Special Public Budget Meeting Minutes 20180316

A SPECIAL PUBLIC BUDGET MEETING OF THE VILLAGE COUNCIL OF THE VILLAGE OF RIDGEWOOD HELD IN THE SYDNEY V. STOLDT, JR. COURT ROOM OF THE RIDGEWOOD VILLAGE HALL, 131 NORTH MAPLE AVENUE, RIDGEWOOD, NEW JERSEY ON MARCH 16, 2018 AT 5:30 P.M.

1.CALL TO ORDER – OPEN PUBLIC MEETINGS ACT – ROLL CALL – FLAG SALUTE
Mayor Knudsen called the meeting to order at 5:31 P.M. and read the Statement of Compliance with the Open Public Meetings Act.  At roll call, the following were present:  Councilmembers Hache, Sedon, Voigt, Walsh and Mayor Knudsen.  Also present were Heather Mailander, Village Manager/Village Clerk; Donna Jackson, Deputy Village Clerk; Stephen Sanzari, Treasurer; and Robert Rooney, Village Chief Financial Officer.
Mayor Knudsen led those in attendance in the Pledge of Allegiance to the flag and asked for a moment of silence in honor of the American men and women serving in our Armed Forces, as well as those serving as first responders.

2.COMMENTS FROM THE PUBLIC
Mayor Knudsen asked if there were any comments or questions from the public.  Saurabh Dani, 390 Bedford Road, said that the Village agreed to implement a plan being discussed by the New Jersey Legislature.  Mr. Dani explained that this proposal will allow a taxpayer to donate a certain amount towards a charitable organization, and it will be considered as 90% towards property taxes which means that the municipality will only have to pay 10% towards property tax.  This has already been approved by the New Jersey Senate. 
Mr. Dani mentioned police overtime connected to the multi-family development construction.  The police anticipate more calls for assistance when the units are complete, but he pointed out that by that time there will be a larger tax base to cover police costs. 
Mr. Dani referred to a lawsuit connected with Valley Hospital and whether or not the hospital should be paying taxes.  He commented that he hasn’t heard anything about this matter for some time.
There were no further comments from the public. 

3.DISCUSSION ITEMS
     a.REVIEW OF DEPARTMENTAL BUDGETS AND CAPITAL BUDGET

 1.)MUNICIPAL COURT
Maria Doerr, Municipal Court Administrator, stated that the current capital budget request for the Municipal Court in 2018 has decreased by 3%, due to a contractual issue with the Union.  The only increase is the item for Court Sessions and this is due to the fact that union workers had received a flat rate per court session.  The new contract calls for employees to be paid at their hourly rate.  The new E-ticket system is very successful and the volume of tickets issued has increased slightly.  Ms. Doerr noted that the increased number of tickets had very little impact on the actual workload. 
Ms. Doerr said that she doesn’t see much change for the upcoming year.  She noted that criminal bail reform has had an impact but the office has been able to absorb it.  She would like the Municipal Court to be able to accept credit cards consistently and not just on Court nights.  The system is available, but the problem is how to address the convenience or merchant fee.  Ms. Mailander said they could look into this.
Ms. Doerr reported that the Municipal Court is up to date with archiving and old records have been destroyed.  There are no sensitive records in the storage room and she hopes to have no records in the storage room at all by this time next year.  Ms. Doerr announced that the Deputy Court Administrator, Glenda Hickey, recently received her certification from the State. 

