Village Council Public Work Session Meeting Minutes 20150422
A REGULAR WORK SESSION OF THE VILLAGE COUNCIL OF THE VILLAGE OF RIDGEWOOD HELD IN THE SYDNEY V. STOLDT, JR., COURTROOM OF THE RIDGEWOOD VILLAGE HALL, 131 NORTH MAPLE AVENUE, RIDGEWOOD, NEW JERSEY, ON WEDNESDAY, APRIL 22, 2015, AT 7:30 P.M.
1. CALL TO ORDER – OPEN PUBLIC MEETINGS ACT – ROLL CALL – FLAG SALUTE – MOMENT OF SILENCE
Mayor Aronsohn called the meeting to order at 7:31 P.M., and read the Statement of Compliance with the Open Public Meetings Act. At roll call, the following were present: Councilmembers Knudsen, Pucciarelli, Sedon, and Mayor Aronsohn. Also present were Roberta Sonenfeld, Village Manager; Heather Mailander, Village Clerk; and Matthew Rogers, Village Attorney. Councilwoman Hauck was absent.
Mayor Aronsohn led those in attendance in the Pledge of Allegiance to the flag and asked for a moment of silence in honor of the American men and women serving in our Armed Forces, as well as those who serve as first responders in Ridgewood and throughout the United States.
2. COMMENTS FROM THE PUBLIC
Mayor Aronsohn asked if anyone from the public wished to speak regarding any of the agenda items.
Marcia Ringel, 250 Ferris Place, said she is the Co-Chair of the Preserve Graydon Coalition. Ms. Ringel hoped that during the discussion of the Graydon Pool hours later tonight, three things could be accomplished. One is that there will be some sort of compromise in increasing the operating hours this year. Another is that Ms. Ringel hoped there can be a discussion about how to prevent this from happening in the future, because the trend seems to be that schools are starting earlier, and Ms. Ringel was told that it is possible that in 2016, schools might again start before Labor Day, and the Board of Education will be deciding that very soon, possibly as soon as next week. That will give Graydon management a year and a half to accommodate the situation. The final thing would be to confirm that determining the operating hours and fees for Graydon Pool is within the Village Council’s purview every year, which is how it has been determined in the past.
Ms. Ringel also pointed out Crestwood Lake in Allendale is also a lake with a sandy bottom, like Graydon Pool. It seems that the State requires the same type of waterfront training at Crestwood Lake as is required at Graydon Pool. Crestwood Lake is open two full weeks before Graydon Pool, on the Saturday of Memorial Day weekend, and during the weekdays from May 25-June 5, they will be open from 1:00 P.M.-5:00 P.M., yet schools will still be open during that time. Crestwood Lake will also have no reduction of hours in the month of August, and will be open eight hours every day on weekdays, and nine hours on weekends. The lake will not close on August 31st, and they are making every effort to try to accommodate residents during the last four days of the season.
Ms. Ringel found on the Internet that the American Red Cross will bring lifeguard training, including waterfront certification, nearly anywhere. Information can be found at www.njlifeguard.com. She also found listings of lifeguard jobs at www.indeed.com, as well as certified waterfront training set up at the Crystal Lake Beach Club in Oakland, to be held on Mondays and Wednesdays from June 22-July 17, which would allow anyone who takes the course and passes to be certified by the middle of July. Ms. Ringel asked if there is any way that Ridgewood could send interested persons who will be able to work in August and September to that training, and perhaps subsidize the costs in exchange for a promise of a job at Graydon Pool.
Cynthia Halaby, 374 Evergreen Place, spoke on behalf of the Conservancy for Ridgewood Public Lands about Earth Day. Ms. Halaby noted that for the last three Earth Days, Jacobson’s Landscaping has worked with the Conservancy to improve the North Broad Street area. Today, representatives from Jacobson’s were in that area removing old bushes and putting in new bushes, which finishes that entire area along the train station platform. She commended them for doing a fantastic job, and said that everyone is extremely grateful to them for their work. In addition, Ms. Halaby thanked the Village Council for the promise of the irrigation system that will be installed, and as soon as that is done, there will be planting of additional flowering shrubs.
Sally Brandes, 515 Stevens Avenue, stated that she supports the statements made by Ms. Ringel regarding Graydon Pool, and she asked if there are other people besides college and high school students who could be employed as lifeguards. She would like to put the jobs out there for a different segment of the population to see if Graydon Pool could be kept open longer for the many people who enjoy it, including senior citizens, young people, and many others who are not attending school. Ms. Brandes thinks it is a good idea for the Village to keep its options open as far as Graydon Pool is concerned.
Next, Ms. Brandes thanked Ms. Sonenfeld, Councilman Sedon, and others who are looking into the traffic issue on Corella Court. She asked what street width determines whether parking is allowed or prohibited on a specific street, especially when people cannot exit their driveways, which was one of the complaints about Corella Court. Ms. Brandes pointed out that her street, Stevens Avenue, is approximately five feet narrower than Corella Court, and there are many traffic issues on her street. Corella Court is approximately 30 feet wide, while Stevens Avenue is approximately 25 feet wide. Parking is allowed all day on one side of the street along Stevens Avenue. If parking on Corella Court were to be limited to two-hour parking, although parking is allowed on both sides of the street, Ms. Brandes does not believe it would be much different than the current situation on Stevens Avenue. She thanked Ms. Sonenfeld for making attempts to obtain parking elsewhere, because parking is the real cause of the problem. It is important that staff have a safe place to park, which is why they are currently parking on Corella Court, although it means they must walk a bit farther to get to the school. Ms. Brandes suggested that if it is possible to obtain adequate parking for school staff, it could be done in a two-step process. First, take care of obtaining parking at the school, and see what effect it has on the situation at Corella Court. Based on the results, it might not be necessary to limit parking on Corella Court to two-hour blocks of time. The second step is that the corners of Corella Court, unlike the other streets that intersect Stevens Avenue, do not have handicapped accessible ramps on the curbs. There are also no crosswalks painted on the ground in that area. In addition, Ms. Brandes requested that the signs prohibiting stopping or standing within a designated distance from the corners be placed in that area.
Lawrence O’Donnell, 568 Wyndemere Avenue, recalled the remarks made at the April 8th Public Meeting by Beth Hinsdale, the Labor Attorney for the Village. Ms. Hinsdale’s remarks continued for approximately 45 minutes, and Mr. O’Donnell asked if that is appropriate for Village Council meetings, because most members of the public are limited to five minutes when addressing remarks to the Councilmembers. Mayor Aronsohn explained that Ms. Hinsdale was responding to points that had been raised at a previous meeting, and she felt it was appropriate to make a presentation of that length. Mr. O’Donnell asked if the Councilmembers had no problem with the length of Ms. Hinsdale’s remarks. Mayor Aronsohn responded that he is always happy when remarks are kept short and to the point. Mr. O’Donnell noted that the more relevant point is the tone of the remarks made by Ms. Hinsdale. They were highly critical of a Councilmember, and they were not challenged by either Mayor Aronsohn or any other Councilmember. Mr. O’Donnell asked if that is the way business is done in Ridgewood. Mayor Aronsohn reiterated that Ms. Hinsdale felt the need to respond to some substantive points, as well as some allegations that had been made at a previous meeting. There was opportunity for discussion during her remarks. Mr. O’Donnell stated that he has lived in Ridgewood for over 40 years, and he reads the newspaper, including the letters to the editor, and he could not recall anything like this ever happening before. He thought it was rather unseemly that a Labor Attorney for the Village would engage in a non-stop speech that was very critical of one Councilmember. Mr. O’Donnell asked if any of the other Councilmembers felt the same way.
Councilman Sedon agreed that Ms. Hinsdale’s comments were not necessarily appropriate, and it should have been put on the agenda for the public to be informed, because it was a disservice to Councilwoman Knudsen and Ridgewood residents.
Councilman Pucciarelli noted that he did not know, nor did he believe that anyone knew, exactly what Ms. Hinsdale was going to say, or how long she would be at the podium. He pointed out that it was not an orchestrated event. Mr. O’Donnell said it was his understanding that Mayor Aronsohn told Ms. Hinsdale that she had the floor and could say what she wanted to say, and there must have been some idea that the remarks would not be brief. Mayor Aronsohn responded he had no idea how long she would be speaking, but Ms. Hinsdale requested to be allowed to speak, and she was given the floor. He reiterated that there was an opportunity for discussion by the Councilmembers while she was speaking. Mr. O’Donnell asked if he would be allowed 45 minutes to speak if he requested it, and Mayor Aronsohn answered that Mr. O’Donnell would be allowed five minutes, just like everyone else. Mayor Aronsohn again pointed out that there were assertions made at the previous meeting about some issues that the Village Council has been dealing with, including some allegations about Ms. Hinsdale, and Ms. Hinsdale felt the need to address those issues and allegations. Mr. O’Donnell commented that the appearance of the situation was contrary to what was described by Mayor Aronsohn. It came across as a very serious attack on Councilwoman Knudsen. After reading letters to the editors in the newspapers, and talking to people who were at the meeting, Mr. O’Donnell stated that it seemed to be a common impression among various people.
Councilwoman Knudsen stated that she reviewed the transcription of the April 1, 2015, Village Council meeting, and under no circumstances did she make any allegations against anyone. She simply stated a fact that the Labor Attorney corroborated by email on April 8th. Councilwoman Knudsen apologized to Ms. Hinsdale if there was anything that Ms. Hinsdale misunderstood or misinterpreted, and countenance stands by her statements and apology. Councilwoman Knudsen commented that under no circumstances would it be fair to say that she made any allegation, but it was just a simple statement of fact which Ms. Hinsdale corroborated. Councilwoman Knudsen was also unaware that Ms. Hinsdale was coming to make remarks at the April 8th meeting.
Mr. O’Donnell commented that he would like for things to run smoothly, and while everyone has differences of opinion about how the Village should be run, these types of confrontations are out of the ordinary, and he could not remember another instance like it.
