Woodstock City Mayor Michael A. Turner | City of Woodstock Website
Woodstock City Mayor Michael A. Turner | City of Woodstock Website
City of Woodstock City Council met Nov. 5
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, November 5, 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, Executive Director of Strategy & Planning Paul Christensen, Executive Director of Business Development Danielle Gulli, Building and Planning Department Director Joe Napolitano, City Planner Darrell Moore, Police Chief John Lieb, Public Works Director Brent Aymond, Parks and Recreation Director Mark Pentecost, Economic Development Director Jessica Erickson, Marketing and Communications Director Heather Arnold, Business Development Manager Laura Cullotta, and City Clerk Jane Howie.
OTHERS PRESENT: Mr. Keith Lynes and Mr. Rick Prescott; Mr. Rick Murphy, Lennar; Mr. Brad Moore, Manhard Consulting; Mr. Kim Alimovski, Three Brothers Restaurant; and Josh Molnar & Noah Alexander, MDC.
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. Proclamation
1. Veteran's Day (November 11) & Operation Green Light (November 4-11) Mayor Turner asked Keith Lynes and Mark Prescott to join him at the podium for the reading of the Proclamation. The Proclamation was received with hearty applause by all. Mr. Prescott thanked Mayor Turner and Council members for their recognition and support of veterans.
B. Public Comments: None.
C. Council Comments: None.
IV. CONSENT AGENDA
Motion by Flynn, second by Seegers to approve the Consent Agenda.
In response to a question from Mayor Turner, the following items were removed from the Consent Agenda by Council or the Public.
• D-10 Contract Award - City Hall Security Improvements was removed by Mayor Turner.
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-4
Councilman Tebo asked for staff to refresh his memory concerning new developments; specifically when the streets are constructed, does the City still have oversight and conducts inspections, and whether the finished streets are eventually donated as public streets and maintained by the City? City Manager Stelford confirmed the Engineering Department does have oversight and conducts inspections, and the streets are donated to the City as part of the development process.
Item D-6
Councilman Seegers asked City Manager Stelford to explain the property tax process. City Manager Stelford reviewed the property tax process, with the City Council being required to review and approve an estimate for the future property tax levy, which is the current item on the agenda. After its passage, the City must wait 20 days before the final Property Tax Levy Ordinance can be considered and adopted by the Council. Unlike most states that allow local governments to set millage rates for property taxes, the State of Illinois requires local governments to submit property taxes as dollar amounts by fund.
With the City being Home Rule, it is no longer subject to the Property Tax Extension Limitation Law (PTELL), which limits the increase in the property tax dollar amounts levied on existing property to the lesser of 5% or the rate of inflation. The City did adopt a Resolution prior to receiving Home Rule status that committed the organization to abide by the PTELL requirements, with the exception of financial emergencies, determined solely by the City Council. The County Clerk is required to complete the PTELL calculations, and unfortunately, all of the data needed for this calculation is not known until the property tax dollar amounts are required to be adopted by the local governments and forwarded to the County Clerk.
While new growth (1.e., new construction or annexations) in a taxing district is exempt from the calculation of PTELL, taxing districts derive additional property tax revenue from this factor each year. These taxes are needed to fund the growth in service demands. By moving forward with an aggressive estimate for new growth, the City Council will have an opportunity, once the final numbers have been determined by the County, to abate any excess property taxes being levied by this estimate and comply with the PTELL requirements in March/April of the next year.
Executive Director Christensen further clarified that the estimate is also used to determine if the Black Box notice and public hearing are required. The Black Box calculation doesn't exempt the additional property taxes generated by new growth, which can cause the estimate to exceed the 5% calculation. Councilman Tebo asked about EAV growth, which was 8.4% in 2023.
Item D-7
Councilman Tebo asked about the need for the additional information including a topographic survey, and Director Pentecost replied this information was needed, but what the City had on file wasn't sufficient.
