By: Diane Benjamin

Monday night the residents with damaged property due to flooding last June didn’t show up at Council. They have been to every other Council meeting since June making Public Comments.

Maybe they were too appalled the Library would claim $20 million+ was all they need for GLORIOUS while their homes remain damaged or unlivable. Maybe they are appalled the Library Board wants more property tax money from them when they can’t afford to fix what they lost. Maybe they figured out nobody on a white horse is coming to rescue them.

At least an hour was spent by the Council discussing ways the City could possibly help. The speeches are worth watching, they show how various Council members view their job as Ward representatives.

Meanwhile, the flooding was June 25 and 26th. The City Council has been discussing what to do for close to three months. The curb cleanup was easiest to initiate, what to do next is tougher. Molly Ward thinks the City should explore making direct payments to residents. Jamie Mathy agrees, so do Julie Emig, and Jeff Crabill. Tom Crumpler expressed what most think: existing funds, grants, and forgivable loans need to be exhausted first. He was the 5th Council member to say he wants to hear more at the next meeting, so they will.

If the affected residents don’t know by now they should: Government does not exist to make whole what you lost even if government can be partially blamed for your loss due to inadequate infrastructure.

Individual responsibility is required, Jamie Mathy commented that many of the renters in his Ward didn’t have insurance. Others could have purchased flood and sewer backup insurance, many didn’t. It isn’t the job of those who accept responsibility to protect themselves to pay those who don’t.

The City can’t legally write checks to citizens. Even if they could, there is no guarantee another heavy rain wouldn’t destroy everything again because it will take years to finish separating the sewer and storm water systems. Will the same people be back demanding more money if it happens again? What if a tornado destroys many City blocks? Is it government’s job to rebuild because owners didn’t have adequate insurance? Where does the help end?

The video has slides again of where help is already available. Tim Gleason is going to explore help from the Bloomington Township coffers and well as CDBG funding.

Meanwhile celebrate tree plantings for two former mayors, one of which is responsible for why millions were wasted on an arena. Your sewers could have been fixed by now if government cared about essentials instead of creating utopia for themselves. Keep not voting in local elections and the same will continue.

Just hit play to hear the entire discussion. It reveals a lot about your elected officials: