Q&A with the new mayor of Hudson on the roads, Sandy Beach and Pine Lake

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Hudson Mayor-Elect Chloe Hutchison won the three-way race for mayoralty in a decisive victory over incumbent Jamie Nicholls and former Councilwoman Helen Kurgansky, winning 49 percent of the vote to Kurgansky’s 33 percent and 17 percent of Nicholls. Hutchison is an architect. He spoke to the Montreal Gazette about his new term.

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Why do you think Hudson voted for change so strongly?

I don’t want to underestimate or underestimate anything that the advice above has done. I am grateful and grateful for all that you have presented. I think it was the right moment in terms of what I can contribute with my experience, my professional experience. But also, the fact that I have already served on the council and also on the Urban Planning Advisory Committee … and my platform had a very, very clear plan that is operationalizable, measurable, and easy to accomplish, so they can trust me. that results will come from this.

What is your highest priority as mayor?

Basically, to get back to basics, which is strong and sustainable long-term stewardship and balancing environment and development. We need to redo our planning program and complete our conservation plan and make sure the two are merged.

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What are the issues that Hudson voters expressed to you?

Fix the roads. And if we can’t fix them in five years, how long and how much will it cost? Please keep our tax bill within an affordable range and reach out to us … This is a small town, we want to keep the small town feel. We want it to be welcoming and hospitable.

What is your plan for the advancement of local roads?

I understand that what we have now is not a five-year plan, we have a five-year inventory of the state of the roads and infrastructure. Probably what we have to do is update that inventory. Make sure you also include the condition of our sewers, the condition of our trenches, all other items that pertain to infrastructure road works … To be reasonable and to say, our plan may not be to repair all roads in five years But rather, if we prioritize the key arteries in the first five years, the others will be finished in 10-15. To have a plan we can communicate it to the public.

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Time ran out with authorization from the Quebec government to allow the filling of the Sandy Beach wetlands for a 200-unit development. And the city’s previous offer to buy the land is off the table, so what’s next?

We know that the owner intends to reapply for an authorization. I would like the opportunity to speak with the Ministry of the Environment to understand if their assessment changes. Then, with the support of the city council, propose a different way of negotiating. Do we need to have it all? What is the owner looking for? … Is it possible to shift that development to a more pedestrian-oriented development or back it up against the roads? These options should be reviewed with the city and city council and then have a clear plan of communication with the owner and making an offer.

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What is your position on the Pine Lake dam that gave way several years ago and dried up the man-made lake?

I like the idea of ​​restoring the artificial lake. I think that is the direction that the previous advice took … It is one of those projects, it has a very practical side, very pragmatic, it also has a very emotional and very strong attachment to its story.

The city has had to recover financially after a former CEO was arrested for defrauding the city of more than $ 1 million in 2014. How is the city ensuring financial stability and accountability?

There has been a long list of remedial actions that the city has already taken. Now the city is operating in a way that highlights any weaknesses or any fraud opportunities … Hudson is in excellent financial position. We have a very strong tax base. What we have to do is manage our assets and address our infrastructure deficit and that is what we have not been doing.

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Responses have been edited for space requirements.

In other Hudson election news

Douglas Smith won his seat with 37 percent of the vote in a five-way race in District 1, where Nicholls’ wife, Amanda MacDonald, also ran and finished last. In a tight three-way race in District 4, only a handful of votes separated the winner, Reid Thompson, from Natalie Best and incumbent councilor Barbara Robinson. Mark Gray won District 5 with nearly 81 percent of the vote, while the other three council seats were acclaimed.