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Best Practices Inventory Online Platform 2022 Survey

Jackson

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001 Unscored Survey Health Benefits

For medical benefits, select the formula used for active employee cost sharing . For purposes of this question, the phrase "active employees" does not include those elected officials receiving medical coverage. [0.00] Percentage of Premium

002 Unscored Survey Health Benefits

For prescription drug benefits, select the formula used for active employee cost sharing. For purposes of this question, the phrase "active employees" does not include those elected officials receiving Rx coverage. [0.00] Percentage of Premium

003 Unscored Survey Health Benefits

If your municipality participates in the State Health Benefits Program, please include the following on the Excel form provided on DLGS's Best Practices webpage: 1) the total amount of premiums paid for CY2022 active employee, retiree and eligible elected official SHBP coverage; and 2) the amount of cost sharing collected from your municipality's employees, retirees and eligible elected officials for SHBP coverage in CY2022. Only combine medical and Rx coverage if your municipality uses SHBP for Rx coverage. Upload the Excel form using the "Attach File" button toward the bottom of your screen. If you have uploaded the Excel form, type "File Uploaded" in the Comment Box. If you have not uploaded the Excel Form, type NA in the Comment Box. Comment: File Uploaded

004 Core Competencies Personnel

The Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) is a federal law requiring that overtime pay must be paid for all hours over 40 hours in a work week except for those employees classified as exempt and thus not entitled to overtime. Management employees such as elected officials, managers/administrators, municipal clerks, CFOs, public works superintendents, police chiefs and other department heads are typically classified as having exempt status and thus not entitled to overtime pay. Other municipal employees may also be classified as exempt under the FLSA (please consult labor counsel for detailed guidance). Exempt status also precludes overtime pay for time worked during emergencies, attendance at night meetings and participation in training sessions. Compensated leave time in lieu of cash payments is considered a form of overtime pay unless such leave is utilized in the same pay period. Does your municipality not pay overtime to employees classified as exempt under the FLSA? [1.00] Yes

005 Core Competencies Personnel

Has your municipality reviewed and updated its employee personnel manual/handbook within the past three years or upon the conclusion of each of your municipality's collective negotiated agreements (CNAs)? If yes, please provide in the Comments section the date which the personnel manual was officially updated using the MM/DD/YYYY format. If not yes, please type "Did Not Answer Yes" into the comment box. [1.00] Yes Comment: 10-15-2019

006 Core Competencies Budget

Does your municipality complete an initial draft of its annual budget no later than the first week of February (or first week of August if an SFY municipality), and obtain input in crafting the draft budget from elected officials and department heads as appropriate to the form of government? [1.00] Yes

007 Core Competencies Budget

Unless the Director sets forth a later date pursuant to N.J.S.A. 40A:4-5.1, N.J.S.A. 40A:4-5 requires that calendar year municipalities approve their introduced budgets no later than February 10 (or August 10 for state fiscal year municipalities) and N.J.S.A. 40A:4-10 requires that calendar year municipalities adopt their budgets no later than March 20 (or September 20 for state fiscal year municipalities). Did your municipality introduce and adopt its current year budget no later than the dates provided by law or as extended by the Director in Local Finance Notice 2021-24? This question may only be answered N/A if your municipality's budget is subject to adoption by the Local Finance Board under State Supervision or if the Division instructed the municipality to delay budget adoption. [1.00] Yes

008 Core Competencies Budget

N.J.S.A. 40A:5-12 requires the chief financial officer of each municipality to file the Annual Financial Statement (AFS) with the Division by no later than February 10 (August 10 for SFY municipalities). In 2022 the Division extended the AFS submission deadline to March 4 for calendar year municipalities, while the AFS submission deadline for SFY municipalities was extended to September 9. The statute specifies a $5 per day penalty payable by the CMFO for failing to file the AFS within 10 days of after the time fixed for filing. Did your municipality file its AFS by the required deadline? [1.00] Yes

