52:27BBB-36 State Economic Recovery Board created for qualified municipality.

36. a. In order to facilitate the rehabilitation and economic recovery of each qualified municipality, there is created a subsidiary corporation of the New Jersey Economic Development Authority, which shall be known as the State Economic Recovery Board for (insert name of qualified municipality). The board shall operate for the period during which the municipality is under rehabilitation and economic recovery, or until its funds have been disbursed, whichever occurs first. Any outstanding debts or obligations which remain at the termination of board operation shall be assumed by the authority and any accounts payable to the board shall be due and payable to the authority.

b. The board shall consist of 15 voting members, as follows: the mayor of the qualified municipality; a representative of the municipal governing body selected by the governing body; the chief operating officer; the State Treasurer; the Commissioner of Community Affairs; the chairperson of the authority; a representative of the regional impact council selected by the council; the director of the board of chosen freeholders of the county in which the qualified municipality is situated, as provided hereunder, all of whom shall serve ex officio and may select a designee to serve in their stead; one public member chosen by the Governor, based on the recommendation of the Senate President and one public member chosen by the Governor, based on the recommendation of the Assembly Speaker; and five public members to be appointed by the Governor, to include one representative of organized labor and one representing the business community. Of the public members appointed by the Governor, at least three shall be municipal residents. The board shall include two nonvoting ex officio legislative members to be chosen by the Governor, one of whom shall be selected based on the recommendation of the Senate President and the other upon the recommendation of the Speaker of the General Assembly. These members shall be advisory members, appointed solely for the purpose of developing and facilitating legislation to assist the board in fulfilling its statutory mission, and may not exercise any of the executive powers delegated to the board. In addition, the Senior Community Builder in the State office of the federal Department of Housing and Urban Development shall serve as an ex officio, non-voting member of the board.

A majority of the entire authorized voting membership of the board shall constitute a quorum at any meeting thereof.

c. Each public member shall serve for a term of five years. Vacancies in the public membership of the board shall be filled in the same manner as the original appointments are made and a member may be eligible for reappointment. Vacancies occurring other than by expiration of a term shall be filled for the unexpired term. Each ex officio member shall serve for the period during which the municipality is under rehabilitation and economic recovery and for a period of two years thereafter.

The Governor shall designate the chairperson of the board.

d. The board shall be appointed as expeditiously as possible upon the determination by the commissioner that the municipality fulfills the definition of a qualified municipality pursuant to section 4 of P.L.2002, c.43 (C.52:27BBB-4) and shall convene not later than 30 days following that determination for its organizational meeting. Thereafter, the board shall meet regularly and on not less than a quarterly basis. At its first organizational meeting, the board shall appoint one of the public members to serve as its designee on the New Jersey Economic Development Authority pursuant to section 4 of P.L.1974, c.80 as amended by section 69 of P.L.2002, c.43 (C.34:1B-4).

e. The voting authority of the director of the county board of chosen freeholders shall not become effective until the filing with the Secretary of State of an agreement entered into by the chief operating officer, acting on behalf of the municipality, and the county, detailing the financial commitment of the county to the redevelopment of the infrastructure of the municipality which shall include improvements or other economic benefits totaling not less than $20 million and a proposed construction schedule for the completion thereof.

L.2002, c.43, s.36; amended 2002, c.108, s.7; 2009, c.337, s.8.