For all public meetings related to this study, a press release will be
distributed and copies of the flyers will be posted on this page. Please
visit the site regularly for notices on upcoming public meetings. Please also visit the Project Documents page of this website to view all study documents and meeting documents related to the study. |
News & Announcements
Final Public Meeting for Red Hook Highway Shared Services Study Set for 4/29
Shared administration, capital planning among recommendations to be presented, passed to Town and Village boards for implementation Red Hook, NY – The Town of Red Hook and the Villages of Red Hook and Tivoli have released the final draft of the Action Plans as part of their Highway Shared Services Study, and are preparing to present the report to area residents. The presentation will take place on Wednesday, April 29th at 7:30pm at the Red Hook Town Hall. Over the past year, the Study Steering Committee, which includes elected officials of each municipality, has been working to identify opportunities for sharing highway services. During earlier stages of the Study, the Committee identified several options expected to improve quality and reduce costs of highway services in the three municipalities. After narrowing down the possible shared service arrangements to four preferred options, the Committee created Action Plans to help guide implementation of the preferred options. The options proposed for implementation include:
Now it is up to the governing boards of each municipality to decide which, if any, of the recommended plans should be implemented. Prior to moving ahead with implementation of the study recommendations, the study committee will hold a final public meeting for discussion and input from area residents. Residents are encouraged to attend to learn more about the study and to provide their input. “The purpose of the action plans is to help guide the boards of each municipality and to prepare them for the effort that will be required to move ahead with implementation,” says Tim Weidemann, one of the consultants hired by the Town to help guide the study. “We encourage residents to come out for the final meeting of this year-long project to see how we think the work that the committee has done can be put into action over the next couple of years.” Copies of the Action Plans and other study documents can be downloaded by visiting the project website at http://redhook.rondoutconsulting.com. Following the meeting, public input will be incorporated in the Final Action Plans. |
Committee Seeks Input from Area Residents
Review of Interim Report Scheduled for 7:30pm on September 29th at the Village of Red Hook Village Hall Red Hook, NY – Over the past few months, the Study Steering Committee for the Red Hook Highway Shared Services Study has been developing an interim report on the state of highway services in the area. A public meeting to discuss the results of the Committee’s work up to this point is scheduled for 7:30pm on September 29th at the Village of Red Hook Village Hall. At the meeting, the Committee, along with the consultants hired by the Town, will present the report titled “Interim Analysis of Existing Conditions, Department Structures and Services” and allow residents to provide their input on the report. “This meeting marks an important point in the study process” says Tim Weidemann, one of the consultants hired by the Town to help guide the study. While other Committee meetings have been open to the public and the first Public Kick-Off Meeting held in March introduced the study to the public, this meeting will provide residents with their first real opportunity to provide input and affect the study. According to Weidemann, the upcoming meeting will “give residents a chance to make sure the consultants are getting it right.” The interim report to be presented at the meeting summarizes local conditions affecting the delivery of highway services in the area and analyzes the cost of those services. Some of the topics covered in the report include area demographics, social characteristics, transportation system characteristics, and land use and development patterns. Other contents include an analysis of the resources used by the departments, and the cost of highway services in the Town and Villages. The purpose of the report is to set the basis for considering the best options available to the Town and Villages for improving services and reducing costs. “That’s what makes attendance at this meeting so important” says Red Hook Town Supervisor Sue Crane. “The rest of the study will be based on the contents of this report, and we want to make sure future decisions are based on sound information.” Elaborating further, Crane stated that “numbers are great, but any report on highway services that didn’t take into consideration the thoughts of those receiving the services would be incomplete.” The Committee encourages residents to review the report and attend the upcoming meeting. Copies of the report can be downloaded by visiting the project website at http://redhook.rondoutconsulting.com. Following the meeting, public input will be incorporated in the Final Analysis of Existing Conditions, Department Structures and Services. The next step in the overall study is to begin identifying and evaluating the options available for meeting the study goals through shared services. As the study progresses, residents will be encouraged to provide further input, and can keep track of study documents and events by visiting the project website. ### For further information contact: Tim Weidemann, Rondout Consulting: 845-430-0426 Sue Crane, Town Supervisor, Town of Red Hook: 845-758-4602 |
Highway Study in Red Hook Aims to Improve Services, Save Money
Residents in Town, Villages Invited to Public Kick-Off Meeting April 2 at 7:30PM Red Hook, NY – Following a successful application to the Dutchess County Municipal Consolidation and Shared Service Grant Program, the Town of Red Hook, Village of Red Hook and Village of Tivoli are kicking-off a year-long highway shared services planning study with a public meeting. The meeting will be held at the Red Hook Town Hall on Wednesday, April 2nd, from 7:30 – 9:00 PM. All interested residents are encouraged to attend to learn about the study and share their ideas. The Highway Shared Services Study represents a commitment by the three municipalities to look more closely at how they deliver important highway services to residents, and how, by working together, they might stabilize or reduce costs while maintaining a high-quality system of local roads. “Based on all of the cooperation that has already occurred between our communities, I am confident that there are some promising opportunities that we can explore together,” said Red Hook Town Supervisor Sue Crane. “This study will help us identify those opportunities and understand how we can go about making them happen so that residents receive the most cost-effective services.” Before the study gets underway, the committee and the Rondout/Fairweather team agreed that a public meeting would be a useful way to let residents know about the project, and to listen to their hopes and concerns about the topic of highway shared services. “It is important right from the beginning that people have a chance to ask questions and share their thoughts with our committee and the consultants,” said Tivoli Mayor Bryan Cranna. He added, “any study that could end with recommendations that would change the delivery of services should be done in a transparent way, with lots of opportunity for public involvement.” Tim Weidemann, one of the project consultants, added, “we know that studies like this can be a source of anxiety for village and town employees, so we like to provide a formal opportunity for them and all other residents to share their thoughts right from the outset. We will also meet early in the study with staff in each municipality so that they can ask questions, share their ideas and express any concerns.” “We all know that our residents – our customers – are relying on us to find ways to control costs,” explains Red Hook Village Mayor Ed Blundell. “But we also know that people choose to live in a community like Red Hook because of the quality of services we provide to them. It is an important balancing act and the Village will be an active participant in the study. We look forward to working with our outside consultant, and our neighbor municipalities, in order to identify ideas and model options for shared services that will keep this a great place to live.” For further information contact: |
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