20230223 - Village Council Special Public Budget Meeting Minutes

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 FEBRUARY 23, 2023 AT 5:00 P.M.

 

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

 

Mayor Vagianos called the meeting to order at 5:14 P.M. and read the Statement of Compliance with the Open Public Meetings Act. At roll call, the following were present: Councilmembers Perron, Reynolds, Weitz, Winograd, and Mayor Vagianos. Also present were Heather Mailander, Village Manager/Village Clerk; Robert Rooney, Chief Financial Officer; and Olivia Andreula of the Finance Department.

 

Mayor Vagianos led those in attendance in the Pledge of Allegiance to the flag.

 

2.         COMMENTS FROM THE PUBLIC

 

NONE

 

3.         DISCUSSION ITEMS

 

            1.         REVIEW OF DEPARTMENTAL BUDGETS AND CAPITAL BUDGETS

 

A.        MUNICIPAL COURT

 

Robert Rooney, CFO, explained that the Court Administrator, Kim McWilliams, was unable to attend the meeting this evening, since she recently underwent surgery. He stated that Other Expenses increased by approximately 5%, and salaries have increased by approximately 14% (due to the hiring of a part-time employee toward the end of 2022). He pointed out the expense for the Shared Services Agreement with Glen Rock, under which Ridgewood pays for half of Ms. McWilliams’ annual salary. Ms. Mailander clarified that the parties to the Shared Services Agreement are Ridgewood, Glen Rock, and Wyckoff. Mr. Rooney said that this agreement has been in place for approximately three years and has proven to be very cost effective. Mr. Rooney added that most of the Other Expenses are submitted to the Administrative Office of the Courts (AOC) for their approval. Some of the expenses have already been “blessed” by the Attorney General’s Office. He said that he would answer any questions to the best of his ability in Ms. McWilliams’ absence.

 

Councilmember Weitz asked about the 12/31/22 actual figure of $211,000.00 for full-time wages, which includes a “credit carried over” of $53,000.00. Mr. Rooney explained that the $211,000.00 probably reflects the full- and part-time salaries that were paid in 2022. He said that salary and wage budget credits are seen in every department, which represents an allocation of costs that may go to other departments. He said that if a percentage of the court’s time is determined to be 10% related to parking, a credit of 10% of the monies collected would be allocated to the Parking Utility budget. Councilmember Weitz said that there was a significant increase of 17-1/2% for salaries and wages for 2023. The actual spend for 2022 was $161,000.00 and the 2023 budget request this year is for $186,000.00. Mr. Rooney said that since Ms. McWilliams has been out of the office for several months, some bills may not have been processed yet and the “actual” is probably lower than it should be right now. When those bills are finally processed, they will get charged against this year and there will be no impact on anything else.

 

Councilmember Weitz said that the sum of approximately $186,000.00 was appropriated last year and the sum of $220,000.00 was being requested for 2023. He said that was a significant increase and wondered if it was all attributed to salaries. Mr. Rooney said that the salaries went up 15%, due to the addition of a part-time employee at the end of 2022, and the Judge’s salary. The line item for employee salaries went up 2%. Mr. Rooney asked Councilmember Weitz whether the version of the budget he was looking at had a total of $212,000.00 or $219,000.00, and Councilmember Weitz replied that his paperwork shows a total budget for 2023 of $219,000.00. Mr. Rooney explained that a revision was sent to the Village Councilmembers the other day, so the correct number should be $212,000.00.

 

Deputy Mayor Perron asked what the term “Regular Sessions” meant. She said that salaries seem to be a separate line item. Mr. Rooney said that the explanation indicates that this was due to an increase in labor contracts (46 sessions, estimated at $140.00 per session). He said that he could not properly answer this question and would have to find out the answer. Police Sergeant Jay Chuck said that he assumes that this line item refers to actual court sessions, which number approximately 40 per year, plus special sessions required for trials involving DWIs and domestic violence. When asked by Mr. Rooney to whom these monies are paid, Sergeant Chuck replied that these monies are paid to white-collar employees for overtime, in addition to their regular salaries.

 

Regarding the $35,000.00 that is being proposed for this year, Deputy Mayor Perron asked whether $30,000.00 represents the prosecutor’s salary. Mr. Rooney indicated that he would have to find out the answer to that question. Ms. Mailander remarked that the prosecutor’s salary is approximately $25,000.00, and he is paid extra for special sessions. The prosecutor attends about three or four court sessions a month, since the Village no longer has an assistant prosecutor.

 

Councilmember Winograd asked whether the $48,000.00 increase in Other Expenses was due to the Covid pandemic, since she noted significant increases in telephone expenses. Mr. Rooney replied that the telephone expenses are large because only 56 cents was charged in 2022 and some telephone bills have not yet been processed. Regarding conferences and meetings, Mr. Rooney stated that Ms. McWilliams indicated that there is training, which needs to be adhered to by Court Administrators, and none of this training was done in 2022. Therefore, monies for same are being requested this year. The $1,400.00 sum for “Maintenance of Other Equipment” deals with the maintenance of the metal detector used to screen people during court sessions at Village Hall.

 

2.         POLICE DEPARTMENT

 

Ms. Mailander stated that Police Chief Jacqueline Luthcke, Captains Forest Lyons and William Amoruso, and Sergeant Jay Chuck were present at the meeting to present the 2023 budget for the Police Department. Chief Luthcke stated that of their “high budget items” this year pertains to the hiring of more staff, which will become necessary due to the many employees who will be retiring this year or who have already retired. She stated that at least five more police officers should be hired in 2023; because with five planning to retire this year, and with only two being trained at the academy, the police force will be depleted, and Chief Luthcke indicated that she has been trying to play “catch up” for quite some time regarding staffing levels.

 

Councilmember Weitz asked if this would be “backfilling” or adding more staff to the department in contemplation of people leaving. Chief Luthcke replied that it was a little of both. She said that, in law enforcement, it takes a full year before an officer is counted in staffing levels. Therefore, people need to be hired before those contemplating retirement are fully retired. She stated that eight people retired a few years ago and they have not been replaced, which resulted in astronomical overtime wages. There will be overlap when an employee is hired to replace another employee who would not be retiring until the end of the year.

 

Councilmember Winograd asked Chief Luthcke how many personnel are currently employed in the Police Department. Chief Luthcke stated that there are currently 45 police officers, three of whom are retiring and two of whom are still training at the academy. By year end, if no other officers are hired, there will only be 44 police officers. She reiterated that the two people in the academy will not count in staffing levels until January 2024, leaving only 42 officers at the end of 2023, even though the salaries will represent pay for 44 officers. Chief Luthcke stated that this represents a significant loss of personnel for the Police Department.

 

When questioned by Councilmember Reynolds, Chief Luthcke stated that she would like to hire five more police officers in 2023, which will get the Police Department up to par temporarily, since there will be more people retiring in 2024. She stated that the minimum staffing numbers should be 48 and, ideally, should be 52 in order to get the bigger-ticket items and agendas met. Chief Luthcke explained that after a candidate graduates from the academy, they must go through a one-on-one field training program, which gets difficult as the numbers of new Police Officer being hired increase, because it creates wear and tear on the officers training these new recruits (12-hour shifts at a time).

 

Councilmember Weitz said that $7.6 million was spent last year, and this year there is a request for $9.9 million, a sizeable jump. He noted that there was a huge increase in the “Office and Clerical” line item. Chief Luthcke replied that she hopes to hire another person, a civilian, to help with office and clerical work. With the advent of technology, Chief Luthcke stated that they have “lost” one detective so far, since his job deals strictly with computer-related duties, such as fulfilling Open Public Records Act (OPRA) requests and discovery requests, as well as burning videos for legal counsel from police car and body cameras.

 

Councilmember Weitz stated that there appears to be a 20% increase in salaries. Chief Luthcke stated that this increase pertains to contractual obligations with officers. Councilmember Weitz asked how much the contractual raises amounted to, percentagewise. Mr. Rooney stated that the contractual raises are 3%, based upon base pay and step raises. Councilmember Weitz asked how much of the $2.3 million was attributable to contractual obligations. Chief Luthcke replied that some of this amount pertains to “retro checks” or retroactive pay employees received after contract negotiations were settled. Mr. Rooney said that the “Effective and New Hires” pertains to two new employees hired in January 2023 ($80,000.00) and the five new positions effective July 1, 2023 ($100,000.00), for a total of $180,000.00 for the seven positions. The remaining monies reflect salary wage increases based upon longevity, base and step raises.

 

Councilmember Reynolds asked Chief Luthcke if she had also requested to hire an administrative person in 2022, and Chief Luthcke said that she had, but that this request was cut out of the budget.

 

Regarding the American Recovery Act, Councilmember Winograd asked if those monies were reflected in the Police Department budget this year, since $1.3 million was received last year. Mr. Rooney stated that, in the state budget, whatever was appropriated was allocated to fire and police ($2.6 million). It is reflected on the revenue side of the budget.

 

Councilmember Weitz noted that in 2022, the sum of $6.5 million was allocated for salaries and wages, and the request for same this year is $7.3 million, with approximately $1.2 million attributable to raises. This was corroborated by Chief Luthcke. Councilmember Weitz noted that the “Office and Clerical” line item includes the additional hire ($31,000.00), and he asked if approximately $1.5 million of the $2.3 million represents salaries. Mayor Vagianos said that it is $1.6 million plus.

 

Councilmember Reynolds asked what the intended salary would be for the civilian clerical employee. Chief Luthcke stated that the $31,000.00 indicated for “Office and Clerical” did not look right to her, because she has more civilian employees than that. Mr. Rooney stated that $50,000.00 was put into the budget for the hiring of a discovery clerk, and he added monies for civilian hires (three people in total, two at $40,000.00 and one at $50,000.00).

 

Chief Luthcke added that they are looking towards achieving accreditation this year for the Police Department, which would entail adding a civilian clerical position. This employee would take care of the huge amount of paperwork that the Police Department has, due to changing legislation and the amount of mandatory reporting which must be accomplished. Hiring such a person would avoid assigning police officers to perform these tasks, so that they may spend their time patrolling the Village. Captain Lyons explained that an arrest entails approximately four to five hours of paperwork. He added that there is currently one detective on the force, who is working full time just doing redactions on body camera videos.

