Township of Bridgewater, NJ Chapter 25 Historic Preservation

[HISTORY: Adopted by the Township Council of the Township of Bridgewater 9-21-2020 by Ord. No. 20-18. Amendments noted where applicable.]

§ 25-1 Establishment of Township Historian.

The Township Council may, under the statutory powers conferred thereto pursuant to N.J.S.A. 40:10A-1 et seq, appoint a resident of the Township of Bridgewater to serve as Township Historian. The Township Historian shall serve through 12-31-2022 without compensation, but the Township Council may make an annual appropriation of such funds as may be necessary to reimburse the Township Historian for expenses incurred in the performance of the duties and responsibilities set forth in this chapter.

§ 25-2 Appointment and term of Township Historian.

The Township Historian shall be appointed by resolution of the Township Council, and shall serve for a term of three years, except for the first term which shall end on 12-31-2022. The Township Council may, at its discretion and in the event of a vacancy in the office of Township Historian, appoint another resident of the Township to serve as Township Historian for the remainder of the present term or for a period of time deemed appropriate thereby. The Township Historian shall serve at the pleasure of the Township Council and may be removed with or without cause by resolution of thereof.

§ 25-3 Powers of the Township Historian.

A. The Township Historian shall have the following powers:

(1) To carry out a historical program, including but not restricted to collecting, preserving and making available materials relating to the history of the Township. The historian shall store such materials in such manner as to insure their preservation, and shall notify the State Archivist, New Jersey Historical Commission, County Historian and local governing body of any materials which should be acquired for preservation. Unless otherwise approved by the Council, all materials shall be stored in a Township-owned building or such other facility as deemed appropriate by the Council, under the care and custody of the Township. Upon leaving the position, the Township Historian shall turn over all materials and records and reports into the possession of the successor, if then appointed, or to the governing body until a successor shall be appointed;

(2) The Township Historian shall make an annual report in December to the Mayor and Township Council of the local unit stating all the work performed and accomplished during that year. The Township Historian shall transmit a copy of such report to the New Jersey Historical Commission. The New Jersey Historical Commission may advise each county historian and municipal historian of general guidelines along which their historical program may be implemented;

(3) The Township Historian shall advise the Township Council (along with the Somerset County Cultural and Heritage Commission and any other relevant landmark commission, where applicable), concerning the acquisition, administration, use and disposition of any item of historic significant, or landmark or historic site, including such places in his jurisdiction included on the New Jersey Register of Historic Places. Such advice may, when appropriate, be furnished to the Historic Sites Section, Department of Environmental Protection;

(4) The Township Historian may research, write and cause to have published a county or municipal history, and may recommend appropriate historical materials for publication;

(5) The Township Historian shall assist in projects of commemoration, including the erection of monuments, historic markers and guide signs.

§ 25-4 Local History Advisory Committee.

A. The Mayor and Township Council may appoint a Local History Advisory Committee to assist the Township Historian in the carrying out of his or her duties pursuant to § 25-3 of this chapter and to advise the administration and governing body on matters of importance to the preservation of the history of Bridgewater Township and the commemoration thereof.

B. The Mayor may, with the advice and consent of the Township Council, appoint by resolution up to six residents of the Township to the Local History Advisory Committee for terms of no more than three years. These appointments shall be in addition to the appointment of a Township Historian pursuant to § 25-2 of this chapter. Two of the six Committee appointments shall expire one year after the Committee is established; two of the six Committee appointments shall expire two years after the Committee is established; and two of the six Committee appointments shall expire three years after the Committee is established; thereafter all Committee appointments shall be for three years.

C. The Township Historian shall be a full member of the Local History Advisory Committee and serve as chairperson thereof.

D. The Local History Advisory Committee may designate the date, time and frequency of its meetings and may create by-laws for the conduct of same by a majority vote of the Committee's membership.

E. All meetings of the committee will require a quorum of four members (to include the Chair) and minutes maintained and copied to the Township Clerk.