Village Council - Regular Meeting

because the grass was so high. No, the guy who delivered my packet asked about him yesterday. The guy the police officer who delivered my packet was like, "Hey, what happened to your dog lately?" I was like, "No, sad." It's, you know, Good evening. This is the village council regular public meeting. The date is April 8th, 2026. The time is 7:30. Adequate notice of this meeting has been provided by a posting on the bulletin board in Village Hall by mail to the Ridgewood News. The record by submission to all persons entitled the same as provided by law of a schedule, including the date and time of this meeting. Notice of this meeting was also posted on the Village of Bridgewood's legal notices page at bridgewoodj.net. Roll call. Council member Mortimer

here, Deputy Mayor Parin here, Council Member Whites here, Council Member Wiggrad here, and Mayor Vajanos here. Will you all please join us in a salute to our flag? I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America, and to the republic for which it stands, one nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all. I move the bills, claims, and vouchers and statement of funds on hand as of March 31st, 2026 be accepted as submitted. I second. Mortimer, yes. Haron, yes. Whites, yes. Wiggrad, yes. Vagianis,

yes. I move that the village council minutes of January 28th, 2026, having been reviewed by the village council and now available in the village clerk's office, be approved as submitted. I second. Mortimer, yes. Parn, yes. Wipes, yes. Wiggrad, yes. And Vaganos,

yes. And now we have the fun stuff. So, council, will you all join us in the well because we have some good stuff to do. Bob,

will you please Here we go. Bob, will you please join us and your lovely wife? Oh, absolutely. We'll we'll we'll have someone else take pictures. So Bob Lita um has been our medical director for our ambulance service for 36 years. Is it Bob? 36 years. He is an icon of volunteerism. If you had any idea how busy this man is in running clinics, lecturing, how many books have you written, Bob?

16.

16 books in his spare time. And yet he always found time for the village and its residents. How many of those bars do you have for bringing people back on heart attacks? 40. brought 40 people back. One of them, by the way, was a good friend of mine. Bob is retiring from this position. And there's a long story behind it. Not going to bother with it, but we are so grateful for his decades of service that what we're going to do tonight seems insufficient. Because how do you thank somebody for being there at all hours of the night whenever the ambulances roll for 36 years? It just can't be done. But we're going to take a swing at it. And so whereas the village council of the village of Ridgewood recognizes and celebrates the extraordinary dedication of those who commit their lives to the health and safety of our residents and first responders. And whereas Dr. Robert G. Leha decided to volunteer as an EMT in the village of Rididgewood. And although he had a medical degree in training, Dr. Leita completed the full New Jersey EMT certification program encompassing more than 120 hours of classroom education, practical exercises, and a state EMT exam. not because it was required but out of a genuine desire to share fully in the training of the EMTs with whom he served. And whereas in 1990, Dr. Leita, affectionately known as Dr. Bob was asked to serve as the medical director

of Rididgewood EMS and assist the Rididgewood Fire Department and the Rididgewood Police Department by providing clinical oversight and medical leadership that has shaped the standard of prehosp care in our community for more than three decades. And whereas in his capacity as med medical director of EMS, Dr. Bob chose to carry a Rididgewood ambulance radio pager so that he could automatically respond to calls of high criticality and it was not uncommon for EMS crews arriving at cardiac arrests, severe traumas or major accidents to find him already at their side assisting and directing patient care efforts. And whereas Dr. Bob was instrumental in establishing a formalized quality assurance committee for Rididgewood EMS, the first of its kind in volunteer EMS in all of New Jersey, which met monthly to review patient care reports, uphold care protocols, and ensure the highest standards of documentation and prehosp medicine. And whereas beyond his service to Rididgewood, Dr. Bob is a nationally respected physician and prolific author having published numerous books and papers and is currently the director of the Institute for Autoimmune and Rheumatic Diseases as at St. Joseph's Health. Where he found the time for this, I have no clue. And whereas Dr. Bob's commitment to community was constantly visible, marching in Rididgewood's Fourth of July parades, providing medical coverage for Rididgewood's Memorial Day run and fireworks celebrations and serving for many years as deputy chief of Ridgewood Volunteer EMS.

And whereas Dr. Bob was always quick with a joke or several with was a fountain of knowledge and in many ways larger than life offering his impress impressive musical talents on keyboards and accordion play the accordion at EMS holiday gatherings. What does he not do? Whereas Dr. Bob is the loving husband of Carolyn Palmer, the lovely and esteemed an internationally recognized bronze sculptor, the devoted father of Eric and Jason, the supportive father-in-law of Courtney, and the proud grandfather of Thomas and Chloe. And whereas after serving as medical director for Rididgewood EMS for 36 remarkable years, Dr. Bob has decided to resign from this position, leaving a legacy of the lives he has saved, the professionals he has mentored, and over three decades of selfless volunteer service to the residents of the village of Rididgewood. Now, therefore, be it resolved that the village council of the village of Rididgewood does hereby proclaim April 8th, 2026, as it says, Dr. Robert G. Leah day, but I'm going to call it Dr. Bob Day in the village of Ridgewood and recognizes him with gratitude for his 36 years of outstanding public service and wishes him every happiness and fulfillment in the years ahead on behalf of Ridgewood EMS, the fire department, the police department, and the many village residents whose lives he has touched. Let's all give Dr. Bob a big round of applause.

This is for you, Bob. You're the man. Please say a few words. Thank you, uh, Mayor Aanos. This is a very important, uh, point. The point is volunteerism is critical and we had an array of volunteers over the years until the fire department took over and is doing a bangup job with rapidity of response. And I always like to say that nobody voluntarily or involuntarily dies in this village without a lot of work to keep you alive. And so over the years, I've been to God knows how many house fires, uh, store fires. I can mention them. There's a there's a story that goes with everyone. And also the motor vehicle accidents both on the highway and other parts, the unfortunate events that happen with firearms and other things. It's been a very interesting run. And um I think that volunteerism is critical and I point out that there should be volunteers for just about everything uh particularly our public events like Memorial Day run and also the Fourth of July parade and anything else that we have including the Ridgewood Baseball Association's event that goes down. So we coordinated this and I I had a bigger role with the state of New Jersey in Hudson County at one point when I was in New York City. I came over and I worked. That wasn't volunteer. I I had a stipen for that, but I was intimately involved in 911. And 911 was quite an experience. And Ridgewood's volunteers took a very very important role with regard to 911, which I hope is appreciated at its 25th anniversary, which is this year. Mayor, thank you.

Bob, again, I just want to say thank you so much. Um, you are an icon. Don't go far. We'll always need you. Thank you, my friend.

Oh, no. Now, now we just Thank you so much. And it is very

Okay, now we have a few more proclamations. None quite as nice as that, but all noteworthy nonetheless. Siobhan, would you take the tree planting month?

