Public Act 0049 96TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY

HB2409 Enrolled LRB096 08679 RLJ 18805 b

Public Act 096-0049

AN ACT concerning local government.

Be it enacted by the People of the State of Illinois, represented in the General Assembly:

Section 5. The North Shore Sanitary District Act is amended by changing Sections 11, 12, and 29 as follows:

(70 ILCS 2305/11) (from Ch. 42, par. 287)

Sec. 11. Except as otherwise provided in this Section, all contracts for purchases or sales by the municipality, the expense of which will exceed the mandatory competitive bid threshold, shall be let to the lowest responsible bidder therefor upon not less than 14 days' public notice of the terms and conditions upon which the contract is to be let, having been given by publication in a newspaper of general circulation published in the district, and the board may reject any and all bids and readvertise. In determining the lowest responsible bidder, the board shall take into consideration the qualities and serviceability of the articles supplied, their conformity with specifications, their suitability to the requirements of the district, the availability of support services, the uniqueness of the service, materials, equipment, or supplies as it applies to network integrated computer systems, the compatibility of the service, materials, equipment or supplies with existing equipment, and the delivery terms. Contracts for services in excess of the mandatory competitive bid threshold may, subject to the provisions of this Section, be let by competitive bidding at the discretion of the district board of trustees. All contracts for purchases or sales that will not exceed the mandatory competitive bid threshold may be made in the open market without publication in a newspaper as above provided, but whenever practical shall be based on at least 3 competitive bids. For purposes of this Section, the "mandatory competitive bid threshold" is a dollar amount equal to 0.1% of the total general fixed assets of the district as reported in the most recent required audit report. In no event, however, shall the mandatory competitive bid threshold dollar amount be less than $10,000, nor more than $40,000.

Cash, a cashier's check, a certified check, or a bid bond with adequate surety approved by the board of trustees as a deposit of good faith, in a reasonable amount, but not in excess of 10% of the contract amount, may be required of each bidder by the district on all bids involving amounts in excess of the mandatory competitive bid threshold and, if so required, the advertisement for bids shall so specify.

Contracts which by their nature are not adapted to award by competitive bidding, including, without limitation, contracts for the services of individuals, groups or firms possessing a high degree of professional skill where the ability or fitness of the individual or organization plays an important part, contracts for financial management services undertaken pursuant to "An Act relating to certain investments of public funds by public agencies", approved July 23, 1943, as now or hereafter amended, contracts for the purchase or sale of utilities, contracts for commodities including supply contracts for natural gas and electricity, contracts for materials economically procurable only from a single source of supply, contracts for services, supplies, materials, parts, or equipment which are available only from a single source or contracts for maintenance, repairs, OEM supplies, or OEM parts from the manufacturer or from a source authorized by the manufacturer, contracts for the use, purchase, delivery, movement, or installation of data processing equipment, software, or services and telecommunications and interconnect equipment, software, or services, contracts for duplicating machines and supplies, contracts for goods or services procured from another governmental agency, purchases of equipment previously owned by an entity other than the district itself, purchases of used equipment, purchases at auction or similar transactions which by their very nature are not suitable to competitive bids, and leases of real property where the sanitary district is the lessee shall not be subject to the competitive bidding requirements of this Section.

The District may use a design-build procurement method for any public project which shall not be subject to the competitive bidding requirements of this Section provided the Board of Trustees approves the contract for the public project by a vote of 4 of the 5 trustees. For the purposes of this Section, "design-build" means a delivery system that provides responsibility within a single contract for the furnishing of architecture, engineering, land surveying and related services as required, and the labor, materials, equipment, and other construction services for the project.

