Three women outline priorities on climate, housing and coordination at Rhinebeck Democratic Club forum

Three candidates seeking seats on the Rhinebeck village board laid out priorities ranging from climate and drainage to housing affordability and intergovernmental coordination at a Democratic Club forum this afternoon.

Eleanor, an incumbent trustee candidate, stressed attention to contracts, infrastructure and parks, citing past work on the village comprehensive plan and examples of cost savings. “I found an incorrect amount in a contract to purchase a truck,” she said, listing local contract reviews and a history of civic engagement that she said qualify her to vet village business and close outstanding policy questions.

Jennifer Neufeld, who pointed to decades of business and international communications experience, said the next step for the village is integrating the Climate Smart plan across departments and improving public communications so residents take part in programs such as composting. “When we skip process, ignore adopted plans, or change the rules on the fly… trust erodes,” she said, urging transparency and connective governance.

Mimi Jo Carnella emphasized environmental protection, arts and livability, and described volunteering on local boards including child care and arts organizations. She urged practical steps from the climate and adaptation plans and highlighted drinking‑water protection and storm‑drainage upgrades as local priorities.

On zoning and the comprehensive plan, candidates said implementation must be prioritized. Eleanor noted the zoning work is being handled by a working group and urged regular reports and transparency; other candidates asked the implementation committee to sequence goals so visible improvements — such as parking re‑striping and sidewalk repairs — show quick results and build support for longer projects.

Housing affordability drew sustained attention. Candidates discussed several approaches in the comprehensive plan: streamlining accessory dwelling units, reducing lot‑size requirements, repurposing upper‑story or existing buildings for smaller apartments, and better enforcement of short‑term‑rental rules. Jennifer said the village should study good‑cause eviction and watch how neighboring communities implement it before deciding. “There are ways to mitigate it,” she said, recommending careful, evidence‑based analysis.

Several candidates raised the role of enforcement: if short‑term rental restrictions exist but are not upheld, housing stock and affordability are affected. Jennifer urged stronger enforcement of rules she said were already on the books.

Infrastructure needs also featured: candidates flagged water and wastewater upgrades, storm‑drainage capacity and sidewalk safety. Eleanor noted instances of standing water at ADA cutouts and said the village withheld final contractor payments until repairs fixed runoff problems.

On town–village relations and the occupancy (bed) tax, candidates expressed conditional support while urging revenue sharing and early coordination. Jennifer said a small occupancy tax is consistent with the comprehensive plan’s resident focus if revenues are split with the town to offset village infrastructure costs; Eleanor said she’d weigh revenue needs, how much the tax would raise and whether sharing with the town was agreed on first.

Audience questions focused on youth engagement, where candidates suggested kitchen‑table conversations, visual community projects and arts events to draw younger residents into civic life. Candidates also recommended examining models used during the comprehensive‑plan process and considering a part‑time staffer for community engagement.

All three candidates said they have the time to serve. The forum ended with closing remarks and a reminder from the moderator that primary voting is Jan. 27 and the village election is March 18.

The forum was hosted and recorded by PANDDA (Public Access North and Dutchess Area); Eric Ryback described the station’s cable and streaming presence at the outset. The event was moderated by Eric Steinman.