In response to your email circulating Sunday afternoon; I was not on the list of recipients, but a friend forwarded it to me. You sent it to a selected list of “friends/neighbors,” yet you did so by blind cc. Therefore no one who received it knows who else got it. How strange.
Why would you send such an announcement to a selected, secret group of residents? Isn’t your suggestion of reintroducing the bond ordinance one that should be shared with ALL residents, not just a few? And more importantly, why wouldn’t this be suggested at an Open Public Meeting, with all five of our elected officials present, rather than in an email of this sort? I am baffled by your choices here.
I am one of the petitioners, as you are well aware. In fact, this morning I waved to you, called out and invited you to cross the street when you were watching us from the corner of Prospect and Hudson, but you opted to ignore my invitation and walk away without even waving back. As one of the petitioners, I am shocked to be characterized by you as participating in an initiative that is “fueled, in part, by misinformation and outright lies.” Why didn’t you cross the street and talk to us, or for that matter why didn’t you cross Maple Avenue yesterday when you were in the King’s parking lot watching us in the Elks Club? Indeed, in the interest of the civil discourse that you espouse so frequently, an actual conversation with us would have gone a long way. You would have learned, first-hand, that we are not fueled by misinformation and outright lies. We are being scrupulously accurate and honest in our endeavor.
Your suggestion that “The people of Ridgewood deserve better” is completely insulting. We ARE the people of Ridgewood; do you envision that all of us are somehow invaders from another town? As you have surely witnessed from your various observation posts in the last two days, we are not only the people of Ridgewood, but we are a large number or the people of Ridgewood. We are exercising our rights under the law, doing so pleasantly, appropriately, respectfully, and with accurate information. We are putting in long hours, in freezing temperatures and in the rain, and all for one common reason – because we care about Ridgewood.
How disappointing that such an unprofessional and potentially slanderous letter was sent by you in your official capacity.
Italia Di Gusto, 44 E. Ridgewood Ave, Ridgewood, NJ
Event Description
Italia di Gusto invites you to a series of Culinary trip diners through various regions of Italy starting with presentation of traditional foods of Valle D’Aosta cuisine.
Chef Claudia Rovegno has prepared a menu that represents some of the traditional dishes of the Valle D’Aosta region:
-Focaccia with bresaola with arugula, topped with shaved Parmigiano Reggiano.
-Homemade gnocchi with Organic Valle d’Aosta Fontina.
-Carbonade with polenta (a stew of salt-cured beef, red wine and spices)
file photo by Boyd Loving , Council majority ie the 3 Amigos
Good morning-
Here is the Letter to the Editor Jim wrote that wasn’t printed this past wknd.
February 17, 2016
Letter to the Editor
What is really going on?
The Town Council voted 3-2 on February 10th to fund the Hudson Street Garage with the Bergen County Improvement Authority. Councilmembers Aronsohn, Pucciarelli and Hauck voted to turn the project over to the county.
Some questions to ponder:
If the goal is a functional, non-partisan government, WHY has our Mayor been off “forming a partnership” with the BCIA for 3 years?
If financial stewardship is important, WHY are we paying more to finance through the BCIA versus funding it ourselves?
If we are going to incur an obligation to the county of more than $10 million, WHY isn’t there a payment plan in place to pay off this obligation?
If we truly care about the look and feel of our historic downtown, WHY haven’t designs/renderings been shown to the taxpayers of Ridgewood?
If all 5 members of our Town Council are independent thinking stewards of our village, WHY haven’t Councilmembers Sedon and Knudsen been privy to all discussions and reports in a timely fashion?
If we want real informed input from our fellow residents, WHY was the Maser study, which showed the 12 feet encroachment into Hudson St., thereby narrowing Hudson to 18 feet, not made public until after the November referendum, when the Village Manager had it on her desk in October?
If the upcoming election isn’t a factor, WHY are Councilmembers Aronsohn, Pucciarelli and Hauck in such a rush to fund this with Bergen County?
Too many unanswered questions.
Lets make sure we have answers before it’s too late.
In accordance with the provisions of the “Open Public Meetings Act,” please be advised that the Planning Board will hold a special meeting for the purpose of conducting an executive session at 7:00 p.m. in the 5thfloor conference room of Village Hall, 131 North Maple Avenue, Ridgewood, NJ. The purpose of this meeting is to discuss ongoing litigation.
