At a glance
Hudson's Infrastructure Committee met to review DPW operations and pursue two major traffic safety studies. DPW Superintendent Rob Cherry reported on sewer treatment equipment repairs, street sweeping operations (defended as EPA-mandated and exempt from noise complaints), and water main breaks. The committee decided to apply for a $10,000 Hudson River Valley Greenway Grant to study two key intersections: the area around the park (Warren Street at 7th and Park Place, exploring one-way configurations for better truck routing) and the Columbia/Prospect/Turnpike triangle near the hospital. They also discussed implementing a citywide no-right-turn-on-red policy to improve pedestrian safety. The meeting ended with technical difficulties preventing public comment.
Meeting Opening and DPW Report Overview
The Infrastructure Committee convened at 5:31 p.m. to begin with DPW Superintendent Rob Cherry's monthly report covering February operations, equipment issues, and upcoming projects.
Key points
- Committee meeting called to order at 5:31 p.m. on April 13th (meeting held day before date in title)
- DPW salaries for February were $25,000, lower than the typical $35,000 to $40,000 monthly average due to winter conditions limiting outdoor work
- Report covered sewer plant issues, street sweeping policy, water infrastructure, and ongoing projects
Sewer Plant Primary Clarifier Failure
A failure at the sewer plant's primary clarifier resulted in damaged treatment flights. Multiple safety redundancies failed to prevent the issue, and replacement parts were being installed.
Key points
- Primary clarifier had plastic wrapped around itself due to a mechanical failure
- Three redundancies (shear pin, throwout bearing, and power fault) all failed to prevent the incident
- Replacement plastic flights were delivered last week and were being installed
- Tank returned to service without treatment flights to maintain capacity during high flow events
Street Sweeping Policy Explanation and Defense
Cherry addressed recurring complaints about Hudson's 3:15 a.m. street sweeping schedule, explaining EPA and DEC mandates, the combined sewer system, and why the current approach is legally required and operationally necessary.
Key points
- Street sweeping occurs at 3:15 a.m. because cars must be away from curbs in a continuous line, alternate-side parking ends at 8:00 a.m., and the sweeper operator needs to join their regular crew by 6:30 a.m.
- Sweeper covers 10 miles in a three-and-a-half-hour shift, residents near grid intersections hear it multiple times as it covers connecting streets
- Combined sewer streets are swept daily to comply with EPA and DEC requirements, streets with separate storm sewers (like boulevards) swept once weekly
- Sweeping removes tons of grit nightly, preventing it from reaching the sewer treatment plant where it becomes hazardous waste requiring expensive removal
- Water-based sweeper cannot operate in winter (freezing creates ice hazards, snow banks block curbs), grit gets captured in snow and melts out at snow dumps
- Operation is exempt from noise ordinance under code section 210.7(F) as utility maintenance
- Daytime sweeping would require alternate-side parking enforcement and dramatically increase parking complaints
Street sweeping is mandated by EPA Environmental Protection Agency and DEC consent orders to minimize grit entering the combined sewer system and reduce combined sewer overflows (CSOs).
When combined sewer overflow separation project completes and streets have dedicated storm sewers, sweeping schedules could change since grit would no longer impact sewer flows or combined sewer overflow counts.
DEC Inspection and combined sewer overflow Separation Project Progress
DEC conducted its 2026 inspection, and the combined sewer overflow separation engineering project is advancing with preliminary reviews showing no concerns from regulators.
Key points
- 2026 DEC inspection completed last week, results expected in about a month
- combined sewer overflow separation project documents being sent to DEC in portions for preliminary review
- All portions reviewed so far returned with no issues or concerns
- Strategy aims for quick turnaround to get project out to bid once final documents are approved
Ticonderoga Reservoir Road and Property Taxes
A culvert on Reservoir Road in Ticonderoga was deemed unsafe by the town engineer. Cherry clarified that the town owns the road, Hudson owns property there and pays substantial property taxes, and the closure has no impact on city operations.
Key points
- Town of Ticonderoga closed Reservoir Road to through traffic due to unsafe culvert, road still accessible from either direction
- Closure has no impact on city water operations, dam and chemical feed building accessible from both sides
- Hudson pays property taxes to Ticonderoga on reservoir property: $15,000 in 2022, $19,324 this year (town taxes only, not including school taxes)
- City is one of the largest property owners in Ticonderoga, similar to how New York City pays taxes on watershed properties
- Concerned resident contacted city, but culvert repair is a local Ticonderoga decision
Municipal water infrastructure is considered real property, requiring cities to pay property taxes to towns where reservoirs are located.
Harry Howard Water Main Break and Road Repair
A gasket failure on a lateral water line to Lucille Drive caused significant water leakage and road undermining. Repairs included replacing the connection with more robust mechanical joints, installing underdrains, and reconstructing the roadway.
