Common Council Safety Committee

1. 0:02It's 5:30 and it's the beginning of the safety committee meeting. In attendance is myself, Henry Had, Dominic Sewer, and sorry, Dominic Dominar and Dominic.
2. 0:19I'm going to do that more often. Nick, I'll hide my com. Sorry. What's that? I'll hide my I don't make you upset.
3. 0:28Thank you. Moving on.
4. 0:29Moving on. So, we're going to start with uh the monthly report and any updates from the fire department.
5. 0:37All right. We had 42 calls last month. Six of those were fires. Those were mutual fires. Three of those were here. Uh one was the fire down Warren Street. One was a small kitchen fire on a highrise. And we had a outside fire at the residence up on the main street. There was a lithium ion battery that was on fire that was charging.
6. 1:00Uh seven hazardous situations were over fuel spill or over uh gas, two electrical power lines down, one motor vehicle collision, one order call, one cardiac arrest. I think that's two for the year for us.
7. 1:17We did one cardiac over two. uh 15 non-emergency calls, old malfunctioning alarms, accidental alarms, stuff like that, and 13 public service. That's anywhere from smoke alarm set up accidentally service call and move up and stand by. So 42 calls for the month.
8. 1:36The new truck is up and open at our dealer. Uh it's getting the finishing touches on it. It's getting work done and it needed to be done when we got back to the factory. Compartments are being all done. all custom compartments. We went up there show what we want it done up there. Uh so they're they're working on that. We're hoping next end of next month probably another two to three hope beginning by the beginning of October stuff is supposed to be in today and tomorrow but delays are going to be sit down here next time hopefully. So great thanks.
9. 2:14Um we are losing I'm I got to bring it up. I mean, it's the talk talk of the city uh with the housing crisis. We're losing one of our top five responders in the uh city of Hudson Fire Department is moving away being forced out. Can't afford it, moving on. Has to move out of town. I'm actually moving out of state.
10. 2:32So, um unfortunately, but we're seeing a lot more of it. Every time we gain somebody, you gain somebody, it's never never ending. You gain somebody, you lose two people. It's just it's be a real serious problem. It's going to be a serious problem here very very soon. It is now person and building that last three to five years that are moving out because they can't work. Even trying to pair up with a room, you know, even trying to, you know, do doing the ball. So it's a fortunate ball.
11. 3:11The state needs to kick in and give uh tax releases to volunteer fire.
12. 3:16No, they need to get more, right? I mean it it says this is crisis all over. Yeah. You can't can't afford rent. That's what it's coming down to. They're just living in the city. You can't even afford single bedroom rent. Yeah. Younger person and Oh yeah.
13. 3:36I mean combination with the jobs available and the rent. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. The combination. Yeah. It's not just so much rent. It's jobs and everything in it. Absolutely. For our area, you know.
14. 3:48Uh I don't really have you got anything new? No.
15. 3:51So the lithium battery that's separate from the barn one earlier?
16. 3:57We had the garage on Fairview Avenue last month and we had a separate it was like long one of the hour tool batteries. Yeah. charge. They had to charge them on an outlet on the back of their house and she came out and it was on fire.
17. 4:09You think it's benefit to do some kind of on our website or something because you know my wife does the same thing and I tell her all the time listens and it was a the wall you know name and it makes me nervous so I make sure I always unplug it. But is there something we should do is that I mean this is two and six months. That's that's not a lot at all.
18. 4:34The problem the data there's data but not enough data yet. You know what I mean? It's fairly new. The city's got all the data really hand because they get the most of it. Uh and what we know right now a lot of it is a lot of the uh offmarket batteries, you know, non random batteries that they're they're buying, those are the ones that are always failing.
19. 4:56Well, is there but but for as much as it's been happening around, you know, outside of here, we those two been our first two like that we can recall really in a while for as long as they've been around, you know, or if it's just a thing that's just catching up to us now. So, well, there's no really way to dispose of them either, you know. So, no. Yeah.
20. 5:20That's that's even questionable where you dispose of them. I mean, people we just went to cross the river for dump fire again and 99% positive Brian from lithium line battery they go there three times a year you know what I mean yeah well with ebikes and everything I I think that you know you know buying I mean maybe something be cautious of the batteries you buy secondhand so it's got to have the UL rating and all that ring they're pretty safe from what they found out and you know the little bit of data they do have it's mostly like the aftermarket batteries you know ones from I know all all over the places, you know, the cheap ones.
21. 5:58Then you look at $100 you well rated $15 Amazon special and nine out of 10 people $15 Amazon special and that's what Yeah. Well, yeah. Because they can buy five of them for the price of one. Exactly. If it doesn't, you know, Yeah. So it's you can tell people to we're blew in the face and do everything. People are going to go with where the money is $15 batteries. Yeah. and buy a lot of them for $100.
