By: Diane Benjamin Read WGLT’s version: https://www.wglt.org/local-news/2023-06-30/former-town-council-member-sues-normal-over-high-haven-cannabis-dispensary-permit Jeff Fritzen would get a lot more support if he hadn’t sided with the Town of Normal against the citizens who wanted representation according to Illinois law. He sided with the Town instead. If you haven’t heard, Pritzker signed the legislation making Normal the only Incorporated Town that […]
Maybe a base salary of $144,757.20 last year and inflation means Beth can’t afford her own vehicle. Can’t ride the bus? https://www.normalil.gov/DocumentCenter/View/14857/Total-Compensation-Report—Town-of-Normal
By: Diane Benjamin Kathleen Lorenz and Scott Preston didn’t bother to show up. Maybe they know their presence isn’t necessary. Two items of note from the meeting: The navigator needed 4 votes to pass. Since Lorenz and Preston were absent and Chemberly Harris recused herself (she is on the Mid Central Community Action Board), they […]
By: Diane Benjamin Another hearing is scheduled in the Senate for Amtrak Directors. Maybe Biden finally picked candidates that represent the whole country, the last list failed to move forward because everyone but Koos was from the East Coast. https://blnnews.com/2023/04/26/a-democrat-is-keeping-koos-off-amtrak-board/ The hearing can be watched live – June 21st at 10:00. https://www.commerce.senate.gov/2023/6/nominations-hearing-amtrak-and-ntsb Chris Koos is […]
By: Diane Benjamin Unlike Chris Koos in the Town of Normal, Mboka Mwilambwe asked the Council if they wanted to extend time for Public Comment. They all said yes so they could hear from two final citizens. Recently Koos used his tyrannical powers to end Public Comment, nobody on that Council objected: https://blnnews.com/2023/05/03/one-guy-stood-up-to-koos/ The actual […]
NBC News: https://www.nbcnews.com/health/mental-health/new-drug-marijuana-addiction-shows-promise-small-study-finds-rcna88258?cid=sm_npd_nn_tw_ma&taid=64822554f01664000108a88d If cannabis isn’t addictive, why are drugs being developed to cure it?
By: Diane Benjamin The meeting started early with a Work Session. The first presentation was an update on Normal’s Smart City Plan. All you need to know about this plan is the World Economic Forum is pushing it: https://www.weforum.org/agenda/2021/08/what-is-a-smart-city/ Government making decisions for the future is always a planned disaster to eliminate pesky citizens planning […]
By: Diane Benjamin Have you been following the debt ceiling debate? Did you hear Fitch is threatening to downgrade the US credit rating because increasing the debt ceiling was controversial? Fitch is the only credit rating service that has the Town of Normal at AAA. Now you know why. Fitch is delighted with Normal’s new […]
By: Diane Benjamin This email was received by FOIA. Although long, it has lots of good information you probably didn’t know – like the Town of Normal “settled” for Chick-fil-A. I wonder if this company that racks in tax dollars for Normal know? Remember, the Council pre-election voted 6-1 against High Haven. After the election […]
By: Diane Benjamin Note: Any media in bed with government isn’t going to report things that would sever the relationship. That would be WGLT, even the Pantagraph noticed. This email is part of a huge FOIA request I’m taking my time reading. Readers: Refrain from commenting on my grammar after reading the below.
