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Pole vote sheds light on Common Council tensions
By Hallie Goodman
Hudson-Catskill Newspapers
HUDSON — The good news is that the Common Council has chosen the type of light pole that the city will buy to replace those it currently leases from National Grid, a purchase that will save a significant amount of money.
The bad news is that Tuesday night’s Regular Meeting of the Common Council may have been it’s most contentious, feel-bad meeting yet.
Before it was over tempers flared, voices were raised and the council was subjected to a lengthy scolding from a reverend.
Alderman Carrie Haddad, D-1st Ward, worked diligently on the light pole project alongside Mayor’s Aide Carmine Pierro, researching affordable options for the replacement of the rundown light poles along Warren Street. It was Haddad who reached out to Howard Brandston, a world-renowned lighting designer who helped her formulate the plan to remove every other pole and increase the wattage of the remaining bulbs along Warren Street, thereby providing the same amount of light for far less money.
After issuing a public RFP several months ago, the city collected three possible proposals for potential lighting pole options.
However, when it came time to vote on the bids, Legal Council John Connor Jr. announced that two of the bids could not even be considered because they had come in through Nick Haddad, Carrie Haddad’s husband, and therefore represented a conflict of interest.
General Municipal Law 801 prohibits a municipality official from entering into a contract with a municipality. Section 800 (3) of the General Municipal Law, 3, states that the term “Municipal Officer” includes the Municipal Officer’s spouse, any corporation in which the officer is also an officer, director , employee or majority stockholder.
Nick Haddad, who is the owner of Red Hook Electrical Supply, stood to earn a commission if either of the two proposals he brought to the city were accepted.
Alderman Haddad, who was caught completely off guard by the announcement, said that she “wished that this would have been brought up long ago,” adding, “these companies are good and somebody else could have submitted them.”
The electrical supply companies that are owned by the Haddad family do not make the light poles in question, they merely represent companies who do. The companies who manufacture light poles are not willing to sell to the city directly, they must come through a “rep” who acts as their agent.
When reached by phone on Wednesday, Haddad contended that she had been quite open throughout the process. She said that she had not known about the municipal law, and had been under the impression that recusing herself from any related votes would solve the problem.
“Doc said, didn’t you announce that you’d have to recuse yourself from the vote? And he was right. I made an announcement to everyone [months ago]. But I had no idea that (Nick Haddad) couldn’t even bid.”
“(Former Common Council President Rob) Perry gave him the bid (forms), Pierro spoke with him about it, (Mayor Rick Scalera) knew... the question is, why didn’t anyone say anything? The city of Hudson has been buying electrical supplies from my husband’s store for 20 years, they all knew the story,” she said.
“I am not upset because my husband didn’t earn a commission. He had already reduced his commission significantly because he was doing this for the city. The goal was to find the best product. I am upset because the city of Hudson will not get to choose between aluminum and fiberglass.”
During the meeting, as she has in the past, Haddad said she prefers cast aluminum poles. According to Haddad, cast aluminum poles cost “significantly less, around $200 per pole.” By Haddad’s math, choosing to go with fiberglass poles would add up to a cost increase of $30,000 over their aluminum counterparts.
“The best interest of Hudson, that’s what we want, the best poles. I think that we should allow other companies [to be considered],” she said.
Connor and Majority Leader Alderman Wanda Pertilla, I-2nd Ward, argued that the burden fell on Haddad, who should have inquired at some point in the process as to whether her husband’s involvement might be an issue.
Connor said that the city might be exposing itself to a lawsuit if it were to reject the remaining bid, as it did meet the criteria of the RFP.
After several confrontational comments from Alderman Robert Donahue Jr., D-5th Ward, Haddad commented on the “the horrible negative hateful energy in this room.”
