Saturday has now been cancelled.  Who is going to show up at Mondays Council meeting or the Mayor’s open house tomorrow and ask how much money he wasted?  Is he going to apologize for wasting money?

by:  Diane Benjamin

Laws matter to you, not to government.  See this previous post with Mayor Renner’s certificate for completing the Open Meetings Act training:  http://blnnews.com/2013/12/20/mayor-formerly-transparent-renner-sinks-himself/.  It’s an on-line course, did somebody else take the training in his name?  I have to wonder since Renner just violated it again.  He also violated it last year: http://blnnews.com/2013/12/19/bloomington-hit-with-another-open-meetings-act-investigation/

First, what’s the purpose of the Open Meeting Act?

From the States statutes website:  http://www.ilga.gov/legislation/ilcs/ilcs3.asp?ActID=84&ChapterID=2

 (5 ILCS 120/1) (from Ch. 102, par. 41)
    Sec. 1. Policy. It is the public policy of this State that public bodies exist to aid in the conduct of the people's business and that the people have a right to be informed as to the conduct of their business. In order that the people shall be informed, the General Assembly finds and declares that it is the intent of this Act to ensure that the actions of public bodies be taken openly and that their deliberations be conducted openly.

This is the LAW in Illinois, not a suggestion.  Violation of the Open Meetings Act is a Class C misdemeanor punishable by a $1500 fine and 30 days in jail.  http://www.ilga.gov/legislation/ilcs/fulltext.asp?DocName=073000050K5-4.5-65

Mayor Renner scheduled a retreat for Friday and Saturday this week.  The entire Council was to attend, that means it qualified as a meeting.   Is the agenda the promised year-long budget talks?  No.  It was to be an indoctrination session, just like last year.  Renner wanted to instruct the alderman about their job, in other words – agree with him on everything.

The Friday session has now been cancelled.  Renner finally realized that attempting to meet without 48 hours public notice is a violation of the law:

(5 ILCS 120/2.02) (from Ch. 102, par. 42.02)

An agenda for each regular meeting shall be posted at the principal office of the public body and at the location where the meeting is to be held at least 48 hours in advance of the holding of the meeting.

Renner must not realize he is still violating the Open Meetings Act.  The Saturday meeting is scheduled for 8:30.  The notice was NOT posted on the City website at 8:30 this morning – 48 hours in advance.  (I have proof Tari)  In addition, notice must be posted at the Den, the place the meeting is to take place.  By 11:00 this morning it was not posted.

Any member of the Council who attends on Saturday is in violation of the Open Meetings Act.

If Renner doesn’t cancel the Saturday meeting, next time you are stopped for a traffic violation in Bloomington, tell the officer Mayor Renner doesn’t comply with the law.  Citizens are expected to do what the Mayor doesn’t?

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