Under the supervision of the Mayor as chief executive, there shall be a Department of Health, which shall be the Warren County Board of Health and a Division of Welfare, the head of which shall be the Director of the Division of Welfare.
[Amended 2-11-1992 by Ord. No. 92-10]
The Department of Health in the Township of Pohatcong shall be the Warren County Board of Health.
Within the Department there shall be a Division of Inspections.
A.
The Division shall include a Zoning Officer, a licensed Construction Official, a Fire Protection Subcode Official, a Dog Warden/Animal Control Officer, and a Code Enforcement Officer.
[Amended 9-18-2007 by Ord. No. 07-13]
B.
Fire Subcode Official. The Fire Subcode Official shall approve permits on new construction and renovations pertaining to heating, ventilation and fire protection systems and shall perform inspections as required by the Uniform Construction Code. All as provided by the State Uniform Construction Act (P.L. 1975)[1] and by the New Jersey Administrative Code dealing with the laws and regulations of the Uniform Fire Code[2] and other state and county local requirements.
C.
Powers and duties.
(1)
Under the supervision of the Director, the Division shall:
(a)
Conduct and administer housing inspections as required for the enforcement of applicable laws and ordinances, including but not limited to the Township Building Code, the ordinance to regulate and control individual sewage disposal systems and the ordinance regulating individual and semipublic water supplies, and issue certificates of occupancy for new construction and upon request issue certificates in accordance with N.J.A.C. 5:23-2.23(c).
(b)
Administer and enforce Chapter 285, Zoning, of the Code of the Township of Pohatcong, the ordinance regulating signs and outdoor display structures within the Township, conditions of Planning Board approval and compliance with variances granted pursuant to Chapter 285, Zoning, subject to applicable law, for which there shall be a Zoning Officer and such assistants as may be provided by ordinance.
(e)
Establish standard procedures, including forms, for the collection of license fees, issuance of licenses and for the referral of inspections, investigations or enforcement to other agencies, departments or divisions and for reporting disposition.
(f)
Recommend to Council the adoption of ordinances or the amendment of ordinances deemed required, including but not limited to the adoption of appropriate state model codes regulating building, building materials and building methods.
(g)
Administer and enforce and make inspections under such other laws and ordinances in force and effect which establish standards to protect the health and/or safety or persons using or occupying buildings or other structures within the Township.
(2)
The Division shall not duplicate inspections required by ordinance to be made by the Fire Department, but the results of such inspections by the Fire Department shall be reported to the Division for appropriate action.
D.
Inspection and enforcement generally.
(1)
The Director shall receive requests to conduct inspections and shall schedule and assign inspectors to conduct said inspections.
(2)
The Director shall assign inspectors to investigate and to report upon suspected violations of ordinances or of laws protecting the public health and/or safety.
(3)
The Division of Inspections shall conduct and administer such inspections and enforcement proceedings as are authorized by law or by ordinance and shall, insofar as practicable, consolidate and coordinate all regulatory inspections relating to the construction, maintenance, use and occupancy of buildings and structures which are not vested in other departments, divisions or agencies by law or by this chapter.
E.
Board of Appeals. Appeals shall be filed with the Warren County Construction Code Board of Appeals which shall hear all Building Code violation appeals arising within the Township.
F.
Code Enforcement Officer.
[Added 9-18-2007 by Ord. No. 07-13]
(1)
The Code Enforcement Officer shall be appointed by the Mayor with the advice and consent of Council for a term of one year. Compensation shall be such sum as may be set forth in the salary resolution of the Township of Pohatcong or employment contract in the event that the Code Enforcement Officer is an independent contractor and not an employee of the Township. The working hours and schedule of the Code Enforcement Officer shall be fixed by the Township Council.
(2)
The Code Enforcement Officer shall be responsible for the enforcement of regulatory ordinances (Part II, General Legislation, of the Township Code), excluding ordinances that fall within the exclusive jurisdiction of the Construction Official under the Uniform Construction Code.[4] By way of example, but not by way of limitation, the Code Enforcement Official shall be authorized to enforce the Brush, Grass and Weeds Ordinance (Chapter 95), the Licenses and Permits Ordinance (Chapter 179), the Sewers Ordinance (Chapter 220), and the Property Maintenance Ordinance (Chapter 222).
(3)
The Code Enforcement Officer shall conduct field inspections to insure compliance with various Township ordinances and shall have the power to make or cause to be made an entry into any building or premises wherein an alleged violation may exist and to serve violation notices, make and process complaints for code violations and make court appearances, both municipal and otherwise, as necessary in connection therewith.
(4)
Upon observation of a violation of any of the aforesaid ordinances or any other ordinance of the Township of Pohatcong, the Code Enforcement Officer shall make a record of the same, in writing. A monthly summary of violations shall be provided to the Township Council. If the violation falls within the purview of the Zoning Officer, Construction Official or Police Department, the Code Enforcement Officer shall refer the violation with the appropriate official for action.
(5)
The Code Enforcement Officer shall have the authority to issue violation notices and/or summons and appear in Municipal Court, as necessary. All violation notices shall be complied with as follows:
Within the Department there shall be a Division of Welfare, the head of which shall be the Local Assistance Board.
A.
Composition. The Local Assistance Board shall consist of three members appointed by the Mayor with the advice and consent of the Council pursuant to general law. The Board shall appoint annually a qualified Welfare Director. The members of the Local Assistance Board shall serve without salary.
B.
Powers and duties. Under the supervision of the Director and of the Local Assistance Board, the Welfare Director shall:
(1)
Administer laws and ordinances relating to relief of the needy, including the furnishing of all forms of public assistance to needy persons who are eligible for assistance provided by law through county and state agencies.
(2)
Provide or arrange for shelter and custodial care to dependent and homeless men and women.
(3)
Enter into and perform cooperative agreements with voluntary charitable organizations and services to effectuate its other functions under this section.
(4)
Provide related social services, such as domestic relations counseling, investigation of paternity cases, indigent burials and other public welfare activities.
(5)
Cooperate with other public agencies and institutions and with voluntary institutions in the certification of medically indigent patients for care and treatment.
(6)
Provide periodic investigation of all welfare cases in accordance with general law.
(7)
Aid needy persons to achieve self support or to obtain aid from other appropriate agencies.
(8)
Refer needy persons to appropriate agencies from which they may obtain aid.
(9)
Establish standard procedures for and maintain records of investigations, local assistance requests and grants, referrals for categorical assistance or for general assistance and the disposition of cases.
(10)
Commit individuals to state or county institutions when such care is required.
(11)
Request state reimbursement for payments for general assistance and for interim assistance grants made to needy persons.
(12)
Comply with all requirements of applicable law so that the municipality shall be eligible to receive reimbursement for payments made.
C.
Burial of poor.
[Added 12-9-1997 by Ord. No. 97-14]
(1)
The Township of Pohatcong shall, pursuant to N.J.S.A. 44:1-57, appoint the Municipal Director of Welfare to provide for and superintend the burial of deceased persons dying without leaving money or other means sufficient to defray his or her funeral expenses.
(2)
The necessary and reasonable expenses shall be fixed at $1,000 maximum for a proper funeral and burial charged by funeral directors in the locality of the Township of Pohatcong.
(3)
Upon proper presentation of a voucher or itemized expense list for said expenses, the Township Council of the Township of Pohatcong shall pay said expense.