At a glance
Surveillance cameras took up the middle of this Safety Committee meeting. The chair said the privately owned Flock camera in Hudson is being switched over to the Axon system the police department already uses, paid for by the resident who owns it, with HPD able to pull footage only when it is needed for an incident. The chair said the chief, the mayor and the chair are meeting later in the week, and that cameras are on the agenda for the Common Council informal meeting on September 21. A council member argued that the department's existing policies are already about as tight as the state legislation being proposed, and suggested Hudson lobby Albany to bar any New York agency from granting camera access to entities outside the state. The fire department reported 42 calls in August and said it is losing one of its top five responders, who cannot afford to stay in Hudson. Code enforcement reported stop-work orders at the Hudson Public Hotel and 123 Union for preservation code violations. No votes were taken.
Fire Department: 42 Calls in August
The fire department gave its monthly report, then the committee spent several minutes on lithium-ion battery fires.
Key points
- 42 calls in August. Six were fires, three of them in Hudson: a fire on Warren Street, a small kitchen fire in a high-rise, and an outside fire at a residence.
- One of the calls was a lithium-ion battery that caught fire while it was charging on an outlet at the back of a house. A separate battery fire happened in a Fairview Avenue garage the month before.
- Also reported: seven hazardous situations involving fuel or gas, two calls for downed electrical power lines, one motor vehicle collision, one cardiac arrest, 15 non-emergency calls, and 13 public service calls.
- The new truck is at the dealer getting custom compartments finished. The department hopes for delivery by the beginning of October.
- On batteries, the department said the failures it sees are mostly aftermarket and off-brand packs rather than UL-rated ones, and that disposal options are limited. A member asked whether the city should post a warning on its website; the department said it has shared state fire office material on Instagram and Facebook.
- A member said Albany has started accepting batteries of certain sizes for disposal.
Losing a Top Responder to the Cost of Housing
The fire department raised the housing crisis directly, saying it is losing one of its five busiest responders.
Key points
- One of the department's top five responders is leaving Hudson, unable to afford to stay. The speaker said the person has to move out of town and is moving out of state.
- The department described the pattern as gaining one member and losing two.
- A member suggested the state should offer tax relief to volunteer firefighters. Others in the room tied it to the combination of rents and available jobs, not rent alone.
The line about how long departing residents had been in Hudson is broken in the captions and is left out here. The exchange runs from 02:14 to 03:48. The speaker is not named in the captions.
Police: 44 Arrests, a Recovered Gun, an Officer Resigns
Chief Mishanda Franklin gave the August report and said the department is down one officer.
Key points
- 44 arrests on 75 charges in August. Seven emotionally disturbed person calls. Zero incidents involving a drug overdose or suspected overdose. Zero defensive action reports. Body camera review showed no training needs.
- Total incidents for August were given as 795. Someone in the room said that sounded low and that the figure is usually higher.
- The detectives division recovered a gun within 24 hours of its being stolen from a vehicle belonging to a registered gun owner in Hudson. A press release was said to be coming.
- An officer resigned the week before. Chief Franklin said she has asked civil service for a new list, that an already trained officer transferring in is a possibility, and that she hopes to fill the position before year end.
- Winter Walk is on for the first Saturday in December. A member said Hudson Development Corporation is taking the lead, with an assist from the mayor's office.
The current officer headcount was garbled in the captions and is left out here rather than guessed.
Parking Revenue Up 28 Percent Over Last August
The monthly parking report showed a sharp year over year revenue increase.
Key points
- August 2026 parking revenue was $139,000, against $100,000 in August 2025, an increase of 28 percent.
- 2,459 parking tickets were paid during August.
- 12 vehicles were booted, for $2,800.
The total number of tickets issued in August was garbled in the captions, so it is left out here rather than guessed.
Living With the New Stop Signs
The committee asked how the two new stop signs near the park are working out.
Key points
- No accidents so far, and no complaints to the police department. The concern raised was about the sign at Columbia and Seventh, which drivers have not expected.
- Several people in the room admitted almost driving through it, and a member suggested a temporary sign warning of a new stop ahead.
- A member said that after an initial week of frustration the intersection became noticeably safer for drivers and pedestrians, and that traffic moves more smoothly out of North Seventh.
Cameras: the Private Flock Camera Is Switching to Axon
The chair raised the camera question directly, gave the history, and said the privately owned Flock camera is being converted to the system the police department already uses.
Key points
- The chair said Hudson has had license plate readers for about 19 or 20 years, and surveillance cameras at the police department across its move from Warren Street to the new building, and that there are cameras in City Hall as well.
- The chair said the last homicide in Hudson was solved using camera data from the Axon system the police department has access to.
- The chair said she spoke with the resident who owns the new privately owned Flock camera and that he has agreed to switch it to an Axon system, paid for by him, which HPD would access only when the data is needed for an incident. The chair said that after that change there would no longer be a privately owned Flock camera in Hudson.
- Chief Franklin said the department owns its camera data, that it is not shared without the department's permission, and that Axon itself cannot access it. She said she assumed the same holds for a private owner but would double check.
- Chief Franklin said the department's public access portal is linked on the city website under the police department, where anyone can see summary numbers: how many plates were read, what they were read for, and how long plate data is retained.
- The chair said she has been researching systems and state regulations, that the chief, the mayor and she meet later this week, and that the subject goes on the Common Council informal agenda on September 21.
The captions render Flock as 'flock' and 'block' and Axon as 'Axio' in places. A speaker corrects herself from Axio to Axon at 18:04.
Retention Limits, and What Albany Could Be Asked to Add
A council member compared the department's existing policies to the state legislation being proposed, and suggested language Hudson could push for.
