Ridgewood April 11, 2012 THE VILLADOM TIMES II • Page 5 Village hall reconstruction contract, funds approved by John Koster Late last month, the Ridgewood Village Council adopted an ordinance to bond $400,000 for the reconstruction of the first floor of Ridgewood Village Hall. The council subsequently awarded the contract to the lowest responsible bidder, Adamo Brothers of Ridgefield, for $275,000. When residents Boyd Loving and Roger Wiegand asked about the discrepancy between the $275,000 construction contract and the $400,000 bonded for the construction, Ridgewood Deputy Mayor Thomas Riche responded that the $125,000 is for built-in costs. “There is always a balance to cover unforeseen circumstances,” Riche explained. “It cannot be used anywhere else unless this council approves it.” Riche added that $20,000 of the money would cover the bond counsel’s fee, and the remaining difference between the $275,000 and the $380,000 left from the bonded money would cover new doors, vinyl flooring, and painting of the first floor, which was inundated by Hurricane Irene in 2011. Any money left over would be used for other Ridgewood improvements and would help defray future taxes. Deputy Mayor Riche also noted that the $150,000 Ridgewood already saved when the construction bid came in far lower than expected represented a quarter of a tax point, and that a benefit of that size would not be ignored by the council. The Ridgewood Council is also awaiting a $343,000 grant from the U.S. Department of Agriculture to remove the visible sandbars from the length of Ho-Ho-Kus Brook, a major factor in the routine flooding of Veterans Field and the parking lot shared by village hall and the Ridgewood Public Library. Ridgewood suffered $1 million in damage to the police station alone during Tropical Storm Floyd in 1999. The reconstruction of Ridgewood Village Hall marginalized the use of the first floor for office space, but most of that use was destroyed by Hurricane Irene, which sent more than three feet of dirty water through the ground floor, ruining furniture and carpets. The fact that the restrooms could be restored to function after a simple cleaning convinced the Ridgewood Village Council, after some debate, to flood-proof the first floor with storm drains, masonry walls above the 100year flood line, and vinyl floors. All permanent office space will now be located on the four upper floors, which have never flooded. Suggestions that the exterior wall around the building could be raised a few feet for a cheaper solution were dismissed because these suggestions did not deal with the problem of barrier-free access through the main entrance. The Village of Ridgewood will offer a document shredding event from 9 a.m. until 12:30 p.m. on April 14. Residents are invited to turn their unneeded documents into shreds and help Ridgewood save money and the environment. Documents that may be shredded include Document shredding event set cancelled checks, computer printouts, copy paper of all colors, envelopes, letterhead, and stationery. No binders, photos, or nonpaper items can be accepted. The shredded paper will be recycled. Environmentalists say that every ton of shredded paper saves 17 trees.