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* Home
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* City of Kingston, NY
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* Community Opinions on Drinking Water
* Kingston Resident Debra Bresnan on Water Powers Referendum
* Rachel Marco-Havens on Water Powers Referendum
* Karin Wolf on Water Powers Referendum
* It’s Not Just About Bottles. Access to Drinking Water is a Basic Survival
Need. By Johannes Sayre
* “It could very well be said that this water belongs to God, in whatever
form he appears to you.” By David Bruner
* WATER$ by Neil Colligan
* Joining the Call for Good Science Regarding Niagara by Kitty McCullough
* A Series of Shorts by Cambiz Khosravi.
* Is Niagara Bottled Water Worthy of UCCC Students? by Colleen Connors
* Our Water is a Public Good by Jennifer Schwartz Berky (Ward 8)
* Bottling Kingston’s Water by Tom Hackett (Ward 5)
* “About Bottles.” By Allan Goldhammer
* Roxanne Grieve-Smith – Testimony from the 11/4/14 Common Council Meeting
* To the Woodstock Town Board from Save Cooper Lake 11/18/14
* “It’s Like Going to your Garbage Can and Selling What’s In there.” By
Rachel Marco-Havens
* Community Opinions on the Midtown Shooting Range Proposal
* James F. Shaughnessy, Jr.: Proposed Indoor Shooting Range and Location.
* Neil B. Millens: Firearms Law Must Be Properly Vetted
* Jennifer Schwartz Berky: Shooting Range Testimony to Planning Board
(Zoning, Code, Comp Plan and Environmental Justice)
* Debra Bresnan: Testimony on Proposed Shooting Range (Lead and Background
Checks)
* Rabbi Yael Romer: Public Hearing Shooting Range Testimony
* Stephanie Nystrom: Indoor Shooting Ranges Can Cause Elevated Blood Lead
Levels and Lead Poisoning.
* Community Opinions on RUPCO E Square
* RUPCO’s Midtown Housing Project 2015
* Why an Affordable and Mixed-Income Housing Project Makes Sense.
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* Center for Creative Education on 20 Cedar Street (RUPCO)
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* Past Events
* Community Educational Forums: An Eight-Part Series in 2017
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* 6/25/19: Dan Shapley, Director of the Water Quality Program at
Riverkeeper
* 6/18/19: On Charter Reform
* 6/11/19: Jazz Bassist Larry Grenadier
* 5/28/19: Sister Citizens.org
* 5/21/19: On Women in Politics, Power and Harassment
* 4/23/19: CDBG and SEQR
* 4/16/19: Kingstonian Public Hearing
* 4/9/19: Resignations from the HLPC and CP Task Force
* 3/26/19: CP Zoning Task Force, Recycling
* 3/19/19: Kingstonian, Pike Plan Survey
* 3/12/19: Citizenship, Kingstonian and Common Jane
* 3/5/19: Recycling, Kingstonian, Post Office Park and Scenic Hudson
* 2/26/19: Kingstonian and Charter Reform
* 2/19/19: Comp Plan Zoning, Kingstonian, Hudson 7 and RCWA
* 2/12/19: CP Zoning, Kingstonian, Bus Merger
* 2/5/19: GlidePath, Pike Plan, Kingstonian, OurCitizens.org
* 1/29/19: Commissions & Boards, OurCitizens.org and Kingstonian.
* 1/22/19: Kingston Comp Plan Zoning
* 1/15/19: On Community Activism, KC.org Victories and OurCitizens.org
KINGSTONCITIZENS.ORG ADVOCACY TIMELINE: 2007 – PRESENT
May 1, 2023 by kingstonnavigator
Established in 2006, KingstonCitizens.org is a non-partisan, grassroots,
volunteer organization committed to nurturing transparency in local government
through public engagement and participation.
We’ve created this timeline to provide a comprehensive public record of our
campaign advocacy since 2007. You can review our entire history or choose from
one of the 25 categories to select a campaign category that interests you.
If you have any questions or suggestions, please write to:
rebecca@kingstoncitizens.org
Categories Announcements
WELCOME TO KINGSTONCITIZENS.ORG!
September 9, 2019February 25, 2017 by kingstonnavigator
Established in 2006, KingstonCitizens.org is a non-partisan, grassroots,
volunteer organization committed to nurturing transparency in local government
through citizen engagement and participation.
Please subscribe to keep updated on the latest events concerning our community.
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Categories Welcome
HELPFUL MATERIALS FOR CITY OF KINGSTON CHARTER REFORM DISCUSSION
March 25, 2024March 25, 2024 by kingstonnavigator
By Rebecca Martin
A municipal charter is the legal document that defines the organization, powers,
functions, and essential procedures of city government, and the City of Kingston
Common Council might be picking up charter reform again in 2024.
Laws and Rules Council Committee in March, 2024
“Kingston lawmakers mull charter revision” in the Daily Freeman
If they are successful, it will be the first time since the fall of 1993/1994
when the city first adopted a city manager form of government. The outcome was
abruptly overturned a year later, and Kingston became a strong mayor form of
government (which continues to govern us today). You can read the whole sordid
tale by Tom Benton.
The politics of that time period left us with a charter that is plagued with
problems, and that we have raised for over a decade. In our efforts to find
original materials and learn the truth about the trajectory of that process ,
we’ve collected many helpful materials that are now accessible to the public.
It includes timelines, a copy of Kingston’s early charter (with amendments from
1970 – 1985), the proposed City Manager form of government revision from 1993
and more.
For those interested in following along, please review the KingstonCitizens.org
City of Kingston Charter process for all sorts of helpful materials on
Kingston’s Charter.
Categories Charter, Common Council Leave a comment
TOWN OF ULSTER SUPERVISOR JAMES QUIGLEY ANNOUNCES RETIREMENT ON AUGUST 31.
March 8, 2024March 8, 2024 by kingstonnavigator
During the Town of Ulster meeting tonight, Supervisor James Quigley announced
his retirement as of August 31, 2024.
