Sloughing Toward Charter Revision

Once again, Council president Margaret Morris attempted to get the Council to pass a resolution to establish a charter revision commission, and once again, the effort was impeded.

In July, councilmembers took issue with the process of selecting members of the commission and insisted that it be "more open and inclusive." It was suggested that each of the five wards needed to be represented on the commission. At the July meeting, Morris invited people to send their comments about the proposed law to her, and, based on that input, she would make revisions and present the revised law at the Council's August meeting.

At the Council meeting on Tuesday, Morris did just what she said she would do. In the revised law, the number of members of the commission was increased from seven to nine, and it is stipulated that the commission include at least one member from each ward. This is the language relating to the number and method of appointing members:

The Commission shall consist of nine members and a quorum shall consist of five members. Seven community members shall be appointed by the President of the City of Hudson Common Council in consultation with the Common Council. At least one resident from each Ward shall serve on the Commission. The Common Council President and the Majority Leader shall serve, ex officio, as the eighth and ninth members. Each of the nine members shall have equal voting powers in any matter put to a vote of the members of the Commission. The President of the Common Council shall serve as Chair, one member of the Commission shall be elected by the Commission to serve as Vice-Chair to preside in the absence of the Chair, and one as Secretary to record the proceedings of the Commission.

Despite the changes, Councilmember Claire Cousin (Fifth Ward) expressed concern that too much of the selection power was vested in the Council president. She made this statement: 

I cannot support this appointment structure as written. I'm concerned that this version places too much appointment power in the hands of the Common Council President. For a process this important, appointments should be a collective decision of the Council, not concentrated in one person.

Cousin proposed the following amendment:

The seven community members shall be appointed by the Common Council, with a least one representative designated by each ward. No single officer of the Common Council shall have sole appointment authority over the community members.

Cousin called for further revision, although this seems unnecessary if the proposed amendment were to be adopted:

I'd also like to clarify what "in consultation with the Council" actually means. Does the Council have a meaningful role in approving or selecting these appointments, or is the final authority solely with the Council Pres? I would support language that makes that role explicit rather than leaving it open to interpretation.

Cousin made a motion to amend the proposed law which was not seconded. Councilmember Rich Volo (Fourth Ward) suggested the issue be tabled. Morris supported the idea of tabling, saying that she did not want to amend to the proposed law "on the fly." When the vote was called on tabling the resolution, there were just four votes opposed (Morris, Henry Haddad, Jason Foster, Dominic Merante). The other seven votes were in favor of tabling. What is to happen next is unclear.

In the public comment, Ronald Kopnicki said he wanted "a sense of how sweeping a change is being anticipated." It would appear this is something that has not been determined nor should it be. The proposed law provides this definition of the commission's scope of work:

The work of the Commission shall be governed by section 36 of the M.H.R.L.[Municipal Home Rule Law]. The Commission shall review the entire Charter of the City of Hudson, as directed by subdivision 5 of section 36 of the M.H.R.L. Notwithstanding such requirement, the Commission may leave part of the existing Charter unchanged and may propose amendments to parts.

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The Hudson Mile Returns This Saturday

The 2nd annual Hudson Mile takes place this Saturday, August 29, on Warren Street. It is happening at a new time this year, from 10:00 a.m. to noon.

The one-mile race is open to runners and walkers of every age and ability, from first-time participants to competitive athletes. The course runs from Eighth Street to Front Street, finishing in front of Promenade Park, where an awards ceremony will follow the race. Warren Street will be closed to traffic for the event, with spectators, and local businesses lining the route. 

Race highlights include: 

• Prize money for Open and Master’s divisions in both the Men’s and Women’s races
• A free kids’ race for children 13 and under. First 3 boys and girls receive custom Hudson Mile tee shirts.
• Free hats for the first 250 runners to arrive 
• Hudson Mile racing socks to the top three in each age category 
• A dedicated prize category honoring Police, Fire, and EMS first responders 
• An after party at Wm. Farmer & Sons following the race 

All proceeds from the event benefit the race’s charity partner, Perfect 10 Hudson. Hudson Mile has been coaching members of Perfect Ten specifically for this race. 

