand the impact of excessively high taxes (most of them school taxes) which are hard to justify when you read the outrageous salaries earned by some administrators. There were far better options to explore and closing a well performing school that plays an integral part to the stability of its community should have been the last resort. Look into re-aligning the grades and put 6th grade back In the elementary school, cut staff and assistants to the assistant. Ignoring the long-term impact to an entire community for a decision of this magnitude is irresponsible.

This Is No Place for Partisan Politics

2011-03-16T11:06:00.002-04:00

Ah…it seems that I am always inspired to write after a heated Laws & Rules Committee meeting, and there is good reason for it. If you have been a long-time reader of this Blog you know I have been saying that term limits are something that should be explored and put out to referendum so the people who we govern have a voice in this process. In small city government there should be a focus on what is best for how we look ahead to the future and adapt our government to best serve the community, not the other way around. The platform of letting voters decide on Election Day is no longer valid. Many complain that school elections are slanted because voter turn-out is low and only those ‘in the know’ come out to vote. City elections are no different, especially when many do not follow the day to day follies that can take place at City Hall. About half of the registered voters take part in a local election. Why is this? Could it be many feel that they no longer have a voice because the same career politicians win year after year (how many favors are granted in return?…I’m just sayin)… I also believe that this process discourages new leadership to step up to the plate. When I was interested in the Alderman’s seat it was ‘recommended’ that I wait my turn. How does that encourage new blood and young people who will be the future Leaders of our City?
At our meeting, my proposal was added to the agenda at the last minute without the respect of the Chairman to allow me to properly prepare to address the committee. However I did have copies of my proposal and read it in hopes they would at least discuss it. Not one of them would second the motion allowing it to die on the table, therefore they short-changed the voters the option to decide. Politics? You bet. Who loses? The People. With all due respect, this was not a ‘political stunt’ as another Alderman/Mayoral Candidate put it. I was very disappointed in that comment, I expected more from him. I will continue my commitment on this issue. Another option is adding it to the ballot through public petition; if anyone is interested in that please let me know.
On a final note, the committee chose to change the City Ordinance to discontinue brush and wood pick-up for 3 months during the summer (mid June through mid-September). I understand that the DPW crews are spread very thin, and they do the best they can. However when I asked Supt. Schupp what is going to happen when piles begin to collect on the curb and sit there for days on end, would someone be collecting that, and what message does it send to those who are trying to follow the rules? The answer was, we’ll do what we can, and figure it out as we go. To me, that encourages more confusion and less compliance. I realize we are in a financial bind and there is little money to go around. But if we expect and hope to bring business, tourists, and new residents these services are fundamental, not optional.

St Patrick's Day Parade

2011-03-14T09:10:00.007-04:00

A true sign of spring! I had such a great time at the parade, having a chance to say hello to many who were there. Here are a few photos to enjoy.

Minority Leader's Report 2011

2011-03-01T22:51:00.002-05:00

Yes, it is long, but I had a lot to say.

City of Kingston Minority Leader’s Report March 1, 2011

"We Are All In This Together"

I want to thank everyone for coming out tonight. It is so important to have open lines of communication between our City’s government and the people we serve. President Noble, my fellow members of the Common Council and to everyone here tonight, I respectfully submit this year’s Minority Report:
It seems like yesterday I was here before you giving last year’s report talking about many of the same issues. Looking back I spoke with the optimism of a fresh Alderman thinking wheels of government would spin, and change would happen overnight. Now I know things happen slower here than in the public sector, yet my optimism and faith in our great City has not dissipated one bit.
The news of late causes deep concern with budget mandates, dwindling jobs and rising taxes. Alleged overtime discrepancies and questionable actions from one of our most respected public servants has eroded the public trust. These are very difficult times indeed. Let’s look at our roadmap and see where we’ve been, then let’s look ahead to how we can work together to rebuild that trust and begin to turn our city around.
The same topics rise to the surface; loss of jobs, unsustainable pensions & labor agreements, uneven assessments and an unbalanced tax rate scaring away new business. We continue to confront crime and gangs in our streets and inefficient spending at City Hall. The list goes on. Last year we spoke of efficiency and planning, this year we are talking about survival. Since 2007 we have seen our City’s fund balance drop from more than $15 million dollars to less than $4 million in 2009, jeopardizing our financial footing. Uneven assessments resulted in high legal fees and grievance settlements, combined with falling home values this further increases the burden on a property owner. In this year’s budget, for the first time ever, these grievance settlements were bonded, adding to our City’s long term debt. Now is the time for a new way of thinking and doing business. We have successfully combined our Fire Dispatch with the County beginning the process of sharing services and resources which is a step forward. As union contracts expire later this year it is essential the discussions are open, fair, and agreeable for all. If we can achieve sustainable labor agreements we can restore services and make needed repairs to our Parks and Infrastructure. The future of our City depends on it.
In the Mayor’s address he spoke of the wonderful things that have taken place on Kingston’s Waterfront. Where all of this is a wonderful asset to our City, we have 2 other business districts that seem to constantly fall by the wayside. The Uptown shopping district is one of Kingston’s Crown Jewels, yet business owner’s cries for help are swept under the mat, or in this case, the Canopy. Our midtown corridor continues to struggle, yet we ignore chronic violators whose storefronts repeatedly break design and code regulations. Let me remind you that one has to drive down Broadway to get to the Waterfront. More visitors arrive by car than by boat 12 months out of the year and we MUST work to empower these areas. Whether we do it through the creation of Business Improvement Districts or other incentives, when we do it, new jobs will follow. We all have hopes that the Kings Inn property will bring an opportunity to reinvent the neighborhood and create a welcome and much needed place for visitors and residents alike. With community groups engaging in the re-birth of Kingston we can achieve great things. We have some of the most dedicated people who call Kingston home, and they are on the front lines of moving us forward. Members from our community dedicate their time keeping kids out of harm’s way. Take a look at the Hodge Center, the Boys & Girls Club and our own Rec Programs and you’ll see why it is so important to engage our youth before crime and gangs find them. We have a Neighborhood Watch that has helped garner attention to how we as citizens can be pro-active against crime and work with law enforcement to keep our streets safe. We are all in this together.
A key component of our success stems on jobs and job creation. We need to look at all levels of opportunity which includes small business, health care, creative arts, education, history and tourism among them. Until we embrace business by working to equalize the homestead/non-homestead tax model we can’t compete with neighboring communities. The City of Kingston also needs to hold the line on social services and the cottage industry it has become. The amount of parcels off our tax rolls continue to overburden the rest of the community and we must strike a balance between the two by taking a hard look at our zoning laws which permits this to happen and then address it. I am pleased to say that my suggestion of creating a special Laws & Rules Committee meeting each month focusing on our zoning regulations will begin in March and we will work to bring these codes up to date. Doing so will help protect our heritage and historic neighborhoods while working to streamline the process for new development. This will be an ongoing effort that will embrace the expertise of Planning and Building & Safety, combined with community and business leaders working together to move us forward with a strategy for success. This is the first step to a Comprehensive Plan that is so desperately needed and can be done affordably. Making sure that all departments communicate with each other is part of this process. I often witness how the left hand has no idea what the right hand is doing which is inefficient and costly.

As we look ahead we must embrace change. Using digital media and social networking is an easy way to keep the public informed and is cost effective as well. For example during a snow emergency our DPW can alert the community with up to the minute information. In today’s world of instant media we must be part of the revolution. Another component to Kingston’s future should include the inception of a Strategic Plan Committee in order to chart a course over the next 15-20 years to insure future generations of a vibrant and healthy City. We will soon have a new neighborhood with Hudson Landing. It was a long process and we have to acknowledge the commitment of the community and developers who listened to find a common balance.
As outlined here tonight, we have much to look forward to but we have a lot of work to do. This spring our leadership will be defending their actions in a Sexual Harassment Lawsuit. We will continue to fight the County to change the practice of Safety Net funding, and we will wait for the outcome of federal & state investigations in our Police Department. With the opportunity for a change in leadership for Kingston this fall we must insist that these and other issues take a front seat in order to put us on the right track. It is vital that we repair public disconnect and regain the trust of our people. We must hold the line on property & school taxes which are causing homeowners and business owners alike to pick up and leave. And we must have a strong voice at the state level to fight unsustainable and unfunded mandates. Improving the quality of life for our residents along with having honesty and integrity in our leaders, and a transparent and efficient government will move us in the right direction. Once you fix the foundation, the rest of the house can be re-built.
Before I close tonight, I want to be sure to thank those who give their dedication and commitment to the City of Kingston. To our police department who does an outstanding job in fighting crime which is no easy task right now, our firefighters who are there for us within minutes of a 911 call, and to the DPW members who have gotten us through a very difficult winter even through staff cuts and layoffs. Our City would not run without them. I ask that the public continue to be engaged and informed of what is going on. We are all in this together. We love our City and know in our hearts this is the best place on earth to call home. Thank you.

Respectfully Submitted,
Andi Turco-Levin
City Of Kingston Common Council Minority Leader 2011

Minority & Majority Leader's Report

2011-02-26T21:46:00.002-05:00

Just a reminder. If you are interested to hear what the Common Council's Majority & Minority Leaders have to say, we will be giving our annaul update at this week's Council meeting. Tuesday March 1st. Our meeting begins at 7:30 in the Common Council chambers in City Hall. I hope to see you there.

Laws N Rules

2011-02-13T10:52:00.001-05:00

As 2011 gets in full swing I am adjusting to switching gears from being on the Finance & Economic Development Committee and moving to the Laws & Rules Committee. What a fantastic opportunity to review how our City is governed. Granted, the Chair of that committee can often be ‘difficult’ but all good things have to come with a level of shall we say… frustration. I recently wrote a request to Council President Noble asking that we do a review of our zoning codes and that perhaps a sub-committee would be in order. This is a task that is not a simple one and should include the input from others besides committee members. With the lack of a Comprehensive or Master Plan for the City of Kingston this would be a very useful tool and a worthwhile project. Think of what a different City this would be if we enforced the codes that are currently in place, let alone taking a hard look at where we can improve. In doing this we will draw attention to why these laws are in place and hopefully encourage the enforcement of them (yes, it would apply to EVERYONE). From storm water runoff to the protection of our historic neighborhoods there are laws on the books that are overlooked on a daily basis which would improve the quality of life for our residents & business owners. My hope is that we can indeed move ahead and work with the City Planners, Building & Safety Division along with community leaders who can make recommendations on these changes that are so desperately needed. The leaders of Kingston need to become more pro-active and work towards creating economic opportunities while protecting the valuable assets that we already have. In my opinion, this notion has been lacking for far too long.

What’s Going On?

2011-01-25T11:51:00.002-05:00

Recently I met with Mayor Sottile to talk about the concerns I had with the recent investigations involving a member of our Police Department. I also wanted to discuss a matter that had come to my attention about allegations of a cover-up for another officer who was behaving in a less than professional manner. I am not going to focus on specifics here but I wanted the Mayor to know that I was deeply concerned and hard questions need to be asked where the Board of Police Commissioners needs to be involved. I can just imagine how this must affect the morale of the Officers who work & play by the rules.

I have asked that the Mayor keep me posted with any of the inconsistencies that come from this investigation. I am not rushing to judge anyone here, in fact I do hope that there is an explanation for the behavior of someone who we trust and has worked to keep our City safe. We can’t change what has or has not happened, but what we MUST do is make sure that our Police Department is working at levels we expect and deserve as taxpayers, citizens, business owners, and visitors. That is the bigger issue here.

Term Limits… Pros and Cons

2011-01-23T20:35:00.002-05:00

At the end of 2010 I wrote Council President Noble requesting term limits for key positions in the City of Kingston, specifically the Mayor, Alderman At Large, and the Aldermen. I asked that this come before the Laws & Rules Committee in hopes of opening a dialog to explore if it is right for Kingston. It’s funny how the most vocal critics of the subject are longtime politicians or insiders (aka Good ‘Ol Boys).
From my observation it wouldn’t hurt. My intention is to spark the debate and bring it out there for the people we represent so they can have a say through a public hearing. If the members of the Laws & Rules Committee agree we will then have a public hearing, after which the full Council will vote on. If it does not pass through the Committee we will continue along with the status quo. There are indeed merits and draw backs, but we have to ask, is our system broken? After a certain period of time do politicians lose touch and eventually focus on what will get them re-elected instead of tackling tough and uncomfortable issues and contract negotiations? I have witnessed some of our seasoned Council members playing video games on their cell phones during Committee meetings, obviously not interested in the issues at hand. Have they been there for too long?

There is the argument that having too many new and inexperienced members could cause problems. Really? If you review 2010, many of the new and fresh ideas came from the new members of the Council. From where I sit I see the City of Kingston in need of a new perspective. The roots run deep in a small city and old habits can be very hard to break.

