Category: Uncategorized

Tiger Team Recommendations: Evaluate EMT Outsourcing Synergies with Valley Hospital

We believe there may be synergies and economies of scale to be obtained by working with Valley Hospital to outsource Village EMT Services to Valley Hospital. Valley has obvious expertise in provision of EMT services and currently serves over 32 communities in and around Bergen County, with professional Advanced Life Service (ALS) technicians, as opposed to the Fire Department’s 18 Basic Life Service (BLS) technicians. The committee questions the need to have both of these heavily redundant service providers within half a mile of each other in Ridgewood. A possible outsourcing of Emergency Medical Services to Valley would reduce direct service demands on the police and fire departments, reduce training/certification costs, reduce ambulance costs/maintenance for the Village and potentially improve service levels.

In the most recent audit of the Fire Department, 744 “Rescue/EMS” response calls were documented in the previous year. This was the single highest response category and represented 33% of all call responses by the Fire Department. The second highest response category was false alarms (526) at 23% of all call responses.

Actual fire calls only represented 3% of all call responses. These percentages remain relatively constant from year to year. In the most recent Police Department audit, over 1,200 “Medical Assist/Personal Injury” calls by Police staff were also documented. If EMS call responsibility could be eliminated from the Fire Department and provided by Valley Hospital, opportunities may exist to improve Fire Department efficiency, focus on core Fire control and prevention competencies and reduce training/compliance requirements & costs, salary, overtime and long-term pension liabilities. Similar efficiencies, although to a much smaller degree, may also
be possible within the Police Department.

While we believe that this is an intriguing concept for the Village and Valley Hospital to explore, it will require more extensive due diligence on the part of Valley Hospital, the Village Council and the FOB to quantify the full financial implications to the Village and ensure a net saving, without a sacrifice in this essential service. It is important to note that outsourcing this service to a potentially more efficient provider, would not necessarily lead to the immediate elimination of personnel in the Fire Department. Rather, the committee’s view is that this may allow staffing/scheduling efficiencies, based on a significant reduction of the hourly demands on Fire
employees (including certification training), and a focus on each group’s core competencies.

Some questions for consideration include:

• What are the annual costs for training, certification & compliance of Fire & Police EMT?
• Would outsourcing this service allow staffing flexibility, particularly in Fire?
• Would a 30% reduction of call load in Fire facilitate opportunities to change current 24-hour shifts to
8-hour or 12-hour shifts, and improve operational efficiency of Fire Department?
• Would this create an opportunity to consolidate two current firehouses?
• What would are long-term impacts on benefit and pension obligations in Fire?
• What are the logistics involved of having Valley Hospital’s EMT staff be a “first responder”?
• Are there insurance-related benefits for the Village?

Readers Debate Municipal Unions effect on Village Finances

it is absolutely appropriate that these contract policies should be reviewed and revised today to bring some sense of reality back to the cost of running municipal government

Union employees have not “passed” on any compensation. It used to be that public employees accepted lower pay in exchange for job security and good benefits. However, over the years, the contracts have been allowed to escalate pay higher and higher by compounding several different forms of increases. We have reached a point today when salaries for some (not all) employees is dramatically above reasonable levels for the jobs they perform, which leads to pension packages that are far more than were ever intended when the system was originally established AND the employees have retained job security and “gold standard” health benefits, for which they have historically paid about 2-3% of the premium cost.

The system today has evolved (through excellent negotiating leverage in the past on the part of union leadership) into something that was never intended. However, all over the country, the days of arbitration favoring the unions has come to an end, for this very reason. And, it is absolutely appropriate that these contract policies should be reviewed and revised today to bring some sense of reality back to the cost of running municipal government.
the fact that the political climate has changed does not mean it’s fair or appropriate to make the employee the scapegoat

Unions most certainly did pass on higher wages for benefits because that’s all that was available, and in the days when those health benefits were negotiated for there was no such thing as binding arbitration.( prior to 1978 ). The perceived advantage of the unions in binding arbitration come largely from the hard line stances the towns took with regard to negotiations, Many town committeemen came to the table with a chip on their shoulder or seemingly having something to prove, and 19 this goes back more than a decade. This position would leave the arbitrator no choice but to rule for the union. That is not say if the union was unreasonable they would not lose An arbitrator ruled against Paramus pd not 2 many years ago, An arbitrator ruled against Ridgewood back in the 90′s, and Midland park lost also.

