Ridgewood NJ, The Ridgewood Board of Education will be holding its regular public meeting December 18 2017 7:30 PM to 10:00 PM in the Board Room, 3rd Floor, Education Center.
At all regular meetings, two opportunities are provided for citizens to make comments. The public comment periods will be scheduled after presentations and approximately 9:00 p.m. or just prior to the end of the meeting, whichever occurs first. The first opportunity may be limited by the presiding officer to conclude at about 8:00 p.m. in order for the Board to continue with its scheduled agenda. The second opportunity will occur at about 9:00 p.m. at the discretion of the presiding officer taking into consideration a break point in the agenda.
At every opportunity for public comment, citizens are invited to comment on subjects on the agenda or general topics.
At the discretion of the presiding officer, public comments may be permitted at other times.
Persons wishing to speak must, upon being recognized, rise, sign in, and state their names and addresses. Each speaker shall be limited to four minutes. The Board Recorder will note the time. A speaker who has not finished in the allotted time will be directed by the presiding officer to summarize quickly and relinquish the floor within 30 seconds.
Comments shall be limited to issues. If personal remarks or discourteous statements are made, the presiding officer shall require the speaker to stop. No person will be recognized for a second time until all others asking to speak have been heard.
Ridgewood NJ, The NJ TRANSIT Board of Directors today approved the purchase of 17 additional dual-powered locomotives manufactured by Bombardier Transit Corporation. The new locomotives will allow NJ TRANSIT Rail Operations to retire some of the oldest locomotives in the fleet to increase mechanical reliability, operational flexibility and efficiency.
“The addition of these new dual-powered locomotives continues our effort to modernize our rail fleet,” said Executive Director Steven H. Santoro. “These locomotives can operate across the entire rail system in either electric or diesel mode providing us with greater versatility and operating efficiency.”
The ALP45 locomotives will replace NJ TRANSIT’s aging fleet of GP40 and F40-series locomotives, which were initially manufactured in the late 1960s. The older locomotives have reached the end of their service life and have become increasingly more expensive to maintain. In addition, the GP40s and F40s are becoming functionally obsolete as a result of their limited pulling power and ability to provide electrical power to the larger, heavier multi-level passenger coaches.
The ALP45 locomotives are designed to operate push-pull passenger train service on both electrified and non-electrified lines at speeds of up to 125 mph in electric mode and up to 100 mph in diesel mode. The locomotives will meet the current EPA Tier IV requirements, reducing emissions compared to the locomotives to be replaced when operating in diesel mode, and producing no emissions when operating in electric mode. The ALP45s offer a significant increase in horsepower, acceleration and available head-end power over the GP40s they will be replacing.
In 2008, the Board of Directors approved a contract with Bombardier Transit Corporation for the purchase of 26 ALP45 dual-powered locomotives, with an option to purchase up to 63 additional locomotives in the future. In July 2011, NJ TRANSIT purchased 9 additional locomotives, increasing the total number of ALP45s to 35. The first locomotive was delivered in December 2011. The introduction of the dual-powered ALP45s in 2011 marked a first for this technology in the United States.
Today, the Board approved the purchase of 17 additional ALP45 locomotives at a total contract authorization of $184.5 million, under the 2008 contract with Bombardier Transit Corporation.
Ridgewood NJ, an online petition is be circulated by Ridgewood residents looking to stop the over development of the Village . The planning board in the past has not excepted online petitions some residents hope to bring pressure and sanity to the process .
TIRED OF SUBDIVISIONS AND DEVELOPERS taking down our homes, clear cutting 16 trees, eliminating open space, reducing our property values but raising our taxes.
#JUSTSAYNO to this 250 year old street and 157 year old homes being torn down. Attend the next planning board meeting 12/19 and support your residents – or please help to sign the petition.
Stop Destruction of Historic 1830s Ridgewood Home at 315 East Glen!
To be delivered to Mayor Susan Knudsen, Ridgewood Mayor, Deputy Mayor Michael Sedon, Deputy Mayor, Councilman Ramon Hache, Councilman, Councilman Jeff Voigt, Councilman, Councilwoman Bernadette Walsh, Councilwoman and 8 other targets (click here to see more)
Please do not approve the variances that would allow the historic 1830s home at 315 East Glen Avenue in Ridgewood to be destroyed and replaced with two new homes!
There are currently 54 signatures. NEW goal – We need 100 signatures!
Petition Background
I grew up in the historic home at 315 East Glen Avenue, which was built in the early 1830s and shares many original architectural and decorative details with the Hermitage and Hohokus Inn (woodwork, moldings, floors, banisters, windows etc.) It has a fascinating history with residents including the actor Edwin Boothe, and was reputed to have been a part of the Underground Railroad. A woman named Miss Colie lived there during the Depression who was supposed to distribute flour and sugar as a part of the WPA program, but she ended up committing suicide in the garage when she was found to have stolen the supplies.
