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Kingston Rent Guidelines Board adopts June schedule and will approve explanatory statement the night it votes
Summary
The Kingston Rent Guidelines Board set dates in June for research, two public hearings and a vote on 2025–26 guidelines, and agreed to adopt the explanatory statement the same night as the vote to meet the DHCR July 1 deadline, eliminating a separate September certification meeting.
KINGSTON — The Kingston Rent Guidelines Board agreed May 8 to a schedule of June meetings to set the 2025–26 rent guidelines and to adopt the explanatory statement at the same meeting as the guidelines vote, a change intended to meet the state filing deadline and avoid a separate September certification meeting.
The board set a research meeting for Tuesday, June 10, at 6 p.m.; a weekday public hearing on Tuesday, June 17, at 6 p.m.; a weekend public hearing on Sunday, June 21, from 1 to 3 p.m.; and a vote meeting on Thursday, June 26, at 6 p.m. The research meeting will feature DHCR research staff and will not accept public comment, the board said. Locations will be finalized in coordination between the city's director of housing initiatives and DHCR staff.
The change to adopt the explanatory statement the same night as the vote is intended to allow the board to meet its statutory filing requirement under ETPA Section 4. Peter, DHCR staff, told the board, "This board is required under ETPA section 4 to provide to the... DHCR by July 1 of every year, its guidelines that it's set." He said staff aim to have the explanatory statement available the night the board votes so the board can adopt both that statement and the guidelines on June 26.
Board members discussed sequencing the meetings so that the research presentation precedes public hearings and the vote. Noah Kipley Augman, board member, said he preferred a research meeting first so "people understand how their situation fits in with the... what information we know." The board noted one of the earliest available research dates from DHCR research staff was the first week of June; the board selected June 10 after coordinating members' availability.
Board members clarified several procedural points during discussion: DHCR research staff will prepare the explanatory statement in advance and staff will incorporate any editorial changes needed after the board sets its guidelines; the board will not need an additional meeting to amend the explanatory statement and the final, post-vote version will reflect any guidelines changes made that night. One board member summarized the operational effect: adopting the explanatory statement at the vote will "essentially eliminate the September meeting that this board has been holding." The board signaled support for fewer meetings.
The board also addressed two current vacancies on its membership roster. A board member asked, "What are we doing to recruit? We have 2 openings in the board." The chair responded that nominations are handled by the city council and appointments are made by DHCR and that the board does not have internal visibility into the council's recruitment timeline; staff said they would follow up with the city's representative, Bartek, after the meeting.
A board member reminded the group that a Court of Appeals matter is scheduled for argument on May 15; the board noted it is represented in that matter by the New York State Attorney General, but offered no further detail.
Staff will prepare and issue the public notices for the meetings and finalize locations in collaboration with the city's housing director. The board adjourned after adopting the meeting schedule by consensus and conducting a brief roll call to close the meeting.
