by:  Diane Benjamin

At Monday’s Council meeting, spending over $1,000,000 to fix the Coliseum parking garage was on the agenda.

Aldermen submitted questions for City staff before the meeting, the questions asked by Alderwoman Stearns weren’t included on the City website.  She questioned Renner and Hales at the meeting as to why hers weren’t included, see this post:  http://blnnews.com/2014/09/09/coliseum-sit-down-shut-up/

The City did fulfill their promise by posting her questions along with David Hales answers.   http://www.cityblm.org/Modules/ShowDocument.aspx?documentid=7272

Here are her questions:

1)  Question/Comment: When the new hockey contract was approved, I received a public commitment to a review of the CIAM contract and the status of that contract considering that terms of the contract (professional hockey) and others are no longer adhered to. I believe the contract was to be reviewed and discussed before June 30 of 2014. When will we receive the update on the CIAM contract and whether it can or should be renegotiated?

2)  Question/Comment: What is the status of professional basketball at the Coliseum considering that it seems the team does not belong to a basketball league?

3)  Question/Comment: When can the council expect another quarterly report on Coliseum finances? It seems that they are no longer being received quarterly.

You can read the responses at the link.  CYA award winner!

Stearns did NOT receive the review promised by Renner and Hales before amending the CIAM contract.  You are supposed to forget promises, video tape bites every time!

From the CIAM contract:

4.1 Term.

(a) The Term of this Agreement (Management Term) shall commence on the date of execution of this Agreement and shall expire on the date ten (10) years subsequent to the date of the first public event held in the Coliseum. If CIA fully complies with the 10 terms and conditions contained herein, then it shall have the first right of refusal and option to exercise one 5 year renewal of the Agreement for the term of April 1, 2016 to March 31, 2021, on terms and conditions negotiated at the time; except that in the event the City and CIA are unable to reach an agreement regarding fees and conditions CIA shall notify the City in writing no later than one year prior to the end of the tenth year of this Agreement of its intent to exercise its renewal option. Upon receipt of such notice by the City, CIA and the City shall meet promptly for the purpose of negotiating fees and conditions which shall replace the fees and conditions contained in this agreement.

CIA (CIAM) has violated many parts of the contract.  Management of the Coliseum was never put out for bid, it MUST be in the future.  If Hales and Renner renegotiate a contract with CIAM they are condoning their abuse of the Bloomington taxpayers.

The “professional” basketball league the Flex is now in was formulated by people with no money.  It’s going to be great!  Why was Flex not held accountable for getting kicked out of their league last year?

Hales claims quarterly reports were emailed?  Really David?  Don’t you mean your summary of what you think happened.  Where is the CIAM financial statement they have issued in the same format for years?  Are you afraid somebody might actually read them?  Are they still taking a commission on Sales Tax?  How many expenses did they push to the next quarter so the loss doesn’t look as bad as it actually is?

I wonder if the Illinois Policy Institute ever withdraws transparency awards.

Maybe Bloomington can be first.