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Consultant says Ridgewood Water Actually Undercharged During Lawsuit Time Period

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December 19,2017

the staff of the Ridgewood blog

Ridgewood NJ, in a new twist on the long standing lawsuit again Ridgewood Water a consultant hired by the village says Ridgewood Water actually undercharged ratepayers in 2010 and 2011, a time when the utility was found by a Superior Court judge to have wrongly raised rates to cover village debt.

In July, Superior Court Judge Lisa Perez Friscia ruled in favor of the plaintiffs ;Wyckoff, Midland Park and Glen Rock, which are served by Ridgewood Water and had sued the village over rate increases between 2010 and 2012. The three municipalities argued that Ridgewood Water was using the excess fees to cover unrelated operating costs for the village of Ridgewood.

As previously reported Judge Friscia, called Ridgewood Water’s rate hikes arbitrary, and told the village to recalculate the charges.

An announcement Monday by Village Manager Heather Mailander said that Howard Woods, the consultant hired to recalculate the correct rates, released a 247-page “initial report” to Judge Friscia on Monday, stating that customers were actually undercharged for their water usage during the first two years covered in the lawsuit.

Mailander’s announcement went on to say that despite the increase there was still an overall “shortfall” of over $400,000 for the span of all three years.

Glen Rock, Midland Park and Wyckoff are currently appealing the July decision and are asking for not only a recalculation of rates, but are seeking $13.4 million in refunds and $3.6 million in damages.

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Developer says Ferriero wasn’t the only consultant paid through Teaneck law firm

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Developer says Ferriero wasn’t the only consultant paid through Teaneck law firm

MARCH 11, 2015, 7:03 PM    LAST UPDATED: WEDNESDAY, MARCH 11, 2015, 9:56 PM
BY PETER J. SAMPSON
STAFF WRITER |
THE RECORD

Former Bergen County Democratic leader Joseph A. Ferriero was not the only consultant whom the Mills Corp., the original developer of the former Xanadu complex, paid through a Teaneck law firm, a retired Mills Corp. executive testified Wednesday at Ferriero’s racketeering trial.

Under cross-examination for a second day, James Dausch said that Kay LiCausi, a former staffer of Sen. Bob Menendez, and the late Rep. Robert Roe also were paid by the Virginia-based Mills Corp. for lobbying or consulting services through the DeCotiis law firm.

Dausch testified that he believed the firm’s founder, M. Robert “Bob” DeCotiis, “tried to manage the consultants working on political stuff through his office” in order to maintain coordination of their actions.

From Mills’ point of view, Dausch added, the consultants’ bills would be easier to review if they were all listed on one monthly invoice from the law firm.

https://www.northjersey.com/news/developer-says-ferriero-wasn-t-the-only-consultant-paid-through-teaneck-law-firm-1.1286772