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Resolution to Revise the Snow Removal and Salting Fee Schedule

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VILLAGE OF RED HOOK RESOLUTION # - 2026 DATED: January 12, 2026

A meeting of the Village of Red Hook was convened in public session at the Village Hall, 7467 South Broadway, Red Hook, NY on January 12, 2026. The meeting was called to order by Mayor Smythe.

RESOLUTION TO REVISE THE SNOW REMOVAL AND SALTING FEE SCHEDULE.

WHEREAS, as per Village Code Section 165-1, the owner and/or occupant of every building and/or lot of ground in said Village adjoining which a sidewalk has been made, shall remove all snow and ice within 24 hours after a snow/ice storm; and,

WHEREAS, per Section 165-4 indicates that Red Hook Village shall cause such sidewalk or gutter to be properly cleaned and charge the expense thereof against the property owner in the next tax assessment to be collected with the next tax levy; and,

WHEREAS, Resolution 46-2025 was approved by the Board of Trustees on December 8, 2025, increasing the Snow Removal Fee from $2/linear foot to $4/linear foot and added a Salting Fee of $1/linear foot; and,

WHEREAS, the goal of this penalty is to ensure that all the sidewalks are properly cleared in a timely manner for the safety and security of all the Village residents; and,

WHEREAS, a tiered penalty would alert property owners at the first storm and further penalize those who continue to neglect their responsibilities of clearing their sidewalks.

NOW THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED, that the Board of Trustees of the Village of Red Hook approves revised snow removal fees to be as follows:

First offense in a season - $2/linear foot, sanding/salting $0.50/linear foot

Second offense in a season - $3.00/linear foot, sanding/salting $0.75/linear foot

Third and any subsequent offence in a season - $4.00/linear foot, sanding/salting $1.00/linear foot

These fees shall become effective retroactive to the beginning of this winter season. The Clerk is directed to amend any invoices that have been issued to date.

Motion by:

Seconded by:

The foregoing resolution was duly put to a vote, which resulted as follows:

Mayor Smythe☐Aye☐Nay☐Abstain☐Recuse☐Absent/Excused
DeputyMayor Kjarval☐Aye☐Nay☐Abstain☐Recuse☐Absent/Excused
Trustee Uku☐Aye☐Nay☐Abstain☐Recuse☐Absent/Excused
Trustee Smith☐Aye☐Nay☐Abstain☐Recuse☐Absent/Excused
TrusteeMaccarini☐Aye☐Nay☐Abstain☐Recuse☐Absent/Excused
Vote Total
ResultMotion:

I hereby attest that the above Resolution was approved by the Board of Trustees at its January 12, 2026 meeting, and that I have been authorized to sign this Resolution by decision of the Board of Trustees.



Jennifer Cavanaugh, Clerk

Date

Changes between versions

2026-01-312026-02-09
clerical+1051

The document date advanced and the title was slightly cleaned up.

