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.

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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.

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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.

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. 

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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. 

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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.

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?

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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

Meetings and Events in the Week Ahead

The first full week of April promises a fair number of April showers, as well as a fair number of meetings of importance.

• On Monday April 7, at 5:45 p.m., the Common Council holds a public hearing on an amendment to the zoning code that would permit child daycare facilities as a conditional use in all the zoning districts in Hudson. (They are currently permitted only in R-5 Districts.) The hearing is a hybrid, taking place in person at City Hall and on Microsoft Teams. Click here for the link to join the hearing remotely.
• At 6:00 p.m. on Monday, April 7, the Common Council holds its informal meeting. Among the items on the agenda for the meeting is a resolution to increase the rates for parking at meters to $1.00 an hour for meters on the street and $.75 an hour for meters in municipal parking lots. 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 8, the Planning Board holds its monthly meeting at 6:30 p.m. The agenda for the meeting contains only two things: Mill Street Lofts and an application from the new rector at Christ Church Episcopal to keep chicken in the backyard at the rectory. Despite there being an A/V professional on the Planning Board, the meeting will be in person only at City Hall. 

• On Thursday, April 10, at 6:30 p.m., the Planning Board holds a public hearing on the conditional use permit for Colarusso's dock operation. The hearing does not appear on the City of Hudson calendar, but Gossips has learned it will take place at the Central Fire Station, 77 North Second Street. Not surprisingly, the hearing will be in person only.

• On Friday, April 11, the Historic Preservation Commission meets at 10:00 a.m. 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.

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Of Critical Interest

This week, Ben Fain, Melissa Auf der Maur, Tony Stone, and Donna Streitz were guests on WGXC's Thursday Afternoon Show, hosted by Tom DePietro and Selha Graham. In the runup to the Planning Board public hearing scheduled for Thursday, April 10, the conversation was about the dock and Colarusso's application for a conditional use permit for its dock operations on the river, adjacent to Henry Hudson Riverfront Park. The conversation can be heard here, beginning at 59:10.  

Since this show aired, Gossips has confirmed that the public hearing will take place at 6:30 p.m. on Thursday, April 10, at the Central Fire Station, 77 North Seventh Street.

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Who's Running in Hudson

Designating petitions were due on Thursday, and the list of those who submitted petitions is available on the Columbia County Board of Elections website. The list includes all the candidates in Columbia County in the order the petitions were filed. To make things easier, Gossips presents the list of Hudson candidates only, reorganized by position sought.

Citywide

Mayor

Joseph Ferris--Democrat

Kamal Johnson--Democrat, Working Families Party 

Lloyd Koedding--Republican

Council President

Thomas DePietro--Democrat, Working Families Party

Margaret Morris--Democrat

City Treasurer

Heather Campbell--Democrat 

First Ward 

Common Council

Henry Haddad--Democrat

Gary Purhagen--Democrat

Patricia Ramoska--Republican

Board of Supervisors 

Alexandria Madero--Democrat

Randall Martin--Democrat, Working Families Party

Second Ward

Common Council

Mohammed Rony--Democrat

Dewan Sarowar--Democrat 

Board of Supervisors

Abdus Miah--Democrat

Third Ward

Common Council

Jason Foster--Democrat

Shershah Mizan--Democrat, Working Families Party

Lola Roberts--Democrat, Working Families Party

Board of Supervisors

Sonja Okun--Democrat, Working Families Party 

Fourth Ward

Common Council

Alexis Keith--Democrat, Working Families Party 

Jennifer Belton--Democrat

Richard Volo--Democrat

Board of Supervisors

Linda Mussmann--Democrat 

Fifth Ward 

Common Council

Claire Cousin--Democrat, Working Families Party

Dominic Merante--Democrat

Board of Supervisors

Richard Scalera--Democrat

 

At this point, it appears there are no contests in the Second Ward or in the Fifth Ward, but you never know. 

Peter Spear, who has announced his candidacy for mayor, is not on the list because he is running on his own party line, Future Hudson. Independent nominating petitions are not due until May--May 20 to May 27.

