OPENPUBLICA · PUBLIC MEETING RECORD
Record of Proceedings

Woodstock City Council Meeting - January 20, 2026

City Council — Tuesday, January 20, 2026
BodyWoodstock, Illinois
SessionCity Council
DateTuesday, January 20, 2026
StatusFILED
Video Record
0:00 / 2:27:07

Transcript — Verbatim
0:02

Well, good evening, ladies and gentlemen gentlemen.

0:04

I'd like to welcome you to this evening's uh meeting of the Woodstock City Council, the first meeting of 2026.

0:10

Uh before we get formally started, a few brief announcements.

0:13

Uh the agenda will be shown on the monitors in the room.

0:17

Uh the city of Woodstock operates under what's called a consent uh format.

0:21

Confent consent format means that all items for action this evening will be considered in a single motion and a single vote.

0:29

If a member of the public wishes to have an item separately removed for consider I'm sorry, member of the public wishes to have an item for separate consideration and voting, they may make that request and agreed to by a member of the Woodstock City Council.

0:39

That item will be removed for separate consideration and voting.

0:42

Likewise, a member of the Woodstock City Council may request an item to be removed for separate consideration and voting, and that item as well will be removed and separately considered and voted upon.

0:52

There are two opportunities for public comment this evening.

0:55

The first being at the start of the meeting.

0:56

Members of the public are welcome to come forward at that under floor discussion public comment, or welcome to come forward to the podium in the middle of the room.

1:03

If they're willing to do so, state their name and address for purpose of the record.

1:06

Feel free to make comments to the Woodstock City Council and any items not on this evening's agenda.

1:11

Then the second opportunity for public comment will occur on every item that we consider or discuss this evening of an opportunity for public comment on those each of those items as well.

1:22

Any questions on those announcements before we get started?

1:25

All right.

1:26

Hearing none, I'll go ahead and officially call to order this January 20th, 2026 meeting of the Woodstock City Council of the Order, and ask Jane to please call the roll.

1:35

Councilman Flynn.

1:36

Here.

1:37

Councilman Hansen.

1:38

Here.

1:39

Councilwoman McMahon here.

1:40

Councilman Nearman.

1:42

Councilman Seegers.

1:43

Here.

1:43

Councilwoman Ziemba.

1:45

Here.

1:45

Mayor Turner.

1:46

Here.

1:46

Let the record reflect that six of the seven members of the Woodstock City Council are present in the meeting this evening.

1:52

Jane, would you please confirm that the uh agenda this evening is the same as the true and published agenda?

1:57

Yes, it is.

1:58

Thank you, Jane.

1:59

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

2:04

The first item we have this evening is floor discussion.

2:08

And once again, it's time for a groundhog day proclamation.

2:12

So I would invite Pete Reese, Woodstock Willie, and the rest of the of the crew to come over on the side here and we'll uh happily read this proclamation again.

2:23

Again.

2:33

I did wear mine.

2:36

I know.

2:36

It's a little bit this one for there, but yes.

2:44

It is.

2:44

That's my advantage.

2:45

So council uh without objection, Natalie, you're paying attention.

2:49

Yes.

2:49

Okay.

2:50

Council without objection.

2:51

Not like this doesn't happen anymore.

2:54

You've seen this movie before.

2:57

Uh is my honor to read a proclamation declaring February 2nd, 2026 as Groundhog Day in the City of Woodstock.

3:05

Bing.

3:06

Nice.

3:08

You're gonna are you gonna do that?

3:09

You're gonna do that.

3:10

Okay.

3:11

Whereas the motion picture groundhog day was filmed almost entirely in the City of Woodstock in 1992 and released in 1993.

3:19

And whereas the City of Woodstock proudly celebrates the filming of the movie that put Woodstock, Illinois on the map, and Bing, where the annual commemoration known as Woodstock Groundhog Days began in 1995 with the inaugural prognostication and breakfast, and Bing.

3:41

Whereas Stephen Tobeluski, also known as a needle-nosed Ned, returns again and again and again to meet with fans at the Woodstock Opera House and to officiate the official prognostication on the Woodstock Square on February 2nd.

