[HISTORY: Adopted by the Township Committee
of the Township of Franklin 3-12-1970 by Ord. No. 70-2 (Ch. 15 of the 1988 Code).
Amendments noted where applicable.]
GENERAL REFERENCES
Land use — See Ch. 220.
A.
Pursuant to the authority vested in the Township Committee of the
Township of Franklin in the County of Hunterdon by virtue of N.J.S.A.
40:56A-1 et seq., there is hereby established an Environmental Commission,
to be known as the "Environmental Commission of the Township of Franklin
in the County of Hunterdon," which shall consist of five members appointed
by the Mayor, one of whom shall be a member of the Municipal Land
Use Board and all of whom shall be residents of said Township.
[Amended 5-25-2017 by Ord. No. 2017-02]
B.
The members of the Commission shall serve without
compensation except as hereinafter provided.
C.
The Mayor shall designate one of the members to serve
as Chairman and presiding officer of the Commission.
D.
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 so that the terms of approximately 1/3 of the members
will expire each year, and their successors shall be appointed for
terms of three years and until the appointment and qualification of
their successors.
E.
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.
F.
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 the original appointment.
The Environmental 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 Land Use Board or, if none, to the Mayor and Township Committee,
plans and programs for inclusion in a Municipal Master Plan and the
development and use of such areas.
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
or 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 conveyance on conditions
or with limitations or reversions), as may be necessary to acquire,
maintain, improve, protect, limit the future use of or otherwise conserve
and 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 shall make an annual report to
the Township Committee.
The Township Committee may appropriate funds
for the expenses incurred by the Environmental Commission. The Commission
may appoint such clerks and other employees as it may from time to
time require and as shall be within the limits of funds appropriated
to it.
