Boyd A. LovingRidgewood NJ, In 2011, Village Council members scheduled their official public hearing on The Valley Hospital’s proposed expansion over six (6) separate dates. The schedule was developed to insure there would be ample opportunity for members of the public to express their views of the issue, and that no individual(s) would miss out due to planned business travel/vacation, family emergency, illness, etc. The public hearing dates were: 9/13/2011, 9/19/2011, 10/13/2011, 10/24/2011, 11/22/2011, and 11/29/2011. Current Mayor Paul Aronsohn was a member of that Council.
On July 15 of this year, Village Council members expect to introduce four (4) separate ordinances related to proposed changes in the Village’s Master Plan that would permit high density housing in our Central Business District. There has been significant controversy associated with the proposed Master Plan revision.
During Wednesday evening’s Village Council Work Session, Mayor Paul Aronsohn announced the Council’s firm intent to set September 16, 2015 as the one and onlydate for their official public hearing on all four (4) “changes to Master Plan” related ordinances. That’s right folks, if you’re not around on September 16, or if the meeting room is closed off due to over crowding, you’re SOL.
So I wonder, why is Mr. Aronsohn so hell bent on pushing these Master Plan changes through to the point of scheduling just one (1) official opportunity for residents to comment? He was a primary proponent of a former Council’s plan to allow multiple opportunities for official public comment regarding The Valley Hospital expansion plan. Why the change in attitude related to high density housing in our Central Business District? What’s the rush? Am I missing something here?
file photo by Boyd Loving
June 11th 2015
Boyd A. Loving
Ridgewood NJ, During Wednesday evening’s Village Council meeting (06/10/2015), Mayor Paul Aronsohn boasted that he and other members the current Council were personally responsible for enhancing the public comment segment(s) of Village Council meetings by increasing the amount of speaking time allotted from 3 minutes to 5 minutes per individual speaker.
In reality, the 5 minute time limit per individual speaker was established by Ordinance 2442, which was adopted on January 11, 1994. Neither Mr. Aronsohn, nor any other current Village Council member, served on the Council at that time.
On July 11, 2014, a resident became aware that the then in place 3 minute time limit per individual speaker was not consistent with what was established by Ordinance 2442 (a 5 minute time limit), and made Village Clerk Heather Mailander aware of the discrepancy.
Subsequent to receipt of this resident’s advisory, Ms. Mailander notified Mr. Aronsohn and other Council members of the issue and the time limit was adjusted to be consistent with the aforementioned ordinance.
I do so wish that Mr. Aronsohn would stop stretching the truth to bolster his political career.
Fortunately, some of us have been around long enough to remember things as they actually happened as opposed to the “world according to Paul Aronsohn.”
file photo Boyd Loving
Our fight to protect our village is NOT OVER!
Jun 3, 2015
Citizens for a Better Ridgewood
Ridgewood NJ, Last night, our petition was treated as if it was a joke. The community outreach that should of occurred before this major decision was made, never happened. It has all fallen in the laps of concerned citizens who simply care about their surroundings. Please make sure each and everyone of you are registered to VOTE. We will show our disappointment during the next election cycle or even earlier than that if need be. Spread this petition and have all household members who are 18 and over sign this as well.
VOTE NO on the High-Density Housing Amendment at 35 Units Per Acre! ** LAST MINUTE PETITION! **
Ridgewood Nj, The Village of Ridgewood presented a $47.1 million municipal budget last Wednesday night during a presentation by the Village Manager Roberta Sonenfeld and council members.
The new budget includes a 1.2 percent tax increase which acording to the Ridgewood news , is equal to $46.72 on a home assessed at the village average of $690,662, plus another $9 for the library tax. (https://www.northjersey.com/news/ridgewood-council-goes-all-in-on-budget-1.1320392 )
The news also reported roughly $3.03 million in surplus is being utilized in this year’s budget; the amount of surplus left over will be slightly higher than 2014, with $1.5 million remaining while outstanding debt will also decrease by about $2 million.
