
December 22,2017
the staff of the Ridgewood blog
Ridgewood NJ, the ethically challenged former Ridgewood Village Manager Roberta Sonenfeld attempted once again to interject herself in village affairs in a letter to the editor exclaiming ,” I must admit that I’ve been stunned as well by the misinformation, changing stories and fluctuating revenue numbers coming from Village Hall. It would be laughable if it wasn’t all so disturbing and costly to us Ridgewood taxpayers.” https://www.northjersey.com/story/opinion/readers/2017/12/20/letter-ridgewoods-handling-parkmobile-situation-puzzling-and-disturbing/968874001/ . This is not the first time a contract arranged by the former Village manager that has generated controversy and not been viewed as being in the best interest of the Village of Ridgewood .
The facts are actually very simple and the Sonenfeld letter is filled with misinformation and fails to mention two key items:
1. The Resolution that the Council signed in February of 2015 stated a 2-year contract. She signed a 35 month contract.
2. The Resolution that the Council signed in February of 2015 stated NO FEES. She signed a contract with fees.
Just. Go. Away.
So, someone with the correct info should send a letter to the Record explaining that her letter his filled with misinformation.
Couldn’t agree more 8:14. I too am far less concerned with someone that’s probably sitting on a beach somewhere right now than I am about the utter incompetence displayed by the people that still work for us! We have the current CFO that let parking revenues fall so far short every month, all year and didn’t say anything until December. We have two council members that are still sitting on the dais that voted for a resolution that was clearly not what was discussed. And we have a Village Clerk (now our Village Manager!! She got PROMOTED!!) that didn’t draft the resolution appropriately given the discussion that we can all see with our eyes on video. And the only person that’s accountable is someone that left two years ago? No wonder trust in our village government is at an all time low.
Forget about former village manager and her bosses. What’s done is done. They can disappear into oblivion, I do not care about them. Focus on current council and manager. Is there a chance they can improve their performance for the remainder of their mandate?! I doubt it. People like Aronsohn can be voted again if current VC doesn’t step up. People get pissed and go vote out of spite. We just elected Murphy out of spite for Christie. This is how NJ is.
the problem Bruce is your paying the consequences in increased taxes and depressed property values
Guess what the villager Ridgewood as it is today will never ever be what it was in its heyday, the services are not the same because of lack of replacing employees throughout the town. The schools are definitely not number one anymore, The taxes are out of control and that you cannot afford to retire here.
Agree with Bruce . . if this current council doesn’t accomplish more in the next couple of months, they may be done for as some Arohnson crony will get the job.
11:44am The current council is proving to be Aronsohn #2. They are on a mission to complete EVERY project that was left unfinished by Aronsohn and team.
I have tried to have letters to the Editor printed and they don’t print them. Several others have also submitted letters with the facts and not some “revisionist history” scenario as we are hearing from Roberta and cronies. Their hope is to stay in the news so that they can unseat the 2 council members up for election in May. But they are losing steam as so many of their prime complaints are disappearing re: Giant parking garage at Hudson, Valley Hospital, Schedler,water law suit, etc. Regardless of people’s personal pet peaves, this current council,does it’s best to listen and observe an honest process which includes deliberation and public input. All this was impossible under Paul and Roberta( the sixth unelected council person) not to mention that they are not even polite in public encounters. If you had an issue with them you were persona non grata. They should only know that though we still say hello, we are doing our very best to avoid having to do so..
11:44 please no Hail Mary Garazilla or mini Garazilla Jr. so they might see ways to save some standing..Id give them plenty of time if they would just slow down on merchants agenda and look to save some tax exposure thru some efficiencies..The town Library works quite well..they should find out why and mirror some of that mojo there ..pave some damm roads this spring..have a task force including taxpayers..bond it if we have to
towns a wreck..we need a turn around team with fewer poor store owners
issues who fiddle as Nero did as Rome was in flames..it’s worth the renewed fight taxpayers for 2018 into 2019..
9:11 – Good try shifting blame. There was no consensus, no vote, no amendment to the resolution following discussion about fees that Park mobile wanted to charge us. It was discussion at a work session and nothing was agreed to or decided upon. But big-ego Roberta decided that she could take what was discussed and turn it in to a contract that is in direct violation with what the council had voted on. There was also no discussion or vote to have the contract go for three years when the resolution was for two years. An amendment to the resolution would have to have been introduced and passed, but no, Roberta was larger than the law and did whatever the hell she wanted. You are aware, aren’t you, that she has been found GUILTY of an ethics violation by an independent group, the Local Finance Board? Consider the source when you read her lie-filled letter.
In addition, do not blame Heather Mailander for that resolution. She drafted it according to what the five elected officials voted on and it was signed before the March discussion at which Roberta decided to tell everyone that major fees were going to be coming. You should get your facts straight, but you are a Roberta supporter so obviously you come from the school in which facts are not needed in order to make strong statements.
10.03AM. I was at village hall earlier to prepay some taxes for 2018. The lady behind the counter was one of the rudest I have seen in a very long time. It seems like somebody forced her to work by putting a gun in her head. I am still shocked by her attitude to someone who just handed her a check for thousands of dollars.