By: Diane Benjamin
The sales tax plan for the Fiala brothers created some havoc for some of the Trustees. The citizens of Normal are really tired of the Town’s giveaways, especially to their “friends”.
The citizens remember all the properties given away to create Uptown. Nobody would have built there without them. The citizens see the massive debt their grandkids will be paying off, if they don’t flee Illinois.
The citizens remember the Terri Ryburn $120 a year lease. The citizens remember Koos attempting to sneak a $100 a month lease by the Council for property owned by the taxpayers. The citizens remember Wild Country isn’t paying any rent. The citizens remember the Town paying property taxes they didn’t owe. The citizens remember how you treat the guy (Stan Nord) who pointed that out and only wants a plan to make sure it doesn’t happen again.
This list is practically endless.
Naturally the citizens are suspicious of EVERY deal now. Too bad mayor, you created this atmosphere. The compliant members of the Council are just as guilty. Are you going to raise property taxes again because you can’t budget for pensions?
More emails received by FOIA:
Koos thinks citizens questioning Town policies are Trump’s fault!
Let’s get a couple of facts straight:
Portillos and the Fiala deal aren’t close to being the same. The Town claimed Portillos was going to be a destination, the “professional staff” didn’t realize Champaign and Peoria both got one without paying a dime. Portillos here didn’t get money, another government “friend” did – Bloomington Landmark Development. https://blnnews.com/2016/12/02/portillo-town-monday-night/
The Town handed over $1,825,000 just to get a hotel torn down. Portillos could have picked their own spot, we don’t know how much the developer made. Worse, receipts from Portillos were supposed to pay off the developer. Instead, the Town wrote them a check, supposedly to save on the 8% interest. https://blnnews.com/2018/03/16/hum-uptown-circle/
The developer just happens to be the same one that did 1 Uptown Circle who still hasn’t rented the first floor and is collecting more than $35,000 rent every month from taxpayers for an entire floor. Trump has nothing to do with citizen outrage Chris!
Double Down!
Hiring a propaganda manager won’t help change the facts.
The problem with the Fiala brothers handout is the Town is subsidizing a business that will complete with other businesses. That is called “picking winners and losers”. Pam, how much of those customer generated taxes are being diverted from other businesses? How much from Bloomington? Pretending it is all “new” money belies common sense.
Destihl:
I don’t know all the facts because I wasn’t following Normal closely then. I do know the Normal taxpayers paid $67,000 to CIRBN to run internet to the new facility. https://www.pantagraph.com/news/local/cirbn-to-extend-internet-service-toward-destihl-site/article_4681457a-df2d-5b6f-81de-33d0119fc8b0.html
Likely Mark Peterson was on the CIRBN Board then, Pam Reece is now. More picking who wins while taxpayers get the bill! Oops, the free market usurped again.
Koos spilled the beans in his email. Just like Bloomington, he believes “Quality of Life” will attract and maintain talent.
The taxpayers forced to pay for his folly are immaterial.
Their “quality of life” decreases with every tax and fee increase.
Double down Chris, you will lose the argument.
(Readers: Feel free to add to the list of why Koos will lose)
As an local owed business, not in favor with Koos, the Town turned me in to the EPA. It froze my business for years, then dropped because NO violations. Locals don’t stand a chance with outside investors Sad!
Normal Town Council and Kris Koos gave Nick Africano $500,000.00 to tear down TWO buildings on his property that were formerly used by the Soldiers & Sailors Children’s School. Only one building was razed. The other building is still there. I know it is expensive to demolish buildings. $500,000.00 was enough to raze both. Why weren’t they BOTH torn down. How much of that money ended up in the owner’s pocket? Where was the oversight to make sure the job was completed? And why are taxpayers paying for this?
Quality of life in UPTOWN has about the SAME implications as melting snow in Alaska to draw tourists, neither of which works.. Koos, council, and “ASSociates: need to take NOTICE that their antics will NO LONGER BE TOLERATED-just 11 LOUSY VOTES!! I hope Koos goes the way of the dodo and passenger pigeon.. He has WAY outlived his usefulness, purpose AND goals. As for the REST of the council, maybe they NEED a lesson in LISTENING and SHUTTING THE HECK U and learning want WE THE PEOPLE want. GOT IT CHEREMBLEY, REESE< etc???
Just the fact these people communicate in a manner that can be FOIAed, leaves a major paper trail and the degrading way they do it shows they all lack basic intelligence.
Me thinks Kathleen Lorenz is in over her head and needs the King and Queen to tell her what to think and say.
This is par for the course. Koos, Pam and the council, except for Karen and Stan, do not represent the citizens. They govern and dictate. Anyone who disagrees with them is their enemy. It is sad to see how far out of touch these individuals have gotten. We are in a town of only 50k people and we have this problem. The best thing for Normal is for them to resign, but their egos won’t let them. This is just another reason to leave Illinois.
Please correct me if I am wrong. The Portilla’s developer that got the $1.8 million was Tartan which evidently is the brother-in-law of Andrew Matthews that ran against Koos as mayor, three elections ago. Ryan Fiala ran against Scott Black for city council two elections ago. Funny how that stuff works, huh? Get beat, go over to the other side,,,get paid.
QUALITY OF LIFE?? Get real Koos! Let’s face it,Koos lives in LALA land! The only one who sees quality of life is the one who is taking all the taxpayers monies and blowing it on “right fit” projects. So the Hyatt hotel is a Quality of Life issue? Please explain how having hotels in downtown Normal that bring in less and less revenue every year makes Quality of Life? Please explain how a brewery is going to increase Quality of Life? Please explain how giving Rivian millions in tax dollars is going to produce Quality of Life especially since Rivan has not sold ONE vehicle to date? You want quality of life? Fix the damn roads! Get the criminals out of our neighborhoods and off our streets! Lower taxes so people can afford a little quality of life and get someone on Disconnect transit board who will bring the busses back into the poor neighborhoods so the people there can produce their own Quality of LIFE!
From a friend that I used to work with at Mitsubishi and has recently worked inside the plant: Rivian appears to be preparing the plant for sale not production. Tearing out vital production equipment (paint pretreat area) and not replacing it – painting the entire ceiling of the plant white (who knows why this makes sense) and painting all the presses in stamping white. It appears to both of us that this is a factory flip not a preparation for the mass production of vehicles.
Where did the thousands of Volkswagens go ? Were there any storage fees involved?
Here you go… this is why P. Reece and K. Lorentz will not be doing anything about CIRBN – You be the judge: https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=10220686709304129&set=a.1903409711451&type=3&theater
“Had to take our traditional selfie. 🤳🏻 Always a fun time together.”
Who is this “group of ten” the king is speaking of?
Lorenz’s go to people for opinions.