City Of Beacon To Vote Tonight On Resolution Condemning "Attack On January 6 Of The U.S. Capitol and Congress" and Supports Accountability

Today, Tuesday, January 19, 2021, Beacon’s City Council will vote on a Resolution officially “Condemning The Attack On January 6 Of The U.S. Capitol and Congress,” which they will vote upon during tonight’s regularly scheduled City Council Meeting, which is a public meeting that meets on Zoom and YouTube, where members of the public can speak for up to 3 minutes on any topic during the first 30 minutes of the meeting, and last 30 minutes of the meeting.

The Resolution in its entirety has been republished below for easy reading, and can be accessed here at the City’s website. You can attend the City Council Meeting digitally via the links found on the City’s website here.

During last week’s City Council Workshop meeting on January 11, 2021, Mayor Lee Kyriacou contributed comments to the January 6th event that were historically based on his studies in college as a History Major on the time period between the two Word Wars. You can read some of those comments here.

While some police officers in departments around the country (NPR) and within the Capitol Police itself (CNN) are being reported as to having participated in the riot, A Little Beacon Blog has inquired last week with the City of Beacon by way of the Mayor, City Administrator Anthony Ruggiero and new HR Director Gina Basile to see if the Police and Fire Chiefs have issued a statement describing if they have looked within their own departments for any participants, or if they have held team meetings to have group talks about the event, and how it makes everyone feel. Inquiry has been made again today. Should a response be received, this article will be updated.

CITY OF BEACON CITY COUNCIL
Resolution No. of 2021
RESOLUTION CONDEMNING THE ATTACK
ON JANUARY 6 OF THE U.S. CAPITOL AND CONGRESS

WHEREAS, on January 6, 2021, there was a violent attack on the U.S. Capitol and on the U.S. Congress, described succinctly by USA Today: “As a shocked nation watched..., a pro- Trump mob battled police, broke into the U.S. Capitol, and sent members of Congress fleeing as lawmakers were counting Electoral College votes.... Now, five people are dead, including a U.S. Capitol police officer.” And

WHEREAS, this attack on the U.S. Capitol and Congress was caused by the current President, as stated by third-ranking House Republican Liz Cheney, “The President of the United States summoned this mob, assembled the mob, and lit the flame of this attack. Everything that followed was his doing.... There has never been a greater betrayal by a President of the United States of his office and his oath to the Constitution.” And

WHEREAS this attack on the U.S. Capitol and Congress followed the November national election with more than 150 million Americans exercising their constitutional right to vote, and thereafter by the counting and certification of votes by state election officials, as well as the meeting and voting by the Electoral College, and also by the adjudication of many dozens of court challenges by the current President that affirmed all the election results; and

WHEREAS, this attack on the U.S. Capital also followed months of assertions without proof by the current President that elections in states where the President lost were somehow unfair, which were repeated and amplified by the current President, culminating in and repeated at a White House rally immediately preceding the attack on the U.S. Capitol, which attack was largely perpetrated by individuals attending that rally; and

WHEREAS, the practical demonstration of a true democracy is the peaceful transfer of power from outgoing to incoming officials, which for President and Vice President of the United States has occurred peacefully and as prescribed by the U.S. Constitution after every national election since 1788 – until now; and

WHEREAS, each elected representative of the City of Beacon takes an oath of office, which includes supporting the Constitution of the United States;

THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that the City of Beacon condemns the violent attack on the U.S. Capitol and Congress, and supports all actions to ensure accountability for those inciting and conducting the attack.

Self-Proclaimed "Silent Majority" Truck Train Yell "N-Word" and "White Power" At Beaconites

Vehicles in the 2nd truck train passing through Beacon last Sunday. Vehicles also included an unmarked privately owned fire truck, truck hauling a dumpster, jeeps, and others.

At first blush, seeing Trump flags in a scrap metal dumpster being pulled by a large truck seemed like an artist statement for “Dump Trump.” Large, empty truck cabs with Trump flags pulling no rig seemed symbolic for carrying nothing - or lost cargo.

However, this truck train is a show of support for the 45th president, by people choosing to remain in their cars, windows up, largely unrecognizable, sometimes with license plates covered. The history of White Supremacy includes masked people making threats and using grand gestures to get their point across, like fire, fireworks, burning crosses, bonfires, and other loud events.

However the big truck caravan concept that is driving nationwide through small towns (including the one that attempted to corral a Biden campaign bus off the road, and the #MAGADrag event in NYC that resulted in reports of police pushing and arresting Black Lives Matter protesters, a truck running into a counter-protester, and halted traffic on the White Stone Bridge which moved up to the Mario Cuomo Bridge to stall traffic) rolled through Beacon two weekends in a row, past Fishkill, and up to Poughkeepsie, and drove within 20 feet of the early voting location at Fishkill Town Hall, as people waited in line along side the road on Rte. 52. This was days before the Town of Fishkill or the Board of Elections decided to move people away from the gravel in the road to in front of the Police Department.

A Little Backdrop Background To Day 1 Early Voting

While getting ready for Day 1 of Early Voting, this article came across the wires about a rally fiercely defending the 2nd Amendment that was originally scheduled and approved by its village’s board to be near an early voting location.

Prior to the first slow-motion truck drive-by the first weekend of early voting, a rally scheduled in Montgomery, NY that encouraged guns in its Eventbrite invitation (the online invitation was later taken down) was to be held quite close to Montgomery’s early voting location. Their Mayor Steve Bracia, who is running for Congress, didn’t see a problem with it, but after pushback, agreed to their Town Supervisor Brian Maher’s offer to have the rally at another location. Pictures from the event included the same kind of trucks that have been driving all around Beacon, Fishkill, and Poughkeepsie.

Instant Traffic Stop By Vehicle Demonstrations Vs Marching On Foot

The truck that caused a 1 hour disruption to Beacon’s Main Street last Sunday.

These truck trains can instantly cause backup or close a road or bridge. A march on foot would need a lot of permitting in order to achieve this effect. In Beacon, there were 27 protests over the summer that the Beacon Police Department accompanied, as stated by Acting Chief Frost in a recent City Council 10/26/2020 Workshop meeting explaining the Police Budget and overtime that is incurred from parades and demonstrations.

Turns out, Beacon has a number of parades requiring overtime by police to make moving street closures and barricading side streets. The usual community parades were canceled due to the pandemic. However, the protests accounted for the overtime estimated instead of the parades for the 2020 Police budget.

Most, if all of these protests in Beacon, were on foot, and moved relatively quickly, despite larger turnouts than others. While both demonstrations were loud and involved shouting, the vehicle version involved car honking throughout the drive-by, as well as sirens by retired unmarked fire trucks and possibly retired unmarked ambulances, as some locals have reported. The City of Beacon needed to answer to the public that a fire truck spotted was privately owned, and not representing a municipality. This display of an emergency vehicle caused confusion with the public. In business, this can be likened to trademark infringement.

It is not clear if any vehicle participants were volunteer fire fighters from other communities who used their sirens for audio effect. One Beacon resident observed that when Marchers marching for Black live mattering more past her house, she could turn up the TV if she did not want to hear the chanting. However, she stated that she could not drown out the sound when the truck train slowly drove by.

