By: Diane Benjamin
Yesterday the Pantagraph did a story about County union employee salary increases: http://www.pantagraph.com/news/local/mclean-county-highway-workers-get-raises/article_e1a807b1-6dcc-535b-83dd-f39b4b00079f.html
This paragraph is in the story:
Two problems: The City of Bloomington has been hit by at least 24 penalties amounting to around $1.6 million. (it could be more by now) That’s not “several”.
Second, the County negotiated with their union to avoid pension spiking. The City of Bloomington changed the policy for new hires, but they continue to expect citizens to pay pension spiking costs when it’s easy to avoid. Will the Pantagraph ask them why?
Next:
David Hales claimed at the Committee of the Whole meeting last night the Coliseum has a tough time its first couple years, so he expects VenuWorks will as well.
Documents from the beginning of the Coliseum are no longer on-line, but I have them. Total Revenue by year per CIAM reports unless noted:
2007 $4,533,977
2008 $4,472,088
2009 $4,305,912
2010 $3,399,860
2011 $3,868,418
2012 $3,728,183 (Audited)
2013 $3.502,252 (Audited)
2014 $3,864,740 (Audited)
2015 $2,587,395 (Audited)
2016 Not available
The Coliseum has NEVER met the projections used to justify issuing bonds. But, Gross Revenue began to decline when David Hales became City Manager. The Coliseum had a chance for success before Hales failed to supervise operations, especially concessions. David, the revenue numbers show DECLINE from the first year, not a struggle. I hope you expect the opposite from VenuWorks.
Misleading statements aren’t attractive David. Video below.
Don’t miss Diane Hauman at 1:56 claiming we HAVE to accommodate millennials who want to ride bikes to work. Oh, and we need charging stations in parking garages. The discussion that took place was on hiring Bloomington’s very own Traffic Engineer to help implement Complete Streets. Complete Streets should be reason enough to dump the radicals on the Council!
Catch Renner at 1:59 taking credit again for the 300 mayors at an US Conference of Mayors who voted 100% to adapt Complete Streets. The other 19,000+ mayors across the country didn’t Tari. Those mayors didn’t waste their time and taxpayer money at your party.
Just Hit play for David Hales comments:
Isn’t winter concert season?? How many have there been so far? 1 or 2? Losing our tax money hand over fist!
DEPRECIATION isn’t included in any of these loses. That’s like building a store for your new business and then not writing the cost off your taxes.
What about the $700,000 loan the city has to pay back to Venue Works?
HELL!! I’d be damn HAPPY as a rooster in tall oats with “COMPLETE STREETS” That way I don’t have to dodge wagon ruts and possibly break an axle!
OREGON HO!!
It appears VenuWorks is being honest and trying to make changes. At least they are willing to provide the public information.
Honestly Hales should have been let go a long time ago to let this go on for so long. He should have been on the back of CIAM from day one and he wasn’t. He’s getting paid a hefty salary to do this job.
The problem with B/N is the location and having to compete with Peoria, Champaign, and Springfield. Truthfully the Coliseum should have never been built in the first place. Some people should have realized this. Instead they had the mentality of build it and they will come.
Come to what? There are no events…
It does surprise me a little that nobody talks about Redbirds arena and the brown ballroom. Those two venues can host a lot of the events that the coliseum hosts. The coliseum does have ice, but is there anything else it offers that those first two cannot offer? Bloomington may have been just fine with the Pepsi ice center having a few more seats.
I can remember going to a concert at Redbird Arena, Faith Hill and TIm McGraw. Even that event wasn’t sold out and there was plenty of seats. I do know at one time the athletic dept. didn’t like to share the arena. They used to do Senior Day there and moved that over to Bone Student Center because the athletic dept was charging Alumni Services for use of the arena.
I agree the arena worked fine. Plenty of nearby parking, etc. The only difference between that and the Coliseum is that possibly with the elephant building they can do plays/shows/musicals or what ever you want to call them.
Come to what….. There are no events….
You know I think there aren’t that many performers out there doing concerts that much anymore. I may be wrong but it sure seems like it. Why they would never get a group like Coldplay to come here anyhow. If your a good band group why mess around with some small po dunk town like Bloomington.
NOT to mention the interstate center, which is EASILY accessible off the interstate and has a VERY successful 3rd Sunday market (privately run-WITHOUT TAX $$$)
and the local stamp club USED to have their stamp/postcard show at the “masonic temple” now the BCPA. I’m sure there are other “venues” in town.
As for the coliseum, IF I remember right, the citizens voted it DOWN by something like 70%, but JUDY MARKOWITZ went ahead and built it anyway, maybe she and Tari ought to have tea together!!
ALWAYS liked the name “The MARKORENA”, not to be confused with the dance.