Oswego Mayor Declares State Of Emergency For Village

OSWEGO, IL — Mayor Troy Parlier officially declared a State of Emergency in Oswego on Monday night; a move meant to free up additional resources for the village from the state and federal government in case of a crisis. The declaration came only hours after the first case of COVID-19 was confirmed in Will County on Monday. The declared emergency will last until the next village board meeting on April 7, per a unanimous vote by members of the Oswego village board.

"That State of Emergency comes after a few steps have already been taken," Village Administrator Dan DiSanto said. "One, the [U.S.] president declared a national State of Emergency, two, the governor declared a State of Emergency in the state of Illinois, and then this morning... Kendall County Chairman Scott Gryder issued a [State of] Emergency in Kendall County."

It is not necessary for the state or federal government to declare emergencies before local municipalities can do so, and often it works in reverse: the state will declare an emergency only a number of towns have already done so. Either way, village officials made clear that so long as Illinois had also declared a state of emergency, FEMA funds could potentially be made available to the village to assist in providing whatever special aid residents may need.

The declaration was only one of several steps the village board took to attempt and address the coronavirus crisis in the village; other measures included the following:

• Public work crews will prioritize the maintenance of essential services, like water and electricity lines. Minor issues such as potholes, broken street lights and the like can still be reported, but will be of secondary concern.
• All non-essential interior building inspections will be suspended for residences. Commercial and exterior inspections will continue.
• Water shutoffs will be suspended through April 15. All late fees incurred on water bills incurred between March 16 and April 15 will be waived.
• Business registrations, as well as liquor and tobacco licenses, will be extended without late fees until June 1. These extensions apply only to Oswego regulations, not those levied by the state.
• The village's Economic Development Department is working to coordinate information and resources for businesses that may be impacted by COVID-19.
• Starting March 16, local ordinances dictating noise restrictions and delivery hours near business and logistics centers will not be enforced for 30 days. This is to allow for the delivery and distribution of any emergency resources.
• All village events and meetings - including the Coffee with the Mayor event previously scheduled for March 28 - are cancelled through April. The only exceptions are village board meetings and planning & zoning commission meetings. The Administrative Adjudication scheduled for March 25 is postponed until April 23.

These measures were taken, village officials said, with the expectation that the coronavirus would eventually find its way to Oswego. While no cases of the virus have yet been confirmed in the village or in Kendall County, DiSanto suggested it may just be a matter of time.

"We're fortunate that there are no cases reported as of today in Oswego or Kendall County, it's probably a smart bet that there are, and just haven't been tested or symptoms haven't been discovered yet... the slower we can make [spread of the virus] happen, the better for everybody," DiSanto said.

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