City Council action ought to shock residents

Will anyone else be shocked by the decision of the Woodstock City Council last night to blow $2,000,000 on the intersection of U.S. 14 and Doty Road, where the dream of a baseball stadium still glows faintly in the minds of seven people? Those seven? The Mayor of Woodstock and the City Council. Assuming that all seven nodded in favor, which the Northwest Herald article doesn't mention.

Take a look at this innocuous entry on the agenda for last night's meeting: Item "5. Approval of an agreement for professional services for Lake Shore and Route 14 with Hampton, Lenzini & Renwick."

Where does it mention a $2,000,000 road project and a new four-way traffic light?

This is how the Woodstock City Council does business. Eighteen bland words that look like "routine" business.

The City should publish not only the agenda on its website, but also a description of each agenda item. Had 50-100 interested, concerned, taxpayers of Woodstock contacted City Council members before the meeting and shown up at the meeting, maybe the decision would have been different. Maybe not.

Many people don't think there will ever be a K-9 baseball team or baseball stadium. Merryman got what it wanted - a gravel mining operation. After that? Why should they care? The donation of ground for a stadium was a "gimme" for the gravel pit.

The City Council made a huge mistake by approving Merryman's request for a permit with 50 Conditions, some of which were fiddled with earlier in the year, resulting in more attention to Doty Road at U.S. 14 and the Lake Shore intersection, which now is not even planned to be the main entrance to a baseball stadium, should one ever be built.

The U.S. Corps of Engineers hasn't even signed off on the wetlands area. That sign-off should have been required before the quarry was ever started. But remember the bum's rush to get the project approved, so that the first season could open on time?

Get ready for a new traffic light on U.S. 14 at Lake Shore Drive (that's by Java Planet and the Social Security office), which will serve a few businesses located on either side of the highway. A new four-way light - like the one at Culver's - for how few businesses? What does a traffic light cost? A million dollars, like the one by Centegra Hospital - Woodstock? Because a few people got tired of waiting 45 seconds for a break in traffic?

Back to my original point. By not informing residents (voters! taxpayers!) in advance what they are up to, the City Council avoids challenge and objections. A few people (maybe only one) will squawk the next day or during the next week, and then it will all blow over.

It would cost the City practically nothing to put a summary of proposed actions online ahead of City Council meetings, and I don't mean just at 1:00PM on the Friday before the Tuesday meeting.

Do I expect them to do that? I'll give that possibility about as much chance as an ice cube will have in the sun today, when the temperature hits 100° F.

According to this morning's Northwest Herald article, Woodstock has secured a $1,500,000 grant from the McHenry County Council of Mayors. Woodstock will have to put up 20%, or $300,000, which is not yet budgetted.

First of all, whoever has heard of the McHenry County Council of Mayors, and where does it get its money?

Secondly, why is Woodstock spending money it hasn't budgetted? Are they taking lessons from Springfield? Or from Washington, D.C.?