Aside from the beauty, history and trees/landscaping that would be lost forever with the destruction of this home, the variances requested create issues for the town and neighborhood including:
– non-conformance of buildable and usable square footage to other homes in the area
– water collection, drainage and flood prevention given the reduction of trees and grass due to additonal paving proposed and requirements for running of utility lines
– access and safety of additional cars from secondary home
– non-conformance of variances for a home to be set back and sideways
– non-conformance to expand pathway to 20 ft, (currently no examples in town)
Please join us in opposing the variances that would allow this home to be destroyed and help us to save this historic home for future generations to enjoy as a part of the varied architectural and historic tapestry that make up our community! Thank you for your support!!
Arohnson is enough of a politician to have seen the gathering winds of suburban change and the undercurrent of discord that was building up. Then, he exploited. He used fear of change to create an appealing political message averring managed growth based on shared values. Once he had his triumpherate in place, however, he then set about reoraganizing things according to his own myoptic view. As he was fond of saying, he wanted to remodel Ridgewood in the pattern of the Brunswicks. Developers, hospital administrators, restaurant owners and others drove pick up trucks through his naivete, arrogance, stupidity and, yes, greed, and we taxpayers are left with the mess and the tax burden.
But, its wrong to blame this one target (no matter how blameworth it is ). The truth is we all bear responsibility for having allowed the exploitation to take place. And now the question is what are we really doing to undo what was done and put us back on track.
Absolutely there should be a more professional search process…. However, when talking about government related, other factors are involved. It’s not the private sector. Yes there may be SOME nepotism in RWood but it’s a LOT worse elsewhere and the ones that people bring up aka some certain police officers, the requirements, tests and training ensure that the brightest and best are hired, even though some local town cranks don’t believe it…. the other part is that there are a number of residents who will make a lot of noise and whine when an outside hire is not “attuned” to issues in our “quaint village”. Plus spending our precious tax dollars for professional recruitment will bring howls of protest as well. But yeah, the idea is a good one.
While it sounds good on paper and given the experience with former Village manager who had zero experience as a town manager and little experience in finance sounds like a very good idea . Long time residents will recall the “Marty Brooks fiasco” , for which the Ridgewood Schools District paid a significant sum of money to attract and hire a deeply flawed candidate , Marty Brooks of TERC math fame . Fortunately Brooks declined and the Village and the School system dodged a bullet on that one and was saved .
I know that taking away islands is Knudsen’s idea. I mean that she is working in the spirit of Aronsohn and gang, continuing their work so to speak. Therefore Aronshon and gang get a bonus, a reward. Aronsohn and gang overdeveloped the town as much as possible, but didn’t think of islands at train station. Knudsen did think of it, continuing to tear away at what provides safety and attractiveness to the town. A narrow path at train station makes it virtually impossible for shoppers at farmers market to traverse the area. Commuters will find it much more dangerous to get to their parked cars.
. If CBD is sometimes too crowded to park , so is Westfield Garden State Plaza. And so is Paramus Park Mall and Fashion Center sometimes too crowded. Hey, this is Bergen County. One million people live here.
Hudson St. is the worst possible intersection for a parking garage. Too congested,creating a traffic mess. The garage will never pay for itself; raising parking meter rates to one dollar will keep people away.
Ridgewood NJ, On Dec. 6, the faithful commemorated a bishop in the early church who was known for generosity and love of children. Born in Lycia in Asia Minor , modern day Turkey around the late third or fourth century, St. Nicholas of Myra is more than just the inspiration for the modern day Santa Claus .
St. Nicholas, the original person behind the Santa Claus legend. Known as Nicholas of Myra .The bishop was noted for his unbridled generosity .
Interestingly enough, he played a role in a key event in Christian history, as he answered a request in 325 by the Roman emperor Constantine and took part in the First Council of Nicaea. During that council, leaders of the early Christian church including Nicholas approved the Nicene Creed and settled on a date for the Easter celebration.
St. Nicholas became associated with Christmas because of the tradition that he had of giving secret gifts to children. It is also conjectured that the saint, who was known to wear red robes and have a long white beard, was culturally converted into the large man with a reindeer-drawn sled full of toys because in German, his name is “San Nikolaus” which almost sounds like “Santa Claus.”
Interesting enough, letters weren’t sent to Nicholas until long after his death. While he was recognized as a saint, “letters to santa “didn’t start coming from children until more than 900 years later. They were not seen as toy requests as much as written prayers. The St. Nicholas Center records the first letter as being sent by a little girl at some period after the year 1200.
Well, the previous council and their committees got everything they wanted. That is the reality.
