Ridgewood Council at the REORG Photo by Boyad Loving
Ridgewood Council plans to set up protocol for non-public meetings
Thursday February 7, 2013, 5:06 PM
BY DARIUS AMOS
STAFF WRITER
The Ridgewood News
Mayor Paul Aronsohn issued a public apology Wednesday night for allowing a portion of the Jan. 30 Ridgewood Council work session to escalate into a war of words filled with accusations and personal attacks.
Ridgewood Mayor Paul Aronsohn, Deputy Mayor Albert Pucciarelli and Councilwoman Bernadette Walsh listen to residents’ complaints at a Village Council meeting on Wednesday.
“I want to apologize to my colleagues, and most importantly, I want to apologize to the public because frankly, you deserve better,” the mayor said, addressing those in attendance as well as the viewers watching on cable television and online. “You don’t deserve a fighting council, you deserve a working council … We have to work through some issues and we will work through them, but we’ll do them in a more civil and respectful way.”
The controversy from last week’s meeting, which residents have referred to as “infamous” and “the worst meeting they had ever seen,” was fueled by questions regarding non-public meetings involving developers, village-paid attorneys and fewer than three members of the governing body. The questions, which were raised by Councilwoman Bernadette Walsh and directed mainly at Aronsohn and Deputy Mayor Albert Pucciarelli, resulted in an exchange of allegations and insults instead of answers and clarity.
Notice how Aronsohn did not apologize directly to Councilwoman Walsh — and neither did his two side kicks. Yes, the people of Ridgewood were owed an apology, but one is due to Mrs. Walsh too.
So what is the Protocol on future meetings?
Th same just don’t get caught
Agreed. The only reason Aronsohn even gave a half ass apology is that the farce of a meeting was publicized beyond ridgewood.
Good luck getting elected elsewhere, asshole.
Thed
People have short memories, that’s what he counting on.