OPENPUBLICA · PUBLIC MEETING RECORD
Record of Proceedings

Special Economic Development Commission Meeting - June 9, 2025

Village Board & Commissions — Monday, June 9, 2025
BodyOswego, Illinois
SessionVillage Board & Commissions
DateMonday, June 9, 2025
StatusFILED
Video Record
0:00 / 1:38:09

Transcript — Verbatim
0:35

Microphones.

0:40

You hit the wait.

0:42

Red is go.

0:43

Oh, red is go, so that's the opposite.

0:46

Red is go.

0:47

Red is go.

0:47

But when you're done with it.

1:03

There it is.

1:04

Well, that is odd.

1:05

That is odd.

1:06

All right.

1:06

Like to call this meeting the economic development commission to order uh roll call, please.

1:14

Here.

1:14

Any comment?

1:15

Here.

1:16

Carrie Anderson?

1:17

Here.

1:18

Here.

1:19

Well, what anybody might be adding someone like that?

1:34

Oh, Carrie Andrew.

1:36

I started having my fault.

1:42

No, biggie.

1:43

Yes, I'm here.

1:46

We do have a quorum.

1:49

Kevin, in the uh email he sent out the approval of the April 2nd uh commission meeting minutes.

1:55

Anybody have any changes or additions to those minutes?

1:58

No.

1:59

Hearing none, I'll retain a motion to approve those minutes.

2:02

I'll make the motion.

2:05

Roll call, please.

2:07

Yes.

2:08

Yes.

2:09

Carrie Anderson.

2:11

Yes.

2:14

I will abstain because I wasn't here.

2:17

Motions approved.

2:18

Uh financial incentive requests.

2:21

Yes, before we get into item C one, I do want to welcome Carrie Hanson, who's our newest EDC member.

2:28

I'm sure all of you or many of you already know her, but I wanted to formally welcome her to the commission.

2:34

So Carrie, you want to tell us a little bit about yourself.

2:41

Okay, Laura doesn't know you, so please tell us about yourself.

2:45

Um I am presently the director of uh planning and government services for Shoppy Design Associates here in lovely downtown Aswego.

2:55

I've been there for oh my gosh, um almost twelve years now.

3:02

Prior to that, I had um a couple of stints in this very building.

3:07

Um as the former community development director and village administrator uh back in the early two thousands, uh the first big boom that we had and then uh stint as an interim so that we could hire Dan in 2015.

3:24

Um but my background is in development, real estate development, uh both public and private sector.

3:31

Um residential and commercial.

3:33

Um our firm does um provide services to all kinds of development.

3:41

Uh so we come in contact with um quite a few uh commercial and real estate people, which I'm hoping will bring some um additional insight onto the commission.

3:54

Thrilled to be here.

3:56

Nice to be asked and look forward to working with all of you.

4:02

Well, thank you.

4:03

Um we do have one more vacancy on the commission.

4:06

Um so I know Ryan right now is reviewing candidates that he has uh in mind, so we will likely be at full strength within the next couple of months.

4:16

So we lost uh Rochelle and Kelly Kennedy.

4:22

So but then we added Kerry, so now we're at minus one right now.

4:29

All right, so back to financial incentive requests.

4:32

We approved uh the village board approved one.

4:35

Uh last month it was a five thousand dollar grant for my sister's little donut shop.

4:39

Um another reason why we don't bring those for to the commission for uh consideration, more of a kind of an after the after the fact.

Discussion Breakdown — Share of Meeting
Economic Development█████████████████████████████████████37%
Parking Management███████████████15%
Business Retention█████████████13%
Business Awards████████████12%
Land Use Planning████████8%
Budget Equity Analysis████4%
Parks and Recreation████4%
Procedural██2%
Public Works██2%
Summary of Proceedings

Special Economic Development Commission Meeting - June 9, 2025

The Oswego Economic Development Commission (EDC) held a special meeting on June 9, 2025, at 6:00 PM at Village Hall. The commission reviewed the Economic Development Incentive Program (EDIA) policy, discussed gray areas in eligible improvements, approved future Business of the Month awards, and received updates on business retention visits, attraction efforts, and downtown developments.

Consent Calendar

  • Approval of Minutes: The minutes from the April 2, 2025 EDC meeting were approved unanimously (5-0-1 abstention: Commissioner Laura Witt abstained due to absence).

Public Comments & Testimony

  • No public comments were made during the Public Forum portion of the meeting.

