the staff of the Ridgewood blog
Ridgewood NJ, The village council Wednesday night backed away from a series of parking rate hikes that are needed to fund the Hudson Street Parking garage. The council declined to introduce an ordinance that would raise on- and off-street hourly parking to $1.25 from $0.75 starting January 1st, 2020. Parking rate revenues are meant to fund both the currently under construction Hudson Street Garage and the village’s new smart parking meter program. Council members have been at odds for weeks about how many quarters visitors should pony up to park in the central business district.
While officials anticipate a revenue bump from the kiosks, within a year projected revenues will not meet the garage funding requirements. Critics of the garage often cited spiraling costs and raising meter rates as reasons for not moving forward with a parking garage in the central business district.
At the council meeting, it was reported that merchants are worried that the high meter rates are hurting business.
The council kicked the funding can down the road, with both Mayor Hache and Councilman Jeff Voigt voting against the ordinance and Deputy Mayor Susan Knudsen and Councilwoman Bernie Walsh were for it. Councilman Michael Sedon was absent.
This was the shafting we all knew would come. The Council should have been honest in the beginning that merchants would NEVER agree to the increased rates in the Walker Sham.
Give us a garage and let the taxpayers foot the bill.
one thing is for sure.. the taxpayers will be stuck with the tab.
We all need to heard at election time. We need fiscally responsible council members
F U RW
Classic incompetence from this Council, who are all self-serving narcissists. Worst governance we’ve ever had in Ridgewood by a large margin. Just wait until property tax payers also get stuffed with the bill for all of the inevitable change orders and delay related cost overruns! We ain’t seen nothing yet. The business owners are laughing at us all.
we knew the cost shaft was to come to Mr and Mrs RIDGEWOOD taxpayer..same old sheriff as the old sheriff ..wise up VOR /we have been had.Heads should roll..
SET THE DATE IN early 2020 for complete recall vote establish an emergency local government..place all new spending on review and start the legal advise to cancel older contracts ..
look at the multi family units LOOK UP TAXPAYERS WE HAVE BEEN HAD
all were foretold here ..Merry Christmas
classic incompetence nailed it sadly..was all predicted here James..
garage should be halted and investigations started..town garage site should be ceased