A Step In The Right Direction

2011-01-10T22:48:00.000-05:00

As liaison to our Planning Board I often get frustrated when they cast their votes without really thinking through the impacts to the neighbors, community and other factors. However I was encouraged by a decision they made to deny the renewal for a special permit to operate a boarding house along the Broadway corridor in Midtown. The applicant has repeatedly failed to make an appearance in front of the Planning Board to review the permit, not to mention postponing the safety inspections that are also required. In the past, these property owners could go for months at a time without consequence while continuing to operate often with code violations taking place. If you are not familiar with the process, the Planning Board is responsible for the approval and renewals of special use permits when zoning calls for it. The property owners are required to come in front of the Board to renew their permits. They are also required to schedule an inspection with the Building & Safety Division to be sure there are no code violations. There are some property owners who repeatedly fail to adhere to these rules so finally, tonight the point was made to deny the permit as opposed to putting it off again. It is essential that our City’s Codes are enforced as these special permits were put in place to insure the quality of life for others.
One can only hope this is a step forward and we begin to draw a line in the sand to property owners who have been given a free pass while contributing to the blight that has found a home in our once beautiful City.

New Year, New Rules

2011-01-08T11:50:00.000-05:00

First of all, I wish all of you a happy, healthy and prosperous 2011. Take time to remember what is important, family, your health, and helping others when you can. A very good friend of mine was diagnosed with stage 3 cancer a few weeks ago, and it truly forces you put things in perspective.
As you know, the recent headlines have been going on about Mayor Sottile not seeking re-election so there are many folks out there, both Republicans and Democrats who could be potential candidates. With the silly season of election madness getting started early this year these blogs become a hateful and disgraceful platform for some who have other agendas instead of making valid points on how to find solutions for our City’s problems. Some like Rich Cahill Jr have his own blog to express himself and it is up to him to accept anonymous posts. However, this blog was designed to spark conversation and hopefully give others a way to express their views and offer constructive criticism; this is not a place to make personal attacks or cruel statements. I have to reject many posts due to the mean spirited and personal attacks to not only me, but others who are private citizens or non-elected officials. So, as long as we are in this election cycle I am no longer allowing anonymous posts. If you have something to say, or you wish to criticize me, put your name on it. I can take it. Whatever the outcome is with the upcoming Mayor’s race, we need to focus on the true task at hand which is cleaning up our City, getting rid of the crime and lowering taxes so folks can afford to live here. Whether I do it from the Council Floor or the Mayor’s office, we need to work together or it will be a rough road ahead for all of us.

A Light Shines on Kingston

2010-12-18T09:47:00.003-05:00

Kudos to Mike Piazza, Lou Spina, and the other dedicated artists who believe that Kingston has a lot to offer. These folks should be applauded and encouraged by both the Community as well as City Officals.
Once again Kingston is recognized for her assets and beauty. Hopefully we can continue to build on this concept. These old factories are finding a new use and can be very helpful in the quest to reclaim our Mid-Town neighborhood.

Here is a link to the article which was in Friday's New York Daily News (12/17).
It is very, very encouraging.

http://www.nydailynews.com/real_estate/2010/12/17/2010-12-17_high_tech_on_the_hudson_digital_dynamos_have_turned_kingston_into_brooklyn_north.html

The Devil Is In The Details

2010-12-16T10:39:00.002-05:00

When you are responsible for casting a vote that will eliminate someone’s job the decision is one that rattles you inside. With that said, you need to step back and take in the entire picture before you make that decision. Trying to keep taxes under control is one of the most complicated and complex issues I have ever encountered and there are so many variables that need to be encompassed in one vote. There are parts you like, then there are parts you (reluctantly) live with knowing that the long term benefit will be the result. For those of you who were in the Council Chambers to witness the vote to pass the amended budget for 2011, you know how tense it was. The result is that homeowners will pay a 3.2% increase as opposed to the Mayor’s proposed budget which had an increase of nearly 7% not to mention the commercial property rates that are strangling the business owners in Kingston.
Non-negotiable items such as pension costs, health benefits, raises, mandated overtime, staffing levels and other contractual obligations limit the things you can cut. We need to lower our taxes (hey School Board, are you reading this?) and this can only be done by taking a hard look at how we can be more efficient in order survive. At the Board of Realtors we do a Strategic Plan every 5 years in order to insure we can adapt to changing market conditions and be prepared for what lies ahead. The real estate market is a good barometer of the economy and the City of Kingston would benefit from this mentality. Sadly, without doing one for so long it is a challenge to catch up, let alone move forward. Real change needs to happen and it will not happen overnight and there will be unpopular decisions that have to be made.
The Council will take a lot of criticism about the cuts that were made including the limiting of the Transfer Station hours with the layoff of two DPW employees and the retirement of another after 30+ years. Hopefully we can find a way to restore at least one of those positions in the coming months. I just want to say one thing, when I asked Mr. Schupp who uses of the Transfer Station the most he admitted to me that very few homeowners utilize the facility, it was mostly owners of multi-family homes and larger apartment houses doing clean up after a tenant moved out. I researched this as well as many of the other items I had submitted to the Finance Committee in order to cut the budget. Some of my proposals were voted down such as reducing the $100,000 overtime allocated for snowplowing when only a quarter of that is actually used annually. The Council could have saved $18,000 by giving back $2000 of their 2011 salaries. They cut the City Hall employees raises for a second year in a row and I felt this was a way to send the message that we are all in this together, however the measure was voted down. Other issues were discussed in front of the Committee and I encourage everyone attend a few of these meetings in order to hear the details before judging and condemning those who have to make difficult decisions.

Saved By Zero?

2010-12-09T10:41:00.002-05:00

Tonight the Finance Committee will be making their recommendations to the Mayor’s proposed 2011 budget. There are a number of cuts that we will be talking about and some of them are unpleasant but perhaps necessary.

The biggest issue on the table is the move to discontinue funding half the expense to provide 3 police officers in the Kingston Schools beginning in June which saves the City $108,000 this year and amounts to a total of $216,000 for a full year if you look ahead to 2012. The school district should reimburse the City 100% in order for it to be funded properly. By doing that it will distribute the financial burden to the entire school district which includes the Town of Ulster, parts of Woodstock, Esopus, and Rosendale.

Reducing the hours of operation at the Transfer Station is also a topic of discussion which would result in 2 less DPW workers. Originally the proposal was to close the Station completely and consolidate with the Town of Ulster. However, as it stands now hours of operation will be reduced with 2 positions being cut.

The consolidation of the KFD Dispatch talks have been ongoing and we shall see how this will all play out shortly.

There is also an increase in the amount of projected sales tax as well as other items such as re-inspection fees from the Building Department, increased fees on forfeited bail, and increasing the penalty amount for those who do not pay their taxes. (this would not affect those who work out a payment plan option, only those who continue to skip paying their tax debt until the last crucial minute)

The topic of dipping into the fund balance is also on the table in the amount of $127,000. Previously I made a few recommendations, some of which sound great on paper, but when looking at the restrictions, mandates, and contractual obligations it is impossible to do what is needed. I will continue to press that overtime costs be tightened.

Looking ahead, we all need to understand that compromises need to be made on all levels, some of them may not be popular, some may be considered political suicide but it is a fact, we can’t sustain what we have. One thing that can’t be ignored, grant funding, state money, and other financial help is not going to flow as freely as it has. We need to realize it and be prepared that some of those positions that are funded today (environmental educators, economic development, etc.) may not be funded tomorrow. Looking ahead more than one year at a time is so important.

Fall & Winter DPW Schedule

2010-11-30T15:15:00.003-05:00

I wanted to make sure you were aware that the new Trash and Recycling Schedule is now posted on the City of Kingston's website.

Here is a link for you so you can access it from here.

http://www.kingston-ny.gov/filestorage/76/78/993/Fall_Winter_Brocure_2010-11.pdf

Happy Thanksgiving

2010-11-23T18:25:00.005-05:00

Thanksgiving has always been one of my favorite holidays and with aging parents (my mom and Tony's mom) I treasure the memories and traditions they have given me more than ever. (Lasagna always being the first course for every celebratory meal). Take this time to celebrate and cherish your family & freinds and be sure to reach out to those you know who may be alone or hungry and make them a part of your tradition if you can.
Since cranberry sauce is part of the Thanksgiving tradition I thought I'd share photos of a harvest on a bog in Cape Cod near Hyannis.
Happy Thanksgiving everyone.

Amazing Results

2010-11-14T17:25:00.005-05:00

On Saturday I took part in a massive clean up project at Forsyth Park. There were about 100 people including arborists who brought the equipment necessary to clean out the overgrown brush at the top edge of Forsyth. Those who grew up using this park remember the swings that once stood at the top of the hill and the picnic tables up there that looked down over towards the zoo. Here are some of the photos from yesterday. Take a ride over there to see how great it looks! This is the first of many more improvements to come. This is proof that when a community works together towards something great we all walk away feeling a sense of accomplishment and pride. I want to thank Jordon, Mike and Paul for working so hard at organizing the workforce and making sure that safety was #1 at all times. They deserve a huge round of applause and a big thank you for their efforts.

Sometimes You Just Need To Read Something Funny

2010-11-11T17:38:00.001-05:00

I want to thank my niece Cathy for sending this to me. It made me laugh so I thought I would share it with you. Enjoy!

New York

The Governor Elect of New York is jogging
with his dog along a nature trail. A coyote jumps out, bites the Governor, and attacks his dog.

1. The Governor starts to intervene, but reflects upon the movie "Bambi", then realizes he should stop, the coyote is only doing what's natural.

2. He calls Animal Control. Animal Control captures the coyote and bills the state $200 for testing it for diseases and $500 for relocating it.

3. He calls a veterinarian. The vet collects the dead dog and bills the state $200 for testing it for disease.

4. The Governor goes to a hospital and spends $3,500 getting checked for disease from the coyote and for getting his bite wound bandaged.

5. The running trail is shut down for 6 months, while Fish & Game conducts their $100,000 survey to make sure the area is free of dangerous animals.

6. The Governor next spends $150,000 in state funds, implementing a "Coyote Awareness" program for residents of the area.

7. The State Legislature spends $2 million to study how to better treat rabies and how
to permanently eradicate the disease, throughout the world.

8. The Governor's security agent is fired for not somehow stopping the attack and for letting the Governor attempt to intervene.

9. Additional cost to State of New York: $75,000 to hire and train a new security agent with additional special training re: The Nature of Coyotes.

10. PETA protests the coyote's relocation and files suit against the state.

Arizona

The Governor of Arizona is jogging, with her dog, along a nature trail.
A coyote jumps out and attacks her dog.

1. The Governor shoots the coyote with her state-issued pistol and keeps jogging.

The Governor has spent $0.50 on a ..45 ACP hollow-point cartridge.

2. Arizona buzzards eat the dead coyote.

And that, my friends, is why New York is broke!

Laying It Out There

2010-11-04T14:59:00.004-04:00

Like it or not, this is where I'm coming from:

Dear President Noble & Chairman Landi
As you know, this is my first year serving as Alderman, a position I have taken quite seriously as a representative for the people who elected me. I have spent a good deal of time going through the Mayor’s Proposed 2011 budget and would like to make a few recommendations. This is a very difficult time and we need to make very tough decisions and these are topics of discussion I would like to make sure we address at our upcoming Finance Committee meetings. The positions I ask us to evaluate are not meant to be taken personally but we must do our due diligence on every level to cut our costs.
To begin, I feel one should lead by example so I would recommend that the Common Council cut their salary by 50% for the next 2 years. This would lead to a savings of nearly $40,000 per year.

Other ideas I have:
• Eliminate the Assessor’s Aid position. We pay a consultant to do a lion’s share of what an assessor’s office does, we will need to ask more of each office at City Hall. I will not go into details on the costs the taxpayers have had to shoulder from the results of legal battles on our recent assessments. This department could learn to run more efficiently.

• We need only one Environmental Educator on staff, and honestly, I think this position could be combined for this year only with the Climate Analyst which is funded from a recent grant. A seasonal employee can help run the summer programs.

• Add meters to the public parking lots for daytime hours Monday through Saturday. Instead of meters that take coins install the ones that print a ticket to put in the window so someone can park for more than 2 hours to shop. They can buy up to 8 hours with their ATM card. Make it simple.

• Seriously look at the bus system. Do an evaluation of how many big busses we own, get rid of them for much smaller and efficient hybrids that use less fuel and don’t look so ridiculous driving around empty. Allow the County to accommodate all of the secondary routes through the City and allow us to only continue one constant shuttle up and down our business corridor. Also, as I look at the token revenue which is minimal, why not offer the rides for free for the next 2 years. This may help build ridership so more will use it in the future. Selling advertising panels on the side should also be explored.

• License one of the plant operators at the Waste Water Treatment Plant and eliminate the need for the consultant that does it now. We must explore the need for continuing an expensive relationship with a consulting firm when we could provide the same service in house with proper training and licensing. I would also be remiss if I did not echo the suggestions I have heard in the past that there is no need for 2 senior operators here, and I also find the overtime line of $100,000 to be excessive for a department of this size.

• In light of the fact we have 2 DPW supervisors I would like to see more emphasis done on building and code enforcement. I realize some of the duties are split with the Fire Department, but we need to keep quality of life as a key component here as part of our efforts as well.

