Budget Work Session Meeting Minutes 20200224

A BUDGET WORK SESSION 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 FEBRUARY 24, 2020 AT 5:00 P.M.

 

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

Councilwoman Knudsen called the meeting to order at 5:00 P.M. and read the Statement of Compliance with the Open Public Meetings Act. At roll call the following were present: Councilmembers Sedon, Voigt, and Walsh. Also present were Heather Mailander, Village Manager/Village Clerk; and Donna Jackson, Deputy Village Clerk. Mayor Hache arrived at 5:44 P.M.

Councilwoman Knudsen led those in attendance in the Pledge of Allegiance to the flag as well as in a Moment of Silence to honor the brave men and women serving our nation and its first responders.a

A. COMMENTS FROM THE PUBLIC

There were no comments from the public.

B. DISCUSSION ITEMS

    a. Review of Departmental Budgets and Capital Budgets

        1. Tax Assessor

Tony Rinaldi, Village Tax Assessor, stated that the highlight from 2019 was the retirement of Tax Assessor Mike Barker, and Mr. Rinaldi taking his place. This year, the budget has declined, due to the fact that he and his assistant are both new, so the payroll budget has been reduced. As far as other expenses, printing and binding, office supplies, all of that is in line with what it was last year. They have some reserves set aside for tax appeals, there are about 15 that they have gone through this year. Until April 1^st, they won’t know the full amount of tax appeals.

Councilwoman Walsh asked if the 15 tax appeals that they Village has are left over from last year, or were they filed this year. Mr. Rinaldi stated that they were filed this year, although there are a few that were filed last year or are a continuation and those are more commercial. The residential tax appeals are being negotiated right now, which is more on the part of the attorneys themselves. Sometimes, within the tax appeal process the attorneys from the other side will try to hold out a bit longer. They try to negotiate pre-standing years, and then negotiate going forward so that they are more involved with credits instead of refunds. Councilwoman Walsh asked if Mr. Rinaldi keeping a running tally of the stipulations for budget purposes. Mr. Rinaldi stated that they keep a running tally of all stipulations until they are signed into a judgement. Although the Tax Assessor may agree to them, sometimes the homeowner will not, so they do not consider it finalized until a judgement has been received.

Councilwoman Knudsen stated that she was wondering the same thing as Councilwoman Walsh. Mr. Rinaldi stated that for the most part, the appeals are being resolved now, and there is nothing outstanding for a long period of time.

 

2. Municipal Court

Ms. Mailander stated that the Village has a Shared Services Agreement for municipal court with the Glen Rock and Wyckoff municipal courts, and the Glen Rock Municipal Court Administrator has worked for Ridgewood since August of last year. Kimberly McWilliams, Municipal Court Administrator, stated that the highlight of 2019 was Maria Doerr retiring as the Municipal Court Administrator, and entering the Shared Services agreement with herself and Deputy Municipal Court Administrator, Lisa Sulikowski, who is an employee of the Village of Ridgewood. The salaries are a bit lower because they are both new, and because of the Shared Services agreement. The Shared Services was an accomplishment, because most likely the State will be mandating Shared Services for all courts, so they will be ahead of that directive. Another accomplishment is the continued implementation of bail reform, which has also become known as criminal justice reform. It keeps evolving, and the downside is that the court revenue has decreased because of bail reform, which she believes Ms. Doerr made everyone aware of last year. Ms. McWilliams stated that their operating expenses have stayed the same and they should stay flat for this year.

Mr. Rooney added that he just received notification from Sergeant Jay Chuck that the metal detector which is used for Municipal Court needs to be replaced and it is about $7,000 for a new one. It is 17 years old, and it will have to be addressed. He added that in the Capital Budget Summary, there will be another $10,000 for all of the add-ons that go with it, in the final budget.

 

3. Fire Department

Fire Captain John Judge and Fire Chief Jim Van Goor presented the Fire Department’s budget. Chief Van Goor stated that one of the highlights for 2019 is that they have one of the ambulances parked at the Fire House, and the Firefighters respond to the second ambulance calls. If the first ambulance is out, they take the ambulance with two firemen and respond on the call. The EMS volunteers have had problems getting out on the second call, and this way the response is quicker, with 38 Fire Fighters who are EMTs.

Another highlight is that as one of a handful of Fire Departments in Bergen County that took a training class for active shooter, they were able to get a grant from the County for six vests and helmets for the Fire Department. This allowed the Fire Department to conduct an active shooter drill with Police and EMS at Benjamin Franklin Middle School.