LISTEN to ToU Supervisor James Quigley speech on leaving his position a/o
8/31/24
Listen to the full meeting and review the town’s materials
Categories Town of Ulster Leave a comment
WHO IS ULSTER STRONG?
January 25, 2024 by kingstonnavigator
Ulster Strong is a relatively new local platform with a mission
that deploys “Economic development strategies designed to diversify and
strengthen Ulster County’s economy and quality of life by organizing support for
investors and their partners in government from the business community to help
advance impactful projects; Mobilizes the public to become active participants
in project review processes; Educates the public about the community benefits of
smart growth projects; Provides balance to public discourse on economic
development issues and acts as a resource for investment and development
prospects.”
Orchestrated by Dan Ahouse, the principal of Stockade Strategies, a consulting
firm that organized some of the strategies for the controversial Kingstonian
Project (once listed as “current” to now “former” client), he was quoted in a
recent article written by the Rockland County Business Journal:
“What Ahouse noticed was that planning and zoning meetings were filled with
opponents of the project but no one was speaking on behalf of the business
community that favored it. The strategist noted that groups opposing development
have become adept at organizing and spreading their message. “I was thinking
about my experiences organizing political campaigns and my understanding of
activists,” said Ahouse, adding that what became clear was the business
community needed to employ similar grassroots tactics to have a voice when
projects are navigating through the planning and zoning board stages.”
They have officers and board members and likely consultants – who are not
identified – that handle their communications and social media. As a private
entity, there isn’t any way to track who funds them and that might include
developers with deep pockets who want to bring projects to Ulster County for
profit, whether they are in our community’s best interests or not.
They are clever, working to emulate the work of groups like ours as a service to
their corporate clients. But they haven’t anything in common with us –
a volunteer, community-based organization committed to improving the quality of
life of Kingston residents through accountability and transparency of their
local government.
It is of course true that not all of their projects are bad. But political
operators need watchdogs, so keep an eye on them. You can be sure we will, too.
Categories Economic Development, Kingstonian Leave a comment
JUNE PRIMARY: Q&A ON EARLY VOTING AND PRIMARY DAY
June 19, 2023 by kingstonnavigator
Early voting has begun in a closed Democratic primary election contest in
Kingston. It includes a citywide Mayoral race and seats in Wards 1 and 4.
In all of Ulster County, those who can vote early in the June primary include
(as per the Ulster County Board of Elections): All registered Democrats in:
Shandaken, Woodstock, Saugerties, Kingston, New Paltz, Gardiner and Hurley; All
registered Republicans in: Shawangunk; All registered Working Families Party in:
Saugerties.
Early Voting: June 17 – 25
Primary Election: June 27
If your municipality is not listed, it’s because there is not more than one
candidate seeking a spot on the ballot for any given party during the General
Election ballot in November.
Here are a few helpful key questions and answers to help you during this primary
season. Get out and vote!
1. What is a primary election? In a primary election, each political party
selects its candidates to run for office during the general election in
November. The candidates who get the highest number of votes in the primary
election go on to run in the general election.
2. Can anyone vote in a “closed” primary? During a closed primary, only voters
registered with that party can take part and vote.
3. Do I have a primary to vote in? Not all election districts have a primary.
If there is not more than one person trying to seek a particular party line
on the general election ballot, there would not be a primary.
4. What if I am not registered in the party that I want to cast a vote in? In
NYS, as a current, registered voter, you must have changed your party
affiliation by Feb 12 to the party you want to vote with. If that is not
done, you will not be registered with that party and you cannot vote
because in NYS primaries are closed.
5. Can I vote for a person if I do not live in that municipality in a primary
election? A voter may only vote within their local voting district for any
election.
6. Can I register today and vote? NYS currently does not have same day
registration. This year, that was only available on June 17 as the last day
to register as a NEW voter. Under the current law, only on that one day
could you register and vote.
7. What happens if I am not in the voter rolls and I did register to vote? You
can vote by affidavit ballot, which is then counted by the Board of
Elections. If you have met the criteria to vote after their investigation
your vote will be counted. If your registration does not fit the criteria,
it cannot be counted. The BOE will then send you a letter explaining why so
you can correct it for the next election.
8. Why are there no referendums on the ballot? Referendums appear on the ballot
in General Elections in November and not during a primary contest.
9. Why would I not have a ballot to vote on? In the city of Kingston, there is
a citywide democratic primary for Mayor. That means that every registered
democrat can vote during this primary election. If you live in Wards 1 and
4, your ballot will include a primary contest for your democratic
representative on the Kingston common council.
For more information, visit:
Early Voting Information:
https://elections.ulstercountyny.gov/early-voting/
Frequently Asked Questions:
https://elections.ulstercountyny.gov/frequently-asked-questions/
Find your polling place:
https://vic.ntsdata.com/home/ulster
Voter Registration Deadlines:
https://www.elections.ny.gov/VotingDeadlines.html
Categories Common Council, Mayor's Office, Primaries Leave a comment
KINGSTON CELEBRATES LGBTQ PRIDE MONTH IN JUNE
June 4, 2023 by kingstonnavigator
By Rebecca Martin
One of the things that we love about Kingston is its support for our LGBTQ
community. On June 1, 2023, the city signed a proclamation claiming June, 2023
LGBTQ Pride Month in the City of Kingston. KingstonCitizens.org stands
firmly in loving support.
Categories LGBTQ Leave a comment
ULSTER COUNTY AND CITY OF KINGSTON DISCUSS RIGHTS FOR THE HUDSON RIVER
June 4, 2023June 4, 2023 by kingstonnavigator
By Rebecca Martin
The City of Kingston and Ulster County are both discussing the Rights of the
Hudson River. It’s time.
With major threats that include PCBs, anchorages, transmission cables,
radioactive discharges and more, community members in the City of Kingston and
Ulster County have been working with elected officials to bring forward
legislation and memorializing resolutions to imagine providing rights to the
Hudson River and its watershed.
