Required fees and escrow amounts. The following list of applications must be accompanied, at the time of submission of the application, by the fees and escrow amounts set forth in Schedule 2-1 below.[1] These fees and escrow amounts shall consist of the sum of the following: in Column A, an administrative fee which is charged to the applicant to cover the costs associated with the clerical processing and filing of the application, which fee shall be nonrefundable; and in Column B, a professional review escrow amount which shall be deposited into the professional review escrow account maintained by the Municipal Treasurer. The deposit required of the applicant and deposited into the professional review escrow account shall cover the costs associated with the required review of the application by the Planning Board's engineer, planner or attorney, and for applications submitted pursuant to N.J.S.A. 40:55D-70d, such other professionals as the Planning Board may reasonably require, which review shall include a written report on the application to be submitted to the Board. Prior to drawing moneys out of the professional review escrow account, each professional engaged by the Board shall submit an invoice to the Board Chairperson or his/her designee for approval. Following conclusion of the hearings and meetings regarding the application, any unused funds deposited by an applicant into the professional review escrow account shall be refunded to the applicant simultaneously with payment of the invoice of the Board's professional(s). Upon reimbursement of any unused funds, an applicant may request an accounting of expended funds, and the same will be provided to the applicant within 30 days of a written request filed with the Board.[2]

Additional fees; request for additional professional review. An applicant may request that a Board professional schedule additional time, in excess of that covered by the moneys paid into the professional review escrow account, for review of a specific application. If the Board professional consents to such a request, both the applicant and the professional shall sign a consent form authorizing such additional review. When the additional review is completed, the professional shall submit an invoice to the Board, and simultaneously therewith a copy to the applicant, detailing the number of hours expended for such review, the professional's fee and a description of the work performed. Said invoice shall be due and payable by the applicant prior to memorialization of the Board's decision on the particular application.

Variances and exceptions. In addition to the administrative fees and professional review escrow amount set forth in Schedule 2-1, additional professional review escrow accounts, where applicable, and in the following amounts, shall also be paid by the applicant:

Notes.

Required escrow amounts. For development applications that are deemed to be complex applications, as specifically enumerated and defined below, the applicant shall be required to place into the professional review escrow account the amount indicated in the following Schedule 2-2.[1] The amount is required to be placed into the professional review escrow account for a complex application to cover the costs of the extra review time provided by the Board's planner, attorney and engineer due to the complexity of the application. The moneys deposited into the account shall cover up to two hours of meeting and/or consultation time between the applicant's professional(s) and the Board's professional(s) and the furnishing of a written report by the Board's professional(s) on the application. Prior to drawing moneys out of the professional review escrow account, the Board's professional(s) shall submit an invoice to the Board Chairperson, or his/her designee, for approval. Following the conclusion of the hearings and meetings regarding the application, any unused portion of this professional review escrow account shall be refunded to the applicant simultaneously with payment of the Board's professional(s). Upon reimbursement of any unused funds, an applicant may request an accounting of expended funds, and the same will be provided to the applicant within 30 days of a written request filed with the Board.

Additional amounts requested for additional professional review. An applicant may request that a Board professional schedule additional time, in excess of that covered by the moneys paid into the professional review escrow account, for review of a specific application. If the Board professional consents to such a request, both the applicant and the professional shall sign a consent form authorizing such additional review. When the additional review is completed, the professional shall submit an invoice to the Board, and simultaneously therewith a copy to the applicant, detailing the number of hours expended for such review, the professional's fee and a description of the work performed. Said invoice shall be due and payable by the applicant prior to memorialization of the Board's decision on the particular application.

If an applicant desires a certified court reporter, the cost of taking testimony and transcribing it and making a copy of the transcription available to the Borough shall be at the expense of the applicant, who shall also arrange for the reporter's attendance.

Special professional meeting. Any applicant for development may request that a special meeting be scheduled between the applicant and its professionals and the Board's planner, engineer and attorney. Such meeting shall be scheduled upon request of the applicant and at the discretion of the Chairperson or Board attorney. If the request is directed to the Board attorney, the attorney shall notify the Chairperson, in writing, of the scheduled time and place of the meeting. The applicant shall post $500 for such a meeting, which professional review escrow amount shall provide for a meeting of one hour and shall be deemed to include, for purposes of calculating the time of the Board's professionals, 1/2 hour of preparation time and 1/2 hour of post-meeting time. Said professional review escrow amount shall be posted by the applicant prior to or at the commencement of the meeting.

Special Planning Board meeting. Any applicant may request that a special meeting of the Board be scheduled and devoted exclusively to a single application. Such meeting shall be scheduled upon request of the applicant and at the discretion of either the Board Chairperson or his/her designee. Such special meeting shall be of no more than a three-hour duration. The time of the Board's professionals required to prepare for and follow up after such special meeting shall be charged against such professional review escrow account. The professional review escrow amount for such a meeting shall be $1,000. The professional review escrow amount shall be posted by the applicant prior to or at the commencement of the special meeting. If such a meeting shall, by agreement of the Board and the applicant, extend beyond the three-hour meeting time allotted, the applicant shall deposit any additional funds into the professional review escrow account which may be required to cover the costs of the additional time expended by the Board's professionals for such an extended meeting. All such additional amounts shall be paid by the applicant promptly after the meeting.[1]

Where an application for development includes several approval requests, the sum of the individual required fees shall be paid, except that there shall be no cumulative fees charged to an applicant for individual bulk variances which may be part of a "d" variance application.

The Board, when acting upon an application, shall have the power, for good cause shown, to grant a remission or waiver from all or any portion of the fee schedules herein established based upon any of the following:

The fees set forth in the aforementioned schedules are exclusive of any other charges which may be required by the Borough to cover the costs of the inspection of buildings or improvements in conjunction with the issuance of construction permits or certificates of occupancy.

In the event that any fees paid by an applicant into the professional review escrow account shall exceed $5,000, such applicant's account shall be placed into an interest-bearing trust account in conformance with the requirements of N.J.S.A. 40:55D-53.1. The applicant shall be notified, in writing, of the institution in which the deposit has been made and the amount of such deposit. Any interest earned on the account shall be applied in accordance with the provisions of N.J.S.A. 40:55D-53.1. The Borough shall keep records of all application fees paid in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles. The fees for all professional review of an application shall be charged to the applicant at the same rate and in the same manner as that charged by the professional to the Borough.