“This race is for everyone—walkers, joggers, families, and elite runners alike,” said Jorge Pardo, race director of the Hudson Mile. “It’s one mile and one community, and we’re proud to bring it back to Warren Street for a second year.” 

The inaugural Hudson Mile, held in 2025, was the first-ever AIMS-certified one-mile race in the organization’s history, a recognition awarded by the Association of International Marathons and Distance Races. The course is USATF certified. 

Registration is open now at www.hudson-mile.com or directly at runsignup.com/Race/NY/Hudson/HUDSONMILE.

More Intersection Improvements on the Way

Last night, the Common Council approved a transfer of $5,000 from "Grant Writer Expense" to the Department of Public Works. Today, a statement from Mayor Joseph Ferris explains how the $5,000 will be used.

I am grateful to the Common Council and Council President Morris for their partnership in ensuring Hudson's streets are safe for everyone.

By approving the transfer of $5,000 in funds from my office's "Grant Writer Budget Expense" line to DPW's "Street Maintenance--Materials & Supplies" line, we [will] be able to implement the following much needed intersection improvements:

• Crosswalks at State Street and North 4th Street;
• Crosswalks at State Street and North 7th Street with "Yield to Pedestrians" signs installed in both directions on State;
• Stop signs for traffic in both directions on Front Street at the intersection of Front and Warren streets; and
• Stop signs for traffic in both directions on Front Street at the intersection of Front and State streets.

When installed in the coming weeks, these upgrades will complement improvements made earlier this month around the Public Square with two new stop signs, additional crosswalks painted at Columbia and North 7th streets, and the removal of parking spots around the park to daylight two dangerous intersections.

A safer network of streets and sidewalks is a priority of my administration. That is why--with Common Council authorization--we have applied for a United States Department of Transportation's Safe Streets and Roads for All (SS4A) Action Plan grant, and a Climate Smart Communities (CSC) grant through New York State's Consolidated Funding application.

The SS4A grant will provide the City the dedicated federal funding to identify data-driven street and pedestrian infrastructure improvements that will make our community safer for all. The CSC grant will provide Hudson with the funds to implement further pedestrian and streetscape improvements around the Public Square.

These improvements would not have been possible without the hard work and dedication of the teams at both the Department of Public Works and Hudson Police Department.

SID Implementation: Year One

On Monday, the Public Works Board, which exists to oversee the implementation of the Sidewalk Improvement District (SID), met to decide on a course of action after bids had been received for the first phase of sidewalk replacement. As it turned out, the lowest bid, which was a half million dollars less than the highest bid, was still about $35,000 more than the amount available for the project. As a consequence, two of the eight areas designated for sidewalk replacement have been removed from the list: Third Street from Union to Partition street, west side, and Sixth Street from Rope Alley to State Street, west side.

The Public Works Board agreed to award the job to the lowest bidder, Frank Vosburgh & Sons. In support of the choice, Tyler Kritzman, Commissioner of Public Works, said, "They did a decent job last year. They finished everything on time."

The project, reduced in size, is expected to cost $273,985. The Public Works Board agreed to pay $50,000 back to the general fund as a first installment to repay the $500,000 taken from the general fund to finance the SID project upfront. The work at the six sites is expected to be done in October.

At last night's Common Council meeting, a resolution was approved authorizing the mayor to enter into a contract with Frank Vosburgh & Sons. The resolution, which includes the bids received from all five companies that submitted bids, can be found here.

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New Appointments at CEDC

At the end of June, Columbia Economic Development Corporation (CEDC) announced an opening for a new housing development coordinator to replace Chris Brown, who had taken a position with Hudson Valley Pattern for Progress. Yesterday, CEDC announced two new appointments, one of which brings back a familiar name and face to CEDC, someone who retired as president and CEO of CEDC three months ago. The following is quoted from the CEDC press release:

The Columbia Economic Development Corporation (CEDC) is pleased to announce two key appointments that will strengthen the organization's efforts to advance housing and economic opportunities throughout Columbia County.