When it was time to vote on whether to accept the remaining bid, both Haddad and Alderman Abdus Miah, D-2nd Ward, abstained from the vote, and Alderman Christopher Wagoner, D-3rd Ward was absent, their non votes were counted as no votes. In addition, Alderman Ellen Thurston, D-3rd Ward, and Alderman Carole Osterink, D-1st Ward, voted against accepting the bid. The matter was defeated.
Scalera, who was in the audience, stood and asked the Common Council to reconsider its vote.
“Conflict of interest aside, the vote tonight should have been about one thing and one thing only. If you support an aluminum pole then I understand getting another bid, but if you support a composite pole then you need to vote.”
The bids from Nick Haddad had contained one bid for an aluminum pole and one for a fiberglass or “composite” pole, though his bid for the composite poles was higher than the one that had come in through another party.
“I’m an alderman, I’m not a rubber stamp,” said Thurston, who said she wasn’t going to vote for a proposal she had never read.
Osterink said that even though composite poles have been described by some as maintenance free, they were in fact not.
“Fiberglass poles fade and once they do nothing can be done. They fade from black to gray, just like black jeans fade to gray after being laundered [repeatedly].”
Alderman Sheila Ramsey, D-4th Ward, said she though the Council should “go ahead and order [the poles].
“Jeepers Creepers, let’s move. We don’t move on anything, we just talk.”
After a brief discussion, during which it was explained that only a person who abstained or voted against a proposal may reintroduce it, Miah raised his hand to reintroduce.
The matter was voted on again, and though Thurston and Osterink again voted no, and Haddad again abstained, this time it passed.
“I think it’s a shame that this got passed,” said Haddad. “And Cappy,” she said, addressing Pierro, “I know you wanted these fiberglass poles from the get go. The way you worded the original proposal was slanted, and I feel that this was borderline corrupt.”
“Are you calling me corrupt? Are you calling me corrupt?” shouted Pierro. “I want you to say it.”
“I’m talking about the process,” said Haddad. “I don’t understand why you were so adamant about the fiberglass poles when it’s $30,000 more for us to buy them.”
Pierro calmed down and addressed the council, saying he had no stake in what pole would be chosen, but that he wanted the council to take action.
“The city’s going to save $46,000 a year. We are all losing sight of why we are doing this. Get whatever pole you want, but don’t call me corrupt, or you will hear from my attorney,” he said.
After the voting portion of the meeting was finished, Supervisor Edward C. Cross III, D-2nd Ward, mentioned that he had something to say.
“I hope he’s going to say a prayer,” joked Alderman Richard Goetz, R-5th Ward.
“What I see are two sides,” said Cross, a reverend, gesturing with his arms.
“One side is over here, one side is over there, with the people in the middle getting crushed. How dare any of you say that you represent the people of this city. I can’t believe your behavior. I’m talking to you like an adult because you are acting like children.”
He accused the council of “dragging their feet on Washington Hose,” which is located in the ward he represents.
“To the people who I think are mistreating my city... I will do everything in my power to get you out. I’ve only been in here four times and I’m sick. But I’m scared about what you guys are going to do if nobody’s got their eyes on you. I’m not talking about four, seven, I’m talking about 11,” he said.
After the meeting Pierro responded to Haddad’s comment about the RFP wording being slanted.
“When we started looking at poles we started looking for something that was non-corrosive,” he said. The word non-corrosive would likely rule out aluminum.
When asked about the dramatic contrast in cost per pole, Pierro replied, “Don’t get hung up on the money and here’s why, the plan to remove the poles will create $46,000 worth of savings per year. Even more because we are owning and not leasing the poles. We are going to take the money that we were going to pay National Grid (to lease poles) and we will put it toward a debt service that will pay off the poles. It is costing us zero, actually the city is going to make money on this.
“If this was new money we had to come up with, then yes, we’d have to really look hard at $30,000. But we are trying to save money, that’s why we came up with this, no extra money out of the city’s pocket.”
On Wednesday Haddad said that she did not wish to perpetuate a negative dynamic. She said that it was over and that she was moving on.
