The Ridgewood Blog Brings a Free Market Laissez-faire Point of View to Local, New Jersey State and National Issues.
the staff of the Ridgewood blog
the staff of The Ridgewood Blog
Ridgewood NJ, In case you missed it, during last week’s Village Council Work Session, Village Manager Keith Kazmark revealed that soil testing was recently conducted at the Irene Habernickel Family Park.
the staff of The Ridgewood Blog
Ridgewood NJ, in response to receipt of a verbal report of soil contamination found at the Schedler Park site on West Saddle River Road, the Ridgewood Village Council has decided to inform the State of New Jersey’s Historic Preservation Office that development plans for the Schedler Park site will be held in abeyance until the soil contamination issue is formally addressed.
Continue reading BREAKING – Schedler development plans to be “Held in Abeyance”
by the staff of The Ridgewood Blog
Ridgewood NJ, During Wednesday night’s Village Council Work Session, Ridgewood Village Clerk/Manager Heather Mailander refused to certify the controversial “One Village One Vote” petition, which was submitted by a group of five (5) petitioners who are seeking to consolidate all Ridgewood local elections into the month of November.
Continue reading One Village One Vote petition rejected by Village Clerk’s office
the staff of the Ridgewood blog
Ridgewood NJ, The opening of Graydon Pool and the Ridgewood Summer Day Camp Program will NOT happen this year. Just announced during tonight’s Village Council Meeting. UPDATE: The Summer Day Camp Program definitely won’t happen. Village Council members have requested a plan be developed to open Graydon at some point during the summer in the event Governor Murphy’s Executive Order that closed public swimming pools is lifted. As of now, Graydon can’t open because of an Executive Order banning same. Opening Graydon as a passive recreation area is also being considered, as is eliminating membership/daily pass fees for Summer Season 2020.
UPDATE ON COVID 19 (CORONAVIRUS) AND CLOSURE OF VILLAGE OFFICES AND DEPARTMENTS
the staff of the Ridgewood blog
Ridgewood NJ, As of March 19, 2020, in Bergen County, there were an additional 80 new presumptive positives for those infected with coronavirus, which includes 3 Ridgewood residents confirmed and an overall total of 194-205 in Bergen County confirmed. At this time, 75% of Bergen County municipalities have at least 1 confirmed case of coronavirus. These numbers will continue to increase daily, now that there is additional testing available.
Continue reading Village of Ridgewood Coronavirus Updates : Whats Working and Whats Not
VILLAGE COUNCIL
SPECIAL PUBLIC MEETING
AUGUST 7, 2019
7:30 P.M.
1. Call to Order – Mayor
2. Statement of Compliance with the Open Public Meeting Act
VILLAGE COUNCIL WORK SESSION 5/3/2017
THE RIDGEWOOD VILLAGE COUNCIL’S PUBLIC WORKSHOP AGENDA
MAY 3, 2017
REVISED
1. 7:30 pm – Call to Order – Mayor
2. 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.”
3. Roll Call – Village Clerk
4. Flag Salute/Moment of Silence
5. Public Comments (Not to Exceed 3 Minutes per Person – 40 Minutes in Total)
6. Presentation:
a. Addition of Name to War Memorial
b. Estate Card – Property Tax Reduction
c. PIKE – Parking Garage
7. Discussion:
a. Ridgewood Water
Water Conservation Ordinance
b. Parking
1. Village Hall & Library Parking Lot
c. Budget
Award of Contract – Firehouse Roof
Award of Contract – Rebid of School Bus Transportation
Authorize Additional Funding for Special Attorney for RCRD
Award of Contract – Rock Salt
Award Professional Services Contract – Historic Consultant – Schedler Property
d. Policy
1. Flag Flying Policy for Village-Owned Lands and Buildings
2. Boards and Committees – Structures and By-laws
3. Amend Chapter 212 – Parks & Recreation Areas – Prohibition of Dogs in Parks
e. Operations
1. County OEM Shared Services Agreement – Borrowing of Equipment
2. Encroachment Agreement Resolution
3. Amending Chapter 190 – Land Use and Development – Illuminated Signs in the Business District
8. Review of May 10, 2017 Regular Public Meeting Agenda
9. Manager’s Report
10. Council Reports
11. Public Comments (Not to Exceed 5 Minutes per Person)
12. Resolution to go into Closed Session
13. Closed Session
a. Legal – COAH; Valley Hospital; Divestiture of Ridgewood Water
b. Contract Negotiations – Whole Foods; Property for Green Acres Division
c. Personnel – Appointments to Boards and Committees; Appointments of Professionals
d. Personnel/Contract Negotiations – Blue Collar, White Collar, and Supervisory Unions
14. Adjournment
file photo by Boyd Loving
April 5,2017
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Ridgewood NJ, the Wednesday nights Village Council Work Session offered 10 takeaways :
1. Pomander walk is going to have parking on one side of the street once again. Ordinance today, new ordinance tomorrow.
2. Cambridge-Bogert is going to have limited times with no parking, based on school drop-offs and pick-ups. That ordinance lasted maybe a month, and now is being changed again.
3. The Schedler home is going to be saved.
4. Cynthia Halaby’s “Conservancy” is going to be celebrating daffodils while advocating for the clear-cutting of all trees on the Schedler property and while clinging emotionally to a couple of crappy trees at the train station parking lot. Isabella Altano did an amazing job of completely discrediting the so-called conservancy.
5. The water department talked about their efforts to reduce lead in the drinking water and the fact that the E. coli was found in water that had not been treated and thus had not made it out to anyone’s homes. They made it clear this is NOT AN OUTBREAK of E. coli, the boiling alert is just a precaution.
6. The bus station may be moved to the train station to create a single transit hub. This would free up many parking spots in the core of the village by Van Neste. It would also get buses off of Ridgewood Avenue and onto Franklin Avenue. Of course with high density housing slated for the Ken Smith property, there is going to be a lot more traffic on Franklin anyway. And the bus station on the other side of the tracks would take away some spots there. But overall there would be a net gain of 38 (?) spots.
7. The garage was discussed with next steps being tossed around. There is still talk of having some stores on the ground floor which would necessarily reduce the number of parking spots in the structure. Some pointed out that there is an abundance of empty stores in town, so why build more?
8. Herr Halaby felt he needed to state that Mayor Knudsen has sons on the police force so anything she says or does is tainted.
9. Central Valet might not happen because potential bidders were unwilling to bid if there is not a place for them to valet the cars TO.
10. Village Manager Mailander is doing an amazing job, so clear and organized and professional. She is the breath of fresh air that this office needed after the former stink bomb.