The Ridgewood Blog Brings a Free Market Laissez-faire Point of View to Local, New Jersey State and National Issues.
You know Jeff, a lot of people worked very hard and contributed plenty of money and time to get you elected. Now you have gone off the rails like a lunatic with your ever-present hatred of Susan. You have accused her of breaking the law but have not backed that up with anything. Nothing. Don’t the people who worked for you, and in fact all the people in Ridgewood, deserve to know what the hell is driving your unbridled hatred of our much-loved mayor???
December 16,2016
the staff of the Ridgewood blog
Ridgewood NJ, one of Paul Aronsohn’s babies and was clearly set up as a ruse to manipulate spending priorities, like pushing Garagezilla. Where is the Value Added for The Taxpayer from the Financial Advisory Committee?
At the time Councilman Tom Riche “expressed some trepidation that the governing body might surrender some of its decision-making powers by forming a new committee.” (from the RidgewoodNews)
In May a reader suggested, a reader said the Financial Advisory Committee was created by the mayor solely as a breeding ground for future council members willing to live in his shadow and image. It didn’t work. Disband it!
https://theridgewoodblog.net/ridgewood-financial-advisory-committee-political-hacks-or-valuable-input/
FINANCIAL ADVISORY COMMITTEE
Resolutions:
13-88
14-171
Members:
NAME TERM EXPIRES
Charles DiMarco 6/30/17
Alex Kisilevich 6/30/17
Brian Lahey 6/30/17
Evan Weitz – Chair 6/30/18
Rei Shinozuka 6/30/18
John Cavanaugh 6/30/19
David Hough 6/30/19
Robert Kotch 6/30/19
Nick Whitney 6/30/19
Councilman Jeff Voigt is the Council liaison
MISSION AND BY-LAWS
Establishment:
A new committee known as the “Financial Advisory Committee” was created by the Village Council of the Village of Ridgewood on April 24, 2013, by Resolution No. 13-88.
Duties and Responsibilities:
The Committee is hereby charged with the following duties and responsibilities:
The Committee shall assist the Village Council by marshaling and channeling its expertise and insight to complement the judgment of the Village Council and Village management with respect to financial matters.
The Committee shall identify both short- and long-term financial challenges. As potential issues are raised, the Committee shall study selected issue(s) at its own initiative and at the request of the Village Council and recommend solutions/potential actions to the Village Council.
The Committee shall have ongoing responsibility for the following:
Analyze and evaluate the annual Village budget process (expense and capital) and the resultant budget, to advise the Village Council in their decision-making process to ensure that necessary revenues are raised in an equitable manner and that taxes are spent effectively and efficiently.
Review the quarterly financial reports and the current year’s revenue and expenditure projections.
Advise on the development and implementation of effective financial reporting policies and procedures for the Village Council and Village management that build upon and retain the public’s faith and trust in the Village’s policies and procedures.
Assist in the review and improvement of organizational structures and recurring contracts arrangements, including collective bargaining agreements, with due regard for applicable legal requirements governing civil service, procurement and labor relations.
Provide an annual report to the Council.
The Committee may also perform the following:
Study critical issues and perform independent research to formulate and develop thoughtful and well-developed recommendations on strategies and opportunities.
Provide a forum for community education and discussion concerning the financial condition of the Village and various alternatives for improvement.
Meetings:
The Committee shall meet once per month and/or on an as-needed basis. Decisions shall be made by consensus and if necessary, by majority vote. The minutes for regular monthly meetings shall be kept, transcribed, and made available to the Village and Council and such other Village officials as the Village Manager shall direct. Public comment will be requested at the beginning of a meeting and will be capped at 3 minutes per person; public comment will not exceed 15 minutes. The Committee may also hold closed working sessions as needed.
Composition and Terms:
The Committee shall comprise up to nine (9) regular members of the public appointed by the Village Council, a liaison from the Village Council, and a liaison from the Department of Finance of the Village at the discretion of the Council and the Village Manager. The public members of the Committee shall be appointed on July 1 of each calendar year and serve for a term of three (3) years, with the exception of the initial Committee appointed as of July 1, 2013, with three members appointed for a term of three (3) years, two members appointed for a term of two (2) years, and two members appointed for a term of one (1) year.
