On Thursday, February 26, the Common Council held a special meeting to pass a resolution amending the budget to take $5,600 from the general fund to replace a furnace in a residential property in Hudson. This was the conclusion of a sequence of events that seems to have started with a post that appeared on the Facebook group "Unfiltered Hudson" on Sunday night, February 22. That post is reproduced below. (Click on the image to enlarge.)
In 2022 the City of Hudson received a $500,000 grant to perform critical health and safety housing repairs. Repairs included but were not limited to replacing roofs, electrical and plumbing repairs, remediating lead-based paint in low- or moderate-income houses in the City of Hudson. This grant was completed in 2024 and is no longer taking applications.
According to the account on Facebook, the furnace, which was installed in 2024, stopped working properly on January 20, 2025. It would run for five minutes and then shut off. A technician called by the family to assess the problem determined that the furnace had not been installed properly and warned that continuing to use it created a safety issue.
On Tuesday, February 24, Jeffrey Yeh reported on "Columbia County Morning News" that the furnace had been a topic of discussion when he met with Mayor Joe Ferris that day.
The resolution states that "the City's Code Enforcement Officer inspected and approved the installation" of the furnace, and hence the City was assuming the responsibility to remedy the issue. At the meeting on Thursday, Councilmember Henry Haddad (First Ward) asked: "Who did the work? Who chose the vendor? And who approved the plans from the vendor?" Before those questions were answered, Council president Margaret Morris said she was recommending that Nick Fox, the City's new code enforcement officer, reinspect the work done by the vendor who installed the furnace "to ensure there aren't any issues that we don't know about." Fox, who was present at the meeting, told the Council that the vendor was KR Construction from Schenectady, which mainly does carpentry. They had "subbed out" the HVAC work, but he did not know to whom. Regarding who chose the vendor, Fox reported that Michelle Tullo told him "she sent these grants out to be bid to multiple, multiple different contractors, and they got very few responses." KR Construction was one of the few companies that responded.
Fox also explained that the new furnace had been installed in exactly the same way as the previous furnace had been, and because it was like for like, a building permit was not required for the installation. According to Fox, the installation of neither the old furnace nor the new furnace conformed to code, but, there wasn't a problem with the old furnace because it didn't have the sensors that caused the new furnace to shut itself off.
There are two similar programs now being offered through the City's Housing Office: NYS Access to Home, for people with disabilities; and HOME Repair Program, for which the City has received a $520,000 grant. At the regular meeting of the Common Council on February 24, two resolutions were passed authorizing contracts for engineering services related to these two programs. At that meeting, Merante asked Tullo who selected the contractors to carry out projects funded by these grants. She explained, "It is a bid process, so it's advertised. So, we usually try to do like info sessions and like postings and get a pretty wide range. And if the contractors meet the requirements, then they are eligible to bid. So far as like insurance, references, eligible like work experience, stuff like that. And then the homeowners select the contractor. If the homeowner wants one that's not the least affordable, then they can get a difference. . . ." The people with the furnace problem have denied that they chose the contractor who installed the furnace.
At the Council meeting on February 24, Hudson resident Matt McGhee called for transparency in how the grants for individual home improvements are administered. At the special meeting on Thursday, Merante said, "We need to put a plan in place of corrective action so that it doesn't happen again. We need a layer of barrier that protects the homeowners and the City to make sure that something like this doesn't happen."
Tullo has defended the apparent lack of transparency around these grants, saying the names and addresses of the people receiving funding cannot be revealed for privacy reasons. That is perfectly understandable, but there is no reason to withhold information about the nature of the projects being funded, the process of selecting the contractors, or how many projects are completed with each grant. Since it seems it becomes the responsibility of the City, i.e., the taxpayers, to remedy the situation when work is done incorrectly and there are problems, it seems appropriate for the process be open to public scrutiny.
