[HISTORY: Adopted by the Village Council of the Village of Ridgewood 8-13-2025 by Ord. No. 4053. Amendments noted where applicable.]
ATTACHMENTS
Attachment 1 - Schedule A
The purposes of this chapter are to:
A. 
Foster Ridgewood's economic development, encourage its revitalization and strengthen its economic and commercial benefits for property owners, tenants and residents;
B. 
Allow all those who live, work or invest in the SID to contribute to the business district's improvement;
C. 
Build a nonpartisan private/public partnership to implement business improvement;
D. 
Foster and create self-help programs to improve the local business climate.
DISTRICT MANAGEMENT CORPORATION (hereinafter "DMC")
Means the Ridgewood Business Alliance, Inc., (hereinafter "RBA") established to receive funds collected by a special improvement assessment within the SID, as authorized by this chapter and any amendatory ordinances in accordance with N.J.S.A. 40:56-83.
SPECIAL IMPROVEMENT DISTRICT (hereinafter "SID")
Means that area within the geographic boundaries of the Village of Ridgewood in which commercial and business properties are located and as further described by block and lot numbers and street addresses as set forth in Schedule A.[1] These properties are designated by this chapter as an area in which a special assessment on property shall be imposed for the purposes of promoting the economic and general welfare of the Special Improvement District and the Village of Ridgewood in accordance with N.J.S.A. 40:56-65 to 89.
[1]
Editor's Note: Schedule A is included as an attachment at the end of this chapter.
A. 
There is hereby created and designated within the Village of Ridgewood a SID to be known as the Ridgewood Business Alliance, Inc. consisting of the properties designated and listed by tax lot and block number and street addresses on Schedule A attached hereto and made a part hereof. All affected properties within the SID shall be subject to special assessment, which assessment the Village shall impose, collect and transfer to the DMC for the purposes of promoting Ridgewood's economic welfare.
B. 
All properties within the SID including, but not limited to, all properties classified as 4A and 4C in accordance with the New Jersey Property Tax System Qualifications, (See N.J.A.C. § 18:12-2.2) including those properties in abated/pilot redevelopment areas classified as 15f, except those set forth in Subsection C of this section, are deemed included in the assessing provisions of this chapter and are subject to assessment for SID purposes.
C. 
Certain properties are excluded from the assessing provisions of this chapter and are exempt from any assessment for SID purposes. Specifically, properties maintained solely for residential use and occupied by the owner or the owner's family that are not designated as 4A or 4C are exempt. For example, multifamily dwellings of four or fewer units or residential condominiums and cooperative dwellings.
It is hereby determined that the operation and maintenance of the SID may involve annual costs relating to services unique to the SID that are distinguished from operation and maintenance services that the Village of Ridgewood provides. Pursuant to this chapter and N.J.S.A. 40:56-80, the municipal tax assessor shall assess those annual costs against the benefited properties within the SID. The properties to be assessed to provide for the payment of such annual costs are described in Schedule A[1] attached hereto.
[1]
Editor's Note: Schedule A is included as an attachment at the end of this chapter.
A. 
The nonprofit corporation, Ridgewood Business Alliance, Inc., an entity incorporated pursuant to N.J.S.A. 15A:1-1 et seq., is hereby designated as the DMC for the SID and designated by this chapter to receive funds collected by a special improvement assessment within the SID. The RBA in addition to acting as an advisory board to the Mayor and Village Council, shall have all powers necessary and requisite to effectuate the purposes of this chapter and the SID, subject to the Village Council's annual approval of the DMC's budget, as specified in N.J.S.A. 40:56-83. These include, but are not limited to, the power to:
(1) 
Adopt bylaws for the regulation of its affairs and the conduct of its business and to prescribe rules, regulations and policies in connection with the performance of its function and duties;
(2) 
Employ such persons as may be required, and to fix and pay their compensation from funds available to the DMC;
(3) 
Apply for, accept, administer and comply with the requirements respecting an appropriation of funds or a gift, grant or donation of property or money;
(4) 
Make and execute agreements that may be necessary or convenient to the exercise of the powers and functions of the corporation, including contracts with any person, firm, corporation, governmental agency or other entity;
(5) 
Administer and manage its own funds and accounts and pay its obligations;
(6) 
Borrow money from private lenders and from governmental entities;
(7) 
Fund the improvement of the exterior appearance of properties in the SID through grants or loans;
(8) 
Fund the rehabilitation of properties in the SID;
(9) 
Accept, purchase, rehabilitate, sell, lease or manage property in the SID;
(10) 
Enforce the conditions of any loan, grant, sale or lease made by the DMC;
(11) 
Provide security, sanitation and other services to the SID, supplemental to those provided normally by the Village of Ridgewood;
(12) 
Undertake improvements designed to increase the safety or attractiveness of the SID to businesses that may wish to locate in Ridgewood or to visitors to the SID, including but not limited to, litter cleanup and control, landscaping, parking areas and facilities, recreational and rest areas and facilities, pursuant to pertinent Village of Ridgewood regulations;
(13) 
Publicize the SID and the businesses included within the SID boundaries;
(14) 
Recruit new businesses to fill vacancies in, and to balance the business mix of, the SID;
(15) 
Organize special events in the SID;
(16) 
Provide special parking arrangements for the SID;
(17) 
Provide temporary decorative lighting within the SID.