If a public member resigns, the Village Council shall appoint a replacement as
soon as possible to serve out the remainder of his/her term. The Financial Advisory Committee, through the Village Council liaison, will provide input into this process.
December 15,2016
the staff of the Ridgewood blog
Ridgewood NJ, Councilman Voigt has a message for residents about his ruthless attacks,”I can’t and won’t apologize. I don’t intend to and I just want to make sure people know that.”
Watch his loud and clear message here.
https://www.vibby.com/v/mJnEeZSRM
In a comment to the Ridgewood blog,similar to one posted on Facebook Councilman Voigt Says He will Continue to Speak Out:
“Nice to see all the comments.Actually, I am quite consistent in how I treat people. When I find that someone is abjectly unfair, deceitful to others, and violates the Faulkner Act, I will speak out. We need this in government. I would be happy to speak to any anonymous person above about what occurred any why you should be concerned.
Enjoy your holidays.
Jeff Voigt
201-251-8204″
Councilman Voigt is a hot head with an uncontrollable temper. He is inappropriate, he is a bully, and he is borderline insane.
The FAC is an incubator for Paul Aronsohn-Roberta Sonenefld’s proteges. Evan Weitz is a snake in the grass, a despicable person who was resoundingly voted down this spring. We do not need the FAC. They long since outlived their very limited value and are now way way WAY overstepping their boundaries. Kill the FAC.
December 9,2016
the staff of the Ridgewood blog
Ridgewood NJ, at Wednesday night’s Council meeting Mayor Knudsen suggested that the missions and bylaws of boards and committees need to be reviewed. Some have cumbersome bylaws some have none, while others overstep beyond the original intent. Some, most notably the Financial Advisory Committee, border on performing management functions.
While the volunteer efforts of committee and board members is greatly appreciated and was duly acknowledged, the fact remains that these hard-working individuals need guidelines under which to function.
file photo by ArtChick
July 25,2016
the staff of the Ridgewood blog
Ridgewood NJ, while the Village is looking for volunteer’s for the Financial Advisory Committee in an effort to turn it into a real financial advisory committee,by recruiting people with financial backgrounds instead of the current group of lawyers and political “yes men” that the ex mayor pushed . Many residents
have also asked to make sure the Financial Advisory Committee or FAC also post agenda’s and record minutes.
The Chamber sent out and eblast to all it members asking them for input. Readers of this blog have already voiced concern about the Central Business Advisory Committee saying, “Another way to get Paul the Greek, John Saraseno and Ed Sullivan a fast track to the Council. Who thought up this committee?”
Others were even less impressed with the idea saying ,”(CBDAC) Another new committed ! What did we elect council for?”
The mission statement for the CBDAC committee:The Central Business District Advisory Committee will work with the Village Council, residents and businesses to evaluate and initiate enhancements to improve traffic flow, parking, pedestrian safety, and the mix and balance of business establishments; while incorporating and refining the CBD’s historic elements and beauty to create a desirable, vibrant and memorable destination for all visitors.
The terms are for 2 years, staggering to serve one year term at the outset. The Point person is Councilman Ramon M. Hache who can be reached at rhache@ridgewoodnj.net , or by calling 201-670-5500 ext. 201 .
SEEKING RESIDENTS AND OTHER PERSONS TO VOLUNTEER TO SERVE ON THE FINANCIAL ADVISORY COMMITTEE, AND THE CENTRAL BUSINESS DISTRICT ADVISORY COMMITTEE
The Village Council is looking for residents who are interested in volunteering to serve on the Financial Advisory Committee and the Central Business District Advisory Committee (CBDAC).
The Financial Advisory Committee assists in the review and understanding of the financial considerations necessary to the operation of the Village and the Village’s preparation of the Annual and Capital Budgets; provides review, advice and recommendations to the Village Council on Village financial and budgetary matters; and prepares an annual report for the Village Council to assist the Councilmembers in their budget preparation. Members will preferably have strong finance, accounting, government and/or business backgrounds.
The Central Business District Advisory Committee (CBDAC) will work with the Village Council, business owners and residents to evaluate and initiate enhancements to improve the viability of the CBD, including traffic flow and patterns, parking, pedestrian safety and the balance of commercial uses; while maintaining and refining the historic and aesthetic elements to create a more desirable, vibrant and memorable destination for all visitors. The CBDAC is made up of one representative from the Chamber of Commerce; one representative from the Ridgewood Guild; five Ridgewood residents (one of whom shall be a member of the Citizens Safety Advisory Committee); and three business owners, one of whom is a property owner in the CBD.
