HB4995 103RD GENERAL ASSEMBLY

LRB103 37672 AWJ 67799 b

103RD GENERAL ASSEMBLY
State of Illinois
2023 and 2024
HB4995

Introduced 2/8/2024, by Rep. Jeff Keicher

SYNOPSIS AS INTRODUCED:

65 ILCS 5/11-74.4-5	from Ch. 24, par. 11-74.4-5
65 ILCS 5/11-74.4-6	from Ch. 24, par. 11-74.4-6

Amends the Tax Increment Allocation Redevelopment Act of the Illinois Municipal Code. Provides that, before an ordinance may be adopted approving a redevelopment project area, the redevelopment project area must be approved by referendum of the voters of the affected taxing districts. Includes requirements for the ordinance or resolution proposing the redevelopment project area, for submission of and language for the referendum, and approval of the referendum when a majority of the voters in each of the affected taxing districts approve the referendum. Modifies notice requirements for the public meeting, and requires the notification of all voters of the affected taxing districts. Requires notice by publication, mailing, and on the website of the municipality (rather than by publication and mailing), and modifies the timing in which notices must be sent. Requires that a notice also must contain a copy of the proposed ordinance designating the redevelopment project area, a list of all taxes levied by each of the taxing districts that constitute the joint review board, a statement of the projected impact that the redevelopment project area will have on those taxing district, and the proposed referendum language. Makes other changes. Effective immediately.

A BILL FOR

AN ACT concerning local government.

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

Section 5. The Illinois Municipal Code is amended by changing Sections 11-74.4-5 and 11-74.4-6 as follows:

(65 ILCS 5/11-74.4-5) (from Ch. 24, par. 11-74.4-5)

Sec. 11-74.4-5. Public hearing; joint review board.

(a) The changes made by this amendatory Act of the 91st General Assembly do not apply to a municipality that, (i) before the effective date of this amendatory Act of the 91st General Assembly, has adopted an ordinance or resolution fixing a time and place for a public hearing under this Section or (ii) before July 1, 1999, has adopted an ordinance or resolution providing for a feasibility study under Section 11-74.4-4.1, but has not yet adopted an ordinance approving redevelopment plans and redevelopment projects or designating redevelopment project areas under Section 11-74.4-4, until after that municipality adopts an ordinance approving redevelopment plans and redevelopment projects or designating redevelopment project areas under Section 11-74.4-4; thereafter the changes made by this amendatory Act of the 91st General Assembly apply to the same extent that they apply to redevelopment plans and redevelopment projects that were approved and redevelopment projects that were designated before the effective date of this amendatory Act of the 91st General Assembly.

Prior to the adoption of an ordinance proposing the designation of a redevelopment project area, or approving a redevelopment plan or redevelopment project, the municipality by its corporate authorities, or as it may determine by any commission designated under subsection (k) of Section 11-74.4-4 shall adopt an ordinance or resolution fixing a time and place for public hearing. The ordinance or resolution fixing the time and place for a public hearing shall also initiate the submission of a referendum to approve the designation of the redevelopment project area under subsection (a-5), and the ordinance or resolution must be adopted no less than 79 days before the regularly scheduled election at which the referendum will be held. At least 10 days prior to the adoption of the ordinance or resolution establishing the time and place for the public hearing, the municipality shall make available for public inspection a redevelopment plan or a separate report that provides in reasonable detail the basis for the eligibility of the redevelopment project area. The report along with the name of a person to contact for further information shall be sent within a reasonable time after the adoption of such ordinance or resolution to the affected taxing districts by certified mail. On and after the effective date of this amendatory Act of the 91st General Assembly, the municipality shall print in a newspaper of general circulation within the municipality a notice that interested persons may register with the municipality in order to receive information on the proposed designation of a redevelopment project area or the approval of a redevelopment plan. The notice shall state the place of registration and the operating hours of that place. The municipality shall have adopted reasonable rules to implement this registration process under Section 11-74.4-4.2. The municipality shall provide notice of the availability of the redevelopment plan and eligibility report, including how to obtain this information, by mail within a reasonable time after the adoption of the ordinance or resolution, to all residential addresses that, after a good faith effort, the municipality determines are located outside the proposed redevelopment project area and within 750 feet of the boundaries of the proposed redevelopment project area. This requirement is subject to the limitation that in a municipality with a population of over 100,000, if the total number of residential addresses outside the proposed redevelopment project area and within 750 feet of the boundaries of the proposed redevelopment project area exceeds 750, the municipality shall be required to provide the notice to only the 750 residential addresses that, after a good faith effort, the municipality determines are outside the proposed redevelopment project area and closest to the boundaries of the proposed redevelopment project area. Notwithstanding the foregoing, notice given after August 7, 2001 (the effective date of Public Act 92-263) and before the effective date of this amendatory Act of the 92nd General Assembly to residential addresses within 750 feet of the boundaries of a proposed redevelopment project area shall be deemed to have been sufficiently given in compliance with this Act if given only to residents outside the boundaries of the proposed redevelopment project area. The notice shall also be provided by the municipality, regardless of its population, to those organizations and residents that have registered with the municipality for that information in accordance with the registration guidelines established by the municipality under Section 11-74.4-4.2.

