Last Call For Ward 4 Councilmember Replacement - ALBB Will Publish Your Applications

During last week’s City Council Meeting (12/16/2024), Mayor Lee Kyriacou declared “Last Call” to receive applications for Councilmember representing Ward 4 to replace Dan Aymar-Blair, who resigned to begin his newly elected position of Dutchess County Comptroller. The next step would be for the Mayor to appoint a replacement. The Council would then need to vote to approve the replacement. If they do not qualify that vote, the Council can appoint their own candidate and vote. And if they cannot do that, the Council can hold a special election, according to Beacon’s Charter.

This is the 3rd appointment situation for Beacon’s City Council in the past year, for a 6-person Council. The first two appointments happened when Wren Longo, representing Ward 3, unexpectedly resigned. In January 2024, Mayor Lee declared his appointment of Amber Grant to come out of Council retirement to fill the At Large seat, and moved Pam Weatherbee over to Ward 3, even though she had been elected to the At Large seat. There was no public review of these moves.

Back in November, during the 11/18/2024 City Council Meeting, Councilmember Paloma Wake requested public review of all applicants the Mayor was considering for appointment. Mayor Lee dismissed her at first by saying “Dan’s body isn’t even cold yet. Come on. We will get there when we get there.” He later said he would love 150 applicants, and said he had received some.

Mayor Lee did not indicate if he would make public the applicants. He insisted that his preference was for people who have been in “contested elections” before.

Who lives in Ward 4 who is interested in filling the final year of Dan’s seat? If the Mayor will not make this public, A Little Beacon Blog will publish your applications, if anyone has indeed applied. The Republican committee in Beacon might be defunct or dysfunctional, and the Beacon Democrats can be cliquey. Independents may just go their own way, but fight odd battles. Fresh talent trying to break through the primary process might experience a difficult time.

During this time of breaking pavements and systems, this could be your time. Contact ALBB if you have submitted your letter of intent that explains how and why you want to serve, and ALBB will republish your letter.

Police Referral and Signing Bonus Passes - $10,000 Per Hire Who Stays Longer Than 6 Months

The slightly revolving door of the Beacon Police Department just got a golden appliqué. At the December 16, 2024 City Council meeting, the Council unanimously passed a resolution presented by City Administrator Chris White for the payment of $5,000 to a member of the Patrolmen’s Benevolent Association (PBA) who refers a Police Officer of New York State to the City of Beacon’s Police Department, and $5,000 to that Officer if they stay in the job longer than six months.

Salaries of Beacon Police Officers have also increased 5% since September 2024, when the Council voted unanimously to move the salaries to more closely match municipalities around the region.

Staffing Challenges

For over a decade, the Beacon Police Department has been understaffed. With 36 positions available, the department currently has 8 openings, with 2 out on injury, and 1 in the academy who is not yet able to serve on their shift. The constant demand for more officers to regularly patrol Main Street for traffic violations - either on foot or on bike or from sitting in the car - is difficult.

On August 19, 2024, Police Chief Thomas Figlia presented to the Council that the department was in what he called a “crisis,” with officers leaving Beacon for other municipalities with higher salaries. As reported by the Highlands Current, “Of the 31 police officers hired in Beacon since 2014, 12 have left for better-paying jobs elsewhere, Figlia said.”

Salary Differences

At the August 19, 2024 City Council Meeting, the Council unanimously agreed to pass a 5% raise for police salaries. The Starting Salary in 2025 would have been just over $61,000, according to the 2022-2025 PBA’s contract. According reporting by the Highland Current, salaries of the Town of Poughkeepsie were presented to Council, which showed that “a patrol officer in Poughkeepsie reaches his or her top pay of $106,414 after four years of service. In the Town of Poughkeepsie, it’s $113,300 after five years. In Beacon, a patrol officer hits the ceiling of $98,553 after six years. The 5 percent raise, which the council approved unanimously, brings the number to $103,481. The ceiling rises to $106,068 next year.” City Administrator Chris declared at the August 19th meeting before the vote that Beacon is no longer competitive with other nearby municipalities.

On August 19th, the 5% raises were passed, bringing the Starting Salary from $61,683 to $64,767 starting September 1, 2024. Then starting January 1, 2025, that would increase to $66,062, according to the Memorandum of Agreement between the PBA and the City of Beacon.

NYPD Recruitment

The hiring pool grew larger with recent changes in Civil Service law in New York State that allows Beacon to hire officers from the New York State Police Department (NYPD), City Administrator Cris stated during the meeting. “We've been interviewing a few.” He went on to voice his preference for recruiting NYPD officers: “The officers are kind of a close-knit community, and if we get one person from NYPD, that person has all of the contacts they worked with in the city and then can say they have a personal incentive to try to recruit them for us.”

Does The Referral/Hiring Bonus Combo Impact Retention?

This referral/hiring bonus combo is the latest attempt to fill the force with officers. However, it is not clear why this referral bonus would help retain an officer once hired. The bonus is paid out to the two parties after the officer has reached 6 months of employment. It would be helpful to know Beacon’s retention rate.

The public is informed of when new officers are hired or promoted, as they require a vote from Council. Retirements are also announced, as they are congratulatory and require new pension payments. But when officers are fired, demoted, or leave for another position, this development is not announced, and is reserved for Executive Session, which is closed to the public.

Workplace culture may also need some nurturing, as vacation days are encouraged to be “bought back” by the City and not used by the officers, as explained by City Administrator Chris on December 16th. He promoted vacation-days-for-cash, which encourages officers to not use their time but to sell their unused days. Workplace culture currently encourages time off for life balance and mental health. City Administrator Chris focused on getting “bodies in the door” during the meeting, a phrase which is not indicative of showing value.

Improvement to the facilities may also help. One or two budget cycles ago, then Police Chief Sands Frost mentioned the locker room at the Police Station being in need of an upgrade. With the new Fire Station across the street with the new geothermal floor, perhaps it is time for a little more comfort down at the Police Station.

With overtime being paid to members of the Highway Department to renovate the men’s 3rd floor bathroom at City Hall, perhaps renovations can be made to the Police locker room if there is another $50,000 paid by Central Hudson to Beacon to do more paving after Central Hudson completes work under the street in the Spring.

Or, if the $10,000 per new hire is not used for recruits, or sunsets on December 31, 2025, perhaps the lump sum can go toward renovations at the Police Station.

