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OPENPUBLICA · PUBLIC MEETING RECORD

Record of Proceedings

Regular Village Board Meeting - August 18, 2026

Village Board & Commissions — Tuesday, August 18, 2026

BodyOswego, Illinois

SessionVillage Board & Commissions

DateTuesday, August 18, 2026

StatusFILED

Video Record

0:00 / 1:38:23

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0:00

We're going to call our regular village board meeting to order, and this evening we have Jack Wolf, our new village intern who's going to be leading us in tonight's Pledge of Allegiance.

0:10

So if you'd all please rise and join Jack.

0:25

The United States of America.

0:28

To the Republic, for which it stands.

0:30

One nation, one of God, indivisible, with liberty, and justice for all.

0:41

Thank you, Jack.

0:43

And welcome.

0:46

Roll call, please.

0:49

President Kaufman.

0:50

Here.

0:51

Trustee Cooper.

0:52

Here.

0:52

Trustee Koenig.

0:54

Here.

0:54

Trustee McCarthy Lang.

0:56

Here.

0:56

Trustee Millvie.

0:58

Here.

0:58

Trustee Torres.

1:00

Here.

1:00

Trustee Hughes absent.

1:03

All right.

1:03

First up, we have our business of the month recognition this month.

1:07

It's Old National Bank.

1:09

If I could ask Lynn Flores and representatives of the Economic Development Commission, as long as along with, excuse me, Kevin Lighty to come to the front, please.

1:22

Of course.

1:23

Absolutely.

2:13

Each month, the economic development commissioners nominate and vote on a business to feature which has demonstrated significant involvement in the Oswego community.

2:24

This month features Old National Bank, which is represented here tonight by banking center manager Lynn Flores.

2:31

Located at the corner of Route Thirty-four and Douglas Road, Old National Bank combines the comprehensive consumer, commercial, and wealth management capabilities of a premier financial institution with the personal touch and community-focused approach of a local neighborhood bank.

3:26

Old National's commitment to the Oswego community is reflected in their extensive partnerships, sponsorship, excuse me, support for major local events and organizations, including Prairie Fest, the Oswego Hometown Expo, Inspiring Women of Oswego, Casa Kendall County, the Oswego Junior Women's Club, and the Oswego Senior and Community Center.

3:49

Additionally, their team consistently champions regional hunger relief initiatives through support of the Aurora Interfaith Food Pantry.

3:59

So I ask you to please join me once again in congratulating Old National Bank for being the August 2026 Business of the Month and thanking them for all the contributions they have made to our community.

4:34

And we enjoy partnering with all those groups that you read off.

4:39

And my staff is always volunteering as well as me for all the organizations too.

4:46

So it's what we do at Old National Bank.

4:48

Thank you.

6:21

All righty.

6:22

Up next, we have a proclamation for National Ovarian Cancer Awareness Month.

6:30

Ovarian cancer is the fifth leading cause of cancer deaths of women in the United States.

6:36

The five-year survival rate for ovarian cancer is fifty percent.

6:41

And survival rates vary greatly depending on the stage of the diagnosis.

6:46

There is not currently an effective diagnostic tool for screening, and early detection does not exist.

7:01

Ongoing investments in ovarian cancer research and education and awareness efforts are critical to closing these gaps and improving survivorship for women with ovarian cancer.

7:13

So I now proclaim September 2026 to be National Ovarian Cancer Awareness Month.

7:25

Up next, we will open the public forum.

7:28

If there's anyone wishing to speak to the board, please feel free to come forward now.

7:32

I do have one green slip.

7:34

Mr.

7:34

Ryan Zabrowski, please feel free to come forward.

7:38

And welcome.

7:48

Good evening, Mr.

7:49

President, esteemed trustees, Mr.

7:52

Manager.

7:53

My name is Ryan Zwarkowski, and I was here back in March to talk about the Parksmith Run property.

8:10

And if anyone cares to, you might want to open up maybe just the concept plan attachment that's on there because that's really just what I'm talking about here.

8:44

A lot of traffic.

8:59

Cars use Route 34 to get to and from Grand Reserve to uh Route Route 34.

9:04

They use Anna Maria.

9:05

That's a 19-foot wide road.