At the public hearing any interested person or affected taxing district may file with the municipal clerk written objections to and may be heard orally in respect to any issues embodied in the notice. The municipality shall hear all protests and objections at the hearing and the hearing may be adjourned to another date without further notice other than a motion to be entered upon the minutes fixing the time and place of the subsequent hearing. At the public hearing or at any time prior to the adoption by the municipality of an ordinance approving a redevelopment plan, the municipality may make changes in the redevelopment plan. Changes which (1) add additional parcels of property to the proposed redevelopment project area, (2) substantially affect the general land uses proposed in the redevelopment plan, (3) substantially change the nature of or extend the life of the redevelopment project, or (4) increase the number of inhabited residential units to be displaced from the redevelopment project area, as measured from the time of creation of the redevelopment project area, to a total of more than 10, shall be made only after the municipality gives notice, convenes a joint review board, and conducts a public hearing pursuant to the procedures set forth in this Section and in Section 11-74.4-6 of this Act. Changes which do not (1) add additional parcels of property to the proposed redevelopment project area, (2) substantially affect the general land uses proposed in the redevelopment plan, (3) substantially change the nature of or extend the life of the redevelopment project, or (4) increase the number of inhabited residential units to be displaced from the redevelopment project area, as measured from the time of creation of the redevelopment project area, to a total of more than 10, may be made without further hearing, provided that the municipality shall give notice of any such changes by mail to each affected taxing district and registrant on the interested parties registry, provided for under Section 11-74.4-4.2, and by publication in a newspaper of general circulation within the affected taxing district. Such notice by mail and by publication shall each occur not later than 10 days following the adoption by ordinance of such changes. Hearings with regard to a redevelopment project area, project or plan may be held simultaneously.

(a-5) After adoption of an ordinance or resolution fixing the time and place for a public hearing under subsection (a), the city clerk shall certify the question of approving the designation of the redevelopment project for submission to the voters of all of the taxing districts that constitute the joint review board under subsection (b) to the appropriate election authority. Prior to the adoption of the ordinance designating the redevelopment project area, the voters of all of the taxing districts that constitute the joint review board must first approve the referendum to designate the redevelopment project area. The referendum shall be substantially in the following form: -------------------------------------------------------------

Shall (name of the municipality) establish a redevelopment project area within (general description of the redevelopment project area) for (the purposes of the redevelopment project area)? -------------------------------------------------------------

The votes shall be recorded as "Yes" or "No". The referendum is approved when a majority of the voters in each of the affected taxing districts approve the referendum.

