The Board of Education is committed to settling the contract with the Ridgewood Education Association (REA). To this end, the full Board will meet with the state-appointed super conciliator on July 20 at 5 p.m. at the Education Center, 49 Cottage Place.
The REA negotiating team will also be present that evening. The Board is unanimously steadfast in its desire to resolve the on-going impasse with the REA and is prepared to stay as long as needed to finalize the settlement and reach agreement on a successor contract to the one that expired on June 30, 2015. The Board fervently hopes that the 2016-17 school year will start with a new contract and put an end to the difficulties that this impasse has caused. When the Board’s negotiating team first met with the super conciliator on June 27, the team presented a threeyear contract proposal that included a salary increase for each of the three years of 1.1%, 2.8% and 2.8%, with additional one-time payments for the highest paid teachers to defray part of the increased costs for their healthcare premiums. The average salaries for Ridgewood’s teachers are currently near the top when compared to salaries in other Bergen County school districts. Our starting salaries for teachers are at the top. If the REA were to accept the Board’s proposal, our teachers would continue to maintain that comparative advantage. The Board’s proposal includes a change to the health benefit plan from NJ Direct 10 to NJ Direct 15. Both plans offer the same provider network. With NJ Direct 15 there would be a nominal increase in copays for primary care doctors and specialists. The copay would increase from $10 to $15. A change in the health insurance plan would lower premium costs for both the district and the staff. The Board’s proposal would fairly compensate our teachers and secretaries for the excellent work they do. To date, in every negotiation session the Board’s team has delineated the economic impact of the proposals discussed.
The team has been forthright in its discussions with the REA, the mediator, the fact-finder, and the super conciliator that the cost of the contract must be affordable and aligned with the district’s financial realities, which include a two percent limit on tax increases. The Board remains hopeful that a settlement can be reached that addresses the needs articulated by our teachers and secretaries but does not set the stage for drastic cuts to staff and programs nor jeopardize the district’s financial future.
REA statement :
“Once again tonight the BOE has refused to accept the report from the impartial State Appointed Fact Finder. In fact the Board has not improved its position since February, and tonight presented nothing new to the REA negotiating team.The BOE continues in its position that it cannot afford the Fact Finder report. The impartial Fact Finder examined the Board’s books when he made his recommendation. Despite the BOE’s false statements, the report shows it has the resources to fund the recommended settlement. If the BOE cuts programs, it will not be because of the REA. Instead the Board is using scare tactics and the threat of cutting programs as an attempt to scapegoat the REA. This is no time for divisiveness; instead it is time for compromise. But as long as the Board remains set in their discredited “cost neutral” position, until it is willing to truly negotiate, this impasse will not end.
This meeting was the last chance of a settlement before September. Its failure to negotiate tonight means that teachers and secretaries will return to work beginning their second year under an expired contract. In addition, the Ridgewood Administrators Association (RAA) contract has also expired. The recalcitrance of the Board now means that in addition to teachers and secretaries, every principal, assistant principal, and supervisor will also begin September under an expired contract. This should not be acceptable in Ridgewood.
The Board needs to stop posturing and begin the work of negotiating in good faith to settle this contract. The BOE obviously, as stated in its email to the school community, is NOT “prepared to stay as long as needed to finalize the settlement and reach an agreement on a successor contract”.
Ridgewood NJ, The Village Council repealed an ordinance that has in many residents eyes opened the door to unpopular village master plan amendments that included clearing the way for The Valley Hospital’s expansion and construction of high-density housing downtown.
The ordinance, No. 3066, was adopted in 2007 and states that “any interested party” can formally request amendments to either the master plan or its development regulations. The requests must be reviewed by the village, and the ordinance also outlines how a party must file such requests, as well as the fee structure for doing so.
Village Planner Blais Brancheau authored the ordinance nine years ago and has steadfastly claimed it was to “establish a clear procedure” for handling amendment requests and let the village charge the requesting party the cost of the professionals involved. Brancheau claims that without the ordinance, those costs would be carried by Ridgewood taxpayers.Critics of 3066 have long felt the Village had lost control of the planning process.
It was introduced by the Village Council under Mayor Pfund in 2007 (https://www.ridgewoodnj.net/minutes/07RPMJUN13.pdf ). Chapter § 190-143 of the amended Village Code is the kicker; it established procedures for interested persions (i.e. developers) to request amendments to the Village Master Plan or development regulations.
