Meetings of Interest in the Week Ahead

Here we are, in the first week of spring, and there are a three special meetings, along with some regular meetings and special event, in the offing.

• Tonight, Monday, March 22, the Common Council holds a special meeting at 6:00 p.m. to consider a resolution authorizing the Tourism Board to hire a project manager for Shared Streets 2021. The job description for the project manager, who will report directly to the mayor, has been posted on the City of Hudson website, as has a letter of support for hiring a project manager from the Hudson Business Coalition. Click here to join the Zoom meeting.

Photo: JD Urban|Hudson Hall

• On Tuesday, March 23, the board of Hudson Development Corporation meets at noon. In addition to the regular monthly meeting, it will also be the board's annual meeting. An update and discussion of the disposition of the Kaz site, a.k.a. the Montgomery Street property, is one of the items on the agenda. Click here to join the Zoom meeting. 
• Also on Tuesday, March 23, the Hudson City School District Board of Education holds a special meeting at 5:00 p.m. to accept a purchase offer for the former John L. Edwards School. Council president Tom DePietro has indicated that the purchaser of the building is a developer who wants to convert the school into affordable housing, but the identity of the developer has not been revealed. The school board meeting, an in-person meeting, will take place in Room 22-C at Hudson Senior High School. The announcement of this meeting provided the following directives: "Attendees should park in the north parking lot (by the electronic sign) and use the entrance in that lot (a sign will be posted). Masks/face coverings and health screening required." It is not entirely clear what "health screening" involves.  

Photo: Jonathan Simons

• At 6:00 p.m. on Tuesday, March 23, the Planning Board holds a special meeting. This meeting is to be entirely devoted to the continuation of the board's review of Colarusso's conditional use permit applications. Click here to join the Zoom meeting. No public comment will be taken at the meeting.

• On Wednesday, March 24, the Common Council ad hoc committee committed to selling City-owned property to rebuild the fund balance meets at 5:00 p.m. When the committee met last month, Council president Tom DePietro, who seems to chair all the ad hoc committee meetings, had three properties in mind for selling: 1 North Front Street, the current location of the Chamber of Commerce; 10-12 Warren Street, where the Hudson Daycare Center is located; and 429 Warren Street, where the Code Enforcement Office is. It will be interesting to see what progress has been made since then. The link to join the Zoom meeting should be published on the City of Hudson website prior to the meeting.
• At 6:00 p.m. on Wednesday, March 24, there is a meeting of the Hudson Housing Authority Board of Commissioners. The City website indicates this is a meeting of the Tenant Relations Subcommittee. Gossips' notes from last week's HHA meeting indicate that this week's meeting is to be a policy meeting. Click here to join the meeting and find out which it is.
• At 6:15 p.m. on Wednesday, March 24, there is a meeting of the Common Council ad hoc committee pursuing the development of the solar farm on land owned by the City just north of Charles Williams Park. At the March meeting of the Conservation Advisory Council, CAC member David Konigsberg brought up the proposed solar project and spoke of "understanding the ecological value of the property." He spoke of the need to install solar "in a way that does not disturb the environment," mentioning in particular pollinator habitat. CAC member Michael O'Hara said there was a mapping tool developed by Scenic Hudson, which was "just the thing for evaluating the parcel," pointed out the parcel was a clay bank, and expressed concern about disturbing the clay. O'Hara suggested it was "an appropriate role for [the CAC] to play to advise the City if the plan makes sense." Perhaps on Wednesday it will be revealed if the CAC has stepped in to advise on this proposal. The link to join the Zoom meeting should be published on the City of Hudson website prior to the meeting.   
• On Thursday, March 25, at 6:00 p.m., the Hudson Area Library History Room on Zoom series presents a virtual talk on the history of Shantytown, a.k.a. the Shacks, the Furgary Boat Club. Gary Sheffer, who chairs the History Room Committee, will talk with Leo Bower, a resident historian with particular expertise in the Shacks. Visit hudsonarealibrary.org to register for the Zoom event or contact Brenda Shufelt at (518) 828-1792, ext. 106 or brenda.shufelt@hudsonarealibrary.org.

The Shacks after a flood in 1948

• On Friday, March 26, the Historic Preservation Commission holds its second meeting of the month at 10:00 a.m. It is expected that, among other things, the review of the proposed restoration of 59 Allen Street, the Charles Alger house, will continue.  Click here to join the Zoom meeting.

Photo: Matt McGhee

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