In addition to his professional achievements, Michael is deeply involved in local governance and public service, with memberships on various boards such as the New Jersey League of Municipalities and the Morristown Parking Authority. He holds multiple certifications in municipal finance and purchasing, and he has been a conference presenter on topics ranging from municipal service provision to crisis management. We are confident that Michael's leadership, strategic vision, and dedication to public service will make a valuable contribution to DCA.

The Division of Local Government Services and New Jersey's Shared Services Czars are pleased to announce that applications are now being accepted for FY 2025 Local Efficiency Achievement Program (LEAP) Grants.

LEAP affords an unprecedented opportunity to incentivize shared services implementation across New Jersey's local government entities, advancing the mission of the Shared Services Program.

LEAP facilitates exploring and establishing shared services by providing counties, municipalities, school districts, commissions, authorities and fire districts assistance for the study or implementation of promising shared services projects undertaken pursuant to the Uniform Shared Services and Consolidation Act.

Applications for LEAP County Shared Services Coordinator, Challenge, and Implementation Grants have a rolling application process. It is recommended that applications be submitted as soon as possible due to the LEAP program's popularity and funding availability of the FY 2025 LEAP appropriation.

TRENTON, NJ - The New Jersey Department of Community Affairs' (DCA) Division of Local Government Services (DLGS) today announced that applications are now being accepted for the Local Recreation Improvement Grant (LRIG) Program funding that is being offered to New Jersey counties, municipalities and school districts. The Murphy Administration has allocated $20 million in the Fiscal Year 2025 budget to this competitive grant program that supports improvement and repair of public recreation facilities including local parks, municipal recreation centers, and local stadiums.

Local Recreation Improvement Grant funds will be awarded to successful grant applicants to help cover costs associated with updating community centers, playgrounds, pools, fields, walking or bicycle trails, rail trails, multi-sport courts, and recreational facilities; one-time personnel costs directly related to improvements; project development professional services costs; equipment costs including playground and recreation facilities equipment; and environmental remediation costs required to prepare recreation sites for use.

The Local Recreation Improvement Grant (LRIG) Program was developed to:

-              Fund improvements to recreational facilities;

-              Provide quality outdoor recreational space to underserved communities; and

-              Assist local units in achieving unmet recreational obligations.

New Jersey counties, municipalities, and school districts are eligible to apply.

This Notice is being sent on behalf of the Department of Community Affairs

As previously noted the CTM (COAH Tracking & Monitoring) application was retired on September 2, 2024.  That system will be replaced by the new Affordable Housing Monitoring System (AHMS) application on Friday, September 6, 2024. At that time, reporting required by P.L. 2024, c.2 for completed affordable housing units and municipal affordable housing trust funds may resume.

All authorized users established by each municipality under the retired CTM application will be carried forward and automatically provided with their same user permissions in the new system. Beginning September 6th, anyone seeking authorization for the first time must receive municipal approval before being granted access to the system. If a new user seeks authorization, municipal clerks will first be notified and asked to confirm that the requested access is authorized. Upon authorization LPS staff at DCA will be notified and move the authorized user into the system.

The New Jersey Department of Treasury Grants Management Office recently released its most current Grants Update, which identifies sources of federal grant funding opportunities. Local governments are encouraged to familiarize themselves with the Grants Management Office and its various resources, including the weekly Grants Update, grant-related training opportunities, and available state and federal grants. The Grants Management Office does not apply for or award any grants.

Rutgers - School of Public Affairs and Administration is pleased to announce that the State of New Jersey Certified Public Manager program will be offering three cohorts in Fall 2024.

Fall 2024 - In-person Cohorts

-       Lawrence Twp. Fridays starting Oct. 25

-       Atlantic City, Tuesdays starting Nov. 12

Classes are held from 8:30 AM to 4:30 PM one day per week for 10 months.

NJ-4 Virtual, Tuesdays starting Oct. 8th One day per week for 10 months, 8:30 AM - 1:30 PM via Zoom, plus 3 hours independent study.

To apply to the NJ CPM program, applicants must complete, prepare, and submit the following:

-       Application Form

-       Professional Resume

-       Supervisor Statement of Approval

-       Personal Statement: Prepare a short essay (one to two typed double-spaced pages) expressing "Why are you interested in applying to the NJ Certified Public Manager Program"

Admission to the New Jersey Certified Public Manager Program is processed on a rolling basis. Classes are held in various locations throughout the southern, central, and northern regions of New Jersey.

In accordance with P.L. 2024, c. 16 (effective September 3, 2024), all agencies subject to OPRA will be required to "adopt the form established by the Government Records Council . . . for the use of any person who requests access to a government record held or controlled by the public agency." N.J.S.A.47:1A-5(f).

