The Open Window

Once upon a time, the Charles Alger House, at 59 Allen Street, had a tripartite window in its east facade. 

At some point in the house's long life, that window disappeared, replaced by a single, smaller, off-center window, which in 1954, when the first of these pictures was taken, had a drip mould similar to the ones on the other windows.

Photo: Matt McGhee

The plans for the restoration of the house involve reproducing the original tripartite window.

Recently, the bricks that had closed up the original window opening were removed. Earlier this week, Gossips took this picture of the building to show the original opening for the window restored.

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What to Do This Weekend

It's Columbus Day Weekend, or as we now know it, Indigenous Peoples Day Weekend. It's also the weekend for Open Studio Hudson. This year, forty-four Hudson artists are opening their studios for visits from the public--to view their work uncurated and get insight into their creative process. The studios are open from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m., today and tomorrow. Click here to learn more about the event and the artists. Click here to download the map.

COVID-19 Update

The Columbia County Department of Health has released its numbers for today. Since yesterday, there have been 13 new cases of COVID-19. The number of active cases being reported today is 26 fewer than yesterday, from which it can be inferred that, since yesterday, 39 county residents have recovered from the virus. There are 24 fewer county residents in mandatory quarantine today than yesterday, but the number hospitalized remains the same. The one person hospitalized is not in the ICU. There has not been another death from COVID-19 in Columbia County since yesterday. 

The New York Forward dashboard is reporting a positivity rate in the past 24 hours in Columbia County of 4.1 percent and a seven-day average of 3.0 percent. By comparison, the daily positivity rate for the Capital Region is 3.4 percent and the seven-day average is 3.6 percent.

A year ago today, the CCDOH reported 3 new cases of COVID-19. The total number of cases was 584, and the number of active cases was 19. There were 48 county residents in mandatory quarantine, 2 were hospitalized, and 1 was in the ICU. The total number of deaths attributed to COVID-19 at this time last year was 37.

Questions of Appropriateness

On Wednesday, in advance of the first presentation to the IDA (Industrial Development Agency) of the plans for the restoration and reuse of the Pocketbook Factory, Alderman Rebecca Wolff (First Ward), who as Common Council minority leader serves on the IDA, posted the following on the Hudson Area Community Board Facebook page: 

Hi Community. . . . Here's how you can join the IDA meeting at which the first presentation by the developers who want to develop the Pocketbook Factory will be proposing why they "need" tax abatement in order to move forward with the project. Note that it is simply a foregone conclusion that they will say they "need" it in order to continue because this is what the federal government mandates they say if they are to apply for a tax abatement. PLEASE join the meeting via zoom link below if you are interested to find out how they try to make their case for their need.

Wolff's appeal brought a number of people to the Zoom meeting, who asked questions in the "Chat"--questions that were posed to the applicant. Claire Cousin asked if they would be accepting homeless vouchers in the 40-room hotel which is part of the proposal. That question was seconded by Kaya Weidman of Kite's Nest. Sean Roland, who was making the presentation answered, "We haven't discussed this, but we would be open to considering this." Responding to Roland's statement that they needed a "strong economic driver to afford the expense of restoration," Weidman asserted that RUPCO has converted old buildings into affordable housing and asked Roland if they had talked with RUPCO. Roland said they had met with RUPCO but decided that converting the building for housing "shut off accessibility to the public" and making the building accessible to the public was one of their goals.

At one point, Roland asked, "If members of the public are asking questions, is this a public hearing?" Mike Tucker, who as president of CEDC (Columbia Economic Development Corporation) serves as an adviser to the IDA, told him it was not a public hearing, but the IDA liked to hear the concerns of the public as they were learning about a project.

The whole experience raises a couple of questions. First, is it appropriate for members of the IDA to rally opposition to or support for projects that come before them? In this case, Wolff's appeal exposed her opposition to the project's request for tax abatements and encouraged others who shared her view to attend the meeting. In the past, Alderman Tiffany Garriga (Second Ward), who chairs the IDA, used social media on several occasions to muster supporters of the Galvan project to attend IDA meetings. 

The second question has to do with the use of "Chat" during a meeting. During the IDA meeting, the "Chat" function was enabled, and attendees could type in all their questions and comments, which Tucker and Wolff made a point of reading aloud. At the Common Council Legal Committee meeting on Wednesday night, Council president Tom DePietro explained that the "Chat" had been disabled for the meeting because "we are trying to replicate the experience of an in-person meeting." At an in-person meeting, it would be unlikely that the public would be allowed to interrupt a presentation to ask questions or engage in a dialog with a presenter. Public comment, if it is entertained at all, is invited only at the end of a meeting. 

