Author: rhinebeckcommon

Voices Lost, Voices Regained It Takes a Village… Voices Lost Curious and concerned residents, including Roger Quon, wanted to ask these and other questions to our Village Board directly, but were denied. The Board meetings could only be attended by those invited by the Board. Mayor Gary Bassett and Trustee Ric Lewit said public comment […]

Outdoor Dining & the Responsible Rogue Only in the upside down world of today’s politics is a Responsible Person considered a Rogue. At the March 9th Village Board meeting, Lydia Slaby alluded to “someone” going “rogue” on the matter of Outdoor Dining with the Department of Transportation last year in the pandemic. We can infer […]

You Ask, We Answer Your voice matters. On our facebook group ( www.facebook.com/groups/rhinebeckcommon/ ) , and on the campaign trail, a number questions were posed. In our pledge to be transparent , if you ask, we will answer. If you think we are dodging, let us know why you think so in the comment form […]

Environmental stewardship is not a choice, but an obligation to our future generations. Rhinebeck has an excellent record of carefully managing and protecting its pastoral character. Rhinebeck Common is committed to preserving this character. We will always “Think Globally, Act Locally”… and Steward Responsibly. Re$ponsible EV Charging: Part 1 – Free Energy While Village Trustee, […]

Our Commitment We commit to a technology overhaul designed to leverage greater efficiencies, cost savings and, most importantly, better channels of communication with residents.   This overhaul should also examine whether improved telecommunications infrastructure might help diversify and grow our local economy given the acceleration of technology-based remote work due to the pandemic. This effort is […]

Our Commitment: A Plan to Help You Stay Informed and Be Involved Good government is open, participatory and collaborative. Information should be accessible, current, clear and relevant so you can judge for yourself whether we are doing a good job, and whether you can help us do a better job. The pandemic presented challenges to […]

Our Need: A Contemplative and Tangible 5-Year Sidewalk Plan In 2018, John Rossi, serving as Village Trustee, composed and submitted a $4M grant application for a safe pedestrian passageway, inclusive of our schools, to the NYS Transportation Alternatives Program and Congestion Mitigration and Air Quality Improvement Program, TAP CMAQ for short. TAP CMAQ is very […]

The Village applied to New York State and received a Municipal Innovation Grant in 2018.  The grant would help fund the installation of an American with Disabilities (ADA) Lift in the Rhinebeck Village Hall.  The grant application estimated the project costs at $93,600.  The Municipal Innovation Grant would fund $50,000 of the work with the […]

The Village undertook a project to update water lines on Montgomery, Livingston, Chestnut and Platt . Originally cast as an effort requiring $3.7M in funds, the final bill is now $5.9M – a 55+% increase in budget, largely financed by bonds. This increase is significant, and merits close examination and explanation. While unanticipated issues do […]