Sen. Daniel Biss

Filed: 4/17/2015

 

 


 

 


 
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1
AMENDMENT TO SENATE BILL 116

2    AMENDMENT NO. ______. Amend Senate Bill 116, AS AMENDED, by
3replacing everything after the enacting clause with the
4following:
 
5    "Section 5. The Illinois Finance Authority Act is amended
6by changing Sections 820-10, 820-20, and 820-25 and by adding
7Section 820-37 as follows:
 
8    (20 ILCS 3501/820-10)
9    Sec. 820-10. Definitions. The following words or terms,
10whenever used or referred to in this Article, shall have the
11following meanings ascribed to them, except where the context
12clearly requires otherwise:
13    (a) "Department" means the Illinois Department of Commerce
14and Economic Opportunity.
15    (b) "Unit of local government" means any unit of local
16government, as defined in Article VII, Section 1 of the 1970

 

 

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1State Constitution and any local public entity as that term is
2defined by the Local Governmental and Governmental Employees
3Tort Immunity Act and also includes the State and any
4instrumentality, office, officer, department, division,
5bureau, commission, college or university thereof.
6    (c) "Energy conservation project" means any improvement,
7repair, alteration or betterment of any building or facility or
8any equipment, including but not limited to an Energy
9Efficiency Project, as defined in item (iii) of subsection (b)
10of Section 825-65, in connection with any school district or
11community college district project, and any fixture or
12furnishing including its energy using mechanical devices to be
13added to or used in any building or facility that the Director
14of the Department has certified to the Authority will be a
15cost-effective energy-related project that will lower energy
16or utility costs in connection with the operation or
17maintenance of such building or facility, and will achieve
18energy cost savings sufficient to cover bond debt service and
19other project costs within 20 10 years from the date of project
20installation.
21    (d) "Green special service area project" means any energy
22efficiency improvement, renewable energy improvement, or water
23use improvement as such terms are defined in Section 27-5 of
24the Special Service Area Tax Law.
25(Source: P.A. 97-760, eff. 7-6-12.)
 

 

 

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1    (20 ILCS 3501/820-20)
2    Sec. 820-20. Powers and Duties; Illinois Local Government
3Financing Assistance Program. The Authority has the power:
4    (a) To purchase from time to time pursuant to negotiated
5sale or to otherwise acquire from time to time any local
6government securities issued by one or more units of local
7government upon such terms and conditions as the Authority may
8prescribe;
9    (b) To issue bonds in one or more series pursuant to one or
10more resolutions of the Authority for any purpose authorized
11under this Article, including without limitation purchasing or
12acquiring local government securities, providing for the
13payment of any interest deemed necessary on such bonds, paying
14for the cost of issuance of such bonds, providing for the
15payment of the cost of any guarantees, letters of credit,
16insurance contracts or other similar credit support or
17liquidity instruments, or providing for the funding of any
18reserves deemed necessary in connection with such bonds and
19refunding or advance refunding of any such bonds and the
20interest and any premium thereon, pursuant to this Act;
21    (c) To provide for the funding of any reserves or other
22funds or accounts deemed necessary by the Authority in
23connection with any bonds issued by the Authority or local
24government securities purchased or otherwise acquired by the
25Authority;
26    (d) To pledge any local government security, including any

 

 

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1payments thereon, and any other funds of the Authority or funds
2made available to the Authority which may be applied to such
3purpose, as security for any bonds or any guarantees, letters
4of credit, insurance contracts or similar credit support or
5liquidity instruments securing the bonds;
6    (e) To enter into agreements or contracts with third
7parties, whether public or private, including without
8limitation the United States of America, the State, or any
9department or agency thereof to obtain any appropriations,
10grants, loans or guarantees which are deemed necessary or
11desirable by the Authority. Any such guarantee, agreement or
12contract may contain terms and provisions necessary or
13desirable in connection with the program, subject to the
14requirements established by this Article;
15    (f) To charge reasonable fees to defray the cost of
16obtaining letters of credit, insurance contracts or other
17similar documents, and to charge such other reasonable fees to
18defray the cost of trustees, depositories, paying agents, bond
19registrars, escrow agents and other administrative expenses.
20Any such fees shall be payable by units of local government
21whose local government securities are purchased or otherwise
22acquired by the Authority pursuant to this Article, in such
23amounts and at such times as the Authority shall determine, and
24the amount of the fees need not be uniform among the various
25units of local government whose local government securities are
26purchased or otherwise acquired by the Authority pursuant to