• I often wonder why City Hall needs to be mopped and cleaned within an inch of its life every day. Would twice a week save us money?

• Ask all City Hall employees to take at least one ‘give-back’ (furlough?) day every other month (totaling 6) to help with salary costs.

• I never thought I would say this, but I have been doing research on how other small cities obtain their grant monies, it is quite feasible to hire a firm to oversee the preparation of a large grant and pay them a consultant fee, thus eliminating a rather large salary with benefits. Keeping a less salaried employee to administer what is needed from the City is much more economical. Grants are not to be confused with Economic Development.

• I agree with the suggestion to allow the County to absorb our Human Services Department.

• I would agree that we should approach the unions to delay this year’s raise but would respect their decision no matter what they do. (again, Lead by example)

• We need to see if there is a level of medical calls where the Fire Dept. would not be required to respond. Fuel costs are high and sometimes these calls are not necessary (such as someone not taking their meds at one of the local housing agencies or group home)

• Eliminate one Clerk’s position in the Comptroller’s office (again, nothing personal)

• Operate the Waste Transfer station only 2-3 days per week and utilize personnel elsewhere.

• Utilize City Vehicles for daytime use only, we should not be spending taxpayer money for fuel to drive 20-30 miles each way from home every day. Should an emergency come up the mileage costs for personal vehicle use incurred can be reimbursed.

• Investigate shared service with Town of Ulster to restore leaf pick up service (even if for a fee for those who really have a hardship with bagging)

I also would like to ask the question about union contracts, in particular the Fire Fighters contract. Is the manning clause build around a minimum number of personnel no matter how many firehouses there are? Or is it based on how many open firehouses there are at the time. If so, do we discuss this as an option? (I am not saying we do it, just discuss the option) Of course if union mandates the status quo then we have to honor our agreement.

I do not take any of this lightly and when talking of eliminating positions it is not an easy discussion, however we need to explore everything first before we all work together to make our decisions that are best for the entire City’s future. It is time for some creative thinking. Thank you.

Respectfully,
Andi Turco-Levin

Budget Schedule

2010-10-27T22:38:00.002-04:00

Tonight the Finance Committee had our first meeting to discuss the Mayors proposed budget for 2011. I will keep you posted on this blog as best I can as we go along Here is a list of the dates I have so far for our meetings.

Public Hearing in the Council Chambers will be Thursday 11/4 at 7pm. If you have comments on the budget, this is the time to speak up.

Then, the Finance Committee will be holding meetings where we bring in the department heads to go over certain aspects of the budget in order for us (the Council) to be able to make our adjustments and recommendations for the budget.
The first of these meetings is scheduled for 11/10 at 7pm where we will be talking with both the Police & Fire Departments, then on 11/15 at 7pm we will be interviewing the DPW & Bus/Transportation Depts. There will be more meetings with other departments and I will update the list as they are scheduled. These meetings are open to the public, but remember, if you wish to speak your mind the meeting on 11/4 is the time to do it.

Mayor's Proposed 2011 Budget

2010-10-19T16:58:00.001-04:00

The City of Kingston also has this posted on the website.

Here is the link for you to download next year's proposed budget:

http://www.kingston-ny.gov/filestorage/76/78/1007/2011_Proposed_Budget.pdf

This Just In.....Budget Time!

2010-10-15T21:31:00.002-04:00

The entire letter is too much to transcribe, but here are some of the highlights from the Mayor’s cover letter that accompanied his proposed 2011 budget. Now it is time for the Council go through this budget and offer their recommendations, suggestions, and adjustments. Hopefully the City will post the proposed budget on the website for all to see. If you are truly interested to hear the details you can join us on Wednesday 10/20 at 6:30 for the Economic Development & Finance Committee meeting at City Hall. The meeting is open to the public. (I reiterate, this is from the Mayor’s cover letter to the Common Council)

“…..The tax levy for 2011 is $15,317,178, up $602,962 or 4.1% from 2010. The homestead tax rate is $6.53 per thousand, up 6.5% from 2010. The non-homestead rate is $13.24 up 7.91% from 2010. The total taxable assessed value in the City is $1,772,516,160 down 3% from 2010. The 2011 sewer rate will be $4.99 per unit.

To help offset the tax rate increase, I have recommended that $450,000 of fund balance be appropriated in the 2011 budget. I am optimistic that the City will be able to recoup this amount through legislation soon to be introduced in the NYS Assembly and Senate that would enable the City to amortize 2010 retirement incentive costs over a five year period.

Total spending in the 2011 budget is $35,963,290 up 3.9% from 2010. Increases in personnel service ($1,059,505) and employee benefits ($829,221) are partly mitigated by a $510,933 reduction in other spending. Total revenues, excluding the tax levy, are $20,196,112. The represents a 1.6% increase from the 2010 budgeted amount. …..”

Again, this is the basic information, the letter goes on to further explain the source of these increases, and also some of the savings and adjustments that were made to create this budget.

Community Clean Up at Forsyth Park

2010-09-29T12:24:00.003-04:00

Another Community Clean Up Day in Forsyth Park....Join us!

Going InCatNito

2010-09-21T09:42:00.006-04:00

UPDATE: The Mayor decided to veto this resolution earlier today after the public hearing. It will now go back to the Common Council to decide it they will accept or override this veto. If you are concerned one way or another and wish to appeal to your Alderman, I suggest you contact them and let them know how you feel.

On Thursday 9/23 at 10am in the Common Council Chambers of City Hall the public can come and speak their minds on the new cat law that was passed at last month's Council meeting. I encourage everyone who can attend to do so.
I am posting a letter which was sent to the Mayor which I thought you may wish to read. I agree with need to deal with the feral cat colonies in some neighborhoods, but I do not agree that we need to enact a law which is hard to enforce and has too many open issues the way it is written.
As for the photo..perhaps we should dress our cats up as dogs. (just trying to bring a little humor to it all)

DogFederationofNewYork.org

September 20, 2010
Honorable James M. Sottile
Mayor, City of Kingston
Kingston, New York
Re: Local Law 6, amending Chapter 151
Article V: Cat Control

Dear Mayor Sottile:
The Dog Federation of New York is a coalition of individual dog owners and dog-related organizations devoted to responsible ownership, with a membership that spans the State of New York. We are committed to helping public officials respond appropriately to the concerns we all share, including providing for the public’s health and safety while addressing concerns on animal welfare issues.

We recently reviewed the above captioned ordinance now awaiting your signature, and
hasten to point out some of its most serious and obvious defects and deficiencies.
• Under the proposal, any cat "outside the residence of its owner" must be
surgically sterilized. There are no exceptions, making cats prisoners of their own
homes and unable to venture into their own backyards under any circumstance
unless they have been neutered.
Ironically even a trip to the vet for the purpose of sterilization would be illegal in Kingston under this over-reaching and poorly considered proposal. The law
effectively requires every single cat in Kingston to be rendered sterile, unless it
never crosses the threshold of its owner’s home in its entire life.

• A wide range of persons are authorized to conduct an unwarranted search of
private property and seize cats (personal property) without a finding of probable
cause that a crime was committed.
We believe this section of the proposal is blatantly illegal and unconstitutional,
and it raises a number of civil rights concerns. Kingston residents should not
need to fear witch hunts based on allegations of un-sterilized or unmicrochipped/
tattooed/tagged cats.
• The $25 per day boarding fee, to be assessed in addition to reimbursement of
veterinary costs, is many, many times more than what it costs to feed a cat each
day. Such excessive and unreasonable fees will prevent cat owners from being
able to reclaim their impounded pets. Cats face grim prospects in animal control
facilities and suffer a high rate of euthanasia.

The proposal targets Kingston’s economically disadvantaged residents, and will
cause the deaths of family pets.
For the above reasons and more, we urge you to reject the proposal and return it to the Common Council without your signature. Our members believe that all responsible pet owners share a concern for the well being of animals and applaud the City of Kingston’s concern regarding un-owned feral cats. However, we do not believe that Local Law 6 is a step in the right direction and fear it may do more harm than good. There are better solutions available.
We urge the Common Council to work collaboratively with knowledgeable and
experienced animal welfare resources to identify a pro-active approach which does not
jeopardize the civil rights of caring and responsible pet owners and the community as a whole.

The Dog Federation of New York is a resource for education about responsible pet
ownership. We would be pleased to participate in the identification of more reasonable alternatives, and hope to hear from you in this regard.

Thank you for your consideration.
Sincerely,
Mahlon Goer

Coming Up With Solutions

2010-09-12T13:09:00.004-04:00

I recently submitted a proposal to the Mayor and President Noble for consideration.
It may not be perfect, but at least I am trying to come up with solutions for the blight that has taken over our City. I'm forwarding it on to you who read this blog to hear your comments. It is amazing when you open up a forum and see what comes from it.

Dear Mr. Mayor & Mr. President,

Here is a description of a conceptual plan that I have been working on which I hope will send us down a path to restore our neighborhoods and will boost the economic picture for our unique business districts in the process. Please take the time to read this as we approach another very difficult budget process for the year ahead. I think we need to take a very hard look at our City and recognize that we must take a strong approach to turning things around. I am filled with anxiety when I drive through some of our neighborhoods and really feel the need to make some very drastic changes in order to move us in the right direction.

City of Kingston Housing Initiative:

Over the years these neighborhoods, especially in mid-town along the Clinton Ave. corridor were lined with handsome single family homes. These old homes were allowed to be cut up into apartment houses and multi-family rental properties where eventually the owner occupied properties dwindled due to the quality of life issues that go hand in hand with absentee landlord and problem tenants.

Along these same lines, many of these fine homes in the Historic Uptown District were converted into office buildings which caused the once vibrant uptown shopping district to turn into a ghost town after 5pm. Take a stroll down Wall Street at 5pm on a Wednesday and look into the dark empty storefronts. There are some who are dedicated to the cause and I truly hope their determination is rewarded to them.

I suggest we create a 3rd tax class for multi-family rentals and charge them a rate that is comparable with our non-homestead rates. At the same time we create a tax relief abatement program to these homes (especially in troubled neighborhoods such as mid-town) who convert these apartments into condominiums offered for sale. It is a proven fact that home ownership builds strong neighborhoods because the residents are invested. What we have now is a blight of transient tenants and absentee landlords who feed off of the very generous welfare system that exists here in the City of Kingston. This higher tax class will also help subsidize the extra police and emergency calls that are so common for these locations. As these condos would cost less than a single family home it will be much easier for many of our working citizens to afford their own home. Success is evident in communities such as Brookline MA, Newport RI, and Atlanta GA. The other benefit is there will be a restoration process of our historic homes throughout our diverse and historic neighborhoods. This same process would help revitalize the uptown district with more people living and working in the district creating another vibrant community within our City.

The long term goal is to make it less attractive to be a slum lord and eventually these conversions will take over and we can rebuild these neighborhoods that have been in a downward spiral for far too long.

As a member of the National Association of Realtors I read about trends in real estate and what attracts young families as well as the aging baby boomers. The small to medium sized cities that offer a walk-able lifestyle and quality of life are on the rise. We have it all, the classic architecture, a world class waterfront on one of America’s most scenic rivers, rich history, and New York City just a mere 90 miles to the south. It is all there, if we don’t do something soon we will become another Newburgh. We need to make a serious commitment to changing the way we look at housing and how we can restore the pride in these neighborhoods that seems to have disappeared.

Please, do not let Party lines get in the way of creating true progress for Kingston. She deserves better.

Respectfully,

Andi Turco-Levin
Common Council Minority Leader
1st Ward Alderman

Where It All Begins

2010-08-06T20:12:00.002-04:00

Last fall, after I won the election I made sure to sit in on all the Council's budget review meetings. I was new at reading the budget and learning the process of the dance between department heads defending their proposed needs and a Council who really has limited knowledge of the inner workings of their departments. It is complicated! Combine with that the staffing rules and benefits that have been outlined in union contracts for a very long time and you find it is not so easy to cut corners. In fact here are very few corners to cut.
Next week the Mayor will begin to ask his department heads what they will need next year to operate and keep our City going. He has invited the Council to listen in and I am looking forward to hearing what is on our horizon.
With that said, here is an article in the New York Times that explains the conundrum that we face.
At least we're not alone!

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/08/07/your-money/07money.html?_r=1&hp

Lights, Camera, Action…..

2010-08-02T23:17:00.002-04:00

The subject tonight is this: Should we charge filmmakers a nominal fee to shoot on location within the City of Kingston? There are a few in my own Party who oppose the thought, I on the other hand, think we should set some guidelines and ask for proper insurance to cover the City’s liability and require a reasonable fee. After all, no parking signs, street closures, and taking precautions that proper insurance is in place is not too much to ask a of a film production company, many of them already have permit fees built into their budgets.

With that said, They should be encouraged or required to employ local businesses to assist with catering or any other production needs that arise to help offset the costs that the business community may incur from the closing of streets etc. I would hope (and believe that our City Clerk’s office would be most accommodating) that the process could be designed for efficiency to make our City a wonderful place to shoot a film. With our diverse architecture from one end of the spectrum to the other we have a lot to offer. We welcome anyone who wishes to film here, but we need to do it responsibly.

