By: Diane Benjamin Received by FOIA. Remember the Normal Town Council meeting where everyone who wanted to make a Public Comment wasn’t allowed? Since no one NOW on the Council wants to hear from citizens, 30 minutes was set and not challenged. Pam Reece doesn’t have a problem wasting a citizen’s time who wants to […]
By: Diane Benjamin Does Normal know what they consider part of Route 66 doesn’t connect to Route 66? Visitors can’t drive directly from Pontiac’s sites to Normal. That isn’t stopping them from trying to make One Normal Plaza a destination. First they need a sign people can take their picture with: Of course the size […]
By: Diane Benjamin Why did Chemberly Cummings, Julie Hile, and Bob Broad stand for last night’s Pledge of Alliance and not participate? Either they are all members of the Jehovah Witness church who refuse to say the pledge because they consider it idolatry, or they have some other reason. Chemberly Cummings has never said the […]
By: Diane Benjamin A number of area residents of One Normal Plaza appeared before the Council asking for just one thing: No alcohol in One Normal Plaza. They succeeded in getting this alcohol clause removed from the Planned Unit Development document: The vote was 5-2. Koos and McCarthy voted against them. Removing this clause was […]
By: Diane Benjamin Packet: https://normal.org/ArchiveCenter/ViewFile/Item/4053 The government in the Town of Normal is not limited. Koos and company think they can create prosperity. Meanwhile the first floor of 1 Uptown Circle is STILL empty and the Trail East building will be a story shorter. I’m not going to blow everything disturbing on tonight’s agenda – […]
By: Diane Benjamin One Normal Plaza zoning changes are coming to the Normal Town Council on Monday. Mercy is the Town planner. She is also listed as the petitioner for the changes. The biggest problem area residents have with the proposed changes is allowing alcohol in the park. The Planning Commission meeting was laughable because […]
By: Diane Benjamin I attended the Normal Planning Commission meeting last night. It was over 3 hours because MANY citizens did not want alcohol in the park. The video below is of Town Planner Mercy Davidson. She claims the Town Council brought this forward last year. Actually staff brought it forward and the bobbleheads said […]
By: Diane Benjamin Thursday the Planning Commission will hear from citizens about One Normal Plaza. This Commission is made up of unelected citizens that are appointed by Chris Koos. See who is on the Board here: https://normal.org/401/Planning-Commission Also note: NO email addresses or phone numbers are on this site for citizens to contact them! They […]
By: Diane Benjamin Usually some business comes before a Planning Commission if they need zoning changed for a specific business. This time it is the Normal staff requesting changes to zoning at One Normal Plaza. (More proof staff runs the Town, not the Council) Please note, government plans usurp capitalism and are destined to fail […]
By: Diane Benjamin Remember back to last year. Usually when a zoning change is requested it is because some entrepreneur wants to develop a property in a way it isn’t zoned for. That isn’t the case with One Normal Plaza. The Town is pushing allowing alcohol in the park. Yes, it is a park setting […]
By: Diane Benjamin Anybody think Normal’s underpass won’t flood? Will the structure be affected? Can trains safely be on top of it while standing water attacks the supports? Normal is going to build it anyway, they are way smarter than citizens. Ha, Ha, Ha. Koos and company want to make you pay for their vision. […]
By: Diane Benjamin More on the “Attack” Stan meeting last week. Attorney Brian Day spoke about 3 items-video below: 1) Day didn’t talk about Pam Reece’s procurement ethics, just Stan Nord’s. Day complained about Nord talking to local vendors AFTER the Town had already picked their favorite. Day left out the AFTER. The Town didn’t […]
Mulberry School Board President Nick Keever claims the signs are not on their property. According to GIS they own the corner of Beech and Lincoln. He also claims they don’t own the property with the Mulberry School sign on it. Nick claims half of their building is owned as a private residence and the signs […]
By: Diane Benjamin Yesterday’s story: https://blnnews.com/2021/03/11/campaign-signs/ Just to prove these signs are on Town of Normal owned land, below is the GIS showing the Town owns the land along Beech Street: Chris Koos, Kevin McCarthy, and Chemberly Cummings must not care about the law. Of course those who have watched Council meetings . . . […]
By: Diane Benjamin Just a reminder: Chemberly Cummings wants to make laws in Springfield to control you, but she refuses to say the Pledge of Allegiance. She put the red sign over her camera. She hates America and is unfit for ANY office. She did not get her internet connection fixed, the quality is still […]
