[HISTORY: Adopted by the Mayor and Council of the City of Hoboken 8-11-2004 by Ord. No. DR-152; amended in its entirety 3-2-2011 by Ord. No. Z-89. Subsequent amendments noted where applicable.]
GENERAL REFERENCES
Professional services contracts — See Ch. 20A.
Redevelopment pay-to-play reform — See Ch. 20C.
Political contribution limits — See Ch. 20D.
Ethics — See Ch. 29.
The short title of this chapter is the "Contribution Disclosures Ordinance."
Municipal Master Plans include well thought out, long-term decisions about the development capacity of the community.
Municipal Master Plans are implemented through the enactment of local land use ordinances.
Deviations from these local ordinances by way of variances pursuant to N.J.S.A. 40:55D-70d and N.J.S.A. 40:55D-70c, as well as exceptions and waivers pursuant to N.J.S.A. 40:55D-51, provide opportunities for significant private gain.
The redevelopment process currently underway within the City of Hoboken also provides opportunities for significant private gain.
Openness in government and a fair and impartial variance, waiver and exception application process is crucial to assuring the continuing integrity of the municipal Master Plan, its implementing ordinances and the integrity of the application process.
Disclosure of political contributions by property owners, developers, redevelopers and professionals will enhance the City's existing commitment to openness in government and provide further guarantees for a fair and impartial application and approval process.
Disclosure of political contributions by property owners, developers, redevelopers and professionals will effectuate the purposes of the Municipal Land Use Law to promote morals and the general welfare.
The Mayor and City Council of the City of Hoboken, having considered the foregoing, believe that it is in the best interests of the residents of the City of Hoboken to enact the within chapter.
It is accordingly found and determined that the paramount public interest in enhancing the City's commitment to openness in government, and in providing further guarantees for a fair and impartial variance, waiver and exception application process, and in promoting morals and the general welfare, requires the disclosure of political contributions by property owners, developers, redevelopers and professionals within the City as a component of making application to the City for certain approvals, and requires the supplementation of the municipal application checklists to mandate the listing of specified political contributions made by property owners, developers, redevelopers and the professionals whose services they use.
[Amended 7-20-2011 by Ord. No. Z-116]
Whenever a term used in this section is not herein defined, the definition found in the New Jersey Campaign Contributions and Expenditures Report Act, N.J.S.A. 19:44A-1 et seq., or the definitions found in the regulations promulgated thereunder, known as “Regulations of the New Jersey Election Law Enforcement Commission,” N.J.A.C. 19:25-1.1 et seq., shall govern, for purposes of this chapter.
APPLICATION CHECKLIST
The list of submission requirements adopted by ordinance and provided by municipal agencies to a developer pursuant to N.J.S.A. 40:55D-10.3.
CONTRIBUTION
Every loan, gift, subscription, advance or transfer of money or other thing of value, including any item of real property or personal property, tangible or intangible (but not including services provided without compensation by individuals volunteering a part or all of their time on behalf of a candidate, committee or organization), made to or on behalf of any candidate, candidate committee, joint candidates committee, political committee, continuing political committee or political party committee and any pledge, promise or other commitment or assumption of liability to make such transfer. For purposes of reports required under the provisions of the chapter, any such commitment or assumption shall be deemed to have been a contribution upon the date when such commitment is made or liability assumed.
CONTRIBUTION DISCLOSURE STATEMENT
A list specifying the amount, date, and the recipient of any and all contributions made to or on behalf of any candidate, candidate committee, joint candidates committee, political committee, continuing political committee or political party committee of, or pertaining to, the City of Hoboken, made prior to filing the application with or seeking approval from the City, and required to be reported pursuant to N.J.S.A. 19:44A-1 et seq. The disclosure shall include all such contributions made during the time period measuring from one-year prior to the last municipal election through the time of filing the application with or seeking approval from the City. There shall be a continuing disclosure responsibility to require continuing disclosure of any such contributions made following the filing of the Contribution Disclosure Statement and during the pendency of the application and/or approval process.
