[{"_1":2,"_87":-5,"_88":-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],{"_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",6517137,"mediaKeyId","5420695-6065f11470f1ef364b0e21f7d19936a4","parentId",5420695,"title","Red Hook trustees approve wage increases, public-spaces committee, compost hauler and investment policy; oppose agricultural-district inclusion","audioSeconds",2615,"startMs",189000,"endMs",2804000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=5420695-6065f11470f1ef364b0e21f7d19936a4&start=189&end=2804","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5420695-6065f11470f1ef364b0e21f7d19936a4/thumbnail_189000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6517137/Rhinebeck/Dutchess-County/New-York/Red-Hook-trustees-approve-wage-increases-public-spaces-committee-compost-hauler-and-investment-policy-oppose-agricultural-district-inclusion","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6517137-342ebd814ec62dbe6cb1675c54897500/orig.mp4?Expires=1770448470&Signature=beEPg8UEpp-VmQBImnFQ6mOIx-jxJQs~KSJmMh46R~JjUCcQB8FqKin~j5Tzc~TmcsaCF8JbCABgbOQ~797CHWyMdJkIgrubzXZjaFlh9C1t7PuCKPdqWD7hoFv32EL4sUdlwvHO4IsMbau7g0QtKzEvFInrpWcmuJ40-n1R~q8fi0KOUdGPvwnNJUb7S0rY~JUnRPfop7NuAThX5bJiLXuDwXYgaSKepWSm3xTsale98M7rmy8EylBJCaynMYCWP-VzbCygcAt75wq~iPXBwfEay93vHpzzIc-wutfrzB-F9DJWP6jtCUNas1SWJg5cKqquuTj3sPPuVkZM78E8Ww__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","City of Rhinebeck, NY","date","2025-07-17T09:14:42.993Z","article","The Village of Red Hook Board of Trustees on July 14 approved several resolutions and formal actions covering personnel pay, committee formation, a municipal compost contract and an investment policy, and directed staff to send a letter opposing the application to include a village parcel in a county agricultural district.

Key votes and outcomes
- Employee wage increases (Resolution No. 26): Trustees approved 3% pay increases for specified nonunion village employees, effective June 1, 2025. The resolution listed individual employees who will receive the increases and noted some staff recently hired or retiring; the board voted in favor.

- Public spaces committee (Resolution No. 27): The board created a public spaces committee to advise on village green spaces, including Richard M. Abraham Memorial Park, pollinator and native-plant initiatives and arts in public spaces. The committee will be appointed by the mayor and approved by the board, must be a majority village residents, and will have between three and ten members with two‑year terms. Trustees approved the resolution after limited discussion about whether the committee should focus only on public, as opposed to private, natural environments.

- Compost program hauler contract: The board authorized the mayor to sign a contract with Laughing Fox Farm LLC to provide food-scrap pickup for the village compost pilot. The contract is structured as an at-will agreement with a minimum 30‑day cancellation notice. Trustees noted that the county grant funding the pilot does not cover hauling costs; the contract references the separate town agreement Laughing Fox Farm maintains.

- New YorkCLASS investment policy: Trustees adopted an investment policy allowing the village treasurer to invest village funds in New YorkCLASS under defined procedures. The policy sets minimum balances to retain in village bank accounts (initially: general fund $50,000, water fund $20,000, sewer fund $20,000), requires dual approvals for transfers and will be reviewed annually by the board. The vote cleared the village to begin using New YorkCLASS for short-term liquidity.

- Opposition to agricultural-district inclusion (letter to county): The board voted to send a letter opposing inclusion of parcel 493612 in Dutchess County’s agricultural district. The board’s draft letter states the parcel is in a dense residential area, has residential access roads unsuited to commercial farm equipment and, as discussed in the meeting, is undersized compared with definitions in New York’s Agriculture and Markets Law. Meeting discussion noted the law’s agricultural farm-size threshold (discussed in the meeting as seven acres) and the parcel’s stated size of about 4.22 acres.

Other procedural votes
Trustees also approved the minutes from the June 23 meeting, moved into and out of a short executive session on employment history and potential litigation, accepted the treasurer’s report and approved bills after audit.

Why it matters
The package of votes affects near-term village operations and programs: employee pay, the structure for community stewardship of parks and greenways, the pilot compost program’s continuity, short-term investment of municipal funds and a municipal stance on a county-level land‑use application. Several items — the compost pilot, committee formation and investment policy — include further implementation steps the board charged to staff.