All interested residents and others wishing to serve on these committees should send the following:
A cover letter indicating on which committee(s)the person wishes to serve
A Citizen Volunteer Leadership form (found on the Village website under forms)
A biography or resume
to: Heather Mailander, Village Clerk
Village of Ridgewood
131 North Maple Avenue
Ridgewood, NJ 07450
Deadline for submissions is August 5, 2016.
Like most actions by the former mayor, this group was created for his personal purposes, in this case at least two: to rubber-stamp his decisions with a faux economic rationale (e.g., the largest garage drawing) and as a feeder group to provide a credential for placing people loyal to him in various positions that he intended to fill with sycophants (village manager, two council candidates). We have a highly paid CFO who should be doing all this work and making these recommendations. (We also have a well-paid planner, but he’s useless and should be replaced.) The two defeated council candidates, with unknown continuing ties to the outgoing council members who endorsed them, remain on the committee; disbanding it would remove them from an advisory position to the council without having to “fire” them individually. And by the way, the FAC was originally going to be a board, not a committee, which would have had more clout; the other boards are Planning and Zoning. When establishing this group was under discussion, then-councilman Tom Riche voted against it, stating that the requirements for disclosure of potential conflicts of interest were insufficient. He was right. In addition, giving a bunch of barely vetted residents access to confidential financial and other information that only the council should see just because they work in banking or whatever is another creepy-crawly. Just dump it.
the staff of the Ridgewood blog
Ridgewood NJ, a reader said the ,Financial Advisory Committee was created by the mayor solely as a breeding ground for future council members willing to live in his shadow and image. It didn’t work. Disband it!
The leadership of Financial Advisory Committee is there just to stamp the Village Manager’s decisions. So she can say ‘an expert panel has looked at it and they agree with my approach”. She comes from the corporate word and knows how to put everything on outside ‘consultants’.
Its beyond funny that the Chairman of FAC, a candidate for the council election, Weitz is not even a finance guy. He is an attorney and we have seen how good attorneys are on the council (Albert). Try asking him some finance questions. May be he will do better than the CFO?
Inorder to save the committee the FAC needs to have bylaws and minutes and a clause that prohibits members from running for public office while serving. THe VM needs direction, goals and an evaluation after a specified time. She needs to be held accountable for the administration and operations of the Village. There can no longer be selective ordinance enforcement. The Village Attorney, PB attorney should be evaluated and if necessary replaced. The assistant VM should be evaluated and if needed replaced. The new Council needs to be prudent but decisive in their actions. Let’s not replicate the mistakes of the past.
The election is over. The new council needs to stabilize the governance of the municipality by vesting the village operational authority in the VM where it belongs by law and holding her accountable for the execution.
Hi James – here is a reader says story for you. Please take it if you find it interesting. I was surprised to find this fact and thought the voters should know:
Was Evan Weitz planted in Ridgewood by special interest groups?
It is a widely known speculation that our current mayor was sent to Ridgewood to bring Hudson County politics to Ridgewood. He ran for the office as soon as he moved to Ridgewood and has strategically placed the right people in different committees over the years to get the job done for developers and politicians. Rumors are that he is already renovating his house and preparing to move out once his task is done.
We looked at the council candidates for 2016. All but one are long term residents. Something VERY interesting came up for Evan Weitz. He moved to the village in late 2012 and in 2015 he was appointed to Financial Advisory Committee and made it’s CHAIR by resolution 15-301. We DID NOT find any other committee or volunteering experience from Evan before his role in Financial Advisory Committee and when he was made the chair, Janice Willet was Vice Chair of the committee already. She wasn’t promoted to the CHAIR of the committee and instead he was brought in and made the chairman. He has no prior experience with municipal financing in other towns or any experience with how Ridgewood works and our village’s finances or resident needs. He has not served in any other committee. Evan is an attorney by trade and has no experience or degree in Finance. This was evident with his answers in council meeting when he was cross examined.