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Speaking Up for the Trees

In January, Gossips reported about the plan to install electric vehicle charging stations in the parking lot at the Columbia County courthouse--a plan that involved running new powerlines from Third Street to the courthouse along the 300 block of Allen Street: "The County and the City, Round 2." Implementing this plan would have involved the extensive pruning of the ancient silver maple at 342 Allen Street and the removal of two trees at 357 Allen Street.

Fortunately, thanks to the efforts of residents and Councilmember Margaret Morris (First Ward) and the intervention of Assemblymember Didi Barrett, that destruction was averted. An alternative plan was then presented to run the powerlines from Third Street to West Court Street along the north side of Partition Street. Sadly, this plan is not without negative impact on this historic neighborhood.

On Tuesday, Peter Meyer, who was part of the effort to get the powerlines off Allen Street, appeared at the meeting of the Conservation Advisory Council (CAC) to enlist their help in protecting trees on the courthouse lawn that will be impacted by the installation of the new powerlines. The picture below shows Partition Street as it meets West Court Street and Courthouse Square. The two trees straight ahead are the ones that would be affected. The tree on the left would be extensively "trimmed"; the tree on the right would be removed.

Photo: Peter Meyer

Although the CAC has a tree-planting program and sold tote bags with the message "Keep Hudson Shady," the group told Meyer that the trees in question were on county property, and, as an agency of the city, they had no jurisdiction.

Some may think National Grid is the place to seek redress for this situation. It turns out it's not. The county--or more precisely, the Board of Supervisors Public Works Committee--is making the decisions about the placement of the EV chargers and the route of the powerlines. A much better route--one that would not have any impact on the neighborhoods adjacent to the courthouse--would be to bring the powerlines up from Power Avenue along the west side of East Court Street, where they would not pass any houses, and locate the charging stations on the east side of the parking lot instead of the west side as now proposed. It is not clear if this route was ever considered, but Sarah Boggess of National Grid told Meyer yesterday that the county had chosen the route now proposed because other routes were "cost prohibitive." 

The installation of the EV chargers in the courthouse parking lot is part of a NYSERDA initiative and is being carried out with NYSERDA grant funding. Perhaps the grant funding is insufficient to cover the cost of routing the powerlines in a manner that does not deface one of the loveliest areas of the city, but surely the county, which seems to have unlimited funds when it comes to pursuing bad ideas (think Ockawamick and 11 Warren Street), could come up with the additional money needed to avoid marring its own property and the diminishing one of Hudson's finest neighborhoods.

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Mark Your Calendars

On Thursday, April 24, at 6:00 p.m., the Jacob Leisler Institute for the Study of Early New York History, in collaboration with the Hudson Area Library History Room, hosts an in-person presentation about the dramatic historical transformations of Hempstead Plains--the only prairie in the Northeast.

Celebrated as a natural wonder by early Dutch and English settlers, these vast grasslands were initially regarded as a valuable shared resource, then as a barren wasteland, and now--long vanished--as one of the United States' most populous suburbs. Yet for more than two hundred years, the inhabitants of the Town of Hempstead preserved the plains as common lands, carefully regulating their use and expelling trespassers. In the early 19th century, however, this practice came under attack as Hempstead Plains began to be privatized and redeveloped--with long-term ecological and social consequences.

The presentation will be made by Jennifer Anderson, an associate professor at Stony Brook University. Anderson specializes in Early American and Atlantic history. Her current scholarship focuses on Long Island's changing land and labor systems from the colonial period to the early 19th century. She is the author of Mahogany: The Costs of Luxury in Early America (2012). She curated "Sylvester Manor: Land, Labor & Power on a Northern Plantation" (2012) at New York University and advised on Long Island Museum's groundbreaking exhibition "Long Road to Freedom: Surviving Slavery on Long Island" (2019). More recently, she has been a scholar-in-residence at Preservation Long Island, assisting with a project to interpret the life of Jupiter Hammon, the first published African American poet. Her current research focuses on the deep roots of segregation and racial inequality on Long Island.