 2.)HEALTH DEPARTMENT
Dawn Cetrulo, Director the Health Department, stated that she passed the Heath Officer’s Exam.  The cat licenses were successfully transferred into the Spatial Data Logic (SDL) software manually rather than electronically.  She hosted a Mental Health First Aid Class for high school students and put the Crisis Intervention Counselor at Ridgewood High School in touch with the Mental Health First Aid trainer in hopes of including it in the curriculum.  Ms. Cetrulo said she has just kicked off the weight loss challenge last week, and is also working on the Mayor’s Wellness Festival.  This year, monthly Lunch and Learn sessions were added to provide information on yoga, healthy eating, meditation and stress management among other topics.  Ms. Cetrulo submitted Ridgewood’s application for the National Wellness Campaign Healthy Town Award and should be hearing something on that soon.  Ms. Cetrulo stated that the Community Outreach with the Schools Program has been stepped up, and she is publishing health-related articles in the newspaper on a regular basis and through social media.  
Ms. Cetrulo stated that this year’s goals include health education.  The last Community Needs Health Assessment indicated that the focus should be on mental health, nutrition, physical activity and access to care.  She was able to obtain a grant from the County and is conducting two programs, one for children and one for parents relative to Stigma Free initiatives.  Ms. Cetrulo stated that the weight loss challenge continues and classes are offered every weekday and includes a walking plan that has been posted on Burbio, the electronic calendar app.  She encouraged people to participate and said the group meets every Wednesday at 4:00 P.M. at the Kasschau Shell.  They use social media and church emails, along with flyers posted around town.
Ms. Cetrulo stated that they have distributed 60 radon kits this year courtesy of the Radon Grant.  She has ordered 100 additional kits to be given out on Earth Day and during the Wellness Festival. 
Ms. Cetrulo referred to the Flu Clinic, the Senior Blood Pressure Clinic and the Child Health Care Clinics.  The Health Department tries to get the word out via social media regarding these clinics.   New Jersey is following the CDC guidelines concerning childhood lead levels and Ms. Cetrulo stated that there are three cases of children with elevated lead levels at the moment.  She said that the Village needs to increase education to parents about the potential for high lead levels in spices. 
Ms. Cetrulo hopes to accept credit cards later this year in the Registrar’s Office.  Ms. Cetrulo thinks this service will encourage people to buy extra copies of certificates.  The State has indicated that Marriage Licenses and Certificates will be done electronically this year, which will be a time saver for the office.  Birth and death certificates have been done electronically for a while.  Ms. Cetrulo asked that the fee for corrections be increased from $25 to $50.  She researched the charges in other municipalities and found their fees to be higher for these services.
Ms. Cetrulo recommended adoption of an ordinance allowing for the inspections of nail and hair salons. At the moment, when there is a complaint about a hair or nail salon, a State official comes out, but the State is short staffed and this takes time.  She pointed out that other towns have adopted this type of ordinance and she stressed the importance of being able to conduct a basic sanitization inspection in a timely fashion.  Ms. Cetrulo said that the Health Department has shared last year’s health inspections of food establishments on Facebook and the Village website and she suggested doing this quarterly.  She hopes to adopt more parts of the Model Public Health Zip Code to assist in improving neighborhood quality of life.  This provides information on health, property maintenance, and noise and air quality 
Ms. Cetrulo recommended enhancing the Pet Friendly Committee by hosting additional education programs on pet behavior for the community, to prevent dog bites.  She recalled a similar program a few years ago, which was very successful.  She said that the Rabies Clinic will be relocated to Graydon Parking Lot due to the back up of cars at the former location, resulting from the addition of the microchipping service.  The date this year is Wednesday, May 16th.
Ms. Cetrulo said that the budget hasn’t changed much from 2017; however, Ridgewood now has to pay the fees for the Community Health Improvement Partnership (CHIP) rather than in combination with Fair Lawn.  Because Ridgewood is participating in the Weight Loss Challenge, the Village will receive $300 to $400 of the CHIP money back.  Ms. Cetrulo pointed out that the budget contains a request for two stand-up desks, which helps with stress to the back. 
Councilman Voigt noted that the budget for unlicensed dogs and cats has increased significantly since last year and he asked what this portion of the budget covers.  Ms. Cetrulo explained that someone is hired on May 1st to assist with the preparation of dog licenses.  This individual also follows up with permits that don’t come in, as well as canvassing door to door to question people who haven’t renewed their licenses.  
Councilman Sedon asked why the animal control budget had increased.  Ms. Cetrulo stated that the two year contract with Tyco will expire in June and there is an increase when the contract is renewed. 
Councilwoman Walsh asked if lead testing devices were available.  Ms. Cetrulo said they don’t recommend the kits from Home Depot due to inaccuracies.  She has a list of certified contractors who evaluate areas of concern.  She said that the Health Department is notified when a child has a blood test with a lead level that exceeds Level 5.  The Health Department will then get involved and try to figure out the cause for the elevated lead levels.  Ms. Mailander pointed out that Ms. Cetrulo presented a paper for her Master’s Degree Program in Public Health on lead and she suggested that Ms. Cetrulo create a Power Point presentation on this issue and present it at a future Village Council meeting.  Ms. Cetrulo said that she could put information about lead on the Village website, and she pointed out that the CDC says no level of lead is safe.  She added that there is a blood test that is required at the ages of one and two and if the lead levels are over 5 the child has to be retested in the next two months. 

