20230802 - Village Council Public Work Session Minutes

A REGULAR PUBLIC WORK SESSION OF THE VILLAGE COUNCIL OF THE VILLAGE OF RIDGEWOOD HELD IN THE SYDNEY V. STOLDT, JR. COURT ROOM OF THE RIDGEWOOD VILLAGE HALL, 131 NORTH MAPLE AVENUE, RIDGEWOOD, NEW JERSEY, ON AUGUST 2, 2023 AT 7:30 P.M.

 

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

 

Mayor Vagianos called the meeting to order at 7:30 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 Keith Kazmark, Village Manager; Heather Mailander, Village Clerk; and Matthew Rogers, Village Attorney.

 

Mayor Vagianos led those in attendance in the Pledge of Allegiance to the flag. Mayor Vagianos asked for a moment of silence in honor of the passing of Lieutenant Governor Sheila Oliver, who dedicated her entire life to public service for the State of New Jersey.

 

Mayor Vagianos then asked the Village Councilmembers to join him on the floor. He stated that this past Saturday, July 29, 2023, there was a report of a missing child at Graydon Pool. When Mayor Vagianos and Mr. Kazmark arrived at the pool, they observed dozens of emergency personnel from the Police and Fire Departments, as well as Graydon Pool staff, moving like a “well-trained, well-oiled machine” to find this child. Assistance was rendered by the dive team from the Ridgewood Fire Department. It was ultimately determined that this was a false alarm.

 

Mayor Vagianos thanked Nancy Bigos, Director of the Parks and Recreation Department; Steve Diamond, Manager of Graydon Pool; Sarah Butensky, the Shift Manager from Graydon Pool who made the 9-1-1 call; Maureen Lynch, Graydon Pool Badge and Security Manager; Emily Buchert, Badge and Security employee; and the waterfront lifeguards at Graydon Pool, including Mick Barbi, Alex Bogush, Georgia Canty, Jack Casavant, Ethan Chernichaw, Ava Fitts, Tessa Florida, Will Ginch, Ava Hutchinson, Logan Kanestrin, Caitlin Kinney, Ian MacCollom, John Morley, Javid Mursglov, Ryan Phelan, David Postoldki, Alesky Shcerbachev, and Joshua Tomioka.  There was a resounding round of applause.

 

Mayor Vagianos also thanked all members of the Ridgewood Fire Department who participated in the search: Chief John Judge, who coordinated the search efforts; Lieutenant Jordan Zales; Lieutenant Jason Kane; and Firefighters Tim Bombace, Jim Kakolewski, Brian Kelly, Dane Knudsen, Chris Mead, Matt Musicant, Chris Wolfstirn, Shelby Taylor, Michael Rohrman, Kurt Harba, and Jason Jacoby.  There was another resounding round of applause.

 

Mayor Vagianos then thanked members of the Special Operations section of Emergency Medical Services, including Captain Matthew Hendrickson; Lieutenant Vikram Dalmiya; Medical Director, Dr. Robert Lahita; and Special Operation members EMT Steven Chiesa, Mason Fraiman, James Alton, Rahil Bhatia, and Mark Tymoshenko. There was a resounding round of applause.

 

Mayor Vagianos next thanked the following members of the Police Department: Chief Forest Lyons, Lieutenant Heath James, Sergeant Michael Lembo, Detective Douglas Henky, Detective Steven Cummings, Officer Michael Karcher, Officer Shane Broglia, Officer Hector Perez, Officer Francisco Santiago, and Officer Colin Donnelly. Mayor Vagianos also thanked the following Valley Hospital paramedics who were on standby: Sue Bielefeld, Terry Reiss, Joseph Ventrella, and Dave Gordon. There was another resounding round of applause.

 

Mayor Vagianos also thanked Ms. Mailander who organized this tribute to all first responders and Graydon Pool personnel this evening.

 

2.         COMMENTS FROM THE PUBLIC

 

Frettra DeSilva, 521 West Saddle River Road, said that she wanted to make some comments after the presentation by Mr. Primavera a couple of weeks ago, but was unable to do so due to time constraints. She said that she was disappointed and embarrassed by the presentation made by Mr. Primavera, which she stated was not based upon an exhaustive investigation of the true facts regarding the historic nature of the Schedler property. Instead, it was based upon his reading various reports regarding the property. She expressed the hope that the Village Councilmembers have asked, or will ask, Mr. Primavera for more complete substantiation of the facts which he set forth in his analysis, rather than just accepting his presentation as accurate.

 

Ms. DeSilva also expressed the hope that the Village Councilmembers and Village Attorney will continue to consult with various historic consultants and experts, who are available in Bergen County and at the State level, before taking any action with regard to the historic designation of the Schedler property.

 

Cynthia O’Keefe, 542 West Saddle River Road, said that she wanted to read a statement from Anne Loving, 342 South Irving Street, since she could not personally attend the meeting this evening. She cited: “At the July 19, 2023 Public Meeting, Councilmember Reynolds indicated that a discussion item this week will address the inclusion of all public comments at the end of each meeting, regardless of the hour. Since January of this year, it has been commonplace for the Mayor to cut off public comments from citizens in the room, as well as those at home on the phone. This has happened with the consent of all elected officials, except Councilmember Reynolds. I am so relieved that Councilmember Reynolds has managed to get this on the agenda as a discussion item, and I trust that, moving forward, all public comments will be permitted. Silencing the voices of concerned residents flies in the face of good governance. Thank you.”

 

Denise Lima, 319 East Glen Avenue, thanked the new Village Manager, Keith Kazmark, for his public outreach to the community and attempting to become acclimated with the Village. Ms. Lima noted that there are no picnic tables in any Ridgewood parks, including Memorial Park at Van Neste Square. She stated that it would be nice to have a table or two in each park, so that people may sit, have a picnic, and play table games. She mentioned that there are no benches at Leuning Park, either, for people to sit and enjoy the outdoors.

 

Ms. Lima stated that there have been a lot of emails back and forth between residents and the Village Councilmembers, regarding the fact that residents were not allowed to speak after the presentation by Mr. Primavera on July 19, 2023, due to the late hour. She said that when Mayor Vagianos was first elected as Mayor, he declared that his biggest goal for the Village Council was to “give the Council” back to the community. He said that the Village Council is not as open to the needs of the community as it should be, and this was something he wanted to change. However, Ms. Lima said that the residents do not feel that this is happening, especially when they make comments regarding the Schedler property, if they are allowed to speak at all.

 

Ms. Lima said that she echoed the comments made earlier regarding Mr. Primavera. She stated that she sent an email to the Village Councilmembers regarding some questionable items on Mr. Primavera’s resume, particularly concerning his purported projects. She did some due diligence, and many people who she contacted had never heard of Mr. Primavera, and she learned that the Montclair Planning Board released Mr. Primavera early from his involvement in a certain project. The Mayor of Clinton, who is actually the Mayor of Bethlehem, New Jersey, also stated that he was not acquainted with Mr. Primavera. Several people from Paterson working on the Hinchcliffe Stadium project, including the museum directors, said that they were unaware of who Mr. Primavera is. Regarding Lucy the Elephant in Marlton, New Jersey, there were comments from the Director of Education stating that he did not know who Mr. Primavera was.

 

Ms. Lima said that she is puzzled by Mr. Primavera’s recommendation to move the historic Zabriskie-Schedler house, which is not based on any expertise. She indicated that she sent an email to Mr. Primavera asking for more information on his background, and she never heard back from him. She also asked the Village Councilmembers to read the email from Peggy Norris, the Ridgewood historian, which was sent to them yesterday.

 

There were no further comments from the public.

 

3.         MANAGER’S REPORT

 

Mr. Kazmark echoed Mayor Vagianos’s sentiments made earlier this evening regarding the Graydon Pool incident. He said that he wanted to publicly thank the staff of the Parks and Recreation Department, especially the pool staff, as well as Chief Judge and Chief Lyons for the immediate response made by their respective departments. He also thanked the rest of the emergency responders, who assisted at the scene within minutes. He praised the dive team and their use of underwater technology. Mr. Kazmark said that he has publicly served in three different municipalities, and he has never seen a more seamless response to an emergency than he did at Graydon Pool.

 

Mr. Kazmark announced that a decision was made today to suspend the pedestrian plaza through Labor Day. He said that this was communicated via social media, and there will be an e-blast going out tomorrow announcing same. He said that due to overwhelming support from Village residents, the Village Councilmembers reinitiated the pedestrian plaza and dining corrals this year. The initial response to the pedestrian plaza was very positive and well attended by residents, and it was initially very well received by the businesses in the Central Business District (CBD). However, after schools were dismissed for the summer and the hot weather approached, along with record travel across the nation this year, attendance dwindled in the pedestrian plaza. Mr. Kazmark said that this is consistent with what has been seen in neighboring communities. Therefore, it was decided that the pedestrian plaza would be suspended for the month of August, to be re-evaluated after Labor Day. This re-evaluation will include input from both residents and the business community.

 

Mr. Kazmark said that the dining corrals and outdoor dining will continue, as will the events and activities in Memorial Park at Van Neste Square, which have been scheduled through October. There may have to be some adjustments regarding location and logistics. He stated that the Village remains committed to attracting additional patrons to the CBD.

 

Mr. Kazmark said that there are presently many milling and paving projects going on in the Village. He said that his office has received many calls from residents, who were concerned about their ability to access certain roads in the Village. He stated that his objective is to work closely with the Engineering Department, the County of Bergen, and Public Service Electric & Gas (PSE&G) to have all milling and paving completed before school opens in September. He said that today was the last day for milling the County roads (Linwood and Godwin Avenues). Mr. Kazmark announced that the entire stretch of Godwin Avenue will be paved tomorrow. The Police Department has endeavored to make detours as accessible as possible. All affected residents have been notified by the Engineering Department.