009 Core Competencies Budget

Pursuant to N.J.S.A. 40A:2-40, the chief financial officer each municipality shall, before the end of the first month of the fiscal year, file its Annual Debt Statement with the Division of Local Government Services. Did your municipality file its electronic Annual Debt Statement for the preceding fiscal year with the Division no later than January 31 (July 31 for SFY municipalities)? [1.00] Yes

010 Core Competencies Budget

Has your municipality electronically submitted its User-Friendly Budget section for the CY2021/SFY2022 adopted budget? [1.00] Yes

011 Core Competencies Budget

Revenue earned from Uniform Construction Code (UCC) fees must be dedicated to UCC enforcement. The amounts of UCC revenue generated and funds appropriated to UCC enforcement appear on the User-Friendly Budget as well as the UCC Annual Report submitted to the Division of Codes and Standards. Your municipality’s construction code fee schedule must comply with the parameters set by N.J.A.C. 5:23-4.17, 5:23-4.18 and Local Finance Notice 2020-27. Does your municipality comply with the law prohibiting the imposition of UCC fee amounts greater than necessary to operate the UCC office, and is your municipality refraining from using UCC fees for purposes unrelated to UCC enforcement? Only answer N/A if your municipality does not have a construction code office. [1.00] Yes

012 Core Competencies Capital Projects

Has your municipality adopted a capital program as defined by N.J.A.C. 5:30-4.2, meaning a moving, multi-year plan and schedule for capital projects (including prospective financing sources) and, when pertinent, first year operating costs and savings? Only answer N/A if your municipality is not required to adopt a capital budget pursuant to N.J.A.C. 5:30-4.3. [1.00] Yes

013 Core Competencies Transparency

Are your municipality’s codified and uncodified ordinances, including all current salary ordinances, available online? [1.00] Yes

014 Core Competencies Procurement

Do your municipality's professional services contracts include a "not to exceed" amount? [0.00] No

015 Core Competencies Procurement

On all public works projects subject to the Prevailing Wage Act, the contractor and all subcontractors must provide the contracting unit with certified payroll records for each employee performing work on the project. Certified payroll records shall be provided for each pay period within ten (10) days of the payment of wages. In turn, the municipality must collect, file, and store all certified payroll records on the project and make them available for inspection during normal business hours. Please review Local Finance Notice 2021-20 for further information. Is your municipality maintaining certified payrolls for all prevailing wage municipal projects pursuant to law and making same available for public inspection? [1.00] Yes

016 Core Competencies Cybersecurity

A cybersecurity incident response plan is a set of instructions to help detect, respond to, and recover from network security incidents. Plans such as those adopted by a governing body or from a municipality's JIF address areas such as cybercrime, data loss, and service outages. Does your municipality have a cybersecurity incident response plan? [1.00] Yes

017 Core Competencies Cybersecurity

Are all municipal employees receiving ongoing cybersecurity training in malware detection, password construction, identifying security incidents and social engineering attacks? [1.00] Yes

018 Core Competencies Financial Administration

Pursuant to N.J.S.A. 40A:5-14(d), a local unit's investment policies shall be based on a cash flow analysis prepared by the CFO, with those policies being commensurate with the nature and size of the funds held by the local unit. Has your municipality conducted a cash flow analysis of its deposited and invested funds, and, based on that analysis, does your municipality's cash management plan set policies for your municipality's investments that consider preservation of capital, liquidity, current and historical investment returns, diversification, maturity requirements, costs and fees associated with the investment and, when appropriate, policies of investment instrument administrators? [1.00] Yes

019 Core Competencies Budget

Is your municipality ensuring that insurance reimbursements are credited back to the budget appropriation line item in the budget in accordance with N.J.S.A 40A:5-32, instead of applied as miscellaneous revenue not anticipated? Compliance with this statutory obligation relieves pressure on current year appropriations. Only answer N/A if your municipality had no insurance reimbursements in 2020 or 2021. [1.00] Yes

