"The lead service inventory is... uh ... what we've got is what we've got. We're going to send it off to the Department of Health.* They are communicating with EPA. At this stage, we don't really know what the next steps are, you know, they haven't... [Perry does not finish the sentence or thought]. This whole process was of collecting inventory as much information as possible. What the next phase is, is, you know, still to be determined." (Taken directly from a YouTube video of the meeting.)
In the year 2025, many adult residents AND CHILDREN are consuming water that still flows through lead pipes installed several decades ago, and all Mr. Perry can offer is, "what we've got is what we've got," whatever the fuck that means? Gee, he really oozes assurance and confidence on such a serious public health issue many of us are facing, doesn't he? What material is his water service line made of and what, if anything, has he done about it or planning on doing about it if it is made of lead? What is the service line made of supplying water to City Hall?
A friend of mine who lives in a house he owns on Union Street recently told me something interesting when we finally caught up with each other after several months of not speaking. He said that a few months ago he decided that he wasn't counting on DPW to remove the lead water service line to his house anytime soon, if ever, so he spent the money to have a professional come and do it instead. The bill for the work was not cheap, as you can imagine. And he also got a pair of new, nice-looking, smooth concrete pads for the sidewalk in front of his house!
If and when the city finally does get around to removing ALL of the lead service lines in Hudson, shouldn't any property owners who had the job done themselves (and can prove it) be compensated for doing so? Isn't the city hoping to do the same kind of thing with the sidewalk improvement project for people who replace their sidewalks with their own money? Speaking of that other ambitious project that is not moving along fast enough, where do things stand with making the city's sidewalks safe and sane? Is that project also still in the "Still To Be Determined" phase? Check back in 6 months and then another 6 months to see where things stand on both of these projects. You probably won't be impressed.
*Since Mr. Perry has not mentioned actually "sending the survey off to the Department of Health" during any subsequent meetings (3 meetings, to be exact), one can only wonder if and when he may have actually accomplished this. Rob Perry is indeed our Great Communicator on Zoom! Perhaps the greatest of all time!
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