Sponsored by:
Assemblyman LOUIS D. GREENWALD
District 6 (Burlington and Camden)
SYNOPSIS
Authorizes local authority that provides sewer service to reduce sewer connection fees for projects within certain distressed municipalities.
CURRENT VERSION OF TEXT
As introduced.
An Act concerning sewer service connection fees for properties in certain distressed municipalities and supplementing P.L.1991, c.53 (C.40A:26A-11 et seq.).
Be It Enacted by the Senate and General Assembly of the State of New Jersey:
1. a. As used in P.L. , c. (C. ) (pending before the Legislature as this bill):
"Distressed municipality" means a municipality that has a municipal revitalization index distress score of 45 or greater, as determined by the Department of Community Affairs. A municipality shall be considered distressed for a period of three years after receiving a distress score of 45 or greater, regardless as to whether the municipality falls below a score of 45 within that three-year period.
"Local authority" means a local authority as that term is defined in section 3 of P.L.2021, c.317 (C.40A:5A-28).
b. (1) A local authority operating a county or municipal sewerage system may establish within its rates or schedules a reduction of up to 50 percent in the connection fee or tapping fee assessed pursuant to N.J.S.40A:26A-11 for new connections to the sewerage system which is to be charged to any projects in a distressed municipality within the local authority’s service area.
(2) The governing body of a local unit of a distressed municipality shall provide the sewerage authority within the distressed municipality with: verification of the municipality’s classification as a distressed municipality; and a list of all proposed projects within that distressed municipality that will require sewerage services.
c. Nothing in this section shall be construed to preclude a sewerage authority from charging a new or additional connection or tapping fee for any new or additional connection of a property in a distressed municipality to the sewerage system, or for any increase in the size of an existing connection to the sewerage system that increases the level of use or demand on the sewerage system.
2. This act shall take effect immediately.
STATEMENT
This bill authorizes a local authority operating a county or municipal sewerage system to establish within its rates or schedules a reduction of up to 50 percent in the connection fee or tapping fee for new connections to the sewerage system which is to be charged to any projects in a distressed municipality, as defined in the bill, within the local authority’s service area.