ASSEMBLY, No. 1107

STATE OF NEW JERSEY

Introduced Pending Technical Review by Legislative Counsel

PRE-FILED FOR INTRODUCTION IN THE 1996 SESSION

By Assemblyman LANCE

An Act concerning certification of principal public works managers and amending P.L.1991, c.258.

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

    1. Section 7 of P.L.1991, c.258 (C.40A:9-154.6g) is amended to read as follows:

    7. Commencing January 1, 1995, no person shall be appointed or reappointed or serve as a principal public works manager in a municipality with a population greater than 20,000 persons unless [he] that person holds a public works manager certificate issued pursuant to sections 3 and 5 of this act, which certificate has not been revoked or suspended in accordance with the provisions of subsection b. of section 6, except that a principal public works manager who has held office continuously for five consecutive years in the same municipality may continue to serve in [his current] that position and shall not be removed from office or denied reappointment for failure to qualify as a certified public works manager pursuant to the provisions of this act; and further provided, however, that when a vacancy occurs in the position of principal public works manager, the governing body or chief executive officer, as appropriate, may appoint, for a period not to exceed one year and commencing on the date of the vacancy, a person who does not hold a public works manager certificate to serve as a temporary principal public works manager. Any person so appointed may be reappointed as principal public works manager following the termination of the temporary appointment for one additional year; provided, however, that no person shall serve as temporary principal public works manager for more than two years in any municipality.

(cf: P.L.1991, c.258, s.7)

    2. This act shall take effect immediately.

STATEMENT

    This bill limits to municipalities with a population of over 20,000 the requirement that the manager of an entire public works department be a holder of a public works managers certificate. The powers and duties of individuals that manage public works departments vary widely from municipality to municipality. Smaller municipalities may not need an individual with the same degree of training and experience as is needed by larger municipalities. The investments required in order to obtain certification, both in terms of time and cost, may not be considered necessary for individuals managing smaller public works departments. While this bill exempts small municipalities from the State certification requirement, it does not preclude a small municipality from requiring that the person with management responsibility for its public works department obtain certification or attend certain courses determined to be relevant to the needs of the municipality.

Limits certification requirement for principal public works managers to certain municipalities.