[HISTORY: Adopted by the Township Committee of the Township of Hamilton 12-15-1997 by Ord. No. 1295-97. Amendments noted where applicable.]
There shall be by this chapter hereby established within the Township of Hamilton, County of Atlantic, an Agricultural Advisory Board, which shall serve as an ad hoc advisory board to the Township Committee for the purposes of keeping the Township Committee informed of developments in the farming community, and may respond to any ordinances introduced by the Township Committee that may have an impact upon the farming community and shall otherwise advise the Township Committee with respect to pending legislation at the county or state level which may impact the farming community.
A. 
Meetings. The Agricultural Advisory Board shall meet no less than four occasions per year to discuss matters of interest to the farming community, current and pending township ordinances, county or state laws affecting the farming community and other issues of interest to the farming community which may have an impact upon the township as a whole. The Advisory Board shall report to the Township Committee at least two times per year or as often as the Advisory Board believes it is necessary on activities and discussions and provide the Committee with a summary of the issues it has discussed and the positions it believes should be advanced on behalf of the farming community. The Advisory Board shall be strictly advisory, and its recommendations, decisions, comments or other observations shall not be binding in any way on the Township Committee or any other municipal body, board or agency.
B. 
Membership and term.
(1) 
The Agricultural Advisory Board shall consist of five members who shall be appointed by a majority of the Township Committee in the following manner and for the following terms:
(2) 
Initially three members shall be appointed to a one-year term and two members shall be appointed to a two-year term. All terms thereafter shall be for a period of two years. A term shall expire on December 31 of the appropriate year and shall begin on January 1 of the appropriate year. Thereafter, each member shall serve a term of two years. The members of the Agricultural Advisory Board should be either active farmers, retired farmers or, in some way, engaged in agriculturally related businesses. The members shall choose a Chairman who shall serve as a liaison between the Board and the Township Committee. The Chairman shall keep notes of the meeting, which notes shall be deemed to be the property of the township. The Chairman shall serve as the spokesman for the Board in discussion with the Township Committee. The Chairman shall vote on all issues before the Advisory Board, and his vote shall be equal to all other members of the Advisory Board.
It is the intent of this chapter that the Agricultural Advisory Board shall be solely an advisory board consisting of volunteers appointed by the Township Committee. The Board shall have no authority to expend any public funds, and no funds shall be appropriated in the annual budget for this Board. Moreover, because this Board merely serves in an advisory capacity, and is not authorized to perform any governmental functions affecting the rights, duties, obligations, privileges, benefits or other legal relations of any person, it is the intent of this chapter that this Board shall not be considered a "public body" within the meaning and intent of the Open Public Meetings Act, N.J.S.A. 10:4-6 et seq. Accordingly, there shall be no obligation for the Board to provide any advanced notices of its meetings, although nothing contained herein shall preclude it from doing so.
It is expressly intended that the Agricultural Advisory Board is an ad hoc group to assist the Township Committee in addressing issues and problems facing the farming community. Nothing contained herein shall permit or be intended to permit the Agricultural Advisory Board to render suggestions, opinions, recommendations or in any other way communicate with any other agency, board or body of the Township of Hamilton except for the Township Committee.