He referred to the agenda item that would establish an investigation committee related to high density housing to review the conflicted process that caused these ordinances to be approved by the prior Village Council. This is part of the mandate given to the new Village Council and this action will restore confidence and trust in the government and its ordinances. Residents must have total knowledge as to the reasons why these ordinances were adopted, despite the public outcry.
Mr. Slomin encouraged the Village Council to be strong on all of these points and again stressed the importance of setting their own agenda.
Katie Fayen, 737 Hillcrest Road, said she is interning for the Parks and Recreation Department. She has worked at the Ridgewood Summer Day Camp for the past five years, which inspired her to work on a project entitled “105 Fun Summer Activities to do in Ridgewood”. These activities encourage everyone to get outside, to be creative and to explore their surroundings. She discussed her ideas with Nancy Bigos and they came up with a theme of being “in the moment”. The list she developed is centered on an appreciation of the little things life has to offer. Ms. Fayen said that it is obvious that everyone here cares a lot for the Village and she hopes that her list will encourage people to enjoy those little things with their families. She distributed the list to everyone on the dais and left additional copies for those who were interested.
Brian Shevlin, 512 Van Buren Street, read comments from his wife Megan, who said that the first priority of the new Village Council should be the construction of a new parking deck. No additional studies are needed because many studies have shown that the best place for the location of the parking structure is close to the train station on the lot at Hudson Street, that is already owned by the Village. Ms. Shevlin suggested working with Ms. Reynold’s group, to make the changes necessary while still making the structure cost effective. When this has been completed, a construction manager should be hired, followed by receipt of three bids, which should get the project underway as soon as possible. If work can begin in the fall it would be finished before any construction starts at the Brogan Cadillac or Ken Smith properties. The idea of parking at the rear of the movie theater and reconfiguring the parking on Chestnut, Oak, and Walnut Streets are great ideas and can be looked at concurrently; however, the deck does not have to be held up while these locations are studied. She added that multiple projects and planning can run parallel to the building of the deck. Ms. Shevlin feels that businesses in the area, who will benefit from a parking garage, should contribute to the cost and the cost should not be borne exclusively by the taxpayers and people who use the meters. She pointed out that there are many different ways businesses could contribute to the parking utility.
Ms. Shevlin views the deck as having three different areas, including a commuter parking area. This is an area where non-residents should be charged more to park because it provides a revenue stream and it is a way to control utilization of this area. If the Village sees that the area is not being utilized by Ridgewood residents, the price for non-resident passes can be lowered and overall utilization can increase. Ms. Shevlin was surprised that there wasn’t a larger discussion of employee parking at earlier meetings because the whole point is to open up the streets for parking for shoppers, which means that employees need incentives to park in a parking deck. The key to this is the 5-0 vote by the Village Council, on a bond ordinance, which would allow the Village to retain control, especially relative to parking. If Bergen County residents are charged the same as Ridgewood residents, some control and utilization of the parking deck will be lost. Ms. Shevlin concluded that the importance of the 5-0 vote cannot be stressed enough.
Jacqueline Hone, 30 Carriage Lane, stated that Mayor Knudsen had promised her that the unanswered complaint regarding the Village Manager and her staff would be investigated and a response would be imminent. Ms. Hone said that even after her complaint was filed, the same employees continued with their wrong doing, which is why she wanted to amend her complaint to include all of October 2015 to present. She also asked if the Village had a procedure to handle this type of complaint since the complaint was forwarded to Ms. Sonenfeld, who is the person she was complaining about, and she refused to respond to the complaint. Mayor Knudsen instructed Ms. Hone to assemble a complete list of complaints from October 2015 to present and to give her several days to locate policy and procedure. A few days later, Ms. Hone received an email from Mayor Knudsen, who said she was waiting on legal review and needed additional time.
Ms. Hone stated that the following day, she was surprised to see a letter from Ms. Sonenfeld that was published in the Ridgewood News. She said that this letter was an attempt to discredit and damage her word, character and reputation. The points made by Ms. Sonenfeld are incorrect. Ms. Hone stated that Ms. Sonenfeld refers to a County request with false and reckless disregard because she left out two pages where the County listed items that they have no jurisdiction over, which are referred back to the Village for correction.
Ms. Hone stated that she has filed a complaint at the County, State and municipal level. All complaints are separate from each other and as such, the complaints should be answered individually. She asked why the Village Manager can’t comprehend that the Village needs to answer her complaint or if she is simply ignoring it. Ms. Sonenfeld has no prior experience in public administration but this is willful misconduct and actual malice. The only remedy is dismissal, considering what has been done to the Schedler property, Habernickel Park and Garber Square, among others, coupled with a lawsuit and ethics violations. Ms. Hone asked that the Village Council move forward with Village Code Chapter III, Section 3-26, which deals with the Removal of Village Manager.
Ms. Hone stated that she doubts she will ever get a response to her complaint; however, she would appreciate an answer as to the exact procedure so that this harm isn’t done in the future to anyone else, to any project, or to any neighborhood.
Deani Rubin, 1021 Hillcrest Road, stated that she wanted some clarification on rules and procedures governing HealthBarn. Ms. Rubin stated that the lease is not being followed correctly. HealthBarn puts out a banner daily, which makes it appear as though the entire park is a part of HealthBarn. Ms. Rubin confronted Stacy Antine and told her that she is breaking the conditions of the lease. Ms. Antine said she was aware that she was not following the lease, but had to put out the banner in order for people to locate her business. Ms. Rubin pointed out that there is a sign clearly identifying Habernickel Park and all she needs to do is to let people know she is located at Habernickel Park. Ms. Rubin said that this is an opportunity for free advertising for HealthBarn.
Ms. Rubin recalled the discussion at a previous Village Council meeting when Ms. Ainten said there would be 35 children attending day camp in the summer. Ms. Rubin said that HealthBarn is allowed to have up to 95 children at the camp because Ms. Antine failed to tell the Village that she is able to bus 30 to 60 children every day in the summer. Ms. Rubin added that the Fire Code allows for 49 occupants in the house at one time.
Ms. Rubin noted that there are now lights that illuminate the parking lot of Habernickel Park, even though concerned residents were told by Mr. Rutishauser, the Village Engineer, via letter, that lights would not be allowed. Ms. Rubin stated that this is a totally mismanaged operation and something needs to be done about the continuing violation of the lease with HealthBarn. She sent Ms. Sonenfeld an email about the situation, but the banner continues to be in place every day. It appears that HealthBarn is unwilling to work with the residents, who care deeply for their community.
Rurik Halaby, 374 Evergreen Place, encouraged Ms. Sonenfeld to continue to be “rogue” because when she stops being “rogue” she is not doing her job.
Mayor Knudsen said that there would be no name calling or belittling at this meeting.
Mr. Halaby described the first month of this new Village Council as a purge of their enemies. He stated that only one-third of the eligible voters in Ridgewood voted in the last Municipal Election and Village Councilmembers were elected with a two-thirds majority, which would equal 20% of the eligible population. The various Village committees seemed to be populated by friends of Village Councilmembers and it also appears that the new Village Council is trying to get rid of Ms. Sonenfeld. He said that a year’s worth of work and $600,000 spent on looking at parking solutions has gone down the drain because this Village Council wants to start all over again and spend time with band aid solutions, such as angled parking. Mr. Halaby hopes that work will continue towards a parking garage on Hudson Street and he asked Councilmembers Hache and Voigt where they stand on this issue.
Councilman Voigt said he is committed to building the garage on Hudson Street and he hopes they can be aggressive and get shovels in the ground immediately. He stated that the only way to gain the trust of the residents is to keep your commitments.
Councilman Hache said that the Village Council is considering parking at the Zabriskie lot because during construction, of a parking garage, the Village cannot afford to lose the parking spaces in the Hudson Street lot without making some other accommodation. They are moving forward and do not plan on further studies.
Janine Vellis, 1080 Hillcrest Road, agreed with Deani Rubin and added that HealthBarn is much too intensive a use for Habernickel Park. Ninety-five children are not only unacceptable but borders on being dangerous, when only forty-nine individuals are allowed in the house per fire code. The Village and residents were misled about the size and quantity of buses that would be coming in and out. Ms. Vellis recalled that Ms. Antine indicated that only small buses for field trips would be coming to HealthBarn and to date there have even been charter buses on a regular basis. Hillcrest Road is already a busy street and all of this additional traffic, both in the park and on the street, is unacceptable.
Ms. Vellis stated that the residents in the Hillcrest neighborhood were deceived by Village employees about the lights. In 2003, the Ridgewood Open Space Trust Fund application indicated that there would be no lights at the park. In 2011, a North Jersey.com article stated that the Village Engineer said “no lights are included in this project, there are no footings installed, there are no light footings in this contract”. At the November 4, 2015 Council Meeting, the Director of Parks and Recreation announced that no lights would be added. In August of 2015, Ms. Vellis said that new lights are on the house, along with a camera and lights, and footings and poles have also been installed in the parking lot. There are five lights higher than the barn, which are lit all night. Ms. Vellis asked why incorrect information was conveyed. She questioned why the park is lit unlike any other park in the Village, why the park is not closed at dusk, and why wasn’t any environmental group notified about the lights staying on all night.
Mayor Knudsen referred to the citizen complaint made by Jacqueline Hone. Mayor Knudsen said she reviewed the County response, which indicated seven times that alleged complaints were not within their jurisdiction and they could not respond. Mayor Knudsen said that she told Ms. Hone she would get back to her and find a process that would allow for a review and investigation of her complaint. She responded to Ms. Hone stating that the correct procedure relative to the handling of this complaint is listed as an agenda item to be discussed in Closed Session.
