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90_HB0986 65 ILCS 5/11-117-3 from Ch. 24, par. 11-117-3 65 ILCS 5/11-117-4 from Ch. 24, par. 11-117-4 65 ILCS 5/11-117-5 from Ch. 24, par. 11-117-5 65 ILCS 5/11-117-8 from Ch. 24, par. 11-117-8 65 ILCS 5/11-117-9 from Ch. 24, par. 11-117-9 65 ILCS 5/11-117-14 rep. 220 ILCS 5/8-405.2 new 220 ILCS 5/9-245 new Amends the Illinois Municipal Code to abolish referendum requirements in connection with municipal operation of utilities. Amends the Public Utilities Act. Requires the Illinois Commerce Commission to establish a program for the wheeling of electricity on behalf of municipal customers. Provides that the Commission shall establish by rule the terms and conditions, if any, under which a utility may recover the costs of investment in facilities rendered unnecessary because of wheeling. Effective immediately. LRB9002508PTcw LRB9002508PTcw 1 AN ACT concerning municipal electrical service, amending 2 named Acts. 3 Be it enacted by the People of the State of Illinois, 4 represented in the General Assembly: 5 Section 5. The Illinois Municipal Code is amended by 6 changing Sections 11-117-3, 11-117-4, 11-117-5, 11-117-8, and 7 11-117-9 as follows: 8 (65 ILCS 5/11-117-3) (from Ch. 24, par. 11-117-3) 9 Sec. 11-117-3. No municipality shall proceed to acquire 10 or construct any public utility under the provisions of this 11 Division 117 until an ordinance of the corporate authorities 12 providing therefor has been duly passed. This ordinance shall 13 set forth the action proposed, shall describe the plant, 14 equipment, and property proposed to be acquired or 15 constructed, and shall provide for the issuance of bonds, 16 mortgage certificates, or special assessment bonds, as 17 authorized in this Division 117. 18This ordinance shall not become effective until the19question of its adoption is submitted to a referendum vote of20the electors of the municipality. The municipal clerk shall21certify the question for submission to the vote of the22electors of the municipality upon an initiating ordinance23adopted by the corporate authorities.24The question shall be in substantially the following25form:26-------------------------------------------------------------27Shall the ordinance (stating YES28the nature of the proposed --------------------------29ordinance) be adopted? NO30-------------------------------------------------------------31If a majority of the electors voting on the question of-2- LRB9002508PTcw 1the adoption of the proposed ordinance vote in favor thereof,2the ordinance shall thereupon become a valid and binding3ordinance of the municipality.4Prior to the referendum upon this ordinance, the5municipal clerk shall have the ordinance published at least6once in one or more newspapers published in the municipality,7or, if no newspaper is published therein, then in one or more8newspapers with a general circulation within the9municipality. This publication shall be not more than 30 nor10less than 15 days in advance of the election.11 (Source: P.A. 81-1489.) 12 (65 ILCS 5/11-117-4) (from Ch. 24, par. 11-117-4) 13 Sec. 11-117-4.No municipality shall proceed to operate14for hire any public utility for the use or benefit of private15consumers or users, or charge for such consumption or use,16unless the proposition to operate has first been submitted to17the electors of the municipality as a separate proposition18and approved by a majority of those voting thereon. The19proposition shall be submitted in accordance with the20provisions of Section 11-117-3. But anyA municipality,21without such submission and approval,may sell for heat, 22 light or power within or without the corporate limits of the 23 municipality, electricity generated in any electric lighting 24 plant owned and operated by the municipality for the 25 municipality's own use. Also any municipality, without such26submission and approval,may sell water within and outside 27 the corporate limits of the municipality from any water plant 28 owned and operated by the municipality, and for this purpose 29 shall have power to acquire by agreement, purchase or 30 condemnation, rights of way not more than 35 miles beyond its 31 corporate limits in the streets, alleys or other public ways 32 of any city, village or incorporated town or in 33 unincorporated territory, even though such city, village or -3- LRB9002508PTcw 1 incorporated town or unincorporated territory to be served is 2 not contiguous to the municipality, convenient and necessary 3 for this purpose and to lay mains and construct and operate 4 pumping stations, reservoirs and other necessary 5 appurtenances therein. Provided, further, that where such 6 municipality has laid mains and constructed and operated 7 pumping stations, reservoirs and other necessary 8 appurtenances, it may enter into contracts at a higher water 9 rate than the existing metered rate for like consumers within 10 