By: Diane Benjamin Remember the Bloomington City Council voting down spending $270,000 over 3 years for a lobbyist? https://blnnews.com/2023/02/15/gleason-thinks-the-council-works-for-him/ Gleason wants grant money for the downtown streetscape. Does he know grant money is taxpayer money? Does he know the Feds spend more money every year than they take in? $31 Trillion in debt is meaningless […]
By: Diane Benjamin Bloomington is expecting to end this fiscal year with more than $37 million in General Fund Reserves. This is a huge increase compared to pre-Tim Gleason. See PDF page 2: https://www.bloomingtonil.gov/home/showpublisheddocument/29073/638125001757630000 The $7 million is this years budget, next year $10 million is budgeted. Asphalt and Concrete is roads and sidewalks, not […]
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 FYI: The Council that hired Tim Gleason and that mayor are long gone. Gleason was hired to revitalize downtown because he revitalized Decatur’s (sort of). After 5:00 very little happens in the closed up downtown businesses. It is nothing like Bloomington’s downtown that exists for lawyers, people accused of crimes, homeless people, […]
By: Diane Benjamin More on this story: https://blnnews.com/2023/02/14/i-could-have-predicted-this-one/ Tim Gleason wasn’t at the meeting where hiring a federal lobbyist firm for $270,000 over 3 years was voted down. It wouldn’t have gone that direction if he had been there, he’s a master at changing the minds of council members. Tim Gleason is the employee of […]
By: Diane Benjamin I filed a FOIA request with the City of Bloomington on January 31st when rumors started to swirl about a revote on hiring a lobbyist. Of course they delayed my FOIA until 4:30 today – after the vote. They claimed legal had to review. Ha Ha. Here is part of one email […]
By: Diane Benjamin Bloomington failed at Live Streaming the meeting last night. There was no audio! The incompetence shown by City staff should make you wonder what else they are incompetent at doing. Below is this year’s budget for Information Technology. Almost $6 million and they can’t get a Live Stream to work in a […]
By: Diane Benjamin Remember the charge to Repairs and Maintenance pertaining to the License Plate Readers? https://blnnews.com/2023/02/09/remember-when-bloomington-bought-license-plate-readers/ I received an email from an officer wanting me to call him for an explanation. Since I prefer explanations in writing so they are useable, he put it in writing. That payment isn’t for Repairs or Maintenance. It […]
By: Diane Benjamin Unit 5 didn’t like the results of the November referendum – so they demand you vote again. Vote No Again Ask Unit 5 Board members how it is possible to be this irresponsible with other people’s money. Anybody see a problem? Anybody? Tim Gleason is pulling the same stunt on Monday. His […]
By: Diane Benjamin February 28, 2022: https://cityblm.granicus.com/DocumentViewer.php?file=cityblm_f2826ec9d9b5f6bf9ebdb349f14596b7.pdf&view=1 The actual name of the company is Flock Group Inc. https://www.bizapedia.com/ga/flock-group-inc.html The listed CEO, Garrett Langley, is the same guy who runs Flock Safety https://www.flocksafety.com/about/meet-flock-safety The “fixed cost” isn’t so fixed: The cameras haven’t even been installed a year yet and repairs aren’t covered? The fixed annual cost […]
Overheard while flying around: Bloomington City Manager Tim Gleason really wants the lobbyist the Council voted 5-4 not to hire. Money, money, money – never enough! Gleason wants a re-vote. The aldermen didn’t fall in line! Who is going to flip and change their vote? Does Deputy City Manager Billy Tyus still have a job? […]
By: Diane Benjamin Sheila Montney pulled hiring the lobbying firm from the Consent Agenda. I don’t remember the last time something was voted down after being placed on the agenda. Administration knows where everyone stands before it’s placed for a vote – 3 on 1 meetings usually clear the path. Tim Gleason didn’t attend the […]
By: Diane Benjamin Bills and Payroll: https://www.bloomingtonil.gov/home/showpublisheddocument/28905/638096498401870000 806 Employees, remember when the City had 650? Maybe shows aren’t booked because you have to pay up first? Your cost for empty buses: Agenda: https://d3n9y02raazwpg.cloudfront.net/cityblm/257b0a83-7d4f-11ed-9024-0050569183fa-a809f54d-d2d4-4538-9941-6f673252daac-1674252308.pdf National debt is now $31.5 trillion. That doesn’t include all the unfunded liabilities that can never be paid. Our national security is […]
