Congratulations to the
Poughkeepsie Pioneers!

State of the City Address

Local Waterfront Revitalization Program

We want to hear from you!

 

John Penney Named
Director of Community Engagement

Assumes a Shared Services Role with City & County

City of Poughkeepsie Mayor Rob Rolison announced today that John Penney has been named as Director of Community Engagement for the City.  The new role is a shared services partnership between the City of Poughkeepsie and Dutchess County.

As Director of Community Engagement, Mr. Penney will serve as liaison between various City departments and the local community, improving transparency and bolstering public participation in local governmental decision-making through increased community interaction.   He will participate in community meetings and other functions as well as assist in coordinating community events hosted by city government.   Additionally, he will assist in the development and publication of materials to inform residents about the various services and programs available to them.

Mayor Rolison said: “Rebuilding city government began and will continue with the stabilization of our finances, but also vital to our continued success is the need to strengthen government’s connection to our residents, our local businesses, our non-profits and our faith-based organizations. John joins the team at the perfect time as we face more choices, are presented with more options, and are rapidly recapturing our capacity to take on meaningful projects that will have long term impacts on our community.”

Continue reading...

DCSPCA Dog of the Week: Firefly

The City Chamberlain's office received a visit from Firefly on Thursday morning. She is a "light in the dark" at 1 1/2 years old. This mixed breed is a sweetheart who knows sit, down and paw. If you are interested in meeting Firefly, contact the Dutchess County SPCA at 845-452-SPCA. Help her find her "furever" home!!!

Cancelled: Waterfront Advisory Committee

March 26, 2019

The Waterfront Advisory Committee (WAC) meeting scheduled for March 26, 2019 has been cancelled as there are no actions to be considered by the Committee.

The next WAC meeting is scheduled for Tuesday, April 23, 2019.

A New Food Hall & Apartment Complex
Buzzes Into Poughkeepsie

From Hudson Valley Magazine:

"Poughkeepsie is thriving.

Thanks to a steady ascent of growth in 2017 and 2018, the riverside city is fast coming into its glory days as budding businesses and new developments shine a light on local culture. Not just limited to one area of growth, the phenomenon touches everything from housing and shopping to dining and even to the community itself. It’s a movement that began with blockbuster projects like the Poughkeepsie Underwear Factory and First Friday events and extends to the more recent 40 Cannon Street complex and the Queen City Lofts.

Now, in 2019, The Hive prepares to bring additional buzz to the city’s downtown. Located inside the two buildings that comprise 33 and 35 Academy Street in Poughkeepsie, The Hive will be an unofficial anchor for local residents in Dutchess County. Once complete, it will function as something of a metropolitan live-work-play destination, with apartment spaces, a coworking center, a grocery market, a brewery, a coffee shop, and a food hall contained inside." Continue reading...

Rhinebeck Bank Announces
$3,000,000 Loan Fund for
Poughkeepsie Innovation District

The City of Poughkeepsie has launched a community development plan with a goal of improving the business climate spreading over several blocks within the City’s downtown area, including its historic Main Street. As part of the City’s ongoing revitalization efforts, the Poughkeepsie Innovation District and associated rezoning focuses on a narrow geographic area in order to increase its potential for success.  

With the Poughkeepsie Innovation District addressing a significant portion of the area’s core commercial district, Rhinebeck Bank has officially announced their support of this initiative by establishing a $3,000,000 Loan Fund. Rhinebeck Bank will provide business loans through their commercial express loan product, as well as other financing for equipment, vehicle purchases, leasehold improvements, and commercial real estate transactions under preferred pricing structures and terms to the prospective borrowers.  Continue reading...

Common Council Seeks Members for
Board of Ethics & WAC

PLEASE TAKE NOTICE that the City of Poughkeepsie Common Council is looking for members to serve on the City of Poughkeepsie Board of Ethics.

Please send letters of interest and resumes to Deanne L. Flynn, City Chamberlain to City Hall, Office of the City Chamberlain, 62 Civic Center Plaza, Poughkeepsie, New York 12601, dflynn@cityofpoughkeepsie.com or by fax at 845-451-4239 by the end of the day, Friday, March 22, 2019

PLEASE TAKE NOTICE that the City of Poughkeepsie Common Council is looking for members to serve on the City of Poughkeepsie Waterfront Advisory Committee (WAC). Members must be residents of the City of Poughkeepsie.

