This evening, Linda Mussmann, supervisor for the Fourth Ward, posted this on her Facebook page.
I attended all meetings except for this specific one. At that juncture, I recognized that the outcome was predetermined, and the county had already reached a decision. Is it necessary for me to deliver a speech merely to formalize it in the records, considering the decision remains unchanged? This is a private sale the city does not have any say whatsoever over it. For there to be reuse all of which I agree on it would take someone to purchase the property and pay to have all that done.
This statement seems more than a little disingenuous if what Mussmann says is true. Had Johnson been at the meeting on January 24, would the speech he delivered have been in support of the County's plans for 11 Warren--plans that run counter to what is best for Hudson and its future?
Whether or not the mayor approves of forcing Hudson to live with this relic of misguided Urban Renewal Era planning for another thirty to fifty years, dashing any hope of improving the connection between a vibrant Warren Street and the waterfront, we can let the County know that we the people of Hudson do not approve by signing the petition created by the 11 Warren Street Action Group. The petition can be accessed here.
COPYRIGHT 2024 CAROLE OSTERINK
Hopefully the development group from MA is still interested in doing something with that site if it can be wrested from the hands of the County (see link below.)
ReplyDeletehttps://gossipsofrivertown.blogspot.com/2021/02/news-from-planning-board-part-2.html
Really have to wonder about the capacity of our elected “leaders.” The supervisors (historically a uniquely worthless group of do-nothings on a body generally dedicated to distributing federal and state highway funds!to all county municipalities except the city of Hudson) — even those on the relevant committee were “unaware” of what was afoot. Our mayor — never one to work too hard at anything except ensuring Galvan gets its way — has now been shown to also be full of shit (if voters and other observers haven’t already picked up on that from his past nonfeasance).
ReplyDeleteIt’s painfully clear that the mayor is incapable of the effort, the leadership and the veracity the voters seek and deserve to lead our city. He seems to have plenty of time on his hands. Just no accomplishments. Meanwhile the city’s infrastructure and tax base languish and deteriorate due to his failures.
Kamal Johnson is the picture of failed leadership.
Constantly!
DeleteYou are consistently on the mark with your insights!
DeleteAs citizens of this city—and country, for that matter—we must become more engaged in what our elected officials are doing (or not doing) while we go about our daily lives. The price of not taking collective responsibility is this kind of under-the-radar travesty, whereby a small group of people makes decisions without public input or push back, and we wind up with outcomes that are shortsighted, non-visionary, and ultimately bad for the community. Agree with Carole: Sign the petition. If you disagree with what’s happening here, say so. And do it habitually in this and other matters so that we ultimately achieve a city government that is more responsive, forward looking and accountable than the one we have.
ReplyDeleteThe dumpster fire that is Hudson governance continues as the future of the city is determined by everyone but it's elected officials, who get busy pleading innocence and pointing fingers at each other.
ReplyDeleteThis is news to me... I don't own the building how could I approve anything and on what authority? Not the mention the supervisors stated everything was done in executive session so I'm not even privy to that information.
ReplyDeleteAnd that, ladies and gentlemen, is precisely why we’re in this situation. No self-direction, no understanding of the job description, no communication skills and no critical thinking. In short, a complete leadership vacuum.
DeleteMr. Mayor, you just keep going to Hudson Reads (not in the job description), hang around your Galvan-provided apartment downtown (ditto), drive around our increasingly deteriorating streets in your new Lexus, and cash those swollen paychecks. Don’t you let the welfare of the city or its citizens trouble you or occupy your time (status quo).
Will someone in their 40s with adult experience, critical thinking skills and the ability to lead please step up and run for office or do we have to engage in significant city charter change?!
Mayor Johnson, did you indicate to some non-Hudson supervisors that you were in support of the project or not? I don't think there's any confusion about the ownership of the building. The confusion lies in whether or not you provided your support as Mayor for this short-sighted project on the most productive commercial street in the County.
