VISIT UPTOWN KINGSTON

A NEW BEGINNING IN KINGSTON

A momentous day for the City of Kingston. The ceremonial swearing in of our elected and appointed proved to be a crowd pleaser. All who attended shared the sense of optimism that comes with a new year coupled with a new administration.
 
With a new Mayor comes a new Common Council and several new department appointments in City Hall. The theme in Shayne's address continued the urgency and possibility of renewal. Renewal in not just the economic and social aspect of our struggling city but also the way government runs. 
 
Love him or not, we all join in writing this next chapter in Kingston's history. We must shed the negativity, contribute our energy and look for ways to better our city where we can. I hope to continue just as many of you will. 
 
For those who couldn't attend, here are some pictures of Sunday's event.

FOOD INSECURITY

 
WiThePeople recently posted this video of Diane Reeder. She is the Executive Director of The Queens Galley, a food insecurity resource center she founded in 2006.  
The website pointed out that when the Queens Galley first opened, they served about 1,200 meals per month.  Now, in 2011, they serve between 9,000 and 9,500 meals per month.
 
Queens Galley is located on Washington Avenue in Kingston NY.
For more information on The Queens Galley, visit http://www.queensgalley.org/.

RAISING FARES: NOT THE ANSWER

Does anyone else have concerns with the City of Kingston Bus service? Well, the city's finance committee is considering raising the fee from $1 to $1.25 starting in January.  As far as getting through Kingston a great distance, either fare is cheap, however, the taxpayer is really paying for the service through employee costs, maintenance and fuel. Our tax dollars.
 

Federal dollars subsidize most of our city bus system through transportation grants. The operation continues so long as we comply with the stipulations associated with those federal dollars. Problem is, Kingston taxpayers are merely adding money to an underutilized service. Count the passengers when they drive by.

The dilemma: How much do we spend annually? Could we give the routes over to UCAT? What would we have to give back in penalties? and Where would we shift the employees? These questions have always been asked during the frantic budget season. No-one wants to address this issue earlier in the year for fear of actually changing the status quo. Perhaps it's time to at least consider ordering smaller buses when the next purchase cycle comes around.

Don't get me wrong. I have ridden on our CityBus. They are clean, easily accessible, fairly on time and still the cheapest ride across town. Our drivers are courteous and helpful as well. However, more times than not, it's a lonely ride. 
It may be time to look at smaller buses in the future if only for the fuel savings. With the mandate that municipalities must have bus service and the resistance of the County willing to take the routes, we may as well change the expense dynamic. 
WhaddaYaSay?

GALLO WINS!

The votes have been cast and counted. Shayne Gallo and Jim Noble win the race for Mayor and Alderman-at-large in the City of Kingston. In the short month plus, he must assemble a fresh cabinet and prepare a strategy to lead this city in a prosperous new direction. 
 
Ron Polacco did a damn good job as the opposition candidate. I give him credit considering he had little help from his party. The fact that he kept it clean earns him the respect of the Gallo campaign. 

Facing a contentious primary while earning a living was daunting but Shayne still eked out a narrow win in September. I was not so lucky.
   
While the team doubled down for the General, I all but abandoned my campaign for the Legislature. That is until this past Friday when I put up my lawn signs. I figured, hey, why not? With no literature and avoiding doors throughout the district, I still got 400+ votes. For those who did so, I sincerely thank you for your faith in me.
 
While Gallo and company are set to advance our city starting January, I expect to get back to what I do best; Building homes in Ulster County. As someone who lost his seat on the County Legislature, I somehow feel free. Free from all that comes with county government and the malarkey that goes on at the 6th floor. Will we settle the fate of Golden Hill before my exodus, I dont know. To think we are trying to save it from the Death Panels that Sarah Palin warned us about is ironic since the Tea Party is now pushing to privatize it. 

 
I will continue this Blog long after I am out of office so that I may bring you info and internal insight that the local press may miss, or the far out articles that catch my interest. I'm not going away.

ELECTION DAY 2011

Well it's finally here. Election Day 2011. What will the the electorate chose as we head into a new era in Kingston?

With five open seats on the Common Council, there is a guarantee of a majority of new faces. But what of the other four? Senor in Ward 8 is unopposed. The others face tough challengers. Will voters put up with Hoffay, Landi and Whitlock for another term, or will they go with the alternative? Just imagine Bob as the lone incumbent sitting there holding the title of Majority Leader. Funny.
 

