Bill Text: IL SB1673 | 2023-2024 | 103rd General Assembly | Enrolled

NOTE: There are more recent revisions of this legislation. Read Latest Draft
Bill Title: Amends the Metropolitan Water Reclamation District Act. Provides that the Metropolitan Water Reclamation District of Greater Chicago may provide for a civil penalty for each offense of not less than $100 nor more than $1,000, with each day's continuance of a violation to be a separate offense, excluding costs and fees that may be assessed. Requires a hearing in front of the board of commissioners, or its designee, before a civil penalty may be imposed. Specifies procedures that must be adopted by the board of commissioners relating to imposing a civil penalty. Effective immediately.

Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 4-0)

Status: (Passed) 2023-06-30 - Public Act . . . . . . . . . 103-0221 [SB1673 Detail]

Download: Illinois-2023-SB1673-Enrolled.html



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1 AN ACT concerning local government.
2 Be it enacted by the People of the State of Illinois,
3represented in the General Assembly:
4 Section 5. The Metropolitan Water Reclamation District Act
5is amended by changing Section 7h as follows:
6 (70 ILCS 2605/7h)
7 Sec. 7h. Stormwater management.
8 (a) Stormwater management in Cook County shall be under
9the general supervision of the Metropolitan Water Reclamation
10District of Greater Chicago. The District has the authority to
11plan, manage, implement, and finance activities relating to
12stormwater management in Cook County. The authority of the
13District with respect to stormwater management extends
14throughout Cook County and is not limited to the area
15otherwise within the territory and jurisdiction of the
16District under this Act.
17 For the purposes of this Section, the term "stormwater
18management" includes, without limitation, the management of
19floods and floodwaters.
20 (b) The District may utilize the resources of cooperating
21local watershed councils (including the stormwater management
22planning councils created under Section 5-1062.1 of the
23Counties Code), councils of local governments, the

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1Northeastern Illinois Planning Commission, and similar
2organizations and agencies. The District may provide those
3organizations and agencies with funding, on a contractual
4basis, for providing information to the District, providing
5information to the public, or performing other activities
6related to stormwater management.
7 The District, in addition to other powers vested in it,
8may negotiate and enter into agreements with any county for
9the management of stormwater runoff in accordance with
10subsection (c) of Section 5-1062 of the Counties Code.
11 The District may enter into intergovernmental agreements
12with Cook County or other units of local government that are
13located in whole or in part outside the District for the
14purpose of implementing the stormwater management plan and
15providing stormwater management services in areas not included
16within the territory of the District.
17 (c) The District shall prepare and adopt by ordinance a
18countywide stormwater management plan for Cook County. The
19countywide plan may incorporate one or more separate watershed
20plans.
21 Prior to adopting the countywide stormwater management
22plan, the District shall hold at least one public hearing
23thereon and shall afford interested persons an opportunity to
24be heard.
25 (d) The District may prescribe by ordinance reasonable
26rules and regulations for floodplain and stormwater management

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1and for governing the location, width, course, and release
2rate of all stormwater runoff channels, streams, and basins in
3Cook County, in accordance with the adopted stormwater
4management plan. These rules and regulations shall, at a
5minimum, meet the standards for floodplain management
6established by the Office of Water Resources of the Department
7of Natural Resources and the requirements of the Federal
8Emergency Management Agency for participation in the National
9Flood Insurance Program.
10 The ordinance adopted by the District under this
11subsection may provide for a civil penalty for each violation
12of the ordinance of not less than $100 nor more than $1,000,
13excluding costs and fees that may be assessed under this
14Section. Each day's continuance of a violation is a separate
15offense.
16 (d-5) Civil penalties assessed by the board of
17commissioners for violations of an ordinance adopted under
18subsection (d) shall be assessed following a hearing, which
19may be conducted by the board of commissioners or its
20designee, pursuant to procedures adopted by the board of
21commissioners. The procedures shall include, at a minimum, the
22following:
23 (1) In addition to any civil penalty imposed, the
24 board of commissioners may order a party found to have
25 committed a violation of an ordinance adopted under
26 subsection (d) to reimburse the District for the costs of

