A3969

An Act consolidating the New Jersey Meadowlands Commission and the New Jersey Sports and Exposition Authority, reestablishing the Hackensack Meadowlands Transportation Planning District, and adjusting funding method for the intermunicipal tax sharing program in the New Jersey Meadowlands, and supplementing Title 13 of the Revised Statutes.

Be It Enacted by the Senate and General Assembly of the State of New Jersey:

1. Sections 1 through 68 of P.L. , c. (C. ) (pending before the Legislature as this bill) shall be known and may be cited as the “Hackensack Meadowlands Agency Consolidation Act.”

2. The Legislature finds and declares that:

a. The New Jersey Meadowlands Commission is currently the zoning and planning agency for a 30.4 square-mile area covering parts of 14 municipalities in Bergen and Hudson Counties in New Jersey. The New Jersey Meadowlands Commission, created in 1969, was charged with the development and redevelopment of the Hackensack Meadowlands in an orderly and comprehensive fashion, with special consideration to the ecological and environment challenges facing the Hackensack Meadowlands.

b. During the past 45 years, the New Jersey Meadowlands Commission has successfully provided for orderly comprehensive development, solid waste management, and environmental protection within the Hackensack Meadowlands, as well as guiding the investment of tens of millions of dollars in development, municipal services, and significant infrastructure projects, among other things.

c. There are several vital components necessary for the continuation and expansion of the comprehensive plan for the economic development growth of the Hackensack Meadowlands. Among them are infrastructure improvements, transportation, tourism, the completion of the development of the sport complex site, the delivery of municipal services, flood control, and the continuance of the Intermunicipal Tax Sharing Program, which is the fiscal underpinning of the district’s master plan.

d. The New Jersey Sports and Exposition Authority has promoted the holding of athletic contests, horse racing, and other spectator sporting events, trade shows, and other expositions in the State.

e. The 750 acres of the New Jersey Sports and Exposition Authority complex in the Hackensack Meadowlands is a significant economic stimulant to the development of the meadowlands. The New Jersey Sports and Exposition Authority's ability to plan, construct, and maintain its holdings in the sports complex has been an extraordinary feat, making it a premier sporting facility.

f. It is also appropriate and necessary to recognize the consistent impact of the Hackensack Meadowlands on tourist related activities and development, including retail, sports, and entertainment venues constructed at New Jersey Sports and Exposition Authority properties with support from private investment.

g. The authority and powers of the New Jersey Sports and Exposition Authority and the New Jersey Meadowlands Commission should be reviewed and amended to reflect the issues of the day so as to adequately address the evolving economic and environmental issues in the Hackensack Meadowlands.

h. In order to more effectively address the modern needs of the Hackensack Meadowlands, the Legislature finds that the two agencies with the common interest of promoting the economic growth of the meadowlands and northern New Jersey, the New Jersey Sports and Exposition Authority and the New Jersey Meadowlands Commission, should be consolidated to promote efficiency of operation, cost effectiveness, and the elimination of unnecessary government bureaucracy.

3. As used in sections 1 through 68 of P.L. , c. (C. ) (pending before the Legislature as this bill):

“Adjustment year” means the year in which the respective obligations of the intermunicipal account and the constituent municipalities of the district are due and payable.

“Apportionment rate” means a rate determined as follows:

(1) The total property taxes levied by a constituent municipality, as certified pursuant to R.S.54:4-52, in the comparison year after the meadowlands adjustment payment made in that comparison year has been subtracted or added, as the case may be, divided by

(2) The aggregate true value of all taxable real property, exclusive of Class II railroad property, located in the municipality, both within and without the district, in the comparison year, as determined by the Director of the Division of Taxation in the Department of the Treasury on October 1 of the comparison year, pursuant to section 2 of P.L.1954, c.86 (C.54:1-35.2), or as modified by the tax court. If a tax appeal is resolved after calculations are finalized for an adjustment year, the next year’s calculations must show a retroactive correction for the applicable preceding two years.

“Area in need” means an area whose redevelopment is necessary to effectuate the public purposes described herein, as determined by the commission. An area designated as “in need” may contain lands, buildings, or improvements which, of themselves, are not detrimental to the public health, safety, or welfare, but nevertheless must be included in the area designated as “in need,” with or without change in condition, for the effective redevelopment of the area of which they are a part.

“Base year” refers to the term as defined by section 59.1 of P.L.1968, c.404 (C.13:17-61).

“Bonds” means any bonds, notes, interim certificates, debentures, or other obligations, issued by the commission pursuant to sections 1 through 68 of P.L. , c. (C. ) (pending before the Legislature as this bill).

“Commission” means the new agency created through the consolidation of the New Jersey Meadowlands Commission and the New Jersey Sports and Exposition Authority, to be known as the Meadowlands Regional Commission, as established by section 6 of P.L. , c. (C. ) (pending before the Legislature as this bill).

“Committee” means the Hackensack Meadowlands Municipal Committee established pursuant to the “Hackensack Meadowlands Redevelopment Act,” P.L.1968, c.404 (C.13:17-1 et seq.).

“Comparison year” means the second calendar year preceding the adjustment year.

“Constituent municipalities” means the municipalities of Carlstadt, East Rutherford, Little Ferry, Lyndhurst, Moonachie, North Arlington, Ridgefield, Rutherford, South Hackensack, and Teterboro in Bergen county; and Jersey City, Kearny, North Bergen, and Secaucus in Hudson county.

“District” means the Hackensack Meadowlands District, the area delineated within section 5 of P.L. , c. (C. ) (pending before the Legislature as this bill).

“Hackensack meadowlands” means the Hackensack Meadowlands District as established by section 5 of P.L. , c. (C. ) (pending before the Legislature as this bill).

“Hotel” means a building or portion of it, which is regularly used for the lodging of guests and is subject to taxation pursuant to the “Hotel Occupancy Tax Act,” P.L.1981, c.77 (C.40:48E-1 et seq.).

“Improvement” means (1) the laying out, opening, construction, widening, straightening, enlargement, extension, alteration, changing of location, grading, paving, or otherwise improving, a street, alley, or public highway; (2) curbing or guttering of a sidewalk along a street, alley, or highway; (3) construction and improvement of bridges and viaducts; (4) construction, enlargement, or extension of a sewer or drain or of a sewerage or drainage system including, but not limited to, such systems under streets, alleys, or public highways, or works for the sanitary disposal of sewerage or drainage; (5) the installation of service connections to water and other utility works, including the laying, construction, or placing of mains, conduits, or cables under or along a street, alley, or highway; (6) the construction, enlargement, or extension of water mains or water distribution works; (7) extension of landfills or other facilities for the disposal of solid wastes; (8) the installation of lighting standards, appliances, and appurtenances required for the illumination of streets; (9) the widening, deepening, or improvement of, the removal of obstructions in, and the construction, enlargement, and extension of any waterway, or of enclosing walls, or of a pipe or conduit along a water course; (10) the development and improvement of parks, recreational facilities, and flood control structures; (11) environmental enhancements and remediation; and (12) the construction of buildings and other structures.

“Intermunicipal account” means the device established and administered by the commission to record all of the transactions made for the purpose of calculating the meadowlands adjustment payment for each constituent municipality, and to act as the clearinghouse for the transfer of the meadowlands adjustment payments among the constituent municipalities as required by section 59 of P.L. , c. (C. ) (pending before the Legislature as this bill).

“Master plan” means the comprehensive plan for the district prepared and adopted by the commission.

“Meadowlands adjustment payment” means the amount that is payable by each constituent municipality to the intermunicipal account, or the amount that is payable by the intermunicipal account to each municipality, as the commission shall determine the case to be.

“Owner” means all persons having any title or interest in any property, rights, easements, and interests authorized to be acquired, assessed, or regulated by sections 1 through 68 of P.L. , c. (C. ) (pending before the Legislature as this bill).

“Person” means all individuals, partnerships, associations, private or municipal corporations, and all political subdivisions of the State.

“Project” means any plan, work, or undertaking by the commission, constituent municipality, or redeveloper, pursuant to the master plan or a redevelopment plan.

“Project area” means all or a portion of a redevelopment area.

“Public event” means any spectator sporting event, trade show, exposition, concert, amusement, or other event open to the public that takes place on a public venue.

“Public venue” means any place located within the district where any facilities, which have a capacity to host 500 or more people, for entertainment, amusement, or sports are provided.

“Redeveloper” means any person, firm, corporation, or public or private agency that engages in development, redevelopment, or improvement of an area or any part thereof under the provisions of sections 1 through 68 of P.L. , c. (C. ) (pending before the Legislature as this bill), or in the construction of any project pursuant to the master plan or redevelopment plan.

“Redevelopment” means a plan for planning, development, and redevelopment; the rehabilitation of any improvements; conservation or rehabilitation work; the construction and provision for construction of projects; and the grant or dedication of spaces as may be appropriate or necessary in the interest of the general welfare for such projects or other public purposes incidental or appurtenant thereto, in accordance with the master plan or any part thereof, or a redevelopment plan.

“Redevelopment plan” means a plan adopted by the commission, applicable to an area in need, for a redevelopment project or projects, which shall conform to the master plan.

“Resident enrollment” means the number of full-time pupils who are residents of the school district and who are enrolled in day schools on the last day of September during the school year in which calculation of aid is made and are attending the public schools of the school district or a school district or State teachers’ college demonstration school in which the school district of residence pays tuition; school district may count in its enrollment any pupil regularly attending, on a full-time basis, a county vocational school in the same county, for which the school district pays tuition.

“Site plan” means a plan for an existing lot or plot or a subdivided lot on which is shown topography, location of all existing or proposed buildings, structures, drainage facilities, roads, rights-of-way, easements, parking areas, together with any other information, and at such a scale as may be required by a commission site plan review and approval resolution.

“Solid waste” means any refuse matter, trash, or garbage.

“Solid waste and recycling facilities” means the plants, structures, and other real and personal property acquired, constructed, or operated, or to be acquired, constructed, or operated by the commission, as hereinafter provided, including landfills or other plants or facilities for the treatment of recycling materials and disposal of solid waste.

“Sports complex” means the 750 acre sports and exposition site located in the Borough of East Rutherford under the jurisdiction of the New Jersey Sports and Exposition Authority as of the effective date of P.L. , c. (C. ) (pending before the Legislature as this bill).

“Special assessment” means an assessment for benefits accruing from the construction of improvements by or at the direction of the commission.

“Subdivision” means the division of a lot, tract, or parcel of land into two or more lots, sites, or other divisions of land for the purpose, whether immediate or future, of sale or building development except that the following divisions shall not be considered subdivisions within the meaning of P.L. , c. (C. ) (pending before the Legislature as this bill); provided, however, that no new streets or roads are involved; divisions of land for agricultural purposes where the resulting parcels are three acres or larger in size, divisions of property by testamentary or intestate provisions, or divisions of property pursuant to court order.

4. On and after the effective date of P.L. , c. (C. ) (pending before the Legislature as this bill), any reference in any law, rule, regulation, order, contract, or document to the Hackensack Meadowlands Development Commission, the New Jersey Meadowlands Commission, or the New Jersey Sports and Exposition Authority shall mean and refer to the Meadowlands Regional Commission, as established by section 6 of P.L. , c. (C. ) (pending before the Legislature as this bill).

5. a. Except as otherwise provided, the commission shall carry out the purposes of sections 1 through 68 of P.L. , c. (C. ) (pending before the Legislature as this bill) within the following district:

Beginning at a point on Hendricks Causeway at its junction with the tracks of the Erie-Lackawanna Railroad--Northern Railroad of New Jersey Branch in Ridgefield;

Thence southerly along the tracks of the Erie-Lackawanna Railroad--Northern Railroad of New Jersey Branch to its junction with the Fairview-Ridgfield Municipal boundary;

Thence westerly along the Fairview-Ridgefield Municipal boundary to its junction with the Fairview-North Bergen Municipal boundary;

Thence easterly along the Fairview-North Bergen Municipal boundary to its junction with the tracks of the Erie-Lackawanna Railroad--Northern Railroad of New Jersey Branch;

Thence southerly along the tracks of the Erie-Lackawanna Railroad--Northern Railroad of New Jersey Branch to its junction with Tonnelle Avenue (U. S. Route 1 and 9) in Jersey City;

Thence southerly along Tonnelle Avenue (U.S. Route 1 and 9) to its intersection with the Pulaski Skyway;

Thence westerly along a line formed by the Pulaski Skyway to a point where the Port Authority Trans-Hudson tracks pass under the Pulaski Skyway;

Thence westerly along the Port Authority Trans-Hudson tracks to their intersection with the Harrison-Kearny Municipal Boundary;

Thence northwesterly along the Harrison-Kearny Municipal Boundary, as its jogs and curves, to its intersection with the Erie-Lackawanna Railroad, Harrison-Kingsland connecting branch of the Morris and Essex Division;

Thence northerly along the tracks of the Erie-Lackawanna Railroad, Harrison-Kingsland connecting branch of the Morris and Essex Division to its junction with Orient Way in Lyndhurst;

Thence northerly along Orient Way to its junction with Valley Brook Avenue-Smith Street;

Thence easterly along Smith Street to its junction with Madison Street;

Thence northerly along Madison Street to its junction with Evergreen Place;

Thence westerly along Evergreen Place to its junction with Meadow Road;