 3.)TAX ASSESSOR
Michael Barker, Tax Assessor, explained that his position in the Village of Ridgewood doesn’t vary much from year to year.  The primary focus is filing the tax list, which is done in January.  All of the property in the district has to be identified, the owner has to be identified and structures existing on the property are compiled and inputted into the database in order for the County Tax Board to prepare and certify the final tax list.  Mr. Barker stated that all of this information is valuable for other Village Departments such as the Building Department, Planning and Zoning, and the Engineering Department.  The Tax Assessor’s office is responsible for maintaining the tax maps, which are prepared by the Engineering Office and at times the Clerk’s Office will require notifications necessary for zoning changes.  Mr. Barker stated that the focus is always on filing the final list, which is followed by the next phase known as defending the list in the event of an appeal process.  The deadline for filing is April 1st for the Tax Court, but because of the backlog in the Courts, an appeal is granted that can quickly turn into three years of appeals before a decision is issued.  Mr. Barker pointed out that appeals in tax court vary depending on the economy.  A declining real estate market is more subject to appeals, but not as much in a rising real estate market.  Mr. Barker said that as a result of an improved economy, there are not as many tax appeals being filed. 
Mr. Barker said that the list that is filed in January is amended at the end of the year to reflect new construction that has been completed during that year.  This revenue will go to surplus for the following year and he noted that in the past year, $11 million in projects have been added.  He commented that there are not a large number of new projects, but the on-going projects are getting bigger. 
Mr. Barker said that his department has a simple budget with the majority of funds going to statutory items such as mailings to all property owners in January, detailing their assessment and what it will be in the upcoming year.  The card also provides information on the appeal process.  He noted that occasionally, expert help may be need in the Tax Appeal process.  Last year, assistance was needed in an appeal involving Stop and Shop, which took most of the money in the budget for appraisal assistance.  Mr. Barker expects going to court with several appeals this year that may involve additional costs.  If the money isn’t spent, it can be transferred into the following year’s budget.
Councilman Voigt questioned Mr. Barker on the appraisal process involving his office.  Mr. Barker explained that each property is different and the process is much different than a mortgage appraisal.  The Courts require extensive proof in each individual case, which means more time is spent on research.  He stated that there are properties in the Village worth over $3 million that have filed tax appeals and there are risks involved. 
Councilman Sedon asked Mr. Barker if he has an opinion on how taxes might be impacted as a result of the new Federal tax laws.  Mr. Barker said that he couldn’t give an opinion until some time passes.  Initially, it will affect some people and anyone over the mortgage threshold is going to be at risk, but he doesn’t know how much of an impact there will be. 
Councilwoman Walsh stated that the Brogan site, the Ken Smith site, Chestnut Village and the Enclave will all be new ratables for the Village.  These developments contain some affordable units and some luxury, high end units.  She asked if these developments would be valued on structure or income and she assumed help would be needed in the Tax Assessor’s office to support the assessments put on the properties.  She asked when the developments could be charged for what is partially constructed that would help to cover additional Village costs for items such as traffic, police in the area, and clean up.  Councilwoman Walsh asked if Mr. Barker anticipates any type of tax appeal challenge initially, if the units are not immediately filled. 
Mr. Barker said they would look at the cost, the market and the income and he noted that in litigation it is primarily the income that is considered.  These are apartments and the actual amount of rent must be used.  They would pull the entire base and look at economic rent, market vacancy rates and market expenses to come up with a value.  Mr. Barker stated that it is different in the construction phase because the units don’t exist.  He added that this is not like residential properties meaning that he has the right to change the valuation annually.  He said that in these phased-in projects they find that developers will provide inducements to attract potential customers and the Village will have to see where things level out.  There are a lot of unknowns with this project and this is why people file returns because they feel they are over assessed and assessments have to be checked for accuracy.  Mr. Barker stated that the Village can place partial assessments on these properties that are substantially completed for their intended use, and if someone is living in the unit, it is completed for all intents and purposes. 
Councilman Hache asked about trends in commercial assessments and appeals.  Mr. Barker reported that appeals are leveling off, relative to commercial properties.  Ridgewood doesn’t have a lot of square footage or exposure on major highways and there has been resurgence in smaller office buildings, especially for medical use. 
Mayor Knudsen asked if Mr. Barker could give projections on the future builds for planning purposes relative to ratables that could be used for infrastructure upgrades, policing, etc.  Mr. Barker said he could determine a value if he was given the appropriate information.  Rents, projected expenses and build out times should have been included in testimony at the Planning Board, but the projection of the impacts is partially unknown.  There are additional costs that occur whenever there is development; however, he doesn’t see any initial need for staffing changes other than perhaps a need for temporary help to enter and analyze data.