 

 

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1this Article;
2    (g) To obtain and maintain guarantees, letters of credit,
3insurance contracts or similar credit support or liquidity
4instruments which are deemed necessary or desirable in
5connection with any bonds or other obligations of the Authority
6or any local government securities;
7    (h) To establish application fees and other service fees
8and prescribe application, notification, contract, agreement,
9security and insurance forms and rules and regulations it deems
10necessary or appropriate;
11    (i) To provide technical assistance, at the request of any
12unit of local government, with respect to the financing or
13refinancing for any public purpose. In fulfillment of this
14purpose, the Authority may request assistance from the
15Department as necessary; any unit of local government that is
16experiencing either a financial emergency as defined in the
17Local Government Financial Planning and Supervision Act or a
18condition of fiscal crisis evidenced by an impaired ability to
19obtain financing for its public purpose projects from
20traditional financial channels or impaired ability to fully
21fund its obligations to fire, police and municipal employee
22pension funds, or to bond payments or reserves, may request
23technical assistance from the Authority in the form of a
24diagnostic evaluation of its financial condition;
25    (j) To purchase any obligations of the Authority issued
26pursuant to this Article;

 

 

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1    (k) To sell, transfer or otherwise dispose of local
2government securities purchased or otherwise acquired by the
3Authority pursuant to this Article, including without
4limitation, the sale, transfer or other disposition of
5undivided fractionalized interests in the right to receive
6payments of principal and premium, if any, or the right to
7receive payments of interest or the right to receive payments
8of principal of and premium, if any, and interest on pools of
9such local government securities;
10    (l) To acquire, purchase, lease, sell, transfer and
11otherwise dispose of real and personal property, or any
12interest therein, and to issue its bonds and enter into leases,
13contracts and other agreements with units of local government
14in connection with such acquisitions, purchases, leases, sales
15and other dispositions of such real and personal property;
16    (m) To make loans to banks, savings and loans and other
17financial institutions for the purpose of purchasing or
18otherwise acquiring local government securities, and to issue
19its bonds, and enter into agreements and contracts in
20connection with such loans;
21    (n) To enter into agreements or contracts with any person
22necessary or appropriate to place the payment obligations of
23the Authority under any of its bonds in whole or in part on any
24interest rate basis, cash flow basis, or other basis desired by
25the Authority, including without limitation agreements or
26contracts commonly known as "interest rate swap agreements",

 

 

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1"forward payment conversion agreements", and "futures", or
2agreements or contracts to exchange cash flows or a series of
3payments, or agreements or contracts, including without
4limitation agreements or contracts commonly known as
5"options", "puts" or "calls", to hedge payment, rate spread, or
6similar exposure; provided, that any such agreement or contract
7shall not constitute an obligation for borrowed money, and
8shall not be taken into account under Section 845-5 of this Act
9or any other debt limit of the Authority or the State of
10Illinois;
11    (o) To make and enter into all other agreements and
12contracts and execute all instruments necessary or incidental
13to performance of its duties and the execution of its powers
14under this Article;
15    (p) To contract for and finance the costs of energy audits,
16project-specific engineering and design specifications, and
17any other related analyses preliminary to an energy
18conservation project; and, to contract for and finance the cost
19of project monitoring and data collection to verify
20post-installation energy consumption and energy-related
21operating costs. Any such contract shall be executed only after
22it has been jointly negotiated by the Authority and the
23Department; and
24    (p-5) To purchase special service area bonds and to accept
25assignments or pledges, or both, of special service area bonds
26or agreements relating to green special service area projects,

 

 

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1which authority shall be liberally construed; and
2    (q) To exercise such other powers as are necessary or
3incidental to the foregoing.
4(Source: P.A. 93-205, eff. 1-1-04.)
 
