By: Diane Benjamin At court the day Judge Fellheimer ruled for Normal four lawyers were there representing the Town. One was the Town attorney (Brian Day) and one was Michael Kasper. One other lawyer said nothing but the 4th lawyer did a lot of talking. I don’t believe the 3rd and 4th lawyer worked for […]
By: Diane Benjamin Your tax dollars in Normal are paying for advertising on Connect Transit buses. Connect shows advertising revenue when this is merely rearranging the deck chairs on the Titanic. Maybe we can get to a point where government funds other government instead of fleecing citizens! Just keep passing around the same bucks. Connect […]
By: Diane Benjamin More on this story: https://blnnews.com/2023/03/11/sharon-chung-screws-normal-taxpayers/. Normal declared war on it’s citizens and uses their money to take them out! The above story shows the people who supported Chung’s bill to legalize Normal’s illegal operation. Since you knew nothing about this bill you couldn’t object. The only reason we know about it now […]
By: Diane Benjamin Two things in the budget you won’t know unless you watched last night. Chemberly Harris is getting $19,000 for her Youth On A Mission. Pam Reece has a $750,000 slush fund. Of course it’s for contingencies (wasn’t needed for the previous 2 years). https://www.normalil.gov/DocumentCenter/View/21181/Town-of-Normal-2022-23-to-2027-28-Five-Year-Operating-and-Capital-Investment-Budget PDF page 121 Nothing aggravates citizens more than […]
By: Diane Benjamin The entire meeting was a little over an hour. I suggest citizens who plan to vote watch a few meetings instead of believing campaign literature. Of course no one showed up to speak at the Public Hearing on the budget. Many of the Trustees congratulated themselves on its greatness however. Spending on […]
By: Diane Benjamin The budget isn’t called Proposed Budget, but it is on line as a 5 years budget. Good luck reading it: https://www.normalil.gov/DocumentCenter/View/21181/Town-of-Normal-2022-23-to-2027-28-Five-Year-Operating-and-Capital-Investment-Budget Tonight – a whole 5 minutes is devoted to a Public Hearing about the Proposed budget. Even though the announcement below claims the budget is on line it isn’t. Kathleen was […]
By: Diane Benjamin 1) Biological males are using female restrooms at Normal Community. The rights of females are immaterial. Cancel culture cancelled the right to privacy for females. 2) Refer back to this story: https://blnnews.com/2023/02/22/proof-normals-staff-runs-the-town/ Remember all those “community” meetings Normal had to hear what people wanted to see in Uptown South? The email Mercy […]
By: Diane Benjamin Normal is building a pedestrian and bike underpass that will likely cost $30 million by the time it’s done. Vehicles will continue to sit behind trains blocking College and Linden because the underpass isn’t for vehicles. Linden won’t be 4 lanes anymore in the Uptown South plan, it is going on a […]
By: Diane Benjamin The email below proves the Town staff knows the Council will pass whatever is brought to them. All but one Trustee doesn’t make independent votes on what is best for the citizens, they vote for “progress” as defined by staff. Just last Monday Doug Farr presented the Uptown South project as he […]
By: Diane Benjamin Want to pay for a new police station? Want to pay for a new library? Both are in the Uptown South plan. Did you know bikers will have to dismount to use the new underpass? Evidently it will be too dangerous to ride the path created for bikers and walkers to connect […]
By: Diane Benjamin If you have ever watched a Normal Town Council meeting it’s obvious Karyn Smith will support anything on the agenda. Kathleen Lorenz supports 99% of what’s on the agenda. Andy Byars was interviewed by Kevin Phares on his show Speechless 2/19/23: https://www.cities929.com/speechles/ Jump to 59:00. Andy Byars wants you to vote for […]
By: Diane Benjamin Both Bloomington and Normal are meeting on a Federal Holiday Monday: https://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/pay-leave/federal-holidays/#url=2023 Bloomington Committee of the Whole: https://d3n9y02raazwpg.cloudfront.net/cityblm/30b941a9-75a9-11ed-9024-0050569183fa-791fe512-602c-4d20-98c8-ecdbbed39134-1676574142.pdf Normal starts at 6:00 instead of 7:00: https://www.normalil.gov/ArchiveCenter/ViewFile/Item/4575 Bloomington municipal code: https://ecode360.com/34402891 Normal municipal code: https://www.normalil.gov/DocumentCenter/View/7697/Chapter-03—Council-Meetings-and-Ordinances?bidId= Next time either tries to hold you accountable for violations of Municipal Code, ask them why violations are […]
By: Diane Benjamin The Uptown TIF district was started in 2003. Since then it has collected $22,889,578. Bonds totalling $80,600,00 were issued to collect that $22,889,578. That doesn’t include interest which adds many more millions because only interest was paid on the bonds for many years. Add at least 50% to that number. TWO developers […]