Crystal Matsibekker, 559 Hillcrest Road, said that she is President of the Ridgewood League of Women Voters. The Ridgewood League of Women Voters is a non-partisan group that does not support individual candidates. They study issues, create policy positions, and advocate for good governance. Individual members are also welcome to speak publicly and independently on their own behalf, rather than on behalf of the Ridgewood League of Women Voters. Members are able to exercise their right to free speech, and voice their opinions independently on important issues.
Ms. Matsibekker stated that she wanted to advocate for good governance procedures, as manifested in the Open Public Meetings Act. Procedural justice creates governmental systems in which citizens can have a voice; leaders can communicate with transparency; manuals or trainings are made available for new as well as seasoned members as to how meetings are conducted; agendas are made; speakers are invited; and information can be collected. These are all ways in which governing bodies can work cooperatively in the best interests of the Village. The League of Women Voters also advocates that elected and appointed members of governing bodies, boards, and committees, as well as Village officials, should be treated with respect, regardless of personality or personal differences of opinion. It is a sign of respect for the Village that elected officials, as well as employees and citizens, be treated with dignity. Ms. Matsibekker concluded by saying that membership in the League of Women Voters is open to all citizens, and they welcome differences of opinion.
Amy Bourque, 133 Sheridan Terrace, said she wants to discuss the budget and how the Master Plan fits into the budget for next year. Ms. Bourque asked if extra money was budgeted for that process, because it seems to be a bigger undertaking than was previously expected. According to the newspapers, 90% of the language must be redrawn. Ms. Bourque is concerned, because it seems to be a large undertaking, and might require more than one consultant. Ms. Sonenfeld responded that Blais Brancheau, Village Planner, was very instrumental in putting the budget together, although Ms. Sonenfeld does not believe there is extra money included in the budget for consultants. There is money budgeted for Mr. Brancheau’s services. Ms. Sonenfeld added that it was her understanding that Mr. Brancheau was already reviewing the Master Plan, but there are no separate consulting fees in the budget. However, some money for legal consulting fees has been added to the budget, and if they do not need to be spent for that purpose, they could be re-allocated. Ms. Bourque noted that there was a Downtown Improvement Study completed, and five consultants worked on that project. That is why Ms. Bourque believes it might be best for the Village if extra people could be brought in to help with this large project, although she acknowledged that Mr. Brancheau does a wonderful job. This is a tremendous job for one man to accomplish, and she asked if the Village Council would consider that before the budget is finalized.
Ms. Sonenfeld answered that she would defer to Mayor Aronsohn and Councilwoman Knudsen on this question, because they both serve on the Planning Board. Ms. Sonenfeld has not heard this type of request in the previous three budget sessions that were held. Mayor Aronsohn acknowledged that it is definitely worth some thought, and should be discussed with Charles Nalbantian, Chairman of the Planning Board. As he was listening to Ms. Bourque, Mayor Aronsohn noted that he was thinking that there was a lot to do with respect to affordable housing, and it will be necessary to think about the second half of the year as far as the Planning Board is concerned and what resources might be needed. Ms. Bourque noted that it has been 30 years since the Master Plan was written, and most New Jersey municipalities bring in consultants to review their Master Plans after 30 years. Ms. Bourque believes it probably costs a lot of money, but it will pay off going forward, because the Village would have a vision and a roadmap to follow to achieve that vision. Mayor Aronsohn stated that he would reach out to Mr. Nalbantian and discuss it with Mr. Brancheau and Councilwoman Knudsen.
Councilwoman Knudsen added that she had a similar conversation with Ms. Sonenfeld prior to the budget hearings about the money allocated to the re-examination of the Master Plan. Councilwoman Knudsen noted that the Village is currently in the middle of a housing application for the CBD, as well as the COAH issues and the fair-share housing. In addition, the Planning Board decided several weeks ago that the Master Plan re-examination must also be completed, and the Village has 10 months to accomplish it. Councilwoman Knudsen explained that approximately 90% of the language in the Master Plan had to be addressed, because there is so much that is incomplete. That is why, at some point, there will have to be a discussion about whether it is more prudent to hire a consultant to help with that. It is fair to say that at the start of the budget process, neither Mayor Aronsohn nor Councilwoman Knudsen could have known about the extent of the Master Plan re-examination, because it only came to their attention approximately two weeks ago.
Councilman Pucciarelli agreed with the comments made by Councilwoman Knudsen, and stated that the budget process was the Village Council’s focus, but review of the Master Plan is a valid concern. A comprehensive view of the Master Plan from start to finish is a very large task, and it might be asking too much of Mr. Brancheau to expect him to be able to complete it.
Anne Loving, 342 South Irving Street, stated that she wanted to speak about the hypocrisy she has witnessed regarding civility that is been preached by Mayor Aronsohn, and the incivility that is commonplace at Village Council meetings. Ms. Loving noted that Mayor Aronsohn convenes civility meetings on a regular basis, and he speaks very highly of them, as if the mere mention of the word “civility” is enough to somehow make civil behavior in public discourse a reality. At the most recent meeting of the Village Council on April 8th, Councilwoman Hauck waxed poetic about the civility meetings, saying they were like a form of meditation for her. Yet it seems that the more the word “civility” is mentioned from the dais, the more the behavior of the Councilmembers deteriorates. At the three meetings leading up to this one, the level of disrespect shown to Councilwoman Knudsen was completely unacceptable, with the nadir currently being the 50-minute diatribe directed squarely at her by the Village Labor Attorney, Beth Hinsdale. Furthermore, Ms. Hinsdale bashed – for lack of a better word – the credibility of an employee of the Civil Service Commission, who was not here to defend herself. Ms. Loving said she shudders to think how much Ms. Hinsdale was paid to unleash such venom, but she suggested that Mayor Aronsohn should pay that fee, since the extraordinary demonstration of abject incivility was completely characterized by him as “providing clarification on some issues that have been raised”. Ms. Loving does not think the taxpayers should have to pay for what seems to be a planned attack on an elected official, as well as on an employee of Civil Service. Councilwoman Knudsen is to be commended for her completely coherent reaction to the outrageous events. In fact, Councilwoman Knudsen has stayed on task throughout these last three meetings. She has questioned increased fees in the Building Department; she asked questions about a residency requirement for Village employees; and in the face of flippant remarks, such as the one made by Councilman Pucciarelli telling her not to “flatter herself,” Councilwoman Knudsen continued to address the agenda items being considered and to ask appropriate questions.
Ms. Loving pointed out that this recent spate of unacceptable behavior is nothing new under the administration of Mayor Aronsohn. In the past 2½ years of public meetings chaired by Mayor Aronsohn, the public has witnessed attacks in varying degrees on Councilman Riche, Councilwoman Walsh, Ms. Mailander, and Police Chief John Ward. Mayor Aronsohn and certain other Councilmembers, as well as the Village Manager, often interrupt when a colleague is speaking. Recently, there were many members of the public coming to the microphone, and a gentleman who is not a regular attendee came to speak. Before he could speak, Mayor Aronsohn interjected to tell the man to wait for a minute, and Mayor Aronsohn then apologized to the Girl Scouts, who were waiting to make a presentation. Mayor Aronsohn assured the Girl Scouts that as soon as all of the public commentary was over, they would have their turn at the podium. That was the height of incivility to the taxpayer who was waiting to speak, because the message to the taxpayer was that he was making the group of young girls wait, and the sooner he was done, the sooner their presentation could proceed. In fact, Ms. Loving believes that Mayor Aronsohn was telling all of the members of the public that public comments are simply a delay in getting to the “fun stuff”.
At the February 6, 2013, meeting, Mayor Aronsohn interrupted the agenda to speak. Ms. Loving read a quote from the minutes of that meeting: “Before the meeting began, Mayor Aronsohn noted that there had been a lot of feedback from the Village Council Work Session Meeting on January 30, 2013. Some people commented that when Councilwoman Walsh had the floor, she should have been allowed to speak without interruption; and others felt that the issue should not have been on the agenda in the first place, because it was confrontational. Other comments were that Mayor Aronsohn should not have allowed Councilmembers to attack each other. Mayor Aronsohn stated that it was not a great meeting, and as the person responsible for running the meeting, he wanted to apologize to his colleagues and to the public, because he said that frankly, the public deserves better. The public does not deserve a fighting Council, but a working Council. He pointed out that there is a lot of work to do, and it is good to have differences of opinion, but that there are ways to disagree while being agreeable. Mayor Aronsohn said that going forward, he hopes and expects that the Councilmembers can agree to disagree, and that while there are issues to be settled, the Councilmembers can and will work through them in a much more civil and respectful way”. Ms. Loving pointed out that more than two years have passed since his comments were made, yet the meetings continue to be “not great,” to use Mayor Aronsohn’s terminology. Mayor Aronsohn noted that the five-minute time period for Ms. Loving’s comments had expired, and she was asked to sit down.
Lorraine Reynolds, 550 Wyndemere Avenue, said she walked out of the previous Village Council meeting utterly stunned and without words. She has so many questions about what, why, and how the attack on Councilwoman Knudsen by the Labor Attorney was allowed to happen. Ms. Reynolds wanted to know how it came about that Ms. Hinsdale came to the meeting with her prepared speech, yet there was no notice on the agenda. Ms. Reynolds also asked if any other Councilmembers knew that she was to be speaking at the meeting.
When the ordinance regarding residency requirements was changed in September 2014, Ms. Reynolds wanted to know why the Labor Attorney did not review it. If an ordinance that deals with Civil Service jobs is changed, it should be common practice for the Labor Attorney to review it to ensure that it is legal. Instead, Ridgewood was using an invalid hiring practice for over six months. Ms. Reynolds asked how much the Village was charged by the Labor Attorney for her appearance on the evening of April 8, 2015 including the prep time it took her to draft her 47-minute tirade. If Ms. Hinsdale had taken all of the derogatory remarks and the “pity party” she was having for herself, based on a perceived notion that there were accusations made about her, which Ms. Reynolds did not believe occurred, Ms. Hinsdale could have said everything she needed to explain in approximately 10 minutes. In fact, the Civil Service rules should have been explained to the Village Council months prior to that time. There was a lack of information and a lack of communication on the part of Ms. Hinsdale that created this whole situation. Ms. Reynolds stated that it was totally inappropriate to allow the Labor Attorney to continue in the manner in which she was speaking; someone should have stopped her. Ms. Reynolds also noted that Councilwoman Knudsen’s question was never answered, which was what ordinance pertaining to residency requirements was in effect from September 2014 to April 8, 2015?