$5,000 Police Referral Bonus and $5,000 Signing Bonus Proposed To Attract NYPD And Others To Beacon

Photo Credit: City of Beacon Police Department

At the 12/9/2024 City Council Workshop, City Administrator Chris White proposed a hiring incentive of $5,000 referral bonus and a $5,000 sign on bonus to be paid to a member of the Patrolmen’s Benevolent Association (PBA) who brings in a Police Officer of New York State. If approved at tonight’s City Council Meeting, this would be a pilot program and would run from January 1, 2025 to December 31, 2025, unless the City and PBA wanted to extend the program.

City Administrator Chris implied that he wanted to attract more officers from the New York Police Department (NYPD), and was interviewing one such officer now, who he hoped would spread the word to other NYPD officers if hired. “The officers are kind of a close-knit community,” City Administrator Chris told the Council, “and if we get one person from NYPD, that person has all of the contacts they worked with in the city and then can say they have a personal incentive to try to recruit them for us.”

There would be no limit to how many referral bonuses could be received if an officer was hired and stayed for 6 months. City Administrator Chris proposed: “If everything meets the requirements, they can do this numerous times, like more than one. It's not just you can only do it once if they have, like, four people and it all works out.”

People referring the officers would need to be a current member of the PBA in good standing, and would be paid after the officer stayed for 6 months. Both the referrer and the hire would be paid after the officer stayed for 6 months.

The City of Beacon’s Police Department has been short staffed for a number of years, since at least Randy Casale’s administration. The department is slated to have 36 officers, but there are currently 8 openings. Two officers are out on long-term injury; one in the academy is not available to shift yet; and another officer recently announced they are leaving for a state police job in February or March.

Per the contract with the PBA, there are minimum shift standards. If those are not met, then officers can work overtime to meet the standards. Beacon has budgeted $1 million dollars for Police overtime in the 2025 budget, City Administrator Chris explained.

Other incentives have been tried, he said, including raising wages for PBA by 5% in September, and an incentive bonus last year of $11,000. He also said they “tried to mitigate our use of overtime through allowing them to sell back vacation days.” City Administrator Chris said “if we could hire 8 people, that would cost us $880,000 and that would help to stem the the heavy use of overtime that we're forced to do just to meet the minimum shift standards.”

Going into vacation days, City Administrator Chris highlighted what they did in an old contract last year: “We had made it so that if you were here less than 7 years, you had to. If you use more than X amount of days, you had to bundle them into 5 days, and what it ended up doing was having people burn time. And for us, when somebody takes time off that they didn't need to take, it generates overtime. And instead, what we did is, we allowed them to break that up and then sell some of those days back. And that did help a little bit, but it's…unless we get more bodies in the door it's going to be hard.”

It was not clear what City Administrator Chris meant when he quantified the time as “time off that they didn’t need to take.” Since taking time off work is considered a benefit to one’s mental and physical health. Which does impact moral.

These bonuses would not be available to officers who the City hires through canvassing the Dutchess County Civil Service Police Officer list.

The full resolution can be accessed here.

How Beacon Could Hold An Election For City's 3rd Vacancy On City Council

In the past year, there have been 3 vacancies on Beacon’s City Council. The third is opening at the end of this month when Dan Aymar-Blair resigns to begin his new Dutchess County Comptroller position that he won in a narrow election. If all goes as Mayor Lee Kyriacou wants it to, the Mayor will follow the first step of the City’s Charter by appointing someone, who the Council would then also approve, as they did with the first unexpected vacancy situation in January 2024. But does it need to? Or can an election take place?

In November, City Council Member Paloma Wake requested and recommended that the Mayor announce an application process, and share with the public who the applicants are and why they want to serve. While the Mayor did make an announcement this time, which was only at City Council and has not been posted on the City of Beacon’s home page or Facebook page, he did not agree to making the applicants public. If the Council does not support his appointment, they can consider their own, or move to hold an election.

According to the City of Beacon’s Charter: “If a vacancy in an elective office is not filled by the Mayor with Council approval within forty-five (45) days of its occurrence, the Council shall have the power to fill such vacancy by four (4) affirmative votes of the Council. In the event that no appointment is made to fill the vacancy as hereinbefore provided, the Council may call a special election to fill such vacancy for the unexpired term. Such a special election shall be held no later than ninety (90) days from the occurrence of the vacancy.”

How Did The First 2 Vacancies Happen?

The first two vacancies were due to the unexpected resignation of Wren Longo of Ward 3. Her resignation was a rumor for weeks, and then confirmed by Mayor Kyriacou during a City Council Meeting.

In January 2024, to fill Wren’s resignation, neither the Mayor nor Council opted for an election for another representative. Instead, Mayor Lee shifted over a Council Member to make a second opening. Former Council Member Pam Weatherbee had come out of retirement to run unopposed for the At Large Council position, in part to have a stronger voice in the redevelopment of the communities and streets around Rte 52 known as the Fishkill Avenue Corridor after the Healey Dealership vacated its location there.

Councilperson Pam also lives in Ward 3, but Wren already occupied the Ward 3 seat as Pam ran for the At Large seat. When Wren resigned, the Mayor decided to move Council Member Pam over from the At Large position to the Ward 3 seat, which opened up the At Large seat to someone who could live anywhere.

While it is assumed that applicants for the Ward 4 seat need to live in that area, it does not seem to be specified in the Charter about how to temporarily fill vacancies. A Little Beacon Blog has reached out to the Mayor and City Administrator Chris White for confirmation, but received no response, as Chris has a no-response policy to all questions posed by ALBB to any department head after ALBB published an anti-discrimination article on the City’s policy. ALBB also emailed the City Attorney Nick Ward-Willis of Keane and Beane, and also received no response.

During the first vacancy situation in January, instead of opening a call for applications, Mayor Lee announced that he begged former Council Member Amber Grant to come out of retirement to fill the spot, saying that no one else was qualified.

But, two community members had tried running during that election: La Star Gorton who ran as an Independent having missed the Democrat deadline to be considered to primary (which would have versed her against Molly Rhodes in Ward 1). La Star’s impetus for running was her experience living in Tompkins Terrace, and wanting that community more represented.

The second candidate was Reuben Simmons, a longtime Highway Department employee who announced his candidacy for Mayor a week before the election as a write-in candidate, and earned 16% of the vote. Normally, the write-in spot on the ballot receives 1% of the vote, if that.

Mayor Lee proposed to move Pam over from the At Large seat she ran for, to Ward 3, and to bring Amber back to At Large. The Council agreed, and city business moved on.

So What Will Happen This Time?

With this 3rd vacancy, the same process is about to happen, with no public review of the Mayor’s appointment. At the request of Council Member Paloma Wake, the Mayor has agreed to be more open about taking applications, but not about making them public, as Council Member Paloma requested. Mayor Lee also reaffirmed his strong preference for appointing someone who had already been elected in the past, which severally limits the application pool from new talent emerging.

