HB5711 EngrossedLRB099 19395 AWJ 43787 b

1    AN ACT concerning local government.
 
2    Be it enacted by the People of the State of Illinois,
3represented in the General Assembly:
 
4    Section 5. The Illinois Municipal Code is amended by adding
5Section 11-150-2 as follows:
 
6    (65 ILCS 5/11-150-2 new)
7    Sec. 11-150-2. Billing for services. On or after the
8effective date of this amendatory Act of the 99th General
9Assembly, the corporate authorities of any municipality
10operating a waterworks or combined waterworks and sewerage
11system:
12    (a) shall bill for any utility service, including
13previously unbilled service, supplied to a residential
14customer or non-residential customer within 24 months after the
15provision of that service to the customer; and
16    (b) shall not intentionally delay billing beyond the normal
17bill cycle.
18    The time limit of subsection (a) shall not apply to
19previously unbilled service attributed to tampering, theft of
20service, fraud, or any other intentional or unintentional act
21not caused by the utility preventing the utility's recorded
22efforts to obtain an accurate reading of the meter.
 

 

 

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1    Section 10. The Public Water District Act is amended by
2adding Section 7.4 as follows:
 
3    (70 ILCS 3705/7.4 new)
4    Sec. 7.4. Billing for services. On or after the effective
5date of this amendatory Act of the 99th General Assembly, a
6public water district:
7    (a) shall bill for any utility service, including
8previously unbilled service, supplied to a residential
9customer or non-residential customer within 24 months after the
10provision of that service to the customer; and
11    (b) shall not intentionally delay billing beyond the normal
12bill cycle.
13    The time limit of subsection (a) shall not apply to
14previously unbilled service attributed to tampering, theft of
15service, fraud, or any other intentional or unintentional act
16not caused by the utility preventing the utility's recorded
17efforts to obtain an accurate reading of the meter.
 
18    Section 15. The Water Service District Act is amended by
19adding Section 5.3 as follows:
 
20    (70 ILCS 3710/5.3 new)
21    Sec. 5.3. Billing for services. On or after the effective
22date of this amendatory Act of the 99th General Assembly, a
23water service district:

 

 

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1    (a) shall bill for any utility service, including
2previously unbilled service, supplied to a residential
3customer or non-residential customer within 24 months after the
4provision of that service to the customer; and
5    (b) shall not intentionally delay billing beyond the normal
6bill cycle.
7    The time limit of subsection (a) shall not apply to
8previously unbilled service attributed to tampering, theft of
9service, fraud, or any other intentional or unintentional act
10not caused by the utility preventing the utility's recorded
11efforts to obtain an accurate reading of the meter.
 
12    Section 20. The Water Authorities Act is amended by
13changing Section 6 as follows:
 
14    (70 ILCS 3715/6)  (from Ch. 111 2/3, par. 228)
15    Sec. 6. Such board of trustees shall have the following
16powers:
17    1. To make inspections of wells or other withdrawal
18facilities and to require information and data from the owners
19or operators thereof concerning the supply, withdrawal and use
20of water.
21    2. To require the registration with them of all wells or
22other withdrawal facilities in accordance with such form or
23forms as they deem advisable.
24    3. To require permits from them for all additional wells or

 

 

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1withdrawal facilities or for the deepening, extending or
2enlarging existing wells or withdrawal facilities.
3    4. To require the plugging of abandoned wells or the repair
4of any well or withdrawal facility to prevent loss of water or
5contamination of supply.
6    5. To reasonably regulate the use of water and during any
7period of actual or threatened shortage to establish limits
8upon or priorities as to the use of water. In issuing any such
9regulation, limitation, or priority, such board shall seek to
10promote the common welfare by considering the public interest,
11the average amount of present withdrawals, relative benefits or
12importance of use, economy or efficiency of use and any other
13reasonable differentiation. Appropriate consideration shall
14also be given to any user, who has theretofore reduced the
15volume of ground water previously consumed by such user or who
16has taken care of increased requirements by installing and
17using equipment and facilities permitting the use of surface
18water by such user.
19    6. To supplement the existing water supply or provide
20additional water supply by such means as may be practicable or
21feasible. They may acquire property or property rights either
22within or without the boundaries of the authority by purchase,
23lease, condemnation proceedings or otherwise, and they may
24construct, maintain and operate wells, reservoirs, pumping
25stations, purification plants, infiltration pits, recharging
26wells and such other facilities as may be necessary to insure

