Village Council Public Meeting Minutes 20140611

A REGULAR PUBLIC MEETING OF THE VILLAGE COUNCIL OF THE VILLAGE OF RIDGEWOOD HELD IN THE SYDNEY V. STOLDT, JR. COURTROOM OF THE RIDGEWOOD VILLAGE HALL, 131 NORTH MAPLE AVENUE, RIDGEWOOD, NEW JERSEY, ON WEDNESDAY, JUNE 11, 2014, AT 8:00 P.M.

 

1. CALL TO ORDER – OPEN PUBLIC MEETINGS ACT – ROLL CALL – FLAG SALUTE – MOMENT OF SILENCE

Mayor Aronsohn called the meeting to order at 8:00 P.M., and read the Statement of Compliance with the Open Public Meetings Act. At roll call, the following were present: Councilmembers Hauck, Pucciarelli, Riche, Walsh, and Mayor Aronsohn. Also present were Roberta Sonenfeld, Village Manager; Heather Mailander, Village Clerk; and Matthew Rogers, Village Attorney.

Mayor Aronsohn led those in attendance in the Pledge of Allegiance to the flag. Mayor Aronsohn then asked for a moment of silence to honor the men and women in the United States Armed Forces who protect and defend our freedom every day, as well as those serving as first responders.

2. ACCEPTANCE OF FINANCIAL REPORTS

Mayor Aronsohn moved that the Bills, Claims, and Vouchers, and Statement of Funds on hand as of May 31, 2014, be accepted as submitted. Councilman Pucciarelli seconded the motion.

Roll Call Vote

AYES: Councilmembers Hauck, Pucciarelli, Riche, Walsh, and Mayor Aronsohn

NAYS: None

ABSENT: None

ABSTAIN: None

3. APPROVAL OF MINUTES

Mayor Aronsohn moved that the Village Council minutes of August 14 and August 20, 2013, February 26, March 5, March 19, March 26, and April 23, 2014, having been reviewed by the Village Council and now available in the Village Clerk’s Office, be approved as submitted. Councilwoman Walsh seconded the motion.

Roll Call Vote

AYES: Councilmembers Hauck, Pucciarelli, Riche, Walsh, and Mayor Aronsohn

NAYS: None

ABSENT: None

ABSTAIN: None

4. PROCLAMATIONS

A. Proclaim June 14, 2014 Ridgewood Knights of Columbus, Council #1736 Day in Recognition of their Centennial Celebration

Councilman Pucciarelli read the following proclamation:

5. Proclamation for Mayors Wellness Campaign and Recognition of 2014 Mayors Wellness Campaign Logo Contest Winners – The Cowie Family and the Menz Family

Mayor Aronsohn read the following proclamation about the Mayors Wellness Campaign:

After reading the proclamation, Mayor Aronsohn explained that the initiative was started several weeks ago in Ridgewood, although he believes there was a Mayors Wellness Campaign several years ago in Ridgewood. This initiative is being promoted throughout the State. Mayor Aronsohn and Councilwoman Hauck have gathered members of the community together to try to figure out how Ridgewood could participate in the Mayors Wellness Campaign. They decided to take a holistic approach, with the focus not just on physical health, but on health in general, including spiritual and mental health. This community-wide effort is just starting to take off, and Mayor Aronsohn said he wanted to start with a Proclamation. In addition, a slogan was created, and it was decided that a logo would be a good addition to the slogan. Councilwoman Hauck suggested the logo contest.

Councilwoman Hauck noted that it was kind of difficult to get the campaign started because it is a cooperative effort among 10 different institutions. She thanked Mayor Aronsohn for coming up with the idea, because it has gained momentum and she believes it will be a great thing for Ridgewood. She read the description of the campaign: "The Mayors Wellness Campaign, co-sponsored by the League of Municipalities in the New Jersey Healthcare Quality Institute, challenges Mayors across the State to take this active role in the health of the communities they service," and Councilwoman Hauck said that is exactly what Mayor Aronsohn did. Councilwoman Hauck became the Chairperson of the Committee, and she has enjoyed the opportunity. The first event for the campaign was to challenge students to come up with a logo. The winning logo was designed by the Cowie family, and Councilwoman Hauck invited the family to come up to the podium. The runner-up was designed by the Menz family, and Councilwoman Hauck invited them to come up to the podium, also. The winning logo will be used on stationery, T-shirts, posters, the Facebook page, and the website. In addition, there is a "party on the beach" scheduled at Graydon Pool on Monday, June 16^{th, with 150 people who will be celebrating the fact that they lost a collective 600 pounds.}