HUDSON — The good news is that the Common Council has chosen the type of light pole that the city will buy to replace those it currently leases from National Grid, a purchase that will save a significant amount of money.
The bad news is that Tuesday night’s Regular Meeting of the Common Council may have been it’s most contentious, feel-bad meeting yet.
Before it was over tempers flared, voices were raised and the council was subjected to a lengthy scolding from a reverend.
Alderman Carrie Haddad, D-1st Ward, worked diligently on the light pole project alongside Mayor’s Aide Carmine Pierro, researching affordable options for the replacement of the rundown light poles along Warren Street. It was Haddad who reached out to Howard Brandston, a world-renowned lighting designer who helped her formulate the plan to remove every other pole and increase the wattage of the remaining bulbs along Warren Street, thereby providing the same amount of light for far less money.
After issuing a public RFP several months ago, the city collected three possible proposals for potential lighting pole options.
However, when it came time to vote on the bids, Legal Council John Connor Jr. announced that two of the bids could not even be considered because they had come in through Nick Haddad, Carrie Haddad’s husband, and therefore represented a conflict of interest.
General Municipal Law 801 prohibits a municipality official from entering into a contract with a municipality. Section 800 (3) of the General Municipal Law, 3, states that the term “Municipal Officer” includes the Municipal Officer’s spouse, any corporation in which the officer is also an officer, director , employee or majority stockholder.
Nick Haddad, who is the owner of Red Hook Electrical Supply, stood to earn a commission if either of the two proposals he brought to the city were accepted.
Alderman Haddad, who was caught completely off guard by the announcement, said that she “wished that this would have been brought up long ago,” adding, “these companies are good and somebody else could have submitted them.”
The electrical supply companies that are owned by the Haddad family do not make the light poles in question, they merely represent companies who do. The companies who manufacture light poles are not willing to sell to the city directly, they must come through a “rep” who acts as their agent.
When reached by phone on Wednesday, Haddad contended that she had been quite open throughout the process. She said that she had not known about the municipal law, and had been under the impression that recusing herself from any related votes would solve the problem.
“Doc said, didn’t you announce that you’d have to recuse yourself from the vote? And he was right. I made an announcement to everyone [months ago]. But I had no idea that (Nick Haddad) couldn’t even bid.”
“(Former Common Council President Rob) Perry gave him the bid (forms), Pierro spoke with him about it, (Mayor Rick Scalera) knew... the question is, why didn’t anyone say anything? The city of Hudson has been buying electrical supplies from my husband’s store for 20 years, they all knew the story,” she said.
“I am not upset because my husband didn’t earn a commission. He had already reduced his commission significantly because he was doing this for the city. The goal was to find the best product. I am upset because the city of Hudson will not get to choose between aluminum and fiberglass.”
During the meeting, as she has in the past, Haddad said she prefers cast aluminum poles. According to Haddad, cast aluminum poles cost “significantly less, around $200 per pole.” By Haddad’s math, choosing to go with fiberglass poles would add up to a cost increase of $30,000 over their aluminum counterparts.
“The best interest of Hudson, that’s what we want, the best poles. I think that we should allow other companies [to be considered],” she said.
Connor and Majority Leader Alderman Wanda Pertilla, I-2nd Ward, argued that the burden fell on Haddad, who should have inquired at some point in the process as to whether her husband’s involvement might be an issue.
Connor said that the city might be exposing itself to a lawsuit if it were to reject the remaining bid, as it did meet the criteria of the RFP.
After several confrontational comments from Alderman Robert Donahue Jr., D-5th Ward, Haddad commented on the “the horrible negative hateful energy in this room.”
