By: Diane Benjamin Of course Stan Nord knows taxpayers got fleeced to rent the second floor of 1 Uptown Circle only to fill a hole in Uptown. The Council that approved paying $35000-$36000 a month simply did as they were told. Chris Koos wanted the hole gone and obviously the private sector wasn’t going to […]
By: Diane Benjamin At Tuesday’s Normal Town Council meeting Kathleen Lorenz asked why the Intergovernmental Agreement with Connect Transit says both Bloomington and Normal are required to review the CT budget yearly. They never do, but it is in the agreement. Kathleen: Maybe because CT loses $1 MILLION a month and local taxes were raised […]
By: Diane Benjamin After every Council meeting Stan Nord does a video on Facebook to explain what happened. Of course the Town hates the videos because they don’t control what he says. He mentioned the 11/5 indoor dining meeting from this story in his December 21st video: https://blnnews.com/2020/12/30/normal-you-cant-eat-inside-but-we-can/ Obviously the gang met in person and […]
By: Diane Benjamin Part 1: https://blnnews.com/2020/12/29/normal-vengeance-part-1/ This snip is from the minutes of the September 8. 2020 minutes: https://normal.org/ArchiveCenter/ViewFile/Item/3759 Obviously Lorenz and McCarthy missed the graphic in Part 1 stating Normal’s priority is to run Water to Rivian. The minutes go on to state this $5,000,000 project would promote economic development, there is no mention […]
By: Diane Benjamin Follow-up to this story: https://blnnews.com/2020/12/10/lorenz-how-about-not-believing-everything-you-are-told/ The Town of Normal finally provided the information I requested by FOIA. At the December 7th meeting Lorenz went on a long rant about rumors. It was aimed at a Facebook post by Marc Tiritilli concerning the quality of the water some residents have endured for a […]
By: Diane Benjamin Problem identified: Kathleen’s facts are right, Stan Nord’s aren’t. Did Kathleen read this story? Her facts were WAY OFF! https://blnnews.com/2020/12/10/lorenz-how-about-not-believing-everything-you-are-told/ Kathy didn’t do any better in an interview with Cities 92.9. She was there to counter an interview Stan Nord did previously. You can listen to it here: https://www.cities929.com/david-paul-blumenshine/ The first topic […]
By: Diane Benjamin Many of the locally elected aldermen and trustees are inflicted with the same disease. They believe everything they are told instead of looking at facts for themselves. They weren’t elected to represent government staff, they should be representing the people. There were two glaring examples during the Town of Normal meeting last […]
By: Diane Benjamin Of course we know the local elections are not non-partisan. Koos and Renner don’t hide the fact they are Democrats. Carrillo and Crabill don’t hide they are socialists. Scott Preston is involved with the local GOP party. The association list goes on and on. When elected, ideology isn’t suddenly thrown out the […]
By: Diane Benjamin Normal managed to have an almost 2 1/2 hour meeting. Much of it was spent trying to straighten out YOUR thoughts about the Town government. Kathleen Lorenz reiterated again payments can not be discussed because they were already approved in the budget. Pam Reece gave a long diatribe about a payment to […]
By: Diane Benjamin At the last meeting (September 8th) Kevin McCarthy pulled approving the bills from the Omnibus Agenda just so he could state “it is just a report”, everything spent was already approved in the budget. Last night Kathleen Lorenz pulled the same item so she could give the same speech. Who’s turn will […]
By: Diane Benjamin Much of the meeting was spent talking about the 3/31/2020 financial statements and the financial trends report. Neither are on-line yet, so they aren’t worth discussing much here. Many accolades were thrown at staff for doing a good job preparing for the audit. I agree, but isn’t that what they get paid […]
By: Diane Benjamin Normal met for almost 4 hours last night. See the 6:00 pm Work Session story here: https://blnnews.com/2020/09/09/stealing-more-from-you-the-town-of-normal/ I’m going to start with the END of the regular meeting since I might have been one of the few still awake watching it. Chris Koos is attempting to fix his image since he was […]
By: Diane Benjamin If you read the story below you saw Stan Nord was cut off last Monday when he asked questions about taxpayer investment in the private Illinois Arts Station: https://blnnews.com/2020/08/18/normals-painful-meeting/ He was cut off because Pam Reece and company have been negotiating behind the backs of the Council for months. All emails received […]
