[Adopted 2-22-1994 by Ord. No 94-3]
[Amended 10-2-2017 by Ord. No. 2017-14; 2-8-2021 by Ord. No. 2021-02; 3-25-2024 by Ord. No. 2024-08]
There is hereby established a Human Relations Commission for the Borough of Metuchen that shall be made up of 18 members. The membership of the Commission shall be composed as follows:
A. 
Eleven residents of the Borough of Metuchen whose terms shall be for a period of three years on a staggering basis;
B. 
One member of the clergy to be annually designated by the Interfaith Council;
C. 
Two high school students of the Borough of Metuchen to be selected by the Metuchen High School Principal, one of which shall be a senior and one shall be a junior whose terms shall expire upon their graduation;
D. 
One educator from the Edgar Middle School of the Borough of Metuchen to be designated by the Superintendent of Schools;
E. 
One member of the Metuchen Board of Education to be annually designated by the President of the Board of Education;
F. 
One member representative of the Metuchen Police Department to be designated by the Police Chief; and
G. 
One member of the Council of the Borough of Metuchen who shall act as a liaison to be designated by the Mayor;
[Amended 10-2-2017 by Ord. No. 2017-14]
The Mayor shall nominate and, with the advice and consent of the Borough Council, appoint all resident members of the Commission. The Council liaison shall be annually selected by the Borough Council at the reorganization meeting of the Borough held in January of each year. The members of the Commission shall annually select one of its members as Chairperson. Vacancies occurring on the Commission otherwise than by expiration of their term of office shall be filled for the unexpired portion of the term in the same manner as an original appointment.
[Amended 10-2-2017 by Ord. No. 2017-14]
The Commission shall have the following powers and duties:
A. 
To establish, amend, and supplement its own bylaws to the extent not inconsistent with this article nor with any other municipal, state or federal regulation or law. The Commission shall meet at a minimum of bimonthly (every two months).
B. 
To foster, through community effort, good will, cooperation and conciliation among the groups and elements of the inhabitants of this Borough, and to make recommendations to the Mayor and Council for the development of policies and procedures in general and for programs of formal and informal education that will aid in eliminating all types of discrimination based upon race, creed, color, national origin, ancestry, age, gender, sexual preference, marital status, or developmental, mental, or physical disabilities.
C. 
To investigate, mediate and attempt to resolve without resort to the judicial system or other form of adjudication any allegations of unlawful discrimination by residents of the Borough.
D. 
The local commission shall have further powers and duties as may be provided by the Law Against Discrimination of the State of New Jersey and by amendments thereto.
E. 
To make a written annual report in June of each year to the Mayor and Council detailing its activities for the previous year and to make presentations before the Mayor and Council at such time as the Council shall request or the Commission deems desirable.
F. 
The Human Relations Commission shall be advisory in nature, it nor its members have the authority to contract, bind or act on behalf of the Borough of Metuchen. Its sole function is to assist the Mayor, Council and Administration of the Borough of Metuchen in matters provided for above in the Borough of Metuchen.