Council members Mancuso, Ringler Shagin, Wiest, and Pfund all voted in favor of the ordinance. Chapter § 190-143 is here https://ecode360.com/6694062 .
Over the years many residents argue that this should be repealed to ensure that we don’t see overdevelopment at Valley and in the CBD in terms of densities and building scale. It’s felt this will better protect our property values.
But last night the council agreed to repeal Ordinance 3066 once and for all in all its glory which will allow the Village to once again gain control of its own destiny and close the door on incongruous non conforming development. The final repeal will come in the August public meeting.
A reader told us that ,”On my walk this morning at 6am the Ridgewood Fire Dept was taking pictures of houses that had their sprinklers running that shouldn’t have been…. Reminder follow the stage 2 restrictions.”
But seem to think its going a bit over board , “What is going on in this town? There are employees going around issuing summonses for watering, sidewalks and “suspected” unlicensed pets.”
Another reader said they , “actual had a court date because I didn’t register my imaginary dog. When I called and asked why they thought I had a dog, they said a neighbor informed them!!”
One reader said they heard a neighbor got a warning because they ,” had a child’s wooden play house in the yard. It was very large. They said it was a dog house. “.
“The pet one is insane. I feel like I live in North Korea.”
The median HOUSEHOLD incomes in Ridgewood are $138,000… teachers work for 10 months a year with tenure in many cases, so if you annualize teacher pay for 12 months work, they get paid paid the same as an entire household at the median in Ridgewood, i.e. $118,000 for 10 months = $136,000 for 12 months, with the added safety of tenured job security. Add in:
1) taxpayer subsidized $28,000 annual family “platinum” health benefit plan, which is much better than the average private sector employer plan (equivalent to “bronze”), and has much lower premiums, $5-10 co-pays, and covers up to 96% of all billable costs; as well as,
2) defined benefit pension plans for life which TPAF members contribute less than 7.5% of their annual wages towards (still!) and start drawing at an average age of 62 in NJ which can be worth over $2 million if the retiree lives to average US lifespan; and,
3) sick leave which gets carried over year after year instead of the “use it or lose it” sick leave offered by private sector employers
It becomes very clear that teachers have a MUCH better deal than the median Ridgewood household, which pays much higher health plan co-pays and deductibles for less health benefit coverage (on average, private sector plans only cover 84% of medical expenses), loses unused sick leave that cannot be carried over, runs the risk of job loss, and contributes up to 16% of their annual wages towards defined contribution pension plans, i.e. 401(k) plans. Combined teacher benefits are already too high even for well qualified, experienced, certified, professionals… which, by the way, is not what we got from the REA in the 2015/16 academic year. We got petulant, greedy, bad faith, so-called professionals who let our kids and schools down in a multitude of ways, from recommendation letters, to after school programs and activities, to community outreach. Notice the lack of signs supporting teachers in Ridgewood; we’ve had enough.
Ridgewood NJ, Ridgewood Schools had 3 teachers listed on the Department of Educations list of teachers in the $100,000 per year club.
The three Ridgewood teachers all make $116,173 annually. They are:
DEBELLA, MARGARET SCHAEFER
SCHAEFER, RICHARD MCNAMEE
MCNAMEE, HAROLD NELSON
The Department of Education releases this annual list of teachers and their salaries. The list of educators making joining the $100,000 club has grown . Over a decade ago the list barely had any teachers on it now has grown to more than 5,000.That’s only a tiny fraction of the more than 90,000 people who teach in public and charter schools in this state. The highest earners come from all different schools and not just the so-called “wealthy” districts that routinely rank highly on national and state lists for best schools.
The committee members who signed those advertisements and letters to the editor should also resign. As citizens they have a right to free speech. They signed those letters as advisory committee members going.
They were never an independent voice. Their mission should be defined, their minutes should be public. Otherwise they are political hacks.
All boards should have by laws and minutes.
The FAC seems like a tool of the council and not an independent body. They did not help to dispel this image when two members ran for council supported by the current council majority. Their letters to the editor in support of the council majority causes showed that they did not exercise good judgment.