Ulster County: FACEBOOK EVENT
Ulster County Legislator Phil Erner has been collaborating with community
members from The Eco-Assembly to bring forward legislation for Rights of the
Hudson River. On June 1, the Ulster County Legislature’s Energy, Environment
and Sustainability Committee passed a resolution for a public hearing on July
18. LISTEN to that discussion that begins at 10:00.
The request will go to the full legislature on June 13 for approval.
City of Kingston: FACEBOOK EVENT
In the City of Kingston, Paul Tobin and Chief Mann, the Turtle Clan Chief of the
Ramapough Lenape Nation with the support of Julie Noble, the city’s
Environmental Education and Sustainability Coordinator, recently introduced
Memorializing Resolution #95 calling for a “Bill of Rights for the Hudson River,
Also Known as the Mahicantuck, and its Watershed and Ecosystem” to the Kingston
Common Council’s Laws and Rules Committee that passed unanimously in May and
that will go to the floor on June 6. The council is discussing many important
items that we are following, this being one of them.
Please join our Facebook events linked above for important updates and to learn
how you can participate.
RESOURCES
LISTEN: On the Green Radio Hour with Jon Bowermaster “Does nature have rights? A
conversation…”
Categories Rights of Hudson River Leave a comment
CITY OF KINGSTON FORM-BASED-CODE AND THE REAL BARRIER TO CREATING AFFORDABLE
HOUSING THAT THE CITY AND COUNTY PLANNING BOARDS ARE IGNORING
April 24, 2023April 23, 2023 by kingstonnavigator
By Rebecca Martin
At the recent Kingston Common Council Laws and Rules Committee meeting on April
19, Director of Housing Initiatives Bartek Starodaj provided an update on
Kingston Forward and Kingston’s Form-Based-Code environmental review process,
announcing that the zoning code would be in front of the common council (the
lead agency of the review process) soon for a vote. There was alot presented
that included Parking Standards, SD Waterfront, Density, Short Term Rentals in
Accessory Dwelling Units, Minimum Parking Amendments and Inclusionary Zoning
Provisions.
The Kingston common council will be presented with a final Common Council Zoning
Discussion #3: Implementation and Enforcement “deep dive” on Monday, April 24 at
6:30pm. The meeting is open to the public.
HUD vs. ACS for Kingston AMIs
The Inclusionary Zoning Provision segment outlined that for seven (7) or more
apartment units, the Area Median Income (AMI) is being proposed at 80% for
affordable and 120% for workhouse housing units (the percentage for workhouse in
the 2.0 version increased by 20% in the 3.0 version).
120% AMI is considered market rate housing.
According to Starodaj, the AMI was set by the US Department of Housing and Urban
Development (HUD) where both the City of Kingston and Ulster County AMI numbers
were the same. But Ward 9 Council Member Michelle Hirsch pointed out that the
American Community Survey (ACS) data, which is an ongoing survey that provides
data each year about the social, economic, housing and demographic
characteristics of communities, shows that the City of Kingston’s AMI is nearly
$30,000 less than Ulster County’s. For a household of four people, 80% AMI in
Kingston was $47,072 while Ulster County was $76,800. Hirsch also shared
concern that those who rely on Section 8 Housing Choice Vouchers (HCV), a
program that enables the lowest income households in NYS to rent decent, safe
housing in the private housing market by providing rental assistance, would
unlikely be able to find or afford an apartment in the City of Kingston.
Meanwhile, Bartek expressed concern that by “deepening” these percentages for
those living in Kingston under 80% AMI could lead to chasing away developers
from building in Kingston.
A new housing study for Kingston?
The City of Kingston has changed dramatically since it adopted its most recent
comprehensive plan on April 5, 2016 and Kingston, like most communities around
the US, got hammered during and following the pandemic. Council member Hirsch
asked if the City of Kingston had a housing study that would look at all the
AMIs and current housing stock in the community to provide the city with a plan
to help make good decisions about setting housing standards now. “The whole
point of Form-Based-Code is to provide housing for people that need housing and
can’t afford it. The incomes in Kingston don’t line up with what is being
proposed here.” she said.
PILOAH and Affordable Housing Fund
“The fear is that if the developer can’t find a way to cover affordable units in
it’s development they will walk away.” – Bartek Starodaj
Recently, KingstonCitizens.org wrote about the city proposing a policy that
would allow developers to be able to opt-out of 10% Affordable Units with a
Payment-in-Lieu-of Affordable Housing. It included an Affordable Housing Fund as
a placeholder without any clarity on policy and procedure that turned up in
recent version (3.0) of the Kingston Form-Based-Code. Later, we stumbled across
a request for proposal (RFP) from December of 2022 with a timeline for the city
to hire a consultant for guidance on creating the fund by April even though a
PILOAH hadn’t yet been adopted.
We followed up with Bartek in an email to ask what had become of the RFP where
we copied local housing advocates and members of our common council. He
confirmed that the city had established an RFP committee for this project, which
included a representative from the Common Council (when we asked Council
President Andrea Shaut, who would typically assign a council member to serve in
this manner, she told us that she wasn’t aware of the committee or who from the
council participated) and after reviewing the submission (s?) earlier this year
ultimately declined to hire a consultant. We asked for minutes and to learn who
served on that committee, what consultants responded and why the city chose not
to proceed. After several attempts, we were told to submit a Freedom of
Information Law (FOIL) in order to receive that information.
During the Laws and Rules committee meeting, Barbara Graves-Poller, the City of
Kingston’s Corporation Counsel, said that she would provide the council with
information about the PILOAH and the Affordable Housing Fund in the coming days.
Hopefully during tomorrow’s public “deep dive” that information can be shared
publicly.
Parking requirements are one of the real barriers to creating affordable housing
in Kingston
Michael Kodransky, a new resident in the City of Kingston and an urban
planner, waited hours that evening in order to provide the council with his
COMMENTS on what the city needed to do in order to remove barriers for the
creation of more affordable housing.
