by:  Diane Benjamin

Alderman Rob Fazzini has been known to change his mind before.  Remember when he stated he would never vote for the budget if roads weren’t funded at $14,000,000?  $10,000,000 borrowed and $4,000,000 from the general fund?  Somehow he managed to vote YES on the budget anyway.

I hope he is smart enough not to change his mind about running again.  Below you will see how he talks to concerned citizens.  He has no respect for opinions other than his own.  Most politicians are smart enough to not respond, but Fazzini isn’t in that club.

A citizen sent an email to Alderman Jim Fruin and copied the entire Council concerning Open Meetings Act violations and public comment policy.  He didn’t cuss or threaten anybody, he just wants City policy clarified.  Bloomington is currently re-writing the public comment ordinance and attempting to comply with the Open Meetings Act.

Below is the email exchange.  Is this the type of person you want representing you?  Maybe he is still smarting over never being an At-Large Alderman (since his Modified Wards plans were defeated).

Fazzini must think he is always the smartest guy in the room.  Rob, we know better.  Want to know why the Council is dysfunctional and doesn’t care about raising YOUR taxes?  Because 7 of the 9 members are just like Fazzini:  arrogant.

To: Jim Fruin <[email protected]>
From: Bruce Meeks
Date: 07/15/2014 10:14PM
Cc: “‘Tari Renner'” <[email protected]>, “‘David Hales'” <[email protected]>, “‘Jeff Jurgens'”<[email protected]>, “‘City Council and Mayor'” <[email protected]>,“[email protected]” <[email protected]>

Subject: Re: with sincerity & Civic Duty

Jim,

I been offering, sharing and have attempted to collaborate have I not ?
Let me know where I have not been collaborative I can take the criticism.
This is a city that is a democracy and we do not and should not march to the beat of one drum.
We are the citizens with a Heart. The Heart of Bloomington.

If anything I been one of the few citizens that does work for things to help the council and balance it
with the citizens. The many and not the one.  You have been generous with your time with me even with me not yet living in your ward.

Some examples:
Transparency ordinance – To get the discussion going before live streaming started Results Nothing what been like two years now. Simple ordinance but never any public input asked for or allowed at a public meeting with it on the agenda. We need transparency for the citizens to want and be allowed to engage to move onward and upward (forward)

Municipal Court ordinance 
More income from violations, faster resolution to issues, and can be cost competitive to paying county.  Can even show how to save money doing this approach, Again other cities to look at.

Noise Ordinance – Shared a model one no one from legal ever talked with me by email about it.
Yes, we have one that is great but …IT’s Been over six months where is the dang review ??

Re Districting –  Committee ordinance
Was totally pushed aside since it was not what the council wanted to do my input and suggestions
were dead on arrival. Results we have a gerrymander set of wards that when drawn your personal addressed were used in the data stream so that not one of you would be having to run against the other.

Income
From website with advertising that is done by user clicking to see ads and notified they are leaving
City of Bloomington website. I bought the domains for a penny and own www.cityblm.net andwww.cityblm.info.
To hold them in case this moved forward Results Nothing Even made direct request to Todd Greenberg to go about even an independent approach with income sharing back to the City.

INFILL
Been working with numerous local land owners to join large sections of land for them to sell as a group to spur development and not just in the Heart of Bloomington.  Results City Manager took meeting with one of the owners (positive) All my efforts are free to the land owners. I will not gain financially from my efforts.

Infill projects are what we need to move onward and upward (forward) But the marketing and developers have issues being told that they are not a right fit for own town or that area by local officials.  That the hotel concept for downtown does not meet their guidelines for traffic count, median income, and their factors in all the meetings I had with major companies.

ZOO YOU CARE I ZOO
Have years of experience and was one of three that petition the city to either get it together on the zoo
for the animals sake or close it. This recent zoo drive …been there done that and raise tons of money,
Have clear data and have shared that with the council that city ran zoos are not financially feasible
and should be moved to foundational or non-profit ownership and management.
This will help in the financial challenges of the city and be a positive for the animals that we must take make and keep a commitment to their lives and daily well being. I saw in person too many of our big cats die because of the budget changes and personal that were protected from being fired. (non-union)

I can go on if anyone wants or cares. Not to mention all the information that I was told by many of you was great to get that was not trying to lean you one way or another just sharing information.
Now is that not collaborative with no political party attached ?

With all sincerity how is this collaborative way manifesting itself from the council side ?

Public meeting on public comment ?
Public meeting on Open and Transparency ?
Public meetings as directed by the council on the budget did not occur,
We need to first get the communication model changed to move forward.
The council does come off as they way or the highway certainly if you look at all I have
shared, tried to provide solutions to get the discussions going and not to have a victory or
clearly not for political gain. I am not running nor will I run for elected office.
A budget process that one can state factually but is misleading in the facts that no
public engagement meeting occurred as I heard the council direct the City Manager to do.

This council still is running like the other one with Mr. Stockton without
wanting to sit in public and take input. This whole concept that emails are the
way to communicate with all of us working collaboratively is just nonsense.
Plus, given the findings of the Attorney General could be again an issue with OMA.
Well historically we have as a city move to far from the City of Bloomington and too much
into running business’s.

How efficient was all those meetings about the budget for Mr. Hales instead of one
public meeting. Lets see here….. 8 wards… two by two so four meetings hour each estimated
So the same information was shared if my estimated time is right would be FOUR hours
of Mr. Hales time in this example.

Park District
Here is a solution that I am trying to get done for the ballot if not this fall next election cycle.

