(70 ILCS 2305/1) (from Ch. 42, par. 277)
Sec. 1.
That whenever any area of contiguous territory within the
limits of a single county shall contain 2 or more incorporated cities,
towns or villages owning and operating, either or any of them, a system
or systems of water works and procuring a supply of water from Lake
Michigan, and shall be so situated that the construction and maintenance
of a common plant for the purification and treatment of sewage, and the
maintenance of a common outlet for the drainage thereof will conduce to
the preservation of the public health, the same may be incorporated as a
sanitary district under this act, in the manner following: Any 300 legal
voters resident within the limits of such proposed sanitary district may
petition the Circuit Court in the county in which they reside to cause
the question to be submitted to the legal voters of such proposed
district whether they will organize as a sanitary district under this
act. Such petition shall be addressed to the Circuit Court, and shall
contain a definite description of the territory intended to be embraced
in such district, and the name of such proposed sanitary district:
However, no territory shall be included in any municipal corporation
formed hereunder which is not situated within the limits of a city,
incorporated town or village, or within 3 miles thereof, and no
territory shall be included within more than one sanitary district under
this act. Upon the filing of such petition in the office of the circuit
clerk in the county in which such territory is situated it shall be the
duty of the Circuit Court to name 3 judges of such court who shall
constitute a board of commissioners which shall have power and authority
to consider the boundaries of any such proposed sanitary district,
whether the same shall be described in such petition or otherwise.
Notice shall be given by the Circuit Court of the time and place where
such commissioners will meet, by a publication inserted in one or more
daily papers published in such county, at least 20 days prior to such
meeting. At such meeting all persons in such proposed sanitary district
shall have an opportunity to be heard touching the location and boundary
of such proposed district and make suggestions regarding the same, and
such commissioners, after hearing statements, evidence and suggestions,
shall fix and determine the limits and boundaries of such proposed
district, and for that purpose and to that extent may alter and amend
such petition. After such determination by the commissioners, or a
majority of them, the Circuit Court shall certify the question of the organization and
establishment of the proposed sanitary district, as determined by the
commissioners, to the proper election officials who shall submit the question
at an election in accordance with the general election law. In addition
to the requirements of the general election law, such notice shall specify briefly
the purpose of such election and shall contain a description of such proposed
district. Each legal voter resident within such proposed sanitary
district shall have the right to cast a ballot at such election. The question
shall be in substantially the following form: "For sanitary district," or
"Against sanitary
district." The Circuit Court shall cause
a statement of the result of such election to be entered of record in
the circuit court. If a majority of the votes cast upon the question
of the incorporation of the proposed sanitary district, shall be in
favor of the proposed sanitary district, such proposed district shall
thenceforth be deemed an organized sanitary district under this act.
(Source: P.A. 83-343.)
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