 

Mayor Vagianos added that, from a budgetary standpoint, it is less expensive to have civilians perform these administrative tasks. He stated that the Police Department is the largest department in the Village and, while all Councilmembers would like to fulfill all requests, he stated that these requests amount to 22% of the entire budget. He said that the Village Council is trying to arrive at a budget that will not result in a huge tax increase for residents. He said that fulfilling all of the requests from the Police Department would have a negative impact upon all of the other smaller Village departments and would result in a big tax increase. He asked Chief Luthcke if she could try to reduce her budget significantly.

 

Chief Luthcke said that there were many items contained in her budget, including fees for the shooting range and fees for connection to the County network system, which must be paid and which have increased. Printing and binding costs have increased by almost $5,000.00. The phone system was changed, including the police phone number, creating the need for new business cards. Using the old cards with the wrong number would be unprofessional, but Chief Luthcke stated that she has no problem handing out business cards with the old number crossed off and the new number handwritten on the card. Not hiring additional personnel would reduce the budget, since new uniforms and radios would not have to be purchased for them and their psychological and medical exams would not have to be performed. Medical exams for new hires cost $1,200.00 each. She said that as the force is reduced through attrition, then overtime costs rise and their revenue-making capability decreases.

 

Chief Luthcke continued by saying that due to the road jobs they had to supervise last year, and due to the increase in car fees, administrative fees and filing fees, $621,000.00 in revenue was generated for the Village. This revenue cannot be realized if there are not enough employees to perform these tasks. Mayor Vagianos agreed, but reiterated that the budget requests were unsustainable. He again asked Chief Luthcke what she thought could be cut from her departmental budget.

 

Chief Luthcke stated that the Other Expenses were equivalent to 10% of the salary line item. She remarked that during the year when they were short by eight employees, $850,000.00 was incurred in overtime, despite actively managing the personnel in an attempt to cut down on as much overtime as possible. Mayor Vagianos stated that it would be better for Chief Luthcke to tell the Village Council where cuts could be made, rather than the Village Council telling her what cuts should be made, since she is more aware of the needs of her department. Chief Luthcke said that the only way the salary line item can be reduced would be to reduce the number of hires, which would affect other line items such as Other Professional Services and Materials and Supplies. She added that outsourcing the school crossing guards results in significant savings. Chief Luthcke said that they have encountered difficulty hiring Parking Enforcement Officers.

 

When Councilmember Weitz asked if the salary line item would decrease next year due to the retirements this year, including Chief Luthcke’s retirement. Chief Luthcke replied in the affirmative, but she stated that this would depend upon the actual dates on which people retired.

 

Councilmember Winograd asked whether the Village is reimbursed by the Board of Education for the School Resource Officer, and Ms. Mailander replied that the Village and the Board of Education each pay $100,000.00. Councilmember Winograd said that she does not want paper business cards, so Dylan Hansen, Director of IT, gave her a QR code, which enables information to be added to contacts when the QR code is scanned with a smart phone. She wondered if the Police Department could utilize this type of system, rather than having new business cards produced. This system would also reduce waste. Pictures and logos can be added to the QR code as well. She added that she will miss Chief Luthcke next year after Chief Luthcke’s retirement, and Mayor Vagianos echoed her sentiments.

 

Chief Luthcke said that cell phones for police officers are in the Capital Budget and Operating Budget, along with stipends for the officers ($10,800.00) and Verizon service ($20,000.00) included in the Operating Budget, with the purchase of cell phones for $25,000.00 contained in the Capital Budget. Since so much of their technology is dependent upon these phones, it would be much easier for police officers to tag their body cam videos in their cars. Personal cell phones cannot be used due to OPMA (Open Public Meetings Act) and OPRA (Open Public Records Act) issues. She said that she would be amenable to using QR codes in lieu of business cards.

 

Deputy Mayor Perron asked about the cell phone stipends (36 times $25.00 a month), for a total of $10,800.00. She stated that this sum comes to $900.00 when she does the math. Chief Luthcke explained that the $900.00 then must be multiplied by 12 months.

 

Mayor Vagianos reiterated that it would be better for Chief Luthcke to once again review her budget, to see what could be cut, rather than this being done by the Village Councilmembers. Chief Luthcke said that the request for vehicle-defeating barricades in the Capital Budget for $25,000.00 is necessary, so that they can be used during special events held in the Village, such as the pedestrian plaza. Similarly, body armor replacements are also required, and weapons need to be updated. Portable radios are their lifeline and must be maintained and upgraded as new technology is developed. The purchase of vehicles has already been reduced.

 

Regarding building improvements, Chief Luthcke stated that nothing has been done in this area since they moved into their offices at Village Hall. Their processing room needs to be subdivided and the whole area could use a coat of paint. Their arsenal is very small. The purchase of a new variable message board could be cut out, although the one they currently use is very old and usage requests are sometimes denied because the board is not working. Chief Luthcke replied that the requests in her budget are items that are minimally necessary, in order to run the department.

 

Mayor Vagianos said that he understood what Chief Luthcke was saying, and added that the “tools of the trade” are incredibly expensive for the Police Department. Ms. Mailander reminded everyone that the Capital budget is still $3.5 million above where it needs to be and, therefore, many departments will have to make sacrifices.

 

Councilmember Winograd asked if the necessary funds are contained in the budget for enforcement related to the parking zone changes. Chief Luthcke replied that they are still trying to get the PEOs on some sort of handheld license plate reader device, but this item is not included in this year’s budget.

 

3.         EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT (OEM)

 

Ms. Mailander stated that Jeremy Kleimann, Office of Emergency Management (OEM) Coordinator, would present his department’s budget. Mr. Kleimann stated that this has been a quiet year, with no major disasters, such as flooding or hurricanes, as has been the case in the past few years. His budget is designed around planning for, responding to, and mitigating natural disasters. Previous budgets have revolved around responses to manmade disasters, such as mass shootings, active shooter situations, terrorist events, and train derailments. Mr. Kleimann commented how taxing it was for his department during the Covid pandemic. Last year, they focused on the faulty lightning detection system, on which a maintenance contract was entered into to cover repairs. This cost is shared with the Board of Education, although the OEM Department is responsible for the performance of maintenance and repairs. This year, they have been able to complete some disaster exercises with the nursing homes and Valley Hospital, revolving around some recommended scenarios from the Department of Homeland Security. They also updated their special needs registry by adding 25 residents.

 

Councilmember Winograd asked Mr. Kleimann if his office would be educating the public about the lightning alert system, especially those families with members who play sports, through the new communication system. Mr. Kleimann said that he thought this was a great idea, but stated that the messaging regarding the lightning alert system usually comes from the Parks and Recreation Department. He explained the components of the lightning detection system: one component that controls the system itself, such as detecting lightning in the local area, and the other component, which is the messaging piece. He stated that this latter component is very labor intensive, since new residents must be added to the database manually. Mr. Kleimann stated that he would like to streamline that system and stated that he will send out announcements for the lightning detection system through the new communications system. Councilmember Winograd offered to assist in this regard, if assistance were needed.

 

Regarding the Capital Budget, Mr. Kleimann indicated that the only capital request this year is for a supplemental appropriation for the camera trailer, which was authorized in 2022. Last year, they priced out a stand-alone unit. However, after speaking to the Prosecutor’s Office and Bergen County OEM, he realized that it would make sense for the Village OEM to be on the same system as Bergen County. In this way, when additional camera trailers are borrowed from Bergen County, they can be integrated into the same platform. All cameras can be viewed and controlled remotely through a cell phone or tablet.

 

Mayor Vagianos asked about the storage container. Mr. Kleimann explained that they currently rent a storage unit at a place in Glen Rock. He described this as a difficult commercial relationship, and they pay a monthly storage fee of approximately $600.00 per month. He said that he would like to get away from being dependent upon storing equipment there, citing a couple of situations where the storage unit owner stated that he did not appreciate the process for government-issued payments. If a payment is late, Mr. Kleimann said that the owner is quick to padlock the storage facility, which creates problems if he or his staff need to access equipment late at night during an emergency. He would like to purchase a shipping container with heating and air-conditioning, which could be owned and controlled by the Village.

 

Mayor Vagianos remarked that it costs the Village about $7,000.00 a year to rent the storage unit, yet a shipping container could be bought for $16,000.00, with the investment paying for itself after a little over two years. Mr. Kleimann stated that the rental fees amount to $6,800.00 per year. When asked by Deputy Mayor Perron where the shipping container would be placed, Mr. Kleimann replied that they are thinking of storing it at the Signal/Water Pollution Control location, in the area that is not in the flood zone.

 

Ms. Mailander reminded everyone that Will Kievit of Emergency Medical Services (EMS) had requested some mezzanine storage hardware to be installed at the Douglas Place facility in his budget, and if the storage container is purchased by the OEM, then they could possibly share it with EMS. However, Mr. Kievit made the refurbishment of the bedroom areas a priority, rather than the storage equipment. Mr. Kleimann indicated that he did not think there would be adequate room at Douglas Place to house the shipping container. He stated that he has spoken to Mr. Kievit about this and stated that the mezzanine-type storage hardware would be ideal for Mr. Kleimann’s needs and it would be advantageous to have all special operations supplies and equipment stored in one location.

 

Councilmember Winograd asked how much the storage equipment would cost, and it was determined that Mr. Kievit requested the sum of $50,000.00 in his budget for this item.

 

                        4.         LIBRARY

 

Rebecca Rubenstein stated that this year is the third year that she has served as a Library Board Trustee and her first year serving as Board Treasurer. Lorri Steinbacher stated that she is the new Director of the Ridgewood Public Library, ever since last month, but she has worked for the library for over ten years. Alexander Wasenda stated that he has been the Business Manager for the Ridgewood Library for the past two years.

 

Ms. Rubenstein indicated that New Jersey municipal libraries are legally entitled to funding based upon what is called a “one third mill rate.” This is calculated as 30 cents on each $1,000.00 of equalized value of all assessable property in the Village. She stated that equalized value is the estimated market value of one’s home as compared to the assessed value, which is the value of one’s home, reflected on the tax rolls of a municipality. Ms. Rubenstein said that, in past years, the Village generously gave the library more than the one-third of a mill rate. However, since equalized valuation numbers have skyrocketed, the New Jersey one-third mill rate has gone up substantially (by 12%). Therefore, they are not requesting any monies above the one-third mill rate this year.