Mayor Lee said at the 12/2/2024 City Council Meeting: “I'll probably take applications for the next week. Probably the following week I'm going to remind people one more time, and then we will just shut them down.” No reminder came during the following week’s Workshop Meeting.

He continued: “I will choose from that list. I've already had people express interest. You all are welcome to do that. I'd love to have 150 interested. I will say and I said this last time, that I have a decided preference for people who have served, who have run for office in contested elections. I think that makes you much more aware of the community and aware of the role up here. Doesn't mean that is the only criteria, but is a decided preference.”

If the Council does not approve of the Mayor’s appointee, and if they cannot or will not decide on who to appoint amongst themselves, the Council Members can opt to have an open election for the public, per the City’s Charter.

Applicants are encouraged to email bswanson@beaconny.gov or send to the Mayor at mayor@beaconny.gov. Applicants may want to CC each Council Member, to ensure their applications is seen.

Applications Open For Ward 4 Council Member Vacancy; Mayor Lee Indicates He Will Limit Pool By Attempting To Pick Someone Who Already Ran In An Election

“The Mayor makes an appointment. The Council makes an approval. I certainly won’t interfere with your process. ”

— Mayor Lee Kyriacou

During the 12/2/2024 City Council Meeting, Mayor Lee Kyriacou announced that he is accepting applications for the upcoming vacancy of the Ward 4 Council Member seat, as Dan Aymar-Blair, who was re-elected to the position last year but ran unopposed, was declared the winner in the close and contested election for Dutchess County Comptroller.

This is the 3rd vacancy this year for Beacon, yet the first to be announced for public consideration. When the unexpected resignation of Wren Longo, Council Member for Ward 3 was announced, a public process was not held for her replacement. The entire Council and Mayor ran unopposed, and now has an appointee (Amber Grant) and a Council Member who was moved from the At Large seat to the Ward 3 seat (Pam Weatherbee). Appointing a person into a vacant City Council seat without public review of that appointee is within the City of Beacon’s Charter.

During the 11/18/2024 City Council Meeting, Council Member Paloma Wake requested that the Mayor’s consideration of Council Member appointees be open to the public, in the form of making an announcement for applications, and reviewing those applications in public before making an appointment, which the Council would need to approve, or else make their own appointment, or move to an election.

Mayor Lee’s Response To Council Member Paloma’s Request For Public Access To Ward 4 Applicants

Mayor Lee did make an announcement during the 12/2/2024 City Council Meeting stating that he had received emails of applicants already, and more applicants could continue emailing their qualifications. He strongly indicated that he would most likely appoint someone who had already gone through a “contested election.”

This preference limits the number of people who can be considered, as the applicant would have had to have been awarded a primary selection by a political party (an already difficult achievement given signature challenges), and won or potentially lost a race and legally challenged the outcome.

For the first two Council appointments that were not made public, one included an At Large position, where the Ward representative can live anywhere in Beacon. For that seat, Mayor Lee ignored two candidates who had tried running in the previous election: Le Star Gorton and Reuben Simmons. Le Star was trying to bring more representation to Tompkins Terrace, and Reuben has been involved in the community and government as a Highway Department employee (and one time Highway Superintendent) and through I Am Beacon. According to both of them, he did not reach out to them with consideration.

Instead, Mayor Lee explained that he begged Amber Grant to return to Council as the At Large representative, and shifted over Pam Weatherbee from At Large to Ward 3, which was Wren Longo’s Ward.

Mayor Lee’s Process On How To Deal With Applicants

“I’ll probably take applications for the next week. Probably the following week I’m going to remind people one more time, and then we will just shut them down. I will choose from that list.”

— Mayor Lee Kyriacou

While he made an announcement during last week’s City Council Meeting, Mayor Lee did not indicate that any public process would be happening to meet the potential candidates, as Council Member Paloma had recommended. Mayor Lee said: “As [Attorney] Nick noted, the Mayor makes an appointment. The Council makes an approval. I certainly won't interfere with your process.”

It should be noted that the Council does not make an automatic approval. The Council, as per the City’s Charter, makes a consideration, and can decline the Mayor’s appointee. The Council can then consider their own appointee(s), or move to hold an election.

Mayor Lee continued: “I will certainly use the opportunity to say there will be an opening on December 31st on the Ward 4 Council seat. I certainly encourage anyone who is interested to apply. Email Ben Swanson bswanson@beaconny.gov. Or send to me at mayor@beaconny.gov.”

When referring to “your process," Mayor Lee did not indicate what that process looked like.

As for a deadline, Mayor Lee explained: “I'll probably take applications for the next week. Probably the following week I'm going to remind people one more time, and then we will just shut them down. I will choose from that list. I've already had people express interest. You all are welcome to do that. I'd love to have 150 interested.”

But Mayor Lee clarified his intent for how he would narrow the prospect pool: “I will say and I said this last time, that I have a decided preference for people who have served, who have run for office in contested elections. I think that makes you much more aware of the community and aware of the role up here. Doesn't mean that is the only criteria, but is a decided preference. If council receives applicants, please forward to me.”

How An Election Could Occur For The Filling Of The Ward 4 Vacancy

According to the City’s code, Section 2.04 B, the Council could hold a Special Election if they do not approve of the Mayor’s appointment. “If a vacancy in an elective office is not filled by the Mayor with Council approval within forty-five (45) days of its occurrence, the Council shall have the power to fill such vacancy by four (4) affirmative votes of the Council. In the event that no appointment is made to fill the vacancy as hereinbefore provided, the Council may call a special election to fill such vacancy for the unexpired term. Such a special election shall be held no later than ninety (90) days from the occurrence of the vacancy.”

Council Member Paloma Wake Requests Public Review Of Applicants For Ward 4 Vacancy Before Attempted Appointment By Mayor

“I am interested in having a discussion in public, if allowable, about the Mayor’s change in process and procedure of holding in-person interviews of prospective new hires into our police force.”

— Council Member Paloma Wake

City of Beacon Council Member Paloma Wake has been asking for more public transparency in the appointments and hires of public servants for the City of Beacon. In the 11/18/2024 City Council Meeting, she requested for a second look at the process and procedure of holding in-person interviews of prospective new hires into Beacon’s police force. She also requested public review of the 3rd vacancy on the City Council within a year.

Of the police hires, Council Member Paloma said: “I do not have any objection to the 3 detective appointments on the agenda for tonight. They are internal transfers with positive records within our police force. However, I am interested in having a discussion in public, if allowable, about the Mayor's change in process and procedure of holding in-person interviews of prospective new hires into our police force."