Chief Van Goor stated that they continue to update their fleet, and last year got a new rescue truck that is now in service. This year, he put a committee together to apply for grants. They are also going to try to get new turnout gear, as they got a grant in 2012 for new turnout gear and would try this year to get another grant. They would continue to work on active shooter, and firefighter training. They want to get a plan for the new buildings in terms of how they would put out fires in them. He added that they ordered a new fire engine this year, which would be coming in the next couple of months.

Ms. Mailander noted for the record that Mayor Hache arrived at the meeting at 5:45 P.M.

Chief Van Goor stated that goals for 2020 were that he put a committee together for the grants, and would work on more training and updating the equipment. The capital budget includes updating the diesel recovery system which was installed in the early 1990s and is not effective for the new equipment and some of the pipes are broken; they need to replace 9 Scott packs this year; replace the kitchen cabinets, countertop and dishwasher which was installed in 1992; and they also want to purchase an ambulance as they have been using an ambulance from the volunteer ambulance department and it is affecting the way that they respond. Chief Van Goor stated that they are responding to ambulance calls from 6:00 A.M. to 7:00 P.M., Monday through Friday, so this way EMS would be able to continue to run their Department, and the Fire Department would have an ambulance to back them up. Ms. Mailander stated that this would also support the program of having the Fire Department respond with a second ambulance. There is also a bay available for the ambulance so it would not have to be housed outside. Chief Van Goor stated that with the arrival of the new fire engine, they are getting rid of two old fire engines.

Councilman Voigt asked how many ambulances there are currently in the Village. Chief Van Goor stated that there are currently three ambulances. Councilman Voigt asked about their locations. Chief Van Goor stated that there were two at EMS, and then one at the Fire House during the day. Councilman Voigt stated that they would then have four ambulances. Chief Van Goor stated that one of the ambulances is due to be replaced in two years, so they can look at whether they need to replace that one or if the program is working at that point in time. Councilman Voigt asked how often they are in need of an ambulance that is unavailable. Councilwoman Walsh asked what the life expectancy is on an ambulance. Chief Van Goor stated that it is about ten years, but he would find out exactly. Councilman Voigt asked how often the Fire Department needs to coordinate with EMS, adding that four ambulances for a town of 25,000 people seems like overkill. Chief Van Goor stated that they are used a lot because of events such as the Fourth of July, and the Memorial Day Run. Councilman Voigt stated that he didn’t know what the standard was for a town the size of Ridgewood, and how many ambulances the Village should have; he asked for some comparables. Chief Van Goor stated that he didn’t look into statistics but was basing it on how they were running and responding but he would look into it.

Ms. Mailander asked how many times the Fire Department responds with the second ambulance. Chief Van Goor stated that from last April until now it has been about 100 times, about eight to ten times a month. Ms. Mailander asked if there have been times that the Fire Department had to go and get the ambulance from the EMS building. Chief Van Goor stated that around ten or twelve times they had to go get it. Captain Judge stated that every time they have been dispatched since April 1^st of last year, they have made every call. They return the ambulance on Friday nights because they were told that the EMS Department has enough manpower for the weekends. There have been numerous occasions where an hour later, or the next morning they have to go pick up the ambulance to respond to a call. There have also been instances where they don’t have the ambulance and haven’t been told and people are waiting on the scene for 30 minutes. Councilman Voigt asked how the Valley Hospital paramedics would play into that. Captain Judge stated that it is more regional, so with a mutual aid call, the hospital will get involved. Councilwoman Knudsen asked about the time spent going to get a rig at the EMS building, that is actually time that could be the difference between life and death. Captain Judge agreed.

Councilwoman Knudsen stated that the Chief made a comment earlier about volunteers, but wanted to clarify that those were EMS volunteers who couldn’t make it to the call, not the Fire Department. She asked about the ambulance that needs to be replaced in two years, and if they were purchasing a new ambulance anyway, it takes about 8 months. Chief Van Goor stated that they would have to order the replacement soon after the new ambulance would be received.

 

4. Police Department

Chief Luthcke, Detective Captain Lyons, Captain Amoruso, and Sergeant Chuck presented on the Police Department budget. Chief Luthcke stated that last year, they were able to start the purchase of the heavy duty vehicle barricades and were able to use them for Downtown for the Holidays. They only have enough for one intersection at this point in time, which is why it is back into the capital budget requests for this year. They have also been continuing with the growth of the security and camera system, and stage three of that project will be happening this year. They were able to add one officer into their Traffic Unit. One of the biggest types of complaints they get is dealing with speeding or some other traffic issues. This has allowed them to give some targeted enforcement of some of those trouble spots, and better address those concerns.

