Statement required by the Open Public Meeting Act “Adequate notice of this meeting has been provided by a posting on the bulletin board in the 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 date and time of this meeting”.
Please note: A curfew of 11:00 PM is strictly adhered to by the Zoning Board of Adjustment of the Village of Ridgewood. No new matter involving an Applicant will be started after 10:30 PM. At 10:00 PM the Chairman will make a determination and advise Applicants as to whether they will be heard. I f an Applicant cannot be heard because of the lateness of the hour, the matter will be carried over to a future meeting to be determined by the Board at 10:00 PM.
Roll call
Approval of minutes: January 13, 2015; February 10, 2015; February 24, 2015
Non-agenda items:
Board member comments
Members of the public comments
Public hearings
Old Business:
NEW YORK SMSA LIMITED PARTNERSHIP D/B/A VERIZON WIRELESS – An application requesting a D1 Use variance, and minor site plan approval with other variances and waivers, interpretations, and/or approvals as are necessary to permit the installation of a wireless telecommunications facility to be located at 6 South Monroe Street, Block 2404 Lot 3 in an R-110 zone. (A continuation from July 14, 2015 meeting)
AGENDA – CONTINUATION SEPTEMBER 8, 2015
New Business:
JOSEPH PANICO – An application for the construction of a one story addition, the enclosure of an existing porch, and the construction of a rear porch landing which will result in a front yard setback of 45.2 feet where 50 feet is the minimum required, a side yard setback of four feet to a wing wall attached to the garage, and eight feet to the garage addition where 10 feet is the minimum required for both, and a rear yard setback to the rear landing of 13.5 feet where 30 feet is the minimum required. The proposed will result in a total lot coverage of 21.3% where 20% is the maximum
permitted and a Gross Building Area of 36.3% where 34 % is the maximum permitted at 152 Valley View Avenue, Block 1816, Lot 2, in an R-2 zone. (Carried from July 14, 2015)
OLGA CHAIKOVSKY – An application for the construction of a detached garage which will result in side yard and rear yard setbacks of four feet where five feet is the minimum required for each at 170 Oak Street, Block 200, Lot 11, in an R-2 zone. (Carried from July 14, 2015)
XIOMARA OLIVO – An application for the construction of a two story, and second story addition and covered patio which will result in a front yard setback of 35.19 feet where 40 feet is the minimum required and a side yard setback to the second story addition of 7.97 feet where 10 feet is the minimum required. The construction will result in a total lot coverage of 27% and lot coverage within 140 feet of the front lot line of 27.4% where 20% is the maximum permitted for each at 525 Laurel Road, Block 4306, Lot 22, in an R-2 zone.
CLAIRE BENNETT – An application for the construction of a second story addition which will result in front yard setback of 34.42 feet where 40 feet is the minimum required at 345 Crest Road, Block 1909, Lot 26, in an R-1 zone.
Resolution memorialization: Ridgewood Park SG, LLC – 30 Oak St.
Lisa Danias – 32 Pomander Walk
Barry and Lisa Sands – 339 Spring Ave. Keith and Lisa Grace – 154 N. Pleasant Ave.
Dr. Patrick Higgins – 33 N. Pleasant Ave.
Keyvan and Lindsey Pourreza – 155 Beechwood Rd.
Discussion
Adjournment
VILLAGE OF RIDGEWOOD VILLAGE COUNCIL SPECIAL PUBLIC MEETING SEPTEMBER 8, 2015 7:30 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. Comments from the Public (Not to exceed 5 minutes per person – 30 minutes total)
6. Presentations by Vendors
a. Clark Caton Hintz
b. Desman Design Management
c. SNS Architects & Engineers, PC
d. Timothy Haahs & Associates, Inc.
