[HISTORY: Adopted by Ord. No. 1892-06. Amendments noted where applicable.]
A.
Prohibition; definitions.
(1)
Any other provision of law to the contrary notwithstanding, the Township,
or the Township's Redevelopment Agency, as the case may be, shall
not enter into a redevelopment agreement, or otherwise contract with
any redeveloper concerning the redevelopment of any area within the
Township pursuant to the Local Redevelopment and Housing Law, N.J.S.A.
40A:12A-1 et seq., as same may be amended, if that redeveloper has
made or solicited any contribution of money, loans of any kind, pledge
of a contribution, including in-kind contributions, to a municipal
campaign committee or fund of any candidate for, or holder of, public
office within the Township having responsibility for entering into
or awarding a redevelopment agreement, or for appointing those who
enter into the agreement on behalf of the Township or to any Lawrence
Township municipal or County party committee, continuing political
committee, candidate committee or to any political action committee
(PAC) which engages in the support of Township municipal elections
and/or Township municipal parties or which engages in the support
of Township municipal campaigns, within two calendar years immediately
preceding the date of the redevelopment agreement and for two years
after the completion of the redevelopment project.
[Amended at time of adoption of Code (see Ch. 1, General
Provisions, Art. I)]
(2)
All redevelopment agreements or amendments thereto entered into by the Township or the Township's Redevelopment Agency, as the case may be, shall contain a provision prohibiting redevelopers as defined in Subsection A(3) below from soliciting or making any contributions of money or pledge of a contribution, including in-kind contributions, and loans of any kind, to a campaign committee of any Township candidate or holder of public office within the Township having responsibility for arranging, entering into or approving the redevelopment agreement, or for appointing those who enter into the agreement on behalf of the Township, or to any Township political campaign committee (PAC) or to any Township or County party, committee, to any political action committee which regularly engages in the support of municipal elections and/or municipal parties or which engages in the support of municipal campaigns, from the time of first communication between the redeveloper and the Township regarding a specific redevelopment project and the later of the termination of negotiations or the completion of the terms of the redevelopment agreement.
[Amended at time of adoption of Code (see Ch. 1, General
Provisions, Art. I)]
(3)
The term "redeveloper" as used in this chapter shall include the
definition set forth in N.J.S.A. 40A:12A-3, Definitions. The term
"redeveloper" shall also include all "subdevelopers" who are under
contract with a redeveloper to perform redevelopment or rehabilitation
work at any redevelopment project within the Township. Furthermore,
the definition of "redeveloper shall include the corporation, business
trust or other entity that is performing the redevelopment project
within the Township, as well as all partners and/or officers therein,
and all principals who own 10% or more of the equity in the corporation,
business trust or other entity as well as any subsidiaries owned or
controlled by the redeveloper.
(4)
The term "redevelopment project" shall include the definition set
forth in N.J.S.A. 40A:12A-3, Definitions.
No contribution of money or any other thing of value, including
in-kind contributions, made by a redeveloper to the municipal campaign
committee or fund of any Township municipal candidate or office holder,
or any Township municipal or County party committee, shall be deemed
a violation of this chapter, nor shall an agreement for a redevelopment
project of any kind whatsoever be disqualified thereby, if the contribution
was made by the redeveloper prior to the effective date of this chapter.
A.
Prior to arranging, entering into or approving a redevelopment agreement
with any redeveloper, the Township or the Township's Redevelopment
Agency as the case may be, shall receive a certification from the
redeveloper that the redeveloper has not made any contributions in
violation of this chapter.
B.
The redeveloper shall have a continuing duty to report any violations
of this chapter that may occur during the negotiation or duration
of the redevelopment agreement and until all specified terms of the
agreement have been completed. The certification required under this
subsection shall be made prior to entry into the redevelopment agreement
with the Township, or the Redevelopment Agency, as the case may be,
and shall be in addition to any other certifications that may be required
by any other provision of law.
C.
Application checklist.
(1)
An Application Checklist ordinance is hereby adopted pursuant to
N.J.S.A. 40:55D-10.3 to require that the Contribution Disclosure Statements
specified in paragraph d. of this subsection be submitted by the applicant
for all applications to Township legislative or administrative authorities
for approvals within the subject matter of this chapter.
(2)
The Municipal Planning Board shall amend its Application Checklist for applications for site plan and subdivision approvals within the scope of this chapter to include required submission of the Contribution Disclosure Statements specified in Subsection D of this subsection.
(3)
An application shall not be deemed complete by the Administrative
Official or accepted for public hearing by the Municipal Agency until
the required Contribution Disclosure Statements are submitted.
D.
The term "Contribution Disclosure Statement" shall mean a list specifying
the amount, date, and the recipient of any and all contributions made
to or on behalf of any candidate, candidate committee, joint candidate
committee, political committee, continuing political committee or
political party committee of, or within Mercer County, made up to
two years prior to filing the redevelopment or variance application,
and/or two years after the completion of the redevelopment project.
A redeveloper may cure a violation of this article if, within
30 days after a general election, the redeveloper notifies the Town
Council, in writing, and seeks and receives reimbursement of a contribution
from the municipal committee or fund of a Lawrence Township candidate
or office holder, any Lawrence Township municipal or County party
committee.
A.
It shall be a breach of the terms of a Township redevelopment agreement
for a redeveloper to:
(1)
Make
or solicit a contribution in violation of this chapter;
(2)
Knowingly
conceal or misrepresent a contribution given or received;
(3)
Make
or solicit contributions through intermediaries for the purpose of
concealing or misrepresenting the source of the contribution;
(4)
Make
or solicit any contribution on the condition or with the agreement
that it will be contributed to a campaign committee of any candidate
or holder of the public office of the Township;
(5)
Engage
or employ a lobbyist or consultant with the intent or understanding
that such lobbyist or consultant would make or solicit any contribution
which, if made or solicited by the redeveloper itself, would subject
that entity to the restrictions of this chapter;
[Amended at time of adoption of Code (see Ch. 1, General
Provisions, Art. I)]
(6)
Fund
contributions made by third parties (including, but not limited to,
subcontractors, consultants, attorneys, family members and employees;
(7)
Engage
in any exchange of contributions to circumvent the intent of this
chapter; or
(8)
Directly,
indirectly, through or by any other person or means, do any act which
would subject that entity to the restrictions of this chapter.