 

 

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1an adequate supply of water for the present and future needs of
2the authority. They shall have the right to sell water to
3municipalities or public utilities operating water
4distribution systems either within or without the authority.
5    7. To levy and collect a general tax on all of the taxable
6property within the corporate limits of the authority, the
7aggregate amount of which for one year, exclusive of the amount
8levied for bonded indebtedness or interest thereon, shall not
9exceed .08 per cent of the value as equalized or assessed by
10the Department of Revenue. For the purpose of acquiring
11necessary property or facilities, to issue general obligation
12bonds bearing interest at the rate of not to exceed the maximum
13rate authorized by the Bond Authorization Act, as amended at
14the time of the making of the contract, and payable over a
15period of not to exceed 20 years, the aggregate principal
16amount of which at any one time outstanding shall not exceed
17one-half of 1% of the value as equalized or assessed by the
18Department of Revenue of all taxable property located within
19the corporate limits of the authority and to levy and collect a
20further or additional direct annual tax upon all the taxable
21property within the corporate limits of such authority
22sufficient to meet the principal and interest of such bonds as
23the same mature. They shall also have authority to issue
24revenue bonds payable solely out of anticipated revenues.
25    8. To consult with and receive available information
26concerning their duties and responsibilities from the State

 

 

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1Water Survey, the State Geological Survey, the Board of Natural
2Resources and Conservation, the Water Resources and Flood
3Control Board and any other board or commission of the State.
4Before constructing any facility for providing additional
5water supply, the plans therefor shall be submitted to and
6approved by the Environmental Protection Agency or its
7successor and all operations of such facilities shall be
8conducted in accordance with such rules and regulations as may
9from time to time be prescribed by the Pollution Control Board.
10    9. To have the right by appropriate action in the circuit
11court of any county in which such authority, or any part
12thereof, is located to restrain any violation or threatened
13violation of any of their orders, rules, regulations or
14ordinances.
15    10. To provide by ordinance that the violation of any
16provision of any rule, regulation or ordinance adopted by them
17shall constitute a misdemeanor subject to a fine by the circuit
18court of not to exceed $50 for each act of violation and that
19each day's violation shall constitute a separate offense.
20    11. On or after the effective date of this amendatory Act
21of the 99th General Assembly, to bill for any utility service,
22including previously unbilled service, supplied to a
23residential customer or non-residential customer within 24
24months after the provision of that service to the customer. The
25time limit of this paragraph shall not apply to previously
26unbilled service attributed to tampering, theft of service,

 

 

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1fraud, or any other intentional or unintentional act not caused
2by the utility preventing the utility's recorded efforts to
3obtain an accurate reading of the meter. The trustees shall not
4intentionally delay billing beyond the normal bill cycle.
5    With respect to instruments for the payment of money issued
6under this Section either before, on, or after the effective
7date of this amendatory Act of 1989, it is and always has been
8the intention of the General Assembly (i) that the Omnibus Bond
9Acts are and always have been supplementary grants of power to
10issue instruments in accordance with the Omnibus Bond Acts,
11regardless of any provision of this Act that may appear to be
12or to have been more restrictive than those Acts, (ii) that the
13provisions of this Section are not a limitation on the
14supplementary authority granted by the Omnibus Bond Acts, and
15(iii) that instruments issued under this Section within the
16supplementary authority granted by the Omnibus Bond Acts are
17not invalid because of any provision of this Act that may
18appear to be or to have been more restrictive than those Acts.
19(Source: P.A. 86-4.)
 
