[HISTORY: Adopted by the Township Committee of the Township
of Upper Deerfield 4-6-1978 by Ord. No. 189 (Ch. 22 of the 1977 Township
Code). Amendments noted where applicable.]
GENERAL REFERENCES
Park and recreation areas — See Ch. 287.
[Amended 7-5-2001 by Ord. No. 516]
A.
All present members of the Board of Recreation Commissioners shall
continue to hold office for the terms for which they were respectively
appointed, and hereafter the Mayor shall appoint, in the discretion
of said Mayor, not less than three nor more than seven persons, and
the Mayor may also appoint two persons to serve as alternate members,
who are citizens and residents of this Township, as members of a Board
of Recreation Commissioners.
B.
The Commissioners first appointed shall be appointed for terms of
one, two, three, four and five years, respectively, in such a manner
so that the terms of at least one Commissioner and not more than two
Commissioners shall expire in each year, according to the number appointed.
Thereafter, all appointments shall be for the term of three years.
C.
The alternate members of the Board of Recreation Commissioners shall
be appointed for a term of two years; provided, however, that the
initial terms of such members shall be one and two years, respectively.
D.
The members shall receive no compensation for their services.
A.
The Board may acquire lands for public playgrounds and recreation
places, by gift or purchase, and it shall from time to time select
lands for public playgrounds and recreation places and, when deemed
necessary or advisable by such Board, select lands for an approach
or approaches by way of ingress thereto and egress therefrom of such
size and dimensions as it shall think suitable, with regard being
given to the population of the neighborhood.
B.
Said Board shall cause surveys and maps to be made thereof, together
with a careful estimate as nearly accurate as may be of the probable
costs of acquiring such lands and a statement of the annual rental
and duration of term if it is proposed to lease the same, together
with an estimate of the cost of preparing such lands and suitably
equipping the same by the erection of buildings, stands, seats and
other structures and apparatus for such playgrounds and recreation
places. Such surveys, maps and estimates shall be submitted to the
Township Committee with a request that an appropriation be made for
the purpose of acquiring or leasing such lands, as the case may be,
and suitably preparing and equipping the same.
If the Township Committee authorizes the acquisition of such
lands and if the Township Committee appropriates a sum for the purchase
and equipment thereof, the Board shall acquire the same by purchase,
condemnation or lease, as the case may be, and suitably prepare and
equip the same for a playground and recreation place or approach thereto.
If the Board is unable to agree with the owner or owners as
to the price and terms of purchase or if, by reason of any legal disability
or the absence of any owner or owners thereof or for any other cause,
an agreement for the purchase of such lands or any part thereof or
any rights of interest therein cannot be made, the Board may cause
such lands or any rights or interest therein to be condemned and taken
on behalf of the Township, and the compensation to be made thereof
shall be ascertained and paid or tendered in the manner provided in
N.J.S.A. 20:3-1 et seq., as amended and supplemented.
The Board may cause any land so acquired to be laid out and
improved as a public playground, recreation place or an approach thereto.
The title to all lands acquired or taken under the provisions
of N.J.S.A. 40:12-1 to 40:12-8 shall vest in the Township of Upper
Deerfield in the County of Cumberland, and all leases of land for
such purpose shall be in the name of the Township.
A.
In order to provide the funds, in whole or in part, necessary to
improve, maintain and police the playgrounds or recreation places
under its control, the Board may arrange and provide for the giving
of exhibitions, plays, concerts, games and contests and may use and
employ such playgrounds or recreation places for the purpose of giving
thereon exhibitions, plays, concerts, games and contests.
B.
The Board may charge and collect a reasonable admission fee for each
person entering such playground or recreation place as a spectator
during the time or times when the same is being used or employed for
such purposes, but the Board shall not permit the use or employment
of any such playground or recreation place for such purpose for a
period greater than a ratio of one hour to every two hours in each
day during which the playground or recreation places are utilized
nor more than 16 hours in any one calendar week, and when any such
playground or recreation place is used for such purpose, no admission
fee shall be charged or collected from children under 12 years of
age.
C.
The Board may charge and collect a reasonable service charge from
persons using, as participants, special areas and facilities which
require special maintenance and the use of which is restricted to
relatively few people, in order to assist in the meeting of the operating
costs thereof in whole or in part.
[Amended 12-30-2015 by Ord. No. 736]
The Board shall have full control over all lands, playgrounds and recreation places acquired or leased over which the Board may be given jurisdiction and supervision by the Township Committee, by resolution or otherwise, and may adopt suitable rules, regulations and bylaws for the use thereof and the conduct of all persons while on or using the same, subject to the provisions of Chapter 287.
The custodians, supervisors and assistants appointed by the
Board shall, while on duty and for the purpose of preserving order
and the observance of the rules, regulations and bylaws of the Board,
have all the power and authority of police officers of the Township.
The Board may appoint a Recreation Director for a term not to
exceed three years, a Secretary or Clerk, who need not be members
of the Board, and such number of custodians, supervisors and assistants
for the several playgrounds and recreation places under its control
as it shall think necessary, and it may fix and determine their salaries,
provided that the payment of salaries and the amount thereof shall
be subject to the prior approval of the Township Committee.
The Township Committee shall annually fix, determine and appropriate
a sum sufficient for the care, custody, policing and maintenance of
such playgrounds and recreation places and for the expenses of said
Board, which shall be raised by taxation in the same manner as other
taxes.
The Township Committee shall provide a suitable office or offices
for said Board.
The money necessary to pay for lands purchased or condemned
for such playgrounds and recreation places and for providing and equipping
the same from time to time may be raised and provided by the Township
Committee by general taxation as other taxes are raised and levied,
by the issuance of temporary loan bonds, or by the issuance of permanent
bonds. All such bonds or other obligations shall be issued and paid
in the manner provided by the law.
All moneys received by said Board shall be paid over to the
Township Treasurer and be kept by him in a special fund which shall
be under the control of the Board and used only for the purpose of
defraying the expenses of improving, maintaining or policing the playgrounds
and recreation places and for the other expenses of the Board. Payments
shall be made upon the warrant of said Board, signed by its Chairman
and attested by its Secretary.
Annually, in the month of January, the Board shall meet and
organize and elect from among its members a Chairman and such other
officers as it shall deem necessary, to serve until the next annual
meeting and until their respective successors have been elected and
shall qualify. The Board may also adopt bylaws to govern the conduct
of its business.
The Board of Recreation Commissioners shall not have the power or authority to make any promise or commitment on behalf of the Board or the Township to pay any salary or wages or to acquire land or buildings without prior approval of the Township Committee. The Board shall not incur any financial obligation for any other purpose in excess of the budget appropriation then available to the Board or in the special fund, as provided in § 74-14 above, without prior approval of the Township Committee.
