Good evening.
Thank you so much.
This is the Village Council regular public meeting. The date is April 9th, 2025. The time is 7.32.
Adequate notice of this meeting has been provided by a posting on the bulletin board in Village Hall,
by mail to the Ridgwood News, the record, and by submission to all persons entitled the same as provided by law of a schedule,
including the date and time of this meeting roll call.
Council Member Mortimer.
Here.
Deputy Mayor Perron.
Here.
Council Member Weitz.
Here.
Council Member Winnegrad.
Here.
Mayor Vagianos.
Here.
Will you all please join us in a salute to our flag?
I move the bills, claims and vouchers and statement of funds on hand as of March 31,
2025 be accepted as submitted.
I second.
Mortimer.
Here.
Perron.
Yes.
Weitz.
Yes.
Winnegrad.
Yes, Vagianos.
Yes.
I move that the Village Council minutes of February 3rd, February 10th, February 19th,
February 26th, February 27th, March 5th, and March 12th, 2025, having been reviewed
by the Village Council and now available in the Village Clerk's Office, be approved
as submitted.
Second.
Mortimer.
Yes.
Perrin.
Yes.
Weitz.
Yes.
Winnegrad.
Yes, with the Vagianos.
March 12th, March 12th, and Vagianos.
Yes, also with the exception of March 12th, I'll abstain on that.
I was not present.
And now we have a lot of fun stuff going on tonight.
So let's begin, Siobhan, will you begin with the tree planting proclamation?
Sure.
Whereas the village of Virguit is proud of its many trees which have contributed
so much to the beauty and comfortable ambiance of the village.
and whereas trees wherever they are planted are a source of joy and spiritual renewal,
whereas trees can reduce the erosion of our precious topsoil by wind and water,
cutting heat and cooling costs, moderate the temperature,
clean the air, produce oxygen and provide habitat for wildlife,
and whereas trees in our village increase property values,
enhance the economic vitality of the business areas and beautify our community.
And whereas Arbor Day is observed through the nation and the world in recognition of the importance of trees,
and whereas the Village of Ridgewood has been recognized as a tree city USA by the National Arbor Day Foundation
for its extensive plantings and its program for the maintenance of trees.
Now therefore be resolved that the Village Council of the Village of Ridgewood
does hereby proclaim April 2025 as tree planting month in the Village of Ridgewood
and April 25th, 2025 as Arbor Day.
And we urge all residents to plant trees and support efforts to protect our trees and woodlands
and to support our Village Urban Forestry Program.
Thanks, Siobhan.
Frank, will you take the National Drinking Water Week proclamation?
I'd love to.
Whereas water is our most valuable natural resource,
and whereas drinking water serves a vital role in daily life,
serving an essential purpose to health, hydration and hygiene needs for quality of life our citizens enjoy.
And whereas only tap water delivers public health protection, fire protection, support for our economy
and the quality of life we enjoy. And whereas the hard work performed by the entire water sector,
designing capital projects, operators, ensuring the safety and quality of drinking water,
or a member of a pipe crew maintaining the infrastructure communities rely on to transport
high-quality drinking water from its source to consumers' taps, and whereas any measure
of successful society, low mortality rate, economic growth and diversity, productivity
and public safety are some way related to the access to safe water, and whereas
each citizen of our village is called upon to help protect our source waters from
pollution, to practice water conservation, and to get involved in local water issues
by getting to know their water. Now, therefore, be it resolved that the Village Council
of the Village of Ridgewood does hereby proclaim May 4th through May 10th, 2025,
as National Drinking Water Week. Thank you.
Thanks, Frank. Evan, will you take the Building Safety Award?
Absolutely, Paul. All right. So whereas our village's continuing efforts to address
the critical issues of safety, energy efficiency, water conservation and resilience in the built
environment that affect our citizens both in everyday life and in times of natural disaster,
give us confidence that our home buildings and infrastructures are safe and sound.
Whereas our confidence is achieved through the devotion of vigilant guardians, building
safety and fire prevention officials, architects, engineers, builders, tradespeople, laborers
and others in the construction industry who work year round to ensure the safe
construction of buildings.
And whereas these guardians, data-hanging members of the
International Code Council, use a governmental consensus
process that brings together local, state, and federal
officials with expertise in the built environments to create
and implement the highest quality codes to protect
Americans in the buildings where we live, learn, work,
worship, and play.
And whereas the international codes, the most widely adopted
building safety, energy, and fire prevention codes in the
nation are used by most U.S. cities, counties, and
states.
These modern building codes also include safeguards to protect the public from natural disasters such as hurricanes, snowstorms, tornadoes, wild land, fires, floods, and earthquakes.
And whereas the Building Safety Month is sponsored by the International Code Council to remind the public about the critical road our communities largely unknown guardians of public safety are local code officials who assure us of safe, efficient, and livable buildings.
And whereas Game On, the theme for Building Safety Month 2025, motivates people to get in the game and take part of learning more about and practicing building safety.
And whereas Building Safety Month 2025 strives to ensure that the place where we live, learn, work, worship and play are safe and sustainable.
And recognizes that countless lives have been saved through the implementation of safety codes by local and state agencies.
And whereas each year in observance of Building Safety Month, Americans are asked to consider projects to improve building safety and sustainability at home and in the community,
and to acknowledge the essential services provided to us all by local and state building departments,
fire prevention bureaus, and federal agencies in protecting lives and property.
Now therefore be resolved that the Village Council, the Village of Ridgewood,
does hereby proclaim May 2025 as Building Safety Month
and encourages all residents to join in participation in Building Safety Month activities.
Thanks, Evan.
Pam, will you take Older Americans Month?
Yes, I will.
Well, whereas the Village of Ridgewood includes a growing number of older Americans who contribute
their time, wisdom and experience to our community, and whereas the Village of Ridgewood benefits
when people of all ages, abilities and backgrounds have the opportunity to participate and live
independently, and whereas the Village of Ridgewood recognizes our need to create
a community that offers the services and supports older adults may need to make choices about
how they age. And whereas the 2025 theme is flip the script on aging, focuses on transforming
how society perceives, talks about, and approaches aging, it encourages individuals
and communities to change stereotypes and dispel misconceptions.
This year, join us in honoring older adults' contributions,
exploring the many opportunities for staying active and engaged as we age,
and highlighting the opportunities for purpose, exploration, and connection that come with aging.
And, whereas the Village of Ridgewood can promote the benefits of connecting with older Americans
by transforming how society perceives,
talks about, and approaches aging,
encouraging individuals and communities
to change stereotypes and dispel misconceptions,
honoring older adults' contributions to our society,
exploring the many opportunities
for staying active and engaged as they age,
highlighting the opportunities for purpose,
this exploration and connection that come with aging.
Now, therefore, be it resolved that the village council of the village of Ridgewood does hereby
proclaim May 2025 as Older Americans Month and calls upon residents to join in recognizing
the contributions of our older citizens and promoting programs and activities that
foster connection, inclusion, and support for older adults.
Thanks Pam.
Siobhan, mental health?
Sure.
Whereas mental health is essential to everyone's
overall health and well-being,
and whereas all Americans experience times of difficulty
and stress in their lives,
and whereas prevention is an effective way
to reduce the burden of mental health conditions,
and whereas there's a strong body of research
that supports specific tools that all Americans can use to better handle challenges and protect
their health and well-being and whereas mental health conditions are real and very prevalent
in our nation and whereas with effective treatment those individuals with mental health conditions
can recover and lead full productive lives and whereas each business, school, government
health care provider, organization, and citizen shares the burden of mental health problems
and has a responsibility to promote mental wellness and support prevention efforts.
And whereas the Village of Ridgid is a stigma-free community standing beside Ridgid residents
to break down barriers and encourage them to be mindful of their mental health
and to ask for help when needed.
Now, therefore, it be resolved that the Village Council of the Village of Ridgid
does hereby proclaim May 2025 as National Mental Health Awareness Month
and calls upon the citizens of the village of Ridgwick
to recommit our community to increasing awareness
and understanding of mental health. Educator citizens on the steps they can
take to protect their mental health and recognize the need for appropriate
and accessible services for all people with mental health conditions.
Thanks, Yvonne. And now we've got a bunch of really fun things to do
And we're going to begin by reading a proclamation to Health Barn, their staff, their leader.
So the entire council is going to go down into the well, and I ask that the entire entourage
from Health Barn join us there.
Yeah, all you guys.
Is this working?
Here we go.
Do we have everybody?
Okay, good.
So, for those of you who don't know, Stacy Yantine, she has dedicated her life to feeding
people, showing people how to eat healthy, and for the last 10 years, she has been in
Ridgewood doing this for our residents and for the surrounding communities.
She is also, in her spare time, if there is such a thing for her, engaged in lots
lots of wonderful community activities that benefit all the members of our community.
And I have the distinct honor of reading the proclamation in honor of Health Barn, Stacey,
and her wonderful, wonderful staff.
So whereas Stacey Antin, while earning her master's in food, nutrition, and dietetics
from NYU, became deeply concerned by the alarming statistics that suggested this would
be the first generation of children who might not outlive their parents due to unhealthy
lifestyles. In response, she founded Health Barn USA in
April 2005 on a local family farm creating scientifically-based healthy lifestyle curricula
for children and families. And whereas Health Barn's mission to empower families to lead
strong energetic lives through hands-on nutrition programming has reached over 50,000 families
and has been featured on major media platforms such as CNN, The Rachel Ray Show, PBS TV,
and over 500 news outlets, both locally and nationally.
Additionally, Stacey authored her first cookbook, Appetite for Life, Thumbs Up,
No Yuck's Guide to Getting Your Kid to be a Great Eater,
which includes over 100 family-friendly recipes.
And whereas in February 2015, Health Barn in collaboration with the Village of Ridgewood Parks and Recreation,
and with approval from New Jersey Green Acres and the Village Council of the Village of Ridgewood,
relocated to the gatehouse at the Irene Habernickle Family Park,
initially investing more than $60,000 to renovate the space and create a safe and
enjoyable environment for children and their families. Health Barn continues to
invest in the facility by gifting a patio awning, rear garden, and now a community
fruit and nut tree orchard open to the public. And whereas in 2015 Health Barn
established an organic vegetable garden to teach children and families how
grow their own food, cook with the produce they harvest, and learn why this way of living
is best for their bodies and minds.
The garden continues to thrive and has been recognized as a certified school
Local yard habitat by the National Wildlife Federation.
And whereas in February 2016, Health Barn began the Healing Meals Program funded by the Health
Barn Foundation, this nutrition-based food-gifting program has provided over 25,000 meals, soups
and snacks to families with children battling cancer, senior residents in Ridgecrest, social
services of Ridgewood, the Franciscan Community Development Center and more. To date, healing
meals has logged over 5,500 volunteer hours. This is long because she's done so much work.
It's amazing. Whereas during the pandemic, the Health Barn Foundation supported Ridgewood's
feed the front lines and helping those in need, purchasing meals from local restaurants
to feed frontline workers at Valley Hospital,
Ridgewood Fire and Police Departments,
and other essential staff.
This initiative was so successful
that Health Bar and Secured a $4.7 million grant
from the New Jersey Economic Development Authority
to further support the community
through the purchase of Ridgewood restaurant meals
for individuals in need in Bergen County,
which helped to keep Ridgewood Central Business District
open for business during this difficult time.
Between 2021 and 2023, more than 500 volunteers helped deliver these meals.
The Feed the Frontlines team was honored with the Jefferson Award on September 20, 2020,
and was invited to ring the closing bell at NASDAQ on January 6, 2023.
And whereas Health Barn continues to support the Ridgwood community through partnerships with Ridgwood Parks and Recreation,
including award-winning seasonal programs such as the Ridgewood Elder Thanksgiving
Dinner, the Daffodil Festival, Earth Day Activities, Scout Groups, Somerville
Dad's Night, Jamboree, and the Ridgewood Education Foundation among others. Now
therefore be it resolved by the Village Council of the Village of Ridgewood
does hereby proclaim May 9th, 2025,
as Stacey Antien and Health Barn USA Day
in the village of Ridgewood
in recognition of Health Barn USA's 10th anniversary
in the village of Ridgewood
and the significant contributions
that Stacey Antien and Health Barn
have made to the health and wellbeing of our community.
Honoring their commitment to nutrition, education,
community service and local sustainability let's give Stacey and her
crew a giant round of applause I
say it all the time many hands make light work
and these hands right next to us are absolutely incredible Stacey will you
please say a few words I I'm usually never speechless I just think that I'm
so grateful to Ridgewood and the Ridgewood Village Council to all to
I look out to the sea of familiar faces and the relationships we've developed and we love
health.
We love the village, we love the gate house, we consider the gate house at Habernickle
our home and we hope it's another 10 years and we're just so grateful to support that
we get the endless support.
So thank you so much.
We are so fortunate to have you in our community.
On behalf of the village council, I give you this proclamation.
Did we get pictures yet? Are we good?
Okay, let's move in tight.
Don't go anyplace.
And so, I would now like to call up
Police Officer Doug Boucher
and
Chief Forrest Lyons
and Doug's family, please.
Doug's growing family.
Who is this?
Can you say hi?
Officer Boucher is being sworn in as a sergeant.
If you'll repeat after me.
I, Douglas Boucher.
Do solemnly swear.
That I will support the Constitution of the United States.
And the Constitution of the State of New Jersey.
And that I will faithfully.
And that I will faithfully, impartially, and justly perform all of the duties of the office
of police sergeant, according to the best of my ability, so help me God.
Congratulations.
Nobody ever waves at us. Did you notice that, Pam?
And now I'd like to call up Officer Joseph Di Benedetto,
who is also being sworn in as a sergeant tonight.
It's the chief's first time he hasn't done this.
Repeat after me. I, Joseph Di Benedetto.
I, Joseph Di Benedetto.
Do solemnly swear
That I will support the Constitution of the United States
And the Constitution of the State of New Jersey
And that I will faithfully
Impartially
And justly perform all of the duties
Of the office of police sergeant
according to the best of my ability so help me God so help me God
congratulations by
the way you can see from the appearance of many people
dressed in blue that this is the safest room in New Jersey right now and it is
because because many of our police officers are being honored tonight for
their service in protecting this community, this community that has been rated by various
agencies as the fifth safest community in the country.
It's because of these guys,
and we're going to call them up first.
There are two who participated in a traffic stop that prevented a very serious crime
and then a whole bunch of guys who worked together to break up something that was very dangerous for our community.
So I'm going to call up patrolman William Malone and patrolman Isaiah Walters.
And I'm going to turn this over to Chief Lyons.
So I'm honored to issue these awards for Honorable Service in recognition of outstanding police work
during a routine traffic stop which led to discovery and removal of two illegal handguns,
high capacity magazines and hollow point ammunition.
This officers, these officers, quick thinking,
sound tactics, and commitment to public safety
resulted in the identification of a known
one percenter pagan gang member
and the prevention of potential violence.
I am extremely honored to award this
to police officer Isiah Walters
and police officer Malone.
And we have more.
