[HISTORY: Adopted by the Township Committee
of the Township of Mansfield 2-25-1998 by Ord. No. 1998-1. Amendments
noted where applicable.]
There is hereby established within the Township
of Mansfield an advisory council to the Township Committee which shall
be known as the "Mansfield Township Recreation Committee."
The governing body of the Township of Mansfield
invokes the authority provided under N.J.S.A. 40A:63-7, Subdivision
d, permitting the Township Committee to "create such advisory councils
to the municipality as [it] may choose."
The purpose of the Mansfield Township Recreation
Committee shall be to advise and recommend to the governing body such
recreation programs and policies, and modifications to existing programs
and policies, as it deems appropriate. In addition, the Mansfield
Township Recreation Committee shall have general responsibility for
all forms of recreation, playground and park activities, and other
public entertainment activities carried on in the municipality, subject
to and within the limitations of the municipal budget, and subject
further to the overall responsibility of the Township Committee.
A.
Membership. The Recreation Committee shall be comprised
of nine to 15 residents of the Township of Mansfield, plus two members
of the governing body who shall be nonvoting members of the Recreation
Committee. All Committee members shall be appointed by resolution
of the governing body.
[Amended 2-26-2003 by Ord. No. 2003-1; 1-28-2004 by Ord. No.
2004-3; 2-11-2004 by Ord. No. 2004-7; 1-26-2005 by Ord. No. 2005-3; 12-27-2006 by Ord. No. 2006-46; 1-23-2008 by Ord. No. 2008-3; 3-26-2008 by Ord. No.
2008-9]
B.
Terms of office. All terms of office of the Recreation
Committee shall be for one year. Vacancies shall be filled for an
unexpired term only. Members of the Recreation Committee shall receive
no compensation for their services.
C.
Appointments to be at will. Notwithstanding the fact
that a member of the Recreation Committee may have been appointed
to a term of one year, it is expressly intended that all members of
the Recreation Committee shall be removable by the governing body
for cause and following a hearing before the governing body. By way
of example, and not by way of limitation, "cause" may include excessive
absenteeism, insufficient participation in Recreation Committee activities,
misappropriation of funds, spending of funds without appropriate authorization,
conduct unbecoming an appointed representative of the Township of
Mansfield, etc. No member of the Recreation Committee shall have any
right or entitlement to continue in office following determination
by the governing body to remove said person, so long as fundamental
concepts of due process are followed by the governing body.
Appointments to the Recreation Committee which
are made due to the expiration of a term shall be made by resolution
duly adopted by the Township Committee and in a like manner at such
other times as may be necessary to fill a vacancy occurring prior
to the expiration of a term or upon a member's resignation.
There is hereby established within the Township
of Mansfield the position of Recreation Coordinator, who shall be
appointed by the Township Committee, with the advice of the Recreation
Committee, at a salary to be determined and fixed by resolution duly
adopted by the governing body. The Recreation Coordinator shall perform
such duties as outlined in his or her job description as promulgated
by the Township Committee.
A.
Chairman. The Chairman of the Recreation Committee
shall be appointed annually by the membership thereof, and shall conduct
all meetings of the Recreation Committee. Neither the Recreation Coordinator
nor the Township Committee representative may serve as the Recreation
Committee Chairman. In addition to presiding at all meetings of the
Recreation Committee, the Chairman, in consultation with the Recreation
Coordinator, shall prepare an agenda for the monthly Recreation Committee
meetings.
B.
Vice Chairman. The Recreation Committee shall designate
a Vice Chairman, who shall serve in the absence of the Chairman and
shall be charged with the fulfilling of those responsibilities that
the Chairman may, for any reason, be unable to fulfill.
C.
Secretary. There is hereby established within the
Township of Mansfield the position of Recreation Secretary, who shall
be appointed by the Township Committee, with the advice of the Recreation
Committee, at a salary to be determined and fixed by resolution duly
adopted by the governing body. The Recreation Secretary shall perform
such duties as outlined in his or her job description as promulgated
by the Township Committee.
D.
Officers not to share duties. The offices described
above shall be held by separate persons such that no person shares
the duties authorized herein. In other words, a person may not be
both Chairman and Secretary, or Vice Chairman and Secretary or Chairman
and Vice Chairman.
A.
Meetings; quorum.
(1)
The Recreation Committee shall hold monthly meetings
throughout the calendar year, with meeting dates to be agreed upon
at their annual January reorganization meeting. The Recreation Committee
may also hold such other meetings as it deems necessary and appropriate.
(2)
Whenever approval by the Recreation Committee is required,
a quorum of a majority of the entire duly authorized membership shall
be required in order to constitute a duly authorized meeting, and
in order to take any formal action.
B.
Attendance requirements. Any member of the Recreation
Committee missing three consecutive meetings without notification
shall automatically forfeit his or her appointment.
All recreation programs and policies shall be
implemented and administered through the Recreation Committee as a
whole, with the assistance of the Recreation Coordinator.
A.
All recreation personnel employees will be interviewed
and recommended by the Recreation Coordinator and the Recreation Committee
to the Township Committee.
B.
All personnel will only be employed after acceptance
of the recommendation of the Recreation Coordinator and the Recreation
Committee and by resolution of the Township Committee.
Although the Recreation Committee is not a formal administrative department of the municipal government, it is the intent and purpose of this chapter to allow the Recreation Committee to expend money in the same fashion as other department heads would for purposes of requisitions, purchase orders, etc. Therefore, the provisions of Chapter 39A of the Code of the Township of Mansfield, entitled "Purchasing; Claims Approval," shall apply to the Recreation Committee. For purposes of this chapter, and integrating the same with Chapter 39A, the term "Recreation Coordinator" as used in this chapter shall equate with the term "Department or office head" under Chapter 39A, and the term "Recreation Director" as used in this chapter shall equate with the term "Township Committee Director" under Chapter 39A. The Recreation Coordinator and the Recreation Director may make such purchases as necessary for program success according to Chapter 39A of the Code. It is expressly forbidden that any subcommittees of the Recreation Committee, or any persons other than the Recreation Coordinator and the Recreation Director, shall be authorized to submit vouchers and/or purchase orders for expenditures; and no expenditures by any person shall be permitted without first securing the approval of the governing body when such expenditures will exceed $1,000.
Notwithstanding anything to the contrary contained
in this chapter, the governing body of the Township of Mansfield (the
Township Committee) shall retain ultimate responsibility for all recreation
programs within the Township of Mansfield, and the Recreation Committee,
including any recreation personnel appointed by the governing body,
shall be subject to the authority of the Township Committee in all
matters affecting or otherwise relating to recreation within the Township
of Mansfield.
A.
Repealer. Any and all ordinances, resolutions, policies
or practices inconsistent with the terms of this chapter be and the
same are hereby repealed, rescinded and declared voided.
B.
Severability. In the event that any clause, section,
paragraph or sentence of this chapter be declared invalid and/or unenforceable
for any reason by a court of competent jurisdiction, then, in such
event, the Township Committee hereby declares that the remaining portions
of this chapter that are not deemed invalid or unenforceable shall
remain in full force and effect, the governing body declaring that
it would have adopted the remaining portions of the ordinance even
without the offending provision or provisions.
C.
Effective date. This chapter shall take effect upon
proper passage in accordance with the law.
