December 4,2015
the staff of the Ridgewood blog
Ridgewood NJ, Don’t these photo simulations look a lot like the ones on the “anonymous mailer” Mr. Aronsohn can’t seem to shut up about?
More, and more importantly:
During the Wednesday evening, December 2nd Ridgewood Village Council Work Session, Mayor Paul Aronsohn vowed that the parking deck (garage) will be built, even in the absence of a 4 vote “super majority” vote of the Village Council, which would be required to bond the debt service.
The Mayor and Deputy Mayor Albert Pucciarelli revealed that “they” have already discussed an alternate (and completely legal) plan of having the Bergen County Improvement Authority (BCIA) Â issue bonds for the project if the 4 vote “super majority” isn’t obtained.
At a minimum, this would add an additional $750k in BCIA fees to the project, plus an as yet to be determined interest fee each year for 30 years.
The staff of The Ridgewood Blog will attempt to keep you fully abreast of developments along this front, although we are sure a person or persons at Village Hall will do everything in their power to keep information away from us.
How could this be. The Sprit of this ordinance was to have four votes to bond. These three have found a loophole and going to the county if the don’t get four votes. Whats going to stop them for doing it again if the what something. Why are they so hell bent on building this garage. More secret meeting by a Deputy Mayor to get this garage throw. Makes you wonder what has been promised.
Typical Wheather you believe in the garage or not is this how we want business conducted in Ridgewood?
Why would Bergen County take on the debt: fees, studies, lawyers, commissions all rolled into what Ridgewood will pay. Why? Maybe the two council dissenters have played their hands and the majority backed them into a corner. Blame the higher cost on the dissenters? Hard ball Paul.
Remember their “we know best” attitude when you hit the voting booths this coming Spring.
They are all fools if they don’t believe that the Desman group does not have a CAD program that can give a three dimensional view of the garage. What am I missing in this scenario. Can someone with a CAD do this design for the VC. I’m sure high schoolers have this program on their new chromebooks.
State law mandates that at least 2/3 of the elected officials vote for a bond. When there are five elected officials, as we have in Ridgewood, this means it has to be four. It is disgusting that the three of them will go along with this circumnavigation of the law. I am sure our esteemed Village Attorney who gets paid a quarter of a million dollars on behalf of the Village Council has figured out that it is legal to do this. But it completely disregards the fact that we have FIVE elected officials, not three. And there is a reason that a super-majority is required to float a bond. Who the hell are the three amigos to disregard laws? Oh, yeah, that’s right, they do it all the time.
Furthermore, WE will have to pay significant fees to the county if they issue the bond on our behalf. So Aronsohn intends to barge ahead if he does not get four votes, do it his way no matter what, and then cost us even more money than the bond would cost if we issued it ourselves.
Just when you thought the three of them could not get any lower, lo and behold they sink to new depths.
Local Bond Law N.J.S.A. 40A:2-1 et seq. November, 2009 Page 1 Local Bond Law N.J.S.A. 40A:2
A bond ordinance shall be finally adopted by the recorded affirmative votes of at least 2/3 of the full membership of the governing body. In a local unit in which the approval of any officer is required to make an ordinance or resolution effective, such bond ordinance shall be so approved, or passed over veto before it shall be published after final adoption.
Funny thing – I spoke to Mike Sedon before the non binding referendum and he was in favor. Has he changed his mind? If so, something has obviously changed and this is looking more like the bait and switch that we’ve been expecting all along from our Council majority.
There may be a back story that involves Bergen County Democrats. 18 months ago Bergen County Improvement Authority was going to do a parking study. They were going to be partners. BCIA officials were smoozing around town. We have not seen them for 6 months. Now they are back in play. Was a deal struck in the back room? There is a story here…
Mike can be counted on to do the right thing. He is not swayed by idiots, even though three idiots (four including Roberta) sit on the dais with him.
Yes, indeed, 1:26 – there is a story here. Hopefully an investigative reporter can dig it out, not a lazy reporter than answers only to Aronsohn.
Does anyone know what the legal and financial obligations would be between Ridgewood and Bergen County if the county were to issue the bond? Who sets parking rates? Who “manages” the project? Responsible for cost over-runs?