The Oswego Village Board recently approved extending agreements with federal and state lobbyists to help secure funds for the ongoing efforts to bring Lake Michigan water to the village through a connection with the DuPage Water Commission and a Metra commuter rail extension to Kendall County.
Oswego has been working with federal lobbying firm Elevate Government Affairs since 2020 in partnership with Yorkville, Montgomery and Kendall County to share the costs associated with its representation.
This year, Elevate was successful with a federal Community Project Funding request for $1 million approved through the office of U.S. Rep. Lauren Underwood, D-Naperville, for the Lake Michigan water project, Oswego Village Administrator Dan Di Santo said in a report to trustees.
“We expect Congress to make a final decision on the grant in January. In addition, Elevate continues to work behind the scenes on our commuter rail project,” Di Santo said.
The village in 2026 expects Elevate to assist on a number of fronts, specifically with another round of Community Project Funding requests and with a Water Infrastructure Finance and Innovation Act loan application for the Lake Michigan water transition project, village officials said.
The village also expects the federal lobbyist to assist with the Illinois Department of Transportation commuter rail study expected to begin next year.
A $12,500 monthly retainer for Elevate in 2026 will be divided four ways among the towns in the partnership.
Oswego has been working with Kasper & Nottage in partnership with Yorkville since 2018 for state lobbying efforts to secure funding for a Metra commuter rail extension into Kendall County.
In 2019, Illinois passed its first capital plan in a decade, which included $100 million in funding to the Regional Transportation Authority for a Kendall County Metra rail extension. Montgomery joined the partnership with Oswego and Yorkville in the same year.
“Since working to secure $100 million for the Metra extension in the state capital bill in 2019, along with several other grants in the bill, Kasper & Nottage continues to help the village by working to release the grant money,” Di Santo said.
“The most notable accomplishments this year included helping facilitate additional grants for Oswego in the state budget and working with IDOT to agree to manage our $4.8 million commuter rail extension grant from Congresswoman Underwood,” Di Santo said.
The village’s state legislative priority for 2026 will be to lobby to secure $20 million in funds for an intersection improvement project at Route 30 and Wolfs Crossing. The firm’s work toward this goal will be “invaluable,” Di Santo said.
The $7,000 per month retainer for Kasper & Nottage in 2026 will be shared three ways by the towns in the partnership, village officials said.
Linda Girardi is a freelance reporter for The Beacon-News.
