Ridgewood councilman’s contract, process criticized
Tuesday June 11, 2013, 11:28 AM
BY Â DARIUS AMOS
STAFF WRITER
The Ridgewood News
Fallout from last month’s public questioning of Tom Riche by his Ridgewood Council colleagues spilled over into last week’s work session, where dozens of residents voiced varying opinions over Riche’s former business relationship with the village as well as the process in which it was publicly discussed.
Riche abruptly withdrew his private company, North Haledon-based Extel Communications, from its agreement with the village to service and maintain Ridgewood’s telephone systems after council members revealed on May 22 that the firm charged $8,000 more than the authorized amount. The council, led by Mayor Paul Aronsohn, opened a public examination that focused on the need for the additional expenses, Riche’s knowledge of the situation and the perceived conflict of interest.
Last week, residents had their chance to weigh in on the matter. Some chastised council members who opted to question Riche in an open forum rather than during a closed session, while others expressed disappointment with the councilman for making financial gains off of the municipality that he was elected to serve.
https://www.northjersey.com/news/211012371_Ridgewood_councilman_s_contract__process_criticized.html
you know what it’s not tom’s problem. it’s all the past council and top managers that let it passed on. O no one new, I new and I’m a pee on. stop the bull shit. do you people think we are all out of the loop. tom most of gave the best price and that’s that.
the village got a good price so they went with it. if you people would like to open up a can of big worms go back to the construction of village hall. all that money , talk about a fuck up. some of you need to shut your mouth and open up your eyes. then talk. and don’t pass the buck to the last guy , Right,??????????????????????????????????.
Wrong #1 Tom Richie has had 2 shots at a council position, and a stint on the planning board all the while knowing it was inappropriate to be working for the village, he is a long time municipal politician and he should have known better. He is not a newbie to the political game he knows or should have known how sensitive this subject is but he choose to continue his employ with the village. He should resign end of story. The rest of the equation is who else is responsible for this blunder and how at all can they be held accountable to the taxpayers
well # 2 they all new about this for a very long time. should they all resign. I don’t blame him i blame all of them they let it go for a very long time. they all are dead in the pool.
so what should be done.
The AG’s office out of Trenton should investigate and instruct as what to do.
! and 3 articulate very eloquent positions. If Riche done wrong so did the people who let him.
Agreed #5 but the village needs an outside agency to handle this because the people involved are the ones who let it go on, There has to be a higher authority to state who is accountable for this. The manager and the village attorney come to mind first. Then there has to be a process for discipline. For there to be any credibility to the process it should be handled by the AG’s office
So let’s see if I have this right – Aronsohn, Pucciarelli & Hauck have PRIVATE meetings with developers and PUBLIC meetings for bashing a political opponent. What a disgrace this Council is. The only one that seems at all ethical is Bernie Walsh.
Agreed. The troika headed by Comrade Aronsohn have been ganging up on the Riche and Walsh the entire time they’ve been on the VC.
The Comrade is all for “good government” unless it applies to his own actions.
Thed.
#8 did an outside agency ever review those private meetings if not maybe the AG should look at that also.