By: Diane Benjamin The new restaurant was announced on Facebook: How much is Normal rebating? Since nothing happens in Uptown without incentives look for food and beverage tax rebates and maybe some free parking for customers in the garage. Review this story for details of what Normal wanted in this space back in 2016: https://blnnews.com/2022/04/19/kevin-mccarthy-re-writing-history/ […]
By: Diane Benjamin Patrick Dullard thinks he has the right to stand against 2200 people who signed petitions to put the Districts referendum on the ballot. Of course he’s just a stooge Koos buddy. We have proof at least two “professional staff” people have been assisting him. Oh what a tangled web they weave . […]
By: Diane Benjamin Executive Sessions (secret meetings) are usually held after a regular Council meeting. Normal called a special meeting for today with no Council meeting: Even though there isn’t a law that says Council members can’t talk about what is going on after this meeting they probably won’t. They like secrets. Whatever is going […]
By: Diane Benjamin If you have been dying to hear Kathleen Lorenz talk about raising her kids, just hit play below. She droned on for 10 minutes about her fears of letting them ride bicycles all the way through her fears of letting them drive. Lorenz wanted the residents worried about their property values and […]
By: Diane Benjamin 1) Notice who is missing from this lawsuit: Village of Normal isn’t party to the referendum appeal! 2) Remember Normal’s use of MICA to purchase insurance and paying far money that Bloomington does? Remember staff doing the accounting for vendor MICA? https://blnnews.com/2022/07/22/more-on-normals-mica-problem/ Well, just like CIRBN employees are no longer Village employees, […]
By: Diane Benjamin Since I was in (unrepresented) west Normal yesterday I drove west on College to see the Normal fire hydrants installed next to Bloomington’s for myself: The current Council (minus one) believes everything they are told. This project was sold as “critical” in the marathon one day budget discussion. The Council was also […]
By: Diane Benjamin Tomorrow Koos and company are convening the Normal Election Commission at the McLean County Clerk’s office to verify signatures of over 2200 people collected to put a Yes or No question on the November ballot concerning electing Trustees by Districts. Normal: You mayor thinks it is legal to pay Town staff to […]
By: Diane Benjamin Propublica is a website that has every tax return filed for non-profits: https://projects.propublica.org/nonprofits/ Even if the non-profit files a short form return, they have it. Friends of the Constitution Trail has tax returns filed: https://projects.propublica.org/nonprofits/display_990/371269420/07_2021_prefixes_01-61%2F371269420_202012_990EZ_2021070118509215 At the end of 2020 they were sitting on $276,842 with no outstanding debt. The return looks […]
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 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 Follow-up to these two stories: https://blnnews.com/2022/08/10/is-truth-too-difficult-for-pam-reece/ and https://blnnews.com/2022/08/10/wow-lots-of-downloads-did-you-see-this/ Pam Reece didn’t answer Stan Nord’s question about the $2000 payment because she knew you would be violating the agreement she signed. The settlement agreement wasn’t legal, taxpayer money can not be spent and hidden! Maybe that’s why Town attorney Brian Day didn’t sign […]
By: Diane Benjamin See original story: https://blnnews.com/2022/05/09/no-surprise-normal-needs-6-million-more-to-build-the-underpass/ Monday packet: https://www.normalil.gov/ArchiveCenter/ViewFile/Item/4398 PDF page 62: Either people all across the country are funding Normal’s amenities or money is being printed so Normal can have an underpass vehicles can’t use. Brilliant. Oh, the Subway inside the Amtrak station closed, another Uptown success story. Remember what Normal did when […]
By: Diane Benjamin More on this story: https://blnnews.com/2022/08/10/is-truth-too-difficult-for-pam-reece/ Not only did Pam Reece try to hide information that would have been nothing without her deception, she signed an agreement that violated FOIA laws. This statement is in the agreement: Very little government does can legally be hidden from citizens. This statement should never have been […]
By: Diane Benjamin This payment was in the 8/1/2022 Normal Town Council packet: Note the $2000 was paid from Pam Reece’s discretionary funds. Since it was paid from her funds, she should know why it was paid. Watch this exchange that happened at the meeting. Pam can’t remember what the $2000 payment was for, she […]
Update: The Town of Normal can not pay staff to review the signatures, that would be electioneering and illegal! Close to 2200 signatures will be submitted to the Town of Normal this afternoon. Signing the petition only gets a Yes or No question on the November ballot. Next the real fun starts! Let’s see who […]
By: Diane Benjamin Doing a favor for the guy who gave you an internship Andy? You were the first one to jump on a motion to approve what was presented last night! I’ve got video! If Kathleen Lorenz is really worried about developers rejecting Normal after watching what happens there, this fiasco will send them […]
By: Diane Benjamin I attended Normal’s Planning Commission meeting last night. I only stayed for 3 hours, it was still going on when I left. Here’s the takeaway: When government claims it can’t protect your property rights because laws and regulations don’t allow it, your government needs replaced with one who understands the Constitution. See […]
By: Diane Benjamin Refer back to this story: https://blnnews.com/2022/08/03/normal-planning-commission-tomorrow/ Town Planner Mercy Davidson sent me an email stating they don’t livestream or video Board and Commission meetings. Keep in mind, all the appointees were picked by Chris Koos himself. The public doesn’t know in advance and the elected Trustees (all but one) think it is […]
