By: Diane Benjamin On the video below, the meeting isn’t called to order until 14:10. All business was finished by 19:50, the majority of that time taken by reading bios of three individuals appointed to the Children’s Discovery Board. In Normal the names of appointees aren’t announced until the Council approves them. Transparency is for […]
By: Diane Benjamin Maybe some companies do give cost of living wage increases, I’ve just never heard of any. Of course government exists for government employees, so the Town of Normal has it written in the City Code – twice a year revisions. Wage increases are separate. Tonight the Council has to approve a $51,000 […]
By: Diane Benjamin The Bloomington City Council doesn’t think they owe citizens anything. They can have their “secret meetings” (Executive Sessions) and vote to never release the minutes. Evaluations from Tom Hamilton are still a secret, of course the David Hales evaluations are a secret too. At the last meeting of the Normal Town Council […]
By: Diane Benjamin Tonight – two meetings: http://www.normal.org/ArchiveCenter/ViewFile/Item/3017 Don’t forget this one-the consult will present their findings on building a sports complex here: Misc money toss: Did you get your invite? This is only for printing: Normal allows pension spiking too: Unlike Bloomington where everything is a secret forever, Normal will be voting to release Executive […]
By: Diane Benjamin I’m betting the Town of Normal has a problem: Discrimination! Is it legal to pass an ordinance that tells some people they HAVE to do something while others people don’t have to? That is exactly what the Normal Town Council did last night. They have a legal department, did anybody check to […]
By: Diane Benjamin http://www.normal.org/ArchiveCenter/ViewFile/Item/2969 Besides the usual subsidies to Connect Transit, and the Economic Development Council, and payments to the National League of Cities and International City/County Management Assoc, Rivian got their grounds taken care of by you: Other business: PDF page 77 and following: Coming to Uptown as requested by Stave (I’ve never heard […]
By: Diane Benjamin The numbers below are from the Illinois Comptroller’s website: http://warehouse.illinoiscomptroller.com/ Normal’s budget has increased 33% in 6 years. 5.5% per year is much higher than the inflation rate. Last year Normal spent almost $36 million more than it did in 2012. Where is it? Roads? Population is estimated at 54,264. That spending […]
By: Diane Benjamin If money could be made from recycling, Normal wouldn’t have stopping funding drop off locations.. Midwest Fiber wouldn’t let the drop off boxes get stuffed to capacity creating a mess when people just leave the junk outside the bins. I have been dropping of recycling for years behind Walmart in Normal. These […]
By: Diane Benjamin Bills for approval tonight: http://www.normal.org/ArchiveCenter/ViewFile/Item/2958 This is the guy running Normal: On 4/16 he was paid $20,658.49 https://blnnews.com/2018/04/13/normal-monday-10-minute-meeting/ These payments total $24,994.08 More non-profit give-ways: (website: https://forbettertomorrow.org/ ) Even more give-away (You pay taxes to Normal so they can give it to Heartland who also taxes you) So you don’t forget how much rent […]
By: Diane Benjamin Monday night Normal is spending $ 1,271,428 on 4 garbage trucks and waiving the bids. How do they know the cost is competitive without bids: They will get $420,000 for the four trucks they are trading in. The Welcoming Ordinance does nothing: The open border crowd wanted an ordinance making it illegal for […]
The resident radical attempting to throw Karen Schmidt off the Bloomington Council will be leading the charge in Normal: By: Diane Benjamin According to WGLT, Normal will consider a “Welcoming Ordinance” Monday night: http://wglt.org/post/normal-consider-welcoming-ordinance-monday Considering RC McBride is WGLT’s General Manager and he’s on the Normal Town Council, they would know. It must be nice […]
By: Diane Benjamin Last year the Town of Normal gave away $50,000 and called it Harmon Arts Grants. They are currently taking applications for this year: http://www.normal.org/CivicAlerts.aspx?AID=1739 The announcement says the decisions will be made by the Harmon Arts Grant Committee. There is nothing on the Town website saying who is on the committee, so […]
By: Diane Benjamin Remember when I reported Normal spending $12,393.20 for an engine? https://blnnews.com/2018/04/13/normal-monday-10-minute-meeting/ I FOIA’d the maintenance records and had a guy in the industry look at them. The truck is a heavy-duty Ford that probably hauled huge loads and may have a snow plow. It’s a 2012, so replacing the engine extended the […]