‘’What stirred my desire to share comments, is being alarmed around parking
requirements of the Kingston and Ulster County planning board recommendation
around the minimum parking requirements. I have been working with around 10
other people (residents) in Kingston who are equally alarmed. They include
parking similar to euclidean zoning and that is not what form-based-code is. If
you haven’t been following the news lately (Harpers Magazine: Lots to Lose),
parking is in the news quite a lot, and the reason is is because housing crisis
in Kingston is a national crisis, there’s a shortage of housing all across the
nation and it’s forcing municipalities to reevaluate their parking regulations
if they exist. And those municipalities like Buffalo, Hartford, that are
abandoning their parking regulations are seeing new development.”
“At this juncture in Kingston to consider putting in parking requirements when
there is a housing shortage, when we know according to the 2030 climate action
plan that 40% of climate emissions come from driving trips, studies increasingly
show that the inclusion of parking undermines multi-model policies. We don’t
have any travel demand management ordinance in the city or any understanding of
existing private parking that currently exists. It seems like the planning board
at the city and county did a copy and paste job from guide books that are being
abandoned all over the county. It’s like they haven’t been paying attention to
what’s been happening over the last 20 years in the urban planning space. Every
week, a new municipality around the country is abandoning their parking
requirements…to see the planning board in Kingston and Ulster County recommend
to put them in does not make any sense.”
“I encourage the common council to seriously look into this issue, because
it increases the cost of construction, and it doesn’t seem as though the
planning board on either the city or county level has spoken to any small or
medium scale developers to see how this impacts their financial feasibility or
banks or insurance to understand what the underwriting for small scale
developments would be with these types of requirements. Essentially, these
councils and boards are making market intervention recommendations without
actually understanding the market implications and the implications on the
production of housing. The costs of these types of requirements trickle down to
everything else. Services, too.”
“That is correct.” said Ward 3 council member Rennie Scott Childress. “We agree
with you.” said Ward 4 Rita Worthington
“I encourage you to accept the code that the consultant proposed with no parking
requirements. There’s a reason they did that. They listened to what people were
saying and what the policy outcomes were that we asked for which is affordable
housing. A place that’s connected and affordable. This is an irrational burden
for developers and the community. Listen to what the consultants proposed, there
is a reason. The public was asking for these outcomes that were reflected in the
consultant’s recommendations.”
Mic drop.
Categories Affordable Housing, Common Council, Zoning Leave a comment
PAYING IT FORWARD: KINGSTONCITIZENS.ORG SUPPORTS THE TOWN AND VILLAGE OF ST.
JOHNSVILLE, NY’S EFFORT TO PROTECT THEIR DRINKING WATER SOURCE FROM NESTLE
April 23, 2023April 18, 2023 by kingstonnavigator
In 2018, we learned about a potential drinking water deal between Nestle and the
Town and Village of St. Johnsville, NY, North of Kingston located on the Mohawk
River in the Hudson River watershed. Quickly, we identified the advocates
working on this problem and outreached to them in order to offer our support and
experience from the ground where we were successful in knocking out the Niagara
Bottling proposal who was looking to purchase 1.75m GPD of our drinking water
supply back in 2014.
Five years later, their community wrote to alert us that they had succeeded in
beating back the Nestle deal. What’s more, is that the community members who
were on the frontline went on to run for office and win elections to replace
both the Town Supervisor and Village Mayor in St. Johnsville, NY.
We must pay it forward when so many community members provide their invaluable
time and expertise to protect their community from the privatization of their
municipal drinking water source. In that spirit, we will continue to offer our
support to communities as we have done now for a decade. We believe that those
who experience the same positive result will do so, too.
When did you first learn about Nestle coming to your community?
In 2018, the St. Johnsville Chamber of Commerce announced that Nestlé Waters was
granted permission to perform a study of our municipal water supply as they had
an interest in sourcing water.
What were they asking for?
At that time their request was simply to study our water supply.
What is your municipal water supply? Do community members have a say in how it’s
managed or sold?
Our primary water supply comes from Congdon Springs in Ephratah, NY- about 7
miles from the village. Our secondary water source Is the Burgess Well, which is
located within the village. Residents do not have a say in the way water is
managed or sold.
How long have you been organizing around this problem? Can you list all of the
members of your strategic group, and how did you all succeed?
Community members began watching this study since the fall of 2018. Since 2022,
our group has been very actively following. Dawn White (now the new mayor of the
Village of St. Johnsville), Phoebe Sitterly (now the new supervisor of the Town
of St. Johnsville), Jordan McDaniel and Katrina Caringi championed this effort.
What have you learned throughout this process?
If something doesn’t “seem right”, it probably isn’t. Don’t be afraid to stand
up and advocate for what’s important!
How did KingstonCitizens.org help your effort? Are you interested in providing
the same support for other communities that find themselves in this position?
Back in 2018, we met with Rebecca Martin and she was kind to offer guidance.
Through time, the lessons that KingstonCitizens.org learned has proved to be
very helpful. We were given hope that there was something that could be done to
stop them and we would be happy to help other communities.
Categories drinking water 1 Comment
ARE WE ON OUR WAY TO PRIVATIZING PUBLIC HOUSING IN THE CITY OF KINGSTON?
April 4, 2023April 4, 2023 by kingstonnavigator
By Rebecca Martin
There are around 481 apartments managed by the Kingston Housing Authority that
some say accounts for approximately 10% of the City of Kingston’s population. It
is a critical source of deeply affordable and stable housing for very low and
extremely low-income individuals, and particularly for people of color, single
mothers, people with disabilities and seniors.
Over the last 20 years, budgets have been dramatically slashed for annual
funding for repairs and everyday operations. These cuts have impacted both the
availability and the habitability of housing. It has forced residents to live
with heating system and plumbing failures, water leaks, pest infestations,
peeling lead paint, and harmful mold. Years of deferred maintenance has caused
the cost of repairing these homes to skyrocket. Steadily, public housing in
municipalities are being taken over by private investors to manage and maintain
these properties.
What is the Kingston Public Housing Authority?
According to its website, “The Kingston Housing Authority (KHA) provides homes
for low-income City of Kingston Families and is an organization with a proud
history and enviable reputation. In 1948 its dream of quality, affordable
housing for area citizens was formalized. In 1953, it was put into action with
the opening of Colonial Gardens. Over the years, hundreds of apartments were
constructed and have provided the foundations for family and elderly communities
around Kingston.”
