By: Diane Benjamin
On February 14, 2020 I sent a FOIA request to the Town of Normal for CIRBN Board meeting minutes. Since Normal calls their 3 employees Town employees, we should see what these employees are up to.
This is what I FOIA’d:
“Minutes of all CIRBN Board meetings held between April 2018 and August 2018”
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This was the first response:
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In reference to your records request, I require additional time to respond. This is due to the unexpected large number of responsive records and based on the need to gather and determine whether any of the information requested is statutorily exempt from disclosure.
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My request wasn’t delayed because of the “large number of responsive records”, it was delayed so they could figure out a way to deny my request.
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How do I know? I eventually got 13 pages, one of them is a cover sheet.
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Everybody related to government now knows minutes should contain only absolutely necessary information with few details. Bloomington and Normal both use the excuse that details are available on video. That doesn’t apply to CIRBN, but they follow the same procedures anyway.
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These people were at all 3 meetings:
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Note: Rob Fazzini, former Bloomington Alderman who quit to turn garbage into jet fuel (it failed to materialize) and who announced gas taxes don’t raise the price of gas, is also running for County Auditor as a Democrat.
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Letting him anywhere near the Auditor’s office would be a disaster close to what we have now with Michele Anderson.
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The Town of Normal paid these expenses to CIRBN during the FOIA time period, the minutes don’t have enough detail to explain why the Normal taxpayers are paying installation bills for CIRBN:
Highlights from the minutes:
See PDF page 5. CIRBN will continue to expand, just not to rural areas.
PDF page 10:
The stock price of DragonWave today is .0301. Their website makes them sound a lot like what CIRBN does here except they are in the Chicago area. https://www.dragonwave.us/
All of the below is why CIRBN won’t be going anywhere, they are connected to the “right” people.
PDF page 2
PDF page 10:
PDF page 13:
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You could not have a more incestuous relationship between a non-profit and a city government than the one led by Mark DeKeersgieter of CIRBN. And what is amazing is that it is not hidden from view, it is right out in the open for all to see.
Dear Normal Taxpayers,
Are you as mentally challenged as Joe Biden? Why does this continue to go on unopposed? It is right out in the open for all to see. They make NO attempt to hide it from you. They certainly don’t hide it on social media. The relationships between Mark DeKeersgieter and Koos shills, council members, non-profit leaders, city elites and local power brokers is there for all to see.
Yes, taxpayers of the Town of Normal, by not vehemently opposing this, you deserve this. It will not stop until you make it stop.
Have fun pouring your tax dollars into the pockets of CIRBN’s employees…they really appreciate it!
Trouble2
For ANYONE who even associates with OR calls themselves a Democrat, WHAT the heck is “The RIGHT people”?? THIS sounds like code speak for crony insider!
RIGHT PEOPLE get the job DONE at the best price and with the best product. PERIOD!
LEFT people wanting RIGHT people, kind of an oxyMORON isn’t it!!
FOIA and publish their financials. Let’s see how our investment is paying off.
Not available!
They should be available. Yes, they are a separate entity, but the Town, as a partial owner, should be supplied with financials as a matter of course.
The operative word in all of that being ‘should’. Since separate entity personnel ‘should’ never be on the Town payroll (among other things), it’s obvious the local powers that be don’t give a goat’s galoshes about ‘should’.
How is it not available? Did your FOIA get denied? If so, how can paid town staff legally hide their work product? Do they work in Normal’s version of Area 51 or something?
They file tax returns as a nonprofit. The latest one on line is from 2017. I posted it a week or so ago.
CIRBN won “best dressed”. Wow! How impressive. Too bad they can’t win any new clients. Maybe another selfie photo with Kathleen and Sonia will help them land that next big contract. Ugh. CIRBN has turned into an arm of the Town of Normal government. “Free” fiber for Koos and the gang to give out to cronies as part of an incentive package.