Village Manager Roberta Sonenfeld continued to emphasize on operating efficiencies, resident service improvements, and investments in both people and technology.
Most notable are long over due investments in the chronically dysfunctional Building Department, and the launch of a new village website. The Building department as previously announced on this blog has also raised fees and offered an Amnesty for non compilers.
The Village manager also illuminated the implementation of a Human Resources Department, enhanced support for the Community Center, staff development initiatives, re-accreditation of the Ridgewood Police Department, and a cleanup of tree wells and other aesthetical improvements. (https://www.northjersey.com/news/ridgewood-council-goes-all-in-on-budget-1.1320392 ) . The jury is still out as to whether any of these will lead to cost savings , productivity improvements or better customer service.
2015 Ridgewood Budget Presentation
Budget Presentation at Introduction of the 2015 Budget on April 22, 2015
Click Here
For the Official State Budget Document
Click Here
The Budget Hearing will be held May 27 at 7:30pm in the Village Hall Court Room. The Village Council will vote on the budget at the end of the hearing.
Editors Note : several erroneous statements in this letter must be addressed , italics is mine PJ Blogger Founder of the Ridgewood blog and King of the Anonymous bloggers
to the editor:
While watching the council meeting last Wednesday, I was appalled by the rancor and allegations of harassment.
Our councilmen and councilwomen donate an inordinate amount of time and energy for the betterment of Ridgewood. There is a growing tendency on the part of our citizens to vilify some of our council because of disagreement with their positions on public policy and local law. This has got to stop.
Actually it is three members of the council who continue to attack and vilify the opposition ,
Anonymous blogging is an especially onerous method of this, seeing that a forum already exists at every council meeting by going to the podium and stating your name and address. Criticize the ideas if you must, or add constructive ideas regarding the dialogue or issue at hand, but do it openly and expose your views to public debate.
This is a perfect example of the previous statement , you are responsible for your own behavior , poor manners and an ill temper are no ones fault but your own
During the heated discussion of the residency requirement, it has come to light that one of the two dissenters on the council has a personal stake in the eventual outcome that was not previously made known. I find that there are few coincidences in life, and it appears that the catalyst for one of the dissenting votes bears this out. If you have three sons on the current village list with aspirations to pursue careers with the police force, a dissenting vote on this issue of civilian hires can be seriously construed as another dissenting vote down the road on uniformed employees, and a potential conflict of interest.
To our knowledge Public safety employee hiring was not effected by the “residency ” rule change making the hole conflict issue specious.
Regarding this question of residency preference, Deputy Mayor Pucciarelli summarized it best in voting against continuing the preference: The people of Ridgewood are best served by hiring the most qualified candidate for village jobs, whether they are residents of Ridgewood or not. The village does not need to fill civil service positions as a way of providing work for residents which could become a recipe for patronage and nepotism.
No one would argue that hiring the best for the Village , but it seems the change in the law will open the floodgates for importing more partisan hacks in in attempt to destroy the Village ie welcome to Hudson County .
For a Brit, he’s pretty clear on the evils of tyrrany.
Here he demonstrates clearly that he must have visited Ridgewood in person at some point in the recent past, and that when he did, he enthusiastically imbibed the message of public civility imparted by our treasured public icons, the three amigos:
Pat Condell’s words: “When you’re imposing tolerance and respect on people, there’s no need to actually show them any. Just keep throwing mud until it sticks, because you’re up to your neck in double standards here, so you need to be extra vigilent against unwelcome opinion, which in your position can be more than inconvenient (if that wasn’t outrageous enough), it can be downright threatening. So anyone trying to stir up healthy, rational debate should always be swiftly marginalized and crushed, in the spirit of reconciliation and healing. And, if your conscience troubles you, just remind yourself that you’re doing the wrong thing for the correct reason, and you’ll be fine.”
