Kendall County Times

Village of Oswego Board of Trustees met June 24.

Here are the minutes provided by the board:

CALL TO ORDER AND PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE

President Ryan Kauffman called the meeting to order at 7:17 p.m. Chief Bastin led us in the Pledge of Allegiance to the Flag of the United States of America.

ROLL CALL

Board Members Physically Present: President Ryan Kauffman; Trustees Jac Cooper, Jennifer Hughes, Rachelle Koenig, Karin McCarthy-Lange, Karen Novy, and Andrew Torres.

Staff Physically Present: Dan Di Santo, Village Administrator; Jean Bueche, Asst. Village Administrator; Tina Touchette, Village Clerk; Jason Bastin, Police Chief; Curt Cassidy, Public Works Director; Andrea Lamberg, Finance Director; Rod Zenner, Development Services Director; Joe Renzetti, IT/GIS Director; Kevin Leighty, Economic Development Director; Phil Tartaglia, PW Deputy Director/Engineer; Maddie Upham, Asst. to the Village Administrator; Lisset Padilla, Communications Manager; and Jim Murphy, Village Attorney.

RECOGNITIONS/APPOINTMENTS

D.1 Oath of Office

a) Trevor S. Hauck- Patrol Officer

President Kauffman asked Chief Bastin and Trevor to come to the front. Chief noted Police Commission Chairperson, Carrie Niesman and member, Bill Burnette were present. Chief noted the family members of Trevor, who were present and briefly spoke about his background. He will be badge# 95. President Kauffman swore him in. Trevor shook the hands of those at the dais. Pictures were taken.

b) Nicole A. Quiroga- Patrol Officer

President Kauffman asked Nicole to come to the front. Chief noted the family members and friends of Nicole, who were present and briefly spoke about her background. She will be badge# 96. President Kauffman swore her in. Nicole shook the hands of those at the dais. Pictures were taken.

D.2 Recognition for Village Hall Art Exhibit June - August 2025: Jenna Butler

President Kauffman asked Jenna to come to the front and read the recognition write-up. President Kauffman presented her with a certificate of recognition. Pictures were taken.

D.3 Business of the Month Recognition - Prairie Pals

President Kauffman asked representatives of Prairie Pals, EDC members, and Kevin Leighty to come to the front. President Kauffman read the recognition write-up and presented them with a certificate of recognition. A Prairie Pals representative stated they were honored to get this recognition; they have an amazing staff and volunteer board; he thanked the Village. Pictures were taken.

PUBLIC FORUM

Public Forum was opened at 7:37 p.m. There was no one who requested to speak. The public forum was closed at 7:37 p.m.

STAFF REPORTS

There were no staff reports.

CONSENT AGENDA

President Kauffman read the items under consent.

G.1 June 10, 2025 Committee of the Whole Minutes

G.2 June 10, 2025 Regular Village Board Minutes

G.3 Resolution Authorizing the Release of Certain Closed Session Minutes

G.4 Ordinance Amending Title 1 Chapter 19, Title 3 Chapter 2, Title 3 Chapter 7, Title 3 Chapter 19, Title 3 Chapter 31, Title 3 Chapter 35, and Appendix A of Oswego Municipal Code.

G.5 Resolution Authorizing Reduction in Project Surety Bond #OHHNSU0836986 to $265,111.58 for Earthwork for Piper Glen Subdivision.

G.6 Ordinance Amending Appendix A of the Village Code of Ordinances; Water Tap On Fees.

G.7 Ordinance Amending Section 6.09 Submittal Requirements for Final Site Plan or Final Plat Review and Construction Details OSW-R-1 of the Subdivision and Development Control Regulations.

G.8 Resolution Executing a Contract with Schroeder Asphalt Services, Inc. to Perform Construction Services for the Main Street ADA Ramp and Harrison Street Parking Lot Improvement Project in the Amount of $283,950.25.

G.9 Resolution Authorizing the Execution of a Task Order No. 25-2 with Strand Associates Inc. for the Booster Station Generator Project in the amount of $63,000.00.

G.10 Ordinance Amending Title 10 Zoning Regulations Chapter 1 Zoning Section 10-1-1 Amending Section 2, 3, 4, 5, 8, 9, 10, and 13 of the Unified Development Ordinance.

A motion was made by Trustee McCarthy-Lange and seconded by Trustee Koenig to approve the Consent Agenda as read by President Kauffman.

Aye: Jac Cooper    Jennifer Hughes

Rachelle Koenig    Karin McCarthy-Lange

Karen Novy            Andrew Torres

Nay: None

The motion was declared carried by an omnibus roll call vote with six (6) aye votes and zero (0) nay votes.

BILL LIST

H.1 Approve Bill List Dated June 24, 2025, in the Amount of $1,024,197.83.

A motion was made by Trustee Hughes and seconded by Trustee McCarthy-Lange to approve the Bill List Dated June 24, 2025, in the Amount of $1,024,197.83.