Mayor Turner affirmed the Consent Agenda to include Items A-D-9 and D-11, as follows:
A. ACCEPTANCE OF CITY COUNCIL MINUTES
1. October 15, 2024 City Council Minutes
B. WARRANTS
1. #4122
2. #4123
C. MINUTES AND REPORTS
1. Arts Commission Minutes October 7, 2024
2. Historic Preservation Commission Minutes September 23, 2024
3. Parks & Recreation Commission Minutes October 8, 2024
4. Plan Commission Minutes August 15, 2024
5. Plan Commission Minutes September 19, 2024
6. Police Pension Board Minutes July 9, 2024
7. Woodstock Police Monthly Report July, 2024
8. Woodstock Public Library Board of Trustees Minutes September 12, 2024
D. MANAGER'S REPORT NO. 259:
1. Ordinance - Variations - Walgreens - 305 S. Eastwood Drive (259a) Approval of Ordinance #24-0-62 granting variations for signage, landscaping, and parking lot setbacks related to existing improvements at 305 South Eastwood Drive, Woodstock, Illinois, known as DOC. 1.
2. Ordinance – Sign Variations - Three Brothers Restaurant – 1220 S. Eastwood Drive (259b)
Approval of Ordinance #24-0-63 granting sign variations from the Woodstock Unified Development Ordinance to allow the temporary and permanent relocation of an existing ground sign at 1220 South Eastwood Drive, Woodstock, Illinois, known as DOC. 2.
3. Ordinance - Re-Adopting the Official Comprehensive Plan with Corrections (259c)
Approval of Ordinance #24-O-64 correcting typographical and scrivener's errors in the City of Woodstock Comprehensive Plan, adopted August 6, 2024, by the City of Woodstock, McHenry County, Illinois, known as DOC. 3.
4. Ordinance - Final Plat of Riverwoods Subdivision – Phase 1 (259d) Approval of Ordinance #24-0-65 approving the Final Plat of Riverwoods Subdivision, Phase 1, generally located East of Doty Road and North of Lucas Road, City of Woodstock, McHenry County, Illinois, known as DOC. 4.
5. Ordinance - Code Amendment - Small Wireless Facilities (259e) Approval of Ordinance #24-0-66 amending Chapter 6.1D.24, Small Wireless Facilities, providing for the regulation of and application for small wireless facilities and revising existing small wireless facilities deployment provisions and annual recurring rate provisions, known as DOC. 5.
6. Resolution – Property Tax Levy Estimate (259f)
Approval of Resolution #24-R-27 estimating the calendar year 2024 Property Tax Levy in accordance with the Truth in Taxation Act (35 ILCS 200/18-60), known as DOC, 6.
7. Resolution - PARC Grant - Change Order #1 (259g)
Approval for the City Manager, or his designee, to authorize Change Order #1, Resolution #24-R-28 to the contract with Nurture for the Recreation Center Master Planning Services with an increase to the original contract amount of $20,000, known as DOC. 7.
8. Purchase Approval – Refurbished Spare Well Pump Motor (259h) Approval to authorize the City Manager, or his designee, utilizing Home Rule authority and waiving of bids, to execute a contract to purchase one refurbished spare well pump motor from Layne Christensen Company for a cost of $82,030.
9. Contract Awards - Snow Removal Services (2591)
Approval to authorize the City Manager, or his designee, to execute two-year extensions to the following downtown snow removal contracts in accordance with submitted hourly- rate pricing and on an as-needed basis from approximately November 1, 2024 through April 15, 2026:
a) Downtown Snow Cleaning Services to Langton Group of Woodstock, IL;
b) Downtown Snow Loading Services to Gavers Excavating Inc. of Woodstock, IL; and
c) Downtown Snow Hauling Services to Bell Cartage Corp. of Pleasant Prairie, WI.
11. Contract Awards - North Wastewater Treatment Plant - Roof Repairs (259k) Approval to authorize the City Manager, or his designee, utilizing Home Rule authority and waiving of bids, to execute a contract with Danny's Remodeling Inc., for roof repairs at the North Wastewater Treatment plant on the Operators Building and the Lab Building for an amount not to exceed $28,350.
Ayes: Flynn, McMahon, Nierman, Seegers, Tebo, Ziemba, and Mayor Turner. Nays: none. Abstentions: none. Absentees: none. Motion carried to approve the Consent Agenda.
Item D-10 Contract Award -- City Hall Security Improvements
Mayor Turner requested to defer this item to time indefinite to allow staff to complete additional work before bringing this request before Council. Mayor Turner wanted to provide additional time for staff to share information pertaining to proposed enhancements, and allow them time to update the recommendation. He added that this delay doesn't change the importance of this project in any way, Councilman Tebo confirmed that this was the first phase of this project. He'd suggested that staff provide a walk-thru of the project areas prior to the Council meeting that contains the recommendation. Mayor Turner said he'd like to see a more cohesive project.
