Township of Clark, NJ Article VI Township Clerk

§ 3-14 Appointment; qualifications; term; compensation.

The Council shall appoint a Township Clerk. The Township Clerk shall, prior to his/her appointment, be qualified by training and experience to perform the duties of the office. No person shall be appointed or reappointed as a Municipal Clerk unless that person holds a registered municipal clerk certificate issued pursuant to N.J.S.A. 40A:9-133.3 or 40A:9-133.4. The Township Clerk shall serve for a term of three years from the date of his/her appointment, at such compensation as shall be fixed by ordinance.

§ 3-15 Powers and duties.

A. The Township Clerk shall:

(1) Serve as Clerk of the Council, by virtue of his/her office, and keep its minutes and records of its proceedings in appropriate books to be kept in his/her office.

(2) Maintain and compile the ordinances and resolutions of the Township, as required by the Charter and general law.

(3) Have custody and safely keep the Seal of the Township and all records and documents, reports, papers and maps required to be filed in his/her office.

(4) Perform all the functions required of Township Clerks by the General Election Law (Title 19 of the New Jersey Statutes) and any other law or ordinance.

(5) Administer the provisions of Township ordinances with reference to the licensing of occupations and activities for which licenses are required by law or ordinance to be obtained from the Clerk.

(6) Notify the Council of the failure or delinquency of any officer, board, commission or department to file any reports in his/her office as may be properly required to be filed, and shall make demand therefor.

(7) Make immediate remittance to the Township Treasurer of any funds paid to him/her as Township Clerk, and take receipt therefor.

(8) Keep a book wherein shall be registered the names of all officers and employees of the Township government and the date of commencement and expiration of their terms of office.

(9) Have such other, different and additional functions, powers and duties as may be prescribed by law, the Charter or ordinance, or delegated to him/her by the Mayor and Council.

(10) Perform the duties of the issuing authority for the approval of the granting of raffle and bingo licenses pursuant to N.J.A.C. 13:47-1.1 et seq.

[Added 12-18-2006 by Ord. No. 06-21]

B. Award of contracts. Where contracts are let by competitive bidding, the Township Clerk or his authorized representative, designated in writing prior to the opening of bids, shall act as the Township's agent for the opening and recording of bids pursuant to the Local Public Contracts Law (N.J.S.A. 40A:11-1 et seq.). He/she shall recommend the awarding of such contracts in the manner provided by law and shall promptly report the same to the Mayor and Township Council.

§ 3-16 Affixing of Township Seal.

The Township Clerk shall cause the Township Seal to be affixed to instruments and writings when authorized by any ordinance or resolution or when necessary to exemplify any document or record in his/her office or to certify any act or paper which, from the records in his/her office, shall appear to have been a public act of the Township or a public document. The Township Clerk shall not affix the Seal or cause or permit it to be affixed to any instrument or writing or other paper except as provided in this section, unless required by Charter or general law.

§ 3-17 Binding of ordinances and resolutions; certification and distribution.

A. The Township Clerk shall cause all the ordinances and resolutions of a permanent nature passed by the Council to be carefully and securely bound in books to be provided for that purpose. The Township Clerk shall enter after each ordinance his/her certificate of due and proper passage and of the proof of the due publication thereof; provided, however, that his/her omission to certify any ordinance or proof of publication thereof, as hereby directed, shall not be deemed to impair or affect the validity in any respect.

B. The Township Clerk shall forthwith cause certified copies of all ordinances and resolutions to be distributed to the Township Attorney and to all departments of the Township that will be affected thereby.

§ 3-18 Publication of ordinances.

The Township Clerk shall prepare a copy of all ordinances and proposed ordinances which will require publication under the Charter or general law and cause the same, properly attested, to be published in any newspaper legally qualified for the publication of official Township advertisements and shall file in his/her office the requisite proofs of such publication.

§ 3-19 Signing of licenses.

The Township Clerk shall countersign all licenses granted by the Township under the Charter and ordinances of the Township.

§ 3-20 Additional duties.

A. Whenever the Council has taken any action requiring any act or forbearance by any officer or employee of the Township, or affecting the administration of the functions, duties or powers of any such officer or employee, it shall be the duty of the Township Clerk to:

(1) Communicate officially the action of the Council to the person or persons affected.

(2) Retain the matter on the agenda of the Council for such further disposition as may be required.

B. Each officer and employee shall, unless otherwise directed, direct his/her response to the action of the Council to the attention of the Township Clerk for presentation to and information of the Council.

§ 3-21 Transcripts and certifications; fees.

The Township Clerk shall charge and receive for the use of the Township such fees for transcripts and certifications as shall be authorized by resolution of the Council and as set forth in § 145-2.