13:1B-10 Tidelands Resource Council.

10. There shall be within the Department of Environmental Protection a Tidelands Resource Council , which shall consist of 12 members. Each member of the council shall be appointed by the Governor, with the advice and consent of the Senate, for a term of four years and shall serve until a successor has been appointed and has qualified.

At least nine of the council members shall be residents of counties wherein riparian lands are located and have been mapped. A person who is a member of the council on the effective date of P.L.1997, c.239 (C.12:3-12.1 et al.) shall not be removed from the council for failing to meet the aforementioned residency requirements, but may be reappointed by the Governor at the expiration of that term only if that reappointment would comply with the residency requirement for the council set forth in this section.

Each Governor shall designate one of the members of the council as chairperson and one of the members as vice-chairperson. Any member of the council so designated shall serve as chairperson or vice-chairperson at the pleasure of the Governor designating that member and until a successor has been designated. The chairperson of the council shall be its presiding officer and the vice-chairperson shall act as chairperson in the chairperson's absence.

Any vacancies in the membership of the council occurring other than by expiration of term shall be filled by the Governor, with the advice and consent of the Senate, for the unexpired term only. Any member of the council may be removed from office by the Governor for cause, upon notice and opportunity to be heard. A member of the council may be removed from office by a majority vote of the membership of the council upon failure of that member to attend three consecutive meetings of the council without good cause.

The members of the council shall serve without compensation but shall be reimbursed for necessary expenses incurred in the performance of their duties.

L.1948,c.448,s.10; amended 1961, c.47, ss.6,17; 1987, c.438; 1997, c.239, s.4.