Section 33.57. Board of commissioners; powers.

  The board of commissioners may do all of the following:

(1)  Develop and implement plans, projects or programs to do any of the following:

(a) Improve the water quality and the scenic, economic and environmental value of the surface waters and the groundwaters of the Illinois Fox River basin that are located in a river municipality.

(b) Protect or enhance the recreational use of the navigable waters of the Illinois Fox River basin that are located in a river municipality.

(c) Coordinate and integrate, for efficient and effective cost management, any county programs or projects for the waters of the river county that relate to any of the following:

1. Surface water and groundwater quality of the Illinois Fox River basin that is located in a river municipality.

2. The recreational use of and public access to navigable waters of the Illinois Fox River basin that is located in a river municipality.

3. Water safety and boating regulations for the Illinois Fox River basin that is located in a river municipality.

(2)  Develop and propose to the county board programs or projects to make improvements to the navigable waters in the Illinois Fox River basin that is located in a river municipality, including constructing and maintaining public boat launching facilities, maintaining park or other open natural areas adjacent to the navigable waters, implementing shoreline maintenance requests, maintaining and improving locks and dredging waterways.

(3)  Create advisory committees as it considers necessary to apprise the board of commissioners of the information necessary to implement its duties and powers. The advisory committees may include representatives of the following: fishing groups; farmers; businesses; riparian and other real property owners; industry groups; public bodies; sailing clubs; boating clubs; environmentalists; scientists; conservationists; hunters; and water skiing, diving and other sports clubs.

(4)  Adopt any rules necessary to implement the duties and powers granted to the board of commissioners.

(5)  Designate as a river municipality or river county, by an affirmative vote of the majority of voting commissioners, a town, village, city, or county that requests through a resolution adopted by its governing body to be designated as being under the commission's jurisdiction.

1997 a. 27 ; 2015 a. 226 .