Township of North Brunswick, NJ Article IX Administration and Enforcement

§ 311-28 Administration and enforcement responsibilities.

A. Responsibilities. The Township Clerk, Director of Public Safety, Zoning Officer and Code Enforcement Officer shall be charged with the administration and enforcement of this chapter in accordance with the following description of responsibilities:

(1) The Township Clerk shall:

(a) Accept applications and application fees for taxi owner's licenses and taxi driver's licenses;

(b) Forward applications for taxi owner's licenses to the Township Zoning Officer for approval of the proposed central place of businesses that is to be located within the Township;

(c) Forward applications to the Director of Public Safety;

(d) Issue taxi owner's licenses and taxi driver's licenses, as well as any required certificates and badges, upon approval of the Township Council;

(e) Maintain copies of required insurance coverages and power of attorney letters; and

(f) Keep and maintain a record of all persons and vehicles licensed or rejected for licenses under the provisions of this chapter. Such record shall contain all information relating to ownership and operation of such licenses and vehicles.

(2) The Director of Public Safety shall:

(a) Conduct a thorough background investigation on each applicant, including, when required, fingerprinting and receipt of a report from the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the State of New Jersey;

(b) Recommend approval, conditional approval or denial of applications for taxi owner's licenses and taxi driver's licenses;

(c) Inspect taxis as required;

(d) Investigate complaints from passengers, taxi drivers, taxi owners or property owners in accordance with § 311-28B;

(e) Recommend revoking or suspending licenses as warranted to the Township Council; and

(f) Immediately suspend any taxi owner's license if an inspection revealed a taxi to be in an unsafe or unsanitary condition or if, in the opinion of the Director of Public Safety, the health, safety or welfare of passengers would be endangered if a license was not immediately revoked or suspended.

(3) The Zoning Officer shall review the application and certify in writing that the central place of business indicated, if located within the Township, is not in a residential zone, that there is sufficient off-street parking available during all hours of the day and night to accommodate the number of taxis the applicant proposes to license and that the off-street parking is adequately buffered from adjacent residential uses in accordance with § 311-9G(3). If the licensee intends to occupy space in a building at the central place of business, if located within the Township, the Zoning Officer shall issue the required certificate of use for occupancy.

(4) The Zoning Officer or a Code Enforcement Officer shall investigate all complaints, with the exception of complaints relative to cruising, loitering and illegal parking.

B. Processing of complaints.

(1) Anyone alleging a violation of this chapter may file a formal complaint with the Code Enforcement Office or Police Department, depending upon the nature of the complaint.

(2) Upon receipt of a complaint alleging a violation of the North Brunswick Taxi Ordinance, the Code Enforcement Office or the Township Police Department, depending upon the alleged violation, shall observe the alleged violation if possible, conduct an investigation and issue a summons if warranted.

(3) All complaints, with the exception of cruising, loitering and illegal parking, shall be filed with the Code Enforcement Office. Complaints may be initiated by calling the Code Enforcement Office. If a complainant wants to file an official complaint with the Code Enforcement Office, the complainant must appear in person at the Code Enforcement Office and sign an official complaint form. No investigation will begin until the complainant has signed an official complaint form.

(4) The Code Enforcement Office shall investigate all complaints which are not handled by the Police Department by examining records and/or taxicabs. Upon receipt of a call from the Code Enforcement Office, the holder of a taxi owner's license must present all requested records to the Code Enforcement Office by 12:00 noon of the following business day. If the complaint involves the leaking of fluids, the driver of the taxi alleged to be in violation shall report to the Township's Department of Public Works garage within one hour of the Code Enforcement Office contacting the company. If the taxi is found to be leaking, the taxi shall immediately be designated off duty, and shall not be put back on duty until a copy of an invoice or repair order for correcting said leak has been filed with the Code Enforcement Office.

(5) Complaints relative to cruising, loitering at a public taxi stand and illegal parking shall be made directly to the Police Department while the alleged violation is ongoing. The Police Department shall dispatch a vehicle, if one is available at the time, to observe the alleged cruising, loitering or illegal parking. If loitering at a public taxi stand is observed, or if the taxi is observed to be parked or traveling at a slow rate of speed in an effort to solicit prospective passengers for hire, in any area other than a designated public taxi stand, a summons shall be issued for violation of § 311-22A or 311-26, respectively. If a taxi that is not licensed in North Brunswick is parked in a designated public taxi stand, a summons shall be issued under § 311-30H.

(6) Complainants who call the Police Department to investigate alleged cruising, loitering or illegal parking must identify themselves at the time of the call, including their taxi license number if applicable. If the complainant is a taxi owner or driver, he/she must also appear at the police desk to sign an official complaint within 24 hours of calling in the complaint. If a complaint is not signed, the complaint will be dismissed.

§ 311-29 Call boxes permitted.

A holder of an owner's license may establish a call box in a shopping center designated for location of a public taxi stand upon consent of the property owner and approval of the Township Planner.