>Village CFO Dorothy Stikna last night provided Village Council members with a list of possible opportunities to establish revenue streams and/or reduce expenses associated with certain Village provided services. Stikna’s list included:
1)Charging for emergency ambulance transportation
2)Establishing a “voluntary” charge for curbside removal of yard waste
3)Increasing waste water disposal fees for non-residential customers
4)Outsourcing lawn maintenance and landscape services at all VOR owned properties
5)Seeking opportunities reduce expenses at the VOR Central Garage
6)Making changes in the Solid Waste Removal process
7)Examining expenses associated with Fire Prevention services
>oboy what is this alayoff about to start.more and more bullsh,.t.I told you fokes do not trust the council no way.num,4,and num,5 and ,6,hummmmmm.did they talk about workers or what.come on some one knows a thing about this like the fly on the wall or the fly got swiped on the wall.start talking some one.
>With the tax rate being what it is, I cannot conceive that the Village is in such dire straights as it appears by this statement. We’re going to start tipping the Village for a service we pay for? All the others seem to involve job cuts. Are times that bad?
>The municipal budget is peanuts compared to the BOE budget. Lets’s get serious people; that’s where the fat needs to be cut!
>I agree with 9:27. The BOE keeps hiring consultants at every turn because our overpaid school administrators don’t know how to do their job. And now they’re hiring a mediator. Let’s get people in there who are worth what we’re paying them or pay less for those who we are stuck with.
>this is such bull shure cut things what we need but my taxes are not going to go down.I think it is time to cut at the top this time.not like last time you go after the little guy.
>THIS IS NOT ABOUT THE SCHOOLS!
Read it again.
The town needs to upgrade some of its buildings–replace windows-fix boilers—install insulation–use CF lighting–, Green up a little.
The State and Feds are offering cash to go Green.–
What about solar on the townhall roof. State pays half and you sell the credits generated to pay for the other half and the rest is income FOREVER.
Hire a certified energy consultant to do a survey and then publish the results in the R NEWS, if you dare.
Spend money to save money, it works it just takes more time but lasts longer then quick fixes, like firing people this year and hiring someone back in two years.
>Yet another joke by Ms. Stikna. Charge us for this charge us for that. #1 Charge for EMS services. Some of our tax money already goes to them and then if I need help I will get a bill. Get real! #2 GREAT IDEA!!! whoever came up with voluntary charge for curbside removal are you kidding me. Like I am going to send even MORE money. #3 Ok I can somewhat see a point there. #4 Thats a great idea!!! Lets have a bunch of yahoo landscapers come in and cut our grass and maintain our shrubs. Yahoos that dont get a shit about Ridgewood nor the quality of work they do. In the past few years I have seen a HUGE improvement in our parks and other areas of town. Yet another dumbass idea! #5 Lets cut central garage! This way our police cars, fire trucks, ambulances, garbage trucks are all broke down. Yet another cut to our services! #6 I know my garbage gets picked up 2 times each week. Why change something thats not broke! #7 Need I say anything about this. Lets just let the whole village burn down! Great ideas Ms. Stikna! Maybe we should start saving us money, time, and headaches and get a CFO that has something useful to do with her time!!!!
>Boy 506 you took the words right out of my mouth! Hats off to you!!!
>Is she not the one who “fibbed” to us about our taxes?
>if the town wants to really make some financial sense, then charge the school users for services other than the required curriculum. Pay for sports, pay for sports FIELDS, etc etc etc.. bad enough those of us who have lived here for 40 years have to keep paying increased taxes for the newbies in town who come here for a few years so their kids can grab a free education…then bail out and leave the rest of us paying the freight..perhaps a tax break frome the state=if we dont have kids in schools then we dont have to pay THAT portion of the real estate taxes! The town portion of the taxes=reasonable. those employees dont need to feel the ‘axe’…look where the wasteful spending is=school budget. PERIOD.
>What about having valley pay its fair share. They have bought yet another house and no taxes…. yes, we the people pay the taxes….. for this non profit….put in some condos and bring up the tax role.
>Did anyone read in the paper where towns who tell you your taxes are one amount, but then round up to the next whole number are making a fortune. And did you see that Ridgewood is making the most money off of these ’round-ups’. Sounds like the OK Corral. That might be because we are getting our cattle rustled. Still Less Than Enamored.
>it smells like a strike walk on town hall.we all can do that on your time.
>Make the Village Manager and other department heads accountable and require that they cut costs 10% this year, then another 10% next year and so on. That’s how businesses run, when situations are as dire as the Village is making it seem. A CFO should know…
For JTH, take another look at rear yard garbage pickup. The time spent going into each rear yard, could be converted into town-wide DAILY garbage pickup. If not, at least it would cut garbage pickup and potentially over-time payments.
