DECEMBER 9, 2015 LAST UPDATED: WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 9, 2015, 10:15 AM
BY MARK KRULISH
STAFF WRITER |
THE RIDGEWOOD NEWS
(This article is the fourth of an ongoing series examining the Schedler property and the issues surrounding it.)
In the dense, suburban jungle that is Bergen County, some of the most precious resources enjoyed by many residents are the pockets of open space scattered amongst the endless tracts of homes, apartments and office and business buildings.
Like many towns, there is a shortage of open space in Ridgewood. The vast majority of the community is built out and much of the remaining undeveloped open space is only usable as conservation land.
In fact, the majority of the village’s parkland is conservation land, said Parks and Recreation Director Tim Cronin. Ridgewood’s largest park, Grove Park, is more than 30 acres, but is unusable for any kind of recreation.
The end result is a tremendous strain on the village’s outdoor facilities.
“It’s a very unusual town,” said Cronin. “Most people don’t realize this is the biggest school system in Bergen County. When I say that, people look at me and they scratch their head and say: How can that be? We’re 25,000 people, we’re bigger than Hackensack?”
This atypical situation has become part and parcel to the discussion of the construction of a second “60-90” field on the Schedler property on West Saddle River Road. As previously covered in The Ridgewood News, neighbors are concerned their quality of life will plummet, while the Ridgewood Baseball Softball Association (RBSA) says the need for a second full-size diamond is too great to ignore.
NOVEMBER 18, 2015 LAST UPDATED: WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 18, 2015, 10:55 AM
BY MARK KRULISH
STAFF WRITER |
THE RIDGEWOOD NEWS
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(This article is the first of an ongoing series examining the Schedler property and the issues surrounding it.)
If you were to take a drive up West Saddle River Road, you would see a typical quiet suburban neighborhood with homes and manicured lawns spread out on small winding streets.
However, you would also see green signs asking people to help save their neighborhood as plans loom on the distant horizon for possible development of the area near the Zabriskie-Schedler house.
The house sits on 7 acres of woodlands between West Saddle River Road and the northbound side of Route 17. Last Sunday afternoon, it was also the site of a rally attended by dozens of neighborhood residents who fear their quiet environment, property values, health and quality of life would be harmed by development.
“Our concern is our houses, our quality of life and the impact on us,” said Paul D’Arpa, a Racetrack Road resident who organized the event. “We don’t want to stop the kids from being kids and playing. But is this the right environment for everyone?”
On a recent cloudy, drizzly Tuesday afternoon, D’Arpa stood on the sidewalk on West Saddle Road. He made his way further into the woods, moving towards Route 17. A soft-spoken man, the sound of trucks, buses and cars roaring by drowned out his voice.
“How is an umpire supposed to make calls here?” he asked, referring to a proposal to build a 90-foot baseball diamond after clearing some of the trees away. D’Arpa was standing at the approximate spot for home plate.
At the moment, the concept for the baseball field is just that – a proposal presented in October during a Village Council meeting, although the issue dates back several years. The council has not taken any action in regards to the field except for a resolution endorsing a report by the Open Space Committee that recommended a 90-foot baseball diamond with multi-purpose overlay field be constructed on the Schedler property.
But building a field and possibly clearing several acres of trees could result in unacceptable noise coming from the highway along with added pollution of the heavy traffic that passes through the area. The proposal detailed in October has a six-and-a-half foot high, 17-foot wide berm with deciduous trees along the highway and another line of trees along West Saddle River Road.
However, local residents who have come forward since the latest proposal was unveiled have said this may not be enough to satisfactorily reduce the potential negative side-effects of building a park and field.
OCTOBER 21, 2015 LAST UPDATED: WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 21, 2015, 3:03 PM
BY MARK KRULISH
STAFF WRITER |
THE RIDGEWOOD NEWS
Ridgewood’s Open Space Committee will be undertaking a survey to help prepare an update for its Open Space Plan.
