By: Diane Benjamin
The packet for Monday is 877 pages! I’m sure the Council will read every word: http://www.cityblm.org/Home/ShowDocument?id=16340
PDF page 294:
Remember how Tari claimed he wasn’t interested in the west-side sports complex?
Evidently Normal didn’t like paying the full cost of the study. Since it won’t be downtown, maybe Tari wants the Council to vote this down to prove to Normal they aren’t interested.
How is Scott Black going to get his water park?
The clerk did finally figure out how to do minutes – just not post them to the City website. The skirmishes between Council members on both February 12th and March 26th are detailed in the minutes. See PDF pages 33 and 46.
There is also a Public Hearing!
Another downtown TIF to redistribute money, projects that can’t generate enough income to pay for themselves must be subsidized. Of course depriving all other units of government of money is just part of the price that must be paid for progress.
The Council has already approved this TIF, the law says they have to give you time to comment. Normally few if any do – it won’t matter anyway.
FORWARD!
PROGRESS!
There is a lot more, but reading it even makes me sick.
I wonder if Tari will announce a FREE State Farm building?
Have to get all of the spending commitments in before voting on the budget.
It is truly a good thing that you do Diane, going to the trouble to get this sort of info out – 877 pages… somebody was busy, oh so busy weren’t they? Oh and I will gladly take some “financial support” in the amount of $17,625 to tell them in a month or so that their idea of a “West Side Sports Complex” is a boondoggle waiting to happen, and to just wait until Rivian folds up shop to go scam some other mid sized city out of a few million (as is their MO) and they can easily convert that area into some sports fields and even have a great indoor area as well. In fact they would have room for TONS of stuff inside that empty building – oh wait Rivian is almost ready to show us a picture or a “demo” of their first car, or truck or 4 wheeler or whatever it is this week that they are going to produce, someday, soon, really! If there was this pressing need for a new “sports complex” the already available spaces/places in the area would be filled constantly, they are not. They may want to start considering what to do with all of the empty spaces out at Crossroads too and that little strip that is 100% available just west of Walmart. “If you build it, they will come” only works in sweet and wonderful baseball movies a la Field of Dreams, it doesn’t work around here, no matter how many “forward thinking smart people” dream it.
The reason businesses don’t stay or relocate here is that both Bloomington and Normal believe that the government should determine economic development and outcomes. They and the establishment hacks at the Chamber and EDC serve as gatekeepers and reinforce this entitlement class. You know…the “right fit”. The old boys club is against anyone and anything new in the business community unless of course, you kiss the ring.
Pretty much – I also think we all know what the “right fit” sort of businesses are, or well would be. I KNOW another Yoga studio, or another art gallery! How about another over-priced little shop with a bunch of trinkets and clothing that you can buy in Mexico, or India, or Kenya or Peru etc etc etc for 1/10th the price directly from the person/people who made them? Maybe another “upscale eatery” yeah, I’ll bet those would be the “right fit” especially if they were owned and/or managed by snotty little progressive types who are more than happy to “kiss the ring”, often in fact.
Exactly! Meanwhile, the tech startup or app company moves out of town because no one in the business community or local government know they exist or encourages and champions them or their industry. Sad.
They are going to hear about “economic impact”—all that $$ coming into the community. What about the “fiscal impact?”—the cost for new infrastructure, development of the land for playing fields, long term maintenance, interest payments on bonding, depreciation of any buildings. These presentations are so short sighted. Prairie Vista and the Den were to draw visitors. The outlet mall was to draw visitors.
In the past two months, fees were raised by a total $3M to cover a budget gap. There is no funding for maintenance of currently owned property and infrastructure.
This is continued insanity. There will not be enough revenue generated to account for the cost.
Economic development personnel shoul be spending their time in search of companies that will provide well paying jobs in diverse sectors.
I wonder where all the economic money from the Coliseum went? Did you get your share?
The Council and Mayor are delusional to think that Bloomington is or will be a destination or that these “amenities” draw employers or employees. The Coliseum was not even included in the budget discussion nor was reducing the subsidy for the BCPA.
BTW—can anyone name just one item cut from the budget?
Should I be waiting on my check for $1.27? If that…
No, you owe!
“No, you owe!” – Oh, of course, silly me. I have no idea what I could have been thinking.