The event on April 24 takes place in the Community Room at the Hudson Area Library, 51 North Fifth Street.

Progress on the Ferry Street Bridge

Work has resumed on the Ferry Street Bridge. The following drone pictures, which show the bridge from Front Street, looking toward the river, and from the waterfront, looking toward the city, are the work of Glenn Wheeler.

Photo: Glenn Wheeler

Photo: Glenn Wheeler

A Republican Candidate for Mayor

For the first time in a decade, Hudson has a Republican seeking to be elected mayor. Today, Lloyd Koedding announced with the press release reproduced below that he has filed his petitions with the Board of Elections and expects to be the Republican candidate for mayor of Hudson. I reproduce the announcement as it was received because transcribing it would erase its uniqueness and charm. 

A Loss for Hudson

Gossips just received this press release from Hudson Hall. 

Hudson Hall at the historic Hudson Opera House Executive Director Tambra Dillon, who has led the organization through thirteen transformative years, has announced her plans to step down in the fall of 2025. A New York State's oldest surviving theater, built in 1855, Hudson Hall stands as an anchor institution for the region's cultural landscape and a catalyst for Hudson's revitalization. The institution has become an indispensable economic driver and community gathering space, contributing significantly to the area's creative economy through its performances, exhibitions, film screenings, and educational programs. Dillon has begun working with Hudson Hall's Board of Directors to facilitate a smooth transition and search for her successor. Hudson Hall has announced its annual fundraiser, The Proprietors Ball, will this year honor Dillon's leadership and success. The event is to take place on Saturday, June 14, 2025.

A tireless advocate for the arts, artists, historic preservation, and the City of Hudson, Dillon has been instrumental in shaping Hudson Hall into the thriving cultural hub it is today. Since joining what was then named Hudson Opera House in 2013, Dillon has guided the organization through significant milestones, including working alongside the organization's founding executive director, Gary Schiro, to oversee a $9.5 million restoration and reopening of the Hudson Hall's historic building in 2017, returning it to community use for the first time in fifty-five years. Over the ensuing eight years, Hudson Hall has grown its operations and tripled its capacity, and has significantly expanded its programming, strengthened community engagement, and established itself as a premier arts destination.

Under Dillon's leadership, Hudson Hall has flourished as a cultural cornerstone, hosting groundbreaking contemporary dance, theater, film, and music, while doubling its gallery space for visual art exhibitions. Dillon has strengthened Hudson Hall's commitment to helping artists develop new work through its residency program. Artists who benefited from Hudson Hall's support include Ntangou Badila, Maya Beiser, Dirty Projectors, ETHEL, Barbara Kilpatrick, Jeffrey Lependorf, Reginald Madison, Jodi Melnick, Bobby Previte, Ruckus, Stephen Petronio, and Adam Weinert. Dillon helped realize ambitious events such as TEDxHudson, the Merchants & Whalers series featuring Gare St. Lazare Ireland's one-man theatrical adaptation of Herman Melville's Moby Dick starring Irish actor Conor Lovett, and No Cowards in Our Band, a musical drama based on the life and work of Frederick Douglass. These programs have significantly grown Hudson Hall's audience and deepened its regional connections, establishing the venue as an essential incubator for artistic innovation.

During her tenure, Dillon launched and nurtured several key initiatives that have had a lasting impact. These include the Hudson Jazz Festival, now a citywide celebration drawing thousands of visitors annually; Hudson Hall's Workforce Development Program, which provides local youth with valuable career training in the arts; and the Movies on Mainstreet program, a year-round series designed to bring the community together through free and affordable screenings of arthouse films and repertory classics. Through free workshops for youth and partnerships and organizations such as Camphill Hudson Players, Harmony Project Hudson, and Operation Unite NY, Dillon has built on Hudson Hall's commitment to serving as an inclusive cultural space.

Faced with the shutdown of all live arts during the COVID-19 pandemic, Dillon spearheaded the 2020 Shared Streets Program in partnership with Future Hudson and the City of Hudson, providing essential support to local businesses and residents. Despite reduced revenue and increasing financial pressures, Dillon guided the organization through the darkest period of the pandemic, instituting initiatives like free timed-entry ticketing for gallery viewings, reduced capacity and live-streamed performances, offering "bubble" residencies for artists to continue developing work, and maintaining clear safety protocols to protect audiences, artists, and staff.

