Ridgewood NJ, Village Council Candidate asked for clarification with candidate yard signs after the incident earlier this week were “Ramon Hache” signs were targeted for removal . Bernie asked Village Clerk Heather A. Mailander, “Just for clarification. During the Vote Yes for the garage campaign. The Village manager and Village Council approved and allowed signs to be placed in planters throughout the CBD. I’m assuming this practice will be permitted for the Village Council campaign.”
Heather Mailander responded , “To clarify, based on last Fall’s regulations, the campaign signs may be placed in the public right of way (planting strip between the curb and sidewalk) anywhere in the Village, including planters in the CBD. However, they may not be placed on Village property. This includes all parks, the train station parking lot and green spaces near the train station, or other Village-owned property (Village Hall, both library properties, water properties, DPW properties, the Recycling Center, etc.). The signs cannot be a sight hazard or a pedestrian hazard. If you are unsure whether or not you can place a sign somewhere, please contact me. Also, please be aware that any signs found on Village property will be removed and not returned. ”
Resident Boyd Loving responded , “Last Fall’s regulations?” What “regulations?” I don’t recall any regulations ever being announced last Fall.
In fact, “Vote Yes for Parking” signs WERE prominently placed along the Garber Square side of the train station, along the Linwood Avenue side of Vets Field, at the entrance to the Village Recycling Center, AND within/around numerous municipal parking lots.
So clearly the “regulations” are different now that there are messages the “Council Majority” isn’t interested in seeing.
What a joke this Village government of ours has become”
The rules have been communicated to all of the campaigns and are the same for each of them. The only point that really matters is if all candidates are treated equally in this campaign. We will be watching closely to any perceived bias in sign removal.
I’ll say this once again. Who the heck is Evan Weitz? I’ve never heard of him before. But reading the blog I understand that he is being back by the Mayor so run people, run far away from this dude.
Based on Heather Mailander’s instructions to the candidates allowing signs to be placed in the CBD, my campaign signs were placed in the planters. As well, before placing the signs, I checked with Heather and was told this was permissible. During placement of these, I was asked by a woman whether I had the permission to do so. My response to her was, yes I had permission and that if she had concerns, she should check with Heather Mailander at Village Hall.
I read Voigt’s letter in the Ridgewood News today. I can’t understand why he voted yes for the parking garage. He says he didn’t know what he was voting for. And now regrets his decision. Our deputy mayor pointed out, at a recent council meeting, that before you vote, you should know what you are voting for. Our deputy mayor is correct.
I voted no. I saw the huge Godzilla garage illustrations, and I “just said no” as I recalled Nancy Reagan’s advice.
Mayor Aronsohn is really super effective and super smart. He got everything he dreamed of developing for Ridgewood accomplished. All of his wishes came true.
I hope the candidates running for council are half as smart and effective in getting what they want for Ridgewood accomplished.
Dream a little dream.
Diane:
The garage illustrations’/specifics were made available after the vote. You miss the point. We need parking, not Garagezilla.
Jeff
This photo of the Evan Weitz sign appears sideways on my computer. As it should. He is a nonevent. No way would I vote for an Aronsohn choice.
No, they were made available before the vote. I saw them in the library and other places.
The illustrations looked too large that is why many people voted against them.
But don’t worry Jeff , you and me can reach common ground. We both along with the former Saddam Hussain and Assad believe in voting. (I think those are the dictators who allow elections)
Evan is the head of the current generation of the so called Tiger Team. That was the financial advisory group that was supposed to bring business principles to government. The original report and involvement really cut down the budget and found some key savings. Evan joined even though he is a Prosecutor not a finance guy (maybe they needed to find all the quarters?).
Diane:
Thank you for the common ground comment! I hope you enjoyed the video and as well, I am glad to see you are reviewing my positions on issues.
Jeff
So Evan is not a finance guy but is chairman of the Financial Advisory Committee? Who are the other members? Why is the village web site not updated to put all the names?
Can Evan justify the tax increases being member (chair) of the Financial Advisory Committee?
Is he the same guy who spoke at 12/02 council meeting in support of the Garage option A and going to BCIA?
He supported both option A of the garage and going to BCIA.
The CBD looks like shit with all of those signs in place, with more certainly to be expected.
Now is the time to adopt a local ordinance to prohibit this from happening in future elections.
Jeff, I meant common ground that people should vote. That is GREAT, saying you common ground with Rurik Halaby.
I personally believe, I have NO common ground with Rurik Halaby on a vision for the development for Ridgewood.
And if I were running for council l would not be afraid to unequivocally state my positions, without trying to curry favor from everyone.
I think there should be a change of requirements for running for council. Not based on volunteering or being a successful business person. But rather say, Mike Sedon is an example, He is a past reporter for Ridgewood and knows the town like the palm of his hand. Someone like the former Hansen, the climatologist who used to live here, or during the public comment period , the meeting the council voted for the garage, a man spoke who said he was a biologist or biochemist and he made an important point about the ability to predict human behavior on parking and who would live in the high density (children or not). The woman who is the environmentalist from Rutgers who accompanies groups at our open space cleanups. Not make these smart people attend EVERY PHOTO OP., but just the council meetings and liason. to committee.
I agree 10:59. Let them have 1 place to put the signs but throughout the whole CBD for a month is terrible. Same as the parking signs. Let them find residents who support them and will put up the signs. Enough with using the planters!
The original tiger team was far more effective. Then it became a political machine charged with doing council majority’s work and lost independent, smart people such as Ed Feldstott and Jim McCarthy.
Evan is an extension of the current majority, as is ms Willet. Nothing personal against either one.