By: Diane Benjamin Normal’s “professional staff” redactions – one completely redacted the other one not. Both on-line comments support approving High Haven. I redacted the email address on the first one, staff redacted the name and email address on the second. Why were they treated differently? Because staff is protecting the second person? Normal doesn’t […]
By: Diane Benjamin I’m paging through a FOIA I received with communication concerning the two recently approved cannabis dispensaries. Most emails in support of approving the special use permits have the name of the supporter illegally redacted. Those opposed don’t. Emails are no different than appearing at Public Comment, therefore names can not be redacted. […]
By: Diane Benjamin I’m excited because I can now just write the same story after every meeting: Everything passed, nothing was questioned. Citizens of Normal should know they have no representation. Trustees are elected to represent you, the ones in office now represent the Town. Everything is great! Normal is a wonderful place to live! […]
By: Diane Benjamin Normal doesn’t bid the cost of comprehensive insurance because they are a member of MICA who supposedly bids it for them. See this story from last year: https://blnnews.com/2022/07/22/more-on-normals-mica-problem/ Normal has never bid coverage themselves, so how do they know they can’t get it cheaper? Normal has been using MICA since 1985. Evidently […]
By: Diane Benjamin According to Illinois law when property owned by government is leased the lessee pays the property taxes: The Edgar County Watchdogs did a story with lots of other details: https://edgarcountywatchdogs.com/2020/11/ousted-shelby-county-board-member-levonne-chaney-wants-taxpayers-to-pay-private-real-estate-taxes-on-her-way-out-the-door/?highlight=leaseholder Tonight Normal is paying property taxes, actually they pay the bills before Council votes because Council is immaterial: PDF page 12 https://www.normalil.gov/ArchiveCenter/ViewFile/Item/4650 […]
By: Diane Benjamin Does Normal know what they consider part of Route 66 doesn’t connect to Route 66? Visitors can’t drive directly from Pontiac’s sites to Normal. That isn’t stopping them from trying to make One Normal Plaza a destination. First they need a sign people can take their picture with: Of course the size […]
By: Diane Benjamin Proving Democrats represent government and not citizens, HB 3337 passed both houses in Springfield. Once Pritzker signs this bill – written only for the Town of Normal which is illegal – Koos will have the right to pass an ordinance changing Trustees from elected to appointed. Read it yourself: https://ilga.gov/legislation/BillStatus.asp?DocNum=3337&GAID=17&DocTypeID=HB&LegId=148499&SessionID=112&GA=103 Democrats pretend […]
By: Diane Benjamin Remember this story? https://blnnews.com/2023/03/22/normal-needs-a-pscrb/ Normal Police man-handled an 18 year old ISU student in an attempt to grab her phone after she voluntarily came to the the station after a fire in her apartment building. An attempt to get a warrant to search her phone was denied by a judge because they […]
By: Diane Benjamin Illinois doesn’t care about passing illegal laws. They play sue me if you don’t like it, their oath of office is meaningless. HB 3337 is attempting to make Normal legal by changing the rules that ONLY apply to them. Equal justice under the law doesn’t apply to the citizens of Normal. It […]
By: Diane Benjamin Documentation for the February 20th Normal Town Council meeting listed this check: Pretty strange since the City Manager doesn’t drive a huge truck – the kind Central Illinois Trucks deals with. A FOIA was filed by someone other than me to find out what this is. First, below is proof Normal does […]
By: Diane Benjamin Every citizens who wasn’t allowed to speak to THEIR council Monday night should have been outraged when Chris Koos cut off Public Comment after 30 minutes. They are making decisions that will affect your life and they don’t care what you think. The rest of the crowd should have stood up and […]
By: Diane Benjamin This pic will give you an idea of how many citizens showed up in Uptown last night for the Normal Town Council meeting. Most of the speakers who were allowed to speak didn’t want the Council to approve either dispensary on the agenda. Below is how the mayor greeted them – some […]
By: Diane Benjamin Is the first Rivian back in Koos’ driveway now that the election is over? Tonight payment for the 2nd Rivian is in the bills report: Is this one in Pam Reece’s driveway? She gets a car allowance each month, either the Rivian shouldn’t be at her house or the vehicle allowance should […]
By: Diane Benjamin This will be the first meeting with nobody representing taxpayers. Andy Byars replaces Stan Nord. https://www.normalil.gov/ArchiveCenter/ViewFile/Item/4628 Remember when Dan Brady and Rodney Davis rented a building in Uptown for $1? https://blnnews.com/2021/05/03/normal-subsidies-brady-and-davis/ That was 104 North St. The documentation for tonight claims that building will soon be unavailable due to development. Darin Lahood […]
