The Gossips of Rivertown: 2025

Friday, April 18, 2025

Handel in Hudson

R. B. Schlather's production of Handel's Giulio Cesare opens tomorrow night at Hudson Hall. Today, there is an article about it in New York Times: "In Upstate New York, Where Even the Opera Is Locavore."

Photo: Lauren Lancaster for the New York Times

There may still be tickets available. To secure some for yourself, click here.

A Sure Sign That Spring Is Here

Tomorrow, Saturday, April 19, the Hudson Farmers' Market returns to its outdoor location at Sixth and Columbia streets.

As always, the market, now in its 28th year, is open from 9:00 a.m. to 1 p.m., with more than thirty vendors offering local produce and products. From 10:30 to 11:00 a.m., there will be step dancing performed by kids from the Farrell School of Irish Dance, and from 11:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m., Abby Lappen will be performing.

The map below shows where to find all your favorite vendors. (Click on image to enlarge.)

For more information, go to hudsonfarmersmarketny.org.

Farewell to a Piece of Hudson History

The day many have dreaded for a long time has arrived. The shacks in North Bay--the storied Furgary Boat Club--are coming down.

Photo: Lance Wheeler

Tax Delinquent Properties

It is by now common knowledge that the City of Hudson is owed about $2.5 million in back taxes. At the end of the Common Council Finance Committee meeting on Monday, it was said a list of the tax delinquent properties would be published the next day. That didn't happen. It is now expected that the list will be presented at the next Council meeting, which takes place on Monday, May 12.

This week, Gossips learned of one property that will be on the list: 448 Warren Street. The amount of property tax currently owed on the building is just under $283,698.

This building was originally constructed, from 1867 to 1869, as the First Universalist Church. At some point, probably in the first half of the 20th century, the building became the worship place for the United Methodist Church.

In 1985, the building ceased being a church and was purchased by the photographer and filmmaker Sedat Pakay, who used the building to house his studio and film production company. More recently, the building was owned and may still be owned by the artist David Hammons, best known as the creator of the African-American Flag.

The tax rolls indicate that an entity called Hudson Art Works purchased the building in March 2004, and in March 2014 the building was acquired by Otera, LLC. In September 2014, what was described as a "complete and accurate restoration" commenced. The building was repointed by an award-winning masonry contractor who had also done work at Olana. Brownstone needed for repairs was imported from England because it was most like the brownstone available in this country in the 1860s, when the building was constructed. The restoration was promised to be "absolutely in kind," and it was declared "exemplary" by local flaneur Scott Baldinger.

Photo: Scott Baldinger

In December 2015, it was proposed that the missing steeple be replaced with a hologram. (The soaring principal steeple was purposely removed in 1971 out of concern about liability should the steeple topple in a storm, as others in the city had.)

Before the Historic Preservation Commission could make a decision about granting a certificate of appropriateness for this "homage to what was there in the past," the application to re-create the missing steeple with lights was withdrawn. Instead the restored tower was finished off with simple cap.

The certificate of appropriateness for the capped tower was granted in January 2016, and the work was carried out, but since then little work has been done on the building. It would seem, too, that around this time, or perhaps even sooner, the taxes on the property stopped being paid.

The back taxes due on this property represent slightly more than 10 percent of the total amount of unpaid property taxes due to the City.

Thursday, April 17, 2025

Thank You, Tracy Delaney

Our ever affable, always helpful, endlessly patient, unfailingly knowledgeable city clerk Tracy Delaney is retiring. Her last day at City Hall is tomorrow.

Who will be the next city clerk has not yet been announced, but whoever it is will have a tough act to follow.

Thank you, Tracy Delaney, for your many years of service to the City of Hudson and its residents. You are the best! May you have good health and happiness in your retirement. You will be missed by everyone who visits City Hall.

Wednesday, April 16, 2025

Ignorance Is Bliss

In Hudson government, the Common Council has the power of the purse. The Council must approve the city budget and pass resolutions to accept donations, pay the monthly bills, commit the city to expenditures, approve change orders, issue bonds and incur debt, and dip into the fund balance to cover unanticipated expenses and close budget gaps. Since the Council approves endless budgetary decisions, one hopes councilmembers are paying attention and have the courage to raise a red flag when it looks like things may be getting out of hand.