The Authority is governed by a seven-member board, five commissioners that are
appointed by the City’s Mayor with two elected members by the tenants
Today the Housing Authority manages six different communities that include:
* Colonial Gardens
* Colonial Gardens Addition
* Wiltwyck Gardens
* Rondout Gardens
* Stuyvesant Charter
* Brigham Senior Housing
The KHA’s properties serve residents with Area Median Income (AMI) that,
according to HUD, include Very Low Income (31-50% AMI) and Extremely Low Income
(0-30% AMI).
In a recent post, we reported on Kingston’s Form-Based-Code including in its
most recent draft a Pilot-in-lieu of Affordable Housing (PILOAH) that would lead
to an Affordable Housing Fund. Last week, we learned that the city staff had
already hired a consultant to provide guidance on creating a fund even though a
PILOAH hasn’t yet been approved. Although the verdict is still out as to whether
or not that’s a good idea, if it does come into play, then this is the
population that that fund should serve.
In a 2021 report by New York State Comptroller Thomas P. DiNapoli, DiNapoli
found that the Kingston Housing Authority “did not provide adequate oversight of
Authority operations. As a result: Budgets were not entered into the financial
system and financial transactions were not properly captured; Adequate oversight
of disbursements, bank transfers and bank reconciliations were not achieved;
$6.51 million in disbursements and bank transfers were made without review or
approval; $1,035 in management fees were incorrectly billed; Financial system
access was not properly administered.”
When important programs fail, it’s generally due, at least in part, to poor
management. Privatizing our public housing complexes in Kingston as a preferred
solution to deferred maintenance is a bad outcome that is not well understood by
the community.
Privatizing public housing in the City of Kingston: Mountco awarded bids on
Stuyvesant Charter in addition to four other public housing complexes.
At last month’s Kingston Common Council caucus, Ward 9 council member Michelle
Hirsch provided an update on Kingston Housing Authority developments, including
the most recent Request for Qualifications (RFQ) issued by the Kingston Housing
Authority in October of 2021 of a redevelopment and new development proposal for
four of Kingston’s public housing complexes that include Colonial Gardens,
Colonial Gardens Addition, Wiltwyck Gardens (all state funded complexes) and
Rondout Gardens (the sole federally funded complex).
As an aside, can the KHA mix federal and state housing complexes together for an
RFQ?
The RFQ request was seeking developer applications to be submitted by January of
2022 for a developer selection to be made by February, 2022. Because the
Kingston Housing Authority hasn’t any minutes or documents listed on their
website, we don’t know how many applications were submitted or how the projects
were rated before Mountco Construction and Development (Mountco) was awarded the
bid. According to sources, they are already walking through the Colonial Gardens
Addition and Rondout Gardens. If that’s true, then we presume those will be the
first on their list for improvements.
Four years ago, the Kingston Housing Authority issued an RFQ for the Stuyvesant
Charter Apartments, which was also awarded to Mountco. They are currently
making renovations and moving residents into “pods” while making these
improvements. According to Hirsch’s update, a ribbon cutting is slated for May
where folks from Albany are expected to attend.
Who is Mountco, what are their goals and is our community comfortable that they
are a key player in Kingston’s public housing?
The City of Kingston looks to be well underway in privatizing its public housing
complexes. According to the NYS Public Housing Law article 58, it says that the
“Sale of dwelling units by authorities” of any state or federal public housing
project requires the “local legislative body in the case of a municipal project”
to have a say in the sale of public housing units. Did the Kingston Common
Council weigh in and if not, should they have? What about the general public?
How can we engage on what happens to public housing in Kingston in order to
provide input to protect our most vulnerable residents?
If you have concerns about public housing in Kingston, you can contact your
council member. Ward 3 council member Rennie Scott Childress also serves on the
KHA board. You can reach out to him, too, independently to learn more.
Categories Affordable Housing, Public Housing Leave a comment
UPCOMING PUBLIC HEARING ON KINGSTON FORWARD CITYWIDE FORM-BASED CODE DGEIS ON
MARCH 23
March 20, 2023March 19, 2023 by kingstonnavigator
By Rebecca Martin
On Thursday, March 23 at 6:30pm, a public hearing on the Forward Citywide
Form-Based Code draft Generic Environmental Impact Statement. (“DGEIS”) will
occur at Kingston City Hall. Currently, the hearing is scheduled to occur in the
Common Council’s conference Room 1 indicating that the city is not anticipating
many residents to attend.
UPDATE: The meeting will be moved to council chambers
KingstonCitizens.org has requested that it be moved to council chambers in order
to accommodate more members of the public. Community members can make the same
request by calling or writing Bartek Starodaj, Director of Housing Initiatives
at (845) 334-3928 or bstarodaj@kingston-ny.gov
“Resolution 50 of 2023, that passed on March 7, 2023 when the Common Council,
the lead agency for the Form-Based Code State Environmental Quality Review
(“SEQR”), voted to accept the draft Generic Environmental Impact Statement
(“DGEIS”) as complete in scope and content. The Common Council also voted to
schedule a public hearing on Thursday, March 23th with an open public comment
period that will continue through April 10th. ”
An important moment for the public and housing in the City of Kingston
Although we are nearing the end of the citywide Form-Based Code process, the
Kingston Common Council as Lead Agency of the State Environmental Quality Review
(“SEQR”) as a type 1 action has an obligation to hear from and respond to the
public in its determination of whether or not the DGEIS is either adequate or
deficient.
We continue to fully support a Form-Based Code for Kingston as well as the city
and the council in its work to create a unique code for the Kingston community.
To do that, we have identified some questions and concerns out ahead of
Thursday’s public hearing. It’s important that the public is confident that the
council is guided by Kingston-centric data that takes into account pandemic
conditions so that the code, once passed, is inclusive to make housing
affordable for all.
Affordable Housing vs. Low Income Housing
In the City of Kingston, we have often heard people speak about Affordable
Housing and Low Income housing interchangeably when they are not the same.