(b) Prior to holding a public hearing to approve or amend a redevelopment plan or to designate or add additional parcels of property to a redevelopment project area, the municipality shall convene a joint review board. The board shall consist of a representative selected by each community college district, local elementary school district and high school district or each local community unit school district, park district, library district, township, fire protection district, and county that will have the authority to directly levy taxes on the property within the proposed redevelopment project area at the time that the proposed redevelopment project area is approved, a representative selected by the municipality and a public member. The public member shall first be selected and then the board's chairperson shall be selected by a majority of the board members present and voting.

For redevelopment project areas with redevelopment plans or proposed redevelopment plans that would result in the displacement of residents from 10 or more inhabited residential units or that include 75 or more inhabited residential units, the public member shall be a person who resides in the redevelopment project area. If, as determined by the housing impact study provided for in paragraph (5) of subsection (n) of Section 11-74.4-3, or if no housing impact study is required then based on other reasonable data, the majority of residential units are occupied by very low, low, or moderate income households, as defined in Section 3 of the Illinois Affordable Housing Act, the public member shall be a person who resides in very low, low, or moderate income housing within the redevelopment project area. Municipalities with fewer than 15,000 residents shall not be required to select a person who lives in very low, low, or moderate income housing within the redevelopment project area, provided that the redevelopment plan or project will not result in displacement of residents from 10 or more inhabited units, and the municipality so certifies in the plan. If no person satisfying these requirements is available or if no qualified person will serve as the public member, then the joint review board is relieved of this paragraph's selection requirements for the public member.

Within 90 days of the effective date of this amendatory Act of the 91st General Assembly, each municipality that designated a redevelopment project area for which it was not required to convene a joint review board under this Section shall convene a joint review board to perform the duties specified under paragraph (e) of this Section.

All board members shall be appointed and the first board meeting shall be held at least 14 days but not more than 28 days after the mailing of notice by the municipality to the taxing districts as required by Section 11-74.4-6(c). Notwithstanding the preceding sentence, a municipality that adopted either a public hearing resolution or a feasibility resolution between July 1, 1999 and July 1, 2000 that called for the meeting of the joint review board within 14 days of notice of public hearing to affected taxing districts is deemed to be in compliance with the notice, meeting, and public hearing provisions of the Act. Such notice shall also advise the taxing bodies represented on the joint review board of the time and place of the first meeting of the board. Additional meetings of the board shall be held upon the call of any member. The municipality seeking designation of the redevelopment project area shall provide administrative support to the board.

The board shall review (i) the public record, planning documents and proposed ordinances approving the redevelopment plan and project and (ii) proposed amendments to the redevelopment plan or additions of parcels of property to the redevelopment project area to be adopted by the municipality. As part of its deliberations, the board may hold additional hearings on the proposal. A board's recommendation shall be an advisory, non-binding recommendation. The recommendation shall be adopted by a majority of those members present and voting. The recommendations shall be submitted to the municipality within 30 days after convening of the board. Failure of the board to submit its report on a timely basis shall not be cause to delay the public hearing or any other step in the process of designating or amending the redevelopment project area but shall be deemed to constitute approval by the joint review board of the matters before it.

The board shall base its recommendation to approve or disapprove the redevelopment plan and the designation of the redevelopment project area or the amendment of the redevelopment plan or addition of parcels of property to the redevelopment project area on the basis of the redevelopment project area and redevelopment plan satisfying the plan requirements, the eligibility criteria defined in Section 11-74.4-3, and the objectives of this Act.

The board shall issue a written report describing why the redevelopment plan and project area or the amendment thereof meets or fails to meet one or more of the objectives of this Act and both the plan requirements and the eligibility criteria defined in Section 11-74.4-3. In the event the Board does not file a report it shall be presumed that these taxing bodies find the redevelopment project area and redevelopment plan satisfy the objectives of this Act and the plan requirements and eligibility criteria.

If the board recommends rejection of the matters before it, the municipality will have 30 days within which to resubmit the plan or amendment. During this period, the municipality will meet and confer with the board and attempt to resolve those issues set forth in the board's written report that led to the rejection of the plan or amendment.

