Village of Ridgewood - Page 356 of 375

Posted on March 14, 2015June 27, 2021 by James — 3 Comments

Reader says Council Women Kundsen is the only one raising the issue that the agenda must be published in advance of the meeting

Reader says Council Women Kundsen is the only one raising the issue that the agenda must be published in advance of the meeting, regardless of whether it is to be an open or closed one

How do you know what was on the agenda unless you are Knudsen or one of the other Council members? Knudsen seems to be the only one raising an issue here, so has Knudsen betrayed the Council’s closed door agenda by disclosing non-public information here on the Ridgewood blog about a closed session?”

11:27am, read the law!

The capitalized passage below shows that the agenda must be published in advance of the meeting, regardless of whether it is to be an open or closed one.
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OPEN PUBLIC MEETINGS ACT
(current through May 31, 2011)
N.J.S.A. 10:4-6. Short title
This act shall be known and may be cited as the “Senator Byron M. Baer Open Public Meetings Act.”
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N.J.S.A. 10:4-7. Legislative findings and declaration
The Legislature finds and declares that the right of the public to be present at all meetings of public bodies, and to witness in full detail all phases of the deliberation, policy formulation, and decision making of public bodies, is vital to the enhancement and proper functioning of the democratic process; that secrecy in public affairs undermines the faith of the public in government and the public’s effectiveness in fulfilling its role in a democratic society, and hereby declares it to be the public policy of this State to insure the right of its citizens to have adequate advance notice of and the right to attend all meetings of public bodies at which any business affecting the public is discussed or acted upon in any way except only in those circumstances where otherwise the public interest would be clearly endangered or the personal privacy or guaranteed rights of individuals would be clearly in danger of unwarranted invasion.
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The Legislature further declares it to be the public policy of this State to insure that the aforesaid rights are implemented pursuant to the provisions of this act so that no confusion, misconstructions or misinterpretations may thwart the purposes hereof.

The Legislature, therefore, declares that it is the understanding and the intention of the Legislature that in order to be covered by the provisions of this act a public body must be organized by law and be collectively empowered as a multi-member voting body to spend public funds or affect persons’ rights; that, therefore, informal or purely advisory bodies with no effective authority are not covered, nor are groupings composed of a public official with subordinates or advisors, who are not empowered to act by vote such as a mayor or the Governor meeting with department heads or cabinet members, that specific exemptions are provided for the Judiciary, parole bodies, the State Commission of Investigation, the Apportionment Commission and political party organization; that to be covered by the provisions of this act a meeting must be open to all the public body’s members, and the members present must intend to discuss or act on the public body’s business; and therefore, typical partisan caucus meetings and chance encounters of members of public bodies are neither covered by the provisions of this act, nor are they intended to be so covered.
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N.J.S.A. 10:4-8. Definitions
As used in this act:
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…
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b. “Meeting” means and includes any gathering whether corporeal or by means of communication equipment, which is attended by, or open to, all of the members of a public body, held with the intent, on the part of the members of the body present, to discuss or act as a unit upon the specific public business of that body. Meeting does not mean or include any such gathering (1) attended by less than an effective majority of the members of a public body, or (2) attended by or open to all the members of three or more similar public bodies at a convention or similar gathering.
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c. “Public business” means and includes all matters which relate in any way, directly or indirectly, to the performance of the public body’s functions or the conduct of its business.
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d. “Adequate notice” means written advance notice of at least 48 hours, giving the time, date, location AND, TO THE EXTENT KNOWN, THE AGENDA OF ANY REGULAR, SPECIAL OR RESCHEDULED MEETING, which notice shall accurately state whether formal action may or may not be taken and which shall be (1) prominently posted in at least one public place reserved for such or similar announcements, (2) mailed, telephoned, telegrammed, or hand delivered to at least two newspapers which newspapers shall be designated by the public body to receive such notices because they have the greatest likelihood of informing the public within the area of jurisdiction of the public body of such meetings, one of which shall be the official newspaper, where any such has been designated by the public body or if the public body has failed to so designate, where any has been designated by the governing body of the political subdivision whose geographic boundaries are coextensive with that of the public body and (3) filed with the clerk of the municipality when the public body’s geographic boundaries are coextensive with that of a single municipality, with the clerk of the county when the public body’s geographic boundaries are coextensive with that of a single county, and with the Secretary of State if the public body has Statewide jurisdiction. For any other public body the filing shall be with the clerk or chief administrative officer of such other public body and each municipal or county clerk of each municipality or county encompassed within the jurisdiction of such public body. Where annual notice or revisions thereof in compliance with section 13 of this act [FN1] set forth the location of any meeting, no further notice shall be required for such meeting.