Multi family housing, parking garage, athletic filed at Schedler and to boot a bonus prize for hard work…. tearing away the lovely islands at the train station and putting in a narrow pathway and calling it just as attractive. Aronsohn and his gang must be laughing hard at that one while they sip their champagne. They got an unexpected reward!! Even they would never have suggested tearing away that lovely greenery. Clunk heads , the current council, clunk heads.
or maybe no….
well we do not have a parking garage and we might not ever. The proposed field at Schedler is way smaller than Don Delzio and his denizens proposed. The train station parking lot re-furb will be way WAY better than a gargantuan garage.
Aronsohn and his gang are meeting with lawyers and spending lots of money trying to figure out how to save the remains of their reputations from ethics charges, charges of lying about parking-app contracts, etc. Not a lot of champagne flowing there.
The current council has put bids in for a garage design. They are determined. The field at Schedler with parking spaces and bathrooms will take away enough trees to reduce all wildlife, like the eagles and make the place ugly and full of pollution. The cost of the field and golden bathrooms and parking spaces will be gargantuan. Sedon said he doesn’t care HOW MUCH IT COSTS THE TAXPAYERS. Sedon said it will be done over a period of years and budgeted little by little.. That is cheaters talk. It will still cost taxpayers the same, big raise in taxes overall.
As for those lovely islands at the train station.
” Refurbish” is another SUBURBAN euphemism that means destroy nature for a perceived financial gain. that will make an environment, ugly, polluted, dangerous. By golly, oh jolly let the people who live in the rain forests and lands where wild animals dwell , chop down trees, poach for ivory and sell skins of wild animals. They are POOR and trying to SURVIVE. What example are we rich folds showing them. We can’t save a measly seven acres. When eagles are threatened and leave their nest they die. WHO CARES A CRAP about that.
This town is about as good as it gets when it comes to attracting these chancers and crooks to our political process.
1. It’s wealthy
2. It’s mostly disconnected from the goings-on being that many of the adults work long Wall St hours and the wealthy wives are far too preoccupied with lunches and social activities.
3. It’s a very transient population. People move in so that their kids go through the schools – then move on.
4. The majority are Democrat and have a macro view of Democrat politics, having no clue as to the small town crookery that exists in local politics.
Ridgewood NJ, Village Manager Heather Mailander sent out an email with a list of Year-End News from the Village of Ridgewood starting with the Sale of 2018 Ridgewood Parking Permits (RPP), Final Leaf Collection, Public Valet in Central Business District, Winter Reminders, and Village Hall Holiday Hours.
SALE OF 2018 ANNUAL RIDGEWOOD PARKING PERMITS (RPP)
The 2018 Annual Commuter (Ridgewood Parking Permits – RPP) will go on sale December 18, 2017 at 8:30 a.m., at the Reception Desk in the lobby of Village Hall. All applicants must bring their driver’s license and vehicle registration(s) for car(s) they wish to list on their permits, as the RPPs allow up to 3 cars on each hang tag. The RPPs allow commuters to park in designated Ridgewood parking lots without having to pay the parking meters. The following is a summary of the Ridgewood Parking Permits (RPPs) and their prices:
Premium RPP – $1,000 annual fee – allows Ridgewood residents to park in the Train Station lot, Hudson Street lot, Prospect Street lot, and all Ridgewood lots, including Route 17 Park and Ride lot. A maximum of 210 Premium RPPs will be sold, on a first come, first served basis.
Non-Premium RPP – $750 annual fee – allows Ridgewood residents to park in Chestnut Street lot, North Walnut Street lot, Cottage Place lot, and Route 17 Park and Ride lot.
Park and Ride RPP – $750 annual fee – this price is for both Ridgewood residents and non-residents, and allows parking in the Route 17 Park and Ride lot.
Non-resident RPP in Central Business District – $1,500 annual fee – allows non-residents to park in the Cottage Place lot.
Ridgewood Resident Sticker – Free – All Ridgewood resident commuters who wish to park at the train station must bring in their driver’s license and vehicle registration(s) to obtain a free Ridgewood Resident sticker. Free Ridgewood Resident stickers will also be issued to all Ridgewood residents purchasing RPPs.
The Village will accept checks, cash, or credit cards (with a 3% transaction fee to the user) for payment.
There are also Central Business District (CBD) Employee stickers and hang tags that may be purchased by those who work in the CBD and allows parking at designated meters in the North Walnut Street and Cottage Place lots.
For more information, please visit our website: www.ridgewoodnj.net.
FINAL LEAF COLLECTION
The Village is currently picking up leaves in Section D, and that section should be finished by Christmas, weather permitting. The final leaf placement dates for the entire Village will be December 23rd through January 1st. After January 1st, do not place any more leaves into the street, along the curbline. Our leaf crews will pick up the leaves, beginning January 2nd. After January 1st, residents having additional leaves to dispose of must keep them on their property, until the spring.