 4.)EMERGENCY SERVICES
Tony Lillo, Director of Emergency Services, said that there were 1,927 calls for service with 1,780 of those for EMS and 219 calls for special operations.  There have already been 80 special operations calls so far this year, due to the snow.  Mr. Lillo stated that the operating budget was approved at $290,403 and they came in at $265,539 or 8% under.  Revenue came in at $342,733 for 2017 or a surplus of $77,194 against the operating budget.  He added that if the increase in rates that was voted on last year had actually taken effect at the beginning of the year, there would have been an additional $51,000 in income.  Mr. Lillo reported that in 2017, volunteers donated 19,627 hours to the Village comprised of 15,195 for EMS and 4,432 for special operations.
Mr. Lillo said that the primary goals and objectives are constant from year to year.  The equipment is watched carefully to make sure it is available and in good working condition.  He added that during the entire year of 2017 there was a probationary officer working six nights per week.  There are two people in school at the moment who will be graduating in March and he noted that many of the volunteers who are training are high school students, who also carry a full load of school work. 
Mr. Lillo stated that the goals for 2018 are to continue to improve the group and he said this is a group of 30 students who are eager to commit their time to EMT school.  He is making presentations to outside organizations within the Village and they will provide outside training at the Paramus Reformed Church, which can generate inquiries and promotes interest in the group.  Mr. Lillo described a program called “Stop the Bleed”, which educates a lay person in assisting a victim of a gunshot wound or a stabbing before EMS arrives.  This class will continue over the summer and into next fall. 
Mr. Lillo explained that he has to ensure that all of the materials and equipment in the emergency services vehicles are current and up to date.  He noted that many of the ambulances in the area have been audited by the State.  It costs a considerable amount of money to purchase equipment that may not be used often and they do their best to avoid waste.  Mr. Lillo stated that all of the ten defibrillators that are used on the EMS trucks were purchased three years ago, and are required to be replaced this year.  The units cost $450 each and in addition, new batteries and pads must be purchased.
Mr. Lillo concluded stating that the goals for the EMS Department remain the same year to year and include retention and recruitment, morale, and ensuring that the equipment is up and running properly.
Councilman Voigt questioned income and Mr. Lillo said that the department has a surplus in the amount of $31,000 due to increased charges that began in November.  He reiterated that annually, this would be approximately an additional $100,000.  Councilman Voigt asked about the situation with Valley Hospital and Mr. Lillo said that the calls are being split between the two entities; however, they both will have to decide if they want this arrangement to continue or if the contract should be terminated.  The EMS is under no obligation because there is no contract.  Councilman Voigt said that this may be an opportunity for additional funds.  He questioned the number of volunteers and Mr. Lillo replied that there are 70 riding volunteers at the moment, but the numbers vary because there are a lot of student volunteers who may be away at school.  The age range of most of the volunteers runs between 17 and mid-30s.
Councilman Sedon commented that in the EMS Department expenses are offset by income, which is wonderful.
Councilwoman Walsh stated that several friends of her children participate in the EMS program and she is happy to see the maturity level and realize the importance of their contributions. 
Councilman Hache applauded the volunteers and the work they do.  He said he is always amazed at the caliber of the members and their enthusiasm and their energy.  He asked Mr. Lillo if he could identify any areas of vulnerability in the EMS Department.  Mr. Lillo stated that there had been issues with trucks and equipment for many years; however, this has changed due to the support of the Village Council.  The Village Council approved capital budget equipment items recently, which have provided new and safer equipment.
Mayor Knudsen said that training requirements have recently changed from attending several nightly training sessions to a more intense level of training for EMTs.  She asked if Mr. Lillo sees a better trained individual coming from the newer programs.  Mr. Lillo said that the members who had the less intense training are required to undergo another 48-hour CEU class within a three-year period so these individuals are getting the updated training and since everyone has received equal training, he really sees no difference. 
Mayor Knudsen commented that the Valley Hospital situation needs to be addressed as soon as possible.  She thanked everyone for their hard work during recent snowstorms and commended EMS volunteers for their work during Super Science Saturday.
Ms. Mailander noted one capital request from EMS for $118,000 for a special operations vehicle to replace an 18 year old pick-up truck.

