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Record of Proceedings

Woodstock City Council Meeting Summary – October 6, 2026

City Council — Tuesday, October 6, 2026
BodyWoodstock, Illinois
SessionCity Council
DateTuesday, October 6, 2026
StatusFILED
Video Record
0:00 / 1:53:26

Original source
Transcript — VerbatimClick a timed line to jump · ⧉ to share it

Speaker numbers apply only to this recording.

Unassigned speaker

0:01

Well,

Speaker 1

0:01

good evening, ladies and gentlemen.

0:03

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

Unassigned speaker

0:08

A

Speaker 1

0:09

few brief announcements before we get started.

0:11

First, the meeting uh is being live streamed and is recorded and saved on the uh city's website.

0:18

The agenda will be shown on the monitors uh in the room in the chambers.

0:24

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

0:28

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

Unassigned speaker

0:33

If

Speaker 1

0:33

a member of the Woodstock City Council wishes to request an item to be removed for separate consideration and voting, they may make that request and it will be removed from the consent calendar and separately considered.

0:44

If a member of the public wishes to have an item removed for separate consideration and voting, they may make that request as well.

0:49

And if agreed to by a member of the Woodstock City Council, that item as well will be uh removed and considered separately.

0:56

There are two opportunities for public comment.

0:58

First being at the start of the meeting under floor discussion.

1:01

Members of the public are invited to come forward under floor discussion public comment to the podium in the middle of the room.

1:06

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

1:09

Feel free to make comments on any item a knot on this evening's agenda.

1:13

Second opportunity, uh you have an opportunity to make comments on any items that are under consideration or discussion by the Woodstock City uh council.

1:23

Uh as a reminder, uh public comment uh may be limited per city ordinance to a maximum of three minutes.

1:30

Any questions on those announcements before we get started?

Unassigned speaker

1:35

All right,

Speaker 1

1:35

hearing none, I'll go ahead and officially call the order this uh October 6th, 2026 meeting of the Woodstock City Council to order and ask Jane to please call the roll.

Speaker 2

1:45

Councilman Flynn.

Speaker 1

1:46

Here.

Speaker 2

1:47

Councilman Hansen?

1:48

Here.

1:49

Councilwoman McMahon.

1:51

Councilman Nearman.

1:52

Here.

1:53

Councilman Seegers.

1:54

Here.

1:54

Councilwoman Ziemba?

Speaker 3

1:55

Here.

Speaker 2

1:56

Mayor Turner.

Speaker 1

1:57

Here.

1:57

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

2:04

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

Speaker 2

2:10

Yes, it is.

Speaker 1

2:11

Thank you, Jane.

2:12

Um we need to also do an additional uh vote um on the uh a motion and vote for the telephonic uh participation by councilwoman uh Melissa McMahon.

2:24

Uh a motion for that would be in order.

2:25

So moved motion by Councilman Flynn.

2:27

Is there a second?

Speaker 4

2:28

Second.

Speaker 1

2:29

Uh second by Councilman uh Nearman.

2:32

There's a motion to approve uh telephonic participation by Councilwoman McMahon.

2:37

Any questions in the motion before us, members of council?

2:40

Any questions of the motion before us, members of public?

2:42

All those in favor, please signify by saying aye.

2:45

Aye.

2:45

Aye.

2:46

Opposed, nay.

2:47

Abstentions.

2:48

Uh uh telephonic approval by uh for uh councilwoman McMahon has been approved.

Unassigned speaker

2:54

Jane,

Speaker 1

2:54

I'll ask you to please call the roll um following the addition of the councilwoman to the meeting of those present in chambers and on the phone.

Speaker 2

3:04

Councilman Flynn.

Speaker 1

3:05

Here.

Speaker 2

3:06

Councilman Hansen.

Discussion Breakdown — Share of Meeting
Public Engagement██████████████████18%
Arts And Culture█████████████13%
Procedural██████████10%
Community Engagement████████8%
Public Safety████████8%
Downtown Planning████████8%
Technology and Innovation███████7%
Parking Management██████6%
Economic Development█████5%
Summary of Proceedings

Woodstock City Council Meeting Summary – October 6, 2026

The Woodstock City Council met on October 6, 2026, at 7:00 PM in Council Chambers. The agenda included a federal grant presentation for IL Route 47, proclamations for Manufacturing Month and the SOAR@Dorr anniversary, extensive public comment on the FLOC (Flock Safety) camera system, discussion of the Stage Left venue rebranding, and a vote on a development agreement for the Calhoun and Jefferson site.

Presentations & Proclamations

  • Congressman Bill Foster presented a $3.15 million check to the city for the IL Route 47 widening project. The City’s Grants Manager was praised for the high quality of the grant application.
  • The Council proclaimed October 2026 as Manufacturing Month in Woodstock. The proclamation highlighted manufacturing as the fourth largest employment sector in the city, paying $150 million in wages to 1,430 positions, with average annual compensation of $105,000. (Note: The agenda listed this item as “October 2027,” but the proclamation read during the meeting stated “October 2026.”)
  • The Council recognized the five-year anniversary of the SOAR@Dorr Center. The center provides over 100 programs and attracts 1,200 participants monthly, supported by 2,430 volunteer hours last year. Woodstock was noted as one of only 15 age-friendly livable communities in Illinois.

