By: Diane Benjamin
Follow-up to this story: https://blnnews.com/2019/08/05/more-from-the-normal-foia-dead-trees/
I found the original problem with new trees dying in Normal only because of a FOIA request for other information. The pic of a newly planted tree in the previous story proved no dirt has been put on top of the root ball. This story included to tree planting process that obviously wasn’t followed:
Since soil wasn’t put on top of the root ball when it was planted, “add more soil” wasn’t possible.
The same citizen from the previous story sent this email to Stan this month, he also emailed me:
Twelve of Thirteen new trees just planted in June are dead.
His email to me included this pic:
I FOIA’d emails about dead trees. I found:
- The citizen also asked Pam Reece to stop planting trees until the reasons for so many dying was determined.
- Stan Nord agreed with him an another email to Pam.
Pam didn’t agree:
The guy then sent this email to Nord, Smith, and Lorenz:
It appears internal discussions side with the citizen, not the City Manager:
Kotlinsky is ASST DIRECTOR MAINTENANCE OPS
Bane is MAINTENANCE SUPERVISOR
http://www.normal.org/DocumentCenter/View/14857/Total-Compensation-Report—Town-of-Normal
FYI:
Last year the town budgeted $70,677 for trees. This year it was $45,000
PDF page 80: http://www.normal.org/DocumentCenter/View/14883/2019-2024
A lot of that money has been turned into firewood. (Very small fire)
Let’s build a soccer complex to see if the town of Normal can take better care of grass than they do trees.
Its called preparing the soil for planting. If a tree is supposed to BE planted a certain way, why would you, on purpose, not do that and then get upset when it dies. Or if your employee did this for the second time, why are they STILL employed?
Hark to the City Manager trying suppress transparency..AGAIN..as is manifested in many of her emails. “As a reminder to elected officials, please do not ‘reply all’ (I added the brackets), and be aware of how many elected officials are included in an email response.” Why? Trying to keep it secret? This is the people’s business, Ms Reece, and it is your job to keep them informed. I agree with Dawson Lake. I’ve been reading BLN for years, and have never seen anything about anyone in city government getting fired. Ever. Doesn’t happen in the public sector, I guess.
Too many on email would violate the Open Meeting Act. 3 us a violation, if they respond to each other
Wait? Does Normal follow that law?
and BLONO councils wonder why the citizens want them out? 70k for trees? Just for trees? We can also include UNION labor costs,water, paying for the union labors healthcare. This sounds so much like a Polock joke,but alas, its truth.
how very appropriate these trees are! stop and think about all the dead trees. shall we call it deadwood? kinda describes the entire city council with the exception of stan and karyn .
Left-wing government can’t keep some trees alive. But Democrats absolutely salivate to allow them to completely control your healthcare, tell you how to raise your children and design (or, in their view, preferably outlaw) your vehicle and private home. (Not to mention put you in prison if you utter a politically incorrect term, “misgender”, or dare to own a Confederate flag.)
If you don’t think that we are in a war–RIGHT NOW!–and that our very survival is at stake, you have not been paying attention.