COPYRIGHT 2026 CAROLE OSTERINK
Mismanagement/no management/lack of supervision/amateurs making decisions: it's all too common at City Hall. This never should have happened. Kinda like the fiasco with the unpaid bills at the Senior Services Deptartment. Like the Council missing the deadline for rejecting the 2026 budget and ultimately having to accept it. Kinda like the purchase of $140,000-plus of the wrong parking kiosks. Kinda like hiring 2 parking consultants and basically ignoring just about everything they suggest. Kinda like the Treasurer's email getting hacked and almost losing a ton of money. Kinda like halving the width of the sidewalk in front of City Hall (wait until someone falls and sues the city!). Kinda like the Public Works Board not getting the grant money they need for the SID program. Kinda like way too many things that never should have happened.
ReplyDeleteThis is the problem with government programs, bureaucracy, bidding, paperwork, etc. Remember the $436 hammers purchased by the Pentagon? If someone needs a furnace installed and the City wants to help, just give them the money and let them hire a proper company to install one. No government oversight, no property liens, no strings attached, no problems or future headaches for the City.
ReplyDelete.
ReplyDeleteTullo claims she's hiding public funding details to protect homeowner privacy.
But taxpayers are now on the hook for a $5k botched furnace, and the family outright denies picking the contractor Tullo says they did.
We have to wonder... how many other broken home repairs out there might the City be on the hook for...
And that "privacy" excuse is looking pretty thin.
How many other families can/should/will now come forward and demand equal treatment from their municipal government?
It really makes you wonder: is the Housing Justice Director actually keeping this public funding private for the residents' sake?
Or is she just using privacy as a shield to protect herself and former mayor Kamal from the fallout of mismanaged grants and potential patronage for votes and allies?
Taxpayers are footing the bill, and we deserve real accountability, not a smokescreen extending into the Ferris administration.
When does Tullo's grant run out? And could the organization that paid for the grant that pays her, also pay for any liability related to her work?
I can agree with the concept of providing anonymity to recipients of public assistance. There is a stigma and folks should be shielded from it when necessity requires them to lean on the public's largesse. But knowing that the family in question didn't select the contractor seems to indicate that their identity is known -- so there is nothing to protect there. Otherwise, there should be accountability -- you are right, HCS. Ms. Trullo should be able to disclose the requested information without violating anyone's privacy if the personal details are redacted but available to the mayor and council president and treasurer -- the 3 City officials responsible for the budget (and, in the case of the council president, the city check book).
DeleteTullo's office is not protected from FOIL's by the Social Services Law...
DeleteAlso she works in the Mayor's Office... she is a grant and City of Hudson funded municipal employee.
So the City of Hudson is liable for all her actions. She is currently non-compliant with several FOILs.
It is reasonable to argue for privacy (of residents who applied due to financial burdens, whose privacy should be respected, as Friedman notes) under standard NYS FOIL law.
But then you can have the City attorney review it with the DA or an independent watch dog without sharing it publicly.
But still, it's quite odd.
The Hudson Roots program was previously run by an experienced Albany based Catholic nonprofit. They kept complete records, and their FOIL records applied a consistent and dare we say transparent redaction process.
Then .... Greater Hudson Promise Neighborhood (GHPN) took over the program... (former Mayor Kamal, romantic interest of Housing Justice Director Tullo, sit/sat on its board), and their FOILed data is wildly inconsistent within its own Responsive Production, but also in comparison to the predecessor org.
The FOIL response shows critical gaps:
It withholds ledgers, eligibility records, and payee information; omits proof of who approved payments or how need was verified; and fails to provide records of banking controls, conflicts of interest, or insurance (as mandated by the contracts).
As it stands, the City of Hudson (under Kamal administration) cannot (or chooses not to) show where Hudson Roots money went (where is proof of recipient (landlord or renter ACH or check clearance), who decided how it was spent, which two or more key persons jointly approved wires/ACH/transfers/cheques, or whether recipients met hardship criteria.
In the limited FOIL data Tullo did hand over (which was partial, redacted, and clearly omitted certain verified communications with 3rd parties) they casually helped people pay for vehicle repairs, and other non-housing costs, and in one particularly weird case, just to give one example, they paid someone's rent because:
"Roommate moved out, had to cover their rent."
Who decides which expenses the middle-class taxpayer should subsidize?