The PowerPoint of Roland's presentation, along with other documents submitted to the IDA about the project, can be found on the City of Hudson website by clicking here. The information includes a fiscal impact analysis and a benefit-cost analysis. As was pointed out at the IDA meeting on Wednesday, the benefit-to-cost ratio of the project for the City of Hudson is 10 to 1--the anticipated benefits to the City are ten times more than the forgone tax revenue.

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Not Giving Up

On Tuesday, September 14, the Planning Board made a negative declaration under SEQRA (State Environmental Quality Review Act) on the two apartment buildings on North Seventh Street proposed by the Galvan Foundation. The next day, the Industrial Development Agency (IDA) voted 4 to 2 to approve the PILOTs and other financial benefits sought for the two buildings. What remains is for the Planning Board to grant site plan approval.

Bill Huston, who lives a few blocks from the site of the proposed buildings, has been a steadfast critic of the project, objecting to it primarily on the grounds of the impact the buildings will have on parking availability in the neighborhood. Yesterday, the Register-Star published Huston's critical analysis of the parking study commissioned by the Galvan Foundation and presented to the Planning Board: "Galvan Parking Study loaded with inaccuracies."

The Planning Board is scheduled to meet at 6:00 p.m. on Thursday, October 14. It is expected the board will complete its site plan review and make a decision about approving the project at that meeting.

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The Mayor's Public Hearing: Following Up

Earlier today, Gossips reported about the amendments Alderman Rebecca Wolff (First Ward) wanted to make to the "good cause" eviction law, which the Common Council voted to enact in September--with eight yes votes, one abstention, and two aldermen absent. The amendments would make the law even more stringent, eliminating "significant market changes" as justification for raising the rent more than 5 percent and an owner's ability to sell a property free of residential tenancy obligations. This afternoon, in his public hearing on the law, Mayor Kamal Johnson said that, on the advice of counsel, he would be vetoing the law, "so it is heading back to the Common Council." It is heading back to the Common Council to be amended in the manner Wolff requested.

Although Johnson said he would be vetoing the law in its present form, two members of the public made comments about the law. The first was Margaret Morris, who is running as a write-in candidate for First Ward alderman. Morris expressed concern that some of the provisions of the law would hurt people seeking apartments in Hudson. She warned that, if a landlord cannot terminate a lease, new tenants will be subjected to a much higher bar in terms of credit scores and job stability. She argued there had not been "sufficient conversations with landlords" and asserted, "Landlords and tenants have a shared interest, and that has not been explored." She urged, "Take a step back, and think about the problem we are trying to solve."

It should be noted that, after a brief mention of this law at a meeting of the Common Council ad hoc committee devoted to drafting inclusionary zoning legislation, this law was presented to the Council on August 17. Here's what Gossips reported about it at the time:

Another new law that made a sudden appearance this month without any vetting in public was an amendment to the code prohibiting evictions without cause. The proposed law appears to have been modeled after the good cause eviction law passed in July by the City of Albany Common Council. Gossips believes copies of the Albany law were passed around to members of the ad hoc committee pursuing inclusionary zoning at its meeting on Wednesday, August 4, but the law was not discussed at that meeting.   

Also commenting on the law at the mayor's public hearing this afternoon was Kristal Heinz, who said the law had been rushed and suggested had not been "thought through." Heinz predicted that the law would "push a lot of people out of the rental market" and would "make more rental units inaccessible." Heinz cited the eviction moratorium in New York, which is effective through January 15, 2022, and said, "We don't have to rush this right now." She argued that the goal should be "to make rentals more affordable and more available." She also asked why the mayor had been asked to veto the law, but that question went unanswered during the hearing.

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COVID-19 Update

The Columbia County Department of Health has released its numbers for today. Since yesterday, there has been another death from COVID-19, bringing the total number of deaths from the virus in the county to 103. Also since yesterday, there have been sixteen new cases of COVID-19. The number of active cases being reported today is seven more than yesterday, from which it can be inferred that, since yesterday, eight county residents have recovered from the virus. There are fourteen fewer county residents in mandatory quarantine today than yesterday, and four fewer are hospitalized with the virus. Of those now hospitalized, none is in the ICU. 

The New York Forward dashboard is reporting a positivity rate for Columbia County yesterday of 1.6 percent and a seven-day average of 2.9 percent. By comparison, the daily positivity rate for the Capital Region is 3.2 percent and the seven-day average is 3.6 percent.

A year ago today, the CCDOH reported 1 new case of COVID-19. The total number of cases was 580, and the number of active cases was 15. There were 26 county residents in mandatory quarantine, and 1 was hospitalized and in the ICU. The total number of deaths attributed to COVID-19 at this time last year was 37.

