All territory in McLean County shall be designated as the "McLean
County Planning Commission Region."
There is hereby established the McLean County Regional Planning
Commission to adopt a long-range regional plan for said territory.
The Regional Planning Commission shall be responsible for long-range
planning and shall be constituted as follows.
All members of the Commission shall serve without compensation.
A member of the Commission, once qualified, shall not be removed during
his term of office except for cause, and after a hearing held before
the governing body by which he was appointed. A member is automatically
disqualified and his seat vacant upon his failure to continue to reside
in McLean County.
Officers, meetings and rules be established as follows:
A. Chairman. The Commission shall elect a Chairman and Vice Chairman
from its members. The terms of the Chairman and Vice Chairman shall
be for one year, with eligibility for re-election.
B. Executive Committee. In the interest of effective functioning of
the Commission, the Commission shall appoint an Executive Committee
of the Chairman and Vice Chairman of the Commission and one other
member named by the Commission. The Executive Committee shall receive
assistance and advice of the City Manager, City of Bloomington, City
Manager, Town of Normal, and the County Administrator, County of McLean.
Meetings of the Executive Committee shall be held at call of the Chair
of the Executive Committee. The Executive Committee shall have authority
to transact the administrative business of the Commission between
meetings of the Commission and report said business to the Commission.
The Executive Committee shall have responsibility for the preparation
of an annual budget and attend to all personnel matters of the Commission
and perform such other functions on behalf of the Commission as delegated
by the Commission.
C. Meetings. The Commission shall meet regularly as determined by adopted
bylaws and in no event fewer than four times a year. All meetings
shall be open to the public except for executive sessions. A majority
of the 11 appointed members of the Commission shall constitute a quorum.
D. Rules. The Commission shall adopt bylaws, including rules for the
transaction of business, and shall keep a complete record of its functions
and activities, which shall be a public record.
The McLean County Regional Planning Commission shall have the
powers, duties, and functions as provided in Division 5-14, Regional
Planning, of the Counties Code (ILCS 5/5-14001 through 5/5-14007).
To further the means and methods of operation and functioning the
Commission:
A. Shall prepare and recommend to the McLean County Board a Regional
Plan, or functional segments thereof, looking to the present and future
development of the region. Such Regional Plan may included recommendations
for land use, circulation, future location of planned major and collector
streets in unsubdivided land, general location of public works facilities,
urban renewal, open space and park areas, school sites, stormwater
or floodwater runoff channels and basins, and other such problems
and development relevant to regional planning. Such plan shall be
known as the "Official Regional Plan of McLean County." The Regional
Planning Commission may thereafter, from time to time, recommend changes
in such Regional Plan.
B. Shall prepare and recommend to the County Board, from time to time,
plans for necessary and specific improvements in accordance with the
Regional Plan.
C. Shall have access to information, reports, and data relating to planning
in possession of departments of the County government.
D. May request for its information all municipal or other governmental
agency plans, zoning ordinances, official maps, building codes, subdivision
regulations, or amendments or revisions of any of them, as well as
copies of their special reports dealing in whole or in part with planning
matters.
E. Shall coordinate with units of government concerning the relationship
of any plans, projects, proposals and policies applicable to the regional
planning area.
F. Shall have authority to contract with any unit of government to provide
specialized planning services with appropriate reimbursement when
a unit of government so desires.
G. Shall review an annual budget prepared by the Executive Committee
in the same manner as other departments of the County. Any monies
received as gifts, donations or grants from private sources for planning
purposes shall be deposited in a special nonreverting fund to be available
for expenditures by the Regional Planning Commission.
H. Shall have authority, with the concurrence of the County Board, to
accept, receive and expend funds, grants and services from the federal
government, or its agencies, and from departments, agencies and instrumentalities
of state and local governments.
I. Shall have authority to contract with respect to any funds, grants,
or services from whatever sources derived.
J. Shall have authority to provide such information and reports as may
be necessary to secure financial aid.
K. Shall have authority, upon approval of the McLean County Board, to
appoint a Planning Coordinator and such other employees as it deems
necessary, and engage consultants as it may require if funds are budgeted
for such purpose.
L. Shall prepare an annual report and prepare and publish studies, reports,
and plans in connection with its work.
M. May acquire equipment and materials for its use and incur necessary
expenses within the limits of its budgets.
N. May, by formal and affirmative vote, pay, within the Commission's
budget, the reasonable traveling expenses of members or employees
of the Commission to attend planning conferences or meetings of planning
institutes or hearings upon pending planning legislation, and meetings
of the Planning Commission or its Executive Committee.
The Regional Planning Commission shall serve in a general advisory
capacity to the McLean County Board, and to this end the County Clerk
shall make available to the Regional Planning Commission, for its
consideration, a copy of all ordinances, resolutions, plans and other
data relative to capital improvements of any nature. The Commission
may report in relation to the foregoing matters if it deems a report
necessary or advisable or when specifically requested by the McLean
County Board, for consideration of the McLean County Board before
final action on them is taken by the Board.
The Regional Planning Commission shall not be responsible for
nor have any authority to engage in short-range planning issues. As
used herein, the term "short-range planning issues" means specific
zoning text amendments, Zoning Map amendments, subdivision plans,
and historical preservation matters filed with the County or any unit
of local government in the County.