December 7,2017
the staff of the Ridgewood blog
Ridgewod NJ, at last nights council meet the Village of Ridgewood Mayor Susan Knudsen revealed that the previous council never authorized payments to Parkmobile USA above the .35 cent user paid convenience fee .
The Village of Ridgewood now pays Parkmobile 21% of each parking transaction that involves the use of the Parkmobile APP . This was the direct result of a contract signed by an unnamed Village official .
“This was the direct result of a contract signed by an unnamed Village official .” P:lease Mayor Susan Knudsen . What is this top secret. Where is the transparency?
Well Roberta?
The town attorney never reviewed the contract?
Did Bush sign the contract?
How long have they been issuing check to Park Mobil before the lightbulb went off at Village Hall.
A breath of fresh air.
Last I heard, we’d paid ParkMobile USA about $200k during the most recent 12 month period. That equates to $1 million of ParkMobile USA transactions in the Village during that 12 month period. Makes you realize how much of a cash cow the Village’s parking utility is. $1 million alone in app transactions. How much cash did we bring in from the meters and placard sales? I’ll bet the total parking utility revenue is close to $4 million. Now you know why the powers that be don’t want to take away the meters. Mo money, Mo money!
How many years is the contract good for? How long do we have to pay them before we can renegotiate a new contract ?
What difference does it make? We don’t get our money back. The vendor still gets paid and there will never be consequences for the employee’s or department’s actions.
Thanks for the FYI, Mayor.
Parkmoibile should be told what happened. In good faith, they should return the money.
Modern version of the quarter theft. Don’t just blame one “undisclosed” person. Many others had to notice the exorbitant amount being paid vs. revenue. Simple math.
What else did the 4 Amigos do that we don’t know about.
What dirty cheaters. I railed against the installment of ParkMobile at council meetings and Roberta gave me withering expressions from her throne on the dais. The other council members namely Aronsohn smirked at me. And this council is the same basically: expensive parking garage; open your pockets, if you stay in Ridgewood the taxes will be twice as high because of it; there will be unforseen consequences; it won’t be used; expensive to maintain, I sure ain’t gonna pay a cent more to go to CBD. I have NEVER not been able to find a space. Yes, I had to move my ass, walk. And what about Schedler. What about those famous eagles the council members said they saw on Schedler when they walked the property. I guess they can go to hell.
So where did the payments come from our tax dollar. When they paid parkmobile did the money come from taxes.
Is a single village able to sign off and approve a contract with this value by themselves ? No other approvals required?!! WTH?! Also who is performing internal control audits on this type of stuff? What is the market commission rate for this type of app at the time?!! Everyone but RIdgewood’s had them for years correct? Who submitted the pro-con analysis and comparirison of competitors and what did it say?
From a post to the Ridgewood Blog March 10 2014 “You may want to Google “Six Sigma Master Black Belt” before passing judgement on her operations management experience” Yea that work out.
Kickbacks?
The contract was signed by former (thanks be to God) Village Manager Roberta Sonenfeld.
And if this wasn’t a big enough kick in the ass to Ridgewood’s taxpayers, Ridgewood Chamber of Commerce President Paul Vagianos had the nerve to stand in front of Council members last night and publicly bitch about the taxpayer funded Central Valet Parking Program. Mr. Vagianos expressed his personal disappointment over the single site chosen as a drop off/pick up location (Van Neste Square), saying it “lacked visibility.” In Mr. Vagianos’ opinion, a better location for single site operation would have been the western end of East Ridgewood Avenue (adjacent to the train tracks).
What Mr. Vagianos didn’t say last night was that both his restaurant and a commercial rental property he owns are closer to the western end of East Ridgewood Avenue. He also failed to mention that his restaurant does not currently participate in the reimbursement program associated with the Central Valet Parking Program.
Hmm.
8:26..when Pigs Fly….
ROBERTA screws us again. Such a breath of fresh air/.
8:55 I commented months ago on this blog that normal towns share benchmarking in a blind no sharing of the actual contracts full terms for similar services …it’s called due diligence of which we have little,
how much are they going to soak the annual partking commuter lot pass holders for this year?Dare they increase it one cent..1000 today for the fat cat trainside placards
So is Ricca selling software now? Much easier than dragging quarters out of Village Hall every day.
We have met the enemy to the village pocketbooks and he is US.
In summary ,a village still out of control on spending and fees/taxation and
rule harassment..leaves are a complete Joke in Somerville Walthery zone.
But two weeks back ticket hacks out 2weeks ahead of the planned SCHEDULED missing VOR leaf lifters..they can be late ,but we can’t lay a leaf in the street..Tyranny…
10:18 note “Lacked Visability ” let’s rename the town for what is quite not apparent..to anyone as to whose in charge and what the vision of the week outside of the soak the taxpayers for everything including the failed
village business’s plans..
ps store clerks still feeding the meters openly each afternoon on RIdgewood avenue in front of the beauty and hair shops and spas during smoke breaks..no sympathy.com
The contact ends inFebruary and they are already looking at other vendors that charge little or no % on top of the transaction fee…. that’s was discussed at last council meeting…. just sayin….
11:05 teach a man to fish free..( other people’s quarters ) and both of them (the Teacher and Student ) will learn to pick your pockets forever….Sad & quite maddening ..there was focus on this earlier major crime against the taxpayers as well…
10.23 payback re the town citizens referendum don’t build it Big raised slum garage at hudson ; that was not appreciated by Paul and Robertas crew. So a new spin of the wheel..timelines need review…How could this fact be covered up for so long!? like rotten meat in the chiller…forensic time people…
contract needs to be reopened or current software provider out on notice of discontinuation after contract expiry and bid it out 12 months before that date.give current vendor an incentive to work with us on longer term basic after this gas a correction plan or dump them the day after contract expires plan to move on both scenarios now to be ready
APatsy being found as we speak
They will throw some clerk to the wolves to save their own backsides
…
A point of possible interest: a pig does fly in Ridgewood. It is at the corner of Glen and Bogert on the side across from Travell school. It is on the crossing corner so it is actually before the school. It is on top of the flagpole so you have to look up.