Mayor Knudsen stated that on July 28th Village Councilmembers were sent a full copy of the letter from Ms. Sonenfeld that was published in the Ridgewood News on July 29th. She indicated that she would have prevented publication of the letter if she had seen it in time. Mayor Knudsen took this opportunity to apologize to Ms. Hone and she stated that the letter is regrettable.
Councilmember Voigt said that there was a lot of negativism in tonight’s public comments and he would like to find a way to address these criticisms to everyone’s satisfaction in a prompt manner. He asked everyone to think about this and to put together a plan to address the items that have been festering for some time.
3. DISCUSSION
a. Ridgewood Water
1.) Compensation for Participants in Lead and Copper Sampling and Testing
Ms. Sonenfeld recalled that per Councilwoman Walsh’s request Ridgewood Water will be handled separately at Village Council meetings. Richard Calbi, Director of Ridgewood Water, introduced David Scheibner, he Business Manager of Ridgewood Water. Mr. Scheibner said that Ridgewood Water will soon begin a new round of lead and copper sampling and testing, which will be the first full round since the exceedance in 2012, which implemented corrosion control throughout the system. Regulations require that samples be collected at the homes after the water has been stagnant for six to eight hours, meaning that water samples have to be collected in the morning before water is used for any purpose. Many residents are willing to tolerate this inconvenience in order to learn if there are lead problems in their homes; however, the department has found that some participants tend to lose interest in participating after the first few rounds of sampling. The water utility must sample and test locations having a higher risk of lead contamination, due to lead service lines circa 1982 to 1986. In addition, and there are a limited number of locations, so it is important to encourage participation by these residents.
Mr. Scheibner stated that in 2012, participants had their water service accounts credited by $25 and this incentive helped the utility to get the 60 locations needed to comply. Ridgewood Water would like to provide the same incentive for the next two rounds of sampling and testing at a total cost of $3,000. Ms. Scheibner is asking for the Village Council’s approval of this plan.
Ms. Sonenfeld said that there is money available in the budget to cover the cost. She said that it is important to include the 60 most vulnerable residences, in order to do effective testing for lead, and this study needs to begin as soon as possible. It is troubling that this 2012 number has been used for the past four years and results of this new study should be available in December. Mr. Scheibner pointed out that this will be the first round of study since implementation of erosion control that is being used to ameliorate the issue.
2.) Amend Agreement for Online Credit Card and Bank Account Debit Payment of Water Bills – Elimination of Convenience Fee
Mr. Scheibner stated that Ridgewood Water has an existing agreement for the processing of on-line credit card and bank account debit payments of water bills. An auto-pay option, also known as paperless billing, is included in this service. This agreement is at no cost to the utility because this type of service was included in the bid for the billing service; however, the transaction fees are paid by the bill payer. The fee is 25 cents per bill.
Mr. Scheibner stated that online water bill payments, especially the auto-pay option, improves collections, reduces billing and clerical costs and enhances the consumer experience; however, the adoption of these methods of payment by bill payers has been slow. A line of funding in the 2016 budget was created for this service. The first step is to seek Village Council approval to amend the agreement with Metropolitan Communications to allow the 25 cent transaction be to be paid by Ridgewood Water. The cost is estimated to be $75 per month, and increased bill payer participation will result in an increased cost to the utility.
Mr. Calbi stated that he would like as many customers as possible to switch to paperless billing because it will save both time and billing fees paid to the outside company. They have also looked into credit card processing vendors, whose costs would also be absorbed by the utility company. The goal is a better return on the billing and less unpaid bills. In addition, this service provides the customer with a portal to view their actual usage, along with other information that could help customers to detect the presence of a leak in their house.
Councilman Voigt asked if the utility’s cost would decrease based on the number of people enrolled in this payment system. Mr. Calbi said they would have to compare these processing costs to the cost involved in paper billing and going after delinquent accounts. Ms. Sonenfeld said she wouldn’t expect a significant difference in cost. Councilman Voigt asked if there were any projections relative to what customers were likely to do over time. Mr. Scheibner stated that experts indicate that a successful amount of customers would be 20% or 4,000 Ridgewood Water customers; however, he would anticipate a greater number. He added that many customers pay their bills through online banking.
3.) Authorize Change Order – Cold Water Meters and Supplies
Mr. Calbi explained that the water utility has a contract with a supply company for cold water meters and supplies; however, additional funding is needed to purchase meters and parts to complete installations at customers’ homes. The new supply contract total is now $182,476.
Councilman Voigt questioned how they can better predict these overages. Mr. Calbi said that they need to become proactive rather than reactive, which is part of the long term capital plan. The water utility is trying to keep up with the regulators and they are dealing with systems that have been failing over the years, which need to be brought up to speed.
4.) Award Contract Under State Contract –Chlorine Analyzers and Supplies
Mr. Calbi stated that this is a resolution for the purchase of chlorine analyzers and supplies under State Contract. This equipment allows for purchase of equipment to monitor chlorine in all of the wells. This request exceeds the statutory limit of $17,500 for these materials, which is why a resolution is required.
5.) Award Contract – Servicing and Repair of Electric Source
Mr. Calbi stated that one bid was received for the servicing of electrical supply and maintenance. The bid was received from Roberge Electric Company, the same contractor that has been used for many years. He is recommending award of this two-year contract for labor rates for regular and emergency maintenance to Roberge Electric Company. This company purchases the equipment, which the ViIlage pays for separately. In prior years, the bidder has set the markup; however, this year the Village will set the markup based on the value of the equipment.
Upon questioning by Councilman Voigt, Mr. Calbi explained that this is a service contract with an hourly limit and any purchase will have to be approved and certified by the Village CFO. Ms. Sonenfeld added that there is a budget line item that addresses this and there is a certain amount that cannot be exceeded without Village approval. Councilman Voigt asked about overtime and Mr. Calbi said that overtime would occur on an emergency basis. A certain response time is required in emergency situations and higher rates for service can be incurred. Councilman Voigt asked for the budgeted amount for this service. Ms. Sonenfeld explained that at this time, this service is combined with other services. She will do the calculations and get this information to him.
b. Parking
1.) Hudson Street Parking – Next Steps
As stated earlier in the meeting, Councilman Voigt indicated his support for the construction of a four level, three story parking garage on Hudson Street. Councilwoman Walsh said that she ran for Village Council as supporting a parking garage on Hudson Street. The design submitted to the public earlier this year was not what the people wanted and a new, smaller design seems to be preferred; however, the scaled down version must be financially feasible. Ms. Sonenfeld stated that Desman Associates has indicated that if a level of the parking garage were to be removed, a new architectural design would be required. Desman estimates a cost of between $85,000 and $95,000 to complete this redesign.
Councilwoman Walsh stated that she would like to consult the residents of Ridgewood pursuant to an amended design, because it seemed as though people disagreed with the process during the last time the parking garage was discussed. This will be a collaborative effort and she would welcome feedback from the public even though she realizes that everyone will not agree with everything. Her area of expertise is property valuation and she can lend her experience in this regard to her fellow Councilmembers.
Councilman Sedon recalled that after Parking Design Option A was rejected, it seemed relatively simple to design Options B and C. This was done using Photoshop with the footprint and basic design remaining the same. The question for consideration is whether the design could be reworked to remove one level and leave the footprint as is. He noted that Option D involved a redesign of the footprint that was more expensive and took longer. Councilman Sedon said he is in favor of the garage and he would recommend staying with the original footprint and lowering the height of the structure.
Councilman Hache said his concern with the parking garage is that during peak times of the day, all of the spaces would not be utilized. He questioned the capacity of the garage and asked why a garage with 400 spaces was necessary when only 200 spaces would be used. He stated that the problem in the CBD is the distribution of parking. Any parking spaces that center around the CBD, where the stores and restaurant are located, is prime real estate and should be reserved for patrons of the Village. The Village Council should look at underutilized parking lots, which would be better locations for employee parking.
Councilman Voigt said that the Financial Advisory Committee (FAC) is looking at a detailed analysis of pricing, in relation to the proximity of parking spaces to the train station. Parking that is more convenient to the train station would be more expensive. Offering this type of staggered pricing would mean that people can chose where to park, based on their pocket books. Councilman Voigt hopes to have these findings available in October.
Mayor Knudsen referred to a line in a March 2015 document which stated that “the Hudson Street lot is too narrow for an efficient self-park garage”. She wondered why the Village would pay $600,000 to build a garage that doesn’t fit onto the lot. The time she spent on the Planning Board and the Zoning Board of Adjustment has given her a unique perspective relative to details, traffic circulation and structure analysis. The original design for the garage narrowed Hudson Street by 12 feet and dumped over 300 cars into the roadway, which was a traffic nightmare. The footprint was eventually reduced, narrowing Hudson Street by only five feet; however, the garage was still sticking out past the additional structures around Hudson Street and continued a traffic pattern that dumped hundreds of cars into an already congested area.
Mayor Knudsen said she favors a garage on Hudson Street, but only if it can be built on the lot. She stated this is a highly congested area and the suggestion to re-route traffic in the opposite direction would force west to east bound Hudson Street traffic head on into the traffic coming from Dayton Street in the area of the bus terminal. This concept defies appropriate traffic circulation and planning. Mayor Knudsen stated that they need to design a garage that fits on the lot. The design must be of an appropriate size and scale, while recognizing the traffic circulation issues present in the immediate area. The historic nature of this area must also be taken into account. She said that in order to build the garage you need to go up, which requires length. She recalled an earlier rudimentary design with two or three tiers and ramps on the outside and commented that they need to revisit what they already have. Mayor Knudsen concluded by indicating she supports a garage that is appropriate for the neighborhood, which fits on the lot, without encroaching onto Hudson Street.
Councilman Voigt said that one of the Village Councilmembers must lead this initiative as a type of “project manager”. Mayor Knudsen felt that two Village Councilmembers were necessary. They should concentrate on reviewing the plans they have. She added that the earlier reviews of the parking garage indicated that the viability of this garage hinged on raising the parking rates to see if the increased meter rates would be sustainable. Councilman Voigt agreed and stated that the FAC would be looking at a comprehensive utility pricing of all the meters for commuter lots and non-residents.
