Be it ordained by the Township Committee of the Township of
Woolwich that the Swedesboro-Woolwich Joint Environmental Commission
is hereby established pursuant to N.J.S.A. 40:56A-1 to 40:56A-12.
The Joint Commission is established for the protection, development
or use of natural resources, including water resources, located within
territorial limits of the Township of Woolwich and the Borough of
Swedesboro. The Joint Commission shall have power to conduct research
into the use and possible use of the open land areas of the municipalities
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 and prudent for its purposes. It shall keep an index
of all open areas, publicly or privately owned, including open marshland,
swamps and other wetlands, in order to obtain information on the appropriate
use of such areas and may from time to time recommend to the relevant
land use board plans and programs for inclusion in the Master Plan
and the development and use of such areas.
The Joint Environmental Commission may, subject to approval
of both of the governing bodies, acquire property, both real and personal,
in the name of the municipalities 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 a 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
municipalities.
The Joint Environmental Commission shall keep records of its
meetings and activities and make an annual report to the governing
bodies.
The Joint Commission may appoint such clerks and other employees
and incur such expenses as it may from time to time require, providing
the same shall be within the limits of funds appropriated to it by
the governing bodies or otherwise available to it. The Borough of
Swedesboro will maintain the funding for the Joint Environmental Commission
between the Borough of Swedesboro and the Township of Woolwich starting
in budget calendar year 2014. The Joint Commission should establish
a funding mechanism to get the yearly funds from Woolwich to Swedesboro.
The Joint Environmental Commission shall have the power to study
and make recommendations concerning open space preservation, water
resources management, air pollution control, solid waste management,
noise control, soil and landscape protection, environmental appearance,
marine resources and protection of flora and fauna.
The Woolwich Township and Borough of Swedesboro Environmental
Commissions shall transfer and convey to the Joint Commission all
assets, monies, books/records, property interests, funding/funding
rights, and all such other property they own and/or control in furtherance
of the combined goals of the heretofore existing Environmental Commissions.
This chapter shall take effect immediately upon its passage
and publication according to law subject to the passage and publication
of the companion ordinance by the Borough of Swedesboro.