  • Document date advanced from 2026-01-31 to 2026-02-09
  • Title changed from 'Village of Red Hook ’ Mayor s Report January 2026' to 'Village of Red Hook Mayor’s Report January 2026'
  • Fixed truncated text at end of document from 'Jack Lewis Memori' to 'Jack Lewis Memorial'
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## **Village of Red Hook Mayor Mayor s Report January 2026** ## PERSONNEL: CIVIL SERVICE Our 2025 Payroll Certification is complete and has been accepted by Dutchess County. ## AUDIT We are close to the end of all the data gathering requested by our audit firm, RPC, for the year ending 2023 and 2024 audits. ## VILLAGE HALL The Police phone by the Prince Street entrance to Village Hall has worked intermittently since installation. This phone rings in the Police Department. If no one is there, the phone rolls over to the State Police who can dispatch the Red Hook Police officer who is on duty. In January, Superior Telephone returned with replacement parts to fix the phone. It is now working consistently. If anyone has any issues with the phone, please let us know so we can make sure it gets fixed. Mid-January we had no heat in the Police Department. A frozen heat pipe that then broke was discovered in the wall between the Building Department and the Police Department. TC Plumbing & Heating was able to find the broken section and fix the pipe. This pipe is near the outside of the wall and had no insulation. The DPW replaced the wall openings with vents so that some heat could flow around the pipe. Insulation was also added. Archtop Fiber is planning to make the fiber connection to Village Hall in mid-February. ## RED HOOK LIBRARY (RHPL) The Red Hook Library Board met on Thurs. Jan 15[th] at 6:30pm in the Library conference room. President Anna Greig, Vice President Martha Tepepa, Treasurer Grace Kachigan, Leah Bahnatka, Gareth Davies, Kelly French, Jared Vengrin, and Library Director Alex Geller were present. I was the only guest. Officers were elected for 2026. Anna Greig – President, Martha Tepepa – Vice President, Grace Kachigan – Treasurer, Kelly French – Secretary. The Year End Budget review noted that the school payment didn’t come in until after Dec. 31 but it’s now in. Expenses were 93.4% of budget. Tivoli made a yearend purchase of eBooks for 2026 so their total is now what had been discussed. 2026 Capital Project is the replacement of the back door to make it ADA accessible. Alex requested off-site storage, stating that they are out of storage space. The suggestion was made to have the Friends of the Library fund this storage. The Board will have a retreat in February to set short term action plan goals. For more information, you can find their board packet on the library’s website – redhooklibrary.org/board-of-trustees. Their next board meeting will be Thursday, Feb. 19[th] at 6:30pm. ## SAWKILL WATERSHED COMMUNITY ADVISORY COUNCIL (SKWC) The SKWC met on Jan. 28[th] at 6:30pm in Village Hall. Attendees were Karen Schnelling-McDonald, Sheila Buff, Jen Adams, Henry Woods, Zoe Evans, Ruth Ford, Amy Shein, Amanda Sandor & Karen Smythe. The Interact Club has expressed interest in doing a project with SKWC. They will be invited to present at the March meeting. The Kitchen table conversation had 5 participants. The Annandale bridge project was discussed. A need for an address and storage space was also discussed. Bard requested SKWC to be a partner on a trail grant application. Discussion around the upcoming Feb. 24[th] event to be held at the Elmendorph Inn from 7-9pm. Bard will be presenting their database of information collected over the years. Karen S-McD will present a look back & look forward of SKWC, celebrating the 10[th] anniversary. All are welcome. Costs/budget & priorities for 2026 were discussed. The next meeting is scheduled for Wed. Feb 18[th] at 6:30pm in Village Hall. ## CLIMATE SMART COMMUNITY TASK FORCE The Task Force met Jan. 29[th] at 6pm in Village Hall. Michelle Gluck, Betsy Brauer (by phone), Alex Geller, Cat Viega, and Karen Smythe were present. Michelle has agreed to chair the committee. We discussed the goal of Bronze Certification. We reviewed the first part of the project list. We discussed how to parcel out the projects to complete items and ensure we collect the required documentation. The next meeting is scheduled for Thurs. Feb. 26[th] at 6pm in Village Hall. ## PUBLIC SPACES/ABRAHAMS PARK The Public Spaces Committee met on Monday, Feb. 2[nd] at 7pm in Village Hall. Attendees were Ash Bradley-Rickard, Perry Allen, Betsy Brauer, Linda DiGasper, David Sokol, Barbara Westermann, Karen Smythe, and Amy Smith. Betsy reviewed where we are with the Bard Student, Ursula Wolf. Need to make the final connection with her advisor to ensure that she has a clear scope of work for her senior project. Ursula has expressed interest in continuing through the summer if there is funding. Amy shared the necessity of having a credentials planner to finalize plans for most of the grants we might consider applying for. Perry discussed the EPF Grant for Parks, Preservation & Heritage. This grant is due in July. There is a 50% match. We discussed focusing on getting a prioritized plan so that we can logically phase the work. Karen reminded the group that the parking lot is an essential part of the plan. The group agreed to find out what grants Rhinebeck was able to secure for their park restoration a few years ago. Linda briefly discussed her exploration of possible native plant/pollinator code requirements in an effort to establish a recommendation for the Board. She plans to connect with Zoe Evans as well. And Barbara reminded the group that we are hoping to establish a partnership with Bard to do some sort of art display or project in the Park at some point. The next meeting is scheduled for Mar. 16[th] at 7pm in Village Hall. ## COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT I met with the new Red Hook Fire Company Fire Chief at his request. It was a meeting to discuss his vision for the Fire Company and how we can work together going forward. I look forward to continued meetings with him. Jan. 5 I attend the swearing in of the 2026 County Legislators in Poughkeepsie. Jan 9[th] I attended the ribbon cutting for the Jack Lewis Memorial Gymnasium renovation project at the Red Hook High School, followed by a boys Varsity Basketball game. Jan. 10[th] – I attended the swearing in of County Comptroller Dan Aymar-Blair at the Henry Wallace Center in Hyde Park. Trustee Uku DPW Report for January 2026 Feb 9, 2026 ## **Highway Department:** ## Materials Management Here are this month’s costs and expenses. Please refer to the attached Resource Recovery Data Report. Trash & Recycling Pickup Trash & recycling must be out before 5am on Monday mornings. 