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1 the hearing, including any expenses incurred for
2 inspection, sampling, analysis, administrative costs, and
3 court reporter's and attorney's fees, and to comply with
4 the ordinance adopted under subsection (d) within a time
5 specified by the board of commissioners.
6 (2) Unless the party or parties to whom the order is
7 issued seek judicial review, the civil penalties, costs,
8 and fees assessed by the board of commissioners under this
9 Section shall be paid by the party or parties in violation
10 no later than the later of (i) 35 days after the party
11 receives a written copy of the order of the board of
12 commissioners imposing the civil penalties, costs, or fees
13 or (ii) the date ordered by the board of commissioners.
14 (3) If the party assessed a civil penalty seeks
15 judicial review of the order assessing civil penalties,
16 the party shall, no later than 35 days after the date of
17 the final order, pay the amount of the civil penalties,
18 costs, and fees assessed into an escrow account maintained
19 by the District for that purpose or file a bond
20 guaranteeing payment of the civil penalties, fees, and
21 costs if the civil penalties, fees, and costs are upheld
22 on review.
23 (4) In addition to recovery under paragraph (5), civil
24 penalties, fees, and costs not paid by the times specified
25 in this subsection are delinquent and are subject to a
26 lien recorded against the property of the party ordered to

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1 pay the civil penalty.
2 (5) Civil penalties, fees, and costs imposed under
3 this Section are recoverable by the District in a civil
4 action by all remedies available under the law. Judgment
5 in a civil action brought by the District to recover or
6 collect the civil penalties, fees, and costs does not
7 operate as a release and waiver of a lien upon the real
8 estate for the amount of the judgment. Only satisfaction
9 of the judgment or the filing of a release or satisfaction
10 of lien shall release the lien.
11 (6) The District may apply to the circuit court for an
12 injunction or mandamus when, in the opinion of the
13 executive director of the District, the person has failed
14 to comply with an order of the board of commissioners or
15 the relief is necessary to prevent flooding.
16 The Administrative Review Law governs proceedings for the
17judicial review of final orders of the board of commissioners
18issued under this subsection.
19 (e) The District may impose fees on areas outside the
20District but within Cook County for performance of stormwater
21management services, including but not limited to, maintenance
22of streams and the development, design, planning,
23construction, operation and maintenance of stormwater
24facilities. The total amount of the fees collected from areas
25outside of the District but within Cook County shall not
26exceed the District's annual tax rate for stormwater

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1management within the District multiplied by the aggregate
2equalized assessed valuation of areas outside of the District
3but within Cook County. The District may require the unit of
4local government in which the stormwater services are
5performed to collect the fee and remit the collected fee to the
6District. The District is authorized to pay a reasonable
7administrative fee to the unit of local government for the
8collection of these fees. All such fees collected by the
9District shall be held in a separate fund and used for
10implementation of this Section.
11 (f) Amounts realized from the tax levy for stormwater
12management purposes authorized in Section 12 may be used by
13the District for implementing this Section and for the
14development, design, planning, construction, operation, and
15maintenance of regional and local stormwater facilities
16provided for in the stormwater management plan.
17 The proceeds of any tax imposed under Section 12 for
18stormwater management purposes and any revenues generated as a
19result of the ownership or operation of facilities or land
20acquired with the proceeds of taxes imposed under Section 12
21for stormwater management purposes shall be held in a separate
22fund and used either for implementing this Section or to abate
23those taxes.
24 (g) The District may plan, implement, finance, and operate
25regional and local stormwater management projects in
26accordance with the adopted countywide stormwater management

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1plan.
2 The District shall provide for public review and comment
3on proposed stormwater management projects. The District shall
4conform to State and federal requirements concerning public
5information, environmental assessments, and environmental
6impacts for projects receiving State or federal funds.
7 The District may issue bonds under Section 9.6a of this
8Act for the purpose of funding stormwater management projects.
9 The District shall not use Cook County Forest Preserve
10District land for stormwater or flood control projects without
11the consent of the Forest Preserve District.
12 The District may acquire, by purchase from a willing
13seller in a voluntary transaction, real property in
14furtherance of its regional and local stormwater management
15activities. Nothing in this Section shall affect the
16District's powers of condemnation or eminent domain as
17otherwise set forth in this Act.
18 (h) Upon the creation and implementation of a county
19stormwater management plan, the District may petition the
20circuit court to dissolve any or all drainage districts
21created pursuant to the Illinois Drainage Code or predecessor
22Acts that are located entirely within the District.
23 However, any active drainage district implementing a plan
24that is consistent with and at least as stringent as the county
25stormwater management plan may petition the District for
26exception from dissolution. Upon filing of the petition, the