All episodes of Carol’s Last Christmas are posted. Each one is around 30 minutes. Episode 9 mentions the mishandling of Normal’s other unsolved murder that falsely put Alan Beaman in jail for 13 years. Jennifer Lockmiller’s family has no justice, just like Carol Rafstad’s. The Normal police refused to participate and redacted most information. Since […]
By: Diane Benjamin https://www.wglt.org/local-news/2023-02-09/railroad-caused-traffic-jam-irritates-mayor-of-normal Some stories write themselves! Chris Koos is upset about freight trains blocking crossings in Normal. Fort Jesse, College, and Linden are frequently blocked. Koss thinks he can demand shorter freight trains. He is of course oblivious to business practices that make transportation cheaper with volume. (How does he stay in business?) […]
By: Diane Benjamin The Normal Town Council lives in luxury, visit the Council chambers and observe the rest of Town Hall. They want to be a Smart City, they have software to spy on what people say on line about them, and they have license plate readers. If the Town loves high tech so much, […]
Update: PDF page 87 got fixed. Everything else still applies however: By: Diane Benjamin Review this story for details: https://blnnews.com/2022/09/09/village-of-normal-discriminates-against-stan-nord/ And this story: https://blnnews.com/2022/09/20/breaking-news-the-truth-about-stan-nord-and-the-executive-session/ Below is the original notice of this meeting – it was held on a Friday, not after a regular meeting like usual. https://www.normalil.gov/ArchiveCenter/ViewFile/Item/4416 Jump to the documents for Monday’s meeting: https://www.normalil.gov/ArchiveCenter/ViewFile/Item/4557 […]
By: Diane Benjamin I received a tip a few days ago about layoffs at State Farm. Employees were blindsighted in another department, not claims. It doesn’t matter how long they have been with the company, State Farm is picking who stays and who goes by skillsets. Retaining jobs in McLean County hasn’t been mentioned much […]
By: Diane Benjamin At last Tuesday’s meeting a representative from Stifel Public Finance made presentation. As reported yesterday this presentation was to inform the board about the status of bonds, when some would be paid off, and clear the way for new bonds for another building project. If I hadn’t been at the meeting to […]
By: Diane Benjamin The easiest way to tell who supports which candidates for local office is to look at who collected signatures for them. You can see what each filed here: https://www.normalil.gov/114/Municipal-Elections Kathleen Lorenz: Chris Koos, Kevin McCarthy, and Sonja Reece Karyn Smith: Sonja Reece, Kevin MCarthy Andy Byars: John McIntyre (Byars says he’s republican), […]
By: Diane Benjamin Kathleen thinks her, Karyn Smith, and Andy Byars are the positive candidates. Of course she implies the other 3 aren’t. I am positive these 3 will raise taxes and fees, vote for more bike paths, throw your money to the underpass when it goes way over budget, pretend government creates markets, and […]
By: Diane Benjamin The hearing Wednesday is at 9:30 AM in courtroom 5D. Tom Devore will attend via Zoom. Citizens can watch on Zoom or attend in person. Either way the judge will know how many people are looking for a resolution. If the Town of Normal is an Incorporated Town, do they have to […]
By: Diane Benjamin The hearing Friday was delayed by Tom Devore because he needed more time to respond to the filing by Normal’s attorneys on Wednesday. The hearing on January 25th is at 9:30, it will be on Zoom. You should be able to access it at this link: https://mcleancountyil.gov/1422/Remote-Hearings Page down to Judge Fellheimer’s […]
By: Diane Benjamin Normal’s fiscal year runs from April to the following March. The below shows why Normal plans to finally fix some infrasture next year. Reserves (Ending Fund balance) are HIGH! The data portal only has 2 years of data, comparison to pre-covid would have been handy. By April 2021 I think most businesses […]
By: Diane Benjamin h/t readers Sonja was at the candidates forum yesterday. She made clear who her favorite Normal candidates are on her Facebook page, keep in mind she is the Normal City Manager’s mother-in-law and lives in a $4000+ a month subsidized apartment at 1 Uptown Circle. If you had any doubt who Koos […]
By: Diane Benjamin Police pensions are not well funded in Normal: https://illinoiscomptroller.gov/constituent-services/local-government/local-government-warehouse/processsearchresults/?DisplayMode=GETAFR&AFRDesiredData=Pension%20Funds%20/%20Retirement%20Benefits&Code=064/095/31&CFY=2022&Menu=Yes&PrintIt=No Fire Department pensions are a least over 50% funded, the rest have pensions funded at OVER 100%. Pam Reece will be fine, public safety personnel might not. Even with a dismal percent funded, Koos is going to reappoint a current member: Of course […]
