A SPECIAL PUBLIC BUDGET MEETING OF THE VILLAGE COUNCIL OF THE VILLAGE OF RIDGEWOOD HELD IN THE SYDNEY V. STOLDT, JR. COURT ROOM OF THE RIDGEWOOD VILLAGE HALL, 131 NORTH MAPLE AVENUE, RIDGEWOOD, NEW JERSEY ON MARCH 2, 2020 AT 5:00 P.M.
1. CALL TO ORDER – OPEN PUBLIC MEETINGS ACT – ROLL CALL – FLAG SALUTE
Deputy Mayor Knudsen called the meeting to order at 5:03 P.M. and read the Statement of Compliance with the Open Public Meetings Act. At roll call the following were present: Councilmembers Knudsen, Sedon, Voigt, and Walsh. Also present were Heather Mailander, Village Manager/Village Clerk; and Donna Jackson, Deputy Village Clerk.
Deputy Mayor Knudsen led those in attendance in the Pledge of Allegiance to the flag as well as in a Moment of Silence to honor the brave men and women serving our nation and its first responders.
2. COMMENTS FROM THE PUBLIC
Richard Brooks, 777 East Ridgewood Avenue, stated that he was there to support the Parks and Recreation Department as the Chair of the Parks, Recreation, and Conservation Board and a member for a long time, he is continually amazed at the work that this group of professionals and dedicated people have done for the Village. That work will continue, and he asked the Village Council to support them in what they ask for today, as it is important that their work continue. The Parks and Recreation Department deals with thousands of residents every year doing programming, recreational activities, sports, and this group of people does a lot with very little. He added that it is amazing when you look at the work they have done in the past ten years, and especially in the past year when they took on new projects and new sports. There have been new activities at the pool, new audiences, physically challenged people who now have new opportunities. These are important things in which all of the residents can participate.
Mr. Brooks explained that this professional staff is responsible for all of the parkland and Wildscape, and it is amazing that they have done all of this work. He asked for the Village Council’s continued support in the work that they do, and added that he hopes they can continue to do great things into 2020/2021.
Mayor Hache arrived at the meeting at 5:07 P.M.
Cynthia Halaby, 374 Evergreen Place, stated that she was there as President for the Conservancy of Ridgewood Public Lands. Since their inception, about seven years ago, they have worked very closely with the Parks Department and developed a fantastic relationship and great respect for the talent and commitment of all the various members of the Department. It performs a most useful function in providing a healthy and environmentally responsible home to Ridgewood residents. She urged the Village Council to fully fund their budget request for maintaining and adding to the tree canopy, and for improving and maintaining the plantings in our various parks. Ms. Halaby noted how fortunate Ridgewood is to have so many green areas, and it is imperative to have sufficient manpower to keep and maintain these spaces.
Andrew Lowry, 441 Hawthorne Place, stated that he was there to support the Parks Department and was speaking for the Shade Tree Commission. He supports the Park Department requests for 2020 and is recommending that the Village Council spend more than what is going to be recommended by Ms. Bigos because the tree canopy, shade trees, and trees in the Central Business District should really be thought of as infrastructure. They are a long-term investment and provide clear, economic, human health, and aesthetic benefits, all of which can be quantified. Infrastructure requires maintenance because it has a predictable useful life, at the end of which it has to be replaced.
Mr. Lowry stated that if infrastructure is not maintained and allowed to deteriorate, it is more expensive to restore. We all know that the tree infrastructure in the Village has been allowed to decline for the past decade, and this Village Council has done the most to address it. He stated the problem is that 2,000 of the 12,000 trees have come down. Last year, they cut down 250 trees and planted 110, which is much better, but clearly not enough. They need $150,000 and that would add an additional 100 trees over and above what we take down. He encouraged them to start putting something back into the void that was created over the years. Mr. Lowry stated that when you take down a 60 foot oak and replace it with a 7 foot oak, it is not the same.
Nancy Brennan Hill, 136 Doremus Avenue, stated that regarding the trees, she has been writing to the Village Council for months about them. She is delighted to hear that the tree inventory is finally going to be done, but without some money to back it up, it is just going to be data. There is a net loss of about 200 trees in a good year, and this has gone on for multiple decades. She added that they need a pile of money to start fixing this situation and they also need a long term plan. Ms. Hill stated that she thinks the people in Ridgewood would like to see the plan and have a report about how much progress has been made in achieving various milestones of the plan.
Moga Shagru, Oak Street, stated that she moved to the Village 15 years ago and was enchanted with it, and one of the reasons was that the trees in this town were breathtaking. She said that we create environment and then environment creates us back, and its not understood by everyone how absolutely important trees are. She asked the Village Council to consider it an important part of our lives and the fact that residents do pay attention and do care about the trees.
There were no additional comments from the public.
3. DISCUSSION ITEMS
a. Review of Departmental Budgets and Capital Budgets
1. Emergency Services
Ryan Savaria, Chief of Emergency Services, stated that for 2019, they had an interesting year. They were able to beat some of their targets in 2019, as far as spending goes with medical supplies because they instituted a different method of tracking their supplies and have gone down to one or two people ordering supplies and not keeping as many supplies on hand. They are hoping to better manage the supplies that they get from vendors with next day service, so there is no issue of out of stock, and keeping on hand a large amount of supplies that they don’t need. In 2019, they were also able to keep a better eye on their equipment through better tracking of mileage, preventative maintenance, and concerns from members. They then take the vehicles over to the garage, to help keep everything in service a bit longer and in better condition.
Chief Savaria stated that in the past, they were continually able to bring on new volunteers, and in December they brought in six, and there are two currently going through the EMT class. They are continuing to go through that recruitment phase where they are bringing in new faces, young and old, from the community to help the Department move forward. They have a Department goal for 2020 to continue with the retention and recruitment of volunteers for the Department and they track that metric monthly.
Chief Savaria stated that they have a handful of minor increases in operating budget from 2019 to 2020 and most of those are around maintenance of supplies and equipment and material and supplies. EMS medical supplies and medical equipment continuously go up in price, and as the scope of practice for EMTs changes every year, there are more things they have to maintain. In January, they moved to have Albuterol as a medication administered by EMTs on the ambulance, so now they have to maintain stock, materials, and supplies for that which they didn’t do in the past. This will continue as the State moves to change the curricula to what’s available for an EMT to do in the State. There are things on the horizon for intubation and blood glucose levels. Chief Savaria stated that they will be continually moving forward with the scope of practice.
Chief Savaria stated that in the building maintenance area, they spent a lot of money on maintaining heat and air conditioning in the facility. He put a capital budget item in for 2019 to replace the units and a contract was awarded to replace one of those units. They still have to maintain the units that are there, so that maintenance item will continue, and then as things age they are required to maintain them. Things such as consumable items will have to be replaced, which is why there is an increase in that line item.
Chief Savaria stated that they created a projection for some capital items through the next several years, as well as items they are looking to complete in 2020. Since they are carrying more medical equipment, one of the things in their budget is temperature controlled storage cabinets. They are required to store medications at manufacturer recommended or generally controlled room temperature. The ambulances will routinely achieve an internal temperature of 90 degrees or more, which is technically out of the range of storage conditions for medication such as aspirin, epinephrine, albuterol. Chief Savaria stated that those cabinets are to outfit the other two ambulances that they have, plus the first responder with a controlled temperature storage container. This would allow them to retrofit the other vehicles, as the newest ambulance was already outfitted with one. Ms. Mailander added that the medical storage cabinets were not in the recommended budget. Chief Savaria stated that he didn’t have a list of what was recommended. Mr. Rooney stated that it was the light tower 187, the pulse oximeter upgrade, and the first responder truck.
