[1978 Code § 2-28]
The Office of Emergency Management is hereby created, in compliance
with Chapter 438, Public Law 1953, Statute A:9-41, and Emergency Management
Planning and Community Right to Know Act of 1986.
[1978 Code § 2-28.1; Ord. No. 764 § 1]
The Emergency Management Coordinator shall be appointed by the
Township Manager for a period of three years and shall perform the
duties of the office as prescribed by law. The Coordinator must be
a Sparta Township resident.
[Ord. No. 07-24 § IV]
The purpose of this section is to create the administrative
mechanisms needed for the execution of Sparta's responsibility to
assist in the provision of affordable housing pursuant to the Fair
Housing Act of 1985.
[Ord. No. 07-14 § IV]
As used in this section, the following terms shall have the
meanings indicated:
Shall mean the entity responsible for administering the affordability
controls of some or all units in the affordable housing program for
Sparta Township to ensure that the restricted units under administration
are affirmatively marketed and sold or rented, as applicable, only
to low- and moderate-income households.
Shall mean the employee charged by the Governing Body with
the responsibility for oversight and administration of the affordable
housing program for Sparta Township.
[Ord. No. 07-14 § VI]
a.
Establishment of position of Municipal Housing Liaison. There is
hereby established the position of Municipal Housing Liaison for Sparta
Township.
b.
Subject to approval of the Council on Affordable Housing (COAH),
the Municipal Housing Liaison shall be appointed by the Township Manager
and may be a full or part time municipal employee.
c.
The Municipal Housing Liaison shall be responsible for oversight and administration of the affordable housing program for Sparta Township, including the following responsibilities which may not be contracted out, exclusive of Subsection c6 which may be contracted out:
1.
Serving as Sparta's primary point of contact for all inquiries from
the State, affordable housing providers, Administrative Agents, and
interested households;
2.
Monitoring the status of all restricted units in Sparta's Fair Share
Plan;
3.
Compiling, verifying, and submitting annual reports as required by
COAH;
4.
Coordinating meetings with affordable housing providers and Administrative
Agents, as applicable;
5.
Attending continuing education opportunities on affordability controls,
compliance monitoring, and affirmative marketing as offered or approved
by COAH;
6.
If applicable, serving as the Administrative Agent for some or all
of the restricted units in Sparta as described in Subsection f below.
d.
Subject to approval by COAH, Sparta Township may contract with or authorize a consultant, authority, government or any agency charged by the Governing Body, which entity shall have the responsibility of administering the affordable housing program of Sparta Township, except for those responsibilities which may not be contracted out pursuant to Subsection c above. If Sparta Township contracts with another entity to administer all or any part of the affordable housing program, including the affordability controls and Affirmative Marketing Plan, the Municipal Housing Liaison shall supervise the contracting Administrative Agent.
e.
Administrative Powers and Duties Assigned to the Municipal Housing
Liaison.
1.
Affirmative Marketing.
(a)
Conducting an outreach process to insure affirmative marketing
of affordable housing units in accordance with the Affirmative Marketing
Plan of Sparta Township and the provisions of N.J.A.C. 5:80-26.15;
and
(b)
Providing counseling or contracting to provide counseling services
to low- and moderate-income applicants on subjects such as budgeting,
credit issues, mortgage qualification, rental lease requirements,
and landlord/tenant law.
2.
Household Certification.
(a)
Soliciting, scheduling, conducting and following up on interviews
with interested households;
(b)
Conducting interviews and obtaining sufficient documentation
of gross income and assets upon which to base a determination of income
eligibility for a low- or moderate-income unit;
(c)
Providing written notification to each applicant as to the determination
of eligibility or ineligibility;
(d)
Requiring that all certified applicants for restricted units
execute a certificate substantially in the form, as applicable, of
either the ownership or rental certificates set forth in Appendices
J and K of N.J.A.C. 5:80-26.1 et seq.;
(e)
Creating and maintaining a referral list of eligible applicant
households living in the housing region and eligible applicant households
with members working in the housing region where the units are located;
and
(f)
Employing the random selection process as provided in the Affirmative
Marketing Plan of Sparta Township when referring households for certification
to affordable units.
3.
Affordability Controls.
(a)
Furnishing to attorneys or closing agents forms of deed restrictions
and mortgages for recording at the time of conveyance of title of
each restricted unit;
(b)
Creating and maintaining a file on each restricted unit for
its control period, including the recorded deed with restrictions,
recorded mortgage and note, as appropriate;
(c)
Ensuring that the removal of the deed restrictions and cancellation
of the mortgage note are effectuated and properly filed with the appropriate
County's Register of Deeds or County Clerk's Office after the termination
of the affordability controls for each restricted unit;
(d)
Communicating with lenders regarding foreclosures; and
(e)
Ensuring the issuance of Continuing Certificates of Occupancy
or certifications pursuant to N.J.A.C. 5:80-26.10.
4.
Resale and Rental.
(a)
Instituting and maintaining an effective means of communicating
information between owners and the Administrative Agent regarding
the availability of restricted units for resale or rental; and
(b)
Instituting and maintaining an effective means of communicating
information to low- and moderate-income households regarding the availability
of restricted units for resale or re-rental.
5.
Processing Request from Unit Owners.
(a)
Reviewing and approving requests from owners of restricted units
who wish to take out home equity loans or refinance during the term
of their ownership;
(b)
Reviewing and approving requests to increase sales prices from
owners of restricted units who wish to make capital improvements to
the units that would affect the selling price, such authorizations
to be limited to those improvements resulting in additional bedrooms
or bathrooms and the cost of central air conditioning systems; and
(c)
Processing requests and making determinations on requests by
owners of restricted units for hardship waivers.
6.
Enforcement.
(a)
Securing annually lists of all affordable housing units for
which tax bills are mailed to absentee owners and notifying all such
owners that they must either move back to their unit or sell it;
(b)
Securing from all developers and sponsors of restricted units,
at the earliest point of contact in the processing of the project
or development, written acknowledgement of the requirement that no
restricted unit can be offered, or in any other way committed, to
any person, other than a household duly certified to the unit by the
Administrative Agent;
(c)
The posting annually in all rental properties, including two-family
homes, of a notice as to the maximum permitted rent together with
the telephone number of the Administrative Agent where complaints
of excess rent can be made;
(d)
Sending annual mailings to all owners of affordable dwelling
units, reminding them of the notices and requirement as outlined in
N.J.A.C. 5:80-26.18(d)4;
(e)
Establishing a program for diverting unlawful rent payments
to the municipality's Affordable Housing Trust Fund or other appropriate
municipal fund approved by the DCA;
(f)
Creating and publishing a written operating manual, as approved
by COAH, setting forth procedures for administering such affordability
controls; and
(g)
Providing annual reports to COAH as required.
7.
The Administrative Agent shall have authority to take all actions
necessary and appropriate to carry out its responsibilities hereunder.
