Woodstock City Council Meeting – September 3, 2025

The Woodstock City Council met on September 3, 2025 (the meeting timestamp provided for this summary; the agenda and oral roll call in the source list September 2, 2025 at 7:00 p.m.) to consider the consent calendar and discuss a request from the Apple Creek Homeowners Association to remove existing bike paths on HOA-owned property. Mayor Turner and all six council members were present: Flynn, Hansen, McMahon, Nearman, Sears, and Zambaugh. Due to technical problems with the live-stream provider, the meeting was recorded for later posting on the city website rather than live-streamed. The consent calendar was approved unanimously, and the Apple Creek item was discussion-only with no removal decision made.

Consent Calendar

• Approved in one motion (motion by Councilman Flynn, second by Councilman Nearman) with no items pulled for separate consideration and with all votes in favor.
• Items approved included acceptance of the August 19, 2025 City Council minutes; warrants #4162 and #4163; Historic Preservation Commission minutes from July 21, 2025 and the special meeting of July 30, 2025; and the Human Resources monthly report for July-August 2025.
• Manager's Report No. 277 items approved:
  • Ordinance to enlarge Special Service Area #17 for the Riverwoods Subdivision and provide for a public hearing.
  • Resolution awarding a contract to Corrective Asphalt Materials, LLC of Sugar Grove, IL for Reclamite Asphalt Rejuvenator applications, not to exceed $100,000, at $1.25 per square yard in FY25/26.
  • Resolution approving a Professional Services Agreement with Baxter & Woodman Inc. of Crystal Lake, IL for Phase II design and construction engineering for groundwater supply Well #13 at the Seminary Avenue Treatment Plant, not to exceed $114,970, and waiving competitive proposals.
  • Resolution approving Change Order #1 with Alliance Contractors Inc. for the Olson Park Walkability Project, increasing the contract by $36,315.60 from $59,348.75 to a total project amount of $95,664.35.
  • Mayor's nominations for appointments to city commissions.
• After the consent vote, council discussed the Reclamite contract. Staff said Reclamite is typically applied within the first couple of years after resurfacing, replaces asphalt binders, penetrates about one inch, and can extend pavement life by five to ten years, averaging about eight years, citing an Elmhurst/Berkeley street comparison. Council encouraged expanded use where cost-effective, asked that striping be scheduled after Reclamite application where possible, and asked staff to evaluate trails and parking lots as candidates.

Public Comments & Testimony

• Gigi Carlson (Greenwood Avenue) expressed appreciation for the Olson Park improvements, including the new basketball court, swing seats, perimeter sidewalks, and road work, and for the city's rapid response to graffiti at the train station. She asked the city to consider clear or see-through netting as an alternative to the black screening around the basketball court because it blocks views from nearby homes. Staff responded that the netting is primarily for wind and will look into alternatives.
• Pam Zelinski (Springwood; president of the Apple Creek master HOA) said the HOA does not necessarily want to remove the paths, but faces financial difficulty. She said the HOA has spent over $20,000 seal-coating paths and obtained a quote of about $48,000 to remove deteriorating sections. She said many paths butt up to wetlands, roots are growing through them, and some no longer connect to anything. She reported about $66,000 in HOA reserves and annual dues of $172, increased from $147 over the last two to three years partly because of Land Conservancy obligations. She said the Land Conservancy has been hard to communicate with and takes no responsibility, and she welcomed city help in facilitating a conversation.
• Joseph Campbell (Brayburn; HOA board member) said the resident survey had a poor response, but satellite and Google Earth images show a worn path connecting a dead-end path to Land Conservancy property, indicating use. He advocated focusing on completing the unbuilt north-south connector from the neighborhood to the school rather than removing paths. He also described a dangerous six-to-eight-inch drop around manhole covers near Brayburn Court and Hercules, inconsistent sidewalk widths left by later developers, and asked the city to investigate why sidewalks were not held to the original standard.

Council Comments

• Under council comments, a council member thanked the Woodstock Police Department and Public Works, specifically Roger, for helping recover portable toilets displaced by two storms during the car show on the Square on August 16.

Discussion Item: Apple Creek Subdivision Bike Path Removal Request

• City Manager Roscoe Stelford said the city received a request from the Apple Creek HOA to remove bike paths on HOA-owned property. The paths were installed intermittently by original developer Kirk Holmes around 2008-2009, but construction ceased when the developer failed during the housing recession. After legal action over performance guarantees, the city's negotiated settlement covered only road improvements and wetland mitigation, so the paths were not completed.
• Staff found that the covenants require a bike path and that council permission would be required for removal. Staff also noted that the city's strategic goal is to add bike-path connectivity and that a future adjacent development could connect to the existing system.
• Staff reported that the HOA survey received 16 responses out of 407 homes, and staff understood 13 of those responses supported the bike path.
• Council members generally expressed reluctance to remove existing bike paths and reluctance for the city to take over HOA-owned paths. Several asked for more information before any decision: HOA financial statements and reserve history, a better resident survey, actual usage data, and cost estimates for repair or completion versus removal.
• Some council members noted the path network could become valuable if future development occurs and suggested that future developers east or south of Apple Creek could be required to contribute to completing connections. The possibility of using an existing inactive Special Service Area as a last-resort funding mechanism was raised, with the caveat that strong resident support would be needed before the council would impose it. The HOA president was receptive to grant help and a possible safe-routes-to-school application.

Key Outcomes

• No formal vote was taken on the Apple Creek bike-path removal request; the item was for council feedback.
• Council consensus was not to approve removal at this time; staff was directed to gather more information and return at a future meeting.
• City staff will inspect the damaged path areas, including the manhole cover settlement near Brayburn Court and Hercules, review maintenance of city-owned path portions, and facilitate dialogue with the Land Conservancy.
• Staff will explore a safe-routes-to-school grant for the unbuilt north-south connector; the grant deadline was noted as October 13, 2025 at 4:30 p.m.
• Council discussed making future development approvals contingent on completing or connecting the bike path system and keeping the inactive Special Service Area as a possible funding backstop.
• The consent calendar was approved unanimously.

Future Agenda Items

• Council noted the preliminary agenda for the next regular meeting on September 16, 2025 at 7:00 p.m., a council workshop on September 22, 2025, and a regular council meeting on October 7, 2025.
• The meeting adjourned with a motion by Councilman Flynn, seconded by Councilwoman McMahon.