Sure. Whereas the village of Ridid values its many trees which enhance the beauty, character and conform comfort of our community. And whereas trees provide joy, a sense of renewal and numerous environmental benefits including reducing soil erosion, lowering energy cost, moderate temperatures, improving air quality, producing oxygen, and supporting wildlife. And whereas trees also increase property values, strengthen the business district, and enrich the overall appearance of the village. And whereas Arbor Day is celebrated nationwide and worldwide to recognize the importance of trees. And whereas the village of Rididgewood has been recognized as a tree city USA by the National Arbor Day Foundation for its commitment to planting and maintaining trees. Now therefore, it be resolved that the village council of the village of Rididgewood does hereby proclaim April 2026 as tree planting month in the village of Rididgewood and April 24th, 2026 as Arbor Day and urges all residents to plant trees to support efforts to protect our trees and woodlands and to support our villages urban forestry program.

Thank you, Siobhan. And now let's move on to slowmo mo may Frank. I think we couldn't take this one away from you if we wanted to. Everybody hold up their signs. Here we go.

I'm really excited that we're bringing this back. We uh missed it last year and we heard from overwhelmingly from the public what happened to Slow-Mo May. So thanks to um Parks and Wreck uh for making these signs and um you'll be able to pick these up at both um the stable and also the library. So big shout out to the library for also being a a a stopoff point for this. So now here's the proclamation. Whereas the village of Ridgewood values its many trees which enhance the beauty, character, and comfort of our community. And whereas trees hold on. I'm reading trees do help pollinators. But u I was so excited by the signs. Um Whereas, Slow-Mo May is a community initiative that encourages property owners to reduce the frequency with which they mow their lawn during the month of May to provide early season foraging resources for pollinators that emerge in the spring, especially in the suburban landscapes where few floral resources are available. And whereas research has shown the significant increase in both the abundance and species richness of butterfly and bees in less frequently mowed lawns and that a two-week mowing regime supports the highest number of bee abundance. And whereas the village of Ridgewood would like to encourage interested residents to increase pollinator friendly habitat by encouraging pollinator friendly lawn care practices on their own properties. Now therefore be it proclaimed that the village council of the village of Rio hereby recognizes slow mo to actively promote and educate the community about the critical period of pollinator emergence generation of crucial

pollinator supporting habitat and early spring foraging opportunities. And be it further proclaimed that the village residents are encouraged to participate in slow MOME program voluntarily slowing their lawn care down until June, which will allow pollinator species to emerge and early flowering GL grasses to establish. Thank you. Did you get a picture, Carol? Sure. Can you duck below the

Thanks. Beautiful. Thank you. Great. Thank Thank you, Frank, for reading that and for all your efforts on slow-mo.

Evan, want to do national mental health awareness month? Absolutely. So whereas mental health is essential to overall well-being and all people experience times of stress and difficulty and whereas prevention and proven tools can help individuals manage challenges and protect their mental health. And whereas mental health conditions are real and common and whichffect and with effective treatment people with mental health conditions can recover and lead full productive lives. And whereas every sector of the community shares responsibility pro for promoting mental wellness and supporting preventive efforts. And whereas the 2026 theme, more good days together, highlights the importance of community support and recognizing each person's unique path to well-being. And whereas the village of Ridgewood is a stigma-free community committed to breaking down barriers and encouraging residents to seek help to improve their mental health when needed. Now therefore, be it resolved that the village council of the village of Ridgewood does hereby proclaim May 2026 as National Mental Health Awareness Month and calls upon all residents to increase understanding of mental health mental health, take steps to support their own well-being and recognize the need for accessible services for all people with mental health conditions.

Thank you, Evan. And now let's go to National Drinking Water Week. Pam.

Whereas water is our most valuable natural resource and is essential to health, hydration, hygiene, and quality of life. And whereas tap water uniquely provides public health protection, fire safety, economic support, and everyday reliability. And whereas the water sector works tireless tirelessly to design, operate, and maintain the infrastructure that delivers safe drinking water to our community. And whereas access to safe water is closely tied to public safety, economic growth, and overall well-being. And whereas we are all stewards of the water systems future generations will depend on. And whereas every resident is encouraged to protect source waters from pollution, conserve water, and stay informed about local water issues. Now, therefore, be it resolved that the village council of the village of Rididgewood does hereby proclaim May 3rd through 9th, 2026 as National Drinking Water Week in the Village of Ridgewood.

Thank you, Pam. And while you're there, want to do Older Americans Month?

Sure. Whereas the village of Ridgewood is home to a growing number of older Americans who contribute their time, experience, and wisdom to our community. And whereas Ridgewood benefits when people of all ages and abilities can participate fully and live independently. And whereas the village recognizes the importance of providing services and support and supports that help older adults make informed choices about how they age. And whereas the 2026 theme for older Americans month is champion your health, which encourages older adults to take an active role in managing their wellness, accessing preventive care, and staying engaged. And whereas the village of Ridgewood can promote positive aging by challenging stereotypes, honoring older adults contributions and highlighting opportunities for connection, purpose, and activity. Now therefore, be it resolved that the village council of the village of Ridgewood does hereby proclaim May 2026 as older Americans month in in the village of Ridgewood and calls upon all residents to recognize the contributions of older adults and support programs that foster inclusion, connection, and well-being.

Thank you, Pam. And now, let's go right to public comment. Each speaker is limited to three minutes.

And loving Ridgewood resident. Um I just would like to say that the Monday meeting about the questions about soil removal at Shedler, not one member of the village council attended. Yes, I know. or I've heard that Councilwoman Winterrad listened from her home and I heard that the mayor had a conflicting meeting which probably could have been rescheduled. This is such a hot button issue. I can't believe none of you came. I mean, it was just insulting to to the residents of that neighborhood that none of you showed up for that. Um, very very disappointed. Thank you, Ann. Anybody else from the audience? If not, we will go right to our uh hybrid access. Denise, you're up.

Hi, Paul. Hi, council. Everybody hear me? Yep, we can hear you. Um, super. Um, I was listening from the beginning.

Please identify yourself. Hi, Denise Lima, Ridgewood resident. Thanks, Heather. Uh, I was listening to the proclamations and it's a little bit confusing to me how we can talk about no mo um our lawns um or tree planting when we're in the middle of, you know, cutting down trees at Cheddler and disturbing all of the pollination of any of the bees in the nine acres. Maybe we could have picked another month to like uh talk about that, but I I find that kind of um a little bit hypocritical of us to be touting that. And and even water um tap water, whereas we have PAS chemicals that are exceeding that nobody can drink the water or it's filtered. So um you know, until that gets satisfied, I I don't know how we have these proclamations. Um, I attended the property assessment meeting. I thought it went really well. Very good turnout. Um, thanks for hosting that. I also attended the soil remediation. Um, I thought that it was good because the format, Keith, thank you for changing the format to be more of a two-way conversation, you know, where we were having good dialogue and and good conversations. It was good to hear, you know, that the trucks were not going to be queuing on site. um that they'll be more on the southerntherly end that we won't really have to change school um bus stops um you know a lot of positive things I think you know watching the monitor of the dust and the chemicals before it reaches any level of certainty and the notification and the escalation process you know putting water on it you know you know seeing is believing you know when that like finally comes into play so Um, you know, look forward to seeing what what that's

going to be. Um, the budget discussions today, um, you know, my feedback for that is I just feel like we're still overspending. I, you know, consecutive years with, um, tax, uh, increases. Um, you know, I think next year we really need to start looking at cutting services. Uh I don't know why we're spending money on things like um you know the the tunnel um for the train path or you know garages or things that you know we've been holding all three years. Um I think there's probably things that we can be doing. 66 million is a lot of money and I'll just continue to throw out there. I missed the last meeting, but 66 million and I still can't believe that we don't have I know this is may be funny to some of you, but there's no picnic tables in any of the parks. So, I know we just announced that and there was a, you know, marketing spin on it. Um, Habernickel has it. Yes. You know, but but I'm saying that there, you know, Habernickel is going to be, you know, the kids are going to be there. You know, there's a lot of activity there. We need other places um where it's going to be. Um, yeah, those are just my feedback. Thank you.

