October 30, 2013 THE VILLADOM TIMES III • Page 13 Ho-Ho-Kus Council approves parking sticker fee increase by Jennifer Crusco Commuters who purchase parking stickers to allow them to leave their vehicles in Ho-Ho-Kus Train Station parking lot will soon pay $295 a year for those permits. Last week, the Ho-Ho-Kus Council approved Ordinance 1025, which authorized the new fee, which represents a $70 increase over the prior charge. Over 200 people use the train station lot each day. Most of the commuters are from Ho-Ho-Kus, and some are from other nearby towns, including Ridgewood and Midland Park. At present, there are 114 metered, num- bered spaces and 125 spaces reserved for those who pur- chase the annual parking stickers. Welcome aboard! Parking fees in the Borough of Waldwick are $150 for a six-month permit, $250 for a 12-month permit, and $80 for a three-month student permit. The Village of Ridgewood offers a UP3 – or unlim- ited pre-paid parking – permit for $650 per year. Pro- rated fees are available. Commuters who use the Park and Ride lot in Midland Park pay $180 for an annual permit. The new price for stickers is the second parking fee hike approved by the Ho-Ho-Kus Council in recent months. In the spring, the council approved Ordinance 1019, which updated the borough’s parking fee for those who do not purchase parking stickers. That fee is now 50 cents an hour, or $5 for up to 13 hours between 5 a.m. Ho-Ho-Kus Mayor Thomas Randall, Ho-Ho-Kus Volunteer Ambulance Corps Captain Gordon Hamm, and Councilman/Ambu- lance Corps Liaison Kevin Shea recently joined in welcoming three teen emergency medical technicians to the corps. Jen- nifer Rios, Cole Sonett, and Zoe Peck received their badges at last week’s council session as family members and supporters from the Ho-Ho-Kus Volunteer Ambulance Corps looked on. Rios and Peck are seniors at Northern Highlands and Sonett is a junior at that school. Hamm said the three new EMTs and Casey Reilly, a recent college graduate, had completed the con- centrated summer EMT course. He pointed out that the course is particularly difficult as students have fewer hours to learn the necessary material. Reilly will be recognized at a future council session. Pictured (L-R) are Hamm, Rios, Peck, Sonett, Randall, and Shea. Prospective volunteers are invited to call (201) 445-7672 for additional information. and 6 p.m. The previous fee was $4 per day from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. Parking is free of charge in the train station lot between the hours of 6 p.m. and 5 a.m. In July, the borough installed two new meters at the Ho-Ho-Kus Train Station parking lot. One meter is located in the upper parking area, and the other is in the lower parking area. The new meter system employs improved technol- ogy, which makes the machines more user-friendly for commuters and quicker and easier for borough person- nel to maintain. Borough officials said the old system was taking a long time for the police and department of public works to maintain. New parking payment options will soon include payment by phone. In a recent interview, Ho-Ho-Kus Borough Administrator Don Cirulli explained that commuters will be able to download an app (applica- tion) to a smartphone from the meter company, Amano- McGann, Inc., that will allow users to park, board the train, and pay for parking “on the go” via their phones. The administrator indicated that the app would be free of charge, but the company would charge a processing fee of approximately 40 cents when commuters choose to pay via the app. The new meters currently take five-dollar bills in addition to quarters and dollar coins or bills. If neces- sary, the new meters will also provide change. According to Cirulli, the pair of new meters and their installation cost $40,000, but borough officials antici- pate that the machines will pay for themselves.