Then there's the Kingston contingent of the Legislature. Congrats to Jeanette and Peter on their triumphant return. District 6 is a little more sketchy. With the four of us bananas running on different lines, no-one knows what the effect of my or Lenny's influence will have on the outcome. All I know is I had fun going to my faithful and placing signs this weekend.

Regardless of your political affiliation, get out there and vote today. Too many of our service men and women have bravely fought here and abroad so that we would have the rights we have today. Civic duty is a privilege. Don't waste the chance to exercise it.

BTW You can find me on either Row D or E.

MATT DUNN TO THE RESCUE

Ward One is about to make history. Faced with the choice between someone from council's past and the freshest face in Kingston politics, this district is poised to elect a Democratic Alderman. Endorsed by the Working Families and Independence Party, Matt could find himself in the new majority of the Common Council come January.
 
Taken right from his website: 

I am a proven advocate. I am a labor law attorney who represents workers across the country and helps them recover their unpaid overtime and claims for minimum wage. I am also a former Ulster County Assistant Public Defender. I am the vice-chairman of the City of Kingston's Complete Streets Committee and the Chair of the Ulster County Periodic Compensation Review Committee. I successfully campaigned for stop signs at a dangerous intersection in Kingston. In so doing, I protected pedestrians, dog walkers and children who play and ride their bikes in the neighborhood.
 

Matt says he decided to run for Ward One Alderman to help make the Ward, community, and city a better place to live. Below are some points how:

• Address flooding issues throughout the Ward. Develop a city plan to do so.

• Protect city services and address the overall appearance of our city streets & parks.

• Advocate for law enforcement and preventative actions that reduce crime and speeding. 

• Support Businesses Growth: We need more jobs. Kingston businesses pay a higher tax rate than non-businesses, which could be reducing the number of businesses in our City.

• Availability: In order to be the best advocate and representative that I can be, I will be available to you via email and telephone. And I will host periodic Ward meetings. 

His emergence as a candidate took me by surprize. Once I got to know what he could bring to the Council, I have no doubt that Matt Dunn will be in the forefront of the effort to revitalize the City of Kingston. Bringing his personal experience and desire to make this community safe to raise his and everyone else's family, makes Matt the right choice for Ward One. 

SENNETT SPEAKS IN MIDTOWN KINGSTON

Intelligence collection and analysis concerning gangs is critical to determine the relationship between the different gang members, the different gangs and specifically the relationship between the older and younger members.

Resources to be used in this critical step involve Ulster County Department of Probation, NYS Department of Corrections and Community Supervision. Also includes the Kingston and Ellenville Police Departments, and the Ulster Regional Gang Enforcement and Narcotics Team.

Sounds like Jon will be be on the same page as Mayor Shayne Gallo come January 1st.

JOHN SIMEK: WARD NINE ALDERMAN

November 8th is finally upon us, so let me make a final push for my friend John Simek. John is running for Alderman in Ward Nine here in Kingston. My old council district.

There has been a need for new faces on the Common Council for quite a while. After eight years, I also felt like I had exhausted my abilities as Alderman. How the electorate put up with those who serve longer, I dont know.

I think it's imperative to get fresh blood in positions of lawmaking, if only to see the issues with a fresh perspective. Our city needs a fresh perspective. Personally, I'd change every current occupant, but alas, Senor is unopposed.
 
Getting back to John, I have to say, the folks in Ward Nine have no doubt met the candidates by now and have probably come to the same conclusion as I. His goals are simple...

• Increase transparency by airing committee meetings on TV and/or live stream
• Partner with the Mayor on Quality-of-Life issues
• Bolster tourism
• Cut waste in the city budget
• Increase the City's taxbase through aggressive property marketing 

Serving on the City's Board of assessment review, chair of the Public Access Commission and a realtor in his own profession, I think John has a good grasp of where Kingston could develop further. With a little faith, I think the voters in Ward Nine will think so too.

RENDEZVOUS IN KINGSTON

In the forgotten Midtown East stretch of Broadway, still lined with those dreadful locust trees, a number of new business owners are clawing their way toward success. One business that has opened recently is the Cafe' and Lounge at 346 Broadway, aka Rendezvous Lounge for those who have ventured upstairs. 
 

With a limited lunch/dinner menu, deserts and partially stocked bar, the lonely strip is poised to gain new nightlife. Much of the focus on revitalizing business in the city has been limited to uptown and the waterfront, but those who have invested east of the tracks; Monkey Joes, Joey D's, Top Nosh and now Rendezvous Lounge have made their way without much help from city agencies.