Chief Savaria stated that when they purchased the replacement for their vehicle 187, they did retrofit the vehicle for provisions for a light tower to be put on the roof that is used for various operations throughout the Village. It is a vehicle mounted unit that doesn’t require more than one person to deploy and is self-contained and remote controlled. They do a lot of work with manual lighting, but this allows a faster deployment for those operations that are timely in manner.
Chief Savaria stated that the upgrade to pulse oximetry is because the EMTs carry a tool in the ambulance that allows them to maintain a visual of how much oxygen is saturated in the blood flowing in the patient. The upgrade here is to allow them to also see how much CO is in the blood and that comes into play with the wintertime in homes where there is a malfunctioning heating unit or stove, which will generate more CO and will allow them to more quickly determine what is going on with the patient. This is also something that is used at fire scenes, so whenever they are at a fire, it allows them to check the Firefighter at a prescribed period of time and determine if the Firefighter is able to go back in or needs to rest. It is a software upgrade and a sensor.
Chief Savaria stated that the replacement of First Responder vehicle is the replacement of Unit 182, a 2006 Ford Expedition with 87,000 miles which is having an issue with the transmission, engine, rust, and water leakage. They plan to replace the First Responder vehicle with a new vehicle of the same type, and then Unit 182 will get retired.
Councilman Voigt asked on the operating budget, what is the volunteer incentives at $78,000. Mr. Rooney stated that if you look under the 2019 budget appropriations, that includes the $78,000. Chief Savaria stated that in lieu of doing a LOSAP program for the Department, it was decided in years past that they were going to offer the volunteers a stipend for their time served. Therefore, if they meet a minimum number of meeting drills for the quarter, the volunteer is granted a clothing allowance of $250 for making the base number of minimum events. They are then paid out hours on-call, in blocks of five hours, so as they volunteer their time on the ambulance for their shift from 7:00 P.M. to 6:00 A.M., they are going to do two time blocks if they are standing by for that whole shift. The volunteers receive a very small monetary compensation for that time, and then an additional compensation would be if they were to take an off-shift call to a general call, which is a call where they are not on the shift, they will be compensated again for that time. Chief Savaria stated that the slight increases from 2018-2019 to now is that they are currently staffing daytimes and Saturdays as a volunteer shift, so there is an increase for the time covered for that day.
Councilwoman Knudsen asked about the capital budget and Unit 188, a 2006 Tahoe, and Unit 182, an Expedition, is a 2008. Chief Savaria stated that they were both 2006. Councilwoman Knudsen asked about the size of the vehicles. Chief Savaria stated that they were generally the same size, but a slightly different shape. The Expedition sits a little taller, but it is the same amount of seats.
Councilwoman Knudsen stated that she wanted to go back to the temperature controlled medical storage cabinets, because she was actually sold on that and she thought it was something they really needed. She asked if that was something that is essential. Chief Savaria stated that they are getting by at the moment, as they have USB monitors that they put in all of their containers that store medication, so they monitor the temperature. They are sometimes out of range, so they do shorten the life of some of their medications and potentially may be discarding something sooner than it should be. It’s something that they are monitoring and trying to keep it in the best place possible. Councilwoman Knudsen stated that obviously, some of the medications are expensive and the temperature control would be beneficial. Chief Savaria agreed and stated that they were hoping to purchase the temperature controlled cabinets, but he understands that money is tight and all Departments have needs.
Councilwoman Knudsen asked about the light tower for unit 187 and if they currently have one of those. Chief Savaria stated that they have one unit on a different truck, and when they upgraded the cargo van, that had a light tower. The light tower didn’t fit on the new vehicle, so they removed it from the specifications. He added that they may try for grants to fund another light tower, or try to fund it in other ways.
Councilwoman Walsh stated that there is actually a class action lawsuit right now, where Stanford University determined that due to a change in temperature, the makeup of a medicine changed and the drug became toxic. Chief Savaria stated that there were some studies around that, but added that epinephrine is a little more stable, aspirin doesn’t degrade as much, and they don’t have a whole lot of medications at the moment. However, more and more medications are added to the EMT curricula as time goes on. Albuterol was added, which should be temperature controlled.
Councilwoman Walsh asked about the vehicles, and what is the use of each vehicle. Chief Savaria stated that the First Responder vehicle is for EMS, so there is somebody on the duty crew on the ambulance that takes that truck home or will stay at Douglas Place, and will take that truck with one person and go right to the scene. The crew will meet the First Responder vehicle with an ambulance. If they are on the scene, typically they are not going to the hospital with the ambulances, so their job is to stay in the First Responder vehicle if there is a second or third call. This allows care to be administered faster. Unit 182 is the Officer in Charge (OIC) vehicle, or the Chief’s car, and that is what is managing operations. Any time there is an incident that necessitates somebody to take that command role, that is used to command, control, and manage resources.
Councilwoman Knudsen asked if Chief Savaria could check the years on the vehicles, because she has the vehicle inventory and it shows that Expedition is a 2008 and the Tahoe is 2006. Chief Savaria agreed that it could be or could be a typo. Councilwoman Knudsen asked Mr. Rooney if they could put the temperature controlled storage container into a “Hold” column and see what it does to the budget. It is not a lot of money for this item, but just based on Councilwoman Walsh’s review of an article and what the Chief has stated, it sounds like an important thing and she would like to know that they can rely on the storage and subsequent viability of all medications.
Councilman Voigt asked Chief Savaria if he knew what the revenues were last year for EMS. Mr. Rooney stated that revenues were $357,000. Councilman Voigt asked how that compared to 2018. Mr. Rooney stated that it was slightly down from the previous year. Councilman Voigt asked if they were going to budget the same thing for next year. Mr. Rooney stated that he can only budget what they collected in 2019. Chief Savaria stated that they are in constant conversation with the billing company, to determine how or if there is anything that they are doing as far as reporting, charting, or documentation to see if there is anything causing any type of non-payment.
Councilman Voigt stated that he was happy to help to make sure that the charges the EMS Department is charging are appropriate for this area, as the last time they looked at this, the Village was significantly lower than the other municipalities in this area, and the rates were adjusted. He added that it may be an opportunity to increase some revenue. Chief Savaria stated that they were down volume-wise in total number of calls, around 50, and there were less emergency calls this past year.
Mayor Hache asked about the Chief’s vehicle, if there was a specific type of equipment that went into that truck and if there is another type of vehicle that would accommodate that type of equipment. Chief Savaria stated that a small pickup truck might work, because it requires a generous amount of cargo space to place radios, workspaces, and storage for various equipment. All of the current equipment will get reused and moved from one vehicle to the next, so they are not purchasing new equipment for the new vehicle. Mayor Hache asked if 100% of the equipment was moveable. Chief Savaria stated that everything inside the vehicle was moveable, and his crew would most likely do it in-house. There will be a small amount of money spent on changing the vehicle decals, but the intent is to reuse as much as possible.