A Change of Heart

Today at 4:00 p.m., Mayor Kamal Johnson holds a public hearing on three proposed laws. One of them is the "good cause" eviction law. Last night, at the Common Council Legal Committee meeting, Alderman Rebecca Wolff (First Ward) said she wanted to amend the law, which the Council had voted to enact at its September meeting. Among the changes requested by Wolff were deleting the words "significant market changes relevant to the subject unit" in paragraph 1 under "Grounds for removal of tenants" and deleting this paragraph, paragraph 9, altogether:

The owner-landlord has in good faith entered into a contract for the sale of the housing accommodation and such contract requires that the housing accommodation be transferred free and clear of any and all residential tenancy obligations as a condition of such sale where the owner-landlord has no shared financial or other interest with the potential buyer than the sale of the housing accommodation in question and submitted sufficient proof to the court thereof.

Wolff said of the amendments she was proposing, "This is how [the law] has been passed in other cities." When asked where it had been passed other than in Albany and Hudson, Wolff named a number of cities, among them Kingston, Newburgh, Poughkeepsie, and Beacon. Council president Tom DePietro said his information was that Beacon was still considering it.

Jeff Baker, counsel to the Council, told Wolff that the mayor had already scheduled a public hearing on the law but suggested the mayor could veto it "to give time to make corrections." It will be interesting to see what the mayor does. Click here to access the hearing on Zoom.

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Great Expectations

Everyone was thrilled when the City of Hudson was awarded a $1 million anti-displacement grant. Just a few days ago, Council president Tom DePietro was speculating that some of that $1 million might be used to give the mayor's aide a $5,000 a year raise because he spends some of his time working on anti-displacement issues. 

Yesterday, at the Board of Estimate and Apportionment (BEA) budget workshop, Michelle Tullo, the housing justice director who was hired with funds from the grant, told the BEA that Enterprise, the funding source for the grant, "doesn't want to give us funds unless we are committed to the future." Of the $1 million, $400,000 has been received, and the remaining $600,000 has been allocated as "seed money" for a housing trust fund. To show its commitment, Tullo was requesting about $200,000 from the City: 10 percent of the ARPA (American Rescue Plan Act) funds and 50 percent of the lodging tax revenue.

The members of the BEA--mayor, Council president, treasurer--seemed a little surprised by the request. DePietro said he was "curious how we commit funds before we know how it will be used." Tullo told him, "We know the parameters; we just don't know specifics." Mayor Kamal Johnson said the City could pay the 25 percent of the staff salaries not covered by the grant, which amounts to $22,000. 

City treasurer Heather Campbell asked about the per capita income in the cities Tullo was using as comparables to justify her ask. She also wanted to know if any of those cities consistently ran a deficit, with its expenditures exceeding its revenues. DePietro pointed out that the housing trust fund program in Burlington, Vermont, was created in the 1980s by Bernie Sanders, and commented, "The key was it would not break the bank."

Tullo reiterated that the $600,000 in seed money would not be released until the City shows a commitment and argued, "Grants are not enough to provide reliable, consistent funding." 

The discussion ended with Johnson saying, "Let's come back to this in the next round."

Also yesterday, Alderman Ryan Wallace (Third Ward), who chairs the Tourism Board, presented that entity's budget request, which since Monday had increased by $30,000 to $160,000: $100,000 for "Heritage Programs" and $60,000 for "Growth Initiatives." In presenting the budget, Wallace talked about creating "an environment that is attractive to visitors" and lets them "see under the hood of what makes Hudson special." 

During the discussion, DePietro opined, "The Tourism Board has a better future as a 501(c)3 with a contribution from the City." Johnson declared himself agreeable to committing to funds for the Heritage Programs but did not want to commit funding to Growth Initiatives. It was suggested there might be a quarterly application process for Growth Initiatives. Johnson also stated, "We have no commitment to doing seasonal usage in the future."

Campbell expressed concern about the two new requests for funding, reminding her colleagues on the BEA that the City has for the past several years run a deficit: its expenditures are greater than its revenues.

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COVID-19 Update

The Columbia County Department of Health has released its numbers for today. Since yesterday, there have been six new cases of COVID-19. The number of active cases being reported today is 83 fewer than yesterday but only seven fewer than on Monday, which supports the notion that yesterday's numbers to total cases and active cases were a little strange and makes it possible to infer that, since Monday, thirteen county residents have recovered from the virus. There are 26 more county residents in mandatory quarantine today than yesterday, but there is one fewer hospitalized. The number of the hospitalized that are in the ICU remains the same. There has not been a death from COVID-19 reported in Columbia County since Monday, September 27.

The New York Forward dashboard has not been updated since yesterday.

A year ago today, the CCDOH reported 1 new case of COVID-19. The total number of cases was 579, and the number of active cases was 14. There were 26 county residents in mandatory quarantine, and 1 county resident was hospitalized and in the ICU. The total number of deaths attributed to COVID-19 at this time last year was 37.

Who Wants to Run for Local Office?

Early voting begins in just seventeen days--on Saturday, October 23. Sample ballots can be viewed at the Board of Elections website and absentee ballots are already going out to those voters who have requested them. The sad thing is that the ballots for the First Ward and the Third Ward in Hudson contain the names of people, running unopposed, who are no longer actually running.

