20180905 Village Council Special Public Meeting
A SPECIAL PUBLIC 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, RIDGEWOD, NEW JERSEY ON SEPTEMBER 5, 2018 AT 7:30 P.M.
- CALL TO ORDER – OPEN PUBLIC MEETINGS ACT – ROLL CALL
Mayor Hache called the meeting to order at 9:14 P.M. and read the Statement of Compliance with the Open Public Meetings Act. At roll call the following were present: Councilwoman Knudsen, Councilman Sedon, Councilman Voigt, Councilwoman Walsh, and Mayor Hache. Also present were Matthew Rogers, Village Attorney; Heather Mailander, Village Manager/Village Clerk; and Donna Jackson, Deputy Village Clerk.
- ORDINANCES
- INTRODUCTION - Ordinance #3670 – Bond Ordinance – Reconfiguration of Train Station Parking Lot ($330,000)
Mayor Hache moved the first reading of ordinance 3670. Councilwoman Walsh seconded the motion.
Roll Call Vote
AYES: Councilmembers Knudsen, Sedon, Voigt, Walsh, and Mayor Hache
NAYS: None
ABSENT: None
ABSTAIN: None
The Village Clerk read ordinance 3670 by title:
BOND ORDINANCE OF THE VILLAGE OF RIDGEWOOD, IN THE COUNTY OF BERGEN, NEW JERSEY, AMENDING SECTION 3(a) OF BOND ORDINANCE #3595 AND SECTION 3(a) OF BOND ORDINANCE #3394 IN ORDER TO REAPPROPRIATE FROM SUCH BOND ORDINANCES THE AGGREGATE AMOUNT OF $330,000 TO PROVIDE FOR THE REDESIGN-RECONFIGURATION OF THE TRAIN STATION PARKING LOT AND AMENDING SECTION 6(b) OF BOND ORDINANCE #3595 TO AMEND THE USEFUL LIFE.
Councilwoman Knudsen moved that ordinance 3670 be adopted on first reading and that September 26, 2018 be fixed as the date for the hearing thereon. Councilwoman Walsh seconded the motion.
Roll Call Vote
AYES: Councilmembers Knudsen, Sedon, Walsh, and Mayor Hache
NAYS: Councilman Voigt
ABSENT: None
ABSTAIN: None
- INTRODUCTION - Ordinance #3671 – Bond Ordinance – Additional Funding for Restoration of Zabriskie-Schedler House, Phase 2
Mayor Hache moved the first reading of ordinance 3671. Councilman Sedon seconded the motion.
Roll Call Vote
AYES: Councilmembers Knudsen, Sedon, Voigt, Walsh, and Mayor Hache
NAYS: None
ABSENT: None
ABSTAIN: None
The Village Clerk read ordinance 3671 by title:
BOND ORDINANCE PROVIDING A SUPPLEMENTAL APPROPRIATION OF $50,000 FOR PHASE II IMPROVEMENTS TO SCHEDLER BUILDING IN AND BY THE VILLAGE OF RIDGEWOOD, IN THE COUNTY OF BERGEN, NEW JERSEY, AND AUTHORIZING THE ISSUANCE OF $47,500 BONDS OR NOTES OF THE VILLAGE TO FINANCE PART OF THE COST THEREOF.
Councilwoman Knudsen moved that ordinance 3671 be adopted on first reading and that September 26, 2018 be fixed as the date for the hearing thereon. Councilman Sedon seconded the motion.
Roll Call Vote
AYES: Councilmembers Knudsen, Sedon, Walsh, and Mayor Hache
NAYS: Councilman Voigt
ABSENT: None
ABSTAIN: None
Before casting his vote, Councilman Voigt stated that until the Village Council knows what the Village plans to do with the building and how it is going to be paid for he was not in favor of this ordinance.
- PUBLIC HEARING - Ordinance #3662 – Amend Chapter 265 – Vehicles and Traffic – Parking Meter Times and Train Station and Regulate Multi-Space Parking Meter Use
Mayor Hache moved the Clerk read ordinance 3662 by title on second reading and that the public hearing thereon be opened. Councilwoman Walsh seconded the motion.
Roll Call Vote
AYES: Councilmembers Knudsen, Sedon, Voigt, Walsh, and Mayor Hache
NAYS: None
ABSENT: None
ABSTAIN: None
The Village Clerk read ordinance 3662 by title:
AN ORDINANCE TO AMEND CHAPTER 265 OF THE CODE OF THE VILLAGE OF RIDGEWOOD, VEHICLES AND TRAFFIC, AT SECTION 265-29, “PARKING METER ZONE DESIGNATED.”
Mayor Hache announced that the Public Hearing was open.