During the 2nd truck train last Sunday on the last early voting weekend, a truck broke down on Beacon’s Main Street for 1 hour, causing a part of Main Street to be closed while police and the truck operator waited for a tow truck company who could tow a truck that large, according to Beacon Detective Sargent Jason Johnson, who helped on the scene with several other police officers who safely diverted traffic.

While several large vehicles successfully drove around the truck, one van did collide with the truck while attempting to pass, but no one was injured, according to the Detective.

Fishkill Police Hold Up Traffic On I-84 For Truck Train And Allegedly Yell At A White Beaconite Needing To Get Home

A Fishkill Police Officer at 1-84 and Route 52 while traffic was held on the ramp during the first week of early voting while a truck caravan drove past the Fishkill Town Hall.

A Beaconite who was driving with his family after an an outing at an apple orchard shared his tale of being held on I-84 for over 20 minutes:

“We were coming back from Fishkill Farms and took the Route 52 exit on 84. Our timing put us right in the thick of the caravan. Doubtful they had a parade permit (right?) — but Fishkill PD were obviously in the loop.

Editor’s Note: Fishkill Police did confirm that they knew of the truck caravan in advance, but did not know that Town Hall was an early voting location.

The officer in the intersection kept waving the trucks through with no break for offramp traffic, even though it got hugely backed up, and there were multiple opportunities to pause the caravan and let folks through.

“When we tried to engage the officer, he barked ‘You go when *I* say so!’ Definitely a hostile vibe — except between the cop and the people passing in those trucks. He seemed pretty chummy with them.

“It felt like voter intimidation to me, coming as close as it did to the early voting site. And the whole police part of this felt pretty chilling. The caravan definitely drove for longer than 20 minutes. Felt like an eternity. I did shout “Impeached!” out the window a couple of times, which felt good (even if it’s not the most dignified lesson for my children).

“I think we may look into filing a complaint with the Mayor’s Office in Fishkill. Not sure where else. Anyway, icky vibes on a Sunday, but I managed not to get arrested, and we had a productive conversation with the kiddos, so I guess all’s well.”

Motorcyclists Frighten Black Mother And Kids; Fishkill Police Officer Allegedly Laughs

A mother who is Black was driving her children to early voting, and wrote into ALBB to share her story of being frightened by motorcyclists who drove past her car and yelled into it, scaring her children. Her name is Melanie Smalls and her story is below:

“Sunday morning I decided to get me and my two sons up and go vote early down at Fishkill Town Hall around 1:30pm-2:00pm. On my way, I got caught in the Trump/Pence motorcade on 52. Driving passed the old bowling spot which is now a storage unit and little passed the houses, the motorcade slowed down entirely! And I mean like a stand still.

“I realized that the Town Hall was just ahead and they was intimidating the voters there. Three old white men with long beards must of been way back; I looked in my rear view mirror of my SUV and saw them. Mind you, I was behind a Fishkill Police SUV. When it started moving, the 3 motorcycles from behind me, they rode by my SUV and started screaming and shouting in my car with my kids in the back ‘Trump 2020.’

“My kids started crying. I started to get scared because they are crazy. I honked my car for the police, but I could see the officer laughing in his left side mirror as he waved them to get in front of him to get with the rest.

“I’m a strong Black woman. Very tough. My parents ain’t raise no suckers and I damn sure was not about to let them intimidate me into not voting. I was not going to show my boys that. These people are very scary. Their scare tactics are horrible, atrocious. The Fishkill Police should be entirely ashamed of themselves. They stopped traffic for that.”

Truck Train Up In Poughkeepsie

A mother who is Black and lives in Poughkeepsie reported seeing the caravan there during the first weekend of early voting. She said:

“We saw them by Poughkeepsie Galleria (not sure of the time, but definitely the morning). My thoughts are that they are deep. I wasn’t up here during the 2016 election, but on Staten Island they weren’t as visible then. Felt like a sneak attack when the numbers revealed itself. I remember staying up all night well into 3am because it wasn’t very clear who actually, really won. Remember that? The announcement came at like 4am officially. My 3rd grader predicts Trump will be re-elected. He’s developed some strong political opinions since introducing him to Civics.”

Beacon’s Experience With The Truck Train

During the first weekend of early voting, the truck train came through, horns blazing. One person who is regularly out on the street reported in that eggs were thrown from a car to people on the sidewalk.

During the second week on Sunday November 1, 2020, more people wrote in to ALBB with their experiences. @janxchris said: “I witnessed A group of people in a truck, in that parade yelling the “n word” at people of color. That’s not a difference of opinion, that’s an act of racism. And no, that’s never okay, anywhere. You can have opinions, but the days of accepting racism as “opinions”are over.

Another person sent us video of motorcyclists yelling “White Power!” in front of Beacon’s Post Office. You can watch the video here and below.

As the caravan rolled down Main Street, many locals came out to watch it. Many of them said nothing, but had hair raised, cameras up. Some people shouted “Racists!” from the apartment windows above. Some people gave a thumbs down, as you can see in the video above as a caravan participant yells “white power.” According to @cezaleo__, some onlookers displayed their middle finger. One person, according to @cezaleo__, showed their breasts - or chest. It is unknown at this time why the person removed their shirt.

When people marched down the middle of Main Street for Black lives mattering more, the feeling was intense, but many visitors and locals showed signs of support. For the truck train, the feeling was more apprehension.

How Does Beacon’s Local Government Feel About The Caravan?

ALBB did reach out to every single City Council member as well as Mayor Lee Kyriacou and the City Administrator Anthony Ruggiero with different questions regarding this truck train. Council members were asked if they wanted to submit a comment of any kind regarding this caravan. It is unknown if they knew the details of the 2 caravans, which so far, have only floated in social media, unless it was seen in person.

Mayor Kyriacou was asked several questions, which included how he felt local Beaconites should respond to caravans like this, to receiving racial insults, and how calling Black people the “n-word” would be tolerated in a place of business. Mayor Kyriacou did not respond to ALBB’s questions, but he did speak generally to these tumultuous times during this week’s City Council meeting, which you can listen to here.

Terry Nelson, who is Black, was the only City Council member who responded to ALBB’s questions. He is also the only Black person who is a City Council member at moment, and was appointed by Mayor Kyriacou to lead the Police Reform Committee. Terry’s full quote in response to ALBB’s questions is below.

During that same City Council meeting in which the Mayor alluded to the issue, Terry made direct reference, and was so far the only City Council member who made mention of the truck train during his Report (all City Council members can give a “Report” on whatever they like during public City Council meetings). During his Report, Terry recalled the first time he was called the “n-word” when he was a child, and how it stung him.

Terry’s response to ALBB regarding this truck train was this:

“​The participants in yesterday's caravan were exercising their freedom of speech, but those rights end when their words are used to instigate a negative reaction. Could you please ask any members of that caravan what does screaming the ‘n word’ at a mother and her children have to do with supporting the occupant of the White House? That display was not about supporting the president. It was about taking advantage of an opportunity to spew hate. I would love to hear some Trump supporters condemn that behavior, I won't hold my breath. They are complicit.”