Aye: Jac Cooper    Jennifer Hughes

Rachelle Koenig    Karin McCarthy-Lange

Karen Novy            Andrew Torres

Nay: None

The motion was declared carried by a roll call vote with six (6) aye votes and zero (0) nay votes.

OLD BUSINESS

There was no old business.

NEW BUSINESS

J.1 Consider a Concept Plan for Harrison Street Square

Director Zenner addressed the Board regarding a concept plan for Harrison Street Square. The petitioner is requesting consideration of a concept plan for a downtown commercial development at 174 S. Harrison St., including commercial re-use of an existing industrial building and development of an adjacent vacant property to consist of a recreational area, food trucks with a pavilion, and small retail shop spaces. The 2-acre property is improved with an existing industrial building and also contains vacant, undeveloped areas. The request is consistent with the Comprehensive Plan. The subject property consists of three parcels:

1) The southern parcel is improved with an existing commercial building. The applicant intends to renovate the building into a multi-tenant structure for commercial use.

2) The central parcel is currently vacant. The concept plan depicts a large open space reserved for recreation. On the north side of the recreational area would be three concrete pads for food trucks and a pavilion for outdoor seating. On the eastern side of the recreational area, along the railroad tracks, would be 8 small structures reserved for individual commercial tenants. Each of the shops would be approximately 120 sq ft.

3) The northernmost parcel is also vacant. The applicant has not provided any plans for the area at this time, but reserves it for future expansion of this proposed use.

Street Improvements & Parking

Currently there are several informal, unstriped parking spaces on the subject property immediately in front of the existing structure. The concept plan shows the existing parking eliminated and replaced with green space and entrances to the structure. Staff is supportive of eliminating these spaces as there are no minimum parking requirements in the D-1 Downtown District.

The Comprehensive Plan includes plans to improve the Harrison Street streetscape to provide sidewalks, street lighting, and on-street public parking. Under the current Capital Improvement Plan, staff anticipates these improvements would be made within the next 5 years. However, in order to support this development and encourage more commercial development along the corridor, staff is currently exploring accelerating this timeline to better coincide with the improvements at 174 Harrison Street. If the Village Board is supportive of this concept plan and of moving up planned improvements to Harrison Street, staff will provide a formal budget amendment at a future Village Board meeting. Village plans also include an eventual connection from Harrison Street to Benton Street; depending on cost and land acquisition, this may be constructed with the Harrison Street streetscape or may be postponed to a later date.

The Planning and Zoning Commission reviewed the request on June 5, 2025. After some discussion clarifying the use and regarding timing of street improvements & utility connections, a motion was made to recommend approval of the concept plan (6-0).

Next Steps

Upon approval of the proposed concept plan, the following would be required:

∙ Preliminary Planned Unit Development and Plat

∙ Final Planned Unit Development and Plat

Civil Engineer, Jeff Miller, and petitioner, Mike Cardamone, were present to answer questions.

Board and staff discussion included: love the concept; need to move up the Harrison St. streetscape plan; need to talk about the property on the other side of the street; Fox Metro and the Park District own the other side of the street; will need to have conversations with both of them; in support of and excited about the project; weigh-in on the project as it progresses; timeline; can’t move fast enough; need to get through the PUD process; would like to get the construction started this year; some tenants this year, but most tenants will be next year; what the one-story office building will be used for; 10,000 sq. ft. building for restaurant, outdoor area, bakery, small office or retail; dog run with bar will be on the south part of the property; would like an Italian restaurant; whether the site will be fenced off; free flowing environment with outdoor music; railroad themed; center of the site would bring the community together; cleaning up the vegetation along the railroad tracks and screen off the area with a 2-3 foot wall; dogs that are not in the dog run will be required to be leashed; up to the shops if they want to be open all year round; variety of seasonal and anchor shops; will look similar to what Batavia has now; seasonal like what Oak Brook has; combined themed; bring more organic brand stores down the road; like that it is being looked at as a district and getting an experience; will continue the look of the fencing and brick columns that Hudson Crossing park has; will cost around $1.4 million; so much to do. There was no further discussion.

A motion was made by Trustee McCarthy-Lange and seconded by Trustee Torres to approve a Concept Plan for Harrison Street Square.

Aye: Jac Cooper    Jennifer Hughes

Rachelle Koenig    Karin McCarthy-Lange

Karen Novy            Andrew Torres

Nay: None

The motion was declared carried by a roll call vote with six (6) aye votes and zero (0) nay votes.

J.2 Ordinance Granting a Special Use Permit for an Outdoor Recreation Use for a Dog Park Located at 174 S. Harrison Street.

