City Council

MINUTES WOODSTOCK CITY COUNCIL June 17, 2025 Council Chambers A regular meeting of the Woodstock City Council was called to order by Mayor Michael Turner at 7:00 p.m. on Tuesday, June 17, 2025 in the Council Chambers at Woodstock City Hall. He explained the Consent Calendar process and invited public participation. This meeting was livestreamed. A roll call was taken. COUNCIL MEMBERS PRESENT: Darrin Flynn, Gregg Hanson, Melissa McMahon, Tom Nierman, Bob Seegers, Jr., Natalie Ziemba, and Mayor Michael Turner. COUNCIL MEMBERS ABSENT: None. STAFF PRESENT: City Manager Roscoe Stelford, City Attorney TJ Clifton, Executive Director of Strategy & Planning Paul Christensen, Executive Director of Business Development Danielle Gulli, Police Chief John Lieb, Economic Development Director Jessica Erickson, Building and Planning Director Joe Napolitano, Public Works Director Brent Aymond, Information Technology Director Dan McElmeel, Opera House Director David Victor, Marketing and Communications Manager Colleen Rogalski, and City Clerk Jane Howie. OTHERS PRESENT: City Clerk Howie confirmed the agenda is a true and correct copy of the published agenda. III. FLOOR DISCUSSION A. Public Comments Dan Malone, 1018 Heron Way, MCYSA Tournament Director, provided an update on this year’s tournament. He shared that this is the 32nd year holding tournaments with 90 teams in three age groups; 11, 13 and 15-year-olds. Woodstock Heat will be participating in all age groups along with teams from Japan, Brazil & Canada. There will be 20 teams outside of Illinois. He said that this year will be similar to last year with the hope of bringing approximately $1.0 million into the county. Woodstock’s Quality Inn is one of the tournaments partners; 20 families are staying in Woodstock. Mr. Malone said this is a great opportunity for everyone to see how other country’s teams act. He shared the schedule of games and noted that Mayor Turner would be throwing out the first pitch on July 18th. Mayor Turner thanked Mr. Malone for this information and for his continued involvement. He added that Woodstock is honored to have this tournament in the city again this year. Ms. Lou Ness requested a moment of silence for the Minnesota legislator and her spouse who were assassinated on June 14, 2025. After a moment, Ms. Ness said, “We elect people to work on our behalf.” She thanked the Council members for their time and efforts. An anonymous speaker read a poem for all to hear.  Woodstock City Council 06/17/2025 Page 2 of 7 B. Council Comments Mayor Turner mentioned information about the Ribbon Cutting event at the Intergenerational Inclusive Playground, which is a phenomenal addition to Woodstock. He said the playground is bigger and better than expected. He shared some information on how Emricson Park got started. Councilwoman McMahon thanked Mayor Turner. She said she is a proud member of City Council and an event organizer of PrideFest 2025. She said the event is joyful, peaceful and filled with community spirit. She continues to be proud that Woodstock showed up in every way. Councilwoman McMahon thanked Public Works and Police, saying everything went very well. In addition, she thanked several City staff members for all their assistance, along with numerous volunteers, residents, and community members for all their help before, during, and after the event. She also thanked her family, Josh and Charlotte. And she said, “Love is louder than hate, and your voice matters! Thank you, Woodstock!” Mayor Turner thanked Councilwoman McMahon and all the volunteers who make this a successful event each year. IV. CONSENT AGENDA Motion by Councilman Flynn second by Councilman Hanson to approve the Consent Agenda. In response to a question from Mayor Turner, the following items were removed from the Consent Agenda by the Council or the Public. • Item D-5 – Resolution – Opera House Renovation Project – Change Order #7 was removed by Councilwoman McMahon. • Item D-2 – Resolution – Office 365 Consultant was removed by Councilman Hanson, at the request of a resident. In response to a question from Mayor Turner, the following questions were forthcoming from the Council or the Public regarding items remaining on the Consent Agenda. Item D-3 Councilwoman McMahon commented, as it pertains to Resolution – Fleet Purchase – Vactor Repair Parts, about her desire for the City to prioritize maintenance on existing assets so that the City isn’t wasting taxpayer’s money. Councilman Seegers said, in his five years on City Council, he became aware that things wear out, not due to a lack of maintenance. He appreciated the City fixing the current vehicle by replacing the failed part. Item D-6 Councilman Flynn said, regarding Allocation Approval – Façade Improvement Program – 113 South Benton Street, tuckpointing is maintenance and should