Common Council Code and Infrastructure Committee

1. 0:35We're ready. >> Um so before we begin this meeting, I'm going to the first iteration of every committee meeting. Um the committees were selected their own people chose what committees they wanted to be on. Uh you will elect your own chairs. Um this particular committee is meeting in the second week of the month. So from a reporting perspective, uh, legal does not have any reports that come with finance meets right before the formal. So typically we get the charges report that time. So we're looking at data from that month. This particular committee could meet in the second week of the month if possible. of um if the report for the month that we are meeting in aka this month is February could be represented in this committee if that's feasible is that that something that works for you >> everybody's got a copy >> well going forward is that >> oh yeah yeah no it's okay so what will happen then is you will get a copy ahead
2. 1:37of time all of the departments will as usual submit their reports to the uh city clerk they don't have to submit multiple times Um and then they will get posted to the informals um and they will be available to the public and so forth. So the departments don't have to post to committees and also to the clerk. In Rob's case, because he is going to be meeting ahead of the forum, he will be submitting form. He will be let mute. >> Let him turn. >> It says volume. Got it. No second. favorite village, right? >> Yeah.
3. 2:38>> Okay. >> All right. So, the only other thing I want to have is um in our organizational meeting, we went through uh rules of order for the common council. Uh some of these rules also apply to the committees. Some of them are really specific to the uh to the common council and how local laws etc are. But there is one rule that is relevant to all of the committees to the informal the formal and the committee subcommittees and that is rule number eight public comment at the discretion of the chair. The floor may be open to comment from non-members of the council on a question before the council or new business at the end of new business portion of the meeting. not required that it be open to the public for comment. That's at the discretion of the chair. It is open to comment on a question before the committee. So if there is a particular issue about um uh the sewer project or about parking issue, a member of the a non member of the
4. 3:40public can make a comment. They may make one comment no more than two minutes on any given question. So this is not a debate. It is not multiple comments or questions on the same issue. The chair may set a reasonable time limit for such public comments and that's involved. So the chair may decide we will have 10 minutes of public comment and at that point cut it off and uh comments must be addressed to the council in this case to the committee uh and not to other members of the public. As with council members, non-members must first be recognized by the chair. Any non-member seeking to speak must do so in an orderly fashion and shall not engage in conduct which disrupts, disturbs, or otherwise impedes the orderly conduct of the meeting. If any person continues to engage in disorderly conduct after being warned by the chair to cease such behavior, the chair may order removal of set person from the meeting. This rule applies to all of our meetings. We would like to make sure that we have meetings where the public
5. 4:43can comment. Um if if someone has a factual question uh such as uh how many of the uh 28 tickets that you issued in arrests this month uh how many individuals were involved? Typically there are there's more than one violation. So you might have 14 people generating uh 28 tickets. That's a factual question that can be answered. questions around policy future that open things to debate. The appropriate approach is to take the question back and thank the member of the public, consider it and if they want to submit uh written comment, you can engage in discussion, but this is not a forum for open debate um without limits. I just want to make that very clear. Any questions on this? Any raised hands? No, not >> we have a question. >> Um, two things. Uh, in terms of procedure are council members and
6. 5:46department heads required to be in this room is and they >> I refer you to open meeting law. >> You can research that on New York's open meeting law. >> Does it apply to the meetings? >> I refer you to open meeting law. New York. That's all I'm going to say on the topic. Any other questions? >> I have another question. >> Is there a different topic? >> Yeah, it has to do with um what a lot of people might consider vulgar language. What kind of words? Do you have a list of words that aren't allowed to be spoken here? Because I've heard the word a few times in the past few years. Is that acceptable? >> I'm not going to get into a list of why isn't acceptable. >> I'll take that as anything goes. >> No, it does not mean that. Oh, people must do so in an orderly fashion and shall not engage in conduct which disrupts, starts or otherwise leads the orderly comment of the but you cannot make a distinction to appropriate
7. 6:48language in the public form on some of the other questions like pornography. I can't describe it but I know it when I see it. >> Yes. Yes. All right. So that I guess you're minority, right? >> Yeah. >> So you can now figure out the collection, not the chart. >> Sure. >> Oh, so you can organize. >> Um, >> did we open the meeting? >> Yeah, the meeting is open now, right? >> Yeah, I don't think we didn't. >> Well, we Yeah, you should open the meeting. Um this uh February 9th meeting of the code and uh DPW >> DW sure just go. >> Got it. >> Code and infrastructure meeting is now in session. Our first order of business is uh nominating and electing our chair for the committee. So if we have any nominations. >> Yeah. I want to nominate John.