Key points
- Gasket failure discovered at Lucille Drive water main connection, installed approximately 10 years ago
- City identified similar problem elsewhere and will no longer use that connection product, switching to mechanical joint connections
- Leak was well above Underhill pond waterline (6 feet down versus pond at 12 to 15 feet), initial concern about culvert proved unfounded
- Excavation went down to road grade (catch basin level), required 6-foot-deep repair
- Four underdrains with grates installed to prevent future road undermining if leaks occur
- Weep drains, gabion, and compacted aggregate layers installed for structural stability
- Project should be complete within a couple weeks, waiting for asphalt plant to open and guardrail company to reinstall barriers
- Road striping deferred to summer when regular street striping occurs
Total cost estimated at a couple hundred thousand dollars. City will seek reimbursement from DOT using CHIPS (Consolidated Highway Improvement Program) funds. Road reconstruction is an applicable cost. If DOT pushback occurs, city will contact Didi Barrett's office for assistance.
CHIPS money used for this emergency repair reduces funds available for street paving elsewhere in the city.
Sewer Main Inspection During Harry Howard Closure
While Harry Howard Avenue was closed, DPW inspected the sewer main to ensure road shifting had not damaged it. They found and repaired a failed flange causing an obstruction.
Key points
- Sewer main inspection revealed pooling in structures and obstruction in line
- Camera revealed collapsed material and failed flange in one of two parallel mains
- Failed section cut out and replaced with new Schedule 40 PVC pipe
- Repair completed as part of Harry Howard Avenue closure work
Basin Dock Installation and Sloop Club Contract
DPW began installing docks at the waterfront, using the Sloop Club's boat for the river dock installation as part of their contract.
Key points
- Dock installation started last week with support beams and stabilizing bushings
- Sloop Club provides boat assistance for river dock only, not other docks, as part of their contract
- Other docks installed by dropping them in from the side without boat assistance
- Process is labor-intensive
Street Light Maintenance After Ownership Transfer
Since Hudson took ownership of street lights from National Grid, the utility no longer moves them when installing new poles. The city now pays contractors to relocate lights, adding a new operational cost.
Key points
- National Grid stopped moving street lights the day after Hudson took ownership
- Initially Grid disconnected lights and left them on the ground, now they leave them energized with a jumper
- City must pay local contractors to move lights to new utility poles
- National Grid installing hundreds of new poles, creating ongoing relocation work (previous 15 years saw fewer than 10 new poles)
- After Grid moves their infrastructure, Verizon, FairPoint, and other utilities must move their equipment before final pole removal
This new expense is offset by no longer paying $120,000 annually ($10,000 monthly) to National Grid for street light service.
National Grid Billing Issue and Street Light Budget Crisis
National Grid failed to send street light invoices after creating new accounts for Hudson. A disconnect notice revealed the billing problem, showing the city owes around $100,000, wiping out the 2026 street light budget.
Key points
- Grid created new street light invoices after ownership transfer but never sent them, similar to earlier police station billing error that resulted in an $85,000 surprise bill
- City discovered problem only after receiving disconnect notice (Grid would need to disconnect 890 lights one by one)
- Grid claims city owes $100,000, administrative assistant calculates actual amount closer to $65,000 to $70,000
- Payment will wipe out entire 2026 street light budget, requiring fund replenishment at higher rate
- New budget needs approximately $7,000 monthly (about $100,000 annually), current year budget was around $120,000
This is the second major billing error from National Grid. The first involved the police station being billed at wrong classification for three years, resulting in an $85,000 back bill.
Sidewalk Width Code Inconsistency
City code contains contradictory sidewalk width requirements: one section specifies 5 feet, another specifies 4 feet. Committee discussed resolving this with a local law.
Key points
- Code section inconsistency: sidewalks required to be 5 feet in one section, 4 feet in another
- Inconsistency may have allowed developments like pocketbook factory to install 4-foot sidewalks
- Municipal code for new sidewalks is 5 feet, but Warren Street has mostly double-width sidewalks
- Different neighborhoods have different needs: Warren Street has heavy foot traffic, other areas do not
- Committee agreed to draft local law resolution to fix inconsistency, likely standardizing at 5 feet
Cemetery Maintenance and Volunteer Cleaning
DPW completed spring cleanup at parks and the cemetery. Cherry highlighted volunteer efforts to clean headstones, noting the cemetery functions as one of the city's best-attended parks.
Key points
- Parks crew performed spring cleanup at parks and cemetery
- Volunteer group cleaning cemetery headstones (before and after photos showed dramatic improvement from dark gray to clean stone)
- Cemetery described as one of the city's best-attended parks with regular dog-walkers and visitors
- One large pine tree at cemetery entrance near former mayor's house needs removal due to storm damage
- When funds available, city brings in contractors with cranes for tree removal (cannot risk dropping on headstones)
DPW Staffing Cuts and Property Maintenance Limitations
Cherry warned that a citizen complaint about an overgrown city-owned property on State Street would likely go unaddressed due to 33% parks department staffing cuts, from three employees to two.
