Village Council Meeting

A REGULAR PUBLIC WORK SESSION OF THE VILLAGE COUNCIL OF THE VILLAGE OF RIDGEWOOD HELD IN THE SYDNEY V. STOLDT, JR. COURT ROOM OF THE RIDGEWOOD VILLAGE HALL, 131 NORTH MAPLE AVENUE, RIDGEWOOD, NEW JERSEY, ON SEPTEMBER 29, 2025 AT 7:30 P.M. 1. CALL TO ORDER – OPEN PUBLIC MEETINGS ACT – ROLL CALL – FLAG SALUTE Mayor Vagianos called the meeting to order at 7:36 p.m. and read the Statement of Compliance with the Open Public Meetings Act. At roll call, the following were present: Councilmembers Mortimer, Perron, Weitz, Winograd, and Mayor Vagianos. Also present were Keith Kazmark, Village Manager; Heather Mailander, Village Clerk; and Matthew Rogers, Village Attorney. Mayor Vagianos led those in attendance in the Pledge of Allegiance to the flag. 2. COMMENTS FROM THE PUBLIC Michael Noe, a resident of Ridgewood, thanked the Village Council for the sidewalk and paving project on South Pleasant Avenue. Mr. Noe asked about the status of the Kensington assisted living facility project and whether or not Kensington has submitted any revised plans to the Village Council for approval. He asked if the public would be notified when the court hearing is scheduled regarding the Kensington litigation, and if the public will be allowed to attend the hearing and make comments. There were no further comments from the public. Addressing Mr. Noe’s questions, Mr. Kazmark indicated that Kensington has not submitted any revised plans to the Village. He is not certain whether or not Kensington will be submitting new plans to the Village, but feels that perhaps they will present their plans to the public to get feedback. Mr. Kazmark believes that before the Kensington matter is scheduled for a court hearing, a mandated mediation will be held. Mr. Rogers confirmed that mediation is part of the process before there is a final determination. A mediation hearing involves only the parties to the litigation. If the matter goes to trial, Mr. Rogers said that the Village will notify the public of the trial date. Mr. Kazmark added that there is also litigation filed against Ridgewood by the Fair Share Housing Center. Mr. Rogers explained that the Fair Share Housing Center is the statewide advocate for affordable housing. 1 Village Council Regular Public Work Session September 29, 2025 3. VILLAGE MANAGER’S REPORT Mr. Kazmark apologized for not being able to attend the Village Council meeting on September 24, 2025, since he had an unexpected family commitment. He thanked Ms. Mailander for giving the Village Manager’s report in his absence. Mr. Kazmark stated that leaf collection flyers have been mailed to all Village households. He said that there is a QR code on the flyer this year which can be scanned to access leaf collection information on a mobile device. The leaf collection schedule is also being uploaded to Recycle Coach. Mr. Kazmark said that households will also be receiving a flyer in the mail about the Local Open Space Tax referendum question which will be on the ballot in November’s General Election. Mr. Kazmark said that earlier this year, the Village Council authorized a ballot question proposing that the existing Open Space Trust Fund Levy be increased by one penny per one hundred dollars of assessed property value. This would result in an additional tax of $35.64 per year to the average Ridgewood property owner. Mr. Kazmark encouraged residents to read through the brochure to familiarize themselves with the ballot question. The sample ballot for this year’s election has already been uploaded to the Bergen County Clerk’s website. Mr. Kazmark said that the Village is completing more road resurfacing. Smaller streets are set to be paved in the next few weeks. South Pleasant Avenue was just paved and striped. The project on Hammond Road is approaching finalization. Mr. Kazmark thanked Rich Tarleton and his crew in the Signal Division for their assistance in installing some traffic calming devices at the intersection of Oak Street and East Glen Avenue. The traffic light at the intersection of Linwood Avenue and Maple Avenue has been replaced with some key safety features. The Mayor’s Wellness Campaign has launched the 12-week, 1 Million Minutes of Wellness Challenge, which will run until December 5, 2025. He said that the minutes are adding up and can be seen on the thermometers in different locations at Village Hall and the Ridgewood Library. At least 200,000 minutes have already been logged. Participants should log on to the Wellness Challenge on the Village website to log their minutes. The annual Farmers Market, sponsored by the Ridgewood Chamber of Commerce, continues to be held on Sundays through October 29th, from 8:30 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. at the train station on the west side. The next Council Chat will take place on Saturday, October 4th, from 9:00 a.m. to 11:00 a.m. in the Village Hall Caucus Room, across from the courtroom. Individuals may call 201-670-5500, extension 2206, to make reservations. Walk-ins are welcome, but those with reservations will receive priority. 2 Village Council Regular Public Work Session September 29, 2025 The Ridgewood Guild will host their Harvest Festival Marketplace on Saturday, October 4th, from 11:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. in Memorial Park at Van Neste Square. The Ridgewood Health Department will hold their annual Flu Clinic on Tuesday, October 7th, in the Youth Center on the first floor of Village Hall, from 10:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. Interested individuals should call Valley Community Health for an appointment at 201-291-6090. The YMCA will host Oktoberfest on Sunday, October 12th, on the west side, from 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Free parking will be available at the Hudson Street Parking Garage. Mr. Kazmark stated that all Village offices will be closed on Monday, October 13, 2025 in observance of Columbus Day. The Recycling Center will also be closed on that date. There will be no curbside bulk pickup that week. Upcoming Village Council meetings are as follows: Work Sessions on October 22 and November 5, 2025 and Public Meetings on October 8 and November 12, 2025. All meetings commence at 7:30 p.m. 4. VILLAGE COUNCIL REPORTS Councilmember Mortimer stated that last weekend, the Ridgewood Arts Council hosted “Chalk- A-Lot” at Orchard School, which was a big success. The last Park Walk at Twinney Pond also took place last Saturday. Councilmember Winograd thanked American Legion Post #53 for hosting the Gold Star Families event in Memorial Park at Van Neste Square on September 28, 2025, as well as volunteers from Ridgewood High School who lit all of the luminaries during the event. Councilmember Winograd reminded everyone that tomorrow, Mayor Vagianos will be making a video of himself running on his treadmill, in keeping with the Mayor’s Wellness Campaign. She also spoke about planning for the upcoming 10th annual Ridgewood Elder Dinner sponsored by HealthBarn and the Old Paramus Church, where a Thanksgiving meal is served to Ridgewood’s senior residents. Councilmember Winograd reminded everyone that the Shade Tree Commission is meeting tomorrow night (outside of its regularly scheduled time) in the Garden Room at Village Hall. Councilmember Weitz echoed Councilmember Winograd’s comments regarding the Gold Star Families event last night, stating that the American Legionnaires did a wonderful job reminding everyone of the ultimate sacrifices made by Gold Star Families. He stated that students from Ridgewood High School did an amazing job making the park look as beautiful as possible. He encouraged everyone to attend this event next year, on the last Sunday of September. 3 Village Council Regular Public Work Session September 29, 2025 Councilmember Weitz wished everyone who celebrates a safe and easy fast for Yom Kippur. He expressed gratitude to his Village Council colleagues for moving the usual Wednesday Village Council meeting to this evening, since October 1 begins the Yom Kippur observance. Deputy Mayor Perron said that she will be attending temple tomorrow evening, and she wished an easy fast for those who observe. Deputy Mayor Perron said that the New York/New Jersey Trail Conference came to Ridgewood at the request of Nancy Bigos, Director of the Parks and Recreation Department, to give an introductory trail maintenance training at Habernickel Park. She stated that with well-marked trails, people will stay on the trails and not wander off. This is important for the undergrowth and health of any park. The New York/New Jersey Trail Conference has submitted a draft assessment, which will be published once it is finalized. This will aid in maintaining stewardship of parklands and address elements of the Master Plan. Most of the trail maintenance will need to be done by volunteers and residents who observe trail conditions four times a year. These conditions are reported to a trail captain who will take action to ameliorate the conditions observed. If a tree has fallen and is covering part of the trail, the trail captain will make sure that the tree is cut so that the trail does not remain blocked. There will be other training sessions on October 13, 2025 and October 26, 2025. More details will follow. Deputy Mayor Perron believes that the next session will be held at Grove Park, with Jim Bostler acting as trail captain. Deputy Mayor Perron said that the Gold Star Families event was very moving, solemn and respectful. She thanked Mayor Vagianos for remembering Neil Edara, a cadet in the U.S. Army ROTC who died in July during a training exercise, whose family was in attendance during the Gold Star Families ceremony. The Planning Board is scheduled to meet on October 7, 2025 at 7:30 p.m. in the courtroom at Village Hall. Mayor Vagianos encouraged everyone to attend the next Gold Star Families event. He said that the event does not last too long and is a beautiful and moving tribute to those families who lost loved ones in the military. 