At a glance
Monday's Code and Infrastructure Committee meeting was mostly the DPW superintendent's monthly report, dominated by a major, roughly two-year sewer-and-stormwater separation project that will tear up streets through the numbered blocks, replace sewer and storm pipes, and run new connections to every house. The committee also welcomed the city's new code enforcement officer in his first committee visit, and heard a long list of resident complaints about vacant and abandoned buildings. Other topics: a rebuilt stretch of Harry Howard Avenue, the cost of adding 'no right on red' signs, and a pending safety grant.
DPW report: a major sewer-and-stormwater project ahead
The Department of Public Works superintendent's monthly report opened with a large sewer-and-stormwater separation project that will reshape several streets for about two years.
Key points
- The first phase of the project runs roughly from Second Street up to Seventh Street and Park Place, with some work in alleys reaching down toward Front Street. The new sewer pipe is large, 42 to 48 inches in the lower blocks.
- The new sewer will be installed in place of the existing one, so streets will be open at night but closed during the day, with daytime detours for at least the 200-, 300- and 400-block stretches.
- New sewer and storm laterals will be run all the way to each house, and on many blocks the roads and sidewalks will be fully rebuilt rather than patched. The superintendent said affected blocks will 'look like a bomb went off' during construction.
- The whole project is expected to take about two years. The bid letting is now expected in August or September 2026, with contract awards in the fall and substantial work beginning after winter.
- 'Smoke testing', a non-toxic fog forced through the sewer, will be used to map connections running under buildings. It should not enter homes; if it does, that can indicate an internal plumbing problem. Door hangers will warn residents in advance.
This page is built from YouTube's automatic captions. The transcript has no speaker labels and garbles many names and figures, so this summary describes speakers by role and rounds or generalizes numbers where the transcript was unclear. Check anything important against the city's official minutes.
Harry Howard Avenue rebuilt, and a round of vandalism
The DPW report covered the completed Harry Howard Avenue repair, routine seasonal work, and several acts of vandalism around the city.
Key points
- Harry Howard Avenue, closed around St. Patrick's Day because the road was failing, has been rebuilt, new subbase, milling, a new top coat, a wing gutter, guard rails, and reseeded shoulders.
- The Harry Howard work cost a bit over $150,000 (roughly $140,000 for the contractor plus guard-rail installation and materials), to be paid from the city's CHIPS account and submitted to the state DOT for reimbursement.
- Other DPW work included repairing the street sweeper after something destroyed its fan impeller, and cleaning a water main.
- The committee heard reports of vandalism: a young tree on Promenade Hill, a broken window at the Waterfront Park bathroom, and a break-in at the Dunn Warehouse where parts of a Henry Hudson boat replica were smashed.
The Pocketbook factory parking lot at the firehouse
The superintendent reported that DPW and the fire department have signed off on a revised parking layout for the lot the Pocketbook factory tenant will lease near the firehouse.
Key points
- The original layout placed parking across the full frontage, leaving no room for DPW's snow dump or fire-department access for events and training. The revised footprint is narrower and deeper, restoring that access.
- The tenant is now preparing construction documents to take to the Planning Board for site plan review and approval.
- The lease covers only the parking-lot parcel; the rest of the area remains city property. The superintendent said the tenant can park there now while the review proceeds.
The Pocketbook factory parking lease and the related noise complaints also came before the Legal Committee on May 14 and the Council's May 18 informal meeting, where a lease amendment was distributed for a vote.
'No right on red' signs, truck routes, and road funding
The committee discussed the cost of adding 'no right on red' signs and the superintendent clarified how Hudson's streets are designated and funded.
Key points
- Right turn on red is allowed by default in New York outside New York City, so the city cannot ban it citywide, it must post signs at specific intersections.
- The superintendent estimated roughly 43 signs with hardware would be needed, at about $300 each, on the order of $13,000, and noted no money is currently budgeted for it. A list of candidate intersections was prepared and sent to the mayor to prioritize.
- He clarified that Hudson has no true state roads: some streets carry a dual state-route designation but are maintained by the city. Those 'centerline miles' help determine how much CHIPS road funding the city receives.
- Several streets are federally designated truck routes (a 'designated access highway'), which is why large trucks are allowed on them, a point relevant to enforcement on Columbia Street.
The new code enforcement officer's first committee visit
The committee welcomed the city's new code enforcement officer, who attended a council committee for the first time, and discussed noise, rental inspections, and signs.
Key points
- Members and the officer discussed where his recurring updates best fit, this committee or the safety committee, given that code enforcement touches both.
- On noise, the officer said he has been taking decibel readings around town. Members noted Hudson's code (limits of 45 decibels at night and 55 during the day in residential areas, and limits relative to ambient noise) does not clearly address steady 'droning' sounds such as HVAC equipment, an issue tied to complaints about the Pocketbook factory.
- Members discussed possibly creating a rental or 'residential occupancy' inspection program. The officer noted that buildings with three or more units, and all commercial buildings, already receive regular fire-safety inspections, while single- and two-family homes do not.
- The officer and members discussed illuminated and flashing signs around the city, several of which appear to violate code, and the lack of a clear brightness standard.
Vacant and abandoned buildings
Residents and members raised the problem of vacant and abandoned buildings at length, naming specific properties.
Key points
- Speakers described break-ins, uncut grass, dumped debris, abandoned vehicles, and a years-vacant former church where a fire had occurred, calling several properties a disgrace to their neighborhoods.
- Members noted the city code already provides for a penalty on vacant properties and a vacant-building registry, but questioned whether notices are actually being sent to owners.
- The code enforcement officer said vacancies are something he is watching and intends to pursue diligently. Members offered to update the code where needed to make it clearer and more enforceable.
A safety grant, and closing items
The committee closed with an update on a pending Greenway grant and other business.
Key points
- The city expects to hear by about June 1 on a Hudson Valley River Greenway grant to study converting some one-way streets near the public square (around Seventh Street and Park Place) and to design improvements at a hazardous intersection near the hospital.
- A consultant working with the city created a short community survey on priorities, to be posted on Hudson Hub.
- The next committee meeting is June 8; the chair will be absent for a family graduation, and another member agreed to lead it.
- Members noted that small advertising signs attached to street poles around the city are against code and the advertisers can be fined.
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.