[Added 12-10-2019 by Ord. No. MC-5232]
A. 
City Council of the City of Camden hereby creates and designates a Special Improvement District within the City of Camden to be known as the Camden Business Improvement District (CBID) consisting of those properties as described by block and lot and street address in Schedule A attached hereto.[1] The Camden Business Improvement District is comprised of the Downtown, Eds and Meds, Waterfront and the Gateway corridors.
[1]
Editor's Note: Said schedule is on file in the City offices.
B. 
The following properties located within the boundaries of the CBID shall be subject to a special assessment:
(1) 
Class 1: Vacant land;
(2) 
Class 4A: Commercial assessed at or above $400,000;
(3) 
Class 4B: Industrial;
(4) 
Class 4C: Apartments of five or more units;
(5) 
Class 15D: Tax exempt properties assessed at or above $10,000,000;
(6) 
Class l5F: Tax exempt properties assessed at or above $1,000,000 and that are subject to an abatement/exemption agreement including but not limited to agreements governed by the Economic Opportunity Act, N.J.S.A. 52:27D-489p et seq. and the Long Term Tax Exemption Law, N.J.S.A. 40A:20-1 et seq.
C. 
For the purpose of implementing a special assessment, the property class shall be determined as of January 10 of each year, notwithstanding that property class may change during the year, and in accordance with any applicable laws and regulations.
D. 
Class 2 residential properties located within the CBID shall be exempt from any special assessment or fee.
E. 
The assessed value of Class 4A, 4B, and 4C properties shall include any additional assessed value that would otherwise be excluded pursuant to a limited exemption including but not limited to exemptions governed by the Economic Opportunity Act, N.J.S.A. 52:27D-489p et seq.
A. 
Operation and maintenance of the CBID. Annual operation and maintenance costs relating to services particular to the CBID, as distinguished from services normally provided by the City of Camden, will provide benefits primarily to the properties included within the CBID rather than to the City of Camden as an entirety. These annual costs shall be allocated to the benefited properties in the CBID by way of special assessment and/or fee pursuant to the provisions of this chapter and N.J.S.A. 40:56-65 et seq. In accordance with the applicable law and the provisions of this chapter, the City shall only transfer to CSSD the special assessments and/or fees actually collected by the City.
B. 
Development, construction or acquisition costs. All costs of development, construction and acquisition relating to improvements to the CBID shall be financed and assessed to properties especially benefited thereby. The City may, by separate ordinance or by amendment to this article, provide that improvements and facilities hereinafter acquired or developed shall be operated and maintained and the costs taxed to the benefited properties in the CBID.
A. 
City Council hereby designates the Camden Special Services District, Inc. (CSSD) a nonprofit corporation, as the District Management Corporation for the Camden Business Improvement District.
B. 
The CSSD, in addition to acting in an advisory capacity to the Mayor and City Council, shall be governed by and also have all powers necessary and requisite to effectuate the purposes of this article and as specified in N.J.S.A. 40:56-65 et seq. as relate to the CBID, including but not limited to:
(1) 
Adoption of bylaws for the regulation of its affairs and the conduct of its business and prescribe rules, regulations and policies for the performance of its functions and duties;
(2) 
Prepare and administer annual budgets and funding requests for City Council approval;
(3) 
Employ such persons as may be required and fix and pay their compensation from funds available to CSSD;
(4) 
Apply for, accept, administer, and comply with requirements respecting an appropriation of funds or a gift, grant or donation of property or money;
(5) 
Make and execute agreements which may be necessary or convenient to the exercise of the power and function of the CSSD, including contracts and fee for service agreements, with any person, firm, corporation, government agency or entity;
(6) 
Administer and manage its own funds and accounts and pay its own obligations;
(7) 
Borrow money from private lenders and government entities;
(8) 
Fund the improvement of exterior appearance of properties in the CBID through grants and loans;
(9) 
Enforce the conditions of any loan, grant, sale or lease made by the CBID;
(10) 
Provide clean and landscape maintenance services in the CBID, supplemental to those normally supplied by the City of Camden;
(11) 
Undertake improvements designed to increase safety and attractiveness of the CBID to businesses which may locate there or visitors to the CBID, including but not limited to litter cleanup and control, graffiti removal, handbill removal, landscaping, signage, parking areas and facilities, recreational and rest areas and facilities, and those improvements generally permitted under N.J.S.A. 40:56-65 et seq. and pursuant to pertinent regulations of the City;
(12) 
Publicize, promote, and plan for the CBID and the businesses included within the CBID boundaries;
(13) 
Organize and assist with special events and activities in the CBID;
(14) 
Provide special parking plans and arrangements for the CBID;
(15) 
Provide temporary decorative improvements in the CBID;
(16) 
Act as a destination management organization (DMO);
(17) 
Recruit new businesses to fill vacancies in, and to balance the business mix of the CBID;
(18) 
Regulate vending to supplement activities supplied by the City of Camden;
(19) 
Design and enforce environmental and building design criteria to supplement activities supplied the City of Camden pursuant to applicable state and local law;
(20) 
Provide temporary decorative lighting in the CBID;
(21) 
Accept, purchase, rehabilitate, sell, lease, or manage property in the CBID in accordance with all applicable laws.
A. 
City Council hereby designates the Camden Business Improvement District as a downtown business improvement zone in accordance with N.J.S.A. 40:56-71.2.
B. 
CSSD, with the consent of City Council, may apply for loans under the State of New Jersey Downtown Business Improvement Zone Loan Fund. The Downtown Business Improvement Zone Loan Fund shall be used for the purpose of undertaking public improvements to the CBID. In any instance in which the City of Camden or the CSSD receives a loan from the Downtown Business Improvement Zone Loan Fund, the City of Camden shall establish assessments in the manner in which costs may be assessed pursuant to N.J.S.A. 40:56-71.5 et seq. within the CBID in which the downtown business improvement zone is located in an amount sufficient to produce revenues on an annual basis to repay the loan in accordance with the repayment schedule for the loan established by the Department of Community Affairs.
C. 
All costs of development, construction, and acquisition related to improvements for the CBID shall be financed and assessed to properties especially benefited thereby.
A. 
The Board of Directors of the District Management Corporation shall be comprised of 13 members. The Board shall consist of one representative of City Council which shall be the City Council President or his designee, 10 members who are representatives of businesses or other entities in the Camden Business Improvement District, and two Camden residents selected by the Mayor of the City of Camden. Any designee of City Council President shall be another member of City Council.
B. 
The term of the Board of Directors along with other rules and regulations governing CSSD shall be set forth in the adoption of its bylaws.
Notwithstanding the creation of the Camden Business Improvement District, the City expressly retains all its police powers and other rights and powers and authority over the area designated as the CBID.
Any ordinance or part of an ordinance inconsistent with this article or any part of this article is hereby repealed as to the inconsistent provisions only.
If any section, subsection, sentence, clause, phrase or portion of this article is for any reason held to be invalid or unconstitutional by a court of competent jurisdiction, such portion shall be deemed a separate and distinct and independent provision, and such holding shall not affect the validity of the remaining portions hereof.
Any portion of this article not herein amended and supplemented shall remain in full force and effect.
This article shall take effect 20 days after final passage and publications as provided by law.