The benefits employees have were negotiated for and the fact that the political climate has changed does not mean it’s fair or appropriate to make the employee the scapegoat for poor planning. Nor do these facts legitimize circumventing the collective bargaining process. If you want to see arbitration decisions and their fact patterns, they are available on the internet.

Gov. Hugh Carey of New York, center, in 1975, during meetings on the New York City financial crisis.  With him were Judah Gribetz, left, counsel to the governor, and Victor Marrero, assistant counsel to the governor.

Tiger Team makes recommendations: Establish a Financial Oversight Board (FOB)

Our work on this Committee has convinced us that there is a need for continued citizen involvement, oversight and leadership in Ridgewood’s financial matters in conjunction with the Village Council and Village management. The first and most important recommendation of our committee is that a permanent Financial Oversight Board (FOB) comprised of citizens be established by March 31, 2013, to facilitate evaluation and/or implementation of recommendation within this report, particularly those related to the 2013 budget process. The committee is aware that the Faulkner Act form of government in Ridgewood gives the Village Manager executive power over each department in the Village. However, we believe that the Village Council cedes too much autonomy to Village management. The Village Manager is the “day to day” CEO. But, the Village Council is the “Board of Directors”, to which the Village Manager is accountable. They are responsible for the funding of all Village operations and are, ultimately, responsible for the budget and Village governance. Unfortunately, the Village Council members do not have the time necessary to develop sufficient expertise in many areas of Village management, particularly with complex financial and budgetary issues. As a result the Village Council often relies on brief summaries and recommendations from the Village Manager to inform their decisions, and may not gain sufficient understanding of the implications of their decisions or what questions to ask. Our sense is that Village management perpetuates this dynamic in some instances. We expect that some Village Council members will learn about some details of the Village’s finances, for the first time, through the information contained in this report. Our opinion is that the Village Council has an obligation to establish clear directives for Village management take a more proactive oversight role.

Thus, the main purpose of the FOB would be to augment the financial expertise of both the Village management and the Village Council. Similar to the Planning Board, the FOB would provide expertise and continuity across election cycles and serve as a valuable resource for the Village Council, particularly for newly elected Council members. FOB members should have significant financial management, budget management ,and senior executive commercial or governmental management experience. The important recommendations in this report, as well as , areas identified for further study require that there be a group of citizens to support and audit the work being done by the Village. Because Village taxpayers bear the full burden of the Village and BOE budgets, and the BOE share of property taxes is approximately twice that of the Village share, we hope that the FOB would eventually also provide support and oversight to the BOE. This would also serve to facilitate synergies between the Village and the BOE that do not exist today.

Reader : Developers have no interest in keeping Ridgewood the lovely town it is

The developers have no interest in keeping Ridgewood the lovely town it is. They want to maximize their profits and run away. If they buy a piece of property knowing that it must be rezoned to be profitable and the town is against it, that really should be their tough luck.

What use are zoning laws and master plans if all the developers are able to get around them? I personally can’t believe that anyone who could afford a luxury condo would want to live next to a commuter train line!

Go to the Planning Board meeting Wednesday, January 23, 4th floor Village Hall at 7:30 and voice your opinion. These developers are telling the board everything they want to hear instead of the truth. The board must hear from the citizens and how they feel. Time is of the essence. They will be voting soon. Don’t sit back and do nothing.

Readers Respond to Tiger Team Report : The real issue is health care and no one wants to attack the problem at the top.

The village is not broke it has a 98% collected tax levy. I call your attention to the tiger team report where they ( the team ) suggests replacing regular police officers with class 2 specials so that less money goes to the officers and more goes to the town coffers who gets hurt here ? certainly no one other than the police officer.

The “team” doesn’t explain those costs are not overtime but a separate contractor rate paid for by the contractor not out of taxpayer coffers. You stated in your post employees are receiving excessive compensation, by whose standards, a self heralded group of resident who have a problem with how much public employees make?

The real issue is health care and no one wants to attack the problem at the top. Try regulating how much health care companies can charge, but no it’s easier to come after the working man and reduce his benefits or making him contribute more out of his compensation.

Model Tess McLaren (right)

Options for controlling your kids’ cellphone use
Tuesday, January 22, 2013
BY  MARY DIDUCH
STAFF WRITER
The Record

Children are getting their first cellphones and smartphones at younger ages, raising concerns among parents about their security.