With the exception of executive sessions, all meetings of the Ridgewood Planning Board (i.e., official public meetings, work session meetings and special meetings) are public meetings which are always open to members of the general public.
I am writing to urge my friends and neighbors to let our council know we reject entering into a lease/purchase agreement with the Bergen County Improvement Authority (BCIA) to fund the Hudson Street garage.
Our referendum vote shows that the majority of Villagers support funding a garage on Hudson street. We enjoy a triple AAA rating, and do not need Bergen County for funding. The only reason to go to the BCIA is because our own Council can not agree on the design, and the Council majority believes they and only they know best.
If funding through Bergen County, the likely results will be a garage controlled by the county. All Bergen County residents, including out of town commuters, will have the same access and fee structure as Ridgewood residents. Ridgewood’s general parking fund, which has been used to absorb budgetary overages will no longer be allowed to do so, which most likely will impact our taxes.
We elect our Council with the expectation that they will work together to represent the best interests of our Village. I would like to think they wouldn’t make decisions for our Village that they wouldn’t make in their own personal lives. Yet they approved change orders and are pushing forward with a plan to have the BCIA fund the garage when the public and the Council haven’t received photo simulations, rough site plan with footprint, details of how on street parking will be impacted etc. Would you approve funds for work on your own home without knowing what it would look like? Would you build into the street and not let your neighbors know? if you did so would you expect them to be upset?
Council members Sedon and Knudsen have stated that they would support a garage that fits on the lot, fits within the streetscape, and when their is a clear financial plan in place. Councilwoman Knudsen has repeatedly said she would like to have photo simulations to bring to the church and neighbors for their input. Isn’t that what we would desire from our neighbors? Councilman Sedon has expressed interest in having the specific financial plan in place. Again, this is a very reasonable request. We know the garage is not self funding and meter rates will rise but it has not been determined how much and what the impact will be on local businesses. Would you be willing to pay $.75-$1.00 for a coffee in town or to mail a package or might you visit Glen Rock or Midland Park instead?
I believe when all these details are known, we can achieve a 5-0 vote in favor of a garage we can all be happy with. Please email your council and ask them to work together and say no to the BCIA.
I am outraged at the Chamber’s Ad in the Ridgewood News today. They lied from the beginning with the say “yes” and negotiate size later when there is no negotiation. You try and negotiate and they go around you. We are not a small, rogue, nameless group! Most of us speak at meetings, write letters and emails, and stand on the streets with clipboards. So the paper lets them continue to write lies with no rebuttals?
There was an email floating around today suggesting keeping this transaction off the balance sheet will allow Ridgewood to bond more projects. First, what other massive projects are they planning?? Second, anyone who believes in off balance sheet financing needs a lesson in finance. It is still debt, it needs to be paid back and ratings agencies will still recognize it as leverage.
Attached is a clip from his comments at the 1/27/2016 VC meeting at which he repeatedly said “don’t go to the BCIA.”
When the letter is available on line tomorrow, can you run the letter along with the clip so people can see how he’s flip flopped, changed sides like a Gemini?
Ridgewood NJ, Several persons who object to BCIA involvement in the ongoing parking deck debacle have recently written letters to The Ridgewood News only to find receipt of those letters unacknowledged, and also never published.
As a result of a full page ad supporting BCIA involvement that appears in this week’s edition of The Ridgewood News, which was paid for by the Ridgewood Chamber of Commerce, the staff of The Ridgewood Blog now wonders if The Ridgewood News has chosen not to publish too many anti garage letters to the editor for fear of losing advertising revenue from local merchants who belong to the Chamber.
Two letters in direct support of the garage and BCIA involvement are printed in this week’s edition of The Ridgewood News. There are no letters specifically opposing the BCIA becoming involved, although one anti garage letter was printed.
Is it possible that The Ridgewood News sold out its readers in favor of its advertisers?
EMS personnel and Paramedics administering medical aid after passer by tip off ,in Downtown Ridgewood
February 17,2016
the staff of the Ridgewood blog
Ridgewood NJ, A passerby called 911 to report an adult male experiencing a life threatening medical emergency in an automobile parked on North Broad Street in Ridgewood on Wednesday morning, 02/17.
Ridgewood PD, FD, and EMS personnel, along with a paramedic unit from The Valley Hospital, were on the scene in rapid succession to begin administering medical aid. The patient was transported to The Valley Hospital by a Ridgewood EMS ambulance.