Please send letters of interest and resumes to Deanne L. Flynn, City Chamberlain to City Hall, Office of the City Chamberlain, 62 Civic Center Plaza, Poughkeepsie, New York 12601, dflynn@cityofpoughkeepsie.com or by fax at 845-451-4239 by the end of the day, Friday, March 29, 2019.

Positions Available

City of Poughkeepsie IDA

The City of Poughkeepsie Industrial Development Agency (IDA) is seeking an Executive Director and Chief Fiscal Officer. For additional information about these positions, please view the descriptions below.

The mission of the Industrial Development Agency is to build the industrial and economic strength and resilience of the City with the intent of growing employment, jobs and city revenue.  The IDA will fulfill its mission by:

• Actively promoting and encouraging the attraction, cultivation, growth and retention of city industry and business
• Awarding financial incentives to projects, including exemptions from property, sales, use and mortgage recording taxes, grants, and bond financing for projects aligned with city success

EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR

The Executive Director position is a part-time job for 20 hours per week at $20 per hour.  The position requires attendance at all monthly IDA Board meetings and in-person meetings as needed for periodic reviews and updates, and otherwise allows flexibility in work schedule and location to perform required duties.

Job Description & Requirements: Executive Director (.pdf)

CHIEF FISCAL OFFICER

The Chief Fiscal Officer position is a part-time volunteer position requiring approximately 3-4 hours work and meeting time per month.  The position requires attendance at all monthly IDA Board meetings and in-person meetings as needed for periodic reviews and updates.

Job Description & Requirements: Chief Fiscal Officer (.pdf)

Additional Information

For additional information, please contact:

Melanie Vetter
City of Poughkeepsie IDA Board
(305) 606-6446 mobile
mvetter@cityofpoughkeepsie.com

Request for Proposals

Tree Inventory Update & Community Forestry
Management Plan (CFMP)

INTRODUCTION

For this project, the City of Poughkeepsie (the city), in coordination with the Shade Tree Commission (STC), seeks proposals from qualified consultants to assist with updating the city’s 2006 Tree Inventory and creation of a Community Forestry Management Plan (CFMP).

PROJECT PURPOSE AND BACKGROUND

The proposed tree inventory and management plan are essential tools to help protect and enhance the city’s urban forest resources. The inventory will provide pertinent empirical data needed by the city’s Urban Tree Division, a subsidiary of the Department of Public Works Maintenance Division, which maintains the urban forest of over 12,000 city trees. The inventory will be conducted city-wide to document the location, species, tree size, condition, primary maintenance requirements, risk rating, and additional variables as deemed necessary by the city and selected consultant(s), of all trees on city-owned property. The inventory will also note available tree planting spaces. A Community Forest Management Plan will then utilize this data to strategize and prioritize tree maintenance, planting, and removal. The development of the management plan will enable the city to engage local residents, educate the public about the city’s urban forest, and foster community ownership over protecting and enhancing the city’s forest assets.

The proposed tree inventory and management plan will be an integral component of Poughkeepsie’s comprehensive tree care program. The results of this project will help Poughkeepsie better understand its urban forest’s composition, structure, and tree maintenance needs; plan for short-term and longterm resource allocation; develop risk management strategies; and enable the city to promote the economic, environmental, and social benefits its trees provide to the community. Continue reading...

REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS: 

Tree Inventory Update and Community Forestry Management Plan (.pdf)

ADDENDUM: 

Addendum 1: Tree Inventory Update and Community Forestry Management Plan (.pdf)

The buzz is back and bigger than ever! Join us on April 2nd, 2019, at 5:30pm at the Bardavon for the debut of PKGO Getters, when our guest speaker will be Poughkeepsie native Jessica O. Matthews, founder and CEO of Unchartered Power. This is a free event, but pre-registration through EventBrite is requested.

The mission of PKGO is to highlight the City of Poughkeepsie as a thriving and growing city, and to create a positive sense of community amongst current and future residents, businesses and visitors.  PKGO Getters is a planned event series that will celebrate the achievements of Poughkeepsie notables who have inspiring stories to share. As a PKGO Getter herself, Matthews exemplifies the very core of this campaign.