Public Comments & Testimony

  • Andrew Salamone (SOAR Advisory Committee): Urged the city to better engage the SOAR community for broader input on governance.
  • FLOC/Flock Safety Camera System (Multiple Speakers): Several residents expressed strong opposition to the FLOC system.
    • A speaker criticized the city's FOIA response regarding FLOC emails as "overly burdensome" and demanded full transparency.
    • Mike Toller: Cited recent events including a ruling in Oklahoma against warrantless ALPR searches, a federal jury verdict in Texas against unlawful detention stemming from FLOC data, and reports of unauthorized cameras in St. Lucie County, FL.
    • Molly Dunn (Business Owner): Questioned the lack of progress on a third-party audit and the decision not to contact Racine, WI, about their contract termination. The Mayor stated he is not willing to cancel the contract but has discussed potentially re-bidding it in the future.
    • Don Francis (Resident): Inquired about the status of reducing the 30-day data retention policy. Staff indicated the police chief has ongoing concerns and no decision has been made.
    • Willie Stasney (Resident/Business Owner): Highlighted the lack of action on a third-party audit and suggested a 14 or 21-day retention period as a middle ground.
  • Ken West (Event Organizer, Material Things): Expressed concerns about the city’s proposed fee matrix for not-for-profit events, advocating for a flat fee structure. Staff indicated the item will likely be scheduled for a discussion prior to a vote, potentially in late November or December.

Discussion Items

  • Stage Left Post-Renovation Naming and Branding: Staff presented the updated branding concept, "Stage Left Studio at the Woodstock Opera House," and two logo color options (yellow brick vs. red brick). Council members expressed strong support for the business plan and the new direction. The council favored the yellow brick option but requested slight tweaks to the color palette and logo configuration before finalizing.

Key Outcomes

  • Zeller Multifamily Agreement Approved (6-1): The Council approved the resolutions authorizing an Exclusive Negotiating Agreement and TIF Inducement for the redevelopment of the Calhoun and Jefferson site with Zeller Multifamily Manager LLC. Councilwoman McMahon voted no, citing concerns about the loss of public parking. Other members expressed enthusiasm for the project and confidence that parking concerns would be addressed through the ongoing parking study.
  • Consent Calendar Approved: All items on the consent calendar (A through D8) were approved unanimously, with item D6 considered separately. Specific clarifications were provided on Items D7 and D8 regarding the Dollar General easement and personnel staffing.
  • Lead Pipe Replacement Grant: Mayor Turner announced a $250,000 state grant secured by Senator Will Cox to support lead pipe replacement costs.
  • Stage Left Direction: Council provided staff with direction to refine the selected logo and branding concept for final approval.
  • Future Meetings: The next regular meeting is scheduled for October 20, 2026. The November 3 meeting has been moved to Wednesday, November 4, 2026, due to Election Day.

Meeting Transcript

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. First, the meeting uh is being live streamed and is recorded and saved on the uh city's website. The agenda will be shown on the monitors uh in the room in the chambers. The City of Woodstock operates on a what's called a consent format. Consent format means that all items for action this evening are considered in a single motion, a single vote. If a member of the Woodstock City Council wishes to request an item to be removed for separate consideration and voting, they may make that request and it will be removed from the consent calendar and separately considered. If a member of the public wishes to have an item removed for separate consideration and voting, they may make that request as well. And if agreed to by a member of the Woodstock City Council, that item as well will be uh removed and considered separately. There are two opportunities for public comment. First being at the start of the meeting under floor discussion. Members of the public are invited to come forward under floor discussion public comment to the podium in the middle of the room. If you're willing to do so, state your name and address for purpose of the record. Feel free to make comments on any item a knot on this evening's agenda. Second opportunity, uh you have an opportunity to make comments on any items that are under consideration or discussion by the Woodstock City uh council. Uh as a reminder, uh public comment uh may be limited per city ordinance to a maximum of three minutes. Any questions on those announcements before we get started? All right, hearing none, I'll go ahead and officially call the order this uh October 6th, 2026 meeting of the Woodstock City Council to order and ask Jane to please call the roll. Councilman Flynn. Here. Councilman Hansen? Here. Councilwoman McMahon. Councilman Nearman. Here. Councilman Seegers. Here. Councilwoman Ziemba? Here. Mayor Turner. Here. Let the record reply reflect that uh six of the seven members of the Woodstock City Council are present in chambers this evening. Jane, can you can please confirm that the agenda this evening is the same as the true and published agenda? Yes, it is. Thank you, Jane. Um we need to also do an additional uh vote um on the uh a motion and vote for the telephonic uh participation by councilwoman uh Melissa McMahon. Uh a motion for that would be in order. So moved motion by Councilman Flynn. Is there a second? Second. Uh second by Councilman uh Nearman. There's a motion to approve uh telephonic participation by Councilwoman McMahon. Any questions in the motion before us, members of council? Any questions of the motion before us, members of public? All those in favor, please signify by saying aye.

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