be the responsibility of the building owner. He would like the program looked at again so that funds are used for improvement rather than maintenance. Councilman Seegers said that a neighboring building, Liquid Blues, was painted. In response to Councilman Seegers questions, Councilman Flynn said the rear of the  Woodstock City Council 06/17/2025 Page 3 of 7 building was repaired/replaced. Councilman Seegers suggested possible changes to the program in the future. Mayor Turner affirmed the Consent Agenda to include Items A through D-6, excluding D-2 and D-5, as follows: A. ACCEPTANCE OF CITY COUNCIL MINUTES: 1. June 3, 2025 City Council Minutes B. WARRANTS: 1. #4152 2. #4153 C. MINUTES AND REPORTS: 1. Arts Commission Minutes May 12, 2025 2. Board of Police Commissioners Minutes June 2, 2025 3. Human Resources Monthly Report March-May 2025 4. Parks & Recreation Commission Minutes June 10, 2025 5. Woodstock Public Library Board of Trustees Minutes May 8, 2025 D. MANAGER’S REPORT NO. 273: 1. Ordinance – City’s Acquisition of Vacant Property – 101-109 S. Jefferson Street (273a) Approval of Ordinance #25-O-35, known as DOC.1, authorizing the City to acquire the vacant property located at 101-109 S. Jefferson Street and authorizing the City Manager and City Attorney to complete the acquisition of 101-109 S. Jefferson Street for $625,000, execute all necessary documentation for that purpose and also authorizing the City Manager to expend funds for this acquisition including any court costs, title fees, or other expenses usual and customary when the City acquires new property. 3. Resolution – Fleet Purchase – Vactor Repair Parts (273c) Approval of Resolution #25-R-30, known as DOC. 3, authorizing the City Manager, or his designee, to purchase replacement parts to repair the Vactor truck’s cyclone system from Standard Equipment Company, at a total unbudgeted cost of $17,772.54. 4. Resolution – Addendum #1 – Opera House (273d) Approval of Resolution #25-R-31, known as DOC. 4, to approve Addendum #1, with Holabird & Root, to add additional Construction Administration Services to the Existing Contract for the Woodstock Opera House Project, due to delays in project completion, at a total cost not to exceed $31,800. 6. Allocation Approval – Façade Improvement Program – 113 South Benton Street (273f) Approval to allocate $5,000 in Historic District Facade Improvement Program funds for eligible exterior improvement costs at 113 South Benton Street, Throop Street LLC, Owner.  Woodstock City Council 06/17/2025 Page 4 of 7 Ayes: Flynn, Hanson, McMahon, Nierman, Seegers, Ziemba, and Mayor Turner. Nays: none. Abstentions: none. Absentees: none. Motion carried to approve the Consent Agenda. D-2 Resolution – Office 365 Consultant Ms. Oakford shared her concerns about the City spending so much money on this purchase. She opined that the containment of cost isn’t there. She was also alarmed at the number of people on the City’s payroll, 327 employees. She doesn’t understand why a City of this size needs to contract out for this type of program. Ms. Oakford wanted a description of the services provided by Heartland along with the costs. Mayor Turner said staff has done their research and decisions were made by the IT team and the City’s Executive team. Ms. Oakford said it would be helpful to taxpayers to list all costs specifically. She opined that this migration could be done in-house by City staff members, or the City should have selected a local vendor. Mayor Turner said this is very complex and it has to be done, City staff is past the due date. Director McElmeel said it was important to select a vendor that specifically works with municipalities vs. private businesses. They can stay in the government cloud, all vendor’s that were interviewed have this experience. Director McElmeel confirmed that there are no such companies in Woodstock that can offer these services. Director McElmeel said his IT staff will be taught how to maintain and move forward. It was noted that there are currently 155 full-time City employees. Ms. Oakford said the Resolution did not spell out what the services from Heartland would be. She would like more information provided. She opined that an intern could handle this migration. Mayor Turner said there’s no way an intern could handle the migration. Councilman Seegers said, pertaining to the cost of this item and the fee of $99,910.06, this is approximately $550 per employee per year. Mayor Turner said he fully supports this item. Motion by Seegers to approve Resolution #25-R-32 – Office 365 Consultant, known as DOC. 2, second by Flynn. Ayes: Flynn, Hanson, McMahon, Nierman, Seegers, Ziemba, and Mayor Turner. Nays: none. Abstentions: none. Absentees: none. Motion carried. D-5 Resolution – Opera House Renovation Project – Change Order #7 Councilwoman McMahon said she has