Chief Luthcke stated that they have started the renovation of their conference room, which also duplicates as the Emergency Operations Center, in order to make it more conducive for both of their needs, and adding some of the backup radio systems into it. They need a bit more to finish the project, which is why it is back into the budget for this year. They are finally up and running with Carfax which gives residents and non-residents the ability to access their motor vehicle crash report from their home or office. This adds to the ability to also fill big bulk requests. In the Village ordinance and OPRA regulations, picking up those reports in any manner other than in person allows the Village to charge $5, which is then passed from Carfax directly to the Village. In backend tools when they are looking for specific vehicles and license plates, they can do some searches right on the Carfax site.

Chief Luthcke stated that they are in the final stages of dealing with the electronic ticketing platform, and they are in the final stages of coming to some agreements which will allow the company to start marketing it in the State of New Jersey. The Village Police Department will be the host agency for it, which will allow for some revenue for the Village, as the E-Ticket company grows with additional municipalities as clients.

Chief Luthcke stated that some of the major increases in their budget are in professional services, a couple of these categories is moving to the proper accounting of items. This is also just the increased cost of some of the pre and post exams. Contractually, there is an anticipated increase for the school crossing guard company. There are also dues, books, and publications. There are organization memberships, and accreditations. They have the fourth year of accreditation on-site, and then they go off-site to answer any questions that they may have and receive the award at a conference. She would like three officers to be going out there this year, to receive the accreditation award, so that they can see what the process is while they are out there.

Chief Luthcke stated that regarding personnel requests, the Manager, Chief Financial Officer, and she are still in discussions regarding how to best balance the workload between Patrol and Administrative positions. She is asking to hire an officer, as she does have one slated for retirement this year and she would like to have someone up and ready to go, once the multi-unit housing complexes are being rented out and are fully operational. Regarding vehicles, they have three different vehicles that they would like to be replacing this year. Car #13 is a 2014 Ford Explorer with 50,000 miles on it and engine hours the equivalent of 410,000 miles. Car #19 is a 2015 Ford Explorer with 35,000 miles on it but the engine hours are about 270,000 miles. Car #28 is a 2015 Ford Explorer with 30,000 miles on it but the engine hours are about 253,000 miles. Ms. Mailander added that right now in the capital budget, the Police Department has two of those three in the budget because of the other needs throughout the other Departments. Councilman Voigt asked about the number of vehicles, and Ms. Mailander stated that it was in the capital budget, where it said two new Tahoes.

Councilman Voigt asked about compensated time where it said $260,000. Chief Luthcke stated that some of that would be dealing with the individual that is retiring and some is dealing with paying people down to the contractual 40/80 hours. It isn’t something that has been done in a few years, but it is more beneficial for the town because the sooner you can pay that down, the lower the income is that individuals are earning, and the time is not carried over.

Councilman Voigt asked about other contractual services. Chief Luthcke stated that was the anticipated increase with the crossing guard services contract. Councilman Voigt stated that it was up 10%, and asked why it was so high. Sergeant Chuck stated that since their last contract, NJ State labor laws have changed, which isn’t in the contract now and has to be negotiated mid-year. They spoke with Mr. Rooney and this is the anticipated amount of increase, plus any other general increases. Councilman Voigt stated that he didn’t know there was a union for crossing guards. Mr. Rooney stated that there wasn’t but there are state laws, and changes in the last 6 months require that they be able to accrue for sick pay which wasn’t in the last contract. Councilwoman Knudsen asked about the efforts to outsource this. Mr. Rooney stated that the Village was still ahead of the game. Councilwoman Knudsen asked if they did any analysis to see if they are still ahead of the game, as this was a good decision to outsource the crossing guards, but she would like to have a better understanding of where they are at financially.

Ms. Mailander stated that outsourcing the crossing guards was never a money saver but a time saver for the Police Department so they weren’t doing crossing guard duty instead of doing patrol or enforcement around the schools. Mr. Rooney stated that even though it isn’t a money saver, the first year they showed a substantial decrease in Police overtime because they didn’t need to put Police Officers on duty for this. Councilwoman Knudsen stated that she wanted to make sure they were still ahead of the game. Mr. Rooney added that there have been very few times where they have had to provide Police Officers to back up a crossing guard who couldn’t make it to work. Sergeant Chuck stated that there was a management change at the beginning of the year, and there were gaps in coverage, but they met with management and there has been a significant improvement.

