[HISTORY: Adopted by the Town Council of the Township of
Pohatcong 12-19-2017 by Ord. No.
17-18.[1] Amendments noted where applicable.
[1]
Editor's Note: This ordinance was originally adopted as Ch.
201 but was renumbered to maintain the organization of the Code.
There is hereby established an Open Space Committee which shall
be an advisory committee consisting of seven members whose terms and
powers are hereinafter set forth.
A.
The Township Council member shall be appointed annually by the Mayor
with the advice and consent of the Council.
B.
All non-Council appointees shall have three-year terms except for
the first year. The terms shall be staggered or arranged so that no
more than three members are appointed in a given year.
C.
The Mayor shall appoint a new member to fill any vacancy, which newly
appointed member shall serve for the unexpired term of the vacancy.
D.
Members shall serve without remuneration.
A.
The Open Space Committee shall make recommendations to the Township
Council with regard to the open space needs of the Township. In furtherance
of same, the Open Space Committee shall:
(1)
Prepare an initial list of eligible open space properties in the
Township.
(2)
Submit to the Mayor and Township Council annually, or on a more frequent
basis, a prioritized list of properties which it recommends that the
Township acquire and/or properties for which it recommends that permanent
easements or development rights be acquired. The Mayor and Township
Council shall review the list as submitted and make a determination
as to which property acquisitions, easements or development rights
should be funded and appropriate the necessary funds accordingly.
(3)
Periodically review its initial list of potential open space properties,
adding or deleting properties as necessary.
(4)
Have the authority to receive inquiries from landowners seeking information
about the Open Space, Recreation and Farmland Preservation Trust Fund
and shall also have authority to solicit information from owners of
properties that might be potential candidates for acquisition or other
easements under the Open Space, Recreation and Farmland Preservation
Trust Fund.
(5)
The Open Space Committee will help the Recreation Committee draft
a management plan for each open space parcel purchased and owned by
the Township.
(6)
An annual status report for each parcel will be provided to the Township
Council as well as a summary of the year's activities regarding
open space acquisition.
(7)
Undertake such other duties related to the open space needs of the
Township as may be delegated to it by the Township Committee.
The Open Space Committee shall hold public meetings, which public
meetings shall be held in accordance with the Open Public Meetings
Act, N.J.S.A. 10:4-6 et seq., and shall annually fix its meeting dates
and give appropriate notice of the time and place of its meetings
and shall not conduct any meeting except in compliance with the law.
The Open Space Committee shall select from among its members
a Chairman and a Vice Chairman to serve as the presiding officer in
the absence of the Chairman. The Committee shall also select a Secretary
whose function shall be to maintain minutes of the Committee's
meeting and records of the proceedings of the Committee.
The Open Space Committee shall organize annually on or after
January 1 of each year.