In the First Ward, there are two and only two people whose names appear on the ballot as candidates for the two alderman seats: Art Frick and Gary Purnhagen. There were never any choices for alderman in the First Ward this year. The two people, both Democrats, who got the requisite number of signatures on their petitions got on the ballot without being primaried, and since there are no candidates from other parties running, they were certain to win. But back in July, Purnhagen dropped out of the race. Although his name is still on the ballot, voting for him would be meaningless. The ballot, as it is printed, provides voters in the First Ward with only one choice: Frick. 

Fortunately, for First Ward voters, there is someone who has stepped up and decided to run a write-in campaign. That person is Margaret Morris. So, although First Ward voters still don't actually have a choice, they are not forced to abdicate the selection of their representative in city government to the Common Council, which is what would happen if there were not a write-in candidate. First Ward voters can write in the name "Margaret Morris," easily remembered and easily spelled, at the bottom of the column farthest to the right on the ballot, in the box labeled "Write-in."  

The Third Ward is in a similar situation. Two and only two names appear on the ballot as candidates for the two alderman seats: Calvin Lewis and Ryan Wallace. As with the First Ward candidates, Lewis and Wallace got the requisite number of signatures on their petitions and got on the ballot, unprimaried and unopposed by candidates from another party. But during the summer, Lewis, who was serving as one of the two Third Ward aldermen, took a job with the Youth Department, and as a consequence, in early July, he resigned as an alderman and as a candidate for re-election. Wallace, the other candidate now on the ballot, was appointed to replace him on the Council. 

As with the First Ward, the ballot provides only one choice for the two Third Ward alderman seats on the Council: Wallace. Unlike the First Ward, however, no one has announced, not to Gossips' knowledge at least, that they are running a write-in campaign. So unless a write-in candidate emerges in the next couple of weeks, it appears that the Common Council will be deciding in January who the second person will be to represent the Third Ward.

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COVID-19 Update

The Columbia County Department of Health released its numbers for today about a hour ago. Since yesterday, there have been ten new cases of COVID-19. Some of the statistics being reported seem a little questionable. The total number of cases being reported today is 266 fewer than yesterday, and the number of active cases is 76 more than yesterday. Neither of those numbers is likely to be correct. These figures, however, do seem more probable. The number of county residents in mandatory quarantine today is eleven more than yesterday, and one fewer county resident is hospitalized with the virus today than yesterday. One of those hospitalized is in the ICU, and we know from Matt Murell's press release that the person in the ICU was unvaccinated. There has not been a death from COVID-19 reported in Columbia County since Monday, September 27.   

The New York Forward dashboard is reporting a positivity rate in Columbia County yesterday of 5.7 percent and a seven-day average of 3.6 percent. By comparison, the daily positivity rate for the Capital Region was 5.1 percent and the seven-day average was 3.6 percent.

A year ago today, the CCDOH reported no new cases of COVID-19. The total number of cases was 577, and the number of active cases was 13. There were 22 county residents in mandatory quarantine, and 1 was hospitalized and in the ICU. The total number of deaths attributed to COVID-19 at this time last year was 37.

COVID News

The Columbia County Department of Health has not yet released its numbers for today, but this afternoon Matt Murell, chair of the Columbia County Board of Supervisors, issued a press release declaring "Infection Positivity Rate Drops." Here are the paragraphs that follow that head:

As of today, the in-county infection positivity rate stands at 4.2 percent, whereas last Tuesday that rate stood at 6.8 percent, noted Columbia County Department of Health Director Jack Mabb.

Over the past seven days, the county Department of Health recorded 19 new cases for Sunday-Monday, 14 on Saturday, 14 Friday, 13 last Thursday, and eight last Wednesday. There were five new cases as of midday today.

Currently, seven county residents are hospitalized, and one individual is in the ICU. That person is unvaccinated.

There are currently a total of 83 cases of the virus associated with county schools, 74 among students and nine staff members.

DOH Director Mabb said Tuesday that the rate of at least one vaccination among county residents is "closing in on 80 percent for those 12 and up. I think that's a great number. I think we're in pretty good shape with vaccinations, but it bothers me to see these deaths. We've had five in the last six weeks, all among the unvaccinated. It's really terribly tragic and so unnecessary."

A Preview of the Tourism Board Budget

Tomorrow afternoon, the Tourism Board goes before the BEA (Board of Estimate and Apportionment) to request funding for 2022. At its meeting in September, Tourism Board member Chris McManus proposed that the board ask the BEA for $209,845. 

At last night's meeting of the Tourism Board, Alderman Ryan Wallace (Third Ward), who now chairs the Tourism Board, presented a more conservative version of the budget. In presenting his proposal, Wallace spoke of "turning Hudson into a compelling place to visit" and making Hudson "a happening place to be," as if it weren't those things already.   