Mayor Knudsen agreed with Councilman Hache’s comments that this is a distribution issue. The Walnut Street parking lot is underutilized and people are either not being told where to park or they are not being routed properly to the parking. She stated that there is a parking crunch from time to time, but there seems to be a distribution problem most of the time.
Councilman Hache asked John Jahr, Principle and Traffic Consultant from Maser Engineering, for the number of parking spaces that could be accommodated by a structure on Hudson Street that wouldn’t be as disruptive, as far as traffic is concerned. Councilman Voigt also asked Mr. Jahr to describe some of the traffic flow issues. Mr. Jahr said that Hudson Street and the surrounding intersecting streets suffer from significant over capacity. These streets include South Broad Street and East Ridgewood Avenue; Passaic Street and other nearby roads, operating close to their limits. He encouraged a moderate sized parking deck at the Hudson Street location. He said that it would be beneficial to have an alternate location where parking could be placed. Too much parking on Hudson Street will over burden the system and he encouraged a more moderate approach, such as a deck that would accommodate 200 to 275 parking spaces. Mr. Jahr suggested nearby traffic improvements, such as turn restrictions on Hudson Street during peak hours; a signal at South Broad Street and Franklin Avenue; and an upgrade of the other signals in the Village. Mr. Jahr recommended some additional work, in combination with what has been done before, and he could create a synchro model to demonstrate how all these things would work together to improve congestion issues.
Councilman Voigt recommended that the parking issue be listed on every agenda until a solution is found. Mayor Knudsen felt that parking could be on the agenda on an “as needed” basis. Councilman Voigt said that if nothing is done to address this problem, this Village Council will be known as the “do nothing Council”. Councilman Voigt said that there is an opportunity to get the garage built and reiterated that parking updates need to be included on every agenda.
Councilman Hache agreed with Councilman Voigt and he recalled that the main focus of the Central Business District Advisory Committee is to move forward with the parking situation. He is in favor of putting this on the agenda for every meeting. Councilwoman Walsh indicated her agreement. Councilman Sedon said he would be happy to keep a space open for this topic.
Councilman Voigt said that he and Councilman Hache would be reporting back to the Village Council on a regular basis.
3.) Consideration of On-Street Angled Parking Spaces and One Way Streets in the Central Business District
Ms. Sonenfeld explained that Mr. Rutishauser looked at the possibility of one way streets and angled parking during a recent discussion of parking. The thought was that before any experts are hired it would be useful to have Village engineering staff look at the feasibility of these suggestions. Mr. Rutishauser has prepared an update of the study he did in 2006.
Mr. Rutishauser stated that there are currently four streets with angled parking on north-south streets and one angled parking configuration on one east-west street. Chestnut Street, Oak Street and Walnut Street all have partially angled parking. The only streets with angled parking on both sides are North Broad Street and the west side of Memorial Park at Van Neste Square. Mr. Rutishauser stated that angled parking spaces between 40 degrees and 90 degrees are the most effective and require a curb width between 52 feet and 62 feet. This is not generally the case on the streets in Ridgewood. He concluded that most of the parking has been optimized.
Mr. Rutishauser said that one of the concerns with angled parking are tree wells and if a car pulling into an angled spot has a low front end it could hit the tree well and the owner of the car may send a claim to the Village. The Village may also have to relocate parking meters, signs, etc. if the parking orientation were to be changed. Angled parking can cause safety issues for pedestrians and angled parking on a street without sufficient width means that there may not be an adequate through lane for emergency service vehicles that generally require a 12-foot lane.
Councilman Hache asked why there are buffer zones between the parallel parking spots on East Ridgewood Avenue. Mr. Rutishauser explained that these zones aid residents who are not experts in parallel parking. This extra space also helps residents who drive larger SUVs. These hatched sections also make parallel parking much easier on East Ridgewood Avenue from Cottage Place east, towards Maple Avenue, where there are narrow sections that could cause traffic backups if someone is having difficulty parking.
Councilman Voigt asked Mr. Rutishauser if he would recommend angled parking on any additional streets in Ridgewood. Mr. Rutishauser said he would not recommend angled parking on any street in the Village and he said the present configuration is probably the best possible. Councilman Voigt questioned how many parking spaces could be added with angled parking on the south bound direction of Chestnut Street, between Franklin Avenue and Ridgewood Avenue. Mr. Rutishauser replied that one or two spaces could be added if driveways, fire hydrants and loading zones were considered; however, there would be insufficient thoroughfare for the passage of emergency vehicles. When questioned by Councilman Sedon about additional parking spaces around Memorial Park at Van Neste Square, Mr. Rutishauser stated that there is not the same amount of in and out interference in this area as exists on the other streets.
Councilman Voigt questioned the possibility of one-way streets. Mr. Rutishauser said that one way streets have fallen out of favor with the business community because it is believed that the circulation is not advantageous to businesses. He would recommend soliciting input from the Ridgewood Guild and Chamber of Commerce if the Village Council decided to go forward with this plan. He pointed to a recent article in the Bergen Record, which noted that Hackensack is considering a change from one way streets to two way streets in order to help the business community.
Councilman Hache asked about the possibility of putting angled parking on Walnut Street between East Ridgewood and Franklin Avenues. Mr. Rutishauser stated this would be difficult because of several driveways into the bank and post office, which could be hazardous to the cars that would be parked there.
3.) Update on Repeat Parking
Police Chief Luthcke stated that over the last month, between 140 and 180 summonses for repeat parking have been issued. In many cases, it seems to be an issue of people moving their cars to a location within the same area. Ms. Sonenfeld added that Parking Enforcement Officers have commented that Park Mobile makes this easier than tire chalking. Police Chief Luthcke indicated people will rub off the chalk marks when their tires are marked. Some people complain that tire chalking is graffiti on their cars. Chief Luthcke stated that there were 21 occurrences of repeat parking and one repeat offender was fined over $500 for repeat parking offenses. Ms. Sonenfeld said that because the ticket can be paid quickly using Park Mobile, there is not always an accurate accounting of how many times parking has been repeated.
Councilman Hache said that he thinks it is the merchants who are the repeat offenders and if the individual can be identified he or she needs to be approached personally and reminded to move the car. This should be followed by suggestions pointing out other locations to park that could be a money saver. Chief Luthcke agreed, and said they have spoken to merchants and their employees, who have been coaxed to park at the Cottage Place lot, which is an eight-hour lot. There are many open spaces at the Cottage Place lot; however, it appears that people don’t want to walk this distance.
Mayor Knudsen questioned what is involved in the term “blocks of time” and how it is relevant to repeat parking. Chief Luthcke explained that there are four part-time Parking Enforcement Officers who have assigned schedules. In addition, several are also on duty during various time frames, such as between 12:00 P.M. to 6:00 P.M., because there are usually more people in the CBD, who are potential repeat violators. During the first two hours of their shifts there is no enforcement, because that is the time they are marking the tires or checking the system to find out who has been parked for two hours. They make be working for a six-hour block of time; however, enforcement is only taking place for four hours.
4.) Increase in Parking Ticket Fines
Ms. Sonenfeld stated that it was recommended to the previous Village Council that parking fines be increased from $19 to $25, which would include tiering. She noted the parking fine in surrounding towns such as Allendale, which is $40; $52 in Fair Lawn, $25 in Glen Rock and in Ho-H-Kus the fine is $65. Ms. Sonenfeld added that $11.50 of the $19.00 currently charged in Ridgewood goes to the State.
Ms. Sonenfeld asked the Village Council to consider making the fine higher for repeat parking. The suggestion is to raise the fine to $50 for the first five tickets, then up to $75, followed by $100. At this time, the fine is $25 for the first ticket; $50 for the second through the tenth; $75 for the tenth through the twentieth; and $100 for over twenty tickets.
Councilman Hache said that the repeat ticket fine should begin at $100, because if it is painful enough to the pocket book, people will do the right thing. Mayor Knudsen felt that this was too severe. Ms. Sonenfeld referred to parking data, which indicated that exceeding time at the meter in Edgewater was $48 and $40 in Hackensack.
Councilman Sedon asked Ms. Sonenfeld to find out if these rates for excessive parking discouraged people from repeat parking. Ms. Sonenfeld said that results might be difficult to assess, but she would try to get this information. He was in favor of implementing a tiered system beginning at $50. This would give them the opportunity to look at existing data, and after three or four months, check the data again to find out if there is a notable decrease in repeat parking due to the new system of fines. The data will demonstrate whether or not the new system is effective.
Upon questioning by Councilwoman Walsh, Ms. Sonenfeld clarified that the fines for repeat parking at $50 per ticket do not begin until the individual has received tickets for four previous parking offenses.
Councilman Voigt asked if $11.50 is a flat fee that goes to the State or was it a percentage of the total amount of the ticket. Ms. Sonenfeld believed that this is a flat fee paid to the State, but she will clarify.
Ms. Sonenfeld repeated the fines that have been in effect for regular parking violations: one through 5 violations $25; six through ten violations $50; ten through twenty violations $75; and twenty violations or more $100. Mayor Knudsen asked if there was a way that the repeat parking offenders could be notified that after the first offense, the next ticket would be significantly higher. Chief Luthcke said that the information on the ticket is printed by the State and there is no way to add a further message.
Councilman Hache asked if free parking had ever been offered during events such as Sidewalk Sales. Chief Luthcke said that this has been done several times by the Chamber of Commerce and The Patch. Ms. Sonenfeld pointed out that Park Mobile could give merchants the opportunity to pay for their customer’s parking at all times, as a shopping incentive.