DeleteYes, John, we do need to change the city charter. Hudson is way to small of a city to have an elected Mayor as the chief executive. The talent pool is too small, there's not a large career civil service to support a novice mayor, and the people who live in Hudson who are qualified are in the prime of their careers and are too busy or can't afford to do the public service. We could easily afford a career public administration expert as a city manager if we eliminate the mayor and housing justice director positions. Then the department managers would have someone to be accountable to and the council could represent the will of the public and hold the city manager accountable. There's a reason most cities our size are run this way.
DeleteThe one term mayor of Plattsburgh is not seeking reelection and is calling for a city manager form of government to be created. "We really need someone more consistent running the organization. This whole churn every four years creates a bit of stress, and then on top of that you may not know who you get. You may not get somebody with a business background..." The mayor, Christopher Rosenquest, is well spoken and obviously smart, and I recommend watching the interview he recently gave on Mountain Lake PBS (you tube). That city is dealing with all the same issues we are here in Hudson, but their mayor seems like he is rooted in reality. Could you imagine Kamal suggesting Hudson hire a city manager?
DeleteBoth mayors seem to have a thing for hats, but I think the similarities end there.
Time to start thinking about who can run against these "leaders" in the next election cycle. Time to use our votes as our voice and rally behind candidates with intelligence, passion for their community, and vision. This jewel of a city is in the wrong hands.
ReplyDeleteThe plot sickens ...
ReplyDeleteMillions of taxpayer dollars paid to Galvan by the county, with no public input, for an ugly junk building made of cement blocks, cheap drop ceilings and linoleum. It's almost funny, politicians spending public funds in executive session like it's their own money, as if they are grandiose corporate bosses. It's a sickness pervading the whole system of government from top to bottom.
ReplyDeleteAgree completely. The whole thing stinks of rot.
DeleteMost small communities would be thrilled to have a waterfront zone with the kind of potential that Hudson enjoys. But in recent weeks we have seen the approval of a truck route and the inappropriate usage of a tired old 70's strip mall. The civic culture hereabouts is beyond pathetic.
ReplyDeleteHas it occured to anyone that our elected leaders are actually trying to hamper economic growth? Look at their actions rather than their words. Many look fondly on the days when Hudson was in decline before the current upswing and they seem to want to bring us back.
DeleteHudson is squandering prime real estate with this arrangement.
DeleteThey are trying to hamper growth, Union Jack. It's so obvious. These are the folks who seem to hate progress more than they love their towns and that is the opposite of what any community needs to thrive and grow. Their anger and insecurity inform all of their decisions and that is dangerous, indeed. Change is inevitable. Happening everywhere on the planet and no one can stop it. If we're lucky, we all have fond memories of what the world looked like when we were kids - our kids will remember THIS time the same way - but acting without vision or intelligence will only destroy what could be NOW. Nothing will ever bring back the "good old days" and no one person, more than another, should act as if they invented nostalgia and be hell-bent on bringing it back the way they see it, no matter the cost.
DeleteFor one brief, shining moment, there was an opportunity - after St Lawrence Cement's new factory was blown away by the State (and Friends of Hudson, and others,) a six-year battle. The opportunities were there but became divided and splintered and now have totally disappeared. We are indeed reverting back to the 'bad old days.' We need a new "Concerned Citizens" group, thanks you "Our Hudson Waterfront" for stepping up. Sign the '11 Warren Street" petition everyone.
ReplyDeleteThis whole debacle is a mess and we've yet to hear the whole story. It's ripe for investigative reporting (Times Union? NYT?) or possibly the AG's office. Why was the deal made in secret, before the public was informed? It seems to me that they thought it would sneak by with little attention, even though, in my opinion, this is a much bigger impact than the haul road. Now that there has been public outcry there's been nothing but back-peddling and finger pointing from all those involved. They are obviously trying to cover their asses because of either corruption or incompetence - it's one or the other.
ReplyDeleteCorrect me if I'm mistaken, but when this was voted on, not a single Hudson supervisor voted against it - they either voted "yes" or were absent for whatever reason. Two of the supervisors are now suddenly outspoken against it. Mussman, who says she was always against it, but was silenced by executive sessions. Well wound't this have been the perfect opportunity to be a whistleblower and at least leak it before the vote? Where's that activist spirit Hudson prides itself on? Then you have Cousins, also saying she was against it. Seems like she's trying to play popular sides because she's trying to primary Didi. More leadership from the so called "housing advocates." This project will hurt the prospects of affordability for Hudson for at least two generations. As for the rest of the county's supervisors, I'm clueless to their motives since this is a bad financial deal for them too. I'll just assume they don't give a crap about Hudson since most of them are from old Columbia County families that probably think Hudson is just a dump for tourist and poor people.
