Deputy Mayor Melkorka Kjarval’s Monthly Reports
August, 11th, 2025
Red Hook Together meets every first Thursday of the month. Red Hook Together met on Thursday, September 4th, at 12pm/noon at the Red Hook VFW. The group was introduced to the new Bard CCE facilitator, Jacqui Cook. Groups shared updates; such as Historic Red Hook is working on an Interpretive Plan this year, Rebuilding Together Hudson Valley has funding to do home repairs for qualifying homeowners in Upper Dutches (there is a deadline at the end of September, so please contact visit rthudsonvalley.org for more information). The Community Center is selling tickets for its annual fundraiser gala, the VFW has quite a few community events such as Trunk or Treat Halloween, a Christmas giveaway and two Student essay contests. The Red Hook Central Schools announced progress on their capital improvement projects.
Jacqui will be working on a digital survey to plan out upcoming topics of focus for this year's meetings. If there are any topics you feel that these sessions should address on behalf of the Village and/or our constituents feel free to email me directly at mkjarval@redhookvillage.gov so that I can propose them.
Town of Red Hook Comprehensive Plan: The Town committee meets monthly from 7:30pm to 9pm on the fourth Tuesday at Town Hall.
The Town of Red Hook Comprehensive Plan Steering Committee met on Tuesday, August 26th. In attendance were the committee members and Committee chair Julia Solomon. Also present were consultants Eric Pierson from Patterns for Progress and Tiffany Zezula who is the Deputy Director for the Land Use Law Center at Elisabeth Haub School of Law at Pace University.
The August meeting was focused on upcoming community outreach. The Town will be at Hardscrabble Day, engaging with the public as well as promoting the upcoming Comprehensive Plan Public Workshop, which will be on Tuesday, October 21st, from 7:00-9:00pm at the High School Cafeteria . The public is encouraged to pre-register and attend to participate in this process which seeks to determine what issues should be addressed in the plan. Consultants from both Patterns for Progress and Pace Land Use Law Center will help facilitate breakout group sessions with community members.
Village and Zoning Review: There have been no meetings held since my last report. In the meantime, edits from previous discussions have been incorporated into the working draft law and The Mayor and I are hoping to schedule an information / discussion session to share the latest version of the draft law.
The goal of the information session will be to explain the law's intent and the ways in which the zoning changes attempt to do that. If you are interested in these proposed changes please attend
the session, this will be one of the final informal conversations before we move into the formal public hearing format.
Links to the 2/26/25 draft of the Gateway North law, are available in the March 13th special workshop agenda: redhookvillage.org/AgendaCenter/ViewFile/Agenda/_03132025-662.
Planning/Zoning & Building Department:
See attached Reports.