It is not clear what the “change in process and procedure” is “of holding in-person interviews of prospective new hires into the police force.” Discussion about new hires or fires happens off-camera of the public City Council Meeting, in something called Executive Session. If the discussion of procedure about these happened in Executive Session, it is possible the public did not learn about it. A Little Beacon Blog emailed Council Member Paloma for clarification, but has not received a response.

“[I want to] announce that we have a potential impending vacancy for the Ward 4 position. I reiterate what I asked for a year ago when we came up with similar vacancy through the resignation of Wren Longo.”

— Council Member Paloma Wake

Regarding the vacancy of Council Member for Ward 4 after Dan Aymar-Blair ran for Dutchess County Comptroller and looked to be winning by a slim lead after he filed a lawsuit to delay the declaration of winning until absentee ballots were counted, Council Member Paloma said:

“[I want to] announce that we have a potential impending vacancy for the Ward 4 position. I reiterate what I asked for a year ago when we came up with similar vacancy through the resignation of Wren Longo.”

The Vacancy After The Resignation Of Wren Longo

Before Wren’s resignation, word circulated on the street about it, but it never made it to a public announcement. After Wren resigned, Mayor Lee Kyriacou announced that he would be shifting the person who ran for the At Large position - Pam Weatherbee - to replace Wren in Ward 3, as Pam also lived within Ward 3.

With the newly open At Large seat that then needed filled, Mayor Lee stated that he then begged former Council Member Amber Grant to come out of Council retirement to fill Pam’s newly earned but quickly vacated seat of At Large. This, all done within a Council and Mayoral race where all contestants ran unopposed. This made a free-for-all for the Beacon Democrats, and freedom for Mayor Lee to appoint whoever he wanted, with approval of the City Council.

“Dan’s body isn’t even cold yet. Come on. We will get there when we get there.”

— Mayor Lee Kyriacou's response to Council Person Paloma Wake's request for applicants to Ward 4 seat, and public review of those applicants.

Meanwhile, two other candidates had been running at the time, and could have been considered for the At Large position: La Star Gorton for Ward 1, and Reuben Simmons (who entered the Mayoral race one week before voting, and won 16% of the vote as a write-in, which is unusually high).

When Council Member Paloma requested a more open process, she stated: “I recognize that the City Charter gives the Mayor power of appointment with consent of Council. I would ask for my consent to personally be given that there be a process that is public that is inspired by how the school board handles vacancies. Though I'm aware that the school board have their own charter. And official public notice be given. For a period of time - I would propose 30 days - that application notice be given and applications for anyone interested be sent to the Mayor's office and also encourage that process to provide an opportunity to speak directly to the public about why they want to serve. Submit those ideas to Council's consideration most importantly the Mayor's discretion.”

Mayor Lee responded to Council Member Paloma with: “Dan's body isn't even cold yet. Come on. We will get there when we get there.”

When Does The Leaf Truck Stop Making Bulk Pickups? "Until It's Done."

When do the leaves stop getting picked up by the City of Beacon’s leaf truck? “It will continue until it's done,” Beacon’s City Administrator Chris White announced during the 11/18/2024 City Council Meeting. A schedule of quadrants was posted on the City’s website up until 11/25/2024, with this statement: “pickup will continue for several weeks, rotating through the quadrants.”

According to some residents in the Beacon Facebook Group, the leaf picker upper truck was spotted on Mead Avenue yesterday (12/4/2024). During the November meeting, City Administrator Chris assured residents that even after the truck stops running for bulk leaf pickup, people can bag their leaves and the Highway Department will pick up the bags of yard clippings throughout the year as they usually do.

Should you have raked leaves into the street in front of your house, you may want to consider calling the Highway Department to leave a voicemail, and sending an email with your address, to make sure they are alerted before the truck rotation for bulk leaf pickup powers down.

Beacon’s Burn Ban Is Over For Now - Enough Precipitation Fell But Not Enough To Fill Reservoir

Beacon’s Burn Ban is over - for now. After fall’s dry conditions fueled fires across the region, Beacon and New York State issued Burn Bans to protect against future fires. With the rainfall that happened shortly after that, and recent snow flurries, the City of Beacon announced during this week’s City Council Meeting that Beacon’s Burn Ban as been lifted. City Administrator Chris White stated: “The state classified us at low risk. The snow and rain did help quite a bit. Did help with fire risk.”

However, the Stage 1 Drought has not changed, and is not likely to in the last month, City Administrator Chris said. While there was some precipitation, it was not enough to fill the reservoirs back up past 60%, which is Beacon’s drought trigger.

This Thursday morning, there was a 2hr snow delay for Beacon City School District from the freezing conditions after light precipitation overnight.

Flags Fly at Half Mast For Clara Lou Gould; Leaders Who Worked With Her Share Admiration

Clara Lou Gould, Beacon’s Mayor for 17 years from 1990-2007, passed away on Monday at the age of 97. Clara Lou was active in civic life and contributions in her final years, sometimes making appearances at City Council Meetings to promote the reading of the Declaration of Independence on the Fourth of July.

“Quality of her term in office is what most people will remember.”

— Former Judge Peter Forman

In 2019, the City of Beacon honored her with a plaque and dedication of a day, declaring August 29th “Clara Lou Gould Day,” as reported by Hudson Valley Press. At the time, then Mayor Randy Casale said of Clara Lou: “Boy, did you make this city better, turning it completely around into a now destination spot. Since you, we have only gone up, and you have been a mentor for me.”

Clara Lou was the first female mayor for the City of Beacon, and the longest serving female mayor in New York State. She was the Tioronda Garden Club President during 1970-1971 and 1974-1975. She established Beacon as a Tree City, which is referred back to today when citizens advocate for green spaces among the development of new buildings.

Clara Lou started the Civic Beautification Program and organized the Greenway Trail Initiative. She is a founding member of the Beacon Patriots Garden. She was avid supporter of the arts, and a long-time member of the Beacon Historical Society. Said the Beacon Historical Society of her passing on their Facebook page: “We deeply mourn the loss of our former mayor (and friend!), Clara Lou Gould -- the longest-serving female mayor in the history of New York State. She was a remarkable visionary who shaped our city's future like no other. Clara Lou was a long-time member of our Society and a generous supporter of our mission. We will miss her devotion, her smile and her kindness. May she rest in peace. Clara Lou was Beacon’s biggest fan. Somehow, 97 years was still not quite enough of her!”

