City of Northfield, NJ Board, Committees and Commissions

All regularly incurred expenses of the Ward Commission shall be reimbursed upon certification by the Municipal Clerk for expenses incurred by the Ward Commission as a body and upon certification by the individual Ward Commissioner where incurred by an individual member. No individual expense nor any Commission expenditure shall be authorized unless approved by resolution of the Ward Commission.

The Ward Commission is hereby authorized to retain the services of a licensed professional engineer or a licensed surveyor, as authorized by law.

§ 6-5 Certification as to availability of funds.

The Ward Commission shall act in accordance with the law. Any portion of this article requiring the expenditure of funds shall not be effective until the certification by the Chief Financial Officer of the City of Northfield of the availability of funds for such purpose is affixed hereto.

Article II Economic Development Commission

[Adopted 4-24-2001 by Ord. No. 5-2001 (Ch. 15 of the 1974 Code)]

§ 6-6 Commission created; number of members.

There is hereby created and established a Commission to be known as the "Economic Development Commission of the City of Northfield." The Commission shall consist of seven members, including the Chairperson.

§ 6-7 Appointment of members; terms; vacancies; qualifications.

The members of the Commission shall be appointed by the President of City Council. Each member shall have been, for the last five years next preceding his appointment, a citizen of the United States and a qualified voter of the State of New Jersey and must reside in, work or have a place of business in the City. One member shall be appointed for a term of one year, one member for a term of two years, one member for a term of three years, two members for terms of four years and two members for terms of five years. At the expiration of each of the above terms, the new member or members shall be appointed for a term of five years. Vacancies in the membership for any cause shall be filled by the President of City Council for the unexpired term thereof. Members shall serve for their respective terms and until their successors are thereafter appointed and qualified. The Mayor shall serve as an ex officio member of the Commission.

Each member of the Commission shall be selected based upon his or her qualifications and fitness for service and shall have had experience in industry and commerce, shall be conversant with the economic needs and facilities of the City of Northfield, and shall be known for devotion to public service.

Whenever practicable, there may be appointed to said Commission a representative of a real estate dealers association, a representative with a background in banking or finance, and a representative of the legal profession.

§ 6-8 Oath of office.

Each member and officer of the Commission shall, before assuming office, take and subscribe an oath that he or she will honestly, faithfully and impartially discharge the duties of his or her office.

§ 6-9 Conflicts of interest.

It shall be deemed to be a conflict of interest for any member, officer or employee of the Commission to have any financial interest, directly or indirectly, in any contracts or other transactions by, of, or with the Commission for work or materials used by the Commission, or in any sales, leases or agreements in connection with lands, buildings or other property owned or controlled by the Commission, or in any fees or compensation of any kind paid to any broker, architect, engineer, merchant or other person doing business with the Commission.

§ 6-10 Compensation.

The members and officers of the Commission shall serve without compensation, but each shall receive his or her actual expenses incurred in the performance of his or her duties.

§ 6-11 Officers; quorum.

The members of the Commission shall choose annually from among its members a Chairman or President and such other officers as they may deem necessary. The President of City Council may choose a representative from the Council to serve as an ex officio member of the Commission. A majority of the members shall constitute a quorum of the Commission.

§ 6-12 Bylaws; employee qualifications and compensation.

The Commission shall adopt suitable bylaws for the management of its affairs, shall determine the qualifications and duties of its employees, and may fix the compensation to be paid to any of its employees, subject to the budget for the Commission as adopted by the City Council.

§ 6-13 Powers and duties.

The Commission will be responsible for ways and means of promoting the City of Northfield's economic development of its assets, business, industry, resorts, tourism, transportation, governmental and other economic interests. Recommendations of the Commission to attract economic development will be forwarded to the Mayor and City Council for consideration.

The Commission shall not exercise any power of condemnation or eminent domain and shall not be authorized to pledge the credit of the City of Northfield or to create any debt against said City.

The Commission shall classify vacant lands according to their adaptability for the establishment thereon of various types of business and industrial enterprises.

The Commission shall perform a study of the tax structure of the township for the purpose of reducing the tax burden of the residents of the City of Northfield.

During the month of January, the Commission shall make an annual report to the Mayor and City Council, setting forth in detail all of its operations and transactions for the preceding 12 months.

The Commission shall keep complete and accurate books and records of accounts and transactions. The Commission shall not exceed its budget as appropriated by the Northfield City Council. These funds shall only be expended for the purposes for which they have been appropriated.

The Economic Development Commission shall assemble information regarding opportunities for business and investment in the City. The Economic Development Commission shall prepare and distribute pamphlets explaining opportunities in the City, outlining City regulations affecting businesses and indicating City regulations relating to energy conservation and environmental protection. The Commission shall be authorized to raise such funds necessary and sufficient to accomplish its purposes as set forth herein through advertising and other promotional means.

The Commission shall administratively establish, operate and/or oversee all programs and projects relating to economic development and shall perform other duties as the City Council may from time to time authorize by resolution.

The Commission shall serve as an ombudsman to business and community organizations by maintaining liaison with those organizations which are deemed essential to the success of the various policies, programs and projects of the City Council.

The Commission shall coordinate programs and projects whose purpose is the retention of existing businesses as well as the attraction of new businesses.

The Commission shall, by a majority vote, select one member who shall act as liaison to the Planning Board of the City of Northfield. Said member may render nonbinding advice and information to the Board on matters involving land use generally within the City or with respect to particular applications brought before such Board involving commercial development within the City of Northfield. The liaison member shall also be responsible for providing the Commission with information as to the status or pendency of applications involving commercial developments and/or land use matters before the Board relevant to the economic development of the City of Northfield.

The Commission shall submit a report to the City Council biannually. Those reports shall be submitted by June 15 and December 15 of each year and shall include Commission activities since the last report and any results and pending results.