By: Diane Benjamin Two Council members didn’t bother to attend, Billie Tyus covered for Tim Gleason who also wasn’t there. See if you can figure out who is MIA: Everything passed with little discussion. The video is an hour and 10 minutes long, only because a Township meeting took place before the Council meeting. Obviously […]
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 Proof COVID is over, Bloomington employees are back to traveling: https://www.cityblm.org/home/showpublisheddocument/27940/637884879474800000 Go to PDF page 130 and following see for yourself. Don’t miss this one: $6754.00 for ONE Conference. I could say I hope more than one person went for that price, but then I’d have to ask why more than one […]
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 […]
By: Diane Benjamin There is MUCH more to cover from last night’s meeting, stay tuned. How many people did this guy speak for last night? Just hit play: Donna Boelen had one of the many “comments of the night”. Tim Gleason stated again only Rowe Construction bids on road work. Donna thinks out of town […]
By: Diane Benjamin Bloomington could have a short meeting tonight: http://bloomingtonil.iqm2.com/Citizens/FileOpen.aspx?Type=1&ID=1163&Inline=True Some highlights: Is anyone going to ask why businesses keep leaving downtown for the East side? Is anyone going to admit the City Core is Veterans Parkway not downtown? Sick Leave Buy Back is still being paid, it just can’t be used to spike […]
By: Diane Benjamin One Public Comment was exceptional last night. Gary Lambert speaks pretty often, always showing lots of common sense. Gary responded to something Mayor Mboka wrote in the Pantagraph wanting the State to quite keeping more of the local tax money than they used to. Gary threw that letter back in his face […]
By: Diane Benjamin I posted how much Normal earned last year from their TIF districts in this story: https://blnnews.com/2022/03/26/hey-unit-5-jackpot-ahead/ A quick primer on TIF districts – Tax Increment Financing: TIFs are supposed to be used to revitalize blighted areas. An area is designated as a TIF district, money is invested in the TIF which hopefully […]
By: Diane Benjamin Tonight’s packet: http://bloomingtonil.iqm2.com/Citizens/FileOpen.aspx?Type=1&ID=1162&Inline=True Take a trip down memory lane to 2017: https://www.cityblm.org/home/showpublisheddocument/9854/636130888246430000 That link is to the proposed 2017 budget. PDF page 19 shows the General Fund including the percent held in reserves. The City planned to collect and spend $104,794,506. The RESERVES percent of the General Fund was 12.87%. Jump to […]
March Meltdown was at the Coliseum, so the BCPA is still looking for their first show this year to make money. The Performance Fee below is from a show called the Adventures of the Tortoise and the Hare. I still don’t have that report. I was missing one report from the BCPA – March Meltdown. […]
By: Diane Benjamin It was nice to see everyone back in the same room last night and not mumbling through masks! While inflation is raging and gas prices are wiping out disposable income, Jeff Crabill sees increased revenues to the City as a pot of gold. He claims there were things they couldn’t do in […]
By: Diane Benjamin Instead of listening to the City Manager list all of the accomplishments last year, Kathrine Murphy narrated a video. It is an engaging way to present the information. Entertaining and worth your time – just hit play.
