[Adopted 2-8-2022 by Ord. No. 22-03]
There is hereby created the Cannabis Advisory Committee. The purpose of the Cannabis Advisory Committee will be to act as the body for local review for the Township for all potential cannabis licensees seeking to operate within the Township of Ewing. The authority and responsibility to activate, suspend and revoke such licenses shall remain with the Ewing Township Council.
A. 
Members of the Cannabis Advisory Committee shall include residents and business owners who have been a resident of or owned a business in the Township for the past five years.
B. 
Membership shall include a broad representation from the Township, but at a minimum, must include one member from each of the following categories:
(1) 
The Mayor, or his or her designee;
(2) 
The President of the Township Council, or his/her Council member designee;
(3) 
The Chief of Police, or his or her designee;
(4) 
Up to two appointees by the Mayor, of which one shall be a member of the Ewing Township business community; and
(5) 
Up to two appointees by the Township Council, of which one shall be a member of the municipal alliance committee known as the "Ewing Drug/Alcohol Awareness Committee (EDAC)."
C. 
With the exception of the Mayor and Chief of Police, members shall serve for a term of three years or the expiration of their term of employment or service with the Township, whichever is sooner.
D. 
No member shall be affiliated with, related to, or hold an interest in a New Jersey adult-use cannabis business, medical cannabis establishment, or prospective licensee for either.
E. 
The members of the Cannabis Advisory Committee shall serve without compensation.
The duty of the Cannabis Advisory Committee shall be to advise the Ewing governing body as to the issuance of cannabis business permits within the Township. The Cannabis Advisory Committee work shall be based on information contained in any request for proposals ("RFP") issued by the governing body and shall be made consistent with the criteria outlined in Chapter 127, Cannabis Businesses, in addition to the issuance of detailed application criteria made available prior to RFP release.
The Cannabis Advisory Committee shall be supported by the Township Attorney and Township Planning and Zoning Office and may request additional resources as necessary to effectuate its responsibilities.
Under all circumstances in which state law requires communication to the Township by the Cannabis Regulatory Commission, or any other state agency with regard to the licensing of cannabis establishments by the state, or in which state law requires any review or approval by the Township of any action taken by the state licensing authority, the exclusive authority for receiving such communications and granting such approvals shall be communicated through the Township Clerk's Office, upon recommendation by the Cannabis Advisory Committee and authorized by the Township's governing body.
The Cannabis Advisory Committee shall meet as required and shall schedule meetings as agreed by a majority of the regular members. All meetings of the Committee shall conform to requirements of the New Jersey Open Public Meetings Act, N.J.S.A. 10:4-6 et seq.