[Ord. 2002-05, 8/5/2002, § 1]
Spring Township hereby joins with the municipalities of Bellefonte
Borough, Benner Township, Marion Township and Walker Township to create
the Nittany Valley Joint Planning Commission as per the guidelines
set forth under Article XI of the Pennsylvania Municipalities Planning
Code, Fifteenth Edition of Act 247 as amended January 2001. Each participating
municipality shall appoint two members. The term of each member shall
be two years.
[Ord. 2002-05, 8/5/2002, § 2]
The five municipalities of the Bellefonte area have come to
recognize that the issues associated with growth and development,
such as, but not limited to, traffic congestion, air and water pollution
and loss of open space, are too large for any one municipality to
deal with. They further recognize that current growth and anticipated
growth, if not properly managed, will lead to the diminution of the
region's quality of life. They are concerned that current zoning
requirements which call for each and every municipality to provide
for a full range of uses, regardless of historic development patterns,
is inefficient and potentially destructive to the region's economic
and social structure. To this end, the five municipalities of the
Bellefonte area hereby embark on a course of action to implement multi-municipal
planning. Spring Township empowers the Nittany Valley Joint Planning
Commission to undertake the development of a Multi-Municipal Comprehensive
Plan that shall encompass the five municipalities of the Bellefonte
area.
[Ord. 2002-05, 8/5/2002, § 3]
1. The Nittany Valley Joint Planning Commission shall have the responsibility
to prepare a Multi-Municipal Comprehensive Plan for the five participating
municipalities of the Bellefonte area. To this end, the powers and
duties of the Commission are as follows:
A. To prepare a Multi-Municipal Comprehensive Plan pursuant to Article
XI of the Pennsylvania Municipalities Planning Code.
B. That in the preparation of the Multi-Municipal Comprehensive Plan,
the members of the Commission shall represent the interest of their
respective municipalities and may cast one vote per municipality on
all matters that require action.
C. The recommendation of the Commission shall be advisory only.
D. The municipalities may extend the power and duties of the Joint Planning
Commission by resolution of all participating municipalities.
E. The Commission shall be guided by the by-laws of the Nittany Valley
Joint Planning Commission Attachment 1.
[Ord. 2002-05, 8/5/2002, § 4]
Any participating municipality may withdraw from the Nittany
Valley Joint Planning Commission after six months formal notice. Formal
notice must be submitted in writing with the consent of the respective
governing body authorizing withdrawal from the Joint Planning Commission.
Upon receiving notice that a municipality wishes to withdraw from
the Joint Planning Commission, the governing bodies of the remaining
municipalities shall promptly schedule a meeting to consider whether
the remaining municipalities wish to continue with the Joint Planning
Commission. Municipalities who choose to withdraw shall still be responsible
for their share of costs for the six month formal notice period.
[Ord. 2002-05, 8/5/2002, § 5]
In instances where a dispute arises between two or more municipalities
as to the contents of the Multi-Municipal Comprehensive Plan or the
interpretation of this Part 2E, the Joint Planning Commission may
retain the services of the Centre County Planning Commission or any
other organization that specializes in mediation. The parties involved
in the dispute shall be responsible for any costs incurred for mediation.