At a glance
The Conservation Advisory Council met to coordinate on several fronts, including the ongoing tree ordinance revision (with support from Earth Law Center), EV charging station grants (stalled by lack of electrical infrastructure funding), and upcoming street tree plantings. Members discussed establishing a liaison process with the planning board to review projects with environmental impacts, and considered supporting New York State's Healthy Home Right to Know Act. The meeting also covered leftover grant funds, the farmers market tabling event for Earth Day, and a proposed amphibian rescue initiative.
Opening and Membership Updates
The meeting opened with a note that this was a rescheduled session. Several members still needed to take their oath of office, and the new membership term is two years instead of one.
Key points
- Minutes from February were not yet available for approval
- Members who have not taken their oath need to do so to avoid restarting the appointment process
- New membership terms run for two years (rather than one year previously)
- Emily was welcomed as the newest member of the council
Tree Ordinance Revision with Earth Law Center
The council will invite Earth Law Center to the next meeting to help revise the city's tree ordinance. A previous draft had been worked on, and the Earth Law Center has been informed of the history.
Key points
- Earth Law Center will be invited to April and May meetings to provide ongoing support
- The tree ordinance revision is the first priority for Earth Law Center's assistance
- Nathan was asked to forward the most recent draft of the ordinance to the Earth Law Center
- The prior draft had been shared with Margaret Morris
Earth Law Center will attend upcoming meetings, starting in April, to help the council move forward with the tree ordinance.
Light Bulb Exchange Program Update
The light bulb exchange program continues, with many light bulbs still available for distribution. Multiple community organizations are now involved, and the program will table at the farmers market.
Key points
- Many light bulbs remain available for residents
- Five different community groups are now involved in distribution
- The program will have a table at the farmers market through Operation Unite
- The item will remain on the agenda indefinitely
EV Charging Station Grants and Infrastructure Delays
The city has $75,000 in grant funding from NYSERDA for EV charging stations, but installation is stalled because additional electrical infrastructure funding (make ready money from National Grid) is unavailable due to a long waitlist.
Key points
- The city received a $75,000 grant from NYSERDA for EV charging stations
- Four vendors submitted proposals last year in response to an RFP
- The federal tax credit that was expected is no longer available
- National Grid's make ready funds (to bring electricity from poles to the stations) are exhausted, with a waitlist of potentially a thousand applicants
- The $75,000 covers the charging equipment and installation, but an equal amount is needed for electrical infrastructure
- Two possible locations are the Amtrak station parking lot (three stations, six ports) and near the dog park (one level three fast charger)
- The grant contract extends through 2028, giving time to secure make ready funding
- No tree cutting would be required at either location
A vendor will be selected within the next month. The city will then wait to see if National Grid make ready funding becomes available in 2027. If funding becomes available, the city is ready to proceed with installation.
Some specific dollar figures and timeline details were difficult to discern in the transcript. The general situation is that the project is on hold awaiting electrical infrastructure funding.
Existing Charging Stations Maintenance
Four of six charging ports behind City Hall are currently working. The city is entering a new warranty and maintenance contract with ChargePoint for $4,500 per year.
Key points
- Six charging ports exist behind City Hall, but only four are currently operational
- A new contract with ChargePoint for warranty and maintenance is being finalized
- The contract will cost $4,500 per year
- Once under warranty, faulty components can be replaced
The mayor's office needs to decide how many years of warranty coverage to purchase.
FOIL Request on Renewable Energy Procurement
A Freedom of Information Law request asked about the RFP process for renewable energy procurement. Only one vendor, Rise and Run, submitted a proposal despite multiple inquiries.
Key points
- The city did issue an RFP for renewable energy procurement
- Two or three organizations expressed interest and corresponded about submitting proposals
- Only Rise and Run submitted a formal proposal by the deadline
Budget and Street Tree Planning
The city treasurer is encumbering leftover funds from 2025 (around $1,600) for use in 2026. The council is preparing an RFP for street tree planting with about 12 trees currently requested.
Key points
- Around $1,600 in contracted but unused 2025 funds are being carried into 2026
- Approximately 12 trees are currently on the request list for new street tree plantings
- The budget has separate line items for professional services, labor, and materials
- An RFP will be issued for all 12 trees, with the option to reduce the number if other expenses arise
- Last year the city received approximately $13,000 for street trees from the state
- About $1,000 was spent on consulting with an urban forester last year
The RFP for street tree planting will be prepared with all 12 requested trees, budgeting conservatively to leave room for unexpected expenses.
Harry Howard Grant Closeout
There is $2,700 remaining in the Harry Howard grant that needs to be invoiced before the grant can be closed out. The council needs to identify project-related expenses to use these funds.
Key points
- $2,700 remains unspent in the Harry Howard grant
- The grant administrators want to close out the funding
- Any expenses must be related to the original grant project
- Possible uses include labels, photos, or future maintenance supplies like gator bags
- Items must be purchased and invoiced to use the remaining funds
Sam (not present at this meeting) will be consulted about what expenses can be invoiced against the remaining grant funds.
