By: Diane Benjamin
Public Comment was adorable last night. The far left showed up to demand the council and candidates support a Springfield bill to Lift the Rent Control ban. Just hit play to hear them on the video below.
What none of them said was what they expect if the ban is lifted. Do they think government is going to cut rent for them? Do they think landlords who are told how much they can charge are still going to exist? The lady who can’t afford rent with an ISU Master’s degree in Communications was back. She claims somebody told her she would be set for life is she got the degree. I suggest she move somewhere that isn’t already flooded with Communication graduates where she might be in demand. I made less money with an ISU degree and CPA certificate when I graduated than I did before.
Dan Brady made a comment at 41:30 about the water and the purchase of additional equipment for $755,132. That equipment won’t be ready for about a year. See the purchase details here: https://d2kbkoa27fdvtw.cloudfront.net/cityblm/e085b8853afbb93a1a2f6564d1ae8cce0.pdf
Read the documents attached to that link. In the meantime the City is hand feeding Power Activated Carbon at a cost of between $15,000 and $20,000 a week based on week old test results. Listen to the water discussion starting at 55:25. Lots of rain is the only quick fix.
Side note: I remember discussions about Bloomington drilling wells west of the City. This Public Comment from 2019 is the only reference I could find. Did Bloomington drill a well?
https://blnnews.com/2019/08/27/tari-then-and-now-plus-council-last-night/
Neal Uphoff was next representing his father Ken. His family wants to buy the land back taken in the Mackinaw River Basin by eminent domain. The City has since drilled new wells, according to Neal the basin is no longer needed or usable. Has he got the City’s attention yet or does the family need to sue?
More fun:
See 52:03. Since Donna Boelen’s resignation the City needed a new representative to the Behavior Health Council. The mayor picked Sheila Montney. Mollie Ward tried to table the vote but didn’t get a 2nd. Next Mollie, Cody Hendricks, and Jenna Kearns voted against the appointment without saying why. Sheila didn’t vote and John Danenbeger was remote. He and the rest of the Council voted yes so she is now the representative.
Rumor is the far left wanted Cody appointed. That must mean they believe he isn’t going to win the mayors race. Since the 3 didn’t say why they objected to Sheila that means people will be reading anything they want into their votes.
Appointing a Mayor Pro Tem was pulled from the agenda at the beginning of the meeting. That is also a Boelen replacement position.
The budget discussion was long. See 1:56:00 Mollie Ward wants everyone to know the numerous grants the City receives aren’t local money. It must be over her heard that grants from other government agencies are TAX DOLLARS. One mentioned was from BNWARD – see your local property tax and monthly water bill. The are contributing money for Sunnyside Park which includes water treatment education.
I wonder where Mollie thinks grant money originates? Government doesn’t produce revenue – they only take it from you.