Well, good evening, ladies and gentlemen.

I'd like to welcome you to this evening's meeting of the Woodstock City Council.

A few brief announcements before we get started this evening.

First is that the agenda this evening will be shown on the monitors in chambers.

The City of Woodstock operates under what's called a consent format.

Consent format means that all items for action this evening are considered under a single motion and a single vote.

If a member of council wishes to remove an item for separate consideration and voting, they may make that request and it will be separately considered and voted upon.

If a member of public wishes to have an item separately voted upon and considered, they can make that request as well.

And if agreed to by a member of the Woodstock City Council, that item will also be removed for separate consideration and voting.

There are two opportunities this evening for public comment, the first being during floor discussion.

Members of the public may come forward to the podium in the middle of the room if they're willing to do so, state their name and address for purpose of the record.

Feel free to make comments under floor discussion on any item not on this evening's agenda.

And then members of the public will be invited to come forward when we discuss items for action this evening as well.

Any questions on those brief announcements?

All right.

Hearing none, I'll go ahead and officially call to order this October 7th, 2025 meeting of the Woodstock City Council order and ask Jane to please call the roll.

Councilman Flynn?

Here.

Councilman Hansen.

Here.

Councilwoman McMahon.

Here.

Councilman Nearman.

Here.

Councilman Seegers.

Here.

Councilwoman Ziemba.

Here.

Mayor Turner.

Here.

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

Jane, can you please con uh verify that the agenda this evening is the same as the true and published agenda?

Yes, it is.

All right.

Thank you, Jane.

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

First item on our agenda this evening is floor discussion and under floor discussion, the floor first item we have is a proclamation uh honoring manufacturing month for the month of October 2025 in the City of Woodstock.

Council, without objection.

Yes, sir.

Okay.

Uh I'd like to have uh Catherine joins uh Jones join me at the podium on the side of the room, and then all members uh of the manufacturing community who are here, please join us as well uh for the proclamation over on the side there.

So it is a great honor on the part of the city council to recognize the important role that manufacturing plays in the economy in the city of of Woodstock, the economic activity that you all create, uh the jobs that you produce, um, it it is what under underpin underpins the economic activity of the city.

And uh the more the more successful you are, the more successful we are as a city.

So for each and every one of you, uh we appreciate the work that you do.

And I know that as uh entrepreneurs and owners and managers uh in all of your respective businesses, that it is uh very important work that you all do, whether it's uh two-person manufacturer or a 20,000 person manufacturer.

So no matter what it is, uh we appreciate that.

And Catherine, I appreciate you accepting this uh this evening.

Okay.

A proclamation honoring manufacturing month in Woodstock, October 2025.

Whereas National Manufacturing Day, an annual event that occurs this year on Friday, October 3rd, is manufacturing's biggest opportunity to inspire the next generation, positively shift perceptions about the industry, and build the foundation for the manufacturing workforce of the future.

And whereas manuf whereas manufacturing is recognized as such a vital contributor to the success of the Woodstock community and its economy, the city has expanded that celebration by declaring October as manufacturing month in Woodstock.

And whereas manufacturing companies today offer welcoming workplaces with clean technology-driven environments, excellent salaries, and high level of employee benefits, including health care.

And whereas manufacturing is the fourth largest employment sector in Woodstock, generating the highest gross regional product of any industry and paying 150 million in annual wages to 1,521 positions locally, one and a half times the national average of employment opportunities for skilled workers for this size community.

And whereas the top employment categories in Woodstock of the top employment categories in Woodstock, manufacturing ranks third in earnings per worker with average annual compensation of ninety-eight thousand dollars, and many companies are continually seeking qualified workers offering training and upward mobility.

Now, therefore, be it proclaimed that the city council, the city of Woodstock, on behalf of all citizens of Woodstock wishes to congratulate and commend all Woodstock manufacturing companies, owners and employees for the outstanding contributions they make every day to our community and offers enthusiastic support for their continued productivity and success, approved and adopted by the City Council, the City of Woodstock, McHenry County, the seventh day of October 2025.

On behalf of uh the City of Woodstock, Catherine, I want to thank you for accepting this.

And again, thank you all for the work that you that you do.

We on behalf of the Manufacturing Pathways Consortium and your Woodstock manufacturers, we appreciate this uh recognition.

And we're gonna take it with us tomorrow night when we go out to recruit some more young people into this fine industry.

So thank you very much.