Ridgewood settles resident’s sewage ‘blowback’ case for almost $22,000
MARCH 11, 2015, 9:59 PM LAST UPDATED: WEDNESDAY, MARCH 11, 2015, 10:04 PM
BY CHRIS HARRIS
STAFF WRITER |
THE RECORD
RIDGEWOOD NJ— The village has agreed to pay $21,920 to settle a resident’s claim for repairs to her finished basement that flooded when the municipality cleared its sewer lines last September.
The settlement was approved Wednesday night by Mayor and Council.
Resident Jill Feeney said she reached out to village officials soon after discovering the carpet in her basement was soggy and stank.
“It literally smelled like the men’s room at Penn Station on a hot day,” Feeney said Wednesday, noting one foot of sewage-contaminated water was forced up through the drain in her basement’s sink by the village’s work.
As village crews worked to unclog a sewer line next to her Stevens Avenue home in September, Feeney said a pocket of pressurized air formed within a nearby sewer line — the pipe leading to her basement’s sink. The air escaped through the sink, and the contaminated water followed, tainting everything it touched.
Plumbers refer to this rare phenomenon as “blowback.”
N.J. has no policy on officials’ use of personal emails nearly a year after call for a ban
MARCH 11, 2015, 11:32 PM LAST UPDATED: WEDNESDAY, MARCH 11, 2015, 11:45 PM
BY MELISSA HAYES
STATE HO– USE BUREAU |
THE RECORD
Nearly a year before revelations that former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton used her personal email account for official business, the Christie administration was chastised because members of its own staff communicated through private emails. And that criticism came not from Governor Christie’s political foes, but from lawyers hired by his team to investigate the burgeoning George Washington Bridge lane-closing scandal.
The lawyers called for the administration to impose an immediate ban on the practice. After all, the most notorious email to emerge from the GWB scandal — the “Time for some traffic problems in Fort Lee” message that a deputy chief of staff sent to a Port Authority official — was written on her private email account.
Yet just shy of 12 months after the lawyers’ recommendation, which was contained in the so-called Mastro report on the lane closings, the state has yet to change its written policies on the use of such email accounts. In fact, the current policy on “electronic mail/messages” is silent when it comes to public workers doing state business on private email.
MARCH 11, 2015, 11:59 AM LAST UPDATED: WEDNESDAY, MARCH 11, 2015, 12:10 PM
BY CHRIS HARRIS
STAFF WRITER |
THE RECORD
RIDGEWOOD – A councilwoman with three sons in line for village police jobs claims several officials broke the law last month by meeting behind closed doors to discuss changes to Ridgewood’s residency requirement.
“This belonged in open session,” Councilwoman Susan Knudsen insisted at a recent council meeting, noting no specific village employee’s position was discussed during the closed-door meeting, but rather a policy relating to Ridgewood’s hiring practices.
“We did not follow the law,” Knudsen said. “That’s not an allegation, it’s a fact.”
But Village Attorney Matthew Rogers maintains officials acted appropriately, saying “the topic under discussion” by the council that evening “fit into the exceptions” outlined in the Open Public Meetings Act.
The village’s labor attorney also concluded the council did not violate the law.
“Generally, at the time the decision was made, it is my understanding there was reason to believe such discussions could impact upon the terms and conditions of employment of specific prospective employees or employee groups,” said Beth Hinsdale-Piller.
Readers voice concern over weakening of residency requirements
I think they are looking to hire more Hudson county partisan people to work in Ridgewood by ditching the residency rules.
The previous Village Manager is referred to as a “carpet bagger,” but yet this VC plans to do away with the residency requirement for all employees except police & fire? Do as we say and not as we do.
While other readers insist , ” We should be hiring for police & fire from the surrounding communities Paramus, Glen Rock, Midland Park, Waldwick and Ho-Ho-Kus, as well as Ridgewood. This would give the Village access to a wider pool of applicants and might stop us from hiring a majority of legacy candidates.”
The Mayor wrote in a PolitickerNJ Editorial on 03/04/11 , “my Party has largely stood on the sidelines as union workers were vilified and scapegoated. Silent and passive, many Democrats did nothing as others attacked the very people at the center of our Party. No defense. No counteroffensive. No nothing. During the past year’s great debate over worker’s rights and responsibilities, the Democrats – by and large – refused to show up.”