I am now calling up Detective Captain William Amaruso,
Lieutenant John Chuck, Sergeant John Ward, Sergeant Douglas Bichet, Petroman Peter Youngberg,
Detective Christopher Mormino, Detective Keith Killian, and Detective Kyle Montan.
Will you all please join us up here?
I got pushed all the way up.
So this was a particularly fantastic piece of investigative excellence displayed by all of these officers.
This was a long-going case that resulted in search warrants and just fantastic work
that prevented something that could have been less than good for our community.
So let me read aloud here.
So all of these officers are being presented with a certification of merit, a unit citation,
awarded to the Combined Patrol Investigative Task Force for outstanding performance during
a targeted enforcement operation.
The operation led to the arrest of a suspect involved in Syria's first and
second-degree crimes, a weapon was recovered, and additional evidence was uncovered indicating
possible involvements in crimes against children.
This exemplary collaboration reflects the highest standards of law enforcement and a strong commitment
to public safety.
I could not be more proud to represent this agency and these fine officers.
Let's give them a big round of applause.
Gentlemen, we cannot thank you enough for protecting our community 24 hours a day,
seven days a week, 365 days a year. Thank you again so much. Let's give them a big round of applause.
Well, that's about as nice as it can get.
And so, we'll wait a minute.
And so, let's get on with our meeting.
We'll go to public comments.
Can you hear me?
We can. You need to speak right into the mic.
My name is Jim Bossler. I live at 821 Newcomb Road.
And just so you know, and for all anyone coming up,
we just need to know if you're a Ridgewood resident or not.
Yeah, I moved to Ridgewood in 1983
and have been at the same place ever since.
I also currently am the chairman of the open space committee.
Jim, hold on just a second.
No, no, we're not going to close it. It's just going to mention it to them.
Okay. It's on.
I'm currently the open space chairman.
I came here to speak in favor of the bond
or the budget ordinance and in particular the bond ordinance for the
Jim, could you speak a little closer into the mic? We just want to hear you. I came
here to in support of the bond ordinance for the parks and open space.
Why I came
here is basically if you think about it how much the parks and the rec
really relate to the Ridgewood community. We do a series of park
Walks, and it's been a very successful program for the last year where we took a group of
individuals and anybody on the committee took them through the different parks that we have
and it took them and showed them the history, the services that they provide from the parks
and what types of parks we have both active and passive.
The program was so successful that we are again going to repeat it this year and
And we intend to announce the schedule for those park walks within the next week or two.
But anyways, again, I support this budget wholeheartedly and I think the Open Space Committee does
as well.
So thank you.
Thank you, Jim.
Good evening, Council Members.
My name is John Prieto.
I am the Ridgewood resident for 29 years.
and I am currently the Chair of the Citizens Safety Advisory Committee.
I am here tonight. I am on behalf of the committee.
I wanted to express our appreciation to the Village Council on the Bond Ordinance
for additional pedestrian-activated crosswalk lights.
Also, we wanted to express our appreciation for the support
of village officials for all their efforts to enhance safety of the public.
Thank you.
Thank you, John.
Hi, I'm Janice Furman, a Ridgwood resident for a very long time.
I'd like to thank this council for being so supportive of the library.
The line item for the library will enable us to renovate the bathrooms to be ADA compliant
and other much needed upgrades.
Our library does so much with so little. We have the most amazing staff that go above and beyond every single day.
The library is more than books. It is a true community center.
There are programs every single day from toddlers to seniors.
We're living in some very uncertain times and I feel very confident that this council will be able to guide us through any annual challenges that we may face.
Thank you, Janice. And I want to take a moment to thank all three of you for serving on our committees because we need all the volunteers in our village who so steadfastly and for so many years work toward the betterment of our town for the 26,000 residents.
I'll be very, very brief.
I felt so good to see what has happened at the meeting today,
the awards that went to the police officers.
And the three words I have for you are,
yes, regid works.
Thanks to the five of you and to Keith.
Let me repeat myself.
Yes, regid works.
You should be very proud of you and you have the appreciation of this somewhat senior citizen,
if you will.
Thank you very much.
Thank you, Rourke.
I am Brendan Corkin, Captain Ridgewood Fire Department, and father of fifth-generation
Ridgewood residents.
I'm here in support of the Fire Department budget, as Chief Judge introduced.
I came just to highlight a few select line items as somebody was in charge of safety and operations.
I found it particularly important.
In this budget, we're requesting $350,000 to add to the sinking fund for a new fire engine.
Our backup engine, Engine 3.3, is a 2003 pumper.
It's already passed its 20-year mark.
Engines are generally considered first line for 15 years and a backup for five years and they should be replaced.
We've already had some operational difficulties with that engine and it needs to be replaced.
We're looking at a two to three year delivery if we ordered the engine today.
And what used to cost $4,000 for an engine is now $1.1 to $1.3 million.
Excuse me. $1.1 to $1.3 million.
dollars and that goes up every year, so I think we need to stay on top of that.
Secondly, $110,000 to replace the frontline command vehicle for the officer in charge.
The lifespan on these are typically five to six years.
We're already at seven years.
Even if we order that today, we will not receive it to the end of 2026.
And as we know, prices are also going up on that.
$20,000 for firefighter gear.
year. The NFPA, the National Fire Protection Association, requires that Firefighter Giga
be replaced every 10 years. We have several people elapsing that. We've been replacing
that as we go. They are now a full set of helmet, glove coats, pants, hood, and boots
is now over $4,000. The vast majority of the purchases we've made over the years on
this has been subsidized by grants, so there's just a small portion of it. And
That extra money is to take us over the top to get everybody up to code for safety.
Lastly, the signal department requested $200,000 to replace the two of the HVA systems at Fire Headquarters.
Two of these systems are original to the building in 1987.
One is already broken. It is not currently working.
They have to see if it's even repairable.
And the second one is probably on its last legs being the same age.
I had a meeting last week with the chief and the single department.
We are coordinating with PEC and G. There are some grant programs where they install systems
and be able to subsidize some of the costs.
We are looking at that so hopefully we can come it down, but the systems are dysfunctional
and need to be replaced.
Thank you, Captain Corcoran.
On behalf of the council, I want to thank you and the generations of Corcorans who
have served and protected the residents of this village.
Thank you so much.
Cynthia O'Keefe, Ridgewood resident.
I think there are so many things in our community
that we can really be proud of.
Tonight was a shining example that our police
and in my opinion fire and people who serve and give
of themselves, it's an amazing contribution
to our community.
But while we, you know, give all these proclamations like you did tonight, I wonder what's really
going on because it seems very hypocritical to me.
They sound great on paper, just like a resume might sound, you know, the person might look
like a superstar, but maybe when you dig a little deeper you realize that there's
something underneath those layers.
What I mean by that is, so you had the Arbor Day tree planting for the month of April,
and that we're a tree city, USA, but yet with the Shedler plan, you're planning to cut down those trees.
You will pull them all out of the ground.
Our neighborhood, we depend on that green barrier, the green canopy that separates us from Route 17.
You know that.
We've said that many times.
Many neighbors have shown up here, and yet you march forward, and this is still your proposed plan.
Clean water is also a theme for Earth Day, which is April 27th.
You know, you read a proclamation tonight about National Drinking Water Week.
This is the height of hypocrisy. You know there are private wells that are on that property line at Shedler,
and yet you're talking about putting artificial turf on that property that has PFAS in it.
And Ridgewood Water is currently engaged in a multi-million dollar lawsuit about PFAS.
You can't have it both ways.
So, you know, I'd like for some smart thinking, we talk about safety and security.
What about our safety?
What about the neighbors?
You look at all of us in our faces and you call us your friends.
But are we?
It's very hypocritical to me. I don't understand it.
You went on and on about frustrated as an understatement, said village manager Keith Kazmark about the federal funds being taken away from Ridgewood,
because I believe it was, you won an award, Mayor's Wellness Campaign, Healthy Town 2024.
This is the giant fuchsia elephant in the room if you are planning on doing terrible things to the Shedler property.
We have asked you time and time again to take neighborhood considerations and really dig deep.
Use your moral compass. I haven't seen one change and you will march forward
and you will remove the contaminated soil as quickly as you can, I am sure, right?
And then, post steam ahead without any consideration to what that neighborhood has asked you for.
It's shocking to me that you can sit here and read these proclamations.
It's very hypocritical that you're talking about clean water,
and you know what you're doing to that neighborhood.
I'm sorry, I don't agree with any of your, you know, your plans to march forward with that property.
And Chabon, you know, so disappointed, the Fields Committee,
you've got two cases full of artificial turf, it's just a slap in the face.
I really think the community needs to get smart about being Green Ridgewood.
Are we walking the talk? I don't think so. Thank you.
Thank you, Cynthia.
Good evening. Bob Furman, a Ridgewood resident, 35 years plus.
I will not commit to those extra years.
As a former longtime member of the Citizen Safety Advisory Committee,
I'm here to support the bond ordinance,
which includes a continued commitment to the safety in the village, the street paving, the bump-outs, the sidewalk additions.
All of these things are just wonderful things.
And these programs with village safety involved, this council has done an excellent job in 2024,
and I just encourage you to continue going forward in that direction in 2025.
Thank you.
Thank you, Bob.
Anyone else from the audience?
Seeing none, we'll go to our
residents on hybrid access. Jen Williams, you're up.
You there, Jen?
We're
working on it.
We should be good. Are you there, Jen?
And yet somehow we are not.
Hang on, we're working this out.
We need to play the Jeopardy music or something.
Jen, let's give that another try.
Try again?
Jen?
Jen, you there?
Okay, we have a workaround that we did last week and we're going to try it again.
Hang on one second.
Jen, grab your cell phone.
Paul, do you have everybody's phone number in there?
No, I didn't.
How does that work?
It's like a Ridgid Director.
It's an NSA thing.
I got you.
Hi, Jen.
Okay.
We are all set.
Okay.
I'm getting a little echo, so I'm sorry if I'm distracted.
I wanted to...
So I'm Jen Williams.
I am a resident of Ridgewood for eight years now, or seven, I guess.
And I just wanted to thank the council for their good work,
and specifically building on what you heard from Parks and Rec
in the library, especially today.
on when it comes to this idea of community
and being compliant and making space for everyone
to be able to enjoy.
You know, we're part of a group at Ridge
that is very interested in making our playground
more accessible as a result of having
an indoor accessible space there
that students can use and celebrate
and then we'd like that to be replicated outdoors.
And I'm so, so encouraged by what you're doing
is having an echo and being thoughtful
about having an accessible space there as the play space for the kids. I just think that
that's wonderful. And my hope for the town is that we continue to do that, that all parks,
all schools include something like that, but just really gratitude for the consideration
that you guys are giving.
Great. Thank you so much, Jen.
Go to the next guy.
Yep.
All right.
Got him.
I said I want to protest it.
You did.
But you were the prototype on this last week, so you know how this drill goes.
So go ahead.
Thank you.
Denise Lima.
Do you hear or not go?
Are you okay?
We hear a little bit.
I think we'll be fine.
Okay.
Denise Lima.
Ridgewood resident for 15 years.
Thank you for all the awards to the police.
Unbelievable gratitude.
And then protecting the residents fire department.
That was a great moment earlier today.
A few items, I heard several of the minutes being approved, but there's about 20 that
are still missing, so maybe there's about 15 missing still from the website.
So I think there's, if someone can just let me know when those are going to get up there.
I also don't see on the Village website the budget, the intro to the budget for 2025.
25 usually there's a resident friendly version for people to see from a transparency perspective
and I looked under finance, news, projects, a Bruni site and I don't see anything there.
So how best to get a hold of that so the residents can see what's kind of going on.
I would echo a little bit of what was mentioned earlier about the proclamation about national
drinking water, when in fact the quarterly report that came out from Ridgewood Water clearly
states and I'm just reading from the notification that in the first quarter of 2025, we exceed
it, Ridgewood exceed it, both the PFOA and the PFAS from the state. And that's going
on almost 10 years now consecutively. It's not just a one-time thing. So I don't
understand how in our good conscience we can have a proclamation about national drinking water.
So I don't know if that's hypocritical. I don't, I don't, effectively I just don't know how we
we can stand up and say that.
And I see in tonight's agenda there's a grant from a 527
on the train trestle. That's great. But I think there's some residents' costs
We're matching an explanation that when you get to that section would be great so we understand how much we're going to be paying out of that.
I also saw on the agenda, I believe at 535 each region would have an opportunity for us to actually buy the easement or I'm not sure exactly what we're doing with that easement.
But that's the right of way that's near the flooding.
So, if we acquire that land, what are the impacts to the cost that the New Jersey Army
Corp. and Engineering would be paying on future maintenance and grants related to flooding
if we now take on that section of the easement?
And so, I don't know if anybody's kind of thought about that.
And I don't know if there's a follow-up on fleet.
Keith, I think we said there would be maybe a presentation on our fleet management,
But in today's agenda, we're spending another $60,000 for trucks for the parks, another
$523,000 for two trucks for sanitation, I saw a $2 million number for more trucks.
So I just, I think we need to, I like a follow-up on when that presentation might
be.
Thank you.
Thank you, Denise.
And I am being told that we should be all set with our technologies.
So Jeannie Johnson, you are up.
You're on mute.
There we go.
Hi.
Good evening, everybody.
I'm Jeannie Johnson, 325, Massed in Place.
I've lived there for almost 22 years.
And first of all, I'd like to express my sincere, like everybody else, my sincere
appreciation for the proposed pedestrian safety upgrades included in the bond ordinance.
It was about 20 years ago, I was the grant writer for the first round of that equipment
like flashers and speed radar signs.
And I've witnessed firsthand how effective those measures were in promoting driver awareness
and enhancing pedestrian safety throughout the village, particularly in front of BF
and Trevelle and in front of Ridge School.
So it's encouraging to see that Ridgewood
is continuing to prioritize all of those critical
improvements, and I am especially impressed
with the proposed renovation of the pedestrian tunnel.
Excuse me, the plans to repair the facade
and upgrade the ventilation and lighting,
install security cameras, and hopefully add
welcoming artwork are all really thoughtful and strategic steps that will make the tunnel
a lot safer and much more inviting. And it'll be a great connection between the East and
West Village. Excuse me, this tunnel has the potential really to become more than just
a passageway. It's going to be a bright, artful and secure, mostly secure part
part of our community and infrastructure.
So by encouraging more schoolchildren families and shoppers to use the tunnel, we're going
to make it easier for more – excuse me – we're going to make it more appealing
to travel between the east and west sides.
So this is going to increase a lot of foot traffic and it'll support small businesses
in the central business district, ultimately boosting the entire economy – our local
economy.
So it's not just a safety initiative, it's also an economic and community building one.
So investing in these enhancements is truly an investment in our future, which is a future
where Ridgewood remains a walkable, vibrant and welcoming place to live, work and play.
And finally, I want to thank all of you council members and the countless number
of volunteers and the village manager for your vision, your leadership, and your continued
commitment to making Ridgewood the best it can be.
I really do look forward to seeing these proposals in the bond ordinance become a reality and
to, again, watching Ridgewood continue to thrive.