6. COMMENTS FROM THE PUBLIC

Mayor Aronsohn asked if anyone from the public wished to speak regarding any of the agenda items.

Margie Downs and Ann Marie Snyder, representatives of the Ridgewood Fourth of July Celebration Committee, thanked Councilwoman Walsh and Councilman Riche for their service to the Village, as well as for their participation and support in the annual Fourth of July celebration. They especially thanked Councilman Riche, who has been the Village Council liaison to the Committee for the last several years. They presented Councilman Riche and Councilwoman Walsh with some mementos as a remembrance for being part of the parade.

Ellie Gruber, 229 South Irving Street, thanked Councilman Riche for his wonderful support in trying to restore the Open Space funding. She also thanked the rest of the Councilmembers for their support.

Ms. Gruber commented that she was not present at the previous Village Council meeting, but she watched it on television, and it disturbed her for several reasons. First, Councilman Pucciarelli stated his displeasure with a State requirement that prevented the Councilmembers from attending a function together. He said he wanted to hear what the residents had to say, and Ms. Gruber pointed out that everyone else would like to hear that, too. However, no resident, other than those who were invited to the meeting, could hear those comments. Ms. Gruber found Councilman Pucciarelli’s remark disingenuous. She noted that democracy is messy, and that should not be forgotten. The Open Public Meetings Act was passed specifically to address the problems that arose when the Councilmembers decided to meet with more than a few residents, as well as Village employees, including members of the Police Department, the press, and a photographer. When residents are told that they "should have called" to find out if there is a meeting, that flies in the face of the Sunshine Law. The residents, who are the taxpayers and citizens of Ridgewood, should not have to call to find out if there is a meeting. The Councilmembers, Mayor, Village Attorney, and Village Manager, as public employees are the ones who must notify the public of any meetings. Ms. Gruber repeated that democracy is messy, but without such safeguards, decisions are often made in the dark. She said she was sad to say that this Village Council has been putting out fires since the Councilmembers were elected, and have always been apologizing and backtracking, which is a waste of the public’s time, as well as the elected officials’ time. The Councilmembers give a tremendous amount of unpaid time, with good intentions. However, if things are done the right way, Ms. Gruber believes their time and trouble would be eliminated. She noted that Mayor Aronsohn stated that these kinds of meetings happen "all the time," but she does not agree with that. Ms. Gruber pointed out that when she recently met with one Councilmember, who was recently requested to meet with members of the Open Space Committee to discuss the Schedler property, it was only to discuss details of the plan, and it was a most informal meeting. In addition, Ms. Gruber said she has met with different Mayors, Village employees, and Councilmembers over the years one-on-one. The person she met with listened to her point of view, offered his/her advice, and made the decision as to whether s/he would discuss the matter in public.

Regarding the underpass project, Ms. Gruber completely agrees that bicycle riders in the Village are underserved. She supports the idea of having more bicycles and fewer cars in the Village, and the Ridgewood Environmental Advisory Committee (REAC) promotes this. Moreover, Ms. Gruber believes the project was started with good intentions, and it is sad that the intentions are being disregarded. Ms. Gruber feels that the Village Council acted as it always does, by not consulting the public before the project was started. She believes that when the Mayor and Councilmembers realized that the meeting was getting out of hand as far as the number of attendees was concerned, it should have been rescheduled and public notice given about the meeting. People would understand that the Councilmembers must obey the law. Ms. Gruber believes that the Councilmembers should have known that there would be a large number of people at the meeting, because the emails could have predicted that.

