[Ord. No. 00-08 § II]
There is hereby established an account to be known and designated as the Municipal Open Space, Recreation, and Farmland and Historic Preservation Trust Fund (the Trust Fund) pursuant to N.J.S.A. 40:12-15.7, et seq., which shall be maintained in accordance with N.J.S.A. 40A:4-1 and N.J.S.A. 40A:5-1. Funds from the Trust Fund may, as directed by the Township Council, be utilized to acquire or develop vacant land, as well as land which has improvements upon it at the time of acquisition, or to acquire development rights, where the principal purpose of the acquisition is open space preservation, farmland preservation, historic preservation and/or creation of recreation facilities.
[Ord. No. 00-08 § III]
a. 
The Trust Fund shall be funded through the dedication of an amount not to exceed $0.02 per $100 of assessed valuation of each annual tax levy commencing with the year 2001. The Trust Fund shall also be permitted to accept donations and testamentary bequests.
b. 
The funds accumulated within the Trust Fund may be utilized for any of the purposes set forth in N.J.S.A. 40:12-15.7. Any and all interest that accrues shall remain in the Trust Fund and may be utilized for the above-described purposes.
c. 
The Township Council shall determine the amount of the tax levy each year by Resolution.
d. 
The Township Council may, after conducting at least one public hearing, determine how to subdivide the amount of the tax levy among the various purposes set forth in N.J.S.A. 40:12-15.7 and this section.
[Ord. No. 00-08 § IV]
a. 
Property acquired with funds from the Trust Fund may not be leased or sold, until and unless the sale or lease has been authorized by the Township Council in the manner prescribed by law.
b. 
The Township Council, after at least one public hearing, and upon a finding that the purposes of this section will be better served, or that any land acquired by the Township pursuant to this section is required for another public use, may by section convey, through sale, exchange, transfer or other disposition, title to or a lesser interest in that land, provided that the Township shall replace any land conveyed under this section with land of at least equal fair market value and reasonably equivalent usefulness, size, quality and location. Any money derived from the conveyance shall be deposited into the Trust Fund.
c. 
Any conveyance made pursuant to this section shall be made in strict accordance with the "Local Lands and Buildings Law" (N.J.S.A. 40A:12-1 et seq.). In the event of conveyance by exchange, the land or improvements thereon to be transferred to the Trust shall be at least equal in fair market value and of reasonably equivalent usefulness, size, quality and location to the land or improvements transferred from the Trust.
[Ord. No. 00-08 § V]
In the event that no property is acquired under this section for a period of five consecutive years, then the Township Council shall issue a report with recommendations and conclusions concerning the Trust Fund.
[Added 4-11-2023 by Ord. No. 23-06]
A refund of property taxes pursuant to N.J.S.A. 54:4-3.32 shall be granted provided that the applicant submits a complete application to the tax assessor as required by N.J.S.A. 54:4-3.30. A retroactive refund of property taxes as set forth in N.J.S.A. 54:4-3.32 shall be limited to the property taxes previously paid for the period of time commencing on the date that the fully completed proper claim form with all required documentation is submitted to the Tax Assessor as required by N.J.S.A. 54:4-3.30, but not to extend beyond the taxes paid for the current year and immediate prior year and not to exceed 24 months from the date that the Township Tax Assessor's received the fully completed application.