The idea behind the survey is to reach a sample of Ridgewood residents and find out how they use the village’s fields and recreational areas as well as what they would like to see in the future.
Ralph Currey, the chair of the committee, said members are in the planning stages of updating its Open Space and Recreation Plan, which was last updated in 2010. Jim Bostler, a member of the Open Space Committee, said the report would hopefully be updated by the spring of 2016.
One of the necessary elements of the plan as required by New Jersey’s Green Acres program is to perform what is known as a “needs analysis,” which is defined as an examination of the adequacy of the current open space and recreational systems to satisfy present and future needs.
Currey said past open space reports had relied on national and state guidelines for determining the amount of open and recreational space the village should have, based on a few factors such as population and size.
OCTOBER 19, 2015 LAST UPDATED: MONDAY, OCTOBER 19, 2015, 10:08 AM
BY MARK KRULISH
STAFF WRITER |
THE RIDGEWOOD NEWS
After a lengthy public hearing on Oct. 14, the Village Council decided to move forward with the process of procuring a grant for phase one of the Schedler Park project and accept a monetary gift from the Ridgewood Baseball/Softball Association (RBSA).
The approval of the two resolutions came with the notion of exploring other possible sites for a 90-foot field while scaling down the playing field at Schedler to a 60-foot diamond, which was supported by some residents in attendance.
Village Manager Roberta Sonenfeld started the hearing with an update to the grant money available to the village. Sonenfeld reported that Bergen County received a high number of requests and the village lowered its amount to $75,000.
The RBSA also decided to increase the amount offered in its gift to the village to $150,000, Sonenfeld said.
Click Here for the Schedler Park and House Grant Timeline – as reported by the Village Manager at the September 16, 2015 Village Council Public Meeting.
Wednesday, August 12th the Village Council discussed the use of the Schedler property. They voted on the following resolutions:
Click Here for Schedler Property Resolution including House
Click Here for Resolution to apply fpr Schedler House Grant
Click Here for Conceptual Map of the park project. The existing structure (460 W. Saddle River Road) is identified by standard architecture/engineering markings. The electrical wire to the house is included. The garage is not identified on this drawing.
Ridgewood NJ , Ridgewood PD Patrol Officer Steven Shortway and Ridgewood High School Athletic Director Keith Cook examine damage to an athletic field at Ridgewood High School caused by vandals who burned two (2) separate large images of male genitalia into the artificial turf. No exact dollar estimate of the damage was immediately available, but reports are that it could cost several thousand dollars to repair.
Click Here for the Schedler Park and House Grant Timeline – as reported by the Village Manager at the September 16, 2015 Village Council Public Meeting.
Application to Bergen County Open Space Trust Fund – 2015 Municipal Program
At the September 9, 2015 Village Council there was discussion about the grant application submitted to Bergen County Open Space Trust Fund for the Schedler Park Property – Phase 1.
Click Here Application
Schedler Property Resolutions – August 12 Village Council Public Meeting
Wednesday, August 12th the Village Council discussed the use of the Schedler property. They voted on the following resolutions:
Click Here for Schedler Property Resolution including House
Click Here for Resolution to apply fpr Schedler House Grant
Click Here for Conceptual Map of the park project. The existing structure (460 W. Saddle River Road) is identified by standard architecture/engineering markings. The electrical wire to the house is included. The garage is not identified on this drawing.
SEPTEMBER 18, 2015 LAST UPDATED: FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 18, 2015, 12:31 AM
THE RIDGEWOOD NEWS
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Old plans could present solution for Schedler
To the Editor:
There can be a sensible alternative to construction of a 90-foot baseball/multiuse field in a heavily wooded area on the Schedler property, and with little cost to the sports groups or the village. There is an existing 80-foot field at Pleasant Park that can be expanded to 90 feet. An existing plan, before the purchase of Schedler, might well be a solution.
