At a glance
The Common Council held its informal meeting on April 20, 2026, at 6 p.m. The evening featured a presentation from Power Market on a community solar program offering residents savings on electricity bills with no cost to the city. The council reviewed committee reports covering infrastructure repairs (including the Underhill Road water main break), public safety concerns, youth department staffing needs, finance allocations for summer events, and legal updates. Multiple resolutions were introduced for next week's voting agenda, including grant applications, training authorizations, and clarification of dock use regulations. No votes were taken, this was a preparatory session.
Power Market Community Solar Presentation
Brad Tito from Power Market presented a proposal for a community solar outreach program that would allow Hudson residents to receive savings on electricity bills through credits from National Grid, with no cost to the city.
Key points
- Power Market has partnered with dozens of New York municipalities including Kingston, Beacon, and Utica to deliver community solar savings
- The program is voluntary, state-regulated, and offers guaranteed savings with no financial risk to residents who can opt out at any time
- The city's role is limited to reviewing outreach materials, with Power Market managing enrollment and customer support
- Estimated participation is 2 to 6 percent of households, approximately 100 residents in Hudson
- Solar panels would not be installed in Hudson; residents would connect to projects in National Grid territory (one available project is in Oneida County)
- Residents with existing rooftop solar are not eligible due to state regulations limiting participation to one distributed solar program at a time
- The council would authorize the mayor to enter into a memorandum of understanding with Power Market
The MOU will be circulated to full council for review and potential vote next week
Safety Committee Report: Traffic Concerns and Right Turn on Red
The Safety Committee reported on discussions about traffic management, including potential restrictions on right turns on red, stop sign placement, street lights, and concerns from Fourth Ward residents about the pocketbook factory.
Key points
- Committee discussed a potential local law to restrict right turns on red citywide for pedestrian safety, with data suggesting over 80 percent increase in pedestrian safety
- Third Street at the park identified as needing special consideration due to traffic backup concerns
- 36 residents signed a petition regarding quality of life impacts from the pocketbook factory operation
- DPW will begin deploying new one-way signs and do-not-enter signs in May, particularly on alleys and one-way streets
- North 7th Street one-way configuration discussed as potentially needing revision
- Committee awaiting accident statistics and traffic volume data before making final recommendations
- Education and enforcement campaigns needed for ebike and scooter regulations, separate from legal committee work on updating ordinances
The right turn on red proposal is still under discussion. The committee has not yet determined whether it will apply citywide or to specific intersections.
- Legal committee working on ebike and scooter helmet requirements and regulations
- DPW sign deployment scheduled to begin May 1
Infrastructure Committee: Underhill Road Water Main Break and Budget Impacts
Infrastructure Committee reported on the Underhill Road water main break, National Grid street lighting costs, and several upcoming budget reallocations affecting paving and repairs.
Key points
- Underhill Road closure due to water main break caused by failed gasket that should have lasted much longer than 10 years
- DPW is repairing the water main and cleared blockages found in the sewer main during the work
- Estimated reopening is May 15
- Reservoir Road in Taghkanic: the city owns land on both sides but does not own the road or a failing culvert; the town of Taghkanic has been asked to address the issue
- National Grid street lighting transition will reduce annual costs from approximately 200,000 dollars to 100,000 dollars due to LED conversion
- This year's paving will be limited due to funds allocated to the garbage yard and the Underhill repair (funded by state touring and CHIPS money)
- Sewer plant repairs estimated at 337,000 dollars need to be worked into the 2027 budget
- Snow removal budget had 330 dollars remaining after reallocations to cover this winter's costs
National Grid payment resolution of 105,000 dollars is on tonight's agenda
Services Committee: Senior Center and Youth Department Staffing
Services Committee reported on the senior center (still without a commissioner) and emphasized urgent need for funding the assistant youth director position to serve as camp director.
Key points
- Senior center has no commissioner and no written report; most programming is provided by the county, which ends at 1 p.m. daily
- Committee drafted a transportation survey for seniors to be distributed at Bliss Towers, Providence Hall, and the Terrace
- Youth department is preparing for summer camp at Oakdale with 30 applicants for counselor positions and 20 for lifeguards
- The assistant youth director position is critical: it serves as camp director and is required to be certified through the Department of Health
- Camp director certification requires specific four-year qualifications for safety regulations
- A vacant full-time position (estimated 35,000 to 40,000 dollars) could be eliminated to fund the assistant director position without impacting the budget
- The position must be filled by June 1 at the latest to allow time for camp preparation, but May would be better
- The position is civil service and would be filled provisionally until the exam is administered
- New pilot program: pre and post-camp care from 8 to 9 a.m. for 50 dollars per week per child (25 dollars for additional children) to accommodate 8-to-4 work schedules
The mayor and Board of Estimate and Apportionment need to address funding for the assistant youth director position by May to allow adequate preparation time for summer camp.
Finance Committee: Event Funding Allocations
Finance Committee reviewed applications for the 30,000 dollar event funding pool and recommended allocations totaling 23,500 dollars, with decisions on Hudson Open Studios and other applications still pending.