22. 6:22We've been fortunate cuz they are here. Ebikes are here. That thing with e battery, they're around here. They're here. You know, we've just been very fortunate. We run into the same problem with batteries for like our portable radios and stuff. We buy the good Motorola ones that are pushing $400 a piece for for one battery for a radio. Mhm. Um, you know, so yeah, we can buy we can buy the $100 ones, but we also don't want to end up in a terrible situation. So, well, we're glad you're trained well.
23. 7:02Um, so I guess we just have to be diligent and maybe add something to the website that just says try to avoid and usually, you know, summer does. I know over the last couple fighters they've we posted on Instagram and Facebook and we've shared like the OFPC's like you know stuff about lithium batteries just to I think do as much as we can but I mean that sometimes falls on you might be able to bring the port to Albany now actually I know you can they started taking batteries like a couple months ago of certain sizes anyhow. Um, anything else on the issue or anything else for fire?
24. 7:47Excellent. Well, thank you very much for coming. Thank you.
25. 7:54See you uh to next get together.
26. 8:02And you have more information than usual. That's information. Good. That's good.
27. 8:07All right. Let me not burn yourself down. That's what we hope. Yeah. Someone else.
28. 8:15Um well, moving on to police. Chief Franklin, please take us away.
29. 8:21Okay. Uh body one cam reports for August indicated no training needs. Um number of defensive action reports for August were zero. Number of arrests were 44 for 75 charges. Number of emotionally disturbed person calls were seven. and zero incidents involving drug overdose or suspected drug overdose. Total incidents for August was 795.
30. 8:48Um that seems about that up. That's I think that's a little low.
31. 8:56That should be like eight something nine. Yeah. Okay. Um it's up there still. Yeah. Um there's a press release forthcoming. We uh our detectives division recovered a gun uh last week. Uh was stolen from a vehicle here in Hudson from a registered gun owner. Um but in less than 24 hours uh we recovered it. So that was a great job from them. Uh we are down an officer. We under unfortunate circumstances we had an officer resign last week. So, we will be doing our best to fill that position prior to year end.
32. 9:36Yes. How many officers we have now? Um 22.2.
33. 9:41Do you guys are part-time or is it only full time?
34. 9:43It's just full-time in this.
35. 9:45And that includes like Captain Miller and I were part of that.
36. 9:48In this circumstance, because we've lost one mid search group, can we jump the list or anything or do we get um any preferential pick? So um I've already asked for a new list from civil service. They have to canvas any eligible candidates. Um however, if there is someone who is interested in lateraling and they are already trained, it is a possibility that we would be able to obtain an already trained officer because of the circumstance.
37. 10:23Okay. How long was the officer in the job? For us it was three years, three and a half years.
38. 10:32Okay. Well, that's unfortunate. Yes. Good luck. Thank you. You're welcome.
39. 10:38Um and then I don't know if everybody here knows. I think you know winter walk is on. So we'll be making plans to uh get that all organized. You didn't know?
40. 10:48No.
41. 10:49Oh like I know. Oh HDC is taking the lead.
42. 10:53Oh wow. Huh. That's why I thought you knew.
43. 10:57Oh, well, against, you know, a lot of people think I don't know everything. My dad does.
44. 11:04Um, with an assist from the mayor's office, winter walk will be happening.
45. 11:08Wow. Who's put HDC's foot in the bill, right? Yeah. Yeah, I think so. They've got some money.
46. 11:17They partner with the business. They know more about it. I know.
47. 11:21Oh, so paying for it. APC uh spent quite an amount of time in over the last few months uh getting donations sponsored and uh reported on throughout the year and excellent. There we go. All right. First Saturday in December.
48. 11:44Hey, we'll be there. Awesome. I will also Nick will.
49. 11:51Yes. Awesome. Okay. And that's cool. That's that's all I have.
50. 11:56Thanks. Um I heard you had a great showing on Friday. Thank you for your department at the 911 ceremony. Yeah, it was good. It was a lovely ceremony. Can't listen to Gary Wallace, so it was much longer than he uh said it was going to be. You should know better by I know. I know. Have a conversation. I think it was Gary said it would be about an hour, hour and 15 minutes. It ended up being two and a half hours roughly. Twoish plus hours. It was, but it was a it was a really good ceremony and the keynote speaker was excellent as well.
51. 12:28Thank you. Um, anything else for the corpse report or any other anything going on on your end you want us to know about?
52. 12:37Just parking. Parking. Let's do parking. Just a parking report here.
53. 12:42Yes, please. For August, we issued 3,34 parking tickets. Uh during the month of August, 2459 of the parking tickets were paid. Um so the revenue for last August 2025 was 100,000 for total revenue. And this year for August 2026 was 139,000. So we were up 28% in revenue. We had 12 vehicles booted for $2,800. And that's about it. A lot. Um thank you. Welcome.
54. 13:16uh the two new stop signs that were put near the park. Um have you had any positive or negative feedback or nothing at all or thoughts, concerns?
