It is the purpose of this article to enable the County government to achieve the following goals:
A. 
The improvement of relations between Essex County and the state and federal governments.
B. 
The establishment of the best possible systems of grant information and management in and for the County.
C. 
The improvement of relations and creation of a working partnership between the County of Essex and its constituent municipalities.
At least twice each year, the President of the Board shall convene an Essex County Legislative Conference to which shall be invited as participants with the Board all Mayors in the County and all members of the Congress of the United States and the New Jersey Legislature whose districts include part of Essex County. The Conference shall deal with pending or possible legislation to benefit the local government of the County.
A. 
Federal and state reports. If any public or private agency conducts any program which received County funds and if that same program must file any reports with the state or federal government, the agency conducting that program shall simultaneously file with the Clerk of the Board a true copy of each such report to the federal or state government, except that any part of a report revealing personal data concerning private individuals shall be deleted before filing;
B. 
Federal and state aid applications.
(1) 
Any public or private agency receiving County funds shall, upon initiation of any application for federal or state aid, file with the Clerk to the Board on forms to be supplied by the Clerk a synopsis of the program to be applied for, including but not limited to the subject area, the nature of the project or services applied for, the jurisdictional area to be served, the number of people to be served, the expenditures projected for five years after approval of the application to continue the project, a breakdown by anticipated funding source, and such other factors as the Board shall direct the Clerk to include.
(2) 
Any municipality in Essex County may voluntarily elect to coordinate federal and state aid applications not requiring County funding or approval by electing to file all such applications with the Clerk to the Board.
C. 
Contributions from the County. Any public or private agency seeking County funds and simultaneously seeking municipal funds for any program shall file as to its programs the information required in Subsection B above.
D. 
Clearinghouse function.
(1) 
All such synopses as are submitted shall be updated by the submitting agency at the following times:
(a) 
At least 10 days before the County Executive or the Board is asked to approve any such application.
(b) 
Within 10 days after approval by the federal or state grantor agency.
(c) 
Within 10 days after renewal by the federal or state grantor agency.
(d) 
Within 10 days after rejection by the federal or state grantor agency.
(e) 
Within 10 days after any substantial amendment has been made in the scope of the project or services proposed or when the estimated expenditures are increased by more than 20%.
(2) 
When any application has been presented to the Executive or the Board for an approval or renewal, the person heading the applying agency shall certify in writing that he/she knows of his/her personal knowledge that the requirements of this section have been met.
(3) 
Whenever any County office is asked to review any application under any review procedure, the office conducting the review shall examine all the synopses on file with the Clerk to the Board in order to determine if there is any conflict or duplication or potential consolidation between the application under review and any application or program on file.
(4) 
Whenever any application is submitted to the Executive or the Board for formal County approval or for a commitment of County funds, the person heading the applying agency shall certify in writing that he/she is personally satisfied from a thorough review of the synopses on file with the Clerk to the Board that the application to be approved does not duplicate or conflict with any existing application or program nor could it be consolidated with any of same.
A. 
There is hereby established a Municipal Advisory Council consisting of the Mayors of all of the municipalities in the County. The Board will meet at least quarterly with the Advisory Council to discuss County and municipal problems, County-municipal relations, cooperation in service problems, coordination of operations and capital facilities development, and other subjects of mutual interest in order to provide closer County-municipal liaison and cooperation. In addition, the Advisory Council may organize itself, appoint such officers, designate such committees, and convene such meetings as it may deem advisable. It shall encourage cooperative action and solutions to area-wide problems and shall formulate and develop proposals for submission to the Board on request of the Board or on its own motion. The Council shall have such staff as the Board may authorize subject to the availability of funds.
[Amended 4-17-1979 by Ord. No. O-1979-00112]
B. 
At least one meeting of the Municipal Advisory Council shall be held at least 30 days prior to the introduction of the County operating and capital budgets, and the Mayors shall be invited to enumerate their budget priorities in terms of County expenditures.
[Amended 4-17-1979 by Ord. No. O-1979-00112]
There shall be an Advisory Council on Interlocal Services, composed of the President of the Board, the Executive of the County, and two (2) persons designated by the Municipal Advisory Council. The Council shall have such staff as the Board may authorize subject to the availability of funds. The Council shall:
A. 
Encourage contractual arrangements between the County and other governmental bodies pursuant to the Charter;
[Amended 12-13-2006 by Ord. No. O-2006-00016]
B. 
Advise and inform other governmental bodies of the areas of potential contracts;
C. 
Stimulate interest in methods of providing cooperative services more efficiently;
D. 
Serve as a clearinghouse for information concerning interlocal service arrangements;
E. 
Assist in the coordination of interlocal service agreements; and
F. 
Assist in the negotiation and preparation of interlocal agreements between Essex County and its municipalities and such other municipalities or other units of government, or among any such units, as may by law be authorized by the Charter, by N.J.S.A. 40:8A-1 et seq., N.J.S.A. 40:48B-1 et seq., or otherwise by law.
Within the limits of funds appropriated for such purposes, the Board may study the feasibility of any County-municipal service program it feels may be in the public interest for the provision of services more efficiently and effectively.