Ridgewood council adopts $18.8M in water service bond measures, passes stormwater, fees and driveway ordinances; lease amendment passes 4–1

The Village of Ridgewood council on Dec. 11 adopted multiple ordinances and administrative measures, moving forward on water infrastructure, stormwater controls and local code changes while approving a lease amendment over one dissenting vote.

Council members adopted Ordinance 40-23, a bond ordinance appropriating $12,300,000 to fund a Ridgewood Water service line replacement program, and Ordinance 40-24, a $6,500,000 bond for a property-owner led service line replacement program. Both measures were read by title, opened for public hearing — with no public speakers — and were adopted on second and final reading by recorded roll call votes.

The council also adopted Ordinance 40-25, amending Chapter 190 of the village code to update stormwater management and flood-protection provisions; Ordinance 40-26, updating departmental fees; and Ordinance 40-27, setting residential driveway standards with provisions addressing permeable surfacing and impervious coverage. Council members said the stormwater ordinance is a step toward addressing chronic flooding in parts of the village.

A large consent agenda cleared by a single roll call vote included procurement actions and contract awards tied to PFAS treatment work, single-source corrosion-inhibitor funding and withdrawals from two class-action settlements (Tyco and BASF), plus routine professional-service agreements and shared-services items.

Separately, Resolution 24-411 — amendments to the village lease with Help Barn USA for the gatehouse at Habernacle Park — was read in full and passed 4–1. The vote was recorded as Perrin Yes; Reynolds No; Weitz Yes; Winograd Yes; Vagianos Yes. Manager Keith told the council the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection (Green Acres) approved minor updates to the lease; he also noted the changes had been discussed previously in closed session.

Votes at a glance

- Ordinance 40-23 (Ridgewood Water service line replacement bond), $12,300,000 — adopted by recorded roll call; recorded Yes votes included Perrin, Reynolds, Weitz, Winograd and Vagianos. - Ordinance 40-24 (property owner-led service line replacement bond), $6,500,000 — adopted by recorded roll call. - Ordinance 40-25 (stormwater management & flood protection amendment) — adopted on second reading; council members emphasized flood-mitigation effects. - Ordinance 40-26 (departmental fees amendment) — adopted on second reading. - Ordinance 40-27 (residential driveway standards) — adopted on second reading after public explanation of impervious-coverage and permeable-surface considerations. - Consent agenda (Resolutions 24-375–24-379 and 24-380–24-410) — adopted by single roll call covering contracts, shared services and administrative actions, including PFAS-related contracts and class-action withdrawal authorizations. - Resolution 24-411 (Help Barn USA lease amendment at Habernacle Park) — adopted 4–1; Reynolds recorded the sole No vote.

What council said

Village Manager Keith explained that many capital projects include contingencies because conditions discovered during excavation can change costs; he cited underground storage-tank removals and large PFAS facility work as examples that justify change orders and additional allowances in bids.

What happens next

Adopted bond ordinances authorize issuance of debt and appropriation for the listed projects; staff will pursue contract implementation, permitting and, where required, publish final ordinance notices as required by law. The Help Barn USA lease amendment paperwork will be executed by the mayor and village clerk per the adopted resolution.

Sources and provenance

This article is based on the Village Council meeting transcript (public hearing/readings and roll-call votes) and on statements by Village Manager Keith and council members during the Dec. 11, 2024 meeting. The specific ordinance titles and appropriation amounts were read aloud by the clerk during the meeting.