By: Diane Benjamin
Tim Gleason started the meeting with a COVID update:
The City has used $2 million of $4 million in excess reserves. They won’t have a clear picture of the hit to the budget until June or July.
Police respond to all calls of violation of shelter in place. They attempt to gain compliance, non compliance can be forward to State’s Attorney. So far that hasn’t happened. There was a report on-line about police being called to a burial. Seriously people?
No public comment
The sewer presentation by Kevin Kothe was riveting. It can’t be summarized, must be watched. The report is a building block to spending almost $2 million to televise a large part of the system. The City has their own camera system but isn’t capable of working fast enough.
Mathy’s initiative on changing the downtown parking enforcement hours:
The point is to punish people who live downtown and take up all the parking spaces in front of businesses. Joni Painter wants the business owners asked before any changes are made. The rest of the Council mostly supports or defers to the downtown alderman’s decisions. All voted to put it on a future agenda. Why would anyone live downtown if there is nowhere to park except paying in a parking garage and walking? Mathy stated he prefers parking garages are free while meter are installed for on street parking.
Mathy’s initiative to bring back the Downtown Task Force report:
He wants to work on the low hanging fruit in the report. Joni Painter thinks committing to something this expensive right now isn’t wise. She claims wiring the trees for Christmas lights is estimated to cost $8 million. Kimberly Bray was on the downtown task force, she wants direction given to staff instead of looking at the whole report. It will be considered at a Committee of the Whole meeting instead of being an agenda item at a regular meeting.
Mathy’s initiative for waiving late fees longer than already waived:
He thinks businesses might need up to 6 months to get caught up, He will support a shorter period. (1:20:20 Mathy thinks Pritzker has all authority) This will also move forward.
Next council meeting will be on Tuesday 5/26 because of Memorial Day.
It appears videos eventually get moved to the archive YouTube site. So far this one hasn’t been moved.
Wiring trees with lights for Christmas costs $8 MILLION? I am appalled ! We have lost accountability across the board, at every level. These elected and appointed “show-runners” need to be relegated to frying burgers. They need a (pardon the pun) taste of real life!!!!!!!!
How stoopied is this guy, they want folks to come downtown so they can charge them to park. I do not go downtown now except to drive through. I am guessing tolls on main and center street will be next. They have no common sense???
Get Outlook for iOS ________________________________
He thinks businesses can pay the expense for customers if needed.
Apparently our local city leaders are putting all their faith in receiving a federal bailout. Bad bet.
Somebody asked how to get ahold of you about running in local elections
Attention City Council Morons and “Leaders”:
Your MAIN employer and economic driver for Bloomington and the area (State Farm) which is already being disrupted by thousands of InsurTech companies will most likely come out of the Chinese Communist Party Virus BS a DIFFERENT company. With the question being; How many jobs will be lost or how many high paying jobs will now be low paying jobs? What will be the ripple effect in our area?
The already challenged and in the midst of disruption higher education in our area (ISU, IWU, HCC) will most likely come out of the Chinese Communist Party Virus BS different institutions. How many jobs will they shed and what will be the ripple effect in our area?
The heart of our small business community is being devastated by this insane lock-down. How many businesses will close and how many people will be without jobs? What will be the ripple effect in our area?
It looks to me that prudent responsible government officials would forego ALL discretionary spending until the full effects of the Chinese Communist Party Virus BS are known?
Anything less is “whistling past the graveyard” or just plain stupid.
They only care about Menards and Home Depot. since both generate a lot of income.
Yes it appears that everyone on the city council, the mayor and the city manager have no idea about the economic devastation that is yet to come to our area.
What is happening is not rocket science.
None of them took any economics in college?
Are they all really that clueless?
New story soon
It would appear that all those mayors conferences and trips around the country have not educated any of these people to benefit We The People so obviously that’s a even more of a waste of money than it was before.
Come on STANKY! You seen the pictures! They’re out dancin’ in the GAY PARADE!
Economics is TOO way hard for Politikal types ta figger out!
The Downtown Task Farce is a joke! This is the brain trust that helped bring up quarter-million-dollar wayfinding signs, sparsely attended artsy-fartsy events, a catty group of busybody business owners, disastrous marketing efforts, and millions of dollars in taxpayer-funded waste that has only resulted in speeding up the neighborhood’s decline. Parking meters and stepped up parking enforcement is a great idea to encourage visitors to Downtown. They should issue citations for jaywalking while they’re at it. There’s Mathy trying to squeeze a quarter out of people grabbing a latte at the Coffeehound.
Jamie is pulling a Jenn. Recommendations in a Task Force report or from any Board or Commission should not be expected to be approved by the Council. The $8M reflects the cost of implementing all items in the report. Jamie’s Task Force initiative was not thought out very well.
Extending the hours for free on-street parking doesn’t cost the taxpayers anything. The parking issue for downtown has not even been resolved…notice that there are temporary markings for on-street parking because the business owners can not agree. Additionally, I think Jamie is the frontman for Emig (plus Amelia) and Carrillo (downtown aldermen) to push this forward.
The Finance department needs to provide details on how waiving late fees by extending from 3 months to 6 months will affect City tax revenue. Actually, Jamie should have had that discussion with the Finance Director prior to bringing this initiative forward.
Finally, Jamie should recuse himself from voting on any of these initiatives because his downtown business will benefit.