Ridgewood NJ, residents are disappointed by a recent social media post from Keith Kazmark, Village of Ridgewood Manager, and the apparent sentiment it reflects. The reference to ‘The Real Housewives’—a show known for its dramatic storylines, intense conflicts, and strong personalities—in the context of his role as Village Manager is not only inappropriate but also unprofessional, especially considering the show’s association with more serious issues like financial fraud conspiracy, criminal charges, and defaulting on home equity loans.
Ridgewood NJ, An additional leaf pick up period for all “areas” of the Village was announced by Village Manager Heather Mailander during the Village Council’s 12/13/2017 Public Meeting.
From December 23, 2017 through and including January 1, 2018, residents of any “area” may deposit leaves at the curb for pick up. Per Ms. Mailander, Village crews will begin picking up leaves on January 2, 2018.
LAST CHANCE FOR LOOSE LEAF PLACEMENT AT THE CURB: December 23, 2017 through and including January 1, 2018.
As mentioned in a previous E-Notice, we had an early heavy leaf drop this year. Through December 1 we have collected 31,544 cubic yards of leaves – this compares with 20, 567 last year at the same time – a 50% increase! The total leaves collected last year were 35,257 cubic yards so this upcoming round is really like our final clean up. As a result we are taking longer in each of our Areas (an extra three to four days)and are updating our collection schedule as follows:
Area A: December 4 to December 10
Area B: Remains the same
Area C: December 11 to December 17
Area D: December 18 – December 23
This has also been posted on our website – which I would encourage you to monitor: www.ridgewoodnj.net
As I have also mentioned, we will do a post mortem on the season and have been benchmarking with like communities around us to share ideas and best practices. I would like to include some residents in our post mortem process as I know through my correspondences with you there are residents that have a passion about this issue and have many ideas as well. If you would be interested in attending a meeting at Village Hall (probably in January) to discuss your thoughts, please let me know. And also let me know your preference for timing, e.g. daytime, evening, etc.
Best wishes for a safe, happy and healthy holiday season, Roberta
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!
But the questions remains can I wash my car or not ?
Village of Ridgewood E-Notice
Water Restrictions
Dear E Notice Resident,
Your cooperation with Stage 4 watering restrictions as well as stricter enforcement has had a very positive impact on our water usage. We have seen roughly a 50+% decrease in usage from the highs of August and early September. That being said, weather forecasts over the next several days are not positive from a rainfall point of view and we will continue Stage 4 restrictions – with some ability to do case by case waivers – until further notice. We will continue our heightened enforcement – I know some of you have expressed dismay that we are not ticketing every residence and that there are still residents that are flagrant violators – we will continue to be vigilant about this.
Just a reminder: No irrigation of any kind is allowable on Mondays, Thursdays, or Fridays. Irrigation using only a hand-held hose with a spray nozzle is permitted for odd-numbered addresses only on Tuesdays and Saturdays and for even-numbered addresses on Wednesdays and Sundays.
Waivers for special circumstances such as irrigating newly planted lawns and shrubs, cleaning cars or houses, and filling swimming pools will now be considered on a case by case basis. In order to be considered for waivers, please contact Ridgewood Water at 201-670-5520 or email Customer Service at cswater@ridgewoodnj.net.
Several of you have asked me about why Ridgewood Water has instituted Stage 4 restrictions as opposed to some other water utilities. The Ridgewood Water System is unlike many other systems as it relies on a system of over 45 wells, associated treatment systems, piping, storage and more. These appurtenances have their limits and become extremely stressed when there is noncompliance with watering restrictions during a drought condition. This is part of the problem we had when we were in Stage 2 watering restrictions. During a peak summer day with irrigation systems running, water production can more than double reaching limits as high as 14 million gallons per day. Some think the crux of the problem is lack of storage but during the conditions we have been experiencing we cannot even fill the tanks completely.
Improvements are needed in certain areas to provide more resiliency and fire protection and we are working on those capital projects…….but the entire system cannot be overbuilt at the expense of providing unlimited irrigation supply. Conservation and better controls are important components of our overall answer. Ridgewood Water will be working closely with each community (besides Ridgewood, we service Glen Rock, Midland Park and Wyckoff) to start building a conservation platform for the future. Considerations will include requiring the installation of weather, rain and soil sensors, and implementing new watering schedules – all of which can be controlled with smart irrigation technology.
Several of you have also asked me to discuss rates we bill our customers. We are one of the lowest cost providers of water in our immediate region. This year’s rates were kept flat, with no increase. It is important for Ridgewood taxpayers to know that Ridgewood Water is totally financed by the consumers of Ridgewood Water.
Apologies for the long E-Notice but I also had wanted to respond to some of the questions I have received from you as well as to communicate a status on our watering restrictions. We will continue to monitor conditions and inform you of any changes to the restrictions.
Best,
Roberta Sonenfeld
Village Manager
201-670-5500, ext. 203
-PLEASE SHARE THIS INFORMATION WITH YOUR NEIGHBORS
