[Amended 10-13-1983 by Ord. No. 59-1982]
The Township Environmental Commission is hereby
established pursuant to N.J.S.A. 40:56A-1 to 40:56A-5.
A.
The Commission shall consist of seven members appointed
by the Mayor, one of whom shall also be a member of the Planning Board
and all of whom shall be residents of the Township. The members shall
serve without compensation except as hereinafter provided. The Mayor
shall designate one of the members to serve as Chairman and presiding
officer of the Commission. The terms of office of the first Commissioners
shall be for one, two or three years, to be designated by the Mayor
in making his appointments, and their successors shall be appointed
for terms of three years and until the appointment and qualification
of their successors. The first members of the Commission shall be
appointed for the following terms:
B.
The Mayor or Township Committee may remove any member
of the Commission for cause, on written charges served upon the member
and after a hearing thereon at which the member shall be entitled
to be heard in person or by counsel. A vacancy on the Commission occurring
otherwise than by expiration of a term shall be filled for the unexpired
term in the same manner as an original appointment.
A.
The Commission is established for the protection,
development or use of natural resources, including water resources,
located within the territorial limits of the Township. The Commission
shall have power to conduct research into the use and possible use
of the open land areas of the Township and may coordinate the activities
of unofficial bodies organized for similar purposes and may advertise,
prepare, print and distribute books, maps, charts, plans and pamphlets
which, in its judgment, it deems necessary for its purposes. It shall
keep an index of all open areas, publicly or privately owned, including
open marshlands, swamps and other wetlands, in order to obtain information
on the proper use of such areas, and may, from time to time, recommend
to the Planning Board plans and programs for inclusion in the Master
Plan and the development and use of such areas.
B.
Within the Pinelands Area of the Township, all applications for major development, forestry and resource extraction shall be referred to the Environmental Commission for review. The Environmental Commission is hereby authorized to review and comment upon said applications to the Planning Board, Board of Adjustment and/or other Township approval agency in accordance with § 225-53.3D of Chapter 225 of this code.
[Added 7-14-1993 by Ord. No. 30-1993]
The Environmental Commission may, subject to
the approval of the Township Committee, acquire property, both real
and personal, in the name of the Township, by gift, purchase, grant,
bequest, devise or lease for any of its purposes and shall administer
the same for such purposes subject to the terms of the conveyance
of gift. Such an acquisition may be to acquire the fee or any lesser
interest, development right, easement, including conservation easement,
covenant or other contractual right, including a conveyance on conditions
or with limitations or reversions, as may be necessary to acquire,
maintain, improve, protect, limit the future use or otherwise conserve
properly, utilize open spaces and other land and water areas in the
Township.
The Environmental Commission shall keep records
of its meetings and activities and make an annual report to the Township
Committee.
The Commission may appoint such clerks and other
employees as it may from time to time require, provided that the same
shall be within limits of funds appropriated to it by the Township
Committee.
