Meetings of both the Planning Board and Zoning Board of Adjustment shall be scheduled no less often than once a month, and any meeting so scheduled shall be held as scheduled unless canceled for lack of applications for development to process.

Special meetings may be provided for at the call of the Chairman or on the request of any two Board members, which meetings shall be held on notice to the Board's members and the public in accordance with all applicable legal requirements.

No action shall be taken at any meeting without a quorum being present.

All actions shall be taken by majority vote of a quorum except as otherwise required by any provision of N.J.S.A. 40:55D-1 et seq.

All regular meetings and all special meetings shall be open to the public. Notice of all such meetings shall be given in accordance with the requirements of the Open Public Meetings Law, N.J.S.A. 10:4-6.

Rules. The Planning Board and Zoning Board of Adjustment shall hold a hearing on each application for development and shall make rules governing the conduct of hearings before such bodies, which rules shall not be inconsistent with the provisions of N.J.S.A. 40:55D-1 et seq., or of this chapter.

Filing of Documents. Any maps and documents for which approval is sought at a hearing shall be on file and available for public inspection at least 10 days before the date of the hearing during normal business hours in the office of the Board Secretary. The applicant may produce other documents, records or testimony at the hearing to substantiate or clarify or supplement the previously filed maps and documents.

Oaths. The officer presiding at the hearing or such person as he may designate shall have power to administer oaths and issue subpoenas to compel the attendance of witnesses and the production of relevant evidence, including witnesses and documents presented by the parties, and the provisions of the County and Municipal Investigations Law, N.J.S.A. 2A:67A-1 et seq., shall apply.

Testimony. The testimony of all witnesses relating to an application for development shall be taken under oath or affirmation by the presiding officer, and the right of cross-examination shall be permitted to all interested parties through their attorneys, if represented, or directly, if not represented, subject to the discretion of the presiding officer and to reasonable limitations as to time and number of witnesses.

Evidence. Technical rules of evidence shall not be applicable to the hearing, but the Board may exclude irrelevant, immaterial or unduly repetitious evidence.

Records. Each Board shall provide for the verbatim recording of the proceedings by either stenographic, mechanical or electronic means. The Board shall furnish a transcript or duplicate recording in lieu thereof on request to any interested party at his expense.

Public notice of a hearing on an application for development shall be given for all of the following:

Public notice shall be given by publication in the official newspaper of the municipality, if there is one, or in a newspaper of general circulation in the municipality.

Notice of hearing requiring public notice pursuant to this section shall be given to the owners of all real property, as shown on the current tax duplicate or duplicates, located within 200 feet in all directions of the property which is the subject of such hearing and whether located within or without the municipality in which the applicant's land is located, provided that this requirement shall be deemed satisfied by notice to the condominium association in the case of any unit owner whose unit has a unit above or below it or horizontal property regime, in the case of any co-owner whose apartment has an apartment above or below it. Such notice shall be given by serving a copy thereof on the owner, as shown on the current tax duplicate or his agent in charge of the property or by mailing a copy thereof by certified mail to the property owner at his address as shown on the current tax duplicate. A return receipt is not required. Notice to a partnership owner may be made by service upon any partner. Notice to a corporate owner may be made by service upon its president, a vice president, secretary or other person authorized by appointment or by law to accept service on behalf of the corporation. Notice to a condominium association, horizontal property regime, community trust or homeowner's association, because of its ownership of common element or area located within 200 feet of the property which is the subject of the hearing, may be made in the same manner as to a corporation without further notice to unit owners, co-owners or homeowners on account of such common elements or areas.

Notice of all hearings on applications for development involving property located within 200 feet of an adjoining municipality shall be given by personal service or certified mail to the Clerk of such municipality, which notice shall be in addition to the notice required to be given pursuant to Subsection 35-7.4a3 of this chapter to the owners of lands in such adjoining municipality which are located within 200 feet of the subject premises.

Notice shall be given by personal service or certified mail to the County Planning Board of a hearing on all applications for development of property adjacent to an existing County road or proposed road shown on the Official County Map or on the County Master Plan, adjoining other County land or situated within 200 feet of a municipal boundary.

Notice shall be given by personal service or certified mail to the Commissioner of the New Jersey Department of Transportation of a hearing on any application for development of property adjacent to a State highway.

Notice shall be given by personal service or certified mail to the State Planning Commission of any hearing on an application for development of property which exceeds 150 acres or 500 dwelling units. Such notice shall include a copy of any maps or documents required to be on file with the Administrative Officer pursuant to N.J.S.A. 40:55D-10b.

The applicant shall file an affidavit of proof of service with the Board holding the hearing on the application for development.

Any notice made by certified mail as hereinabove required shall be deemed to be complete upon mailing in accordance with the provisions of N.J.S.A. 40:55D-14.

Form of Notice. All notices required to be given pursuant to the terms of this chapter shall state the date, time and place of the hearing; the nature of the matters to be considered identification of the property proposed for development by street address, if any, or by reference to lot and block numbers as shown on the current tax duplicate in the Township Tax Assessor's office; and the location and times at which any maps and documents for which approval is sought are available for public inspection as required by law.

Each decision on any application for development shall be set forth in writing as a resolution of the Board, which resolution shall include findings of fact and legal conclusions based thereon.

A copy of the decision shall be mailed by the Administrative Officer within 10 days of the date of decision to the applicant, or if represented then to his attorney, without separate charge, and to all who request a copy of the decision for a reasonable fee in an amount sufficient to cover the cost of such mailing. A copy of the decision shall also be filed by the municipal agency in the office of the Board Secretary. The Administrative Officer shall make a copy of such filed decision available to any interested party for a reasonable fee in the amount sufficient to cover the cost of such copy and available for public inspection at his office during reasonable hours.

A brief notice of the decision shall be published in the official newspaper of the municipality, if there is one, or in a newspaper of general circulation in the municipality. Such publication shall be arranged by the applicant and proof of publication shall be submitted to the Board Secretary. The period of time in which an appeal of the decision may be made shall run from the first, publication of the decision.

In the event that a developer submits an application for development proposing a development that is barred or prevented, directly or indirectly, by legal action instituted by any State agency, political subdivision or other party to protect the public health and welfare or by a directive or order issued by any State agency, political subdivision or court of competent jurisdiction to protect the public health and welfare, the municipal agency shall process such application for development in accordance with the provisions of N.J.S.A. 40:55D-1 et seq., and this chapter, and if such application for development complies with the provisions of this chapter, the municipal agency shall approve such application conditioned on removal of such legal barrier to development.

In the event that development proposed by an application for development requires an approval of a governmental agency other than the municipal agency, the municipal agency shall, in appropriate instances, condition its approval upon the subsequent approval of such governmental agency, provided that the municipal agency shall make a decision on any application for development within the time period provided in this chapter and N.J.S.A. 40:55D-1 et seq., or within an extension of such period as has been agreed to by the applicant unless the municipal agency is prevented or relieved from so acting by the operation of law.

Whenever review or approval of the application by the County Planning Board is required by N.J.S.A. 40:27-6.3, in the case of a subdivision, or N.J.S.A. 40:27-6.6, in the case of a site plan, the municipal agency shall condition any approval that it grants upon timely receipt of a favorable report on the application by the County Planning Board or approval by the County Planning Board by its failure to report thereon within the required time period.

All applicants submitting an application to the Planning Board or Zoning Board of Adjustment for review shall pay a fee in the amount of $25 to the Township to defray the cost of tuition for those persons required to take the course in Land Use Law and Planning as required pursuant to P.L. 2005, c.133, unless exempted in Subsection b2.

Exemptions to Educational Fee Payment.