By: Diane Benjamin https://www.boxofficeticketsales.com/grossinger-motors-arena?msclkid=ac4450df0ccf192916d5331304eab1a2 Since the City of Bloomington now running the Coliseum, click on that link and check out ticket prices. It almost looks like every couple of seats has a different price depending on where it is. It must be too difficult just to have a few different prices, this event needs tons […]
By: Diane Benjamin Follow-up to this story: https://blnnews.com/2023/01/18/no-response-to-foia-bloomington/ Shortly after posting this story yesterday I received what was called “a copy” of the extension request they had previously sent. I never received the request, maybe how it was written is why: I have no idea what Titan Virgil means plus the original request is not […]
By: Diane Benjamin H/T a reader This picture is of the NEVER used Fire Station #5 on Six Points Rd in Bloomington: I filed a FOIA request on January 4, 2023 for any documents stating why public safety vehicles are parked in this fire station when it has never been used as a fire station. […]
By: Diane Benjamin Will someone ask Bloomington why they had 904 employees in mid December? https://www.bloomingtonil.gov/home/showpublisheddocument/28863/638084456490870000 Bloomington ended the year with 820 employees, still way over the previous numbers! COUNTY taxpayers are forced to fund the Bloomington Election Commission while having no oversight! This is taxation without representation because BEC doesn’t answer to anyone. Green […]
By: Diane Benjamin I have looked at numbers for many weeks and I’m not close to answers. I’m going to print what I know anyway. From Open The Books: Why did salaries increase substantially in 2020 and go down in 2021? I FOIA’d these salaries from IMRF: Three of the 6 show less income in […]
By: Diane Benjamin In case you forgot what a TIF is or never knew: Tax Increment Financing is meant to provide money for developers or reimburse government for investments in a blighted area. Money is generated by the increase in property values after the redevelopment. Government gets to keep the increase for 23 years – […]
By: Diane Benjamin Julie Emig was absent again. Proving Covid is now no big deal, Tim Gleason attended by zoom from the other side of the wall. He stated he had direct exposure to Covid and didn’t want to sit next to other council members and possibly expose them. Remember when people were required to […]
by: Diane Benjamin Ward 4 Alderman Julie Emig was on sick leave until the end of November. She still wasn’t back Monday night. She hasn’t attended a meeting since September, her Ward has been un-represented for over 2 months. It’s funny to watch the Council continue to conduct business with 8 alderman instead of 9. […]
By: Diane Benjamin PDF page 4 https://www.bloomingtonil.gov/home/showpublisheddocument/28699/638052450340400000 Bloomington is projecting General Fund Reserves at the end of the year (4-30-2023) of: $34,494,213 PDF page 469: http://bloomingtonil.iqm2.com/Citizens/FileOpen.aspx?Type=1&ID=1108&Inline=True In case that number shows up too small to read, the projected General Fund Balance less than a year ago (4-30-2022) was: $24,296,676 That represents an increase in Reserves […]
By: Diane Benjamin There is a short version of the below going around social media, this is an 11 minute version. Democracy always ends in tyranny, that’s why America was created as a Republic instead. The video is from 1966 and nails what is happening today. Democracy wasn’t on the November ballot, authoritarianism was. TAKE […]
By: Diane Benjamin I hope you know there is NEVER enough money for government. It is very easy to take more from you instead of doing without like those paying their bills do. By not showing up you tell them you don’t care. Rent? Property taxes are included in your rent. Expect increases. . . […]
By: Diane Benjamin 3 people spoke at Public Comment. The first two complained about noise effecting their homes. Neither was completely coherent, I have no idea what area of the city they were talking about. The third raved about Bloomington 101. The comments start at 3:36 is you want to interpret for me. Another guy […]
By: Diane Benjamin Remember when the Local Sales Tax Rate increased back on 1/1/2016? This is what Bloomington residents were told it was for: https://www.bloomingtonil.gov/home/showpublisheddocument/9197/636130888246430000 PDF Page 2: This year the City of Bloomington budgeted $7.2 million for streets and sidewalks: https://www.bloomingtonil.gov/home/showpublisheddocument/26008/637508827017530000 The Local Motor Fuel Tax projected revenue this year is $4.1 million. https://www.bloomingtonil.gov/home/showpublisheddocument/28561/638022024003730000 […]
