[Adopted 7-1-1982 by Ord. No. 370 (Ch.
1, Part 3C, of the 1994 Code)]
The Hatfield Township Board of Commissioners
and the Borough of Hatfield, being the parent municipal bodies over
the Open Space Advisory Council, therefore establish the said Open
Space Advisory Council for the purpose of advising, or making recommendations
to, the Hatfield Township Board of Commissioners and the Borough Councilmen
of the Board of Hatfield on matters dealing with the protection, conservation,
management, promotion, and use of natural resources located in the
open space areas of the Township of Hatfield and more specifically
the open space areas owned by Hatfield Township and land adjacent
thereto.
A.
The Open Space Advisory Council shall be composed
of five members from the political subdivision of Hatfield Township,
appointed by the Board of Commissioners of Hatfield Township. The
members shall serve for an initial period of one member for one year,
one member for two years, one member for three years, one member for
four years and one member for five years, and after the initial appointment
period a five-year term for each appointed member will follow thereafter.
The initial appointments and any vacancies on the Council thereafter
with respect to Township members shall be filled by appointments made
by the Hatfield Township Board of Commissioners.
B.
There shall be two members from the Borough of Hatfield
also to serve on the Open Space Advisory Council and those members
are to be appointed by the Borough of Hatfield for a term of office
as determined by the Borough of Hatfield.
C.
There shall be no compensation for members of the
Open Space Advisory Council, however, there shall be a reimbursement
for expenses actually and necessarily incurred by the members in the
performance of their duties. These expenses shall be limited to an
amount provided for by the Hatfield Township Board of Commissioners
in the annual Township budget and expenditures shall be approved through
the office of the Township Manager and by the Board of Commissioners
of Hatfield Township through the normal bill payment procedure of
the Township. The Council shall elect a Chairman and other officers
as may be required to properly operate as an official governmental
agency of the Township of Hatfield and the Borough of Hatfield.
The Open Space Advisory Council as organized
under the article shall have the power to identify environmental problems
and recommend plans and programs to the Board of Commissioners of
Hatfield Township and the Councilmen of the Borough of Hatfield for
the promotion and conservation of natural resources and for the protection
and improvement of the quality of the environment, to make recommendations
as to possible use of open land areas, to promote a community environmental
program, to keep an index of all open areas both publicly and privately
owned, including but not limited to flood-prone or floodplain areas,
swamps and other unique natural areas, for the purpose of obtaining
information on the proper use of such areas and to advise the Board
of Commissioners of Hatfield Township and the Borough of Hatfield
with respect to acquisition of property, both real and personal, by
gift, purchase, grant, bequest, easement or lease in matters dealing
with open space ground owned, or to be acquired, by Hatfield Township.
The Open Space Advisory Council shall not exercise
any power or perform any duties which are by law conferred or imposed
upon the Township of Hatfield or the Borough of Hatfield or any other
governmental agency.
The Open Space Advisory Council shall keep records
of its meetings, activities and expenditures, and shall make a quarterly
report to the Board of Commissioners of Hatfield Township and the
Council of the Borough of Hatfield with respect to its activities.