Thank you, Denise. Cynthia, you're up. Good evening. Uh, can you hear me? Yes, we can.

Okay. Cynthia O'Keefe, Rididgewood resident. Um, I just wanted to piggyback a little bit on what Denise just commented on in terms of the proclamations. um you know when you talk about the trees providing um you know you know shade and all these wonderful things please keep in mind they're proposing to put artificial turf plastic grass feet properties that could have been known to create heat islands. So um how are those people going to stay cool? So maybe, you know, not tonight, but at some point I'd really love to hear an answer from each one of you who's building on this artificial turf. Um, and also this water quality drinking uh month. You know, you're talking about putting artificial turf next to private wellwater. We've talked about that before. So, you know, we can read all the proclamations that that we want and try to make people in Ridgewood really believe that you are a green um you know, community while also passing the green amendment. By the way, what consideration have we given to any of this? I just don't understand it. Um none of you are doctors or medical professionals and you're making some really bad decisions that are going to affect residents. I'd like to hear one of you comment on that. Thank you.

Thank you, Cynthia. Anyone else? Seeing no one, I'm going to close public comment and we will go to our manager's report. Well, I'd like to respond. Oh, forgive. I do that all the time. Wrong.

That's okay. Um, so one of the reasons we read for the the public listening and our staff proclamations is to inspire. And as the shade tree liaison, I want to say a couple of things. Um, if every resident in Ridgewood planted a tree, not a government tree, not a taxfunded tree on their property, that would be 8,000 trees planted this year. So, when we talk at Shade Tree, we talk about street trees, we talk about park trees, but we also talk about how to inspire tree planting in general that's outside our budget. I read these proclamations um for my committees and to inspire the public and talk about something that's serious to Richardwood and trees are a big part of that. So, keep in mind we have many different types, but if everybody who heard that proclamation went home and planted their own tree funded by themselves, it would be beneficial to the town. And if every house did, 8,000 trees would be about 20 years worth of tree planting. A huge function of shade tree is to inspire people to do this on their own. When you think about how much land there is in Rididgewood, how much we own and the board of ed, private land is held much more readily. So, one, the proclamation is to inspire. Two, Arbor Day exists in this month and my committee of seven of your neighbors want to celebrate it in a myriad of ways, including the proclamation. Also worth noting is that with respect to Shedler, this council has not taken down one tree that for any reason other than safety, the current the prior council removed probably about three and a half acres worth of trees before we were up here. I can't speak to why they had no replanting effort at that that point. This council every tree is a direct result of hazardous conditions which is unsafe for the public or remediation which is also we we have to remediate. So the trees that are coming down are not a function of development. If we made it as I said on Monday or Tuesday a goat pasture which

is there's an idea these trees would have to come down. Additionally we plan on re reforesting it. we have a replanting plan. Um, so I hope that, you know, I don't want to seem insincere, but one parcel of land and trees that are hazardous and unsafe doesn't equate. We spend about $460,000 a year on trees, we're all wedded to that, and the proclamation is meant to inspire the public to join us. And I understand you can criticize this as well, but I hope everybody who hears this goes home and buys a whip, a sapling or a tree and plants it this month because that would be the best thing for Rididgewood. I also want to correct that somebody said um Shedler is 9 acres. It's currently 7 acres. Um, and with respect to the the picnic benches, I think we've kind of gone over this, but statements made an absolute that there's none when there are multiple picnic benches at Habernickle, which is a vibrant, lovely, beautiful park. Um, they're there. I also, because this has been such an issue, there are um picnic tables behind the stable. So, we do have picnic tables and then of course if you buy a badge, they're at Graden. So personally I feel we've addressed it but there that means three of our parks do have picnic tables. Um and that's all I want to say.

Thanks. I just have one comment to my friend Denise. I you had mentioned about cutting services in order to bring our budget down. Um you know we had dozens of hours of hearings with the directors where we pushed them to see where we could find savings. We've done at least two presentations on the budget and I've not heard anyone call for cutting services yet. So Denise, I would invite you during the open hearing tonight um to um if you could speak to that. What services should we cut? Um do we cut police? Do we cut fire? Do we not buy the fire truck that we need? Do we cut from paving? Do we cut from sidewalks? Do we cut from trees? It's very easy to just say we should cut services in order to save money. And nobody wants to save money as much as I do on this budget. And I am proud of where this budget came out. Um, so if we're going to throw around the idea of cutting services, be specific and give us some ideas. Um, I don't think I heard any during any of the hearings that we've had. Um, so tonight we do have an open hearing, but certainly invite you to um, again articulate which services you believe could be cut in order to bring um, our our budget down even further.

Thanks, Ev. Anybody else? Yes, I think the uh proclamation on national drinking water uh month is uh also inspiring because we get to look at what rigid water is accomplishing. This month, six of our PAS facilities are now working and we've been working towards this since 2019 and we had a master plan then how to get PAS out of our water and we're halfway done and this was a big investment and I really thank Richard Water for taking us through and executing and we can all be proud of that. And by the way, Pim, six have been done within about a year. The other six will also be done. So, we're we're almost home. Anybody else? Good. Let's go to our manager report. Keith, thank you, mayor. Uh let me start by reporting out on the meeting that we was held on Tuesday evening, March 31st, where we hosted over 90 residents here in the courtroom, both in person and on hybrid access for the community form on the property reassessment. Appraisal Systems, our reassessment firm, was present to discuss the entire process. I want to thank Bill Palumbo who's in the audience tonight, our tax assessor, uh, for his participation in that and all of the resident phone calls that he and his uh, assistant tax assessor Renee are receiving and fielding relative to this process. For those who were unable to make it to the meeting, I want to encourage you to watch the video on the village YouTube channel. It will answer any of the questions that you have relative to this process. Um, and if you have any additional questions, you are invited to call appraisal systems

directly um, at any point during the reassessment process at 20114938530 or if you have questions relative to the tax assessor's office, you can contact Bill and Renee as well. This past Monday evening, as was already mentioned, we held another community meeting to discuss the soil remediation project at the Zabriski Shedler property with just over 25 people participating both in person and through hybrid access. Matrix New World Engineering, our environmental firm, Northstar Environmental, who is the contractor, which will be removing the soil, and the Ridgewood Police Department all participated to discuss the project overview, the duration and project hours, the police presence throughout the work, truck queuing, bus stops, air quality monitoring, and site protection measures. We held a question and answer portion of the meeting where every question that was asked by the public was responded to. And I do just want to mention on the tree removal issue specifically at Shedler. The trees that have most recently been removed were removed for one of two reasons. The ones along West Saddle River Road were removed because our certified arborists on staffed deemed them a hazard and that warranted our application to Shipo requesting permission to remove those trees and our shade tree uh parks division removed those trees to prevent any type of hazard. Secondly, the trees that were most recently cut down were identified as being within the area on the property that needs to be remediated as part of the soil remediation project. They were required to be removed because they are in that designated area. So, the village had no choice on cutting down those trees before April 1st in

