Rep. Camille Y. Lilly

Filed: 5/31/2013

 

 


 

 


 
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1
AMENDMENT TO SENATE BILL 1409

2    AMENDMENT NO. ______. Amend Senate Bill 1409, AS AMENDED,
3by replacing everything after the enacting clause with the
4following:
 
5    "Section 1. Short title. This Act may be cited as the
6Elmwood Park Grade Separation Authority Act.
 
7    Section 5. Definitions. As used in this Act:
8    "Authority" means the Elmwood Park Grade Separation
9Authority.
10    "Person" includes an individual, partnership, firm, public
11or private corporation, and government or unit of government.
12    "Railroad" or "Railroads" means the Canadian Pacific
13Railway and other railroads operating or owning trackage or
14right-of-way within the area of the Authority.
15    "Village" means the Village of Elmwood Park.
 

 

 

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1    Section 10. Legislative declaration. The General Assembly
2declares that the welfare, health, prosperity, and moral and
3general well being of the people of the State are, in large
4measure, dependent upon the sound and orderly development of
5municipal areas. The Village of Elmwood Park by reason of the
6location there of Grand Avenue and its use for vehicular travel
7in access to the entire west metropolitan Chicago area,
8including municipalities in 2 counties, as well as commercial
9and industrial growth patterns and accessibility to O'Hare
10International Airport, manufacturing and freight related
11services, has become and will increasingly be the hub of
12transportation from all parts of the region and throughout the
13west metropolitan area. Motor vehicle traffic, pedestrian
14travel, and the safety of both motorists and pedestrians are
15substantially aggravated by the location of a major railroad
16right-of-way that divides the Village into north and south
17halves. The presence of the railroad right-of-way has
18effectively impeded the development of highway usage and
19rights-of-way and is detrimental to the orderly expansion of
20industry and commerce and to progress throughout the region.
21Additionally, the railroad grade crossing located on Grand
22Avenue within the Village of Elmwood Park has posed a
23significant safety hazard to the public. The Illinois Commerce
24Commission Collision History illustrates that there have been 8
25fatalities and 29 injuries since 1956 at the railroad grade
26crossing located on Grand Avenue within the Village. The

 

 

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1presence of the railroad right-of-way at grade crossing within
2the Village is detrimental to the safety of the public, as well
3as to the orderly expansion of industry and commerce and to
4progress of the region. To alleviate this situation, it is
5necessary to separate the grade crossing on Grand Avenue within
6the Village, to relocate the railroad tracks and right-of-way,
7and to acquire property for separation of the railroad or
8highway and to create an agency to facilitate and accomplish
9that grade separation.
 
10    Section 15. Creation; duration; termination of the
11Authority. There is created a body politic and corporate, a
12unit of local government, named the Elmwood Park Grade
13Separation Authority that embraces that portion of Leyden
14Township within the Village of Elmwood Park, Cook County,
15Illinois. The Authority shall continue in existence until the
16accomplishment of its objectives or until the Authority
17officials resolve that it is impossible or economically
18unfeasible to fulfill its objectives. Objectives of the
19Authority include the grade separation of railroad tracks from
20the right-of-way of Grand Avenue in the Village of Elmwood
21Park, the relocation of railroad tracks and roadway to
22facilitate the grade separation, and other necessary, related
23improvements to the right-of-way and at-grade crossing closure
24within the Village of Elmwood Park. The Authority shall be
25dissolved upon its voluntary termination or 6 months after the

 

 

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1first use of the railway on the grade separation structure by a
2Railroad. Upon termination or dissolution of the Authority
3after the construction of the grade separation project, the
4Department of Transportation shall own and maintain the grade
5separation structure and the Canadian Pacific Railway Company
6shall own and maintain the railway along the grade separation
7structure.
 
8    Section 20. Procedural capacity; seal; office. The
9Authority may sue and be sued in its corporate name, but
10execution shall not in any case issue against any property of
11the Authority. The Authority shall be subject to the
12jurisdiction of the Illinois Commerce Commission. It may adopt
13a common seal and change the seal at pleasure. The principal
14office of the Authority shall be in the Village of Elmwood
15Park, Illinois.
16    The Authority may enter into contracts for the performance
17of its objectives, including agreements with other State
18entities and departments, as well as provide for the letting of
19construction contracts, consultant service agreements,
20professional and trade services, and other agreements
21consistent with the purposes and objectives of the Authority
22established by this Act. The Authority may accept
23jurisdictional transfer of public right-of-way for purposes of
24eliminating at-grade street and railroad crossings.
 