Civility Forum – May 11th at 7:30PM The next Civility Forum will be held at 7:30pm in the Senior Lounge at Village Hall. Rev. Jan Phillips will lead the discussion. Everyone is welcome to attend.
I read Darius Amos’ report of the Village Council April 8 meeting (“Hiring eligibility expands,” April 10, page A1) and, although I always like Darius’ reporting, I believe he missed out on the most important part of the presentation by the labor attorney for the village.
Someone, I don’t know who but I can guess, invited Ridgewood’s labor attorney, Beth Hinsdale, to speak before the scheduled public portion of the meeting. Everyone in the room had to sit quietly and listen for over 45 minutes as she skewered Councilwoman Susan Knudsen. From her first erroneous statement to the end, it was an attack on the person of a council member who dared to ask a question, or question an answer.
Ms. Hinsdale also impugned an employee of Civil Service, calling her incompetent. Nobody stopped this presentation when it became personal, not our mayor, not our attorney, not our manager, nobody. This confrontation did not belong at a public meeting; if Ms. Hinsdale had a problem with something a council person said, it should be resolved either by a brief statement of facts or a letter read by the mayor.
Ms. Hinsdale even inferred illegalities on the part of Ms. Knudsen because of her sons, which in the end was the final straw for me.
Incredibly, with composure, Ms. Knudsen refuted some of the charges, especially the charge that the Civil Service employee who gave an official answer was incompetent, and even having the composure to apologize for any misunderstanding.
But this was not enough as the accusations continued until Ms. Hinsdale finally stopped talking.
I urge all residents to see the video of the meeting for themselves and decide if this is the kind of government we want to support, or do we want to reform. I said at the meeting we should forget about civility and focus on good governance, which is being totally ignored these days.
Recent headlines reported on the Mahwah councilwoman who was so angry at her mayor that she cursed and gave an inappropriate gesture which was directed at him at a public meeting. As bad as that was, it was over in a moment and was nothing compared to the harassment Ridgewood Councilwoman Susan Knudsen was made to endure at the April 8 meeting.
Right before public comments, Mayor Paul Aronsohn invited the village labor attorney to the microphone to answer questions related to the ordinance to be voted on that evening. The attorney then proceeded to verbally attack Ms. Knudsen for 47 uninterrupted minutes. It was clear that the mayor was complicit in this outrage as no one intervened to stop her.
It was a terrible thing to watch and our tax dollars paid for this debacle. Ms. Knudsen was, as one resident said, “grace under fire.”
Later on, another resident stated that she had witnessed the mayor and the village manager screaming at Ms. Knudsen at the close of the previous meeting. They denied it even though another council member was present to hear it.
To add insult to injury, it appeared that an ethics violation was to be brought against Ms. Knudsen for responding to her attackers. While this did not happen, I question the motive for even putting it out there.
Ms. Knudsen’s crime seems to be that she sought more information regarding the proposed ordinance so that she could make a better informed decision. I don’t know if what happened at the meeting was illegal but it was certainly against any rules of order that decent people operate under.
I believe our mayor owes Ms. Knudsen a public apology at the very least and he must discontinue the town civility meetings immediately. It is the height of hypocrisy to hold these meetings and a clear case of the pot calling the kettle black.
APRIL 16, 2015 LAST UPDATED: THURSDAY, APRIL 16, 2015, 3:43 PM
BY DARIUS AMOS
STAFF WRITER |
THE RIDGEWOOD NEWS
Municipal officials gave high marks to the Ridgewood school system for its overall work and offered preliminary support to the district’s proposed $101 million budget.
At the annual joint meeting between the village’s governing and education leaders on Monday, Board of Education members and district administrators reviewed their anticipated 2015-16 spending plan, which will be up for BOE vote later this month.
The schools budget calls for an average tax bill increase of approximately $195, a figure based on an assessed home value of $690,662.
When combined with the district’s outstanding debt service levy, the amount to be paid is a 2.04 percent increase over last year.
