McHenry Times

City of Woodstock City Council met July 19.

Here are the minutes provided by the council:

A regular meeting of the Woodstock City Council was called to order at 7:00 PM in the Council Chambers at Woodstock City Hall by Mayor Turner. He explained the Consent Calendar process, invited public participation, and noted, as is the City’s policy, this meeting is being live streamed with a recording archived should members of the public wish to view it in the future.

A roll call was taken.

COUNCIL MEMBERS PRESENT: Darrin Flynn, Lisa Lohmeyer, Tom Nierman, Wendy Piersall Bob Seegers, Jr., Gordon Tebo and Mayor Michael Turner.

Council Members Absent: None.

STAFF PRESENT: City Manager Roscoe Stelford, City Attorney Ruth Schlossberg, Deputy City Manager/Executive Director of Strategy & Planning Paul Christensen, Executive Director of Business Development Danielle Gulli, Executive Director of Operations Christina Betz, Economic Development Director Garrett Anderson, Building and Zoning Director Joe Napolitano, City Planner Darrell Moore, Business & Community Development Manager Krista Coltrin, Grants Manager Terry Willcockson, Marketing Manager Heather Arnold, Marketing Assistant Jonathon Napiorkowski, and City Clerk Cindy Smiley. Recreation Director Dave Zinnen entered the Council Chambers at 7:44 PM.

City Clerk Smiley confirmed the agenda is a true and correct copy of the published agenda.

III. FLOOR DISCUSSION

A. Proclamations

1. Woodstock Farmers Market 40th Anniversary

Mayor Turner stated this proclamation honors and recognizes the Woodstock Farmers Market on its 40th anniversary. He was joined at the podium by Keith Johnson.

Without objection, the City Council accepted and approved the Proclamation Honoring the Woodstock Farmers Market’s 40th Anniversary. Mayor Turner read the proclamation for all to hear, which was met with hearty applause. He stated the Farmer’s Market is a true gem and extended his thanks.

Mr. Johnson wished to recognize his wife Nancy whose support allowed him to do everything that was needed for the Market. He also thanked the City for all their help over the years, noting he had worked with three Mayors, two City Managers, and many Public Works and Opera House employees. Noting he also worked with many Chamber Directors over the years, he stated it was all about working together.

Mr. Johnson expressed appreciation to City Staff, including Mr. Stelford who was always supportive and available to him to discuss the Market’s needs, and Ms. Smiley and Ms. Coltrin who served as City Liaisons on the Market Board over the years, noting the importance of this.

Mr. Johnson introduced Kelly Kempf, who will assume the role of Market Manager upon his retirement.

2. Retirement of Market Manager Keith Johnson

Mayor Turner stated this proclamation honors Mr. Johnson upon his retirement as Market Manager and recognizes his contributions to the Market and to the City.

Without objection, the City Council accepted and approved the Proclamation Honoring Keith Johnson which was met with hearty applause. Mayor Turner stated the words in the Proclamation attempt to capture Mr. Johnson’s significant contributions to Woodstock.

Mr. Johnson talked about how he came to Woodstock and got involved with the Farmers Market. He again thanked the City Council and City Staff for all they did over the years.

Mayor Turner again thanked Mr. Johnson and stated it is not often the City gets to thank an icon in Woodstock. Mr. Johnson again was recognized with hearty applause.

B. Presentation – Friends of the Old Courthouse

Representatives of the Board of the Friends of the Old Courthouse, Carol Nurse, Jose Rey, and Darrell Moore, came forth. Ms. Nurse talked about the various fundraisers held by the Friends for the benefit of the Old Courthouse, presenting the City with a check for $5,000 to be earmarked for the carving on the lintel. She thanked Mr. Moore and Mr. Christensen for their assistance on the various fundraisers. Ms. Nurse stated with the progress in the restoration of the Old Courthouse, the Friends has changed its mission to education, advocacy and raising awareness of the significance of the buildings.

Mayor Turner recognized the work of the Friends and its Board, and of City Staff in fundraising for the Old Courthouse, noting the impact it has had on Woodstock. He opined the mission change to raising awareness is a positive step, stating he looks forward to the group doing tours of the facility.

C. Public Comments

There were no comments forthcoming from the Public.

D. Council Comments

Noting the Square was packed throughout the past Saturday morning for the Farmers Market, Councilman Tebo commended City Staff for making sure there were ways to get there.

Citing the many events held over the past three weeks, including the Mural dedication, Gavers Barndance, Farmers Markets, Woodstock Children’s Theater, Folk Fest, and City Band Concerts, Councilman Tebo expressed his belief there is no other city of Woodstock’s size that has this many events. He opined this is in large part due to Mr. Johnson.