When it was time to vote on whether to accept the remaining bid, both Haddad and Alderman Abdus Miah, D-2nd Ward, abstained from the vote, and Alderman Christopher Wagoner, D-3rd Ward was absent, their non votes were counted as no votes. In addition, Alderman Ellen Thurston, D-3rd Ward, and Alderman Carole Osterink, D-1st Ward, voted against accepting the bid. The matter was defeated.
Scalera, who was in the audience, stood and asked the Common Council to reconsider its vote.
“Conflict of interest aside, the vote tonight should have been about one thing and one thing only. If you support an aluminum pole then I understand getting another bid, but if you support a composite pole then you need to vote.”
The bids from Nick Haddad had contained one bid for an aluminum pole and one for a fiberglass or “composite” pole, though his bid for the composite poles was higher than the one that had come in through another party.
“I’m an alderman, I’m not a rubber stamp,” said Thurston, who said she wasn’t going to vote for a proposal she had never read.
Osterink said that even though composite poles have been described by some as maintenance free, they were in fact not.
“Fiberglass poles fade and once they do nothing can be done. They fade from black to gray, just like black jeans fade to gray after being laundered [repeatedly].”
Alderman Sheila Ramsey, D-4th Ward, said she though the Council should “go ahead and order [the poles].
“Jeepers Creepers, let’s move. We don’t move on anything, we just talk.”
After a brief discussion, during which it was explained that only a person who abstained or voted against a proposal may reintroduce it, Miah raised his hand to reintroduce.
The matter was voted on again, and though Thurston and Osterink again voted no, and Haddad again abstained, this time it passed.
“I think it’s a shame that this got passed,” said Haddad. “And Cappy,” she said, addressing Pierro, “I know you wanted these fiberglass poles from the get go. The way you worded the original proposal was slanted, and I feel that this was borderline corrupt.”
“Are you calling me corrupt? Are you calling me corrupt?” shouted Pierro. “I want you to say it.”
“I’m talking about the process,” said Haddad. “I don’t understand why you were so adamant about the fiberglass poles when it’s $30,000 more for us to buy them.”
Pierro calmed down and addressed the council, saying he had no stake in what pole would be chosen, but that he wanted the council to take action.
“The city’s going to save $46,000 a year. We are all losing sight of why we are doing this. Get whatever pole you want, but don’t call me corrupt, or you will hear from my attorney,” he said.
After the voting portion of the meeting was finished, Supervisor Edward C. Cross III, D-2nd Ward, mentioned that he had something to say.
“I hope he’s going to say a prayer,” joked Alderman Richard Goetz, R-5th Ward.
“What I see are two sides,” said Cross, a reverend, gesturing with his arms.
“One side is over here, one side is over there, with the people in the middle getting crushed. How dare any of you say that you represent the people of this city. I can’t believe your behavior. I’m talking to you like an adult because you are acting like children.”
He accused the council of “dragging their feet on Washington Hose,” which is located in the ward he represents.
“To the people who I think are mistreating my city... I will do everything in my power to get you out. I’ve only been in here four times and I’m sick. But I’m scared about what you guys are going to do if nobody’s got their eyes on you. I’m not talking about four, seven, I’m talking about 11,” he said.
After the meeting Pierro responded to Haddad’s comment about the RFP wording being slanted.
“When we started looking at poles we started looking for something that was non-corrosive,” he said. The word non-corrosive would likely rule out aluminum.
When asked about the dramatic contrast in cost per pole, Pierro replied, “Don’t get hung up on the money and here’s why, the plan to remove the poles will create $46,000 worth of savings per year. Even more because we are owning and not leasing the poles. We are going to take the money that we were going to pay National Grid (to lease poles) and we will put it toward a debt service that will pay off the poles. It is costing us zero, actually the city is going to make money on this.
“If this was new money we had to come up with, then yes, we’d have to really look hard at $30,000. But we are trying to save money, that’s why we came up with this, no extra money out of the city’s pocket.”
On Wednesday Haddad said that she did not wish to perpetuate a negative dynamic. She said that it was over and that she was moving on.
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