Video of some of the truck caravan is below.

Beacon’s Mayor Kyriacou Responds To Teamster 445 Letter Regarding Acting Police Chief Decision

Just 24 hours after the Teamsters Local 445 issued their open letter on social media, Beacon’s Mayor Kyriacou issued the following press release on Tuesday evening. It is published in full below.

It appears that the parties involved - the Beacon PBA, Teamsters Local 445, and the Mayor and City Council have not had a meeting sitting around a table together. Perhaps as policy reforms happen, they will. Until then, the method of letters and press releases seems to be the method of communication.

Beacon’s police officers have attended 2 City Council meetings in order to answer questions and provide feedback to the City Council as the group dives in to understand how the department works before making any decisions or recommendations, including current Lieutenant Figlia who has provided helpful information and feedback.

---

Beacon City Mayor Lee Kyriacou expressed disappointment that the police union is resorting to intimidation and escalation – exactly the opposite behavior of what is appropriate in today’s charged environment.  The Mayor pointed out that such belligerent tactics do not represent the training or behavior of the city’s police officers, and that his door remains open to calm, constructive discussion.

Late yesterday, just before a City Council meeting, some City officials became aware of a letter posted online – but not actually sent to anyone in the City – from the Teamsters Local 445 and the City of Beacon Patrolmen’s Benevolent Association.  One newspaper called seeking a response before the Mayor had even seen or read a copy.  

Upon review of the material today, which contain non-specific and unsupported assertions, the Mayor made the following statement:

“I have supported the honorable men and women of the Beacon Police Department from my first day in office six months ago.  In hundreds of individual interactions with officers since then, my first words have always been ‘thank you’ and most recently, ‘I appreciate the difficult situation you are in.’  That support continues unabated – and is never inconsistent with either listening to the concerns of our community or asking questions to consider what change may be needed.

“I am deeply disappointed by the approach of the police union, which has resorted to intimidation and escalation in a highly charged environment – where the community-building approach should be outreach and dialogue.  Neither I nor the City Administrator has received a single meeting request, call or email from the leadership of the PBA, requesting a discussion or anything else.  Other than a statement from the PBA that I offered to read at a protest, I have heard nothing from them.

“Our police officers are all trained in and must practice de-escalation.  The police union tactics ignore de-escalation training – at a time when our community needs to come together.  I would encourage them to reach out and be constructive – my door remains open for calm, honest discussion.

“The PBA’s dissatisfaction came to light immediately upon the unanimous appointment of former Beacon Lieutenant William Cornett as Acting Police Chief, to fill in for the short-notice retirement of our chief and captain.  I chose someone with a long history in the Beacon police, with a record of integrity and transparency, and with no interest in continuing in the role.  That choice safeguards our community, our police department and the City, as we search for permanent leadership.  If the PBA is disgruntled at not being able to hand-pick leadership, that simply reflects their failure to engage in dialogue as well as unrealistic expectations.”

“Finally, let me reiterate some of the things I have said in public.  I have repeatedly discussed the department’s successful completion of a lengthy U.S. Department of Justice oversight process, as well its continuing accreditation by the NYS Law Enforcement Accreditation Program – the latter an achievement shared by only a handful of local departments.  And while anyone who has observed me on City Council knows I am incredibly protective of spending taxpayer dollars, I have made no definitive statements regarding funding levels of the police department going forward. 

“Again, my door remains open.”

Teamsters Local 445, Who Represent Beacon Police, Issue Open Letter On Facebook - Without Contacting City - Regarding Mayor And City Council During Reform Period

The Teamsters Local 445, which is connected to Beacon’s Police Benevolent Association (BPA), issued an open letter to Beacon’s City Council on July 15 and published it to Facebook. According to Mayor Kyriacou, the letter was not sent to the city directly. Their letter is in response to the recent appointment of Acting Chief of Police, William Cornett. During that public appointment, a representative of Local 445, Mike Pitt, proclaimed: “We’re going to follow this closely.“

A Little Beacon Blog has reached out to the president of Beacon’s BPA, Michael Confield, for comment, but has not received a response yet. If we do, the response will be published here.

Mayor Kyriacou has since responded with a press release in response which has been published in full here, expressing “disappointment that the police union is resorting to intimidation and escalation – exactly the opposite behavior of what is appropriate in today’s charged environment.

The open letter from Teamsters Local 445 has bee republished in full below:

---

Teamsters Local 445, a public and private sector labor union based in the Newburgh, New York area, with almost 3,000 members, including about 250 members in its Law Enforcement Division in Orange, Sullivan, Ulster, and Dutchess County Police Departments, supports its law enforcement members in the City of Beacon.

On behalf of the men and women of the City of Beacon Patrolmen’s Benevolent Association, we write this open letter after a majority voted to release the Association’s position. Unfortunately, circumstances have left us with no other recourse. We have lost all trust, faith, and confidence in the Mayor and City Council’s ability to lead this city and the police department during these trying times.

For the past several weeks, Mayor Kyriacou and the Council have continued their push of anti-police rhetoric and policies, which have included the thought of disarming and de-vesting police. How does one comprehend a police officer’s response to an emergency call without a weapon or protective gear?

The Mayor and Council have failed to correct untrue public accusations of police mis-conduct. This failure could lead to a wholly unfounded, dangerous reaction from the public, causing a dangerous environment for the members of the police department, as well as the public.

The Mayor and Council have shown zero support for the police department during these times. Talk of defunding or significantly cutting the department’s costs and of cutting its already dangerously low staffing level are some of the only talk they show the department. This department is an accredited police agency in New York State; an honor that few departments in the area still retain.

After the leader of the department offered to lead this accredited agency through these times without a chief in place, the Mayor and Council recently voted to appoint a temporary police chief who has not worked actively as a police officer since almost the year 2000. The Mayor and Council have stated that they want a smooth transition to the next police chief as leader of the department, but they seem to have an agency very different from minimal support, let alone different from the best interests, of the men and women who serve all day every day.

In the course of the Council meeting in which the Council voted to appoint the temporary Chief, Teamsters Law Enforcement Division representative Pitt pointed out that the certification of this appointee must have lapsed due to the length of his time not serving as a police officer since retirement in 2000. As per General Municipal Law 209-q, the certification required for police officers by law lapses after four (4) years. Without that certification, the appointed temporary Chief “lacks the power to execute arrest and search warrants, make arrests without a warrant and use physical or deadly force in making an arrest when necessary”; he “may not lawfully carry a firearm without a license if he is not certified as a police officer.” 2003 N.Y. Op. (Inf.) Atty’ Gen. 1. If this Chief sees a crime being committed, he cannot make an arrest; he needs to call the police.

The Council has spoken about reform, but you cannot have reform without funding. You do not deescalate by defunding the police. If you want the most qualified and most trained officers on your street, you cannot defund yet expect to keep, not to mention improve, the quality and level of service that these men and women currently give this great city.

In closing, we would like to reiterate that the men and women of the Beacon City Police Department PBA have lost all trust, faith, and confidence in Mayor Kyriacou and the entire City Council’s ability to lead this city.