Discussion Items

  • Financial Incentive Request(s): The commission was updated on a $5,000 grant approved by the Village Board for My Sister's Little Donut Shop for an awning, parking lot repairs, painting, and safety bollards. Approximately $77,000 remains in the program fund for the calendar year after the Board allocated an additional $100,000 in February 2025.
  • EDIA Program Review: Director presented a memo outlining the history of the Economic Development Incentive Program (since 2014) and sought feedback on two questions: (1) what types of permanent improvements should be incentivized, and (2) whether general maintenance items should be ineligible or capped. The commission discussed the gray area between maintenance and permanent improvements, particularly regarding parking lots, roofs, and brickwork.
    • Consensus: The commission expressed support for allowing parking lot improvements with a cap (e.g., up to $5,000 or 50% of cost). Roof improvements were considered completely ineligible as they are maintenance items not visible from the street. Other items like brick/tuckpointing may be allowed with limits. The commission also discussed prioritizing improvements that enhance real estate value and marketability, including facade work, grease traps, kitchen hoods, ADA accessibility, and underground utility work. No consensus was reached on weighting business types, though the Village Board previously emphasized new restaurants.
  • 2025 Business of the Month Award Nominations: The commission approved the following businesses for upcoming months:
    • June: Prairie Pills (interviewed)
    • July: Imagination Print Design
    • August: Sage's Meat Market (tentative, as they were previously busy)
    • September: Hometown Insurance
    • October: Westfall Chevy
    • November: Church of the Good Shepherd
    • December: To be determined (open for nominations)
    • Commissioner Terry will research Hometown Cleaners (possible closure) for a future slot.
  • Business Retention & Expansion Visits: Director reported visits to American (April) and Kohl's (positive, not closing). Director noted plans to ramp up visits later in the year and invited commissioners to nominate businesses.
  • Ongoing EDC Initiatives:
    • Real estate broker tour postponed to early winter 2025 or spring 2026 in favor of an economic development open house for residents in fall 2025.
    • Director attended ICSC in Las Vegas last month, holding 20–25 meetings with developers, retailers, and hoteliers.

Key Outcomes

  • EDIA Policy Direction: Staff will take commission feedback (allow parking lots with cap, exclude roofs, consider limits on other maintenance) to the Village Board for policy revisions.
  • Business of the Month Awards: Approved as listed above via roll call vote (6-0).
  • Real Estate Broker Tour Postponed: Commissioner consensus to delay and pursue an economic development open house for residents in fall 2025.

Reports

  • Economic Development Director Report:
    • Tap House (170 Harrison St.): Signed lease with a new full-service restaurant (name to be announced).
    • 174 Harrison St. (Boardwalk Shops & Barkville Buddies): Concept plan for boardwalk shops and a special use application for Barkville Buddies (dog-friendly social venue) to go to Village Board later in June; Plan Commission approved.
    • Duncan Coffee: Received IDOT approval, expected to start construction this summer (800 sq ft drive-thru).
    • Danelli's Building: Under contract with buyers from California, expected to close next month; potential restaurant use.
    • Benderson Development (Route 34): Grocery-anchored project underway; grocery tenant still unannounced, aiming for year-end completion.
    • New Businesses: Skechers and Nori Sushi near opening; Candy Cloud (bubble tea) later this year; Gas N Wash open, Woody's Wings and Scooters coming this summer.
    • HomeGoods: Permit plans under review, moving slowly.
    • Lowell's 20-Year Anniversary Ribbon Cutting: June 24, 2025 (Village Hall).
    • Imagination Print Design: 15-year anniversary in July.
    • Park District: Closed on the former East Border building; adaptive sports project planned.
  • No public comments were received.

Adjournment

The meeting was adjourned.

Meeting Transcript

Microphones. You hit the wait. Red is go. Oh, red is go, so that's the opposite. Red is go. Red is go. But when you're done with it. There it is. Well, that is odd. That is odd. All right. Like to call this meeting the economic development commission to order uh roll call, please. Here. Any comment? Here. Carrie Anderson? Here. Here. Well, what anybody might be adding someone like that? Oh, Carrie Andrew. I started having my fault. No, biggie. Yes, I'm here. We do have a quorum. Kevin, in the uh email he sent out the approval of the April 2nd uh commission meeting minutes. Anybody have any changes or additions to those minutes? No. Hearing none, I'll retain a motion to approve those minutes. I'll make the motion. Roll call, please. Yes. Yes. Carrie Anderson. Yes. I will abstain because I wasn't here. Motions approved. Uh financial incentive requests. Yes, before we get into item C one, I do want to welcome Carrie Hanson, who's our newest EDC member. I'm sure all of you or many of you already know her, but I wanted to formally welcome her to the commission. So Carrie, you want to tell us a little bit about yourself. Okay, Laura doesn't know you, so please tell us about yourself. Um I am presently the director of uh planning and government services for Shoppy Design Associates here in lovely downtown Aswego. I've been there for oh my gosh, um almost twelve years now. Prior to that, I had um a couple of stints in this very building. Um as the former community development director and village administrator uh back in the early two thousands, uh the first big boom that we had and then uh stint as an interim so that we could hire Dan in 2015. Um but my background is in development, real estate development, uh both public and private sector. Um residential and commercial. Um our firm does um provide services to all kinds of development. Uh so we come in contact with um quite a few uh commercial and real estate people, which I'm hoping will bring some um additional insight onto the commission. Thrilled to be here.

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