By: Diane Benjamin Of course democrats won’t care if they pass an unconstitutional law, they do it all the time. The Town of Normal sure doesn’t care either since they are behind HB 3337. Rep Sharon Chung and Sen Dave Koehler have proven they just do what they are told. https://www.normalil.gov/DocumentCenter/View/7696/Chapter-02—Officers-Elected-and-Appointed?bidId= PDF page 10 It […]
https://www.upi.com/Top_News/US/2023/04/25/montana-senator-joe-biden-amtrak-board-nominees/9221682460906/ Evidently each of Biden’s nominees can’t be voted on separately. Montana Senator Jon Tester claims 5 of the 6 nominees represent the northeast corridor which leaves the rest of the country without adequate representation. He is therefore going to block all of the nominees. Koos was nominated for the 3rd time in January. This […]
Online submission to the entire Council dated March 10, 2023 Dear Mayor Koos, Since I have not heard back from you, I am resending this letter regarding the Zoning Board vote on Wednesday. Please note, our concern is not about the legality of marijuana. It is about common sense and location. We were appalled by […]
By: Diane Benjamin Flashback to April 15, 2019. RC McBride was voted off the Town Council and Jeff Fritzen opted to retire after serving 32 years. (Obviously the Normal voters don’t believe in term limits) Not only did Fritzen get a bike from Koos’ shop at taxpayer expense, both got proclamations for their exemplary service […]
By: Diane Benjamin Watch which local media sources report this story. It will prove who is #FakeNews and who isn’t. Refer back to this story: https://blnnews.com/2023/03/07/normal-buy-local-is-immaterial/ Chris Koos wants Uptown 2.0 built without any natural gas pipelines. Normal thinks that is “sustainable”. It’s also illegal. In Koos world laws don’t matter however. He didn’t want […]
By: Diane Benjamin This meeting was the last one for Stan Nord. NO ONE on the council thanked him for his service or made any recognition of his 4 years of representing taxpayers. Koos made sure RC McBride was put on the Planning Commission when he got voted off the Council. I remember Koos telling […]
By: Diane Benjamin Kelby Cumpston does a good job recapping Bloomington’s agenda on Facebook before meetings. I like reading his views since they can be insightful. I have no idea why Greg Koos made the comment below because the Bloomington Election Commission isn’t on the Agenda. Does Greg know BEC couldn’t tell candidates how many […]
By: Diane Benjamin HB 3337 was brought up again by Stan Nord. He wants the Council to vote on proposing municipal code changes instead of the Town going behind the backs of most elected officials. Keep in mind this bill ONLY applies to Normal AND permanently recuses the Town from following the current code for […]
By: Diane Benjamin Chris Koos claimed on Facebook recently that Normal’s sewer system is fine: See 2:50 on the video. Nord asked about this payment: Pam Reece verified the Maplewood area has sewer problems. Oops Koos. _________________________ 16:25. Koos decided to let Kevin McCarthy read the LONG list of appointments before the Council voted. Stan […]
By: Diane Benjamin More proof Koosville is not government for the citizens. Normal is whatever Koos wills – kneel now serfs! https://www.normalil.gov/ArchiveCenter/ViewFile/Item/4604 The people who serve on Normal’s Boards and Commission don’t work for the citizens – they work for Koos. Citizens aren’t allowed to know who is being appointed until after the Council approves […]
By: Diane Benjamin Is Koos a narcissist for the heading on this letter? Note how many times he references Our Normal. In other words if you are part of “his” club you can stay, others aren’t welcome. -Do you get to live in a Town property for $120 a year? -Are you invited to the […]
By: Diane Benjamin Let’s pretend you bought a piece of property in Normal. That property has been connected to Normal’s sewer system for a least a decade. You are the 4th owner of this property in that decade. You want to develop the property but the Town tells you to include parts of the property […]
By: Diane Benjamin HB 3337 was heard by the Counties and Townships Committee because Sharon Chung is a member. Duh, the Town of Normal isn’t a County or Township so this bill did not belong in this committee. Even though Republicans on the Committee mentioned this, they were ignored. The committee passed it and now […]
By: Diane Benjamin The map below was created using a list of vacancies compiled by a citizen. It includes the 1st Floor of 1 Uptown Circle since there is still not an operating business there. Click the link below – each X has a description. Next ask Normal (and Trustees/candidates) what success is. Government buildings […]
By: Diane Benjamin Sharon Chung admitted the Town of Normal approached her to change Illinois law. She claims Normal went to great expense to defend themselves against citizens and doesn’t want to again. She was then asked if the Town Board approved this, of course the answer is no. A lobbyist for the Town of […]
