Council approves series of grants, capital transfers and the Lauren Park pickleball project; debates overnight parking enforcement

Kingston City Council members voted unanimously to approve a package of grant acceptances, budget carryovers and capital project authorizations at their meeting. The largest single project approved was a $685,000 transfer from the Recreation Trust Fund to renovate Lauren Park tennis and pickleball courts into a 10-court pickleball facility and associated site work; other approved items included grant matches, closeouts of 2024 accounts, and a settling of a tax-assessment appeal.

The action package included: authorization to accept a $50,000 state conservation grant to replace a kayak dock under the Work Street Bridge; council approval to add $253,892 in local matching funds to an earlier New York Swims award for Kingston Point / Kisselmo Beach; acceptance of an Ulster County ARPA-backed SEVE grant (solar/EV) of $40,000 to help fund solar on the Hazard Park pavilion with local matches; carryover of unspent 2024 capital and grant funds (including EV vehicle procurement and public-safety technology); and a $229,894 sewer-fund closeout transfer. The council also approved a $25,000 state grant to prepare state and national historic-district nomination forms for the Wilbur Avenue local district and a $20,500 award for a condition study of the Rondout Lighthouse.

Why it matters: Many of the approved items involve matching requirements and near-term cash-flow or bonding decisions the city must manage while awaiting grant reimbursements. Council members flagged cash-flow pressure at fiscal year close and discussed the use of bond ordinances to advance funds for large, grant-funded projects until reimbursements arrive.

Key items and discussion

Sales-tax and finance update: The controller reported that 2024 revenues are finalizing and sales-tax receipts are tracking close to $20 million for the year; interest income finished the year ahead of budget at about $1.2 million versus a $725,000 annual budget. The controller said cash is tighter at the end of 2024 than the prior year and that some large capital projects may require short-term borrowing to bridge grant reimbursement lags.

Kayak dock grant: Staff (Julie) requested authorization to accept and appropriate a $50,000 state Department of Conservation grant to replace a kayak dock at Round Up Creek beneath the Work Street Bridge. The council approved the transfer and staff said the project must be completed and reimbursed by November of the grant year.

Kingston Point / Kisselmo Beach (New York Swims) match increase: Staff described that a previously awarded grant of about $3.3 million was based on early (2020) estimates; an updated 2024 estimate raised the project cost, creating a $253,892 shortfall in the local match. Staff asked the council to authorize the additional city match and to permit subsequent discussions about a bond ordinance if the city chooses to advance funds while waiting for reimbursements. Council members asked about possible material-cost impacts (tariffs on steel) and whether scope reductions could be negotiated with contractors; staff said the design remains preliminary and scope/price adjustments are possible during contracting. Council approved the requested additional match.

Hazard Park solar / Ulster County SEVE grant: Staff reported the city won a $40,000 Ulster County ARPA SEVE grant that requires a 50% match. The city proposed to match the award using a $30,000 Clean Energy Communities credit and the remaining balance from contingency or bond proceeds if needed. The project would install roughly an 18-kilowatt rooftop system on the Hazard Park pavilion to offset municipal accounts. Council approved acceptance and appropriation of the SEVE award and the plan to use the Clean Energy Communities funds toward the match.

EVs, technology and other carryovers: Council approved budget carryovers of unspent 2024 capital and grant funds so departments can complete procurement and projects in 2025, including remaining funds for electric-vehicle purchases for the public works division and an unspent public-safety/records-management technology grant. Staff said specifications and demos of camera systems and other equipment are ongoing.

Lauren Park Tennis/Pickleball Facility: Staff presented a $685,000 request to rebuild courts at Lauren Park: demolish existing playing surfaces, regrade, add new asphalt and surfacing, swap court layouts to create eight regular and two ADA-accessible pickleball courts while retaining two tennis courts, install new perimeter fencing, correct recurring drainage issues, and add a bioretention rain garden and pedestrian path. The Recreation Trust Fund would provide the funds; staff said the project footprint will not add impervious surface and would be out to bid within weeks, with construction aimed for completion before summer camp. USA Pickleball ambassadors and recreation staff support the project; the council approved the transfer unanimously.

