[{"_1":2,"_99":-5,"_100":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,75,87],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},"mediaId",6108456,"mediaKeyId","2768268-0821b1f02bd909d410a1baa3a5da85fd","parentId",2768268,"title","Council approves appointment, LOSAP contributions and zoning referral; public hearing set for March 17 on East Main rezoning","audioSeconds",425,"startMs",6220000,"endMs",6645000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=2768268-0821b1f02bd909d410a1baa3a5da85fd&start=6220&end=6645","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2768268-0821b1f02bd909d410a1baa3a5da85fd/thumbnail_6220000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6108456/Beacon/Dutchess-County/New-York/Council-approves-appointment-LOSAP-contributions-and-zoning-referral-public-hearing-set-for-March-17-on-East-Main-rezoning","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6108456-95a77ffc99b9b2197244cab32f273646/orig.mp4?Expires=1771157650&Signature=JQKcmi6GYU4HqHM8VXRmYOyvfs7JhjqOD-Byk4BldAqw-76ADaV6URTOIYKeogF0mJ0mvw-7pDhvgSnNkVeRgK95xuHMH--Bz8hDYy0-UNMl3fBhNCCsTYvArbFz5PMfxmTZIZPLaMRehvMprdr7lsMeRKYX191VSnc0g-uCoT237j4lMOeMwIQvQpJpTTmfEUzaefB15D2w61s6q6iyQdrGHjXmapKON3I-lqFOih1oxOapCmedoRApLzcag9lSr2lPUkx-Richm4ebJ6JFedzEV6vZgD73CuSf0TLhlPk4BqRc2bUqhTstL-4VEtl2tJgCyfXRiOl~Vez89aZCag__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","Beacon ","date","2025-03-04T00:00:00Z","article","The City Council conducted three formal actions during the meeting.

Appointment: The council approved the appointment of Brian Murphy to the position of Building Inspector II. Brian Murphy, who has prior experience as a building inspector in the Village of Wappingers and a background in construction, attended the council\u0000s recent workshop; the city administrator said Murphy would begin work next week if confirmed. The motion carried by voice vote with no opposition recorded.

LOSAP certification: Council voted to approve the city\u0000s annual LOSAP (Length of Service Award Program) contributions, a certificate the city must file each year to record volunteer firefighter service credits and corresponding payments. City staff said the program has relatively few active volunteers this year and that the certification is an annual administrative requirement. The motion carried by voice vote with no opposition recorded.

Zoning referral and public hearing scheduling: The council voted to refer a proposed local law that would rezone a group of properties on East Main Street from the Light Industrial (LI) district to the Central Main Street (CMS) district to both the City of Beacon Planning Board and the Dutchess County Planning Board for review and comment. The council scheduled a local public hearing for March 17; the planning board will consider the proposal at its March 11 meeting and the county board will review the referral. City staff explained that the rezoning is intended to formalize and legalize the existing mix of uses in the subject properties (the building inspector\u0000s memo dated Feb. 5 notes that units originally permitted as artist live-workspaces have in practice been operating like multi-family residential units). The ordinance text and notices to affected property owners will be provided in advance of the public hearing. The referral motion carried by voice vote with no opposition recorded.

For all three items, the meeting record shows motions, seconds and voice votes; roll-call tallies were not read into the public record and no \"nay\" votes were recorded during the meeting.

","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","Beacon City Council Meeting 2025-03-04","oneSentenceSummary","The council approved three procedural and personnel measures: a building-inspector appointment, the annual LOSAP contributions for volunteer firefighters, and a referral and public-hearing schedule to consider rezoning 1 East Main from Light Industrial to Central Main Street.","taxTitle","Beacon, Dutchess County, New York","taxId",69898,"location","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":76,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":77,"_41":78,"_43":79,"_45":80,"_47":81,"_49":82,"_51":83,"_53":84,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":85,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":86,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6108461,"County transportation planners present Beacon-Hopewell rail-trail feasibility study; corridor largely usable but engineering choices and costs remain",2443,1429000,3872000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2768268-0821b1f02bd909d410a1baa3a5da85fd&start=1429&end=3872","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2768268-0821b1f02bd909d410a1baa3a5da85fd/thumbnail_1429000.jpg","/articles/6108461/Beacon/Dutchess-County/New-York/County-transportation-planners-present-Beacon-Hopewell-rail-trail-feasibility-study-corridor-largely-usable-but-engineering-choices-and-costs-remain","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6108461-7109a5988de168de8976f78907afe57f/orig.mp4?Expires=1771157650&Signature=WB3dJTErNq-fqBZV5021OVp32X~NR2Li1DJ98LzGenGnbX7r6cT~tIi2kb~iMdVtUx4bJIx33AnEI73iEa5LN3Tzx-bb1fWlEAZNba6W1H8VnC9YcZ-x304gfPjP1zxdAfrWFxuk6Zl8dSK57b53XsdExhXJ35VZ47uAGN7yd7qG6SjnJkBT1EV5YLVU-yRSS01pcLwO1g2~dB-HdeDPWJSxhEgPUhNMVX2QkNDzetqJkqr5pqkTek9CMjO~7OyS2ql6WgFkupVe41-uyuawpDEidINm-rY6wIwX-1ovqNVzHsyAgZ-FPg4~r8lTV-MLTu7Zbt2JutJHpFwBc27MKg__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Mark DeBald, program administrator for the Dutchess County Transportation Council (DCTC), and the project\u0000s engineering team presented findings from a federally funded Beacon-Hopewell rail-trail feasibility study and answered council and public questions.

