(a) Definitions. As used in this section:
"Fee" means monies of any type, regardless of nomenclature, required to be paid to the City under this Code or under any rule or regulation promulgated thereunder, including, but not limited to, any permit fee, inspection fee, plan review fee, license fee, assessment or lien.
"Fee waiver" means, regardless of nomenclature: (1) the issuance of a free permit of any type; or (2) the waiver of a fee of any type, including, but not limited to, a waiver of any permit fee, inspection fee, application fee, plan review fee or license fee; (3) an exemption from payment of a fee of any type, including, but not limited to, an exemption from payment of any permit fee, inspection fee, application fee, plan review fee or license fee; (4) a refund of a fee of any type; (5) the cancellation or waiver of a water assessment, sewer assessment or other assessment of any type; or (6) the waiver, cancellation or release of a demolition lien or other lien of any type. The term "fee waiver" includes a whole or partial waiver of the applicable fee.
"Generally applicable fee waiver" means a fee waiver that, by terms of the authorizing ordinance, applies to any individual or entity meeting the objective criteria set forth in such ordinance.
"Governmental entity" means any city department or local, state or federal government agency or instrumentality thereof.
"Individual fee waiver(s)" means a fee waiver that, by terms of the authorizing ordinance, applies to a named individual or entity specified in such ordinance.
"Person" has the meaning ascribed to the term in section 1-4-090.
(b) Prohibition on individual fee waivers. Except as otherwise provided in subsection (c) of this section, no person or city department or member of the city council or other municipal officer shall propose, and no committee of the city council shall consider or recommend, and no officer or employee of the city shall enforce, any ordinance or amendment thereto authorizing an individual fee waiver for any person, including, but not limited to, any not-for-profit corporation.
(c) Exemptions. The requirements of this section shall not apply to any ordinance or amendment thereto authorizing individual fee waivers: (1) for any governmental entity, as defined in subsection (a) of this section, or (2) in connection with a block party, or (3) in connection with the waiver under Section 2-120-815 of any fee charged by the City for the issuance of any permit requiring approval of the Commission on Chicago Landmarks, or (4) in connection with a Department of Water Management Lead Service Line Replacement Program created within the authority granted in Article IX of Chapter 11-12, or (5) pursuant to the authority granted to the Commissioner of Housing to support neighborhood revitalization efforts under Section 2-44-140.
(d) Construction of section. Nothing in this section shall be construed to prohibit any person from qualifying for any generally applicable fee waiver authorized under this Code, if the objective criteria set forth in the ordinance authorizing such generally applicable fee waiver are met.
(Added Coun. J. 11-16-11, p. 13798, Art. VIII, § 4; Amend Coun. J. 11-24-20, p. 24619, Art. IV, Ch. 2, § 3; Amend Coun. J. 1-26-22, p. 43179, § 1; Amend Coun. J. 11-7-22, p. 55595, Art. VIII, § 1; Amend Coun. J. 12-14-22, p. 58278, Art. VII, § 1)