About Teamsters Local 445 Union

Teamsters Local 445 is a public and private sector labor union based in the Newburgh, New York area, with almost 3,000 members, including about 250 members in its Law Enforcement Division in Orange, Sullivan, Ulster, and Dutchess County Police Departments.

View the original announcement on Beacon’s PBA Facebook Page.

Beacon Appoints Acting Chief Of Police, Bill Cornett For 90 Days; Beacon PBA Representative Responds, Mayor Gives His Reasons

After Beacon’s Police Chief and Captain each gave their 30 days notice of entering retirement, which commenced on July 7, 2020, the City of Beacon has been seeking a new Police Chief. Mayor Lee Kyriacou announced at this week’s City Council 7/6/2020 meeting that they have found a temporary, “Acting” Police Chief for no more than 90 days, who has come out of retirement to serve. Bill Cornett has accepted the position, and is no stranger to Beacon. He lives in Beacon, and served on the force during Beacon’s darker period of excessive overtime, leadership change, and the Department of Justice investigation.

Before the appointment, a member of the public called in during the Public Comment portion of the meeting to say that he wished for a pause in order for a thoughtful appointment to occur. Council person Dan Aymar-Blair asked for a hiring freeze. Mayor Kyriacou presented the appointment with the following logic:

“Civil Service Law requires that we have ay chief for any police force greater than 4 people. There was an earlier discussion...We went down the initial path that we would have an Acting Police Chief from within the department, and we made a decision after examining that, that we should not do so. What we're doing here is making it very clear here that we are not advantaging anyone in this process, we are not pre-disposing anyone in any direction in this process. What we are trying to do is to have someone fill the spot on a purely temporary basis, not a permanent one, and it be an acting position for up to but not more than 90 days. In doing so, we will enable an open and deliberate process to find the full chief. So view this as the first step in the process. Finding the chief will be a longer process.”

Civil Service Requirements As They Pertain To Hiring Service Employees

The new Acting Police Chief worked for the City of Beacon during a major time of transition. The 2002-2007 period was an exceptionally difficult time in the City, where Mayor Kyriacou was challenging the expenditures of overtime, which led to a number of leadership issues within the police department, which lead to multiple lawsuits, both internal and external. This eventually led to a request by the City of Beacon to the Department of Justice to investigate the Beacon Police Department, which resulted in some reforms, ending in 2010.

During that period of time, Bill Cornett was the Senior Lieutenant. Said Mayor Kyriacou during the City Council meeting the night of the appointment: “Of anyone in the department during that period that I trusted, that provided me straight answers that was by the book, it was [then] Lieutenant Bill Cornett. Bill was one of the few people in the department during that period to have a college education. He is a Fordum Grad with a Bachelors Degree in Sociology and a Minor in Philosophy and Theology. I think it served him exceptionally well. Again, I trust Bill with my life. He was instrumental in helping the process of going from what I would describe as an Old Boys Department to the professionalization of our police force.

”We had to change our leadership. We demoted a Chief to Lieutenant; we were sued multiple times; I was targeted; I was investigated. I had all sorts of interesting things occur. During all that time, the person that I trusted and always gave me straight answers was Bill Cornett. During that time, the City discovered that Bill was Acting Chief at times, which means that under Civil Service, he is capable of taking the position [today].”

Bill responded to the appointment with the following: "I look forward to serving the city, and I am also looking forward to returning to retirement. Yes, the 90 days is a good time." The City of Beacon’s press release on the announcement stated that Bill has not interested in the permanent position. Bill is quoted in the press release: “If I can help my community during a difficult transition, I stand ready to serve.”

A Representative From Teamsters Local 445 Representing Beacon’s PBA Responds

Later in the meeting during the 2nd Public Comment period, Mike Pitt, the Business Agent for the Teamsters Local 445 which represents the City of Beacon’s PBA (Police Benevolent Association, the police union) called in to voice his opinion. Mike expressed concern with the Civil Service requirements, with regards to Mike thinking that retired police officers lose their certification after 4 years of not working as a police officer. “I’m interested in seeing how this is possible,” Mike stated.

Mike continued by encouraging the route of hiring from within, and issued the following statement: “The Mayor continues to say that it is “Acting Police Chief” and totally disregarding the promotion or acting part of someone who is already in a command position in the police department, who can make the transition a lot smoother until you actually make an appointment of a police chief, after a thorough search.

“To get certified in a police department as “accredited” is a huge accomplishment for a police department. To get that, the City of Beacon showed that the administration did their job. That means the police officers did their job. It shows that the men and women there have followed the regulations, followed the rules, and the state saw that.

“It’s something that you need to take into consideration. You’re bringing in someone who hasn’t worked in 18 years. He’s not today’s world of police work, where you guys are trying to disarm police going to calls. I don’t understand that. I don’t think anybody in the union does. I look forward to hearing that point. You’re saying that it’s not appropriate for somebody to get put in this position who is in the command position now in the City of Beacon Police Department. I think the men and women deserve better. We’re going to follow this closely. We hope that you make the right decision moving forward.”

The Mayor responded that he had been advised by council and Civil Service that the Ts were crossed and Is were dotted. Bill rose his hand to speak: “Good evening!” he said, and alluded to work he had done recently with local organizations. “It’s nice to be back! Even if I am one of the dinosaurs.”

A Little Beacon Blog pursued the legalese of the crossed Ts and dotted Is, and received this response from the City of Beacon’s attorney:

“The appointment of the Chief of Police, be it temporary or permanent, is not subject to any Union rules. The Chief of Police is not a member of the Beacon PBA. The Chief of Police’s position is outside the Collective Bargaining Agreement between the City and the Beacon PBA and therefore not subject to any limitations, other than those promulgated by New York State and Dutchess County Civil Service Department Rules and Regulations. The temporary appointment of William Cornett to Acting Chief of Police is consistent with the requirements of Civil Service Law for the position of Chief of Police, which is Five (5) years of permanent competitive status as a Police Lieutenant or seven (7) years of permanent competitive status as a Police Lieutenant and/or Police Sergeant. William Cornett served as Police Lieutenant in the City of Beacon from 1987 to 2002. Moreover, the expiration of Mr. Cornett’s NYS certification is irrelevant to this appointment. 2003 N.Y. Op. Atty. Gen. (Inf.) 1001 (N.Y.A.G.), 2003 N.Y. Op. Atty. Gen. No. 1, 2003 WL 326937.”

About Bill Cornett

Bill Cornett is a former Beacon Police Department Lieutenant and is a lifelong Beacon resident. According to the City of Beacon’s press release: “During his career in the Beacon Police Department, Bill was FBI certified as an instructor in de-escalation techniques. He initiated the STOP-DWI program, prepared and submitted Uniform Crime Reports to the FBI, oversaw Beacon’s Traffic Division, and served on the Dutchess County Traffic Safety Board. Bill retired from the department in 2002 as senior lieutenant and continues to live in Beacon.”

No City Council Meeting Tonight: A Scheduled Skip

Regular attendees - and new attendees! - of the weekly Monday night City Council Meetings can enjoy the night off, as the weekly session has a scheduled skip. Beacon’s City Administrator, Anthony Ruggiero sent out a reminder to the media this morning, stating: “Please remember that today is the 4th Monday, and there is no Workshop Meeting tonight. The next regular schedule Workshop Meeting is Monday, June 29, 2020.”

