[HISTORY: Adopted by the City Council of the City of Orange Township 10-7-2003 by Ord. No. 29-2003. Amendments noted where applicable.]
The City of Orange Township (the "City") in the County of Essex, State of New Jersey, has adopted Ordinance Number 22, 2002 on December 3, 2002, for the purposes of terminating the Essex County Improvement Authority's (the "Authority") leasehold interest in the City's water and wastewater systems and reacquires the franchise to operate the systems.
A Water Utility Fund had been established by ordinance of the Municipal Council prior to the agreement with the Authority which accounted for the financial transactions and activity of the Water Utility operations. The fiscal management of the wastewater system was provided for in the current fund budget.
With the reacquisition of the aforementioned systems, it is in the best interests of the City to account for the financial activity and regulatory operations of both systems in one (1) utility fund. It is now determined and authorized that the existing Water Utility shall include the operations of the wastewater system and shall be known and cited as the "City of Orange Township Water-Sewer Utility" pursuant to the Local Budget Law, N.J.S.A. 40A:4-1 et seq., and shall commence as the date of reacquisition of the water and wastewater systems from the Authority.
It is the determination of the City that the purpose and operations of the City of Orange Township Administrative Code, as it relates to the City's Water Utility, be amended by the provisions of this chapter to include the budgetary activity for the revenue, appropriations, financial activity and other administrative functions for the City's wastewater system. References made in the Administrative Code to Water Utility are amended to read "Water-Sewer Utility."
The infrastructure and other capital assets of the wastewater system which were acquired or constructed at the date of this chapter and future additions to the system will be accounted for in the Water-Sewer Utility.
The Water-Sewer Utility shall be governed by the Municipal Council of the City of Orange Township.