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 Long time readers will recognize ICMA – International City/County Management Association. For close to a year taxpayers have been spared funding trips to conventions they organize because of COVID. ICMA sends out a newsletter everyday with links to stories about the actions of governments around the country and sometimes the world. Member […]
By: Diane Benjamin The entire meeting was only around an hour but then they spent almost 1 1/2 hours in Executive Session reviewing minutes they won’t release and talking personnel. Bloomington has been holding Executive Session minutes for decades, citizens aren’t allowed to see the glowing endorsements given to previous City Managers by their elected […]
By: Diane Benjamin During the Pledge of Allegiance – the sign is courtesy of Chemberly Cummings: The meeting began with comments from Janessa Williams, chairperson of the Human Relations Board of Normal. She did denounce the violence. The part of the meeting that should outrage citizens was the selling of the property on Ft. Jesse. […]
By: Diane Benjamin Five days a week I get a newsletter form ICMA – International City/County Management Association. The email is links to stories, sometimes around the world, detailing actions taken in various places. Both local City Managers attend their conferences, we never hear reports on what they learned. This story is in today’s edition: The […]
By: Diane Benjamin Bills and Payroll: https://www.cityblm.org/Home/ShowDocument?id=22497 Indoctrination camps, the Illinois Municipal League represents cities, not taxpayers: The Coliseum continues to bleed taxpayers: This is year THREE for the Small Business Development Center. Is anybody asking what has been developed? https://blnnews.com/2018/01/03/knuckleheads/ Option 1 (50/50 split): That the Resolution approving the Small Business Development Center funding […]
By: Diane Benjamin Bill and Payroll for 10-18-2018 http://www.cityblm.org/Home/ShowDocument?id=20190 Since the auditing bill is being approved, the financial statements are done. Of course, they aren’t being released yet. Coliseum continues to bleed taxpayers: More PCard fraud-should be easy to see where it happened: TRAVEL: ICMA (City Manager) $866.04 +685.00 and $777.61 last month = total […]
By: Diane Benjamin I been on the ICMA email list for years. ICMA is INTERNATIONAL CITY/COUNTY MANAGEMENT ASSOCIATION. This is the place for managers who think government solves problems. All it takes is money, of course yours. The daily email is a summary of what government is up to, mostly around the country, but also internationally. […]
By: Diane Benjamin http://www.normal.org/ArchiveCenter/ViewFile/Item/2784 Town of Normal payments for tonight: (Click on any pics to enlarge) Would you take your kids Trick-Or-Treating in Uptown if you knew you paid for the candy? The ICMA conference was in Texas, looks like a FOIA for all credit card charges is needed. Sit down if you aren’t already: […]
Correction: Karen Schmidt did report that Diana Hauman was sick By: Diane Benjamin Alderman Hauman and Mayor Renner were both absent last night. Not a word was spoken about either. That means 20% of the people you elected were missing. Progressives evidently don’t think they have any responsibility to citizens. Of course watching them in […]
By: Diane Benjamin From Bills and Payroll for approval Monday night: 11-14-2016-bills There are other tiny payments I didn’t include. Below are the bills just since the last Council meeting – total $85,516.23 Other spending: Finally paid for 807 N Main, the purpose of the purchase is still a secret. Of course they have a […]
By: Diane Benjamin From Bills and Payroll for 2/22/16: http://www.cityblm.org/index.aspx?page=242&parent=9535 Another $57,721.33 sent to Springfield for Legal! How much of that is work on a downtown hotel? How much more will the City rack up at your expense? Yes, Giebelhausen’s proposal is costing you money. Speaking of Giebelhausen, he wants to change East Peoria’s […]
By: Diane Benjamin Evidently his P-Card was broken: DAVID HALES INV 10/12/2015 CHICAGO 9/15 128075 Admin Pro Develp 84.25 Invoice Net 84.25 CHECK TOTAL 84.25 DAVID HALES INV 10/12/2015 SEATTLE 9/15 128076 Admin Pro Develp 304.00 Invoice Net 304.00 CHECK TOTAL 304.00 Bills and Payroll: Page 22 http://www.cityblm.org/Modules/ShowDocument.aspx?documentid=9246 Seattle just happens to be where the […]
By: Diane Benjamin The City Manager wasn’t at the Council meeting last night. I suspect he was here, since he goes every year: The ICMA Annual Conference is the largest annual event in the world for local government managers and staff. The conference is being held in Seattle. (ICMA = International City/County Managers Association) Are […]
By: Diane Benjamin Below is this month’s edition of Administration spending with a City debit card in your pocket. See this link for the complete list of PCard spending – it’s at the end of Bills and Payroll. http://www.cityblm.org/Modules/ShowDocument.aspx?documentid=8901 City Council Expenses Hilton Hotels $ 603.23 Business travel Mayor US Conference of Mayors City Council Expenses […]
By: Diane Benjamin In September, I assume City Manger David Hales will be travelling to Seattle for this years ICMA conference. I’m pretty sure he goes every year, you will be paying the bills. Tari just got back from San Francisco at your expense. Maybe the City motto should be changed to “We see the Country […]
By: Diane Benjamin Mayors indoctrinated to believe a city’s future is downtown have popped up all over the country. Where do you think Tari was trained? See this article http://www.salina.com/news/downtown-improvements-take-major-step-forward/article_886e78b7-5518-52de-8655-92062c1f2fba.html It’s short, not reading it is not an option! Don’t miss the end.
