The Players and Their Roles The public entities involved in the redevelopment process include the planning board, the governing body, and what is characterized in the statute as the redevelopment entity, which is the public body responsible for the implementation of the adopted redevelopment plan. The LRHL assigns very specific roles and responsibilities to each of these players, as discussed below. The Governing Body The governing body has an important role in the redevelopment process, consistent with its responsibility as the policy-making body of the municipality. The governing body initiates the redevelopment process by authorizing the planning board to undertake the preliminary investigation that will determine whether or not an area is in need of redevelopment. After receiving the planning board's findings and recommendations, the governing body adopts the resolution that formally designates the area in need of redevelopment. It also adopts the redevelopment plan for the designated area. The governing body may act as the redevelopment entity and exercise all accompanying redevelopment powers itself, or designate another public body, such as a redevelopment agency or local housing authority, to implement the plan. In addition to these responsibilities, the governing body also has the authority to grant tax abatements and exemptions in a redevelopment area and to assist in the financing of redevelopment projects through bonding and securing grants and loans. Finally, the governing body determines if an area is in need of rehabilitation for the purpose of granting short-term tax abatements or conducting redevelopment activities that do not require the acquisition of property. Even if the governing body is not the local redevelopment entity, it still may assist in the implementation of local redevelopment plans and projects through its general governmental powers. For example, it can provide infrastructure, recreation facilities, and other public improvements and amenities necessary to support the project. The Planning Board The planning board is responsible for ensuring that the proposed redevelopment is undertaken in a manner consistent with the comprehensive plan for the municipality. A key objective of the new redevelopment law was to more effectively integrate the redevelopment planning process into the municipality's comprehensive planning process, establishing a stronger and more clearly enunciated relationship between the redevelopment plan and the goals and objectives of the local master plan. To achieve this goal, the LRHL strengthened the role of the planning board, to ensure that it would be involved from the beginning through the end of the redevelopment process. The planning board has several roles and responsibilities in the redevelopment process. It conducts the preliminary investigation to determine if the designated area is in need of redevelopment. If so directed by the governing body, it prepares the redevelopment plan. If the governing body prepares the redevelopment plan, the planning board reviews the proposed plan and provides the governing body with its comments and recommendations. The planning board also reviews all proposed redevelopment projects in the designated redevelopment area. As part of its statutory responsibility to conduct a periodic reexamination of the master plan, the planning board is required to review all previously adopted redevelopment plans to determine if they should be incorporated into the comprehensive master plan of the municipality. The planning board also makes recommendations to the governing body regarding the designation of an area in need of rehabilitation. The Redevelopment Entity The redevelopment entity is the public body or agency assigned the task of implementing the redevelopment plan in the designated redevelopment area. The redevelopment entity does not undertake a redevelopment project itself, but selects the redeveloper that constructs the project. Once a redeveloper is selected, the redevelopment entity has the responsibility of ensuring that the project is undertaken in accordance with the provisions of the adopted redevelopment plan. The redevelopment entity can be the governing body, a local redevelopment agency, local housing authority, or county improvement authority. The redevelopment entity has substantial powers, including the authority to select a redeveloper to construct a redevelopment project, acquire properties in the redevelopment area through eminent domain; to issue bonds to fund redevelopment; to hire professionals; to undertake redevelopment planning; and to buy, sell, or lease properties within the redevelopment area.