Finally, Ms. Gruber commented that decisions like the one regarding the underpass, which impacts nearly the entire Village, should never have been couched in a vague description of paving. She appreciated the statement made by Councilwoman Hauck echoing that sentiment. Surely by now, Ms. Gruber thinks the Councilmembers realize that such a decision needed the light of day. She noted that the Councilmembers are now forced to spend a great deal of time putting out fires once again. She believes that the spirit of the Sunshine Law was broken, and this is not the first time the Councilmembers have been accused of this. The same thing happened when the ramp at Graydon Pool was being discussed, and at the time, it seemed that the Councilmembers finally understood that private meetings held on issues that affect the entire Village is never good idea. Furthermore, skirting the law by saying that Councilwoman Hauck was outside of the room makes it a violation, in Ms. Gruber’s opinion. She said that she would have also been outside the room, because at least she would have known what was going on. Ms. Gruber added that the Councilmembers should not blame the State of New Jersey for passing a law that has made it easier to be an informed citizen of the State. Such laws are needed, and it is also necessary for the Councilmembers to understand that the law makes for better decisions in the end.

There were no other comments from the public at this time, and Mayor Aronsohn closed the time for public comment.

7. MANAGER’S REPORT

Ms. Sonenfeld began her report by saying that sometimes, it is necessary to address issues that are appearing in the headlines that affect Village residents. She recently read in the newspaper an article stating that $1.5 million was paid out to eight police officers throughout New Jersey, including six Police Chiefs. The Village has approximately $7.1 million in unfunded liabilities, which is an accumulation of retirement payments. There are three components to those payments: one is sick time; another is compensatory time; and the third is vacation time. Sick time is the preponderant amount of the $7.1 million, and the current Village policy is to allow a person a sick leave payment of six months’ salary, or one-half of the accrued sick leave, whichever is less. Village employees accrue 15 days per year in sick leave. The reason for that is, unlike people who work in the private sector, who get short-term and long-term disability leave, the Village of Ridgewood does not have disability. Out of the $7.1 million in unfunded liabilities, $5 million is for sick leave payments. Compensatory time is time that is given in lieu of overtime, and it comprises approximately $1.3 million of the $7.1 million. The Police and Fire Departments are capped at 480 hours of compensatory time. Village employees are allowed to carry vacation time over into the next year. That portion of the $7.1 million is approximately $900,000. As far as on-going health benefits are concerned, a question arose several weeks ago about health benefits payments for retirees, and Ms. Sonenfeld said that those payments total approximately $220,000 per month. The 11 confirmed retirements for this year will cost approximately $800,000 over three years. Compensatory time for Fire Department personnel will cost approximately $142,000, based on four firefighters who are retiring.

In her Responses to Residents, Ms. Sonenfeld stated that a couple came in who live on Lakeview Avenue, near the mulching facility. They came in to discuss King’s Pond Park, which is next to the mulching facility. The couple asked if the Village would consider doing several things: clearing vegetation on the shoreline; creating a growth-free walking area along the shoreline; repairing the dam that is fair; and dredging the pond. Ms. Sonenfeld told them that she would take a look at the area, which she did. She sent an email to the residents explaining that because it is deemed a riparian habitat, the Village is limited on removing vegetation at the shoreline. In addition, although the other suggestions were wonderful and possible, it was felt that it would be a major capital project that would cost more than $1 million for a small park. However, Ms. Sonenfeld said it could be considered as part of the 2015 capital budget, although not many residents use this area.

In addition, another person came in from the west side of Ridgewood, from the Cedarcroft Water Department area, to ask if someone could take a look at some trees that had fallen during a storm a couple of years ago that had branches sticking out all over, and Ms. Sonenfeld agreed to have that area cleared.

Regarding the North Walnut Street Redevelopment Zone, Ms. Sonenfeld hopes to present a draft RFP to the Councilmembers at the July 9, 2004, Work Session meeting. Ms. Sonenfeld added that she hopes to present an ordinance at that meeting that is relevant to the creation of the Site Plan Exemption Committee two years ago, which was an attempt to streamline the approval process for site plan approvals. In 2013, discussions were held with the business community in Ridgewood, but the subject was dropped for a while. Recently, the ordinance was re-drafted, and improvements will be added that can be reviewed by the Site Plan Exemption Committee. The Committee would also be permitted to forgo meetings to allow specific members to review simple applications. Moreover, fees would be reduced for simple, low-cost improvements.

