The Hudson City Council held a Special Meeting from 7:30 p.m. to 7:38 p.m., followed by a Regular Workshop from 7:39 p.m. to 9:06 p.m. The meeting covered proposed charter amendments for the November 2025 ballot, library board election changes, disposal of historical street pavers, and future legislation. No public comments were made.
It is 7 30 p.m. on July 22nd, and this is a special council meeting that will be followed by a regular workshop. Um so I'm calling this meeting to order. If we could all start with item two, which is the Pledge of Allegiance, please stand of the United States of America and the Republic for which stands one nation under God, indivisible with liberty and justice for all a partner. Could you please call the roll? Uh Mr. Van Weg here. Here, Dr. Getz. Here, Mrs. Heater. Here, Mrs. Skowalski here, Mr. Sutton. Here, Mr. Foster. Here with seven in attendance, we have a quorum, and we'll move on to public comments. Section four. If there's any member of the public who has any comments they would like to share, we'd invite you to come forward to the lectern, and we will provide you five minutes to speak on any comments you'd like to share. Nope. Seeing none. Section five correspondence and council comments. Does anybody on city council have anything they would like to share? Mr. Sutton. Yeah, uh, first uh apologies for missing a couple meetings. Um at an unplanned surgery and uh planned family trip. Um, but uh back now, happy to be with you. Um two, I we've all received this email, and staff has actually responded to the resident um and then and is working on their concern, but they did specifically ask that I read this into the record. So if you'll bear with me here for a minute, I'll read this into the record. Uh good evening, counsel. My name is Brett Hagen, and I'm a resident along Stowe Road. I'm asking the city to conduct a traffic and pavement study on Stowe Road between Middleton and Barlow. Traffic on this stretch has increased dramatically. Subdivisions like Canterbury, Deer Hollow, Stone Bridge, and Western Reserve Ranch bring more than 1,000 residents directly onto Stowe Road. Adding to that, the school traffic from Ellsworth Hill Elementary and Hudson High School activity from Barlow Farm Park and the NC Soccer Club, and it's clear this road is carrying more load than it was designed for. Stowe Road wasn't built to be a bypass yet, that's what it has become. Then there's the train crossing just north of Dox Woods. According to the Federal Railroad Administration data, up to 40 Norfolk Southern trains cross Stow Road daily. Every time they do, traffic backs up to 1,000 to 1,500 feet, often stretching towards Barlow and Ravenna Roads. Speeding is also a serious concern. The speed limit is 35, but many vehicles exceed that. While police have monitored the area at times, enforcement is rare and the danger remains, especially for cyclists using the bike lane, mail carriers, and residents turning in and out of driveways. A traffic study would help the city assess vehicle volumes, truck usage, pavement condition, and its safety risks. It's time we treat this quarter like it what it has become a heavily used multi-purpose roadway in need of attention. Thanks for your time. Thank you. Further comments? Ms. Heater.