City Council

MINUTES WOODSTOCK CITY COUNCIL City Council Chambers October 20, 2020 A regular meeting of the Woodstock City Council was called to order at 7:00 PM on Tuesday, October 20, 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 it 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: IT Director Dan McElmeel STAFF ATTENDING REMOTELY: City Manager Roscoe Stelford, Finance Director/Assistant City Manager Paul Christensen, City Attorney Ruth Schlossberg, Building and Zoning Director Joe Napolitano, Public Works Director Jeff Van Landuyt, Public Works Director Christina Betz, Economic Development Director Garrett Anderson, Library Director Nick Weber, City Engineer Chris Tiedt, City Planner Darrell Moore, and Grant/Communications Manager Terry Willcockson. OTHERS PRESENT IN THE COUNCIL CHAMBERS: Clerk Cindy Smiley OTHERS ATTENDING REMOTELY: Chamber of Commerce Director Danielle Gulli. Mayor Sager noted the presence of a quorum under the revised rules of the Governor during this COVID-19 emergency. City Clerk Smiley confirmed the agenda before the Council is a true and correct copy of the published agenda. III. FLOOR DISCUSSION A. Presentation – Real Woodstock Year in Review Mayor Sager stated it was hoped this could happen face-to-face, but due to the continuing COVID-19 situation, it will be made virtually. He called upon Chamber Director Danielle Gulli to present Real Woodstock’s Year in Review. He acknowledged and thanked Ms. Gulli for her leadership and the participation of Council members Flynn and Turner. .  Woodstock City Council 10-20-20 Ms. Gulli thanked the City Council for the opportunity to make this presentation. She stated Real Woodstock has been actively working hard to make sure that while tourism nationwide has declined, in Woodstock it is coming back, and home sales are up. She described Real Woodstock’s goals for 2019 as creating a new non-profit organization, Real Woodstock, with a nine-person board partnering with the City of Woodstock and the Chamber; managing spending, noting they had $12,900 surplus in 2019; connecting with residents with local marketing campaigns engaging them in Real Woodstock programs; and expanding the Real Woodstock message from a primarily tourism focus to focusing on visiting Woodstock, moving to/living in Woodstock, and doing business in Woodstock. She then discussed the Real Woodstock webpage, noting the number of unique visitors has increased by 10.1%. She noted the various locations the visitors came from and the most visited pages. She provided metrics for the Real Woodstock e-newsletters, which provided 286,000 unique emails to subscribers. She stated the delivery rate of 99.6% surpasses industry standards. She then showed examples of Facebook posts and noted Groundhog Days continues to drive visitors to Woodstock. Turning to other modes of communications, Ms. Gulli described Real Woodstock’s Instagram metrics/program; its partnership with the Chicago Wolves, noting the arena takeover provided 892,000 impressions for Woodstock; the Downtown Bus Shelter program, that provided 600,000 impressions in four weeks at six locations downtown and in the Loop; the Woodfield Mall program, which provided an estimated 11 million impressions in four weeks; and the Woodstock Independent program, which connected with the community, encouraging people to shop and dine locally. Ms. Gulli then provided information on Real Woodstock’s COVID-19 response from March through June 2020, including the many events and items they sponsored for residents and businesses. She stated the Real Woodstock website was turned into a repository of hours and offerings for residents, businesses, and the community, encouraging people to support the local community and keep jobs in Woodstock. She stated similar efforts were conducted through Facebook and ads in the Woodstock Independent. She detailed Real Woodstock’s efforts from July 2020 through September 2020 as Illinois began to reopen, highlighting the co-op billboard program, which was partially funded by a co-op of local businesses and the Star 105.5 program, which was entirely funded by a co-op and managed by Real Woodstock. Ms. Gulli described Real Woodstock’s Real Estate Promotion program, which focused on a resident attraction campaign. She noted Real Woodstock’s collaboration with MD Trains to create the Woodstock Rail Fest to attract visitors to Woodstock; the placement of an ad in the Woodstock Independent celebrating local manufacturing businesses; and the creation of new Real Woodstock branded street banners located on and off the Square that promote visiting, shopping, dining, and living in Woodstock. Ms. Gulli then detailed Real Woodstock’s 2020/2021 objectives and proposed media buys. She stated the organization no longer pays a5 a monthly retainer, but rather brought some of these services in- house. She stated this has decreased the professional services expense so that more dollars can be spent on advertising and marketing through lower overhead. 