8. 7:50>> I I'd second. >> Yeah. >> Okay. Just >> I'm willing to do it. >> Okay. >> And >> all who agree say I >> we have a >> I want to say >> do we have a co-chair? >> Uh we do on police and fire. >> I guess it makes sense in case you want to. >> Sure. I co-chair >> under chair. >> I I second. >> Okay. Yeah. >> Thanks. So chair and co-chairs and um from there I'll take over. >> Yes. Yeah. >> I think >> so um I will just pass it over to Rob Perry to get us started to go through his report. That's be the meat of our meeting and then uh common council or the committee members can ask some question. >> Yeah. Uh before we started uh this is the first meeting that's why we don't have no agenda but from next on yes we're going to have our agenda
9. 8:53>> uh prior to the meeting. >> All right so you want to since we talking about beforehand um what do you want to say about submitting the report for the committee? >> I just submit the report a couple hours before the meeting just like I did for the last 18 years. >> Okay. just back to the basics kind of >> back to the basics >> and then it will be officially put on the informal meeting um documents and so and it'll be the meeting uh the minutes of the meeting that it happens in >> right when I emailed it to all of you guys I copied lyric so she can Fender needs to add to it then >> right I got it >> I'm sorry all right so we didn't have a uh January meeting so septage uh for last November was 43,824 and December was $34,000. We did finish out the year at $527,495. The revenue uh budget was $525,000.
10. 9:57So, uh we exceeded by a very small amount, $2,500, but the important was we meant that uh revenue. And you know, one of the things that people either realize or don't realize is that septage represents about half a percent of the total flow that goes through the sewer plant and it represents 32% of the revenue. So if any of you can calculate margin, that's a pretty good margin. The um with the SW project, the capital project, some of you are new, we have a $68 million capital project. uh that will be in two phases. The first phase which is in design now has been for a number of months uh we expect to have you know first drafts probably in March and then from that point uh once we have to send to DC has to review comment on you know we're hoping that we'll have something ready for the bid in April.
11. 10:59Um, but you know, that's it's a it'll probably be a $30 million project, this one phase. And it's basically Columbia Street from uh from second up to Park Place. And you know, this is the old stone sewer that's from the 1830s and replacing it with brand new sanitary and streams. Uh Rob, >> excuse me. Would you rather talk about certain things like this as we go or come back at the end? >> You had a question. Go ahead. Um just trying to envision the logistics of Columbia Street during that time and uh maybe specifically since you said you went to Parkplace specifically. I'm thinking about that area but maybe third too and all they may is Columbia shut down. Well, Columbia Street, you know, right now we're looking at putting both of these two lanes on the south side of the street, and the contractor would be responsible for maintenance and protection of traffic, which means they're going to have to have flaggers all day sending the traffic one way up, one way down, alternating. It'll only be
12. 12:02enough for room for two-way traffic, that's for sure. >> Do you think that's Sorry, it's not fully closed down. That was >> That's what he's saying. Yeah, I mean our goal is not to um there will be some times when if they need to do crossings uh or any other infrastructure like a structure that you know main takes you know basically twice the distance of the main going in for the excavation but when you start talking about a manhole which is a structure they they have a much larger footprint so there may be times when we'll have to detour trucks around obviously at some point we'll need to have a planning meeting with um DOT because we're going to try and detour as much as we can um from 9, you know, out on 9 and keep it out of hot altogether. But, you know, there will be some local detours that will happen for for traffic from time to time. >> Do you think parking will be eliminated on Columbia? >> Yes. Yeah, parking will definitely be I mean, it'll be block by block, you know, so it's not going to be all at once. Yeah.