Ms. Reynolds commented that there has been a very negative tone during the last several meetings, and the negativity has mostly been directed toward Councilwoman Knudsen, simply because she is doing her homework and asking questions. Ms. Reynolds stated that she wants the Councilmembers to ask questions, and to ask as many questions as they need to, in order to get the information necessary in order to make a decision. There have been too many inferences and jabs directed at Councilwoman Knudsen, and it has not been very conducive to good governance. Finally, Ms. Reynolds believes that Councilwoman Knudsen and the public are owed many apologies.
With respect to the question about the Labor Attorney, Mayor Aronsohn responded that Ms. Hinsdale wanted to respond to the comments and allegations, and she suggested that she be allowed to make her remarks, and the Councilmembers agreed to allow her to do so.
Mayor Aronsohn asked Ms. Reynolds about a comment she made at a previous Village Council meeting about Village employees. She stated that employees who live in Ridgewood care more about Ridgewood than employees who do not live in Ridgewood. Mayor Aronsohn noted that many Village employees asked him about that comment in the past several weeks. Ms. Reynolds explained that she believes the people who live and work in a town care more about that town. Mayor Aronsohn pointed out that there are many people living in neighboring communities who work in Ridgewood, and have done so for years. Ms. Reynolds pointed out that Mayor Aronsohn was not answering her question, but was changing the subject. Mayor Aronsohn stated that he appreciates all the comments about good governance, but he believes that many people are very selective about how they apply the terms “good governance” and “transparency”. He does not believe that does the concept and the cause of good government justice. No one is perfect, and many of the people who work for the Village, as well as the people who sit on the dais, take those concepts and thoughts very seriously and do their very best day in and day out to make government transparent, user-friendly, and responsive.
Ms. Sonenfeld stated that Ms. Hinsdale is not charging for the time she spent at the previous meeting, nor will she charge the Village for any preparations she made for that appearance. She is only charging the Village for a review of the ordinance, which she would have done in the normal course of things.
Ms. Sonenfeld also took exception to Ms. Reynolds’s remark that Village employees who do not live in Ridgewood do not care as much about Ridgewood. In fact, most Village employees are not Ridgewood residents. Ms. Sonenfeld suggested that they deserve an apology from Ms. Reynolds, and Ms. Reynolds said that she would go back over her statement, and if she said that, she would apologize. However, she said that she does believe that if someone lives in Ridgewood and pays the taxes in Ridgewood, and is qualified for a job, that person should be given preference for a job. Ms. Sonenfeld and Mayor Aronsohn noted that Ms. Reynolds’ current statement is a different statement that her original statement.
Ms. Reynolds added that she would like answers to the questions that she asked. She asked again when Mayor Aronsohn knew that Ms. Hinsdale would be at the meeting. Mayor Aronsohn responded that he did not recall when he knew, but Ms. Hinsdale did inform him that she wanted to make some comments. Ms. Reynolds asked why that was not on the agenda. Mayor Aronsohn answered that he did not know her remarks would be so long, and in all fairness, when the issue of residency requirements was raised at the previous week’s meeting, it was not on the agenda at that time. Ms. Hinsdale’s comments were part of an on-going conversation. Ms. Reynolds pointed out that what happens with the Village Council is different than a member of the public coming up to the podium to speed. Mayor Aronsohn stated that Ms. Hinsdale was not a member of the audience, but is a professional who has worked for the Village for more than 20 years. Ms. Reynolds commented that if Mayor Aronsohn knew in advance that Ms. Hinsdale was coming, the other Councilmembers should have known, as well.
Councilman Pucciarelli stated that he knew that Ms. Hinsdale was coming to the meeting, but it was his understanding that she was coming to discuss the residency ordinance that was under consideration. In so doing, she would address questions that were raised about many past issues. Councilman Pucciarelli said his position has always been and continues to be that the residency ordinance is an issue going forward, and what happened in the past should not be the focus. In addition, Councilman Pucciarelli said he does not understand all of the discussion going back and forth about what went on in the past, because that is covered by court cases and employee complaints. He is only interested in the ordinance going forward, and he voted to eliminate the residency requirement.
Ms. Reynolds asked if Councilman Sedon knew that Ms. Hinsdale would be at the meeting, and he said that he did not know that she would be at the meeting until he walked in the room and saw her sitting in the chair.
Ms. Reynolds pointed out that only two or three of the Councilmembers knew that Ms. Hinsdale was coming to the meeting, and Ms. Reynolds believes that everyone should have known. She asked if anyone had an answer to the question that Ms. Knudsen had been trying to ask for a month, and which had still not been answered. The question was referring to what residency ordinance was in effect from July 2014 through April 8, 2015. Mr. Rogers responded that, although he is not a Labor Attorney, in general, under municipal law, when an ordinance is adopted through the proper process, there is a presumption of validity to the ordinance. The presumption lasts until the ordinance is either challenged, or some communication is given regarding its validity. As far as Mr. Rogers knows, there was never any challenge to the ordinance, but Civil Service issued a letter in late December 2014 stating that the ordinance as written was invalid. Technically, that ordinance was deemed valid until it was deemed invalid. Once it was deemed invalid, that precipitated the attempts to revise it to make it valid under Civil Service regulations. Mr. Rogers stated that, as far as whether someone was improperly hired or hired under an invalid ordinance, if the person was hired before the ordinance was adopted, the presumption of validity would make the hiring of that person valid. Ms. Reynolds asked if someone came forward to state that s/he was not hired in October 2014, but under that ordinance should have been hired, what would happen. Councilman Pucciarelli responded that no actions taken by the Village Council would prejudice that person’s case, and if that person thought that s/he was right in bringing such a case, the Village Council is not the forum in which that would be decided. It should be decided in a court. Councilman Pucciarelli added that the Village Council should not sit in judgment about past actions, but must make legislation going forward. Mr. Rogers noted that there is a time period in which an ordinance must be challenged in order for it to effectively be deemed invalid.
Councilwoman Knudsen pointed out that, in the context of this conversation, the purpose of the requested information was to study the hiring trends and where the pool of employees was coming from, as well as to determine how many jobs were filled during a certain period of time. It was also to determine what those types of jobs were, in order to understand the hiring patterns in the Village. This would help Councilwoman Knudsen understand how the residency requirements had been or would be applied, and if there was any benefit to it.
Councilwoman Knudsen also stated that she did not know that Ms. Hinsdale would be coming to the meeting. She addressed the comment made by Mayor Aronsohn that Ms. Hinsdale’s appearance was not on the agenda, and neither was the comment made by Councilwoman Knudsen. Councilwoman Knudsen explained that her comment the previous week was related to and in response to Ms. Mailander asking if something was to be pulled from the consent agenda.
Doug Goodell, 234 Mulberry Place, had some comments about PSE&G “butchering” trees. Mr. Goodell noted that there are power failures due to trees, ice, and other causes related to trees, and tree branches must be trimmed away from the power lines. It is understood that the trimming must be done, but Mr. Goodell stated that the issue is how it is done, and what the proper way to prune trees and branches away from the power lines is while maintaining the integrity of the tree and not leading to further damage. Mr. Goodell stated that he has watched this process for approximately 45 years. Originally, PSE&G would prune away from power lines and do some “balancing” of the tree on the other side. When PSE&G stopped doing that, employees from Ridgewood’s Shade Tree Department would sometimes come in and correct some of the problems created by the tree limbs. However, the Village no longer has that capability.
Mr. Goodell documented some of these activities in 2007, and in 2011, he sent a letter to the previous Village Manager, Dr. Gabbert, stating that Mr. Goodell had just seen one problem get shifted to another problem, and the trees were terribly out of balance. Mr. Goodell’s own tree was put out of balance in 2011, and in 2014, at his own expense, Mr. Goodell had the problem corrected. Village residents were committed to do that on their own, because there was no longer a Shade Tree Department to take care of those things. Approximately two weeks ago, Mr. Goodell noticed that PSE&G was again pruning trees, and he noticed some terrible things going on. He talked to a PSE&G supervisor, who was very defensive and hostile about what they were doing. Mr. Goodell pointed out that his own tree had been pruned about a year before that time, under the supervision of the Village Arborist. However, PSE&G then proceeded to do some trimming that Mr. Goodell said exceeded what they said was their own criteria, which is within 10 feet of the power line. Mr. Goodell noted that they trimmed well beyond the 10-foot limit. Mr. Goodell was very concerned about this, and tried to get some help to remedy the situation by calling the Village to see what could be done. However, he could not find the phone number fast enough, so he dialed 911. At the same time, he found the telephone number for the Village Manager, so he hung up while calling 911. He learned a valuable lesson, which is that no one should hang up when calling 911.
When he called the Village Manager’s office, he spoke to one of her assistants, who said she would call him back. The assistant contacted Timothy Cronin, Director of the Department of Parks and Recreation, and he called Mr. Goodell back within a few minutes. Mr. Cronin arrived shortly thereafter, and he remembered the situation, having worked with Mr. Goodell previously. Mr. Cronin spoke to the people contracted by PSE&G to do the pruning, and they stopped their operations immediately. After some subsequent meetings, it seems that some issues have now been resolved. However, Mr. Goodell believes this is an important issue. The wires have to be protected, but the trees must be pruned in an appropriate manner to balance them so that they do not fall on residents. Mr. Goodell was able to show with the photographs he had of his neighbor’s tree from 2011 and 2014 that the tree had shifted more than four degrees in four years.
Mayor Aronsohn noted that Councilman Sedon and the Shade Tree Commission had been trying to address this issue for some time. Councilman Sedon stated that the coordinator from PSE&G, Guy Voigt, did a presentation for the Shade Tree Commission just before PSE&G started coming through Ridgewood. Apparently, they do this pruning on a four-year cycle. As this was occurring, Councilman Sedon said it seemed that PSE&G does care about what happens with the trees, and they tried to do the right thing. However, Councilman Sedon has heard varying stories, in which one group of contractors would go through a neighborhood and do a fine job, while another contractor simply butchered the trees. He suggested that Mr. Goodell follow up with PSE&G, as well as the Village Manager, to ensure that these issues get corrected. It sounds like PSE&G wants to do the right thing, but they need to be kept informed about what the different crews are doing. Mr. Goodell stated that he was impressed with the response from everyone in the Village, and he will continue to put pressure on the people doing the work to ensure that it is done correctly.