Councilman Sedon asked about some of the things that the Police Department had done to reduce overtime. Chief Luthcke stated that their overtime was at the highest before they hired six new officers several years ago. They had six people that retired at the end of one year and it took time to get people up and running. Since that point in time, they have been able to reel that in and a lot of that is the sick time and staffing holes that they used to have to cover. She added that when they know that they are going to have somebody out for a longer period of time, they actually try to cover those in advance, which also helps to decrease the overtime. Councilman Sedon asked if the scheduling software helped with that as well. Chief Luthcke stated that the scheduling software makes it significantly easier to see when those impacts are going to hit ahead of time, so that they can make those adjustments. It also helps with the administrative time. It used to be six different people doing different parts of scheduling and now it has been consolidated into one. Councilman Sedon asked if Chief Luthcke saw that continuing or foresaw any spikes in overtime going forward. Chief Luthcke stated that the other thing that they were fortunate with last year is that they didn’t have one major storm, which tends to be another big reason for overtime.

Councilwoman Walsh asked about the new multi-family housing developments, and stated that a few weeks ago she had proposed to her Council colleagues an occupancy ordinance. She wanted to know how Chief Luthcke would be able to estimate how many new Police Officers she would need for the proposed volume of individuals that are going to be living in the multi-family housing. Chief Luthcke stated that some of that is taking into consideration what their call volume is at some of the other high occupancy locations. Some of that is looking at some of the FBI statistics, and doing that same equation will tell them how many officers they will require. Councilwoman Walsh asked if the multi-family housing units were all going to be completed at the end of this year, and backing in the Police Academy and hiring, when would the new Police Officers have to be fully trained, so that they aren’t behind, and there is no lag.

Chief Luthcke stated that part of her answer is that they are already behind, because it takes nine months from hire, through the Police Academy and field training time, for an officer to be riding on their own. She doesn’t expect the multi-family housing units to be fully occupied in January of next year. As long as they start the hiring process in July, she would love to get people into the January Academy class, but that is not a feasible thing with the budgeting process, so she would be looking at a July class. One or two people in the next couple of classes will keep them where they need to be. Councilwoman Walsh asked about the classes. Chief Luthcke stated that they have one slated for the July 2020 class, and it takes a year for an officer to be up and running.

Councilwoman Walsh stated that at the end of the year, they have a possible retirement, and asked what would be the number of officers. Chief Luthcke stated that she would still be at 46, with hiring one and one retiring. Councilwoman Walsh asked for any data that could be shared regarding officers and population. Chief Luthcke stated that she would work the numbers and share them with the Village Council. Councilwoman Walsh stated that she would like to have the data, because all of their pieces roll into the same collection of information. Chief Luthcke stated that she would show where those numbers should be and where they are right now.

Councilwoman Walsh asked about pedestrian safety and what are the programs that they have for the residents for pedestrian safety. Chief Luthcke stated that it is something that is addressed in the various programs and presentations. She did two different programs this year, one for ESL at the Library, and one for the Ridgewood Japanese Association. She is trying to encourage both the driver and the pedestrian that adage of Stop, Look, and Wave, and to maintain that eye contact. It is very difficult to get that message out, and it is also a matter of it being absorbed by the residents.

Councilman Voigt stated that Sergeant Chuck is at the Citizens Safety Advisory Committee meetings every month, and there were safety issues that were being addressed there and he thinks it is helping people. Councilwoman Walsh stated that they don’t have to worry much about the kids because they are getting drilled, but it is the adults who are on their cell phone and just walk into the street, and most people slam on their brakes. She said it is unbelievable watching the people walking into the street, assuming the driver is going to stop. Councilman Voigt stated that the bike issue has the schools working on proper bike safety. Chief Luthcke stated that they go to the schools and work with the kids on proper bike safety, and they have an officer in the middle of downtown.

Councilwoman Knudsen stated that she thinks more and more the electronic devices, the distractions, the signage, and the sheer volume of vehicles and pedestrians, is a combination for trouble. She wondered if it was something that they should be focusing more on with a PSA video or even on the E-notice to remind people that they are responsible for their own safety. Ms. Mailander stated that she has noticed some new signage in surrounding towns that she is going to show the Chief, which is on existing signposts, lower to the ground to catch the eye of the driver. Councilman Voigt stated that the residents love the flashing speed sign on North Walnut. Chief Luthcke stated that it makes a driver more aware of the speed he/she is traveling.

Councilwoman Knudsen spoke about the one Police Officer anticipated to be hired for the July class at the Police Academy, and wondered if there was room for two. She added that the delay in hiring Police Officers in the past cost the taxpayers a large amount of money, due to overtime, and she wouldn’t want to have it happen again. She asked that it be more scrutinized. Chief Luthcke stated that she is always willing to look at adding another individual, but that it was not just a salary line, it included uniforms and radio, and other equipment costs. Councilwoman Knudsen stated that when they were not ahead of the game in hiring Police Officers, they were in a serious place with money, and she would hate to see them back there.

