Woodstock City Council Meeting - July 15, 2025

The Woodstock City Council met on Tuesday, July 15, 2025, at 7:00 p.m. in City Council Chambers. All council members were present. The main item was a public hearing and ordinance to increase the city's home-rule sales tax from 1.0% to 1.25% to help fund a major rehabilitation of the Woodstock Recreation Center and other capital projects. The Council also approved a $22.5 million general obligation bond ordinance, the consent calendar, and an organizational restructuring.

Consent Calendar

• The consent calendar was approved unanimously (7-0), with item D8 removed for separate consideration.
• Accepted June 17, 2025 City Council minutes and minutes from the Arts Commission, Environmental Commission, Historic Preservation Commission, and Plan Commission; accepted the June 2025 Human Resources monthly report and warrants #4154, #4155, and #4156.
• Approved Manager's Report No. 274 items including: Special Service Area No. 17 (Riverwoods Subdivision backup SSA); an ordinance reaffirming the existing 1% grocery sales tax; the 2025 operating budget for Woodstock Courthouse MM, LLC; crack sealing maintenance with SKC Construction, Inc. (not to exceed $80,000); the Gould Street watermain/street replacement contract with Mauro Sewer Construction, Inc. (not to exceed $1,298,811.75); Addendum #2 with Trotter and Associates, Inc. for construction engineering (not to exceed $178,300); the Woodstock Recreation Center Renovation (PARC) contract with Pacific Construction Services, LLC (base price $8,535,231 plus 10% contingency of $853,523.10, total not to exceed $9,388,754.10); and the School Resource Officer/Police Liaison agreement with Woodstock Community Unit School District 200 for the 2025-26 school year.

Public Comments & Testimony

• Chad Lezowitz, a 16-year resident, criticized city spending on trucks, the bag fee, and the rebrand, and said the city should 'stay in its own lane' rather than trying to imitate neighboring communities.
• Sarah McLaren, a new homeowner, said the roughly $92,000 rebrand/logo project seemed inconsistent with modern low-cost options, and said online commenters perceive the Council as out of touch. She asked whether public testimony had ever changed Council decisions; Councilman Flynn cited the decision to add an inclusive bathroom at the intergenerational playground.
• Ryan Gary, a 10-year resident, strongly supported improving the rec center but opposed the sales tax as regressive, saying he would rather pay higher property taxes; he also asked whether vehicle sales would be taxed.
• A resident addressed as Maurice said he did not use the rec center, noted membership was about 1,500, and questioned spending public money on a facility used by a small share of residents; Council responded that the center supports broad programming and is the city's equivalent of a park district.
• Dion Bornell, a 19-year resident, said the city's spending priorities were 'all over the place,' called a $60,000 roundabout sculpture 'ridiculous,' and said Route 47 roads and buildings should be priorities.
• Sandy Wassniky (nearly 50 years), Don Iverson (25-26 years, rec center member), Andrea Brennan (87, pool user for 20 years), and John Puzo (71 of his 73 years in Woodstock) spoke in favor of the rec center work and the tax; Andrea urged limiting costly extras such as a new entrance and lounge.
• Harry Harmon, a retiree on a fixed income, said he could accept the tax if it excluded groceries and cars, criticized deferred maintenance, and suggested phased repairs before a full 12-to-18-month shutdown.
• Jennifer Haberstock asked whether the $2.8 million grant required a local match and requested more accessible information before votes; she also expressed concern about prior economic-development expenditures, including forgiveness to Public House and Mobcraft.
• Randy Tips asked detailed questions about the bond package, the rec center footprint (same footprint plus a 3,000-square-foot second-level addition), membership growth, and the grant deadline. Staff said construction would need to start around September 2025 and the grant runs to March 2027, with a six-month extension requested.
• Several speakers praised the actual meeting tone and said the city's Facebook page did not explain the tax package well; staff and council acknowledged communications challenges and limited resources.