Historic district nomination and lighthouse study grants: The council accepted a $25,000 New York State grant (with $10,000 local fund-balance for the match) to prepare state and national nomination forms for the Wilbur Avenue historic district and a $20,500 New York State subgrant for a condition study and improvement project for the Rondout Lighthouse; both actions were approved.

Assessment settlement and executive session result: After an attorney-client session, the council approved a settlement on an assessment appeal for property at 357 Wilbur Avenue (MacNaughton/Depiolo matter) reducing the 2023 assessed value from $2,450,000 to $2,250,000 and setting several subsequent years’ assessments at $2,250,000. The settlement was approved by vote.

Overnight parking in parks — policy discussion (no change yet): Council members and staff discussed proposed overnight-parking fees for vehicles found in parks after hours as an alternative to misdemeanor penalties currently described in the parks code (chapter 3.10). Finance staff proposed a graduated fine schedule as a deterrent (examples discussed: $25, $50, $100 tiers), noting the city’s current code can include misdemeanor-level penalties and even jail for repeat violations. Councilmembers asked whether the parks code itself needs amendment to explicitly prohibit overnight parking and whether fee-schedule changes alone are sufficient; the item will return to corporation counsel for a recommended code or fee-schedule amendment. No new penalties were adopted at this meeting.

Budget-closeout transfers and contingency replenishment: The council approved multiple year-end and start-of-year transfers to reconcile 2024 accounts and to carry forward unspent grant and capital funds into 2025. Highlights: a general-fund employee-benefit reconciliation and contingency replenishment transfer of $995,377 (with a reported positive financial impact of ~$408,986 returned to contingency), an itemized 02/2024 closeout transfer totaling $57,233 to reconcile parks accounts, and a $229,894 sewer-fund transfer (using an estimated $200,180 of sewer-fund balance) to reconcile 2024 sewer accounts. Staff explained several entries (state retirement, OPEB adjustments) are non-cash accounting entries driven by statutory actuarial calculations; council approved the transfers.

Votes at a glance

- Accept state Department of Conservation grant and appropriate $50,000 for kayak dock replacement (motion/approval: unanimous). - Authorize additional city match of $253,892 for Kingston Point / Kisselmo Beach New York Swims grant (motion/approval: unanimous). - Accept Ulster County SEVE grant $40,000 and appropriate with matching funds plan for Hazard Park solar (motion/approval: unanimous). - Carry forward unspent 2024 EV and technology grant funds and approve related budget transfers (motion/approval: unanimous). - Approve $685,000 transfer from Recreation Trust Fund for Lauren Park tennis/pickleball conversion (motion/approval: unanimous). - Accept $25,000 NYS grant for Wilbur Avenue historic-district nomination; appropriate $15,000 from state and $10,000 from fund balance (motion/approval: unanimous). - Accept $20,500 NYS subgrant for Rondout Lighthouse condition study (motion/approval: unanimous). - Approve 02/2024 closeout transfers totaling $57,233 to reconcile parks accounts (motion/approval: unanimous). - Approve general-fund transfers totaling $995,377 to reconcile employee-benefit accounts and replenish contingency (motion/approval: unanimous). - Approve sewer-fund reconciliation transfers totaling $229,894 (motion/approval: unanimous). - Approve assessment settlement for 357 Wilbur Avenue reducing the 2023 assessment to $2,250,000 (motion/approval: unanimous).

What to watch next: staff said the Kingston Point project will require final design/contracting and possible bond authorization if the city must advance funds ahead of grant reimbursements. Staff will return with corporation-counsel advice on overnight-parking enforcement and any code amendments needed to align parks rules with the proposed fee schedule.

Ending: Council adjourned after the final budget transfers and procedural items.