Ridgewood May 23, 2012 THE VILLADOM TIMES II • Page 7 Outside contractor to handle Graydon concession by John Koster The Ridgewood Village Council voted 4-1 to retain an outside contractor to cover the food stand at Graydon Pool this summer for a $15,000 fee paid to Ridgewood. Deputy Mayor Thomas Riche cast the lone negative vote, although Council Member Stephen Wellinghorst admitted that he might have joined Riche in the opposition vote if time had not been a factor. “It’s disturbing to me that this issue can’t be addressed right now,” Riche said. “My vote tonight will be ‘no’ on this with the understanding that I’m trying to get some understanding of this.” Riche again noted that the Ridgewood-operated food concession at Graydon Pool had turned a profit in 2004, 2006, and 2006 and then experienced a slump in 2007 and afterward. The slump in food service profits added to the deficit from operating the lake-like pool, which some critics blame on water quality and others on the amount of rainfall, and the general trend away from public swimming noted throughout the region. “I think in principle it’s good to look at it in the little more detail, but we’ll have to do it in the off season,” Wellinghorst said. Council Member Bernadette Walsh said that the food concession agreement with Vending to Please, LLC of Mountainside made good sense. “We’re not going to be paying for food; we’re not going to be paying for labor,” Walsh said. Marcia Ringel, co-chair of the Preserve Graydon Coalition, urged the council to approve the outside contractor, because the pool season is rapidly approaching and there were no provisions for food service. “If it doesn’t pass today, we probably won’t have any food at all unless people throw bread at us that they were going to throw to the ducks,” Ringel said at the council meeting. Ringel noted that the food concession would offer whole wheat bread, smoothies, and fruit yogurt as healthy alternatives to standard fast food. Resident Leonard Eisen said that, in light of the falling revenues, having an outside food contractor who put up money in advance was a good idea. “I think by having an outside vendor do it, it’s basically a win-win situation,” Eisen said. “I think it’s a good idea to try it out for a year.” Riche still voted “no,” but the contract was granted 4-1. If the operation is satisfactory, the vendor has the option of operating a second year at Graydon Pool for $18,000. Resident spokesman Roger Wiegand established that the vendor is obligated to give preferential treatment to Ridgewood job applicants and to show Ridgewood his financial papers, if requested. In other business, the Ridgewood Council introduced what Mayor Keith Killion said might be his last contribution to Ridgewood: a comprehensive ordinance that would reduce the speed limit on all streets under the village’s jurisdiction to 25 miles per hour. The ordinance will have its adoption hearing on June 13, which will be Killion’s last meeting as mayor. Several county roads are outside Ridgewood’s jurisdiction, but Killion, a 30-year veteran of the Ridgewood Police Department, views the speed limit as an important safety issue, especially since, as he said, people general drive 10 miles faster than the posted limit. He felt that a 35-mile per hour speed limit fostered driving at 45 miles per hour, a dangerous speed on residential roads with children, pets, and homeowners exiting driveways in their vehicles. The council also voted by resolution to authorize the lease at 1057 Hillcrest Road, a house located on the Habernickel property near the Waldwick border, for $3,969 per month from June 15, 2012 to June 14, 2013. The council awarded a contract for the remount of the rescue body for an emergency services vehicle for $42,791 from a 1996 GMC 2500 to a 2012 Ford F-450, as approved by Ridgewood Emergency Services, to New Jersey Emergency Vehicles of Manasquan. The council approved a contract (listed as a county contract) for police helmets, vests, and related materials for $7,077 to Atlantic Tactical of Somerset, and a contract (listed as a state contract) for portable police radios to Regional Communications of Paramus. The use of joint purchasing for police gear and other equipment has often been cited as a way to reduce equipment costs through joint purchasing. The council also authorized a donation from the Village of Ridgewood for an amount not to exceed $2,000 to help refurbish the flagpole and base at Veterans Field near the intersection of North Maple Avenue and Linwood Avenue to assist the veterans who have already raised most of the money by private donations. The money will defray the costs of an interpretative panel and a medallion on the flagpole. Christ Stout, historian of the American Legion, spoke at a prior council meeting and received general support for the project both from the council and from those residents who spoke. YMCA offers free hearing loss seminar The Ridgewood YMCA will host a free hearing loss seminar on Tuesday, May 22 from 10 to 11:10 a.m. The program will be presented by Audiology and Hearing Aid Solutions of Ridgewood. Dr. Pat David Biondi, AuD, will conduct free hearing loss screenings for attendees. The Ridgewood YMCA is located at 112 Oak Street in Ridgewood. For more information, contact Gary Imhoff at (201) 444-5600, extension 313, or e-mail gimhoff@ridgewoodymca.org.