Notwithstanding the resubmission set forth above, the municipality may commence the scheduled public hearing and either adjourn the public hearing or continue the public hearing until a date certain. Prior to continuing any public hearing to a date certain, the municipality shall announce during the public hearing the time, date, and location for the reconvening of the public hearing. Any changes to the redevelopment plan necessary to satisfy the issues set forth in the joint review board report shall be the subject of a public hearing before the hearing is adjourned if the changes would (1) substantially affect the general land uses proposed in the redevelopment plan, (2) substantially change the nature of or extend the life of the redevelopment project, or (3) increase the number of inhabited residential units to be displaced from the redevelopment project area, as measured from the time of creation of the redevelopment project area, to a total of more than 10. Changes to the redevelopment plan necessary to satisfy the issues set forth in the joint review board report shall not require any further notice or convening of a joint review board meeting, except that any changes to the redevelopment plan that would add additional parcels of property to the proposed redevelopment project area shall be subject to the notice, public hearing, and joint review board meeting requirements established for such changes by subsection (a) of Section 11-74.4-5.

In the event that the municipality and the board are unable to resolve these differences, or in the event that the resubmitted plan or amendment is rejected by the board, the municipality may proceed with the plan or amendment, but only upon a three-fifths vote of the corporate authority responsible for approval of the plan or amendment, excluding positions of members that are vacant and those members that are ineligible to vote because of conflicts of interest.

(c) After a municipality has by ordinance approved a redevelopment plan and designated a redevelopment project area, the plan may be amended and additional properties may be added to the redevelopment project area only as herein provided. Amendments which (1) add additional parcels of property to the proposed redevelopment project area, (2) substantially affect the general land uses proposed in the redevelopment plan, (3) substantially change the nature of the redevelopment project, (4) increase the total estimated redevelopment project costs set out in the redevelopment plan by more than 5% after adjustment for inflation from the date the plan was adopted, (5) add additional redevelopment project costs to the itemized list of redevelopment project costs set out in the redevelopment plan, or (6) increase the number of inhabited residential units to be displaced from the redevelopment project area, as measured from the time of creation of the redevelopment project area, to a total of more than 10, shall be made only after the municipality gives notice, convenes a joint review board, and conducts a public hearing pursuant to the procedures set forth in this Section and in Section 11-74.4-6 of this Act. Changes which do not (1) add additional parcels of property to the proposed redevelopment project area, (2) substantially affect the general land uses proposed in the redevelopment plan, (3) substantially change the nature of the redevelopment project, (4) increase the total estimated redevelopment project cost set out in the redevelopment plan by more than 5% after adjustment for inflation from the date the plan was adopted, (5) add additional redevelopment project costs to the itemized list of redevelopment project costs set out in the redevelopment plan, or (6) increase the number of inhabited residential units to be displaced from the redevelopment project area, as measured from the time of creation of the redevelopment project area, to a total of more than 10, may be made without further public hearing and related notices and procedures including the convening of a joint review board as set forth in Section 11-74.4-6 of this Act, provided that the municipality shall give notice of any such changes by mail to each affected taxing district and registrant on the interested parties registry, provided for under Section 11-74.4-4.2, and by publication in a newspaper of general circulation within the affected taxing district. Such notice by mail and by publication shall each occur not later than 10 days following the adoption by ordinance of such changes.

(d) After the effective date of this amendatory Act of the 91st General Assembly, a municipality shall submit in an electronic format the following information for each redevelopment project area (i) to the State Comptroller under Section 8-8-3.5 of the Illinois Municipal Code, subject to any extensions or exemptions provided at the Comptroller's discretion under that Section, and (ii) to all taxing districts overlapping the redevelopment project area no later than 180 days after the close of each municipal fiscal year or as soon thereafter as the audited financial statements become available and, in any case, shall be submitted before the annual meeting of the Joint Review Board to each of the taxing districts that overlap the redevelopment project area:

(1) Any amendments to the redevelopment plan, the redevelopment project area, or the State Sales Tax Boundary.