By: Diane Benjamin McLean County, Bloomington, and Normal all passed a recycling ordinance that could lead to MANDATORY recycling, shortly after Normal decided they don’t have the money to pay for drop off sites: https://blnnews.com/2018/03/02/normal-crashing/ Midwest Fiber supposedly agreed to operate these drop off sites: It looks like there is NO profit in recycling because […]
By: Diane Benjamin Monday 4/16: http://www.normal.org/ArchiveCenter/ViewFile/Item/2946 Nothing that will take time to discuss is on the agenda. They should discuss spending, but won’t. Below are items I found interesting. The last time Lyle Sumek “consulted” with Normal the Town offered buyouts to employees. What will be cut next? No expense was spared for a retirement dinner! […]
By: Diane Benjamin Note: This information is now 1 year old. The Illinois comptrollers office finally got around to setting up the structure to enter this data. Uptown TIF: ftp://ftp.illinoiscomptroller.com/LocGovTIF/FY2017/06409531/17TIF06409531Downtown_volpment_1.pdf The TIF was organized in 2003. The 2016 report showed positive cash flow of $2,967. 2015 showed a positive $44. TIF theory states increased property tax receipts […]
By: Diane Benjamin I need to correct this story: https://blnnews.com/2018/03/28/why-is-fazzini-signing-contracts/ Rob Fazzini signed a contract for the City of Bloomington dated 3/10/16. He was not an alderman when he signed it. He was also not authorized by the City Council to sign anything on behalf of the City of Bloomington. All other contracts were signed by […]
By: Diane Benjamin The Town of Normal finally decided to post some employee compensation: http://www.normal.org/documentcenter/view/7527 They only included salaries over $75,000, a little over 300 of them. Since they don’t have many more employees than that, it’s close to everybody. I was looking around on OpenTheBooks.com and found some interesting numbers. This information comes […]
By: Diane Benjamin If local governments had not started Live Streaming meetings, the media would be your only source for information. So far I haven’t seen a word about Stan Nord speaking at the Normal Town Council meeting last night. Mr. Nord spoke about property he is trying to develop on West College. He accused […]
By: Diane Benjamin Followup to yesterday’s story: https://blnnews.com/2018/03/16/hum-uptown-circle/ As reported yesterday, this new building in Uptown has no tenants on the first floor. The Town of Normal is renting the entire second floor: According to the Pantagraph from 7/4/2016: http://www.pantagraph.com/news/local/normal-eyes-design-contract-for-office-space/article_9d3ad5b1-f04d-5709-a834-2d10fe6db9eb.html The town will lease 13,780 square feet of office space for 15 years, with renewal options, […]
By: Diane Benjamin More info at: https://www.bnbiz.org/news/one-voice-projects-set-march-trip/ One Voice in Washington DC begging for money – $1,600 each plus other expenses:
By: Diane Benjamin The Town of Normal has done the same thing with Enterprise Funds that Bloomington did. Segregate funds, like water, and then insist the fund pays for itself. These essential services were formally funded by taxes you already paid. You continue to pay all the old taxes, but new taxes are levied for the […]
By: Diane Benjamin http://www.normal.org/ArchiveCenter/ViewFile/Item/2899 Besides the final payments for Koos, Reece, and Aldrich to party in Washington DC at One Voice, questionable frivolous spending is down for Monday’s meeting. These items are contracted, so Normal can’t say now they made bad decisions: Why is Normal handing out down payment assistance? Vote buying? Now this […]
By: Diane Benjamin See the entire response to my FOIA HERE I filed a FOIA request for some items identified in this story: https://blnnews.com/2018/02/18/normals-twice-a-month-fleece/ The Koos accident report was part of the FOIA: https://blnnews.com/2018/02/22/the-koos-auto-accident-report/ Page 25 says Mayor’s insurance pending – it wasn’t his fault, so why is his insurance pending? Also FOIA’d was: If Normal […]
By: Diane Benjamin It was just a couple of days ago when I reported the Town of Normal paid $2,655.49 for repairs to the Mayor’s car. https://blnnews.com/2018/02/18/normals-twice-a-month-fleece/ I REALLY appreciate the fast responses I get from Normal! The accident happened in Normal’s award-winning roundabout. Koos was driving a 2012 Mitsubishi Mi-EV, owned by the Town […]
By: Diane Benjamin Quality of Life. Economic driver. Government thinks they create prosperity, the opposite is true. They redistribute your money to their preferred providers for services they want. Essential services, like fixing the roads, are immaterial. The Normal Town Council unanimously agreed to spend $47,000 on a study that will say exactly what they […]
By: Diane Benjamin The people forced to pay Normal’s employees – TAXPAYERS – have a right to know how much they are paying. If Normal posts employee compensation anywhere on their website, it is well hidden. Luckily, OpenTheBooks.com has the 2016 salaries. Benefits and the cost of pensions are NOT included. See all the salaries […]