Discussion Items

• Home Rule Sales Tax and Public Hearing
  • Mayor Turner explained the current 1% home-rule sales tax was adopted in 2017 alongside a 10% reduction in the city's property tax levy; the proposed additional quarter-point would raise revenue for the rec center and other unfunded projects.
  • City Manager Roscoe Stelford III said there were over $34 million in unfunded general fund capital improvement costs; the $2.8 million park grant is restricted to the existing rec center site; and 1.25% would match Crystal Lake's rate.
  • The proposed rec center funding plan included about $2 million in ARP funds, about $2.5 million previously set aside for the Prairie View alternative, the $2.8 million grant, and debt repaid by the sales tax increase. A quarter-point increase was required because state law allows sales tax changes only in quarter-point increments.
  • Mayor Turner gave cost examples: five cents on a $20 taxable purchase, 25 cents on $100, and about $25 per year if a household spent $10,000 on taxable goods. Average household income was cited as $83,000.
  • Additional unfunded needs cited included a $14-$15 million public works center, more than $2 million in Opera House projects, a $500,000 sidewalk cost-share program, $775,000 for Dean Street sidewalks, $110,000 for Emerson Park pond dredging, and a federally mandated phosphorus-reduction project at the southside wastewater plant estimated at more than $4 million.
  • Council discussed whether to include a sunset clause. The final motion included a sunset: the tax remains until the rec center debt is fully repaid, not to exceed 20 years, and then the Council must review whether to continue it.
• 2025 Parameters Bond Ordinance
  • The ordinance authorizes not to exceed $22,500,000 General Obligation Bonds, Series 2025, for road improvements, waterworks and sewerage system improvements, and the Rec Center renovation, and levies a direct annual tax for debt service.
  • Staff explained that the bond package combined separate funding sources: previously approved property taxes for streets, already-adjusted water/sewer rates for the water main and phosphorus removal, and the new sales tax for the rec center portion. Packaging them into one issuance reduces borrowing costs.
  • A council member noted a discrepancy in the documents: a 10% project contingency versus a 20% financing contingency. Staff said the recommendation is a 10% contingency for the project budget and a 20% debt-financing contingency, with any unused funds available for other council-approved projects; change orders above about $7,500 would return to Council.
• Organizational Restructuring (Consent Item D8)
  • Councilman Hansen removed D8 for separate discussion. The proposal eliminates the Executive Director-Operations position and creates Operations Manager - Public Works and Events & Administrative Coordinator - Marketing, while amending the FY25/26 salary structure and authorized positions/FTEs.
  • Staff said the vacant utilities manager position, funded from the utility fund, would remain unfilled while the new operations manager, funded from the general fund, would oversee parks, facilities, fleet, and streets. The events/admin coordinator would support marketing, events, FOIA, and executive assistants. The net annual budget impact was stated as approximately $5,600 to be absorbed.
  • Some council members questioned the need for the new coordinator position; others said it was a redeployment of resources and would improve efficiency and public communication. It passed unanimously after discussion.

Council Comments

• Council members thanked the volunteer fireworks committee for a successful July 4 holiday.
• Mayor Turner introduced new Human Resources Director Joe Simpson, who was present with his wife Kristen.

Key Outcomes

• Closed the public hearing 7-0.
• Approved the Home Rule Sales Tax ordinance 7-0: adds 0.25% to the home-rule municipal retailers and service occupation taxes, from 1.0% to 1.25%, effective January 1, 2026, with the sunset described above.
• Approved the 2025 Parameters Bond Ordinance 7-0: up to $22,500,000 in General Obligation Bonds, Series 2025.
• Approved the consent calendar 7-0, except D8.
• Approved the D8 organizational restructuring 7-0.
• Noted future agenda items for August 5 and August 19, 2025; the next regular meeting is August 5 at 7:00 p.m., and Mayor Turner said he would be unavailable on August 19.
• The meeting adjourned to the next regular meeting.