[HISTORY: Adopted by the City Council of
the City of Somers Point 3-23-2006 by Ord. No. 1-2006. Amendments noted where
applicable.]
It is hereby ordained by the City Council of
the City of Somers Point (hereafter "City"), Atlantic County, New
Jersey, that the City hereby establishes by this chapter the Somers
Point Economic Development Advisory Commission (hereafter "Commission"),
until and unless rescinded or amended by City Council action.
[Amended 10-9-2014 by Ord. No. 27-2014]
A.
The primary functions, purposes and goals of the Commission shall
be:
(1)
To discuss, investigate, study and give written advice and recommendations
to City Council as determined by the Commission and/or as may be requested
by City Council regarding economic and business conditions and circumstances
best suited for the City, and the manner and methods by which development
of business conditions and circumstances best suited for the City
may evolve and be encouraged.
(2)
Promotion of the City:
(a)
To market and promote the City's economic and business
strengths; and
(b)
To devise methods and propose programs to promote tourism, promote
the benefits of Somers Point as a vacation destination, promote Somers
Point dining, arts, recreation, fishing, boating, and other tourism-oriented
businesses and activities. With the advance approval of City Council,
the Commission shall retain one or more consultants to assist in these
promotional activities, consistent with the requirements of the Local
Public Contracts Law.
(3)
To recommend, in writing, to City Council the means by which stability
and growth can best take place for existing business.
(4)
To work together cooperatively with the State of New Jersey, the
County of Atlantic and other local regional and state organizations,
divisions, or departments having similar goals, in order to be able
to recommend to the City Council the best and most desirable planning,
implementation, and courses of action by which the primary functions,
purposes and goals of the City's economic and business interests
can be most effectively and efficiently merged and coordinated with
those other organizations, divisions, or departments having similar
goals in furtherance of increased tourism, business creation and retention,
and promoting Somers Point as an attractive City in which to live,
work or visit.
B.
The Commission shall serve as the liaison between the City and the
business community including coordinating meetings and dialogue between
the City and the Somers Point Business Association, the Mainland Chamber
of Commerce, the Greater Atlantic City Chamber of Commerce, and other
Business Associations and Chambers of Commerce in adjacent communities,
and assisting the Mayor and Council in promoting the many advantages
to opening and operating a business in Somers Point, living in Somers
Point and visiting Somers Point.
C.
Working in combination with other City Commissions, Committees, and
in conjunction with public/private partnerships, the Commission shall
propose, organize, sponsor, promote and advertise events to improve
tourism, merchant trade and commerce in our business areas and sponsor
educational symposiums to improve business knowledge of commercial
owners as permitted by budgetary constraints.
D.
The Commission shall identify and recommend to the City Administrator
the retention of professionals and other experts which the Commission
deems necessary or desirable to effectuate the goals of the Commission,
subject to approval of Council and budgetary constraints.
E.
The Commission shall establish annual goals and measurement techniques
to gauge success, monitor progress and determine need for adjustments
to the plan of action which shall be submitted to City Council for
approval. The Commission shall report to City Council at least on
a quarterly basis, or more frequently at the request of Council, to
provide a report on the progress of the goals and the achievements
accomplished and to receive input from the Council and the public.
F.
From time to time, but not less than annually, the Commission shall
submit to City Council for review and approval, by resolution, the
mission statement adopted by the Commission and the methods by which
the Commission goals will be achieved. No such mission statement shall
be amended except upon approval by Council through a resolution.
G.
The Commission shall have such additional primary and lesser functions,
purposes and goals as the Commission may from time to time submit
to City Council, subject to City Council's selection and approval,
and/or as may, from time to time, be determined by City Council by
way of amendments to this chapter.
[Amended 12-27-2007 by Ord. No. 31-2007]
A.
The Commission shall consist of not less than nine nor more than
12 regular members, all appointed by City Council, and all members
shall have a term of office of three calendar years, or such lesser
period of time as may be caused by the date of appointment, with terms
expiring at 11:59 p.m., December 31 of each calendar year. Appointments
shall be staggered such that not less than three appointments expire
each year, and each year at least three members are to be appointed
to full three-year terms.