 

Ms. Rubenstein stated that for operating revenues, aside from the Village appropriation, the library has budgeted a modest contribution from Pease Library rental income. There are currently two tenants at the Pease Library building: Northwest Bergen Central Dispatch (9-1-1) and Bohler Engineering. She stated that the library has significant capital expenditures this year, due to this new tenant lease, which will materially reduce their net rental income. Other than this, the library is limited in the ways it can generate revenue. Ms. Rubenstein stated that most libraries are not charging fines anymore. Ridgewood Library is assessing fines for late returns, but these revenues have decreased, due to automatic renewals. They are exploring the possibility of adding passport services, like the programs at the Waldwick and Mahwah Libraries, which would serve the public and generate some revenue for the Operating Budget.

 

Regarding operating expenses, Ms. Rubenstein indicated that the library has to budget a large terminal leave payment in 2023, in association with the retirement of a long-time Ridgewood Library Director last year. She stated that they are currently in union negotiations. Ms. Steinbacher clarified that the union contract has not yet been ratified, but they expect an increase in salaries and wages by a certain percentage. Ms. Rubenstein continued by saying that healthcare costs have also increased by $89,000.00, which accounts for a large part of the increased appropriation request. Executive turnover has allowed them to restructure and restore some part-time hours as the library returns to pre-Covid activity. She stated that full-time hiring is on hold, pending the stabilization of healthcare insurance costs.

 

Regarding capital funding, Ms. Rubenstein stated that they plan on performing some material upgrades at the library this year, using private donations, without closing the building. They plan to replace the aging 24-year-old roof and first floor HVAC, repaint the exterior façade, and refresh the landscaping by using previously allocated capital funds. They would like to hook up the new generator this year, since the generator was recently installed on library property, to service Ridgewood Water, and it can also service the library. This electrical hookup will cost $140,000.00, but this request has been reduced to $125,000.00, given the current budgetary restraints, with the balance of $15,000.00 to be funded out of their Operating Budget. The generator hookup will provide a valuable service to the community, by providing full use of the building in the event of a power outage, as well as allow the library to serve as a hub in emergencies.

 

Ms. Rubenstein said that she was asked what they would do if their budget were increased by 5% or 10%. She said that library staffing is largely part-time, due to rising costs associated with hiring a full-time employee, although the library would benefit from a full-time adult librarian and an additional full-time staff member in the Circulation Department. The book budget could be returned to historical norms. She said that e-books have added an additional burden to the materials budget. In 2022, the Ridgewood Library Foundation funded almost $50,000.00 in e-books that would otherwise have had to be carried in the Operating Budget.

 

Ms. Rubenstein said that they were also asked what they would do if they had to decrease their budget by 5% or 10%. She said that the only two areas that could be cut would be materials and salaries. This would result in fewer books, in all formats, in an already diminished materials budget. She stated that the library’s lean budget, due to climbing healthcare costs and inflationary operating costs, has recently affected the materials budget. However, the library used grants, reserves, and gifts from the Friends of the Library and Ridgewood Library Foundation to supplement these expenses.

 

Regarding salaries, Ms. Rubenstein stated that the library is a three-floor building that requires a minimum number of staff, in order to safely stay open to the public. The library is currently open seven days a week, including four days with operating hours to 9:00 P.M. A 5% decrease could mean the difference between being open on Sundays all year versus reducing Sunday hours. A 10% decrease would result in reducing or eliminating Sunday hours, as well as reducing the number of evenings the library is open until 9:00 P.M.

 

Councilmember Winograd asked if there was any federal grant money that the library could apply for in order to hook up the generator to the library, since the library would serve as a community hub in the event of a power outage. Mr. Rooney said that he would have to do some research on the availability of any appropriate grants.

 

Mayor Vagianos asked how many visitors the library gets on a monthly basis. Ms. Steinbacher stated that there are approximately 1,300 items borrowed per day from the library, with 490 to 500 people visiting the library daily. About 150 reference questions are answered daily, and about 1,400 people visit their website daily. On any given day, about 100 visitors will visit the library and stay for two hours to do work or study. On average, about 85 people per day attend library programs, such as story time. They have 75 public computer hours logged per day, and there are approximately 10 hours per day of volunteer service. Mayor Vagianos confessed that he already knew the large number of people who use the library, and he just wanted everyone to hear these impressive numbers. He agreed that the Ridgewood Library acts as a central hub for the entire community.

 

                        5.         VILLAGE MANAGER

 

Ms. Mailander stated that the biggest increase in the budget for the Village Manager is the full-time salary for a new Village Manager. Mayor Vagianos mentioned that Ms. Mailander was a “bargain” because she was fulfilling two positions. He stated that he was not even sure a qualified Village Manager could be found to replace Ms. Mailander for the salary amount stated in the budget.

 

Regarding Conferences and Meetings, Ms. Mailander stated that there is a request for $5,000 to enable various Department Directors to attend his/her association’s national conference. The Department Directors would be given a portion of the attendance fee and would pay the difference out of their departmental budgets or personally. Out-of-state conferences or training seminars are limited, unless the training is only given at a particular location and is mandatory training. For example, sometimes an employee of the Police Department is required to travel to a conference out of state to receive a certain type of training. Ms. Mailander stated that national and international conferences used to be attended by Village staff, since they provide a greater learning experience and offer speakers that are more renowned and networking features. Ms. Mailander stated that this request could probably be cut out of the budget.

 

When questioned, Ms. Mailander stated that the line item of Community Relations has a request for funds for a picnic and holiday party. She said that the picnic could probably be cut out of the budget, but she would like to see the holiday party remain. She said that it would be nice to have a holiday party so that people could be brought back together after the Covid pandemic. Mayor Vagianos felt that the cost for the holiday party was minimal and would provide much benefit to employees and the community. Ms. Mailander stated that there is no Capital Budget for the Village Manager.  There were no further questions.

 

                        6.         VILLAGE COUNCIL

 

Mayor Vagianos jokingly stated that there were no significant salary increases in the Village Council budget. Ms. Mailander stated that there have been no salary increases for Village Councilmembers since the early 2000s. There is a request to hire a grant writer in the amount of approximately $36,000.00. There is no Capital Budget for the Village Council. Councilmember Winograd said that she is looking forward to the time when the Village Council can become paperless, which would save approximately $19,000.00. Mayor Vagianos asked if there were any current training classes that the Village Councilmembers could take to prepare them to view all paperwork electronically. Mr. Rooney stated that the Ridgewood Library holds sessions for people to learn various computer programs, and he said he was confident that arrangements could be made to enable Councilmembers to attend any of these classes. He said that he, Dylan Hansen of the IT Department, or Olivia Andreula in the Finance Department could assist the Councilmembers with any questions they may have. He said that going paperless would make his job a lot easier and would save money.

 

Councilmember Weitz asked if going paperless would entail sending the Councilmembers a PDF of the entire budget packet, and Mr. Rooney replied that he would submit the paperwork to them in any format they wanted. Councilmember Weitz added that, at work, he receives documents with hyperlinks, which he can click on to go directly to a particular section in a document. He felt that a PDF would be unworkable and difficult to maneuver. Councilmember Reynolds said that she has never used a Village computer, but enjoys using her Apple laptop. There was a further discussion about security, hyperlinks, and inhouse computer training. Mayor Vagianos stated that going paperless will save a lot of money on administrative time and photocopying and would benefit the environment at the same time. Ms. Mailander said that she would research the training programs that are offered.

 

Councilmember Winograd added that going paperless would also improves accuracy, since information would be presented in real time. She added that she would like to work on a type of orientation packet for incoming Village Councilmembers, to aid them in becoming acclimated to the procedures followed during meetings. She stated that would have been of tremendous help to her this year. Mr. Rooney added that it would probably be beneficial to have an initial training session for any new employees hired in the Village.

 

                        7.         VILLAGE ATTORNEY

 

Ms. Mailander indicated that this budget includes salaries for the Village Attorney, Labor Attorney, and Prosecutor. She indicated that a placeholder was put in the budget for union negotiations, just in case the Labor Attorney is needed for any finalization of contract negotiations.

 

Councilmember Weitz asked what RME stood for, and Mr. Rooney stated that RME referred to the litigation settlement regarding the equipment at the Water Pollution Control Facility. The amount shown on the RME line item represents the monies to be paid to Bond Counsel for their services during that litigation.

 

                        8.         VILLAGE CLERK

 

Ms. Mailander said that there was not much change in the budget for the Village Clerk’s Office for 2023. She stated that OPRA requests have significantly increased over the prior year and have become increasingly more difficult to fulfill, particularly requests for emails between certain parties during certain timeframes. She said that there was one request asking for any and all contracts from the 1970s to the present time. In such a case, documents are searched for using certain keywords, and this can entail many hours of work. Ms. Mailander said that there are three people in the Village Clerk’s Office, along with two receptionists, and everyone assists with OPRA requests. She said that OPRA requests have become overwhelming, where sometimes fulfilling these requests is all that the staff does for an entire week.

 

When asked by Mayor Vagianos how much people are charged for an OPRA request, Ms. Mailander replied that, by statute, the cost is minimal, something like 10 cents or 25 cents per page. She stated that documents are rarely copied and people most often request that documents be delivered electronically, in which case nothing can be charged for fulfilling the request. Councilmember Weitz remarked that this, unfortunately, does not discourage people from “asking for the world.”

 

Ms. Mailander commented that there is a special service charge imposed if it takes longer than two hours to fulfill an OPRA request or if it involves over 200 pages. The charge is based upon how many documents need to be copied, as well as the hourly rate of the lowest-paid person in the Village Clerk’s Office who will be assembling the documents and redacting personal information from the documents. People making such requests are advised of the charge beforehand, and a 60% deposit is required before they start fulfilling the request. This is required because, in the past, a deposit was not required and people failed to pick up the paperwork once they were advised of how much it would cost.

