By: Diane Benjamin
Normal has money for everything except microphones that work. Kevin McCarthy had to hold his when he spoke, the sound still wasn’t clear. Brian Day had a large hand-held microphone because he is always hard to hear from his perch, his did work.
Chemberly Cummings is now Chemberly Harris, no explanation. Scott Preston is now a dad, he didn’t attend the meeting. Congrats Scott.
If you were expecting staff to present the long awaited Paser (Pavement Surface Evaluation and Rating) report to the Council and public you would be wrong. It was posted to the Normal website without any notifications. Stan Nord made sure citizens were notified in his comments at the end of the meeting. See the report here, try to figure out why the release wasn’t celebrated: https://www.normalil.gov/DocumentCenter/View/20457/Town-of-Normal-Pavement-Rating-Report_FINAL_20220711?bidId=
The Trustee comments at the end of meetings can be fun. Karyn Smith proved two things when she called a Point of Order while Stan Nord was speaking. The topic was the marathon Planning Commission meeting. What she proved was 1) her memory is faulty and 2) all meetings should be on video. I have the video, Karyn Smith is wrong. If I hadn’t filmed the meeting it would have been Smith’s word against Nord’s. Brian Day was wrong too, RC McBride’s comment was at the end of the Wintergreen discussion, not the beginning as he claimed. See 1:02:45 on the entire meeting video below to hear Day’s comment.
Kathleen Lorenz isn’t nearly as offended by spending more than $27 million on an underpass to save 50 feet as she is about Stan Nord questioning the transparency. If you want to hear Nord’s response to Lorenz, go to 46:30 on the full meeting video below.
Missed the proof the underpass will only save 50 feet? See it here: https://blnnews.com/2022/08/16/quick-hit-from-normal/
Entire meeting:
I could support a vehicle/pedestrian underpass. The proposed underpass will be used by a limited number. Normal has an increasing problem with trains delaying vehicle traffic. Normal chose to save $700,000.00 by eliminating the planne3d underpass when Ft Jesse Rd was updated. Now the want to spend $20 plus million of taxpayer funds to accommodate to Mayors vision for uptown. Our grandchildren will be tax slaves!
The last version of the ‘underpass’ that I saw had an attached park, and iirc, a fountain.
That Is Not “An Underpass Project”!!
That is “30 Million Dollar Landscaping For The Mayor’s Office” that also includes an underpass.
It’s also a nice amenity for the town staff to enjoy, which they will like all the more because most of them live outside of Normal so they won’t be paying ‘their fair share’ for it!
Oh Kathy, Kathy, Kathy, you are so self righteous. Is there any amount Kool-Aid you don’t consume from your bobblehead dolls on Council? Are you at all capable of any independent thought? Any? Did you not learn critical thinking skills at Purdue? With each passing Council meeting you just get dumber and dumber.
Bravo Stan Nord! Showing up with the receipts. Hit play and prove Karen smith’s point of order was bs, just like most of what comes out of her mouth. I was at that planning commission meeting too and heard rc mcbride. kathy, karen, pam, koos, kevin, scott and chumperly–all self righteous bobble heads for the kooskingdom. Do they even know they’re being used?