Heritage Tree Controversy, Local Safety Concerns, and Potential Brewpubs Discussed at Ridgewood Council Meeting

The recent Ridgewood Council meeting was marked by contentious discussion over the revocation of a local tree’s Heritage status, concerns about pedestrian safety and traffic issues, and the prospective introduction of microbreweries and brewpubs in the downtown area. The meeting also addressed various other community matters, including the approval of contracts for public services and potential collaborations for grant applications.

The most notable issue of the session revolved around a local tree’s Heritage status. The tree was nominated and approved for this status without the involvement or knowledge of the village, leading to confusion and miscommunication among council members and residents. Councilmember Siobhan Winograd questioned the nomination process and why the village was not included, emphasizing that the evaluation and naming process should involve the village and local community members. Mayor Paul Vagianos clarified that the village had not been approached to sign the right of access agreement, leading to the misunderstanding. Despite the Heritage Tree program being rescinded, the Mayor affirmed that the Big Tree program remained in operation.

Residents expressed concerns about pedestrian safety, particularly regarding parking and traffic. Cynthia O’Keef suggested conducting a traffic safety study and considering air pollution levels in the area. Responding to these concerns, Mayor Vagianos emphasized the importance of using the pedestrian strobe light feature at intersections equipped with flashing crosswalk lights and urged residents to utilize the available safety measures.

The council also considered a proposal to introduce microbreweries and brewpubs to the village. The members agreed that the downtown area and the SE zone north of downtown would be suitable locations for such establishments. One council member, Evan Weitz, raised concerns about the size of the breweries but was reassured that the proposed locations would be suitable for microbreweries rather than large-scale operations.

Various contracts and proposals were also reviewed during the meeting. The council approved a one-year contract with Millennistrategies, a grant firm, to provide various services to the village, including research on grant opportunities and project support. Several public service contracts were renewed, including those with Valley Community Health for nursing services and the Health Department for cosmetology inspection services for the borough of Norwood.

The council also discussed the possibility of upgrading the call boxes in the village for enhanced emergency response capabilities and considered changing the vendor for billing basic life support services for ambulance calls. Both initiatives were approved.

Note: This meeting summary was generated by AI, which can occasionally misspell names, misattribute actions, and state inaccuracies. This summary is intended to be a starting point and you should review the meeting record linked above before acting on anything you read. If we got something wrong, let us know. We’re working every day to improve our process in pursuit of universal local government transparency.
Not avaliable:

City Council Officials:

Receive debriefs about local meetings in your inbox weekly:

Trending meetings
across the country:

Meeting Date
Filter by bodytypes
Agricultural Advisory Committee
Airport Advisory Board
Art and Culture Board
Beach Committee
Bike and Pedestrian Advisory Committee
Board of Elections
Board of Health
Borough Council
Building Committee
Cannabis Control Board
Cemetery Commission
Charter Revision Commission
Child and Family Services Board
City Council
City Identity Committee
Code Enforcement Board
College Board of Trustees
Community Appearance Board
Community Preservation Committee
Community Redevelopment Agency
County Council
Disability Advisory Committee
Economic Development Board
Elderly Affairs Board
Electric Advisory Board
Environmental Commission
Financial Oversight Board
Historic Preservation Commission
Housing Authority
Human Relations Committee
Human Resources Committee
Insurance Fund
Land Use Board
Library Board
Licensing Board
Mental Health Commission
Municipal Alliance
Open Space Commission
Oversight and Review Committee
Parent Advisory Board
Parking Authority
Parks and Gardens Commission
Parks Commission
Pension Board
Planning Board
Police Review Board
Port Authority
Property Assessment Board
Public Safety Committee
Recreation Commission
Redevelopment Agency
Rent Control Board
Rent Leveling Board
School Board
Sewerage Authority
Shade Tree Commission
Special Magistrate
Taxation & Revenue Advisory Committee
Tourism Board
Trails Committee
Transportation Board
Utility Board
Value Adjustment Board
Veterans Committee
Water Control Board
Women's Advisory Committee
Youth Advisory Committee
Zoning Board
Filter by County
FL
Bay County
Bradford County
Brevard County
Broward County
Clay County
Duval County
Escambia County
Gulf County
Hendry County
Highlands County
Hillsborough County
Indian River County
Lake County
Lee County
Leon County
Levy County
Liberty County
Manatee County
Marion County
Martin County
Miami-Dade County
Monroe County
Okaloosa County
Orange County
Osceola County
Palm Beach County
Pasco County
Pinellas County
Polk County
Putnam County
Santa Rosa County
Sarasota County
Seminole County
St. Johns County
Taylor County
Volusia County
Walton County
MA
Barnstable County
Berkshire County
Bristol County
Essex County
Franklin County
Hampden County
Hampshire County
Middlesex County
Norfolk County
Plymouth County
Suffolk County
Worcester County
MN
Anoka County
Becker County
Beltrami County
Benton County
Blue Earth County
Brown County
Carver County
Cass County
Chippewa County
Chisago County
Clay County
Cook County
Crow Wing County
Dakota County
Freeborn County
Goodhue County
Grant County
Hennepin County
Isanti County
Itasca County
Kanabec County
Kandiyohi County
Koochiching County
Lac Qui Parle County
Lyon County
Mcleod County
Morrison County
Mower County
Nicollet County
Olmsted County
Pipestone County
Polk County
Ramsey County
Rice County
Scott County
Sherburne County
Sibley County
St Louis County
Stearns County
Steele County
Waseca County
Washington County
Wright County
NJ
Atlantic County
Bergen County
Burlington County
Camden County
Cape May County
Cumberland County
Essex County
Gloucester County
Hudson County
Hunterdon County
Mercer County
Middlesex County
Monmouth County
Morris County
Ocean County
Passaic County
Somerset County
Sussex County
Union County
Warren County
NY
Bronx County
Kings County
New York County
Queens County
Richmond County
TN
Shelby County
Filter by sourcetypes
Minutes
Recording