5. PRESENTATIONS A. RIDGEWOOD BUSINESS ALLIANCE – PRESENTATION OF 2026 BUDGET Deputy Mayor Perron pointed out the Work Plan for the Ridgewood Business Alliance (RBA) which was distributed to the Village Councilmembers. The Work Plan includes the Mission Statement and proposed budget. Deputy Mayor Perron explained that the RBA is a public/private 4 Village Council Regular Public Work Session September 29, 2025 nonprofit entity that will be applying for 501(c)(3) charitable status. There are now 13 members of the RBA Board of Directors, and they are seeking to add more members outside of the Central Business District (CBD) area and from nonprofits. Deputy Mayor Perron said that the Mission Statement states that the RBA’s mission is to energize and enhance the business environment of the Village through marketing, branding, economic development, advocacy, and select capital improvements. It is committed to promoting and maintaining the Village as a prime destination for visitors, residents, organizations and businesses. Another goal of the RBA is to maintain the historic character of the Village. In terms of marketing, Deputy Mayor Perron said that the RBA seeks to promote shopping, dining, and events in the Village, making Ridgewood the premier destination in northern New Jersey. Regarding economic development, the RBA seeks to make it easier for businesses to operate in Ridgewood. One of the ways in which this will be accomplished will be assisting property owners to attract and retain a diverse mix of tenants. Deputy Mayor Perron said that there are 17 things that a Special Improvement District (SID) can do statutorily, and the RBA hopes to take advantage of those responsibilities and powers. Regarding capital improvements, Deputy Mayor Perron said that there are many ways to improve the look of building facades, signage, lighting, as well as improving directional signals and maps. The RBA hopes to help businesses by removing snow from sidewalks, maintaining mulch in the tree wells, fixing the bricks in the sidewalks, and cleaning up public areas. Deputy Mayor Perron said that any actions taken will be up to the discretion of the RBA Board of Directors and not the Village Council. The only action to be taken by the Village Council is to look at the budget and decide whether or not to approve it. The statute requires that the RBA Board of Directors be composed of more than 50% commercial property owners. Regarding capital and visual improvements, the RBA wants to create a visual impact to attract visitors and businesses to Ridgewood by revitalizing retail and commercial areas. Regarding administration, Deputy Mayor Perron stated that the RBA has to set up and conduct its day-to-day operations. The RBA is currently in the process of looking for office space, opening a bank account, and researching insurance. Deputy Mayor Perron then spoke about the benefits of a SID. Everyone would see a more inviting and vibrant community, and businesses would benefit from increased foot traffic and consumer activities. Residents will benefit in terms of a walkable experience and enhanced property values. Deputy Mayor Perron said that the RBA has developed a list of more than 300 commercial properties. Some properties are mixed use (commercial use with apartments) and some are residential properties that have more than four units. Single-family homes and two-family homes are not going to be part of the SID. Certain nonprofit organizations have been chosen to be part of the SID as well. 5 Village Council Regular Public Work Session September 29, 2025 Deputy Mayor Perron pointed out the map that she distributed to the Village Councilmembers showing the boundaries of the SID, and the area showing the expanded Central Business District (Tier 1). Their proposal for revenue is that Tier 1 businesses would pay an assessment of 4% of their prior year’s taxes paid. Deputy Mayor Perron said that the RBA just received a list of what Tier 1 businesses paid in 2025. The 4% assessment would be assessed and collected by the Village, after which time the Village will return those funds to the District Management Corporation (DMC), i.e., the Ridgewood Business Alliance, for them to spend as the RBA Board of Directors decides. Deputy Mayor Perron then described the remaining 69 properties (outliers) comprising the SID. These Tier 2 businesses would pay a 2% assessment to the Village, based upon their prior year’s taxes paid. Deputy Mayor Perron said that payment of both assessments is not voluntary (according to statute) and that everybody is included. Regarding the budget, Deputy Mayor Perron stated that the anticipated income based upon the assessments would be $760,550.55. The RBA is proposing that approximately $200,000.00 of that revenue be spent on marketing and branding, with $40,000.00 of that amount representing management (Executive Director) costs. Deputy Mayor Perron said that Stuart Koperweis, President of Economic Development Strategists, has advised that management costs have to spread out over each of the RBA’s goals. The RBA is proposing to spend $170,000.00 of that revenue for economic development. In terms of capital and visual improvements, the RBA is proposing to spend $216,000.00. Regarding administration, Deputy Mayor Perron said that the RBA proposes to spend approximately $174,550.55. The total expenses would equal the proposed revenue of $760,550.55. Deputy Mayor Perron said that all of the revenue collected in one year does not have to be spent all at once. Some of the revenue can be carried over to the following year. She stated that when visiting other SIDs, they were told to “start small.” She said that if anyone has any questions about the proposed budget, they should feel free to ask her. Councilmember Mortimer thanked Deputy Mayor Perron for all of the work she has done with the SID and the Ridgewood Business Alliance. He said that he understood that there were currently 13 members of the Board of Directors and that the RBA is still seeking members for the Board of Directors to represent the nonprofits and Tier 2 businesses. Councilmember Mortimer said that he would like to get feedback from the nonprofits and Tier 2 businesses before voting on the proposed budget, to see what they think about the proposed budget. In addition, Councilmember Mortimer asked how the boundaries of the SID were determined, since the outlines shown on the map by Deputy Mayor Perron seem to exceed the boundaries of what he believes to be the Central Business District. He said that one of the boundaries goes all the way to Southern Parkway, which is near Ridgewood High School on East Ridgewood Avenue. 6 Village Council Regular Public Work Session September 29, 2025 Deputy Mayor Perron said that she and others walked around the Central Business District. She said that when one is standing by Mount Carmel Church, one can see offices and medical facilities while looking down Prospect Street, all of which benefit from the Central Business District. She said that people live in the Mayflower Apartments because they want to be near the Central Business District. Councilmember Mortimer asked why the condominiums on Hope and Liberty Streets were not included in the SID. He said that the determined boundaries seem to be arbitrarily chosen. He said that the only entity he can think of on Southern Parkway is the James Rose Center. Deputy Mayor Perron said that the James Rose Center would not be assessed because it is not a commercial entity. Councilmember Mortimer said that the area shown on the map does not represent the Central Business District as he has always thought it to be but seems to be “cherry picking” which boundaries to use. He said that even though Deputy Mayor Perron was advised to “start small,” it did not seem to Councilmember Mortimer that this area comprising the SID was small at all. Deputy Mayor Perron said that there are apartment buildings all along East Ridgewood Avenue, until one reaches the Ho-Ho-Kus Brook, and that is the reason why the delineation line goes all the way to Southern