With their recently approved liquor license and cabaret permit, the girls are ready to score a new crowd. Catering to the alternative crowd, new faces are likely to show up. The upper lounge is rentable for small parties and if just skipping by, take advantage of the window service at the sidewalk.

PRIMARY DAY 2011

So what are the chances that today's primary elections will be close enough to require the nerve-racking week long count of absentee ballots? Anyone have a guess?
I think enough time and effort has been spent this year in Kingston and towns across Ulster County that voters will come out in higher numbers than previously expected. Is that good or bad for any of the candidates, myself included, or does it just simply mean more people are coming out to vote?

Either way, this city, surrounding towns and the county will continue to function 
(or disfunction) as it has before. 
Below is a picture of all of us running for office today. 
Make the best choice.  

NEW CAFE: @BROADWAY's SOFT OPENING

 

Great news! A new business has opened on Broadway in Kingston. A new Cafe called @BROADWAY, located at 346 Broadway just a few steps east of the Kingston Hospital. 

 

Everyone should appreciate all the work done to restore this property. The neighborhood between Foxhall and East Chester is seeing a gradual change for the better and this Cafe will help this area thrive again.

The second floor is destined to be a piano lounge and  Lyn (pictured above) expects to offer entertainment through the week. Work is still in progress so stay alert for future announcements. 

And if you're on the run, feel free to hit the sidewalk service window for a to-go order. You may even find Jason on duty in the window seat. Maybe.

GALLO FUNDRAISER RAISES THE BAR

Filling both of the main restaurant areas of Mariner's Harbor, the Shayne Gallo for Mayor fundraiser event Wednesday was the place to be.

As reported elsewhere, 200+ attended the event, half got to hear the speech because the mob couldn't occupy the main dining area at once. Those who did hear the speech were pleased at how short & to the point it was. That alone distinguishes Shayne from so many other candidates running for all other positions.

Dozens of other pictures are already posted on Shayne's website and FaceBook page and other Blogs, so I just published a few here. Expect to hear about his next "Meet & Greet" in just a few short weeks. 


Well done my friend, well done.
 
Go to: http://www.shaynegallo.com/ or just click on the link to the upper left on this Blog.

WOERNER FOR ALDERMAN

Former town of Ulster Supervisor Nicky Woerner comes back to his home town with tremendous name recognition. People who don't like him, cant help but talk about him at their dinner tables nightly. Those who like him, find themselves going to work everyday, minding their own affairs and struggling to raise families in the Hudson Valley. 

Either way, he has moved back and announced Wednesday that he plans to run for the Fifth Ward Council seat in November.
 
Woerner was successfully replaced Fred Wadnola as Supervisor back in 2006. Fred has since run for and won a place on the County Legislature. He is our Chairman. Woerner served two terms as one of the youngest town executives in the state and did a quality job of it. He has since been replaced in one of the most expensive Supervisor races within the state by Jim Quigley.

Having worked with Mr Woerner in recent months, I have to agree with his statement in the Freeman: “For some time now, I have been considering a way to help out, and now that I am back in the city, I think that this is an appropriate place for me to do some work and run for Alderman of the Fifth Ward.” From my perspective, the job he has at TechCity in Ulster must seem limited in that it doesn't perform a civic service. Something Nick is addicted to. I can identify with that.

I was present when Jen Fuentes told Woerner that she will not run for reelection this November. She has since told the rest of the world. She told the paper: “It has been a great honor to serve, but I never went into this to be a lifelong politician.”
 
During this early political atmosphere, it seems strange that we would be talking about aldermanic positions in March, but considering the same people who were pushing Nick to primary Alderman-At-Large Noble are now seeking a challenger for the Ward seat, is perplexing at the onset.  They confuse me.

 

Woerner, a Kingston native, wants to have a place in City government where he can offer what he's learned while in office. Being Supervisor is no easy task. Ask Jim since taking office and you'll hear the same. 

I think Jim suffers from "buyer's remorse" now that he's been there a while. But he's doing the job none the less.

 
We've seen Town of Ulster grow during the Wadnola & Woerner years. If Nick can bring any of what he's acquired in contacts to the City of Kingston, I think we'd all benefit. 

Woerner does talk about the family history and has said part of his reason for running is that he wants to follow in the footsteps of his grandfather, Larry Woerner. But I think Nick sells himself short. He's no slouch and follows a rigid work and social ethic. Once in office, he's liable to fit in well with a Council that has suddenly discovered they have to act. 

