file photo by Boyd Loving
DECEMBER 16, 2015, 5:43 PM LAST UPDATED: WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 16, 2015, 6:49 PM
BY STEVE JANOSKI
STAFF WRITER |
RIDGEWOOD — A question about whether a village councilwoman with sons on a police-hiring waiting list should vote on police matters has left village officials wrestling with a gray area of state law regarding conflicts of interest by municipal officials.
The issue first arose after a 2014 Village Council review of its residency requirement ordinance related to hiring municipal employees. The council voted to broaden residency requirements for civilian hires, but maintain hometown residency for public safety titles, specifically, police and firefighters.
Councilwoman Susan Knudsen has three sons ranked highly on the waiting list of Police Department candidates. In the August 2014 council action, the vote by Knudsen and her colleagues maintained hometown residency requirements for public safety officers — without Knudsen telling the rest of the council or the public about her sons, all village residents.
And that has raised concerns that she may have voted despite a personal conflict of interest, said Mayor Paul Aronsohn. Aronsohn said the Village Council and administration learned about Knudsen’s sons only when she told them in a February closed-session meeting. But the public, he said, “had a right to know the details of the situation” before the vote. “None of us were made aware that any such conflict may have existed,” he said in an email.
State law is clear on conflicts of interest: No government officer or employee, it says, “shall act in his official capacity in any matter where he, a member of his immediate family, or a business organization in which he has an interest, has a direct or indirect financial or personal involvement that might reasonably be expected to impair his objectivity or independence of judgment.”
How do positions 8, 12, and 14 translate into being at “the top of the candidate’s pool?”
Aronsohn attempted to delay former Mayor Keith Killion’s son from being appointed to the police department now his pulling the same bullshit with Susan Knudsen’s sons. What a dirt bag that man is,
NJ State Local Finance Board, the authority in this matter, says she had no direct conflict. Got that Aronsohn – SHE HAD NO DIRECT CONFLICT.
Another lame attempt by PA to be-smudge the reputation of a political adversary.
leave her alone…her and Sedon are the only ones that know what they’re doing…
But no conflict of interest associated with PA’s participation in discussions about high density housing zones when his wife worked for WBMH and now the YWCA?
The law as it is shown here seems very self explanatory. The councilwoman should not have voted.
what a joke… all of a sudden the council is now concerned about conflicts of interest? Susan has always acted above board on everything I’ve seen.
8:43 am – you obviously can’t read.
There is seemingly no depth too deep for Aronsohn to stoop to. His tireless quest to discredit Councilwoman Knudsen is disgusting. She does not have to recuse herself. period. The end.. Janoski was bought as quickly as his predecessor Chris Harris.m Aronsohn is a cancer of the worst possible kind.
mayor is the master of dirty politics i dislike scott garrett but i’m glad he beat the pants off paul
Susan is completely above board. The only one “wrestling” with anything is Aronsohn, who is desperately trying to save his sinking ship. Sorry Paulie but you are all done here, and shooting poison arrows will get you nowhere.
Why the hell doesn’t Aronsohn spend some time doing the right thing, doing some good for the village, instead of devoting so much time to discrediting other people? Why? Because he is a lowlife.
As I remember it, Susan DID recuse herself on Matt Roger’s advice and learned afterwards that the discussion had nothing to do with Police or Fire.
9:23 Yes, that’s how I remember it as well. She did recuse herself, and go home. The next day she was told there were no discussions that would have made her recuse herself. Matt Roger’s even discussed at the next council meeting that Knudsen did not need to recuse herself that night.
Right, the only one “wrestling” is the Mayor, WHO Is busy twisting logic to damage his perceived political opponents and persuade his like-minded politically-minded friends in the press to write stories like this to suggest that someone–anyone–other than him thinks that this is any kind of issue. This is like Obama stuff here, frankly, where he pulls a political meme out of the deep, dank recesses of his addled mind, lays it on us with no real attempt at an explanation and sticks with it months or years after everyone has picked up on the fact that the Emporer has no clothes.
9:37, yes Matt Rogers was apologetic that he had suggested she leave the discussion. Aronsohn will have his legacy alright, a legacy of despicable corruption. I despise the man.
Steve Janoski also needs to be schooled. He writes with a tone of finality. What he is really writing is what the mayor tells him to write. So much of hard hitting objective reporting. But then it is The Record, Dom’s favorite paper (rag).
Paul Aronsohn should be recalled. He has brought the filth of partisan politics to Ridgewood.
The Record’s current editor will be retiring in January.Hoping for a better paper after that.
It is amazing that we tolerate Aronsohn’s duplicity.
Aronsohn thinks he is playing with the big political boys by playing big-time political tricks, but he is the small-time type and also quite stupid. He forced his “reelection” as mayor by making Ms Hauck vote remotely from her family safari to impress dumb people such as Record reporters. He knows how to act sincere but he stares without listening and is probably the most pigheaded individual ever to sit on our dais. Once he decides something, he will move heaven and earth to make it happen. He is a classic opportunist without a single sincere bone in his carpetbagger’s body. His long series of efforts to defame sitting council members who refuse to kowtow to his every whim is an embarrassment to himself and his position and has tarnished the council for years.