Posted on March 12, 2015July 10, 2016 by James — 2 Comments

Ridgewood settles resident’s sewage ‘blowback’ case for almost $22,000

Ridgewood settles resident’s sewage ‘blowback’ case for almost $22,000

MARCH 11, 2015, 9:59 PM LAST UPDATED: WEDNESDAY, MARCH 11, 2015, 10:04 PM
BY CHRIS HARRIS
STAFF WRITER |
THE RECORD

RIDGEWOOD NJ— The village has agreed to pay $21,920 to settle a resident’s claim for repairs to her finished basement that flooded when the municipality cleared its sewer lines last September.

The settlement was approved Wednesday night by Mayor and Council.

Resident Jill Feeney said she reached out to village officials soon after discovering the carpet in her basement was soggy and stank.

“It literally smelled like the men’s room at Penn Station on a hot day,” Feeney said Wednesday, noting one foot of sewage-contaminated water was forced up through the drain in her basement’s sink by the village’s work.

As village crews worked to unclog a sewer line next to her Stevens Avenue home in September, Feeney said a pocket of pressurized air formed within a nearby sewer line — the pipe leading to her basement’s sink. The air escaped through the sink, and the contaminated water followed, tainting everything it touched.

Plumbers refer to this rare phenomenon as “blowback.”

https://www.northjersey.com/news/ridgewood-settles-resident-s-sewage-blowback-case-for-almost-22-000-1.1286808

Posted on March 12, 2015June 27, 2021 by James — 1 Comment

the Village of Ridgewood : If you See a Pothole Report the Pothole

the Village of Ridgewood : If you See a Pothole Report the Pothole

Welcome to the Ridgewood Service Request System (RSR)

This website will allow the registered user to report specific categorized items to the correct departments. Once the item is reported, the submitted information will be copied to the user that has created request. Throughout the entire process, the user will receive status update emails pertaining to the request until it is resolved.

Currently the request that can be submitted will be pertaining to the following categories (additional categories will be added in the future):

-Potholes

The request:

Each request must have a:

Title (example: “Big Pothole”, “Multiple Potholes”, “Deep Pothole”, ect…).
Category – Currently Pothole is the only choice.
Address – (Location of pothole) Address can be entered with just street number and name of street (example: 131 N Maple Ave). The user can also enter the entire address (example: 131 N Maple Ave, Ridgewood, NJ, 07450). After the address is entered, use the “Find Address on Map” button below to pinpoint the area on the map. The map is interactive, and the user can define the exact location of the request by zooming in and dragging the red marker to the exact location.
Upload an Image – While this is not mandatory, it will help in providing information that can be useful in determining needed materials or extent of damages that require attention. Do not put yourself in harm’s way in order to take a photo.
Description – The more information the better. An estimate on the size of the pothole (examples: “12 inches irregular, about 6″ deep”; “Multiple large potholes in a cluster covering a 10 foot section of the road on the northbound lane”) and any other pertinent information would be helpful.

The website can be accessed on most devices and has been tested on: Internet Explorer, Firefox, Safari, Android (internet app), iPhone (safari app), and iPad (safari app). If you experience any issues with RSR, please email: [email protected]. Please provide as much information pertaining to the issue, time and date of when the issue occurred in order to assist us in troubleshooting the problem.