Ms. Mailander asked Chief Luthcke to go through her recommended capital budget. Chief Luthcke stated that there are vehicles; body armor replacement; battery backups dealing with radio sites; EOC project upgrade; traffic safety supplies; vehicle barricades; CISCO upgrade which is old records management that is only on one computer and there are records that they have kept for 75 to 99 years; portable radios; security access control; and replacing the air conditioner at the Police desk which is from 2006. Councilman Voigt asked about base station replacement. Ms. Mailander stated that was Northwest Bergen Central Dispatch, and was the Village’s contribution towards that replacement.

Councilwoman Walsh stated that a lot of residents are getting the Ring doorbell or a similar device, and she asked if there was a way to connect that information to the Police Department. Chief Luthcke stated that the Police Department is on Ring Neighborhood, and can see what people are posting and make requests for information. Councilwoman Walsh asked if there was anything that she would need to register for. Chief Luthcke stated that the Police Department doesn’t get access to it unless it is something that the resident is willing to post. Councilwoman Knudsen asked if the Police Department knew where the Ring doorbells were. Chief Luthcke stated that they do know where they are, because they had to go through the process of submitting an application to Ring. Ms. Mailander added that it shows that the Police Department is a member of the Ring neighborhood.

 

5. Office of Emergency Management

Jeremy Kleiman, Emergency Management Coordinator, stated that that his highlights for 2019 include getting the OEM website back up and running, which he is still in the process of updating. He has pooled resources with the Police Department in terms of renovating the EOC and have plans to finish it this year with modular furniture and necessary equipment. The Special Needs Registry was updated at the end of the year, and the form requires a lot more specific information for the first responders going to that location. There is a module for CAD that allows the Special Needs Registry to be inputted into the CAD and the officers will know exactly what the special needs are at that location. Mr. Kleiman stated that the File of Life Program put in effect a joint effort funded by OEM and all of the files were provided that were handed out. They are going to do another event at Ridgecrest to get information into the senior community.

Mr. Kleiman stated that for 2020, he has been working with the County OEM on the Rescue Task Force, which is an idea that he floated to the County. There are a few career Fire Departments in the County that are also trained and many other communities that are volunteer have their crew trained but it takes them awhile to get there. This would be a coalition of paid Fire Departments so that if any other municipality that has active shooter, those career Fire Departments would send their crews first. They are also looking to proactively set two meetings a year with the nursing homes in town and go through their preparedness and make sure they have generators, and are self-sufficient. Their annual disaster drill is the obligation of the nursing homes, and he would like to give them the tools they need to run their own disaster drills, through these two meetings a year.

Mr. Kleiman stated that they are always looking for another location for the Emergency Operations Center, as it should be a secure location that is away from the center of town, and it always on the goals list. His capital budget includes finishing the installation of transfer switches in the few remaining locations that are Bergen County controlled traffic lights, in case of a power failure; $9,000 for a dual radio, and $6,000 for the traffic control equipment, where they replenish the stockpile of barriers and cones that supplement the other Departments in town. The existing Tahoe that they have is a 2012 or 2013 that was gifted from the Police Department and has over 40,000 miles but many more engine hours on it, because it was a Patrol vehicle and it is starting to not work as well as it once did. When they received the vehicle from the Police Department, they didn’t have the funds to outfit it properly, so it still has the cabinetry from the Police, as opposed to being set up as a command post. He added that the existing Tahoe may fulfill a need in the Parks Department.

Mayor Hache asked about the request amount for the vehicle. Mr. Kleiman stated that the $70,000 is the standard price to outfit a Tahoe for the Police Department, but he can reduce the price to $55,000 by repurposing some of the equipment. Councilwoman Knudsen thanked Mr. Kleiman for the Special Needs Registry, as they talk a lot about it at Stigma Free and ACCESS and the lack of relevant information that was on the registry. She thinks this is a great step to provide information to first responders. Mr. Kleiman stated that if there is a 9-1-1 call at a specific address, the dispatcher will put any specific information into the CAD, but if there is a special needs case at that address that has never received a call, they wouldn’t know. He added that the list can get stale overtime, and 30 to 40% of the time they are told that the person is no longer with us, and they have no way of knowing that. They plan to update the list every year, by calling everyone to confirm their status.