 

Mr. Kazmark reported that on Friday, August 4, 2023, Linwood Avenue will be paved from North Maple Avenue to John Street. He is aware that this will coincide with the last day of summer camp at Graydon Pool, but the Police Department will make sure that cars will be able to access the Graydon Pool parking lot to enable drop-off and pickup of children. Mr. Kazmark assured everyone that all entrances to Valley Hospital will remain open until later in the day on August 3, when Linwood Avenue between Van Dien Avenue and North Pleasant Avenue will be closed. All detours will lead to North Van Dien Avenue, and the main entrance to Valley Hospital will be accessible. On Monday, August 7, 2023, Linwood Avenue will be paved from John Street to Paramus Road.

 

Mr. Kazmark announced that the Village Council is seeking volunteers to serve on various committees and boards, including the Project Pride Committee and the Village Arts Council. One Village resident is being sought for the Ridgewood Green Team, and one Village resident for the Central Business District Advisory Committee. Interested individuals may fill out a “Citizen Volunteer Leadership Form,” which can be found on the Village website under the heading “Employment and Volunteer Opportunities.” The form should be sent with a cover letter to the Village Clerk’s Office, to the attention of Joyce Magro. The submission deadline is August 16, 2023.

 

Mr. Kazmark stated that he has had the opportunity to meet with a number of local organizations, including the leadership of the Ridgewood Guild. He toured the YMCA with the Executive Director last week. A new group is coming to Ridgewood, which is seeking to launch a Kiwanis Club in the Village. Mr. Kazmark also met with Joan Groome, Executive Director of the Chamber of Commerce, to discuss upcoming events. He feels that it is important that he communicate with these and other local groups. Mr. Kazmark said that his office has an “open door” policy.

 

Today marked the culmination of Mr. Kazmark’s meetings with all Department Directors. He still needs to sit down and talk with Councilmember Weitz. In September, there will be a “Meet the Manager” meeting in Village Hall, in an open Town Hall forum. All residents are welcome to attend, ask questions, and get to know Mr. Kazmark better.

 

On August 14, 2023, there will be a groundbreaking event for the new water treatment plant on Goffle Road. Congressman Josh Gottheimer will be attending the event. Mr. Kazmark thanked Rich Calbi, Director of Ridgewood Water, and his staff for organizing this event and for all of the work they are doing to rid the drinking water of PFAS in the Village. Mr. Kazmark remarked that this new water treatment plant is a major investment in the Water Utility.

 

Mr. Kazmark said that he met last week with the residents who live in the Schedler neighborhood. They spoke about the Kingsbridge Lane Footbridge and the Schedler property. He felt that this was a very productive meeting, during which he heard various perspectives and concerns from the residents, as well as discussing future funding initiatives.

 

Mr. Kazmark thanked Chris Rutishauser, Village Engineer, for giving him a tour of the Village. They visited the pedestrian tunnel under the train tracks, the bus station, the taxi stand, as well as other locations in the Village.

 

The Ridgewood Guild is sponsoring free “Movies in the Park” on Wednesday nights at 9:00 p.m. in Memorial Park at Van Neste Square. “Man of Steel” will be shown this evening, and “Sunset Boulevard” will be shown on August 16, 2023 at 8:15 p.m. The Ridgewood Guild is sponsoring “Music in the Night” in various locations on Friday nights in the CBD through Labor Day. The Ridgewood Guild also sponsors “Art in the Park” on Friday, August 4^th, from 6:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m.

 

The free summer concert series continues at the Kasschau Memorial Shell on Veterans Field. The Ridgewood Chamber of Commerce is holding their Farmer’s Market every Sunday at the train station on the west side.

 

From August 1 through Labor Day, Graydon Pool memberships will decrease in price for Village residents. A late season adult membership may be purchased for only $75.00 and a late season child membership for only $70.00. Senior rates remain at $35.00, and non-resident rates remain at $325.00 for ages 16+ and $210.00 for a child.

 

The next Bergen County household hazardous waste event will be held on Saturday, September 9, 2023 from 9:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. at Bergen County Campgaw Reservation in Mahwah.

 

Upcoming Village Council meetings are broadcast live from the Village Hall Courtroom, on the Village website, on FIOS Channel 34 and YouTube. Meetings can now be attended either in person or via Zoom or phone. The next Public Meetings are scheduled for August 9 and September 13, 2023 at 7:30 p.m. The next Village Council Work Sessions will be held on September 6 and September 27, 2023 at 7:30 p.m. All Public Meetings and Work Sessions will have hybrid access.

 

4.         COUNCIL REPORTS

 

Councilmember Weitz also praised the staff of Graydon Pool for their quick action during last week’s emergency. He said that some of his family and friends were at the pool when this occurred. He thanked Mr. Kazmark for keeping the Village Councilmembers up to date with what was occurring during that time. In addition, he thanked all Village staff who assisted during the emergency. He stated that the young lady who works at Graydon Pool, who made the 9-1-1 call, made the right choice. He said that he is sure everyone in the Village owes a debt of gratitude for all staff and first responders who assisted at the scene.

 

Regarding the pedestrian plaza, Councilmember Weitz said that some of his fondest memories so far this year have been working with Deputy Mayor Perron in organizing events for the pedestrian plaza. He said that he has noted how attendance has dwindled at the pedestrian plaza once the weather has gotten hotter, stating that people prefer to dine and shop indoors when the temperature is high. He said that he looks forward to re-evaluating the re-opening of the pedestrian plaza in September. Councilmember Weitz reminded everyone that although the pedestrian plaza will not be held during August, the scheduled events in and around Memorial Park at Van Neste Square, will still go on without change.

 

Councilmember Winograd said that she was very proud of all Village and Graydon Pool staff who assisted during the emergency at Graydon Pool last weekend. She thanked Mayor Vagianos for his moving tribute to all involved.

 

Councilmember Winograd stated that she and Ms. Mailander met with representatives of the Kiwanis Club. She said that there has not been a Kiwanis Club in Ridgewood since the mid-1980s, and a chapter was re-established in Ridgewood on Wednesday night. The Kiwanis Club members are seeking to partner with Village schools, regarding civic engagement and youth activities.

 

Councilmember Winograd said that, last week, a final web developer demonstration was given regarding the new Village website. She thanked Dylan Hanson, Director of IT, Ms. Mailander, and Mr. Kazmark, as well as the members of the Communications Committee.  There has been a total of three demonstrations, all of which were very informative. Everyone will be meeting next week to make a final decision on the vendor who will produce the new Village website. She mentioned that the Ridgewood Board of Education and Police Department also desire to update their respective websites. The new Police Department website will be layered into the new Village website.

 

Councilmember Winograd stated that the Communications Committee has initiated a photo contest. They will be working with local photographers and are seeking landscape photos, which do not include any people, of all areas in Ridgewood. They are looking for photos, which are symbolic of Ridgewood, which will be used for the website. In addition, they are looking for historical photos to be incorporated into the new website. The flyer announcing this photo contest has been posted on social media and on the Village website. Once school starts, the Communications Committee will seek to partner with the Photography Club at Ridgewood High School.

 

The “Adopt-a-Sapling” program began this week. Councilmember Winograd explained that this program is a new approach to planting more trees in the Village, using volunteers who will pledge to water the young trees while they grow. They will be planting smaller trees, which are less expensive. Councilmember Winograd said that they are looking for volunteers to help plant the saplings, as well as residents to “adopt” the sapling and take care of watering them. This program has been announced on social media. The initial planting will take place near Orchard School. It is hoped that between 27 and 100 people will initially participate in this program.

 

Councilmember Winograd said that she and Mayor Vagianos composed a letter, which will be posted on social media tomorrow, regarding Access Weekend. Access weekend highlights the special needs community in Ridgewood, and will be held on October 6^th through 8^th, 2023. They have planned a series of events, which will take place between the Ridgewood Library and Village Hall. Councilmember Winograd said that the Access Committee is seeking volunteers, as well as donations, in order to make this event a success.

 

Councilmember Winograd reminded everyone that the Ridgewood Sidewalk Sales will occur on August 4, 5 and 6, 2023. She encouraged everyone to attend.

 

Councilmember Reynolds stated that she has not had any committee meetings recently. She stated that the Project Pride Committee is continuing to give out awards to residents in the Village who have gone above and beyond in landscaping their front yards. Residents can also nominate a property by emailing the address to Councilmember Reynolds. The awards are accompanied by a $25.00 gift card to one of the restaurants in the CBD, thanks to donations by the Ridgewood Guild.

 

Deputy Mayor Perron said that the entertainment for the pedestrian plaza is “going strong.” She mentioned that there is a lot of talent in Ridgewood, ranging from yoga to dancing to music. At 8:00 a.m. this Saturday, August 5, 2023, there will be a Tai Chi class held in Memorial Park at Van Neste Square. Stroller Strides exercise will be held at 10:30 a.m. with Art of Motion. The Indian Fest, which is part of the theme of Asian Heritage Month, will be held between 12:00 p.m. and 2:00 p.m. There will be traditional North Indian Kathak dancers, sari draping demonstrations, delicious Indian cuisine by Tabla Restaurant, and other activities. At 7:30 p.m. on Saturday, Treble will provide musical entertainment. On Sunday, August 6, 2023, Village Yoga will hold a class at 8:00 a.m. in Memorial Park at Van Neste Square. At 7:00 p.m., the Bold Collective will provide musical entertainment (house music).

 

Deputy Mayor Perron announced that there are currently two vacancies on the Green Team, which is a subcommittee of the Green Ridgewood Committee. The Green Team is involved in executing and documenting the actions of Sustainable Jersey. This involves environmentally oriented initiatives, such as recognizing restaurants in the Village that observe sustainable practices, like composting.

 

The Central Business District Advisory Committee (CBDAC) makes recommendations to the Village Council, dealing with items such as the Master Plan and other initiatives, which are aimed at keeping the downtown area vibrant. Deputy Mayor Perron said that this is a very important group, which does a lot of work behind the scenes. There is a vacancy on this committee as well. She encouraged all Village residents to become involved in the various committees in Ridgewood.

