By: Diane Benjamin
We know the City or Bloomington seriously screwed up:
- first by ridiculous fees to businesses who were required to install fire suppression equipment when their buildings were built
- second by failing to charge the fees the Council stupidly enacted way back in 2008.
https://blnnews.com/2019/03/20/huge-bloomington-error/
This proves how incompetent government can be – if you already didn’t understand that from the Coliseum mismanagement, the never used fire station, and the water tower built too short.
Does the City Council know businesses are not the only ones who will be robbed when the fees increase?
I have information from a non-profit. They are currently paying $27.20 a month ($326.40 a year) only because they were required to install an expensive sprinkler system when the building was built. That means they have a 4 inch line – $6.80 per inch x 4. They are paying this fee ONLY because the sprinkler is installed, not because it is ever used.
May 1, 2019 that $27.20 will increase to $54.40 (13.60 x 4) per month ($652.80 a year)
May 1, 2020 they will pay $81.60 (20.40 x 4) per month ($979.20 a year)
May 1, 2021 the charge will be $108.80 (27.20 x 4) per month ($1305.60 a year)
By 2021 this non profit will lose $979.20 per year without the sprinkler system ever being used!
I have filed a FOIA request for the original documents and meeting minutes from 2008 when this was passed. The City only has data for 10 years on their website. I can’t wait to see if those documents no longer exist.
Did that City Council intentionally mean to gouge non-profits? Or, was this charge only passed because the City was in dire need of money and this was an easy mark?
The staff has arbitrary attempted to fix their errors.
Council should not allow un-elected bureaucrats to fix what those same people broke.
Demand a re-vote and explanation.
The city has already lost MILLIONS of dollars – it looks like they really didn’t need it since nobody noticed for 10 years.
The continued incompetence of the city council throughout the reign of Mayor Renner is astounding! Nothing ceases to amaze me from this collection of fools anymore.
Murphy’s Law – If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.
Renner’s Law – If it ain’t broke, we’ll break it.
If ANY of these folks had a SERIOUS job in the private sector i.e.: Rocket scientist, nuclear engineer, chemical plant manager, explosives technician, etc. We’d probably ALL be dead!!
More clowns here then at Barnum and Baileys.. And they WORRY about issues that DO NOT matter like welcoming ordinance, bike lanes, police oversight, etc while the sewers, streets and downtown crumble over and under them. Thank you Tari, you can now SNAP your glasses..