Volunteer Appointments by the Rockaway Township Mayor & Council
If you would be interested in serving in any of the appointed positions listed below, please follow the instructions below for consideration by the Township. Please understand that limited openings occur each year, and individuals may be returning. Returning Appointed individuals should receive a Citizen Leadership Form, and if you did not, please follow the instructions for Appointments, below. Thank you for your interest!
Application instructions for Appointments:
2) Emails should be sent to the Municipal Clerk (Clerk@RockawayTownship.org].
3) The deadline for submissions is December 20, 2021.
Citizen's Recreation Committee
Member: 1 year term – TWELVE appointments by the Mayor
Committee membership; meetings.
A. The Committee shall consist of 12 members appointed by the Mayor with the advice and consent of the Township Council.
B. The term of each member shall be for one year.
C. Whenever a vacancy occurs on the Committee, a new member shall be appointed to fill the vacancy within 60 days following the vacancy.
D. The Director of the Department of Community Services shall assign members of the Committee to hear various recreational programs. These assignments shall be the member's primary responsibility. The members may also assist and advise the Director of the Department of Community Services regarding finances, administration, operations and development.
E. The Committee shall meet at least once a month.
F. The Director of the Department of Community Services shall attend all meetings of the Committee.
Environmental Advisory Committee.
Full Member: 5-year term – SEVEN appointments by the Mayor
Established to perform assigned research and to serve in an advisory capacity regarding assignment requests, which shall only be made by the Mayor, the Council, the Open Space Committee, the Zoning Board of Adjustment, or the Planning Board regarding issues including but not limited to the protection, development or use of natural resources, including water resources located within the Township.
Full member terms are five years, terms of the alternate members shall be for one year.
Duties.
A. The Committee shall accept assignments for review and conduct research with respect thereto. It shall keep an index of all open areas, publicly or privately owned, including open marsh lands, swamps and other wetlands in order to obtain information and t report on the potential environmental impact which may result from a proposed use and/or development of such areas.
B. The Committee shall also serve generally in an advisory capacity concerning open space preservation, water pollution control, air pollution control, solid waste management, noise control, soil and landscape protection, environmental appearances, marine resources in lakes, streams and rivers, and protection of flora and fauna.
Open Space Advisory Committee.
Subcommittee of the Environmental Advisory Committee – FOUR appointments by the Mayor
A. The Open Space Advisory Committee shall be a subcommittee of the Environmental Advisory Committee and shall consist of four members to be appointed by the Mayor. The term of office shall be for one year. The Director of Recreation, the Business Administrator and the Township Attorney shall also serve on the Open Space Advisory Committee.
B. The Open Space Advisory Committee shall make an initial determination of which parcels of land may be recommended for acquisition in fee and/or those parcels of land from which the Township may acquire development rights only.
Library Board of Trustees
Full Member: 5-year term – FIVE appointments by the Mayor
Township Code 2-28.1 Membership; responsibilities.
The Board of Trustees shall consist of seven members, one of whom shall be the Mayor and one of whom shall be the Superintendent of Schools. The other five members shall be appointed by the Mayor. Each member shall serve for a term of five years. The Board of Trustees shall hold in trust and manage all property of the library. It shall make proper rules and regulations for the government of the library and, generally, do all things necessary and proper for the establishment and maintenance of the library within the Township of Rockaway. The Board of Trustees shall annually make a report of its transactions, accounts and the state and condition of the library to the Council.
Parks and Recreation Planning Committee
Full Member: 1-year term – FIVE appointments by the Mayor
Alternate: 1-year term – TWO appointments by the Mayor
Committee membership; meetings.
The Committee shall consist of five members appointed by the Mayor for the term of one year each and two alternate members appointed by the Mayor for the term of one year. The Committee shall meet at least once a month and shall report directly to the Mayor. The Director of the Department of Community Services shall attend all meetings of the Committee.
Duties and functions.
The Committee shall explore and recommend locations and areas suitable for the development of park sites and recreational facilities. The Committee shall plan and develop public recreational areas and facilities. The Committee shall recommend planned recreational activities and programs.
Planning Board
Full Member: 4-year term – TWO appointments by the Mayor
Alternate: 2-year term – TWO appointments by the Mayor
Membership; appointment.
The Planning Board shall consist of four classes of members, plus alternates, as follows:
A. Class I: The Mayor of the Township.
B. Class II: One of the officials of the Township other than a member of the Township Council, to be appointed by the Mayor.
C. Class III: A member of the Township Council to be appointed by it.
D. Class IV: Six citizens of the Township of Rockaway to be appointed by the Mayor. The members of Class IV shall hold no other municipal office, position or employment, except that one such member may be a member of the Zoning Board of Adjustment, and one such member may be a member of the Board of Education. For the purpose of this qualification, 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.
