the staff of the Ridgewood blog
Ridgewood NJ, Village manager Roberta Sonenfeld is at it once again . Sonenfeld attempted to disrupt “petition signers” on this past Easter weekend  with high density developer John Saracino . This time the Village manager expressed her concerns in a letter to the “The Ridgewood Daily Voice” .
The Village manager voiced her concerns , claiming petitioners were misrepresenting the Bergen County Improvement Authority (BCIA) bonding referendum, saying ”  village is subject to the referendum provisions of the Faulkner Act and not the Home Rule Act. As a result, since there is no general or regular municipal election scheduled during the allotted time period, a referendum would be required to be held “not less than 40 nor more than 60 days” after the last possible date of withdrawal of the petition by the petitioners. Such a special election would cost Ridgewood taxpayers approximately $40,000 to $45,000.” “https://ridgewood.dailyvoice.com/politics/letter-overturning-bond-ordinance-will-cost-ridgewood-taxpayers/648624/”
However the Village Council has since voted unanimously to rescind the village’s agreement with the Bergen County Improvement Authority (BCIA) to fund the $11.5 million downtown parking deck.The vote comes on the heels of the  council decision to self-fund the construction of the controversial 325-space parking structure on Hudson Street.
Observers note “I think she is taking this stuff personal.”
The woman seems to be losing it.Maybe she should just resign.
Democracy costs money.
She has completely lost it, which is why she will not resign. Too dazed and confused to know that the right thing for Ridgewood is for her to resign. And move. Far away.
Slight correction: I believe Roberta was claiming that petitioners were misrepresenting the “Its2Big” petition, not the “No on BCIA” petition. The Its2Big petition sponsors (and their lawyer) claim that referendum could just be on the general election ballot in November, while Roberta (and the town’s lawyer) claim that referendum would need to be done as a special election. (I’m not a lawyer, but from my reading of relevant statutes I would give 85% confidence that the Its2Big petitioners are right and the town is wrong.)
Also, I think letter writing is a much more appropriate means for Roberta to be expressing her views as VM, rather than interruption conversations in town!
She has precisely three months to pack her bags. Please don’t take the Rolodex, Roberta. Feel free to leave town (opt.).
Please, folks, vote wisely and remind friends and neighbors to go to the polls. With a strong showing for open-minded (Hache, Voigt, Walsh) rather than “like-minded” (Brooks, Weitz, Willett) candidates, in only a month and a half the long nightmare could finally start to be over.
Follow the money…this is New Jersey for godsakes !
She appears to be under the delusional understanding that she is an elected representative.
The only problem is… Her information is incorrect.
….breath of
freshstale rancid air….I have got some very special documents on her and the FAC. I will release them around May 5th. Should “help” the two FAC members who are running for the council 🙂