Oswego Village Board Meeting: Proclamations, Public Works Contract, and Zoning Decisions - April 21, 2026

The Oswego Village Board met at Oswego Village Hall on Tuesday, April 21, 2026, at 7:00 p.m. President Ryan Kaufman presided; Trustees Hughes, Koenig, Novi, and Torres were present, and Trustees Cooper, McCarthy, and Lang were absent. The board approved routine items, heard discussion on the Public Works facility contract, approved a HomeGoods planned unit development amendment and a PACE program, denied a self-storage special use permit, and authorized interim financing for the DuPage Water Commission connection.

Call to Order, Appointments, and Proclamations

• The board appointed Michael Moody to the Historic Preservation Commission for a term expiring April 30, 2028.
• The board read proclamations for Public Service Recognition Week (May 3-9, 2026), National Small Business Week, and Drinking Water Week.

Public Forum and Staff Reports

• No members of the public addressed the board, and no staff reports were given.

Consent Calendar

• The board approved the consent agenda, including: the April 7, 2026 minutes; an omnibus amendment to multiple Municipal Code titles; a plat of easement for Hummel Trails Neighborhood 14; a fence variance at 104 Preakness Drive; the first amendment to the A2T Hospitality economic incentive agreement at 57 Main Street/Bay 54; a Baxter & Woodman water and sewer rate study update up to $35,000; purchase of a replacement PW09 skid steer and trailer for $87,532.40 and disposal of the 2004 Caterpillar 262B; a Baxter & Woodman Lake Michigan assistance task order for $15,000; Strand Associates construction management for the Main Street watermain replacement for $312,400; a D Construction contract for the Main Street watermain replacement for $3,398,250.08; a Bolder Contractors lease at 1116 Wolfs Crossing for $1,000 per month; and allocation of the 2026 volume cap of $5,235,030 to the Upper Illinois River Valley Development Authority.
• The board approved the bill list dated April 21, 2026, in the amount of $457,477.63.

Old Business: Public Works Expansion Project and Walkway

• Facilities Manager Steve Rash and Jack Hayes of Frederick Quinn Corporation presented the guaranteed maximum price for the Public Works Expansion Project: $24,395,180. Staff said the project was about $119,000 under the previously approved $26,408,960 budget.
• Three walkway options were discussed: (1) keep the originally planned covered walkway at no additional GMP cost; (2) add heated concrete, estimated at $25,000-$50,000; or (3) build a prefabricated semi-enclosed walkway with heating and lighting, estimated at about $60,000 net before additional engineering, fire suppression, and related costs, with board discussion referencing a possible total up to about $100,000.
• Some trustees supported full enclosure, citing safety, liability, and worker protection; two recent workers' compensation slip/fall claims averaged about $60,000-$62,000, and at least seven slip/fall claims had occurred in the last 10 years. Other trustees preferred to preserve the project savings or were concerned about spending up to the budget limit.
• The board voted 4-1 to authorize the contract with Frederick Quinn Corporation and to allow the village administrator to increase the GMP by up to $100,000 for the walkway; Trustee Novi cast the dissenting vote.

New Business: HomeGoods Planned Unit Development Amendment

• Staff reported that the petitioner requested a major amendment to the Prairie Market East PUD at 410 Fifth Street to allow a 25,000-square-foot HomeGoods commercial building and additional signage. The previously approved building size was 16,994 square feet, so the roughly 8,000-square-foot increase triggered the major amendment.
• The Planning and Zoning Commission recommended approval 8-0 on April 9, 2026. The board approved the ordinance, with trustees welcoming HomeGoods as a significant investment in Oswego.

New Business: Self-Storage Special Use Permit

• The agenda identified the proposed site as the southwest corner of Lewis Street and Station Drive; staff described it as a 7.5-acre property at Lewis Drive/Orchard Road in the Orchard Way commercial development. Staff recommended denial, saying the use did not meet the intent of the commercial corridor; the Planning and Zoning Commission recommended approval 6-2 after a denial motion failed 2-6.
• Petitioner Phil McAllister argued the site has been vacant for more than 20 years and that the area has a self-storage shortage: a supply ratio below one within three miles, an estimated 300,000-square-foot shortage based on a balanced market of 7-9 square feet per capita, and $80,000-$90,000 in potential property tax revenue to schools with little traffic or school impact.
• Several trustees opposed the location, saying it should remain retail in line with the comprehensive plan and existing PUD, that nearby residents had raised concerns, and that approving it could set a precedent. The board voted to concur with staff and deny the special use permit.

New Business: Property Assessed Clean Energy Program

• The board approved an ordinance creating a PACE area and designating the Illinois Finance Authority as the program administrator. Staff and IFA Managing Director Brad Fletcher explained that property owners can voluntarily levy special assessments to finance up to 25 percent of property value for qualifying energy efficiency and water conservation improvements.
• They emphasized the program costs the village nothing, is voluntary, and gives the village the right to refuse each project's assessment paperwork. The ordinance passed.

New Business: DuPage Water Commission Interim Financing

• The board approved a not-to-exceed $26,248,000 general obligation promissory note to provide interim financing for the village's Lake Michigan connection through the DuPage Water Commission while the federal WIFIA loan closing remains delayed.
• Staff noted the anticipated upcoming DuPage payment may be lower than $26 million because bids came in lower, and the alternative if WIFIA is not completed would be general obligation bonds. Interest rates discussed were about 4.8 percent for general obligation bonds and about 5 percent for WIFIA, with the line of credit at a lower rate. The ordinance passed.

Trustee and President Reports

• Trustees welcomed HomeGoods, praised public works staff, noted community events, congratulated Dan Yonan on a 2025 outreach award, and remembered Anderson Finn Kelly, a young Oswego resident who recently passed away. Trustee Novi said she supports the new Public Works building but voted no on the walkway amendment to keep the project under budget.
• President Kaufman reported speaking to Boy Scouts Troop 48, participating in a weekend color run, and reminded residents about Wine on the Fox on the weekend of May 2.

Key Outcomes

• Appointed Michael Moody to the Historic Preservation Commission through April 30, 2028.
• Approved proclamations, the consent agenda, and the April 21 bill list.
• Authorized the Public Works Expansion Project GMP at $24,395,180 plus up to $100,000 for the walkway, 4-1.
• Approved the HomeGoods major PUD amendment.
• Denied the self-storage special use permit.
• Approved the Illinois Finance Authority PACE program ordinance.
• Authorized a not-to-exceed $26,248,000 general obligation promissory note for DuPage Water Commission interim financing.
• The agenda included closed session items; the public transcript shows no closed-session action before adjournment.