Chamber of Commerce/Paul Vagianos begged the council to cooperate with each other and “do this in house”…see video of Council meeting Jan 27th…
Roberta dodging his questions of “will this be open to all Bergen County residents?”— the answer is YES, Roberta
Yes, Paul Aronsohn has been “working with the BCIA for 3 years” on this scheme-WHY? Yes, this will cost more than funding within the Village of Ridgewood Yes, parking meters in CBD will be extended until 9pm and increase to a triple the rate it is now Yes, Ridgewood residents will pay the same as out of town commuters Yes, this garage is for Bergen County, not for the people of Ridgewood who will pay dearly for it
Yes, the 3 amigos are shoving this thru as an end run around our municipal government. It is disgraceful and Ridgewood deserves so much better.
To sign the petition, go to https://www.no2bcia.com to find locations and people to sign with. Thank you!
The petition is to repeal ordinance No 3519, which allows the village to enter into a 25 year lease purchasing agreement with the Bergen County Improvement Authority (BCIA)
Ridgewood NJ, Within the timeframe of a year and a half, about 80 percent of new businesses fail, according to Bloomberg Business research.
And, throughout the past 30-plus years, the amount of new businesses has drastically declined, according to Gallup. During the economic meltdown of 2008, it was the first time in several decades in which more businesses failed than new ones were started. About 70,000 more businesses fail than are launched.
“We see it all the time in our communities – signs on doors that read, ‘Due to circumstances beyond our control we have to close our business…’ What business owners today don’t seem to understand is that what’s required, not only to survive but to thrive, is absolutely within their control,” says Pamela Herrmann, author of the bestseller “The Customer Manifesto, How Business Has Failed Customers And What It Takes To Earn Lasting Loyalty,” ranked No. 3 on the list of customer service books every business owner should read by Business.com.
“The truth is, what is required is way outside their skill sets. The typical business owner has no idea how to create leverage, how to utilize new technologies, how to strategize on any level that makes them competitive or how to stop the hemorrhaging of cash in the form of failed online marketing investments.
Herrmann is co-founder, along with Patty Dominguez, of CREATE Buzz (www.CreateBuzzNow.com), a Fortune 50 branding expert which is changing the way small businesses connect with their customers – both online and offline. Dominguez and Herrmann review four mistakes – and ways to correct them – to keep businesses thriving:
• They miss their biggest revenue opportunity. “When we look at traditional marketing, so many solutions providers are focused on customer acquisition and how to get prospects into their marketing funnel – which is totally necessary and valid,” Dominguez says. “However, the biggest revenue opportunity is in knowing how to keep these customers, because that’s where the higher profits are in the lifecycle of a customer.”
“We teach our small business clients not only how to get new customers but more importantly, how to keep their existing customers,” Herrmann says. “Most small businesses don’t have the foundational strategy for how to build their business for growth. Once you have that in place, marketing tactics such as word of mouth online can be fully leveraged, and that is the key to organic growth.”
• Entrepreneurs not only track the wrong metrics, they don’t even know what they are. In the absence of a strategy, business owners make marketing decisions based on short-term data, like how much money is in the bank or how many sales they made last month. This is reactive — not proactive.
“In life and in business, it’s often not the ability to answer a question, but rather whether or not you’re asking the right questions,” Dominguez says.
So, what are some of those questions? – The duo have come up with the following:
How many new leads did you get this month?
How much did it cost you to acquire that new lead or customer (CAC)?
What’s the average value of a single transaction?
What is the lifetime value of your customer (LTV)?
• Businesses don’t manager their message across all customer touch points. Technology brings customers to us from so many sources. Most businesses are not aware of all the ways consumers are using technology to find businesses to transact with. Businesses should go through the process of creating a Customer Journey Map so that they can see all the touch points across all channels and first measure how well they are doing and then identify gaps and opportunities. The goal in this process is to know exactly what your customer is thinking, feeling and doing throughout their engagement at touch point. This one exercise alone will show you where your profits are being won or lost.
• They don’t know the fundamentals of marketing that are the cornerstones to any long term growth strategy. Just like an archer tries to hit the bull’s-eye, an entrepreneur tries to reach her customers. No matter how many arrows that may be in her quiver, if she doesn’t know how to aim, she’ll probably miss with each attempt. The same is true with marketing: you can spend vast amounts in a campaign, but you need to know the who, the how and the why of your aim.