When there are 5 Mondays in a month, one week is usually skipped.

You can watch past meetings at the City’s website, or here at A Little Beacon Blog’s Easy Access Local Government section, which also includes Zoning meetings and Planning Board meetings.

TONIGHT (Monday): Public Hearing To Get Feedback On Many Zoning Table Simplifications In Beacon

Since before Mayor Lee Kyriacou was elected mayor, the council has been working closely with its City Planner, John Clark, to make the city’s Zoning Tables easier to understand. According to reporter Jeff Simms, who covers City Council meetings for the Highlands Current, the City Council has been working on this simplification “for 2 years at least,” he told A Little Beacon Blog right before the meeting began at 7pm (watch it live here on the city’s new YouTube Channel!).

You may have received a robo-call about a Public Hearing about a Zoning change that affects your property. If you are subscribed to the Emergency Alert System and checked all of the boxes to get all of the calls, then you maybe have gotten this one. The City Council has expressed interest in reaching people more proactively about when Public Hearings happen, and considered using the robo-call system.

The Public Hearing about the Zoning tables will cover the following:

Draft Use Table
1. Simple X - Y axis chart grouped by use types – shorter and easier to understand;
2. Combines Off-Street Parking (PB) and Office Business (OB) into Transitional (T) zone with some additional uses and residential options;
3. Combines Local Business (LB) and General Business (GB) districts;
4. Reduces the number of required Special Permits and shifts some Special Permits to the Planning Board;
5. Adds several new use categories:

• Vehicle Sales or Rental Lot

• Animal Care Facility

• Golf Course

Eliminates a few use categories:

• Ski Facility

• Retail Truck or Trailer

• Medical Service Structure

Draft Dimensional Table
1. Adds standards for new Transitional (T) district;
2. Eliminates inconsistencies in the table;
3. Decreases some setbacks in single-family districts and increases side setbacks in certain multifamily districts;
3. Adds dimensional standards (setbacks, building height, building coverage, minimum open space) instead of floor area ratios;
4. Removes more than half of the existing footnotes.

Draft Zoning - Major Text Amendments:
1. Updates uses and cross-references to be consistent with the new tables;
2. Broadens the general Special Permit conditions in Section 223-18 to include potential conflicts with adjacent blocks and adds traffic hazards or congestion, emergency services, infrastructure requirements, and consistency with the Comprehensive Plan as factors to consider;
3. Adds hotels to the list of potential uses allowed by Special Permit in the Historic District and Landmark Overlay Zone
4. Requires 25% non-residential uses in the Waterfront Development district within 400 feet of the Train Station;
5. Requires 1st floor non-residential uses in the Linkage district along the north side of West Main Street and Beekman Street;
6. Removes the expedited review process in the Linkage district;
7. Adds missing definitions.

In response to these changes, Beacon’s Planning Board reviewed the change and submitted feedback, which is attached to the meeting’s agenda on the City’s website, and republished here on A Little Beacon Blog.

“As requested, the Planning Board reviewed the Local Law amending Chapters 223 and 210 of the City of Beacon Code concerning the Schedule of Regulations and associated amendments, and changes to the Zoning Map at their May 12, 2020 meeting. City Planner John Clarke gave a detailed explanation of the proposed zoning amendments and creation of the Transition Zone. A lengthy discussion and review of the revised zoning tables took place. There was much debate about the commercial requirement for the Linkage Zone and the affect increased density would have on properties in the Transition Zone. Members felt the City Council should consider generating a schematic example of both a commercial and residential site by applying the new zoning regulations to better understand the resulting bulk increased density would have on neighboring properties.”

For those new to this, the Linkage Zone is the area down by the train station, where Brett’s Hardware is. The Parking PB district was an area created years ago when Beacon was being planned as a walking mall and parking was projected to be needed. According to Jeff: “The Transition Zone replaces an existing zone and gives it a better name that makes more sense. The one it replaces is PB (Parking).” The goal is to better transition from Main Street to the residential areas. There is flexibility for commercial as well as residential in these proposed changes.

Some uses are proposed to have changed in these changes. All of the details of this can be found in the agenda documents that can be found in detail at the City’s website here.

UPDATE: The meeting was adjourned to 2 weeks from today, to await Dutchess County comments.

Tonight's (Monday) City Council Workshop Meeting

Every Monday at 7 pm, there is a City Council Meeting or Workshop discussing things around the city that need improvements. Workshops are when certain topics are discussed in depth. Tonight is one of those nights.

A Little Beacon Blog republishes the agendas on our website in our City Government section, as well as the videos of the meeting when they become available. Lately, the Mayor’s Office has been including how many minutes each topic has been allocated.

In short, this Workshop will focus on how areas of Beacon are zoned. This has been a large project that is ongoing and deals with changes in how the city controls development projects. This includes discussion on building height, and what requirements are proposed to build a fourth floor of a building during this phase of Beacon’s development. The Greenway Trail project continues to be a topic, as does infrastructure.

Click here now to see all of the items on the agenda >

In Coronavirus Time, you can listen to this meeting live at 7 pm on the City of Beacon’s YouTube Channel.

Beacon's City Council Meetings Move To Video-Conference; Public Can Dial In; Live Footage Available

Like all of the Main Street shops who want to stay in touch with people and continue selling to them, the City of Beacon has been making progress in technology as well. Not only can you now pay your water bill online, but Beacon’s City Council meetings have moved to video-conference only, where council members are meeting from their own remote locations.

Each councilperson’s head can be seen on the screen, and the conversation happens from there, with legal updates from the City Attorney, and all of the regular answers from the City Planner regarding zoning. The meeting can be streamed live at a channel on YouTube, and the public can ask questions (when appropriate) by dialing into the number below.

The Video Conference Press Release From The City of Beacon:

PLEASE TAKE NOTICE, that effective immediately and based upon notices and health advisories issued by Federal, State and Local officials related to the COVID-19 virus, the City Council will not hold in-person meetings. Until further notice, all future City Council meetings (including public hearings) will be held via videoconferencing, as permitted by the NYS Open Meetings Law.

Due to public health and safety concerns, the public will not be permitted to attend at the remote locations where the City Council members will be situated. The public, however, will be able to fully observe the video-conference meeting and comment during regular City Council meetings (i.e for public hearings and during designated public comment periods).

To the extent internet access is not available, the public can attend and comment via telephone by dialing 1-929-205-6099 and entering the Webinar ID 285 630 104.

The City Council’s agenda is available online in advance of meetings at http://www.cityofbeacon.org/index.php/agendas- minutes/. The public can email written comments or questions for regular City Council Meetings by 5 pm on the day of the meeting, addressed to cityofbeacon@cityofbeacon.org.

Any member of the public who has questions should contact the City Administrator in advance of the meeting at (845) 838-5010 or aruggiero@cityofbeacon.org.

PLEASE TAKE FURTHER NOTICE, that any Executive Session of the Council will be initiated with the Council first convening on the public videoconferencing site, and then adopting a motion to go into Executive Session.