Many parents would like to inspect their kids’ devices at the end of each day, yet want to maintain their children’s sense of responsibility. Parents now can install applications – from both wireless providers and third parties — to control and monitor how, when and how long their kids use their phones.

While wireless providers provide a host of bundled applications to ensure phone safety, safe driving, proper phone usage and spending limits, here is a breakdown of some other options on the market:

Apps
Web browsers
Service providers

https://www.northjersey.com/news/187837521_Options_for_controlling_your_kids__cellphone_use.html?page=all

Readers Continue to Respond to the Tiger Team Report :The village council should act quickly to implement these suggestions

The report makes it pretty clear that the village is broke and taxes will continue to go up at an unacceptable rate.  It doesn’t strike me that the report is “trying to hurt” village workers, at all.  I think the report even states that the employees are not to blame for the agreements between the village and the unions.  But, the contract obligations are obviously the biggest expense.   And, according to the data shown in the report, some village employee groups are receiving excessive compensation, which has compounded through multiple increases year after year.

To ignore this would lead to ineffective solutions.  That has been the problem in the past.  I am sure the union leadership will fight any change.  However, the report claims that starting salaries are higher and the pay schedules and bonuses proposed in the report look pretty attractive (the merit bonuses are up to $15,000 per year). If an employee making $100,000 gets just a $7,500 merit bonus, that is the same as a $7.5% increase for the year…that is more than any contract increase that would ever be approved and it is in the employee’s control.  The only employees who may not like the changes are those, who don’t think they will qualify for merit bonuses, which is exactly how the system should work.

I think these suggestions are great. Hopefully, the village council acts quickly to implement them.

Photo credit: Boyd A. Loving

Driver of Mercedes Injured After Hitting Tree
January 22,2013
Boyd A. Loving
2:42 AM

Ridgewood NJ, The driver of a Mercedes Benz station wagon was slightly injured after losing control of her vehicle and striking a tree at the intersection of East Ridgewood Avenue and Liberty Street just after 1:30 AM on Tuesday.

No passengers were in the vehicle at the time of the accident, and no summonses were issued.  Assisting Ridgewood PD at the scene were members of the Ridgewood Volunteer Ambulance Corps.

The accident victim complained of moderate pain as a result of steering wheel impact to her chest; the vehicle’s air bags did not deploy.  The vehicle was removed from the scene by tow truck.

Photo credit: Boyd A. Loving

Madeline Ruiz Answers your Tax Questions

Call Us: (973)388-8345

Question: How do I claim an educational expense on my return?

Answer:

You may be able to deduct qualified work-related education expenses as an itemized deduction.

If you are an employee,
•The deduction is treated as a miscellaneous deduction on Schedule A (Form 1040) (PDF), Itemized Deductions;
•The deduction is subject to the 2 percent of AGI floor; and
•You need to complete Form 2106 (PDF), Employee Business Expenses, Form 2106-EZ (PDF), Unreimbursed Employee Business Expenses, or Form 8917 (PDF), Tuition and Fees Deduction.

If you are a self-employed individual.you claim the deduction on one of the following forms:
•Form 1040 Schedule C (PDF), Profit or Loss From Business.
•Form 1040, Schedule C-EZ (PDF), Net Profit From Business.
•Form 1040, Schedule F (PDF), Profit or Loss From Farming.

Alternatives to educational expense deductions, such as the Lifetime Learning Credit and the American Opportunity Tax Credit, as discussed in Publication 970, Tax Benefits for Education, Chapters 2 and 3, should also be considered. You need to complete Form 8863 (PDF), Education Credits, to claim these credits.

https://ow.ly/gLgC8

Madeline Ruiz Tax Advisor
https://www.madelineruiztaxadvisor.com/

The Valley Hospital’s Distress Management Thermometer Offers a Valuable Screening Tool for Psychosocial Cancer Care

January 16, 2013

Ridgewood NJ, Research has shown that distress can compromise the recovery process for a patient diagnosed with cancer.  It can interfere with a patient’s ability to cope with the rigors of cancer therapy, lessen motivation to complete treatment, and even impact on the body’s ability to effectively fight disease.