In explaining the proposal, Alfredo Aguilar, district business administrator, highlighted the various programs that the budget would support. Included in his list were four additional staff positions, 13 new class offerings throughout the high school and middle schools, and $1.5 million earmarked for technology maintenance and upgrades.
Readers says ; Valley Hospital A community hospital that sues the community it is serving https://theridgewoodblog.net/readers-says-valley-hospital-a-community-hospital-that-sues-the-community-it-is-serving/Ridgewood NJ, One can only wonder ,how could such a well financed hospital so poorly execute on its expansion plans and fall pry to one PR disaster after another? Did someone whisper in the ear of the trustees to make them think that at the end of the day Valleys political friends would come through . After all since Valley began pursuing its expansion , HUMC has purchased Pascack Valley , expanded dramatically its foot print and made deals with many of Valleys competitors ?
It all started with the so called Pfund’s Folly, i.e. Ordinance 3066 !!! In the very least repeal the Chapter § 190-143 ( here https://ecode360.com/6694062 ) that allow for applications to amend the Master Plan. Application to Village Council or Planning Board.Any interested party may request that an amendment or amendments be made to the Village Master Plan or development regulations. The request(s) shall be made to the Village Council and/or the Village Planning Board.
As we now know Mayor Pfund was a personal donor to Valley Hospital until 2006, his law firm (Reiseman, Rosenberg & Pfund, LLP) listed Valley hospital as one of its clients on their website until the listing mysteriously disappeared, Pfund’s father has willed part of his estate to Valley after he dies! Yet Pfund has not rescued himself from the considering the H-Zone issue? Others on the Planning Board have for less association.” https://theridgewoodblog.net/because-this-comes-up-over-and-over/
Whats seems odd to most readers is that after a thorough review and denial the previous council Mayor Aronsohn pledged over and over that he would once again .
Even the Ridgewood News commented , “Last Tuesday’s non-partisan election that ousted one of two Village Council incumbents has left residents questioning what the new mix of leaders will bring to the table regarding The Valley Hospital’s proposed expansion plan — an issue considered dormant since last year. Mayor Keith Killion, who voted against the $750 million plan to double the size of the hospital, lost his bid on Tuesday for one of three four-year seats up for grabs on the council. The new council could revisit the vote, because a change in the master plan that could permit the expansion still exists.https://www.northjersey.com/topstories/ridgewood/151331565_Election_opens_questions_on_hospital_plan.html
Which led to Valley resubmitting the expansion plan with no changes from the previous submission.
So what is the case have our political leaders willingly mislead Valley in the hopes of reaping benefits from Valley’s support or has Valley controlled the narrative or as some would say undermined the political process to continue to push its highly unpopular agenda ?
Regarding “Ridgewood eases residency requirement” (Page L-3, April 10):
The Ridgewood Village Council meeting of April 8 was the third consecutive meeting at which uncivil behavior on the part of some elected and appointed officials completely overshadowed the business at hand.
While The Record article indicates that the village’s labor attorney, Beth Hinsdale-Piller, “clarified a number of items,” it fails to mention the derogatory tone of voice and accusatory language (directed squarely at a current council member) utilized by Hinsdale-Piller throughout her remarks.
While Hinsdale-Piller had requested that no interruptions be made during her statement, the council member who was the subject of her remarks was not extended the same courtesy and was repeatedly interrupted by others.
Rude comments from the council’s dais seem to have become the norm in Ridgewood. Recent meetings have included attacks on current and former members of the council, the police chief and members of the public.
Mayor Paul Aronsohn summarized the meeting by saying that the discussions had been “good” and “healthy,” even if “not always friendly,” thereby completely minimizing the vituperative nature of these meetings.
In February 2013, Aronsohn publicly apologized for such behavior, saying the public deserves a working council, not a fighting council. More than two years later, we continue to witness argumentative, sarcastic and downright nasty comments from certain elected and appointed officials.
Ridgewood residents deserve better, and we deserve it now.