PLEASE TAKE FURTHER NOTICE, that the City Council Meeting of Monday, April 6, 2020 at 7 pm can be accessed live at https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCvPpigGwZDeR7WYmw-SuDxg. Please note that there is a 20-second delay on the YouTube Live Stream.

First City Council Meeting Took Place Since CoronaCrisis Awakening - COVID-19 Update Released

Published Date: Tuesday, March 17, 2020

Last week, the City of Beacon announced via press release that their regular Monday meeting would meet at a larger space to allow for social distancing, so that people could sit apart from one another. Similar measures have taken place in New York City for Governor Cuomo’s press conferences; after one day the governor’s meetings were the usual shoulder-to-shoulder arrangement, and then the next day there was an awkward array of seating.

The City of Beacon set up teleconferencing so that City Council members who were not comfortable or able to attend could call in and participate. Councilpeople Terry Nelson, Amber Grant, Jodi McCredo and Air Rhodes were dialed in on the line, which came in loud and clear. George Mansfield, Dan Aymar-Blair and Mayor Lee Kyriacou attended in person at the table. The City Attorney, Nick Ward-Willis, also attended in person, as did City Administrator Anthony Ruggiero. “I think you can all agree, we are certainly at appropriate distances right now,” he said.

Teleconferencing was set up in a day, as mentioned by Mayor Kyriacou. Participation for the public is also possible via teleconferencing, or the public can attend in person, provided that there is enough space between people. The mayor read the press release that was issued last week, which stated how several procedures will work for the foreseeable future. Read that press release (including a helpful fact sheet of COVID-19 symptoms) on the City of Beacon’s website, or right here.

All leaders were concerned about the coronavirus/COVID-19 and its impact on the Beacon community. Mayor Kyriacou urged people to check on their neighbors. To do so casually, or to let them know you want to check in on them. He also urged people to order out from their restaurant friends, and to continue to support those businesses.

Councilperson George Mansfield owns a bar/restaurant, Dogwood, and had this to say: “As a bar owner who was forced to be shut down by the state yesterday, I believe that it is the right and prudent thing to do. Hundreds of people have lost their jobs today... Maybe people live paycheck-to-paycheck, and now are without that paycheck.”

Councilperson Dan Aymar-Blair informed the public about Mutual Aid, a new group that has organized quickly in order to help people. There are “limits to what the state and county can do,” Dan said, “and we rely on each other.” The group is for the elderly, people with pre-existing conditions, and anyone who needs to quarantine. “This group is here for you,” said Dan. Call (845) 206-9836 or email mutualaidbeacon@gmail.com. They are on Facebook here, where you can see direct requests as they come in, and offer to help for each one.

Don’t be shy. Especially if you are a solo parent or person living without someone at home often. Call if you are not able to get out to get what you need.

Councilperson Jodi McCredo proposed to initiate a resolution to get local aid directly to Beacon. Mayor Kyriacou contributed insight he has from nearly all-day meetings: that Dutchess County was aware and working on directions. The following day (today) the mayor shared a press release about the low-interest disaster loan from the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA). It is a low-interest federal disaster loan for working capital to small businesses suffering substantial economic injury as a result of the coronavirus (COVID-19).

According to that press release: “SBA acted under its own authority, as provided by the Coronavirus Preparedness and Response Supplemental Appropriations Act that was recently signed by the President, to declare a disaster following a request received from Connecticut Governor Ned Lamont on March 15, 2020.” Actions like this from neighboring states continue, as the states work together regionally to plan and protect.

Additionally:

• Evictions have been halted statewide with no end date as of yet (after the Dutchess County Sheriff’s Office did agree to halt them for two weeks to start, and was open to a lengthier period). Evictions are now suspended until further notice.

• Seven-day waiting period for unemployment was waived (Governor’s Executive Order)

• State Aid Penalty waived for schools closing (Governor’s Executive Order)

• Utilities are not to be shut off, as directed by the Governor to the Department of Public Service.

• Source: https://www.governor.ny.gov/news/after-weeks-demanding-approval-governor-cuomo-announces-fda-gives-new-york-state-authority

Councilpersons Jodi McCredo and Amber Grant both encouraged people to give elderly people physical space - especially in the grocery store. Councilperson Grant encouraged people to shop and help Beacon businesses and to take the 2020 U.S. Census! Letters are arriving in the mail now. Don’t miss that opportunity. Filling that out is how communities get approved for grants. Money. Federal funding for many things you see - and want to see - around you.

The press release from the City of Beacon is below:

---

The City of Beacon is working closely with Dutchess County and New York State to ensure public health and safety in connection with COVID-19, and wants to inform the community of the following current information and actions.

Public Information

The City of Beacon recognizes that the best statewide health expertise is provided by New York State, and the best local health expertise lies with the Dutchess County Health Department. Accordingly, the City will where possible promptly re-communicate relevant, accurate information provided by these sources, whether electronically on the Beacon Public Access Channel (Channel 22) , the City of Beacon website (http://www.CityofBeacon.org), links in documents, or in printed form. The primary objective of the actions being taken by public health officials is to reduce the pace of transmission of COVID-19, to “flatten the curve” as many describe, so as to avoid exceeding the capacity of our hospital services.

City Preparedness

The City is working closely with expert state and county governmental partners, participating in multiple daily calls and meetings involving communities throughout the region. Information is passed on to all city staff, including police, fire and other departments, and the community, and the City is taking the appropriate recommended actions to properly inform to safeguard our community, including actions and recommendations to reduce the pace of transmission of COVID-19.

Limiting Gatherings

Today (Monday, March 16), the Governors of New York, New Jersey and Connecticut announced a lower crowd capacity limit of 50 people for recreational and social gatherings (e.g., theaters, sporting events; but not e.g., libraries, retail establishments), effective at 8:00 PM tonight. This follows an earlier order from last Friday (March 13) with an initial limit, which was the lesser of 500 persons or 50% of venue capacity. Today the Governors also announced that restaurants and bars will close for on-premise service (but still allow take-out and delivery service), and the temporary closing of movie theaters, gyms and casinos. Dutchess County and the City of Beacon collectively have the authority to enforce this limitation through our police, fire and building departments, and will promptly begin doing so.

Schools

All school districts in Dutchess, Orange and Ulster counties were closed for regular classes starting today (Monday, March 16). The Beacon City School District is closed for two weeks. The City’s school-based recreation programs are also closed.

State & Local Government Workforce

Today (Monday, March 16), the Governor announced that 50% of non-essential state employees should not report to work, and if feasible may work from home, and called for local governments to do the same (we understand this will become an executive order by the end of the day). The City of Beacon will implement this directive beginning tomorrow. We have identified executive, police, fire, water and sewer departments, and code enforcement officers, as essential employees. Other employees will be working for the most part on an every-other-day schedule.

City Facilities & Services

The following changes have been made regarding city facilities, board meetings and activities.

• Essential Services: Beacon Police and Fire Departments are unaffected by any mandated reduction in staffing; these departments have their own protocols with respect to staffing in emergency situations and interacting with the public. Water and Sewer Departments are unaffected, and trash collection is handled by a private contractor and is on schedule. The roles of Mayor, City Council and City Administrator are unaffected.