Today, a road construction communications process was implemented in the Village, which can be implemented as often as necessary during the day. As soon as there is notification of any kind of road closures; dumpsters being set up; meter closings; or any other kind of potential traffic disruptions, an email will be sent to the business community via the Ridgewood Guild and the Chamber of Commerce, as well as to the Board of Education and all Village personnel to alert them to the potential problems. The information will also be posted on the Village website.

Ms. Sonenfeld commented that some raw data has become available from the use of the traffic plates and cameras around Garber Square. The video and the raw data must be examined, and Ms. Sonenfeld hopes to have more analysis available next week.

Ms. Sonenfeld also noted that analysis continues on the two proposals for Cottage Place, Lot 12, the parking lot between The Gap and Gilsenan Realty.

8. COUNCIL REPORTS

Ridgewood Environmental Advisory Committee (REAC)/Shade Tree Commission – Councilwoman Walsh pointed out that in the coming weeks, everyone will see some beautification efforts going on in the CBD. Ten trees that do not look very healthy are slated to be replaced. This will kick off an education process of the Shade Tree Commission to plant trees that will be sustainable in those wells, because they are only 18 inches deep. The trees that have been selected are ornamental trees that will be able to thrive at that depth of soil. In addition, the wells will be cleaned to remove weeds and other debris. It is hoped that the merchants who have wells in front of their establishments will help with the cleanup efforts, because the trees will need approximately 5 gallons of water per week. Project Pride will also be helping in these efforts to ensure that the trees stay alive.

Ridgewood Arts Council (RAC) – Councilman Pucciarelli mentioned that the RAC did not meet since the last Village Council meeting, but Councilman Pucciarelli had the pleasure of interviewing candidates for the RAC. The process has brought out some very energetic and creative people, and they have some very interesting ideas for the RAC.

Financial Advisory Committee (FAC) – Councilman Pucciarelli noted that he attended a meeting of the FAC on Monday, and they are functioning with a lot of talent and energy. For example, they are now evaluating the two responses received to the RFP for the property on Cottage Place, Lot 12, which requires analysis to determine which response is better financially for the Village. They are also continuing their work on the collective bargaining agreements, a better understanding of which is essential as the Village enters the negotiation period for contracts for the uniformed services personnel. Negotiations are impossible without knowing what the present agreements include, in order to find a starting point for negotiations. Moreover, they have already begun discussing the process for the 2015 budget.

Fourth of July Committee – Councilman Riche thanked the Fourth of July committee for allowing him to serve as the Village Council liaison for the past several years. He encouraged everyone to come out for the Fourth of July festivities, and noted that the Fourth of July Committee is still looking for volunteers, as well as donations. All of the activities are funded by the Fourth of July Committee because they do not receive any tax dollars.

Open Space Committee – Councilman Riche pointed out that there is a resolution to be voted on by the Village Council tonight urging Bergen County to restore the Open Space Tax to the one cent per $100 rate, which was reduced some years ago to one quarter of one cent per $100. This has virtually eliminated grant money that Ridgewood had been receiving for Open Space purposes in the past. There was an article in the newspaper yesterday about the "discovery" of Open Space funds, but Councilman Riche cautioned that no one should be fooled by that. The money was not "new" money, but was old money that had been allocated and never been used. Ms. Sonenfeld mentioned earlier a development at King’s Pond Park, which Councilman Riche said would clearly qualify for an Open Space grant, and it would be a great project for such funds.

Graydon Pool – Councilwoman Hauck encouraged everyone to buy their membership passes for Graydon Pool. She has received reports that the water at Graydon Pool is the clearest it has ever been. There is a new concessions vendor this year, and the vendor has received great reviews so far. The badges are $120 for adults; $110 for children; $30 for senior citizens; and $30 for disabled residents.

