Ridgewood NJ, The Village’s Central Valet Parking Program kicked off on Friday evening, 10/27 at Van Neste Square. The service, modified since the plan was originally announced, will initially be available ONLY at Van Neste Square. Valeted vehicles will be parked in the Village’s Cottage Place Municipal Parking Lot.
Original plans called for use of parking areas on East Ridgewood Avenue near the train tracks and within the North Walnut Street …Municipal Parking Lot – those plans have been scrubbed, at least for now. A selected number of parking spaces at Van Neste Square and within the Cottage Place Municipal Parking Lot have been restricted for use by the valet parking service provider. There are currently no businesses participating in the valet parking “validation” process. It is hoped as the program gains in popularity, businesses will submit applications to participate. The valet parking service charge is believed to be $5.00.
The Central Valet service will be available for all shoppers and diners in Ridgewood’s Central Business District on Friday and Saturday nights, from 5:00 p.m. to 1:00 a.m., and running through December 30th.
“ZERO TOLERANCE POLICY – MISCHIEF NIGHT AND HALLOWEEN – PARENT ADVISORY”
October 28,2017
the staff of the Ridgewood blog
Ridgewood NJ, The Ridgewood Police Department will be continuing our Zero Tolerance Policy this year during “Mischief Night” and Halloween (October 30th and 31st respectively). This policy is vital for the safety of our children and the protection of property. We are urging parents to take an active role in order for assist us in this endeavor.
Historically, our community had experienced significant property damage as well as mischievous and criminal behavior by unsupervised juveniles and young adults on these nights. We have also had problems with juveniles congregating in large groups in various areas of the Village. Parents and guardians should be aware of the activity that occurs when their children are unsupervised. Most property damage and criminal activity occurs when seemingly harmless behavior and pranks escalate out of control. Parents are asked to establish dialogue with their children about unacceptable behavior or, more importantly, not allow their children out without adult supervision. Parents must be cognizant of their children’s actions and behavior. Children leaving the home dressed in dark clothing and/or in possession of items such as eggs, shaving cream and other malicious items are traditionally a formula for trouble.
This year, we are recommending that all parents limit their children’s “mischief” to their own property. In the past, homes and moving vehicles have been the target of eggs, rocks and, in some instances, paintball guns. Toilet paper strewn across utility lines has created visibility hazards, which can easily lead to serious danger for the motoring public and our children.
The standards that we will be enforcing this year include:
A Zero Tolerance policy towards acts of Criminal Mischief, Trespassing and aggressive behavior. Anyone found defacing or damaging property will be transported to police headquarters and will face criminal charges.
Any children found with items that we believe pose a significant threat to persons or property will be transported to police headquarters and may face criminal charges. These items include eggs, spray paint, paintball guns, etc.
Anyone who operates a motor vehicle in violation of the law will be issued the appropriate motor vehicle summonses.
We will be confiscating all potentially destructive items, including toilet paper and shaving cream, from children who are wandering unsupervised on our streets. Names of all unsupervised juveniles will be recorded.
We will be supplementing the normal patrol force throughout both Mischief Night and Halloween with additional officers to prevent criminal mischief, criminal activity, and aggressive driving and to ensure the safety of our children. It is important for parents and the community to work in cooperation with the Ridgewood Police Department to deter criminal activity and make both Mischief Night and Halloween safe and enjoyable for all.
Ridgewood NJ, Well once again it is about Betsy the Sheep. Healthy Choice organic Mattress of Ridgewood, has been summoned to court on November 9th @4:30pm by the town of Ridgewood because they had Betsy on the sidewalk in front of our store. The town deems her unsafe. It’s not like she is running around or grazing. She is an icon. Help Save Our Sheep! Come into any Healthy Choice organic Mattress locations and sign their petition for the Ridgewood Mayor and Council to permit Betsy to adorn our store.
Healthy Choice Organic Mattress was founded with a mission to become a leader in the natural mattress business. They are a socially responsible company committed to offering the healthiest, most comfortable and highest quality mattresses on the market. They also believe that in order to be a truly successful business they must continually seek to improve the lives of our customers and employees, while always considering their impact on the local community and the world’s environment.
