City Council

MINUTES WOODSTOCK CITY COUNCIL City Council Chambers September 1, 2020 A regular meeting of the Woodstock City Council was called to order at 7:00 PM on Tuesday, September 1, 2020, by Mayor Sager in the Council Chambers at Woodstock City Hall. Mayor Sager noted this meeting of the Woodstock City Council is being held under the Governor’s Emergency Declaration with Council members attending remotely and those attending at City Hall observing social distancing. He stated tonight’s meeting is being livestreamed, as is the City’s policy. Inviting all to participate, Mayor Sager explained the procedures to be used by the City Council, City Staff, and the Public to join today’s meeting, including how comments may be made and questions asked. Mayor Sager explained the Consent Calendar. A roll call was taken. COUNCIL MEMBERS PRESENT IN THE COUNCIL CHAMBERS: Mayor Brian Sager COUNCIL MEMBERS PRESENT ATTENDING REMOTELY: Darrin Flynn, Lisa Lohmeyer, Wendy Piersall, Jim Prindiville, Gordon Tebo, and Michael Turner. COUNCIL ABSENT: None STAFF PRESENT IN THE COUNCIL CHAMBERS: City Manager Roscoe Stelford, Economic Development Director Garrett Anderson, and Grant Writer/Communications Manager Terry Willcockson STAFF ATTENDING REMOTELY: Assistant City Manager/Finance Director Paul Christensen, City Attorney Ruth Schlossberg, IT Director Dan McElmeel, Building and Zoning Director Joe Napolitano, Public Works Director Jeff Van Landuyt and City Planner Darrell Moore. OTHERS PRESENT IN THE COUNCIL CHAMBERS: City Clerk Cindy Smiley Mayor Sager noted the presence of a quorum under the revised rules of the Governor during this COVID emergency. City Clerk Smiley confirmed the agenda before the Council is a true and correct copy of the published agenda. III. FLOOR DISCUSSION A. Public Comments Greg Amato, Woodstock, stated he read in the paper that Woodstock is doing a lot of street paving, which he feels is needed, but asked how this will be paid for. Mayor Sager stated Staff and the City Council have had many conversations with a lot of data reviewed concerning this matter. He stated Council recognizes street improvements are a high priority and intends to address this need. Mayor Sager noted there are various alternatives as to how to schedule and pay for these improvements. He stated a plan has been put forth to move forward at an aggressive rate so the near term would have a lot of capital dedicated to it with another approach being to take on a smaller program over a 10-year term. He stated discussions also have included whether to delay the program for one year because of the current COVID situation. Mayor Sager stated it is important to look at the amount of improvements .  Woodstock City Council 09-01-20 that have been prioritized as well as the amount of improvements in the various categories, what the City’s financial capacity is, and how the improvements will be paid for. He stated these things are yet to be determined and depend partly on bonds that will be retiring. He stated Staff and Council will continue to work on this and have further discussions. Mayor Sager noted what is being done for this year has already been approved and is being worked on. In response to a comment from Mr. Amato concerning his property taxes, Mr. Stelford noted this year’s street improvements are not being funded by property tax. Mayor Sager stated that only a small portion of a property tax bill is dedicated to the City of Woodstock. B. Council Comments There were no comments forthcoming from the City Council. IV. CONSENT AGENDA Motion by M. Turner, second by G. Tebo, to approve the Consent Agenda. In response to a question from Mayor Sager, the following item was removed from the Consent Agenda by the City Council or the Public: Item D-4 – Award of Contract – Stairway Repair by Mayor Sager In response to a question from Mayor Sager, the following questions or comments were forthcoming from the Public or the City Council concerning items on the Consent Agenda. Item D-3 – Professional Services – Engineering – Walking/Bike Path ITEP Grant Councilman Tebo stated he is excited about this project, opining it will be a great asset to the community. Mayor Sager agreed expressing his appreciation for the effort Staff has put into this project. He noted this is something Council has frequently heard requested by the community. Mayor Sager affirmed the Consent Agenda to include items A through D-3 as follows: A. MINUTES OF PREVIOUS MEETING April 10, 2020 City Council Budget Workshop August 18, 2020 City Council Meeting B. WARRANTS #3919 #3920 C. MINUTES AND REPORTS Police Department Monthly Report July 2020 Public Works Department Monthly Report July 2020 D. MANAGER’S REPORT NO. 163: 1. Award of Contract – Emergency Siren Repair – Approval of an unbudgeted expenditure of $9,900 for the immediate preventative maintenance and repair of four (4) of the City of Woodstock’s outdoor severe weather warning sirens (Lake Avenue, First Street, Emricson 2  Woodstock City Council 09-01-20 Park, and Bates Park) that will be completed by Associated Electrical Contractors, LLC of Woodstock, Illinois 2. Award of Contract – Well Maintenance & Improvements – Approval to award a contract to Layne Christensen Company to provide materials, labor, and equipment to pull, inspect, and reinstall Well #12 for a total cost not to exceed $61,344. 