Woodstock City Council Meeting - December 6, 2022
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Woodstock City Council Meeting - December 6, 2022
The Woodstock City Council met on December 6, 2022, at 7:00 PM. The meeting included floor discussion with council comments, approval of the consent calendar, a discussion on scheduling budget and capital improvement workshops, and an executive session for the city manager's mid-year performance evaluation.
Consent Calendar
- Approved November 15, 2022 City Council minutes, warrants #4030 and #4031, and various commission minutes and reports.
- Approved Manager's Report No. 216 items:
- Ordinance approving Plat of Vacation for Oakwood Terrace Subdivision.
- Ordinance levying $9,359,221 in property taxes for 2022 for the FY23/24 budget.
- Ordinance authorizing sale or disposal of Opera House surplus equipment. Councilman Tom questioned the value; staff indicated low-value items would be donated rather than sold.
- Resolution authorizing legislative advocacy agreement with Joyce Nardulli, LLC.
- Contract award to Affinity Chemical, LLC for Liquid Alum at $389 per dry ton for 2023.
- Contract with DLR Group for Opera House Facility Assessment and Concept Design Study ($52,000).
- Contract to Dahme Mechanical Industries for Applewood Lift Station repairs (not-to-exceed $49,888).
- Consent calendar approved unanimously.
Public Comments & Testimony
No members of the public spoke during the public comment period.
Council Comments
- Councilman Flynn urged volunteers for the Christmas Clearing House on December 17, serving over 1,250 families; delivery starts at 8:30 AM.
- Councilman Gordy and Mayor Turner praised the new roundabout, thanking design consultants (HLR), contractor (H. Linden and Sons), and city staff (Chris Teed, Brent Amon, Mike Rousey, Tim Hickey, Nicole Luakowski) for completing it before Thanksgiving.
- Councilman Nearman reported 13 holiday decorations on the square (5 new, built by volunteers and high school classes).
- Mayor Turner thanked Plody for completing Dean Street paving and highlighted the upcoming Today Show live segment on December 9; the community is invited to attend between 6:30 and 7:00 AM with Santa, choirs, and refreshments.
- Additional thanks to NISRA Foundation for a fundraiser and to Public Works for dressing up the square.
Discussion Items
- Scheduling Special Workshops: City Manager Roscoe Stelford proposed two workshops: one on the Capital Improvement Program (CIP) and one on the operating budget. The CIP workshop would occur after January 17, 2023, when the CIP is transmitted to council. The operating budget workshop would include a preliminary conceptual discussion (combined with CIP) in late January/early February, and a detailed discussion in early March. Stelford highlighted financial challenges in the water/sewer fund: new EPA phosphorus removal requirements ($3.5 million total, with severe escalation if delayed), lead pipe replacement, and Route 47 water/sewer line cost escalation from $3.6 million to $10.5 million. A rate study may be recommended. Council agreed to the two-workshop approach; staff will coordinate scheduling.
Key Outcomes
- Consent calendar approved unanimously.
- Council directed scheduling of two workshops: a combined CIP/preliminary budget workshop (late January/early February) and a detailed budget workshop (early March).
- Council voted unanimously to enter executive session at 7:27 PM under the personnel exception (5 ILCS 120/2(c)(1)) for the city manager's mid-year performance evaluation; reconvened in open session at 10:30 PM.
- Meeting adjourned at 10:30 PM; next regular meeting scheduled for December 20, 2022, at 7:00 PM.
Meeting Transcript
Attendees to be aware of that. The City of Woodstock operates on a consent format. Consent format means that all items for action this evening will be considered in a single motion or a single vote. Member of council may request an item to be removed for separate discussion and voting. A member of public may request uh an item to be removed and have concurred uh by a member of council, it too can be removed for separate discussion and voting. There are two opportunities this evening for public comment. The first being at the stock start of the meeting during floor discussion, and then on each uh action item and discussion public discussion item, there will be an opportunity for the public to speak as well. Any questions on those announcements before we get started this evening? Hearing none, I'll go ahead and officially call to order this December 6th, 2022 meeting of the Woodstock City Council to call it to order and ask the clerk Cindy to please call the roll. Councilman Flynn. Here. Councilwoman Lomaier. Here. Councilman Nairman. Here. Councilwoman Pearsall? Here. Councilman Seegers. Here. Councilman Teball? Here. Mayor Turner. Here. Can you confirm that the agenda this evening is the same as the true and published agenda? It is. That being the case, uh ladies and gentlemen of the council, the people's business is duly and appropriately before us. First item on the agenda this evening is floor discussion. I'd like to open the floor uh open it to the uh the public right now for public comments under floor discussion. Any member of the public should uh may come forward to the podium in the center of the room. If you're willing, state your name and address for purpose of the record and feel uh free to make comments to council on any item not on this evening's agenda. Second opportunity, members of the public to come forward under floor discussion. Third and final opportunity, members of the public to come forward under floor discussion at this time. Hearing no comments from members of the public, I'll go ahead and turn to members of council and ask that if you have any comments to make under floor discussion. Just real quick. Um there's not a lot of people tonight on 1217 is another year of Christmas clearing house. We're looking for drivers. Um we have well over 1250 families this year. So put the word out to any of your family friends, anybody else. We're gonna need all the help we can get this year. It's delivery day. Thank you. Starting at what time? Uh delivery start at 8 30. Okay, terrific. And you do you have to sign up for that or just show up? Just show on up. Okay. Big vehicle. And is it at the end? It's at the old the Harley Storage University on Silgon.
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