Thence northerly along Meadow Road to its junction with Rutherford Avenue;

Thence northerly along a straight line drawn between the intersection of Rutherford Avenue and Meadow Road and the junction of Union Avenue and Erie-Lackawanna-New Jersey and New York Railroad;

Thence northerly along the tracks of the Erie-Lackawanna-New Jersey and New York Railroad to its intersection with the Wood-Ridge-Carlstadt municipal boundary;

Thence easterly along the Wood-Ridge-Carlstadt municipal boundary to its intersection with Moonachie-Wood-Ridge municipal boundary;

Thence northerly and westerly along the Moonachie-Wood-Ridge municipal boundary to its intersection with the Hasbrouck Heights-Moonachie municipal boundary;

Thence easterly and northerly along Hasbrouck Heights-Moonachie municipal boundary to its intersection with the Moonachie-Teterboro municipal boundary;

Thence westerly and northerly along the Hasbrouck Heights-Teterboro municipal boundary to its intersection with U. S. Route 46;

Thence easterly along U. S. Route 46 to its intersection with the Teterboro-Little Ferry municipal boundary;

Thence southerly along the Teterboro-Little Ferry municipal boundary to its intersection with the Moonachie-Little Ferry boundary;

Thence southerly along the Moonachie-Little Ferry municipal boundary to its intersection with Red Neck Road;

Thence southerly along Red Neck Road to its junction with Moonachie Avenue in Moonachie;

Thence easterly along Moonachie Avenue to its junction with Moonachie Road;

Thence northerly along Moonachie Road to its junction with Maple Street;

Thence easterly along Maple Street approximately 930 feet to its intersection with the Transcontinental gas pipeline;

Thence northeasterly along a straight line drawn between the intersection of Maple Street and the Transcontinental gas pipeline and the intersection of Bertolotto Avenue and the Moonachie-Little Ferry Municipal boundary (Losen Slofe Creek);

Thence easterly along Bertolotto Avenue to its junction with Eckel Road;

Thence southerly along 5th Street to its junction with Mansfield Avenue;

Thence easterly along Columbus Avenue to its junction with Mehrhof Road;

Thence northerly along Mehrhof Road to its junction with Washington Avenue;

Thence easterly and northerly along Washington Avenue to its junction with Main Street;

Thence easterly along Main Street extended to the Little Ferry-Ridgefield Park Municipal boundary; (The middle of the Hackensack River);

Thence southerly along the Little Ferry-Ridgefield Park Municipal boundary (in the middle of the Hackensack River) to its intersection with the Ridgefield Park-Ridgefield Municipal boundary;

Thence easterly along the Ridgefield Park-Ridgefield Municipal boundary (in the middle of Overpeck Creek) to its intersection with Bergen Turnpike;

Thence southerly along Bergen Turnpike to its junction with Hendricks Causeway;

Thence southeasterly along Hendricks Causeway to its junction with the tracks of the Lackawanna Railroad--Northern Branch, the point of beginning.

b. The commission shall not carry out the purposes of sections 1 through 68 of P.L. , c. (C. ) (pending before the Legislature as this bill), take any action, or have any jurisdiction within the following district:

Beginning at a point on Old New Jersey Route 3 (New Jersey Route 153) (Paterson Plank Road) at its junction with County Avenue in Secaucus;

Thence southerly along County Avenue to its junction with Secaucus Road;

Thence westerly along Secaucus Road a distance of 1,321 feet, more or less, to its junction with Private Road;

Thence northerly along a straight line drawn between the intersection of Secaucus Road and the aforementioned Private Road and the intersection of Pandolfi Avenue-Golden Avenue in Secaucus;

Thence westerly along Pandolfi Avenue to its junction with 5th Street;

Thence southerly along 5th Street to its junction with Mansfield Avenue;

Thence westerly along Mansfield Avenue to its junction with Walter Place;

Thence northerly along Walter Place to its junction with Mansfield Avenue;

Thence westerly along Mansfield Avenue to its junction with 9th Street;

Thence northerly along 9th Street to its junction with Grace Street;

Thence easterly along Grace Street to its junction with Eighth Street;

Thence northerly along Eighth Street to its junction with Old New Jersey Route 3 (Route 153);

Thence easterly along Old New Jersey Route 3 (Route 153) to its junction with Paterson Plank Road;

Thence easterly continuing along Old New Jersey Route 3 (Route 153) (Paterson Plank Road) to its junction with County Avenue, the point of beginning.

c. The commission shall not carry out the purposes of sections 1 through 68 of P.L. , c. (C. ) (pending before the Legislature as this bill), take any action, or have any jurisdiction within the following district:

Beginning at a point on Maple Avenue at its junction with 7th Street in Secaucus;

Thence northerly and easterly along 7th Street to its junction with Paterson Plank Road;

Thence northerly along Paterson Plank Road to its junction with Farm Road;

Thence northerly along Farm Road to its junction with Meadow Lane;

Thence easterly along Meadow Lane to its junction with Stonewall Lane and Mill Ridge Road;

Thence easterly along Mill Ridge Road to its junction with Koelle Boulevard;

Thence southerly along Koelle Boulevard to its junction with Huber Street;

Thence westerly along Huber Street to its junction with Radio Avenue;

Thence southerly on Radio Avenue to its junction with Pikeview Terrace;

Thence westerly and northerly along Pikeview Terrace to its intersection with Lausecker Lane;

Thence westerly along Lausecker Lan e to its junction with Paterson Plank Road;

Thence southerly along Paterson Plank Road to its junction with Maple Street;

Thence westerly along Maple Street to its junction with 7th Street, the point of beginning.

6. On the effective date of P.L. , c. (C. ) (pending before the Legislature as this bill), the New Jersey Sports and Exposition Authority and the New Jersey Meadowlands Commission are dissolved. All property, funds, and assets of these agencies are vested in and belong to the “Meadowlands Regional Commission.”

a. There is hereby established in, but not of, the Department of State, a public body corporate and politic, with corporate succession, to be known as the “Meadowlands Regional Commission.” The commission shall constitute a political subdivision of the State established as an instrumentality exercising public and essential governmental functions, and the exercise by the commission of the powers conferred by sections 1 through 68 of P.L. , c. (C. ) (pending before the Legislature as this bill), shall be deemed and held to be an essential governmental function of the State.

b. The commission shall consist of 11 members appointed and qualified as follows: Six citizens of the State, appointed by the Governor, no more than three of whom shall be of the same political party; two of whom shall be residents of the constituent municipalities of Bergen county and two of whom shall be residents of the constituent municipalities of Hudson county; provided, however, that no more than one citizen shall be appointed from any one constituent municipality; and two mayors, ex officio, one from Bergen County and one from Hudson County. The mayors shall be from a constituent municipality that does not have representation on the commission. The Commissioner of Environmental Protection, the Commissioner of Community Affairs, and the Lieutenant Governor, or their designees, shall be ex-officio members of the commission.

c. Each ex officio member of the commission may designate an officer or employee of the member’s department or agency to represent the member at meetings of the commission, and each such designee may lawfully vote and otherwise act on behalf of the member for whom the designee is constituted. Any such designation shall be in writing delivered to the commission and shall continue in effect until revoked or amended by writing delivered to the commission.

d. Each member appointed by the Governor shall serve for a term of five years with the advice and consent of the Senate; provided, however, that the first members appointed by the Governor shall not require the advice and consent of the Senate, and one shall serve for a term of one year, one for a term of two years, one for a term of three years, one for a term of four years, and two for a term of five years. Each member shall serve for the term of his appointment and until his successor shall have been appointed and qualified. Any vacancy or reappointment of a member by the Governor shall be made with the advice and consent of the Senate. Any vacancy shall be filled for the unexpired term only.

e. Any member of the commission may be removed by the Governor for cause after a public hearing.

f. The members of the commission shall serve without compensation, but the commission may reimburse its members for necessary expenses incurred in the discharge of their duties.

g. The Governor shall designate one of the public members of the commission as chairman. The commission shall select from its members a vice-chairman and a treasurer, and shall employ an executive director, who shall be secretary, and a chief fiscal officer. The commission may also appoint, retain, and employ, notwithstanding any other law to the contrary, such officers, agents, employees, and experts as it may require, and it shall determine their qualifications, terms of office, duties, services, and compensation.

h. The powers of the commission shall be vested in the members thereof in office. A majority of the total authorized membership of the commission shall constitute a quorum at any meeting thereof. Action may be taken and motions and resolutions adopted by the commission at any meeting thereof by the affirmative vote of a majority of the appointed members, unless the by-laws of the commission, or any of the provisions of sections 1 through 68 of P.L. , c. (C. ) (pending before the Legislature as this bill), shall require a larger number. The commission may designate one or more of its agents or employees to exercise administrative functions, powers, and duties as the commission deems proper. No vacancy in the membership of the commission shall impair the right of a quorum to exercise all the rights and perform all the duties of the commission, except as otherwise provided in sections 1 through 68 of P.L. , c. (C. ) (pending before the Legislature as this bill).

i. A true copy of the minutes of every meeting of the commission shall be forthwith delivered by and under the certification of the secretary thereof to the Governor. No action taken at such meeting by the commission shall have force or effect until 15 days after such copy of the minutes shall have been so delivered unless during such 15-day period the Governor shall approve the same, in which case such action shall become effective upon such approval. If, in each 15-day period, the Governor returns such copy of the minutes with; veto of any action taken by the commission or any member thereof at such meeting, such action shall be null and void and of no effect. The powers conferred in this subsection upon the Governor shall be exercised with due regard for the rights of the holders of bonds and notes of the commission at any time outstanding, and nothing in, or done pursuant to, this subsection shall in any way limit, restrict, or alter the obligation or powers of the commission or any representative or officer of the authority to carry out and perform in every detail each and every covenant, agreement, or contract at any time made or entered into by, or on behalf of, the commission with respect to its bonds or notes, or for the benefit, protection, or security of the holders thereof.

j. Before the issuance of any bonds under the provisions of sections 1 through 68 of P.L. , c. (C. ) (pending before the Legislature as this bill), the members and the treasurer of the commission shall be covered by a surety bond or bonds in such sum as provided by the rules and regulations of the commission conditioned upon the faithful performance of the duties of their respective offices, and executed by a surety company authorized to transact business in the State of New Jersey as a surety. The commission shall submit each such surety bond to the Attorney General for approval and, if approved, shall file the surety bond with the office of the Secretary of State prior to the issuance of any bonds. The treasurer of the commission and each member shall maintain all issued surety bonds in full force and effect. All costs of such surety bonds shall be borne by the commission.

k. On or before April 30 in each year, the commission shall make an annual report pursuant to section 2 of P.L.1991, c.164 (C.52:14-19.1) of its activities for the preceding calendar year to the Governor and to the Legislature. Each such report shall set forth a complete operating and financial statement explaining its operations during the year.

7. The commission shall have the following powers:

a. To adopt, 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 acquire, hold, use, and dispose of its income, revenues, funds, and moneys;

f. To acquire, lease, as lessee or lessor, rent, lease, hold, use, and dispose of real or personal property for its purposes;

g. To borrow money, issue its negotiable bonds or notes, and secure the same by a mortgage on its property, or any part thereof, and enter into any credit agreement, and otherwise to provide for and secure the payment of its bonds and notes and to provide for the rights of the holders thereof;

h. To make and enter into all contracts, leases, and agreements for the use or occupancy of its projects, or any part thereof, or which are necessary or incidental to the performance of its duties and the exercise of its powers under sections 1 through 68 of P.L. , c. (C. ) (pending before the Legislature as this bill);

i. To enter upon any building or property in order to conduct investigations, examinations, and surveys necessary to carry out the purposes of sections 1 through 68 of P.L. , c. (C. ) (pending before the Legislature as this bill);

j. To acquire in the name of the commission by purchase, or 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; provided, however, 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 R.S.48:2-13;

k. 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 regulations, codes, and standards for the effectuation of such plan;

l. To undertake any development or other project or improvement as it finds necessary to redevelop and improve the land within the district;

m. To recover by special assessments the cost of improvements from the increase of property values attributable to such improvements;

n. Generally to establish, charge, and collect rates, fees, and other charges for the use of any facilities operated and maintained by the commission, and to collect fees as otherwise established by law, rule, or regulation;

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 commission to carry out its responsibilities;

p. To plan, establish, and implement programs promoting and facilitating economic development opportunities in the district;

q. To review and regulate plans for any subdivision or development within the district;

r. To cause to be prepared plans, specifications, designs, and estimates of costs for the construction of projects and improvements under the provisions of sections 1 through 68 of P.L. , c. (C. ) (pending before the Legislature as this bill), and to modify such plans, specifications, designs, or estimates;

s. To determine the existence of areas in need of redevelopment or rehabilitation and to approve or undertake redevelopment projects therein;

t. To provide solid waste disposal and recycling facilities for the treatment of solid waste;

u. To assist and coordinate shared services among the constituent municipalities of the district and to enter into, from time to time, contracts with one or more municipalities, counties, or other public agencies for the operation of public improvements, works, facilities, services, or undertakings of such municipalities, counties, or agencies, or of the commission;

v. To undertake all the necessary steps to develop plans and undertake flood control projects and to maintain and construct necessary flood control structures and ditches;

w. To take any action necessary for the purpose of promoting and marketing tourism, entertainment, sports, and all related activities within the district or at any other location owned or operated by the commission. The commission may create a not-for-profit entity that will implement this function;

x. To preserve and protect the environment of the district and to provide programs for environmental education that benefit schools and the general public;

y. To create a transportation planning district and develop strategies to improve regional comprehensive planning;

z. 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 Hackensack meadowlands and to comply with established requirements for such participation;

aa. To establish engineering standards and a building code specifying the maximum weight, size, and density of all buildings and structures to be placed on any land within its jurisdiction;

bb. To conduct examinations and investigations, hear testimony, and take proof, under oath at public and 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;

cc. To subordinate, waive, sell, assign, or release any right, title, claim, lien, or demand, however acquired, including any equity or right of 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 sections 1 through 68 of P.L. , c. (C. ) (pending before the Legislature as this bill); and

dd. To collect, and disburse, the assessments authorized in section 85 of P.L. , c. (C. ) (pending before the Legislature as this bill), for the purposes set forth in that section.

