The Hudson CAC was established in May, 2015, by the city’s Common Council. Instead, our purpose is to provide objectively researched guidance to the Common Council, and by extension to other city entities and the public, on issues with environmental implications. State law mandates that a CAC conduct an open area inventory of its municipality. Our inventory will produce both a written description
and a digital map. It will incorporate many layers of information such as property boundaries, and whether properties are public or private, built or unbuilt; topography, slopes and erosion problems; natural habitats and the presence of rare or threatened species; water features, drainage courses, wetlands and flood zones; existing and proposed water, stormwater and sewer lines; historic districts and sites, and other cultural resources. The inventory will be publicly accessible online. It will be valuable to units of city government involved in planning, development and the provision of infrastructure, as well as to property owners and private developers, educators and students, and concerned citizens. We expect to complete a preliminary version of the inventory by the end of 2016, and to continue enhancing it over time. We will also, as we are able, provide public information on specific environmental issues as they arise, whether these pertain to legislation under consideration by the Common Council, initiatives like those of the Hudson Development Corporation, or other matters affecting the environment in and around the city. Our regular meeting takes place on the first Tuesday of the month at 6 p.m.