This is the situation that exists in Hudson now. Given the number of projects happening in the city that are reliant on grant funding, the requirement to pay for those projects upfront and be reimbursed, the need to borrow the money to make the upfront payments, and the uncertainty about when (or if, when it comes to federal funding under the current administration) reimbursement will happen, it seems the City is sailing rather close to the wind, particularly since information shared by the city treasurer at the informal Council meeting on April 8 suggested that, when all the numbers are in for 2024, there may be less than $2 million in unrestricted funds left in the City's fund balance.

As a resident and homeowner in Hudson, I am grateful for members of the Common Council who are being vigilant and concerned about the City's fiscal future as nondiscretionary costs (health insurance, raises dictated by union contracts) continue to rise and a possible recession looms. Our mayor, however, takes a different approach. This is what he posted today on Instagram.

"Education Is the Silver Bullet"

When education is the topic of discussion, I am often reminded of Sam Seaborn's speech about education in Season 1, Episode 18, of The West Wing. The speech begins, "Education is the silver bullet," and among the recommendations he makes about education is this: "Competition for the best teachers should be fierce. They should be getting six-figure salaries." You can hear the whole speech here. The episode aired twenty-five years ago, in April 2000.

I was reminded of the speech yesterday when I received this press release from the Empire Center for Public Policy.

Educators Receiving $200k+ Doubles in Five Years

The number of school district employees receiving a total compensation or more than $200,000 has more than doubled since 2019, according to new salary data posted today at SeeThroughNY.net, the Empire Center's transparency website. The public educator pay data are based on Fiscal Year 2023-24 salary information reported to New York State Teachers' Retirement System (NYSTRS), which covers 239,254 public school teachers and administrators employed outside New York City. The data posted, also includes pay records for 139,121 district employees, who are members of the New York State and Local Retirement System (NYSLRS).

A total of 75,056 school district employees received six figure compensation--representing nearly one-third (31.3%) of NYSTRS educators. Out of these, 81 educators received more than $300,000, and 1,688 received more than $200,000. The majority (76 percent) of those employs who received six-figure compensation were employed in downstate districts, including 33,834 on Long Island and 18,622 in Westchester, Orange, and Rockland counties. . . .

The average for full-time employees--defined as any employee paid more than the annualized lowest statewide minimum wage--during the 2023-2024 school year was $94,732. Full-time employees on Long Island and in the Mid-Hudson region earned the highest average pay at $116,066 and $110,830 respectively. Further upstate, the Western New York Region was the highest paying region ($81,891); the lowest paying region was the North Country ($71,127).

Full-time NYSTRS members in 202 school districts averaged more than $100,000 in pay--the highest being Scarsdale Union Free School District ($149,705), where nearly 90 percent of its 530 educators received over $100,000.

Contracts between school districts and their teachers and superintendents, detailing compensation and other terms and conditions of employments, are also available on SeeThroughNY. The Empire Center earlier published the median pay for teachers in New York during the school year 2023-24.

If you click on the last link provided in the press release, you will find a report that includes this statement:

The latest teacher pay data highlights New York's increasingly bloated school district spending, which is the highest in the nation. However, test scores have remained consistently mediocre, with New York's National Assessment Educational Progress (NAEP) math and reading scores trailing behind those of Mississippi, Kentucky, and Alabama.

The most recent SeeThroughNY information about salaries in the Hudson City School District can be found here. Sixty-three educators in the district have six-figure incomes, but it is likely that only the salary and benefits of the superintendent, Dr. Juliette Pennyman, exceed $200,000. Unfortunately, Pennyman's contract is not yet available on SeeThroughNY.

I share all this to show that the Hudson City School District, with its bloated budget and poor academic results, is not unique or even mildly unusual in the State of New York, but also to suggest that, when it comes to education, throwing money at the problem does not solve it. We may need, in the words of Sam Seaborn, "gigantic, monumental changes" to improve outcomes for students in the Hudson City School District, but six-figure salaries alone don't seem to be working.

A Reminder About Commenting

This reminder is prompted by a string of comments just received from someone identified as HudsonLocal. The commenting policy on The Gossips of Rivertown has changed. Commenters are required to identify themselves by their first and last names--their actual names. This post, published on April 1, explains the changes in policy and the reason why they were adopted: "A Notice to Commenters." Please refer it to for more information.

