AN ORDINANCE AMENDING CHAPTER 220 OF THE ALPINE CODE TO CREATE THE POSITION OF MUNICIPAL HOUSING LIAISON FOR THE PURPOSE OF ADMINISTERING ALPINES AFFORDABLE HOUSING PROGRAM PURSUANT TO THE FAIR HOUSING ACT.

Section 3. Establishment of Municipal Housing Liaison position and compensation; powers and duties.

A. Establishment of position of Municipal Housing Liaison. There is hereby established the position of Municipal Housing Liaison for Alpine.

B. Subject to the approval of the Council on Affordable Housing (COAH), the Municipal Housing Liaison shall be appointed by the Governing Body and may be a full or part time municipal employee.

C. The Municipal Housing Liaison shall be responsible for oversight and administration of the affordable housing program for Borough of Alpine, including the following responsibilities which may not be contracted out:

(1) Serving as the Borough of Alpines primary point of contact for all inquiries from the State, affordable housing providers, Administrative Agents, and interested households;

(2) Monitoring the status of all restricted units in the Borough of Alpines Fair Share Plan;

(3) Compiling, verifying, and submitting annual reports as required by COAH;

(4) Coordinating meetings with affordable housing providers and Administrative Agents, as applicable;

(5) Attending continuing education opportunities on affordability controls, compliance monitoring, and affirmative marketing as offered or approved by COAH;

(6) If applicable, serving as the Administrative Agent for some or all of the restricted units in Alpine as described in F. below.

D. Subject to approval by COAH, the Borough of Alpine may contract with or authorize a consultant, authority, government or any agency charged by the Governing Body, which entity shall have the responsibility of administering the affordable housing program of Alpine. If the Borough of Alpine contracts with another entity to administer all or any part of the affordable housing program, including the affordability controls and Affirmative Marketing Plan, the Municipal Housing Liaison shall supervise the contracting Administrative Agent.

E. Compensation. Compensation shall be fixed by the Governing Body at the time of the appointment of the Municipal Housing Liaison.

F. Administrative powers and duties assigned to the Municipal Housing Liaison. If Alpine has contracted with a separate entity to perform the duties of the Administrative Agent, such entity shall have the following administrative powers and the Municipal Housing Liaison shall have oversight responsibilities only, provided in subparagraph D.

(1) Affordability Controls

(a) Furnishing to attorneys or closing agents forms of deed restrictions and mortgages for recording at the time of conveyance of title of each restricted unit;

(b) Creating and maintaining a file on each restricted unit for its control period, including the recorded deed with restrictions, recorded mortgage and note, as appropriate;

(c) Ensuring that the removal of the deed restrictions and cancellation of the mortgage note are effectuated and properly filed with the appropriate countys register of deeds or county clerks office after the termination of the affordability controls for each restricted unit;

(d) Communicating with lenders regarding foreclosures; and

(e) Ensuring the issuance of Continuing Certificates of Occupancy or certifications pursuant to N.J.A.C. 5:80-26.10.

(2) Resale and rental

(a) Instituting and maintaining an effective means of communicating information between owners and the Administrative Agent regarding the availability of restricted units for resale or rental; and

(b) Instituting and maintaining an effective means of communicating information to low- and moderate-income households regarding the availability of restricted units for resale or re-rental.

(3) Processing request from unit owners

(a) Reviewing and approving requests from owners of restricted units who wish to take out home equity loans or refinance during the term of their ownership;

(b) Reviewing and approving requests to increase sales prices from owners of restricted units who wish to make capital improvements to the units that would affect the selling price, such authorizations to be limited to those improvements resulting in additional bedrooms or bathrooms and the cost of central air conditioning systems; and

(c) Processing requests and making determinations on requests by owners of restricted units for hardship waivers.

(4) Enforcement

(a) Securing annually lists of all affordable housing units for which tax bills are mailed to absentee owners and notifying all such owners that they must either move back to their unit or sell it;

(b) Securing from all developers and sponsors of restricted units, at the earliest point of contact in the processing of the project or development, written acknowledgement of the requirement that no restricted unit can be offered, or in any other way committed, to any person, other than a household duly certified to the unit by the Administrative Agent;

(c) The posting annually in all rental properties, including two-family homes, of a notice as to the maximum permitted rent together with the telephone number of the Administrative Agent where complaints of excess rent can be made;

(d) Sending annual mailings to all owners of affordable dwelling units, reminding them of the notices and requirements outlined in N.J.A.C. 5:80-26.18(d)4;

(e) Establishing a program for diverting unlawful rent payments to the municipality's affordable housing trust fund or other appropriate municipal fund approved by the DCA;

(f) Establishing a rent-to-equity program;

(g) Creating and publishing a written operating manual, as approved by COAH, setting forth procedures for administering such affordability controls; and

(h) Providing annual reports to COAH as required.

(5) The Administrative Agent shall have authority to take all actions necessary and appropriate to carry out its responsibilities hereunder.

Section 4. Severability.

If any section, subsection, paragraph, sentence or other part of this Ordinance is adjudged unconstitutional or invalid, such judgment shall not affect or invalidate the remainder of this Ordinance, but shall be confined in its effect to the section, subsection, paragraph, sentence or other part of this Ordinance directly involved in the controversy in which said judgment shall have been rendered and all other provisions of this Ordinance shall remain in full force and effect.

Section 5. Inconsistent Ordinances Repealed.

All ordinances or parts of ordinances which are inconsistent with the provisions of this ordinance are hereby repealed, but only to the extent of such inconsistencies.

Section 6. Effective Date.

This Ordinance shall take effect immediately upon final adoption and publication in the manner prescribed by law.