SPEND Date A Taming the is set Midtown wild forest TIME kid Pat Ryan Eff orts abound WISELY to become Adrian Manuel turns schools — to bring people with county exec next month and kids’ lives — around closer to nature Almanac Weekly COUNTY GOVERNMENT > 3 COMMUNITY > 4 ECONOMY > 15 THURSDAY, MAY 16, 2019 VOLUME 14; ISSUE 20 ULSTER PUBLISHING, INC. WWW.HUDSONVALLEYONE.COM KINGSTON TIMES ONE DOLLAR FIFTY CENTS CITY GOVERNMENT Westchester and Nassau counties to enact their own rent control policies, provided that a county’s vacancy rate for rental properties was below 5 percent. Slowing rent’s roll Rent stabilization laws vary from community to community. But in general they impose limits on how much landlords City supports efforts to allow upstate may raise rents on properties built before the law was enacted and give tenants the communities to regulate rent BY JESSE J. SMITH option to renew leases. The EPTA is up for renewal this year. ingston lawmakers have On Tuesday, May 7, the Common Coun- With Democrats in control of both legis- signaled their support for leg- cil voted 8-1 to approve a non-binding lative chambers and the governor’s office, islation that would open the memorializing resolution urging the state there is little doubt that reauthorization door to rent regulation in the legislature to remove geographic restric- will pass before the legislature goes into K city. But state lawmakers and tions contained in the Emergency Tenant recess next month. But tenants’ rights the Ulster County Legislature will need Protection Act of 1974. The law paved the groups across the state are pushing for to act before such regulation becomes an way for rent regulation in New York City major changes in the legislation, including CARL COX STUDIOS option for Kingston. and allowed municipalities in Rockland, (continued on page 6) State Sen. Jen Metzger. CITY GOVERNMENT Victory in the rain 10% jump Busy real estate market drives surge in city assessments BY JESSE J. SMITH roperty owners in Kings- ton will see their assessment rise by about 10 percent this year as home values reach P levels not seen since before the 2008 Great Recession. In another sign of the strength of the city’s housing market, a recent surge in ‘We’ve gained back 10 years of losses and now we’re starting to see more investment in our housing stock.’ — Mayor Steve Noble PHYLLIS McCABE KINGSTON HIGH LACROSSE PLAYERS battle with their Cornwall foes at Dietz Stadium Monday. The Tigers beat the Corn- ies (not their real name) 17-10. building permits shows increasing invest- ment in both residential and commercial properties. “Assessed value” is the city’s estimate of in the school district who are unable SCHOOLS how much a property might fetch on the to access highly qualified teachers and open market, based on the sale price of high-quality pre-K,” said Superintendent similar parcels in the same neighborhood, Paul Padalino. “That’s the one new thing Budget vote is Tuesday recent improvements and other factors. we have in this budget. We’re really proud The figure is used to calculate tax bills. Tax that we’ve been able to do it. It’s been a rates for 2018 are $9.74 per $1,000 of as- lot of work trying to make sure we do it Voters will also decide on school board sessed value for residential properties and at a reasonable cost. We’re going to open $15.59 per $1,000 for commercial parcels. BY CRISPIN KOTT in September, and this budget supports and a lease proposition The tentative assessment roll released by that effort.” the city last week shows assessments rising oters in the Kingston will also be decided by voters. Padalino also noted numerous initia- by about 10 percent in both categories. City School District will head The district’s new pre-K hub will open tives that will be able to continue should Mayor Steve Noble said the numbers to the polls on Tuesday to say in the former Frank L. Meagher Elemen- the budget pass muster at the polls, in- showed that after years of incremental yay or nay to a $180,813,057 tary School this September, fulfilling a cluding lower class sizes of 21 or fewer in (continued on page 6) V budget proposal for the 2019- goal school officials say was set forth to kindergarten and first and second grades; 20 school year, one which school officials ensure more children in the district would AP and college-level classes; BOCES tout as maintaining program and helping be able to get their academic careers off programs which serve over 300 students expand pre-kindergarten offerings, while to an early start. in the district; and the P-Tech program, keeping the tax levy increase at just 1.45 “We’re going to be able to take a big which is used by 70 KCSD students. The