DCTC said the corridor is a 13-mile section of the Beacon Line currently rail-banked by Metro-North; about four miles of the corridor lie inside the City of Beacon. Presenters said the study is federally funded (an MPO planning process), that there is no cost to municipalities for the study itself, and that the draft report will be released in spring with a public meeting scheduled for March 20 and a final report expected in summer.

Consultant Chris (project manager) and Tom Baird summarized field work completed in 2024 and public outreach that included pop-up events, an online survey that generated more than 1,000 responses and a project website with the existing-conditions report. Survey respondents generally supported a trail; restroom facilities, benches and wayfinding topped the list of desired amenities.

Engineers described two primary build concepts:

- Rail-to-trail: removal of tracks and conversion of the existing corridor; reuses existing railroad bridges and requires little additional right-of-way acquisition in many sections.

- Rail-with-trail: keeps the rail tracks in place and constructs a parallel trail separated from the tracks; this approach requires more structural work, fill and new bridging in constrained locations and produces higher environmental and construction costs in narrow segments.

Key technical findings and constraints noted by the consultants included: approximately 75% of the existing railroad ballast is in good or excellent condition; the corridor contains 14 large culverts and nine small culverts; about five miles of the corridor lie within Fishkill Creek floodplain; six bridge structures were identified (two in the City of Beacon); three named streams cross the corridor; and biological resources of note include occurrences of species such as the Indiana bat and various wetlands in Fishkill and East Fishkill segments. Consultants reported two localized washouts outside the city that they called straightforward repairs.

Project staff stressed that rail-banking by Metro-North remains part of the corridor\u0000s legal status but that only a small number of rail-banked corridors nationally have subsequently resumed rail service. The study team said the engineering, environmental review and cost estimates will determine whether rail-with-trail is technically and financially viable in constrained locations such as the Route 52/Carvana and East Main/Churchill Street corridors.

The study team recommended phased construction and noted funding will likely be a mix of federal, state and local sources; typical grant sizes and program ceilings vary widely (TAP grants cited at ~$5 million, other programs larger). The team said the project is \"buildable\" in their view and that the draft recommendations will include potential phasing and cost estimates.

During public comment a resident, Fran Reilly, urged the council not to remove rails and advocated for light-rail transit on the spur instead of a walking/biking trail; other commenters and council members raised questions about privacy for abutting neighbors, winter lighting and trail maintenance, whether sections could be built in phases and whether some segments might be infeasible while others proceed.

The county and consultant team asked for public input ahead of the March 20 virtual public meeting and emphasized continued coordination with the Fjord Trail/Scenic Hudson and Metro-North as the study progresses.

","Mark DeBald of the Dutchess County Transportation Council presented the Beacon-Hopewell rail-trail feasibility study, calling the corridor largely suitable for trail use while noting major engineering and environmental tradeoffs between rail-to-trail and rail-with-trail alternatives.",{"_33":88,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":89,"_41":90,"_43":91,"_45":92,"_47":93,"_49":94,"_51":95,"_53":96,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":97,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":98,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6108467,"Mayor says Beacon—s \"state of the city\" remains excellent; highlights budget discipline, new fire station and infrastructure projects",1693,172000,1865000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2768268-0821b1f02bd909d410a1baa3a5da85fd&start=172&end=1865","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2768268-0821b1f02bd909d410a1baa3a5da85fd/thumbnail_172000.jpg","/articles/6108467/Beacon/Dutchess-County/New-York/Mayor-says-Beacons-state-of-the-city-remains-excellent-highlights-budget-discipline-new-fire-station-and-infrastructure-projects","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6108467-d5767bfcb463a20a73f13ea91c277eaf/orig.mp4?Expires=1771157650&Signature=TyV2oIOukrs6qPJdv5hkhhkn4Ctr7zrroChe44pJmReL64tfedP3xRWno0fuu8iojaNJL-576VVTf4vZcnP5g2UDZmUqzP9KHSWm-4SQ8c4jdKZ4WPEAJn5jU6fpJ92CIxL2WpE-oBtJSP5SW6nXs0sCrZCwckMf9EfcviMXAIk0kzxDIGsIIwyhQhMBcjC7taH11mxq3jyrrS8OCL8Vk7oh3Aep3rrrrM8NjYpnVcJ21lTx5sIpNUSJwxJ6o71tstGm3UtzF~CNYMfxUOhtjBp0xmLfQ9StQEeWc8IEy3Y5fuaZruZWqLRfUy0Kb2rZGjmDfmxjtvRxqcT1b8zlig__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Mayor (role/title: Mayor, City of Beacon) opened the meeting with the city\u0000s annual State of the City address, saying Beacon\u0000s \"state of the city remains excellent\" and reviewing accomplishments and priorities for 2025.

