At a glance
Hudson Housing Authority met Monday night and announced that Annette Young won the election to become the new resident commissioner, starting January 1st. The board welcomed new commissioner Teresa Joiner, approved a separation agreement with an outgoing staff member, and moved their regular meeting day from the third Monday to the third Wednesday at 6 p.m. starting in January. The Common Council approved both a modification to the existing pilot agreement and a new pilot for the redevelopment project, which Monaco representatives said is now in full architectural design mode and aiming for planning board review in January.
Roll Call and New Commissioner Welcome
Chair Smith called the meeting to order at 6 p.m. and welcomed newly appointed Commissioner Teresa Joiner, filling a seat left vacant after another commissioner's departure. One seat remains vacant pending the outcome of an election that concluded earlier that day.
Key points
- Teresa Joiner appointed as new commissioner
- One vacancy expected to be filled by January 1st following resident commissioner election
- Meeting held on December 15, 2025 at 6 p.m.
Resident Commissioner Election Results
The board announced results of the resident commissioner election, which concluded at 3 p.m. that day after a month of early voting.
Key points
- Annette Young elected as new resident commissioner
- Only one candidate submitted proper paperwork to appear on ballot, though write-ins were allowed
- Young's term runs from January 2026 through December 2027
Annette Young takes office as resident commissioner on January 1st, 2026.
Unit Inspections and Work Orders
The executive director announced that annual unit inspections will occur in the first week of January and urged residents to call in work orders ahead of time.
Key points
- Inspections scheduled for first week of January
- Residents will receive timely notification with procedures
- Staff asked residents to report repair needs before inspections rather than letting issues be discovered during inspections
Residents with unit issues should contact the office to submit work orders before inspections begin.
Pilot Agreement Approvals
The executive director reported that the Common Council approved both a modification to the current pilot agreement and a new pilot for the redevelopment project.
Key points
- HHA and Monaco presented to Common Council at both informal and formal sessions
- Council approved modification of existing pilot agreement
- Council also approved new pilot agreement for new development project
- State has been notified and is pleased, approval was a critical step in the development process
This followed presentations to Common Council in both informal and formal sessions.
Meeting with Mayor-Elect
Executive director met with mayor-elect Joe Ferris, who toured Bliss Towers and expressed support for the redevelopment project.
Key points
- Joe Ferris toured Bliss Towers and discussed concerns with the building
- Director explained importance of moving forward with development project
- Ferris expressed support and offered assistance as needed
- Plans discussed for a future community meeting at Bliss Towers for residents to meet with the mayor
The mayor-elect requested a community meeting at Bliss Towers for residents. Date to be determined.
Meeting Day Change
The board voted to move their regular meeting from the third Monday to the third Wednesday of each month at 6 p.m., starting in January.
Key points
- Current third Monday schedule conflicts with some commissioners' availability
- January and February meetings would fall on holidays under current schedule
- Board considered second Wednesday, third Tuesday, or third Wednesday
- Motion passed to move to third Wednesday at 6 p.m.
Starting in January 2026, Housing Authority meetings will be held on the third Wednesday of each month at 6 p.m.
Planning Board also meets on the third Wednesday. Zoning Board of Appeals may meet on Wednesdays as well, but space availability was not identified as a concern.
Monaco Development Update
Monaco representatives provided an update on the redevelopment project, reporting good progress with design work and planning board submission on track for late December.
Key points
- Updated project narrative and budget submitted to state on November 24th
- Full architectural and engineering design work underway
- Site plan application to be submitted by December 29th for January planning board meeting
- State provided comments in early December, Monaco responded within six days
- State pressing on pricing, but Monaco confident based on track record of 22-23 completed tax credit projects
- Planning board has been cooperative, city administration supportive
- Projected closing from Monaco's end by June 2026, state says by end of 2026 or possibly October
Site plan application expected to be submitted by December 29th for January planning board meeting. Planning board consultants will review plans over a multi-month process.
State is asking for cost reductions, but Monaco noted they don't yet have complete plans to bid out. This back-and-forth is typical of the tax credit process.
Project Cost Factors
Monaco representatives noted several exceptional cost factors for this project that exceed typical developments.
Key points
- Site has brownfield contamination requiring cleanup
- Subsoil conditions require different underground construction approach
- Underground storage tanks needed rather than standard systems
- These factors add costs beyond typical projects and are part of negotiations with state
- State has been informed of these specific site conditions
Brownfield cleanup and difficult subsoil conditions add costs to this project that are atypical for most developments.
Resident Questions
A resident asked whether the new mayor or board changes would affect the project. The executive director clarified that commissioners serve fixed terms and the project has mayoral support.
Key points
- Board terms are fixed and do not change with new mayor
- Mayor-elect Ferris toured property and expressed full support for project
- Commissioner terms vary, some extending to 2027 and 2030
Separation Agreement Resolution
The board approved a confidential employment separation agreement with assistant asset manager Kia Payton, accelerating her last day from December 31st to December 22nd.
Key points
- Resolution 557 approved separation agreement with Kia Payton
- Original resignation effective December 31st, accelerated to December 22nd
- Agreement is confidential
- Resolution passed with one abstention
Public Comment and Toys for Tots
A community member praised the project progress and Monaco's work. The executive director announced the annual Toys for Tots event.
Key points
- Community member Lloyd expressed support for project and thanked Monaco
- Estimated construction timeline: start by end of 2026, completion within two years, then second phase
- Toys for Tots giveaway scheduled for Monday, December 22nd, 1 to 4 p.m. at Bliss Towers
- Event includes refreshments and possibly Santa Claus
- Section 8 residents with eligible children automatically signed up
Toys for Tots giveaway Monday, December 22nd, 1 to 4 p.m. at Bliss Towers. Refreshments and gifts for children.
Adjournment
The board adjourned after wishing everyone happy holidays.
Key points
- Chair Smith thanked attendees for coming on a chilly night
- Commissioners wished everyone happy holidays
- Meeting adjourned
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.
About coverage of this body
Meetings of the Housing Authority are uploaded to the city YouTube channel by members on a best-effort basis (not by the city audiovisual coordinator, who posts only the Common Council family, Planning Board, and HCDPA). If a meeting of this body is missing from the archive, it usually means the recording was not uploaded. See the archive index for the full coverage note.