Thursday, May 17, 2012
Attorney Joseph Fiorenzo says Ridgewood Water illegally reapportioned water utility monies for village operations.
Negotiations to resolve a $3 million class action lawsuit filed by Wyckoff, Glen Rock and Midland Park alleging Ridgewood Water has bilked ratepayers out of millions, have stalled. Attorney Joseph Fiorenzo claims in the law suit filed in Superior Court in Bergen County that the Village of Ridgewood has "been engaged in sham accounting to artificially inflate the costs of the Water Utility and decrease the expenses of the village." The Hackensack-based attorney is accusing Ridgewood of falsely claiming that a 21 percent rate increase in 2010 and a 5 percent increase in 2011 were justified by an operating loss of more than $1 million in 2009-10. "Evidence revealed... that there was no 'loss' to justify the extraordinary water rate increase…
Wednesday, May 16, 2012
Mayor and governor have fun with their images
Just because they're the state's two most prominent politicians doesn't mean they don't have a sense of humor. The office of Gov. Chris Christie yesterday released a lighthearted video co-starring Newark Mayor Cory Booker as a peripatetic go-to guy, riffing off his now national-scale image as a man of action following his rescue of a neighbor from a burning building several weeks ago. As the Democratic mayor of the state's largest city is depicted doing everything from coming up with a spare guitar for Bruce Springsteen to catching a falling baby, a faux-frustrated Christie hisses "Booker!" The video was produced for the New Jersey Press Association's Legislative Correspondent's Club show. Click on the video above to see the Cory and Chris…
Applicant of the Franklin Avenue building needs the "redevelopment zone" tag changed to construction a mixed-use building that could eliminate several public parking spaces.
One of Ridgewood's most notable downtown eyesores could be receiving a major facelift, but not before clearing significant hurdles in parking and zoning process. The applicant at 120 Franklin Ave – best known as the site of the failed parking garage – appeared before the planning board on Tuesday night looking for input and direction on its revised conceptual plan, which calls for a two-story mixed development. After demolishing the Town Garage building that currently stands, the applicant envisions a two-story, 5,000 square-foot building set closer to Franklin Avenue with four apartments (including one affordable unit) above a retail space. But there are challenges abound. Before any hope of construction on a mixed-use project, the …
Tuesday, May 15, 2012
Council introduced Ordinance #3344 to effectively reduce the maximum speed limit of 25 mph in all of Ridgewood's residential roads.
In one of his last initiatives as mayor, Keith Killion saw an ordinance to reduce all residential streets in Ridgewood to 25 mph zones pass introduction last Wednesday. The outgoing mayor, who chairs the Citizens Safety Committee, said he finds it baffling a select few streets in the densely-packed village allow for speeds upwards of 35 or 40 mph. North Monroe and Lincoln avenues are two of the notable thoroughfares that allow such limits. In many cases, Killion said, drivers already exceed the speed limit by 10 mph or more, a dangerous situation given how many residents walk Ridgewood's streets and drive its roads. The ordinance is likely to pass during the public meeting in June.
Greenwald warns of potential $1 billion shortfall, vows Assembly will fight for its own tax cut plan.
By Mark J. Magyar, NJSpotlight.com Republican Gov. Chris Christie and Senate President Stephen Sweeney (D-Gloucester) have reached agreement on a compromise tax cut plan. Now the question is whether any of Sweeney's fellow Democratic legislators will agree with the plan themselves. For one thing, the state could be facing a $1 billion shortfall over the next 14 months, according to Assembly Majority Leader Lou Greenwald (D-Camden). For another, the compromise tax plan took Senate Democrats by surprise, and they're wary. What's more, Greenwald is pushing his own tax cut plan in the state Assembly. Under the proposed agreement, Christie would support Sweeney's approach of providing a property tax credit on state income taxes of up to $1,000…
Monday, May 14, 2012
Republican legislators propose naming a highway in northwestern New Jersey for the nation's 40th president.