no problem with the majority of the Potential Change Orders (PCOs); however, she would like to pull out PCO#46. Her preference would be for the City to instead re-glaze and rehab the current windows and then replace them, when absolutely needed, in future years. Councilman Flynn said he’s in support of all the PCOs at this time. He opined that the costs will increase in the future, so best to take care of it now. Councilman Hanson agrees with Councilwoman McMahon. He said these funds could go a long way in other areas as the windows are not rotted out or anything like that. Mayor Turner said there is a need; either the City spends $12,000 or $60,000 at this time. Councilman Nierman said, according to Engineering Director Tiedt, the replacement will last 20-30 years; however, the  Woodstock City Council 06/17/2025 Page 5 of 7 repair will last approximately eight years. Councilman Seegers said he supports the recommendations as presented. Councilwoman Ziemba said she supports the investment now. Ms. Oakford expressed her concern about the City spending more money, about going over budget. In response, Mayor Turner said the City Council passes Ordinances and Resolutions for hundreds of thousands of dollars at every meeting. Ms. Oakford said at some point you have to put a stop to these expenditures. She asked, “What is being sacrificed to pay for these types of projects?” She said sometimes Council has to say no. Mayor Turner said many things don’t come before Council, as staff stops projects during the presentation / discussion phase. In addition, staff discusses items individually with Council members on occasion to get a sense of whether to proceed or stop. He confirmed that stops do occur at times. Mayor Turner stated that the City’s budget is balanced, and, staff makes sure that the amounts budgeted for are the amounts used for each project/item. Mayor Turner said Council and staff have a responsibility to preserve these buildings. He shared how these decisions are made before items are presented by staff to Council. Mayor Turner thanked Council for this spirited discussion. Mayor Turner agrees with the majority; now is the time to do it. Councilwoman McMahon added that she does agree with double pane windows. Councilman Flynn said this area will be used for offices, and new windows will support quality of life for the staff and enhance productivity. He prefers to allocate appropriately now, as we have no idea what the costs of goods will be in 10-12 years, in addition to bringing in the contractor to get the work done. Mayor Turner said both sides have valid opinions. To Dr. Oakford, Councilwoman Ziemba said, City Council has to make decisions quickly and vote on how to spend money. Council members spend time reading the documents, asking questions, getting clarification, and discussing items with staff before Council meetings. She added that they can’t discuss these topics with any Council members other than at these meetings due to the Open Meetings Act (OMA). The Council meetings are the only opportunity to talk things thru with the body. Mayor Turner agreed with Councilwoman Ziemba. He added that staff spends a lot of time reviewing the budget; revenues and expenditures for all city projects. Mayor Turner responded to Councilwoman McMahon’s request to split the question for item D- 5. The first motion will be to approve all of the PCOs excluding PCO #46, Resolution #25-R-33 – Opera House Renovation Project – Change Order #7. Motion by Flynn, with the amended document known as DOC. 5, second by McMahon. Ayes: Flynn, Hanson, McMahon, Nierman, Seegers, Ziemba, and Mayor Turner. Nays: none. Abstentions: none. Absentees: none. Motion carried. Mayor Turner said the second motion for this split item will be for approval of only PCO #46, Resolution #25-R-34 – Opera House Renovation Project – Change Order #7A. Motion by Seegers, second by Flynn.  Woodstock City Council 06/17/2025 Page 6 of 7 Ayes: Flynn, Nierman, Seegers, Ziemba, and Mayor Turner. Nays: Hanson and McMahon. Abstentions: none. Absentees: none. Motion carried 5-2. V. DISCUSSION A. Revolving Loan Program Mayor Turner asked Director Erickson for introductory comments. Director Erickson thanked Mayor Turner and Council members for reviewing the documents and the options available to enhance the program or discontinue the program. She was looking for suggestions of continuing the program versus ending the program. And, if continuing the program, what updates they’d like to see implemented. She strongly suggested that the City form a partnership with professional lenders going forward, if the program continues. Mayor Turner thanked Director Erickson for the great summary, details, and recommendation. Councilman Seegers shared that he’s been unhappy with Woodstock’s ability to pursue bad debts. Director Erickson said