5    (20 ILCS 3501/820-25)
6    Sec. 820-25. Unit of Local Government Participation. Any
7unit of local government is authorized to voluntarily
8participate in this program. Any unit of local government which
9is authorized to issue, sell and deliver its local government
10securities under any provision of the Constitution or laws of
11the State may issue, sell and deliver such local government
12securities to the Authority under this Article; provided that
13and notwithstanding any other provision of law to the contrary,
14any such unit of local government may issue and sell any such
15local government security at any interest rate or rates, which
16rate or rates may be established by an index or formula which
17may be implemented by persons appointed or retained for those
18purposes therefor, payable at such time or times, and at such
19price or prices to which the unit of local government and the
20Authority may agree. Any unit of local government may pay any
21amount charged by the Authority pursuant to this Article. Any
22unit of local government participating in this program may pay
23out of the proceeds of its local government securities or out
24of any other moneys or funds available to it for such purposes
25any costs, fees, interest deemed necessary, premium or reserves

 

 

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1incurred or required for financing or refinancing this program,
2including without limitation any fees charged by the Authority
3pursuant to this Article and its share, as determined by the
4Authority, of any costs, fees, interest deemed necessary,
5premium or reserves incurred or required pursuant to Section
6820-20 of this Act. All local government securities purchased
7or otherwise acquired by the Authority pursuant to this Act
8shall upon delivery to the Authority be accompanied by an
9approving opinion of bond counsel as to the validity of such
10securities. The Authority shall have discretion to purchase or
11otherwise acquire those local government securities, as it
12shall deem to be in the best interest of its financing program
13for all units of local government taken as a whole. Any unit of
14local government with the authority, in connection with green
15special service area projects, to provide special service area
16tax financing under the Special Service Area Tax Law is
17authorized to issue special service area bonds and sell or
18assign those special service area bonds to the Authority or to
19assign or pledge special service area bonds or agreements, or
20both, to the Authority.
21(Source: P.A. 93-205, eff. 1-1-04.)
 
22    (20 ILCS 3501/820-37 new)
23    Sec. 820-37. Unit of local government participation;
24bonds. The Authority may assist units of local government by
25establishing and implementing a program to issue their bonds

 

 

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1secured by special service area agreements assigned or pledged
2to the Authority by units of local government so as to provide
3financing for green special service area projects. The bonds of
4the Authority shall not constitute an indebtedness or
5obligation of the Authority or the State, and it shall be
6plainly stated on the face of each such bond that it does not
7constitute an indebtedness or obligation of the Authority or
8the State but is payable solely from the revenues, income, or
9other assets of the Authority that are pledged to the repayment
10of those bonds.
 
11    Section 10. The Property Tax Code is amended by changing
12Section 27-5 and by adding Section 27-97 as follows:
 
13    (35 ILCS 200/27-5)
14    Sec. 27-5. Short title; definitions. This Article may be
15cited as the Special Service Area Tax Law.
16    When used in this Article:
17    "Energy efficiency improvement" means any installation,
18modification, or replacement that reduces energy consumption
19in any multi-family residential, commercial, or industrial
20building, structure, or other facility, including, but not
21limited to, all of the following:
22        (1) insulation in walls, roofs, floors, foundations,
23    and heating and cooling distribution systems;
24        (2) storm windows and doors, multiglazed windows and

 

 

