There is hereby created an Environmental Commission for the
protection, development or use of the natural resources located within
the territorial limits of the City of Camden, pursuant to the provisions
of Chapter 245 of the Laws of 1968.
The Mayor (or other chief executive officer), in his discretion,
shall appoint the members of the Environmental Commission, which shall
consist of seven persons, one of whom shall also be a member of the
Municipal Planning Board. The Commissioners first appointed shall
hold office for terms as follows: two members for one year, two members
for two years and three members for three years, respectively, from
the date in the year in which said appointments are made and until
their successors are duly appointed and have qualified. Thereafter,
all appointments shall be for the unexpired term only, in the same
manner as an original appointment. The members shall receive no compensation
for their services. [Discretion is given to the governing body to
appoint a Commission consisting of not less than five nor more than
seven members.]
Said Commission shall have the following powers:
A. To promote the conservation and development of the environmental
quality of the City of Camden.
B. To plan, implement and inform the public about local conservation
programs.
C. To compile and keep an index of all open areas, publicly or privately
owned, including open marshlands, swamps and other wetlands.
D. To conduct research into the possible use of resources such as air
and water.
E. To recommend to the Planning Board (if none, to the Mayor and governing
body of the municipality) plans and programs for inclusion in a Municipal
Master Plan and the development and use of such areas.
F. To advertise, prepare, print and distribute books, maps, charts,
plans and pamphlets, which, in its judgment, it deems necessary for
its purpose.
G. To manage donated or purchased lands for conservation purposes and
to operate conservation programs.
H. To act as the coordinating agency of the community on conservation
matters and as a liaison between local conservation needs and regional,
state and federal agencies ministering to those needs.
Said Commission, with the approval of the Council (or other
governing body) of the City of Camden, may, from time to time, acquire
property, both real and personal, in the name of the City of Camden
by gift or purchase, not limited to use as living museums, sites for
scientific study, areas for teaching natural history and conservation,
places of historic and prehistoric interest and scenic beauty and
habitats for rare and endangered plants and animals, and shall administer
the same for such purposes subject to the terms of the conveyance
or gift. Such an acquisition may be to acquire the fee or any lessor
interest, development right, easement including conservation easement,
covenant or other contractual right as it may be necessary to acquire,
maintain, improve, protect, limit the future use of or otherwise conserve
and properly utilize open spaces and other land and water areas in
the City of Camden.
The Environmental Commission may, subject to the approval of
the Council (or other governing body of the municipality), have control
of lands acquired for the purposes herein stated and may adopt suitable
rules and regulations for the use thereof and the conduct of all persons
while on or using the same.
Said Commission shall keep records of its meetings and activities
and shall make an annual report on or before the first day of October
(October 1) and shall submit the same to the Council of the City of
Camden, which report shall have comprehensive and detailed coverage
of operations, receipts, disbursement and expenditures for the full
year.
The Mayor or the Council of the City of Camden may remove any
member of the Commission for cause, on written charges served upon
the member and after a hearing thereon at which the member shall be
entitled to be heard in person or by counsel.
The Council of the City of Camden shall annually fix, determine
and appropriate a sum sufficient for the care, custody, policing and
maintenance of such lands acquired for the uses and purposes herein
stated and for the expenses of said Commission, which sum shall be
raised by taxation in the same manner as other taxes.
Said Commission may appoint a Secretary or Clerk and such number
of custodians, supervisors and assistants for the lands acquired for
the uses and purposes herein mentioned as they shall think necessary,
but the salaries of all such Clerks, custodians, supervisors and assistants
shall be fixed and determined by the Council of the City of Camden,
and in addition thereto, the total salaries of all such persons shall
be within the limits of funds appropriated to said Commission.