By: Diane Benjamin Alderman Julie Emig was absent, Dee Urban was sick but attended remotely. The only item pulled from the Consent Agenda was a Liquor License so Grant Walsh could ask if a video gaming license was included. It isn’t because Bloomington limits the number of licenses. FYI: Limiting licenses only enriches those who […]
By: Diane Benjamin Without Stan Nord present the Council meeting lasted a whole 8 minutes. The video is 9 minutes and 24 seconds, but the meeting doesn’t start at 0:00. Nothing was pulled from the consent agenda, Karyn Smith asked a few questions about the Water Main replacement that is WAY over what was budgeted. […]
By: Diane Benjamin East Moline is wants to make streetscape changes to their downtown. See this report: https://il-eastmoline.civicplus.com/DocumentCenter/View/6947/Appendix-D—Benefit-Cost-Analysis-RAISE-2022 See this graphic from page 5: First, the report was issued on April 14, 2022 but they used 2020 dollars. That would be pre-40 year high inflation. See anything else that screams: People are stupid so we […]
By: Diane Benjamin See this story is you forgot: https://blnnews.com/2022/04/24/69-million-for-water-projects-so-you-wont-notice-the-cii-east-giveaways/ That story is from last April. I was in Downtown Bloomington yesterday. Many of the roads are new, the flowers pots are gorgeous, and the raised beds have actually been taken care of. I don’t see why downtown needs a streetscape plan since by day […]
By: Diane Benjamin EDC director Patrick Hoban showed up at the Bloomington City Council meeting to push for the $750,000 downtown study. He claimed downtown is the heart of the City (heard that before?) and he has studies that claim the Return on Investment is between 100 and 500%. He also claimed we don’t need […]
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 […]
By: Diane Benjamin Note to Jamie Mathy: Future Councils are not bound by actions of past Councils. The Tari Renner “ramp” pension funding plan means zero if it can’t be afforded. Tari knew he wouldn’t be around to find at least $10 million more a year in the future. Renner already locked the Council into […]
By: Diane Benjamin Today seems like the perfect time to post this email again, note Pam Reece didn’t send this to the Council: The underpass isn’t $23 million anymore, it is at least $27 million. (to save 50 feet) Worse, if all the shiny bells and whistles can’t be afforded during initial construction those can […]
By: Diane Benjamin The majority of the Committee of the Whole meeting last night was justifying hiring consultants at $750,000 to create a downtown streetscape. Of course Tim Tilton showed up, also appearing at public comment was former alderman Jamie Mathy. (both downtown business owners) Mathy claimed former City Manager David Hales cut 189 and […]
By: Diane Benjamin The actual meeting was only around an hour. The Council was in Executive Session for the rest of the video. Gary Lambert lambasted the City for the cash reserve levels during Public Comment, this is a must listen: Hit play below to hear the City is only spending around $9 million on […]
By: Diane Benjamin The Council meeting last night was relatively tame. The most friction came from which Ward Map to approve. It will go into effect immediately since petition packets will be distributed at the end of August for the LOCAL election early next year. Map number 2 was chosen 6-3 with Jeff Crabill, Mollie […]
By: Diane Benjamin Bills and Payroll: https://www.cityblm.org/home/showpublisheddocument/28152/637939229937530000 If using accumulated sick time to spike a pension was eliminated, what is this? This is spiking pension(s). Why the Bloomington Election Commission needs eliminated, the elected County Clerk should run all elections instead of unelected bureaucrats: Packet: https://d3n9y02raazwpg.cloudfront.net/cityblm/5a20b9c4-a62d-11ec-8a90-0050569183fa-36dc0a47-f3e1-4a7f-ab53-55227cac04fe-1658440789.pdf PDF page 95: Looks like a Public Hearing on […]
By: Diane Benjamin If you missed these two stories, read them now: https://blnnews.com/2022/07/07/normal-and-the-mica-fleece/ and https://blnnews.com/2022/07/14/normals-mica-vrs-bloomingtons-gallagher/ Brief recap: Normal has purchased comprehensive insurance through MICA for decades, they don’t bid this insurance because they claim MICA does Normal’s Finance director is on MICA’s Executive Committee Normal does accounting work for MICA The cost for Normal’s insurance […]
By: Diane Benjamin 1) I’m collecting signs gas stations have on their pumps to comply with Pritzker’s demand people know he delayed the $.02 increase until after the election. Thorton’s at Route 9 and Hershey just has the Pritzker verbiage. Correction: This is at the Exxon Mobile station off 74 in Downs. The reader who […]
