The Gossips of Rivertown

Monday, March 31, 2025

An Idea Whose Time Has Come

Back in November, when Gossips first reported on the Citizens' Initiative for Charter Change, I titled the post "An Idea Whose Time May Have Come." I still believe that the switch from mayor/council form of government to city manager/council is right for Hudson, but the fact that it's happening now, against a backdrop of what is happening on a national level, is unfortunate, because it gives opportunity for false equivalences.

For reasons not entirely clear, the charter change initiative in Hudson has attracted the attention of the Times Union: two articles by Roger Hannigan Gilson and two editorials by the Times Union Editorial Board. The first editorial, which appeared on December 12, warned that the changes proposed "would mean less pure democracy," but also questioned efficiency as a goal for government. This is the penultimate paragraph of that editorial:

It is probably healthy for municipalities to consider from time to time whether their form of government is working, and the discussion prompted by Hudson Charter Change could prove helpful. Efficiency, though, is far from the only goal of governance. Accountability, representation and service to the community matter, too.

I am reminded that at the first public gathering about the charter change proposal, Michael Chameides evoked the name of Elon Musk and DOGE in protesting the premise that Hudson would run more effectively and professionally with the city manager/council form of government. What Hudson residents and Hudson taxpayers need to remember is that, over the past five years Hudson's budget has increased by close to a million dollars a year, going from $14,910,741 in 2020 to $19,771,551 in 2025. In 2025, there was a gap of close to a million dollars between anticipated revenues and anticipated expenses--a gap that was closed by taking money from the fund balance, the city's "rainy day" fund. Balancing the budget using the fund balance has been going on for a few years now, and it is not sustainable.

It is also important to remember that of the sixty-three cities in New York, Hudson is sixth highest in per person spending, and among the New York cities with populations of fewer than 10,000, Hudson tops the list, outspending the second highest by more than $1,000 per person. But is the quality of life in Hudson superior to that of the other cities? Proponents of a city manager/council form of government are not advocating for someone to take a chain saw to city services and programs but rather to have someone help us understand why our spending seems so disproportionate compared with that of other cities in New York.

In its second editorial, which appeared on March 19, the Times Union Editorial Board doubles down on its argument that "defanging" the office of mayor and reducing the Common Council from eleven members to five "would significantly reduce direct democracy in the city and might discourage civic participation." They also quote one of Gilson's experts in opining that "it would be difficult to find someone willing to run for an office [mayor] with no influence."

There are valid reasons to fear for the state of democracy in this country, but the proposed charter change in Hudson isn't one of them. Having two people represent each ward doesn't mean better representation. Those who observe the Common Council know the work of the Council is now being carried by only about half of its members. As a resident of Hudson, I would much rather be represented by one councilmember who takes the job seriously, stays in touch with constituents, is informed about the issues, and works conscientiously to serve the community than by two who may or may not show up for meetings or take an active role in dealing with the business at hand. In my opinion, having fewer seats on the Common Council could result in better, more capable representation. We don't have "pure democracy." In a pure democracy, there would be no elected representatives. Since we have elected representatives, the goal should be to have better representatives not more.

The fear "it would be difficult to find someone willing to run for an office with no influence" is something of a straw man. It's difficult to find people to run for mayor now. This year, our current mayor is being challenged by two, possibly three, contenders, but in the past two elections, he ran unopposed. In 2023, he received only 951 votes, although 1,409 ballots were cast. A third of the voters who went to the polls didn't vote for him. (Only about a third of the registered voters in Hudson voted in that election, so in 2023, the mayor was reelected by fewer than a quarter of the voters.)

It's not easy to get people to run for Common Council either. This week is the final week for prospective councilmembers to get signatures on nominating petitions. For a while, it seemed there were not two people willing to run in each ward. Something similar happened in 2023. Decreasing the number of councilmembers by half might not be such a bad thing. One councilmember for each ward means one representative for every 1,158 people. In Albany, where there are fifteen wards, there is also one councilmember for each ward, but with a population of 101,228, each councilmember represents 6,748 people--that's a thousand more than the entire population of Hudson.

The public hearing on the proposed charter changes happens tonight at 6:00 p.m. The hearing takes place in person at City Hall, and it can be accessed on Microsoft Teams. Click here for the link to join the meeting remotely.