55. 13:26Nothing on our end. I know there's concerns I think more so about the one at park, not park at Columbia 7th.
56. 13:34Yeah.
57. 13:35Um just because people have been unaware that it's there. Absolutely. Um but so far no accidents. Um and I think people are getting used to it being there. So yeah. Uh I talked to a couple people about that and they like oh we don't know if there's stuff definitely surprised. So now we know like there's a stop sign.
58. 13:54So now I we should put top right there. Yeah. Just an empty car.
59. 13:59Or maybe we could get one of those temporary signs that says hey new stop sign ahead or something. I blew through I almost blew through it twice.
60. 14:06It's okay if you hit I think we've all had the Yeah. I pulled up to the stop sign on the other end one day and watched some of you up. I'm like, "What are you doing?" I mean, the discussions of those stop signs and I almost blew through the one by the roster. So, I mean, there's many times haven't changed. It's just going to be light at next to stores. Remember that?
61. 14:26Yeah. Oh, it's going to be the end of the world and oh my god, it's going to be just fine.
62. 14:31I personally feel similarly. I was really upset for the first week, but then it became significantly safer driving through it and as a pedestrian and somehow the traffic moves a little smoother out of North 7th. So, yeah, it was really hard to get out of there.
63. 14:51Yeah, it did it did slow that down and make it a lot safer. So, that was Yeah, just personal observation. Um, great. Uh, any other issues? This is why we know stuff sign works if if they they bother. Yeah, that's true. Yes.
64. 15:05Um I know we've had some moving on. I there has been some scuttlebutt in town regarding cameras and I'm just going to bring it up briefly. Um because I think it will be on, correct me if I'm wrong, it's going to be on the agenda for the informal next month.
65. 15:26Yes, I am putting it this month.
66. 15:27This Yeah, that's what I meant. Next week. Yeah. Perfect.
67. 15:30Additionally, uh, Chief Franklin, myself and the mayor are meeting later this week, uh, to discuss Excellent. to evaluate, you know, I've been I've done a lot of research, right, on the various systems and, uh, various state regulations and so forth. So, we will have a meeting later this week and it will be on the agenda council uh, next week.
68. 15:54Is that the 21st? Excuse me. Is that the 21st?
69. 15:58Yeah. So, uh, just a little history, um, if not everybody knows is that we have had for I think about, and correct me if I'm wrong, about 20 years now, I think it's 19 years, we've had plate readers. Yeah. And we have had um, at first it was not very many, but we have had surveillance cameras in the city. Yes. Um and we have had that at HPD when it was on Warren Street and the whole new system moved with it when it went to the new building.
70. 16:29Yes.
71. 16:30So we have had and there are cameras in this still. Yes. Which a lot of people might not realize they are surveiled while they're in the city hall and should not be unfamiliar with it. It's been here for 20 years. It's not new.
72. 16:47Um, we have solved a number of crimes in this area and in Hudson with this system we have and I'm Dominic speaking to what point you spoke to earlier. Uh, the last murder homicide in the murder in Hudson was solved using camera data. um that was the Axio system that you have access to at HPD.
73. 17:19Uh so it's not a new thing, but there's definitely an issue nationally and it all everything seems to trickle down as us as a little microcosm and I'm sure a lot of municipalities are like this that technology moves a lot faster than the language of the law does and it does not always sit well with the mass population of people. Um, and I know that we have a new flock camera that is privately owned in Hudson, and that is a contested issue, contentious issue in town. Um, but I had a conversation with the resident who has it and he has agreed to switch it over to an Axio system, I believe. Sorry, Axon.
74. 18:09Axon. That's what I mean. I'm always saying Axio, but it's Axon. to the system that we currently have at HPD.
75. 18:16So after today or maybe tomorrow, there will no longer be a privately owned block camera in Hudson. And it is going to be an Axio Axon system paid for by the individual that HPD has access to only if we need access to only.
76. 18:34Right. Just like any other surveillance camera in town, it's not actively watched. is only used when it is the data is need to be used to solve an incident or a crime or anything of that nature. So it's no different than a private security camera that when we need access you just ask right. So yes so it's not shared with anyone other than HPD just like everything else we've had for the last 20 years.
77. 19:01Um, so right so currently we maybe gives us a little time to catch up to change some language and of course further this conversation next week and that's a that's an axon policy. So anyone who and I'm assuming it's the same because uh we have axon cameras but we own the data right that is not shared with anybody without our permission. Even Axon can't access that data.
78. 19:25So, I'm guessing it it's the same for a private citizen. If they purchase their own camera, they own that data and Axon can't access that data either. That is what I was told. Um, but of course, I need to double check, you know, just take everything with a grain of salt. Um, but hopefully that puts a little bit of um water on the fire that's going around. Yeah.