By: Diane Benjamin Is Normal embarrassed they have TWO unsolved murders of young woman attending ISU? They must be since they refuse to release unredacted documents and most interviews from the 1975 case. What they did release shows leads were not documented as being followed up on. The 5th episode of Carol’s Last Christmas was […]
By: Diane Benjamin The last time I FOIA’d how much Chris Koos was charged for using the Town’s Mitsubishi I received this: . I don’t know if $45 was listed as additional compensation on every check that year or just monthly. The point is he was paying something for having that vehicle permanently assigned to […]
By: Diane Benjamin Remember when Stan Nord wanted to reduce the Property Tax levy by a mere $200,000? Then $100,000? https://blnnews.com/2022/11/08/kathleen-lorenz-proves-again-why-she-shouldnt-be-on-the-town-council/ Only Scott Preston sided with Nord on the tiny reduction to your property taxes. Karyn Smith and Kathleen Lorenz (and others) were appalled at changing requests from the “professional staff” during a meeting. Not […]
By: Diane Benjamin Judge Kording ruled in September that Normal is an Incorporated Town even though they don’t act like it. In his ruling he stated he knows his decision could: . The “parade of horribles” has only just begun. The Normal elites ignored the ruling while celebrating the defeat of the citizen led referendum […]
By: Diane Benjamin https://www.wglt.org/local-news/2023-01-05/towns-legal-memo-stan-nord-email-placed-him-at-legal-risk Let’s start with the stock photo WGLT used of Stan Nord in the article. It isn’t a picture of Nord serving as an elected Trustee on the Council, it might have been taken at the Citizen Summit the Town of Normal didn’t want to hold because they don’t care what you […]
By: Diane Benjamin Thomas Devore filed 2 documents and a summons for each of the three candidates who submitted petitions: ROBERT SHORAGA – Supervisor CHARLES SILA – Collector AMY CONKLIN – Clerk Since the documents are identical except for the names and copies of the petitions filed, I’m only posting 2 of the ones filed […]
By: Diane Benjamin Chris Koos and company must think the three candidates that filed for offices required to be elected in Incorporated Towns will just disappear if they are ignored. Koos is WRONG Without a meeting or even a notice on their website, the Electoral Board decided they won’t hear any further testimony for the […]
By: Diane Benjamin Another bike path was on the agenda. Refer back to the previous story, bike paths have a higher priority than roads. Mayor Bike Shop? The Town supposedly received 100% funding for the new path on the west side of Normal. Engineering is 8.5% higher than expected so the Town needed a budget […]
By: Diane Benjamin Last night’s meeting will take more than one story! The Town of Normal GIS system for identifying projects is a useful tool. Try this link: https://tongis.maps.arcgis.com/apps/dashboards/4f41ead227e440dda1ca5ca85bdbdddb You need to click Transportation on the left side and then 2023 at the bottom. The first thing to notice is it says 27 projects but […]
By: Diane Benjamin See this story for the source or the below: https://blnnews.com/2022/05/09/no-surprise-normal-needs-6-million-more-to-build-the-underpass/ The cost to build an underpass that only pedestrians and bikers can use continues to increase. Note the $6,000,000 increase due to inflation was estimated in April 2022. How much over $6 million is it now? Since inflation is still ridiculously high, […]
By: Diane Benjamin https://www.normalil.gov/ArchiveCenter/ViewFile/Item/4527 The Council isn’t meeting until Tuesday night since Monday is another day off. In case you forgot the show staged at the last Council meeting: (copied from the minutes, PDF page 5) Jodi Pomis, Town of Normal Deputy Clerk and Normal resident addressedCouncilmembers regarding an email that Councilmember Stan Nord sent […]
By: Diane Benjamin I’m betting Chris Koos won’t be installing a super-charger at his house to charge the Rivian. He can charge it for free in the parking garage next to his Town office. If necessary he can leave it there and walk to his bike shop. This story has a list of other FREE […]
By: Diane Benjamin Asking the Council to approve buying TWO Rivian vehicles was on the Omnibus Agenda without a cost in the documentation: https://www.normalil.gov/ArchiveCenter/ViewFile/Item/4451 The only reason to put this on the Omnibus was to get a blank check vote without any discussion. That didn’t happen. Just hit PLAY to hear Chris Koos say both […]
By: Diane Benjamin The Town of Normal has only received delivery of ONE Rivian vehicle, the one parked at Chris Koos’ house. The other one Normal put a deposit down on is an SUV. I have no idea when it will be delivered. How do I know Koos has the Town’s Rivian? Freedom of Information […]