Former Judge Peter Forman came to the 12/2/2024 City Council meeting to thank the Council for recognizing Clara Lou by lowering the flag to half mast, which he said he discussed with City Administrator Chris White. Peter served with Clara Lou for 9 years as Beacon's City Attorney before his election to the County and Family Courts. Peter said of Clara Lou: "Quality of her term in office is what most people will remember. The one thing that will stand out is the Dia citing in 1999 and how much Dia meant to the redevelopment of Beacon. She was very much involved with that. She supported it 100%. There were times we weren't sure it was going to happen. Clara Lou said ‘keep pushing; be persistent.’"

Pam Barrack, who served Dutchess County as Commissioner of Finance for 9 years, presented with Peter, saying this about Clara Lou: "She was very active other than being the Mayor of Beacon. She was quote active in the community before, during and after her tenure as Mayor. We are going to miss her terribly."

Community members in the Beacon, NY Facebook Group remembered her for volunteering at the Highlands Hospital.

“The one thing that will stand out is the Dia citing in 1999 and how much Dia meant to the redevelopment of Beacon. She was very much involved with that. She supported it 100%. There were times we weren’t sure it was going to happen. Clara Lou said ‘keep pushing; be persistent.’”

— Former Judge Peter Forman

Mayor Lee Kyriacou held a moment of silence for Clara Lou during the City Council meeting, and reflected: “Seminal work [by Clara Lou] was done to point this city toward a new vision, and it made a huge difference. I agreed with Peter Forman's remark. Clara Lou did it in a way she didn't feel obliged to lead. It encouraged the entire council to be much more collaborative and much more open to ideas. The consensus that got developed over that period of time crossed political lines; crossed new-comer/old-timer lines. A lot of it had to do with her style. I was very respectful of that. We didn't always agree. She usually figured out the right answer by the end of things. I had a lot of respect for that. She will be missed.”

Former Mayor Randy Casale told A Little Beacon Blog: “Clara Lou was a special person. She loved our city and cared about all the people. She was a great leader to work with and learn under. When she became Mayor, she had a vision for this city and a plan. She followed them both and made this one of the best cities in America. I thank her and may she rest in peace.”

The family will receive friends on Monday, December 9, 2024 from 4 to 8 p.m. at Riverview Funeral Home by Halvey, at 2 Beekman Street. A Mass of Christian Burial will be offered on Tuesday, December 10, 2024 at 10 a.m. at St. Joachim Church, 51 Leonard Street, Beacon. Interment will follow at St. Joachim's Cemetery.

To send a personal condolence please visit www.riverviewbyhalvey.com.

Funeral arrangements are under the care of Patrick J. Halvey of Riverview Funeral Home by Halvey, LLC.

$50,000 Overtime Granted To Highway Department For Milling and Paving From Central Hudson Payout, But Includes Men's Bathroom, Firehouse, Stair Rennovations

During this week’s City Council Meeting, $50,000 in Overtime was granted to the Highway Department that was “directly related to the milling and paving work” that has been going on around in the City, resulting in part from infrastructure work being done by Central Hudson under the streets and sidewalks, said Beacon’s City Administrator Chris White. The $50,000 was classified as revenue that was paid by Central Hudson to Beacon to do the the milling and paving after Central Hudson dug under the street.

However, in the City Council Workshop meeting before this last week (at the 9 minutes 11 seconds mark), it was expanded that the $50,000 revenue from Central Hudson to pay for milling and paving in Beacon was also used for building upgrades at Town Hall and the Firehouse. Details of these upgrades were not included in either the 11/25/2024 Workshop or 12/2/2024 Council Agenda memo noting the expense, but were explained by Finance Director Susan Tucker at last week’s Workshop while City Administrator Chris was out of town.

The memo proposing the Overtime stated: “Amend the 2024 General Fund Highway Budget for additional overtime costs associated with several jobs done in-house instead of contracting out including milling and paving work being paid for by Central Hudson. These costs can be covered by some of the funds received by Central Hudson for the work. The budget amendment is anticipated to cover the costs through the end of the year.”

Central Hudson’s work is not complete yet, and is stopping for the winter, to be resumed in April, City Administrator Chris said when he returned for this week’s meeting, which was the meeting to vote for the Highway Department Overtime. City Administrator Chris explained the expense this way (at the 1 hour 42 minutes mark): “The Transfer of $50,000 to Overtime from Miscellaneous Revenue. This is directly related to the milling and paving work and our Overtime for our staff. They do a lot of the handwork behind the milling. They are there dealing with the traffic issues, water valves, manhole covers. This money is coming out of the proceeds from Central Hudson. They paid us to do this milling. Some of it goes to paying the contractor and some of it goes to paying our staff. That's in the amount of $50,000. Thank you to Susan Tucker for covering last week and talking about this.”

When Susan talked about it, she included more detail of work completed within Overtime that was not milling and paving. These additional projects included renovations to the City’s 3rd floor Men’s bathroom, improvements to the City’s Finance office, helping with the Firehouse renovation, and replacing the stairs out front between City Hall and the Police Department.

Susan explained: “If you haven't noticed, we have been doing quite a bit of additional work through our Highway Department, especially Dave Way and Sean Detoro. They've renovated different areas in City Hall. They did the Men's bathroom on the 3rd floor. They've improved the Finance Office. They did some ADA ramps.

“They've also been working on milling and paving. We've assisted the Firehouse in some of the renovations and moving materials that needed to be done there and cleaning up of various City areas.”

Additional to the milling and paving were the stairs. Susan explained: "Earlier this year, Central Hudson gave us a lump sum to do some do the milling and paving that they needed done. Also, there was some additional funds there we'd like to use these monies to cover those additional Overtime costs in the Highway Department. Also the stairs outside. We had some additional costs with that. With our construction observation, which is Anthony Thomaselli. Anything that he used to oversee the steps we charge to that Highway Overtime line. That would be covered by the Central Hudson additional revenues."

Mayor Lee Kyriacou clarified: "I just got a couple questions. In terms of the Overtime, are we expecting the revenue item to cover that from Central Hudson? Is that how you're setting it up Susan?"

Susan answered: "We have a certain piece that covers the actual materials and then there was an in-excess piece of it as well. So we're using some of it to cover the overages in the Highway Overtime."

Mayor Lee settled: "Okay great. That's all I got."

Councilmember Jeffrey Domanski asked how much is left in the Contingency Fund after the transfers. Susan answered: "Great question. We have about $32,000 in the Regular Contingency line, and we have $36,000 in the Contingency Retirement line."