Parkway. Councilmember Mortimer again asked, if that were the case, why the condominiums on Hope and Liberty Streets (by South Irving Street) are not included as well. Deputy Mayor Perron said that the Heritage Homes are included. Councilmember Mortimer said that he was not talking about Heritage Homes, but was talking about the condominiums (he couldn’t recall the name of them). Deputy Mayor Perron stated that the condominiums are a part of the Heritage community, but Councilmember Mortimer disagreed. He stated that there is a separate condominium association, and Deputy Mayor Perron agreed. Mayor Vagianos stated that the current members of the RBA Board of Directors are essentially the committee that spent two years organizing every facet of the SID. Regarding the mapping out of the SID, Mayor Vagianos said that they spent at least a couple of months trying to determine the boundaries of the SID. He said that there are no clear lines of demarcation. During discussions, there were a lot of disagreements but eventually agreement among the members. There was a discussion between Councilmember Mortimer and Mayor Vagianos about the boundary lines of the SID, with Mayor Vagianos emphasizing how much time was spent to come up with the boundaries and Councilmember Mortimer expressing his feeling that the boundaries seemed to be arbitrarily chosen. Councilmember Weitz added that the outlined boundaries of the SID are not necessarily what a resident of Ridgewood would call the CBD. Deputy Mayor Perron called it the extended CBD. Councilmember Weitz said that while he shares Councilmember Mortimer’s concern, he takes comfort in knowing that the people who developed the boundary lines are the ones who will be most affected by the determined boundaries. He said that the boundaries encompass the prime 7 Village Council Regular Public Work Session September 29, 2025 retail locations within the Village. Councilmember Weitz said that he wanted to thank everyone who has been working on establishing the SID and Ridgewood Business Alliance, and stated that he fully supports this initiative. However, Councilmember Weitz said that he would like to see some sort of appeal or due process option for businesses who feel that they were placed in the wrong tier or businesses that feel they will not benefit from the SID and RBA. He said that he understands that there cannot be any “free riders” in this program. Councilmember Mortimer said that the best way to have Tier 2 (Outliers) represented sufficiently would be to have members of the RBA Board of Directors looking out for their interests. Deputy Mayor Perron agreed and stated that they have reached out to a few nonprofits to ask them to send a representative to sit on the RBA Board of Directors. Councilmember Weitz said that he had asked Deputy Mayor Perron about assessments against regular apartment buildings, and she indicated that there is a member of the RBA Board of Directors who is representing the interests of the apartment buildings. Deputy Mayor Perron said that the by-laws of the RBA allow for 17 board members, so they are looking for four more members. Mr. Rogers added that when the relevant ordinance was set up, the properties/businesses and addresses included in the SID were set forth on a separate schedule. The SID does not have the same delineated boundaries as the CBD. Councilmember Mortimer added that he is not comfortable voting on a budget for the RBA when certain people are not represented on the RBA Board of Directors, although he fully supports this initiative. When Councilmember Mortimer spoke with Mr. Koperweis about the budget, Mr. Koperweis said that the numbers shown were just “placeholders.” Therefore, he said that he would like to see more “meat” around some of the numbers, particularly line item 15, “Support Events/Promotions/Retail” for $85,000.00 and line item 27, “Streetscape/Beautification” for $70,000.00. He asked if this latter item would replace the already formed Ridgewood Beautification Team (RBT) or if it would supplement the efforts of the RBT. He said that he wanted to see more facts bolstering these numbers. Councilmember Weitz agreed with Councilmember Mortimer. Councilmember Winograd thanked everyone who helped to organize the SID and RBA, particularly Deputy Mayor Perron. She said that the efforts of the RBA will supplement the efforts of the RBT. She said that the RBT relies heavily upon volunteers and a significant number of their volunteers are getting older, so she welcomes the assistance of the RBA. Councilmember Winograd agrees with the suggestions made previously regarding having adequate representation on the RBA Board of Directors for all members of the SID. She asked if the RBA had established a logo and, if so, whether the RBA could start “putting it out there” to seek wider membership and to amplify its message, particularly on social media. Councilmember Winograd said that she agreed with the need for marketing/web/social media/advertising as indicated in line item 12, “Brand/Build Village Image,” but she feels that $75,000.00 is a lot to spend for that purpose. She asked if the RBA would be creating their own content or paying for 8 Village Council Regular Public Work Session September 29, 2025 someone else to create it. Councilmember Winograd then spoke about creating messaging and then promoting the messaging. She noted line item 41, “Postage, Printing” for $1,000.00. Councilmember Winograd hopes that this item can be eliminated and that most messaging can be done via the web or social media, so that the RBA could go paperless. She agrees that there should be an appeal process in the bylaws for someone pleading a hardship. Councilmember Winograd asked if the RBA has someone to fill the Executive Director position. Councilmember Winograd offered her services and the services of the talented interns who help on some of her committees. Deputy Mayor Perron said that a job description has been developed for an Executive Director, but the job has not been published yet. B. RIDGEWOOD WATER – UPDATE ON PFAS TREATMENT FACILITIES Mr. Kazmark said that Richard Calbi, Director of Ridgewood Water, would give an update on the PFAS Treatment Facilities. Mr. Kazmark stated that Ridgewood Water is more than halfway done with the PFAS Treatment Facility Buildout, throughout its service area. It is anticipated that the entire $150 million investment will be completed by the beginning of 2027. Only one more PFAS Treatment Facility contract still needs to be awarded. Mr. Calbi said that he last appeared before the Village Council on September 4, 2024 to give an update on the PFAS Treatment Facility Buildout. Mr. Calbi first gave a PFAS construction update, focusing on the 12 treatment facilities that are being built to filter out PFAS from the drinking water. The first PFAS Treatment Facility in Ridgewood, and one of the first in New Jersey, was the Carr PFAS Treatment Facility, which went online in September of 2019. The PFAS Master Treatment Plan was completed in 2020, and in 2021, the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection (NJDEP) established the maximum contaminant levels for PFOA (14 parts per trillion) and PFOS (13 parts per trillion) and gave a one year deadline in order to accomplish same by 2022-2023. In August 2022, the second treatment plant, the Twinney PFAS Treatment Facility in Ridgewood, went online. In addition, Ridgewood Water completed an interconnection with the Passaic Valley Water Commission, adding water into the system that was below the NJDEP maximum contaminant levels. Mr. Calbi said that in 2023, an Administrative Consent Order with the NJDEP was signed by the Village. To date in 2025, there are nine PFAS Treatment Facilities under construction. In addition, Ridgewood Water established a year-round interconnection with the Borough of Hawthorne, whose water is PFAS-free. In the past, water was just purchased from Hawthorne during the summer months, but now it is purchased year-round, with more water received in the summer months and less water in the winter months. Mr. Calbi said that a new 10-year contract was negotiated with Hawthorne, which will include a summer commitment as well as a 9 Village Council Regular Public Work Session September 29, 2025 commitment in the winter. He added that Hawthorne water is ground water and is fully treated by the treatment plant on Goffle Road in Hawthorne. By 2026, Mr. Calbi said that 11 out of 12 PFAS Treatment Facilities will be active. The twelfth and final PFAS Treatment Facility will be carried over into the early part of 2027. Mr. Calbi then showed a video depicting the Wortendyke PFAS Treatment Facility, which contains the second largest vessels manufactured by Calgon. Mr. Calbi said that this video shows the breadth of what it takes to build a PFAS Treatment Facility, from initial conceptual design to actual construction. Each vessel contains 40,000 pounds of carbon to filter PFAS from the water. The Wortendyke PFAS Treatment Facility was built with an $8.3 million investment