Affordable housing defines properties that take up less than 30% of a renter’s
income. Low Income housing describes residences designed to support renters
struggling to keep up with rising rental costs. These distinctions are important
for our new code so that Low Income families are not left behind.
According to HUD’s Median Family Income Calculation Methodology and Income limit
definitions, Low Income ranges from 51% – 80% Annual Median Income (“AMI”). If
the city sets Affordable Housing at 80% AMI, then according to these figures, we
are at the high end of AMI for Low Income housing and may not be attainable in
this climate for our Low Income families in Kingston. Furthermore, if the city
plans to privatize its public housing authority units as it is currently doing,
what will happen to the Very Low Income (31-50% AMI) and Extremely Low Income
(0-30% AMI) families living here now? We need more definitions, requirements
and incentives for other categories in order to address the housing crisis in
the City of Kingston.
Ulster County vs. City of Kingston Median Income
In the DGEIS, Ulster County rather than City of Kingston median incomes are
guiding affordable. At a glance, according to the US Census (2021), the City of
Kingston median income is $58,840 while in Ulster County for the same period is
$71,010. That sample alone proves that there are tangible differences between
the two.
So why is the code using Ulster County rather than City of Kingston data for the
city’s unique zoning code? In the public comments of the Kingston Community
Review (Draft 2.0, line 105), staff wrote that the Ulster County Area Median
Income figure is referenced “because HUD does not publish AMI levels specific to
Kingston,” and that, “the current draft is simplified to reference the
applicable HUD definition.”
Is the council confident that HUD does not publish AMI levels for Kingston, and
is it in our community’s best interest to “simplify” during a housing crisis to
turn Ulster County’s AMI into law? What is the Ulster County AMI doing or not
doing to provide opportunities and access for more people who live in the City
of Kingston now?
Developers may be able to opt-out of 10% Affordable Units with
Payment-in-Lieu-of Affordable Housing
A Payment-in-Lieu-of Affordable Housing (“PILOAH”) is included in the Kingston
Form Based Code 3.0, page 114 , where the criteria is not clearly defined, as
criteria would be set and adopted by the Kingston Common Council at some later
date. Here, the developer is provided an option to make a Payment-in-Lieu of
Affordable Housing instead of providing on-site affordable or workforce housing
units into an Affordable Housing Fund.
On March 16, Bartok Starodaj provided the council with a presentation on the
housing changes to the Form-Based-Code and at that time, was not able to go into
any detail about the municipalities where a PILOAH is successfully implemented
or provide examples of policy of how an Affordable Housing Fund is used.
Since an Executive Order was issued in December 2020, all applicants requesting
site plan approval with the City of Kingston’s Planning board building more than
5 units of housing anywhere in the City are required to have at least 10% of its
units affordable without any loopholes.
Where did the PILOAH come from and is it wise for the council turn it into law
in the code before policies are clearly defined? What should be considered is
continuing to require 10% affordable units for all housing projects as well as
to include more income ranges than is currently required now as affordable.
Council sets a special meeting to approve the Stony Run Apartments deal ahead of
the Form Based Code public hearing as well as the code for housing criteria
becoming law.
As the City of Kingston works on defining housing for development in its code,
the council has set-up a special meeting on March 22nd to consider approving a
deal with Aker Cos that would allow the developer to raise rents in vacant units
unilaterally to the maximum amount allowed by the agreement or 120% AMI. An
approval for 120% AMI in any capacity would preempt both the public hearing on
March 23 and the Form-Based-Code process before it concludes.
Next steps
1. Attend the upcoming public hearing on the Forward Citywide Form-Based Code
draft Generic Environmental Impact Statement (DGEIS) on Thursday, March 23 at
6:30pm at Kingston City Hall. If you cannot attend in person, written comments
may be emailed to Bartek Starodaj, Director of Housing Initiatives, via
bstarodaj@kingston-ny.gov or dropped off at the City Clerk’s Office. Consider
the following items on housing:
* Affordable housing and low income housing are not interchangeable. The code
should include more definitions, requirements and incentives for all
categories of housing in order to accommodate the housing crisis in the City
of Kingston;
* Kingston’s code should be informed by the most up-to-date data for the City
of Kingston median income and not Ulster County;
* A Payment-in-Lieu of Affordable Housing and Affordable Housing Fund needs
policies before being included in the code as law. Otherwise it should be
removed.
2. Attend the Special Common Council meeting on March 22nd at 7:30pm at Kingston
City Hall.
* Request that the council table the Aker deal until it has had the opportunity
to respond to all additional questions during the Form-Based-Code SEQR
process and adopts Kingston’s new code into law.
Categories Affordable Housing, Common Council, Housing, Zoning 2 Comments
TWO UPCOMING HISTORIC PRESERVATION TALKS AT THE KINGSTON PUBLIC LIBRARY
February 12, 2023 by kingstonnavigator
Attention historic preservation enthusiasts and newbies: Kingstoncitizens.org
contributor Marissa Marvelli is hosting two free presentations at the Kingston
Library that you should know about. The first one, Saturday February 18, is an
introduction to researching buildings in Ulster County. She’ll also talk about
historic rehabilitation tax credits. The second one, Saturday March 11, will
feature Derrick McNab, one of Kingston’s greatest fonts of knowledge when it
comes to restoring historic buildings.
Saturday February 18, 1pm: Research Your Historic House with Marissa Marvelli –
Got an old house? Curious about who lived there or when it was built? Bring your
questions to Marissa Marvelli, a Kingston local and an award-winning historic
preservation professional. She’ll show you the available resources to help you
become an expert on your home. Historic maps, deeds, census records, newspaper
archives, city directories and other materials contain a treasure trove of
information waiting to be mined.
Saturday March 11, 1pm: Ask a Historic Restoration Expert: Discussion with
Derrick McNab – Wondering what to do with your old windows? Got roof repair
issues? Thinking about installing new insulation? Want to avoid a bad masonry
job? Wondering if your contractor is right for the job? In March, program
organizer Marissa Marvelli will hand the mic over to Kingston-based Derrick
McNab, an expert in all things pertaining to historic building restoration. His
many skills include decorative paint work, plastering, woodworking and
finishing, masonry restoration, and slate roofing and repair. He will discuss
common restoration and maintenance issues and practical approaches to addressing
them.