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1    doors, heat-absorbing or heat-reflective glazed and coated
2    window and door systems, additional glazing, reductions in
3    glass area, and other window and door system modifications;
4        (3) automatic energy control systems;
5        (4) high efficiency furnaces, lighting fixtures,
6    ventilating, or air conditioning and distribution systems;
7        (5) caulking and weather-stripping;
8        (6) facilities, improvements, or systems to bring
9    natural daylight into buildings; and
10        (7) any other installation, modification, replacement,
11    facility, improvement, rehabilitation, repair, or
12    remodeling that is permanently affixed to the property and
13    has the effect of reducing energy consumption.
14    For the purposes of levying a special service area tax on
15the real property on which the energy efficiency improvement is
16located in a green special service area under the Special
17Service Area Tax Law in the Property Tax Code, any energy
18efficiency improvement shall be deemed to be real property.
19    "Green special service area" means a special service area
20created pursuant to Section 27-97 of this Act for the purpose
21of providing special services that are energy efficiency
22improvements, renewable energy improvements, water use
23improvements, or a combination thereof. The corporate
24authorities of the municipality or county may establish (i)
25multiple green special service areas pursuant to a single
26ordinance or (ii) multiple buildings, structures, facilities,

 

 

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1improvements, or lots or parcels of land within a single green
2special service area, which are not required to be contiguous.
3Revenues from multiple green special service areas and revenues
4from multiple buildings, structures, facilities, improvements
5or lots or parcels of land within a single green special
6service area may be aggregated for a pledge as security for
7bonds issued pursuant to Section 27-45 of this Act.
8    "Green special service area project" means any energy
9efficiency improvement, renewable energy improvement, or water
10use improvement, or any combination thereof.
11    "Multi-family residential" means a building containing at
12least 4 units that is intended for human habitation, or any
13mixed residential-commercial buildings or portions thereof
14that are intended for human habitation.
15    "Renewable energy improvement" means any fixture, product,
16system, device, or interacting group thereof, for or serving
17any multi-family residential, commercial, or industrial
18building, structure, or other facility that is permanently
19affixed to the property and produces energy from renewable
20resources as defined in Section 1-10 of the Illinois Power
21Agency Act. For purposes of levying a special service area tax
22on the real property on which the renewable energy improvement
23is located in a green special service area under the Special
24Service Area Tax Law and the Property Tax Code, any renewable
25energy improvement shall be deemed to be real property.
26    "Special Service Area" means a contiguous area, except as

 

 

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1provided in this Act concerning green special service areas,
2within a municipality or county in which special governmental
3services are provided in addition to those services provided
4generally throughout the municipality or county, the cost of
5the special services to be paid from revenues collected from
6taxes levied or imposed upon property within that area.
7Territory shall be considered contiguous for purposes of this
8Article even though certain completely surrounded portions of
9the territory are excluded from the special service area. A
10county may create a special service area within a municipality
11or municipalities when the municipality or municipalities
12consent to the creation of the special service area. A
13municipality may create a special service area within a
14municipality and the unincorporated area of a county or within
15another municipality when the county or other municipality
16consents to the creation of the special service area.
17    "Special Services" means all forms of services pertaining
18to the government and affairs of the municipality or county,
19including but not limited to weather modification, energy
20efficiency improvements, renewable energy improvements, water
21use improvements, and improvements permissible under Article 9
22of the Illinois Municipal Code, and contracts for the supply of
23water as described in Section 11-124-1 of the Illinois
24Municipal Code which may be entered into by the municipality or
25by the county on behalf of a county special service area.
26    "Water use improvement" means any fixture, product,

 

 

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1system, device, or interacting group thereof, for or serving
2any multi-family residential, commercial, or industrial
3building, structure, or other facility that has the effect of
4conserving water resources through improved water management
5or efficiency. For the purposes of levying a special service
6area tax on the real property on which the water use
7improvement is located in a green special service area under
8the Special Service Area Tax Law in the Property Tax Code, any
9water use improvement shall be deemed to be real property.
10(Source: P.A. 86-1324; 88-445.)
 