by: Diane Benjamin If you are robbed by somebody with a gun – at least you know it happened. The City of Bloomington would rather you not know. Below is JUST the Admin Pcard spending for 1 month. Many more pages of spending by other department are at the link below. So far Tari Renner […]
by: Diane Benjamin At last night’s City Council meeting, adding bike lanes for the Bloomington portion of Jersey Avenue was approved. In case you can’t visualize what they approved, imagine turning on to Jersey from Towanda Avenue. On the right side will be parking and a bike lane for around 200 feet. No parking will […]
by: Diane Benjamin Remember this email sent by City Manager Mark Peterson: This is a link to a story I wrote back in November: https://blnnews.com/2013/11/14/the-normal-city-council-should-fire-mark-peterson/ As reported, I filed a complaint against Peterson based on the Code of Ethics listed on the International City Managers Assoc website. I heard nothing from them for months. When […]
by: Diane Benjamin The INTERNATIONAL City Managers Association sends an email every day with links to stories they find interesting. I’m sure Mayor Renner and David Hales are on the email list. There is no need to hire an outside firm to do the study, just read your email. Today they have this story: The […]
by: Diane Benjamin The International City Managers Association (ICMA) sends a DAILY email. Remember, Mayor Renner used to work for this group and David Hales is a member. The story below from the email caught my attention. Why would an International group want to promote council-manager form of government? Update on ICMA’s Fund for Professional Management […]
by: Diane Benjamin You can’t understand why politicians do what they do unless you know where their governing information comes from. Professor Renner used to work for the International City Managers Association. They are having a convention in September, I expect City Manger David Hales and probably Tari will attend. Of course, it will be […]
by: Diane Benjamin The City of Bloomington has hired Sue McLaughlin as a temporary replacement for Barb Atkins who retired. McLaughlin is being paid $85.00 per hour – at least $175,000 per year. She formerly worked as a City Administrator for Mattoon until she was fired for trying to sell City land for less than […]
by: Diane Benjamin I’ve previously reported that Mayor Tari Renner formerly worked for the International City Managers Association. (https://blnnews.com/2014/01/22/bloomington-your-land-is-at-risk/) His time there says a lot about the changes happening in Bloomington. Renner’s name is connected to many studies that analyze local government types. One of my many sources sent links to a lot of websites, […]
by: Diane Benjamin Last night the Bloomington City Council held a Committee of the Whole meeting. The hot topic was using a program by the International City Mangers Association to rate City services. Nobody could say what the cost would be. Nobody could say why comparing Bloomington to cities in California or Georgia was a […]
by: Diane Benjamin Did you know Mayor Tari Renner used to be the Director of Research for the International City/County Management Association? (3/17/13 Pantagraph) What is the ICMA? It’s the same group I filed an ethics complaint with against Normal City Manager Mark Peterson – IN NOVEMBER. https://blnnews.com/2013/11/20/more-on-normal-city-manager-mark-peterson/ The ICMA has yet to make a decision on […]
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