 

 

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1    Section 25. Acquisition of property. The Authority shall
2have the power to acquire by gift, purchase, legacy, or by the
3exercise of eminent domain the fee simple title to real
4property located within the boundaries of the Authority,
5including temporary and permanent easements, as well as
6reversionary interests in the streets, alleys, and other public
7places and personal property, required for its purposes, and
8title thereto shall be taken in the corporate name of the
9Authority. Any such property that is already devoted to a
10public use may nevertheless be acquired, provided that no
11property belonging to the United States of America or the State
12of Illinois may be acquired without the consent of such
13governmental unit. No property devoted to a public use
14belonging to a corporation subject to the jurisdiction of the
15Illinois Commerce Commission may be acquired without a prior
16finding by the Illinois Commerce Commission that the taking
17would not result in the imposition of an undue burden on
18intrastate commerce. Eminent domain proceedings shall be
19conducted in all respects in the manner provided for the
20exercise of the right of the eminent domain under the Eminent
21Domain Act. No condemnation proceedings for the acquisition of
22new property shall be instituted without the prior concurrence
23of the affected Railroads in the route, width and title to be
24acquired thereby. Consistent with the Land Acquisition and
25Procedures Manual prepared by the Department of Transportation
26and updated through October 23, 2012, when a railroad company

 

 

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1owns the fee title to its operating right-of-way and such
2property is acquired by the Authority to construct a grade
3separation facility, no compensation of any kind shall be made
4to the railroad to construct a grade separation facility where
5an existing highway crossing is eliminated; however,
6consideration shall be given if the size of the acquisition is
7different than the original right-of-way. All land and
8appurtenances thereto, acquired or owned by the Authority, are
9to be deemed acquired or owned for a public use or public
10purpose.
 
11    Section 30. Sale or exchange of property. The Authority
12has the power to sell, transfer, exchange, vacate, or assign
13property acquired for the purposes of this Act, as it deems
14appropriate.
 
15    Section 35. Acceptance of grants, loans, and
16appropriations. The Authority has the power to apply for and
17accept grants, loans, advances, and appropriations from the
18federal government and from the State of Illinois, or any
19agency or instrumentality thereof, to be used for the purposes
20of the Authority, and to enter into any agreement in relation
21to such grants, loans, advances, and appropriations. The
22Authority may also accept from the State, or any State agency,
23department, or commission, any county or other political
24subdivision, any municipal corporation, any Railroads, school

 

 

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1authorities, or jointly therefrom, grants of funds or services
2for any of the purposes of this Act. The Authority shall be
3treated as a rail carrier subject to the Illinois Commerce
4Commission's jurisdiction and eligible to receive money from
5the Grade Crossing Protection Fund, any fund of the State, or
6other source available for purposes of promoting safety and
7separation of at-grade railroad crossings or highway
8improvements.
9    The Illinois Commerce Commission Crossing Safety
10Improvement Program FY 2014-2018 Plan shall be revised to
11include this Authority's grade separation project as one of the
12bridge projects contemplated for FY 2015 through FY 2018, and
13funds from the Grade Crossing Protection Fund shall be
14allocated in the FY 2015 through FY 2018 Plan for said grade
15separation project. No Order of the Illinois Commerce
16Commission shall be effective or binding on the Authority to
17construct the grade separation project unless the federal
18government, the State of Illinois, or any agency or
19instrumentality thereof has granted or appropriated sufficient
20funds for the construction of the grade separation project and
21the Authority is in receipt of those funds. Notwithstanding,
22the Illinois Commerce Commission shall not withhold approval of
23the construction of the Authority's grade separation project or
24the issuance of any Orders that authorize the construction of
25the Authority's grade separation project.
 

 

 

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1    Section 40. Borrowing money and issuance of bonds. The
2Authority may incur debt and borrow money from time to time
3and, in evidence thereof, may issue and sell bonds in such
4amount or amounts as the Authority may determine in order to
5provide funds for carrying out the purposes of this Act and to
6pay all costs and expenses incident thereto. The Authority may
7refund and refinance, from time to time, bonds so issued and
8sold, as often as may be deemed to be advantageous by the
9Authority.
 