 

Councilmember Winograd asked if OPRA requests have decreased, as they relate to the housing market. Ms. Mailander replied that the OPRA requests regarding information on homes have decreased. She said that when the housing market surged, there were many requests from people inquiring about health concerns, environmental concerns, septic tanks, and Building Department permits relating to certain real estate. These OPRA requests are not too difficult to fulfill, since they pertain to a specific lot and block, but it does take time to receive responses from various Village departments in order to fulfill an OPRA request. Sometimes such OPRA requests are time sensitive, since people need the information quickly, if they are in the process of purchasing a home. Even those these types of OPRA requests have decreased, there are still numerous OPRA requests per week, which the Village Clerk’s Office must fulfill.

 

Mr. Rooney stated that the problem lies in the fact that the Village Clerk’s Office cannot choose which OPRA requests to fulfill, since they must fulfill all requests. Mayor Vagianos asked if there was any legislative initiative regarding OPRA requests. He said that he has heard from many municipalities how fulfilling OPRA requests has become such a tremendous burden. When there is no charge involved, people will ask for everything. Ms. Mailander indicated that she recently received a model resolution dealing with OPRA requests, which can be put on a Work Session agenda for discussion. Mayor Vagianos indicated that this was not an issue of transparency, because people are entitled to public information, but he stated that something must be done because of the far-ranging nature of the OPRA requests.

 

Ms. Mailander said that it was never intended for OPRA requests to be used for commercial purposes. However, she receives many such requests, such as requests for the number of swimming pool permits issued by the Village, so that people in the pool industry can solicit their services and products to pool owners. A similar scenario occurs with requests for information regarding dog licenses, so that people in this industry (grooming, walking, pet sitting) can send these dog owners their marketing and promotional literature. She said that commercial requests need to be researched, as well as possibly extending the timeframe within which OPRA requests must be fulfilled. The turnaround time is currently seven days.

 

Ms. Mailander stated that, just within the past week, her office has received between eight and ten OPRA requests. Sometimes they receive between eight and ten requests per day, but the volume is unpredictable. Ms. Mailander stated that some information cannot be released, such as matters involving attorney-client privilege. She stated that she has no problem furnishing information to the public, but it has become an ongoing challenge to fulfill the numerous OPRA requests received. Sometimes a request is made which requires staff to visit a storage facility to locate certain documents.

 

Councilmember Winograd asked if Councilmembers are notified if they are the subject of an OPRA request, and Ms. Mailander replied in the affirmative, stating that this does not nullify an OPRA request. However, Councilmembers can receive a duplicate set of the paperwork given to the person making the OPRA request.

 

Councilmember Weitz commented that, although there are many small OPRA requests, the time spent by Village staff to fulfill these requests can cumulatively add up to many hours. He noted that there was a 34% increase in the Village Clerk’s budget for this line item in 2023, when compared to the actual spend last year.

 

                        9.         ELECTIONS

 

Mayor Vagianos remarked that the only “big number” he sees pertains to Other Contractual Services. Ms. Mailander explained that Bergen County bills the Village each year for the Primary Election. She said that she never knows what this amount will be, which has ranged from $23,000.00 to $30,000.00+. The amount is based upon the number of absentee mail-in ballots that they received, and upon the County’s costs and expenses. It is apportioned based upon the number of voters. She felt that part of the increased costs was reflective of the rise in postage costs.

 

Councilmember Winograd said that the League of Municipalities was discussing matching and aligning the voting records between the Village and County. She mentioned that many voters received incorrect ballots during the last election, particularly parents whose children have left home and are living independently. Ms. Mailander said that those people need to contact the County to correct the wrong information. Councilmember Winograd wondered if a tutorial could be developed to help people in this regard, before the next election, to reduce confusion, and Ms. Mailander indicated that this could be done.

 

Councilmember Winograd asked if all polling locations needed to be open on Election Day, since voter turnout has declined over the years. Ms. Mailander explained that the number of polling locations is based upon the number of voters in each location, and she was not sure how these locations could be equitably consolidated.

 

Councilmember Winograd asked, since early voting has become popular, whether any discussions have been held regarding the reduction of polling locations. Ms. Mailander explained that there are approximately one million residents of Bergen County, a population which is bigger than the population of some entire states. New ways of voting, such as early voting options, must be phased in over a period of between five to eight years. Bergen County officials decide when this new way of voting will be available in a specific municipality, and the Village has no say in this regard.

 

Ms. Mailander indicated that she is attending a Bergen County Election session tomorrow and will find out more information at that time. She stated that, eventually, all 70 towns in Bergen County will have the new voting machines, which accommodate early voting. Ms. Mailander felt that this will result in a decrease in polling locations and the need for poll workers. Councilmember Winograd asked Ms. Mailander if she had any idea where Ridgewood’s standing would be in regard to the new machines, and Ms. Mailander replied that smaller towns will probably be grouped together, to avoid larger towns being grouped together. She mentioned that Ridgewood is one of the biggest towns in Bergen County, but the decision ultimately rests with the County.

 

The Village Councilmembers took a small ten-minute break. After reconvening, at roll call the following were present: Councilmembers Perron, Reynolds, Weitz, Winograd, and Mayor Vagianos. Also present were Heather Mailander, Village Manager/Village Clerk; Robert Rooney, Chief Financial Officer; and Olivia Andreula of the Finance Department.

 

                        10.       REVIEW OF MISCELLANEOUS CAPITAL BUDGET REQUESTS

 

While waiting for Ridgewood Water representatives to come to the meeting, Mr. Rooney reviewed budget items, which need to be considered in order to satisfactorily reduce the budget by $3.4 million to arrive at an acceptable tax rate. He stated that there was still a $30,810.00 request from the Tax Assessor’s Office for a new vehicle. Mr. Rooney felt that this vehicle could probably be shared, since the vehicle will not be used 100% of the time by the Tax Assessor’s Office. Mayor Vagianos felt that this item should be removed, and the Councilmembers agreed.

 

Mr. Rooney stated that there is a request by Emergency Medical Services (EMS) for replacement of AEDs and portable radios, which pieces of equipment Mr. Rooney felt were critical to ensure public safety. There was also an EMS request for LUCAS devices, which Ms. Mailander indicated has already been approved. Regarding the request for bedrooms renovations by EMS, Mr. Rooney felt that this item should remain in the budget. The EMS request for stair chairs has already been reduced by $4,000.00. The request for building storage equipment for $50,000.00 was removed, as was the request for radio console upgrades.

 

Mr. Rooney pointed out the Engineering Department request for concrete sidewalk and drainage repairs of $50,000.00. There is also a request for $1 million for construction of sidewalks on West Glen Avenue. Deputy Mayor Perron said that she would like to delay this project, and Mayor Vagianos and the rest of the Councilmembers agreed. Mr. Rooney said that there was a request for a pedestrian beacon light and radar repairs for $10,000.00. Deputy Mayor Perron asked if the light pertained to a specific location, and Mr. Rooney replied that it pertained to installation of three pairs of flashing lights but the locations were not specified. Councilmember Reynolds stated that she believed one of the locations was at a crosswalk on Glen Avenue, which she felt was absolutely necessary. There was a consensus that this item would remain in the budget.

 

Mr. Rooney said that there was a request from the Engineering Department for $500,000.00 for improvements at Schedler Park. Councilmember Reynolds asked if these monies pertained to the smaller field or larger field. Councilmember Winograd commented that there are unspent funds (carryover) from the Capital Bond in the amount of $1.9 million. Councilmember Reynolds asked if there is any estimate, regarding how much more money is needed to complete the Schedler project with a small field and how much would be needed if a larger field were constructed. Councilmember Winograd stated that this would probably not be enough money to complete the project, based upon older financial projections, but it would be if Bergen County grant monies became available to develop the land.

 

Mr. Rooney suggested that the sum of $500,000.00 be removed from this year’s budget and requested in next year’s budget. If it is determined later this year that further monies are required, an allocation could be made at the end of 2023. Mr. Rooney stated that they do not have sufficient information to make a reasonable determination of how much more money will be needed to complete the Schedler property.

 

Mayor Vagianos is concerned that the Village will not have enough money to complete the project in the event development of the property moves forward in 2023. He does not want progress to be stalled if the Village “falls short” of the necessary funds to complete the project. Councilmember Reynolds asked if the $2.3 million spent on the house was part of the $1.9 million, and Mr. Rooney said that other funds have been set aside for the house and there was no allocation in the $1.9 million for the house.

 

Councilmember Reynolds wondered how accurate Mr. Rutishauser was when he estimated that $500,000.00 would be needed to finish Schedler Park, and Mr. Rooney said that he did not know. Mayor Vagianos pointed out that this work will be going out for bid, and it is unknown how much the bids will be. He mentioned that some bids have come back higher than anticipated, due to inflation and supply chain issues. He felt that it would be shortsighted of the Village Council to remove the $500,000.00 request for this ongoing project. Councilmember Winograd indicated that the old pricing was calculated before the house and land were designated as historic and before the Covid pandemic. Therefore, she assumed that current pricing would be much higher than previously estimated.

 

Councilmember Weitz stated that it would be unconscionable of the Village Council to leave the property and house in their current condition for a long stretch of time. He felt that money should be left in the budget for the Schedler development, since too many years have already gone by. He said the longer the Village Council waits to finish the project, the more the cost of materials and supplies will increase. Mayor Vagianos added that money needs to be available in the event the larger proposed field is approved. Councilmember Winograd pointed out that the $1.9 million has remained static, while the Village has been paying the bond rate on it. She stated that the members of the Shade Tree Commission are upset that there is a $1.9 million carryover, which could have been allocated to the planting of more trees.

 

Councilmember Winograd felt that the $500,000.00 should remain in the budget for this year. Deputy Mayor Perron said she was also in favor of keeping the $500,000.00 request in this year’s budget, as were Mayor Vagianos and Councilmember Weitz. Councilmember Reynolds was in favor of removing it from this year’s budget.

 

Mr. Rooney said that the next item concerned drainage improvements to the walking track at Veterans Field for $15,000.00. Councilmember Reynolds remarked that the flooding is bad in this location and needs drainage improvements. Ms. Mailander agreed, stating that she sees many people using the walking track in all kinds of weather. Mr. Rooney said that the work would include the installation of a trench drain along the track to direct water runoff into various inlets. It was decided that this item would remain in this year’s budget. There was a discussion regarding the attainment of grants to cover this proposed work.

