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Ravenna Street sidewalk bid divides Hudson council as residents urge action
Summary
Councilors debated whether to award a bid for the Ravenna Street sidewalk or pause to coordinate utilities after a developer’s letter; residents told council they have waited five years and urged the city not to delay further.
Hudson City Council spent an extended portion of its Dec. 9 workshop on the proposed Ravenna Street sidewalk project, where staff described three options — award the current low bid and proceed, delay award for up to 120 calendar days while the contractor holds prices, or cancel and rebid — after receiving a letter from an attorney for a nearby developer asking the city to wait.
Engineering staff said the bid opened Dec. 2 and the contractor is willing to hold prices and stated he would likely not start work until April because of winter conditions; the contract completion date would be August 14 under the bid. Staff noted potential interference between the sidewalk alignment and a county sanitary sewer on the north side of Ravenna Street and described options, including requesting the county shift sanitary installation to the south side so the sidewalk would not be repeatedly disturbed.
Councilor Sutton and multiple residents urged the council to proceed, saying the neighborhood has waited years for the sidewalk. Sutton read a letter submitted by a 12‑year‑old resident, Eliza Sutton, that said, "We do not think this is very fair because we've been waiting over 5 years for them... Don't shatter our dreams." Sutton and other council members expressed frustration at repeated deferrals and asked staff for a clear timeline and legal context.
Staff told council the city is in active litigation (court of appeals) concerning the development and that the solicitor advised caution; staff offered to schedule a follow‑up executive session with the solicitor on Dec. 16 for questions about the court case. Engineering said the contractor cannot withdraw his bid (the bid withdrawal period has passed) and that the contractor agreed to hold the price during a 120‑day award window.
Council considered returning in January for further deliberation and directed staff to confer with the city solicitor and the county regarding utility routing and potential impacts on the sidewalk if the city awards the contract now. No final award was recorded in the workshop discussion.