[Amended 4-10-2014 by Ord. No. 5-2014]
B.
The members
of the Commission shall be residents or taxpayers of the City, or
his/her designee. In addition, one member may be a member of City
Council and another may be a member of the City Planning or Zoning
Board, or member of such other City board, committee or commission
as may be selected by City Council.
C.
All regular
members of the Commission shall have full voting privileges.
D.
In any calendar
year, the City Council may, at its option and discretion, select and
appoint up to two ex officio nonvoting members, who shall be a local
or regional public utility or banking institution, and any local or
regional governmental organization, division or department whose functions,
purposes and goals may be similar to those of the Commission, and
the term of ex officio office shall be for one calendar year and shall
expire each year at 11:59 p.m., December 31. The purpose of such membership
will be to guide, advise and offer assistance to the Commission.
E.
The appointments
of regular and ex officio members of the Commission shall be made
by City Council by resolution as soon as practicable after the establishment
of the Commission by this chapter in this calendar year of its establishment,
and in succeeding years at the annual City Council reorganization
meeting or any subsequent regular meeting of City Council in January
of each calendar year.
F.
No appointment
of any member of the Commission may be rescinded or terminated by
City Council except for good cause.
G.
Any vacancy
created by any resignation of any member of the Commission during
any calendar year may be filled by appointment by City Council by
resolution for the remainder of that member’s term of office.
A.
The members of the Commission shall meet within 30
days of their appointment.
A.
At the first meeting in each calendar year the Commission
shall:
(1)
Elect a Chairperson, Vice Chairperson and a Secretary;
(2)
Establish a schedule of meeting dates for the remainder
of the calendar year;
(3)
Establish a list of primary and lesser goals and a
mission statement for the calendar year;
(4)
Establish a schedule of performance due dates for
reports of any investigation or study to be undertaken by the Commission
during the calendar year.
B.
All meetings shall have accurate and sufficient written
minutes which shall be promptly prepared, approved and forwarded to
City Council. A member shall be elected by the Commission each calendar
year to perform the duties of minute taking and preparation and such
other clerical tasks as may be necessary or desired, and that member
shall be the Secretary.
C.
The product and minutes of the first meeting of the
Commission in each calendar year shall promptly be forwarded to City
Council, and all products and minutes of every meeting thereafter
shall be promptly prepared and approved by the Commission, and then
forwarded to City Council.
D.
The Commission may organize its activities, investigations,
studies and reports by committee, but no committee action or recommendation
shall have status as an action or report by the Commission unless
adopted by a majority vote of the Commission and at a meeting on reasonable
advance notice to the membership of the Commission.
E.
Any and all investigations, studies, calls for action, reports, or recommendations for action adopted by a majority vote of the Commission shall be promptly forwarded to City Council, and they shall not be published or disseminated in any way whatsoever until that is accomplished and until and unless reviewed, accepted and approved by City Council. Any Commission member violating this section or Subsections F or G, may have his/her appointment rescinded and terminated for cause by City Council.
F.
No implementation of any call for action, or any report
and recommendation by the Commission to City Council, shall take place
or have any status as action by the City, or a report of the City,
or a policy of the City, unless and until accepted and approved by
City Council by resolution, and City Council in its discretion may
decline to act, accept or approve, or may act upon, accept or approve
any portion, or the whole, as it desires and determines.
G.
The Commission being an advisory commission of City
Council, and being subordinate to City Council and subject to the
oversight of City Council, shall conduct its activities and meetings
in accord with all applicable state law, which shall include, but
may not be limited to, the Open Public Meetings Act and the Open Public
Records Act.
H.
The Commission's meetings and deliberations shall
proceed in accord with the latest version of Robert's Rules of Order.
[1]
Editor's Note: Former § 20-6, Repealer, was repealed
10-9-2014 by Ord. No. 27-2014.
