Ridgewood councilwoman again urged to recuse herself from hospital vote
Monday, August 12, 2013
BY CHRIS HARRIS
STAFF WRITER
The Record
RIDGEWOOD — A second resident has called on Councilwoman Gwenn Hauck to recuse herself from any future council vote on the proposed expansion of The Valley Hospital.
Marcia Ringel suggested during last week’s council meeting that Hauck, a former vice president of the Valley Hospital Auxiliary, is incapable of remaining objective should the hospital’s proposal come before the council for final approval.
Hauck, who endorsed the plan during a 2011 council meeting and then was elected to the council last summer, said she will participate in a vote on the project.
Ringel said, “This recusal situation is not the elephant in the room — it’s a herd of woolly mammoths.” By voting on the plan, Hauck would be “inviting criticism and legal scrutiny,” Ringel offered.
“I don’t think we should recuse ourselves, but we need to discuss it,” Aronsohn told The Record after the meeting. “Legally, I’m not even sure what happens if a majority of the council does recuse itsself.”
Since when are two members of the Council (Hauck and Pucciarelli) considered the “majority?”
Do the math Paul. A majority of 5 would be 3, not 2.
Proving once again that Aronsohn believes he, Gwenn, and Albert run the Village and that Tom and Bernie are just window dressing.
Is she really that stupid?
Actually, does she think that we are as stupid as she is?
This Blog is not running this town yet…. if you want to, then run for office !!!
I’ve been following this subject for awhile on various threads, I still haven’t found out who will sue if she votes? any idea’s?
The people who oppose the valley expansion will have grounds if the project is approved with her vote.
You have been following the thread and you can’t figure out who will sue if she does not recuse herself?
Wait, she was elected and voters knew she was from Valley, voting for her is supporting Valley. If more people want the Valley project it will pass, isn’t that democracy?
Lots of people talking about a lawsuit, but the question of who would actually file it is a valid one. I don’t see the CRR going that route.
You have to believe at this point that she has been told not to worry about voting for it from a legal standpoint. Whoever advised her is probably under the assumption that the CRR will not sue due to lack of interest, or lack of funds.
Despite Valley’s attempts to drag this out, I really don’t believe either of these scenarios will come to pass. Anyone who believes it is just the CRR that is against this is a fool. As for the money, it may be easier to raise it for fighting an injustice, which it will certainly be that and more, than it was for retaining the presenters for the PB, as important as they are.
Ridgewood councilwoman again urged to recuse herself from hospital vote
… yeah, but then her agenda might not advance.
Ridgewood councilwoman again urged to recuse herself from hospital vote. Yes she will only if the men her live tell her to. ( DADDY PAUL and AL)
The key thing to remember is who brought her onto the council. One person created this mess and it will be his job to clean it up. The people that need to step up and deal with this are the ones that were too busy to vote when Gwenn was elected with less than a dozen votes to spare. But they are probably too busy to pay attention to the repercussions of their inaction.
I guess Riche not recusing himself from Council deliberations on a) the VoR’s $600,000 funding of the NWBCD (Central Dispatch) 2013 budget; b) the VoR’s $225,723 share of the current narrowband infrastructure upgrade at Central Dispatch; or, c) Bergen County’s proposal to offer full dispatching and 911 services at no cost shouldn’t invite criticism and legal scrutiny, as well, then ? His firm contracts with both Village entities like the Library, and the NWBCD, so his participation in those votes violates both VoR Code and NJ State Local Government Ethics Law and statutes.
As for Ms.Hauck being elected, a lot of new families have replaced the older folks that have moved out, at least on the Eastside of Ridgewood. Do you really think she,or anyone else supporting this, would have a prayer in another election ? No way in hell, and that’s why Valley is trying to get this thru ASAP.
That’s it #14 try to deflect on to someone else. This is about Valley Hospital and Councilwoman Gwenn Hauck.
If Valley does not get it through this time they will wait till the next election when Mayor Paul Aronsohn’s hand pick cronies get elected
Umm, the Mayor voted against the proposed Valley expansion the last time.
Yes #18 he knew how the rest of the Council was going to vote so he wasn’t going to stand alone plus he need the votes from CRR. lets see what happens this time around.
The continual overexpansion of Valley Hospital is just stupid, stupid, stupid. There was a perfectly suitable hospital up for grabs, but that wasn’t good enough. There was a large piece of property less than 2 miles away on Rt. 17 that now houses some beautiful Benzies, but…not what Audrey & Co. wanted. Who exactly are Gail Price and the sleep-walking Blaze working for…the villagers who pay their hefty salaries, or Valley Hospital? Ask them again, what is the benefit to Ridgewood of DECADES of construction in multiple phases? It certainly ain’t tax dollars. This has nothing to do with the legitimate right of a property owner to develop their land. It has everything to do with a behemoth, who has the distinct advantage of limitless time and funds, spending their opponents into submission. Everyone knows it, including the Troika.