percent. The makeup of the school board bite out of the number of four year olds (continued on page 7) 2 REGION THURSDAY, MAY 16, 2019 KINGSTON TIMES knowledge of [the alleged attacker’s] dangerous propensities”; it also faults them for providing insuf- ficient supervision of students and “allowing a large See you after school population of the school to gather in the parking lot who encouraged and incited further violence” on the day of the incident in question. Although the alleged Lawsuit filed against Saugerties district victim’s injuries are not detailed in the court papers, they are characterized as “serious and severe.” BY CHRISTINA COULTER in connection with April 2018 incident “There was no argument — the two of them had been friends, they stopped spending time together,” Saugerties High student and her happening ... The school further made representations said the source close to the case. “Essentially, this girl mother are suing the Saugerties Cen- to the infant plaintiff and plaintiff’s mother that they made threats, told multiple students that she was going tral School District for $5,000 — the would prevent said occurrence from happening.” to cause a fight to happen. The school knew it and in approximate cost of her medical bills According to a source close to the case, the alleged fact told [the alleged victim’s] mother that they had A after, according to court papers, she was victim walked away from the altercation with a broken taken care of it and they didn’t have to pick her up “violently attacked” by another student as dozens of front tooth and cuts and bruises to the face. [from school early.]” other students watched on April 4, 2018. According to the complaint, the alleged assailant Saugerties Interim Superintendent Lawrence Attorney Regina Fitzpatrick, of Kingston-based was “known to have made violent and vicious threats.” Mautone did not return phone calls seeking comment O’Connor and Partners, is representing the 18-year- The complaint accuses school officials of “having on the case. old victim and her mother, Judith Hinchey. The suit, filed in state Supreme Court on April 22, claims that about it. other woman who tried to intervene the incident could have been prevented by school POLICE BRIEF Christian Soto, 26, of West Pier- in the melee was also punched in the administrators. pont Street was arrested on Tuesday, face by Soto, cops said. Police say “[The] attack occurred despite the fact that [ad- Cops say man got teen May 14 at 12:19 a.m. According that Soto also fought with police offi - ministrators of the Saugerties Central School District] drunk, punched out mom to police, the arrest occurred after cers as they placed him under arrest. were on notice that [the alleged attacker] planned Soto allegedly provided alcohol to Soto is charged with misdemeanor and intended on attacking [the] plaintiff,” states the A Kingston man is facing misde- a 17-year-old who subsequently counts of second-degree reckless complaint. (The Saugerties Times has decided to not meanor charges after, city police became so incapacitated that they re- endangerment and resisting arrest. say, he allegedly provided alcohol quired treatment at an area hospital. He also faces two counts of harass- print the names of the teenagers cited in the court to minor, then assaulted the teen’s When the teen’s mother confronted ment, a violation. papers.) “The school failed to take the necessary and mother when she confronted him Soto, cops say, he punched her. An- JESSE J. SMITH in fact any precautions to prevent said attack from ENVIRONMENT sil-fuel lobbyists,” said New Paltz Village Mayor Tim Rogers. Scenic Hudson public policy director Andy Bicking said the bill provided a framework for incorporating A fossil-free future? land-use planning into a statewide strategy. It proposes expanding the number of regional councils to nine, helping incorporate measures specific to each region Metzger favors setting a New York deadline for into the state energy plan. It also expands the makeup of the state’s energy planning board to include more replacing oil and gas energy sources BY GEDDY SVEIKAUSKAS interest groups. “Ocean acidification, rising water temperatures tate Sen. Jen Metzger has put for- The Rosendale Democrat’s bill would require the and sea level rise threaten the Hudson River and the ward a bill known as the Freedom From State Energy Planning Board to develop a master communities alongside it. New York has a historic Fossil Fuels Act that would end the devel- plan for achieving fossil-fuel-free energy by 2030 if opportunity to show global leadership and pass am- Sopment of new fossil-fuel infrastructure in possible, and no later than 2040.