The following account of last night's Planning Board meeting was written by Donna Streitz, representing Our Hudson Waterfront, and is published here with permission.
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PLANNING BOARD FREEZES OUT PUBLIC
What happened at last night's monthly Planning Board meeting is a perfect example of why we sorely need a different form of governance in our City. In a split decision, the Planning Board voted to NOT allow a Public Hearing for the Colarusso Dock Conditional Use Permit application, as one had already been held and closed years ago (2020 or 2022?, 3-5 years ago!) It was only following fervent pleas by the Public in the room to reconsider their vote that Theresa Joyner, the Board Chair, relented somewhat and said that the Board would hold another vote at the March monthly meeting and in the meantime the public can write to the PB to voice any concerns.
To add insult to injury, later in the meeting the Board voted to eliminate "hybrid" meetings in the future, thus meeting attendance MUST be in person. So those of us who cannot make it out to City Hall, and sit through their usually lengthy meetings before getting to a subject of interest, will be out of luck. And for those who attend, heads up, be prepared for standing room only (maybe in the hallway) given the seating capacity at City Hall.
Is it a coincidence that there were "technical difficulties" accessing last night's Zoom meeting following the Gossips and IMBY postings about the meeting? Some of us who waited patiently for over a half an hour to get let into the Zoom meeting finally were able to get in when we received an alterative Zoom link that was circulated by the Board's stenographer. This link did not allow for interaction with the Board. However, that wouldn't have mattered as the Board refused to allow public comments (at least during the Colarusso Dock C.U.P. application discussion).
What to do? If you want to make a statement and express your dissatisfaction:
1) Sign the petition for Charter Change. It may not be perfect, but it's a start. If you haven't already signed and would like to, there's still time. Attend tonight's Charter Change meeting at 6:30 p.m. at Saint Florian (342 Warren St.), to learn about it and/or sign; go to the Saturday Farmers' Market (there's usually a table for the Charter Change group); or request a "house call" via the CC group's webpage--click here for link. (Note: To sign, must have been registered in Hudson prior to last November election).
2) Write to the Planning Board to voice your concerns. I'll provide follow-up email in the next few days with information on how and where to send, including email address list.
In my opinion, what's happening with the Mill Street application, and what I fear will happen to our waterfront due [to] the anticipated approval of the Colarusso C.U.P. application, and the future of our City of Hudson for the matter, is a travesty. Sadly, I fear that this Planning Board and our Mayor's legacy will be the downfall of Hudson unless something drastically changes. Let's make a statement and let them know that this is NOT acceptable.
Donna is 100% right.
ReplyDeleteA rational city manager, say one who is concerned about meeting his or her contractual obligations so he or she may continue to earn their living, might appoint as the chair of the PB someone with both managerial chops and some knowledge of that which he or she is tapped to regulate. Compare that to the present situation where a political appointee with no other apparent credentials besides fealty to the appointing official has created a morass in a flood plain (no pun intended).
ReplyDeleteA rational city manager would also be unlikely to leave a vacancy on such an important instrumentality of local governance for 6 months. And another clear-thinker would surely be welcomed at the PB.
It would be even more convoluted if I understand it correctly, I could be wrong. If you want to replace the planning board chair you would have to elect a new mayor or convince the active mayor to appoint a new chair. but under the new charter the citizens don’t elect the manager so you would have to pressure the council to pressure the manager to appoint new planning chair, or re-elect a new council majority to fire the manager, hire a new one, and change the planning chair. This is why when things are going poorly the citizens can elect a new mayor but with the charter change the process seems more difficult. Hence why changing the executive from mayor to manager creates a lag in citizens affecting change. I think people are under the impression that a manager would be somehow more responsive to outcry but I’m unsure.
ReplyDeleteThe manager merely implements Council policy. The only imperative for the manager is to do so in a manner that is consistent with his or her terms of employment (contract). What does the manager get for appointing an incapable person to any position? Nothing positive. What does he or she get for putting a capable person in place? An atta boy/girl and continued employment.
ReplyDeleteWho’s applauding or even happy with the current PB’s efforts? Anyone besides the mayor and his developer buddies? No. They’ve made a hash of the process from jump. And they continue in the same vein, lawsuits (and the costs to the taxpayers) be damned. The mayor couldn’t be more non responsive to the existing outcry.
A city manager needs to achieve agreed-upon deliverables. Those are set by the council and they are measurable. Failure to meet these goals would in all likelihood lead to termination.
ReplyDeleteThere is a strong incentive therefore to appoint the right people to the various boards. In the case of the Planning Board, a very useful first step would be to have a full roster of seven members.
The fact that there's only six right now just delayed an outcome on the Calarusso application by a whole month because their vote on whether there should be public input or not ended in a tie and as a concession to the audience they promised they'd repeat the vote at the next meeting.
This type of sloppiness just cost an applicant four weeks and it means that the backlog of applications in front of the PB isn't being reduced at the rate it should be.
If I sat on the council and was to review the city manager's performance at the end of a year, this BS that just transpired in front of the Planning Board would prompt me to ask some very direct and uncomfortable questions.