Stage 1 Drought Declared For City of Beacon; Burn Ban Of All Outdoor Burns Remains In Effect

During last night's City Council Meeting, Mayor Lee Kyriacou issued a Stage 1 Drought Advisory for the City of Beacon, following the Village of Cold Spring doing so on October 4th, which they elevated to a Stage 2 Drought in early November. Cold Spring’s drinking water sources are different than Beacon’s, where they need to pay New York City to draw water if necessary. Cold Spring’s Stage 1 Drought trigger was 79.16% capacity. The Stage 2 was 59.8% capacity, where it had dropped from 67% a week prior. The capacity triggers for the City of Beacon are different, as Beacon pulls from different reservoirs and wells.

The Mayor cited the City of Beacon's Superintendent of Water and Sewer, Ed Balicki, who advised that the city's 3 reservoirs have reached 60% capacity, which is the trigger set in the City of Beacon’s code.

Mayor Lee stressed more than once that there is ample water, but that people should conserve and reduce water usage. Mayor Lee recommended the following:

• Fix water leaks.

• No washing of cars except at a commercial Car Wash.

• No washing of patios driveways and outdoor areas.

• No refilling of and drawing City water for fountains, waterfalls, pools, lakes, or ponds on your properties and then the.

• No watering of lawns or golf courses.

This would also be a good time to schedule your water meter reader which can detect leaks in your home and alert the City of Beacon.

Mayor Lee educated on where Beacon's water comes from, explaining that water is pulled from 3 wells, which is why he is not concerned with how much water the City has, even though the code is requiring him to issue a Stage 1 Drought and recommend water conservation.

He confirmed with City Administrator Chris White that the City is pulling from 2 of the 3 wells right now. City Administrator White responded that there is a water quality issue with the Melzingah well, which is offline as a result. Further information about the cause of the quality decline was not given in this meeting.

Earlier, the Mayor confirmed that the Burn Ban remains in effect, and will be reissued every 5 days. He was comfortable with extending beyond the November 30 state-wide ban Governor Kathy Hochul issued earlier. However, the Mayor stated, Beacon’s ban is more restrictive in that it bans all exterior open burning. He clarified: “If you have a grill that closes and you're grilling outside, that is okay. But open campfires other open burnings outside are not permitted.”

As lawns and soccer fields remain dry and dusty, Councilmember Paloma Wake asked how the Burn Ban was being enforced. City Administrator Chris advised people to call the police if they see a fire. There is a $1,000 fine for breaking the ban. "We had a fire on Saturday from someone not extinguishing a smoking device. I think it was a cigarette and somebody's deck almost went up and FL so please be really careful. It's so dry out there."

Beacon Councilmember Silenced By City Administrator Over Traffic Safety Awareness

City Administrator Chris White silenced City Councilmember Pam Weatherbee during the 10/21/2024 City Council Meeting at 1 hour 10 minutes, when she rose awareness about known dangers to bikers and pedestrians on Rte. 52/Fishkill Avenue, which is where Barking Frog, Stinson’s Hub, Auto Zone, Lanks Automotive, Family Dollar, Margaret’s Laundromat, Industrial Arts Brewing, and other establishments are located. It is a connecting road to numerous communities, including Groveville and the Hedgewood Home For Adults. During the meeting, he told the public that she had opened up the city to more lawsuits than the 3 “trip and fall” lawsuits they City is already contesting.

Hedgewood Home For Adults on the left on Rte. 52

City Administrator Chris’ silencing of Councilmember Pam demonstrated how important topics are talked about behind the public’s view when the cameras turn off after public City Council meetings. Some people call this “behind closed doors,” where councilmembers can speak with the city’s attorney about legislation, city employees, or other sensitive topics. It can be the reason why some councilmembers speak meekly in public on a topic, despite having strong viewpoints about it.

What Did Councilperson Pam Say?

Councilperson Pam was answering a seemingly organized turnout of bike-lane advocates, which included adults and kids, pushing for the Council to consider and implement bike lanes in different areas of Beacon, including on Rte. 52. Sidewalks have also been advocated for in this area because several senior citizens who live at the Hedgewood Home For Adults walk on the road as part of their daily activity and errands. These senior citizens are often in wheelchairs, with rolling walkers, are holding hands with one another, or are walking alone. They do not have a generous sidewalk to walk on, and often walk in the street, within the white line.

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In her Report, Councilperson Pam said: "I myself live only one block from 52, and would love to ride a bike, but I'm fearful to get out onto Route 52. So I definitely hear that something needs to be looked at for safety. You know, my husband Stew has been biking lately on 52, and there's so many obstacles now for a biker, that it is shocking that nobody is killed. And it's not just from vehicles. It is from even just the how the side of the the road is for them, that it it's really…there's so many dangerous obstacles. So I would love a feasibility study. I know we keep talking that ‘we can't do it…we'd like to do it…’ Is it a reality and what could we get for it there before we start putting in new sidewalks."

City Administrator Chris was initially adverse to the creating of or fixing sidewalks in Beacon in various areas, including Rte. 52, as he said in the past that he was very busy with projects like the new Firehouse which recently completed. However, he has been paving what seems like everything in Beacon this summer and fall as he works with federal grants to pay for some of it, like the sidewalks on both sides of the streets of Fishkill and Teller Avenues crossing over Main Street and Verplanck. The City of Beacon’s Highway Department has been paving as well. Central Hudson has been doing line work underground, which has necessitated some of the paving.

What Did City Administrator Chris Say?

During Councilperon Pam’s speech, City Administrator Chris was otherwise occupied in his computer while she spoke. Until she said: “It is from even just the how the side of the the road is for them that it's really…there's so many dangerous obstacles.” With that, he looked up at Councilperson Pam from his computer work, fired up his phone, and took to the microphone to interrupt the Report session. He said:

"Mayor...Mayor can I just ask that the Council please not say things about infrastructure in the city that could come back and haunt us for a lawsuit. If [City Attorney] Nick was on [the call for this meeting]...I don't know exactly what you're talking about...but...um...you just put on the record that it's unsafe to bike, which is, I...I would challenge that assertion and I...I...I think we should be careful about what we say publicly."

Councilperson Pam persisted: “I’ll send you pictures of the ___,” her final word was muffled as City Administrator Chris spoke over her, saying: “I get that Pam, but we're in like 3 lawsuits already about trip-and-fall things, um so I, I would just ask the council if you have issues about our infrastructure, please talk to us and we can mitigate that. If you announce it in your Report, you're basically putting it on the record so that it can be used against us if somebody falls there. [City Attorney] Nick isn't on to usually say that, but I would have texted Nick to say something.”

While the regular attorney Nick was not in attendance, another attorney, Christian, from their firm was there, but did not speak at that time. Mayor Lee Kyriacou responded by saying: “Ok,” signaling his acknowledgement to move on. But City Administrator White continued: “I think you can make your point without saying ‘Our facilities are not safe.’ I've never been notified by anybody about something unsafe on Fishkill that we haven't immediately addressed. So just knowing what we're going through with the lawsuit at Teller Avenue, I would be very careful about what people say about our our infrastructure.”

