Village of Red Hook Mayor’s Report April 2026
PERSONNEL Carrie De Paola has been hired as our new (PT) Payroll/HR Clerk. She will be transitioning with Irene Holsapple over the next several weeks. Carrie also works part time for the Town of Stanford Highway Department. Welcome aboard, Carrie!
RED HOOK FIRE COMPANY – We have received a letter from the RHFC stating that they have “ongoing operational challenges that are affecting our ability to consistently meet response expectations…” They continue to express concern about the difficulty of finding volunteers. We are very fortunate to have a volunteer fire company in Red Hook and Tivoli. We will continue to meet to determine the best way forward for fire services for the residents of Red Hook.
RED HOOK POLICE DEPARTMENT - We have initiated a full review of the call volume in the Town to create a report that indicates the percentage of police time and resources used to support police services in the Town. In our 2026-27 budget, the Police Department total cost is approximately $1.1MM. The Town’s 2026 budget for Police Services including Court Officers is $140K.
SEWER EXPANSION PROJECT: There are no updates this month.
EVENTS COMMITTEE – The Youth Pride Celebration has secured insurance through the Red Hook Community Center, so their event is a go.
COMPOST/FOOD WASTE COUNTY GRANT – Information and countertop bins were available at the Village table at Apple Blossom Day. A plan to spend the remaining funds is to be created.
SAWKILL WATERSHED COMMUNITY ADVISORY COUNCIL (SKWC): The SKWC met on Apr. 22[nd] at 6:30pm in Village Hall. Attendees were Sheila Buff, Henry Woods, Amanda Sandor, Amy Shein, Jen Adams, Karen Schneller-McDonald, Perry Allen and Karen Smythe.
SKWC plans to table in front of the RHPL for Apple Blossom Day. Amanda continues to work on updating the website and connecting with Matthew Fass to engage to assist. Fundraising and funding options were discussed including setting up a meeting with the Town Supervisor.
The request to Dutchess County Soil & Water regarding their buffer program for the Fisk St. Pond was discussed. (That letter was sent on May 1.)
The Town’s proposal to purchase property owned by the Town Water District was discussed. The group agreed to send a letter of support to the Town. The group also agreed to send a letter to the County DPW about the bridge project.
Bard College confirmed that they will continue to test at the Bard locations and WWTP sites. They will, however, be available only for limited testing.
A discussion on an aquacide application from the Red Hook Golf Course for the Sawkill Pond (assumed to be at hole 3) to DEC. The specific pesticides requested were not clear. Comments are due May 15.
The next meeting is scheduled for Wed. May 27[th] at 6:30pm in Village Hall.
WAVEMAKER AWARD – The Sawkill Watershed Community and Karen Schneller-McDonal are receiving a 2026 Hudson River Watershed Alliance WaveMaker award. The Award dinner will be on June 3 at the Falcon in Marlboro. For information and registration, go to www.hudsonwatershed.org/wavemaker/. Congratulations to Karen and the team!!
CLIMATE SMART COMMUNITY TASK FORCE: No meeting was held in April.
DUTCHESS COUNTY TRANSPORTATION COUNCIL (DCTC)
The DCTC Advisory Board met virtually on April 29. Federal Certification Review for the DCTC is now complete. They are done every 4 years. There were no corrective actions in the report. The 2026 Transportation Plan Update is in process – this will be an update to Moving Dutchess Forward. It has a 25-year horizon. They are currently assessing barriers to transportation including safety and reliability.
Traffic counts will begin in the next month or two. They are currently confirming the locations for the counts.