[HISTORY: Adopted by the Township Committee of the Township of Mullica
1-9-1979. Amendments noted where applicable.]
Pursuant to N.J.S.A. 40:56A-1 et seq., the Township Committee considers
it to be a need in the interest of the public health, safety and welfare that
an environmental commission be established for the protection, development
or use of natural resources, including water resources, located within the
territorial limits of the Township of Mullica, and therefore there is hereby
created an environmental commission which shall be known as the "Environmental
Commission of Mullica Township."
The function of said Environmental Commission shall be limited to advising
the Planning Board, the Township Council and all subsidiary agencies thereof
on the areas as hereinafter delineated and receiving and disseminating information
on said issues, and securing federal and state functions for said purposes.
Said Commission shall not have any power whatsoever to legislate or make final
determinations on any pending subdivisions or other similar applications,
but shall be permitted to review the same for the purposes of making recommendations
to the appropriate Township agencies when so requested.
[Amended 2-26-85 by Ord.
No. 4-85]
Said Environmental Commission shall consist of seven members to be appointed
by the Chairman of the Township Council (Mayor), one of whom shall also be
a member of the Municipal Planning Board and all of whom shall be residents
of the Township of Mullica. The members shall serve without compensation.
The Mayor shall designate one of the members to serve as Chairman and presiding
officer of the Commission. The terms of office of the Commissioners shall
be designated by the Mayor in the making of his appointments so that the terms
of approximately 1/3 of the members will expire each year, and their
successors shall be appointed for terms of three years and until the appointment
and qualification of their successors. The Mayor or Township Council of Mullica
Township may remove any member of the Commission for cause, and written charges
served upon the member and after a hearing thereon, at which the member shall
be entitled to be heard in person or by counsel. A vacancy on the Commission
occurring otherwise than by expiration of a term shall be filled for the unexpired
term in the same manner as an original appointment. The powers of appointment
and removal hereby accorded to the Mayor shall be vested in the elected official
so designated or, where there is a vacancy in the office of Mayor, in the
duly designated Acting Mayor.
The creation of said Commission is for the following purposes:
A.
To promote the conservation and development of the environmental
quality of the Township of Mullica.
B.
To plan, implement and inform the public about local
conservation programs.
C.
To compile and keep an index of all open areas, publicly
or privately owned, including open marshlands, swamps and other wetlands.
D.
To conduct research into the possible use of the open
areas and the preservation or protection of their resources such as air and
water.
E.
To recommend to the Planning Board and Board of Adjustment
plans and programs for inclusion in a Municipal Master Plan and the development
and use of such areas.
F.
To inform the public of ways and means of promoting and
encouraging the betterment of the quality of our environment.
G.
To identify all scenic, historic, park and recreation
sites and make recommendations for their protection and improvement.
H.
To make recommendations as to legislation for control
of excavation and soil erosion and other activities affecting the landscape.
I.
To review all proposed road locations and subdivisions
for their environmental impact when requested to do so by the governing body,
Planning Board, Zoning Board of Adjustment or other Township agencies.
J.
To promote good architectural and landscape design for
all developments with adequate provisions for park and green areas therein.
K.
To manage donated or purchased lands for conservation
purposes and operate conservation programs.
L.
To act as the coordinating agency of the community on
conservation matters and a liaison between local conservation needs and regional,
state and federal agencies administering to those needs.
All members of the Township of Mullica Environmental Commission shall
serve during their terms in office without any compensation.
The Commission may, subject to the approval of the Township Committee
(which approval must be in the form of a 2/3 vote in the affirmative
of the entire membership of the Township Committee), acquire property, both
real and personal in the name of the Township of Mullica, by gift, purchase,
grant, bequest, devise or lease for any of its purposes and shall administer
the same for such purposes subject to the terms of the conveyance or gift.
Such acquisition may be to acquire the fee or any lesser interest, development,
right, easement (including conservation easements), covenant or other contractual
right (including a conveyance on conditions or with limitations or reversions),
as may be necessary to acquire, maintain, improve, protect, limit the future
use of, or otherwise conserve and protect and properly utilize open spaces
and other land water areas in the Township of Mullica.
The Environmental Commission may, subject to the approval of the Township
Committee (2/3 vote of the entire membership of the Township
Committee required), have control of lands acquired for the purposes herein
stated and may adopt suitable rules and regulations for the use thereof and
the conduct of all persons while on or using the same.
The Commission shall keep records of its meetings and activities and
shall make a semiannual report on or before the first day of January and on
or before the first day of July and submit the same to the Township Committee,
which report shall be comprehensive and detailed governing operations, receipts,
disbursements and expenditures for the full year.
The Mayor (Chairman of the Township Committee) shall designate one of
the members to serve as Chairman and presiding officer of the Commission.
Said Commission is authorized to adopt bylaws governing the procedural operations
of said Commission.
The Township Committee of Mullica Township may remove any member of
the Commission for cause on written charges served upon the member and after
a fair and impartial hearing thereon, at which the member shall be entitled
to be heard in person or by counsel. A vote of 2/3 of the entire membership
shall be needed to remove any members, and no member shall be removed for
political reasons.
The Township Committee may appropriate funds for the expenses incurred
by the Environmental Commission. But under no circumstances shall any expenses
exceed the limits of the funds appropriated to it.
