Red Hook steering committee accelerates outreach for comprehensive plan, plans spring workshop

The Town of Red Hook Comprehensive Plan Steering Committee on Jan. 27 approved minutes, recorded committee membership changes and pressed to finish vision-related community outreach by the end of February ahead of a second public workshop planned for spring 2026.

The committee said consultant Eric Pierson of Pattern for Progress and the project team are developing Workshop #2, which will focus on defining goals and strategies to implement the plan. A summary of the October visioning workshop has been posted to the town’s comprehensive plan webpage and was shared in a winter newsletter.

Minutes from the Nov. 25 meeting were approved at the start of the session (mover/second and vote tally were not specified in the minutes). The meeting recorded several membership items: Jacob Testa has been appointed as the Red Hook Town Board’s liaison to the Steering Committee; the committee expressed support for appointing Christine Kane to an open seat (formal appointment not specified); and committee member Doug Strawinski resigned for personal reasons.

Committee members and liaisons reported outreach activity and plans. Several "Kitchen Table Conversations" have already taken place; more sessions are planned in February, along with events at the Red Hook Community Center and Red Hook High School. The committee set a target to complete vision-related outreach by the end of February and said the visioning survey will close at that time. The minutes list target groups for further outreach including Bard students, middle and high school students, newer town residents, emergency-service providers, people working in business and trades, seniors and Spanish speakers. The transcript does not specify how many Kitchen Table Conversations have been held or the exact number of planned outreach events.

Members also discussed sample comprehensive plans shared by the consultant — examples from the City of Kingston, Village of Rhinebeck, Town of Chatham, City of Poughkeepsie and the Town of Boston (NY). The committee emphasized that the final plan should be clear and usable for town government while remaining approachable for the public, durable over a long timeframe and able to link to related documents and implementation tools.

The committee scheduled its next meeting for Feb. 24, 2026, 7:30–9 p.m., with agenda items to include a community engagement check-in, Workshop #2 planning and focus groups. Beyond the approval of minutes and recording of liaison/appointment developments and a resignation, the minutes do not record formal votes on ordinances or budget items.