By: Diane Benjamin
In case you forgot, the Summit was originally by invitation only from a Trustee or Mayor. After outrage, citizens were allowed to attend but their concerns were kept separate.
This is a link to the report Lyle Sumek was paid to produce after the meeting, I hear it was rewritten many times to not reveal too much: https://blnnews.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/05/citizen-summit-report-2019-2020.pdf
The report is a list of questions and how each “team” responded to the question. It’s pretty easy to tell the “invitees” from regular citizens.
Communication was big theme. Lots of comments about Trustees listening to the people more and information being presented before decisions are already made. (Don’t the current Trustees get upset with Stan for talking to people?)
I suggest you review the documentation, then ask the Trustees why little of what was reported mattered. The Summit was in 2019. Must be too early to see action.
Notice while reading some listed responses are so vague they don’t say anything.
I just read through it. I am stunned they included as much as they did. (I was one of the attendees.) However, we all know they plan to ignore much of it. They will increase taxes and spending. They will only patch, not repave, the roads. They do not want more taxpsyer/citizen input. They will continue to violate the OMA. Etc.
They lie to get elected, then what citizens want is ignored. Those who disagree agree with the agenda are attacked and bullied into submission by faithful staff and council lemmings. Less than 20% of voters even cared to vote.
I’d have to look up the exact number, but this last election it was actually just over 20%. IIRC under 21, definitely under 25.
I was one of the ‘invitees’ but when I arrived with my husband, he was seated at the ‘invitee’ table and I was told to take a seat at an assigned back table. When I said that he wasn’t the ‘invitee’, the response was ‘He is now’. The ‘front’ tables were composed mostly of men. The discussion was a sham. If you didn’t agree with the thoughts of the council, the discussion quickly turned to another subject. The town staff member recording the comments was ‘in charge’ and tried to sway opinions.
All Normal wants to do build more bike trails and other pet projects that feed the mayor, council and city manager’s egos. The Citizen Summit was nothing more than window dressing to give the false impression they give 2 cents. Koos was pissed “non-invited” elites showed for the summit.
It’s all a charade that they used to called a charette. They use a facilitator that is actually a manipulator. Orwellian double speak is the game. Perhaps the best remedy would be for the creation of an alternative backup Citizens Summit. Not sanctioned or endorsed by the crooked cities but a group of concerned citizens that discuss the same subjects and render their report to sites like BLN. That would get Koos panties in a bunch.
yep. and consultant friends of the mayors and council members make breathtaking money to put on these events.
Remember the colosseum? It was a ballot question and taxpayers overwhelmingly said NO. The Mayor’s family was going to make a lot of money selling the land to the city so the built it anyway.
We have seen many times that when we are asked questions and don’t give the answer the mayor wants they will do it anyway.
Normal re-elected these people so they believed they are justified to continuing building what they want and ignoring the rest of us..
I don’t know any conservatives that don’t vote in every election.
I would put good money on that election being stolen. No way did all four of those idiots win again. No way am I buying that crap.
Conservatives don’t vote as faithfully as those who benefit from government’s control and the redistribution of wealth. The conservative voice will remain unheard until we decide to participate in elections en mass. The badge of honor the “silent majority” exercises greatly helps the liberal, socialist democrat cause.