3. a. Upon application to and approval by the Director of Local Government Services in the Department of Community Affairs, the governing body of a municipality may establish the amounts of money to be expended by the municipality for the improvements authorized in sections 1 and 2 of P.L.2011, c.187 (C. 40:56-1.4 and C. 40:56-13.1). Any amount so appropriated may be raised by the issuance of clean energy special assessment bonds by the municipality. In making the appropriation, the governing body may designate the particular projects to be financed to which the moneys shall be applied.

b. Clean energy special assessments and bonds issued to finance them shall be issued and shall be generally subject to R.S.40:56-21 et seq., as the director shall determine to be applicable.

c. The director is authorized and empowered to take such action as deemed necessary and consistent with the intent of this act to implement its provisions.

d. Notwithstanding the provisions of this section to the contrary, the Director of Local Government Services in the Department of Community Affairs shall not accept, and the governing body of a municipality shall not submit an application pursuant to subsection a. of this section after the date the Economic Development Authority has published on its Internet website all of the items pursuant to subsection a. of section 5 of P.L.2021, c.201 (C. 34:1B-378). The Director of Local Government Services in the Department of Community Affairs or a municipality shall continue to process any application submitted prior to that date, and an application approved by a municipality prior to that date shall be implemented.

e. All actions taken by the Director of Local Government Services in the Department of Community Affairs or any municipality pursuant to the provisions of this section shall be unaffected by the enactment of P.L.2021, c.201 (C. 34:1B-374 et al.).

L.2011, c.187, s.3; amended 2021, c.201, s.12.