A REGULAR PUBLIC MEETING 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, SEPTEMBER 10, 2014, AT 8:00 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 8:00 P.M., and read the Statement of Compliance with the Open Public Meetings Act. At roll call, the following were present: Councilmembers Hauck, Knudsen, Pucciarelli, Sedon, and Mayor Aronsohn. Also present were Roberta Sonenfeld, Village Manager; Heather Mailander, Village Clerk; and Matthew Rogers, Village Attorney.
Mayor Aronsohn led those in attendance in the Pledge of Allegiance to the flag. Mayor Aronsohn then asked for a moment of silence to honor the men and women in the United States Armed Forces who protect and defend our freedom every day, as well as those serving as first responders. In addition, Mayor Aronsohn noted that this was the 13th anniversary of the 9/11 terrorist attacks, and he asked for an extra moment to remember the thousands of Americans, including the 12 Ridgewood residents, who died that day.
2. ACCEPTANCE OF FINANCIAL REPORTS
Mayor Aronsohn moved that the Bills, Claims, and Vouchers, and Statement of Funds on hand as of August 31, 2014, be accepted as submitted. Councilwoman Knudsen seconded the motion.
Roll Call Vote
AYES: Councilmembers Hauck, Knudsen, Pucciarelli, Sedon, and Mayor Aronsohn
NAYS:None
ABSENT: None
ABSTAIN: None
3. APPROVAL OF MINUTES
Mayor Aronsohn moved that the Village Council minutes of July 9, July 16, August 6, and August 13, 2014, having been reviewed by the Village Council and now available in the Village Clerk’s Office, be approved as submitted. Councilman Pucciarelli seconded the motion.
Roll Call Vote
AYES: Councilmembers Hauck, Knudsen, Pucciarelli, Sedon, and Mayor Aronsohn
NAYS:None
ABSENT: None
ABSTAIN: None
4. PROCLAMATIONS
A. Constitution Week
Councilwoman Knudsen read the following proclamation:
B. Fire Prevention Week
Councilwoman Hauck read the following proclamation:
C. Declare October National Breast Cancer Awareness Month
Councilman Pucciarelli read the following proclamation:
D. Declare September 28, 2014 Gold Star Mother’s Day
Councilman Sedon read the following proclamation:
5. COMMENTS FROM THE PUBLIC
Mayor Aronsohn asked if anyone from the public wished to speak regarding any of the agenda items.
Anne Loving, 342 South Irving Street, said she noted that there are some holes in the list of Village Council meeting minutes are available. For example, she noticed that the minutes for the January 29, 2014, meeting are not available. She asked what the system is with respect to making minutes available on the Village website. Ms. Mailander responded that the minutes have been approved, but for some reason were not given to the person who posts the minutes on the website. She added that she will check on all of the available minutes, because all of the minutes through the month of August 2014 have now been approved.
Anne Burton Walsh, 112 South Irving Street, informed the Councilmembers that a group of approximately 40 households in Ridgewood got together over the summer to examine issues relating to the Common Core State Standards and PARCC testing. The group is called Ridgewood Cares about Schools (RCAS), and now comprises approximately 60 households. RCAS is a non-political organization comprised of people who came together solely because they were concerned about how the Common Core and PARCC testing would affect the Ridgewood Public Schools’ tradition of excellence. The political views of the group members are very diverse, and have no impact on the fact-finding mission of the group. Together with the League of Women Voters, RCAS is sponsoring a panel discussion to take place on Thursday, October 2nd, at the Ridgewood Public Library. Two speakers will be featured who will argue in support of the Common Core standards and PARCC testing, and they are Mark Biedron, President of the New Jersey State Board of Education; and Vincent DeLucia, Educator in Residence with the New Jersey School Boards Association. The panel will also feature three critics of the Common Core standards and PARCC testing, and they are Dr. Sandra Stotsky, Professor Emeritus from the University of Arkansas and member of the Common Core Validation Committee; Dr. Chris Tienkin of Seton Hall University; and Dr. Joan Voss, Vice-Chairperson of the Bergen County Board of Chosen Freeholders. Ms. Walsh invited Mayor Aronsohn and the Councilmembers to attend the panel discussion as distinguished guests.