Ending
Board members said they will continue to refine committee details, finalize the compost contract logistics (including countertop bins still to be procured) and oversee New YorkCLASS transfers under the adopted policy; they also scheduled a workshop to consider a drafted letter opposing the agricultural district inclusion and set a public information meeting on sewer operations.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","Village of Red Hook Board of Trustees Meeting 07/14/2025","oneSentenceSummary","The Village of Red Hook Board of Trustees on July 14 approved a set of resolutions covering pay raises for nonunion staff, a new public spaces committee, a compost-hauler contract, and a formal investment policy; the board also approved sending a letter opposing a county agricultural-district inclusion for a village parcel.","taxTitle","Rhinebeck, Dutchess County, New York","taxId",62384,"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},6517141,"Red Hook names H2O Innovation as operator as village responds to DEC consent order",627,602000,1229000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5420695-6065f11470f1ef364b0e21f7d19936a4&start=602&end=1229","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5420695-6065f11470f1ef364b0e21f7d19936a4/thumbnail_602000.jpg","/articles/6517141/Rhinebeck/Dutchess-County/New-York/Red-Hook-names-H2O-Innovation-as-operator-as-village-responds-to-DEC-consent-order","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6517141-0eb86e3261f0e4b7ddc50c14a56e714e/orig.mp4?Expires=1770448470&Signature=oYQ3R8A7BPbDpHkEuzWSLEZtcKc8KKy7Uouo1VhEjdGVFfoREplF3bJChwIG7M3UBMm9z6KeNIK9a59ioTJMQHDnC1QYpvVatlTLQAreDVJ8j-cOMQp0yFppM0dzuJlL0cW1gC9H00Bqsnin1SMvgMVi4cZuvoEHxBbs5g7fpJWRpKZJ3Shrf2mWYMWIJLCdnCGCA-jI~pzyPxl3NxdesO6t-Jh6A~8voueW8dsjIka0YzPAGI~vj3aXE7miExziJdyKTRk3qCk661-8LTJsQ~bbZkYa8Q3LTC4LgFjntKeDRFIPAX4XOKlHae6HYE5gkQPLsorwb9qdHx29qBiPvQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","At its July 14 meeting, the Village of Red Hook Board of Trustees voted to appoint H2O Innovation Operation and Maintenance LLC as the village’s water and sewer operator, effective Aug. 1, 2025, and discussed a DEC consent order arising from a March 21 inspection and an April 14 notice of violation.

The trustees approved a short-term (one-year) contract so the village can review H2O’s performance and change operators if necessary. Village officials said H2O was selected after the sewer team reviewed proposals and conducted references; the team favored H2O because it is a larger firm with a separate safety team and a local staff lead. The board also noted a potential attorney conflict: village counsel Kyle Barnett represents H2O in an unrelated collection action; the board unanimously considered that matter inconsequential and waived the potential conflict so the mayor may negotiate and sign the contract with counsel’s consultation.

Why it matters: The vote formalizes a new operator after a period of transitional management by Delaware Engineering and follows a series of compliance and operational reviews. The appointment, the DEC consent order and planned engineering filings affect how the village manages wastewater operations and how much oversight the board will require in the next year.

What trustees said and the selection process
The mayor reported that the sewer team — composed of the mayor, village engineer Robert Flores, DPW foreman Jake Smith and utilities clerk Jen Kavanaugh — contacted six prospective operators. Several firms declined to take new clients; two firms that submitted proposals were H2O Innovation and North Dome Operations, and H2O and H2O’s local lead were selected based on references and capacity. The board agreed to a one-year term to allow for monitoring and audits by Delaware Engineering.

Village attorney Kyle Barnett disclosed he is representing H2O in a separate collection action and indicated the matter is winding down. The mayor said the board considers the potential conflict unrelated and inconsequential and moved to waive it so the mayor could finalize contract negotiations in consultation with counsel. The board voted in favor.

DEC consent order and plant operations
Trustees discussed a consent order the village received from the DEC on July 3 that relates to a notice of violation from April 14, following an on-site inspection on March 21. The village is contesting portions of the flow-related findings, noting that allowable flow increased after the new plant came online in early 2023. Village counsel is in contact with DEC counsel and the village’s engineering team is preparing further documentation and design modification plans for DEC review.

Operational results and next steps
Officials reported that samples from the new wastewater treatment plant taken in June were in compliance. The older plant, which was restarted in May, recorded one exceedance for total suspended solids on a June 5 sample (29.5 vs. the limit of 10) but was otherwise in compliance for the month. DPW has installed an alarm on the equalization tank; the alarm currently sounds locally and is not automated to notify staff, and the village is seeking quotes to upgrade alarm monitoring.

Trustees scheduled a fourth public information meeting on the wastewater project for Tuesday, July 15 at Village Hall to share the latest operational information and planned DEC filings.

Ending
The board’s action assigns H2O Innovation a central role in operating the village plants while the village negotiates contract terms, pursues additional engineering approvals with the DEC and continues public briefings about plant performance and necessary improvements.","The Village of Red Hook Board of Trustees appointed H2O Innovation Operation and Maintenance LLC as the village's water and sewer operator with a one-year contract, and discussed a recent New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) consent order tied to earlier notice of violations at the wastewater treatment facility.","actionData","errors"]

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Red Hook trustees approve wage increases, public-spaces committee, compost hauler and investment policy; oppose agricultural-district inclusion

Red Hook names H2O Innovation as operator as village responds to DEC consent order