order to move forward with this project. On Thursday of last week, the mayor and I attended a meeting of mayors, administrators, and managers from across legislative district 40. We met with Senator Kristen Curado, Assemblyman Christa Phillips, and Assemblyman Al Baras, and discussed a variety of topics including the skyriding skyrocketing cost of state health benefits, the state budget, PAS compliance, fair share housing, and law enforcement needs amongst other issues. I just want to thank our legislators here in District 40 for providing open communication with local officials to ensure that we're all working together to achieve the same goals. Some areas of good news. Um first, um Nich has ranked Rididgewood as one of the best places to live in Bergen County and within New Jersey. The village ranked second in Bergen County and eighth statewide. Certainly an impressive showing in both categories. Bergen County has advised us that they are finalizing the paving project for Maple Avenue from the Glenrock border to the Hokus border this summer. This was a project that was held over from last year due to their decision to install new new storm water lines on Maple Avenue. They've also advised that they intend to resurface Prospect Street from the Glenrock border to South Maple A and Vanberg Avenue from the Washington Township border to Route 17. So, we anticipate seeing considerable county paving jobs underway in 2026. And finally, we're also pleased to report that today we've received $1.8 8 million in reimbursements from FEMA for repairs and equipment to the water pollution control facility which were incurred during Hurricane Ida. I want to thank James McGrath and his staff in the engineering division for their work. Uh

they worked closely with the state police to secure those reimbursement funds. So James, thank you. Just a few announcements tonight. Uh first online registration for grade and pool and the tennis pickle ball program have started as of April 1st. You can register uh for either through community pass. Badge distribution will be available Monday through Friday at the stable during regular business hours and in person at the Graden Badge office on Saturday, May 9th or Saturday, May 16th from 10:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. Yardway season began on Monday, April 6th. Please check the village calendar for your collection area. As a reminder, the 2-day per week irrigation schedule is in effect. Oddnumbered addresses for irrigation are Tuesday and Saturday, and even numbered addresses for irrigation are Wednesday and Sunday. The village shred day will take place this Saturday, April 11th, from 8:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. or until the trucks are filled. The event will take place at the Graden Pool parking lot. A limit of five boxes or paper bags per vehicle is the cap. And the event is for confidential documents only. Please stay in your vehicle. No walkups will be allowed. And place the items for shredding in your trunk um in a paper bag or a card cardboard box only. No plastic bags will be accepted. The interfaith Holocaust Remembrance Service will take place on Thursday, April 16th at 7:30 p.m. at Temple, Israel. Superintendent of Schools Dr. Mark Schwarz will be the keynote speaker. The RBSA opening day parade will take place on Saturday, April 25th. The parade will begin at 9:00 a.m. at the train station and continue down Ridgewood Avenue to Maple Avenue and end here at Village Hall on Veterans Field. The 2026

Daffodil Festival and Earth Day Fair will take place on Sunday, April 26th at Vaness Square from 11:00 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. Enjoy a petting zoo, live music, educational displays and programs, demonstrations and crafts, vendors specializing in sustainability and natural products, and more. Leash dogs and their owners are invited to dress in costume and join the popular Daffy dog parade at 12:30 p.m. Registration begins at noon at the Ridgewood Veterinary Hospital booth. And lastly, Village Council upcoming meetings. April 22nd is a work session. May 6th is a work session. May 13th is a public meeting. May 27th is a work session. And they all begin at 7:30 p.m. That concludes my report. Mayor,

thanks, Keith. Let's go to council reports. Frank. Yes. First time, Keith, the daffodil festival starts at 10:30. We moved it up a half an hour um and goes through to 2:30. Uh I might my committees did not meet yet. Um however, tomorrow night open space is meeting and we're going to be talking about the daffodil festival and also slow-mo. And that concludes my thing. Mayor, that's the end of your thing. Don't don't dazzle us with your vocabulary, Frank. Siobhan. Sure.

So, I want to begin and just say thank you to Keith and um our staff professionals who led the session on Monday night. Um it was an impressive all-star lineup of some very highly technical, highly competent people uh including our police chief. And I just want to thank everybody who took the time to attend and most especially our staff who spent several long hours answering um questions from the residents. So, I'm very grateful to them. Um I had one meeting uh yesterday morning at 8 am, which I just told Pam is an improvement from the 7 a.m. start time. Um the fields meeting met yesterday and our fields policy is traveling a path. It is set to be reviewed by board of ed policy this Friday and then it will be voted on because it's a joint document on the 24th. Um, I want to thank Mary McCalli for helping that happen, making that happen. Uh, it was also announced that our girls cheerleading squad swept it and we're going to have them here in May for a proclamation. So, congratulations to them. Um, all of our fields are currently open, which is exciting. Please be um mindful that if it there's excessive rain, we may close them for a day, but as of now, they are all open. April 25th will be the RBSA parade um which is super exciting, such a great tradition in Rididgewood. So, I hope even if you don't have a player, you join it um and take part in it. And it will end here on Vetsfield with a series of events that are nothing but fun. Um RBSA is alo also offering a special needs inclusionary program and there is no cap on the age. So, this has been sent to access. It's also been sent to the steps program and I want to thank them for partnering with our parks department and making this important event happen. If you've never been to it, I would highly encourage you to attend. It's it's a beautiful thing um of kids of all abilities enjoying the sport of baseball and softball. Um Rididgewood Lacrosse Day is going to be slightly different. It's a little

truncated this year and it'll be on Friday, May 5th. Um and I just want to say thank you to everybody um who participated in the fields meeting and for your time and the early morning rise. I feel some days that meeting goes so well. So, thanks. Thanks, Siobhan. Evan, uh, I was not here last week, so just want to wish everyone a belated happy Easter and happy Passover. Great. Pam

planning board met last night to consider the amendment to the blade sign ordinance, which we introduced at our last public meeting and is going to be um heard tonight. Uh, and this was a consistency review. In other words, the planning board was looking to see whether this amendment to a land use ordinance uh comports with the master plan and indeed uh they did approve it. They also um uh were briefed on the fourth round housing element amendment. uh and uh we've spoken about that here before and the plan there was a planning board member who expressed some concern about these this housekeeping ordinance that requires us to have a liaison uh who oversees administrative things that are happening under the uh affordable uh affordable housing um program. And he was cons, this member is an economist and he was concerned that affordable housing is an unfunded mandate that uh imposes on the municipal uh budget and our staff for their time. And I had mentioned at an earlier planning board meeting that there is a developers trust fund uh that when housing is built, the developers have to contribute into the municipalities trust fund to help pay for the staff and the professionals who who weigh in the lawyers and all that sort of thing. After the meeting, and I didn't get to mention this to the planning board, John Barry, our planner, came up to me and explained that there is a second trust fund that developers of non-housing

