Amanda Purcell is reporting for Columbia-Greene Media the Hudson Common Council agreed at a special meeting May 24, to finance a new fire and rescue boat for the city Fire Department. The department was looking for more than $570,00 to buy the boat, a trailer, gear and training. The council intends to apply for a $428,000 federal grant by May 29, and the balance would then be covered by the city. At the meeting, city Treasurer Heather Campbell said she was unable to opine if the expenditure would require a tax hike for city residents. Only 3rd Ward Alderman Shershah Mizan voted against the measure; 4th Ward Alderman John Rosenthal was absent. The fire department's one watercraft, a 20-year-old center console fishing boat, has suffered some problems, including steering malfunctions and a broken trailer. A new boat would carry more people and equipment, and is designed to be a firefighting boat with water-pumping capabilities. The department responds to calls on the nearby islands, boat fires, overturned boats and kayaks, people trapped, plane crashes on the Hudson River and suicide attempts on the Rip Van Winkle Bridge. The closest similar boats are located in Newburgh, Albany and Troy. The Hudson Fire Department is on call to assist the U.S. Coast Guard, as well as local police, fire departments and the sheriff’s office, for major incidents on the Hudson between the Port of Albany to the north and the Gov. Mario M. Cuomo Bridge to the south. Read the full story at HudsonValley360 [dot] com.