8. Whenever the commission prepares plans for the development, redevelopment, or rezoning of, or for the construction or reconstruction of buildings or structures on land within the district, the commission shall notify, within seven days, the governing body of the constituent municipality or municipalities in which the land is located. During the preparation of the plans, the commission shall meet and consult with the notified governing body or bodies. If the final plans of the commission are inconsistent with any recommendations of the governing body or bodies of the municipality or municipalities in which the land is located, the commission shall inform the governing body or bodies, in writing, of the reasons for the inconsistencies prior to the submission of the plans to the committee, and shall include a copy of that writing when submitting the plans to the committee.

9. a. The commission shall submit to the committee for review, prior to final action thereon, codes and standards formulated by the commission, the district master plan and amendments thereto, development and redevelopment plans, and improvement plans. The commission may also submit to the committee any other matter which the commission deems advisable. The committee may also coordinate shared services and cooperative agreements among the constituent municipalities and conduct studies and provide reports to the commission regarding issues which impact the constituent municipalities.

b. The committee shall review matters submitted to it by the commission pursuant to this section and shall indicate its position, in writing, to the commission. Failure of the committee to convey to the commission its position within 30 days of the receipt of any matter referred to the committee shall constitute approval of the proposed action of the commission; provided, however, that the committee shall have 120 days after receipt of a major revision of the master plan to convey its position, in writing, to the commission.

c. The commission shall not take action on any matter required to be submitted to the committee, which matter has been formally rejected by the committee, except by an affirmative vote of seven members of the commission.

10. a. After a public hearing and pursuant to the procedures hereinafter provided, the commission shall prepare, or cause to be prepared, and adopt a master plan, or portion thereof, for the physical development of all lands lying within the district. The master plan may include proposals for various stages for the future development of the district. The commission may amend the master plan in accordance with the procedures established herein. The master plan shall include a report presenting the objectives, assumptions, standards, and principles, as set forth in the master plan. The master plan shall be a composite of the one or more written proposals recommending the physical development of the lands within the district, in its entirety or a portion thereof, which the commission shall prepare after meetings with the governing bodies of the constituent municipalities and affected counties, and any agencies and instrumentalities thereof.

b. In preparing the master plan or any portion thereof or amendment thereto the commission shall consider the existing patterns of the development in constituent municipalities, and any master plan or other plan of development adopted by any constituent municipality prior to the effective date of P.L. , c. (C. ) (pending before the Legislature as this bill), or prior to the preparation of the master plan by the commission.

c. In preparing the master plan or any portion thereof or amendment thereto, the commission shall consult with any federal or State agency having an interest in the district. At least 60 days prior to taking any action relating to the district, any interested agency shall file with the commission any proposed plans for the commission’s review and recommendation.

d. A master plan examination and revision shall be conducted by the commission every 10 years, the first of which shall be conducted 10 years from the date on which the first master plan was adopted by the commission pursuant to this section.

e. The master plan shall include provisions or criteria for the location and use of buildings, structures, facilities, and land for solid waste disposal and recycling, and may include provisions for:

(1) the use of land and buildings, residential, commercial, industrial, 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, including affordable housing, residential standards, clearance, redevelopment, rehabilitation, conservation, and other like matters;

(5) water, 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) plan and develop facilities for tourism, sports, and entertainment; and

(12) 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.

f. In accordance with sections 1 through 68 of P.L. , c. (C. ) (pending before the Legislature as this bill), and in addition to any other law, rule, or regulation concerning affordable housing, the master 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 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 adopt, and no municipal official shall 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 adopt zoning ordinances and any other codes or standards, which it is authorized by the laws of this State to adopt, 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.

11. a. A constituent municipality that adopts the commission’s master plan, zoning regulations, codes, and standards shall have the authority to approve or reject land use or zoning applications. The municipality shall provide the commission all documentation, plans, and information regarding all applications. All fees generated by these applications and approvals shall be retained by the municipality.

b. For those municipalities that do not adopt the commission’s master plan, zoning regulations, codes, and standards, the commission shall have the authority to issue the permit.

c. Any municipality which undertakes projects for public recreation, public safety, and the general welfare of its citizens will not be required to file an application with the commission. The codes and standards of that municipality shall apply. All documentation plans and necessary information regarding the project shall be submitted to the commission upon completion of the project.

d. Any project which requires a variance or special exception from any provision of the commission’s master plan must be submitted directly to the commission for review and approval or rejection.

12. The commission shall review and regulate subdivisions and land development within the district, in accordance with procedures and engineering and planning standards adopted by the commission, which shall require that:

a. All subdivisions, site plans, buildings, and other development shall be in accordance with the master plan and any applicable redevelopment plan;

b. Adequate drainage facilities and easements be provided;

c. Road improvements be provided for subdivisions or sites when necessary to protect the safety and convenience of the traveling public, such improvements to include, but not be limited to, additional rights-of-way or pavement widths, marginal access streets, reverse frontage and highway and traffic design features necessitated by increased traffic, and potential safety hazards or traffic flow impediments caused by the subdivision or development;

d. Public water and sewer systems be provided when necessary to protect public health and to ensure an adequate supply of water; and

e. Performance guarantees, maintenance bonds, and agreements be provided specifying minimum standards of construction for required improvements by the commission, not to exceed the full cost of the facility and installation thereof, or the developer’s proportionate share thereof. Any bonds, moneys, or guarantees received by the commission under this paragraph shall not duplicate bonds, moneys, or guarantees required by municipalities for municipal purposes.

13. a. Each application for a subdivision, site plan, or building permit shall be submitted to the commission for review and, when appropriate, approval, prior to any determination by the applicable local constituent municipal approving authority. Commission approval of any subdivision application shall be limited by, and based upon, the rules, regulations, and standards in a resolution adopted by the commission. The constituent municipal approval authority shall defer taking final action on a subdivision application until receipt of the commission report thereon. The commission shall report to the municipal authority within 45 days from the date of receipt of the application. If the commission fails to report to the municipal approving authority within the 45-day period, the subdivision application shall be deemed to have been approved by the commission unless, by mutual agreement between the commission and municipal approving authority, with approval of the applicant, the 45-day period shall be extended for an additional 45-day period, and any such extension shall so extend the time within which a municipal approving authority shall be required by law to act thereon.

b. The commission shall review each subdivision plan and building permit application and withhold approval if an application does not meet the requirements adopted by the commission. In the event of the withholding of approval or the disapproval of any such application, the reasons for such action shall be set forth in writing, and a copy thereof shall be forwarded to the applicant and the municipality.

14. Whenever the commission receives an application for the development, improvement, or redevelopment of, or for the construction or reconstruction of buildings or structures on, land in the district, and the municipality did not adopt the commission’s master plan and zoning regulations, the commission shall notify, within seven days, in writing, the governing body of the constituent municipalities in which the land is located. Before approving an application, the commission shall consult with the notified governing body or bodies. If the commission approves an application which the governing body or bodies oppose in any manner, the commission shall inform the governing body or bodies, in writing, by certified mail, of the reasons for approval within seven days of that approval.

15. The county clerk or register of deeds and mortgages shall not accept for filing any subdivision plat for lands in the district unless it bears the certification of approval of the commission in addition to all other requirements for filing a subdivision plat. If the commission has not taken action on an application within the period required by section 13 of P.L. , c. (C. ) (pending before the Legislature as this bill), at the request of the developer, the commission shall certify such fact upon the plat. This certification shall be sufficient authorization for further action by the municipal approving authority and filing with the appropriate county recording officer.

16. a. Whenever notice and a hearing is required in any constituent municipality or affected county with respect to the adoption or amendment of a master plan, official map, zoning or subdivision regulations, or the granting of variances or special exceptions, involving property within the district or within 200 feet of its borders, the person required to give such notice shall also, at least 30 days prior to the hearing, provide written notice of the hearing to the commission by registered or certified mail. This notice of hearing shall contain a brief description of the property involved, its location, a concise statement of the matters to be heard, and a copy of any plan, code, regulations, or standards to be considered at the hearing.

b. The commission shall be considered a party in interest at the local hearing. No public body of a constituent municipality or affected county shall take any action involving a municipal master plan, zoning ordinance, subdivision, building, or site plan approval, the official map, or the grant of a variance, or other special exception which is inconsistent with the master plan.

c. If portions of the master plan contain proposals for drainage rights-of-way, roads or streets, schools, colleges, parks, playgrounds, or for any project before approving any subdivision or site plan, the commission may require that such project sites be shown in locations and of sizes suitable to their intended uses. The commission shall be permitted to reserve the location and extent of such project sites shown on the master plan, or any part thereof, for a period of one-year after the approval of the subdivision or site plan, or within such further time as agreed to by the applying party. Unless during each one-year period or extension thereof the commission shall have entered into a contract to purchase or institute condemnation proceedings according to law for the project site, the developer shall not be bound by the proposals for such areas shown on the plan. This subsection shall not apply to streets, roads, and drainage rights-of-way required for approval of any subdivision or site plan and deemed essential to the public welfare.

17. The commission may establish provisions for the waiver, according to definite criteria, of strict compliance with the standards promulgated, when necessary to alleviate hardship. A developer can request that the chief engineer grant a waiver based on the defined criteria. The chief engineer shall make a recommendation to the commission concerning whether the hardship criteria has been met.

18. a. If any person transfers, sells, or rents, or agrees to transfer, sell, or rent any land, building, or other structure, or constructs or alters any building or structure within the district, or directly causes the transfer, sale, or rental, or arranges for an agreement to transfer, sell, or rent any land, building, or other structure, or directly causes the construction or alteration of any building or structure within the district, without first obtaining the approval of the commission or municipality of any application for a subdivision, site plan or building permit as may be required by sections 1 through 68 of P.L. , c. (C. ) (pending before the Legislature as this bill), the person shall be subject to a fine of not more than $5,000, and each parcel, lot, plot, building, or rental unit so disposed of or agreed or caused to be disposed of shall be deemed a separate violation.

b. The commission and or municipality may cancel and revoke any permit, approval, or certificate required or permitted to be granted or issued to any person pursuant to P.L. , c. (C. ) (pending before the Legislature as this bill), if the commission finds that the person has violated this section. When any violation of this section is of a continuing nature, each day during which the continuing violation remains unabated, after the date fixed by the commission or municipality in any order or notice for the correction or termination of the violation, constitutes an additional, separate, and distinct violation. The commission, in the exercise of its administrative authority pursuant to this act, may levy and collect the fines in the amounts set forth in this section. If an administrative penalty order has not been satisfied, the penalty may recovered by the commission in a civil action brought in a summary proceeding pursuant to the “Penalty Enforcement Law of 1999,” P.L.1999, c.274 (C.2A:58-10 et seq.).

c. In addition to the foregoing, the commission or municipality may in the case of any violation of subsection a. of this section, institute a civil action:

(1) for injunctive relief;

(2) to set aside and invalidate any conveyance or lease made pursuant to contract for sale or otherwise in violation of subsection a. of this section;

(3) to prevent such unlawful sale, rental, erection, construction, reconstruction, alteration, repair, conversion, maintenance, or use;

(4) to restrain, correct, or abate such violation;

(5) to prevent the occupancy of said dwelling, structure, or land; and

(6) to prevent any illegal act, conduct, business, or use in, or about, such premises.

19. The commission shall safeguard the environmental resources of the district and provide quality public recreation and educational opportunities. The commission shall:

a. Target and prioritize potential preservation sites for acquisition, deed restriction, and conservation easements, including large tracts of wetlands sites;

b. Preserve wetlands to protect wildlife, water quality, and flood storage value;

c. Review preservation sites for potential wetland enhancement and mitigation;

d. Improve connections among the district’s trails and habitats, reducing fragmentation;

e. Identify missing links in the existing trail system, as well as key locations for connecting to wildlife viewing stations, environmental venues, boat launches, docks, and other active and passive recreational attractions;

f. Increase both active and passive recreational uses;

g. Eliminate or control the presence of other invasive plant and animal species;

h. Maintain and improve targeted habitats relative to breeding, wintering, feeding, and other wildlife activities;

i. Maintain the value of the Hackensack meadowlands as an urban sanctuary for birds using the Atlantic Flyway;

j. Seek available funding for land acquisition, protection, and management of wildlife preserves;

k. Maintain and restore the ecology of the waterways, including the estuary, shorelines, and nursery habitat for fish;

l. Continue monitoring water quality by collecting and analyzing data to determine trends, document improvements, and assess the need for additional, or more stringent, measures. Monitoring should include the analysis of historic data to form a baseline to measure the degree of change over time; and

m. The commission shall operate a not-for-profit organization which shall continue research opportunities of the Meadowlands Environmental Research Institute.