 5.)EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT
Ms. Mailander introduced Jeremy Kleiman, Director of Emergency Management, who reviewed the accomplishments for 2017 including the completion, change over and upgrade of the lightning detection system.  The Village had been running on two different systems and now that this situation has been resolved, one of the service communications contracts has been eliminated.  There had been communication problems with the way one of the lightning detection system sent alerts; however, a new algorithm system with Swift Reach has been developed to seamlessly activate the list. 
Mr. Kleiman spoke about new regulations relative to nursing homes.  In order to receive Medicare and Medicaid reimbursement, nursing homes are required to have an annual disaster drill and these organizations are trying to have the Office of Emergency Management (OEM) take care of this requirement for them.  Bergen County OEM has indicated that these are private businesses and the Ridgewood OEM is not obligated to provide this service.  Guidance was given to these nursing homes by Ridgewood OEM including information on companies that would provide these services and OEM attended and observed the drills and provided comments.  He suggested incorporating a full scale disaster drill at one of these nursing homes, which would provide accreditation to Ridgewood EMS and help the nursing home as well.   
Mr. Kleiman stated that the project to fully equip the OEM shelter trailer was completed in 2017, which provided the ability to house 50 people.  He said that in 2017, OEM was required to certify the Emergency Operations Plan with the State and the Continuity of Operations Plan and Continuity of Government Plan was also completed.  He recalled that the Village Council approved funds for a consultant to initiate the plan, which was completed and distributed.
Mr. Kleiman stated that in 2018, he hopes to appropriately upgrade the emergency operations center.  There is the on-going challenge of sharing the police conference room that would be utilized and activated as an emergency operations center in an emergency situation.  The conference room is inadequate because it is too small and doesn’t have adequate equipment, but he has been working on a joint plan to turn this room into a multi-purpose room for use by both Police Department and OEM through the use of modular furniture that can be put together and taken apart.  Mr. Kleiman was asked why OEM wasn’t activated during last week’s storm.  He explained that in the morning of the storm, he asked the Deputy Emergency Management Coordinator to check on the status of the equipment in this room.  The Deputy reported to Mr. Kleiman that he found a myriad of problems with the equipment including nonfunctioning computers and headsets.   Mr. Kleiman stressed the importance of equipment that is in working order.  He pointed out that the OEM website is a “dark website” because it is hosted separately from the Village website and has not been operational for three years.  This is not a good situation and information has to be entered manually for those residents who want to be notified of emergency alerts.  He had requested funding to hire an external web developer, which was turned down due to budget constraints.  Mr. Kleiman said he would work within the Village to try to improve the website. 
Mr. Kleiman reported that two table top exercises are planned in conjunction with the Police Department to include an active shooter situation.  In the past, the schools have worked with the Police Department relative to this scenario, but it would be useful to involve the Fire Department, Emergency Services and OEM because all of the public safety departments would be called to assist together in the case of an active shooter. 
Councilman Voigt said that this presentation demonstrates a lack of preparedness in light of a major catastrophe, which is concerning.  Ms. Mailander stated that the furniture is in the budget and the malfunctioning computers can be replaced.  The website is being worked on and is expected to be running in the near future.  Mr. Kleiman said that Ridgewood has developed a good relationship with Bergen County and they can get the resources they need in an emergency by means of a phone call.  Ms. Mailander commented that the Ridgewood Police Department is fully prepared in the event of an active shooter situation in that they train for it during the year.  Mr. Kleiman is recommending bringing all of the emergency services together to coordinate sharing of information.  
Councilman Walsh stressed that they can never be too prepared and the Village needs to have all of their resources functioning properly.  She is concerned about the website and the room downstairs and she asked if there is an off-site area in the event of an emergency in Village Hall.  Mr. Kleiman said that they have used the emergency services building in the past.  This building has showers, a generator, a full kitchen and a separate radio room. 
Councilwoman Walsh referred to the Senior Housing Safety Drills and said that the nursing homes would more than likely need some resources if their plan has not been well rehearsed.  She asked if there was any additional assistance that could be offered to the nursing homes.  Mr. Kleiman said that any plan for nursing homes must include a self-evacuation plan and a plan to accommodate residents in another facility.  He noted that Ridgewood OEM has a detailed evacuation plan as part of the OEM plan for assistance if needed. 
Councilman Hache said he is impressed with the resourcefulness of the OEM.  He expressed concern regarding the lack of coordination between all of the emergency service departments regarding active shooter situations.  He urged all departments to coordinate their resources to meet the challenges that may arise in these types of situations.  Mr. Kleiman agreed and said that Dan Fishbein, Superintendent of Schools, has invited OEM in addition to Police and Fire Department members to visit the Special Needs students to understand what resources would be unique to them in an active shooter situation. 
Mayor Knudsen referred to the footprint study, which identified a deficit in space.  She has visited the County OEM Preparedness Station, which is very impressive and she recognizes the need for a similar facility in Ridgewood.  She said she would like to be proactive and pointed out that the space that will be vacated by the Water Department might provide an opportunity for an OEM facility.  Mayor Knudsen said they continue to work on providing more police in the schools and they may need to spend more time on the challenges relative to Special Needs students and their relationship with Police Officers.  
Mayor Knudsen asked how often the Local Emergency Planning Team meets and Mr. Kleiman said they meet annually.  Mayor Knudsen said she didn’t think there had been a meeting in some time and recommended that one be scheduled soon, so there is a level of preparedness to ensure everyone has the tools they need in the event of an emergency. 
At this time, Mayor Knudsen called for a five minute break.  The Village Council returned at 7:35 P.M. and the following Councilmembers were present:  Councilmembers Hache, Sedon, Walsh, Voigt, and Mayor Knudsen.  Also present were Heather Mailander, Village Manager/Village Clerk; Donna Jackson, Deputy Village Clerk; Stephen Sanzari, Treasurer; and Robert Rooney, Village Chief Financial Officer. 