And, of course, I'm pleased as punch that funds are being set aside for more park
walks because they are a treasure.
And I'd also like to acknowledge our police officers and firefighters for their good work as well.
And I finally just want to say we are so lucky to live in such a beautiful community.
So thanks to all for making it so amen.
Thank you, Jeannie, and thank you for all the good work that you do for our community.
Next up, Jamie Davis.
Good evening. How's everybody? Jamie Davis.
Mr. Ridgwood was president for, now I have to do math,
10 plus years I think, just wanted to thank the council
for the financial support for the playground
at Habernickle, I also should mention I'm the chair
of Access Ridgwood, and I just wanted to say
the mission of Access is voices at the village
of Ridgwood is committed to providing its residents
and visitors with a community that is always welcoming,
becoming always inclusive and always accessible.
To that end, we take great care to help those with special needs get the attention, services
and programs that they need, want and deserve.
And I think it's just important to thank you for putting in your money where your mouth
is because I think the initiative of the accessible playground at Habernickle is
doing just that.
You know, at a recent access meeting, we had Katie Frye and the contractor working
on the playground come, and it was incredible to hear all the thought that's going into
that playground, and we really enjoyed that because it really is so important to have these
accessible and inclusive play spaces for not just the children who will use them, but
for their families who would otherwise miss out, and also important for all the other
children who may not need those accommodations to play with their neighbors and friends
with disabilities and special needs. So I really praise the village for doing that and look
forward to seeing that playground through and of course having access be involved in partnering
with the village on additional playgrounds that might come to fruition. So thank you
and voicing my support for all that happened in the village but with this call in particular
the playground which is so important and it's going to benefit so many people. So thank you.
Thank you, Jamie, and as I said before, for other members of our community serving on our committees, we thank you so much for shining a light on our special needs, members of our community, and working on the Access Committee.
Anyone else?
Seeing no one, I'm going to close public comment, and we will go to our manager's report.
Mayor, before I move to the next...
Excuse me, yes, we...
Sorry.
Forgive me, getting ahead of myself.
Does anybody want to comment on any of the questions or issues raised at public comment tonight?
I just have a few points of clarification if I may.
Thank you.
First, I want to echo the Mayor's statements to all of the volunteers who came out tonight
who spoke on hybrid about this budget and about our capital bond ordinance that's set to be adopted tonight.
I too want to thank you.
As I say often, the engagement in the village of Ridgewood when it comes to volunteers and
people who step up to lead in this community, I've been a few other places and it is second
to none here in the village.
So I just want to commend you for that.
I do want to just make a few remarks regarding Ms. O'Keefe's comments.
First of all, Cynthia, I just want to clarify, you know, the Shade Tree Commission has
has invested and advocated or asked this council to invest through their advocacy to plant hundreds
and hundreds of trees in this village. I don't think there's another community in North Jersey
that makes the type of investment in the planting and irrigation of trees anywhere around here.
So to use the word hypocritical, I think it's a little strong. While I can respect
respect your position and I always have on the development of the Shedler site. I also
think it's a little strong to say that it's a terrible thing to develop a park for children
and families to play in here in the village. So with respect and well again I don't appreciate
being scoffed at but especially when I led the comment with all due respect. As Councilman
Councilman Whites has said from this day as many, many times, you know, we, excuse me.
As Councilman Whites has said from this day as many times, you know, just because there's
a disagreement amongst what should happen with this property, it should never become personal,
it should never become combative, and it should never become mean.
But at the end of the day, you know, the, the...
Investment that I've been directed to guide here, and you'll see it in the budget presentation
tonight, is to develop a park on that property. A park. Not a strip mall, not a gas station,
not a billboard, but a park. So again, I just think it's strong language to say that that's
a terrible thing. In addition to that, you talked about PFAS. I just want to remind
the public, and I think it's worth repeating, you know, Rich Calby and I have reached
out to you and reached out to your neighbors on at least two occasions. I know we had a
meeting on this as well. And there always is that invitation, which I like to reiterate,
for you and your neighbors to talk to us about hooking up to Ridgewood Water. I think
there are ways that we can work together to accomplish that goal. And if you and
your neighbors, you know, abandoned your wells and signed up to Ridgewood Water,
At the end of 2026, we are going to be providing PFOS free water, undetectable levels due to the $150 million investment that this community is making to deliver PFOS free water throughout the Bridgewood Water Service Area.
And I just think it's important to say to Denise, one, the budget will not be posted until tomorrow.
We can't post the budget until the council has introduced it, so that action will most likely happen tonight.
And then Bob Bruni and his team in the finance department will post the budget for all to review.
I too want to say to Denise with regard to the PFAS investment, I don't think the word hypocritical is appropriate.
Prior council allocated $150 million to invest in these PFAS treatment facilities.
That is the reason that this village and Ridgewood Water was presented with an award from the
New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection.
It's one of the reasons that we celebrate by the proclamation tonight this investment.
And you're right, you are going to get six or seven additional quarterly notices that
the DEP requires.
But keep in mind that it is a consent order with the DEP that requires us to build
out these treatment facilities.
And that process will be done in 2026, and you will no longer receive those quarterly notices
because the water we deliver to the customers of Ridgewood Water will be PFOS-free.
In addition to the easement that you discussed, that too is to build out one of our PFOS facilities.
Certainly, if you have questions about that, feel free to email Rich Calvi.
I'm sure he'll be happy to fill you in on the necessity for that easement.
New Jersey Transit. We talked last week, we met out there, we were in the process of working with them to try to get them to clean up underneath the train trestle at Franklin Avenue.
The mayor is actually going to author a letter to New Jersey Transit making that request with a scope of work that's being prepared by the Village Engineering Department as we speak.
And lastly, we are going to do a fleet management presentation to the council. I asked Rich after the last council meeting to start to prepare for that.
But I will tell you that the vehicles, if you listen to the work session,
the vehicles that are being proposed to be purchased by the various divisions
throughout the village, those are replacement vehicles,
and large part replacement vehicles.
Just like your car, eventually you have to replace it,
we have to replace the fleet,
and we've gotten to a very successful, in my opinion,
turnover schedule when it comes to police vehicles.
And one thing you'll see in the budget tonight,
There's no capital request for police cars. That's something that I asked the chief to work with me on when I first arrived here
We're now budgeting for all of our police vehicles through lease agreements rather than spending capital
To fulfill the police fleet and we'll continue to do that moving forward. That's all I have there
Sure, I'll be somewhat quick and I'm sorry to be somewhat repetitive, but you beat me to an actually wrote some stuff down before you spoke
So I, too, want to thank all the wonderful volunteers and police and fire that were here tonight.
You can't thank them enough, so I'm not going to stop thanking them, but I appreciate everyone coming tonight.
But I do think, respectfully, Cynthia, you know, terrible things was a bit of an overt statement.
To be clear, especially for folks that may not be familiar with the issue that we're doing tonight,
over 15 years ago, the Village of Ridgewood stopped that property from being developed
and it was likely to be a strip ball on Route 17.
We heard the neighbors, or our predecessors heard the neighbors,
did the right thing and stopped that property from being developed into commercial property along Route 17
so that our neighbors on that side of town would not have to look at the back of a dumpster or the back of a 7-11.
When the property was purchased, it was for the express use of the entire village
and to build a full-size baseball diamond there.
And to be clear, there was a plan that was read upon by some of the neighbors in 2017
that called for a medium-sized turf field.
And what we're advocating for is a regulation-sized turf field.
These are not terrible things. These are disagreements between good faith neighbors.
So I do think it's a little bit of an overstatement, Cynthia, to say that these are terrible things.
I just don't think that's fair. And especially for folks who are watching for the first time, it's just, you know, it's just, again, it's just not fair and not actually correct.
I'd also point out, in regards to some of the other statements, we are voting, I think, it's several hundred thousand dollars worth of funding tonight for trees
to be planted throughout the village.
We are allocating $1.5 million to soil remediation
to fix a problem that all of us inherited.
None of us were here when that problem occurred,
but we will be here when it is fixed.
And that will be fixed very soon
because of the support by Keith,
the support by all the village council members
to make sure that that property is remediated
regardless of your opinion
of whether there should be a full-size field
or a medium-size field on that property.
So again, I always appreciate everybody's involvement, but I do think that we should be a little
more careful with how we describe our opponents' positions.
And again, just want to thank everyone who did show up tonight, either in support or not,
in support of the council, because all of you matter.
So I'm going to start with Denise.
The easement to answer your question will have no impact on flooding because it's underground.
So it's not like an infrastructure, and we did ask those questions,
and we're not concerned on any effect for future flooding.
That's one.
I, too, want to thank all the volunteers who showed up
and advocated for their line-endives in the budget.
Police and fire, thank you for being here
and away from your families.
I personally don't take things very personal
about a project that's gone on for 15 years.
What I do take personally and I want to remind the community
is I am the shade tree liaison.
Liaison to seven neighbors and one high school junior
who, since I've taken my seat, have advocated for trees, advocated for alternate sources of
funding.
Let's talk about that.
Deputy Mayor Perron and I have donated considerable amounts from our stipend to trees.
We're looking for alternate sources of revenue.
We're looking for you to plant trees on your own property with your own money.
I am not shade tree, but sadly, seven neighbors are and one high school junior.
I just want to remind them that this year in the budget, there's 200 street trees.
We are inspiring the Willard area to adopt 100 saplings.
If you wish to come and say hi to us in a non-hippical way,
we will be giving out 300 beautiful whips of red buds and dogwoods.
So I want to thank Shaitree for all their advocacy.
I know that, you know, because of their mind,
they have been very intimate with this council
and advocated very hard for that.
Additionally, with respect to trees,
is the Norway Maple is in Chedler.
Over 100 of those trees are Norway Maple.
We just highlighted them in our protective tree ordinance.
The trees were always going to come down.
The property was purchased.
The tree removal was highlighted.
This is not new.
This is 2009.
And when we talk about not listening to the neighbors,
I want to be clear.
The neighbors have asked for a house.
It's $2.6 million house is there.
Nobody wants the house now.
the house has no shepherd so all the neighbors asked for the house we can't
get anybody to partner with us on the house as for parking the plan has parking
as for a playground it has has a playground as to have the gardens
removed we remove the gardens the only thing with Shedler that is really
debated over and over again is turf and the size and we voted on it and
with respect to the statement of a suitcase of turf as many of you know
Pam and I have met with multiple vendors to explore eco-friendly turf, which is a good thing.
If we're going to do turf, which this council is wedded to through a vote,
we're trying to find the most eco-responsible turf.
We've also offered to share that information at the Fields Committee.
So the Board of Ed is having discussions about potentially turfing other areas,
and I said I happen to have a suitcase full of the turf samples that Deputy Mayor and I provided.
So when those things are said, I don't want people thinking I literally am carrying a suitcase
around, but I literally have a suitcase that I offered to the Board of Ed because they
are our friends and they are our partners.
Again, I don't take things personally, but I think at this point, I think the whole
entire community could say the 99.9% of the argument in Shedler is turf versus grass
and small-sided versus varsity.
If we could focus on that, that'd be great.
And if we could focus on the other areas that anybody else wants, we're developing this park now.
So that's it.
I do think it's ironic that we are spending $150 million to clean PFAS out of our water system.
And then we are putting a plastic carpet over an area that should be parkland.
And that plastic degrades, ends up in our water system.
By the way, the New Jersey League of Municipalities had an article in its magazine this week about plastic in our bodies.
And we have about a plastic spoon's worth in our brains. This is what the League of Municipalities is telling us.
So, and as I read that 2017 report, it didn't mandate artificial turf.
It talked to the potential of artificial turf.
Potential means maybe to me, but I realized that other people disagree with me.
As to the easement on that property, it is necessary for the PFAS project to be completed.
Keith mentioned the consent agreement with the DEP.
We do need that property and it's not for the purpose of acquisition.
It's for the purpose of use.
We wouldn't be buying the property.
We would be establishing an easement, which is use,
and this is an underground use.
So once the pipes would be installed,
we would cover it back over and send it back to the surface use
that the owner now is counting on for parking space.
That's all I have.
I just want to thank all the people that spoke in public comment, as Keith said, it's just
so invigorating to see so much volunteerism in our village and that people who run the
different committees that showed up to passion because they're fighting for what they believe
in, for their committees, it's just great and I'm just really proud to serve such
a wonderful community.
So thanks to all that showed up today.
Thanks everybody, all good?
Let's get to it, Keith.
Thank you, Mayor. First, I want to extend my congratulations to Sergeant Boucher and
Sergeant DiBettadetto. I had the privilege to interview both of them on their promotions.
Both were incredibly impressive, very dedicated and committed to the police work that is done
here in the village of Ridgewood, and I just want to again congratulate them and
thank the Chief for a strong recommendation on both candidates. This week, I had the
opportunity to attend the Ridgewood Japanese Association luncheon and then
today the Friends of the Library luncheon. I just want to thank both groups for the
invitation. They were both tremendous experiences bringing the community
together and I will tell you one thing the library can fill a room in Ridgewood
New Jersey so congratulations to all of them. I want to congratulate Director
Begos from our Parks and Recreation Division. We learned earlier this week
that the Parks, the recreation department has been granted a $70,000 local recreation improvement grant from the Department of Community Affairs with the state of New Jersey for upgrades to the Graden skate park.
So Nancy, I want to thank you and your team over at REC and Carol Balkowski who handles the grant management in my office for their work in this space and we look forward to improvements to the skate park very soon.
I also want to address that over the weekend, there were a number of rumors out there about
a potential school shooting at Ridgewood High School.
As it turns out, thankfully, those rumors were unsubstantiated.
But I do want to thank Chief Lyons and the men and women of the Ridgewood Police Department,
especially our detective bureau, who worked through the weekend to investigate those
accusations.
And I equally want to thank the leadership at the Ridgewood Public School, Dr. Schwartz
and his team who worked very closely with the Ridgewood Police Department to get good
information out to the community, especially to the families at Ridgewood High School.
So Chief, thank you for your work on that.
And finally, I just want to mention that we are still working through the proposed
cuts from the federal government relative to the health department.
Since I spoke on this issue last week, there has been an injunction filed and
And there is a pause on those cuts from a federal judge.
So Dawn in our health department and I are working on this daily and we are going to
do everything we can to advocate to keep our two full-time employees who do our public
health outreach here and to continue to provide those programs that we discussed last week.
Just a few announcements.
Online registration for grade and pool and the tennis pickleball badges begin
on April 1st.
You can register through community pass.
If you'd like to do so in person, you can do so Monday through Friday at the stable from 8.30 to 4.30.
A reminder, the two-day per week irrigation rules are in effect.
Odd numbered addresses for irrigation are Tuesday and Saturday,
and even numbered addresses for irrigation are Wednesday and Sunday.
No irrigation is permitted on Monday, Thursday, or Friday.
Yardway season started on Monday, April 7th.
Please check the village calendar for your area for pickup.
Village Hall will be closed on Friday, April 18th in observance of Good Friday.
There will be no garbage or recycling pickup on that day, and the recycling center will be closed as well.
The Ridgewood Chamber of Commerce presents Easter in the park at Venice Square on Saturday, April 19th from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m.
