September 29, 2010 THE VILLADOM TIMES III • Page 5 Area Village approves $25,000 for water company audit by John Koster The Ridgewood Village Council has approved a $25,000 emergency appropriation for an audit of the Ridgewood Water Company needed to contest a legal action brought by Wyckoff, a water customer. Wyckoff’s suit is based on an audit supported by Glen Rock and Midland Park, the other two water customers who did not join in the formal legal action. Wyckoff has demanded that the recent 21 percent rate increase be repealed. The contract for the Ridgewood municipal audit will be awarded to Louis C. Mai, CPA, as a special consultant. A previous audit commissioned by Wyckoff, Glen Rock, and Midland Park suggested that the Ridgewood Water Company was using water fees to support Ridgewood government operations not directly related to the delivery of water to customers outside Ridgewood. Joseph Fiorenzo, an attorney and former Wyckoff mayor, called the Ridgewood Water Company’s actions “unfair and illegal” because customers outside the borders of Ridgewood were allegedly paying for services that only benefited Ridgewood residents. A letter to the Ridgewood Village Council signed by the mayors of Glen Rock, Midland Park, and Wyckoff alleges that water fees collected from their three towns may have been used to pay for more than water -- including expenses of Ridgewood government that are not directly part of the Ridgewood Water Company. Storyteller Pamela Grant of Temple Israel and JCC in Ridgewood will relate a tale associated with the autumn harvest festival of Sukkot for “Sisters in the Sukkah.” This free program is sponsored by the Sisterhood of Temple Israel and will take place Sept. 28 at 7:30 p.m. Refresh- Women’s Sukkot program offered “Our preliminary analysis has uncovered that Ridgewood Fiorenzo prepared the legal papers for the Township of Water has been subsidizing a number of the operating Wyckoff pro bono. expenses of the village (Ridgewood) without any justificaRidgewood’s official position is that the added water tion,” the June 7 letter to Ridgewood states. “It appears that rate charges are necessary to protect the quality of water approximately 21 percent of the total water utility expenses to all four towns. The company has offices in Ridgewood, of $12,199,384 are for ‘indirect administrative and statu- a monitoring plant in Midland Park, a treatment plant in tory expenditures.’ The expenses paid by the water utility, Glen Rock on land Ridgewood owns, and artesian wells in charged to the rate payers, include payments for police, the all four towns. village council, financial administration and a variety of other expenditures which appear to be completely unnecessary for the operation of a water utility with 37 employees including 10 administrative staff. Our accounting expert has been advised that there is a report which purports to justify the passing off of such large expenditures to the water utility, but despite several requests it has yet to be provided.” The letter, which was released to the press last week after repeated requests, was signed by Midland Park Mayor Joseph Monahan, Wyckoff Mayor Rudy Boonstra, and Sat 8-5 Glen Rock Mayor John van Keuren. Major Credit Midland Park and Glen Rock were Cards Accepted • www.homehardwaresupply.com not formal parties 201-652-5666 to the lawsuit filed against Ridgewood by Wyckoff a few �������������������� weeks ago, but all three municipalities supported the audit ��������������������� of the Ridgewood Water Company that led to the June 7 ����������������� letter. The suit urged that the entire 21 percent increase for ������������������ water consumers in all four towns be repealed. ������������������ A Glen Rock official who asked not to be named con������ firmed that, in his opinion, the report indicated “over-allocations.” �������������������� For a Greener Lawn Next Spring… ����������������� ����������� ����������������� ���������������� ������� ments will be provided and all are welcome. Located at 475 Grove Street in Ridgewood, Temple Israel and JCC is an egalitarian Conservative synagogue. For more information, call (201) 444-9320, e-mail office@synagogue.org, or visit www.synagogue.org. Mon-Wed 7:30-6, Thurs & Fri 7:30-8 Sat 8-5 27 FRANKLIN TPKE, WALDWICK • 201-652-5666 OPEN SUNDAY 9-3 ���������������������������� For Karen from Allison Fall specials available now for a limited time only. Call Robin at 973-636-7000