By: Diane Benjamin Remember this mowing fail from July 20th? https://blnnews.com/2022/07/20/5-things-you-need-to-know-5/ The next day it was cleaned up: (Thanks to the same reader who sent the above) The pictures below are from a different reader. These are a little north of the ones above. The reader claims this hasn’t been touched in months. Normal put […]
By: Diane Benjamin One would think since this meeting is being held in the Council Chambers it would be Live Streamed. There are two items a LOT of people will be interested. It will NOT be on video! See this story for details of the agenda: https://blnnews.com/2022/07/31/north-normal-normal-and-barickman-want-to-devalue-your-property/ I asked Mercy Davidson about video: I will […]
By: Diane Benjamin I hope you listened to at least parts of Kathleen’s interview from this story: https://blnnews.com/2022/08/01/kathleen-lorenz/ Since she explained over and over that she is data-driven and has an analytical engineers mind, I asked her two questions: Kathleen, I listened to your interview twice only because I was in the car. I’m […]
By: Diane Benjamin See tonight’s packet here: https://www.normalil.gov/ArchiveCenter/ViewFile/Item/4382 Besides other items, Normal will be giving $100,000 from ARPA funds to Carle for the Mobile Clinic that Bloomington already passed giving $150,000 for. https://blnnews.com/2022/06/14/bloomington-minus-2-aldermen/ FYI: Normal has an undated Social Media policy: https://www.normalil.gov/DocumentCenter/View/18492/Social-Media-Disclaimer-?fs=e&s=cl If the Town’s public comment policy doesn’t prove to you Normal does not […]
By: Diane Benjamin In case you forgot, PASER is the Pavement Rating and Assessment Project the Normal Town Council passed last October: https://www.normalil.gov/ArchiveCenter/ViewFile/Item/3770 See PDF page 35. The Council was told the total cost would be $100,000 with a grant arranged by the McLean County Regional Planning Commission for $80,000 of that. The Town would […]
Guess what the Town of Normal painted over – West College:
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 Yesterday I walked around Uptown. Beaufort Street has signs advertising space available. Here’s a few: The first floor of 1 Uptown Circle doesn’t have For Rent signs in the windows anymore. Did they give up or is someone finally going to rent it? It doesn’t appear any work is being done inside. […]
By: Diane Benjamin Temporary sign regulations will be heard at the Planning Commission August 4th at 5:00. Below is an excerpt from an email Pam Reece wrote to the council before the July 5th meeting: Did you catch Uptown Signs are next? Why was a Public Review process needed? During the meeting there were flimsy […]
By: Diane Benjamin A couple of priceless moments: See 42:38. Chris Koos tells Stan Nord he should ask questions in advance. (Evidently citizens don’t need to know what questions are asked) Nord replies that he has an email from Pam Reece stating she won’t answer his questions unless he gets 3 other people to agree […]
By: Diane Benjamin Or, Normal could have a really lousy FOIA retrieval system. Or, Normal doesn’t keep good records. Or, Normal is hiding information. Or, Normal just does things this way because that’s the way they’ve been done for decades – it’s a secret. Start with my FOIA pertaining to Normal doing the accounting work […]
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 Correction: this was his hearing the last time he was appointed. No hearings are scheduled yet for his current appointment. If he isn’t confirmed by the end of this Congress this year the process starts over. If you were wondering about Chris Koos’ appointment to the Amtrak Board, hearings are scheduled for […]
Flying around the Normal Public Library I heard two people discussing what the Town of Normal wants to buy now: Alexander’s Steakhouse Will steaks be free for all citizens of Normal? Or, is Normal usurping capitalism again to make sure the “Right Fit” moves in? Maybe it will become a branch library! Keep in mind, […]
By: Diane Benjamin https://www.normalil.gov/ArchiveCenter/ViewFile/Item/4338 See PDF page 84. Numerous references were made during the meeting to a recent Supreme Court ruling that made these changes necessary. The documentation however doesn’t reference any Supreme Court ruling. Since Kathleen Lorenz was on Cities 92.9 this morning and stated that reason again, I asked her by email what […]
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 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 Normal’s maintenance of Sugar Creek has been an issue for years. Bloomington mows along the creek and spot sprays really obnoxious weeds: Normal used to mow, then they decided to create a habitat. This is what it did look like, neighbors reported increased mosquitoes, rats, skunk, and snakes in their backyards. The […]
By: Diane Benjamin Remember this story? https://blnnews.com/2022/06/21/show-me-the-money/ The Illinois Supreme Court remanded a decision by a lower court back to them regarding Cook County’s use of transportation taxes. The Court stated the Safe Roads Amendment creating a lock box for transportation related taxes applies to Home Rule municipalities too. Source: https://www.normalil.gov/129/Taxes-Fees Normal is in violation […]
By: Diane Benjamin Taxpayers OWN Bloomington government, they work for you! Why is it so difficult to get information? Instead of fixing the functionality of the City website, they just redesign it. They have many useless tabs that aren’t used, nobody is cleaning them up or making SEARCHING for information easier. It’s almost like hiding […]
By: Diane Benjamin Yesterday was a Federal Holiday. Town of Normal code says meetings can not be held on any legal holiday: The Open Meetings Act law says a regular meeting can be held on a holiday if it is regularly scheduled, Normal threw in a Special Meeting that is not allowed under the law: […]