Boyd Loving, 342 South Irving Street, stated that he was unable to be at the April 8, 2015, Village Council Meeting, but he was able to watch it on Ustream. In fact, Mr. Loving watched it more than once. He said he was appalled at what he saw. Mr. Loving described what happened with the Labor Attorney as a politically motivated character assassination. However, what upset him even more was the behavior of Mayor Aronsohn when a member of the public came to the podium and told him that she had observed one of the Village employees being harassed. Mayor Aronsohn basically told that person that what she saw was a “story,” and was “made up”. Mr. Loving said he could not believe Mayor Aronsohn did that. The citizen was not offered an opportunity to share her comments with whoever would be investigating the situation, if there was to be an investigation. Mayor Aronsohn dismissed the comments made, and stated that the opposite was true. Mr. Loving said he was absolutely outraged that somebody witnessed a Village employee being harassed, and Mayor Aronsohn did nothing about it other than to say goodbye to the person reporting the harassment. Mr. Loving said he hopes to never see that again, and he hopes that the person who was harassed seeks representation to get the matter resolved. Moreover, the person reporting the incident is a respected member of the community, and a former Councilmember.
Mr. Loving said he is glad that taxpayer dollars are not being spent on Ms. Hinsdale’s remarks, because he would question the ethics of a politically motivated character assassination being paid for by taxpayer dollars. In addition, Mr. Loving made an OPRA request for the invoices from Ms. Hinsdale’s firm for the past year to see exactly what the taxpayers are financing, and he will be taking a close look at her contract, as well. He is amazed that Ms. Hinsdale was permitted to make that presentation, and that all of the Councilmembers were unaware that she was going to be at the meeting. In addition to that, Councilwoman Knudsen was accused of violating a workplace policy, although she never received a copy of the workplace policy that she allegedly violated. She was promised a copy by 5:00 P.M. on Friday, April 10th, and Mr. Loving wondered if she actually received a copy of the policy. Mr. Loving stated that the meeting of April 8th was absolutely appalling, and he hopes to never see something like that again. He also hopes that when a member of the public comes to the podium and reports that s/he witnessed something, s/he is not told that it is nothing more than a “story,” and dismissed.
There were no other comments from the public at this time, and Mayor Aronsohn closed the time for public comment.
3. DISCUSSION
Ms. Sonenfeld explained that these discussion items are meant to introduce issues to be discussed and acted upon at the Special Public Meeting, which will follow.
a. Operations:
1.) Rehabilitation Agreement – 205 Lotte Road
Ms. Sonenfeld commented that this will authorize Mayor Aronsohn and Ms. Mailander to sign an abandoned property rehabilitation agreement. Ms. Sonenfeld noted that this is the result of many people working very hard, and she commended Councilwoman Hauck; Mr. Rogers; Janet Fricke, Assistant to the Village Manager; Thomas Yotka, Director of the Building Department; Mike Barker, Tax Assessor; and Greg Moritz, Property Maintenance Officer. A committee was formed based on an ordinance passed by the Village Council several months ago to handle the issue of abandoned properties, and to put more tools in the Village’s hands to enable rehabilitation of those properties. One of the primary properties that was the catalyst for this action was the property at 205 Lotte Road, which is the subject of this rehabilitation agreement. No one has lived there for the past five or six years, and the property has undergone intermittent construction over the years. It was also a safety concern for a while, and has become a visible detriment to the community. Through the abandoned property process that the Village put in place, a timetable was verbally agreed to, which gives six months to complete the required work. The scope of work has been determined, and the rehabilitation agreement has been prepared and reviewed by Mr. Yotka and Mr. Barker. Ms. Sonenfeld said she was also advised that the work on this house will begin tomorrow.
Councilman Pucciarelli pointed out that the Village will also get a performance bond or a letter of credit to secure the performance, which is what is really needed, because everyone is supposed to maintain their property, and it gives added impetus to maintenance of the property. Mr. Rogers pointed out that the Village will get a dedicated letter of credit, which has been earmarked and identified for this project only. The property owner has signed the agreement, and it only requires the signature of Mayor Aronsohn and Ms. Mailander for completion.
b. Budget:
1.) Authorize Emergency Temporary Budget Appropriations
Ms. Sonenfeld mentioned that this is the second emergency temporary budget appropriation this year, which is business as usual. It allows appropriations for the next few months until the budget is approved. This will have an impact on the Parking U of tility, Ridgewood Water, and current fund operations.
2.) Authorize Cancellation of Capital Balances
Ms. Sonenfeld noted that this is a resolution to cancel some capital balances from the general capital fund, as well as the Ridgewood Water capital fund. A detailed review was undertaken of both of these capital funds, and it was discussed in the budget reviews. Approximately $150,000 is being canceled for the Village, and approximately $78,000 for Ridgewood Water. Those funds will be available for other capital projects that will be undertaken, so the Village will not have to issue too much debt.
3.) Approve Temporary General Capital Budget, Temporary Water Capital Budget, and Temporary Parking Capital Budget
Ms. Sonenfeld explained that this combines the resolution and ordinance for each of the capital budgets. The three resolutions for the temporary capital budget appropriations must be adopted before the capital ordinances are introduced tonight. This will enable a vote to be taken on the capital budget on April 8, 2015, which will allow capital projects to be started sooner. The capital budget was reviewed several times with the Village Council during the three budget meetings.
4.) Authorize Change Order for Coin Collection Canisters
Ms. Sonenfeld noted that there are some differences in the various coin collection canisters, and one type of canisters is not allowing quarters to pass through, with the result that those meters are not working. As a result, it is necessary to increase collection of quarters from the locked meters, which also requires purchasing parts. Several weeks ago, a resolution was adopted in the amount of approximately $21,500 to buy the canisters with the needed parts, and this change order authorizes an additional appropriation of approximately $4,000. It will be necessary to have some extra canisters, because once the new collection system is implemented, the canisters which are picked up are not to be returned until the following week, so it will be necessary to have additional canisters to put in the meters.
Councilman Sedon asked if the new canisters hold the same amount of quarters as the old ones. Ms. Sonenfeld pointed out that they seem to be the same size, but the volume in one type of canister is less, because the teeth go down farther into the canister, preventing any more quarters from dropping into the canister.
4. MOTION TO SUSPEND WORK SESSION AND CONVENE SPECIAL PUBLIC MEETING
At 8:43 P.M., upon a motion by Councilman Pucciarelli, seconded by Councilwoman Knudsen’s, and carried by unanimous voice vote, the Village Council suspended the Work Session.
5. MOTION TO RECONVENE WORK SESSION
At 9:45 P.M., upon a motion by Councilman Pucciarelli, seconded by Councilman Sedon, and carried by unanimous voice vote, the Village Council reconvened its Work Session. At roll call, the following were present: Councilmembers Knudsen, Pucciarelli, Sedon, and Mayor Aronsohn. Also present were Roberta Sonenfeld, Village Manager; Heather Mailander, Village Clerk; and Matthew Rogers, Village Attorney. Councilwoman Hauck was absent.
6. DISCUSSION (continued)
a. Parking:
1.) Removed from Agenda
2.) Municipal Complex Parking Areas
Councilwoman Knudsen stated that she and Councilman Pucciarelli met with Nancy Greene, Director of the Ridgewood Public Library, and other staff members to review the municipal complex parking lot, which includes the parking lot for Village Hall and the Public Library and the Graydon South parking lot, in an effort to find a better approach to parking in order to prevent the bottlenecks and congestion that currently occur. They want to try to encourage people to use the Graydon South parking lot for sports events and activities at Veterans Field. It was decided that they would first look at the two parking lots as a municipal complex parking lot, and some of the issues that were discussed include the fact that the parking lot shared by Village Hall and the Public Library, as a municipal complex parking area, should be limited to those conducting Village business. It has been observed that a number of employees of businesses outside of the Village Hall and Public Library complex are utilizing this parking lot while they go to work, leaving their cars in the municipal complex parking lot all day. The lot should not be treated as a “public” parking lot, but should be restricted solely to Village business. One of the questions that arose is how to approach that, and how to enforce it. Furthermore, Councilwoman Knudsen said that everyone wondered if are there tickets and/or fines that could be levied against offenders.
Councilman Pucciarelli agreed with Councilwoman Knudsen, saying that the municipal complex parking lot has become a kind of unmetered public parking lot. He is not sure whether, under the present ordinance, the Village can ticket people who park in the lot and walk over to Kings supermarket to shop. Mr. Rogers agreed that it would be worthwhile to research that issue.
Mayor Aronsohn stated that when he was the Council liaison to the Public Library for several years, the same issue kept arising. He asked if there is any type of rule that governs use of the municipal complex parking lot, because it is used by people attending events at the Kasschau Band Shell, as well as athletic teams and the parents of the players. Therefore, he wondered if the Village could and should prohibit other groups from using the municipal complex parking lot, except for those doing Village business. Mr. Rogers answered that he does not believe there is any existing rule or restriction regarding use of the parking lot, nor are there any signs posted regarding use of the parking lot. It is something that would have to be researched, because it is a public parking lot, and use of the lot cannot be restricted or enjoined for anything other than public purposes.
Councilwoman Knudsen noted that it is critical to be able to restrict the parking lot to Village business use in order to offer some relief to the congestion that currently occurs in the parking lot. Any efforts that could be made toward that result, could only be a benefit to the Village.
Councilwoman Knudsen mentioned that other items that have been identified for Village Council support include renaming the Graydon South parking lot to some combination name to reflect its use as an auxiliary municipal complex parking area, encompassing Veterans Field and the Graydon South parking lot. One of the biggest problems encountered was the fact that people cannot seem to find that lot, and they were able to establish proper coordinates for use with GPS directional systems. It is also hoped that this will discourage buses from entering the municipal complex parking lot, which has caused problems in the past. One of the suggested names is the Veterans Field/Graydon South parking lot. Councilman Pucciarelli thinks that is a good suggestion, because simply using the name “Graydon South” does not indicate where it is, and could be particularly useful for teams and parents from out of town who look for directions to that field.