Their vast experience in the manufacturing of luxury mattresses has enabled us to design an exquisitely comfortable line of mattresses using only the highest quality natural materials.
In an effort to reduce our carbon footprint and to support the local economy, all Healthy Choice mattress are handcrafted in Connecticut. We have over 30 years of manufacturing experience and use only locally produced and American-made materials.
Healthy Choice organic Mattress of Ridgewood
14 Wilsey Sq
Ridgewood, New Jersey
Ridgewood NJ, This film may be one of the most important you see this year. Please join us for a screening of “Warning: This Drug May Kill You” and a panel discussion about the opioid crisis at the Reel Voices Film Festival on Friday, November 3 @ 7pm. See the TRAILER:
Reel Voices Film Festival: “WARNING: This Drug May Kill You”
Ridgewood Public Library
Friday, Nov. 3, 7:00-9:00 pm
or call 201-670-5600.
“WARNING: This Drug May Kill You” (2017; US, TV-14; 1h)
An unflinching look at the devastating effects of opioid addiction in the U.S., profiling four families whose lives have been decimated by addictions that all began with legitimate prescriptions to dangerous painkillers. Through the personal and emotional stories of people on the front lines of this epidemic, the film sheds light on the struggles of ordinary people who were prescribed highly addictive opioid pain medications, which are often the gateway to a very similar opioid, heroin. ($5 per program; free for Middle and High School Students)
SPEAKERS
Perri Peltz: Director, Producer, Journalist
Gail Cole: Film Subject & Co-Founder, Hope and Healing After Addition
Sgt. Mark Panjwani: Drug Recogntion Expert; Paramedic, Beverly Police Dept, MA
Ridgewood NJ, Coach Jeff Yearing reports that the RHS Girls Soccer team has received the United Soccer Coaches High School Girls Team Academic Award (formerly the National Soccer Coaches Association of America — NSCAA). One of only six high schools out of 1,112 schools to have received the award since its inception in 1996, RHS has earned this recognition 18 times.
Ridgewood Nj, the Ridgewood Blog Will Be Undergoing Technical Upgrades of the next week or so , we are working on improving the speed and security of the site.
Ridgewood NJ, Ridgewood Water will be performing system flushing which consists of the operation of fire hydrants at flow velocities sufficient to remove naturally occurring minerals that have precipitated out of the water and settled. This may temporarily discolor the water so we will be conducting this activity late at night to minimize the effect on consumers. There are no health concerns associated with the minerals that get stirred up, but residents are urged to avoid doing laundry while crews are working.
Ridgewood Water will notify residents using the Swiftreach calling system in advance of the work in their specific areas. Residents may register to receive these calls by clicking on the SwiftH2O link on the bottom of our website or by going to https://water.ridgewoodnj.net/index.php?option=com_wrapper&view=wrapper&Itemid=89
To determine which flushing route you are in and when flushing in your area is scheduled for, or to see a video on the hydrant flushing process, go to an interactive map at https://rwh2o.maps.arcgis.com/apps/MapSeries/index.html…
Ridgewood NJ, professional planner Beth McManus spoke at the Ridgewood Council meeting Wednesday night to clarify where the Village stands in regards to Affordable Housing . Beth has experience and expertise in the Affordable Housing arena . The Village has voluntary engaged in the process of Affordable Housing with the incentive of being immune from a builders remedy ,which often results in oversized high density developments being forced on the town and the tax payers .
The Mount Laurel decision found that New Jersey municipalities have a constitutional obligation to provide housing for households of all incomes in their community , since 1990 Ridgewood is in a better positions to meet it housing obligations do to proactive policies .
Fair Share Housing (FSHC) a party to the state supreme court decision and a party to every single case in the state , basically Fair Share Housing has to sign off on all Affordable Housing settlements . Fair Share Housing Center (FSHC), founded in 1975, is the only public interest organization entirely devoted to defending the housing rights of New Jersey’s poor through enforcement of the Mount Laurel Doctrine, the landmark decision that prohibits economic discrimination through exclusionary zoning and requires all towns to provide their “fair share” of their region’s need for affordable housing.
Affordable Housing in New Jersey is available for people with incomes from around $50 to as high as $86,000.