79. 19:54Uh, about the block cameras. Uh, and also if everyone wasn't aware, when all the discussion about the cameras for the county came up, um, we put our public access portal uh, link on uh, the city website. So, anyone can access that portal and just see um, just preliminary numbers, just numbers of data. They can't access any data, but just like how many plates were read, what were they read for, that sort of thing. how many uh license plate data was retain is retained as well. So anybody can look at that at any point in time.
80. 20:31Thank you. How would people get access to that data? How can they look at that?
81. 20:35You go to the city website under the police department and there'll be a link uh right on there.
82. 20:44You have the city website, Margaret. Yes. Yes.
83. 20:47So uh just one thing I want to refer to some of the we'll discuss next week uh but there are this one in particular that say yes um when I reviewed that and I reviewed some of these departments policies and procedures with regard to uh uh lesson readers and the hint legislation is not specific to the dog it's about license Gotcha.
84. 21:17Pretty much everything that is in registration is already in place in Yes. I think people need to realize that uh it's still it's not adequately. Um the only thing that is different that I noted was a 48 hour retention period which from along the enforcement back that we can discuss but that's probably not realistic but that will have to be discussed but I think people need to realize that the policies and procedures that are in place are as tight as what has been proposed in the state legislation. And what I'd like to see us doing is looking at what is going on at the state level. Mhm.
85. 22:00We also have um state law that recently passed that prohibits local law enforcement from cooperating with federal specifically immigration authorities. Um I think that we could lobby um both the governor's office and our representatives uh to a in the law that was recently passed uh to specify explicitly that non cooperation also includes nonarian license commission that we want to and in the hy law um to uh or that she is sponsoring uh to add language in there that states because in all of these systems you have to actively grant access to another agency to read the to see there's no password right it's active so there could be language in there that specifically states that no uh law enforcement entity in the New York state can grant access to another municipality or state entity outside of New York state and so that would prevent access by uh law enforcement outside of New York State that maybe does not have the same non- cooperation laws and then you keep it enclosed within the system.
86. 23:14So I think that there and I think your point that um technology and the law sometimes the technology gets ahead of the law. Um but I think that there are solutions here but I think it's very important for the residents to understand that a there are no county block cameras in in uh in Hudson that uh our police department only uses a Mhm. hand out their policy needs to be clearly aligned with the with the proposed law um at state and so I think you know people understand the the facts of the situation that will help alleviate some of the um anxiety.
87. 24:04Thank you. I'm looking forward to the final draft. Um anything from another council member?
88. 24:13Oh, keep um in my storage I have we discussed before miniature uh traffic signs for like bike safety. Yep.
89. 24:25I have a actual working stop. I'm trying to unload it. Where would be best place to unload it?
90. 24:32We'll take it. It's fine. We'll use it.
91. 24:35Yeah. Where you want me to drop it off and I might need like three guys help me with the base cuz it's a it's a heavy base. But um where would be best? Not
92. 24:44Sharper Alley or No, probably we're we're uh probably rearranging some things at the station. So, let's uh let's get an appointment and try to figure out what the signs are.
93. 24:52I mean, there's nothing. It's the actual stop.
94. 25:00The light though is not right. No. Yeah. Okay. Well, we'll figure that out then. Okay. Okay. Where we put that?
95. 25:06Okay. Thanks.
96. 25:09Um, I had one issue that I didn't mention to anyone here yet. Um, is it Could you think about uh what it would be if we had uh no RV parking on our commercial district on Morning Street?
97. 25:23Would that because I noticed there at least two or three a week, one on our busy weekends always and they um I just kind of I have a worry as we get more popular for talking about driving RVs, right? Because the code talks about travel trailers but not RVs.
98. 25:44Yeah. Yeah. I think that's difficult if they're not staying in there, right? If they're park Well, it takes up two spots. And I did notice that there are a number of other municipalities that have it.
99. 25:56But if they're taking up two spots, aren't aren't they paying for those spots?
100. 25:59No, because there is no mechanism to pay for two spots. M and not that they're really like it's not necessarily the revenue, but you know at the end of the year maybe it's a couple grand. Um but it's also uh we don't it's a commercial district. We have a 2-hour minimum sorry maximum of a moving car that's still on the books I'm pretty sure from the time of chopping a tire. Um and to have a mobile bedroom kind of they don't move for a few days.
101. 26:29So I just I I would I would because as someone who had a private RV and used it a lot and went to different cities, I think maybe a time frame, but not to totally kick them off the street. Okay. Right.
102. 26:45Disgusting.
103. 26:46Yeah. I I mean um you know because you know Walmart embraces that, right? But you know but I think somebody coming through visiting for a couple days or something and I guess our municipals aren't big enough for
104. 27:00Uh, where I saw it, it was a sign placed next to the parking meter like QR code and underneath it just said no RVs, no RV parking.
105. 27:12A bunch of stickers on there. Yeah.
106. 27:16Uh, and something for unless we designate the parking lot.
107. 27:25We're going to have visitor.
108. 27:26Yeah, absolutely. without space or just caring.
109. 27:31I'm only thinking of our commercial street. Yeah.
