Bill Text: NJ S758 | 2014-2015 | Regular Session | Introduced
Bill Title: Expands NJ Meadowlands Commission responsibilities to include flood control activities.
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 2-0)
Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2014-01-14 - Introduced in the Senate, Referred to Senate Environment and Energy Committee [S758 Detail]
Download: New_Jersey-2014-S758-Introduced.html
STATE OF NEW JERSEY
216th LEGISLATURE
PRE-FILED FOR INTRODUCTION IN THE 2014 SESSION
Sponsored by:
Senator PAUL A. SARLO
District 36 (Bergen and Passaic)
Senator NICHOLAS J. SACCO
District 32 (Bergen and Hudson)
SYNOPSIS
Expands NJ Meadowlands Commission responsibilities to include flood control activities.
CURRENT VERSION OF TEXT
Introduced Pending Technical Review by Legislative Counsel
An Act concerning the responsibilities of the New Jersey Meadowlands Commission and amending P.L.1968, c.404.
Be It Enacted by the Senate and General Assembly of the State of New Jersey:
1. Section 6 of P.L.1968, c.404 (C.13:17-6) is amended to read as follows:
6. The commission shall have perpetual succession and shall have the following powers:
(a) To adopt and from time to time amend and repeal suitable by-laws for the management of its affairs;
(b) To adopt and use an official seal and alter the same at its pleasure;
(c) To maintain an office at such place or places within the State as it may designate;
(d) To sue and be sued in its own name;
(e) To issue bonds or notes of the commission and to provide for the rights of the holders thereof as provided in this act; provided, however, that prior to the issuance of any bonds or notes and prior to incurring any financial obligation in excess of $1,000,000.00, the commission shall employ a registered municipal accountant of New Jersey or a certified public accountant of New Jersey to inspect its accounts and certify to the State Treasurer that such bonds or such obligations may be issued or incurred by the commission without prejudice to any bonds or obligations of the commission outstanding, and that such bonds or obligations are, or may reasonably be expected to be, within the ability of the commission to meet.
(f) To enter upon any building or property in order to conduct investigations, examinations, surveys, soundings, or test borings necessary to carry out the purposes of this act, all in accordance with due process of law.
(g) To acquire in the name of the commission by purchase, lease as lessee, or otherwise, on such terms and conditions and in such manner as it may deem proper, or by the exercise of the power of eminent domain, any land or interest therein and other property, including land under water and riparian lands, land or highways held by any municipality or other governmental subdivision of the State, or any fee simple absolute in, easements upon, or the benefit of restrictions upon abutting property, that it may determine is reasonably necessary for the performance of any of its duties under this act; provided that the power of eminent domain shall not be exercised by the commission to acquire any property owned or used by a public utility, as defined in section 48:2-13 of the Revised Statutes, in furnishing any commodity or service which by law it is authorized to furnish;
(h) To receive and accept, from any Federal or other public agency or governmental entity, grants or loans for or in aid of the planning or construction of any project or improvement, or the acquisition of any property, and to receive and accept aid or contributions from any other source, of either money, property, labor or other things of value, to be held, used and applied only for the purposes for which such grants, loans and contributions may be made, and to enter into co-operative agreements with the Federal Government or any other public or governmental agency for the performance of such acts as may be necessary and proper for the reclamation of the meadowlands and to comply with other requirements for such participation;
(i) To prepare, adopt and implement a master plan for the physical development of all lands, or a portion thereof, lying within the district; and to adopt and enforce codes and standards for the effectuation of such plan;
(j) By contract or contracts with a redeveloper or by its own employees to undertake any development or other project or improvement as it finds necessary to reclaim, develop, redevelop and improve the land within the district;
(k) To establish engineering standards for land reclamation, including the type of fill, drainage and grading, and to promulgate a building code specifying the maximum weight, size and density of all buildings and structures to be placed on any land within its jurisdiction according to the method of reclamation employed and the load-bearing quality of the reclaimed land;
(l) To recover by special assessments the cost of improvements from the increase of property values attributable to such improvements;
(m) Generally to fix and revise from time to time and to charge and collect rates, fees and other charges for the use of any facilities operated and maintained by the commission;
(n) To make such legal arrangements for the use of the property of the school fund so as to increase the capital of such fund as may be necessary or desirable;
(o) To enter into any and all agreements or contracts, execute any and all instruments, and do and perform any and all acts or things necessary, convenient or desirable for the purposes of the commission or to carry out any power expressly given in this act;
