The Ridgewood Blog Brings a Free Market Laissez-faire Point of View to Local, New Jersey State and National Issues.
file photo by Boyd Loving
Village Council Regular Public Meeting Agenda 20180912
VILLAGE OF RIDGEWOOD VILLAGE COUNCIL REGULAR PUBLIC MEETING SEPTEMBER 12, 2018
8:00 P.M.
Continue reading VILLAGE OF RIDGEWOOD VILLAGE COUNCIL REGULAR PUBLIC MEETING SEPTEMBER 12, 2018
the staff of the Ridgewood blog
Trenton NJ, Attorney General Gurbir S. Grewal today announced the creation of a unit within the Office of the Attorney General to combat corruption and strengthen public confidence in government institutions. To lead the effort, Attorney General Grewal has recruited Thomas J. Eicher, a longtime federal prosecutor who has led complex corruption investigations and obtained convictions against numerous public officials, including multiple congressmen.
Continue reading State of New Jersey to Investigate Itself for Corruption
file photo by Boyd Loving
2018 RIDGEWOOD PAVING LIST
Continue reading Ridgewood Paving Season April Through November 2018
the staff of the Ridgewood blog
Trenton NJ, Attorney General Gurbir S. Grewal and the Division of Consumer Affairs today announced that 29 unlicensed movers have been issued Notices of Violation (“NOVs”) as a result of “Operation Mother’s Attic, a State-led undercover sting targeting public movers suspected of operating without licenses. Each unlicensed mover was also assessed a $2,500 civil penalty
The sting operation occurred over the course of four days in April 2018. Investigators from the Division’s Office of Consumer Protection (“OCP”) posed as individuals planning to move from an upscale neighborhood in Montville. The investigators found various unlicensed moving companies advertising online and hired them for their “move.” The movers drove to Montville, expecting to find a luxury home full of items to load, and were instead met by a team of OCP investigators, who issued them NOVs for operating without licenses.
Continue reading “Operation Mother’s Attic” Catches 29 Unlicensed Movers in New Jersey
The staff of the Ridgewood blog
Washington DC, Judge Michael R. Barrett signed off on Wednesday the settlement between the IRS and hundreds of tea party groups, closing out the last major legal battle over what all sides now agree was unwarranted and illegal targeting for political purposes. This week’s decision closes out five years of litigation .
The judge called the settlement “fair, reasonable and adequate.” Continue reading IRS has agreed to pay $3.5 million to Tea party Groups that were Targeted for Political Purposes
August 10,2018
the staff of the Ridgewood blog
Trenton NJ, The blue ribbon panel created by the Legislature to develop reforms that address the state’s most challenging fiscal problems issued a series of far-reaching recommendations today that will help to avert crisis conditions, maintain fiscal stability, reduce the costs of government and allow the state to support vital needs and services.
Established under the direction of legislative leaders, the 25-member Economic and Fiscal Policy Workgroup devoted seven months of focused work that produced the recommended ways to address soaring pension and benefit costs, hold down property taxes, make school districts and government more efficient, assess the equity of the tax structure, and ameliorate the negative impact of the federal tax law, among other needs.
“New Jersey faces a series of fiscal and economic challenges that threaten to undermine our ability to address the needs of our residents and invest in the programs and services that will move the state forward,” said Senator Sweeney, (D-Gloucester/Salem/Cumberland). “It’s no secret that New Jersey continues to struggle with inefficiencies at all levels of government that result in higher costs and reduced services. We confront an unsustainable legacy pension and benefit costs that will make it all but impossible to meet our priorities, including full funding of public schools, expanding preschool and making New Jersey more affordable for families, senior citizens, and businesses. We have to be willing to take the actions needed to maintain fiscal stability and promote economic responsibility.”
Working under the bipartisan leadership of Senate Budget Chair Paul Sarlo, Senator Steve Oroho and Assembly Majority Leader Louis Greenwald, the group of economists, tax experts and fiscal experts from academia and the public and private sectors, the workgroup’s suggestions cover five categories:
“We assembled a group of prominent and accomplished experts who devoted their hard work in developing a series of serious recommendations that are intended to address the state’s fiscal challenges,” said Senator Sarlo (D-Bergen). “The report provides a blueprint of ideas that are intended to be thought provoking. They will be the subject of further discussions, debate and consideration. We will work to determine which ones will best serve the needs of the state and which ones we will follow through on. I thank the members for their important contributions.”
The workgroup reassessed the fairness, adequacy, efficiency and affordability of the state’s current revenue structure across all levels of government and reexamined the delivery of government services to develop its findings and recommendations.
“The problems that New Jersey faces today with unfunded pension liabilities and growing healthcare costs for public employees are no surprise to anyone, with our state’s challenges clearly highlighted by both the Benefits Review Task Force that Phil Murphy chaired in 2005 and by the Byrne/Healey Commission in 2015,” said Sen. Steven Oroho (R-24). “Unfortunately, the modest reforms enacted to date have only slowed the pace of our downward spiral, and we soon face the additional burden of a massive Cadillac tax under the ACA if we do nothing to reduce health benefit costs further. It’s our responsibility to both taxpayers and public employees to address this situation honestly and with political fortitude. It’s clear that bold reforms are necessary to fix the structural deficiencies that threaten the financial future of every New Jerseyan.”