By: Diane Benjamin At last night’s Council meeting the Kevin McCarthy had to point out the Town paid off an $8 million bond from 2012. Wonderful, but how much debt is left? As of 3/31/2021 the Town reported $81,345,000 to the Comptroller’s Office: We won’t know the exact number until the 3/31/2022 reports are released, […]
By: Diane Benjamin https://www.normalil.gov/ArchiveCenter/ViewFile/Item/4376 Beech street won’t get fixed this year. PDF page 37: Staff estimated the cost to be $$389,960.00. Only one company bid – $550,360.18. Council is asked to reject the bid, Town will rebid it next year. PDF 102 – Town is buying 18 Flock Safety License Plate Reader cameras, $83,550. Every […]
By: Diane Benjamin Follow-up to these two stories: https://blnnews.com/2022/06/14/need-accounting-services-hire-the-town-of-normal/ and https://blnnews.com/2022/07/07/normal-and-the-mica-fleece/ What we know: Normal has purchased comprehensive insurance through MICA for decades, they don’t bid this insurance because they claim MICA does Normal’s Finance director is on MICA’s Executive Committee Normal does accounting work for MICA The cost for Normal this year is $1,945,934 […]
By: Diane Benjamin The Council proved they are capable of sane discussions last night, maybe because one person was absent. Can Bloomington get the names right? Donna Boelen was acting mayor last night since Mboka is out of the country because of his father’s passing. Nice job Donna for the first time being thrust into […]
By: Diane Benjamin If you want to see what bills are being paid they are no longer under City Council, probably because the Council never questions them at a meeting. They are now under Finance. The report still shows 970 employees: https://www.cityblm.org/home/showpublisheddocument/28098 Did you know this what your tax dollars pay every month? (Connect Transit) Green Top […]
By: Diane Benjamin At the end of Normal’s meeting last Monday Pam Reece and Brian Day weighed in on Stan Nord’s mention of the recent Illinois Supreme court ruling on use of gas taxes. Pam Reece is willing to sit down with anyone for details on how gas taxes are spent. (anybody willing?) Brian Day […]
By: Diane Benjamin Remember this story? https://blnnews.com/2022/06/14/need-accounting-services-hire-the-town-of-normal/ MICA is Municipal Insurance Cooperative Agency. Normal’s Finance Director Andrew Huhn is on the Executive Committee. Normal is also doing their accounting while not bidding insurance purchased through them. The MICA website at best is lame, it doesn’t say if MICA is a non-profit or a corporation: https://affinity.marsh.com/mica/home.html. […]
By: Diane Benjamin Ridership was down in May – PDF page 8 PDF page 7 – the May loss was slightly less than $1 million. You can’t make this stuff up: The appropriations bill for Transportation is named: THUD See PDF page 14. It stands for Transportation and Housing and Urban Development. Also on the […]
By: Diane Benjamin There was 1 Public Comment at the beginning of the meeting – Karl Sila. 1:45. Another person was prevented from speaking by Normal’s tyrannical policy until the end of the meeting. When it was finally her turn she wasn’t there. Liz Burton was called at 1:34:35. Normal should be ashamed of themselves […]
By: Diane Benjamin See 1:12:00 Tim Gleason tells the Council they can’t discuss the 2nd dispensary location because the city might get sued. You will never know the details of who is behind this location or hear if any ways have been found to detect drivers under the influence. Discussion was shut down by a […]
by: Diane Benjamin Evidently the City Council was told they can’t discuss approving the second pot dispensary or they might get sued. The State legalized it, the State handed a license to guys who mostly (if not all) live in California , the Zoning Board of Appeals approved the location, so the Council was expected […]
By: Diane Benjamin 1) The special meeting Normal called at 5:45 last night was a waste of time. The promised PASER report is still not done, supposedly it will be by the end of June. Chris Koos wasn’t there, neither was Scott Preston or Karyn Smith. The license plate reading camera presentation will have to […]
By Diane Benjamin I bet you missed this one! Cook County was sued for diverting $250,000,000 annually, of monies collected from a variety of transportation-related taxes and fees. The Safe Roads Amendment (lock box) was approved by voters in 2016, it prohibits transportation relates revenues from being spent elsewhere. The Illinois Supreme Court ruled against […]
By: Diane Benjamin Quote from this story: https://justthenews.com/government/courts-law/america-first-attorneys-demand-rural-iowa-school-stops-indoctrinating “School should prepare students for citizenship in our constitutional republic and colorblind society, not turn impressionable children into social justice warriors who view all that is good and just through the distorted lens of race, sex, gender, power, and politics.” This is a screen shot of what […]