 6.)LIBRARY
Nancy Greene, Library Director, and Dan Cummings, Treasurer of the Library Board of Trustees, were introduced by Ms. Mailander.  Nancy Greene stated that the Ridgewood Public Library won the Best Library Award in Bergen County for 2017 for the second consecutive year and she thanked the Village Council, the Trustees and the Library Foundation for their financial and moral support.  Ms. Greene announced that the Library will stay open until 11:00 P.M. during Ridgewood High school exam week.  At the moment, during final exam week, therapy dogs are provided to help students deal with stress and snacks are available.  A new program offered using the IPad Pro called Procreate is being used by urban sketching artists and the Library will begin to teach this program in April.  She encouraged everyone to try it and become inspired.  Ms. Greene reminded everyone that 250 magazines are digitally available on-line for residents. 
Ms. Greene stated that the Ridgewood Public Library is number one in in New Jersey in terms of education and cultural programs that are offered, and within BCCLS, the library is first in children and teen book circulation and first in the use of digital magazines.  They are in the top three of reference questions answered and staff.  The Library is number ten in the cost of staff; ninth in municipal allocation and eleventh in the cost of circulating items.  Ms. Greene thanked the entire Library Board for keeping costs under control.  She said that the Library does a lot of work with the Outreach Program.  They do book discussions at Share House and Ridgecrest as well as Storytime at Memorial Park at Van Neste Square and at Van Dyke Nursing Home so the seniors can spend time with children.  The librarians appear on the school TV stations at 7:00 A.M. in order to reach the kids in their home rooms and they try to be valuable to the multi-cultural section of the community.  There is an “English as a Second Language” program and they have served residents from varied populations. 
Mr. Cummings stated that 70% of the circulation is to Ridgewood residents and 60% of computer use is by Ridgewood residents.  Mr. Cummings referred to the budget and said that Gail Campbell, the President of the Library Board of Trustees, has transformed the Library while remaining fiscally responsible.  The Board endeavors to ensure that the value to the patrons is what they want it to be and the staff is passionate about what they do.  Mr. Cummings recalled that in 2016, the budget increase request was 0%.  He noted that the Library no longer makes money from DVD rentals, but it is charging an a la carte service for computer training classes, which is a net profit to the Library.  Mr. Cummings stated that the Pease Building has been successfully rented for the past several years.  The lease for one of the tenants expires this year, but Mr. Cummings is quite sure they will stay and the rent being paid presently for that space is $120,000 annually.  He pointed out that the Village supports 75% of the budget of the Library; however, the Village is finding more and more that the Library is a community space.  Mr. Cummings stated that the Library derives a small amount of funding from grants or non-recurring items, but the revenue projection is down about 1%. 
Mr. Cummings said that the union contract was renegotiated with about half of the Library personnel, for an additional three years, and will limit increases to 2%.  He noted that health care costs are declining because of the demographics of the population since older staff members are retiring and new people are being hired.  There is also a decrease in pension costs, again due somewhat to the staff demographics.  The Library is requesting less than $30,000 for technology.  There is a commitment to the future of the Library and a consultant has been retained to help with the existing big picture items including a matching $100,000,000 State-wide grant program for libraries and to assist architects working on Library renovations. 
Mr. Cummings noted the capital budget request of $275,000 is deceiving and he noted that renovations to the Library are estimated at $250,000.  There is $20,000 set aside for servers that need to be replaced.  Mr. Cummings reported on significant progress in attempting to build a $15 million Library with $3 million or $5 million and he hopes that plans for the renovation will be able to be presented to the Village Council in September. 
Councilman Voigt said he is always impressed with the Library and its creativity.  He agreed that the Library has become a Community Center catering to needs of the community and he indicated support for the requests made by Library representatives.
Councilman Sedon commended the Library for keeping up with changing technology.  He asked about the potential for streaming the DVRs.  Ms. Greene said that there is a downloadable streaming app that is connected with the Library called Hoopla, which allows a user to listen to audible books, watch TV shows and movies for free or at a nominal charge.  He thanked the Library for their support and partnership relative to the Village’s environmental groups, with which he is involved.  Ms. Greene said that they enjoy hosting the Access Weekend as well as other Village events.
Councilwoman Walsh asked if they could speculate on what Library programs or other services might become extinct.  Ms. Greene said that they will no longer stock music CDs or books on CD after the Library renovations.  She noted that the popularity of eBooks has leveled off and print books remain as popular as ever, but the card catalogs have been eliminated. 
Councilman Hache stated that going forward, students want to access reference material on a device.  Ms. Greene said that the staff is often asked about the mechanics of the new technology.  There is information on the Library website about reputable resources for medical and business information. 
Mayor Knudsen recalled that they have agreed on options to scale back some of the Library renovations.  She asked how this would impact the length of time the Library will be closed.  Ms. Greene said they aren’t at that point yet.  She said that the consultant on this project, Lesley Berger, has worked on as many as 400 libraries across the country and she is aware of the cutting edge trends and items that will become obsolete in the near future.  Mr. Cummings anticipates matching grants from the State, which could determine how fast or slow the project progresses.
Ms. Greene announced that Ridgewood Irish Dance would be performing on Saturday, March 17th at 10:30 A.M.  The program will include Storytime for the children, followed by the performance. 