Paying Attention To Taxes

2010-07-21T15:15:00.001-04:00

The other day there was a front page article in the Freeman, the first line read: ”The Kingston school district and Kingston Teachers Federation leadership have come to an agreement in principle on a new contract, and the union has met to vote on it”
Where this is good news for them as there will soon be a contract in place, the fact remains that the taxpayer who foots the bill has very little say in how their tax dollars are spent. When a homeowner in Kingston looks at their tax bill, the major portion is for school taxes. How many people get out and vote in May for the school budget and school board elections? Not many. It seems this process seems to go by quietly without engaging the masses, instead the majority of the voters who do come out have much to gain as they are part of the education machine which we can no longer afford to subsidize.
One of the catalysts that led me to run for Alderman was Kingston's taxes. It made it much harder to sell a home when comparing it to other areas and it also made it very hard to own a home here as well. Of course we blame the City (and there is a lot of misdirection on that level) but let’s face it, the school district needs to have the same level of accountability. I agree that there are places where the City needs to cut, yet there are some departments that have been cut so deeply the evidence shows with our aging parks, sidewalks, sewers, and a dpw stretched so thin they can't keep up with the trash and yardwaste on the streets. What does need to happen is for us to take a more active role in our school system which makes up the lion’s share of our tax dollars every year.
What would you do to bring this to the front lines? Do you agree?

Refreshing Ideas

2010-07-16T22:13:00.002-04:00

Today I took part in the Kings Inn “Charrette” which was organized by the Kingston Business Alliance. This concept is basically a think tank where architects, planners, city officials, and citizens take part in a design symposium. There were 11 ‘teams’ that had the opportunity to collaborate and create ideas for the current site of the Kings Inn on Broadway and were able to present their concepts to the audience after several hours of collaboration. Although there were many different plans, there was a common thread that encouraged a mix of work/live/green/retail space that offers so much potential for our mid-town corridor.
The key is to create a plan that will be attractive to a developer that will not only be profitable for them but enhance our City as well which is not an easy task.
In attendance was the owner of the gas station on the corner of Henry & Broadway who just received a site plan approval and permit for the expansion for a convenience store who heard time after time that his property is a key element in the design of this corner. Let me remind you that the planning board re-approved his plans just days before! (see “What Were They Thinking”) It must have been tough for him to hear that his gas station was 'in the way' of their visions.
The bottom line is to keep this property on the tax rolls and make it a destination for locals and visitors. Kingston has a wonderful opportunity here and I do hope to see progress. What scares me is our track record…the Noah Hotel the Uptown Parking Garage…..Let’s not repeat history.
In closing I want to thank Patrice Courtney Strong and the Business Alliance of Kingston for their efforts and vision to keep our City moving forward.

Catching Up

2010-07-13T00:02:00.004-04:00

Time seems to fly by so quickly so I apologize for such a long space between blogs. I will get right to it, there is a lot going on.

What Were They Thinking (Part 2) - Not to pick on one department in particular, but this came to my attention today…there is a house of worship on Lucas Ave that had a building permit issued (from the City) at the end of May to construct 7 ‘sleeping rooms’ in their basement along with adequate plumbing to accommodate those bedrooms. A few questions here, wouldn’t that require a zoning variance? What about the potential of a boarding house situation? I was assured that it would be code compliant but there is nothing stating the use or a limitation on how often these sleeping rooms would be used and by whom. Am I out of line questioning this? What do you think?

The Shell Game. - The Mayor is asking the Council to use $50,000 from Community Development Grant funds that have already been allocated for the Carnagie Library Project and use them to build a bandstand in Gallo Park. The reasoning for this shift of cash is that ‘we can replace it with money from next year’s grant’. It’s funny how a few months ago when Jen Fuentes asked about changing the use for allocated monies it was frowned upon, yet now it is absolutely fine. Apparently it depends on who is moving the shell around.
One other issue on this: How do we know the grant money will be there next year? There is no guarantee. $50k could be used for so many better things, how about safe sidewalks and crosswalks, better and efficient lighting for safety, there are other parks out there that need attention too. Yes the waterfront is important, but so is the rest of our City.

Project Forsyth - As you know, I am passionate about all of our City Parks, but Forsyth in particular as the Nature Center is a year round attraction for the entire County. We have had a few meetings with a handful of motivated residents who wish to rebuild the park. Last week the Freeman did a story on our mission to obtain a grant that will allow us to rebuild the playground, bathrooms, security lighting, etc. The bathrooms are disgusting! With the help of the Economic Development Dept, they were able to get the grant done and submitted on a very short deadline. There will be a grant match and our hope for “Project Forsyth” is to raise funding to enhance this grant. If we are successful here, we can take it to another park, then another, and another….
Our next meeting is on Tuesday July 20th under the pavilion at Forsyth. We will begin at 5:30 and should be done in less than an hour. Please join us.
Our Parks play a vital role in our lives and they need the guidance and help of the citizens who use them. It is evident that the City can’t do it alone any longer.

How Do These Things Happen?

2010-06-12T12:53:00.003-04:00

As I look back over my first 6 months in office I am filled many ideas, frustrations, and most of all amazement on just how different things are between the way government works as opposed to the rest of the universe. Government always running at a snail’s pace compared to what I am used to in the real estate world and before that the music business which demanded instant results. It is like night and day.

However, sometimes I see the exact opposite happen.
Let’s see, there was the recent vote to allow the City to enter into a lease agreement with an uptown restaurant for outdoor space which was forced on the Council last week. Without regard for regulations, approvals, due process, etc we had to rush through a decision in order to ‘catch up’. Look, uptown Kingston benefits from the end result, but we need to be responsible and accountable to everyone.
What really needs to be done is come up with a plan (yes I said a PLAN).
Just about every city has a plan for outside dining arrangements for their sidewalks without interrupting pedestrian and wheelchair access. What is happening now in Kingston is like the Wild West…tables & chairs spilling out over the entire sidewalk area and in some cases taking out a parking space. With a PLAN each season every establishment wanting sidewalk dining fills out a permit (for a fee) which provides guidelines for safe sidewalk traffic, insurance, liquor permits etc.

Another issue on ‘Oops, we didn’t know….’
Last week I got a letter letting neighbors in my Ward know about a zoning variance that was needed for a new home going up. This house is on my street and I have been watching since the beginning, working with other residents who expressed concerns. Flooding and wet areas here are chronic. Everyone was assured that steps were being taken by the builder with the guidance of our city’s engineers and building department. This was back in April when they began digging the foundation for a new modular home which meant building permits were in place before then.
Fast forward to early June and the neighbors received notice for a public hearing at this month’s Zoning Board of Appeals meeting asking for 2 variances including a setback variance and a parking variance. The house is already built…shouldn’t that have come up before the permit was issued?
Every opportunity to flag these issues was overlooked by just about everyone and I find no accountability and have very little to tell the other neighbors who have been calling very, very upset…and they should be!
The codes are written and I understand that mistakes are made, but this one had multiple chances to catch the mistake. Now….again it is last minute and cover your butt. Unacceptable!

First Meeting of Friends Of Forsyth Park

2010-06-08T12:06:00.003-04:00

As many of you know, Forsyth Park is in need of updating. As wonderful as
Kinderland was years ago it is time to move on. There are places in the park so
overgrown with weeds and poison ivy it has become a haven for things that are
not welcome in our neighborhood. The City has admitted that there are little
funds, resources, or manpower and the Parks & Rec Dept has limitations too so we
need to step up and join forces so we can clean up and repair our park.

Please join us on Tuesday 6/15 at 5:30pm under the gazebo inside the Nature
Center. We want to create a citizens group who can take charge of various
projects that are needed. If you want more information please feel free to email
me directly at anditlevin@gmail.com

Forsyth Park may be in the 1st Ward, but it is everyone's park so please take
some time to get involved.

Thank you and I hope we see you on Tuesday!

The $64,000 Question….Cats….What Else?

2010-05-25T16:56:00.003-04:00

First of all, I apologize for not updating this blog sooner, it has been a crazy busy month! I promise I will try to post more often since there is a lot going on and so much to cover.

Of course, tongues are wagging about the Safety Net issue. Let’s face it, what a mess, and the phrase “Asleep At The Switch” comes to mind….I am no longtime City Hall insider, but really, how can you NOT look at a line item in your budget that is this large and not want to know more? Does the County have such a great reputation for record keeping that you can trust that the information is correct, especially if you know they work by zip code? Ok, one strike…here’s strike 2…Your own Corporation Council advises that there are inequities going on and there could be a case for a lawsuit. That was what, 2 years ago? What was the reason for waiting?
Now…add to it strike #3 and mix apples and oranges (Sales Tax and Safety Net) to solve the ‘problem’. Really Mr. Mayor? Do you think that the City will thrive on the sales tax collected in the City of Kingston? Have you noticed what has happened to your commercial tax base here? Take a stroll down Wall Street sometime. What type of businesses do we encourage here?
As for this $64,000 of funds that the City is owed now from incorrect Safety Net charges after the first round of audits for this past year, I am curious to see how it will be collected, used, and ultimately will we ask for interest? After all, this is taxpayer money. How many years shall we look back? So many questions to be answered, and as Ricky Ricardo would say to Lucy…”you’ve got some splaining to do!”.

Now…Cats. OK…I hear you. I realize some of you are upset that I didn’t think it was important. It is, and I didn’t mean to brush it off. In my opinion, there are provisions made for someone to be called in if there is a feral cat problem in a specific area. Let’s try that approach, if it becomes a problem citywide then it deserves further attention. As validated at the recent Laws & Rules meeting, in most cases it is a neighbor dispute. I agree that having the Nuisance Abatement Law amended may solve the problem. The idea of issuing a fine to someone for feeding an animal is just not right in my eyes. Believe me, I am just as aggravated at my neighbor who allows his cat to roam freely, hunting birds, tormenting our dogs, and pooping in our yard, but I’ll take it up with him (or his landlord). Thanks for reading!

BTW - Don't forget that the Kingston NY Neighborhood Watch will have their first Community Safety Walk on Thursday 5/27. Starts at 7pm and everyone will meet on the steps of the George Washington Elementary School on Wall St. I hope you can join them!

What Were They Thinking?

2010-05-11T13:29:00.002-04:00

Those of you who are regular readers know that I spent a few years on the City of Kingston’s Planning Board. When I began I expected to be reviewing a lot of new plans, having to read up on things and be an instrumental part of what was going on with new development in the City.
Instead I would receive in the mail a list with a 2 line description of the applicants for each month’s agenda. That’s it. I would take the list and drive past the properties before each meeting in order spot any issues or problems that may come up. Eventually I began showing up in the planning office in order to look at plans in advance in order to be prepared with questions. (by the way, this is public information and is available for you to review). This is so important when approving plans for new business or an existing business who wishes to expand their footprint. Projects such as the recent Walgreens on Broadway, CVS on Washington Ave, QuickCheck on Albany Ave, and most recently approval for the Citgo Station on the corner of Albany Ave & Flatbush to build a 2000+ square foot convenience store next to the car wash (see where I’m going with this, there is already one just a short distance away) continue to hold the lions share of development in Kingston.

The Planning Board is also responsible to revisit special use permits on a regular basis to insure compliance including granting extensions to developers who sometimes take years to move forward. Case in point:
The owner of the gas station on Broadway next to the former Kings Inn was granted permission to build a 2200 square foot convenience store in addition to the gas pumps in 2008. I questioned it then asking if it was a good use for this corner. Remember, UPAC is a few doors down, the Kings Inn was recently closed, and midtown residents deserved more from the City in terms of having a plan. Fast forward to 2010 where the owner is looking for another extension after not moving forward with his project for 2 years. This was the perfect opportunity for the City to rescind the permit to halt any other work that could deter a potential plan for development of this key component of midtown’s resurrection. With all due respect to the property owner, circumstances change and his small corner is now a very valuable piece of the puzzle. He promised the City Planner at the meeting that he would be willing to see what they had in mind in terms of how he fits in with the big plan for the Kings Inn parcel. Now, I’m no prophet, but I can tell you this, now that he got his permit extended, no matter what happens, he has every right to put that convenience store and the City has no recourse.
The planning board gave away the store. Some felt sorry for the property owner, I understand that, but the planning board’s job is to act on behalf of the City’s future. Allowing this to happen is a wake up call. If actions such as this are allowed to continue we have to insist that a major comprehensive plan is explored for the future of Kingston. I’ve had enough of this short sightedness and hope that more of you get involved and insist on it.

BTW: This coming Tuesday May 18th is School Budget & Board Elections voting day. Make sure you vote! Our school taxes are killing us, insist on accountability and efficiency. IT'S IMPORTANT!!!

Healthy Kingston For Kids

2010-05-05T10:12:00.004-04:00

I think this project is a very worth while cause, not only for our kids, but for everyone living here. Below is a recent press release on an upcoming event where I hope you can find some time to attend. There is contact information included, (Kristen is wonderful!)

