Mayor’s Message February 2026
The news that the groundhog, known as Punxatawny Phil, has “predicted” 6 more weeks of winter probably comes as no surprise to any of you after what we have all been through. This month’s blizzard was very challenging for everyone given how long it lasted, the amount of snow we got, and the freezing temperatures and ice.
During the worst of it, Dutchess County issued an emergency travel ban. For two days, the streets in the Village were empty except for our first responders and snow plows.
Our community pulled together by staying home and letting the crews keep the roads clear in case of emergency. As hard as the travel ban was on everyone, it did make it easier to keep the roads clear. Many thanks to everyone who did his or her part to get us through.
It began to seem as if we never got fully dug out from the last storm, while having to prepare for the next one. The amount of snow created impassable areas on the sidewalks and on the roads in the business district, requiring the removal of the snow for the safety of everyone. The Rhinebeck Village Board held an emergency meeting to authorize the expense of having our crews clear the sidewalks in the business district. This was a very expensive operation and we are very thankful to the Rhinebeck Village Highway Department and Police Departments who worked so hard and efficiently with minimal impact to the community.
Businesses and adjacent property owners are responsible for clearing the sidewalk adjacent to their property. Once people bundle up and venture outside, the safety of our streets and sidewalks is a high priority. The stretches of sidewalks throughout our Village must continually be maintained. All snow and ice must be removed 24 hours after a weather event, and continually treated to keep such sidewalks and walkways reasonably free from snow and ice.
And, a quick reminder to all our local motorists, please use extra caution at village intersections and crosswalks during this winter season. The snowbanks can obstruct your view, making it difficult to spot a vehicle or pedestrian entering the roadway. Also, as always, parking on the crosswalks on East Market Street, West Market Street, Mill Street and Montgomery Street is prohibited per New York State Vehicle and Traffic Law. Our Highway Department is working diligently to remove the snow, but we are asking that everyone does his or her part in keeping one another safe.
Our Village compost dumpster is out of service due to the “compostcicle” that formed due to the continued sub-freezing weather. We’ve moved the dumpster to the farm and are attempting to thaw it enough to get it emptied. Once that task is accomplished, it will be returned to the Municipal Parking Lot. In the meantime, try keeping your food scraps in your freezer or in a lidded bucket in your garage. Apologies for the inconvenience!
The Village completed a detailed hydraulic study of Asher Dam by Tighe & Bond. This assessment contains: descriptions of the dam, impoundment, and downstream area; records review, safety inspection, and emergency action plan review; hazard classification review; evaluation of the dam’s hydrologic and hydraulic condition, and structural stability; assessment of conformance with regulations; and recommendations for conformance.
The purpose of the analysis was to measure the amount of runoff in the impoundment upstream of the dam and therefore understand the potential for future flooding. A hydraulic analysis was performed to model the dam and estimate the water surface elevations upstream of the dam during critical storms, using peak flows generated from the hydrologic analysis. A diver performed an inspection of the underwater portions of Asher Pond Dam. The underwater inspection consisted of an assessment of the underwater portions of the stone masonry dam structure and a bottom survey using a probe to determine the sediment depth immediately upstream of the dam.
This study was long overdue and required by the NYS as part of the monitoring of all dams in the state of NY. This project was funded by a grant for $49,500 from the State of New York through the New York Department of Environmental Conservation's Water Quality Improvement Program.
For more information on the presentation please go to: Asher Pond Dam Engineering Assessment_Presentation.pdf
Happy Anniversary!
Please join me in celebrating our employee anniversaries:
Zoning Administrator Justin Noyes- 1 year
Fire Inspector Brian Connolly- 5 years
Building Inspector Ken McLaughlin- 5 years
As always, please reach out to me with any questions or comments. You can reach me by phone 845-876-7015 ext 2 at Village Hall or via email MayorBassett@Villgeofrhinebeckny.gov
Gary Bassett
Mayor Village of Rhinebeck
Chair, Hudson River Drinking Water Inter-Municipal Council