This week promises to be a week of record long meetings in Hudson.
- On Monday, August 9, the Common Council holds its informal meeting at 6:00 p.m. in City Hall. The informal meeting is now when all the department heads make their monthly reports to the Council. In addition to that, which is significant, there are a couple of other things of interest now on the agenda. The first is a proposed local law to amend the parking meter hours to make Thursday 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., just like every other day except Sunday. The law currently indicates that parking meter hours on Thursday are from 9:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m., a throwback to the good old days (that very few remember) when stores were open late on Thursdays. There's another proposed local law on the agenda that would amend the zoning to allow eating and drinking establishments to exist in R4 districts. Before standing committees were eliminated, these proposed local laws would originate in the Legal Committee. Now, with no such committee, one wonders how they come to be.
- On Tuesday, August 10, the Hudson Community Development and Planning Agency (HCDPA) meets at noon. The meeting is expected to take place at City Hall. Sara Black is now the coordinator of HCDPA, following the resignation of Branda Maholtz. It is likely that the discussion of giving HCDPA properties to the Hudson Housing Authority for inclusion in its plans for development will continue.
- On Tuesday, August 10, the Planning Board holds its regular monthly meeting at 6:00 p.m. This meeting will take place at Hudson Hall, 327 Warren Street. The agenda for the meeting includes five public hearings. At 45 minutes each, that's close to four hours right there. Among the public hearings are those for the Depot District and the Pocketbook Factory.
The new business before the Planning Board includes a proposal to create a microbrewery at 716-718 Union Street, a proposal to establish a brewery/restaurant at 726 Columbia Street in what remains of the Gifford Foundry, and a proposal to add a second story to 427 Warren Street, the former Hudson Police station which is now the location of Finch.
- On Wednesday, August 11, the Hudson Industrial Development Agency (IDA) holds a public hearing on the requests for PILOTs and other financial assistance for 75 North Seventh Street and 708 State Street, two buildings proposed by the Galvan Foundation. The public hearing takes place at Hudson Hall, 327 Warren Street, and begins at 5:00 p.m. If by Wednesday you have had enough of being in public spaces with other people, the public hearing can be accessed on Zoom by clicking here. It is not clear if those joining by Zoom will be able to make comments or just observe hearing.
- Also on Wednesday, August 11, the Hudson Housing Authority Board of Commissioners meets at 6:00 p.m. in the Community Room at Bliss Towers, 41 North Second Street. This will be the first meeting of the board since HHA executive director Timothy Mattice announced his resignation.
- From 5:00 p.m. until sunset on Wednesday, August 11, Waterfront Wednesdays takes place at Henry Hudson Riverfront Park. This week, the "on water" activities include sails on the Apollonia and the Spirit on Hudson, and fishing; the "on land" activities include the drum circle at 5:30 p.m., Kaisokah Moko stilt walkers at 7:00 p.m., and Lex Grey and the Urban Pioneers at 8:00 p.m.
- On Friday, August 13, at 10:00 a.m., the Historic Preservation Commission holds its first of two monthly meetings. The meeting takes place in City Hall. It is not known what is on the agenda, but the HPC never disappoints.
The HHA, sans a director and with no clear vision that might provide a roadmap to move forward, seems a poor potential steward for HCDPA properties. They need to get their house in order before demanding anything from other agencies.
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