The original estimate was just shy of $24 million. The Town of Normal is asking the federal government for $6 million. One council member said he was never informed of this ask, and this ask never came to a vote.
“As a council you would think that the council was informed that we are begging the federal government for more money, were not,” said Stan Nord, a council member. “That’s why I say in Normal you are not represented by the council at all. You are ruled by Pam Reece and Chris Koos and the council is just something we had to have because the state requires it.”
But surely this won’t come out of the taxpayers’ pocket? Nord said it absolutely will.
“It’s just they are asking the federal government to take it from us and give it to the town of Normal, instead of the town of Normal taking it directly. The underpass in a nutshell Pam Reece summarized this perfectly in an email she sent to her staff,” said Nord. “The underpass in a nutshell is quoted ‘$22 million to save 50 feet’ and that’s exactly it. By saving people on a running and exercise trail from going 50 feet, it’s now $30 million.”
Nord is referring to an email that BLN News published. 
“We are saving them 50 feet, if they are walking across the tracks going the way they do now versus the underpass, when the underpass is installed it will be 50 feet less….$39 million to save 50 feet of walking, hiking, or running. This is all priorities, $39 million could fix a whole lot of these potholes,” said Nord. “It can fix the brown water these neighborhoods are dealing with. Couldn’t it? I’ve had people say that when the flooding happened this past year it was so bad their toilet was skyrocketing water and they had ceiling damage because of that. How many of these sewer problems could be fixed with $30 million ?”
Nord said projects never come in under budget with governments involved. Nord said the Town hasn’t even broken ground yet and they are already 25% over budget.
“I predicted this. Whenever the council was asked to accept this federal money ‘Hey we haven’t put these estimates in the game, these are all based off of pre-COVID dollars’ the cost of production skyrocketed and said we should get this updated,” said Nord. “The town staff was very adamant and the mayor and some of the council that the numbers were accurate. As it turns out via this email the town staff has been telling the council and town one story and the federal government another.”
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