The report’s recommendations, in their entirety, represent the consensus of the assembled experts.
“These recommendations create a path to make New Jersey fiscally responsible,” said former Senator Raymond Lesniak, who served on the panel. “The fiscal crisis facing the state requires a full court press to move forward on the recommendations which will improve the efficiency and effectiveness of government.”
August 4,2018
the staff of the Ridgewood blog
Newark NJ, Attorney General Gurbir S. Grewal and the New Jersey Division of Consumer Affairs today announced that a California company agreed to shut down its fashion-themed social website for teens and reform its business practices to resolve allegations that the company violated state and federal laws by improperly collecting personal information from more than 2,500 New Jersey children and by failing to appropriately safeguard its users’ account information which was compromised in a 2016 data breach.
The Division alleged that Unixiz, Inc., the company that owned and operated the online social website “i-Dressup”, violated the federal Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA) and the New Jersey Consumer Fraud Act, by, among other things, failing to adequately safeguard user information and failing to obtain verifiable parental consent prior to collecting and processing children’s personal information.
“Children are extremely vulnerable on the internet and we must do all we can to protect them from being exploited by advertisers or tracked by internet predators,” said Attorney General Grewal. “We are committed to vigorously enforcing state and federal privacy protections and we will do everything we can to ensure that website operators comply with their duty to provide an extra layer of security on sites catering to young children.”
The allegations against Unixiz stem from an investigation initiated by the Division after media outlets began reporting that the i-Dressup website had been breached by an unknown hacker and that user accounts were vulnerable.
The Division learned through its investigation that more than 24,000 of the compromised i-Dressup accounts belonged to New Jersey residents, 10,101 of whom were under the age of 18. The Division confirmed that 2,519 accounts belonged to children under the age of 13.
The Division also alleged that Unixiz had improperly collected personal information from the 2,519 children – including first and last names, email addresses, birthdates, and gender – without prior verifiable consent from their parents, as required by law.
“As a result of our investigation, Unixiz agreed to shut down the i-Dressup website and to reform its practices to comply with all laws protecting the privacy of children and others online, said Paul R. Rodríguez, Acting Director of the Division of Consumer Affairs. “Our cyber fraud unit will continue to monitor the internet for reports of data breaches that affect New Jersey residents and take swift action to hold companies accountable.”
In a Consent Order entered with the Division, Unixiz agreed to put in place measures to obtain verifiable parental consent on all company-operated websites that collect children’s information, as well as measures to provide parents with the ability to review the information that the company is collecting from their child, and to revoke the right of that company to collect or maintain their child’s information. Unixiz also agreed to implement policies and procedures to safeguard users’ account information.
The company also agreed to civil penalties in the amount of $98,618, $34,000 of which has been paid and $64,618 of which will be suspended and automatically vacated after two years, provided that the company complies with the terms of the Consent Order.
The i-Dressup website, which billed itself as a “social hangout website” for teens, offered its users access to fashion and fantasy-based games, and a feature which allowed certain approved users to exchange messages.
The Division, through its investigation, confirmed that the website had actual knowledge that many of its members were under the age of 13, which triggered obligations to comply with COPPA.
COPPA and its regulations apply to operators of commercial websites and online services, including mobile apps, directed to children under 13, and operators of general audience websites or online services with actual knowledge that they are collecting, using, or disclosing personal information from children under 13.
The primary goal of COPPA is to provide parents with control over what information is collected from their young children online, including first and last names, home addresses, screen names and other online contact information, telephone numbers, social security numbers, photographs, and IP addresses and other persistent identifiers that can be used to recognize a user over time and across different web sites or online services.
August 1,2018
the staff of the Ridgewood
Hackensack NJ, New Jersey is home to about 900,000 residents who are not United States citizens . That’ equals about 1 in 10 people in the state, according to most recent estimates. Census figures put Ridgewood’s non-citizen population at about 2,000, or approximately 8 percent of the village’s 25,500 residents.
The Ridgewood Public Library even hosts six-week program meets twice weekly for 90-minute classes. It uses the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services booklet “Learn About the United States, Quick Civic Lessons for the Naturalization Test.”
The federal government is planning to have the 2020 Census ask people their citizenship status. Many elected officials and community advocates say such a question could threaten federal funding for states like New Jersey.
The simple solution would be to create more US citizens in order to safe guard Federal Funds .
The next Census Day is set for April 1, 2020, and a 2017 release from the U.S. Census Bureau identified the date for wording of all Census questions to be submitted to Congress as March 31 of this year. So for those fighting for a question on citizenship status to be excluded, the clock has been ticking for months already.
To give you an idea of the magnitude of the issue the Ridgewood blog has listed the towns the have the largest concentration of Non-citizens in Bergen County .