So the reader asks what is the rationale for bringing a new comer to Financial Advisory Committee and bring him as the chair. Who brought him in? Who are his backers? This is he representing there? Is he being planted to complete some work that PA could not complete?
Can we start a thread on the Financial Advisory Committee?
What is their mission? Are they supposed to be a nonpolitical group? Is it the bull pen for council positions?
How did the committee get so big? Who appointed them?
Will their job ever be complete or will they hang around forever?
We sincerely hope that the current Village Council will have the wisdom and
courage to act, thereby avoiding the urgency for another “independent” review of the Vil
lage budget and management process in the future.
Our committee focused only on the municipal budget and practices, not the Board of Education (BOE). Since
the BOE budget represents 64% of the property tax burden in Ridgewood, we hope that this report wi
ll also serve as a template for the BOE to establish a similar process for cost and efficiency improvements
.
Given the time and resource constraints mentioned earlier, the report is not an exhaustive study, but attempts to raise
issues and make actionable recommendations for the Village Council’s immediate attention and further
consideration. We held almost 50 hours of meetings, including with current and past Village representatives
and various Village constituents. We met with consultants in municipal government operational efficiency and
studied all of the Village’s collective bargaining agreements.
Finally, we carefully reviewed the Village’s budget trends over the past 10 years to understand key budget influences and, more importantly, what they tell us about Ridgewood’s future liabilities. Collectively, our Committee devoted hundreds of hours in an
effort to deliver recommendations that we hope will have great value for Ridgewood taxpayers.
While our committee has no authority to enact any of our recommendations, we appreciate and are honored
to have the opportunity to serve our community in this manner. We took the responsibility of Mayor
Aronsohn’s mandate seriously. We respectfully submit the following recommendations to the Village Council
with the hope that you will make every effort to act on them fully and expeditiously. We wish to be clear that
these recommendations do not, necessarily, represent the unanimous opinion of all members of our
committee. However, they do represent the consensus of the committee. It is the opinion of the committee that the consequences of failing to act on these recommendations have never been more momentous or urgent for the sustainability of our Village, as we know it, and for the rising fiscal burden on Village taxpayers.
The Members of the 2012 Financial Advisory Committee (alphabetically)
Rich Barclay
Bayard DeI\/Iallie
Ed Feldsott
Nancy Johansen *
Charlie Kime
John Maxwell
Jim McCarthy
David Sabath
Jim Schimmei
Fran Shovlìn
Roberta Sonenfeld *
Bob Zeller
Nothing above gives the FAC authority to submit letters to the editor and promote the agenda of the mayor.
That was the 2012 roster. Are they all still on? Some of them are just wanna-bees. No real financial expertise. A couple have oversized egos but can’t even manage their personal finances
In response to 3/28 blog: Readers say the Financial Advisory Committee is nothing more than a political action committee for the Council Majority.
While this blog may be correct in assuming that the finance board and the planning board are stacked with Aronsohn appointees that would approve his agenda,
there is a board that is not – the zoning board (quite possibly to Paul’s chagrin). I have been a member of this board since 2011 and can confidently state that the decisions made by it are non-partisan in nature
and most always benefit the Village and the applicant. The Chairman of this board, Joel Torielli, has done a wonderful job in ensuring the board deliberates in a fair an open manner.
It has been an absolute pleasure in working with all of them. If there is a board which operates in a manner that benefits the public it is this one. Lastly on a personal note, two of my campaign
team members, Wendy Dockray (planning board) and Sergio Alegre (zoning board and my campaign manager) work as part of the Village process and; are 2 of the most ethical people
I know.
Jeff Voigt
Candidate for Village Council
It has taken a few years, but at this point, every committee and board in the village has been planted with people who will approve Paul, Gwenn and Albert’s agenda and will go to any length to write letters to editor or mass email to get their agenda approved.
They WILL approve it. The question is how to overturn, how much money will it cost to appeal in a higher court.
What is the purpose of the Financial Advisory Committee? They are now cheerleaders for the three council members? They should be neutral. So, they are not a financial advisory committee, they are a political action committee.
It has taken a few years, but at this point, every committee and board in the village has been planted with people who will approve Paul, Gwenn and Albert’s agenda and will go to any length to write letters to editor or mass email to get their agenda approved.
They WILL approve it. The question is how to overturn, how much money will it cost to appeal in a higher court.
