By: Diane Benjamin
More information concerning this story from yesterday: https://blnnews.com/2021/10/06/one-more-on-normal-more-must-watch/
Yes, more sewer tap on fees. This is deep stuff you must read carefully! It’s your money.
The development that was approved at Monday’s meeting was charged a sewer tap on fee by the Town even though it was not on the Tap On Fees Map. The Town is collecting it only because the developer agreed to pay it in the annexation agreement. Remember those two words: Annexation Agreement.
Now we head back to January 2021 where the final plat for development on Kerrick Rd was approved. This was a property that had been abandoned and never completed by a previous owner, the Town and Council were thrilled that somebody is now developing it. However, from the minutes: PDF page 3 https://normal.org/ArchiveCenter/ViewFile/Item/3870
Ding ding ding! Houston, we have a problem! Are some developers more equal than others? Neither property was on the Tap On Fees map, but one agrees to pay while the other skates? That’s Equitable treatment of developers? Is staff negotiating incentives themselves without Council approval?
Now jump farther back to the referenced June 1, 2020 meeting. The minutes do not say anything about sewer tap on fees. The minutes also don’t reference the annexation agreement, keep in mind what the annexation agreement says can’t be ignored by staff because it is a legal document approved by the Council. The minutes: https://normal.org/ArchiveCenter/ViewFile/Item/3665
The Kerrick Rd property was annexed to the Town of Normal clear back in 2007. Guess what’s in it? Ding, ding, ding.
https://normal.org/ArchiveCenter/ViewFile/Item/732
PDF page 76:
The development is 65.47 acres. At $300 an acre somebody owes $19,641 in sewer tap on fees. Did Mercy Davidson read the annexation agreement before she decided to state this property is not on the Sewer Tap On Fee map so they don’t have to pay?
Is Mercy Davidson incompetent or did she provide additional incentives to the Kerrick Rd developer without Council consent by not collecting the fee? (corruption) Was the water tap on fees collected?
Will some future owner of this property be charged these fees years from now when the Town “discovers” they forgot to charge them?
You are looking at exactly what happened to Stan Nord. The Town of Normal “forgot” to charge the owner 12 years and 3 owners before Stan Nord bought the property. Was it Mercy Davidson who hunted for something to punish Nord with for daring to get elected? Was that incompetence or corruption 14 years ago or political retribution in 2019? If you remember, the Town got the media to call Stan everything short of a criminal for not paying his bills.
Nord was charged more than a decade after the Town failed to collect from the original developer. The Town’s failure to collect from the Kerrick Rd developer has only been since January. The annexation agreement passed by the Council says the developer owes the money. The Town either needs to refund the $11,904 Stan Nord paid or collect from the current owner. Equity!!
If Stan owed fees, so does this developer.
The clip below is from the January 2020 meeting. Pam Reece states there are no Sewer Tap on Fees on the Kerrick Rd property. Incompetence or Corruption?
From the same meeting, Karyn Smith thinks the “professional staff” have honesty and integrity and therefore should not be questioned. She berated Stan for representing citizens while asking for proof of his claims. Here it is Karyn. Other Council members agreed with Karyn. Kevin McCarthy is always asking for proof too. He will ignore this, the entire Council will.
Council Incompetence or Corruption?
Normal only has ONE representative who stands between citizens and their government. They hate Stan because he does. Will Pam fire Mercy Davidson for incompetence? Write her up? Will the Council fire Pam Reece for incompetence? Award a big raise? This is why corruption is everywhere in Illinois. Government hates all “Stans” who question them, the people you elected do too.
Listen to Karyn, hopefully she won’t run again in 2023:
I vote it is BOTH
When I called the town out for applying fees inconsistently the retaliation against me got worse. I hope people see that the Koos/Reece administration allows and has defended staff using their positions to help or hurt those who have to deal with the town.
I know developers and business owners read this site. Some of you have told me your experiences. Those who have been treated unfairly, you are not alone. I know it is frustrating to watch others be given unfair advantages by the town staff. While the staff are not elected, the council who is supposed to provide over site has put their head in the sand to this corruption. This is another consequence of elections
Stan Nord
Diane, you’re too nice. The King Koos Klan is so corrupt that mobsters from the roaring 20’s are jealous.
😎🤦♀️
Q.) How does this impact the average taxpayer?
A.) For every dollar the “professional staff” choose not to collect from developers results in unnecessary taxes taken from the residents of Normal. Sewers and water mains do not get built for free.
Remember…
1.) Diane’s examples were not council sanctioned incentives. This is town staff giving under the table deals.
2.) Most town staff do not live in Normal so they are not impacted by increasing taxes on Normal residents.
3.) This has been going on for years.
Sent to [email protected]
Are you incompetent or corrupt…or were you bullied as a child and so desperate to be in with popular kids on Council you can’t do the right thing? I don’t feel comfortable with individuals such as your self teaching accounting. Fortunately you are a NTT faculty and likely disposable.
Link to this article: Is this incompetence or corruption Normal? – BlnNews
Shame on You. You really should apologize to Stan for being part of the group that bullies and running your mouth when you have no idea what’s going on. “Trust the Staff” she said. It will be fun.
Here’s to hoping you get your head out of your ass and stop being corrupt (or incompetent).
I wish I could meet with some of your students to explain how theoretical accounting and the pedagogy used in Higher Education won’t be useful in a real-life. Accounting uses AI and business specific software now, unless of course you work for the government. I can’t remember, have you ever had a real job?
It’s fun that both of your e-mails are public and can be FOIA’d.
I realize that calling you a bully may seem hypocritical given the nature of this e-mail, but I’m not bullying you, I’m defending myself and the community from the likes of you. You can take the girl out of the trailer park, but you can’t take the trailer park out of the girl as they say.
An equal playing field does not exist when dealing with the TON. To ensure your permits and town approvals go smoothly donate to Koos’s campaign then let him know you’re submitting plans, join Bike BloNo and buy random things at Koos’s bike shop when he’s working, or stop and talk to Pam Reece at BCC. Nord is naive to believe shining light on corruption will stop the greasing of palms. This was the Peterson way. He taught Reece and Koos how government really works.
BN Elitist Clique shenanigans have been going on long before Peterson. Local country club membership have been the deciders for what goes on in BN for a long, long time. I can tell you stories how the executive office at SF put an end to any thought about certain companies that wanted to come there that they perceived as a threat. Wait until all the graft that is going on at Rivian is eventually exposed.
Country Club memberships are now cheap, the elitists must have left.
Have you ever noticed that looking at the pics of the King Koos Klan that those folks appeared stressed and are looking older much quicker as time goes on?
Makes you wonder, doesn’t it, what is the bargain these people struck for the obvious immunity from investigation or prosecution for obvious crimes. BTW, has anyone checked to see how the Normal firemen are feeling?
Dishonestly, back stabbing, lying and then always needing to cover up bad deeds will wear a person out. Thus the older they look, quicker.
Diane: I can assure just because the price might have come down, the elitists are still at the club (BCC). Doesn’t change the point of my post that that is the group of people that have always ran BN and always will. BCC memberships used to run in the thousands with a long waiting list. Maybe they are a victim of COVID too? At least I freed myself from all of it. Others, not so much.
“Equitable!” Kooskoos HATED that Stan used that word to highlight the corruption. Koos interrupted immediately. I suggest we all start using that word a lot more when describing their financial malfeasance; their corruption; their mismanagement, or whatever. Throw it right back in their faces.