12:6B-3 - Dredging Project Facilitation Task Force
12:6B-3 Dredging Project Facilitation Task Force.3. a. There is established in the Executive Branch of the State Government a Dredging Project Facilitation Task Force. For the purpose of complying with the provisions of Article V, Section IV, paragraph 1 of the New Jersey Constitution, the task force is allocated within the Department of Transportation, but, notwithstanding that allocation, the task force shall be independent of any supervision or control by the department or by the commissioner or any officer or employee thereof. The task force shall constitute an instrumentality of the State exercising public and essential governmental functions, and the exercise by the task force of the powers conferred by this or any other act shall be deemed and held to be an essential governmental function of the State.
b. (1) The task force shall consist of 12 members, and shall include the following three ex-officio members: the Commissioner of the Department of Environmental Protection, or his designee; the Commissioner of the Department of Transportation, or his designee; and the State Treasurer, or his designee. The task force shall also include three public members appointed by the Governor; three public members appointed by the President of the Senate, one of whom the President of the Senate shall designate as chair of the task force; and three public members appointed by the Speaker of the General Assembly.
(2)The public members shall serve for terms of two years, except that of the public members first appointed by each appointing authority, one shall serve a term of three years, one shall serve a term of two years, and one shall serve a term of one year. Not more than two public members appointed by the same appointing authority shall be members of the same political party.
(3)The appointment of the members shall be made within 45 days of the effective date of this act. The appointee of the President of the Senate designated as chair of the task force shall serve a term of two years and shall convene an organizational meeting of the task force as soon as is practicable following the appointment of at least six public members to the task force.
(4)Each member of the task force shall serve for the term of the appointment and until a successor shall have been appointed and qualified. Task force members shall serve without compensation. Any vacancy shall be filled in the same manner as the original appointment for the unexpired term only. A public member may be reappointed to the task force upon term expiration.
(5)Any member of the task force may be removed by the appointing authority, for cause, after a public hearing.
(6)A majority of the full membership of the task force shall constitute a quorum for the transaction of task force business. Action may be taken and motions and resolutions adopted by the task force at any meeting thereof by the affirmative vote of a majority of the full membership of the task force.
(7)The public members shall, to the maximum extent practicable, represent one or more of the following areas of expertise and specialization: the maritime industry, the business community, the trucking industry, organized labor, marine terminal operations, the tourism and recreation industry, environmental technology, and commercial fishing.
L.1997,c.97,s.3; amended 2001, c.429, s.12.