[Adopted 3-16-1982 by Ord. No. 555-82 as
Sec. 2-2 of the 1982 Revised General Ordinances (Ch. 11 of the 1993
Code)]
All legislative power of the Township shall
be exercised by the Township Committee pursuant to law.
The Township Committee shall organize annually
on January 1, or during the first seven days of January in any year,
at which time it will elect a Mayor from among its members. The Mayor
shall preside at meetings of the Township Committee and perform such
other duties as the Township Committee may prescribe. The Committee
shall also elect a Deputy Mayor from among its members, who shall
perform the duties of the Mayor in his or her absence.
[Amended 9-4-2012 by Ord. No. 1511-12]
The Mayor shall have the power to make proclamations
concerning holidays and events of interest to the Township and to
declare a state of emergency in the Township and execute documents
deemed necessary in order to preserve the health, safety and welfare
of the residents and visitors. He or she may, from time to time, appoint
citizens' committees to inquire into matters that are of interest
to the Township, and he or she shall have such other appointment powers
as are conferred upon him or her by law. He or she shall have and
exercise the ceremonial power of the Township and he or she shall
exercise every other power usually exercised by Township mayors or
conferred upon him or her by law.
A.
Regular meetings. The Township Committee shall meet
annually on January 1, or during the first seven days of January in
any year, and such other meetings, or adjourned meetings, at such
time and place as it may by resolution direct, but all regular meetings
shall be held within the Township.
B.
Special meetings. A special meeting may be called
at any time upon written request of a majority of the members of the
Township Committee. The request and call for a special meeting shall
specify the purpose of the meeting, and no business shall be transacted
at any special meeting other than that specified. The call for a special
meeting shall be filed with the Clerk and served upon each Committee
member, as hereinafter provided, at least 24 hours prior to the time
for which the meeting is called. The Police Department shall cooperate
with the Clerk in effectuating service of such notice. Upon waiver
of notice by all members of the Township Committee, a special meeting
may be held without prior notice notwithstanding the above provisions
of this section.
All regular and special meetings of the Township
Committee shall be open to the public. The rules of procedure to be
followed for the conduct of business of the Committee shall be provided
by resolution. Notice of all meetings shall be given to the public
in accordance with the Open Public Meetings Act, N.J.S.A. 10:4-6 et
seq.[1]
A majority of the whole number of members of
the Township Committee shall constitute a quorum. No ordinance shall
be adopted by the Township Committee without the affirmative vote
of a majority of the quorum of the Committee. If a quorum is not present
one hour after the appointed time for any meeting, those members present
may declare the meeting adjourned.
The vote upon every resolution or ordinance
shall be taken by roll call and the yeas and nays shall be entered
on the minutes. The minutes of each meeting shall be signed by the
Township Clerk or his or her appointed deputy.
[Added 3-19-1985 by Ord. No. 615-85]
A.
Items of business, excluding ordinances and as otherwise
provided by law, which the Township Committee, at a premeeting conference
or workshop, has determined to be routine and which do not require
discussion shall be included under a single section of the agenda
known as the "consent agenda." Such items may be adopted or approved,
as the case may be, upon motion and approval thereof by vote of a
simple majority of the Township Committee.
B.
The
consent agenda section shall be preceded by an explanatory note substantially
set forth as follows: "All matters listed under Consent Agenda are
considered to be routine by the Township Committee and will be enacted
by one motion. There will be no separate discussions of these items.
If discussion is desired by the Mayor or any member of the Township
Committee, that item will be removed and will be considered separately.
Advance copies of each resolution have been given to each Committee
member. The original resolutions are with the Municipal Clerk for
inspection as listed below."
[Amended 8-6-2013 by Ord. No. 1526-13]
[Added 8-6-2013 by Ord. No. 1526-13]
Members of the Township Committee shall observe order and decorum
during Township Committee meetings. A member of the Township Committee
shall neither, by conversation or otherwise, delay or interrupt the
proceedings of the Committee nor disturb any member while speaking
nor refuse to obey the orders of the Chair. Township Committee members
shall inform the Chair before leaving their seats during a Committee
meeting.
[Added 8-6-2013 by Ord. No. 1526-13]
Members of the Township staff shall observe the same rules of decorum applicable to the Township Committee in § 5-8.1 above.
[Added 8-6-2013 by Ord. No. 1526-13]
Any person(s) making personal, defamatory or profane remarks
or who willfully utters loud, threatening or abusive language or engages
in any disorderly conduct which disturbs or disrupts the orderly conduct
of any meeting shall be called to order by the Chair. If such conduct
continues, the Chair of the Township Committee, at his/her discretion,
may order such person(s) removed from the meeting by the Sergeant
at Arms.
[Added 8-6-2013 by Ord. No. 1526-13]
A.
Persons other than Committee members may be permitted to address
the Committee in the proper order of business. A person present may,
upon recognition by the Chair, be heard in the order of business and
at such other times as the Committee may, by the affirmative vote
of 2/3 of those present, specifically permit. While a motion is pending,
no person shall address any remark or question to any specific Committee
member, nor shall any person be permitted to address the Chair. A
Committee member may, through the Chair, respond to any communication
or address received pursuant to this rule.
B.
Except upon consent of the Committee, by the affirmative vote of
2/3 of those present, persons addressing the Township Committee shall
be allowed five minutes for their presentations on the same topic.
The Chair may restrict or limit the time allotted to a person whose
remarks are repetitive or are not germane to the matter under consideration
by Committee. Members of the public shall not be permitted to yield
time to any other speaker.
[Added 8-6-2013 by Ord. No. 1526-13]
No person in the audience shall engage in disorderly conduct
such as hand clapping, stamping of feet, whistling, using profane
language, shouting or other similar demonstrations which may disturb
the peace and order of the Township Committee meeting.
[Added 8-6-2013 by Ord. No. 1526-13]
All persons shall, at the request of the Chair, be silent. If,
after receiving a warning from the Chair, a person persists in disrupting
the meeting, the Chair may order that person to leave the meeting.
If he or she does not remove himself or herself voluntarily, the Chair
may order the Sergeant at Arms to remove him or her.
[Added 8-6-2013 by Ord. No. 1526-13]
The Chief of Police, or such member of the Department of Police
as the Chair may designate, shall be Sergeant at Arms at the Township
Committee meetings. The Sergeant at Arms shall carry out all orders
given by the Chair for the purpose of maintaining order and decorum
at the Township Committee meeting.
[Added 8-6-2013 by Ord. No. 1526-13]
Any person who resists removal by the Sergeant at Arms shall
be charged with violating N.J.S.A. 2C:33-8, Disrupting meetings and
processions.
[Added 8-6-2013 by Ord. No. 1526-13]
There shall be no recording, taping or photography of any Township
Committee meeting without the express prior approval of the Chair
of the Township Committee.
[Added 8-6-2013 by Ord. No. 1526-13]
Township Committee meetings shall be conducted pursuant to Robert's
Rules of Order.