Let the voters decide if they want a park district another tax levying group that is just all about parks.
Which could if the voters want a vast list of things that are a drain on the city, not managed well
by the city, and be compartmentalized. There are clearly advantages and disadvantages.
But get it on the ballot and let all of the city have the discussion.
SO you know I have signatures and the petition does exist. Will not and have not asked the council to sign it.

But you know if you cannot manage having the council, aldermanic committees, boards, and commissions be consistent on following the city code. How can anyone think with any level of confidence with something that is so so basic and legally key to do right that since at least 2009 and in the reports from the city manager clear admission that emails, ad hoc committees and other meetings have occurred. The council as a whole and the city manager in my opinion based on reports, minutes and personal conversations do not fear any consequences from not getting it right related to the OMA.

The fixes in 2010 and 2013 did help with the council shifting more control of the agenda to the Mayor and City manager per the code. Here is one key solution for the council ….. Be what you are legally allowed to do  BE LEGISLATORS You all should be able to submit an item to be on the agenda for at least the committee of the whole and it be on the agenda PERIOD no majority crap. I say that because get this OTHER CITIES do it that way.

Since 2011 I personally heard all but a few council meetings in person till a few weeks ago.
I am chilled by how nothing has changed nor will it because the council does not want to change
and thus move our city forward. But seems our staff that is departing tired of waiting for real change
and made their own changes.

I have tried to help the council. But all the city manager needs is five votes along with the Mayor.

See I have asked for time to make a presentation to show the total solutions that very much
take in the council members time, commitment and wanting a business like meeting only.

Results Nothing

By the way my children donated about two years ago some items that will display the flags of Illinois and of
The United States of America. One they never got a thank you note and two they are not even being used,
So,  either use them or I will pick them up. Nice job City of Bloomington showing how much you liked
having something donated by children.  Get lesson they got from trying to help how our council chamber looks.
It was just before live streaming started.

Onward and Upward,

Bruce J. Meeks
Just a mere citizen not making a difference

 

——– Original Message ——–

Subject:	Re: with sincerity & Civic Duty
Date:	Thu, 17 Jul 2014 07:26:18 -0500
From:	Robert Fazzini <[email protected]>
To:	Bruce Meeks
CC:	City Council and Mayor <[email protected]>, David Hales <[email protected]>, Jim Fruin<[email protected]>, “[email protected]” <[email protected]>, Jeff Jurgens<[email protected]>, Tari Renner <[email protected]>

Since you have indicated that you are a citizen not making a difference, please remove me from your mailing list.  Rob

 

 

From:	“Bruce Meeks”
To	“Jim Fruin” <[email protected]>, “KEVIN LOWER” <[email protected]>, “‘City Council and Mayor'” <[email protected]>
Date:	Thu, Jul 17, 2014 8:06 AM
Subject	Fwd: Re: with sincerity & Civic Duty

Dear Jim,

This following reply from Mr. Fazzini of:
“Since you have indicated that you are a citizen not making a difference, please remove me from your mailing list.  Rob”
How does that fit your definition of collaborative ?

My point by my statement of “citizen not making a difference” is that no matter how much I have tried to work with the council it has been like running into a reinforced poured concrete wall.
Perspective of a citizen shared which will have no impact on any consistent change that is needed and campaigned on by yourself, Tari Renner, Kevin Lower and Scott Black. Just minor individual efforts open house by Tari Renner and a few ward open houses. Mr. Fazzini violated the Open Meetings Act law.

You and the council have not done anything in sanctions or removed him from office as the city code indicates is allowed and possible. You have just pretended it was not a big deal. That is unfortunate for the citizens of OUR CITY. With no ethics committee you all have no one to hold you accountable. Well okay till the next election.

Bruce

 

On 07/17/2014 08:54 PM, Robert Fazzini wrote:

Last time you falsely accused me of moving out of ward 8. That proved to be an out and out lie. Now you falsely state that I violated the Open Meetings Law which the State Attorney General ruled that I did not. Will you ever check your facts before accusing? I suppose that might simply be to much to expect of you. Therefore, please stop bothering me with any further communication of any type. Collaberation requires mutual respect. You apparently do not have of me, and I definitely do not have of you. Your favorite target. Rob

 

From: Bruce Meeks
Date: 07/17/2014 10:56PM
Subject: Civic Duty – Kindly resign then

You really should not call me a lair when I asked for validation of address not very becoming of any elected official.  Respect is earned and at times you had earned it. But now you have clearly no respect for my civic rights, duty and right to speak at a public meetings under the rules adopted. Which in the case of the aldermanic committees never were adopted.

My requests are factually called request for review to the Attorney Generals office ask city legal how many this month were found to have merit and we are paying legal to respond to ?

You just accused me as a public official of false statements.

No, I will not stop sending emails on matters that I have the opinion affect OUR CITY.
If you do not want emails from citizens and cannot handle fact finding questions with clarity being sought with facts.  Resign from office.

So sorry for my rights as a citizen to know the facts, to see the data all citizens own and your inability to want to be a part of breaking the insinuation bias of open government.
Bruce Meeks

 

——– Original Message ——–

Subject:	Civic Duty – Kindly resign then
Date:	Thu, 17 Jul 2014 23:21:46 -0500
From:	Robert Fazzini <[email protected]>
To:	Bruce Meeks
CC:	City Council and Mayor <[email protected]>, Pablo Eves <[email protected]>

Better alternative.  Your emails will simply be deleted without opening henceforth.  Good night.  Rob

 

Ward 8:  Are you proud to be represented by Rob Fazinni?