By: Diane Benjamin Monday’s meeting: http://www.normal.org/ArchiveCenter/ViewFile/Item/2891 Yes, Normal is hiring a firm to investigate building a sports complex. The price is $47,000. These are the questions the firm will answer: The answer to #1 will of course be it’s feasible. Consultants rarely say it’s a horrible idea. #2 will be a joke because any project that costs […]
By: Diane Benjamin Source: http://www.normal.org/ArchiveCenter/ViewFile/Item/2882 (click any pics to enlarge) Plans and spending to replace the library continue: (If your income was down, would you continue with plans to build a new luxury house just because you want it?) Apparently Normal is sending 4 people to DC for One Voice – $1600 each. These are […]
By: Diane Benjamin When a Request for Review is filed, the Attorney General’s office sends the complaint to the government body and lets them respond. I just received Normal’s response to what I filed concerning their workshop that wasn’t posted. They claimed it wasn’t a real meeting and no decisions were made. It was supposedly […]
By: Diane Benjamin The Town of Normal picked their assistant City Manager to replace Mark Peterson. Evidently the search firm they hired couldn’t find anybody better than Pamela Reece. They throw away $20,000 to find that out though. Is Bloomington going to throw away money too? Steve Rasmussen is right there in front of them! […]
By: Diane Benjamin Some public bodies still ask you to state your address before speaking during Public Comment. You are not required to according to the law. See this 2014 opinion from the Illinois Attorney General’s office: http://foia.ilattorneygeneral.net/pdf/opinions/2014/14-009.pdf This paragraph sums up the decision: The Town of Normal and the Unit 5 School Board need […]
By: Diane Benjamin http://www.normal.org/Archive.aspx?AMID=47 Anybody see an agenda posted for yesterday’s meeting? According to the dead tree the Normal Town Council held a budget workshop yesterday. In the TWO stories they did, 5 of the 7 Council members are mentioned. Five is more than half, meaning it was a meeting. Open Meetings Act violation #6345. […]
By: Diane Benjamin During public comment many first time speakers almost begged the Council to save the historic buildings at 104, 106, and 108 Beaufort Street. From the Council discussion, that is not going to happen. City Manager Peterson claimed all they were doing was picking a developer. Oh they will see what they can […]
By: Diane Benjamin From the packet for the Normal Town Council meeting on 1/16/2018: http://www.normal.org/ArchiveCenter/ViewFile/Item/2871 Normal made the same payment in the 1/2/2018 packet. Proof Here A FOIA has been filed. According to the Secretary of State LLC filing, the address is a strip mall in Plano Texas and the LLC was revoked. See https://www.ilsos.gov/corporatellc/ Just […]
By: Diane Benjamin The story below appeared in the Pantagraph on October 21, 2003. It is available on microfiche at the Bloomington Public Library. Normal raised your property taxes this year by blaming pensions. They used the same excuse in 2003 and every year since. Instead of budgeting for expenses they have to pay, they […]
By: Diane Benjamin If the Comptroller’s office ever does their job, comprehensive TIF reports will be available. So far they don’t have the software completed to allow entry of information. Information from 3/13/17 for Normal and 4/30/17 for Bloomington isn’t complete. Normal’s 3/31/17 financial statements: http://www.normal.org/DocumentCenter/View/12750 PDF page 30: The Uptown TIF Fund reported a […]
By: Diane Benjamin Unless a lot of citizens show up for Public Comment, Tuesday’s meeting will last less than 15 minutes. Here’s some of the bills that will be approved: (click any pics to enlarge) http://www.normal.org/ArchiveCenter/ViewFile/Item/2827 More proof government exists for government employees: Don’t forget the $60 gift card employees received too! ________________________________________________________________________ I wonder […]
By: Diane Benjamin Agenda and Bills: http://www.normal.org/ArchiveCenter/ViewFile/Item/2821 If you want to know why local government isn’t run for citizens, check out where they go to learn how to do their job. NLC is National League of Cities: http://citysummit.nlc.org/schedule/schedule-by-day/ One Voice is the biggest fleece of all! Big group goes to Washington DC to beg for money […]
By: Diane Benjamin The citizens of Normal need to understand they do not have accountable representatives on the Town Council. Since Normal does not have a WARD system, all trustees are elected “at-large” and therefore do not have to represent you. Trustees McCarthy, Cummings, and Preston were elected with between 3012 and 3668 votes last […]
