Will County Gazette

At its March 27 meeting, the Village of University Park Board of Trustees voted to hire a lobbyist to help it out of what it sees as a tough situation. 

The board approved an agreement with Bass Group, Inc. for lobbying services to the village. The village wants the lobbysist's help to get it out from under an industry giant who controls much of the city’s water.

"The whole goal is to get away from Aqua [Illinois] Water. Aqua Water owns our sewer system, our transfer station, our pumping station, and everything else they own," Mayor Joseph Roudez said. "In other words they have a monopoly on a small minority community, and it's time for us to break that. And this is probably the best time ever that we are going to get away from Aqua Water. And that’s why we need a person in Springfield that’s there, that’s active every single day, Monday through Thursday, to advocate to get us out of this awful situation."

Frank Bass has worked as a lobbyist for over 20 years, first working for Cook County under John Stoger until he left in 2010 to start his own lobbying firm.  

Bass attended the meeting via Zoom because he was attending House meetings in Springfield.

Council asked him how he would be able to help the village, and help it fund ongoing projects like its pipe replacement project. 

Bass explained how the situation with Aqua Water was similar to some other cases he had worked with, and how his lengthy experience helps him make connections quickly.

The contract for lobbying services would cost the village a total of $18,000, paid out in $1,500 monthly payments. Bass will be helping the village lobby for its current projects and needs, connect it with representatives who will aid its causes, provide continual updates of changes and developments in Springfield, and help the village align its fiscal year 2024 budget with state funding opportunities and strategies.