McHenry Times

City of Woodstock City Council met Aug. 6

Here are the minutes provided by the council:

A regular meeting of the Woodstock City Council was called to order by Mayor Michael Turner at 7:00 p.m. on Tuesday, August 6, 2024, in the Council Chambers at Woodstock City Hall. He explained the Consent Calendar process and invited public participation. This meeting was livestreamed.

A roll call was taken.

COUNCIL MEMBERS PRESENT: Darrin Flynn, Melissa McMahon, Tom Nierman, Bob Seegers, Jr., Gordon Tebo, Natalie Ziemba 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, Public Works Director Brent Aymond, Engineering Director Chris Tiedt, Utilities Manager Mike Rousey, Building & Planning Director Joe Napolitano, City Planner Darrell Moore, Police Chief John Lieb, Office Coordinator Michelle Mallon Jenkins and City Clerk Jane Howie.

OTHERS PRESENT: Woodstock Area Chamber of Commerce and Industry President Brad Ball, Woodstock Area Chamber of Commerce and Industry Board Chairperson Arlene Lynes, Friends of the Opera House President Peggy Hart and Vice President Adelle Mickelson, Plan Commissioner Bryson Calvin, and Houseal Lavigne, Studio Lead Trisha Parks.

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

III. FLOOR DISCUSSION

Anyone wishing to address the Council on an item not already on the agenda may do so at this time.

A. Public Hearing

1. Adoption of the Comprehensive Plan

Ordinance – Adoption of the Comprehensive Plan

Approval of an Ordinance providing for the adoption of the City of Woodstock Comprehensive Plan dated May 9, 2024, by the City of Woodstock, McHenry County, Illinois.

Motion to close the Public Hearing by Councilman Flynn, second by Councilman Tebo. Ayes: Flynn, McMahon, Nierman, Seegers, Tebo, Ziemba and Mayor Turner. Nays: none. Abstentions: none. Absentees: none. Motion carried.

Motion to approve an Ordinance – Adoption of the Comprehensive Plan by Flynn, second by Seegers. Ayes: Flynn, McMahon, Nierman, Seegers, Tebo, Ziemba and Mayor Turner. Nays: none. Abstentions: none. Absentees: none. Motion carried.

Ms. Trisha Parks, representative from Houseal Lavigne, had no comments. Mayor Turner thanked City staff for updating this document from 2008. Staff reviewed the plan and provided suggestions for updates, which is a guiding document for the City. Mayor Turner thanked all stakeholders that were a part of this update, including the representatives from Houseal Lavigne.

A. Public Comments:

Adelle Mickelson, the Vice President of Friends of the Opera House, thanked the Mayor and Council for supporting the Opera House in many ways, which she said “is the jewel of the Square.” She shared that the Friends group holds fundraisers and assists in supporting the resident groups of the Opera House. These funds can go toward capital improvements for the Opera House that are above and beyond the other funds received by the Opera House. Ms. Mickelson shared their upcoming fundraiser/event, Hoppy Hour, being held on Saturday, September 14th from 1:30 – 3:30 p.m. at Stage Left. Contact the Opera House for tickets. Mayor Turner thanked Ms. Mickelson for all the work she and the Friends do for the Opera House.

B. Council Comments:

Councilman Nierman extended a heartfelt thank you to City staff, especially Public Works, especially due to all the rains that occurred prior to this year’s Barndance event. He shared that Public Works staff completed all prep work in just 2 ½ days. In addition, he thanked Butch Schnulle and all the volunteers that helped to make this another successful event! Gavers Community Cancer Foundation has now surpassed $10.0 million.

Councilwoman McMahon invited everyone to the 27th annual Car Show on the Square on Saturday, August 17th from 4:00 – 8:00 p.m. She also shared that there will be a community art contest for Groundhog Day. If you are interested, click here to join.

IV. FY24/25 General Obligation Bond Ordinance

A. Ordinance – FY24/25 General Obligation Bond Issuance

Approval of an Ordinance providing for the issuance of not to exceed $13,500,000 General Obligation Bonds, Series 2024, of the City of Woodstock, McHenry County, Illinois and providing for the levy and collection of a direct annual tax sufficient for the payment of the principal of and interest on said bonds.

Mayor Turner said the purpose of the bond issuance is very specific to the road program that was put in place by Council in 2021. It is part of the program’s five-year plan. This is also related to the water main replacement on Pleasant Street, and a small element is tied to some improvements at the Opera House.

City Manager Stelford gave calculations to the Council, saying he spoke to financial advisors and shared that interest is down a bit; still on the low side. The recommendation is for Council to move forward, closer to $12.5M, but this amount will fluctuate, which gives financial advisors some flexibility on the best approach. Mayor Turner said the expertise that goes into this is very serious as to how the City issues these bonds. In response to a question from Councilman Tebo, City Manager Stelford said these funds will reimburse the City for the fourth year. Executive Director Christensen said the City has been trying to hold off, hoping for the rates to come down. Mayor Turner complimented staff on their good timing!

