(60 ILCS 1/115-15)

Sec. 115-15. Public hearing.

(a) Before adopting an open space plan or an amendment to a plan, the board shall conduct a public hearing on the plan or amendment, recommend adoption of the open space plan or receive a recommendation by petition of the voters of the township under Section 115-20 that the open space plan be adopted, and submit the question of adoption of the open space plan to the township voters under Section 115-20.

(b) The board shall cause to be prepared a notice of the public hearing stating the date, time, place, and purpose of the hearing. The township clerk shall cause the notice to be published in a newspaper of general circulation in the township not less than 15 nor more than 30 days before the date of the hearing. The township clerk also shall send notice of the hearing by registered or certified mail, return receipt requested, not less than 20 days before the hearing, to the owners of property being recommended for acquisition and designation as open space or open land under the proposed open space plan. Those owners shall be those parties identified on the most current real estate tax assessment rolls for the county in which the township is located as being the parties to whom current real estate tax bills are being sent. A copy of the proposed plan also shall be filed with the township clerk, who shall make it available to the general public for inspection after publication of the notice of public hearing.

(c) At the public hearing, all persons desiring to offer statements or other evidence in support of or in opposition to the proposed plan shall be afforded an opportunity to do so orally, in writing, or both.

(d) Within 60 days after the public hearing, the board shall consider all of the evidence before it and may, based upon that evidence, recommend adoption or rejection of the proposed open space plan in whole or in part. The board's recommendation shall be in writing. If the board does not recommend adoption or rejection of the proposed open space plan, or if a petition from the voters of the township recommending adoption of the open space plan is not filed with the township clerk within 60 days after the public hearing, the open space plan may not be subsequently adopted unless another public hearing is held and notice given as provided in this Section. A recommendation by the board or by petition under this subsection (d) to adopt an open space plan shall be made no later than 138 days before the next regular election in order for the question of the adoption of the open space plan to appear on the ballot at that election. If the question of the adoption of the open space plan does not appear on the ballot, the open space plan may not be subsequently adopted unless another public hearing is held and notice given under this Section.

(Source: P.A. 85-1140; 88-62.)