Section 55 ILCS 5/5-12015 - Hearing officer; dutiesNotwithstanding anything to the contrary provided for in this Division:
(A) The county board of each county may by resolution or ordinance establish the position of hearing officer and delegate to a hearing officer the authority to conduct any public hearing otherwise required to be heard in accordance with this Division by the board of appeals. When a hearing officer is designated by the county board to conduct any such hearing: (i) notice of hearing shall be given in the same time and manner and the hearing shall be conducted in the same location provided by this Division for the giving of such notice and for the location of such hearing when any such hearing is conducted by the board of appeals; (ii) the hearing officer in acting upon any matter otherwise within the jurisdiction of the board of appeals shall be governed by the same standards and shall exercise and perform all of the powers and duties of the board of appeals in the same manner and to the same effect as provided in this Division with respect to the board of appeals provided that:1.When the hearing officer is acting upon an application or petition to amend the regulations imposed or the districts created under the authority of this Division and such amendment is to be made by ordinance or resolution, the hearing officer shall render a written recommendation to the county board within such time and in such manner and form as the county board shall require;2.When the hearing officer is acting upon an application or petition for a variation and the regulations by this Division authorized provide that the county board by ordinance or resolution may determine and vary the application of such regulations as set forth in this Division, then upon report of the hearing officer the county board may by ordinance or resolution without further public hearing adopt any proposed variation or may refer it back to the hearing officer for further consideration, and any proposed variation which fails to receive the approval of the hearing officer shall not be passed except by the favorable vote of 3/4 of all members of the county board, but in counties in which the county board consists of 3 members only a 2/3 vote is required;3.When the hearing officer is acting upon an application or petition for a variation and the regulations by this Division authorized do not provide that the county board by ordinance or resolution may determine and vary the application of such regulations as set forth in this Division, or when the hearing officer is acting upon any matter otherwise within the jurisdiction of the board of appeals under Sections 5-12011 and 5-12012 other than a matter referred to in paragraphs 1 and 2 above of this subsection (A), the determination made by the hearing officer with respect to any such variation or matter shall constitute a final administrative decision which is subject to judicial review pursuant to the provisions of the "Administrative Review Law", as now or hereafter amended.(B) The county board may provide general or specific regulations implementing but not inconsistent with the provisions of this Section, including regulations relative to the time and manner in which hearing officers are designated to conduct public hearings and regulations governing the manner in which such hearings are conducted and matters heard therein passed upon and determined.(C) Hearing officers shall be appointed on the basis of training and experience which qualifies them to conduct hearings, make recommendations or findings of fact and conclusions on the matters heard and otherwise exercise and perform the powers, duties and functions delegated in accordance with this Section. Hearing officers shall receive such compensation as the county board shall provide, and the county board may establish a schedule of fees to defray the costs of providing a hearing officer.(D) This Section is intended to furnish an alternative or supplemental procedure which a county board in its discretion may provide for hearing, determining, reviewing and deciding matters which arise under any ordinance, resolution or regulation adopted pursuant to this Division, but nothing in this Section shall be deemed to limit or prevent the use of any existing procedure available pursuant to this Division for hearing, approving or denying applications or petitions for a variation, amendment or other revision of any such ordinance, resolution or regulation, or for hearing and deciding appeals from and reviewing any order, requirement, decision or determination made by an administrative official charged with the enforcement of any such ordinance, resolution or regulation.