In fact, both Veteran’s Field and the Pleasant Field were slated to become 90-foot fields as replacements when the field at Benjamin Franklin Middle School was turned into a track. A 2007-08 report on our Parks and Facilities by Schoor-DePalma-CMX (“Comprehensive Parks, Facilities and Recreation Plan”), paid for by the village, was presented to the council in 2008 recommending that the 80-foot existing baseball field at Pleasant Park be expanded, as well as Veteran’s Field, which now has a 90-foot field.
Of course, this report was written before the Schedler property was purchased.
After Schedler was purchased, the Pleasant Park extension was discarded. Reasons for the change by the village were soil conditions, objections by neighbors, permits from the DEP, etc. But no studies were ever done, and to my knowledge, no correspondence with the state.
The Pleasant Park neighbors are right to be concerned that a 90-foot field brings lights, noise, and traffic that could disrupt the Lawns neighborhood. But why are their concerns more important to the town than the residents on the east side.
Why not revive the idea of adding just a few feet to the existing 80-foot field at Pleasant with the following restrictions: no lights, no turf, and strict penalties for loud and disturbing behavior. As long as the players and fans play by the rules, the neighbors should be glad to help out. We would balance the loss of less than an acre of trees versus over 5 acres of trees at Schedler.
Sure, it would be nice to go across town to an area of east side residents near the Schedler property, put up a field, put in over 70 parking spaces and create problems on a narrow roadway, not to mention cutting down acres of trees that buffer the view and sounds of Route 17.
A traffic study in the middle of August on a residential street is not the right time to see what traffic is really like when school is out, when rush hour occurs, etc.
If this village is concerned about money, how would they justify an outlay of at least $1 million to level 5 acres at least, in an area that is uneven at best, put in a field, create a large berm around most of the property as buffer so trucks or cars don’t crash into the field?
The solution, a much less expensive solution, one that was proposed in the report, paid for by the village, is to extend the field at Pleasant.
VILLAGE OF RIDGEWOOD VILLAGE COUNCIL
REGULAR PUBLIC MEETING
AUGUST 12, 2015
8:00 P.M.
1. Call to Order – Mayor
2. Statement of Compliance with the Open Public Meetings Act
3. Roll Call – Village Clerk
4. Flag Salute and Moment of Silence
5. Acceptance of Financial Reports
6. Approval of Minutes
7. Proclamations
A. Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over 2015 Statewide Crackdown
B. Declare September Ovarian Cancer Awareness Month
C. Declare September National Preparedness Month
8. Comments from the Public (Not to exceed 5 minutes per person – 30 minutes in total)
9. Motion to Suspend Regular Public Meeting and Convene Special Work Session
10. Special Work Session – See Attached Agenda
11. Motion to Adjourn Special Work Session and Reconvene Regular Public Meeting
12. Manager’s Report
13. Village Council Reports
14. ORDINANCES – INTRODUCTION
3494 – Amend Chapter 265 – Vehicles and Traffic – 15 Minute Parking Meter – Establishes a third
15-minute parking meter on the east side of North Walnut Street, closest to East Ridgewood Avenue
3495 – Capital Ordinance – Construction of Handicapped Ramp at Graydon Pool Parking Lot ($35,000)– Appropriates this money for the construction of a handicapped ramp at the Graydon Pool parking lot. The amount appropriated will be paid back through a Community Development Block Grant.
3496 – Amend Chapter 249 – Streets and Sidewalks – Barricades –Establishes the use of Village barricades in residential areas as well as in the Central Business District for various events
3497 – Amend Chapter 145 – Fees – Establish Deposit Fees for Use of Barricades – Establishes a deposit fee of $125 for the use of barricades in residential areas and $500 as a one-time fee for the use of Village barricades by groups, churches, and non-profits. This deposit will be returned as long as the barricades are returned and are not damaged. If the barricades are not returned or are damaged, the deposit will pay for the replacement or repair of the barricades.
