In watching this video I have a question. Why Is Alderperson Randy Morrissette II
and Alderperson Mary Yacoub unwilling to listen to legal council opinion that the storing of dinghies along the dike road for the people that lease sailboat moorings is not the same as the First Avenue homeowners putting docks on City property without a lease agreement? Are they okay loosing approximately $28,000 a year that goes towards Park improvements and maintenance every year from the sailboat mooring fees for leasing a mooring??? Without dinghies - no sailboats. It will be a sad summer season when visiting Lakefront Park and walking along the dike and not seeing all the sails blowing in the wind.

It is not about 1st street it is about a policy that the council chose to implement in one area of the river so form what I understand the problem is that you can't do for one and not the other. That being said. The dingies do not need to be tied on the dike road to have sailboats. Not everyone who owns a sailboat and moors it on the St. Croix has a dingie. So what do those people do? I also heard on the video that all but 4 people have renewed their mooring contract for next season so they don't seem to worried. Maybe the Council is more worried than the majority of mooring holders. My thought is policy should either be followed or taken off the books.

The majority of sailboats on the St Croix are kept on docks that do not require dinghies. The moorings are an exception, and require dinghies kept within reasonable range of the sailboats. The contract for the moorings provides a corresponding sticker for each mooring's dinghy. It has been assumed for 50 years that those dinghies be kept along the dike. All mooring holders that have renewed their contract have done so because they are worried about losing their space. We are all concerned about not having reasonable access to our dinghies and sailboats. We pay the city permit fees for the purpose of using our sailboats and thus dinghies along the dike. This is different than storing private property on public land without permission. -"Max"#9

David T
Why are several city council members ignoring the opinion of legal counsel? Rational reasoning in this matter seems clouded at best. A mooring field of sailboats and storage for tenders are inseparable. Mooring holders have a contract and a significant fee is paid to the city for the right to moor a sailboat and store a tender. The dike has been used for tender storage for 50 years and is the safest and most reasonable alternative.

Curious how many mooring holders live in the City of
Hudson. Also the mooring contract that I read says nothing in regards to dingies. This seems to be something that was assumed was ok. From what I have learned before deciding to dock on the dike road they launched from the boat launch.

There is no practical alternative to provide access to permitted sailboats on seasonal moorings via individual sailboat tenders (dinghies) other than allowing dyke road storage. City council has heard multiple proposals that are well over $100,000 for floating docks that are not sustainable given the nature of the river. There is no money. All mooring permit fees collected from sailors historically are applied to Lakefront Park improvement. There is almost no fee money spent on the actual moorings themselves other than administrative costs. Permit holders must fend for themselves, installing their own moorings, policing their vessels, dragging tenders over ragged rocky shores on dyke rd.. The City does nothing and now has banned tender storage with practical alternative.

As the season approaches, just because permits are applied for does not mean that they will be paid. A mooring permit is a permit to setup a mooring and to store an attendant dinghy, a tender to the boat, within a secure and safe distance so legal permit holders can access their boat. Without dyke rd. storage, 49 permit holders will be forced to trailer and launch dinghies from the public boat ramp, further congesting that area. Or, mooring permit holders can swim to their boats?!!? No dinghy storage on dyke is only half a mooring system and that fact will force many long term mooring permit holders to sail somewhere else.

Rick C-38 since 2004

"The saga of the sailboat dinghies will continue..." http://www.hudsonstarobserver.com/event/article/id/49919/group/News/

PR every time I read your posts you are ripping apart elected officials. Have you ever bothered to meet with them or speak with them? School Board, County Board, Council or anyone in public office seem more than willing to meet when I contact them, Your posts are exhausting to the average reader and quite frankly rude.

Come on George, if you look at the history, I am ridiculed for defending the school board and administration and teachers all the time. I supported Lori Bernard on the first street dock issue but criticized her on her attitude and comments about the dog track. As far as rudeness, well open your eyes. Most of my comments are a response to someone else's baseless accusations. I try to point out hipocracy. if my opinions differ from yours that is too bad. If you feel my comments about Mary Yacoub are overly harsh or unfair, I suggest you pay attention to her actions and attitudes as a council member. I have met her, and talked with her numerous times. I disagree with her on many issues, and I think she is totally off base on the dock issue and now this dinghy issue. She treats the city attorney with so little respect that it is laughable. I find her behavior at council meetings to swing between incompetent to childish. Just my opinion.

