Bone of Contention: City vs. DSS

Today's Register-Star reports that 518 Columbia Street was the subject of a heated discussion between Fourth Ward Supervisor Bill Hughes and Department of Social Services Commissioner Paul Mossman at the Board of Supervisors Human Services Committee meeting last Wednesday: "518 Columbia St. sparks heated discussion."  Hughes objected, as did Mayor Rick Scalera at a Common Council meeting on February 7, to the fact that one of the apartments in the building has been rented to three people, one of whom had been in housed by DSS at the Sunset Motel in Greenport. Hughes' concern was that 518 Columbia was being used by DSS as de facto "congregate housing" in violation of the City's zoning code. Mossman maintained that DSS did not and could not dictate where someone on public assistance rented an apartment. At one point, Taghkanic Supervisor Betty Young, who chairs the Human Services Committee, expressed the opinion that the City of Hudson owed DSS an apology, and Hughes told her an apology would have to come from Mayor Scalera.