020 Core Competencies Capital Projects

Has your municipality reviewed all completed capital project bond ordinances for remaining balances that can be cancelled by resolution, and revert to their respective balance sheet accounts? [1.00] Yes

021 Core Competencies Procurement

Has your municipality reviewed with legal counsel and other appropriate officials (e.g. engineer) the boilerplate language in its bid or RFP documents to ensure such language meets legal requirements under the Local Public Contracts Law and pay-to-play, along with other relevant statutes and caselaw? [1.00] Yes

022 Core Competencies Transparency

Does your municipality maintain an up-to-date municipal website containing at minimum the following: past three years adopted budgets; the current year proposed budget (including the full adopted budget for the current year when approved by the governing body); most recent annual financial statement and audits; notification(s) for solicitation of bids and RFPs; and meeting dates, minutes and agendas for the governing body, planning board, board of adjustment and all commissions? [1.00] Yes

023 Core Competencies Transparency

N.J.S.A. 34:13A-8.2 requires public employers, including municipalities, to file with the Public Employment Relations Commission (PERC) a copy of all contracts negotiated with public employee representatives. This includes, but is not limited to, collective bargaining agreements, memoranda of understanding, contract amendments, and "side letter" or "side bar" agreements. Copies of same may be emailed to contracts@perc.state.nj.us. Has your municipality filed all current contracts with PERC? Only answer N/A if your municipality does not have any employee labor unions. [1.00] Yes

024 Core Competencies Transparency

Pursuant to N.J.S.A. 34:13A-16.8(d)(2), PERC requires a summary of the cost impact associated with a municipality's completed contracts for all bargaining units. Police and fire contracts have one summary form, while non-police and fire contracts have another form. The summary forms and filing instructions are located at https://www.state.nj.us/perc/conciliation/contracts/. Has your municipality filed the required PERC summary forms for all current completed labor agreements? Only answer N/A if your municipality does not have any employee labor unions. [1.00] Yes

025 Core Competencies Cybersecurity

Does your municipality perform off-network daily incremental backups with weekly full backups of all data? [1.00] Yes

026 Core Competencies Shared Services [1.00] Yes

N.J.A.C. 5:30-3.8(d)(20) requires each municipal user-friendly budget to include a listing of each shared service provided or received, what entity or entities are providing or receiving the service, the beginning and end date of the agreement as applicable, and the amount either received or paid for the service. Does your municipality list on its user-friendly budget each shared services agreement it is a party to, along with the other information required by the above-referenced regulation?

027 Core Competencies Fire Districts [1.00] Yes

If a Board of Fire Commissioners establishes annual compensation for its fire district commissioners, N.J.S.A. 40A:14-88 requires the municipal governing body to review and approve such compensation before the fire district can submit its annual budget to the voters, or, in the case of fire districts whose Board of Fire Commissioners elections coincides with the November General election, before the fire district's annual budget can be adopted. The fire district shall submit to the municipal governing body for approval the amount of compensation fixed by the Board regardless of whether the amount of compensation is being modified. Oughton v. Board of Fire Comrs., etc., 178 N.J. Super. 565, 570-571 (App. Div. 1981). If any members of the Board of Fire Commissioners in one or more of your municipality's fire districts are authorized by the Board to receive compensation, does your municipality 1) require its fire district(s) to submit such compensation for review on an annual basis; 2) ensure that each Board has adopted a resolution or resolutions fixing the amount of compensation requested for governing body approval; and 3) adopt a resolution approving, disapproving, or modifying the compensation amount fixed by the Board of Fire Commissioners?

