40:55D-23 Planning board membership.

14. Planning board membership. a. The governing body may, by ordinance, create a planning board of seven or nine members. All members of the planning board, except for the Class II members set forth below, shall be municipal residents. The membership shall consist of, for convenience in designating the manner of appointment, the four following classes:

Class I--the mayor or the mayor's designee in the absence of the mayor or, in the case of the council-manager form of government pursuant to the Optional Municipal Charter Law, P.L.1950, c.210 (C.40:69A-1 et seq.) or "the municipal manager form of government law" (R.S.40:79-1 et seq.), the manager, if so provided by the aforesaid ordinance.

Class II--one of the officials of the municipality other than a member of the governing body, to be appointed by the mayor; provided that if there be an environmental commission, the member of the environmental commission who is also a member of the planning board as required by section 1 of P.L.1968, c.245 (C.40:56A-1), shall be deemed to be the Class II planning board member for purposes of this act in the event that there be among the Class IV or alternate members of the planning board both a member of the zoning board of adjustment and a member of the board of education.

Class III--a member of the governing body to be appointed by it.

Class IV--other citizens of the municipality, to be appointed by the mayor or, in the case of the council-manager form of government pursuant to the Optional Municipal Charter Law, P.L.1950, c.210 (C.40:69A-1 et seq.) or "the municipal manager form of government law" (R.S.40:79-1 et seq.), by the council, if so provided by the aforesaid ordinance.

The members of Class IV shall hold no other municipal office, position or employment, except that in the case of nine-member boards, one such member may be a member of the zoning board of adjustment or historic preservation commission. No member of the board of education may be a Class IV member of the planning board, except that in the case of a nine-member board, one Class IV member may be a member of the board of education. If there be a municipal environmental commission, the member of the environmental commission who is also a member of the planning board, as required by section 1 of P.L.1968, c.245 (C.40:56A-1), shall be a Class IV planning board member, unless there be among the Class IV or alternate members of the planning board both a member of the zoning board of adjustment or historic preservation commission and a member of the board of education, in which case the member common to the planning board and municipal environmental commission shall be deemed a Class II member of the planning board. For the purpose of this section, membership on a municipal board or commission whose function is advisory in nature, and the establishment of which is discretionary and not required by statute, shall not be considered the holding of municipal office.

b. The term of the member composing Class I shall correspond to the mayor's or manager's official tenure or if the member is the mayor's designee in the absence of the mayor, the designee shall serve at the pleasure of the mayor during the mayor's official tenure. The terms of the members composing Class II and Class III shall be for one year or terminate at the completion of their respective terms of office, whichever occurs first, except for a Class II member who is also a member of the environmental commission. The term of a Class II or Class IV member who is also a member of the environmental commission shall be for three years or terminate at the completion of his term of office as a member of the environmental commission, whichever occurs first. The term of a Class IV member who is also a member of the board of adjustment or board of education shall terminate whenever he is no longer a member of such other body or at the completion of his Class IV term, whichever occurs first. The terms of all Class IV members first appointed under this act shall be so determined that to the greatest practicable extent the expiration of such terms shall be distributed evenly over the first four years after their appointments; provided that the initial Class IV term of no member shall exceed four years. Thereafter, the Class IV term of each such member shall be four years. If a vacancy in any class shall occur otherwise than by expiration of the planning board term, it shall be filled by appointment, as above provided, for the unexpired term. No member of the planning board shall be permitted to act on any matter in which he has, either directly or indirectly, any personal or financial interest. Any member other than a Class I member, after a public hearing if he requests one, may be removed by the governing body for cause.

c. In any municipality in which the term of the municipal governing body commences on January 1, the governing body may, by ordinance, provide that the term of appointment of any class of member of the planning board appointed pursuant to this section shall commence on January 1. In any municipality in which the term of the municipal governing body commences on July 1, the governing body may, by ordinance, provide that the term of appointment of any class of member appointed pursuant to this section commence on July 1.

L.1975,c.291,s.14; amended 1978, c.37, s.1; 1979, c.216, s.12; 1985, c.516, s.7; 1990, c.130; 1991, c.256, s.4; 1994, c.158; 1998, c.95, s.5.