City Council’s Workshop for this week contained a big ticket item, and a couple notable moves. The items in the 2023-2027 Capital Program have been proposed and budgeted. These include major infrastructure upgrades, renovations, and a wish list of vehicle and equipment purchases.

Capital Plan 2023-2027

The items proposed in this budget would go through an arduous process if approved, and would happen over the course of 5 years, while rotating the debt and mixing it with federal grants that reimburse the City of Beacon for some of the expenses. Several items are proposed. An overview of two of them are below.

Melzingah Reservoir Rehabilitation Construction and Mt. Beacon Tank Construction and Engineering
This project will include sealing leaks in the infrastructure, which will stop the loss of many gallons of water a day, as well as improve safety. According to City Administrator Chris White, the Pocket Dam loses 90 gallons of water a day in seepage. This project has been evaluated for some time, and City Administrator Chris is looking to start it.

Firehouse Renovation at Lewis Tompkins
This project has been discussed for even longer, involved many studies and feedback from firefighters and the community, and is ready to get started, says the City Administrator. Beacon’s 3 firehouses will consolidate into 1 firehouse at Lewis Tompkins.

Tax Assessment Disputes
Each year, property owners can dispute their assessment. Two property owners did recently, and the City of Beacon has agreed to lower their assessments.

Short Term Rental Enforcement Software
Communities across the country are trying to enforce local rules created to keep harmony between properties used for Short Term Rentals that use platforms like Airbnb. There’s a subscription for that, and City Administrator Chris is recommending that Beacon use it to enforce its legislation and encourage more Short Term Rentals to get required permits with the City.

Go to the entire agenda here, and watch the replay of the meeting.