3498 – Establish Policy for Maintenance of Tree Wells – Establishes a policy whereby the owner of a property is responsible for the maintenance of the interior of the tree wells located in/on the sidewalk by weeding, removing debris and maintaining the overall clean appearance of the tree wells
3499 – Amend Chapter 265 – Vehicles and Traffic – U-Turn Prohibition and Parking Restrictions at Willard School –Establishes no U-Turns on portions of Morningside Road and California Street; no parking on portions of Morningside Road and no stopping or standing areas on portions of Morningside Road in the area of Willard School
15. ORDINANCES – PUBLIC HEARING
3485 – Prohibit U-Turns in Various Locations in Central Business District
3486 – Amend Chapter 265 – Vehicles and Traffic – Establish Stop Signs at Westbrook Road and Norgate Drive
3487 – Amend Chapter 265 – Additional Valet Parking Loading Zone – Chestnut Street
3488 – Lease of 1057 Hillcrest Road
16. RESOLUTIONS
THE FOLLOWING RESOLUTIONS, NUMBERED 15-228 THROUGH
15-256 ARE TO BE ADOPTED BY A CONSENT AGENDA, WITH ONE VOTE BY THE VILLAGE COUNCIL. THERE IS A BRIEF DESCRIPTION BESIDE EACH RESOLUTION TO BE CONSIDERED ON THE CONSENT AGENDA. EACH RESOLUTION WILL BE READ BY TITLE ONLY:
15-228 Title 59 Approval – Snowplowing Services – Approves the plans and specifications for Snowplowing Services (November 1, 2015 through May 1, 2016, inclusive) in the Village of Ridgewood, prepared by the Engineering Division, pursuant to Title 59
15-229 Award Contract – Snowplowing Services – Awards a contract to the lowest responsible bidder, ConQuest Construction, 20 Carver Avenue, Westwood, NJ
15-230 Award Contract – Snow Removal – Sidewalk and Deck Clearing Services – Awards a contract to the lowest responsible bidder, Downes Tree Service, Inc., 65 Royal Avenue, Hawthorne, NJ
15-231 Award Contract – Printing Services ($50,000) –Awards a contract to Ridgewood Press, 609 Franklin Turnpike, Ridgewood, NJ. This is necessary due to payments exceeding $17,500 with this vendor during the 2015 calendar year.
15-232 Award Contract – Emergency Repairs of Graydon Pool Well (NTE $15,118.75) – Awards an emergency contract to Rinbrand Well Drilling Co., Inc., 14 Waldron Avenue, Glen Rock, NJ
15-233 Award Professional Services Contract – Consulting Engineering Services – Ridgewood Water (NTE $147,300) – Awards a no-bid professional services contract to Arcadis U.S., Inc., 17-17 Route 208 North, Fair Lawn, NJ. The required Pay to Play forms have been filed.
15-234 Award Professional Services Contract – Emergency Laboratory Services – Water Department (NTE $33,865) – Awards a no-bid professional services contract to Agra Environmental Laboratory Services, 90½ West Blackwell Street, Dover, NJ. The required Pay to Play forms have been filed.
15-235 Award Professional Services Contract – Lead and Copper and Water Quality Parameter Testing & Compliance Services – Ridgewood Water (NTE $68,100) – Awards a no-bid professional services contract to Agra Environmental Laboratory Services, 90½ West Blackwell Street, Dover, NJ. The required Pay to Play forms have been filed.
15-236 Award Professional Services Contract – Groundwater Under the Direct Influence of Surface Water – Ridgewood Water (NTE $88,250) – Awards a no-bid professional services contract to Leggette, Brashears & Graham, Inc., 600 East Crescent Avenue, Upper Saddle River, NJ. The required Pay to Play forms have been filed.
