§ 11-94-2

Whenever the corporate authorities of a specified municipality determine to construct or acquire and purchase or improve natatoriums or swimming pools, indoor or outdoor tennis courts, handball, racquetball or squash courts, artificial ice skating rinks or golf courses, or any combination of said facilities and to issue bonds under this Division 94 to pay the cost or purchase price thereof, the corporate authorities shall adopt an ordinance describing in a general way the contemplated project and refer to plans and specifications therefor when the project is to be constructed. These plans and specifications shall be filed in the office of the municipal clerk and shall be open for inspection by the public. This ordinance shall set out the estimated cost of the project, determine the period of usefulness thereof, fix the amount of revenue bonds to be issued, the maturities thereof, the interest rate, which shall not exceed the greater of (i) the maximum rate authorized by the Bond Authorization Act, as amended at the time of the making of the contract, or (ii) 8% annually, payable annually or semi-annually and all the details in connection with the bonds. However, from the effective date of this amendatory Act of 1976 through and including June 30, 1977, such interest rate shall not exceed 9%. The bonds shall mature within the period of usefulness of the project as determined by the corporate authorities. The ordinance may also contain such covenants and restrictions upon the issuance of additional revenue bonds thereafter as may be deemed necessary or advisable for the assurance of the payment of the bonds thereby authorized. The ordinance shall also pledge the revenue derived from the operation of the natatoriums or swimming pools, indoor or outdoor tennis courts, handball, racquetball or squash courts, artificial ice skating rinks or the golf courses, or any other recreational facility or any combination of facilities as the case may be, for the purpose of paying maintenance and operation costs, providing an adequate depreciation fund, and paying the principal and the interest of the bonds issued under this Division 94. The ordinance may also pledge the revenue derived from the operation of existing natatoriums or swimming pools, indoor or outdoor tennis courts, handball, racquetball or squash courts, artificial ice skating rinks or golf courses, or any combination of facilities. Within 30 days after this ordinance has been passed it shall be published at least once in one or more newspapers published in the municipality, or, if no newspaper is published therein, then in one or more newspapers with a general circulation within the municipality. In municipalities with less than 500 population in which no newspaper is published, publication may instead be made by posting a notice in 3 prominent places within the municipality. The publication or posting of the ordinance shall be accompanied by a notice of (1) the specific number of voters required to sign a petition requesting the question of constructing or acquiring and purchasing or improving and operating such recreation facility and the issuance of bonds to be submitted to the electors; (2) the time in which such petition must be filed; and (3) the date of the prospective referendum. The municipal clerk shall provide a petition form to any individual requesting one. If no petition is filed with the municipal clerk within 30 days after the publication, or posting of the ordinance, the ordinance shall be in effect. But if within this 30 day period a petition is so filed, signed by electors of the municipality numbering 10% or more of the number of registered voters in the municipality asking that the question of constructing or acquiring and purchasing or improving and operating such natatoriums or swimming pools, indoor or outdoor tennis courts, handball, racquetball or squash courts, artificial ice skating rinks or golf courses, or any other recreational facility or any combination of facilities, and the issuance of such bonds be submitted to the electors of the municipality, the municipal clerk shall certify that question for submission at an election in accordance with the general election law. If a majority of the electors voting upon that question vote in favor of constructing or acquiring and purchasing or improving and operating the natatoriums or swimming pools, indoor or outdoor tennis courts, handball, racquetball or squash courts, artificial ice skating rinks or golf courses, or any other recreational facility or any combination of facilities, and the issuance of the bonds, the ordinances shall be in effect. But if a majority of the votes cast are against constructing or acquiring and purchasing or improving and operating the natatoriums or swimming pools, indoor or outdoor tennis courts, handball, racquetball or squash courts, artificial ice skating rinks or golf courses, or any other recreational facility or any combination of facilities, and the issuance of the bonds, the ordinance shall not go into effect. With respect to instruments for the payment of money issued under this Section either before, on, or after the effective date of this amendatory Act of 1989, it is and always has been the intention of the General Assembly (i) that the Omnibus Bond Acts are and always have been supplementary grants of power to issue instruments in accordance with the Omnibus Bond Acts, regardless of any provision of this Act that may appear to be or to have been more restrictive than those Acts, (ii) that the provisions of this Section are not a limitation on the supplementary authority granted by the Omnibus Bond Acts, and (iii) that instruments issued under this Section within the supplementary authority granted by the Omnibus Bond Acts are not invalid because of any provision of this Act that may appear to be or to have been more restrictive than those Acts. The amendatory Acts of 1971, 1972 and 1973 are not a limit upon any municipality which is a home rule unit. This amendatory Act of 1975 is not a limit upon any municipality which is a home rule unit.

Legislative History

(Source: P.A. 86-4; 87-767.)