What Is The Lawsuit At Teller Avenue?

The lawsuit at Teller Avenue that he may be talking about regards the grandmother, a Beacon resident Carla Giuffrida, 75 who was hit by another grandmother in Beacon, Jacqueline Milohnic, 59, at 3:11pm on a Wednesday, December 1, 2021, as reported by A Little Beacon Blog. Carla died 5 hours later from her injuries.

Jacqueline was driving her 2019 Jeep Rangler on Main Street and was turning left onto Teller Avenue when she struck Carla who was reportedly in the middle of the crosswalk. Jacqueline was ticketed for “failing to yield to a pedestrian,” as reported in the Highlands Current. According to the reporting, “Milohnic, who told police that Giuffrida had not been visible because of a blind spot caused by the front left pillar of the Jeep’s frame and sun glare.” Jacqueline contested that ticket, which Beacon City Court Judge Greg Johnston dismissed, ‘saying it would have only applied if traffic control signals were not in place at the intersection or not working correctly.” However, the paper reported that Judge Johnston did find her guilty of “failing to exercise due care to avoid colliding with a pedestrian,” which is a lesser offense.

Jacqueline was due in court for sentencing, which could be 15 days in jail and up to a $500, the newspaper reported. During the trial, Detective Brian Lawrence testified that the traffic sign read “Don’t Walk” when Carla as in the middle of the crosswalk. However, back then, it was unclear if that traffic signal turned to “Walk” at all, and was broken at the time.

Readers of A Little Beacon Blog chimed in then, saying: “@janetmelissa: “So awful!! Sending healing thoughts to everyone reeling from this tragedy. Just FYI…the pedestrian lights were out at that intersection for some time. Idk if they’ve recently been repaired…but that makes an already dangerous crosswalk even more difficult for pedestrians to safely navigate!”

And @firstrun said: “Ah, my sister was seriously injured when she was hit by a car at the same intersection.”

When sentenced for her conviction, Judge Johnston fined Jacqueline $750, revoked her drivers license for 6 months, and ordered her to complete a driver’s safety course, according to the newspaper. However, she appealed that sentencing, which got reversed by an appeals court, who also dismissed the ticket.

But the pursuit for justice in Carla’s death and improved traffic safety for Teller Avenue was not over for Carla’s family. Her two children filed a civil suit in February 2023. According to reporting in the newspaper: “It names Milohnic and her husband, who is the owner of the vehicle she was driving; the City of Beacon; and Kearns Electric, the company that services the city’s pedestrian signals.”

Carla’s family’s lawsuit also pointed out the dangers of the Teller/Main Street intersection, by alleging “that between Jan. 1, 2018, and Nov. 30, 2021, there were at least 35 crashes there, at least two of which involved pedestrians. It charges Kearns and the city with failing to program the signal correctly to provide a “leading pedestrian interval” of at least three seconds before the traffic light turns green,” the Highlands Current reported.

ALBB does not have confirmation if this is the Teller Avenue lawsuit mentioned, or if there is an additional one.

Back To Councilmember Pam and City Administrator Chris:

After City Administrator Chris mentioned the Teller Avenue lawsuit, Councilmember Pam did not back down, and said: “We definitely need the Fishkill Avenue Concepts Committee here because it has been recorded there.” However, City Administrator Chris tried talking over her again to drown out what she was saying.

He continued: “You can make that decision, I'm…I'm just saying, I…I would rather this the council not hand lawsuits to people because we're in 3 right now and our insurance is going up because of them.”

Mayor Kyriacou tried to move the meeting along, by saying “Okay, so let's go on.”

By the very end of the meeting, as Mayor Lee wanted to end the evening, Attorney Christian, who was there, did chime in that he agreed with City Administrator Chris.

Revisiting Beacon's Ceasefire Resolution Details, And Where Are We Now In Death, Doxxing, and Humanitarian Aid

After the City of Beacon passed the Ceasefire Resolution on March 4th, 2024, people asked what did it mean. You can read it below in this article. Community members who helped shape the resolution with their input made sure that concerns for both Palestine and Israel were addressed. Five Councilmembers voted in favor (Paloma Wake who introduced the resolution, Pam Weatherbee, Molly Rhodes, Dan Aymar-Blair, Amber Grant) while Mayor Lee Kyriacou and Jeff Domanski abstained.

At the time of the passage of this resolution in March 2024, 30,000 Palestinians were known to have been killed. By September 16, 2024, according to the Palestinian Health Ministry, as reported by Middle East Eye, 41,226 Palestinians are known to have been killed. Of those, 710 were newborn babies, and 16,700 of those were children.

On October 7, 2023, it was reported that 1,200 Israelis were killed and 240 hostages taken. Since then, it has been reported that Israel killed some of their own hostages at different times, including on the first day. Israeli settler Yasmin Porat described in a radio interview how she survived as a hostage, but those around her did not. “Israeli settler Yasmin Porat has claimed that Israeli civilians were killed by Israeli forces and not by Hamas. This came in an interview by Porat with an Israeli radio station on 15 October, where she said: ‘They eliminated everyone, including the hostages. There was very, very heavy crossfire and even tank shelling.’ The 44-year-old mother of three stated that she and other civilians were held by the Palestinians for several hours and were treated ‘humanely’.”

The issue of humanitarian aid was included in Beacon’s Ceasefire Resolution. Humanitarian aid was being blocked. The BBC reported in May 2024 that “Israeli Protesters Block Aid Trucks Destined For Gaza.” This week, ProPublica published: “Israel Deliberately Blocked Humanitarian Aid to Gaza, Two Government Bodies Concluded. Antony Blinken Rejected Them.” The subheading for the article read: “Blinken told Congress, ‘We do not currently assess that the Israeli government is prohibiting or otherwise restricting’ aid, even though the U.S. Agency for International Development and others had determined that Israel had broken the law.”

The ProPublica article further revealed: “The U.S. government’s two foremost authorities on humanitarian assistance concluded this spring that Israel had deliberately blocked deliveries of food and medicine into Gaza. The U.S. Agency for International Development delivered its assessment to Secretary of State Antony Blinken and the State Department’s refugees bureau made its stance known to top diplomats in late April. Their conclusion was explosive because U.S. law requires the government to cut off weapons shipments to countries that prevent the delivery of U.S.-backed humanitarian aid. Israel has been largely dependent on American bombs and other weapons in Gaza since Hamas’ Oct. 7 attacks.”