20. The commission shall develop strategies and seek funding for flood control infrastructure based on flood modeling for the district and surrounding areas.

a. The commission shall:

(1) identify all drainage basins in the district and any drainage areas that directly impact the district; and

(2) develop strategies to address the major causes of flooding.

b. The commission may:

(1) use special assessment powers to fund flood control projects in, or near, the drainage areas that impacts the Hackensack meadowlands; and

(2) maintain flood control infrastructure that it constructed.

21. In providing the solid waste and recycling disposal facilities, the commission shall, prior to preparing any plans or specifications for such facilities, consult with those persons utilizing the district for the treatment and disposal of solid waste, and contract with any such persons who desire to utilize solid waste disposal facilities provided by the commission. In providing such facilities, the commission may:

a. Acquire or construct any such facilities as an improvement, and may recover the cost of such acquisition or construction in the same manner, and pursuant to the same procedure, provided for any other improvement undertaken by the commission;

b. Operate and maintain any such facilities, as owner, lessor, or lessee, and generally fix and collect rates, fees, or other charges for any such facilities in the same manner, and pursuant to the same procedure, provided for any other facilities operated and maintained by the commission;

c. Join and participate with any agency, municipality, county, or authority created by the State, or by any political subdivision or subdivisions thereof, through an intergovernmental agreement without need for that agency, municipality, county, or authority to go to public bid for the purpose of treating or disposing of solid waste and recycling;

d. Permit, by contract or agreement, any agency, instrumentality, or authority created by the State, or by any political subdivision thereof, for the purpose of treating or disposing of solid waste, to acquire, construct, or operate and maintain any solid waste disposal facilities which such agency, instrumentality, or authority is authorized by law to acquire, construct, or operate and maintain. Any such facilities acquired, constructed, or operated and maintained by any such agency, instrumentality, or authority may be located either within the district or without the district, but shall be within the jurisdiction of such agency, instrumentality, or authority.

e. For the purposes of acquiring or constructing any solid waste disposal facility, the commission is authorized to issue bonds and notes and to pay or redeem said bonds and notes from revenue derived from the fees and other charges collected for such facilities. Any cost incurred by the commission in providing any solid waste disposal facilities shall be charged to the persons utilizing such facilities, and nothing herein contained shall be interpreted as requiring the commission to bear the cost of any solid waste disposal facility provided by the commission.

22. a. In the event that surplus moneys become available from the operation of solid waste disposal facilities by the commission, which are not required by any contract with the holders of any bonds, notes, or other obligations of the commission to be retained in any fund or account for the security of the commission’s bonds, notes, or other obligations, then 75 percent of that surplus shall be used by the commission for any lawful purpose and 25 percent of that surplus shall be placed in a special Municipal Assistance Program fund established by the commission for the purpose of infrastructure improvements.

b. The commission may establish a surcharge on solid waste which enters into its facilities. Revenue collected pursuant to this subsection shall be dedicated, exclusively, to the Municipal Assistance Program fund created by the commission pursuant to subsection a. of this section.

23. a. Pursuant to the procedure hereinafter provided, the commission shall have the exclusive power to declare the district, or any portion thereof, to be an area in need.

b. Prior to declaring any portion of the district as an area in need, the commission, by resolution, shall provide for a preliminary investigation. Upon the adoption of such a resolution, the commission shall prepare a map showing the boundaries of the proposed area and the location of the various parcels of property located therein, and shall append thereto a statement setting forth the reasons for the investigation.

c. The commission shall thereupon cause a hearing to be held at an appointed time and place for the purpose of hearing persons interested in, or who would be affected by, a determination that the area is an area in need, as defined in section 3 of P.L. , c. (C. ) (pending before the Legislature as this bill), and who are in favor of, or are opposed to, such determination.

d. A notice of such hearing shall be given setting forth the general boundaries of the area to be investigated and stating that a map has been prepared and can be inspected at the office of the commission. The commission shall cause the publication of the notice in a newspaper of general circulation in the district once each week for two consecutive weeks, and the last publication shall be not less than 10 days prior to the date set for the hearing. A copy of the notice shall be mailed at least 10 days prior to the date set for the hearing to the last known owner, if any, of each parcel of property within the area according to the assessment records of the municipality where the parcel is located. Such notice shall be sent to the last known postal address of such owners. The commission shall also send notice to any persons at their last known address, if any, whose names appear on said assessment records as claimants of an interest in any such parcel. The assessor of a constituent municipality shall make such a notation upon the said records when requested so to do by any person claiming to have an interest in any parcel of property in such municipality. Failure to mail notice as required by this section shall not invalidate the investigation or determination thereon.

e. At the hearing, the commission shall hear all persons interested in the investigation and shall consider any written objections that may be filed, and any evidence which may be introduced, in support of the objections, or any opposition to a determination that the area is in need. After the hearing, the commission shall, by resolution, determine that the area or any part thereof is, or is not, in need. A determination that an area is in need, if supported by substantial evidence, shall be binding and conclusive upon all persons affected by the determination. If the determination is that an area is in need, the commission, within 10 days after such determination, shall mail a copy of the resolution to each person who filed a written objection at, or prior to, the hearing, so long as the address of the objector was stated in, or to, the written objection.

f. Any person who shall have filed such a written objection with the commission may have a determination that an area is in need reviewed by the Superior Court by procedure in lieu of prerogative writs. An action for any such review shall be commenced within 30 days after the determination by the commission. In any such action, the court may make any incidental order that shall be deemed by the court to be proper.

g. If the determination is that an area is in need, the commission may acquire the real property within the area by purchase, or by eminent domain proceedings in accordance with the “Eminent Domain Act of 1971,” P.L.1971, c.361 (C.20:3-1 et seq.), and may proceed with the clearance, planning, development, or redevelopment of the area as a public purpose and for public use, or the commission may, by resolution, agree that a redeveloper may undertake such clearance, planning, development, or redevelopment.

24. a. The commission shall prepare and adopt a redevelopment plan for each area in the district determined by the commission to be an area in need.

b. A municipality which has land subject to the jurisdiction of the commission and adopts the commission’s redevelopment plan shall have the authority to approve or reject an application for a permit. The municipality shall provide the commission all documentation, plans, and information regarding all applications. All fees generated by these applications and approvals shall be retained by the municipality. Any approval of any plan review or subdivision application by a municipality pursuant to this subsection shall be limited by, and based upon, the rules, regulations, and standards in a resolution adopted by the commission and the municipality. All fees generated by these applications and approvals shall be retained by the municipality.

c. For those municipalities that do not adopt the commission’s redevelopment plan, the commission may issue the permit for the proposed construction or alteration as being in conformity with the redevelopment plan. Any variations and modifications of the redevelopment plan shall be the responsibility of the commission. A permit shall not be issued without a certificate from the chief engineer or equivalent official of the commission that the proposal is in conformity with the commission’s redevelopment plan.

d. In undertaking projects pursuant to any redevelopment plan, the commission may:

(1) Acquire, by condemnation or otherwise, real or personal property, or any interest therein, including such property as it may deem necessary or proper, although temporarily not required for such purposes, in an area in need and in any area within the district designated by the commission as necessary for relocation of residents, industry, or commerce displaced from a redevelopment area;

(2) clear or reclaim any area so acquired and install, construct, or reconstruct projects therein necessary to prepare such area for development;

(3) relocate or arrange or contract with public or private agencies for the relocation of residents, industry, or commerce displaced from the area in need;

(4) dispose of real property so acquired by sale, lease, or exchange for the uses and purposes specified in the redevelopment plan, to any person or public agency;

(5) study the recommendations of the constituent municipality’s planning board impacted by the redevelopment plan for redevelopment of any area within that municipality and make its own investigations as to current trends in the area in need, as established by the commission;

(6) by contract or contracts with public agencies or redevelopers or by its own employees’ or consultants’ plan, plan, construct, reconstruct, operate, maintain, and repair any redevelopment or other project or any part thereof; and

(7) make and adopt plans for carrying out a program of voluntary repair and rehabilitation of buildings and improvements, and for the enforcement of codes and laws relating to the use of land, the use and occupancy of buildings and improvements, and the control over the pollution of water and air and the disposal of solid waste.

25. All agreements, leases, deeds, and other instruments between the commission and a redeveloper shall contain, at least, the following provisions:

a. A covenant running with the land to the effect that the land, and any buildings or improvements thereon, shall be used only for the purposes designated in the redevelopment plan;

b. A provision that the redeveloper shall be without power to sell, lease, or otherwise transfer the redevelopment area or project, or any part thereof, without the prior written consent of the commission;

c. In the case of a lease to a developer, a requirement that all improvements shall become the property of the commission;

d. Any other covenants, provisions, and continuing controls as may be deemed necessary to effectuate the purposes of sections 1 through 68 of P.L. , c. (C. ) (pending before the Legislature as this bill), including, but not limited to, deed restrictions or easements to promote environmental and ecological sustainability.

26. The commission may issue negotiable bonds and notes for any corporate purpose, and may renew any bonds and notes by the issuance of new bonds and notes, whether the bonds and notes to be renewed have, or have not, matured. The commission may issue bonds and notes partly to renew bonds and notes, or to discharge other obligations then outstanding, and partly for any other purpose. The notes may be authorized, sold, executed, and delivered in the same manner as bonds. The commission may issue bonds and notes on which the principal and interest are payable (1) exclusively from the income and revenues of the improvements or projects financed with the proceeds of such bonds or notes; (2) exclusively from the income and revenue of certain designated improvements or projects whether or not they are financed in whole or in part with the proceeds of such bonds or notes; or (3) from other available funds. Any such bonds or notes may be additionally secured by a pledge of any grant or contribution from any department or agency of the United States or the State, person, or a pledge of any money, income, or revenues of the commission from any source whatsoever.

27. Except as otherwise provided by or pursuant to Section II of Article VIII of the State Constitution and approved by a majority of the legally constituted voters of the State voting thereon, or except when any county or municipality shall have guaranteed principal or interest thereon, bonds and notes issued by the commission shall not be deemed to constitute a debt or liability of the State, or of any political subdivision thereof, or a pledge of the faith and credit of the State, or of any political subdivision except the commission, and all such bonds or notes shall contain on the face thereof a statement to that effect.

28. a. The commission, by resolution, shall designate the 750 acre sports complex site as a sports and entertainment area and recognize it as such in its regulations, master plan, and zoning maps. The commission shall aid in promoting the sports and entertainment area for tourism, entertainment, sports, and all related activities, and to support efforts to attract events to the sports and entertainment area.

b. The commission shall collaborate with the Division of Travel and Tourism in the Department of State and the Meadowlands Convention and Visitors Bureau. The tourism structure should work closely, or integrate with, the work of agencies within the Department of State dedicated to advancing an economic development plan developed pursuant to subsection p. of section 7 of P.L. , c. (C. ) (pending before the Legislature as this bill).

c. The commission shall be responsible to carry out the provisions of the leases with the entities that have, or will have, leases in the sports and entertainment area. The commission shall divest itself of any facility still owned by the State of New Jersey. The commission shall manage, maintain, and repair, indirectly, the sports complex site through its lessees, licensees, or agents. The commission shall enter into agreements with its lessees to provide services to assist its lessees in their operations.

d. The commission shall make a vigorous effort to establish collaboration among private tourist marketing operations, and between those operations and the commission, through conversations with leaders of such operations, as well as stakeholders associated with such operations.

e. The commission shall promote the image of “one-stop shopping” for those seeking tourist information and assistance or wishing to host an event.

f. The commission shall establish a not-for-profit organization that will be responsible for the operation of the sports and entertainment area, and shall collaborate with the Division of Travel and Tourism and the Meadowlands Convention and Visitors Bureau to attract major events to the area. The not-for-profit organization established pursuant to this section shall be a public-private partnership and may raise funds to support these activities. The goal of the not-for-profit organization is to consolidate event planning and establish sources of revenue as part of an overall strategy to create positive economic development opportunities that will impact the Hackensack meadowlands.

29. If for any of its authorized purposes, including temporary purposes, the commission shall find it necessary or convenient to acquire any real property within its jurisdiction, or if for any of its authorized purposes, including temporary construction purposes, the commission shall find it necessary to acquire any real property contiguous to property within its jurisdiction, whether for immediate or future use, the commission may take such action in accordance with the “Eminent Domain Act of 1971,” P.L.1971, c.361 (C.20:3-1 et seq.).

