The Quality of Life and Safety Issue That HPD And Margaret Morris's So-Called SAFETY Committee Would Rather Ignore!

Rest assured, though, because during last night's meeting of the so-called SAFETY Committee, Police Chief Franklin announced that Winter Walk will be back this year!  Hoo-f'n-ray!  That's right, the so-called SAFETY Committee found time to talk about Winter Walk 2027 but not about the epidemic of lawless, reckless, dangerous, and COMPLETELY OUT OF CONTROL ebikes and escooters on our streets and, especially, ON OUR SIDEWALKS.  If the cracked or missing sidewalk don't get ya, an escooter or an ebike from behind will!  Enjoy Winter Walk from your wheelchair (if you survive the "accident")!

Disgracity, Part 12!

More lovely pictures below...

Then and NOW!

May 16th...

How's That DPW Budget Looking? Time To Raise Property Taxes Again?

Over the course of about a week in late July and early August, excavation and water pipe work took place on and under the upper 200 block of Columbia Street directly adjacent to the never-ending Hudson Islamic Center's mosque project.  Hudson DPW was not involved, the excavation work was done by a local contractor, and it was most definitely related to the always "in progress" mosque as a new sidewalk was being installed at the corner at the same time by the same contractor.

Has Anyone Seen Kenneth A. Ellsworth Recently? Has Craig Haigh Returned To Save Us? Hello, Is Anyone Working Today?

While the front door to the Code Enforcement Department offices on Washington Street was open yesterday at noon when I stopped by, nobody was inside to greet me.  Even though this hasn't been an unusual occurrence of late, yesterday it was a bit of a surprise to me if only because a new receptionist (full-time?) and a full-time code officer were recently hired to help Nick Fox straighten out the city.  Well, not only was Nick out, but so were his two new hires.  And where was part-time code officer James Schermerhorn and the other part-timer that has been around for a few years?  Do they both still work for the Code Enforcement Department?  It's difficult to know what the heck is going on there -- or who works there -- especially when no one is available to answer any questions or take complaints and you can hear a pin drop in the hallway.   Imagine if the City Clerk's Office were regularly "CURRENTLY OUT OF OFFICE"!

Why Was Our Mayor Being Given A Tour Today Of Vacant Columbia County-Owned 610 State Street?

Today at 12:20, three people -- one I recognized as a county employee -- escorted mayor Ferris into 610 State through a side door.  What could his reasons have been to feel the need to see the insides of the old building, whose department offices and employees were recently transplanted to 11 Warren?  Was he invited?  Or did he request a tour?  Was this a necessary use of taxpayer funds?  And why wasn't Nick Fox along for the tour of the nearly 150-year-old building?  

It's Now An Epidemic! An Ugly and Dangerous Epidemic On Our Sidewalks That Rob Perry is Fine With! Send In The Public Works Board, Please!

The number of sections of concrete sidewalks in town that magically turn into lumpy black asphalt and remain that way has gotten to obscene proportions in the past few years.  The most recent ugly and dangerous sidewalk code violation I've noticed is impossible to avoid and lumpy as hell (perhaps the worst of them all), waiting to put someone on their chin (slamming it into concrete, of course).  It appeared this week or last in front of Galvan's rental property at 17 North 3rd Street, a two-family most recently assessed at $150,000 that is 100% tax-exempt and appears to have been exempt since 2006.  The questions are obvious:  Who replaced the concrete sidewalk with asphalt and why?  Do they have a plan to replace the asphalt with the material it replaced?  Are they required to do so (if anyone is required to do anything in Hudson)? And why does the city not care that it happened and that the practice has become so common all around the city?  And, of course, why is 17 North 3rd completely tax-exempt, and does anyone at City Hall know it is?