 

6. Public Library

 

Nancy Greene, Director of the Library, and Dan Cummings, Treasurer, presented for the Library. Ms. Greene stated that she wanted to start by thanking the Village Council for their ongoing support which has enabled them to be the first Library in the State in terms of the educational and cultural programs that they put on, and the first in BCCLS for digital circulation of materials. She added that is really a reflection on residents who want that kind of material. They are also first in BCCLS on the number of reference questions answered for all departments, which she thinks is a reflection on their great staff. She added that Tony Mathes, Business Manager; and Lori Steinbacher, Assistant Director, were also in attendance.

Ms. Greene stated that in the ESL program this year, they had people from 32 different countries. They are doing more off-site programs this year, with trivia night once a month at Park West Tavern, which has gotten very popular. They are trying to reach a segment of the community that is otherwise not going to come to the Library. She added that they are doing an off-site book discussion group at The Office. The Repair Cafes where people can come in and get anything fixed are also popular. She added that they are trying to broaden their appeal and trying to get people to come to the Library that might not think of them as anything more than a source for books.

Ms. Greene stated that they lend about 1,200 items, but also have 1,200 items come back in a typical day that need to be shelved. In a typical day there are 322 questions, 141 visitors for an event or class, and 112 public computer sessions are logged. Ridgewood residents make up 70% of the people that sign up to use a computer at the Library, which is free for residents and $1 an hour for non-residents. They are doing a lot with computer classes and helping people get started.

Ms. Greene stated that they were very excited to work with the Mayor’s team on the census to work to get everyone in the community counted and registered to vote. A big improvement that they are going to be having this year is the Ridgewood News is being digitized and that started in 1890. In the past, if you wanted to look up an event in Ridgewood’s past you had to know when it was and then go through the microfilm, but now you would be able to do a keyword search. She thinks that will be available by June 1^st, and they are getting that done for free because Ridgewood is the only holding Library that has those years so they are having it done with Ancestry.com who is putting it up with Newspapers.com.

Another big goal is they are revising the Reimagine concept to renovate the Library to have more unanimous enthusiasm among community members. Board member Rocco Orlando is working directly with the architect, to ensure that whatever concepts they are considering are practical in terms of the existing structural elements. They anticipate a new design from the architect to come in tonight, and plan to do a public presentation at the March 4^th Village Council Work Session.

Ms. Greene stated that they are working very hard on all the aspects of the State grant application for renovation of the Library. The architect has to certify that all mechanical systems have a 20 year life, so there is a lot of work to be done for the grant application, and they are allowed to ask questions from the State. The portal for grant submission begins on March 9^th and ends on April 6^th. They are continuing the capital campaign. They received a $1 million challenge grant from the David F. Bolger Trust, and they are doing everything they can to meet that $1 million goal in private gifts. They hope that they are fully funded to break ground for the Reimagine project in 2021.

Mr. Cummings stated that there is a spreadsheet with their budget in the packet that was provided to the Village Council. The Library is primarily funded from an appropriation from the Village for which they are extremely grateful. Their request for 2020 for an overall appropriation is the same as it was in 2019, which is the same amount for the fifth consecutive year. From a revenue standpoint, nationally there is a move to do away with Library fines. Looking into the issue, not only are Libraries doing away with fines, but BCCLS will automatically renew an overdue book. It is not a trend that the Village Library can control, so looking at patron service fees last year it was $115,000, but they are budgeting for a 20% decrease, primarily from the elimination or potential reduction of fines. Mr. Cummings stated that videos are no longer a technology that is widely used, and at one time they had revenues approaching $80,000 from video rentals which they just don’t have anymore. They may have some small capital expenditures that are required regarding tenant leases. There was a $10,000 reduction in their budget, so they reduced the amount of books and media that were purchased throughout the year by $10,000.

Mr. Cummings stated that he has been asked many times how they can keep a budget at 0% and the service levels up. What has occurred is that the employees are paying an increasingly higher percentage of their health care costs. As the demographics of the population that works at the Library changes, they have been replacing full time with part time workers to reduce salary costs. The service levels and the curriculum that are being provided at the Library are considerably better than they were five years ago, but they are trying to play to strengths as best they can. Usage has been consistent throughout the Library, but it consistently grows. This year is a year of some uncertainty. This budget will have to undergo significant change, as they are in the process of building or rebuilding. They will have some capital expenditures that may be incremental safety improvements, if they don’t proceed with the Library renovation.

