A Message from Chief Franklin
This afternoon, Chief Mishanda Franklin of the Hudson Police Department issued this statement. I wanted to share with our community that I will be starting my maternity leave on Monday,
August 18, 2025, with plans to return at the beginning of December. I ask for your support and
understanding as I focus my time with my family.
While I’m on leave, Captain Miller will be serving as Acting Chief. I encourage you to continue
engaging with HPD--whether it’s attending community events, sharing concerns, or just stopping
by to say hello. HPD will do the same. Your involvement is what helps keep our City strong. I
look forward to returning later this year and reconnecting with everyone.
PARKING BUREAU UPDATE:
As part of the Parking Bureau transition and the previously proposed Parking Kiosk
implementation plan, we have identified a few important matters that require attention.
We recently discovered that the kiosks purchased do not accept paper money. Our goal is to
move away from quarters--which are time-consuming to collect and aren’t convenient for many
people--this was an oversight. We are actively working to find a solution to make sure paying
for parking is as easy and as accessible as possible.
We have also heard concerns from residents, business owners, and employees about the potential
increase and the timing of those changes. While updates to parking rates may be necessary at
times to support the City and its infrastructure, we want to ensure that any changes do not
disproportionately impact our community. For that reason, all parking changes are currently ON
HOLD until these matters can be addressed and a fair workable path forward is established.
Additionally, we will discuss and advocate for fair and reasonable changes to parking with city
administration.
We appreciate your patience and understanding as we work through these issues and will provide
updates as they become available.
The only "solution" to the mistake of buying the wrong kiosks will be IF the company that sold us those 16 kiosks allows us to trade them in for kiosks that take bills. There is no way the kiosks we have now can be modified to accept bills. No way! And, of course, 5 of the kiosks have been out installed on concrete for weeks. Forget about a trade in on those 5. We're stuck with 5, maybe all 16. It's a good thing our law enforcement department is going to figure this all out sometime next year. Or maybe never. What a debacle!
ReplyDeleteIs it really necessary for the machines to take paper money? In most cities they don’t - you just pay by card or phone.
ReplyDeleteWhat if you don't have either one? That's why chump change was the currency for decades. Equitable and accessible enough for many.
Delete"Actively working to FIND A SOLUTION to make sure parking is as easy and accessible as possible"? You want a solution? They're called parking meters, and companies still manufacture and sell them. Catskill still uses them, they look nice, they're not ancient and I haven't come across one yet that I can't read or is broken or full of stickers and graffiti.
ReplyDeleteReplace all the city's old meters from the 1980's that no one can read with new ones paid for with the refund you get on the kiosks, renovate and repave the parking lots as if you care about visitors and residents, lift the meters that are 3 feet off the ground, and stop whining already, especially about quarters. And do us all a favor by not hiring any more parking consultants who tell you to MAXIMIZE PROFITS from parking spaces or you will just keep shooting yourselves in the feet, wasting tax dollars and embarrassing us. And getting nothing accomplished. Stick to what you know how to do -- our tax dollars will go a lot further.
Who cares whether the kiosks take bills? If you can pay by phone, credit/debit card or with quarters thats a HUGE improvement over the current system and will work for all. I think this new system will be as good or better than most other cities. The only thing i believes needs to be addressed is having to enter your license plate number. Most people don't know theirs and rental cars drivers certainly don't. Why not number each space like most cities. A simple 3 or 4 digit number painted on the curb or blacktop behind the car would simplify the payment process. I think everybody will easily adapt to this new and improved system very quickly and quickly learn to love it. What i don't understand is who allowed the vandels to spray yellow paint all over the city's curbs, sidewalks and streets?! Was there no budget for painter's tape? The amount of overspray looks like it was done by 2nd graders. Pathetic! Someone should lose their job for allowing that to happen!
ReplyDeleteI agree, most cities kiosks don’t take bills. I’ve even seen the modern meters at each space that have the normal quarters, but also have a credit card reader or tap, plus online or app. There’s no problem here except for the usual handwringing and letting perfect being the enemy of the good. I think part of the untold story is that that flyer from the parking committee was sent with the last water bill and has rilled up the Facebook townies who complain that nobody tells them personally everything individually. Now we let these expensive kiosks sit derelict, and rates stay the same until we have another 6 month commission on parking equity and justice. Meanwhile the budget will keep running in the red since this whole parking update was projected to increase revenue.
DeleteAlso, WW, the license plate tracking is a feature, not a bug. It’s so that the remaining time ends with the specific vehicle. No more free leftover time. And many systems have a feature where you can register your car’s plates indefinitely and even setup a temp plate for rentals with a set expiration date. And I agree, I wouldn’t trust DPW to number the hundreds of spaces around town. They’d probably hand write them with a spray can. And you know they’ll wear away, leading to confusion and ticket disputes.