Just a note to remind District 11 of the upcoming Village Board Meeting on Monday, February 2nd.  It would be excellent if the Village pre-posted agenda items to understand what will be discussed.

I will be there listening in for the interests of our neighborhood and our Village!

Last night, I attended the special Village Board meeting on Orange Avenue.  It was not as largely attended as the Planning Board meeting a few months ago, but overall, good citizen participation. 

The most amazing part for me was one of the speakers during the Public ‘open session’ where citizens can make comments to the Board.   In attendance was the fourth great grandaughter of John Suffern, founder of Suffern, NY.  Carolyn Suffern Johnson flew in from Knoxville, TN to give remarks around her thoughts for the Urban Renewal project on Orange Avenue, based upon her family’s founding of Suffern.

You can go to www.orangeavenueproject.comfor more detailed interviews, pictures and information that she shared—which will be up in a few days on the SocialChord page dedicated to this robust discussion.

What I did want to share in this blog is the following message she wrote for me to share with Suffernites!

“I have been here once before in 1986.  I have done all my research on MSN bird’s eye view maps, which show no topography.  I was stunned by the beauty of this Village when I got here!  I also was taken by the charm of Lafayette Ave.  I have seen very few downtown areas that seem as vibrant.  I envy those of you who live here!”

The Village Board, by unanimous vote, accepted and adopted next steps to renew Orange Avenue.  Since I started out against this project; the details that were shared by the engineering firm and the real estate attorney were MUCH more improved, detailed and specific.  For a look at the plan, go to our Village goverment website: www.suffernvillage.comto download the plan under the “urban renewal” section.  Through Dagan LaCorte’s leadership, and his ability to better partner with concerned citizens, business owners and community members, the next steps are very open to citizen committee participation.

I would like Dagan, The Mayor and the other Trustees to continue to ‘go green’ on this project, really understand infrastructure concerns and impacts, build the citizen committe that really takes into consideration what would beautify this area and be ready for NJ Transit’s “one-seat ride” from Suffern and finally, NO use of eminent domain with one more shot at how to get David Chen, commercial building owner, to sell.

I attended the 1st Village Board meeting on Monday, January 5th, for the New Year…and part of my New Year’s resolution to stay involved and engaged for our neighborhood.

 Beth and I hope you received our Holiday best wishes and update.

On Monday, I shared with the Mayor and Board of Trustees and Village Departments my Happy New Year Wish List.

In summary, here is what I am asking the Village to understand, embrace and make a difference about:

1. Understand and expand our vision and plan for how Suffern will thrive, just not survive, this recession.  The goal is twofold: increase the ability for our Downtown to grow right and map into a bigger plan for optimized development.  Fill the stores that are ‘for rent’, make our downtown more appealing and attractive by working with the Chamber of Commerce to market/attract both Villagers and Rockland/Bergen/Orange County-ites.  The second goal is to really understand Orange Avenue’s vision and how it will ‘go green’ AND take the Planning Board’s recommendations to make this more attractive.  This is good for District 11 if the Board/Dagan LaCorte take this feedback and direction that the community and planning board set into motion before the Holidays.

2.  Embrace ideas and needs to make our Village THRIVE, not just survive, the recession.  Good companies and great ideas INVEST when times are tough on innovation and excellent vision. The Suffern Chamber of Commerce, through several members, are enthusiastically proposing that Suffern have a 1st annual Music/Arts/Food Festival in Sept, 2009.  Aurie Licata, President of the Chamber, has asked me to Chair this event with Co-Chair Jeremy Wall, founding member of Spyro Gyra and local 10901 resident!  The benefits to our Village are many…and the benefits to our neighborhood will be equally great.

3. Focus on holding expenses flat, NOT raising taxes, and optimizing costs of Village services.  It is critical to make our budget work better and I am even suggested that CPA’s, tax experts, and other Village residents that are good at managing money give their advice/direction asap.  Do you remember the movie, “Dave”, where the stand-in President look alike brings in his friend the accountant and they reinvent the Federal budget?  This is what I envision for Suffern.

4. Finally, focus on creating an innovative government that embraces technology and automated services to reduce costs and get more people involved.  SocialChord (www.socialchord.com) is a new platform that is coming to Suffern’s Village to make us more interconnected.  It is critcal to embrace this technology and improve the way we talk about issues, make policy, report on what’s happening and connect our residents.

Happy New Year to you and your family!

Tara (and Beth)