Division 135 - Joint Acquisition and Operation of Water Supply And Waterworks
(65 ILCS 5/11‑135‑1) (from Ch. 24, par. 11‑135‑1) Sec. 11‑135‑1. Any 2 or more municipalities, except cities of 500,000 or more inhabitants, may acquire either by purchase or construction a waterworks system or a common source of supply of water, or both, and may operate jointly a waterworks system or a common source of supply of water, or both, and improve and extend the same, as provided in this Division 135. The corporate authorities of the specified municipalities desiring to avail themselves of the provisions of this Division 135 shall adopt a resolution or ordinance determining and electing to acquire and operate jointly a waterworks system or a common source of supply of water or both, as the case may be. Such resolution or ordinance may be rescinded at any time prior to the issuance and sale of revenue bonds and after the rescinding municipality has no outstanding obligation to pay a proportionate share of the costs of development, construction or operation. Any municipality adopting a resolution or ordinance to acquire and operate jointly a waterworks system or a common source of supply of water, or both, as the case may be, under the provisions of this Division 135, is authorized from time to time to pay, to advance or to obligate itself to the Commission, to bear a proportionate share of the development costs of any project proposed by the Commission including plans, feasibility reports and engineering even though the project is never constructed or water is never supplied by the Commission to such municipality. Whenever any municipality determines to pay, to advance or to obligate itself for its proportionate share of development costs as above provided, it shall adopt an ordinance declaring its intention to do so, fix the maximum amount of its share of the cost it proposes to pay, to advance or to obligate itself for, and the period over which it proposes to pay its obligation (not exceeding 5 years) and the maximum amount to be paid annually, if such obligation is to be paid in installments. The time of payment of any such installment obligation may be extended for a period of not exceeding five years from the final maturity date of the original obligation. From and after such ordinance becomes effective, it shall be the duty of the municipality to include an amount sufficient to pay the annual installments of its obligation each year in the next succeeding appropriation ordinances. No prior appropriation shall be required for a municipality to authorize the payments, advances or obligations herein provided for. Whenever any municipality has obligated itself for development costs as herein provided and after the effective date of the ordinance under which it obligated itself for a specific amount for development costs of a project and after approval of such obligation by the Commission, the Commission is authorized to borrow funds temporarily for payment of such development costs in advance of permanent financing. The Commission may from time to time and pursuant to an appropriate resolution borrow money and issue its interim notes to evidence borrowings for such purpose, including all necessary and incidental expenses in connection therewith. Any resolution authorizing the issuance of such notes shall describe the project and the development costs to be undertaken, specify the principal amount, rate of interest as authorized under Section 2 of "An Act to authorize public corporations to issue bonds, other evidences of indebtedness and tax anticipation warrants subject to interest rate limitations set forth therein", approved May 26, 1970, as now or hereafter amended, and the maturity date which shall coincide with the due date of the obligations or the installments thereof incurred by the respective municipalities pursuant to this Section not, however, to exceed 5 years from date. Contemporaneously with the issuance as provided by this Division of revenue bonds, all outstanding interim notes issued for development costs of a project though they have not then matured shall be paid, both principal and interest to date of payment, from funds derived from the sale of revenue bonds for the permanent financing of any such project for which interim notes may have been issued and such interim notes shall be surrendered and cancelled. Any municipality adopting a resolution or ordinance to acquire and operate jointly a waterworks system or a common source of supply of water, or both, as the case may be, under the provisions of this Division 135 is further authorized from time to time, to pay, to advance or to obligate itself to the Commission to bear, a proportionate share of the construction and operating costs of any project proposed by the Commission. Whenever a municipality determines to pay, to advance or to obligate itself for its proportionate share of construction or operating costs as above provided, it shall adopt an ordinance declaring its intention to do so, fix the maximum amount of its share of the cost it proposes to pay, to advance or to obligate itself for, and the period over which it proposes to pay its obligation and the maximum amount to be paid annually, if such obligation is to be paid in