2023 Illinois Compiled Statutes › Chapter 50 - LOCAL GOVERNMENT › 50 ILCS 350/ - Community Self-Revitalization Act.

(50 ILCS 350/1)
Sec. 1. Short title. 
This Act may be cited as the Community
Self-Revitalization Act.
(Source: P.A. 95-557, eff. 8-30-07.)
(50 ILCS 350/5)
Sec. 5. Findings and purpose.
(a) The General Assembly finds that:
(1) There is a great need for economic revitalization     in many communities throughout this State.
(2) Each community has valuable resources at its     fingertips that can be tapped in the revitalization process.
(3) With adequate support and assistance from the     State and other resources, each community can participate in and shepherd its own economic renewal.
(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 redevelopment planning process.
(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.
(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.
(Source: P.A. 95-557, eff. 8-30-07.)
(50 ILCS 350/10)
Sec. 10. Definitions.  As used in this Section:
"Community" means a municipality or a county with
respect to the unincorporated areas of a county.
"Department" means the Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity.
"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.
(Source: P.A. 95-557, eff. 8-30-07.)
(50 ILCS 350/15)
Sec. 15. Certification; Board of Economic Advisors.
(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
determines that the community meets the requirements for certification, the
Department
may certify the community as an economically distressed community.
(b) A community that is certified by the Department as
an
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
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:
(1) A member representing households and families.
(2) A member representing religious organizations.
(3) A member representing educational institutions.
(4) A member representing daycare centers, care     centers for persons with disabilities, and care centers for the disadvantaged.
(5) A member representing community based     organizations such as neighborhood improvement associations.
(6) A member representing federal and State     employment service systems, skill training centers, and placement referrals.
(7) A member representing Masonic organizations,     fraternities, sororities, and social clubs.
(8) A member representing hospitals, nursing homes,     senior citizens, public health agencies, and funeral homes.
(9) A member representing organized sports, parks,     parties, and games of chance.
(10) A member representing political parties, clubs,     and affiliations, and election related matters concerning voter education and participation.
(11) A member representing the cultural aspects of     the community, including cultural events, lifestyles, languages, music, visual and performing arts, and literature.
(12) A member representing police and fire protection     agencies, prisons, weapons systems, and the military industrial complex.
(13) A member representing local businesses.
(14) A member representing the retail industry.
(15) A member representing the service industry.
(16) A member representing the industrial,     production, and manufacturing sectors.
(17) A member representing the advertising and     marketing industry.
(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
compensation.
(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
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
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
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
scope of the revitalization.
(Source: P.A. 99-143, eff. 7-27-15.)
(50 ILCS 350/20)
Sec. 20. Action by the Board.
(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.
(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
into the
community.
(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
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
revitalization.
(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
respect to
economic development.
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.
The Board shall annually submit a report to the General
Assembly and the Governor summarizing the accomplishments of the community
concerning revitalization and the goals of the community for future
revitalization.
(Source: P.A. 95-557, eff. 8-30-07.)
(50 ILCS 350/25)
Sec. 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
application shall be established by the Department
by rule.
(Source: P.A. 95-557, eff. 8-30-07.)
(50 ILCS 350/99)
Sec. 99. Effective date. This Act takes effect upon becoming law.
(Source: P.A. 95-557, eff. 8-30-07.)