7. Synopsis by Parking Steering Committee
8. Village Council Comments
9. Comments from the Public (Not to Exceed 5
minutes per person – 30 minutes total)
10. Adjournment
09/08/157:30PMBoard of Adjustment Public Meeting 09/08/157:30PMVillage Coucil Special Public Meeting – Village Hall Community Center 09/09/157:30PMVillage Council Special Public Meeting 09/09/157:30PMVillage Council Public Work Session 09/15/157:30PMPlanning Board Public Meeting 09/16/158:00PMVillage Council Public Meeting 09/22/157:30PMBoard of Adjustment Public Work Session 09/29/157:30PMBoard of Adjustment Public Meeting 09/30/157:30PMVillage Council Public Work Session
Please plan to attend the Village Council Meeting on Wednesday, September 16 at 7:30 pm at Village Hall.
This will be your LAST CHANCE to voice your opinion on a series of “sweeping reforms” that will allow high-density housing to be built in our Central Business District.
While surrounding towns like Ho-Ho-Kus and Glen Rock welcome new housing development appropriate for their downtowns at 10-15 units per acre, Ridgewood is ready to change the zoning in our downtown to 35 units per acre. Is Ridgewood looking to become a more urban village? If our Village Council approves this Master Plan Amendment, the answer will be yes.
This is YOUR village and you do have a voice. September 16is your last chance to speak up.
Please come to the Village Council Meeting to speak up, or just to lend your support. Encourage friends and neighbors to come, too. Mayor Paul Aronsohn said the Village Council will vote on September 16. We are hoping a room filled with concerned citizens will sway Council members to reconsider enacting these ordinances.
Thank you for your continued support! We hope to see you on the 16th!
Here is a comment written by Al Pucciarelli when he was running for council regarding when you should recuse. After reading it, both Pucciarielli (his law firm does work with the developers of the Dayton and he is friends with the owners of the property) and Aronsohn (his wife works in one of the zones and benefits financially) need to recuse themselves.
It also shows Hauck (personal involvement that would impair her objectivity) and Pucciarelli (business and financial involvement) should recuse themselves from any discussions on the Valley issue
1a8c9c76ed288765abd14ec71f7dda9
Albert J. Pucciarelli May 06, 2012 at 09:43 AM
The very first time I spoke publicly about my candidacy – February 13, 2012 – I acknowledged my conflict regarding Valley. At Monday’s debate I said that because of the conflict I was uniquely suited to play a roll in bringing the hospital and the neighbors together in what I hope will be a meaningful dialogue. Only two days ago did I read for the first time that candidate Forenza’s wife works for Valley and he too has a conflict that would prevent him from voting. Finally now – two days before the election – I am seeing for the first time the candidate himself acknowledge this. I concluded that I have a conflict (and checked it with a lawyer in my firm who is an expert on such matters) because the state law on the matter is quite clear. I am surprised that for the past two months I have been asked about the conflict of interest frequently while Mr. Forenza, who may have enjoyed support of the Valley proponents, only now – just days before the May 8 election – is mentioned in connection with a possible conflict. Mr. Forenza, a non-lawyer, is not sure he has a conflict. Here is the relevant state law: “No local government officer or employee shall act in his official capacity in any matter where he, a member of his immediate family, or a business organization in which he has an interest, has a direct or indirect financial or personal involvement that might reasonably be expected to impair his objectivity or independence of judgment.” Albert Pucciarelli
Recommend
Freehold John Mitchell with residents several years ago
Local’ residents deserve a say on Schedler property
To the Editor:
“Go West, young man,” a phrase made famous by Horace Greeley, could have certainly been directed at families moving to the Village of Ridgewood. This young man decided to go east in this beautiful community and raise a family. He has stayed for over 30 years, and now after all this time is wondering whether west would have been the smarter and wiser choice for his family’s future.
My wife, Michele, and I have spent most of our adult lives bringing up two children, supporting the excellent school system, participating in community events, and the excellent sports programs. Living on the east side of Ridgewood came with some issues that we have accepted and lived with over these 30-plus years: No local grammar school for our children to attend, no local park for our children to play in, and being treated at times by this town as the forgotten community but always being told by the Village Council that this was not true but a figment of our imagination.