Palisades Park
U.S.-born citizens: 6,887
Naturalized citizens: 6,057
Non-citizens: 7,215 — 35%
South Hackensack
U.S.-born citizens: 1,534
Naturalized citizens: 455
Non-citizens: 725 — 27%
Fairview
U.S.-born citizens: 6,843
Naturalized citizens: 3,687
Non-citizens: 3,608 — 25%
Little Ferry
U.S.-born citizens: 5,669
Naturalized citizens: 2,570
Non-citizens: 2,431 — 22%
Hackensack
U.S.-born citizens: 25,272
Naturalized citizens: 8,238
Non-citizens: 9,631 — 22%
Fort Lee
U.S.-born citizens: 16,475
Naturalized citizens: 11,398
Non-citizens: 7,941 — 22%
Leonia
U.S.-born citizens: 4,853
Naturalized citizens: 2,220
Non-citizens: 1,935 — 21%
Teterboro
U.S.-born citizens: 63
Naturalized citizens: 5
Non-citizens: 18 — 21%
Edgewater
U.S.-born citizens: 6,698
Naturalized citizens: 2,559
Non-citizens: 2,503 — 21%
Garfield
U.S.-born citizens: 17,663
Naturalized citizens: 6,885
Non-citizens: 6,251 — 20%
Ridgefield
U.S.-born citizens: 5,790
Naturalized citizens: 3,087
Non-citizens: 2,208 — 20%
July 28,2018
the staff of the Ridgewood blog
Trenton NJ, Attorney General Gurbir S. Grewal today named the members of a working group of criminal justice stakeholders that will review the scope and appropriate use of prosecutorial discretion in marijuana-related and other offenses in municipal court, as well as other issues relating to the role of municipal prosecutors.
The 20-member working group will represent prosecutors from the state, county, and municipal levels; defense attorneys; police; civil rights organizations; and other community leaders. This broad spectrum of stakeholders reflects the collaborative approach that Attorney General Grewal has taken with respect to all policy initiatives he has spearheaded during his tenure.
The Attorney General first announced that he would convene a working group to study and advise him on the scope of municipal prosecutors’ discretionary authority in a letter issued earlier this week. The Attorney General will consider the working group’s advice when he prepares a directive—expected in August—that will provide guidance about the scope and appropriate use of prosecutorial discretion in marijuana-related cases in municipal court.
In creating the working group, the Attorney General is taking action to respond to recent developments that raise concerns about quality of justice being administered in New Jersey’s municipal courts. First, last week, a New Jersey Supreme Court committee released a report that makes a series of recommendations for policy changes and legislative proposals aimed at promoting the fair administration of justice in municipal courts. Also last week, the Attorney General issued a letter addressing the proper scope of municipal prosecutors’ discretion in marijuana-related cases and invalidating a memorandum issued by a municipal prosecutor who purported to decriminalize marijuana.
“I look forward to hearing from this working group about how we can improve the equal, impartial, and uniform administration of justice in our municipal courts,” said Attorney General Grewal. “Every day, my Department works with criminal justice stakeholders to build trust between law enforcement and the communities they serve. This working group will review how the municipal prosecutors under my supervision can contribute responsibly to the progressive solutions we are seeking.”
“Chief Justice Rabner has called on New Jersey’s municipal courts to adhere to the Judiciary’s high standards of integrity, independence, and fairness, without regard to any outside pressures,” Attorney General Grewal noted. “The working group that we are establishing today will kick start a parallel review of the scope and appropriate use of prosecutorial discretion in municipal court, including in prosecutions of marijuana offenses.”
The members of the new working group will include:
Veronica Allende, Director of the Division of Criminal Justice within the Department of Law and Public Safety, who will chair working group;
Matthew Berns, Counsel to the Attorney General;
Richard T. Burke, Warren County Prosecutor;
Pat Colligan, President of the New Jersey State Policemen’s Benevolent Association;
Claudia DeMitro, Deputy Attorney General, Department of Law and Public Safety, Division of Criminal Justice;
Annette DePalma, President of the New Jersey State Municipal Prosecutors’ Association;
Stephan Finkel, Director of Legislative Affairs for the Department of Law and Public Safety;
Charles Fiore, Gloucester County Prosecutor;
W. Reed Gusciora, Mayor of Trenton;
Jake Hudnut, Chief Municipal Prosecutor for the City of Jersey City;
Van Lane, Deputy Public Defender for the Monmouth Trial Region;
Robyn B. Mitchell, Deputy Attorney General, Department of Law and Public Safety, Division of Criminal Justice;
Jiles H. Ship, New Jersey Police Training Commissioner and Past President of the National Organization of Black Law Enforcement Executives (NOBLE) and
Commissioner of the Law Enforcement Action Partnership (LEAP);
Ahmad Rasool, Municipal Prosecutor for the City of Newark (or a designee);
Amol Sinha, Executive Director of the ACLU of New Jersey (or a designee);
Richard T. Smith, President of the New Jersey State Conference of the NAACP;
Steven A. Somogyi, Assistant Director for the Municipal Court Services Division of the New Jersey Judiciary;
Sherry Stembridge, Assistant Essex County Prosecutor;
Esther Suarez, Hudson County Prosecutor;
John Zebrowski, Chief of Police, Sayreville Police Department.
The working group may offer recommendations to the Attorney General on issues including the proper scope of municipal prosecutors’ discretionary authority, in general and with regard to marijuana offenses in particular; the manner in which chief municipal prosecutors exercise their authority over other municipal prosecutors, subject to the supervisory authority of the county prosecutors and Attorney General; and the ethics, integrity, and independence of municipal prosecutors from improper outside influence.