Sunday, March 30, 2025

Mark Your Calendar, Reserve Your Place

The exhibition Hudson: A History of Whaling & Maritime Commerce had its official opening at the Hudson Area Library on March 6. Now, the Hendrick Hudson Chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution announces its participation in the event: Women and Whaling in Hudson.

On Saturday, April 26, and Saturday, May 31, the DAR offers docent-led tours of the historic Robert Jenkins House at 1:00 and 2:00 p.m. and a panel discussion of women and whaling in Hudson at 3:00 p.m. The following is quoted from a press release received from the DAR.

Historic Robert Jenkins House History Tour

Each tour features the Historic Robert Jenkins House, built by Robert Jenkins in 1811. Jenkins was the son of a Proprietor and twice a Hudson Mayor. The Chapter’s extensive historic collections and items reflecting women’s endeavors and their households are included in the tour. This tour provides reflection on women during this exceptional era.

Panel Discussion

Women and Whaling in Hudson will examine, provide civic dialogue about, and describe the lives of women in this dynamic time. In 1783, Hudson was radically altered. The Treaty of Paris was about to be signed. Seeking a deep-water harbor away from harassing British, a group of 33 entrepreneurial Nantucket Quaker businessmen, “Proprietors,” led by brothers Seth and Thomas Jenkins, sailed up the Hudson River. They bought land at Claverack Landing from the Dutch owners. Many were Revolutionary War veterans. Their families followed. By 1785, Hudson, as incorporated and renamed, went from 150 to 1,500 residents. It was the first chartered city in the U.S., the first planned American city based on a modern grid, and on its way to becoming a booming shipping and whaling seaport. Hudson grew rapidly. It was nearly named the state capital and for years was a Port of Entry. A new city in a new country, it entertained leaders like Jefferson, Madison, Jay, and the Marquis de Lafayette.

But how did women adapt as they moved into this radical new era? The Dutch inhabitants went from living in a quiet farming community to living in a city with several wharves, 25 sailing ships, four warehouses, a ropewalk, spermaceti-works, whale oil processing and candle-making, 150 dwellings, shops, churches, and barns, a noted distillery, and fifteen hundred souls. The immigrants from Nantucket went from living on a small island in the Atlantic to living in a brand-new river town 120 miles removed from the ocean.

All the events at the Robert Jenkins House, the Hendrick Hudson Chapter House, 113 Warren Street, are free, but reservations are recommended. To reserve your place, call 518 828-9764.

Woman and Whaling in Hudson continues through the summer and fall of 2025. See hudson-dar.org/2025/03/22/women-and-whaling-in-hudson/ for more information.

Meetings and Events in the Week Ahead

As March ends, and April begins, here is what's happening.

On Monday, March 31, at 6:00 p.m., the Common Council holds a public hearing on the petition to amend the city charter to change Hudson's form of government from mayor/council to city manager/council. The petition can be found here. The public hearing will be a hybrid, taking place in person at City Hall and on Microsoft Teams. Click here for the link for join the meeting remotely.

On Tuesday, April 1, the Conservation Advisory Council (CAC) meets at 6:00 p.m. The meeting is a hybrid, taking place in person at City Hall and on Microsoft Teams. Click here for the link to join the meeting remotely.
On Wednesday, April 2, the Hudson Industrial Development Agency (IDA) meets at 9:30 a.m. This past Wednesday, the IDA held a public hearing on the application for a PILOT (payment in lieu of taxes) and other benefits for the building proposed by the Galvan Initiatives Foundation for 75 North Seventh Street. It is not certain if the IDA will vote on the application at this meeting, but it is a possibility. Whether or not there is a vote, a discussion of the proposal and the public comments is likely to happen. The meeting is a hybrid, taking place in person at 1 City Centre, Suite 301, and on Zoom. Click here to join the meeting remotely.

Update: Wednesday's IDA meeting has been canceled. The next meeting of the IDA will take place on Wednesday, May 7.

At 6:00 p.m. on Wednesday, April 2, the Common Council Legal Committee holds its monthly meeting. The agenda for the meeting is not yet available, but it's possible the committee will be discussing accessory dwelling units (ADUs) and whatever code amendments may be needed to facilitate the construction of ADUs in Hudson. The meeting is a hybrid, taking place in person at City Hall and on Microsoft Teams. Click here for the link to join the meeting remotely.
On Thursday, April 3, the Public Works Board meets at 5:30 p.m. It is not known what will be discussed at the meeting, but it's certain to relate to the implementation of Hudson's Sidewalk Improvement District legislation. The meeting is a hybrid, taking place in person at City Hall and on Microsoft Teams. Click here for the link to join the meeting remotely.

