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Hudson Mayor Joseph Ferris kicked off his promised series of town hall meetings on Tuesday (February 9), fulfilling a key campaign pledge to improve communication with city residents.
The first meeting took place at the Bliss Towers community room in the city's 2nd Ward, with four more scheduled across Hudson's remaining wards through early March. The second town hall is set for February 18 at the Creative Legion on Fairview Avenue from 6:30 p.m. to 8:00 p.m.
"These town halls are an opportunity for city hall to hear directly from the community," Ferris said, according to the Daily Gazette. "As the closest level of government to the people, we have the chance to be the most responsive to the needs and concerns of the people."
Each 90-minute session will begin with a presentation from the mayor about recent developments in city government and upcoming initiatives, followed by an open forum for resident questions and concerns.
The town halls represent one part of a three-pronged communication strategy that Ferris championed during his campaign. The mayor's office plans to announce details about regular office hours and launch an e-newsletter in the coming weeks.
Ferris strategically chose to begin the series in the 2nd Ward due to significant development projects in the area, particularly the Bliss Towers redevelopment.
The remaining town halls are scheduled for:
- February 19: 5th Ward at the FASNY Firefighters Home
- February 26: 4th Ward at the Hudson Area Library community room
- March 2: 1st Ward at The Spark of Hudson
Residents have already been reaching out to the new mayor through various channels. "I've had people come up to me; both people stop me on the street to share thoughts, ideas, concerns," Ferris said. "It's encouraging to see that level of engagement."