Earlier this week, Attorney General Grewal asked all municipal prosecutors in New Jersey to pause marijuana-related prosecutions in municipal court until September 4, 2018, while the Office of the Attorney General solicits advice from the working group and develops statewide guidance. The Attorney General’s directive from earlier this week does not affect law enforcement officers’ authority to make marijuana-related arrests or County Prosecutors’ authority to prosecute marijuana-related offenses in Superior Court. The Attorney General’s forthcoming directive will address how marijuana-related prosecutions may proceed in municipal court after September 4, 2018.
While the working group will advise the Attorney General on municipal court prosecutions of marijuana-related offenses—in time for the Attorney General to issue his directive in August—the working group may offer advice on other topics, to inform longer-term, progressive reforms concerning the role of municipal prosecutors.
McCain minority staff director Henry Kerner to IRS official Lois Lerner and other IRS officials: “the solution is to audit so many that it becomes financially ruinous”
July 17,2018
the staff of the Ridgewood blog
Washington DC, Judicial Watch today released newly obtained internal IRS documents, including material revealing that Sen. John McCain’s former staff director and chief counsel on the Senate Homeland Security Permanent Subcommittee, Henry Kerner, urged top IRS officials, including then-director of exempt organizations Lois Lerner, to “audit so many that it becomes financially ruinous.” Kerner was appointed by President Trump as Special Counsel for the United States Office of Special Counsel.
The explosive exchange was contained in notes taken by IRS employees at an April 30, 2013, meeting between Kerner, Lerner, and other high-ranking IRS officials. Just ten days following the meeting, former IRS director of exempt organizations Lois Lerner admitted that the IRS had a policy of improperly and deliberately delaying applications for tax-exempt status from conservative non-profit groups.
Lerner and other IRS officials met with select top staffers from the Senate Governmental Affairs Committee in a “marathon” meeting to discuss concerns raised by both Sen. Carl Levin (D-MI) and Sen. John McCain (R-AZ) that the IRS was not reining in political advocacy groups in response to the Supreme Court’s Citizens United decision. Senator McCain had been the chief sponsor of the McCain-Feingold Act and called the Citizens United decision, which overturned portions of the Act, one of the “worst decisions I have ever seen.”
In the full notes of an April 30 meeting, McCain’s high-ranking staffer Kerner recommends harassing non-profit groups until they are unable to continue operating. Kerner tells Lerner, Steve Miller, then chief of staff to IRS commissioner, Nikole Flax, and other IRS officials, “Maybe the solution is to audit so many that it is financially ruinous.” In response, Lerner responded that “it is her job to oversee it all:”
Henry Kerner asked how to get to the abuse of organizations claiming section 501 (c)(4) but designed to be primarily political. Lois Lerner said the system works, but not in real time. Henry Kerner noted that these organizations don’t disclose donors. Lois Lerner said that if they don’t meet the requirements, we can come in and revoke, but it doesn’t happen timely. Nan Marks said if the concern is that organizations engaging in this activity don’t disclose donors, then the system doesn’t work. Henry Kerner said that maybe the solution is to audit so many that it is financially ruinous. Nikole noted that we have budget constraints. Elise Bean suggested using the list of organizations that made independent expenditures. Lois Lerner said that it is her job to oversee it all, not just political campaign activity.
Judicial Watch previously reported on the 2013 meeting. Senator McCain then issued a statement decrying “false reports claiming that his office was somehow involved in IRS targeting of conservative groups.” The IRS previously blacked out the notes of the meeting but Judicial Watch found the notes among subsequent documents released by the agency.
Judicial Watch separately uncovered that Lerner was under significant pressure from both Democrats in Congress and the Obama DOJ and FBI to prosecute and jail the groups the IRS was already improperly targeting. In discussing pressure from Senator Sheldon Whitehouse (Democrat-Rhode Island) to prosecute these “political groups,” Lerner admitted, “it is ALL about 501(c)(4) orgs and political activity.”
The April 30, 2013 meeting came just under two weeks prior to Lerner’s admission during an ABA meeting that the IRS had “inappropriately” targeted conservative groups. In her May 2013 answer to a planted question, in which she admitted to the “absolutely incorrect, insensitive, and inappropriate” targeting of Tea Party and conservative groups, Lerner suggested the IRS targeting occurred due to an “uptick” in 501 (c)(4) applications to the IRS but in actuality, there had been a decrease in such applications in 2010.
On May 14, 2013, a report by Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration revealed: “Early in Calendar Year 2010, the IRS began using inappropriate criteria to identify organizations applying for tax-exempt status” (e.g., lists of past and future donors). The illegal IRS reviews continued “for more than 18 months” and “delayed processing of targeted groups’ applications” in advance of the 2012 presidential election.
All these documents were forced out of the IRS as a result of an October 2013 Judicial Watch Freedom of Information (FOIA) lawsuit filed against the IRS after it failed to respond adequately to four FOIA requests sent in May 2013 (Judicial Watch, Inc. v. Internal Revenue Service (No. 1:13-cv-01559)). Judicial Watch is seeking:
All records related to the number of applications received or related to communications between the IRS and members of the U.S. House of Representatives or the U.S. Senate regarding the review process for organizations applying for tax exempt status under 501(c)(4);
All records concerning communications between the IRS and the Executive Branch or any other government agency regarding the review process for organizations applying for tax exempt status under 501(c)(4);
Copies of any questionnaires and all records related to the preparation of questionnaires sent to organizations applying for 501(c)(4) tax exempt status.