installments. From and after such ordinance becomes effective, it shall be the duty of the municipality to include an amount sufficient to pay the annual installments of its obligation each year in the next succeeding appropriation ordinances. No prior appropriation shall be required for a municipality to authorize the payments, advances or obligations herein provided for. Whenever any municipality has paid, advanced or obligated itself for development, construction or operating costs as herein provided, the Commission is authorized to contract with such municipality, on such terms as may be agreed, for the repayment to such municipality by the Commission of any payment or advance made by such municipality to the Commission to charge, in addition to all other charges and rates authorized under the provisions of this Division, such rates and charges for water sold by the Commission as shall be necessary to provide for such repayment. In addition, any payment or advance of such costs made by a municipality pursuant to this Section may be repaid by the Commission to the municipality from the proceeds of revenue bonds authorized to be issued by the Commission pursuant to this Division 135. (Source: P.A. 82‑783.) |
(65 ILCS 5/11‑135‑2) (from Ch. 24, par. 11‑135‑2) Sec. 11‑135‑2. Upon the adoption of such an ordinance or resolution by the corporate authorities of any such municipality, the mayor or president, with the approval of the corporate authorities, shall appoint a commissioner. If under Section 11‑135‑3 a water commission meets the participatory requirements, that water commission shall appoint a commissioner. The commissioners so appointed by each of such municipalities and participatory water commissions together with a like commissioner appointed by the presiding officer of the county board with the advice and consent of the county board of the county in which the major part of the works of the water commission are, or are to be, located, shall constitute a commission and public corporation with the powers and duties specified in this Division 135. The corporate name of the commission shall be "(here insert an appropriate name indicative of the area) Water Commission" and as such the Commission may contract and be contracted with, and sue and be sued. The commissioners so appointed shall serve for a term of 6 years, or until their successors have been appointed and have qualified in the same manner as the original appointments, except that the commissioners first appointed shall determine by lot at their first meeting the respective commissioners whose terms shall be for 2, 4 and 6 years from the date of that meeting. Each commissioner appointed by a mayor or president shall be an elector or the chief administrator of the municipality for which he acts as commissioner, and the commissioner appointed by the presiding officer of the county board shall be an elector of the county in which the major works of the water commission are, or are to be, located. Any commissioner so appointed may be a member of the governing board or officer or employee of the municipality or county from which the appointment is made. A commissioner is eligible for reappointment upon the expiration of his term. A vacancy shall be filled for the balance of the unexpired term of the person who has ceased to hold office by the mayor, president or county board presiding officer who initially made such appointment in the same manner as the original appointment. Each commissioner shall receive the same compensation, as determined by the appointing authority, which shall not be more than $2,000 per year, except that no commissioner who is a member of the governing board or officer of the municipality or county from which the appointment is made may receive any compensation for serving as commissioner. Each commissioner shall furnish a bond for the faithful performance of his official duties. This bond shall not be less than $5,000 and its costs shall be paid by the commission. Each commissioner may be removed for any cause for which any other municipal officer may be removed. No commissioner, or employee of the commission, and no mayor, or president, or other member of the corporate authorities, or any employee of any of the municipalities, shall be interested directly or indirectly in any contract or job of work or materials, or the profits thereof, or services to be performed for or by the commission. A violation of any of the foregoing provisions of this section is a Class C misdemeanor. A conviction is cause for the removal of a person from his office or employment. (Source: P.A. 90‑517, eff. 8‑22‑97; 91‑659, eff. 12‑22‑99.) |