property have to contribute to when they build in Ridgewood. And this those funds are also at the villages disposal to defay these costs. But um I did tell the planning board that I would convey these concerns to the council and that's why I'm letting you know. Um I did want to also say to my fellow council members that you received an email from David May who is a councilman in um Mawa I think and he brings together council people from all the different towns and I've been to his meetings and they're very educational. It's really good to talk to your peers in other towns, see what their problems are that are similar to ours, different from ours, and I urge you to attend. Um, uh, I also want to commend the Chamber of Commerce for Easter in the park, which was just glorious. Uh Joan Groom, the director, estimated that 3,000 people attended and uh the egg hunt is just so much fun to watch. And uh there were all kinds of things going on throughout the event. Um and this is one of the things where the village collaborates with a private entity here. the village uh had somebody from parks and wreck, Scott, I forget his last name, who was there throughout the event to make sure that the garbage cans were not overflowing and that they were he was taking out the garbage from beginning to end. And at the end of the event, he had a full pickup truck of garbage. And an hour later, I drove by the the park and it was spotless. Uh so that was a really successful

event. Um and this morning I got to thank them in person at their board meeting. I'm going to be going to the chamber meetings filling in for Paul about about once a quarter and um it's just so interesting to hear what the merchants downtown what their concerns are. They're a very creative group. Um, let's see. Green Ridge Rididgewood and green team will be meeting tomorrow at 7:30 in the senior lounge. We will be discussing, of course, the daffodil festival and Earth Day Fair, uh, but also the Saddle River Coalition, which is a grassroots organization of towns along the Saddle River to discuss environmental concerns, flooding, and and that sort of thing. We also discussed skip the stuff, the law which recently the governor signed um to uh prohibit eeries, restaurants and other other establishments that uh prohi prohibits them from handing out plastic singleuse utensils in their takeout orders. Um also the condiments, you know, handfuls of ketchup and and that sort of thing. And so between the central business district advisory committee and Green Ridgewood, we're going to be going doortodoor to all the restaurants to make sure that before the August 1st effective date of this new law that everybody knows what the requirements are. Um, Central Business District Advisory Committee also will meet tomorrow at 8:30 a.m. in the caucus room here on the fourth floor. That's all I have.

Thank you, Pam. And let's get to our agenda. I move the clerk read ordinance 4090 by title on second reading and that the public hearing thereon be open. A second. Mortimer, yes. Heron, yes. Whites, yes. Wiggrad, yes. Vaganos, yes. Will the clerk please read the title of ordinance 4090 calendar year 2026 an ordinance to establish a cap bank NJSA 4-45.14 the public hearing is now open seeing no one I move the public hearing be closed second Mortimer

yes yes whites yesrad yes and vaganos Yes. I move that ordinance 4090 be adopted on the second meeting and final publication as required by law. I second the motion. Mortimer. Yes. Haron. Yes. Whites? Yes. Winterrad? Yes. And Jiannis? Yes. And we come to our budget hearing. Keith.

Thank you, Mayor. Um, at this time, I'd like to call up our chief financial officer, Bob Rooney, and Brian Gibbons representing our auditing firm, Navacia, to the front of the room. So, mayor, tonight we will be holding a public hearing on the 2026 municipal budget, which carries with it a proposed n 3.98 increase over 2025. The impact on the average home in Ridgewood assessed at $715,000 would be $195 for the year. I must say that in my 25 years in municipal government, this has been without question the most challenging budget year I've experienced. And these budget challenges are not just facing the village of Ridgewood, but towns, counties, and school districts throughout the state of New Jersey. I've spoken to many of my colleagues, not just in Bergen County, but outside of Bergen County, too. and more towns than not are facing anywhere from 6% increases up to 12% increases. That said, due to the difficult budget season and many budgets still under review, we unfortunately have not yet received approval from the Division of Local Government Services to adopt the BI village budget this evening. The vote to adopt will need to be carried to May after we receive that approval. So, with that, mayor, uh, we have Bob and Brian here, uh, with us tonight along with all of our department directors to answer any questions that might come from the village council or the public during the public hear public hearing on the 2026 municipal budget.

Gentlemen, welcome. Good evening. So, mayor, I think we can start. Do village council members have any questions at this point in time?

I don't just want to thank you. So, I know we've done literally dozens of hours of hearings. Um, I think we had a fairly large presentation. We had at least one other presentation. I we had all the directors here. Also want to thank all the directors for showing up in case we do get any questions in addition to the ones we've already received over the previous time. Um, so I have no further questions given just I think the vast amount of work that this council and this administration has put into coming up with this budget for this year. And while any anyone who has questions should certainly ask them now, I'm going to recommend that the council withhold its comments uh on this year's budget until we actually adopt it next month. Um just because I think it would be premature at that time. But if you have questions, by all means, these gentlemen are here to answer them. And mayor, if there's nothing from the council, then we can open it up to the public hearing. And again, all of our professional staff is here to answer any questions that might arise.

Will the village clerk please read the title of the 2026 budget? 2026 budget for the village of Ridgewood, County of Bergen, state of New Jersey. The public hearing on the 2026 budget is now open. Uh, good evening, Mayor and Council. Boyd a loving Rididgewood resident. I just would like to clarify. Will the budget hearing be continued until the time that you are able to vote on it or is the budget hearing tonight and tonight only? Tonight. So the budget hearing will close this evening.

Correct. Okay. Um a question. The big elephant uh with respect to this budget is something that the council uh can't talk about under the advice of the attorney and that is the state of what is happening with the valley hospital tax appeal. If the data that is posted online is correct, I believe that the valley hospital is currently paying or asked to pay 5.3 or 5.4 million in taxes each year. Is that correct, Mr. Murray? Approximately. Yes.

Approximately. Yes. Okay. And the property is valued at $181 million. Is that about right? I I don't recall. Assessed at 181. Okay. Now, I believe this question has been asked before and I believe the answer was by state law we are required to put that assessed value in the budget or account for that assessed value. Is that am I remembering what was said correctly? Yes. Yes. Including the net valuation status. Okay.

So a follow-up question to that is that we have to put the assessed value on our books. Do we have to put what we anticipate or what we would like to receive in taxes on the books as well or could we not do that based upon the fact that there is uh some litigation taking place and we don't know how that is going to turn out. What did we do this year? Did we put the 5.3 million in the budget? Yes. By law, we were required to include it in the budget.

Okay. So, we are required to include it in the budget. Are we required to spend it or to account for the expenditures against that 5.3 or could we put it in the budget and not touch it? I guess that's my question.