through the New Jersey Infrastructure Bank (I-Bank). Mr. Calbi said that the vessels are rolled into the building on roller skids. He said that Ridgewood Water is leveraging every possible construction avenue there is to get this work done as quickly as possible. For the Wortendyke PFAS Treatment Facility, the contractor chose to build the building first, but in most cases the vessels are set up first and then the building is constructed around them. Mr. Calbi then described the construction progress of the 12 different PFAS Treatment Facilities and showed a list depicting the name of each PFAS Treatment Facility, the construction contract amount, the project start date and the anticipated operation date (some which have occurred already). He said that the construction costs entail the costs for building the PFAS Treatment Facilities only and do not include any of the costs for engineering designs, construction inspection, or administration. Mr. Calbi said that the “Date Operational” column shows the date by which the PFAS Treatment Facility will produce PFAS-compliant water, not necessarily the date by which all of the concrete and paving work will be completed. Councilmember Mortimer asked what the life expectancy is on the vessels, and Mr. Calbi said that the life expectancy is 50 years. The carbon in the vessels has to be replaced every year. He said that he will soon come before the Village Council to propose a joint venture with the New Jersey Institute of Technology (NJIT), where NJIT is looking into technology to extend the life of the media (carbon) and quicker methods to test for PFAS (it currently takes a week to test). The carbon is recycled and the Village receives back the recycled carbon. Mr. Calbi said that the Carr and Twinney PFAS Treatment Facilities have been online since 2019 and 2022, respectively. The Ravine PFAS Treatment Facility in Ridgewood is anticipated to be online in November 2025. The Prospect PFAS Treatment Facility in Glen Rock should be online tomorrow. Water treatment will commence tomorrow, but the plant construction will not be completed. The Ames PFAS Treatment Facility in Wyckoff is anticipated to be online in April of 2026, the East Ridgewood and West End PFAS Treatment Facilities in Ridgewood will be online in January of 2026, and the Wortendyke PFAS Treatment Facility in Midland Park should be online in February 2026. Mr. Calbi said that the Eastside PFAS Treatment Facility in Ridgewood is anticipated to be online in October 2026, the Mountain PFAS Treatment Facility in Wyckoff 10 Village Council Regular Public Work Session September 29, 2025 will be online in October 2026, the Main PFAS Treatment Facility in Glen Rock should be online in October of 2026, and the Cedar Hill PFAS Treatment Facility is anticipated to be online in March of 2027. Total construction costs for the buildout amount to approximately $67.3 million. Mayor Vagianos said that he has heard that the total buildout will cost $150 million. Mr. Calbi said that additional costs on top of the $67.3 million for construction costs will include costs for engineering designs, construction inspections, construction administration, interest and fees on I-Bank loans, and other ancillary costs. When questioned further by Mayor Vagianos, Mr. Calbi said that the “all in” cost (current projection) is $98 million, inclusive of construction, engineering, construction administration and inspection costs. With interest and fees, the overall project is expected to reach $150 million. Mr. Calbi said that this is only a projected figure and does not take into account principal forgiveness and lower interest with the I-Bank. Mr. Calbi showed on the screen a portion of the Ridgewood Water website. He said that all of the information on the website is available to the public, and the PFAS Resource Page has been on their website for the past couple of years (accessible from the home page under “Water Quality”). This page provides a snapshot of each PFAS Treatment Facility and it is updated on a regular basis with completion dates, costs, and videos which show the time lapse for each PFAS Treatment Facility. Mr. Calbi explained the other information that can be accessed from the Ridgewood Water website, such as FAQs and health information. Mr. Calbi then gave a breakdown of facts for each PFAS Treatment Facility. The Carr PFAS Treatment Facility treats six wells out of the system and contains four Calgon vessels, with a total volume of 80,000 pounds of carbon, and treatment capacity of 1.44 million gallons per day. To build out the Carr PFAS Treatment Facility, 3,250 feet of raw water mains had to be constructed to connect the Linwood well to the PFAS Treatment Facility. The Linwood well went live this year after completion of the diversion with Green Acres. The Twinney PFAS Treatment Facility treats two wells out of the system and contains two Calgon vessels, with a total volume of 40,000 pounds of carbon, and treatment capacity of 1.13 million gallons per day. Councilmember Mortimer asked how many gallons of water is in Graydon Pool. Mr. Calbi said that he did not know. Mr. Rogers said that the NJDEP monitors and puts a restriction on how much water is able to be processed per day. Mr. Calbi said that during the winter, the average daily demand is approximately five to six million gallons a day, and the average daily demand in the summer is about 15 to 17 million gallons a day. Mr. Calbi then stated that the Ravine PFAS Treatment Facility treats two wells out of the system and contains two Calgon vessels, with a total volume of 40,000 pounds of carbon, and treatment capacity of 0.72 million gallons per day. The four largest facilities (“The Big Four”) are the Wortendyke, Prospect, Cedar Hill and Ames PFAS Treatment Facilities. The Wortendyke PFAS Treatment Facility in Midland Park included 20,850 linear feet of raw water mains to connect the 11 Village Council Regular Public Work Session September 29, 2025 satellite wells to the PFAS Treatment Facility. The Cedar Hill PFAS Treatment Facility in Wyckoff included 17,400 linear feet of raw water mains to connect the satellite wells to the PFAS Treatment Facility. The Prospect PFAS Treatment Facility in Glen Rock required 7,850 linear feet of raw water mains to connect the satellite wells to that PFAS Treatment Facility, and the Ames PFAS Treatment Facility in Wyckoff required 8,900 linear feet of raw water mains to connect the satellite wells. The construction costs of the water mains themselves was approximately $17 million. Mr. Calbi said that the Prospect PFAS Treatment Facility treats six wells out of the system and contains eight Calgon vessels, with a total volume of 160,000 pounds of activated carbon, and treatment capacity of 2.90 million gallons per day. He said that four of the six wells will be active tomorrow, and two of the four vessels will be active and online. The remaining two wells will come online in the following months. The Ames PFAS Treatment Facility treats seven wells out of the system and contains six Calgon vessels, with a total volume of 120,000 pounds of carbon, and treatment capacity of 2.16 million gallons per day. This PFAS Treatment Facility had to be built as a house to replicate the character of the residential homes in the area and to meet the requirements of cultural resources from the NJDEP, since the site is culturally significant, based upon its age. The Wortendyke PFAS Treatment Facility treats a total of ten wells and contains only four vessels, since the vessels are double the size of the vessels at the other facilities. The Wortendyke PFAS Treatment Facility has 160,000 pounds of activated carbon, with a treatment capacity of 2.90 million gallons a day. The final PFAS Treatment Facility, the Cedar Hill PFAS Treatment Facility, treats nine wells out of the system and contains four Calgon vessels, with a total volume of 200,000 pounds of carbon, and treatment capacity of 3.60 million gallons per day. He said that the Cedar Hill PFAS Treatment Facility is the largest of the 12 treatment plants and has been the most complex to get “over the goal line.” Mr. Calbi said that this plant was originally supposed to be operational by now, but cultural resources were found on the site and an archaeological dig had to be conducted on the site. A Memorandum of Agreement was completed with the NJDEP and the United Stated Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA) earlier this year. Once that was signed in January, Mott MacDonald (the engineer for the project) was given the go-ahead to start the final design. Final permits were obtained by June 2025, and authorization from NJDEP and the I-Bank was received to go out to bid. The project was sent out for bid and was advertised. Bids were received in August 2025, but those bids had to be rejected because they were over the estimated costs developed by Mott MacDonald. The bid has been sent out once again for bid. Based upon these delays, it is anticipated that this treatment PFAS Treatment Facility will go online