March 26, 2014 THE VILLADOM TIMES I • Page 3 Area Court to hear challenge to Ridgewood Water charges The Appellate Division of Superior Court has agreed to hear charges that the Village of Ridgewood bilked Ridgewood Water Company ratepayers out of mil- lions of dollars over a period of four years. Ridgewood Water supplies water to Glen Rock, Midland Park, and Wyckoff in addi- tion to village residents. The court’s decision means that the Supe- rior Court, rather than the Board of Public Utilities, will be ruling on the charges. In a lawsuit filed nearly two years ago, Glen Rock, Midland Park, and Wyckoff accused Ridgewood of overcharging the utility’s ratepayers more than $4.4 million going back to 2007. Bergen County Superior Drinking water to be discussed David Scheibner, Ridgewood Water Company’s business manager, will dis- cuss the area’s aquifer-fed water system on Thursday, April 3. The program, spon- sored by the League of Women Voters of Ridgewood, will be held at 7 p.m. in the senior center located at Ridgewood Village Hall located at 131 North Maple Avenue. “Its All about the Water!” will include information about testing protocols, bottled water, and water conservation. A question and answer session will follow. All are wel- come, and refreshments will be served. In addition to Ridgewood, the water company serves customers in Glen Rock, Midland Park, and Wyckoff. The League of Women Voters is a non- partisan organization that encourages the informed and active participation of citi- zens in government. For more information at the league, contact mandegruber@gmail. com. Court Judge Lisa Perez Friscia, who heard the initial arguments, ruled on Dec. 27, 2013 that the matter should be transferred to the BPU. Attorney Joseph Fiorenzo, a former Wyckoff mayor who filed the lawsuit on behalf of Wyckoff, Midland Park, and Glen Rock, immediately filed a motion “for leave to file an interlocutory appeal,” a request to hear the appeal, with the Appellate Divi- sion, contending that Judge Friscia had erred in transferring the matter to the BPU. “We had challenged the validity of the Ridgewood ordinances setting the water rates in front of Superior Court. The Supe- rior Court is the proper forum to review challenges to municipal ordinances, such as the ordinances of Ridgewood that are at issue in our litigation. The BPU has no jurisdiction to review such ordinances under its own limited grant of jurisdiction over municipal water utilities,” said Fio- renzo. “I’m very pleased that the Appellate Court granted our motion and will hear the legal arguments. I view it as a positive sign,” said Fiorenzo. He said the Appellate Court usually denies motions for interlocu- tory review. “That they granted ours is in and of itself significant, but the fact that the court has (continued on page 8)