In the case of an emergency affecting the public health or safety so declared by the Board of Trustees of the municipality at a meeting thereof duly convened, which declaration shall require the affirmative vote of four of the five Trustees elected, and shall set forth the nature of the danger to the public health or safety, contracts totaling not more than the emergency contract cap may be let to the extent necessary to resolve such emergency without public advertisement or competitive bidding. For purposes of this Section, the "emergency contract cap" is a dollar amount equal to 0.4% of the total general fixed assets of the district as reported in the most recent required audit report. In no event, however, shall the emergency contract cap dollar amount be less than $40,000, nor more than $250,000. The Resolution or Ordinance in which such declaration is embodied shall fix the date upon which such emergency shall terminate which date may be extended or abridged by the Board of Trustees as in their judgment the circumstances require. A full written account of any such emergency, together with a requisition for the materials, supplies, labor or equipment required therefor shall be submitted immediately upon completion and shall be open to public inspection for a period of at least one year subsequent to the date of such emergency purchase. Within 30 days after the passage of the resolution or ordinance declaring an emergency affecting the public health or safety, the municipality shall submit to the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency the full written account of any such emergency along with a copy of the resolution or ordinance declaring the emergency, in accordance with requirements as may be provided by rule.

To address operating emergencies not affecting the public health or safety, the Board of Trustees shall authorize, in writing, officials or employees of the sanitary district to purchase in the open market and without advertisement any supplies, materials, equipment, or services for immediate delivery to meet the bona fide operating emergency, without filing a requisition or estimate therefor, in an amount not in excess of $100,000; provided that the Board of Trustees must be notified of the operating emergency. A full, written account of each operating emergency and a requisition for the materials, supplies, equipment, and services required to meet the operating emergency must be immediately submitted by the officials or employees authorized to make purchases to the Board of Trustees. The account must be available for public inspection for a period of at least one year after the date of the operating emergency purchase. The exercise of authority with respect to purchases for a bona fide operating emergency is not dependent on a declaration of an operating emergency by the Board of Trustees.

The competitive bidding requirements of this Section do not apply to contracts, including contracts for both materials and services incidental thereto, for the repair or replacement of a sanitary district's treatment plant, sewers, equipment, or facilities damaged or destroyed as the result of a sudden or unexpected occurrence, including, but not limited to, a flood, fire, tornado, earthquake, storm, or other natural or man-made disaster, if the board of trustees determines in writing that the awarding of those contracts without competitive bidding is reasonably necessary for the sanitary district to maintain compliance with a permit issued under the National Pollution Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) or any successor system or with any outstanding order relating to that compliance issued by the United States Environmental Protection Agency, the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency, or the Illinois Pollution Control Board. The authority to issue contracts without competitive bidding pursuant to this paragraph expires 6 months after the date of the writing determining that the awarding of contracts without competitive bidding is reasonably necessary.

No Trustee shall be interested, directly or indirectly, in any contract, work or business of the municipality, or in the sale of any article, whenever the expense, price or consideration of the contract work, business or sale is paid either from the treasury or by any assessment levied by any Statute or Ordinance. No Trustee shall be interested, directly or indirectly, in the purchase of any property which (1) belongs to the municipality, or (2) is sold for taxes or assessments of the municipality, or (3) is sold by virtue of legal process in the suit of the municipality.

A contract for any work or other public improvement, to be paid for in whole or in part by special assessment or special taxation, shall be entered into and the performance thereof controlled by the provisions of Division 2 of Article 9 of the "Illinois Municipal Code", approved May 29, 1961, as heretofore or hereafter amended, as near as may be. However, contracts may be let for making proper and suitable connections between the mains and outlets of the respective sanitary sewers in the district with any conduit, conduits, main pipe or pipes that may be constructed by such sanitary district.

(Source: P.A. 95-607, eff. 9-11-07.)

