Show All Answers

1. What is a permit?

A permit is a formal document authorizing commencement of some action or work subject to regulations.

2. How do I find what a Zoning District is for a certain parcel of land?

This can be located on Zoning map dated June 13, 2022.

3. How long does a building permit remain in effect?

A building permit shall become void in six months from the date of issuance. See Village of Red Hook Zoning, Section 200-49.

4. What is the cost of a building permit?

Please refer to the Building and Zoning Department fee schedule.

5. Do I need to submit a Village of Red Hook Building Permit with a NYS Unified Solar Permit?

Yes, a building permit must be submitted along with the solar permit.

Show All Answers

1. How do I obtain certified copies of death certificates?

If eligible, copies of vital statistics can be obtained with a completed application request form (see above) and a valid form of federal or state issued ID. Certified copies are $10.00 each. For more information, see above and the New York State guidelines for Vital Records.

2. What bills can I pay in the Village Clerk’s Office?

The Village Clerk accepts payments for Village taxes, water and sewer bills only. We do not accept payments for the Village of Red Hook Justice Court, the Town of Red Hook, or Red Hook Central Schools.

3. How do I change my Village tax information?

All tax records are updated by the Town Assessor’s Office, located at:
Red Hook Town Hall
7340 S Broadway
Red Hook, NY 12571

For more information, see the Town of Red Hook Assessor's Office page.

4. How do I get a parking permit & license for persons with disabilities?

The Village Clerk’s office does not issue licenses. All permits and licenses, including those for marriage, fishing and hunting are obtained from the Town Clerk, located at:
Red Hook Town Hall
7340 S Broadway
Red Hook, NY 12571

5. Where do I purchase garbage tags?

Available in-person at:

Village Clerk’s office Village Hall, 7467 S Broadway Mon - Fri 11am - 4pm (845) 758-1081

Red Hook Public Library  7444 South Broadway Mon, Tues, Fri: 10am - 5pm Wed & Thurs: 12 - 7pm Sat: 11am - 3pm (845) 758-3241 redhooklibrary.org

Mac’s Agway   68 Firehouse Ln Mon - Fri: 7:30 am - 5:30 pm Sat: 8am - 5pm, Sun: 9am - 3pm (845) 876-1559 macsfarmandgardenworld.com

Taste Budd's 40 W Market St Mon - Sat: 7am - 6:45pm  Sun: 8am - 5:15pm (845) 758-6500 tastebudds.com

Available by mail by submitted a request and payment to the Village Clerk (either by mail or by dropping off at deposit box at front of Village Hall) + $1.20 per request for postage.

For more information visit Waste Management page.

Show All Answers

1. When is garbage and recycling pick-up service?

Village garbage and recycling pick-up takes place Monday mornings, with the exception of Federal holidays when Village offices are closed. In those cases, pick-up will take place Tuesday mornings. Check the recycling calendar for the recycling items being collected each week.

2. Why wasn’t my garbage picked-up?

To ensure pick-up of garbage and recycling, please check that a proper and complete garbage tag is attached to each bag placed at the curb. If your garbage bag does not have a tag, it will not be collected. If your garbage bag exceeds the weight limit posted on the corresponding garbage tag, it will be left curbside. Contaminated recycling cannot be collected. Please visit the Waste Management page to learn more.

3. How do I get rid of an old mattress, box spring, furniture item, etc?

The Village offers the pick-up of bulk waste items. Bulk tags can be purchased at the Village Clerk's office. Properly tagged will be picked up by Village staff on the regular garbage pick-up day. See the Waste Management page for more information.

4. When are brush piles picked up?

The Village Highway Department does its best to keep to the schedule of picking up brush during the first full week of each month. 

Due to unforeseen events and weather conditions, we may not be able to keep exactly to the schedule. Brush and leaf pick-up will continue as scheduled when permissible.

5. I have scrap metal, how can I donate to the Village program?

Yes! To coordinate pick-up of scrap metal, please call the Village Highway Department at 845-758-8600 or the Village Clerk’s Office at 845-758-1081.