3. Professional Services – Engineering – Walking/Bike Path ITEP Grant a) Approval to proceed with preparations required to construct a proposed walking/bike path for eventual submittal to the ITEP grant program; and b) Authorization for the City Manager to execute a contract with HLR to facilitate the Phase 1 engineering, funded via TIF#2 for an estimated cost of $103,515. A roll call vote was taken on items A through D-3. Ayes: D. Flynn, L. Lohmeyer, W. Piersall, J. Prindiville, G. Tebo, M. Turner, and Mayor B. Sager. Nays: none. Abstentions: none. Absentees: none. Motion carried. Item D-4 – Award of Contract – Stairway Repair: Mayor Sager stated he removed this item from the Consent Agenda due to a matter of protocol as the grant that was to pay for the restoration of the proposed stairway repair will not be available for this project because it was specifically associated with the Age-Friendly Community project. He stated that through the Arts Commission and the Pride community it was felt that the proposed art component was trying to be too expansive. He stated discussion ensued and through the Arts Commission and Terry Willcockson, the Pride Community was involved in this project. Mayor Sager stated it must be determined what to do with the stairway as it needs to be repaired and a project associated with an arts and diversity representation is also a question. In response to a question from Mayor Sager, it was the consensus of the Council that funds should be expended for stairway improvements. Councilman Prindiville opined it is important to examine the entire staircase as he has noticed a lot of rust. He suggested having the City Engineer examine the staircase carefully in case further repairs are needed. Mr. Stelford stated Mr. Van Landuyt has indicated the contractor will have to remove more of the façade and agreed the City should determine if additional work is needed. Mayor Sager suggested authorizing the City Manager to exercise his authority to move forward with identified repairs to the stairway. Motion by M. Turner, second by L. Lohmeyer, to authorize the City Manager to exercise his authority up to $25,000 to move forward with the unbudgeted repair of the stairway at the southeast corner of the Woodstock Square. A roll call vote was taken. Ayes: D. Flynn, L. Lohmeyer, W. Piersall, J. Prindiville, G. Tebo, M. Turner, and Mayor Sager. Nays: none. Abstentions: none. Absentees: none. Motion carried. 3  Woodstock City Council 09-01-20 V. DISCUSSION 1. Old Courthouse Renderings Mayor Sager stated this is an opportunity for the City Council to have input on the renderings for the addition to the Throop Street side of the Old Courthouse. Darrell Moore noted Council has been provided with copies of the new drawings of the Throop Street side of the Old Courthouse prepared by Gary Anderson following comments made by the Council at a previous meeting. He stated at that meeting Council requested more glass and noted this distinguishes the addition from the original historic structure. He reminded Council that any approval would be tied to what is possible financially. Noting there are three options presented, Mr. Moore summarized each as follows: Option 1 Mr. Moore noted this option is a “hybrid” model which takes the place of the original “brick sketch” including larger windows that Council had expressed a preference for. Option 2 Mr. Moore stated this is a very modern version using very innovated building techniques. He noted the result is a very translucent structure, so the inside structure looks like it is flooded with light. He stated this is very advanced, forward-looking architecture, which distinguishes it from the historic structure. Option 3 Mr. Moore stated this is exactly what the Council liked at the previous meeting with more detail provided. He stated this is a more traditional building style with glass divided by and supported by a metal structure, while still presenting a lot of glass. Mr. Moore stated Mr. Anderson has given estimates of the building costs for each of the three options with Options 1 and 3 being very comparable at $160,000 and $175,000 respectively and Option 2 being by far the most expensive at $349,000. He stated Council’s direction is requested. Councilwoman Lohmeyer expressed preference for Option 3. Councilman Turner expressed preference for Option 3, stating he likes the look and the price. Councilman Flynn expressed preference for Option 3, stating it is aesthetically pleased and is set apart from the Old Courthouse. He expressed concern with Option 1, opining it may be difficult to match the color of the Old Courthouse bricks as they are stained. Mr. Moore noted new bricks have been added at different times, meaning there are different color of stains, providing additional information on this. He stated if Option 1 is chosen the intent is to use the bricks reclaimed from the chimney. He stated there would be some level of staining required, but noted there already is. Councilman Prindiville opined it would be hard to match the brick and noted the back of the jail has a lot of yellow brick. He opined Option 2 is too expensive. He expressed concern that the metal may be affected by UV light, but expressed support for Option 3. 