IMPORTANT NOTICE ABOUT RSR
RSR IS NOT AN EMERGENCY REPORTING SYSTEM. If your issue or concern involves an immediate risk to life or personal safety, CALL 9-1-1 IMMEDIATELY. RSR requests are reviewed during the Village’s regular business hours, Monday through Friday from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. All requests will be reviewed and addressed in accordance with Village polices and within the limits of available resources.

https://rsr.ridgewoodnj.net/index.php/login-register

https://rsr.ridgewoodnj.net/index.php/service-request

Posted on March 12, 2015March 12, 2015 by James — 3 Comments

N.J. has no policy on officials’ use of personal emails nearly a year after call for a ban

file photo by Boyd Loving

N.J. has no policy on officials’ use of personal emails nearly a year after call for a ban

MARCH 11, 2015, 11:32 PM LAST UPDATED: WEDNESDAY, MARCH 11, 2015, 11:45 PM
BY MELISSA HAYES
STATE HO– USE BUREAU |
THE RECORD

Nearly a year before revelations that former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton used her personal email account for official business, the Christie administration was chastised because members of its own staff communicated through private emails. And that criticism came not from Governor Christie’s political foes, but from lawyers hired by his team to investigate the burgeoning George Washington Bridge lane-closing scandal.

The lawyers called for the administration to impose an immediate ban on the practice. After all, the most notorious email to emerge from the GWB scandal — the “Time for some traffic problems in Fort Lee” message that a deputy chief of staff sent to a Port Authority official — was written on her private email account.

Yet just shy of 12 months after the lawyers’ recommendation, which was contained in the so-called Mastro report on the lane closings, the state has yet to change its written policies on the use of such email accounts. In fact, the current policy on “electronic mail/messages” is silent when it comes to public workers doing state business on private email.

https://www.northjersey.com/news/n-j-has-no-policy-on-officials-use-of-personal-emails-nearly-a-year-after-call-for-a-ban-1.1286854

Posted on March 12, 2015June 27, 2021 by James — 13 Comments

Reader says the Mayor and his two side kicks are creating real damage to the Village

Reader says the Mayor and his two side kicks (the 3 amigos)are creating real damage to the Village

The real damage being done to the village is that at public VC meetings, non-amigo council members are being blatantly and unnecessarily marginalized, and not simply by virtue of the fact that they are in the minority, and the measures they end up opposing are being passed over their objections. Nobody relishes the sense that their arguments were not persuasive, or that their concerns were not shared by their colleagues.

No, the new and much more damaging development is the trend of non-amigo dissenters being so blatantly and systematically personally misused and marginalized. More and more often, we find, that when an important issue or potential policy or statutory change is beginning to be considered by the Village Council, non-Amigo VC members are being intentionally kept out of the loop during substantive face-to-face meetings, telephone calls and email exchanges during which important village business is being discussed. Many of these events involve one or two Amigos, thereby representing a violation of the spirit, if not also the letter, of the Sunshine Law but some represent clear violations because they involve all three Amigos.

For example, former Councilwoman Walsh was CONSTANTLY being kept completely in the dark by all three Amigos during the run up to contemplated policy or statutory changes (as was Councilman Riche, BTW). In fact, this is the very issue she was complaining about, on the record at a public VC meeting, when the current Mayor, apparently feeling the heat and wishing to lash out and intimidate his recalcitrant colleague, accused her, without any basis in the facts or the law, of using the influence of her position on the VC to try to fix her own parking ticket. This is classic uncivil mud slinging.

Another example of this corrosive and damaging behavior is when the two Amigos were enthusiastically participating in their official capacity in the first ‘civility forum’, thinking they were in the clear, and the third Amigo unexpectedly showed up and used the public microphone to officiously advance the Amigo agenda, thereby pushing the meeting, already arguably covered by the Public Meetings Act (Sunshine Law), very clearly into that category. This shows contempt for the law. More distinctly uncivil behavior.

A third example, very recent, is when a typical up-to-no-good Amigo seemingly intentionally and deviously misled Councilwoman Knudsen into believing she needed to recuse herself from a VC work session relating to proposed changes to a law relating to village hiring practices because of her relationship to two pending local job applicants when the law required no such thing. Only after the meeting took place and Ms. Knudsen read the transcript did she determine the very wrong turn done to her by her VC colleague. Where does this behavior fall on the civility scale?

of course, the practice of figuratively knee-capping non-Amigos is not necessarily restricted to attacks on current VC colleages. This is a reality to which current Councilman Sedon can attest, having been forced to choose between his job as a reporter at a Staten Island newspaper and his continued candidacy for a seat on the Village council after an as-yet-unnamed individual apparently maliciously reached out to the editor and suggested that an unavoidable conflict of interest existed (hmm…seems like a pattern…). Can anyone think of something more uncivil than this, short of unjustified physical violence?

