By: Diane Benjamin
Even though items on the Omnibus Agenda are rarely questioned by anyone other than Stan Nord, Kathleen Lorenz pulled 3 items last night. The reasons she gave didn’t make a lot of sense, it appears she now wants the public to know she isn’t a rubber-stamper.
The meeting lasted slightly over an hour including a Liquor Commission meeting and a Public Hearing about annexing property where no one spoke. The final agenda item was annexing the property.
Mr. Yordy of Morton was forced to annex his property in Normal because his proposed upscale storage facility was within a mile and a half of the Town border. He will be forced to pay a sewer tap on fee even though no sewers run to his property, he won’t even have water because he doesn’t need it. The Town rezoned the property to B-1, but the owner will be required to go through the Planning Commission again is he wants to use it for any purpose other than the storage facility.
Just hit Play to hear that discussion below. This is tyranny because they can. Since no one in Normal attended Public Comment to speak about other agenda items, I’m not going to extensively report on them. Taxpayers must not care. Watch the entire video yourself, Koos can be heard frequently snickering at comments he doesn’t like.
There is a difference between a Political Servant and a Public Servant. Normal voted for the Political types in the last election. You won the progressive lottery and now own a house the Town will probably give away. You also get higher Water Rates because the Town used the fund to buy snow plow equipment. Evidently Normal thinks Home Rule means statutes don’t apply to them. I wonder why they comply with FOIA and Open Meetings Acts ? Listen to the discussion at 17:05, the snow plows were paid for last night.
Below is the state statute which Normal claims they can ignore and thus raid the water fund for other purposes. Read the last sentence.
(65 ILCS 5/11-129-11) (from Ch. 24, par. 11-129-11)
Sec. 11-129-11. All revenue derived from the operation of a water-supply system, improvement or extension constructed or acquired under Section 11-129-9 shall be set aside as collected and deposited in a special fund designated as a municipal water fund for the particular locality. The fund shall be used only for the purpose of paying the cost of operating and maintaining the water-supply system, improvement or extension, providing an adequate depreciation fund, and paying the principal and interest on the bonds issued by the municipality under Section 11-129-9 for the purpose of constructing or acquiring the system, improvement or extension.
(Source: P.A. 80-1382.)
Diane,This is one of the very few times that I disagree with you. If in 20 years this property owner or to whomever he sells it to wants to change the use the tap on fee will have been paid. No room is left for Normal failing to ever collect the tap on fee. If the owner is willing to pay fees to the Town he perhaps does not pay, the Town is better off because they get the money for certain now. If the owner is indifferent or willing to pay the tap on fee now, I do not believe that Stan or anyone else has to protect him from a decision that he makes even if it unnecessarily costs him. The role of the government is not to prevent any business from making decisions good or bad that do not violate any of the governments regulations. The nearby neighbors are satisfied with the agreement that it will not lower their property values or cause them problems. Seems like everyone wins. I agree that the snow plow purchase using water fund money was an incorrect decision. The town sets the water rates and usually the sewer rates to increase for 7 years every 7 years. I cannot recall if they have to take a vote every year or not. Every time the water rates increase, water sales decline to existing customers. Mr. Peterson told me this years ago. Low flow toilets 1.6 gallons that now actually work replacing toilets that used 4 to 6 gallons per flush. Ones can even be purchased that have two flush mechanisms, one for doing number 1 and one for doing number 2. Also many wealthy home owners are disconnecting their underground sprinkler systems. Low flow shower heads and also low flow faucets are common and many feel the same as higher flow. Additionally homeowners and businesses more quickly fix leaks. Therefore the towns revenue increases less than the 2% increase from existing customers. new Dishwashers also use less water and my relatively new one gets the dishes as clean as the old one. I am down to using 1,000 gallons per month which is low even for a single resident. Keep up your great work! R
You forgot the many other haven’t paid sewer tap on fees because they aren’t on the map. Staff decides, not ordinances or any common sense.
Kathleen will go unchallenged. People are eager to complain but unwilling to run for office.
When the only ones willing to run are liberals then expect a liberal government.
Good conservatives have run in Normal, they lose
Kathy gets dumber by the minute.
Voters need to learn to judge a Canidate by their record, rather than campaign promises.