BY MATTHEW SCHNEIDER
STAFF WRITER |
THE RIDGEWOOD NEWS
RIDGEWOOD – The Village Council meeting on Feb. 24 was an eventful one, as it included a spirited debate between council members as well as a presentation and a number of public comments.
Reintroducing the bond ordinance
Mayor Paul Aronsohn announced via email that the council would be voting to reintroduce the bond ordinance for the proposed Hudson Street parking garage at the upcoming council meeting on March 2, which would allow for the facility to be funded in-town as opposed to by the Bergen County Improvement Authority (BCIA), which residents had been clamoring for. Though the vote will require a supermajority to pass (4-1), the vote, as it stands is 3-2. This means that just one more vote to bond the garage in town is needed.
Should a supermajority be reached, the council will vote on whether to actually bond within the village at the upcoming March 23 council meeting.
“Hopefully, this council can agree to it,” Aronsohn said. “That’s great if we can do it in-house.”
Aronsohn did note, however, that while he is open to bonding in Ridgewood, he is still committed to bonding with the BCIA should there not be enough votes to fund the garage through the village.
“Either way makes sense,” he said. “I think a partnership with the BCIA is fantastic; I think there are a lot of benefits to that for us, for them, but I think if we can do it in-house, and if that brings us together as a council and as community, so be it, let’s do that.”