15-237 Title 59 Approval – Siding Repairs to Traffic and Signal Building – Approves the plans and specifications for Siding Repairs to the Traffic and Signal Building, 561 Prospect Street, Glen Rock, NJ prepared by the Engineering Division, pursuant to Title 59
15-238 Award Partial Contract – Siding Repairs to Traffic and Signal Building (NTE $33,478.22) – Awards a partial contract to the lowest responsible bidder, Stone Creek, Inc., 10 First Street, Lodi, NJ
15-239 Award Professional Services Contract – Maintenance Agreement for SCADA System and Software Support (NTE $15,625) – Water Pollution Control Facility –Awards a professional services contract to Keystone Engineering Group, 590 Lancaster Avenue, Suite 200, Frazer, PA
15-240 Award Contract Under State Contract – Ford
F-150 Pick-up Truck – Parking Utility (NTE $29,335) – Awards a contract under State contract to Winner Ford, 250 Berlin Road, Cherry Hill, NJ
15-241 Award Contract Under State Contract – Snowplows (NTE $9800) – Awards a contract under State contract to Van Dine Motors,
135 Railroad Avenue, Hackensack, NJ
15-242 Award Contract Under State Contract – Bulletproof Vests (NTE $22,800) – Awards a contract under State contract to Lawmen Police Supply – New Jersey, 7115 Airport Highway, Pennsauken, NJ
15-243 Authorize Change Order – Emergency Service Repair to Water Pollution Control Facility SCADA System (NTE $3,824.58) – Authorizes a change order to Keystone Engineering Group, 590 Lancaster Avenue, Suite 200, Frazer, PA. This change order is necessary for the labor effort related to troubleshooting the existing Thickener Feed Pump #1 and Wet Well Pump #3 controls in the WPCF’s SCADA system.
15-244 Rescind Change Order – Benjamin Franklin Middle School Drop-Off – Rescinds the change order awarded to J.A. Alexander, Inc., by Resolution #15-216 on July 15, 2015, due to the fact that the award was erroneously made, based on a different contractor’s prices
15-245 Authorize Change Order – Benjamin Franklin Middle School Drop-Off (NTE $89,000) – Authorizes a change order to Rockborn Trucking and Excavation, Inc., 12 Taylor Road, Wharton, NJ. This change order is necessary in order to create a drop-off at the Benjamin Franklin Middle School.
15-246 Authorize Change Order and Approve Agreement with Washington Township – Paving – Hampshire Road and Standish Road –Authorizes a change order to Rockborn Trucking and Excavation, Inc., 12 Taylor Road, Wharton, NJ. The change order will allow the Village’s contract to be amended to allow for paving both the Ridgewood and Washington Township sides of Hampshire Road and Standish Road. It is agreed that Washington Township will pay an amount not to exceed $118,000 for this change order.
15-247 Approve Shared Services Agreement – Fuel (Ridgewood Board of Education) – Approves a Shared Services agreement with the Ridgewood Board of Education for the remainder of 2015 and the full calendar year of 2016 to provide designated vehicle fueling to designated Board of Education vehicles
15-248 Approve Membership in Middlesex Regional Educational Services Commission Cooperative Purchasing Program – Approves the Village’s membership in the Middlesex Regional Educational Services Commission Cooperative Purchasing Program and authorizes the Village Manager to enter into an agreement with the Lead Agency for said Cooperative Purchasing Program
15-249 Establish Green Business Recognition Program –Establishes a Green Business Program which will be administered by the Village of Ridgewood Green Team and will recognize businesses in the Village that practice and promote sustainable practices
15-250 Approve Renewal of Liquor License – M & C Drugs, Inc., t/a Harding Pharmacy – Approves the annual renewal of the liquor license held by M & C Drugs, Inc., t/a Harding Pharmacy
15-251 Approve Annual Renewal of Liquor Licenses – Approves the annual renewal of liquor licenses for Ridgewood Lodge No. 1455 BPOE, and the Upper Ridgewood Tennis Club
15-252 Approve Person to Person Liquor License Transfer – M & C Drugs, Inc. t/a Harding Pharmacy to Maple Avenue Liquors, LLC – Approves the person to person transfer of the liquor license held by M & C Drugs, Inc., t/a Harding Pharmacy to Maple Avenue Liquors, LLC. The new owner of the liquor license will retain it in pocket status, with no licensed premise, until such time that a suitable location is found to site the license.