As a Gavers Board member, Councilman Nierman thanked the public and the City’s Public Works Department and Police Department for their part in another successful Barndance. Noting City Staff answered their every request, he expressed appreciation for everyone’s help.

Mayor Turner expressed appreciation for both Staff’s and volunteers’ efforts on the Barndance, stating it is a true community event. He also thanked the Committee and City Staff for their work on the 4th of July Fireworks event and thanked the community for coming out.

Mayor Turner recognized the visit from the dignitaries from the City’s proposed new Sister City Jerez, Zacatecas, Mexico, stating it was a fantastic opportunity to connect. He thanked all who participated, including Mayor Emeritus Brian Sager, stating he continues to work on some substantive things on potential tourism and education connections.

Mayor Turner stated on Friday, the City closed on the Old Courthouse, stating it is a milestone in the project, converting the Historic Tax Credits into $4.7 million in cash to be used in the restoration of the buildings. He thanked all City Councils, past and present, and all Staff, past and present, who helped get the project to this point.

Ms. Schlossberg stated in the many years she has worked for the City of Woodstock, this is one of the hugest tasks undertaken. Noting the various outside accountants and attorneys involved in this project have worked on many of these projects, she stated they commended the City’s team and stated they enjoyed working with the City’s team and that they wish to visit Woodstock.

CONSENT AGENDA

Motion by D. Flynn, second by G. Tebo, to approve the Consent Agenda.

In response to a question from Mayor Turner, there were no items removed from the Consent Agenda at the request of Council or the Public:

In response to a question from Mayor Turner, the following questions or comments were forthcoming from the Council or the Public regarding items remaining on the Consent Agenda.

Items D-2 and D-3

Councilman Tebo noted there are now three developers looking at the Die Cast site.

Item D-7 – Contract Award – 2022 Sidewalk Replacement Program

Citing the results from the recent Community Survey, Councilman Flynn opined the City should be dedicating more than $40,000 for sidewalk replacement.

Councilman Nierman urged the City to look into mud jacking to get additional sidewalks repaired.

In response to Councilman Nierman’s suggestion to use a local bidder if possible, Mayor Turner noted the City must abide by strict rules set by the State regarding award of bids and stated the City can be open to understanding the options, but must commit to following the rules. Ms. Schlossberg agreed the City must be very careful.

Item D-4 – Contract Award – Emricson Park – Dream Field Fence Replacement

In response to a question from Councilman Seegers, Ms. Betz stated this item is separate from the field improvements that are part of the T-Mobile project.

Item D-6 – Contract Award – Woodstock Opera House – Window Restoration Project

In response to a question from Councilman Seegers, Ms. Betz stated these windows will have a lengthy lifespan, noting she will get back to him with more specific information.

In response to Councilman Seegers’ suggestion the City identify the value of its various properties, Mayor Turner asked Mr. Stelford to look into this.

Item D-8 – Contract Award – 2022 Skip Patching Program

Councilman Seegers opined the City should not keep patching, as this lets water into the road. In response to his questions, Ms. Betz stated the amount being awarded is about the same as in past years, noting the five years in the packet is a baseline to determine the areas where skip patching will be done. She stated she will get back to him with information concerning whether the contract includes specifications regarding the elevation allowed.

There were no comments or questions forthcoming from the Public.

Mayor Turner affirmed the Consent Agenda to include items A through D-11 as follows:

A. APPROVAL OF CITY COUNCIL MINUTES

June 21, 2022 City Council Minutes

B. WARRANTS: 4010 4011

C. MINUTES AND REPORTS

Police Department Monthly Report May 2022

D. MANAGER'S REPORT NO. 207:

1. Ordinance –Rezoning – 10806 US Route 14 – Food Shed Co-op Request

Approval of Ordinance 22-O-38, identified as Document 1, An Ordinance Rezoning the Property at the Northwest Corner of US 14 and Lake Shore Drive, Identified as Parcel 2 of 10806 US 14, to the B3 Service and Retail District.

2. Resolution – Hoffman Planning, Design & Construction TIF Inducement

Approval of Resolution 22-R-18, identified as Document 2, A Resolution of the City of Woodstock, McHenry County, Illinois, to Induce the Redevelopment of Certain Property Within the Woodstock TIF #2 – Downtown & Route 47 Redevelopment Project Area.

3. Resolution – WellQuest Living TIF Inducement

Approval of Resolution 22-R-19, identified as Document 3, A Resolution of the City of Woodstock, McHenry County, Illinois, to Induce the Redevelopment of Certain Property Within the Woodstock TIF #2 – Downtown & Route 47 Redevelopment Project Area.

