New Jersey § 58:27-12

§ 58:27-12.

a. A contracting unit shall conduct a public hearing or hearings on the charges, rates,

or fees, or the formula for determining these charges, rates, or fees, and the other

provisions contained in a proposed contract negotiated pursuant to section 11 of this

act. 1 The contracting unit shall provide at least 90 days' public notice of this public

hearing to the Division of Rate Counsel in, but not of, the Department of the Treasury , prospective consumers and other interested parties. This notice shall be published in at least one newspaper of general circulation

in the jurisdiction to be served under the terms of the proposed contract. Within 45 days after giving notice of the public hearing, the contracting unit shall

hold a meeting with prospective consumers and other interested parties to explain

the terms and conditions of the proposed contract, and to receive written questions

which will be part of the record of the public hearing. At the public hearing, the selected vendor or vendors shall be present, and the

contracting unit shall have the burden to answer the questions received at the meeting,

and to show that the proposed contract complies with the provisions of section 15

of this act, 2 and that it constitutes the best means of securing the required wastewater treatment

services among available alternatives. The contracting unit shall provide that a verbatim record be kept of the public

hearing, and that a written transcript of this record be printed and made available

to the public within 45 days of the close of the public hearing. Written testimony received no more than 15 days after the public hearing shall be

included in the written transcript. After the public hearing the contracting unit and the vendor may agree to make changes

to the proposed contract, and the contracting unit shall transmit the proposed contract,

a copy of the printed transcript of the public hearing, and a statement summarizing

the major issues raised at the public hearing and the response of the contracting

unit to these issues, to the division, the department, and the Division of Rate Counsel, and shall make copies available to any other person upon request. b. If the Division of Rate Counsel represents the public interest at a public hearing or hearings conducted pursuant

to this section, the Division of Rate Counsel shall be entitled to assess the vendor

for costs incurred in this representation in the manner provided in section 20 of

P.L.1974, c. 27 ( C.52:27E-19 ). The basis of the assessment shall be the prospective first year's revenue realized

by the vendor from the provision of the wastewater treatment services pursuant to

the terms of the proposed contract. c. If a contract awarded pursuant to the provisions of this act is renegotiated, the

contracting unit shall conduct a public hearing on the renegotiated contract pursuant

to the provisions of this section. 1

N.J.S.A. § 58:27-11. 2

N.J.S.A. § 58:27-15.