All records related to Lois Lerner’s communication with other IRS employees, as well as government or private entity outside the IRS regarding the review and approval process for 501 (c)(4) applicant organizations.
“The Obama IRS scandal is bipartisan – McCain and Democrats who wanted to regulate political speech lost at the Supreme Court, so they sought to use the IRS to harass innocent Americans,” said Judicial Watch President Tom Fitton. “The Obama IRS scandal is not over – as Judicial Watch continues to uncover smoking gun documents that raise questions about how the Obama administration weaponized the IRS, the FEC, FBI, and DOJ to target the First Amendment rights of Americans.”
VILLAGE OF RIDGEWOOD VILLAGE COUNCIL REGULAR PUBLIC MEETING
JULY 18, 2018
8:00 P.M.
1. Call to Order – Mayor
2. Statement of Compliance with the Open Public Meetings Act
3. Roll Call – Village Clerk
4. Flag Salute and Moment of Silence
5. Acceptance of Financial Reports
6. Approval of Minutes
7. Proclamations : NONE
8. Comments from the Public (Not to exceed 3 minutes per person – 40 minutes in total)
9. Comments from the Ridgewood Board of Education on moving the School Board Election from November to April
10. Village Manager’s Report
11. Village Council Reports
12. ORDINANCES – INTRODUCTION – RIDGEWOOD WATER : NONE
13. ORDINANCES – PUBLIC HEARING – RIDGEWOOD WATER : NONE
14. RESOLUTIONS – RIDGEWOOD WATER
THE FOLLOWING RESOLUTIONS, NUMBERED 18-212 THROUGH 18-213 ARE TO BE ADOPTED BY A CONSENT AGENDA, WITH ONE VOTE BY THE VILLAGE COUNCIL.THERE IS A BRIEF DESCRIPTION BESIDE EACH RESOLUTION TO BE CONSIDERED ON THE CONSENT AGENDA. EACH RESOLUTION WILL BE READ BY TITLE ONLY: 18-212 Award Professional Services Contract – Eastside Reservoir Improvements 18-213 Award Contract – Linwood and Cedar Hill Wells.THE FOLLOWING RESOLUTION, NUMBERED 18-214, WILL BE CONSIDERED SEPARATELY AND READ IN FULL:18-214 Award Contract – Public Policy Consultant
15. ORDINANCES – INTRODUCTION
3653 – Amend Valet Parking Ordinance
3654 – Establish Position of Municipal Humane Law Enforcement Officer
3655 – Establish Licensing of Sellers of E-Cigarettes
3656 – Amend Chapter 265 – Vehicles and Traffic – No Left Turn – In and Out of Starbucks on Franklin Avenue
3657 – Amend Chapter 265 – Vehicles and Traffic – No Turn on North Maple Avenue into Exit Driveway of 305 East Ridgewood Avenue (Jersey Mike’s)
3658 – Amend Ordinance – Enforcement for Dead/Dangerous Trees
3659 – Amend Outdoor Café Ordinance – Enforcement
3660 – Amend Parking Meter Rates and Times 3661 – Establish Residency Requirements for Civilian Positions
16. ORDINANCES – PUBLIC HEARING
3650 – Bond Ordinance – Hudson Street Parking Garage ($12 million)
3651 – 2018 NJDOT Grant – Hillcrest Road Capital Ordinance
3652 – 2018 NJDOT Grant – North Pleasant Avenue Capital Ordinance
17. RESOLUTIONS
THE FOLLOWING RESOLUTIONS, NUMBERED 18-215 THROUGH 18-237 ARE TO BE ADOPTED BY A CONSENT AGENDA, WITH ONE VOTE BY THE VILLAGE COUNCIL. THERE IS A BRIEF DESCRIPTION BESIDE EACH RESOLUTION TO BE CONSIDERED ON THE CONSENT AGENDA. EACH RESOLUTION WILL BE READ BY TITLE ONLY:
18-215 Award Contract – Vehicle Emergency Equipment – Fire Department (NTE $25,000)
18-216 Award Contract – Vegetative Management – The View at Crest Road (NTE $5,050)
18-217 Award Professional Services Contract – Meter Rates and Times for Funding for Hudson Street Parking Garage – Walker Consultants
18-218 Title 59 Approval – Snowplowing Services
18-219 Award Contract – Snowplowing Services (NTE $120,000)
18-220 Award Contract – Purchase of Compost Material
18-221 Title 59 Approval – Leaf Collection Services
18-222 Award Contract – Leaf Collection Services (NTE $92,240)
18-223 Title 59 Approval – Infra-red Asphalt Repair,Trench Patching and Misc. Curb & Sidewalk Repair
18-224 Award Contract – Infra-red Asphalt Repair, Trench Patching and Misc. Curb & Sidewalk Repair (NTE $150,000)
18-225 Title 59 Approval – Partial Roof Replacement – Village Hall
18-226 Award Contract – Partial Roof Replacement – Village Hall (NTE $122,650)
18-227 Award Contract Under Houston-Galveston Area Council Cooperative Purchasing Contract – 2018 Utility Vehicle – Emergency Services (NTE $118,000)
18-228 Award Contract Under Sourcewell National Cooperative Purchasing Agreement – Self- Contained Compaction Unit – Recycling (NTE $35,000)
18-229 Award Contract Under National Cooperative Purchasing Alliance – Hot Box for Asphalt Repairs (NTE $44,200)
18-230 Amend Contract – Security System at Village Hall (NTE $) 18-231 Authorize Interim Health Officer Coverage Agreement with Borough of Fair Lawn
18-232 Authorize Release of Escrow Funds – Stop & Shop Supermarket
18-233 Establish Annual Service Charge and Payment for Guarantee Bond for Ridgewood Senior Citizen Housing Corporation and Guaranty of Payment of Revenue Bonds
18-234 Authorize Tax Collector to Charge for Mailing of Tax Sale Notices