More points to add to the other day’s post on Parking Garage leding many to suggest some resume updates :
1. HPC member Tony Damiano sends a letter to fellow HPC members claiming the garage fits the lot.
2. FAC member Rich Cundiff sends mass email with multiple lies. One story shorter claim and special election claim, both are wrong.
3. Gwenn Hauck continues to post on facebook that garage will fit the lot and only sidewalk is being extended for safety reasons.
4. Village Manager lies in a facebook blog, claiming that the parapet is an aesthetics feature, while its actually required by code for using the roof level for parking
So if this FAC member did not do his due diligence before sending out an email full of lies – how do we know that they did their due diligence on the walker report/ parking garage’s financials?
Ridgewood Financial Advisory Committee Concludes Hudson Street Parking Garage can be funded entirely by parking revenues. Well maybe they would like to sign a contract that they will be financially responsible for any shot falls of the garage for the term of the bond. That board both past and presents members are all tied in to the 3 amigos.
Timing alone of this released opinion is more than questionable.let them release the Data or withdraw these Statements.NO ONE GETS CALLED OUT ON ANYTHING IN RIDGEWOOD.We are talking Millions in underfunded liabilities including New village Emoloyees and associated Liabilities also for their Employment and Benefits Costs.
The scary issue is what utilization the garage has to achieve to cover its fixed cost ( salaries, debt service, etc.). If it covers with 50 % of spaces occupied during the day that might be OK, but if it takes 90%+, then we’re probably looking at a money pit.I don’t see where this issue was addressed by the FAC. As others have said, “can” is not the same as “will” or even ” will probably”
Ridgewood Financial Advisory Committee Concludes Hudson Street Parking Garage can be funded entirely by parking revenues
This title is misleading. Maybe it “can” be funded by parking revenues, but maybe it cannot. Maybe it “can” be if the rates go up town-wide, if the hours of paid parking are extended, if the lot is occupied 24/7…….or maybe even then it cannot be.
“We recognize that while parking revenues should cover the cost of the garage, funding the garage still creates an additional financial obligation for the Village, which would need to be met by other sources in the unlikely event that parking revenues fell short. However, we think the substantial benefits offered by a garage support taking on that obligation. * * *”
SHOULD is not the same as WILL. “IN THE UNLIKELY EVENT THAT PARKING REVENUES FELL SHORT” – If the economy tanks as it did in 2008, parking revenues WILL FALL SHORT and taxpayers will be stuck paying for this money pit.
Why wouldn’t they recommend a public private partnership (PPP) between the Village and business owners in the CBD? If it’s so beneficial to the Village’s core, wouldn’t business owners want to contribute to the cost of the garage? Village taxpayers will get better cost oversight from private business people than if it’s just the Village engineer overseeing it… $500,000 golden toilets anyone?
Financial Advisory Meeting (FAC) – February 23
The next Financial Advisory Meeting will be held February 23 at 7:30PM in the Caucus Room, 4th Floor, Village Hall.
The public is welcome to attend.
FAC: “The status quo in Ridgewood is unsustainable from a financial perspective,”
WEDNESDAY FEBRUARY 19, 2014, 10:36 AM
BY DARIUS AMOS
STAFF WRITER
THE RIDGEWOOD NEWS
Now that Ridgewood and Glen Rock have scrapped plans for a shared municipal vehicle repair facility, a team of economic gurus is advising the village to step back and conduct larger studies and explore more alternatives.
In its annual report to the Ridgewood Council, the Financial Advisory Committee acknowledged that the village’s existing fleet services building on Chestnut Street is in “decrepit condition,” and options other than constructing a new facility might be available.
Over the past year, an ad-hoc committee comprised of Ridgewood and Glen Rock officials had investigated moving the public works operations of both towns to a new shared facility. Last month, however, the site of the proposed project, which is located adjacent to the village’s water treatment plant in Glen Rock, was deemed too small to meet the needs of the two municipalities.
At a council meeting last month, Roberta Sonenfeld, FAC vice chair, recognized the ad-hoc committee’s desire to move quickly on the fleet services project, but she advised that even more research is required.
– See more at: https://www.northjersey.com/news/246159931_Plan_for_Ridgewood_municipal_garage__highlights_report.html#sthash.Y5PZTm5L.dpuf