(65 ILCS 5/11‑135‑3) (from Ch. 24, par. 11‑135‑3) Sec. 11‑135‑3. Such a commission shall organize by appointing a chairman from its own members and a clerk and treasurer, who need not be commissioners. It shall adopt its own rules of procedure and provide for its meetings. The commission has full and complete supervision, management, and control of the waterworks system, or the common source of supply of water, or both, as provided in the ordinances or resolutions for acquiring and operating the same, and in their maintenance, operation, and extension. The commission is authorized to contract with the municipalities which established the commission for a supply of water to those municipalities, for a period not exceeding 50 years, and the corporate authorities of those municipalities are authorized to enter into contracts with the commission. The commission is authorized to develop, promote and provide for recreational facilities on property acquired in and for the operation of its common source of supply of water and to include reasonable charges for such recreational facilities as part of the cost of operation and maintenance of the waterworks system. Any 2 or more water commissions organized under this Division 135 may, by resolution adopted by each commission and ratified by the corporate authorities of each of the municipalities comprising each of the water commissions agree to the joint purchase, construction, operation, improvement or extension, or any combination thereof, of either or both a waterworks system and a common source of supply of water for those commissions. When such an agreement has been executed, the water commissions entering into that agreement may jointly issue revenue bonds for the projects subject to the agreement in the same manner and subject to the same conditions as are provided in this Division 135 in the case of an individual water commission. Any additional municipality or water commission may join and become a part of the system provided for in this Division 135 in the same manner as if participating at the time of formation if approved by majority vote of the water commissioners and such approval is ratified by resolution of the corporate authorities of a majority of the municipalities or water commissions constituting the commission; except that if a system is composed of two municipalities, only the approval of a majority of the water commissioners is required to accept an additional municipality or water commission to the system. If a municipality or water commission has been a continuous customer of the same water commission for a minimum of 20 years, receives at least 90% of its water from the water commission, and the population of the municipality or water commission exceeds 20% of the population of the then current member municipalities in the water commission, that municipality or water commission shall become a part of the system. In such event the name of the water commission may be changed either to include the joining municipality's or water commission's name or to provide another name that is indicative of the area. The membership of the water commission shall be enlarged to include a member from such joining municipality or water commission. (Source: P.A. 91‑659, eff. 12‑22‑99.) |
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(2) The power to enter into intergovernmental | ||
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(Source: P.A. 94‑123, eff. 1‑1‑06.) |
(65 ILCS 5/11‑135‑4) (from Ch. 24, par. 11‑135‑4) Sec. 11‑135‑4. A commission may from time to time issue its revenue bonds in such principal amounts as the commission shall deem necessary to provide sufficient funds to carry out any of its corporate purposes and powers, including, without limitation, developing, acquiring, constructing, extending or improving a waterworks system or common source of supply of water, or any combination thereof, the funding or refunding of the principal of, redemption premium, if any, and interest on, any bonds issued by it whether or not such bonds or interest to be funded or refunded have or have not become due, the payment of engineering, legal and other expenses, together with interest to a date one year subsequent to the estimated date of completion of the project, the establishment or increase of reserves to secure or to pay such bonds and interest thereon, the providing of working capital and the payment of all other costs or expenses of the commission incident to and necessary or convenient to carry out its corporate purposes and powers. These bonds shall have all the qualities of negotiable instruments under the laws of this State and shall not constitute indebtedness of any of the municipalities constituting the commission. Every issue of bonds of such commission shall be payable out of the revenues to be derived pursuant to contracts with the specified municipalities and participating water commissions or by virtue of the operation of any properties acquired or to be acquired or constructed. A commission may issue such types of bonds as it may determine, including bonds as to which the principal and interest are payable exclusively from the revenues from one or more projects, or from an interest therein or a right to the products and services thereof, or from one or more revenue producing contracts made by the commission, or its revenues generally. Any such bonds may be additionally secured by a pledge of any grant, subsidy, or contribution from the United States, the State of Illinois, or any unit of local government, or any combination thereof. Before the treasurer of the commission is entitled to receive the proceeds of the sale of such a bond issue, he shall supply a corporate surety bond in an amount equivalent to the amount of funds to be derived from the sale of the bonds, and, in addition thereto, he shall supply a separate corporate surety