5.) Establish Waivers for Overnight Parking Restrictions and Establish Fees for Frequent Overnight Parking Waivers
Ms. Sonenfeld stated that the problem of frequent overnight parking on several streets is a problem that has been reviewed by the Citizens Safety Advisory Committee as a result of recent complaints. Ms. Sonenfeld said that this is a policy issue and Mr. Rutishauser has drafted an ordinance reflecting the current practice in which the overnight parking restriction is waived by the Police Chief. She explained that although there has been the ability to waive the restriction, this practice is not supported by the ordinance.
Chief Luthcke explained that a homeowner can call the main police phone number at Central Dispatch from one to five days prior to request a waiver that would allow that vehicle to park overnight on the street. Any request exceeding five days is directed to her office. She listed some of the various reasons given to justify the need to park on the street such as children being home from school or construction going on in the home. Everyone’s request should be treated the same way and the fact that it is inconvenient to park in the driveway is not adequate justification. She often suggests approaching neighbors to see if they could accommodate another car being parked in their driveway. Chief Luthcke said that another frequent problem is the apartments on Oak Street and Franklin Avenue. When these apartments were originally built one car was the norm, but now occupants can have as many as three cars per unit with no place to park. She stated that a long term solution is needed for all residents of the Village.
Chief Luthcke stated that the Police often receive complaints of repeat parking overnight on certain streets; however, police patrolling at 3:00 A.M. will find no cars parked in the locations that were reported. A resident might see a car at 7:00 A.M. and assume it has been there the entire night. It is impossible for the police to visit every street, every night and some nights when officers are particularly busy no tickets for overnight parking are written. Chief Luthcke said that as long as a car is parked in a legal fashion it is not necessarily dangerous for the car to be on the road. Ms. Sonenfeld pointed out that Mr. Rutishauser had suggested a fee for overnight parking
Councilman Sedon said that when he was on the CSAC there was a complaint of consistent overnight parking due to a lack of parking spaces at the apartments. He asked if there were areas experiencing consistent overnight parking for weeks on end. Chief Luthcke replied that overnight parking regularly occurs on Heights Road, Oak Street and East Ridgewood Avenue because there is no space at the apartments, but there are also residences housing two adults and four children who have driveways that cannot accommodate all of the cars. They also park on the street, which demonstrates that this is a larger issue than just one affecting apartments.
Mayor Knudsen questioned the point of an ordinance regarding overnight parking since requests for overnight parking are continually granted and the ordinance is not enforced. She asked if the Village is obligated to supplement the lack of parking for an apartment building and she wondered if the Village could be setting a standard that could become a problem in the future. Mayor Knudsen did not think a resident should be allowed more than a certain number of overnight parking waivers in a month. Chief Luthcke said she spoke to a resident who indicated that his only other option for parking for his child who was home for the summer would be to apply for a variance to widen his driveway at a cost of $8,000. Mayor Knudsen reiterated that she remains concerned about precedent setting for those who park nightly on the street. Chief Luthcke indicated that they will restrict people from excessive overnight parking if they see it is the same people parking on the same street night after night. Many times it will be a different car, from a different family member, or different cars at different points in time.
Councilman Sedon stated that there are special sets of circumstances, such as having the driveway paved and a strict set of guidelines is needed to define abuse of the policy and whether the policy should be enforced through the use of fines. He said that fines would be better than a fee to abuse the system, which encourages bad behavior.
Chief Luthcke questioned the distinction between having a dumpster in the driveway during renovations for three months and having your child home from school for three months. Ms. Sonenfeld said that this is a difficult issue to resolve and she asked for someone on the Village Council to step forward and work with Village staff on a solution. Mayor Knudsen said she is willing to work on this.
Ms. Sonenfeld asked for comments on the ordinance. Councilman Sedon recommended that the existing procedures should be codified, followed by a definition of abuse and how to deal with abuse.
6.) Amend Valet Parking Ordinance
Ms. Sonenfeld said that this is an amendment to the valet parking ordinance. The number of parking spots available for valet parking for Roots Restaurant will be increased to seven. For Novo Restaurant, the number of spots will be increased to four and for Park West Tavern, the number of spots will now be three. These additional spots are a result of the fact that the spots on the side of Fish are no longer being used, as they have ceased their valet parking service.
Mr. Rutishauser explained that the ordinance proposed a safer plan, because the parking is parallel rather than angled, which can be hazardous and “U” turns will no longer be necessary. The traffic officers felt it was much safer to have the valets pull up in front of the makeup supply store, against the curb, where they could manage better. They found that the valets for Novo Restaurant were stacking cars in the Chestnut Street lot, which should be discouraged, because these spaces should be open for patrons wanting to use that lot. There had also been problems with parking backing up for Park West Tavern. Ms. Sonenfeld pointed out that valet parking for these three restaurants is not available every night.
c. Budget
1.) Increase Fines for Paving Moratorium Violations
Mr. Rutishauser thanked the Village Council for considering an increase in fines for a paving moratorium violation. He explained that a paving moratorium violation occurs when a contractor or utility excavates a street that was paved within the last five years. The former violation fine was $1,000 and he is recommending an increase in the fine to $1,500.
Councilman Voigt questioned the expense involved when a street is excavated. Mr. Rutishauser stated that a permit for a street opening is required; however, the individual doing the work must make a full and proper restoration. For a street under a paving moratorium, the contractor must use an infra-red restoration of the surface to ensure a smooth finished surface. He added that PSE&G is supposed to fix their holes and the permit process has a bond component stating that if the hole is not fixed, the cost to fix the hole comes out of the bond.
Councilman Voigt suggested a fine in excess of $1,500 for PSE&G. Mr. Rutishauser advised against this, because at this time the Village has a good relationship with PSE&G, who has been willing to resurface half or the entire street where work has been done. The contractor will sometimes pass additional costs onto the homeowner and this could hurt residents who need to have a broken sewer line replaced. Mr. Rutishauser suggested that they revisit the fee in a couple of years, when they can gauge the effect of this rate increase and whether or not a further increase would be recommended.
Ms. Sonenfeld asked if this rate has been benchmarked against other municipalities. Mr. Rutishauser said that this hasn’t been done recently. He noted that they are trying to maximize the money allocated by the Village for street resurfacing. This is because there is up to as many as twenty years between street resurfacing. Ms. Sonenfeld said she will try to get information on rates charged by surrounding municipalities for paving moratorium violations.
2.) Award Contract Under State Contract – Purchase of Ford F350 Pickup – Parks Department
Ms. Sonenfeld stated that this purchase of a Ford F350 Pick-Up truck will replace vehicle #119 that was purchased in 2001. This item was included in the capital budget and is a State Contract purchase.
3.) Award Contract – Recycling of Vegetative Waste
Ms. Sonenfeld stated that the Village Council has gone through the Vegetative Waste Contract several times during the past three years. She recommended awarding this contract to Nature’s Choice and B&B Organic Recycling.
Councilman Voigt was concerned due to the fact that this rate is substantially lower than the previous rate. Ms. Sonenfeld said that if this company doesn’t perform properly, the Village will walk away from the contract.
Ms. Mailander explained that due to the NJDEP permit requirements, material must be removed immediately upon arrival at the compost facility. Having only one vendor for vegetative waste could jeopardize the permit, because one vendor may not always be able to do all of the work. Therefore, a second vendor is required to provide added protection to ensure that this material is removed. This is the reason why two separate resolutions are necessary.
4.) Award Contract – Purchase of Fire Engine
Ms. Sonenfeld said that this resolution is for the purchase of a 2016 fire pumper to replace the 1989 Pierce fire pumper. Receipt of the vehicle will take about a year after the order is placed and at that time, the former vehicle will either be sold or traded in, depending on the amount of money to be gained.
5.) Removed from Agenda
Ms. Sonenfeld stated that this item was removed because a more comprehensive study is needed.
6.) Award Contract – Continuity of Operations/Continuity of Government Plan
Ms. Sonenfeld said that this is a recommendation to engage CDR Maguire to develop a Continuity of Operations Plan. This is a key OEM initiative for the year, and this firm would partner with each Village department and identify all of the crucial tasks that must be done if access to the building is denied or the network goes down.
7.) Increase Annual Service Charges for Sewer Connections Outside of the Village
Ms. Sonenfeld recalled that this service charge was discussed during a recent Manager’s Report. She explained that sanitary sewage treatment services are provided by the Village to approximately 190 dischargers from adjacent municipalities. This is a recommendation to raise the rates for this service to $400 per year, per connection, based on the fact that the Village has been paying $460 to Northwest Bergen County Utilities Authority for Village dischargers who do not connect to the Village’s treatment plant. She discussed the idea of raising the rate to $460 with Mr. Rutishauser, but they both agreed that the proposed rate is double the existing rate, and some of the communities are sister communities. Ms. Sonenfeld stated that the communities would be notified in time to set their 2017 budgets accordingly.
Councilman Voigt said that if the number were raised to $460 per connection rather than $400, the result would be an additional $111,400. Mr. Rutishauser restated that the rates haven’t been increased in a few years and he noted that for a new connection in an outside municipality the connection fee of $5,000 is required. There is a separate fee for a commercial connection. He recommended the $400 fee based on his experience with the adjoining communities and suggested reviewing the rate in a couple of years to ensure that the rate is keeping up with costs that the Village is paying.