30. a. All projects, lands, and other property of the commission are hereby declared to be public property devoted to an essential public and governmental function and purpose and shall be exempt from all taxes and special assessments of the State or any political subdivision thereof; provided, however, that whenever any part of a project area not occupied or to be occupied by facilities of the project is leased by the commission to another whose property is not exempt and the leasing of which does not make the real estate taxable, the estate created by the lease and the appurtenances thereto shall be listed as the property of the lessee thereof, or an assignee, and be assessed and taxed as real estate. All bonds or notes issued pursuant to sections 1 through 68 of P.L. , c. (C. ) (pending before the Legislature as this bill) are hereby declared to be issued by a body corporate and public of the State and for an essential public and governmental purpose, and such bonds and notes, together with the interest thereon and the income therefrom, and all funds, revenues, income, and other moneys received, or to be received by the commission, and pledged or available to pay or secure the payment of such bonds or notes, or interest thereon, shall at all times be exempt from taxation except for transfer, inheritance, and estate taxes.

b. To the end that municipalities and counties may not suffer undue loss of tax revenue by reason of the acquisition and ownership of property therein by the commission, the commission is hereby authorized, empowered, and directed to enter into an agreement with any constituent municipality or affected county, whereby the commission will undertake to pay a fair and reasonable sum or sums to compensate the municipality or county for a loss of property tax revenue in connection with any property acquired and owned by the commission in carrying out the provisions of sections 1 through 68 of P.L. , c. (C. ) (pending before the Legislature as this bill). Any such payment or payments which the commission is hereby authorized, empowered, and directed to make may be made on an annual basis. Every constituent municipality and county wherein the commission owns the property may enter into such agreements with the commission to accept these payments.

31. The commission may form, within the district, flood improvement zones for any authorized purpose in order to levy special assessments against real estate located within such zones for benefits rendered.

32. a. All land within the district shall be divided by the commission into three classes as follows:

(1) Class one--Land owned by the State of New Jersey, any of its political subdivisions, or any other public agency or instrumentality which enjoys the privilege of general property tax exemption under the laws of the State, and which land is designated by the owner as presently or ultimately intended for a public use.

(2) Class two--Land owned by the State of New Jersey, any of its political subdivisions, or any other public agency or instrumentality which enjoys the privilege of general property tax exemption under the laws of the State, and which land is designated by the owner as ultimately disposable to private ownership, or usable by private parties.

(3) Class three--All other land.

b. The State, its political subdivisions, or any other public agency or instrumentality owning land in the district shall be required to certify to the commission, by a date established by the commission, whether said lands are in class one or class two; and in the case of land being in class one, the State, its political subdivisions, or any other public agency or instrumentality, as appropriate, shall indicate the nature of the present or ultimate use. The commission shall approve or modify the certifications by resolution. The commission may also reclassify lands by a majority vote, upon the request of the State, its political subdivisions, or any other public agency or instrumentality owning land in the district for such reclassification.

c. In the case that the title of lands designated to be in class three passes to the State of New Jersey, its political subdivisions, or any other public agency or instrumentality, the commission shall change the designation of the class of that land to reflect the future use of that land.

33. If, in its judgment, public necessity or interest demands the construction of improvements which would benefit lands within an area in need, the commission shall pass a resolution of its intention to undertake any such improvement and shall give notice of the proposal by advertising in one or more newspapers circulating in the district. The advertisement shall fix a time and place, not earlier than two weeks after notice, for a hearing on said proposed action and, prior to said hearing, the commission shall prepare a tentative assessment which shall be presented at the hearing and open to inspection. Any person desiring to testify concerning the proposal shall have the right to do so. After such hearing, if the commission decides to carry out the proposals, the commission shall pass a resolution setting forth this determination, acquire the necessary funding for the project, and proceed to make such improvements.

34. The appropriate officer of the commission shall prepare a statement showing, in detail, the cost of the improvement proposed pursuant to section 33 of P.L. , c. (C. ) (pending before the Legislature as this bill). Such statement shall also show the proportion of the amount to the whole cost of improvement, if any, paid or contributed by any public body or by any individual or entity. The total amount of assessment levied upon the land benefited by the improvement shall not exceed the cost thereof.

35. The appropriate officer of the commission shall examine the estimated cost of the work of any improvement and view all lands benefited thereby and shall thereupon fix the time and place for hearing all persons interested. Notice of the time and place of the hearing shall be mailed to owners of land affected, directed to their last known post-office addresses, and shall be published at least 10 days before the hearing. Failure to mail the notice shall not invalidate any proceeding or assessment. Such officer of the commission shall attend the hearing, scheduled at the time and place designated by the commission, and shall give all parties interested or affected by an improvement the opportunity to be heard upon the subject of assessment. Thereafter, such officer shall make a just and equitable assessment of the benefits conferred upon any land by reason of such improvement, having due regard to the rights and interests of all persons concerned, and the increment in the value of the land benefited thereby and levy the same.

36. All assessments levied under section 35 of P.L. , c. (C. ) (pending before the Legislature as this bill) for any improvement shall, in each case, be as nearly as may be in proportion to, and not in excess of, the benefit, advantage, or increase in value which respective lots and parcels of land shall be deemed to receive by reason of such improvement.

37. In addition to the making of assessments for benefits, the appropriate officer of the commission shall fix and determine the amount, if any, the property is damaged incidentally to the making of the improvement and deduct such amount from the amount of benefits assessed thereon. If the amount of any such damages, as confirmed by the commission, shall exceed the benefits assessed on the same property, if in case no benefits shall accrue thereto, or if such property is damaged subsequent to the levying and collection of an assessment which shall be confirmed by the commission to be a direct result of the making of the improvement, the balance or amount of such damages so fixed, may be raised from the general revenues of the commission and shall be paid by the commission to the owner of the property so damaged. Any person aggrieved by such assessment or award of damages may after the same has been confirmed by the commission, appeal therefrom as provided in section 48 of this P.L. , c. (C. ) (pending before the Legislature as this bill).

38. When owners of any property have been or shall have been awarded damages as incidental to any improvement undertaken pursuant to sections 1 through 68 of P.L. , c. (C. ) (pending before the Legislature as this bill), and such award has been or shall have been duly confirmed, the amount thereof shall be tendered to the person or persons entitled thereto. If there is uncertainty as to the person entitled to receive the award or if the party entitled to receive the amount awarded shall refuse upon tender thereof to receive the same, or shall be out of the State or under any legal disability, or if several parties interested in the fund shall not agree as to the distribution thereof, or the lands damaged are encumbered by any mortgage, judgment, or other lien, or if for any other reason the commission cannot safely pay the amount awarded to any person, in all such cases the amount awarded may, with leave of the Superior Court, be paid into said court and thereupon distributed according to law, on the application of any person interested therein.

39. Assessments for benefits for any improvement together with any accompanying awards for incidental damages and all awards of damages for land or interests therein taken from any improvement shall be certified by the officer making the assessment to the commission by a report, in writing, signed by the officer. The report shall be accompanied by a map showing the land taken, damaged, or benefited by the improvement and for which damages or benefits have been assessed.

40. The report submitted pursuant to section 39 of P.L. , c. (C. ) (pending before the Legislature as this bill) may be considered by the commission at any meeting, notice whereof shall be published in a newspaper circulating in the district, once each week for two weeks prior to the meeting, and also by mailing a copy of the notice to the owners named in the report, directed to their last known post-office addresses, and the affidavit of the appropriate officer of the commission shall be conclusive as to such mailing. The notice shall briefly state the object of the meeting with reference to the assessment. At that, or any subsequent meeting, the commission, after considering the report and map, may adopt and confirm the report and map, with or without alterations, and may refer such matter to any committee of the commission, or to the officer making the assessment, for revision or correction before taking final action thereon. When the commission adopts the report, with or without alterations, it shall be final and conclusive, and may be appealed directly to the Appellate Division of the Superior Court by an appropriate party as a matter of right in accordance with other laws, rules, or regulations. Failure to mail the notice required by this section shall not invalidate the proceedings.

41. Immediately after the confirmation of any assessment, a duplicate thereof, duly certified by the commission, shall be delivered to the appropriate officer of the commission, who shall immediately thereafter send out by mail, or deliver, to owners of such land, bills for such assessment. Such officer shall mail or deliver a bill for an assessment in the manner required in connection with local improvements and shall keep a record and books of assessments in the same manner required for local improvements under R.S.40:56-31. The commission may make additional requirements for recording, accounting for, and collecting assessments.

42. a. Special assessments levied against land in class one shall be considered to be of general benefit to the entire district and areas outside of the district, as it relates to flood control projects, and shall be included as a charge against general revenues of the commission, or paid out of any funds of the commission which shall be available for such purpose.

b. When any assessment shall not be paid within two months after the date of confirmation thereof, interest thereon from the date of confirmation shall be imposed at the rate of six percent.

43. Every assessment for any improvement, together with interest thereon and all costs and charges connected therewith, shall be, upon authorization of the assessment by resolution of the commission, a first lien on the land described in the assessment, paramount to all prior or subsequent alienations and descents of such land or encumbrances thereon, and shall constitute a lien in the same manner as taxes and assessments for State purposes, notwithstanding any mistake in the name or names of any owner or owners, or any omission to name any owner or owners who are unknown, and notwithstanding any lack of form therein, or in any proceeding which does not impair the substantial rights of the owner or owners or person or persons having a lien upon or interest in any such land. Confirmation of the amount of the assessment by the commission, or by the court, shall be considered as determining the amount of the existing lien and not as establishing the lien. All assessments for improvements shall be presumed to have been regularly assessed and confirmed, and every assessment or proceeding preliminary thereto shall be presumed to have been regularly made or conducted until the contrary be demonstrated.

44. In all cases in which any assessment incident to any improvement has been set aside by a court of competent jurisdiction, and the improvement shall have been actually made in the manner provided by law, the officer charged with the duty of making assessments for benefits for improvements shall make a new assessment of benefits upon the property benefited by the improvement, in the manner and by the proceeding herein provided. All such new assessments shall become a lien upon the land so assessed in the same manner and with like effect and be enforceable in the same way as an original assessment for like improvements.

45. When any court of competent jurisdiction shall decide that any assessment has been illegally made, the commission shall refund the amount thereof, if the same has been paid, and if a new assessment of less amount is to be made, then the difference between the new assessment and the amount paid shall be refunded.

46. The commission may, by resolution, provide that the owner of any land, upon which any assessments for any improvement shall have been made, pay such assessments in equal yearly installments, for a number of years as may be provided by the rules and regulations of the commission, with legal interest thereon, provided that any person assessed may pay the whole of any assessment, or any balance of installments, with accrued interest thereon, at one time. If any such installment becomes due and is not paid, the whole assessment, or balance due thereon, shall become immediately due, draw interest at the rate of six percent, and be collected in the same manner as is provided in sections 1 through 68 of P.L. , c. (C. ) (pending before the Legislature as this bill) for other past due assessments.

47. When any unpaid assessment, interest thereon, or other charges for collection thereof, remains in arrears on July 1 of the calendar year following the calendar year when the same became in arrears, the appropriate officer of the commission shall enforce the lien by selling the property in the manner set forth in R.S.54:5-19 through R.S.54:5-129.

48. The owner of any property assessed for benefits, or awarded damages incident to any improvement under sections 1 through 68 of P.L. , c. (C. ) (pending before the Legislature as this bill), may, within 30 days after confirmation of such assessment or award, appeal the determination to the Appellate Division of the Superior Court by serving written notice of such appeal upon the tax collector, and a duplicate upon the appropriate officer of the commission. The court shall determine whether the record contains substantial evidence that the assessment or award appealed from is just and fair, and, if not, shall make an order correcting the same, or, if the court upholds the assessment or award, shall so order. The determination shall be by order or judgment for the amount determined and shall be enforceable pursuant to procedures set forth in R.S.40:56-57. The commission may proceed with the prosecution and completion of the improvement and the issuing of bonds and other indebtedness in connection with said improvements notwithstanding any such appeal.

49. The commission shall, in 2017, and every year thereafter, submit a report to the Governor and the Legislature pursuant to section 2 of P.L.1991, c.164 (C.52:14-19.1) relating to the operation of the intermunicipal account in the prior year, and shall recommend, when it deems necessary, amendments to sections 1 through 68 of P.L. , c. (C. ) (pending before the Legislature as this bill) as it deems necessary to carry out the legislative intent herein stated.

50. Except as provided in sections 1 through 68 of P.L. , c. (C. ) (pending before the Legislature as this bill), the laws relating to the assessment and taxation of real and personal property shall apply to all constituent municipalities.

51. a. In preparing the list of owners of taxable property pursuant to R.S.54:4-24, the assessor of each constituent municipality shall indicate in the list for each parcel of property whether it is located within the district boundaries, in accordance with regulations prescribed by the Director of the Division of Taxation in the Department of the Treasury.

b. If the boundary of the district divides a lot of land, the entire lot shall be included within the district.

52. On or before November 15, 2017, and on or before November 15 of each year thereafter, the secretary, superintendent, or a person designated by the school board of each school district of each constituent municipality shall certify to the commission the resident enrollment as of September 30 of that year. The certification shall show the number, address, and grade enrolled of pupils who reside within the district, and the number who reside outside, in a manner to be prescribed by the Commissioner of Education.

53. a. In the adjustment year 2017, and in each adjustment year thereafter, the commission shall establish an intermunicipal account and shall compute the amount payable to each constituent municipality from said account for that year pursuant to section 55 of P.L. , c. (C. ) (pending before the Legislature as this bill).

b. As used in this section, except as otherwise specifically provided, the increase or decrease in aggregate true value of taxable real property for any adjustment year shall be the difference between:

(1) The aggregate true value of that portion of taxable real property, exclusive of Class II railroad property, in the constituent municipality located within the district in the comparison year, and

(2) The aggregate true value of that property in the base year.

c. Aggregate true value of all taxable real property shall be determined by aggregating the assessed value of all real property within the district boundaries in each constituent municipality, and dividing the total by the average assessment ratio, as promulgated by the Director of the Division of Taxation in the Department of the Treasury for State school aid purposes, on October 1 of the respective years for which aggregate true value is to be determined, pursuant to P.L.1954, c.86 (C.54:1-35.1 et seq.), or as modified by the tax court.

d. For the purpose of calculating aggregate true value, the assessed value of taxable real property for any given year shall comprise the sum of the following:

(1) The assessed value shown on the assessment duplicate for a given year, as certified by the county board of taxation and reflected in the county table of aggregates prepared pursuant to R.S.54:4-52, or as modified by the county board of taxation.

