That uh the agenda for this evening's meeting will be displayed on the video video boards and screens inside the uh council chambers.

There'll be two opportunities this evening for public comment.

First being at the start of this evening's meeting during the floor discussion section.

Members of the public may come forward to the podium in the center aisle if you're willing to do so.

State your name and address for purpose of the record.

Feel free to make your comments to the Woods Woodstock City Council on any item that's not on this evening's agenda.

Second opportunity for public comment will be uh at uh the time that we have any motions or votes for any items that are on this evening's agenda.

Uh City of Woodstock follows what's called a consent format.

Consent format means that all items uh for action this evening will be considered in a single motion and a single vote.

Member of council may choose to or may request to have an item for removed for separate consideration and voting.

That item will be removed and then separately discussed and voted upon.

Members of the public may wish to have an item separately uh removed and separately considered and voted upon.

And if agreed to by a member of council, that item too will be removed for separate consideration and voting.

Are there any questions by members of the public on those brief announcements?

All right, hearing none, I'll go ahead and call officially called order this uh October 17th uh 2023 meeting of the Woodstock City Council to order and ask the clerk to please call the roll.

Councilman Flynn.

Here.

Councilwoman McMahon, here.

Councilman Nearman.

Here.

Councilman Seegers.

Here.

Councilman Tebow?

Here.

Councilwoman Ziemba.

Here.

Mayor Turner.

Here.

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

I'll ask Jane to please verify that the agenda this evening is the same as the true and published agenda.

Yes, it is.

Thank you, Jane.

That being the case, ladies and gentlemen of the council, the people's business is duly inappropriately before us.

First item on the agenda this evening is floor discussion.

And at this point, I would like to invite any member of the public who wishes to come forward and make a comment, the Woodstock City Council to come to the podium in the center of the room.

Feel free to make a comment to the Woodstock City Council on any item that's not on this evening's agenda.

Second opportunity, members of the public, to come forward for public comment.

Third and final opportunity for members of the public to come forward under floor discussion.

Hearing no uh requests from members of the public, I turn to members of the council.

Find out if you have any any comments to make under floor discussion this evening.

Yes, Bob.

Um this is uh to call out the appropriate people, but I got it a message uh sent to me from Carolyn Sweeney, who uh was with the pro-life rally that was held uh two Sundays ago, I believe.

Anyway, uh the point I wanted to make is she specifically wanted to uh let me know that both uh Jane Howett Howie and uh the police officer, which she didn't know the name of, that was assigned to the rally, were super cordial and helpful to uh the group.

And so I wanted to make sure that Jane and the unknown police officer assigned got their kudos.

Right, thank you, Bob.

Uh Roscoe pass that along to the chief as well.

Any other members of council have comments under floor discussion this evening.

Uh I will go ahead and make uh some brief comments to council.

As you're all very, very aware that we had a uh a very serious incident in the City of Woodstock occurred two Mondays ago.

Um I would like to uh to offer up first of all um heartfelt thanks to um to the Woodstock uh fire department uh for their quick action and uh and also the neighboring communities that responded uh after that um a gas leak and then uh home explosion that resulted in two homes being burnt, and I believe uh uh as total losses, and then two additional ones that up over over 20, approximately 20 were damaged.

Two additional ones in addition to the ones that were burned down, uh, are I believe Roscoe rendered uninhabitable uh is the assessment at this point.

But uh fire rescue uh the entire team, uh Chief Parker and everybody who responded um did an outstanding job uh in a very tense and critical time.

Uh it is uh miraculous uh that with there was no uh loss of life uh or substantial injuries, just two minor injuries that were treated and released, fortunately.

Uh so there is an element of thanks that it wasn't uh any worse than it uh than it actually was.

The um I also want to commend uh city staff, Woodstock, police department, uh our public works crew, and the entire team for um going into a uh very quick action mode uh on multiple levers levels, both uh Woodstock Police Department, obviously, public works as well.

Uh our team here at the city as it relates to getting communications and information out.

Danielle and her team uh were very helpful because at that point information becomes very, very critical as far as how we uh communicate to the press, to the public.

Uh I would also like to commend the you know our local newspaper and and others that uh, but particularly the independent for putting information out to uh to assist uh uh assist the public and knowing what was going on.

I'd also like to highlight the uh the web page that Danielle and her team put up very quickly about 24 hours later that uh that was a compilation of kind of where things stood, but also guidance uh for resources that uh that existed for folks that were affected by this.

I'd also like to thank Jackie Special.