Good evening, everyone, and welcome to this uh uh Woodstock City Council meeting of February 18th, 2025.

Um I will be your host this evening, Darren stepping in for the mayor.

Um he is in Springfield with uh Councilwoman Ziemba and uh City Manager Stelford and Director Teat uh uh working on trying to get more money for Route 47, so uh from the state.

So they are in their absence.

We are here.

Uh please note because you only see four people at the table, um, that all of our votes have to be unanimous tonight in order for anything to pass.

So that's just one brief announcement.

Uh this meeting is also being live streamed.

Uh the copy of the agenda, as you'll see, is displayed on the screens at the front of the room.

Um the city of Woodstock does operate under a consent format.

All items for action will be considered under a single vote.

However, a member of council may request that an item be removed for separate consideration and vote.

And a member of the public may also request for an item to be removed and with the agreement of a member of council, that item will be removed for separate consideration and vote as well.

Two opportunities for public comments this evening.

First being under floor discussion.

Um if you decide that you want to speak to something that is not on tonight's agenda, please come to the podium in the middle of the room and state your name and address for the record, and please speak directly into the microphone.

Uh, those listening at home as well as our um city clerk would uh love that very much so that she can get them in the minutes uh correctly.

Um there we go, that's good.

And are there any questions on the announcements this evening?

Yes.

Could I speak into the mic?

Oh my gosh, maybe it needs to be turned up just a little bit because I'm like I feel like I'm yelling up here, and I usually don't, so there we go.

All right.

Um, any questions besides me speaking into the mic tonight?

Okay.

Um, hearing none, um, I will be to call this meeting of the Woodstock City Council to order.

And if I could ask our city clerk or Jane to call the roll.

Deputy Mayor Flynn here, Councilwoman McMahon here, Councilman Nearman, Councilman Seegers?

Here, Councilman Tebow here, Councilwoman Zemba, Mayor Turner.

Thank you.

All right, let the record reflect that four of the seven council members are present this evening.

Um and Jane, uh, could you please confirm that the agenda is the same and true as the published agenda?

Yes, it is.

All right.

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

Um the first item tonight is floor discussion.

Um, if the public has any comments.

You do fantastic.

Please come to the center podium.

The spotlights on you.

Well, some of us were made aware by the Woodstock Recreation Center that the plans are underway for the renovation, and that the city council needs to approve the plans in order to go forward.

And I am a racquetball player, and we have some other racquetball players here, and there are many other racquetball players that were present at the meeting.

In addition, handball players and wallleyball players, and we're feeling kind of slighted, and we wish you would consider having the racquetball court remain in the Woodstock Recreation Center.

Okay.

Um, thank you very much.

I can um I heard rumblings that this might come to the come to pass.

So um basically, after speaking with staff and and speaking with everyone, understand that we're, you know, it it's in the very kind of infant stages at this point, and just trying to I'll I'll read you the statement that I wrote down so I don't mess anything up.

So um I didn't catch your name, I'm sorry.

I'm sorry, I'm Kathy.

Kathy, okay, Kathy.

Um so thank you, number one, for coming and speaking.

So um understand that this project has not reached its final version um at this point at all.

Um, and your concerns will absolutely be taken into consideration throughout the process of through the final design.

Um, there are many factors that have to be considered uh when undertaking a project of this magnitude regarding the current and future uses, productivity and return on investment for all of the users and the greatest members, and of course, um one little fun word budget um is a big piece of it.

And um, I can assure you after speaking with City Manager Selford and and other staff members um that uh staff as well as nurture will be taking all factors into consideration to try to address the concerns of the greatest number of people.

So not sure where and Mark is here if he'd like to add any more comments or if you feel that um we've done um all we can, but understand it's not uh we haven't seen a final or anything yet, so we know we're not at a final stage yet.

So you know we're we're waiting for to see that as well.

I I wanted to let all of you know that there are people out there that really do want to have it.

Fantastic, thank you.

And we'll probably press Mark to ask more of like use for each one of the segments and and everything else to see what's going on with that as well.