The problem you run into, it isn't just the village portion. It's the school portion and the county portion which we're required to pay to them by law. So the impact is substantial on those two pieces of property, but we have to include them in the assessment and we have to pay those taxes. I I think the better way to contextualize this is state law does not allow you to collect more than you need to operate. And the way tax collection works is that based on the budget for the school district, the budget for the village, and the budget for the county, we are only permitted to collect from the taxpayer what we approve as far as what our appropriations are in that year. So to answer your question in the most simplistic of terms, no, you can't collect more than you need and put it away for a rainy day, whether it has to do with valley or whether it has to do with any other purpose for doing so. So if you collect 5.3 you have to account for spending 5.3 realizing that not all 5.3 in fact only a small portion of the 5.3 is municipal budget which what we are talking about this evening most of it is school budget but

23% 23% okay so 23% of the 5.3 is is on the municipal side

um I guess my concern as well as a concern of many taxpayers who have read the court documents. I know the council has not been able to say much about this, but there is quite a bit of information on njcourts.com. The entire brief is there and many of us have read the entire entire brief and quite frankly the arguments that Value has are are pretty substantial. They've hired a pretty good law firm to fight this for them. So, I guess the concern is what happens if they win uh with respect to the 2026 budget and how that might affect taxpayers. I know you can't answer that because you can't answer a whatif question, but I just like to express my concern this evening that I've read the court documents. I think that they have a pretty good case and my concern is what happens to the municipal budget and the school budget and the county budget if we lose that case and are not able to collect the 5.3 million. And I just hope that the rest of you are thinking about the what if even though you can't discuss it as well. Thank you very much.

Thank you, Boyd.

Good evening, Michael. No, Richwood resident. Um, I got a very nice brochure in the mail a while back about the budget and the one item that sort of caught my attention was debt service and I forget the number if it was 7 million or 8 million something. Is that correct? Seven. Seven something. Okay. Um, so if my math is correct and I know we have a good bond rating, that means that we owe somewhere around 200 million or over $200 million. Is that correct? total between all of our entities. What is our total amount of money that we owe at the moment approximately? Give me a second.

Brian, do you have access to the annual debt statement? I would look that up now. Okay. Mr. No, he's going to look that up if you want to continue your remarks. Um, and I know that we have a lot more money that's sort of pending with the, you know, PAS treatment going on. So at the moment I assume that's not included because that's hasn't happened yet. So So keep in mind that that debt is associated with the water utility. It's not in the general fund. So you have you have three areas, three sections of the budget that account for debt service. One is the water utility, one is the parking utility, and one is the general obligation.

So that 7 million is not including the water. No, he's he's going to give you the numbers on the annual debt statement. When we report it to the state, we report all three. Okay. So, in that brochure, it says our debt service is 7 million. So, that includes the water, the parking, and the town. No, that's just general obligation. Oh, so that doesn't include the water and parking are separate. Okay. So, I would just be curious. The total amount of money that we owe, the total debts. Thank you, Brian. Do you want to just Thank you, Michael.

You want to just answer Mr. No's question? Sure. Uh the ads is broken out and it separates the water utility, the parking utility and then the general obligations of the current fund. Uh rest of the operations. Uh the water utility was 198,647,000. Uh parking utility 14,864,000 and general obligations is 79,24 25,000. So, keep in mind that that is the total authorized, unissued, the debt issued, short-term notes. That's everything included, not just what we would pay out tomorrow, right?

And and within the parking utility is the cost of the recently built garage. That's correct. Okay. So, when you say 14 million, it's not like just a parking situation. It's the infrastructure that was opened in 2020. And Bob, if you can speak to I was looking I'm looking to one of the presentations we gave previous. This was a point that I know that I asked a lot of questions about during our hearings and if I recall correctly and if you wouldn't mind speaking to it, our debt load has remained pretty consistently at the same dollar amount I believe over the last several years even without inflation. Uh if I recall correctly, am I right to say that? That's correct. It's been very steady.

Right. So even though inflation would account for anywhere from 3 to 5% 6% a year our total debt load and again I'm looking for the chart and I know you presented this once I believe over the last 5 to 10 years has remained pretty steady which is one of the reasons why our rating is so good. Correct. and why we get reasonable very attractive rates on our debt because of the AAA bond money

and and just to continue that point I know that when you and I discuss this Bob it's generally speaking give or take a dollar or two we bond $7.5 million a year approximately and we generally retire $7.5 million a year which is why we do it like that. So, this has been a custom that has has uh long preceded this council and that's why we have such a strong bond.

And and mayor, I'd also add that there are there are state regulations on debt service. Um it's a percentage of the total equalized value of the municipality. We are nowhere near that cap. And I believe that the total equalized value of the municipality, which is if you add it up the total property values of every property in town, jump in here if I'm off, Bob, is about six billion dollars with a B. Yes. Just to give everyone a sense of, you know, we owe 300 some odd million dollars. Um, but we have um the the value of the village is uh is pretty high.

And and also I'm sorry just to go on because I and I'm still relatively new. I've been here three years. I'm still somewhat new to municipal financing. Um I too questioned a lot of this when I joined the council and I was very surprised to see that our debt load is actually quite low compared to other similarly situated municipalities. And this practice of borrowing money in order to pay for capital um capital improvements is is just what's done. It's it's the practice against across municipal um municipal um funding. Um but again going back to earlier point, I don't want to beat this to death. The fact is this number has stayed pretty steady over the last several years. I think there'd even be a compelling argument that we can increase our debt load accounting for inflation. We have not done that. Um similarly, our reserves have actually increased. Um I believe actually they've stayed around the same have increased slightly over the last several years. That's the amount of money we keep behind. Um but this is the type of boring stuff that I absolutely love. Um, and if you go to the hearings, we talk about this a lot. Um, while some of these numbers sort of when you look at them, you know, sort of standing by themselves seem like a lot of money, we're actually extremely conservative compared to a lot of our um, our colleague municipalities across New Jersey. And and to Evan's point in terms of increasing our debt load, if we every year bond seven and a half million dollars to buy trucks and such, um pick a pick a truck 15 20 years ago a a pickup truck might have cost and I'm just going to pick a number out of the air 15 or $20,000. Today a pickup truck might cost 50 or $80,000. So if you're bonding $7.5 million a year every year, you're not getting as many trucks today as you used to get. And because the equalized value of all the properties in town has increased so dramatically, a very compelling argument is to increase our um annual bonding capacity by some

percentage which uh we have had these discussions with Keith and Bob and u and our representatives from Missia because we do need to keep buying equipment every year. We don't want to go beyond where we should go, but we need to do an analysis of where we should be because if it was seven half million dollars 20 years ago, everyone in this room knows doesn't buy what it buys. It doesn't buy what it used to buy. Mayor, to that point, my first year in municipal government, the prior year, 2001, the prior year, the administration where I was purchased four fire four firet trucks at one time for a total cost of $2 million. We're now looking at buying an engine truck, which is the least expensive of our fleet, for 1.2. And when the day comes that we have to replace the ladder truck, we're probably talking about a number in today's dollars of 2.4. So what we spent back in 2001 to buy four trucks, it will cost us more just to replace the ladder this year or in the next few.

Yeah. And again, going back to my earlier comments when we talked about cutting services, something none of us up here support, you can't cut fire trucks. you need fire trucks and they're really expensive. And the fact that we've kept our debt load um the we kept our debt load largely consistent while protecting the safety of the village again something I'm really proud of. And and and if Evan is is even hinting at spending more money, you know, it's probably should have been I'm not cheap when it comes to public.

And then also we don't take on debt because we've been proflegate um or just for the heck of it. We take on debt because the items that we need to buy are to benefit future generations and these things are meant to last. So that's why we have bonding and borrowing. Mayor, I just want to mention that the public hearing is still open. So yeah, sorry. Yeah. And and we were just commenting. So by all means, let's continue. I was having too much fun.