18-235 Authorize Village Manager to Execute Membership Agreements with Sourcewell Cooperative Purchasing Agreement (formerly National Joint Powers Alliance Cooperative Purchasing Program)
18-236 Approve Field Design for Schedler Park
18-237 Authorize Shared Services Agreement – Snowplowing (Bergen County)
THE FOLLOWING RESOLUTIONS, NUMBERED 18-238 THROUGH 18-239, WILL BE CONSIDERED SEPARATELY AND READ IN FULL:
18-238 Award Contract – Appraiser for Green Acres Diversion
18-239 Authorize School Board Elections to be Changed from November to April 18. Comments from the Public (Not to Exceed 5 minutes per person)
19. Resolution to go into Closed Session
20. Closed Session
Potential Purchase of Property – Green Acres Diversion
21. Adjournment
July 11,2018
the staff of the Ridgewood blog
Trenton NJ, The Murphy Administration today announced the first steps in transitioning away from the Partnership for Assessment of Readiness for College and Careers (PARCC) and toward a new generation of statewide testing by issuing a report, detailing proposals for draft regulations and other upcoming changes in the 2018-19 school year.
At a press conference in Atlantic City, Governor Murphy said he wants to take NJ out of PARCC student assessment testing.“PARCC’s high-stakes, high-stress system has been, I believe, a detriment to our students and our educators,” Murphy said.
Recommendations were collected by the New Jersey Department of Education (NJDOE) during a two-month, 21-county tour in which the Commissioner and staff traveled over 5,700 miles, held approximately 75 in-person sessions, three live webinars, and heard from more than 2,300 students, teachers, school administrators, education advocates and community leaders.
Speaker Coughlin lauded the move in a statement: “This is a step in the right direction. From the moment it was introduced, the PARCC was widely criticized by teachers, school administrators, parents and students for being overly confusing and taking up too much instructional time. We cannot evaluate student proficiency and base a student’s ability to graduate on a flawed system. Students should have to prove that they are ready for graduation, but not through an assessment as inadequate and problematic as the PARCC. I’m glad Gov. Murphy is reversing course on this, and clearing the way for a more effective and responsible approach to measuring student learning.”
“Because of a focused, concentrated effort to reach out to New Jersey residents and to give them a voice at the table, we are on a clear path away from PARCC,” said Gov. Phil Murphy. “By making the transition in phases, we can ensure a smooth implementation in schools across the state and maintain compliance with current state and federal requirements.”
“A stronger, fairer New Jersey means one that prioritizes outreach and collaboration when making policy decisions,” said Education Commissioner Lamont O. Repollet. “My staff and I went on a listening tour across the state to ensure that we understood the scope of interest, and we moved forward having considered the needs of students, educators, and broader community members in building the next generation assessment system by New Jersey, for New Jersey.”
The transition will be made in multiple phases. The first phase began with stakeholder outreach and culminates with the report and proposed short-term changes. The report provides an overview of the feedback received from interested stakeholders and the process used to achieve it.
The proposed changes for State Board review include:
Streamlining graduation requirements by reducing the number of required tests in high school from six to two.
Ensuring that educators and parents receive test data in a timely manner.
Providing flexibility for first-year English learners on the English language proficiency test.
Additional changes not requiring State Board approval include:
Reducing the length of testing for all grades by approximately 25 percent.
Reducing the weight of the assessment on teacher evaluations.
More details regarding the changes can be found in the report and draft regulations.
Beginning this summer and occurring over the course of the 2018-19 school year, the NJDOE will be launching the second phase of assessment outreach in New Jersey, focusing on the more complicated questions and issues with implementation that we encountered during the listening tour. More information about Phase 2 will be made available over the next few months.
file photo from the Ridgewood Police Department
July 8,2018
the staff of the Ridgewood blog
Ridgewood NJ, Note: These streets are not listed in order of paving. The order of paving will be determined by the contractor and the Village Engineering Department. The paving season is April through November 2018, and some streets listed may be delayed until spring 2019, depending on weather conditions and logistical issues that may arise during the paving season.
Street From -To
E. Ridgewood N. Maple – Paramus Rd.
Bergen Spring – Court
Somerville Spring – E.R.A.