These developments constitute real damage because they suggest that anyone who, for whatever reason, opposes or threatens to oppose any current or future Three Amigos policy position or priority, will pay a heavy and a very personal price for their unauthorized dissent. Good potential VC candidates are presumably also intelligent and reasonably savvy and could very well be intimidated into refraining for throwing their hat into the ring in the first place. Moreover, effective, honest, well-meaning and therefore objectivey valuable current VC members are understandably caused by such behavior to re-think their continued participation in local government, meaning that they might not seek re-election when their term as Council member expires.

Surely this qualifies as “real damage.”

So I ask you, What’s in your conscience?

Posted on March 11, 2015June 27, 2021 by James — 11 Comments

Readers voice concern over weakening of residency requirements

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Readers voice concern over weakening of residency requirements

I think they are looking to hire more Hudson county partisan people to work in Ridgewood by ditching the residency rules.

The previous Village Manager is referred to as a “carpet bagger,” but yet this VC plans to do away with the residency requirement for all employees except police & fire? Do as we say and not as we do.

While other readers insist , ” We should be hiring for police & fire from the surrounding communities Paramus, Glen Rock, Midland Park, Waldwick and Ho-Ho-Kus, as well as Ridgewood. This would give the Village access to a wider pool of applicants and might stop us from hiring a majority of legacy candidates.”

The Mayor wrote in a PolitickerNJ Editorial on 03/04/11 , “my Party has largely stood on the sidelines as union workers were vilified and scapegoated. Silent and passive, many Democrats did nothing as others attacked the very people at the center of our Party. No defense. No counteroffensive. No nothing. During the past year’s great debate over worker’s rights and responsibilities, the Democrats – by and large – refused to show up.”

The Mayor received massive campaign contributions from unions :

Paul Aronsohn (D)Political Action Committee Total ContributedTeamsters Union $10,000.00
Intl Brotherhood of Electrical Workers $10,000.00
United Auto Workers $6,500.00
Carpenters & Joiners Union $5,000.00
American Fedn of St/Cnty/Munic Employees $5,000.00
National Air Traffic Controllers Assn $5,000.00
Sheet Metal Workers Union $5,000.00
Laborers Union $3,500.00
AFL-CIO $2,661.00
American Federation of Teachers $2,500.00
Operating Engineers Local 825 $2,500.00
Plumbers/Pipefitters Union Local 475 $1,000.00
Service Employees International Union $1,000.00
Plumbers/Pipefitters Union Local 274 $1,000.00
Plumbers/Pipefitters Union Local 9 $500.00

Operating Engineers Local 542 $250.00

Posted on March 11, 2015June 27, 2021 by James — 8 Comments

Village Resuming Rear Yard Pick Up and Springing Ahead to Pothole Repair

Village of Ridgewood ,Rear Yard Pick Up, Springing Ahead , Pothole Repair

E Notice – Resuming Rear Yard Pick Up and Springing Ahead to Pothole Repair

Dear E Notice Residents,

Beginning Thursday, March 12th, we will resume rear yard garbage pick-up. Let’s keep our fingers crossed that there will be no more snow and icy conditions this season.

We are turning our attention and our resources to fixing potholes. Please report potholes to us either using our online application on our website or by phoning 201/670-5585.

As always, thanks for your patience during this challenging winter and thanks for your feedback and suggestions to make things better – it takes a Village!

Best,

Roberta Sonenfeld
Village Manager

Posted on March 9, 2015June 27, 2021 by James — 1 Comment

Examining New Jersey’s Highest in Nation Highway Costs

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Examining New Jersey’s Highest in Nation Highway Costs

SATURDAY, 07 MARCH 2015 12:36

BY BRAD SCHNURE

SPECIAL TO NEWJERSEYNEWSROOM.COM

In response to concerns that New Jersey highways are the nation’s most expensive to build, operate and maintain, Senator Mike Doherty (R-23) hasdrafted legislation that will give policymakers the information they need to lower costs for drivers and taxpayers.

As Doherty expressed in a recent editorial, the new measure addresses the dual concerns of excessive state highway costs highlighted in a recent report by the Reason Foundation and calls by some legislators to raise the state’s gas tax to fund new transportation projects.

