At a glance
The Common Council held an informal meeting on Monday, December 8, 2025. Members heard department reports covering fire calls, youth programming, police activity and parking revenue, a cyberattack on the treasurer's office, and the city's pending wastewater permit from the Department of Environmental Conservation. The meeting concluded with an executive session to discuss litigation, contract negotiations, and union negotiations. No votes were taken.
Fire Department Report
The fire chief reported 30 calls in November, including four fires, one pedestrian-vehicle accident, and 19 false alarms. The department expects to break 400 calls for the year.
Key points
- The department responded to 30 calls in November, four of them fires (including one at the waterfront bathrooms and two in mutual aid districts).
- One motor vehicle versus bicycle accident occurred on Harry Howard Avenue near the bike path.
- The department handled three hazardous condition calls, two smoke or odor removals (one a hydraulic leak at City Hall, one burnt food), and 19 false alarms.
- The department has run about 383 calls for the year and expects to reach or exceed 400, compared to about 350 calls when the current administration began.
Youth Department Report and Fall Festival
The youth department presented a recap of November programming, including a successful fall festival and open house that showcased student work and community partnerships.
Key points
- The department's fall festival and open house featured performances by youth still walkers and unicyclists from Bindlestiff Circus, a hip-hop dance performance, and an art display.
- The fire department brought a truck to the event and let kids explore equipment and gear.
- Middle school students prepared veggie chili for the festival.
- Students visited the Hudson Sandwich Shop, where owner Christopher Dew provided free food, and attended a rehearsal of The Little Mermaid at the high school.
- Youth basketball registration closed with 148 kids signed up, an indication of strong community engagement and demand for structured programming.
- The department recognized first grader Marion Venolstein (student of the month for K-2), high school senior Kayla Hawkwood (staff of the month), and fourth grader Zayen Perry (student of the month for grades 3-8).
The department attempted to show a film about youth programming created for a screening at Spark Center the prior week. Technical difficulties prevented playback at the meeting; the link is in the department's report.
Police Report and Parking Revenue
The police department reported 38 arrests in November and parking revenue of $110,696, up 3% over the prior November. Parking enforcement will begin removing meter heads from Warren Street as the city transitions to kiosks.
Key points
- The department had zero use-of-force reports, four mental health calls, and zero overdose incidents in November.
- Officers made 38 arrests on 60 charges and wrote 93 traffic tickets.
- Parking issued 3,323 tickets in November; 2,466 were paid, generating $110,696 in revenue, up 3% from November 2024.
- Parking enforcement will begin removing meter heads from Warren Street and side streets as the city transitions to kiosks and digital payment. Meter heads in municipal lots have already been removed.
- Enforcement staff will continue to ticket no-parking zones, handicap zones, and hospital handicap parking during the transition.
- An incident during Winter Walk involved a man entering a business on the 300 block of Warren Street with a knife. Officers recovered the knife at the scene, located the man at his home, and used a taser to take him into custody after he brandished a second knife. No one was injured.
Council President Margaret Morris asked what parking enforcement staff are doing during December, when parking is free. The captain said staff are removing meter heads and enforcing no-parking and handicap zones.
A council member asked whether meter heads would remain at handicap parking spaces to make payment easier for wheelchair users during the transition. The captain said he was not aware of that plan. The council member suggested leaving those meters in place or removing them last.
Treasurer's Report and Cyberattack
The treasurer reported that the city's 2024 audit is complete and posted online. The general fund took a $1.3 million loss in 2024. A cyberattack on the treasurer's office nearly resulted in a fraudulent $350,000 wire transfer, but the bank's verification procedures stopped it.
Key points
- The 2024 audit is complete and posted on the city website, including the regular financial statements, the federal single audit, and the Department of Transportation single audit. The general fund lost $1.3 million in 2024.
- The treasurer's computer was hacked after she clicked a link in a phishing email that appeared to be related to the federal audit. The attackers gained access to her Microsoft Office login and began sending emails under her city address.
- The attackers introduced a fake finance administrator named Mike Fleming and attempted to initiate a $350,000 wire transfer. The bank's verification procedures and the city's safety checks stopped the transfer.
- The attackers created an Outlook rule that moved emails from the bank into a hidden folder so the treasurer would not see them. The IT contractor traced the attack to emails originating across the globe.
- Foreclosure demand letters will be issued this week to 69 or 70 property owners, covering approximately $2.4 million in outstanding taxes (about $700,000 of which is penalties and interest).
- The mailing will include information on revised installment plans and a brochure from Galvin Housing Resources offering free foreclosure counseling.
- Some property owners received inaccurate delinquent school tax notices because Bank of Greene County collected payments for two days without notifying the city. About 20 properties were affected; the issue has been resolved.
- The city will issue the 2026 tax bills with new software and the sidewalk improvement district feed for the first time.