APRIL 14, 2015 LAST UPDATED: TUESDAY, APRIL 14, 2015, 9:42 AM
BY MARK KRULISH
STAFF WRITER |
THE RIDGEWOOD NEWS
The Ridgewood Council has approved new construction code fees, adopting the implementing ordinance by 3-2 vote during its meeting last Wednesday.
Council members Susan Knudsen and Michael Sedon voted against the fee changes.
Knudsen did not offer explanation for her vote; however, Sedon said he reviewed the Building Department’s upcoming budget when reaching his decision. In comparing anticipated revenues and expenditures, the councilman said the department is turning a $134,000 profit.
“My feeling is we’re covering the cost of the department and able to make a little bit of money while still offering residents a bit of a deal on inspections when they have work done,” Sedon said, suggesting the higher fees were unnecessary.
With the new ordinance, the building department is aiming to bring the village’s construction code fees more in line with surrounding towns and the state of New Jersey.
Tom Yotka, the new director of the Building Department and construction official, said the Department of Community Affairs (DCA) requires the construction official in each municipality to review the fees a minimum of every two years. Yotka noted the last effective change to the ordinance was in 2009, but did not know when the department last reviewed its charges.
The meeting was a disgrace. Go to villageofridgewood and follow them on ustream (upper right corner) there are 2 parts to the meeting. Click on the one that shows the black screen and not a person. Go to 15:25-that’s basically when the bashing of councilwoman Knudsen starts. It is beyond my comprehension that she asked for some information to help her understand an ordinance they were voting on. Knudsen still has not received all the information she asked for, And the mayor gets the labor attorney to come to the council meeting to blast Knudsen and threaten her under the guise of “she’s here to explain things”.
If the labor attorney wanted to explain things, she could have picked up the phone weeks ago to speak with Knudsen and not left her in the dark about things since Knudsen’s request of March 11th.
They should all be ashamed of themselves, but of course this is typical of Aronsohn, Pucciarelli and Hauck. The village manager is a hot head. She can barely control herself. You can tell when she gets angry. She can’t stop fidgeting. Scratching her head constantly, bouncing in her chair, turning red, fanning herself etc. Shame on Matt Rogers for allowing the bashing to continue. I thought his job is to represent the council. He certainly did not represent councilwoman Knudsen last night.
Village of Ridgewood Public Access (180:00)
Village of Ridgewood Public Access
Wednesday at 4:57pm
50 views
https://www.ustream.tv/recorded/60890176
APRIL 10, 2015 LAST UPDATED: FRIDAY, APRIL 10, 2015, 1:21 AM
BY CHRIS HARRIS
STAFF WRITER |
THE RECORD
RIDGEWOOD – The Village Council, after hours of debate that included allegations of harassment, has voted to eliminate a residency requirement for most civilian hires.
The 3-2 vote at the Wednesday council meeting ended weeks of often contentious discussion on the change and opened up all municipal positions not affiliated with the police and fire departments to applicants statewide.
Councilwoman Susan Knudsen and Councilman Mike Sedon cast the two dissenting votes, arguing that village openings should be filled with qualified village residents.
“I have faith in our residents,” Sedon explained. “Getting rid of this [residency requirement] is a disservice to the town.”
Mayor Paul Aronsohn, Deputy Mayor Al Pucciarelli and Councilwoman Gwenn Hauck all insisted that the village would benefit most from hiring the best possible candidates for each position, regardless of their address.
This my personal opinion on last nights public meeting.
1. A delay of almost 50 minutes before beginning the scheduled agenda to hear a “personal grievance”statement by the employee labor attorney for the Village.
2. It was not on the agenda and a matter that should have first been discussed in a closed meeting.
3. Sadly, the Mayor permitted the “employee” to make her statement at the public Village meeting hoping to “clear the air” and be helpful. “which was a BIG mistake.
4. I have lost all confidence our Councilmen (for now) on the public behavior of these matters.
I have been a residence in Ridgewood since 1948 and have seen “many meetings” — that one was the worse..
