(20 ILCS 662/25)

Sec. 25. Use of technical assistance grants.

(a) Technical assistance grants may be used to write or revise a local comprehensive plan. A comprehensive plan funded under Section 15 of this Act must address, but is not limited to addressing, each of the following elements:

(1) Issues and opportunities. The purpose of this element is to state the vision of the community, identify the major trends and forces affecting the local government and its citizens, set goals and standards, and serve as a series of guiding principles and priorities to implement the vision.

(2) Land use and natural resources. The purpose of this element is to translate the vision statement into physical terms; provide a general pattern for the location, distribution, and characteristics of future land uses over a 20-year period; and serve as the element of the comprehensive plan upon which all other elements are based. The land use element must be in text and map form. It must include supporting studies on population, the local economy, natural resources, and an inventory of existing land uses.

(3) Transportation. The purpose of this element is to consider all relevant modes of transportation, including mass transit, air, water, rail, automobile, bicycle, and pedestrian modes of transportation; accommodate special needs; establish the framework for the acquisition, preservation, and protection of existing and future rights-of-way; and incorporate transportation performance measures.

(4) Community facilities (schools, parks, police, fire, and water and sewer). The purpose of this element is to provide community facilities; establish levels of service; ensure that facilities are provided as needed; and coordinate with other units of local government that provide the needed facilities.

(5) Telecommunications infrastructure. The purpose of this element is to coordinate telecommunications initiatives; assess short-term and long-term needs, especially regarding economic development; determine the existing telecommunications services of telecommunications providers; encourage investment in the most advanced technologies; and establish a framework for providing reasonable access to public rights-of-way.

(6) Housing. The purpose of this element is to document the present and future needs for housing within the jurisdiction of the local government, including affordable housing and special needs housing; take into account the housing needs of a larger region; identify barriers to the production of housing, including affordable housing; access the condition of the local housing stock; and develop strategies, programs, and other actions to address the needs for a range of housing options.

(7) Economic development. The purpose of this element is to coordinate local economic development initiatives with those of the State; ensure that adequate economic development opportunities are available; identify the strategic competitive advantages of the community and the surrounding region; identify and enhance local tourism opportunities; assess the community's strengths and weaknesses with respect to attracting and retaining business and industry; and define the municipality's and county's role.

(8) Natural resources. The purpose of this element is to identify and define the natural resources in the community with respect to water, land, flora, and fauna; identify the land and water areas in relation to these resources; assess the relative importance of these areas to the needs of the resources; and identify mitigation efforts that are needed to protect these resources.

(9) Public participation. This element must include a process for engaging the community in outreach; the development of a sense of community; a consensus building process; and a public education strategy.

(10) Comprehensive plans may also include the following: natural hazards; agriculture and forest preservation; human services; community design; historic preservation; and the adoption of subplans, as needed. The decision on whether to include these elements in the comprehensive plan shall be based on the needs of the particular unit of local government.

(b) The purpose of this Section is to provide guidance on the elements of a comprehensive plan but not to mandate content.

(Source: P.A. 95-330, eff. 1-1-08.)