Effective September 1, 2026, F. Michael Tucker will assume the role of Director of CEDC's Housing Task Force. In this position, Tucker will guide the Task Force's effort to address housing needs across the county, coordinate with state, municipal and community partners, and advance strategies that support the development of attainable and sustainable housing options for residents. Tucker, a former CEO of CEDC, is an attorney with extensive experience in Columbia County development and real estate. . . .

CEDC is also pleased to announce that Rachael Warner, MCP, will join the organization as Economic Development Specialist, effective October 1, 2026.

Warner is an urban planning professional whose experience includes community planning, economic analysis, research, and stakeholder engagement. Most recently, she served as an Associate with BAE Urban Economics and previously held planning and research positions with the Montgomery County Planning Department, the City of Binghamton, and other public-sector organizations. She holds a Master of Community Planning from the University of Maryland and a Bachelor of Arts in Geography from Binghamton University.

In her new role, Warner will support CEDC's housing and economic development programs, assist businesses and municipalities, advance strategic planning initiatives, and help implement projects that promote sustainable economic growth throughout Columbia County. . . .

Site Visit at Bliss

Spenser Walsh attended the Planning Board's site visit at Bliss Towers yesterday and reports on the event in today's Register-Star: "Hudson Planning Board tours Bliss Towers redevelopment site." According to the report, "Much of the site visit saw project engineers physically demonstrate the footprint of the two apartment buildings."

Meetings and Events in the Week Ahead

Strange as it may seem, we are coming to the end of August and are just four weeks away from the autumnal equinox. In the waning days of summer, here is what's happening.

• On Monday, August 24, the Planning Board makes a site visit to Bliss Towers at 1:00 p.m. Because there may be a quorum of the board present, the visit is being considered a public meeting. The following information has been shared about the visit: "The purpose of this site visit is solely to observe and acquire factual information regarding the pending site plan application for the Hudson Housing Authority. . . . No deliberations, formal discussions, or voting on the merits of the application will take place during this site visit. This gathering is open to public observation as an informational walk-through, but it is not a public hearing or a business meeting for taking public testimony. The visit will start at the Housing Authority's office at 41 North Second Street."

• Also on Monday, August 24, the Public Works Board meets at 3:00 p.m. Note that this is an unusual time for this board to meet. Assuming City Hall has worked out the technical problems experienced last week, the meeting will be a hybrid, taking place in person at City Hall and on Teams. Click here to join the meeting remotely. 
• On Tuesday, August 25, the Common Council Finance Committee meets at 5:15 p.m. The meeting is a hybrid, taking place in person at City Hall and on Teams. Click here to join the meeting remotely.
• At 6:00 p.m. on Tuesday, August 25, the Common Council holds its regular monthly meeting. On the agenda for the meeting is a presentation on proposed improvements to the playground at Oakdale Lake. The meeting is a hybrid, taking place in person at City Hall and on Teams. Click here for the link to join the meeting remotely.

• On Thursday, August 27, the Housing Trust Fund Board is scheduled to meet at 5:00 p.m. The meeting, which takes place at City Hall, is allegedly hybrid, but no link has been posted. 
• At 6:00 p.m. on Thursday, August 27, Hudson Community Development and Planning Agency (HCDPA) holds its monthly meeting. The meeting is a hybrid, taking place in person at City Hall and on Teams. Click here for the link to join the meeting remotely. 
• On Friday, August 28, the Historic Preservation Commission meets at 10:00 a.m. The meeting is likely to provide some insight into why there's a stop-work order at 123 Union Street. The meeting is a hybrid, taking place in person at City Hall and on Teams. Click here for the link to join the meeting remotely.

• On Saturday, August 29, Hudson Hall presents "James Ivory + Ruth Prawer Jhabvala: Films & Conversation." This very special event features screenings of The City of Your Final Destination (2009) and A Room with a View (1986), as well as a conversation and book signing with James Ivory, Ruth Prawer Jhabvala's daughter Firoza Jhabvala, and Peter Cameron, author of the novel on which The City of Your Final Destination is based. For more information and to purchase tickets, click here.  

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How Buildings Learn

The title of this post is borrowed from the 1994 book by Stewart Brand, How Buildings Learn: What Happens After They're Built.