Recommendations made under this section shall be in writing and will be forwarded to the appropriate approving authority, namely Ridgewood's Construction Code Official, Planning Board or the Zoning Board of Adjustment. Recommendations offered shall be developed within the time frames within which the Construction Official, the Planning Board and Zoning Board must take appropriate actions.
B. 
In order to receive any funds or exercise any of the powers granted herein, the Board of Directors of the Ridgewood Business Alliance, Inc., shall include a Village Councilmember chosen by the Village Council. N.J.S.A. 40:56-68(b).
A. 
Notwithstanding the creation of a SID, the Village of Ridgewood expressly retains all its powers and authority over the area designated as being within the SID.
B. 
Nothing contained herein shall accomplish or be interpreted or construed to be the creation or a vacation, in whole or in part, of any municipal street or right of way or part thereof, or to amend any zoning ordinance requirement or to limit any other rule or law of general application.
C. 
The DMC shall not make or enter into any contracts for the improvement of any publicly owned or operated facility or property within the SID, unless the Village Council delegates to the DMC, by separate ordinance, the contracting of work to be done on any street or streets or on any other municipal property within the SID, and provided the DMC, as the contracting unit, complies with the New Jersey Local Public Contracts Law, Public Law 1971, Chapter 198 (C. 40A:11-1 et seq.) and provided the plans, specifications and bid requirements as applicable for the work contracted shall be approved by the municipal engineer and the Village Council, by resolution, prior to initiation of any action for the awarding of a contract under the Local Public Contracts Law.
D. 
The DMC shall comply with all applicable ordinances or regulations of the Village of Ridgewood, County of Bergen, State of New Jersey and Federal Government.
E. 
No employee or contractor of the DMC shall be considered an employee or contractor of the Village of Ridgewood, and the municipality shall not be or become a co-employer or co-contractor of any DMC employee or contractor.
A. 
The DMC's fiscal year shall be the same as the Village of Ridgewood's fiscal year.
B. 
The DMC shall submit to the Village of Ridgewood a detailed annual budget for each upcoming fiscal year no later than December 31 of the preceding year together with a report that explains how the budget contributes to the SID's goals and objectives.
C. 
The Village Council shall introduce, approve, amend and adopt the budget in accordance with N.J.S.A. 40:56-84.
A. 
Monies appropriated and collected for the annual costs of operating and maintaining the SID shall be credited to a special account. The municipality may incur the annual costs of improving, operating and maintaining the SID during a fiscal year, though not specifically provided for by line item or other category in an approved estimate for such fiscal year, if in the Village Council's discretion it shall be deemed necessary to provide for such annual improvements or operation or maintenance prior to the succeeding fiscal year and so long as the total amount of the account approved for that year is not exceeded by that expenditure. Any balances to the credit of the account and remaining unexpended at the end of the fiscal year shall be maintained and applied towards the SID's financial requirements for the succeeding year.
B. 
The Village of Ridgewood shall not be obligated to pay over to the DMC any funds not received by the municipality.
C. 
The DMC shall cause an annual audit of its books, accounts and financial transactions to be made and filed with the Village Council. For that purpose, the DMC shall employ a certified public accountant licensed by the State of New Jersey. The annual audit shall be completed and filed with the Village Council within four months after the close of the DMC's fiscal year.
D. 
The DMC shall, within 30 days after the close of each fiscal year, make an annual report of its activities for the preceding fiscal year to the Village Council.
Nothing contained herein shall prevent the Village Council at any time, subsequent to the adoption of this chapter, from, by ordinance:
A. 
Abandoning the operation of the SID, changing the extent of the SID, supplementing or amending the description of the SID to be specially assessed or taxed for annual costs of the SID, changing or repealing any plan, rules, requisitions or limitations adopted for the operation of the SID, as set forth in N.J.S.A. 40:56-75; or
B. 
Rescinding the designation, re-designating, or designating a new district management corporation to receive funds collected by a special improvement assessment within the SID, and to exercise the powers granted to the district management corporation by this chapter and any amendatory ordinances.
If any provision of this chapter or the application thereof to any person or circumstance is held invalid, such holding shall not affect other provisions or applications of the ordinance. The provisions of this chapter are severable.
All prior ordinances or parts of ordinances that are inconsistent with any provisions of this chapter are hereby repealed solely to the extent of such inconsistencies.