Budgets Look Better, Laid Off Workers Could be Re-Hired, Officials Report

Budget crafting isn't as gloomy for 2011 as it was in 2010, village officials report and there may be room to hire back some of the workers laid off.

In fact, after a slew of layoffs in 2010, officials are considering bringing back multiple ex-workers requested by various department heads in budget meetings held over the last few weeks. The budget, still fluid, requires at least $377,000 be cut representing a tax levy of just over $32 million.

Village Manager Ken Gabbert said that despite the outlook being better in 2011, it's anything but easy.

"We're going through the process and it's still a very tough year in terms of the budget. We still have another $400,000 in budget cuts to make. The council spends a lot of time looking at areas to cut to keep the tax increases as low as possible," Gabbert said.

In recent budget meetings with department heads, Village Engineer Chris Rutishauser has requested a Traffic and Signal Department worker be hired back, particularly as its budget is down in salary by nearly $200,000.

Village Director of Operations Frank Moritz has requested to bring back a Streets and Fleets mechanic, a versatile worker that can fix buildings, signs, traffic meters and a slew of other things; Moritz has also requested an engineer and laborer for the water department and a laborer for the DPW crew. He's also told the village council he believes the entire village vehicle fleet should be replaced.

After layoffs left 34 full-time workers off village payrolls and nearly 50 part-time, officials report services were affected and some recently laid off workers could be hired back.

"We were way too short on crews too many times," Gabbert said Tuesday after prefacing that the budget still must be reduced. Abnormally severe floods and blizzards have been especially taxing, Gabbert reported.

Village Clerk Heather Mailander has also requested Stephanie Evans, the Deputy Clerk, be brought back to full-time to help serve OPRA [Open Public Records Access] requests, which Mailander said are unpredictable in timing but legally must be filed, taxing the Clerk's Office.

Ridgewood Water

Ridgewood Water, long chided by officials in neighboring town as well as some Ridgewood residents for its various departmental allocations, should see an overhaul in how its budget is laid out, Mayor Killion said at a budget meeting last week.

"I think if we're going to do allocations, I think we should keep it all together because there's as many questions on this one as there is on the water," he said in reference to the other catch-all for other department funds, the parking utility (which lost $285,000).

Gabbert reported that Ridgewood Water was short on revenue in 2010, which he said was a result of United Water not selling Ridgewood Water enough H-20 to keep up with consumption.

United Water, the largest water provider in New Jersey suffered pumping and finance woes in summer of 2010, one of the hottest in recent memory. "That's why we had all the restrictions," Gabbert said.

Both Hawthorne Water and United Water could combine to provide 4.5 million gallons of water a day ten months out of the year. The problem? Even with Ridgewood Water's capacity of 12 million, the utility will likely be 10 million gallons short of the 22 million in peak consumption.

"That's what makes this business tough," Moritz said, adding that he can only think of two years the utility has never had a problem with less revenue because of too much rain or restrictions with too much heat and not enough water.

Revenue for the water utility was reportedly down $800,000 and the 2011 budget may increase from its current $2.26 million should the engineer–a senior civil engineer–be brought in. That position, Moritz said, would probably be "$50-ish" in salary.

Another laborer, he said, would be tasked to do general system maintenance, something Moritz said is lacking after three staff members were cut last year. Ridgewood Water is also carrying a $737,000 deficit into 2011, Gabbert said.

Deputy Mayor Riche suggested that water restrictions, which automatically go into effect on May 1, be renamed to something with less of a negative connotation. "Why not just call it summer conservation?," he asked.

Council members remarked frustration with the water superintendent receiving a 9 percent increase over last year, an aspect of civil service requirementsDeputy Mayor Tom Riche and Gabbert frowned upon.

Riche's ire was really drawn when an administrative clerk–who Moritz said does purchasing and other administrative tasks–is in line to receive $91,000 in 2011.

"That's obscene," Riche said, adding that a private sector employee wouldn't make half of that. "It's definitely an issue with civil service," Gabbert said. Moritz reported to the council and budget-crafters that there's a long-range plan to negotiate with the unions to cap salaries.

Recycling/Waste

The solid waste department pocketed $83,000 in savings through dumping fees that are down 10 percent, Moritz said. The recycling department saw its revenue stream hop $100,000 largely from an uptick in paper prices, which Moritz said was market-driven and fueled by China's rise.

The council asked Moritz if transitioning from commingled pickup to a single stream system has been explored, which he said it had. Moritz reported the system was not viable due to costs.

Moritz said he wants a heavy laborer to help carry the recycling and waste load. "[The department] wants one guy back because we found it was too hard with three guys," he said of the crew.

Rear yard pickup, despite worry it may leave as one of Ridgewood's unique services, seems likely to stay. "There's not much savings in that," Gabbert said of a prospective cut.

The council meets again at 5 p.m. Monday with various department heads to hear their revenues, expenditures and requests in Village Hall.