(65 ILCS 5/11-74.3-2) (from Ch. 24, par. 11-74.3-2)

Sec. 11-74.3-2. Procedures to designate business districts; ordinances; notice; hearings.

(a) The corporate authorities of a municipality shall by ordinance propose the approval of a business district plan and designation of a business district and shall fix a time and place for a public hearing on the proposals to approve a business district plan and designate a business district.

(b) Notice of the public hearing shall be given by publication at least twice, the first publication to be not more than 30 nor less than 10 days prior to the hearing, in a newspaper of general circulation within the municipality. Each notice published pursuant to this Section shall include the following:

(1) The time and place of the public hearing;

(2) The boundaries of the proposed business district by legal description and, where possible, by street location;

(3) A notification that all interested persons will be given an opportunity to be heard at the public hearing;

(4) A description of the business district plan if a business district plan is a subject matter of the public hearing;

(5) The rate of any tax to be imposed pursuant to subsection (10) or (11) of Section 11-74.3-3;

(6) An invitation for any person to submit alternate proposals or bids for any proposed conveyance, lease, mortgage, or other disposition by the municipality of land or rights in land owned by the municipality and located within the proposed business district; and

(7) Such other matters as the municipality shall deem appropriate.

(c) At the public hearing any interested person may file written objections with the municipal clerk and may be heard orally with respect to any matters embodied in the notice. The municipality shall hear and determine all alternate proposals or bids for any proposed conveyance, lease, mortgage, or other disposition by the municipality of land or rights in land owned by the municipality and located within the proposed business district and all protests and objections at the hearing, provided, however, that the corporate authorities of the municipality may establish reasonable rules regarding the length of time provided to members of the general public. The hearing may be adjourned to another date without further notice other than a motion to be entered upon the minutes fixing the time and place of the adjourned hearing. Public hearings with regard to approval of a business district plan or designation of a business district may be held simultaneously.

(d) At the public hearing or at any time prior to the adoption by the municipality of an ordinance approving a business district plan, the municipality may make changes in the business district plan. Changes which do not (i) alter the exterior boundaries of the proposed business district, (ii) substantially affect the general land uses described in the proposed business district plan, (iii) substantially change the nature of any proposed business district project, (iv) change the description of any proposed developer, user, or tenant of any property to be located or improved within the proposed business district, (v) increase the total estimated business district project costs set out in the business district plan by more than 5%, (vi) add additional business district costs to the itemized list of estimated business district costs as proposed in the business district plan, or (vii) impose or increase the rate of any tax to be imposed pursuant to subsection (10) or (11) of Section 11-74.3-3 may be made by the municipality without further public hearing, provided the municipality shall give notice of its changes by publication in a newspaper of general circulation within the municipality. Such notice by publication shall be given not later than 30 days following the adoption of an ordinance approving such changes. Changes which (i) alter the exterior boundaries of the proposed business district, (ii) substantially affect the general land uses described in the proposed business district plan, (iii) substantially change the nature of any proposed business district project, (iv) change the description of any proposed developer, user, or tenant of any property to be located or improved within the proposed business district, (v) increase the total estimated business district project costs set out in the business district plan by more than 5%, (vi) add additional business district costs to the itemized list of estimated business district costs as proposed in the business district plan, or (vii) impose or increase the rate of any tax to be imposed pursuant to subsection (10) or (11) of Section 11-74.3-3 may be made by the municipality only after the municipality by ordinance fixes a time and place for, gives notice by publication of, and conducts a public hearing pursuant to the procedures set forth hereinabove.

(e) By ordinance adopted within 90 days of the final adjournment of the public hearing a municipality may approve the business district plan and designate the business district. Any ordinance adopted which approves a business district plan shall contain findings that the business district on the whole has not been subject to growth and development through investment by private enterprises and would not reasonably be anticipated to be developed or redeveloped without the adoption of the business district plan. Any ordinance adopted which designates a business district shall contain the boundaries of such business district by legal description and, where possible, by street location, a finding that the business district plan conforms to the comprehensive plan for the development of the municipality as a whole, or, for municipalities with a population of 100,000 or more, regardless of when the business district plan was approved, the business district plan either (i) conforms to the strategic economic development or redevelopment plan issued by the designated planning authority or the municipality or (ii) includes land uses that have been approved by the planning commission of the municipality, and, for any business district in which the municipality intends to impose taxes as provided in subsection (10) or (11) of Section 11-74.3-3, a specific finding that the business district qualifies as a blighted area as defined in Section 11-74.3-5.

(f) After a municipality has by ordinance approved a business district plan and designated a business district, the plan may be amended, the boundaries of the business district may be altered, and the taxes provided for in subsections (10) and (11) of Section 11-74.3-3 may be imposed or altered only as provided in this subsection. Changes which do not (i) alter the exterior boundaries of the proposed business district, (ii) substantially affect the general land uses described in the business district plan, (iii) substantially change the nature of any business district project, (iv) change the description of any developer, user, or tenant of any property to be located or improved within the proposed business district, (v) increase the total estimated business district project costs set out in the business district plan by more than 5% after adjustment for inflation from the date the business district plan was approved, (vi) add additional business district costs to the itemized list of estimated business district costs as approved in the business district plan, or (vii) impose or increase the rate of any tax to be imposed pursuant to subsection (10) or (11) of Section 11-74.3-3 may be made by the municipality without further public hearing, provided the municipality shall give notice of its changes by publication in a newspaper of general circulation within the municipality. Such notice by publication shall be given not later than 30 days following the adoption of an ordinance approving such changes. Changes which (i) alter the exterior boundaries of the business district, (ii) substantially affect the general land uses described in the business district plan, (iii) substantially change the nature of any business district project, (iv) change the description of any developer, user, or tenant of any property to be located or improved within the proposed business district, (v) increase the total estimated business district project costs set out in the business district plan by more than 5% after adjustment for inflation from the date the business district plan was approved, (vi) add additional business district costs to the itemized list of estimated business district costs as approved in the business district plan, or (vii) impose or increase the rate of any tax to be imposed pursuant to subsection (10) or (11) of Section 11-74.3-3 may be made by the municipality only after the municipality by ordinance fixes a time and place for, gives notice by publication of, and conducts a public hearing pursuant to the procedures set forth in this Section.

(Source: P.A. 96-1394, eff. 7-29-10; 96-1555, eff. 3-18-11; 97-333, eff. 8-12-11.)