2. Recreation Department, Parks Department and Shade Tree
Nancy Bigos, Director of Parks and Recreation, stated that these past few years have been a transition year for them with the retirement of Tim Cronin, the former Director of Parks and Recreation two years ago. In March the Department is transitioning a senior employee who is retiring, and new staff have been hired. She is confident in the abilities of the new hires, and she introduced Matt Andreula, Supervisor of the Parks Department, and Katie Frey, the replacement Recreation Supervisor. They are experiencing new beginnings, firsts, and challenges, but they have come together as a team and she is most grateful for the guidance of her fellow Department Heads.
Ms. Bigos stated that one of the things that has been lacking within their repertoire of recreational programming has been that of addressing the needs of children with disabilities. Within the last two years, they have been able to receive two Recreational Opportunities for Individuals with Disabilities grants that total $20,000 each, which are funded by the Department of Community Affairs. They have received two grants, one for the implementation of programming for elementary school children, in grades 4 to 8, which takes place on Tuesday after school and Saturday mornings. The other program they anticipate starting this month, is programming for young adults, ages 17 to 24, on Thursdays from 5:00 P.M. to 6:30 P.M.
Ms. Bigos stated that this year, they refurbished the tennis court facilities, and she is proud to say that North Monroe and Bellair courts have been completely refurbished, with all of the fencing being repaired, the courts being resurfaced, and new nets. The trees have also been pruned and the signage has been updated. The Glen Courts have also received significant retrofitting with four pickleball courts. The courts were resurfaced, relined, new nets were installed, and signage was updated. In their capital budget this evening is the resurfacing of the Ridgewood High School tennis courts, which happens every five years with the Board of Education and the Village taking turns in funding the resurfacing.
The Community Center has experienced a success in the activity level that they now offer both the senior citizen and teenage population. Recently, a grant in the amount of $10,000 was obtained through Columbia Savings Bank for eight brand new laptop computers that were purchased. Ms. Bigos stated that staff continuously works with the Age Friendly Ridgewood organization to focus on planning the needs of the increasing senior citizen population.
Ms. Bigos stated that with employees serving on the Shade Tree Commission, various items have been highlighted to include the planting of over 100 Village shade trees. They also have come before the Village Council to share with them the importance and a request for the shade tree inventory. A grant has been obtained to offset the cost of this project. Also, there is concern for the tree wells in the Central Business District, and the first stage has begun with the collars around the tree wells being removed.
Ms. Bigos stated that Graydon Pool experienced a really wonderful year in 2019. That facility has never looked or performed better. Best practices are in place all the way around, regarding maintenance, leadership, training, and she is proud of this facility. The purchase and installation of the new pump is a huge plus. The restroom renovation is coming along quite nicely and it will be exciting when that project concludes, hopefully on May 1st.
Ms. Bigos stated that they are proud of the development of Kings Pond Park. Through Bergen County Open Space grants in 2016 and 2018, they have been able to set that park aside, and develop boundaries, curbing, dredging, and parking. The next step is the leveling of the lawn area, installing the walking path, trees, ecological plantings, and benches. She stated that this year, the Christmas tree pickup was a huge success, and they were able to pick up all of the trees within the Village utilizing the odd/even system within the first two weeks.
Ms. Bigos stated that the renovation and rehabilitation of the Zabriskie-Schedler House over the past few months, and seeing where they are in this process, and where they are going is truly amazing and she is really proud. The Kasschau Shell has lost a true friend in the passing of Jo Delaney, but in keeping with her honor, the new chairperson, Gail McCarthy, is doing an amazing job. She continues to go above and beyond, looking for extra fundraising and extra means of making that program self-sufficient.
Ms. Bigos stated that the Department has received or will receive $145,000 from the Bergen County Open Space Committee, $20,000 from the Department of Community Affairs, $10,000 from the New Jersey Urban Forestry Program, $10,000 from Columbia Savings Bank, which totals $185,000 in outside grants. The Department also applied for a grant through the National Recreation and Parks Association for a Fit and Strong Senior Mobility Program that was a 12 week program, which they offered to senior residents, to be recognized at the national level amongst peers, and to be awarded this grant says a lot about the Village of Ridgewood.
Ms. Bigos stated that because it takes a Village, community service and volunteerism is very high on their list. Last year, these groups donated time and resources to her, and she didn’t know if they were aware that the Dartmouth Alumni reworked the lower level of the Habernickel trail along with the RHS wrestlers. Grace Church came in and worked on a Saturday, as they reworked the EMS parking lot grounds. Saint Elizabeth’s teen outreach did a cleanup at Habernickel Park, and Ridgewood High School Interact Club assists the Department at all of the special events. There were other groups that have helped them including, the CYC group, the Bergen County Probation Office, Women Gardeners of Ridgewood, Geese Peace volunteers, Project Pride Committee, Community Center Advisory Board, Parks Recreation and Conservation Board, Open Space Committee, Kasschau Shell Committee, Fields Committee, Conservancy for Ridgewood Public Lands, and two Eagle Scouts. Ms. Bigos added that they have received gifts from the community, the RBSA donated batting cages and field renovations, the community has worked towards finalizing the lighting in Memorial Park at Van Neste Square, and the Habernickel garden was donated by resident George Wolfson.
Ms. Bigos shared with the Village Council some of the challenges that she thinks they can expect as a community. One of the challenges is the request for facility use, as these requests continue to increase by members of the community, which puts added stress on the maintenance needs of the parks and open space. The other challenge in the budget was that through the New Jersey State minimum wage increase, the seasonal salaries for Graydon Pool and summer day camp have increased, which set the stage for an entire pay scale change. These changes are reflected in her budget request.
Ms. Bigos stated that the Recreation Department’s budget, has remained flat with the exception of salaries for seasonal employees. She shared with the Village Council that she went back and looked at the 2006 comprehensive Park, Fields Maintenance Master Plan and in that, they state that both active and passive recreation are vital community quality of life issues in the Village of Ridgewood. The Department is committed to excellence in providing open space and recreational opportunities to all of our residents. She and her staff stand firmly behind that statement.
Councilwoman Knudsen stated that they used to get copies of goals, objectives, and accomplishments and she wishes they would have those again. Ms. Bigos stated that they should be in the budget packet. Councilwoman Knudsen stated that she didn’t see them, and Ms. Mailander stated that she could get them to the Council. Councilwoman Knudsen added that it was nice to go back and reflect on, and asked for it to be emailed to her. She shared that she was very frustrated thinking about budget season, and Ms. Bigos allayed all of her concerns about Kings Pond because they have accomplished so much and been committed to this park improvement. It seems not so long ago, that a resident who lives across from Kings Pond came and asked what the Village was going to do about it, and now improvements are being made.
Councilman Voigt stated that in the capital budget there is $110,000 for tree replacement, and he asked how many trees that was. Ms. Bigos stated that it was 200 trees and since two years ago, she requested 100 trees in the capital budget each year. She was hoping that this year, they could finish going through the entire Village. The budget amount is an estimate, and they are hoping to be able to plant those trees and they will have replaced trees once throughout the entire Village.
Ms. Mailander stated that in the Parks and Recreation Department, the capital budget includes a tractor replacement, a Ford F250 new vehicle, a turf aerator, a peristaltic pump for Graydon Pool, Maple Park lighting, tennis court resurfacing at RHS, and tree replacement, which includes Graydon. Ms. Bigos stated that next week, they are looking for the bond ordinance for Maple Park field lighting, which is over a $470,000 project, including the contingency. This bond ordinance includes $145,000 from Bergen County Open Space, $145,000 from the Village, and $140,000 match from Village youth sports groups. There was some question at the last Village Council meeting and she shared with Ms. Mailander the breakdown as to how much each sports group is contributing. Ms. Mailander stated that would be noted in the resolution accepting the donation from the sports groups.
