Illinois § 43

§ 43.

Estimate of cost and first resolution. All ordinances for local improvements to be paid for wholly or in part by special assessment or special taxation shall originate with the committee of local improvements to whom petitions for any local improvement may be addressed, but the committee may originate a scheme for any such local improvement with or without a petition, and in either case the validity of any subsequent resolution, ordinance or proceeding shall not depend upon the validity or authenticity of any such petition. The committee may request the board's engineer to prepare preliminary plans and specifications for the proposed improvement together with an estimate of the cost of the improvement (omitting land to be acquired), itemized to the satisfaction of the committee and certified by the engineer's signature to be an estimate which does not exceed the probable cost of the proposed improvement, including the lawful expenses attending the improvement. Upon presentation of such preliminary plans and specifications and the estimate of cost, the committee may adopt a resolution describing the proposed improvement and scheduling a public hearing before the committee to consider whether such scheme shall be recommended to the board. The resolution may provide that the plans and specifications for the proposed improvement be made part of the resolution by reference to plans and specifications on file in the office of the district's engineer or to plans and specifications adopted or published by the State of Illinois or any political subdivision or agency thereof. Whenever the proposed improvement requires that private or public property be taken or damaged, the resolution shall describe the property proposed to be taken or damaged for that purpose. The committee shall also fix in the resolution a place, day and time for a public hearing thereon. The hearing shall not be less than 10 days after the adoption of the resolution. Notice of the time and place of the public hearing shall be sent by mail directed to the person or entity shown by the County Collector's current warrant book to be the party in whose name the general real estate taxes were last assessed on each lot, block, tract or parcel of land fronting on the proposed improvement. Such notices shall be mailed not less than 5 days prior to the time set for the public hearing and shall be mailed to each such party at the address shown for such party in the County Collector's current warrant book. The notices shall contain the substance of the resolution adopted by the committee, the date when an estimate is required by this Act, the estimate of the cost of the proposed improvement, and a notification that the extent, nature, kind, character and (when an estimate is required by the Act) the estimated cost of the proposed improvement may be changed by the committee at the public hearing thereon. If upon the hearing the committee deems the proposed improvement desirable, it shall adopt a resolution and prepare and submit an ordinance therefor to the board. In the event that a local improvement is to be constructed with the assistance of any agency of the federal government or other governmental agency, the committee's resolutions shall set forth that fact, and the estimate of cost shall set forth and indicate the estimated amount of assistance to be so provided. (Source: P.A. 85-1137.)