When the COVID-19 pandemic tragically arrived in New York last year, our Village suffered along with the rest of the world. Neighbors watched out for neighbors, and we all worried about our community's physical, mental, and economic health.

To help address our economic health, Mayor Bassett acted quickly once NYS and Dutchess County allowed our restaurants and stores to reopen in a limited way in early June 2020. He worked with Trustee Lewit and the Village Board, Police and Fire Dept. to get approval for a new, safe plan for outdoor dining. They worked with the State Dept. of Transportation (DOT), the State Liquor Authority (SLA), and Dutchess County to allow for expanded outdoor seating throughout the village, creating the streetscape that many of our residents credit with keeping them optimistic and many of our businesses credit with keeping them afloat over the last year.

The Village was so successful that the rest of the Hudson Valley used the Village of Rhinebeck as an example for their own plans. Marc Molinaro recently stated that "Rhinebeck has led" throughout this tragic moment in our history.

When Trustee Slaby joined the board, Mayor Bassett asked her to create an outdoor dining task force to address the plans for 2021 and beyond. She has convened a nine-person task force of restaurateurs, retailers, government officials, and residents to make sure that needs are being met for a safe, vibrant plan both for the 2021 outdoor dining season as well as our future as a thriving business district in the Hudson Valley.