 

Mayor Vagianos began by thanking everyone involved in organizing the various events for the pedestrian plaza. He expressed the hope that the pedestrian plaza will be opened back up in September. Mayor Vagianos especially thanked Deputy Mayor Perron for the countless hours she has spent to make the pedestrian plaza a success, as well as Jeanne Johnson. He emphasized that even though the pedestrian plaza will be paused for August, all of the planned activities and entertainment will still go on.

 

Mayor Vagianos thanked Ms. Mailander and Mr. Kazmark for their updates regarding the milling and paving work being done in the Village on the County roads. He also thanked Mr. Rutishauser and Village staff in the Signal and Streets Divisions for their help in coordinating these paving efforts. Mayor Vagianos thanked Councilmember Winograd for her efforts in pushing for the development of a new Village website.

 

5.         PRESENTATION

 

            1.         WEST GLEN AVENUE SIDEWALKS

 

Mr. Kazmark said that the Village Councilmembers have been provided with updated estimates and various options regarding the sidewalk project on West Glen Avenue. He added that Robert Rooney, Chief Financial Officer, is also available this evening to answer any questions related to financing of this project.

 

Jovan Mehandzic, Assistant Engineer, stated that there are two options: a wall with a four-foot sidewalk, or no wall and a six-foot sidewalk right behind the curb. The cost to build retaining walls and a four-foot sidewalk along the south side of West Glen Avenue (from North Monroe Street to Heights Road) is estimated to be $1.2 million ($1,204,241.02). Performing the same work from Heights Road to Alpine Terrace, and adding in a crosswalk by Alpine Terrace, will cost approximately $763,277.18.

 

Councilmember Reynolds asked if the estimate for work from Heights Road to Alpine Terrace would include narrowing the crosswalk by Heights Road. Mr. Mehandzic said that the sidewalk improvements near S Hill Road have already been approved, and the estimate given by him this evening for $763,277.18 only includes walls and sidewalks from Heights Road to Alpine Terrace. Mr. Kazmark added that the Village Councilmembers will discuss the funding for the bumpouts near S Hill and Heights Roads at the end of Mr. Mehandzic’s presentation. These are considered to be two separate projects, as recommended by the Engineering Department.

 

Deputy Mayor Perron asked about the diagram showing “Wall Section #6,” specifically whether the highest point of the wall would be five blocks high (about three to four feet tall). Mr. Mehandzic replied that it would be about four-and-a-half blocks high. The bottom block will be half buried into the ground. There are no footings per se. The blocks themselves are the footings, and each block measures approximately 18 inches in height. Near Alpine Terrace, the highest point of the wall would be approximately six feet. Mr. Mehandzic stated that there is six feet of bedrock at this location. The bedrock will need to be chipped away, since they cannot blast it apart. The cost to remove the bedrock varies by contractor (depends upon whether the contractor owns the chipping equipment or not).

 

Councilmember Weitz asked what the benefits would be with a retaining wall as opposed to not having a retaining wall. He also asked if the retaining walls would require continued maintenance. Mr. Mehandzic said that building a retaining wall would help to prevent erosion and water runoff. Councilmember Weitz asked Mr. Mehandzic which option he would choose. Mr. Mehandzic replied that he is not a licensed engineer and did not feel qualified to answer that question. However, if he were a resident living on West Glen Avenue, he would prefer having a retaining wall.

 

Councilmember Weitz asked if Mr. Mehandzic has reached out to any of the property owners whose properties would need a retaining wall, due to the steep slope of their front yards. Mr. Kazmark replied that he has a list of the affected households. However, he is reluctant to hold a meeting with the residents before the Village Councilmembers approve a definitive plan and scope for the sidewalk project. Councilmember Weitz said that he would be interested in hearing some feedback from these affected residents, before deciding upon a course of action. Mr. Kazmark asked Mr. Mehandzic to speak a bit about the possible runoff of dirt, onto the sidewalk.

 

Mr. Mehandzic stated that the reason why the retaining walls were originally proposed is because 90% of the affected properties have a single-lane driveway, which poses problems for these homeowners. By constructing a retaining wall, he said that he could cut back into their steep front slopes (approximately 18 feet deep) and give these homeowners a double-lane driveway. This would aid residents with more than one car. Mr. Mehandzic mentioned that some variances would probably be needed, but he was not sure whether or not those requirements would be waived.

 

Mr. Rogers said that if the double-lane driveways were constructed, a retaining wall would then be needed for the new part of the driveway (along the side). He asked who would perform that work and who would be responsible for the cost of same. Mr. Mehandzic said that all of this work is included in his cost estimates. Mayor Vagianos said that this provides an accommodation for the residents who live along West Glen Avenue. He acknowledged that these residents will lose their self-made parking spaces along the right-of-way, near the street.

 

Councilmember Reynolds pointed out that if the retaining walls were not built, these neighbors will lose their parking spaces in the right-of-way. She asked how many properties will be affected in this regard. Mr. Mehandzic said that most properties east of Alpine Terrace will be affected, since they would no longer be able to park along the right-of-way (six properties). A discussion ensued about each individual driveway and the dimensions of each. Mr. Mehandzic said that one of the goals of the Engineering Department is to widen residents’ driveways to compensate for their inconvenience, as a result of the sidewalk project.

 

There was also a discussion regarding erosion and the need for adequate and appropriate landscaping on the steep slopes, if retaining walls were not constructed. Mr. Mehandzic said that a slope of 3:1 is mowable, and a slope of 2:1 can be mulched or chipped. Most of the slopes on West Glen Avenue are 2:1 (two horizontal to one vertical). When questioned by Mayor Vagianos, Mr. Mehandzic replied that building a retaining wall would offer an accommodation to the property owner and would prevent erosion and water runoff. Without a retaining wall, the property owners would not enjoy an extra parking space and there is potential for soil erosion and runoff.

 

Councilmember Winograd mentioned that the installation of Belgium blocks would offer a buffer and aid in preventing runoff. Mr. Mehandzic said that the cost of the Belgium blocks was included in the price estimate with no walls. He said that these blocks would prevent some of the wood chips from washing away; however, this will cause more maintenance issues for residents. Councilmember Winograd asked what the average lifespan is for these proposed retaining walls, and Mr. Mehandzic said that they would probably last 50 years.

 

Councilmember Reynolds said that another advantage to building the retaining walls is that they are more aesthetically pleasing. She said that having a six-foot sidewalk with no trees is a “colder” look. Mayor Vagianos agreed.

 

Councilmember Reynolds asked if the retaining wall would be built along all of the properties on the upper half of West Glen Avenue on the south side. Mr. Mehandzic stated that sidewalks have already been constructed by the first four houses on West Glen Avenue (east of the traffic light on North Monroe Street). He said that all of the properties east of that section will need retaining walls, with the tallest being needed near Alpine Terrace. He mentioned that there will need to be a very big retaining wall built by S Hill Road, near the woods.

 

Mayor Vagianos stated that the Village normally bonds approximately $7.5 million each year, and usually is able to “retire” that same amount each year. He asked Mr. Rooney if this sidewalk project could be bonded this year, instead of next year, considering the fact that $7.5 million has already been bonded in 2023. Mr. Rooney said that the sidewalk project could probably be bonded this year, with the knowledge that Department Directors will need to “sharpen their pencils” again next year in order to cut costs. He said that they will have to look at what future projects are anticipated, and the Village could bond for less ($6 million) next year.

 

Mr. Rooney pointed out that there have been some huge appropriations made for Ridgewood Water in order to combat the PFAS problem in the water ($60 million a few months ago, and approximately another $11 million appropriation to be made this evening). This will impact the Village’s net debt. Mr. Rooney asked Mr. Mehandzic if this project could be done in two separate pieces, rather than all at once. Councilmember Weitz wondered whether this project could even be completed this year, with only a few months left of warm weather.

 

Mr. Mehandzic said that in the 1990s, all of the sidewalks were done in the CBD. The Village purchased all of the bricks beforehand and stored the bricks, until they were used by the contractor the following year. By doing so, the long turnaround time to receive the materials did not adversely delay the commencement of the project. Mr. Mehandzic suggested that the Village could purchase the Belgium blocks ahead of time and store them, until they were used by the contractor for the sidewalk project on West Glen Avenue. In this way, the contractor does not need to supply the bricks himself and wouldn’t have to deal with a long turnaround time. The Village could do a purchase order for the blocks now, and the sidewalk project could be completed next year. In any event, there will still be a six- to eight-month turnaround time, regardless of whether or not the contractor orders the blocks. Mr. Mehandzic said that this sidewalk project will not be completed this year. However, he mentioned that the contractor will probably bid a little more overhead, because he is losing money on not ordering the blocks himself. On the other hand, the contractor will have to bond for less money if he did not have to order the blocks himself. Therefore, by the Village ordering the blocks beforehand, the Village will be guaranteed that the blocks will have been received by the time the sidewalk project is to commence.

 

Councilmember Winograd asked the Village Councilmembers if they were leaning toward the construction of the retaining walls. Mayor Vagianos said that he wanted to see if there is a way in which the retaining walls can be built for $1.2 million.

 

Mayor Vagianos asked Mr. Rooney about the effect upon the Village’s bond rating if the Village bonded more than $7.5 million this year. Mr. Rooney replied that the Village has an AAA rating and retained that rating after bonding $60 million for Ridgewood Water through the I-Bank. He does not believe that bonding $6 million or $7 million next year will impact this rating.