“Some may quibble over how much more New Jersey spends on our highways than other states, but nobody disputes that we do spend more than everyone else,” said Doherty. “With New Jersey drivers already shouldering such a heavy tax and toll burden, it’s imperative that we find out why the many millions we spend on our roads get us so little in return.”

According to the Reason Foundation’s 21st Annual Highway Report, New Jersey’s overall highway performance ranked 48th among the states despite our roads being the nation’s most expensive. The next most expensive state, Massachusetts, was found to spend two-thirds less per mile than New Jersey despite similarities in population density, climate and highway system size.

Doherty’s legislation would create the “State Transportation Cost Analysis Task Force” to conduct a methodical analysis of the factors that contribute to New Jersey’s road costs, compare our costs to those of other states, and provide recommendations to complete projects more cost-effectively.

https://www.newjerseynewsroom.com/economy/examining-new-jerseys-highest-in-nation-highway-costs

Posted on February 26, 2015February 25, 2015 by James — 12 Comments

Casting New TV Show Family Take Over, Ridgewood NJ

Casting New TV Show Family Take Over , Ridgewood NJ

Looking for families in Ridgewood,NJ that are struggling financially for new series. Fortune 500 CEO Victor Antonio will help families get back on track with a financial bootcamp.
Call Sarah Mahoney Furlong @ 323-822-7384. We are filming in March.

Posted on February 24, 2015June 27, 2021 by James — 9 Comments

Meet the Village Manager Roberta Sonenfeld – Tuesday, February 24th 5:00pm to 7:30pm

Meet the Village Manager Roberta Sonenfeld – Today Tuesday, February 24th 5:00pm to 7:30pm

Village Manager Roberta Sonenfeld will hold office hours for Ridgewood residents and business owners on Tuesday, February 24th between the hours of 5:00pm to 7:30pm. This is an opportunity to share your thoughts and provide input to Roberta. These sessions will be scheduled at 15 minute intervals and will be held in the Council Chambers on the 4th Floor of Ridgewood Village Hall. Please contact Beth Spinato at 201-670-5500, ext. 203 to make an appointment. Walk-ins are welcome but should realize that the schedule may already be booked. We will announce the schedule for these meetings on a monthly basis.

Posted on February 24, 2015February 23, 2015 by James — Leave a comment

Programs at the Ridgewood Public Library

Commodore John Barry, Hero of the American Revolution

Programs at the Ridgewood Public Library

Irish in the American Revolution Discussion
Irish in the American Revolution, Monday, March 2, 7pm.

Todd Braisted shares his research about the Irish who fought with the Patriots, the British, the Hessians and the French during the American Revolution.

Ridgewood Library Offers Knit One Read Too
Tue, March 03, 2015
Time: 7:00 PM
Location: Ridgewood Public Library, 125 N Maple Ave., Ridgewood, NJ 07450

NEW* Knit One Read Too, instructional session, Tuesday, March 3, 7pm.
Learn or help others to knit, crochet, embroider, stitch as we preview best of new books. Group size limited, registration required. Please visit Reference desk, www.ridgewoodlibrary.org or contact Victoria at 201-612-5600, ext. 133.

Reading Marathon Closing Celebration
Mon, March 02, 2015
Time: 4:00 PM – 5:00 AM
Location: Ridgewood Public Library, 125 N. Maple Ave., Ridgewood, NJ 07450

Reading Marathon Closing Celebration: Bash the Trash, Monday, March 2, 4-5pm.
“Serious” musicians find a melody in their trash. Register now.
*Note: this is a rescheduled performance from a snow day.

Unbroken: The Great Zamperini Disscussion at the Ridgewood Library
Unbroken: The Great Zamperini
Wednesday, March 11, 6:30pm. Documentary screening and discussion about Louis Zamperini’s WWII crash and POW experience.
Speaker: Rick Feingold. Free, all welcome. Light refreshments.

Posted on February 22, 2015February 21, 2015 by James — 2 Comments

Village of Ridgewood tackles decline in civility

Village of Ridgewood tackles decline in civility

Upcoming meeting will explore ways to raise the tone of public discourse

Why can’t we all just get along?

The rabbis have been asking that question for years, particularly in late summer, around the time of Tisha B’Av, when sermons inevitably wrap around the themes of baseless hatred and intolerance.