028 Core Competencies Shared Services [1.00] Yes

N.J.S.A. 40A:65-4(b) requires a copy of each shared services agreement to be filed with the Division of Local Government Services. Has your municipality filed with the Division the most current copy of each shared services agreement under which the municipality provides one or more services to another local unit as defined by N.J.S.A. 40A:65-3 of the Uniform Shared Services and Consolidation Act? Only answer N/A if your municipality does not provide a shared service to another local unit.

029 Core Competencies Financial Administration [1.00] Yes

N.J.S.A. 40A:5-4 requires municipalities to complete their annual audit for the preceding fiscal year within 6 months after the close of their fiscal year. For calendar year 2021 audits, this deadline was extended to August 31, 2022 pursuant to the Director's June 16, 2022 Order (See Local Finance Notice 2022-12). Has your municipality's completed audit for the preceding fiscal year been electronically submitted to DLGS within the required timeframe? You may only answer this question "N/A" if the Director expressly granted an extension in response to a governing body resolution petitioning for same.

030 Core Competencies Financial Administration

Have all audit findings from the CY2020/SFY2021 audit been 1) identified in the corrective action plan and 2) addressed such that they are not repeated in the CY2021/SFY2022 audit? If the answer is no, please list the repeat findings, along with the date the corrective action plan was submitted to DLGS, under Comments. Only answer "N/A" if there were no audit findings for CY2020/SFY2021. [1.00] N/A

031 Core Competencies Utilities

P.L. 2021, c. 97 requires municipalities with their own water, sewer, or electric service to provide monthly notice to residential ratepayers concerning local utility service and bill payment assistance. Please review Local Finance Notice 2022-09 for more information on the law's requirements. Is your municipality complying with the requirements of P.L. 2021, c. 97? Only answer N/A if your municipality does not have its own water, sewer, or electric service. [1.00] N/A

032 Core Competencies Transparency

In accordance with Governor Murphy's Executive Order 267 dated October 8, 2021 and outlined in LFN 2022-08 dated March 2, 2022, municipalities and counties were required to provide DLGS with a copy of all American Rescue Plan (ARP) LFRF reports filed with U.S. Treasury, including Project and Expenditure Reports, Interim Reports, and Recovery Plan and Performance Reports?. Did your municipality file with the Division all reports filed with Treasury? Only answer N/A if your municipality refused ARP LFRF Funding [1.00] Yes

033 Core Competencies Ethics

The Local Government Ethics Law, designed to ensure transparency in government, requires local government officers to file Financial Disclosure Statements (FDSs) annually. Compliance by local elected officials is required by N.J.S.A. 40A:9-22.6. Did all governing body members timely file their annual Financial Disclosure Statements for 2022 such that they were not issued a Notice of Violation by the Local Finance Board? Only answer N/A if your municipality has an ordinance on the books establishing a municipal ethics board. [1.00] Yes

034 Core Competencies Ethics

If your municipality has a municipal ethics board, did the municipal ethics board enforce the Financial Disclosure Statement (FDS) statute by issuing violations to local government officers (LGOs) who were on the 2022 roster but did not file the FDS by April 30, 2022? Only answer N/A if your municipality does not have an ordinance on the books establishing a municipal ethics board. [1.00] N/A

035 Best Practices Financial Administration

N.J.A.C. 5:30-8.3(a) establishes a schedule of minimum dollar amounts for tax collector surety bonding. However, subsection (b) of 5:30-8.3 encourages municipalities to adopt a more stringent schedule for tax collector surety bonding that is specified in the subsection. Has your municipality adopted, at minimum, the higher level surety bonding schedule for tax collectors set forth in N.J.A.C. 5:30-8.3(b)? [0.50] Yes

036 Best Practices Financial Administration

N.J.A.C. 5:30-8.4 (a) establishes a schedule of minimum dollar amounts for municipal court surety bonding, specifically for municipal judges and municipal court administrators. However, subsection (b) of 5:30-8.4 encourages municipalities to adopt a more stringent schedule for municipal court surety bonding that is specified in the subsection. Has your municipality adopted, at minimum, the higher level surety bonding schedule for municipal court judges and court administrators set forth in N.J.A.C. 5:30-8.4(b)? [0.50] Yes