8.) Reject Bid – Operation of the Lakeview Compost Facility
Ms. Sonenfeld stated that they had been considering outsourcing of the management at the Lakeview Vegetative Waste Recycling Center. After looking at the relative costs, including a capital investment for some of the equipment, they concluded that outsourcing was simply too expensive. This is a resolution to reject all of the bids and they will consider another RFP at another time.
d. Policy
1.) Revisions to Ordinances 3489-3492 – Multi-Family Housing
Councilman Voigt said that it has been suggested that ordinances 3489 through 3492 be repealed. He stated that based on advice from the Village Attorney, it appears that the proper course of action would be to send a letter to the Planning Board from the Village Council detailing the reasons why the amendments to the Master Plan need to be revisited and revised by the Planning Board. The reasons are based on sound planning and zoning principles, applied to the specific zones as outlined in Ordinances 3489 through 3492. Appropriate densities must be taken into account when compared to Floor Area Ratio (FAR). The Village Council requests consideration of the fact that the FARs call for very large units and square footage at a density of 35 units per acre in all the developments. The Village Council believes the current FARs in each ordinance should be revisited in order to provide for more appropriate densities in these zones. The Village Council also recognizes the need for parking in the CBD and consideration should be given to necessary on-site parking requirements for each zone to remove any negative impact, which development may have in these zones.
Councilman Voigt summarized by stating that the Village Council is recommending that a letter be sent to the Planning Board asking them to revisit and amend these ordinances. He asked other Councilmembers if they think these ordinances should be repealed. Councilman Sedon inquired about the legal ramifications. Mr. Rogers recommended discussing this aspect of the issue in Closed Session. He noted that there is a process that must be followed, in order to repeal the ordinances under the Municipal Land Use Law (MLUL). There must be some zoning and planning reasons or the Planning Board can be asked to review the ordinances with specific direction. The Village Council would then have to decide what to do, based on the findings of the Planning Board.
Mr. Rogers explained that the direction of the letter may involve other planning and zoning issues that are a concern, in addition to the two issued identified by Councilman Voigt. If everyone agrees to go forward, they must give some thought to formulating the letter to be sent to the Planning Board by resolution directing them to consider specific issues when looking at these ordinances through a resolution.
Councilman Hache recommended a separate discussion in Closed Session that would initially cover the legal implications. Councilwoman Walsh agreed with Councilman Hache.
Councilman Sedon indicated that he had further questions that would probably be best addressed in Closed Session.
Councilman Voigt said he understands how fragile this item is; however, many residents have concerns about these ordinances and the Village Council owes them an answer as soon as possible.
Mayor Knudsen stated that there are site plan applications, which have just gone through the process of completeness review. The first public hearing is scheduled for September 6th for the Dayton Street location. Mr. Rogers said that part of the legal discussion would be the effect of any changes to any of the ordinances. The MLUL states that the ordinance that is in effect at the time of the application is the ordinance to be used in determining approval or denial of a firm’s application. This would mean that any changes to the ordinance may not have any impact.
Councilman Voigt said that smaller numbers in this ordinance would help to minimize future developments and developers would have a baseline. Mr. Rogers said that there may be a number of reasons to take another look at these ordinances, along with the legal ramifications of what they mean.
Mayor Knudsen said that she supports this effort, but there are details that need to be ironed out and clarified
2.) Establish an Investigation Committee Related to Multi-Family Housing
Councilman Voigt stated that this relates to the community’s concern relative to exactly what happened in the process concerning these multi-family units. There are concerns on both the planning side as well as just how the ordinances came to be. Under the Optional Municipal Charter Law 40:69A-91 “nothing shall prevent the Municipal Council from appointing committees of its own members or citizens to conduct investigations related to the welfare of the municipality and delegations of such powers of inquiry, to these committees, as deemed necessary”. The second part would give an investigation committee teeth, under Section 40:48-25, which allows a municipal investigation committee the power to issue subpoenas. Councilman Voigt said that Ridgewood residents need to understand what happened and whether the legislative process was properly followed relative to the passage of ordinances 3489 through 3492. The goal of this investigation is to ensure that this process has been made as transparent as possible and to understand the truth. Relevant parties, including prior Village Councilmembers, will be called along with developers, to testify under oath. These sessions will also be made public. Councilman Voigt asked if this is a reasonable course of action to be considered.
Councilman Sedon questioned the final outcome and he assumed that there will be lawyers involved, who will have to be paid. Councilman Voigt said that lawyers will be involved. Councilman Sedon said that there is no guarantee that anything will be changed and he wondered if it is worth the money that will be needed to do this. Councilman Voigt said that the public is owed answers as to what happened here and the Village Council must decide whether this is a reasonable course of action.
Councilman Hache said that he agrees with transparency, but this investigation seems narrow in scope and he wondered if the Village Council might be opening a can of worms. Mr. Rogers said that this law goes back to the early 20th century and deals with legislative powers. The Village Council has the authority to conduct an investigation and determine whether or not there should be a redetermination of legislation. The Village Council would not be able to decide if there is a conflict of interest or if something should be invalidated, but they can legislate and they have the right to determine and investigate a certain, particular act. The purpose of the investigation must be identified and also those to be questioned, which would include developers and former members of the Village staff. Mr. Rogers said that no one can be hired to do the investigation and it must be conducted by Councilmembers. Mr. Rogers said that the Village Council would have to retain outside legal representation, because he is representing the Village regarding the Declaratory Judgement Action for Affordable Housing and has dealt with the attorneys for the RCRD lawsuit.
Councilman Hache asked if anyone could identify anything that would lead them to believe that something suspicious had occurred. Mr. Rogers stated that the Village Council has the ability to appoint a committee to investigate a particular issue. This was done recently in Glen Rock, where there was an issue with a police officer. Councilman Hache asked if this is the only mechanism available to look at this issue and Mr. Rogers indicated he would have to look into this further.
Councilman Voigt said that the Village Council could decide to go forward with this in the form of a resolution at the next meeting, if the majority were in favor of this action. Mr. Rogers confirmed that this is the case.
Councilwoman Walsh said that this document comes across as very severe on first reading. As a five- member body, they have the power to look into the ordinances and to amend the ordinance as they see fit. She agreed with Councilman Sedon that this could be an expensive and extensive proposition and she isn’t sure whether the final outcome would give the citizens solace. She commented that she really doesn’t want to be involved with investigations on anyone, but she thought it would be useful for the Council to consider changing an ordinance. She suggested getting public input on whether or not this investigation is a good use of time and resources.
Mayor Knudsen said that she also experienced an incredible level of discomfort when reading this document. Even though something seems to be wrong, something does not seem right with this process. However, there has been a cloud of suspicion as well as questions, comments, speculation and allegations and something either will or won’t be discovered that tainted the process. This process would give the opportunity for closure, which would clear the air. She needs to understand the time frame, including the goal and the plan. She initially considered the idea of sending a letter to the Planning Board only; however, there is the issue that the community will always question relative to what went on with these ordinances and the process. Mayor Knudsen said that unfortunately, she remains torn about this issue.
Councilman Sedon stated that Councilwoman Walsh raised the point that if anything were proven to have happened, it would give the Village Council an opportunity to revisit the ordinances that were already adopted. There might be suspicion and people might want the air cleared, but he questioned the cost. This seems like a roundabout and expensive way to go about re-examining the ordinances.
Mayor Knudsen said that there is nothing that would prevent two Councilmembers from conducting a preliminary review to see if there is anything suspicious. Mr. Rogers said that a concern would be created if two Councilmembers were to talk to one of the developers involved, because of pending applications. There could be litigation ramifications that should be discussed in Closed Session.
Councilman Voigt stated that he has been approached by several people willing to testify. Mayor Knudsen suggested that they listen to people, who seem willing to come forward with information, that could help to determine whether or not there is any substance to their statements and whether the Village Council should pursue this further. Councilman Voigt stated that he has spoken to several people and he is concerned that they are uncomfortable with speaking out. Mr. Rogers said that two Village Councilmembers could speak to them informally with no need for notice, public meeting or closed meeting.
Mayor Knudsen said that she needs some time to think about this, what it means and what the repercussions would be. She would also like to speak to those that Councilman Voigt suggests have information that would support further investigation, before committing any financial resources of the Village.
3.) Ordinance to Ban Puppy Mills
Mayor Knudsen stated that this ordinance would prohibit the sale of puppies and kittens from large scale commercial breeders to pet shops. This is a result of recent news stories where pet shops have been found to be selling animals in poor health. The sample ordinance attached is from the City of Hackensack.
4.) Amendment to Central Business District Advisory Committee – Terms of Members
There were no comments on the amendment to the resolution establishing the terms of the members of the Central Business District Advisory Committee to two years, with the terms being staggered for the initial appointments.
5.) Bergen County Open Space Grant
Ms. Sonenfeld announced that Bergen County is again offering a Bergen County Open Space Trust Fund program. The amount of money allocated to the program this year is small at $212,000 and must be distributed among many municipalities. The Village team came up with three ideas, the first of which is work at Memorial Park at Van Neste Square. Timothy Cronin, Director of Parks and Recreation, prepared some ideas and she distributed this to the Village Councilmembers in a draft format. Ms. Sonenfeld recalled that there is a lighting project going on in the park and these recommendations would run in tandem with that program. Brick pavers would be removed and replaced with concrete sidewalks, along with electrical work and spotlights. The memorial would be acid washed, iron benches would be installed, along with fencing to be installed around the entire park or perhaps only in the area with the deep drop. Consideration was given to having outdoor musical instruments in the park for the public to play.
Ms. Sonenfeld said that second grant idea includes an integrated slope at Citizens Park, which would make for safer sledding in the winter. She added that this is one of the only areas where people can sled in the winter and perhaps the area should be enhanced. There would also be an ADA accessible playground located at the top of the park, to include benches. The third idea suggested by Ms. Sonenfeld was an actual trail in Grove Park.
Ms. Sonenfeld recalled that last year, timing was a huge issue when applying for the Schedler grant. She stressed the fact that applying for a grant does not commit any Village capital. A grant can be turned down at any point in the process and she noted that they are presently in Phase I of the Schedler grant. If there is no agreement on how the grant should be used in two years, the money would revert back to the County. If they want to move forward with any of the projects described by Ms. Sonenfeld, the application must be received by the County no later than next Wednesday.