Key points
- The member said she reviewed the department's policies and procedures on plate readers against the proposed state legislation and found them about as tight, with one difference: a 48-hour retention period in the proposal, which she said is probably not realistic for enforcement and will have to be discussed.
- She noted the recently passed state law prohibiting local law enforcement from cooperating with federal immigration authorities, and suggested lobbying the governor's office and Hudson's representatives to state explicitly that non-cooperation covers plate reader access.
- She suggested adding language barring any law enforcement entity in New York State from granting camera access to a municipality or state entity outside New York, since access in these systems has to be actively granted.
- She said residents should understand that there are no county Flock cameras in Hudson and that the department's policy should be clearly aligned with the proposed state law.
Several sentences in this stretch of the captions are broken. The points above are limited to what the transcript states clearly.
A Donated Stop Sign, and RVs Parked in the Commercial District
Two smaller items: a working stop sign a member wants to hand over, and whether to restrict RV parking on the main commercial street.
Key points
- A member has an actual working stop sign in storage and offered it to the department. They agreed to arrange a drop-off.
- The chair asked the committee to consider barring RV parking in the commercial district, saying she sees two or three a week and at least one on busy weekends.
- She said the code addresses travel trailers but not RVs, that an RV takes up two spaces with no way to pay for two, and that the district has a two-hour limit on the books.
- Another member, who has owned an RV, suggested a time limit rather than an outright ban. The chair described a sign she had seen next to a parking meter reading no RV parking.
The captions render the street as 'Morning Street', which is not a Hudson street. The street is not named here rather than guessed.
Public Comment: the Incident at 715 Warren Street
A resident joining by video asked about the new stop sign and then about an incident at an artist studio on Warren Street.
Key points
- On the stop sign at Seventh and Columbia, the answer was that traffic on Columbia has the flow and no stop sign, partly because backing up there near the railroad tracks is a safety concern, so a driver turning left from the stop must wait for the corner to clear.
- The resident asked about an incident at 715 Warren Street, where she understood people had spent about an hour harassing those inside before one of the women came out, and was arrested, while those outside were not.
- Chief Franklin said the people outside were First Amendment auditors, that recording from a public space into what is visible of a private space is legal, and that they were within their rights even if the intent was to provoke a reaction.
- She said officers cannot prevent recording but can ask people to move along, and that anyone in that situation should call the department.
- The room drew a distinction between a commercial storefront window and a private residence, and noted the property at issue was a commercial establishment in a private home.
- She suggested that closing for an hour and walking away is the practical response, since the aim is to provoke a reaction.
Public Comment: Turned Away at the County Clerk's Office
A resident described being asked to leave the Columbia County Clerk's office while reviewing public files.
Key points
- He said he has been helping a woman with a civil action and reviewing paper files at the county clerk's office.
- He said an assistant county clerk took issue with his saying there were problems with a file, and that when he returned from lunch a deputy sheriff told him he was not welcome there.
- He said he left rather than escalate, returned the next day, and is composing a demand letter to the county clerk and the sheriff.
- He contrasted the handling with Hudson's police department, which he described as professional.
Code Enforcement: Stop-Work Orders at Two Properties
Code Enforcement Officer Nick Fox gave the August report, including three stop-work orders, two of them for preservation code violations.
Key points
- 13 title searches, eight violations written, and three stop-work orders: the Hudson Public Hotel and 123 Union, both for violations of the historic preservation code, and 202 State Street, for an accessory building put up without a permit.
- The building at 202 State Street will have to come down because it was badly underbuilt. Fox said the property also had serious hoarding, inside and out, and that the police and fire departments were notified to take care if they ever have to go in.
- One order to vacate was issued after a set of stairs collapsed inside a house. The landlord fixed them and the tenants got back in.
- 21 building permits were issued for a total of $4,743 in fees, and seven permits were closed out.
- The department has a new clerk and a new code enforcement officer.
- The chair thanked Fox for the stop-work orders, saying a developer had not previously been stopped or fined for stepping outside decisions made by the Historic Preservation Commission. Fox answered that it was just doing the job, with no intention toward the developer.
Fire Inspection at the Youth Center
The committee asked about a fire inspection at the youth department, which opened for after-school the same week.
Key points
- The annual inspection found exit signs and spotlights down upstairs near the basketball court, needing bulbs and batteries, some missing blank plates with exposed wiring, and a men's room door closing too hard.
- Fox said the door has to be adjusted to a five pound closure or the closer removed, and described the findings as life safety items an electrician could handle in a day or two.
- Members pressed on whether the items would be fixed before the building opened, and there was uncertainty in the room about whether the youth center had already opened. A member said there should be a facility checklist the department follows.
- Fox said inspections are planned for City Hall and other city buildings, which were overlooked in the past and have to be done annually.
Old Business: Signs, and Four Registered Vacant Buildings
The committee closed on illegal pole signs and the vacant building registry.
Key points
- Someone has been taking down signs stapled to telephone poles, and someone has been putting up signs that say free speech zone and look similar to municipal signs.
- On removing signs from poles, the city was told Verizon would provide a letter allowing removal, while National Grid requires a work order for every sign.
- Hudson had two registered vacant buildings and now has four. The code officer said the previous administration was not actively enforcing the vacant building code, and that he found parts of the code needing amendment before stronger enforcement.
- Asked whether a complaint is required before a vacant building notification, the answer was no.
- Resolutions and amendments on the vacant building and demolition codes are still with the Legal Committee, expected back in about a month. A third item, on having developers pay for third party review of complex projects, was paused and the chair asked when it comes back.
The third party review idea appeared in earlier committee discussion about who pays to review the city's largest projects.
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