Motion by Councilman Tebo to approve an Ordinance authorizing the issuance of General Obligation Bonds in FY24/25, second by Councilman Flynn. Ayes: Flynn, McMahon, Nierman, Seegers, Tebo, Ziemba and Mayor Turner. Nays: none. Abstentions: none. Absentees: none. Motion carried.

V. CONSENT AGENDA

Motion by Councilman Flynn second by Councilman Nierman to approve the Consent Agenda.

In response to a question from Mayor Turner, no items were removed from the Consent Agenda.

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

Item D-2

Mayor Turner said, pertaining to Ordinance – Redevelopment Agreement – Kebb CS-WK, LLC, members of the hotel development team have joined the meeting via phone. However, that item hasn’t been removed, so there is no need for any details or responses. Mayor Turner said he greatly appreciates the investment of a 60-room hotel in the City’s downtown as noted by the Redevelopment Agreement. A quality hotel in the downtown area is exciting and will be a gamechanger! Mayor Turner thanked City Manager Stelford and his team, and he thanked the developer. He added that TIF funds are tied to the future payments on this project that the developer will make.

Councilman Seegers said the community, businesses, manufacturers, and residents alike have been asking for this. He was supportive.

Councilman Tebo, asked if there will be a delay due to the need for soliciting requests for proposals to transfer the property to the developer. The City will need to complete this process; however, the developer will have other items to work on during this time. Staff does not expect any delays in the project. At the end of the proposal process it will be Council’s discretion on which one to select. Councilwoman McMahon thanked the late George Hahne and former employee Garrett Anderson and all of their past work on bringing a hotel into town.

Item D-3

Councilman Seegers expressed his concern about this Ordinance – Title 4 Chapter 4.9.5 Possession and Use of Tobacco Products, as he thinks we should be splitting this item He said that an 18-year old can serve our country; however, it doesn’t seem right that they can’t possess tobacco and they can be fined for such. He understands the community side, possessing a legal substance. It was mentioned that the City can’t arrest anyone for violations against the City Code; criminal law is done at the state level. For clarification, Attorney Schlossberg shared that this would be an ordinance violation, not a criminal violation. For someone ticketed for this offense, they would have to pay a ticket. City Manager Stelford said this Ordinance is bringing the City Code up to that of the state of Illinois’ code. Councilman Seegers opined he would not want this situation to damage a young person’s life.

Resident, Roy Wilson, asked for clarification on this code. In response, Mayor Turner said the City wants to align with the state of Illinois. It’s important for the City’s Code to match that of the state. Mr. Wilson opined the penalty for underage possession of tobacco products or smoking, should be minimal.

Item D-7

Mayor Turner said, pertaining to Redevelopment Agreement – Chicago Hubs Realty, LLC. – Postponement, CHR Group postponed their item until time indefinite, which Council should have done previously. Council had previously provided feedback; they are looking for changes on aesthetics while pursuing development on the Die Cast site. They are at the stage of the Redevelopment Agreement and Council is pushing them along to bring forth updated documents.

Item D-8

Councilman Seegers said, pertaining to Fleet Purchase Agreement – Dump Truck with Upfitting for Streets Division, he supports this request. He asked, besides using cooperative purchasing agreements, is the City allowed to go into the marketplace. Director Aymond said the City does shop around, but Sourcewell has the best price in this instance. Councilman Seegers stated these engines run a lot of miles. Director Aymond said the technicians are quite knowledgeable and use this information to determine when to retire a vehicle. Councilman Seegers said the prices have floored him. Director Aymond said the City ordered a vehicle in 2022 that hasn’t been received yet. In addition, the City hasn’t received any plow trucks in a few years.

Item D-9

Councilman Nierman stated, as it pertains to the Fleet Purchase Agreement – Landscape Equipment for Parks Division, the fleet looks pretty tired. He is happy to see the City getting some new equipment. He questioned the John Deere 1575 and suggested staff consider the John Deere 1585 prior to making a decision. He believed the 1585 model is only a couple thousand dollars more, but could be a better decision. Director Aymond said staff will look into this. Councilman Seegers asked about the new building in the park. He mentioned that City equipment is currently parked outside by the pool and he wanted to know if this equipment will be parked in the building. It was noted that once the shop is finalized, the majority of the equipment will be placed into a heated storage space.

