Township of Ocean, NJ Administration of Government

The Township Committee shall organize annually on the first day of January, or during the first seven days of January, at which time it shall elect a Mayor from among its members. The Mayor shall preside at meetings of the Township Committee and perform such other duties as the Township Committee may prescribe. In the absence of the Mayor, the Committee shall elect a temporary presiding officer. One member of the Township Committee may be designated Deputy Mayor and he/she shall preside in the absence of the Mayor.

§ 5-3 Powers of Mayor.

The Mayor shall have the power to make proclamations concerning holidays and events of interest to the Township. He/she may from time to time appoint citizens' committees to inquire into matters that are of interest to the Township and he/she shall have such other appointment powers as are conferred upon him/her by law. He or she shall have and exercise the ceremonial power of the Township and he/she shall exercise every other power usually exercised by Township mayors and conferred upon him/her by law.

§ 5-4 Meetings of Township Committee.

[Amended by Ord. No. 2002-28]

Regular meetings. The Township Committee shall meet annually on the first day of January or during the first seven days of January in any year, and shall conduct such other meetings or adjourned meetings at such times and places as it may direct by resolution. All regular meetings shall be held within the Township.

Special meetings. A special meeting may be called at any time upon written request of a majority of the members of the Township Committee. The request and call for a special meeting shall specify the purpose of the meeting, and no business shall be transacted at any special meeting other than that specified. The call for a special meeting shall be filed with the Clerk and served upon each Committee member as hereinafter provided at least 48 hours prior to the time for which the meeting is called. The Police Department shall cooperate with the Clerk in effectuating service of notices. Upon waiver of notice by all members of the Township Committee, a special meeting may be held without prior notice, notwithstanding the provisions of this subsection.

§ 5-5 Regular and special meetings; rules of procedure.

All regular and special meetings of the Township Committee shall be open to the public. The rules of procedure to be followed for the conduct of business of the Committee may be established by resolution. Where not otherwise provided, Roberts Rules of Order, revised, shall govern, and the Township Attorney shall be parliamentarian ex officio.

§ 5-6 Township Committee conferences.

The Township Committee may meet at any time in informal conference for the consideration of Township business or to meet with any officer or employee of the Township, or other person, on Township business. No person other than a person specifically invited by the Committee to attend shall be authorized to be present at a conference meeting.

§ 5-7 Quorum.

A majority of the whole number of members of the Township Committee shall constitute a quorum, and no ordinance shall be adopted by the Township Committee without the affirmative vote of a majority of the quorum of the Committee. If a quorum is not present one hour after the appointed time for any meeting, those members present may declare the meeting adjourned.

§ 5-8 Voting on ordinances and resolutions.

The vote upon every resolution or ordinance shall be taken by roll call and the yeas and nays shall be entered on the minutes. All ordinances shall be introduced, considered, published, reconsidered and enacted in the manner provided by general law.

§ 5-9 Administrative organization.

The Township Committee shall be responsible for the continuing existence and functioning of the following responsibilities, offices and agencies within the Township:

Finance;

Buildings and grounds;

Roads and utilities;

Public safety and welfare;

Township Attorney;

Township Engineer;

Intermunicipal Court;

Zoning Board of Adjustment;

Planning Board;

Board of Assistance;

Board of Health;

Board of Recreation;

Civil defense and disaster control.

Article II Officers

[Adopted as indicated in section histories]

§ 5-10 Elective officers.

[Adopted by Ord. No. 2002-28]

Enumerated. The elective officers of the Township shall be the members of the Township Committee.

Residence terms. All elected officers shall be residents of the Township and except where otherwise provided by law, shall hold office for three years, beginning January 1 next succeeding their election. No Township officer, whether elected or appointed, shall hold over in his/her office after the expiration of the term in which he/she was elected or appointed.

Vacancies. Any person appointed by the Township Committee to fill a vacancy in any elective office shall hold office only until January 1 after the general election next succeeding his/her appointment, and at that election some fit person shall be elected to fill the unexpired term. If a vacancy occurs at so short a period of time before the next general election that the office cannot be filled at the election, the Township Committee may fill the vacancy in the same manner as though it had occurred immediately after the election, and the vacancy shall then be filled at the next subsequent general election for the unexpired term.

§ 5-11 Appointive officers.

[Adopted by Ord. No. 1979-15; amended by Ord. No. 1980-7]

Enumeration; residence. In addition to the officers to be elected, the Township Committee may appoint and employ a Township Attorney, Assistant Township Attorney, a Township Engineer, Assistant Township Engineer, a Township Building Inspector, a Township Physician, a Township Treasurer, Municipal Prosecutor, Municipal Public Defender, and such other officers as it shall deem necessary and proper and consistent with law. The Attorney, Assistant Attorney, Engineer, Assistant Engineer, and Building Inspector need not be residents.

Term. All appointive officers, except where otherwise provided by law, shall hold office until January 1 next following their appointment.

Vacancies. Where a vacancy occurs in any appointive office, the Township Committee shall fill the vacancy for the unexpired term, except in the case where the Township Committee shall grant a leave of absence to join any branch of the Armed Forces of the United States. No officer shall hold over in his/her office after the expiration of the term for which he/she has been appointed.

§ 5-12 Official hours.

[Adopted by Ord. No. 1997-5]

Days and hours.

(1)

The following public offices in the Township of Ocean shall be open to the public on the following specified days and times:

Office of the Township Clerk
	Monday—Friday	9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.
Office of the Tax Collector
	Monday—Friday	9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.
Office of the Tax Assessor
	Monday—Wednesday	9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.
	Thursday	2:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m.
Office of Construction Code Official
	Monday—Friday	9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.
Office of Director of Welfare
	Tuesday and Thursday	1:30 p.m. to 3:00 p.m.
Office of the Treasurer
	Monday—Friday	9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.
Office of the Municipal Court Clerk
	Monday—Friday	9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.
Business Headquarters of Police Department
	Monday—Friday	8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.

(2)

Town Hall shall be opened one Saturday per month, from the hours of 9:00 a.m. to 12:00 noon, and staffed by a member of the Township Committee, on dates to be designated by the Township Committee.

Legal holidays. All offices shall be closed on legal holidays, which shall be stipulated in the personnel policy.

Offices shall be staffed and manned. Offices shall be staffed or manned personally by the elected or appointed public official in charge of the office. No elected or appointed public official shall be permitted or allowed to staff or man his/her office with any substitute unless the Township Committee shall authorize same by resolution.