You are very rude.

@ PR - You sure have a bone to pick with Yacoub and Gehrke everytime you are here on Patch. Maybe you should meet in a public place with them where they can defend themselves instead of you always bullying them. I sure hope you do not condone such bullying in our schools!

Whatever, if you agree with Mary Yacoub and think that illegal docks placed and maintained for years without a permit on city property is in any way connected to removing the dinghies when they have been permited with thier own stickers without incident for 50 years providing needed funds to our parks you need to have your head examined. This is common sense. Interesting how both Mary Yacoub and Sandy Gerhke both seem to be so frustrated with the legal council provided to in most cases protect board and council members from themselves.
And just where were you George and Dianne T when school board members were being accused wrongly of conflict of interest?

I watched the meeting. I don't see where yacoub disagreed with legal council. Legal council had never said that the Dingy's were permitted. In fact when legal council was questioned by Bernard it wad told they needed to suspend the rules . Then if I recall it was because the agenda item wad essentially out of order. All I am saying is that comments have no merit they are not even factual. I have Ms. Yacoub as my alderperson. I iust called her and she answered. We had a very nice conversation and would have to disagree with your opinion of her. Sounds personal if you ask me. And Diane is right. It is easy to sling mud as you do under a false name as if you are never wrong and do no harm.

It is quite obvious that PR sits on the other side politically. Nothing anyone does would be good enough for him. Ms Yacoub fought for a park in out neighborhood that was promised to us years before her term and then forgotten about. I am sure PR also had a problem with that.

So, are the two issues connected or aren't they? Answer the question. This is not about being rude. It is about simple opinions on how our city is run and how our elected officials conduct themselves. It is okay for people to question their elected officials is it not? Also, george, you don't give a last name to verify your claim of residence so you whining about me using a false name is kind of pointless.

What do politics have to do with her decisions as a public servant? Is Mary Yacoub politically motivated?? I would be disappointed If she let her political leanings totally dictate her decisions on the council because she is supposed to represent her district, not a political party.

Boy you are the King at twisting words. You know what I at least have my real name on and said where I live. In the video it was clear that Ms. yacoub said the two are not related . However Bernard said the same thing and then called for morrisette and hoggatt to refuse themselves. By the way they also voted with yacoub on this issue (hoggatt in a previous meeting). But you are not on their case. This is why I am calling you out on making this personal. Yacoub has represented out district well. It is hard to be a public servant especially with rude people harping on them all the time. These people have families. Your words are that of a bully

Not only that. The way PR argues with everyone and the way he claims to know yacoub sound like he is fibbing. Heck if I were yacoub and if PR really had conversed with her I would be argumentative too. How can you not with someone who seems to know it all!!

Well now that makes sense. I have lived here for over 20 years and this town has never been so hostile
The patch and its blogging has brought nothing but trouble to this quiet town

PR is at most meetings, right? PR is usually a term relative to media, yes? Maybe the new name will be TUMS; I hear that is great pain relief for too much pizza.

Amazing how quiet ppl can be when they are called out. Guess PR over played their hand

Wow, what a hissy fit you all are throwing. First of all George, I have threatened and bullied no one. And you have not given your full name or where you live so you are no more honest about your identity than I am. Yet you all keep attacking me for using an alias but you all in fact are doing the same thing. Also, Mary Yacoub said the two issues were related by warning before the vote. Do you deny she was quoted correctly? And for the third time I will ask if the issue of the first street docks and the issue of dinghy storage are any way related, legally or other?

The issues are not related but fall under the same policy. That is what yacoub said. Maybe you should actually listen to what she said. The issue should never have been brought to the council.
Lastly you seem to have a love affair with yacoub. Get over it

And fyi I said I live in Hudson Meadows. Where do you live PR? I suppose you would have to list 4 locations.