I did just want to say one thing for the public. So, one of the things since Evan and I have joined that we've done um capital discussion which is you know we're talking about the bond 7.5 million becomes um the joke is like the hunger games of who's going to get what but we do um we do start planning years out. So if we didn't give the fire truck this year it's earmarked for next year. So while we're having the discussion this year we move it so you can see our capital shift as we do more strategic long long-term planning which is a nice addition for anybody who wants to look at the budget in that level. Hi, I'm Bill Armbbruster. I'm a relatively new resident of Ridgewood. Welcome, Bill.

I've had the pleasure of meeting all of you on the council. Pam, I know especially from Green Ridgewood. Uh, I I love Ridgewood. It's a great town. I just have a few simple questions. Uh, roughly how many employees does the village have and what's the approximate breakdown between say police, fire and so on. other departments. So approximately 233 employees. I believe there's um 45 to 50 in the police, 45 to 50 in the fire department. Um blue collar 100 around here. Uh in in the 40s 40 to 50. Yeah. And that that's what

And keep in mind, Bill, that in the summertime we grow our employment by about 150 seasonal employees, too. running the pool, summer camps, young people programs, stuff like that. Yeah. And I'm sorry, Bill, one more thing. Keep in mind that does not include Board of Ed, which is a separate entity.

I'm aware of that. And uh one other thing, roughly how many vehicles does the village own and what's the breakdown? And I ask that because when my wife and I visit the recycling center, as we frequently do, bring our composting bucket and cardboard, uh, we're somewhat surprised at seeing all the vehicles there. And I'm not saying that it's too many, but it just seems a lot. And that's just for DPW. So, if you could address that, please.

So, I I don't have an actual count. I can certainly get that to you, but just one nuance that I want to point out. First of all, we are very unique in the fact that we do our own solid waste and recycling pickup. So, there's an entire fleet relative to that. We also um are unique in the fact that we have a specific shade tree division that works under our parks division and they have specialty equipment, which is what you're seeing when you go down to the recycling center. So depending on what those assignments are in the parks division, you know, they may be in a pickup truck lining a field for a baseball game on one day, the next day they could be out in one of those cherry picker trucks um removing trees. So we do have multiple um types of equipment that are used by multiple employees depending on what the task of the day is. And I think that's a lot of what you're seeing down at the recycling center. I see. And one last question. What happens with the vehicles when they become too old for continued operation? Do you recycle them or what happens to them?

So, if they're not usable, well, first we try to find use for another department. Uh, in some cases, we even have communications with other municipalities where they may have a need for vehicle and we can exchange or we can sell it to them. Uh but if we find that there is no use for it whatsoever, we declare it surplus and we auction it at a public auction um online online. Okay. Thank you.

I just also wanted to add with respect to fleet particularly in sanitation and public services. We're unique as well because it's in-house that we often have a backup. We don't buy one truck for sanitation, we buy two. In my first year on the council, we short changed DPW and we ran into a serious problem because the truck broke down and it had seated its lifespan. Um the duration of the larger trucks, it's like sometimes 18 months to get them and then it ends up being really expensive because that money moves over to operating because we have to lease a truck in the short term. So like we wouldn't have one ambulance, we have one with the backup, we have the two trucks for sanitation because things do happen to them. And and how long can you use one of those sanitation trucks for?

So it it depends you know every different um place has you know every we get police fire a police is also entered in a unique engagement with a rental organization that's also saved us from actually owning the car. So everybody does a different thing but lifespan depends and sometimes there are accidents or you know even with sanitation we've been increasingly worried about the fires that have been occurring in the trucks. So that can affect it and we do often try to find these trucks a second home or trade in value. But um my first year on the council just so people get it. When we didn't spend the capital we were like okay we we we saved a couple million dollars in not giving DPW the trucks failed. We have to pick up people's garbage. We had to enter a lease which moves into the operating fund and ate up the funds. Um I hope that helps.

Yes it does. Thank you all very much. And Bill, I just wanted to say too, the later later uh towards the end of this, one of the um things we're voting on is for surplus of equipment that came from um different fire trucks and things like that. So you'll regularly from seeing these meetings, you'll see where surplus goes. And actually, Bill, if you want to sit down, just two things. So I was sort of laughing a bit to myself because so much of what you're saying were things that really resonated with me on the vehicles piece. again if at some of the hearings if you saw like I remember some very spirited discussions we had around sweet streers and sign trucks because I was asking a lot of the same questions you were which was why do we need all this stuff and I think when you whenever the directors come to us for new vehicles there's some really really hard questioning about really do we need these vehicles um so I feel pretty confident that when we do authorize a purchase of a new vehicle it generally is a need to have not a nice to have um and we've held I think um a lot of the directors to account specifically on vehicles for a lot of the same reasons you're bringing up, which is why do we need so many? Um I my fellow council members are correct though. A lot of the specialty vehicles, they're used, you know, for certain things. We need them because it's more expensive to go out and hire third parties to do it rather than investing money and doing it ourselves. The lifetime use of them are actually pretty significant. Most of those vehicles do last a decade or more. Um in terms of your employee question at the beginning, again, you're you're completely spot on. Um, one of the real headwinds we've had has been um, insurance costs for our employees. And without a doubt, our biggest expense and our most important expense is taking care of our employees. But I know we've all been very, very clear about not increasing the size of our permanent headcount because of how much it costs to provide benefits for those folks. And we've been very stingy in the best way possible in only bringing on full-time people like for fire or for police where you really need it and trying to either keep our headcount flat um or go to part- timerrs because they're essentially it's just cheaper. Um but your comments are really spot on, Bill, and really appreciate um you coming and speaking to them.

Thank you. Thank you, Bill. Thank you. Who else? I know Denise had some before I brought up some comments if if there are people have something to say about cuts. Again, this is the time to speak to it before we we actually vote in the budget. So, I don't know if Denise is still on the line or if anyone in the audience wants to speak to her comment about cuts. I'd be very interested to hear if there was some fat that we could cut because I I'd be I'd be interested in exploring that. No one has their hand raised at the moment. Okay, Evan. And so with that, I will move that the public hearing on the 2026 budget be closed. I second. Mortimer. Yes. Aaron, yes. Whites,

yes. Wiggrad, yes. Vianis, yes. So, mayor, I just want to say that uh we anticipate that after we get the approval from the division, this will allow the village council to consider the adoption of the 2026 municipal budget at the public meeting in May. Great. Then let's move on. I move the first reading of ordinance 4095. I second that. Mortimer. Yes. Karen, yes. Whites, yes. Renegrad, yes. Vaganas, yes. So ordered. Will the clerk please read ordinance 4095 by title

bond ordinance providing a supplemental appropriation of $4 million for the construction of new treatment plants in and by the village of Rididgewood in the county of Bergen, New Jersey and authorizing the issuance of 4 million bonds or notes of the village to finance the cost thereof. I move that ordinance 4095 be adopted on the first reading and that April 22nd, 2026 be fixed as the date for the hearing thereof. I second the motion. Mortimer, yes. Heron, yes. Whites, yes. Wiggrad, yes. Vaganas, yes. And forgive me um for moving on without thanking you gentlemen for coming here and asking answering all the questions. We really appreciate your time and actually for all the directors as well. I don't know.