Spring S. Pleasant- East End
Addison Irving- Southern Parkway
Beveridge Norman- Stratford
Bingham E. Saddle River- Eastbrook Road
Chesterfield Sheffield- Fairfield
Deerfield Sheffield- Fairfield
Doremus Ackerman- Godwin
Eastgate VanEmburgh Ave.- Town Line
Fairway N. VanDien- N. Pleasant
Fox Dead End- East Side
Hamilton Norman – Stratford
Hillcrest Morningside – N. Monroe
Jefferson South End- Orville
Jefferson Orville- Hampshire
John Wyndermere- Linwood
Litchfield Sheffield – Fairfield
Madison N. Hillside – N. Monroe Ave.
Madison N. Monroe- Crest
Maynard To Dead End – W. Ridgewood Ave.
MonteVista N. Monroe- Heights
N. Hillside W. Ridgewood Ave.- N. Monroe
N. Monroe W. Ridgewood Ave.- Monte Vista
N. Pleasant E. Ridgewood Ave. – Linwood
N. Pleasant Linwood- E. Glen
Pershing Wall- Linwood
Randolph Doremus- East End
S. Irving Spring- E. Ridgewood
Salem Van Emburgh- West End
Sherman Godwin- Washington
Sherman Washington Place – North End
Terhune W. Saddle River- East End
Valleyview N. Monroe- Heights
Valleyview Heights- Crest
Wall Pershing- East End
Washington S. Monroe – W. Ridgewood
West End Lincoln- Bellair
West End Bellair- Godwin
William Jefferson- South End
William North End- Jefferson
Woodland N. Monroe- Crest
Ground Water Under Direct Influence of Surface Water (GWUDI)
July 8,2018
the staff of the Ridgewood blog
Ridgewood NJ, Ridgewood Water completed a year-long study of its supply well system to evaluate the vulnerability of the wells to microbiological contamination from nearby surface water bodies.
Ridgewood Water performed the GWUDI study under a rigorous Source Water Monitoring Plan which was approved by the EPA. The study involved the collection of water samples from up to 38 wells and three surface water locations on a weekly and biweekly basis. The samples were analyzed in the laboratory for evidence of microbiologic activity and for other “indicator parameters” that may indicate surface water influence.
All samples were collected and analyzed by an NJDEP-certified laboratory and were reported on a quarterly basis to the NJDEP and EPA.
Group 1 Wells (2 locations)For the two Group 1 wells, EPA determined that the occasional presence of of e.coli in raw water required further assessment to determine whether there is evidence of a direct connection of these sources to surface water. Ridgewood performed weekly raw water monitoring at the two Group 1 wells for the presence of fecal coliform, e. coli and turbidity.
GROUP 1
Franklin- 2016 Q3, Q4
Mountain- 2016 Q3, Q4rformed weekly raw water monitoring at the two Group 1 wells for the presence of fecal coliform, e. coli and turbidity.
Group 2 Wells– (3 locations)
For the three Group 2 wells, EPA determined that the occasional presence of of e.coli in raw water required further assessment to determine the degree of influence of nearby surface water on each well and whether there is a need for additional treatment. Ridgewood Water performed weekly raw water monitoring at the two Group 2 wells for the presence of fecal coliform, e. coli, aerobic spores, pH, temperature and turbidity. Ridgewood also performed weekly surface water monitoring at associated surface water bodies for the same parameters. The third well has been shut down and is being reevaluated for reconstruction or permanent closure.
GROUP 2
Carr #7- 2016 Q3, Q4
Goffle Brook- 2016 Q3, Q4
Ho-Ho-Kus Brook- 2016 Q3, Q4
Newtown- 2016 Q3, Q4
Group 3 Wells – (33 locations)
The 33 Group 3 wells have not exhibited any evidence of being under the influence of surface water. These wells were previously screened by NJDEP and were not found to warrant additional assessment. As such, the NJDEP issued monitoring waivers to Ridgewood for these wells. EPA has determined that a further assessment of these wells was warranted. The monitoring consisted of biweekly raw water sampling and analysis for e.coli bacteria.
Ridgewood also performed Hydrogeologic Sensitivity Assessments (HSAs) of all Group 3 wells. These are reviews of the conditions and potential sources of surface contamination at each location to assess their vulnerability to future microbiologic contamination.
GROUP 3
Ackerman- 2016 Q3, Q4
Ames #5- 2016 Q3, Q4
Ames #6- 2016 Q3, Q4
Carr #1- 2016 Q3, Q4
Carr #3- 2016 Q3, Q4
Carr #4- 2016 Q3, Q4
Carr #6- 2016 Q3, Q4
Cedar Hill #1- 2016 Q3, Q4
Cedar Hill #6- 2016 Q3, Q4
East Ridgewood- 2016 Q3, Q4
East Saddle River- 2016 Q3, Q4
Eder- 2016 Q3, Q4
Fairview- 2016 Q3, Q4
Glen Rock- 2016 Q3, Q4
Grove- 2016 Q3, Q4
Irving- 2016 Q3, Q4
Lakeview- 2016 Q3, Q4
Main- 2016 Q3, Q4
Meer- 2016 Q3, Q4
Midland- 2016 Q3, Q4
Paramus- 2016 Q3, Q4
Russell- 2016 Q3, Q4
Salem- 2016 Q3, Q4
Spring- 2016 Q3, Q4
Twinney- 2016 Q3, Q4
Van Houten- 2016 Q3, Q4
West End- 2016 Q3, Q4
Wortendyke #2- 2016 Q3, Q4
Wortendyke #6- 2016 Q3, Q4
Wortendyke #7- 2016 Q3, Q4
June 25,2018
the staff of the Ridgewood bog
Washington DC, Judicial Watch today released newly obtained internal IRS documents, including material revealing that Sen. John McCain’s former staff director and chief counsel on the Senate Homeland Security Permanent Subcommittee, Henry Kerner, urged top IRS officials, including then-director of exempt organizations Lois Lerner, to “audit so many that it becomes financially ruinous.” Kerner was appointed by President Trump as Special Counsel for the United States Office of Special Counsel.