(2) The prorated assessed values pertaining to such year, as certified by the county board of taxation on or before October 10, with respect to the assessor’s added assessment list for such year, as the same may be modified by the county board of taxation upon appeal; and

(3) The assessed values pertaining to a given year, as certified by the county board of taxation, with respect to the assessor’s omitted property assessment list for that year, as the same may be modified by the county board of taxation upon appeal.

e. If, during any comparison year, a constituent municipality has received a payment in lieu of real estate taxes on property located within the district, then, for the purpose of calculating the increase or decrease in the municipality’s aggregate true value under subsection b. of this section, there shall be added to the aggregate true value for such comparison year an amount determined by dividing the amount of the in lieu payment by the municipal tax rate for the comparison year and dividing the result by the average assessment ratio for school aid purposes as promulgated by the Director of the Division of Taxation in the Department of the Treasury.

54. Notwithstanding the provision of any law, rule, or regulation to the contrary, no constituent municipality shall pay out, or receive an adjustment payment for any adjustment year in which its municipal equalized valuation per capita, as defined in section 1 of P.L.1978, c.14 (C.52:27D-178) and as certified by the Director of the Division of Local Government Services in the Department of Community Affairs exceeds $1,000,000.

55. a. The guarantee payment payable by the intermunicipal account to each constituent municipality in any adjustment year shall be computed as follows:

If there is a decrease in the aggregate true value of taxable real property of any constituent municipality, as determined pursuant to subsection b. of section 53 of P.L. , c. (C. ) (pending before the Legislature as this bill), the commission shall, subject to the provision of subsection b. of this section, calculate the amount of decreased aggregate true value, occurring in the comparison year, by reason of the acquisition, through purchase, eminent domain, or gift, during the year preceding the comparison year, of taxable real property by a governmental body or agency to be used for a public purpose, whereby said taxable real property parcels or portions thereof became exempt from local real property taxes. Such decreased aggregate true value shall be calculated in the same manner as aggregate true value is determined pursuant to subsection b. of section 53 of P.L. , c. (C. ) (pending before the Legislature as this bill) and shall be based on the assessed value in the year of acquisition, of the parcels or portions thereof affected.

b. There shall be payable as a guarantee payment from the intermunicipal account to each constituent municipality, an amount to be calculated by multiplying the lesser of the following by the apportionment rate determined for the comparison year:

(1) the amount of the decrease in aggregate true value determined pursuant to subsection b. of section 53 of P.L. , c. (C. ) (pending before the Legislature as this bill) and

(2) the amount of the decrease, if any, in aggregate true value calculated to be attributable to conversion of taxable property to exempt status, specified in paragraph (1) of this subsection.

c. If, in any comparison year and with respect to any constituent municipality, no amount of decrease in aggregate true value is found to be attributable to the conversion from taxable to exempt status specified in subsection a. of this section, no guarantee payment shall be payable to any such municipality in the applicable adjustment year.

d. The commission shall not be required to make the calculation prescribed in subsection a. of this section, unless the governing body of any constituent municipality claiming a decrease in aggregate true value attributable to the conversion of real property from a taxable to an exempt status specified subsection a. of this section, no later than December 1 in the comparison year, files with the commission a statement to such effect, setting forth a description of the parcels, or portions thereof, involved, together with such other information as may be pertinent, in such form as the commission shall prescribe.

56. For school district services, the service payment payable by the intermunicipal account to a constituent municipality in any adjustment year shall be found by dividing the total local school tax levy, as shown on the Table of Aggregates pursuant to R.S.54:4-52 for the comparison year, by the school resident enrollment on September 30 of such comparison year, as certified pursuant to section 52 of P.L. , c. (C. ) (pending before the Legislature as this bill), and multiplying the result by the increase, if any, in resident enrollment within the district boundaries of that constituent municipality between September 30 of the year of enactment of P.L. , c. (C. ) (pending before the Legislature as this bill) and September 30 of the comparison year.

57. a. If, in any adjustment year, the amount payable to the constituent municipalities by the intermunicipal account for guarantee payments and school district service payments is less than the amount payable to the intermunicipal account pursuant to section 55 of P.L. , c. (C. ) (pending before the Legislature as this bill), the balance, if any, shall be apportioned among the constituent municipalities in the same ratio as the number of acres within the district of each constituent municipality bears to the total number of acres in the district, and shall be known as an apportionment payment.

b. The commission shall not be able to receive any funds from the intermunicipal account for any purpose.

58. If, in any adjustment year, the amount payable to the constituent municipalities by the intermunicipal account for guarantee payments and service payments exceeds the amount payable to said account pursuant to section 55 of P.L. , c. (C. ) (pending before the Legislature as this bill), the total service payments payable to all constituent municipalities shall be reduced by the amount of the deficit and the service payment payable to each constituent municipality shall be reduced by the same ratio as the total service payment to all constituent municipalities was reduced.

59. a. On or before February 1, 2017 and on or before February 1 of each year thereafter, the commission shall certify to the chief financial officer of each constituent municipality an amount, identified as the meadowlands adjustment payment. The meadowlands adjustment payment for each constituent municipality shall be determined by adding all the payments payable to that municipality from the intermunicipal account for school district service payments, guarantee payments, and apportionment payments, if any. The amount so derived shall be referred to as the meadowlands pre-adjustment payment. For calendar year 2015, the meadowlands adjustment payment shall be the average of the meadowlands pre-adjustment payments for calendar years 2014 and 2015. For calendar year 2016, the meadowlands adjustment payment shall be the average of the meadowlands pre-adjustment payments for calendar years 2013, 2014, and 2015. For calendar year 2017 and subsequent years, the meadowlands adjustment payment shall be the average of the meadowlands pre-adjustment payments for the prior three calendar years.

b. If the meadowlands adjustment payment for any constituent municipality in any adjustment year is payable to the constituent municipality, the amount of this payment shall be identified in the municipal budget of that municipality for that year as “meadowlands adjustment” within the category “miscellaneous revenues anticipated,” and shall be due and payable in three equal installments by the intermunicipal account on May 15, August 15, and November 15 of that year.

60. There is established the Hackensack Meadowlands Tax Sharing Stabilization Fund in the commission. The fund shall be comprised of revenues made available from the State of New Jersey and from interest payments on sanitary landfill closure accounts maintained by the commission or such other revenues which are made available for these purposes. Moneys in the fund shall be used to fully compensate municipalities from excessive fluctuations in payments from the intermunicipal account in 2014 and subsequent years. In the event that there are insufficient monies in the fund to fully compensate all municipalities in any year, the amount paid to each municipality shall constitute the same proportion of the total amount of money available to all municipalities as each municipality would receive if the amount of money in the fund were sufficient to fully compensate all municipalities in that year.

For the purposes of this section, any decrease in a payment required to be made from the intermunicipal account to a constituent municipality which is in excess of five percent below the previous year's payment shall be considered an "excessive fluctuation."

61. On or before January 1 of each year, the commission shall adopt an annual budget for the year, which shall include the following items of expenditure:

a. An operating budget covering administrative, operating, and maintenance expenses of each office, activity, or project of the commission, plus contingent expenses of up to 5 percent of the amount stated;

b. A capital budget, including deposits in any capital improvement fund or capital reserve fund, down payments, or expenditures for capital projects, and interest payments, sinking fund deposits, principal maturities, and redemption premiums payable in such year on bond and notes of the commission;

c. Deferred charges; and

d. Estimates of the following revenues:

(1) Cash balances and surplus;

(2) Federal, State, and other grants-in-aid;

(3) Revenues from charges and fees for the use of the commission’s facilities;

(4) Receipts from special assessments, but not in excess of the amount budgeted in such year for interest, principal maturities, sinking fund deposits, and redemption premiums on bonds secured by such assessments, until all bonds so secured are paid in full;

(5) Payments by municipalities or other governmental bodies pursuant to contracts for services performed by the commission; and

(6) Miscellaneous other revenues and receipts.

62. For the purpose of aiding and cooperating with the commission, including the planning, undertaking, construction, or operation of its activities, any public body may, with or without consideration, as it may determine:

a. Dedicate, sell, convey, or lease any of its property to the commission or the federal government;

b. Cause parks, playgrounds, recreational, community, educational, water, sewer, or any other works which it is otherwise empowered to undertake, to be furnished adjacent to, or in connection with, projects of the commission;

c. Furnish, dedicate, close, pave, install, grade, regrade, or plan streets, roads, roadways, alleys, sidewalks, or other places which it is otherwise empowered to undertake;

d. Plan, zone, or rezone any part of such public body;

e. Make exceptions from building regulations and ordinances and change its map;

f. Enter into agreements, which, notwithstanding any law, rule, or regulation to the contrary, may extend over any period, with the commission or the federal government respecting action to be taken by such public body;

g. Do any and all things necessary or convenient to aid and co-operate in planning, undertakings, construction, or operations of the commission;

h. Cause services to be furnished to the commission of the character which the public body is otherwise empowered to furnish;

i. Purchase, or legally invest in, any of the bonds of the commission, and exercise all of the rights of any holder of such bonds;

j. In connection with any public improvements made by a public body in exercising the powers herein granted, the public body may incur the entire expense thereof. Notwithstanding any law, rule, or regulation to the contrary, any grant, sale, conveyance, lease, or agreement provided for in this section may be made by a public body without appraisal, public notice, advertisement, or public bidding; or

k. Upon such terms as it may deem advisable, with or without consideration, grant, sell, convey, or lease any of its property, including real property already devoted to a public use, whether held in a proprietary or governmental capacity to the commission, provided, that the public body making the grant or lease determines that the premises are no longer required for the public purposes to which the property is devoted, and that it is in the public interest so to grant, sell, convey, or lease said property.

63. a. The commission may enter into contracts with one or more municipalities, counties, or other public agencies for the operation of public improvements, works, facilities, services, or undertakings of the municipalities, counties, or agencies, or of the commission.

b. Contracts entered into pursuant to this section shall specifically provide for the services or improvements to be undertaken, the fee or fees to be charged for such services or facilities, the method of apportionment of such fees among the contracting parties, persons, officers, or agencies responsible for the performance of the contract, and other appropriate terms and conditions of participation.

c. Contracts entered into pursuant to this section shall be subject to approval, by resolution, of the commission and of the governing body of each participating municipality, county, or other participating agency.

d. The apportionment of costs and expenses may be based upon property valuations, population, area, and of any other factors as may be provided in the contract.

64. The State Auditor and his legally authorized representatives may, at any time, examine the accounts and books of the commission, including its receipts, disbursements, contracts, sinking funds, investments, and any other matters relating to its financial standing.

65. The commission may call to its assistance and avail itself of the services of such employees of any State department or agency, as it may require, and as may be available to it for said purpose. The commission may enter into an agreement with any political subdivision of the State by which the commission may be of assistance in the permitting of projects that take place within the district.

66. Sections 1 through 68 of P.L. , c. (C. ) (pending before the Legislature as this bill) shall be deemed to provide an additional and alternative method for effectuating the purposes authorized thereby, and shall be regarded as supplemental and additional to powers conferred by other laws, and shall not be regarded as in derogation of any powers now existing.

67. If the provisions of any section or clause of sections 1 through 68 of P.L. , c. (C. ) (pending before the Legislature as this bill) or the application thereof to any person shall be judged invalid by a court of competent jurisdiction, such order or judgment shall be confined in its operation to the controversy in which it was rendered, and shall not affect or invalidate the remainder of any provision of any section or clause of sections 1 through 68 of P.L. , c. (C. ) (pending before the Legislature as this bill), or the application of any part thereof to any other person or circumstance and, to this end, the provisions of each section of sections 1 through 68 of P.L. , c. (C. ) (pending before the Legislature as this bill) are declared to be severable.

68. All expenses incurred in carrying out the provisions of sections 1 through 68 of P.L. , c. (C. ) (pending before the Legislature as this bill) shall be payable from funds provided the commission therefor, and no liability or obligation shall be incurred by the commission hereunder beyond the extent to which moneys shall have been provided therefor.

69. Sections 69 through 81 of P.L. , c. (C. ) (pending before the Legislature as this bill) shall be known and may be cited as the “Hackensack Meadowlands Transportation Planning District Act of 2014.”