4  Woodstock City Council 09-01-20 Councilwoman Piersall expressed support for Option 1, opining the other options look like they are “stuck” on a historic building. She opined Option 1 stays with historic architecture while still allowing lots of light. She noted there is already brick that does not match on the existing buildings. Mayor Sager expressed support for Option 1, opining it is a good mix and is the proper complement. He stated he likes the cornices that wrap around and opined the windows are striking. He expressed his belief that Option 1’s longevity will be greater. Councilman Tebo stated he did not like Option 2 and opined both Options 1 and 3 would be satisfactory. He expressed his favor for Option 1, liking the way it matches. Councilman Prindiville again expressed concern with the metal fading on Option 3, stating he would also favor Option 1 as he, too, likes the cornices. In response to a question from Mayor Sager, without objection it was the consensus of the City Council to eliminate Option 2 as no Council member had expressed support for that Option. At the suggestion of Mayor Sager and without objection it was the consensus of the City Council to move this forward and seek input from and the perspective of the Old Courthouse and Sheriff’s House Advisory Commission and the Historic Preservation Commission on Options 1 and 3, knowing the final decision rests with the City Council. In response to a question from Mr. Stelford concerning Historic Tax Credits, Mr. Moore stated these types of designs were previewed by the State Historic Preservation Office which expressed no concerns with either. He stated the federal level of approval is still in process, noting they requested more detail about the façade appearance and that these renderings have been sent to them. He opined the Historic Tax Credits are very attainable. In response to a question from Mayor Sager, there were no comments or questions forthcoming from the Public. 2. Cass/Benton Streets Closures/Emergency Loan Program Review Mayor Sager reminded Council of its wish to review some of the actions it made in response to COVID-19 to determine the future of these efforts. Garrett Anderson provided a report on the Emergency Loan Program. He opined it has been a success, noting funds were made available not only to downtown businesses, but businesses throughout the rest of the community as well. He stated as no applications have been received for several weeks, the request is to return the unused funds set aside for this program to the CIP Budget to allow some of those projects to move forward. Mr. Anderson stated Staff is also looking for input from Council regarding the outdoor tables placed by the City on Benton Street and other locations throughout the Downtown to be used by the restaurants for outdoor dining. He noted once snow falls safety would dictate they be put away. Mr. Anderson stated the third issue for which Staff seeks direction is the closure of a portion of Cass Street on Saturday nights, which was requested by Ethereal to accommodate music. Ethereal has requested this be extended. 5  Woodstock City Council 09-01-20 Mayor Sager summarized the questions: 1) Does Council wish to continue the Saturday night closure of a portion of Cass Street to provide an opportunity for concerts? 2) Does Council wish to have a date specific to remove the public tables from the streets and reopen them? 3) Does Council wish to return the undistributed portion of the Emergency Loan Program funds to the CIP? Discussion began with question #3: Should the undistributed funds designated for the Emergency Loan Program be returned to the CIP? In response to a question from Councilwoman Piersall, Mr. Anderson stated fewer than 10 of the loans have gone to restaurants. Expressing concern about closing the Emergency Loan Program prior to the onset of cold weather when restaurants might need it due to the loss of outdoor dining, Councilwoman Piersall stated she would prefer to keep the option open for the restaurants to access loan funds. Councilman Tebo asked if the loan option could be kept open for six months or whether the funds are needed now. In response, Mr. Stelford stated there is not an immediate need, with no current cash flow issues with the CIP Budget, noting there are sufficient reserves. He opined the money would assist with a few projects the City has moving forward, but noted if Council feels it would be of greater benefit to keep the Emergency Loan Program going, that would be fine. Mr. Christensen opined it is not critical that the money be returned to the CIP soon, but he would like to know for planning purposes. Councilman Turner stated Councilwoman Piersall raises a good point about what could happen in the fall, opining some businesses could get in trouble if things do not change. He also opined ten is a decent number of restaurants to have taken advantage of the Loan Program. He stated he favors keeping the loan option open for now as he shares concerns about those businesses when they have to operate only inside. In response to a question from Mayor Sager without objection it was the consensus of the City Council to leave the Emergency Loan Program in place for a while and review it again in March. Discussion ensued on question #2 – Date to remove tables and reopen streets: In response to a question from Mayor Sager, Mr. Van Landuyt stated the tables on the Benton Street Boardwalk normally are removed the 1st or 2nd week of October. Councilman Turner stated he did not think removal should be left until snowfall, opining November 1st would show consideration for the businesses, as there are some nice days in October. He stated he would like the tables to stay through October, but not into November. He expressed