You get the Government you vote for. So all you posters that voted for the 3 Amigos and now posting negative about them let me remind you what your vote did and how it screwed the rest of us. Yes Westside hows your leaf pick up coming along and the high density housing ?Yes Preserve Graydon Group hows the new ramp looking? Yes Shedler hows the house coming along and enjoy the 90X60 baseball field. We are all looking forward to the 5 story parking garage and increase in parking rates and hours. Let not forget the 0% tax increase for two years. Money taken from the emergency fund and the down grade of municipal services . Thank for that. Oh and I almost forgot. Thanks for the increase in the debt service which we will be paying for long after you 3 are gone.
ALBERT J PUCCIARELLI 2078 55.50%
KEITH KILLION 1711 45.70%
RUSSELL R FORENZA 817 21.82%
PAUL ARONSOHN 2479 66.21%
MARY JANE SHINOZUKA 1484 39.64%
GWENN H HAUCK 1727 46.13%
Did you ever notice that Paul Aronsohn has had problems with independent thinking women that have served on the Council. Remember Anne, Bernie and now Susan. Notice how he gets along with Gwen. Must be a flaw in his up bring.
Just remember posters Paul Aronsohn could not do this or any thing without the help and votes from Big Al and The Valley Girl. So just remember next year when you vote all three must go. They are all Complicit in these acts. Don’t be fooled by the big words from Al or the cookies the Gwen bakes.
I still don’t want a large parking garage; I still don’t want high density housing; I still don’t want Schedler developed.
As in the Poe story “The Black Cat,” what if the amigos were buried in the walls of the buildings they are forcing us to build?
And yet again our Council majority reaches new depths of hypocrisy. For any of them to talk about conflicts of interest is just laughable. They continue to hold others to standards that they have not come close to reaching themselves.
Unfair hit piece on Susan.
From what I remember, the vote was to change the residency requirement for positions other than Police & Fire.
If the vote was to change the residency requirement for Police & Fire, then she may have a conflict.
Do you wonder why people are hesitant to participate in local government?
Well first Paul Aronsohn had Chris Harris now he has Steve JANOSK from the Record He has the new reporter from the Ridgewood News and the Daily Voice is doing a pretty good job of keeping his smiling face and the parking garage on the front page these last couple of week. THANK GOOD FOR THE RIDGEWOOD BLOG
Has anyone ever asked why Gwenn won’t let the police on her property?
I guess she hates the police. Maybe thats a good reason for her to recuse herself from any contract talks. If she has a bias she shouldn’t vote.
Welll Paulie boy, how is this working out for you? Can you say BACKFIRE? You have FECES all over your face with this pitiful attempt to discredit the upstanding Councilwoman. I would suggest that you go to hell, but hell is too good for you.
Well don’t the police drop off the council packets days before the meeting. How does she get her packet if the police are not allowed on her property?
“She don’t need no stinking council packet”
NO NO, Roberta hand delivers the packet because she has to explain everything and tell Gween how Paul wants her to vote.
Isn’t there a state of federal agency who can be informed of PA’s misdeeds and they can launch an investigation? He is clearly lying to the public and doing harm to taxpayers to benefit a few individuals, and is plying dirty politics. I am sure if his deeds are reported to proper authorities, they can launch an investigation. Is there an agency at state / federal level for this?
Aronsohns a jackass to do this to a fellow councilman and the reporter must be a moron to use a quote about reaffirming a vote. I’ve been following meetings for a long time and this is new one. Once again confirming Aronsohn is a jackass with serious issues. Another poster wrote Knudsen did recuse herself so why is that fact not reported. Oh right. The truth isn’t convenient. Aronsohn is dishonest and bad.
This story is pathetic. Another shining example of pathetic aronsohns vindictiveness. Nice Paulie boy. Go purse your lips and stare into the void of your nothingness.
NFN, but Ms. Knudsen needs a named individual to defend her with a sharply-worded letter to the editor of the Ridgewood news. And yes, if you must know, the Irony Detector is pinging like crazy as this comment is being typed!
This is great because it illustrates once and for all what a jerk Aronsohn is. How many indiscretions can we list? Starting with killing Sedon’s job……..someone needs to photoshop a picture of Aronsohn with a big circle/slash over the face.
Why does Arohnson always try to destroy everyone who doesn’t agree with him?
Aronsohn has to intimidate everyone who comes close to him to avoid contending with his glaring weaknesses. Heaven help him if his pants catch fire and a colleague with a bucket of water innocently tries to help him out… (My beautiful wickedness…what a world…what a world!!!)
Aronsohn has had a terrible working relationship with all council members he has served with except the two he supported to secure the 3 block vote. Zusy, Walsh, Riche, Killion, Wellinghorst, Sedon and Knudsen have all disagreed with him and therefore become enemies he tirelessly works to discredit and destroy. His way or you will catch the wrath. What a twat. I can’t wait for 2016…hope to never see him again.