• City Hall: The window in the front entrance of our Municipal Building will remain open during regular hours for in-person service. Note that this window will as needed service in-person interactions with City departments located in the lower level of the building. Municipal buildings are being cleaned twice a day, and are safe for the public. Residents are encouraged to contact the City by phone or e-mail, where you will receive excellent customer service.

• Board Meetings: Meetings of the Beacon City Council, as well as other regular and ad hoc board meetings will continue to meet on schedule, with a change of location on a trial basis, from the Court Room at the Municipal Building to the much larger public meeting room across Route 9D at the Lewis Tompkins Hose Meeting Room located at 13 South Avenue. This will allow for appropriate “social distancing” in a larger venue; the City will monitor and limit public attendance as necessary. The City will continue to televise City Council and other board meetings, and has installed teleconferencing for meetings. Board members are of course free to make individual choices regarding attendance specific to their individual circumstances.

• Recreation Programs: The City has already discontinued after-school programs consistent with the school district decision. Other City-sponsored recreational activities are already seeing reduced attendance, and the City will discontinue all recreation programming.

• Transfer Station: The City’s recycling and transfer facility on Dennings Avenue will be open for some services, with details to be determined.

Some Accurate Sources of Information

Below are some links to accurate and up-to- date local information on health and safety. Take care to find and rely on accurate official sources, and not unofficial, informal or uninformed ones.

• Dutchess County Coronavirus Information Hotline: 845-486-3555
• NYS DOH Website: https://www.health.ny.gov/diseases/communicable/coronavirus/
• NYS Department of Health Novel Coronavirus Hotline: 1-888-364-3065
• Dutchess County State of Emergency: https://www.dutchessny.gov/Departments/County-Executive/Dutchess-County-Announces-State-of-Emergency.htm
• Dutchess County Department of Health: https://www.dutchessny.gov/Departments/DBCH/2019-Novel-Coronavirus.htm
• Dutchess County Mental Health Services: https://www.dutchessny.gov/Departments/DBCH/Mental-Health-Services.htm

Public Health Reminders

The City of Beacon wishes to repeat some official common-sense public health guidelines including personal hygiene, social distancing, and avoiding large public gatherings and events. These come from the Dutchess County Department of Health and the New York State Department of Health.
• Wash your hands often with soap and water for at least 20 seconds. If soap and water are not available, use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer.
• Avoid touching your eyes, nose and mouth with unwashed hands.
• Avoid close contact with people who are sick.
• Stay home when you are sick.
• Cover your cough or sneeze with a tissue, then throw the tissue in the trash.
• Clean and disinfect frequently touched objects and surfaces.
Please see attached COVID-19/Coronavirus Fact Sheet.

2nd Forum Held By Mayor For Community To Learn Beacon Development

The second of two community forums held by Beacon’s Mayor Lee Kyriacou happens today, Saturday, February 29, 2020 at 10 am in the Memorial Building at 413 Main Street (same location as Beacon Farmers Market in the winter). Mayor Lee and the City Council surrounding him ran on campaigns to alter and steer the course of development in Beacon, which is currently booming as a result of approvals made years ago for new commercial and residential buildings.

For the past several years, residents of Beacon who have attended City Council meetings as members of the public have called for easier ways of understanding how development works in Beacon, and at large. People have wished for glossaries to explain acronyms that are used during development presentations by City Council members, the City Planner, the City Attorney, or any person presenting on a piece of land and how it will be used.

Over the course of those years during the previous administration under Mayor Randy Casale, the City Council made a number of changes to alter how development is done in Beacon, from changing legislation, to acquiring control over certain areas of the broad process that developers must go through in order to get various approvals on small and large decisions.

The easiest way to keep up with these changes has been to watch City Council meetings on the city’s public access channel, or the Vimeo account where they are posted. It feels a like a lot of homework at first, but homework is how acronyms are learned, and how the inner workings of the process are conducted. This forum is one way that the administration has created to connect directly with the community to teach the background of Beacon and how it came to be in this moment.

As you’ll see when you start listening to these presentations, major shifts can happen within a simple year of each other. If you wonder why one building looks one way, and another looks completely different, it is usually because rules changed somewhere in between the years of them being built or renovated.

A Little Beacon Blog does republish City Council meeting videos in our City Government section, to make it easy for you to get meeting agendas and the videos in one place. In-person events like this can help you follow along in the reporting of major decisions that are made, and how they impact the landscape or the ability to do something.

If you missed this event, A Little Beacon Blog will be publishing notes that the City Planner has been presenting to the council (they are fascinating!) or watch the video below.

Trash Cans Replaced On Main Street For Better Containment - At No Cost To City

As Beacon increases in popularity as a tourist destination as well as a lifestyle change destination, away from the big city - or just by people relocating here for job opportunities - trash disposal needs also change. Two major shifts have happened that triggered a metal trash can swap-out on Main Street:

• Overflowing Trash: Residents have complained of trash overflowing from metal trash cans on Main Street after regular weekends, three-day holiday weekends, or weekends that have special public events.

• Recycling: The crash of the recycling market has rocked recycling collection across many communities in the United States. In short, most of the recycling isn’t getting recycled because China, who buys most of the world’s recycling, has tightened its restrictions on what it will accept. Most recycling sent to China is dirty, as in, coated in food, contaminated with non-recyclable objects (like plastic bottle caps not screwed onto a bottle - who knew?!) or is wet paper (only dry, non-shredded paper is accepted - nothing smaller than 6” x 6” actually, according to Beacon’s recycling processing center).

• Recycling Must Be Clean: What came out of the 2018 City Council Meeting discovery session with the facility who processes our recycling, is that dirty recycling does not get recycled. If you throw in a plastic container coated with food: it won’t get rinsed at the recycling center. If you throw in straight up food, or other items that are not part of the Single Stream, you are contaminating the recycling collection, and the haul cannot be used. This makes recycling on Main Street pretty useless, being that most people throw in food containers that have food on or in them, and items that are not recyclable at all.

City Council Agrees To Larger Hole At Top Of Trash Cans

The Beacon City Council, which consists of four representatives (called Council People) from each area of the City, as well as a Member-At-Large, the Mayor, the City Administrator, and the City’s Attorney, all consider many details about how the City of Beacon functions. They even think about the design of the trash cans. At one point years ago, two holes were considered to help with trash: a small one for recycling (presumably cups and other small objects), and trash. But not too large, so as to guard against residents of nearby apartments putting their household trash into the public containers, as recalled by Mayor Casale during a City Council meeting.

Trash Cans Replaced At No Cost To The City

During the May 29, 2018 City Council Workshop meeting during which Royal Carting, the City’s contracted trash collection company, presented their proposed budget for a new contract, Royal Carting’s presenting attorney, James Constantino, suggested a replacement of the cans at no cost to the City. “The designs of the cans are not accommodating or giving capacity. We have agreed with the Highway Superintendent for a new can… I can assure you the Mayor has been very clear that he wants the trash cans maintained, and doesn't want to see litter.”

Beacon’s City Administrator confirmed with A Little Beacon Blog in August 2018 that the City was moving forward with the replacement of the cans. By January 2019, the new trash cans lined Main Street.