Finally, we are given the chance to have something that could prove very positive for this east side community, the purchase of the Schedler property. My wife and I were very active early in getting the local community and Village of Ridgewood interested in securing this property. We expected and were led to believe by the Village Council that we, the local residents, would have a major and important say on how this property was developed, similar to the way the Habernickel property on the west side was developed.
Now, we were told at the Aug. 5 meeting of the Mayor and Council that they are submitting a recommendation to approve the Open Space Committee October 2012 recommendations, which includes the most controversial issue, a 90-foot baseball field on the Schedler site. The same 90-foot baseball field other Ridgewood communities did not want. It was considered for Pleasant Park but that idea appears to have been killed, and it was not built on the larger, 10-acre Habernickel property on the west side of Ridgewood because the local community preferred a smaller Little League field.
Because of this lack of concern by members of the Village Council toward the east side, this is where they have decided to definitely build this 90-foot field. It appears the plan all along was to destroy the historic Schedler house to make room for this field.
This comes, even after our east side community secured $45,000 (50 percent) of the funds necessary to save this historic house. We have always been willing to compromise except for the issue of destroying the Schedler house and building a 90-foot field. Everything else was on the table, and we were led to believe by the current administration that our proposals were being seriously considered and open to further debate and discussion.
We were misled and will soon know if the east side Ridgewood community will again be treated as second class citizens and not heard from again.
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)
What Colors Are This Dress? Kim Kardashian, Miley Cyrus, Justin Bieber And A Bajillion Other Celebs Weigh In
by gaby wilson 2/27/2015
In the last 24 hours, a dress divided the world as we know it. Do you see white and gold? Or black and blue? Lines have been drawn. Where do you fall? And do Kim Kardashian, Kanye West,Taylor Swift, Miley Cyrus, Justin Bieber, and a bajillion other celebs who were also tormented by #TheDress agree with you? Read on to find out!
Sides mixed on Ridgewood restaurant’s exterior paint color
AUGUST 10, 2015 LAST UPDATED: MONDAY, AUGUST 10, 2015, 11:26 AM
BY MATTHEW SCHNEIDER
STAFF WRITER |
THE RIDGEWOOD NEWS
The Ridgewood Planning Board’s meeting last Tuesday included a long discussion on a shade of paint at Tito’s Burritos restaurant.
The painting was done, without the town’s permission, accidentally, according to David Rutherford, attorney for Tito’s co-owner Mike Caldarella.
The co-owner of Tito’s had just finished overseeing the painting of a restaurant in another town, and decided to use the leftover paint in Ridgewood, not knowing he was violating any rules, according to Caldarella.
“The painter finished early, and my business partner sent him to Ridgewood, unbeknownst to myself, thinking he was doing something really good,” said Caldarella.
“Our biggest mistake was not going immediately to the village and saying, ‘This is what we did, how can we put it right?'” Caldarella said. “Instead, we decided that we should wait it out and see what happens.”
Mayor Paul Aronsohn, a member of the Planning Board, said it is “unfortunate that approvals were not sought and obtained prior to the work being done. As the applicant’s lawyer acknowledged, that was the wrong approach.”
the staff of the Ridgewood blogRidgewood Nj , To quote Mayor Aronsohn , “Across the board, people just feel that our government should be more responsive,” Aronsohn said. “That responsiveness should come in the form of more fiscal responsibility, in the form of budgeting differently, in the form of better response to cleanup. And then it comes in the form of the daily stuff, not getting emails returned, not getting phone calls returned. We need to change that. We will change that.“The voters wanted new ideas and new commitment to do government right. That’s what the three of us will deliver,” he said.
Ridgewood NJ, At the August 5 Village Council meeting several people spontaneously applauded when Councilwoman Knudsen made an impassioned statement about saving the Schedler House. Mayor Aronsohn immediately shushed these people and reprimanded them for lack of “decorum.” That a positive “comment” in the form of brief applause would be squelched seems particularly contradictory from one who constantly calls for civility – there were no boos, hisses, or comments that would be considered rude. At the previous meeting, on July 15, when resident Jim Griffiths spoke passionately about the discussion regarding the title of Ms. Matthews’ Human Resources position, applause broke out from some in the audience. Mayor Aronsohn said nothing and did not reprimand these individuals. Why this inconsistency? Here’s why: he agreed with Mr. Griffiths and he disagreed with Councilwoman Knudsen.
