Township Council Meeting — Agenda

record' or 'custodian' means in the case of a municipality, the municipal clerk . . . ."). In separate resolutions adopted by the Township Council on November 27, 2018, and January 8, 2019, the Township directed the West Orange planning board (planning board) "to conduct a preliminary investigation . . . to determine whether [the Township's public library] should be designated as an area in need of redevelopment" pursuant to the Local Redevelopment and Housing Law, N.J.S.A. 40A:12A-1 to -89. See N.J.S.A. 40A:12A-5 (outlining the criteria under which "[a] delineated area may be determined to be in need of redevelopment"). In the November 27, 2018 resolution, the Township authorized the planning board to retain Heyer, Gruel & Associates (HGA) — a professional planning firm — to prepare a report concerning whether the Township library "met the criteria of an area in need of redevelopment." 2 "Jack Baree . . . and Susan Gruel . . . are professional planners employed by HGA." 2 The record on appeal does not include the Township Council's November 27, 2018 resolution authorizing the planning Board to retain HGA to prepare the report. The transcript of the November 27, 2018 Township council meeting includes a discussion of the resolution and, during the meeting, the Township's attorney Richard D. Trenk explains the Township is permitted to authorize the planning board to hire HGA to provide the planning board with the "tools to" A-2287-19 4 Pa004