 7.)VILLAGE MANAGER
Heather Mailander, Village Manager/Village Clerk, noted an increase in one major area of the Village Manager’s budget, which is grant writing.  She noted that the Village hired a grant writer who has been very successful in obtaining grants for the Village.  The grant writer is working on grants for the Ridgewood Arts Council and will be contacting Councilwoman Walsh to get an understanding of exactly what types of grants the Arts Council would find useful. 
Ms. Mailander reported that she and members of the Ridgewood Water Department attend semi-annual meetings with the United States Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA) and New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection (NJDEP) meetings.  This is very beneficial for her in understanding department constraints and timelines.  Additional staffing in the Fleet Department has kept costs down, since staff is able to make repairs to Village vehicles and improve inventory control.  Regarding leaf pick-up, there were 100 fewer summonses issued in 2017.  Several new employees have transitioned and a new business manager was hired in the Water Department.
Ms. Mailander spoke about her personal accomplishments as Village Manager, which include adopting and implementing new parking ordinances along with the use of new permits and new shapes for hang tags and the allocation of parking lots for shoppers and diners.  She ordered decorations and banners for the CBD and made sure they were displayed in a timely manner and had the engineer prepare weight loads in time for the holiday season.  The Public Valet Pilot Program was initiated and the Illuminated Sign Pilot Program will be up and running after final approval by the Planning Board.  In addition, the see through garbage cans were placed in the CBD.
Ms. Mailander reported that the PBA and SOA contracts were finalized.  The Village settled with the Supervisory, Blue Collar and White Collar unions through 2019.  Several permanent, part time blue collar employees have been hired and have made a significant difference in the areas of recycling, sanitation, leaf pick up, and snow removal.  New dental and vision plans for all employees were established with improved benefits, at no additional costs to the Village.
Ms. Mailander reported on the potential purchase of the Elks Club for use by Ridgewood Water, and the submission of the winning entry for the Innovation in Government award given by the NJ League of Municipalities, for outsourcing the crossing guard program.   She described her work on the design of a drop-off and pick-up layout at Ridge School with the addition of a crossing guard, and the assistance of the Police Department and Village Engineer, which has resulted in less back-up and traffic on West Ridgewood Avenue.  The Don’t Block the Box was implemented on West Ridgewood Avenue to help with traffic on the side streets.  Tree work will be done on Hillcrest Road this spring and Ms. Mailander is presently working on a solution for Ridgewood Commons’ buffer to benefit the residents in the area.  They continue to search for land for the diversion and there is a meeting next week with the Open Space Committee.  Ms. Mailander added that both the Village Manager’s Office and the Village Clerk’s Office handled hundreds of complaints and emails in 2017.  The Village Manager’s Office is working on the Police Contract for 2018, and she anticipates beginning work with the Fire Department in the fall when that contract ends. 
Councilman Sedon asked why there were salary increases in the Manager’s Office.  Ms. Mailander said this is due to the white collar contract and the salary estimate for a prospective part time Human Resources assistant in the office.  She doesn’t think it will be necessary to hire the Human Resources person at this time, so this expense will probably be eliminated from the final budget.
Councilwoman Walsh complimented Ms. Mailander on her hard work, quick response to issues and long hours she puts in, on behalf of the Village.  Councilwoman Walsh asked what Ms. Mailander feels could be the biggest unforeseen problem in the future.  Ms. Mailander said that the elimination of the need for building permits for roofs, siding and other minor repairs is causing a great deal of concern in the Building Department.  There will be a reduction in revenue and there is the question of where the Village can make up this loss in revenue.  Ms. Mailander added that many departments are in need of additional staff; however, it is not just the salaries involved in hiring, but also health and pension benefit costs that have to be considered.  They are trying to fill some management and supervisory positions and it is interesting to bring someone in from the outside who may offer some new ideas.  It is also a good idea to promote existing staff and give them the opportunity to grow.  The multi-family development will be challenging, particularly for the Building Department and additional part-time inspectors will be needed.  Ms. Mailander commented that this Village Council has worked well together and she is impressed with the number of new things they are willing to try, including public valet parking and new decorations and plantings in the CBD.  
Councilman Hache thanked Ms. Mailander for her dedication to her job and more specifically for her quick response at all hours of the day and night.  Ms. Mailander recognized the Department Directors for running the departments so well and the great job they do
Ms. Mailander confirmed for Mayor Knudsen that the RFP for the tree trimming on Crest Road, at the View will be out next week.  She said it may be an RFP, and details will be on the website, and she will be reviewing the responses that are received.  Ms. Mailander hopes the work will be done by April or May.
Mayor Knudsen described the pandemonium and confusion that many residents experienced as a result of the recent storm.  Ms. Mailander responded to individual emails even though Mayor Knudsen had asked her to compile a list of residents without power and she thanked her for all the time she took to respond individually.  Mayor Knudsen stated that Ms. Mailander is always professional and courteous and Ms. Mailander thanked the Village Council for their continuing support. 

 8.)VILLAGE COUNCIL
Stephen Sanzari, Village Treasurer, stated that salary and wages for the Village Council for 2018 will remain the same.  There was a decrease in the budget under professional services.  There is some funding for web design in the event that several projects go forward, along with funding for the RBA Group, which is the Village Traffic Consultants.  He noted the printing costs for the Village Calendar, which is offset through sponsorships. 

 9.)VILLAGE ATTORNEY
Mr. Sanzari stated that salary and wages for the Village Attorney remain the same.  Expenses are broken down into labor, litigation, general legal fees and labor attorney fees to cover on-going issues.
Councilman Voigt questioned what categories fall into labor and litigation.  Mr. Sanzari described these situations as labor negotiations for contracts or disputes involving an employee.

10.)PLANNING BOARD
Mr. Sanzari reported that salary and wages for the Planning Board have declined from 2017.  Other professional services are for legal fees related to any type of litigation and Mr. Sanzari stated that $40,000 has been put in reserve for potential litigation. 