110. 27:34Um cuz a lot of many other municipalities don't allow that, especially large vehicles in their district. Not just something to roll around. Um Okay. Okay. Thanks. Yeah.
111. 27:47Any other issues or sorry questions for HTV? I know I had some questions online.
112. 27:53Carol Hello, Carol.
113. 28:07She's Carol, you are muted.
114. 28:11Yes, I have unmuted myself and forgive me. My my age of demented dog was acting up and distracting me. But um anyway, I have two questions. One is completely personal um and that is that stop sign at the corner of 7th and Colombia. I always encounter that corner heading west on Colombia. And my question is typically the person going straight has the right of way and the person making the lefthand turn which is me must yield to that person. But when there's a stop sign there, how does that affect things?
115. 28:56Do I wait until everyone has cleared that corner before I can make my turn? Or is it a matter of turn taking? I'm there, one person gets to move, the next person needs to stop and let me turn.
116. 29:12They keep flow. They have the flow of traffic, but they don't have a stop sign because if they jammed up there, again, it's a safety concern with the railroad tracks and all that. So they have the right away. It it is reversed like it is it is wrong. It is wrong like you're right in the way you're thinking but it's a little backwards than what you're normally used to atypical intersection. Correct.
117. 29:35So I do wait until everyone has cleared that corner. Okay. Thank you for that clarification. Now, my next question has to do with the incident that occurred a week or so ago at 7:15 Warren Street. And I'm wondering if the police could comment on that. My understanding is that there were outside agitators, if you will, who were harassing the people inside 7:15, which is an artist studio, for about an hour before one of the women snapped and came out and, you know, yelled at the people who were harassing her, picked up a chair, did some other stuff, and I believe that she was arrested.
118. 30:21did, but the people who had been doing like an hour of harassing people in a private um space were not um were not like penalized in any way. So, I'm wondering if the if the police could comment on what happened there.
119. 30:45Sure, Carol. It's an unfortunate circumstance that whole that whole incident. Um, I think it's good for the public to know that, um, you know, those were first amendment auditors and part of what they do is they go around and practice and engage in their first amendment rights and that means videotaping in a public space and they may that may include videotaping from the outside into a private space. However, anything that is visible in a private space is legal for them to record.
120. 31:21So, unfortunately, the circumstances that they may have been there to agitate or quote unquote harass folks inside to possibly get a reaction. They were well within their legal rights to record. And unfortunately um the result was something um different.
121. 31:48I will tell you your boss handled really well well. I think they diffused it really handled it well. I mean I've seen a lot of the first amendment audits and they also you know target police to see how they handle it and I think you guys did very Is this one of those YouTube that Yes.
122. 32:07like come up to you in public? And we dealt we've dealt with them in the city a few times. There was one um I think another subject a couple years ago outside the rolling brochure doing the same thing outside with an umbrella recording inside but the windows were visibly to take a garden hose and spray them. Right. I don't think so.
123. 32:30I mean well I think they're thirsty. I think under those circumstances, right, folks really need to know their rights of and what other people's rights are and if they don't like it, if anyone finds themselves in that situation to call us. Um, we can't prevent them from recording inside, we can ask them to move along, but they have a legal right to be there.
124. 32:54Now, are bedrooms aren't bedrooms excluded from this, though? they in in a residential bedroom if somebody's on a sidewalk. Is it Isn't there some law that excludes the bed keeping time?
125. 33:05Um, there has to be something.
126. 33:07Yeah, there's there's something. I'm not sure exactly what that is, but yes, but if someone was outside city hall and recording inside, they right to that.
127. 33:17Right. When you have a storefront, they go through the stores and you have a storefront where you're showing off pictures or you have the right to look in there, record it or whatever it is that you're doing.
128. 33:27Is that different between a commercial location and a private residence? That's what I'm saying. Okay. Yes. Yes. All right.
129. 33:34That was actually the I wanted to ask difference because it was my understanding. Yes.
130. 33:40That people have a right to privacy in their phones homes. Yes. What you're saying, Sarah, is that if I have a commercial establishment with a window, Yeah. front window, then it can be correct. And the issue here is that this was a commercial establishment on a private home.
131. 33:58Correct. And I would say like if this happens cuz it was it was unfortunate that we had to deal with that. But uh she could have shut down the I mean you know shut it down for an hour, take a breath, walk away, do whatever because they they will continue that kind of activity hoping to get that kind of reaction because obviously yeah they or you can turn off the radio and the radio is is copyrighted and they can't they can't view it on Yeah.
132. 34:24See have tried to do that but I think there's ways around that as well. Play a Beatles song. Yeah.
133. 34:29That would be because even when you call us, our officers can't. It's legal. It's like what they're doing is a constitutional right.
134. 34:35Yeah. I It's unfortunate that they did it. Yeah. I like their rights.
135. 34:42They tend to go into public spaces or do it in in an area where they know that they could probably get a reaction from someone. I think there were some that came in here maybe a few years ago. Mhm.