Other suggestions were made for future consideration, including allowing people attending events at the Kasschau Band Shell to continue to park in the municipal complex parking lot. There were questions about the fact that court sessions utilize a lot of parking spaces, and parking spaces for that purpose could be shifted to the Veterans Field/Graydon South parking lot. It was pointed out that in Hackensack and many other municipalities, court attendees are directed to off-site parking areas. It would be prudent to see how many attendees there are at the court sessions in order to make a determination about parking. Another issue that was discussed was whether it would be practical to move the playground to a safer location on the opposite side of the field to encourage use of parking spaces at the Veterans Field/Graydon South parking lot.
As this process begins, Councilwoman Knudsen stated that there is an immediate need to rename the Graydon South parking lot to Veterans Field/Graydon South parking lot, and then invest in some signage. The signage that currently exists to direct anyone to the parking areas are very faded and are not very visible to the people trying to attend events at Veterans Field.
Councilman Pucciarelli stated that the people involved with the sports associations are supportive of these efforts. They understand that it is possible that in one evening, the court could be in session; the Public Library could be hosting a special event; there could be an event at the Kasschau Band Shell; and there could also be a baseball game. The members of the sports associations want their parents to be accommodated and having access to the new parking lot would help in that endeavor.
In addition, Councilman Pucciarelli mentioned that the issue of enforcement was also discussed at all of these meetings. The signs would indicate that parking in the municipal complex parking lot would be for Village business only, but Councilman Pucciarelli does not think the focus should be on enforcement. It is hoped that the new signs will encourage people to do the right thing.
Councilman Sedon agreed that the first step should be tying the activities at Veterans Field to the Veterans Field/Graydon South parking lot. It is not readily apparent to people from out of town that the parking lot exists, and that it is convenient to the field. Regarding sign placement, Councilman Sedon stated that it is not a huge capital expense, and he thinks it is possible that enforcement issues could come into play, but he does not think it is the most important aspect to consider.
Mayor Aronsohn commended Councilwoman Knudsen and Councilman Pucciarelli for taking on this initiative, and he added that there are many good ideas to consider. However, he did say he had a problem with the idea of precluding a Ridgewood resident from parking in the municipal complex parking lot while going to see his/her child play in a game. Councilwoman Knudsen said that was not the intent, because the intent was to get the bulk of the visiting teams to use the other parking lot, as well as anyone else who is willing to comply. The greatest concern was with those who park their cars in the municipal parking lot and go off to their jobs, leaving their cars all day in the parking lot. Mayor Aronsohn added that enforcement is always an issue, and it is a gray area that needs to be worked out among the Police Chief, Police Captain, and Village Manager. Ms. Sonenfeld agreed that enforcement will be difficult, and signage will be very important. Councilwoman Knudsen reiterated that it is hoped that the signage will help people to do the right thing, making enforcement a lesser priority.
Councilwoman Knudsen also pointed out that Ms. Greene visited each parking lot to determine how well the lighting was functioning in each lot, because if people are to be encouraged to use the parking lot, the lighting must be sufficient for safety purposes. In addition, there are spaces in the municipal complex parking lot that are designated for Village staff only, as well as for Public Library staff only.
Ms. Sonenfeld pointed out that there is an issue regarding how this will be implemented, and who pays for it. There is another issue with the fact that the Signal Department is probably the busiest department at this time; they are currently putting in signage relating to Parkmobile, as well as the Federrici sculpture. Furthermore, Christopher Rutishauser, Village Engineer, noted that the signs must be compliant with the Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices (MUTCD).
Councilman Pucciarelli commented that publicizing the other lots that are farther away is also a good idea, especially when considering other sports besides baseball.
This ordinance will be put on the agenda for the April 8, 2015 Public Meeting.
b. Budget:
1.) Award Extraordinary Unspecifiable Services Contract – Emergency Chemical Purchase – Corrosion Inhibitor
Ms. Sonenfeld commented that this is for the purchase of a corrosion inhibitor for Ridgewood Water. In the past several months, there have been some concerns expressed about the amount of lead in the water, and the Village has been working on a project to use a corrosion inhibitor to coat the pipes, which go into the houses from the streets, so that lead cannot leach into the water. Councilman Pucciarelli asked how much chemicals will be used, and what the blend would be, and Ms. Sonenfeld stated that the answer to those questions is that she does not know. That has not yet been determined, because the situation needs to be continually evaluated to make that determination, which requires working with the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection (NJDEP), as well as the systems available in Ridgewood. Approximately $160 has been budgeted for this polyphosphate in 2015. The maximum to be paid is $9.95 per gallon. Councilman Pucciarelli also asked if it would be safe to drink, and Ms. Sonenfeld said it is. Currently, this solution is being used on two wells in the Village, although there are more than 30 wells in the Village. The debate now is whether the solution will have to be used on all of those wells.
This resolution will be put on the agenda for the April 8, 2015 Public Meeting.
2.) Award Contract – Horticultural Supplies
Ms. Sonenfeld explained that this is a recommendation to award a two-year contract for horticultural supplies for 2015 and 2016. Four bid packets were requested, and three proposals were received. Shemin Nurseries once again provided complete pricing, while the other two bidders gave prices for specific items. The Village has had a positive past experience with Shemin Nurseries, and the recommendation is to award the bid to them.
This will be put on a resolution for the April 8, 2015 Public Meeting.
3.) Authorize Property Tax Overpayment Refund Due to Reduced Assessment – Block 4205, Lot 7.01
Ms. Sonenfeld commented that this is an authorization to refund property taxes paid for the years 2010, 2011, and 2012, based on a reduction of the assessed value of the property located at 1200 East Ridgewood Avenue. Councilman Sedon asked what impact this would have on the budget, because the total amount to be refunded is $236,134.36. Ms. Sonenfeld responded that the Village has a reserve for issues like this. Mr. Rogers added that Mike Barker, the Tax Assessor, met with the Councilmembers in Closed Session before July 1, 2014, because this is the biggest ratable in Ridgewood. It was formerly owned by Hartz Mountain, and has since been purchased by Valley Hospital. The reduction in the assessment was negotiated bearing in mind that the Village would be able to pay the refund over a period of time. Councilman Pucciarelli asked if this amount could be credited back to the owner. Mr. Rogers explained that normally, because tax assessment reductions are rather infrequent, these refunds are usually given in the form of a credit against future taxes to be paid. However, in this case, as in any case in which there has been a transfer of ownership, the amount cannot be credited to a new owner, but must be refunded to the previous owner, who paid the taxes.
This will be put on a resolution for the April 8, 2015 Public Meeting.
4.) Award Contract Under State Contract – Purchase of Computer Equipment
Ms. Sonenfeld noted that this is for the purchase of computer equipment related to both the SCADA system at Ridgewood Water, as well as the “Municipality in a Box” project. This purchase is to be made with capital funds, and was approved several months ago by the Councilmembers.
This will be put on a resolution for the April 8, 2015 Public Meeting.
c. Operations:
1.) Hours for Graydon Pool – Summer 2015
Ms. Sonenfeld commented that Councilman Sedon requested a discussion about Graydon Pool. Ms. Sonenfeld mentioned that she and Councilman Sedon had a long conversation last week with Tim Cronin, Director of Parks and Recreation, and Nancy Bigos, Assistant Director of Parks and Recreation. In addition, Ms. Sonenfeld sent the Councilmembers a copy of the benchmarking chart comparing policies at Graydon Pool to policies at municipal pools in other communities, including Allendale, Fair Lawn, Glen Rock, Ramsey, Wyckoff, Mahwah, and Leonia. It included comparisons of their pre-season hours, regular-season hours, and late-season hours, as well as closing dates, and other pertinent information. Ms. Sonenfeld pointed out that for quite a few years, the schedule for Graydon Pool has been set by counting 94 days back from Labor Day, which usually equates to approximately 13 consecutive weeks of operation. She added that, to put things in context, it is important to remember that because Graydon Pool is considered a bathing beach pool rather than a regular cement-bottom pool, the number of lifeguards and lifeguard stations are based on the perimeter of the pool, and there must be a station every 200 feet around the perimeter. If there is an obstruction, a station must be added. In addition, there are three levels of lifeguards: a standard level lifeguard can be stationed at a cement bottom pool such as that in Glen Rock; a waterfront bathing beach lifeguard, which would be the type of lifeguard necessary at Graydon Pool; and the highest level of lifeguard, which is a beach/oceanfront lifeguard.
Councilman Sedon stated that he was only hoping to find some kind of compromise in order to avoid closing the pool for the last five days of the season prior to Labor Day. It might even be possible to open the pool for half days during that time, but it did not seem like that would even be possible from the discussion at the meeting he attended. Councilman Sedon also thought it might be possible to have the pool open for an additional two hours earlier in the season, or during the pre-season, because the staff would already be there. It would require them to work an additional nine days in the pre-season, and there is a cost of approximately $3,000 associated with that. Perhaps a small section of the pool could be open, such as the kiddie pool area, as a compromise.
Ms. Sonenfeld pointed out that according to the chart she prepared, four of the municipalities (Glen Rock, Ramsey, Spring Lake, and Mahwah) are not open to the public at all on weekdays during the pre-season. However, they begin their weekend coverage at the pool 1-2 weeks earlier than Ridgewood. That caused Ms. Sonenfeld to say to Mr. Cronin that perhaps that is a compromise that Ridgewood should reach. Mr. Cronin pointed out that there is a lot of preparation required for that, because it takes at least one month to drain and refill the pool. Fair Lawn does not have a pre-season at all. Allendale has weekday hours during the pre-season, from 1:00-5:00 P.M. Leonia has pre-season weekday hours from 3:00-7:00 P.M. Ms. Sonenfeld noted that if the kiddie section of Graydon Pool is open with three lifeguards on duty, there is a concern that people will come and use the wrong part of the pool. Mr. Cronin and Ms. Bigos were very concerned about the safety issues attached to that.
