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| Public Act 095-0557 |
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AN ACT concerning community revitalization.
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Be it enacted by the People of the State of Illinois,
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represented in the General Assembly:
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Section 1. Short title.
This Act may be cited as the | ||||
Community
Self-Revitalization Act.
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Section 5. Findings and purpose.
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(a) The General Assembly finds that:
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(1) There is a great need for economic revitalization | ||||
in many communities
throughout this State.
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(2) Each community has valuable resources at its | ||||
fingertips that can be
tapped in the revitalization | ||||
process.
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(3) With adequate support and assistance from the State | ||||
and other
resources, each community can participate in and | ||||
shepherd its
own economic renewal.
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(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
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redevelopment planning process.
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(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.
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(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.
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Section 10. Definitions. As used in this Section:
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"Community" means a municipality or a county with
respect | ||
to the unincorporated areas of a county.
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"Department" means the Department of Commerce and Economic | ||
Opportunity.
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"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.
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Section 15. Certification; Board of Economic Advisors.
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(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
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determines that the community meets the requirements for | ||
certification, the
Department
may certify the community as an | ||
economically distressed community.
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(b) A community that is certified by the Department as
an
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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
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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:
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(1) A member representing households and families.
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(2) A member representing religious organizations.
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(3) A member representing educational institutions.
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(4) A member representing daycare centers, care | ||
centers for the
handicapped, and care centers for the | ||
disadvantaged.
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(5) A member representing community based | ||
organizations such as
neighborhood improvement | ||
associations.
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(6) A member representing federal and State employment | ||
service
systems, skill training centers, and placement | ||
referrals.
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(7) A member representing Masonic organizations, | ||
fraternities, sororities,
and social clubs.
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(8) A member representing hospitals, nursing homes, | ||
senior citizens,
public health agencies, and funeral | ||
homes.
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(9) A member representing organized sports, parks, | ||
parties, and games of
chance.
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(10) A member representing political parties, clubs, | ||
and affiliations, and
election related matters concerning | ||
voter education and participation.
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(11) A member representing the cultural aspects of the | ||
community,
including cultural events, lifestyles, | ||
languages, music, visual and performing
arts,
and | ||
literature.
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(12) A member representing police and fire protection | ||
agencies, prisons,
weapons systems, and the military | ||
industrial complex.
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(13) A member representing local businesses. | ||
(14) A member representing the retail industry.
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(15) A member representing the service industry.
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(16) A member representing the industrial, production, | ||
and manufacturing sectors.
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(17) A member representing the advertising and | ||
marketing industry.
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(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
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compensation.
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(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
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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
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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
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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
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scope of the revitalization.
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Section 20. Action by the Board.
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(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.
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(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
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into the
community.
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(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
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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
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revitalization.
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(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
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respect to
economic development.
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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.
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The Board shall annually submit a report to the General
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Assembly and the Governor summarizing the accomplishments of | ||
the community
concerning revitalization and the goals of the | ||
community for future
revitalization.
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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
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application shall be established by the Department
by rule.
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Section 99. Effective date. This Act takes effect upon | ||
becoming law.
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