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Council debates ending annual sidewalk permits; reviews vehicle purchases and shared-services deal
Summary
The council discussed rescinding an annual sidewalk permit program to give the village more oversight of sidewalk repairs and tree impacts, reviewed several old-capital purchases for streets vehicles and snowplows, and considered a shared-services agreement with Hohokus and a county grant for veterans field lighting.
Ridgewood — At the Feb. 5 council workshop, engineering staff proposed rescinding the village’s annual sidewalk contractor permit and replacing it with per-job permits to improve coordination and allow tree inspections. Staff reported the village has lost about $21,000 in revenue under the annual-permit approach and said individual permits would improve accountability.
Council members voiced concerns about downstream impacts on residents and contractors if work requires an in-person permit visit for each job. Several council members suggested middle-ground options: retain an annual-permit option but require contractors to notify the building department before each job or create an electronic notification/approval process to avoid delays and added cost to homeowners. The council asked that the engineering manager, Chris, attend a subsequent meeting (Feb. 26) to answer questions and explore compromise options.
On capital and purchasing, the village manager said staff has been auditing prior-year capital appropriations and presenting requests to spend remaining funds where projects remain necessary. Items discussed included two 2024 F-550 chassis and dump-body purchases; snowplow purchases sized to fit the new trucks; and smaller purchases for streets and parks. The workshop packet also listed multiple water-pollution-control purchases under cooperative contracts (digesters, RAS pumps, a booster system and bypass pump) out of prior capital appropriations.
Council members discussed a shared-services agreement proposed with the borough of Hohokus for signal-division maintenance and holiday-light installation; staff indicated they will add language to include fiber-network work performed in Hohokus. Officials said staff will calculate past hours and fees for the service for council review. The village also presented authorization to sign a Bergen County Trust Fund contract for $103,000 to assist with veterans field lighting; staff characterized that item as routine acceptance of grant funds pending final council authorization.
Council members asked staff to continue to vet the sidewalk policy change with contractors and to bring the engineering manager to a work session for further discussion. Several members asked staff to prefer electronic notification or to include fines/teeth in the rules for contractors who fail to notify the village of individual jobs.
