[Adopted 7-8-1997 by Ord. No. 97-3]
Upper Hanover Township shall join with the municipalities
of East Greenville Borough, Pennsburg Borough, Red Hill Borough, Green
Lane Borough and Marlborough Township to create the Upper Perkiomen
Valley Regional Planning Commission as per the guidelines set forth
under Section 1102 of the Pennsylvania Municipalities Code, Act 247
of July 31, 1968, as reenacted and amended. Each participating municipality shall appoint two members. The term of each member shall be two years; however, initially each municipality shall appoint one member for a one-year term and a second member for a two-year term so that the terms of membership of the members appointed by the individual municipalities shall be on a staggered basis. Qualification of members, the removal of members, the conduct of business, etc., shall be governed by Article
II of the Pennsylvania Municipalities Code.
The Upper Perkiomen Valley Regional Planning
Commission shall have the responsibility to prepare a joint municipal
comprehensive plan for the six participating municipalities of the
Upper Perkiomen Valley. To this end, the powers and duties of the
Commission are as follows:
A. To prepare a joint municipal comprehensive plan pursuant
to Articles III and XI of the Pennsylvania Municipalities Planning
Code.
B. That in the preparation of the joint municipal comprehensive
plan, the members of the Commission shall represent the interests
of their respective municipalities and shall cast one vote per municipality
on all matters that require action.
C. Upon the completion of the joint municipal comprehensive
plan by the Commission and its adoption by all the participating municipalities,
the Commission may be instructed by the participating municipalities
to prepare a joint zoning ordinance and zoning map, which shall be
presented to the participating municipalities for their consideration
and adoption.
D. Should joint municipal zoning be formally adopted
by the participating municipalities, the Regional Planning Commission
shall review all proposed changes to the joint municipal zoning ordinance
and zoning map and shall make a formal recommendation to the participating
municipalities regarding said change. The recommendation of the Commission
shall be advisory only.
Each municipality shall retain its own municipal
planning commission and zoning hearing board. The participating municipalities
agree that for all matters relating to lot line changes, subdivisions,
land developments, variances, special exceptions and conditional uses,
or any other matter of a planning or zoning nature in which jurisdiction
resides in the governing body of a municipality, such matter shall
not be a joint planning or joint zoning activity.
The officers of the Upper Perkiomen Valley Regional
Planning Commission shall consist of a Chairperson, Vice Chairperson,
and Secretary, all of whom are to serve for a term of one year. The
Chairperson and Vice Chairperson shall be members of the Commission,
but the Secretary need not be a member of the Commission.
Any participating municipality may withdraw
from the Regional Planning Commission after one month's formal notice.
Upon receiving notice that a municipality wishes to withdraw from
the Regional Planning Commission, the governing bodies of the remaining
municipalities shall promptly schedule a meeting to consider whether
the remaining municipalities wish to continue with the Regional Planning
Commission. Should joint municipal zoning be enacted, notice of withdrawal
shall be pursuant to the standards set forth in the Pennsylvania Municipalities
Planning Code.
[Adopted 7-11-2000 by Ord. No. 00-2]
The Planning Commission may, with the consent
of the Board of Supervisors, accept and utilize any funds, personnel
or other assistance made available by the county, the commonwealth
or the federal government, or any of their agencies, or from private
sources. The Board of Supervisors may enter into agreements or contracts
regarding the acceptance or utilization of the funds or assistance
in accordance with the governmental procedures of the municipality.