in the beginning of 2027, rather than by the end of 2026. Mr. Calbi then explained the resin anion exchange projects. These two plants will be built with resin media as opposed to carbon media. The resin media will be used because these sites are very constrained in terms of space. Resin vessels are much smaller than carbon vessels. The East 12 Village Council Regular Public Work Session September 29, 2025 Ridgewood PFAS Treatment Facility is right in the middle of a parking lot behind two medical office buildings, across from the Duck Pond on East Ridgewood Avenue. He said the West End PFAS Treatment Facility in Ridgewood is progressing. This PFAS Treatment Facility will treat two wells, will have two resin vessels with 14,000 pounds of resin, and will have a treatment capacity of 0.62 million gallons a day. This construction required 6,150 feet of raw water main to connect the satellite well to the West End PFAS Treatment Facility. The East Ridgewood PFAS Treatment Facility will treat two wells, will have two resin vessels with 28,000 pounds of resin, since it is treating a higher volume, and will have a treatment capacity of 1.19 million gallons per day. It is expected that these vessels will be delivered on October 14, 2025, and the vessels for the West End PFAS Treatment Facility are expected to be delivered next week. Mr. Calbi then described the final three PFAS Treatment Facilities (Eastside in Ridgewood, Mountain in Wyckoff, and Main in Glen Rock). Ground has not yet been broken for any of these facilities, but contracts have been awarded for all three facilities. The contractors are working on their shop drawings, ordering all of their materials, and obtaining all approvals. The Main PFAS Treatment Facility in Glen Rock will treat one well, will contain two vessels with 40,000 pounds of activated carbon, and will have a treatment capacity of 0.36 million gallons per day. The Mountain PFAS Treatment Facility will service a single well, with two vessels with 40,000 pounds of activated carbon, and will treat 0.36 million gallons of water per day. The Eastside PFAS Treatment Facility will service two wells in the system, will also have two vessels with 40,000 pounds of carbon, and will treat 0.72 million gallons of water per day. The Eastside PFAS Treatment Facility required 4,650 feet of raw water main to connect the two wells to that PFAS Treatment Facility (East Saddle River well and the Salem well, which are on “postage stamp” sites). Mr. Calbi then described projected versus actual costs for the PFAS Treatment Facility Buildout. In May of 2020 when the Master Plan was complete, estimated costs for construction, engineering, inspections and administration were $89 million. Inflating those numbers to today’s dollars, Mr. Calbi said that the costs have risen to $117 million. Based on their current projections, it is estimated that the total costs for construction, engineering, construction administration and inspection costs will reach $98 million by the end of 2026/beginning of 2027. Added to that figure will be costs for fees, interest, and other ancillary costs. Mr. Calbi said that Ridgewood Water has done everything possible to try to offset these costs. He said that $2.8 million was received two years ago, via a Federal grant from Congressman Gottheimer’s office. Another $1 million grant has been approved for Ridgewood in the 2025 State Budget. There is a resolution on this evening’s agenda authorizing the acceptance of this grant. In addition, Mr. Calbi said that Ridgewood Water has been guaranteed interest forgiveness on several loans with the I-Bank, which he projects to be approximately $5 million to $7 million. On each individual project where the I-Bank has committed the loan, they have authorized a certain amount of principal forgiveness, as part of the American Infrastructure Act under former 13 Village Council Regular Public Work Session September 29, 2025 President Biden, of between $1 million to $2 million. In addition, part of each loan (50% to 75%) will be at 0% interest, and the remainder will be at the I-Bank competitive market rate (which sometimes beats the Village rate). In addition to that, Mr. Calbi said that they are expecting legal recovery from the manufacturers of these forever chemicals as well as insurance recovery. Mr. Calbi estimated that in the end, there will be 20% to 25% of total recovery against total costs. Mr. Calbi then spoke about water conservation. He said that he emphasizes water conservation because while these PFAS Treatment Facilities have been under construction, it is Ridgewood Water’s goal to provide the largest volume of PFAS-compliant water that is below the PFAS maximum contaminant level (MCL). With two active treatment facilities, buying water from Hawthorne and the Passaic Valley Water Commission, Mr. Calbi said that there is only so much of a percentage that can be put out every day that is below the PFAS MCL. The more that people conserve water, the higher the percentage becomes. Water conservation will also protect the current distribution infrastructure for the time being, until 100-year-old pipes can eventually be replaced. Mr. Calbi then showed a video showing reasons why water conservation and adequate water pressure are so important, particularly for firefighters who need water when putting out a fire. He thanked Fire Chief John Judge for his assistance in creating this video. Mayor Vagianos thanked Mr. Calbi for his comprehensive presentation, which will be posted on the Village website. Councilmember Weitz also thanked Mr. Calbi for giving his presentation. He said that the 2020 Master Plan estimated that the PFAS Treatment Facility Buildout would cost $89 million, and adjusting this figure for inflation would bring the cost to $117 million today. The current projection is $98 million as of today, and Councilmember Weitz asked if this means that there is a deficit in the budget allocations for the buildout of almost $20 million. Mr. Calbi said that this was correct. Councilmember Weitz said that the $150 million figure is arrived at when interest and ancillary costs are added to the $98 million, and Mr. Calbi confirmed that this was correct. Councilmember Weitz said that Mr. Calbi indicated that approximately 25% of these costs could be recouped through various avenues, such as grants, principal and interest forgiveness, litigation recovery and insurance recovery, and this was confirmed by Mr. Calbi. Councilmember Weitz then asked if Mr. Calbi is getting everything that he needs from the Village and elsewhere so that these avenues can be aggressively pursued. Mr. Calbi replied that he believes Ridgewood Water has “turned over every possible avenue there is” in an attempt to offset the projected costs. He thanked Mr. Kazmark and the Village Council for hiring the policy consultant for Ridgewood Water, who helped them get the Federal and State grants. Mr. Calbi also thanked local State legislators for their assistance over the past two years, particularly for the $1 million grant which has been allocated in the State budget. Mr. Kazmark said that he and Mr. Calbi have been aggressively pursuing various opportunities for grants and monies to offset the projected costs. He said that he and Mr. Calbi literally cornered the Assembly Appropriations Chair at the top of an escalator in Atlantic City, during a 14 Village Council Regular Public Work Session September 29, 2025 meeting of the League of Municipalities, and asked her about the $1 million grant. This Assembly Appropriations Chair represents the Borough of Glen Rock in the Legislature, and controls a large amount of the “purse strings” in Trenton on the Assembly side. Councilmember Winograd opined that the more Ridgewood Water does to make the drinking water safer, the more grant-worthy the Village will become. Councilmember Weitz asked how Ridgewood Water can “come in under budget” and how efficiencies can be improved. Mr. Calbi said that a key factor is being ahead of the game. If Ridgewood Water was just starting to build these treatment facilities today, the competition would have been increased significantly for contractors, equipment (vessels), grants and loans. All of the big water utilities have to comply with the lower MCL mandated by the USEPA. Mr. Calbi said that since Ridgewood Water started early to bid out the PFAS Treatment Facility projects, they received very competitive pricing, with some quotes coming in lower than estimated. Mr. Kazmark added that only one bid came back in excess of what was estimated by Mott MacDonald (Cedar Hill PFAS Treatment Facility), which is very telling of how competitive the market has become. 