3:55

And whereas this year's celebration will also include the return of the Chile Cook-Off, the welcoming of Woodstock Willie, the groundhog at the old courthouse center, followed by movie trivia, a pub crawl, screening of Groundhog Day at the Alpine Theater, and a drink to world peace.

Discussion Breakdown — Share of Meeting
Cannabis Regulation█████████████████████████25%
Procedural███████████████████19%
Public Safety████████████12%
Community Engagement██████████10%
Economic Development██████████10%
Engineering And Infrastructure████████8%
Technology and Innovation██████6%
Public Engagement█████5%
Budget Equity Analysis██2%
Summary of Proceedings

Woodstock City Council Meeting - January 20, 2026

The Woodstock City Council held its first meeting of 2026 on January 20, 2026, at 7:00 p.m. in City Council Chambers. The meeting included a Groundhog Day proclamation, public comments on a proposed gravel pit development and Flock safety cameras, approval of a consent calendar with several items, separate discussion and votes on two removed items (a PUD for an accessory structure and a deferral of an organizational assessment), and a discussion on video gaming regulations. The next meeting is scheduled for February 3, 2026, at 7:00 p.m.

Proclamation

  • The Council read and adopted a proclamation declaring February 2, 2026, as Groundhog Day in Woodstock. The annual celebration runs from January 30 through February 2, 2026, and includes Woodstock Willie, a chili cook-off, movie trivia, pub crawl, and a screening of Groundhog Day. Stephen Tobolowsky (Ned Ryerson) will return as a special guest. Council members and the Groundhog Day committee posed for a photo wearing Ned Ryerson hats.

Public Comments & Testimony

  • Mike Phillips (2012 Redbarn Road) expressed strong opposition to the annexation and development requests for the gravel pit on Lily Pond Road. He stated that residents feel the process is stacked against them and that the petitioner has decades of experience while residents are unfamiliar with the process. Mayor Turner interjected that the process is not a done deal, that the city will proceed slowly and thoroughly, and that he has not formed a final opinion. The mayor offered to hold informal Q&A sessions and city forums.
  • Francis (415 Lincoln Avenue) spoke about security, privacy, and misuse concerns regarding Flock Safety automatic license plate reader (ALPR) cameras. He cited 51 serious cybersecurity vulnerabilities, root-level access risks, long-term tracking of individuals, and documented misuse nationwide. He noted that cities may be liable for litigation from misuse. The mayor acknowledged the comments and directed him to attend the February 3 meeting where the Flock contract is on the agenda.

Consent Calendar

  • The consent calendar included items A through D16 (acceptance of minutes, warrants, minutes/reports, and Manager's Report No. 285 items 1–16). Items D6 (PUD for accessory structure at 1040 Lake Avenue) and D15 (Organizational Assessment with Moorefield Strategic Solutions) were removed for separate consideration. The remaining consent items were approved unanimously (6-0). Notable items approved:
    • D4: Ordinance authorizing a Right-of-Way permitting agreement with i3 Broadband and revising Title Six to vest supervisory authority in the City Engineer (with a typographical correction noted).
    • D9: Change Order #1 with Builders Paving, LLC for the 2025 Enhanced Streets Improvement Program (increase of $1,200,000).
    • D13: Resolution accepting the Final Concept Design for the WWW Splashpad, with one potential feature change pending safety analysis.
    • D16: Video Gaming License for Antioch Pizza Shop (reclassifying its liquor license to A-2V).