Saturday, March 29, 2025

Weighing In on Galvan

On Wednesday, the Hudson Industrial Development Agency (IDA) held a public hearing on the Galvan Initiatives Foundation's application for a PILOT (payment in lieu of taxes) and other financial benefits to build a 75-unit apartment building at 75 North Seventh Street, across the street from the 64-unit apartment building now nearing completion. Gossips reported on that public hearing earlier this week: "Is the Honeymoon Over?"

The IDA was accepting written comments about the project until yesterday at 5:00 p.m. Peter Spear, who is running for mayor on his own independent line, posted his comments to the IDA on Instagram. Gossips shares Spear's letter here with his permission.

To characterize the Galvan Initiatives Foundation as an "out of state billionaire" isn't entirely accurate. The Galvan website lists only two addresses, both in New York State: the first in New York City (42 West 39th Street) and the second in Hudson (64 Green Street). It is rumored, however, that T. Eric Galloway himself now lives in Savannah, although the application to the IDA for 75 North Seventh Street gives 253 Union Street as his address.

Spear's second request in his letter to the IDA is of particular interest, especially the second sentence: "[An inventory of Galvan properties] should include an assessment of how many rental units they've converted into high-end, single family homes for sale." Over the past fifteen or so years, Galvan, or one of its previous iterations, has been buying properties, emptying them of tenants, and keeping them vacant for a decade or more. Now they are actively renovating those buildings as single-family homes and selling them. One of their current projects is 123 Union Street, which for many years, probably since the 1930s, had been divided into four apartments. Gossips recently learned that 335 Allen Street, one of the few buildings Galvan actually renovated into apartments and maintained as affordable units, has been sold.

Creating a public inventory of Galvan properties would be of great benefit in understanding the impact this single mercurial developer has had on our little city.

Friday, March 28, 2025

Ear to the Ground

Gossips learned recently that the Hudson City School District plans to cut all honors classes at the end of this year. According to a reader knowledgeable about education and curriculum, "Cutting out honors classes is a last nail in the coffin of academics."

Meanwhile, HCSD has a number of people with impressive titles and more impressive salaries. Gossips' source provided these salary figures, with the caveat, "These numbers are old and don't include bonuses and rent."

Superintendent of Schools—$190,000
Executive Director of Teaching and Learning—$150,000
Executive Director of Engagement and Student Support—$144,200
Executive Director of Human Services—$140,000
Manager of Instructional Technology—$146,675
Director of Student Services/Special Education—$130,000
Executive Director of Business and Finance—$148,000

The salaries of these seven people alone—which, as noted, are "old and don't include bonuses and rent"—total more than a million dollars—$1,048,875 to be exact. But then, a million dollars is only a small fraction of HCSD's bloated $55.6 million 2024-2025 budget.

If you find any of this distressing, remember there are three seats on the HCSD Board of Education up for election this year. Prospective nominees must have a primary residence in the Hudson City School District and be registered voters. Becoming a candidate requires at least 100 signatures from residents of the school district on a nominating petition. To obtain a petition, contact the District Clerk by email at districtclerk@hudsoncsd.org or call 518 828-4360, ext. 2101. According to the HCSD website, completed petitions are due to the District Clerk by 5:00 p.m. on Tuesday, May 1, 2024. Obviously, this page of the website hasn't been updated since last year. Gossips' information is that petitions must be submitted on April 30. It's best to confirm due date with the District Clerk when you request your petitions.

Thursday, March 27, 2025

The Founding of Hudson: Another Version

Nowadays, thanks to Margaret Schram's Hudson's Merchants and Whalers: The Rise and Fall of a River Port 1783-1850 and other sources, most Hudsonians know the story of the founding of Hudson. Early in 1783, months before the official end of the Revolutionary War, the brothers Thomas and Seth Jenkins, representing an association of men primarily from Nantucket and involved in whaling and maritime commerce, set out to find a safe harbor where they could relocate their families and their ships. They found what they were looking for on the east bank of the Hudson River, about a hundred miles north of New York Harbor, purchased the land from a Dutch family whose ancestor had purchased it from the Mohicans generations before, and set about creating the City of Hudson.