Councilwoman Hauck mentioned the parking situation outside Village Hall. The Ridgewood Public Library and Village Hall compete for parking spaces with the athletes who use the fields at Veterans Field. Councilwoman Hauck thinks it makes sense for the people who play on the fields to park in the Graydon South parking lot, and walk approximately the same distance to the field as they would be required to walk from Village Hall or the Public Library. There is a shortage of parking at Village Hall, and Councilwoman Hauck urged everyone playing or watching sports to use the parking at the Graydon South parking lot.

Planning Board – Mayor Aronsohn said the Planning Board met on Monday, and heard from Blais Brancheau, Village Planner, who offered some clarifications for the Valley Hospital application, and then closing arguments were heard from the respective attorneys. Another meeting is scheduled for Monday, June 16th, for the sole purpose of allowing the Planning Board attorney, Gail Price, to give the charge to the members of the Planning Board. On Tuesday, June 17th, the Planning Board will meet again to vote on the Valley Hospital proposal. Those two meetings will take place at Benjamin Franklin Middle School.

9. ORDINANCES

a. Introduction – NONE

b. Public Hearing – #3416 – Lease of 1057 Hillcrest Road

Mayor Aronsohn moved the second reading of Ordinance 3416 and that the Public Hearing be opened. Councilwoman Walsh seconded the motion.

Roll Call Vote

AYES: Councilmembers Hauck, Pucciarelli, Riche, Walsh, and Mayor Aronsohn

NAYS: None

ABSENT: None

ABSTAIN: None

The Village Clerk read Ordinance 3416 by title:

AN ORDINANCE TO LEASE THE ONE-FAMILY RESIDENTIAL DWELLING LOCATED AT 1057 HILLCREST ROAD, IN THE VILLAGE OF RIDGEWOOD, COUNTY OF BERGEN, FOR A TERM NOT TO EXCEED TWO (2) YEARS FOR ONE-FAMILY PURPOSES ONLY

Mayor Aronsohn announced that the Public Hearing was open.

Boyd Loving, 342 South Irving Street, had a question about the continued lease of the house on the Habernickel Park. Mr. Loving asked what the long-term plan is with respect to getting rid of the house and converting that property entirely to parkland, or using the house for public purposes as opposed to private purposes. Although the rental income does bring in $48,000 annually, Mr. Loving pointed out that Green Acres funding was used to purchase the property, and he wondered if there was any kind of long-term plan to use the property for public purposes. Mayor Aronsohn responded that it is his understanding that potential uses of the house are still being evaluated, as well as the barn. As far as the ability of the Village to continue accepting rents for the property because Green Acres funds were used to purchase it, Janet Fricke, Assistant to the Village Manager, has been in contact with the County, and that is not a problem. Mayor Aronsohn noted that renting the property is a temporary measure until a determination is made about what to do with the house, barn, and the rest of the property.

There were no other comments from the public, and Mayor Aronsohn moved that the Public Hearing be closed. Councilwoman Walsh seconded the motion.

Roll Call Vote

AYES: Councilmembers Hauck, Pucciarelli, Riche, Walsh, and Mayor Aronsohn

NAYS: None

ABSENT: None

ABSTAIN: None

Councilman Pucciarelli moved that Ordinance 3416 be adopted on second reading and final publication as required by law. Councilwoman Walsh seconded the motion.

Roll Call Vote

AYES: Councilmembers Hauck, Pucciarelli, Riche, Walsh, and Mayor Aronsohn

NAYS: None

ABSENT: None

ABSTAIN: None

c. Public Hearing – #3417 – Establish Abandoned Property Guidelines

Mayor Aronsohn moved the second reading of Ordinance 3417 and that the Public Hearing be opened. Councilman Pucciarelli seconded the motion.