I know you will probably suggest that this would put an undue burden on Village residents. Come on now – a crate full of paper, bucket full of vegetative waste or refrigerator is much heavier than a bag full of kitchen refuse. Have more faith in the residents’ body strength.
>the town needs to hire more workers.not lay off workers.all dept,s are so short handed.we need to get the work done. not hire out sorce the work load.look back in time it mite be a bit cheeper the first 2,years but down the road it will coast more.and in the mean time the tax will not go down so this is a load of bull.maybe we should cut the workers that make over a 100000.hummmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm.
>the town town does not like to put cans on the street.it loks loke dog do.its ridgewood you know.
>11:22
RIGHT—look at the town on curbside days!
I’ve even seen someone’s mother in law still in a recliner.
Just kidding.
Curbside days look worse then ever
People can put gabage cans out on pickup days, easier then an old window A/C unit.
>cans with yard waste, cans with recyclables, crates with paper and sundry bulk refuse on the curb don’t ‘loks loke dog do’?!?
>I no it does.what the hell is going on the town workers do a great job.and yes they do save us a lot of money.what they are trying to cut does not cost us a lot,its the b.o,a and fire, and police that cost a lot but so does everything else.even none union workers cost if you like good work you pay for it.and thats the bottom line in any thing.cheep pay gets you cheep shit.right.and thats what is going to happen to ridgewood go down so some one looks good,and gets put in to office,like i said more bull.so to the one who is starting this just stop it at this time.your you will be out of a job.some one would like a pat on aback.
>Imagine, the sheer horror of people having to ACTUALLY put their garbage at the curb like people in JUST ABOUT EVERY OTHER TOWN IN THE COUNTY. Does FEMA know about this? Have they been advised that the high and mighty residents of Ridgewood might actually have garbage by their curbs on garbage day? Someone should alert Congress, maybe new laws could be drafted that require the town to be closed off on garbage day so that nobody from another town would find out that Ridgewood residents generate household garbage like everyone else. Perish the thought…
>shut up.
>My understanding is that rear yard pick-up may actually be LESS expensive than curbside as it requires less trucks and the drivers of the trucks do pick-up as well. In other words, three men are actually working as opposed to two. From what I’ve seen in my neighborhood, rear-yard seems to be very efficient. the truck parks, the three santition workers go down the block collecting garbage and then they load it onto the truck. How does this compare, in terms of efficiency with a truck stopping at each house, the driver sitting there while two men get off, dump the cans into the truck, place them back on the curb, get back on the truck and proceed to the next house?
Just a thought. Anyone have actual numbers?
>for those who werent around here years ago..the reason Ridgewood got INTO the business of picking up the garbage was due to a strike by the employees of the carter who had the ridgewood contract… back in the ‘old days’ contracts for garbage pickup went up as fast as teachers salaries in ridgewood, and we had no choice since the NJ carting industry was controlled by a ‘Cartel’ and there was no such thing as competitive bidding. NOW however..things HAVE changed.. the ‘cartel’ was disbanded by the feds, and large NYSE companies are in the waste biz, as well as plenty of newer small one. I BET it would now cost ridgewood LESS than having its own employees… and yes rear yard pick is something that makes the town look much nicer.. and since I pay for your kids to go to school *75%++* of my tax bill, you can pay the garbagemen to pick up my trash in the rear yard
>how about charging valley hospital something…. maybe the properties that they have bought up? are they taxed? Oh, i forgot they have the mayor’s law firm listed as one of their clients. let’s start a petition impeach PFUND and WEIST. Politics make strange bedfellows..
>Genius logic – If you have kids, you must pony up the extra money to pay for garbage pick-up. Here’s a quick thought about making the town look nicer: If the dreaded curbside pick-up of garbage was implemented, it’s not as if garbage would sit there for weeks at a time people. AND, as far as pickup being more efficient, has anyone ever actually SEEN this process, or is it something you avert your eyes from when driving through “poor” communities? The guys riding on the back of the truck walk alongside, and throw the trash in as they go. It’s not like they have to be driven to each driveway……
>Actually, in the other 3 upper middle-class towns I’ve lived in, the garbage men hopped back on the truck and were driven the 50′ to the next house while the driver did nothing but drive. Have you ever watched the recyclable pick-up in Ridgewood — that’s EXACTLY what the guys on the truck do; ride from house to house.
>the place would look like a dump with curbside pickup, and perceived cost savings would be imperceptable on your tax bill. for those GENI– USES here take a LOOK @ your tax bill. See WHAT is the largest portion=SCHOOLS. That is the section that needs to be addressed as far as cost savings. For the amount we pay for fire, police,solid waste removal…its a BARGAIN. All this other BS is a smokescreen…just like firing the custodians and getting contract replacements.. it was a simple political ploy by the BOE to try to make someone think they are attempting to contain costs. NOTHING could be further from the truth.