 11.)VILLAGE CLERK
Donna Jackson, Deputy Village Clerk, was introduced by Ms. Mailander.  Ms. Jackson noted that there were two elections in 2016 along with major changes in parking permits in 2017.  There was a definite learning curve for staff and residents relative to new parking procedures, which was time consuming, but ultimately successful.  Ms. Jackson said that she became familiar with the liquor license process in 2017.  There were liquor license transfers and changes of corporate structures in existing liquor licenses.  Ms. Jackson stated that a part time employee was hired in the Village Clerk’s Office, as well as a new part time receptionist at the main information desk.  Ms. Jackson spoke about the computer program called ARTEMIS, which is used to approve the destruction of old records, and several departments in the Village received approval by the State for the destruction of records, which will take place shortly.  Ms. Jackson said that in 2017, there was a push in the Clerk’s office to increase the knowledge of the insurance programs for the Village.  It is important for the staff and residents to understand the process and for employees to know they are properly covered when injured.  The Village Manager has mandated a policy requiring anyone with a head injury to immediately proceed to the hospital and all departments have been educated in processing the necessary forms. 
Ms. Jackson referred to Open Public Records Act (OPRA) requests and said her office processed over 600 requests, which is an increase of 35% from the previous year.  These requests cover a range of subjects and staff must direct the request to the correct department and then wait for a response, which is then forwarded to the person making the request.  The Village is required to respond to the request within seven business days; however, the requests may require an exceptional or extraordinary fee as well as a time extension in order to respond accurately to the request.  Ms. Jackson said that this is the most challenging part of the work done in the Clerk’s Office because it can involve multiple departments.  She stated that they do their best to respond to the requests with limited staff.  
Ms. Jackson stated that the goal for 2018 would be for Spatial Data Logic (SDL) software to assist with the OPRA requests and to assist with Boards and Committees.  Ms. Mailander explained that the SDL software package reminds the various departments to respond so that the Clerk’s office doesn’t need to make reminder calls.  In the case of Boards and Committees, this program keeps track of Committee member’s terms, which will also be a time saver for staff in the Clerk’s Office.  Ms. Mailander said they are considering software for redactions that will also help streamline the OPRA requests process.  Ms. Mailander reported that the insurance forms have been revamped and exactly what the employee and the supervisor have to file in the event of an accident is much more precise. 
Councilman Voigt asked how many hours are spent on OPRA requests annually.  He added that it would be interesting to know the general and legal costs involved.  Ms. Mailander said she will try to get an estimate to the Village Council. 
Mayor Knudson asked about the redaction software.  Ms. Mailander reported that Mr. Hansen is looking into several options and this will be a huge time saver.  She thanked Ms. Jackson for her work in the Clerk’s Office and Ms. Mailander echoed this sentiment adding that she couldn’t manage the day to day operations without the assistance of Ms. Jackson and the team in the Clerk’s office.
 
 12.)ELECTIONS
Ms. Mailander stated that Municipal Elections take place every other year, in even-numbered years, and the associated costs are the responsibility of the municipality.  The costs involve printing, the voting machines, the cost of time expended by County staff time connected with the mailing of ballots and postage, the hiring of trouble shooters on election day, overtime for mechanics, legal advertising, school security and translation services.  She said that this is the reason for the increased budget for elections this year. 

 13.)RIDGEWOOD ARTS COUNCIL
Councilwoman Walsh stated that the Ridgewood Arts Council is a relatively new committee that had some financial backing at its inception.  The Artist Series is often held at The Stable, but this is costly and encompasses charges for the staff.  There is no money on hand this year and she is hoping that they are successful with their grant applications.  She pointed out that the Ridgewood Arts Foundation has donated some money, but the formation was to be a funding mechanism for the Ridgewood Arts Council as a 501(c)(3).  Ms. Mailander indicated that she would review these documents to get a better understanding of the purpose of the Ridgewood Arts Foundation. 
   b.wRAP-UP AND NEXT STEPS
Ms.Mailander reminded everyone that the final budget meeting is Wednesday, March 21st and not a week from today.  At that time, they will discuss current fund revenues, current fund surplus, trust fund, capital fund, and headcount.  She expects to present a number with the budget to be presented the following week on March 28th.  Ms. Mailander explained that there may be a need for a Closed Session Meeting, after the Budget Meeting on March 21st, in order to discuss personnel requests. 

4.COMMENTS FROM THE PUBLIC
Mayor Knudsen stated they would again have comments from the public and asked anyone wishing to address the Village Council to come forward.   No one came forward at this time.

5.ADJOURNMENT
There being no further business to come before the Village Council, on a motion by Councilman Sedon, seconded by Councilman Hache, and carried unanimously by voice vote, the meeting was adjourned at 9:06 P.M.
               
        _______________________________                           
                           Susan Knudsen     
                                Mayor

          ________________________________     
                      Heather A. Mailander      
              Village Manager/Village Clerk