Ms. Sonenfeld referred to the proposed project at Memorial Park at Van Neste Square and said that during Superbowl they considered the installation of an ice skating rink, which might be another improvement to consider for this park.
Councilman Hache said that these are the types of ideas needed to beautify the CBD and to attract more families to the park. He questioned the possibility of moving the Christmas tree lighting to Memorial Park at Van Neste Square. Ms. Sonenfeld could not give a specific answer to this question. Councilman Hache stated that there seems to be a shortfall in funding of the lighting project at the park and he asked if any grant money could be used to complete the project. Ms. Sonenfeld explained that the final application is due on October 13th; however, the County will not get back to the Village until the spring of 2017, and this is more of a next year effort, with two years available to use the funds.
Councilman Sedon questioned the fate of the personalized brick pavers. Ms. Sonenfeld said that those pavers would be relocated. She added that if the Village was not successful in getting the full amount of the grant, they could adjust many of these ideas.
Mayor Knudsen said that she likes all three possibilities, but a majority of Village Councilmembers indicated a preference for the work at Memorial Park at Van Neste Square. Ms. Sonenfeld said that a public meeting is required in September in order for the Village to submit the final application for the grant.
6.) Support Senate Bill S-2254 and Assembly Bill A-3821 Affirming the Legislative Intent of the Fair Housing Act
Mayor Knudsen said that this bill is on the floor and the request is to pass a resolution in support of the initiative and add Ridgewood’s name to the list of municipalities supporting the bill. Councilmembers were in favor of supporting the bill.
e. Operations
1.) Authorize Tax Lien Premium or Block 3304, Lot 6 to be Given to Village Treasurer
Ms. Sonenfeld stated that this resolution authorizes the Tax Collector to turn over premiums paid on a tax title lien to the Village Treasurer. The lien was not redeemed and becomes part of the funds of the municipality.
2.) 2017 Village Council Meeting Dates
Ms. Mailander reported that there are no Village Council meeting dates that conflict with holidays in 2017. She is proposing Coffee with the Council to be scheduled for September 9, 2017. The Village Council agreed with the 2017 dates given in Ms. Mailander’s memo.
3.) Renewal of Membership in the Bergen County Municipal Joint Insurance Fund
Ms. Sonenfeld reported that this is the normal annual renewal of the JIF membership, which is being done early this year.
4.) Authorize Ridgewood Wildscape Association to Fund Treatment of Noxious Weeds at Kings Pond Park
Jean Epiphan, 158 Washington Place, said that she is an ecologist for the Wildscape Foundation and is a staff ecologist at Rutgers University. She works in the Center for Urban Restoration Ecology where they do research, as well as providing advice in scenarios similar to what is happening at Kings Pond. The situation at Kings Pond is a problem common to all wildscapes in parks with natural areas. The Ridgewood Wildscape Association is focusing on Kings Pond first because people can’t enjoy any type of passive use at this location and the pond is no longer visible.
Ms. Epiphan distributed photos and pointed to the only open path from which Kings Pond is actually visible. This path is only possible through the help of Mr. Shabet, who keeps some of the weeds under control with a weed wacker. There is a thick barrier of weeds that are not providing any ecological services and are actually displacing native plants. There are a lot of other noxious plants and invasive species unlike New York, where practical scientific measures to save and restore their parks are used. Ms. Epiphan stated that invasive plants affect over one million acres of land annually and have contributed to the 42% population decline of endangered plant species in America. This also creates a problem for wildlife in the area.
Ms. Epiphan stated that the Wildscape Association hopes to begin professional treatment at Kings Pond. She met with several groups that provide these services in aquatic areas, using various legal herbicides. These are professionals who get the proper permits for everything they do and they are needed to save Kings Pond. Four treatments will be needed to alleviate the invasive plant life. Ridgewood Wildscape is willing to pay for the first treatment in the amount of $2,000, which should be done in the fall, followed by a treatment in the spring and fall of 2017, to be complete in spring 2018. This should eradicate or bring these species under control, so that there would be no need for further treatment. Ms. Epiphan stated that whatever happens in Gypsy Pond flows to Kings Pond as well as from the compost facility. There are some red spruce trees at Gypsy Pond, which are an endangered species.
Mayor Knudsen stated that there will be a resolution to accept the $2,000 to allow Ridgewood Wildscape to initiate the treatment process at Kings Pond. The Village will work to facilitate the subsequent treatments to eliminate the noxious weeds.
Ms. Sonenfeld stated that Mr. Rutishauser is doing research with the DEP and working on the resolution. Ms. Sonenfeld recalled that there was some funding in the Open Space Fund, which could be used to cover future treatments at Kings Pond. This would have to be approved by the Parks and Recreation Committee.
Councilman Hache said that there were some concerns about treating the problem, rather than the root of the problem. Ms. Epiphan explained that when weeds are pulled from this area, they are placed in barrels and taken away by the Village. She suggested the installation of a large fence around the compost facility, to make sure that what is being discarded at this facility stays there. If these actions are successful, the same process can be used in other parks and at Gypsy Pond. It is hoped that by addressing this now, the situation may improve; however, success will be more difficult given the location of the compost facility.
Mr. Rutishauser stated that he contacted NJDEP’s Pesticide Bureau through the Northern Bureau of Enforcement. He spoke with an individual, who directed him to a NJDEP website that lists all approved pesticides for each particular species. He wants to ensure that any action the Village endorses is completely acceptable to the NJDEP. Mr. Rutishauser will have a resolution ready for the next meeting and he noted that Ridgewood Wildscape has done a number of clean-ups in this area in the past.
Mayor Knudsen thanked Ms. Appafar for her work and the work of Ridgewood Wildscape Association on Kings Pond.
5.) Declare Property Surplus – Street Sweepers
Ms. Sonenfeld stated that this is a resolution to declare surplus property which is not needed for public use. The items can then be disposed of by the Village Manager.
4. REVIEW OF AUGUST 10, 2016 PUBLIC MEETING AGENDA
Ms. Mailander stated that next week at the Public Meeting, there would be three proclamations including Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over 2016 Statewide Crackdown; Declare September Ovarian Cancer Awareness Month; and Declare September National Preparedness Month.
Regarding Ridgewood Water there are no ordinances for introduction. There is one public hearing for Ridgewood Water.
Resolutions for Ridgewood Water include: Authorize Compensation for Participants in Lead and Copper Sampling and Testing; Amend Agreement for On-line Credit Card and Bank Account Debit Payment of Water Bills and Eliminate Convenience Fee; Awarding of Contract Under State Contract for Chlorine Analyzers and Supplies; Award of Professional Services Contract for Hydrogeologic Consulting for Capital Improvement Program; and Award Contract for Servicing and Repair of Electric Source.
Ordinances for Introduction Include: Amend Chapter 265 – Vehicles and Traffic – Violations and Penalties – Increase Parking Ticket Fines; Amend Chapter 265 – Vehicles and Traffic – Overnight Parking Restrictions and Fees for Frequent Overnight Parking Waivers; Amend Valet Parking Ordinances; Amend Chapter 249 Streets and Sidewalks – Increasing Fees for Paving Moratorium; Amend Chapter 145 – Fees – Sewers and Sewage Disposal Fees – Increase Annual Service Charge for Out of Village Dischargers; and Ordinance Banning Puppy Mills.
Ordinances for Adoption include: Amending Chapter 190 – Land Use and Development – Regulations for Political Signs and Temporary Signs; Repeal Ordinance 3066.
Resolutions include: Award Contract Under State Contract for Ford F350 Pickup for Parks Department; Award Two Contracts for Recycling of Vegetative Waste; Award Contract for Fire Engine; Continuity of Operations/Continuity of Government Plan; Reject Bids for Operation of the Lakeview Compost Facility; Amendment to Central Business District Advisory Committee for Terms of Members; Authorize Tax Lien Premium for Block 3304, Lot 6 to be Given to Village Treasurer; Renewing Membership in Bergen County Municipal Joint Insurance Fund; Authorizing Ridgewood Wildscape Association to Fund Treatment of Noxious Weeds at Kings Pond Park; Declare Property Surplus for Street Sweepers; and Supporting Assembly Bill A-3821 Affirming the Legislative Intent of the Fair Housing Act.
5. MANAGER’S REPORT
Ms. Sonenfeld reported on the bond sale at 1.87% over 20 years, which is a wonderful deal as well as $1.355 million in premium up front, on $17,733,00. She reported that Standard and Poors reaffirmed the AAA rating of the Village several days ago.
Ms. Sonenfeld stated that detours continue and at the moment there is a large detour causing significant back-ups by the Ho-Ho-Kus train station. This should end soon to be followed by work on East Glen Avenue between Maple Avenue and Fairfield Road that is scheduled to last about two weeks. Work will then shift to the west side and they will be in contact with Dr. Fishbein, Superintendent of Schools, to coordinate traffic when school starts. It is possible that all work will be done by that time, with the exception of work on individual homes. Ms. Sonenfeld will have an update at the next meeting and she asked for people to be patient and take other routes if possible. She added that PSE&G will be working on Broad Street, but this will not begin until the detours relative to the gas lines on East Glen Avenue are complete.
Ms. Sonenfeld reported on the two forums hosted by Ridgewood Water on July 27th and August 2nd, which were attended by about sixty people in total. There were many good questions and good feedback. Regarding Stage II Water Restrictions, the fourth week rotation of enforcement was completed last week. Ms. Sonenfeld stated that 167 violations were issued and it appears that the combined enforcement efforts and improved communications are helping, as well as the rain. There are differences of between five to seven million gallons per day between watering and non-watering days. Everyone is hoping that Stage III restrictions will not be necessary.
Ms. Sonenfeld announced that they are gearing up for leaf season and the first internal meeting was held yesterday. They have new ideas which should make for clearer communications and she recalled that last year forums were held for interested residents who were passionate about leaves and leaf collection. There will be meetings with these established resident focus groups in the near future.