Councilwoman Knudsen noted that if the 94-day rule is applied, it would only equate to approximately 12 weeks, due to the fact that the pool will be closed for the entire week prior to Labor Day. Councilwoman Knudsen thought a similar situation had arisen before, and Mr. Cronin said he could not recall that ever happening, especially schools opening prior to Labor Day in Ridgewood. Mr. Cronin based his statement on the fact that he could not recall ever having this type of discussion with the Councilmembers in the past. Councilwoman Knudsen suggested that if it did occur before, such as in 2008 or 2009, perhaps someone could research how the situation was handled at that time, which might offer some insight into how to approach the current situation. Councilwoman Knudsen asked if it would be possible to at least keep Graydon Pool open on the Monday and Tuesday of the week prior to Labor Day, before children go back to school. Ms. Sonenfeld stated that they had that discussion at the meeting, and she and Mr. Cronin pointed out that the management staff members at Graydon Pool are all teachers, who will start school on August 31st. This will leave the pool without a Manager, Assistant Manager, Shift Leader, and Certified Pool Operator (CPO). Ms. Sonenfeld commented that Ms. Ringel’s point about how the Village gets staff for Graydon Pool could be reviewed, and Ms. Sonenfeld would like to compare how Ridgewood staffs its pool against how other municipalities do that. Councilwoman Knudsen also asked if it was possible to offer courses in waterfront lifeguarding, and Mr. Cronin responded that it is already being done, and has become the “farm system” for Ridgewood lifeguards. Courses are offered every year, and those who pass the course become part of that “farm system”. In that way, at the end of every season, when staff levels decrease, it is possible to bring in the new lifeguards to fill in those spots, and they can perhaps be hired the following year. Mr. Cronin noted that all of the lifeguards are student, either in high school or college, with virtually no adult lifeguards working at Graydon Pool. Councilwoman Knudsen asked if it would be possible to advertise for any adult lifeguards who might be looking for extra income to work that final week at Graydon Pool. Mr. Cronin answered that it certainly could be advertised, but during his tenure in Ridgewood, he has never seen adults applying for lifeguard positions. Ms. Sonenfeld added that it is not just a matter of having lifeguards present but it is also a supervision issue, and having the right level of supervision available.
Councilwoman Knudsen recalled that she had offered assistance to Councilwoman Hauck in coming up with any creative solutions to the problem regarding closing a week early. She also asked if it would be possible for any adult to use the facilities at Graydon Pool without lifeguards present, at his/her own risk. Mr. Cronin said he would have to defer to Mr. Rogers to answer that, but he does not believe that the Joint Insurance Fund (JIF) would support that practice. Councilwoman Knudsen asked for clarification that adults cannot even enter the facility and sunbathe on the sand. Mr. Cronin responded that in such cases, adults usually do enter the water, and as other people drive by and see the activity, it generates similar activity with more people going in. At some point, the adults will enter the water, and that is usually when a resident sees the activity from his/her house, or someone at Village Hall observes it and calls the Police Department. Ms. Sonenfeld reiterated that Graydon Pool is one of the pools that opens daily at the earliest available date.
Mayor Aronsohn commented that the issue seems to be with two different time periods. One of them is the pre-season, and the other is at the end of the season. With respect to the pre-season, Mayor Aronsohn wondered how many people actually use Graydon Pool from 10:00 A.M.-12:00 noon, and the answer is that, on average, approximately 10 people use it during that time. Ms. Sonenfeld confirmed this, and added that the numbers were as high as 34 when there was a party at the pool, and as low as zero. Mayor Aronsohn suggested that during the pre-season, since the pool is open, it might not be a bad idea to simply add two hours in the morning. At the end of the season, Mayor Aronsohn agreed with Councilwoman Knudsen that perhaps similar situations that occurred in previous years could be reviewed to see what was done at that time. However, Mayor Aronsohn noted that at the end of the day, if staffing cannot be found, then the pool would have to be closed. Ms. Sonenfeld pointed out that if the pool opens at 10:00 A.M., that means that the staff must report at 8:00 or 8:30 A.M., and they work until approximately 7:30 P.M., unless a second shift comes in. Mr. Cronin said having a second shift depends on how many people are available to work a second shift. Mayor Aronsohn stated that, as with the end of the season closing issue, perhaps past practices could also be explored on this issue. Mr. Cronin stated that he would defer to the decision of the Village Council with respect to operating hours, but as far as staffing is concerned, that must be the Pool Manager’s decision, based on what is necessary at the pool.
Councilman Pucciarelli suggested that the incoming lifeguards could be polled to see who might be available to work at the end of August. Ms. Sonenfeld answered that she thinks it would be more likely that the lifeguards will be available to work the extra hours in the pre-season, not the end of the season. Mayor Aronsohn agreed, adding that it seems like the pre-season issue might be solvable, but the end of the season problem is more of a challenge. However, if this has occurred in the past, it would be worthwhile to see how it was handled at that time. Councilwoman Knudsen suggested that with respect to the end of season issues, perhaps an option would be to advertise to some of the young adults who have graduated from school, as well as advertising locally. She stated that Bergen Community College has a pool program, which Mr. Cronin said he also uses as a source for lifeguards. Councilwoman Knudsen suggested that Bergen Community College be considered as a partial solution in the hope of keeping at least part of Graydon Pool open at the end of the season. Mr. Cronin stated that it could be done, but it would be dependent on whether the people who work there and graduated kept their certifications current. Ms. Sonenfeld agreed that polling is a good idea, because it is known that only 50% of the current staff members will be available at the end of the season. However, she stated that the most important consideration is safety, to which all of the Councilmembers agreed. Mayor Aronsohn suggested that this be discussed further at the next Village Council meeting, and Councilmembers could reach out to Ms. Sonenfeld or Mr. Cronin with their ideas, so that a decision could be made.
Ms. Sonenfeld commented that she would also like to address the issue of why the pool schedule was never brought before the Village Council, and who has authority over these matters associated with Graydon Pool. Mr. Cronin explained that, during the time in which he has worked for the Village, if there was a change in either fees or the schedule, it would be discussed at the Parks and Recreation Conservancy (PRC) Board meetings, and the information would be sent to the Village Manager for discussion by the Village Council. From 2014 to 2015, there were no changes proposed, either in pricing or in hours of operation, so there was no reason to bring it to the Village Council. Ms. Sonenfeld added that the pre-season hours have been the same for many years, except for the two-year period in which the extra two hours were added.
Councilwoman Knudsen asked a question about the idea of holding lifeguard training at Graydon Pool, which Mr. Cronin said has been occurring. She wanted to know how the program works, and how someone could enroll in it. Mr. Cronin stated that someone who wanted to enroll in the program would pay for it, and it is held during July and August. The test is taken at Graydon Pool, and is administered by Steve Diamond, the Pool Manager, who has the necessary certification to do that. Those who pass the tests are given limited time in lifeguard stands to gain experience, if they have never been lifeguards before. Those who are taking the course for re-certification are not required to be given the extra hours in the lifeguard stands.
7. MANAGER REPORT
Ms. Sonenfeld started her report by announcing the retirement of Frank Moritz, Director of Ridgewood Water. His retirement takes effect on July 1, 2015. Ms. Sonenfeld noted that his original intent was to retire in 2014, but Mr. Moritz stayed to assist Ms. Sonenfeld during her first year as Village Manager, for which she expressed appreciation. He was with Ridgewood Water for more than 23 years, and became Director of Operations for Ridgewood in 2005, which put him in charge of the Streets Division; Fleet Services; Solid Waste and Recycling; and Yard Waste. Mr. Moritz has also been a negotiator for the blue-collar and white-collar union contracts, as well as acting as an interface with the unions. Ms. Sonenfeld stated that he would be missed, and the position has been advertised on the Village website, and will soon be in the newspapers. It has been decided that his duties will not be divided, and his position will be replaced in its entirety for one person. Once interviews have begun, that decision could change.
Ridgewood has been selected to receive a grant from the New Jersey Department of Transportation (NJDOT). Mr. Rutishauser and his team put together a grant request, and the amount is approximately $149,000, which will most likely be included in the 2016 capital budget.
Ms. Sonenfeld commented that there have been some raccoon sightings in Ridgewood, and there is no reason to believe at the moment that they are rabid. However, Ms. Sonenfeld has seen other reports involving rabid raccoons. Raccoons are usually nocturnal, and the reason for seeing them at this time of year is because they are breeding and looking for food for their babies. According to the animal experts, if the raccoons seem to be intoxicated, if they are lying around and not responding, or exhibiting any other types of weird behavior, people are encouraged to call the Police Department, who will work with Animal Control Services to remove them. It is recommended that no one leave food out. Ms. Sonenfeld also received a recent report of a coyote sighting. She mentioned that, as with the raccoons, any type of erratic behavior should be noted. If there are multiple sightings in one area, e-notices or reverse 911 calls will be implemented to warn residents.
Regarding parking, Ms. Sonenfeld met with Mayor Aronson and Mr. Rutishauser last week to discuss pushing forward with plans for the Hudson Street parking garage. The decision was made to move forward with the preparation of an RFP to do a feasibility analysis of building a fully-automated parking structure versus a traditional parking garage. In addition, Ms. Sonenfeld reminded everyone that the parking lot at Cottage Place is now allowing eight-hour parking.
Moving on to the North Walnut Street Redevelopment Zone, Ms. Sonenfeld mentioned that an estimate of a potential start date is expected from the firm that will be helping to evaluate Kensington’s financial information.
In her “Response to Residents” section, Ms. Sonenfeld noted that someone mentioned potholes earlier, and there have been calls from only 450 residents, as well as people using the app, to notify Village management about potholes. So far, approximately 2,087 potholes have been filled, using 100 tons of asphalt.
Ms. Sonenfeld stated that the owners of two businesses have spoken to her and Janet Fricke, Assistant to the Village Manager, about safety concerns at the Franklin Avenue and Broad Street intersection. Ms. Fricke and Ms. Sonenfeld met with the Engineering and Signal Departments, as well as walking that area. The Engineering and Signal Departments came up with a solution involving putting up Walk/Don’t Walk signal lights at that intersection, which have been installed and are now functioning. There are also green arrows at the traffic light for westbound traffic.
