Jett plans Mayor’s Monthly Meetup in McHenry beginning in May

Facebook invitation responses might not be the best indication of turnout, but so far, 50 residents have shown an interest in meeting up with McHenry Mayor Wayne Jett in May.

Jett, the presumptive winner in the April 1 mayoral election, has announced via his public Facebook page plans for a “Mayor’s Monthly Meetup.” The first event is set for 6 p.m. May 14 at Ye Olde Corner Tap, 3901 Main St., McHenry.

“We are excited to host [Jett] in a neutral and inviting environment to harbor positive conversations about the direction of our city and to answer questions that otherwise are difficult to find answers to,” Ye Olde Corner Tap owner Jessica Schneider said.

Jett will be joined at the first meetup by Stephen Doherty, the presumed winner of the 3rd Ward aldermanic race.

Jett plans to hold a meetup each month at locations around McHenry while inviting the alderperson from that ward to attend with him.

The idea of a monthly event, Jett said, is to give resident who may not be interested in attending McHenry City Council meetings a chance to chat with him and other city officials in a less-official setting.

“I have always tried to be transparent, and this is an opportunity for the people who don’t want to go to the council chambers and who feel that they don’t have a voice,” Jett said.

Since posting on social media his desire to do the meetups, six businesses have invited him to their location, Jett said. A lot of them are going to be in the 1st Ward, which encompasses all of McHenry’s downtown areas, he added.

For the 1st Ward seat, Bobbi Baehne is leading Mark Seaquist by 20 votes, with remaining mail-in ballots still to be reported.

“A lot of these are going to be in [the 1st Ward] because it is places on Main and Green street that want to do it,” Jett said.

“I could have staff members at certain ones to talk about certain topics, like economic development or what businesses we should approach” about locating in McHenry, Jett said. The first meetup is planned as an open discussion, “but we can do things that are a hot topic at the moment,” he said.

McHenry has a YouTube channel and livestreams the City Council meetings for residents to watch, Jett said, adding that few people watch. The channel has fewer than 200 subscribers, but more than 1,000 people watched the Feb. 18 meeting online, by far its largest audience.

Doherty is set to be sworn in May 5, assuming his 44-vote lead over incumbent Alderman Frank McClatchey holds. Doherty said the mayoral meetup is a great way to “stay connected and meet informally with residents with questions.”

Constituents can find him at the Pearl Street Market in the summer months, walking the McHenry Riverwalk daily and at McHenry restaurants, Doherty said.

“If they want to come to council meetings but don’t ... the monthly meetings are another chance for us to keep in touch with you,” he said.