1. Cardboard bundles should be bound together with string or tape. 2. Paper recycling should be placed loose within a lidded tub or bin. Recycling pickup alternates between **Yellow (paper & cardboard)** & **Blue (metal, plastic & glass).** Bulk Waste disposal (of mattresses, large furniture, etc.) is available to Village residents and businesses at a very affordable rate. Please contact the Clerk to purchase tags for any Village disposal services: (845) 758-1081 – info@redhookvillage.gov - or in person M-F, 11AM- 4PM **The Dual-Stream Recycling Calendar and Guide** is available at Village Hall, and at redhookvillage.org/recycle Food Waste Dropof Residents are welcome to join the Village’s **Food Waste Collection Program** , made possible in part by a composting grant from Dutchess County. To sign up, contact the Clerk or visit redhookvillage.gov/compost ## Brush / Yard Waste Pickup Concluded for the season. See you in the spring! ## **Scrap Metal Program:** |Revenue received (12/31/25) since the last report was|**$0**| |---|---| |Total revenue for this Fiscal Year (Jun 2025- May 2026) to date is|**$3477.10**| |Since the Program’s inception, in Sep 2007, donations have yielded a total of|<br>**$58994.34**| |Proceeds from the program go towards the purchase of tools & equipment for the Public Works<br>Dept. Residents & businesses interested in donating metal may contact the Village Clerk’s ofce to<br>schedule a pickup.|| Trustee Uku DPW Report for January 2026 Feb 9, 2026 ## **Snow Removal & Seasonal Parking Rules:** No all-night street parking is permitted in the Village from **November 1st - March 31st.** Vehicles parked on the streets between 11 PM - 6 AM may be ticketed and towed at the owner's expense. Property owners are reminded to remove athletic equipment, garbage receptacles and/or any other temporary obstacles from the side of streets to prevent their damage during snow removal operations. The owner and/or occupant of every building/lot in the village with an adjoining sidewalk, is required to remove snow and ice **within 24 hrs of the end of a snowstorm.** The Village Highway Department may remove uncleared snow/ice , at cost to the property owner. ## **Street Light Complaints:** If you notice a street light out in the Village: You may notify Central Hudson directly by going to: cenhud.com/en/outages, selecting ‘ _Report a Street Light_ ’ and filling out their online form. ## **Potholes:** Y ou can notify the village of potholes on Village roads by calling the Village Clerk’s office or filling out the “Report a Concern” form at: redhookvillage.org/concern. Please note that the Village is not allowed to conduct repairs on State Highways. If you would like to report a pothole on a State Highway, The Village can forward your concern - or you can submit your complaint directly to the NYS DOT by calling 1.800.POTHOLE (1.800.768.4653). ## **Foreman Appreciation, or,** _**“Giving Jake his Flowers”**_ **:** Eternal thanks to Jake and Team DPW for all their hard work keeping our roads clear and safe during unusually heavy snowfall in the month of January, and throughout this punishing winter. Thank you also for helping to make the Village Food Waste Kickoff Event a success. The entire Village is grateful for you. ## **francesuku@redhookvillage.gov** Trustee Uku Village Food Waste Report for January 2025 Feb 9, 2025 **The Village Food Waste Collection Program is now live.** Village residents are invited to sign up at redhookvillage.gov/compost, in person, or by phone/email to the Clerk. In January, I continued to contribute text and tech – writing copy for the website, the physical shed, and handouts – as well as the backend, making sure the registration Google Form and Google Spreadsheet are always synchronized. The digital battery also ran out of juice early in the month, so I both recharged and set it up to send out alerts before it goes completely offline. **Our hauler, Ray Silverman of Laughing Fox Farm, has provided our latest collection data:** **==> picture [324 x 345] intentionally omitted <==** Estimated total volume diverted from landfill since Sept 1, 2025: **1, 884 lbs** **francesuku@redhookvillage.gov** Trustee Uku Village Green Report for January 2026 Feb 9, 2026 The Village Green Committee met on **January 15th 2026 at 6:00 PM** at Village Hall. As you recall, the mayor appointed the committee members by resolution at our January meeting. All terms expire on 12/31/2026. The Committee has decided on its quarterly meeting schedule, which will be **the third Thursday of the month in which meetings are held.** For 2026, these would be _1/15, 4/16, 7/16, 10/15_ **.** Mayor Smythe advised that once this was reported out, the next step is for the Clerk to put these on the website and calendar. The committee shared their Task List for January 2026. Of highest priority: 1. **updating the VGC page on the Village website** . I have advised that I will confirm the most expedient way of getting their communications up. 2. **canvass tree locations via postcard outreach** . This would be a complement to the online form I created for residents to place street tree requests. The Committee will return with a design for final Board approval. Finally, they would like to inform the Board that due to Michelle Decker’s imminent retirement, we will **no longer have a donor for our tree digging needs.** ## **Reminders:** - **I have set up a Village Street Tree Request Form** . Ask your Clerk (or a neighbor) if a complimentary street tree is right for you. The form can be accessed from the Agenda page for this meeting on the Village website. - If you have a little free time and want to meet fun neighbors, the Village Green might be just the place for you. Please contact the Clerk, or email **VGC Chair Tara Barrett: hilbarr@gmail.com** As always, it’s a pleasure to serve this hardworking team. **francesuku@redhookvillage.gov**

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