65 ILCS 5/11-119.2-5

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

Sec. 11-119.2-5. A. A municipal natural gas agency shall have all the powers enumerated in this Section in furtherance of the purposes of this Division. In the exercise thereof it shall be deemed to be performing an essential governmental function and exercising a part of the sovereign powers of the State of Illinois, separate and distinct from member municipalities, and shall have the privileges, immunities and rights of a public body politic and corporate, municipal corporation and unit of local government, but shall not have taxing power. All powers of the municipal natural gas agency shall be exercised by its Board of Directors unless otherwise provided by the bylaws.

B. A municipal natural gas agency may plan, finance, acquire, construct, reconstruct, own, lease, operate, maintain, repair, improve, extend or otherwise participate in, individually or jointly with other persons, public agencies, eligible utilities or other entities of any type, one or more projects, proposed, existing or under construction, within or without the State of Illinois, acquire any interest in or any right to products and services of a project, purchase, own, sell, dispose of or otherwise participate in securities issued in connection with the financing of a project or any portion thereof, and may act as agent, or designate one or more persons, public agencies, eligible utilities or other entities of any type, whether or not participating in a project, to act as its agent, in connection with the planning, financing, acquisition, construction, reconstruction, ownership, lease, operation, maintenance, repair, extension or improvement of the project. Any acquisition by eminent domain under this subsection is subject to the provisions of Section 11-119.2-7.

C. A municipal natural gas agency may investigate the desirability of and necessity for additional sources and supplies of natural gas and fuel of any kind for such purpose, and make studies, surveys, and estimates as may be necessary to determine the feasibility and cost thereof.

D. A municipal natural gas agency may cooperate with other persons, public agencies, eligible utilities or other entities of any type in the development of sources and supplies of natural gas and fuel of any kind for such purposes, and give assistance with personnel and equipment in any project.

E. A municipal natural gas agency may apply for consents, authorizations or approvals required for any project within its powers and take all actions necessary to comply with the conditions thereof.

F. A municipal natural gas agency may perform any act authorized by this Division through, or by means of, its officers, agents, or employees or by contract with others, including, without limitation, the employment of engineers, architects, attorneys, appraisers, financial advisors, and such other consultants and employees as may be required in the judgment of the municipal natural gas agency, and fix and pay their compensation from funds available to the municipal natural gas agency therefor.

G. A municipal natural gas agency may, individually or jointly with other persons, public agencies, eligible utilities or other entities of any type, acquire, hold, use, and dispose of income, revenues, funds and money.

H. A municipal natural gas agency may, individually or jointly with other persons, public agencies, eligible utilities or other entities of any type, acquire, own, hire, use, operate and dispose of personal property and any interest therein.

I. A municipal natural gas agency may, individually or jointly with other persons, public agencies, eligible utilities or other entities of any type, acquire, own, use, lease as lessor or lessee, operate and dispose of real property and interests in real property, including projects existing, proposed or under construction, and make improvements thereon.

J. A municipal natural gas agency may grant the use by franchise, lease or otherwise and make charges for the use of any property or facility owned or controlled by it.

K. A municipal natural gas agency may borrow money and issue negotiable bonds, secured or unsecured, in accordance with this Division.

L. A municipal natural gas agency may invest money of the municipal natural gas agency not required for immediate use, including proceeds from the sale of any bonds, in such obligations, securities, and other investments as authorized by the provisions of "An Act relating to certain investments of public funds by public agencies", approved July 23, 1943, as amended.

M. A municipal natural gas agency may exercise the power of eminent domain in accordance with the provisions of Section 11-119.2-7.

N. A municipal natural gas agency may determine the location and character of, and all other matters in connection with, any and all projects it is authorized to acquire, hold, establish, effectuate, operate or control.

O. A municipal natural gas agency may contract with any persons, public agencies, eligible utilities or other entities of any type for the planning, development, construction or operation of any project or for the sale, transmission or distribution of the products and services of any project, or for any interest therein or any right to the products and services thereof, on such terms and for such period of time as its Board of Directors shall determine.

P. A municipal natural gas agency may enter into any contract or agreement necessary, appropriate or incidental to the effectuation of its lawful purposes and the exercise of the powers granted by this Division, including without limitation, contracts or agreements for the purchase, sale, exchange, interchange, wheeling, pooling, transmission, distribution or storage of natural gas and fuel of any kind for any such purposes, within and without the State of Illinois, in such amounts as it shall determine to be necessary and appropriate to make the most effective use of its powers and to meet its responsibilities, on such terms and for such period of time as its Board of Directors determines. Any such contract or agreement may include provisions for requirements purchases, restraints on resale or other dealings, exclusive dealing, pricing, territorial division, and other conduct or arrangements which may have an anti-competitive effect.

Q. A municipal natural gas agency may procure insurance against any losses in connection with its property, operations, or assets in such amounts and from such insurers as it deems desirable, or may self-insure against such losses.

R. A municipal natural gas agency may contract for and accept any gifts or grants or loans of funds or property or financial or other aid in any form from any source, and may comply, subject to the provisions of this Division, with the terms and conditions thereof.

S. A municipal natural gas agency may mortgage, pledge and grant a security interest in any or all of its real and personal property to secure the payment of its bonds or contracts.

T. That part of a project owned by a municipal natural gas agency shall be exempt from property taxes. However, each municipal natural gas agency owning all or any part of a project shall, in lieu of property taxes, pay to any governmental unit authorized to levy property taxes the amount which would be assessed as taxes on real property of a project if such project were otherwise subject to valuation and assessment. Such payments in lieu of taxes shall be due and shall bear interest if unpaid, as in the cases of taxes on other property. Payments in lieu of taxes made under this Division shall be treated in the same manner as taxes for purposes of all procedural and substantive provisions of law, except that no lien may be placed upon such property to enforce the payment of such taxes. The remedy for such payment shall be limited to mandamus or other civil action requesting an order directing the agency to pay such taxes and interest, if any.

U. No municipal natural gas agency shall be authorized by this Division to sell natural gas directly to other than a member municipality or an eligible utility.

V. A municipal natural gas agency may adopt a corporate seal, and may sue and be sued.

W. A municipal natural gas agency may exercise all other powers not inconsistent with the Constitution of the State of Illinois or the United States Constitution, which powers may be reasonably necessary or appropriate for or incidental to effectuate its authorized purposes or to the exercise of any of the powers enumerated in this Division.

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