Our strong elected mayor isn't bound by anything measurable and his ulterior motive is not the health of Hudson. It's to get elected to Albany, by his own public admission. All he needs to do is appear busy and build ostensibly affordable housing even if that is achieved with PILOTs that will within five to ten years lay waste to Hudson financials.
To ensure this will happen he needs the right Planning Board - not one that is working for the best of Hudson but one that mainly works for his benefit. This PB was carefully curated to do exactly that.
It's not just the Planning Board. Hudson's IDA is in charge of granting PILOTs (whose recipients curiously often is Galvan, the mayor's landlord). I've yet to see a PILOT that is not going to negatively affect Hudson's bottom line.
Again, elected strong mayor doesn't care about this. A city manager, so long as they are beholden to their well-compensated job, would.
As I've said elsewhere before, criticism is cheap.
ReplyDeleteYou've likewise had 3.5 years at your disposal to create a proposal of your own. Where can I read it?
As I was responding to Henry, you asserted that "[t]he issue of unqualified board members [...] could have been addressed in the reform proposal".
This very discussion happened in a comment thread here on Gossips and it was in reference to the formal job requirements of the city manager as laid out in the charter.
If you recall, those are pretty stringent. That is for a position that only has to be filled once and is compensated pretty well.
What do you propose should the formal qualifications in a hypothetical charter be for Planning Board members? What should it be for IDA members? Be very specific here because it is the charter after all.
Hudson is a pretty small place and not everyone is keen on attending hour-long meetings without compensation. What happens when you can't find someone with the prescribed qualifications? Do you then go off-charter? That's a legal quagmire.
I do not know of a single municipality that has a laundry list of formal requirements for uncompensated volunteer positions.
The hiring and firing that you seem to find so detestable is meanwhile the reality for most people. I myself have been with the same corporate employer for nearly 20 years. The charter allots, IIRC, $190k for the position of the city manager, and that money comes out of the tax payers' pockets. It is not at all unreasonable to expect such a person to do their job. If I didn't do mine on a daily basis, I'd very quickly be out of it so why shouldn't a city manager?
Signed! Support this Charter Change 100%. It has been created by passionate, educated and intelligent citizens. If Hudson is to survive and flourish, it is important for the city to be managed by qualified people who do not have conflicts of interest unlike some our some of our current "leadership".
ReplyDeleteThis Planning Board is beyond the pale. The public is finally catching on to their incompetence and malfeasance so now they want to eliminate public comment where they can and also seem to want to filming the meetings so that not only can people not participate remotely, there will be no public record of what took place. Yes, legally minutes are taken, but video recording is 1000x more transparent.
ReplyDeleteIf you want charter reform, vote for me for Mayor.
ReplyDeleteI will initiate charter reform through citizens assembly. In partnership with the Hannah Arendt Center of Bard College, Healthy Democracy and The Assembly Project.
Citizen’s assemblies are a different way to do democracy.
They are different in two ways:
Who is in the room.
What happens in the room.
1
WHO IS IN THE ROOM IS DIFFERENT
A group of about 30 Hudson residents are randomly selected through a civic lottery, ensuring the group reflects all forms of diversity.
To make participation possible for everyone, members will receive stipends, childcare, and transportation support.
2
WHAT HAPPENS IN THE ROOM IS DIFFERENT
The assembly meets for 4 to 6 full-day sessions over 2 to 3 months.
Expert facilitators guide members through learning about our charter, hearing diverse perspectives, and working in small groups to develop recommendations.
Every session is recorded and made public, ensuring complete transparency in decision-making.
The result is either a new city charter or targeted amendments that truly reflect Hudson's needs and values.
These proposals then go to City Council, who can place them on the ballot for all residents to consider.
When given time, information, and support, everyday people create thoughtful solutions to difficult challenges.
No rushing, no shouting, just collaborative problem-solving by your neighbors for your community.
We have a unique opportunity to strengthen local relationships, unlock civic imagination, and increase public trust - while make Hudson work better for us all.
To hear more about the work of Healthy Democracy and what a citizen’s assembly is like, listen here:
https://open.spotify.com/episode/3ZjEA8dX4tT1Zw1YGK7N3d?si=DliHNnABT4Otl5oJFoi-cw
Show me that charter of a city in NY State that lists specific requirements for board members.
ReplyDeleteThe basic legal framework for this is laid out by the General Municipal Law of NY State (Article 12-A specifically which deals with "City and Village Planning Commissions"). But evidently, you know better.
If the current proposed charter reform passes via referendum on Election Day there would be a two year period for it to go in effect, allowing the council to prepare.
ReplyDeleteNo matter if it makes it to the ballot this November, or what the outcome, we’re still having a regular city election cycle with the same positions as the current charter prescribes.
Did you really think it would go in effect immediately and require the city to scramble before New Year’s Day to enact the new government structure?
Also, if it’s “doomed” as you say, then why palpable fear from people like yourself and others that seem so steadfast in the status quo? Why the social media campaign and new commenters on Gossips from out of nowhere?
While not perfect (what system is?) the best thing to come out of this movement is forcing the conversation forward and forcing the city to react. Inaction doesn’t stop it from getting on the ballot and that seems to be, ironically, what many of those who supposedly love democracy fear the most. I’m not sure what’s going to happen but I’m happy that people are starting to pay attention. We’ll just have to wait and see.