SR71

A Senate Resolution establishing the “First District Economic Development Task Force.”

Whereas, Government statistics show that Atlantic, Cape May, and Cumberland counties frequently have among the highest unemployment rates and the lowest per capita and median household incomes in the State; and

Whereas, Atlantic County has a higher percentage of residents living below the poverty level than the State average; and

Whereas, The population of Cape May County has been decreasing due to high housing costs and a lack of year-round employment, forcing young people to leave the county to find employment; and

Whereas, The median value of owner-occupied housing units in Cumberland County is much lower than the State average and the county has a higher percentage of residents living below the poverty level than the State average; and

Whereas, Statistics further indicate that residents of the First Legislative District experience high incidents of teenage pregnancy, childhood obesity, infant mortality, domestic violence, gang violence, alcoholism, and drug abuse; and

Whereas, It is fitting and proper that the Legislature establish a task force to identify methods, policies, regulations, incentives, and tools to foster economic activity and create jobs to alleviate these conditions in the First Legislative District for its citizens; now, therefore,

Be It Resolved by the Senate of the State of New Jersey:

1. a. There is established the “First District Economic Development Task Force.”

b. The purpose of the task force shall be to identify methods, policies, regulations, incentives, and tools to foster economic activity and create jobs in Atlantic, Cape May, and Cumberland counties.

c. The task force shall:

(1) evaluate and report on current economic conditions in the First Legislative District;

(2) evaluate and report on successful policies enacted by other regions, states, counties, and localities that have similar demographics and economic conditions as the First Legislative District; and

(3) make recommendations on how to rectify and improve the economic conditions in the First Legislative District.

2. a. The task force shall be comprised of 11 members, as follows:

(1) The Senator representing the First Legislative District;

(2) One General Assembly member appointed by the President of the Senate who represents the First Legislative District or an elected official appointed by the President of the Senate who represents a county or municipality within the First Legislative District;

(3) Two members from each board of chosen freeholders of Cape May and Cumberland counties, to be appointed by the director of the board of chosen freeholders of each of those counties;

(4) The presidents of Atlantic Cape Community College and Cumberland County College, ex officio;

(5) The directors of the county department of planning and economic development for Cape May and Cumberland counties, ex officio; and

(6) The Executive Director of the New Jersey Economic Development Authority, ex officio, or the executive director’s designee.

Vacancies in the membership of the task force shall be filled in the same manner as the original appointments were made.

b. Members of the task force shall be appointed within 30 days after adoption of this Senate resolution, and the task force shall organize within 30 days after appointment of the majority of its members. The Senator representing the First Legislative District shall be the chair of the task force and the elected official appointed by the President of the Senate shall be the vice chair of the task force. The Office of Legislative Services shall provide staffing for the work of the task force.

c. The members shall serve without compensation but shall be reimbursed for necessary expenses incurred in the performance of their duties and within the limits of funds available to the task force.

d. The task force shall meet at the call of the chair at a minimum of two meetings or public hearings in Cape May County and two meetings or public hearings in Cumberland County with an option to have more meetings or hearings in the First Legislative District, or at other locations as deemed necessary by the chair.

e. The task force shall be entitled to call to its assistance and avail itself of the services of the employees of any State department, board, bureau, commission, authority, agency, or other entity, as it may require and as may be available for its purposes, employ stenographic and clerical assistance, and incur traveling and other miscellaneous expenses as may be necessary to perform its duties, within the limits of funds made available to it for its purposes.

3. Within 18 months after the date the task force organizes, it shall prepare and submit to the President of the Senate, the Speaker of the General Assembly, the Minority Leader of the Senate, and the Minority Leader of the General Assembly a report containing its findings and recommendations. The task force shall expire on the 30th day after submitting its report.

STATEMENT

This Senate resolution establishes the “First District Economic Development Task Force” (task force) with the purpose of identifying methods, policies, regulations, incentives, and tools to foster economic activity and create jobs in Atlantic, Cape May, and Cumberland counties. The task force is required to: 1) evaluate and report on current economic conditions in the First Legislative District; 2) evaluate and report on successful policies enacted by other regions, states, counties, and localities that have similar demographics and economic conditions as the First Legislative District; and 3) make recommendations on how to rectify and improve the unemployment situation in the First Legislative District.

The membership of the task force is to be comprised of 11 members, as follows: 1) the Senator representing the First Legislative District; 2) one General Assembly member appointed by the President of the Senate who represents the First Legislative District or an elected official appointed by the President of the Senate who represents a county or municipality within the First Legislative District; 3) two members from each board of chosen freeholders of Cape May and Cumberland counties, to be appointed by the director of the board of chosen freeholders of each of those counties; 4) the presidents of Atlantic Cape Community College and Cumberland County College, ex officio; 5) the directors of the county department of planning and economic development for Cape May and Cumberland counties, ex officio; and 6) the Executive Director of the New Jersey Economic Development Authority, ex officio, or the executive director’s designee. The Senator representing the First Legislative District is to be the chair of the task force and the elected official appointed by the President of the Senate is to be the vice chair of the task force.

The task force is to meet at the call of the chair, holding, at a minimum, two meetings or public hearings in Cape May County and two meetings or public hearings in Cumberland County, with an option to have more meetings or hearings in the First Legislative District, or at other locations as deemed necessary by the chair.

Within 18 months after the date the task force organizes, the task force is to prepare and submit to the President of the Senate, the Speaker of the General Assembly, the Minority Leader of the Senate, and the Minority Leader of the General Assembly a report containing its findings and recommendations. The task force is to expire on the 30th day after submitting its report.