Illinois General Assembly - Full Text of Public Act 099-0498
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Public Act 099-0498


 

Public Act 0498 99TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY



 


 
Public Act 099-0498
 
SB0377 EnrolledLRB099 03137 AWJ 23145 b

    AN ACT concerning local government.
 
    Be it enacted by the People of the State of Illinois,
represented in the General Assembly:
 
    Section 5. The Township Code is amended by changing Section
205-140 as follows:
 
    (60 ILCS 1/205-140)
    Sec. 205-140. Initiating proceedings for particular
locality; rates and charges; lien.
    (a) A township board may initiate proceedings under
Sections 205-130 through 205-150 in the manner provided by
Section 205-20.
    (b) The township board may establish the rate or charge to
each user of the waterworks system or sewerage system, or
combined waterworks and sewerage system, or improvement or
extension at a rate that will be sufficient to pay the
principal and interest of any bonds issued to pay the cost of
the system, improvement, or extension and the maintenance and
operation of the system, improvement, or extension and may
provide an adequate depreciation fund for the bonds. Charges or
rates shall be established, revised, and maintained by
ordinance and become payable as the township board determines
by ordinance.
    (c) The charges or rates are liens upon the real estate
upon or for which sewerage service is supplied whenever the
charges or rates become delinquent as provided by the ordinance
of the board fixing a delinquency date.
    (d) Notwithstanding any provision of law to the contrary,
the township shall conduct a cost study regarding the
connection charge of the township:
        (1) before the township increases or creates a
    connection charge;
        (2) upon the request of the supervisor or a majority of
    the township board of the township;
        (3) upon the request of a majority of the mayors or
    village presidents of the municipalities located within or
    substantially within the township or township's facility
    planning area; or
        (4) upon the filing with the township board of a
    petition signed by 10% or more of the customers who have
    paid connection charges to the township in the previous 5
    calendar years.
    The cost study shall be conducted by an independent entity
within 6 months of action taken under paragraphs (1), (2), (3),
or (4) of this subsection (d). For purposes of subsections this
subsection (d) and (e), the term "independent entity" shall
mean an engineering firm that has not entered into a contract
with any State agency, unit of local government, or
non-governmental entity for goods or services within the
township or township service area in the 24 months prior to
being contracted to perform the cost study. After performing a
cost study under this subsection (d), an independent entity may
not contract with any State agency, unit of local government,
or non-governmental entity for goods or services within the
township or township service area in the 24 months after
completion of the cost study other than to perform further cost
studies under this subsection (d). A township shall not be
required to conduct more than one cost study in a 60 24 month
period under paragraphs (1), (2), (3), or (4) of this
subsection (d). The cost study must include, at a minimum, an
examination of similar water main and sewer connection charges
in neighboring units of local government or units of local
government similar in size or population. Following the
completion of the cost study, no increase or new connection
charge may be imposed unless the increase or new charge is
justified by the cost study. If the connection charge the
township charged prior to completion of the cost study is
higher than is justified by the cost study, the township shall
reduce its connection charge to the amount justified by the
cost study. For purposes of this subsection (d), "connection
charge" means any charge or fee, by whatever name, assessed to
recover the cost of connecting the customer's water main,
sewer, or water main and sewer service line to the township's
facilities, and includes only the direct and indirect costs of
physically tying the service line into the township's main.
    (e) If a cost study has been conducted pursuant to
subsection (d) of this Section and a new cost study is
requested under paragraph (3) or (4) of subsection (d), the
township shall obtain a written quote from an independent
entity detailing the cost of the requested cost study and one
of the following shall occur prior to a new cost study
beginning:
        (1) each township, village, and municipality whose
    mayor or president requested the cost study under paragraph
    (3) of subsection (d) shall pay a proportionate share of
    the entire cost of the cost study as detailed in the
    written quote required under this subsection (e); or
        (2) the customers who signed the petition under
    paragraph (4) of subsection (d) shall pay a pro rata share
    of the entire cost of the cost study as detailed in written
    quote required under this subsection (e).
    Payments required under either paragraph (1) or (2) of this
subsection (e) shall be made to the township clerk, who shall
forward the same to the independent entity upon receipt of
entire amount of the written quote for the cost study. If the
entire amount of the written quote for the cost study has not
been received within 90 days from the township clerk providing
public note of the amount of the written quote, then those
amounts received by the township clerk shall be refunded to the
persons or entities which paid them.
(Source: P.A. 99-481, eff. 9-22-15.)
 
    Section 99. Effective date. This Act takes effect January
1, 2016.

Effective Date: 1/29/2016