There were no other comments from the public at this time, and Mayor Aronsohn closed the time for public comment.
6. MANAGER’S REPORT
Ms. Sonenfeld started her report by describing how the Parking Utility works from a revenue/expense/allocation of funds/balance perspective. This was in response to some questions raised by residents at the Village Council Work Session meeting last week. Ms. Sonenfeld began by providing a revenue and expense summary of the Parking Utility for 2013. In 2013, the total revenues were approximately $1.063 million. That figure includes revenues from parking meters, as well as rentals for Air Brook and Short Line at the Route 17 lot; UP3 permits; and bag fees. Approximately 80% of those revenues came from parking meters, including parking meters located in parking lots, and the other 20% encompasses rentals, UP3 fees, and bag fees. Ms. Sonenfeld noted that UP3 revenue has increased significantly, from $69,000 in 2011 to $149,000 in 2013. Parking meter revenue also increased significantly in 2013, because the quarter thefts were no longer occurring. All revenues derived from the parking meters are appropriated and dedicated to purchase, construction, and maintenance of an off-street parking facility.
Moving on to expenses, Ms. Sonenfeld pointed out that approximately 80% of the expenses are indirect expenses, and the other 20% are direct expenses. Indirect expenses include allocations from other departments within the Village to the Parking Utility, based on services rendered. The direct expenditures include such things as utility bills, debt service, materials, supplies, and other expenses of that nature. The overall earnings of the Parking Utility in 2013 were approximately $162,000.
Ms. Sonenfeld also summarized the budgeted allocations for 2013 for clarification. She pointed out that the allocations are based on a 2003 study which she reviewed, but they were slightly amended in 2009 or 2010. For example, the allocation for the Finance Department is based on actual time spent, and the Parking Utility receives 6% of the expenses of the Finance Department. On the other hand, the Signal Division gets a variety of different expenses, but when considering the 20% allocation, that represents the people who actually collect and count the coins, which is why the allocation is slightly higher. Ms. Sonenfeld noted that the Village Council and Village Manager do not give any monies to the Parking Utility, but the original methodology allowed for a 1% allocation from those Departments. She also commented that there is no allocation from the Fire Department to the Parking Utility, although there is a small allocation from the Police Department.
Based on this summary, Ms. Sonenfeld recalled that Stephen Sanzari, Chief Financial Officer, spoke to her several times about doing some allocation reviews and bringing in an external auditor to review the allocations. Ms. Sonenfeld believes that might be a good idea, although she pointed out that while some of the allocations might be slightly higher or lower than what is shown in the summary, she thinks the summary is fairly accurate.
Councilman Pucciarelli posed an example of a proposed budget for the Municipal Court that is presented to the Councilmembers for approval. He wondered if the amount allocated to the Parking Utility would be an item within that budget. Ms. Sonenfeld responded that it is, but the amount is based on a certain part of that budget. The reason for the 20% allocation to the Municipal Court is due to parking tickets.
Councilman Sedon asked if the allocation for the Police and Fire Retirement System has decreased over the years to its current amount of $18,664. Mr. Sanzari responded that as far as the various time its systems are concerned, the Social Security allocation does not change, but the other retirement fund allocations change as the percentages change. The allocations are based on the general fund appropriations.
Councilman Pucciarelli asked for clarification that the interest is generated from the funds accumulated from parking meters and other revenue sources, which are deposited into interest-bearing accounts. Mr. Sanzari confirmed this.
Councilwoman Knudsen said that the Traffic and Signal allocation seems to be disproportionately high, and Ms. Sonenfeld reminded her that, as stated earlier, this Department collects the coins from the parking meters.