The Mayor received massive campaign contributions from unions :
Paul Aronsohn (D)Political Action Committee Total ContributedTeamsters Union $10,000.00 Intl Brotherhood of Electrical Workers $10,000.00 United Auto Workers $6,500.00 Carpenters & Joiners Union $5,000.00 American Fedn of St/Cnty/Munic Employees $5,000.00 National Air Traffic Controllers Assn $5,000.00 Sheet Metal Workers Union $5,000.00 Laborers Union $3,500.00 AFL-CIO $2,661.00 American Federation of Teachers $2,500.00 Operating Engineers Local 825 $2,500.00 Plumbers/Pipefitters Union Local 475 $1,000.00 Service Employees International Union $1,000.00 Plumbers/Pipefitters Union Local 274 $1,000.00 Plumbers/Pipefitters Union Local 9 $500.00
March 5, 2015 Last updated: Thursday, March 5, 2015, 3:01 PM
By Mark Krulish
Staff Writer |
The Ridgewood News
Ridgewood officials gathered at Village Hall last Saturday morning for a discussion between department heads and the governing body about some details of the municipal budget, including the needs of various departments and anticipated spending.
The seven-hour roundtable meeting was a departure in style from previous years and talks centered on the Department of Public Works, the Building Department, Health Department, Parks and Recreation, Fire Department, Police Department, Engineering and Human Resources, along with a closing discussion on the capital budgets.
Village Manager Roberta Sonenfeld said one of the goals for the meeting was to present the best numbers possible, but there would not be any indication of the final figures or tax impact to residents until closer to budget introduction.
Sonenfeld noted that some increases in spending were attributed to the need for repairs to an aging infrastructure and upgrading the village’s technology.
03/04/15 7:30PM Village Council Special Public Meeting
1. Call to Order – Mayor
2. Statement of Compliance with the Open Public Meeting Act
MAYOR: “Adequate notice of this meeting has been provided
by a posting on the bulletin board in Village Hall,
by mail to the Ridgewood News, The Record, and by submission to all persons entitled to same as provided by law of a schedule including the date and time of this meeting.”
3. Roll Call
4. INTRODUCTION OF ORDINANCES
a. 3466 – Amend Chapter 265 – Vehicles and Traffic – Parking Meters, Time Limit Parking, One-day Resident Commuter ParkingPass and Additional Misc. Amendments for Cottage Place Parking Lot – Establishes all 3-hour parking meters in the Cottage Place parking lot as 8-hour parking meters; allows for use of cellular communication devices to pay for the parking meters in Cottage Place; establishes a one-day Ridgewood resident commuter parking permit; and other minor amendments, as required
b. 3467 – Amend Chapter 145 – Fees – Parking Meter Fees for Cottage Place Parking Lot and Fee for One-day Resident Commuter Parking Permit – Establishes a parking meter fee in the Cottage Place parking lot at 75 cents/hour and the fee for a one-day Ridgewood resident commuter parking permit at $7 for the day
5. Adjournment
Forum No. 5 – CBD Panel Discussions – March 18, 2015 at 7:30PM
Deputy Mayor Albert Pucciarelli has scheduled another CBD Panel Discussion for March 18, 2015 from 7:30PM to 9PM. It will be held at Christ Episcopal. The two topics for discussion will be – CBD Parking and Blue Laws.
Village Council and Village Board Meetings
03/10/157:30PMBoard of Adjustment Public Meeting 03/11/158:00PMVillage Council Public Meeting 03/17/157:30PMPlanning Board Public Meeting 03/24/157:30PMBoard of Adjustment Work Session 03/25/157:30PMVillage Council Public Work Session 03/31/157:30PMBoard of Adjustment Public Meeting
MAYOR’S OFFICE HOURS FOR RESIDENTS -Saturday, March 7 from 9 AM to Noon
Mayor Paul Aronsohn holds office hours for Ridgewood residents the first Saturday of every month. Mayor Aronsohn will meet with residents on Saturday, March 7 from 9AM to Noon in the Council Chambers (Sydney V. Stoldt, Jr. Court Room) on the fourth floor of Ridgewood Village Hall.
For an appointment to meet with the Mayor, please call the Village Clerk’s Office at 201-670-5500 ext. 206. You may come to the Mayor’s office hours without an appointment, but those with appointments will be given priority.
Five Ridgewood residents from same neighborhood serve in the military
FEBRUARY 25, 2015 LAST UPDATED: WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 25, 2015, 6:25 PM
BY LAURA HERZOG
FOR THE RIDGEWOOD NEWS |
THE RIDGEWOOD NEWS
When Sam Combs, Pat Kiernan, Ryan Mansbach and Ben Rogers were small-yet-rough-and-tough neighbors growing up on South Irving Street and Arden Court, they played together a lot: riding scooters in the street, playing manhunt and street hockey, and doing bike jumps in the nearby woods.
It was a fun time, and a good time for bonding for four Ridgewood kids living on a dead end block, with each other’s houses in sight.
But years later, the four friends, plus Masbach’s older sister Melanie, have given up the kid stuff in favor of more strenuous activities – manning submarines, surveying the Pacific Ocean for mines, or piloting Army and Navy aircrafts.
Grown up and scattered around the country, the five neighbors now also have U.S. military service in common.