Mayor Turner affirmed the Consent Agenda to include items A – D-12, as follows:

A. ACCEPTANCE OF CITY COUNCIL MINUTES

1. July 16, 2024 City Council Minutes

B. WARRANTS

1. #4109

2. #4110

3. #4111

C. MINUTES AND REPORTS

1. Arts Commission Minutes June 10, 2024

2. Cultural and Social Awareness Commission Minutes July 8, 2024

3. Historic Preservation Commission Minutes May 20, 2024

4. Historic Preservation Commission Minutes June 24, 2024

5. Plan Commission Minutes May 30, 2024

6. Plan Commission Minutes June 20, 2024

D. MANAGER’S REPORT NO. 253:

1. Ordinance – UDO Text Amendments – B3 Zoning (253a)

Approval of an Ordinance amending various sections of the Woodstock Unified Development Ordinance (UDO) relating to uses and supplemental standards in the B3 Service and Retail District.

2. Ordinance – Redevelopment Agreement – Kebb CS-WK, LLC (253b)

Approval of an Ordinance of the City of Woodstock, McHenry County, Illinois, approving a Redevelopment Agreement by and among the City of Woodstock, McHenry County, Illinois and Kebb CS-WK, LLC, subject to final review and approval by the City’s TIF Legal Counsel.

3. Ordinance – Title 4 Chapter 4.9.5 Possession and Use of Tobacco Products (253c)

Approval of an Ordinance amending Title 4 of the Woodstock City Municipal Code regarding possession and use of bidi cigarettes, tobacco, smokeless tobacco, tobacco accessories, alternative nicotine products, and smoking herbs.

4. Ordinance – Sign Variation – 320 S. Eastwood Drive (Chase Bank) (253d)

Approval of an Ordinance granting sign variations from the Woodstock Unified Development Ordinance (UDO) to allow a second wall sign at 320 South Eastwood Drive, Woodstock, Illinois.

5. Ordinance – Plat of Easement – 1460 South Eastwood Drive (253e)

Approval of an Ordinance approving the dedication of a Public Utility Easement on a portion of the property commonly known as 1460 South Eastwood Drive, Woodstock, Illinois.

6. Resolution – TIF Inducement – 200 Washington Street (253f)

Approval of 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 (200 Washington Street).

7. Redevelopment Agreement – Chicago Hubs Realty, LLC. – Postponement (253g)

Approval to postpone the Repeal and Replacement of the Redevelopment Agreement by and between the City of Woodstock, McHenry County, Illinois, and Chicago Hubs Realty, LLC. to time indefinite, for consideration on a future agenda.

8. Fleet Purchase Agreement – Dump Truck with Upfitting for Streets Division(253h)

Approval to authorize the City Manager, or his designee, utilizing Home Rule authority and waiving of bids, to execute a purchase agreement for one (1) Dump truck from JX Peterbilt, of Rockford, IL, for the truck chassis, for $149,585.83 and also to Henderson Products, of Huntley, IL, for the upfitting services for $148,996.00, both through Sourcewell Contracts, and for a total price of $298,581.83.

9. Fleet Purchase Agreement – Landscape Equipment for Parks Division (253i)

Approval to authorize the City Manager, or his designee, utilizing Home Rule authority and waiving of bids, to execute purchase agreements for the following:

(a) Two (2) Hustler Super 104 FX1000 Zero Turn Mowers from Arlington Power Equipment of Palatine, IL through the Sourcewell Contract for a total cost of $54,834.

(b) One (1) John Deere 1575 TerrainCut with a 72-inch Mower, 60-inch Rotary Broom, and 60-inch Snow Blower from AHW LLC, of Harvard, IL through the Illinois Association of County Board Members Contract for a total cost of $56,657.27.

10. Contract Approval – 2024 Pavement Marking Services (253j)

Approval to award a contract for the 2024 Pavement Marking Program to the lowest responsible bidder, Precision Pavement Markings, Inc. from Pingree Grove, Illinois, in accordance with the unit prices, as submitted, and not to exceed $144,620.08; and authorize the City Manager or his designee to execute a contract subject to final review by the City Attorney.

11. Contract Approval – 2024 Sidewalk Replacement (253k)

Approval to award a contract for the 2024 Sidewalk Replacement Program to the lowest responsible bidder, Alliance Contractors of Woodstock, Illinois in accordance with the unit prices, as submitted, for an amount not to exceed $40,000 and authorize the City Manager, or his designee, to execute a contract subject to final review by the City Attorney.

12. Contract Approval – Water Tower Cleaning (253l)

Approval to authorize the City Manager, or his designee, to execute a professional services contract with Tecorp Inc., of Joliet, Illinois for the cleaning of all three of the City’s Elevated Water Towers for an amount not to exceed $140,000.

Ayes: Flynn, McMahon, Nierman, Seegers, Tebo, Ziemba and Mayor Turner. Nays: none.

Abstentions: none. Absentees: none. Motion carried to approve the Consent Agenda.

