Bill Text: NJ A1285 | 2014-2015 | Regular Session | Introduced
Bill Title: Permits counties and municipalities to use snow removal reserve funds for clearance of debris following declaration of emergency by President or Governor.
Spectrum: Bipartisan Bill
Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2014-01-16 - Introduced, Referred to Assembly Homeland Security and State Preparedness Committee [A1285 Detail]
Download: New_Jersey-2014-A1285-Introduced.html
STATE OF NEW JERSEY
216th LEGISLATURE
PRE-FILED FOR INTRODUCTION IN THE 2014 SESSION
Sponsored by:
Assemblyman RONALD S. DANCER
District 12 (Burlington, Middlesex, Monmouth and Ocean)
Assemblyman UPENDRA J. CHIVUKULA
District 17 (Middlesex and Somerset)
Co-Sponsored by:
Assemblywoman Handlin, Assemblymen Schaer and Coughlin
SYNOPSIS
Permits counties and municipalities to use snow removal reserve funds for clearance of debris following declaration of emergency by President or Governor.
CURRENT VERSION OF TEXT
Introduced Pending Technical Review by Legislative Counsel
An Act concerning the use of snow removal reserve funds and amending P.L.2001, c.138.
Be It Enacted by the Senate and General Assembly of the State of New Jersey:
1. Section 1 of P.L.2001, c.138 (C.40A:4-62.1) is amended to read as follows:
1. a. (1) A local unit may, by resolution, establish a [snow removal] storm recovery reserve. Unexpended balances budgeted annually for [snow removal] storm recovery may be lapsed into the reserve. Upon passage of a resolution of the governing body, funds in the reserve may be used for any purpose related to [snow and ice removal] storm recovery, including, but not limited to, snow, ice, and debris removal, by the local unit after current budget appropriations for that purpose have been expended. Any reimbursement of these expenditures shall be deposited back into the reserve.
(2) Following the declaration of an emergency by the President of the United States or the Governor, a local unit may, by resolution, authorize the use of funds in the reserve for any purpose necessary to protect the safety, security, health, and welfare, of its citizens from the damage caused by the declared emergency. Any reimbursement of these expenditures shall be deposited back into the reserve.
(3) Unexpended balances budgeted annually for expenses relating to storm recovery may be lapsed into the reserve.
b. The Local Finance Board is authorized to adopt rules and regulations, pursuant to the "Administrative Procedure Act," P.L.1968, c.410 (C.52:14B-1 et seq.), in order to effectuate the purposes of this section.
(cf: P.L.2001, c.138, s.1)
2. This act shall take effect immediately.
STATEMENT
This bill would expand the purpose and the use of snow removal reserves established by counties and municipalities. Since 2001, counties and municipalities have been permitted, by resolution, to establish snow-removal reserves, so that unused monies budgeted annually for snow and ice removal during low-demand years may be "banked" by those local units for use in budget years when weather conditions are more serious.
This bill would grant counties and municipalities the ability to maintain, through the establishment of a "storm recovery" reserve, a cache of funds that could support local government debris clean up efforts following other types of disasters, such as hurricanes and floods, as well as the removal of snow and ice following winter storms.
The bill would permit counties and municipalities, by resolution, to establish a storm recovery reserve to be used for any purpose related to storm recovery, including but not limited to snow, ice, and debris removal, by the county or municipality, as appropriate, after current budget appropriations for that purpose have been expended. The bill requires that any reimbursement of those expenditures must be deposited back into the storm recovery reserve.
The bill would also authorize counties and municipalities, following the declaration of emergency by the President of the United States or the Governor, to adopt a resolution permitting the use of storm recovery reserve funds for any purpose necessary to protect the safety, security, health, and welfare, of its citizens from the damage caused by the declared emergency. Any reimbursement of those expenditures must be deposited back into the storm recovery reserve.
Finally, the bill permits counties and municipalities to lapse into the reserve unexpended balances budgeted annually for expenses related to storm recovery.