For someone undergoing cancer treatment and recover, stress can be caused by a variety of factors, including the diagnosis itself, concerns about how the cancer will be perceived by friends and family, how treatment and recovery will impact the ability to work, anxiety about treatment plans, and worries about medical bills.

In its ongoing mission to provide oncology patients with the highest quality cancer care, The Valley Hospital‘s Blumenthal Cancer Center, located in Paramus, N.J., has incorporated psychosocial distress screening into its routine treatment plan for patients diagnosed with cancer. Prior to beginning treatment, patients are asked to complete a brief questionnaire — called the National Comprehensive Cancer Network Distress Management Thermometer — that is designed to identify any distress they are experiencing in key areas of their lives.  Patients rate the degree of overall distress they are currently experiencing from 0 to 10, with 0 being the lowest and 10 being the highest.  In addition, they are asked to check off any particular problem areas in their lives that may be contributing to their stress, including family issues, financial considerations, and physical and/or emotional concerns.

The questionnaire is then evaluated by hospital staff trained to identify areas that may indicate a need for psychosocial intervention.  Patients are reevaluated at regular intervals throughout their course of treatment.

According to Valley Hospital Oncology Social Worker, Veronica Dalcero, “The Distress Management Thermometer is an important tool for addressing the physical and psychological side effects of cancer and its treatment protocols that patients may not readily recognize when starting treatment.  By addressing stress factors that could negatively impact on effective treatment and potential outcomes we can more effectively treat the whole person.”
The Distress Management Thermometer is currently being implemented in the Departments of Radiation, Chemotherapy and Infusion Therapy.

To find out more about the programs and services offered at Valley’s Blumenthal Cancer Center, please visit www.ValleyHealth.com/Oncology.

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE : STRONG COLD FRONT

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE NEW YORK NY
412 AM EST SUN JAN 20 2013

A STRONG COLD FRONT WILL CROSS THE REGION LATE THIS MORNING. THE
PASSAGE OF THE FRONT WILL BE MARKED BY A WINDSHIFT FROM GUSTY
SOUTHWEST WINDS TO A PERIOD OF STRONG WESTERLY WINDS. WINDS OF 20
TO 30 MPH AND GUSTS OF 40 TO 45 MPH ARE EXPECTED IN THE WAKE OF
THE FRONTAL PASSAGE LATE THIS MORNING INTO EARLY THIS
AFTERNOON…WITH A FEW GUSTS TO 50 MPH POSSIBLE.

WINDS THIS STRONG ARE CAPABLE OF DOWNING A FEW SMALL TREE LIMBS
AND BRANCHES…POSSIBLY CAUSING ISOLATED POWER OUTAGES. DRIVING
CAN ALSO BE DIFFICULT…ESPECIALLY FOR HIGH PROFILE VEHICLES.

Married Couples Set to Pay Extra-Large Tax Hike
Friday, 18 Jan 2013 11:01 AM

It pays to be single — that is, when it comes to high earners’ tax bills.

U.S. taxpayers with income of more than $200,000 a year will see federal tax rates rise this year on wages and investments. Tax increases will pinch married couples faster than individuals, especially if both spouses work and have capital gains and dividend income, said Joseph Perry, partner-in-charge of tax and business services at the accounting firm Marcum LLP.

In the law passed by Congress Jan. 1, multiple thresholds for higher rates kick in for married couples only $50,000 above where they hit for singles. Married taxpayers with income of at least $300,000 also face limits on the value of deductions and personal exemptions that were reinstated for 2013.

“If they’re sending a message, it’s not to be married,” Perry said of U.S. tax policy. “People who are married, working, earning two good salaries, are being penalized.”

The budget deal struck by Congress and new taxes stemming from the 2010 healthcare law are exacerbating the long-established marriage penalty for high earners. The added bite will affect taxes they pay for 2013, and not the current filing season that starts this month.

Accountants and wealth advisers are recommending that high earners start planning and strategizing about how they recognize income from investments or when they take deductions.

Read Latest Breaking News from Newsmax.com https://www.moneynews.com/StreetTalk/Married-Couples-Tax-Hike/2013/01/18/id/472066#ixzz2IQjXk0hq

file Photo of Founder PJ Blogger

West New York proposes US flag ban
January 18, 2013
the staff of the Ridgewood blog

Ridgewood Nj, the Hudson County town of West New York is considering a widespread sign regulation that would  include banning American flags from being flown.West New York sits next to Union City with is US Senator Bob Menendez’s home town.