The Mount Laurel decision and doctrine seem nothing more than another socialist redistribution of wealth through property. The Mount Laurel decision and doctrine should be more aptly called the “developers full employment act ” and the” lawyers get rich act .”
In essence towns are forced to build affordable housing as a percentage of new construction . Developers can only make money by allocating a small percentage of the development to affordable housing. Thus 1000 new units built would equal at most 100 affordable housing units at most . Meaning massive developments would have to be built to meet these obligations , changing the character and quality of life in most of Bergen county de facto turning the county into the 6th borough of New York City in density.
The Mount Laurel decision also fails to rectify the housing obligations with a declining New Jersey population , New Jersey is still the best place to move from in the USA and recent census shows a decline of over 30,000 in population . It also fails to remedy the impact on the current real-estate market of swamping communities with massive affordable housing projects . Mount Laurel also leaves the New Jersey taxpayer with undue burden forcing even more residents to flee the state . Taxes will continue there upward spiral due the high cost of implementing Mount Laurel and all the additional burdens of building up infrastructure , roads, schools, water, gas and so on all coming out of the taxpayers pocket.
Ridgewood NJ, Proving once again the old adage that there’s no such thing as a free lunch, Village CFO Robert G. Rooney just revealed that revenue reports from the Village’s Parking Utility indicate usage of the Parkmobile app within Ridgewood resulted in approximately $200k in the form of an annual commission being paid to Parkmobile, Inc.
That $200k could have been retained by Village if cash had been used in parking meters instead of parking fees having been paid by app/phone.
Parkmobile was introduced for use in Ridgewood during May of 2015. It was touted by then Village Manager, Roberta Sonenfeld as offering an alternative method of providing payment for parking.
Ridgewood NJ, once again the Community Relations Advisory Board of Ridgewood and Glen Rock or CRAB for short is inserting it self we it does not belong . Sources tell the Ridgewood blog that the group is attempting to insert it self into the curriculum of the schools and as usual pushing its agenda on students , talking about what museums they must or must not visit . Why we ask is an advisory board of the Village council spending as much as an hour and half of their time looking for ways to influence the school board. Sources on the Ridgewood School board tell us that CRAB should not be inserting itself into school curriculum .
Drove past the Town Garage with more boarded up broken windows.; realized it’s a sign of a town in decline , Put a Witch and a Ghost placard on it and it’s ready for Halloween fifty two weeks a year,
We care and are all concerned about the focus on Valet and other Parking issues while the roads and abandoned structures continue to go to Seed.
VILLAGE COUNCIL
SPECIAL PUBLIC MEETING
OCTOBER 25, 2017
7:30 P.M.
1. Call to Order – Mayor
2. Statement of Compliance with the Open Public Meeting Act
MAYOR: “Adequate notice of this meeting has been provided by a posting on the bulletin board in Village Hall, by mail to the Ridgewood News, The Record, and by submission to all persons entitled to same as provided by law of a schedule including the date and time of this meeting.”
3. Roll Call
4. RESOLUTIONS
THE FOLLOWING RESOLUTION, NUMBERED 17-328, WILL BE ADOPTED BY A CONSENT AGENDA, WITH ONE VOTE BY THE VILLAGE COUNCIL. THERE IS A BRIEF DESCRIPTION BESIDE THIS RESOLUTION TO BE CONSIDERED ON THE CONSENT AGENDA. THE RESOLUTION WILL BE READ BY TITLE ONLY:
17-328 Award Contract – Telecommunications Equipment for Water Pollution Control Facility Sanitary Sewage Pump Stations – Hardware and Software (NTE $71,000) – Awards a contract to the sole source supplier, Emerson Process Management Power and Water Solutions, Inc., 200 Beta Drive, Pittsburgh, PA
5. Adjournment
Village Council Public Workshop
THE RIDGEWOOD VILLAGE COUNCIL’S PUBLIC WORKSHOP AGENDA
OCTOBER 25, 2017
7:30 P.M.
7:30 pm – Call to Order – Mayor
Statement of Compliance with Open Public Meeting Act
Mayor: “Adequate notice of this meeting has been provided by a posting on the bulletin board in Village Hall, by mail to the Ridgewood News, The Record, and by submission to all persons entitled to same as provided by law of a schedule including the date and time of this meeting.”