13. 13:03>> Uh and usually what what usually what they do is they create a bubble. So, you know, wherever the excavation is, they do about if they're going to do 100 feet a day, they usually go up 100 feet and down 100 feet. And once the bubble moves, then the the area, no parking shifts with it. >> Okay. >> Luckily, Columbus Street is one one side of parking. So, simply, >> but there will be like in that 200 block, there'll be times where there won't be parking on the side that there is now, you know, because traffic will have to go there to get around >> the computers and equipment. for those temporary times and just >> right it's just gonna move along with it. >> Do you think specifically up by the park is uniquely challenging or >> actually the uh it widens up after uh Seventh Street. Most people don't realize it. If you've ever pulled out of Seventh Street and tried to take a left onto Columbia Street, you realize it because you're at a stop bar and there's a building in your face, you know, so you got to creep out into the intersection. So, uh it actually eases up once we get around the park. Okay. Um question about the the storm drains
14. 14:10then the sleuth ways and are those as the infrastructure project progresses are we taking those out and filling them or are you putting in in the same spot or um >> no because can't put them in the same spot because the stone sewer has to remain active right >> until everything is completely done >> and then we migrate it over and at the end the stone sewers will be filled with flow will fill concrete because >> from the top down kind of thing. >> Yeah. >> No kidding. >> Which is what we did on the the Union Street project uh two years ago. The reason is it's still >> it's still a piece of 200 year old stone sewer. >> That was that word. >> I know. >> Well, technically it is full of it. So, >> so you know if we didn't fill it, it would be a void and eventually >> that's Yeah. >> It would collapse and you know >> Yeah. I know they're like what 5 by4 on on Columbia. It's huge. >> Yeah, huge. And you know cuz the at the end of all of this we're actually going to have a pay to Columbia Street. That's >> everybody will complain about the
15. 15:13raceway. I mean right now we can't pave it because >> everything underneath it is garbage. >> Yeah. So >> So even though you mentioned the southside, you think the full paperwork? Well, we'll do the whole street to because at that by the time we do restoration and revamps, there'll be there will probably be, you know, a 4ft section on the other side. So, we're just going to go curve to >> I mean >> that was my second question. So, appreciate you. >> Thank you. Sure. >> Any other question? Um so as and while we're uh in design phase for this Columbia Street portion uh they're starting the survey on the second phase which is a separate $30 million project and that's Green Street, Upper Columbia Fair View. >> Um you know the good news is that section is a lot smaller. So the amount of footprint for the construction and upgrade is significantly smaller than the larger mains that will be on Columbia Street. Um the downside is that it's much more densely populated. So there's going to be lots of laterals
16. 16:16from houses that are going to have to, you know, crisscross the road. Um that's something that on Columbia Street, you know, on the 200 block, yes, but once you get above 3 400, there's not a whole lot of services that have to be connected, >> right? >> Um the extreme cold, this is the sewer plant. uh you know most of the processes are either underwater or within a building. The clarifiers are not they are the exception. So by nature and by design these white bars if you will that see go they move extremely slowly because we want the silence to settle out and they scoop it. But when it's minus4 and these things are creeping along, it actually has develops ice and you can see it's putting pressure on some of the flights and some of the flights, you know, the fiber reinforced plastic. So some of them have uh have broken, they have to get replaced. So that's uh but that's just a a weather related issue.
17. 17:20Um this was on third or up in State Street. It was a sinkhole that was called in. We did a preliminary excavation and we realized that it was the lateral service from the house. But this is, you know, gives you an idea. This is not on Columbia Street. This is on State Street. And you can see there's a brick sewer and the bricks actually are lattice. There's two courses. So, one row of bricks goes this way and next row of bricks goes this way. And um so in order to do the repair, they had to the green pipe is the new lateral from the house. And then they actually had to create a form on the inside and the outside and then fill it with concrete. So that way it would lock in the brick and lock in the pipe and back to another weak point. So that we're back there, you know, in another year or two. Um water department inside the plant picture on the left, you know, the these are all original, so they're 20 years old. The green pipe that has a valve in
18. 18:24it and the kind of gray thing alongside of it is a uh an actuator. Basically what the actuator does is it makes the valve a smart valve that knows based on flow whether it should be open a little bit, a lot or any degree in between. Um they're all tied in with through skater system and that type of process operates. Um you know we they start to get a little hinky after a while. So, you know, we're going to be replacing them filter by filter over the next couple of years. And we're starting with the filter one this year. You know, they are about $10,000 a piece. Um the actuators and the valves themselves are a couple thousand dollars. The um oh just uh this is a picture of the bridge on Fairview Avenue, the DOT bridge. And uh I was under the impression that our water mane went under the tracks and apparently there's the bridge. I never hoped my head over. So there you go. Fun fact.
19. 19:26Um we've had several water breaks this season. Obviously that when it's extremely cold like this, the frost line goes penetrates deeper into the earth which puts uh pressure on the mains below it. And so we've had the there's a list. Sixth of Columbia, second in Union, uh Spring Street is here. We had a contractor come in and back that out for us because of the depth. Um we've got a part of the bank down city uh city center and Glenwood and um also the other And you know, a couple little hydrant stories. Uh on the side, car on Glenwood hit the hydrant and uh ripped it. You typically don't see the water come out like that except in the movies. Uh in this instance, the breakaway flange and
20. 20:29there's a there's a um a breakaway connector with a stem. And for whatever reason that didn't quite snap like it's supposed to and it tweaked the puck that's inside and so we had some water. They shut it down with the valve, isolated it and then it afterwards and you know obviously we've had a lot of snow. You know we do have about 230 240 hydrants that are out there. So the fire department, the water department have been triple their way to opening up the hydrants. But anybody feels like putting a little elbow grease into it, they're certainly welcome to to grab a shovel and dig one out if you want. Um, switching to snow. So, you know, on the, you know, I think they towed about 44 cars the first time we stole back in December. And uh so this is a picture you see it's kind of hard to tell.