The buildings in Hudson have long and often varied histories--few so varied as that of 29 North Third Street.

In 1905, it was a grocery store--a "cash market"--one of two locations of Waltermire & Whiteman. (The second location was at Columbia Street and Park Place.) Given the design of the building, it's likely it didn't start out as a commercial space. 

Photo: Illustrated Hudson, N.Y., 1905

At some point, the building was divided up into rental apartments, and it remained so for quite a while. During that time. the condition of the building deteriorated. This is how the building appeared in 2012.

Today, the building has been restored as a single-family residence, which is likely how it started its life, and is now for sale with an asking price of $825,000.

It's too bad the entrance door and the size and placement of the windows couldn't have been returned to what they likely were at the beginning.

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An Exhibition Worthy of Attention

In this, the nation's semiquincentennial year, there is an exhibition at Circle 46 Gallery that explores the history that led up to the Declaration of Independence in 1776: From Glorious Revolution Toward Independence: America's Forgotten First Revolution. 

Eighty-seven years before the Declaration of Independence, another revolution reshaped the American colonies when, in 1689, the Glorious Revolution replaced Roman Catholic King James II with his daughter, Mary II, and her husband, the Protestant Dutch William III, on England's throne.  

As a result of the revolution in England, the American colonies rose up with demands for securing individual rights, no taxation without representation, and trial by jury of one's peers--demands that would be echoed in 1776.

Drawing from the Jacob Leisler Institute's collections, the exhibition on the Glorious Revolution in America places special emphasis on the New York revolt, popularly known as Leisler's Rebellion of 1689-1691. The exhibit reveals that history is complicated, many faceted, and messy, and suggests how fragile our liberties are today, how easily they can be eroded, and that we must remain vigilant in order to maintain them.

The exhibition, currently on display at Circle 46 Gallery, 46 Green Street, continues through Saturday, September 12. It is open from 1:00 to 5:00 p.m., Wednesdays through Saturdays.

Eye on the Street

A reader spotted a stop-work order at 123 Union Street, a house owned by Eric Galloway/Galvan since 2010. (The tax roll lists the current owner as Civis Holding Co., a new Galloway LLC. Civis is the name being used for Galloway's work in Savannah.)

The stop-work order, which was issued yesterday, cites a violation of Hudson City Code 169-12. Chapter 169 is the historic preservation ordinance. Section 169-12 relates to enforcement and reads as follows:

All work performed pursuant to a certificate of appropriateness issued under this chapter shall conform to any requirements included therein. It shall be the duty of the Building Code Enforcement Officer to inspect periodically any such work to assure compliance. In the event work is found that is not being performed in accordance with the certificate of appropriateness, or upon notification of such fact by the Historic Preservation Commission, the Building Code Enforcement Officer shall issue a stop-work order and all work shall immediately cease. No further work shall be undertaken on the project as long as a stop-work order is in effect.

It is not known what the specific issue is that prompted the stop-work order. The project went through an extensive review at the beginning of 2025. The primary focus of that review was the proposed new accessory building behind the house on Partition Street, which started out as a replica of the main house but evolved into a structure the HPC could approve. There were some changes proposed for the historic house, on the west facade and at the back of the building. 

The HPC meets this coming Friday, August 28. More information about the stop-work order will no doubt be provided then. In the meantime, kudos to Nick Fox, our new code enforcement officer, for enforcing the preservation ordinance.

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Eight Years Ago in Hudson

In February 2018, Gossips did a post about this house at 94 North Fifth Street, which was then on the market for $139,900: "Take the Restoration Challenge."

The post explored the history of the house and shared information about its original owner, Leonard Geiger, a celebrated marble cutter who was born in Bavaria in 1830. In a subsequent post, Gossips followed up with more information about Geiger and his family. 

Today, the house at 94 North Fifth Street was featured in Brownstoner: "A Stonecutter's Hudson Italianate House With Scrollwork, Yours for $1.995 Million."

  

The description of the house in Brownstoner also includes information about Leonard Geiger. It is interesting to read and compare the two accounts--Gossips and Brownstoner--particularly since both include pictures of the interior of the house, more, understandably, in Brownstoner than in Gossips. 