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1District shall set a date for hearing not less than 2 weeks,
2nor more than 4 weeks, from the filing thereof, and the
3District shall give at least one week's notice of the hearing
4in one or more newspapers of general circulation within the
5drainage district, and in addition shall cause a copy of the
6notice to be personally served upon each of the trustees of the
7drainage district. At the hearing, the District shall hear the
8drainage district's petition and allow the drainage district
9trustees and any interested parties an opportunity to present
10oral and written evidence. The District shall render its
11decision upon the petition for exception from dissolution
12based upon the best interests of the residents of the drainage
13district. In the event that the exception is not allowed, the
14drainage district may file a petition with the circuit court
15within 30 days of the decision. In that case, the notice and
16hearing requirements for the court shall be the same as
17provided in this subsection for the petition to the District.
18The court shall render its decision of whether to dissolve the
19district based upon the best interests of the residents of the
20drainage district.
21 The dissolution of a drainage district shall not affect
22the obligation of any bonds issued or contracts entered into
23by the drainage district nor invalidate the levy, extension,
24or collection of any taxes or special assessments upon the
25property in the former drainage district. All property and
26obligations of the former drainage district shall be assumed

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1and managed by the District, and the debts of the former
2drainage district shall be discharged as soon as practicable.
3 If a drainage district lies only partly within the
4District, the District may petition the circuit court to
5disconnect from the drainage district that portion of the
6drainage district that lies within the District. The property
7of the drainage district within the disconnected area shall be
8assumed and managed by the District. The District shall also
9assume a portion of the drainage district's debt at the time of
10disconnection, based on the portion of the value of the
11taxable property of the drainage district which is located
12within the area being disconnected.
13 A drainage district that continues to exist within Cook
14County shall conform its operations to the countywide
15stormwater management plan.
16 (i) The District may assume responsibility for maintaining
17any stream within Cook County.
18 (j) The District may, after 10 days written notice to the
19owner or occupant, enter upon any lands or waters within the
20county for the purpose of inspecting stormwater facilities or
21causing the removal of any obstruction to an affected
22watercourse. The District shall be responsible for any damages
23occasioned thereby.
24 (k) The District shall report to the public annually on
25its activities and expenditures under this Section and the
26adopted countywide stormwater management plan.

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1 (l) The powers granted to the District under this Section
2are in addition to the other powers granted under this Act.
3This Section does not limit the powers of the District under
4any other provision of this Act or any other law.
5 (m) This Section does not affect the power or duty of any
6unit of local government to take actions relating to flooding
7or stormwater, so long as those actions conform with this
8Section and the plans, rules, and ordinances adopted by the
9District under this Section.
10 A home rule unit located in whole or in part in Cook County
11(other than a municipality with a population over 1,000,000)
12may not regulate stormwater management or planning in Cook
13County in a manner inconsistent with this Section or the
14plans, rules, and ordinances adopted by the District under
15this Section; provided, within a municipality with a
16population over 1,000,000, the stormwater management planning
17program of Cook County shall be conducted by that municipality
18or, to the extent provided in an intergovernmental agreement
19between the municipality and the District, by the District
20pursuant to this Section; provided further that the power
21granted to such municipality shall not be inconsistent with
22existing powers of the District. Pursuant to paragraph (i) of
23Section 6 of Article VII of the Illinois Constitution, this
24Section specifically denies and limits the exercise of any
25power that is inconsistent with this Section by a home rule
26unit that is a county with a population of 1,500,000 or more or

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1is located, in whole or in part, within such a county, other
2than a municipality with a population over 1,000,000.
3(Source: P.A. 98-652, eff. 6-18-14.)
4 Section 99. Effective date. This Act takes effect upon
5becoming law.
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