21. 21:32You've got one car that's on the side for the whole you know four blocks >> and all the other cars on the opposite side. So you know you always get the I didn't know or how was I supposed to know? Well >> uh and people say how do we get the word out? So for me, you know, you have 450 cars that are parked right and 40 cars that aren't. You know, we got a 90% accuracy. So, uh, I'm checking that off as a win. You know, I mean, at what point are we in the lowest common denominator business where people just don't care? They don't want to Hudson Hub, there's websites, there's social media, there's out there. Oh, by the way, when we were doing snow removal, we put the signs out. The last two nights, the tow truck said, "Don't bother calling us cuz there were no toes because lo and behold, everybody realized that cars were going to get to." So, um, you know, we were had 100% compliance in our later days of snow. If anyone's listening would like to another push for Hudson Hub, it's
22. 22:36we're getting more notifications recently and I think it's great. So, please sign up. Okay. Um, you know, just the shear pins just kind of as a if anybody has a snowblower knows that there's shear pins in there. It's a sacrificial part so that way they break that way you don't damage any part of the drive systems or whatever. Uh, the large snowblower has exactly the same thing just just slightly larger. Um, it's, you know, depending on how the snow goes. If it's wet or heavy, we can break them, you know, several times in a block. And if it's nice and crispy and really cold, you can go several blocks without them fracturing. >> How long is it take to change that sugar? >> About 10 minutes. >> But that's good. I mean, yeah, but that's 10 minutes, you know, that everything stops. You know, there's >> all the trucks are stopped, the blower stop, everything stops. So, you know, over the course of the night, you know, it can it can add up because we we make, you know, if we do on a normal, you
23. 23:40know, not 18 in, but if we have like eight or 10 inches, we do storm mobile, we can do 9 10 miles of road on a night. Um, so every time we share pin breaks, it's the cuts gone on our >> Yeah. makes it work later. Uh, we also have, you know, just, you know, they talk about sidewalk clearing. So here's two examples. The example on the right, you know, they cleared before the snow goal came through all the way out past the curb. So when the snow go came by, they grabbed it. And you can see that there's very little left behind. Uh the picture on the left, u you know, they shoveled space, but you know, the snow goat does not go up on the sidewalk. It rides along the curb. So that gets that fence gets left behind. Um, back to the, you know, this happens to be, you know, the snow when you shovel it, you think you're shoveling a lot of snow, but
24. 24:41just, this is one of the places we deposit snow, and it where there's three of them throughout the city. And you can just kind of get an idea that the picture with the backho that reaches about 13 feet high. So, you know, there's a lot of snow there. And that's onethird of the city that was uh moved in that last storm. And what else we got here? And this is just, you know, the procession itself where you got trucks lined up. We do use uh a couple of contractors. And we do that because our trucks are about a third of the size of the contractors. And uh so obviously they can carry three times as much. If uh we were to use our trucks alone, the snow blower would be idle a lot of the night and you know that's not good. We want to bang this stuff out uh as quickly and efficiently as possible. And
25. 25:42>> where did the uh contractor I mean what where the cont >> um this time we had two from Macad and two from Cartwright. So we've used different ones on and off throughout time. You know, we like to make sure we get the biggest trucks that we can get obviously, you know, so they can move the the most volume. >> So you have to contact with them before prior year or it just like you just call them. >> They know we've, you know, most of these we have relationships we've been using for a couple of years. So if they know if we're getting a foot of snow that we'll probably be looking for and sometimes I can do multiple trucks and sometimes they can only do one and then you know we we go down the list and add a couple couple more they'll start making calls. Uh so here's the you know picture on the left is the fleet you know kind of wanted a break and uh on the right we did uh the snowblower itself is up at Nortra the um the clutch started to go
26. 26:49in our third uh day of removal. We um you know we had mechanics tighten things up and get it ready. But uh it does work, but it's you know if we get another event where we're going to have to go multiple days, we don't want to be in a position where you know we've got another foot of snow that we need to remove and all of a sudden the snow building doesn't work. So uh that should be fixed next week and the repair for that is about $5,000. >> How is your overall snow budget? Well, then we're getting to that three pages. Okay. >> Uh just as a comparison, my daughter's in Dallas and they received an inch of snow and uh that's what the roads looked like with an inch of snow and the sidewalk and uh the city was shut down for 4 days. Literally, they just wait till it melts. I'm guessing >> they did. Yeah. It was, you know, after the fifth day was 55. >> Nice. >> Yeah. So lucky to be them, I guess. All right.