Upcoming events include the next “Meet the Manager” event on April 23, 2015, from 4:30 P.M.-7:30 P.M., in the Garden Room. There will be a Bergen County Access Forum on April 25, 2015, from 11:00 A.M.-2:00 P.M., in the Sydney V. Stoldt, Jr., Courtroom at Village Hall. LAX day will be at Ridgewood High School on April 25, 2015. Saylestock, a free music and arts festival, will be on April 26, 2015, from 12:00 noon-7:00 P.M., at Memorial Park at Van Neste Square, rain or shine. Household hazardous waste disposal will be available at Bergen County Community College on Sunday, April 26, 2015, from 9:00 A.M.-3:00 P.M., rain or shine. The fifth annual Guild Spring Film Festival will be held on April 29-30, 2015, at the Bowtie Cinema, with the red carpet events scheduled to begin at 6:00 P.M., and the films are scheduled to start at 7:00 P.M. On April 29, 2015, the Ridgewood Environmental Advisory Commission (REAC) is presenting a film entitled “Blue Gold – World Water Wars,” at the Ridgewood Public Library at 7:00 P.M. In addition, Dave Scheibner of Ridgewood Water will make a presentation. Second-quarter property taxes are due on May 1, 2015. Also, on May 1, 2015, stage 1 water restrictions are scheduled to begin.
8. COUNCIL REPORTS
Fourth of July Committee – Councilwoman Knudsen mentioned that the Fourth of July Committee is continuing its work toward an exciting program of festivities, which include working out the details of the parade and fireworks extravaganza. The theme for this year is “American Innovation”. Councilwoman Knudsen noted that their website is now up and running, which is not limited to information about the 2015 events, but also pays tribute to the history of this Village tradition with a photo gallery dating back to the 1970s. The website is www.ridgewoodjuly4.net. The Committee also continues to seek new volunteers for a variety of jobs for the festivities. Anyone interested in volunteering should email info@ridgewood july4th.com.
Planning Board – Councilwoman Knudsen stated that the Planning Board met on Tuesday, April 21st, when they heard a courtesy review of the solar energy project phase 2 for the Ridgewood Public Schools. This project features a solar paneled carport mounting system. The large canopies cover the Benjamin Franklin Middle School parking lot, and they look forward to a potential 15-year savings of approximately $275,000.
The Planning Board also heard the continuation of the World Mission Society Church of God application. The continuation of that application is scheduled for May 5, 2015. In addition, there was a continuation of the public hearing pertaining to the land-use plan element of the Master Plan. As Planning Board deliberations continued, Blais Brancheau, Village Planner, offered an amended version of the original amendment. The revised plan proposes some reductions to the maximum density for area ratio, building heights, and a reduction of the overall acreage from slightly over 10 acres to slightly more than eight acres. This is an on-going process with considerable time devoted to evaluation of the revised plan, and many different zone classification proposals. Mayor Aronsohn suggested voting on the zones separately, allowing for consideration of applications on a more individual basis, which is likely to be considered.
Finally, the Planning Board is beginning work on the Master Plan re-examination. Approximately 90% of the language needs to be addressed. The window of opportunity is 10 months, and the schedule is extremely aggressive, which will be rather burdensome on the Planning Board members, given all of the other issues that they are also considering at this time.
Councilman Pucciarelli commented as the Board of Education liaison regarding the parking lot solar panels that it was very interesting to see them there. Questions had arisen as to whether the panels are safe, and if there is lighting available under them, as well as if it is possible that heavy snow could cause them to collapse. However, Councilman Pucciarelli believes the idea is so innovative that people will see similar panels in many parking lots throughout the country. He asked if the Planning Board approved the use of the panels, and Councilwoman Knudsen answered that it was simply a courtesy review by the Planning Board.
Ridgewood Arts Council – Councilman Pucciarelli mentioned that the website for the Ridgewood Arts Council is www.rac.ridgewoodnj.net. Last night, the Ridgewood Arts Council held an open house to which local artists were invited to bring their paintings for display at Village Hall. The evening was opened at 8:00 P.M. by a professional singer in Ridgewood. Cynthia Foerster, who is the head of the Bergen County Division of Cultural Affairs, offered support from Bergen County to the Ridgewood Arts Council. Councilman Pucciarelli mentioned events sponsored by local arts councils in other states, including the Daffodil Festival in Nantucket. He also noted the efforts made by the arts council to invigorate the downtown area of Providence, Rhode Island by bringing art galleries and displays everywhere.
Ridgewood Environmental Advisory Committee (REAC) – Councilman Sedon stated that REAC teamed up with the Ridgewood Conservancy for Public Lands to celebrate Earth Day and the Daffodil Festival at Memorial Park at Van Neste Square. This was the first year for this type of joint effort, and it was a huge success. Councilman Sedon thanked Mr. Cronin and Ms. Bigos from the Department of Parks and Recreation for coming out early to help set things up for the day ahead; Cynthia Halaby and Maribeth Lane for their work with the Conservancy and their creativity in bringing the art show that was held, as well as planting approximately 14,000 daffodil bulbs throughout Ridgewood; Jeff Ball of the Ridgewood Responsible Pet Owners Committee, which sponsored a very popular dog show that was enjoyed by everyone; and George Wolfson of REAC for all of his efforts planning and organizing the event. Councilman Sedon also expressed appreciation to the Village Departments that participated in the event, including the Recycling Department, which raffled off a composter; Ridgewood Water, which gave away approximately 500 hot dogs and popcorn; David Scheibner of Ridgewood Water, who gave a presentation about water; the Engineering Department, which had a wonderful display about storm water runoff; the Ridgewood Public Library, which conducted arts and crafts for the children; the band “Blue Plate Special,” which was excellent; the businesses participating in the Ridgewood Guild, which were kicking off their spring plant-a-thon; and the Daily Treat, Ridgewood Pancake House, and Raymond’s, which gave assistance in promoting the event. Global businesses that were in attendance included Ben& Jerry’s and Ford Motor Company. Councilman Sedon also thanked all of the exhibitors, landscapers, and residents, as well as everyone who came to the event. It was a great community-wide effort, and everyone seemed to enjoy themselves. Councilman Sedon also thanked the Student Environmental Association Club at Ridgewood High School for their participation and support. REAC will begin planning for next year’s event within the next couple of months. With over 30 organizations and vendors, as well as Village Departments, that participated, REAC was able to raise approximately $3,000 to help cover the cost of planting trees for Earth Day; purchasing bike racks for the CBD; and purchasing and installing water stations throughout the CBD.
Councilman Sedon reminded everyone of the movie presentation mentioned earlier by Ms. Sonenfeld at the Ridgewood Public Library on April 29, 2015, entitled “Blue Gold – World Water Wars,” at 7:00 P.M. In addition, Dave Scheibner of Ridgewood Water will make a presentation. This movie is being presented in partnership with the League of Women Voters.
The members of REAC also met with the Recycling Department to explore how to better disseminate the message about recycling. In addition, they are involved in exploratory discussions with the members of the Fields Committee and sports association leaders about using reusable water bottles for sports teams, which will eventually tie into the possibility of installing water stations at the fields.
Shade Tree Commission – Councilman Sedon noted that Junior Girl Scout Troop 94192 at Willard School, in conjunction with the Parks Department, Mr. Cronin, and the Shade Tree Commission, planted three lace bark elms at the playground at Veterans Field. Councilman Sedon thanked everyone involved with that project.
Citizens Safety Advisory Committee (CSAC) – Councilman Sedon commented that last week, the Citizens Safety Advisory Committee discussed some issues associated with the parking situation at Corella Court. They also discussed the painting of a solid line on Cottage Place, which should be done soon. The Engineering Department indicated that, once the 2015 budget is passed, they could assess the situation at West Glen Avenue to see how much it would cost and how much work would be required to install sidewalks there. The CSAC members also discussed the situation at Clinton Avenue, and the majority of them decided that they would not recommend changes, such as installing sidewalks, at this time other than what has already been approved, because it might delay any paving that is to be done. The Engineering Department stated that there is ample room in the right-of-way to add sidewalks in the future, if that decision is made.
Finally, Councilman Sedon commended Councilwoman Knudsen, saying that he has attended numerous municipal and government meetings across three states, and the tremendous amount of pressure that Councilwoman Knudsen was under at the April 8, 2015, Public Meeting, when the Labor Attorney addressed the Councilmembers, was very intense, and Councilman Sedon stated that Councilwoman Knudsen handled herself with poise, grace, and class while absorbing everything that was said to and about her. Incredibly, at the end of the remarks, Councilwoman Knudsen actually apologized for any confusion that her emails may have caused, which was something that Councilman Sedon had never witnessed before. He said he is proud to serve on the Village Council with her, and all Ridgewood residents should be thankful that Councilwoman Knudsen is looking out for what is best for the residents of Ridgewood.
Mayor Aronsohn agreed with Councilman Sedon that the Earth Day festivities were extraordinary. It was noted that the event has grown significantly, both in size and in importance to the community.
Mayor Aronsohn asked if the parking situation at Cottage Place is being monitored. Ms. Sonenfeld stated that Ms. Fricke has visited several lots in the mornings, and she will be visiting Cottage Place soon.
As Ms. Sonenfeld previously noted, there is a Bergen County Access Forum that will be held in Ridgewood on Saturday, April 25th. The Bergen County Office of Disability Services has done three “access for all” summits, which are usually panel discussions that have been held in different towns. This is the first forum of this kind, and is scheduled to be an interactive discussion with municipal officials from many Bergen County towns. Mayor Aronsohn, Ms. Fricke, and some members of the Ridgewood Access Committee plan to attend the meeting. Two of the Bergen County Freeholders are also scheduled to attend.
Regarding Frank Moritz, Mayor Aronsohn praised him as a trusted and valued member of the Ridgewood family, and indicated that he will be missed.