Key points
- 13 applications were received for event funding
- Most applicants funded at same levels as last year, with two exceptions: Hudson Fastening received an additional 200 dollars and Hudson Area Library received 1,000 dollars for a walking tour
- Hudson Mile permit was rejected; they were not willing to move the event time to accommodate business concerns about losing Saturday evening dinner revenue
- The 5 p.m. start time on Warren Street blocked north-south traffic for over two hours, significantly impacting restaurants and businesses
- CAP and Hudson Mile were not funded because they are not ADA compliant
- Hudson Open Studios pending additional information about ADA compliance (potential 1,500 dollar allocation)
- Remaining funds from the 30,000 dollar pool will be returned to DPW and HPD to offset cleanup costs not covered by event organizers
All events receiving city funding must be ADA compliant. Applications without this component are not eligible for support.
Legal Committee and Multiple Resolutions Preview
Legal Committee presented a preview of multiple resolutions for next week's vote, including contracts, grant applications, policy changes, and a controversial dock use code clarification.
Key points
- EV charger servicing contract renewal with ChargePoint for 17,000 dollars over five years (needs budget amendment as it was not budgeted)
- Hudson Paddles license agreement renewal for mayor's approval
- Procurement policy changes planned for next month to address three areas: BEA thresholds, procurement procedures, and health benefits
- Parking fee-in-lieu program being developed by Jenny for new residential developments without sufficient parking; fees would fund future parking garage
- Sidewalk law amendments under consideration to allow urgent targeted repairs and incentivize property owners to address critical areas while the full program continues
- Video conferencing policy revision: repealing local law and replacing with resolution for easier future modifications; clarifies extraordinary circumstances for remote participation
- New T2 systems contract for parking fine collection; the company bills delinquent fine-payers directly for administrative fees, no cost to city
- Hudson River Valley Greenway Grant application (10,000 dollars with 10,000 dollars city match) for conceptual design studies of the triangle at Columbia Street/Prospect Avenue and the public square at 7th Street park
- Local law clarification for dock use (section 325-17.1) using 2009 data from Creighton Manning study: 148,000 tons per year and approximately 5,000 truck round trips
The proposed code clarification relies on 2009 data as the closest available information to the 2011 code language. Annual limits are used rather than daily or hourly limits because of high variability in dock operations due to weather, market demand, barge availability, and other factors.
Hudson River Valley Greenway Grant application is due Thursday, April 24. LaBella Associates is standing by to proceed if the council approves.
- Greenway grant will support applications for Climate Smart Communities grants and Safe Streets for All grants in May and July
- One-way street proposals for 7th Street and Park Place would shift truck traffic patterns and reduce congestion on Warren Street
Additional Resolutions and Routine Business
Council previewed routine resolutions including appointments, street renaming, and grant authorizations, along with questions about city finances and upcoming events.
Key points
- Appointing Samchenko to Columbia County Climate Smart Community Task Force board of supervisors
- Honorary street renaming: City Hall Place to Brenner Way honoring the oldest living retired Hudson Police Department member (some concern about establishing precedent for living honorees versus those who died in the line of duty or had exceptional documented community impact)
- Accepting senior center donations
- Approving firefighter civil service listing for those who completed service in the past year
- Training authorization for three planning board members (1.5 hours completed, four hours required annually, training is free)
- IDA public hearing authorization regarding CDBG project progress for returning
- PlugIn Station Online (POSO) selected as vendor for additional EV charging stations at Front Street city lot and the lot adjacent to the dog park (pending 75,000 dollar grant award, with potential additional National Grid funding)
- National Grid street lighting payment resolution amended to 105,000 dollars (combining past due bills from 2025 and 2026, with 75,000 dollars coming from general fund)
- Operation Night student council event on April 29 will bring Hudson High School students to City Hall for a mock council meeting and tours
One council member suggested a proclamation, key to the city, and grand marshal role might be more appropriate than street naming for a living honoree, given past honorees died in the line of duty or had extraordinary documented community contributions. The family's wishes will be considered before any changes.
Public Comments and Process Questions
Public comments addressed city finances, police commissioner vacancy, code enforcement involvement, and technical issues with online participation.
Key points
- One resident asked about the general financial well-being of the city; treasurer was online but detailed discussion was deferred
- Question raised about when code enforcement will be involved in infrastructure committee meetings
- Police commissioner vacancy discussed: Chief Franklin is acting commissioner, no timeline provided for permanent appointment
- Community member mentioned former commissioner Richard expressing interest in returning to the role
- Technical difficulties reported by online participant experiencing echo (resolved when duplicate login was identified)
- Robert from Operation Night provided details about the April 29 student event at City Hall
Hudson River Valley Greenway Grant Vote and Executive Session
Council voted unanimously to authorize the grant application for traffic and intersection studies, then recessed for attorney-client consultation.
Key points
- Jason Lala explained the grant would fund 20,000 dollars in conceptual studies (10,000 dollars grant plus 10,000 dollars match from leftover Trump study funds managed by DD Barrett)
- Studies will cover the triangle (Columbia Street, Prospect Avenue, and Columbia Turnpike intersection) and the public square at 7th Street park
- 7th Street proposal includes making the block one-way to expand sidewalks around the park and shift truck traffic from Park Place to 7th Street with a traffic light for southbound left turns
- This grant is a first step toward larger applications for Climate Smart Communities and Safe Streets for All grants in May and July
- LaBella Associates ready to begin work immediately upon approval
- Vote: Morris yes, Burnhagen yes, Rooney yes, Sarah yes, Roberts yes, two absent, Oranti yes (unanimous approval)
- Council recessed for 15-minute attorney-client session before returning to regular session
LaBella will deliver a report in approximately six weeks with traffic pattern analysis, safety recommendations, and broad design ideas for both locations.
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.