file photo by Boyd Loving
September 16,2015
the staff of the Ridgewood blog
Ridgewood NJ, so how many times can Mayor Aronsohn, Deputy Mayor Pucciarelli and Councilwoman Hauck, in cooperation with Village Manager Sonenfeld, disregard our local laws? Let us count the ways :
1. Resolution 13-87 (April 24, 2013), item #4 reads as follows:
Telephonic or electronic communication between or among Councilmembers or between a Councilmember and a member of the public during public meetings is prohibited. This resolution was written by the Deputy Mayor (and former councilwoman Bernadette Walsh). When questioned publicly, Aronsohn admitted that his wife texts him, Hauck admitted that she “forgets” to turn her phone off, and Pucciarelli stated that he must be able to hear from his family at all times. So this rule is bent, disregarded, or ignored by the three of them as they see fit. Councilman Sedon and Councilwoman Knudsen stated that they do not use their phones or email during meetings.
2. A Human Resources Director (or confidential secretary, or whatever the title turned out to be) was hired before the position even existed. Once they got her up and running then they decided to create the position by rewriting the organizational chart. This was done over the objections of Sedon and Knudsen, who wanted the law to be followed. The position should have been created and then the person could be hired.
3. Local laws dictate that for certain positions, new hires must come in at the lowest end of the salary range. This has not always been happening. So now they are writing a new ordinance allowing for salary flexibility in such hirings. Once again, break the law, then rewrite the law. Once again, Sedon and Knudsen voiced objections while the other three smiled and nodded approval.
4. The most recent application for a grant for the Schedler property has a complete inaccuracy as well as some “sins of omission.” It was not shown to certain council members before it was sent (can we guess who did not see it and who did?). When this was pointed out, with a suggestion that the application be pulled and amended before being resubmitted, the reply was that “these things happen all the time,” you know, what’s a little inaccuracy among government agencies? Are we seeing a pattern here?
Our lawyer on the Council, Mr. Pucciarelli, characterized their behavior best when he stated that “Maybe we’re breaking the law, but it’s not a good law.”
As many times as they want.
8:19 is right. They just keep on doing it, with the support of the village manager. They are a mess. The lawyer should lose his license and all four of them need to be ousted.
And my dopey neighbors will probably re-elect these three.
I have never felt so powerless and defeated as I feel right now. Those three power hungry ego-maniacs are destroying this town. Can’t wait for them to be gone and can only hope we can reverse some of their damage.
This only the tip of the iceberg. Just imagine the thing we don’t know about and will only come out years later.
New Jersey Statutes – Title 2C The New Jersey Code of Criminal Justice – 2C:27-10 Acceptance or receipt of unlawful benefit by public servant for official behavior.
Legal Research Home > New Jersey Laws > The New Jersey Code of Criminal Justice > New Jersey Statutes – Title 2C The New Jersey Code of Criminal Justice – 2C:27-10 Acceptance or receipt of unlawful benefit by public servant for official behavior.
2C:27-10. Acceptance or receipt of unlawful benefit by public servant for official behavior.
5. Acceptance or receipt of unlawful benefit by public servant for official behavior.
a. A public servant commits a crime if, under color of office and in connection with any official act performed or to be performed by the public servant, the public servant directly or indirectly, knowingly solicits, accepts or agrees to accept any benefit, whether the benefit inures to the public servant or another person, to influence the performance of an official duty or to commit a violation of an official duty.
b. A public servant commits a crime if, under color of office and in connection with any official act performed or to be performed by the public servant, the public servant directly or indirectly, knowingly receives any benefit, whether the benefit inures to the public servant or another person, to influence the performance of an official duty or to commit a violation of an official duty.
c. In addition to the definition set forth in N.J.S.2C:27-1, “benefit” as used in this act includes any benefit from or by reason of a contract or agreement for goods, property or services if the contract or agreement is awarded, made or paid by the branch, subdivision, or agency of the government that employs the public servant.
d. The provisions of this section shall not apply to:
(1) Fees prescribed by law to be received by a public servant or any other benefit to which the public servant is otherwise legally entitled if these fees or benefits are received in the manner legally prescribed and not bartered for another benefit to influence the performance of an official duty or to commit a violation of an official duty;
(2) Gifts or other benefits conferred on account of kinship or other personal, professional or business relationship independent of the official status of the recipient if these gifts or benefits are within otherwise legally permissible limits and are not bartered for another benefit to influence the performance of an official duty or to commit a violation of an official duty; or
(3) Trivial benefits the receipt of which involve no risk that the public servant would perform official duties in a biased or partial manner.
e. An offense proscribed by this section is a crime of the second degree. If the benefit solicited, accepted, agreed to be accepted or received is of a value of $200.00 or less, any offense proscribed by this section is a crime of the third degree.
1:21 – Can you translate this? Can they be charged with knowingly breaking the law multiple times?
people in may they will go down the river, and all the one’s who are up there ass will be be done , and you know who you are. don’t you.
Is it true that one of the top operation superintendent ‘s received a 10 grand raise , That is the talk on the street . did any one receive that , If this is true that person doesn’t deserve that. That individual knows squat and should just leave the job be for the f b i comes in. The village council should post any one who got such a raise if it is true. we have way to many back door deals going on in village hall.
people wake up.
Albert can translate it after all he’s a hotel attorney.
4:59- it’s all back door deals. The HR director was brought in, sneaked in, part time and suddenly morphed into full time, at a higher salary than legal. Hell, the whole job was illegal. Something about a water person getting s high salary has also been revealed. They shift money around as they se fit.
“Maybe we’re breaking the law, but it’s not a good law.” Albert also coined the phrase “a little pregnant”
They do realize what their legacies will be, right ?
They will be the butt of the blog for ever and ever.
And a Public Administration case study in how not to run a municipality…
They don’t care 6:39 there will alway be a few such up that will tell them what a great job they did foe Ridgewood.
Pact of Steel”. For you WW 2 historians
The Tripartite Pact
Get to know Roberta, Village Manager…https://www.northjersey.com/community-news/ridgewood-village-voices-roberta-sonenfeld-1.625329?page=all
Roberta’s Motto: The important thing is never to stop questioning (Albert Einstein).
Department Message to the Public: We apologize in advance for not being able to take your call or answer your message in a timely manner. The best way to contact us is by email and in person.
https://www.ridgewoodnj.net/subdept_detail.cfm?sub_dept_id=276&dept_id=24
why all this back door deals, the shit is going to come out. they need to post the top managers pay , the problem is they still get pay stipends and we don’t know how much it is. we would like to see a list of all top manager end of the year pay stipends.