Council members asked whether the attacker could be identified and prosecuted. The treasurer said the bank would continue to pursue the matter and that the city had successfully prosecuted a prior fraud case involving intercepted checks. The IT contractor said the emails originated from multiple locations globally.
Wastewater Plant Permit and Dechlorination Requirement
The Department of Public Works reported that the Department of Environmental Conservation has drafted a new wastewater discharge permit for the city, ending a 12-year wait. The permit will require the city to add a dechlorination system to the treatment process.
Key points
- The city received a consent order from the Department of Environmental Conservation in 2007 for noncompliance at the wastewater plant. The city spent $12.5 million upgrading the plant from 2010 to 2012.
- The city submitted a permit application in 2013 and received an administrative extension in 2015. Nothing happened until two years ago, when the state asked the city to resubmit with updated information.
- The state has now drafted a new discharge permit. A public comment period is open; contact information for the state's James Eldrid is posted on the DPW website.
- The new permit requires two changes: an automatic sampler on the chlorine contact tank to verify chlorine residual during high-flow events, and a dechlorination system to remove chlorine before discharge.
- Dechlorination will require a new chemical (sodium bisulfite), a new storage tank, and a new chemical feed system. It is likely to be a capital project.
- The proposed compliance schedule gives the city two years from permit approval to submit design documents to the state, then another two and a half years to complete construction.
The draft permit is open for public comment. Documents are posted on the DPW website under "SPDES Update." Contact James Eldrid at the Department of Environmental Conservation (phone number in the DPW report).
The DPW superintendent noted that the $66 million combined sewer overflow separation project addresses other compliance issues in the sewer system. The wastewater plant upgrades are separate.
Water Department Maintenance and Cybersecurity
The water department cleaned the transmission main in November using a poly pig. The department will meet with Homeland Security and the Department of Health this month to assess cybersecurity at the water plant.
Key points
- The department used a city-owned pump to pressurize the transmission main with creek water and push a poly pig through to clean sediment. The pig was removed at a structure on Willits Manor.
- Crews replaced both couplings on the spool piece used to insert and remove the pig. One coupling's inner lining had twisted and become unusable.
- Homeland Security and the Department of Health will meet with the water department this month or next to assess cybersecurity. The concern is that an attacker could hack the system to make the water undrinkable or stop production.
DPW Street Work and Snow Response
The Department of Public Works completed drainage work at Willard Place and responded to the first snow of the season with about 100 tons of salt. No more street work will occur until the asphalt plant reopens in April.
Key points
- Crews excavated at Willard Place, installed a drainage structure and a French drain, and repaved the area to create a swale for surface runoff. The drainage problem had persisted for years.
- The asphalt plant closed in November. Any street work until it reopens in April will be emergency-related only.
- The city's first snow of the season brought 4 to 5 inches. Four large trucks, each holding 6 to 8 tons of salt, put about 100 tons of salt on the roads during the storm.
Septage Revenue and Refuse Collection Costs
The DPW superintendent reported that October septage revenue of $63,837 was the highest single month in 12 years of accepting septage. He explained that the city sells garbage bags to recover tipping fees paid to the county, not to cover collection costs.
Key points
- October septage revenue of $63,837 was the highest single month since the city began accepting septage about 12 years ago. Most of the top 10 months have occurred in the past two years.
- The city budgeted $525,000 in septage revenue for 2025 and expects to meet or exceed that by $10,000 to $15,000.
- The city is at 100% capacity for septage at the regulatory limit of 50,000 gallons per day. Physical plant capacity is higher, but the state limit controls. About a dozen haulers use the facility.
- The city pays Columbia County Solid Waste $128 per ton for garbage and $90 per ton for recycling at the transfer station on Newman Road. The city has no revenue source for recycling.
- At $2 per 15-gallon bag and 30 pounds of garbage per bag, the city breaks even on tipping fees paid to the county. Bag revenue does not cover payroll, fuel, truck maintenance, or equipment costs.
- If the city stopped selling bags, it would lose $100,000 in revenue immediately. Residents with private 90-gallon containers would likely cancel service, increasing the city's collection volume by 10 to 15 tons per week. Businesses might also stop paying for dumpsters.
- Eliminating bag sales would likely require raising taxes by several hundred thousand dollars and adding a second collection crew and truck.
The superintendent said the vending machine allows residents to buy bags at any hour, not just during City Hall business hours (10 a.m. to 4 p.m.).
A council member asked whether the city could sell stickers instead of bags to reduce costs. The superintendent said residents would likely buy a sticker for a small bag but use a larger contractor bag from a hardware store, increasing the city's tipping fees.
Executive Session
The council voted to enter executive session to discuss pending litigation, contract negotiations, and union negotiations.
Key points
- The council voted to enter executive session to discuss pending litigation, contract negotiations, and union negotiations.
- The meeting recording stopped at this point.
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.