(1.5) A list of the redevelopment project areas administered by the municipality and, if applicable, the date each redevelopment project area was designated or terminated by the municipality.

(2) Audited financial statements of the special tax allocation fund once a cumulative total of $100,000 has been deposited in the fund.

(3) Certification of the Chief Executive Officer of the municipality that the municipality has complied with all of the requirements of this Act during the preceding fiscal year.

(4) An opinion of legal counsel that the municipality is in compliance with this Act.

(5) An analysis of the special tax allocation fund which sets forth:

(A) the balance in the special tax allocation fund at the beginning of the fiscal year;

(B) all amounts deposited in the special tax allocation fund by source;

(C) an itemized list of all expenditures from the special tax allocation fund by category of permissible redevelopment project cost; and

(D) the balance in the special tax allocation fund at the end of the fiscal year including a breakdown of that balance by source and a breakdown of that balance identifying any portion of the balance that is required, pledged, earmarked, or otherwise designated for payment of or securing of obligations and anticipated redevelopment project costs. Any portion of such ending balance that has not been identified or is not identified as being required, pledged, earmarked, or otherwise designated for payment of or securing of obligations or anticipated redevelopment projects costs shall be designated as surplus as set forth in Section 11-74.4-7 hereof.

(6) A description of all property purchased by the municipality within the redevelopment project area including:

(A) Street address.

(B) Approximate size or description of property.

(C) Purchase price.

(D) Seller of property.

(7) A statement setting forth all activities undertaken in furtherance of the objectives of the redevelopment plan, including:

(A) Any project implemented in the preceding fiscal year.

(B) A description of the redevelopment activities undertaken.

(C) A description of any agreements entered into by the municipality with regard to the disposition or redevelopment of any property within the redevelopment project area or the area within the State Sales Tax Boundary.

(D) Additional information on the use of all funds received under this Division and steps taken by the municipality to achieve the objectives of the redevelopment plan.

(E) Information regarding contracts that the municipality's tax increment advisors or consultants have entered into with entities or persons that have received, or are receiving, payments financed by tax increment revenues produced by the same redevelopment project area.

(F) Any reports submitted to the municipality by the joint review board.

(G) A review of public and, to the extent possible, private investment actually undertaken to date after the effective date of this amendatory Act of the 91st General Assembly and estimated to be undertaken during the following year. This review shall, on a project-by-project basis, set forth the estimated amounts of public and private investment incurred after the effective date of this amendatory Act of the 91st General Assembly and provide the ratio of private investment to public investment to the date of the report and as estimated to the completion of the redevelopment project.

(8) With regard to any obligations issued by the municipality:

(A) copies of any official statements; and

(B) an analysis prepared by financial advisor or underwriter, chosen by the municipality, setting forth the: (i) nature and term of obligation; (ii) projected debt service including required reserves and debt coverage; and (iii) actual debt service.

(9) For special tax allocation funds that have experienced cumulative deposits of incremental tax revenues of $100,000 or more, a certified audit report reviewing compliance with this Act performed by an independent public accountant certified and licensed by the authority of the State of Illinois. The financial portion of the audit must be conducted in accordance with Standards for Audits of Governmental Organizations, Programs, Activities, and Functions adopted by the Comptroller General of the United States (1981), as amended, or the standards specified by Section 8-8-5 of the Illinois Municipal Auditing Law of the Illinois Municipal Code. The audit report shall contain a letter from the independent certified public accountant indicating compliance or noncompliance with the requirements of subsection (q) of Section 11-74.4-3. For redevelopment plans or projects that would result in the displacement of residents from 10 or more inhabited residential units or that contain 75 or more inhabited residential units, notice of the availability of the information, including how to obtain the report, required in this subsection shall also be sent by mail to all residents or organizations that operate in the municipality that register with the municipality for that information according to registration procedures adopted under Section 11-74.4-4.2. All municipalities are subject to this provision.

