The Climate Smart Kingston Commission voted to support three City of Kingston grant applications on May 28, 2025, directing staff to provide letters to state funders before the application deadlines.

Commissioners voted to back: (1) a Department of State Coastal Rehabilitation and Resilience Fund request to replace and relocate the Mariners Harbor wastewater pump station; (2) a Local Waterfront Revitalization Program (LWRP) implementation request for Kingston Point Beach terraces to address sea-level rise; and (3) a Resilient Watersheds Grant proposal to replace three undersized culverts in the Topskill Brook watershed. The commission chair said the city will submit the letters by Friday to meet funder timelines.

The commission’s support letters describe the Mariners Harbor pump station as corroded, located in a 100-year floodplain and vulnerable to flooding that can cause sewage backups into residences and businesses. The proposed work would relocate and flood‑proof the station, reducing sewage overflows into streets and the creek.

The LWRP application seeks funds to complete a terrace-based shoreline design at Kingston Point that project staff say will mitigate sea-level rise and protect the beach and upland areas; the application would help close a budget gap following a separate award from the New York State waterfront program described in the presentation.

The Topskill Brook proposal would replace failing, undersized culverts along a key roadway corridor to reduce flooding impacts on property, water quality and municipal infrastructure, including a combined sewer overflow facility identified in the presentation.

Motion and outcome: Commissioner Powell moved to support all three applications; Commissioner Emily Chesson seconded. The chair called for voices in favor and no opposition was recorded in the meeting record; the chair said she would submit the letters the following day to meet the Friday deadline.

Why it matters: Each project is positioned as a resilience investment that reduces flood risk to Kingston’s waterfront, neighborhoods and infrastructure. Department of State and resilient watershed programs fund projects of this type; the commission’s letters are a routine step in local grant application processes.

The commission did not adopt the projects as binding city policy; the votes were formal letters of support for competitive grant applications. The engineering office will carry technical responsibility for design details and any further permit steps if funding is awarded.

The commission’s files show the three grant texts were read into the record during the meeting and discussed before the vote. The presentation material and the final letters will be retained with the commission’s meeting records.