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Committee reviews Hudson fee schedule, asks staff for department cost data and follow-up
Summary
Committee members compared Hudson’s fee schedule to Kingston’s across parking, animal licensing, vital records, vendors and event permits, and directed staff to collect cost data from departments and return a revised schedule next month.
Speaker 1, committee member, opened the discussion by saying, "We would like to review our fee schedules," and the group spent the meeting comparing Hudson’s current fees with Kingston’s and identifying items for further follow-up.
The committee focused on where Hudson’s fees differ from Kingston’s for municipal parking, dog licensing and impoundment, vital records and marriage fees, vendor and special-event permits, mass-gathering permits, short-term-rental registration, and a set of administrative items such as banner and dumpster permits. The review produced a set of staff follow-ups rather than immediate fee changes.
Discussion highlights included animal licensing: Speaker 1 read Hudson figures (spayed/neutered license $15; unaltered $150; replacement tag $3) and noted Kingston’s different structure; the committee asked staff to confirm the city’s impoundment vendor charges (identified in the notes as Columbia Green charging the city $75 if an animal is redeemed within 24 hours and "$35 thereafter") so Hudson’s fees can reflect vendor costs. The parking rate was discussed in passing (Speaker 1 referenced a municipal parking daily rate of $10). Speaker 2 and others urged that any fee changes reflect the actual costs the city incurs.
On vital records and marriage fees, members noted Kingston lists a $40 marriage license and a $25 officiant fee; the committee agreed Hudson should separate a marriage license fee from fees for issuing copies of birth, death and marriage records (transcript/copy fees discussed around $10 in the notes). Members asked staff to confirm which fees are set by state rule versus local authority.
Event- and vendor-related fees drew extensive discussion. Kingston’s vendor fee for events was noted as $50 per event; Hudson currently lists lower amounts (for example, a $30 event-organizer fee). Committee members said $30 is likely too low for events that require city services and proposed a range of possible adjustments (examples discussed: $100–$300 or a flat $100 per day), and suggested requiring event organizers to cover direct costs such as police and public works staffing. A $500 deposit for large events was proposed by one member to cover cleanup and encourage organizers to clean their sites; deposit amounts and return/refund rules were left for staff to draft.
Members reviewed short-term rental registration items (a figure of $6.50 and an annual registration fee discussed in the transcript) and discussed raising annual registration fees for short-term rentals and clarifying categories (limited/under-occupied vs. full-time operators). Garbage-bag pricing (participants referenced recent increases and machines with updated prices) and banner installation/removal costs (member comments noted DPW labor and equipment costs exceed current fees) were also raised as items needing departmental cost confirmation.
Actions assigned: staff were asked to contact the Department of Public Works, police and fire for precise staffing and cleanup cost figures for events; to confirm Columbia Green’s impoundment charges; to clarify which vital-records fees are state-set; and to produce an Excel comparison (Tracy was asked to provide or convert the materials into Excel) so the committee can review updated numbers next month. No new fee ordinances were adopted during the meeting.
The meeting ended with a motion to adjourn that was approved by the committee.