Ms. Sonenfeld said that there is a recreation day camp in July and August offered by the Parks and Recreation Department. Another successful season of summer camp will end on Friday and over 500 children participated this year. Multi sports camps provided by outside recreational vendors will begin on August 8th. Skateboarding begins on August 22nd and golf lessons provided by Sky Hawks and Animation Camp provided by Incredaflicks are also scheduled.
Ms. Sonenfeld referred to an unfortunate incident involving a HealthBarn camper being bitten by a dog at Habernickel Park this past Saturday. No stitches were required, but the bite was close to the eye. HealthBarn staff talked to the parent, the Health Department got involved and Tyco was contacted. The HealthBarn policy up to that point had been dog friendly and there was a protocol on how to approach dogs. As a result of this incident, the HealthBarn policy has changed and children from the camp will no longer be allowed to approach dogs. Last week the dog watering station was removed.
Ms. Sonenfeld recalled that at the last meeting there was a discussion concerning dogs in parks, which still needs to be addressed. She noted that in Ridgewood there are about 45 to 50 dog bites annually and there have been none occurring recently in any parks in the Village.
Ms. Sonenfeld stated that at the last meeting, a resident spoke about her dissatisfaction with the registration of dog licenses. Dog licenses are required by the State and the Ridgewood Health Department, and there are vaccination requirements. Dog license renewals were due by June 30th and reminders are sent via email and regular mail in May and June. There are also reminders published in the Ridgewood News, included in the Village calendar, and posted on the Village website. Dawn Cetrulo, the Supervisor of the Health Department, contacted the resident who spoke about dog licenses at the last meeting and has added her name to the regular mail list for reminders.
Ms. Sonenfeld announced that the next “Meet the Manager” is scheduled for Monday, August 15th from 5:30 P.M. to 7:30 P.M. in the Village Manager’s office.
Upcoming Events: Ms. Sonenfeld said that the Village Farmer’s Market is open every Sunday and continues through November. The last show of the season at the Kasschau Memorial Shell is tomorrow with Matt Brandon and The Connection. The movie on the beach at Graydon Pool is Friday, August 5th at sundown, featuring Disney’s Big Hero Six, with a rain date of August 6th. The Ridgewood Guild will present art and live music as a part of the Art in the Park series on Friday from 6:30 P.M to 9:00 P.M., with art work for sale. The Ridgewood Guild Movies in the Park Series continues on August 10th at Memorial Park at Van Neste Square with Despicable Me being shown.
6. COMMITTEE REPORTS
Planning Board – Councilman Voigt reported that the Planning Board met last evening. There was a light agenda; however, on September 6th there will be a public hearing for the first of the multi-family housing applications for Dayton Street. No variances are needed and the architect, engineer and traffic engineer are scheduled to testify. On September 20th, the application for Chestnut Village, located behind the YMCA is scheduled. This application requires one variance. The development on the Ken Smith lot will be heard on October 4th; followed by The Enclave, which is the former Sealfons Building, to be heard on December 6th. The law requires that the Planning Board complete the assessments for these developments as follows: Dayton Street by October 4th; Chestnut Village by October 27th; Ken Smith property by October 25th; and The Enclave has to be determined. A Request for Proposal for a Planning Board Attorney has been issued and advertised.
Financial Advisory Committee – Councilman Voigt reported that the Financial Advisory Committee is examining several opportunities by which the Village could increase their revenues including the Water Pollution Control Facility, which operates at 50% of capacity. The Committee is suggesting that the capacity be increased to allow for additional business. The Committee is also researching a complete examination of the parking utility rates and writing grants with the goal of presenting these initiatives to the Village Council in October.
Library Board of Trustees – Councilman Voigt stated that the Library has actually transformed into more of a community center in recent years. There was a short discussion on expansion plans of the auditorium into a Performing Arts Center. Councilman Voigt commented that the Library seems to be an extremely fiscally responsible organization.
Councilman Sedon stated that he and Mayor Knudsen recently met with Jean Epiphan, who is the ecologist from Rutgers University and Ridgewood resident, who spoke about the Ridgewood Wildscape Association this evening. They discussed what needs to be done to eliminate the invasive species at Kings Pond and what can be done to open the park. Councilman Sedon said he is very happy to see that this work is going forward, because it has come up several times during budget discussions. Dredging and dam repairs are expensive for the Village, but this new approach seems more cost effective. He hopes this will be followed by a beautification program and an opening up of the park that will attract Village residents. He thanked Ms. Epiphan and Ridgewood Wildscape for taking the first step.
Board of Education – Councilman Hache said that he attended a recent Board of Education meeting where he learned that Ridgewood schools have been without a School Resource Officer from the Police Department for the past six years. Ms. Sonenfeld said that they hope to have someone to fill this vacancy by March 2017.
Central Business District Advisory Committee – Councilman Hache reported that the deadline for applications, for the Central Business District Advisory Committee, is this Friday. There has been a lot of enthusiasm from the community, and he expects to receive a large number of applications to review.
4th of July Committee – Mayor Knudsen stated that the 4th of July Committee will meet on Monday at 7:30 P.M. at the Fire House. She invited all those interested in planning activities for next year to attend.
Historic Preservation Commission – Mayor Knudsen said that the HPC will meet August 11th at 7:30 P.M. in the Garden Room.
Regarding the multi-family, high density housing, Mayor Knudsen asked everyone to mark their calendars to remember the September 6th Planning Board meeting when the first application will be presented.
7. COMMENTS FROM THE PUBLIC
Mayor Knudsen stated they would again have comments from the public and asked anyone wishing to address the Village Council to come forward.
Marcia Ringel, 250 Ferris Place, commented on the proliferation of committees in the Village and she stated that there doesn’t seem to be an understanding of how these committees are formed. She asked how vacancies are reported to the Chairpersons of each of the Boards and Committees and how residents can learn of openings. Ms. Ringel said that earlier this year, there was an opening at the Parks and Recreation Committee, but this vacancy was never announced or listed on the Village website. She quickly learned that the newest member of the Parks, Recreation, and Conservation Board, headed by Richard Brooks, was former Councilmember Gwenn Hauck. Ms. Ringel asked that something be done about publicizing these vacancies and she questioned how former Councilmember Hauck got this position. She pointed out that Ms. Hauck was handily defeated by the voters in Ridgewood, but she turned up on the Parks, Recreation, and Conservation Board several days later. There should be information on the Village website explaining precisely how these Committees and Boards are filled, including an invitation for residents to apply to become members. This would provide a pool of applicants that could be used to quickly fill openings, since at the moment, the window of opportunity to join one of these groups seems short. Ms. Ringel asked that this be done in a more open forum.
Mayor Knudsen said that the Council liaisons could look into this and talk about upcoming vacancies on their committees during their committee reports. Ms. Ringel said that the vacancies need to be clearly announced and codified.
Ms. Mailander pointed out that three appointments were made to the Parks, Recreation, and Conservation Board. Mayor Knudsen said that the announcement on the website did change over several days. Ms. Mailander explained that this was due to the fact that the terms are up in December, but there were three openings, due to two resignations and relocation by another member. She said that the confusion may be due to the fact that it is unusual for appointments to the Parks, Recreation, and Conservation Board to be made in June.
Jacqueline Hone, 30 Carriage Lane, thanked Mayor Knudsen for the apology she gave earlier in the meeting. Ms. Hone referred to Budget Item number five that was removed from the agenda and stated that this item was for an award of contract regarding a Schedler sound study. She sent an email earlier today asking why this item was on the agenda since the public had been told that the Schedler project was on hold until 2017. This appears to be a complete waste of taxpayer money and she asked why a sound study would be done if there is no plan for the park. Ms. Hone said that her complaint remains unanswered and the historic wildlife environmental factors were not uninvestigated. She questioned why this item was slipped in at the last minute and then removed. It must be because most residents are on vacation and have no idea what is being thrown in or passed through.
Ms. Hone spoke about the Bergen County Open Space Grant and stated that the Village Manager and her team are floating different ideas as to how this money could be used. There is a grant total of $212,000 available; however, one of the options would be to pass on the grant. This total amount of money is for the entire County. Ms. Hone said that people should have learned that when things are done in a rushed manner and backwards fashion, the public is excluded from the process. The Village Manager is again asking the Village Council to make the decision to allow them to apply for the grant next week, which will be followed by a mad dash to complete the paperwork. Village Councilmembers will have no idea how the money is being spent, but they will have to endorse and sign both the application and the resolution indicating that they have reviewed a plan and held a public hearing while knowing full well that the proper channels for review were not fully completed. This is another complete disregard for what citizens and residents have been complaining about.
Ms. Hone said that she doesn’t blame this Council. She noted that Mayor Aronsohn was questioned why due diligence wasn’t done relative to the application filed with the County. His response was that he depends on a group of professionals, who provide information, and he trusts that what they are doing is correct. This seems to be the case again where the Village Council is trusting employees; however, they are not indicating that there is another option, which would be not to partake in the application. Every year, the grant becomes available and there is another opportunity. Ridgewood should give another municipality with a worthy project the opportunity to use the grant money.
Ms. Hone referred to Councilman Voigt’s comments on an investigation and said she will email her suggestion for another option.
Ms. Sonenfeld said she understands that the Village doesn’t have to apply for the grant from the County. She would not recommend that option, because she looks at this as an opportunity. It is not unfair or unethical, but just an idea for the Village Council to consider and part of her job as a member of the Village staff is to apply for grants. Ms. Sonenfeld commented that all three projects are great, but agreed that the Village Council does not have to apply for any of them. Mayor Knudsen asked to see the blank application to get an understanding of what is being filled out, and to make sure the Village is in full compliance.