By: Diane Benjamin Yes, I received this list by FOIA. Below is a list of properties where water appears to be shut off because there aren’t any current bills, at least that’s the policy. They all show past due amounts over 120 days. If even the first 10 pages (49 per page) have water shut […]
By: Diane Benjamin Bloomington spends a fortune on Information Technology: PDF page 165 https://www.bloomingtonil.gov/home/showpublisheddocument/27976/637892645121170000 . Spending MILLIONS of dollars every year should mean first class access to data. It doesn’t! Bloomington doesn’t know how many landlords were forced to pay bills for tenants a previous City Council said they didn’t have to pay. Bloomington doesn’t […]
By: Diane Benjamin The meeting length will be determined by what is pulled from the Consent Agenda – it’s long. It’s difficult to understand why some Enterprise Funds have to balance or you get tax increases to make up the difference, but Capital Funds can be used to buy 3 new movers for the golf […]
By: Diane Benjamin For a change I didn’t have to FOIA the reports. https://www.bloomingtonil.gov/government/advanced-components/documents/-folder-2027 New reports have been posted to the City website, these represent the beginning of a new season. They aren’t off to a good start if you believe entertainment shouldn’t be subsidized by people who can’t afford to attend: Loss: $13,792.88 Performance […]
By: Diane Benjamin Monday’s Bloomington City Council meeting was SHORT. The video is only 33 minutes and 21 seconds. The stated purpose of the Committee of the Whole meeting was reviewing the Council Retreat. Mboka showed some slides, evidently the video is the only place to see them. The City website has a Documents tab: […]
By: Diane Benjamin This lady was back at public comment last night. She is a landlord who is stuck with the water bill(s) of tenant(s) who didn’t pay before they left because Bloomington said they didn’t have to: . She stated she is on the hook for $27,000. She was never contacted by the City […]
By: Diane Benjamin Board Report from the September meeting: If you want to see data (it’s worse!) going back to 2013, see this story: https://blnnews.com/2019/04/12/bloomington-library-continues-traffic-decline/ The Library renovation was sold as needing more space because the library was built in 1976 when the population was only 42,000. Obviously the trends above do not show traffic […]
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 Packet: The State of Illinois and local governments violated the Illinois Constitution by closing businesses and depriving landlords of income. Bloomington made it worse by sending unpaid water bills to landlords after telling renters they don’t have to pay. Illinois Constitution-Bill of Rights https://www.ilga.gov/commission/lrb/con1.htm Government told renters they don’t have to pay […]
By: Diane Benjamin I bet Tim is in Columbus Ohio attending the International City/County Management Association (ICMA) Annual Conference. “With four days of learning, inspiration, and connection, attendees leave equipped with the tools and support they need to make their communities a better place to live, work, and play.” https://conference.icma.org/about/ In other words, learn new ways […]
By: Diane Benjamin The entire meeting video is over 3 hours, most of that was spent off camera in Executive Session. 3 videos you need to see, 2 are Public Comment the third is City Manager Tim Gleason. The first Public Comment was a lady who owns rental property. She didn’t receive rent because Pritzker […]
By: Diane Benjamin Packet for tonight: https://d3n9y02raazwpg.cloudfront.net/cityblm/5a26b16f-a62d-11ec-8a90-0050569183fa-d854eb82-3702-4140-9de6-ac3a8e3f379d-1662676309.pdf Public Comment and Recognitions might take longer than the actual business part of the meeting. Everything is on the Consent Agenda and won’t be discussed unless an alderman pulls it. The longest part of the meeting won’t be public: I doubt releasing the minutes of Executive Sessions from […]
By: Diane Benjamin Of course Bloomington could have held this retreat in a place that could be live streamed, they chose not to. The only way to know what happens is to attend. Some items in #4 should be public discussions, that’s why they aren’t.
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 […]