V. DISCUSSION

A. Quarterly Financial Reports – Transmittal of the following financial reports for the fourth quarter of FY23/24:

1. Fourth Quarter Revenues and Expenditures Report; and

2. Fourth Quarter Investment Report.

City Manager Stelford thanked staff for all their work throughout the year to manage the City’s finances. Executive Director Christensen said the City had a good year and ended the fiscal year with a surplus. Mayor Turner said it’s gratifying to see City staff remaining very serious about spending the community’s money. Staff is always keeping one eye on the general direction of the economy. He reiterated that the City is in very good shape financially. Mayor Turner thanked Executive Director Christensen, City Manager Stelford and their team for their expertise and efforts.

Councilman Seegers asked about the grocery tax. Executive Director Christensen said IML is working on a model ordinance and staff will bring this to Council in the third quarter. Mayor Turner said there are still legislative sessions ongoing. The Governor may have signed that law, but municipalities have a massive hole in their budget because of this. He explained that City’s rely on these revenue streams, and have to consider what the state is allowing us to do.

Communities may have to impose a municipal grocery tax. IML, which lobbies heavily for municipalities in Illinois, were strongly opposed to this for very good reasons. City Manager Stelford said the number is probably around $400,000 per year for Woodstock (collected from the grocery tax). He added that the Governor is trying to help those with lower incomes; however, many in this demographic currently pay very little in sales tax due to the use of government programs.

The state has brought forth many things that have strongly impacted the City, for example the lead pipe requirements, which impacts us at a local level. The City of Woodstock doesn’t have the ability to deficit spend. Further discussion ensued. Mayor Turner said the City makes adjustments in spending when needed. The road program is funded by property taxes.

Councilman Seegers said this was a priority of all citizens, not just one group. In addition, Woodstock had ten years of no PTELL (Property Tax Extension Limitation Law, which limits the amount of tax extensions / total taxes billed). Local taxes rose because other taxing bodies increased their respective levy requests and property values went up. The City of Woodstock’s portion of the tax bill decreased property taxes by 10% when the Home Rule sales tax was implemented. Mayor Turner stated that Woodstock has done an excellent job with its finances.

In response to questions from Councilman Tebo pertaining to the Rt. 47 widening project, it was mentioned that IDOT informed Woodstock that the City’s responsibility for water and sewer relocation costs increased by $10.0 million. The state has funded $52.0 million for the expansion of Route 47 to four lanes from Route 14 to Route 120. Mayor Turner said IDOT informed the City that the increase in the utility relocation costs was due to construction inflation in the US economy. Construction spending has been heightened by a significant increase in federal funding, but the marketplace has not yet experienced a corresponding increase in the number of providers to complete the work. Mayor Turner shared that there could be a capitol bill at the state level in January. He intends to return to Springfield for the “ask.” He said there is an awareness of this project and the City’s request for funding through the capitol bill.

Thanks to Congressman Bill Foster, he put in a request for a $4.0 million earmark; it’s been reduced to $3.0 million. Mayor Turner shared that he recently met with a representative from Senator Durbin’s office. He opined that Senator Durbin would be supportive of this project.

The City will also go back to the federal level, as well.

In response to Councilman Tebo’s questions, Executive Director Betz said the City will apply for an ITEP grant for this project, also. Mayor Turner said the City will have to make a commitment to IDOT this fall. City Manager Stelford mentioned that the City has also received a five-year repayment plan from IDOT vs. the normal two-year repayment plan.

Motion to Adjourn to Executive Session at 8:10 p.m. by Councilman Flynn, second by Councilwoman McMahon. Ayes: Flynn, McMahon, Nierman, Seegers, Tebo, Ziemba and Mayor Turner. Nays: none. Abstentions: none. Absentees: none. Motion carried to move to Executive Session.

VI. EXECUTIVE SESSION

Personnel (Open Meetings Act: 5ILCS 120/2(c)(1))

The appointment, employment, compensation, discipline, performance or dismissal of specific employees of the public body, including hearing testimony on a complaint lodged against an employee to determine its validity.

A. City Manager’s Performance Evaluation

The Council adjourned from Executive Session at 10:35 p.m. and returned to Open Session.

VII. FUTURE AGENDA ITEMS

Councilwoman Ziemba shared that she will be absent from the August 20th Council meeting.

In response to a question from Councilwoman McMahon, staff shared that a new restaurant is planned for the property located at 801 S. Eastwood Drive.

VIII. ADJOURN

Motion by Flynn, second by McMahon to adjourn this regular meeting of the Woodstock City Council to the next regular meeting on Tuesday, August 20, 2024 at 7:00 p.m. in the Council Chambers at Woodstock City Hall.

Ayes: Flynn, McMahon, Nierman, Seegers, Tebo, Ziemba and Mayor Turner. Nays: none.

Abstentions: none. Absentees: none. Motion carried.

The meeting adjourned at 10:38 p.m.

https://www.woodstockil.gov/AgendaCenter/ViewFile/Item/516?fileID=6084