Paint the Picture of a Healthy Kingston Event Set for May 15

Share your ideas in creating a healthy Kingston

The Healthy Kingston for Kids project is seeking input from youth and adults in creating a vision for a Healthy Kingston on Saturday, May 15 during the Kids Run Wild event at the Forysth Nature Center located at 125 Lucas Avenue from 10:00am to 2:00pm.

Residents can provide input through a variety of fun and engaging activities. Activities aimed at defining a healthy place to live include: a cloth mural project where kids and adults can express how they envision a healthy Kingston in words and pictures; a mapping session where participants can designate locations where they’d like to see changes for the better; and a roving microphone through which participants can share their thoughts and insights about how to create change. Participants can also enter a drawing for a free Kayak Tour for a family of four with the Forsyth Nature Center by completing a survey.

For more information about the event, contact Kristen Wilson, Project Director of the Healthy Kingston for Kids Project, at 845-340-3990 or kew67@cornell.edu.

The Healthy Kingston for Kids project aims to reduce childhood obesity in Kingston via environmental and policy change.

The Healthy Kingston for Kids Partnership is funded by The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation.

Ward 1 Neighborhood Meeting Agenda

2010-04-30T09:25:00.002-04:00

If you live in Ward 1 (or even if you don't and want to join us), our meeting is set for Saturday morning at 9am under the Forsyth Park Pavilion (May 1st)

We will have a City Hall update (stuff that the Council is dealing with now)
We will also be discussing the new recycling and yard waste schedule and also the new leaf bagging laws. Also, it is tax greivance time and I will be going over what rights you have and the proper way to file a tax greivance. We also have Mike D'arcy joining us to explain the seeclickfix.com tool and other things to keep our neighborhoods safe, and we also will have Steve Schabot who is on the Rec Commission to sit with us and talk about their roll in our Parks, and how we can all work together to get our Parks in better shape.

Should be a great day, hope to see you there!

Forward Thinking Requires Asking Questions

2010-04-18T11:35:00.001-04:00

In light of today’s Freeman article on the fine structure for the new leaf collection resolution (which passed 7-2 at last month’s Common Council meeting) I thought I would pass along the entire outline that was presented to the President/Alderman At Large. There were a few mistakes in the article which I wanted to clear up. The Council has many issues to deal with, but it needs to include the entire scope of things to really and truly move forward in our thinking. The big picture of my proposal is to eventually create a composing system for the City to help us become a self sustainable City. (no longer will vouchers need to be signed for mulch and other materials like this to a local hardware store) This proposal helps generate revenue which helps our financial foundation.

I am more than willing to bag my leaves, but I have residents in my Ward who can’t handle the volume that our trees produce. I’m thinking of ways to help them and create a way to pay for it.

Dear Mr. President,
Where I realize that the Council has voted on this issue and needs to move onto other things, I wish to briefly outline a proposal on the financial structure of how we collect the City’s autumn leaves.
I brought it to the attention of the Committee before but feel that perhaps if I truly outline the benefits you may wish to look at it in another light.
In it you will see that there may be a way to restore this service to our residents while potentially putting a few laborers back to work (at least temporarily) while covering the financial burden at the same time.
I ask that you please submit this to the Finance Committee for their consideration.

In lieu of a fine system which will require a code enforcement officer, we should instead offer the option of paying for a permit to have curbside leaves collected. Here is how it works.

Encourage everyone to bag or containerize their leaves with no charge from the City to collect them, or have residents purchase a $50-$65 permit from the City Clerk’s office for a permit tag to place onto their porch, or tree on the lawn that proves they purchased the permit.
If 1000 residents (out of the entire city I think that is a conservative number) opted to purchase this permit the City would find between $50,000 and $65,000 to restore this service to our taxpayers.
This eliminates the need for a code enforcement officer which allows them to focus on more important things such as the Block by Block initiative.
We can color code permits and offer seniors or those who are not physically able one of these permits where they would be exempt (they would still need to file for an exemption sticker prior to the leaf collecting season). One of the crew members on the force can monitor the permits and locate offenders by checking off the parcel from a tax map provided, then the permit fee plus a fine for not obtaining a permit in the first place can be added to their tax bill. (increasing the revenue even more)

Should we find that the amount is greater than expected perhaps we can create enough savings over a few years that would pay for a more modern approach to leaf collection such as a leaf vacuum that will mulch as it collects. This not only reduces the volume of leaves but is a step towards composting them as well.

I realize that manpower is not there, and I am not sure of union contract obligations but perhaps we can put some of these laborers back to work at least for the short term of leaf collection time.

As it is now, we are penalizing those who may not be able to comply or can not afford to hire someone to do the chore for them. I also believe that there will continue to be leaves on the streets which will still require a crew to remove them as well as the leaves of those who don’t comply with the current law.

For those who live in areas with few trees there will be less permits, but in Wards such as the 1st where we have a large amount of shade trees I am certain you will find many who are inclined to purchase a permit.
To remedy the clogging of storm drains, the DPW can release a schedule for when the collection crews are coming. Residents can then move their leaves to the curb a week in advance. After the initial collection is done they will then be required to bag the rest.

I have received many, many calls on this issue where residents really feel frustrated that this is one more hardship for them to bear as their tax bills continue to increase. Thank you for your consideration on this matter.

Respectfully,
Andi Turco-Levin

Great Events in Kingston

2010-04-14T18:47:00.003-04:00

Yesterday afternoon the Kingston NY Neighborhood Watch Group held their first mixer/meeting at the Library and I have to commend Mike & Claudia D’arcy for a job well done. They have worked hard to unite our community and have really made a difference in getting neighbors to engage with each other. Actions such as this will be what turns our City around (that and accountability at City Hall). In keeping with the volunteer and community minded spirit I want to be sure that you are aware of the various happenings going on this month.

The Community Gardens Project is running a workshop on plot gardening which can help you create an efficient garden in a small space at home. I had the email, can't find it now but I know it is happening this Saturday at City Hall (at the garden site near the side entrance) and begins at 1pm. This is free!

Saturday April 24th there is the Kingston Clean Sweep from 9am-noon. Everyone is invited to come out and help clean Kingston’s Corridor, from the traffic circle down to the Rondout. Picking up trash, sweeping, raking etc will need to be done. We can put our best foot forward when welcoming our visitors!
Friends of Historic Kingston are sponsoring this event and
people who wish to volunteer can do one of two things: 1. e-mail in advance at fohk@hvc.rr.com. or 2. Show up by 9 am on Saturday, April 24th at the Friends of Historic Kingston Museum if they wish to work in the Stockade District, or at the Maritime Museum if they wish to work in Rondout. Some sections along the Kingston Corridor are already taken care of but there is still a need for volunteers in both these areas. Trash bags and gloves will be available at both museums, but are of the "food workers' variety" (thin latex), perhaps you might wish to bring your own. Brooms for sweeping dirt into the street are welcome also. The DPW will be driving the Sweep route afterwards to pick up filled bags. The city is providing both brown and clear bags for recyclables.

Finally, the City’s Tree Commission is very happy to have Arbor Day celebrations with several new tree plantings as well an exhibition on how to properly prune your trees. This will be at the Academy Green on April 30th at 1pm. You know how important I think our trees are so I was thrilled to hear that Peter Landau offered his time to come do a workshop for the public as well as the City’s DPW who will recieve some training on this. Effectively pruning a tree can add life and beauty to our streetscape for centuries. Peter is one the county’s best arborists so this is a great opportunity for all of us.

I will also be scheduling a Ward 1 meeting on May 1st, most likely at the pavilion in Forsyth Park so keep the date open. This month we will be going over the new recycling and yard waste collection rules, a City Hall update, and I am working on having 2 guests join us which will make it worth your time. Oh, one other thing is that I'll share some tips on how to greive your tax assessment.

Hope to see you with a broom on April 24th.

Leaf Bagging and Other Reports

2010-04-06T22:53:00.005-04:00

It is late, and it was a long Council meeting tonight. As you will soon read, autumn leaves will no longer be collected from the curb. Residents will be required to either bag, containerize, or mulch their leaves or will face a fine. You will no longer be allowed to rake leaves to the curb.
First week of offense will be $35, the next week will be $45, the following week $55 and so forth for the length of the collection period.
I'll post more shortly but wanted to pass this along so you know what is happening.
I did not support this resolution in any way. I am not convinced this was a smart move, nor will it actually save the City money, not to mention it creates a hardship for many of our residents who are unable or can't afford the additional cost to hire someone or purchase a large amount of bags. How do we explain when there is still a crew on the streets collecting the leaves of those who did not comply? Wouldn't it have been simpler to sell a permit for the privlege? (which was what I proposed in committee) Bag it for free or pay $75 for a permit to have curbside pick up. What this really is about is manpower. We don't have it.
Perhaps we should consider getting proposals to outsource it. If it really costs us over $65,000 don't you think a local landscape company could bid out for much less?

Also, the Majority Leader and Minority Leader(me)gave our reports on the state of the City. I will post mine for any of you who wish to read it in the near future.
Thank you and good night.

Here is a link to the KingstonCitizens.org site where you can read the Minority Leader's report. (you'll also find the Majority Leader's report there as well)

http://kingstoncitizens.org/2010/04/07/part-one-council-minority-leader-state-of-the-city-reports/

Recycling Schedule

2010-04-02T22:36:00.002-04:00

Just in case you have not recieved the new information and recycling schedule you can download one here:

http://www.ci.kingston.ny.us/filestorage/76/78/993/RefuseChangePoster3-10.pdf

You should be getting one in the mail soon if you are a homeowner. If you rent you may wish to download and print one, keep it handy.

Please, remember to recycle!

The Big Mystery

2010-03-31T20:51:00.005-04:00

As you can imagine, my phone has been ringing and emails have been coming in asking why the recycling was not picked up during this week’s trash collection. It took an article in the Freeman which answered the question….Oh, now we collect every other week…..nice to know, wouldn’t it have been a good idea to let everyone in on the secret? How about an email to the Aldermen so we knew how to respond? How about a little advance notice to everyone in order to make sure we didn’t have bottles and cans blowing all over the streets? Yes, I was pretty bugged that our DPW chief left for vacation without filling the rest of us in. It will be argued that ‘every little thing doesn’t need to be cleared with the Council’ but this one should have been a no-brainer. I have to ask if the City is considering completely changing (and charging) how our trash may be collected, is this how they ‘educate’ the public? It’s like a game of 40 questions to figure out the answer.
Sorry to vent, but this one really ticked me off.

BTW, I finished a class today on the Tax Grievance Process. I know it will come in handy and I am planning to discuss it at our next Ward 1 meeting in April. With that said, did you know that GAR & Associates (the ones who did our re-val) are being sued by the Township of Rotterdam?

http://www.timesunion.com/ASPStories/story.asp?StoryID=680838

The City of Kingston is losing money with the grievance process and it does cost all of us in the end. Although the above case is very different than ours, it makes you wonder how much trust we should have in the ones who are making the decisions on property values throughout the City. Oh wait, isn’t that the assessor’s job?

http://www.orps.state.ny.us/home/tri_index.cfm

Here is a link to a very informative page on what assessors do. At the bottom it clearly reads that they are to communicate with property owners throughout the year. I have recieved an alarming amount of complaints that owners are not getting the time of day when attempting to make an appointment, they are told to wait and file a grievance. With that said, property owners ARE allowed to speak with the Assessor year round, don't wait until the last minute. If he/she does not want to at least hear what you have to say they are not doing their job. (not the support staff, the Assessor)

Common Sense

2010-03-28T22:41:00.003-04:00

I am going to touch on a few topics here tonight. I’m sorry to lump them all together but it’s been pretty busy around here…..with that said, let’s get to it.

You may want to mark your calendars and come to the next Common Council Meeting on April 6th at 7:30pm at City Hall, this is the month that both the Majority and Minority Leaders give their State of the City reports. Although I have not yet received the agenda I believe that we will be voting on taking a $100k bond for the HVAC system at City Hall. At first impression you say, what, are you crazy, we are in a financial mess, we can’t afford it…but, sometimes you need to look at all the angles. You can spend ‘stupid’ money (which the City does quite well), or you can spend ‘smart’ money. The bond is a low interest bond that will cost $11,689.29 per year for 10 years, plus add to it the savings of not having to keep the windows open in January, it is the right thing to do. If you would like to look at the documents outlining the details you can find them at

http://kingstoncitizens.org/2010/03/20/the-costs-savings-to-upgrade-city-halls-building-management-system/

I also want to thank Alderman Hoffay for taking the time to prepare last week’s panel to come before the Public Safety Committee. Although it was lengthy, it was informative and a great opportunity to invite the public to come listen in. While we are discussing public safety don’t forget to save the date of April 13 for Kingston Neighborhood Watch’s 1st meeting at the Kingston Library on Furnace St.

http://www.kingston-ny-neighborhood-watch.com/

Recently there has been a lot of discussion about the merge (or non-merge) of the dispatchers. I still say why not continue to look at the options?
I am willing to dig in and learn what is involved and I hope to obtain copies of the union contracts to know the boundaries and requirements. Even if we can’t come to terms now, won’t it help later when contracts are renegotiated? This seems like common sense to me.