I don’t blame the candidates for this. I blame the 3 Amigos and the Chamber of Commerces with Paul Vagianos as it presidents for opening up the flood gates with the garage signs. Look what they did to the CBD. Residents remember this when you want to patronize one of of their restaurants or stores. Remember this when you cast your vote for one of the 3 amigos surrogates.
Can’t wait for the Trump signs to go up.
Evan Weitz is supported by all the wrong people. You know what they say about the company you keep. He would perpetuate the horror of the past four years. No Way.
Richard Brooks has an Even Weitz sign in his yard
Diane. On Facebook the Village Manager and Guenn indicated that we were voting for “A” garage not any specific size. The size and design would be determined after approval with resident input.
We were not voting on a specific design. I voted “no” anyway because I felt that they were being a bit slippery in their answers. In the last ten days before the vote the two of them were on social media selling the “concept”. Al Puccerilli went on Facebook once with a sarcastic remark and then crawled back under his rock.
My instincts were correct. Glad I voted no. I agree that the right size garage would be OK. It would not benefit me at all, if I drive to town I always find parking. The garage would mostly benefit the restaurants.
12:37, I drove past one today on the east side of North Monroe in Waldwick (but near Ridgewood). First one I’d seen.
10:59, I agree completely. Years ago ALL yard/sidewalk/CBD “campaign sign”-style signs were forbidden, including “Bob’s Painting Company is doing this job” and even “For Sale.” (You could have a “Garage Sale” sign if you got the permit, I believe, to a maximum of twice per calendar year.) None of those hideous storks saying “It’s a girl” or “Congratulations grads.” TACKY and nothing but money makers for those companies. The town looked a lot better and I would gladly return to that situation. In addition, I don’t think council candidates should be pressured to buy ANYTHING. It may now cost a billion dollars to run for President but it should cost zero to run for village council.
A fond memory is of driving home a few hours after the 2010 village council election results had been announced and noting that almost all the seemingly thousands of Cronk & Dowd signs that had littered the town from pillar to post had disappeared in a puff of smoke. (Enough cliches in one sentence?)
Paul Vaggianos letter to the editor supporting Richard Brooks. Too funny
What has happened to Ridgewood? CBD Planters are meant for the adornment of plants and flowers to visibly beautify the downtown area for the enjoyment of all. Is there no pride left in Ridgewood anymore? Take a look at other area towns, Glen Rock already has its planters filled with plants and flowers, then do a summer, fall and winter theme. Signs have no place in public planters, whether be it the past “vote-for-garage” signs, or future political signs.
Any kind of sign in public planters look like crap and it speaks volumes of a shabby town look to its residents and visitors. It’s not appropriate for Village to permit the downtown to allow distracting political signs as litter in the planters. Allow the signs where they normally belong, on private lawns, edges of roadways, in stores windows. Put the PRIDE back in Ridgewood.
What has happened to Ridgewood 7:56 ? The residents of Ridgewood overwhelmingly voted in Paul Albert and Gween.
So how many signs will they cram into the planters? Will they artfully arrange groups of competing signs into a nice large bouquet of signs? Afterall, some thought should be given to decorating the downtown for the ‘election holidays’!
I agree with 643. I’ve lived here since 1969 and back then even the real estate for sale signs were prohibited. The town looks like shit thanks to all of the NYC transplants who move here with their bad habits and attitudes.. Some of these morons even put their garbage at the curb.
Political signs in the village-owned planters and in the sidewalk cutouts (for the shade trees) in the Central Business District were unheard of in Ridgewood until someone (as yet unidentified) paid to have the “Vote Yes” signs printed, assembled, and distributed around the Village last Fall in time to influence the Parking Garage vote. And now we are told that there is some kind of regulation in place for political signs that permitted these kinds of signs to be put up in this manner? What is the text of that regulation as it appears today? How did it appear last fall when the “Vote Yes” signs were erected? What earlier iterations of that regulation existed by which these kinds of shenanigans were completely prevented in the past? Or are we just now seeing the results of a creative interpretation on an old, unchanged regulation by an enterprising new election lawyer or cynical political operator? If that regulation was changed in such a way as to permit or encourage this kind of nonsense, what was the “before” and “after” of this change, and exactly how and when did it occur? The guiding hands of Councilwoman Hauck, Mayor Aronsohn, Deputy Mayor Pucciarelli, and the Village Manager so clearly appear to be behind this unfortunate development that nobody should ever accept an explanation that does not implicate them. If we want to revert back to a non-partisan form of local government, which we are supposed to be guranteed under the Faulkner Act, nobody that supported the Three Amigos in their misbehavior in recent years, or who is currently receiving political support from them, should ever be elected to Village Council, even by mistake.
8;51, i agree, If you really know what’s going on and care about Ridgewood’s over expanding on Garage, Valley, and High Density Housing… you will vote on May 10th, for Walsh, Voigt, and Hache. Get the word out, I am waiting for my signs.
Diane Palacios, first, Paul Aronsohn is not super smart, he’s only super effective at being super slimy. He has brought a new level of controversy and discord to this town, only befitting a Hudson County type politician. As pointed out by 1:43, the garage referendum was for bonding $xx for a garage at that location. Design, size and specifics were to be decided with public input. It was also impossible for anyone to see from those illustrations that the garage protruded 12 feel into Hudson St. So, if Jeff Voight voted yes for the garage, he was making the same mistakes as thousands of other residents: 1) Believing the VC when they said that the design was up for discussion and 2) not viewing the renderings with more scrutiny. Honest mistakes, which is more than I can say for the way the mayor has been conducting business.