THE GALLO ANNOUNCEMENT

Even as the drizzle dampened the spectators, a good size crowd gathered at the Shayne Gallo Mayoral announcement Monday evening. I have posted the speech below:

Good afternoon. Thank you for coming out today.

 

I don’t have to remind all of you what distinguishes Kingston from other upstate communities; a beautiful waterfront, rich historical heritage and architectural infrastructure that rivals many other river cities throughout the region. You have to look no further than the Stockade district and the Senate House as well as the trading port of the Rondout to realize that Kingston is truly an historic gem that we should be proud of.

 

However, the building you see behind me is NOT one of the historical structures we should be proud of.

I chose this location to announce my candidacy for Mayor, because I wanted to focus attention on putting the interests of our residents, business owners and professionals first. This property represents one of the roadblocks facing us as we attempt to better our community.

 

As Corporation Counsel of the city, I worked with the current administration to shut down this eyesore; the former King’s Inn. It was a welfare hotel whose owners had no vested interest in our community and while reaping the benefits of a lucrative contract with DSS, let their clients inhabit substandard, unsafe, unhealthy and potentially life threatening conditions. Working with our city agencies and administration, we were successful in closing a near tragic situation.

 

The fact that we address the King’s Inn issue as we step forward is because we can learn so many lessons from mistakes made in the past. Some day in the near future, this building will be raised. As Mayor, I intend to swing the first sledgehammer as the crews begin demolition. What a great day that will be.

I believe Mayor Sottile has contacted the Army Corps of Engineers to see if the demolition can be done as an exercise so that the city is burdened with just the tipping fees. This avenue has been taken before, saving the city serious amounts of money.

 

Another location, just around the corner, is UPAC. A grand theatre and performance arts venue managed by the Bardavon. It serves as a year round entertainment destination. Serving the City of Kingston since 1927, has hosted three U.S. Presidents and some of the best musical and theatrical performers in the country. We are truly fortunate that past boards had the vision and tenacity to renovate this grand theatre for it has become the anchor for the revitalization of midtown. In order for UPAC to BE that anchor, we have to be diligent in our efforts to clean up the immediate neighborhood. That means working with residents, business & professionals to curtail the neglect along the Broadway corridor.

 

But let’s not forget the rest of our city.

I have talked with Kingston residents, taxpayers and business owners from uptown to downtown, and there is a strong consensus that the next Mayor of the City of Kingston must improve the “quality of life” for ALL Kingstonians. Therefore, the next Mayor must continually listen to the concerns of business owners, professionals and residents alike.

As Mayor, I will utilize city agencies to their fullest extent; assisting them to communicate & coordinate information with each other for laying the groundwork for vigilant building, zoning & solid waste code enforcement. I shall recommend to the future council to provide the necessary resources for implementing a "quality of life" task force.

Mayor Sottile has initiated the ‘Block By Block’ inspection program;

The neighborhoods we inspected proved to serve as a reality check as we discovered violations stemming from neglect and illegal housing modifications. In addition, the program had an unexpected positive effect on the rest of the city in that landlords now suspect that authorities would visit their streets at any time. I plan to continue this approach to fixing our stressed neighborhoods.

As assistant Corp Counsel, I recommended the Nuisance Abatement Laws and the amendment to this local law to include all code provisions pertaining to quality of life for our city. Working together with then retired D.A. Donald Williams & Don Ryan from the Sheriff’s Dept, the tools were created to rebuild those areas in our city that are plagued by indifference & neglect with no accountability by absentee landlords and DSS agencies thus resulting in a disservice to the public & substantial waste of taxpayers dollars.

 

I am truly thankful that the Council at the time saw fit to embrace a potent tool in shutting down unsafe substandard housing.

As Mayor, I intend to require more accountability from social service agencies who provide income to absentee landlords reaping the benefit of taxpayer dollars & leaving a plague in neighborhoods throughout our great city.

Now let me speak about our hard working men and women in our police department. My administration will have a strong police presence in midtown. I intend to bring back the mobile police precinct and put beat cops on the streets. We will continue to work with other police agencies such as the Sheriff’s office and the New York State police. We will also look at utilizing funds such as “operation impact” dollars, tapping into a program that has been very successful in areas like the City of Rochester in decreasing crime. Our Blue & Gray shared beat program yielded terrific results; I intend to continue that tradition & will work to expand the scope of "Operation Impact". Our neighborhoods deserve no less.

