[Ord. 2002-07, 11/13/2002, § 1]
All recitals are herein incorporated by reference.
[Ord. 2002-07, 11/13/2002, § 2]
An advisory council to be known as the "Lower Mount Bethel Township
Environmental Advisory Council" (hereinafter abbreviated "EAC") is
hereby established for Lower Mount Bethel Township, Northampton County,
Pennsylvania.
[Ord. 2002-07, 11/13/2002, § 3]
The purposes of the EAC shall be to advise local governmental
agencies including, but not limited to, the Township's Board of Supervisors
and Planning Commission on matters dealing with the protection, conservation,
management, promotion, acquisition and use of natural resources including
air, land, water and open space resources located within or affecting
Lower Mount Bethel Township.
[Ord. 2002-07, 11/13/2002, § 4]
1.
The EAC shall be composed of seven members.
2.
Five members shall be residents of Lower Mount Bethel Township who
shall be appointed by the Board of Supervisors. In addition to these
five members, the Board of Supervisors will utilize its best efforts
to appoint to the EAC, as additional members, one member of the Board
of Supervisors and one member of the Planning Commission. In addition,
the Board of Supervisors may also appoint a representative of a recognized
conservancy or land trust to act as a consultant to the EAC.
3.
The Board of Supervisors shall appoint any and all members of the
EAC and shall also fill all vacancies.
4.
If possible, members shall be from different regions of the Township
so that there is a broad representation of the interests of the Township
on the EAC.
[Ord. 2002-07, 11/13/2002, § 5]
1.
The EAC member's term of office shall expire on the first Monday
in January following the last year of his/her term of office.
2.
The terms of office for any member of the EAC, who also serves as
a member of another board or commission of the Township, shall be
for one year.
3.
Any resident appointed to the EAC, who is not a member of a board
or commission affiliated with the Township, shall be appointed for
a three-year term. Said terms shall be staggered for all members so
appointed to the EAC and the initial appointments shall also be staggered
so that approximately one-third of these memberships shall expire
each year and the terms of their successors shall be three years each.
4.
Prior to the expiration of a term of appointment, the Board of Supervisors
and the Planning Commission shall provide to the Board of Supervisors,
in writing, a recommendation for one of their members to be appointed
to the EAC. However, the Board of Supervisors shall make the final
determination as to the membership of and on the EAC.
5.
Members of the EAC may resign at any time with written notice to
the Board of Supervisors and the EAC.
6.
Members may be removed by the Board of Supervisors, with or without
the recommendation of a majority of the other EAC members, for misfeasance,
malfeasance, nonfeasance, neglect, the failure to perform any of their
duties or other just cause. Failure to attend either three consecutive
regularly scheduled EAC meetings or four regularly scheduled EAC meetings
during a consecutive twelve-month period shall constitute neglect.
Said removal shall be at the sole discretion of the Board of Supervisors
and is not appealable.
7.
The Board of Supervisors shall appoint successors to EAC members
(who resign or who are removed) to serve for the remaining term of
the resigned or removed member or members.
[Ord. 2002-07, 11/13/2002, § 6]
Members of the EAC shall receive no compensation for their services
but they may be reimbursed for reasonable expenses actually and necessarily
incurred by them in the performance of their duties, provided that
the incurring of said expenses has had the prior approval of the Board
of Supervisors.
[Ord. 2002-07, 11/13/2002, § 7]
1.
The EAC shall have the following specific powers:
A.
Identify environmental problems.
B.
Recommend plans and programs to the Board of Supervisors and other
Township agencies for the promotion and conservation of the natural
resources and for the protection and improvement of the quality of
the environment within Lower Mount Bethel Township.
C.
Make recommendations as to the possible use of open land areas within
Lower Mount Bethel Township.
D.
Promote a community environmental program.
E.
Keep an index of all open space and environmentally sensitive areas,
publicly or privately owned including, but not limited to, floodprone
areas, wetlands and other unique natural areas for the purpose of
obtaining information on the proper use of such areas.
F.
Advise the Board of Supervisors and other Township agencies as to
the acquisition of property, both real and personal and rights thereto,
by gift, purchase, grant, bequest, easement, devise or lease in matters
consistent with the purposes of this enabling Part 4C.
G.
Consult with the Department of Environmental Protection, the Department
of Conservation and Natural Resources, the United States Environmental
Protection Agency, Environmental Advisory Councils (or their equivalents)
in neighboring municipalities or states and any other appropriate
County, State and Federal agencies and nongovernmental organizations
on environmental issues affecting Lower Mount Bethel Township.
H.
Undertake environmental tasks as requested by the Board of Supervisors
but not to exercise any powers or perform any duties which by law
are conferred or imposed upon an agency of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania
or the United States of America.
[Ord. 2002-07, 11/13/2002, § 8]
1.
The Chairperson of the EAC shall be appointed annually by the Board
of Supervisors. The EAC may select its own Vice-Chair and Secretary.
2.
The EAC shall meet at least monthly and at other times as may be
directed by the Board of Supervisors. Said meetings shall be advertised
and open to the public.
3.
The EAC shall keep written records of its meetings and activities
and shall make a written annual report to the Board of Supervisors,
which report shall be made part of the annual municipal report; or,
if not, such written report shall be made known and available to the
public for review and copying.
[Ord. 2002-07, 11/13/2002, § 9]
The Board of Supervisors may appropriate funds for the reasonable
and necessary expenses incurred by the EAC in accordance with an annual
budget. Appropriations may be expended for such administrative, clerical,
printing and legal services as may (from time to time) be incurred
and approved by the Board of Supervisors and shall be within the limits
of the annual budget. The whole or any part of any funds so appropriated
in any year may, with the approval of the Board of Supervisors, be
placed in a conservation fund and allowed to accumulate from year
to year or be expended in any year.