Public Safety Committee Summit

2010-03-24T22:15:00.003-04:00

Just a reminder that the Public Safety & General Government Committee will be meeting on Thursday night 3/25 in the Common Council Chambers at 7pm.

Chairman Hoffay has called for a 'summit' of sorts with various community and city department leaders to discuss issues that our City faces day to day. This is not a public forum to speak, but each Alderman will have the opportunity to ask questions to each of the guest speakers. Here is the list who will be there:

Police Chief Gerald Keller
Kingston - Neighborhood Watch, Mike D'Arcy
Kingston Boys & Girls Club Director Joe Fay
Kingston Fire Department Building Safety Division, Capt. James Brunner
Ministers Alliance of Ulster County, Rev. G. Modele Clarke
Corporation Counsel Office, Shayne Gallo, Esq.

It should be an interesting evening, if you have the time you may want to listen in, this meeting is open to the public. I hope to see you there!

Everyone Out Of The Water

2010-03-16T22:13:00.007-04:00

Spring is just about here and boy are we ready to have winter behind us! With that said, Memorial Day will be here in about 10 short weeks. Never too early to get a plan in place so let’s talk about this here…. Last year there was quite a commotion to find funding in order to keep the Kingston Point Beach and summer camp counselors in place. This year the Parks & Rec Department have even less in their budget and there has been talk of not opening the pool or beach at all. (didn’t we just spend $20,000 last year to repair the pool?)
I would like to hear from you how important it is to have the beach and pool open. Are you willing to pay admission to help offset the cost?
Do you have other ideas to find funding?
As you know, the Council approved these cuts and adopted this budget in December.
It is likely to come before the Finance Committee and the Council and having early diaglog is helpful.

PASSING ALONG TAX GRIEVANCE INFORMATION

2010-03-08T10:12:00.007-05:00

Last year I posted this on my blog. I've updated it a little to reflect what has happened this year.
At the bottom are links to pages and pdf downloads with forms and information on how and when to grieve your taxes. I hope you find it helpful.

With spring in the air we all begin to emerge outdoors in hopes of catching that warm ray of sunshine and a little healthy yardwork. It also reminds me that it is once again that time of year to question if your assessment is fair when compared with like properties or recent valid sales data. TAX GRIEVANCE DAY IS COMING UP IN MAY.
Many City of Kingston property owners were hit with extremely high assessments in the re-val from 2007, then again in 2008 if you were not lucky enough to be in one of the 'adjusted' neighborhoods. This is a very complicated subject and a frustrating one when looking at it from a Realtor's perspective. From and Alderman's perspective delinquent tax bills are growing at an alarming pace...and school taxes are part of it too. Doesn't that say something and is anyone listening?

If you feel you are still over assessed then perhaps you should attempt to grieve your tax assessment. Want to know how? Follow this link for all you need to know.
Good luck!

http://www.orps.state.ny.us/pamphlet/complain/howtofile/index.htm

http://www.orps.state.ny.us/ref/forms/pdf/rp524.pdf

http://www.oarsystem.com/ny/kingston/pdf/residential.pdf

http://www.oarsystem.com/ny/kingston/pdf/commercial.pdf

BTW if you scroll to the very bottom of this page you'll find a cool old photo taken in the town of Ulster sometime in the early 1960's. It's pretty cool, my dad took it. I know where the location is, can you guess?

Stormwater Issues?

2010-03-05T09:53:00.003-05:00

Yes, many city residents have flooding issues, some are out of our control, others can be lessened by alternative measures. Here's one that is functional and nice looking as well. Take a look and if you're interested go the the workshop.

Rain Gardens for Stormwater Management Workshop and Mini Grants Offered to Homeowners

Rain gardens look like regular flower gardens but function to capture and soak up rainwater from roofs and driveways before it becomes runoff. Cornell and Rutgers Cooperative Extension rain garden experts will teach participants what they need to know to get started with their own rain garden projects, from site selection to the choice of plants and maintenance. Participants may be eligible for a $200 mini grant to be used for the purchase of plant materials suitable for building their very own rain garden!

This FREE informative classroom presentation will take place from 9:00am to 12:30pm on Saturday, March 13, 2010 at the Town of Ulster Town Hall located at 1 Town Hall Drive in Lake Katrine, NY and is intended for anyone interested in backyard storm water management.

Five $200 Rain Garden mini grants will be available to homeowners who participated in the rain garden workshop that was held on March 25, 2009 or who attend the March 13, 2010. It is also required to participate in the next Ulster County rain garden installation which is tentatively scheduled for May 21, 2010, location to be announced.

Pre-registration is required by Tuesday, March 9. No walk-ins please. For more information and to pre-register by phone contact Master Gardener Coordinator, Dona Crawford at 845-340-3990 or email dm282@cornell.edu. A registration form can also be downloaded at www.cceulster.org under the Event Registration Forms section.

For more information about Cornell Cooperative Extension of Ulster County’s community programs and events call 845-340-3990 or visit us online at www.cceulster.org or follow us on www.facebook.com

Energized!

2010-02-27T23:09:00.003-05:00

We had our first Ward 1 Neighborhood meeting and I have to say, I am confident in our future based on the very strong emotion that stirs when it comes to rebuilding and taking back our City. I want to briefly outline some of the comments that came from our group today. One thing is absolutely clear, there are a lot of people who live here, love it here, yet are fed up. The perception that the city has been mis-managed runs very, very deep. Anyway, here are a few comments I wanted to share (I am paraphrasing here):
On Leaf Bagging: Why not take the savings and start a community service to help the elders with their leaves; City will still need crew to clean the streets and storm drains anyway so why burden property owners?; savings never result in lower taxes; Current collection process is inefficient the way it is. (Those were comments from the floor, not from me) I do believe however, if you present mulching, composting and other alternatives in a positive way you can accomplish more than you think.

On Trash Collection (Possible Pay As You Throw)
Not as much resistance as one would think, although again the message is clear, the perception is that you take this away from us and our taxes still go up, and that is what troubles them. It was also agreed that not enough is done to enforce recycling nor is enough is done to relay information on why/how it should be done. They all ask why there is no code enforcement, our streets are filthy.

Kingston Neighborhood Watch Group - We touched on the subject and hope to have Mike D’Arcy speak at our next meeting. BTW, they had over 600 join their Facebook page in a less than a week. Kingston’s gone viral! Kudos to them. Save the date, they will have a meeting on April 13th.

Forsyth Park is something most feel strongly about. I do believe that from our meeting we will see a Forsyth Park Task Force who will help spearhead events to clean up our crown jewel.

I also wish to thank KURA's Jerry Soldner & Victoria Hoyt along with Rebecca Martin who were guest speakers. They inspire us all to be better neighbors and are proof that we CAN make a difference.

The best part of this story is this, we have amazing citizens who care and with that energy good things are bound to happen.

Ward 1 Neighborhood Meeting Agenda

2010-02-25T23:59:00.002-05:00

I wanted to post the agenda for our Ward 1 Neighbor's Meeting which will take place this Saturday at Deisings on North Front Street at 9am.
Although this is for the residents of Ward 1, if you want to stop by you are welcome. Ward 1 residents will have priority seating if we fill the room.

Agenda

City Hall Update: Mandatory Leaf Bagging, Trash Collection Programs
Track and Field Replacement at Dietz Stadium

Neighborhood Safety—New Neighborhood Watch Program

Benefits of Community Involvement to Bring Change to Kingston

Forsyth Park Improvements & Clean Up

Guest Speakers:

Rebecca Martin—Community Organizer
Will discuss benefits of getting involved and how we can utilize
Ward One Group website

Gerry Solder & Victoria Hoyt—KURA (Kingston Uptown Residents Alliance)
How their organization addresses quality of life issues for all uptown residents

Adjourn

Look Over Your Shoulder

2010-02-21T21:40:00.003-05:00

Over the weekend a woman was mugged uptown on the corner of Wall & St. James Streets. She was knocked down unconscious and her purse was stolen by some thug last seen running towards Furnace Street. A few nights earlier a local (and favorite) pizza shop was burglarized and a substantial amount of cash was taken, this happened across the street from one of our elementary schools. I think it is time to say ENOUGH!

Earlier this afternoon there was an impromptu meeting of neighbors who want to activate a watch group to take back their neighborhood. Great ideas were tossed around besides the standard ‘neighborhood watch’ whose signs still stand on street corners yet provide little security. This group’s concern lies on a corner where one property owner owns all 4 houses on each corner and has little concern to the quality of tenants nor the care of the property.
Repeated complaints help but the next round of tenants bring the same problems a few months later.

I will keep you posted on how they progress and if you are interested in taking part you can get more info on their new Facebook page.

http://www.facebook.com/pages/Kingston-NY-Neighborhood-Watch/316349954638

Also, FYI we have a Ward 1 Residents meeting coming up this Saturday morning 2/27 at 9am. We have a room reserved at Deising’s on North Front Street. Everyone is welcome but if we run out of room Ward 1 folks will have priority seating. We will be talking about the issues coming to the Common Council in the upcoming months, organizing a spring clean up at Forsyth Park, and will discuss how getting involved in your community can be the catalyst to change things.

This recent rush of violence in our small City is very disturbing.

It’s In The Bag

2010-02-20T10:56:00.013-05:00

I guess I am going to be outnumbered on this one as it looks as if mandatory leaf bagging will be a way of life for City of Kingston residents next fall. At last week’s Laws & Rules Committee it was voted on and is now being passed to the Economic & Finance Committee to work on the fines that will be imposed when a property owner does not comply. Me personally, I don’t mind bagging our leaves and we have 6 very large (and magnificent) trees in our yard which fill about 100 bags every autumn. My concern is how others will be able to cope with this. On our street alone we have at least 4 property owners who are in their 80’s and a few in their 90's. They are on fixed incomes and hiring someone to rake to the curb is much less expensive than to hire someone to bag them all. As you may have guessed, I am pretty passionate about our trees in the City and I do believe they play an important role in many ways. The issue I find is that we are not taking a hard enough look at how we were collecting these leaves in the first place.

DPW Superintendent Mike Schupp provided an analysis showing it costs the City nearly $17,000 per week to collect the leaves and mandatory bagging will lower the amount to $6,000 per week. I am all about saving money, but let’s look at every angle here. You have a crew of laborers, a few drivers and one dump truck, yet there are about 4-5 guys who have to wait for as much as 30-45 minutes while the one dump truck goes to empty its load. Is this really an efficient use of manpower? Let’s try looking at other municipalities to see how they are dealing with this. Most have a vacuum attachment that sucks up the leaves and mulches them at the same time. The $30-$50k to buy the vacuum would pay for itself in a very short time as it will require only 1 or 2 workers to operate it (not a crew of 6) I had previously asked why this was not considered and was told that they don’t work in cold weather. Really? Other cities in the Midwest who get much more snow (and earlier in the season) than we do seem to have no problems.
I guess my point here is this: I hope that the Council would consider every option before taking yet another service away from our property owners and fining them when not in compliance. I highly doubt this will result in a lower tax bill next year so this is why I am asking to spend a little more time thinking outside of the box. Remember this, the “Pay As You Throw” for trash is also on the discussion block and could be a way of life for Kingston residents as well in the near future which is one more service that will be costing the taxpayer.
We are in financial turmoil, but let’s really look hard at how cuts are being made. Not in the right places if you ask me. Let’s hear it, what do you think?

PS….Finally after nearly 8 months of begging to have the dead tree next to the pavilion at Forsyth Park taken down before it hurts someone, it will be coming down on Monday (weather permitting). Isn’t it funny how a completely dead tree can remain standing for years, but 4 perfectly healthy trees along Schwenk Drive can come down “by City Order” when a influential property owner wants it? (and NO, the sidewalks are not buckling at all, take a look)

On The Radar

2010-02-10T18:10:00.002-05:00

Here are some of the things that are on the radar at City Hall. I encourage you to share your ideas and thoughts on how we can get through all this.

As you may have read in the Freeman, the City has been ordered to stop using the site where they have been dumping yard waste (illegally) since 1996. This may sound trivial but it’s a BIG problem. Not only are we facing tipping fees to dump it at a legal site which is miles away we may be looking at fines from the DEC. Oh boy, here we go again, we are already keeping the DEP fines at bay with our storm water issues. (by the way, if your rain gutters are going into the sewers you are in violation of the city code, did you know that?)

Next item: You probably heard the City lost its appeal to stop a grievance from the Fire Fighters Union regarding the hiring of 3 firemen to replace early retirees which was agreed upon during the 2009 budget negotiations as long as there were no future layoffs for the duration of the contract which ends in December of 2011. As you know, the Mayor’s proposed 2010 budget initially called for more layoffs. We are finding ourselves (the City) behind the eight ball here with few options and a very weak leg to stand on. Again, this is a big deal that could potentially cost us a lot of money. We now have no other choice than to take it to a higher court and hope the outcome is in the City’s favor. Remember, there is no place in the current budget to add 3 fire fighters so where will that money come from? Increased taxes and reduced services? Who signed this contract in 2007 without reading the fine print when the economy and Kingston’s population was already showing signs of decline? Its like an old Laurel and Hardy movie…”That’s a nice mess you’ve gotten us into Stanley…..”

