Amendments to Recreation and Terrace II Ordinance – But Is It Enough?

Berkeley Heights Town Government

For Rec Ordinance the changes appear to be as follows:

Two-positions removed and replaced it with one position, Recreation Director but still allows the town to hire more positions.

Ordinance still creates a Township Recreation Department and dissolves the Recreation Commission

Still transfers its funds and contracts to the Township and keeps the new Recreation Committee in an advisory role.

For Terrace II:

Has project as a three-story building and expressly states that the 33 units consist of 26 market-rate units and 7 affordable units.

PILOT structure remains intact.

Revenue Sharing with Schools doesn’t appear in document.

Recreation Department Head

Old: “There shall be a Department of Recreation, the head of which shall be the Recreation Administrator.”
Amended: “There shall be a Department of Recreation, the head of which shall be the Recreation Director.”
Change: Department head changed from Recreation Administrator to Recreation Director.

Named Position #1

Old: “The Mayor shall appoint a Recreation Administrator with the advice and consent of the Council…”
Amended: “The Mayor shall appoint a Recreation Director with the advice and consent of the Council…”
Change: Recreation Administrator was replaced by Recreation Director.

Named Position #2 Removed

Old: “Director of Recreation Programming. The Mayor shall appoint a Director of Recreation Programming…”
Amended: No separate Director of Recreation Programming appears in the amended version.
Change: The second named position was removed.

Additional Hiring Authority

Old: “The Recreation Administrator… may hire… adequate personnel…”
Amended: “The Recreation Director… may hire… adequate personnel…”
Change: Title changed, but hiring authority remains.

Recreation Commission Dissolution

Old: “The previously established Recreation Commission… is hereby deemed eliminated and dissolved…”
Amended: “The previously established Recreation Commission… is hereby deemed eliminated and dissolved…”
Change: No substantive change.

Funds and Contracts Transfer

Old: “All contracts… shall be assigned to the Township. All funds… shall be immediately turned over…”
Amended: “All contracts… shall be assigned to the Township. All funds… shall be immediately turned over…”
Change: Contracts and funds still transfer to the Township/CFO.

Advisory Committee

Old: “The Committee shall serve in an advisory capacity…”
Amended: “The Committee shall serve in an advisory capacity…”
Change: No substantive change.

Committee Recommendations

Old: Recommendations went to the Recreation Administrator.
Amended: Recommendations go to the Recreation Director.
Change: Changed to match the single named Recreation Director structure.

Terrace II Building Height

Old: One section said “one four-story building,” while another said “one three-story building.”
Amended: The agreement says “one three-story building” in both places.
Change: The four-story language was removed.

Market-Rate Units

Old: “thirty-three (33) residential rental units, including seven (7) units affordable…”
Amended: “…seven (7) units affordable… and twenty-six (26) market-rate units…”
Change: The amended version expressly states 26 market-rate units.

Section 4.1 Unit Count

Old: “thirty-three (33) residential rental units, including seven (7) units affordable…”
Amended: “…seven (7) units affordable… and twenty-six (26) market-rate units…”
Change: Market-rate count was added in the project-description section too.

PILOT / Financial Agreement Trigger

Old: “In the event the Financial Agreement is not executed within one-hundred twenty (120) days…”
Amended: “In the event the Financial Agreement is not executed within one-hundred twenty (120) days…”
Change: No substantive change. The 120-day PILOT trigger remains intact.


Updated @527pm:

Other Changes Include:

Rec:
From
“at least a four-year degree from a college or university.”
To:
Bachelor of Arts degree in recreation, sports management or similar field or otherwise have sufficient experience in the field.

From:
Budget prepared “in collaboration with the Director of Recreation Programming.”

To:

Budget Prepared “in collaboration with the Recreation Committee and Chief Financial Officer.”

Also:

Recreation Dir. needs to review contracts, PO’s and vouchers before they’re submitted to the CFO, contracting agent, Council, Clerk or other Township officials and before any obligation is incurred.

Director reports to Town Admin on operations, personnel, planning, resident questions, complaints, requests for assistance and other department matters.

Terrace II:

Agreement date changed to 07/01/2026

Developer name corrected.


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