Charter Change and the Council

On March 10, three days after the charter change petition, reviewed and certified, was delivered to the Common Council by the city clerk, Council president Tom DePietro declared, in response to an inquiry by Councilmember Margaret Morris (First Ward), "I have no intention of putting it on the agenda for a number of reasons that I have discussed with Crystal"--Crystal being legal counsel to the Council, Crystal Peck.

Despite DePietro's declaration five weeks ago, the proposed charter amendment will be on the agenda for a special meeting to take place on Tuesday, April 22. The purpose of the special meeting was originally to approve grant applications, but last night the purpose was expanded to include a vote on putting the proposed charter amendment on the ballot as a referendum in November.

Much of the criticism of the charter amendment being proposed has to do with the process by which the amendment was written, calling it undemocratic because it did not grow out of a series of community forums or a citizens' assembly. A referendum on the proposed charter amendment is a chance for the voters of Hudson to decide for themselves if they want this change in government or not. For the Council to vote against bringing the issue to the public in a referendum seems like an effort to suppress democracy and deny voters the right to choose.

Where Are These Neighborhoods?

Last night, Brahvan Ranga, political director for For the Many, appeared at City Hall with a small entourage bearing signs to urge the Common Council to pass a resolution in support of the REST Act, now being considered in the state legislature.

If passed in the state legislature, the REST Act (REST is an acronym for Rent Emergency Stabilization for Tenants) would make it easier for municipalities outside of New York City to adopt rent stabilization programs. More information about the proposed legislation can be found here.

After Ranga spoke, urging the Council to adopt a resolution of support for rent stabilization while assuring them that such a resolution "does not force the city to adopt it," Kaya Weidman of Kite's Nest spoke, as she has often done in the past, about Hudson's diminishing population. "We are losing our community every day," Weidman told the Council. "We are losing our future, because people have no place to live." She went on to make this rather extraordinary claim: "There are neighborhoods in this town where nobody lives." She seemed to imply these neighborhoods were in the First Ward, but as a resident of the First Ward for more than three decades, I am at a loss to know where these alleged ghost neighborhoods are.

Addendum: No resolution in support of the REST Act was on the agenda last night, however, such a resolution was introduced at the informal meeting on March 10. That resolution can be found here. It was decided the resolution should be reviewed in the Legal Committee, which it was on April 2. Some questions were raised at the committee meeting, which were submitted to the sponsors of the resolution. The resolution will be reviewed further by the Legal Committee when it meets on May 7. The resolution is expected to be voted on at the regular meeting of the Common Council on May, which takes place on Tuesday, May 20.

Hudson Makes the Business News

On Monday, the Albany Business Review reported on the sale of two buildings on Warren Street: "Downtown Hudson commercial properties sell for $2.2 million." The two buildings are 223 Warren Street, the location of Tanzy's, and 225 Warren Street, the location of 225 Warren Bar & Grill.

According to the article, the buyer is Gojax LP, "which is linked to downstate investors."

The article indicates that 255 Warren Bar & Grill will remain as a long-term tenant. Tanzy's is mentioned, but it is not indicated if it will continue at that location. It is noted, however, that the little ice cream parlor in the narrow shop between the two buildings will be closing.

Tuesday, April 15, 2025

Who Gets the Money

Last night, after hearing reassurances from the city treasurer that the City was not on the brink of bankruptcy, the Common Council Finance Committee decided how they would divvy up the $30,000 designated in the city budget for community festivals and events.

Here is what was decided:

Hudson Hall/Hudson Jazz Festival--$5,000
Flag Day--$5,000
Sankofa Black Arts & Cultural Festival--$3,000
Hudson Festival Orchestra--$3,000
Waterfront Wednesdays--$3,000
OutHudson Parade--$3,000
Bindlestiff Family Cirkus--$2,000
Hudson Film Festival--$1,500
Hudson Family Reunion--$1,000
The Hudson Eye--$1,000
Diata, Diata--$1,000
FASNY/Dalmatian Day--$800

In all, $29,300 was designated to the various events, leaving $700 in case a worthy event missed the deadline.

Not as Bad as It Seems

The prospect of Hudson facing bankruptcy inspired some clever Instagram posts, my favorite being this from The Hudson Wail.

