What Is Rob Perry Paid Over $117,000 To Care About? And Why Do We Even Have A Mayor?

If memory serves me well, the city recently spent $800,000 to replace a Civil War-era stone sewer under and near Union Street's 400 block that had been the cause of at least a few regularly flooding basements in the middle of the block. Our DPW Superintendent, Rob Perry, was forced by the NY State DEC to hire contractors to figure out the problem and replace the ancient sewer that he eventually admitted at a council meeting or two of not being aware of. 

But prior to the DEC being made aware of the problem, one Union Street homeowner took it upon himself to hire an engineer to figure out what the heck was going on with all the water that had been showing up in his basement immediately after he bought the house a few years prior. (I believe he hired a lawyer as well.)  The frustrated and concerned homeowner got nowhere with Rob Perry, so he paid someone to essentially show Perry where and what the problem was. (You may have seen the homeowner at a few council meetings over a year ago trying his best to get answers about the problem from Rob Perry). Then the homeowner called DEC, and DEC contacted Rob Perry.  "You have to fix this sewer problem," Perry was essentially told, forced to replace an ancient sewer that he was "unaware of," even though, as I understand it, a manhole cover on the south sidewalk of Union Street led directly to the ancient and problematic sewer. (Sewer manhole covers on sidewalks are extremely rare in Hudson -- it's possible that was our only one).

Until a few months ago on this portion of sidewalk,
there was a manhole cover which led to an
ancient and problematic stone sewer that the DPW
Water Department (yes, that department within a department!)
 was supposedly unaware of until about two years ago. 
After the sewer was replaced, the manhole 
cover wasn't replaced because the sewer it led to
was no longer active or causing flooded basements. 
That ancient sewer was finally put out of service,
thanks to at least one Union Street resident's diligence
and frustration.

With all that in mind, I ask the following questions about the storm drain underneath the loose trash, recycling, bags of trash and dumpster in Prison Alley at 6th Street.  When do you suppose the most recent inspection by the DPW Water Department took place to make sure that this drain (and its catch basin) are in working condition and is not connected to a Civil War-era stone sewer that no one at DPW is aware of? Is DPW even aware of that drain? Do they care what enters that drain or if they have easy access to it? Do they care how much garbage or tons of metal is on top of, and surrounding, that storm drain?  It sure doesn't look like it.  

An appropriate and not unusual position for the dumpster

Is there a garbage disposer under that sewer grate?

I have stated it before on HUDseen:  Preventive maintenance is not one of DPW's strengths or priorities.  And Rob Perry is a slob. 

Shouldn't there be some sort of rule or code enforced by DPW that will give our sewers and storm drains the respect they need and deserve that Rob Perry does not give them? Because apparently, as it stands, in the City of Hudson anyone can place bags loose waste, city bags full of garbage, and receptacles for garbage directly over and surrounding any and all of our storm drains leading to our precious and troubled sewer system.  And DPW will be fine with it. Rob Perry isn't interested in preventing or fining anyone for placing garbage over a sewer storm drain because he is fine with it.

NO LOOSE OR BAGGED TRASH, TRASH RECEPTACLES OR DUMPSTERS OF ANY KIND MAY BE LOCATED WITHIN 10 FEET OF A CITY STORM/SEWER DRAIN. NO EXCEPTIONS. FINES OF UP TO $250 WILL BE ASSESSED FOR VIOLATION OF THIS CODE. 

 

ONLY SLOBS ALLOW OTHER 
SLOBS TO BE SLOBS

According to the city code, blue garbage bags and recycling put out 12 hours prior to scheduled pick up by Hudson DPW IS A TICKETABLE CODE VIOLATION. Of course, as we all know, in reality it is a completely unenforced ticketable code violation. (The pictures above were taken last Saturday, 3 days prior to scheduled blue bag removal by DPW). It is a rare day without any bags or recycling for all to see (including farmers market patrons) while hovering over the storm drain and adjacent to the dumpster. DPW trash removal happens every Tuesday in Prison Alley; full blue bags and other waste often show up next to the storm drain and dumpster on Wednesdays. Or Thursdays. Or Fridays. Or Saturdays. Or Sundays. Every fucking week of the year!

Notice the additional loose trash on the grate.  We only
see the items that don't fall through into our sewer. 
(Picture taken today, Monday the 30th.)

Need more evidence that Rob Perry (and possibly Kamal Johnson) is a slob who doesn't care about his blue bags CREATING litter by remaining outside for days before pickup, including litter and all sorts of nasty stuff that can easily enter our sewer system and the Hudson River?

In the 200 block of Prison Alley, on Saturday, November 23rd, I noticed two blue bags out at least two days too early, one of them ripped into by vermin (the bags had likely been put out on Thursday or Friday):

Then on Monday, the 25th, one day before pickup, after more tearing into the bag by vermin, plus 3 dog shit bags added to the pile from passersby (garbage begets more garbage!):

Finally, on Tuesday, minutes after DPW removed the blue bags:

We know Rob Perry doesn't care about this. 
Do you suppose that Rob's supposed boss,
Kamal Johnson, cares about it happening all
the time?

Oh, but there's more!

  

This picture was taken 2 days later, on the Thursday the 28th:

The old poo poo platter with all the trimmings!
Rob Perry's gift to Hudson.

And, FINALLY, this picture was taken another 4 days later on Monday, December 2nd, the day before pickup:

Do you suppose Rob Perry would be satisfied 
if there were an active sewer storm drain 
directly under this garbage?  Why not!  He's fine 
with it three blocks away in the same alley!

This point cannot be refuted:  If DPW and CEO don't enforce the code regarding when blue city trash bags are put out for pickup, then it is clear that they don't care about aesthetics, litter in our city or keeping nasty shit out of our sewer system.  It is as simple and straightforward (and depressing) as that.  Buy a garbage bag from the city, put it out for pickup whenever and wherever you like!  "We don't fucking care, even if it is a code violation on paper!  Not our problemo!  Thank you for purchasing a blue bag.  Come back again when you need another one!"

An all-too-common sight just about any day of the 
week in front of Galvan's 350 Columbia property.
This picture taken on a recent Sunday.

Have you ever seen anything like this in 
another city or town --  an out of service
hydrant covered in a series of plastic bags
for 7 years?  What the flying hell!

Another recent mess from Galvan! 
(2nd & Cherry Alley)

Saturday, October 19th, on a sidewalk 
somewhere in front of someone's house and 
near plenty of others, 2 or 3 days 
BEFORE SCHEDULED PICKUP!

For $117,000 (Perry), $75,000 (Johnson), a 6-million-dollar DPW budget and an ever-increasing city budget, can't City Hall do any fucking better than this? How much worse does it have to get before things completely fall apart? How much do Perry and Johnson need to be paid to give a shit?

If you have not signed the petition to get us a City Manager, DO IT ASAP!  (more on that soon!)

What did we do to deserve this?????