As for the mayor, Mussman should go on the record and be more specific about what she's heard. But his usual "aw shucks, I have nothing to that, nothing I can do about it" is just the standard plausible deniability. If he truly had passion for what best for Hudson, and care for more housing, concern for the youth clubhouse, improving the connection between downtown, the waterfront, and Amtrak, he would be a leader and call "All Hands on Deck." You know, like when he threw a tantrum at a council meeting and rallied the Collarusso Facebook Club over the possibility of rebidding the Ferry St bridge project. So much so that, allegedly, it caused the Public Works Commissioner to resign. But, just like the haul road... silence.
We are all aware of the Mayor's and Scalera's conflicts of interests with Galvan, and they do a good job recusing themselves when they're on the record. But who knows what happens behind the scenes because anyway you slice it this whole situation stinks.
Make no mistake, this is serious. It's vital for Hudson to have smart development and build the tax base to help fight off the ticking tax time bomb we're sitting on. We had a couple lucky years of no increases to the tax rate, mainly due to federal stimulus money and the real estate boom, which increased revenue through transfer taxes and reassessments of recent sales. But that time is over and we had to raise the rate by almost 4% just this year. The real estate market is back to its normal pace, high prices, by slower sales. Parking revenues will continue to decline until we revamp the whole system. We have a new sidewalk fee on the way. We have major infrastructure improvements that are desperately needed, like the sewer separation overhaul. Where's the money going to come from? Our state set equalization rate keeps dropping and at some point there will need to be a citywide reassessment. Some people are in for a shock when values will be rebalanced. If the only new development we see has PILOTS, everyone else is going to be holding the bag. But nobody will probably notice until their tax bill arrives in their mailbox, or their landlord has to raise the rent to break even. Budgets are boring and not very clickbaity.
ReplyDeleteThe apology by Ms Mussmann is far too little and too late. A few weeks ago, I emailed Supervisors Ms Mussmann, Ms Cousins, and Mr Chameides regarding their dereliction of duty to the public. I received a cordial apology from Ms Cousins. Crickets from Mr Chameides. Ms Mussmann sent a defensive all caps excuse. Now that this issue is finally getting some oxygen, Ms Mussmann apologizes. There is zero excuse for our supervisors' failure to engage with the citizens who are expected to fund the purchase and over-priced renovation of 11 Warren, a shoddily-constructed relic of some of the most shameful urban planning in Hudson's history. The stench of inside dealing hangs over this entire debacle. Nor is there any excuse for our mayor to claim that he was not privy to the dealings regarding the purchase of 11 Warren Street. The same goes for the utter failure of our mayor, our Planning Board, and Ms Mussmann with regard to protecting our riverfront from industrialization. Note that Ms Mussmann's non-profit Time & Space Limited accepts money from the haul road and dock applicant, A. Colarusso. And yet, somehow she is serving on the Truck Route Committee, when she should recuse herself completely due to a clear conflict of interest. We need to replace the mayor position with a resumé-qualified, professionalized city manager and we need new representation at the County level that will act to engage with citizens. Especially when we are footing the bill and suffering the long-term consequences of the County's misguided and wasteful decision-making. Utter incompetence all around. As Union Jack points out, the City of Hudson cannot continue the current path. PILOTS to entities like Galvan are passing a heavy tax burden onward to the rest of us, without our input, the very definition of taxation without representation. The County needs to admit its serious error, sell 11 Warren, and move its offices to any number of other County-owned property that would better suit its needs and would permit better use of the lot at 11 Warren Street. This is an enormous lot that could accommodate all sorts of excellent uses: housing, community spaces, and commercial spaces to enliven lower Warren Street and connect our main street to the riverfront. We need smart and thoughtful developers who care about the citizens who live and work here and are invested in the future of a city that can create jobs and housing, support services and culture we value, and grow responsibly.
ReplyDelete