Woodstock City Council Approves Action Packaging Deal and Route 47 PR Contract on August 19, 2025
Woodstock City Council Meeting – August 19, 2025
The Woodstock City Council met on August 19, 2025, with five of seven members present. After public comment and council announcements, the council approved the remaining consent agenda, then separately considered and approved two pulled items: the Action Packaging redevelopment agreement (4-0) and the Metro Strategies Group communications contract (4-1). The meeting adjourned to September 2, 2025.
Consent Calendar
- Approved by a single 5-0 vote: minutes of Aug. 5 City Council and executive session; warrants #4160 and #4161; Arts Commission minutes (July 14, 2025); Woodstock Public Library Board minutes (July 10, 2025); and Manager's Report No. 276 items not pulled.
- Item D3 (Relocation Assistance Grant Program for commercial tenants of 225-231 E. Calhoun Street) remained on consent. Councilman Seegers asked whether using funds from the same TIF as the developer payments would "double dip"; staff replied the grants would be offset by rental income from the city-owned property, not TIF proceeds. The property is planned for demolition after spring 2026.
- Items D1 and D2 were removed at the request of Councilman Nearman and Councilman Hansen, respectively.
Public Comments & Testimony
- Travis Cooper of Willowbrook delivered general political remarks during floor discussion; no agenda item was addressed.
- Tammy Warzack, principal of Metro Strategies Group, described the firm's experience, including work in Algonquin during a two-year downtown main street shutdown, and offered to provide rapid website updates, construction email updates, and analytics. She answered council questions about integration with contractors despite not being part of the IDOT bid package.
Council Comments
- A council member reported on the announced closure of Hearthstone, saying the city has no jurisdiction; it is a state/IDPH matter. They said Richard Perkins (long-term care ombudsman) and Sherry Zimmerman (Hearthstone campus director) confirmed proper legal notice was given, state legislators and ElderWorks offered assurances, and local staff/advocates are helping families with placement.
- A council member commemorated the 105th anniversary of the 19th Amendment, marked by an Aug. 17 festival on the square; read former Mayor Brian Sagar's Aug. 18, 2020 proclamation. The remarks noted that while the 19th Amendment was ratified Aug. 18, 1920 and certified Aug. 26, 1920, it took the Voting Rights Act of 1965 to extend voting rights to Black, Indigenous, Latina, Asian, and other women of color.
Discussion Items
- D1 – Action Packaging Redevelopment Agreement (1191 Lake Avenue): Councilman Seegers expressed strong support but asked staff to align the 35-job requirement in the inducement resolution/staff report with language referencing 50 people in the development agreement. He also questioned whether material handling systems should count toward the estimated $240,000 in additional assessed improvement value, arguing such equipment is personal property and would be disputed for EAV purposes. Staff said the 35-job commitment is the required threshold for reimbursement; Action Packaging plans more jobs but only committed to 35. On the EAV point, staff said they would confirm with the assessor. Sean Swannar, president of Action Packaging, said the third-generation family business is moving its headquarters from Bensenville to Woodstock, plans to start with 35 employees, and hopes to reach 100 or more in coming years. Seegers also asked staff to prepare an estimate of the economic value of one additional job using the Lightcast tool; staff agreed.
- D2 – Professional Services Agreement with Metro Strategies Group: The agreement is for public engagement and strategic communications for the Route 47 Expansion Project, at a total cost not to exceed $49,500 including direct expenses. Councilman Hansen opposed, citing a large marketing/communications staff, preference for in-house work, and concern about an outside website. Staff responded that the project requires specialized, full-time coordination with IDOT, contractors, businesses, the school district, and Pace; the core city marketing team is only three people; and an external site, if used, would be seamlessly integrated and could be hosted on the city site instead. Councilwoman Ziemba and other members supported the contract as essential to keeping businesses open during construction; Councilman Seegers asked that any website be tied to the city's site.
Key Outcomes
- Consent agenda (remaining items, including D3): approved 5-0. Voting yes: Nearman, Seegers, Ziemba, Hansen, Flynn.
- D1 Action Packaging ordinance: approved 4-0. Councilman Nearman excused himself and left the room; voting yes: Seegers, Ziemba, Hansen, Flynn.
- D2 Metro Strategies resolution: approved 4-1. Voting yes: Seegers, Ziemba, Nearman, Flynn; no: Hansen.
- Future agenda items were reviewed without comment; next regular meeting is September 2, 2025 at 7:00 p.m.
Meeting Transcript
Good evening, ladies and gentlemen. Welcome to this meeting of the Woodstock City Council. Before we get started, some brief announcements, uh, the agendas are shown on the screens in the room. Uh number two, the city of Woodstock offer operates under what is known as a consent format, which means all items for action this evening will be considered under a single motion and a single vote. If a council member would like to have an item removed and separately considered and voted upon, they may make that request, and the item will be removed from the consent agenda and be considered under a separate vote. If a member of the public would like to have an item removed and separately considered and voted upon, they may make that request, and if agreed to by a member of council, the item will be removed and considered under a separate vote. There are two opportunities for public comments tonight. At the start of the meeting during floor discussion, members of the public may come to the podium in the center of the room, state their name and address for the record if they are comfortable doing so, and comment on items not on this evening's agenda. The second opportunity is when we are discussing items for action. Members of the public will have the opportunity to make comments on those items prior to a vote. Um any questions on those items before we get started this evening. All right. Hearing none at this time, I would like to call this August 19th, 2025 meeting of the Woodstock City Council to order and ask the clerk to call the roll. Councilman Hansen. Here. Councilwoman McMahon. Councilman Nearman. Here. Councilman Seegers. Here. Councilwoman Ziemba. Here. Mayor Turner. Deputy Mayor Flynn. Here. All right. Let the record reflect that five of the seven members of the Woodstock City Council are present this evening, and therefore we can do the business. Jane, will you confirm that the agenda this evening is the same and true as the published agenda? Yes, it is. Thank you very much. That being the case, the people's business is duly and appropriately before us. The first item uh this evening is floor discussion. At this time, I would welcome public comments at the center podium, if anyone has any that are not on the agenda this evening. Hey, good evening, folks. Good evening. Uh just uh something I wrote about, you know, troubled times right. Right meow. So forgive me, everyone. Sorry. Government can't tell me what to do. Just things Republicans used to say before they is my safety. Just things Republicans used to say before they. Government that governs least governs best. Just things Republicans used to say before they are all these celebrities trying to tell me what to do. Just things Republicans used to say before they drive it like stole it. Just things Republicans used to say. Before they honor the rule of law. Exclamation point. Honor the Constitution. Exclamation point.
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