10    Section 45. Taxing powers. The Authority may not levy real
11property taxes for any purpose whatsoever.
 
12    Section 50. Board; composition; qualification;
13compensation and expenses. The Authority shall be governed by
14a 9-member board consisting of members appointed by the
15Governor with the advice and consent of the Senate. Five
16members shall be voting members and 4 members shall be
17non-voting members. The voting members shall consist of the
18following:
19        (1) two former public officials who served within the
20    Township of Leyden or the Village of Elmwood Park and
21    recommended to the Governor by the Village President of the
22    Village of Elmwood Park;
23        (2) two prior employees of Canadian Pacific Railway
24    with management experience; and

 

 

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1        (3) one resident of the Township of Leyden or the
2    Village of Elmwood Park.
3    The non-voting members shall consist of the following:
4        (1) the Village President of the Village of Elmwood
5    Park;
6        (2) one current employee of Canadian Pacific Railway
7    with management experience;
8        (3) one current employee of Northeast Illinois
9    Regional Commuter Railroad Corporation with management
10    experience; and
11        (4) one current employee of the Department of
12    Transportation with management experience.
13    The members of the board shall serve without compensation,
14but may be reimbursed for actual expenses incurred by them in
15the performance of their duties prescribed by the Authority.
16However, any member of the board who serves as secretary or
17treasurer may receive compensation for services as that
18officer.
 
19    Section 55. Removal of members. The Governor may remove
20from office any board member immediately in case of
21incompetency, neglect of duty or malfeasance of office, or
22otherwise upon 15 days written notice to the other members.
23Absence from any 3 consecutive regular meetings of the board
24shall be deemed neglect of duty.
 

 

 

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1    Section 60. Organization; chair and temporary secretary.
2As soon as possible after the effective date of this amendatory
3Act of the 98th General Assembly, the board shall organize for
4the transaction of business, select a chair from its voting
5members and a temporary secretary from its own number, and
6adopt bylaws to govern its proceedings. The initial chair and
7successors shall be elected by the board from time to time from
8among members. The Authority may act through its board members
9by entering into an agreement that a member act on the
10Authority's behalf, in which instance the act or performance
11directed shall be deemed to be exclusively of, for, and by the
12Authority and not the individual act of the member or its
13represented person.
 
14    Section 65. Meetings; quorum; resolutions. Regular
15meetings of the board shall be held at least quarterly, the
16time and place of those meetings to be fixed by the board.
17Special meetings may be called by the chair or by a majority of
18the members of the board by giving notice in writing that
19states the time, place, and purpose of the meeting. Notice of
20special meetings shall be served by special delivery letter
21deposited in the mail at least 48 hours before the meeting. A
22majority of the members of the board shall constitute a quorum
23for the transaction of business. All action of the Authority
24shall be by resolution of the board and, except as otherwise
25provided in this Act, the affirmative vote of at least a

 

 

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1majority shall be necessary for the adoption of any resolution.
2The chair shall be entitled to vote on any and all matters
3coming before the board.
 
4    Section 70. Secretary and treasurer; oaths; bond of
5treasurer. The board may appoint a secretary and a treasurer,
6who need not be members of the board, to hold office during the
7pleasure of the Authority and fix their duties and
8compensation. Before entering into the duties of their
9respective offices, they shall take and subscribe to the
10constitutional oath of office, and the treasurer shall execute
11a bond with corporate sureties to be approved by the Authority.
12The bond shall be payable to the Authority in whatever penal
13sum may be directed by the board, conditioned upon the faithful
14performance of the duties of the office and the payment of all
15money received by the treasurer according to law and the orders
16of the Authority. The Authority may, at any time, require a new
17bond for the treasurer in such penal sum as may then be
18determined by the board.
 