bond for the faithful accounting of any funds that may come into his possession in an amount equal to the amount of funds likely to come into his hands in any one year from the revenue to be derived from the operation of any of the properties of the commission. The cost of these surety bonds shall be paid by the commission. The revenue bonds shall be issued pursuant to an ordinance or resolution and may be issued in one or more series, and shall bear such date or dates, mature at such time or times within the estimated period of usefulness of the project involved and in any event not more than 50 years from the date thereof, bear interest at such rate or rates as authorized under Section 2 of "An Act to authorize public corporations to issue bonds, other evidences of indebtedness and tax anticipation warrants subject to interest rate limitations set forth therein", approved May 26, 1970, as now or hereafter amended, which rates may be fixed or variable, be in such denominations, be in such form, either coupon or registered, carry such conversion, registration, and exchange privileges, have such rank or priority, be executed in such manner, be payable in such medium of payment at such place or places within or without the State of Illinois, be subject to such terms of redemption with or without premium, and contain or be subject to such other terms as the ordinance or resolution may provide, and shall not be restricted by the provisions of any other law limiting the amounts, maturities, interest rates, or other terms of obligations of public agencies or private persons. The bonds shall be sold in such manner as the commission shall determine, at private or public sale. It shall not be necessary that the ordinance or resolution refer to plans and specifications nor that there be on file for public inspection prior to the adoption of such ordinance detailed plans and specifications of the project. This ordinance or resolution may contain such covenants and restrictions in relation to the operation of the properties under the control of the commission and the issuance of additional revenue bonds thereafter as may be deemed necessary or advisable for the assurance of payment of the bonds thereby authorized and as may be thereafter issued. It shall be plainly stated on the face of each bond that it does not constitute an indebtedness of any municipality represented by the commission within the meaning of any statutory or constitutional limitation. Upon the issuance of revenue bonds, the revenue of the commission derived pursuant to contracts entered into for the sale of water to the specified municipalities and from the operation of its properties, shall be accounted for as provided in the ordinance or resolution authorizing the issuance of the bonds. Any commission created under the provisions of this Division 135 may also issue new bonds for the purpose of providing funds for the payment of unpaid bonds in accordance with the procedure prescribed by this Division 135. The amendatory Acts of 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975 and 1981 are not a limit upon any municipality which is a home rule unit. (Source: P.A. 91‑659, eff. 12‑22‑99.) |
(65 ILCS 5/11‑135‑5) (from Ch. 24, par. 11‑135‑5) Sec. 11‑135‑5. Whenever bonds are issued under this Division 135 the revenue received from the operation of the properties under the control of the commission shall be set aside as collected and deposited in a separate fund to be used only (1) in paying the cost of the operation and maintenance of those properties, (2) in providing an adequate depreciation fund, (3) in paying the principal of and interest upon the revenue bonds issued by the commission, as provided by this Division 135, (4) to comply with the covenants of the ordinance or resolution authorizing the issuance of such bonds, and (5) to carry out the corporate purposes and powers of the commission. In case the commission has charge of the operation of a complete waterworks system, including the distribution mains, the commission shall establish rates and charges for water which shall be sufficient at all times to pay the cost of operation and maintenance, to provide an adequate depreciation fund, to pay the principal of and interest upon all revenue bonds issued as provided by this Division 135, to comply with the covenants of the ordinance or resolution authorizing the issuance of such bonds, and to carry out the corporate purposes and powers of the commission. Charges and rates shall be established, revised, and maintained by ordinance and become payable as the commission may determine by ordinance. In case the commission has charge of the operation of a common source of supply of water, the municipalities represented by the commission shall contract with the commission for water. These municipalities shall establish such charges and rates for water supplied by them to consumers as will be sufficient at all times (1) to pay the cost of operation and maintenance of the respective waterworks systems (or waterworks and sewerage systems, where combined) of the municipalities, (2) to provide an adequate depreciation fund therefor, (3) to pay the principal of and interest on all revenue bonds of the municipalities payable from the revenues