 

I am a firm believer that our youth should have the same sense of safety around their homes no matter where in our great city they reside. Parents should expect those of us in position of authority to be working toward that goal with every decision we make. If there is one reason I announce my candidacy for Mayor, it would have to be for the betterment of our city for generations to come.

 

My experience in both the private and public sector make me uniquely qualified to tackle the tasks that lie ahead and I am proud to announce my candidacy for Mayor here in midtown.

 

Let me remind you, as assistant corporation counsel in the current administration, I am familiar with all City departments, the inner workings of City government and have worked hard to make sure that Kingston’s resident & professional interests come first.

 

When addressing our local economy, the reality is; before we can bring more jobs to Kingston we must first focus on keeping the jobs and business that are currently here.

 

I plan to hold a series of meetings over the next few months with business leaders, where I will listen to their concerns and get their input on what they feel are the priorities of making Kingston more business friendly. Including the creation of a quality of life task force.

In these tough economic times, every business owner and resident has had to tighten their belt. The City of Kingston needs to look at ways where we can do the same. A prime example would be assisting the Mayor and County Executive’s office to help implement the merger with the UC Emergency Communications division. This merger has an annual savings to taxpayers of over $80K per year.

 

Having navigated that venture, I see no reason not to seek future inter-municipal mergers to better serve the taxpayer. Reducing taxes though the consolidation of services can only help.

 

I encourage employees and residents of the City of Kingston to contact me with any cost saving ideas that you may have, and I will continue to foster the dialogue with the state and county & other local officials to continue to look at ways of saving even more taxpayer dollars.

 

As the Mayor, I will use my professional background of almost 20 years experience in the collective bargaining process to foster a dialogue of cooperation with our dedicated City employees and make them stakeholders in our city. Our administration will negotiate fair contracts that are in the best interest of the Kingston taxpayers and our hard working employees.

Let me address the legacy issue. Some have questioned that I am running on the name of my brother, the late TR Gallo. Let me stress that my name is Shayne Gallo and while both he and I shared a deep love & passion for the City of Kingston, I am not looking to merely succeed his term. I should be so lucky to achieve the accomplishments of his administration. I am however, my own man. I will serve the citizens of Kingston following my own vision for the future.

 

I want to stress again, this campaign will be about putting people first. I was born, raised & work in the city of Kingston and I do not want to see us lose anymore of our residents. As the election season continues, you and your families will make your decision as to who should be the next leader of this great city.

 

Consider my experience, willingness to work with our citizenry and my desire to make Kingston the best place to raise a family.

 

Citizens and members of the business community have indicated that without serious changes, they will be leaving for better environments to raise their families and commercial opportunities.

 

We are at a critical point. Without addressing the quality of life issues that plague our city, we shall not move forward. The time is now. Please join my campaign to become part of the "Quality of Life" task force to make Kingston a better place to live & work.

 

Thank you and God Bless the City of Kingston.

THE WOERNER LETTER

Below is a "Letter To The Editor" from Nick Woerner to the Daily Freeman regarding the Federal investigation into the City of Kingston Police/School District pay debacle.

A reprint of such letters do not necessarily equate to an endorsement of the statement.

 Dear Editor:

 

In following the news coverage regarding the issues surrounding the Kingston Police Department Double Dipping Probe, I felt it would be prudent to point out a potential solution that may have stopped this from occurring. The Town of Ulster Police Department regulations require that officers seeking outside employment obtain the approval of the Chief of Police prior to engaging in such employment.

 

The request for approval is made on a form on which the officer is required to indicate the name and address of the proposed outside employer, the hours and dates the officer proposes to work and the nature of the employment. Any approval given is valid for a period of one year. The policy also provides for an appeal of a denial of approval to the Police Commission.

 

This policy is consistent with New York State General Municipal Law 208-d which specifically authorizes police officers to:

 

“engage in extra work for another employer outside his regular hours of duty for not exceeding twenty hours a week provided that such extra work does not interfere or conflict with his regular duties as a member of the force or his availability for emergency duty nor affect his physical condition to the extent that it impairs his ability to efficiently perform such duties and further provided that the type of employment shall first be approved by the appropriate police department or police commissioner.”

 

I would urge the members of the Common Council of the City of Kingston to consider the adoption of a policy similar to that of the Town of Ulster.