Key points
- Citizen complaint about 210 State Street, reportedly city-owned property (formerly Travis Enterprises), with overgrown vegetation
- Parks department reduced by 33% (from three to two employees) by Board of Estimate and Apportionment last year
- Department will focus on riverfront parks and large open spaces, small out-parcels will wait
- Cherry suggested either selling neglected properties or accepting reduced maintenance
- Property may have been coded incorrectly as city-owned years ago, actual ownership unclear
Committee suggested drafting resolution for special auction to sell problem properties rather than maintain them with reduced staff. Cherry indicated he has 35 different parcels that could be addressed this way.
LaBella Traffic Study Proposal, Park Area Intersections
The committee discussed a proposal from LaBella engineers to study traffic flow around the park and at the hospital triangle intersection. The Friends of the Public Square's sidewalk expansion plans led to exploring making 7th Street one-way southbound to improve truck routing.
Key points
- Friends of the Public Square planning to expand sidewalks around park to match double-width Warren Street sidewalks (current park-side sidewalks only 4 feet wide)
- Sidewalk expansion would make 7th Street one-way southbound between Columbia and Warren
- Current truck route conflicts at Park Place and Warren (trucks turning right off Warren onto Park Place, trucks turning left off Park Place onto Warren) create bottlenecks
- Rerouting trucks to 7th Street would give them a traffic light and separate turning movements
- LaBella proposal includes studying whether 7th one-way south and Park Place one-way north would improve traffic flow
- Study would also examine general safety around the park including truck movements
- One-way pattern fits existing grid (8th Street already one-way)
This study relates to Friends of the Public Square phase three plans to expand sidewalks along the park to match Warren Street's double-width sidewalks.
Hospital Triangle Intersection Study
The second proposed study focuses on the dangerous triangle intersection where Columbia Street, Prospect Avenue, and Columbia Turnpike meet near the hospital.
Key points
- Study would examine traffic volumes, flows, and solutions at Columbia/Prospect/Turnpike triangle
- This intersection and park area identified as having biggest city-wide impact
- Previous study of this intersection exists in City Hall records
- Intersection noted as expensive and difficult to fix
Committee members recalled previous studies of this intersection. Records should be reviewed before new work begins.
Grant Funding Strategy for Traffic Studies
The committee outlined a multi-stage grant strategy: start with a small Hudson River Valley Greenway Grant to show investment, then pursue larger grants for implementation.
Key points
- Hudson River Valley Greenway Grant requires 50/50 match, application due April 24th
- City has $10,000 remaining in truck study money from Didi Barrett, her office approved using it for this purpose
- Total project would be $20,000 ($10,000 from city, $10,000 from Greenway grant) for initial conceptual work on two locations
- Initial investment positions city for larger grants: Safe Streets for All (due June or July) and Climate Smart Communities (due end of year)
- Larger grants prefer cities that have shown investment, Climate Smart Communities grants can fund construction
- Strategy: demonstrate investment with small grant, use results to pursue major funding
Vote planned for informal meeting to approve applying for Hudson River Valley Greenway Grant for $20,000 traffic study ($10,000 match).
No Right Turn on Red Discussion
Committee discussed implementing a citywide no-right-turn-on-red policy to improve pedestrian safety, debating whether to do it everywhere or only at specific high-traffic locations.
Key points
- Mayor sent email suggesting no-right-turn-on-red policy, provided data showing significant pedestrian safety improvements
- Policy is law throughout New York City, some Hudson locations already have it
- Committee generally supportive but debated scope: citywide versus high-traffic areas only
- Warren Street identified as priority due to heavy pedestrian traffic, also discussed for Third Street
- Third and State intersection noted as possibly needing exception due to traffic flow (short block, high volume, synced lights)
- Concern that selective implementation requires choosing locations repeatedly, simpler to do citywide
- Rolling stops and crosswalk courtesy noted as enforcement challenges
- Pedestrian crossing signals with flashing lights exist at some locations (Kiwanis Park, others)
Committee will draft local law (likely copying another municipality's ordinance), send to city attorney Ken Dasch for review, then bring to full council. This saves the mayor's office from doing the work.
Meeting Adjournment and Technical Difficulties
The meeting concluded with audio problems preventing online public comment. Committee apologized and requested email questions instead.
Key points
- Technical difficulties prevented audio from online participants (Bill Houston, Ron, Margaret) from being heard in the room
- Committee members could hear some participants on individual devices but not through room speakers
- After attempting troubleshooting, committee apologized and requested public email questions instead
- Meeting adjourned with motion and second
Technical problems blocked online public comment during this meeting. The committee requested questions be sent via email instead.
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.
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