Matthews started Uncharted Power, a full-service power infrastructure technology company when she was just 22 years old. Her focus is the intersection of disruptive technology, renewable energy, humane behavior, and the psychology of self-actualization. She was named Fortune Magazine’s “Most Promising Women Entrepreneurs” and “10 Most Powerful Women Entrepreneurs,” Forbes “30 Under 30,” and the Harvard Foundation for Intercultural and Race Relation’s “Scientist of the Year.”  Former President Bill Clinton said of Matthews, “If ever there was an innovator, she’s it.”

City of Poughkeepsie Mayor Rob Rolison said, "We are incredibly excited to bring these PKGO Getters events to the City of Poughkeepsie.  We look forward to hosting our first event April 2nd and are beyond thrilled to have Ms. Matthews as our featured speaker.  Her achievements are such an inspiration to our youth and community, and we are so very fortunate to have her join us here in Poughkeepsie."

The press is welcome and encouraged to attend.

We’re celebrating the second anniversary of the Poughkeepsie Underwear Factory by rolling out some amazing incentives for you: our awesome customers, volunteers, and supporters!

We’re kicking things off Monday 3/25 with free coffee for everyone! Come in before 10am and get a free hot coffee (and check out the latest on all the projects we're up to these days!)

Thursday 3/28 kicks off our weekly student day! Show us your student or college ID and get 20% off every Thursday.

AND all week long we'll have Community Appreciation Week BOGO coupons and will be selling our limited edition 2nd Anniversary Commemorative T-shirt printed by our social enterprise production team Upcycle.

We look forward to seeing you at the factory!

Poughkeepsie Waterfront Market
Seeking Local Vendors for 2019 Season

The Poughkeepsie Waterfront Market is seeking vendors for its 2019 Farmer’s Market, which will kick off on June 3 at 3:00 pm in the Pavilion at the Mid-Hudson Children’s Museum at 75 North Water Street in Poughkeepsie. The Market will run weekly on Monday afternoons from 3:00 pm to 6:30 pm from June through Labor Day in a fully-covered open-air pavilion that is just steps away from the Hudson River. 

Vendor applications are now being accepted for the sale of fresh vegetables, fruits, meat, eggs, poultry, and baked goods from local Hudson Valley farms, as well as locally-produced soaps and body products, wool products, bee products and other agriculturally related items.  This year, the Poughkeepsie Waterfront Market seeks to expand its product lines to include Hudson-Valley-produced beer, wine, cider and spirits, as well as hand-crafted kitchenware items created by local artisans. Interested vendors are encouraged to apply by April 15 to receive an Early Bird discount.

The Market is a lively, weekly public celebration of the Hudson Valley, which also features entertainment provided by a variety of local musicians each week. In addition, ‘Kid’s Kitchen’, a healthy eating program for children will be held weekly at the Market, free of charge.

The Poughkeepsie Waterfront Market is a certified SNAP market.  It accepts both SNAP and WIC payments, ensuring the affordability of fresh produce and farm products for low-income individuals and families.  With support from MVP Healthcare, the Market implemented an Electronic Transfer (EBT) system, enabling income-eligible market patrons to use their SNAP benefits from a government issued debit card.

The Mid-Hudson Children’s Museum (MHCM) is the first children’s museum in the country to open and operate a public farmer’s market. The Market opened in 2017 to connect City residents and families with fresh, affordable and locally-produced food as a strategy for fighting urban food insecurity and advancing community health. As a small museum taking on big issues, the MHCM is planning an expansion which includes enclosing the open-air pavilion, enabling the Market to be held year-round, filling a need for fresh food in Poughkeepsie.

The Poughkeepsie Waterfront Market is steps away from both the Poughkeepsie Train Station and The Walkway over the Hudson elevator, making the Market accessible to City residents, families visiting the Mid-Hudson Children’s Museum, tourists and commuters alike. The Pavilion that hosts the Market is fully covered, and offers public restrooms and free onsite parking at the Mid-Hudson Children’s Museum during Market hours.

For Vendor Guidelines, as well as application instructions, please visit
mhcm.org/visit/poughkeepsie-waterfront-market/call-for-vendors.

For other Market inquiries, please call Dave Jordan, Market Manager at (845) 471-0589 ext. 16 or email DJordan@mhcm.org.