6. DISCUSSION: A. RIDGEWOOD WATER 1. APPROVE PROJECT AND TITLE 59 APPROVAL – WEST GLEN AVENUE BOOSTER STATION Mr. Calbi indicated that this matter pertains to project approval and Title 59 approval regarding the West Glen Booster Station. Ridgewood Water must construct a new booster station on Glen Avenue to transfer water from the Low Zone to the Intermediate Zone (in the higher elevations of Midland Park and Ridgewood). This will prevent the low water pressure emergency that happened last year. This project will include the installation of a new 16-inch submersible pump, with a variable frequency drive to control the flow rate; a buried meter chamber; electric service and appurtenances; new piping, valves and fittings; bollards to protect the new equipment; and fencing and landscaping to protect and screen the electrical equipment. In order to obtain permits for the electrical installation, the Village Council must adopt a resolution supporting these improvements in the public right-of-way. All electrical equipment will be above ground, and all other equipment will be on or under the ground. Copies of the plans are on file in the Ridgewood Water office. Once the resolution is approved, then the Building Department will be in a position to release the permits. Councilmember Weitz asked if this project was included in the budget approved earlier this year, and also asked where the booster station will be physically located. Mr. Calbi said that funds for 15 Village Council Regular Public Work Session September 29, 2025 this project were allocated in the 2025 budget, and the booster station is located in a County- owned public right-of-way (side yard by the Art Institute) and is not located on property owned by Ridgewood Water. When questioned by Councilmember Weitz about the obtrusiveness of the booster station, Mr. Calbi reiterated that the chamber, all of the piping and the pump will be below grade, with a pitless adapter which will stick out of the ground. The electrical equipment will be mounted on a concrete pad, with either a slatted fence or bush landscaping to screen and protect the equipment. Mr. Kazmark added that this project is a direct response to the boil water advisory which occurred last September, as recommended by Mott MacDonald. Mr. Calbi said that he hopes the project will be completed at the end of October 2025. 2. AWARD CONTRACT – LEASE OF FORD MAVERICK HYBRID COMPACT PICKUP TRUCK AND FORD ESCAPE SUV PLUG-IN HYBRID Mr. Calbi said that this matter deals with the awarding of a contract for the lease of a 2025 Ford Maverick hybrid compact pickup truck and a 2025 Ford Escape SUV Plug-In Hybrid for Ridgewood Water. One vehicle is replacing Vehicle 144 (to be declared as surplus property) and the other vehicle is an addition to the Ridgewood Water fleet for two new staff members – an environmental engineer trainee and a public works inspector – which were both approved in the 2025 budget. Mr. Calbi stated that the environmental engineer trainee is expected to start next month, and they are still trying to find a candidate to fill the public works inspector position. It is recommended that this contract (four-year lease) be awarded to Enterprise Fleet Management, of Wayne, New Jersey, in an amount not to exceed $16,148.16. Funding is contained in the Water Utility Operating Budget Councilmember Weitz asked Mr. Kazmark to explain the advantages of leasing a vehicle versus outright purchase of a vehicle. Mr. Kazmark indicated that the Village has endeavored to use Enterprise as the leasing authority for its municipal fleet, in most cases. Enterprise has the ability to deliver vehicles on a timely basis. If the Village were to go through the State contract vendor to either lease or buy new vehicles, the wait time for delivery of the vehicle is usually between 18 and 24 months. Lieutenant John Chuck and Chief Forest Lyons approached Mr. Kazmark, along with Mr. Rooney (Chief Financial Officer), and explained the Enterprise program to him. In order to get the equity up, the payments on a monthly basis are higher. The Village gets a “buy back check” when the vehicle is returned to Enterprise. Mr. Kazmark gave the example of the Police Department leasing a Jeep Cherokee from Enterprise. The lease agreement was for $23,400.00 over three years, but the buyback check was $12,000.00. Mr. Kazmark indicated that the net cost over three years was $11,400.00. He said that the Police Department also leased a Nissan Rogue, and the buyback was actually more than the Village expended during the term of the lease. Mr. Kazmark gave another example when a vehicle for the Health Department was leased through Enterprise, which lease payment was less 16 Village Council Regular Public Work Session September 29, 2025 expensive that what it would have been through a State contract. Mr. Kazmark added that some of the leased vehicles go back to Enterprise for routine maintenance, which lessens the burden for the crew at the Department of Public Works Fleet Services Garage when vehicles have to be serviced. In addition, rotation of leases calls for less serious maintenance to be addressed internally. 3. AWARD CONTRACT UNDER NORTH JERSEY WASTEWATER COOPERATIVE PRICING SYSTEM – PASSAIC VALLEY SEWERAGE COMMISSION – CARBON STEEL SPOOL – GLEN AVENUE TANK BOOSTER STATION Mr. Calbi explained that this item pertains to the awarding of a contract, under the North Jersey Wastewater Cooperative Pricing System through the Lead Agency, the Passaic Valley Sewerage Commission, for the purchase of a carbon steel spool to replace the existing flange spacers, to facilitate the placement of a new valve control at the Glen Avenue Tank Booster Station. It is recommended that this contract be awarded to Rapid Pump & Meter Service Co., of Paterson, New Jersey, in an amount not to exceed $16,985.00. Funding is contained in the Water Utility Capital Budget. 4. AWARD CONTRACT UNDER EDUCATIONAL SERVICES COMMISSION OF NJ CONTRACT – FURNISHING AND INSTALLATION OF GENETEC VIDEO SERVICES Mr. Calbi stated that this matter deals with the awarding of a contract, under the Educational Services Commission of New Jersey, for the purchase and installation of Genetec Video Servers. Besides the servers, this purchase will include 288 terabytes of storage and two uninterrupted power supplies. The existing video management software will be configured to the new Genetec Servers. This new system is necessary to support the security system buildout that is underway for the new PFAS Treatment Facilities, including merging of the existing water security infrastructure (cameras and door readers) into the Genetec platform. This will create seamless access for Ridgewood Water personnel and the Ridgewood Police. It is recommended that this contract be awarded to Open Systems Integrators (OSI), of Hamilton Township, New Jersey, in an amount not to exceed $74,338.16. Funding is contained in the Water Utility Capital Budget. 5. AUTHORIZE CHANGE ORDER – ADDITIONAL COLD WATER METERS AND ACCESSORIES Mr. Calbi stated that this item pertains to the authorization of a Change Order for the purchase of additional cold water meters and accessories for Ridgewood Water. These are the meters that are in all homes in the service area. On January 15, 2025, a contract was awarded to Rio Supply, Inc., in an amount not to exceed $223,451.70 per year, for year one of a two-year contract, for 17 Village Council Regular Public Work Session September 29, 2025 the purchase of cold water meters and accessories. At this time, an additional $40,000.00 is requested to fund the purchase of additional water meters. This purchase is necessary because there has been an influx of water meters that were found to be either stuck or frozen and not registering consumption, which must be replaced as soon as possible. Without additional funding, the program will be put on hold until next year. There remain approximately 300 meters left that need to be replaced, but Ridgewood Water only has funding left to purchase about 75 meters for the remainder of the year. It is recommended that this Change Order #1 be awarded to Rio Supply Inc., of Sicklerville, New Jersey, in an amount not to exceed $40,000.00. Funding is through the Water Utility Operating Budget. Deputy Mayor Perron asked how long these cold water meters usually last. Mr. Calbi said that he would have to find out and let her know, but he believes it is five to seven years. 6. AUTHORIZE CHANGE ORDER – PROFESSIONAL SERVICES FOR PFAS TREATMENT FACILITIES – PROSPECT, AMES, WORTENDYKE, AND CEDAR HILL – ADDITIONAL CONSTRUCTION ADMINISTRATION AND OBSERVATION Mr. Calbi explained that this matter deals with the authorization of a Change Order for the professional fees rendered by Mott MacDonald for the “Big Four” PFAS Treatment Facilities (Prospect, Ames, Wortendyke and Cedar Hill). On March 8, 2023, a Professional Services Contract was awarded to Mott MacDonald in the amount of $1,946,000.00 for engineering construction administration and inspection services at the four treatment plants. At this time, Mott MacDonald is requesting an additional $653,000.00 for ongoing construction administration and observation for the four treatment facilities. This request is based upon the fact that there have been significant changes in the construction start dates and project durations (originally anticipated to be built across an 18- to 24-month schedule, instead of the current 43 months) and an unanticipated level of effort required to meet the administrative and inspection requirements of the New Jersey Infrastructure Bank (I-Bank). Mr. Calbi said that Mott MacDonald has personnel onsite daily for these projects, which is required by the I-Bank. A minimum of two individuals from Mott MacDonald oversee the construction at the sites, in addition to various office staff that do all of the administrative work (review of shop drawings, requests for information from contractors, and pay applications). It is recommended that Change Order #1 be approved for Mott MacDonald of Iselin, New Jersey, in an amount not to exceed $653,000.00. Funding is in the Water Utility Capital Budget. 