Ordinance encourages civil infrastructure investment 

by Judy Stringer

Jan. 7 city council meeting

Hudson City Council adopted an ordinance that directs members of the legislative body to consider spending at least 50% of the city’s annual general fund excess on infrastructure. The ordinance, drafted by council member Chris Banweg, passed 6-1 with council member Nicole Kowalski casting the lone dissent. 

During a discussion on the ordinance, Kowalski said she believes “it’s problematic to try to dictate what future councils do with our carry over balance,” a concern she also expressed at a Nov. 26 city council workshop.

Council member Skylar Sutton responded, saying the legislation “doesn’t dictate anything of future councils outside of a good, healthy discussion.”

“It just says the intent of what we’d like to see is [that] 50% of the money [will be] going into infrastructure projects, in particular things that are unfunded infrastructure projects, and you must have that discussion,” council President Chris Foster further explained. “That doesn’t seem like a really high bar.”

Banweg noted that the council is currently looking at $119 million worth of “large civil infrastructure projects” – including a proposed new safety center and expanded fiber-to-home plans – “that have not been addressed over past years.”

“I wouldn’t say it is a deliberate strategy to avoid those things,” he said. “It is the fact that, if it is not forced into a conversation, it’s easy to avoid, and they’ve now piled up into almost $120 million on a $25 million discretionary budget.”

Foster added that a proposed Hines Hill Road overpass above the railroad tracks near the Prospect Street intersection is another project that has been kicked down the road. 

“That grade separation 10 years ago would have been less than $14 million, I believe,” he said. “The fact is [that] the number continues to grow, and if we don’t put a mechanism in place to demand that city council have that discussion, the discussion probably won’t happen, because we’ve seen previous councils not have that discussion.”

In other legislative decisions, council passed an ordinance amending certain provisions of the city’s employee handbook in a 5-2 vote. Council member Patricia Goetz and Kowalski voted against the measure with Kowalski stating that she objects to the city council and the mayor being included in the section related to media relations.

The policy in question was not an amendment or change to previous versions of the handbook, but it was an issue Kowalski had addressed at the Dec. 17 workshop, when she requested the media relations provision be reviewed. The policy states that all media requests will be routed through the city’s communication manager and prohibits personnel from responding directly to media without advanced approval.   

“I think one of the duties of city council and the mayor as elected officials would be to be a voice in the media,” she said. 

Other council members agreed with Kowalski. During the workshop discussion, Foster said he considers that provision to relate specifically to emergency situations or “city-related” stories. 

“I continue to take the position that as an elected official you are not beholden to this policy,” he said. “I think the court would support that position.”

Inclusive playground

As part of its Jan. 7 consent agenda, council accepted a $680,000 state grant for the construction of an inclusive playground at Middleton Park. The grant will help pay for the approximately $1.8-million in infrastructure improvements needed at the site, including removal of existing sidewalks/pavement, new pavement and marking, signage, a bathroom facility, a utility storm bio-swale, electric conduits, landscaping and final grading and seeding.  A group of residents, called the Hudson Inclusive Playground Committee, has committed to raising donations and pursuing funding sources for the equipment, specialized turf and fencing. That group had raised $1.1 million as of August 2024.