Oswego Special Village Board Meeting - May 6, 2025: Approvals for Bonds, Incentives, Pine Ridge Townhomes
Oswego Special Village Board Meeting - May 6, 2025
The Oswego Village Board met in special session on May 6, 2025, at 6:30 PM. The board approved multiple significant items including bonds for water infrastructure and a parking garage, an economic incentive for a donut shop, a major PUD amendment for 113 townhomes, and consented to several routine items. Public comment addressed noise complaints from a nearby business.
Recognitions & Proclamations
- Four of six listed proclamations were presented: National Poppy Day (May 23, 2025), National Economic Development Week (May 11-17), National Police Week (May 12-18) and Peace Officers Memorial Day (May 15), and Memorial Day (May 26). Representatives from the American Legion accepted the Poppy Day proclamation; Kevin Lighty was recognized for Economic Development Week. (The agenda also listed National Safe Boating Week and National Public Works Week, but these were not read during the meeting.)
Public Forum
- Manny Osmani, a 20-year resident of Liberty Court, described ongoing noise, drug activity, and disturbances from a business behind his home (license until 2 AM, with incidents continuing past 4 AM). He stated he has made numerous police calls but asked for additional village help. Police Chief Basson was present and agreed to meet with him immediately after the forum.
Consent Calendar
- Unanimously approved (7-0):
- Minutes from April 22, 2025 (Committee of the Whole, Regular Board, Closed Session)
- Purchase of one 2025 Ford Explorer Police Interceptor for $47,880 via state contract
- Year-end budget amendment ordinance (FY2024)
- Amendment with Baxter & Woodman for water/sewer rate study ($24,500 to $29,500)
- Debt collection services agreement with Municipal Collection Services, LLC
- Final acceptance of Modern Air Solutions and release of surety
- Bill list of $1,586,154.74
Discussion Items
- J1 – Choose Healthy LLC Economic Incentive: Kevin Lighty presented a $5,000 grant request for a new awning, safety bollards, parking lot improvements, and building painting at 25 Madison Street (a donut shop). Staff supported the application; the applicant scaled back from an initial $50,000 request after staff deemed full parking lot rehab as ineligible maintenance. The board approved unanimously.
- J2 – Pine Ridge Club Major PUD Amendment: The board approved a major amendment to allow 113 townhomes (31 ranch villas, 82 two-story townhomes) on 22.5 acres at Mill Road and Heatherwood Drive, reducing density from 8.5 to 5.0 units per acre. The project will be built in two phases; construction traffic will use Heatherwood to avoid existing residential areas. The Planning & Zoning Commission had recommended approval 8-0 after a public hearing. Impact fee credits from a 20-year-old agreement for the venue 1012 property will apply to village impact fees (school and park fees still due). The developer committed to ongoing discussions with the existing Pine Ridge HOA. Unanimously approved.
- J3 – $24.3 Million Water Bond Issuance: Andrea (finance) outlined the first of two bond issuances to fund the village's connection to the DuPage Water Commission (total project cost over $99 million). The tax-exempt general obligation bonds will generate $20 million needed for 2025 costs. Interest rate estimates were described as conservative. Approved unanimously.
- J4 – $4.3 Million Taxable GO Bonds for Parking Garage: Bonds will reimburse a developer for constructing a parking garage in the Main Street/Washington Street TIF district. Repayment will come from TIF increment generated solely by the development; the developer must cover any shortfall. TIF expires in 2039. Unanimously approved.
- J5 – Hummel Trails Neighborhood 14 Public Hearing: The board voted unanimously to open and continue the public hearing to May 27, 2025, for a proposed amendment to the annexation agreement.
Key Outcomes
- All new business items (J1-J5) passed unanimously (7-0).
- The board entered closed session for pending litigation, personnel, collective bargaining, and property matters, with no action anticipated afterward.
- President Kaufman directed staff to bring a proposal to the fall budget hearing for a tree replacement initiative that would plant more trees than are being removed along Wolf's Crossing Road.
- Trustee reports included welcomes to new board members, appreciation for the Wine on the Fox event, concerns about FEMA's future role in emergency management, and encouragement to support local businesses and graduating seniors.
Meeting Transcript
To order this evening. And Kirk Cassidy is going to be leading us in the Pledge of Allegiance. If you could all please stand and join him as he leads us. I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America. And to the Republic for which stands one nation under God, indivisible with liberty and justice for all. Thank you, Kurt. Roll call, please. President Kaufman. Here. Trustee Cooper. Here. Trustee Hughes. Present. Trustee Koenig? Here. Trustee McCarthy Lane? Present. Trustee Novi. Present. Trustee Torres. Present. Welcome to our uh to our new board members. We've got some uh some new faces. It's uh it's nice to see you guys up here. I'm looking forward to uh getting a whole lot of stuff done together. Uh first up, we have some recognitions and appointments. I'm gonna move these around a little bit and go with um the poppy day proclamation first. If there are representatives from the Legion that could come down and join me up front, please, I'm gonna do that. National Poppy Day. Can you hear me? Yes. May twenty third, twenty twenty-five. Whereas America is the land of freedom, preserved and protected willingly and freely by citizen soldiers. Have died on the field of battle. A nation at peace must be reminded of the price of war and the debt owed to those who have died in war. The red poppy has been designated as a symbol of sacrifice of lives in all wars. The American Legion and American Legion Auxiliary have pledged to remind America annually of this debt through the distribution of the memorial flower. Now therefore, I Ryan Kaufman, Village President of the Village of Oswego, Kendall and Will County, Illinois, do hereby proclaim May twenty third, twenty three May twenty third, twenty twenty five as National Poppy Day in the village of Oswego and ask that all citizens pay tribute to those who have made the ultimate sacrifice in the name of freedom by wearing the memorial poppy. When you see our poppy containers, we have try to have them out in as many businesses as we can. The post office, jewels, a few other places. They're locally made, and the money that we from our donations does go directly to our veterans in our in our community. So we we do send some of it on to department and twelfth district, but we try to keep as much here as we can. So we appreciate appreciate any and all donations. Thank you. All right, up next, we have a proclamation for National Economic Development Week. National Economic Development Week, May 11th through the 17th, 2025. Economic developers promote economic well-being and quality of life for their communities by helping create, retain, and expand jobs that facilitate growth, enhance wealth, and provide a stable tax base. Economic developers help attract and retain high-quality jobs, develop vibrant communities, and improve the quality of life in their regions. I now recognize May 11th to the 17th, 2025 as National Economic Development Week, and remind individuals of the importance of this community celebration, which supports expanding career opportunities and making lives better. And I further extend appreciation to our economic development director, Kevin Lighty.
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