20    Section 25. The Water Commission Act of 1985 is amended by
21changing Section 0.001b as follows:
 
22    (70 ILCS 3720/0.001b)
23    Sec. 0.001b. Powers and duties. A water commission has the
24power and duty to:

 

 

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1        (1) establish and define the responsibilities of the
2    commission and its committees;
3        (2) establish and define the responsibilities of the
4    commission's management and staff;
5        (3) establish a finance committee to conduct monthly
6    meetings to supervise staff's handling of financial
7    matters and budgeting;
8        (4) require the finance director and treasurer to
9    report to the finance committee the status of all
10    commission funds and obligations;
11        (5) require the treasurer to report to the commission
12    any improper or unnecessary expenditures, budgetary
13    errors, or accounting irregularities;
14        (6) require commission staff to document and comply
15    with standard accounting policies, procedures, and
16    controls to ensure accurate reporting to the finance
17    committee and commission and to identify improper or
18    unnecessary expenditures, budgetary errors, or accounting
19    irregularities;
20        (7) require the commission's finance director to
21    provide monthly reports regarding the commission's cash
22    and investment position including whether the commission
23    has sufficient cash and investments to pay its debt
24    service, operating expenses, and capital expenditures and
25    maintain required reserve levels. The information shall
26    include the required funding levels for restricted funds

 

 

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1    and unrestricted cash and investment balances with
2    comparisons to unrestricted reserves. The information
3    shall also include the type and performance of the
4    commission's investments and description as to whether
5    those investments are in compliance with the commission's
6    investment policies;
7        (8) require the commission's finance director to
8    provide the commission with detailed information
9    concerning the commission's operating performance
10    including the budgeted and actual monthly amounts for water
11    sales, water costs, and other operating expenses;
12        (9) require commission staff to provide the commission
13    with detailed information regarding the progress of
14    capital projects including whether the percentage of
15    completion and costs incurred are timely;
16        (10) require the commission's staff accountant to
17    perform bank reconciliations and general ledger account
18    reconciliations on a monthly basis; the finance director
19    shall review these reconciliations and provide them to the
20    treasurer and the finance committee on a monthly basis;
21        (l1) establish policies to ensure the proper
22    segregation of the financial duties performed by
23    employees;
24        (12) restrict access to the established accounting
25    systems and general ledger systems and provide for adequate
26    segregation of duties so that no single person has sole

 

 

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1    access and control over the accounting system or the
2    general ledger system;
3        (13) require that the finance director review and
4    approve all manual journal entries and supporting
5    documentation; the treasurer shall review and approve the
6    finance director's review and approval of manual journal
7    entries and supporting documentation;
8        (14) require that the finance director closely monitor
9    the progress of construction projects;
10        (15) require that the finance director carefully
11    document any GAAP analysis or communications with GASB and
12    provide full and timely reports for the same to the finance
13    committee; and
14        (16) retain an outside independent auditor to perform a
15    comprehensive audit of the water commission's financial
16    activities for each fiscal year in conformance with the
17    standard practices of the Association of Governmental
18    Auditors; within 30 days after the independent audit is
19    completed, the results of the audit must be sent to the
20    county auditor; and .
21        (17) on or after the effective date of this amendatory
22    Act of the 99th General Assembly, to bill for any utility
23    service, including previously unbilled service, supplied
24    to a residential customer or non-residential customer
25    within 24 months after the provision of that service to the
26    customer. The time limit of this paragraph shall not apply

 

 

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1    to previously unbilled service attributed to tampering,
2    theft of service, fraud, or any other intentional or
3    unintentional act not caused by the utility preventing the
4    utility's recorded efforts to obtain an accurate reading of
5    the meter. The commission shall not intentionally delay
6    billing beyond the normal bill cycle.
7(Source: P.A. 96-1389, eff. 7-29-10.)
 
8    Section 99. Effective date. This Act takes effect upon
9becoming law.