4. Contract Award – Emricson Park – Dream Field Fence Replacement

Approval to award a contract for fence replacement services to the lowest responsible bidder, Classic Fence, Inc. Montgomery, Illinois, in the amount not to exceed $51,921.

5. Contract Award – Woodstock Opera House – Structural Assessment

Approval to award a professional services agreement to the HOH Group, Inc., Schaumburg, IL, to complete the Woodstock Opera House Structural Assessment in an amount to exceed $20,400.

6. Contract Award – Woodstock Opera House – Window Restoration Project

Approval to award a contract for window restoration services to the lowest responsible bidder, Thoughtful Craftsmen, Milwaukee, Wisconsin, in accordance with the Unit prices as submitted and in an amount not to exceed $315,550.

7. Contract Award – 2022 Sidewalk Replacement Program

Approval to award a contract for the 2022 Sidewalk Replacement Program to the lowest responsible bidder, Globe Construction, Inc., Addison, Illinois, in accordance with the unit prices as submitted and for an amount not to exceed $40,000.

8. Contract Award – 2022 Skip Patching Program

Approval to award a contract for the 2022 Skip Patching Program to the lowest responsible bidder, Schroder Asphalt Services, Inc., Huntley, Illinois, in accordance with the unit prices as submitted for an amount not to exceed $51,000.

9. Contract Award – Union Pacific (UP) Railroad Water Main Replacement

Approval to award a contract for the UP Water Main Replacement Project to the lowest responsible bidder, Copenhaver Construction, Inc., Gilberts, Illinois, in accordance with the unit prices as submitted and for an amount not to exceed $480,441.

10. Contract Award – City Hall – First Floor Office Renovations

Approval to award a contract for services to renovate the first-floor office area at Woodstock City Hall to the lowest responsible bidder, Advanced Construction & Design Services, LLC, Wonder Lake, Illinois, for a total cost not to exceed $33,000.

11. Purchasing – City Hall/Public Works – Furniture

Authorization to purchase new office furniture to outfit the renovated offices at City Hall and Public Works Administration building from Madison Liquidators, LLC for a total cost not to exceed $35,000.

A roll call vote was taken. Ayes: D. Flynn, L. Lohmeyer T. Nierman, W. Piersall, B. Seegers, G. Tebo and Mayor M. Turner. Nays: none. Abstentions: none. Absentees: none. Motion carried.

V. DISCUSSION

1. Old Courthouse & Sheriff’s House Complex - Signage

Ms. Gulli stated Staff wishes to have Council’s input regarding the name the City wishes to have carved on the lintel on the west side of the Old Courthouse.

Opining the name that is placed on the lintel is very important, Mayor Turner stated he would like more thought put into this by Staff, with Council sending them their ideas or reaction to Staff’s suggestions. He stated he would like to see something other than “Old Courthouse.” He suggested placing “Est. 1857” on the far left of the lintel and “Renovated 2023” on the far right, recognizing what the building was and what it is.

Mayor Turner stated this is a brainstorming/marketing discussion among the teams at City Hall with input from any Councilmembers who would like to have input. Mr. Christensen stated the lintel must be ordered this week or next, with a deadline of next Wednesday. He stated in addition the carving cannot be more than 24 characters.

Councilman Tebo agreed “Old Courthouse” would not be appropriate as this old courthouse is unique as it was built before the Civil War. He suggested “1857 Courthouse,” which would tell people it is a special courthouse.

Noting the building has been called the Old Courthouse for a very long time, Councilwoman Piersall opined many residents would be resistant to naming it something else. She stated the name must be true to what the building is, opining that was the whole point of saving it. She stated she could support “1857 Courthouse.” Councilwoman Piersall stated she would also like whether any input from the state is needed and the fact that this is a kind of wayfinding sign be taken into consideration.

Stating she has lived here her whole life, Councilwoman Lohmeyer noted the building has always been known as the “Old Courthouse” and is what people refer to it as and stated she does not wish to change it.

Councilman Seegers stated he does not like the “Old Courthouse” name, opining the taxpayers should have input, but noting there is not time for that.

Discussion ensued of the various names and ideas presented.

Mayor Turner opened the floor for Public Comment.

Daniel Campbell, Woodstock resident, stated he has been enmeshed in the historic building community for some time. He urged when the Council is taking the time, effort, and expenditures to invest in the history of the building to celebrate that history. He stated when looking at historic facilities and how they are named, one will find they stay true to the history and intent of the building.

Noting the preceding open-ended discussion, Mayor Turner stated Staff’s direction is to consider the names suggested and come up with options applying their professional judgment and run them past Council. He stated he finds “1857 Courthouse” interesting, but is also pulled to history naming convention. He asked Staff to investigate including the Sheriff’s House in some way and to look at where to put “Est. 1857” and “Renovated 2023.”