But our secular community — especially as political discourse turns ever more hostile and bullying pervades both our schools and our social media — has been asking that as well, and at least one town has decided to do something about it.

According to Ridgewood’s Mayor Paul Aronsohn, the town began its civility initiative last year. With a core group including Rabbi David Fine of the town’s Temple Israel and Jewish Community Center, Councilwoman Gwenn Hauck, the Rev. Jan Phillips of the Religious Society of Friends, and Mr. Aronsohn, the town already has held two roundtable discussions on the issue, seeking to identify the problem and locate the line between disagreement and incivility.

“It’s not only what you say, but how you say it,” Mr. Aronsohn said, noting that any discussion must include both content and attitude. “It’s good and fine to disagree, but we should be able to disagree without being disagreeable.”

https://jstandard.com/content/item/town_tackles_decline_in_civility/32564

Posted on February 20, 2015February 20, 2015 by James — Leave a comment

Ridgewood Arts Council plans exhibit at Village Hall

Ridgewood_-Village_Hall_theridgewoodblog

Ridgewood Arts Council plans exhibit at Village Hall

February 20, 2015 Last updated: Friday, February 20, 2015, 12:31 AM
By Darius Amos
STAFF WRITER |
The Ridgewood News

Less than a year after the village breathed new life into the Ridgewood Arts Council, RAC members are ready to return the favor.

The municipality’s official organization for the arts has set its sights on an ambitious but achievable goal, one that will end with the installation of a permanent public art display throughout Village Hall.

Titled “Ridgewood Art at Village Hall,” the idea for the permanent art exhibit comes on the heels of the success of Ridgewood High School’s Learning Commons display. Resident Linda Bradley was one of the volunteers who played an instrumental role in the RHS project.

“I was curating art for the Learning Commons. The art I was amassing was from Ridgewood residents,” Bradley said. “I got pulled over to be a part of the [RAC] because there was a lot of interest in the Learning Commons. We wanted to continue that visibility and celebration of the arts.”

https://www.northjersey.com/community-news/clubs-and-service-organizations/group-to-liven-up-municipalbuilding-1.1274875

Posted on February 20, 2015May 29, 2016 by James — Leave a comment

Ridgewood News editorial: Test ready

Ridgewood News editorial: Test ready

FEBRUARY 20, 2015 LAST UPDATED: FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 20, 2015, 12:31 AM
THE RIDGEWOOD NEWS

Whether you like it or not, PARCC testing is coming to Ridgewood. The new state-mandated assessment exams are slated for administration for the first time on March 2.

https://www.northjersey.com/opinion/opinion-editorials/test-ready-1.1274951

Posted on February 18, 2015June 27, 2021 by James — 2 Comments

Civility in Public Discourse – Tuesday, February 24th at 7:30PM

Civility in Public Discourse – Tuesday, February 24th at 7:30PM

The Village of Ridgewood will host a panel discussion on “Civility in Public Discourse” on Tuesday, February 24 at 7:30pm at the Ridgewood Public Library.

Panelists will include Lynne Algrant, Councilwoman, Englewood; Stephen Borg, Publisher / President, North Jersey Media Group; Jacqueline Luthcke, Captain, Ridgewood Police Department; Robert Sommer, Public Affairs Executive / Jersey City Official; James Tedesco, Bergen County Executive.

The facilitator for the discussion will be David Fine, Rabbi, Temple Israel. “This panel discussion will provide a good opportunity to take our conversation about civility to the next level,” explained Ridgewood Mayor Paul Aronsohn. “These community leaders each offer an important perspective, and we are fortunate to have this chance to engage them in such a meaningful way.” The event will be open to the public. WHAT: Panel Discussion on Civility in Public Discourse WHEN: Tuesday, February 24 7:30p to 9:00p WHERE: Ridgewood Public Library 125 North Maple Avenue, WHO: Panelists Lynne Algrant, Councilwoman, Englewood Stephen Borg, Publisher / President, North Jersey Media Group Jacqueline Luthcke, Captain, Ridgewood Police Department Robert Sommer, Public Affairs Executive / Jersey City Official James Tedesco, Bergen County Executive Facilitator David Fine, Rabbi, Temple Israel HOW: Remarks by panelists, followed by questions / answers.

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