The West New York Board of Commissioners have a draft ordinance for “General Sign Regulations”. Among the prohibited signs under the proposal would be “Flags, banners and pennants.”

The proposed ordinance was first read at a West New York Council meeting on Wednesday with the final vote on the proposal to be held on Feb. 20 at a 7 p.m..Proponents say the ordinance would also ban signs affixed to the exterior of a window or glass, neon signs framing windows, and window and door signs that exceed 15% of the glass area.

While the State ,County and Federal Government continue to operate in denial over finances the Ridgewood “Tiger Team” takes a hard look

Tiger Team: Additional Sobering Facts about Village Finances
January 18,2013

1) According to Village management, the Village has a current liability of approximately $7MM of accumulated leave (e.g. sick days). But the Village has only reserved $436,641 for this liability, representing more than a $6.5 million shortfall.

2) Ridgewood employees receive 15 sick days per year (considerably more than the average U.S. employee). Unused days may be accumulated at current pay levels until retirement, at which time retirees may elect to take half the accumulated days off with pay (up to 3-6 months, depending on department) or receive an equivalent lump sum payment at the much higher pre-retirement compensation level. The allowed sick days are in addition to generous vacation days.

3) The Village’s medical benefits cover children of employees/retirees into their late 20s or beyond.

4) The number of public retirees in NJ receiving over $100,000 in pension payments increased 28% in 2011, including 6 retirees from Ridgewood Village departments receiving over $634,000 per year (an average of over $105,000 each), excluding health benefits, according to New Jersey Watchdog.org.

5) According to an October 26, 2012 Wall Street Journal article, “the median full-time U.S. worker received 2.6 weeks (13 days) of vacation last year.” The starting vacation benefit for Ridgewood employees is 12-13 days, depending on department, which can grow up to a maximum of 31 days (over 6 weeks), excluding compensatory time off, sick days, and other forms of paid leave.

6) Qualified retirees are eligible for pension (65% of compensation prior to retirement) and medical benefits (at no cost) for life. Upon death, the pension and benefits accrue to the retirees spouse for his or her life.

7) In 2010, Ridgewood ranked 3rd highest in Bergen County in employees making more than $100,000 with 70 employees. This represents 24.4% of the Village workforce compared to our neighboring communities of Glen Rock at 12.6%, Midland Park at 2%, Ho-Ho-Kus at 1.6% and Westwood at 2.6%. Ridgewood is a dramatic outlier in this respect.

8) Ridgewood is only one of four municipalities in Bergen County with a full-time Fire Department and 67% of Firefighters (28/42) have base salaries over $100,000 (2011). The median for Ridgewood was $118,290.

9) 80% of Ridgewood Police (33/41) have base salaries over $100,000 (2011). The median for Ridgewood was $128,239.

10) In 2009, there were 68 Police Chiefs, 76 School Superintendents and 70 Borough Clerks in Bergen County. The total payroll for these three positions ALONE in Bergen County totaled over $30 million.

https://mods.ridgewoodnj.net/pdf/manager/2013FinancialAdvisoryReportFINAL.pdf

Tiger Team: Take Away facts about the Village
January 17 2013
the staff of the Ridgewood blog
    
REPORT OF THE FINANCE ADVISORY COMMITTEE

Top 3 municipal expenses: Public Safety, Insurance and Pension & Social Security have increased at an annual rate of 6.0% since 2001

Pension & healthcare benefits for Village workers are exempt from the 2% cap.

Village management has made overly generous promises on compensation, pensions and healthcare

Ridgewood’s annualized property taxes, have increased at a compound annual rate of 5.6% since 2001

67% of Ridgewood Firefighters (28/42) have base salaries over $100,000 (2011). The median for Ridgewood was $118,290.

80% of Ridgewood Police (33/41) have base salaries over $100,000 (2011). The median for Ridgewood was $128,239.

Pension & Social Security will surpass Public Safety by almost 12% to become the largest budget item in 2018

In 2011, 31 years later, it was $32,065,472…more than a 480% increase or a compound annual growth rate of over 5.8%.

In 1980, the portion of Ridgewood property taxes related to the Village budget was $5,526,000.

https://mods.ridgewoodnj.net/pdf/manager/2013FinancialAdvisoryReportFINAL.pdf