The Ridgewood Blog Brings a Free Market Laissez-faire Point of View to Local, New Jersey State and National Issues.
July 13,2018
the staff of the Ridgewood blog
Ridgewood NJ, after Wednesday council meeting and the confusion over the actual cost of renovations to the Elks Club ,it reminds old time residents of the “golden toilet fiasco of 2009 , and the Village Hall renovation fiasco of 1999.
https://theridgewoodblog.net/hurricane-floyd-and-the-village-hall-renovation-fiasco/
https://theridgewoodblog.net/the-big-flush-golden-toilet-outrage-grows/
photo by Boyd Loving
June 7,2018
the staff of the Ridgewood blog
Ridgewood NJ, Flooding of the Village Hall and Public library in 1999 led to a major renovation which Ridgewood would never seem to recover from.
Hurricane Floyd was the sixth named storm, fourth hurricane, and third major hurricane in the 1999 Atlantic hurricane season. Floyd triggered the third largest evacuation in US history (behind Hurricane Gustav and Hurricane Rita, respectively) when 2.6 million coastal residents of five states were ordered from their homes as it approached. The Cape Verde-type hurricane formed off the coast of Africa and lasted from September 7 to September 19, peaking in strength as a very strong Category 4 hurricane—just short of the highest possible rating—on the Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Scale. It was among the largest Atlantic hurricanes of its strength ever recorded.
The public was told it would be $2 million and six months . 5 years and $9 million later the “TAJ” as it is called was born a monument to the egomania and incompetence at the Village Hall.
The Village Council only signed off at $4.7 million for the renovation of the Village hall at then Mayor Jane Reilly’s urging. The public was told it would be $2 million and six months but Jane wanted to spend $5 million. So 5 years and $9 million later the “TAJ” as it is called was born a monument to the egomania and incompetence of Jane Reilly end of story!
The finally tally was over $9 million ,for that piece of junk that virtually floods every time it rains ! The job was so badly handled that the drainage pipes under verts field were never even touched, which was the whole point of the renovation to begin with!
The “TAJ” was called a criminal misuse of public funds by Jane ,she should have been indicted but instead because she made nice, nice to the BOE during the last budget vote down remember when that dope tried to sell Benjamin Franklin School to Valley Hospital behind everyone’s back ,she got a make work job at taxpayers expense from Dr. Porter as her reward.
So when we see the current council through no fault of there own is taking bids for roof repair it brings back lots of bad memories. Hurricane Floyd and the Village Hall renovation fiasco is a gift that just keeps giving.
NOTICE TO BIDDERS : Sealed bid proposals will be received by the Village of Ridgewood, in the Village Hall Level Three Conference Room, 131 North Maple Avenue, Ridgewood, New Jersey 07450, on Wednesday, June 13, 2018 at 11:30 a.m. prevailing time, and then publicly opened and read aloud for the following project: “Partial Roof Replacement Village Hall In the Village of Ridgewood”. The principal components of the work of the Contract shall be to supply and install a new flat roof on a portion of the Village Hall, 131 North Maple Avenue, in the Village. The principal items of the work of the project will include: testing the existing roof materials for asbestos containing materials, removal and disposal of the existing roof materials to a suitable sub-stratum, installation of approximately 8,000 square feet of a reinforced EPDM membrane roof with tapered insulation for effective drainage to the existing drainage system, having a minimum 20-year manufacturer’s warranty, and all other work necessary for a complete project.
