BY CAROL FLETCHER
Staff Writer- Suburban Trends
January 2, 2005
The gravity of local government dawned on Wenke Taule two years ago when a resident told council members that a gas station leak was contaminating his well.
"That first meeting is when I realized that what goes on in each town is a microcosm of the bigger issues," said Taule, who had just been elected to the council at the time.
This past year, more environmental issues arose that coincided with the first Democratic council majority the borough has seen in nearly 30 years.
In a heavily Republican town, residents took a chance and elected the current Democrat majority to lead them in late 2003. As the lone Democrat with previous council experience, Taule became mayor in January.
The preservation-minded Democrats couldn't have been happier when a new, historical land preservation law called the Highlands Water Protection and Planning Act declared Ringwood off limits to most development in August.
Republican council members fought against borough support for the bill, warning that the resulting ratables loss would send taxes skyrocketing, but Taule still sees it as a benefit.
"I think it will be very beneficial to Ringwood" she said, in protecting both land and part of the state's water supply, and in forcing the town to find new revenue sources, such as tourism.
"Maybe next year, we can reach out to West Milford" Taule said, to develop cooperative tourism programs with their neighbor, another growth-prohibited town
Early in the year, a new case of residential well contamination arose, similar to the case from Taule's first council term but from a different gas station.
After contamination was found in several residential wells, Taule, other borough officials and neighborhood representatives pressured the state to get clean water into their homes. State officials recently announced that $1.2 milHon in public funds would pay for a water line into the affected neighborhood.
"I feel the council handled it very well" said Taule. "As soon as we were notified there was a leak, we notified residents immediately."
Taule said that council support has also helped in another dangerous issue, the federal-level reinvestigation of a former hazardous waste site in the upper Ringwood area.
"I also feel that it might have been serendipitous for us (the
Democrats) to be on the council at this point," said Taule. "We've worked closely with the Ringwood Neighborhood Action Association and have been very supportive."
Taule said the borough facilitated an unlikely meeting between residents affected by the site, their lawyers, federal and state health and environmental officials and Ford Motor Company, who dumped the hazardous material.
Increases in open government and communications were two key improvements that Taule said were implemented this year. The public can now speak early on in council meetings and get information in the new borough newsletter, from an improved web site and by watching the new rebroadcasts of the council meetings.
"People stop me and say it's better than reality TV," said Taule, of the council meetings.
In the New Year, Taule said the borough is focused on finishing the Master Plan updates, keeping taxes stable, pursuing tourism ideas and finding a solution to the Skyline Drive traffic.
"That is something we need to finally face" said Taule.
At the council's upcoming reorganization meeting on Jan. 5, council members will either reappoint Taule as mayor or choose someone new.
Three positions are up on the Board of Adjustment and several are up on the Planning Board.
While no council terms had expired in 2004, the New Year is an election year. Terms are up for Republican council members Scott Heck and William Marsala and Independent Ted Taukus.