Woodstock City Council Meeting – February 3, 2026

The Woodstock City Council met in chambers at 7:00 p.m. on February 3, 2026, with all seven members participating; Councilwoman Ziemba joined remotely by audio after the initial roll call and a motion to allow remote participation. The agenda included a Black History Month proclamation, an ADA transition plan presentation, a True North/Hearthstone conceptual housing presentation, public comment, the consent calendar, and a divided vote on a security camera system for the Woodstock Square. The meeting recessed at approximately 8:10 p.m. and reconvened at 8:18 p.m., later recessed with plans to resume at 10:10 p.m. and reconvened at 10:12 p.m., then continued through lengthy public comment.

Consent Calendar

• The consent calendar included minutes, warrants #4182 and #4183, commission minutes/reports, and Manager's Report No. 286 items: Eastwood Drive final plat and special use, Route 47 Business Relief Fund, Hotel Redevelopment Agreement amendment, council meeting date code change, America250 resolution, Sheriff's House construction contract award (not to exceed $143,882), IDOT temporary construction easement renewal, and Recreation Center insulation removal change order ($33,373.19).
• Item D1 (Eastwood Drive) was removed at the petitioner's request and postponed to the February 17 meeting.
• Item D2 (Route 47 Business Relief Fund) was removed by Councilman Seegers, discussed separately, and approved 6–1, with Councilman Seegers voting no.
• The remaining consent calendar items passed unanimously.

Public Comments & Testimony

• Rick Belairs, on behalf of the Woodstock Groundhog Days Committee, thanked the city and reported over 500 participants in the second annual 5K, more than 400 movie attendees, and nearly 400 at a Steven Tobolski presentation; visitors came from multiple states and countries.
• Several residents opposed the proposed gravel pit expansion near Connell Road/Lilly Pond, including Robert Lesowski, Lisa Grover Camps, Nina Lysowski, and Natalie Hendricks. They raised concerns about groundwater, dust, truck traffic, property values, health, and quality of life. Lisa Grover Camps described negative experiences living near an existing gravel pit and asked about road maintenance. The Mayor said the process is moving intentionally slowly, with a council decision not expected for three to five months.
• A resident presented tree-loss data, including Olson Park going from 27 trees in 2008 to 15 (a 45% loss), and asked the city to encourage more replanting.
• Tina Hill supported the America250 commemoration resolution and described plans for a local community committee.
• During the security camera comment period, more than 30 residents spoke. Most opposed the Flock proposal or both vendor options, citing concerns about AI, facial recognition, cloud data control, alleged Flock security vulnerabilities and data breaches, data sharing with federal agencies, cost, and lack of community input. Several urged tabling the decision or holding a town hall. A former Woodstock police officer, Josh Fordyce, spoke in favor of cameras, citing successful outcomes in similar communities and saying Illinois law restricts immigration-related use.

Discussion Items

• Black History Month Proclamation: Mayor Turner read the proclamation designating February 2026 as Black History Month; Mary Kate Bellaro of the Cultural and Social Awareness Commission accepted it and thanked the council.
• ADA Transition Plan: Don Kostelec of Vitruvian Planning presented the ADA self-evaluation and transition plan prepared with CMAP grant funding. Woodstock has about 118 sidewalk miles under city jurisdiction, about 12 miles (roughly 10%) in need of reconstruction, 1,850 curb ramps with about 180 needing work, and 17 remaining corner stairways. Roughly 3,000 of about 26,000 residents report a disability, and almost 1,500 report more than one disability. The plan recommends an implementation goal of about $75,000 per year and updates every five years; the final report is expected by March, with adoption anticipated in April.
• True North / Hearthstone Properties Concept: Nick Rumchuk presented a concept to redevelop the former Hearthstone site into about 200 apartments: approximately 170 units in the two former seminary buildings and 30 more in duplexes, with roughly one-quarter studios, one-half one-bedrooms, and one-quarter two-bedrooms. He said the company would own and manage the properties long term. Council members expressed support for the adaptive reuse concept, encouraged exterior and interior quality, and City Manager explained that a zoning application must go to the Plan Commission and then to the Council.
• Route 47 Business Relief Fund: Councilman Seegers said he could not support using taxpayer money to subsidize private businesses and questioned whether the fund would reach enough businesses. Economic development staff said the program would be a competitive grant, use $25,000 tranches, and leverage private donations through the McHenry County Community Foundation. The ordinance passed 6–1.
• Security Camera Selection: The Council considered two Woodstock Square camera options: a three-year Flock Safety lease for six cameras at about $22,000 per year, and a Modern Media Tech/Verkada purchase for eight locations at about $45,000. Police and IT staff discussed operational benefits, data security, cloud storage, integration, and contract terms. After public comment and council discussion, the Council approved the Flock lease with additional conditions.

Key Outcomes

• Black History Month was proclaimed.
• The Route 47 Business Relief Fund was established with $50,000 in two $25,000 tranches from the Revolving Loan Fund, approved 6–1.
• The Eastwood Drive subdivision/special use item was postponed to February 17, 2026.
• The ADA transition plan presentation was received; formal adoption is expected in April after final report and public notice.
• The True North/Hearthstone concept was received with support but no formal action; the next step is a zoning application.
• The Council approved the Flock Safety camera lease 4–3 on a motion by Councilman Seegers, with Flynn, McMahon, and Ziemba voting no and Nearman, Seegers, Hansen, and Turner voting yes. The approval is subject to city attorney review and includes a 120-day city-only opt-out/cancellation clause, a non-appropriation clause, review of data ownership/security/access issues, no facial recognition capability, and no AI training use of footage. The MMT/Verkada option was not selected.
• The next regular meeting was set for February 17, 2026, at 7:00 p.m.