On Wednesday, in advance of the first presentation to the IDA (Industrial Development Agency) of the plans for the restoration and reuse of the Pocketbook Factory, Alderman Rebecca Wolff (First Ward), who as Common Council minority leader serves on the IDA, posted the following on the Hudson Area Community Board Facebook page:
Hi Community. . . . Here's how you can join the IDA meeting at which the first presentation by the developers who want to develop the Pocketbook Factory will be proposing why they "need" tax abatement in order to move forward with the project. Note that it is simply a foregone conclusion that they will say they "need" it in order to continue because this is what the federal government mandates they say if they are to apply for a tax abatement. PLEASE join the meeting via zoom link below if you are interested to find out how they try to make their case for their need.
Wolff's appeal brought a number of people to the Zoom meeting, who asked questions in the "Chat"--questions that were posed to the applicant. Claire Cousin asked if they would be accepting homeless vouchers in the 40-room hotel which is part of the proposal. That question was seconded by Kaya Weidman of Kite's Nest. Sean Roland, who was making the presentation answered, "We haven't discussed this, but we would be open to considering this." Responding to Roland's statement that they needed a "strong economic driver to afford the expense of restoration," Weidman asserted that RUPCO has converted old buildings into affordable housing and asked Roland if they had talked with RUPCO. Roland said they had met with RUPCO but decided that converting the building for housing "shut off accessibility to the public" and making the building accessible to the public was one of their goals.
At one point, Roland asked, "If members of the public are asking questions, is this a public hearing?" Mike Tucker, who as president of CEDC (Columbia Economic Development Corporation) serves as an adviser to the IDA, told him it was not a public hearing, but the IDA liked to hear the concerns of the public as they were learning about a project.
The whole experience raises a couple of questions. First, is it appropriate for members of the IDA to rally opposition to or support for projects that come before them? In this case, Wolff's appeal exposed her opposition to the project's request for tax abatements and encouraged others who shared her view to attend the meeting. In the past, Alderman Tiffany Garriga (Second Ward), who chairs the IDA, used social media on several occasions to muster supporters of the Galvan project to attend IDA meetings.
The second question has to do with the use of "Chat" during a meeting. During the IDA meeting, the "Chat" function was enabled, and attendees could type in all their questions and comments, which Tucker and Wolff made a point of reading aloud. At the Common Council Legal Committee meeting on Wednesday night, Council president Tom DePietro explained that the "Chat" had been disabled for the meeting because "we are trying to replicate the experience of an in-person meeting." At an in-person meeting, it would be unlikely that the public would be allowed to interrupt a presentation to ask questions or engage in a dialog with a presenter. Public comment, if it is entertained at all, is invited only at the end of a meeting.
The PowerPoint of Roland's presentation, along with other documents submitted to the IDA about the project, can be found on the City of Hudson website by clicking here. The information includes a fiscal impact analysis and a benefit-cost analysis. As was pointed out at the IDA meeting on Wednesday, the benefit-to-cost ratio of the project for the City of Hudson is 10 to 1--the anticipated benefits to the City are ten times more than the forgone tax revenue.
COPYRIGHT 2021 CAROLE OSTERINK
Everything about Ms. Wolff's public work (if that's what it is) is inappropriate, inapposite, counter-intuitive, disproved by multiple experiments in utopianism over the years, and generally not suited to solve any underlying problems just redistribute wealth.
ReplyDeleteHomeless vouchers, RUPCO, seriously? Funny how we have over 6000 people living in Hudson, more if you count the part time resident homeowners, but this same small group of agitators feel entitled to pressure city government and agencies to force their agenda on all the taxpayers of Hudson. If it was up to them, every building up for sale or renovated would be converted to a homeless shelter or low income housing. I suppose it makes sense if you don't live here and are paid a salary off grant funding.
ReplyDeleteI like the 10-1 ratio. Far better than Galvan's projects. I'd prefer that PILOT to the latter. The IDA should entertain 'chat' questions at the end of the meeting, not interruptions during, in my opinion. I assume there will be a public hearing eventually.
ReplyDeleteGenerally, rules for any department or committee meetings at City Hall are vague or non-existent. It's embarrassing really, and frustrating for those of us who want to participate and ask tough questions. At the most recent CC informal meeting, when my turn came for questions to the police chief, council president dipietro told me to "make it quick." (This wasn't the first time). Really? Is that the rule, or his arbitrary rule that day? How much time does anyone have to hold the floor at a council meeting? I have no idea. One question or two at the most, if you're lucky and persistent. No time to linger now that the council meetings last 5 hours since the individual committee meetings vanished. The Planning Board allows anyone 3 minutes of public comment and that is how it should be at all meetings. At least 3 minutes to say and ask whatever you want without being interrupted, especially by the council president when he doesn't like a question or comment. If we want a consistent, open and democratic process for ALL meetings (and city Hall should want that), it's time to draw up some sort of rules of order and STICK TO THEM. Anything else is just dumb and unhelpful, juvenile, even. Some sort of parliamentary procedure, please.
ReplyDeleteI'm afraid your expectations of the cc president will never be met. Power hungry, narcissists are unable to manage or even respect other people.
DeleteJeffrey Perry, you are correct, and Tom's embarrassing display during the Informal meeting of the Common Council this week really drives home how very poorly he's served the Hudson community.
DeleteBill, I would add to your point that I was booted off the Common Council meeting three times at the September CC meeting (context-I pointed out how ironic it was that Tom was the person introducing a resolution calling for security at City Hall, seeing as he's physically assaulted someone at a City meeting.) I finally joined the Zoom call under an assumed name.