For more information, you can contact the chamber.
The RBSA Opening Day Parade will take place on Saturday, April 26th.
The parade will begin at 9 a.m. at the Ridgewood train station.
Continue down East Ridgewood Avenue to Maple Avenue and we'll end out back at Veterans Field.
The 2024 Daffodil Festival and Earth Day Fair will take place on Sunday, April 27th at Venice Square from 11 a.m. to 2.30 p.m.
And finally, Village Council upcoming meetings, April 23rd is a work session, May 7th is a work session,
May 14th is our next public meeting, and May 28th will be a work session all begin at 7.30 p.m.
And that concludes my report there.
Thanks Keith, let's go to council reports.
Frank?
No council reports here, sir.
Okay, Siobhan.
Sure, I just wanted to say thank you to everybody
who had the luxury of attending Saturday at Health Barn
where the 10 trees were dedicated.
I know we were all there.
So happy anniversary to Stacy and all the 10 years
in Ridgewood.
It's a 20 year anniversary.
I too want to, because Lori is here,
say what a lovely event, the Bridget Public Library, lovely and successful. It was wonderful
to see the author luncheon and see so many people who love books and love our library
supporting it. If you've never been, I strongly suggest you follow it next year and attend.
It's awesome and it's a fun, fantastic way to connect with your community and support
our library. I also want to remind the general community that we are running an
an effort with the high school to sell street signs.
So, well, clearly stealing a street sign is unlawful
and we don't like it.
My first year on the council, hundreds of them went missing.
So this year we have partnered with Project Graduation.
We've created a unique identifier
and we are proactively selling the street signs.
It's a great gift for graduate and our alum.
If you want to do it, it also looks great in your home.
And I want to thank Amy Beardstor
from the project graduation team for running that.
I want to thank the signal division and the police
for partnering on this idea.
It's a great way.
It's a wonderful gift.
So I strongly encourage everybody to do that.
And because we won't meet next week,
I want to wish everybody who is celebrating a happy Passover.
And then the following weekend, a happy Easter.
I hope you're all able to enjoy whatever holiday
you're celebrating with your families.
And happy spring.
Thanks, Your Honor.
I just want to be clear.
When you say we're selling street signs,
we're not taking them off the road, right?
You know, you can look in line.
No, no, no, no.
They're uniquely identified,
so we know you didn't take them off the pole.
And it's through project graduation.
But if you want to, if you have a hometown street,
if you want to decorate a basement,
they're great and they're beautiful and it's wonderful.
And as Evan will remember this,
our first chair in the council,
literally a hundred street signs were missing
from up by the view.
And my mother was driving around
and she's like, oh, it's up with the street signs.
So hopefully no one would steal it
because that is a crime.
I'm going to take it seriously.
But if you want to have a fun gift
and a memory of a street you grew up on
or you currently live on,
it's a wonderful way to do that.
Thanks, Siobhan.
Evan.
No, I don't, I don't just have time to have anything,
but it was a good idea, Siobhan.
Good Pesach and happy Easter.
Pam.
Speaking of street signs,
one of the things that I've always loved about Ridgewood
is that we have signs for the street you're on
and the cross street that you're passing.
other towns don't do that. So I never know what street am I on. Okay, that's the
cross street, but what street am I on? And I really appreciate that about Ridgewood.
The 20th anniversary for Health Barn was just a charming event. There were so
many people who I never met before who also love Stacy and Health Barn, and they
taught us how to plant a tree. And I realize I have made some mistakes in
that regard and I have a whip that I that I got at Earth Day from the shade
tree commission maybe five years ago and I planted it. It's now eight feet tall
and in the wrong place and it's a dogwood so if anybody wants an eight-foot dog
would give me a call if you dig it up you can have it. Let's see while I
was up there at the Habernickle Park I saw the shelter is halfway up at
least and it is going to be a wonderful addition it's beautifully cited in the
park and I think it's going to really work out well for for all parties who
use it. I also noticed that there are two picnic tables up there by the pond so
if you wanted to have a picnic that's a good place to do it. My committees have
not met this week since our last village council meeting but tomorrow
morning the central business district advisory committee is meeting via Zoom we
have a speaker from the business action community center that's a state agency
talking to us about what it offers to small businesses and also about the
transit village status that we could apply for and also Main Street what that
offers to municipalities around the country and then tomorrow night we have
Green Ridgewood and the Green Team meeting downstairs in the senior lounge and
we have a lot to talk about getting ready for the Daffodil Festival and
Earth Day Fair on the 27th as Keith mentioned. Don't forget there is a
daffy dog parade so if you have a dog who likes to dress up the parade is a
lot of fun. And you go to, let's see, it's the table where the veterinarian is,
that's where you sign up and get your number for your well-dressed dog. Thank
you. Thanks Pam. My committees did not meet, but I was at the library luncheon
today. Lori, those people pack the house. I gotta tell you, that is one
happy crew of people, the people we are so fortunate to have this active wonderful library
in our community. There's a crazy number of people who visit that library every month,
not crazy people, a crazy number of people. And it is, and so many of them were at the
terrace today for a wonderful author's luncheon. I really enjoyed it. Tomorrow I will
be with Water Director Rich Calbee testifying before the Senate Appropriations Committee
in the hopes of getting some funds allocated to build one of our water treatment facilities.
So keep your fingers crossed.
And that's all I have.
So let's go right to our budget message, Keith.
Thank you, Mayor.
First, before we begin, I want to thank all of the leadership here in the village,
all our directors, especially Bob Rooney and his team in the finance department for all
their work in putting together the 2025 Village Budget.
This process starts in August and runs through to introduction tonight.
We propose May 14th for public hearing and final adoption, but this is something that
takes months to put together.
And for those of you who either participated in or were able to watch the Village Council budget hearings that we held, you know, it's a back and forth.
And at the end of the day, what we develop is a list of priorities.
And that's really what a budget is, right?
It's a list of priorities that we want to take on and that we can afford as a municipality.
So we're going to start tonight by looking back at 2024,
seeing what we've accomplished,
and then we lay out a roadmap for where we will head in 2025
with this particular budget.
First, in 2024, very proud to say that we reaffirmed,
once again, our AAA bond rating with standard of pores.
We increased new rateables this year
by a staggering $208 million.
That has much to do with now including the Valley Hospital property main campus on our tax rolls.
We've increased our budget surplus by almost a million dollars over what it was four years ago.
And we successfully negotiated collective bargaining agreements with our white collar unit,
our blue collar unit, and our supervisors, averaging just under 2%.
We implemented a new time and attendance system to record employee time and attendance.
We modified our drug and alcohol policies to require immediate notification of a DWI arrest or related violations.
We hosted civil service training for Ridgewood leadership and at the request of the White Collar Union for our rank and file staff.
And we launched a new updated vehicle tracking system to keep our employees safe.
We launched the MyRidgeWood app on the communications end.
We added approximately 3,400 contacts, new contacts, to the reverse 911 emergency notification system.
And I want to thank Jeremy and his team with OEM and Rich Calbee over at Ridgewood Water for their work in that space.
We called a lot of information from departments throughout the village to be able to enter in those 3,400 new contacts.
We mailed a stay-in-form notice out to every village household so that folks could sign up for immediate communication from the village.
And we launched an intern program throughout the village departments at the behest of Councilmember Winnigrad.
We settled the town garage condemnation proceedings resulting in the removal of the building and the start of the environmental cleanup.
We worked with the New Jersey Department of Transportation to remove the
dilapidated trailer at the Route 17 Park and Ride and we removed the downtown
bus station just recently.
On the public work side we resurfaced Oak Street,
Cottage Place, Chestnut Street, South Walnut Street, North Walnut Street and part
of Dayton in the Central Business District in the spring of 2024 and you
can just look at the pictures and see the comparison between the quality of
our streets downtown prior to this paving initiative.
We invested an additional $2 million in road resurfacing, curbing and sidewalk projects
including paving at West Saddle River Road, Down Street, Union Street, Grant Street, Ferris
Place, Stemmer Street, Albin Court, Lynn Street and through a New Jersey Department
of Transportation grant North Monroe Street.
We also added ADA curb cuts throughout the village.
We worked with Bergen County this year to resurface Ackerman Avenue and just, again, good news for 2025.
Maple Avenue from the Glen Rock border to the Ho-Hocus border is scheduled to be paved this year.
We awarded over $498,000 in repairs to the Kingsbridge Lane pedestrian bridge, which is expected to return sometime around Memorial Day.
We received $157,000 in safe routes to school funding from the New Jersey Department of
Transportation with a lot of help from our legislative team, Senator Corrado, Assemblyman
Barless and Assemblyman De Phillips were instrumental in helping us secure those funds,
and an additional $178,000 in federal funds for sidewalks through Congress and Godheimer's
office.
We made upgrades to the aged equipment at the Water Pollution Control Facility as
As our engineer, Chris Rootishauser, likes to remind me, the last major investment in
that facility was 2005, and it runs 24 hours a day, 365 days a year.
So as you've seen, and even on tonight's agenda, we are making considerable investments
in our wastewater treatment plant to keep it healthy and operational.
We secured a lease to buy agreement for the sanitation division trucks.
That ordinance will be on for final adoption tonight.
and we completed the removal of all of the dead headbeaters in the CBD, including the ones near Malcarmel Church.
We installed sidewalks on East Glen Avenue, Clinton Avenue, and partially on West Glen Ave.
We installed pedestrian activated crosswalks at Linwood Avenue and Fairfield Avenue and East Ridgewood Ave
and North South Irving Streets to heighten pedestrian safety.
And there are additional allocations in tonight's capital budget proposal to add even more pedestrian crossings throughout the village.
We planted 200 plus new trees in residential neighborhoods and 12 in the CBD, which completes our CBD tree planting effort.
And we've also included new plantings at the view at the request of the residents, both on the top of the view and down below.
We continued the volunteer adopt a sapling program planted in the Somerville district this year and we launched mulch Mondays to beautify the tree wells downtown.
We announced the big tree nomination program in collaboration with the New Jersey DEP. We contracted for the removal of ash trees and performed a second treatment on ash trees at 171 locations throughout the village.
We also layer GIS mapping with shade tree locations, which identify specific tree species and scientific details about individual trees throughout the village.
We invested in new sod at Hawes Field to improve player safety.
reestablish the
The fifth and eighth grade end of year celebrations at Graydon Pool. We implemented the master library
program for scheduling at Parks and Recreation, and we made significant enhancements to the
park's information on the village website.
On the police department end, we hired three
new police officers in 2024 and three new police officers so far in 2025. I want to
stress that we ended up in a bad habit. When folks retired, we weren't immediately replacing
them. We're trying to change that direction. It is a challenge because recruiting new police
officers is a challenge not only statewide in New Jersey but throughout the country
right now. But we are working towards the goal of completely replacing all vacant positions
that we've had with the Ridgewood Police Department. We added three class three special
also police officers through a shared services agreement with the Ridgewood Board of Education
and those officers are stationed at Ridgewood High School and at both middle schools.
We're pursuing accreditation of the Ridgewood Police Department by the New Jersey State
Police Chiefs Association.
This is a complete review and update of all police rules and regulations.
It also incorporates all of the Attorney General guidelines into the policies and
procedures of the Ridgewood Police Department.
And not only is that efficient from a law enforcement perspective,
it's also a benefit when it comes to our insurance premiums.
The Bergen GIF, which we are a part of, looks favorably upon police departments
which are accredited because they are updated on all of their policies and procedures.
And if we do have a legal situation when we go to court,
we have the ability to substantiate that everything is up to date and current.
We filled out the Ridgewood Police Department table of organization.
We actually did it about a month ago, but you saw the public swearing in of the two sergeants tonight.
So that brings our table of organization to be completely full.
And we responded, the police department responded to more than 22,000 calls in 2024.
On the fire department side, we hired two new firefighters in 2024
and two new firefighters in 2025.
Fire Department launched the Operation Blue Angels program
in collaboration with Age Friendly Ridgewood,
which provides for a box on the homes of the elderly
to allow the fire department or the police department
immediate access if they're called to that address.
They fully implemented the new EMS billing company,
which has improved our revenues.
And we also filled out the Ridgewood Fire Department
table of organization.
Also on the fire end, Fire Department has been very aggressive about
pursuing grant funds. They received over $400,000 last year in grants. The breakdown of that is
$32,000 from the American Rescue Plan, another $75,000 from the American Rescue Plan, almost $30,000
from the Firehouse Subs Grant Program, and the big one, $263,000 for the Assistance to
firefighters grant. The fire department also responded to almost 2,700 fire calls
last year and almost 1,300 EMS calls.
On the OEM side, we revised and updated our
emergency operations plan which allows the village to remain eligible to
receive FEMA reimbursement and other grants. We also successfully managed
the Valley Hospital Move to Paramus and we posted and electronically shared the
updated emergency planning guide for residents.
On the health department side, we entered into a shared services agreement with MAWA
for health officer services, and I'm pleased to report that there may be some opportunity
to expand that shared services agreement with MAWA, and we will be sitting with the
administrator up there later this month to discuss that.
We continue to secure funding for public outreach and social services through three
grants, strengthening local public health capacity, sustaining local public
health infrastructure, and enhancing local public health infrastructure. And
again the latter two are the two that are somewhat questionable right now as to
whether we will continue to receive funding from them. We were awarded the
Healthy Town designation in 2024 by the New Jersey Health Care Quality
Institute. This is something that the Health Department has been striving
for quite a few years and we were finally designated last year. We revised the wildlife
feeding ordinance in the village which was introduced this year to be adopted
tonight and we implemented employee wellness day program. We also updated
the cat licensing ordinance and continued the Cards of Joy program. The
library, the Village Council supported the launch of the new passport service
program at the library which has been incredibly successful. You can now
renew your passport right across the street and we made significant renovations in infrastructure
improvements at the library including quiet rooms, the teen room, art studio, the patio area,
a new roof, exterior painting, landscaping and gutter repair.
Downtown we conducted a special
improvement district phase two study, continued the dining corral program for our downtown
restaurants, leased village-owned assets including the train station, which box
car is now operating the concession down there, and we launched the opening a
business in Ridgewood checklist to assist new business owners looking to open up
their business here in the village. On the recycling and sanitation side we
expanded the number of shred days in response to resident demand, we expanded
the vegetable oil collection program at the recycling center, we expanded
the use of the Styrofoam densifier through additional shared services agreements, and
we added the first electric vehicle to the fleet.
In the area of flooding, we hosted a town hall meeting back in June of last year with
the United States Army Corps of Engineers, which had more than 150 participants either
in person here in the council chambers or who participated on hybrid access to
discuss federal programming to assist with flood mitigation.
And our big win last year was that we secured congressional approval by the United States Army Corps of Engineer to conduct a comprehensive study of the Saddle River and the Ho-Hocus Brook.
We also created the Ridgewood Residential Flood Advisory Committee, which actually last week met with the Army Corps of Engineers for the first time.
