The Village Council’s agenda is always full. The issues range in size. They range in cost. But all the issues are important to someone … somewhere, and they all vie for the same increasingly limited set of resources.
With that in mind, the Village Council should seize the occasion of the New Year and establish a set of priorities for 2012 that reflect the needs of our community and speak to our obligation to provide good, responsive, effective government.
The greatest priority should be given to those things that we “must” do – those things that affect the public safety and financial security of the Village. And to the extent possible, we should also pay close attention to those things that we “should” do – those things that have a direct impact on residents’ quality of life.
Below are my top three priorities in each category.
The “Must Do” List
Pedestrian Safety: The number one public safety issue in our village is pedestrian safety. Dangerous drivers pose the greatest threat. Dangerous walkers pose a close second.
We need to take concrete steps to address the situation. That means moving more aggressively to restripe downtown crosswalks. That means a zero-tolerance policy for people who brazenly violate our road rules. That means devoting the needed resources – time, attention and money – to continuously try new approaches until we get this issue right. (For example, blinking crosswalk lights could be part of the solution.) With a long-standing citizens’ safety committee in place, we already have the forum to generate new ideas and jump start action on this priority issue.
Flood Mitigation: Our flooding situation requires immediate attention. This is an issue driven by public safety as well as human and economic imperatives. As Hurricane Irene demonstrated in compelling fashion, flooding can be dangerous and expensive – carrying both personal and financial costs. Yet, precious little has been done in the six months since the storm to mitigate further flooding. We have walked the flood areas. We have talked about the flood areas. Now, to the extent possible, we need to fix the flood areas.
Relatedly, as last year’s storms also made clear, we need to establish a “shade tree commission” to address the many wonderful, potentially dangerous trees that line the streets of our community.
Budget Discipline: Getting pedestrian safety and flood mitigation right requires that we get our budget right. Last year, several questionable budget decisions were made. From the $12,000 Wibit raft for Graydon Pool to the retroactive pay increase of senior village staff, Ridgewood residents were not well served by some of the budget decisions taken this past year.
To help remedy this, we should undertake a top-to-bottom audit of the village budget. one that would employ zero-based-budgeting and take a close look at each and every line-item. Village officials should be made to justify each and every service, expense and fee. The parking utility. The capital budget. The use of official vehicles. Everything should be looked at.
To help lead this effort, we should draw on the tremendous reservoir of expertise and good will that exists in the village. Ridgewood has more than its share of financial experts and people willing to serve their community. We should tap into that reservoir to fix our budget situation. Give them a copy of the budget. Give them a timeline and mandate. And let them give us their best advice for keeping expenses and taxes low, while maintaining a Ridgewood-level of service.
The “Should Do” List
Business District: In many ways, Ridgewood’s Central Business District is an engine of village life, driving tax revenues and playing an important role in the economic health of our community. And while the Village Council is limited in its ability to affect the greater economic climate, we can and should be more of a partner to our local businesses.
Simply stated, we need to be both smart and thoughtful in our approach to our business community. We need to eliminate outdated ordinances. We need to stop demanding seemingly unjustifiable fees. And we need to make it easier and less costly – both in terms of money and time – to open and run a business in Ridgewood.
In other words, we should do everything possible and reasonable to support our local businesses.
Ridgewood Library: Similarly, the library is at the center of village life, providing a community space like no other. Yet its budget and hours of operation have steadily declined since 2009. In fact, without a change of course, the trend will accelerate this year, forcing the library to close every Sunday and many Fridays.
This must not be allowed to happen.
Our library budget – like all public libraries in New Jersey – is determined largely by a mandated formula that ties its funding to the fluctuation in property values. So, as property values have decreased, so has the library budget. This has forced the library board of trustees to find savings and efficiencies, which is a very good thing. It has also forced the library to close several days per year just to absorb uncontrollable increases in health care and pension costs, which is a very bad thing.
This year, we should return the library to its 2009 funding level – something that would allow it to remain open all year round and continue providing its excellent level of services. The library board has learned how to do more with less, but further cuts would hurt the community. The state-mandated formula provides a floor for the library budget. It is well within the council’s purview to exceed that floor and provide the necessary funding. We should do it.
Accessibility: Ridgewood has made great strides to make this a truly accessible community, one open to and welcoming people of all abilities. We just need to maintain the momentum.
This would include repairing the ramps at Graydon. This would include fixing and flood-proofing Village Hall’s first floor, home to many of Ridgewood’s senior programs. This would include further integrating people with disabilities into our emergency planning. This would include continuing to move forward on a host of significant, albeit low-cost initiatives that can improve the quality of life for so many of our children, neighbors, family and friends.
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Again, there are many important issues that will inevitably come before the Village Council this year, only some of which I have listed here. But in my mind, we need to establish priorities, and we need to follow through on them.
The New Year provides us with a unique opportunity: to think big, to stay focused and to make a meaningful difference in the life of our constituents. We should seize this opportunity.