A (Working) Preservation Guide for Historic Property Owners and Enthusiasts in
Ulster Co., NY. Last month, Marissa Marvelli shared a working GOOGLE
DOCUMENT with the public and a goal of it becoming a comprehensive preservation
guide for Ulster County. Marissa is a real treasure and we give her thanks for
all that she does for Kingston and Ulster County.
Categories Historic, how to..., Kingston Public Library, Women and Civic Life
Leave a comment
LIGHTS OUT NORLITE, OUR PARTNERS IN COHOES, NY., NEED THE SUPPORT OF SOLID WASTE
MANAGEMENT ADVOCATES AND CLIMATE JUSTICE GROUPS NOW
January 28, 2023 by kingstonnavigator
Last year, KingstonCitizens.org was was one of 140 organizations that signed
onto a letter urging the Governor and NYS Department of Environmental
Conservation to deny the renewal of the permit for the Norlite Hazardous Waste
Incinerator in Cohoes, NY to support our important Hudson Valley Solid Waste
Management partners Lights Out Norlite. That effort was successful in getting
the state to stop the “illegal” burning of AFFF toxic firefighting foam at the
plant – though they continue to operate the plant on an expired permit right
next door to a public housing authority.
PAUSE (People of Albany United for Safe Energy), the 350.org affiliate in the
Capital District, is urging climate justice groups your organization to sign on
to a letter to the State Attorney General asking her to support the motion by
Lights Out Norlite to intervene in the lawsuit her office, along with DEC, has
filed against the Norlite hazardous waste incinerator and aggregrate facility in
Cohoes NY.
The letter outlines why the AG should support giving the residents who live by
this public nuisance the right to have a strong voice in the litigation to
finally clean up – and hopefully shut down – this facility that that has been
polluting an environmental justice community for decades. While it is the judge
in the case that will make the ultimate decision, it would be good to have the
AG supporting it; we expect that NYS DEC as usual will oppose giving citizens a
voice, and Norlite will oppose.
Since the judge may rule on the motion to intervene in early February, we need
to convince the AG to not oppose the motion as soon as possible. We plan to send
the letter by Friday, February 3.
If you are a climate justice group, you can sign the letter here. Visit links
to the complaint and memo of support from Lights Out Norlite.
Categories Solid Waste Management Leave a comment
THE KINGSTON MEADOWS SENIOR HOUSING PROJECT LOCATED IN A FLOOD PLAIN RETURNS…FOR
AT LEAST THE THIRD TIME
January 23, 2023January 20, 2023 by kingstonnavigator
By Rebecca Martin
Kingston Meadows, a planned 60-unit senior citizens housing complex behind the
Holiday Inn off Washington Avenue and located in a flood plain (Watch the video.
One of the planning board members, who is an affordable housing developer,
publicly stated that she had a parent in a senior housing project and wouldn’t
want her parent situated in this project site. She was a no vote), went before
the City of Kingston’s Planning Board on January 17. The proposal called for a
three-story, 65,145-square-foot building comprising 58 one-bedroom units and two
two-bedroom units.
This is at least the third time that this project has appeared before the City
of Kingston planning board. One of the benefits of doing advocacy work in
Kingston for nearly 20 years is that I’ve got some institutional memory. I
encourage residents to pay attention to this proposal. We don’t want our elders
living in a new, profitable construction surrounded by an unintended moat. They
deserve better.
This is what I recall.
In 2011, the Ulster County Planning board voiced significant concerns relating
to the “public safety and the completeness of the information provided” read the
three-page report at that time. Worries about “seasonal flooding, rail trail
connections and site access” were raised by the Ulster County planning board’s
review process. It was our understanding at that time that if there was a public
subsidy request for the project, it went against the Ulster County Planning
Board, the NYSDEC, and State Infrastructure Act funding, and could therefore not
be approved.
Two years later in 2013, the Kingston Planning Board decided that the proposed
senior citizen complex would not have significant impacts regardless of the
Ulster County planning boards concerns. The project laid dormant.
Now, nearly ten years later, the proposal has emerged again and the City of
Kingston planning board granted site plan approval to the project, once more
overruling the Ulster County planning board’s referral that stated the project
should not be approved.
The minutes to the Ulster County planning board for December and January are not
yet available. But you can WATCH the Kingston Planning Board discussion from
January 17, 2023.
RESOURCES
1. Ulster County Planning Board recommendation letter from (2012): “The Ulster
County Planning Board reviewed this proposal for site plan approval in January,
2011. As part of that review the Board recommended that the project be
disapproved as the “UCPB has significant concerns as it relates to public safety
and the completeness of the information provided to the extent that it believes
the project should have a positive declaration under SEQRA.” This re-submittal
answers some of the objections raised in 2011, but in the UCPB’s opinion, the
project still has multiple issues that argue against its approval.”
2. City of Kingston Conservation Advisory Council (CAC) “The City of Kingston
Conservation Advisory Commission has been following this proposed
development project since 2012. The CAC is resubmitting comments made in
2012 and2016. This type of project, a valuable asset to our
community with additional housing for the senior demographic, still presents
issues with effects on Esopus Creek and flooding of the Creek.
The SEQR Negative Declaration should be reconsidered at this time.”
Categories Kingston Meadows Senior Housing Complex Leave a comment
THE CITY OF KINGSTON’S DRINKING WATER SUPPLY IS COOPER LAKE
August 26, 2022August 25, 2022 by kingstonnavigator
Photo credits: Kevin Smith, Woodstock Land Conservancy 8/24/22
By Rebecca Martin
Cooper Lake is located in the Town of Woodstock and is the largest natural lake
in the Catskill Mountains. It stores water from the Mink Hollow Stream in
addition to water that reaches the lake from its nearly 9 square-mile
watershed.