The mayor said the city\u0000s combined operating budget for 2025 is $36,000,000 and that the total property tax levy for 2025 is $13,200,000, a 3.8% increase from the prior year that he noted remains below inflation and below the state tax cap. He credited a 10-year county sales-tax-sharing agreement negotiated in 2023, which he said has increased annual sales tax receipts to about $6.2 million and produced roughly $1.3 million more than prior years, and continued private new construction that added $37,000,000 to the tax base last year and $178,000,000 over the past five years.

The mayor also outlined two new revenue sources proposed in the 2025 budget: a 2% occupancy tax on hotels and short-term rentals and a local share of the state cannabis tax from in-city dispensaries. He referenced the city\u0000s AA2 bond rating from Moody\u0000s as a factor that lowers borrowing costs.

\"If you get this right, everything else comes from this,\" the mayor said, emphasizing fiscal discipline as the foundation for other investments.

On public safety, the mayor highlighted the on-time, on-budget opening last year of a new $14,700,000 central fire station. He said the facility is all-electric, uses geothermal wells and has a historically sympathetic façade; the city plans to sell two older firehouses in 2025 with conditions to protect historic features and intends to replace the current ladder truck in a future procurement. He noted police staffing remains constrained by retirements and national recruitment pressures, that the city added a civilian dispatcher in 2024, and that Tom Figlia was appointed the city\u0000s new police chief. The city also provided a second year of funding for Beacon Volunteer Ambulance Corps (BVAC) and continues to fund advanced life support ambulance services.

The mayor described ongoing infrastructure work, including the multi-year rehabilitation of Teller and Fishkill avenues, a project he said is more than half complete and on schedule for summer 2025 despite unexpected below-ground discoveries. He said the city avoided losing $9,000,000 in state and federal funding by prioritizing right-of-way acquisition and final engineering. Other capital work cited included citywide water meter replacement to smart meters, a new West Main pump station and force main, box-culvert repairs under Washington Avenue, wastewater treatment plant upgrades and transfer-station improvements.

On parks and quality-of-life investments, the mayor said the Recreation and Parks programming budget exceeded $1 million in 2024 for the first time and listed recent capital work at Memorial Park, Green Street Park and South Avenue Park. He noted ribbon cuttings for a rebuilt toddler playground and promised additional upgrades in 2025, including refurbished tennis and basketball courts and public restrooms at South Avenue Park.

On climate and sustainability, the mayor said Beacon is a New York State Silver-certified Climate Smart Community, will install photovoltaics on the highway garage in 2025, already generates over 70% of its electricity locally from solar, has added EV chargers at the new fire station and expanded municipal composting and tree-planting efforts (55 trees planted in 2024).

He closed by thanking city staff and volunteers, noting a new three-year contract with CSEA covering half the workforce and upcoming negotiations with police and fire unions.

The address framed the city\u0000s priorities for 2025 as continued fiscal discipline, public safety and infrastructure modernization, parks and recreation investment, climate leadership and good government. The mayor invited continued council and public engagement on the listed projects.

","Mayor delivered Beacon\u0000s State of the City, citing a $36 million 2025 budget, a new $14.7 million all-electric central fire station, a 3.8% property tax levy increase below the state cap, and several multi-year infrastructure and park investments.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Council approves appointment, LOSAP contributions and zoning referral; public hearing set for March 17 on East Main rezoning

County transportation planners present Beacon-Hopewell rail-trail feasibility study; corridor largely usable but engineering choices and costs remain

Mayor says Beacon—s "state of the city" remains excellent; highlights budget discipline, new fire station and infrastructure projects