Village trustees approve used wood chipper purchase, drainage studies and PAND A rider; set tentative-budget hearing

Village Utility Board of Trustees members voted unanimously Wednesday to authorize a series of equipment purchases and engineering task orders aimed at stormwater and drainage improvements, approved a housekeeping rider to the intermunicipal public-access agreement used for local media, and scheduled a public hearing on the village—s tentative 2025–26 budget.

The most immediate action was approval of a resolution to buy a used 1994 wood chipper being sold by the neighboring town. Mayor Alex Kittley introduced the resolution and trustees approved it by roll call. Deputy Mayor Emily Major, Trustee Baldino, Trustee Mangieri and Trustee Bill Schilling all voted "Aye," and Kittley recorded his own vote in the affirmative.

The board also approved an intermunicipal agreement rider for the regional community media arrangement identified in the meeting as the Public Access Northern Dutchess Area (PANDA) service. The clerk presented the subscriber and cost-share figures during discussion: the board heard that an updated 2025 PAMA budget for the service lists a municipal share based on a $96,000 budget and that the subscriber breakdown includes 1,089 subscribers in the town of Red Oak (29.5%) and 1,007 in the town of Rhinebeck (27.2%), for a total of 3,697 subscribers. Trustees voted to authorize execution of the rider by roll call; all present voted "Aye."

On infrastructure, the board authorized two task orders with engineering firm TimeBond (recorded in the meeting as Time Bond) under grants the village received last summer. The first task order (identified in the meeting as Task Order 5a) funds a study of the Bridal Culvert in the Tivoli Acres area to determine whether an old county culvert is undersized or has alignment issues affecting flow. Trustees approved the task order by roll call, with all members voting "Aye."

The second engineering authorization (Task Order 7) funds preparation of construction documents and surveying for a storm-sewer project in the Northern Montgomery Street/Ferro Avenue (Faroe) area. The board was told the project won a grant of about $720,000 (the amount was reported during the meeting as "720,000" and described as an approximate figure). Meeting remarks said that the grant funding required the village to be a certified Climate Smart Community and that the village formed a task force to secure that certification; trustees approved Task Order 7 by roll call, with every member voting "Aye." The board discussion indicated construction could occur as soon as this fall or by spring 2026.

Finally, the board set a public hearing on the village—s tentative 2025–26 budget for Wednesday, April 9 at 6 p.m.; the motion to set the hearing passed unanimously by roll call. The board was told the tentative budget will be posted on the village website and that hard copies will be available at the clerk—s office. The mayor said he does not believe taxes will need to rise in the coming year, noting prior personnel changes and other adjustments; the board emphasized that the village must also contend with an upcoming sewer assessment from the town of Red Oak, described in the meeting as an anticipated $1,200 sewer assessment appearing on town tax bills in January 2026 (or possibly 2027).

Votes at a glance

- Resolution to authorize purchase of a used 1994 wood chipper —Outcome: approved (roll call: Deputy Mayor Emily Major —Aye; Trustee Baldino —Aye; Trustee Mangieri —Aye; Trustee Bill Schilling —Aye; Mayor Alex Kittley —Aye). Motion mover/second: not specified in transcript.

- Resolution to execute rider to the intermunicipal cooperation agreement for Public Access Northern Dutchess Area (PANDA) —Outcome: approved (roll call: all present voted Aye). Motion mover/second: not specified in transcript.

- Task Order 5a (Bridal Culvert study) with TimeBond (engineering) —Outcome: approved (roll call: all present voted Aye). Motion mover/second: not specified in transcript.

- Task Order 7 (Ferro Avenue/Northern Montgomery storm-sewer construction documents and survey) —Outcome: approved (roll call: all present voted Aye). Motion mover/second: not specified in transcript. Grant funding reported during the meeting as approximately $720,000.

- Motion to set public hearing on the tentative 2025—96 budget for April 9 at 6 p.m. —Outcome: approved (roll call: all present voted Aye). Motion mover: Trustee Baldino (as recorded); second: not specified.

Why it matters

The engineering work and the chipper purchase are intended to address recurring drainage and stormwater problems in Tivoli, particularly in the Tivoli Acres and Northern Montgomery Street areas. The drainage projects are grant-funded, and trustees emphasized that securing outside grants has been critical to moving capital projects forward without increasing village property taxes. The PAND A rider preserves the village—s participation in a regional public-access/media cooperative that provides meeting coverage and other services.

Quotations and meeting notes

Mayor Alex Kittley introduced the drainage approvals as part of a longer effort to adapt to "the certain increase in, this frequency and severity of storms, with the climate crisis and get this community ready to deal with that." Clerk Chris Cleveland provided subscriber counts and budget figures for the public-access service: "the municipal share is based upon an updated 2025 PAMA budget of $96,000." Trustee Bill Schilling summarized building-permit and inspection counts earlier in the meeting.

What the board said about timing and costs

Trustees said the Ferro Avenue/Northern Montgomery project could be constructed as soon as this fall or by spring 2026 pending final design and procurement. The meeting included an approximate grant figure for that project (reported during the discussion as $720,000). The chipper purchase price was not specified in the transcript.

Implementation and next steps

- TimeBond will begin the Bridal Culvert study and prepare construction documents for the Ferro Avenue storm-sewer work under the approved task orders. - The tentative budget will be posted to the village website and hard copies will be available at the clerk—s office in advance of the April 9 public hearing.

Speakers (attributed in this article)

- Alex Kittley, mayor/president of the board of trustees (government) - Chris Cleveland, village clerk (government) - Bonnie Day, treasurer and deputy clerk (government) - Emily Major, deputy mayor (government) - Bill Schilling, trustee (government) - Trustee Baldino (government) - Trustee Mangieri (government)

Authorities

- statute: "state statute requiring villages to prepare a tentative budget by March 20" (referenced by: budget public-hearing action) - contract: "Intermunicipal cooperation agreement regarding public access Northern Dutchess Area (PANDA)" (referenced_by: PAND A rider action)

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