At last night's Finance Committee meeting, however, city treasurer Heather Campbell told the committee and the residents gathered at City Hall that warnings about the City's imminent insolvency were greatly exaggerated. Reimbursements of at least $711,000 are expected soon, but close to $1 million in revenue is going to be delayed.

The City is engaged in several major projects--DRI (Downtown Revitalization Initiative) projects, rebuilding the Ferry Street Bridge, and ongoing sewer separation project--that are being financed with grants, but they require that the money be spent and the work done before the City is reimbursed. As a consequence, the City has had to borrow money to finance the projects and then wait for the reimbursement to pay the money back. Campbell noted that the debt service required for the DRI projects is about $1.1 million but suggested that investing $1.1 million to get $10 million was a pretty good deal.

Campbell indicated that almost 100 percent of the cost of the Ferry Street Bridge will be reimbursed. Councilmember Margaret Morris (First Ward) asked how much of the funding for the bridge is federal money, concerned that under the current administration the money could be withdrawn. The question remains unanswered.

Regarding the $2.5 million owed to the City in delinquent property taxes, Campbell reported that an attorney has yet to be assigned to carry out the foreclosures on the properties involved, explaining, "It is difficult to get an attorney because of some things that have happened." She did not explain what those "some things" were. A list of the delinquent properties is expected to be released today.

Update: The video recording of the Finance Committee meeting is now on YouTube and can be viewed here.

Monday, April 14, 2025

Meetings and Events in the Week Ahead

In this week of religious observances, for both Jews and Christians, here are the meetings that are happening

On Monday, April 14, the Common Council Finance Committee meets at 5:30 p.m. The agenda for the meeting has been covered elsewhere. Suffice it to say, the city treasurer will be present to discuss the current status of the city budget and the prospects for the future. The meeting is a hybrid, taking place in person at City Hall and on Microsoft Teams. Click here for the link to join the meeting remotely.
On Tuesday, April 15, at 6:00 p.m., the Common Council holds its regular monthly meeting. The meeting is a hybrid, taking place in person at City Hall and on Microsoft Teams. Click here for the link to join the meeting remotely.
On Wednesday, April 16, at 6:00 p.m., the Zoning Board of Appeals holds its monthly meeting. The agenda includes the controversial proposal to construct a three-story building, involving total lot coverage and requiring nine area variances, at 9 Partition Street. The meeting takes place in person only at City Hall.

Sunday, April 13, 2025

Who's to Pay?

In her report to the Common Council at its informal meeting last week, City Treasurer Heather Campbell shared the rather alarming news that closing the gap between projected revenue and actual expenses for 2024 may require that slightly more than $2 million be taken from the fund balance, the City's "rainy day fund," rather than the $1 million anticipated when the budget for 2024 was approved, back in November 2023. Campbell's report can be review here, beginning at 32:50.

One of the shortfalls in the 2024 budget was revenue from the lodging tax. The budget for 2024 anticipated $632,000 in revenue from the lodging tax. In fact, the lodging tax revenue in 2024 was only $492,739--a shortfall of $139,261. The situation promises to be even worse in 2025. The Board of Estimate and Apportionment (BEA), made up of the mayor, the Common Council president, and the treasurer, projected revenues from lodging tax at $750,000. So far, in the first quarter of 2025, revenue from lodging tax is $53,500--only about 7 percent of the expected amount. Things are not looking good for 2025, and the amount of money left in the fund balance--in unrestricted funds--is $1.9 million.

Tomorrow night, Monday, April 14, the Common Council Finance Committee is meeting at 5:30 p.m. The Finance Committee typically meets for 45 minutes prior to the regular Council meeting, but this month, the committee is meeting the day before the regular Council meeting, presumably to give more time to the issues at hand. On the agenda for the meeting, in addition to considering the contract for Big Towel and its portable saunas, and divvying up the $30,000 to worthy festivals and events, is a discussion with Campbell about how precarious the City's financial situation actually is and what can be done to avert what appears might be looming bankruptcy. The meeting is a hybrid, taking place in person at City Hall and on Microsoft Teams. Click here for the link to join the meeting remotely.

Saturday, April 12, 2025

A Reminder About Commenting

The commenting policy on The Gossips of Rivertown has changed. Comments recently submitted by Ruralist, concerned citizen, and The Principal were not published because the commenters did not identify themselves using their first and last names--their actual names. This post, published on April 1, explains the changes in policy and the reason why they were adopted: "A Notice to Commenters." Please refer to it for more information.