70. The Legislature finds and declares that:

a. Every day, residents of New Jersey confront congestion in some part of their day as they commute to work, recreate, or travel for family business. As our State continues to grow and prosper, we can only expect more cars, trucks, and buses on our roads. Meanwhile, the number of riders on our trains and buses is also increasing along with the number of pedestrians and bicyclists.

b. Our ability to deal with these demands at all levels of government is limited without a sound framework for developing responses to congestion and aging infrastructure problems and providing adequate funding to implement strategic solutions.

c. Sections 69 through 81 of P.L. , c. (C. ) (pending before the Legislature as this bill) develops the concept of a transportation planning district, which permits the assessment of fees on future development to ensure that adequate transportation infrastructure is put into place to accommodate the vehicular and pedestrian traffic caused by future development.

d. Existing financial resources and existing mechanisms for securing financial commitments for transportation improvements are inadequate to meet transportation improvement needs which are the result of new development in growth areas and, therefore, it is appropriate for the State to make special provisions for the financing of needed transportation improvements in the Meadowlands District, including the assessment of fees on new developments which are responsible for the travel demand burdens on the transportation system. Creation of a transportation planning district provides a mechanism through which the State, counties, and municipalities, and the Meadowlands Regional Commission, as well as the private sector, will have the means to work together to respond to transportation needs on a regional basis as determined by travel conditions or transportation needs in developed areas rather than upon preexisting boundaries. The Meadowlands Regional Commission and the Meadowlands Transportation Planning Board shall oversee the development of a district-wide transportation plan through a consultative planning process which relies upon the participation of public and private sector interests.

e. In assessing development fees under sections 69 through 81 of P.L. , c. (C. ) (pending before the Legislature as this bill), the commission recognizes that: (1) those fees supplement, but do not replace, the public investment needed in the transportation system; (2) the costs of remedying pre-existing problems shall not be charged to a new development; (3) the fee charged to any particular development shall be reasonably related to the impact of that development on the transportation system of the district and shall not exceed the development’s fair share of the cost of the improvements and related allowable administrative costs; and (4) no development shall be subject to any assessment or fees for transportation improvements by the State, a county, or a municipality, except as provided pursuant to sections 69 through 81 of P.L. , c. (C. ) (pending before the Legislature as this bill). In determining the basis for assessing development fees, the commission shall develop reasonable formulas that rely on established planning models.

f. The creation of a transportation planning district shall be accompanied by the development of strategies to improve regional comprehensive planning, to encourage transportation-efficient land uses, to reduce automobile dependency, to improve pedestrian and bicyclist safety, and to encourage alternatives to peak-hour automobile trips.

71. As used in sections 69 through 81 of P.L. , c. (C. ) (pending before the Legislature as this bill):

“Allowable administrative costs” means expenses incurred by the commission or the board in developing a district transportation plan, including a financial element, and in managing a transportation planning district.

“Board” means the Meadowlands Transportation Planning Board established by section 72 of P.L. , c. (C. ) (pending before the Legislature as this bill).

“Chief fiscal officer” means the chief fiscal officer of the Meadowlands Regional Commission.

“Commission” means the Meadowlands Regional Commission established by section 6 of P.L. , c. (C. ) (pending before the Legislature as this bill).

“Commissioner” means the Commissioner of Transportation.

“Department” means the Department of Transportation.

“Developer” means the legal or beneficial owner or owners of a lot or of any land proposed to be included in a proposed development, including the holder of an option or contract to purchase, or other person having an enforceable proprietary interest in that land.

“Development” means any project for which zoning approval is required pursuant to sections 1 through 68 of P.L. , c. (C. ) (pending before the Legislature as this bill), or rules or regulations promulgated pursuant thereto.

“Development fee” means a fee assessed on a development pursuant to a resolution of the commission adopted under section 74 of P.L. , c. (C. ) (pending before the Legislature as this bill).

“District transportation plan” or “plan” means the plan adopted pursuant to section 73 of P.L. , c. (C. ) (pending before the Legislature as this bill).

“Hackensack Meadowlands District” or “Meadowlands District” means the area within the jurisdiction of the commission set forth in section 5 of P.L. , c. (C. ) (pending before the Legislature as this bill).

“Project costs” means expenses incurred in the planning, design, engineering, and construction of any transportation project, and shall include debt service.

“Public highways” means public roads, streets, expressways, freeways, parkways, motorways, and boulevards including bridges, tunnels, overpasses, underpasses, interchanges, rest areas, express bus roadways, bus pullouts and turnarounds, park-ride facilities, traffic circles, grade separations, traffic control devices, the elimination or improvement of crossings of railroads and highways, whether at grade or not at grade, bicycle and pedestrian pathways, and pedestrian and bicycle bridges traversing public highways and any facilities, equipment, property, rights-of-way, easements, and interests therein needed for the construction, improvement, and maintenance of highways.

“Public transportation project” means, in connection with public transportation service or regional ridesharing programs, passenger stations, shelters and terminals, automobile parking facilities, ferries and ferry facilities including capital projects for ferry terminals, approach roadways, pedestrian accommodations, parking, docks, and other necessary land-side improvements, ramps, track connections, signal systems, power systems, information and communication systems, roadbeds, transit lands or rights-of-way equipment storage and servicing facilities, bridges, grade crossings, rail cars, locomotives, motorbus and other motor vehicles, maintenance and garage facilities, revenue handling equipment, and any other equipment, facility, or property useful for, or related to, the provision of public transportation service or regional ridesharing programs.

“Transportation planning district” or “district” means the Meadowlands District.

“Transportation project” or “transportation improvement” means, in addition to public highways and public transportation projects, any equipment, facility, or property useful or related to the provision of any ground, waterborne, or air transportation for the movement of people and goods within or through the district, including rail freight infrastructure.

72. a. There is hereby established a transportation planning district which shall consist of those lands which comprise the Meadowlands District. The Meadowlands Transportation Planning Board, created pursuant to subsection b. of this section, shall be the managing authority to administer and manage the transportation planning district and to carry out such additional functions as provided in sections 69 through 81 of P.L. , c. (C. ) (pending before the Legislature as this bill).

b. There is established in, but not of, the Department of Community Affairs, the Meadowlands Transportation Planning Board. The board shall consist of: the Commissioner of Community Affairs or the commissioner’s designee; the Commissioner of Transportation or the commissioner’s designee; a representative from the ridesharing organization EZ Ride or its successor organization; a representative of the Hackensack Meadowlands Municipal Committee; a representative of the Meadowlands Regional Chamber of Commerce; and four public members appointed by the Governor, with the advice and consent of the Senate. The executive director of the commission shall serve as the secretary of the board. The board shall be staffed by the employees of the commission.

c. In furtherance of the development of a coherent and sustainable transportation system for the district, the board shall initiate a joint planning process with participation by: State departments and agencies, corporations, commissions, boards, and authorities; those bi-state authorities, metropolitan planning organizations, and counties and municipalities with jurisdiction in the district; and private representatives. The board shall oversee the development and updating of a comprehensive, future-oriented district transportation plan in accordance with the provisions of section 73 of P.L. , c. (C. ) (pending before the Legislature as this bill).

73. a. The district transportation plan shall establish goals, policies, needs, and improvement priorities for all modes of transportation, including walking and bicycling, within the district for the ensuing 20 years following the effective date of sections 69 through 81 of P.L. , c. (C. ) (pending before the Legislature as this bill) and shall be consistent with the master plan adopted by the commission pursuant to section 10 of P.L. , c. (C. ) (pending before the Legislature as this bill). The district transportation plan shall be based on a reasonable assessment of likely future growth reflected in that master plan.

b. The plan shall quantify transportation needs arising from anticipated future traffic passing within or through the district based upon future development anticipated to occur within or through the district, and reflected in the master plan. The plan shall set forth proposed transportation projects designed to address that future development, prioritized over increments of five years, the allocation of public and private shares of project costs and allowable administrative costs, and the amount, schedule, and collection of development fees. If new developments are proposed in the district which are not considered in the plan which is currently in effect, the plan shall be reevaluated, notwithstanding the five-year increment provision.

c. The plan shall be consistent with the State transportation master plan adopted under section 5 of P.L.1966, c.301 (C.27:1A-5), the applicable county master plans adopted under R.S.40:27-2, and the applicable regional transportation plan or plans adopted by a metropolitan planning organization pursuant to 23 C.F.R. s.450.322. To the extent appropriate given the district-wide objectives of the plan, the plan shall be coordinated with local zoning ordinances and master plans.

d. The plan shall include a financial element setting forth a statement of projected revenue and expenses, including all project costs. The financial element of the plan shall identify public and private financial resources which may be available to fund, in whole or in part, those transportation projects set forth in the plan. The financial element shall make recommendations for the types and rates of development fees to be assessed under section 74 of P.L. , c. (C. ) (pending before the Legislature as this bill), formulas to govern the assessment of those fees, and the projected annual revenue to be derived therefrom.

e. The board shall make copies of the plan available to the public for inspection no less than 14 days prior to taking any formal action to recommend the plan to the commission for adoption thereof. In addition, the board shall take steps to notify members of the business community and other interested parties of the plan and shall hold a public hearing thereon after having given public notice of the hearing.

f. The commission may, by resolution, adopt the plan as recommended by the board or with modifications.

74. a. After the adoption of the plan by the commission pursuant to subsection f. of section 73 of P.L. , c. (C. ) (pending before the Legislature as this bill), the commission may, by resolution, provide for the assessment and collection of development fees on developments within the district as provided hereunder.

b. Development fees assessed by the commission shall be based upon the growth and development forecasts contained in the plan and shall be levied in order to raise only those amounts needed to accomplish the transportation projects set forth in the plan and allowable administrative costs. Those fees shall be assessed based upon the formula or formulas contained in the resolution and shall be uniformly applied, with such exceptions as are authorized or required by sections 69 through 81 of P.L. , c. (C. ) (pending before the Legislature as this bill).

c. A formula or formulas adopted by the commission by resolution shall reflect a methodology which relates the use of land to the impact of the proposed development on the transportation system, including, but not limited to: vehicle trips generated by the development; the square footage of an occupied structure; the number of employees regularly employed at the development; the number of parking spaces located at the development; or any combination thereof.

d. The resolution may provide for credits against assessed development fees for payments made, or expenses incurred, which have been determined by the commission to be in furtherance of the district transportation plan, including, but not limited to, contributions to transportation improvements, other than those required for safe and efficient highway access to a development, and costs attributable to the promotion of public transit, walking, bicycling, or ridesharing.

e. The resolution may either exempt or reduce the development fee for specified land uses which have been determined by the commission to have a beneficial, neutral, or comparatively minor adverse impact on the transportation needs of the district.

f. The resolution may provide for a reduced rate of development fees for developers submitting a peak-hour automobile trip reduction plan approved by the commission under standards adopted by the commission. Standards for the approval of peak-hour automobile trip reduction plans may include, but need not be limited to: physical design for improved transit, ridesharing, and pedestrian access; design of developments which include a mix of residential and nonresidential uses; and proximity to potential labor pools.

g. The assessment of a development fee shall be reasonably related to the impact of the proposed development on the transportation system of the district and shall not exceed the development’s fair share of the cost of the transportation improvement necessary to accommodate the additional burden on the district’s transportation system that is attributable to the proposed development and related allowable administrative costs.

h. A resolution shall be sufficiently certain and definitive to enable every person who may be required to pay a fee to know or calculate the limit and extent of the fee which is to be assessed against a specific development.

i. Upon the adoption by the commission of a resolution pursuant to subsection a. of this section, a separate assessment for off-site transportation improvements within the district shall not be made by the State, a county, or a municipality except as permitted pursuant to sections 69 through 81 of P.L. , c. (C. ) (pending before the Legislature as this bill).

j. A development fee shall not be assessed for any low and moderate income housing units which are constructed pursuant to the “Fair Housing Act,” P.L.1985, c.222 (C.52:27D-301 et al.) or under court order or settlement.

k. At least 25% of any development fees collected in accordance with this section shall be used for transportation related projects within the municipality where the development, for which a particular fee was collected, is located.

75. a. A development fee shall be assessed on a development at the time the applicable zoning approval is issued. Any development for which a zoning approval has been issued prior to the adoption of the resolution pursuant to section 74 of P.L. , c. (C. ) (pending before the Legislature as this bill), or pursuant to any other law authorizing such a resolution, or that has an approved development agreement with the governing State agency or municipality within the district having primary jurisdiction over the development, or for which construction of a material portion of the development has commenced after the date on which a development agreement was executed, shall be exempt from the assessment of a development fee. The assessment shall be adjusted upon the issuance of a revised zoning approval and any development which requires a revised zoning approval after the adoption of the resolution shall be subject to the development fee.

b. The resolution shall specify whether the fee is to be paid at the time a zoning certificate is issued or in a series of payments as set forth in a schedule of payments contained in the resolution. The resolution may provide for payment of the fee in kind or in a series of periodic payments over a period of no more than 20 years.

76. a. The payments due to the commission, whether as a lump sum or as balances due when a series of payments is to be made, shall be enforceable by the commission as a lien on the land and any improvements thereon. The lien shall be recorded by the county clerk or register of deeds and mortgages in the record book of the county office.

b. When the fee is paid in full on the development or portion thereof, the lien on the development or portion thereof, as appropriate, shall be removed. When a series of payments is to be made, failure to make any one payment within 30 days after receipt of a notice of late payment shall constitute a default and shall obligate the person owing the unpaid balance to pay that balance in its entirety.

c. All amounts assessed as a lien pursuant to this section shall be a lien upon the land against which they are assessed in the same manner that taxes are made a lien against land pursuant to Title 54 of the Revised Statutes, and the payment thereof shall be enforced within the same time, in the same manner, and by the same proceedings as the payment of taxes is otherwise enforced under Title 54 of the Revised Statutes.