PUBLIC VALET IN CENTRAL BUSINESS DISTRICT
The Village Council has funded a Public Valet in the Central Business District on Friday and Saturday nights, from 6:00 p.m. to 1:00 a.m., throughDecember 30th. The location is Van Neste Square, by the park, and the cost is $5 per vehicle. Come and enjoy a night in the Central Business District with family and friends, during this holiday season, with easy parking through the Public Valet.
WINTER REMINDERS
We have already experienced a couple of snowfalls this month. As a reminder, when it snows or is icy, please place your garbage cans at the end of your driveway for collection. We appreciate your cooperation in keeping our Village employees safe.
All sidewalks in residential districts must be cleared within 24 hours of the snow falling. Please do not place snow into the street; instead, place it back onto your own property. In addition, if you have a fire hydrant on your property, please clear it of any snow accumulation.
HOLIDAY HOURS
All Village offices will be closed on December 25th, December 26th, and January 1st, in observance of the Christmas and New Year’s holidays.
Wishing you and yours a joyous holiday season and a happy and healthy New Year!
Ridgewood NJ, Annually the Ridgewood Arts Foundation honors two organizations in the Village that contribute to artistic appreciation and accessibility to artistic programs.
For 2018 the Honorees are:
Reel Voices Film Festival at The Rdgiewood Public Library
Tic Toc (To Introduce Culture to Our Children)
Ridgewood NJ, In a letter to Hopewell Valley Central High School parents this week, district Superintendent Thomas Smith spelled out his intention to propose a random drug-testing program for students next school year.
Given the events of the last few months some observers think it would be prudent for the Ridgewood School district to follow suit.
According to NJ.COM , The proposed plan comes after officials at the Hopewell Valley Central High School saw an increase in students under the influence of marijuana, prescription drugs and alcohol, he said. Smith also said the district has discovered middle school students under the influence.
During the 2015-16 school year, seven students violated the substance abuse policy, and in the 2016-17 year, the number rose to 24.
Under the proposed policy, a student who tests positive under the random test would not receive the current academic suspension, “but rather alternatives that focus on prevention such as meeting with the Student Assistance Counselor (SAC) and attending and completing an Early Intervention Program,” Smith wrote.
Superintendent Thomas Smith claimed that no test results would initiate criminal charges or an investigation. The district will not share test results with any law enforcement agency.
The policy would apply to all students in grades 9-12 who are in any extra-curricular or co-curricular activities, or any student who holds a permit to park on school property.It will also apply to any student who voluntarily elects to the program with parental consent.
Ridgewood NJ, Ridgewood has a new property tax savings program that aims to encourage residents to think and shop locally in exchange for a break on their tax bill. Property taxes in Ridgewood, New Jersey are among the highest in the state.
The Village of Ridgewood is now offering prepaid debit cards and instead of points or miles, you get property tax relief. The new program is called the Estate Card. It’s run by Municipal Cards, LLC.
Every time you are out and about in the Village you can save money. Debit Cardholders add money every month to their accounts to receive a base .25 percent on purchases towards their property taxes plus as much as an additional 30% at participating national retailers like Walmart, and local merchants like Trattoria La Bocca.
Traditionally businesses are usually charged a fee for swiping a credit card, but with the Estate Card this fee, in part, is rebated back to the customer towards their third quarter property taxes.
Businesses hope it will lure shoppers in to the central business district and for the Village it comes with an added advantage of revenue coming in sooner.
For consumers there is no monthly cost, spending requirement, or limit on the cards. The more you shop, the more tax dollars you save. The Estate Card is also available in other New Jersey towns such as Bridgewater, East Brunswick and South Plainfield.
Ridgewood NJ, The Village Council voted to terminate its contract with Parkmobile this week, after it was discovered that the Village had incurred huge service fees with the parking app they have used since 2015.
The Fee issue was first raised publicly during an October meeting when CFO Robert Rooney told the council that the parking utility loses about 30 cents on the dollar every time the smartphone app is used. He said that since signing its contract with Parkmobile in February 2015, the village has paid $140,000 in service fees to the company.
Resolution 15-52 , the resolutions granting ParkMobile a 2 year contract ,clearly states that the Village will incur no additional service fees or contract fees .
Most of the blame has fallen on Roberta Sonenfeld who was the Village Manager, although she thought she was an elected official. The fact is she should never EVER have signed that contract when she was only authorized by resolution to sign a contract with NO ADDITIONAL FEES.
Reader stated , “that She bragged about her business prowess and being a Six Sigma expert. Based on her acrimonious, arrogant and ignorant behavior, she proved to be a Five Phi Failure!”