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Who Cares for the Trees?

The Conservation Advisory Council declared 2020 the "Year of the Tree." In 2022, the CAC launched its tree-planting program and adopted the motto "Keep Hudson Shady." In that year, too, the Tree Inventory & Community Forest Management Plan, funded by an Urban Forestry Grant secured by the CAC, was released. Every year, the CAC plants more trees in Hudson, requiring people who request a tree to commit to caring for that tree. But who cares for the trees that have been in place for decades?

Yesterday, Tom D'Onofrio took a walk up Warren Street, from Front Street. He told Gossips he was "shocked to see just how many dead or diseased trees line our main street" and provided these pictures. 

We can all agree that trees--on Hudson's main street and elsewhere throughout the city--contribute significantly to the livability of our city. They cool the streets. They trap pollution and give out oxygen. They soak up rain water. They make people feel calm. They enhance the appearance of our streets. Given all the advantages trees bring to the community, we should be able, as a community, to figure out a way to provide better care for the trees that benefit us all.

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A Comment on Comments

This post is specifically for the people commenting as "New Resident" and "Gossips Queen" (really?). In the past, I have been tolerant of people using pseudonyms to comment on The Gossips of Rivertown. People have their own reasons for wanting to keep their identity secret, and I can respect that. More than a year ago, however, I declared a moratorium on new pseudonyms. If you are in fact new residents or readers new to Gossips, you can be forgiven for not knowing that. For this reason, I have published some of your initial comments, but I will not be doing that in the future. Please comment using your real name. If you feel you must use a pseudonym, introduce yourself in an email and let me know who is behind the pseudonym: carole@gossipsofrivertown.com.  

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Explore Hudson's Whaling Past

The Hudson Area Library has published a walking tour booklet focused on Hudson's whaling and maritime history. The booklets are available at the library, City Hall, and Spotty Dog Books & Ale, as well as hotels and other businesses in Hudson.

As a special launch of the walking tour, members of the library's History Room Committee will be on hand for a free community tour using the booklet on Sunday, September 13, 11:00 a.m. We will meet at Promenade Hill, the first stop on the tour. To register for the tour, email brenda.shufelt@hudsonarealibrary.org. Copies of the walking tour booklet will be available for participants.

The walking tour Hudson: A History of Whaling & Maritime Commerce, which utilizes the extensive research and collection of primary resources gathered for the 2025 library exhibit of the same name, is a self-guided tour to many of the buildings and sites that represent Hudson’s beginnings and some of its most storied history. The tour begins at the land between the North and South Bay areas and includes historic homes such as the Robert Taylor, the Charles Coffey Alger, the Captain Laban Paddock, Elishu Jenkins, and the Cyrus Curtiss houses and the sites of early Hudson businesses such as candleworks, printing offices, the ferry service, and hotels.

Something New at Warren and Park Place

Improving safety at intersections is a priority for Mayor Joseph Ferris. He spoke of it during the debate with Kamal Johnson last year. He mentioned it again in his inaugural speech in January. Evidence of his following through with his intentions appeared yesterday, at the intersection of Warren Street and Park Place, where a stop sign was installed in a rather unusual position, with a row of traffic delineators leading from the curb to the sign. 

Photo: Virginia Martin

Asked to comment on the installation, Ferris provided Gossips with this statement:

The new stop sign and flexi-posts for westbound traffic on Warren Street are much needed improvements for what is a dangerous intersection for pedestrians and drivers. Stand at the corner of Park and Warren for just a minute or two, and it becomes clear just how many near misses there are between drivers turning right from Warren and pedestrians looking to cross Park. The stop sign, along with the daylighting of the crosswalk on the Diner side of Warren, will give all street users the opportunity to move safely through the intersection. I look forward to continuing to work with the Department of Public Works and Hudson Police Department to improve street safety across the city.

Gossips learned from Rob Perry, DPW Superintendent, why the stop sign was positioned where it was:

The sign would not fit on the sidewalk. Between the streetlight, the RRFB [rectangular rapid flashing beacon] for the crosswalk, and the NYSDOT signage for the truck route, there was no place to install the sign and have it be visible. . . . Given the numerous conflicts, ideally the sidewalk would be demolished and a bump-out would have been installed to extend closer to the travel lane. But that would be a significant project.

