Bill to encourage, or force, shared public services in N.J. approved by Senate committee
Legislation designed to encourage local governments to share public services as a way to cut costs was approved by the state Senate Community and Urban Affairs Committee Monday.
The proposal (S-2) would require state’s Local Unit Alignment, Reorganization, and Consolidation Commission (LUARCC) to study municipal governments to determine where taxpayer dollars could be saved through sharing of services. If the study shows that a savings can be realized in one or more local governments or departments, the question of whether to do so or not would be put to a public referendum in all cities or towns involved, assuming those municipalities do not enter into a shared services agreement on their own. (Hester, New Jersey Newsroom)
>Chris Rutishauer Director of Public Works/Village Engineer corrects record on old Village Ford property
Up until now we’ve only heard rumors (like Valley buying the site). I haven’t received any official New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection notification (which we do for all spill/discharge reports to the State hotline) of any release. The last proposal we had heard about for the site was for a Quick Check with gas pumps.
We haven’t received anything at the Planning Board either. As for the cell tower, I thought that was proposed for behind Boyd’s.
I would be the correct person to ask.
Chris Rutishauser, P.E. Director of Public Works/Village Engineer 131 North Maple Avenue Ridgewood, New Jersey 07450 (201) 670-5500, extension 239
Newark Mayor Cory A. Booker endorses Christie’s school reforms
Newark Mayor Cory A. Booker said Monday that he backs Gov. Chris Christie’s education reform measures — including school choice and teacher tenure changes — but he is critical of the new plan for higher education.
Booker, a Democratic rising star often mentioned as a possible gubernatorial contender next year to Christie, a Republican, made the comments during a meeting Monday with the Asbury Park Press editorial board.
Booker said he liked a new teacher tenure bill, sponsored by an Essex County state senator. That bill would end tenure as a lifetime job guarantee and force teachers to show they are proficient in their jobs or face possible dismissal or added risk for being laid off. (Method, Gannett)
Today I filed the necessary nominating petitions to run for the Ridgewood Board of Education. I am seeking the one year term created by the resignation of a former BOE member.
I decided to run because I believe that I can make a difference by expanding the public’s involvement in the Board’s deliberations. The Board of Education sets the District’s policies and provides operational oversight on behalf of our children and the Village’s taxpayers. Only by fully and openly discussing how it performs these duties can the Board make the best decisions for our schools’ future.
What are the major challenges facing Ridgewood’s schools today?
1 Budgetary Passivity – The Board has incorrectly accepted the 2% state mandated cap on tax increases as a guideline for planning operating expense increases. Like Glen Rock, Ridgewood needs to design a budget that adds educational opportunities while keeping taxes flat.
2 Technology Obsolescence– The District’s two year old Technology Plan is not designed to take advantage of today’s remarkable new learning tools. The Board should require the aggressive exploration of these new approaches for teaching our children.
3 Educational Standards –For the last two years, Ridgewood’s middle and high school students’ math and literacy test scores have been below the medium for our peer school districts. The Board should aggressively challenge our administrators to understand why this trend is developing and how it can be reversed.
4 Fiscal Accountability – The District’s annual budgeting process is a mess and the prior year’s budget presentations have been incomprehensible. School spending drives 2/3 of our local property taxes, but very few of us know what our spending priorities are. This year’s budget progress has taken preliminary steps to de-mystify the numbers, but much more needs to be done. As the public’s representatives the Board should present an understandable fiscal plan.
5 Transparency – The District needs the support of the entire Village; yet its approach is to operate in the shadows. Formal Board meetings are designed to discourage public involvement. Much of the actual Board work is done in subcommittees that are not open to the public. The Board should open up its deliberations and encourage public participation.
We have excellent schools today, but how these issues are addressed will determine how well our schools do in the future. Every resident of the Village should be concerned with this election regardless whether or not they have a child in school. Beyond the future of our children, the continued excellence of Ridgewood’s Public Schools is the most important driver of our home values. I believe that I can offer a constructive voice on behalf of everyone in Ridgewood.
This election offers the opportunity to make a positive change in the way the Board of Education does business. I am asking the people of Ridgewood to vote for me for the one-year Board seat in the April 17 election.
If you want to learn more about my thoughts on each of these issues, email me at [email protected].
>Four candidates file for Ridgewood Board of Education seats Monday February 27, 2012, 4:43 PM The Ridgewood News
Four candidates have filed petitions to run for seats on the Ridgewood Board of Education this spring. At stake is an unexpired one-year term and a full three-year term.
Incumbent B. Vincent Loncto is seeking reelection and is vying for a three-year term. He is opposed by Gina Damasco.
Another incumbent, Robert Hutton, will oppose resident James Morgan for the unexpired term.
Foreclosure irregularities are as common in New Jersey as they are in San Francisco, where a recent audit revealed problems in almost every case studied, according to homeowner advocates.
But that’s where the similarities end.