18 Village Council Regular Public Work Session September 29, 2025  7. AUTHORIZE DEPARTMENT OF COMMUNITY AFFAIRS GRANT APPLICATION – MAIN PFAS TREATMENT FACILITY Mr. Calbi explained that this item deals with authorization of a New Jersey Department of Community Affairs (DCA) grant application regarding the Main PFAS Treatment Facility. This is the $1 million grant that Mr. Calbi spoke about earlier. This resolution is necessary to support the application in the SAGE system and to authorize Mayor Vagianos’s signature on the application. 8. DECLARE VEHICLE SURPLUS PROPERTY Mr. Calbi explained that this matter pertains to the declaration of Vehicle #WA144 as surplus property. Ridgewood Water no longer needs this vehicle for public use and it was taken out of service in July of 2024, due to the needs for excessive repairs. This vehicle is a 2016 Jeep Patriot with about 65,439 miles on it. Mike Junta, Supervisor of Public Works and Fleet Services, has indicated that this vehicle needs approximately $8,100.00 in repairs and the Blue Book value of this vehicle is between $4,200.00 and $6,400.00. B. PARKING 1. AMEND CHAPTER 145 – FEES – PARKING PERMIT FEES Mr. Kazmark stated that this matter pertains to amending Chapter 145, Fees, regarding parking permit fee increases for 2026. This increase was recommended in a report by Walker Consultants in December 2021. Mr. Rooney is recommending a modest increase for annual parking permits to enhance parking income and keep up with budgetary requirements. Once Walker Consultants is again engaged by the Village, they will be assigned the task to review current meter rates, parking duration and revenue needs for consideration in the future as part of their proposal. Mr. Kazmark pointed out the proposed rates for 2026 attached to Mr. Rooney’s memorandum. For residents, the rate for a premium parking permit will increase from $1,450.00 to $1,500.00, and from $1,550.00 to $1,800.00 for non-residents. There is no recommendation for increased rates for metered parking on this list. These proposed rates and/or non-increases may change when the Walker Consultants report is completed. Councilmember Mortimer suggested increasing the non-resident rates for premium and non-premium parking permits even higher than shown on the list. Mr. Kazmark said that he believed that increases have maintained “a certain pace” between the resident and non-resident rates in the past. Ms. Mailander corroborated same and stated that this year the rate is more for non-residents. She said that any other parking permit rate changes would take effect in 2027, because Walker Consultants will probably not be rendering their recommendations until April or 19 Village Council Regular Public Work Session September 29, 2025 May of 2026, and people will have already paid their annual parking permit fees for 2026 by that time. Mayor Vagianos indicated that only a few non-resident parking permits are sold each year, but Ms. Mailander indicated that the premium non-resident parking permits actually sold out this year. Mayor Vagianos said that only a handful of premium non-resident parking permits are sold, and Ms. Mailander agreed when comparing these to the number of resident parking permits sold. Mayor Vagianos asked Ms. Mailander to furnish him with a breakdown of resident versus non- resident parking permits sold each year, and she said that she would do so. Ms. Mailander added that many residents are now commuting to work rather than working remotely, so she anticipates that more residents will be purchasing parking permits than ever before, much more than non- residents. Councilmember Winograd also asked if Ms. Mailander could furnish her with the daily parking permit statistics as well. When questioned by Mayor Vagianos, Mr. Rogers replied that there are no legal restrictions on how much non-residents can be charged for municipal parking permits. Mr. Kazmark said that the “argument” is that residents are subsidizing parking through their property taxes. Councilmember Mortimer said that he wants to make sure that parking permits are available for residents and that all are not sold to non-residents. 2. AMEND CHAPTER 265 – VEHICLES AND TRAFFIC – PARKING PROHIBITED AT ALL TIMES – EXTENSION OF FIRE ZONE ON BEVERLY ROAD Mr. Kazmark stated that this matter deals with an amendment to Chapter 265, Vehicles and Traffic, regarding the enlargement of the prohibited parking zone on Beverly Road. While the Engineering Department was overseeing installation of pavement markings on Beverly Road after construction of the cul-de-sac (roundabout), the Fire Department and Police Department requested that the existing “Parking Prohibited at All Times” for the Fire Zone markings be enlarged from the existing 53 feet to 74 feet to improve emergency vehicle responses to the high school and allow maneuvering of large emergency vehicles. C. BUDGET 1. AWARD CONTRACT UNDER EDUCATIONAL SERVICES COMMISSION OF NJ CONTRACT – CCTV & ACCESS CONTROL SYSTEM – PURCHASE AND TECHNICAL SUPPORT – VARIOUS LOCATIONS Mr. Kazmark explained that this item pertains to an award of contract, under the Educational Services Commission of New Jersey, for the purchase of equipment, service and licenses for Access Control and CCTV for the Police Department. Lieutenant John Chuck has requested additional funding to replace and upgrade the fire safety doors at Village Hall; create a new 20 Village Council Regular Public Work Session September 29, 2025 CCTV and access control system at Ridgewood Office of Emergency Management (OEM) Headquarters; replace all of the existing outdoor call boxes at Village Hall, Fire Department Headquarters and Fire Station 31; and add panic alarm systems for offsite office employees like Sanitation, Fleet Services, and the Ridgewood Fire Department. The Village is currently maintaining a $2 million security system, running over 300 points of contact Village-wide. The new system will continue to manage all systems through a centralized network that will give them better monitoring and control over the Village of Ridgewood properties. Lieutenant Chuck is not satisfied with the technical support received from the current vendor and is recommending that a contract with a new vendor be awarded. It is recommended that this contract be awarded to Open Systems Integration (OSI), of Hamilton, New Jersey, as an open purchase order for $190,000.00. Funding is available through various approved capital accounts. Deputy Mayor Perron said that some of the funding will come from different operating accounts, and Mr. Kazmark confirmed that some funds will be used in operating accounts for the panic alarm systems for off-site office employees in the Sanitation Department, Fleet Services, and Fire Department. 2. AUTHORIZE CHANGE ORDER – REPLACEMENT OF UNDERGROUND FUEL STORAGE TANKS AND FUEL SYSTEM – VILLAGE FLEET SERVICES – MONITORING WELL INSTALLATION AND GROUNDWATER SAMPLING Mr. Kazmark stated that this matter pertains to the authorization of a Change Order for replacement of underground fuel storage tanks and fuel system for the Village’s Fleet Services Division at 220 Chestnut Street. Three bids were received on May 8, 2024 and the contract was awarded to the lowest bidder, Betts Environmental Services, of Butler, New Jersey, in an amount not to exceed $769,299.00. During the excavation of the four old fuel tanks, an unknown approximately 350-gallon, single wall, carbon steel underground storage tank filled with oil and water was also encountered and removed. It is believed at this time that the oil leaking from this tank caused the contaminated soil that was removed around the four fuel tanks. The four tanks that supplied the Village fleet were found to not have leaked. This unknown tank requires horizontal and vertical monitoring well installation to ascertain the limits and reaches of the residual contamination. The total value for Change Order #1 is estimated to be $46,955.00. Funding is available in the Capital Account relative to this project. Deputy Mayor Perron asked how long the tank needs to be monitored, and Mr. Kazmark said that the length of time would probably be decided by the Licensed Site Remediation Professional working on this project and the NJDEP. He said that the Village is still monitoring the Hudson Street Garage site for contamination. 