 

Mr. Rooney indicated that the next item pertains to security cameras for The View on Crest Road. Deputy Mayor Perron said that these cameras would benefit residents who live on Hillcrest Road. She mentioned that she and others met with neighbors who live beneath The View and the neighbors indicated that people throw garbage, such as beer bottles, at their homes. Deputy Mayor Perron felt that security cameras would help to alleviate this problem. Councilmember Reynolds stated that $75,000.00 seemed very expensive for security cameras and wondered how many security cameras were needed. Deputy Mayor Perron agreed. Mayor Vagianos said that, although he was very sympathetic to the neighbors, he felt that this was a big-ticket item for a “hoped for outcome.” He said that cameras have limitations, as seen on the top floor of the Parking Garage, and do not always capture everything. He felt that this item should be removed. Councilmember Reynolds agreed.

 

Mr. Rooney said that the next item concerned Hope Street drainage improvements. Mayor Vagianos said that, although he did not know the scope of the proposed work, the conditions of repeated flooding on Hope Street are disastrous and result in a tremendous impact to the residents living there. He recommended that this line item remain in the budget. Mr. Rooney clarified that the work entailed stormwater improvements to alleviate flooding. Councilmember Reynolds stated that $100,000.00 was taken out of the budget for drainage improvements on Morningside Road and Fairmount Avenue, a request for $400,000.00 for Circle Avenue drainage improvements was removed, and a request for $200,000.00 for sidewalks on East Glen Avenue was removed. She said that a total of $1.2 million was removed regarding drainage and sidewalk improvements from this year’s budget.

 

Mr. Rooney reviewed the process by which the initial budget requests are made and how the budgets are eventually whittled down. He said that some items were removed because the Engineering Department felt that, while the improvements were necessary, they would not be able to do the work this year and that it could be delayed until 2024. Councilmember Reynolds said that she sympathized with people who encounter repeated basement flooding, and she asked if there was such a problem on Morningside Road. She also asked how long the residents have been waiting for this problem to be resolved. Mr. Rooney said that he would ask Mr. Rutishauser to obtain answers to these questions.

 

Mayor Vagianos said that Mr. Rutishauser prioritized the areas where drainage improvements needed to be performed, and they prioritized Hope Street over the other locations. While Councilmember Reynolds stated that the locations were probably chosen based upon how much it would cost to make the drainage improvements, Councilmember Winograd stated that the deciding factor would probably have been based upon elevation, since Hope Street has a lower elevation than the other locations. Mr. Rooney reiterated that he would ask Mr. Rutishauser to clarify these points.

 

Mr. Rooney said that the Fire Department had a request for $50,000.00 for purchasing portable radios, which are critical to ensure public safety. He said that Chief Judge agreed to reduce this request to $15,000.00. Similarly, Chief Judge felt that the purchase of air packs could be delayed until next year. Regarding firefighter gear, Mr. Rooney explained that this is the second year of a four-year plan and that it is a statutory requirement that turnout gear be replaced every ten years. Mr. Rooney stated that there were requests for CBA hose and equipment and a radio project. Deputy Mayor Perron asked what the radio project entailed. Ms. Mailander recalled that it involved the purchase of triband radios so that they could communicate on all frequencies, including the Bergen County frequency. Mayor Vagianos said that Chief Judge “made a good case” regarding this purchase.

 

Mr. Rooney said that there was a line item for the renovation and restoration of Fire Headquarters, which he believes was already reduced from $9,000.00 to $6,000.00. The last item pertained to Operation Blue Angel, which he recalled the Village Council felt was a vital program for resident safety. Mayor Vagianos stated that he was satisfied at the current time with the Fire Department’s proposed Capital Budget.

 

Mr. Rooney said that there was one line item (line 25, generator hookup) in the Ridgewood Library’s budget, which is up for discussion. Mayor Vagianos stated that he felt this was a big-ticket item, which was not essential. Ms. Mailander indicated that the generator was bought with the intention that it would be shared between the library and the new Ridgewood Water headquarters. She stated that the library did not realize that their connection to the generator, which will cost $140,000.00, was not included in the original price. The library is willing to spend $15,000.00 out of their Operating Budget towards this connection and expressed the hope that the Village would allocate the remaining $125,000.00. Ms. Mailander said that this decision rests with the Village Council.

 

Mr. Rooney said that the Village typically contributes between $110,000.00 and $120,000.00 a year to the Library’s Operating Budget. Ms. Mailander stated that this sum is above what the library would statutorily receive (one third of mill). Mr. Rooney explained that since the library is getting an increased amount by law, the Village will receive 100% funding to match what the appropriation is, meaning that the library will not receive anything additional from the Village in the Operating Budget. He said that the “tradeoff” they are asking for is that the funds be placed in the Capital Budget, so that they can hook up the library to the generator. He added that the library is not as susceptible to flooding as Village Hall. Mr. Rooney said that the Village offices and staff could be relocated to the library premises in the event Village Hall becomes flooded, and this is where the library hookup to the generator would prove beneficial to the Village and to the community in general, especially after a storm such as Hurricane Sandy.

 

Deputy Mayor Perron remarked that the generator is an asset, which is not being fully utilized. Mayor Vagianos asked whether Village offices could operate out of the new Ridgewood Water headquarters for several days if there is flooding at Village Hall. Ms. Mailander said that this was certainly an option. She explained some things, which occurred during Hurricane Sandy, when some residents lost power for almost 10 days and were comforted by the fact that Village offices remained open during the storm, even though Village Hall was also without power for a few days.

 

Mayor Vagianos remarked that the new Ridgewood Water headquarters had not yet been built during Hurricane Sandy, but now that it has been built, Village offices could be relocated there in an emergency. Ms. Mailander agreed, but stated that there is very little room at Ridgewood Water headquarters to accommodate Village staff and the library had much more room. Mayor Vagianos suggested that they ask Ridgewood Library to contribute more towards the generator hookup.

 

Councilmember Winograd stated that the generator can accommodate a larger square footage and felt that it is a sizable capital investment, which is going to be significantly underutilized. As a former member of the Friends of the Ridgewood Library, as a private citizen, Councilmember Winograd often felt that the Village “punished” the library for running their own capital improvement campaign. She said that the library is an asset of the Village and they “soften” what they need from the Village by running their own capital campaign. Addressing Mr. Rooney, Councilmember Winograd felt that the Village may be eligible for federal grants if they make the library an emergency locale in the event of a blackout or flooding, where elderly and infirm members of the community can go for warmth and necessities. She felt that it would be shortsighted of the Village not to fund the generator connection to the library.

 

Councilmember Weitz agreed with Councilmember Winograd and said that he does not want to “beat up on” the Ridgewood Library for raising money, since they will then become discouraged from seeking ways to generate revenue, and this will place a bigger burden on the Village. He feels that this request should remain in the budget. Mayor Vagianos stated that he agreed with everything that has been said, but feels that, in this difficult budget year, they should ask the library if they could increase their contribution by $50,000.00 towards this generator connection, with the Village contributing $75,000.00.

 

                        11.  RIDGEWOOD WATER

 

Presenting the Ridgewood Water budget were Richard Calbi, Director of Ridgewood Water; Bill Bierwas, Supervisor of Distribution and Treatment; and Jill Fasano, Engineer. Mr. Calbi showed a presentation for the benefit of the Village Council and viewing audience, including residents from the other three towns served by Ridgewood Water (Midland Park, Glen Rock and Wyckoff). Mr. Calbi said his draft budget will be posted on the website, and will be updated as changes are made. He said that Ridgewood Water is governed by the Village Council, which oversees their budget, approves all contracts and purchases, and authorizes any new hires.

 

Mr. Calbi stated that Ridgewood Water has 43 employees and that there is currently a vacancy for a Business Manager. They are actively interviewing candidates for this position and should be making a decision shortly. In addition to the management team, there are 33 very skilled employees who work in the office and in the field. Mr. Calbi stated that they rely on various Village departments to provide services to assist Ridgewood Water in their day-to-day operations while serving Ridgewood Water’s 61,000 customers. These departments include the Parks and Recreation Department, which assists in landscaping duties; and the Signal Division, which performs maintenance of their buildings and fiberoptic network. Because of their support, there are certain allocations which are made a part of the Ridgewood Water budget that are eventually applied towards those departmental budgets for salaries and wages, as well as operational expenses.

 

Mr. Calbi gave an overview of the PFAS treatment work which has already been accomplished and which is planned for the future. He said that the Carr and Twinney treatment facilities are in full operation, treating and distributing more than 100 million gallons of PFAS-free water per day. There are interconnections established with the Passaic Valley Water Commission and Veolia Water (formerly Suez or Hackensack Water). These two entities currently have lower microliter (MCL) readings for both PFOA and PFAS in their water. Ridgewood Water is currently working on upgrades at the Carr/Linwood facility (by Graydon Pool), where an additional well will be added, providing an additional million gallons of PFAS-free water to the Carr plant.

 

Mr. Calbi indicated that Ridgewood Water received bids last week for the Ravine/Marr facility, which is located on the border of Ridgewood and Wyckoff. They are hoping to present this project before the Village Council on March 8, 2023. He said that many bids were received for this project, with two bids being within $10,000.00 of each other. They are continuing to work on the four largest wells, which are the Ames, Prospect, Cedar Hill and Wortendyke facilities, which will hopefully be publicly bid this year, after permit approval is received from the New Jersey Division of Environmental Protection (NJDEP) and the Infrastructure Bank (I-Bank). Ridgewood Water is continuing to develop the final designs for the smaller East Ridgewood, West End, Eastside, Main and Mountain facilities.

Mr. Calbi said that the most important thing to note is that Ridgewood Water has been maintaining an operational strategy. He stated that, from the beginning, they have been favoring the wells and treatment plants that have the lowest levels of PFAS. The wells with higher levels of PFAS are only activated when necessary, mostly during the summer when there is high demand. This past August, the PFAS problem took a turn for the better after 20 treatment plants went live, together with the activation of the interconnection with the Passaic Valley Water Commission. Mr. Calbi stated that there are now days in the off-peak winter months where Ridgewood Water is providing a significant amount of water into the system that is compliant and below maximum contaminant levels for PFOA and PFAS. This operational strategy will continue to be maintained, and water conservation measures will be promoted this summer, in order to maintain that strategy.