(10) A list of all intergovernmental agreements in effect during the fiscal year to which the municipality is a party and an accounting of any moneys transferred or received by the municipality during that fiscal year pursuant to those intergovernmental agreements.

In addition to information required to be reported under this Section, for Fiscal Year 2022 and each fiscal year thereafter, reporting municipalities shall also report to the Comptroller annually in a manner and format prescribed by the Comptroller: (1) the number of jobs, if any, projected to be created for each redevelopment project area at the time of approval of the redevelopment agreement; (2) the number of jobs, if any, created as a result of the development to date for that reporting period under the same guidelines and assumptions as was used for the projections used at the time of approval of the redevelopment agreement; (3) the amount of increment projected to be created at the time of approval of the redevelopment agreement for each redevelopment project area; (4) the amount of increment created as a result of the development to date for that reporting period using the same assumptions as was used for the projections used at the time of the approval of the redevelopment agreement; and (5) the stated rate of return identified by the developer to the municipality for each redevelopment project area, if any. Stated rates of return required to be reported in item (5) shall be independently verified by a third party chosen by the municipality. Reporting municipalities shall also report to the Comptroller a copy of the redevelopment plan each time the redevelopment plan is enacted, amended, or extended in a manner and format prescribed by the Comptroller. These requirements shall only apply to redevelopment projects beginning in or after Fiscal Year 2022.

(d-1) Prior to the effective date of this amendatory Act of the 91st General Assembly, municipalities with populations of over 1,000,000 shall, after adoption of a redevelopment plan or project, make available upon request to any taxing district in which the redevelopment project area is located the following information:

(1) Any amendments to the redevelopment plan, the redevelopment project area, or the State Sales Tax Boundary; and

(2) In connection with any redevelopment project area for which the municipality has outstanding obligations issued to provide for redevelopment project costs pursuant to Section 11-74.4-7, audited financial statements of the special tax allocation fund.

(e) The joint review board shall meet annually 180 days after the close of the municipal fiscal year or as soon as the redevelopment project audit for that fiscal year becomes available to review the effectiveness and status of the redevelopment project area up to that date.

(f) (Blank).

(g) In the event that a municipality has held a public hearing under this Section prior to March 14, 1994 (the effective date of Public Act 88-537), the requirements imposed by Public Act 88-537 relating to the method of fixing the time and place for public hearing, the materials and information required to be made available for public inspection, and the information required to be sent after adoption of an ordinance or resolution fixing a time and place for public hearing shall not be applicable.

(h) On and after the effective date of this amendatory Act of the 96th General Assembly, the State Comptroller must post on the State Comptroller's official website the information submitted by a municipality pursuant to subsection (d) of this Section. The information must be posted no later than 45 days after the State Comptroller receives the information from the municipality. The State Comptroller must also post a list of the municipalities not in compliance with the reporting requirements set forth in subsection (d) of this Section.

(i) No later than 10 years after the corporate authorities of a municipality adopt an ordinance to establish a redevelopment project area, the municipality must compile a status report concerning the redevelopment project area. The status report must detail without limitation the following: (i) the amount of revenue generated within the redevelopment project area, (ii) any expenditures made by the municipality for the redevelopment project area including without limitation expenditures from the special tax allocation fund, (iii) the status of planned activities, goals, and objectives set forth in the redevelopment plan including details on new or planned construction within the redevelopment project area, (iv) the amount of private and public investment within the redevelopment project area, and (v) any other relevant evaluation or performance data. Within 30 days after the municipality compiles the status report, the municipality must hold at least one public hearing concerning the report. The municipality must provide 20 days' public notice of the hearing.

(j) Beginning in fiscal year 2011 and in each fiscal year thereafter, a municipality must detail in its annual budget (i) the revenues generated from redevelopment project areas by source and (ii) the expenditures made by the municipality for redevelopment project areas.

(Source: P.A. 102-127, eff. 7-23-21.)