Friday, April 11, 2025

Not One But Two

Over the years, property owners in the Hudson City School District have become accustomed to the bloated HCSD budget increasing by a million dollars every year, while the school district continues to be one of the worst in the state academically. This year, according to an article that appeared today in the Register-Star, above the fold, the budget being proposed for the 2025-2026 school year represents an increase of more than twice what it has been in the past: "HCSD unveils $58M proposed budget with possible staffing cuts." The following is quoted from that article:

The proposed $58.1 million budget represents a $2,551,066, or 4.59%, increase over the 2024-25 budget of $55.6 million.

The tax levy will see a 3.55% increase, the maximum level the district is allowed for the 2025-26 school year. The tax levy represents an increase over the previous year's 2% tax cap, and $26.3 million is expected to be raised through taxes, an increase of $904,027 over the 2024-25 budget.

For a home in Hudson assessed at $200,000, the increased tax levy represents a $91.90 yearly increase in taxes, or $7.66 monthly increase.

It is highly unlikely there is any house in Hudson that is currently assessed at $200,000, so property owners in Hudson need to brace themselves for an increase in their school taxes of somewhat more than $91.90 a year.

Regarding possible cuts, the article has this to say:

[Executive Director of Business and Finance Christi Ferri] also said potential reductions to district general and instructional expenses could include the elimination of multiple positions in the district, including four teachers, three school psychologists, two reading teachers, a speech pathologist, and eight aides.

Just a reminder. There are three seats up for election on the HCSD Board of Education, and there is still time to get petitions signed. At least 100 signatures are needed to become a nominee. Petitions must be submitted by 5:00 p.m. on Wednesday, April 30. Contact the District Clerk at districtclerk@hudsoncsd.org or call 518 828-4360, ext. 201, to request a petition.

Thursday, April 10, 2025

Return to Mill Street

On Tuesday, Mill Street Lofts was the main item on the Planning Board's agenda. Sean Kearney, the architect, and Andrew Learn, the engineer, were present to respond to concerns raised by the public at the last Planning Board meeting: a pedestrian connection to Third Street and flooding.

Regarding a connection to Third Street, Learn reported that constructing a trail was not feasible. The grade is very steep, exceeding 40 percent at some points, and would need to involve 12 feet of stairs. Learn predicted it would be hard to maintain and would probably be a liability. He indicated that they were in discussion with the Columbia Land Conservancy (CLC), which recently acquired a large parcel of land in the vicinity, none of which is actually adjacent to the building site, and plans to build trails to connect Charles Williams Park (across Mill Street from the site) to the Greenport Conservation Area and its network of trails.

Learn told the Planning Board the CLC is "in talks with the City to build a trail on an adjoining parcel that the City owns," and Kearney would to willing to assist in building that trail "to make that connection." Exactly where that trail would be is not known.

The discussion of flooding yielded some interesting information. Planning Board member Randall Martin asked Learn if he had received the pictures of flooding he had provided. A few of those pictures are reproduced below. The rest are available here.

One wonders where these pictures were when the Planning Board made a negative declaration in the SEQR (State Environmental Quality Review) process.

Referencing the photographs, Learn told Martin, "Our obligation is to control the flow on the site so it remains as it is now--no worse." He went on to say, "Nothing we can do will change the flooding on the street." Martin responded, "We don't want seventy units of people trapped because the street is flooded."

Theresa Joyner, who chairs the Planning Board, said the board was going to recommend that the City change the intersection at Mill Street and Second Street to eliminate flooding. How exactly she thought that could be achieved was not explained.

Responding to the notion that people would be trapped by flood waters, Learn said, "They can go the other way." The "other way" is the trail up to Harry Howard Avenue, which is not accessible to vehicles, so presumably he was suggesting that people could pull on their hip boots and slog up the trail on foot to exit the site. Joyner concluded that flooding would make things "inconvenient" but people would not be trapped.

The most interesting part of the discussion came when Chris Bertram, the consulting engineer from Barton & Loguidice, told Learn, "The pictures I have show that field [the site of the proposed development] completely flooded, and you're now going to be building a parking lot and displacing that amount of water during a hundred years storm. You need to prove to us and prove to me that that amount of water is not going to negatively impact the downstream neighbors on Mill Street." Bertram said he didn't know how they were going to do it but said emphatically, "You need to control the runoff at the property line."