the municipality, to allow the municipality to obtain a fair 11 return to cover the cost of financing, constructing, 12 operating and maintaining the improved facilities, and in the 13 event such rates are not agreed upon by the parties, such 14 rates shall be fixed and determined by the circuit court of 15 the county in which the municipality which has financed, 16 constructed, operated and maintained the improved facilities 17 is located; but this proviso shall not impair the right of a 18 municipal corporation to obtain water at the existing metered 19 rate for like consumers as is provided in Section 26 of "An 20 Act to create sanitary districts and to remove obstructions 21 in the Des Plaines and Illinois Rivers", approved May 29, 22 1889, as heretofore and hereafter amended. 23 (Source: Laws 1961, p. 576.) 24 (65 ILCS 5/11-117-5) (from Ch. 24, par. 11-117-5) 25 Sec. 11-117-5. No ordinance authorizing the lease of any 26 public utility owned by a municipality for a longer period 27 than 5 years, nor any ordinance renewing any such lease, 28 shall go into effect until the expiration of 30 days after 29 its passage.The publication of the ordinance shall be30accompanied by a notice of (1) the specific number of voters31required to sign a petition requesting the question of32authorizing the lease or renewing the lease of a public33utility owned by a municipality for more than 5 years to be-4- LRB9002508PTcw 1submitted to the electors; (2) the time in which such2petition must be filed; and (3) the date of the prospective3referendum. The municipal clerk shall provide a petition4form to any individual requesting one. If, within this 305days, there is filed with the municipal clerk of the6municipality a petition signed by electors of the7municipality equal in number to 10% or more of the number of8registered voters in the municipality, asking that the9ordinance be submitted to popular vote, then the ordinance10shall not go into effect unless the question of its adoption11is first submitted to the electors of the municipality and12approved by a majority of those voting thereon. The question13shall be submitted in accordance with the provisions of14Section 11-117-3.15 (Source: P.A. 87-767.) 16 (65 ILCS 5/11-117-8) (from Ch. 24, par. 11-117-8) 17 Sec. 11-117-8. For the purpose of acquiring any public 18 utility, or any part thereof, or property necessary or 19 appropriate for the operation of any public utility, either 20 by purchase, condemnation, or construction, any municipality 21 may borrow money and issue negotiable bonds therefor, 22 pledging the faith and credit of the municipality.But no23such bonds shall be issued unless the proposition to issue24the bonds has first been submitted to the electors of the25municipality and approved by a majority of those voting26thereon. The proposition shall be submitted in accordance27with the provisions of Section 11-117-3.No such bonds shall 28 be issued in an amount in excess of the cost of the 29 municipality of the property for which the bonds are issued, 30 and 10% of that cost in addition thereto. 31 (Source: Laws 1961, p. 576.) 32 (65 ILCS 5/11-117-9) (from Ch. 24, par. 11-117-9) -5- LRB9002508PTcw 1 Sec. 11-117-9. For the purpose of acquiring any public 2 utility, or any part thereof, or property necessary or 3 appropriate for the operation of any public utility, either 4 by purchase, condemnation or construction, any municipality 5 may issue and dispose of interest bearing certificates, 6 hereinafter called public utility certificates. Under no 7 circumstances shall these public utility certificates be or 8 become an obligation or liability of the municipality or 9 payable out of any general fund thereof. They shall be 10 payable solely out of the revenue or income to be derived 11 from the public utility for the acquisition of which they 12 were issued. Such certificates shall not be issued and 13 secured on public utility property in an amount in excess of 14 the cost of the municipality of that property and 10% of that 15 cost in addition thereto. 16 In order to secure the payment of these public utility 17 certificates and the interest thereon, the municipality may 18 convey, by way of mortgage or deed of trust, any or all of 19 the public utility property acquired or to be acquired 20 through the issuance thereof. Such a mortgage or deed of 21 trust shall be executed in such manner as may be directed by 22 law for the acknowledgment and recording of mortgages of real 23 estate, and may contain such provisions and conditions not in 24 conflict with the provisions of this Division 117 as may be 25 deemed necessary to secure the payment of the public utility 26 certificates described therein. Any such mortgage or deed of 27 trust may grant a privilege or right to maintain and operate 28 the public utility property covered thereby, for a period not 29 exceeding 20 years from and after the date that that property 30 may come into the possession of any person as the result of 31 foreclosure proceedings. Such a privilege or right may 32 include the right to fix the rates or charges which the 33 person securing the property as the result of foreclosure 34 proceedings shall be entitled to charge in the operation of -6- LRB9002508PTcw 1 that property for a period not exceeding 20 years. 