April 2024 Council Meeting Blog
Hey Ringwood! We hope that this blog finds you well and enjoying the sights and sounds of Spring in our community! We began April’s Council meeting with a few Proclamations.
National Volunteer Week takes place April 21st-27th.
Mayor Noonan spotlighted many longstanding volunteers. We are so blessed to have so many volunteers with 20 years or more service to our residents.
Mayor Noonan then read an Earth Day Proclamation.
The National Day of Prayer Proclamation was read by Councilman Kiraly and is on May 2nd, 2024.
Borough Manager Scott Heck gave his monthly Manager’s Report which included the following items:
Skyline Lakes Drive work is continuing. Drainage, milling, and paving will occur in the Fall. More stop signs are slated to be placed in the area to ensure traffic safety.
On March 20th, 2024 a significant water break occurred on Edward Drive. The council passed an emergency resolution for the repairs that is estimated at $80,403.23. Mr. Heck also reached out to our insurance company to help fund the cost of repairs.
The community center is thriving! New activities being offered are adult corn hall, open gym basketball, and an indoor walking program.
Old Business:
Ordinance 2024-#02- An ordinance amending chapter 6- alcoholic and beverage control- of the revised ordinances or the borough of Ringwood to Increase License Fees. We are still lower than neighboring towns.
Ordinance 2024-#03: An ordinance amending chapter 18- Water and Sewer- of the revised ordinances of the Borough of Ringwood, section 18-9 charges for water service- water consumption rates.
Ordinance 2024-#04 Calendar Year 2024 ordinance to exceed the municipal budget appropriation limits and to establish a cap bank which is done yearly per the regulations.
New Business:
Ordinance 2024-#05 Ordinance amending chapter 7- traffic- section 7-21 multi-way stop intersections- of the revised ordinances of the Borough of Ringwood to remove two intersections and add one intersection.
Ordinance 2024-#06 An ordinance amending chapter 20- solid waste management- section 20-2- disposal of leaves and garden debris- of the revised ordinances of the borough of Ringwood to amend in its entirety.
Mr. Heck mentioned that residency checks are now happening at our Ringwood Recycling Center. In the past month, thirty people were turned away because they did not reside in Ringwood. This saves our Borough money.
Municipal Budget Notice:
Hearing on May 21st, 2024 at 7:30pm.
Resolution Number 2024-89
Deputy Mayor Landis read a resolution about how Ringwood preserves 4,784 acres in perpetuity for millions of NJ residents and receives no compensation. Jaime explained how a study conducted by the Highlands Council estimated that the Borough of Ringwood is due $224,848 annually for Watershed Moratorium Aid.This would be a tremendous win for Ringwood!
A Contract was awarded to a Cell Tower Management Company called Steel in the Air located in Baldwinsville, NY
They will negotiate contracts and manage the tower.
The council decided to hire the company as an advisor to increase revenues without any expansion of height of the existing tower.
Fair Share Housing Litigation
As many of you know the Borough has been in active litigation with Pagano, an intervener in the Fair Share Housing Case for more than eight years. He owns the area from the far end of the Azarian property parking lot down to the green building. (The old Dr. building
Some of the property is environmentally sensitive and for years, Mr. Pagano has been trying to build more than 100 units on this property which we have always opposed.
To end this long standing litigation and to control the landscape of the Skyline Drive Corridor, we feel it is in the best interest of our community to enter into a settlement agreement to purchase the property thereby taking this property off of the list for possible affordable housing locations. This is huge for the Borough and it includes that the Borough will now own this 16 acres along the Skyline Drive Corridor so that we as a community can determine how the shopping centers can be redeveloped without this complication. The purchase price of the property will be $1,050,000 This comes out to approximately $65,625 per acre.
To put this into perspective, the Jerry Wyckoff Preserve, located next to Fieldstone Drive on Skyline Drive is 7 acres of land that was purchased in 2005 in order to stop a developer from creating a nursing home. That purchase was $600,000 which came out to $85,700 an acre at that time by prior administrations.
End of meeting comments:
In honor of Earth Day, Ringwood’s Second Annual Anti-Littering Poster Contest is due on Friday, April 26th. Submissions can be dropped off at either Borough Hall or the BOE office by the end of the school day. More information on this poster contest can be found at ringwoodnj.net.
Tickets for Annie Jr. at Ryerson School are available online for shows on Thursday at 7pm, Friday at 7pm, and Saturday at 2pm. Tickets can be bought at ryersonmusic.booktix.net
Since next week is National Volunteer Week, we’d like to take a moment to thank all of the volunteers in our community. Your steadfast dedication is commendable and we celebrate your bravery and time commitment.
Our firefighters in Stonetown are working on their Trex Recycling Program. All thin film plastic can be recycled at either the firehouse in Stonetown or at Borough Hall. Our firefighters are working on earning a bench for a school bus stop.
As Mr. Heck mentioned in his report, our second round of Hometown Hero banners had a huge turnout of over 53 more submissions. Last year’s banners and our new veteran banners will be displayed around town by Memorial Day. Thank you to Mr. LaCorte for working very hard on this project.
We’re also excited to see a new playground under construction in Upper Ringwood. We can’t wait to see the project completed in the near future.
Mark your calendars for our Memorial Day Ceremony on Thursday, May 23rd at 6:30pm outside at the Ringwood Public Library. If it rains, we will move the ceremony indoors.
Last, but not least, we are excited to have a new Economic Development Director for the Borough! We congratulate Ms. Holton who has already hit the ground running!
Warm Regards,
