Woodstock’s new executive director for business development has a plan to improve public communication from city government while developing a “cohesive” branding strategy in marketing what the city offers. “It’s a top priority,” Danielle Gulli said last week in her first meeting with the City Council since taking on the new role Dec. 31. “It’s […]
Five years ago this month, the Woodstock City Council was wrestling with how to move forward with the Old Courthouse and Sheriff’s House. Sound familiar? You can read about the 2016 issue in Flashbacks on Page 19 of today’s edition of The Independent. A report from the previous year had put the city’s expenses up […]
Adding an estimated $5 million in costs to renovate of the Old Courthouse and Sheriff’s House for civic and commercial tenants brought no response last week from members of the Woodstock City Council. In fact, the 40 percent increase in the estimate wasn’t even mentioned during the 2-hour, 45-minute meeting. “Our bottom line has moved,” […]
Things have been falling into place that should allow Woodstock to begin work this fall on the city’s first traffic roundabout. City officials had hoped to begin construction two years ago, in late 2019, at the five-way intersection that brings Lake Avenue to South and Madison streets. Up to $1.5 million in federal funding had […]
“Multiple” potential investors are interested in Woodstock’s plan to create new civic and commercial spaces in the Old Courthouse and Sheriff’s House, the City Council was told last week during a special meeting. About $2.4 million in historic tax credits proved to be an attraction to private developers who would work with the city to […]
Woodstock City Council hopes to resume its “enhanced street maintenance program” in 2022 and will review a plan for the work in July. While the council will have a workshop next week, it will have no formal meeting until July 22, skipping its usual first-Tuesday session because of the Independence Day holiday week. At their […]
When Woodstock enacted a bag fee Jan. 1, 2020, it was a pre-emptive strike. The Illinois Legislature had appeared to be on the verge of creating a statewide fee for single-use paper and plastic bags that customers got from retailers, and members of the City Council wanted to make sure revenues from that “tax” stayed […]
How much and how fast to improve city streets – and how much to spend – are decisions the Woodstock City Council will tackle in the coming weeks. After putting the city’s aggressive road improvements plan on “pause” last year because of revenue uncertainties during the pandemic, the council appears ready to resume a long-term […]
Larry Lough is editor of The Independent and reports local news.
Janet Dovidio has been a freelance correspondent for The Independent for eight years.
Susan W. Murray wrote for The Independent, covering various beats, from 2005 to 2008.
Tricia Carzoli is a freelance writer and photographer that on community news.
