Rolison: “… make our downtown streets safer and liveable …”
POUGHKEEPSIE – Mayor Robert Rolison presented his second Poughkeepsie State of the City address on Wednesday evening that indicates that crime rates are dropping and people are moving into the city.
While no mention was made of the 16.5 percent tax increase that will
hit the taxpayers this year, the mayor told the crowd that building permits
have increased substantially, occupancy of various types of housing is
up at least 20 percent, and 2016 saw a decrease in property crimes as
well as a reduction in the five-year average of violent crimes.
Rolison also cited a joint initiative with the common council that has all but eliminated panhandling in the central business district. And he said there will be a major effort to breathe new life into the downtown.
“Through our city center connectivity initiative, we are looking to make our downtown streets safer and livable for all users,” the mayor said. “This means walkable, bikable, and connected to the surrounding neighborhoods.”
The second year mayor candidly admits that several partnerships have helped make Poughkeepsie safer, cleaner, and stronger. He credited relationships like the one with State Assemblyman Frank Skartados, who helped secure almost $2 million in funding to help the cash-strapped city purchase fire apparatus, police vehicles, and make capital improvements to city building that have long been neglected.
Rolison, a former police officer and firefighter himself, boasted about the efforts and abilities of the city’s police and fire departments. He recognized the “Cocoa with a Cop” program that puts police officers in all of the city’s schools to enhance police-community relations, calling it “so important for the city” and he also recognized four firefighters with lengthy careers in Poughkeepsie. The four veterans all started with the Poughkeepsie Fire Department on the same day; January 7, 1974. Deputy Chief Ed Decker, Captain Mike Brophy, Lt. Bill Ringwood, and firefighter Mike Marinucci were given a standing ovation for their 43 years of service to Poughkeepsie.
Mayor Rolison laid out his plans to create a parking department to improve permitting, payments, enforcement, and to adjust signage to better assist visitors in their quest to find parking.
Also on the agenda for 2017 is the repair of the crumbling financial plaza parking garage to make it structurally sound and easier to enter and exit. The addition of code enforcement officers is also slated to help identify properties that need to be abated because of their deteriorating condition.