Mayor Aronsohn asked how much revenue is generated through parking tickets, and he asked if the revenue goes back into the Parking Utility. Ms. Sonenfeld responded that parking tickets are $19, of which $7.50 goes to the Village. She added that the total amount of revenue generated by parking fines is $320,000, but it is not known how much of that is from parking meters; overnight violations; parking near fire hydrants; parking in loading zones; parking in handicapped spaces; and other violations of that nature. The $7.50 does not go to the Parking Utility, but stays in the general fund.
The revenues for 2014 so far show an 8% increase in realized revenues over the same period in 2013. The anticipated fund balance at the end of 2013 was $162,000, which included the beginning fund balance from the prior year. The estimated fund balance for 2014 is approximately $356,000; for 2015 it is $480,000; and for 2016 it is $604,000. That does not include any settlement from the Joint Insurance Fund (JIF) for the coin theft, which would increase that number.
Ms. Sonenfeld also pointed out that in 2011, a question arose about whether Parking Utility revenue was used outside of the Parking Utility, which Ms. Sonenfeld said is not occurring. However, in 2011 and 2012, because of the coin theft, the Parking Utility showed a deficit, which the Village had to fill. In 2013, when revenues were significantly higher, the Parking Utility paid back to the Village the funds had been used to offset the deficit.
There is also an outstanding bond anticipation note that started off a couple of years ago at $3 million for the North Walnut Street Redevelopment Zone, when there was a plan to build a parking facility there. The remaining balance of that bond is now approximately $236,000. Ms. Sonenfeld suggested that one of the things that could be done with the fund balance is to pay off the bond. She posed an example in which the Village might take out an $8 million loan at 2.5% interest over 20 years, stating that the first year payment on that bond would be approximately $600,000. The point she was trying to make is that there are funds available that could be accessed to allow the Village to either fund a parking garage itself, or to take out a sizable loan to finance the facility.
Next, Ms. Sonenfeld discussed parking a bit more. She noted that she, along with Blais Brancheau, Village Planner; Christopher Rutishauser, Village Engineer; and Janet Fricke, Assistant to the Village Manager, have been discussing the logical next steps to be taken toward doing an independent feasibility study of building a garage. They believe that the RFP will be two-fold. The first part will be an environmental and geotechnical review, because it is felt that there are so many unknowns in what has to be done environmentally at Hudson Street, this makes it impractical to put out a complete RFP with a contractor who would also be unaware of what has to be done. It is hoped that within the next couple of weeks, the first RFP will be ready for the Village Council to review.
Ms. Sonenfeld reminded the Councilmembers that she plans to visit Montclair at the end of the month to view the parking garage built there, and she also plans to visit Summit, as well as several other municipalities. She would like to know how they handled the financing of their parking garages.
Ms. Sonenfeld announced that she has been negotiating with a firm called KS Broad Street LLC, and they have agreed on a “private/public” partnership. KS Broad Street now owns the Ken Smith property. The idea is that the Village will use the lot for employee parking in the CBD. The Village will provide all of the administrative infrastructure for the parking, including credit card payments and other related issues, including monitoring the lot. There are currently 150 spots available in the lot, and once the building is torn down, it is estimated that another 30-50 spots will be available. The Whole Foods market is currently using 65 of the available spaces. Ms. Sonenfeld believes the success of this effort is based on two things. One is that the Chamber of Commerce will aggressively promote use of the lot with Village businesses, so that the businesses will help subsidize some of the parking tags that will be sold. The other is that it will require stricter enforcement of repeat parking. Ms. Sonenfeld suggested that, at the same time this initiative is underway, the Councilmembers should consider extending the two-hour parking limit in the CBD to three hours.
Mayor Aronsohn noted that a monthly fee will be charged to employees for parking at the Ken Smith lot, and he asked if the Village will get a percentage of that fee to cover costs. Ms. Sonenfeld estimated that approximately 10% would come back to the Village.
Regarding valet parking, Ms. Sonenfeld pointed out that FISH restaurant is coming to Ridgewood, and it will occupy the former Bank of America building. It is estimated that there will be 225 seats available, and Ms. Sonenfeld said that discussions have already been held with the owner of the building to use valet parking services. The owners have secured an off-site lot, so it is believed that there will be no decrease in available parking spaces in the CBD once the restaurant opens. Ms. Sonenfeld also noted that these are only interim solutions for a longer-term problem.