 

Deputy Mayor Perron asked if any grant monies may be available for this sidewalk project, such as the Safe Routes to School initiative. Mr. Mehandzic replied that there are too many constraints that are involved with the project, including a stream on the north side of West Glen Avenue. The sidewalk improvement would be within 50 feet of that stream (which the NJDEP classifies as open course water), which would conflict with Federal guidelines as far as grant monies are concerned. Mr. Mehandzic said that he and the engineering staff have not been successful in locating any suitable grants for this project. He added that he has already met onsite with officials of the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection (NJDEP) and they are not interested in granting any monies for this project (near the stream).

 

Councilmember Reynolds asked if the NJDEP would grant monies for work further away from the stream, and Mr. Mehandzic said that they have not yet gotten that far. Councilmember Reynolds stated that $500,000.00 was appropriated in the 2023 Capital Budget for the Schedler property, but the ordinance was written in such a way that the capital monies could be used for other projects, if necessary. Mr. Rooney said that he would have to check, but he recalled that he asked that there be some flexibility in the ordinance, in the event the Village wanted to use the money for a project other than for Schedler. Councilmember Reynolds recalled a discussion about possibly using $100,000.00 of the $500,000.00 for the West Glen Avenue sidewalks. She stated that she would actually like to use the entire $500,000.00 towards the sidewalk project.

 

Councilmember Winograd stated that there are many competing capital projects in the Village and many safety concerns, including the Kingsbridge Lane Footbridge repairs, the West Glen Avenue sidewalk project, the purchase of new trucks for the Sanitation Department, and the purchase of required equipment for the Police Department. She said that the price estimates for the sidewalk project range from approximately $197,000.00 to $1.2 million. She said that $1.2 million is a lot of money to spend merely to provide residents with additional parking spots, and would place another burden on taxpayers. Councilmember Winograd said that the sidewalks could be constructed without retaining walls, and the Kingsbridge Lane Footbridge could be repaired, for less than it would cost to build the retaining walls and sidewalks.

 

Mayor Vagianos asked Mr. Rooney to meet with the Village Manager and Department Directors to determine how much the Village could realistically bond for both the bridge and sidewalk projects, while at the same time bonding for anticipated capital projects in the next six or seven months. He asked Mr. Rooney to then come back before the Village Council in September to present his findings.

 

Councilmember Weitz said that he liked the “Cadillac version” of the sidewalk project, as referred to by Mayor Vagianos, but that he agreed with Councilmember Winograd that he was not in favor of that version if it meant that the Kingsbridge Lane Footbridge would not be repaired anytime soon. He agreed with Mayor Vagianos’s suggestion to Mr. Rooney.

 

Councilmember Winograd stated that she would like to tell the affected residents what is being proposed, in order to get their feedback. Councilmembers Reynolds and Weitz agreed. Mr. Kazmark said that he would be more than happy to arrange for a meeting with the affected residents, once Mr. Rutishauser returns from vacation. Afterwards, the feedback and comments from the residents will be collated and reported back to the Village Council. He said that he would like to review with Mr. Rooney the capital requests that were not granted last year, so that they can get an idea of what budget requests will be forthcoming in 2024. Mr. Kazmark added that budget requests have already been sent out to Department Directors for next year.

 

Regarding the sidewalk improvements (bumpouts) near S Hill Road, Mr. Kazmark asked Mr. Rooney if the estimated cost of that work was between $50,000.00 and $60,000.00. He said that he would like to piggyback that work with the existing paving contract, which would allow for the bumpouts to be completed before the winter months. Ms. Mailander clarified that the contract for the bumpouts was already awarded in July.

 

Councilmember Reynolds reiterated that she would like an answer to her question about the $500,000 Capital Budget appropriation. In addition, she said that a question had been raised by a resident regarding the fact that large trucks may not be able to maneuver or make turns if the bumpouts were constructed by S Hill Road. She asked if any investigation had been done concerning that issue. Mr. Kazmark said that both Sean Hamlin, Supervisor of Recycling, and Police Chief Judge were consulted and a turning radius exercise was performed. He asked Mr. Mehandzic to elaborate on this.

 

Mr. Mehandzic said that he has a turning template for the current ladder truck in the Village. He mentioned that the wheelbase of a garbage truck is smaller than that of a firetruck. He reported that the large trucks will be able to make turns and maneuver the roads in that area with no problem, even with the bumpouts.

 

Councilmember Winograd said that she is in favor of constructing sidewalks along the entire south side of West Glen Avenue (from North Monroe Street to Heights Road), and is less in favor of constructing sidewalks only from Alpine Terrace to Heights Road. She said that she was not sure if she was in favor of building the retaining walls. Councilmember Weitz agreed with Councilmember Winograd.

 

Mr. Kazmark said that the only other question he had was whether or not S Hill Road would be made a one-way street. He would like to hear a consensus of how the Village Councilmembers feel about that, by the next Village Council meeting. In the meantime, he said that he would solicit opinions from the Engineering and Police Departments about whether or not to make S Hill Road a one-way street. Councilmember Weitz asked Mr. Kazmark if he could also discuss the intersection of Oak Street and West Glen Avenue with the Engineering and Police Departments, to see if anything can be done to improve safety in that area. He stated that there are at least two bad accidents at that intersection every year, and a car actually flipped over in that location about a month or two ago.

 

It was decided that Mr. Rooney will meet with Mr. Kazmark and Department Directors to discuss capital projects, and bring their findings to the Village Council meeting scheduled on September 6, 2023.

 

 

 

 

 

6.         DISCUSSION

 

A.        RIDGEWOOD WATER

 

1.         AWARD SOLE SOURCE CONTRACT – SUPPORT SERVICES FOR SCADA SYSTEM

 

Mr. Kazmark indicated that this item pertains to the awarding of a Sole Source contract for support services for the SCADA system. This three-year software support agreement with Emerson Process Management Power and Water Solutions, Inc., includes service labor rates for support services, beyond software support, on an as-needed basis. The SCADA system allows remote control and tracking of the water system and is essential to the daily operation of Ridgewood Water. Mr. Calbi is recommending that this contract be awarded in an amount not to exceed $25,000.00. Funding is available in the Water Utility Operating Budget.

 

Deputy Mayor Perron commented that the previous year’s contract was $19,869.00, and she wondered why the contract is costing more this year. Mr. Kazmark said that this was relative to the issue that was discussed in Closed Session.

 

2.         FUNDING FOR PFAS TREATMENT FACILITY – EAST RIDGEWOOD AND WEST END

 

Mr. Kazmark said that this item pertains to funding for the Ridgewood and West End PFAS treatment facilities. The $11 million proposed bond ordinance will fund construction and eligible Section 20 expenses for engineering and fees for both facilities. These are two of twelve facilities proposed for the removal of PFAS compounds (PFOA and PFOS) from the drinking water. In May 2023, Ridgewood Water entered into an Administrative Consent Order (ACO) with the NJDEP, and this ordinance is part of that compliance plan.

 

Deputy Mayor Perron asked for clarification of the sentence in the footnote of the memorandum, which reads: “Ridgewood Water has awarded a construction contracts [sic] and has broken ground on construction for the Prospect and Ravine Treatment Facilities.” She recalled that the groundbreaking for the Ravine Treatment Facility was to take place on August 14, 2023. Mr. Kazmark felt that this merely meant that Ridgewood Water was ready to proceed with the project, although the groundbreaking has not yet occurred.

 

 

 

 

B.        PARKING

 

1.         ESTABLISH NO PARKING AND TIME LIMIT PARKING – NORTH WALNUT STREET AND MASTIN PLACE

 

Mr. Kazmark stated that both the Engineering and Police Departments have recommended that a no parking zone and time limit parking be initiated on North Walnut Street and Mastin Place. Residents who live in the area have complained that employees, who work in the CBD, are parking there all day long. The parked vehicles make it hard for the residents to enter and exit their driveways and it takes away parking from the residents, in front of their homes. This was confirmed by a field investigation performed by Officer Tarino. It is proposed that a two-hour parking limit be instituted on North Walnut Street and Mastin Place.

 

Deputy Mayor Perron said that she found some typos in the proposed letter to residents, and she will pass these along to Mr. Kazmark who, in turn, will bring these to the attention of the Engineering Department.

 

Councilmember Reynolds also stated that the paragraph entitled “No Parking” in the proposed letter should be reworded to keep it consistent. It now indicates that no parking will be allowed at any time for the west side of North Walnut Street, from Linwood Avenue north to Mastin Place, and the same “2 hour time limit” would also apply to the south side of Mastin Place, from Oak Street to North Maple Avenue. She felt that the words “2 hour time limit” should be changed to “no parking limit.” Mr. Kazmark said that he will take the proposed letter to the Police Department tomorrow for clarification and the letter will subsequently be redrafted, according to the input received from the Police Department.

 

Councilmember Winograd said that this matter was brought to the attention of the Village Council by Ed Houlihan, of the Citizens Safety Advisory Committee (CSAC). She asked Councilmember Reynolds if she would contact Mr. Houlihan to let him know of the progress being made in this regard, and Councilmember Reynolds replied that she would do so.

 

            C.        BUDGET

 

1.         AUTHORIZE EXECUTION OF SETTLEMENT AGREEMENT – NOTICE OF VIOLATION – COPPER EXCEEDANCE – WATER POLUTION CONTROL FACILITY

 

Mr. Kazmark indicated that this item pertains to an authorization to execute a Settlement Agreement reached with the NJDEP to address a Notice of Violation that was received last summer. Since the violation was a first-time offense, the NJDEP assessed the Village $1,000.00, which was the lowest possible fine. The fine was imposed due to the exceedance of the copper limit in the treated discharge from the Water Pollution Control Facility. The source of the copper was traced to the use of copper sulfate by Graydon Pool, in treating their pool water, and then discharging it to the sanitary sewer collection system. Graydon Pool staff are in the process of correcting this situation by minimizing the discharge of the copper sulfate.