Boyd Loving, 342 South Irving Street, asked if this meant that if you were parking at the train station and do not have a hang tag and you are expected to arrive on a train that would arrive in Ridgewood post-6:00 P.M. you would now be required to pay for any time past 6:00 P.M. Ms. Mailander stated that was correct. Mr. Loving asked whether the parking lots on Route 17 followed the same time schedule. Ms. Mailander stated that both lots had the same time schedule. Mr. Loving stated that he was not a commuter, nor has he been one from the Ridgewood train station, but he felt that this placed an unnecessary burden on those commuters who were leaving at 6:00 A.M., instead of paying for twelve hours of parking, they now have to pay for two additional hours if they don’t have a hang-tag. He felt that it was really scraping the bottom of the barrel to make them pay for fourteen hours of parking instead of twelve hours of parking.
Mr. Loving stated that he suspected that the Village Council may be doing this because some people who are using the restaurants on Broad Street may be deciding to park at the train station, but he believes that there is an ordinance in place that indicates that in order to park at the train station you are required to have a commuter sticker. He asked if between 6:00 P.M. and 8:00 P.M. you needed to have a commuter sticker, or was that restriction ending at 6:00 P.M. Mr. Loving stated that there was no language in the ordinance that indicates what the story is with respect to the commuter stickers. His major objection is that this places a heavy burden on commuters that they are going to have to now pay for fourteen hours instead of twelve hours of parking without using a hangtag. Mr. Loving asked Mr. Rooney if there were and figures on how many people are parking in the lost that are either putting quarters in meters or using Parkmobile as opposed to using the hangtags. Ms. Mailander stated that her understanding is the majority are hangtags, but not everyone. Mr. Loving inquired about the requirement for the commuter sticker. Ms. Mailander stated that she didn’t know off-hand, but she would look it up.
Councilwoman Knudsen stated that the change to 8:00 P.M. is a requirement to make sure that you capture that revenue stream for those that go in to park, but she would think that after a certain time, anybody should be allowed to park in the train station lot after 6:00 P.M. if those spaces have been vacated. She stated that they had to look at the language and see how to make certain that the change would allow anyone coming into the vacated space to park there. Mr. Loving stated that he agreed that if the spaces are vacated then they should be able to capture that revenue stream, and if the language of the sticker says during normal operating hours then they can’t do that. Ms. Mailander stated that the ordinance could be amended to allow for the parking after 6:00 P.M. if that was something that the Village Council wanted to do. Mr. Loving reiterated that he felt that it was a burden on the commuters. Ms. Mailander stated that it was to be consistent with all of the other lots.
Saurabh Dani, 390 Bedford Road, stated that he noticed on the Village website that hours are changing on parking and that on Cottage Street there will be eleven hour meters. So, if a commuter parks at Cottage Street and is going to work at 6:00 A.M. and feeds the meter for eleven hours, they won’t be back before 8:00 P.M. Ms. Mailander stated that it was 9:00 A.M. to 8:00 P.M. Mayor Hache stated that the train station meters have always started earlier. Mr. Dani stated that if someone is feeding the meter at 7:00 A.M. then it is for eleven hours. Mayor Hache stated that problem exists with Cottage and some employees that arrive at work before 10:00 A.M. and that was something that had to be addressed with Parkmobile because when they were feeding the meter for the maximum time, it started when they got there. For example, starting at 9:00 A.M. and expired before the last hour. Councilman Sedon stated that the same situation existed at the train station if someone had to leave earlier than 6:00 A.M., they would have to feed the meter for that additional time. He stated that with Parkmobile, if you parked at 8:00 A.M. and start working and then pay for Parkmobile from 9:00 A.M., so you can pay for the meter from anywhere, then it starts. Mayor Hache stated that Parkmobile was a better option because it recognized when the meters were active as opposed to paying before that time.
Mayor Hache moved that the public hearing was closed. Councilwoman Walsh seconded the motion.
Roll Call Vote
AYES: Councilmembers Knudsen, Sedon, Voigt, Walsh, and Mayor Hache
NAYS: None
ABSENT: None
ABSTAIN: None
Councilman Sedon moved that ordinance 3662 be adopted on second reading and final publication as required by law. Councilwoman Walsh seconded the motion.
Roll Call Vote
AYES: Councilmembers Knudsen, Sedon, Voigt, Walsh, and Mayor Hache
NAYS: None
ABSENT: None
ABSTAIN: None
Councilman Voigt stated while voting that he felt that they should look at the hangtags because it seems like the people who buy the hangtags are getting two free hours everyday now. Ms. Mailander stated that they would have to discuss what they were going to have to discuss how much they would charge next year. Councilman Voigt stated that it was an additional $375 that they were losing with the hangtags now through the end of the year so it was something that they should look into sooner rather than later.
- RESOLUTION
THE FOLLOWING RESOLUTIONS, NUMBERED 18-263 THROUGH 18-267, WERE ADOPTED BY A CONSENT AGENDA WITH ONE VOTE BY THE VILLAGE COUNCIL, AND WERE READ BY TITLE ONLY:
- ADJOURNMENT
There being no further business to come before the Village Council, on a motion by Mayor Hache, seconded by Councilman Sedon, and carried unanimously by voice vote, the Village Council’s Special Public Meeting was adjourned at 9:33 P.M.
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Ramon M. Hache, Sr.
Mayor
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Donna M. Jackson
Deputy Village Clerk
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