August 21, 2013 THE VILLADOM TIMES I • Page 7 Midland Park Resident objects to estimated water billing The Midland Park Mayor and Council plan to invite representatives from the Ridgewood Water Company to a public meeting in the fall to discuss concerns about the utility’s billing practices and other issues. The decision was prompted by a complaint from resi- dent Paul Felice about Ridgewood Water’s practice of sending estimated water bills for an extended period of time rather than regularly reading the meters to deter- mine actual consumption. “We’ll have them here to explain and to hear feedback from our residents,” said Councilman Nick Papapietro. “It’s important that someone meet with us, and that we hear what their plans are going forward,” he added. Felice’s frustration had been fueled by the fact that he had a water leak at his home, which he said he would have discovered sooner if he had been billed regularly. “If there is a problem, you don’t know it until you get the water bill,” said Felice, who noted that he had received a bill for $90 for one quarter and over $400 for the following quarter due to a broken pipe in a crawl space. “They should monitor for unusual spikes in consump- tion,” he continued. “If we had known sooner, we could have had it fixed. Every customer needs to know what the consumption is.” Mayor Patrick “Bud” O’Hagan said recent town expe- riences with Ridgewood Water had shown that the oper- ation is not sophisticated despite modern technology. “They are just one step above a mom and pop opera- tion,” the mayor said. Dave Scheibner, Ridgewood Water’s business man- ager, said there is no practical way for the utility to know consumers’ water consumption patterns and monitor spikes. “At some point, customers have to take responsibility. There are so many variables, it’s not possible to predict how people will use water. That’s why we have meters,” Scheibner said. The water company official said estimated billing happens when the actual reading from the meter is not taken. He explained that the system in place since the 1990s collected meter readings using phone connec- tions. As more and more residents have switched away from traditional phones to cable or cell phones, the old system was not able to function properly, and problems developed. Scheibner said more than half of the utility’s 20,000 customers have already had their meters changed to a modern system over the past 10 years, with a “strong push” made over the last three years when so many meters became problematic. He said he expects the proj- ect will be completed by the end of 2014. “The meters are still recording,” he said, adding that no one will be overcharged. Parent wants parking lot traffic patterns reviewed A Midland Park Highland School parent asked for changed traffic patterns and an increased police pres- ence at the municipal parking lot to improve safety during school pickup and drop off hours. “The pickup situation is frightening,” Heidi Meyer of Erie Avenue told the mayor and council at its last meet- ing. The parking lot belongs to the municipality and is used for school staff parking and by parents who line up as they wait for their children. Meyer said parents double park in the traffic aisle between the grass and the parking lot, forcing children to cross two rows of idling cars and moving traffic, unable to see if anyone is coming. “The crossing guard does a fabulous job, but there is no way he can take charge of that situation,” Meyer noted. Meyer said police had asked the parents to move, but the situation continues. She also said when approached, the Highland principal had said she would talk to the children and ask them to be more careful when crossing the lot. “This must be taken seriously before some child gets killed. It can’t just be a slap on the wrist to parents who don’t observe the rules,” Meyer added. She said she lets her child stay in the playground with other children for about a half hour after school and picks him up after the traffic dies down. Councilwoman Nancy Peet suggested that staggering school discharge times might be an option for reducing traffic problems. Midland Park Police Chief Michael Marra said he was discussing the issue with Borough Administrator/Clerk Addie Hanna for possible options. He said the traffic officer would also be analyzing the situation and would recommend alternatives or solutions.