We responded to downed trees in the Ho-Hocus Brook and the Saddle River and also the tributaries off those.
and we perform the clean-out of the drainage channel and culvert between the
PSE and G right-of-way in the homes on North Irving Street. As we move to 2025,
our goals and objectives. First we will be installing a new bus station at
Venice Square to replace the one that was removed. That will be funded in part
by a New Jersey Department of Transportation grant. We're going to
complete the West Glen sidewalk project, which right now we are
negotiating easements with the residents and we're also waiting for DEP feedback
on the side of the road between alpine and heights. We're going to reinstall the
Kingbridge Lane pedestrian bridge later this spring. We're going to connect the
library to the shared generator at Ridgewood Water headquarters and we are
looking to settle the Green Acres diversion with the NJ DEP now that
that we have our appraisal submitted to DEP.
We're gonna complete the build out
of the field lighting at Veterans Field,
and that should be completed in a few weeks.
As the deputy mayor indicated,
we're gonna finish the construction
of the new pavilion at Habernickle Park.
We're gonna finalize testing
and begin the soil remediation project
at the Shedler property,
and those funds are proposed
in the bond ordinance tonight.
We're going to install cell antennas at Village Hall to improve reception from the old Valley Hospital campus all the way to the train station.
And we're going to secure a new bus shelter at Ridgewood High School from New Jersey Transit. We should have that up sometime this summer.
We're looking to secure a tenant for the Shedler House, reinstate the Shedler Park Development SHPO application this year,
a team grant funding for the train station,
for the pedestrian tunnel,
and we're looking to finalize
the Franklin Avenue environmental cleanup projects
and begin the required DEP testing,
both at 132 Franklin and at 120 Franklin.
We're looking to break ground
on the final four PFAS treatment facilities in 2025,
looking to conduct a comprehensive downtown parking study,
which Bob Rooney is working through
with a potential consulting firm at this point.
Looking to work with New Jersey Transit to make improvements to the train trestle over
Franklin Avenue.
And we're looking to expand shared service agreements for leaf composting, food scraps
and radio communications with some of our neighboring towns.
We will continue to actively engage stakeholders after the closing of the Warner Movie Theater
to advocate for a performing arts center in that space.
and we're looking to build out the OEM Operations Center
at the Douglas Place Emergency Services Facility
that is also included in the bond ordinance this evening.
So at this time, I'd like to invite Bob Bruni and Rich Calby up.
So Bob's going to walk us through the current fund budget first.
Good evening.
33, Bob.
Good evening, gentlemen. Thanks for coming tonight.
Pleasure.
33.
So the budget that we're presenting to council for consideration this evening reflects union
contract increases for salaries and wages in the following departments.
Police for $111,000 with 2.5% increase for this year, fire 151,000 at 2.75%, blue collar
$1,203,600 with a 2% increase, supervisors $22,000 for a 2% increase, and actually a reduction
in white collar of approximately $100,000 with a range of $1.75 to $2.25.
The budget reflects a debt service decrease of approximately $1,400,000, health benefit
increase approximately $849,000, and pension costs increase of $403,000.
And if I could just comment on that, first, I think we should be proud of the negotiations
and the agreements that we've come to with all of our respective unions.
We average, we're under 3% on all contracts and average out about mid-range there.
The one thing I will tell you is that with regard to our debt service increase, because
I know there was a lot of back-and-forth inquiries last year about the debt service,
our bond sale in January paid off notes from 2024.
So we saw a reduction in bans and interest on bans.
So, you know, to Bob's credit,
he is very methodical about the timing
and how we work through our debt service
with the help of our municipal auditor.
And that's why you see a decrease in that line item
of a million four.
The other thing I wanna point out
is on the health benefits side
and on the pension costs,
understand that that $1.2 million is essentially out of our control.
We get a bill on both from the health benefits side and from the pension side from the state of New Jersey.
There's no ability to negotiate that.
That's a fixed cost that has to be entered into the budget.
So the summary for the current fund budget.
Total current appropriations are $64,770,957.
Reserved for uncollected taxes, $1,230,000.
Debt service, $6,393,237.
Salaries of $26,154,906.
Our anticipated revenue was $19,581,342,
resulting in the amount to be raised by taxation
of $42,256,311.
Next schedule shows our budget history
over the last 10 years.
This year we're anticipating $3.9 million,
which is the lowest that we've used in the last five years.
And Rich, I'll give it to you.
If I may on that, Rich, before you go.
I think that's worth highlighting.
If you look at that top number, 3.9,
we have a history of using north of $4 million.
Last year, if you look at the $5.5 million,
remember we were coming off the 22% increase in state health benefits and 2.6 million dollars
from the American Rescue Plan that we did not have in 2024. So that money fell off. So keep in
mind, you know, there was some justification for using that much surplus. We're trying to be more
conservative and take a conservative approach so that we have a healthy surplus moving forward.
All right, we're going to move to Ridgewood Water, Rich.
All right, thank you.
So in addition to the many great accomplishments on the village side of things, the water utility, I want to also highlight accomplishments in that department.
In 2024, we installed and rehabilitated 1.4 miles of new water main to replace aging infrastructure throughout the four municipalities that make up Ridgewood Water.
We will launch new communication tools and initiatives, including a service advisory map to identify outages in our area,
or we find our construction activities page to summarize all the activities that are going on for the utility.
We started Ridgewood Water Weekly that we share on our social media outlets on our website and with all our stakeholders.
It's a great source on how to learn about what we do and how we do our jobs and identify what projects are coming up next.
We started our work conservation campaign and achieved the ability to enforce ordinances throughout all the municipalities at Ridgewood Water Service.
and the Let's Service Line Replacement Program pages also launched as part of the website.
Additionally, Richard Water was identified as the inaugural recipient
and received the New Jersey DEP, Our Water's Work to Award.
We launched the Let's Service Line Replacement Program,
which created uniform adoption across four-town service area
with all formal municipalities approving the ordinance
and shared service agreements that are required for that.
That 500 plus residents have responded so far and signed up for the program, and 200 plus homeowners have done replacements on their own.
So this is having a great effect already, even though we haven't even gone out to bid and started our own contract.
We secure construction contracts for another six PFAS treatment facilities.
And they'll be active by the end of 2025.
and secured as part of that additional $4 million of principal
forgiveness through the iBank and increased up to 75% of our loans to be
interest three from 50%.
So that's a great plus.
We, goals for this coming year in 2025, we are going to restructure the
treatment division in Ridgewater to implement a facility maintenance division
to organize a strategic approach to general maintenance of all remote
well sites, prioritizing aesthetics and mechanical repairs of those facilities, now that we're reaching the end of our PFOS improvements.
We're going to complete an update on system hydraulic modeling and review recommendations for improved transfer of water between our system zones
so that we could avoid situations like a curve this past fall with the boil water advisory.
In addition to solving that problem, we're going to install a booster station on Glen Avenue to increase flow and transfer from the low pressure affected by the boil water advisory this past September.
We've launched.
Richard, if I may on that, I just want to let the council know I don't think I mentioned this, but Rich and I actually met with Midland Park, which was the epicenter of the boil water advisory notice last year.
we updated them on the progress on the last two bullet points that Rich just
mentioned and they are exceptionally pleased with the speed that Ridgewood
water is is working to address this issue. We anticipate by late spring early
summer we should be operational and that should prevent a similar situation
that because of significant lawn watering and other water water
their usages during the warmer months that we fall back into the potential of a boil water
advisory. These solutions are going to avoid that moving forward.
Thank you. We have launched the Ready Collections Program to recover uncollected revenue in
excess of $1 million. The unpaid bill recovery program is through a third-party billing
vendor and they're already contacting customers that have those accounts that earn a rears.
We've improved the strategic communication and imaging within our customer base.
That's a goal for this year as well.
We're going to complete construction and activate the ravine.
Eastridge would west end and prospect PFAS facilities.
We're going to continue to seek out grant opportunities and our recover funds through
as many avenues as possible, including the one that the Mayor mentioned for tomorrow's hearing.
And we're going to break ground on the final four or fourth or a water main contract that will complete all the connections of the satellite wells to the treatment plants that make up the Grand Master Plan for PFAS removal.
We'll also break ground on the remaining four PFAS treatment facilities.
and you continue to follow our PFAS operational strategy
and aim to deliver as much PFAS free water as possible,
including recent addition of taking and purchasing water
from Hawthorne interconnection year round.
We were able to winterize that interconnection
and are taking 700 gallons per minute
from that interconnection daily now.
And I just want to know,
Hawthorne water is completely treated now for PFAS.
So the more water we purchase from them and bring into our system, there's a reduction in our numbers as we purchase from the borough.
And finally on lead service lines, goals for this year is to complete the engineering design and put out to bid our first contract and award it for the replacements that the homeowner has signed up for.
We're going to continue to identify the remaining unknowns through hydro-excavation in-home inspections or customer surveys,
and continue our outreach and communications to customers to hopefully increase customer participation in the program
to get the highest amount of replacements and program response and avoid opt-outs and mostly opt-ins.
so
the operating budget for proposed for 2025 current appropriations of 24
million 474 622 debt service of 5 million 409 474 salaries of 5 million 147
974 we're anticipating revenue of 20 million 126 821 and utilizing surplus
plus the $4,347,801 parking utility budget.
Current appropriations proposed $2,788,878,
debt service of $775,000,
salaries of $650,602,
budget revenue $2,328,450,
and utilizing surplus of $460,428.
The 2025 proposed budget is $1.2 million
under the tax levy cap and under by $5,000 in the appropriation cap.
Our 2025 assessed valuations were $6.1 billion and our 2024 was $5.9 billion.
Municipal tax is projected for 2025 or at the rate of .6890.
2024 actual municipal tax rate was .6680.
The budget presented this year has no cuts in service to the residents of Ridgewood.
The assessment of that 0.021 increase per 100 of assessed value is over the 2024 tax rate.
The 25 average home in the village is valued at $712,700, up from the $710,168 in 2024.
Municipal taxes for 24 were $4,761, proposed for 2025 was $4,910, an increase of $149.63
on the average home resulting in an increase of $12.47 per month.
Our municipal increase will be 3.14%, which is consistent with the rate of inflation.
So I'll call your attention to the tax bill on the screen.
There are six portions of your tax bill, the county tax, the county open space, the school tax, the library tax, the local municipal tax, and the municipal open space.
Click to the next slide. The municipal is just over 24% of the total tax is collected. The municipal open space is less than 1%.
The library is 1.6 percent, the county is 10.8 percent, county open space again is less than 1 percent and the school taxes make up 62.8 percent of the total taxes collected from a Ridgewood taxpayer.
We'll move to the capital budget.
All of these expenditures are on second reading tonight.
Road paving in the amount of 2.25 million.
And the sanitation trucks for 435,000 are in a separate bond ordinance.
They were introduced prior.
The train station pedestrian tunnel, we have allocated 400,000 for that project this year.
That will not be enough to complete the entire project,
but what it will do is it will enable us to successfully apply for grants
because we'll be able to illustrate that there's a partnership and that we have skin in the game.
Drainage and Brook River projects.
We have $105,000 allocated for that.
That will be on top of $431,000 that we have in open capital.
So that will bring our number above $500,000.
That's an important point because in talking to the Army Corps of Engineers,
some of these mid-range projects will require a 50-50 match between the Army Corps and the municipality or the DDP.
So that will give us some money to work with in trying to undertake some of these mid-range projects with the Army Corps of Engineers.
The Soil Remediation Project at Shedler is $1.5 million.
Again, this is a number that is somewhat of a work in progress, but based on the fact that it is conclusive that the entire berm will need to be removed.
And some soil through the grid sampling on the level piece of the property will also need to be removed.
This is a very good estimate which comes directly from Matrix Engineering.
The firefighter gear, as the captain mentioned earlier, this is a $20,000 allocation that we're working to maintain annually so that we can continue to rotate and upgrade the firefighter gear that they need to protect themselves in the event of a fire.
The fire engine replacement, again, we're putting $350,000 aside for the sinking fund.
That's on top of the 250 that we allocated last year and the replacement of the command
car, car 38 of $110,000.
And that will get us the car, the vehicle, and will also allow us to outfit it properly
to be the command vehicle on site.
We have $55,000 advocated for library carpet replacement and $130,000 for library
for a restroom upgrades, which will include ADA compliance.
The Emergency Operations Center that I mentioned earlier,
we're looking to establish that at the Douglas Place
Facility, that's $100,000.
Looking to upgrade the response vehicle for OEM, $10,000.
Looking to replace desktops throughout the village,
that's an allocation of $65,000.
The Grade and Pool Fencing is a $56,000 expenditure
And our goal there is to completely fence in grade and pool.
You know families are there, small kids, summer camp operates out of there.
And we want to keep it as safe as possible for our young people.
The grade and pool sunshades, this became a priority this year in light of the fact that we lost a significant tree there last year.
So we are looking to provide some additional cover during the summer months at the pool.
And the Maple Field Sinking Fund, which has been an annual contribution for as long as we can remember,
of $50,000 for the time that that turf is no longer of use.
The groundsmaster of 5900 is grass cutting equipment for the parks department, $147,000.
A residential tree planting this year which will reap us 200 additional trees to be planted
throughout the village is $160,000.
The Habernickle ADA playground, the balance of that project is $139,000.
and that's on top of the $68,000 grant that we have
from the Department of Community Affairs,
Recreation Improvement Allocation, police vehicle alfiting.
This is to outfit the police cars.
This is not to lease the actual police car, 145,000.
We have 350 replacement vehicle for recycling.
Again, to Denise's point earlier,
this is replacing an existing vehicle
that is no longer in service.
$63,000, the upgraded hot box trailer for our streets division, $44,000, fire
headquarters, HVAC replacement, $200,000, pedestrian activated crosswalks,
$35,000, and that's on top of the $16,000 that we have in previous open
capital. Building improvements at the recreation and parks facility by the
cycling center, $30,000.
And then last year, we did introduce two items under
capital ordinance that were put against the $7.5 million that
we allocate annually, and that was the soil testing and the
archaeological study for $350,000 at Shedler and the
improvements to the water pollution control facility for
$478,000.
That brings our total allocation for 2025 to $7,486,000.
Go back to gross debt and I'll turn that to Bob.
So the gross debt for all the capital funds as follows.
General fund is for bonds and notes of $61,900,000.
Order is $80,276,000.
Parking is $11,950,000 for a total of $154,132,000.
Bonson notes authorizing on issue in total or 117,661.
The majority of that is in the ward department for the debt authorized for the PFAS treatment plants.
The grand total for all funds of capital outstanding is 271,793,967.
Million.
Oh, million.
Good.
And I just want to say that when we did the standard and poorest call earlier this year,
This slide that you're looking at now was the real focus of the discussion.
And I have to tell you, you know, we have the ability,
Sands Water, because we have a consent order to...
Billion dollars worth of PFAS treatment facilities. But on the general capital side, you know, sticking
with a static number of 7.5 million a year and actually sticking to that number, even if you
have to do things a little early to credit to the ensuing year's capital budget was something
that we discussed at length with Standard and Poor's. And they were very satisfied with
where we are with our debt service and how we keep consistent on an annual basis.
