Village of Ridgewood Regular Public Meeting
VILLAGE OF RIDGEWOOD
VILLAGE COUNCIL
REGULAR PUBLIC MEETING
SEPTEMBER 9, 2020
8:00 P.M.
1. Call to Order – Mayor
2. Statement of Compliance with the Open Public Meetings Act
3. Roll Call – Village Clerk
4. Flag Salute and Moment of Silence
5. Acceptance of Financial Reports
6. Approval of Minutes
7. Proclamations
- Fire Prevention Week
- Gold Star Mother’s Day
- National Breast Cancer Awareness Week
- Proclaim September National Suicide Prevention Awareness Month
- Recognize Ridgewood Green Businesses
3-20, Decorum, the Village Council meetings shall be conducted in the following manner:
Manner of Addressing Council
Persons other than Council members may be permitted to address the Council in the proper order of business. A person present may, upon recognition by the Chair, be heard either upon ordinances upon second reading or at the time of petitions and oral communications from the public and at such other times as the Council may, by majority vote of those present, specifically permit. No person shall address any remark or question to any specific Council member, nor shall any person be permitted to address the Chair while a motion is pending. A Council member may, through the Chair, respond to any communication or address received pursuant to this section.
Decorum
Any person who shall disturb the peace of the Council, make impertinent or slanderous remarks or conduct himself in a boisterous manner while addressing the Council shall be forthwith barred by the presiding officer from further audience before the Council, except that if the speaker shall submit to proper order under these rules, permission for him to continue may be granted by a majority vote of the Council.
8. Comments from the Public (Not to exceed 3 minutes per person – 40 minutes in total)
9. Village Manager’s Report
10. Village Council Reports
11. ORDINANCES – INTRODUCTION – RIDGEWOOD WATER
NONE
12. ORDINANCES – PUBLIC HEARING – RIDGEWOOD WATER
NONE
13. RESOLUTIONS – RIDGEWOOD WATER
20-252 Award Contract – Roof Repairs to Various Ridgewood Water Facilities
20-253 Title 59 Approval – Water Main Replacement – Jefferson Street and Salem Lane
20-254 Award Contract – Water Main Replacement – Jefferson Street and Salem Lane
20-255 Award Professional Services Contract – Preliminary Design Services for PFAS Treatment and Associated Projects
20-256 Award Professional Services Contract – Risk Resilience Assessment and Emergency Response Plan
14. ORDINANCES – INTRODUCTION
NONE
15. ORDINANCES – PUBLIC HEARING
3808 – Amend Chapter 265 – Vehicles and Traffic – Placement of Stop Signs in Hudson Street Garage
3809 – Amend Village Code to Allow Additional Village Employees to Perform General Code Enforcement Duties
3810 – Amend Chapter 190 – Land Use and Development – Allow Accessible Ramps on One-Family and Two- Family Dwellings to be Reviewed by the Site Plan Exemption Committee
3811 – Bond Ordinance – General Capital ($290,000)
3812 – Bond Ordinance – Supplemental Appropriation for Front End Loader ($40,000)
3813 – Bond Ordinance – Circle Avenue Drainage Improvements (NTE $362,000)
16. RESOLUTIONS
20-257 Award Contract – Purchase of 2021 Ford Escape – Police Department
20-258 Award Contract – Additional Award – Disposal of Yard Waste
20-259 Award Contract – Hudson Street Lots – Additional Environmental Technical Support for Project Closeout
20-260 Award Contract – Compressor Breathing Air Filling System
20-261 Title 59 Approval – Tree Planting – Area D and Various Locations
20-262 Award Partial Contract – Tree Planting – Area D and Various Locations
20-263 Award Partial Contract – Tree Planting – Area D and Various Locations
20-264 Award Partial Contract – Tree Planting – Area D and Various Locations
20-265 Award Contract Under Sourcewell Cooperative Purchasing Program – On-line Auction Services for Surplus Property
20-266 Authorize Change Order – Renovation and Upgrades – Graydon Pool Bathrooms
20-267 Authorize Joining Omnia Partners Public Sector Cooperative Purchasing Program
20-268 Declare Property Surplus – Seized Vehicle
17. Comments from the Public (Not to Exceed 5 minutes per person)
18. Resolution to go into Closed Session
19. Closed Session
20. Adjournment
More new 2022 police SUVS…
Correct me if I am wrong. Now that the question of moving the elections will be on the ballot, the village council cannot speak publicly about this. I ask because at the last meeting the mayor promised that she would refute the claims of One Village One Vote at this meeting. I remember a similar debacle when the parking garage was up for a vote and former council members campaigned for residents to vote “yes”.
Anyone have insight?
its simple if you vote for consolidation it means NO $115 MILLION SCHOOL BUDGET VOTE
If the school election is switched to NOV. the public will NO longer be able to VOTE ON THE BUDGET. They will only be able to vote on the candidates.
If the ability to vote in a school election vote remains in APRIL the public will be ABLE TO VOTE ON THE BUDGET and the candidates.
Perhaps moving the elections to November will give us the opportunity to vote on well-qualified candidates who will make smart decisions on municipal and school spending. It’s called representative government. That’s not at all what we have right now. Special interest groups have taken over our local government bodies and it’s not a pretty pitcure.
you mean like Paul Aronsohn ?
The Village Council filed an appeal on September 3rd. I for one don’t believe the Village Manager did anything wrong when she didn’t certify the amended petition based on her reputation and that she is a rule follower. One Village One Vote (OVOV) should be renamed One Village No Vote ( OVNV) as it takes away our ability to vote on the school budget. There are ways to reduce election costs that would allow us to keep the vote on the school budget which is approx. 2/3 of the overall municipal tax levy. Many people who signed their petition are not aware of this. One Village One Vote did everything to keep that part of their mission out of any of their posts on their website or in the public discourse.
I want the school vote. That doesn’t mean that we suppress the right of the citizenry to vote on a referendum. The Village has overplayed their hand big time. They should put it on the ballot, it will get voted down, and we move on. Playing games will just get them all kicked out come the next election.
What if the petition was rejected for legitimate reasons? What if One Village One Vote submitted their petition one month earlier giving time for a possible different outcome? What if the Village Council’s appeal gets the requested stay? We just don’t know enough . Hopefully we’ll no more soon.
Moving the school board election to November would not alter the public’s ability to vote for the best board candidates, which would happen whenever the election was held. It would in fact improve nothing and serve only to remove residents’ ability to approve or disapprove of the proposed budget. Our school budgets have become bizarrely bloated and represent moneys that are not appropriate for the size of the town. We deserve the right to vote for or against them.
‘Bloated’? You are living in the fantasy of a Village from another time. Ridgewood Public Schools have higher enrollment than every other village, borough, town, or city in Bergen County. The Ridgewood Public Schools educate students at a cost per student that is lower than most other school districts across the state. Face it people move to Ridgewood because of the great schools, and that my friend is a good thing for all of us! ‘Bloated’ Is not accurate.