Rhinebeck board keeps vehicles and traffic local law framework open after debate over jail penalties

The Town of Rhinebeck Town Board opened a public hearing Sept. 29 on a proposed local law to codify chapter 113 of the town code addressing parking, standing, stopping, vehicle removal and penalties, and agreed to keep the hearing open for further amendment.

The law as drafted creates a framework that would let the town adopt specific parking and traffic regulations later by resolution, Supervisor (name not specified) said. Michael Barfield, an attorney who worked on the draft, described it as “a framework, it’s a skeleton, that establishes pretty standard basic traffic regulations,” including timed parking and location-based restrictions.

Board discussion focused on two areas: how the draft references schedules of regulated streets and times, and a provision that would allow local criminal penalties for traffic infractions. One board member questioned cross-references in sections 113-9 and 113-10 and asked for clearer linkage to the blank schedules where street names and hours would be added when a regulation is adopted. Barfield explained the ordinance uses schedules at the end of the chapter so that specific streets and times can later be filled into those blanks by resolution.

Several board members raised concern about a penalty provision that lists possible jail terms for repeated parking violations. One board member said, “I can’t support that. That’s just too harsh.” Another asked the board to remove jail time from the draft. Supporters of retaining the language said it is a common template used elsewhere in the county and that judges retain discretion to impose or decline incarceration.

Because members described the jail-time language as “draconian” and identified typos and technical drafting issues, the board decided to keep the public hearing open and return the draft for amendment. The board agreed to continue the hearing at its next regular meeting in late October; the supervisor said the item will remain on the agenda so the town can incorporate non-substantive edits and consider removing or revising criminal penalty language.

No final vote on the local law occurred on Sept. 29. The town preserved the right to adopt specific parking regulations by later resolution and asked staff and counsel to redraft the contested penalty language and to correct references to schedules and street names.

The board noted that prior to this draft, the town’s only traffic-specific local rule limited winter parking between Nov. 1 and April 15 from 8 p.m. to 8 a.m., and that the new framework is intended to make it easier to adopt additional targeted regulations going forward.

Board members and staff said they would circulate an amended draft before the next meeting and advertised the public hearing continuation for late October.