What Put Oradell First Has Done for Oradell

Put Oradell First worked hard to reduce the municipal budget, which had been growing year after year under Republican's control. To see how we reduced Oradell's budget year after year, read this.

We worked hard to deliver quality services to the citizens of Oradell with a reduced budget.

Twice-a-Week Garbage Collection: By buying the excess garbage collection capacity from Paramus instead of hiring a private company, Put Oradell First brought twice-a-week garbage collection to Oradell while saving taxpayers $50,000 per year.

Negotiating Contracts: Put Oradell First's councilmen negotiated with unions to reduce costs while preventing layoffs that would reduce the quality of services. The negotiated police contract resulted in $325,000 savings. Negotiations with the United Public Service Employees Union resulted in more than $135,000 of savings for 2010.

Winning Grants: Put Oradell First brought in $250,000 for the Senior Center and $1 million to preserve the historic Blauvelt Mansion, as well as grants that paid for the first Oradell public access television which brought openness to Council and Board meetings.

All of these grants improved Oradell at no cost to the taxpayers.

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Based on a 2010 analysis of data from the Bergen County Board of Taxation by Dave Sheingold, a member of the Record's staff.

Put Oradell First fought Walgreens. We believe in maintaining Oradell as a town with a history you can see and not just remember. That would not have been possible with the intrusion of big box retailers. First the Council, under Put Oradell First control, overturned the zoning board's decision. Once Walgreens sued, we were advocates for hiring an attorney to defend Oradell's interests — and won.

To help prevent a similar situation and to maintain Oradell's small town character, we have:

• Worked with the council to create a zoning review subcommittee to revise our land-use laws to further protect the borough from overdevelopment
• Redesignated various parcels of land to conversation/recreation in order to preserve the historic charm of Oradell, including Van Buskirk Island, Elizabeth Street Park, Lotus Avenue Woods and the open space behind the Oradell Swim Club
• Voted to adopt an ordinance providing for a public advocate to speak for the community regarding major land use cases within the borough

Yet the most important initiative has been our encouragement of the planning board to amend the Planning Board's master plan to add an Historic Element, making it an official priority of Oradell to preserve the town's historic buildings, and providing a framework for maintaining Oradell's character against unwanted overdevelopment for years to come.

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Could you imagine if the Walgreens debate had occurred behind closed doors? Before Put Oradell First became Oradell's other party, that would never have happened.

Put Oradell First's councilmen fought long and hard over the objections of the Republicans to bring TV cameras into Borough Council meetings, thus allowing all Oradell residents to watch council proceedings on OPTV - Cablevision Channel 77 and Verizon FIO 28. Zoning Board and Planning Board meetings have since been added to OPTV's lineup.

By broadcasting meetings, Oradell residents can stay active on local issues from the comfort of their home. This visibility has also ensured that the Council be more accountable for their actions.

Best of all, the original broadcasting equipment did not cost the taxpayers any money — it was paid for by an $8,000 grant from Cablevision championed by Put Oradell First.

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