Jim Griffith, 159 South Irving Street, reminded the Village Council that he had been recognized for forty years of volunteer service to the Village of Ridgewood. Over the past forty years he can’t recall these types of accusations being made about the Village Council and he asked what has happened. Mr. Griffith thanked the Village Council for placing parking at the top of their agenda; however, he disagreed with Mayor Knudsen’s comments that the Hudson Street lot is too narrow. He said that Mayor Knudsen could say that in her opinion the Hudson Street lot is too narrow, but this determination must be made by an architect or engineer. Mr. Griffith was thrilled to learn that the new Village Council wants to resolve the parking issue as soon as possible, and he said that it would be silly to throw away three years of work by the previous Village Council.
Mr. Griffith referred to Councilman Voigt’s idea of an investigation committee and he asked him to remember that this type of process was done by Senator Joseph McCarthy in the 1950s and it left a stain on American history. He urged Councilman Voigt to be cautious and go slowly and he offered his help to get any issues resolved.
Gail Job, 123 West Ridgewood Avenue, said that she is concerned with overnight parking. She understands that there is not adequate parking at the nearby apartments and at least once a week, she is approached by people asking if they can pay to park in her driveway. Ms. Job recommended taking the parking issue to the owner or manager of the apartment complex, since their tenants should be accommodated. She said she has almost been hit twice crossing Heights Road and West Ridgewood Avenue, even though she is very cautious. Drivers have told her that their site distance is blocked as a result of cars parking in the last two spaces coming up Ridgewood Avenue, just before the turn onto Heights Road. This is particularly difficult if there is an SUV or truck parked in these spaces and Ms. Job said it is only a matter of time before someone is fatally injured or killed in this area. She asked the Village Council to address the safety issue at this crosswalk by looking at these parking spaces. In addition, in the fall, the landscapers dump all the leaves from the apartment house onto this corner.
Kevin Mattessich, 836 Morningside Road, said that Councilman Voigt is asking the Village Council to follow a Watergate path and take a full and fair look at what happened. He agreed with an earlier speaker who said that the Village almost faced the brink of disaster. So many residents have invested in the Village through home ownership and the multi-family developments will have a huge effect on housing prices in Ridgewood. If there is a negative effect on home prices, people will regret not having asked whether or not someone did something wrong.
Mr. Mattessich spoke about housing for those over age 55 and said that many empty nesters want to continue to live in the Village. The only thing to prevent this age group from remaining in Ridgewood, is the high taxes. If this housing goes through, there will ultimately be a strain on Village services which will force older residents out of the Village. The Village has already been torn apart by land speculators and restauranteurs who favor a small subgroup of residents and property owners over the rest of the Village. Mr. Mattessich said this investigation has his whole hearted support.
Mr. Mattessich said he is involved in a lawsuit against the Village. It is unfair that citizens have to file a lawsuit to highlight the conflicts that are so inherent throughout the entire process of the multi-family housing. These same conflicts are apparent in the Valley Hospital proceedings, which should be looked at as well. This is not a witch hunt, but an opportunity for the Village Council to break with the past and bring the Village back from the brink. It is also an opportunity for everyone to stop pretending that they didn’t have the wool pulled over their eyes by Mayor Aronsohn and his cronies. Mr. Mattessich described what happened as being dead wrong
Mr. Mattessich indicated that if the Village Council decides not to go forward with this investigation, they will continue to rely on a few citizens who have to fund private litigation to fulfill the wishes of the voters who put this new Village Council in place, and who want these things corrected. He stated that there is another step that could begin tonight. As Dave Slomin suggested, the Village Attorney should be directed to set up the RCDC lawsuit tomorrow. The Village can stop the fight with their fellow citizens, which is not attributable to this Village Council, but to the previous Village Council. If not, things will only get worse with all the impending dates looming in the forefront.
Dave Slomin, 36 Heights Road, said that any discussions and decision that go into the question of whether or not to go forward with an investigation, should be public. He asked if anyone involved in this who is an attorney could do the work pro bono. Mr. Rogers replied that there would be legal ramifications involved if someone did the work at no charge. The Village Council can decide whether to go forward with the investigation, and they could consider and decide if someone was to make that type of offer. Mr. Slomin stated that areas of concern and investigation need clarification if and when they go forward in public, to prove that this is not a witch hunt.
Mr. Slomin indicated that there is strong evidence of conflict and issues that have tainted the process. Residents have tried to work with the Village Council for years to get things right in the Village, and to table this investigation because it is too uncomfortable, is the same problem as the Planning Board members who voted for these ordinances because they wanted to avoid the discomfort of expensive litigation. He asked everyone to remember that what the residents have been doing over the past four years has been expensive, threatening and uncomfortable. The developers are very savvy and they have done everything by the book. Getting things right won’t be easy, but this Village Council was elected for their individual physical strength and Mr. Slomin asked them to stay strong.
Mr. Slomin pointed out that all the Planning Board and Village Council agendas and meeting minutes have disappeared from the new Village website. This is not fair and all these records should be there and should be easily accessed by the residents. Ms. Sonenfeld said that the Village Council minutes are there; however, Councilman Sedon agreed that these items were much easier to locate in the past.
Mr. Slomin urged the Village Council to budget money for a review of the Master Plan because a proper Master Plan would be the most important thing they could give to the Village.
Saurabh Dani, 390 Bedford Road, referred to the Bergen County Open Space grant application. He said that if Village staff knows that the grant is available every year, they should discuss and select a project early followed by a resolution. The grant application would be filed on time, without any pressure on the Village Council and Village staff. There could be a list of projects that are in queue and when funding becomes available, the Village is able to proceed with the application.
Mr. Dani suggested an on-line Q&A type platform for the Village website that would give a resident the ability to ask a question and receive an answer quickly. This service would be used for questions on traffic and parking tickets or fines relative to water use and leaf pick-up, among other things. These systems are cheap to maintain at about $20 per month and is a form of communication with residents that is quick and easy.
Mr. Dani said that he supports Councilman Voigt’s two recommendations for an investigation. He is in favor of amending the ordinances to require more parking spaces, because the plans do not show two parking spots per residence. He said that there seems to have been several calls for investigations of various things that transpired over the past several years, but these investigations never transpired. There is a lot of confusion that needs to be cleared up.
Gail Job, 123 West Ridgewood Avenue, said she wanted to encourage the Bergen County Open Space grant. She is in the foundation business and struggles continually to obtain grants. The Village should never turn down a grant, and they need to take whatever money they can get through grants, to do some good for the Village.
Anne Loving, 342 South Irving Street, asked if additional parking would be provided if a Performing Arts Center goes forward at the Library. She stressed the importance of building this into the plan. Ms. Loving was pleased that they are looking into the parking so quickly, including the possibility of more angled parking. She said she thought there was an app available through Park Mobile that identifies empty spots. This would be a great idea, because people may not realize that there is ample parking at Cottage Place or another location. Regarding the parking deck, Ms. Loving recalled that at one time there had been a discussion of a small deck at Hudson Street and another at Cottage Place. She hopes these ideas are still under consideration. She added that a single level would not have to be aesthetically gorgeous.
Mayor Knudsen addressed Jim Griffith’s statement that she was only giving an opinion about the Hudson Street parking deck being too wide for the Hudson Street parking lot. She said that she was quoting a line from the March 2015 Walker report, which indicated that the lot was too narrow for a self-parking garage at the Hudson Street lot. She reiterated that this was not her opinion.
John Saraceno, 17 Coventry Court, stated that ultimately, people need to realize that there were some disagreements between members of the Planning Board and Village Council members, over whether or not multi-family housing was an appropriate option, using the density levels proposed. He said that to think that any one person can have so much influence, over a process that took seven years, is silly. Mr. Saraceno said he is happy to answer any questions the Village Council may want to ask, whenever convenient. He stated that this is a witch hunt to intimidate him and the other developers into changing the plans for the development. As Mayor Knudsen stated, completeness is rendered and as a result of the 2008 Act signed by Governor Christie, there are certain limitations relative to what can be accomplished with the plans, as currently submitted. Mr. Saraceno asked that everyone stop the silliness and if anyone wants to have a conversation, they know how he can be reached.
Councilman Voigt asked Mr. Saraceno if he was willing to decrease the number of units from 35 to 27 or 26. Mr. Saraceno said he would not; however, he is considering doing a condominium at the Enclave and not a rental, which would be much better than 26 units to the acre. He commented that things could be improved and things would be accomplished in Ridgewood if people would stop talking and start to listen.
Boyd Loving, 342 South Irving Street, said that this is not silliness, but trying to make a determination as to whether or not an elected official did something illegal or unlawful. If it is found that someone acted illegally or unlawfully, they should be thrown in jail.
Mr. Saraceno agreed that it is not silliness if someone is found to have done something illegal or unlawful. The issue relating to himself and the Governor Chris Christie event has been raised by Mr. Loving and Mr. Rogers many times.
Elizabeth Jastrzebeska, 215 Walton Street, asked the Village Council to be mindful of the character of Ridgewood, which was established in 1894. People come to live in Ridgewood for the schools and the ambience. The roads in the town are narrow and can hardly accommodate the traffic now. This will only become worse with the addition of high density housing. She asked why developers would want to come to Ridgewood and she added that there is a lot of available space in Colorado, Montana and the Dakotas. Ms. Jastrzebeska asked that the character and safety of the town be preserved.
There were no further comments from the public.
8. RESOLUTION TO GO INTO CLOSED SESSION
Ms. Mailander read Resolution #15-227 to go into Closed Session, in full as follows:
9. ADJOURNMENT
There being no further business to come before the Village Council, on a motion by Councilman Hache, seconded by Councilman Sedon, and carried unanimously by voice vote, the meeting was adjourned at 12:10 A.M. on August 4, 2016.
_________________________________ Susan Knudsen Mayor
_________________________________ Heather A. Mailander Village Clerk