 

2.         AWARD CONTRACT – REPAIR OF POLICE DEPARTMENT VEHICLE

 

Mr. Kazmark explained that this item pertains to the awarding of a contract for body shop services, for the repair of a Police Department vehicle (Tahoe #19). It is recommended that the contract be awarded to Midland Park Auto Body, Inc., of Midland Park, New Jersey, in an amount not to exceed $2,467.70. Mr. Kazmark reminded the Village Councilmembers that the Village has been out for bid for these services two times and no bids were received. Therefore, the Village is permitted to negotiate prices for these services.

 

3.         AWARD CONTRACT - LAYOUT AND PRINTING OF 2024 VILLAGE CALENDAR

 

Mr. Kazmark stated that this pertains to the awarding of a contract for the layout, printing and appropriate mail house preparation of the 2024 Village Calendar. It is recommended that this contract be awarded to Ridgewood Press, of Ridgewood, New Jersey, in an amount not to exceed $16,050.00.

 

Deputy Mayor Perron asked if this amount includes mailing, and Ms. Mailander replied that it does not, but it does include delivery of the printed calendars to the postal facility. Postage will be additional, but the advertisements contained within the calendar pay for most of the postage costs incurred.

 

Councilmember Winograd said that the ads pay for about 78% of the mailing costs. She asked if there was any consideration given to reinstating the coupons that used to be contained within the calendar. Ms. Mailander said that this was up to the individual vendor or advertiser. Councilmember Winograd said that when the calendar was digitized, she received a multitude of comments from residents that proved to her that people love print media. She said that residents really loved the coupons in prior years’ calendars and she asked whether advertisers are told that this is an option when they want to place an ad. Ms. Mailander said that the letter has already gone out to advertisers this year, but that it could be reviewed again next year.

 

 

 

 

4.         AWARD CONTRACT – TREE PLANTING THROUGHOUT THE VILLAGE

 

Mayor Vagianos recused himself from this discussion, since he is personally acquainted with the owner of Downes Tree Service.

 

Mr. Kazmark stated that this item pertains to the awarding of a contract for tree planting throughout the Village. Bids were solicited on July 20, 2023. There were eight registered plan holders, and seven bids were received, ranging from a low of $63,405.00 to a high of $96,000.00. It is recommended that this contract be awarded to Downes Tree Service of Hawthorne, New Jersey, in an amount not to exceed $63,405.00. This work is to be funded from the 2023 Capital Budget, Ordinance #3951.

 

Deputy Mayor Perron asked how many trees will be planted. According to the bid documents, approximately 120 trees will be planted.

 

5.         AWARD CONTRACT – RADIO CONSOLE INSTALLATION – FIRE DEPARTMENT

 

Mr. Kazmark explained that this item pertains to the awarding of a contract for the purchase and installation of radio consoles for the Fire Department. These new consoles will replace the outdated one at Fire Headquarters, as well as act as a backup at Engine 31. These consoles will allow full dispatch and communication capabilities. It is recommended that this contract be awarded to Goosetown Communications of Congers, New York, in an amount not to exceed $185,000.00. Funding is available in the 2033 Capital Account ($130,000.00) and 2023 Capital Account ($55,000.00).

 

The quote was split into two quotes to keep costs down. The Motorola portion is being purchased utilizing NJ State Contract #83908, and the Aztec portion will be purchased under co-op PSE01, saving approximately $10,000.00. This co-op is being presented to the Village Council this evening for approval to join.

 

Deputy Mayor Perron asked what a “console” is, and Mr. Kazmark replied that it was the technology that goes into the desk, to allow dispatch capabilities from the firehouse. The redundancy would come into play if there were an issue with one of the consoles. Deputy Mayor Perron asked what Engine 31 was, and Ms. Mailander replied that Engine 31 is the firehouse located at the top of West Glen Avenue by North Monroe Street.

 

 

 

6.         CHAPTER 159 – 2023 BUDGET AMENDMENT – ASSISTANCE TO FIREFIGHTERS GRANT

 

Mr. Kazmark stated that this item pertains to a 2023 Budget Amendment Resolution for the Federal grant awarded to the Fire Department, but not appropriated. The grant was received from the US Department of Homeland Security, Fiscal Year 2022 Assistance to Firefighters Grant. A budget amendment resolution permits the Village to add grant revenue and appropriation to the 2023 budget. These funds, in the amount of $263,725.45, are targeted for the purchase of self-containing breathing apparatus units for the Fire Department.

 

7.         REVIEW OF JUNE 30, 2023 FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

 

Mr. Rooney stated that he has provided the Village Councilmembers with a summary of the revenue and expenses for the Current Fund, the Water Utility Fund, and the Parking Utility Fund as of June 30, 2023. He said that the Village is currently on track in the Current Fund, regarding revenues that were anticipated, and what has been expended over six months. Mr. Rooney said that many billings were sent out in July, and the revenues should be received over the next few weeks. State aid of $1.8 million is anticipated to be received during the months of August through October 2023. He has received confirmation that the full amount of State aid will be received this year, due to the fact that the Village observes Best Practices that conform to State regulations. Regarding revenues, the Current Fund is at approximately 52% of what was anticipated and budgeted for in 2023.

 

Regarding appropriations in the Current Fund, Mr. Rooney stated that there are items marked with an asterisk. He said that many Village Departments do not utilize the encumbrance system, although Mr. Rooney prefers that the encumbrance system be used. Some departments know what they need for certain items. For example, if it is determined that a department needs $500,000.00 for the year to purchase tires, they will prepare a blanket encumbrance into the system, so that amount can be reserved, and not used for anything else. If it is determined at the end of the year that the monies are not needed, then the encumbrance is canceled and the money is freed up for other items, without the need for transfers. These blanket encumbrances will usually exceed the 50% anticipated outlay mid-year. Many departments do not have big-ticket items and do not use blanket encumbrances.

 

Mr. Rooney explained that there are some allocations that come through the Engineering Department, the Water Utility and Parking Utility, and some have not yet been posted to the system. These allocations will be shown in the third quarter recap in October. Mr. Rooney stated that the Current Fund appropriations are at about 56% of what was anticipated in the 2023 budget.

 

Deputy Mayor Perron asked about item #08-113, “Interest on Investments & Deposits,” in Mr. Rooney’s paperwork, which indicates that this item is at 201% of what was anticipated. Mr. Rooney replied that he can only anticipate what is collected in the prior year. Approximately $400,000.00 was collected in 2022 in investment income, and that is why he was limited in what he was able to indicate in this year’s budget. He mentioned that interest rates are significantly better now than they were last year at this time, which basically doubled the anticipated revenues as of June 30, 2023.

 

There was a discussion between Councilmember Weitz and Mr. Rooney about the excess $400,000.00 being placed into surplus for next year (the approximate difference between the $358,000.00 that was anticipated for revenues in 2023 and the $717,991.00, which has already been received in revenues as of June 30, 2023 in the Current Fund). Mr. Rooney said that he will need to keep an eye on next year’s interest rates, so that he can accurately determine what the anticipated revenues should be in 2024 for the Current Fund. If interest rates decrease, then not as much revenue will be received (interest on investments and deposits).

 

Mayor Vagianos remarked that it was an incredibly tight budget year. He asked Mr. Rooney how the Village will fare by the end of the fiscal year, since some categories exceed the 50% mark mid-year. Mr. Rooney said that the Village is “looking good” at the current time. However, he predicts that some departments will require transfers toward the end of the year, due to rising costs of products that could not be anticipated earlier in the year.

 

Mayor Vagianos asked about the excess $400,000.00, which was spoken about earlier. Mr. Rooney stated that this is “money in the bank” right now. Mayor Vagianos mentioned that these funds could perhaps be used towards the capital projects discussed this evening. Mr. Rooney said that these monies could not be used for capital projects, since he is discussing the status of the Operating Budget and not the Capital Budget, although he conceded that perhaps some of these funds could be used for capital projects.

 

Mr. Rooney then discussed revenues in the Water Utility Fund. He said that about 45% of what was anticipated in revenues for the year has been received. Water rate increases are scheduled to be billed in July, along with some cell tower rent and fire hydrant service. Mr. Rooney stated that about 41% of what was anticipated in appropriations for 2023 has been expended as of June 30, 2023. He said that he was waiting for encumbrances on some of the items.

 

Regarding revenues in the Parking Utility Fund, Mr. Rooney explained that approximately 51% of what was anticipated in revenues has been received as of June 30, 2023. The parking rate changes took effect in June, so revenues from that source will be realized in July onward. Mr. Rooney stated that appropriations in the Parking Utility Fund are at approximately 30% of what was anticipated in the 2023 budget. He explained that not all of the encumbrances have been entered into the system at this time.

 

Councilmember Winograd asked if any funds were realized from the reclamation metal from the deadhead parking meters. Mr. Rooney said that he would find out and let her know.

 

8.         RESCIND AND REPLACE RESOLUTION #23-198 – CREATIVE COPING TOOLKIT

 

Mr. Kazmark stated that this item pertains to rescinding and replacing Resolution #23-198 for the purchase of Creative Coping Toolkits. This will simply change the business registration name from Impactful to Indieflix Group, Inc.

 

D.        POLICY

 

1.         AUTHORIZE MEMBERSHIP IN COMMONWEALTH OF MASSACHUSETTS OPERATIONAL SERVICES DIVISION (OSD) CONTRACT PSE01 COOPERATIVE PRICING SYSTEM

 

Mr. Kazmark explained that this matter deals with a resolution to be approved by the Village Council, so that the Village may enter into a cooperative purchasing agreement with the Commonwealth of Massachusetts Operational Services Division (OSD) under Contract PSE01. There is no fee to join, and joining is legally permissible. Joining this cooperative would provide the Village with another option for purchasing goods and services for the Village. This will be used by the Fire Department to purchase their self-containing breathing apparatus units.

 

            2.         VILLAGE COUNCIL MEETING CURFEW AT 11:00 P.M.

 

            3.         POLICY FOR PUBLIC COMMENTS

 

Mr. Kazmark said that Councilmember Reynolds requested that these items be placed on the agenda this evening.