 

Respectfully,

 

Nicky B. Woerner

Former Supervisor

Town of Ulster

SEWER BOND CYCLE COMPLETE

For those of you who saw the Freeman article regarding the City of Kingston sewer completion, you'll read just how long the governing body and the DPW have been working on the problem. Years.  

Because some areas of the city haven't experienced upgrades, some sewer lines predate the NYC sewer lines. Our city engineers have been systematically replacing old sewers with separated lines as dictated by the NYS DEP.
 

While serving on the Council, my comrades and I were saddled with the implementation of a sewer replacement project that was going to cost the taxpayers allot of money, but it had to be done. 
The news Monday was that Mayor Sottile has officially closed that project and labeled it "DONE".
 
The last portion which included Abeel St, Wilbur Ave, O'Neil and a dozen other essential lines throughout the city, ended with the resurfacing on Greenkill Ave this fall.
 
Sottile was quoted: “While the sewer work is not glamorous and a lot of people don’t see exactly what you are doing, they take it for granted. But I am proud to report that I said I was going to do it and I did.”

 Don't mind me if I point out that the project actually finished under the bonded limit. Something of an anomaly in this atmosphere of municipal cost overruns. Credit goes to our city engineers, purchasing department and the Mayor for staying on top of what could have been a financial boondoggle had they not been up to the task.

It's worth knowing where our tax dollars are going during this time of economical uncertainty. It may cost us a little today, but the price of disaster has always been greater in the long run.

TRANSFER STATION CLOSING?

I understand the Common Council is considering closing the Kingston Transfer Station on Route 32. I dont have the numbers associated with the cost of running this division of our DPW, but I thought I'd show everyone just how much money we spent this summer fixing the grounds around the operation.

 

As you can see, there is a tremendous amount of fresh macadam throughout the site. The cement retainer blocks aren't cheep either. The man hours alone could have funded dual recycle/yard waste pick up all summer.

So why shut this down now when so much had been invested? If the money was available then, why cry about funding today? The whole idea of having the public access to waste dumping is so the impact on the street is less during the year. Even if there was a minor loss in running the station, the decrease in curb pick up well surpasses the extra man-hours Monday thru Thursday.

With an estimated 1.8% tax increase heading toward 2011, the elimination of the Transfer Station is likely to increase the tonnage at the curb, thus out weighing the savings and convenience for Kingston taxpayers.

Just my thoughts. Happy Winter!

KINGSTON BUDGET TALKS 2010

 

I had the privilege of visiting the City of Kingston Finance Committee this Monday night. Chaired by Charlie Landi, the agenda featured the KPFF as the main attraction as the city budget talks continue.

Once again, the subject of deferring their contractual raises that were deferred last year, one more time. I dont think it's going to happen this time. The President of the FireFighters 461, Tom Tiano, sat in the hot-seat for the duration of the interrogation. 

Although a prior vote of his membership indicated that they weren't willing to revisit such an act heading into 2011, he did open the door to one proposal that developed in the meeting. An idea of staggering the implementation of the impending raise in steps during the course of the year. 

Another key element to the negotiation was the proposal made by the Mayor and discussed with members of the County Executive's office pertaining to merging the emergency dispatch duties between the two municipalities. Bringing one or more employees from the City and placing them in the county 9-1-1 Emergency system. 

The big problem lies in the personnel area, in that the contractual obligations and retirement packages have to be compatible or at least sweetened through other means. Thats if the unions even deem the merger in their best interest. 

Tom helped paint the picture of complicated negotiations between the parties should the Council and Executive engage the move. When asked, I told the committee that although the Legislative body was barely aware of the depth of the negotiation, I had heard the leadership was eager to get the merger done.

Chairman Landi had heard the same thing. He and Hayes Clement said they had conversation with Executive Hein on the merger issue and got the same positive feedback as the Legislative Majority and Minority leadership. 

Whether the proposal makes it as a shift in both budgets heading into the final days of both of our cycles, remains to be seen. 

Executive Hein has yet to place someone from the current test list into the open position pending direction from the Common Council. 

How the new form of 9-1-1 dispatch will affect the city and the 6,000 calls we get annually will be the true test of the new system. Remember, thats just the calls for the Fire Department. KPD handles almost double that annually. 

Can one dispatch employee handle almost 20,000 additional calls and still keep the City of Kingston and the rest of the county safe at the level we feel today? I'm not sure. 

Might consider having yet another dispatch employee on duty once the shift is implemented and the probation period is evaluated.

And might I say, the issue of giving the CityBus routes to UCAT never came up. Damn!