Absolutely. And mayor, with your permission, I'd like to uh dismiss the directors. Uh they've been here all day and um being that there were no questions at the budget hearing, I think it could be time for them to go home. Agreed. Absolutely. Thank you all for being here. It's all greatly appreciated. Thank you guys. Ready, set, go.

There are no public hearings. I'll go to resolutions for Richard Water. The following resolutions number 26-102 to 26103 are to be adopted by a consent agenda with one vote by the village council. It will be read by title only. Authorized collaborative pilot test with revive environmental technology on-site granular activated carbon regeneration. Authorized execution of NJ dot utility engineering construction agreement and NJ dot utility engineering construction agreement amendment guard guide rail installation and protection of rigid water underground infrastructure. May I have a motion? So moved. Second. Mortimer. Yes. Parin. Yes.

Whites? Yes. Wiggrad. Yes. And Bajanos. Yes. I move the clerk read ordinance 4091 by title on second reading and that the public hearing thereon be opened. I second the motion. Mortimer. Yes. Heron. Yes. White. Yes. Wiggrad. Yes. Vaganos. Yes. Will the clerk please read the title of ordinance 4091? An ordinance to amend ordinance 4020 to fix the salary wage or compensation of and for the supervisory employees of the village of Rididgewood County of Bergen and state of New Jersey for the years 2026 and 2027. The public hearing is now open. Seeing no one, I move the public hearing be closed. I second. Mortimer,

yes. Heron, yes. Whites, yes. Wiggrad, yes. And Vaganos, yes. I move that ordinance 4091 be adopted on the second reading and final publication as required by law. I second the motion. Mortimer. Yes. Haron, yes. Whites. Whites? Yes. Wiggrad? Yes. Vagos? Yes. I move the clerk read ordinance 4092 by title on second reading and that the public hearing thereon be opened. A second. Mortimer. Yes. Parin. Yes. Whites. Yes. Wiggrad, yes. And Bajianos, yes. Will the clerk please read the title of ordinance 4092,

an ordinance to amend and supplement chapter 3 of the code of the village of Ridgewood, administration of government to reorganize emergency management provisions by amending SAC section 3-47 entitled Emergency Management Council, relocating certain provisions of section 3-47, and creating a new section 3-43.5 entitled Emergency Management The public hearing is now open. Seeing no one, I move the public hearing be closed. I second. Mortimer, yes. Haron, yes. Whites, yes. Wiggrad, yes. Majanos, yes.

I move that ordinance 4092 be adopted on the second reading and the final publication as required by law. I would like to second the motion. Mortimer, yes. Perin, yes. Whites, yes. Wiggrad, yes. Vaganos, yes. I move the clerk read ordinance 4093 by title on second reading and that the public hearing thereon be opened. Second. Mortimer. Yes. Parin. Yes. Whites. Yes. Wiggrad. Yes. Vaganos.

Yes. Will the clerk please read the title of ordinance 4093. An ordinance to amend chapter 145 of the code of the village of regionwood fees and section 145-4 departmental fees as it relates to fees for authorizing cost recovery by the office of emergency management for non-emergency requests for assistance. The public hearing is now open. Seeing no one I move the public hearing be closed. Second. Mortimer. Yes. Haron. Yes. Whites? Yes. Wiggrad? Yes. Vaganos? Yes. I move that an ordinance 4093 be adopted on the second reading and final publication as required by law. Second the motion Mortimer.

Yes. Parin Whites. Yes. Ordrad. Yes. Vanos. Yes. Thank you, Jeremy. I move the clerk read ordinance 4094 by title on second reading and that the public hearing thereon be opened. Second. Mortimer, yes. Perin, yes. Whites, yes. Wiggrad, yes. And Vaganos, yes. Will the clerk please read the title of ordinance 4094,

an ordinance to resend and replace in its entirety ordinance number 4087 to amend chapter 190 of the code of the village of Rididgewood entitled zoning in section 190-122 entitled signs and in section 190-12H10 entitled blade signs. I move the I move excuse me the public hearing is now open. Seeing no one I move the public hearing be closed. I second that. Mortimer. Yes. Parin. Yes. Whites. Yes. Wiggrad. Yes. Vanos. Yes. I move that ordinance 4090 be adopted on the second reading and the final publication as required by law. You second the motion. Water.

Yes. Haron. Yes. Whites. Yes. Wiggrad. Yes. Vaganos. Yes.

The following resolutions number 26-104 to 26-115 will be adopted by consent agenda with one vote by the village council. They will be read by title only. Award contract billing of basic life support services. Award contract under state contract diesel fuel and gasoline. Award contract under by board national purchasing cooperative 2025 ambulance. or professional services contract, drug and alcohol testing and pre-employment physicals. Authorize partial refund of real estate property taxes paid on tax exempt property block 3307 lot 2. Authorize agreement with New Jersey Institute of Technology. Design of flood mitigation strategies and storm water drainage improvements. Endorse submission of recycling tonnage grant. Authorize application for 2026 New Jersey Historic Trust Capital Preservation Grant. Rehabilitation of pedestrian tunnel at Ridgewood train station. Declare property surplus police car equipment. Declare property surplus and authorized transfer to vendor of new ambulance for tradein. Uh approve the village of Rididgewood's fourth round affordable housing trust fund spending plan and endorse the amended housing element and fair share plan. Have a motion.

So moved. Second. Mortimer. Yes. Parin. Yes. Whites. Yes. Wiggrad. Yes. Vaganos. Yes. Let's return to public comment.

Uh good evening. Boy day loving again, Ridgewood resident. Uh Deputy Mayor Perin made some comments earlier about wanting to go around to restaurants and encourage the restaurants not to give out uh single serving plastic spoons and things like that unless they were asked for. Uh we just may I just make a suggestion. We just returned from Berlin and in Europe they don't use plastic at all. They use wooden spoons, knives, things like that. So when you go around, maybe you can ask the restaurants if they do intend to give out any uh individual or single serving things for people who want takeout that they make a switch from plastic to wooden. That would be a big help in terms of the environment. Um, I don't know what the price difference is between the two, but if they're giving them out in Berlin, I'm sure that it's it's not that much uh more expensive if in fact it may be cheaper. Um, they really into the environment over there. Uh, they only give out wooden. They don't give out a lot of napkins. I don't know. I can There were a number of other things we saw that said, "Wow, this is what they should do in the US." But if you're going to go around and speak to the restaurants, perhaps you can suggest that they talk to their restaurant supplier and try to get wooden in instead of plastic. Thank you.

Thank you, Boyd. Anybody else? Seeing no one, we're going to close public comment and entertain a motion to adjourn. So, excuse me. Wait, does anybody want to comment catching myself on the comments made from the podium tonight? Yeah. It was bamboo. Sorry. Uh, boy, do you think it was bamboo rather than wood? You don't know. Okay. Anybody else? I will now entertain a motion to adjourn. So moved. Second. All in favor? I. Let's go.