By: Diane Benjamin Besides Kathleen Lorenz proving she is unfit to serve as an elected official, lots of other things happened too. In case you missed her rant: https://blnnews.com/2020/07/21/i-bet-you-missed-the-premier-of-lorenzs-version-of-shut-up-stan/ I hope Kathleen and the other Council members take the time to read the comments to that story. The people supposedly “served” by the Normal […]
By: Diane Benjamin If you happened to watch the Normal Town Council meeting last night you might have shut it off before they got to Council comments. You missed proof Normal isn’t government For and By The People, it’s for and by the staff. Kathleen Lorenz went on a long diatribe condemning Stan Nord for […]
By: Diane Benjamin 9:00 – Stan pulled the bills for further discussion – particularly paying property taxes. Pam Reece and attorney Brian Day didn’t have good answers for not filing paperwork to make them exempt. 14:45 Koos ends the conversation. Next was the contract with the McLean County Regional Planning Commission. Stan wanted the same […]
By: Diane Benjamin Watch a Normal Council meeting. Kathleen Lorenz will attempt at least one to convey that Stan Nord has no idea what he’s doing. In emails she is even worse. Below are a few choice picks – from FOIA: Response from Kathleen: This issue isn’t dead, I’m just waiting for more information. How […]
By: Diane Benjamin Normal Mayor Chris Koos was nominated by Sen Dick Durbin to the Amtrak Board of Directors. Amtrak and Koos are a perfect fit. It does mean that Koos can no longer participate in discussions about building an underpass since all decisions involve Amtrak. See PDF page 5: http://www.normal.org/DocumentCenter/View/12829/2017-Purchasing-Policy-Manual-x?bidId= Amtrak will be paying […]
By: Diane Benjamin The next election can’t come fast enough because all but one of the elected officials are not working for the people in Normal. Covering last night’s meeting is going to take more than one story. Start with Trustee comments at the end of the meeting. Chemberly Cummings lectured the public on wearing […]
By: Diane Benjamin The Town of Normal has a LONG history of over-paying for properties and then selling them for much less. (or just giving them away!) I’ve done numerous stories since 2012 detailing some of them. Here are 3 blatant examples: https://normal.org/archivecenter/viewfile/item/2115 In 2015 Normal bought 513 N School for $170,000. 509 N School […]
By: Diane Benjamin In case you forgot, see this story: https://blnnews.com/2020/02/01/fake-news-wglt-2/ WGLT did a story attacking Stan Nord using a letter City Manager Pam Reece sent to Stan Nord. WGLT couldn’t possibly have obtained it by FOIA. That letter was leaked to them, yes folks your government is either anti-business or willing to destroy anyone […]
By: Diane Benjamin Last night’s Normal Town Council meeting will take more than one story. It’s becoming really easy to tell the political leanings of people just through one thing: Do they put people in boxes? People who lean left, even if they claim to be Republican, segregate people by all possible means: gender, race, […]
By: Diane Benjamin Need proof Normal’s spending is to provide union jobs? Keep reading. When the private sector isn’t providing jobs, government is the only alternative. Mike Matejka is the Governmental Affairs Director, Great Plains Laborers District Council representing LiUNA locals in central Illinois, Iowa, Nebraska and South Dakota. Why is Mike Matejka arranging official […]
By: Diane Benjamin Received by FOIA: Below is part of an email City Manager Pam Reece sent to the Normal Town Council on November 21st: Yes, they are spending your money with consultants. Below is Stan Nord’s response on November 22nd, I’m not posting the entire email because it covers 4 other things too. Once […]
By: Dine Benjamin Normal Trustee Kathleen Lorenz compiled a form email she sent to numerous residents who asked why she changed her vote. Yes folks, she was convinced the Town’s credit rating is more important than not fleecing residents for more money. She still spews the AAA credit rating from the much smaller Fitch Ratings […]
By: Diane Benjamin When a candidate for office declares what they plan to do if you vote them into office they should actually do it. Some members of the Normal Town Council have openly criticized Stan Nord for doing just that. He is accused of playing politics because he isn’t rubber-stamping “the plan”. He is […]
By: Diane Benjamin Sometimes I can put puzzle pieces together on my own, sometimes I can’t. It takes you readers filling in the missing pieces! Many have, it is much appreciated. The underpass has MANY puzzle pieces! Frequently I forget what I have written and what has happened at Council meetings – I am a […]