Wallace's proposal identified eleven events that he described as "Heritage Programs": Black Enterpreneurs Market, Black Arts & Cultural Festival, Juneteenth, Bangladeshi Cultural  Festival, Latinx Festival, Halloween Parade, Winter Walk, Flag Day, Hudson Pride Parade, Waterfront Wednesdays, Pocket Park Initiatives. Wallace proposed that $100,000 be budgeted for those eleven events.     

He also suggested allocating $30,000 for what he called "Growth Initiatives." Wallace did not include in his proposal the $42,000 for Warren Street Seasonal Usage, which had been part of McManus's suggested budget. 

McManus objected to asking for only $30,000 for growth initiatives, asserting that Hudson's increased sales tax revenue was evidence that the Tourism Board's initiatives were bringing more people and money to Hudson. He argued that there should be $100,000 for new initiatives, to fund a "seed program" like Waterfront Wednesdays for every season. 

Wallace spoke about corporate sponsorship for events, mentioning specifically such national chains as Pizza Hut and Starbucks, neither of which has a presence in Hudson since chains and formula businesses are banned from the city.

The Tourism Board was originally funded by the percentage of revenue from the lodging tax. Council president Tom DePietro pointed out that the revenue from the lodging tax has decreased as revenue from sales tax has increased and suggested, "If the old standard were still in effect, how much would you have gotten?" His suggestion seemed to imply that the Tourism Board might use that number to help them determine how much to ask for 2022. McManus credited the Tourism Board with the shift in tax revenue, saying they had "gone after daytrippers."

It will not be known until tomorrow if the Tourism Board will present the $130,000 budget proposed by Wallace or will seek more funding. What the board did agree on last night was that the cost of Warren Street Shared Usage in 2022 will be charged to those businesses that participate in the program. Tourism Board member Kate Treacy reported there were thirty-seven participants this year, which, assuming a cost of $42,000, meant that each participating business would pay $1,135 for the season or about $50 a week to utilize the parking spaces in front of their establishments.

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Ragtime at Hudson Hall

This Friday, October 8, at 7:00 p.m., Tony Kieraldo launches his new album, Hudson Ragtime Piano Suite, with a concert at Hudson Hall. Kieraldo has composed a rag for each of the east-west streets in Hudson--Allen, Union, Warren, Columbia, and State.

Syncopated Times describes the rags in this way:

There are five new rags here, each inspired by and named for a Hudson street. Allen Street Rag is stately, befitting the beautiful mansion homes that line it, once inhabited by Hudson's high society. Union Street rag is a sea shanty inspired piece. Looking back on the city's whaling history, it has a looser movement to it. Warren Street Rag is the most Joplinesque of the five, teasing Maple Leaf Rag. It is named for the city's Main Street, which was renamed Warren Street in 1799, though the Warren so honored is lost to history. With this rag Kieraldo attempts to connect the past and present as Warren Street has again become the bustling center of Hudson with new restaurants and drinking establishments opening even during the pandemic.

Diamond Street Rag gets right to the roots of ragtime, honoring what was once Hudson's red light and "colored" district, too close to the slaughterhouses and tanneries for respectable folk. Home to both brothels and middle class Black congregations the work opens with a theme that instantly recalls a rough and tumble blues den but later calls up images of a proud promenade, and closes with a festive dance or, as he puts it in the notes, police breaking up the party. (Diamond Street was renamed Columbia Street in the 1920s to distance itself from the reputation it had acquired.)  

State Street was a working class district known for breweries where many of the slaughterhouse workers lived. The State Street Rag closes the collection with an attempt to encompass the modern diversity of the area by introducing the most complex set of melodies heard.

Kieraldo's performance of the rags will be peppered with filmed interviews with such Hudson folk as Reverend Ed Cross, former mayor Dick Tracy, local historian Ken Sheffer, and me, The Gossips of Rivertown, sharing history and memories and stories about the streets. The History Room at the Hudson Area Library has also provided archival images of each street which will be projected on Hudson Hall's cinema-sized screen. 

The album and the accompanying songbook will be available for purchase at the event. For more information and to purchase tickets, click here.

COVID-19 Update

The Columbia County Department of Health has released its numbers for today. Since Saturday, there have been nineteen new cases of COVID-19. The number of active cases being reported today is eight fewer than on Saturday, from which it can be inferred that, since Saturday, 27 county residents have recovered from the virus. The number of county residents in mandatory quarantine is 111 fewer today than on Saturday, but three more county residents are now hospitalized with the virus, and one of those hospitalized is in the ICU. 

The New York Forward dashboard is reporting a positivity rate in Columbia County yesterday of 1.6 percent and a seven-day average of 3.1 percent. By comparison, the daily positivity rate for the Capital Region was 3.4 percent and the seven-day average was 3.6 percent.