It is also the City of Kingston’s primary drinking water source.
The City of Kingston Water Department was founded on May 27, 1895 by a special
act of the New York State Legislature to provide potable water to the residents
of the City of Kingston. It is a financially and administratively independent
department within the City of Kingston funded by drinking water users (and not
tax dollars) and is governed by the Board of Water Commissioners. The Board is a
continuously sitting body and each member is appointed to a five (5) year term
by the Mayor. The Mayor is also a voting member of the Board and the Kingston
Common Council assigns a liaison in January of each year to monitor their
business.
The Early History of Water, Woodstock and Kingston by Richard Heppner
Our area is in the midst of a drought. At the same time, important dam
construction at Cooper Lake is underway in order to bring the dam into
compliance to meet the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation
(NYSDEC) regulations. It’s a project that’s been in the works for many years.
In preparation, last July Cooper Lake was lowered by 10 feet below its maximum
capacity and that level must be maintained throughout the dam work that is
scheduled through November of 2023. The process began before our current drought
emergency that has escalated and was raised to Stage II on August 11.
At times like these, Kingston is fortunate to have a secondary drinking water
source – the Ashokan Reservoir. Many communities that I work with haven’t got a
plan B. Although the infrastructure is not yet connected, the New York City
Department of Environmental Protection (NYCDEP) has run pipes under Route 28 at
Basin Road and part way down Sawkill so that the Kingston Water Department would
be able to tap into the reservoir if they ever needed to. They never have –
until now.
In the early 2000’s, the Town of Ulster signed a long standing agreement to
purchase 700,000 gallons per day (GPD) whether they used all of it or not from
the Kingston Water Department making them one of our largest drinking water
users. That agreement was recently brought to a halt because of the seriousness
of the drought. Now the town is working to provide Kingston with 200,000 GPD to
help us through this critical time, even when they are also experiencing drought
conditions and cut-backs. The residents in the Town of Ulster deserve our
gratitude.
Kingston Water Department and “surplus water”
Nearly 10 years ago, the City of Kingston was on the brink of selling 1.75
million GPD of our municipal drinking water supply to the California based
company Niagara Bottling at Tech City in the Town of Ulster. Had they
succeeded, they would have secured their first large drinking water bottling
facility in our region and would have taken every drop for all the years they
were here to bottle and to sell. For those following the changes at the Tech
City site, Niagara would have likely impacted the recent trajectory of any
progress seen today. And given Niagara’s track record, we might have been in a
heap of trouble now. It’s one thing to negotiate with your neighbors. It’s a
whole other matter to do the same during drought conditions with a corporation
who have savvy lawyers and deep pockets. Luckily, with the support of many
community members, organizations and elected officials, we nipped that proposal
in the bud in just five months and sent Niagara packing.
Side bar: We still have Niagara Bottling on our google alert. We’ve been
following them around the country for the last seven years and share information
about our strategies with municipalities interested who are struggling as we
were. We’ve had some success, too – in communities located in Texas and
Wisconsin.
Back in 2014 when Niagara was a looming threat, we learned about Kingston’s safe
yield (by definition, the safe yield of any water supply is the maximum
dependable water supply that can be withdrawn continuously from a supply during
a period of years in which the driest period or periods of greatest deficiency
in water supply is likely to occur) being 6.1 million GPD. For Kingston’s
drinking water supply, that period continues to be the drought of 1957 that
lasted 3 months. Kingston’s safe yield was said to be accurate when we inquired.
We were told changes were slow.
Also in 2014, community member’s concerns were said to be “hysterical”, as the
City of Kingston had surplus water to sell and the East Coast was water rich.
Their messaging gained no traction with us.
Here is some interesting data from old posts about droughts in the Hudson
Valley:
Given the recent trends, is it time for us to take another look at our safe
yield and consider climate? I think so. Although Cooper Lake was reduced 10 feet
to its maximum capacity last year for important dam work, it seems clear that no
one anticipated a drought a year later that would exacerbate our current
situation.
Drinking Water Budgets
There is such a thing as drinking water budgets, or an accounting of all the
water that flows into and out of a project area. The Kingston Water department
once told us that they have one. Through our FOILs in 2014 and 2015 we never
successfully acquired a copy. If our safe yield is 6.1 million GPD then we
don’t want to overuse or over promise what we can deliver. A water budget keeps
track of our current residential and business use and should also take into
account future development project commitments.
In a report from 2007 for the proposed Hudson River Landing Development, it
stated that the City of Kingston had a daily water usage of 3.28 million GPD.
In 2014, we were told that that number increased to 3.5 million GPD. Where are
we today? Outside of our own concerns about drought and drinking water, how
does Cooper Lake’s current levels inform us about groundwater resources and the
rapidly dropping water table area-wide? What about our neighbors public supply
wellheads and thousands of private wells?
We’re sharing these photos – thanks to Kevin Smith of the Woodstock Land
Conservancy – to illustrate that this crisis is real. The photos speak for
themselves and it’s heartbreaking to see this natural waterbody in such a state.
Beyond that, the water that flows through your pipes to your home or business is
treated drinking water from Cooper Lake meant to keep you nourished and alive.
At the very least, it’s a teaching moment. We shouldn’t ever take drinking water
for granted.
Our drinking water supply levels are a real emergency. Follow the requests from
City of Kingston officials and be mindful every day of how you borrow from
Cooper Lake. Consider everyone and everything.
In addition to previous mandatory restrictions on water usage, the following
measures will be in effect:
* NO use of water from the KWD to fill or maintain the water level in any
swimming pool.
* NO use of water from the KWD to water any lawn, golf course, ornamental shrub
or plant, except that water may be used to irrigate, from a hand held
container only, vegetables or fruits grown for human consumption.
* All air conditioning systems utilizing water from the KWD should be operated
only in accordance with hourly restrictions established by the
Superintendent.
* All large, nonresidential water consumers must immediately reduce usage by at
least 20%.
Categories Common Council, drinking water, Global Warming, Infrastructure,
Kingston Water Department, Mayor's Office, Water 8 Comments
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