Our Great Communicator

Following Robert Perry's DPW report at last month's Informal Common Council meeting, via Zoom of course, 1st Ward council member Margaret Morris asked Mr. Perry for an update on the ancient sewer that has been flooding basements on the 500 block of Union Street for years.  The issue is a very serious one, and, as Perry suggested, may require DPW to build a new sewer at the cost of "upwards of one million dollars."  Mr. Perry failed to mention the problematic sewer during his report even though the issue had been discussed at prior meetings thanks to a property owner in the 500 block of Union by the name of Jack whose basement is often flooded because of an ancient sewer that, apparently, DPW was not even aware of prior to Jack bringing the flooding issue to their attention this year (or in recent years).  There are manhole covers over the 140-year old stone sewer!  That's how the contractor DPW had to hire is accessing the ancient sewer to get cameras to have a look at what is going on!

Perry responded to Morris with an update about how DPW was approaching, and hoping to inspect, the sewer, work that the State DEC is requiring of DPW and asking for the fix to be completed this year.  When Perry was finished, Morris asked him if he would "keep us updated" about the issue.  Perry responded with precisely these words: "Yeah.  Well, I mean, if it was in the middle of the street we would have exposed it, corrected it and been done.  But it's underneath somebody's house."  Morris corrected him: "Well, there are multiple houses," a fact that has been clear to anyone paying attention since this issue arose in the public sphere recently.

("Johnny, can you please clean up the mess you left in your bedroom?"

"I guess I can, Mom, but if you wouldn't buy me so many toys there never would be a mess in the first place, right?"

"Johnny, stop behaving like a snot nosed brat and go clean your room right now before I spank you!")

At this month's meeting, Rob Perry made no mention of the ancient sewer issue during his report, and Margaret Morris did not ask him why he failed to comply with her request that he agreed to at the previous meeting.  Nor did she ask him for an update.  

During the report, among other things, Perry showed the council and the public, and explained, a picture of a DPW truck having its brakes repaired at the DPW garage.  As far as I know, no council member has ever asked Perry for updates on repairs made to DPW vehicles.

Fortunately, though, Jack the homeowner was once again in attendance of an informal council meeting (at least his 4th or 5th consecutive).  He stood up and asked Perry for "an update about the next steps as to the flooding on Union Street."  Perry gave his update, of course, but only after he was asked to do so by a member of the public in attendance.  Had Jack not attended the meeting, Perry likely never would have brought up the subject of the faulty 140-year old sewer causing so much trouble for residents -- just the way he would have preferred it, no doubt.

Also at this month's meeting, two weeks into November, Perry never mentioned the biannual street repaving project that, as he mentioned a month ago, "usually takes place in November."  I'm pretty sure Perry said a few months ago that this project was in the $600,000 range, paid for by the State of New York and done by our friends at Colarusso.  Man, it's getting cold out there and snow is on the way!  Whatever!

Perry also failed to make any mention of National Grid's huge and disruptive ongoing gas line replacement project that is finally making its way slowly up Warren Street.  No "schedule," no idea when the project might end, no mention when our streets and sidewalks will return to decent condition, no talk of street closures.  Absolutely nothing, as if the infrastructure project isn't even happening, no streets are closed to traffic, no obscenely loud machines are operating regularly, and there are no holes in the sidewalks or streets anywhere as a result of NG's work.

The council and the public last heard about the huge pipe and landscaping project at the northern edge of the Washington Street lot (and adjacent to the Oakdale parking lot) 3 or 4 months ago.  This is yet another project forced upon us by the State DEC after their inspection earlier this year found several problems around town, this probably being the largest and most expensive one.  The work will not be done by DPW, but rather a contractor with some heavy machinery, no doubt.  About two weeks ago, a storage box appeared in the Oakdale lot in preparation of the work, but has not been used, and today I noticed enormous concrete pipes being unloaded from a trailer that are likely part of the project.

Part of the "fall" project?

The State of New York is not paying for this project (they're just telling us it has to be done), all or part of which has to do with the effects of unregulated dumping of soil last year in the Washington Street lot that Perry allowed (and was a horrible idea of his).  I have no doubt that this project will cost us over a million dollars -- a topic that Perry has never mentioned at a meeting.  

A few months ago, I received copies of emails between DEC and Mr. Perry showing how impatient and dissatisfied DEC was with Mr. Perry's attention to, and progress with, this project.  The last thing Perry mentioned at the meeting a few months ago about this project was that it was going to be "a fall project."  (Hmmmm.... fall of what year?).  Since then, not one council member, nor the council "president," has asked Perry about the status of this project, when it will begin and end, or how much it will cost the City of Hudson taxpayers.   If he doesn't bring it up, I guess the council must think everything is under control.  Thank goodness there's no need to worry about those truck wheels!