[HISTORY: Adopted by the Township Committee of the Township of Upper Deerfield 4-6-1978 by Ord. No. 189 (Ch. 22 of the 1977 Township Code). Amendments noted where applicable.]
GENERAL REFERENCES
Park and recreation areas — See Ch. 287.
[Amended 7-5-2001 by Ord. No. 516]
A. 
All present members of the Board of Recreation Commissioners shall continue to hold office for the terms for which they were respectively appointed, and hereafter the Mayor shall appoint, in the discretion of said Mayor, not less than three nor more than seven persons, and the Mayor may also appoint two persons to serve as alternate members, who are citizens and residents of this Township, as members of a Board of Recreation Commissioners.
B. 
The Commissioners first appointed shall be appointed for terms of one, two, three, four and five years, respectively, in such a manner so that the terms of at least one Commissioner and not more than two Commissioners shall expire in each year, according to the number appointed. Thereafter, all appointments shall be for the term of three years.
C. 
The alternate members of the Board of Recreation Commissioners shall be appointed for a term of two years; provided, however, that the initial terms of such members shall be one and two years, respectively.
D. 
The members shall receive no compensation for their services.
A. 
The Board may acquire lands for public playgrounds and recreation places, by gift or purchase, and it shall from time to time select lands for public playgrounds and recreation places and, when deemed necessary or advisable by such Board, select lands for an approach or approaches by way of ingress thereto and egress therefrom of such size and dimensions as it shall think suitable, with regard being given to the population of the neighborhood.
B. 
Said Board shall cause surveys and maps to be made thereof, together with a careful estimate as nearly accurate as may be of the probable costs of acquiring such lands and a statement of the annual rental and duration of term if it is proposed to lease the same, together with an estimate of the cost of preparing such lands and suitably equipping the same by the erection of buildings, stands, seats and other structures and apparatus for such playgrounds and recreation places. Such surveys, maps and estimates shall be submitted to the Township Committee with a request that an appropriation be made for the purpose of acquiring or leasing such lands, as the case may be, and suitably preparing and equipping the same.
If the Township Committee authorizes the acquisition of such lands and if the Township Committee appropriates a sum for the purchase and equipment thereof, the Board shall acquire the same by purchase, condemnation or lease, as the case may be, and suitably prepare and equip the same for a playground and recreation place or approach thereto.
If the Board is unable to agree with the owner or owners as to the price and terms of purchase or if, by reason of any legal disability or the absence of any owner or owners thereof or for any other cause, an agreement for the purchase of such lands or any part thereof or any rights of interest therein cannot be made, the Board may cause such lands or any rights or interest therein to be condemned and taken on behalf of the Township, and the compensation to be made thereof shall be ascertained and paid or tendered in the manner provided in N.J.S.A. 20:3-1 et seq., as amended and supplemented.
The Board may cause any land so acquired to be laid out and improved as a public playground, recreation place or an approach thereto.
The title to all lands acquired or taken under the provisions of N.J.S.A. 40:12-1 to 40:12-8 shall vest in the Township of Upper Deerfield in the County of Cumberland, and all leases of land for such purpose shall be in the name of the Township.
A. 
In order to provide the funds, in whole or in part, necessary to improve, maintain and police the playgrounds or recreation places under its control, the Board may arrange and provide for the giving of exhibitions, plays, concerts, games and contests and may use and employ such playgrounds or recreation places for the purpose of giving thereon exhibitions, plays, concerts, games and contests.
B. 
The Board may charge and collect a reasonable admission fee for each person entering such playground or recreation place as a spectator during the time or times when the same is being used or employed for such purposes, but the Board shall not permit the use or employment of any such playground or recreation place for such purpose for a period greater than a ratio of one hour to every two hours in each day during which the playground or recreation places are utilized nor more than 16 hours in any one calendar week, and when any such playground or recreation place is used for such purpose, no admission fee shall be charged or collected from children under 12 years of age.
C. 
The Board may charge and collect a reasonable service charge from persons using, as participants, special areas and facilities which require special maintenance and the use of which is restricted to relatively few people, in order to assist in the meeting of the operating costs thereof in whole or in part.
[Amended 12-30-2015 by Ord. No. 736]
The Board shall have full control over all lands, playgrounds and recreation places acquired or leased over which the Board may be given jurisdiction and supervision by the Township Committee, by resolution or otherwise, and may adopt suitable rules, regulations and bylaws for the use thereof and the conduct of all persons while on or using the same, subject to the provisions of Chapter 287.
The custodians, supervisors and assistants appointed by the Board shall, while on duty and for the purpose of preserving order and the observance of the rules, regulations and bylaws of the Board, have all the power and authority of police officers of the Township.
The Board may appoint a Recreation Director for a term not to exceed three years, a Secretary or Clerk, who need not be members of the Board, and such number of custodians, supervisors and assistants for the several playgrounds and recreation places under its control as it shall think necessary, and it may fix and determine their salaries, provided that the payment of salaries and the amount thereof shall be subject to the prior approval of the Township Committee.
The Township Committee shall annually fix, determine and appropriate a sum sufficient for the care, custody, policing and maintenance of such playgrounds and recreation places and for the expenses of said Board, which shall be raised by taxation in the same manner as other taxes.
The Township Committee shall provide a suitable office or offices for said Board.
The money necessary to pay for lands purchased or condemned for such playgrounds and recreation places and for providing and equipping the same from time to time may be raised and provided by the Township Committee by general taxation as other taxes are raised and levied, by the issuance of temporary loan bonds, or by the issuance of permanent bonds. All such bonds or other obligations shall be issued and paid in the manner provided by the law.
All moneys received by said Board shall be paid over to the Township Treasurer and be kept by him in a special fund which shall be under the control of the Board and used only for the purpose of defraying the expenses of improving, maintaining or policing the playgrounds and recreation places and for the other expenses of the Board. Payments shall be made upon the warrant of said Board, signed by its Chairman and attested by its Secretary.
Annually, in the month of January, the Board shall meet and organize and elect from among its members a Chairman and such other officers as it shall deem necessary, to serve until the next annual meeting and until their respective successors have been elected and shall qualify. The Board may also adopt bylaws to govern the conduct of its business.
The Board of Recreation Commissioners shall not have the power or authority to make any promise or commitment on behalf of the Board or the Township to pay any salary or wages or to acquire land or buildings without prior approval of the Township Committee. The Board shall not incur any financial obligation for any other purpose in excess of the budget appropriation then available to the Board or in the special fund, as provided in § 74-14 above, without prior approval of the Township Committee.