136. 34:55County Clerk's office. You know, we had one in the station several years ago. 325.
137. 35:01Um, yeah. So, beware. Maybe code enforcement's next.
138. 35:06We should just call someone to go and irritate them camera all the time. Yeah. Well, thank you. Uh, that's unfortunate.
139. 35:14Carol, did that satisfy you your question or do you have more? Yeah, that's fine. Thank you very much. I appreciate it.
140. 35:22You're welcome. Um, wait. I didn't know about that one.
141. 35:29That sucks. Uh, not to make a big deal out of it. Yeah.
142. 35:34Any other questions in the room? Lloyd, our voice get two two things. You have to bring something up and I'm dealing with something personally and I'm hesitant to bring it up, but it has to do exactly with that incident at 7:15. Mhm.
143. 35:50Um, I've been helping to straighten out and to understand some of the paper files at the county clerk's office. So, I've been working to help this woman that's unfortunately in a in a in a travesty of justice to write her situation. And uh part of that is there was an earlier federal ruling and now she's engaging in a civic civil action against her lawyers that misrepresented her and she started this in January.
144. 36:26There were a couple of problems with how the papers and things were handled. So I've been I've been actually gathering documentation. So this is the e file. This is a paper file. I'm going into a little detail just to give the background on, you know, but I I I'll get to the to the situation. last Wednesday while I was actually pursuing this interest at the county clerk. um the assistant supervisor, assistant county clerk, I guess got a little concerned about what I was doing and you know papers around but uh she engaged with me and I said that there's problems with the file and that's basically what I said and there were issues with the file and it's documented a number of ways but her attitude was no the file's fine.
145. 37:21So that didn't really true in my head. So I'm like, "No, it's there's a problem with the client." And she didn't really ask me what it was. And she just I think she adopted an attitude. So I left for lunch. Now, you know, when you when you're engaging in this sort of a situation, you kind of feel what it feels like and it's kind of uncomfortable and not right. It doesn't sit well.
146. 37:43So when I came back from lunch, I was the the deputy sheriff there said, "You're not welcome here. I wasn't allowed to to remain there by the deputy sheriff." And that only lasted the next day because Gary, who's the deputy sheriff that's there on Thursdays, is quite understanding. So something happened there where I was actually kicked out. I'm actually composing a demand letter with the county clerk and the sheriff about the situation.
147. 38:25So, it's just interesting. So, that was a situation where I should have been well within my rights to cons continue what I was doing back in public files. Yet unfortunately, you know, the deputy sheriff and the employee there had a different viewpoint and rather than you know I put fire more flames on the fire, more fuel on the fire, I left as I was requested to and then I came back the next day when you know more you know I love to sleep on things.
148. 39:00Sure.
149. 39:00You know, it's always better to sleep on something, but there was a situation where I was actually expelled. Yeah. From which is quite a different situation. When you bring up this whole 17 thing, 15 thing, I'm like, really? You know, I guess there's different reactions in different ways. But I'm addressing it directly, the sheriff, okay, and the county. I just bring it up because you know how individuals handle it.
150. 39:28Mhm.
151. 39:29And uh what what I'm understanding from the police department is they're very professionals and they're in Hudson about the way they handle these things and they abide by you know this the statutes unfortunately you know like chief father would say just because it's right doesn't make it right. Right. Chief, I'm just I just brought that up. I was the subject came up to help this lady. You know, she's in a very dire situation. It sounds tough. You know, I'm the only person. They don't got a chance.
152. 40:05Well, we hope you get back to get these people straightened out and we're going to have the right things happen. But anyway, separate issue. Oh, all right.
153. 40:13The clock.
154. 40:14Well, Lloyd, you've it's four minutes already, so just so you know, separate issue. Let's make a quick one.
155. 40:19Well, I don't have to bring it up. All I'm saying is it's not even an issue. You know, tomorrow is public safety is going to be meeting and you know it's coming up again. What?
156. 40:32No, no, safety meeting is tomorrow.
157. 40:34Public safety meets tomorrow 5:00 and there's already going to be a showing. That's fine. Are you inviting us?
158. 40:40I am Hudson first. Hudson Centric. We're number one. Everybody outside of us saying don't care. They're they I don't care either. Yes, they can they can solve.
159. 40:54I'm just saying it's an issue. Thank you.
160. 41:00Um well, I I like that one. Thank you. Um, so moving on to any other HPD issues. I think we've beaten them all the bits. Excellent.
161. 41:19I do have one question. Is pounding stall illegal? Pounding stall.
162. 41:29Um, I Phil, I do acknowledge that you are online. Uh, I still hold true to the email I sent you four months ago when I would respect you respecting us and send us an apology to the way you talk to us and I will still not take your conf your questions at this meeting but I do acknowledge you are online. So, thank you. Moving on to code enforcement. Um, hello Nick. Thank you for coming.
