Eco-Conscious Deputy Mayor Resigns In Ridgewood, Replacement Appointed

RIDGEWOOD, NJ — "A society grows great when (wise) men plant trees whose shade they shall never sit in," Ridgewood Councilman Paul Vagianos said, referring to the ancient Greek proverb.

Such a man, he said, was the environmentally conscious Village Council Deputy Mayor Michael Sedon, who just resigned from the position, according to an announcement made at Wednesday's council meeting. Councilwoman Pamela Perron was appointed to replace him.

Sedon served two four-year terms on the council, and without his persistent efforts to promote environment conservation, Vagianos said, a $600,000 capital improvement project budgeted to plant trees in the village likely would not have gained as much traction.

"Those trees were planted by Mike," he said.

Sedon is stepping away just a few months shy of the end of his second term, because of a scheduling conflict that arose in relation to a career advancement opportunity, Mayor Susan Knudsen announced.

From planting trees to implementing strategies to invest in green infrastructure, which helped the village, Knudsen said, to achieve a silver certification from Sustainable Jersey in 2017, Sedon "advocated for maintaining the charm and character of Ridgewood, through his actions and voting record."

Sedon, Knudsen added, "is one of the most decent, honest, hard-working residents to ever serve on the Ridgewood Village Council. He loves Ridgewood and was dedicated to leaving the village a better place than he found it — and that he did."

Newly appointed Perron said she is honored to serve as Ridgewood's Deputy Mayor and hopes she can do as good a job as Sedon.

"I thank my colleagues for their vote of confidence," she said in a statement. "I look forward to learning the ropes and keeping Ridgewood on a steady course."

A previous version of this article misidentified the municipal council that Councilman Paul Vagianos serves.