11    (35 ILCS 200/27-97 new)
12    Sec. 27-97. Green special service areas.
13    (a) The corporate authorities of a municipality or a county
14may establish a green special service area, or multiple green
15special service areas under a single ordinance, for the purpose
16of arranging for and financing energy efficiency improvements,
17renewable energy improvements, or water use improvements, the
18financing of which shall constitute a public purpose. Each
19green special service area shall include only property for
20which each owner of record has executed a contract or agreement
21consenting to the inclusion of the property within the green
22special service area, and such contract or agreement may be
23entered into after the adoption of the ordinance by the
24corporate authorities establishing the green special service
25area. The inclusion, or, as applicable, deletion, of property

 

 

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1within the green special service area after the adoption of the
2ordinance by the corporate authorities establishing the green
3special service area may be made either (i) by the adoption of
4a supplemental or amending ordinance by the corporate
5authorities or (ii) pursuant to authority in the establishing
6ordinance designating one or more county or municipal officers,
7as applicable, to include or delete other properties. Green
8special service areas are exempt from the provisions of
9Sections 27-20, 27-25, 27-30, 27-35, 27-40, 27-50, 27-55,
1027-60, 27-65, and 27-70 of the Special Service Area Tax Law. A
11municipality or a county may create a green special service
12area by an ordinance establishing the green special service
13area or multiple green special services areas. Notwithstanding
14anything in the Special Service Area Tax Law to the contrary, a
15county may establish a green special service area within a
16municipality without the consent of that municipality. Each
17owner of record of property within a green special service area
18may arrange for the specific energy efficiency improvements,
19renewable energy improvements, or water use improvements, and
20may obtain financing for such improvements through the process
21set forth in the ordinance establishing the green special
22service area. A green special service area may consist of a
23single building, structure, facility, improvement, or lot or
24parcel of land. The corporate authorities of a municipality or
25a county may establish multiple green special service areas
26pursuant to a single ordinance or may, within a single green

 

 

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1special service area, identify multiple buildings, structures,
2facilities, improvements, or lots or parcels of land, whether
3or not those buildings, structures, facilities, improvements,
4lots, or parcels are contiguous. However, each green special
5service area shall be established with respect to a single
6contract or agreement. Revenues derived from special service
7area taxes levied in multiple green special service areas or
8revenues from multiple buildings, structures, facilities,
9improvements or lots or parcels of land within a single green
10special service area may be aggregated for a pledge as security
11for bonds issued pursuant to Section 27-45 of the Special
12Service Area Tax Law. Municipalities and counties shall have
13the power to issue bonds under Section 27-45 of the Special
14Service Area Tax Law for the public purposes set forth in this
15Section 27-97; provided that it shall not be necessary to give
16notice of or to conduct a public hearing, as required in
17Section 27-45 of the Special Service Area Tax Law, in
18connection with the issuance of those bonds, as otherwise
19required by Section 27-45 of the Special Service Area Tax Law.
20    (b) The corporate authorities of a county or municipality
21that establish a green special service area shall have the
22power to levy a special service area tax on the real property
23on which the energy use improvements, the renewable energy
24improvements, and the water use improvements are located if
25each owner of record has entered into a contract or agreement
26for those energy efficiency improvements, those renewable

 

 

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1energy improvements, and those water use improvements. It is
2not necessary to file a copy of the notice of public hearing
3with the County Clerk as otherwise required by Section 27-75 of
4the Special Service Area Tax Law. The contract or agreement
5entered into with the owner of the property shall be conclusive
6as to the due authorization and establishment of the applicable
7green special service area as it relates to those energy
8efficiency improvements, those renewable energy improvements,
9and those water use improvements and the amount of the special
10service area taxes to be levied and extended against the real
11property on which such energy efficiency improvements, such
12renewable energy improvements and such water use improvements
13are located. A contract or agreement may specify the amount of
14the special service area taxes levied pursuant to this Section
15on the real property on which the applicable energy efficiency
16improvements, renewable energy improvements, water use
17improvements, or a combination thereof are located or as
18applicable to the principal of and interest on bonds issued,
19including as a part of a larger pooled or composite issue, for
20financing such energy efficiency improvements, renewable
21energy improvements or water use improvements. The specified
22special service area tax levies in a contract or agreement when
23recorded as provided in subsection (c) of this Section and
24filed in the office of the recorder of the county where the
25real property is located shall be authority for each affected
26municipality or county to extend and collect the levied special