It is also noted that in some instances the Mayor stops a citizen from speaking at the stroke of 5 minutes, whereas in other cases he allows the speaker to proceed long past the five-minute mark.
The times when an individual has been badgered and verbally harassed under Mayor Aronsohn’s leadership are too numerous to count. Coucilpersons Riche, Walsh, Knudsen and Sedon, Chief Ward and Clerk Mailander, as well as some members of the public, have all been maligned by Mr. Aronsohn, by some of his elected colleagues, or by members of the public who have spoken at the podium.
A mayor should conduct meetings in a civil, consistent, and fair manner. Mr. Aronsohn’s obvious attempts to control the commentary are extraordinarily unprofessional and unbecoming to one who has been entrusted with authority. While entitled to his own biases and opinions, he is not entitled to control the public conversation to his liking by shushing the people he doesn’t agree with while allowing others to go on (or clap on) at length, and by attacking (or allowing others to attack) those he does not like.
Mr. Mayor, you should be ashamed of yourself. You are behaving like a petulant child who is not getting his way. You are abusing the power of your office by running the meetings with great bias and inconsistency. Remember how badly you wanted this job? Well, why don’t you treat this position with respect by conducting the meetings more professionally?
Ridgewood NJ, During what could only be described as one of the most bizarre Village Council meetings I’ve attended in quite some time, Councilwoman Gwenn Hauck publicly accused the “Friends of the Schedler House” organization of turning down a $45k donation from an unnamed individual.
However, according to an officer of “Friends of the Schedler House,” no $45k donation was ever offered by the “unnamed individual.” What did happen was during a recent meeting between members of the organization and selected Village officials, Councilwoman Hauck merely suggested that a particular individual might be willing to donate the sum.
As you might expect, even though she was publicly corrected, Councilwoman Hauck offered no public apology for her erroneous accusation.
UPDATE: Village Council predicted to vote 3-2 on 8/12 to demolish Schedler House to facilitate construction of a 90 foot baseball field with concession stand.
Despite voting in support of spending up to $500k in “preliminary costs” for the design of a parking garage with a currently unknown shape, size, and final cost, Aronsohn and Hauck object to spending $45k to save the Schedler House. Pucciarelli is on his honeymoon, so he wasn’t there to make a fool of himself too.
So there you have it folks. The Three Stooges will have one of the most historic buildings in Northwest Bergen County demolished just to secure the Sports Council votes next year.
Ridgewood NJ, Faced with an ever increasing number of meeting attendees who publicly disagree with his administration’s policies, Mayor Paul Aronsohn has invoked a protocol of accepting “comments only” from certain meeting attendees. If the Mayor doesn’t like your comment/question, no response is offered, and you are asked to leave the podium and return to your seat.
Long gone are the days when a taxpayer could go to the microphone during a public meeting of the Village Council and engage in meaningful dialog with a Council member or members, regardless of your support for the “Council majority” or the issue at hand. When asked why the new protocol was being instituted, Aronsohn said only that he’d “received complaints” about the interactive nature of the meetings’ public comment segment. He did not say who had “complained.”
Here’s a comment for you Mr. Mayor – If you can’t stand the heat, don’t change the rules, just get out of the fire.
AUGUST 4, 2015 LAST UPDATED: TUESDAY, AUGUST 4, 2015, 11:14 AM
BY MARK KRULISH
STAFF WRITER |
THE RIDGEWOOD NEWS
Ordinances dealing with the amendment to the village master plan will soon be headed back to the council after a consistency review was performed by the Planning Board.
At the July 21 Planning Board meeting, members undertook the review required by Municipal Land Use Law and found the ordinances were consistent with the master plan amendment that was adopted in June.