037 Best Practices Personnel

Has your municipality established by ordinance an anti-nepotism policy that, at minimum, only authorizes the hiring the family members/relatives of municipal officials and employees if the individuals involved would do not work in a direct supervisory relationship, or in job positions in which a conflict of interest could arise. The term “family member/relatives” should be defined to include but not necessarily be limited to spouses, children, siblings, parents, in-laws, and step-relatives. [0.00] No Comment: Although we have not passed an Ordinance on this subject, we have a very comprehensive and restrictive set of guidelines on antinepotism which is in our employee handbook that was passed by Resolution.

038 Best Practices Tax Collection

Does your municipality issue periodic late notices to taxpayers who are overdue on their property tax payments? [0.50] Yes

039 Best Practices Procurement

If your municipality contracts with an insurance broker for health insurance, and said contract exceeds the Local Public Contracts Law (LPCL) bid threshold, is your municipality’s health insurance broker being procured through a competitive contracting or sealed bid process conducted pursuant to the Local Public Contracts Law? Only answer N/A if your municipality does not contract with an insurance broker for health insurance or, if it does, the contract does not exceed your municipality’s LPCL bid threshold. [0.50] N/A

040 Best Practices Procurement

Insurance broker fees dependent on the amount of health insurance premiums or fees paid by the municipality are vulnerable to abuse as brokers could face conflicting incentives in seeking lower-cost health insurance alternatives. If your municipality contracts with an insurance broker for health insurance, is the structure for broker payments set at a flat-fee rather than on a commission basis to mitigate the risk of a broker recommending more expensive health insurance coverage to earn higher fees? Only answer N/A if your municipality does not contract with an insurance broker for health insurance. [0.50] N/A

041 Best Practices Budget

Has your municipality created an accumulated absence liability trust fund pursuant to N.J.A.C. 5:30-15.5? Only answer N/A if your municipality 1) does not offer (for any employee hired after a certain date) payouts upon retirement for accumulated sick leave, and 2) no current employee has a grandfathered right to sick leave payouts upon retirement. [0.50] Yes

042 Best Practices Transparency

Does your municipality have an official social media account or accounts and, if so, is there a written policy establishing guidelines on access, use, and permitted content? Answer N/A if your municipality does not have a social media account. [0.50] Yes

043 Best Practices Transparency

Does your municipality feature a link on its website to the Division of Taxation's Property Tax Relief Program webpage at https://www.state.nj.us/treasury/taxation/relief.shtml? [0.50] Yes

044 Best Practices Environment

Have public electric vehicle charging stations been installed on municipal property? [0.00] No

045 Best Practices Environment

When purchasing new vehicles, does your municipality have a formal policy to purchase hybrid or alternative fuel vehicles whenever such vehicles are suited to the intended use? Only answer N/A if your municipality does not own any vehicles. [0.00] No

046 Unscored Survey Ethics

N.J.S.A. 40A:9-22.19 of the Local Government Ethics Law allows a municipality to establish its own municipal ethics board. Does your municipality have both an ordinance on the books establishing a municipal ethics board and a municipal code of ethics pursuant to N.J.S.A. 40A:9-22.21? [0.00] No

047 Unscored Survey Ethics

If your municipality has an ordinance establishing a municipal ethics board pursuant to N.J.S.A. 40A:9-22.19, is the board constituted with the minimum number of members necessary to establish a quorum for conducting business? A municipal ethics board shall consist of six members, at least two of whom shall be public members. No more than three members shall be of the same political party. Answer NA if your municipality does not have an ordinance establishing a local ethics board. [0.00] N/A