Roll Call Vote

AYES: Councilmembers Hauck, Pucciarelli, Riche, Walsh, and Mayor Aronsohn

NAYS: None

ABSENT: None

ABSTAIN: None

The Village Clerk read Ordinance 3417 by title:

AN ORDINANCE TO ADOPT THE "ABANDONED PROPERTY AND REHABILITATION ACT" (N.J.S.A. 55:19-78 ET SEQ.), AND ESTABLISH A NEW CHAPTER IN PART II OF THE CODE OF THE VILLAGE OF RIDGEWOOD ENTITLED "GENERAL LEGISLATION," CREATING A NEW SECTION ENTITLED "ABANDONED PROPERTY"

Mayor Aronsohn announced that the Public Hearing was open. There were no comments from the public, and Mayor Aronsohn moved that the Public Hearing be closed. Councilman Pucciarelli seconded the motion.

Roll Call Vote

AYES: Councilmembers Hauck, Pucciarelli, Riche, Walsh, and Mayor Aronsohn

NAYS: None

ABSENT: None

ABSTAIN: None

Councilman Pucciarelli moved that Ordinance 3417 be adopted on second reading and final publication as required by law. Councilwoman Hauck seconded the motion.

Roll Call Vote

AYES: Councilmembers Hauck, Pucciarelli, Riche, Walsh, and Mayor Aronsohn

NAYS: None

ABSENT: None

ABSTAIN: None

d. Public Hearing – #3418 – Establishment of a Green Team

Mayor Aronsohn stated that Ordinance 3418, to establish a Green Team, was introduced on May 14, 2014; however, the legal ad with the ordinance and the notice of Public Hearing was not published. Therefore, this ordinance will be considered again at the July Work Session by the new Village Council.

10. RESOLUTIONS

THE FOLLOWING RESOLUTIONS, NUMBERED 14-139 THROUGH 14-152, WERE ADOPTED BY A CONSENT AGENDA, WITH ONE VOTE BY THE VILLAGE COUNCIL, AND WERE READ BY TITLE ONLY:

THE FOLLOWING RESOLUTION, NUMBERED 14-153, WAS CONSIDERED SEPARATELY, AND READ IN FULL BY THE VILLAGE CLERK:

11. COMMENTS FROM THE PUBLIC

Mayor Aronsohn stated that they would again have comments from the public and asked anyone wishing to address the Village Council to come forward.

Rurik Halaby, 374 Evergreen Place, complemented Ms. Sonenfeld for being so clever at handling a potentially explosive situation as the one that has occurred over the Garber Square construction project, and for diffusing it as well as she did by taking into account comments made by various residents. Mr. Halaby urged the Councilmembers to consider reducing the width of the median from eight feet to two feet, because two feet will not make a significant difference to the separation, but it will make a difference to the road itself. He also suggested that, in order to meet the needs of the bicyclists, it could be marked by heavy lines, or by separating the area with cones, because the street is already narrow. Any concerns about cars going over the median could be alleviated by increasing its height. Ms. Sonenfeld pointed out that one of the safety features being implemented at Garber Square is the installation of lighting in that area, since it is currently very dark at night.

Next, Mr. Halaby suggested that Mayor Aronsohn should recuse himself from any Planning Board vote on Valley Hospital, because Mayor Aronson’s view on the matter has been known throughout the process, and everyone knows how he will vote. Mr. Halaby believes that detracts from the integrity of the process.

Boyd Loving, 342 South Irving Street, asked a question about the award for the lightning detection system. He noted that the Board of Education contributed approximately $45,000 toward the system, and the Councilmembers approved $25,000 toward the contract, for a total of $70,000. Mr. Loving said it is his understanding that the manufacturer of the originally installed lightning detection system went out of business, and the Village must therefore deal with the new manufacturer. Mr. Loving wanted to know if it would be necessary to replace the current system because parts can no longer be obtained; and if the new vendor will be able to obtain parts for the current system. He is concerned that the final cost will be much more than $70,000, especially if the old system must be removed and replaced. Ms. Sonenfeld confirmed Mr. Loving statement that the costs are being shared with the Board of Education, and this is the final phase of the installation, which will take care of all of the Village fields. Mr. Loving was also correct when he stated that the previous manufacturer went out of business, but it was felt that the Village could go for another two years with the current system. Eventually it will have to be changed. Ms. Sonenfeld said her concern with the new manufacturer was that there is no way to know that this manufacturer will not also go out of business, and she asked if a credit check had been performed on this manufacturer. The Village is relying on the County as far as the lightning detection system is concerned, because the County is getting all of their new lightning detection systems through this new manufacturer.

