Citizens praise Lorraine Reynolds at Ridgewood meeting; concerns voiced about 'The View' plantings, municipal debt figures and local newspapers

A large portion of the Village of Ridgewood’s Dec. 11 meeting was devoted to public comment, much of it in praise of Councilmember Lorraine Reynolds as she nears her retirement from the dais. Speakers also raised policy and operational concerns about recent plantings at 'The View', municipal finance figures and the availability of local newspapers for legal notices.

Tributes to Councilmember Reynolds

Multiple residents — including Nancy Brennan Hill, Anne Loving, Saurabh Dhani, Hyunju Kwak, Boyd Loving, Ellie Gruber, Cynthia O'Keefe, Susan Ruayan and others — thanked Reynolds for years of service, citing leadership, attention to detail, advocacy for Schedler neighbors and work on Project Pride. Ellie Gruber accused the council of hiring an "unqualified" historian during a past historic-designation process and said that decision led to "tens of thousands of dollars" in unnecessary spending; that allegation was made during public comment and was not addressed with a rebuttal during the meeting.

The View plantings and maintenance concerns

Resident Bill McCandless described a $39,000 planting project at The View and questioned the choice and placement of fast-growing saplings and conifers, asking how the trees would be maintained and whether resident input had been sought. Manager Keith responded during his report that parks staff met with nearby residents, will prune new plantings semiannually to preserve the view and intend the plantings to form a protective buffer.

Questions about municipal debt figures and newspapers

Michael Ngo asked why a village brochure listing annual debt service of $7–8 million appeared to differ from earlier remarks referencing a $70–80 million deficit; Village Manager Keith explained that the capital budgeted debt service for non-water projects is about $7.5–8 million per year and offered to provide a breakdown of general capital, Ridgewood Water and parking utility allocations. Boyd Loving raised concerns about the future of legal notices if local printing operations close and suggested the council consider options at a future work session; Manager Keith and others noted the municipality is complying with current statute and encouraged residents to engage state legislators about updating notice laws.

Why it matters

Public comment highlighted community interest in transparency around spending, long-term maintenance of public plantings and the preservation of local media channels used for legal notifications. The meeting also reflected civic engagement around an outgoing councilmember whose actions have shaped recent local debates.

Source

All quotes and claims are taken from the Dec. 11 council meeting transcript.