of the waterworks system (or combined waterworks and sewerage system), and (4) to pay the charges and rates established by the commission for the sale of water by the commission to those municipalities. The commission shall establish such charges and rates for water supplied to those municipalities as will be sufficient at all times (1) to pay the cost of operation and maintenance of the common source of supply of water, (2) to provide an adequate depreciation fund therefor, (3) to pay the principal of and interest on the revenue bonds issued by the commission, (4) to comply with the covenants of the ordinance or resolution authorizing the issuance of such bonds, and (5) to carry out the corporate purposes and powers of the commission, under the provisions of this Division 135. Contracts entered into between the commission and the specified municipalities shall include covenants for the establishment of rates and charges as provided in this section. Municipality contributions to the Illinois Municipal Retirement Fund, by commissions created under this Division 135 which have been included under that Fund, shall be considered a cost of operation and maintenance for the purposes of this Section. Any holder of a bond or of any of its coupons, issued under this Division 135, in any civil action, mandamus, or other proceeding, may enforce and compel performance of all duties required by this Division 135 to be performed by such a commission or by any of the municipalities, including the making of rates and charges, the collecting of sufficient revenue, and the application thereof, as provided in this Division 135. All contracts for the construction of a waterworks system or of a common source of supply of water, or both, to be let by such a commission, shall be entered into only after advertising for bids, pursuant to a resolution to be adopted for that purpose by the commission. A notice inviting bids shall be published in a newspaper published and having a general circulation in the county or counties in which the municipalities represented by the commission are located, not more than 30 nor less than 15 days in advance of the receipt of the bids. The notice shall be published at least twice. In the resolution directing the advertising for bids the commission also shall establish all requirements necessary for the bidding, for the awarding of contracts, and for the approval of contractors' faithful performance bonds. (Source: P.A. 82‑641.) |
(65 ILCS 5/11‑135‑7) (from Ch. 24, par. 11‑135‑7) Sec. 11‑135‑7. Such commission may construct, maintain, alter and extend its water mains as a proper use of highways along, upon, under and across any highway, street, alley or public ground in the state, including highways within a municipality, but so as not to inconvenience the public use thereof, and such commission may construct, maintain and operate any conduit or conduits, water pipe or pipes, wholly or partially buried or otherwise in, upon and along any of the lands owned by the State of Illinois and under any of the public waters therein. However, the right, permission and authority hereby created shall be subject to all public rights of commerce and navigation and the authority of the United States in behalf of such public rights and also the laws of the State of Illinois to regulate and control the same. Notice shall be given to the highway authorities of any municipality, county, township, road district or township district in which such highway, street or public way may be situated at least 60 days before any construction or installation work in such highway or street shall commence. All laws and ordinances pertaining to such work for the protection of the public and of public property shall be complied with except that no fee may be charged such commission for the construction or installation of such facilities in such public places. (Source: Laws 1961, p. 576.) |
(65 ILCS 5/11‑135‑8) (from Ch. 24, par. 11‑135‑8) Sec. 11‑135‑8. Such commission shall have the right to supply water to any municipality, political subdivision, private person or corporation, in addition to the municipalities which have formed the commission, and to construct water transmission and distribution lines within a radius of 25 miles outside the corporate limits of member municipalities for the purpose of furnishing water to any additional entities which contract with the commission for a supply of water, upon such payment, terms and conditions as may be mutually agreed upon. In addition to the foregoing powers, if there is any municipality within a radius of 25 miles of the corporate limits of the commission which desires not to own or operate a waterworks system, and such municipality adopts an ordinance requesting the Commission to supply water for public and domestic use within such municipality, then any such commission may, when determined by the Commissioners to be in the public interest and necessary for the protection of the public health or in the best interest of the Commission or its environs, enter into and perform contracts, whether long term or short term, with any such municipality, to acquire, construct and operate and maintain its waterworks properties within the corporate limits of such municipality for the purpose