If you went door to door in the 5th and 3rd ward and asked residents
A) did you know about this program and B) do you want your property tax dollars to pay for someone's rent because they chose an unreliable roommate...
we bet that the majority would be unaware of this program, and the majority would not want to subsidize secretly and selectively while their taxes go up inexorably.
A reasonable person could argue that if your roommate moves out the "Roots" housing program can help you cover their rent on a short term basis, but then shouldn't that financial aid be extended equally to all residents? (US Constitution)
Or at least all residents in the same economic bracket?
And do voters know?
Relatedly... if Hudson Roots paid landlords rent on behalf of residents, and Galvan is/was the biggest landlord in the middle and bottom quartile of apartments in the City...
then Tullo (who at the time lived in Galvan housing) paid Galvan public funds. Undisclosed conflict of interest?
This brings the City back to the case of Kamal's missing Galvan rent disclosures.
Relatedly, Ms. Tullo managed the awareness campaign for the Comprehensive Plan Survey... which had roughly equal or fewer verified City of Hudson resident respondents than
Deletea) Lloyd's petition signature to get on the mayor ballot and
b) the charter reform petition. Around 300.
So why do we believe that Ms. Tullo and the Hudson Roots program successfully informed all eligible residents about Hudson Roots?
What if someone moved here a few years ago, and say, they were Ukrainian and not part of the "in group" around certain NGOs and the Youth Center... just bad luck for them?
Also, Ms. Tullo, please let us know if we are misreading this, but total program and administration costs for the Housing Trust Fund office is more than the direct aid provided?
Usha Berlin made this point at a public meeting, on video. Can that be true?
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All this to say;
- Columbia County Gov Budget: $200m
- HCSD budget: $60m (there are 11 school districts of this size or smaller)
- Hudson Youth Center Budget: ~$1m
- HHA budget $2m
> District Attorney budget $1.88m <
The DA is responsible for all traffic violations and a mountain of violent and sexual crime prosecutions. Their small (but capable) office of maybe a dozen may not have the resources to pursue $100k here or there in housing fraud, or groups like HCHC, a self-described 501c3 that just got their IRS status back after losing it (as per QC comment on this blog), openly taking part in political campaigns (endorsing candidates, canvassing, substantial lobbying, also, lols, a tenant of Galvan that admitted to paying the highest rent per square foot in Columbia County, and naturally shares an office with CCSM etc.)
Maybe if we funded the DA (who seems to be building an efficient new administration) with $4m or $6m... the overall savings in recovered public fraud and rampant private fraud would be 5x or 10x that investment to the public?
Maybe the way to get taxes down, reform County old boys networks, clean up the Not-for-profits who act as political entities in Hudson... is simply to empower The People's Lawyer... who is directly elected by us, and does not answer to Murrell, Ferris, or even the Sheriff.
You would think Sam Hodge would push this... he cares about justice and the small guy..... just checked his IG; talking about Iran.
Thanks Sam. Are you running for Assembly or junior membership of the Council on Foreign Relations?
¯\_(ツ)_/¯
. We were not aware that Michelle was still serving as Housing Director for the City of Hudson. The family in question had reached out to us prior to the incident post personally for intervention, and we had scheduled a meeting with the Mayor and his aide for Tuesday, the 24th. Our primary goal was to resolve the matter efficiently, both for the family's benefit and to address other pressing issues. During our discussions, we covered various topics, and we believe all matters were addressed transparently and fairly. Regarding the question, Michelle's term as Housing Director is set to conclude at the end of the year due to grant stipulations. While we acknowledge her contributions, we concur with Majority Leader Dominic Merante's perspective that prudent fiscal management would have been beneficial before allocating funds for these grants, which now renders the City of Hudson financially liable. As unelected officials, we will ensure accountability and results if necessary. Given Dominic Merante's extensive experience in office, we trust that he understands the importance of oversight and accountability. The family endured undue hardship during one of the coldest February periods on record, which underscores the need for timely action.
ReplyDeleteI trust the common council with the guidance of the Hudson Mayor Joe Ferris along with the Common Council did the right thing here.
But these mistakes can not be allowed to continue, putting families at risk, and the City of Hudson on the financial hook for messing up, this needs to be dealt with on the front end with the planning process.
No more no less.
