This act shall be known and may be cited as the Plainfield Charter (1968).
The inhabitants of the city of Plainfield, in the county of Union, within the boundaries heretofore established by law or as may be hereafter amended, shall be and remain a municipal body corporate and politic with perpetual succession.
For the purposes of this act, and for the interpretation of any law, ordinance or resolution applicable to the city, unless the context otherwise requires:
(a) 
"Charter" shall mean this act and all statutory provisions of the State of New Jersey which are now or may hereafter be applicable specifically to the city of Plainfield or to all cities alike, and which are not inconsistent with this act.
(b) 
"Council" shall mean the governing body of the city, constituted and elected pursuant to the charter.
(c) 
"Mayor" shall mean the mayor of the city duly elected pursuant to the charter.
(d) 
"Administrative code" shall mean an ordinance providing, subject to the charter, for the organization or administration of the city government, for the exercise or discharge of its functions, powers and duties, or for the management or control of its property, affairs or government.
(e) 
"Administrator" shall mean the business administrator duly appointed pursuant to the charter.
(f) 
"Department" shall mean an administrative organization unit of the city government established or designated by or pursuant to the charter as a department.
(g) 
"Director" shall mean the administrative head of a department.
(h) 
"Division" shall mean an administrative organization unit of the city government established, allocated or assigned within a department.
(i) 
"Ordinance" shall mean any act of local legislation heretofore or hereafter adopted pursuant to law.
(j) 
"Month" shall mean a calendar month unless otherwise specifically provided.
(k) 
"Person" shall mean any corporation, firm, partnership, association, organization or other entity, as well as an individual.
(l) 
"City" shall mean the city of Plainfield within the boundaries now existing or which may be hereafter established pursuant to law.
(m) 
"Year" shall mean a calendar year unless otherwise specifically provided.
(n) 
"General law" shall mean any statutory law or provision of law, not inconsistent with this act, heretofore or hereafter enacted which is by its terms applicable or available to all municipalities, and the following additional laws whether or not such additional laws are so applicable or available to all municipalities: legislation relating to taxation, local courts, education, health, public authorities serving more than one municipality, and municipalities in unsound financial condition.
For the purposes of the charter, other laws, administrative codes and any ordinances heretofore or hereafter adopted, except as the context may otherwise require:
(a) 
The present tense includes the past and future tenses and the future, the present.
(b) 
The masculine gender includes the feminine and neuter whenever both genders are not explicitly referenced.
(c) 
The singular number includes the plural and the plural, the singular.
(d) 
The time within which an act is to be done shall be computed by excluding the first and including the last day, and if the last day be a Sunday or a legal holiday, that day shall be excluded.
(e) 
"Writing" and "written" shall include printing, typewriting and any other mode of communication using paper, digitally processed data, image processed document, or similar material which is in general use, as well as legible handwriting.
In addition to such powers as may otherwise be conferred by the charter, the city may:
(a) 
Organize and regulate its internal affairs, and establish, alter, and abolish offices, positions and employments and define the functions, powers and duties thereof and fix their term, tenure and compensation;
(b) 
Adopt and enforce local police ordinances of all kinds and impose one or more of the following penalties for violation thereof, fines not exceeding $2,000 or imprisonment for any term not exceeding 90 days, or a period of community service not exceeding 90 days for the violation thereof; a minimum penalty, prescribed for the violation of particular ordinances, which shall consist of a fine which may be fixed at an amount not exceeding $100; a minimum penalty, prescribed for the violation of an ordinance pertaining to unlawful solid waste disposal, which shall consist of a fine which may be fixed at an amount not exceeding $2,500 or a maximum penalty by a fine not exceeding $10,000;
(c) 
Construct, acquire, operate or maintain any and all public improvements, projects or enterprises for any public purpose, subject to referendum requirements otherwise imposed by law;
(d) 
Sue and be sued, have a corporate seal, contract and be contracted with, buy, sell, lease, hold and dispose of real and personal property, appropriate and expend moneys, and adopt, amend and repeal such ordinances and resolutions as may be required for the management of the city and the good government thereof;
(e) 
Exercise powers of condemnation, borrowing and taxation in the manner provided by general law;
(f) 
Exercise all powers of local government in such manner as its governing body may determine.
The general grants of municipal power contained in this article are intended to confer the greatest power of local self-government consistent with the Constitution of this State. Any specific enumeration of municipal powers contained in the charter shall not be construed in any way to limit the general description of power contained in this article, and any such specifically enumerated municipal powers shall be construed as in addition and supplementary to the powers conferred in general terms by this article. All grants of power to the city, whether in the form of specific enumeration or general terms, shall be liberally construed, as required by the Constitution of this State, in favor of the city.
The council, or a committee designated by the council, shall review the charter at least once every 12 years and prepare a report on the functioning of the charter, which shall include any suggested amendments to the charter.