 

 

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1service area taxes for the applicable municipality or county,
2or both, with respect to each such contract or agreement.
3    In the event that a municipality establishes a green
4special service area pursuant to this Section, the county clerk
5of the county in which the green special service area is
6located may agree to extend, and the county collector of that
7county may agree to collect, distribute, and account for, the
8special service area taxes on behalf of the municipality upon
9the establishment of the green special service area or at any
10time thereafter. Upon agreement, the county clerk shall
11continue to extend, and the county collector shall continue to
12collect, distribute, and account for the levied special service
13area taxes until the green special service area is dissolved.
14If the county clerk and the county collector agree to extend,
15collect, and account for the levied special service area taxes,
16the ordinance levying the special service area taxes in a green
17special service area shall be filed with the county clerk of
18that county. A municipality that establishes a green special
19service area may extend and collect the special service area
20taxes, and send out a separate tax bill with respect to those
21levied taxes.
22    (c) Before entering into a contract or agreement as set
23forth in subsections (a) and (b) of this Section, a
24municipality or county must ensure the following: (i) that
25there are no delinquent taxes, special assessments, or water or
26sewer charges on the property; (ii) that the amount of the

 

 

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1assessment in relation to the assessed value of the property
2does not exceed 25%; (iii) that any existing mortgage holders
3have provided written consent; (iv) that a baseline audit or
4feasibility study, as well as a modeling of expected savings,
5has been conducted for the proposed project; (v) that the
6contractors to be used are registered and have agreed to adhere
7to a set of terms and conditions through a process established
8by the municipality or county; (vi) that the municipality or
9county will not authorize payment to the contractor until the
10property owner has provided verification that the improvement
11was properly installed and is operating as intended; (vii) that
12the term of the assessment does not exceed the useful life of
13the project paid for by the assessment, provided that projects
14that consist of multiple improvements with varying lengths of
15useful life shall have the lengths blended to determine an
16overall assessment term that does not exceed the useful life of
17the improvements in aggregate.
18    (d) The contract or agreement in subsection (b) of this
19Section shall be in recordable form and shall be recorded in
20the office of the recorder in the county where the real
21property is located.
22    (e) Any municipality or county with the authority to
23provide special service area financing in connection with green
24special service area projects, as provided in the Special
25Service Area Tax Law, may do any of the following: (i) issue
26special service area bonds pursuant to Section 27-45 of the

 

 

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1Special Service Area Tax Law, as provided in subsection (a) of
2this Section, (ii) sell or assign those bonds to the Illinois
3Finance Authority, and (iii) assign or pledge those special
4service area bonds, agreements relating to green special
5service area projects, or both to the Illinois Finance
6Authority.
7    (f) A municipality or county may join with any other
8municipality or county, or with any person, or with any number
9or combination thereof, by contract or otherwise as may be
10permitted by law, in a program to implement green special
11service areas in whole or in part.
12    (g) This Section shall be liberally construed to effect the
13legislative purpose of enabling eligible property owners to
14make energy efficiency improvements, renewable energy
15improvements, or water use improvements, or any combination
16thereof, to their properties.
 