 

Councilmember Reynolds stated that while she is not against the 11:00 p.m. curfew for Village Council meetings, she is not in favor of it, if it interferes with, and cuts off, public comments at the end of meetings. She said that the Village Councilmembers could either agree to end at 11:00 p.m., regardless of who is waiting to speak, or they can agree to remove some items from the agenda or shorten presentations, so that the public may have time to voice their concerns at the end of a meeting. She said that she cannot fathom why members of the public should be forced to wait three hours until the end of a meeting to speak, and then not be allowed to speak.

 

Deputy Mayor Perron indicated that she would like to hear the opinion of Mr. Kazmark, as to how other municipalities handle this issue. Mr. Kazmark said that it varies from town to town how public comments are handled, and that tradition prevails in these types of situations. In Elmwood Park, there was a very long time period allotted for public comments at the end of each meeting, with no time limit. In addition, there was dialogue between the governing body and the public during public comments. This was a longstanding tradition in Elmwood Park. In Parsippany, only agenda items were heard during meetings, and any public comments could be made at the start of the meeting concerning those agenda items. If a person wanted to make a comment on something other than an agenda item, they could do so at the very end of the meeting, with a five-minute time limit. In Woodland Park, public comments were heard only at the beginning of the meeting and not at the end, with a limit of three minutes per person. Mr. Kazmark said that the discretion of the Chair to extend the three minutes prevailed in some instances, if a person just needed to finish up their comments. He remarked that there usually was not a lot of public attendance at these meetings, which afforded more flexibility during public comments. He said that it was “town specific” as far as how the Village Council wished to proceed, regarding public comments.

 

Councilmember Winograd said that she was surprised to see these items on the agenda. She said that one of the few good things that came out of the Covid pandemic, was hybrid access. This allowed many residents to make their voice heard during Village Council meetings, since they could not physically attend meetings due to various reasons, such as being disabled or being a single or working parent. Hybrid access allows citizens to engage with government. Hybrid access was suspended after the Covid pandemic eased, and it was only reinstated when the existing Village Councilmembers took office. Councilmember Winograd said that the only members of the prior Village Council who advocated for the reinstatement of hybrid access were Mayor Vagianos (then Councilman) and Deputy Mayor Perron (then Councilwoman).

 

Councilmember Winograd said that good governance relies upon citizen engagement. She reviewed all of the measures taken by the current Village Council to improve public comments, such as audio improvements, moving the podium to the side of the room, developing the Citizens’ Guide to Public Comment, initiating “Council Chat,” and extending the time for public comments. Councilmember Winograd said that, by law, the Village is only required to have one public comment portion of a meeting. She said that the Village Councilmembers are also responsible for the safety and well-being of Village staff who assist during meetings. Councilmember Winograd said that she becomes concerned about Village staff when public comments are not limited at the end of meetings. She mentioned that she gave some case law to Mr. Rogers regarding “duty of care.” Councilmember Winograd said that nothing great happens after 11:00 p.m. Although she is not a fan of the curfew, she gets worried about Village staff who must drive home when they are exhausted.

 

Councilmember Weitz said that he was in agreement with Councilmember Winograd and Councilmember Reynolds. He said that if people show up to make public comments, then the Village Councilmembers should do everything in their power to allow them to speak. However, he feels that there needs to be some limitation on how long meetings can last. Councilmember Weitz pointed out that, many times, the public does not realize that the Village Councilmembers need to stay later at a meeting if there is a Closed Session scheduled at the end of a meeting, or they need to arrive early if a Closed Session is held before the start of a meeting. In either case, Village staff needs to be on hand to facilitate the meeting, such as I.T. staff and Ms. Mailander. Councilmember Weitz said that some Village Councilmembers need to attend a five- or six-hour meeting, after having worked all day at their regular jobs.

 

Councilmember Weitz stated that he was more concerned with efficiency, rather than limiting the time for public comments. He said that he wanted to speak with Mr. Kazmark about why the public is limited to three minutes at the start of the meeting and five minutes at the end of the meeting. He feels as though it should be the other way around. Councilmember Weitz also questioned whether or not the Village Manager’s Report needs to be given at each meeting. He said that he would like to limit Council Reports to three minutes each, considering the fact that members of the public are limited to three minutes.

 

Councilmember Weitz said that there must be a limit set for the length of Village Council meetings, especially since Village staff also needs to be on hand to facilitate the meeting. In addition, he said that the meetings need to be run as efficiently as possible, so that people viewing at home can watch the entire meeting and go to bed at a reasonable hour. He said that no one is going to listen to comments made at midnight, during a meeting. In conclusion, Councilmember Weitz said that he was in favor of keeping the 11:00 p.m. curfew and suggested that ways should be found to streamline meetings. He said that only infrequently will a meeting be lengthy, due to some high-interest matters. He added that if a person is unable to comment at a meeting, they can always do so at “Council Chat.” In addition, the Village Councilmembers are accessible via email at all times. He said that it is extraordinarily rare when a member of the public is not allowed the time to speak.

 

Deputy Mayor Perron agreed that it is very rare when members of the public are not given the time to speak. She said that she liked Councilmember Weitz’s idea of limiting Council Reports to three minutes each.

 

Mayor Vagianos asked Mr. Rogers if he could speak about the research he did regarding how public comments were handled in other towns. Mr. Rogers said that he reviewed ordinances from approximately 20 municipalities, those towns surrounding Ridgewood and other towns that have been compared to Ridgewood, such as Summit and Madison. Mr. Rogers said that Ridgewood is one of the few municipalities that allows for public comments twice during a meeting, as well as providing both hybrid and in-person access. He said that many towns do not have curfews, but those that do have curfews have an ending time much earlier than 11:00 p.m. He said that the towns with curfews have them enacted by ordinance, whereas the Village Council does it by practice, and extending the curfew is at the discretion of the Village Councilmembers. Mr. Rogers said that the Village makes a great effort to allow for public comments, more so than other communities (greater than 90%). He stated that Mr. Kazmark mentioned traditions, and it has become a tradition in the Village to have two portions of Village Council meetings dedicated to public comments.

 

Mayor Vagianos said that he and Deputy Mayor Perron fought very hard to reinstate hybrid access while on the prior Village Council. However, they could not even get it listed on the agenda last year. However, the very first act of the current Village Council was to reinstate hybrid access on January 4, 2023. As a result, the time for public comments at the start of meetings was expanded by almost 50%. In addition, the starting time for Village Council meetings was changed from 8:00 p.m. to 7:30 p.m., so that people at home can watch the meetings earlier. He said that many people “tune out” after 11:00 p.m. Mayor Vagianos said that some Village Councilmembers have to get up early to work at their regular jobs the following day, and by the time 11:00 p.m. rolls around, they are tired and not very alert. He said that this means that the Village Councilmembers may not entirely hear or understand what a member of the public is trying to say.

 

Mayor Vagianos said that a few weeks ago, he extended the Village Council meeting to 11:20 p.m., so that members of the public would have a chance to make comments. He said that the 11:00 p.m. curfew has never been strictly enforced. In addition, he said that the three- or five-minute time limits are never strictly enforced. Mayor Vagianos said that the curfew is waivable by a majority of the Village Councilmembers. He stated that he has spoken to Ms. Mailander about moving some agenda items to the next meeting, if it was anticipated that the meeting would be lengthy, so that people would have the opportunity to speak. Ms. Mailander told him that there is Village business that needs to be conducted in a timely manner and it is not possible to remove items from the agenda. For all of the above reasons, Mayor Vagianos said that he is in favor of having a time limit of three minutes per person for public comments, at the end of the meeting, and a five-minute limit per person, at the beginning of the meeting.  He said that he was still in favor of the 11:00 p.m. curfew.

 

Councilmember Reynolds said that there has been many more than just one meeting during which the public was not allowed to speak. She said that during some of those meetings, a roll call vote was taken regarding whether or not to extend the meeting past 11:00 p.m. However, at the last meeting when members of the public were not allowed to speak (July 12, 2023), there was no such roll call vote. Mayor Vagianos agreed. Councilmember Reynolds said that during a couple of meetings, there were only two members of the public who wished to speak and she couldn’t understand why they weren’t allowed to speak. Mayor Vagianos stated that sometimes there has been a line of people waiting to speak.

 

Councilmember Reynolds stated that a roll call vote should be done, if the public comments portion at the end of a meeting is going to end early. She said that she has no problem with reversing the time limits for public comments. However, if it is the Village Councilmembers’ “fault” that a meeting carries over past 11:00 p.m. (alluding to the lengthy 90-minute presentation by Mr. Primavera), then those people waiting to speak should be allowed to speak, regardless of the time. She said that the Village Councilmembers need to do everything in their power to have a concise meeting and allow residents to speak during public comments, since that is the most important part of the meeting.

 

Mayor Vagianos said that he takes full responsibility for the fact that the meeting on July 12, 2023 ran so long. He said that he should have told Mr. Primavera that he had a certain time limit within which to make his presentation. He also agreed with Councilmember Reynolds that a roll call vote should have been taken at the end of the July 12^th Village Council meeting, instead of unilaterally deciding that the meeting would end at 11:20 p.m. He apologized for not doing so.

 

Mayor Vagianos said that he was in favor of having a three-minute time limit for public comments at the end of meetings, rather than at the beginning of meetings, and also that a three-minute time limit be imposed for each Village Councilmember while giving their Council Reports. He asked if everyone was in favor of making those two changes, and there was a consensus that these changes should be implemented. However, Councilmember Winograd said that some Village Councilmembers are involved in more committees than others are, so three minutes may not be enough time to give a full report regarding committee activities. She said that five minutes would be a better time limit for Council Reports. She said that she did agree with a three-minute time limit per person during public comments at the end of Village Council meetings. Councilmember Winograd also agreed that a strictly enforced time limit should be imposed on presentations given before the Village Council.