A letter reflecting this determination will be sent to the village clerk and council, said Planning Board Chairman Charles Nalbantian.
The Planning Board as a whole will review the letter with Nalbantian at its next meeting on Aug. 4. Then, the council will take up final discussions, culminating in a final public hearing and vote.
After a lengthy public hearing process, the Planning Board approved in June zoning changes to allow multifamily housing in the Central Business District (CBD).
The AH-2 zone was created purely for housing and is intended to require affordable housing in new development. The B-3-R and C-R zone ordinances are also written to incentivize affordable housing, but allow mixed-use development.
A fourth zone, the purely commercial C zone, was also adopted.
file photo by Boyd Loving
There are two questions. 1. Was an HR director necessary when the Village Manager is supposed to manage this function as part of her $150K salary? 2. Did the Village Council violate the Village Code by hiring Matthews prior to creating the position.
The answer to (1) is open for debate. Some agree. Others don’t.
The answer to (2) is unequivocal – the code was violated, and the VC was well aware that they barreled ahead without following the letter of the law.
Yes, Paul, the system is broken. And you deliberately broke it.
The question is WHY? What was the big hurry? Why not get things straight before hiring someone? Why all the subterfuge?
Thank you Mike Sedon and Susan Knudsen for standing up to your law-breaking colleagues on the Council. At least we can be proud that 40% of our elected officials follow the laws they were hired to observe.
JULY 24, 2015 LAST UPDATED: FRIDAY, JULY 24, 2015, 12:30 AM
THE RIDGEWOOD NEWS
Print
Process for HR position ‘broken’
To the Editor:
At a recent council meeting, Councilman Mike Sedon was chastised for saying that he was misled in the budget process because he had not received any information regarding a part-time HR position becoming a full-time one and that it was not brought to the council level for discussion and/or a vote as required by our own village code. Now we find that the title of this newly instituted position is confidential secretary.
Disregarding the notion that this sounds like a job right out of “Mad Men,” it seems that this title was a way to circumvent the Civil Service guidelines. Confidential secretary is not a competitive position and therefore need not be appropriately advertised, applicants tested and rated accordingly.
Two members of the council have further questioned the process and have publicly said that they had no opportunity to debate or to vote on this hiring. If 40 percent of our council was left out of the loop on purpose or inadvertently, then the process is broken as has been charged. Rather than an acknowledgement of this scenario from the village manager and/or the mayor, Mr. Sedon and Councilwoman Susan Knudsen have been treated with disrespect for voicing their concerns.
It now appears that the entire HR hiring was not in accordance with current village code, hence all the resolutions to change it (notably after the fact).
Some will say, “What’s the big deal, we needed an HR director.” The big deal is that this will be a permanent position with a salary of approximately $100,000. Council members vote on vehicle purchases, upgrades, etc., but not a newly created department head?
Also, we didn’t get an HR director, we got a confidential secretary.
Guidelines are in effect to protect the process and the people involved. They were not followed and now there is doubt about the integrity of our village hiring practices. This did not have to happen.
JULY 24, 2015 LAST UPDATED: FRIDAY, JULY 24, 2015, 12:31 AM
THE RIDGEWOOD NEWS
HR director job should be posted with Civil Service
To the Editor:
I attended the Ridgewood Council meeting on July 15, 2015, to hear the discussion regarding the changes in village government. I was most interested in the newly formed HR director position.
I am in agreement that an HR position is warranted. I am in disagreement with the process of hiring the current HR assistant and elevating her to a director without a change in job description. No one on the Village Council, as well as the village manager, could explain how this position goes from an assistant – actual title per Civil Service “Confidential Secretary to the Village Manager” — to a director without a change in the responsibilities. It is also being elevated to a full-time position with an enormous salary increase plus benefits.
The job was posted as an assistant position, which limited the pool of applicants looking for full-time work and with the credentials of director. If this position is now going to be a full-time director position, it should be reposted through Civil Service for all eligible applicants throughout the state to apply.