15-253 Authorize Execution of Settlement Agreement with NJDEP – Authorizes the execution of the
Stipulation of Settlement and Withdrawal of Request for a Hearing Agreement and authorizes the settlement of the matter in the amount of $55,000.00
15-254 Hire Professional Consultant for COAH
(NTE $2000) – Approves the payment to Dr. Burchell as the Principal Investigator to prepare the Burchell Fair Share Analysis to establish the Village of Ridgewood’s obligation
15-255 Award Emergency Contract – Cleaning of Water Tanks (NTE $27,000)- Awards a contract for emergency services to Liquid Engineering Corporation, 7 East Airpot Road, Billings, Montana to achieve compliance with the USEPA and NJDEP regulations
15-256 Award Contract – Leasing and Maintenance of Police Vehicles (NTE $30,000) – Awards the second year of a three-year contract to Enterprise Fleet Management, 1550 Route 23 North, Suite 101, Wayne, NJ
THE FOLLOWING RESOLUTIONS, NUMBERED 15-257 THROUGH
15-259, WILL BE CONSIDERED SEPARATELY AND READ IN FULL:
15-257 Acceptance of Open Space Committee Recommendations Concerning the Schedler Property
15-258 Apply for Grant – Schedler House
15-259 Award Contract – Financial Feasibility Study for Hudson Street Parking Lot
17. Comments from the Public (Not to Exceed 5 minutes per person)
Turf Field Supporter We now have 3 turf fields that get used almost non-stop. That means more kids participating in more activities and being more active
Could we please stop with the turf field bashing, or at least get some facts straight? First of all, the turf at Maple is still there and still being used so I have no idea where “we only got 7 years out of Maple” comes from. Secondly, how could it be “way too much money” when the field at Maple was paid for with private money? And in regards to the loss of the 90 foot diamond after moving the track to BF that falls on the past Village Council. The Master Parks and Field plan called for all of the upgrades/changes that were made including moving the undersized/unusable track from RHS to BF. Almost all of the upgrades/changes were to BOE properties. The only component in that phase of the plan that fell to the the Village of Ridgewood was to renovate/expand Lower Hawes so to accomodate a 90 foot diamond to make up for the “lost” diamond at BF. They never did it. So now the focus is on Schedler.
We now have 3 turf fields that get used almost non-stop. That means more kids participating in more activities and being more active. That is a positive in my book. If we had not passed the bond and we still had the old facilities the RHS Stadium Field would be gettng used a maximum of 12 to 15 times a year instead of dozens of times a week. The same goes for Stevens. I actually disagree that the “turf looks nice.” I’d rather see real grass, I think it looks better but the reality of the situation is that with our limited number of fields and the sheer numbers of children we have involved in sports from the youth level thru the HS there is no alternative if we want safe, usable, fields. In fact I would bet we’ll be seeing a couple of more fields “turfed” in the next few years.
Ridgewood moves ahead with $41,000 Maple Park restoration
WEDNESDAY FEBRUARY 19, 2014, 10:47 PM
BY CHRIS HARRIS
STAFF WRITER
THE RECORD
RIDGEWOOD — The Village Council signed off on a cleanup of Maple Park during its meeting Wednesday night.
The turf, which has become hardened from years of storm and floodwater damage, will undergo a complete restoration following a second round of bids on the project.
The cleanup was delayed last year, when the village rejected the sole bid it received for the project. A second round of bids was sought, and the contract was awarded Wednesday to LandTek.
Bid to be awarded for Ridgewood turf cleanup
TUESDAY FEBRUARY 18, 2014, 10:09 AM
BY DARIUS AMOS
STAFF WRITER
THE RIDGEWOOD NEWS
Ridgewood Council members expressed satisfaction over the second round of bids received to clean the flood-damaged turf at Maple Park, and they are expected to award the project contract this week to the LandTek Group.
