Ridgewood Neighbors Protest the Removal of Tree by the Village
December 11,2015
the staff of the Ridgewood blog
Ridgewood NJ, Christina Ercolano, age 51, of 59 Ehtelbert Place, Ridgewood, blocked Village of Ridgewood employees from removing a towering shade tree on Friday morning, 12/11, until threatened with arrest by Village Engineer Christopher Rutishauser. Several of her Ethelbert Place neighbors stood by as Ms. Eroclano asked Village officials why a “perfectly healthy” tree was being cut down.
Two (2) Ridgewood PD uniformed patrol officers and a uniformed supervisor were called to the scene and were ready to take the woman into custody had she not voluntarily stepped back from the tree. The tree was reportedly being removed to facilitate the expansion of a nearby home. According to Engineer Rutishauser, the tree will be replaced by a new tree at a later date.
Record Number of Consumers Are Aware of Small Business Saturday®, Almost two-thirds (65%) plan to spend at least $100
Small Business Saturday is November 28th
77 percent of U.S. consumers are planning to ‘Shop Small®’ this holiday season
November 27,2015
the staff of the Ridgewood blog
Ridgewood NJ, As small business owners across the nation gear up for Small Business Saturday, a record number of shoppers are making plans to support their favorite local businesses. According to the fourth-annual Small Business Saturday Consumer Insights Survey, released today by the National Federation of Independent Businesses (NFIB) and American Express, supporting local small businesses continues to be a priority for shoppers nationwide.
“We’re immensely proud to be a founding partner of Small Business Saturday, and it is gratifying to see how it has become the movement that it is today.”
Small Business Saturday was created by American Express in 2010 as a response to small business owners’ most pressing need: getting more customers. Held on the Saturday following Thanksgiving, Small Business Saturday helps rally communities to support local businesses. As Small Business Saturday enters its sixth year, 55 percent of U.S. consumers report they are aware of the day – the highest figure yet recorded – and even more encouraging, 83 percent say Small Business Saturday inspires them to Shop Small all year long.
“Small Business Saturday is a major part of the holiday shopping tradition, and has become a celebration of the local small business owners that we call friends, neighbors and family,” said Janey Whiteside, Senior Vice President and General Manager of American Express OPEN. “We’re immensely proud to be a founding partner of Small Business Saturday, and it is gratifying to see how it has become the movement that it is today.”
“Small Business Saturday has grown every year and it’s been a big boost to Main Street America,” said NFIB CEO and President Dan Danner. “We are very proud to partner with American Express once again this year to promote an event that connects American consumers with their hometown businesses.”
Additional findings from the Small Business Saturday Consumer Insights Survey include:
80% of consumers are willing to pay slightly more for an item if it is purchased from a small, independently-owned retailer as opposed to online or at a large retailer On average, consumers are planning to do 35% of their holiday shopping at small businesses 45% of consumers who expect to shop on the day plan to spend more on Small Business Saturday this year than they spent last year Almost two-thirds (64%) of consumers who plan to shop on Small Business Saturday are motivated by the contributions that small businesses make to their community
Community Involvement Grows; Additional Activities Provide Shopping Experiences Throughout the Day
Part of what helps make Small Business Saturday a success is the Small Business Saturday Coalition, which helps rally communities to Shop Small on November 28th. The Coalition was created in 2011 and is led by Women Impacting Public Policy (WIPP). The Coalition is comprised of national, state and local associations that help coordinate Shop Small activities with merchants, consumers and small business owners.
Another important group that drives Small Business Saturday activities is Neighborhood Champions, which is comprised of small businesses, business associations, local Chambers of Commerce, and other community organizers. To date, more than 3,500 Neighborhood Champions – an increase of 26 percent from 2,786 in 2014 – have signed up to plan local community activities leading up to and on the day.
file photo by Boyd Loving
November 27,2015
the staff of the Ridgewood blog
The Ridgewood Blog just received this information –
Ridgewood NJ, In a departure of past practice, Village Council members have hired Mark Ruderman, Esq. and the firm of Ruderman and Glickman to negotiate a contract between the Village of Ridgewood and members of Ridgewood Policeman’s Benevolent Assocation (PBA) Local 20. Village Council members authorized the hiring of Mr. Ruderman and his firm under a no-bid contract, expiring on June 30, 2016, for an amount not to exceed $75,000; this was done via Resolution 15-182, passed on June 24, 2015.