Ms. Bigos stated that the peristaltic pump is a rather low budget item number. The first pump that they had in last year, the connecting valves in the pump must be changed monthly, due to the corrosiveness of the sodium hypochloride used at Graydon Pool. The sodium hypochloride corroded the tubing and the motor ran without liquid in it, so unfortunately it seized up. They took out the pump and sent it back to the manufacturer but they refused to repair it. The Village was able to borrow a pump from Tom English, for the remainder of the season, but that old pump was sent back to be used for parts, and she still needs to replace the pump. Ms. Bigos stated that the tennis courts at Ridgewood High School are varsity courts, and residents can use them when not in use by the varsity tennis teams.
Ms. Bigos stated that the Kubota tractor is a vehicle that they use several times a day at Graydon. It is a multi-purpose vehicle that drags the beaches, helps pick up trash, does the recycling, moves the picnic tables, and is important to the success of Graydon. It was taken off the road last year, mid-season, because the floorboards had rotted out. They were able to get the Signal Division to put some metal floorboards in, but Mr. Rutishauser would not let them take it off the road.
Mr. Andreula stated that regarding the aerator, it is a core aerator for the fields that breaks up compaction and moisture. The current one that they have is more than 20 years old. He checked with the manufacturer, Village mechanics, and they no longer make parts for the current aerator, so if it breaks, they can’t fix it. The aerator has a drop seeder on it, so as it is aerating, it drops seed behind it, so there is good soil to seed contact, for better germination rates.
The current trucks are having a lot of problems, and he finds himself borrowing trucks weekly from other Departments and they are currently using one vehicle from the garage, which is why he is requesting a Ford F250 in the capital budget. Regarding the tractor, it is a 2011 with 2,486 hours, and it is in bad shape.
Councilman Voigt stated that the estimated budget for purchasing trees is $550 per tree, and he asked what size trees are purchased. Ms. Bigos stated that they were between 2 to 3 caliper. Councilwoman Knudsen asked about the Ford F250 vehicle, and if it was replacing something and if there was an assigned number to that. Mr. Andreula stated that they just got rid of Parks truck 102, because last year, they put $9,000 into it and it was having nothing but problems this year. The mechanics deemed that it was not worth putting money into it, and that was replaced by a Ford F250 truck. The borrowed truck from the garage, which he is currently using, will have to go back to the garage. Councilwoman Knudsen stated that when they are buying vehicles many times the public doesn’t understand, and has questions and concerns about the number of vehicles the Village goes through. There is a vehicle inventory so they can log the vehicles and know what they are replacing. Mr. Andreula stated that truck number 102 is being replaced, but it is no longer in service.
Mayor Hache asked about something that was requested but not accepted, with the Maple Park Turf Replacement Sinking Fund. He said that the understanding this time around, the Village put the money up for the turf field and the understanding was that they would get the sinking fund paid into by the sports organizations but he sees that there is a capital budget request for a sinking fund, out of Village funds. He asked if they have collected any money towards the sinking fund. Ms. Bigos stated that wasn’t her understanding. Mayor Hache stated that the original understanding when the turf field was installed was that the money that was used to install the turf field was collected from the sport organizations and the Village. Because there are savings with maintaining a turf field over a grass field, whatever that savings was, goes into a sinking fund. Eventually, when the field needs to be replaced, those funds would help offset the cost. That was never done by the Village in the past, so the thought was this time around, the Village would replace the field but they need to go into the sinking fund procedure with the sports organizations. Ms. Bigos stated that they have a Fields Committee meeting tomorrow morning and they can definitely address this matter with them. She would like to be able to get their funding for the Maple Park Lighting first, and then be able to move forward. Mayor Hache stated this was the understanding when the turf field was installed last year, and he doesn’t think the lighting takes precedence over the sinking fund for the turf field, as they committed to it when the turf field was installed. Ms. Bigos stated that she would address that at tomorrow’s meeting.
Councilwoman Knudsen asked who is collecting the money for the sinking fund, as the Mayor is right about the sports organizations. Mr. Rooney stated that he has not heard from any of the sports groups, so it was something they should probably talk about. Mayor Hache stated that it shouldn’t be a request, but money that is being collected. Mr. Rooney agreed.
Councilman Sedon added Green Ridgewood works with the Parks and Recreation Department on Earth Day. Regarding the tree issue, he was glad to see the amount of money they were putting in for tree replacements. He thinks it was equal to two years ago, when they were putting the funding in the paving budget, but there was an issue with paving contractors planting trees. Last year, they found enough funding to put in 100 trees and he was appreciative about that. The capital budget will increase this year, and maybe they can increase the tree budget. He added that they have come a long way regarding tree funding, and the tree inventory will be done this Spring, which will provide an exact number of trees. The number will act as a basis for an overall plan for the trees, and will open up tremendous grant opportunities.
Mayor Hache stated that it is worth noting that the Parks and Recreation Department has the most interaction with residents on a daily basis, all year round.
Councilwoman Walsh stated that listening to the projects that span multiple years, it starts out as a simple project and then it gets added to, as time goes on. The first time she heard of pickleball was four years ago. It is things like pickleball that make the Village’s Parks and Recreation Department the most important, because they use what it is existing, by reconfiguring a tennis court into pickleball courts, which brought in a whole new population. She added that a lot of her friends love the walk around Habernickel, and it really is a spectacular park. Once the walking path at Schedler is completed, the people on the East Side will have in their community a walking path and a passive park.
Mayor Hache asked about beekeeping. Ms. Bigos stated that is being looked at and discussed in-house.
3. Community Center
Deanna Schablik, Community Center Coordinator, stated that when they had gotten the grant for the computers from Columbia Bank, they were very specific in asking what the Community Center would be doing with them. They are not going to be used as an open day where people can come and surf the internet with these computers. They have eight laptops that are two-in-one tablets with available stylus pens. She is putting together Digital Art programs for the middle schoolers, which will probably start in September, and she spoke with the seniors and they want that program as well. Ms. Schablik added that she does have to purchase some software for the programming, so that is another piece that she needs to investigate. The computers are locked away during the day in a closet, in a locked cabinet, and they are very secure. They will be taken out when they use them and put back away when they are not in use for security reasons.
Ms. Schablik stated that there will be specific hours for certain programs using the computers. They will have certain hours for seniors and other residents to come in and fill out the census by using these computers. This will be the first big use of the computers, and she plans to let Columbia Bank know about this use, in case they would like to be there as well.
4. Water Department
Richard Calbi, Director of Ridgewood Water; Dan Timmeny, Business Manager; Jill Fasano, Senior Engineer; and Bill Bierwas, Assistant Supervisor, were there to present the Water Department budget. Mr. Calbi stated he is presenting a PowerPoint to summarize where things are with the Water Utility and to guide questions. He said that a copy of the PowerPoint and supporting documents will be posted on the Ridgewood Water website.
Mr. Calbi stated that Ridgewood Water is a municipal utility and there are a lot of people involved in the daily running of the utility. He recognized the Village Council for their input. The Ridgewood Water Utility consists of the Village Manager who is the CEO of the utility, while he, Dan Timmeny, Bill Bierwas, and Jill Fasano, all played a vital role in preparing the budget as well as 31 other employees. There is a huge team that works every day to keep Ridgewood Water running. The Village support staff also plays a role.