The Government Records Council ("GRC") has announced that its "Adoptable OPRA request form" portal goes live at 2:00 pm on Wednesday, August 28, 2024.

NJLM and NJ Community Solutions Management Workshop Program - Council Relations and Financial Management Series - Parts 4 and 5

Location 1

Rowan at Burlington County College

900 College Circle

Mount Laurel, New Jersey 08054

Location 2

Bergen County Community College at the Meadowlands

1280 Wall Street West

Lyndhurst, NJ 07071

What is the Management Workshop Series?

The New Jersey League of Municipalities has partnered with NJ Community Solutions to provide a new educational program that will teach individuals about the practical side of managing municipalities in New Jersey.

The Municipal Management Workshops are a series of three-hour practical educational sessions. Each session will be held in-person in small class sizes to provide opportunities to learn, discuss and question key aspects of managing a New Jersey municipality. Starting on September 10, 2024, the fourth series will cover a broad range of issues regarding Council Relations. Included will be Communications, Managing a Split Council, Agenda Prep, Community Relations, and Setting Expectations. Starting on October 8, 2024, the fifth series will cover a broad range of issues regarding Financial Management. Included will be Developing a Budget, Reporting State Documents, Understanding the Annual Financial Statement, Capitol Planning 1 year, and Capitol Planning-6 years.

Registration Fee:

Rates start at $250 per course. Discounts are available for multiple registrations.

As a follow-up to our notification of August 19, 2024, this is a reminder that the CTM (COAH Tracking & Monitoring) application will be taken offline during the first week in September 2024 and it will be replaced by the new Affordable Housing Monitoring System (AHMS) application. The existing CTM application will be available for the reporting of affordable housing trust fund accounting and affordable unit completions up to 11:59 p.m. on Monday September 2, 2024.

All information added to the CTM application through 11:59 p.m. on Monday September 2, 2024 will be saved and migrated to the new AHMS application.  Existing user account information will also be preserved as part of the migration. The new AHMS application will become available for municipal use starting on Friday September 6, 2024 and data entry may resume at that time.

All municipal reporting required by P.L. 2024, c.2 for completed affordable housing units and municipal affordable housing trust funds must be provided in the new AHMS by September 16, 2024.

We are offering the following four virtual training sessions to provide guidance on the use of the new system.  The links below each date will provide access to the webinar.

Tuesday, August 27th from 2:00 to 3:00

The deadline for municipalities to complete the Stay NJ Survey has been extended to COB Friday, September 6th. Stay NJ is a new property tax credit program that will go into effect for State Fiscal Year 2026. It was created through P.L. 2023, c. 75, which is known as the Stay NJ Act. For purposes of program implementation, the Division of Local Government Services is distributing a survey to all municipalities to gather details about what municipalities will require to implement Stay NJ. The survey will help the Stay NJ Task Force identify potential challenges to implementing the Stay NJ program.

Municipalities will use the existing Best Practices Inventory platform to complete and submit the Stay NJ survey. Municipal Chief Financial Officers (CMFOs), Chief Administrative Officers (CAOs), and Municipal Clerks listed on the Roster of Officials within the Best Practices Inventory platform will already have access to the Stay NJ survey. If the CAO or Clerk has changed, the new officials will need to first register for an account. Once registered, the CMFO provides access via the Roster of Officials. CMFO access is provided by the Division.  As there is not a level of system access specific to Tax Collectors, a printable questions sheet is available within the online platform to be provided to the Tax Collector. Responses provided by the Tax Collector can be entered into the system by any of the three officials that have access. Once all responses have been recorded, any of the three officials with access to the survey will be able to click the "Sign and Submit" tab to submit the survey to the Division of Local Government Services. The submission is not considered successful until this process is complete. Again, only one of the three assigned roles is required to certify and submit the completed survey.

Please note that the CAO is an individual who, regardless of title, is responsible for the municipality's day-to-day operations. If a municipality does not have a Business Administrator or Municipal Manager, this person would be whichever individual (e.g., Municipal Clerk, CMFO) is responsible for running day to- day operations. Every municipality has a CAO.

Review the user guide and FAQ for further information:

As a follow-up to our notification of July 19, 2024, please be advised that the CTM (COAH Tracking & Monitoring) application will be taken offline during the first week in September 2024 and it will be replaced by the new Affordable Housing Monitoring System (AHMS) application. The existing CTM application will be available for the reporting of affordable housing trust fund accounting and affordable unit completions up to 11:59 p.m. on Monday September 2, 2024.

All information added to the CTM application through 11:59 p.m. on Monday September 2, 2024 will be saved and migrated to the new AHMS application.  Existing user account information will also be preserved as part of the migration. The new AHMS application will become available for municipal use starting on Friday September 6, 2024 and data entry may resume at that time.