Dodging a bullet: Thanks to the folks at KURA (Kingston Uptown Residents Alliance) who came out to voice their concerns to Kingston’s Planning Board regarding the application for 12 apartments over the Indian restaurant on the corner of Wall & John Streets. A few months ago the owner’s representative approached the planning board to consider 12 apartments, some of which were 2 bedrooms but very, very small (about 600 sq. feet). The applicant was asked to come back with a scaled down plan as there were too many units and they were too small. The new plan called for the same number of units however the number of 2-bedroom apartments was reduced and the number of 1-bedrooms were increased although some were still quite small and the owner now wanted the 2 bedroom apartments to house restaurant staff. It was clear that everyone wants to see this building brought to life with residents. This building is the cornerstone to how this Uptown district will evolve into a thriving district on the level with Georgetown or Royal Oak. The applicant has been asked to go back and revise their plans to allow for 8 units with more space.

One last thing that will affect Ward 1 residents who live along the corridor of Hurley Ave. The applicant who wishes to build an apartment complex on Hurley Ave opposite Coffey Place will be coming in front of the planning board in the upcoming months. This will be one of the issues we will be talking about at our first Ward 1 meeting which is scheduled for February 27th at 9am (Saturday morning) at Deisings Bakery on North Front Street. All are welcome, but Ward 1 folks get priority seating if we run out of room. There is a lot going on and I hope you get involved!

Don't Forget State Of The City Address on Tuesday

2010-02-01T11:30:00.002-05:00

This is just a reminder that the Mayor will deliver his State Of The City Address at the February Common Council Meeting.
It takes place in the Council Chambers at City Hall beginning 7:30pm on Tuesday Febrary 2nd. This is open to the public and everyone is encouraged to attend.

I hope to see you there.

Settling In

2010-01-27T10:28:00.003-05:00

Over the last few weeks I have had opportunity to sit in on various committee, commission, and advisory board meetings either as a member, guest or liaison. I met with the Mayor to discuss concerns, hopes, and to let him know that regardless of our differences of opinions (I was against CVS just to name one) I want to see the City of Kingston thrive and will do all I can. One of my comments to him was of all the jobs the city needs to restore; the code enforcement officer should be a priority. I’m sorry, but the method of supervisors doing the job isn’t working, especially with trash violations and building occupancy rates. In the few weeks I have been in this position this is the #1 complaint I hear. There are so many places I could list where the city could benefit by building revenue as well as cleaning up our streetscape just by enforcing the codes we already have. Then look at revising some of them to better fit how we grow our city. I will continue to be a presence at these meetings and will work on ways to achieve this goal.

I also wanted to give a quick update on what I’ve observed at a few of these meetings, please feel free to comment if you have an opinion.

Parks and Recreation Commission - Just the fact that we have one is a miracle. This department is facing serious issues with their bare to the bones budget. Problem is the programs are still in place (basketball etc), yet no funds to cover the personnel that need to be present. The commission members are trying to figure out fundraising efforts in the upcoming months.
One other item was that a resident inquired about the potential of installing a fenced in dog run somewhere in one of our City parks. She is working on finding details on cost and drumming up other dog owners who wish to help fund and implement this project.

Dietz Stadium Commission
I have to admit I had a scheduling conflict so I only attended the first 30 minutes. Discussion on the track replacement and a private donor were discussed. I will keep you posted on that after our next meeting in February.

Tree Commission – Of course the outcry of dissatisfaction from the removal of about 4 or 5 trees along Schwenk Drive in front of the credit union was discussed. Apparently there are no set plans to replant these trees and they were not taken down by order of the city (as per Sue Cahill). Instead the heaving of the sidewalks was blamed by the building’s owner therefore the trees were removed. (those sidewalks are fine) I’m not going to get into details here, but in the City’s Charter all trees within 30 feet of the street are property of the City and can not be removed without a permit. This is one more code in our charter that has been long ignored. Call this a pet peeve, but I truly believe that the trees in our City are an asset and add to the beauty of our community.

I also met with Nancy Donskoj who is Kingston’s Main Street Manager. I too was curious to hear what she’s been up to as I have not heard much. I give her credit, she has been able to launch the Kingston Happenings website which will put all of Kingston’s events in one place. She has been working on proposals to create a way for all three business districts to connect to each other, along with a city wide clean up day on April 26th and other things as well. For a part time employee she gives 100% enthusiasm and dedication. Here is the link for the website:

http://www.kingstonnycalendar.org/

On a final note I want to say I am pleased that the leaf bagging issue has been tabled for a while. Yes we need to address how we collect our leaves but mandatory bagging is cumbersome for many residents. In the upcoming months we should seriously give thought to alternatives and move forward from there while we have the time to think things through. (I think they call it the big picture)

Important 'Call To Action'

2010-01-16T10:52:00.003-05:00

As you may have heard, Central Hudson wishes to raise their (our) rates again with 7% increases for electric and 8% increases for gas delivery.

The Public has the opportunity to come out and voice their opinions on Tuesday evening January 26th at 6pm in the Common Council Chambers in Kingston. This is not limited to city residents, this effects most of the Hudson Valley. Please make your voice heard.

Follow this link for more information.

http://go2.wordpress.com/?id=725X1342&site=kingstonnavigator.wordpress.com&url=http%3A%2F%2Fdocuments.dps.state.ny.us%2Fpublic%2FCommon%2FViewDoc.aspx%3FDocRefId%3D%7BB29D4E12-8259-423B-86A9-5B6B7158806B%7D

If you can't make it in person there are directions on how you can submit your concerns via email or snail mail.

2009 The Good, The Bad and The Ugly

2009-12-30T11:18:00.002-05:00

The Good: Approval for Hudson Landing to move forward after 8 years of planning. The commitment of AVR, the extensive details that the Planning Board had to work through, and the input from the community will give Kingston a waterfront neighborhood that will draw new residents and business to our City as well as provide public access to the Hudson River for all to enjoy.

The Bad: Fiscal woes that will continue to burden our City in the upcoming year and beyond. It will be very important for both the Executive Branch of Kingston and the Common Council to keep the taxpayer and business owner in the forefront of their decisions. Rising taxes and less services including public safety will surely cause our tax base to flee as fast as they can.

The Ugly: The addition of 2 new super sized drug stores (CVS on Washington Avenue and Walgreens on Broadway) proves without a doubt that this City needs to look long term on how we grow our business districts and protect our historic neighborhoods. Knee jerk reactions such as the Washington Ave Building Moratorium went nowhere and we are back where we began.

IMO (In my opinion): Citizens of our community as well as the lawmakers who govern us really need to take a serious look at how Kingston is perceived by others now, and how we can change our image over the next few years. We have so much history with the potential to become another Williamsburg VA type of destination. Smart growth will be the key to the success of our historic city and we need to focus on that. Let’s face it, large manufacturing jobs are going to be tough, let’s embrace small business and the rest will follow. One other aspect is this: we need to stand up and say ‘no more’ for social service programs moving to Kingston. We have a very large support network now so let’s encourage them to serve other parts of the County as well. (I know I will take the heat for that one!)
I work with people who are relocating here and this is their first impression when driving though our city streets. If they see it on day one, imagine what they think after 6 months of living here.
I love Kingston, I am looking to what lies ahead and I will always work hard. I want to do the very best I can for Kingston and the people who call it home.
Happy New Year.

(the above photo was taken by my dad back in the early 1960's. It was at the old cement plant which is where the new Hudson Landing project will go)

Looking Back, Ahead, and Beyond

2009-12-20T13:44:00.003-05:00

When I look back over the last 12 months of 2009 I have a much different perspective now than I did last January. Obviously, I had a crash course in city government after making the decision to run for Alderman. I learned that the Common Council is supposed to be the voice of the people and that although in theory sounds great, it is not always the result. (for example, Westbrook Lane was a privately owned road that lead to privately owned businesses) Why not pave Broadway or Washington Avenue which are main arteries of our City that we already own? Did that move benefit all Kingston residents or a select few? I’ve learned that being fair and taking the time to listen to all points of view is necessary to make important decisions. (something I hope the Council will be better at in the upcoming year). 2010 will prove to be an interesting time for us all. Economic growth needs to happen and we need to realize that big manufacturing jobs are not the only thing to focus on for our City. Small business is going to be what will drive our economic engine for the City of Kingston, let’s look in that direction instead of another government grant to another facility to accommodate more County Aid recipients such as the old St. Peters School on Adams Street project.

The Campaign process was humbling, exciting, and startling all at once.
Meeting neighbors and listening to what their key issues were is something I will never forget. I hope to continue to be a presence in our Ward and want to insure that our residents know who their Alderman is and what is going on in City Hall that will affect their daily lives. My intention is to organize quarterly Ward 1 meetings which will prove to be both informative and educational. (I envision having guest speakers to explain the benefits how little things such as composting, using rain barrels, winterizing their homes, and tax assessment issues can save them money) At these meetings we will be able to have a dialogue with the issues we face in our neighborhood as well as city wide issues that impact us all.
It is also a personal goal of mine to re-vitalize Forsyth Park. I have already begun to plan a fund raising event to polish this gem of Kingston.

From a Realtor’s perspective 2009 was a challenging year for us having to face the task of helping homeowners decide to sell or worse, face foreclosure. Earlier this month I was sworn in as the 2010 President for the Ulster County Board of Realtors. Kingston is one of the best bargains in the county for real estate. However, until we can control crime, gang activity and provide uninterupted basic services for taxpayers we will struggle to get the word out that Kingston is a great place to live. We need to address the aesthetics of our communities and shopping districts. The recent hack job that was done to the uptown trees not only angers me, it puts me on a mission to come up with a plan to protect our beautiful trees. It also reminds me that we need two things: A way to enforce the codes already on the books which will help clean up our city, and make noise to begin a comprehensive plan. CVS would never have happened if we’d had a plan in place.

I am looking forward to what lies ahead. I am hopeful that Kingston will find its way and begin the evolution to becoming a world class small city. I am going to work hard and do my best.

I wish you a joyful Christmas and a happy and healthy New Year.

Peace to All,
Andi

What Comes Next?

2009-12-01T23:51:00.003-05:00

As I watch this budget process in order to learn for my turn at next year’s happy occasion I realize that I want to set a goal not make the same mistakes. As an observer I find that many of these last minute scrambles to find ways to cut or create revenue always come at the 11th hour (or now called the 12th hour at these meetings since the clock has nearly run out). Shouldn’t the Council and the Executive office be looking at these issues in March? Do the research and budget your money appropriately, and be sure to fully think through the consequences and benefits before jumping in. Admittedly the Pay As You Throw program came before the Council months ago and was tabled. I also think that we can come up with more revenue generating programs from the committee level if we put our minds to it. (I have one idea that I will present to committee in early 2010)

I would like to open a little dialogue here to see what folks have to say about a few things that will definitely affect City of Kingston residents in the upcoming months:

#1 Pay As You Throw – Not much is going to be generated by only targeting the not for profits. Residents will be required to obtain either special bags for garbage or sticker to display showing the trash has been paid for pick up. Pros – suggested revenue will come from the sales of bags or tags. It is also proposed that this program will reduce tipping fees since it will encourage recycling (which will continue to be picked up for free)
Cons- This fee is another way to charge taxpayers for something that is considered to be a basic service. Also, with the lack of a code enforcement officer it is likely that trash will build up in back yards and alleys by people who don’t want to participate or can’t afford it. (remember, we have a lot of absentee landlords who won’t be providing these bags/tags.
There is merit to this system in that everyone will be required to pay for this service, (much like the water & sewer) so the burden is not on the taxpayer alone. By eventually taking this out of the budget it MUST bring down the tax levy (thus lower taxes for home and business owners) or its not worth the effort).
Another point: without a code enforcement officer in place, this program will not get off the ground efficiently. (in my opinion) Instead, let’s enforce the recycling laws and issue fines for those who don’t. Make it a fine you’ll remember, say $150. To me, that would a better quick fix, then we not only have the time to really work out this other system, but there will be a revenue stream from fines and hopefully lower tipping fees to go with it.

#2 Combining certain services with either the town of Ulster or the County.
Which ones, why, and if you don’t think it is a good idea at all, why not?

#3 Mandatory leaf bagging in the City of Kingston. This nearly passed at this month’s Council meeting Thankfully it was tabled until definite rules were in place on how to enforce the law as well as the details on the $100 per day fine that would be imposed. This was another last minute attempt to save than $10k on the budget without taking into account how it impacts residents in the long run. The way leaves are collected now is indeed inefficient. Why not rent a vacuum truck for 6 weeks instead of using a dump truck, a front end loader, a truck with a basket/plow, and a pick up truck. (not to mention they all sit around while waiting for the dump truck to empty its load when full)

Suggestions, comments?

Happy Thanksgiving

2009-11-25T17:19:00.003-05:00

Be sure to take the time to be thankful for all the wonderful things that touch our lives every day. Enjoy your holiday!

How Do We Fix This?