They had laid out a PFAS (a contaminant in the water) action plan a couple of years ago, and have initiated all of those goals. He pointed out that the Carr Treatment Plant has been on-line since September, and there is a completed full draft of their PFAS planning and treatment study. The report outlines the future of Ridgewood Water and how they will treat the water to maintain cleanliness and clean drinking water for the municipalities they serve. It is a very aggressive approach on maintenance of wells, which includes increased spending. They completed the Passaic Valley Water Commission Study and are completing plans for the water main to convey that water source into Ridgewood, which is an important part of PFAS treatment. Mr. Calbi added that they also completed the fourth round of lead and copper testing which resulted in the first ever non-detect results for the system.
Mr. Calbi stated that goals for 2020 include the maintenance of construction documents for the renovation of the Elks Club for utility renovations and eventual move-in. They want to initiate some of the planning from recommendations that are in Treatment PFAS Study; continue to manage successful completion of utility capital projects; and assist on asset management and priorities so they know every bit of what they have, its life, and when it needs to be replaced. They would like to continue to work on restoring system capacity, and the treatment of PFAS. Mr. Calbi added that they are going to launch their customer service portal, WaterSmart, and they have been working on a new website. All of that will improve customer communication, conservation, and education to the public.
Mr. Calbi stated that this year, they had the budget reviewed by a rate consultant to verify the revenue requirement, expense calculations and rate projections. Some of the highlights were increases in salary and wage for staff, contracted salary step increases, an increased annual well repair and replacement contract, costs are now in the budget for the filter trade out at Carr Water Treatment, and debt service continues to climb, as a result of the capital improvements that are being made. There are decreases in the budget as a result of some of the recommendations that came out of the review. In particular, the purchase order estimate has been reduced because they have more wells on-line. Mr. Calbi stated that this year, they are looking at about a $17 million revenue requirement, slightly down from last year’s budget.
Mr. Calbi stated that looking at a year by year analysis since 2016, over the last three years, they haven’t spent the amount budgeted because they have been among the wettest years on record. Therefore, the Water Utility hasn’t purchased as much water, is using less chemicals, and there is less expense that has been recognized.
Mr. Calbi stated that for the capital budget, they have a voluminous capital plan including continuing their work on the supply, transfer and booster improvements. These improvements are taking every well house or pump house and updating the HVAC, and electrical controls, to make the pumps work and push the water out of the system. The final amount of funding for the Passaic Valley construction, is in the budget, as well as funding for implementing the PFAS plan and review that is being done. Distribution system improvements have been made, and they have completed tank and reservoir improvements and are working towards planning for the booster zone in Wyckoff which will play a vital role in the PFAS project as well. Facility improvements will continue, and the money for the Elks Club renovation is included in the capital budget as well. They plan to continue to modernize the fleet, and provide equipment for the staff. PayGo capital is for smaller projects, and gets paid from cash out of the capital budget, as opposed to being bonded.
Mr. Calbi showed from 2009 on, showing they are contemplating a $7.5 million capital investment which includes the PayGo capital. The five year projection is pretty ambitious as well. They set out in 2016 for a $40 million plan, and they are at about $38 million. The utility is getting the dollars they need and he thanked the Village Council for that.
Mr. Calbi stated that regarding PFAS, the draft plan that they are reviewing contemplates a $100 million investment. To pay for that, they anticipate having to put a special assessment on customers. That special assessment would only exist until they could attain grants or settlements, and then offset it. They anticipate that can start as early as next year, but it hinges on when the NJDEP makes the regulations on PFAS and how long they will be given to get the treatment done. Mr. Calbi stated that the recommendation moving forward would be the assessment rather than infuse that into the budget, which would make the rates go up at an astronomical rate. A special assessment would then be removed once the money is garnered from state/federal grants or settlements to pay for that treatment. Mayor Hache asked the length of the plan. Mr. Calbi stated they are looking at a five year plan, but that requires negotiations with the State, because when the State makes regulations, the changes are required to be made within 18 months.
Councilman Voigt asked what the estimate is on the special assessment and when would that be rolled out. Mr. Calbi stated that he didn’t have the estimate yet, as Mr. Rooney is working on a projection, but they could see as high as a $6 million debt payment by the fifth year. Depending on how they stagger it, that they could build that up slowly and make the assessment less, if they are about to negotiate the timeline. Order of magnitude they may be looking at $50 per quarter, which was a real guesstimate. Councilman Voigt asked how long that would last. Mr. Calbi stated that it was all to be determined, but it would hinge on what they were able to get in terms of other grants and recovery for the PFAS treatment.
Mr. Calbi stated that they would pay for everything in the current budget with the $16.9 million revenue requirement. They anticipate using $2.3 million of surplus that exists today, and the water rent is $12.8 million. The budget is down a bit and they will have a rate increase this year, because in 2019, they expected to bring in a lot more than $12.8 million. They are not allowed to anticipate any more revenue than what was received the prior year, and anticipate the annual hydrant service of $900,000. They are proposing a small facility charge change in 3 inch and 4 inch meters. The increase in water rent is the carry over from the 3% rent increase that was approved last year and it only began in July, and the $195,000 is for the next two quarters this year. Councilman Voigt asked why they aren’t using the actual number and are instead making it lower. Mr. Calbi stated that they are using the actual amount for rents and hydrant service. Councilman Voigt pointed out where the actual numbers weren’t being used. Mr. Calbi stated that connection fees from the four developments were included in the hydrant service and wouldn’t be received in 2020.
Mr. Calbi displayed another representation of the budget, where the water rent was the largest piece of the pie and the most variable, because it is weather dependent and depends on use. He gave a summary of the changes, in 2018 facility charges were changed overall and they found that the 3 inch and 4 inch sizes required a correction that they are correcting this year. That only affects 13 accounts. Regarding volume charges, they do a three year projection, and debt will continue to climb. Therefore, based on that projection, they are looking at an 8% rate increase this year. Overall the average increase from 2010 to current has been a 3% rate increase. The numerical charges, a 3 inch meter will increase to $577.15, 4 inch to $989.40, and the volume rate which is $4.83 will go up to $5.22. If approved, that new rate will take place in the third quarter bill in June or July of this year.
Mr. Calbi displayed the average water consumer with a 5/8 inch meter, those users on average consume about 85,000 gallons a year. In 2019, based on the current rate, that user would see an annual bill of $541.26, and with the new rate, the annual total bill is $572.34. Councilman Voigt asked if when they start dealing with the PFAS situation, it’s another $200 on top of that, per year. Mr. Calbi stated that would be if the assessment is what he estimated it to be. They will know in April, what the State is doing with the regulations, and they anticipate having information to share with the Village Council and public over the summer, as to the next steps to be taken.
Councilwoman Walsh asked if the calculations included projections for water usage by the new multi-family housing developments. Mr. Calbi stated that the actual rent receivables from the developments are going to be a very small percentage for the utility, as there are no lawns, since they are apartment complexes with water conserving fixtures. As part of the Planning Board approvals, the multi-family developments were required to put in smart controllers for any landscaping. Mayor Hache asked about the rates in comparison to the rest of the State. Mr. Calbi stated they were in the middle and added that he had a chart that the rate consultant did for them which rates the Village alongside 20 other major utilities in the State, and Ridgewood Water is in the “Big 25,” so they are lumped in that group.