In Hudson ... The more things change ... the more they stay the same ... Hudson needs a kinda genealogy diagram showing how all these entities are interrelated ... as it is its more like Bingo chancy and not easy for this tax payer to understand ...
ReplyDeleteWhy was the furnace replaced in the first place if it worked fine? I thought this program was to fix specific problems to keep homes habitable. Not for general renovations and upgrades.
ReplyDeleteMs. Tullo - asking for a reader... but where can a 3rd Ward resident with a broken HVAC apply for City of Hudson funding?
DeleteThe resident family has a household income at 80% AMI (~$92,900 for 4 people), and lives in Hudson.
They were not aware of the Hudson Roots program, and received no mailers or notices in their City of Hudson mailings on how to apply
According to the Hudson Roots program the only requirements are:
1) residency of the City
[Does Greenport count, as it does for the City of Hudson Youth Center?]
2) "Displacement Risk" from utility debt, income, sudden rent increases
3) Applicant cannot access other rental assistance programs.
[Curious how you verify that other state and national programs have been exhausted by the applicant. And how your office validates income and assets to make sure that those in need get help first]
Now the question that any diligent taxpayer should ask... did the City of Hudson / Housing Justice Director verify these 3 conditions for every recipient?
Can she prove it?
And if the list of recipients were made public today... how many may not fit the criteria?
If this program was above board, why not make it public and have elected Common Council members review the "private information / PIIA" in camera, i.e. not have digital copies but inspect in person.
Or are we (and many other residents) confusing separate programs?
The HHTF (Hudson Housing Trust Fund) information on the City website is from 2022 (4 years ago);
https://www.hudsonny.gov/departments/housing/hhf.php
There is no explainer comparing Hudson Roots to other programs or source of funds by HHTF.
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Of course this is a classic example of why Classical Liberals believe the government should be as small as possible, and no smaller. The government’s primary job is to protect "Life, Liberty, and Property."
These "temporary" programs, entitlements, "aid" whatever you want to call them, no matter how well intentioned, have a way of becoming permanent.. at the expense of middle class taxpayers.
And politically appointed persons (in this case the girlfriend of the former mayor who explicitly stated as his campaign promise not to collect owed taxes from certain politically preferred groups) have to decide which residents win or lose.
Tullo may not give these grants to residents who were critical of her boyfriend. If you counter that she would, or did, how do we know?
It is all a black box.
Even worse... they paid a contractor from another County. We believe in the free-market, but a responsible public official could have made these work orders open to all in Columbia County and City of Hudson vendors to bid in the open market, and by special invitation outside county vendors?
At least then money stayed within the community, and the Code Enforcement Officer can review the list of vendors to make sure all vendors are above board with no prior violations in Hudson. That is how the Code Officer avoids massive fires and injuries.
Perhaps it's time for the mayor or the council to seek a State Comptroller's audit? If that's not available, a reputable CPA firm should be hired to review the records, as you say, in camera (which, in my understanding, means not only no copies, but in a private, unobserved (by the public) setting and thus the need for a CPA as they work for the public, not whomever hires them). The latter option will not be cheap but neither should be our willingness to accept opacity from public officials in the use of taxpayer funds and the concomitant erosion it causes faith in democratic institutions.
DeleteIndeed - a detractor of this view might say, as they did during last year's election and at every housing related conversation in front of the council and planning board;
Delete"You are greedy! People are _suffering_!"
But what they fail to realize is these funds may not have gone to the most needy people. There may have been double payments. Accidental or intentional. And there may have been payments to politically prioritized individuals.
Still - the most honest and fair way to help the most people, we would argue, is to lower the taxes, which will make it easier for businesses, owners, and renters.
p.s. Friendly reminder that the DOJ's largest single-day bribery takedown in its history...
Was New York's Public Housing.
Sure Madoff and Bankman-Fried stole more money, but NYCHA's culture of corruption where superintendents across the city simultaneously demanded 10–20% kickbacks for basic repairs like plumbing and windows was systemic and arguably harmed more people in need.
https://www.justice.gov/usao-sdny/pr/70-current-and-former-nycha-employees-charged-bribery-and-extortion-offenses