Councilman Voigt thanked Mr. Cummings for keeping the budget flat for so many years, adding that they deliver a bang for the buck at the Library and the residents appreciate it immensely. Councilwoman Walsh asked about the Pease Library lease expiration. Ms. Greene stated that Northwest Bergen Central Dispatch (NWBCD) is the tenant whose lease is expiring at the end of this year. They are going to have to sit down with NWBCD, as she has heard rumors about a County-wide system, but they have been there since at least 2000. The other tenant, Ridgewood Medical Media, still has a few years left on their lease. Mr. Cummings stated that last year, the Village Council very graciously funded the repair of the steps from Corsa Terrace to Library Place, which were a safety hazard. This has helped pedestrians in getting from the parking lot on Corsa Terrace down to Library Place.

Ms. Greene stated that with the capital budget, they are requesting a $2 million appropriation towards the Reimagine project. They will have a plan for the Village Council next week and are still going to fulfill all of their goals of having study rooms, a much larger teen center, and an additional technology center on the first floor. They plan to redo the interior of the Library, but they don’t have a drawing quite yet. The Village Council adopted a Resolution in January appropriating up to $2 million and as they get closer to submitting the grant, they will have new budget numbers, but every line of the budget has to be filled in, so that is their request. Ms. Greene added that they are asking for security camera upgrades at a cost of $4,437 which will allow them to purchase 17 new indoor and outdoor video cameras. The local area network needs new equipment, new consoles for access control, and the switches that secure the data from staff and public Wi-Fi are in need of replacement at a cost of $9,500. Ms. Greene stated that Charles Gallo on the Library staff, is the one who keeps track of what they need as far as technology from the research, to the cost of the installation.

Councilman Voigt asked about the grant application, and whether submitting earlier is better. Ms. Greene stated that the State says it makes absolutely no difference as they will not look at any applications until after the portal window closes. Councilwoman Knudsen stated that whenever she is in the Library she sees everybody she knows, because it is a quiet place to get work done. Ms. Greene agreed that it is a good place to focus and get work done. Councilman Voigt asked if the computers are used all the time. Ms. Greene stated that they have fairly heavy usage. Councilman Voigt added that the Community Center has 8 or 9 computers and he wasn’t sure if people even knew that existed. Ms. Greene stated that they have also opened up for residents that they can use the computer lab when classes are not being taught.

7. Building Department

 

Tom Yotka, Director of the Building Department, stated that 2019 was a busy year in the Building Department. In addition to over 1,800 permits, their responsibilities included permits and applications for real estate signs, dumpsters, storage containers, and A-frame signs. Staff was instrumental in adopting and writing ordinances that were adopted, including outdoor dining, and the winter door enclosure ordinance. They added another 917 permits for the aforementioned items which puts a workload on the staff, coupled with the 1,400 code enforcement inspections. Mr. Yotka added that they are also monitoring the enormous construction projects that are being undertaken in the Village. He added that there are three multi-family housing projects underway, in addition to The Enclave and the third floor of PNC beginning soon.

Mr. Yotka stated that his goal for 2020 is to hire a part time inspector so they can stay ahead of the curve. They are getting to a point now where it is almost mission critical, because as these multi-family housing projects get closer to completion, they are now frequenting them almost daily for rough inspections, especially at the Dayton and Chestnut Village. In order to maintain the level of service that they are accustomed to, they could use a part time inspector. Ms. Mailander added that they are also inspecting the construction at the Hudson Street Garage, as well as the Zabriskie-Schedler House.

Mr. Yotka stated that for his operating budget, the only significant increase is in the salaries and wages, and hiring the part time inspector would increase this line item. He has no capital requests, as the Department has received some more than serviceable equipment from the Police Department so their fleet is reliable and safe, and with proper maintenance, it will last a few years. His biggest challenge in 2020 is going to be trying to keep up with the pace of the work. The Dayton has four buildings, and for framing inspections on the building to the left, they are doing six apartments at a time, which takes about two hours. It is working, but would work more efficiently if they had an additional staff member. Ms. Mailander added that this part time inspector would be temporary for the duration of these projects and then they would evaluate if they needed to keep this person on for a longer period of time. Mr. Yotka stated that he understands that Chestnut Village is hoping to occupy sometime in the summer and the Dayton is going to try to occupy Building A by September/October. He added that while Ms. Mailander says temporary, they may have someone for two or three years, but there is a specified period of time for the part time inspector.

Councilman Voigt asked about the salaries, and the person getting a $30,000 increase. Mr. Yotka explained there was a request to bring someone on full time, but he is not certain that is going to happen. Councilman Voigt asked if those monies would be moved to the part time position. Mr. Yotka stated it would be available to fund that position. Ms. Mailander asked if Mr. Yotka had a number for the part time position. Mr. Yotka said that the hourly salary is correct, and the average would be about 15 hours a week, for 52 weeks.