The North Walnut Street Redevelopment Zone RFP has received more responses. So far, 11 packets have been picked up. This continues the parking theme, as noted by Councilman Pucciarelli, because there is a requirement that the developer must include at least 100 additional parking spaces to those already at that location.
Progress is being made at Garber Square, although there have been some traffic problems. The workers have been working every day, and Ms. Sonenfeld stated that efforts have been made to accommodate the schools whenever possible. Once this phase is over, there will be a hiatus before the milling and paving starts.
In her Response to Residents, Ms. Sonenfeld announced that the next “Meet the Manager” event is scheduled for Saturday, September 27th, from 9:00 A.M.-12:00 noon.
Last week, Mr. Loving raised a question about the carts that the workers use when collecting coins from the parking meters. Ms. Sonenfeld said she was a bit confused, because when she went out on a collection tour with one of the workers, she was led to believe that all of the workers use carts for that job. There are three carts that are shared among the workers. If the collection area is small, the collectors will leave the large collection can in the vehicle and use the small, white bucket to go from meter to meter. According to the supervisor, no one ever carries any large, heavy container when collecting coins.
Ms. Sonenfeld mentioned recognition of Charlotte Samuels, who is the youngest person to achieve the Triple Crown of open water swimming in record time. She faced numerous challenges in making these achievements, and Ms. Sonenfeld commended her tenacity, guts, grit, skill, and heart in doing so. Her family has been contacted with a proposal about how to honor Ms. Samuels and her achievements.
Ms. Sonenfeld reminded everyone that tomorrow is the 13th anniversary of the 9/11 terrorist attacks, and the Public Library has a portrait gallery honoring the 12 Ridgewood residents who died in those attacks. There will be a Remembrance Mass at Our Lady of Mount Caramel Church, to which everyone is invited, tomorrow at 7:00 P.M. On September 13th, a program on Autism Speaks will be held at Graydon Pool from 11:00 AM-12:00 noon. The Ridgewood Guild is sponsoring Jazz Fest on September 14th. On September 21st, the Arts and Crafts Street Fair will be held, which benefits the Department of Parks and Recreation.
7. COUNCIL REPORTS
Fourth of July Committee– Councilwoman Knudsen congratulated the members of the Fourth of July Committee for the wonderful 2014 celebration. The Committee met this past Monday, and the members are ready, willing, and able to take up their assignments. They are looking for help and volunteers wherever they can find them, and are looking forward to the 2015 celebration. The next meeting is scheduled for Tuesday, October 14th, at the Fire Department Headquarters, at 7:30 P.M. Anyone who is interested in helping or volunteering is invited to attend the monthly meetings. Their email address is ridgewoodfourth@gmail.com. Their website is ridgewoodjuly4th.org.
Board of Education – Councilman Pucciarelli mentioned that he will be attending his first Board of Education meeting this Friday.
Ridgewood Arts Council (RAC) – Councilman Pucciarelli mentioned that the Ridgewood Arts Council will meet on Thursday, September 18th, at 7:30 P.M. They will have a statement to make that will appear in the Ridgewood News either this week or next week.
Public Library Board of Trustees – The Board of Trustees will also be meeting on September 18th, according to Councilman Pucciarelli.
Central Business District Forum – The third of the CBD forums is scheduled to be held on Monday, September 22nd, at Roots restaurant at 7:30 P.M. In addition to the open microphone for the first 30 minutes, there will be a panel of four retail store owners, including Tom Hillman of Hillman Electric; Andy Silverstein of Roots restaurant; Jackie Nelly of Leaping Lizards; and Walter Boyer of Bookends. The panel will be discussing the opportunities and obstacles of running a retail business in Ridgewood. Everyone is invited to attend.
