Ridgewood December 19, 2012 THE VILLADOM TIMES II • Page 9 League members express Sunshine Law concerns by John Koster League of Woman Voters members Ellie Gruber and Linda McNamara claim Ridgewood Deputy Mayor Albert Pucciarelli has violated the spirit, if not the letter, of New Jersey’s Sunshine Law, which sets firm standards for what council business must be transacted in public and what may be carried out in private. “I think that Mr. Pucciarelli has violated, if not the exact letter, then the spirit of the Open Public Meetings Act,” Gruber said at last week’s Ridgewood Council session. She said the fact that two other council members -Thomas Riche and Bernadette Walsh -- were not invited to the meeting in question, where Councilwoman Gwen Hauck was also present, was also part of the alleged violation. “This in itself was a violation,” Gruber said. Pucciarelli, who pointed out that he is an attorney, said no laws were violated when he and Hauck were the only council members to meet with five experts on handicapped access before voting on a particular ramp design for Graydon Pool. Ho-Ho-Kus/Ridgewood VFW Commander Stanley Kober and Ridgewood American Legion Commander Robert Paoli honored Ridgewood’s Scout troops, businesses, and the Ridgewood Village Council for the help that made the Gold Star Mothers ceremony possible. The ceremony, which was held at Van Neste Park on Sept. 30, honored those mothers who had lost sons or daughters in combat in America’s wars. Kober and Paoli were assisted by Blue Star Mother Maria Bombace, who has a son who served in the U.S. (continued on page 17) Veterans’ groups honor Scouts, council “Two council members were not invited and were not informed about the meeting,” said Linda McNamara, seconding Gruber. “I’m not sure the vote of 3 to 2 was legal.” Gruber and McNamara urged that the council rescind the approval of the ramp as approved and vote again after further consideration. “Isn’t transparency the real goal?” Gruber asked. “Mr. Pucciarelli, I think you were well intentioned in trying to save everyone some time...I would hope you will now table the decision until we have a proper hearing on it.” “I think you misconstrued what he was trying to do,” Mayor Paul Aronsohn said. Mayor Aronsohn said the ramp proposals had been discussed before the council for a long time even before Pucciarelli and Hauck were elected, with “a lot of transparency,” and that Puciarelli and Hauck - elected in May -- had simply taken a chance to acquire some additional information. “I wanted to inform myself before a vote was taken,” Pucciarelli said. “It wasn’t as if I set out to violate the Open Public Meetings Act...I take it very seriously.” Hauck concurred that she had no intention of violating (continued on page 17) Ridgewood Scouts and Village Council members.