Historians seem pretty confident that the founders of Hudson, who called themselves the Proprietors, were Quakers, with maybe a few Congregationalists among them, but the St. Mary's Centennial Souvenir book, celebrating the first hundred years of the parish's history (1848-1948), tells a different story. A copy of the souvenir book is now on display in the church vestibule, and a parishioner shared with Gossips these images of pages from the book.

The first three paragraphs of the history of St. Mary's Church are of particular interest. They are transcribed here:

With the establishment of tanneries, hemp manufacturing and the New England Whaling Company in the prosperous Dutch settlement at Hudson in 1768, the history of the Catholic Church in the city was begun.

Thomas Jenkins, the first Catholic to locate in the section, according to available records, purchased a tract of land bordering on the river and was soon joined by twenty others of the same faith, attracted to Hudson by the commercial opportunities. They formed the first Catholic community. There is also a record of a number of French Catholics who resided in Hudson in 1797.

The religious activities of the group from this time to more than half a century later is clouded in obscurity, for no record has been found previous to 1841. Nevertheless, missionaries undoubtedly ministered to the section and tradition indicates that French priests visited the settlement annually.

It seems odd that, if Thomas Jenkins and other Proprietors were indeed Catholics, it took fifty years for a Catholic church to be organized and built in Hudson, when a Quaker meeting house was established in 1784 and in 1785 a Congregational Church was built at the corner of Second and Partition streets. According to Franklin Ellis's History of Columbia County (1878), several churches were established in Hudson before the Catholic church: Methodist Episcopal, Episcopal, Baptist, Universalist, Reformed. The following account of the beginning of St. Mary's Roman Catholic Church is from Ellis's history:

This, the first Roman Catholic church in Columbia county, was organized in 1847 by Rev. William Howard. The first meetings were held in St. John's Masonic hall. The next year the church, a brick edifice, was erected and dedicated. It has since been improved at various times, and will seat six hundred people. Subsequently, the society has made additions to its property, and now owns,--in addition to the church on South Third street, a convent, a school-building, corner of South Third and Allen streets, and a pastoral residence at 73 Allen street. The total valuation of the property in 1871 was S30,000.

The original St. Mary's Catholic Church, which was completed in 1848, stood at the corner of Third and Montgomery streets.

The pastoral residence mentioned by Ellis is this house, which is now 211 Allen Street.

Wednesday, March 26, 2025

Is the Honeymoon Over?

The Hudson Industrial Development Agency (IDA) held a public hearing this morning on Galvan Initiatives Foundation's request for a PILOT (payment in lieu of taxes) and other financial benefits for the building proposed for 75 North Seventh Street--a 75-unit building that will be primarily market rate.

The meeting started out with Dan Kent, the familiar face and voice of Galvan, making the case for the building and the IDA's support for the building. It would grow the local economy, bringing 192 jobs during construction and 27 after and $24.5 million in capital investment. It would increase the tax base, bringing $2.9 million in property tax revenue over the next twenty-one years. It would address the housing shortage in Hudson. Kent's presentation can be found here.

On the topic of "Addressing the Housing Shortage," responding to the recent Pattern for Progress report, which indicated a need for more units affordable to households with incomes of 50 percent or less of the AMI (area median income), Kent argued that "unrestricted units [i.e., market rate] also deserve support to . . . reduce the likelihood of more duplexes and triplexes being converted into single-family homes." This seems bitterly ironic given that, for the past decade and more, Galvan (or one of its previous iterations) has been acquiring houses that had been divided up into apartments, emptying them of tenants, keeping them vacate, and is now restoring those buildings as single-family homes and selling them for tidy sums or installing their own employees in them. Nevertheless, Kent asserted that "Galvan has long been committed to addressing affordability in Hudson."

When it came time for public comment, the first four or so comments seemed to have been orchestrated by Galvan. Joan Hunt, of Greater Hudson Promise Neighborhood, talked about her group's work in providing emergency assistance to renters and said she supports the initiative "because it means more affordable housing." Joseph Pomeroy, who serves on the Columbia County Fair Housing Advisory Board, spoke glowingly of Galvan's role in providing affordable housing in Hudson and elsewhere in the county. Someone else gave testimony to the good work done by Galvan for people with special needs, referencing, it seemed, Galvan's support for Camphill Hudson. Tina Sharpe, of Columbia Opportunities, while acknowledging her group's long-term relationship with Galvan and admitting she would like to see more housing for lower incomes in Hudson, praised Galvan and declared her support for the project.