Beacon’s Ceasefire Resolution also called for no “doxxing” of people speaking for Palestine or Israel, however, since the passage of this resolution, A Little Beacon Blog has been harassed by an Anonymous Letter Writer who is consumed with the notion that ALBB remove the word “Beacon” from the publication title. It is unknown if the Anonymous Letter Writer is a resident of Beacon, or works in Beacon, or works for the City of Beacon.

The City of Beacon’s Administrator Chris White dismissed the passage of the Ceasefire Resolution in this way to the Chronogram in May 2024: “The council, at first, was not going to pass a resolution because they felt it's not a local issue. After public comments, the majority passed it, mostly so we could get back to city business."

Beacon’s City Administrator Chris White unplugging the microphone while Palestinian Jordanian Speaker Neesee Lee spoke, after she gave some of her time to point out the prior speaker using Islamaracist insults got more time.

Beacon’s Mayor Lee Kyriacou got up after Neesee’s microphone was unplugged by City Administrator Chris White.

Beacon’s Mayor lee Kyriacou approached and stood in front of Neese Lee, calling other people’s names in line, while Neesee finished her pre-written speech that ended shortly after her 3 minute allotment.

The reporter for that Chronogram article reviewed the footage of the second and final large meeting of the night the Ceasefire Resolution passed, describing it this way: “On March 4, tensions flared at a Beacon City Council meeting as 68 speakers debated over adopting a resolution for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza. The room was split. While many there supported the resolution, a sizable group opposed it.

Chaos erupted when audience members objected to a man who compared resolution supporters to "people terrorizing their own citizens." After the interruption, Mayor Lee Kyriacou reset the man's three-minute time limit, prompting Neesee Lee—a Wallkill resident of Palestinian descent—to refuse her own limit, accusing Kyriacou of allowing racist remarks. After her time expired, Lee began to shout, and city administrator Chris White unplugged her microphone. Ultimately, after over three hours of public comments, the measure passed 5-0, with Kyriacou and Ward Two councilmember Jeff Domanski abstaining.”

The Ceasefire Resolution can be read in full below, and has been published by the City of Beacon here.

CITY OF BEACON
CITY COUNCIL
RESOLUTION NO. 30 OF 2024
CALLING FOR AN IMMEDIATE, PERMANENT, AND NEGOTIATED MULTILATERAL
CEASEFIRE AND UNITING FOR PEACE

WHEREAS, all human life is precious; and

WHEREAS, the City of Beacon aspires to be a safe and welcoming community, and is

committed to promoting peace, unity and respect for all of its residents and community members; and

WHEREAS, on October 7th, 2023, 1,200 Israeli citizens were killed and 240 taken hostage, and

since then more than 30,000 Palestinian citizens have been killed and more than 1.5 million are at risk of starvation; and

WHEREAS, the City of Beacon expresses its unwavering support and empathy for all members of the Beacon community who have been impacted by the violence happening in Palestine and Israel; and

WHEREAS, the City of Beacon acknowledges the deep personal impact that the violence in Palestine and Israel has had on numerous members of our community, and extends its sincere condolences to those who have lost loved ones and extended family members in this conflict; and

WHEREAS, the City of Beacon encourages all residents and community members to treat one another with empathy, compassion, and respect; and

WHEREAS, the City of Beacon condemns all forms of racism, discrimination, and violence (and support thereof) which target Arab, Palestinian, Muslim, Jewish, Israeli, or other communities, as well as any other form of intimidation, “doxxing,” harassment, public shaming, and hate speech, whether online or in-person; and

WHEREAS, the United States holds immense diplomatic power to facilitate an effective peace process; and

NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that the City of Beacon urges the Biden Administration to:

1. Call for and facilitate an immediate and permanent negotiated multilateral ceasefire, towards a formal regional peace process, as well as normalized regional relations; and

2. Call for the release of all hostages and those unjustly imprisoned, both Israeli and Palestinian; and

3. Call for the immediate increased flow of humanitarian aid into all of Gaza, facilitated by mutually-trusted third parties.

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the City of Beacon:

1. Calls for continued open, honest, respectful, and tolerant conversation among our local community in support of our common humanity; and

2. Recognizes the importance of addressing the root causes of crises to the development of a pathway to lasting peace and justice, and to educating the public on the interconnectedness of climate change, global conflicts, and fostering awareness and dialogues within the community.

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that upon passage, a copy of this Resolution shall be sent to the Office of U.S. President Joe Biden, the Office of U.S. Senator Chuck Schumer, the Office of U.S. Senator Kirsten Gillibrand, the Office of U.S. Representative Pat Ryan, the Office of Governor Kathy Hochul, the Office of State Senator Rob Rolison, and the Office of State Assemblyman Jonathan Jacobson

Tuesday's 8-13-24 Planning Board Agenda - What's On Deck

The Planning Board will meet in the Municipal Center Courtroom at 7:00 p.m. A work session will take place at 7:00 p.m. for a training workshop, discussion of agenda items and/or topics of interest to the Planning Board. The regular meeting will begin immediately thereafter, but no later than 7:30 p.m.

Peek at the details below…

1. Continue review of application for Site Plan and Subdivision Approval, Mixed-Use Commercial and Residential, 45 Beekman Street, High Street, and High Street, submitted by Beekman Arts Center LLC and Bay Ridge Studios LLC.

2. Continue review of application for Site Plan Approval, 19 Henry Street, townhomes, submitted by Lori Joseph Builders, Inc.

3. Continue review of application for Site Plan Approval, 14 N Cedar Street, 4-unit multi-family dwelling, submitted by Cervone-Perrucci Realty.

4. Review of application for Site Plan Approval, accessory dwelling unit, 16 Rock Hill Road, submitted by Donna Schiehsl.

More details can be found here >

Monday's 8-5-24 City Council Workshop Meeting Agenda - What's On Deck

Peek at the agenda below…

1. Swearing in of Thomas Durkin as Police Detective Sergeant

2. Swearing in of Kelvin Grey as Police Sergeant

3. Presentation of the 2021-2030 City of Beacon Government Operations Climate Action Plan

4. Appointment of Cole Lawrence to the Position of Heavy Motor Equipment Operator

5. Appointment of Isabella Nocerino to the Position of Police Officer

6. 2024 Beacon Accessible Curb Ramps Bid Results

7. 2024 Beacon City Hall Exterior Stair Replacement Bid Results

8. 2024 Climate Smart Communities Grant Program

9. Authorizing the Issuance of Bonds

10. Proposed Local Law No. 8 of 2024 Concerning the Fishkill Creek Development District

See more here >

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