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Such Cleverness

On Instagram this morning, Mark Allen published anagrams of familiar names in Hudson, and The Gossips of Rivertown is honored to be among them. The best anagrams are for Trixie's List and Hudson Common Sense. What could he have done if he had thrown in the article that is part of this blog's title? 

Following the Furgary

In January 2025, using funds from the Downtown Revitalization Initiative (DRI), a concept plan was completed for the area in North Bay once known as the Furgary Boat Club: Furgary-Shantytown Park Vision Plan. In September 2025, the City was awarded a Hudson River Estuary Grant "to advance planning and engineering for the redevelopment of the historic Furgary Fishing Village site along the city's waterfront." Today, the City issued a request for proposal (RFP) to oversee the final design and regulatory review process for the project. 

Mayor Joseph Ferris made the following statement about this step in the project:

I'm excited to announce that the City of Hudson issued an RFP that will bring us one step closer to a new park at the Furgary Fishing Village. Thanks to a New York State Department of Environmental Conservation Hudson River Estuary Program Grant awarded last year during the Johnson administration, we will be able to move into the planning phase for a project that will greatly expand community access to the North Bay.

While this 1.75-acre space--once home to a 20th-century fishing village--remains a draw for people looking for waterfront access, it has the potential for so much more. The upcoming work will ensure that the final design retains traces of its past, creates a more resilient waterfront, and provides a new natural resource designed to bring people and the North Bay together.

The planning process will ensure that the very community who will get to enjoy this park space have a seat at the table during the design process. By doing so, we will ensure the legacy of the fishing village lives on with public education opportunities built around local history and ecology.

I look forward to sharing more in the coming weeks and months as planning advances, community outreach begins, and other public engagement opportunities arise.

Ferris's statement makes it sound like they may be planning to do the whole community outreach process carried out in the fall of 2024 and reported in the Furgary-Shantytown Park Vision Plan over again.  

Let's hope that's not the case and that this new phase of planning moves forward from the work that has already been done.

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Mill Street: Of Procedure and Parkland

At the Common Council Legal Committee last week, Jack Hornickel presented two draft resolutions for the committee's consideration, both having to do with the sale, by the City of Hudson, of this land on Mill Street to Kearney Realty & Development. 

It will be recalled that in May, Mayor Joseph Ferris amended the agreement of sale, without the knowledge or authorization of the Common Council, changing the date of closing from a fixed date to an open-ended one: "thirty (30) days after the Seller has discontinued all pending actions/proceedings relating to the ability of the Seller to convey the Property." The sale of the property is currently the subject of an Article 78 proceeding.

The first of the two draft resolutions declares the contract extension by Mayor Ferris unenforceable and declares a default on the Kearney contract for their abandonment of the State Street and Rossman Avenue projects, which were part of the original agreement with the City. The second draft resolution dedicates the site as municipal parkland and terminates the Kearney contract as inherently void as a matter of law. Both draft resolutions can be found here.

Hornickel presented these arguments in support of the first resolution:

The contract extension signed by Mayor Ferris on May 20, 2026, is unenforceable, because it altered a material term to the contract for sale of municipal real estate without authorization by Common Council. Therefore the original contract closing date of May 3, 2026, is still in effect, and only the Common Council may act to determine its outcome.

Common Council should declare Kearney in default under this contract and terminate its relationship with the developer. Kearney failed to close on Mill Street in the allotted time; more importantly, Kearney abandoned its projects for State Street and Rossman Avenue, without explanation. These failures represent a material, willful, and substantial breach of the contract, one that defeats the original intent of the parties. Abandonment of these sites by Kearney also fails to satisfy a legislative condition of sale placed by Common Council and undermines the “scattered-site” development program envisioned by the Mayor.  

After some discussion, it was decided that the Legal Committee would seek counsel from the Council's attorney, Ken Dow, who was not present at the meeting, before bringing the resolutions to the full Council for consideration.

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