By: Diane Benjamin
Start here: Normal’s Public Comment policy. Everything in YELLOW is illegal:
It’s always risky to believe news in the Pantagraph, but I’m going to use what they reported.
The Town is giving away another property plus loaning $2.75 million to the developer. I wonder if that money was just lying around? Normal will lease office space in the new building for the low low price of $393,000+ per year.
According to the story, the developer couldn’t get financing without a tenant, but the project is still risky.
AND, they are doing it all with your dollars because they want what they want and they want it now. Isn’t this the property that has fallen apart with other developers?
Tonight the Council approves spending $69,450 to design the space they will be leasing. Walls or partitions aren’t classy enough, or maybe the people who will be using the space aren’t intelligent to know what setup their jobs require.
They spend your money like flowing water because nobody stops them. The At-Large Council rules you.
Tonight’s meeting will probably last all of 10 minutes. They are doing one thing right. See page 36 here: http://normal.org/ArchiveCenter/ViewFile/Item/2130
They actually follow the law on reviewing a releasing minutes of Executive Sessions (Secret meetings).
Bloomington is likely years behind the law, Judy Stearns was on the council the last time minutes were reviewed for release.
Approval of bills is also included in the link above. Check out their Administration spending.
Kink Koos knows best. We’re just here to do his bidding as his servants.
This is what happens when no one votes.
You should sue them. Or bring this free speech issue to the attention of the ACLU and get them to sue the Town. Go for it!
My last lawsuit has been going on for close to a year. A citizen of Normal needs to file with the AG’s office and say their rights to speak are being violated.
The Pantagraph story also mentioned that TIF, sales tax and hotel/motel tax would be used as part of the financing from the Town. Add all the subsidies together and the developer is risking very little.