N.J. Admin. Code § 5:23A-1.3

Current through Register Vol. 56, No. 23, December 2, 2024

Section 5:23A-1.3 - Membership of construction boards of appeals

(a) Every construction board of appeals shall include five regular members.

1. Regular members shall be appointed for a term of four years by the appointing authority of the county or municipality in question or, in the case of a joint municipal board, by means mutually determined by the governing bodies of such municipalities.

2. For the members first appointed, the appointing authority shall designate the appointees' terms so that one shall be appointed for a term of one year, one for a term of two years, one for a term of three years, and two for a term of four years.

3. Vacancies on the board shall be filled for the unexpired term.

4. Members may be removed by the authority appointing them for cause.

5. A person may serve on more than one construction board of appeals.

6. Unless otherwise provided by county or municipal resolution or ordinance, as the case may be, a board member shall not be required to be a resident of the county or municipality in which the board exercises jurisdiction.

7. No more than two regular members of any board shall be members of the same profession or occupation.

(b) Qualifications for regular members shall be as follows:

1. At least one regular member shall be as qualified as a plumbing subcode official;

2. At least one regular member shall be as qualified as an electrical subcode official;

3. At least one regular member shall be a registered architect, or a licensed professional engineer with building construction experience, or other person as qualified as a building subcode official;

4. At least one regular member shall be as qualified as a fire protection subcode official; and

5. At least one regular member shall be certified as a fire official.

(c) The requirements of (b) above shall not be construed as requiring that there be a separate regular member in each of the qualification categories set forth in (b)1 through 5. One regular member may satisfy these requirements with regard to more than one such qualification category.

(d) A construction board of appeals shall also include at least five alternate members.

1. Alternate members shall be appointed to staggered terms, in the same manner as the initial appointment of regular members.

2. Alternate members shall be so chosen so that there will be at least one alternate member in each qualification category set forth in (b)1 through 5 above.

3. When a regular member of the board is absent, the alternate member in the same qualification category shall serve in that regular member's place; provided, however, that any alternate member who is as qualified as an elevator subcode official shall serve in the place of any absent regular member in any case involving the elevator safety subcode, if there is no other regular member of the board present who is as qualified as an elevator subcode official .

4. If a regular member who is not in one of the qualification categories set forth in (b)1 through 5 above is absent, or if a regular member and an alternate member who are both in the same qualification category are absent and the appeal does not involve that qualification category, or if another regular member is present who meets the requirements of the same qualification category as does the regular member who is absent, the chairperson of the board shall determine which alternate member shall vote in the place of the absent regular member.

5. Alternate members shall have the right to participate in all board deliberations, but shall not vote unless serving in the place of a regular member.

(e) Each county construction board of appeals shall also include two special members, one of whom shall be a licensed professional engineer with municipal site improvement construction experience and one of whom shall be a builder. The special members shall be appointed for four-year terms and shall serve as additional members of the board only in cases involving appeals of municipal or municipal utilities authority or sewerage authority fees pursuant to P.L. 1995, c.54 or P.L. 1999, c. 11.

1. Alternates may be appointed for the special members in the same manner, and subject to the same qualification requirements, as the special members.

(f) Each regular, alternate or special member shall be qualified by experience or training to perform the duties of a member of the board. In the case of regular and alternate members, regardless of whether they are in one of the qualification categories set forth in (b)1 through 5 above, such qualification shall be no less than that which is required of a construction or subcode official under subsection 8b of the State Uniform Construction Code Act (52:27D-126, subsection b); provided, however, that board members shall not be required to hold construction code licensure.

(g) Whenever a change to this chapter is made that affects the composition of construction boards of appeals, the appointing authority shall only implement the change when the term of any affected member(s) expires. This provision shall also apply in any case in which the adoption of this chapter affects the composition of a construction board of appeals.

(h) The board chairperson shall annually provide the Office of Regulatory Affairs of the Division of Codes and Standards with a list of the names and addresses of the regular, alternate and special members of the board and of the board secretary and any other contact person. Such information shall be updated whenever a change occurs.

N.J. Admin. Code § 5:23A-1.3

Amended by R.2004 d.36, effective 1/20/2004.
See: 35 New Jersey Register 4632(a), 36 New Jersey Register 467(a).
In (e), substituted "municipal or municipal utilities authority or sewerage authority fees pursuant to P.L. 1995, c.54 or P.L. 1999, c.11" for "municipal fees pursuant to P.L. 1995, c.54".