Discussion Breakdown — Share of Meeting

Land Use Planning████████████████████████████28%

Engineering And Infrastructure█████████████████████21%

Procedural███████████11%

Community Engagement█████████9%

Affordable Housing████████8%

Public Safety██████6%

Economic Development████4%

Transportation Safety████4%

Parks and Recreation████4%

Summary of Proceedings

Regular Village Board Meeting - August 18, 2026

The Village of Oswego held its regular board meeting on August 18, 2026, at 7:00 PM. The meeting included recognitions, a proclamation, public comment, approval of a consent agenda and bill list, and discussion of three new business items. Trustees present: President Kaufman, Trustees Cooper, Koenig, McCarthy Lang, Millvie, Torres. Trustee Hughes absent.

Recognitions & Proclamations

Business of the Month: Old National Bank recognized for community involvement, including support for Prairie Fest, the Oswego Hometown Expo, and local food pantries.
Proclamation: September 2026 declared National Ovarian Cancer Awareness Month.

Public Comments & Testimony

Ryan Zabrowski (resident of Linwood) spoke about the Parksmith Run property and the proposed roadway connection from Lewis Street to Orchard Road. He expressed strong opposition to a roadway connection, citing safety concerns due to narrow roads (Anna Maria Lane at 19 feet, Rickard at 21 feet) and lack of sidewalks. He noted that residents currently take risks walking or biking. He supported a pedestrian path instead of a roadway. He acknowledged the concept plan shown for the PMC property was an older version and asked the board not to approve a roadway connection.

Consent Calendar

The consent agenda (Items G1–G15) was approved unanimously by roll call. Items included:

Approval of August 3, 2026, meeting minutes
Ordinance amending Title 3, Chapter 7 to increase Class B-1 liquor license for Trader Joe's East Inc. at 1930 US Highway 34
Resolution approving an intergovernmental agreement with Community Unit School District 308 for reciprocal reporting
Resolution approving an intergovernmental agreement to provide School Resource Officer services to Oswego High School and Oswego East High School (2026-2028)
Resolution authorizing Task Order No. 4 with HR Green, Inc. for Phase II engineering services amendment for Harrison Streetscape Improvement Project ($97,762.67)
Ordinance granting variances for an accessory dwelling unit at 124 Chicago Road
Ordinance amending Subdivision and Development Control Regulations (sections 6.00, 8.30, 8.50, 8.60, 11.00, 21.00, and construction details)
Resolution authorizing an estimate work agreement with ComEd for utility relocation at Wolfs Crossing Road and Douglas Road (approx. $500,000)
Resolution authorizing an agreement with Sikich CPA LLC for audit services (not to exceed $46,100)
Ordinance amending Ordinance 26-17 to authorize disposal of surplus property (2016 Ford Explorer, light towers, sign board)
Ordinance updating Title 4 to adopt 2026 NFPA 855 standard for stationary energy storage systems
Ordinance amending Appendix A – Plumbing Code inspection fees
Ordinance amending Appendix B – Unified Development Ordinance (sections 4-13)

Bill List

Approved bill list dated August 18, 2026, in the amount of $2,604,338.22, by unanimous roll call.

Discussion Items

J1 – Harrison Streetscape Improvement Project Construction Contract

Assistant Village Engineer Andre Youngerman presented the project: a downtown enhancement including roadway reconstruction, pedestrian improvements, and community identifiers. The project is in the TIF district, funded via capital funds. Three bids received; staff recommended awarding the construction contract to H. Linden & Sons Sewer and Water, Inc. for $3,177,763.12.
Cost reduction alternatives were discussed: removing the village paver logo ($65,967.70), replacing brick pavers with topsoil ($54,593), removing restaurant tables/chairs ($131,000), and removing bistro lighting ($32,000).
Board discussion focused on whether to include restaurant tables and chairs. Some trustees favored holding off until restaurants are established to avoid potential mismatch. Others preferred installing them to attract restaurants and provide immediate seating for food trucks. A consensus emerged to approve the project as presented, with flexibility for staff to adjust the table/chair order later based on restaurant interest.
Motion to approve the resolution passed unanimously.

J2 – Harrison Streetscape Phase III Construction Engineering Services

Resolution authorizing Task Order No. 3 with HR Green, Inc. for construction observation and engineering services in the amount of $314,798. Approved unanimously after brief discussion.

