There is hereby established within the Township of Lumberton an "Open
Space Encroachments Mediation Committee," the purpose of which is to allow
residents and citizens an informal forum within which to discuss their concerns
regarding open space encroachments within the municipality. The Open Space
Encroachments Mediation Committee shall be purely an advisory board to the
Township Committee, and its procedures for conducting a meeting shall be the
same as those as the Open Space and Environmental Preservation Council. The
Open Space Encroachments Mediation Committee shall not constitute a public
body within the meaning of the Open Public Meetings Act, N.J.S.A. 10:4-6 et
seq.
The Open Space Encroachments Mediation Committee shall consist of five
members, including its Chairperson. The members shall be designated by the
Township Committee on an annual basis and shall choose from among themselves
their Chairperson. Members shall serve from the date of their appointment
until December 31 of the calendar year in which they are appointed. Members
should be, although will not be required to consist of, Members of the Township's
Land Development Board and/or Open Space and Environmental Preservation Council;
in no case, however, shall the number of members of either Board exceed three.
A quorum must be met in order for a meeting to be held.
The duties of the Open Space Encroachments Mediation Committee shall
be to receive concerns, complaints or suggestions from residents and citizens
of the Township; discuss such concerns, complaints and suggestions; and, when
appropriate, to make recommendations to the Township Committee regarding same.
All recommendations of the Mediation Committee shall be nonbinding with the
final decision resting with the governing body. Accordingly, no member of
the governing body shall serve on the Mediation Committee. Notwithstanding
anything herein contained to the contrary, the Open Space Encroachments Mediation
Committee shall be responsible only to the Township Committee and not to any
other board, committee or body. The Chairperson of the Open Space Encroachments
Mediation Committee shall communicate with the Code Enforcement Officer on
a regular basis to determine the need for the Mediation Committee to meet.