Township of Alexandria, NJ Clothing/Donation Bins

Notwithstanding any other provision of law to the contrary, no person shall place, use, or employ a clothing and/or donation bin within the Township for solicitation purposes unless all of the following requirements are met:

The clothing and/or donation bin is owned or sponsored by a charitable organization registered pursuant to P.L. 1994, c. 16 (N.J.S.A. 45:17A-18 et seq.).

The registered charitable organization has obtained a permit, valid for a twelve-month period, from the Township Clerk in accordance with the following:

(1)

In its application for such a permit, the registered charitable organization shall indicate:

(a)

The location where the bin is currently situated or proposed to be situated;

(b)

The manner in which the charitable organization anticipates any clothing or other donations collected via the bin would be used, sold, or dispersed and the method by which the proceeds of collected donations would be allocated or spent;

(c)

The name and telephone number of the bona fide office of the charitable organization and any entity which may share or profit from any clothing or other donations collected via the bin; and

(d)

Written consent from the property owner to place the bin on his and/or her property.

(2)

The Township Clerk shall not grant an application for a permit to place, use, or employ a clothing and/or donation bin if it determines that the placement of the bin could constitute a safety hazard. The Township Clerk shall consult with the Police Department regarding any potential safety hazards. Such hazards shall include, but not be limited to, the placement of a clothing and/or donation bin within 100 yards of any place which stores large amounts of, or sells, fuel or other flammable liquids or gases.

(3)

No clothing and/or donation bins shall be placed within 100 yards of school-owned property (district, regional, or privately owned schools).

(4)

No clothing and/or donation bins shall be placed anywhere that is determined to be a safety hazard by the Police Department, including but not limited to road easements and traffic entrance or entrance sight lines.

(a)

No clothing and/or bins shall be placed within 75 feet of a public roadway.

(b)

Clothing and/or donation bins must be constructed of noncombustible material.

(5)

The Township Clerk shall impose a fee for such application, in the amount of $25 annually for each bin, to offset the costs involved in enforcing this chapter.

(6)

An expiring permit for a clothing and/or donation bin may be renewed upon application for renewal and payment of the applicable annual fee. Such application for renewal shall include information detailing:

(a)

The location where the bin is situated, and, if the person intends to move it, the new location where the bin would be situated after the renewal is granted and written consent from the property owner to place the bin on its property;

(b)

The manner in which the charitable organization has used, sold, or dispersed any clothing or other donations collected via the bin; the method by which the proceeds of collected donations have been allocated or spent; and any changes the charitable organization anticipates it may make in the processes during the period covered by the renewal; and

(c)

The name and telephone number of the bona fide office of the entity which shared or profited from any clothing or other donations collected via the bin and of any entities which may do so during the period covered by the renewal.

(7)

The permit number and its date of expiration shall be clearly and conspicuously displayed on the exterior of the clothing and/or donation bin in addition to the information required pursuant to Subsection D of this section.

The registered charity, and any other entity which may share or profit from any clothing or other donations collected via the bin, maintains a bona fide office where a representative of the charitable organization or other entity, respectively, can be reached at a telephone information line during normal business hours for the purpose of offering information concerning the charitable organization or other entity. For the purposes of this subsection, an answering service unrelated to the charitable organization does not constitute a bona fide office.

The following information shall be clearly and conspicuously displayed on the exterior of the clothing and/or donation bin:

(1)

The name and address of the registered charitable organization that owns or is the sponsor of the bin, and of any other entity which may share or profit from any clothing or other donations collected via the bin;

(2)

The registered charitable organization's charitable registration number;

(3)

The telephone number of the registered charitable organization's bona fide office and, if applicable, the telephone number of the bona fide office of any other entity which may share or profit from any clothing or other donations collected via the bin;

(4)

In cases when any entity other than the entity which owns the bin may share or profit from any clothing or other donations collected via the bin, a notice, written in a clear and easily understandable manner, indicating that clothing or other donations collected via the bin, their proceeds, or both, may be shared or given entirely to an entity other than the entity which owns the bin, and identifying all such entities which may share or profit from such donations; and

(5)

A statement, consistent with the information provided to the Township in the most recent permit or renewal application indicating the manner in which the entity anticipates any clothing or other donations collected via the bin would be used, sold, or dispersed, and the method by which the proceeds of collected donations would be allocated or spent.