During the public comments, Councilmember Jennifer Belton (Fourth Ward) reiterated her opposition to the project and spoke of how in significant rain events water flows onto the site from three different directions. Joyner replied, "That's been a problem for a long time," and suggested that the City needed to correct the situation. Belton asked rhetorically, "Why would you put a building in a place where there is a flooding issue?" Learn reiterated that the proposed project "will not make the situation any worse."

Jack Hornickel, who lives on Mill Street, said the flooding issue is multifaceted. He said that the City and the school district, which owns the land behind the former John L. Edwards school which is adjacent to the site, are a "necessary aspect of the plan." He also suggested that the plans for Charles Williams Park also need to be considered.

Joyner proposed it was time to close the public hearing, an action that would mean the Planning Board had 60 days to make a decision. Hornickel asked that the public hearing be kept open to allow his neighbors on Mill Street a second chance to voice their opposition and concerns. Councilmember Margaret Morris (First Ward) pointed out that the Planning Board's consulting engineer had concerns and there was a "large open question that has not been resolved."

Joyner moved to close the public hearing and start the clock, but no one seconded the motion. The public hearing will continue at the Planning Board's next meeting, which is scheduled to take place on Tuesday, May 13.

Wednesday, April 9, 2025

News of the Planning Board

The Planning Board, with meetings that go on for hours and reviews that go on for years, has been called dysfunctional. The board is supposed to have seven members, but there have not been seven members since August 2024. In the past year, three members have resigned. The board is currently one member short, and the most recent appointee, Ashraf Chowdhury, who was named to the Planning Board in February 2025, has yet to appear at a Planning Board meeting. There is talk of a petition calling for the resignation of Theresa Joyner, Planning Board chair, who was appointed to that position by Mayor Kamal Johnson in January 2022.

Gossips learned today that Lloyd Koedding, Republican candidate for mayor, has submitted a request to be appointed to the Planning Board. His letter to making that request is reproduced below.

Update: Koedding reported that he met with the mayor and the mayor's aide on Wednesday when he delivered his request for appointment and was told there were no vacancies on the Planning Board. This seems bizarre since, according to Gossips count, the Planning Board is one member short. There are three possible explanations: (1) they lied to him; (2) they were not aware of Gini Casasco's resignation; (3) the mayor has already appointed someone to replace Casasco, but that replacement has not yet been announced.

Tuesday, April 8, 2025

This Just In . . .

The Planning Board public hearing on Colarusso's application for a conditional use permit for its dock operations, which was supposed to take place on Thursday, April 10, has been rescheduled. The new date for the hearing is Tuesday, May 6. The hearing will take place at 6:30 p.m. in a location as yet to be determined.

Predemolition Salvage

At the informal meeting of the Common Council last night, Rob Perry, superintendent of Public Works, reported that, before the shacks at North Bay, sometimes known as the Furgary, are demolished, historic materials are being removed for preservation. This apparently is being done at the request of the State Historic Preservation Office (SHPO). Perry provided these photographs.

It appears that among the things being salvaged are the pieces of tin ceiling that were on the facade of Shack #3.

Those pieces of tin ceiling were originally salvaged, from the interior of 412-416 Warren Street.

Photo: Walter Ritchie

A few years ago, Gossips did a post about salvaged historic elements that could be found at the shacks: "Architectural Salvage at the Furgary." Sadly, two of the items featured in that post were part of the shacks that were demolished in January 2024.

It is not known if any historic elements were salvaged during that demolition process, but somehow it seems unlikely.

A Reminder About Commenting

The commenting policy on The Gossips of Rivertown has changed. Comments recently submitted by Wowser, Tjo, Sienna, and Sick and tired were not published because the commenters did not identify themselves using their first and last names--their actual names. This post, published on April 1, explains the change in policy and the reasons why they were adopted: "A Notice to Commenters." Please refer to it for more information.

Monday, April 7, 2025

Such Chutzpah!