A crowning achievement of Dillon's legacy is her visionary effort to establish Hudson Hall as a premier opera destination and widen access to the artform through collaborations with renowned local director R. B. Schlather. Just months after reopening the historic performance hall, Hudson Hall produced Schlather's The Mother of Us All, based on the life of Susan B. Anthony, who spoke thrice at Hudson Hall calling for abolition and rallying the cry for women's suffrage. An ambitious opera cast entirely from the community, the production was named one of the best classical music performances of the year by the New York Times. The collaboration has continued with the acclaimed Handel on the Hudson series (Rodelinda, 2023; Giulio Cesare, April/May 2025), with the New York Times highlighting Hudson's growing potential to become a "Baroque opera destination."

"It has been a privilege and an honor to have played a role in Hudson Hall's restoration and metamorphosis into a thriving institution, supported by incredible artists, audiences, patrons, and a phenomenal board and staff," says Dillon. "I feel strongly that it's time for a new generation to step in and build upon what we--together as a community--have accomplished. I am proud to leave Hudson Hall with a balanced budget, a vibrant artistic presence, and a dedicated staff and Board. On a personal level, I look forward to spending more time with family and friends before exploring my next professional adventure."

Board President Paul Barrett added, "On behalf of the entire Board of Directors, we want to express our deepest gratitude to Tammy for her tireless dedication and remarkable leadership. Although we are saddened to see her go, her legacy remains with us and will continue to inspire us. Her impact on Hudson Hall and the entire Hudson community is immeasurable. We wish her all the best in her future endeavors and look forward to celebrating all that she has achieved at The Proprietors Ball on June 14."

The Board of Directors has formed a Search Committee to identify a new Executive Director to build upon Dillon's legacy and lead Hudson Hall as a vital cultural institution serving the City of Hudson and its surrounding communities.

The Mayor Responds

After last night's public hearing on the charter change initiative, Mayor Kamal Johnson told the reporter from the Times Union that "the process of the proposal is flawed and rushed," and went on to say, "I also could have created a charter commission, but I didn't want to rush it through like they did. I wanted to be a transparent process."

Tonight, this article appeared online in the Register-Star: "Hudson mayor to consider commission to oversee charter change if reelected." The following is quoted from that article:

"I was going to do it for this year, but I don't want to rush it through like the previous citizens initiative did," [Johnson] said. "I would rather it start fresh and have a full quarter to dive in and look at the charter in a comprehensive way, so it would be after the November election."

The charter commission would have to consist of at least nine residents of the city the commission would be based in, who would be appointed by the mayor.

How likely is it that a commission appointed by the mayor would recommend that the city transition from a mayor/council form of government to a city manager/council form?

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The Hearing from a Different Perspective

Karl Frederick Mattson of 542films made a video recording of last night's public hearing. That video is now available on YouTube.

Also, the Times Union sent a reporter to last night's hearing, and her report was published this morning: "Proposal to overhaul Hudson government sparks division at public hearing."

Highlights from the Public Hearing

Last night, the Common Council held a public hearing on the Citizens' Initiative for Charter Change. The Microsoft Teams video of the hearing can now to viewed on YouTube.  

Only five councilmembers, in addition to Council president Tom DePietro, were present for the hearing: Margaret Morris and Gary Purnhagen (First Ward), Rich Volo and Jennifer Belton (Fourth Ward), and Dominic Merante (Fifth Ward). Vicky Daskaloudi (Fifth Ward) attended virtually. The councilmembers representing the Second Ward (Dewan Sarowar and Mohammed Rony) and the Third Ward (Shershah Mizan and Lola Roberts) were not present in person or virtually. 

In all, twenty-four people spoke at the hearing. The number speaking in support of the proposed charter change was about the same as the number speaking against it, with a handful primarily criticizing the process that got the issue to this point. 