77. a. A resolution adopted by the commission pursuant to section 74 of P.L. , c. (C. ) (pending before the Legislature as this bill) shall provide for the establishment of a transportation planning district fund under the control of the chief fiscal officer. All monies collected from development fees shall be deposited into the fund, which shall be invested in an interest-bearing account. Monies deposited in the fund shall be used to defray project costs and allowable administrative costs.

b. Every transportation project funded, in whole or in part, by funds from a transportation planning district fund shall be subject to a project agreement to which the relevant entities are parties. The expenditure of funds for this purpose shall not be made from a transportation planning district fund, except by appropriation of the commission and upon certification of the chief fiscal officer that the expenditure is in accordance with a project agreement entered into pursuant to this subsection or is otherwise a project cost and has the approval of the commission.

78. a. Any fees collected, plus earned interest, not committed to a transportation project under a project agreement entered into under section 77 of P.L. , c. (C. ) (pending before the Legislature as this bill) within 10 years of the date of collection, or not used for other allowable administrative costs within 10 years of the date of collection, shall be refunded to the fee-payer under a procedure prescribed by the commission; provided, however, that if the fee-payer transfers the development or any portion thereof, the fee-payer shall enter into an agreement with the grantee in a form as shall be provided by the commission which shall indicate who shall be entitled to receive any refund, and that agreement shall be filed with the chief fiscal officer.

b. Any person who has been assessed a development fee may request in writing a reconsideration of the fee and a hearing by an employee so delegated by the commission within 90 days of the receipt of notification of the amount of the fee on the grounds that the commission or its officers or employees, in issuing the fee, did not abide by the provisions of sections 74 and 75 of P.L. , c. (C. ) (pending before the Legislature as this bill) or the provisions of the resolution adopted by the commission pursuant to subsection a. of section 74 of P.L. , c. (C. ) (pending before the Legislature as this bill).

79. A person may appeal to the commission any decision made in connection with the reconsideration of a fee as authorized pursuant to subsection b. of section 78 of P.L. , c. (C. ) (pending before the Legislature as this bill). The commission shall review the record of the hearing and render its decision, which shall constitute an administrative action subject to review by the Appellate Division of the Superior Court. Nothing contained herein shall be construed as limiting the ability of any person so assessed from filing an appeal based upon an agreement to pay or actual payment of the fee.

80. A transportation planning district may accept loans from any public or private source, including, but not limited to, the State Transportation Infrastructure Bank established under section 2 of P.L.1997, c.142 (C.27:1B-21.11), pursuant to a project agreement for the purpose of undertaking and completing a transportation project as permitted by the commission. In this event, the project agreement shall include the obligation of the commission to make payments to the public or private source for repayment of the loan from a transportation planning fund or other available sources according to an agreed upon schedule of payments.

81. a. Notwithstanding the provisions of the “Administrative Procedure Act,” P.L.1968, c.410 (C.52:14B-1 et seq.) to the contrary, the commission may, immediately upon filing proper notice with the Office of Administrative Law, adopt rules and regulations to implement sections 69 through 80 of P.L. , c. (C. ) (pending before the Legislature as this bill).

b. The rules and regulations adopted pursuant to subsection a. of this section shall be in effect for a period not to exceed one year after the date of the filing. These rules and regulations shall thereafter be adopted, amended, or readopted by the commission in accordance with the requirements of the “Administrative Procedure Act,” P.L.1968, c.410 (C.52:14B-1 et seq.).

82. Sections 82 through 85 of P.L. , c. (C. ) (pending before the Legislature as this bill) shall be known and may be cited as the "New Jersey Meadowlands Tax Relief Act."

83. The Legislature finds and declares that:

a. The New Jersey Meadowlands Commission is the zoning and planning agency for a 30.4-square-mile area along the Hackensack River known as the Hackensack Meadlowlands, covering parts of 14 municipalities in Bergen and Hudson Counties in New Jersey. The Meadowlands Regional Commission will oversee the development, and redevelopment, of the Hackensack Meadowlands in an orderly and comprehensive fashion, with special consideration to the ecological factors constituting the environment of the Hackensack Meadowlands.

b. A vital component of the comprehensive plan for the development of the Hackensack Meadowlands was an intermunicipal tax-sharing program. The intermunicipal tax sharing program was established to create a fair and equitable method of distributing the benefits and costs of economic development and land use decisions made by the New Jersey Meadowlands Commission among the 14 municipalities located in the Meadowlands District. Under this program, as originally conceived, the municipalities with fewer development restrictions are required to deposit a share of their tax ratables into a special intermunicipal account administered by the commission. Money in this account is annually distributed to the municipalities with greater development restrictions to make up for their loss of tax ratable growth opportunity. Currently, seven municipalities pay into the intermunicipal account while the remaining seven municipalities receive distributions from the account.

c. The New Jersey Meadowlands Commission, the predecessor to the Meadowlands Regional Commission, has been successful in providing orderly and comprehensive development, solid waste management, and environmental protection in the Hackensack Meadowlands District, as well as providing for the investment of many millions of dollars in development, municipal services, and significant infrastructure projects, among other things.

d. It is fitting and proper to establish new sources of funding to replace the intermunicipal tax sharing program in order to facilitate the future of the Hackensack Meadowlands District as a vibrant area of economic growth in the State of New Jersey, as well as a tourism destination and an area of continued environmental significance and improvement. The new sources of funding should recognize the concerns of the district’s seven municipalities that must contribute significant amounts of property tax dollars to the intermunicipal tax sharing program. These municipalities have been especially challenged to provide services to municipal residents and contribute to the intermunicipal tax sharing program, while operating under the significant restrictions of the 2% property tax levy cap. In effect, the cost of the State policy to preserve the Hackensack Meadowlands has been borne by the property taxpayers of the seven municipalities required to deposit tax revenue into the intermunicipal account.

e. It is also appropriate and necessary to recognize the consistent impact on the Hackensack Meadowlands District of tourist-related activities and attractions, including sports and entertainment activities and construction at the properties located in the heart of the district, and to require that patrons of those tourist-related activities and attractions shall contribute to the financial needs of the municipalities that comprise the Meadowlands district in order to reduce the property tax burden on their residents.

84. As used in sections 82 through 85 of P.L. , c. (C. ) (pending before the Legislature as this bill):

“Meadowlands district” means the Hackensack Meadowlands District, the area delineated within section 5 of P.L. , c. (C. ) (pending before the Legislature as this bill).

“Hotel” means a building, or portion of it, which is regularly used and kept open as such for the lodging of guests and is subject to taxation pursuant to subsection d. of section 3 of P.L.1966, c.30 (C.54:32B-3).

“Public venue” means any place located within the Meadowlands district, whether publicly or privately owned, where any facilities for entertainment, amusement, or sports are provided, but shall not include a movie theater.

"Public event" means any spectator sporting event, trade show, exposition, concert, amusement, or other event open to the public that takes place at a public venue, but shall not include a major league football game.

85. a. There is imposed a Meadowlands regional hotel use assessment on every room in every hotel located in the Meadowlands district. The assessment imposed under this subsection shall be 3% of revenues received from every occupancy of a room or rooms in a hotel, and shall be paid to the commission by each hotel not later than the 10th day of each month based on the occupancy of rooms in that hotel during the previous calendar month.

b. Every person required to collect an assessment imposed by this section shall be personally liable for the assessment imposed, collected, or required to be collected hereunder. Any such person shall have the same right in respect to collecting the assessment from his customer or in respect to nonpayment of the assessment by the customer as if the assessment were a part of the service charge and payable at the same time; provided, however, that the chief fiscal officer of the commission shall be joined as a party in any action or proceeding brought to collect the assessment.

An assessment imposed under this section shall be in addition to any other tax or fee imposed pursuant to statute or local ordinance or resolution by any governmental entity.

A person required to collect any assessment imposed under this section shall not advertise or hold out to any person or to the public in general, in any manner, directly or indirectly, that the assessment is not considered as an element in the charge payable by the customer, that the person will pay the assessment, that the assessment will not be separately charged and stated to the customer, or that the assessment will be refunded to the customer.

c. Assessment revenue collected under this section shall be deposited by the commission into the intermunicipal account established pursuant to section 53 of P.L. , c. (C. ) (pending before the Legislature as this bill), and shall be used to pay meadowlands adjustment payments to municipalities in the Meadowlands district pursuant to the provisions of sections 1 through 68 of P.L. , c. (C. ) (pending before the Legislature as this bill). If in any year, assessment revenue in the intermunicipal account exceeds the amount necessary to pay meadowlands adjustment payments to municipalities in the Meadowlands district, that remaining assessment revenue may be used for the purposes set forth in subsection e. of this section.

d. In the event sufficient assessment revenue is unavailable in any year to pay all of the required meadowlands adjustment payments to municipalities in the Meadowlands district, the State Treasurer shall provide the commission with such funds as may be necessary to make all of the required payments to those municipalities.

e. In the event that in any year, after the required meadowlands adjustment payments have been made to municipalities in the Meadowlands district, assessment revenue remains in the intermunicipal account, that remaining assessment revenue may be used in that year for the following purposes:

(1) the commission may perform projects in the areas of flood control, traffic, renewable energy, or other infrastructure improvement projects and utilize monies from the project fund for property acquisition, demolition, clearance, removal, relocation, renovation, alteration, construction, reconstruction, installation, or repair of a structure or improvement, and the costs associated therewith including the costs of appraisal, economic and environmental analyses or engineering, planning, design, architectural, surveying, or other professional services;

(2) the commission may expend funds towards the promotion of the Meadowlands district as a tourism destination;

(3) the commission may fund the acquisition of property for the purpose of open space preservation and the costs associated therewith including the costs of appraisal, economic and environmental analyses or engineering, surveying, or other professional services; or

(4) the commission may fund the creation of parks and other recreational facilities and the costs associated therewith, including the costs of appraisal, economic and environmental analyses or engineering planning, design, architectural, surveying, or other professional services.

Not later than the first day of the third month next following the enactment of P.L. , c. (C. ) (pending before the Legislature as this bill) and pursuant to the "Administrative Procedure Act," P.L.1968, c.410 (C.52:14B-1 et seq.), the commission shall adopt any rules and regulations necessary to effectuate the collection of the assessments imposed under this section, and shall also adopt, by resolution, standards for the disbursement in any year of any remaining assessment revenue for projects and uses set forth in subsection e. of this section.

86. This act shall take effect immediately.

STATEMENT

This bill consolidates the New Jersey Meadowlands Commission and the New Jersey Sports and Exposition Authority. This bill also reestablishes the Hackensack Meadowlands Transportation Planning District. This bill also revises the method of funding the intermunicipal tax sharing program under the “Hackensack Meadowlands Reclamation and Development Act,” N.J.S.A.13:17-1 et seq.

Currently, the New Jersey Meadowlands Commission is the zoning and planning agency for a 30.4-square mile area covering parts of 14 municipalities in Bergen and Hudson Counties in New Jersey. The New Jersey Meadowlands Commission, created in 1969, was charged with the development and redevelopment of the Hackensack Meadowlands in an orderly and comprehensive fashion, with special consideration to the ecological and environmental challenges facing the Hackensack Meadowlands District. Since the 1970s, the New Jersey Sports and Exposition Authority has promoted the holding of athletic contests, horse racing and other spectator sporting events, trade shows, and other expositions in the State.

There are several vital components necessary for the continuation and expansion of the comprehensive plan for the economic development growth of the Hackensack Meadowlands District, which would be served by the consolidation of these public entities. Among them are infrastructure improvements, transportation, tourism, the completion of the development of the Sport Complex site, the delivery of municipal services, flood control, and the continuance of the Intermunicipal Tax Sharing Program, which is the fiscal underpinning of the district’s master plan.

This bill combines the authority and powers of the New Jersey Sports and Exposition Authority and the New Jersey Meadowlands Commission into the “Meadowlands Regional Commission,” in order to address more effectively the modern needs of the Hackensack Meadowlands District.

These two agencies share the common interest of promoting economic growth of the meadowlands and northern New Jersey. Accordingly, this bill consolidates the New Jersey Sports and Exposition Authority and the New Jersey Meadowlands Commission to promote efficiency of operation, cost effectiveness, and the elimination of unnecessary government bureaucracy.

This bill also revises the current method of funding the intermunicipal tax sharing account so that municipalities that have the ability to grow and develop will never have to pay into that account again. Instead, the intermunicipal account will be funded from the proceeds of a hotel use assessment of 3% of the revenues received from every occupancy of a hotel room located in the 14 municipalities.

It is anticipated that this assessment will raise the funds necessary to fully fund the intermunicipal account annually so that the municipalities that receive funding from the account will continue to do so, but the municipalities that currently contribute to the fund will no longer have to do so, freeing up local funds that had annually been going to that intermunicipal fund for the benefit of their own municipal residents. In the event that in any year, after the required meadowlands adjustment payments have been made to municipalities in the Meadowlands district, assessment revenue remains in the intermunicipal account, the bill authorizes the commission to use that remaining assessment revenue in that year to perform projects in the areas of: flood control, traffic, renewable energy, or other infrastructure improvement projects; the promotion of the Hackensack Meadowlands District as a tourism destination; the acquisition of property for the purpose of open space preservation; and the creation of parks and other recreational facilities.