[Adopted 4-7-1986 by Ord. No. 416; amended
in its entirety 10-4-1999 by Ord. No. 99-11]
There shall be established an Environmental
Commission to be known as the Pennington Borough Environmental Commission.
The Commission shall consist of seven members
and two alternates appointed by the Mayor, one of whom shall be a
member of the Planning Board. The members shall serve without compensation,
except as hereafter provided. The Mayor shall designate one of the
members to serve as Chair and presiding officer of the Commission.
The two alternates shall be designated Alternate Number 1 and Alternate
Number 2. The alternates may participate in discussions of the proceedings,
but may not vote except in the absence or disqualification of a regular
member. A vote shall not be delayed in order that a regular member
may vote instead of an alternate.
The terms of office of the first commissioners
shall be for one, two or three years, to be designated by the Mayor
at the time of appointment, so that the terms of approximately 1/3
of the members will expire each year and their successors shall, thereafter,
be appointed for terms of three years and until the appointment and
qualification of their successors. The alternates shall have a term
of two years, and shall also be appointed initially for staggered
terms with the first term of Alternate Number 1 for two years and
of Alternate Number 2 for one year.
A.
The Environmental Commission shall have the power
to conduct research into the use and possible use of open land areas
of the borough and may coordinate the activities of official bodies
organized for similar purposes, and may advertise, prepare, print
and distribute books, maps, charts, plans, pamphlets which, in its
judgement, it deems necessary for its purposes all within the limits
of funds appropriated to it by Borough Council or grants which may
have been made available for such purposes. It shall keep an index
of all open space, publicly or privately owned, including open marshlands,
swamp and other wetlands in order to obtain information on the proper
use of such areas and may recommend to the Planning Board of the borough
plans and programs for inclusion in a municipal Master Plan and the
development and use of such areas.
B.
The Environmental Commission shall review preliminary
site plan applications and submit its recommendations to the Planning
Board.
C.
The Environmental Commission will work in consultation
with the Open Space Committee on open space issues.
D.
The Environmental Commission shall have power to study
and recommend to the governing body other activities as stated in
N.J.S.A. 40:56A-6.
The Environmental Commission may recommend the
acquisition of property, both real and personal, in the name of the
Borough of Pennington, by gift, purchase, grant, bequest, devise or
lease for any of its purposes and shall administer the same for such
purposes subject to the terms of the conveyance or gift. Such an acquisition
may be to acquire the fee or any lesser interest, development right,
easement (including conservation easement), covenant or other contractual
right (including a conveyance on conditions or with limitations or
reversions), as may be necessary to acquire, maintain, improve, protect,
limit the future use of, or otherwise conserve and properly utilize
open spaces and other land areas in the municipality.