Interestingly, Kris Perry and Daniel McCabe, whose Crescent Garage project was granted a PILOT by the IDA earlier this month, both spoke in support of the project, saying they recognized there is a housing shortage in Hudson.

Abdus Miah, county supervisor for the Second Ward, spoke of people losing their jobs, losing their homes, and having to leave Hudson. He said, "We need housing," and declared his support for "any low-income housing."

The spirit of the comments seemed to shift when Vicky Daskaloudi, councilmember from the Fifth Ward, reminded everyone, "This is not an affordable housing project." The majority of the units--55 out of 75--are market rate. She asserted that Galvan was asking Hudson taxpayers to absorb close to $2.5 million in foregone property tax in the next fifteen years. Daskaloudi pointed out that it was not only young people who were finding Hudson unaffordable, it was also retired property owners who were having a hard time paying their property taxes. She warned that approving this PILOT would set a bad precedent. "What happens," she asked, "if we have four other developers asking for the same type of PILOT for market rate housing in the future?" She urged the IDA not to approve the PILOT request.

Quintin Cross, of the Hudson/Catskill Housing Coalition, said he wanted to speak about the project "from a tenant's standpoint." He told the IDA, "We need the right housing, and we need the right people doing the housing." In his opinion, Galvan was not the "right people." He said he had talked with people living at Crosswinds, the housing complex on Harry Howard Avenue recently acquired by Galvan Housing Resources, and learned that, since Galvan has taken over, rents had been increased by $120 to $150 a month. He also spoke of a Galvan tenant who had to provide her own handicapped access to her apartment. Cross called for a full review of how Galvan is "showing up" for tenants. He ended his statement by saying, "I'm all for housing. I want this project to be approved, but I don't want it if Galvan is in charge."

Revonda Smith, chair of the Hudson Housing Authority Board of Commissioners, also spoke out against Galvan. She said members of her family lived in a building that Galvan took over--presumably one of the buildings that had been owned and managed by Columbia County Housing Resources which is now Galvan Housing Resources. She told the IDA, "What Galvan has done to my family has been nothing but awful." She called Galvan "a hot mess," and urged, "We need to cut ties with Galvan," before being overcome with emotion.

Mayor Kamal Johnson and Randall Martin, both of whom serve on the IDA, might have countered the comments from Cross and Smith by sharing their experiences as tenants of Galvan, but of course they didn't.

Written comments on the proposal will be accepted until the end of the business day on Friday, March 28, and can be submitted to mtucker@columbiaedc.com.

Tuesday, March 25, 2025

Ear to the Ground

Gossips learned today that Gini Casasco has resigned from the Planning Board. Casasco was appointed to the Planning Board in February 2024. Her resignation is the third in the past year, the others being Ben Forman and Susan Foster.

After Forman and Foster resigned in September 2024, the Planning Board was two members short for two months, until Kali Michael was appointed in November 2024. Last month, Mayor Kamal Johnson finally appointed a seventh member of the Planning Board to make the board complete. That appointee, Ashraf Chowdhury, didn't show up for his first meeting, which took place on March 11.

The Planning Board has an incredibly important role in the city. Their decisions impact the lives of Hudson residents today and shape the city's future development. When there are so many projects being proposed that will have a transformative effect both on neighborhoods and on the city as a whole, it is lamentable that the Planning Board seems to be so dysfunctional.

Public Hearing Tomorrow

Tomorrow morning, Wednesday, March 26, the Hudson Industrial Development Agency (IDA) holds a public hearing on 75 North Seventh Street. The hearing takes place at 9:30 a.m. in person at 1 City Centre, Suite 301, and on Zoom. Gossips now has the link to the Zoom meeting. Click here to access the meeting remotely.

The proposed building will have 75 units: 15 reserved for households with incomes of less than 80 percent of the AMI (area median income); 5 units for households with incomes of less than 130 percent of the AMI; the rest of the units (55) will be market rate. The application for a PILOT (payment in lieu of taxes) and other tax abatements submitted to the IDA by Galvan Initiatives Foundation can be found here. The financial review done by BJH Advisors can be found here.