2  Woodstock City Council 10-20-20 Mayor Sager thanked Ms. Gulli and thanked her and the Real Woodstock board for doing a fantastic job for looking at so many facets for marketing the community efficiently and economically. He also expressed appreciation for the group’s flexibility as the community has come through COVID-19 to get the word out that Woodstock is still open. He stated it is also good to see their change from an emphasis on information and oversight to using those funds for marketing. Mayor Sager expressed support for the group’s 2021 goals. He also expressed his thanks and appreciation to Council members Flynn and Turner. Councilman Flynn stated it has been his honor to watch Real Woodstock evolve, noting Ms. Gulli has been the fiscal and creative lead. He noted the positive feedback he has received including from a family who saw Real Woodstock’s material at Woodfield Mall, drove to Woodstock that day, and now are closing on a home in Woodstock. Councilman Turner talked about the evolution of this program to a professionally-managed organization, stating this is a testament to Ms. Gulli who brought her creativity to the table, which brought hundreds of thousands of impressions to Woodstock. He praised Ms. Gulli’s superb leadership, stating he looks forward to more in 2021. Councilwoman Lohmeyer thanked Ms. Gulli for the presentation and expressed the wish to see quarterly reports as she feels more information will help get buy-in from the community. Councilman Tebo thanked Ms. Gulli for the review and noted Woodstock was the only city in the County to grow sales tax, opining Real Woodstock may be one of the reasons for that. Ms. Gulli noted Woodstock also has a booming real estate market. Public Comments There were no comments forthcoming from the Public. Council Comments Mayor Sager introduced Christina Betz, Woodstock’s new Public Works Director, noting her education and experience. He stated current Public Works Director Jeff Van Landuyt will be retiring in December, after 40 years of public service, serving the community well. He stated recognition of Mr. Van Landuyt will take place at a later date. He welcomed Ms. Betz and thanked her for choosing Woodstock and bringing her talents and gifts to Woodstock. Ms. Betz stated she is happy to be part of the Woodstock team and excited to be serving the citizens of Woodstock. IV. CONSENT AGENDA Motion by M. Turner, second by D. Flynn, to approve the Consent Agenda. In response to a question from Mayor Sager, the following items were removed from the Consent Agenda by the City Council or the Public: • Item D-12 – Ordinance – UDO Text Amendments by Mayor Sager • Item D-13 – 2021 Enhanced Street Resurfacing Program by Councilman Prindiville 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. 3  Woodstock City Council 10-20-20 Item D-11 – City Code Update – No Parking – Greenley Street In response to a question from Mayor Sager, without objection the City Council approved a friendly amendment to the recommendation for Item D-11 replacing the word “table” with “postpone.” Item D-4 – Old Courthouse Elevations Councilwoman Piersall commended Darrell Moore, Paul Christensen, and Garrett Anderson for their exceptional work on the Historic Tax Credit applications for the Old Courthouse Project. Mayor Sager stated the commendation is well deserved and joined her in expressing his appreciation for their hard work. There were no Public comments on items remaining on the Consent Agenda. Mayor Sager affirmed the Consent Agenda to include items A through D-11 as follows: A. MINUTES OF PREVIOUS MEETING October 6, 2020 City Council Meeting B. WARRANTS #3926 #3927 C. MINUTES AND REPORTS Old Courthouse and Sheriff’s House Advisory Commission September 21, 2020 Woodstock Opera House Advisory Board September 15, 2020 Woodstock Police Department Monthly Report August 2020 D. MANAGER’S REPORT NO. 166: 1. Resolution – ITEP Grant Application for Destination Bike Path – Adoption of Resolution 20-R-10, identified as Document 1, A Resolution Supporting the Submission and Execution of an Illinois Transportation Enhancement Program (ITEP) Application and Agreement Between the City of Woodstock and the Illinois Department of Transportation. 2. Resolution – Metropolitan Mayors’ Caucus Greenest Region Compact - Approval of Resolution 20-R-11, identified as Document 2, A Resolution Endorsing Metropolitan Mayors Caucus’ Greenest Region Compact. 3. Ordinance – City Code Amendment – Prevailing Wage – Approval of Ordinance 20-O- 75, identified as Document 3, An Ordinance Amending Title 6, Chapter 3, Section 1 of the Woodstock City Code Regarding Wage Rates on Public Works Projects. 4. Old Courthouse Elevations – Authorization to proceed with securing the IL State Historic Tax Credits by submitting the Option #1 design. 5. Police Pension Levy Request – Acceptance of the annual statement for the Police Pension Plan’s 2019/2020 fiscal year and the actuarial report presented by the Police Pension Board. 4  Woodstock City Council 10-20-20 6. Award of Contract – First Street Plant Brine Tank Construction: a) Authorization to award a contract to Manusos General Contracting Inc., Fox Lake, IL for the construction of a Dual Chamber Brine Tank and prefabrication pump station at the First Street Water Treatment Plant in accordance with established plans and specifications for an amount not-to-exceed $447,447; and b) Authorization to award a contract to Consulting Engineers Baxter & Woodman for an amount not-to-exceed $46,850 to perform construction engineering services and serve as the City’s Resident Project Representative. 7. Resolution – Change Order #1 – 2019 Construction Engineering – Approval of Resolution 20-R-12, identified as Document 4, A Resolution Authorizing a Change Order in the Contract for 2019 Street Resurfacing Program, authorizing Change Order #1, an increase of $36,243.25, to the current contract amount of $30,000, for construction engineering and inspection services related to the 2019 Street Resurfacing Program. 