For as many years as those who have been around for many years can remember, the PBA contract was always negotiated by the Village Manager, with labor attorney review only after the contract terms were accepted by both parties. The staff of The Ridgewood Blog wondered why the sudden change, and why Mr. Ruderman. Then we ran across this article:
So in a nutshell, Mr. Ruderman was successful in forcing the Tenafly PBA into arbitration, which resulted in a 3-year no raise contract, and a scaled back pay system that forces their members to work longer before reaching maximum pay. What the news article didn’t say was that Mr. Ruderman charged Tenafly $225,000 for his legal/negotiation services. Although the Ridgewood contract has a cap of $75,000, the cap expires on June 30, 2016. If terms are not reached by then, an opportunity may exist for Mr. Ruderman to either achieve or exceed his Tenafly payout.
The hiring of Mr. Ruderman begs the staff of The Ridgewood Blog to ask what role, if any, Village Manager Roberta Sonenfeld and Director of Human Resources Sharyn Matthews are playing in the PBA negotiations, particularly since each of their roles include labor negotiations as a responsibility.
Bottom line – Why are taxpayers shelling out $92,000 a year in salary plus benefits for an HR Director who can’t negotiate? And then another $75,000 for someone who can? Good grief Charlie Brown!
Ridgewood NJ, Ridgewood has always been a quaint and desirable village notably distinct from its neighboring towns and will always have some degree of crowding. A 300 space parking garage is only another step away from that “quaintness”.
When the Mayor Aronsohn was at the train station one morning lobbying for yes-votes for the garage, Residents asked him if 300 spaces would solve any problems. His response was that some people estimate it at 1,000 spaces and he’s looking at other locations for other garages as well. It’s like a runaway train.
The fact that we have some congestion goes hand-in-hand with desirability. Many would rather have the village we have now and pay the price that charm requires rather than chip away at its ambiance (and these are pretty big chips) and end up paying an even larger price in the long run.
Ridgewood NJ ,Join the Ridgewood PBA Local 20 on Monday December 7th 2015 as we honor six officers retiring from the Ridgewood Police Department with a dinner and Comedy show at Seasons Restaurant in Washington Township.
Leaf Collection Schedule Including dates for leaves to be placed in the street
Ridgewood NJ, It is Village policy and a requirement for residents that all leaves must be placed directly in the street no more than 7 days prior to your scheduled pick up date. Please have your leaves in the street on the first day scheduled for collection. If you employ the services of a landscaper communicate these dates to them. No brush will be collected during leaf season. You may continue to bring leaves as well as brush to the Recycling Center. The hours of operation are Monday through Saturday, 8:00 AM to 3:00 PM. Leaves can also be placed in paper biodegradable bags. Bags will be available at the Recycling Center on a first come, first serve basis. When using bags please place them on the curb area and they will be collected separately.
According to the Village Hall the most vocal comment heard from residents last year was on properties who did not comply with the schedule. Therefore enforcement will be vital to the Village’s success to improve this service. An enforcement agent NOW ISSUING SUMMONS to those that violate these guidelines.
As weather is a key component to this operation, if changes become necessary it will be posted on the Village of Ridgewood website. In addition you are encouraged to sign up for e-mail notifications via the Village website and to share this information with your neighbors. As a reminder, use caution when our leaf removal crews are on your block. When possible please take an alternate route to ensure the safety of all. Should you have any questions, please call the Street Division at (201) 670-5585.
IMPORTANT UPDATE ON LEAF COLLECTION DATES
This past week we have stepped up our enforcement efforts for leaf removal. As a result warning letters were issued to those homes which had leaves out not within the timeframe provided or too close to a storm drain. There seems to be some confusion as to when leaves are to be placed in the street. A clarification of the dates is as follows:
AREA A
Collection Date – Nov. 5 – 10 (Leaves MUST be placed in the street between Oct. 29 through Nov. 5)
Collection Date – Nov. 30 – Dec. 3 (Leaves MUST be placed in the street between Nov. 23 through Nov. 30)
AREA B
Collection Date – Nov. 9 – 13 (Leaves MUST be placed in the street between Nov. 2 through Nov. 9)
Collection Date Nov. 30 – Dec. 4 (Leaves MUST be placed in street between Nov. 23 through Nov. 30)
Collection Date – Dec. 14 – 18 (Leaves MUST be placed in street between Dec. 7 through Dec. 14)
AREA C
Collection Date – Nov. 12 – 18 (Leaves MUST be placed in street between Nov. 5 through Nov. 12)
Collection Date – Dec. 7-11 (Leaves MUST be placed in street between Dec. 1 through Dec. 7)
AREA D
Collection Date – Nov. 19 – 25 (Leaves MUST be placed in street between Nov. 12 through Nov. 19)
Collection Date – Dec. 14 – 18 (Leaves MUST be placed in street between Dec. 7 through Dec. 14)
With the heavy leaf drop upon us it is important that you have leaves out by the FIRST DATE of your scheduled pick-up. Leaves WILL NOT be picked up on all dates shown for pick up but rather during that timeframe. Your leaves will only be picked up ONCE during that timeframe. We will not go back to your street until your next scheduled day once we have picked up your leaves.