27. 27:51Um, so a couple of the things that we're, you know, we're dealing with because this is a very, uh, active season. So we bid the um so every year the state of New York puts out a bid for uh rock salt on behalf of all the sub municipalities, state agencies, school districts, counties, villages, cities, and they send us a one-page form. And at that point in the month of May, we're supposed to commit to how much salt we believe we will use in the next season. So, you know, there's but it comes with strings. So, string number one is we have to take 50% of it. So, I couldn't say I want to bid 10,000, you know, tons and only use 500 tons. uh you know cuz obviously they would have all the solutes until the end of the count bless you
28. 28:59goes until the end of the calendar year which you know who's using the the contract recycles in September. So who's using salt in September, October, November? I mean maybe Msina but you know not us. So, you know, there's there's that we have to be conscious of. Um, it's also, you know, we're guaranteed um to exceed our quota, but there are u there's price escalation. So, uh at 100%, you know, we the state's rate for that was bid for Columbia County was $69 a ton. If we go up to 20% more, which uh we bid 700 ton, we're at, you know, well, I'll get to that next page. Uh if we exceed by 20%, we'd have to pay a 10% premium. If we went over that 20%, we pay another premium. Pay a 15% premium. And we're good up to 150% after 150%. They politely tell us to go on the open market. And now you're going to be
29. 30:02paying, you know, what private haulers pay. uh without having the contract. So, um it can get dicey. You know, my first year here, the snow bid was low and we had an ice storm in December and they used like 400 ton of salt because, you know, ice is ice and we got to shoot through it and um you know, so we ran through our a lotment rather quickly. So, they do enforce it. Um, here's where we are with this year's budget. So, we started out with uh $30,000 uh for the 0.1 account, which is personal services. So, what this account pays for is shift differential and overtime. So if somebody from this is their home account is street maintenance, they still get paid their street maintenance account out of their their home account. If they pay overtime, >> then that comes out of the 0.1 account.
30. 31:07And >> you got your last. >> So, uh, so in the instance of this calendar year, um, we did have pay period one, which is out of this fiscal year, but that was actually for overtime in 2025. So that's why I'd like So even though this season we spent $32,000 on overtime, we've you can have it if you want. >> I'm not seeing the numbers that you're showing. I think >> page to the end. >> There you go. Thank you. So uh so out of the 2026 budget uh between pay periods 2 three and four we have uh incurred cost of 21 thou $29,13 out of a $30,000 budget. So essentially there's no money left in the snow overtime budget which means two things have to happen. One, we no longer do any
31. 32:11snow treatment after 3:00 in the afternoon on any nights, overnights, or on the weekends, which I think is pretty much or we're going to need more money. And uh it's going to be we have an event that looks like we're going to come through tonight with it's an Alberta Clipper, so it might only be a couple of hours, but it's going to be a couple of hours. It's going to be all overtime for everybody that's out. Another system coming through over the weekend. And if it's on Monday, which is a holiday, it's double time from the time the guys come in. So, um yeah, this account is definitely going to need money uh for sure. And it has less than $1,000 left in it. And um as far as the salt right at this point, you know, we bid 700 ton. We was what? >> Sure. >> Um so when you're going to the completely get what you're getting um we
32. 33:15were anticipating an average type year which is what is so far it's only we're still in February and we as you point out already exceeded what we anticipated. Um could you make any estimate of perhaps for the finance committee I don't think this month or perhaps next month as to how much more is that possible? >> Well usually I'll get to that too later. >> Yeah. So uh and you know on the same uh the same path for the salt uh and the contractors they get paid out of the point4 account which is materials and supplies account. So for salt, we've uh received uh 688 ton out of the 700. The what we ordered in December of last year does count towards the state's quota. It doesn't count in the 2026 budget. So I blacked that out. So at this stage of the game, there's uh $62,000
33. 34:19in that account for uh 2026. 40,000 of salt. The snowblower repair is $4,700 and the contractor hours for uh their hauling during the snow removal is another $12,600. So at this stage of the game, we're about 92% of the way into that $62,000 budget. So uh that, you know, is certainly going to need some money, uh but probably not as much as the point, at least at this stage of the game. So, uh, if you look at the next page, what you'll see is, um, so I I do trends over numerous years when it's budget season. The BEA only looked at the last two years. So, if you were to, so 2025 was still ongoing. Those numbers weren't weren't available. They didn't know where we're going to end up. So, they had 2023 and 2024 numbers. So if you look at 2023 and you look at 2024,