Ridgewood NJ, Two (2) individuals injured during a rear end crash at the intersection of Franklin Avenue and Cottage Place on Saturday evening, 07/16, refused to be transported to a hospital for medical treatment and left the scene via means other than an ambulance. Both vehicles involved, a Subaru and a Honda, were towed from the scene by a flatbed tow truck. RIdgewood FD personnel attended to a minor crash related fluid spill. Ridgewood PD and EMS personnel were also present at the crash.
BOE Meets on July 18 at 5 p.m.
Ridgewood NJ, The Ridgewood Board of Education will hold a Regular Public Meeting on Monday, July 18, 2016 at 5:00 p.m.The meeting will be held in the Board Room at the Education Center, 49 Cottage Place. The public is invited to attend the meeting or view it live via the district website at www.ridgewood.k12.nj.us using the “Live BOE Meeting” tab on the district website, or on Fios tv channel 33 or Optimum 77.
Click here to view the agenda for the July 18, 2016 Regular Public Meeting.
Click here to view the 2016-2017 Budget presented at the May 2, 2016 Regular Public Meeting.
Click here to view the Full Day Kindergarten Recommendation presented to the Board at their March 7, 2016 Regular Public Meeting.
the staff of the Ridgewood blog
Ridgewood NJ, The Ridgewood Board of Education will hold a Regular Public Meeting on Monday, July 18, 2016 at 5 p.m.The meeting will be held in the Board Room at the Education Center, 49 Cottage Place. The public is invited to attend the meeting or view it live via the district website at www.ridgewood.k12.nj.us using the “Live BOE Meeting” tab on the district website, or on Fios tv channel 33 or Optimum 77.
Click here to view the agenda and addendum for the June 28, 2016 Regular Public Meeting.
Click here to view the minutes of the June 6, 2016 Regular Public Meeting.
Click here to view the 2016-2017 Budget presented at the May 2, 2016 Regular Public Meeting.
Click here to view the Full Day Kindergarten Recommendation presented to the Board at their March 7, 2016 Regular Public Meeting.
BOE Meets on June 28 at 5 p.m.: Please note change of date, time.
June 27,2016
the staff of the Ridgewood blog
Ridgewood Nj, The Ridgewood Board of Education will hold a Regular Public Meeting on Tuesday, June 28, 2016 at 5 p.m. The meeting will be held in the Board Room at the Education Center, 49 Cottage Place. The public is invited to attend the meeting or view it live via the district website at www.ridgewood.k12.nj.us using the “Live BOE Meeting” tab on the district website, or on Fios tv channel 33 or Optimum 77.
Click here to view the agenda for the June 28, 2016 Regular Public Meeting.
Click here to view the 2016-2017 Budget presented at the May 2, 2016 Regular Public Meeting.
Click here to view the Full Day Kindergarten Recommendation presented to the Board at their March 7, 2016 Regular Public Meeting.
BOE-REA Negotiations
Click here to view the powerpoint presentation regarding the Fact Finder’s report and recommendations, presented at the June 6, 2016 Regular Public Meeting.Clickhere to view the presentation by Ms. Brogan and Mr. Morgan.
In accordance with New Jersey P.L. 2003, c. 126, the Board has made the May 16th Fact-finding Report and Recommendations public and has posted it to the District’s website. At the June 6th Board of Education Public Meeting, the Board will discuss the report and the recommendations. The Board will accept or reject the Fact-finder’s recommendations at that time. Click here to read the Fact Finders Report and Recommendations dated May 16, 2016.
BOE has not made an offer.. on the contrary;
The Ridgewood Board of Education has refused to meet with the new state appointed Super Conciliator assigned to mediate the contract impasse.
The REA and BOE were recently assigned a state appointed Super Conciliator. This past Tuesday he offered three available dates of June 21, June 23, and June 27. The REA quickly informed the Super Conciliator and the BOE that they would make themselves available all three dates.
On Thursday, the BOE’s attorney sent an email to the Super Conciliator requesting dates after July 6 due an upcoming meeting of the SEHBP Commission where 2017 premium rate increases will be discussed. They also “heard” that the elimination of Direct 10 is an anticipated topic of discussion for the same meeting. They feel that both issues are key to resolving the current impasse.
#1. The commission doesn’t have the ability to eliminate a plan. That is done by the SEHBP design team which is not meeting until the Fall. Is it the Board’s intention to keep delaying negotiating until after the start of the new school year?
