The Planning Board shall elect a Chairperson and Vice Chairperson
from its members. The Board shall also select a Board Secretary, who
may be a member of the Board, a municipal employee or any other individual
designated by the Board. The Board Secretary shall act as the administrative
officer to the Board for all purposes set forth in the Municipal Land
Use Law. The Board may also select a Recording Secretary, whose job
it shall be to assist the Board Secretary, in all respects, with their
administrative duties to the Board.
There is hereby created the Planning Board Attorney. The Board
may annually appoint a Board Attorney who shall be an attorney licensed
in the State of New Jersey and who shall not be the City Attorney.
Said attorney shall receive such compensation as agreed upon by the
attorney and the Board, in an amount not exceeding the amount appropriated
by the City Commissioners for such purpose and/or an amount not exceeding
moneys or deposits in escrow with respect to applications, whichever
the case may be. The Board Attorney shall be the legal advisor of
the Planning Board and shall prosecute and defend actions by and against
the Board. The Board Attorney shall swear in all witnesses giving
testimony before the Board.
The Chairperson, subject to this chapter, shall decide all points
of order and matters of procedure governing the meeting, unless otherwise
directed by a majority of the Board in session at the time. The Chairperson
shall have, subject to this chapter and governing statutes, all the
powers and perform all the duties normally appertaining to his/her
office.
The Vice Chairperson shall preside at all Board meetings and
hearings in the absence of the Chairperson.
A.
Subject to this chapter, and under the direction of the Chairperson,
the Board Secretary shall conduct all official correspondence, publish
all required notices, compile the required records, maintain and keep
in order the necessary files and indices and generally perform the
secretarial work of the Board. The duties of the Board Secretary shall,
more specifically, include: i) providing each Board member with a
copy of an agenda and a copy of each applicant's Application
package prior to the scheduled hearing; ii) providing the Board with
a copy of minutes or a transcribed record of all meetings; iii) handling
all necessary Board correspondence; and iv) at all public meetings
of the Board, calling the membership roll at the opening of the meeting
and during the meeting at the direction of the Chairperson; calling
the membership roll for all appeal/application votes; and tallying
all votes and announce the results of such votes immediately thereafter.
The Board Secretary shall further be responsible for delivering the
signed and dispositioned application document packages to the Zoning
Officer/Construction Code Official's office after the close of
each meeting.
B.
The Board Secretary shall attend all meetings of the Board and have
the care and custody of all records, documents, maps, plans and papers
of the Board. When the votes are taken, the Board Secretary shall
take roll by last name, except that the Chairperson shall be called
last.
C.
The Board Secretary shall make a record of, and keep on file, the
minutes of the proceedings at each meeting or hearing held by the
Board and shall enter therein with the other proceedings such resolutions
and orders as are adopted and a copy of the minutes of that meeting.
The Board Secretary shall issue notices of meetings and shall perform
such other duties as usually appertain to his/her office.
D.
The Board Secretary shall file a brief notice of the Board's
decision as per N.J.S.A. 40:55D-10i and provide a full copy of the
resolution to the applicant.
A.
The Planning Board may annually employ or contract for services of
experts and other staff and services as it may deem necessary. The
staff of the Board may include, but shall not be limited to, a clerk
or administrative clerk. The Board shall not authorize expenditures
which exceed, exclusive of gifts or grants, the amount appropriated
by the City Commissioners for its use.
B.
The Planning Board shall have the power, right and responsibility
to employ a professional engineer licensed by the State of New Jersey,
who may also be the City Engineer, to advise the Board as to engineering
matters. The Engineer shall receive such compensation as is agreed
upon by the Engineer for the Board, in an amount not exceeding the
amount appropriated by the City Commissioners for such purpose and/or
an amount not exceeding moneys in escrow with respect to applications,
whichever the case may be. The Board Engineer shall be the advisor
on the engineering matters of the Board. In this connection, he/she
shall review all plans and documents received by the Planning Board
for its action and make specific recommendations concerning said matters.
C.
The Planning Board shall have the right and power to employ a professional
planner, licensed by the State of New Jersey, to advise the Board
with respect to planning matters. The Planner shall receive such compensation
as is agreed upon by the Board and the Planner, in an amount not exceeding
the amount appropriated by the City Commissioners for such purpose
and/or an amount not exceeding moneys in escrow with respect to applications,
whichever the case may be.
D.
The Planning Board shall have the right and power to employ a duly
certified stenographer for the purpose of providing a verbatim recording
of the proceedings. The stenographic reporter shall receive such compensation
as is agreed upon by the Board and the stenographer, in an amount
not to exceed the amount appropriated by the City Commissioners for
such purpose and/or an amount not exceeding moneys in escrow with
respect to applications, whichever the case may be.
E.
The Planning Board shall have the right and power to employ a traffic
engineer, licensed by the State of New Jersey, to advise the Board
with respect to traffic and circulation matters. The traffic engineer
shall receive such compensation as is agreed upon by the Board and
the traffic engineer, in an amount not exceeding the amount appropriated
by the City Commissioners for such purpose and/or an amount not exceeding
moneys in escrow with respect to applications, whichever the case
may be.
F.
The Planning Board shall have the right and power to employ a duly
qualified archeologist to advise the Board with respect to archeological
matters. The archeologist shall receive such compensation as agreed
upon by the Board and the archeologist, in an amount not exceeding
the amount appropriated by the City Commissioners for such purpose
and/or an amount not exceeding moneys in escrow with respect to applications,
whichever the case may be.
G.
The Planning Board shall have the right and power to employ an environmental
engineer, licensed by the State of New Jersey, to advise the Board
with respect to environmental matters. The environmental engineer
shall receive such compensation as is agreed upon by the environmental
engineer and the Board, in an amount not exceeding the amount appropriated
by the City Commissioners for such purpose and/or an amount not exceeding
moneys in escrow with respect to applications, whichever the case
may be.
The Board shall adopt such rules and regulations as may be necessary
to carry into effect the provisions and purposes of this chapter.
In the issuance of subpoenas, administration of oaths and taking of
testimony, the provisions of the County and the Municipal Investigations
Law of 1953 (N.J.S.A. 2A:67A-1 et seq.) shall apply.
No member of the Planning Board shall act on any matter in which
he or she has, either directly or indirectly, any personal or financial
interest. Whenever any such member shall disqualify himself or herself
from acting on a particular matter, he or she shall not continue to
sit with the Board on the hearing of such matter nor participate in
any discussion or decision relating thereto.