Whether it was DePietro, the Hudson Tech, or the grizzled muppet master crouched behind Tom's desk pulling just God knows what, it was a violation of Open Meetings Laws according to the Committee on Open Government. If Tom spent half the time he spends trying to convince everyone he's good at his job actually working at learning his job, he'd still be awful, but at this point Hudson might just have to take what it can get.
I have reviewed the NYS General Municipal Law and the City of Hudson pages regarding their IDA. According to the to the Office of the NYS Comptroller board members must participate in “State approved” training regarding their legal, fiduciary, financial and ethical responsibilities. Given the actions of the Chair and the Vice Chair I wonder if these trainings took place.
ReplyDeleteHere are some excerpts from the City of Hudson adopted Code of Ethics. (There doesn’t appear to be an Ethics Officer).
Responsibility of Directors and Employees
1. Directors and employees shall perform their duties with transparency, without favor and refrain from engaging in outside matters of financial or personal interest, including other employment, that could impair independence of judgment, or prevent the proper exercise of one’s official duties.
5. Directors and employees must conduct themselves at all time in a manner that avoids any appearance that they can be improperly or unduly influenced, that they could be affected by the position of or relationship with any other party, or that they are acting in violation of their public trust.
Penalties
In addition to any penalty contained in any other provision of law, and Authority director or employee who knowingly and intentionally violates any of the provisions of this code may be removed in the manner provided for in law, rules or regulations.
Reporting Unethical Behavior
Employees and directors are required to report possible unethical behavior by a director or employee of the Authority to the Ethics Officer. Employees and directors may file ethics complaints anonymously and are protected from retaliation by the policies adopted by the Authority.
As the Vice Chair of the Columbia County IDA, and a board member of CEDC, with whom there is an advisory relationship, in my opinion the biased statements by current board members of the Hudson IDA are unethical. “Without favor” is a very clear statement of the proper conduct of an IDA board member. Our job, as IDA board members, is to rule on the economic benefits of a proposed project, not inject our personal opinions.
Sarah Sterling
Who is the "ethics officer" to whom Ms Wolff can be reported? She has repeatedly violated basic ethical standards by using homophobic slurs and obscenities when addressing constituents on Facebook (seemingly in a drunken state), creating a fake unregistered non-profit "Affordable Hudson" to influence public policy, and now this, among many other things. She needs to be removed from office immediately. She simply CAN NOT BE TRUSTED! Her actions pale in comparison to the ethical violations of the 3rd Ward Alderman who was forced to resign. Hudson deserves better than this.
DeleteThe City of Hudson us no ethics office. Never has in my memory. As such, ethics complaints must be initially brought to the County Board of Ethics. As the County’s ethics code is as weak as Hudson’s (and NYS’s) Ms Wolff and her colleagues have very little to fear in that regard. Moreover, only a fellow city or county employee may bring a complaint — us regular tax paying idiots have no standing to file a complaint with the ethics board. Perhaps it’s time for pitchforks and torches? Tar and feathers?
DeleteThat is very sad- and also seemingly explains why the tourism board gets away with criminal misappropriation of public funds. I guess we are just stuck with her vulgarity and unethical behavior as a public official. Her term ends in 3 months right? Or are her cronies on the Common Council planning to just reinstate her? Hudson politics is like a case study in how Democracy can really go off the road within its own boundaries. So sad.
DeleteJohn:
DeleteI am running a write-in campaign for the first ward alderman. Materials will be sent to voters in the first ward next week.
Margaret Morris
Thank you Sarah.
DeleteWho brought her here ?
DeleteIt's almost as if shes a plant !
Thank you Sarah.
DeleteSarah, it seems incumbent on you to bring an ethics complaint and to prosecute it through the county ethics board. No one else here has standing.
DeleteGOOD IDEA !! Someone has to call them to account, for the good of the City and fairness.
DeleteHudson has status with the State to be a redevelopment zone, to create jobs.
Let us do that going forward, as all of us have already done in the last 20 years to make Hudson what it is today.
If Galvan deserves sweetheart tax deals, then the Pocketbook renovation surely does. And if I was putting together a $25 million development proposal, I sure as hell wouldn't be interested in accommodating the homeless. Hudson is already doing more than any other community in the Hudson Valley to support poor and struggling people. Concentrating more of them here in one community doesn't help anyone.
ReplyDeletethe IDA and CC are populated by unethical unbalanced individuals that you all elected.
Deletethese people are going to wreck the City. they are even worse than the "good ole boys" that used to run things.
As always, Carole, I really appreciate your reporting.
ReplyDeleteIt will be so wonderful to read that a factory building is be converted into a high tech and/or an acceptable business. You guys know, like ETSY.
ReplyDeleteAgreed.
Delete...and why aren't our elected officials working to attract businesses like that to Hudson - rather than spending all their time and energy being laser focused on destroying the only industry the city currently has - tourism?
DeleteIndeed, a very good point! In effect, killing the Golden Goose. What kind of rationale is that? I see, it doesn't have any. The very projects they are pushing, are the ones that will transform the city into one no one will be interested in visiting. Or at least, have discretionary income. Tourist dollars bygone. You know how visitors discover Hudson and get excited to see as soon as possible because their friends point out articles in this and that publication that costs Hudson absolutely zero city monies. Yeah, that can go poof in a heartbeat. Word of mouth? It's free. Gone! The Pocketbook Factory idea is more unique. A portion of it encourages artistic community integration. Remember that community? That encouraged Etsy. The current administration doesn't.
Delete