Melanie Mansbach, now 29, was the first on the block to express a military interest, attending West Point several years ago and becoming an officer. She was later deployed to Afghanistan.
The four neighborhood “boys” are now all either officers or soon-to-be officers in the U.S. Army or U.S. Navy.
Subtle neighborhood inspiration might have a little to do with this, but there was no consensus on that among the four young men, since they all took different paths into the military and had several influences. (Melanie, who is in training, was unavailable for an interview.)
Casting New TV Show Family Take Over , Ridgewood NJ
Looking for families in Ridgewood,NJ that are struggling financially for new series. Fortune 500 CEO Victor Antonio will help families get back on track with a financial bootcamp.
Call Sarah Mahoney Furlong @ 323-822-7384. We are filming in March.
Meet the Village Manager Roberta Sonenfeld – Today Tuesday, February 24th 5:00pm to 7:30pm
Village Manager Roberta Sonenfeld will hold office hours for Ridgewood residents and business owners on Tuesday, February 24th between the hours of 5:00pm to 7:30pm. This is an opportunity to share your thoughts and provide input to Roberta. These sessions will be scheduled at 15 minute intervals and will be held in the Council Chambers on the 4th Floor of Ridgewood Village Hall. Please contact Beth Spinato at 201-670-5500, ext. 203 to make an appointment. Walk-ins are welcome but should realize that the schedule may already be booked. We will announce the schedule for these meetings on a monthly basis.
Location: Christ Church, 105 Cottage Place (Corner of Franklin Avenue), Ridgewood, NJ 07450
Event Description
Friday, March 6th/11am-8pm
Saturday, March 7th/10am-5pm
The 70th Annual Antiques Show & Sale features over 35 dealers from around the tri-state area; Christ Church Cafe offers gourmet food for lunch and dinner; Music performance by Bruce Hector, versatile jazz guitarist, on Friday evening. Free parking and shuttle service from Bethlehem Lutheran Church, 155 Linwood Ave., Ridgewood, NJ.
Upcoming meeting will explore ways to raise the tone of public discourse
Why can’t we all just get along?
The rabbis have been asking that question for years, particularly in late summer, around the time of Tisha B’Av, when sermons inevitably wrap around the themes of baseless hatred and intolerance.
But our secular community — especially as political discourse turns ever more hostile and bullying pervades both our schools and our social media — has been asking that as well, and at least one town has decided to do something about it.
According to Ridgewood’s Mayor Paul Aronsohn, the town began its civility initiative last year. With a core group including Rabbi David Fine of the town’s Temple Israel and Jewish Community Center, Councilwoman Gwenn Hauck, the Rev. Jan Phillips of the Religious Society of Friends, and Mr. Aronsohn, the town already has held two roundtable discussions on the issue, seeking to identify the problem and locate the line between disagreement and incivility.
“It’s not only what you say, but how you say it,” Mr. Aronsohn said, noting that any discussion must include both content and attitude. “It’s good and fine to disagree, but we should be able to disagree without being disagreeable.”
Ridgewood Arts Council plans exhibit at Village Hall
February 20, 2015 Last updated: Friday, February 20, 2015, 12:31 AM
By Darius Amos
STAFF WRITER |
The Ridgewood News
Less than a year after the village breathed new life into the Ridgewood Arts Council, RAC members are ready to return the favor.
The municipality’s official organization for the arts has set its sights on an ambitious but achievable goal, one that will end with the installation of a permanent public art display throughout Village Hall.
Titled “Ridgewood Art at Village Hall,” the idea for the permanent art exhibit comes on the heels of the success of Ridgewood High School’s Learning Commons display. Resident Linda Bradley was one of the volunteers who played an instrumental role in the RHS project.
“I was curating art for the Learning Commons. The art I was amassing was from Ridgewood residents,” Bradley said. “I got pulled over to be a part of the [RAC] because there was a lot of interest in the Learning Commons. We wanted to continue that visibility and celebration of the arts.”
Ridgewood Sanitation Services During Snow and Icy Weather
Dear E-Notice Residents,
Due to the recent snow and ice conditions we are requiring that for the foreseeable future your sanitation containers have to be placed on the curb, by the driveway, for pick up. Last week we tried a hybrid approach in telling residents that we would continue rear yard pick-up if the driveways were free and clear of snow and ice. Unfortunately this caused some confusion. We also had four accidents last week of our staff falling and two needing to go to the hospital.
I know that for me personally this morning there was snow and ice on my driveway which was not there last evening. We placed our garbage out by the curb. The sanitation workers come around early during the coldest portion of the day. There are municipalities that suspend rear yard pick-up for the entire season for this reason. We would prefer to keep the services at a normal level whenever possible.
Once we resume normal pick-up we will send E-Notices as well as post to our website.
