65 ILCS 5/11-71-1

(65 ILCS 5/11-71-1) (from Ch. 24, par. 11-71-1)

Sec. 11-71-1. Any municipality is hereby authorized to:

(a) Acquire by purchase or otherwise, own, construct, equip, manage, control, erect, improve, extend, maintain and operate motor vehicle parking lot or lots, garage or garages constructed on, above and/or below ground level, public off-street parking facilities for motor vehicles, parking meters, and any other revenue producing facilities, hereafter referred to as parking facilities, necessary or incidental to the regulation, control and parking of motor vehicles, as the corporate authorities may from time to time find the necessity therefor exists, and for that purpose may acquire property of any and every kind or description, whether real, personal or mixed, by gift, purchase or otherwise. Any municipality which has provided or does provide for the creation of a plan commission under Division 12 of this Article 11 shall submit to and receive the approval of the plan commission before establishing or operating any such parking facilities;

(b) Maintain, improve, extend and operate any such parking facilities and charge for the use thereof;

(c) Enter into contracts dealing in any manner with the objects and purposes of this Division 71, including the leasing of space on, or in connection with, parking meters for advertising purposes. Any contract for such advertising shall prohibit any interference with traffic control, shall prohibit placing any advertising sign or device on parking meters that exceeds the dimensions of 8 by 12 inches and shall contain such other provisions as the corporate authorities deem necessary in the public interest. All revenues derived from any such contract shall be used exclusively for traffic regulation and maintenance of streets within the municipality;

(d) Acquire sites, buildings and facilities by gift, lease, contract, purchase or condemnation under power of eminent domain, and pledge the revenues thereof for the payment of any revenue bonds issued for such purpose as provided in this Division 71. In all cases where property or rights are acquired or sought to be acquired by condemnation, the procedure shall be, as nearly as may be, like that provided for the exercise of the right of eminent domain under the Eminent Domain Act, and the fee or such lesser interest in land may be acquired as the municipality may deem necessary;

(e) Finance the acquisition, construction, maintenance and/or operation of such parking facilities by means of general tax funds, special assessments, special taxation, revenue bonds, parking fees, special charges, rents or by any combination of such methods; and

(f) Borrow money and issue and sell revenue bonds in such amount or amounts as the corporate authorities may determine for the purpose of acquiring, completing, erecting, constructing, equipping, improving, extending, maintaining or operating any or all of its parking facilities, and refund and refinance the same from time to time as often as it shall be advantageous and to the public interest to do so.

If any part of the financing of the acquisition and/or construction of such parking facilities is done by means of special assessments or special taxation, the provisions of Division 2 of Article 9 of this Code shall be followed with respect to the special assessments or special taxation for such purpose.

(Source: P.A. 94-1055, eff. 1-1-07.)