Mayor Hawkins invites residents to apply for three vacancies on the Orange Planning Board and two vacancies each on the Housing Development Corporation, Alcoholic Beverage Control Board, Orange Rent Leveling Board, and Municipal Insurance Fund Commission These appointments will be made under Orange’s Call to Service initiative to encourage citizen involvement on local boards and commissions.

Statement by Mayor Eldridge Hawkins, Jr.

“In October I will be appointing three members to the Orange Planning Board and two members each to the Housing Development Corporation, Alcoholic Beverage Control Board, Rent Leveling Board and Municipal Insurance Fund Commission.  One of the three Planning Board members will serve as an alternate.

All of these board members serve as volunteers without compensation. In filling the vacancies, I want to choose from among the most dedicated, best informed, and highly experienced Orange residents. We are conducting an open appointments process so that all qualified citizens and not just the politically-connected may apply. I invite interested Orange residents to apply for these positions by Friday, October 15th, the deadline for receiving applications.

Housing Development Corporation

The Housing Development Corp Board consults, finances, plans, owns and creates housing and development opportunities in the City of Orange, NJ. One major project of the Corporation is redevelopment of the site of the Walter G. Alexander public housing complex.

Planning Board

The Planning Board functions under the authority of the Muncipal Land Use Law of New Jersey authorized to exercise power with regard to: Adoption of the Master Plan, Adopted Zoning Map, Subdivision control and site plan review for permitted uses, Recommendations as to the official map of the City, Conditional use applications, Recommendations as to the zoning ordinance or amendments thereto, Review of Capital Improvement Projects, Variances under certain circumstances in connection with site plans and subdivisions, and Central Valley Redevelopment Plan. The Board meets on the fourth Wednesday night of every month at 7:30 pm in the Council Chambers at City Hall unless otherwise specified

 

Rent Leveling Board

The purpose of the Rent Leveling Board is to protect tenants from steep annual rent increases while allowing owners to receive a fair return on their investments. The process allows for mediation for rent disputes and for binding decisions regarding allowable rent increases.  The Board consists of 7 members and 3 alternates, and includes at least 2 tenants, 3 homeowners, and 2 landlords.  The vacancies are for one alternate tenant member and one alternate landlord member. The only criteria for both is that they rent and own in Orange respectively. The powers of the Board include setting rent rules and regulations, helping landlords and tenants to comply with the rent law, and conducting hearings to settle disputes. Meetings are held on the second Monday of each month at 6:00 PM in the City Council Chambers.

Municipal Insurance Fund Commission

The Municipal Insurance Fund includes funds set aside within the municipal budget for the purpose of paying judgments or settlements of claims against the city as well as the cost of defending claims against the city. The three Commissioners invest the fund, adopt rules and regulations for the control and investment of the fund, and keep sufficient cash or securities on hand to pay for losses. All claims against the city are reviewed by the Commissioners together with reports from the departments involved. The Commission meets on the fourth Tuesday of each month, with the exceptions of July, August and December.

ABC Board

The Alcoholic Beverage Control (ABC) Board reviews incident reports, license transfers, and enforcement. The board generally meets the third Thursday of each month.

If you are interested in applying for the vacancies, please mail a resume and statement of your goals for these boards and/or municipal finances to me, Mayor Eldridge Hawkins, City Hall, 29 North Day Street, Orange, NJ 07050 or email your resume and statement to my secretary Tonia Whidbee at twhidbee@ci.orange.nj.us.”