By: Diane Benjamin Mayor Mboka Mwilambwe mentioned her passing at last night’s Council meeting since she was on the PSCRB and a frequent commentor. See Surena’s obituary here: https://www.legacy.com/us/obituaries/pantagraph/name/surena-fish-obituary?id=57389718 There won’t be any local events.
By: Diane Benjamin I was notified last night that Surena Fish died. Surena was on the PSCRB Board and West Side neighbors. She was a voice for downtown business owners and a frequent Public Commentor. This story has a video of one of her comments: https://blnnews.com/2024/07/16/two-public-comments-last-night-you-need-to-see/ Bloomington lost one of it’s champions and I lost […]
By: Diane Benjamin Three people spoke at Public Comment: Dan Brady, Surena Fish, and Gary Lambert. Brady wondered is the old Owens Nursery property the City is buying could house some homeless people on a temporary basis. Fish was frustrated that most of the Council didn’t attend the special PSCRB meeting with joint law enforcement […]
By: Diane Benjamin Last night Nick Becker, Jenna Kearns, and Kent Lee didn’t attend the meeting. That is 1/3 of your elected representatives not representing their wards. Since every vote is pre-planned it doesn’t really matter anyway. Democracy! PSCRB Board member Surena Fish wants to make sure the public knows about this meeting tomorrow: https://granicus_production_attachments.s3.amazonaws.com/cityblm/2f098c7371fcadaa33ede54dd302dbd50.pdf […]
By: Diane Benjamin The meeting was short, the video includes 15 minutes of commercials before the meeting started. Only one Public Comment at last night’s Bloomington Committee of the Whole – Surena Fish. She spoke on a couple issues but the big one is downtown becoming more dangerous because addicts and vagrants aren’t afraid of […]
By: Diane Benjamin The meeting wasn’t as long as the video shows. It includes close to 14 minutes of commercials before the meetings starts. If you want to know about upcoming events, watch them. 4 people spoke at Public Comment, 3 wanting the Council to go with Mboka’s Liquor Commission recommendation to deny the Liquor […]
By: Diane Benjamin Did the wind last night affect the downtown campers? Did garbage blow everywhere? Was refuge provided to the people living in tents? If you are in the area please let me know! The Bloomington Council held a Committee of the Whole meeting last night. The first Public Comment was by Surena Fish […]
By: Diane Benjamin The actual City Council meeting was only about 30 minutes long. The video is about 43 minutes because the City plays commercials before and after now. Surena Fish spoke at Public Comment. The downtown business owners held a meeting last night with the Bloomington police concerning the problems with vagrants downtown. Listen […]
By: Diane Benjamin Congrats Bloomington! You have a socialist on the Library Board now. (Maybe more than one) Vote for socialists you get socialists! . Surena Fish spoke about a new topic during Public Comment. According to her, a group of social service agencies wants to buy the old Pantagraph building and all relocate there. […]
By: Diane Benjamin Two things before I get to Tent City: Two versions of what is happening with the people camping downtown: City Manager Jeff Jurgens reported Monday night there have been 80+ people there. He also reported this: Now listen to Surena Fish’s Public Comment. She claims the encampment simply relocated. The video was […]
By: Diane Benjamin Pulled from the Consent Agenda was approving a Community Change Grant from the EPA who is handing out $20 billion. (Inflation will continue as the Feds spend money they have to print) The money isn’t free, it’s still taxpayers who will be responsible for the debt. Bloomington wants $20 million, most of […]
By: Diane Benjamin The Council met yesterday afternoon after canceling Monday night’s meeting due to ice. It was short even with 3 Public Comments. Just hit play below to hear the first two. The new hockey owners made a brief presentation with slides that aren’t on video. The person who films at night usually switches the view so people […]
By: Diane Benjamin I didn’t get a chance to watch Bloomington’s Committee of the Whole meeting until yesterday. The City has the same goal they’ve had for decades: Get people downtown. All the empty buildings will never be developed until you comply, so your tax dollars will be “invested” yet again. If at first (or second or third) you don’t […]
By: Diane Benjamin Did you know Normal canceled their first meeting of the year last week? Bloomington is trying hard to be them with everything being discussed in private meetings with the City Manager long before votes. This is the local government version of “democracy”. There was only one Public Comment – Surena Fish. The Safety Commission (Molly Ward’s […]
By: Diane Benjamin Celebrate now Bloomington – your water bills will increase. The City did a study and you just aren’t paying enough as compared to other area municipalities. See 43:30 on the video below. Water rates haven’t increased since 2012, everything else the City charges on your bill goes up 3% automatically every year. […]
By: Diane Benjamin Jelani Day’s mom spoke at Public Comment last night via phone. Carmen Bolden-Day still has no answers more than a year after her son disappeared and was later found in the Illinois River. Carmen claimed she hasn’t been able to talk to investigators since February. She also talked about the handling of […]
By: Diane Benjamin If you forgot the demands of the local Black Lives Matter group, see them here: https://blnnews.com/2021/03/12/open-season-on-police/ Demands include de-funding the police 50% by 2023. Jeff Crabill took the opportunity last night to oppose the re-appointment of Surena Fish to the Public Safety and Community Review Board (PSCRB) because she dared to oppose […]
By: Diane Benjamin According to my millennial interpreter, this means happy and sad at the same time. The symbol is all over Uptown, there are also letters said to be a slur on police. Below are just a few examples: h/t: Two readers Maybe the Marxist teacher running for Bloomington City Council can provide further […]