>Hey the FD just responded lights and sirens to a request by the PD to remove a tree from the roadway…and maybe we can get parks and rec to carry firehose! That will surely save money!
>So by your logic, ANY community that has curbside pickup is a dump? Or are you saying that residents in this town are constantly throwing out items that would be eyesores? Please clarify it for me, I’m obviously not seeing your point…..
>What they need to get rid of us some of the high paying useless jobs. The useless ones who drive vehicles that YOU AND I pay for to and from home and waste the fuel that YOU AND I pay for. I dont understand why anyone needs to take home a village owend vehicle!
>boy that is so true.
>and weist must go it is time.no one cares for her.she and her pal jouk is a dam old fool aka.the mummy.
>for 338 clarification…curbside makes a town look like a DUMP. If i wanted to live like that, I would move to one of those DUMPS with CHEAPER taxes… and fewer rules. If I wanted to live next door to a home business with trucks, backhoes, boats, motor homes and CURBSIDE pickup…then I would accept it as a function of my expenditure in taxes to live there. Since I chose to live here (40+ years), I pay the “EXTRA” in order to be comfortable with the expectation of: no trucks, no curbside garbage, no motor homes, no boats in the front yard, no barking dogs, no unleashed dogs, no neighbors with unkept yards, no paint peeling houses, pooper scooper laws…other niceties such as leaf pickup, recylable pickup, clean streets, nice town etc. I HAVE owned other properties elsewhere where the laws do NOT protect the homeowner from some sort of nutty hillbilly neighbors… it was cheaper…but this is the price one pays for the protection given by the ordinances etc…take a drive up 208 to oakland area…the well-fed wild animals there are quite content thanks to the curbside garbage that provides them with gourmet food…so yes..curbside=DUMP of TOWN.
>It’s the schools, stupid. They are poorly run and way too expensive for what we get.
Look at the BOE. Not a bright bulb anywhere near them. They waste tons of money just trying to hide how incompetent they are.
They are all ego maniacs for wanting to do a job they are ill suited to carry out.
We should get rid of the BOE and hire a real CEO with management experience and talent for streamlining a top heavy, full of itself organization stuffed with incompetents who don’t have to compete.
There is no law that says we have to have a BOE.
>all i can say is if you do not like the town then do not come back.but some love to eat ,and drive in and out of town,some love to do biz,and walk or work in town,hummmm.but you gays like the money dont,cha,stop your crying and get out.we love it.tell me a beeter town then i will go and see for my self.and if you know that town and like it stay at that town.and dont bich about ridgewood.its a nice town and yes we have some thing to fix and we will with time.I like TO thank all the dapts for what you do a job well done.
>well I gess we will be talking to the council real soon about what we will like.1, no cut backs in any depts.we need to help out all depts they make this town what it is they need to higher and make this town shine like it did in the past we all can do it.the dam council needs to see that all the depts need help.not lay off.what the hell is going on .att to all council members you need to talk to the workers and see what they need not give then heat.none of you ever come out and look and see and thank them.same shame shame on you .start talking and thanking them.I will be looking for you real soon .
>you know what say no to layoff,s it is time to make some new posters and put them on the lawns and we all can do that.i pay for services and they will not change no way you bums ill get ouy all out of the council.
>to all say what you need to say .the council reads all of this .the ridgewood news reads this to so do not be fooled talk about what you need to but talk.
>o, yes they do they talk about this more then the ridgewood news and they no.that the news paper is down in sales.belive me they are trying to pull the wool over your eye,s.so beware what is around you and look out for the rats that are in town to.all i can say is i hope they dont get nailed.
>i think thats a Great idea..LAWN signs saying NO CUTBACKS… as long as the ‘anti-valley’ group got their ‘pass’ on lawn signs…ANYONE with ANY cause can now use them as a precedent and litter up the lawn with signs…GO FOR IT!
>6:25 p.m. I find your comment, “but you gays like the money dont,cha,stop your crying and get out” repulsive. We don’t need gay bashers in Ridgewood.
>You all are very bitter. You need a vacation.
>Are you sure we can’t find a breath-a-lyzer to hook up to the computers of some of our fellow townsfolk?
>take a walk .if you dont like it go and turn the tv on .
>NO CUT BACKS! NO CUT BACKS! NO CUT BACKS!! Please put one in my yard I would be happy to start it off!!!!
In fact hit up my whole street! East Gate
>to stkna do you no what you are geting yourself in to .do you ever talk to the workers,no i did not think so talk to some of us at police and fire and at d.p.w.water,ext.you realy need to.all of you need to.I you and i know you are going on to this blog so stop the bs.you like to save money ok.lets start with you.and who makes over 100000.grand,hummmm.