The explosive exchange was contained in notes taken by IRS employees at an April 30, 2013, meeting between Kerner, Lerner, and other high-ranking IRS officials. Just ten days following the meeting, former IRS director of exempt organizations Lois Lerner admitted that the IRS had a policy of improperly and deliberately delaying applications for tax-exempt status from conservative non-profit groups.
Lerner and other IRS officials met with select top staffers from the Senate Governmental Affairs Committee in a “marathon” meeting to discuss concerns raised by both Sen. Carl Levin (D-MI) and Sen. John McCain (R-AZ) that the IRS was not reining in political advocacy groups in response to the Supreme Court’s Citizens United decision. Senator McCain had been the chief sponsor of the McCain-Feingold Act and called the Citizens United decision, which overturned portions of the Act, one of the “worst decisions I have ever seen.”
In the full notes of an April 30 meeting, McCain’s high-ranking staffer Kerner recommends harassing non-profit groups until they are unable to continue operating. Kerner tells Lerner, Steve Miller, then chief of staff to IRS commissioner, Nikole Flax, and other IRS officials, “Maybe the solution is to audit so many that it is financially ruinous.” In response, Lerner responded that “it is her job to oversee it all:”
Henry Kerner asked how to get to the abuse of organizations claiming section 501 (c)(4) but designed to be primarily political. Lois Lerner said the system works, but not in real time. Henry Kerner noted that these organizations don’t disclose donors. Lois Lerner said that if they don’t meet the requirements, we can come in and revoke, but it doesn’t happen timely. Nan Marks said if the concern is that organizations engaging in this activity don’t disclose donors, then the system doesn’t work. Henry Kerner said that maybe the solution is to audit so many that it is financially ruinous. Nikole noted that we have budget constraints. Elise Bean suggested using the list of organizations that made independent expenditures. Lois Lerner said that it is her job to oversee it all, not just political campaign activity.
Judicial Watch previously reported on the 2013 meeting. Senator McCain then issued a statement decrying “false reports claiming that his office was somehow involved in IRS targeting of conservative groups.” The IRS previously blacked out the notes of the meeting but Judicial Watch found the notes among subsequent documents released by the agency.
Judicial Watch separately uncovered that Lerner was under significant pressure from both Democrats in Congress and the Obama DOJ and FBI to prosecute and jail the groups the IRS was already improperly targeting. In discussing pressure from Senator Sheldon Whitehouse (Democrat-Rhode Island) to prosecute these “political groups,” Lerner admitted, “it is ALL about 501(c)(4) orgs and political activity.”
The April 30, 2013 meeting came just under two weeks prior to Lerner’s admission during an ABA meeting that the IRS had “inappropriately” targeted conservative groups. In her May 2013 answer to a planted question, in which she admitted to the “absolutely incorrect, insensitive, and inappropriate” targeting of Tea Party and conservative groups, Lerner suggested the IRS targeting occurred due to an “uptick” in 501 (c)(4) applications to the IRS but in actuality, there had been a decrease in such applications in 2010.
On May 14, 2013, a report by Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration revealed: “Early in Calendar Year 2010, the IRS began using inappropriate criteria to identify organizations applying for tax-exempt status” (e.g., lists of past and future donors). The illegal IRS reviews continued “for more than 18 months” and “delayed processing of targeted groups’ applications” in advance of the 2012 presidential election.
All these documents were forced out of the IRS as a result of an October 2013 Judicial Watch Freedom of Information (FOIA) lawsuit filed against the IRS after it failed to respond adequately to four FOIA requests sent in May 2013 (Judicial Watch, Inc. v. Internal Revenue Service (No. 1:13-cv-01559)). Judicial Watch is seeking:
All records related to the number of applications received or related to communications between the IRS and members of the U.S. House of Representatives or the U.S. Senate regarding the review process for organizations applying for tax exempt status under 501(c)(4);
All records concerning communications between the IRS and the Executive Branch or any other government agency regarding the review process for organizations applying for tax exempt status under 501(c)(4);
Copies of any questionnaires and all records related to the preparation of questionnaires sent to organizations applying for 501(c)(4) tax exempt status.
All records related to Lois Lerner’s communication with other IRS employees, as well as government or private entity outside the IRS regarding the review and approval process for 501 (c)(4) applicant organizations.
“The Obama IRS scandal is bipartisan – McCain and Democrats who wanted to regulate political speech lost at the Supreme Court, so they sought to use the IRS to harass innocent Americans,” said Judicial Watch President Tom Fitton. “The Obama IRS scandal is not over – as Judicial Watch continues to uncover smoking gun documents that raise questions about how the Obama administration weaponized the IRS, the FEC, FBI, and DOJ to target the First Amendment rights of Americans.”