 

Councilmember Weitz said that he could not recall a presentation given before the Village Council, which was as long as the one given by Mr. Primavera. However, he said that the Schedler property is a very important issue before the Village Council, and the Village has hired Mr. Primavera to review the history of the property and report his findings back to the Village Council. Councilmember Weitz said that it would have been difficult to limit Mr. Primavera’s presentation to only 15 minutes, especially considering the number of questions posed to him by the Village Councilmembers. He felt that Mayor Vagianos was correct in giving Mr. Primavera extra time for his presentation, although the time could have been shortened a bit. Mayor Vagianos felt that the time allotted for presentations should be at the discretion of the “Chair.” Councilmember Weitz felt that three minutes is sufficient time for each Village Councilmember to give their Council Reports, although he acknowledged that Councilmember Winograd is on more committees than other Village Councilmembers.

 

Mayor Vagianos asked if everyone was in favor of limiting the time for presentations and Council Reports, and everyone was in agreement. Mr. Kazmark said that he would like to restructure his Village Manager’s Report so that public announcements are made through other means, such as using social media, E-notices, or the Village website.

 

Councilmember Winograd asked Mr. Rogers if anything needs to be done in order to enact these changes (time limits during Village Council meetings). Mr. Rogers replied that there is already an ordinance that deals with the amount of time that can be used for public comments at the end of meetings. He will review this ordinance and see if it needs to be amended in any way. Councilmember Winograd asked if the Village Councilmembers could vote on the introduction of the ordinance amendment next week, and Mr. Rogers stated that this could be done, if he feels that the ordinance needs to be amended after his review. 

 

E.        OPERATIONS

 

1.         AUTHORIZE VERIZON SMALL NODES IN VARIOUS LOCATIONS

 

Mr. Kazmark stated that this is a resolution to authorize Verizon to install two small node telecommunication low power antennas at 756 East Ridgewood Avenue and 656 Linwood Avenue. The installations will be within the public right-of-way. These installations would represent the third and fourth such installations in the Village. In 2016, the previous Village Council approved the installation of these small node antennas in two other locations. The Engineering Division will be sending out letters to residents within 200 feet of each installation location, to let them know what is occurring.

 

Deputy Mayor Perron asked if these nodes were 5G, and Mr. Kazmark said that he did not believe they were. He said that he would verify this tomorrow.

 

2.         AMENDMENT TO CHAPTER 101 – ALCOHOLIC BEVERAGES

 

Ms. Mailander explained that there are certain changes that need to be made to Chapter 101, Alcoholic Beverages, of the Code of the Village of Ridgewood, since some sections are outdated and no longer applicable. Section 101-7, Term of License and Payment of Fees, will be changed to indicate that all renewal fees must be paid prior to the renewal of the liquor license. She said that she is the one who usually determines the date that the payments to the Village are due, so that the Village Councilmembers can vote on the renewals in June and the renewals can become effective on July 1.

 

Ms. Mailander indicated that the next change will be in Section 101-10(B), License Entitlements, Fees. Section B indicates that the number of plenary retail consumption liquor licenses shall not exceed six. However, there are currently eight plenary retail consumption liquor licenses (one is allowed for every 3,000 residents). Based on the population in Ridgewood, the maximum allowable statutorily in the Village is eight at the current time. Ms. Mailander stated that the wording about the number of allowable consumption liquor licenses will be removed, since this number can vary, based upon population fluctuations and whether or not a liquor license lapses.

 

Ms. Mailander explained that the next change will be in Section 101-11, Plenary Retail Distribution License. Similar to Section 101-10(B), the sentence about the number of distribution liquor licenses will be removed. Based on the population in Ridgewood, the Village is over licensed, due to the fact that the existing distribution liquor licenses were grandfathered in, when the regulations came into existence.

 

3.         2024 VILLAGE COUNCIL MEETING DATES

 

Ms. Mailander stated that this item deals with Village Council meeting dates in 2024. The dates need to be discussed and decided upon, so that the dates are set for the Village calendar and the dates can be used when Ms. Mailander prepares the bid packets for the preparation of the 2024 Village Council meeting minutes. January 3^rd is the first Wednesday of January, and Ms. Mailander said that she would like to change this date of the Work Session to January 10^th, and move all of the other January meetings forward one week (January 10, 17 and 31, since there are five Wednesdays in January). Moving the first meeting of the year to January 10, 2024 will allow Village Councilmembers time to review the agenda packet after the end-of-year celebrations. The meetings will be held on the usual days (first, second and fourth Wednesdays) from February through June 2024. Since the first Wednesday in July falls on July 3^rd, which is the day before the planned Fourth of July activities, she would like to have the first meeting in July take place on July 10^th (Public Work Session), with the next Public Meeting held on July 17^th.  

 

Ms. Mailander said that the first Wednesday in October 2024 is October 2^nd, which is the first night of Rosh Hashanah, so she is recommending that the Public Work Session which would normally be scheduled for October 2^nd be moved to Monday, September 30^th. Ms. Mailander also indicated that she would like approval from the Village Councilmembers to set the “Coffee with the Council” date for September 7, 2024.

 

Everyone was in agreement with the dates recommended by Ms. Mailander. Deputy Mayor Perron asked if it was possible to only have two Village Council meetings per month. Ms. Mailander felt that it would be difficult to fit in all Village business with only two meetings per month. She mentioned that with only two meetings per month, each meeting would be very long, in order to take care of pending matters in the Village. Councilmember Winograd spoke about how meetings in Mahwah are conducted, and a brief discussion ensued. Mayor Vagianos said that meetings in some municipalities last only 15 minutes. There was also a discussion about Consent Agendas, legal requirements for meetings, and placing votes on the record. Mr. Rogers added that Village Council meetings are run like “a well-oiled ship” and follow all legal requirements regarding notices and ordinances. He stated that Ridgewood deals with more matters than other towns in Bergen County.

 

4.         LATE ADDITIONS TO VILLAGE COUNCIL MEETING AGENDAS

 

Councilmember Reynolds asked that this item be placed on the agenda. She stated that nothing drives her crazier than receiving materials late Tuesday night or early Wednesday morning, which need to be reviewed in time for a Village Council meeting on Wednesday evening. She asked if a cutoff time could be established for adding items to the agenda packet. She suggested a cutoff day/time of Monday by 2:00 p.m. for agenda materials to be received.

 

Mayor Vagianos agreed with Councilmember Reynolds and recalled that the prior cutoff time was set for the Friday before the scheduled Village Council meeting. He suggested that Fridays remain as the cutoff time for new agenda materials to be received, so that everyone has ample time to review the packet. He said that some exceptions may be made, particularly when there is an emergent nature that arises without warning or a clerical error occurs (where an item is inadvertently not placed on the agenda). Ms. Mailander corroborated that there is presently a Friday cutoff and this can be enforced if that is the desire of the Village Councilmembers. Everyone was in agreement.

 

7.         PUBLIC COMMENTS

 

Cynthia O’Keefe, 542 West Saddle River Road, thanked Mr. Kazmark for visiting the neighbors who live on the east side of Ridgewood, on a very hot day. They had productive discussions regarding the Kingsbridge Lane Footbridge and the Schedler property.

 

Ms. O’Keefe said that there were some comments this evening stating that there are vacancies on certain Village committees. She said that she has had the pleasure of serving on some of these committees, as well as attending other committee meetings.

 

Ms. O’Keefe read a letter from Peggy Norris, Village Historian, as follows: “Past officials of Ridgewood, duly elected by the residents of Ridgewood, chose to seek State and National Register status for the Zabriskie-Schedler house. Due to the history of the house, the property and the construction of the house, that status was granted. Regardless of what you personally feel about the wisdom of the decision, it is a done deal involving the County and the State, as well as the people of Ridgewood. Throughout its history, major decisions of the Village Council, including the purchase of the present Village Hall, have met with controversy and even lawsuits. However, elected officials have made decisions that benefit Ridgewood in the long run. That’s how democracy works. Instead of looking for drastic and expensive solutions that would negate the actions of previously elected officials, it would make more sense to accept the compromise worked out with all parties previously, to develop the park with a smaller field (the 2017 plan). The preservation specialist that you hired gave you the answer that you wanted to hear, but not a reasonable one. Joe (Suplicki) and I are your appointed Municipal Historians and we have not been consulted by any of the parties involved. The historic significance of the property is outlined in the nomination form. Regarding the property itself, there is abundant documentary evidence that 150 British soldiers marched down what is now West Saddle River Road in 1780 to engage in a battle at the site of the Old Paramus Reformed Church. It is hard to imagine that this did not involve the property now occupied by the Zabriskie-Schedler house. As a Village, we need sports, we need passive recreation, we need trees, and we need to protect our historic resources, so we urge you to look at development of the property with all of these things in mind. If you have any questions about the historic nature of the house or property, please contact us. Sincerely, Peggy W. Norris and Joe Suplicki, Municipal Historians of the Village of Ridgewood.”

 

Ms. O’Keefe stated that Councilmember Weitz is the Council Liaison for the Historic Preservation Committee. She said that this committee is comprised of an amazing group of people, who are passionate and dedicated. She said that no member of this committee has been consulted with regard to the historic nature of the Zabriskie-Schedler house or property. Ms. O’Keefe said that members of the public are still waiting for substantiation of Mr. Primavera’s expertise, background and credentials, considering that he is not a licensed architect, engineer or planner. In order to speak about moving an historic house from one location to another, or speak about de-listing the house and property from either the State or Federal Registries of Historic Places, Mr. Primavera needs to prove to the public that he is an expert in these areas. Ms. O’Keefe stated that Ms. Lima brought to light this evening some of the discrepancies she discovered when investigating Mr. Primavera’s background. Ms. O’Keefe implored the Village Councilmembers to do their due diligence by checking Mr. Primavera’s references and work experience. She mentioned that the Village has already paid Mr. Primavera the sum of $7,000.00, and will most likely be paying him more money in the future. Therefore, she feels that the Village Councilmembers need to find out more about Mr. Primavera’s expert credentials.