of supplying water for public and domestic use to the inhabitants thereof. Such commission shall have the power to contract with any person, corporation or political subdivision or any municipal corporation or other agency for a supply of water, or to supply water to such person, corporation, municipal corporation or political subdivision. Any such contract made by a commission for a supply of water may contain provisions whereby the commission is obligated to pay for such supply of water without setoff or counterclaim and irrespective of whether such supply of water is ever furnished, made available or delivered to the commission or whether any project for the supply of water contemplated by any such contract is completed, operable or operating and notwithstanding any suspension, interruption, interference, reduction or curtailment of the supply of water from such project. Any such contract may provide that if one or more of the other purchasers defaults in the payment of its obligations under such contract or similar contract made with the supplier of the water, one or more of the remaining purchasers party to such contract or such similar contract shall be required to pay for all or a portion of the obligations of the defaulting purchasers. Any such contract entered into to supply water to a municipal corporation or political subdivision shall provide that the payments to be made thereunder shall be solely from the revenues to be derived by such municipality or political subdivision from the operation of the waterworks system of such municipality or political subdivision, and said contract shall be a continuing, valid and binding obligation of the municipality or political subdivision, payable from such revenues for such period of years, not to exceed 40, as may be provided in such contract. Any such contract shall not be a debt within the meaning of any statutory or constitutional limitations. No prior appropriation shall be required before entering into such contract, and no appropriation shall be required to authorize payments to be made under the terms of any such contract, notwithstanding any provision of this Code to the contrary. The changes in this Section made by this amendatory Act of 1984 are intended to be declarative of existing law. (Source: P.A. 83‑1123.) |
(65 ILCS 5/11‑135‑9) (from Ch. 24, par. 11‑135‑9) Sec. 11‑135‑9. Whenever a water commission has been constituted pursuant to this Division 135, was functioning as such on July 21, 1959, and thereafter continued to exercise the powers conferred on it at the time it was so constituted, such commission is a valid public corporation, and all acts performed by or on behalf of such commission, or its officers or employees are valid. In all cases where a municipality which has adopted a resolution or ordinance to acquire and operate jointly a waterworks system or a common source of supply of water, or both, as the case may be, under the provisions of this Division 135, thereby becoming a member of a water commission, has heretofore adopted an ordinance repealing the aforesaid resolution or ordinance and declaring the termination of membership and withdrawal of such municipality from said water commission; and the said water commission has not at the time of such ordinance acquired a waterworks system or common source of supply of water, as the case may be; and the said water commission duly adopts a resolution finding that the withdrawal of such municipality will not burden or adversely affect the remaining members of said water commission in their efforts to acquire and operate jointly a waterworks system or a common source of supply of water or both, as the case may be, and consenting to the withdrawal of such municipality, each such resolution is hereby made a legal and valid consent to the withdrawal of such municipality from the said water commission and such withdrawal is hereby declared legal and valid and effective, and such municipality is hereby declared legally and validly withdrawn from the said water commission and no longer a member or a part of the system and all such water commissions are hereby declared legally and validly organized and established water commissions, and valid and existing water commissions and public corporations under the provisions of Division 135, notwithstanding any such withdrawal. All actions taken prior to the effective date of this Act by any water commission which has heretofore consented to the withdrawal of one or more of its members in accordance with the procedures described herein, which actions were otherwise valid but for the invalidating effect of the membership or withdrawal from membership of the withdrawing community or communities upon any quorum, voting or other requirement based upon the number of commissioners or commission members, are hereby declared effective, legal and valid, notwithstanding any lack of compliance with any such quorum, voting or other requirement imposed by law or by the rules of the said commission. (Source: P.A. 82‑641.) |
(65 ILCS 5/11‑135‑10) (from Ch. 24, par. 11‑135‑10) Sec. 11‑135‑10. The provisions of this Division 135 are subject to the terms and provisions of the Water Commission Act of 1985, as now or hereafter amended. (Source: P.A. 84‑1308.) |