34. 35:24you've got 85,000 for 23 and 98,000 for 24. If you split the difference, you come up with $92,000, which is the BEA award. So I'm going to How often do I run to the defense of the BEA? I will at this certainly at this time, but the reality is if you look at the 9-year trend, which is the numbers I use for my budget request, you can see that it's easily over, you know, it exceeds $100,000. So, um, >> sorry for during those discussions. I did point out that say numbers to pretty light years, but maybe not. >> Yeah. Yeah. But, you know, it's snow. I mean, >> I mean, it's like you bet in red on roulette, right? I mean, just because it comes out three times in a row doesn't mean it's going to come out again. >> It's also more expensive on holidays. >> So, might be more spend. >> Yeah. So, I mean, you could see over that, you know, we've had years where it's been 125,000 and years where it's been, you know, >> there you go. 75,000. So,
35. 36:28>> you know, if we could schedule it or put the dome up or whatever, then, you know, be a lot easier. So, uh, anyway, I I do I did happen to notice I did happen to take the liberty of, uh, there is a contingency in the 2024 or 2026 budget. So, here's a sample resolution. Um, all of you hadn't seen resolutions before. I wasn't sure if you'd seen one or not, but that's what they look like. You know, that's a sample, but obviously the BEA would have to determine what account comes from next. So probably a good time to talk about resolutions because Margaret, if you want to add in, but this came up in other committees that generally I think this type of resolution you could submit directly to the common council. If there was some project that we discussed and wanted to develop, we would create a resolution together. >> But this is not something we need to >> Yeah. approve and send to >> one of the things I have to want to make
36. 37:31sure of and you have given me information for the resolution that we had last meeting is that whenever it doesn't matter what it is somebody in the room needs to be able to explain why it's there in this instance it's very clear to need a contingency if other members of the council have questions members of this committee know why we have this resolution and they can speak I think that's very straightforward >> yep Easy peasy. Let us squeeze. >> So will that be your intent to go forward with this as is or? >> Well, I you know you got the number. >> Usually I reach out to her ladyship of the treasury and find out what's cuz I don't know what this contingency it may be earmarked for something. You know they usually are >> um because it does have an impact on the tax rate but um like I said that it was just a discussion. So, do you do you know how much you're going to be asking for yet or >> Well, I would say I mean at a minimum 10 grand for the uh for the overtime uh until we determine unless something
37. 38:34crazy happens in these next two storms. Um you know that that gives because you also have to remember the 2026 fiscal year also includes once we get through this it also includes November and December, >> right? >> Yeah. which, you know, >> we don't want to be in Christmas season and not have any money because we want to make sure that we support our local business, especially during their their hang maker of a month. >> Do you recall a year that was particularly troublesome and got had to get well beyond the contingency or how how was it handled? >> Um, you know, we've had we've had years we've blown the budget out. It's just I mean we had two 26 ines that started on Christmas day maybe 2010 or 11. I mean, you know, I think that storm was 40,000 50,000 easily easily, you know. Um, so like I said, if a storm comes in at
38. 39:37uh 7 in the morning, it ends at noon and they can push back and then they can come back a couple hours early the next day and you know, it doesn't need to have snow removal, then it's, you know, but if it's a storm that takes place on a weekend, obviously that everybody's on overtime the minute they start. Mhm. >> And uh if it's on holiday, everybody's on double time the minute they start. >> Yeah. >> And that's what that point is. So, you know, there's a lot of factors. So, um switching gears to the um the parking signs. So, people, you know, obviously are a gas at everything and uh they want to know why the signs are so high. The reason is because we have to use these street lights. There's a couple things that play. One of the things is we use the street lights >> uh to put other signage on several times throughout the year. Pride, Flag Day, you know, any types of other notices or events. And so we wanted to make the sign so that way it didn't uh conflict
39. 40:43with no parking signs and that's them having, you know, sitting on top of it. That said, if you look at the picture on the right, the signs are mounted to channels. The U channel fits in the grooves of the light. There's a clamp that goes around. So, if it was absolutely deemed to be disastrous to the people that these signs were too high, we could unscrew them and slide them down to whatever height anybody would like. So great wanted to put this out here and we'll see how it goes. Uh that decision will not be made by me. I could tell you that or the DPW. We just are the guys with the screwdrivers. >> I'm not sure it'll be made by this committee. >> Parking, which hopefully handled that. >> Yeah. So anyway, that's just you know, I know there was a whole lot of uh catwalling out there. So, you know, it is fun. And the other reason why we used
40. 41:45the street lights, originally the plan was to use the existing posts that were out there and you know they were little guys like this. >> Yeah. Super easy. >> So if you were a little pup, you know, you could even use it. But the other concern was that those posts only exist between Third Street and 8th Street and we're expanding the footprint. So if we stayed on the same format, we would have to install which is drilling which is conflicts with underground utilities for the street lights and you know the buying materials concrete you know. So uh whereas the street lights already exist so it was a kind of a ready spaghetti thing. To that end about the post we took them out then cut them with a sawzaw. there was a little bit of a lift and kind of pound it down a little bit. Throw some concrete in there and you can see the concrete wet and then the concrete dries and uh you know they'll they'll even off over time. >> Are all the signs up or do you still