By: Diane Benjamin https://normal.org/ArchiveCenter/ViewFile/Item/3744 If you missed the BILLS story, see it here: https://blnnews.com/2020/10/02/normal-10-5-2020/ Firefighters are getting a new contract: Normal will try to collect from the feds, the fed money printing press is ramping up again: This one is more than ridiculous: Quick review: The “professional staff” brought this to the Council many months […]
By: Diane Benjamin I downloaded the TIF report for you. See yesterday’s story for directions on how to look up information on the Comptroller’s website yourself: https://blnnews.com/2020/09/29/normal-pay-attention-uptown-tif-report/ This story will prove TIF reports can say whatever the Town of Normal wants them to say. When a TIF doesn’t generate enough money to pay the bills, […]
By: Diane Benjamin Last Wednesday Normal passed ordinances limiting gatherings to 10 or fewer people within the ISU campus area and additional bar and restaurant social distancing restrictions. This was in response to the skyrocketing infection rate of COVID in the campus and Uptown area. Town hall is located near the epicenter of the outbreak […]
By: Diane Benjamin Start with One Normal Plaza. STAFF convinced the Council to instigate zoning changes. The area residents only want ONE THING – alcohol sales banned in the park. Drive through – it’s a park like setting with narrow roads and family atmosphere. They want it to stay a tranquil place. STAFF refused to […]
By: Diane Benjamin All the neighbors of One Normal Plaza want is the proposed zoning changed banning alcohol in the park-like setting. The “professional staff” wrote the proposal the “professional staff” can change it. Instead the Town and most of the elected representatives continue to flagrantly abuse citizens by demanding they appear before the Planning […]
By: Diane Benjamin The Council managed to stretch a 10 minute meeting into 50 minutes. 2 members went on long diatribes. I will start with Karyn Smith. If you want to hear it – go to 16:20. The topic was One Normal Plaza. Karyn felt the need to correct what she thinks is misinformation. This […]
By: Diane Benjamin One Normal Plaza is a tranquil park like setting. It is the site of the Soldiers and Sailors Home were many kids grew up. If you haven’t driven through the area, please do. Everything about this should be preserved for future generations. The Town of Normal staff have proposed zoning changes allowing […]
By: Diane Benjamin Why would the mayor of any Town post this: He posted it Saturday night, if you want to see all the responses go to his Facebook page. I will just pick out a few: I don’t see where Koos ever answered any of the questions, there are plenty more including a comment […]
I just received another FOIA from Normal. Supporting the brewery was the building owner, Rob Morger. The Baby fold supported the zoning changes. By: Diane Benjamin Last night the group of citizens opposed to establishments selling alcohol from a building in One Normal Plaza met with Town staff. Normal brought the big guns: City Manager […]
By: Diane Benjamin Remember the property taxes Normal paid Monday night that Pam Reece, Brian Day, and Chris Koos couldn’t explain – or didn’t want to? https://blnnews.com/2020/06/12/more-property-taxes-normal-doesnt-owe/ The parking lot at 100-104 Beaufort is part of the Trail East project. From the Trail East documentation: A link to the above is not included on purpose, […]
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 Ever heard “Watch the pennies and the dollars will take care of themselves”? The Town of Normal is not only not “watching the pennies”, they aren’t watching dollars either. (YOUR DOLLARS) These bills are “presented” for Monday night – nobody is suppose to ask questions. Start with the One Uptown Circle Rent. […]
By: Diane Benjamin I hope you haven’t forgotten the Town of Normal billed Stan Nord for fees they “forgot” to charge 3 or 4 owners previous for tapping into the sewer system. The Town had no liens on the property, he was told to pay when he started publicly speaking against Town policies – like […]
By: Diane Benjamin Pre-meeting: https://blnnews.com/2020/05/05/normal-incompetence-and-more/ A 10 minute break was taken after the pre-meeting. The Live Stream was supposed to be fixed. It wasn’t. The incompetence continued. Listen at 1:20:00 for Vasudha Gadhiraju claiming she will fix it. She didn’t, At 1:27:50 she claims it will be fixed today. 12:35 pm, still waiting: Most of […]
By: Diane Benjamin Some people are more special than others. If Koos appoints you to a Board or Commission it’s because your ideology aligns with his. That is why one Normal seat on the Connect Transit Board is still empty. Koos must have run out of people who think like him. On the agenda for […]