By: Diane Benjamin Remember when CIRBN employees were considered Town of Normal employees with all the same benefits? https://blnnews.com/2021/01/15/can-you-tell-elections-are-coming/ When “professional staff” is your best buddy, all kinds of perks are available! Another “arrangement” you are supposed to ignore: This one involves the Town purchasing insurance from MICA – no bid contract. Review this story […]
By: Diane Benjamin Start with gas taxes: Federal Gas Tax: https://www.marca.com/en/lifestyle/us-news/2022/03/14/622f1813268e3e976c8b4593.html 18.3 cents per gallon 24.3 cents per gallon for diesel Illinois Gas Tax: https://www2.illinois.gov/rev/research/taxrates/Pages/motorfuel.aspx 38.2 cents per gallon 46.7 cents per gallon for diesel Both Bloomington and Normal add another 8 cents per gallon, diesel and gas are the same. Every time you fill […]
By: Diane Benjamin The Connect Transit Board met back on May 24th: https://www.connect-transit.com/file/586/05%2024%202022_Board%20Meeting%20Packet.pdf Of course they lost over ONE MILLION DOLLARS. Ridership from March dropped 3.31%, maybe because service hours and miles dropped – See PDF page 8. Connect Mobility ridership was down .52%, every ride on their smaller buses had a subsidy of $32.75! […]
By: Diane Benjamin https://www.normalil.gov/ArchiveCenter/ViewFile/Item/4310 It would be nice if a Trustee asked if the Town was reimbursed by the show: It would also be nice if a Trustee asked why Uptown Circle wasn’t built ADA compliant the first time: This one is on the Omnibus Agenda, unless somebody pulls it questions won’t be asked. Gala […]
By: Diane Benjamin Unit 5 School Board meeting last night after the Board approved teaching Comprehensive Sexual Education in 8th and 9th grades: Sex Education will remain the same next school year for 8th grade, a new curriculum will be used for 9th grade. Everyone will be able to see what is being taught on […]
By: Diane Benjamin The Unit 5 School Board is meeting tonight at Normal West – 6:30. Comprehensive Sexual Education is on the Agenda: https://meetings.boardbook.org/Public/Agenda/1482?meeting=531212 I watched most of the Phase II Community Engagement virtual meeting last night. Way too much of the presentation consisted of what Unit 5 could do if they had more money […]
By: Diane Benjamin From the 4-26-2022 Community Engagement meetings for Unit 5: Is this what pay freezes and reduced raises looks like? https://blnnews.com/2022/05/21/this-needs-explained-by-unit-5-part-2/ Two more sessions: https://www.unit5.org/ Monday, May 23 — 6 to 7:30 pm – Normal Community High School, 3900 E. Raab Road, Normal Tuesday, May 24 — 6 to 7:30 pm – Virtual […]
By: Diane Benjamin http://bloomingtonil.iqm2.com/Citizens/FileOpen.aspx?Type=1&ID=1170&Inline=True Tari Renner stacked all the Board and Commission. Mboka continues to just reappoint the same people. No Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion Mboka? This item shouldn’t be on the Consent Agenda, it should be pulled for further discussion. Does the City want to risk an abandoned property if the owners can’t use […]
By: Diane Benjamin Part 1: https://blnnews.com/2022/05/21/this-needs-explained-by-unit-5-part-1/ Things to know: All of the data came from the Teachers Retirement System Not every employee of Unit 5 is in TRS Some employees earning minimal amounts (less than $1000) were deleted for clarity The main list has 923 employees A list at the bottom has another 44 with […]
By: Diane Benjamin Part 2: https://blnnews.com/2022/05/21/this-needs-explained-by-unit-5-part-2/ —— Follow-up to this story: https://blnnews.com/2022/05/18/unit-5-big-raises/ OpenTheBooks.com shows: In 2019 Unit 5 had 2059 employees – total salary: $85,561,545. In 2020 Unit 5 had 2024 employees – total salary: $90,070,590 That is a huge increase in salaries with fewer employees than the previous year. I FOIA’d the data Unit 5 […]
By: Diane Benjamin Unit 5 has another Community Engagement meeting tonight! 6-7:30 at Parkside. See the other two meetings in this story: https://blnnews.com/2022/05/18/middle-of-the-road-college-at-veterans-pkwy/ Maybe somebody will ask them to explain this: Remember Superintendent Kristen Weikle claiming on video nobody got 7+% raises between 2019 and 2020? https://blnnews.com/2022/05/07/unit-5-word-salad/ OpenTheBooks.com showed total salaries increased 7.9%. Since their […]
By: Diane Benjamin I probably have at least 100 stories since 2012 on road conditions. Tari Renner ran for office promising to fix them – twice. https://blnnews.com/2018/01/24/its-the-roads-stupid/ In 2012 the City passed an Action Plan that included “smooth rides on quality well-maintained street”. https://blnnews.com/2015/02/26/if-you-like-your-roads-you-can-keep-your-roads/ In late 2013 or early 2014 the City borrowed $10,000,000 for […]