41. 42:49have work fitting? >> I don't think they're all up but I believe all that we have are up. >> Question. Um I noticed some of the posts are still there. Um, and some of them have signs on top now and some most do. Some >> like on seventh. >> Yeah, like on sixth and seventh. >> Um, was that a decision that you were instructed on? Obviously, right? You were >> like the the ones that where the meter was taken off and a sign was put on top. >> Well, that was the original plane. Is that >> No street lamps. >> Are there signs on on seventh and sixth? Oh, South Sixth Street and on the 600 block of >> Well, the street lights stop at the alleys. >> No, the the meter post. >> Okay. >> Yeah. Yeah, cuz the street lights stop. So, you probably had to put it on something. Um I was just curious if there was any thought of maybe that not being a permanent solution. Um because seeing the uh careless way some of our visitors
42. 43:54mill around and uh have a lot of little kids maybe and uh on a busy street in the middle of the summer. They don't pay as much attention as we all would like. And I think that three and a half foot height is perfect for some little kid to smack his face on. Um, and then I don't know, maybe we could think of a solution for the future and just those small blocks where you were you had no other option. Well, that's so we would have to just install an actual sign post in there. >> That would just be taller. >> Yeah. You know, it's just material >> just materials, logistics, and you know, it's not >> a problem. >> It's a lot, you know, it's, you know, it's it's probably less than we would have done if we had stayed with that format and had to do the blocks below third. And >> yeah, that would have been so much more work that Yeah. silly. And then Margaret has to follow up with something. >> Um I think that that should be referred to the safety committee.
43. 44:56>> Yeah. Yeah. >> Because they got permission. They're also also going to um I wanted to >> get Rob's point of view before. >> Yeah. I mean I don't have an opinion either. It's just Yeah, it's just money. Got to pay for >> Yes, you got to do it in an efficient way. Thank you. >> Y >> Let's see. Thanks. Oh, so um anybody was wondering this is what it looks like when someone's house is taken over by the city under full closure. U this is the 98 paddic. As you can see, they grabbed some of their belongings, not too many, left the rest of it behind. Uh, and and years back, you know, we would dispatch a crew with the garbage truck and take all that
44. 45:59stuff and pump it off to the transfer stations. Obviously in discussions with the treasur's office is that's silly because however we're owed a certain amount of dollars and anything over that is going to go to the property owner that didn't pay their taxes. So, what is our incentive to use taxpayer, you know, equipment and tipping fees and labor to put more money in the guy's pocket who didn't pay taxes for 10 years? >> So, but anyway, unless you see something you like, you know, then make a deal. >> I don't think so. >> Uh, let's see. We also have uh washing hose. received a call from them. There was some leaking. This is where the chamber is. And you can see that some of the flashing has come off of the corner of the roof. And uh you know
45. 47:03that's we chipped away at it to try and break up the dam to help it move down. But that's you have to bring a roof ring for that that repair. Button everything up. And this is just a cemetery. And the only reason it's here is because there's not too many things I haven't seen before. And I don't believe I've ever seen an interment. This is that little cemetery that's on the corner on Paul Avenue. And uh the the gentleman was 93 years old and the plots were purchased well over a hundred years ago. So anyway, that's what I got. So great. Any other questions committee? >> No, I'd like to me >> I would ask the public to they want to make a comment. >> Sir, yes. your name >> Houston.
46. 48:08>> I'd like to know Ralph who decides what streets do and don't have the overnight not even parking rule and what kind of rule is on those streets because there's there's more than one rule, right? >> Um let me just local rules. Some rules are the default is alternate side parking unless there's local rules that are by signage. But that decision is made by the police department, not by me. >> Police department to what decision is that sir? >> Police commissioner of what what parking regulations are there? >> Okay, so there's two of them, right? >> To what? >> Two parking rules. How many parking rules are there? >> I don't know. You got to talk to the police department. >> But isn't Okay. You're not aware of them, but Okay. >> So, it's been I'm not inforce. No. >> No, I totally understand. So, um, and the beginning of my question was, um, um, what streets do and don't have, who
47. 49:11decides that? Police also. >> Yeah. At some point, somebody made a decision. Uh, >> so there's, like I said, alternate side. >> Somebody You think the police department? >> Yeah. >> At one point. Yeah. >> Okay. But the police department is making decisions that affect DPW because DPW needs the role. The police department don't work in a vacuum. They'll sit there and ask for various operations. >> Morgan, sorry. >> Okay. Just point one question is customer. >> What I don't understand in this comment is um uh why Prospect Avenue doesn't have any um overnight rule. Not at all. Nobody is ticketed on Prospect Avenue. At least the southern part this is my I didn't ask a question. Please let me talk. I only have two minutes. It's not a long time. >> Prospect Avenue doesn't have um rule. Not even Washington. >> That was your two-minute timer.