Councilwoman Walsh asked what the percentage of property tax that the Village collects and what is the step up in terms of their completion percentages on the developments. Mr. Rooney stated that Ken Smith has paid development fees of about $600,000. They anticipate Chestnut Village. Councilwoman Walsh asked if they could prorate the real estate taxes. Mr. Rooney stated that the real estate taxes would be effective the date of occupancy.

Councilwoman Knudsen stated that she was surprised that the Building Department has continued to run efficiently at bare bones with the number of inspections and that the request for an additional inspector didn’t come up sooner. Presumably, it puts residential inspections on a back burner, and she asked if they are not seeing any delay in that area. Mr. Yotka stated that they aren’t seeing any delay in that, as the individual who does the field inspections is full for the rest of the week, so someone will have to fill that and he will have to come out of an administrative role and perform more of a technical role. He added that he made the request last year, but this year some of the other projects may lag behind. He would like to maintain performing the inspections in a timely manner. Councilwoman Knudsen stated that was a great achievement as the delays and complaints in the past were difficult. Mr. Yotka stated that it was a compliment to the staff, because they have seen what was happening and adjusted accordingly.

Ms. Mailander stated that considering the anticipated completion of these various multi-family housing units and the inspections that have to take place now, instead of waiting for the budget to be adopted, Mr. Yotka could proceed with hiring this part time inspector if the Village Council agrees to fund the position. Councilwoman Walsh agreed, as the inspections were only going to increase as they were trying to complete these developments. Mr. Yotka agreed, as the inspections become a day to day occurrence at the end of the project.

Mr. Rooney thanked Mr. Yotka for the time that his Department has put into this Parking Garage. They are in constant communications, and he is doing a great job. There was some discussion about the Parking Garage construction. Mr. Yotka stated that at this time with the Parking Garage, there are third party inspectors checking the grout and welding. They do need to make some inspections later this week, and then as the building is erected, they will be there more frequently.

Councilman Sedon asked what the revenues look like for the permits for 2019 and 2018, and is there any way to project what that could be for 2020. Mr. Yotka stated that revenues were off by about $90,000 in 2019, from 2018, but they have to take into account that last year was the first full year that they felt the impact of the DCA requirement that they don’t issue permits for minor maintenance. To be off by $90,000 was not good, but he doesn’t think it was as catastrophic as it could have been, as the larger scale project permits were quite substantial. For the rest of this year, they would anticipate the same type of revenue. Councilman Sedon stated that after the larger projects are completed, the revenues might fall off at that point. Mr. Yotka stated that there are some projects that are in discussion and if they take shape they might not be too far off in 2020 with revenue. It seems like during Mr. Yotka’s tenure in the Village, regardless of the economy, the Village has maintained a fairly steady workload.

Mr. Yotka hopes the Department of Community Affairs reconsiders not requiring permits for minor work, as there is some discussion about that and he thinks it is being revisited. Councilwoman Walsh stated that when you see in the news about fires or collapses, that is why you do inspections.

 

1. Wrap-up and Next Steps

 

Ms. Mailander stated that their next Budget Meeting is March 2, 2020 at 5:00 P.M. with Emergency Services, Parks and Recreation, Graydon Pool, Project Pride, Community Center, Water Utility, Solid Waste, Recycling, Landfill, Finance, Tax, Parking Utility, Capital Funds, Debt Service, Deferred Charges, Statutory Expenses, Shared Services, Revenues, Current Funds, Salary, Accumulated Leave, Staff Levels, Surplus, Current Trust Funds, and then they will wrap it up and set the tax rate so that they can be ready to introduce the Budget on March 11, 2020. The Public Hearing will be held at the April 15, 2020 Village Council Public Meeting.  

Councilwoman Walsh asked with the multi-family housing being completed in 2020 and the Village getting that tax revenue, would they anticipate that in the budget. Mr. Rooney stated that they get some benefit but don’t get 100% out of it. Mr. Rooney stated that he has to work with the Tax Assessor to get to that number, and it is very complicated. Councilwoman Walsh stated that the multi-family housing owners are advertising their income potential. Mr. Rooney stated that is a good point, but it is just a matter of pulling in the numbers that the State will allow the Village to use.

1. COMMENTS FROM THE PUBLIC

There were no comments from the public.

1. ADJOURNMENT

There being no further business to come before the Village Council, on a motion by Councilman Sedon, seconded by Councilwoman Walsh, and carried unanimously by voice vote, the Village Council’s Special Public Budget Meeting was adjourned at 6:51 P.M.

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                                                                                                     Ramon M. Hache, Sr.                             

Mayor                         

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              Heather A. Mailander

     Village Manager/Village Clerk