2 Whenever and as often as default is made in the payment 3 of any public utility certificate, issued and secured by a 4 specific mortgage or deed of trust, or in the payment of the 5 interest thereon when due, and the default has continued for 6 the space of 12 months after notice thereof has been given to 7 the mayor, and to the comptroller, if any, it is lawful for 8 the mortgagee or trustee, upon the request of the holders of 9 a majority in amount of the certificates issued and 10 outstanding under the mortgage or deed of trust, to declare 11 the whole of the principal of all of the certificates, which 12 are unpaid, to be at once due and payable, and to proceed to 13 foreclose the mortgage or deed of trust in any court of 14 competent jurisdiction. At a foreclosure sale, the mortgagee 15 or the holders of the unpaid certificates may become the 16 purchaser or purchasers of the property, rights and 17 privileges sold, if he or they are the highest bidders. Any 18 public utility acquired under any such foreclosure shall be 19 subject to regulation by the corporate authorities of the 20 municipality to the same extent as if the right to construct, 21 maintain, and operate that property had been acquired through 22 a direct grant without the intervention of foreclosure 23 proceedings. 24However, no public utility certificates shall ever be25issued by any municipality under the provisions of this26Division 117 unless the question of the adoption of the27ordinance of the corporate authorities authorizing the28issuance thereof has first been submitted to the electors of29the municipality and approved by a majority of the electors30of the municipality voting upon the question. The question31shall be submitted in accordance with the provisions of32Section 11-117-3.33 (Source: Laws 1961, p. 576.) -7- LRB9002508PTcw 1 (65 ILCS 5/11-117-14 rep.) 2 Section 10. The Illinois Municipal Code is amended by 3 repealing Section 11-117-14. 4 Section 15. The Public Utilities Act is amended by 5 adding Sections 8-405.2 and 9-245 as follows: 6 (220 ILCS 5/8-405.2 new) 7 Sec. 8-405.2. Wheeling. 8 (a) The Commission shall establish a program to begin on 9 July 1, 1997 to allow wheeling of electricity for municipal 10 customers. 11 (b) "Wheeling" means the provision of transmission 12 service to enable a public utility that furnishes electric 13 service to receive power from a remote source using the lines 14 of a transmitting utility. 15 (c) A municipality may apply for a wheeling order to 16 receive electricity from a source other than the utility in 17 the service area of which the municipality is located. The 18 Commission shall determine whether to authorize a 19 municipality to obtain electricity by wheeling. 20 (d) Within 6 months after an application is filed with 21 it, the Commission shall enter an order authorizing or 22 refusing to authorize wheeling. 23 (e) In considering an application the Commission shall 24 examine the following: (i) the existing and potential 25 capacity for wheeling; (ii) the size of the transaction; 26 (iii) the length of the proposed contract; (iv) backup 27 service; (v) the obligation to serve; and (vi) the effect on 28 captive customers. 29 (f) An order of the Commission authorizing intrastate 30 wheeling: (i) shall require nondiscriminatory treatment of 31 all parties and customers; (ii) shall require or provide for 32 cost based and nondiscriminatory wheeling tariffs; and (iii) -8- LRB9002508PTcw 1 may require or authorize the construction of new transmission 2 lines and modification of existing transmission lines to 3 facilitate wheeling if the net costs are paid by the wheeling 4 applicant and the transmitting utility is unable to 5 demonstrate a significant adverse impact on its system. 6 (220 ILCS 5/9-245 new) 7 Sec. 9-245. Rates; alternate sources of power. The 8 Commission shall not consider any utility's rates, charges, 9 classification, or services to be just and reasonable if 10 those rates, charges, classifications, or services are 11 designed to compensate the utility for a shortfall in the 12 utility's gross revenues when a municipality acquires 13 electric power from a source other than the utility. The 14 Commission shall issue rules establishing the terms and 15 conditions, if any, under which a utility engaged in wheeling 16 electric power to a municipality may recover the costs of 17 investment in facilities rendered unnecessary because of 18 wheeling. 19 Section 99. Effective date. This Act takes effect upon 20 becoming law.