[Adopted by Ord. No. 825 (§ 2-20 of the 1987 Code)]
There is a need to foster appreciation of the
history and culture of the Borough of Highland Park; and the Mayor
and Borough Council deem it in the public interest to establish a
commission for the purpose of furthering this goal.
There is hereby established a Commission to
be known as the Highland Park Historical Commission, which Body shall
be an agency of the Borough.
[Amended by Ord. No. 871; 4-17-2018 by Ord. No. 18-1957]
The Commission shall consist of 12 members,
including the Superintendent of the Highland Park School System or
designee, and as an ex officio, nonvoting member, the Borough Clerk
or designee. The remaining 10 members shall be residents of the Borough
appointed by the Mayor with the advice and consent of Council. Two
of the 10 mayoral appointees provided by this section shall each serve
initial terms of one year; two of the 10 mayoral appointees provided
by this section shall each serve initial terms of two years; and,
two of the 10 mayoral appointees provided by this section shall each
serve initial terms of three years. At the expiration of each individual
term of mayoral appointees, such members may be reappointed by the
Mayor with the advice and consent of the Council. All members shall
serve without compensation. In addition to the foregoing, two student
members may be appointed by the Mayor with the advice and consent
of the Council for one-year terms, said members to have a nonvoting
status. A quorum for the purpose of conducting business of the Commission
shall consist of six voting members.
[Amended 4-17-2018 by Ord. No. 18-1957]
The powers and duties of the Commission shall
include all actions necessary and reasonable to further public appreciation
of the history and culture of the Borough. The powers and duties shall
include, but not be limited to:
A.
Providing
educational history programming and events focusing on, but not limited
to, local history.
B.
Maintaining
and caring for the Commission’s collection of historic artifacts
and documents, and making the collection accessible to the public.
C.
Identifying,
researching and documenting important events and sites relating to
the Borough’s history, including conducting oral histories of
current and former Borough residents and making them accessible to
the public.
D.
Acting as
a resource for information regarding Borough history.
E.
Providing
guidance on how to preserve and protect historic resources.
F.
Placing
appropriate signage and markers at historic sites and encouraging
visitation of sites.
G.
Documenting
through photographs and written description historic sites in the
Borough that have been approved for demolition or significant interior
or exterior alteration. For the purposes of this section, "historic
sites" shall be defined as any site that is 50 years or older; listed
or determined eligible for listing on the New Jersey or National Register
of Historic Places; or identified in the Historic Preservation Element
of the Highland Park Master Plan or in cultural and historic resource
surveys of the Borough. The Mayor and Council, the Borough Planning
Board, the Zoning Board of Adjustment, and the Redevelopment Agency
will notify the Historical Commission of potentially affected buildings.
Upon notification, the Historical Commission will determine within
five business days if documentation is necessary. If it is determined
the site should be documented, the Historical Commission will communicate
with the owner to determine a start date and will then have 14 business
days to complete the documentation. In the case of privately owned
sites, interior documentation will take place only with permission
of the owner.
H.
Cooperating
with other historical and cultural agencies throughout Middlesex County
and the State of New Jersey such as institutions of higher education,
regional and state organization, and Borough commissions and departments.
[Amended 4-17-2018 by Ord. No. 18-1957]
The Commission shall prepare a report for the
Mayor annually, setting forth its activities and recommendations concerning
activities of the Commission.
[Amended 4-17-2018 by Ord. No. 18-1957]
The Commission shall vote to appoint a Chairperson
and Vice Chairperson to serve as officers of the Commission. The Vice
Chairperson will take meeting minutes and provide them to the Borough
Clerk.
[Amended 4-17-2018 by Ord. No. 18-1957]
The temporary headquarters of the Commission
shall be the Main Street Highland Park office at 212 Raritan Avenue,
in the Borough of Highland Park. The Mayor and Council will identify
a permanent headquarters and collection storage location within six
months of the Commission’s establishment.
[Amended 4-17-2018 by Ord. No. 18-1957]
The Arts and Recreation Committee of the Borough
shall serve as a liaison between the Commission and the Mayor and
Council.