Councilman Voigt asked about the $100 million for PFAS treatment. Mr. Calbi stated that was the current estimate, adding that the plan looked at alternatives for treatment and found that the most cost effective alternative for the utility is to centralize treatment. Whereas today there are 30 points of entry, they may centralize it and go down to 15 points of entry. The reasoning behind that is that there are several locations where there is no property to install treatment, and there are efficiencies there as well. Councilman Voigt asked where that would be. Mr. Calbi stated that was in the report as it was projected over 40 years, and it would be provided once it is finalized.
Councilwoman Knudsen stated that in 2014, when she was elected to the Ridgewood Village Council and they had the first opportunity to review Ridgewood Water, she and Councilman Sedon were highly concerned. She has to say that the level of confidence that Mr. Calbi has brought to this utility is really second to none, and she appreciated that. The work to bring reliable, safe water to our customers is priority one and he delivers that with confidence and makes them feel good.
5. Sanitation and Recycling
Rich Calbi, Director of Ridgewood Water, and Sean Hamlin, Supervisor of Sanitation and Recycling were there to present the budget.
Mr. Hamlin stated that there was a problem with animals getting into the garbage, which doesn’t take place anymore. He has also accomplished refuse pickups being missed, as there was no prior accountability that the individuals going out in the truck were not missing any pickups. They went from ten to fifteen missed pickups, to now less than five. Getting the ordinance amended to require covers on mattresses, put out for bulk refuse pickup, was great, and he thanks the Village Council for adopting it. On the bulk pickup days, people are putting their mattresses in bags and with the popularity of the foam mattresses, they may see more going out for bulk refuse pickup.
Mr. Hamlin stated that 2020 goals include maintaining the current fleet, and he would like to get a plan in place for collecting at the new multi-family housing developments and at the parking garage. He added that he would also like to get the food scrap program up and running, as they have been trying for a long time and he thinks it will begin by the end of this month. Educating the public on the ever-changing recycling situation is important as a lot of people don’t know what should be recycled. He hopes to improve the quality of the recycling to save the Village money. The plan is to stop picking up containers that have unacceptable materials in them, by checking a couple of streets at a time, as there are many households that are not recycling correctly. That means tagging, leaving door tags, and speaking with people to educate them about what should and should not be recycled.
Mr. Hamlin added that with recycling, they want to start getting new trucks in and work on safety utilizing the trucks internal GPS. He stated that he is treating Sanitation and Recycling as one department, so that there is nothing that is being missed. One of the other things is they need to start to discuss the growing cost of recycling and whether it is in the Village’s best interest to continue picking up the restaurants in town, as the price has gone up again and it doesn’t seem to be stabilizing. He mentioned again about instituting a food scrap program, and the hope is to get enough people involved to do a cost analysis on the tipping fees, to see if there is a reduction.
Ms. Mailander asked Mr. Hamlin to go over the recommended capital items. Mr. Hamlin stated for the capital budget they are trying to get rid of the Crane carrier trucks, and there are three currently in the fleet that need to be replaced. They have a new truck coming in next month to replace one, and this year they are asking to replace truck 265 with a new Kenworth. Truck 265 has core heating issues, and parts are impossible to find. Right now, truck 265 can’t be used, and they are looking to replace it. It is a 2003 with a broken windshield wiper motor rendering it useless on rainy days. There are 122,724 miles with 24,039 engine hours. The life expectancy is 7 to 10 years and it is recommended for replacement after 10,000 engine hours. Mr. Hamlin stated that they use the truck currently in the Recycling yard, but every time it goes on the road to dump, it is questionable if it will need to be towed. It is also not compliant with the new emissions laws, in terms of the fluids.
Mr. Hamlin stated that they talked about coming up with a plan for the new multi-family housing developments, and right now they are unsure about where the garbage is going to be placed or in what type of container it will be stored or whether the garbage and recycling trucks will be able to move in and out of the developments. It doesn’t look like they will be able to get a full sized garbage truck behind the developments and still be able to turn around. Councilwoman Knudsen stated that he could get the memorialized plans for the multi-family housing from the Building Department. Mr. Hamlin stated that he reviewed the plans but based on the size of the trucks it looks like they will be able to get a truck in but wouldn’t be able to turn it around, which would mean they would have to back the garbage truck out which causes a lot of maneuverability issues. He added that they make a compactor system that fits on the chassis of a Ford pickup truck, which doesn’t require a CDL license. This means it can be driven by part-time employees, thus reducing the strain on the sanitation crew and full time guys that go out and do rear yard garbage collection every day.
Mr. Hamlin stated that the Clean Communities vehicle is for when the parking garage goes up, since it will add another structure to keep clean, which will require purchasing a vehicle that can carry more cleaning equipment and supplies. The Bobcat is currently used for various locations, but they will be adding the pedestrian tunnel at the train station and parking garage on this employee’s list of jobs. He already works hard to get everything cleaned up during his workday, so at a minimum, the employee will need a new vehicle, and will probably need some assistance as well.
Ms. Mailander stated that the final item is the upgrade of the Solid Waste staff spaces for $20,000. Mr. Hamlin stated that there haven’t been any upgrades to their Sanitation break room/locker room and his office for 35 years, there are floor tiles missing, and the lockers are alright except some of the locking mechanisms don’t work. The shower isn’t in working condition, due to a leak that wasn’t fixed and the floor rotted. Councilwoman Knudsen asked if these repairs were possible for the amount allocated, because it seems like a lot of work to be done. Ms. Mailander stated that the $20,000 was for the locker room. Mr. Hamlin stated that they originally asked for $50,000 but when they negotiated the overall capital budget it was reduced to $20,000, which means his office won’t be done. Mayor Hache asked what the $20,000 would get them. Mr. Hamlin stated that it gets the locker room fixed and the shower and floors. Councilwoman Knudsen stated that it goes back to quality of life in the workplace as it has a lot to do with morale and how you feel about the space as you live 30% of your life there, so it is important. Mayor Hache asked if the compacter was priority over those upgrades. Mr. Hamlin stated no, but the compactor is something that they would definitely be needed in the next year, because of the idling laws that will go into effect.
Councilman Sedon asked how close they were to updating the Packer truck fleet as a few have been purchased in recent years. Mr. Hamlin stated that right now, his major concern is getting the 2003 trucks out and the 2005 truck, and then they can discuss the other ones later. The Crane Carrier Company went out of business and they are not really close to getting them out of the fleet. After the 2003 and 2005 trucks, they still have six more Crane carriers. If they replace two Crane carriers per year, it will take three more years.
Ms. Mailander stated that for Recycling, they have the Packer truck replacement for truck 269, and the information booth. Mr. Hamlin stated that the information booth is for the one or two workers that are in charge of the yard who make sure that residents are doing things correctly, and assist residents. When the inclement weather comes, they need a place to break and currently what they do is get into a pickup truck and get themselves warm, but they have to turn it on. The information booth would provide a place for them to be able to watch the yard, and comes with a heating and air conditioning unit and is on wheels. Ms. Mailander stated that the next capital item is a new fiberglass ramp. Mr. Hamlin stated that the new ramp is something that he is passionate about, because at the present time, they have moveable metal steps that are moved around for residents to climb up on and dump their yard waste or mixed paper because the doors are too high for the residents to lift up. The stairs are unstable and are just a lawsuit waiting to happen. The fiberglass ramp would be built in between the newspaper container and the mixed paper container and would give people a way to go up, walk across, and dump down into the bins.