So with that our public hearing and final adoption is scheduled for May 14th at 7 30 p.m
We will at that point have an open public hearing specifically on the budget before the council considers adoption
any questions
Can you go over that again?
So again, I just want to I just want to thank all the directors and the employees for their work on this again
And this is a long, arduous process, but I do think that we have been able to present a budget this year that is affordable, that is consistent with the rate of inflation these days, although that's a moving target last week or so.
But we are working every day to try to control costs here.
And I have to tell you, I think we've had a significant cultural shift with how we approach this budget process.
I'm proud of this budget.
I'm proud of what the staff has been able to present to Council.
And I do appreciate the feedback that Council provided during the budget hearings that brought us to this document you're looking at tonight.
Yeah, Keith, I know I missed the last budget hearing, so I didn't have a chance to speak at it.
Listen, it was up to me to be zero, but 3.1% is outstanding.
to do that with no cuts to Village Services, to keep our triple A bond rating, to do all the projects that you just went over.
All while costing our citizens an extra $12 and I think 50 cents on average a month more than what we were paying last year.
Given the rate of inflation, that is a very fair number for the amount of services and projects that we're providing to the citizens.
So I want to thank you, I want to thank the entire team for I think under the circumstances,
really under any circumstances was a really well done job.
I also thought the presentation for those of you that could not watch or be here for the meetings we had
during the first half of the year were outstanding. They were well presented.
You know, materials laid out well is easy for us to understand.
It's easy for us to provide challenge and get answers. Really well done.
I think the citizens of the village would be very proud of their municipal services
and their municipal workforce. Thank you.
I just want to take on that too that when I really like to you had everything that you accomplished in 2024, not being on the council and just see that as quite amazing.
So I just want to say great job to you and to everyone who works for the village. It's just amazing the amount you're able to do. So thank you.
Thank you.
I really appreciate what the administration accomplishes and helps us understand.
I feel like we're in really good hands, so I appreciate that.
And also, this presentation, the font, the colors.
Well, that's why it was so many slides, because we took a little heat on this font size last year.
Can you and the audience see what's on these slides?
Okay, that's the first.
And to our communications director, if you just write this up as a format that we can have for anybody else
who wants to make a presentation here,
I think this is a good format, so let's use it again.
I think she was talking about the font size,
but yes, it's not in PowerPoint.
I just want to say, clearly it's getting late,
but I am so grateful, one, to be able to work here,
and two, to live here.
I mean, seeing our first responders,
it's just an amazing place to live,
and every budget cycle,
I'm grateful for the debate amongst council that makes us better and thank you for Keith, Matt, the clerk's office.
I mean, I can't even imagine how much paper you guys have pumped out in your office as well.
So thank you, thank you for everything.
And Richard is really a wonderful place to live and this just proves it a little bit more.
And to Denise's point earlier tonight, the budget will be posted tomorrow.
So it will be available for public review, especially as we head towards the public hearing and final adoption.
And I think we will also post this PowerPoint presentation on the website as well so people
can thumb through and see what we discussed here tonight.
And I have to take a moment and say how impressed I am with the administration, the senior
staff, with the department heads, all of whom are here tonight to make sure that
this goes clearly and smoothly.
This is absolutely a goal-oriented administration.
You people do such a great job.
Our job is to make sure you're doing your job.
And of course, the residents are here to make sure we're doing our job.
You're the ones who make it work for everybody.
We are very, very impressed.
We are very happy with this.
I mean, the list of accomplishments seems to go on forever.
It was absolutely amazing.
The 3.14 percent budget increase, we don't have final numbers,
but the Northwest Bergen Association of Municipalities,
there were 13 municipalities, it would appear that we have the
Second lowest budget increase of those 13 municipalities, we're going to confirm that.
One municipality was in the 7% range and others in the 5% and 6% range.
So I want to put it into perspective how good this is.
It's very impressive.
And by the way, and I have to echo, this presentation, magnificent, really, really good,
very understandable, very clear, very readable.
Thank you all for everything you do every day.
Oh, one more thing.
I would add to the accomplishments that we passed
the ordinance on stormwater management
that is more forward thinking than any other town
has passed in the state, I'm pretty sure.
And Mayor, just on the comparison
to the neighboring municipalities,
again, not everyone has introduced
and some are under state review,
so they're waiting for approval from the state,
but it would seem that we're the second-lowest out of the 13,
and the only one that has a lesser percentage increase
than us is Hohokas.
And there were some anomalies with that budget,
which were to the benefit of their borrow.
But it seems as if the only one lower is Hohokas this year.
Gentlemen, directors, thank you all.
On behalf of a grateful council and town,
thank you all so much.
I move the first reading of ordinance 6, excuse me, 4046.
I second it.
Mortimer.
Yes.
Perrin.
Yes.
Whites.
Yes.
Winnegrette.
Yes.
Vagianos.
Yes.
So ordered.
Will the clerk please read ordinance 4046 by title.
Calendar year 2025, ordinance to exceed the municipal budget appropriation limits and to establish a cap bank.
I move that ordinance 4046 be adopted on the first reading and that May 14th 2025 be fixed
as the date for the hearing thereon.
I second the motion.
Mortimer.
Yes.
Perrin.
Yes.
White.
Yes.
Winnegrad.
Yes.
Vagianos.
Yes.
The following resolution number 25185 will be adopted by a consent agenda with one
vote by the village council. The resolution will be read by title only in 25185 increased
deferred school taxes. So moved. Second. Mortimer. Yes. Perrin. Yes. Whites. Yes. Winnegrad. Yes.
Vagianos. Yes.
The following resolution number 25186 will be considered separately in red
and full.
Whereas the division of local government services requires that the governing body
of any municipality which has deferred school taxes must authorize any increase in the deferral
of any additional amounts and whereas the village desires to increase deferred school taxes to
an amount permitted under state statutes. Now therefore be it resolved by the village council
of the village of Fridgewood that deferred school taxes be here by increase for the year
and to December 31st 2024 as follows. Amount deferred 12 31 23.
I apologize because I did not read the, yeah, thank you.
This is resolution 25186, municipal budget notice of the village of Ridgewood County of Bergen for calendar year 2025.
Whereas the following statements of revenues and appropriations shall constitute the minutes of budget for year 2025.
And whereas that said budget shall be published in the Ridgewood News in the issue of April 18, 2025 with a public hearing to be held on May 14, 2025.
Now therefore, be it resolved that the village council of the village of Ridgewood does hereby approve the following as the budget for the year 2025, general appropriations, appropriations within the caps, 51,714,393, appropriations excluded from caps, 11,826,564, reserve for uncollected taxes, 1,230,000.
total general appropriations 64 million seven hundred and seventy thousand nine hundred and fifty seven
less anticipated revenues other than current property tax
nineteen million five hundred eighty one thousand three hundred and twenty four amounts to be raised by taxes for support of budget
forty five million one hundred eighty nine thousand six hundred and thirty three
Public notice village of Ridgewood notice is hereby given that the budget and tax resolution was approved by the village council of the village of Ridgewood County of
on April 9th, 2025.
A hearing on the budget and tax resolution
will be held at Ridgewood Hall 131
North Maple Avenue, Ridgewood, New Jersey
at a regular public meeting to be held
on May 14th, 2025
at 7.30 p.m.
Can I get a motion? So moved.
Second.
Mortimer?
Yes.
Perrin?
Yes.
Weitz?
Yes.
Winnigrad?
Yes.
Vagianos?
Yes.
Mayor, through you, I'd like to thank Bob
for his service and I'd just like to ask Rich to stay for the three public hearings for
original award ordinances this evening.
Hi Bob.
Thanks Bob.
I
move the clerk read ordinance 4037 by title on second reading and that the public hearing
thereon be opened.
I second it.
Mortimer.
Yes.
Perrin.
Yes.
Whites.
Yes.
Winnegrad.
Yes.
Fagianos.
Yes.
Yes, will the clerk please read the title of ordinance 4037.
An ordinance to amend chapter 145 of the code of the village of Ridgewood fees at section 145-6 enumeration of fees relating to code chapters.
The public hearing is now open.
Seeing no one, I move that the public hearing be closed.
I second.
Mortimer.
Yes.
Perrin.
Yes.
White.
Yes.
Winnegrad.
Yes.
Vagianos.
Yes.
I move that ordinance 4037 be adopted on second reading and final publication as required by law.
I second the motion.
Mortimer.
Yes.
Perrin.
Yes.
Whites.
Yes.
Winograd.
Yes.
Vagianos.
Yes.
I move the clerk.
Excuse me.
I move the clerk read ordinance 4038 by title on second reading and that the public hearing thereon be opened.
Second.
Mortimer.
Yes.
Perrin.
Yes.
White?
Yes.
Winnigrad?
Yes.
Bajanos?
Yes.
Will the clerk please read the title of ordinance 4038.
An ordinance to amend chapter 269 of the code of the village of Ridgewood entitled Water
at section 269-8 entitled Piping System Compliance Right of Access.
The public hearing is now open.
Seeing no one, I move the public hearing be closed.
Second.
Mortimer?
Yes.
Perrin?
Yes.
I move that ordinance 4038 be adopted on second reading and final publication as
required by law.
I second the motion.
Mortimer.
Yes.
Perrin.
Yes.
Whites.
Yes.
Winnegrad.
Yes.
Vegianos.
Yes.
I move the clerk read ordinance 4039 by title on second reading and that the public
hearing thereon be opened.
I second.
Mortimer.
Yes.
Perrin.
Yes.
White?
Yes.
Winnigrad?
Yes.
Vagianos?
Yes.
Will the clerk please read the title of ordinance 4039.
Bond ordinance providing for various water utility improvements in and by the village
of Ridgewood in the county of Bergen, New Jersey, appropriating $4,992,000 therefore
and authorizing the issuance of $4,742,000 bonds or notes of the village to finance
part of the cost thereof.
The public hearing is now open.
Seeing
no one, I move the public hearing be closed.
I second that.
Mortimer?
Yes.
Perrin?
Yes.
Weitz?
Yes.
Winnegrad?
Yes.
Vagianos?
Yes.
I move that ordinance 4039 be adopted on second reading and final publication as required by law.
I second the motion.
Mortimer?
Yes.
Perrin?
Yes.
Weitz?
Yes.
Winnegrad?
Yes.
Vagianos?
Yes.
The following resolutions, number 25187 through 25188, are to be adopted by a consent agenda
with one vote by the Village Council.
Each resolution will be read by title only.
Award emergency contract, repacking and restoration of air stripping tower, wartondike water
treatment facility, authorized change order, asphalt trench patching.
Some of it.
Second.
Mortimer.
Yes.
Herron.
Yes.
Whites.
Yes.
Winnigrad? Yes.
Vagianos? Yes. Thank you, Rich.
Thanks, Rich. Thanks, Rich.
Rich, before you go...
I move the first reading of ordinance 4047.
Second.
Mortimer.
Yes.
Perrin.
Yes.
Weitz.
Yes.
Winnigrad.
Yes.
Vagianos.
Yes.
So ordered.
Will the clerk please read ordinance 4047 by title.
In ordinance authorizing the acquisition of certain real property easement interest within
the village of Ridgewood.
I move that ordinance 4047 be adopted on the first reading and that May 14, 2025 be fixed
I second the motion.
Mortimer.
Yes.
Perrin.
Yes.
White.
Yes.
Winnegrat.
Yes.
Vagianos.
Yes.
I move the clerk read ordinance 4040 by title on second reading and that the public hearing
thereon be opened.
I second it.
Mortimer.
Yes.
Perrin.
Yes.
White.
Yes.
Winnegrat.
Yes.
Vagianos.
Will the clerk please read the title of ordinance 4040.
to amend Chapter 156 of the Code of the Village of Ridgewood, Food and Food Handling Establishments,
Article 1, General Provisions at Section 156-2, Definition.
The public hearing is now open.
Good evening, Boyd-loving Ridgewood resident. Just a procedural question. All of these ordinances
have been advertised that they are available for people to call in as well. Is that correct?
Are we checking to see if somebody is calling in?
Oh, yes. Absolutely. Okay. Excuse me. I haven't heard. I didn't understand your question. Forgive me. Yes, I have it right in front of me. Okay. No one has no one has raised their hand. Thank you so much. Yep.
Anyone else?
Seeing no one, I move the public hearing be closed. I second. Mortimer. Yes. Perrin. Yes. White. Yes. Winograd. Yes. Veggianos. Yes. I move that ordinance 4040 be adopted on second reading and final publications required by law. I second the motion. Mortimer.
Yeah, I would like to say before I say yes that I think this is great. It'll make things easier the health department and
So yeah, very much in favor of this. So yes
Perrin. Yes whites. Yes winnigrad. Yes vagianos. Yes, I
Move the clerk read ordinance 4041 by title on second reading and that the public hearing they're on be open second
Mortimer. Yes Perrin. Yes whites. Yes winnigrad. Yep. Vagianos. Yes
Yes.
Will the clerk please read the title of ordinance 4041.
An ordinance to amend chapter 145 of the code of the village of Ridgewood fees at section
145-5 general fees.
The public hearing is now open.
Seeing no one, I move the public hearing be closed.
Second.
Mortimer.
Yes.
Perrin.
Yes.
White.
Yes.
Winnegrad.
Yep.
Vagianos.
Yes, I move that ordinance 4041 be adopted on second reading and final publication is required by law. I second the motion
Mortimer. Yes. Perrin. Yes. White. Yes. Winnegrat. Yes. Veggianos. Yes
I move the clerk read ordinance 4042 by title on second reading and that the public hearing thereon be opened. I
Second
Mortimer. Yes. Perrin. Yes. White. Yes. Winnegrat. Yes. Veggianos. Yes
Yes, will the clerk please read the title of ordinance 4042.
An ordinance to amend chapter 105 of the Code of the Village of Ridgewood, animals at section
105, article 8, wildlife feeding.
The public hearing is now open.
Seeing no one, I move the public hearing be closed.
I second.
Mortimer.
Yes.
Perrin.
Yes.
Whites.
Yes.
Winograd.
Yes.
Vegianos.
Yes.
I am excited to move this ordinance 4042 be adopted on second reading and final publication as required by law.
I would like to second the motion as well as the deputy mayor's excitement for it.
Yeah, this is I think going to really help out a lot of people where feeding of wildlife has gotten out of control and is going to help quality of life for a lot of neighbors.
So yes.
Yes.
Perrin?
Yes.
Whites?
Yes.
Winograd?
Yes.
Pagianos?
Yes.
And while I am happy to pass this ordinance, I have to say I'm concerned about the excitement
of some of my colleagues, but yes.
And let's move on.
I move the clerk read ordinance 4043 by title on second reading and that the public hearing
thereon be opened.
Second.
Mortimer?
Yes.
Perrin?
Yes.
White.
Yes.
Winograd.
Yes.
Vagianos.
Yes.
Will the clerk please read the title of ordinance 4043.
An ordinance to rescind and replace in its entirety chapter 260 of the Code of the Village
of Ridgewood, Trees and Shrubs, and previously adopted ordinance number 3682, which amended
chapter 260 and to establish a new title for chapter 260, Tree Protection, Removal,
and Replacement.