Financial Advisory Committee (FAC) – Councilwoman Hauck said the FAC met this past Monday, and it was their first meeting of the new year. They met to discuss their priorities and agendas for the coming months. Eight members were present in addition to Councilwoman Hauck. Ms. Sonenfeld also attended the meeting to offer her assistance in setting goals for the coming year and prioritizing them in order to come up with an agenda for the year. Once the agenda has been created, tasks will be assigned to the individual members and subgroups created to deal with the various tasks. Some of the suggested topics for discussion include: the budget process; improved financial reporting to the Village Council on a regular basis; the Water Utility issues and opportunities; long-range strategic planning for capital improvements; grant research; vehicle repair facilities; reviewing financial controls; and revenue opportunities. Their next meeting is scheduled for October 6th.
Fields Committee – Councilwoman Hauck met with the members of the Fields Committee this morning, which was their first meeting after the summer break. They discussed their Fields Maintenance Report, in which the Board of Education reported on a new method of treating and maintaining grass. It appears that approximately 80% of the fields are comprised of weeds, not grass. The Board of Education’s way of dealing with the weeds is to cut the grass higher, and coaches have complained that some of the smaller children cannot kick balls through the grass because it is so high. It has been suggested that the grass be kept to a 2.5 inch height, instead of five inches. The grass is now being fertilized with organic fertilizers, as well as using a new type of aerator and dropping worms on the grass for natural aeration.
The Maple Park turf field will reopen on Saturday, September 13th, and the turf fields at Ridgewood High School and Stevens Field are now open.
The committee members also discussed the issue of civility and respect on the playing fields, and the coaches were anxious to reiterate that parents and coaches lead by example, and they intend to continue in those efforts.
Ridgewood Environmental Advisory Committee (REAC) – Councilman Sedon said the members of REAC discussed some ideas for future meetings, and they will be prioritizing items and events in which they might want to get involved, as well as expanding the focus of REAC beyond the annual Earth Day celebrations, which might be turned into a series of events, rather than just a day-long set of activities. Their next meeting is scheduled for Monday, September 29th, although they do not have a location at this time.
Shade Tree Commission – Councilman Sedon reported that the members of the Shade Tree Commission feel strongly that there should be some type of Shade Tree Ordinance. Members of the Commission plan to attend the October 1st Work Session Meeting with a list of recommendations and some options to be included in a Shade Tree Ordinance. The intent is that the ordinance will focus on where to plant, and it can be amended or added to as needed in the future. The next Shade Tree Commission meeting will be held in the Garden Room on Tuesday, September 23rd, at 7:30 P.M.
Mayor Aronsohn mentioned that last Saturday, the annual “Coffee with the Council” event was held, which gives the Councilmembers, Village Clerk, and Village Manager the opportunity to meet new residents, and new residents the opportunity to meet the Councilmembers, Village Clerk, and Village Manager.
Chamber Of Commerce– Mayor Aronsohn stated that the annual Chamber of Commerce Car Show was held this past Saturday, and it was bigger and better than ever.
Mayor Aronsohn also mentioned that there are many different approaches that are being taken to the parking situation. Today, he attended a meeting of the Bergen County Improvement Authority (BCIA). For approximately a year, the County has expressed interest in partnering with Ridgewood in financing, building, and operating a parking garage in Ridgewood. They have now taken the first formal step in that process by unanimously voting to retain a bond counsel, who will now oversee the process. The next step is to approach the Board of Chosen Freeholders with the presentation, which should be accomplished within the next couple of weeks. The Freeholders are aware of Ridgewood’s interest in a parking garage, and they had questions about it. They seem to be very supportive of the idea.
8. ORDINANCES
a. Introduction – #3434 – Amend Ordinance 3429 – Residency Requirements
Mayor Aronsohn moved the first reading of Ordinance 3434. Councilman Sedon seconded the motion.