21 Village Council Regular Public Work Session September 29, 2025  3. AUTHORIZE SHARED SERVICES AGREEMENT – STYROFOAM DENSIFIER (FRANKLIN LAKES) 4. AUTHORIZE SHARED SERVICES AGREEMENT – STYROFOAM DENSIFIER (WASHINGTON TOWNSHIP) Mr. Kazmark stated that these two matters pertain to the authorization of a Shared Services Agreement for the Expanded Polystyrene densifier at the Recycling Center between the Village and Franklin Lakes, and between the Village and Washington Township. This will decrease the amount of expanded polystyrene in the waste stream. The material is repurposed into other useful items such as picture frames and construction molding and trim. 5. ACCEPT DONATION – FINE ART PRINTS Mr. Kazmark stated that this matter pertains to the acceptance of a donation by Ridgewood native and artist, Mary Zisk, of six fine art prints for the fifth floor conference room at Village Hall. Carol Bialkowski, Director of Communications and Special Projects, worked with Ms. Zisk, who donated these prints for display in the Village Manager’s Office. The total value of this donation is $180.00. Ms. Zisk’s painting of downtown Ridgewood appeared on the cover of the 2025 Village Calendar. Mr. Kazmark invited Ms. Zisk to attend the October 8, 2025 Village Council meeting to be recognized for her contribution to the beautification of the conference room. 6. ACCEPT DONATION – RENOVATION OF UPPER HAWES FIELD Mr. Kazmark said that this item deals with the acceptance of a donation from the Ridgewood Baseball and Softball Association (RBSA) of a complete renovation of the Little League field at Hawes School (Upper Hawes field). The RBSA has presented a field renovation plan, which will be presented to the Parks, Recreation and Conservation Board at its next meeting on September 30, 2025. The Upper Hawes field is used heavily throughout the spring, summer and fall seasons and now requires a complete renovation to restabilize the playing surface for safety and to adhere to regulation league standards for play. RBSA President Scott Muller will present the proposal developed by John Redman of NJ Sports Fields, of Edison, New Jersey. The total value of this donation is $56,300.00. Work is anticipated to take place later this fall and is to be supervised by Matt Andreula, Parks Supervisor; Parks employees; and members of the RBSA Board of Directors. The contract for this work will be between the RBSA and NJ Sports Fields. 22 Village Council Regular Public Work Session September 29, 2025  7. ADOPT REVISED BIDDING AND QUOTATION THRESHOLDS Mr. Kazmark said that this matter pertains to the adoption of revised bidding and quotation thresholds which were adjusted by the State Treasurer on July 1, 2025. For municipalities that have appointed a Qualified Purchasing Agent (QPA), the maximum bid threshold has increased from $44,000.00 to $53,000.00, and the corresponding quotation threshold has increased from $6,600.00 to $7,950.00. The Village has one QPA: Stephen Sanzari, Treasurer/Deputy Chief Financial Officer. Best Practices recommend adopting a resolution to establish the revised statutory bid threshold and quotation threshold for the Village of Ridgewood. This will improve government efficiencies. D. OPERATIONS 1. DECLARE PROPERTY SURPLUS – VARIOUS I.T. ITEMS Mr. Kazmark stated that this matter pertains to the declaration of surplus property in the I.T. Department at the request of Dylan Hansen, I.T. Director. This equipment has either been rendered unusable, is past its useful life, or has become obsolete. All devices capable of storing data have had their hard drives and memory removed to be destroyed separately. A more complete list was not attached to Mr. Hansen’s memorandum due to cybersecurity concerns, but the list will be supplied to any of the Village Councilmembers upon request. 2. VACATE PORTIONS OF MARLBOROUGH ROAD Ms. Mailander explained that this matter deals with vacating portions of Marlborough Road in the Village. She stated that this is part of the Green Acres disposal. Marlborough Road is a paper street and the proposed ordinance will allow the Village to vacate its rights over portions of that property and designate it as public/open space land. This will be submitted to Green Acres for approval. 7. COMMENTS FROM THE PUBLIC Anne Loving, a resident taxpayer of Ridgewood, said that she found the presentation about the Special Improvement District (SID) very interesting. She said that she appreciates all of the work by Mayor Vagianos and Deputy Mayor Perron in the formation of the SID. However, Ms. Loving was quite distressed that Councilmember Mortimer was rudely interrupted by Mayor Vagianos while he was asking questions. She said that it seemed as though Councilmember Mortimer’s questions were dismissed because Mayor Vagianos said that he and the SID Steering Committee spent two years coming up with the boundaries of the SID and he didn’t want anyone to second-guess their decisions. Ms. Loving said that she wished Councilmember Mortimer could have asked his questions without being interrupted. She reminded Mayor Vagianos that he 23 Village Council Regular Public Work Session September 29, 2025 has often chastised members of the audience for interrupting those speaking. She told Councilmember Mortimer that she was sorry he was interrupted. Michael Noe, a resident of Ridgewood, said that he has heard two conflicting pieces of information regarding the Open Space Trust Fund and what the money in the fund is used for in the Village. He heard that the money would be used for the acquisition of properties and also heard that the money can be used for almost anything, including turf fields. He asked which piece of information is correct. Mr. Noe said that he was very impressed with Mr. Calbi and had spoken to him before the meeting about the PFAS buildout. Mr. Calbi told him that a lot of old Ridgewood Water pipes still need to be replaced and he asked the Village Councilmembers to keep this in mind. Regarding the Kensington assisted living facility project, Mr. Noe asked if the Planning Board made a recommendation about the zoning change (adding an S-1 Senior Overlay Zone on Maple Avenue). There were no further comments from the public. Regarding the S-1 Senior Overlay Zone, Deputy Mayor Perron said that each member of the Planning Board voted in favor of the zone, with conditions and concerns. Regarding the Open Space Trust Fund, Deputy Mayor Perron said that it is her understanding that the statute allows the funds to be used for acquisition of property, maintenance of parklands, and development (such as installing a pavilion). She said that she asked the Village Attorney if the referendum question on the November ballot could specify that Open Space Trust Funds not be used for artificial turf, but the Village Attorney said that this could not be done. Mr. Rogers said that the use of Open Space funds is controlled by State statute. When the referendum question is written, it has to be neutral in essence and not influence anybody one way or the other. In addition, the statute states that nothing can be said in a referendum question other than what the statute says (acquisition, maintenance and development). One cannot specifically say one parcel will be acquired but not another, and cannot state that the funds will not be used for artificial turf. Councilmember Winograd said that the goal of the referendum question is to increase the Open Space tax. The Village’s Open Space Fund is depleted, after the Village bought the Habernickel property and then the Schedler property. Mr. Kazmark said that the educational materials being mailed out to the public regarding the referendum question states that: “By law, if approved by voters, the increase will expand the Village’s capacity to acquire and preserve green space; fund maintenance and improvement of 24 Village Council Regular Public Work Session September 29, 2025 existing parks; increase eligibility for matching grants; and maximize the impact of local tax dollars.” Councilmember Mortimer said that the Open Space Committee meets the second Thursday of every month, and he encouraged all residents to attend these meetings to hear about the “wish list” of future property acquisitions they are putting together. Councilmember Winograd added that the Village still has outstanding debt from the 2009 purchase of the Schedler property. Councilmember Weitz said that it was his understanding that “conditions” could not be placed into the referendum question. Mayor Vagianos apologized to Councilmember Mortimer if he felt that Mayor Vagianos interrupted him. 8. ADJOURNMENT There being no further business to come before the Village Council, on a motion by Councilmember Winograd, seconded by Councilmember Mortimer, and carried unanimously by voice vote, the Village Council’s Regular Public Work Session was adjourned at 9:30 p.m. ____________________________________ Paul Vagianos Mayor ______________________________________ Heather A. Mailander Village Clerk 25 Village Council Regular Public Work Session September 29, 2025