3 Public Hearings Tonight: Arcade Law, Signs Law, Municipal IDs - Tonight's City Council Meeting

Tonight, there are three Public Hearings scheduled for the 12/17/2018 City Council Meeting, in which you are invited to contribute your opinion and feedback about drafts of laws put before the City Council. This is your chance to speak in public to the City Council, so that they may consider your thoughts before signing proposed legislation into law.

Usually what happens at the meetings is people attend - sometimes it’s just one - then they have a chance to voice their opinions at a podium, and the City Council considers what they said. The City Council may then take the draft of the law back into a “Workshop” session where they meet again to talk about it in detail, and/or the City Attorney may take notes from the City Council and make changes to the draft law, and present it again. If no one shows up to a Public Hearing, the City Council has what it needs in the draft law to vote on the proposed new law or change to an existing law, and possibly sign it into new law that night if they get majority votes from themselves.

Here’s What’s On Deck Tonight:

“SIGNS” - HOW SIGNS HUNG OUTSIDE IN PUBLIC VIEW ARE TREATED
From the City’s Agenda: “A continuation of a public hearing to receive public comment on a proposed Local Law to delete Chapter 183 entitled “Signs” and to amend Chapter 223 Sections 15 and 63 of Code of the City of Beacon, concerning sign regulations in the City of Beacon”
Background: Highlands Current reporter Jeff Simms has been covering this signage development that was triggered by a large white political sign hung on a building on Hanna Lane that can be seen on Route 52. You can read about that here from June 2018, and here from November 2018. According to the November article: “The law was called into question after the city repeatedly clashed with Jason Hughes, a business owner who hung politically topical banners on the side of a warehouse he owns that faces Route 52. The draft of the new regulations would require permits for certain signs but not others… Real estate and construction signs, for example, would be allowed in residential zones without a permit, as would lawn signs (not exceeding 3 square feet) for elections, yard sales and other events as long as they were removed within seven days after the event took place.”

MUNICIPAL IDs
From the City’s Agenda: “A public hearing to receive public comment on a proposed local law to create Chapter 42 of the Code of the City of Beacon to establish a Municipal Identification Program in the City of Beacon”

ZONING LAW TO ALLOW ALL ARCADES, NOT JUST VINTAGE ARCADES
From the City’s Agenda: A public hearing to receive public comment on a proposed local law to repeal Chapter 223, Article III, Section 24.8 and to amend Chapter 223, Attachment 2 of the Code of the City of Beacon concerning amusement centers containing only vintage amusement devices
Background: Proposed new business offerings at a property at 511 Fishkill Avenue (which is in Beacon but just outside of downtown Beacon, past AutoZone), include a brewery, an arcade, and an event space. The property owners are seeking the allowance of an arcade, without being restricted to offering vintage games/machines that were built prior to 1980.
Deep Dive: We took a Deep Dive into this one, to see what it was all about, and you can read about it here.

Drafts of the laws, emails from people, and other supporting documents that are to help educate everyone before a Public Hearing are linked with each agenda on the City of Beacon’s website. To help with the ease of use, we have republished those here in our format to help keep things easy to find. (We love our Search bar!)

Many other items are on the agenda for the City Council to discuss among themselves, but in public. A Little Beacon Blog has published the entire agenda for tonight here to help you keep up. We do this for all of the City Council Meetings (started doing it about a year ago). When a video of a City Council Meeting has been published, we re-publish it with its dedicated meeting web page as well.

Brewery, Arcade and Event Space Proposed for 511 Fishkill Avenue As Industrial Arts Brewing Co. Looks To Expand To Beacon

The large property at 511 Fishkill Avenue (aka Route 52), which is between AutoZone and the Healey car dealership, has been acquired by Diamond Properties, a commercial real estate and property management business located in Mount Kisco, New York. This is the old Mechtronics building on 9 acres of property; technically it’s in Beacon, but it’s outside of downtown Beacon. The property is a 147,500-square foot, two-story flex/industrial warehouse and office building and includes loading docks, warehouse, office, and on-site parking, according to the website of Diamond Properties.

The vision is to transform part of the space into a warehouse, brewery, accessory office, arcade and event space, to accommodate Industrial Arts Brewing Company, who would be a tenant in the building, according to the application submitted by the applicant, DP 108, LLC.

Industrial Arts Brewing Company, who is based in Garnerville, NY (over to the southwest of us, in Rockland County), is looking to expand in Beacon by way of this location. The plan would be a new brewery production space with warehouse capacity, and an event space on the second floor of the building, which could include arcade use. The architect for the project is Aryeh Siegel, who is the architect behind several projects under construction in Beacon, as well as completed projects.

While the intent of use for an arcade is there, Beacon has an older, or vintage if you will, zoning requirement on the books that does not allow for arcades in Beacon, unless they are offering vintage machines.

An excerpt from the arcade zoning law reads like this (which was posted with the 12/11/2018 Planning Board agenda): “Such amusement center shall contain only vintage amusement devices that were built prior to the year 1980 or noncomputerized devices with the exception of first generation computerized games such as those manufactured prior to 1990.”

The requirement also has provisions for noise levels, and that windows are to be kept closed, and doors “open only during ingress and egress,” as well as a calling for no vibrations to occur off the premises. Children under the age of 18 years old would also not be allowed to be in before 3 pm (school release time), and that age range cannot operate the machinery after 10 pm.

The Public Hearing was triggered after a representative from the project came before the Planning Board during a Planning Board meeting on 12/11/2018 to review the application to amend an existing Site Plan Approval and needed zoning law changed to allow amusement centers that include more current games, not just vintage.

During the 12/11/2018 Planning Board meeting, it was explained this way: “Right now, amusement centers are prohibited unless they are vintage amusement centers. In which case they are allowed by special permit. We are taking that distinction away and just saying ‘Indoor Commercial Recreation is a permissible use.’” The Planning Board discussed amending the old zoning requirement, and then sent their unanimous recommendation of “Yes, Amend” to the City Council for a vote.

In order to vote, the City Council must hold a Public Hearing to hear opinions from the public, which is scheduled for today, Monday December 17, 2018. An email from a Beacon business owner, Paulette Myers-Rich, who owns No. 3 Reading Room & Photo Book Works on Main Street in Beacon, is on file to be present during the Public Hearing, in which Paulette asks that the special permit remain in the legislation in order to give more selection to which business opens where.

According to the proposed draft change of the law, the only proposed change coming from the City Council’s attorney seems to be to the vintage aspect of the zoning requirement.

Screenshot of the proposed Draft Change of the arcade law, which is what is being discussed at a City Council Public Hearing Monday, December 17, 2018.

CORRECTION: Public Hearing for Beacon's 2019 Budget Was November 19th

In last week’s article on Beacon’s taxes, we mentioned that the Public Hearing for the 2019 Budget would be Monday, December 3, 2018. That information was based on the Mayor’s letter in the Budget Presentation, submitted in October.

However, the Public Hearing for the 2019 Budget was announced and scheduled for Monday, November 19, 2018. The vote is scheduled for Monday, December 3, 2018.