All official legislative, executive and administrative action
of the Board of Commissioners shall take place at properly advertised
meetings when a quorum of the Board is present. Duties solely reserved
to action by the Board of Commissioners are vested in it by the First
Class Township Code, 53 P.S. § 55101 et seq., including
but not limited to the following:
A. Serving a legislative role by initiating
new proposals or by passing judgment on proposals brought to the Board
of Commissioners by Board committees, staff and others. Legislative
action takes the form of enacting ordinances and resolutions and setting
policies.
D. Adopting all long-range planning
documents such as the Township Comprehensive Plan and a capital improvement
program.
E. Appointing the Township Secretary,
Solicitor, Engineer, and Auditor.
F. Taking official action on subdivision
and land development plans and conditional use applications.
G. Awarding all contracts requiring
bidding according to the First Class Township Code.
H. Employing, evaluating, commending
and disciplining the Township Manager and Chief of Police.
I. Appointing persons to serve on
boards and commissions.
J. Elect at their reorganization meeting
officers of their Board and appoint members of the Board to serve
as subject matter liaison to subject matters as set forth herein.
K. Delegating certain powers and duties to the Township Manager, as authorized in the First Class Township Code and as provided in Chapter
49 of the Code of the Township of Muhlenberg.
In his or her appointed position of subject matter liaison to
a designated area of Township business, an individual Commissioner
shall have the following powers and duties:
A. Receive all reports on and recommend
to the Board of Commissioners the formulation of policy and courses
of action relating to his or her designated subject matter.
B. Take charge of presenting all
matters that need to be brought before the Board of Commissioners
pertaining to his or her designated subject matter.
C. Recruit and recommend candidates
to serve on Township Boards and Commissions, if any, connected to
his or her designated specialty area.
D. Attend and participate in the
meetings of the appointed Boards and Commissions, if any, and special
committees connected to his or her designated subject matter.
E. Represent the Township to the
public, at other meetings and events and at training sessions dealing
with his or her designated subject matter.
F. Conduct discussions and consultations
with the Township Manager regarding his or her designated subject
matter.
G. Serve as a fact finder when issues
arise in his or her designated subject matter.
H. No Commissioner shall hold any
code enforcement or law enforcement authority as a consequence of
his or her serving as liaison to a subject matter area of the Township
government in which duly appointed persons hold such authority.
In addition to his or her powers and duties under §
20-10 herein, an individual member of the Board of Commissioners acting on his or her own shall have the limited power and duty to:
A. Meet with residents to obtain
information about residents' requests, problems, and areas of concern
regarding the Township government.
B. Meet with the Township Manager
or the Chief of Police to discuss citizen complaints, discuss ideas
and concerns, raise questions, and make recommendations regarding
Township business.