The directors shall, immediately after appointment, meet and organize by the election of one of their number as president and one as secretary, and by the election of such other officers as they may deem necessary. They shall make and adopt such by-laws, rules and regulations for their own guidance and for the government of the airport and landing field, buildings, equipment and other facilities or activities and institutions connected therewith as may be expedient, not inconsistent with the "Illinois Aeronautics Act", as now or hereafter amended or supplemented, or any rule, ruling, regulation, order or decision of the Department of Transportation of this State. They shall have the exclusive control of the expenditure of all moneys collected to the credit of the Airport Fund, and of the construction of any airport, building, landing strips or other facilities connected therewith, or auxiliary institutions or activities in connection therewith, and of the supervision, care and custody of the grounds, buildings and facilities constructed, leased, or set apart for that purpose: Provided, that all moneys received for such airport with the exception of moneys the title to which rests in the Board of Directors in accordance with Section 9, shall be deposited in the treasury of the county to the credit of the Airport fund and shall not be used for any other purpose, and shall be drawn upon by the proper officers of the county upon the properly authenticated vouchers of the Board of Directors. The Board of Directors may purchase or lease ground within the limits of such county, and occupy, lease or erect an appropriate building or buildings for the use of the airport, auxiliary institutions and activities connected therewith: Provided, however, that no such building, landing strips or other facilities shall be constructed or erected until detailed plans therefor shall have been submitted to and approved by the Department of Transportation of this State. The Board of Directors may appoint suitable managers, assistants and employees and fix their compensation by resolution duly adopted, and may also remove such appointees, and shall carry out the spirit and intent of this Act in establishing and maintaining an airport and landing field.
The Board of Directors shall, in addition to the powers set forth in this Act, specifically have the powers designated as follows:
1.To locate, establish and maintain an airport and airport facilities within the area of its jurisdiction, and to develop, expand, extend and improve any such airport or airport facility.2.To acquire land, rights in and over land and easements upon, over or across land, and leasehold interests in land, and tangible and intangible personal property, used or useful for the location, establishment, maintenance, development, expansion, extension or improvement of any such airport or airport facility. Such acquisition may be by dedication, purchase, gift, agreement, lease, or by user or adverse possession or condemnation. In the determination of the compensation to be paid in any condemnation proceeding under this subsection involving property or facilities used in agriculture, commerce, industry or trade there shall be included not only the value of the property and facilities affected and the cost of any changes in or relocation of such property and facilities but also compensation for any loss occasioned in the operation thereof.3.To operate, manage, lease, sublease, and to make and enter into contracts for the use, operation or management of, and to provide rules and regulations for the operation, management or use of any such airport or airport facility.4.To fix, charge and collect rentals, tolls, fees and charges for the use of any such airport, or any part thereof, or any such airport facility, and to grant privileges within any airport or structure therein or any part thereof, and to charge and collect compensation for such privileges and to lease any building or structure or any part thereof to private or public concerns or corporations in connection with the use and operation of such airport and to enter into contracts or agreements permitting private or public concerns to erect and build structures for airport purposes and purposes auxiliary thereto and connected therewith, on such terms and conditions as the directors deem expedient and in the public interest; provided, that no such structure may be erected by any public or private concern or corporation pursuant to such agreement until the plans and specifications therefor shall have been submitted to and approved by the Department of Transportation of this State.5.To establish, maintain, extend and improve roadways and approaches by land, water or air to any such airport.6.To contract or otherwise to provide by condemnation if necessary for the removal or relocation of all private structures, railways, mains, pipes, conduits, wires, poles and all other facilities and equipment which may interfere with the location, expansion, development, or improvement of airports or with the safe approach thereto or takeoff therefrom by aircraft, and to assume any obligation and pay any expense incidental to such removal or relocation.7.Within territory two miles from any airport or landing field, as measured at a right angle from any side, or in a radial line from the corner of any established boundary line thereof, to enter into contracts for a term of years or permanently with the owners of such land to restrict the height of any structure upon the relationship of one foot of height to each twenty feet of distance from the boundary line, upon such terms and conditions and for such consideration as the Board of Directors deems equitable; and to adopt, administer and enforce airport zoning regulations for and within the county and within any territory which extends not more than 2 miles beyond the boundaries of any Airport under the control of the Board of Directors.8.To borrow money and to issue bonds, notes, certificates or other evidences of indebtedness for the purpose of accomplishing any of the corporate purposes, subject, however, to compliance with the conditions or limitations of this Act or otherwise provided by the constitution or laws of the State of Illinois.9.To employ or enter into contracts for the employment of any person, firm or corporation, and for professional services, necessary or desirable for the accomplishment of the objects of the Board of Directors or the proper administration, management, protection or control of its property.10.To police its property and to exercise police powers in respect thereto or in respect to the enforcement of any rule or regulation provided by the resolutions of the Board of Directors and to employ and commission police officers and other qualified persons to enforce the same. Nothing in this section or in other provisions of this Act shall be construed to authorize the Board of Directors to establish or enforce any regulation or rule in respect to aviation or the operation or maintenance of any airport or any airport facility within its jurisdiction which is in conflict with any federal or state law or regulation applicable to the same subject matter.
This section is subject to the "Illinois Aeronautics Act", as now or hereafter amended or supplemented, or any rule, ruling, regulation, order or decision of the Department of Transportation of this State.
The Federal Government or any department or agency thereof, the State of Illinois or any department or agency thereof, or any political subdivision of the State of Illinois and any public or private aircraft shall be permitted to use any airport facility subject to the regulation and control of, and upon such terms and conditions as shall be established by the Board of Directors.
Amended by P.A. 098-0756,§ 665, eff. 7/16/2014.