Ms. Mailander stated that the final capital item is the cardboard compactor that the Mayor mentioned. Mr. Hamlin stated that especially on Saturdays, they get a lot of visitors and the trucks run a lot. One compactor is not enough, and it gets to the point where a second truck needs to be started. Therefore, a second compactor would help out immensely. Councilwoman Knudsen asked if that was quality of life for the neighbors. Mr. Hamlin stated that they get phone calls, because the residents listen and when they hear the trucks running for more than a couple of minutes, they will call and ask for the truck to be turned off. Councilman Sedon extended Green Ridgewood’s help for educating the community on recycling. Mr. Hamlin stated that he communicates with some of the members. Councilwoman Walsh stated that her sister has frequented the Recycling Center and she said that it was the best experience she has had in terms of talking to someone about recycling and learning the rules. Mr. Hamlin stated that he wishes more people would come down to the Recycling Center and see what is going on down there.
Councilman Voigt asked about the disposal/dumping fees as he was curious if it was assuming that all additional multi-family housing units are on-line in 2020, and if that was a good assumption to make. Mr. Hamlin stated that was assuming all of the multi-family housing units are occupied, but it looks like they will be finished in 2020 but won’t be occupied until 2021. The cost of the tipping fees went up $20 a ton, which is a giant increase. Councilman Voigt asked why. Mr. Hamlin stated that is the market rate and the Village received a lower bargain rate, by staying with the same vendor, because of the amount of refuse that the Village brings them. Councilman Voigt asked if they need that amount, even though the multi-family housing units might not all be occupied. Mr. Hamlin stated that he aims towards better safe than sorry. The projection is that some of the places are going to be occupied in September, but he has to put his number out based on how many units there are. He added it was a worst case scenario.
Councilman Sedon added that the primary buyers of recycling have been China and there are a lot of things they aren’t accepting anymore, and this has been expected. It is an unfortunate condition that is really out of our hands, and we are getting a much better deal compared to other towns. Mr. Hamlin stated that you see it on the end of the tipping fees, because on bulk refuse days, the trucks are loaded up, because people are throwing away items that are not recyclable anymore. Mr. Calbi stated part of the reason they were going to pilot the food waste program is because 20% to 30% of the solid waste tonnage is food waste, so by recycling that, it would reduce the overall tonnage. Councilman Sedon offered the assistance of Green Ridgewood. Mr. Hamlin stated that one of the problems he has been looking into is Styrofoam and putting a Styrofoam truck there so people have a place to get rid of it. Councilman Sedon stated that the Village got a grant through the Sustainable Jersey hub for a Styrofoam collection drive, and over 300 pounds of Styrofoam was collected in a few hours. Councilwoman Knudsen stated that she had seen a Styrofoam extruder machine. Mr. Hamlin stated the machine has a big upfront cost. Councilwoman Knudsen stated you can make money from Styrofoam now, so they are extruding that and compressing and selling it and there is a market for it.
6. Finance Department
Bob Rooney, Village CFO, stated that accomplishments for 2019 include introducing and adopting the 2019 budget within the statutory time limits. They coordinated audits of I.T., including penetration tests and operations, and proving that current systems are acting appropriately. Expanded the use of parking kiosk, and working with management to facilitate the construction of a new parking garage and interviewing and hiring a new Tax Collector, Tax Clerk, and Tax Assessor. Goals for 2020 are to bring the garage into operation, introduce and adopt the 2020 budget within statutory time limits again, continue to coordinate Departmental audits with the external audit firm, monitor the use of parking kiosks throughout the Village, and enhance the report for specific identification of IT equipment.
Mr. Rooney stated that he doesn’t have a capital budget. In the operating budget for Finance, they are up slightly in salary and wages according to contractual commitments, other expenses are up slightly as a result of Kronos Time Keeping machines, as they are currently working on getting them all installed and running by July 1, 2020. Another item for other contractual services is a Citibot notification pilot for $9,000. Ms. Mailander stated that they had a webinar about Citibot as a way for people to report different issues including potholes, garbage, traffic light out, and it allows them to just text it in and then they get a response saying that the request was received. It gets filtered to one person in Village Hall and then filtered to the Department, which is then marked as completed and a message sent to the individual who reported it. This is something they are thinking about possibly doing and it would certainly help, because at the present time, people email whoever they think will help them and it takes time to the request to the proper department.
7. Tax Collector
Mr. Rooney stated that salary and wages are down substantially as the Tax Collector who was here for nearly 40 years retired, and there was a new one on board. The other expenses are flat to last year.
8. Parking Utility
Mr. Rooney stated that the Parking Utility budget is approximately 60% of what it was last year. The key factors there are the lease agreements on the kiosk and the debt service associated with the parking garage. They are using approximately $200,000 more in surplus, and have generated approximately $500,000 in parking meter fees. There is no capital in parking, there was just $300,000 for remediation of properties.
9. Final Review of Capital Budget and Debt Service
Mr. Rooney stated that there were Departmental requests of almost $26 million in capital requests for 2020. They went through and pared that down to approximately $13 million after meeting with Department Heads and coming to conclusions on what their needs actually were. The idea is to get consistent with prior years, and that would be a number about $8 million as a target. That would mean substantially reducing the current capital budget. He took what was presented to Village Council and started with $13.5 million. He met with Ms. Mailander and then removed everything starting with Schedler, ambulances, dump truck, and then looked at some of the infrastructure commitments that they had and tried to modify them. That brought them down to $10,070,000. He then took another pass through and removed some of the items that they might not get to this year and it went down to $8 million. Mr. Rooney stated that getting it down to $8 million means $400,000 that they would have to appropriate for a down payment in the current fund.
Councilman Voigt asked about the West Glen Avenue signal improvements. Mr. Rooney stated that he wanted to postpone it. It doesn’t mean it won’t get done this year, but when they get to it the money can be appropriated. Councilman Voigt asked about the West Glen Avenue sidewalks and if they were moved out as well. Mr. Rooney stated that they were. Councilman Voigt said that he wasn’t in favor of that, as there would be a lot of very upset residents. Mr. Rooney stated that he doesn’t think a $10 million capital project this year is smart from the impact it’s going to have on debt service in the future.
Councilwoman Knudsen asked if it was possible to swap things. Mr. Rooney stated that it was. Councilwoman Knudsen stated that if she went to Engineering and took the Circle Ave drainage replacement at $350,000, which Mr. Rooney then stated was taken out. Ms. Mailander stated that some of them aren’t taken out completely, as some are just postponed or phased. Councilwoman Knudsen asked what the total was originally. Mr. Rooney stated that $13 million was what they all concluded were the needs. Ms. Mailander agreed and added that was when they met with the Department Heads and they discussed the capital budget together and decided as a group what the capital budget priorities are for 2020, but even after that, they still had to bring it down to $8 million.
Councilwoman Walsh asked what are the top five capital items that are critical to stay in, which could be deferred. Sanitation as an example, how the structure of how we do sanitation is changing around the world so we have to fall into that. There are those capital items that no matter what, will have to be funded, because there is no alternative. Mr. Rooney stated that he understands, but adding a new Packer truck would include taking something else out of the capital budget. The Library is $2 million, Schedler is $1.8 million, and $2 million is budgeted for road paving. Councilwoman Walsh stated that the road paving is something that is seen every day. Ms. Mailander stated that they have already approved $2 million for paving.