the reality of micro lending is it provides more flexibility to repay, Councilman Seegers said he’s opposed to the City’s current program; the City is subsidizing businesses. He shared specifics of some of his experiences. Director Erickson said she wouldn’t count sales tax revenue when assessing an applicant. She mentioned strategies that target specific industries or entrepreneurs and shared additional information. Further discussion ensued. Councilman Flynn said he was in favor of Option #2. He provided additional information about when his business obtained a revolving loan from the City. Councilman Flynn would like this program / responsibility put into the hands of financial institutions/ professionals. Councilman Flynn shared that one revolving loan has defaulted. He agreed with the loans for established businesses, not brand-new businesses. Councilman Seegers said this is not a risk the City should be involved in. Councilwoman Ziemba said she likes hearing the experiences from business owners. It was mentioned that the last loan granted was for MobCraft in 2022-2023. Director Erickson said the fund is not well capitalized at this time. Councilwoman McMahon said she agrees with Councilman Flynn; an outside entity should handle this type of program. Councilman Nierman agreed that a lending partner should be used if the City continues this program. A business should go to a bank for a loan, not to the City. Councilman Flynn said years ago he was approached by the City’s former Economic Development Director regarding the Revolving Loan Program. Director Erickson said these programs exist throughout the country; there are approximately 400 revolving loan programs across the country. Councilman Hanson said he met with Director Erickson yesterday. He is supportive of either Option #4 or Option #2. He prefers that a lending partner take over administration of the loans. Mayor Turner said there are government loan programs in place that are successful. He doesn’t want to be ill-equipped to make these decisions. He agreed that the program needs to be changed from when it began prior to the COVID-19 pandemic. He doesn’t want to see money inefficiently used. He is supportive of Option #4, having the City partner with a professional. Mayor Turner said this program is not high on the City’s list of priorities. Council is more interested in having a new hotel, and obtaining an agreement for the Die Cast site, to name a few. Mayor Turner would like to know how successful revolving loan programs work.  Woodstock City Council 06/17/2025 Page 7 of 7 Councilman Seegers asked Mr. & Mrs. Lynes in regards to the benefit and purpose of the program. Mr. Lynes shared that ten years ago this program allowed their store to expand into a new location. He asked Council to think about the mix of what they want in this community. Mr. Lynes said a bank may not have funded them at the time. They were maxed out. However, the City’s revolving loan allowed them to expand and be successful. Ms. Lynes said they appreciated the opportunity; however, the program should not be for start-up businesses. Councilman Seegers thanked Mr. & Mrs. Lynes for their comments. A resident, who worked in banking, said he did this for a number of years. “Your first instinct is your best instinct.” This program could be a disaster waiting to happen. He said one needs to look at this program as a banker would. Your job is to get the money back. He suggested partnering with a financial institution; underwriting and servicing, Mayor Turner said this is conceptual, it would be the City’s money, someone would underwrite the loans for the City. Mayor Turner asked if there are creative models that make this better. The resident shared some suggestions and opined that the current program has contradictions and concerns. Councilman Seegers said the program needs to be massively overhauled. He suggested the program be officially frozen at this time. It was suggested that staff contemplate this evening’s discussion and continue researching options. Ask yourselves how this can be done to limit risk while staying in our lane. VI. FUTURE AGENDA ITEMS There was a suggestion to receive information for the July 15th Council meeting earlier than later (by a couple of days, if possible). Councilwoman McMahon shared that there is a fundraising event this Friday evening, June 20th, Walk to Leave a Light On. VII. ADJOURN Motion by Flynn, second by Hanson to adjourn this regular meeting of the Woodstock City Council to a Regular City Council meeting on Tuesday, July 15, 2025 at 7:00 p.m. in the Council Chambers at Woodstock City Hall. Ayes: Flynn, Hanson, McMahon, Nierman, Seegers, Ziemba, and Mayor Turner. Nays: none. Abstentions: none. Absentees: none. Motion carried. The meeting adjourned at 9:15 p.m. Respectfully submitted, Jane Howie City Clerk