E. One member of the Environmental Commission shall be a Class IV member, unless 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, in which case the member common to the Planning Board and the Environmental Commission shall be deemed a Class II member.
F. There shall be two alternate members of the Planning Board appointed by the Mayor. Alternate members shall meet the qualifications of Class IV members of the Planning Board. Alternate members shall be designated at the time of appointment by the Mayor as "Alternate No. 1" and "Alternate No. 2."
Powers and duties of the Planning Board.
The Planning Board shall follow the provisions of the Municipal Land Use Law and this chapter, and accordingly shall have authority to:
A. Prepare, adopt, and amend a master plan or component part thereof;
B. Exercise control over and review of subdivisions, site plans and conditional uses, including certain variances and building permits. Notwithstanding the above, the Planning Board shall not have the power to review and approve site plans, subdivisions or conditional uses when such applications involve a "D" variance;
C. Perform informal review of concept plans for development as provided by this chapter;
D. Make recommendations to the Township Council concerning adoption or amendment of development regulations and an Official Map;
E. Direct the issuance of building permits for buildings or structures in certain areas shown on an Official Map, when such building permits also require subdivision, site plan or conditional use approval;
F. Direct the issuance of building permits for buildings or structures on a lot not related to a street, when such building permits also require subdivision, site plan or conditional use approval;
G. Make recommendations to the Township Council concerning the relationship of capital projects to the Master Plan;
H. Prepare a capital improvements program, if authorized by the Township Council.
I. Participate in the preparation and review of programs or plans required by State or Federal law or regulation;
J. Assemble data on a continuing basis as part of a continuous planning process; and
K. Perform such other advisory duties as are assigned to it by ordinance or resolution of the Township Council for the aid and assistance of the Township Council or other agencies or officers.
Shade Tree Commission
Full Member: 1-year term – FIVE appointments by the Mayor
Members; term.
There shall be a Shade Tree Commission consisting of five members appointed by the Mayor. All appointments shall be for a term of one year.
Township Code 2-31.2. Authority.
The Commission shall perform the functions and have the authority and powers as heretofore established by ordinance and in accordance with the general law, N.J.S.A. 40:64-1 et seq. Further, the Shade Tree Commission shall give such advice as may be requested by the Mayor, the Council, the Planning Board of the Township and the Board of Adjustment of the Township.
Zoning Board of Adjustment
Full Member: 4-year term – ONE appointment by the Council
Township Code 54-6.2 Membership; Appointment
Qualifications for and appointment as members of the Zoning Board of Adjustment shall be as follows:
a. No member may hold any elective office or position under the municipality.
b. All members shall be citizens of the Township of Rockaway.
c. All members shall be appointed by the Township Council.
d. Alternate members shall be designated as “Alternate no. 1”, “Alternate No. 2,” “Alternate No. 3,” and “Alternate No. 4” by the Township Council at the time of appointment.
Township Code 54-6.4 Powers and Duties of the Zoning Board of Adjustment
The Zoning Board of Adjustment shall follow the provisions of the Municipal Land Use Law and this chapter, and accordingly shall have authority to:
a. Hear and decide appeals where it is alleged by the appellant that there is error in any order, requirement, decision or refusal made by an administrative officer based on or made in the enforcement of the zoning regulations;
b. Hear and decide requests for interpretation of the Zoning Map or zoning regulations or for decisions upon other special questions upon which the Board is authorized to pass by any zoning regulation or official map regulation, in accordance with this chapter and the Municipal Land Use Law;
c. Hear and decide requests for variances. Notwithstanding the above, the Zoning Board of Adjustment shall not have the power to hear and decide variances if the application also requires subdivision, site plan or conditional use approval, unless the application involves a “D” variance;
d. Exercise control over and review of subdivisions, site plans and conditional uses, only when such applications involved a “D” variance;
e. Direct the issuance of building permits for buildings or structures in certain areas shown on an Official Map, unless such building permits also require subdivision, site plan or conditional use approval;
f. Direct the issuance of building permits for buildings or structures on a lot not related to a street, unless such building permits also require subdivision, site plan or conditional use approval; and
g. Prepare at least once a year, a report for the Township Council and Planning Board, based upon its review of its decisions on applications and appeals for variances since any previous report. The report shall be adopted by resolution of the Zoning Board of Adjustment, and shall comment on the zoning regulations which were the subject of variance requests, and shall make recommendations for any amendments to the zoning regulations that the Board may deem appropriate based upon prior variance applications.