2009-11-14T00:18:00.006-05:00

One thing that is certain, it is a very difficult time for us. The City of Kingston is facing financial problems that are not unique, many small cities such as ours are facing the same issues. Rising costs for personnel, crumbling infrastructure, and deferred maintenance to public buildings eat away at our balance sheet. Add to the mixture the fact that the tax revenues are down sharply, and the assessed values of city properties are sinking faster than a Jeep in a lake. How can we really expect to keep things going along as usual? Public meetings are well attended with everyone unwilling to have services cut, less police officers, and let's not forget the loss of the Recreation Dept.

At Thursday's Finance & Economic Committee meeting there was a clear message from the 3 unions, and that was the fact that this budget can't be met nor fixed on the backs of the workers alone. You can't make up these huge budget gaps by eliminating the annual raises of these folks, it doesn't even make a dent in the amount needed. What do we do, and how did we get there? The Common Council has a tough job to do and most people don't realize that many of the things they suggest can't be changed due to state mandates/rules or union contracts that were negotiated by the Mayor previously. Let's take a look at a few things that are coming back to take a big bite out of the budget. Look at the Certiorary funds that are needed. I mentioned this on a previous blog where the City of Kingston has had to pay out a lot of $$$ for these claims. This line item has increased by $200,000, and I'm sure that does not cover the claims for this year which was originally budgeted at $30,000. Poor planning and the fact that the Assessors office was so unwilling to consider even the most obvious tax grievances which forced homeowners to take legal action (and homeowners are winning)

Pay To Throw Trash Programs are also something being discussed which will definitely be a lighting rod for controversy. I am in favor of having the not for profits pay for trash pick up, this is a service which is provided and paid for with tax dollars (homeowners should continue to receive this service as provided now) However, I am not optimistic that the powers that be will do sufficient planning to get this program up and running in time (and efficiently). They discussed this at the committee level 6 months ago, why the knee-jerk move now to rush to have it ready by January? While on this topic, why don't we implement mandatory recycling? it is pretty obvious to tell from one's trash who recycles and who doesn't. Why not fine those that don't recycle? (oh, of course, we don't have a code enforcement officer anymore) It seems to me that it would be easy enough to issue a warning then a fine if the violators continues to ignore the rule.

Another thing I find myself doing lately is read the City's Codes. There are a lot of rules on the books that not only would result in cleaner streets if enforced, we would see revenue come from it. In addition to this thought there is definately room to update some of the limits for these fines. Increase a $25 fine to a $150 fine. Violators will think twice if the amount of money they are charged if hefty. (I am not saying to increase ALL fines, but you get the idea) Perhaps the Laws & Rules committee can form a sub committee to look into this next year.

The average job in Kingston pays something like $28,000 per year so this is hardly an economic engine we have here, why are we paying so much for an Economic Development Department? Grants can be obtained at a much lower cost which is where the majority of development has come from lately. (except for CVS and face it, $10/hr jobs are not going to solve our problems) Take a look at the price tag for this department, perhaps it is time to think about restructuring in places such as this.

Auditing each department should also take place next year to get a handle on how many cell phones, vehicles, and other items that may not be necessary any longer should also be a priority. One thing for sure, if we stay focused and continue to scrutinize every penny being spent we may find ways to turn things around.

It Is Obvious

2009-11-06T09:24:00.003-05:00

A crowd of about 350 filled the Common Council Chambers at the first public hearing on the Mayor's proposed 2010 Budget. It is quite obvious that residents, business owners, and others who live and work in the City of Kingston have had enough and are taking part in the process.

Most of them made their point that some sacrifices need to come from the top, not the bottom which will lead to less police officers, no recreation department, and filthy streets.

Again, I urge you to download the budget and take a look. There is a lot there that can't be changed due to union contracts, state regulations, and obligations that were made long ago. The current Common Council has a tough task at hand, but let's hope they do the right thing and reject this proposed budget the way it stands. How much longer can they expect taxpayers to give up more and receive less? Again, we could take a way a few vehicles and cell phones, look at raises that are not under contract, and work from the top on down.

Paying Attention to the Budget

2009-11-03T10:26:00.004-05:00

Take a look at the Proposed 2010 Budget for the City of Kingston. You can download it here from the City's website:

http://www.kingston-ny.gov/

There is one glaring thing I can't get past. Take a look for yourself on page 62.

Notice the salary increase from $64,477 to $76,386 for the director of the Economic Development Dept.
.....and then take away police officers?

Don't forget, there is the Public Hearing for this proposed Budget happening at City Hall on Thursday night, November 5th beginning at 7:30. See you there!

UPDATE: I just want to say a very big THANK YOU!
The unofficial numbers from the Board of Elections show that I will be the next Alderman for Ward 1. I can't tell you how excited I am and that I will work extremely hard to earn the respect of those who I will represent.

Letter to Voters

2009-10-29T12:15:00.002-04:00

Last week at the KURA forum each candidate was asked to bring a piece of literature to hand out to the folks in attendence. I wanted to share my letter with everyone, in particular those of you who live in Ward 1 that read this blog. I do hope everyone gets out to vote on Tuesday.

I would like to thank all of you who are joining us tonight, in doing so you are sharing your voice and proving your desire to see change come to Kingston which we so desperately need. I am committed to work as hard as I can to serve my community and bring accountability back to City Government. Currently Kingston is facing many issues that effect those who live and work here. Quality of life, good jobs, and a sound education for our children are the fundamental forces of any healthy small city. Kingston has so much to offer, yet when
comparing it with other small cities we can’t compete. Our high tax rate, climbing crime statistics, and lack of good paying jobs will continue to erode the base we already have and continue the downward spiral we are seeing take place now.

As your Alderman I can help bring new ideas into the lawmaking committees that will initiate the changes needed to move Kingston forward. I plan to nurture a Ward 1 Community Group which will meet on a regular basis to keep residents informed of what is going on at City Hall. I also want to create a better bond between neighbors which will ultimately strengthen our neighborhood for crime prevention. We recently organized a Forsyth Park clean up day where we spruced up our park which is showing early signs of neglect (budget cuts hurt everyone). Our Ward in particular has flooding issues due to aging sewers & storm drains and I will make it a priority to let the powers that be in City Hall know that this is indeed a widespread problem for many of our residents. I will not be an absentee Alderman.

We also need to address serious issues such as problem tenants, absentee landlords, trash code violations, drug & gang activity, all which effect our quality of life. I was born in Kingston and never thought I would not feel safe driving down some of our streets in broad daylight, sadly I do now. The thought of taking police officers off of our streets is a chilling one. As I look over this new budget proposal which calls for 6 less officers I get frustrated, especially after bearing witness to some of the wasteful spending that is going on in other places of government. Fiscal responsibility is something we must insist on from our lawmakers . I have spent this past year attending Common Council and Committee meetings at all levels to learn the issues and to observe how they are currently being dealt with. This ‘civic education’ has been enlightening to say the least.

As a Realtor who hears every day the needs and wants of homebuyers and sellers, their message is clear, those who are selling can no longer afford the taxes and have little hope left for the future, then the ones looking to settle here often have valid doubts with investing and moving their families. In the business sector the cost to operate is more than double than in neighboring towns. Why would they settle here?

We have an amazing City where I have ‘hometown pride’ and truly want to see it become the vibrant community I remember from years ago. I have a vision, I have experience, and I have the dedication to be help be a part of this change. Thank you.

The Final Countdown

2009-10-27T21:52:00.004-04:00

(if only I could have the song by 1980's hair band Europe playing in the background....)

There is less than a week to go until the election. The lessons I have learned in preparing to not only run for Alderman, but how to be a good one if elected has been a fabulous experience. I have been able to meet others in my Ward who echo my frustrations in how we see our city slip further into disrepair and despair, I find that we can actually use our voices to inspire some change that is needed. This ‘education’ of Council Meetings, Committee meetings, Advisory Panel meetings (you name it, I attended it) has lasted for over 10 months. I went to find out how things are done and I ‘get’ the process. I also bear witness to questionable decisions to spend taxpayer money without full knowledge of the outcome. These are things I will be sure to speak up about if on the Council next year. I do have solid ideas on how we could hopefully create some changes for the better, not only financially but with quality of life issues too.

What is obvious to me is there are people who love living here, myself included. These are tough times ahead. I’m willing to work my butt off, and will do it with honesty, integrity, and accountability the entire way.

KURA's Meet The Candidates Forum

2009-10-20T23:06:00.005-04:00

I wish to thank eveyone at KURA (Kingston Uptown Residents Alliance) for hosting a forum to introduce the Alderman Candidates who will serve the Uptown area of Kingston. The event was well attendend and I believe some very good issues were addressed. Clearly, high taxes are the key issue on everyone's mind. The other issue of taking away police officers also had tremendous impact from the crowd. I do hope to see strength in numbers when the public meetings on the new budget take place in early November. If you want to download the Proposed budget 2010 budget you can do so on on Kingston's website homepage

http://www.kingston-ny.gov/

(be sure to download the Mayor's Budget Message too.)

The Council now has the task of reviewing this proposed budget and lending their input on how things can be cut further or rearranged. All eyes are watching!

Upcoming Events

2009-10-18T22:25:00.004-04:00

With the Elections just 2 weeks away it is time to seriously consider who you are going to select to represent your interests for the next few years. In the City of Kingston now more than ever it is vital to our City’s future that voters take the time to learn about the issues. Here is a list of events where I know I will be in attendance. I hope you come out say hello.

Tuesday October 20th- 6:30PM KURA (Kingston Uptown Residents Alliance)
Meet the Alderman Candidates for Wards 1-5
This will be at Backstage Studio Productions 323 Wall Street
The Kingston Uptown Residents’ Alliance (KURA) is a non-partisan organization of residents, both owners and renters. Its purpose is to address the issues that negatively impact the quality of life for the greater Uptown Kingston neighborhood.For questions or more information please call 888-338-3237 or e-mail us at info@UptownResidents.org

Also

Monday October 26th there is a Meet & Greet Fundraiser for the Kingston Republican Committee at White Eagle Hall from 6-8pm (487 Delaware Ave)
Tickets are $20
Meet the Kingston GOP Alderman Candidates, Ulster County Legislature Candidates, Nina Postupack (County Clerk), and Don Williams (Ulster County Court Judge)

Hopefully you can make it to one of these events to meet your Candidates.
I know that I have been knocking on doors introducing myself and there is nothing better than a ‘face to face’ with someone.

Community Spirit in Action

2009-10-17T20:58:00.006-04:00

Earlier today we had a Community Clean Up Day at Forsyth Park. The weather held out (chilly but not raining!) and we accomplished quite a bit of sweeping, trimming, pruning, raking, and picking up trash. A big shout out needs to go to Butch Amell who contacted me a few months ago wanting to get involved since he was concerned about the condition of the park. His hard work made this event possible (along with his wife Reine). We also want to thank Kevin Gilfeather for arranging to have a dump truck and trash bags on hand for us. We filled it to the top and could have kept going. The generosity of Stewarts and Deisings for providing us with coffee, hot chocolate, and yummy snacks, there was more than enough so the rest was being brought over to the Queen's Galley to share with others.

There is nothing better than the feeling of meeting new people who are willing to give their time to make things better for not only themselves but the rest of their community Heck, we even pulled Hugh Reynolds in to lend a hand as he was walking by.

One thing I do know, Forsyth Park needs some TLC and we need to find a way to make that happen even if we do it ourselves.

Views From The Observation Deck

2009-10-13T23:47:00.001-04:00

A lengthy Planning Board meeting this month was inevitable. There are a lot of things that come before this board that most folks don’t realize. Most places that require any kind of zoning variance or have uses that require regular review come before the Board as they are mandated to do. One thing that I have noticed is that Kingston has a very large amount of rental properties where the landlords do not spend a great deal of time. At this month’s meeting we reviewed a proposal to convert what was once commercial space into multiple one bedroom apartments. The owner explained that the space was vacant for over 2 years and he needed to do something. Another applicant was looking to convert what was once an office space uptown into an apartment, again realizing the potential for residential rental income over a business. I mentioned to the applicant that noisy residents on that very block are a problem and I had concerns of another owner who lives off premises that will not monitor the activities of their tenants. We were assured that this would not be a problem. Hopefully they are correct, we will see in a year when they come back to renew the permit. There were others, but you get the idea.

This got me thinking. Last week’s talk from Rudy Gullianni was inspiring to me. He said that the key to a city’s future has two elements, good jobs and good education.
Take a look at the current conditions in Kingston. What jobs? I don’t believe that a CVS & Walgreens will be the solution. What IS our future are the people who live and work here now. Cutting services to them, making it too expensive to live, and allowing unsafe streets will result in them leaving. Then, the business will be gone, the working class will be gone, what’s left? We need to nurture all of these fledgling industries which include the Digital Corridor folks, The Green Jobs folks, the arts community, and tourism just to name a few.
I’m just so tired of seeing the bar set lower and lower for us all. If tourism is to be a part of our economic future, all of these things need to be addressed first. Tourists want clean, safe places to visit and spend their money. So does the taxpayer.