 

Beyond the PFAS issue, Mr. Calbi indicated that Ridgewood Water is also grappling with other issues. In 2021, the State of New Jersey passed a law requiring that all lead service lines be replaced, including water lines owned by the utility (from the main to the curb) and also those lines that are owned by the public (from the curb to the house). Ridgewood Water has begun the process of taking an inventory of those lines, and found several thousand made with unknown materials. They have already begun replacing the lines known to be made of lead, from the main to the curb, which are owned by the utility, with 120 being replaced in 2022. They are expecting to replace over 200 more of these lines in 2023.

 

In 2024, Mr. Calbi hopes to have a plan in place to not only finish replacing the known lead lines from main to curb, but also the privately owned service lines. Mr. Calbi indicated that Ridgewood Water is working with each of the municipalities it serves to have them enter into Shared Service Agreements. All four municipalities have agreed that the homeowners will be assessed for the improvement on their property (the replacement of the water main from curb to house). This would be a special assessment in addition to their taxes. If the assessment is $10,000.00, they would pay that over the life of that improvement. Because of the way the law is structured, municipalities must notify each homeowner at least three times a year of the work that should be performed on their lines. Homeowners can opt out as many times as they want, but Mr. Calbi said that they will continue to attempt to educate homeowners on the benefits of replacing their lines.

 

Mr. Calbi showed a slide depicting where the known lead service lines are in Ridgewood, Wyckoff, Glen Rock and Midland Park, with Ridgewood having the majority of them, followed by Glen Rock, Midland Park and Wyckoff. He then showed a bar chart showing the service lines with known lead materials. Mr. Calbi explained the different color codes, with a light tan showing lead lines from curb to building, a darker brown color showing that both lines (main to curb and curb to building) are lead, and a darker tan color showing lines made of lead from main to curb. Ridgewood has 931 known lead lines, Glen Rock has 353, Midland Park has 225, and Wyckoff has 19. There is one Ridgewood Water customer in Paramus without a lead service line.

 

Mr. Calbi then showed a slide delineating service lines with unknown materials in the system. He said that there are 1,054 unknown services lines in Ridgewood, 556 in Glen Rock, 322 in Midland Park and 21 in Wyckoff. Complete records could not be located for these properties and Ridgewood Water needs to determine if any lead service lines exist for these properties. Employees of Ridgewood Water daily visit properties and do pit excavations with a vacuum excavator to determine the material used in the lines. Available records are researched to determine the material used in the lines on the customer side. About ten properties are investigated per day, and Mr. Calbi estimates that it will take approximately a year to investigate all of the unknowns. He said that, based on experience, 60% of the unknown lines wind up being made of lead, which would then need to be replaced.

 

Mr. Calbi then gave his budget highlights for 2023. He stated that this budget has been reviewed by Howard Woods, a rate consultant, to verify revenue requirements, expense calculations and rate projections. This is done every year. Mr. Woods performs these services for many large utilities in the state, including the Passaic Valley Water Commission (PVWC). For the third year in a row in the budget, they have separated costs attributed to PFAS treatment, including installation, operations and maintenance. Eighteen percent of the 2023 budget, or $3,582,810 of the $20 million budget, is attributed to PFAS debt and operational expenses.

 

Mr. Calbi said that, this year, there is an increased budget of 8.6%, mainly due to salary and wages for new personnel. There are two new proposed positions in the budget, one of which is a request to hire a new engineer to assist in the work Jill Fasano and her staff are doing, particularly for the PFAS buildout and the lead service line program. Other factors driving the budget increase include electrical costs, PFAS operational strategy (purchasing water from PVWC to distribute throughout the system, which requires a lot of pumping and has boosted the budget by $1 million), and transmission and distribution for costs associated with lead service line replacements, which require road openings as well as police traffic directors and repaving.  Also included in the budget is $200,000.00 for the Capital Improvement Fund for statutory downpayments. This has become necessary due to the amount of debt, which is now being carried by Ridgewood Water, and they can no longer claim that they are self-liquidating.

 

The next slide shown by Mr. Calbi showed the 2023 budget highlights. He pointed out how the PFAS treatment costs were separated from the general Operating Budget. This is a $20.1 million budget, which will increase in the future, primarily because of the PFAS issue. There is a budget increase this year of 8.6% for salary and wages ($4.4 million, including allocations to other Village departments) and Other Expenses (includes electricity, chemicals, heating, cooling, paving, insurance and administration, and taxes). Mr. Calbi indicated that Ridgewood Water pays property taxes on the land where Ridgewood Water has its offices and wells. Statutory and deferred expenses include pensions and other statutory obligations such as Social Security and unemployment insurance.

 

Mr. Calbi described PAYGO Capital, which is capital cash expended for small items through the Operating Budget, in lieu of bonding. Some capital expenditures would include lengths of pipe, fire hydrants, valves, meters, and trailer hitches. He explained that there is debt service in the amount of $3.6 million for the current bonds and notes, and the projected debt service for next year will be close to $5 million. Mr. Calbi described a 5% transfer to the Village Fund, which is a statutory transfer to the Village to fund the risk that the Village absorbs for running Ridgewood Water and investing in its debt.

 

Mr. Calbi then showed a pie chart, which graphically showed the breakdown of the various aspects of his budget. The salary and wage portion is broken down between Ridgewood Water employees ($3,751,654.00) and the allocations to various Village departments.

 

Regarding his Capital Budget, Mr. Calbi explained that in addition to the PFAS projects, there are other capital requests in the budget. They are hoping to purchase additional pieces of equipment at a cost of $338,000.00, including a new mini excavator (a smaller version of a backhoe) to use for the lead service line replacement program, as well as GCMS (gas chromatograph mass spectrometer) testing equipment for the laboratory, which will allow them to do more testing inhouse, rather than outsourcing that work, which would enhance quality control and faster turnaround for test results. In addition, Mr. Calbi expressed the hope that utilities in the surrounding area would use Ridgewood Water to provide these services as well if a GCMS were purchased.

 

Mr. Calbi then described distribution system requirements at various locations at a cost of $5.9 million. They are looking to replace approximately 7,150 linear feet of pipe and construct another 1,750 linear feet of raw water mains, which are mains that feed wells to treatment plants. He stated that Ridgewood Water is required by the Water Quality Accountability Act to do upwards of two miles of water main replacements per year. Mr. Calbi stated that they must continue to maintain their tanks and reservoirs. There is a line item for the Valley View mixer installation and tank rehabilitation in the amount of $104,000.00.

 

Mr. Calbi stated that there is a request of $390,000.00 for facility improvements at various locations, which is ongoing every year. This includes new fencing and security gates, driveway paving, interior and exterior lighting, roof replacements, and security improvements, some of which are driven by Homeland Security requirements. He said that Ridgewood Water has over 60 facilities, which must be safeguarded and maintained.

 

The request of $1,040,000.00 regarding PFAS treatment will provide funding for the design of the final plants, as well as permitting and administration (Eastside, Main and Mountain sites). There is also a request for lead service line replacements in the amount of $350,000.00, which would provide funding for engineering design and administration. They need to hire a consultant to develop the plan and construction documents. There are also requests for PAYGO Capital and I-Bank Capital projects for the big buildout in the amount of $70,500,000, of which $60,500.00 has already been approved by Ordinances 3934 and 3935.

 

Mr. Calbi showed another bar chart, which graphically depicts the Ridgewood Water Capital Budgets from 2016 through 2025. He described the many projects that have catapulted the budget requests this year. Mr. Calbi then described anticipated revenues. The budget adopted in 2022 was $18.5 million. Total revenues in 2022 (unaudited) amounted to $20.3 million, largely due to a significant amount of rents that were collected (cell tower rents, facility charges, water rent and PFAS charges). The excess monies will be placed into surplus.

 

Mr. Calbi indicated that Ridgewood Water has a very healthy surplus, which is being used to balance the budget and keep rates at a reasonable level. Approximately $2.7 million of that surplus will be used in 2023. They anticipate rental revenues of about $15.5 million, including new rental income in the form of an increase in their volume rate of 3% and the PFAS surcharge. They receive a small amount of revenue for hydrant service. Each town served by Ridgewood Water pays a service fee, for the amount of hydrants located in their town for firefighting. Miscellaneous revenues include rents predominantly from cell carriers (Glen tank) and various charges to customers for turning their water on and off and service calls. Mr. Calbi then showed some pie charts graphically showing the breakdown of anticipated revenues. He said that water usage is very weather dependent and can fluctuate up or down, depending upon whether there is a drought or a season with a lot of rain. Fixed charges remain somewhat stable.

 

Mr. Calbi explained the PFAS treatment charges, which began in the third quarter of 2021, and are necessary to meet the funding demand for filtering PFAS from the drinking water. This fixed amount is charged by meter size, since people with larger meters use more water. This charge was established because they did not feel it would be fair to excessively raise volume rates, in order to cover the cost of the PFAS treatment. Ridgewood Water is currently seeking insurance recovery and legal recovery, as well as grants. A total of $653,981.00 has been collected through 2022, and it is anticipated that the amount collected in 2023 will be $1,013,865.00. This PFAS treatment charge will continue to increase every year.

 

Mr. Calbi then explained the volume charge, which is going up 3% in 2023. The Water Utility budget is developed and evaluated against anticipated revenues. Included in this evaluation is the consideration of the funding structure for the utility over the next three years, including anticipated changes in operating expenses, debt service, and maintenance of the surplus balance. Mr. Calbi stated that the volume charge may increase in 2024, depending upon what budget is passed in 2023. The 3% increase in 2023 will help to sustain the revenue needed for 2023.

