All right.

Ladies and gentlemen, we'll go ahead and get started this evening of the uh welcome to this meeting of the Woodstock City Council.

Uh before we formally get started, I'd like to make a few brief announcements.

First, the meeting is being live streamed, so I want to make sure you're all aware of that.

The agenda this evening will be shown up on the uh monitors in the front and the back of the room.

Uh the city of Woodstock operates under what's called a consent calendar or consent agenda.

The consent agenda means that all items for action this evening will be considered under a single motion or a single vote.

A member of council may request to have an item removed for separate consideration and voting, and a member of the public may request to have an item separately removed and considered, and if agreed to by a member of council, that too will be uh removed and considered under a separate motion and a separate vote.

Uh there are two opportunities for public comment this evening, the first being at the start of the meeting uh during floor discussion.

At that time, members of the public may come forward to the podium in the middle of the room.

If you're willing to do so, state your name and address for purpose of the record.

Feel free to make comments to the city council on any items not on this evening's agenda.

And then before each action item this evening, there will be an opportunity for public comment.

Any questions on those announcements before we even get started?

All right, hearing none, I'll go ahead and formally call to order this June 20th meeting of the Woodstock City Council to order and ask Cindy to please call the roll.

Councilman Flynn.

Councilwoman McMahon.

Here.

Councilman Nearman.

Here.

Councilman Seegers?

Here.

Councilman Tebow?

Here.

Councilwoman Ziamba?

Here.

Mayor Turner.

Here.

The record reflect that six of the seven members of the Woodstock City Council are present this evening.

Must Cindy to please confirm that this evening's agenda is the same as the true and published agenda.

It is.

Thank you, Cindy.

That being the case, ladies and gentlemen of the Council of People's Business is duly and appropriately before us.

The first item we have this evening is floor discussion, and under floor discussion, we have a proclamation for National Juneteenth Day, recognizing June 19th as National Juneteenth Day.

I'll ask them to join me over here at the at the podium on the side and uh we'll make a proclamation.

Council without objection.

Good.

Very well.

Thank you both for joining us this evening.

It's my honor on behalf of the City of Woodstock and uh the Woodstock City Council to make this proclamation for Juneteenth Day for February 19th in the City of Woodstock.

I appreciate the uh organization and the uh the program that you all put on and thank you for your your efforts.

Um proclamation recognizing June nineteenth as National Juneteenth Day, whereas Juneteenth is a holiday marking the end of slavery in the United States, and whereas on June 19th, 1865, over two years after President Lincoln declared all enslaved persons free, Major Major General Gordon Granger and Union Army troops marched to Galveston, Texas to enforce the emancipation proclamation and free the last of 150,000 enslaved black Americans who had been held in bondage and deprived of their freedom and basic dignity.

Whereas following his statement, June 19th, Juneteenth became the emancipation date of those long suffering for freedom.

And whereas since then, the oldest known celebration commemorating the end of slavery in America, the tradition of celebrating Juneteenth has remained strong well into the 21st century, recognizing the triumph of the human spirit over the cruelty of slavery and honoring the strength, endurance, and faith of African American ancestors.

And whereas Juneteenth celebration is specific to the emancipation of African descendants, its message promotes the continued freedom and economic prosperity of individuals from all races, colors, creeds, and cultures.

And whereas Juneteenth became a federal holiday when President Joe Biden signed the Juneteenth National Independence Day Act in June 2021.

All Americans are encouraged to share and feel the power of this day, learn from our history, celebrate our progress, and recognize and engage in the work that lies ahead.

And whereas this Juneteenth, we are freshly reminded that the ideology of racism has not yet been defeated.

Juneteenth is a reminder of how important it is to work together towards our shared goal to eliminate hatred, racism, and fear, and show that bigotry and hate have no home in the United States, in Illinois, or in Woodstock.

Now, therefore, be it proclaimed that the City Council of the City of Woodstock, on behalf of all citizens of Woodstock, to hereby acknowledge and proclaim to all residents of Woodstock, Illinois, that June 19th, 2023 is duly recognized as nationally June national Juneteenth Day of observation.

And all citizens are encouraged to acknowledge the history of slavery, to recognize the impact of slavery, how to recognize how the impact of slavery still impacts all Americans today, and celebrate the emancipation of black Americans and work together to eradicate racism and inequality.

Approved and adopted by the City Council, the City of Woodstock, McHenry County this 20th day of June, 2023.

On behalf of the City Woodstock, I want to hand you that proclamation and thank you again for the work that both of you have done.

Thank you so much.

We were just delighted to have this event in the city of Woodstock.

It was uh just a pleasure.

Everything went just so well.

We can't imagine how it could have been any better.

Everyone was in cooperation and in a good spirit, and so we just thank you so much.

As a generation away from Mississippi Sheriff Corporates, I'd let my family would be amazed at seeing this room.