In December, the council rejected the lone proposal received for the artificial turf cleanup job after concerns were raised that the initial bid process might have been flawed. At the time, Councilman Tom Riche noted several vendor complaints, some of which suggested that the village advertisement “was misleading” or that the municipality did not distribute bid packets in a timely manner.
As a result, the council opted to open a second bidding process, which ended last month.
Will the Zabriskie Schedler House, in Ridgewood become the next turf field
Reader says to save money, quit buying land and taking it off the tax rolls to make soccer fields
If you want to save money, quit buying land and taking it off the tax rolls to make soccer fields. The horse farm, if its worth the $10 million we got hosed for at the time of purchase, equates to about $250,000 per year of taxes no longer coming in.
Citizens park was paid for with donations from long time residents, whose names appear on the placque. It was for a PARK, not a soccer field, with obnoxious loud people blocking up the traffic there, along with the nite lights. Its disgusting how a nice green park became a brown mudfield to accommodate the newbies here.
Turf king endorses Aronsohn, Hauck and Puciarell criticizes police and firemen, attacking salary and benefits
Moments ago, after a long day at work I sat down to review my personal emails, check school info and sports emails, kids schedule, etc. In the mix was an email from Brian Abdoo who I know from a number of sports programs my kids are involved in. I began reading the Abdoo’s endorsement of candidates, Aronsohn, Hauck and Puciarelli. The more I read the sicker I became. Abdoo has thoroughly disgusted me with his hypocritical rhetoric.
From 2009-2010 Brian Abdoo repeatedly endorsed the multi-million dollar controversial turf projects at Stadium and Stevens fields. As we all know the turf has been an unmitigated disaster resulting in Ridgewood Taxpayers incurring the burden of costly repairs.
Now, this same Brian Abdoo wants to express concern over taxes? He attempts to peddle Paul Aronsohn’s gimmicky zero based budgeting. Even my 6th grader understands built-in inherent cost increases. Abdoo states he wants more transparency and Village Council should “open the books”. The fact that Brian Abdoo is ignorant should not persuade anyone to his argument. Brian, the books are open. They are a matter of public record and are available for anyone to review. Brian, feel free to visit APP DataUniverse if there is anything you need to know. However, Mr. Abdoo, while doing your research you likely will not find the value of your candidate Aronsohn’s health care costs, at village taxpayer expense, for the past four years. Mr. Abdoo, while Mr. Aronsohn is busy telling you he wants to help Ridgewood Taxpayers, he has been busy helping himself for four years
.
Brian Abdoo proceeds to attack our police and firemen, attacking their salary and benefits. If this is such a concern why on earth would he support Aronsohn who voted for each and every raise, and contract , pertaining to the police & fire department. Maybe he prefers regionalized police and fire departments like Hauck and Puciarelli. Hauck announced the savings for each village taxpayer during the debate: a whopping $ 285 each! For that money I will sleep better at night with Village police and firemen.
Abdoo professes the revitalization of Ridgewood downtown and how committed each of his threesome is to this goal. Mr. Abdoo, Paul Aronsohn is the Council liaison to the Chamber of Commerce. What has he been doing for the past four years? Shopping at the mall? And Hauck and Puciarelli prefer a more urbanized Ridgewood. If they want urbanization let them move to Hoboken.
Best for last, Abdoo states each of these candidates is committed to helping Valley and residents to negotiate a compromise to allow for expansion. For goodness sake, Brian, where has Al Puciarelli been? He has been a member of the planning board forever. Hauck didn’t speak of compromise when she endorsed the massive expansion, as is, over and over again. Valley Hospital is not interested in compromise. The only time that was suggested by Valley was at the last Village Council hearing. Audrey Meyers, seeing the writing on the wall, begged council to hold off their vote so Valley could develop a compromise. Seriously, where was the compromise for six years?
Mr. Abdoo, reconsider and bullet for Killion and Shinizuka before we are in another turf-like drowning mess attributable to the likes of you.
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