What is your last name George? You keep boasting how you are posting using your real name, but you dont give a last name. you never said Hudson meadows until just now, which is still vague. If you really want to make a point about using your real name you would give us all some verifiable proof. A last name that could be tied to a property, otherwise your point is meaningless.

I'll give mine if you give yours

Thanks for proving my point George. Your false sense of credibility is showing. I am arguing about issues and policy, whatever you want to call it, and you are trying to turn it into something about identity. I have no interest in sharing my identity. The funny thing is neither do you, because you can't. Because you are an anonymous blogger no different than me. The difference is I'm not using a real sounding name in attempt to look superior, you are. So is DianeT and bblair. What does that have to do with docks and dinghies?

Bblair...if you have information then maybe PR needs to be exposed that he is (or they are). After all he has no problem saying slanderous false information about others. He uses logic that they are elected officials and subject to his obnoxious lies. Well he is the biggest fraud of all. His tall tales are coming to an end. Maybe a LTE in the HSO is in order....it maybe a boycott of patch so they lose revenue and are forced to leave. All this online paper has done since coming to town is tear us in half. As well as hurt the production of our HSO

Seems to me it is getting really hot in the kitchen.

All this talk of strip joints, love affairs and chauvinism really makes me wonder about you sad people and your hate, and your total lack of ability to debate an issue or policy without turning it personal and talk about slander? Hilarious! There is nothing consistent about Yacoub's linking the illegal docks to the dinghies on the dyke, nothing! And speaking of one of Hudson's most self righteous blowhards, John Windolff, who has such a prolific history of nasty letters to the star observer that are pretty slanderous and hate filled themselves. I am as happy as the next person that Mr windolff has overcome his past problems but as for being a reasonable voice for Hudson? I don't think so. And if windolff has such a proud history of using his name, why create an alias for the patch? I have confidence that the city council will come to a reasonable compromise that makes sense despite how "insulted" Mary Yacoub is by solutions coming out of committee.

George, if the policy is really connected between the illegal docks (owned by the hogatt and Mirrisette families) and the legal placement of permitted and paid for dinghy storage then yes, Hogatt and Morrisette should recuse themselves. I personally do not think it is the same policy. Neither does the attorney.

PR get over yourself or should I say all of you should get over it. You are the king of abuse on this site.,

I have mixed feelings about the dingies. I am a resident of the city of Hudson. I've had conversations with the mayor and council members regarding the increase in boat launch fees and the first street dock situation. It is funny how a new alias continues to surface on each of these issues defending Yacoub with the same reasoning she uses. Painreliever isn't the only one that disagrees with her position on these issues.

Enough about Mary. As for the dingies... They have been there forever and I haven't heard of any major issues. The dingie usage sounds like it has been part of their lease agreement with the city.

I have no love for the sailboat owners either. They have this attitude that they own the river and you need to get the heck out of their way regardless of the situation. I 've had numerous encounters with them while trying to fish on the river. Talk to anyone that boats on the river and they will share unfavorable stories about encounters with the sailboat crowd. One of my more recent encounters was with a sailboat that is moored on the dike.

At the end of the day, I don't have a problem with the dingies on the dike but also could care less if the sailboaters moved on.

Thanks Max for adding dimension of sailing mechanics. If you have never been on a boat under sail power alone, it is easy to miss the subtle but powerful effects of how wind, waves and a sailboat's above and below waterline foils (rudder, keel, sails) harness nature's energy to make a boat move thru the water. Especially in close quarters, anyone in any type of boat must accept formal responsibility to know basic safety rules and operational regulations so they do not endanger themselves or others while on the water. At the end of the day, I accept that responsibility as the most basic rule that helps me to enjoy my time on the water while sharing the St Croix with other reasonable, responsible skippers in all types of boats.

Good news, logic prevails among Hudson City Council members as they voted last night to accept the most practical and cost effective solution to dinghy storage. Let the boating season begin. (What's up with all this frozen water stuff?)

Look for an update video on the March 25th Hudson City Council regular meeting here on Hudson Patch, YouTube, and cable TV River Channel. Decide for yourself by watching who said what, and if you reside here, let your district alder person know if you agree or not.