Roll Call – Village Clerk
Flag Salute/Moment of Silence
Public Comments (Not to Exceed 3 Minutes per Person – 40 Minutes in Total)
Presentation
Affordable Housing Presentation by Beth McManus, Planner
Discussion
Budget
Award Contract – Tele-Communications Hardware and Software – WPCF
Motion to Suspend Work Session and Convene Special Public Meeting
Special Public Meeting – See Attached Agenda
Motion to Adjourn Special Public Meeting and Reconvene Work Session
Discussion
Ridgewood Water
Water Utility Interest Rates
Water Administrative Maintenance Fees
Award Additional Contract – Infrared Asphalt Surface & Misc. Repairs
Award Change Order – Lafayette Reservoir Improvement
Parking
Hudson Street Parking Garage Funding
Hudson Street Parking Garage Design Criteria
2018 Parking Permits
Budget
Tax Title Lien Premium
Interest Rate for Delinquent Taxes
Interest Rate for Non-Payment of Other Municipal Liens
Interest Rate for Significant Sewer Dischargers
Approve Shared Services Agreement – Monthly Child Health Conference
Award Professional Services – Monthly Child Health Conference
Award Professional Services – Nursing Services for Community Health Programs
Award Sole Source Provider Contract – Software Support – Edmunds
Award Contract – Recycling of Vegetative Waste
Award Contract – Refurbish Leach Body for Sanitation Vehicle
Award National Cooperative Contract – F650 Cab Chassis, Dump Body, Salt Spreader and Snow Plow
Award National Cooperative Contract – Two Front End Snow Plows and Two Sanitation Truck Snow Plows
Award National Cooperative Contract – Bobcat Skid –Steer Loader
Policy
Crane Safety Ordinance
Fundraising Information on Village Website
Police Vehicle Leasing/Maintenance Program
Operations
Zoning in CBD
Zoning in of Route 17 South
Manager’s Report
Council Report
Public Comments (Not to Exceed 5 Minutes per Person)
Resolution to go into Closed Session
Closed Session
Legal – Valley Hospital, Affordable Housing
Contract Negotiations – Town Garage Property
Personnel – Boards and Committees
Ridgewood NJ, On Thursday, November 2, the Ridgewood High School Department of Fine and Practical Arts will present the first Maroon & White Music Recital and Art Exhibit for the 2017-18 school year. The first of five such events for this year, the concert will be held in the newly renovated RHS Learning Commons beginning at 3:45 p.m., followed immediately by a reception and gallery opening in the Carroll Art Gallery. Admission is free and open to the public.
There is one set of parking spots that is always unfilled – unfortunately, those reliably empty spots are all in the designated employee parking section of the Cottage lot.
Walk by and look for yourself. Often the majority of the employee spots are empty. The Village needs to act on this, reducing the employee spots to more closely reflect actual usage by employees. A close examination will reveal that some of those spots are being used by non-employees willing to risk the ticket given the difficulty of finding parking spaces during certain times.
Is it possible that the Village has intentionally maintained the excess employee capacity for the purpose of increased revenue from tickets, since the income from a ticket for one spot greatly exceeds the income from quarters for parking in the same spot?
I now visit downtown Ridgewood less than any time in the past 25 years, based on the unreliable availability of parking. Glen Rock, Wyckoff, Waldwick, Washington Township and Ho-Ho-kus now receive more of my business even though I still live in Ridgewood. I suspect that I am not the only resident to decrease usage of the CBD based on parking issues. The planned addition of high density housing will not make that situation any better, to say the least.
In my 25 years in the Village, Ridgewood has wasted money on repeated studies on how to fix the parking situation without acting on the recommendations in any effective way.
Ridgewood’s CBD has long been a selling point for living in Ridgewood, but the attraction has been decreasing lately.
Ridgewood NJ, On Saturday, October 21, the Ridgewood High School Marching Band competed at Ridge High School as part of the USBands competition circuit. This was the band’s fourth competition, and they were awarded first place in group 5A with a score of 89.475, receiving the highest score in Visual, Overall Effect, and Color Guard. The band not only placed first in their respective group, but also amongst every band there, winning “Best in Show.”