J3 – Concept Plan for Route 34 PMC Property

Kerry Hanson from Shoppee Design Associates presented on behalf of PMC Investments LLC for a 13.73-acre site north of Route 34, west of Orchard Way. Proposal: 187 multifamily units (two- and three-story buildings), clubhouse, pool, 359 parking spaces (ratio 1.9 per unit), and detention ponds. Planning and Zoning Commission recommended approval 8-1 with conditions to reduce density and increase parking.
Board discussion: Trustees expressed concerns about density (13.6 units/acre). Multiple trustees suggested lowering density to around 11 units/acre (approximately 150 units) to improve layout, add green space, and provide buffers. The applicant indicated 144 units might be the economic minimum. Trustees also requested more two-story buildings, better pedestrian connectivity, and architectural flourishes to avoid a "barrack-like" appearance. The concept plan was not voted on; the board provided feedback for the applicant to revise and return.

Key Outcomes

Approved unanimously: Consent agenda, bill list, Harrison Streetscape construction contract (J1), and Phase III engineering services (J2).
Concept plan feedback given: For the PMC property, the board encouraged lower density, improved layout with more green space and amenities, and a re-evaluation of building heights and parking distribution. The applicant will revise and present an updated concept plan.
No action taken on Parksmith Run connection: The public commenter’s request regarding a roadway connection to Linwood was noted; the board acknowledged that Parksmith Run’s concept plan is being re-evaluated and no decision was made.

Trustee & President Reports

Trustees reported on community events: National Night Out (well-attended, Black Hawk helicopter), TIPACOP fundraiser at Red Robin, Oswego 250 history video (now on village website), and the Blue Envelope program for drivers with autism. Reminders for back-to-school safety and the upcoming Community Coffee on August 29 at the police department.

Meeting Transcript

We're going to call our regular village board meeting to order, and this evening we have Jack Wolf, our new village intern who's going to be leading us in tonight's Pledge of Allegiance. So if you'd all please rise and join Jack. The United States of America. To the Republic, for which it stands. One nation, one of God, indivisible, with liberty, and justice for all. Thank you, Jack. And welcome. Roll call, please. President Kaufman. Here. Trustee Cooper. Here. Trustee Koenig. Here. Trustee McCarthy Lang. Here. Trustee Millvie. Here. Trustee Torres. Here. Trustee Hughes absent. All right. First up, we have our business of the month recognition this month. It's Old National Bank. If I could ask Lynn Flores and representatives of the Economic Development Commission, as long as along with, excuse me, Kevin Lighty to come to the front, please. Of course. Absolutely. Each month, the economic development commissioners nominate and vote on a business to feature which has demonstrated significant involvement in the Oswego community. This month features Old National Bank, which is represented here tonight by banking center manager Lynn Flores. Located at the corner of Route Thirty-four and Douglas Road, Old National Bank combines the comprehensive consumer, commercial, and wealth management capabilities of a premier financial institution with the personal touch and community-focused approach of a local neighborhood bank. Old National's commitment to the Oswego community is reflected in their extensive partnerships, sponsorship, excuse me, support for major local events and organizations, including Prairie Fest, the Oswego Hometown Expo, Inspiring Women of Oswego, Casa Kendall County, the Oswego Junior Women's Club, and the Oswego Senior and Community Center. Additionally, their team consistently champions regional hunger relief initiatives through support of the Aurora Interfaith Food Pantry. So I ask you to please join me once again in congratulating Old National Bank for being the August 2026 Business of the Month and thanking them for all the contributions they have made to our community. And we enjoy partnering with all those groups that you read off. And my staff is always volunteering as well as me for all the organizations too. So it's what we do at Old National Bank. Thank you. All righty. Up next, we have a proclamation for National Ovarian Cancer Awareness Month. Ovarian cancer is the fifth leading cause of cancer deaths of women in the United States. The five-year survival rate for ovarian cancer is fifty percent. And survival rates vary greatly depending on the stage of the diagnosis. There is not currently an effective diagnostic tool for screening, and early detection does not exist. Ongoing investments in ovarian cancer research and education and awareness efforts are critical to closing these gaps and improving survivorship for women with ovarian cancer. So I now proclaim September 2026 to be National Ovarian Cancer Awareness Month. Up next, we will open the public forum. If there's anyone wishing to speak to the board, please feel free to come forward now. I do have one green slip. Mr. Ryan Zabrowski, please feel free to come forward.

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