[HISTORY: Adopted by the Board of Supervisors of the Township of North Coventry 1-26-1987 by Ord. No. 80. Amendments noted where applicable.]
The office of Township Manager of North Coventry Township is hereby created, pursuant to the authority of the Second Class Township Code (53 P.S. § 66301) of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania.
Words of the masculine gender include the feminine.
The office of Township Manager shall be filled by one person elected to said office by a majority vote of the Board of Supervisors. The Township Manager shall serve until a successor is elected and qualified.
The Township Manager shall be chosen on the basis of his executive and administrative abilities, and his experience and/or training in municipal management. The Township Manager need not be a resident of the Township at the time of his appointment, but during the tenure of his office he may reside outside the Township only with the approval of a majority of the Board of Supervisors. The Township Manager shall have no personal interest, direct or indirect, in contracts with the Township.
Before entering upon his duties, the Township Manager shall give a bond to the Township, with sufficient surety, as approved by the Board of Supervisors in the amount of $10,000, conditioned upon the faithful performance of his duties, the premium for said bond to be paid for by the Township.
The salary of the Township Manager shall be fixed by the Board of Supervisors by resolution, and shall be paid out of the general fund of the Township.
A. 
The Township Manager shall be the chief administrative officer of the Township and he shall be responsible to the Board of Supervisors as a whole for the proper and efficient administration of the business and affairs of the Township. The powers and duties of administration of all Township business shall be vested in the Township Manager, unless expressly imposed of conferred by statute upon other Township officers.
B. 
Until such time as a person is appointed as Township Manager, the duties herein delegated to the Township Manager are expressly reserved to the Board of Supervisors.
C. 
Subject to recall by the Board of Supervisors, the powers and duties of the Township Manager shall include the following:
(1) 
He shall supervise and be responsible for the activities of all municipal departments and employees of the Township in accordance with the rules and regulations as are or may hereafter be established. He shall hire Township employees after determining that all legal requirements have been met and after conferring with the Board of Supervisors. He shall further have the power and authority to initiate disciplinary actions against any Township employee, subject to review by the Board of Supervisors and in accordance with law.
(2) 
He shall prepare and submit to the Board of Supervisors a recommended budget for the ensuing fiscal year, in sufficient time so that said Board may review, amend and/or adopt the budget prior to the close of the current fiscal year. The recommended budget shall be accompanied by an explanatory message setting forth a summary of projected revenues and proposed expenditures, together with such supporting data as may be required to enable the Board of Supervisors to decide upon and adopt the necessary taxation and appropriate legislation. He shall, upon adoption of the budget by the Board of Supervisors, be responsible for the efficient administration thereof so the various appropriations are not exceeded, except as may be authorized by the Board according to law.
(3) 
He shall, in conjunction with the preparation of the yearly budget, develop long-range fiscal plans for the municipality, such plans to be presented annually to the Board of Supervisors for its review and consideration.
(4) 
He shall research the availability of grants or other funding on behalf of the Township, and shall develop and process grant applications in conjunction therewith.
(5) 
He shall hold such other municipal offices and head such municipal departments as the Board of Supervisors may from time to time direct.
(6) 
He shall attend all meetings of the Board of Supervisors and its committees, with the right to take part in the discussions and shall receive notice of all special meetings of the Board of Supervisors and its committees.
(7) 
He shall prepare the agenda for each meeting of the Board of Supervisors and supply facts pertinent thereto.
(8) 
He shall keep the Board of Supervisors informed as to the conduct of Township affairs; submit periodic reports on the condition of the Township finances and such other reports as the Board of Supervisors request; and make such recommendations to the Board of Supervisors as he deems advisable.
(9) 
He shall submit to the Board of Supervisors as soon as possible after the close of the fiscal year a complete report on the finances and the activities of the Township for the preceding year.
(10) 
He shall see that the provisions of all franchises, leases, permits, and privileges granted by the Township are observed.
(11) 
He may employ, by and with the approval of the Board of Supervisors, experts and consultants to perform work and to advise in connection with any of the functions of the Township.
(12) 
He shall attend to the letting of contracts in due form of law, and he shall supervise the performance and faithful execution of the same except insofar as such duties are expressly imposed by statute upon some other Township officer.
(13) 
He shall see that all money owed the Township is promptly paid and that proper proceedings are taken for the security and collection of all the Township's claims.
(14) 
He shall be the Purchasing Officer of the Township, and he shall purchase in accordance with the provision of the Township Code all supplies and equipment for the agencies, boards, departments, and other offices of the Township, provided that all capital expenditures shall be subject to prior approval of the Board of Supervisors. He shall keep an account of all purchases and shall, from time to time or when directed by the Board of Supervisors, make a full written report thereof. He shall also issue rules and regulations, subject to the approval of the Board of Supervisors, governing the procurement of all municipal supplies and equipment.
(15) 
All complaints regarding Township services shall be referred to the office of the Township Manager. He, or an officer designated by him, shall investigate and dispose of such complaints, and the Township Manager shall report thereon to the Board of Supervisors.
(16) 
He shall make research and investigation into the administrative and governmental functions of various Townships and make recommendations to the Board of Supervisors of appropriate ordinances affecting the health, safety, welfare and administration of this Township. He shall establish and maintain appropriate filing systems and efficient administrative procedures for the conduct of the business of the Township.
(17) 
He shall perform such other duties as may be required by the Board of Supervisors not inconsistent with the Second Class Township Code or other statutes, or with the ordinances of the Township.
It is the intent of this chapter that the Board act as a body in all administrative matters except those of a ministerial nature performed by the Chairman of the Board. It is contrary to the spirit of this chapter for individual members of the Board or for committees of the Board to interfere with the Manager or any subordinates of the Manager in the performance of their duties. Except for purposes of obtaining information, the Board and each Supervisor shall deal with administrative matters solely through the Manager. However, nothing herein shall prevent the Board from establishing a committee of its own members to review the operations and legislative needs of the Township departments, or from assigning its members to liaison relationships with boards, commissions, departments and other agencies of the Township.
The Township Manager may designate in writing a qualified employee to serve as Acting Township Manager during the temporary absence or disability of the Manager. The Board, by a majority vote, may at any time revoke such designation and may appoint a qualified person to serve as acting manager. Duties of the Township Manager not specifically delegated shall be reserved to and performed by the Board of Supervisors. In the absence of any such designation, and during any absence of the Township Manager, the normal operating functions of the Township shall be delegated to the appropriate department heads of the various Township departments.
The person elected to the office of Township Manager shall be subject to removal by the Supervisors by majority vote of all of its members. At least 30 days before such removal is to become effective, the Board of Supervisors shall furnish the Township Manager with a written statement setting forth its intention to remove him, or in lieu thereof, the Board of Supervisors may remove him immediately, but in such case the Township shall continue to be liable to pay the Township Manager for the thirty-day period after the effective date of the removal.
If any section, subsection, sentence, clause or phrase of this chapter is for any reason held invalid, such decision or decisions shall not affect the validity of the remaining portions of this chapter, and it is hereby stated that the intent of the Board of Supervisors shall be deemed to have been to adopt said chapter without the offending provisions. All present ordinances of the Township prescribing the duties of heads of departments shall remain in full force and effect, insofar as they do not conflict with the provisions of this chapter, but where such a conflict arises, the provisions of this chapter shall be read, to the extent possible in conjunction with the other ordinance, and the provisions of this chapter shall supersede any conflicting provisions of other ordinances.