 

Bob Fuhrman, 49 Clinton Avenue, said that he was glad to see the matter of public comments on the agenda this evening. He said that listening to the Village Councilmembers for 3-1/2 hours is “enough time” for him. Mr. Fuhrman agreed that public comments should be limited to three minutes. He stated that there should only be comments made during public comments, and not a question-and-answer session. Regarding the limitation on Council Reports, Mr. Fuhrman stated that some Village Councilmembers have more committee involvement than others. He stated that he is a member of many committees, and he feels that whatever transpires at committee meetings deserves to be announced to the public at Village Council meetings. Therefore, he cautioned the Village Councilmembers against being too strict on these time limitations for Council Reports. 

 

Niti Mistry, 416 Colwell Court, stated that she is happy that there was a discussion this evening regarding the West Glen Avenue sidewalk project. While she is certain that $100,000.00 is not enough money to complete the sidewalks, she feels that $1.2 million may be a bit excessive. She said that the widening of the neighbors’ driveways as an accommodation, as mentioned by Mr. Mehandzic, is a “want” and not a “need.” While such an accommodation is nice, it should not be something that will “make or break the bank.” 

 

Ms. Mistry said that she was speaking on behalf of some residents who live along West Glen Avenue. She asked whether it was wise to delay the sidewalk project until next year, especially considering the fact that there are real safety concerns by the residents. As far as breaking up the sidewalk project into two parts, Ms. Mistry said that while she does not live directly on West Glen Avenue, she does walk along this route regularly and feels that the most dangerous part is the 100 feet of woods by S Hill Road. This is because there are no sidewalks or even a shoulder on the road, at that location. She said that if the Village performs any work, they should make sure to clear the trees in that stretch of woods, which would allow for greater visibility.

 

Suzanne Ruane, 705 Kingsbridge Lane, thanked Mr. Kazmark for meeting with the residents, who live near the Kingsbridge Lane Footbridge and the Schedler property, on an extremely hot day. She also thanked the Village Councilmembers for their lengthy discussion this evening regarding the sidewalk project along West Glen Avenue, as well as talking about the funding necessary to repair the footbridge. Ms. Ruane said that she was also pleased to see all of the paving projects going on in the Village. However, she said that West Saddle River Road is a disaster and in dire need of paving. She said that it has not been repaved during the ten years she has lived on Kingsbridge Lane. Ms. Ruane stated that the road is full of potholes on the Ridgewood side of West Saddle River Road, but not on the Ho-Ho-Kus side.

 

Regarding moving the historic Zabriskie-Schedler house to a different location, as suggested by Mr. Primavera, Ms. Ruane said that she researched the costs associated with same online and learned that it costs hundreds of thousands of dollars to move a house. She read an article, which stated that the cost to move an historic house in Newark, Pennsylvania, was $250,000.00. Ms. Ruane said that she feared that spending this sum of money to move the house will take money away from more important safety projects, such as the sidewalks on West Glen Avenue and repairing the Kingsbridge Lane Footbridge.

 

Rurik Halaby, 1 Franklin Avenue, complimented Mayor Vagianos on the “really classy way” in which he thanked the various Village employees for their actions during the emergency at Graydon Pool recently. He said that he and his wife have lived in Ridgewood for 54 years, and he loves living in Ridgewood because of the wonderful Village staff.

 

Mr. Halaby said that he could not agree more with Councilmember Weitz about the dangerous nature of the intersection of Oak Street and West Glen Avenue. He said that the Village “dropped the ball” when they made Glenwood Avenue a one-way street, which resulted in additional traffic being diverted to West Glen Avenue. Mr. Halaby questioned whether or not a traffic light should be installed at the intersection of Oak Street and West Glen Avenue. He stated that, as a pedestrian, the traffic lights at the intersection of North Maple Avenue and Franklin Avenue are the worst he has ever seen. Mr. Halaby suggested that Mr. Kazmark meet with the staff of the Engineering Department to take an inventory of all of the traffic lights that are presently in Ridgewood. He said that the traffic lights at the intersection of Linwood Avenue and North Maple Avenue do not have a pedestrian crossing signal, which a pedestrian can press to safely walk across the street.

 

Mr. Halaby stated that there are “intelligent lights” utilized in Europe and that such a light would work well at the intersection of Oak Street and West Glen Avenue. If there is traffic only coming one way and not the other, the light will not change in the direction where there are no vehicles. He said that there is a need for a study regarding the traffic lights in Ridgewood.

 

Regarding the 11:00 p.m. curfew for Village Council meetings, Mr. Halaby stated that he was amused hearing the remarks made by Councilmember Reynolds, since she voted against the reinstatement of hybrid meetings when she sat on the previous Village Council. He said that having hybrid meetings is the “new normal” and a curfew is necessary, since so many more people will be able to speak at Village Council meetings. Mr. Halaby said that, over the past six months, people have been more welcome to express themselves at Village Council meetings than they were before. He said that the current Village Councilmembers are very courteous and listen to whatever the public has to say. He said that the time limit for public comments can always be extended in the event of an emergency. Mr. Halaby concluded by thanking the Village Councilmembers for doing such a great job over the last six months.

 

Kevin Wang, 147 West Glen Avenue, thanked the Village Councilmembers for discussing the sidewalk project for West Glen Avenue this evening. He stated that he was very confused about the cost for completing the sidewalks. He first heard at a prior meeting that it would be $100,000.00, then $750,000.00, and now it is up to $1.2 million, which is higher than all of the previous estimates. Mr. Wang said that Mayor Vagianos is in favor of the “Cadillac” version of the sidewalk project, but this does not seem prudent considering the fact that it is a tight budget year in the Village. He would be more in favor of a “Toyota Corolla” project. He would at least like to see the project started, instead of postponing it until next year.

 

Mr. Wang said that it was also mentioned this evening that the sidewalk project could be divided into two parts: one part including the section from S Hill Road and Heights Road to Alpine Terrace, and another part including the section from Alpine Terrace to North Monroe Street. Mr. Wang said that he would be in favor of this separation, since completing the section from S Hill Road to Alpine Terrace would afford pedestrians a complete walkway from S Hill Road to North Monroe Street. Pedestrians would still have to cross West Glen Avenue in the middle of the road, in order to access the sidewalk on the north side of West Glen Avenue, at Alpine Terrace.

 

Mr. Wang said that he lives in the house on West Glen Avenue where there is a ditch and a stream, which is subject to Federal regulations. He realizes that neither the Village nor the County can really do anything to encroach upon the stream, in order to construct a sidewalk in that location. Therefore, Mr. Wang must cross West Glen Avenue in the middle of the road in order to access the sidewalk on the opposite side of the street. He believes that it is critical to start the project this year, instead of postponing it to next year.

 

Mr. Wang said that there were comments made this evening about organizing a resident meeting between those residents affected by the sidewalk construction along West Glen Avenue and Village officials to get feedback. He said that he would welcome such a meeting in the very near future.

 

There were no further public comments.

 

Councilmember Winograd said that during the budget hearings earlier this year, the requested allocation for the sidewalk project along West Glen Avenue was for $1 million. The Village Councilmembers voted against this allocation, due to budget constraints in 2023. She mentioned that before being elected to the Village Council, neither she nor Councilmember Weitz had been given any background regarding the sidewalk project. After this allocation was disapproved, Councilmember Winograd met with Councilmember Reynolds to learn more about the project. Between 2015 and 2019, the sum of $100,000.00 had been spent on installing sidewalks along the easiest sections of West Glen Avenue. After the $1 million appropriation was not approved, the Village Council talked about the concept of completing the project without the retaining walls (which represented the bulk of the $1 million). This brought the cost down to approximately $300,000.00. Councilmember Winograd explained that it was never mentioned that it would cost $100,000.00 to complete the section of sidewalk by the properties with very steeply sloping front yards. Councilmember Reynolds clarified that a significant amount of sidewalk construction was completed in 2022, rather than between 2015 and 2019. Councilmember Winograd replied that the funding for the construction was approved in 2019.

 

Councilmember Winograd also explained that West Saddle River Road is a County road. The bulk of paving of County roads (Linwood Avenue and Godwin Avenue) is currently being completed. She said that she was certain that the paving of West Saddle River Road will follow in the future.

 

Regarding the letter read by Ms. Mistry on behalf of Peggy Norris, Councilmember Winograd said that less than $10,000.00 has been paid to Mr. Primavera, and the Village has spent almost $250,000.00 to Connolly and Hickey for their services. She said that the Village has a record of relying upon historical consultants, when dealing with an historic property located in Ridgewood. With permission from Mr. Rogers, Councilmember Winograd said that she was very disappointed that no plans have been discussed regarding the future use of the Zabriskie-Schedler house, despite the fact that $2.6 million have already been spent on renovations of the house. She said that the future intended use of the house will have implications on the neighborhood, such as additional traffic. She welcomed any Schedler neighbors to contact her with their ideas on how the house can be used in the future.

 

Mr. Kazmark said that he would be happy to be the recipient of these suggestions from the residents who live in the Schedler neighborhood. He said that he visited the house with the Engineering Department and, although a lot of money has been spent on renovations to the house, the house still does not contain insulation or a shower, and the space inside is too tight for large events. He said that a lot of brainstorming will need to take place, in order to determine what the intended future use of the house will be.

 

8.         ADJOURNMENT

 

There being no further business to come before the Village Council, on a motion by Councilmember Weitz, seconded by Councilmember Reynolds, and carried unanimously by voice vote, the Village Council’s Work Session was adjourned at 10:30 p.m.

 

 

 

 

 

 

                                                                                                                                                           

                                                                                                Paul Vagianos

                                                                                                                  Mayor

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

                                                                       

Heather A. Mailander

                           Village Clerk