Finally, Mr. Loving recalled that he had made comments several months ago regarding the fact that when the lightning detection system is triggered, people are not vacating the fields. There were discussions about whether that is enforceable, and Mr. Loving wondered if there had been any follow-up discussions with respect to enforcing the rule that the fields must be vacated when the lightning detection system is triggered. He noted that at Graydon Pool, the response is prompt, and the pool is evacuated as soon as the alert is sounded. Councilwoman Hauck noted that it has been difficult to get people to comply with that rule, and children and adults usually do not vacate the field unless they are coerced. Councilwoman Hauck added that she is often asked by residents if it is necessary to spend the money on this system, especially when the budget is so tight, and her answer is always yes, because it is a matter of safety. She pointed out that it must be a cooperative effort, and people must encourage others to follow the rules, for safety reasons. Mr. Loving commented that the system works very well at Graydon Pool.

Betsy Murphy Sparrow made a comment about the railroad trestle, and stated that she pictures someone driving in from the west side under the underpass, and waiting in the single line of traffic to get through, and after finally getting into the CBD, and not being able to park, leaving Ridgewood and never coming back again. She believes it is discouraging for businesses to have that type of entrance to the CBD. Mayor Aronsohn responded that parking is an issue that has been a great concern for everyone, and there has been a lot of discussion among the Councilmembers and Village management about it. There has also been discussion about possibly partnering with the Bergen County Improvement Authority (BCIA) to build a parking garage in Ridgewood. The head of the BCIA has been invited to come to a Village Council meeting to address the issue, and that has been tentatively scheduled for the next Village Council meeting.

Leonard Diamond, 131 Cottage Place, noted that in 2011, the Village Council passed the Complete Streets policy in Ridgewood, the purpose of which is to make streets safer for all users, including motor vehicle drivers, and vulnerable users. "Vulnerable users" include pedestrians, people in wheelchairs, and bicyclists. It is not uncommon to read about someone getting hit by a car in Ridgewood, whether in the CBD, around the schools, or in a neighborhood. The response from the Village was to implement the Complete Streets Program, which Mr. Diamond believes was the appropriate response. However, 27.4% of the deaths that occur every year in motor vehicle accidents in New Jersey are either pedestrians or bicyclists. That is the second highest rate in the United States; New York is the only state with a higher rate than New Jersey. This project was designed by the Village Engineer in consultation with a traffic expert from the Citizens Safety Advisory Committee. Mr. Diamond discussed the plan with Cindy Stein, Director of the New Jersey Bike/Walk Coalition, who discussed it with a traffic engineer who works with her. They considered it to be an excellent plan as originally drawn. The goal of the plan is to reduce the speed of cars. In fact, the road was deliberately roughened because cars were traveling through that area too fast, and were speeding around the turns. The accepted way to slow down traffic, according to traffic engineers, is to make the lanes narrower. Traffic lanes on the New Jersey Turnpike are 12 feet wide, where cars often travel at 70 miles per hour. Ridgewood does not need lanes that are 12 feet wide. Narrowing the lanes encourages other users, like pedestrians and cyclists, and makes it safer for them. Mr. Diamond considers the Garber Square renovations to be an excellent design.

There were no more comments from the public, and Mayor Aronsohn closed the time for public comment.

12. RESOLUTION TO GO INTO CLOSED SESSION

The following resolution, numbered 14-154, to go into Closed Session, was read in full by the Village Clerk, as follows:

13. ADJOURNMENT

There being no further business to come before the Village Council, on a motion by Councilman Pucciarelli, seconded by Councilwoman Walsh, and carried unanimously by voice vote, the meeting was adjourned at 9:02 P.M.

_____________________________

Paul S. Aronsohn

Mayor

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Heather A. Mailander

Village Clerk