December 8, 2010 THE VILLADOM TIMES II • Page 3 Ridgewood Village urged to scrimp on capital replacement bond by John Koster The Ridgewood Village Council was urged to remember economic conditions when adopting a $3,460,500 bond ordinance to cover capital improvements. A $1,430,000 aerial platform ladder truck and a $24,000 sports utility vehicle for the Fire Prevention Bureau were named as specific targets for economizing. The Ridgewood Council ultimately voted to adopt the ordinance with not a single item deleted, though Mayor Keith Killion and new Councilman Stephen Wellinghorst said some of the items might be looked at further. Resident Roger Wiegand said he had nothing but praise for the day-to-day efficiency of Ridgewood’s paid fire department. “They do an excellent job,” he said. “My comments have nothing to do with the job they do. They get in and knock those fires down fast, but I wonder if it’s possible to get the refurbishment for $100,000 instead of just buying a new one for a million and a half.” He asked about refurbishment, Wiegand said, particularly because Glen Rock, which takes part in mutual aid calls with Ridgewood, now has a functional aerial platform truck, as does Paramus, another immediate neighbor. (Both Glen Rock and Paramus regularly assist one another at large fires.) Regionalization of services and large-ticket equipment, Wiegand said, was the wave of the future due to dire economic need in Ridgewood and neighboring communities. “There’s a lot of people in town now (who) are having a tough time paying their taxes. Maybe they’ve lost their jobs,” Wiegand said. “We just can’t keep going on the way we have.” Ridgewood Village Manager Ken Gabbert said the municipality’s present aerial platform ladder truck is 18 years old and nearing the end of its useful life. Gabbert said he and Mayor Killion both reported that attempts by other towns to share equipment had often foundered on lack of proper maintenance -- not a good idea where public safety equipment was concerned. Resident Boyd Loving asked why Ridgewood was buying a $24,000 SUV for the Fire Protection Bureau when the bureau had been discontinued and the officers retired or transferred elsewhere. Gabbert explained that three part-timers continue to provide some of the services formerly offered by the bureau, and they also work with the Ridgewood Fire Department. Gabbert noted that the heavy coats, hats, boots, and safety equipment are too bulky to be carried in a conventional car when the personnel are on the road for fire safety inspections. Loving also suggested that Ridgewood could save some of the $55,000 projected for the cost of a new street sweeper if they shared street sweeping operations with another municipality, such as Paramus. Gabbert and Killion told Loving that Ridgewood’s own street sweeper is on the (continued on page 25) CIRINO LANDSCAPING Fall Clean-Up Snow Plowing Personal Service Free Estimate ANY % New Clients Only • w/Coupon • Exp 1/31/11 • Not Combinable Full Service Landscape Company Gary Stevens TaeKwonDo www.StevensTaeKwonDo.com 175 Rock Road • Glen Rock, NJ 07452 (Behind CVS) We Wish All Our Neighbors, Friends and Students a 15 OFF SERVICE Tom Cirino ASK ABOUT OUR PRE-PAYMENT SEASONAL DISCOUNT! Call 201-891-0955 For Information and a Providing the best in martial arts training to this community since 1984. 12-8-10 pat/janine Cirino2x2.5Color(12-8-10) 2x2.5” (201) 670-7263 OUR NEWEST STATE OF THE ART DENTAL OFFICE 12-8-10 janine GaryStevens2x(12-8-10) 2 x 3.5” ����� ��������� Winter specials available now for a limited time only. Call Robin at 973-636-7000 266 Harristown Rd, Suite 102, Glen Rock www.exceldentistry.com GLEN ROCK PLAZA 201.345.5621 LASER & COSMETIC DENTISTRY FOR THE ENTIRE FAMILY FULL SERVICE DENTAL CARE • Orthodontics • Invisalign (Invisible Braces) • Porcelain Veneers • Implants • Teeth Whitening • Oral Cancer Screening • Periodontal Treatment We Offer Oral Sedation Mayra Modesto-Garrido D.D.S We Offer Line Of Credits And Financing Plans Free Consultation • We Accept Most Dental Insurance