By: Diane Benjamin Making budget cuts isn’t a matter of cutting BIG things. It a myriad of small things that add up to big bucks. Here’s one example: This pic is from Normal’s budget: Normal will be handing over $109,250 to the CVB and $100,000 to the EDC. Why is Bloomington also giving the EDC […]
By: Diane Benjamin PDF page 114: http://bloomingtonil.iqm2.com/Citizens/FileOpen.aspx?Type=1&ID=1159&Inline=True Are you ready for electricity rates to double? How are your natural gas bills going? Government interference in the markets because of PRETEND Climate Change has only 1 goal: bankrupt you: When nuclear power plants can’t be built which would produce cheaper electricity than solar panels and wind […]
By: Diane Benjamin’ I think the Grossinger Motors naming rights expire next year. It was a 5 year agreement in June of 2017. Expect something really original like Bloomington Arena to replace it. Of course that means new signage. Maybe the City can just paint the name on the building instead (don’t hold your breath). […]
By: Diane Benjamin http://bloomingtonil.iqm2.com/Citizens/FileOpen.aspx?Type=1&ID=1158&Inline=True Honoring Judy Markowitz didn’t make the agenda for tonight, did they get the message? https://blnnews.com/2022/02/22/slap-in-the-face-to-the-citizens-of-bloomington/ Lots of other things did make the agenda, it could be a long meeting: Presentation by Heartland College President Grant awards for John M Scott Healthcare Trust 2023 Budget Update Presentation of Bloomington Police 2022-2024 Strategic […]
By: Diane Benjamim From the capital spending plans: Jamie Mathy signaled he is opposed to new subdivisions east of Towanda Barnes Rd and will oppose the spending that allows The Grove to expand when it officially comes to Council. There is a housing shortage but Mathy wants to tell people where they can’t live. Maybe […]
By: Diane Benjamin More on last night’s meeting tomorrow, start with this. Tim Gleason announced last night the Council will consider honorary street names for: (you have to hear it for yourself – 8 seconds) First, Bloomington is completely incompetent at zoom. Tim Gleason is talking, see his face up there anywhere? Hold a meeting […]
By: Diane Benjamin Bloomington is holding a Committee of the Whole meeting Monday night. The main item on the agenda is presenting the Capital budget for next fiscal year. Luckily it is posted in advance of the meeting here: https://www.cityblm.org/home/showpublisheddocument/27623 The first page shows $7 million for asphalt and concrete, don’t get excited. Jump to […]
By: Diane Benjamin I don’t know if it’s Bloomington who has a criminal problem with their firefighters or if other departments are just better at hiding malfeasance. Number 6 was charged with domestic violence last December. The charges aren’t for beating up his wife, they are for beating up his girlfriend the wife evidently knew […]
By: Diane Benjamin Follow-up to this story: https://blnnews.com/2022/01/26/no-vote-bloomington/ I received two responses to my original FOIA request wanting a list of what departments are at the Olive Street address, luckily both gave me the same information: Human Resources, Parks & Rec, Legal, Finance, IT Now you know everything I know! Other than the “Hub” and […]
By: Diane Benjamin Unlike Normal who only spends one day presenting the budget, Bloomington is rolling their’s out. Last Monday was the first look. You can see see the slides on the video or at this link: https://www.cityblm.org/home/showpublisheddocument/27448/637786270147270000 See 1:28:40 on the video below. The City of Bloomington anticipates having a General Fund Balance of […]
By: Diane Benjamin I am WAY behind on stories, so you readers have homework. Contract Transit didn’t meet and report their loses for months, so this board packet includes reports for 3 months. It also includes minutes from the retreat they held. It is way past time for all of you to see what they […]
By: Diane Benjamin I filed a FOIA request with Bloomington earlier in January. Since I watch every Council meeting and never heard a discussion about moving offices to the Government Center, I wondered how much it cost. I also wondered who was still working at the Old City Hall. I got the FOIA yesterday, I […]
By: Diane Benjamin Who makes better choices on how to spend your money? You or Bureaucrats who don’t worry about running out of money because they know where to get more? It was very obvious at last night’s Bloomington City Council meeting that most of the aldermen have long wish lists for your money, not […]
By: Diane Benjamin http://bloomingtonil.iqm2.com/Citizens/FileOpen.aspx?Type=1&ID=1152&Inline=True PDF page 10 is a proclamation declaring the first week of February: National Gun Violence Survivors’ Week. Has Mboka figured out Chicago has moved downstate? This is part of the declaration: That is probably true in Chicago where crimes aren’t prosecuted and kids are frequently shot and die because criminals with […]