As we all know, despite the opposition of the Common Council and Hudson Business Coalition and the the outrage of many Hudson residents, the Columbia County Board of Supervisors purchased 11 Warren Street from the Galvan Foundation last year for $3.4 million to use as office space, consigning Hudson to living with this Urban Renewal Era scar on the city's streetscape for decades to come.

Because the building was designed to be a strip mall, there is some offstreet parking. but, as the Board of Supervisors knew from the outset, there are not enough parking spaces to accommodate the cars of the people who will be working in the building, not to mention the people who will be coming there to avail themselves of the services. The plan is to move the Board of Elections, the Probation Office, and the Public Defender's Office to this location.

Tonight, at the informal meeting of the Common Council, Jennifer Belton, councilmember for the Fourth Ward, reported that the Board of Supervisors Space Utilization Committee now wants the City to give them ten to fourteen onstreet parking spaces in the first block of Warren Street for the exclusive use of county employees working at 11 Warren Street. According to what Belton reported, the County would be willing to pay half the cost of an annual parking permit for each space, which is currently $250, in exchange for signage indicating that from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. on weekdays the spaces are reserved for workers at 11 Warren Street.

It should be interesting to see how this plays out. Will the Common Council accommodate the Board of Supervisors, which clearly has no respect for our city, or will our councilmembers stand up for Hudson and the best interests of its residents?

Update: Councilmember Belton has informed me that the payment proposed by representatives of the County for reserved parking spaces is not based on the current annual parking permit fee ($250) but rather on potential revenue from the parking spaces when the City carries out is plan to impose parking fees on all of Warren Street. At $1 an hour, this is calculated to be about $29,000 annually.

It Happened on Green Street

This is not the sort of news we like to hear in Hudson. Nonetheless, Gossips received the following press release from HPD Chief Mishanda Franklin this afternoon.

The Hudson City Police Department has arrested five individuals in connection with a felony gang assault that occurred within the City of Hudson on March 7, 2025. The suspects were taken into custody on March 26, 27, and April 2, 2025, following a thorough investigation.

The individuals arrested include:

Izaya J. Busch, 19, of Pittsfield, MA

Oziah J. Stroman, 19, of Hudson, NY

Terrell K. Simmons, 18, of Philmont, NY

Two 17-year-old juveniles, one from Hudson and one from Claverack, NY

Izaya Busch

Oziah Stroman

Terrell Simmons

All five suspects have been charged with the following offenses:

Gang Assault in the First Degree (Class B Felony)

Robbery in the First Degree (Class B Felony)

Assault in the Second Degree (Class D Felony)

Incident Summary:

On March 7, 2025, at approximately 3:34 p.m., Hudson City Police received a transferred call from Columbia County 911 reporting an active assault in progress at a laundromat on Green Street. Officers responded immediately, but the suspects had fled the scene prior to their arrival.

The victim reported being attacked by a group of males and was able to identify one of the assailants. Greenport Rescue responded and provided on-scene medical assistance for non-life-threatening injuries to the victim’s face and rib area. The victim later sought further treatment at Columbia Memorial Hospital. It was also reported that the victim’s cell phone was stolen during the assault.

Arraignment Details:

March 26, 2025 – Terrell K. Simmons was arraigned by Judge Connor. He was remanded to the Columbia County Jail with bail set at $25,000 cash / $30,000 (10%) bond. He returned to Hudson City Court on April 1, 2025, at 9:00 a.m and was remanded again until his next scheduled appearance.
March 26, 2025 – The two 17-year-old juveniles were arraigned in Columbia County Court (Youth Part) before Judge Brian Herman. Both were remanded to a youth detention facility in Rockland County. They returned to court on March 31, 2025, and were remanded again until their next scheduled appearance.
March 27, 2025 – Izaya J. Busch was arraigned by Judge Roberts and released on his own recognizance (ROR’d). He was not issued a return court date at the time of arraignment.
April 2, 2025 – Oziah J. Stroman was arraigned by Judge Connor and remanded to the Columbia County Jail with the option of $10,000 cash, $20,000 bond, or $30,000 partially secured bond. He is scheduled to return to court on April 8, 2025, at 9:00 a.m.

HPD would like to thank the NYSP, BCI unit, and the Columbia County District Attorney’s Office for their assistance and collaboration throughout this case. “Keeping our community safe requires us all working together. We will continue working alongside local agencies, community partners, and residents to address acts of violence” --Chief Franklin