By: Diane Benjamin
When the last Downtown Bloomington TIF ended, I hear David Bentley wasn’t happy with the money he got to rehab the CII East Building. He sued the City in 2014.
See the 2014 TIF report here: ftp://ftp.illinoiscomptroller.com/LocGovTIF/FY2014/06402530/14TIF06402530Dwtwn_Cendistrict.pdf
Since the TIF was pretty much over, expenses for legal fees were all that is listed: 
The 2015 TIF report looked the same: ftp://ftp.illinoiscomptroller.com/LocGovTIF/FY2015/06402530/15TIF06402530Dwtwn_Cendistrict.pdf
That’s $73,881 in legal expense I think the City spent fighting David Bentley’s lawsuit, I’m pretty sure that was the only legal work being done at the time concerning the TIF.
The building still stands unfinished. What’s that Administrative Court for Tari? Peons?
Why did Tari take David Bentley to lunch TWICE in April? I thought Tari hates people who sue the City and the ones he pretends sue the City (Bruce Meeks).
I wonder if Bentley was trying to sell the building to the City? On April 10th the Council had an Executive Session (Secret Meeting) about “land acquisition”. http://www.cityblm.org/Home/ShowDocument?id=12546
While I’m talking about downtown:
The Signage Committee has spent around $62,000 and at least 50 meetings to produce signs that anybody could have designed. Why didn’t all the local artists downtown get involved instead of buying yet another consultant? How are citizens supposed to get behind spending HUNDREDS of THOUSANDS of dollar to construct and erect Way-Finding signs when they are shut out of the process?
Worse, this committee has violated the law by failure to post the minutes of their meetings:
See all those agendas without minutes?
http://www.cityblm.org/government/advanced-components/documents/-folder-481
Voting must be over for what color signs you like. Last time I checked less than 500 people had voted. Of course the City and this committee won’t see “NOBODY CARES” in that number.
The City claims to have a “structural deficit”. It’s ridiculous spending like this that created it.
.
.
.
If you want to learn a little about David Bentley, Google and then read his Twitter account. Not a wonder if he is “Best Buds” with Lil’ Tari.
The Downtown Task Force has already suggested the City purchase the CII or the Front & Center building for a downtown hotel. No news here. No original ideas here. Just more tax dollars for a foolish proposal.
The former co-chairman of the Signage Committee is now a full time employee in the Community Development Department as part of the newly created Downtown Development Department. This is what the City has to look forward…someone who lacks the ability to properly perform their duties.
They should’ve known that when she couldn’t get the downtown businesses to contribute to their own success
Why when a local developer or businessman fail to accomplish a task-remodel or develop- are we considered there to bail them out. The Wards building is owned and should be developed by that person. The CII East was supported by the taxpayers and now sits a failed project. We would be foolish to be further involved with either. Let them pay their taxes and be done with it.
That would work if the council wasn’t made up of people who believe downtown has a future. They are determined to artificially create one since nobody else is interested.