Upper Saddle River Mayor & Council Meeting for the 2nd month of the year is tomorrow (Thursday Feb 6, 2020). With many crucial and pressing issues needing attention in Upper Saddle River the question is are the mayor and council going to address them? Are they prepared and engaged?
So, how are they doing?
The 2nd meeting of the year and the agenda is full of housekeeping approving a list of resolutions to approve payment for services and agreements. It makes interesting reading…
The town is paying for services for one full day each week for the police to practice weapons training. Obviously they need this, but do we really have that many officers?
Robert Regan is being retained in 2 capacities…….but can anyone find out for exactly how much?
Gerald Falotica AND Boswell Engineering are employed as zoning officials. With the growth in town maybe this is reasonable, but this costs how much? And Toll Brothers are still doing their thing?
And there is more to question and wonder about. Are your tax dollars being used wisely?
But….
Several key issues are missing from the agenda.
Toll Brothers: For yet another extended period of time Toll Brothers is allowing the escape / discharge / pumping of copious amounts of brown water into the Pleasant Brook, coloring and poisoning the waterway down to Saddle River. Nothing is being said? Not a statement from Boswell Engineering who, despite being on the town payroll for yet another year, remains silent. Until the noise from the residents gets too much. What about a Stop Work Order? The pumping stopped for several months, but it is back with a vengeance. And there is photographic evidence.
And this is ok with the Mayor and Council? A service is being payed for and the company does nothing proactive. And once again, the question is do the mayor and council actually care about the town – or are they just paying lip service? The toxins in the soil are entering the stream. And even if they bluster about the allowed levels it is worth noting – yet again – that construction sites in other managed municipalities do not have sediment flowing into waterways.
Hillside: Nothing on the Hillside Development. Crickets. Which is likely because there have apparently been no town officials – mayor or council members – at most of the several recent meetings in Ramapo and Airmont, with one exception. (Did they only attended before the election as there was an election coming?). So they have missed the hundreds of violations that are occurring there that CUPON Mahwah have discovered. That the Village of Airmont aren’t addressing and haven’t addressed for quite some time. As in years? The fact that there might be an illegal school already running on the road. School buses are parked there. The road / bridge has a weight limit……how much does a bus weigh? That there is zombie housing, that developers are intimidating residents, and more. And the Village of Airmont is not dealing with it. Violations that apparently are many years old. This gives little faith in the ability of Airmont to control the proposed development of the mikvah.
The development that is on the border of Upper Saddle River.
So it really would be good to know that our elected officials are on top of this. To ensure that the clearcutting stops, and the wells don’t run dry, and the stream isn’t filled with septic discarge (of which there is already some evidence).
Live Streaming: It is a complete travesty that Upper Saddle River continues to be one of the only communities in the area that does not live stream their meetings. Attendance at meeting by residents is poor at best as many with work and family commitments are unable to make the time. How about showing some interest in your constituents and provide them the ability to know what is going on? To be informed? Or is it better to just treat them as invisible and let it all go? Even the Village of Airmont does it!!
Black History Month: Is this going to be another month noted and commemorated across the country where Upper Saddle River forgets…..or worse….pays lip service a month later because a resident shamed them into it? With a little piece of real history in Upper Saddle River that is relevant it would be nice to know that this is highlighted. For the school children, if nothing else.
Residents need to attend the meeting. Ask questions. The residents who have invested considerable amounts to have this lofty address, and are paying richly for it. Where the status quo isn’t going to be enough.
Hillside and Toll Brothers are just 2 of the more than pressing issues facing the town. The character and tone are set to change.
Isn’t this why you moved here?
Viewed the agenda for tomorrow’s m & c meeting. Not one of the resolution has a $ amount. Talk about transparency!!!
Thank you for confirming that, didn’t have time to go through very carefully, but thought as much.