December 4, 2013 THE VILLADOM TIMES II • Page 3 Ridgewood BPU overturns tall utility pole installation ban by John Koster The New Jersey Board of Public Utilities has approved the Public Service Electric & Gas company’s continued installation of 65-foot utility poles and heavier electrical and communications cable. Objections from Ridgewood residents had stopped the program in its tracks for several months. No date has yet been given for when the installation will resume. Ridgewood officials had argued that, while they granted easements for installation, they had not been ade- quately informed about the height of the new poles. The BPU criticized the utility company for not provid- ing more publicity, but approved the program without mod- ifications, stating that Ridgewood-based objections were outweighed by the greater interest of public service. PSE&G had argued that the taller, thicker utility poles and their heavier cables would provide more reliable elec- trical service in the wake of two week-long power outages in Ridgewood and other northwest Bergen County towns in 2011 and 2012. In both cases, storms dropped trees and large limbs on existing utility lines, interrupting service to many local homes and businesses. “This experience has reinforced to us the importance of communications with the communities in which we are building and upgrading facilities,” said Karen Johnson, a designated spokesperson for PSE&G. “We have already implemented some improvements in our outreach and will continue to look at ways to improve the process to better (continued on page 6) Village council reviewing 50 applications for manager’s job The Ridgewood Village Council is reviewing more than 50 applications for the post of village manager, but Interim Manager Heather Mailander said the interview process will probably last for the remainder of 2013. Mailander, who has served as interim manager several times in the past, will resume her full-time job as village clerk once a new manager is appointed, but no names have yet emerged from the search process and the date is not even predictable at present. Ken Gabbert, the last official manager, was voted out of his post in August by a 3-2 council decision as Mayor Paul Aronsohn, Deputy Mayor Albert Pucciarelli, and Council- woman Gwenn Hauck -- running mates in the last election -- voted to terminate Gabbert, while former Deputy Mayor Thomas Riche and Councilwoman Bernadette Walsh voted against firing Gabbert, who had been the Ridgewood Vil- lage Manager for about four years. Gabbert had been criticized for the fact that a previous council had awarded him a 12 percent raise in the same year that Gabbert had put 34 municipal employees on fur- lough or negotiated their early retirements. Gabbert was also criticized for spending too much time in Upper Saddle River than in Ridgewood during two weather emergencies (continued on page 6) PSE&G workers installing 65-foot utility poles this past summer