Current through Register Vol. 56, No. 18, September 16, 2024
(a) All annual
planning applications shall be received by the Committee no later than December 15
of each year preceding the funding cycle for which planning incentive grant program
funding is sought, subject to the following:
1.
The municipality's initial annual planning application shall include a copy of the
municipality's comprehensive farmland preservation plan and all applicable project
area inventories, pursuant to N. J.A.C. 2:76-17A.4 and 17A.5.
2. In any subsequent year, the municipality's
annual planning application shall include the following:
i. A copy of the municipality's comprehensive
farmland preservation plan, as amended, if appropriate;
ii. Project area inventories;
iii. A report summarizing:
(1) The status of the purchase of development
easements on all active individual farm applications;
(2) The expenditure of Committee funds previously
available pursuant to
N.J.A.C.
2:76-17A.8;
(3) Amendments to municipal farmland preservation
policies, funding availability, and estimates of easement purchase cost on all
targeted farms;
(4) Updates to contact
information for the planning incentive grant administrator and agricultural advisory
committee members; and
iv.
Copies of minutes of the agricultural advisory committee meetings held in compliance
with N.J.A. C. 2:76-17A.3(a)1iv.
3. Each year's annual planning application shall
be accompanied by a resolution of support from the governing body, and documentation
of the agricultural advisory committee's review of the proposed application.
(b) To improve municipal and
county farmland preservation program coordination, the municipality shall forward
its annual planning application to the board for review no later than 90 days prior
to the date on which it submits its application to the Committee, and no less than
90 days prior to the December 15 application deadline.
1. If county funding is sought, the board shall
review the annual planning application and provide comments within 60 days from
receipt of the application to ensure that the application is consistent with the
county's comprehensive farmland preservation plan.
i. The board shall provide any comments and, if
appropriate, identify the level of funding that the county is willing to provide to
assist in the purchase of development easements on targeted farms.
ii. The municipality shall consider the board's
comments before submitting the annual planning application to the Committee, amend
the application, if appropriate, and forward the approved application to the
Committee.
2. If county
funding is not sought, the board shall review the annual planning application and
provide comments to the municipality within 60 days of receipt of the application to
determine to what extent the municipality's application is consistent with the
county's comprehensive farmland preservation plan.
(c) A municipality may enhance its annual planning
application by submitting a joint proposal with one or more contiguous
municipalities resulting in the preservation of a more significant area of
reasonably contiguous farmland and submit it to the board pursuant to the provisions
in (b) above.
(d) Any annual planning
application submitted after December 15 shall be considered by the Committee as an
application for the subsequent funding cycle.
