[HISTORY: Adopted by the Mayor and Council of the Borough
of Somerdale as Ch. 9 of the 1973 Code. Amendments noted where applicable.]
There is hereby created an Environmental Commission in the Borough
of Somerdale for the protection, development and/or use of the natural
resources located within the territorial limits of said Borough, pursuant
to N.J.S.A. 40:56A-1 et seq., as amended.
A.
The Mayor, in his discretion, shall appoint the members of the Environmental
Commission, which shall consist of seven persons, citizens and residents
of the Borough of Somerdale, one of whom shall also be a member of
the Borough Planning Board.
B.
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 term of three years, and vacancies shall be filled for the
unexpired term only, in the same manner as an original appointment.
C.
The members shall receive no compensation for their services.
The Commission shall have the following powers:
A.
To promote the conservation and development of the natural resources
of the Borough of Somerdale.
B.
To plan, implement and inform the public about local conservation
programs.
C.
To conduct research into the possible use of the open areas of the
Borough of Somerdale.
D.
To recommend to the Planning Board plans and programs for inclusion
in a Municipal Master Plan of the development and use of such open
areas.
E.
To advertise, prepare, print and distribute books, maps, charts,
plans and pamphlets which, in its judgment, it deems necessary for
its purposes.
F.
To manage donated or purchased lands for conservation purposes and
operate conservation programs.
G.
To act as the coordinating agency for the community on conservation
matters and as a liaison between conservation needs and regional,
county, state and federal agencies ministering to those needs.
The Commission shall compile and keep an index of all open areas,
publicly or privately owned, including open marshlands, swamps and
other wetlands, in order to obtain information on the proper use of
such areas.
A.
The Commission, with the approval of the Mayor and Council, may from
time to time acquire property, both real and personal, in the name
of said Borough, by gift, purchase, grant, bequest, devise or lease,
for any of its purposes, including but not limited to use as living
museums, sites for scientific study, areas for teaching of natural
history and conservation, places of historic or prehistoric interest
and scenic beauty and habitat for rare and endangered plants and animals,
and shall administer the same for such purposes subject to the terms
of the conveyance or gift.
B.
Such an acquisition may be to acquire the fee or any lesser interest,
development right, easement, covenant or other contractual right as
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 Borough of Somerdale.
The Commission shall, subject to approval of the Borough, have
exclusive 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.
The Commission shall keep records of its meetings and activities
and shall make an annual report on or before the first day of December
of each year and submit the same to the Borough of Somerdale, which
report shall be comprehensive and detailed, covering operations, receipts,
disbursements and expenditures for the full year.
The Mayor and Council may remove any member of the Commission
for cause, on written charges served upon the member and after a hearing
thereon at which time the member shall be entitled to be heard in
person or by counsel.
The Mayor and Council may 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 the Commission, which shall be raised by taxation
in the same manner as other taxes.
The 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 it shall deem necessary,
but the salaries of all such clerks, custodians, supervisors and assistants
shall be fixed and determined by the Mayor and Council, and in addition
thereto, the total salaries of all such persons shall be within the
limits of funds appropriated to said Commission.