#2. Rates discussed will be recommendations and probably will not be adopted until another meeting later in the summer or closer to the Fall. Those are the rates which would be implemented on January 1, 2017.
REMINDER: The Fact Finder’s report had no change in healthcare plan and took into consideration the BOE’s projected premium increases which they budgeted at 10%. The Fact Finder’s report proved they could keep status quo health plan and settle this contract while balancing their budget under the 2% cap – without any additional increase in taxes. This upcoming meeting has no bearing on the Fact Finder’s recommendations which is the basis of the next round of mediation
#4. Delaying the process creates concern for finding availability of dates from the Super Conciliator that will work when trying to coordinate vacation and summer work schedules.
The BOE informed the public at their last meeting that they were willing to meet anytime with the REA to work towards settling this contract. Apparently that simply was not true. There is now an opportunity to meet with the new state appointed mediator as early as next week. Their refusal to meet is further indication of their lack of desire to settle a contract.
I agree with the above. System has to be changed. No more using the last few years of highest earnings to determine pension payout – should be average of working years. No more pensions for part timers. If taxes are raised any more, anyone who is able to move will even if they wanted to stay. No more platinum health care unless the workers pay more for it if they choose. Don’t get me started on teachers … most believe they are a special class of worker and have the hardest jobs in the world. No, not an easy job but I am not seeing the dedication in the profession that I remember seeing in teachers I had as a child. I stand with our BOE and draw the line for providing benefits better than the private sector offers.
Just got an update from my financial advisor saying my wife and I need to save $366,000 for health care insurance in retirement because Medicare will only cover 51% of total costs after 65. Long-term care costs can run up to $1,680 A WEEK. And 45% of retirees are expected to pay more than 20% of their income on health care by 2040. Yet teachers, cops and firefighters just expect taxpayers to subsidize their “platinum” health benefits year after year, including those who take “special” early retirements as early as their 40s. It’s sickening, and we can’t afford to be paying for better health plan benefits for public sector workers than we get ourselves. Christie and the Ridgewoid BOE are fighting for taxpayers – we must support them against the lies and misinformation being spread by the REA and the full-time Union lawyers and lobbyists behind them from the NJEA. Support our students, support Ridgewood taxpayers, and support the BOE
Need an experienced, certified NJ plumber for basement renovation plumbing in NJ? Call us today at A1 Sewer & Drain Services:
201-645-0888
Many homes in New Jersey are built with a basement, which may or may not have been converted yet into useable living space. A finished basement is a great way to add hundreds of square feet of useable living space to your home, with less cost and hassle than building a whole new addition. Many homes have over a thousand square feet of basement, meaning there’s plenty of space for that new bedroom, rec room, or man cave you’ve always wanted.
Basement renovation often involves installing plumbing to create an extra bathroom. At A1 Sewer & Drain Service, we’re drainage and sewer service contractors who specialize in wastewater, outdoor drainage, and bathroom plumbing. If you’re planning a new bathroom addition, call us any time for a free consultation and cost estimate from our experienced local plumbers, at 201-645-0888.
Adding a New Bathroom Addition in your Basement
Need an extra bathroom to accommodate a growing family? If you have an existing basement, you may not even need to build a new addition. Finishing all or part of your basement can add a great deal of extra living space, including much-needed extra toilets and showers. A new basement bathroom addition can even add market value to your home.
Basements are almost always located below the level of the main sewer line. Because of this, installing bathroom plumbing can be complicated. Vent, waste pipe, and drain pipe installation is the most difficult part of basement plumbing, and you’ll need experienced renovation plumbing and sewer service contractors to make sure that everything is installed correctly.
Basement Plumbing for a New Bathroom Addition
Any new drain lines in your basement bathroom addition will need to flow into your existing main sewer line. Before construction begins, contractors need to locate the sewer pipe, generally by finding the main stack and the cleanout. In urban and most suburban areas, the main sewer line runs into a municipal sewer system. If you have a private septic tank, the pipe will run toward the septic drain field.
To flow correctly, drains and sewer lines need a downward slope of at least ¼” per linear foot. This ensures that liquids and solids move at the same rate through the pipe via gravity, preventing clogs and sewer backflow. This can be tricky in basements, where the main line may not be deep enough to allow the correct drop per foot. To send water and effluent through the drain pipes against the force of gravity, you may need sewer ejector pump installation.