The public hearing is now open.
Seeing
no one, I move the public hearing be closed.
Second.
Mortimer?
Yes.
Perrin?
Yes.
Whites?
Yes.
Winnegrad?
Yes.
Vagianos?
Yes.
Second time's a charm, so I move that the ordinance 4043 be adopted on the second reading and final publication as required by law.
Actually, this ordinance has been in many different iterations, and I second the motion.
It only gets better and better.
Mortimer?
I'd like to thank the Shadetree Commission Council Member Winograd for all the work that they put in to make this a really solid and beneficial amendment.
So I'd like to say thank you and yes.
Perrin?
Yes.
Whites?
Yes.
Winograd?
I'd like to thank the Ordnance Committee, which I'm gratefully not a part of, but thank you very much.
Yes.
And Vagianos.
Yes.
I move the clerk read Ordinance 4044 by title on second reading and that the public hearing
thereon be opened.
Second.
Mortimer.
Yes.
Perrin.
Yes.
Whites.
Yes.
Winnigrad.
Yes.
Vagianos.
Yes.
Will the clerk please read the title of Ordinance 4044.
An Ordinance to amend Chapter 241 of the Code of the Village of Ridgewood entitled
skateboards by renaming the chapter skateboards scooters and micro mobility
vehicles or devices in the central business district and adding definitions
and restricted vehicles and devices. The public hearing is now open.
Seeing no
one I move the public hearing be closed. I second. Mortimer. Yes. Perrin. Yes.
Whites. Yes. Winograd. Yes. Fragianos. Yes and I just want to comment that for
For those of you who are unfamiliar with what this ordinance says, this will make our streets
and central business district, actually our sidewalks in our central business district
much safer.
There has been an outpouring of electric skateboards and other electric vehicles that people
have been using on the sidewalks of our central business district that have made
it very, very tricky to navigate there.
So I am grateful to the police, the manager, the clerk and everyone who worked on this
because I think it's going to be a very good thing.
The next step is, of course, getting the word out to everyone that this will no longer be allowed in our central business district.
And my vote is yes.
I move that ordinance 40-44 be adopted on second reading and final publication as required by law.
I second the motion.
Mortimer.
On behalf of the citizen safety
committee, I know that they're
very happy about this.
I want to say a big yes.
Perrin.
This also covers regular
bicycles that are not motorized.
Can't ride those on the sidewalks
of the central business district
either.
They can be dangerous as well.
And I'm eager to see how this
goes in terms of enforcement and our chief of police is here and therefore at
the end of the summer like September or so if you could let CB DAC know the
Central Business District Advisory Committee how enforcement is going and
I vote yes. White? Yes. Winnigrad? I too vote yes I want to wish the police the
best of luck in the enforcement I'm sure it's not going to be easy and I
want to remind every family this is a good opportunity to talk about this
with users in your house because it's a big issue for our downtown for pedestrian safety and the more that people talk about it
individually with their own children and members of the community, the better it'll be.
Yes.
And Vagianos.
I echo Siobhan's comments, parents, please sit down with your kids, have this conversation.
So many of the people who ride these vehicles in our central business district are teenagers.
I implore you before someone is seriously injured, please work with them to ensure that that kind of tragedy does not occur and with that I vote yes.
And that includes, this covers the Hudson Street garage as well. You can't ride a skateboard down that ramp.
I move the clerk read ordinance four oh four five by title on second reading and that the public hearing there on the open second.
Mortimer yes parent yes whites yes one ago yes yes yes yes. Will the clerk please read title of ordinance four oh four five.
Bond ordinance providing for various capital improvements in and by the village of Ridgewood
and the county of Bergen, New Jersey appropriating 4,092,190 therefore and authorizing the issuance
of 3,887,000 bonds or notes of the village to finance part of the cost thereof.
The public hearing is now open.
Seeing no one, I move the public hearing be closed.
Second.
Mortimer.
Yes.
Perrin.
Yes.
I move that ordinance 4045 be adopted on second reading and final publication is required by law.
Second.
Mortimer.
Yes.
Perrin.
Yes.
Whites.
Yes.
Winigrad.
Yes.
Vegianos.
Yes.
I move the clerk read ordinance 4034 by title on third reading and that the public hearing thereon be opened.
I second that.
Mortimer.
Yes.
Perrin.
Yes.
Whites.
Yes.
Winigrad.
Yes.
Vagianos.
Yes.
Will the clerk please read the title of ordinance 4034.
Bond ordinance providing for various capital improvements in and by the village of Ridgwood
in the county of Bergen, New Jersey appropriating 2,765,550 therefore and authorizing the issuance
of 2,627,050 bonds or notes of the village to finance part of the cost thereof.
The public hearing on ordinance 4034 was continued from the March 12th meeting due to the fact
that there were not enough village council members present at that meeting to adopt
a bond ordinance which requires at least four votes in favor of the ordinance in order
to be adopted.
The public hearing is now continued.
Seeing
no one, I move the public hearing be closed.
I second it.
Mortimer?
Yes.
Herron?
Yes.
Weitz?
Yes.
Winograd?
Yes.
I just want to say that my first budget cycle, we deferred this garbage truck.
I'm so excited for Sean and the department that two years later we're finally doing that.
That goes to long-term planning.
While he's not here, I want to thank him.
I want to thank this council because we consciously waited and this is very exciting.
So, yes.
And Vagianos.
And the excitement of my colleagues still concerns me.
Yes.
Very exciting.
I move that Ordinance 4034 be adopted on third reading and final publication as required by law.
I second the motion.
Mortimer.
Yes.
Perrin.
Yes.
White.
Yes.
Winigrad.
Yes.
Vagianos.
Yes.
The following resolutions numbered 25189 through 25216 are to be adopted by a consent agenda with one vote by the village council.
Each resolution will be read by title only.
Title 59 approval and award contract for tree irrigation.
Award contract insecticide injection for emerald ash borer.
Award contract disposal of ground yard waste and grass clippings.
Award contract billing of basic life support services.
Award sole source contract, programming updates to SCADA system, water pollution control facility.
Award sole source contract, software support for SCADA system, water pollution control facility.
Award contract under state contract, camera system for police detective bureau interview room.
Award contract under state contract, spatial data logic software.
Award contract under county contract, untreated rock salt.
Aboard contract under county contract 2024 Ford F-350 Supercab Parks Department.
Award contract under Sourcewell Cooperative Purchasing System, vehicle tracking subscription, various village departments.
Award contract under Sourcewell Cooperative Purchasing System, lift gate for Ford F-350 SD Supercab Parks Department.
Award contract under Sourcewell Cooperative Purchasing System to Freightliner Rear Loader Packer Truck Sanitation Department.
A word contract under Educational Services Commission of NJ Cooperative Pricing System Purchase of Equipment, Service and Licenses for Access Control and CCTV, Office of Emergency Management, Headquarters 33 Douglas Place.
a word contract under North Jersey.
Commission contract, four-inch submersible trash pump, water pollution control facility.
Award contract under North Jersey Waste Water Cooperative Pricing System through Pisaic Valley
Sewerage Commission contract. Purchase and installation of digester gas safety equipment,
supply and installation of two gas sediment traps. Water pollution control facility. Award
contract under North Jersey Waste Water Cooperative Pricing System through Pisaic Valley Sewerage
Commission contract. Purchase and installation of two digester roof gas swivel connections.
Water Pollution Control Facility.
Award contract under North Jersey Wastewater Cooperative Pricing System
through Pacific Valley Sewage Commission contract,
Free Penn Valley Sledge pumps,
Water Pollution Control Facility.
Award professional services contract,
third party engineering inspection services,
structural repair of Kingsbridge Lane Pedestrian Bridge.
Award professional service contract,
historic architectural services,
grant writing assistance and restoration of brickwork
at entrance to pedestrian tunnel at train station.
Authorize cancellation of real estate property taxes on tax exempt property block 1411 lot 13
Authorize refund of real estate property taxes paid on tax exempt property block 1411 lot 13
Authorize community energy planning grant through sustainable Jersey PSE and G energy efficiency
partnership program technical assistance for energy consumption and village facilities
Indorse submission of recycling tonnage grant.
Authorize application to New Jersey Historic Trust for a grant for restoration of pedestrian tunnel at train station.
Indorse revolution NJ's commemoration of the 250th anniversary of the United States of America.
And appoint member to community center advisory board.
Can I have a motion?
Second.
Mortimer?
Yes.
Perron?
Yes.
Whites?
Yes.
Winnigrad?
Yes.
Let's go to public comment.
Good evening, Mayor and Council Boyd, a loving Ridgewood resident.
At the work session earlier this month,
Councilperson Winograd announced formally that
the next meeting of the Fields Committee would be held
quote, in person at the Shedler House.
I questioned why the meeting was only going to be held in person since traditionally
that meeting is zoomed, it is recorded so that people who are unable to attend in person
can attend by Zoom, and it is recorded so that people who missed the meeting completely can
watch it at a later date. I wrote to the manager about my concerns and I received the
response from him indicating that there is no Wi-Fi at the facility. When I suggested
maybe a hotspot could be used, the answer I got back is that additional IT infrastructure
would be needed to be going to hotspot.
Mr. Loving, I don't normally interrupt speakers,
but we've rectified that and there will be
a Zoom option at that meeting.
Thank you so much.
There you go.
And there you go.
Good point though, boy.
Good evening and loving Richwood resident.
I need to say that I am tired of hearing
that we can agree to disagree.
You can disagree on opinions,
but you cannot disagree on facts.
It is a fact that forever chemicals are known to cause a list of diseases as long as my
arm.
It is a crime, in my opinion, that four of you are steadfastly ignoring this dangerous
fact.
She's not in the room at the moment, but I would like to thank Councilwoman Perron.
Another fact about facts is that as we learn more from science and from experience,
we change our behavior.
I've said this before at the mic just pretty recently.
We never used to use seatbelts, we never used to use car seats.
At one time, cigarettes were considered safe and sexy.
At one time, artificial turf was hailed as a wonderful invention.
Now, we know better.
We know better about these and a myriad other things.
And yet, for reasons that defy common sense,
Four of you deny the science on plastic grass.
Some of you say that your feelings are hurt when a resident expresses sincere frustration and dismay at your decision to ignore the science to the detriment of residents of the Shedler area and children who might play on your toxic field.
I'm sorry, this is not about your hurt feelings.
I mean, seriously, you should change course, plan for grass at Shedler, and actually apologize
for taking so long to face reality.
If I may read a quote that is not mine, quote, a sign of intellect is the ability to change
your mind in the face of new facts.
A mark of wisdom is refusing to let the fear of admitting that you were wrong stop
you from getting it right.
The joy of learning something new eventually exceeds the pain of unlearning something old.
Please, I implore you, change your mind on the artificial turf.
It is not a sin to change your mind and it can often work out very well.
There's a very intelligent man in this room who was very sure almost 50 years ago that he would not marry.
Then he looked at some facts and changed his mind, and it actually worked out unbelievably
well.
Please, I beg you.
Thank you.
Thank you, Ann.
Anyone else in the room?
Seeing none, we'll go to Hybrid Access.
Sarab, you're up.
Can you hear me?
Yes, we can.
Good evening, Mayor and Council.
Thank you for your service, and thank you for giving this opportunity to speak remotely.
A few things, one is I heard the $208 million increase in rateable when Mr. Kasma mentioned
that and primarily our majority of that came from Valley Hospital.
I remember Ms. Sonnenfeld mentioning Valley Hospital tax that they will be going after,
the village will go after tax for Valley Hospital.
Excuse me, Sara, could you speak just a little more slowly?
The connection is not so good.
So I don't think we can, I can't understand every word.
So if you wouldn't mind, thank you.
Okay.
So I was talking about the Valley Hospital tax increase
or tax taxing the Valley Hospital property.
And I was happy to hear that it is now
part of our rateables.
Can you hear me?
Can you understand this portion now?
yes okay so my question on that is if our municipal portion of the taxes was
around 42 million I don't know the exact number from last year but this year it
was presented as 42 million the municipal portion if that portion is 42
million and if our municipal portion is increasing by a 3.14 percent 3 percent of
42 million would be about 1.2, 1.3 million dollars.
The board of head increase is about 2.7 million dollars.
So the total tax increase for property taxes,
for board of head and municipal tax increase
should be 3 million or change.
If our tax rateables have increased by 208 million
and that is increasing our tax by 6 million or so,
So why is per household tax increasing between 2024 and 2025?
Per household tax will actually be decreasing because our articles have increased and our
tax base has increased, so total tax will increase, right?
So the tax on each household should go down this year because what I'm seeing online is
Just Valley Hospital is giving us $5.2 million for 2025, and we also have Q4 of 2024.
So if we are getting money from them in Q4 of 2024, if you are getting $5.2 million from
them in 2025, all of that should decrease per household tax for existing households.
It should not increase per household tax 3.14 percent.
If per household tax is increasing by 3.14%,
then your municipal tax rate is not increasing by 3.14%.
It's increasing much, much higher because rateables are increasing.
When Bordeaux says that we are increasing 2% on a tax basis
for local taxes, property taxes, per household tax is increased by 1.9
or 1.89 because the rateables also increase.
So that's my question that what was the total municipal tax in 2024, what is the total municipal
tax for 2025, and does municipal government not have a cap in municipal government keep
increasing more than 2% every year, or are you using some sort of waivers every year?
So those are my questions.
Thank you.
Thank you, Sarb.
Cynthia, you're up.
Okay.
Thank you.
Can you hear me?
Yes, we can.
Yes, okay.
I just wanted to clarify a few points based on, you know,
your, I guess, feedback on what I said.
And, you know, a lot of times, you know, we're going to agree to disagree.
You know, I said...
Forgive me, Cynthia.
You did not state your name and whether you're a Ridgewood resident.
Yeah, okay.
For Ridgewood resident, same as it was.
Thank you.
Yep, we know.
So, you know, what I take issue with with the Shedler plan, and again, we're not disagreeing
on pizza toppings, you know, Shabani say it's the size of the field and the artificial turf.
Yes, artificial turf, as many people have called in over the past year, some who are
not Ridgewood residents, but it doesn't really matter where they live, microplastics
plastics, and the danger of PFAS and microplastics, and the shedding, and hundreds of pounds of
shedding, where does that all go? It goes somewhere. There are heat islands. There are all kinds
of things that happen when you put artificial turf in. It is bad for the environment.
I don't think anyone's disputing that except like you guys want to make a case, except
for Pam, who I think is a very intelligent person and she has done her research. Maybe
your suitcase doesn't include that, Siobhan, but maybe it should. You said your son's a
soccer player. There's a soccer coach, Amy. She has Amy's list, hundreds of people who've
gotten cancer. It's got to be happening somewhere or somehow. You said that the size
of the field was the only other little thing that we disagree on. The size of the field
was not the size of the field that it was when you ran on your platform.
It doubled, I believe.
I don't have the exact dimensions.
I believe Ellie Gruber has brought it up many times.
When you talk about invasive trees and cutting them all down,
does that mean that invasive trees all over Ridgewood will be cut down?
