By: Diane Benjamin
Follow-up to this story: https://blnnews.com/2024/06/19/foia-fail/
That story shows I requested two things:
- Communication to/from the council concerning the purchase of the Owens property
- The letter of intent Tim Gleason signed with the realtor in Decatur
The emails were all redacted, at the time of that story they were still looking for Gleason’s letter.
Yesterday they denied Part 2 because:
Unfortunately, the City was unable to find the document requested after an extensive search.
Did Tim Gleason walk off with documents subject to FOIA?
If you didn’t look at the redacted emails in the first story you missed this one. Mayor Mwilambwe works off a script the City Clerk provides. That’s leadership!
Go back to Gary Lambert’s public comment Monday night. Bloomington citizens aren’t engaged because everything is “scripted”. They know big decisions are made behind closed doors and council meeting are just a rubber stamp. Citizens are being crushed by policies of both Bloomington and the State. 3 on 1 meetings coerce alderman while leaving citizens in the dark. Time limits are set for discussions at meetings to limit speech. Representative government in Bloomington is scripted with built in tax increases. Not showing up for local elections has consequences.
Just hit play to hear Gary:
Sad. Sad. Sad. Question is, who has input into his “script”?
Does the mayor even make decisions Representative of the taxpayers/citizen or is it completely dictated by other power players and the mayor/council are play acting? The council meetings are simply “rubber stamp” scenes as you say for both legal and social issues. Both cities are ran by ideologically driven pro-big government, anti-business, anti-labor, anti-civil rights forces from above. Just look at all the very strange grant money projects.
[Ch. 2, Sec. 18] Rules for conduct of meetings.
A.
The following rules shall govern the Council in its deliberations:
(1)
The Mayor, while present, shall preside as Chairperson at all meetings of the City Council. In the Mayor’s absence from the meeting, the Mayor Pro Tem shall serve as the Chairperson, or if the Mayor Pro Tem is also absent, the Council members present shall designate by vote another Council member to serve as Chairperson. The meetings of the City Council shall be called to order and conducted by the Chairperson.
[Ord. No. 2012-7]
[Ch. 2, Sec. 18.2] Agenda items and voting.
A.
Agenda items. In accordance with this section, items can be placed on a meeting agenda by: (i) the Mayor; (ii) the intended Chairperson of the meeting, in the absence of the Mayor; (iii) the City Manager or designee thereof; or (iv) by the Agenda Initiative process. For each regular agenda item, the City Manager (or his designee) in consultation with the Mayor (or the Chairperson of the meeting, in the absence of the Mayor), shall designate a time for the presentation of the agenda item and a time for the Council discussion. Once the time allotted for on the agenda item has expired, the item shall either be tabled to a date certain or called upon for a vote unless the Council, by a majority vote, votes to extend, for a specified amount of time, the time for discussion and consideration of the time at the meeting.
[Ord. No. 2018-49]
In a Council/City Manger form of government, the mayor does not vote unless to break a tie.
Times limits were added in 2018? By the same guy who spent a fortune on comprehensive plans?
Renner didn’t want to expand public comment beyond 15 minutes. Council majority voted otherwise.
Agree with the above. Methods employed to run the conservatives out through frustration, intimidation, etc., so the big players, private public partnerships can pick up property for cheap. As the minion players participate they are literally contributing to their own demise. There is no honor among thieves. The leadership of Pritzger, Chicago politics, Marxism has a hold on Illinois and it’s a sad site to see.
The “script” helps to keep the meeting on track as opposed to the chaos during meetings of the previous mayor. Nothing nefarious.
Surprised anyone would want Renner’s antics returned.
At least citizens were engaged. Now nobody cares their fire hydrant might not work.
For the most part, very few people spoke at public comment, only the “regulars” unless it had to do with soccer complex or bile lanes.