By: Diane Benjamin
Tari Renner received thousands of dollars from unions for his April election – including this one:
See PDF page 120 for details of the Public Safety and Civilian Review Board: http://www.cityblm.org/Home/ShowDocument?id=14322
This Board will be approved because of the “feel good” Council, but it will be completely meaningless by design. The documentation even calls it “advisory only” since anything more would violate the contract between the City and the Police. Tari will make sure only people he controls make up the 7 member board since the police union bought him. See all contributions to Tari here: HERE
A long line of speakers will appear demanding stronger action – they will be wasting their time. The fix is in. The only way to improve community relations is if kids aren’t taught to fear the police. That won’t happen since an entire industry would be eliminated if all that mattered was the truth.
See PDF page 126. Documentation claims they are subject to the Open Meetings Act, but Board members must “maintain strict confidentiality”. Since complaints will most likely involve City employees, discussions will only take place in Executive Session (Secret meeting). If any groups supporting this Board think it will publicly expose problems, they are mistaken. The public will never know what happened since the minutes will never be released.
Meanwhile, lots of staff time has been wasted and will continue to be wasted creating guidelines, training, and materials to be distributed to the public – even in multiple languages! (See D, PDF page 127)
PDF page 161:
The City is signing an agreement with a new electricity supplier for you because of municipal aggregation. The current contracts expire May 31, 2018.
The City contracts for 100% renewable – the most expensive electricity possible.
The provider gets an additional fee.
If you aren’t comparison shopping electricity, you may well be paying more than necessary. I don’t see a rate anywhere in the large amount of docs included, maybe by design. If anybody can find it – let me know.
You can opt out!
Lastly,
The City will agree to pay the McLean County Regional Planning Commission to plan your future for you. It will only cost $54,181.47 for a year. These aren’t elected people. They are completely responsible for bike lanes because of a survey they did that only bikers knew about. They also did Bring It On Bloomington that very few people participated in.
For this money they will produce even more plans to disrupt your life and strip away freedom to live it the way you choose. You aren’t smart enough, government must coerce you into utopia.
I see on the news the other evening they want to BRING BACK parking meters to downtown so people use the city garages. What SHORT minded folks we have running things. That’s what MADE Eastland popular when it opened-FREE parking.
And Amelia what to close part of MAIN st for a block park?? Do her and Joni have joint brain sessions or something?
Chicago closed State Street, the main road through downtown, where the major department stores are. Art sculptures have been erected. No motorized vehicles are allowed. Historic downtown Main Street is considered the cultural district. Mathy is on the Cultural Commission.
As for parking–city and commercial employees should be required to use the garages. If multi-modal transportation is City policy, walking is one of the modes. If the goal is foot and bicycle traffic for the downtown businesses is preferable, so be it.
The following is from the Pantagraph: “Renner said the appointment of anyone to the board must be approved by a supermajority of the council, which is six out of the nine aldermen.
‘So it’s not just me or the future mayors that would be making recommendations,’ said Renner.
Because this would be a new committee, Renner said that for first round of appointments he would make an exception and have the council look at all of the applications, and that he would abide by the council’s top selections.”
I think Renner is deflecting his responsibility to appoint members to commissions as a political move.
Members of the MCRP include Mike Gorman, Bike BloNo board member and Alderman Amelia’s husband–both appointed by Renner. The Town of Normal contributes a similar amount of money. Normal’s 20-30 year Comprehensive Plan will be available for Town Council vote in the near future.
The only thing Renner left out of his statement is, “Real conservatives need not apply.”
There, now his intent is complete. Deceive to achieve is Renner’s best friend.
Beginning on page PDF 125 there is an ordinance to issue a fixed rate bond in the amount of $7.4M to replace the $7.4M viable rate bond of 2004. Does tis mean an additional tax will need to be issued?
The payment has been going up, it has to come from somewhere. It sure won’t be cuts!
The ordinance–already passed with Monday’s date–says something to the effect that a tax levy will be issued to support the ordinance. If it is a “swap” there shouldn’t need to be a tax increase but the packet doesn’t make it clear.