Class I: The Mayor or the Mayor's designee in the absence of the Mayor.

Class II: One of the officials of the municipality, other than a member of the governing body, to be appointed by the Mayor, provided that if there is an Environmental Commission, the member of the Environmental Commission who is also a member of the Planning Board as required by N.J.S.A. 40:56A-1 shall be deemed to be the Class II Planning Board member if there are both a member of the Zoning Board of Adjustment and a member of the Board of Education among the Class IV members.

Class III: A member of the governing body to be appointed by it.

Class IV: Six other citizens of the municipality, to be appointed by the Mayor. The members of Class IV shall hold no other municipal office, except that one member may be a member of the Zoning Board of Adjustment and one may be a member of the Board of Education. A member of the Environmental Commission who is also a member of the Planning Board as required by N.J.S.A. 40:56A-1 shall be a Class IV Planning Board member unless there are among the Class IV members of the Planning Board both a member of the Zoning Board of Adjustment and a member of the Board of Education, in which case the member of the Environmental Commission, if there is an Environmental Commission, shall be deemed to be the Class II member of the Planning Board.

The Mayor may appoint to the Planning Board not more than two alternate members who shall be municipal residents. Alternate members shall meet the qualifications of Class IV members. Alternate members shall be designated at the time of the appointment by the Mayor as "Alternate No. 1" and "Alternate No. 2."

The terms of the alternate members shall be for two years, except that the terms of the alternate members shall be such that the term of not more than one alternate member shall expire in any one year; provided, however, that in no instance shall the terms of the alternate members first appointed exceed two years. A vacancy occurring otherwise than by expiration of terms shall be filled by the Mayor for the unexpired term only.

No alternate member shall be permitted to act on any matter in which he has either directly or indirectly any personal or financial interest. An alternate member may, after public hearing if he requests one, be removed by the governing body for cause.

Alternate members may participate in all matters but may not vote except in the absence or disqualification of a regular member of any class. Participation of alternate members shall not be deemed to increase the size of the Planning Board. A vote shall not be delayed in order that a regular member may vote instead of an alternate member. In the event that a choice must be made as to which alternate member is to vote, Alternate No. 1 shall vote.

If the Planning Board lacks a quorum because any of its regular or alternate members is prohibited from acting on a matter due to the member's personal or financial interests therein, regular members of the Zoning Board of Adjustment shall be called upon to serve, for that matter only, as temporary members of the Planning Board in order of seniority of continuous service to the Zoning Board of Adjustment until there are the minimum number of members necessary to constitute a quorum to act upon the matter without any personal or financial interest therein, whether direct or indirect. If a choice has to be made between regular members of equal seniority, the chairman of the Zoning Board of Adjustment shall make the choice.

The term of the member composing Class I shall correspond to his official tenure. The terms of the members composing Class II and Class III shall be for one year or shall terminate at the completion of their respective terms of office, whichever occurs first, except for a Class II member who is also a member of the Environmental Commission. The term of a Class II or Class IV member who is also a member of the Environmental Commission shall be for three years or terminate at the completion of his term of office as a member of the Environmental Commission, whichever occurs first. The term of a Class IV member who is also a member of the Board of Adjustment, or Board of Education shall terminate whenever he is no longer a member of such other body or at the completion of his Class IV term, whichever occurs first. The terms of all Class IV members first appointed under this chapter shall be so determined that, to the greatest practicable extent, the expiration of such terms shall be distributed evenly over the first four years after their appointment, provided that the initial Class IV term of no member shall exceed four years. Thereafter, the Class IV term of each such member shall be four years. If a vacancy in any class shall occur otherwise than by expiration of the Planning Board term, it shall be filled by appointment, as above provided, for the unexpired term.

No member of the Planning Board shall be permitted to act on any matter in which he has, either directly or indirectly, any personal or financial interest. Any member other than a Class I member, after a public hearing if he requests one, may be removed by the Township Committee for cause.

When any hearing before a Planning Board shall carry over two or more meetings, a member of the Board who was absent for one or more of the meetings shall be eligible to vote on the matter upon which the hearing was conducted, notwithstanding his absence from one or more of the meetings; provided, however, that such Board member has available to him a transcript or recording of the meeting from which he was absent and certifies in writing to the Board he has read such transcript or listened to such recording.

The Planning Board shall follow the provisions of this chapter and shall accordingly exercise its power in regard to:

The Planning Board may:

The Planning Board, when reviewing applications for approval of subdivision plats, site plan or conditional uses, shall have the power to grant to the same extent and subject to the same restrictions as the Board of Adjustment:

Whenever relief is requested pursuant to this section, notice of the hearing on the application for development shall include reference to the request for a variance or direction for issuance of a permit, as the case may be.

Prior to the adoption of a development regulation, revision or amendment thereto, the Planning Board shall make and transmit to the Township Committee, within 35 days after referral, a report including recommendations concerning the proposed development regulation, revision or amendment. The Township Committee, when considering the adoption of a development regulation, revision or amendment thereto, shall review the report of the Planning Board and may disapprove or change any recommendation by a vote of a majority of its full authorized membership and shall record in its minutes the reasons for not following such recommendations. Failure of the Planning Board to transmit its report within the thirty-five-day period provided herein shall relieve the Township Committee from the requirements of this subsection in regard to the proposed development regulation, revision or amendment thereto referred to the Planning Board.

Prior to the hearing on adoption of an ordinance providing for Planning Board approval of either subdivisions or site plans, or both, or any amendment thereto, the Township Committee shall refer any such proposed ordinance or amendment thereto to the Planning Board pursuant to Subsection A of this Section.

The Mayor may appoint one or more persons as a Citizens Advisory Committee to assist or collaborate with the Planning Board in its duties, but such person or persons shall have no power to vote or take other action required of the Board. Such person or persons shall serve at the pleasure of the Mayor.

Whenever the Environmental Commission has prepared and submitted to the Planning Board an index of the natural resources of the township, the Planning Board shall make available to the Environmental Commission an informational copy of every application for development submitted to the Planning Board. Failure of the Planning Board to make such informational copy available to the Environmental Commission shall not invalidate any hearing or proceeding.