[HISTORY: Adopted by the Board of Supervisors
of the Township of Palmer 7-12-1999 by Ord. No. 275. Amendments noted
where applicable.]
The office of the Township Manager is hereby
created by the Board of Supervisors of the Township of Palmer of Northampton
County, subject to the right of the Township, by ordinance, at any
time to abolish said office.
[Amended 1-29-2019 by Ord. No. 2018-452]
The Board of Supervisors shall appoint by a majority vote of
all members one person to fill the office of Township Manager. The
person duly appointed shall serve at the pleasure of the Board of
Supervisors in accordance with § 1301 of the Second Class
Township Code, 53 P.S. § 66301, as amended. The Township
Manager shall be subject to removal at any time by a majority vote
of all members of the Board of Supervisors. As a condition of employment,
the Township Manager shall be a resident of Northampton County, Pennsylvania,
during his tenure as Manager.
Conditions of employment may be unilaterally
created and/or abolished by the Board of Supervisors prior to and
after the employment of the Township Manager. Said conditions, duties
and responsibilities may be created by motion or resolution of the
Board of Supervisors and may include specific requirements contained
within a written job description approved by the Board of Supervisors.
The Township Manager shall be chosen on the
basis of his executive, administrative, and leadership qualifications
and without regard to race, color, religious creed, ancestry, age,
sex, national origin, or past handicap or disability pursuant to the
Pennsylvania Human Relations Act, 43 P.S. § 951, or other
applicable local, state or federal law.
Prior to performing and entering upon his duties,
the Township Manager shall give bond to the Township of Palmer with
a bonding company as surety in such a sum as is set by resolution
by the Board of Supervisors, conditioned for the faithful performance
of his duties, premium for said bond to be paid by the Township of
Palmer.
The Township Manager shall receive such compensation
as shall be fixed from time to time by resolution of the Board of
Supervisors.
A.
The Township Manager shall have and exercise all powers
and duties assigned to a Township Manager by statute and such other
authority as may be granted to the Township Manager by the Township
Board of Supervisors. The Township Manager shall be charged with the
enforcement of all laws and ordinances within the municipality in
so far as their enforcement is within the powers of the Township,
excepting however, that the Township Manager shall in no way restrict,
infringe, or supplant the authority of the members of the Board of
Supervisors.
[Amended 11-23-1999 by Ord. No. 278]
B.
The Township Manager shall attend all meetings of
the Board of Supervisors and all other meetings as required by the
Board of Supervisors. The Township Manager shall keep the Board of
Supervisors informed as to the affairs of the Township and shall recommend
to the Board of Supervisors such actions necessary or expedient for
the health, safety and welfare of the Township.
[Amended 11-23-1999 by Ord. No. 278]
A.
The Township manager shall administer, supervise and
be responsible for the activities of all office and clerical employees
of the Township, other than such employees which may be exempted from
the supervision of the Township manager by the Board of Supervisors
and which are exempt from supervision by statute or law. The Township
Manager shall administer, supervise and be responsible for day to
day activities of all Code Enforcement Officials, including, but not
limited to: Zoning Officers, Building Officials, Code Enforcement
Officers, and/or any other employees so directed by the Board of Supervisors.
Unless otherwise preempted by the Board of Supervisors, statute or
law, the Township Manager shall have charge of all personnel of the
Township including the Road Department, Water, Sewer, Parks, Planning,
Recreation Personnel, and General Administration Departments. The
Township Manager shall be authorized to hire and, when he shall deem
it necessary for the good of the service and the Township, shall suspend
or discharge all employees under his supervision provided: that persons
covered by the Civil Service provisions of the Second Class Township
Code shall be hired, suspended or discharged in accordance with such
provisions. Provided further: that the Manager shall report, at the
next meeting thereafter of the Board of Supervisors, any action taken
by authority of this section. The Township Manager shall administer,
supervise and be responsible for day-to-day activities of the Police
Department, including the Chief of Police.
B.
In addition, the Township Manager shall administer,
supervise, and be responsible for activities of any other Township
employees who shall be assigned to his jurisdiction by ordinance or
resolution of the Board of Supervisors.