San Francisco went public with its foreclosure problems. In New Jersey, the county clerks and sheriff’s officers who are responsible for making sure that all aspects of foreclosures are handled properly have raised an alarm with the attorney general, governor, and the legislature. (Tyrrell, NJ Spotlight)
>Important information about your Cablevision TV service
Between 2/29 and 3/8, you may notice a very brief interruption in TV service due to Sun Outages. These interruptions last only a few minutes and are caused by the sun’s interference with satellites that deliver TV service. The service will be restored automatically and there is nothing you will need to do.
Port Authority transparency: Politics or progress?
The deputy director of the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey said politics is at the heart of a bill that cleared the Senate Transportation Committee today.
A co-sponsor of the bill, however, said that the bill has accomplished one of its goals: It has brought the Authority to the table
Deputy Executive Director and former state Sen. Bill Baroni unsuccessfully urged the panel to hold S1115 so that he could work on it with sponsors. (Mooney, PolitickerNJ)
>Ridgewood’s residential assessment shows a slight decrease Monday February 27, 2012, 10:01 AM BY JOSEPH CRAMER STAFF WRITER The Ridgewood News
Ridgewood’s residential assessment for the new year shows a slight decrease in assessed values for village properties, accompanying a widening gap between assessed and market values for homes.
Village assessment officials recently completed their annual mailing of property assessment notices to residents and compiled village-wide statistics for 2012. The average residential assessment for the new year is $794,531, representing a slight decline of around a third of a percent from last year’s figure. The average estimated market value for a village residence dropped around $13,000 to $760,826.
>Due to a track condition in one of the Hudson River Tunnels, NJ Transit Midtown Direct service is being diverted to Hoboken. Trains in and out of New York are subject to 20-30 minute delays. Trains in and out of Hoboken are subject to 10-15 minute delays. Cross honoring is in effect with PATH, NJ Transit bus service.
>NJ Transit bike policy riles cyclists February 27, 2012|By Karen Rouse, THE RECORD
NEW BRUNSWICK, N.J. – Bicycle riders from across the state have called on NJ Transit to change its policy covering bikes on trains, which the cyclists say leaves most of them stranded at stations.
The policy – which allows bikers to take their wheels onto trains only at stations with high-level platforms – is particularly distressing to bikers in Bergen and Passaic Counties because most stations have low-level platforms, said Andrew Besold, one of 150 biking enthusiasts who participated in the New Jersey Bike and Walk Summit held Saturday at the Voorhees Transportation Center at Rutgers University.
>State approves reopening of Pascack Valley Hospital Monday, February 27, 2012 Last updated: Tuesday February 28, 2012, 12:12 AM BY LINDY WASHBURN AND BY CHRIS HARRIS STAFF WRITERS
The state health commissioner approved the reopening of Pascack Valley Hospital in Westwood on Monday, delivering a victory to thousands of residents in northeastern Bergen County who rallied behind the proposal and capping an epic struggle among three local hospitals over the future shape of health care in the region.
The new, 128-bed hospital will be the first for-profit, all-private-room hospital in Bergen County. It is a joint venture between Hackensack University Medical Center and LHP Hospital Group Inc., an investment and management firm located in Plano, Texas.
“Today is a great day for the people of the Pascack and Northern valleys who have waited so long and labored so hard to reopen their community hospital,” said Robert C. Garrett, Hackensack’s chief executive officer.
>Obama to cut healthcare benefits for active duty and retired US military BY: Bill Gertz – February 27, 2012 3:36 pm
The Obama administration’s proposed defense budget calls for military families and retirees to pay sharply more for their healthcare, while leaving unionized civilian defense workers’ benefits untouched. The proposal is causing a major rift within the Pentagon, according to U.S. officials. Several congressional aides suggested the move is designed to increase the enrollment in Obamacare’s state-run insurance exchanges.
The disparity in treatment between civilian and uniformed personnel is causing a backlash within the military that could undermine recruitment and retention.
The proposed increases in health care payments by service members, which must be approved by Congress, are part of the Pentagon’s $487 billion cut in spending. It seeks to save $1.8 billion from the Tricare medical system in the fiscal 2013 budget, and $12.9 billion by 2017.
Updated: Sunday, 26 Feb 2012, 4:19 PM EST Published : Sunday, 26 Feb 2012, 4:19 PM EST
(New York Post) – More American households are falling back into the debt hole, this time without the safety net of home values to help bail them out, the New York Post reported Sunday.
Last year, total US consumer debt reached its highest point in a decade, according to a credit card industry observer.
“Now more than ever, families need to work at saving and paying off any outstanding debts,” said Howard Dvorkin, a certified public accountant and founder of the credit counseling service Consolidated Credit.
After a few months of reducing credit card debt levels, Dvorkin said, Americans are starting to return to their reliance on debt.
NJ merchants say online-only businesses like Amazon have an unfair tax advantage
As far as local retailers are concerned, Web retailing behemoth Amazon.com and its other out-of-state online-only competitors should begin charging their New Jersey customers sales tax now. Right now.
The local shop owner has to tack 7 percent tax on top of every sale. So does any Internet retailer that has an office, be it a warehouse or a store, in the Garden State, such as Barnes & Noble. (Willis, Gannett)