The public clamoring and use of the house has nothing to do with the Shedler neighbors.
If we weren't spending our time disagreeing with you over the use of the property,
which is really not fit for purpose to have a giant ball field on a historic property on
Route 17 on a busy road. We could have been helping you with finding residents for the
house, but instead we're using our time in a very unproductive manner, which is again
very frustrating respectfully. And it doesn't have anything to do with the neighborhood
when you talk about the use of the house. It's not our fault that you can't find
to tenant for the house.
I know you have invited the sports groups to the house
on May 6th, which is a Tuesday morning, I believe,
at 8 a.m. when there was school bus pickup of children
on West Saddle River Road.
So, and you're telling people to park on the street.
How is that gonna work?
I just find it a little confusing
because nobody can park on the property.
There are just so many variables
to this plan that I do think are terrible.
And that is my opinion. Whether you share it or you don't share it, it really is, I guess there's no value in it if you don't see us, our neighborhood as a community.
Cynthia, you're over your time, so if you could finish up please.
Yes, hundreds of people signed a petition against that over development of that field. That's what I'm talking about.
Thank you.
for allowing me to clarify. And again, you know, I don't agree. I hope Shippo does not agree.
And I hope they see Channel 12 news tonight. Thank you.
Thank you, Cynthia. Anyone else?
Rorick Hallaby, Richard resident.
Talking about facts, let me relate a story.
And I hope I'm not defending my wife, but I would say...
She is a green thumb, and I would say it's a fact that she's probably the greenest thumb in Ridgewood.
Now, when she had knee replacement surgery, she was told she couldn't garden for three months.
It's like taking a fish out of water. The reason she couldn't garden for three months is because it's a fact that she risked
cutting herself and then getting a soil bacteria to get into her system.
Now, this idea of being so many cairn of red light, green light, you know, life is a blinking orange light.
Now, this idea that I was reoffended, frankly, when you refer to the field as being one plastic
carpet. Now, there are risks, many, many risks, to having a grass field. A, the seed has to
be imported from Oregon. Believe me, it isn't native. It has to be very seed grass that
can allow a lot of playing.
The field has to be seeded twice,
which means it's taken out of action.
It has to be fertilized.
Organic fertilizer, you know where that comes from?
These huge industrial farms, these huge pig farms,
this is what you're feeding the grass.
The grass has to be mowed once a week.
it has to be, chemicals have to be applied. And you know what happens sometimes when you
apply chemicals? Hey Harry, what do I do with the extra stuff? Oh dump it in the back. Dump
it in the back, it ends up in someone's well. Now to me, you just have to be correct.
and I see it with a four of you. Stay the course. It's imperative that we get people out, that
we get people to play, that we get people to play sports. Okay, get them off their tablets,
if you will. And if it means having a turf field, so be it. Does it mean a turf field
is risky? No, it isn't. But a grass field also is very, very risky, if you will. And to lecture
you about the fact you're basically so ignorant of science is ludicrous. Frankly, the mark
of arrogance is for someone to have a monopoly on knowledge. Thank you.
Thank you, Rorick.
Anyone else?
Seeing no one, we're going to close public comment, and we will entertain a motion to adjourn.
Excuse me, I keep getting ahead of myself. Forgive me.
So responses to the comments.
When there are questions about the committee, I know there was a general discussion at the Board of Ed regarding the field committee.
people can just write me. We had a sidebar conversation going, so I was surprised. No
one wrote me, but we do want to get IT supporting it, and that was a conversation, so just
write me, and I will answer for the statements I made.
Number two, okay, I'm going to try. No one's blaming anybody for the situation
at Shedler because it is a community problem. It is a problem for the general taxpayer
who has paid over $7 million of capital dollars into a park that has failed to come to fruition.
It's not the neighbor's fault, it's not this council's fault, but it is a problem for Richard.
It is a problem because a generation of children, of which mine were part of, were not able to use that park.
So it is a community problem.
I ran on a campaign of artificial turf.
The 2017 plan had neighborhood buy-off.
It had members of the community from the Shedler neighborhood
who recommended Cool Play Turp.
I ran on a campaign of turf.
Yes, I ran on small-sided, and until we had persistent, persistent flooding,
which is a fact that we lost multiple assets, I changed my mind.
So let's be clear.
The neighbors and the friends of the officially Shedler,
all the people who sat on that committee recommended TERF.
Evan ran on a campaign of TERF.
It was always been TERF.
With respect to the house.
I don't understand how it's become adversarial,
but it is an asset, it is empty.
If you leave your house empty
and you don't check on it, your insurance will lapse.
If we leave property empty,
we have the chief of police here, it will become an attractive nuisance.
We are now paying on top of the capital investment additional taxpayer dollars to heat it, to
furnish it.
Again, not the neighbor's fault, but this is a community problem.
And why I'm disappointed in the outreach is I joke, but I am the only one literally
shopping this house around.
I brought access over.
I've brought lots of the Bergen County Historical Society over.
We are going to, as a council, and we should probably talk about this.
I want to bring the fields community over there because they have a lens.
I've brought, we've brought open space, we've brought HPC, and I fully intend, in the condition
that's in now, to bring every and all committee over there because they all have different
lenses.
If anybody has a determinant of use or an idea, I'll bring you over.
And I'm going to open the house, and I'm going to bring people over because
because we have a financial situation with the house there.
At no point have I blamed the neighbors.
No one's really hurt my feelings.
I don't really have feelings about this project that way.
It's not personal for me.
It's making a series of decisions based upon facts.
But the field committee is going there
because that's an important lens.
And I'm going to just take any committee
and if any of you want to bring any committees,
please bring them to the house.
The more we go over there, the less likely
there is to be damage to the house.
I'm not going to fall into the grass versus turf,
but I would like to say that it's a shared suitcase.
Pam and I packed it together.
And it's not just mine, and the suitcase thing
has gotten so out of control.
But inside that are samples where we, and it's good faith,
as Yin and Yang went and met with people.
And I can't understand how that's a bad thing.
And if anybody would like to see the suitcase,
I can bring that to the house as well.
Mayor, just two things.
One, there was a terrible echo with Mr. Donnie,
and I don't want to answer a question that wasn't asked.
So, Sir Rob, if you're still watching,
feel free to drop me a text or email tomorrow morning,
and I will get on a call with yourself and Bob Bruni,
and we can answer any of the questions you have
about the additional rateables or the tax increase,
and we'll do it over the telephone
or we'll even entertain a meeting,
but I couldn't, the echo was a challenge tonight.
Secondly, I just wanna go back to a remark,
some research and a remark that I made
at a prior council meeting.
And that is that if my memory serves me correct,
the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection
last year allocated $5 million
million dollars to fund artificial turf throughout the state of New Jersey.
This is the same DEP that is held in high regard and referred to as an authority when
it comes to environmental concerns that residents in Ridgewood and throughout the state of New
Jersey have.
So the word hypocrisy was thrown out here tonight and I just want to highlight the
fact that you can't rely on the DEP in one regard, regardless of the matter, soil contamination,
environmental concerns, what have you, and hold them as the standard, yet then not question
why they would give out $5 million worth of Green Acres money to communities throughout
out the state of New Jersey to fund artificial turf
if the DEP doesn't deem it as safe.
So again, I'm not here to make a policy decision
on turf versus grass.
That's not my role and function as the manager.
That's the role and function of the governing body
at the time that they're seated.
I am here with the professional staff
in the departments to carry out the direction
we are given by the council.
But it's hard to sit up here
and not look to as many times
as the DEP has been pointed to by members of this community as an authority on environmental
issues, yet we ignore the fact that they gave out $5 million to build turf fields throughout
the state of New Jersey.
The other point I want to make is I've done some research on the house.
Now I wasn't here.
I didn't sit in the seat when this community invested $2.6 million to restore a house
based on Dutch colonial architecture.
But I've read minutes, I've watched council meetings,
talking about weddings that were going to be performed there,
meetings that were going to be held,
potential tenants that could take over the house.
Yet tonight, we're proposing to have a meeting
of maybe circa 25 to 30 people
on a random Tuesday morning in May.
And we're getting pushback about having a meeting
because we might interfere with children
getting picked up for school.
So again, the word hypocrisy was thrown around tonight.
You can't advocate to invest $2.6 million of taxpayer money,
whether it was through a grant or through a bond or came out of the operating budget,
and then turn around and say,
well, we don't want anybody in the house,
even the 30 people that are going to meet for an hour and a half
on a random Tuesday morning and talk about fields.
In the house.
In the house, yes, in the house.
So again, we talk about hypocrisy, and I'm just still learning some of this stuff.
But I think we really need to think about the positions we're taking, and let's try to be consistent,
because as the village manager in this town, that's what I try to do every day.
And I think you're absolutely right, Keith. I know the comment I heard tonight was
that it's not our fault that you can't find tenants to be in the house.
And I find that a little frustrating because to me, a lot of the folks that have said that
that are the same people that's generally advocated to pump $2.6 million of tax dollars into restoring
the house, but now seemingly don't feel that they have any commitment as part of the member
of this community to try to make the house useful.
That house will cost us money going forward.
It has cost us a ridiculous amount of money now to have it sit fallow is absolutely horrendous.
And so I would challenge the Friends of Shedler, I would challenge those folks that
felt strongly about preserving the house to step up and help us find some weight
right now make that house useful. So I do think it's our problem. I don't think it's
this council's problem. I think it's this community's problem that we should solve.
On the turf piece, and I don't want to keep going back and forth on it, but I know those
that oppose it present the argument as if this is scientific fact. Yet the position
that you advocate has not been adopted by the Environmental Protection Agency,
the EPA, has not been adopted by the state of New Jersey. It's not been adopted
by any state. Of the tens of thousands of municipalities in the United States
only handful have adopted the position that you advocate for. There's no real medical
consensus on this. There's one or two doctors that I know have been pointed out to us, but
there are lots of studies that oppose those. And so to present that this is scientific
fact I think is a gross overstatement. And again, I come back to the fact that reasonable
people can disagree on this. And we talked about hypocrisy. Some of the strongest
advocates in this town to be able to get more use out of that property by having
turf field in there are the same folks whose kids will be on that turf. As we said before
when we talked about hypocrisy and I said this before, when there's a turf field next
year there will be at least one soccer jersey with my last name on playing on that field.
There will be lots of people who are advocated for turf because it is in the best interest
of our kids who will have their last names on some of those jerseys next year. So call
them hypocrites. Again, it's a gross overstatement and it's really not a fair
certainly either. And Mayor I'll just say that at the end of the day I think one
of our strongest arguments with the State Historic Preservation Office is the
fact that we have a dormant piece of property right now. You have an empty
2.6 million dollar investment. Well what is going to attract people there?
Usage. What's the proposed usage that the
direction that the Village Council has given direction on to have people come
there to participate in a park, passive recreation, walk paths, active
recreation on a ball field, that's going to bring people to that facility and thereby
attract attention to the $2.6 million investment that the Friends of Zabriskie and all of the
residents during that time period advocated for to be deemed historic and to be reinvested
in.
And that's where we are.
And quite frankly, in talking to the State Historic Preservation Office, it's one of
our strongest arguments as we reactivate this application.
So I just also want to say a more positive note when the house was one of the goals was to integrate after the closure of
Glen School that community with the rest so the more that the rest of Madrid goes to that property and
Sees the house the better it is. I'm very
Interested in what the community wants to see in that house and I just want to say Frank and I had a sidebar discussion
But for all of our committees because it's a municipal asset
clearly
I'm not the earliest and the quickest to take the first step, but we should bring all
our committees there.
And I think all of you who haven't, you should take it at the time.
You should check the water's not leaking, check the windows and all of that, but we
should start to have a standing meeting there once a month so we bring more people in.
So I'm going with fields in May.
A suggestion.
Yeah.
Two points I wanted to make.
Keith, I think it was so great of how you outlined what you had accomplished in
what goals there are for 20 25 and sense one of the goals is to find a tenant for that house.
I would challenge the council and as well, I mean, we had so many great residents that
spoke today to say that, so I would challenge us that have one of our committees, all of
our committees meet there at least once this year, because I think the more people that
are exposed to the inside of that house, that that might trigger some kind of use that
we could get out of it. And I see that that being beneficial.
And did those staff meetings? I mean, why not, right? Why not have a police meeting
there. Go check it out, you know, get some ideas. I mean, it's just sitting empty right
now, so the more that we do that, the better it is, and that will get more engagement,
more presence, and more interaction with the community, which was always a rally cry. So
I think the council should think about it. I think we have several directors left, Ridgewood
Water at the Shedler House. Go for it, Rich. Come on. And so that's all I want, because
I think we need to be more positive in our next step, and that's what I think we
should do.
I wanted to make one quick pass.
I'm really disappointed in the DEP.
Normally I do look to them for guidance,
and I don't think they've thought this through.
Have they come out with a statement,
what happens to artificial turf when it's exhausted its life,
and have they tracked whether it's really being recycled,
Or are they just caving to the pressure of the manufacturers?
I do like your idea.
I will suggest to my committee's meeting at the house.
I'll pack your suitcase.
You can borrow it.
But I still think that there is not enough evidence of the safety
of the artificial turf to increase the burden of PFAS on our children, which is cumulative
and the particulate matter, the VOCs that are given off, and the undisputed heat island
effect that they create and the increase in impervious surface.
I know the manufacturers claim that it is permeable, but I don't see that that is really possible once they steamroll and flatten the area to get it level with their heavy equipment.
I don't think it'll be actually permeable.
And so I hope that conclusive randomized studies actually come out that give us confidence in the safety of artificial turf one way or the other.
I wanted to end on a we started this whole meeting with a lot of positive stuff and we invested in our parks
I want to end with a nice story that this this past week my daughter is playing lacrosse and there was a girls lacrosse game at Maplefield
and it was raining you know and then but there was all these parents everybody happy to watch their kids play and the lights came on and
realized how those LED lights stay there. It was just such a glorious time and
made you feel good to be part of Ridgewood and that's what we're doing in
this town and again I want to thank you and all the administrators for making
it possible that we can continue to make Ridgewood one of the best towns in the
country. Thank you. Thanks and I'm gonna go against my better judgment and I'm
gonna say something about this because I really try not to prolong this
issue, but it was suggested that we should keep open minds about these things and do the
research. When I was a candidate for council, I sat at this dais during the debate and as
many people know and have pointed out, I advocated for grass fields. And then I sat down with
a bunch of people and I did my own research and I looked around and not only did the
as has been pointed out tonight not only does the DEP in New Jersey and the EPA
but every state Department of Environmental Protection in the
country has not ruled against artificial turf and so I kept an open
open mind. And I changed my mind. I changed my mind in support of turf. And so please
understand that we do keep open minds. At the end of the day, that open mind might not agree
with someone else's open mind. And that's all this is. And so when we talk about the
The science and the facts, the DEP, the EPA, and the DEP of every other state in the country
goes by science, and none of them have said that this playing surface is dangerous for
children and adults to play on.
And with that, I'm going to entertain a motion for adjournment.
So moved.
Second.
All in favor?
Aye.
Any opposed?