VILLAGE OF RED HOOK WORKSHOP MEETING VIA RING CENTRAL January 21, 2021
Present: Mayor Ed Blundell, Deputy Mayor Bent Kovalchik, Trustee Jennifer Norris, Trustee Charlie Laing, Trustee William Noonan and Village Clerk Lara Hart.
Mayor Blundell stated the Village Board Workshop Meeting is held in compliance with Open Meetings Law per Executive Order 202.1 and 202.72.
Mayor Blundell opened the January 21, 2021 Village Board Workshop Meeting via ring central at 7:00 pm with a quorum.
Mayor Blundell did a Roll Call for attendance. – Mayor Blundell yes – Deputy Mayor Kovalchik yes Trustee Norris – yes Trustee Noonan – yes – Trustee Laing yes
Mayor Blundell reminded this is a formal meeting of the Village and was noticed with media, website and at the Village Hall. Mayor Blundell said that although the meeting is formal, the workshop type setting applies and it is a forum viewed more as an idea session where ideas and concepts can be discussed. Tonight will be centered on the Police Reform/Redesign Plan to include the various stakeholders. It was pointed out that the Plan has been circulated to stakeholders in draft format and up on our website.
Mayor Blundell referenced Executive Order 203 and that we have circulated the draft plan for Police Reform, from prior work. He reminded that that tasks began from August 2020, included the booklet developed by the County Collaborative that we joined. That 106 page document was circulated to the Board in December 2020 and is also on the website. Since our Village is a small population and a small PD so we joined the Dutchess County Collaborative effort, as did every other municipality with a police department.
On the meeting were all board members, PD management and stakeholders. Mayor Blundell asked if a Stakeholder wanted to speak to please just jump in. Mayor Blundell said meeting shows 23 participants and welcomes all input.
Police Reform ideas/concepts were discussed. Meeting is being taped by PANDA and through RingCentral and a transcript will be provided at a later date.
Mayor Blundell advised per Executive Order 203, as part of the process, a Public Hearing must be scheduled over and above the stakeholder aspects. He put forth a list of dates so we can comply with the April 1 filing dedline and work the plan with further input. He suggested a number of dates required
to get the work done. Since the Village meets on the second Monday and third Thursdays, he prefers it centers around normal, usual meeting dates as a basis; this is for consisitency and transparency. With this in mind we can do the Public Hearing on 2-8-21 but he recommends keeping it open until the normal 2-18 workshop. Then the Board can work on the Plan and be ready to adopt it at the 3-8-21 – meeting. He put this in the form of a motion: PH on 2-8 continuing open until the 2-18 meeting; setting a supplemental 2-25 workshop for budget, and then the usual March 8 meeting. Mayor Blundell reminded that the Board of Trustees actually writes the Plan.
Mayor Blundell made a motion to set a Village Board Workshop Meeting for January 28, 2021 at 7:00pm; Village Board Meeting for February 8, 2021 to include a Public Hearing at 7:00pm for Police Reform Project; Village Board Workshop meeting on February 18, 2021 at 7:00pm; Village Board Workshop Meeting on February 25, 2021 at 7:00pm and Village Board Meeting on March 8, 2021 at 7:00pm. Motion seconded by Trustee Noonan. ROLL CALL:
Blundell – yes Kovalchik – yes Norris – yes – Laing yes Noonan – yes All in favor. Motion approved.
Mayor and Board are the elected officials for the residents of the Village of Red Hook and in the end it is the elected folks on the Board who incorporate the ideas and present the plan to the public; and once adopted have the jurisdiction and authority to direct its adoption by employees.
Mayor Blundell advised that the Board is also working on our tentative budget so we have include that in the task load.
We also have several major projects underway in line with our job and goal to improve Red Hook.
Mayor Blundell advised that the Village is going out to bid with the central sewer project.
Mayor Blundell spoke on the budget and in the current year the budgeted line for police is about $564,000 and we get about $200,000 in contract support from the Town and School Resource Officer program.
Mayor Blundell asked for Board Comment. No Comment at this time.
Mayor Blundell advised that meeting Agenda indicated Executive Session but no Executive Session needed.
Mayor Blundell asked for any additional public comment on the Police Reform Project. Discussions on Police Reform Project continued.
Deputy Mayor Kovalchik motioned to close the Workshop meeting at 9:04pm. Motion seconded by Mayor Blundell. All in favor.
Submitted by,
Lara Hart Clerk