DEVELOPER
A developer as defined by N.J.S.A. 40:55D-4, i.e., the legal or beneficial owner or owners of a lot or of any land proposed to be included in a proposed development, including the holder of an option or contract to purchase, or other person having an enforceable proprietary interest in such land. The term "developer" includes any applicant or entity that wishes to undertake redevelopment activity within the City of Hoboken pursuant to the New Jersey Local Redevelopment and Housing Law, N.J.S.A. 40A:12A-1 et seq.
MUNICIPAL AGENCIES
The Municipal Planning Board, the Municipal Zoning Board of Adjustment, and the Municipal governing body acting as the Redevelopment Agency pursuant to the New Jersey Local Redevelopment and Housing Law, N.J.S.A. 40A:12A-1 et seq.
PROFESSIONAL
Any person or entity whose principals are required to be licensed by New Jersey law and who supplies legal representation, expert testimony or written reports in support of an application. Professionals shall include both any individuals supplying the representation, testimonies or reports and the firms or entities in which said individuals practice.
A. 
Disclosure requirements.
(1) 
Any applicant for a variance pursuant to N.J.S.A. 40:55D-70d or a variance pursuant to N.J.S.A. 40:55D-70c in conjunction with any application for any subdivision pursuant to local ordinance or a site plan not considered a minor site plan pursuant to local ordinance, as well as any application for a subdivision pursuant to local ordinance or site plan not considered a minor site plan pursuant to local ordinance requiring waivers or exceptions pursuant to N.J.S.A. 40:55D-51, as well as any applicant who wishes to undertake redevelopment activity within the City of Hoboken pursuant to the New Jersey Local Redevelopment and Housing Law, N.J.S.A. 40A:12A-1 et seq., shall include in its application with and/or submit to the relevant municipal agency a Contribution Disclosure Statement for all developers involved in the said application; all associates of said developers who would be subject to disclosure pursuant to N.J.S.A. 40:55D-48.1 or 40:55D-48.2 shall also be subject to this requirement; and all professionals who apply for or provide testimony, plans, or reports in support of said application or who have an enforceable proprietary interest in the property or development which is the subject of the application or whose fee in whole or part is contingent upon the outcome of the application shall also be subject to this requirement. Regardless of whether the owner of the property, which is the subject of the application falls in any of the categories established in the preceding sentence, the applicant shall include in its application to the relevant municipal agency a Contribution Disclosure Statement for said owner.
(2) 
During the pendency of the application process until the final approval associated with the application is granted, any applicant required to comply with this chapter shall amend its Contribution Disclosure Statement to include continuing disclosure of all contributions within the scope of disclosure requirement of the above subsection.
B. 
Inclusion of Contribution Disclosure Statements as an element of the Application Checklist.
(1) 
An Application Checklist ordinance is hereby adopted pursuant to N.J.S.A. 40:55D-10.3 to require that the Contribution Disclosure Statements specified in Subsection A of this section be submitted by the applicant for all applications for variance relief pursuant to N.J.S.A. 40:55D-70d, as well as for relief pursuant to N.J.S.A. 40:55D-70c, or for relief pursuant to N.J.S.A. 40:55D-51 in applications for site plan and not considered to be minor site plans pursuant to local ordinance, or for approval to undertake redevelopment activity within the City of Hoboken pursuant to the New Jersey Local Redevelopment and Housing Law, N.J.S.A. 40A:12A-1 et seq.
(2) 
The City's municipal agencies shall amend their Application Checklists to include the Contribution Disclosure Statements specified in Subsection A of this section.
(3) 
An application shall not be deemed complete by the administrative official or accepted for public hearing by the municipal agency until the required Contribution Disclosure Statements are submitted.
C. 
Availability of Contribution Disclosure Statements. All Contribution Disclosure Statements shall be available in the office of the administrative officer for review by any member of the public.
D. 
Intent of Contribution Disclosure Statements. It is the intent of this chapter that Contribution Disclosure Statements shall serve solely as a means to inform the public and shall not serve in any manner as evidence relevant to the decisionmaking criteria for granting or denying requested variances or other approvals. Such decisions shall continue to be governed strictly under the relevant criteria set forth in the Municipal Land Use Law, N.J.S.A. 40:55D-1 et seq., or other relevant law.