All four mayoral candidates spoke at the hearing. Current mayor Kamal Johnson asserted, "We need the charter updated but not this way." He asserted that having a city manager would not lower taxes (I don't recall the charter change group ever actually claiming it would). Johnson said the average city manager's salary was $130,000, which was twice his salary (the mayor's salary is currently $80,000) and predicted that services would have to be cut to pay for this change. Peter Spear acknowledged that the city needs charter reform but criticized the process, which he said "leaves a lot to be desired." He said of the group that initiated the charter change proposal, "They robbed us of the opportunity to have a meaningful conversation about what kind of government we want." Lloyd Koedding expressed the opinion that "the essence of management is caring" and said he didn't "know that a city manager is going to care." Joe Ferris said, "We need a charter revision that includes the entire community" and promised, "If elected, that will be the first thing I do on Day One."

After criticizing the process for not being inclusive, Quintin Cross declared, "I would never support something that would remove the first black mayor of Hudson." If the proposed charter change were to be adopted, the transition from mayor/council to city manager/council would not happen until 2028, so it wouldn't affect Johnson unless he intends to run for another term--a fifth term--after the one he is now seeking. Sara Black, who commented toward the end of the meeting, said more than once that she and her friends had "figured out exactly what is going on" regarding the charter change initiative. She never explained what they had figured out. It did seem, however, she was suggesting that the initiative was a plot aimed at removing Johnson. In his opening remarks, Bob Rasner, who is part of the group proposing the charter change, recalled that when he asked DePietro to meet with him and provide input, DePietro told him, “You are hardly an ordinary or disinterested constituent, but part of group of cronies who have sought to undermine the current administration from the beginning."

In his opening remarks, which addressed "how we arrived here this evening," Rasner asserted, "The group made a firm agreement: at no time would we be critical of any elected officeholder. The project is not about people; it is about government structure." Rasner also told the Council, "It has been said this proposal is not a perfect document. From the beginning, I explained to each elected official with whom I met that you may adopt it as your own and change it as you see fit." There are now thirty-five days left in the sixty-day window. Let's see what, if anything, the Council does with the proposal.

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News on the Political Front

This week, we will find out who has submitted designating petitions to run on a major party line. Petitions must be submitted by Thursday, April 3. In the meantime, the Working Families Party has published its endorsements. Here is the list of candidates in Columbia County the Working Families Party is endorsing.

The final office on the list is misidentified. It should be "Hudson Supervisor Ward 3." Michael Chameides, who has served as Third Ward supervisor since 2018, has announced he will not be seeking reelection.

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A Notice to Commenters

The person who has been commenting as "THM," recently changed his/her identity to "Anonymous." Something similar happened in February, when the person who had been commenting as "Chris" suddenly became "Thomas R." These incidents have inspired me to rethink Gossips' commenting policy.

I have always been sympathetic to people who, for their own reasons, feel the need to hide their identity in a public forum like the Gossips comments. (Despite calling itself "The Friendly City," Hudson can be a pretty mean and snarky place.) Because of this, I have always allowed people to use pseudonyms for their comments. Some notable examples in the past have been "Prison Alley" and "unheimlich," commenters who made meaningful contributions to the conversation and whose comments were consistent enough for other readers to get a sense of who they were--in other words, who established what might be called a "Gossips persona." Today, "Union Jack" and "Friendly Neighborhood Immigrant" carry on that tradition.

I have always been uncomfortable, however, about publishing anonymous comments that criticize or challenge commenters who have identified themselves using their real names. Recently, with several controversial issues before us, things are getting worse. Because of what seems like a spate of new anonymous commenters and the new phenomenon of commenters changing their identity, I am requesting that new commenters, i.e., those who have not already established a "Gossips persona," use their full names--their real names, not character names like "Ron Swanson" or made-up names that when Googled yield nothing--when submitting comments. If you already have a Google profile that you don't want to change (or don't know how to change), sign your comment with your full name. If you are reluctant to sign your comment and reveal your identity publicly, you can identify yourself to me in confidence: carole@gossipsofrivertown.com. 

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