(65 ILCS 5/11-74.4-6) (from Ch. 24, par. 11-74.4-6)

Sec. 11-74.4-6. (a) Except as provided herein, notice of the public hearing shall be given by publication and mailing; provided, however, that no notice by mailing shall be required under this subsection (a) with respect to any redevelopment project area located within a transit facility improvement area established pursuant to Section 11-74.4-3.3. Notice by publication shall be given by publication at least twice, the first publication to be not more than 30 nor less than 10 days prior to the hearing in a newspaper of general circulation within the taxing districts having property in the proposed redevelopment project area. Notice by mailing shall be given by depositing such notice in the United States mails by certified mail addressed to the person or persons in whose name the general taxes for the last preceding year were paid on each lot, block, tract, or parcel of land lying within the project redevelopment area. Said notice shall be mailed not less than 10 days prior to the date set for the public hearing. In the event taxes for the last preceding year were not paid, the notice shall also be sent to the persons last listed on the tax rolls within the preceding 3 years as the owners of such property. For redevelopment project areas with redevelopment plans or proposed redevelopment plans that would require removal of 10 or more inhabited residential units or that contain 75 or more inhabited residential units, the municipality shall make a good faith effort to notify by mail all residents of the redevelopment project area. At a minimum, the municipality shall mail a notice to each residential address located within the redevelopment project area. The municipality shall endeavor to ensure that all such notices are effectively communicated and shall include (in addition to notice in English) notice in the predominant language other than English when appropriate.

(a-5) For a public hearing for adoption of an ordinance designating a redevelopment project area under subsection (a) of Section 11-74.4-5, notice of the public hearing shall be given by publication and mailing, but no notice by mailing is required under this subsection with respect to a redevelopment project area located within a transit facility improvement area established pursuant to Section 11-74.4-3.3. Notice by publication shall be given by publication at least twice, the first publication to be not more than 30 nor less than 10 days prior to the hearing if the hearing is before the date of the referendum or not more than 30 nor less than 10 days prior to the date of the election in which the referendum to approve the designation of the redevelopment project area if the date of the referendum is before the hearing date. Notice by publication must be in a newspaper of general circulation within the taxing districts having property in the proposed redevelopment project area. Notice by publication of the public hearing shall also be given by publication on the main page of the municipality's website, if it has a website, at least 30 days prior to the date of the election in which the referendum to approve the designation of the redevelopment project area. Notice by mailing shall be given by depositing the notice in the United States mails by certified mail addressed to every registered voter residing within the taxing districts that constitute the joint review board under subsection (b) of Section 11-74.4-5. The mailed notice shall be mailed not less than 10 days prior to the date set for the public hearing. The municipality shall endeavor to ensure that all of the notice under this subsection are effectively communicated and shall include (in addition to notice in English) notice in the predominant language other than English when appropriate.

(b) Except as otherwise provided in this subsection, the The notices issued pursuant to this Section shall include the following:

(1) The time and place of public hearing.

(2) The boundaries of the proposed redevelopment project area by legal description and by street location where possible.

(3) A notification that all interested persons will be given an opportunity to be heard at the public hearing.

(4) A description of the redevelopment plan or redevelopment project for the proposed redevelopment project area if a plan or project is the subject matter of the hearing.

(5) A copy of the proposed ordinance designating the redevelopment project area.

(6) A list of all taxes levied by each of the taxing districts that constitute the joint review board under subsection (b) of Section 11-74.4-5, and a statement of the projected impact that the redevelopment project area will have on those taxing district.

(7) The proposed referendum language.

(8) (5) Such other matters as the municipality may deem appropriate.

Paragraphs (5), (6), and (7) only apply to notices under subsection (a-1).

(c) Not less than 45 days prior to the date set for hearing, the municipality shall give notice by mail as provided in subsection (a) to all taxing districts of which taxable property is included in the redevelopment project area, project or plan and to the Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity, and in addition to the other requirements under subsection (b) the notice shall include an invitation to the Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity and each taxing district to submit comments to the municipality concerning the subject matter of the hearing prior to the date of hearing.