A year ago today, the CCDOH reported no new cases of COVID-19. The total number of cases was 577, and the number of active cases was 14. There were 24 county residents in mandatory quarantine, and 1 was hospitalized and in the ICU. The total number of deaths attributed to COVID-19 at this time last year was 37.

More Meetings in the Week Ahead

For those who monitor city meetings, every afternoon this week is taken up with budget workshops, but in-between there are other meetings of interest.

• On Monday, October 4, the Tourism Board meets at 7:00 p.m. Click here to join the meeting.
• On Tuesday, October 5, the Conservation Advisory Council meets at 6:00 p.m. The agenda for the meeting includes twelve reports from CAC members on such topics as the Urban Forestry Inventory, plans for Arbor Day, a proposed idling resolution, efforts to limit plastic takeout containers, and an urban alternative energy initiative. Click here to access the Zoom meeting.
• On Wednesday, October 6, the Hudson Industrial Development Agency (IDA) meets at 1:00 p.m. On the agenda for the meeting is an application from PBF Hudson LLC for exemptions from sales tax on materials and the mortgage recording tax and a ten-year PILOT (payment in lieu of taxes). The proposed redevelopment of the Pocketbook Factory is estimated to cost $25.6 million. The benefits sought amount to $1,319,479: sales tax exemption ($800,000); mortgage recording tax exemption ($478,979); PILOT agreement ($112,500). Click here to join the Zoom meeting.  

• Also on Wednesday, October 6, the Common Council Legal Committee meets at 6:00 p.m. Ongoing discussion of proposed legislation regarding sidewalks and inclusionary zoning are sure to be on the agenda. Click here to join the Zoom meeting.
• On Thursday, October 7, at 4:00 p.m., Mayor Kamal Johnson holds a public hearing on three proposed laws the Common Council has voted to enact: the law amending parking meter laws; the "good cause" eviction law; the law amending the current ban on smoking in city parks to include vaping and the use of any and all tobacco products. Click here to join the Zoom meeting.
• On Friday, October 8, the Historic Preservation Commission meets at 10:00 a.m. Click here to join the Zoom meeting. 

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Budget Workshops Continue

This week, the Board of Estimate and Apportionment (BEA) continues its review of proposed budgets for 2022. The BEA moves from one proposed budget to the next without a pause, so the times given for second and third budget topics on any given day may not be precise. At this point, the Zoom links are available only for today's workshops.

Monday, October 4

• 2:30 p.m.  Code Enforcement  Click here to access the Zoom meeting.
• 3:00 p.m.  Fire Department  Click here to access the Zoom meeting. 
• 3:30 p.m.  Senior Center  Click here to access the Zoom meeting.

Tuesday, October 5

• 2:30 p.m.  Department of Public Works  Click here to join the Zoom meeting.

Wednesday, October 6

• 2:30 p.m.  Housing Justice  Click here to join the Zoom meeting.
• 3:30 p.m.  Tourism Board  Click here to join the Zoom meeting.

Thursday, October 7

• 2:30 p.m.  Assessor  Click here to join the Zoom meeting.
• 3:00 p.m.  Planning  Click here to join the Zoom meeting.

Friday, October 8

• 3:00 p.m.  Legal  Click here to join the Zoom meeting.
• 3:30 p.m.  Non-departmental  Click here to join the Zoom meeting.

Of Dogs in Hudson

Last week, during the BEA (Board of Estimate and Apportionment) review of the proposed 2022 budget for the city clerk's office, some interesting information was revealed about dogs in Hudson. There are two items in the clerk's budget that relate to dogs: the salary for the dog control officer and an amount budgeted each year for shelter services. 

The annual salary for the dog control officer, a position now held by James Delaney, Jr., will remain the same in 2022 as it was in 2021: $7,200. The City also typically budgets $5,000 for shelter services--money paid to the Columbia-Greene Humane Society for boarding dogs found alone and at large in the city. CGHS charges $35 a day for the first ten days and an additional flat rate of $300 for dogs left at the shelter for longer than ten days. According to the current arrangement, the City pays the shelter for boarding dogs found in Hudson and charges the dog's owner $50 the first time a dog is impounded, $150 the second time, and $300 the third time.

City clerk Tracy Delaney suggested that the amount of $5,000 may be more than is needed because, thanks to social media and the Hudson Police Department, dogs are being reunited with their humans before they are impounded at the Humane Society. To confirm that, the BEA looked the amounts paid to CGHS in recent years. 

• 2021 (YTD)  $1,370
• 2020  $2,055
• 2019  $1,350
• 2018  $4,415

The BEA agreed to reduce the amount budgeted for shelter services by $2,000 to $3,000.

