Glossary

Please Note: Our Glossary is still under construction.  We'll continue to make new entries as we further develop the site.

Bid Documents

Documents required to be submitted in response to an invitation to bid. These include the prescribed bid form, drawings, specifications, timelines, charts, price breakdowns and other project-specific details.

Bioswale

A channel designed to concentrate and convey stormwater runoff while removing debris and pollution through vegetation and soil before it is released to the watershed or storm sewer. Bioswales are commonly applied along streets and around parking lots, where substantial automotive pollution settles on the pavement and is flushed by rain. 

Bonds

Debt securities issued by state and local governments. These can be thought of as loans that investors make to local governments, and are used to fund public works such as parks, bridges, roads, and other infrastructure. The City often uses bonds to fulfill local match requirements for large grant awards. Common Council approval is required for all CoK bonding requests.

Capital Project

A major project that helps maintain or improve City infrastructure through new construction, expansion, renovation or replacement of an existing facility or roadway.

CAD

Climate Adaptive Design

Community Development Block Grant (CDBG)

A HUD program that provides annual grants on a formula basis to states, cities, and counties to develop viable urban communities by providing decent housing and a suitable living environment, and by expanding economic opportunities, principally for low- and moderate-income persons. The program is authorized under Title 1 of the Housing and Community Development Act of 1974, Public Law 93-383, as amended 42 U.S.C.-530.1 et seq.

CoK

City of Kingston

Community Stakeholders

People, groups, organizations or businesses that have interest or concern in the community. Stakeholders can affect or be affected by the community’s actions, objectives and policies. 

Complete Street

A street designed and operated to enable safe access for all users, including pedestrians, bicyclists, motorists and transit riders of all ages and abilities. 

Consolidated Funding Application (CFA)

The Annual New York State funding opportunity that serves as the single entry point for access to the State's numerous funding agencies for a wide range of capital projects, economic development programs, and community initiatives. It is a mechanism to access multiple sources for a given project, program, or initiative through one application. The annual round typically opens in May with all submissions due at the end of July and award announcements in December.

DEC

Department of Environmental Conservation

DOS

Department of State

DOT

Department of Transportation

Design Alternatives

Different designs that share the same components, but the arrangement of those components is different in each. The City's engineering consultants prepare several alternatives for a given project from which community stakeholders can choose.

EFC

Environmental Facilities Corporation

Estuarine Ecosystem

The ecosystem of an estuary, which is a partially enclosed body of water and its surrounding coastal habitats, where salt water from the ocean typically mixes with fresh water from rivers or streams. Esuaries are classified by the geology that defines them or the way in which water circulates throughout them. 

Because species living in most estuaries have to deal with constant changes in salinity, these environments harbor many unique populations of organisms.  

Grant Lifecycle

The entire process that a grant goes through, including: funder’s creation of a grant opportunity, application round, selection of award-winners, project implementation and grant closeout. It includes the grantee’s routine project progess and financial reporting while the grantor conducts audits and monitors progress.

Green Infrastructure (aka blue-green infrastructure)

A network that provides the “ingredients” for solving urban and climatic challenges by building with nature. It is a cost-effective and resilient approach to reducing flows to sewer systems and surface waters, such as the Esopus Creek and Hudson River. Examples of the types of ingredients include bioswales and porous pavement.

Hydraulic Regime

The variations in the state and characteristics of a water body, which are regularly repeated in time and space, e.g. seasonal.

HUD

U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development

Light Regime

The amount of illumination to which a plat is exposed.

Local Match

A portion of project or program costs that is not covered by a given grant. It is a cost-sharing obligation that grantors often, but not always, require in the terms of grant awards. Depending on the grantor, the match may be fulfilled with cash, in-kind goods and services, or a combination. The value is typically set by the grantor as a percentage of the total project costs.

Master Plan

A long-term planning document that provides a conceptual layout to guide future growth and development. It typically includes an analysis of existing conditions, recommendations, and proposals for a site or municipality's population, economy, housing, transportation, community facilities, and/or land use.

NEA

National Endowment for the Arts

NEH

National Endowment for the Humanities

OPRHP

Office of Parks, Recreation & Historic Preservation

Project Advisory Committee (PAC)

A group of community members who are invited to offer guidance on the development of a given construction, planning, programming or other municipal project. Each member brings unique knowledge of the City and/or pertinent skills to the planning/decision-making process. Their main task is to provide strategic guidance and recommendations to City staff to help ensure that the community’s needs are considered while the project’s objectives are met.

Rapid Flashing Beacon (RFB)

A traffic safety device used in combination with pedestrian warning signs to provide a high-visibility, strobe-like warning to drivers when pedestrians use a crosswalk.

Request for Proposals (RFP)

A document that solicits proposals to potential suppliers, consultants or contractors to submit business proposals. RFPs are often made through a bidding process by an agency or company interested in procurement of a commodity, service or valuable asset.

Resolution

A statement of policy by the governing body (Common Council) or an order by the governing body that a specific action be taken.

Scope of Work (SOW)

A description of the work to be performed that is included in agreements between the City and a consultant or contractor. The SOW contains milestones, reports, deliverables, and end products that are expected to be provided by the performing party. The SOW also contains a time line for all deliverables.

SEQR (State Environmental Quality Review Act)

The State requires all state and local government agencies to consider environmental impacts equally with social and economic factors during discretionary decision-making. This means these agencies must assess the environmental significance of all actions they have discretion to approve, fund or directly undertake. Please visit  New York State SEQR for detailed information.

Shared-Use Path

A form of infrastructure that supports multiple recreation and non-motorized transportation opportunities, such as walking, bicycling, inline skating, and people in wheelchairs. A shared-used path can be built within a highway right-of-way or within an independent right-of-way, such as a rail trail.