The Township Manager shall be responsible for
planning, initiating, supervising, completing, costing and documenting
all projects and activities of all departments of the Township. The
Township Manager shall maintain priorities in accordance with requirements
of the Board of Supervisors and shall be responsible to the appropriate
committee of the Board of Supervisors for all works and projects of
these departments. The Township Manager shall insure that all activities
under his jurisdiction are accomplished in a timely and orderly manner.
The Township Manager shall examine all proposed
contracts to which the Township may be a party, and may sign on behalf
of the Board of Supervisors and with the approval of the Board of
Supervisors, any contract excepting where the Board of Supervisors
directs that some other representative or officer shall do so. It
shall be the duty of the Township Manager to see to it that all terms
of any contract to which the Township is a party are fully performed
by all parties thereof.
The Township Manager shall be the general purchasing
agent for the Township, and except where specific provision to the
contrary is made by law or by the Board of Supervisors, the Township
Manager shall make all purchases of supplies, materials and equipment
authorized by the Board of Supervisors in the manner prescribed by
and subject to the limitations imposed by law. No purchase shall be
made or obligation incurred excepting upon authorization by the Board
of Supervisors and no expense shall be incurred except for the purpose
for which no prior appropriation is required by law if the amount
thereof is not covered by an unexpended appropriation for the purpose.
The Township Manager shall see that all money
owed the Township is promptly paid and that proper proceedings are
taken for the security and collection of all of the Township's claims.
It shall be the duty of the Township Manager
to keep current accounts showing all times and fiscal conditions of
the Township, including the current and anticipated expenses, appropriations,
cash on hand and anticipated revenue of all municipal funds and accounts.
It shall be the duty of the Township Manager
to prepare the preliminary budget for review and final approval by
the Board of Supervisors.
The Township Manager shall keep a current inventory
showing all real and personal property of the Township and its location
and shall be responsible for the care and custody of all such property,
including equipment, buildings, parks, and all other Township property,
which is not by law assigned to some other officer or body for care
and control.
It shall be the duty of the Township Manager
to see to the publication of all notices, ordinances, or other documents
required by law to be published and to prepare or caused to be prepared
all reports which the Township or any of the officials thereof are
required by law to prepare.
A.
The Township Manager shall prepare and have custody
of all municipal records required by law to be kept by the Township
and not specifically delegated to some other specific Township officer
and/or employee. Where the law makes it the duty of a specific officer
to keep or maintain records, the Township Manager shall make available
to such officer all necessary clerical assistance for the preparation
of such records. And in compliance herewith, the Township Manager
shall make available to the clerk stenographic or clerical assistance
necessary for the preparation of the journal of Board of Supervisors
proceedings, if required, and the record of ordinances and all other
documents which by law the Board of Supervisors and/or the Township
is required to keep; and the Township Manager shall perform similar
service for the Treasurer and/or Secretary in the maintenance of bond
registers and all other records or documents which by law the Treasurer/Secretary
or any other employee and/or official is required to keep or prepare.
B.
Where the law requires or provides for certification
of the records or documents by any officer of the Township, the Township
Manager shall cause such records or documents to be properly prepared
and presented by such officer for the Township Manager's signature.
The Township Manager shall cause to be kept
a complete set of maps and plats showing the location of all Township
utilities and/or properties, all streets and other public places and
all lots or parcels of land subdivided according to law.
The Township Manager shall maintain an office
in the Township Municipal Building and shall spend such time in the
performance of his duties as may be required by the Board of Supervisors.
In the event that the Township Manager shall
be absent from the Township or incapacitated from performing the duties
of the position, the Board of Supervisors shall duly appoint such
person who shall act as Township Manager during his absence or incapacity.
The Board of Supervisors are hereby authorized
to delegate, in writing, to the Township Manager, subject to recall
by written notification at anytime, in accordance with § 1301
of the Second Class Township Code, 53 P.S. § 66301, any
of the Township Manager's nonlegislative and nonjudicial powers and
duties.
In accordance with § 1301 of the Second
Class Township Code, 53 P.S. § 63301, it is recognized that
the office of the Township Manager is compatible with the office of
Township Secretary and/or Township Treasurer, and with the approval
of the Board of Supervisors, the Township Manager shall perform the
duties of Township Treasurer and/or Township Secretary in accordance
with the law.