17    Section 15. The Counties Code is amended by changing
18Section 5-1005 as follows:
 
19    (55 ILCS 5/5-1005)  (from Ch. 34, par. 5-1005)
20    Sec. 5-1005. Powers. Each county shall have power:
21        1. To purchase and hold the real and personal estate
22    necessary for the uses of the county, and to purchase and
23    hold, for the benefit of the county, real estate sold by
24    virtue of judicial proceedings in which the county is

 

 

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1    plaintiff.
2        2. To sell and convey or lease any real or personal
3    estate owned by the county.
4        3. To make all contracts and do all other acts in
5    relation to the property and concerns of the county
6    necessary to the exercise of its corporate powers.
7        4. To take all necessary measures and institute
8    proceedings to enforce all laws for the prevention of
9    cruelty to animals.
10        5. To purchase and hold or lease real estate upon which
11    may be erected and maintained buildings to be utilized for
12    purposes of agricultural experiments and to purchase, hold
13    and use personal property for the care and maintenance of
14    such real estate in connection with such experimental
15    purposes.
16        6. To cause to be erected, or otherwise provided,
17    suitable buildings for, and maintain a county hospital and
18    necessary branch hospitals and/or a county sheltered care
19    home or county nursing home for the care of such sick,
20    chronically ill or infirm persons as may by law be proper
21    charges upon the county, or upon other governmental units,
22    and to provide for the management of the same. The county
23    board may establish rates to be paid by persons seeking
24    care and treatment in such hospital or home in accordance
25    with their financial ability to meet such charges, either
26    personally or through a hospital plan or hospital

 

 

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1    insurance, and the rates to be paid by governmental units,
2    including the State, for the care of sick, chronically ill
3    or infirm persons admitted therein upon the request of such
4    governmental units. Any hospital maintained by a county
5    under this Section is authorized to provide any service and
6    enter into any contract or other arrangement not prohibited
7    for a hospital that is licensed under the Hospital
8    Licensing Act, incorporated under the General
9    Not-For-Profit Corporation Act, and exempt from taxation
10    under paragraph (3) of subsection (c) of Section 501 of the
11    Internal Revenue Code.
12        7. To contribute such sums of money toward erecting,
13    building, maintaining, and supporting any non-sectarian
14    public hospital located within its limits as the county
15    board of the county shall deem proper.
16        8. To purchase and hold real estate for the
17    preservation of forests, prairies and other natural areas
18    and to maintain and regulate the use thereof.
19        9. To purchase and hold real estate for the purpose of
20    preserving historical spots in the county, to restore,
21    maintain and regulate the use thereof and to donate any
22    historical spot to the State.
23        10. To appropriate funds from the county treasury to be
24    used in any manner to be determined by the board for the
25    suppression, eradication and control of tuberculosis among
26    domestic cattle in such county.

 

 

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1        11. To take all necessary measures to prevent forest
2    fires and encourage the maintenance and planting of trees
3    and the preservation of forests.
4        12. To authorize the closing on Saturday mornings of
5    all offices of all county officers at the county seat of
6    each county, and to otherwise regulate and fix the days and
7    the hours of opening and closing of such offices, except
8    when the days and the hours of opening and closing of the
9    office of any county officer are otherwise fixed by law;
10    but the power herein conferred shall not apply to the
11    office of State's Attorney and the offices of judges and
12    clerks of courts and, in counties of 500,000 or more
13    population, the offices of county clerk.
14        13. To provide for the conservation, preservation and
15    propagation of insectivorous birds through the expenditure
16    of funds provided for such purpose.
17        14. To appropriate funds from the county treasury and
18    expend the same for care and treatment of tuberculosis
19    residents.
20        15. In counties having less than 1,000,000
21    inhabitants, to take all necessary or proper steps for the
22    extermination of mosquitoes, flies or other insects within
23    the county.
24        16. To install an adequate system of accounts and
25    financial records in the offices and divisions of the
26    county, suitable to the needs of the office and in

 

 