(p) To conduct examinations and investigations, hear testimony and take proof under oath at public or private hearings, of any material matter, require attendance of witnesses and the production of books and papers and issue commissions for the examination of witnesses who are out of State, unable to attend, or excused from attendance;
(q) To publish and disseminate information and to make known to potential users, by advertisement, solicitation or other means, the availability for development of lands in the district;
(r) To review and regulate plans for any subdivision or development within the district;
(s) To subordinate, waive, sell, assign, or release any right, title, claim, lien, or demand however acquired, including any equity or right or redemption; to foreclose, sell, or assign any mortgage held by it, or any interest in real or personal property; and to purchase at any sale upon such terms and at such prices as it determines to be reasonable and to take title to property, real, personal, or mixed, so acquired, and to sell, exchange, assign, convey, lease, mortgage, or otherwise dispose of any such property, subject to such conditions and restrictions as it deems necessary to carry out the purposes of this act;
(t) To cause to be prepared plans, specifications, designs and estimates of costs for the construction of projects and improvements under the provisions of this act, and from time to time to modify such plans, specifications, designs or estimates;
(u) To determine the existence of renewal areas, and to undertake redevelopment projects therein;
(v) To exercise all authorized powers of the commission which shall be deemed to be for a public purpose and to acquire any property which shall be deemed for public use, which use shall be deemed superior to the public use of any municipality, county, school district, or other local or regional district, authority or agency;
(w) To provide solid waste disposal facilities for the treatment and disposal of solid waste, as hereinafter provided ; and
(x) To provide, engage in, or contract for, flood control activities and projects .
(cf: P.L.1968, c.404, s.6)
2. Section 10 of P.L.1968, c.404 (C.13:17-11) is amended to read as follows:
10. (a) The master plan shall include provisions or criteria for the location and use of buildings, structures, facilities, and land for solid waste disposal, and concerning flood control matters.
The master plan may include provisions for: (1) the use of land and buildings, residential, commercial, industrial, mining, agricultural, park and other like purposes; (2) service-water supply, utilities, sewerage, and other like matters; (3) transportation, streets, parking, public transit lines and stations both above and below ground level, freight facilities, airports, harbors, channels, docks and wharves, and other like matters; (4) housing, residential standards, clearance, redevelopment, rehabilitation, conservation, and other like matters; (5) water, forest, soil conservation, [flood control,] and other like matters; (6) public and semipublic facilities including but not limited to civic centers, schools, libraries, parks, playgrounds, fire houses, police buildings, hospitals, and other like matters; (7) the distribution and density of population; (8) planned unit development; (9) community appearance; (10) financing and programming capital improvements; (11) and other related elements of growth and development, including the social implications of any proposed development, and advances in technology related to any subject included in the plan.
(b) The plan may also include codes and standards covering land use, comprehensive zoning, subdivisions, building construction and design, housing, and the control of air and water pollution and solid waste disposal which has been approved by the State Department of Health, and other subjects necessary to carry out the plan or to undertake a workable program of community improvement. No codes or standards concerning building construction and design shall be promulgated without the certificate of the chief engineer or equivalent official of the commission that the proposed codes and standards meet the engineering standards adopted by the commission. No municipality shall enact or enforce any code which is inconsistent with the code contained in the master plan insofar as such code applies to property within the district; provided, however, that the governing body or other appropriate body of each constituent municipality may enact zoning ordinances and any other codes or standards, which it is authorized by the laws of this State to enact, for lands within the boundaries of said municipality which are subject to the jurisdiction of the commission and which will effectuate the purposes of the commission's master plan.
(cf: P.L.1968, c.404, s.10)
3. This act shall take effect immediately.
STATEMENT
This bill amends current law to expand the powers of the New Jersey Meadowlands Commission to specifically include flood control activities. The commission is vested with numerous responsibilities; however, current law only provides that the master plan for the Hackensack Meadowlands District may include provisions for flood control. This bill would require the master plan to include provisions or criteria concerning flood control matters.
