315 ILCS 25/4

(315 ILCS 25/4) (from Ch. 67 1/2, par. 91.11)

Sec. 4. Excepting any municipality for and in which there exists a Department of Urban Renewal created pursuant to the provisions of the "Urban Renewal Consolidation Act of 1961", enacted by the Seventy-Second General Assembly, any municipality, after 30 days' notice, published in a newspaper of general circulation within the municipality, and public hearing, shall have the power to provide for the creation of a Conservation Board, to operate within the boundaries of such municipality, pursuant to the provisions of this Act. The presiding officer of any municipality in which a Conservation Board is established shall appoint, with the approval of the governing body and of the Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity, five residents of the municipality to act as a Conservation Board, hereinafter referred to as "the Board." Members of the Board shall be citizens of broad civic interest, administrative experience and ability in the fields of finance, real estate, building, or related endeavors, not more than three of whom shall belong to the same political party. One such member shall be designated by the presiding officer as Commissioner and shall serve at the pleasure of the presiding officer. He shall administer the functions assigned by the Board, preside over its meetings, and carry out whatever other functions may be assigned to him by the governing body. The Commissioner shall devote his full-time attention to the duties of his office and shall receive no public funds by way of salary, compensation, or remuneration for services rendered, from any other governmental agency or public body during his tenure in office, other than the salary provided by the governing body, except as herein otherwise specifically provided.

Four other members of the Board shall be appointed, to serve one, two, three and four year terms. After the expiration of the initial term of office each subsequent term shall be of four years' duration. A member shall hold office until his successor shall have been appointed and qualified. Members of the Board shall be eligible to succeed themselves. Members of the Board other than the Commissioner shall serve without pay, except as herein otherwise specifically provided and no member of the Board shall acquire any interest, direct or indirect, in any conservation project, or in any property included or planned to be included in any conservation project, nor shall any member have any interest in any contract or proposed contract in connection with any such project. Members may be dismissed by the Presiding Office of the Municipality for good cause shown. Such dismissal may be set aside by a two-thirds vote of the governing body. Notwithstanding anything to the contrary herein contained, the Commissioner, may, during all or any part of his term also serve as Chairman or member of a Redevelopment Commission created pursuant to "The Neighborhood Redevelopment Corporation Law" approved July 9, 1941, as amended, and shall be entitled to receive and retain any salary payable to him as Chairman or member of any such Redevelopment Commission. Three members of the Conservation Board shall constitute a quorum to transact business and no vacancy shall impair the right of the remaining members to exercise all the powers of the Board; and every act, order, rule, regulation or resolution of the Conservation Board approved by a majority of the members thereof at a regular or special meeting shall be deemed to be the act, order, rule, regulation or resolution of the Conservation Board.

The Conservation Board shall designate Conservation Areas and

(a) Approve all conservation plans developed for Conservation Areas in the manner prescribed herein;

(b) Approve each use of eminent domain for the acquisition of real property for the purposes of this Act, provided that every property owner affected by condemnation proceedings shall have the opportunity to be heard by the Board before such proceedings may be approved;

(c) Act as the agent of the Municipality in the acquisition, management, and disposition of property acquired pursuant to this Act as hereinafter provided;

(d) Act as agent of the governing body, at the discretion of the governing body, in the enforcement and the administration of any ordinances relating to the conservation of urban residential areas and the prevention of slums enacted by the governing body pursuant to the laws of this State;

(e) Report annually to the presiding officer of the municipality;

(f) Shall, as agent for the Municipality upon approval by the governing body, have power to apply for and accept capital grants and loans from, and contract with, the United States of America, the Housing and Home Finance Agency, or any other Agency or instrumentality of the United States of America, for or in aid of any of the purposes of this Act, and to secure such loans by the issuance of debentures, notes, special certificates, or other evidences of indebtedness, to the United States of America; and

(g) Exercise any and all other powers as shall be necessary to effectuate the purposes of this Act.

(Source: P.A. 94-793, eff. 5-19-06.)