048 Unscored Survey Tax Collection

N.J.S.A 54:4-122.9 authorizes municipalities to adopt a resolution contracting with a local bank to serve as an “official tax receiving agency” for receiving, under the tax collector’s supervision, current tax payments, current water and sewer charges, and other public monies. A bank authorized to serve in this capacity can take property tax payments, utility payments, and other charges that are otherwise paid directly to the municipality, so long as those payments are not for delinquencies. Delinquencies must be satisfied directly with the municipality; however, a bank may accept payments made within an authorized grace period. Local Finance Notice 2021-09 contains further information on applicable requirements. Has your municipality designated a local bank as an official tax receiving agency pursuant to N.J.S.A. 54:4-122.9? [0.00] No

049 Unscored Survey Tax Collection

As explained in Local Finance Notice 2022-04, P.L. 2021, c. 99 expressly authorizes municipalities to establish property tax rewards programs encouraging patronage of local retail establishments. All actions properly taken by a municipal governing body prior to May 12, 2021 to authorize the creation and operation of a property tax rewards programs were also retroactively validated by P.L. 2021, c. 99. Has your municipality established a property tax rewards program? [0.00] No

050 Unscored Survey Housing

The Urban Homesteading Act (N.J.S.A. 40A:12-31 through 38) allows a municipality to adopt an ordinance establishing a process whereby title to municipal property obtained through in rem foreclosure is transferred to individuals committed to rehabilitate the premises and reside there for a specified period. All ordinances establishing an urban homesteading program must be filed with the Division of Local Government Services. Does your municipality currently have an ordinance on the books establishing an urban homesteading program pursuant to the Act? [0.00] No

051a Unscored Survey Shared Services

If your municipality currently provides a chief financial officer, tax collector, tax assessor, municipal clerk, qualified purchasing agent, certified public works manager, municipal treasurer, and/or a public works superintendent to another municipality pursuant to a shared services agreement, please select one of the options provided and list under Comments 1) the municipality for which the position is being provided; and 2) all other positions and each municipality along with the position being provided to that municipality. If your municipality currently provides none of these positions pursuant to a shared services agreement, select None of the Above and insert N/A into Comments. [0.00] None of the Above Comment: N/A

051b Unscored Survey Shared Services

If the answer to Question 51a is yes, did one or more of the identified shared service agreements result in the dismissal of a tenured official? If yes, please insert under Comments 1) the position or positions where an agreement resulted in the dismissal of a tenured official; and 2) an estimate of the cost savings anticipated to be achieved by the participating municipalities at the outset of the agreement. If the answer is No or N/A, please insert "No" or "N/A" under Comments. See LFN 2018-3R for more information on this provision of the Common Sense Shared Service Act. [0.00] N/A Comment: N/A

052 Unscored Survey Environment

How much did your municipality spend on operational costs associated with managing and treating stormwater runoff in the prior fiscal year, and how much did your municipality appropriate toward same for the current fiscal year? Examples of such costs include street cleaning, conveyance system clean-out, routine maintenance of storm drains and outfall pipes, and stormwater runoff-related educational programs. Also list under Comments the FCOA codes your municipality is using to classify these stormwater-related prior year expenditures and current year appropriations. Comment: 2021 operational costs associated with stormwater runoff spent: $209,575.00. 2022 operational costs associated with stormwater runoff appropriated: $182,249. FCOA codes used:01-26-290-000-011, 01-26-290-000-014,01-26-290-000-039,01-26-310-000-042,01-26-290-000-119, 01-26-310-000-011,01-32-465-000-128, 2-01-45-943-000, G-02-40-419-003-011

053 Unscored Survey Financial Administration

Does your municipality currently retain a chief financial officer through a professional services contract? [0.00] No

056j Unscored Survey Lead Remediation

Would your municipality be interested in applying for a State grant program to assist with the rental dwelling inspection costs associated with implementing P.L. 2021, c. 182? Answer N/A if your municipality has no local lead inspection activities or does not have any dwellings eligible for inspection. [0.00] Yes