6. Who do I tell about a burned out street light?

To report a street light outage, visit the Central Hudson Website to submit information directly to Central Hudson.

Show All Answers

1. What to do when sewer service panel alarm is activated?

1. Locate the service panel. The panel is located on a post or on an exterior wall of your building. The alarm sounds similar to a smoke alarm, making a high-pitched, buzzing sound. Depending on your box location, you may or may not be able to hear the alarm inside your home.
2. Call Village Sewer Operator at 845-758-1081, option 8, immediately to report the alarm. Report the alarm ASAP to avoid an overflow of your system. If you don’t call, we don’t know the alarm is going off.
3. Push the red-lit button only after notifying the Sewer Operator. This will silence the alarm. The red light will stay on as long as there is an alarm condition.
4. Conserve water. After you call be sure to conserve water. Although the tank does have some reserve capacity, the capacity varies widely, depending on water usage. With minimized water usage, the tank typically has a reserve capacity of 12 to 24 hours. Curtail water use to prevent overflow of the holding tank and your building’s plumbing system. 

• Take shorter showers 
• Don't use the washing machine 
• Minimizing toilet flushing

2. How does my STEP System work?

Your STEP system includes a septic tank, effluent pump, and control panel. The liquid waste that would normally go to the leach field in a regular individual septic system is pumped through a small pressure line into sewer lines leading to the Village's Wastewater Treatment Plants. 

The STEP system pump is controlled by a system of floats within your tank. The service panel mounted on the side of your house controls the floats and pumps. The floats ac­tivate an alarm in the service panel when the fluid level in the tank gets too high or too low. 

3. As the owner/resident, what am I responsible for?

• Repairing and maintaining the home plumbing and sewer line from the house to the STEP system tank.
• Maintaining access to Village's equipment. 
• Damages to the septic tank, service panel, or Village owned equipment if the damage is caused by the homeowner or some one other than Village personnel.
• Providing electricity for the pump and controls.
• Calling to report an alarm, and minimizing water use during an emergency.
• Eliminating the disposal of improper material into the STEP system.
  • Improper materials include "flushable" wipes, disposable diapers, feminine products, cigarette butts, hair, dental floss, food items containing seeds and peelings, fats, oils and greases, egg shells, nutshells coffee grounds, paper towels or rags or any non-organic material 
  • Limit or eliminate your use of garbage disposal. Instead, consider composting your food waste items at the Town Recycling Center.

4. What's the Village of Red Hook responsible for?

The Village is responsible for maintain­ing and repairing/replacing the septic tanks, grease traps, effluent pumps, floats, service panel, and service lines from the tank to the main sewer line. The Village is also responsible for operating the Village's Wastewater Treatment Plants.

5. Why must my tank riser lid/cover be visible?

The riser is the access to your pump and allows us to act quickly during an emergency. A hidden or inaccessible lid means that your STEP system can­not be serviced. Tank lids must remain visible and must NOT be covered by patios, decks, soil, shrubs, or mulch. Please maintain 24-inches of clearance. 

If access to components is hindered, the property owner/resident will be required to re-establish access within 48-hours of notice. If emergency access is required, the Village is not liable for any damage to items blocking access and is not required to return to prior conditions. 

6. Is my property tied into the Village sewer?

All parcels located within the Sewer Use Area are on or required to connect to the Village's STEP system. See the map.

7. How often are the septic tanks and grease traps pumped?

Grease traps and septic tanks are pumped as needed - grease traps are pumped approximately annually, septic tanks are pumped approximately every five to ten years. The Village is responsible for the pumping and routine maintenance of the tanks. The homeowner should not put cleaning additives into their tank.

8. What do I do if the power goes out?

During long term power outages of several hours or more, you should minimize water usage. Even though the STEP system’s discharge pump and alarm will not operate without power, wastewater from your home can continue to fill the tank if your water service has not been interrupted. Use only what is absolutely necessary. Check basement or lower drains often. 

If the drains begin to fill with water, discontinue all water usage and call the Village Sewer Operator immediately (845-758-1081, option 8). 

Short-term power outages of a few minutes to a few hours should not be of concern. The reserve tank capacity can handle short-term events like these. 