By: Diane Benjamin Our current Illinois Attorney General is starting off worse than Mike Madigan’s daughter. They still have not ruled on the Request for Review submitted by Karyn Smith when she was denied the right to speak on an item not on the agenda. It is getting close to a year since she filed, […]
By: Diane Benjamin If Illinois had a competent Attorney General a ruling against Normal for their public comment policy would have been written many months ago. (the law requires them to rule within 90 days) We don’t, so Normal continues to stifle citizen speech only because they can. A complaint was filed with the AG […]
By: Diane Benjamin Pam Reece can’t understand why Stan Nord is questioning the actions of past Councils. If Pam can’t understand why Stan was elected, she had an opportunity handed to her: Stan has raised questions about a number of issues. Some of them included Town owned properties being leased for much less than market […]
By: Diane Benjamin Kathleen Lorenz claims to be a Republican, so does Scott Preston. It is Republicans like these that made me leave the Republican Party years ago. The days of voting for party are long gone. Base your vote on the CHARACTER of the candidate, not the party. Both Lorenz and Preston know Normal’s […]
By: Diane Benjamin Normal Town Council last night: First to speak was Craig Stimpert. (4:27) The topic was pensions funding and the constant raising of property taxes to fund them. Craig called this Town practice unsustainable. The Town uses property taxes because they refuse to make pension funding part of the budget. He called out […]
By: Diane Benjamin This statement is on the Town of Normal website – even though Chris Koos and company try to tell Stan Nord and Karyn Smith talking to citizens about locating in Normal isn’t their job: http://normal.org/97/Contacting-the-Council It looks like citizens would rather contact Stan and Karyn: Once again, Karyn speaks for many of […]
By: Diane Benjamin Why did the Sports Complex come back? It looks like it’s being pushed by the Convention and Visitors Bureau: (CVB) That email was included in one of the FOIA request I received. Another email shows the Normal City Manager’s response to a citizens opposed to the complex. I redacted he name: Meanwhile, […]
The chart has been corrected. Normal actually has FIVE loans they are only paying interest on. Debt payments in FY 2020 total $5,549,176. Interest is $3,344,176. TIF revenue will not cover the payments. (This was incredibly difficult to do!) By: Diane Benjamin The theme for Monday’s Normal Town Council meeting was we LOVE Uptown. Kathleen […]
By: Diane Benjamin In 2017 I FOIA’d the Town of Normal for all properties they rent: https://blnnews.com/2017/01/10/normals-rental-properties/ At least one property didn’t make the list of what I received: The ISU Art Gallery. The gallery is tucked under the west end of the parking garage by City Hall. One thing is clear from the latest […]
By: Diane Benjamin One person responded to Kathleen Lorenz’s survey with more information than requested. He accuses Kathleen of campaigning one way on issues and then changing after being reelected. Then he goes on to call Stan Nord “not a nice guy” and a “bully”. Jeff must prefer politicians that misrepresent their positions to get […]
By: Diane Benjamin See Part 1 here: https://blnnews.com/2019/08/26/lorenz-koos-and-nord/ Questions for Kathleen: Why do the opinions of only a few matter? Why were the opinions of those wanting to save the building in Uptown with the mural immaterial? Why were the opinions of the people not served by Connect Transit immaterial? The Working Group isn’t even […]
See Part 2: https://blnnews.com/2019/08/27/lorenz-koos-and-nord-part-2/ By: Diane Benjamin https://www.wglt.org/post/koos-says-nord-went-lone-wolf-fire-department-merger-uptown-recruitment#stream/0 In the above article Chris Koos said this to WGLT when he tried to denigrate Stan Nord: Has WGLT or the Pantagraph reported Stan Nord has proof Koos lied to them? https://blnnews.com/2019/08/23/the-normal-council-knew-the-truth/ Nope! According to Koos, Trustees aren’t allowed to gather information – the staff does […]
By: Diane Benjamin Everything below was received by FOIA. I received another treasure trove of emails – stay tuned. Remember this note Mayor Koos sent to Bloomington and leaked to the media? This note was in the Pantagraph on July 17th. https://blnnews.com/2019/07/31/did-chris-koos-lie/ On July 26th, Stan Nord sent proof to the Mayor and the entire […]
