Ridgewood Mayor’s Corner: August Agenda
AUGUST 1, 2014 LAST UPDATED: FRIDAY, AUGUST 1, 2014, 12:31 AM
Welcome to the August edition of the Mayor’s Corner – my monthly Ridgewood News column that seeks to make village government more accessible, more transparent, more responsive.
Council agenda: The council will meet two times this month – Aug. 6 and 13. On the agenda will be parking proposals, planning board-related issues, employee residency requirements, the establishment of a Green Team and a host of other important issues.
All of our meetings are open to the public, and residents are encouraged to attend and participate. Please visit our website for more information – ridgewoodnj.net – or to watch the meetings online.
The new council: Following our reorganization meeting on July 1, the new Village Council hit the ground running. Our July meetings were full of good discussions, important votes and even a few laughs. We’ve even played softball (see below).
In addition to our standard council work, each of us serves as a liaison to different committees/boards. Here is a quick snapshot of our respective areas of responsibility:
Mayor Paul Aronsohn: Planning Board; Chamber of Commerce; Bergen County League of Municipalities; and Ridgewood Community Access Network.
Deputy Mayor Albert Pucciarelli: Library Board of Trustees; Board of Education; Ridgewood Arts Council.
Councilwoman Gwenn Hauck: Financial Advisory Committee; Ridgewood Community Center Advisory Board; Parks, Recreation and Conservation Board; and the Fields Committee.
Councilwoman Susan Knudsen: Planning Board; Ridgewood Fourth of July Committee; Project Pride Committee; and the Historic Preservation Committee.
Councilman Michael Sedon: Ridgewood Environmental Advisory Committee; Ridgewood Green Team Advisory Committee; Citizens Safety Advisory Committee; and the Shade Tree Commission.
If you need to contact any or all of us, please visit the “Mayor/ Council” section of the village website.
Downtown discussion: The deputy mayor convened a meeting last week to discuss the Central Business District (CBD).
It was the start of what will be an ongoing community-wide conversation about the future of our downtown – one that addresses everything from parking needs to traffic flows to public transportation to possible development. The meeting participants represented a good cross section of the village and gave voice to a good mix of ideas and suggestions.
Going forward, the key is to recognize that we all have a role to play in this process. Government officials should facilitate the conversation. Business and other community leaders should inform it. Residents should drive it. And throughout the process, we should all embrace the fact that this conversation is an opportunity to take our CBD to the next level – a unique opportunity to make it an even better place to shop, dine and just have a good time.
The next meeting is tentatively planned for Wednesday, Aug. 20 at the Ridgecrest apartment building (7 Ridge Road). All Ridgewood residents are welcome. To confirm the time and location, please check out the village website or contact the deputy mayor at apucciarelli@ridgewoodnj.net.
– See more at: https://www.northjersey.com/opinion/opinion-guest-writers/august-agenda-1.1060691#sthash.YXXJJKCi.dpuf
“to make village government more accessible, more transparent, more responsive,” impeach the mayor.
No, no sue him.