It was suggested that the City change its law to make the entire impoundment fee the responsibility of the dog owner. It was noted that most towns in Columbia County already have laws that make owner responsible for shelter fees. City treasurer Heather Campbell wondered about unfortunate outcomes if an owner could not afford to pay the shelter fees. The dog would be put up for adoption, and the owner forced to forfeit the dog might try to reclaim it from its new adopters. 

So far, no decision has been made about changing the City's policies regarding impoundment fees.

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COVID-19 Update

The Columbia County Department of Health released its numbers late yesterday afternoon, and Gossips is just getting around to sharing them. Between Friday and Saturday, there were fourteen new cases of COVID-19. The number of active cases reported on Saturday was six fewer than on Friday, from which it can be inferred that, from Friday to Saturday, twenty county residents were determined to have recovered from the virus. There were 23 more county residents in mandatory quarantine on Saturday than on Friday, but the number hospitalized remained the same. None of those hospitalized was in the ICU. There has not been a death from COVID-19 reported in Columbia County since Monday, September 27.

The New York Forward dashboard is reporting a positivity rate from Friday to Saturday in Columbia County of 3.2 percent and a seven-day average of 3.2 percent. By comparison, the positivity rate for the same 24-hour period in the Capital region was 3.0 percent and the seven-day average was 3.7 percent.

A year ago today, the CCDOH reported 9 new cases of COVID-19. The total number of cases was 574, and the number of active cases was 13. There were 20 county residents in mandatory quarantine, and 1 was hospitalized and in the ICU. The total number of deaths attributed to COVID-19 at this time last year was 37. 

News from the Properties Committee

On Thursday night, the ad hoc committee dealing with City-owned properties met in the time slot which, according to the city calendar, was meant for the ad hoc committee pursuing the solar farm. A few things of interest were revealed at the meeting.

The vacant lot at the corner of Fourth and State streets, which Council president Tom DePietro erroneously referred to as 401 State Street (if it had an address, it would probably be 369 State Street, but it's referred to in the tax rolls only as "State & North Fourth Street"), was one of the properties discussed. The lot has a long history--one that Gossips has told several times before but will tell again. This was the site of the Fourth Street School, originally constructed as Hudson High School in 1894.

At the beginning of 1994, then newly elected mayor Rick Scalera ordered the building, which was then privately owned, demolished because it was vacant and in disrepair and was thought to present a public safety hazard. The cost of the demolition was charged to the owner. In 2003, the lot became the property of the City of Hudson. 

Since Columbia County opened its office building at 325 Columbia Street, the lot has been used as a parking lot for county vehicles and the vehicles of county workers. It is not clear if the City of Hudson is compensated in any way for this use.

In 2012, the Common Council agreed to sell this lot and the Dunn warehouse to close a gap in the 2013 budget. Neither property was sold in 2013. In February 2020, the Council passed a resolution calling for the sale of the lot for the purpose of developing affordable housing. Twenty months later, Alderman Rebecca Wolff (First Ward) discovered that resolution, and now an RFQ (request for qualifications) is being drafted for the purpose of identifying a developer of affordable housing on that lot. The RFQ will be drafted by Michelle Tullo, the City's Housing Justice Manager, using a template provided by Joe Czajka of Pattern for Progress, the group working on Hudson's Affordable Housing Development Plan. It is expected that the RFQ will be ready for the informal Common Council meeting scheduled for October 12.

On the topic of planning, Wolff suggested creating a "Community Planning Group," presumably of volunteers, to take the place of a professional planning department, which the city does not have. Alderman John Rosenthal (Fourth Ward) said such a plan would overlap the community planning initiative of a comprehensive plan. The City has reportedly applied for a grant to do a comprehensive plan (the current plan was adopted in 2002), and there is a pledge from an unnamed private source to make up the difference between the grant money and the actual cost of a new comprehensive plan, which is estimated to be $250,000.

On the topic of selling City-owned properties, DePietro clarified that 429 Warren Street is the only building they are ready to sell. DePietro pointed out that there has been an insurance settlement for the damage incurred when pipes burst in the house near the water treatment plant. DePietro seemed to suggest that the insurance money would allow the City to make repairs to the house in preparation for putting it on the market.

Another building that had been discussed as potentially for sale seems to have come off the list: 10-12 Warren Street, the location of the Hudson Day Care Center. 

Last week, the Register-Star reported on the condition of the building: "Rain-damaged day care center seeks new home." In that article, DePietro is quoted as saying, "It's really expensive, what needs to be done. . . . Probably in the nature of, you know, upwards of half a million dollars." The article also reports: "Hudson Mayor Kamal Johnson said he is helping the day care center find a new home, but the locations would need renovating to meet specifications required for certification." On Thursday night, DePietro said the City was seeking a grant to repair day care center. The grant is "an expansion of the City's CDBG (Community Development Block Grant) application." According to mayor's aide Michael Hofmann, the grant will be submitted sometime next week and decided on in December. Hofmann also commented, "As soon as the City knows they will get the grant, it can help [the Hudson Day Care Center] with their license."