163. 41:59Hi. Hi, everybody. How's how is everyone doing?
164. 41:59We're having a great day.
165. 42:03Me, too. Um, so what do we have this month? We, uh, did 13 title searches. We've written eight violations, three stock work orders, um, one for the Hudson Public Hotel, one for 123 Union. Those were both for violations of the historical preservation codes. And um another one at 202 State Street, which was for uh somebody building a out building without a permit.
166. 42:37Yeah. What's that? An ADU.
167. 42:40No, it wasn't an ADU. It's just an accessory building. Um ADU would be a dwelling. That was terribly.
168. 42:48Um No. And it's going to have to come down because it was terribly underbuilt as well. So, uh, well, that sounds like you've had a busy month. Um, and speaking to your two stop work orders, I just want to say personally thank you as a property owner and a taxpayer and as someone who appreciates the history of Hudson and our long architectural history as well, from our inception of 1775 um, sorry, 1785. I I do know the dates, but thank you u because I think you put the two stop work orders on a property developers um who has never really been stopped or fined for stepping out of line with the decisions that were made by HPC. And it's a a nice breath of fresh air to feel a little bit of that somebody is standing up for the integrity of our architectural city. Thank you for that.
169. 43:51Um, you know, uh, it was just I'm just doing my job. There was no intention. So for the developer, yeah, I understand that and I I don't mean to say that.
170. 43:58Um, but it just seems that this person has been waiting by. What you did has set a precedent that you know what you're doing.
171. 44:05Yeah. And just just like this dwelling 202, was that a contractor?
172. 44:13No, it was a homeowner. Um and also while we were there um there was uh some serious um packing issues um packing hoarding some serious hoarding issues.
173. 44:32Gotcha.
174. 44:33Um so I noticed that when I went there to look at the um project that his whole backyard was hoarded with just Yeah. junk and everything. And he had built this building to put the things from his yard inside this garage, we'll call it, that he made, but didn't even have a foundation or anything like that. So, uh, very well underbuilt. Uh, and then I asked if I could see the inside of his house, to which, uh, to which the the whole inside of his house is the same way. Um, I did notify the police department, um, and the fire department to be careful if they do have to go in that house for an emergency situation.
175. 45:12So, um, we also issued one order to vacate this month, which was for, um, a set of stairs that collapsed inside a house. So, um, the landlord did fix that and they were able to get back into the house after that was done. um issued 21 building permits for a total of um $4,743 in permit fees and we closed out seven building permits.
176. 45:44Busy month.
177. 45:51Uh yeah, busy month. Oh, and we have a new code enforcement officer. How's that working out?
178. 45:56Good. We have a new clerk and a new code enforcement officer. They're both uh doing a great job and uh providing the help that we've needed. So, good.
179. 46:03Hopefully we can find you more money one day to get another part-timer.
180. 46:03Sure. I mean, I also, you know, I could wish upon a star too. And that's it, I think.
181. 46:19Okay. Thank you. Uh, thank you. Any questions per code from the council? No. Think you're doing a great job.
182. 46:27Thank you. Thanks, Margaret.
183. 46:29Yeah. Um, we received a report on the share recently. on a fire inspection at the youth department. Uhhuh. Can you speak to that, please?
184. 46:39Um, yes. So, I conducted a regular annual inspection at the youth department. Um, it's it's not terrible, but um I'd have to get through. I know there was a bunch of like exit signs and spotlights that were down um upstairs in the basketball.
185. 46:54Bulbs and batteries.
186. 47:00Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Um, some of them need to be replaced. Um, there were a few like uh missing blank plates and stuff like that where we had some exposed wiring. Um, and the men's room door was slamming very aggressively. I had a, you know, door closer on it and it it needs to be adjusted somehow or cuz it's close the door.
187. 47:29It's Yeah. If someone's hand gets caught in there, it's not going to be good.
188. 47:33Well, two things because because I know that if it slams too hard, right? Uh that's against PDA. Um so either they have to fix it so it's a five pound closure or remove the collision um where it can be open and closed after. So, um, uh, yeah. Now, there did open tomorrow, I think. So, are these things fixed before they open?
189. 48:06Well, there's they're not um using the space right now, right? They're closed for the season.
190. 48:12School, right?
191. 48:14No, the youth center should be open either today or yesterday. Okay. They were open today.
192. 48:18I thought they opened uh by the 14th. I'm not sure. Different department.
193. 48:26Well, let's go in there morning and we'll find out.
194. 48:29I see a question and a hand in the audience.
195. 48:33So, you know, I saw their report and there was like So, it sounds from what you're saying that these are all relatively minor things. They just like it's batteries and stuff.
196. 48:42Yeah. I I think just an electrician would, you know, just spend a day or two.
197. 48:47Yeah. No, it's nothing nothing too serious. Okay.
198. 48:50Um there's other improvements that building could use of course, but these are just the life safety issues that I've noted.