Roll Call Vote
AYES: Councilmembers Hauck, Knudsen, Pucciarelli, Sedon, and Mayor Aronsohn
NAYS:None
ABSENT: None
ABSTAIN: None
The Village Clerk read Ordinance 3434 by title:
AN ORDINANCE TO AMEND ORDINANCE NO. 3429, ADOPTED AUGUST 13, 2014, TO AMEND CHAPTER 3, ARTICLE VIII OF THE CODE OF THE VILLAGE OF RIDGEWOOD ENTITLED “RESIDENCY REQUIREMENTS”
Councilman Pucciarelli moved that Ordinance 3434 be adopted on first reading and that October 8, 2014, be fixed as the date for the hearing thereon. Councilman Sedon seconded the motion.
Roll Call Vote
AYES: Councilmembers Hauck, Knudsen, Pucciarelli, Sedon, and Mayor Aronsohn
NAYS:None
ABSENT: None
ABSTAIN: None
b. Public Hearing – NONE
9. RESOLUTIONS
THE FOLLOWING RESOLUTIONS, NUMBERED 14-218 THROUGH 14-239, WERE ADOPTED BY A CONSENT AGENDA, WITH ONE VOTE BY THE VILLAGE COUNCIL, AND WERE READ BY TITLE ONLY:
10. 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.
Eduard Skylar, 364 Stevens Avenue, had a question with respect to Ordinance 3288. This issue dates back to 2012, and he wanted to take the opportunity to explain the issue. The ordinance states that if a homeowner has a central alarm system installed in the home, which is usually beneficial to the Fire Department, registration is required. Personal information must be given to the Fire Department, including home and cell phone numbers, and other information of that nature. There is a fee charged for the service, which must be renewed every year. Mr. Skylar believes that this is a type of tax that is charged on top of the taxes he already pays to the Village. He does not understand why the fee must be charged.
When Mr. Skylar tried to get information from Fire Chief Van Goor, he was unsuccessful in his efforts. Fire Chief Van Goor also mentioned the possibility of a false alarm, and when Mr. Skylar reviewed the ordinance, he discovered that separate fees are charged for false alarms. There is a $50 fee charged for three false alarms, and $250 is charged for nine false alarms. Mr. Skylar does not understand the reason for these fees, and he asked if someone could review the ordinance and explain why the fees are necessary. Ms. Sonenfeld explained that the fees are similar to those charged for dog licenses, which are renewed every year. She also noted that there is no fee charged for the first two false alarms. The theory is that if a property generates three false alarms, there must be a fault within the alarm system, which should be investigated. Ms. Sonenfeld commented that it is an annual fee, just like other annual fees that are charged by the Village. She said that she would contact other municipalities with paid Fire Departments to find out what their policies are. In addition, Ms. Sonenfeld pointed out that there is an administrative charge for doing these types of registrations. Mr. Skylar said that no administrative fees are charged to renew services that have already existed, because there is no cost involved. He asked Ms. Sonenfeld to explain the costs involved with registering an alarm system. Councilwoman Knudsen asked if the alarm system is also connected to the Police Department, like a security system. Councilman Pucciarelli pointed out that his insurance company charges him a lower premium because he has an alarm system. Mr. Skylar clarified his question by asking why the fee is the same for the initial year as it is in subsequent years for renewals. Mayor Aronsohn responded that Ms. Sonenfeld answered his question, and she will investigate further and get back to him.
Boyd Loving, 342 South Irving Street, congratulated Ms. Sonenfeld for the proposal to use the Ken Smith site for employee parking as an interim solution to the parking problem.
Next, Mr. Loving mentioned the resolution with respect to building on Lot 12, The Gap property, noting that there was a lot of fanfare when the possibilities were originally discussed for that location. However, very little attention seems to have been paid to the fact that those plans seem to have fallen through. Mr. Loving asked if any of the Councilmembers could explain what happened. Ms. Sonenfeld answered that two responses were received to the RFP. The idea was put together several years ago by several Ridgewood business owners to use that space and allow a developer to put a building in that space, and the revenue generated would support a bond issue, which would allow the Village to build a parking garage. It was initially thought that the revenues generated would be approximately $200,000-$225,000, but when the proposals came back, they were much, much lower than anticipated. In addition, both proposals required many variances. There seemed to be an impression that because it is municipal land, it is not subject to Code restrictions. However, because a private developer would be used, it was subject to Code restrictions. Mr. Loving said he thought that the project went out for bid twice, which Mayor Aronsohn confirmed. Mr. Loving asked if the Councilmembers are no longer considering such a project for that lot. Mayor Aronsohn responded that the idea generated when some members of the Chamber of Commerce came forward with it, which seemed very innovative and worth investigating. At this point, the Village Council is considering other alternatives.
