By: Diane Benjamin At Monday’s Bloomington City Council meeting:
Regular Agenda
A. Consideration of review and analysis of Bids and Approval of a Contract with CAD Construction, Inc., in the amount of $232,760 for construction of Flamingo Exhibit at the Miller Park Zoo (Bid #2016-05.)
(Recommend that the contract with CAD Construction Inc.,for construction of the Flamingo Exhibit at the Miller Park Zoo through Bid #2016-05 in the amount of $232,760 be approved, and authorize the Mayor and City Clerk to execute the necessary documents.)
(Jay Tetzloff, Director of Parks & Recreation 5 minutes Presentation, Council discussion 10 minutes.) http://www.cityblm.org/Modules/ShowDocument.aspx?documentid=8968
Before the 7:00 meeting, they of course have to feed themselves. Recklessly spending money requires stamina and energy. What land are they buying now? I know they have been dying to buy more property downtown to use for parking lots, did they finally find someone willing to sell? Deferred maintenance is estimated at $400,000,000, so let’s buy MORE properties we can’t take care of! You won’t find out Monday what they want to buy – it’s a SECRET Meeting! (Executive Session)
Remember this in September when you are told taxes have to be raised – there is nothing to cut.
. . .
Land acquisition when there is deferred maintenance, sidewalk & road repair plus a $7M budget gap? This City is being driven off a cliff.
At one of the debates, Amelia Buragas told me that the zoo expansion needed to go forward because there was a master plan created years ago and that the money had already been promised. That answer goes to show yet again that government does not have any competition and thus has little incentive to reduce waste. Any company who refused to kill a project simply because the money had been promised would not stay in business.
Attendance at the Library is down! Does anyone on the Council realize just because the $$ has been around or budgeted it HAS TO BE spent? An amendment to the budget can be made to decrease spending just like they have amended it to increase spending. Just because there is pie left, does that you mean you have to eat it or can you save it for another day?
That’s a common thing in governments everywhere. If the entire budget is not spent then they get less money next year. Nobody wants that so they spend every last dime.
I worked at a VA hospital for a while and that is how the budgeting was done there. But, Bloomington is a Home Rule municipality…as long as it abides by statutes, the budget should be locally controlled and not be affected by some master plan created years ago. The financial status of the city is not the same as years ago. Are we controlled by master plans or can we be flexible to meet changing circumstances?
Yes, I agree. Master plans should just be plans and changed if necessary.
Okay now let me get this straight. The “quality of life” exhibit was scaled back by $100K and the Miller Park Zoological Society is kicking in $100K and the Ewing Zoo Foundation is donating $50K. So that puts the spending tag on this to be >$382K.
So just exactly when did these donations come into play here? When the city reduced the funding by $100K or was the donation always known?
Just incredible the amount of money being wasted here.
I say if they want that exhibit then let the donations fund it and no city funding. Scale it back even more or just forget it if $150K isn’t enough.
Now we haven’t seen the end of this because if this exhibit doesn’t pay for itself just who do you think will be back at the trough of money asking for a handout, Miller Park Zoo. It isn’t like they get the darn things and don’t have to do anything to maintain these. Who buys the replacements when they die and they do die?
Cruelty to animals bringing those here into a climate that they aren’t even meant to be living in. Shame on the city council (less one), mayor and the city manager.
Here we go again…These fees are for maintenance of streets and sewers. See Chapter 37: Sewers: Article I: Section 29
REGULAR AGENA C. Consideration of approving Economic development incentives (waiver of street tap-on fees) to facilitate development of CHA subdivision property at the southeast intersection of Fox Creek Road and Cabintown Road. (Recommend that that the City Council, as an economic development incentive, mitigate street tap-on fees, thereby reducing total tap-on fees to $80,797.19 for streets, water and sewer, plus interest for water and sewer tap-on fees already incurred, with the incentive-waiver contingent upon completion of sale of the property to Villas of Holly Brook and the construction of an assisted living facility, with a total project cost of at least $4 million, within three years. In the event a $4 million or greater project is not completed at the property within three years, the full amount of waived street tap-on fees ($51,096.55) will be due and collectable from the Villas of Holly Brook.) (Austin Grammer, Economic Development Coordinator, 5 minute Presentation, Council discussion 10 minutes.)
I grew up near Miller Park, and used to play ball there, ride my bike, go to the shows, etc. So WHEN did filling the WHOLE darn place with swings, buildings, and the stupid zoo become a priority? It’s a PARK, not a place for urban development. Does ANYONE at city hall have any brains or common sense? Maybe Nora can answer that-NORA?
Just make city hall the zoo annex…
It’s already stack full of animals that refuse training, unless it’s in how to bankrupt a City.