By: Diane Benjamin
How did the City of Bloomington employees get any work done when they spent 3 months planning the Chili Cook Off that only employees attended? Worse, they were already working on the next party – this month – before the October one was even held. It sounds like all the departments decorate and then prizes are awarded. They call it a Winter party, not a Christmas party.
I’ve read TEN of the Twelve PDF files I received by FOIA. See this story from yesterday: https://blnnews.com/2017/12/12/party-on/
Only two more to go! One of them is 253 pages, the last one is only 65.
Here is one of the twelve in case you need a nap: 1017jrnla__Redacted
That file if 150 pages, but has a lot of good information. First, I can add this fully redacted email to my next lawsuit:
What could possibly be so secret about the Employee Appreciation Committee? I can let a judge decide if it should be secret. I wonder if the Community Development person was upset about the expense since the Community wasn’t invited! It didn’t even show up on the City Calendar: http://www.cityblm.org/government/advanced-components/calendar/-curdate-10-27-2017/-curm-10/-cury-2017
It took MANY emails to organize this event just for employees. Remember, this was the 22nd year. It shouldn’t have been too tough!
I will try to recap more information to add to what I posted yesterday. All of this took place during working hours:
- HR department held a meeting to decide on what recipe they would use. Somebody brought in a breakfast chili for sampling
- They couldn’t decide on a theme. They talked about live dogs wearing “bun” costumes, City of anarchy where everybody dresses like bikers, and something to do with corn. I think they settled on Halloween since emails asked for those decorations.
- They got 6 boxes of hot dogs, 40 to a box, from one of the golf courses. Cost was estimated at $30. (no I can’t explain it)
- Fuses blowing at Public Works was a concern. They bought extension cords and power strips
- Barricades were put up with no parking signs so as not to interfere with Public Works, they did ask for PW ‘s employees help in setting up if they had time.
- Departments could reserve tables for an additional cost
- The food they wanted was almost half the price at Sam’s Club instead of HyVee. From yesterday’s story they bought some at both.
- Parking maps were created and sent to employees to avoid confusion.
This event was held during the day – 11:00 to 1:00
Festivities included a costume contest.
They did make this accommodation for citizens:
Below are a few emails to illustrate the above.
Looks like Jim Karch hasn’t attended sensitivity training yet. Love Ya?
Maybe somebody can explain what the horse trough was for.
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On our time on our money in our buildings. OUR MONEY ON OUR TIME AND IN OUR BUILDINGS. Nice that they have a party BUT HAVE IT NOT ON CITY PROPERTY PAY FOR IT YOURSELF. Unbelievable…… I beat not any of them are ashamed they think it is THEIR MONEY – REVENUE and THEIR TIME and THEIR BUILDING. You know if they would have ASKED for citizens that really appreciated those that are public servants and workers we might have shown up and said thank you. But this needs to be CUT from the budget for every department. Sheezz and not invite the public no wonder Renner had democratic party meetings and paid for them on the Purchasing card. The cultural and this kind of spending is why I am glad to be leaving.
Remember, they don’t work for us… they are city employees.
Who, increasingly, have passed a (Far Leftist) ideological purity test and are loyal to Tari with almost Hitlerian fanaticism. One if the dirt little secrets of the Renner regime is his daily battle to weed out Republican/Conservative/traditionalist city employees.
I found it hard to get past “FEED FEST” in line one of the first email.. Yet Tari wants to CUT bulk waste pick-up times down. I thought ALL ALONG that these NEW garbage bins and recycle bins were going to SAVE us lots of money??
Horse trough would be QUITE proper for those who think ONLY of themselves this time of year, rather then people who don’t know where their next meal is coming from.
Such selfless folks we have…
I guess this explains the need for 30+ additional employees. Somebody has to cover the work of the party planning slackers.
They should be ashamed…prolly aren’t tho.
“Providing good stewardship of the public infrastructure and equipment…”
Jim Karch
This is his signature line. Proof that lying is ingrained for some in City Leadership. I guess lying is the new normal. Probably why I seem so abnormal to them.
Diane, all that really matters here is that our fees were raised for sewer (as lobbied for by Karch and that Amelia has her golden brick roads (Also Karch).
You should be thanking him for being a “good steward” because that is what his email says.
Maybe they should work on synchronizing those signal lights on Veteran’s Pkwy. Yesterday at about 5 pm the traffic was backed up from Oakland Ave. back to Lincoln St, going north. Also from Washington back to Oakland.
I’m telling ya the city is manipulating these signals to cause vehicles to burn more fuel.
It didn’t take the local socialist newspaper long to bury the story on the guy FOIAing the police video that the AG said they should release. I hope he takes the city to court.
That’s a STATE road, not sure the City has anything to say about the lights.
The city programs those lights for the state through an intergovernmental agreement.
Thanks. That means complain to City Hall.