Tivoli trustees approve Red Hook fire agreement and shift ARPA money to village hall generator

The Village of Tivoli Board of Trustees on its December 2024 meeting voted unanimously to authorize a two‑year fire protection agreement with the Town of Red Hook, accept the 2025 officers of the Tivoli Fire Company and approve a budget modification that moves $32,810.82 of American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funds to the village’s buildings line to help pay for a village hall generator project.

Why it matters: the actions formalize mutual aid and funding for local fire services and shift federal ARPA dollars toward a municipal backup‑power installation that village officials said will let the building operate during extended outages.

The board opened the meeting with routine business including approval of past minutes, the treasurer’s report and payment of bills. The board then considered a resolution authorizing execution of a fire protection agreement between the Town of Red Hook and the Village of Tivoli for calendar years 2025 and 2026; the resolution passed by roll call with all members voting in the affirmative. The board also formally accepted the 2025 officers of the Tivoli Fire Company; the officer slate was read into the record and accepted by motion and unanimous vote.

On municipal finance, board members reported the village’s ARPA allocation of $110,000 and moved a budget modification approving the transfer of $32,810.82 from ARPA into the buildings budget line to cover part of the village hall generator project. Officials said the village received a municipal innovation grant during the pandemic to fund the generator; the project experienced procurement delays but the village reported the generator is now functioning. Trustees approved the ARPA budget modification by unanimous vote.

The board also approved an electrical contract with Leggett for park electrical work that includes pole and transformer replacement; officials said the timing of that work will be weather dependent. Trustees noted the generator installation was supported in part by ARPA and earlier grant awards and that some grant reporting and deadlines remain in effect for the village.

Other business: trustees adopted the Village of Tivoli 2025 holiday schedule (including New Year’s Day, Martin Luther King Jr. Day, Presidents Day, Memorial Day, Juneteenth, Independence Day, Labor Day, Eleanor Roosevelt Human Rights Day in Tivoli, Veterans Day, two Thanksgiving days and Christmas). The board noted short‑term rental (STR) permits are available for 2025 under a 15‑unit annual cap; officials said two permits had been filed in the first month. Officials described basic STR rules on file with the building department: allowed in the principal building for one to two bedrooms, a local resident or live‑in tenant must be present, and a 60‑night‑per‑year limit was cited during the meeting.

Trustees also used the meeting for community updates: holiday event (Winterfest) wrap‑ups, a reminder that the winter parking ordinance (Nov. 15–April 1, no parking 1 a.m.–6 a.m. on village streets) is in force, and a public comment noting a new Tivoli Community Chorus and interest in compost food‑scrap drop‑offs modeled on a program in the Village of Red Hook. The board closed the meeting with a motion to adjourn in memory of Elizabeth “Betty” Simmons.

Votes at a glance: - Resolution authorizing execution of fire protection agreement between the Town of Red Hook and the Village of Tivoli for 2025–2026 — outcome: approved (roll call: Deputy Mayor Major: aye; Trustee Baldino: aye; Trustee Schilling: aye; Trustee Mangieri: aye; Mayor: aye). - Acceptance of 2025 Tivoli Fire Company officers (officer list read into record) — outcome: approved (moved by Deputy Mayor Major; seconded by Trustee Mangieri; unanimous aye). - Budget modification moving $32,810.82 of ARPA funds to the buildings line for village hall generator project — outcome: approved (unanimous aye). - Adoption of 2025 Village of Tivoli holiday schedule — outcome: approved (unanimous aye). - Routine motions (approve minutes, accept treasurer’s report, pay bills, adjourn) — outcome: approved (unanimous aye).

What remains: officials said some ARPA reporting remains with the grant administrator and that the Leggett electrical work schedule will depend on weather. Trustees said they will follow up with the Town of Red Hook on compost drop‑off details and noted the village continues outreach about STR permitting and winter parking options for residents.

(Reporting based on the Village of Tivoli Board of Trustees December 2024 meeting record.)