- GOVERNMENT
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Monday, May 14
"The Great Communicator" may soon have a stretch of New Jersey highway named after him. Under a bill introduced earlier this year by Republican legislators in the Deomcrat-controlled Assembly, the late President Ronald Reagan would have a state highway in northwestern New Jersey named in his honor, according to a report in the Star-Ledger. Only one former president — Warren Harding — has received such as an accolade in New Jersey, with a stretch of Route 48 in Salem County named in his honor. If approved by the state Assembly and Senate, and then signed by Gov. Christie, the legislation would designate Route 15, a 19.5-mile state highway in northwestern New Jersey, as the "Ronald Reagan Memorial Highway." Reagan died in 2004.
Cast your vote for the five choices.
At its reorganization meeting on July 1, the five council members – Albert Pucciarelli, Paul Aronsohn, Gwenn Hauck, Bernadette Walsh and Tom Riche – will select one of its members as the mayor of Ridgewood for the next two years. Here's the simple low-down: after the new members are sworn in, nominations for mayor are submitted. The individual with most total votes among the five is then appointed and sworn in as mayor. The popular vote during elections makes no difference here – just ask Councilwoman Walsh, who took home the most votes in 2010. Sources have said Aronsohn has support of running mates Gwenn Hauck and Albert Pucciarelli, and would have enough votes to take over the largely figurehead role. Separate sources have said both …
Saturday, May 12, 2012
Data shows NJ counties are recycling less waste than in mid-1990s
- GOVERNMENT
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Saturday, May 12
By Colleen O'Dea, NJ Spotlight New Jerseyans are recycling less of their waste than they did in the mid-1990s, data from the state Department of Environmental Protection show. And while rates had started climbing again since sinking to just above half in 2003, the rate dropped again in 2009 to 57 percent statewide, from 59 percent in 2008. The typical resident generated 2.3 tons of waste in 2009, the most recent year for which data is available, for a total of 19.4 million tons. At the peak, New Jerseyans were recycling 61 percent of what they discarded, in 1996 and 1997. Prior to the enactment of the state’s mandatory recycling law a quarter of a century ago, 10 percent or less of waste was recycled. The law initially set a goal of …
Thursday, May 10, 2012
Council still unsure why the concession stand has lost money in recent years, but with time not on their side elected to privatize The Water's Edge Cafe in 2012.
With reluctance and lingering fiscal questions, the Ridgewood Village Council voted to outsource the Water's Edge Cafe at Graydon Pool on Wednesday night. Pitched initially in budget meetings as a win-win, cost-saving measure by the Parks & Recreation Department, the resolution awards "Vending to Please LLC." to provide snacks and meals to Graydon attendees during the 2012 summer season for $15,000. The privatization rubbed Deputy Mayor Tom Riche the wrong way. He noted from 2004-2006 the village-run stand could boast positive revenue streams but the good feelings ended, with negative revenue streams from 2007-2011. Even with a detailed report, it's unclear why the village is bleeding into the red on the concession stand. "It's disturbing …
Wednesday, May 9, 2012
With only nine provisional ballots needing to be counted, it seems extremely likely Hauck bested Ridgewood Mayor Keith Killion.
Though the results remain unofficial, it seems a virtual lock Gwenn Hauck has claimed a chair on the Ridgewood Village Council. Village Clerk Heather Mailander said Wednesday that the provisional ballots still needing to be counted tallied nine. Hauck, according to unofficial results, captured 1727 votes, leading current mayor Keith Killion, who had 1711. Absentee ballots, though counted, still must be verified by the county board of elections, Mailander said. The results are likely to be official by next Wednesday, she told Patch. Unless a significant number of ballots are disqualified, Hauck has claimed the third of three seats and will be sworn in on July 1, 2012. Councilman Paul Aronsohn and Albert Pucciarelli were the top vote-getters…
Mike Kilhaney
7:03 pm on Thursday, May 17, 2012
Great comment by "over 50 years in town"....BUT the Ho-Ho-Kus rate increase was specifically to raize new taxes for Ho-Ho-Kus purposes ! The lawsuit against Ridgewood/Ridgewood Water Company alledges that they did accounting "sham" specifically to bilk Wycoff, Glen Rock, and Midland Park citizen/ratepayers out of several million dollars to benefit ONLY RIDGEWOOD taxpayers/ratepayers ! There is a … more ›