Short term rentals and specifically small hotels were also a topic of conversation at the meeting. Wolff noted that the "sunset period for the STR law (Section 325-28.3) is coming up" and spoke about enforcing the law. This segued into a conversation about hotels, no doubt inspired by the proposal to convert 26 Warren Street into a hotel. DePietro asserted, "Just because someone calls their building a hotel doesn't means it's a hotel." He mentioned specifically the Amelia Hotel in the 300 block of Allen Street and alleged, "According to Craig [Haigh, code enforcement officer], it is not a hotel." 

Photo: Realtor.com

Tullo stated that she too is involved in determining "what STRs are legal and what ones are not." DePietro said he was concerned about "a couple of buildings that are still operated as whole house [short term] rentals." 

The STR law took effect on November 17, 2020, and gave the owners of buildings being operated in a manner rendered illegal by the law one year to comply.

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COVID-19 Update

The Columbia County Department of Health has released its numbers for today. Since yesterday, there have been fourteen new cases of COVID-19. The number of active cases being reported today is twelve more than yesterday, from which it can be inferred that, since yesterday, only two county residents have recovered from the virus. There are 28 more county residents in mandatory quarantine today than yesterday, but the number hospitalized with the virus remains the same. None of those hospitalized is in the ICU. There has not been a death from COVID-19 in Columbia County since Monday, September 27.

The New York Forward dashboard is reporting a positivity rate from Wednesday to Thursday in Columbia County of 1.9 percent and a seven-day average of 4.1 percent. By comparison, the positivity rate for the same 24-hour period in the Capital Region was 3.0 percent and the seven-day average was 3.7 percent.

A year ago today, the CCDOH reported no new cases of COVID-19. The total number of cases was 565, and the number of active cases was 4. There were 17 county residents in mandatory quarantine, and 1 was hospitalized with the virus and in the ICU. The total number of deaths attributed to COVID-19 at this time last year was 37.

Truck Study Complete

Photo: Bill Huston

It was announced today on the City of Hudson website that the truck study, which has been going on for almost a year, is now complete. According to the announcement, the report by MJ Engineering & Land Surveying, which can be found here, "paves the way to improve the lives of Columbia County residents by analyzing truck traffic and proposing two alternate routes that will benefit health and safety, economy, and quality of life." The announcement goes on to say: "One route uses portions of US Route 9, and another uses portions of NY Route 66 and 9H. Both options significantly reduce truck volumes along Green Street and 3rd Street, the most densely developed sections of the existing truck route with narrow streets." 

One of the proposed alternate routes appears in brown on the map below.

The other appears in yellow on this map.

The announcement outlines next steps: 

In order for the truck route to be changed, the following needs to occur: the creation and documentation of a feasibility study; coordination with local and state officials; investigation of the route identifying costs, impacts, upgrades required, and environmental impacts; submission of a request to the NYSDOT Regional Office/Counties involved; completion of traffic impact studies; continuation of public involvement; passing of new legislation; and compliance with the New York Vehicle & Traffic Law.

CMH and the Vaccine Mandate

The Times Union reported yesterday on the impact the mandate that hospital workers be vaccinated against COVID-19 was having on hospital services: "ER wait times grow as staffing shortages strain area hospitals." Columbia Memorial Health is included in the report. Scroll down to the subhead "Similar Woes." The first of nine paragraphs devoted to CMH reads: "The average wait time at the ER at Columbia Memorial Health's hospital in Hudson has fluctuated between a half-hour and three hours for at least the last week, reaching four hours Thursday afternoon." 

The Budget Workshops Continue

Yesterday, the Board of Estimate and Apportionment (BEA)--the mayor, the Council president, and the city treasurer--met to review the budgets proposed for the Police Department and the Youth Department. In their first pass through the police budget, the BEA agreed to reduce the contingency for retiring officers by half (there are six officers eligible for retirement, but only three are likely to retire) and eliminate one of the two new patrol vehicles requested. 

Reviewing the Youth Department, which youth director Liz Yorck explained she had spent time cutting before presenting it, the BEA heard Yorck's request for a nutrition coordinator to be added to the staff, to oversee snacks offered at the Youth Center and handle the concession stand at Oakdale, and her plans to create sources of revenue at Oakdale: for example, kayak rentals and user fees for nonresidents. She also reported that the department would be able to cut back on the budget for programming because they were getting so much support from Friends of Hudson Youth.

The budget workshops continue today. Here's the schedule for today with the Zoom links:

• 2:30 p.m.  City Clerk, Common Council, Parking Bureau  Click here to join the Zoom meeting.
• 3:30 p.m.  Treasurer's Office  Click here to join the Zoom meeting.
• 4:00 p.m.  Mayor's Office  Click here to join the Zoom meeting.