File photo Wood-Ridge Lt. Angelo Paiotti takes aim at a target. Many local police officers practice their shooting at the pistol range in Wood-Ridge under a shared-services agreement.

By Jennifer Vazquez / Reporter

WOOD-RIDGE (Feb. 8, 2010, 11:45 a.m.) — After months of deliberating whether or not their police personnel should be affiliated anymore with the Wood-Ridge firing range, Rutherford officials are leaning toward accepting the latest agreement to have officers continue to practice at the facility.

The decision culminated when Wood-Ridge's counsel sent Rutherford and Carlstadt a notification stating that the former agreement outlining the use of the range was no longer valid, due to the fact that the annual fees required to use the establishment were not paid accordingly.

Since both Rutherford and Carlstadt have overdue fees and have not responded to payment requests, the entire 2009 fee is necessary to have access to the facility — this, according to Wood-Ridge Borough Administrator Chris Eilert, who hopes the issue is resolved in the near future.

“There just seemed to be a misunderstanding of when we could use the range,” said Rutherford Councilman Joseph DeSalvo. “Where we stand right now, we hope to have this matter resolved.”

Eilert said that since the notification was sent out, DeSalvo and Councilman Joseph Crifasi of Carlstadt had contacted Wood-Ridge.

Because police officers need to meet their shooting qualifications twice a year, and officers who master rifles need to qualify four times a year, DeSalvo does not want the current dispute to disrupt the police department's upcoming schedule.

“I actually contacted Wood-Ridge a couple of days ago,” DeSalvo said. “We do not have any issues with the police department in the sense that they aren’t falling behind now, but in the future they very well may.”

A Carlstadt councilman is still debating the matter.

“Carlstadt still eyes the inter-local agreement we once had,” explained Councilman Craig Lahullier. “To change it now and have (the range) go to Wood-Ridge, gives them complete control. We want our equal say.”

Lahullier said that if Wood-Ridge controlled the range completely, then it would have the power to raise the fee, bring in more towns to use the range and have set times for when certain police departments could use the facility.

The annual fee for the police departments to use the range is $125 per shooter, Eilert said. The fee includes all practices and the qualifications necessary for active shooting officers. There is no limit in how many times an officer can use the facility.

According to DeSalvo, the annual fee costs Rutherford approximately $5,000.

Another option for Rutherford officers is the Bergen County Police Range located in Mahwah. However, the use of that range, which is located some 20 miles north, might create financial complications rather than solve problems.

“Using the Wood-Ridge range does create a little bit of overtime for our officers,” said DeSalvo. “But the Mahwah range would be a three-hour time frame from the time the officers leave Rutherford, drive there, go through their qualifications and come back.”

Carlstadt is also looking at other options, such as portable range trailers.

“There are portable ranges that are available,” said Lahullier. “Even though the cost will be more, we are looking to see if we can share the expense with another town.”

The Wood-Ridge pistol range was built in 1996 with grant money from several towns — Wood-Ridge, Carlstadt, Moonachie, East Rutherford, and Rutherford — in a cooperative agreement. These towns were joined later by the Federal Reserve Bank of New York in East Rutherford, according to Eilert. The grant, awarded from the state Legislature, was $50,000 per municipality. The towns were to jointly operate the facility for a 10-year period. After the 10 years expired, the range was to be given to the Borough of Wood-Ridge.

When 2006 arrived, and the shared-services agreement was no longer valid, Wood-Ridge officials were unsure of how to maintain the range and subsequently decided on a year-to-year agreement option.  

This yearly arrangement was also approved due to the concerns over possible contamination from a fuel tank at the adjacent Department of Public Works property. The borough did not want any long-term agreement in case the fuel leaked under the range, causing its permanent closure or an extensive cleanup process.

“We did not want to be locked in to any agreement in the midst of this investigation,” said Eilert.

While Carlstadt is debating the matter, the Rutherford Borough Council was expected to address the final decision regarding their affiliation Tuesday, Feb. 9.

— Contact Jennifer at 201-438-8700.

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