More BOOTS, MONEY, CONFUSION, UNHELPFULNESS, UNCOORDINATION and DUMB IDEAS! Welcome To Hudson In The Year 2025!

Since publishing last week's piece which focused on the city's resumption of BOOTing vehicles, I have seen at least three more BOOTed vehicles parked around town. The city, particularly HPD, seems to be BOOT batty -- they have a lot of catching up to do, it seems. But there is too much of a mystery about how the BOOTing (and TOWing) process is resolved for vehicle owners who have a string of unpaid parking tickets that get them the BOOT in the first place.

The WHATEVER WHATEVER Superintendent Slob Making over $117,000 A Year!

During DPW Superintendent Rob Perry's DPW report at the July 8th, 2024, informal council meeting, while he was far away from City Hall, he showed the council and the public a sideways picture of the new service window that his department had recently installed in the newly created Code Enforcement Offices on the west side of the Firestation on Washington Street.  He then explained the sideways picture as best he could (not apologizing for it, of course!) while council members and the public had their heads turned to one of their shoulders:  "We also completed the reach through, or the pass through, or whatever they call it, at Code Enforcement.  They still have to do some painting or whatever, but basically we're almost done with that."  Then he moved on to his next issue and picture (it was upright!). 

(Two sentences, each including a "whatever"! This may be a "whatever" record for any City Hall official!)

Okay, Now Who The Hell Is To Blame For This Mistake?! Something Tells Me DPW Was Somehow Involved!

Thanks to Luizzi, the DRI building contractor currently on winter break who the city hired to improve walking surfaces on the city's west end, there is no shortage of much needed new smooth curb ramps for pedestrians and vehicles on Front Street. Luizzi does ramps, for sure, and they appear to do them well! And they all seem to be in the right places!.

Just Some Observations On A Cold and Lonely Night With More Snow On The Way

The large, partially boarded up house on 8th Street near Columbia Street and with the number 50 on it has been vacant for, I believe, at least one year, possibly two.  Craig Haigh at Code Enforcement deemed the building to be Vacant and Unsafe sometime early last year, the same day I saw DPW boarding up the lower windows on the north side of the house. The CEO's red warning sign was stapled to the house after at least one person was found to be squatting inside, having gained entry through a back door.  I imagine the interior was full of code violations and other scary stuff.  One wonders if the property owner was sent a bill for all the plywood and nails or screws we bought for them, as well as for all the work DPW did to secure their lovely house. Or if the owner even thanked the city for doing them the favor. Or if they paid the bill!  Of course, if nothing changes soon, at some point all the plywood will fall off and need to be replaced. Can you imagine living across the street or next to this place? Oh, wait, people actually do live on 8th Street, even across from 50 8th Street! OH JOY!

In The City Where Time Has Been Standing Still For Several Years.....

...keeping things looking decent and respectable, if it EVER happens, often takes a long, long time! 

Well It's About Friggin' Time! What On Earth Was The Delay?

Over the course of the past year or two at informal council meetings, it hasn't been uncommon to hear Police Chief Franklin mention the issue of the city's inability to BOOT vehicles with outstanding parking tickets.  Recently, the discussion has switched to the resumption of BOOTing scofflaws.  I never quite understood what the problem was in the first place, nor why the important activity of collecting much needed revenue from scofflaws -- some of them owing a substantial amount of money to the city -- had ceased.  Recently, though, I think the council passed a new code related to the BOOTing of vehicles, something having to do with regulating tow operators.  Well, whatever progress was made recently regarding forcing scofflaws to pay up seems to have freed up the obstruction keeping revenue out of the city's bank accounts. 

A Good One Just Quit And Another Good One Will Be Retiring Very Soon. Who Is Next? (The Ship Teeters A Bit More!) [With Addendum]

Late last week in the early afternoon, I called HPD to let them know about a traffic situation which I felt warranted their attention. I do this a lot, as you might imagine. (Over the years, HPD has written MANY parking tickets thanks to my calls, even though I get no god damn recompense!  The nerve!).  Not too surprising to me, an HPD dispatcher did not answer the phone.  Instead, once again, it was an actual police officer, a recent trend that should have us all concerned.  Specifically, it was officer Luis Martinez.  In spite of yet another police officer answering the phone at HPD, I was glad to hear Martinez's voice.  Sadly, it turns out that I will likely never hear his voice or see his face again.  No one around Hudson will, either.