(d) In the event that any municipality has by ordinance adopted tax increment financing prior to 1987, and has complied with the notice requirements of this Section, except that the notice has not included the requirements of subsection (b), paragraphs (2), (3) and (4), and within 90 days of December 16, 1991 (the effective date of Public Act 87-813), that municipality passes an ordinance which contains findings that: (1) all taxing districts prior to the time of the hearing required by Section 11-74.4-5 were furnished with copies of a map incorporated into the redevelopment plan and project substantially showing the legal boundaries of the redevelopment project area; (2) the redevelopment plan and project, or a draft thereof, contained a map substantially showing the legal boundaries of the redevelopment project area and was available to the public at the time of the hearing; and (3) since the adoption of any form of tax increment financing authorized by this Act, and prior to June 1, 1991, no objection or challenge has been made in writing to the municipality in respect to the notices required by this Section, then the municipality shall be deemed to have met the notice requirements of this Act and all actions of the municipality taken in connection with such notices as were given are hereby validated and hereby declared to be legally sufficient for all purposes of this Act.

(e) If a municipality desires to propose a redevelopment plan for a redevelopment project area that would result in the displacement of residents from 10 or more inhabited residential units or for a redevelopment project area that contains 75 or more inhabited residential units, the municipality shall hold a public meeting before the mailing of the notices of public hearing as provided in subsection (c) of this Section. However, such a meeting shall be required for any redevelopment plan for a redevelopment project area located within a transit facility improvement area established pursuant to Section 11-74.4-3.3 if the applicable project is subject to the process for evaluation of environmental effects under the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969, 42 U.S.C. 4321 et seq. The meeting shall be for the purpose of enabling the municipality to advise the public, taxing districts having real property in the redevelopment project area, taxpayers who own property in the proposed redevelopment project area, and residents in the area as to the municipality's possible intent to prepare a redevelopment plan and designate a redevelopment project area and to receive public comment. The time and place for the meeting shall be set by the head of the municipality's Department of Planning or other department official designated by the mayor or city or village manager without the necessity of a resolution or ordinance of the municipality and may be held by a member of the staff of the Department of Planning of the municipality or by any other person, body, or commission designated by the corporate authorities. The meeting shall be held at least 14 business days before the mailing of the notice of public hearing provided for in subsection (c) of this Section.

Notice of the public meeting shall be given by mail. Notice by mail shall be not less than 15 days before the date of the meeting and shall be sent by certified mail to all taxing districts having real property in the proposed redevelopment project area and to all entities requesting that information that have registered with a person and department designated by the municipality in accordance with registration guidelines established by the municipality pursuant to Section 11-74.4-4.2. The municipality shall make a good faith effort to notify all residents and the last known persons who paid property taxes on real estate in a redevelopment project area. This requirement shall be deemed to be satisfied if the municipality mails, by regular mail, a notice to each residential address and the person or persons in whose name property taxes were paid on real property for the last preceding year located within the redevelopment project area. Notice shall be in languages other than English when appropriate. The notices issued under this subsection shall include the following:

(1) The time and place of the meeting.

(2) The boundaries of the area to be studied for possible designation as a redevelopment project area by street and location.

(3) The purpose or purposes of establishing a redevelopment project area.

(4) A brief description of tax increment financing.

(5) The name, telephone number, and address of the person who can be contacted for additional information about the proposed redevelopment project area and who should receive all comments and suggestions regarding the development of the area to be studied.

(6) Notification that all interested persons will be given an opportunity to be heard at the public meeting.

(7) Such other matters as the municipality deems appropriate.

At the public meeting, any interested person or representative of an affected taxing district may be heard orally and may file, with the person conducting the meeting, statements that pertain to the subject matter of the meeting.

(Source: P.A. 99-792, eff. 8-12-16; 100-201, eff. 8-18-17.)

Section 99. Effective date. This Act takes effect upon becoming law.