Woodstock City Council Meeting - August 1, 2023
Woodstock City Council Meeting - August 1, 2023
The Woodstock City Council held its regular meeting on August 1, 2023 at 7:00 PM in City Council Chambers. Six of seven council members were present. The meeting followed a consent format with items acted upon in a single motion unless removed. The consent agenda was approved unanimously after discussions on two items, and one item (D2) was removed for separate consideration and approved with an amendment.
Consent Calendar
- Approved unanimously (all items A through D6 except D2):
- Approval of July 18, 2023 City Council minutes.
- Warrants #4061 and #4062.
- Minutes and reports from Cultural & Social Awareness Commission (April 3, 2023), Environmental Commission (June 1, 2023), Plan Commission (May 18 and June 15, 2023), Police Pension Board (July 11, 2023), and Woodstock Police Department Monthly Report (May 2023).
- Ordinance granting a Special Use Permit for outdoor storage of recreational vehicles on Lot 3, Castle Road (Item D1).
- Contract award for South Plant Phosphorus Reduction system design by Trotter & Associates, Inc. not to exceed $247,500 (Item D3).
- Affirmation of emergency repair contract for Well #7 with Layne Christensen Company not to exceed $102,060 (Item D4).
- Rejection of the sole bid ($98,163) from Alliance Contractors for the South Street Crosswalk Relocation project due to high cost (Item D5).
- Authorization for City Manager to approve various change orders for Old Courthouse & Sheriff’s House Renovations totaling $421,534.50 (Item D6).
Public Comments & Testimony
- No members of the public spoke during the floor discussion or on consent agenda items.
Discussion Items
- Item D1 – Special Use Permit – Lot 3 Castle Road: Councilman Nearman raised concerns about the absence of detention/retention ponds and the use of non-pervious grindings, requesting more landscaping. City Manager Roscoe Stelford clarified the project must still meet stormwater ordinances and will be reviewed by the city engineer, and noted that the Plan Commission had already added conditions for additional landscaping along the Castle Road frontage. Councilman Nearman, who owns adjacent property (east of the site), expressed appreciation for added slatted screening to limit views. He was satisfied after clarification that Plan Commission conditions were part of the ordinance.
- Item D5 – Rejection of Bids – Woodstock High School Crosswalk Relocation: Councilwoman McMahon asked for explanation. City Manager Stelford stated there was confusion in the bidding process; bidders assumed brand-new equipment was needed, but existing equipment can be repurposed, significantly lowering cost. The sole bid ($98,163) exceeded the engineer’s estimate. Staff recommended rejecting the bid and re-bidding with clear specifications to use existing equipment.
- Item D2 – Zoning Map Amendment & Special Use Permit – 210 N. Seminary Avenue: Councilwoman McMahon moved to remove this item from the consent calendar. She proposed requiring the petitioner to participate in the City of Woodstock property management program as a condition of the special use permit (to allow an apartment above a first-floor business). The owner was notified and had no objection. Council supported the amendment.
Key Outcomes
- Consent Calendar approved unanimously (6-0) with all items A through D6 except D2.
- Item D2 approved unanimously (6-0) as amended: The ordinance authorizing a zoning map amendment from M1 Limited Manufacturing to B3 Service and Retail District, and granting a special use permit for an apartment above a first-floor business at 210 N. Seminary Avenue, with the added condition that the property must participate in the City of Woodstock property management program.
- Future agenda items noted: Discussions for the August 15, 2023 meeting include bidding out tuckpointing on the Opera House (part of a DCO grant) and window restoration. A strategic review meeting with council is planned for early to mid-September 2023.
- The meeting adjourned at approximately 7:30 PM.
Meeting Transcript
Yeah. Sure. Well, good evening, ladies and gentlemen. I'd like to welcome you to this evening's meeting of the uh Woodstock City Council. A few brief announcements before we get started tonight. First is if the meeting is being live streamed and then recorded on the city website. The City of Woodstock operates under what's considered what's called a consent format. Consent format means that all items for action this evening will be considered in a separate motion or a separate vote. If a member of the Woodstock City Council wants to have an item separately considered a vote upon, they may request an item to be removed. If a member of the public would like to have an item removed for separate consideration and voting, they can make that request, and if agreed to by a member of the uh city council, that item will also be removed for separate consideration and voting. There's two opportunities for public comment to meet this evening. The first being under floor discussion at the start of the meeting. At that point, members of the public are free to 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 your comments on any items that are not on this evening's agenda. Second opportunity for uh public comment will be when we uh discuss and take action on items on the agenda this evening. Any questions on those brief announcements before we get started? All right, hearing none, I'll go ahead and officially call to order this uh uh August 1st 2023 meeting of the Woodstock City Council and ask Jane, our clerk this evening to please call the roll. Councilman Flynn? Here. Councilwoman McMahon, here. Councilman Nearman. Here. Councilman Seegers, Councilman Thibault, Councilwoman Ziembah here. Mayor Turner. Here. Let the record reflect that uh six of the seven members of the Woodstock City Council are present this evening. Ask Jane, would you please confirm that the agenda this evening is the same as the true and published agenda? Yes, it is. Thank you, Jane. Ladies and gentlemen of the council, that being the case, the people's business is duly and appropriately before us this evening. First item on our agenda this evening is floor discussion. At this time, I would invite members of the public who wish to make a comment to the Woodstock City Council on any items not on this evening's agenda to approach the podium in the middle of the floor and feel free to make their comments to the city council. Second opportunity, members of the public, if you wish to make comments under floor discussion, please come forward to the podium in the middle of the room. Third and final opportunity for members of the public under floor discussion to make comments of the Woodstock City Council. All right. Hearing no comments by public, I turn to members of council. Uh members of council, do you have any items this evening under comments this evening under floor discussion? No, I don't. All right, very well. That takes us then to our next item this evening, which is the consent uh agenda. Uh the consent agenda consists of all items A through D6. A motion for concurrence would be in order. So moved. Motion by Councilman Flynn. Is there a second? Second. Second by Councilman Thibault. It is a motion for concurrence on the consent calendar. Turn to members of the council and find out if there's any items that you wish to remove for separate consideration and voting this evening.
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