By: Diane Benjamin
Last weekend’s flooding proved local governments care more about building new than maintaining the infrastructure they already have. Anybody think the underpass Normal is desperate to build won’t flood? Think it won’t get icy in the winter? How will Amtrak passengers get to the other side if either happens?
Probably the same way they do now!
It gets worse! The Town of Normal is planning to take up to $2,000,000 from the General Fund AND Storm Water Utility Funds to build the underpass.
See Chris Koos’s letter in this story: https://blnnews.com/2021/04/08/why-koos-was-desperate-and-what-he-didnt-bother-to-tell-you/?fbclid=IwAR0JBPmVRbK6SlYHjI0GS8sNWijmfYoUT9vFXvrsLi_5F1KGKqHbzkKli9M
From the letter:
Municipalities are required by the IPEA to have separate sewers and storm water systems. That prevents overflow and backups during heavy rains. Major updates to decades old systems are required. Ask Normal how much of their system is done. Since both towns had major flooding in older areas I’m thinking those haven’t been upgraded.
Also note the Council has never voted to take money from Storm Water funds. Koos, Reece and staff dreamed this up with no authorization. The Council bobbleheads will just rubberstamp it in a few months after they hope you forget the flooding.
Council claims POLICY if their job, they aren’t smart enough to realize they have little to no say on policy.
Voting YES to what staff presents isn’t setting policy!
Unless you’re involved with Uptown or Rivian, you don’t matter. That includes not just water and sewer, but all Town services. This is the constituency that votes for Koos and his puppets on the Council in droves.
Everybody else shouldn’t have skipped the election. You get what you don’t vote for.
Normal has robbed the storm water fund from the start. They collect $1.125 million, and $118 thousand went for storm water cleanup!
Koos & his Korps are a bunch of loonies!! Townsfolk are getting what they voted for!! Ron