Which Mayor Aronsohn noted that Councilwoman Knudsen stated that the Church Of God meeting would be on May 5th, but he believes it is scheduled for May 19th. However, he encouraged everyone to check the website to confirm the dates and times. He also agreed with Councilwoman Knudsen that the discussion about multi-family housing at the Planning Board meeting last night was a very good one, and the decision was unanimous to move the discussion to a Public Hearing on May 5, 2015. Mayor Aronsohn commended the efforts of Mr. Brancheau on the revised amendment, which also incorporated many of the concerns and preferences expressed by members of the public and the Planning Board.
9. COMMENTS FROM THE PUBLIC
Mayor Aronsohn stated that 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, noted that in June 2012, the number of people attending Graydon Pool between the hours of 10:00 A.M. and 12:00 noon was counted because it had been decided that Graydon Pool would open late during the last two weeks of August. As it happens, it was very rainy in June 2012, and cool. That is why Ms. Ringel believes the statistics used to justify opening at noon should be forgotten forever.
Ms. Ringel said it is her impression that a contract exists with a new vendor that will operate the concession stand at Graydon Pool in 2015, and she wondered if the vendor had been told about the hours. The concession stand usually opens at noon, so the late opening days would probably not be of much interest. However, Ms. Ringel believes the five days preceding Labor Day might be of interest, because the vendor might be expecting to sell a lot of ice cream at that time. She also wondered what would happen to the staff at the concession stand during that week, because they will not get paid, and she wondered if they would be expected to come back to work on Labor Day. The food is also a consideration, which might spoil during that time.
Ms. Ringel noted that she specifically referenced two things that she hoped would happen. One of those was planning for future years, especially if the schools will be opening again before Labor Day, which has not yet been decided. Ms. Ringel suggested that the Councilmembers be prepared to take a proactive stance, because it is likely to happen again, rather than comparing Ridgewood policies to those of other municipalities. It is hoped that some kind of creative solution can be found to the problem. Ms. Ringel asked how many managers have to be present while the pool is open. Her impression is that the school where the Pool Manager teaches will open after Labor Day this year, so she does not understand why he is not available eight days earlier. Ms. Ringel asked if someone who is already a member of the Graydon Pool staff could take the course this summer in order to be prepared to take over in the future. Next, Ms. Ringel addressed the difficulty of opening only one area of the pool because it might be unsafe, which she said is done every summer. The Maple Avenue side is almost never open, except when the children from Paterson come from the camp. The signs prohibiting swimming at the deep end is put up on the lifeguard stand there all the time, and it is largely ignored. Ms. Ringel also pointed out that the students will not be in school on Monday and Tuesday, so she finds it hard to believe that getting high school and local college students would be too difficult. It sounds like the problem is getting managers who can be there at that time. Ms. Ringel asked the Councilmembers to stay on top of this, and keep Graydon Pool open.
Ms. Sonenfeld responded with respect to the concession stand vendor, who is aware of the situation. Mr. Cronin confirmed this, adding that he gave the vendor some suggestions about how he could make up for any losses that might be sustained. The suggestion involved opening during the swim team parents’ nights on Tuesdays and Thursdays, for which previous concessionaires never opened. Ridgewood has possibly the largest swim team in Bergen County, with 150-180 children participating. They have swim meets every Tuesday and Thursday night during the summer, and parents and other relatives attend the meets. Mr. Cronin added that the Maple Avenue side of the pool is open for the Ridgewood day camp, which starts right after school closes.
Councilwoman Knudsen asked about Ms. Ringel’s point regarding the Pool Managers, who do not return to work until after Labor Day. Mr. Cronin responded that he checked with both of the managers, and they return to full-day schedules at their schools as of August 31st.
Anne Loving, 342 South Irving Street, continued from where she left off before. At the February 6, 2013, Village Council meeting, Mayor Aronsohn interrupted the agenda to speak. She quoted from the minutes of that meeting:
“Before the meeting began, Mayor Aronsohn noted that there had been a lot of feedback from the Village Council Work Session meeting on January 30, 2013. Some people commented that when Councilwoman Walsh had the floor, she should have been allowed to speak without interruption; others felt that the issue should not have been on the agenda in the first place, because it was confrontational; other comments were that Mayor Aronsohn should not have allowed Councilmembers to attack each other. Mayor Aronsohn stated that it was not a great meeting, and as the person responsible for running the meeting, he wanted to apologize to his colleagues and to the public, because he said that frankly, the public deserves better. The public does not deserve a fighting Council, but a working Council. He pointed out that there is a lot of work to do, and it is good to have differences of opinion, but that there are ways to disagree while being agreeable. Mayor Aronsohn said that going forward, he hopes and expects that the Councilmembers can agree to disagree, and that while there are issues to be settled, the Councilmembers can and will work through them in a much more civil and respectful way.”
Ms. Loving pointed out that two years have passed since that time, and the meetings continue to be “not great,” to use Mayor Aronsohn’s terminology. His apology in February 2013 seemed sincere, but Ms. Loving now wonders if that was nothing more than a carefully crafted statement that made for a good sound byte. Ms. Loving would like to see the Village Council get back to where the main subject of the meeting is the business at hand, and not the behavior of certain elected and appointed officials, and where comments from the public have to do with the agenda, and not with the behavior. Ms. Loving commented that her property tax bill is the single-greatest expense in her household, as she imagines it is for just about every other family in Ridgewood. When elected officials ask questions like those posed by Councilwoman Knudsen before voting on expenditures or policies, those questions should be welcomed and answers should be forthcoming without delay. Ridgewood residents do deserve better, as Mayor Aronsohn stated.
Diane Palacios, 342 North Van Dien Avenue, stated that she moved to Ridgewood because of Graydon Pool, although she told other people it was because of the school system. Ms. Palacios grew up in San Diego, and swam regularly in the bay. She wanted to live in a place where it was possible to swim outside with sand and sun. Ms. Palacios mentioned that the deep end of Graydon Pool has been closed for the past several years. She believes that Mr. Diamond “hates the place,” and is always “looking for an excuse to close it”. When the lightning alarm sounds and Mr. Diamond decides to close the pool, Ms. Palacios tells him not to do that, because she wants to come back in a couple of hours. She stated that it is extremely important to make outdoor activities part of our everyday lives. Ms. Palacios said she does not want to be a frail old person in a senior center, but would rather be swimming in the deep end of Graydon Pool. She also pointed out that the high school track team runs through the sand regularly in September, to build their muscles. Ms. Palacios wants to do that, too, and Ms. Bigos told her that such activities are open to everyone. Furthermore, Ms. Palacios noted that two years ago, there was someone swimming at 8:00 in the morning at Graydon Pool. When she asked Mr. Cronin about it, she was told that the man did that every summer, at his own risk. Ms. Palacios stated that if the Councilmembers really wanted to, they would find a way to keep the pool open.
Boyd Loving, 342 South Irving Street, said he was very pleased to hear about Mr. Moritz’s retirement, and congratulated him for his work for Ridgewood.
With respect to Graydon Pool, Mr. Loving remembered the discussion in 2012 about opening at 10:00 A.M. instead of 12:00 noon. He recalled that his granddaughter was about three years old at that time, and most parents and grandparents of toddlers know that naptime usually occurs sometime around 12:00 noon or 1:00 P.M., so that opening the pool at 10:00 A.M. gives an opportunity for small children to go to the pool in the morning when the sun is not as strong, and they can be back home by naptime. That is why Mr. Loving considers the 10 A.M. opening to be a great benefit to parents and grandparents of toddlers. As far as the accounts provided by Mr. Cronin are concerned, Mr. Loving wondered if they only include people with badges, or if people under two years old, who do not need badges, were also counted. Mr. Loving recalled that he, his wife, and their granddaughter were at the pool on all of the days with good weather, as were many other parents, grandparents, and small children.
Mr. Loving noted all of the discussion about the Access Forum to be held this weekend, which caused him to note that on March 16, 2015, he sent a letter to Mayor Aronsohn expressing his concerns about handicapped parking at Village being non-compliant. Mr. Loving did not receive a response to his letter, nor any other type of acknowledgment, including any indication that anyone at the Village was addressing those concerns. Mr. Loving asked if the letter was forwarded to the Village Manager, who might have forwarded it to another department for action. Mayor Aronsohn said he did not recall the letter, and asked if it was sent via email, which Mr. Loving confirmed. The lack of response concerns Mr. Loving, especially in light of comments made by former Councilmember Bernadette Walsh, who stated that she had to make two visits to Village Council meetings before action was taken on one of her concerns. Councilman Sedon heard from someone on April 8th who indicated that he had written a letter and received no response to his inquiry. As a taxpayer, Mr. Loving said he is concerned that residents are writing letters and getting no response or acknowledgment to civil requests. There is a lot of talk about how great the various Department heads and other professionals are, but Mr. Loving also hears that there are many questions going unanswered, and people must go to Village Council meetings to get satisfaction, which should not be necessary. Mr. Loving handed a copy of his email to Mayor Aronsohn, and asked if he could have some type of response by the end of this week.
Leonard Eisen, 762 Upper Boulevard, congratulated Ms. Sonenfeld on her wonderful budget presentation, as well as all of the people who assisted her in putting it together. Mr. Eisen pointed out that the budget presented by Ms. Sonenfeld represents only one-third of the tax burden of Ridgewood residents. Ms. Sonenfeld stated that it is actually less than one-third of the tax burden, and that the budget presented in 2014 represented only 25% of the tax burden of Ridgewood residents. Mr. Eisen said he understands that the budget excludes the Board of Education budget, which is the largest portion of the tax burden, nor does it include any Bergen County taxes, which represents approximately 10% of the tax burden. He noted that the Board of Education budget has not passed yet, and Ms. Sonenfeld pointed out that the Board of Education will increase Ridgewood taxes by approximately 2%, or approximately $195 for an average household. Mr. Eisen estimated that the total additional burden on Ridgewood taxpayers would be approximately $300 each, which Ms. Sonenfeld said she could not confirm because she had not yet seen the County budget.
There were no other comments from the public at this time, and Mayor Aronsohn closed the time for public comments.
10. ADJOURNMENT
There being no further business to come before the Village Council, on a motion by Councilwoman Hauck, seconded by Councilman Pucciarelli, and carried unanimously by voice vote, the meeting was adjourned at 11:22 P.M.
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Paul S. Aronsohn
Mayor
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Heather A. Mailander
Village Clerk
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