20210324 - Village Council Special Public Meeting Minutes

A SPECIAL PUBLIC MEETING OF THE VILLAGE COUNCIL OF THE VILLAGE OF RIDGEWOOD HELD VIA ZOOM, DUE TO THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC, ON MARCH 24, 2021 AT 7:30 P.M.

 

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

 

Mayor Knudsen called the meeting to order at 8:17 P.M. and read the Statement of Compliance with the Open Public Meetings Act.  At roll call the following were present: Councilmembers Perron, Reynolds, Sedon, Walsh, and Mayor Knudsen.  Also present were Heather Mailander, Village Manager/Village Clerk; Donna Jackson, Deputy Village Clerk; and Matthew Rogers, Village Attorney. 

 

2. ORDINANCE – PUBLIC HEARING

 

1. ORDINANCE #3853 – Amend Chapter 212 – Parks and Recreation Areas – Rules and Regulations for Tennis and Pickleball

 

Mayor Knudsen moved the reading of ordinance 3853 by title on second reading and that the Public Hearing thereon be opened.  Deputy Mayor Sedon seconded the motion.

 

Roll Call Vote

 

AYES:             Councilmembers Perron, Reynolds, Sedon, Walsh, and Mayor Knudsen

NAYS:            None

ABSENT:       None

ABSTAIN:      None

 

The Village Clerk read ordinance 3853 by title:

 

AN ORDINANCE TO AMEND CHAPTER 212, PARKS AND RECREATION AREAS, OF THE CODE OF THE VILLAGE OF RIDGEWOOD, AT ARTICLE VII, RULES AND REGULATIONS, SECTION 212-27, TENNIS COURTS

 

Mayor Knudsen stated that the Public Hearing was opened.  There were no comments from the public and Mayor Knudsen moved that the Public Hearing be closed.  Deputy Mayor Sedon seconded the motion.

 

Roll Call Vote

 

AYES:             Councilmembers Perron, Reynolds, Sedon, Walsh, and Mayor Knudsen

NAYS:            None

ABSENT:       None

ABSTAIN:      None

 

Councilwoman Reynolds moved that ordinance 3853 be adopted on second reading and final publication as required by law.  Deputy Mayor Sedon seconded the motion.

 

Roll Call Vote

 

AYES:             Councilmembers Reynolds, Sedon, Walsh, and Mayor Knudsen

NAYS:            Councilwoman Perron

ABSENT:       None

ABSTAIN:      None

 

Before voting, Councilwoman Perron stated that she really appreciated all the time that people have put into this issue.  Everyone has tried to compromise and she thinks the initial compromises of no longer issuing badges to non-residents is very important, as well as requiring muted balls which was proved in the sound study.  They are also going to re-hang the sound barrier curtains and she thinks those are good initial compromises but she thinks there are too many accommodations being made in terms of cutting back the days and hours.  She suggested seeing if those initial things work. To cut out whole days of a public recreational facility is a very bad precedent and also we are spending a lot of money on a monitor to ask about badges.  Not allowing play on two days a week is contrary to the mission of Parks and Recreation, and she is also concerned that this mostly affects people over 50 who are playing pickleball.

 

Councilwoman Reynolds stated that she was voting yes, but she added that she was there twice to hear the sound, once in October and a couple weeks ago.  The sound was different, and was definitely lower.  She thinks the play was much more robust in October than it was the other day, and she wants to see how this works when the courts are packed and they are playing hard.  She added that she didn’t want to put the burden on one particular neighbor.  If it is a burden, maybe they have to put courts elsewhere to have a seven day a week program, but she thinks this is a good start.

 

Mayor Knudsen stated that she, Councilwoman Walsh, Ms. Mailander, and our Parks Director, met several times with spokespeople for the pickleball community and this was a compromise that was crafted to ensure that pickleball play could resume while offering some relief to the neighbors.  She puts the blame for this squarely on the shoulders of the Village Council.  They put a pickleball court on the property line, and all of the research indicates that was an inappropriate placement and is disruptive to the neighbors.  They asked Parks to come up with additional plans elsewhere in the Village, but this is a starting point and is a tremendous compromise.

 

3. RESOLUTION

 

THE FOLLOWING RESOLUTION, NUMBERED 21-71, WAS ADOPTED BY A CONSENT AGENDA, WITH ONE VOTE BY THE VILLAGE COUNCIL:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

4. ADJOURNMENT

 

There being no further business to come before the Village Council, on a motion by Deputy Mayor Sedon, seconded by Councilwoman Perron, and carried unanimously by voice vote, the Village Council’s Special Public Meeting was adjourned at 8:26 P.M.

 

 

 

______________________________

                                                                                                     Susan Knudsen

                                                                 Mayor                   

 

______________________________

          Donna M. Jackson

        Deputy Village Clerk