Ridgewood NJ , the Ridgewood police report that on Wednesday November 4, 2015, a Newcomb Road resident reported that someone had entered the garage at his/her home that was under construction removing construction equipment, an aluminum breaker and aluminum scaffolding valued at $1,800. The stolen property belonged to the contractor working at the home. The detective bureau is investigating the matter.
Also on Thursday November 5, 2015 a Franklin Avenue business owner reported merchandise (a large wheeled metal serving cart with a tiled mosaic top) valued at $650. stolen from his/her store sometime between October 31, 2015 and November 2, 2015. The matter is being investigated by the detective bureau.,
NOVEMBER 11, 2015 LAST UPDATED: WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 11, 2015, 9:13 AM
BY MARK KRULISH
STAFF WRITER |
THE RIDGEWOOD NEWS
The village’s professional staff last month gave an update to the council regarding an ongoing project related to cleaning up Ridgewood’s salary ordinances and ranges.
The issue of updating the salary ranges and titles was first broached in September when Village Manager Roberta Sonenfeld presented the possibility of hiring certain employees at a salary higher than the minimum listed in the village’s salary ranges.
The purpose of changing the ordinance was to give the manager discretion and flexibility in hiring employees with qualifications that would suggest bringing them in at a higher salary and allow the village to get the best employee for the position. The ordinance could extend to both public safety and non-public safety employees.
At that time, Sonenfeld also offered to include in the ordinance a provision that anytime an employee is brought in at a salary higher than the low end of the pay range, the details would be discussed during the open session portion of a council meeting for the sake of clarity.
Since then, Sonenfeld, Village Clerk Heather Mailander and Human Resources Director Sharyn Matthews have met several times to continue work on the ordinance and discovered more aspects in need of an update.
Discussion focused on the addition of new titles and the deletion of unused ones. Sonenfeld said ranges had not been adjusted, but new ranges would be presented for consideration when the yearly salary ordinance is adopted.
NOVEMBER 10, 2015 LAST UPDATED: TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 10, 2015, 9:51 AM
BY MARK KRULISH
STAFF WRITER |
THE RIDGEWOOD NEWS
Affordable housing obligations have been a hot topic in municipalities all over New Jersey in the wake of the state Supreme Court’s decision in March to return jurisdiction in cases on affordable housing to the courts.
photo by Boyd Loving
Like many other municipalities, Ridgewood is in the midst of litigation on the matter while attempting to clarify its exact affordable housing obligation.
The village is preparing a plan to submit to a judge by December on how it will meet its obligation.
photo by Boyd Loving
Jeffrey Surenian, an attorney whose practice focuses exclusively on representing municipalities in affordable housing matters, gave a presentation at last Wednesday night’s Village Council meeting in order to shed some light on the issue.
The council was expected to discuss the issue further as part of its work session later in the meeting, but postponed talks as a public hearing pushed the start of the regular agenda past midnight.
Ridgewood NJ, For those of you who believe the Village is consistently able to bring a projects in on time and within budget, I offer this as evidence of my concerns regarding the issue.
A seemingly routine contract award by the Village Council in February jumped 288% within nine (9) months due to two (2) change orders.
And this is the same Village Council that may be awarding a contract for a $15 million parking garage.
Enough said.
**********
February
15-35 Award Contract – Servicing and Repair of Potable Water Pumping Facilities (NTE $66,813.10) – Awards the second year of a two year contract to the lowest responsible bidder, Rinbrand Well Drilling, 14 Waldron Avenue, Glen Rock, NJ
July
15-219 Authorize Change Order – Servicing & Repair of Potable Water Pumping Facilities ($60,000)- Authorizes a change order to the original contractor, Rinbrand Well Drilling Co., Inc., 14 Waldron Avenue, Glen Rock, NJ which is necessary due to additional necessary repairs to pumping facilities
November
15-361 Authorize Change Order – On-Call Servicing and Repair of Potable Well Facilities and Piping (NTE $132,650.42) – Authorizes a change order to the original contractor, Rinbrand Well Drilling Company, Inc., 14 Waldron Avenue, Glen Rock, NJ. This change order is necessary due to additional necessary repairs to pumping facilities.