By: Diane Benjamin Maybe a better question is how much have citizens been charged for Bloomington to move from the Old City Hall to the Government Center? Council meetings used to be held on Olive Street. The City website doesn’t have that address anymore, it has been changed to Washington St. See the bottom of […]
by: Diane Benjamin https://www.cityblm.org/home/showpublisheddocument/27390 January’s meetings will be on Zoom, get ready for lots of “Can you hear me now?” Zoom isn’t free, but at least we don’t have to watch masks up to people’s eyes! (hopefully) Afraid of COVID, but staff is back to traveling: It would take a FOIA to find out who […]
By: Diane Benjamin Agenda for Monday: http://bloomingtonil.iqm2.com/Citizens/FileOpen.aspx?Type=1&ID=1150&Inline=True Bloomington wants to rehab these two water tanks off Fort Jesse. The NEVER used water tower in the same area isn’t mentioned: https://blnnews.com/2015/08/04/more-ineptness/ Money was budgeted for this project – WAY more than what the project will cost: PDF page 185 Monday they are already spending what they […]
By: Diane Benjamin https://www.cityblm.org/government/advanced-components/documents/-folder-114 No BCPA event reports have been posted to the City website. Evidently I have to FOIA all of them. From this year’s budget: $1,700,000 of the Revenue is from Home Rule Sales Tax. Of that $840,206 goes to bond payments. See the complete BCPA presentation in the budget starting on PDF […]
By: Diane Benjamin THREE more events – all losers: Report shows a profit of $142.68. With performance fee the loss is ($9,257.32). 192 attended Performance Fee: Report shows a loss of ($2,566.37), with performance fee the loss is ($33,066.37). 107 attended. Performance Fee: Report shows a profit of $3,944.97, with performance fee the loss is […]
By: Diane Benjamin One of the policies instituted by Tari Renner was limiting discussion at Council meetings. Pre-Tari there were no limits, Agendas are now issued with the amount of time the Council will spend on each item. Why are your elected representatives not allowed to talk as long as they want? The Council represents […]
By: Diane Benjamin Council is meeting tonight at 6:00 to clear the rest of December for Christmas. None of the event reports at the BCPA have been posted on line: https://www.cityblm.org/government/advanced-components/documents/-folder-114 Evidently I have to FOIA all shows. Is the City afraid to tell citizens how much is lost to subsidized entertainment for the well […]
By: Diane Benjamin At the Bloomington City Council meeting last night Jeanne Hamilton announced the State had given them a grant of over $5.6 million for the expansion. Of course, they won’t be using all of it to decrease the property tax increase. See 4:15. I might have lost track, but I counted 13 comments […]
By: Diane Benjamin Government is not capable of Master Planning because they are spending YOUR money not theirs. They use your taxes as a piggy bank to fulfill their wishes. Voters keep electing progressives who promise to make their lives better and of course not raise taxes to do it. Insert your own joke__________________. Proof […]
By: Diane Benjamin Good News for most residents of Arrowsmith, Bloomington, Dale, Dawson, and Old Town Townships who are served by Golden Prairie Public Library District: Your property taxes will not be going up if the Bloomington Library property tax increase is approved! These township residents have full access to the Bloomington Public Library without paying […]
By: Diane Benjamin Former Mayor Tari Renner often said Bloomington is down 100 employees. The City isn’t down 100 employees as the below shows. Starting in 2013 they changed how they count employees – see the note at the bottom of the page. Ignore the 2012 number because employees weren’t counted the same. Since 2013 […]
By: Diane Benjamin Let’s start with the City finally releasing the financial statements: https://www.cityblm.org/home/showpublisheddocument/27129/637709284831130000 This note was written by the auditors: Proving yet again laws are immaterial, November 22, 2021 is past SIX MONTHS. The City has now used the same auditor for 6 years. Since the audits aren’t looking for fraud, using the same […]
By: Diane Benjamin Bloomington Council meeting last night – comment at the end of the meeting from small business owner Alderman Jamie Mathy: Jamie ran down some stats for how much money stays in the local community if you buy from a local business, a chain store, or on-line. He ended with buying on line […]
By: Diane Benjamin I FOIA’d the City of Bloomington for communication about the John Butler/CIAM case. That FOIA I have, I also FOIA’d the County. I haven’t received that one yet. I found some interesting emails, the City was thrilled the case was over. I’m not thrilled because no one employed or representing the citizens […]
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