We will be offering multiple virtual training sessions to provide guidance on the use of the new system during the week of August 26th.

In conjunction with the New Jersey Department of Labor and Workforce Development (NJDOL), the Division of Local Government Services reminds local governments and boards of education of two important statutory updates under the New Jersey Prevailing Wage Act (N.J.S.A. 34:11-56.25 et seq.) and the Public Works Contractor Registration Act (PWCR Act N.J.S.A. 34:11-56.48 et seq.):

The Prevailing Wage Threshold: Contracts for public work that exceed a threshold of $19,375 as of July 1, 2024, for municipalities, and $2,000 for all other public bodies, are subject to both the Prevailing Wage Act and the PWCR Act.

New Jersey Wage Hub

Dear Municipal Partner:

The New Jersey Department of Community Affairs, the New Jersey Housing and Mortgage Finance Agency, the New Jersey Economic Development Authority, and the New Jersey Redevelopment Authority invite you to attend the 2024 Governor's Conference on Housing and Economic Development from September 17 through September 18, 2024.

Join fellow municipal partners, industry leaders, and advocates who will share valuable information and effective strategies on how to improve affordable housing and economic development across the state.

You won't want to miss our plenary session with key legislators, The Honorable Senator Vincent J. Polistina, District 2, Senator Troy Singleton, District 7, and Assemblywoman Yvonne Lopez, District 19, where they will discuss ongoing efforts to transform our state into a place where everyone can live and thrive.

Other key sessions include but are not limited to:

-             A Statewide Action Agenda for Equitable Sustainable Housing where you'll gain practical skills and knowledge to utilize housing and mixed-use developments to further state and local planning goals.

-             Real Estate Development Through Tax Credits where you'll learn about the NJ Economic Development Authority's financial programs directly available to municipalities developers.

-             Innovative Approaches for Affordable and Sustainable Housing where you'll have an opportunity to explore tools for Tax Credit Applications, Electrification, and Missing Middle Housing. Experts will explore innovative

tools and strategies aimed at increasing affordability, sustainability, and community integration in housing development.

-             How is New Jersey supporting its Main Streets? You'll gain knowledge about support, resources, and successes for Main Street businesses throughout the state.

-             How New Jersey Supports Cities and Small Developers where you'll learn about NJ Economic Development Authority's Government Restricted Municipalities (GRMs) and products/resources developed to support these cities in

a different way.

We are pleased to announce that this year's event will once again take place at the Waterfront Conference Center at Harrah's Resort in Atlantic City. Our team has been working tirelessly to curate a diverse range of sessions, networking opportunities, keynote speakers, and an overall atmosphere that will promote professional growth during our annual two-day symposium.

We look forward to seeing you at the conference and hope that you enjoy the event!

Sincerely,

The Governor's Conference on Housing and Economic Development

Notice issued on behalf of the Department of Community Affairs, Division of Housing and Community Resources.

P.L. 2021, c.182 (N.J.S.A. 52:27D-437.16) mandates inspections for lead-based paint hazards in certain pre-1978 single-family, two-family, and multiple-rental dwellings. These inspections must be completed, and the documentation submitted to DCA by no later than July 22, 2024, or upon tenant turnover, whichever is earlier.

Municipalities with a permanent construction enforcement agency are required to perform these inspections themselves. Those without such an agency must contract with a DCA-certified vendor.

Notice issued on behalf of the Department of Community Affairs, Local Planning Services

Senate Bill S-3385 was signed into law by Governor Murphy on July 10, 2024.  The new law provides that municipalities that are authorized to retain and expend non-residential affordable housing development fees have 180 days following the March 20, 2024 enactment of P.L.2024, c.2 to provide the Department of Community Affairs (DCA) with an accounting of non-residential fees and residential affordable housing development fees that have been collected and expended since the inception of the municipal authorization to collect and retain the fees.  The revision to the law harmonizes the reporting requirement for non-residential fees with residential development fee reporting requirements also set forth in the new law.  The revised deadline for both types of fee reporting is now September 16, 2024.

We are in the process of developing an on-line reporting system that will streamline and update the existing CTM reporting system previously used by COAH.  We will be sending out periodic updates to keep all municipalities informed on the progress and availability of the new system. In the interim, we encourage all municipalities to continue using the legacy CTM system to report the collection and expenditure of Affordable Housing Trust funds and affordable unit completions.  All data entered into the CTM system, including residential development fees, non-residential development fees, and details on completed affordable units, will be migrated into the new Affordable Housing Monitoring System (AHMS).

As the new AHMS development progresses, we will keep you appraised via future GovConnect communications.