19    Section 75. Deposit and withdrawal of funds; signatures.
20All funds deposited by the treasurer in any bank or savings and
21loan association shall be placed in the name of the Authority
22and shall be withdrawn or paid out only by check or draft upon
23the bank or savings and loan association, signed by the
24treasurer and countersigned by the chair of the board. Subject

 

 

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1to prior approval of the designations by a majority of the
2board, the chair may designate any other member or any officer
3of the Authority to affix the signature of the treasurer to any
4Authority check or draft for payment of salaries or wages and
5for payment of any other obligation of not more than $2,500.
6    No bank or savings and loan association shall receive
7public funds as permitted by this Section unless it has
8complied with the requirements established under Section 6 of
9the Public Funds Investment Act.
 
10    Section 80. Delivery of check after executing officer
11ceases to hold office. If any officer whose signature appears
12upon any check or draft issued pursuant to this Act ceases to
13hold office before the delivery of the check or draft to the
14payee, the officer's signature nevertheless shall be valid and
15sufficient for all purposes with the same effect as if the
16officer had remained in office until delivery of the check or
17draft.
 
18    Section 85. Rules. The Authority may make and the board
19may adopt all rules and regulations proper or necessary and to
20carry into effect the powers granted to it. The rules and
21regulations shall be consistent with the guidelines,
22objectives, and project scope as set out by the Illinois
23Commerce Commission.
 

 

 

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1    Section 90. Fiscal year. The Authority shall designate its
2fiscal year.
 
3    Section 95. Reports and financial statements. Within 60
4days after the end of its fiscal year, the Authority shall
5cause to be prepared by a certified public accountant a
6complete and detailed report and financial statement of the
7operations and assets and liabilities as relate to the Elmwood
8Park Grade Separation Authority railroad grade separation
9project. A reasonably sufficient number of copies of the report
10shall be prepared for distribution to persons interested, upon
11request, and a copy of the report shall be filed with the
12Illinois Commerce Commission and with the county clerk of Cook
13County.
 
14    Section 100. Construction. Nothing in this Act shall be
15construed to confer upon the Authority the right, power, or
16duty to order or enforce the abandonment of any present
17property of the railroads or the use in substitution therefor
18of any property acquired for the railroads in the absence of a
19contract duly executed by the railroads and the Authority
20setting forth the terms and conditions upon which relocation of
21the right-of-way and physical facilities of the railroads is to
22be accomplished. No such contract shall be or become
23enforceable until the provisions of the contract have been
24approved or authorized by the Illinois Commerce Commission.

 

 

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1    Any construction improvements to signaling or any other
2aspect of the grade separation project dictated by the Railroad
3or the Northeast Illinois Regional Commuter Railroad
4Corporation shall be paid for respectively by the Railroad or
5the Northeast Illinois Regional Commuter Railroad Corporation.
6The Railroad or the Northeast Illinois Regional Commuter
7Railroad Corporation, or both, shall specifically pay any and
8all costs associated with any upgrades to the railway.
 
9    Section 105. Existing contracts, obligations, and
10liabilities. No contract, obligation, or liability whatever of
11the railroads to pay any money into the State treasury, nor any
12lien of the State upon or right to tax property of the
13railroads, shall be released, suspended, modified, altered,
14remitted, or in any manner diminished or impaired by the
15contract with the Authority, and any such charter provisions
16applicable to the property on which the railroads are now
17located shall be deemed in full force and effect with respect
18to any property on which the railroads are relocated in
19substitution therefor pursuant to the provisions of this Act or
20any such contract with the Authority pursuant thereto.
21Notwithstanding, upon order of the Illinois Commerce
22Commission, the Authority shall succeed to and assume the
23performance and actions of the represented persons under the
24terms of the order and amending orders previously entered
25relative to the Elmwood Park Grade Separation Authority project

 

 

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1undertaken by the Authority and consistent with the objectives
2of the Authority.
 
3    Section 110. Severability. The provisions of this Act are
4severable under Section 1.31 of the Statute on Statutes.
 
5    Section 120. The Eminent Domain Act is amended by adding
6Section 15-5-47 as follows:
 
7    (735 ILCS 30/15-5-47 new)
8    Sec. 15-5-47. Eminent domain powers in new Acts. The
9following provisions of law may include express grants of the
10power to acquire property by condemnation or eminent domain:
 
11    The Elmwood Park Grade Separation Authority Act; Elmwood Park
12    Grade Separation Authority; for general purposes.
 
13    Section 999. Effective date. This Act takes effect upon
14becoming law.".