Review deposit. Filing fees are not intended to cover the costs of the teckhnical or legal reviews of plans and specifications by experts, such as the Township Engineer, the Township Planning Consultant, the Township or Board Attorney and any other professional experts and consultants whose review, study, research and reports and/or testimony is deemed necessary by the municipal agency in order to assure compliance with state and Township laws, ordinances, rules and regulations. Each applicant for development approval shall pay the Township fees equal to the expense incurred by the Township for such technical/legal review of the application.
(a) The requirement of the payment of a review deposit at time of filing may be waived by majority vote of the municipal agency if, upon a preliminary review of the application and upon request of the applicant, it appears that there will be no need for the type of review contemplated by this subsection.
(b) In the event that the initial deposit made by an applicant is not sufficient to cover all technical/legal review costs of the application or, if during the consideration of an application, it becomes evident that a review deposit which was previously waived will be necessary, upon request by the Township, the applicant shall make such initial or further deposit or deposits as may be necessary to cover further technical/legal review costs. The additional deposit or deposits shall be in the same sum as initially required by ordinance unless a higher or lesser amount is requested, in writing, by the reviewing municipal agency. Failure of an applicant to deposit the requested additional deposit or deposits in escrow with the Township within 10 days of receipt of the written request shall toll all time periods in the application process.
[Amended 7-6-1990]
(c) Each deposit for technical/legal review fees shall be held in escrow by the Township in accordance with §
160-53B of this chapter.
[Amended 3-8-1991]
(d) The Township Clerk, or the Planning Board Secretary in the case of applications pending before the Planning Board, shall certify the costs of the technical/legal review of an application. Upon approval by the municipal agency, such amounts shall be withdrawn from the escrow account and paid over to the Township.
[Amended 3-8-1991]
(e) Prior to any transfer from an escrow account, the Township Clerk, or the Planning Board Secretary in the case of applications pending before the Planning Board, shall notify the applicant of the nature and amount of the costs which have been approved by the municipal agency.
[Amended 3-8-1991]
(f) An applicant may examine Township records with respect to that applicant's escrow account and expenditures.
(g) All deposits for technical/legal review fees shall be made prior to the performance of the professional services which the deposit is intended to cover, and the municipal agency shall not process and/or take action on the application unless all deposits required shall have been paid by the applicant in the manner described above.
(h) After the completion of the review of an application for development by the municipal agency or upon the withdrawal of an application and after all technical/legal review costs have been paid, the Township Treasurer shall refund to the applicant all deposit moneys remaining in the escrow account, together with the interest, if any, which the applicant is entitled to receive.
(i) An applicant shall also sign an escrow agreement in a form approved by the White Township Committee and Planning Board. Said agreement shall provide for the disposition of unclaimed funds and also provide for the payment of attorney fees and costs on delinquent accounts.
[Added 5-17-1996]