Public Act 095-0557
 
HB1259 Enrolled LRB095 10412 RCE 30627 b

    AN ACT concerning community revitalization.
 
    Be it enacted by the People of the State of Illinois,
represented in the General Assembly:
 
    Section 1. Short title. This Act may be cited as the
Community Self-Revitalization Act.
 
    Section 5. Findings and purpose.
    (a) The General Assembly finds that:
        (1) There is a great need for economic revitalization
    in many communities throughout this State.
        (2) Each community has valuable resources at its
    fingertips that can be tapped in the revitalization
    process.
        (3) With adequate support and assistance from the State
    and other resources, each community can participate in and
    shepherd its own economic renewal.
        (4) Successful redevelopment plans are based on policy
    that is responsive to the existing composition and
    character of the economically distressed community and
    that allows and compels the community to participate in the
    redevelopment planning process.
        (5) A successful redevelopment initiative creates and
    maintains a capable and adaptable workforce, has access to
    capital, has a sound fiscal base, has adequate
    infrastructure, has well-managed natural resources, and
    has an attractive quality of life.
    (b) It is the purpose of this legislation to provide a
mechanism for an economically distressed community to use in
its efforts to revitalize the community.
 
    Section 10. Definitions. As used in this Section:
    "Community" means a municipality or a county with respect
to the unincorporated areas of a county.
    "Department" means the Department of Commerce and Economic
Opportunity.
    "Economically distressed community" means (i) in the case
of a municipality with a population of 25,000 or more, the
municipality is certified by the Department as being in the
highest 10% of all municipalities of 25,000 or more in the
State in its average annual total unemployment rate for the
last completed calendar year and its poverty rate, pursuant to
the most recent U.S. census data available or (ii) in the case
of a municipality with a population of less than 25,000 or an
unincorporated area, a municipality or unincorporated area
that is located at least partly in a county that is certified
by the Department as being in the highest 10% of all counties
in its average annual total unemployment rate for the last
completed calendar year and its poverty rate, pursuant to the
most recent U.S. census data available.
 
    Section 15. Certification; Board of Economic Advisors.
    (a) In order to receive the assistance as provided in this
Act, a community shall first, by ordinance passed by its
corporate authorities, request that the Department certify
that it is an economically distressed community. The community
must submit a certified copy of the ordinance to the
Department. After review of the ordinance, if the Department
determines that the community meets the requirements for
certification, the Department may certify the community as an
economically distressed community.
    (b) A community that is certified by the Department as an
economically distressed community may appoint a Board of
Economic Advisors to create and implement a revitalization plan
for the community. The Board shall consist of 18 members of the
community, appointed by the mayor or the presiding officer of
the county or jointly by the presiding officers of each
municipality and county that have joined to form a community
for the purposes of this Act. Up to 18 Board members may be
appointed from the following vital sectors:
        (1) A member representing households and families.
        (2) A member representing religious organizations.
        (3) A member representing educational institutions.
        (4) A member representing daycare centers, care
    centers for the handicapped, and care centers for the
    disadvantaged.
        (5) A member representing community based
    organizations such as neighborhood improvement
    associations.
        (6) A member representing federal and State employment
    service systems, skill training centers, and placement
    referrals.
        (7) A member representing Masonic organizations,
    fraternities, sororities, and social clubs.
        (8) A member representing hospitals, nursing homes,
    senior citizens, public health agencies, and funeral
    homes.
        (9) A member representing organized sports, parks,
    parties, and games of chance.
        (10) A member representing political parties, clubs,
    and affiliations, and election related matters concerning
    voter education and participation.
        (11) A member representing the cultural aspects of the
    community, including cultural events, lifestyles,
    languages, music, visual and performing arts, and
    literature.
        (12) A member representing police and fire protection
    agencies, prisons, weapons systems, and the military
    industrial complex.
        (13) A member representing local businesses.
        (14) A member representing the retail industry.
        (15) A member representing the service industry.
        (16) A member representing the industrial, production,
    and manufacturing sectors.
        (17) A member representing the advertising and
    marketing industry.
        (18) A member representing the technology services
    industry.
    The Board shall meet initially within 30 days of its
appointment, shall select one member as chairperson at its
initial meeting, and shall thereafter meet at the call of the
chairperson. Members of the Board shall serve without
compensation.
    (c) One third of the initial appointees shall serve for 2
years, one third shall serve for 3 years, and one third shall
serve for 4 years, as determined by lot. Subsequent appointees
shall serve terms of 5 years.
    (d) The Board shall create a 3-year to 5-year
revitalization plan for the community. The plan shall contain
distinct, measurable objectives for revitalization. The
objectives shall be used to guide ongoing implementation of the
plan and to measure progress during the 3-year to 5-year
period. The Board shall work in a dynamic manner defining goals
for the community based on the strengths and weaknesses of the
individual sectors of the community as presented by each member
of the Board. The Board shall meet periodically and revise the
plan in light of the input from each member of the Board
concerning his or her respective sector of expertise. The
process shall be a community driven revitalization process,
with community-specific data determining the direction and
scope of the revitalization.
 
    Section 20. Action by the Board.
    (a) Organize. The Board shall first assess the needs and
the resources of the community operating from the basic premise
that the family unit is the primary unit of community and that
the demand for goods and services from this residential sector
is the main source of recovery and growth for the redevelopment
of a community. The Board shall inventory community assets,
including the condition of the family with respect to the role
of the family as workers, consumers, and investors. The Board
shall inventory the type and viability of businesses and
industries currently in the community. In compiling the
inventory, the Board shall rely on the input of each Board
member with respect to his or her expertise in a given sector
of the revitalization plan.
    (b) Revitalize. In implementing the revitalization plan,
the Board shall focus on and build from existing resources in
the community, growing existing businesses rather than luring
business into the community from the outside. The Board shall
also focus on the residents themselves rather than jobs. The
Board shall promote investment in training residents in areas
that will lead to employment and in turn will bring revenue
into the community.
    (c) Mobilize. The Board shall engage in the dynamic process
of community self-revitalization through a continuous
reassessment of the needs of the community in the
revitalization process. As each goal of the 3-year to 5-year
plan is achieved, the Board shall draw from the resources of
its members to establish new goals and implement new strategies
employing the lessons learned in the earlier stages of
revitalization.
    (d) Advise. The Board shall act as the liaison between the
community and the local, county, and State Government. The
Board shall make use of the resources of these governmental
entities and shall provide counsel to each of these bodies with
respect to economic development.
    The Board shall also act as a liaison between private
business entities located in the community and the community
itself. The Board shall offer advice and assistance to these
entities when requested and provide incentives and support,
both economic and otherwise, to facilitate expansion and
further investment in the community by the businesses.
    The Board shall annually submit a report to the General
Assembly and the Governor summarizing the accomplishments of
the community concerning revitalization and the goals of the
community for future revitalization.
 
    Section 25. Funding sources. Subject to appropriation, the
Department may make grants to communities that are certified as
economically distressed communities under this Act and that
create a Board of Economic Advisors under this Act for the
operational expenses of the Board. The procedures for grant
application shall be established by the Department by rule.
 
    Section 99. Effective date. This Act takes effect upon
becoming law.