 

The next slide shown by Mr. Calbi showed the breakdown of the PFAS treatment charges by meter size per quarter. Over 90% of Ridgewood Water customers have 5/8” meters, mostly residential, and the increased rate for them would amount to $14.12 per quarter, double the amount of what they were paying before. Some homes have ¾” and 1” meters, but the largest meters are usually used for commercial organizations such as schools and municipal buildings. The volume rate is increasing to $5.70 (per 1,000 gallons per calendar quarter). Mr. Calbi showed a slide depicting a comparison of annual residential water consumption. He said that the average user in the system uses about 7,000 gallons per month, resulting in annual water bills of approximately $624.68 in 2022 and an average of $667.20 in 2023 (about a 6.2% increase).

 

Mr. Calbi showed a slide comparing annual water charges between Ridgewood Water and other water utilities. He said that Ridgewood Water rates continue to be in the mid-range when compared to other major utilities in the State of New Jersey. He pointed out the stark contrast between Ridgewood Water and Montague Water Company and Bayonne MUA. Mr. Calbi remarked that Ridgewood Water remains competitive relative to other utilities. This chart will be published on their website.

 

Councilmember Reynolds thanked Mr. Calbi for his very comprehensive presentation and stated that she was glad that Ridgewood Water remained “on top of the curve” when compared to other utilities. Deputy Mayor Perron stated that once PFAS levels in the drinking water are under the minimum MCLs, home values are going to skyrocket. Mr. Calbi said that they are greatly ahead of the curve, because they started attacking this problem early, and they are past the halfway point already. Councilmember Winograd said that she loved Mr. Calbi’s presentation. She would like to see the “affordability” aspect promoted more, in addition to the safety aspects.

 

Mr. Calbi again reviewed his Capital Budget, including the mini excavator and GCMS; distribution system improvements ($5.9 million); tank and reservoir improvements ($104,000.00); facilities improvements ($390,000.00); PFAS treatment for Eastside, Main and Mountain ($1,040,000.00); and lead service line replacement program ($350,000.00), for a total capital request of almost $8.2 million, exclusive of the main PFAS I-Bank investment of $70.5 million.

 

Mr. Rooney gave an explanation of the non-liquidity of Ridgewood Water. He said that if there are excess revenues over expenditures at the end of a year, they are considered self-liquidating, which means that there is no impact on the Village’s net debt. Up until last year, both the Parking Utility and Water Utility were self-liquidating. The only debt impact is what is in the general obligations. Once the two bond ordinances were introduced, they had to do a calculation going forward as to what the impact would be if debt were issued against those ordinances. The State requires the use of a mandatory 4.5% interest rate. The excess at the end of the year in revenues are then offset against the costs; if those revenues do not exceed it, they are no longer self-liquidating. Until the debt of Ridgewood Water is paid off, it will impact the overall net debt of the Village. This results in necessary budget cuts in the Capital Budget.

 

Mayor Vagianos asked if Ridgewood Water’s Capital Budget is part of the Village’s Capital Budget, and Mr. Rooney replied that it is separate. Mayor Vagianos said that Ridgewood Water can still pay the financing of its own debt, and he wondered how that impacted upon the other general finances of the Village. Mr. Rooney replied that the law states that municipalities are limited to 3.5% of their last averaged three years equalized valuations. If that 3.5% threshold is reached, the case must be heard by the State anytime the Village wants to issue debt via ordinance. He said that the Village has been entertaining less than 1% for many, many years. Adding Ridgewood Water’s debt to the Village’s budget has caused the percentage to jump to over 2%. The only way to lower this percentage is to pay off the debt or cancel the ordinances. There was further discussion between Mr. Rooney and Mayor Vagianos about this matter. When the Village goes to the bond market, Mr. Rooney said that bond agencies look at a municipality’s net debt. The rate that the Village would get in the bond market has, so far, not been affected, and it will not affect the Village’s rating. Mr. Rooney assured everyone that the Village is not in jeopardy, but that the additional debt has risen closer to the 3.5 limit set by the State.

 

Mayor Vagianos asked Mr. Calbi if there were any items in his budget that could be delayed until next year. Mr. Calbi replied that he has further refined the Capital Budget at Mr. Rooney’s request. In addition, in subsequent years, they are going to cap themselves at $5 million in capital. Mr. Calbi said that there is not really anything they can put off this year. The distribution improvements have been planned and are underway. He said that the only thing that could possibly be removed is the lab equipment. Deputy Mayor Perron indicated that the lab equipment could generate revenue for Ridgewood Water. Mr. Calbi agreed, stating that they will make money on the equipment, it will give them more control, and it will save money by not having to outsource laboratory testing. He added that the mini backhoe is needed for lead service line replacements. If this work is not done inhouse, a contractor would have to be hired. There were no further questions.

 

                        11.       SOLID WASTE

                        12.       RECYCLING

 

Sean Hamlin, Supervisor/Superintendent of Recycling and Sanitation, started off by stating that since he has been in his current position, he has not used any Village Hall paper but has instead used paper from the e-waste bin. He said that people throw away printers with unused paper still inside the machines, which he retrieves and uses.

 

Mr. Hamlin stated that there are 19 full-time employees in the Sanitation Department, including himself, along with three permanent part-time employees who offer coverage during vacations or employee absences. There are eight full-time employees in the Recycling Department who collect recycling curbside, including bottles and cans, cardboard, and mixed paper, and one part-time employee who works at the Recycling Center.

 

Regarding the Recycling Department, Mr. Hamlin said that his “forever” goal is to eliminate as much waste as possible from the waste stream. He mentioned a Research and Development permit that would allow the use of the Lakeview composting facility to expand the food waste program at the Recycling Center. Mr. Hamlin proudly announced that the Ridgewood Recycling Center received the NJ.gov Recycling Award in 2022 for Outstanding Achievement in Government. He said that the food and Styrofoam recycling programs were a huge part of the reason why they received the award. This award is given out by Governor Murphy every year. There was no monetary prize given with the award. Deputy Mayor Perron wondered if the Village could get credit from Sustainable Jersey for the Recycling Department winning this award.

 

Mr. Hamlin said that they were asked how their budget would be affected if it were reduced by 5% or 10%. He stated the Operating Budget for Recycling is $51,142.62. There is a full-time employee retiring this year, whose salary is $90,000.00, and they are hoping to replace him with another full-time employee with a salary “at the lower end of $53,000.00” as a Laborer I, saving approximately $37,800.00. He said that the only other way to reduce the budget by $13,000.00 would be to require residents to purchase their recycling containers, if the original one becomes broken. New recycling barrels are currently given out at no charge. Mr. Hamlin studied how many things are given out for free from the Recycling Center, and it amounts to approximately $13,000.00. If the budget were reduced by 10%, then that would mean the loss of a full-time employee, which would be unrealistic, since they are already struggling with the staff they currently have, to keep up with their daily operations. Their workload has increased with all the new housing developments in the Village. He added that the recycling of cardboard has also increased, because many people are buying more and more goods via the internet.

 

Mr. Hamlin stated that he was also asked to provide a scenario where his budget would be increased by 5% or 10%. He stated that he has been researching the availability of programs that recycle mattresses, of which there are a few. Given the number of mattresses that are picked up curbside on bulk day, he said that it would cost about $7,500.00 to initiate a mattress recycling pilot program. No new equipment would need to be purchased, and they have a container in which they can store the mattresses. The only cost would entail the contract with the recycling vendor. The company would pick up the mattresses at the Recycling Center. The company strips the mattresses down, and the metal wires, wood, and fabric all get recycled. This endeavor would help with the Research and Development permit, to help facilitate the scaling up of their food waste program.

Mr. Hamlin indicated that if his budget went up by 5%, he would like to establish more satellite food waste recycling drop-off centers to provide additional accessibility to residents, especially on days when the main Recycling Center is closed. One of the sites could be located near the HealthBarn. Mr. Hamlin said that the HealthBarn was amenable to having one of the drop-off centers there, and they could also use it for their unwanted vegetation. If the budget could be increased by 10%, he would like to do as he just indicated previously, but he said that with a 10% increase, the potential “would go through the roof.” It might even allow them to do a curbside or front door collection of food waste, which he stated would increase resident participation. Mr. Hamlin said that they are having difficulty finding people to participate in the food waste program because they don’t want to have to travel to the Recycling Center to drop off their food waste, especially with all the roadwork being done in Ridgewood near the Recycling Center.

 

Mayor Vagianos asked Mr. Hamlin if he could do a curbside food waste recycling program for the sum of $100,000.00. Mr. Hamlin replied that they could do curbside pickup for only a limited number of residents. They would have to process the food waste themselves by composting it at the Lakeview facility, which would then be given back to program participants for their own use in gardening. The balance could be used for the community garden or to the HealthBarn to support their gardens. Mayor Vagianos asked how many residents, out of Ridgewood’s 8,000 households, would be able to participate in this food waste program. Mr. Hamlin said that they currently have about 120 participants and, with $100,000.00, they could probably scale that up to 300 or 400 participants.

 

Deputy Mayor Perron asked if any new machinery would need to be purchased in order to perform the food composting at the Lakeview facility. Mr. Hamlin replied that the only equipment they would need is the industrial tarp that they lay over it and the Windrow machine (which blows air underneath the food waste to accelerate the composting process over the course of 60 days, which reduces tonnage). Deputy Mayor Perron asked if this includes bones, meat and fat, and Mr. Hamlin replied in the affirmative. Mr. Hamlin said that they processed 16 tons of food waste during the first nine months of the program, with less than 100 households participating.

 

Regarding the Division of Solid Waste, Mr. Hamlin again stated that he would love to avoid mattresses and box springs from ending up in landfills. In 2022, the Village enacted a seven-item limitation on bulk pickup day. As a result, Mr. Hamlin stated that tonnage decreased by 355 tons from the prior year of bulk waste, which would have cost $28,573.00 if that tonnage were trucked to landfills. Ms. Mailander commented that this regulation was easy to impose and most people abided by it, despite initial resistance. More special pickups have been required as a result, which has resulted in more revenue, and the sanitation crew does not have to spend numerous hours at a home which is being cleaned out.

