By: Diane Benjamin
Mr. Tompkins resigned from the Liquor Commission several months ago. A number of citizens have documented numerous violations of the Open Meetings Act by the three members during the time Tompkins served. The other two members are Renner and James Jordan. Until these violations are resolved, we feel Tompkins isn’t qualified to sit on a Board, especially one pertaining to law.
The council will approve outsourcing the crossing guard program to hopefully free up police time:
In Executive Session (Secret meeting) the Council will discuss yet another real estate purchase. Previous purchases have either grown the size and scope of government (Sugar Creek Packing) or squashed capitalism (North Main St).
Which one is this?
It’s a secret.
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.
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Is the new purchase for the new city hall?
They would be throwing away power at the next election, so probably not.
Have you read your Pantycrap today? The Bloomington City Council will consider tonight a new $50 million city hall and a $30 million recreation center. It’s being labeled “a long term financial plan.” Perhaps the acquisition of property is the first step because I’m sure new land will be needed to build it. I take it that’s what Cavewoman’s referring to. Hit me out of the blue as well when I read it, although I’m not at all surprised. We must keep up with Normal with our facilities. By creating a need for new facilities they can justify a lot of government controlled development.
As for Tompkins, looks like a game of musical chairs, moving from one dysfunctional Bloomington City government commission to another.
I’m reading through the documentation now. Citizens should have thought more about who they voted for. Elections were never non-partisan, it was meant to deceive voters.
Could be, or it could be for the new “recreational facility”, or maybe both…. 😦
Wow! State Farm moving out, Mitsu gone. Wow, just wow! $80 million, $30 million!!! If they build this stuff taxes will HAVE to rise even more!!! More taxes, less decent jobs. A real recipe for disaster as these current folks on city council simply do not know how to manage it, even though it’s just a damned bad idea. I don’t see anything wrong with the current city hall except for many of the occupants.
Gee, they are the entitlement class.
Just like their mentors, Obummer and Shillary the Hildabeast, mix in a little socialist Bernie and wham, crash, boom, bang, crash again!
Keep in mind, Hales and Renner stated that the “structural deficit” will return in 3 years. Hales’ contract will have expired by then.
There is another item on the Consent agenda, 7J. An amendment to the Chapter 2 ordinances has passed to give the City Manager the authority to adopt regulations and implement bans from property owned by the City, except from public meetings, for individuals that commit City Code violations or other criminal activity.
Since when should a City manager have the authority to “adopt regulations?” Doesn’t that translate into “make laws?”
The other issue is, how would this be enforced? Sidewalks and streets are city property. Aren’t criminals to be incarcerated to keep them off the street? Will restaurant and bar owners, or any other code violator also be banned from city property? What about developers? What about the City Manager’s code violation of not enforcing City Code as written in the Chapter 2 ordinances. This amendment is absurd!.
The Council has also passed a Budget Amendment Ordinance (see Regular Agenda item 8E) to support operations at the Route 66 Visitors Center in the amount of $25,000.00 and an Intergovernmental Agreement between the City, the Town of Normal, the Convention Bureau and the the McLean County Historical Society. The McLean County Historical Society is a not-for-profit organization (tax exempt) and it is questionable if it is legal to receive tax dollar support. The Visitors Bureau is provided with financial support from City tax dollars. Just 2 years ago, the City paid for the construction of the Visitors Center. Last year the City approved donating $50,000.00 of tax dollars to the Museum’s Capital Campaign. The faulty calculations by some IWU students claim $$445,000.00 financial impact for the City. Considering all of the tax dollars given to the Visitors Center, that financial impact is significantly reduced, if it exists at all. The next step will probably be an intergovernmental agreement with the Town of Normal for renovations to the garage on Pine Street in Normal.
the reference to the post about the Regular Council meeting 7J and 8E
http://www.cityblm.org/modules/showdocument.aspx?documentid=10837
Check to see if my post regarding Consent Agenda 7J and Regular Agenda 8E are floating somewhere.
It was!
Tax dollars spent on Visitors Center:
$150,000.00 for construction; $250,000.00 Capital Campaign: $20,000.00/annual subsidy and now an additional $25,000.00 support for this year to hire an additional employee.
Grand Total: $445,000.00. Estimated economic impact as determined by some IWU students: $445,000.00. PRICELESS!!!
I story from the inside: Visitors go upstairs to the museum. Some come back to the visitors center still wondering where the Route 66 museum is. They feel like they paid for something they didn’t get.
18,000 visitors, just 10% of the B/N population got duped!
That’s because it feels much more like a gift shop than a museum. It really sucks.