Sewage Ejector Pumps for Bathroom Plumbing
When the level of the main sewer line is too high for wastewater to flow in the right direction due to gravity, you may need sewage ejector pump installation to ensure that wastewater doesn’t back up inside the drain pipes. Ejector pumps are equipped with float switches, which trigger the pump to activate when the water in the ejector pump tank reaches a certain level. The wastewater is forced into the drain pipes, allowing wastewater from toilets and other fixtures to be safely removed without relying on gravity.
For toilets, many homeowners opt to install a grinder pump. This type of ejector pump grinds up solid waste into a fine slurry, helping to prevent clogged drain pipes and backflow.
Basement Sump Pump Installation in NJ
Regardless of whether your basement is used as living space, or whether it contains a bathroom, you may need to consider sump pump installation. Sump pumps remove water into the drainage system, preventing flooding and costly water damage. Because basements are located below grade, they’re at heightened risk for flooding from severe weather, burst plumbing pipes, sewer backups, and other emergencies.
Installing a basement sump pump can prevent thousands of dollars of costly water damage, making it a worthwhile investment for New Jersey homeowners.
Local NJ Sewer Service Contractors for Basement Bathroom Plumbing
Need an experienced plumber for toilet, shower, vent, and drain pipe installation in NJ? At A1 Sewer & Drain Services, we’re sewer service experts. We work with homeowners to install reliable, high quality plumbing for basement bathrooms and new bathroom additions. For a free cost estimate, call us today at 201-645-0888.
Ridgewood NJ, Ridgewood Board of Education rejects state-appointed fact finder’s recommendations for a new teachers’ contract. The BOE’s rejection sends contract negotiations, at an impasse since July 2015, back to Square One.
As we have said for some time the gravely train for public employees has come to an end and proof postive is the BOE’s rejection of the compromise .The public is just not buying paying more for healthcare for teachers than for themselves and teacher union support for “Obamacare” has left many taxpayers to feel if it good enough for us its good enough for you.
However teacher advocates in town say , that the “BOE rejected third party, neutral, unbiased fact finder recommendations and refused to settle. REA was willing to compromise on several major issues and settle the contract. Teachers have been working without a contract for a full year and still performed all of their contractual duties.”
While other readers are glad the BOE is taking a stand , “God forbid you don’t agree with the teachers’ demands. I hope the BOE takes a tough position. Agree that with the schools’ ratings sliding downwards and raises should be performance based. As for the healthcare plans – why would you think you are entitled to a better plan than the taxpayers who pay for yours? The teachers obviously do not care about the children or their profession as much as they care about the almighty dollar. They need to work a little harder and bring the school ratings up before any increases and either contribute more towards their medical insurance or agree to a less expensive plan. Yes, that means $25 co-pays and higher deductibles”
While BOE members have taken the heat say one reader , “The withering and abusive “behind the scenes” attacks on our elected BOE officials should be an embarrassment to all teachers. Why should teachers get better health benefits than the taxpayers who help subsidize them? Surely some of the things these teachers and the REA have pulled are cause for dismissals? Why not bring in some younger teachers who actually want to work with our kids and would be thrilled to teach here?”
BOE Meets on June 6 at 7:30 p.m. at BFMS Auditorium
June 5,2016
the staff of the Ridgewood blog
Ridgewood NJ, The Ridgewood Board of Education will hold a Regular Public Meeting on Monday, June 6, 2016 at 7:30 p.m.
The Regular Public Meeting, originally scheduled to be held in the Board Room at the Education Center, will begin at 7:30 p.m., in the Auditorium at Benjamin Franklin Middle School. Action will be taken at this meeting.
The public is invited to attend the meeting at BFMS or view it live via the district website at www.ridgewood.k12.nj.us using the the “Live BOE Meeting” tab on the district website.
Click here to view the agenda for the June 6, 2016 Regular Public Meeting.
Click here to view the 2016-2017 Budget presented at the May 2, 2016 Regular Public Meeting.
Click here to view the Full Day Kindergarten Recommendation presented to the Board at their March 7, 2016 Regular Public Meeting.
Click here to view the backup for the Ridgewood Board of Education’s Fact-Finding Presentation with The Ridgewood Education Association.