199. 48:55Well, we have public people coming in and you know there should be a facility checklist that that you know they the department follows right in terms of this because I mean even I know in the past there was an issue with the fire escape in terms of that stability and that was an issue for a while. Uh so you know these are just basic um you know uh things that should be addressed especially if you're due to open right the you know right um so um I also plan to for intend to schedule inspections for city hall and any other city buildings such as that. Um they they were being overlooked in the past and they have to be done on at least an annual basis.
200. 49:43Thank you.
201. 49:43Thank you.
202. 49:45Uh old business I think. What do we have left over? I know. I'm sorry. The agenda the signs on the um they we there's a vigilante of some sort that is going around and taking down the signs on the telephone pole. So Hudson has some sort of Batman and my hat goes off to whomever it may be out there.
203. 50:07I would Are you dressing on Batman? No, I only took one down. So I would guess Do you know who it is or are we is it is it belt?
204. 50:16If it is good for him, congratulations. He shouldn't. He doesn't help.
205. 50:24No, he said we also have some um what is it? of vigilante putting up signs that say free speech zone.
206. 50:32Oh, are they stickers?
207. 50:34No, they're are signs that look very close similar to municipal signs.
208. 50:40And where are they mounting to a pole to our our stuff?
209. 50:45Yes. So, can we use our security surveillance system at Axon and use that to find this wonderful human? I mean, it is a free speech song, but that's just redundant. We have a constitution now. Now he's let the cat out of the back.
210. 50:58Now he's going to avoid the cameras, man.
211. 51:01Well, it's kind of hard because every single person has a ring camera.
212. 51:06Um anyhow, uh Oh, so back to the science. Circling back to that. We had a vigilante. We probably got shut down from National Grid. We did, of course. Mhm. Screw them. Um they said Verizon was on board to give us a company letterhead saying that we can take them down. Okay. immediately, but National Grid told us we have to call them and put in work orders for every sign that goes up.
213. 51:30Do you know who you spoke to at National Grid? Was it the regional department? Cuz I That sounds silly. That's what I said. I said, I'm trying to do it both a favor here, you know, and they were like, "Sorry, it's our thing." I'm like, "Look, I get it. I know who to call. I'm going to call. Make a call.
214. 51:48I I complained. They they screwed me for $2,500 this year of overcharging and I They they bent over backwards. You worked the system.
215. 51:57I did. What else did we have for old business?
216. 52:05A medal for the vigilante.
217. 52:07Oh, should pin him. Yeah. Um uh I think that was really it. Um we are still waiting to hear for from probably not for another month or so be progress for the resolutions and amendments from legal um for the vacancy and uh we had our our three there was the um yep the vacant vacant buildings um to which we had a foil request for uh vacant buildings and we only had two registered vacant buildings. We now have four. Okay.
218. 52:43So, um those codes are going to be changing soon. So, I'd feel more comfortable about doing some uh mass enforcement on the buildings. Yeah.
219. 52:53Great.
220. 52:53Um that So, it was the vacant buildings uh the building permit one which went back. Um are we going to put that back into the committee?
221. 53:04I'm sorry. building the one where we were uh talking about getting uh or having developers pay for consultants to do a third party review of complex. I was hoping to bring those two I was hoping to go to those two this month. I'll talk to you I'll talk to you.
222. 53:22Okay. But but I know the two that we were talking about was the Yep. demolition, the vacant buildings, and the the building permit one. We paused momentarily, and I'm inquiring about when we're bringing that one back.
223. 53:37Needs to go back, but the other two I was hoping to move forward on.
224. 53:40Okay, great.
225. 53:42When how do we get the other one back on track?
226. 53:50Okay, thanks. Uh, I feel updated.
227. 53:56Any questions from any other council members? Anyone in the room? Any questions?
228. 54:04Lloyds, start the timer. Okay. Okay.
229. 54:10I'm just a little like not clear on the whole vacant building thing cuz I'm aware that there are other lists. I mean, so there kind of let me just ask a question and then aren't there like obviously vacant buildings that aren't being accounted for?
230. 54:31Um, so there was a list that has floated around it seems. Um, but these they are buildings that we know are vacant, but as far as what we have registered and have collected fees for, we have four properties at this point.
231. 54:49So, this was doesn't make sense in my brain because aren't they supposed to register in the lack of registration? Wouldn't that be well issue?
232. 54:55Uh the previous code enforcement administration wasn't um actively enforcing these codes codes which are relatively new right because they've been building ones um and then also myself uh when I got in I noticed some um things about the code that uh needed a little bit of amendment before we start um doing more careful enfor enforcement of the vacant building.
233. 55:27Thank you. Yep.
234. 55:31And when it comes to vacant building notification, isn't it that if I remember the law that someone has to make a complaint to you first?
235. 55:39No. No. No. Okay.
236. 55:45Thank you. Um, if there are no more questions or comments or concerns, I think we're done. We are motion accepted. And we are It's 6:26. We're done.

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