(70 ILCS 2305/12) (from Ch. 42, par. 288)

Sec. 12. The board of trustees may levy and collect other taxes for corporate purposes upon property within the territorial limits of the sanitary district, the aggregate amount of which for each year may not exceed .083% of value, as equalized or assessed by the Department of Revenue, except that if a higher rate has been established by referendum before August 2, 1965, it shall continue. If the board desires to levy such taxes at a rate in excess of .083% but not in excess of .35% of the value of all taxable property within the district as equalized or assessed by the Department of Revenue, they shall order the question to be submitted at an election to be held within the district. The certification and submission of the question and the election shall be governed by the general election law. Upon the filing of a petition signed by 10% of the registered voters of the district, the right to levy an additional tax, or any portion thereof, authorized by the legal voters, may at any time after one or more tax levies thereunder, be terminated by a majority vote of the electors of the district at a referendum. The trustees of the district shall certify the proposition to the proper election officials, who shall submit the proposition at an election in accordance with the general election law.

In addition to the other taxes authorized by this Section, the board of trustees may levy and collect, without referendum, a tax for the purpose of paying the cost of operation of the chlorination of sewage, or other means of disinfection or additional treatment as may be required by water quality standards approved or adopted by the Pollution Control Board or by the court, which tax is not subject to the rate limitations imposed by this Section but may be extended at a rate not to exceed .03% of the value of all taxable property within the district as equalized or assessed by the Department of Revenue.

Such tax may be extended at a rate in excess of .03% but not to exceed .05%, providing the question of levying such increase has first been submitted to the voters of such district at any regular election held in such district in accordance with the general election law and has been approved by a majority of such voters voting thereon.

The board shall cause the amount required to be raised by taxation in each year to be certified to the county clerk by the second Tuesday in September, as provided in Section 8-15 of the Property Tax Code 157 of the General Revenue Law of Illinois. All taxes so levied and certified shall be collected and enforced in the same manner and by the same officers as State and county taxes, and shall be paid over by the officers collecting the same to the treasurer of the sanitary district in the manner and at the time provided by the General Revenue Law of Illinois.

The treasurer shall, when the moneys of the district are deposited with any bank or savings and loan association, require that bank or savings and loan association to pay the same rates of interest for the moneys deposited as the bank or savings and loan association is accustomed to pay to depositors under like circumstances, in the usual course of its business. All interest so paid shall be placed in the general funds of the district, to be used as other moneys belonging to the district raised by general taxation or sale of water.

No bank or savings and loan association shall receive public funds as permitted by this Section, unless it has complied with the requirements established pursuant to Section 6 of "An Act relating to certain investments of public funds by public agencies", approved July 23, 1943, as now or hereafter amended.

In addition to the foregoing, the Board of Trustees shall have all of the powers set forth in Division 7 of Article 8 of the Illinois Municipal Code until September 10, 1986.

(Source: P.A. 90-655, eff. 7-30-98.)

(70 ILCS 2305/29) (from Ch. 42, par. 296.9)

Sec. 29. The board of trustees of any sanitary district may arrange to provide for the benefit of employees and trustees of the sanitary district group life, health, accident, hospital and medical insurance, or any one or any combination of those types of insurance. The board of trustees may also establish a self-insurance program to provide such group life, health, accident, hospital and medical coverage, or any one or any combination of such coverage. The board of trustees may enact an ordinance prescribing the method of operation of such an insurance program. Such insurance may include provision for employees and trustees who rely on treatment by prayer or spiritual means alone for healing in accordance with the tenets and practice of a well recognized religious denomination. The board of trustees may provide for payment by the sanitary district of the premium or charge for such insurance or the cost of a self-insurance program.

The If the board of trustees does not provide for a plan pursuant to which the sanitary district pays the premium or charge for any group insurance plan, the board of trustees may provide for the withholding and deducting from the compensation of such of the employees and trustees as consent thereto the premium or charge for any group life, health, accident, hospital and medical insurance.

The board of trustees may only obtain insurance exercise the powers granted in this Section only if the kinds of group insurance are obtained from an insurance company or companies authorized to do business in the State of Illinois or such from any other organization or service provider authorized to do business in the State of Illinois offering similar coverage. The board of trustees may enact an ordinance prescribing the method of operation of such an insurance program.

(Source: P.A. 90-655, eff. 7-30-98.)