Dominguez, a Fortune 50 business strategist, says: “You need to know who you’re marketing to. Why are you marketing to them? What are their wants and needs; what keeps them up at night? Are there emotional triggers that make your marketing relevant? What is your brand promise and what makes you different from the guy down the street? And, you when you do you this effectively, you shift from sinking money into fixing problems and into growing your business through strategic decision making.
About Pamela Herrmann and Patty Dominguez
Pamela Herrmann and Patty Dominguez cofounded CREATE Buzz (www.createbuzznow.com), an online training experience which helps business owners and their employees get powerful, positive and practical customer engagement habits that build loyalty. As CREATE Buzz, Herrmann and Dominguez provide deep insights and strategic planning on how to make your marketing dollars convert more sales. They co-host Customers For Life podcast and co-host The Morning Would Show providing daily motivation. The duo have a very big vision of helping one million companies leverage customer loyalty in the digital age, and they’ve influenced thousands of entrepreneurs with their straight talk about growing business from a place of strategy.
photo by Boyd Loving minutes after the alleged assault at the council meeting
BY MATTHEW SCHNEIDER
STAFF WRITER |
THE RIDGEWOOD NEWS
RIDGEWOOD – Ridgewood’s Village Council voted 3-2 to bond with the Bergen County Improvement Authority (BCIA) on Feb. 10 in order to fund the proposed Hudson Street parking garage.
This came on the heels of last week’s unanimous vote of the BCIA to authorize the submission of an application to the state local finance board, accelerating the process along.
Just as there was at the BCIA version, Wednesday’s meeting featured both proponents and opponents of the decision to bond with the county, including village residents and council members.
Councilwoman Susan Knudsen, who voted against adopting the ordinance to bond with the BCIA, said that she still has some serious concerns with moving the process along at this time.
“I think that before we get into this, it’s really important to have a conversation with Our Lady of Mt. Carmel and be neighborly and have the simulations and all of the information available to address and allay any concerns that they have,” she said.
While she did admit that bonding with the BCIA “seems like a great option,” she said that she continues to believe “that when we find the appropriate scale and design of this garage, it could be done on self-bonding.”
“While there seems to be some financial benefits to be gained by going through the BCIA, some of the detriments are very real,” Knudsen said. “Maintaining ownership and absolute control is imperative to the success of this garage … I think it’s still an opportunity to bond on our own.”
Councilman Mike Sedon, who cast the other dissenting vote against bonding with the BCIA, said he thinks it is necessary to have a payment plan in place before moving forward.
Ridgewood NJ, Some questions from the most recent walker report. May be some of our readers who are more financial savvy can answer them / explain them, as residents are a little confused:
1. The main argument for the biggest garage is that it is needed for CBD’s revival. This week’s Walker Report projects up-to 20% reduction in cars coming in to CDB. So, how exactly will this help?
“We project a 10% reduction in volume from rate increases and a 7.5% – 10% reduction in volume for the extension of meter hours through the dinner hour”..
https://mods.ridgewoodnj.net/pdf/manager/20160203revwalker.pdf
2. OLMC was promised that no rates will increase on Saturday evenings. This report doesn’t reflect that.
3. They mention that this report cannot be used for financing. So, the consultant themselves are not confident about this report?
“As with the previous study, this is considered a preliminary analysis. We have not done the very detailed analysis that is required for a financing document and our projections cannot be used as such.”
4. On Jan 27th, in village council meeting, when this new contract was awarded to Walker Consultants, we were told that they will provide us the new makeup of the parking garage, i.e. how many commuters, how many shoppers and how many CBD employees should park there. That break down is not provided in this report (I think we paid somewhere between 12-20k for this piece of pdf).
5. This report recommends additional enforcement for the extended hours, but it doesn’t consider additional enforcement officer’s compensation in the calculations?
Hi James,
As expected, the council voted 3-2 on ordinance 3519, which allows them to enter into a lease purchase agreement with the BCIA for the Hudson Street parking garage.
There are a group of residents that started a referendum petition to repeal the ordinance. We need to get about 1000 signatures in 20 days. Then a binding referendum question would go on the May ballot asking if the ordinance should be adopted?
People can go to [email protected] to find out where they can go to sign the petition.
