Former City of Poughkeepsie Mayor Nancy Cozean was invited to the Feb. 4 Common Council meeting for the unveiling of her mayoral portrait – a long-standing tradition to honor Poughkeepsie mayors who have completed their terms.
Cozean, a Missouri native, earned a master’s degree in journalism from the University of Missouri School of Journalism, and worked as a television news reporter before serving as the City of Poughkeepsie’s mayor. Her term began in 2004 and lasted until last month, when she was replaced by Republican John Tkazyik.
“During her term, former Mayor Cozean was attentive to the arts, and to the history of the city,” said Tkazyik.
Council Chairman Brian Doyle (D-4th Ward) thanked Cozean for her years of service and said, “Her portrait will now hang alongside the honorable city leaders of the past.”
Cozean’s was not the only honor at Monday’s meeting. Following the unveiling, Tkazyik recounted the events of a house fire on Virginia Avenue on the morning of Friday, Feb. 1. Residents were trapped in the blaze, but thanks to the quick response of local fire and emergency personnel, no deaths occurred.
“Thank you for your willingness to make the ultimate sacrifice for us and our families,” said Tkazyik, as a number of fire and emergency personnel received a standing ovation from the council.
Monday’s meeting also marked Doyle’s delivery of his response to Tkazyik’s State of City address.
“At the last meeting of the council, Mayor Tkazyik delivered a potent and encouraging State of the City address,” said Doyle. “I applaud both the realistic appraisal of the challenges we face as well as his upbeat, positive view of all that we can accomplish, together as a city.”
In his address, Doyle outlined a number of goals which he and the council hope to accomplish this year, including continued concentration on safety and quality of life issues, working closely with the city school district and the reduction of energy consumption.
Doyle also addressed the Walkway Over the Hudson project, which was recently backed by Gov. Eliot Spitzer in his Jan. 9 State of the State speech.
“Mayor Tkazyik pointed out that we are closing in on the realization of a dream that was once shared by only a few but now inspires a whole community and region,” said Doyle. “The Walkway over the Hudson will, by September of 2009, be a magnificent pedestrian park that will long be an asset to this city and also the state, and beyond.”
DCC lease plan discussed
Afterward, a number of community residents voiced concerns over a proposed Dutchess Community College student housing lease with the county, hoping to bring some of the student population to downtown Poughkeepsie.
“I think the city needs to work with the college in any way that they can to bring student housing to downtown Poughkeepsie,” said Roy Budnick, a local businessman and Dutchess County Regional Chamber of Commerce member. Budnick is on the Chamber’s Main Street Revitalization committee, and believes that a strong student presence may help improve the city’s downtown.
The council later passed unanimously two resolutions in an effort to delay the Dutchess County Legislature from entering into a ground lease with the Dutchess Community College Association.
“I applaud the resolution of talking to the college about supporting the revitalization of downtown,” said Steven Aaronson of the Muddy Cup and Artist’s Palate on Main Street. “I see a lot of empty above-the-ground floor spaces along Main Street.”
“There is a lot encompassing the revitalization of Main Street,” Tkazyik later said. “Yes, I want to start a discussion with the local colleges some time in the future, but I think we have a lot to do on Main Street before we can get to this point.”
The land/lease agreement, which will be discussed by the Legislature this week, is a result of Dutchess Community College’s interest in building dorms to house students – a trend that community colleges across New York state are currently taking part in. The proposed building site is county property, and if the legislature agrees to convey lease rights, the Dutchess Community College Association would run and maintain the property, at no cost to the county.
The lease agreement could be voted on as early as next week.
“Our hope is that they would delay any action of entering into a ground lease, and examine, with the city, what some other prospects may be,” said Doyle.
The next Common Council meeting is scheduled for Tuesday, Feb. 19 at 6:30 p.m.