48. 50:15>> Oh, yes. I' I'd also like to know I like to put it out there that there's no rule on that street and there's no rule on Washington uh from from state to from state to on North state to Washington except the police will tell you and Rob Harry may tell you that oh it's all about safety. We got to move cars. Well then why aren't there any rules? Why aren't why doesn't every street have a rule? >> Thank you for your comment. Um I'd like to ask Logan if there's anyone online what their hand is. Yeah. Yes, ma'am. I'd like to refer you to uh the police department for those follow up and find out why that actually would be at the safety committee for that answer, but >> he's ready to get there. It's not for him. It is it really isn't. It's always been the purview of the of HPD to set the parking rules in the city. So, it's it's that >> So, you don't you don't want to know that Rob doesn't care what streets do and don't have rules. It doesn't matter to him. >> Okay.
49. 51:16>> It shouldn't. >> We're not going to rule. >> Let's not continue to engage. >> He just enforces >> I said six doesn't have the rule. You sweep them. >> John. >> Yeah. Generally, no. We just don't want we don't want to debate too much here. We can go back. We can re we can collect our thoughts. We can bring things up at future meetings. Um, the only other thing that I wanted to ask was whether members of the committee had things in mind when they joined this committee, things that they'd like to accomplish during their terms, things that maybe Rob and DPWs could or we could help with or bring to the council. Anything I will get back to you, use it as homework. >> That's a good idea. That's a good idea. If no one has anything, I'd like to just like >> there are a few things I'd like to work on, but I do believe that since it's just our first, it's a little premature for
50. 52:17for me to delve into everything because I'm still a little unfamiliar with the entire processes of DPW. >> Yeah. Um, so >> yeah, I think you may find >> table >> that there's there's just generally things around streets and stuff that we have a and they may not be completely >> his signage is a to be specific signage um the implementation of the parking um decision that happened last year. >> Okay. >> Specifically that because it ties into safety pretty well. So I'd like to be more involved in that discussion. Um, >> well, I get to answer that. >> A lot of it's already done. >> 100% of the locations were chosen by the parking ticket. >> Yeah. Right there. Yeah. To add Exactly. So, I'm learning a lot of that and >> um it's really on their end to make those decisions to make it more streamlined for DPW and a little bit more communication there specifically on that end >> would make it more financially efficient
51. 53:19if they're not working twice or putting up redundant things or taking down redundant things or when somebody hits a street sign and DPW has to go out and fix it, things like that. Um finding those people accountable. So, if it's a delivery truck, you know, if the property owner says that truck's outside, it get a sign and we get a ticket written, >> they can pay for it. And obviously, that's a perfect I brought one up during our firehouse meetings. I literally witnessed somebody hit one of the streets. >> Yeah. All the time. Um that's why we put uh breakaways on on the traffic sites. >> Yeah. >> So the two bolts and switch out a piece of it. >> It's a cost of doing business. >> Yeah. >> Right. >> Margaret, the rest of your hand. >> Just um FYI, I was going to get through the first of each of these committee meetings. I was actually planning to follow up with each committee chair so that we can come up with um agenda of
52. 54:23for the year as to what each committee wanted to focus on. And I think there is going to be some overlap between this committee and safety. >> Um so I mean that's something we can work through. So um that is part of what I was going to be doing and then in our informal meeting in March by then I'll have met with every committee member every committee chair and we can scope out okay this is what we want to focus on this. I think in general I'd like to take advantage of Rob's experience um as as we can whether it's specifically things that DPW would have to be doing or not. And so my where my head is at is that there's a number of things that Hudson's challenged by. One of them is we're challenged by cars that cut through traffic that's never intending to come to Hudson, but because of the geography has to come through Hudson >> and the fact that we have a high pedestrian uh population because of our downtown success really. So that's something that
53. 55:27I want to delve into and maybe roll down. >> Yeah. Just just because that those two things create conflict that we have and how can we help resolve those conflicts and think Rob could be could have good advice for us. >> Sure. Yes. >> Kennedy, I would just like to make a comment. I want to thank all you guys for your willingness to to serve and all your good service. With that, I'm off to see the mayor. >> Nothing else online. >> Okay. Uh second code enforcement.

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