Interesting Reading on the City Website
It will be remembered that, during the spring term, a group of law students at Hofstra University, in a seminar called "Special Problems in Municipal Law," led by Eric Lane and Ashira Ostrow, studied Hudson government. The students presented a summary of their findings to the Common Council and the public in May. The full report has recently been received and is available for review by all on the City website.
One of four issues treated in the Hofstra report, "Conservation Ethics" urges two things: the creation of a Conservation Advisory Council and a better grant-seeking effort for green infrastructure projects.
ReplyDeleteSo what's the status of our CAC? Initially presented as an idea in 2012, then unanimously created by the Common Council in May 2014, it appears that we await city government for the council-required appointments.
I suspect one reason for the delay is that the "green infrastructure" solutions called for by Hofstra to help mitigate spills from the city's Combined Sewer Overflow (CSO) contradict the unimaginative course the city has recently chosen to combat our overflow problems.
Since December, the city has committed itself to several environmentally irresponsible solutions for problems associated with our CSO, but these solutions are hopelessly out of date and will actually increase the net pollutants diverted into local waters.
Nevertheless these throw-back plans promise their own large grant awards, ultimately a testament to the dysfunction of the state's Division of Water and to its federal overseers.
But Hofstra's "Conservation Ethics" section does more than merely call for better access to green infrastructure grants; in Hofstra's vision the CAC should be a driving force behind the effort:
"A CAC could also invigorate Hudson's green infrastructure program."
As if we already have one!!
Now, after reading Hofstra's recommendations for Hudson's "Conservation Ethics," I suspect that Hudson's CAC will mysteriously whither on the vine.
"better grant-seeking effort for green infrastructure projects,"
ReplyDeleteThe county IDA and city "development" agency team up to remove duck hunters from shore, to take possession of land under water, which can't be developed.
Does Hofstra teach law or grant writing?