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1    accordance with generally accepted principles of
2    accounting for governmental bodies, which system may
3    include such reports as the county board may determine.
4        17. To purchase and hold real estate for the
5    construction and maintenance of motor vehicle parking
6    facilities for persons using county buildings, but the
7    purchase and use of such real estate shall not be for
8    revenue producing purposes.
9        18. To acquire and hold title to real property located
10    within the county, or partly within and partly outside the
11    county by dedication, purchase, gift, legacy or lease, for
12    park and recreational purposes and to charge reasonable
13    fees for the use of or admission to any such park or
14    recreational area and to provide police protection for such
15    park or recreational area. Personnel employed to provide
16    such police protection shall be conservators of the peace
17    within such park or recreational area and shall have power
18    to make arrests on view of the offense or upon warrants for
19    violation of any of the ordinances governing such park or
20    recreational area or for any breach of the peace in the
21    same manner as the police in municipalities organized and
22    existing under the general laws of the State. All such real
23    property outside the county shall be contiguous to the
24    county and within the boundaries of the State of Illinois.
25        19. To appropriate funds from the county treasury to be
26    used to provide supportive social services designed to

 

 

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1    prevent the unnecessary institutionalization of elderly
2    residents, or, for operation of, and equipment for, senior
3    citizen centers providing social services to elderly
4    residents.
5        20. To appropriate funds from the county treasury and
6    loan such funds to a county water commission created under
7    the "Water Commission Act", approved June 30, 1984, as now
8    or hereafter amended, in such amounts and upon such terms
9    as the county may determine or the county and the
10    commission may agree. The county shall not under any
11    circumstances be obligated to make such loans. The county
12    shall not be required to charge interest on any such loans.
13        21. To appropriate and expend funds from the county
14    treasury for economic development purposes, including the
15    making of grants to any other governmental entity or
16    commercial enterprise deemed necessary or desirable for
17    the promotion of economic development in the county.
18        22. To lease space on a telecommunications tower to a
19    public or private entity.
20        23. In counties having a population of 100,000 or less
21    and a public building commission organized by the county
22    seat of the county, to cause to be erected or otherwise
23    provided, and to maintain or cause to be maintained,
24    suitable facilities to house students pursuing a
25    post-secondary education at an academic institution
26    located within the county. The county may provide for the

 

 

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1    management of the facilities.
2        24. To engage in and undertake activities related to
3    and in connection with energy efficiency improvements,
4    renewable energy improvements, and water use improvements,
5    all as defined in the Special Service Area Tax Law,
6    including, but not limited to, green special service area
7    tax financing for energy efficiency improvements,
8    renewable energy improvements, and water use improvements
9    whether on public or private property, under the Special
10    Service Area Tax Law. This item shall be liberally
11    construed to effect the legislative purpose of enabling
12    eligible property owners to make energy efficiency
13    improvements, renewable energy improvements, and water use
14    improvements to or serving the designated properties.
15    All contracts for the purchase of coal under this Section
16shall be subject to the provisions of "An Act concerning the
17use of Illinois mined coal in certain plants and institutions",
18filed July 13, 1937, as amended.
19(Source: P.A. 95-197, eff. 8-16-07; 95-813, eff. 1-1-09;
2096-622, eff. 8-24-09.)
 
21    Section 20. The Illinois Municipal Code is amended by
22adding Division 15.4 to Article 11 as follows:
 
23    (65 ILCS 5/Art. 11 Div. 15.4 heading new)
24
DIVISION 15.4. GREEN SPECIAL SERVICE AREAS

 

 

 

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1    (65 ILCS 5/11-15.4-1 new)
2    Sec. 11-15.4-1. Green special service areas. Each
3municipality shall have the power and authority to engage in
4and undertake activities related to and in connection with
5energy efficiency improvements, renewable energy improvements,
6and water use improvements, all as defined in the Special
7Service Area Tax Law, including, but not limited to, green
8special service area tax financing for those energy efficiency
9improvements, renewable energy improvements, and water use
10improvements whether on public or private property, under the
11Special Service Area Tax Law. This Section shall be liberally
12construed to effect the legislative purpose of enabling
13property owners to make energy efficiency improvements,
14renewable energy improvements, or water use improvements to or
15serving the designated properties.
 
16    Section 99. Effective date. This Act takes effect upon
17becoming law.".