STEP systems are designed so that your neighbors’ drains cannot back up into yours. If you stop using water, the drains will stop filling with water. 

Note: Many types of water softeners and filters automatically discharge water into the STEP tank. This can reduce the tank’s reserve capacity without your being aware of it. Be sure to check such systems regularly.

If the power outage is longer that 24-hours call the Village Sewer Operator, 845-758-1081, option 8.

9. How do I get connected to the Village sewer system?

If you're property is within the sewer use area you must connect to the Village sewer system. If you're property is close to the boundary of the sewer use area, you may request connection to the system -- approval is at the discretion of the Board of Trustees.

Please complete the Expression of Interest form to start the process of connection to the system or request for sewer use area expansion.

Show All Answers

1. Why have I not received any emails from my Notify Me® subscriptions?

• Check your spam or junk folders for emails from listserv@civicplus.com 

• add listserv@civicplus.com to your contact list or address book.

• If listserv@civicplus.com email address is in your address book, check your spam filter settings to be sure that the listserv@civicplus.com isn't blocked.

2. Why am I not receiving the Village Newsletter in my email inbox?

• Have you enrolled to receive the newsletter? If you haven't yet - subscribe to the Village Newsletter here. 

• Check your spam or junk folders for emails from Mayor Smythe, mayor@redhooknyvillage.org

• add Mayor Smythe, mayor@redhooknyvillage.org to your contact list or address book.

• If Mayor Smythe, mayor@redhooknyvillage.org email address is in your address book, check your spam filter settings to be sure that the Mayor Smythe, mayor@redhooknyvillage.org isn't blocked.

• For further help check this Mail Chimp support article.

3. The News Flash channels I enrolled in have been changed or discontinued. Why?

The Village of Red Hook is working hard to identify the most effective ways to communicate with the public. In an effort to expand enrollment in Notify Me ®  subscription service we are simplifying our current enrollment categories in the following way:

Current Subscription Category	2022 Updates
NewsFlash >“Click here for local area Corona/Covid-19 information"	Will be renamed “Covid-19 Info”
NewsFlash >“Covid/Corona Virus"	Will be discontinued as it is redundant
NewsFlash >“Police News" (15 current subscribers)	Will be discontinued as The RHPD post regular updates on their FB Feed.  Any Emergency Police Alerts will be sent under ‘Emergency Alert’, and any Police staff story or Police event will be shared either in ‘Events & Committee News’ & or ‘Government News’
NewsFlash >“Court News & Updates"	Will now be “Government News" (News from the Planning Board, Zoning Board of Appeals, Board of Trustees, Mayor's Office & Court News as well as General Announcements & Election Information)
NewsFlash >“Remote Village Board Meeting Information"	Will be discontinued. Meeting format information & Remote Meeting Links can be accessed through the Main Calendar
NewsFlash >“Village Press Releases"	Will now be “Department News & Non-Emergency Service Disruptions”  (News from the Building Department, Highway Department, Water Department, Sewer Department, Police Department, Clerk's Office, Seasonal Service Updates).  Press Releases will now be sent directly to Press offices via email, should you want to be on the press release list - please email info@redhooknyvillage.org
NewsFlash >“Support local businesses"	Will now be “Community Bulletin Board” (Programs and local highlights that serve the local community)
NewsFlash >“Home Spotlights”   (25 current subscribers)	Will now be “Village Events & Committee News" (News from the Village Green Committee, Public Spaces Initiative, Events Committee, Human Relations Committee).
Agendas & Minutes	No Change (Agendas and Minutes)
Emergency Alerts	No Change (Emergencies specific to the Village of Red Hook including: road closures, weather, power outages, warming/cooling centers, service disruptions and more.)
Main Calendar	No Change (When public meetings, special hearings, court dates and events are scheduled.)
Employment Opportunities	No Change (When the Village of Red Hook seeks candidates for employment; jobs will be shared here.)

If you see a category you are not subscribed to and you would like to sign up to receive notifications, or if you realize that the category no longer applies to your notification preferences please visit Notify Me ®  to easily modify your subscription preferences.