appreciation to Staff for bringing this to Council for consideration. Councilwoman Lohmeyer stated she has received an overwhelmingly positive response concerning this extra opportunity to dine outside. She expressed agreement that November 1st is reasonable. Councilman Flynn advocated stretching this out as long as possible before a heavy snow. 6  Woodstock City Council 09-01-20 In response to a question from Councilman Piersall as to why the tables cannot be left over the winter, Mr. Van Landuyt stated it would present a snow removal problem on Benton Street if it is not open. He stated the snow in the parking spaces on Dean Street by Double Yolk could not be removed and would just sit. Councilwoman Piersall then expressed support for removal of the tables at the first snowfall. Mayor Sager opined Council must be practical, opining a time specific is not always going to be practical when weather conditions are concerned, noting there may or may not be snow in October. He stated Council must remember Staff has to do this in the midst of doing other projects. He advocated for allowing Staff to remove the tables at any time up to the last week of October, allowing them to schedule the removal. In response to a question from Councilwoman Piersall concerning Trick or Treating on the Square, Mr. Stelford stated this will not be possible. He noted the businesses have expressed concerns about Trick or Treating as has the City. Mr. Stelford stated it may be possible to hold Trick or Treating at the Rec Center, noting Danielle from the Chamber of Commerce is talking with the businesses about participating. He stated plans are still under way to have a good faith effort at Trick or Treating in Woodstock. In response to a question from Councilwoman Piersall, it was noted the last day of the Farmers Market is October 24th. In response to a question from Mayor Sager and without objection, it was the consensus of the City Council to close the outdoor dining areas on October 24th with tables removed between October 25th and October 31st. Discussion turned to question #1 – Saturday night closure of Cass Street. Mayor Sager stated the original closure granted by Council was through Labor Day weekend. He stated the question is whether Council is open to extending this opportunity to the same time frame discussed for the tables in the previous discussion. Councilman Tebo stated he was present on a recent Saturday night for music on Cass Street, noting people enjoyed it. He talked about the problem noted in the Staff report with people throwing frisbees, stating these were not only youth. He stated the closure and music is a great idea, but opined Ethereal and Winestock must not allow anything to happen to disturb those enjoying the patio at the Public House. Mayor Sager stated those establishments were noticed about their responsibilities and acknowledged this requirement. In response to a question from Councilman Turner, Mayor Sager stated Winestock has been pleasantly surprised with this program, have no complaints, and are participating. Councilman Turner expressed support of allowing the closure to extend through sometime in October. In response to a question from Councilman Flynn concerning whether the Public House has submitted any request for an event, Mr. Stelford stated they are not required to obtain approval from the City for any music event on their patio. He noted they did request and receive approval to close Jackson Street for a motorcycle-club dinner event. 7  Woodstock City Council 09-01-20 In response to a question from Mayor Sager and without objection, it was the consensus of the City Council to extend the approval for the closure of this portion of Cass Street on Saturday evenings for Ethereal to provide music through October 24th. V. FUTURE AGENDA ITEMS In response to a question from Councilman Flynn concerning the schedule of a presentation by Real Woodstock, Mayor Sager stated it was thought they may wish to do this in person. He suggested talking with the Real Woodstock Board to see if they would like to present via Zoom or would rather wait until meetings are held in person. Mayor Sager described the Live 4 Lali program, which assists individuals in the community who have issues with addiction by locating at certain predetermined times a van with information and supplies at a public place. He described the efforts of the group and how this is being conducted in other area communities, stating they have requested to implement their program for a few hours on Wednesdays. He asked whether Council would prefer this to be placed on a future agenda or whether Staff can be directed to meet with the organization’s representative and set parameters on a trial basis. Without objection, it was the consensus of the City Council to direct Staff to work with the organization to establish parameters for an area around the train station on a trial basis. There were no additions or deletions to the Future Agendas. VI. ADJOURN Motion by D. Flynn, second by J. Prindiville, to adjourn this regular meeting of the Woodstock City Council to the next regular meeting to be held at 7:00 PM on Tuesday, September 15, 2020 in the Council Chambers at City Hall. Ayes: D. Flynn, L. Lohmeyer, W. Piersall, J. Prindiville, G. Tebo, M. Turner, and Mayor B. Sager. Nays: none. Abstentions: none. Absentees: none. Motion carried. The meeting was adjourned at 8:25 PM. Respectfully submitted, Cindy Smiley City Clerk 8