By: Diane Benjamin
Tari’s Downtown Task Force mostly consists of people who had their hand out for your money and Council people dying to give them more. The entire rest of Bloomington has no representation. Maybe that’s why moving the library and adding a bus transfer point got shredded at the meeting Monday night. See these members HERE
Then there is Tari ‘s Signage Committee that also got shredded. The Committee members are:
Crystal Howard – Convention and Visitors Bureau
Beth Whisman is from the History Museum that prefers tax dollars to making a profit.
Russel Francois has a downtown architect business
Dave Park – Downtown Businesses Owner
Thom Jones – Real Estate agent
Carl Teichman – IWU and lives in Normal
Vicki Tilton is a downtown business owner
Kyle Ham – Economic Development Council
Andrew Johnson used to run Connect Transit and no longer lives here
Tom Krieger is a real estate agent (same firm as Jones)
Tricia Stiller is one of the new City employees from the Downtown Business Association that failed
If you don’t live or work downtown,
which person represents you?
The people paying for their plans are expected to love them!
Typical of government, “experts” were called in at your expense. They blew it. This committee has now met 48 times and produced a product only they like. They have also failed to provide minutes for their meetings: http://www.cityblm.org/government/boards-commissions/downtown-signage-committee/commission-reference-materials/-folder-481
Seems to be some HOLES! Lots of missing minutes!
Did I hear they had “Dream Big” bumper stickers printed before the design was approved?
There are businesses downtown this committee, the Council, and the Mayor are doing nothing to help.
Do they know Hobbyland is closing?
I spoke to the owner this morning. He has been trying to sell the business for 6 months so he can retire. He also said the City and the Council have done nothing for him. He did say the closing of Mitsubishi and the Internet hurt his business.
Hobbyland is just the latest victim of government. If spending and taxes hadn’t skyrocketed the last 4+ years in Bloomington, people would have more of their own money to spend. The good news is, Bloomington is going to raise fees again! The destruction will accelerate – just in time for the next election.
Maybe next time whoever is picking people for committees will make sure the whole City is represented, not just their interests.
.
.
.
A smart business owner knows that to be successful, one must listen to and satisfy their customers or they will go away. The city needs to embrace those business owners that are downtown rather than ignore them. Trying to re-invent the wheel is a fools game of which this city council is an ignorant and willing participant.
Many of the same people are on all the committees. So much for diversification. Only when it fits Renner’s rule of “deceive to achieve.”
Oh they are a tight knit little group for sure – It is so important to vote in local elections, and the people who are in control right now are SOOOO happy that most remain apathetic when it comes to local politics. This is how “they” are doing it in many medium sized cities and towns, even small towns are being stained with these people, yes I said “these people” and stained. They come to town and GET INVOLVED RIGHT away, in local politics – they are NOT like the majority, and they don’t care about the majority to be honest – it’s all about “forward!” on their own big government agenda, and THEY of course are the government, and of course the “court”, rather like the sycophants who made up the court of old kingdoms. It’s so transparent, yet those who won’t LOOK can’t see it.
There’s more. The 0.25% tax increase and local MFT to be used for street repair and resurfacing is being used to pay the $250K for the Downtown Signage according to the FY 2018 budget. I wonder how much of the street repair $$ was used already for the consulting firm, etc.? See where the Council priorities are!?!
I’m surprised Hobbyland lasted this long. High prices turned us off years ago. Being competitve in the marketplace is crucial these days. More and more shoppers are turning to the internet. With a few clicks you can price match. The city picks and chooses those they help. Unfortunately the little guy can’t make it without help.
I guess they think there are going to be lots of out of town tourists just hoping to find their way around downtown – I also suppose they think these “tourists” will not be capable of asking someone where ___________is. Oh I know many places have the little signs but they are towns with far more tourist appeal – like Hannibal, Mo. or Galena, IL or Vandalia, IL even. Face it BloNo, you are NOT nor will you EVER be a tourist destination, start planning accordingly – you are also not ever going to be a conference or convention Mecca. Also, If they are trying to keep those insipid Chicago transplants who come down to ISU for a few years with “cultural centers” and “art galleries”, PLEASE stop doing that! I’m not saying they are all bad people, but enough are that it has affected the “landscape” here and it’s not for the better. “If you build it they will come” only works for baseball diamonds in the middle of a cornfield….
There is a GIS conference here next month. Exciting stuff!
OOOOH and LOOK!
Bike Share 309
The Town of Normal is excited to offer “Bike Share 309,” a bike rental service through Zagster. With 9 bike stations located near the Constitution Trail throughout the central part of Normal and Bloomington, Bike Share 309 is the perfect way to explore the community.
A bike station is conveniently located right across the street from the Bloomington-Normal Marriott.
That’s on their Hotel Info site
The agendas are laughable. Seems like they rehashed the same topic over and over. They even approved the minutes of the previous meeting. This is leadership? This is why the DBA failed. This is what the City has to look forward to with Stiller as an employee.
The minutes available for May show that Alderman Black and two other aldermen attended for the design presentation. No one spoke up at that time about the “parochial” design? Unbelievable!!
Oh and I wonder WHO of the “usual suspects” has a connection to the GIS people?
wow ,, what a bunch of hemorrhoids , a real pain in the financial arears ,,what next turn the old wards into a bowling ally and disco combo . the many businesses that were there have come and left depending on many things , but it is mostly fiscle income that sustains anything , public , private or whatever , codes and regulations , traffic patterns , ease of use ,, and I think non of that is thought about when these wonderful ideas emerge , and least of all is sustainability and cost .. everything has a price and when its easy to shift those cost to taxpayers , it’s seems like an open pocket book and full speed ahead . we need folk with some cool minds who can look at stuff that will boost our city , not just ramp up an area they feel is not par to what they dream of in their perfect world .
Man o man — this Carl Teichman fellow has some real nerve thinking that he can be part of planning Bloomington when he doesn’t even live here! I agree with you Diane! Crazy for folks from outside to poke in their noses!
Hi Diane, are there any pollical gatherings happening (where folks show that they are running) in the Bloomington Normal area?
Only Democrats actually join together. Individual candidates are holding events.