Discussion Items

  • D6 – PUD for Accessory Structure at 1040 Lake Avenue (Niko's Red Mill): Councilman Hansen expressed concerns about using a PUD for a single shipping container, the absence of a notarized owner consent, and that the city code prohibits such containers. Councilman Seegers supported it as a creative, hidden addition that helps a struggling business. Councilwoman Ziemba raised safety concerns about lighting and egress. The petitioner's representative, James Brunschroeder, confirmed the container will have a flip-up door and be locked at night. The motion to approve passed 4-2 (Flynn, Seegers, Ziemba, Turner in favor; Hansen, McMahon opposed), conditioned on obtaining a notarized statement from the property owner.
  • D15 – Organizational Assessment with Moorefield Strategic Solutions: Councilman Flynn moved to defer this item to a non-specific future date (mid-February or early March) at the request of absent Councilman Nearman, who wanted additional discussion and budget consideration. The motion passed unanimously (6-0).
  • Transmittal of FY26/27–FY35/36 Capital Improvement Program (CIP): City Manager Stelford presented the $200 million 10-year spending plan, noting significant increases in water/sewer regulatory requirements and Route 47 costs. The plan continues substantial street spending. Budget workshops will be scheduled in the coming weeks.
  • Video Gaming Regulations: Council discussed staff recommendations to establish objective metrics (e.g., percentage of revenue from gaming, terminal-to-seat ratios, commercial kitchen requirements) to prevent video gaming cafes. Consensus emerged to eliminate gaming cafes. Councilman Seegers argued for a revenue-based percentage (e.g., gaming ≤ 25% of total revenue). Councilwoman Ziemba requested population-to-terminal ratio data. Councilman Hansen opposed a one-year waiting period for new businesses to add gaming. Mayor Turner emphasized supporting restaurants that use gaming as a revenue floor. Staff will refine options and bring back an ordinance for future consideration.

Key Outcomes

  • Groundhog Day Proclamation: Adopted unanimously.
  • Consent Calendar (minus D6, D15): Approved unanimously (6-0).
  • D6 – PUD for Accessory Structure: Approved 4-2, conditioned on notarized owner consent.
  • D15 – Organizational Assessment: Deferred to time non-specific (unanimous).
  • CIP Transmittal: Received; budget workshops to be scheduled.
  • Video Gaming Regulations: Direction given to staff to develop objective standards to prevent gaming cafes; no final action taken.

Meeting Transcript

Well, good evening, ladies and gentlemen gentlemen. I'd like to welcome you to this evening's uh meeting of the Woodstock City Council, the first meeting of 2026. Uh before we get formally started, a few brief announcements. Uh the agenda will be shown on the monitors in the room. Uh the city of Woodstock operates under what's called a consent uh format. Confent consent format means that all items for action this evening will be considered in a single motion and a single vote. If a member of the public wishes to have an item separately removed for consider I'm sorry, member of the public wishes to have an item for separate consideration and voting, they may make that request and agreed to by a member of the Woodstock City Council. That item will be removed for separate consideration and voting. Likewise, a member of the Woodstock City Council may request an item to be removed for separate consideration and voting, and that item as well will be removed and separately considered and voted upon. There are two opportunities for public comment this evening. The first being at the start of the meeting. Members of the public are welcome to come forward at that under floor discussion public comment, or welcome to 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 to the Woodstock City Council and any items not on this evening's agenda. Then the second opportunity for public comment will occur on every item that we consider or discuss this evening of an opportunity for public comment on those each of those items as well. Any questions on those announcements before we get started? All right. Hearing none, I'll go ahead and officially call to order this January 20th, 2026 meeting of the Woodstock City Council of the Order, and ask Jane to please call the roll. Councilman Flynn. Here. Councilman Hansen. Here. Councilwoman McMahon here. Councilman Nearman. Councilman Seegers. Here. Councilwoman Ziemba. Here. Mayor Turner. Here. Let the record reflect that six of the seven members of the Woodstock City Council are present in the meeting this evening. Jane, would you please confirm that the uh agenda this evening is the same as the true and published agenda? Yes, it is. Thank you, Jane. That being the case, ladies and gentlemen of the council, people's business is duly and appropriately before us. The first item we have this evening is floor discussion. And once again, it's time for a groundhog day proclamation. So I would invite Pete Reese, Woodstock Willie, and the rest of the of the crew to come over on the side here and we'll uh happily read this proclamation again. Again. I did wear mine. I know. It's a little bit this one for there, but yes. It is. That's my advantage. So council uh without objection, Natalie, you're paying attention. Yes. Okay. Council without objection. Not like this doesn't happen anymore. You've seen this movie before.

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