8. Resolution – Change Order #1 – Resurfacing & Installation of Traffic Signal Detector Loops – Approval of Resolution 20-R-13, identified as Document 5, A Resolution Authorizing a Change Order in the Contract for 2020 Street Resurfacing Program, authorizing Change Order #2, an increase of $33,261.35 to the current contract amount, as amended, of $8,680,113.54. 9. Resolution – Change Order #2 – Washington Street Water Main Project – Approval of Resolution 20-R-14, identified as Document 6, A Resolution Authorizing a Change Order in the Contract for the Replacement and Looping of the Washington Street Water Main and the Relocation of the Lawrence Avenue Storm Sewer Project, authorizing an increase in the original contract amount of $6,010.82. 10. Award of Bids – FY20/21 Downtown Snow Removal Contract – Approval to waive the requirement for competitive bids and award of contracts to GRO Horticultural Enterprises, Inc. for snow-removal services; Gavers Excavating, Inc. for snow-loading services; and Bell Cartage Corp., for snow-hauling services based upon the unit prices documented within the staff report for the 2020/2021 winter season. 11. City Code Update – No Parking – Greenley Street – Approval to postpone action on this amendment to the Woodstock City Code revising regulations, which limit and control on- street parking on Greenley Street between Lake Avenue and Vine Street, as requested, to a future meeting not later than November 17, 2020, so staff has time to fully evaluate proposed alternatives and meet with all residents. 5  Woodstock City Council 10-20-20 A roll call vote was taken on items A through D-11. 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-12 – Ordinance – UDO Text Amendments Mayor Sager expressed his appreciation to Staff who worked on these amendments to the Unified Development Ordinance (UDO). He stated all were interested in seeing how the procedure for those who wish to come into the community with new developments could be amended, including to allow for input from the community and those City bodies at the right time. Councilman Turner acknowledged managing the UDO is a lot of work. He opined it is appropriate to make amendments to meet current needs and standards. He stated his wish to recommend a change to the language in the Pre-Application Review Process, opining it may be appropriate for a developer to go before the Plan Commission for a Pre-Application Review, but not in every instance. He suggested using the word “may,” rather than “shall” in the proposed Ordinance when referring to this. Speaking in agreement, Mayor Sager stated it is the wish to try to keep things as efficient as possible and opined this should be a business decision by the developer. He noted a project will include a preliminary review by Staff, stating if Staff believes it is advisable for the developer to go before the Plan Commission, they could make this recommendation to the developer. Councilwoman Lohmeyer agreed, opining Staff should be trusted and have the discretion if they feel a developer should appear before the Plan Commission for a preliminary review. She expressed concern with making this mandatory, opining Woodstock should continue to be a developer-friendly community. Councilman Prindiville agreed, stating all projects are different. Brief discussion followed, including of changing “shall include such information” to “may include such information” in the language detailing the list of specific requirements. In response to a question from Mayor Sager, it was the consensus of the City Council to accept the aforementioned friendly amendments to change the language as discussed, with the understanding this is with Staff’s oversight and recommendation. There was no further comment from the City Council or the Public. Motion by M. Turner, second by L. Lohmeyer, to approve Ordinance 20-O-76, identified as Document 7, An Ordinance Amending Various Sections of the City of Woodstock, Illinois Unified Development Ordinance Relating to Preliminary and Final Plats, and Planned Unit Developments, including the friendly amendments as discussed. 6  Woodstock City Council 10-20-20 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. Item D-13 – 2021 Enhanced Street Resurfacing Program Mayor Sager noted the recommendation for this item is to proceed with the annual Street Program with the traditional investment of $2-2.5 million, but to have a one-year delay in regards to the more aggressive Enhanced Streets Maintenance Program as considered. A brief discussion ensued noting the uncertainty with the impact caused by COVID-19 and also the current discussions being held by District 200 concerning their debt restructuring. Discussion also included a review of the various program scenarios considered by the Council at previous meetings. Motion by J. Prindiville, second by W. Piersall, to accept the City Administration’s recommendation and authorize a one-year delay to the City’s Enhanced Street Resurfacing Program and proceed with a traditional funding level for the Street Maintenance Program in 2021. 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. V. FUTURE AGENDA ITEMS Following a brief discussion there were no additions or deletions to the Future Agendas. VI. ADJOURN Motion by J. Prindiville, second by G. Tebo, to adjourn this regular meeting of the Woodstock City Council to the next regular meeting to be held at 7:00 PM on Tuesday, November 3, 2020 in the Council Chambers at City Hall. Ayes: D. Flynn, L. Lohmeyer, W. Piersall, J. Prindiville, G. Tebo, M. Turner, and Mayor Sager. Nays: none. Abstentions: none. Absentees: none. Motion carried. The meeting was adjourned at 8:44 PM. Respectfully submitted, Cindy Smiley City Clerk 7