By: Diane Benjamin
If you read the story below you saw Stan Nord was cut off last Monday when he asked questions about taxpayer investment in the private Illinois Arts Station: https://blnnews.com/2020/08/18/normals-painful-meeting/
He was cut off because Pam Reece and company have been negotiating behind the backs of the Council for months. All emails received by FOIA.
The emails below prove Pam Reece was been plotting since at least early June to:
- Have the property surrounding the building “gifted” to the Town of Normal which makes taxpayers responsible for the maintenance
- Burn one of the un-needed buildings and call it Fire Training
- Negotiate a partnership agreement between Illinois Arts Station and the Town of Normal
None of this has been presented to the Council for their approval. When all of the negotiating is complete the Council will be asked to rubber-stamp it. Kathleen Lorenz will be thrilled, if you didn’t watch Monday’s meeting she was the first Trustee to rejoice about this project.
So your roads can’t be fixed but you get to pay Town employees to do maintenance at a non-profit because you will own the land that can never be sold.
Town lawyer Brian Day is involved:
Most of this email was redacted, but the end proves Pam was finalizing an agreement without ever discussing this with the Council. Note Pam wants the agreement acceptable to IAS, she never mentions citizens don’t want to own land that can never be sold and pay to take care of it:
If any of this information has changed since June Pam Reece needs to stop negotiating behind the backs of the Council and the taxpayers she expects to pay the bills. Try transparency for a change Pam.
Note: Staff devised the plans for One Normal Plaza, not the Council. Staff doesn’t care what citizens say. I hear another plan with the soccer complex may be in the works. Of course, it’s a secret. Government For and By The People is a joke in Normal.
When 80% of the voters in the Town of Normal are to stupid/lazy to vote, this is what results. Given your revelations about the actions of the Town of Normal political class, I am truly amazed there has been little outcry and/or demand for more Town ” leaders” accountability, but that reverts back to the stupid/lazy group.
Referring to Normal’s Council as pawns is giving them more credit then what the Koos and Pam think of them. Pawns provide and have value. A more accurate description is the Council is a constitutionally imposed burden on the their fiefdom.
I agree!
I think the silent majority ought to speak up. But, hey, as long as the speak up on election day, that’s really all that counts. Remember, we felt like Stan had a decent shot pre-election. He then proceeded to wipe the floor with his opponents. There are way more supporters of Stan (and Marc) out there right now than most people think. Koos and “his” Council are either under-estimating them or they know their goose is cooked next election cycle so they’re ramming all their pet projects and dealing making through now.
NO way would I ever SHOP nor live in a place that HAS to be called uptown. THAT in itself speaks VOLUMES!
Wanna be cool, MOVE to BOULDER and be a REAL “UPPITY” person. But it’ll cost ya!
Council representatives are supposed to be the fiscal stewards of taxpayer resources. When a council member is denied even being able to ask questions regarding the fiscal impact of what they are voting on, then taxpayers should be alarmed.
Irresponsible spending will continue until fiscally responsible people run and a minimum of four are elected to the Council.
Fiscally responsible and want to run? It is about time to start the process. Call me and I’ll help. 309-242-2495.
Stan Nord – Citizen Representative on the Normal Council
Thank you Stan!
Stan, thank you for all you do and your tireless representation. It does not go unnoticed and we appreciate your efforts.
Don’t you people ever get tired of your money going to projects That are never approved by the council. I mean look at that project sitting over there on Pine Street that Teri Talk to city of normal into financing and why does she have to do nothing but live upstairs for very little money. Normal acts like they have so much money burning holes in their pockets to do whatever they want to and they don’t have shit. You lost Mitsubishi years ago and that was a big chunk of change in your pocket this pandemic has probably cost you millions and millions of dollars worth of revenue and now you just want to handover more property. You have no business being in the private sector. You are not a bank you are a town that should not be handing out money left and right to finance people Never have to pay anything back.