Director Zenner addressed the Board regarding a special use permit for a dog park at 174 S. Harrison Street. The petitioner is requesting approval for an Outdoor Recreation use, which will allow them to provide a dog park on the southwest side of the building at 174 S. Harrison Street. Outdoor recreation uses are permitted only with a special use. The approximately 0.76-acre property is located on the east side of Harrison Street, approximately 500 feet south of Route 34/Washington Street. The property owner plans to transition the building to commercial use with the intent of opening a business where patrons can bring their dogs, which will include an indoor bar area and an outdoor fenced-in dog area. An overhead door would connect the indoor and outdoor spaces. The indoor Bar/Tavern use is permitted in the downtown, but Outdoor Recreation requires a Special Use in the D-1 Downtown District. The area will be fully fenced with a minimum height of 6 ft. open-style fence, such as aluminum. It would be limited to a maximum size of 2,700 sq. ft. The applicant intends to use astroturf, or a combination of astroturf and grass, and has provided a maintenance schedule which will be included as part of the Special Use ordinance. Dogs will not be in the area without their owners present at the business. There are several complications with this site, including its proximity to the floodplain and that it is currently on a septic system. As the engineering for the outdoor space is finalized, it may be necessary to shift the area further east toward the railroad tracks or change the exact shape and layout.

Planning and Zoning Commission Review

The Planning and Zoning Commission held a public hearing on June 5, 2025. No members of the public spoke during the hearing. After clarifying the details of the business operation and layout of the space, commissioners voted to recommend approval of the Special Use Permit (6-0).

There was no discussion.

A motion was made by Trustee Hughes and seconded by Trustee Novy to approve an Ordinance Granting a Special Use Permit for an Outdoor Recreation Use for a Dog Park Located at 174 S. Harrison Street.

Aye: Jac Cooper    Jennifer Hughes

Rachelle Koenig    Karin McCarthy-Lange

Karen Novy            Andrew Torres

Nay: None

The motion was declared carried by a roll call vote with six (6) aye votes and zero (0) nay votes.

TRUSTEE REPORTS

Trustee McCarthy-Lange- looking forward to Barkville Buddies; congratulations to the new officers, Jenna Butler, and Prairie Pals; PrairieFest was so much fun; wish it didn’t rain on Friday; staff had us prepared.

Trustee Torres- welcome to the new officers; PrairieFest was fun; great discussion tonight; be safe and celebrate with family on the 4th of July.

Trustee Koenig- congratulations to the new officers, Jenna Butler, and Prairie Pals; fun time at PrairieFest; spinning wheel was a hit; should be a good time on Saturday at the Venue 1012 concert; be safe on the 4th of July; excited what we are talking about as a Board and the businesses coming in.

Trustee Hughes- welcome to the new officers; kudos to the police department; welcome to the new Building & Permits assistant, Rosa; thank you to Jenna Butler; police department safety cadets are hosting a food event tomorrow night; good to see Harrison Street get activated; reclaiming the waterfront; will be attending the MetroWest barbeque; thank you to Curt Cassidy and Phil Tartaglia for getting the right-of-way on Wolfs Crossing.

Trustee Novy- congratulations to the new officers; PrairieFest was fun; love the mugs; excited about Harrison Street; let’s get an Italian restaurant.

Trustee Cooper- congratulations and welcome to the new officers; shoutout to the Park District and Library for the programming they offer; this is week five with my kids; shoutout to Oswego; will be attending the run, walk, ruck event on Sunday; a friend just had a baby this morning.

PRESIDENT’S REPORT

Thank you to the Park District for PrairieFest; it was a huge success; highlight of the weekend was being on stage with the OHS girls softball team after they got back from winning State; congratulations to them; Park District has amazing programming for kids; congratulations to the new officers; police department is close to being fully staffed; have a safe 4th of July; rain date for the fireworks is July 5th; welcome to Taco Dále and Crumble Cookie.

CLOSED SESSION

A motion was made by Trustee Cooper and seconded by Trustee Hughes to enter Closed Session for the purposes of discussing the following:

∙ Pending and Probable Litigation

∙ Appointment, Employment, Compensation, Discipline, Performance, or Dismissal of Personnel

∙ Collective Bargaining, Collective Negotiating Matters, Deliberations Concerning Salary Schedules

∙ Sale, Lease, and/or Acquisition of Property

Aye: Jac Cooper    Jennifer Hughes

Rachelle Koenig    Karin McCarthy-Lange

Karen Novy            Andrew Torres

Nay: None

The motion was declared carried by a roll call vote with six (6) aye votes and zero (0) nay votes.

The Board adjourned to Closed Session at 8:13 p.m.

The Board returned to open session at 8:41 p.m. A roll call vote was taken. All Board members were physically present for the roll call.

ADJOURNMENT

A motion was made by Trustee Torres and seconded by Trustee McCarthy-Lange to adjourn the meeting.

Aye: Jac Cooper    Jennifer Hughes

Rachelle Koenig    Karin McCarthy-Lange

Karen Novy            Andrew Torres

Nay: None

The motion was declared carried by a roll call vote with six (6) aye votes and zero (0) nay votes. The meeting was adjourned at 8:42 p.m.

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