file photo Boyd Loving
Ridgewood officials discuss potential shared service with Bergen County
APRIL 14, 2014 LAST UPDATED: MONDAY, APRIL 14, 2014, 4:24 PM
BY DARIUS AMOS
STAFF WRITER
Village officials have learned that the county is slated to open a new vehicle maintenance facility just three miles outside of Ridgewood, putting a new twist on the municipality’s ongoing efforts to improve and potentially relocate its fleet repair operations.
Based on recent conversations with Bergen County administrators, Village Manager Roberta Sonenfeld said construction on the county garage is already underway and is scheduled for completion later this year. Sonenfeld, who took over as the full-time manager less than two weeks ago, informed Ridgewood Council members this week that the project has gone relatively under the radar, as little information was available until she and other village officials broached the topic with the county.
“This has not really been publicized, but the county is building a state-of-the-art facility that they think will be operational in November,” said Sonenfeld. “The great news is that it’s not far away. It’s right down Ridgewood Avenue in Paramus.”
Specifically, Bergen’s new Department of Public Works Maintenance Complex will be located just south of Ridgewood Avenue along Jerome Avenue, a mostly residential street. On Wednesday, the village manager was unable to specify the total number of vehicle repair bays that the county intends to build, but she indicated that the overall goal is to offer services to municipalities.
– See more at: https://www.northjersey.com/news/ridgewood-officials-discuss-potential-shared-service-with-bergen-county-1.981068#sthash.F3U2pinv.dpuf
Watch out for the “Home rule” argument against sharing services… sounds good on paper, but you know there will be a million reasons why outsourcing steals the food from someone’s table. Hopefully this is a good place to start and then we can tackle 911, too. Noirthwest Bergen Central Dispatch (NWBCD) seems to get a lot of taxpayer money, too, when the County offers the service to us for free.
The heck with home rule ,hopefully the village manager and the county can work something out.
Phone call to Bergen County Dispatch. ” I’m a Ridgewood resident and I need a police officer at my house. Bergen County Dispatch ” Please hold we have an incident in Hackensack” Ridgewood resident. ” I pay a lot of taxes” County dispatch ” Tell it to Kathy Dovan”.” Please hold” Ridgewood resident calls Kathy Dovan to complain. They put on hold for an hour. They finely get someone. Reidgewood resident complain about the poor service and states ” I pay a lot of taxes” person on the other end tells them ‘Not to Bergen County but that’s going to change” Nothing is for free.
it’s gotta be better than the crap work the Village is getting now!!
We if we are going to the County for everything then why do we need a council? We have the Freeholders. When the tax burden shifts to Bergen county then our Council will no longer be stewards of our tax dollars. That’s a saving of $17000. “A Penny saved is a Penny earned” There should also be a county regional library. That should save us a few million.
The Central Dispatch contribution from Ridgewood is over $650,000 but growing as more municipalities opt out for the County 911 service. Where’d you get $17,000 #5 ?
Classic sensationalist post meant to scare people away from questioning the status quo…. 911 and 311 in NYC covers the whole city, and yet we can’t cover Ridgewood’s six square miles without our own Central Dispatch ? What are you talking about ?
Council pay #6. We don’t need them anymore. turn everything over to the county and the Freeholders. Ever dollar counts not just the ones you don’t like.
my god this council is going to ruin this town. give it to an out side vender give up all your power, not good.