By: Diane Benjamin

Everyone but Tim Gleason managed to show at last night. Gleason might have been attending another meeting.

Jenna Kearns: Just stay seated during the Pledge of Allegiance. You would look like less of a hypocrite:

The upcoming presentation for downtown wasn’t mentioned, supposedly the room in the Government Center will be done. I hear the water park still isn’t.

There was another Public Comment about the 9 unit apartment building in White’s Place. All residents need to understand zoning is completely meaningless since Hedgewood subdivision has a drug and alcohol treatment house right in the middle of single family zoning and the City is doing zero about it:

Zoning in Bloomington should be considered dead. Get chickens and consider yourself free from oppressive regulations on YOUR property since you won’t be pursued. If the City does attempt compliance you have the perfect example of uneven application of laws in the City of Bloomington meaning you are exempt – just like Oxford House.

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A question was asked about Bloomington’s bond rating. Pensions liability is keeping it from going higher, Bloomington is paying in 100% of what actuaries require.

Did Normal tell you their funding percent for police pensions is still below 50% at 49.94? (Up from 49.86% last year) The fireman pensions funding percentage dropped from 55.04% to 53.88%. See PDF page 127 and following: https://www.normalil.gov/DocumentCenter/View/23148/Annual-Comprehensive-Financial-Report-23-FINAL-DOC

Bloomington hasn’t released their 4/30/23 financial statements, evidently their funding percentages are down even though MILLIONS are thrown into the fund. The goal is 100% funded in 18 years. That isn’t going to happen. State law requires 90% funding, that won’t happen either.

Of course a big market downturn will erase any progress both may be making toward 100% funded. Both know where to get more money even if your retirement accounts get hit. Public Sector Unions are special funders of government and are therefore protected by your wallet.

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The Finance Director made a statement all residents of Bloomington should hear. He was talking about future revenue that could be affected by high inflation, high interest rates, and record credit card debt. Just hit play to hear his comment. The slides aren’t legible, see his report here: https://www.bloomingtonil.gov/home/showpublisheddocument/29680/638312358386600000