Town receives nearly a million dollars in state grants
By Angela Greiner Contributing Writer

Hudson - At the July 16 Board of Selectmen meeting, Selectman Joseph P. Durant commended Michelle Ciccolo, Hudson's assistant executive assistant, and other town employees for all the hard they did that resulted in the recent award of nearly a million dollars in state grants to the town.

"That is tremendous - all three grants funded," Durant said.

The town received: $100,000 for downtown facades; $560,000 for municipal parking at South Street Park; and $250,000 for the architectural drawings for the new Senior Center that are needed to apply for a construction grant in February 2008.

Other business

The selectmen approved a license to gas station owners that would allow them to sell and display four used cars on their lot. The license was approved on the condition that the owners , Inaam Salem and George Chachine, not block the driveway of neighbors Linda and Gary Foden.

The selectman amended the original request and approved the license contingent on the relocation of a dumpster that is currently located in the driveway and on the placement of signs discouraging customers from parking in or blocking the driveway.

The contingencies were based on concerns the Fodens expressed to the selectmen.

"We do not want to be bad neighbors but we are concerned about the customers blocking our driveway," Linda Foden said.

"I respect your concerns," Durant said to the homeowners, "but, at the same time, we like to try to see business succeed."

Chachine reassured the Fodens.

"We will do whatever it takes to make it easy for you," he said.

The selectmen also approved a change order for additional funding of $17,295 for the South Street Park. Ciccolo told the board members that there would be a few more requests for funding for improvements that were in the original plan for the park. She explained that in order to more easily receive funding, she reduced the original request, excluding some projects. With the increase of capital for the project, the money is now available to complete the original design plan.

In other news, after a lengthy negotiation over three of the 29 proposed permit fee increases, the selectmen approved all but one increase. Instead of increasing the fee for smoke detector inspections from $20 to $50, they settled on an increase to $35.

After several years of low fees, Fire Chief John Blood proposed fee increases as a way to cover the administrative costs of the services.

"The chief has put a lot of thought [into this]," Selectman Fred P. Lucy II said, "and I recommend that we accept the fee increase that the chief has recommended."

The approved fees will include an increase from $2 to $10 for a resident to obtain a permit to store ammunition in their home, and a $10 fee for a burning permit.

Blood explained that the Hudson fees were well below other communities and that town has not had a fee increase in years.

The next selectmen meeting is scheduled for Monday Aug. 6.