Councilwoman Knudsen stated that the sheet of the proposed capital items would be helpful if she saw what capital items they were keeping on the same sheet, and separated by Department. Mr. Rooney stated that he could do that. Councilman Voigt asked if this needed to be decided tonight. Ms. Mailander stated that she would put this on as another discussion item for Wednesday and they would discuss it then. Councilman Voigt asked if they could send the top five or six that everyone wants. Councilwoman Knudsen stated that it was hard for her to see what to pick. Ms. Mailander asked if she wanted it by Department. Councilwoman Knudsen stated that she would like to see an Excel spreadsheet with everything that was recommended, and then in brackets what was removed so they could see what was kept and removed on one sheet. Ms. Mailander stated that they would group it by Department. Mayor Hache added that you could then see what is a safety issue as opposed to just infrastructure.
Councilwoman Walsh stated that was what she was asking about was completing the Schedler park this year. That was a large amount of money that they were allocating for 2020 that may not become reality until the end of the year or 2021. Mayor Hache stated that maybe they just focus on the berm and then have the field be the next step. Councilman Sedon stated maybe the Zabriskie-Schedler House will get done with grant funding. If the parking lot is put off until next year, it would reduce the amount allocated. Ms. Mailander added that the difficulty was if there was no parking lot and the house was finished, there would be nowhere to park. Councilwoman Walsh asked that if they could have a better idea of the schedule of construction. Councilman Sedon stated that Kings Pond Park and the Library are bringing the budget up. Ms. Mailander stated that she would put it on the Wednesday meeting so it could be discussed then.
Mayor Hache asked if those things that were critical could be noted. Ms. Mailander stated that those were the items that were left in the capital budget. Councilman Voigt asked if Mr. Rooney could go over what the concern would be if they bumped up the amount by another $500,000 or $1 million what’s the issue. Mr. Rooney stated that the impact would be on debt service. Councilman Voigt asked if there was a rule of thumb on the net debt percentage for a municipality that was safe. Mr. Rooney stated that the amount allowed is 3.5%. Councilman Voigt asked if Mr. Rooney’s recommendation was that they keep the net debt percentage below 1%. Mr. Rooney stated he would like to do so, if possible. Councilwoman Walsh stated that the Village Council will have to put themselves in the shoes of everyone in the Village, and what are going to be the pressure points if they don’t purchase a particular capital item. Mr. Rooney spoke about debt service and how they reached the numbers.
Mayor Hache asked if they could look at health insurance. Mr. Rooney stated that health insurance is made up of several things, there were reductions in salaries this year due to retirees, so they felt comfortable that they could bring this down. After all of these cuts, they are looking at a 2.22% tax rate. Ms. Mailander stated that there were two years of .99%, and two years of 0%, and they have to bounce back from that. Mr. Rooney added that contributing to that is a slight decrease in valuations this year. Councilwoman Walsh stated that was what she was asking about the partial assessments on the new multi-family housing developments, as once they are finished, they can tax them. They can anticipate that they will have a cash surge at the end of the year. Mayor Hache stated that was where the criticality of the timing comes into play.
Councilwoman Knudsen stated that she was looking at the recommended and looking at the exterior renovations to Village Hall is reduced to $75,000 so they could do the exterior renovations and postpone that for a year and take that money and put it towards something else. In one year, if she takes the $75,000 and repairs the columns they are no worse for wear, but if they don’t take the $75,000 and plant trees they have put off the tree planting for another year. She also suggested phasing in the 40 new computers with 20 and 20, and splitting that to put the money towards something else. There is opportunity here to think about those allocations.
Councilwoman Walsh asked Councilman Sedon if there was any estimate as to how many trees can physically be planted in a week. Councilman Sedon stated that it wasn’t the employees doing it, so it is all outsourced and you have to pay for the cost of the tree and the cost of the contractor. Councilwoman Walsh asked if they could accomplish planting 200 trees in the fall. Councilman Sedon stated that they did it in 2018 because it was outsourced. Ms. Mailander stated that they couldn’t guarantee that would be 200 trees because they don’t know how much the cost is going to be per tree. Councilwoman Walsh stated that there are so many other factors to ensure that the tree that they plant is going to survive, but she asked in terms of timing if it was all going to get done.
Councilwoman Knudsen stated that the Library is coming to do a presentation and the amount is significantly reduced, and if they can share that and allocate it. Ms. Mailander asked if the Library is required to show that the Village is supporting a bond ordinance for $2 million. Councilwoman Walsh stated that they changed the plans for the Library renovation, and are working as fast as they can to get the estimate because it changes all of the other aspects of it.
Councilwoman Knudsen stated that she has looked at the cardboard compactor being removed, which is a quality of life issue for the neighbors to the Recycling Center, off of Glen Avenue. The Village Council took out the compactor for $45,000 which would improve the quality of life, but there is still $2 million in the capital budget for the Library renovation and they have to look at what would improve the quality of life of our neighbors. Ms. Mailander stated that she agreed, adding that what was taken out of the capital budget, was just a recommendation to get to the $8 million figure, and the Village Council will make the final decision on the funding for the capital budget. Councilwoman Walsh stated that on Long Island, the Recycling Center is 40 foot containers and nothing is idling. When it fills, they snap a tarp on it and it is moved out and another one takes its place. She was wondering if they have that for the paper, and should they switch over to that for cardboard. Councilwoman Knudsen stated that the carboard takes up a lot of space unless you compress it. Mayor Hache stated that the efficiency is that you are making more trips.
Ms. Mailander for the requested approval of the proposed reductions in the operating budget. Mr. Rooney reviewed the operating budget requests. Ms. Mailander added that they had spoken to each Department Director and they knew what the reductions were. She added it was a 2.22% tax increase and the budget must be introduced on April 15, 2020, statutorily.
10. Deferred Charges
Mr. Rooney stated that deferred charges are the same as last year, $50,000 for the Master Plan, and a $5,000 contribution towards unfunded capital ordinances.
11. Statutory Expenditures
Mr. Rooney stated that they were proposing an increase of $130,000 in terminal leave to build a reserve up. Other items are relatively flat, with the exception of pension items which are approximately 3% to 4% over last year.
b.Wrap-up and Setting of Tax Rate
Ms. Mailander stated that the Village Council should contact Mr. Rooney individually with their preferences for the capital budget, and then they would review it on Wednesday night. This is probably one of the first years that the Village Council has choices because there are a lot of needs. Councilwoman Knudsen stated that this Village Council has done a remarkable job in addressing parks and infrastructure, but it comes at a price and they have to appreciate the fiscal wake up call.
4. COMMENTS FROM THE PUBLIC
Carolyn Jacoby, 160 Godwin Avenue, stated that she had never sat through this process, and she appreciated the need to save the community and quality of life.
There were no additional comments from the public.
5. ADJOURNMENT
There being no further business to come before the Village Council, on a motion by Councilman Sedon, seconded by Councilwoman Knudsen, and carried unanimously by voice vote, the Village Council’s Special Public Budget Meeting was adjourned at 8:43 P.M.
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Ramon M. Hache, Sr.
Mayor
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Heather A. Mailander
Village Manager/Village Clerk