2. 2022 Community Survey Results

Mayor Turner stated the City has used surveys in the past, but not in this manner, talking about NPS scores and how they are used. He stated this evening is an opportunity for Staff to present the results of the survey, noting Council will not be debating outcome or policy tonight and opining the results will be helpful as Council goes forward in establishing priorities. He stated the purpose of the survey is to serve as a tool for the Council.

Ms. Gulli introduced Heather Arnold and Jonathon Napiorkowski of the Marketing team who presented results of the survey.

Ms. Arnold talked about the main objectives of the survey and the key understandings that were hoped to be gained from it. Noting it was live for one month, she stated there were 1,758 total responses representing 6.9% of the population and 18.1% of the number of households. In response to a question from Mayor Turner, she stated 1,000 responses is considered a valid survey size. Ms. Gulli noted the response is a very strong sampling.

Mr. Napiorkowski explained Net Promoter Scores, stating it is the benchmark used across companies in the private sector. He talked about the value of the scores and what each means. He then presented the Net Promoter Scores associated with how likely the respondents were to recommend various City facilities to others. Mr. Napiorkowski noted there was a large “Strongly Recommend” category in each group with not many “Not Recommend” or “Strongly Not Recommend.” He emphasized neutral responses represent opportunities for growth. He stated the scores will serve as a benchmark for future surveys.

Ms. Arnold provided information on how the respondents wished to receive information about events and City updates. Noting Social Media ranked #1, she stated the Marketing Department is now working on this. In response to questions from the Council, Ms. Gulli stated Staff is currently evaluating the City’s various media accounts. She stated, as the Survey just closed on Saturday, Staff has not yet had time to analyze responses by age and will investigate this.

Ms. Arnold provided information on the priorities that respondents identified the City should focus on. In response to questions from the Council, Mr. Napiorkowski explained how the user could rank the items as they took the survey, stating the results were not weighted. Councilman Tebo opined they should be weighted, as the passion for each priority could be very different. Discussion of this ensued with Mr. Napiorkowski stating weighted responses can be revisited for future surveys.

Following a review of the most used words, and demographic information and residency, Ms. Arnold stated the Marketing team will now delve deeper into the survey responses to develop a strategy.

Councilman Seegers stated he loves being able to measure things and appreciates the effort Staff has put into this. He opined the public should be surveyed frequently with Council using the results to make its decisions rather than just people who attend the meetings. Mayor Turner stated each Councilmember makes decisions in his or her own way. He opined the survey gives insight and noted there are multiple ways people can give Council feedback including emails, letters, Facebook, and attending the meetings. He stated the ultimate feedback is the election.

Mayor Turner stated he loves the survey as a tool and is supportive the City did this. He stated he wants Staff to drill down into the data, including the age responses, as it will help Council as they contemplate strategies. He opined future surveys should be done to see where the NPS is trending, noting they also provide opportunities Staff can look at. Mayor Turner stated this is a customer-focused approach to management, expressing his enthusiasm that Council has embraced it.

Councilman Seegers questioned the accuracy of the responses with a sampling of only 1,750 households. Discussion followed. Ms. Gulli stated while the sampling is considered statistically valid, Staff will try to reach more households in the future. Councilman Tebo opined the sample size should be representative of the community.

Mayor Turner expressed Council’s appreciation to Ms. Gulli and the Marketing team. He urged Mr. Stelford, the Executive Directors, and the Department Directors not to be afraid to come to conclusions of what the results are saying as they go through the data and to consider these things as they consider the focus of the Council as it relates to customer views. He stated he is proud Council and Staff are taking these steps to gain this insight and apply it to how the City is run.

VI. FUTURE AGENDA ITEMS

Councilman Nierman requested that Staff look at the City’s ordinances and those of other communities regarding how landscape requirements are maintained. There were no further additions, deletions, or corrections to the tentative future Council agendas.

ADJOURN

Motion by D. Flynn, second by L. Lohmeyer, to adjourn this regular meeting of the Woodstock City Council to the next regular meeting on Tuesday, August 2, 2022 at 7:00 PM in the Council Chambers at Woodstock City Hall. A roll call vote was taken. Ayes: D. Flynn, L. Lohmeyer, T. Nierman, W. Piersall, B. Seegers, G. Tebo, and Mayor M. Turner. Nays: none. Abstentions: none. Absentees: none. Motion carried.

The meeting was adjourned at 8:57 PM.

https://www.woodstockil.gov/sites/default/files/fileattachments/city_council/meeting/45674/f_-_07-19-22_city_council_minutes.docx