At a glance
The Common Council voted on a cooperation agreement with Hudson Housing Authority for the Bliss Towers redevelopment, approved a historic designation for the DUN warehouse, and handled routine budget transfers and grant applications. The Bliss Towers agreement shifts from annual payments to a $120,000 lump sum covering 2026-2028, then $250 per unit starting in 2029. The DUN warehouse designation passed despite concerns it would delay development, with proponents arguing it provides local protections the state process does not.
Roll call and approval of minutes
The meeting opened with roll call and approval of October 19 minutes and committee reports.
Key points
- All council members present except one
- October 19 minutes approved and placed on file
- Committee reports posted to website and placed on file
- Housing Authority documents circulated before the meeting
Resolutions from previous meeting
The Council voted on resolutions introduced the prior week, including commissioner of deeds appointments, Long Avenue sale approval, and budget transfers.
Key points
- Commissioner of deeds appointments approved
- Sale of Long Avenue approved
- Budget transfer of $20,000 from Planning Board to legal fees approved after clarification the funds came from unused sewer review allocation
- Greene County Soil and Water Conservation District funding held at prior level after no follow-up on request for $200,000
The $20,000 transfer was not additional Planning Board attorney fees but surplus Planning Board funds reallocated to citywide legal expenses. Planning Board had been budgeted for sewer extension reviews that DPW handles instead.
Housing Authority cooperation agreement
Attorney Dan Hubbell explained a cooperation agreement amendment for the Bliss Towers redevelopment. The agreement separates phase one (new construction on the vacant lot) from phase two (Bliss demolition and replacement), with a $120,000 lump sum payment covering 2026-2028 and annual payments starting 2029.
Key points
- Housing authorities are exempt from property taxes under state law but historically made payments to municipalities for services
- The 2019 cooperation agreement required HUD approval as part of converting from Section 9 to Section 8 housing
- Phase one will build replacement housing on the vacant lot across State Street from Bliss
- A $120,000 payment at construction financing closing (expected mid-2026) covers the transition period when Bliss winds down but expenses remain
- Starting 2029, annual payments of $250 per unit with 2% annual escalation for 30-plus years
- Lenders and tax credit investors require stable, predictable municipal payments to underwrite the project
- Phase two will come back to Council with a separate cooperation agreement after phase one is complete
The Council approved the current cooperation agreement in 2019 as part of the RAD (Rental Assistance Demonstration) conversion from Section 9 to Section 8. HUD required the agreement as a condition of the conversion.
- Construction financing closes mid-2026, $120,000 payment to city
- Phase one construction completes 2028
- First annual pilot payment of $250/unit due January 1, 2029
- Phase two cooperation agreement comes back to Council after phase one completion
Planning Board lead agency designation for Bliss Towers
The Council approved the Planning Board as lead agency for environmental review of the Bliss Towers project.
Key points
- Resolution passed without discussion
- Standard SEQR designation for project review
Pocketbook Factory lease renewal
The Council approved a lease renewal for the Pocketbook Factory building. Council members thanked former 5th Ward councilmember Vicky Daskaloudi for negotiating the lease and praised the renovation.
Key points
- Lease renewal approved unanimously
- Building recently renovated by the Climbing Pocketbook Factory tenant
- Parking improvements expected after renovation complete
- Ribbon cutting scheduled, all council members invited
End-of-year budget transfers
The Council approved routine end-of-year budget transfers with no discussion.
Key points
- Transfers approved unanimously
- Standard practice to balance accounts before year-end
Grant application for zoning update
The Council authorized a $200,000 grant application to the state for technical assistance with zoning code updates and digitization.
Key points
- Application to HDR (state agency), no city match required
- City also applied for DOS zoning grant over the summer, result pending
- If both grants are awarded, city could use additional funds or modify scope
- Work includes comprehensive zoning study and digitizing zoning materials for online access
- New grant program, no prior applications
Zoning updates are part of implementing the Hudson 2035 Comprehensive Plan. The plan identified zoning code modernization as a priority.
DUN warehouse historic designation
The Council voted 9-1 to declare the DUN warehouse a local historic landmark. The designation provides immediate city-level protections while the building pursues state and national historic recognition. Council President Morris argued the designation would delay development; proponents said it prevents demolition and gives Hudson a voice in exterior changes.
Key points
- Three developers responded to the current RFP, all plan to seek state and national historic designation
- State historic designation (SHPO) provides funding eligibility but does not prevent demolition with a permit
- Local designation gives Historic Preservation Commission review authority over exterior changes and can block demolition
- HPC processes 60 cases per year, most in four weeks, with public hearings for significant projects
- Prior developer (Done and Done) obtained SHPO eligibility determination during earlier proposal
- City supports all levels of historic designation per mayoral aide Justin Weaver
- Bill Foreman (HPC chair) emphasized local designation ensures Hudson residents have input on exterior work
- Ron Knopf noted the building should have been designated long ago and asked for transparency on the RFP review committee
The resolution passed 9-1 with Council President Morris voting no and one abstention.
Done and Done, the prior proposed developer, obtained SHPO eligibility for the building before their proposal fell through due to insufficient funding.
Ron Knopf asked the administration to confirm the membership of the committee reviewing the three RFP responses and requested the committee conduct meetings in public per the Open Meetings Law.
Budget amendment for Ryder equipment
The Council approved a budget amendment to cover Ryder equipment costs.
Key points
- Amendment approved unanimously with no discussion
Water and sewer relevy
The Council approved the annual relevy of unpaid water and sewer bills onto property tax rolls.
Key points
- Standard annual procedure for collecting outstanding water and sewer bills
- Covers bills through October 2025
- Unpaid amounts added to tax bills, split across two quarters
Council attorney budget and bill payment
The Council approved the council attorney budget line and authorized payment of bills.
Key points
- Council attorney budget approved
- Bills approved for payment
Recognition and adjournment
Council members recognized an unnamed individual for their service before adjourning.
Key points
- Council members thanked someone (name unclear in transcript) for their contributions
- Meeting adjourned
The transcript did not clearly capture who was being recognized or the full context of the tribute at the end of the meeting.
About this page
FUTURE HUDSON is an experiment in civic engagement: every public meeting of the City of Hudson since January 2026, transcribed and made readable, so any resident can follow what the city is deciding without attending every meeting. This page covers one meeting; see the full archive.
How it was made
The meeting video was transcribed automatically; the transcript was then organized into sections and summarized. The raw transcript is above, every claim can be checked against it.
What to be skeptical of
The transcript is automated and contains speech-recognition errors; names and numbers may be wrong. This page has not been reviewed by a human. Nothing here is an official record, the city's official minutes are authoritative.