65 ILCS 5/11-119.2-6

(65 ILCS 5/11-119.2-6) (from Ch. 24, par. 11-119.2-6)

Sec. 11-119.2-6. A. A municipal natural gas agency may from time to time issue its bonds in such principal amounts as the municipal natural gas agency shall deem necessary to provide sufficient funds to carry out any of its corporate purposes and powers, including, without limitation, the acquisition, construction or termination of any project to be owned or leased, as lessor or lessee, by the municipal natural gas agency, or the acquisition of any interest therein or any right to the products or services 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 or interest thereon, the providing of working capital and the payment of all other costs or expenses of the municipal natural gas agency incident to and necessary or convenient to carry out its corporate purposes and powers.

B. Every issue of bonds of such municipal natural gas agency shall be payable out of the revenues or funds of such municipal natural gas agency, subject to any agreements with the holders of particular bonds pledging any particular revenues or funds. A municipal natural gas agency 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 municipal natural gas agency, or its revenues generally. Any such bonds may be additionally secured by a pledge of any grant, subsidy, or contribution from any source or a pledge of any income or revenues, funds, or moneys of the municipal natural gas agency from any source whatsoever.

C. All bonds of a municipal natural gas agency shall have all the qualities of negotiable instruments under the laws of this State.

D. Bonds of a municipal natural gas agency shall be authorized by ordinance of its Board of Directors and may be issued under such ordinance or under a trust indenture or other security agreement, 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 40 years from the date thereof, bear interest at such rate or rates without regard to any limitation in any other law, 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, trust indenture, or other security agreement 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 parties. The bonds shall be sold in such manner and at such price as the Board of Directors shall determine, at private or public sale.

E. Bonds of a municipal natural gas agency may be issued and delivered notwithstanding that one or more of the officers executing them shall have ceased to hold office at the time the bonds are actually delivered.

F. Pending preparation of definitive bonds a municipal natural gas agency may issue temporary bonds which shall be exchanged for the definitive bonds.

G. Bonds of a municipal natural gas agency may be issued under the provisions of this Division without obtaining the consent of any department, division, commission, board, bureau, or agency of the State of Illinois and without any other proceeding or the happening of any other condition or occurrence except as specifically required by this Division.

H. The ordinance, trust indenture, or other security agreement under which any bonds are issued shall constitute a contract with the holders of the bonds and may contain provisions, among others, prescribing:

(1) the terms and provisions of the bonds;

(2) the mortgage or pledge of and the grant of a security interest in any real or personal property and all or any part of the revenue from any project or any revenue producing contract made by the municipal natural gas agency to secure the payment of bonds, subject to any agreements with the holders of bonds which might then exist;

(3) the custody, collection, securing, investments, and payment of any revenues, assets, money, funds, or property with respect to which the municipal natural gas agency may have any rights or interest;

(4) the rates or charges for natural gas or other services rendered by the municipal natural gas agency, the amount to be raised by the rates or charges, and the use and disposition of any or all revenue;

(5) the creation of reserves or sinking funds and the regulation and disposition thereof;

(6) the purposes to which the proceeds from the sale of any bonds then or thereafter to be issued may be applied, and the pledge of revenues to secure the payment of the bonds;

(7) the limitations on the issuance of any additional bonds, the terms upon which additional bonds may be issued and secured, and the refunding of outstanding bonds;

(8) the rank or priority of any bonds with respect to any lien or security;

(9) the creation of special funds or moneys to be held in trust or otherwise for operational expenses, payment, or redemption of bonds, reserves or other purposes, and the use and disposition of moneys held in such funds;

(10) the procedure by which the terms of any contract with or for the benefit of the holders of bonds may be amended or revised, the amount of bonds the holders of which must consent thereto, and the manner in which consent may be given;

(11) the definition of the acts or omissions to act which shall constitute a default in the duties of the municipal natural gas agency to holders of its bonds, and the rights and remedies of the holders in the event of default, including, if the municipal natural gas agency so determines, the right to accelerate the due date of the bonds or the right to appoint a receiver or receivers of the property or revenues subject to the lien of the ordinance, trust indenture, or other security agreement;

(12) any other or additional agreements with or for the benefit of the holders of bonds or any covenants or restrictions necessary or desirable to safeguard the interests of the holders;

(13) the custody of its properties or investments, the safekeeping thereof, the insurance to be carried thereon, and the use and disposition of insurance proceeds;

(14) the vesting in a trustee or trustees, within or without the State of Illinois, of such properties, rights, powers and duties in trust as the municipal natural gas agency may determine; or the limiting or abrogating of the rights of the holders of any bonds to appoint a trustee, or the limiting of the rights, powers and duties of such trustee; or

(15) the appointment of and the establishment of the duties and obligations of any paying agent or other fiduciary within or without the State of Illinois.

I. For the security of bonds issued or to be issued by a municipal natural gas agency, the municipal natural gas agency may mortgage or execute deeds of trust of the whole or any part of its property and franchises. Any pledge of revenues, securities, contract rights or other personal property made by a municipal natural gas agency pursuant to this Division shall be valid and binding from the date the pledge is made. The revenues, securities, contract rights or other personal property so pledged and then held or thereafter received by the municipal natural gas agency or any fiduciary shall immediately be subject to the lien of the pledge without any physical delivery thereof or further act, and the lien of the pledge shall be valid and binding as against all parties having claims of any kind in tort, contract, or otherwise against the municipal natural gas agency without regard to whether such parties have notice thereto. The ordinance, trust indenture, security agreement or other instrument by which a pledge is created shall be recorded in the county in which the principal office is located in the manner provided by law.

J. Neither the officials, the directors, nor the members of a municipal natural gas agency nor any person executing bonds shall be liable personally on the bonds or be subject to any personal liability or accountability by reason of the issuance thereof. A municipal natural gas agency shall have power to indemnify and to purchase and maintain insurance on behalf of any director, officer, employee, or agent of the municipal natural gas agency, in connection with any threatened, pending, or completed action, suit, or proceeding.

K. A municipal natural gas agency shall have power to purchase out of any funds available therefor, bonds, and to hold, pledge, cancel, or retire the bonds and coupons prior to maturity, subject to and in accordance with any agreements with the holders.

L. The principal of and interest upon any bonds issued by a municipal natural gas agency shall be payable solely from the revenues or funds pledged or available for their payment as authorized in this Division. Each bond shall contain a statement that it constitutes an obligation of the municipal natural gas agency issuing the bond, that the principal thereof and interest thereon are payable solely from revenues or funds of such municipal natural gas agency and that neither the State of Illinois nor any political subdivision thereof, except the issuer, nor any municipality which is a member of the municipal power agency, is obligated to pay the principal or interest on the bonds and that neither the faith and credit nor the taxing power of the State of Illinois or any such political subdivision thereof or of any such municipality is pledged to the payment of the principal of or the interest on the bonds.

(Source: P.A. 84-1221.)