Improving the downtown and transitioning to Lake Michigan water are two of the priorities in the village’s new strategic plan for the next four years.

At the Feb. 3 Oswego Village Board meeting, trustees unanimously approved the village’s 2026-2030 strategic plan. The last time the village had updated its strategic plan was in 2022 and it covered the years 2022-2025.

A new water source was also one of the priorities in the village’s 2022-2025 strategic plan. Lake Michigan water is needed because the village’s aquifers are depleting.

Goals to improve the village’s downtown include developing a downtown streetscape plan and making the downtown more accessible and friendlier to foot traffic.

In 2025, the village hired Arndt Municipal Services to help put together the new strategic plan. Arndt Municipal Services reviewed the 2025 community survey data and developed three areas of analysis: areas of excellence, areas of adequacy and areas of growth.

The firm also met with village board trustees and village staff to come up with goals.

“You’re actually taking charge of your next four years,” Arndt Municipal Services President and CEO Jim Arndt said in talking to Oswego village trustees about the need for a strategic plan. “You’re creating goals and action items to accomplish over the next several years.”

Other Village Board priorities in the new strategic plan include increasing community accessibility, completing Wolfs Crossing improvements, developing a comprehensive marketing communication plan, planning for financial stability and creating an infrastructure asset management plan.

“Basically you’re looking at what you want to accomplish in the next four years,” Arndt said.

Work is expected to begin later this year on the construction of a roundabout at Wolfs Crossing and Douglas Road in Oswego as part of a continuing effort to improve safety and ease traffic congestion along the road.

At the Sept. 2 Oswego Village Board meeting, trustees approved a funding agreement for the project, which is estimated to cost about $15 million. The village is receiving $10,583,459 in federal funding for the project.

Completing the Wolfs Crossing improvements was also a goal in the 2022-2025 strategic plan.