Finally, with respect to the Parking Utility, Mr. Loving said he is not sure what meeting Councilman Sedon and Councilwoman Knudsen were referring to when they said they would be meeting with Mr. Sanzari, and what the purpose of the meeting is. Councilman Sedon said it is just an informal meeting to review the figures for the Parking Utility to see what the allocations are, and to get a better understanding of the revenue stream of the Parking Utility. Mr. Loving asked if the data for years prior to 2013 would be reviewed. Councilwoman Knudsen answered that she requested that information for the two years prior to the coin theft be included, which could go back as far as 2008, for comparison purposes. Mr. Loving noted that the total revenue for the Parking Utility was more than $162,000 in 2013, and he asked where that revenue went. Ms. Sonenfeld responded that it went to the fund balance for the Parking Utility. Mr. Loving asked if there was no fund balance prior to 2013. Ms. Sonenfeld explained that, as previously mentioned, there was a deficit in the Parking Utility for 2011 and 2012, due to the coin thefts, and the Village had to make up the shortfall. The Parking Utility later repaid the Village for coverage of the shortfall. Mr. Loving asked what happened to money collected prior to 2011. Ms. Sonenfeld responded that there was also a deficit in 2010, because the coin thefts were most likely occurring during that time. There were balances in the Parking Utility fund that were wiped out by the thefts. Mr. Sanzari explained that he could show the fund balances for the Parking Utility going back five years, but he pointed out that the information was not shown in the summary provided by Ms. Sonenfeld.
Mr. Loving added that he asked about the revenue from the Parking Utility at the prior Village Council meeting, because he was upset that all of the revenue went to parking-related expenses, which is all probably legal, but he noted that 80% of the revenue is going toward indirect expenses, which is not the same as saying that all of the money is going to parking-related expenses. Ms. Sonenfeld corrected him, saying that the indirect expenses represent what it costs to run the Parking Utility. Mr. Loving thinks such things could have been explained more thoroughly last week when he originally asked the question, and he is very interested in getting results of the meeting with Ms. Sonenfeld, Mr. Sanzari, Councilman Sedon, and Councilwoman Knudsen on this matter.
Anne Loving, 342 South Irving Street, asked whether the Shade Tree Ordinance that is being developed will include anything about the gifting of trees, and how that occurs. Councilman Sedon explained that at this time, the Shade Tree Commission is looking at a very “bare-bones” type of ordinance that will focus on where to plant the trees, and once that is settled, other issues can be decided from there. Mayor Aronsohn asked if it will also include any guidelines about what types of trees to plant, and Councilman Sedon said it will include criteria that must be met when planting. Ms. Loving said she believes there is currently a policy regarding the gifting of trees, and she wondered whether someone could give any type of tree, or if the Shade Tree Commission will regulate such gifts.
Regarding the height of the grass on the fields, Ms. Loving said she is concerned about ticks, which like to hide in long grass, and carry a variety of dangerous pathogens., which
There were no more comments from the public, and Mayor Aronsohn closed the time for public comment.
11. RESOLUTION TO GO INTO CLOSED SESSION
The following resolution, numbered 14-240, to go into Closed Session, was read in full by the Village Clerk, as follows:
12. ADJOURNMENT
There being no further business to come before the Village Council, on a motion by Councilman Pucciarelli, seconded by Councilwoman Hauck, and carried unanimously by voice vote, the meeting was adjourned at 9:20 P.M.
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Paul S. Aronsohn
Mayor
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Heather A. Mailander
Village Clerk