Motion by Flynn to defer this item to time indefinite, second by Tebo.
Ayes: Flynn, McMahon, Nierman, Seegers, Tebo, Ziemba, and Mayor Turner. Nays: none. Abstentions: none. Absentees: none. Motion carried.
V. MDC GARBAGE CONTRACT
A. Resolution – MDC Garbage Contract
Approval of Resolution #24-R-29 that authorizes a ten (10) year agreement for refuse, recyclable and yard waste services with RRD Holding Company d/b/a MDC Environmental Services and approves the City Manager to execute said agreement, based on the Original Proposal, known as DOC, 8.
Mayor Turner shared that the original pricing was $23.50 with a senior rate of $15.50. The revised proposal includes a regular toter cost of $25.17 and a lowered senior rate of $10.50.
Staff negotiated with MDC as much as they could taking into consideration the industry's movement to automation along with a discontinued sticker program in many communities. Mayor Turner is very supportive of Councilman Tebo's recommendation to get funds from the single-use bag fee within the Environmental Management Fund. He stated that Council needs to make a decision this evening with options being the original pricing vs. new pricing or a "no" vote.
Councilman Seegers said part of the problem under the existing scenario is that some people aren't paying for garbage service; however, they are having their recyclables collected each week. He shared his concern that some recyclables may be dirtier than other communities because some residents aren't using or paying for a garbage toter. He stated that the City may be cleaner if everyone is required to pay for garbage service.
Councilman Flynn reiterated that the sticker program, included in the new contract, will exist for bulk items only. He's supportive of the lower senior rate. Councilwoman McMahon asked for clarification regarding the potential for water shutoff should a person not pay for their garbage service. In response, City Manager Stelford said this is mandated by Woodstock City Code; the bill includes garbage, water, and sewer. He explained the process that occurs prior to water shutoff which includes communication with the resident in an effort to work out a payment plan.
Councilman Nierman shared that he is fine with either option. He's happy that Woodstock is able to include the 35-gallon toter option. Councilman Tebo said he's happy with either option. He added that anyone using a toter currently will get a reduction in cost.
Resident, Bob Horrell of 635 Schumann Street, shared that he emailed City Council about a week or so ago pertaining to his concern about congestion of garbage toters in his subdivision. He added that he's very pleased after reading through the staff report and contract. He shared that he has no problem with the mandatory service. Councilman Tebo said he appreciates Mr. Horrell's letter to the Council.
Councilwoman McMahon said she wants to see a very big marketing plan for Woodstock's residents that provides the options along with information for those needing financial assistance. Mayor Turner asked Council and City staff to share their ideas in the near future so that information can be provided to Woodstock resident in January/February 2025 as this change occurs July 1, 2025; be proactive. Mayor Turner thanked MDC for their time and negotiations; he appreciates these options.
It was noted that the majority of Council members were in favor of the Alternate Proposal that includes the lower senior rate of $10.50 with the regular rate of $25.17.
Motion by Tebo to approve a ten (10) year agreement for refuse, recyclable and yard waste services with RRD Holding Company d/b/a MDC Environmental Services and authorize the City Manager to execute said agreement be approved based on the Alternate Proposal, to include the revised rates for regular and senior toter services, based on said proposal, second by Flynn
Ayes: Flynn, Nierman, Seegers, Tebo, Ziemba, and Mayor Turner. Nays: McMahon. Abstentions: none. Absentees; none. Motion carried 6-1.
VI. FUTURE AGENDA ITEMS
Councilwoman McMahon shared that she may be out of town on business on November 19th. She asked to move the food truck discussion item to a future meeting, as she'd like to be present for the discussion.
VII. ADJOURN
Motion by Flynn, second by Seegers to adjourn this regular meeting of the Woodstock City Council to the Special Council meeting - Executive Session on Monday, November 1, 2024 at 5:30 p.m. in the Council Chambers at Woodstock City Hall.
Ayes: Flynn, McMahon, Nierman, Scegers, Tebo, Ziemba, and Mayor Turner. Nays: none. Abstentions: none. Absentees: none. Motion carried.
The meeting adjourned at 7:44 p.m.
https://www.woodstockil.gov/AgendaCenter/ViewFile/Minutes/_11052024-317