Community Choice Aggregation and Climate Action Plan
Community Power Markets met with Mayor Ferris to present options for community choice aggregation. A memo was drafted and sent to Margaret Morris for review.
Key points
- Community Power Markets gave a presentation to Mayor Ferris
- A memo was drafted at the mayor's request and sent to Margaret Morris
- A follow-up reminder was sent a few weeks later
- The Climate Action Plan is ongoing with Sam leading work on it
Planning Board Liaison Discussion
Nathan presented a proposal for how the Conservation Advisory Council can review projects before the planning board. The council would receive notifications about projects with environmental components and could submit public comments, without creating new bureaucracy.
Key points
- Nathan was designated as the liaison from the planning board to the Conservation Advisory Council
- The proposed process: Nathan would email when projects with environmental components come before the planning board, and the council could submit public comments
- Creating a formal referral process would require a city council resolution, which is not being pursued
- The Conservation Advisory Council is currently structured as a council (advisory) rather than a board (which would have mandatory review authority)
- The planning board also plans to establish a similar liaison relationship with the Historic Preservation Commission
The difference between a conservation advisory council and a conservation advisory board: a board would have mandatory review authority requiring a city council resolution to establish, while a council provides advice but does not have formal review power.
Sidewalk Standards and Code Updates
The planning board can only enforce sidewalk requirements that exist in the city code. The council discussed developing new sidewalk standards with Earth Law Center's help, which would then need city council approval before the planning board could enforce them.
Key points
- Current city code has minimal sidewalk requirements beyond ADA compliance and width specifications
- The planning board cannot create new requirements, only enforce what exists in the code
- New sidewalk standards could be developed and presented to the city council for adoption
- Sidewalk standards were listed as a high priority item for Earth Law Center assistance
- Once adopted by the city council, new standards would become part of the code that the planning board can enforce
The council will work with Earth Law Center to develop sidewalk standard recommendations, then present them to the city council for adoption into the municipal code.
Railroad Point Park Grant and Capacity
Ben Merritt is working with Mayor Ferris on a grant application for Railroad Point (part of the waterfront park). A landscape architecture plan already exists, and funding is needed for implementation.
Key points
- Railroad Point is the waterfront park area closest to Colarusso
- A landscape architecture plan for the point already exists
- Grant funding is being sought to implement the plan
- Ben Merritt asked if the Conservation Advisory Council had capacity to help write the grant application
- The grant is through NFWF (National Fish and Wildlife Foundation)
- Typical awards range from $1 million to $7 million for restoration implementation
- Planning and design phase grants range from $100,000 to $1.5 million
There was uncertainty about which organization is leading the grant effort and whether additional administrative help is needed. Sam will be consulted for clarification.
Earth Day at the Farmers Market
The Conservation Advisory Council will staff a table at the farmers market on April 25, which is near Earth Day. The farmers market moves outdoors starting April 18.
Key points
- The farmers market moves outdoors on April 18
- The council will have a table on April 25
- The farmers market provides a table for the event
- Volunteers are needed to staff the table
- Literature and materials are available
Healthy Home Right to Know Act Resolution
A member proposed that the city council consider passing a resolution supporting New York State's Healthy Home Right to Know Act, which would require warning labels on gas stoves. The bill is currently in committee in the state legislature.
Key points
- Tim Guinea (who does gas testing on stoves) requested that Hudson consider a support resolution
- The Healthy Home Right to Know Act would require warning labels on gas stoves
- The bill is currently in committee in the New York State Legislature
- Similar resolutions have been passed by other nearby communities, including Albany
- The state budget deadline is April 1, when pending legislation may move forward
- Council members received the request but were initially skeptical because it came from a personal Gmail account
- Tim Guinea has been meeting with residents in Hudson to conduct gas stove testing
The resolution will be sent to all council members to review before the next meeting in two weeks. If approved by the Conservation Advisory Council, it will be forwarded to the city council for consideration.
One member noted that State Senator Daphne Barrett does not typically prioritize resolutions from the city of Hudson on state matters, so the impact may be primarily symbolic.
The standard process for state legislation is for bill sponsors to gather grassroots support from municipalities and nonprofits to demonstrate public backing for the bill.
Amphibian Rescue and Seasonal Campaigns
A member reported that Ivy (an applicant to join the council) rescued 71 amphibians and is planning to organize a larger amphibian rescue event next year. The council also discussed seasonal awareness campaigns like Leave the Leaves.
Key points
- Ivy saved 71 amphibians that were in the street
- Plans are underway to organize an amphibian rescue event next spring
- Friends in Rhinebeck are doing similar trainings
- Amphibian migrations happen quickly and require immediate response
- The council runs seasonal social media awareness campaigns
- An amphibian awareness poster was created and shared on Instagram last year
- The Leave the Leaves campaign will run again in the fall
An organized amphibian rescue event is being planned for spring 2027, with training and coordination.
Adjournment
The meeting adjourned, with a Climate Smart Communities meeting scheduled to follow immediately.
Key points
- The meeting was adjourned by motion
- A Climate Smart Communities meeting was scheduled to follow
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 Conservation Advisory 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.