 

Mr. Hamlin said that his crew does at least 20 pickups of mattresses and box springs on each side of the Village each year, or a total of over 500 mattresses and box springs a year, so he would like to remove this item from the waste stream. He said that if his budget were cut by 5%, it would result in the elimination of all permanent part-time positions, which would create fatigue for the workers and present a hardship during the warmer months when vacations are being taken and there is a shortage of workers, especially when Pete Ward (who cleans the Central Business District) is on vacation. Mr. Hamlin said that the part-time workers are essential in order to keep the Central Business District clean and tidy. If his budget were decreased by 10%, complete systemic change would occur, such as the cancellation of rear yard garbage collection, since many employees would have to be let go.

 

On the other hand, Mr. Hamlin stated that if his budget were increased by 5% or 10%, he would initiate the food waste program expansion, as indicated previously. This would include purchasing a vehicle to facilitate front-door pickup of food waste buckets. Fewer items in the waste stream results in a reduction in solid waste disposal fees, while also providing a benefit to the community (super-charged compost that can be reused in gardens to improve soil quality).

 

Mayor Vagianos asked Mr. Hamlin if there is a mixed comingled market, and Mr. Hamlin replied that there is not. He said that there was a three-month period last year when his department generated very little revenue from comingled recyclables, and now it has gone “completely south.” Mayor Vagianos asked what is done with comingled recyclables, and Mr. Hamlin indicated that these items are currently trucked to Newark, and they will continue to do so until their material recovery facility in Passaic is back in operation. Bottles and cans go to Waste Management, and the firm in Newark has a huge processing facility where the recyclables are separated and recycled. Mayor Vagianos asked if the Village is paid for the recyclables or if the Village pays to dispose of the recyclables. Mr. Hamlin replied that the current market dictates that the Village must pay to dispose of the comingled recyclable products.

 

Mayor Vagianos asked Mr. Hamlin what the forecast was regarding the comingled recyclables, since he has read in the news that China is no longer accepting same, which has changed the entire recycling market. Mr. Hamlin agreed and stated that the recycling market is there for the “individual pieces,” such as for brown glass, clear glass, green glass, aluminum cans and steel cans. Once these items are mixed, the market is “gone.” Mayor Vagianos stated that if a town has a separating facility, then there is a market for these items, and Mr. Hamlin agreed. However, depending upon how the market is for those items (which is down right now), Mr. Hamlin stated that the Village is basically paying for the processing of the materials.

 

Mayor Vagianos asked what the scenario would look like if the Village were to establish its own separating facility. Mr. Hamlin replied that everything would change, but it would entail hiring more employees, finding a location in order to carry out the separation of comingled recyclables, and investing in the proper equipment. Mayor Vagianos indicated that he was once engaged in the recycling industry and he would love to see a prospectus regarding the establishment of such a facility, especially since the market has apparently changed permanently for the foreseeable future. He said that he would like to find out the costs involved and what the return on investment would be.

 

Mayor Vagianos brought up the example of the Styrofoam densifier program, which will generate revenue for the Village through a Shared Services Agreement. Mr. Hamlin said that they have been trying to find a new location for the Recycling Center for a very long time, and the only problem with opening a separating facility would be finding a site on which to operate the facility. Mr. Hamlin said that such a program would indeed be worthwhile looking into, and he will do so and report back to Mayor Vagianos.

 

Councilmember Winograd said that she plans on joining the food waste recycling program. Councilmember Reynolds stated that she has not participated in the program for a few weeks, because it was difficult for her to get to the Recycling Center due to the amount of roadwork being done on Glen Avenue and Northern Parkway for the Linwood Avenue well. Councilmember Winograd said that she loves the idea of satellite drop-off locations, especially one located near the HealthBarn.

 

Mr. Calbi indicated that there were two options that needed to be looked at when deciding whether or not to open up a separating facility for comingled recyclables. He said that residents would need to separate the items on their own and put curbside on bulk pickup day, which would be the least expensive alternative. He said that opening a separating facility would be very costly, since equipment is very expensive. He suggested that someone speak to Bergen County representatives about possibly opening up a separating facility on a County level. This would help municipalities, which are forced to recycle by statute, and are now being forced to pay for disposal, due to the current market conditions.

 

Deputy Mayor Perron asked about the status of the Shared Services Agreement regarding the Styrofoam densifier. Mr. Hamlin replied they are actually hosting three towns tomorrow at noon for a demonstration of the Styrofoam densifier at the Recycling Center. He invited anyone who is interested to attend. Councilmember Winograd asked if he would videotape the demonstration, and Mr. Hamlin replied that they videotape all of their demonstrations. Councilmember Winograd suggested that the video of the demonstration be posted on the Recycling Coach app and also on the Village website or in an e-notice to create public awareness.

 

Councilmember Winograd praised Mr. Hamlin for the public awareness programs, which he has led when there are new programs at the Recycling Center. Mr. Hamlin stated that, this year, he would like to see an ordinance adopted that would make it mandatory for residents to bring Styrofoam to the Recycling Center for recycling.

 

Regarding the Capital Budget, Mr. Hamlin stated that they have been exploring ways to improve their collection efficiency. There was originally a proposal for the purchase of an automated side-loader for collection of bottles and cans in 2023 and then the purchase of a second side-loader in 2024. However, after speaking to representatives from Paramus and other towns that have implemented the automated side-loaders, he was told that it was “suicide” to only buy one, because there would be no other vehicle to use for collection if the one truck broke down, since the 90-gallon cans are too heavy to be lifted manually. He said that the request for the purchase of three trucks (one for Sanitation and two for Recycling) was removed from the budget, so that perhaps the request to purchase two automated side-loaders would be approved. Mr. Hamlin said that they presently use the seven older Crane Carrier trucks that they have, two of which are being sold as surplus this year, because they are no longer functional. Of the remaining five trucks, only one is in working condition. He said that some of the trucks are missing maintenance service (such as oil changes), because they cannot be taken off the road, since they have no spare trucks to replace them.

 

Mayor Vagianos recalled that Mr. Hamlin made a similar request last year and it was removed from the Capital Budget. Mr. Hamlin corroborated that this was correct. Deputy Mayor Perron said at that time, she stated that she would make the purchase of an additional truck for the Sanitation Department her first goal this year. Mr. Hamlin said that two trucks are being taken from Recycling to act as spares, in order to replace the two trucks being declared as surplus from Sanitation. He said that there was a slow learning curve involved in learning how to operate the trucks used for recycling. One truck can take care of 1,000 houses within an eight-hour shift.

 

Mr. Rooney pointed out that $2.2 million still needs to be cut from the overall Capital Budget. Deputy Mayor Perron asked Mr. Hamlin if these trucks were even available to purchase. Mr. Hamlin said that the sales representative from Mack Trucks indicated that his company is asking him to reach out to towns to see if they can get purchase orders for the trucks. When the Mack Truck representative was asked if the trucks would be available once a purchase order was entered into, he indicated that they would not be available immediately but that “it would go a lot further” if there was a purchase order approved by a town to purchase a truck. Therefore, Mr. Hamlin feels that the trucks would be available and the company is waiting to get purchase orders before manufacturing the trucks.

 

When questioned by Deputy Mayor Perron whether these trucks are electric, diesel or gas, Mr. Hamlin replied that they are diesel engines. They explored the option of getting one electric-powered truck and one diesel truck. He said that two EV companies were interviewed by Jovan Mehandzic, from the Engineering Department, and representatives from these companies visited the Village to assess its facilities for the purpose of upgrading. Mr. Hamlin said that there was a great opportunity to get the smaller Phase 2 EV (electric vehicle) chargers for smaller vehicles, but it would be very costly to get the Phase 3 chargers for the bigger trucks, probably more than $100,000.00, since PSE&G would have to dig up the street in order to run electricity from the pole to an EV station at the Recycling Center. When questioned by Deputy Mayor Perron, Ms. Mailander indicated that the EV assessment done by the Engineering Department would be presented at the March 1, 2023 Village Council meeting.

 

Councilmember Reynolds asked Mr. Hamlin how many recycling carts could be purchased for $480,000.00, and Mr. Hamlin said that this sum would enable them to purchase just enough to cover the residents, a little over 8,000. He indicated that the sum of $480,000.00 was received from one vendor, but there are other vendors that could be explored. Councilmember Reynolds summarized by saying that it would cost the Village $1.5 million to equip the entire Village with two automated side-loaders and carts, and Mr. Hamlin agreed.

 

Mayor Vagianos asked what the cost savings would be to the Village by using side-loaders versus traditional trucks on an annual basis. Mr. Hamlin indicated that using a newer truck would require less maintenance and would be more fuel efficient. In addition, less employees would be required to perform the comingled collections, because the side-loaders are operated by only one person. Currently, one truck with two employees takes care of performing this work. With one less employee, there would be cost savings in salary, pension, and fuel, with less chance of worker injury. Mr. Hamlin said that work quality would increase as well, since these trucks are equipped with cameras. Pictures can be taken of recyclables picked up from residences, so they can keep track of which items are being recycled by residents and which residences have a high contamination rate. Pictures with time stamps can also be taken of homes where a recycling can has not been put out at the proper time, just in case a resident calls for a special pickup and insists that their recycling bin was curbside at the appropriate time.

 

Councilmember Winograd asked about the new garbage cans for the CBD, since she did not see them in Mr. Hamlin’s proposed budget. Mr. Hamlin replied that those cans are contained in the budget for the Signal Division. Mayor Vagianos thanked Mr. Hamlin and Mr. Calbi for their presentation.

 

            B.        WRAP-UP AND NEXT STEPS

 

Ms. Mailander indicated that the next Budget Meeting will be held on February 24, 2023 at 5:00 P.M.  Mr. Rooney will present the Capital and Operating Budget for the Finance Department and other ancillary budgets, which need to be reviewed by the Village Council. She said that there will probably need to be another Budget Meeting held on March 6, 2023 at 5:00 P.M., before the final budget is adopted on March 8, 2023.

 

5.         COMMENTS FROM THE PUBLIC

 

NONE

 

6.         ADJOURNMENT

 

There being no further business to come before the Village Council, on a motion by Councilmember Reynolds, seconded by Deputy Mayor Perron, and carried unanimously by voice vote, the Village Council’s Special Public Budget Meeting was adjourned at 9:15 P.M.

 

 

 

 

 

                                                ____________________________________

                                                                                                Paul Vagianos

                                                                                                        Mayor

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

____________________________________

                     Heather A. Mailander

             Village Manager/Village Clerk