By: Diane Benjamin
Two new trustees will be sworn into office at 7:00. They were elected because Chris Koos did not want them on the Council. Stan Nord and Karyn Smith will need the support of citizens to stop this madness!
http://www.normal.org/ArchiveCenter/ViewFile/Item/3285
Look at this spending. Get the idea government and quasi-government agencies know how to pass money to each other and party at your expense?
Invitations were printed for Fritzen’s retirement (see below). Get your invite? Was a tent involved? Pulled pork?
Why is Normal giving your tax dollars for scholarships?
Normal funds the EDC but still has to pay to attend events, more Koos travel, One Voice expenses continue
Normal pays for their employee’s bus rides (not many participate), More WGLT below:
This is Peoria Public television: https://www.guidestar.org/profile/23-7041401
More WGLT, there is a total of $6,500 paid and charged to various accounts
Yard Signs?
Hershey Road Fire Station land bought.
How much land?
1.74 acres PDF page 90 http://www.normal.org/ArchiveCenter/ViewFile/Item/3172
That amounts to $258,766 an acre.
The Town is paying $35,248.77 a month to rent the 2nd floor of 1 Uptown Circle – $422,985.24 this year.
The Town is getting no Food and Beverage Taxes because the first floor is still vacant.
At the last meeting the plan to rent out two offices at 305 S Linden was thwarted – the price was $100 a month with taxpayers paying $5000 to run internet.
Why do taxpayers end up paying extravagantly for properties while the Town hands deals to friends?
This is why Stan Nord and Karyn Smith were elected!
Keep in mind at that January meeting staff admitted they didn’t talk to other property owners across the street to see if property for the fire station could be acquired cheaper.
See the minutes – PDF page 4 http://www.normal.org/ArchiveCenter/ViewFile/Item/3183
Scott Preston and Kathleen Lorenz tried to delay the vote, they failed.
Just hit play to hear City Manager Pam Reece say “they aren’t novices at land acquisition”. They aren’t, they always pay way more than anybody else would.
One more:
Some people pay Federal Income taxes, many don’t. Then the Department of Housing and Urban Development returns money to cities calling it Community Development Block Grants.
Of course much of that money is absorbed by bureaucrats before a small amount gets returned.
Normal has allocated part of that money to assist home buyers:
Only 8 buyers will get assistance. It isn’t assistance, it’s redistribution of your wealth. $3,000 isn’t going to make owning a home affordable.
.
.
.
.
$450,253 is an exorbitant amount of money for that property. The Blackstone developer I’m sure was chomping at the bit to get that money. I highly doubt he even plans to fully develop the area.
I think one of the smartest moves Ms. Reece can make is to renegotiate the lease for One Uptown. The Town should be paying half that, if not less. Doug Rickel is in violation of the agreement. He’s required per that agreement to have a restaurant tenant in that first floor. He’s in violation so why should the Town be held to paying the full amount of rent if they’re getting $0 in TIF money back? Ms. Reece really should talk with legal and the council to come up with a plan to renegotiate that space.
It will end when the reality of the coming (and ongoing) economic decline finally devastates the tax receipts and the economy of the Town of Normal. The perfect storm is brewing on the horizon and it will have these components:
1. Rivian leaving town and shattering any hope of the Mitsubishi plant being anything but scrap medal.
2. Massive downsizing of State Farm with the loss of hundreds of high paying positions.
3. The bursting of the student loan bubble that will dramatically effect ISU’s enrollment numbers.
There is no way to delay the trouble coming every day!
It is better for most that they remain in denial about what you posted. All three of your points will eventually come to pass, probably sooner than later. Our dear leaders refused to accept the obvious stats years ago that predicted a stagnant economy and no positive population growth of people that had their acts together. Instead, they all banded together to push their pet projects that did nothing to position the community for the future. It is indeed an arrogant lot of self-absorbed individuals that care for no one but themselves and their silly legacies.
Illinois will never participate in the prosperity the rest of the country is experiencing because of it’s government at all levels.
Yes you are correct. As I have said many times before: This is an all hands on deck moment for our area. We first need to recognize we have a problem that will forever radically change the area in ways that will make it unrecognizable in less than 10 years. Then start the process of developing ways to stimulate the building of a 21st Century economy. The age of exponential technological changes is moving us at light speed to a place were the economic drivers that we have relied on for years (State Farm and ISU) will be gone. This is as serious as it gets for our towns. So what does our leadership (city and business) do? Nothing… they refuse to even talk about what is happening and what will surely happen in the future. Fuhrer Koos and Mayor Little Man are leaving a legacy of blinded cronyism and a cynical disregard for the coming reality of the not to distant future. They should be ashamed of themselves for their D minus leadership in a time that real leadership is needed. They are the clueless shameless detached from reality calm before the coming storm. History will judge them accordingly.
Out of control is a gross understatement.
Ms. Reece is typical, and just a continuation of the “Let them eat cake” attitude of the town of Normal Land Mismanagment Bureau. Absolutely the WORST real estate developers in the world. It is easy to be a horrible real estate agency when you have NO FEAR of losing every cent of somebody else’s money. Too bad these losses for Normal taxpayers aren’t coming out of the exorbitant salaries and pensions of the Uppitytown loss leaders.
Diane, I hope you’re happy, you ruined my breakfast.
🙁
If they renegotiated the lease for One Uptown, then their FRIEND would be out all that money. Why on Earth would they possibly consider that? They don’t care about saving tax payer money. And that restaurant? Rules, laws, contracts, regulations are for you and me. If they enforce that or pursue that I’ll be surprised. They’ll just thumb their nose.
$2,500 to the McLean County Museum of History may cover Koos’s brother’s retirement
pay for a month. It may or may not.
When the voters wake up?
They did in April!
Prediction: Koos and his pals like Reece will continue with business as usual. The true test is whether the incumbent members of the Council will go along with the status quo. Koos is very likely a lame duck. He didn’t want to run last time around, and most certainly won’t run next election. So, it’s easier to say “no” if you’re on the Council…but will they???
WOW! is ALL I can say.. $258 K for a ACRE. You can’t even get NEAR that for farm ground, which is WHAT UPTOWN will be when Portillos, Rivian, ISU, etc all tank…
As for Ms Reece, she LOVES the sound of her own voice..
Of course they are NOT going to look for CHEAPER land, it’s a DONE DEAL, and Koos has had his palm greased so many times…he COULD be mistaken for a mechanic..
I have a house they can buy from me for 258k! Just a reminder, the city OWNED the previous location of City Hall so they paid zero rent. Koos had to have a swanky new office(and furniture) to the tune of 38k a month , paid for by the taxpayers. 8 households get taxpayer funded assistance? Where’s mine? I would love to know who the 8 households belong to. Friends of Koos? Another Reese clan member? Who gets the privilege of getting help and who decides who gets the help?