More than $180,000 to build it… that’s the an outdoor-training center that could be constructed as early as this summer. The training facility will be built by the National Fitness Campaign, which claims to be a consulting firm on their website.
“This company, this for-profit company, gave the town a coupon. Which the town is advertising as a grant to build this park. Beyond the $180,000 there’s other expenses were going to have. There’s maintenance, the towns going to hire personal trainers to show people how to use the equipment. We don’t know the full extent of how much taxpayer dollars are being used,” said councilman Stand Nord.
Nord said he doesn’t know if this was material misrepresentation or fraudulent misrepresentation by the company to public officials.
“The mayor prepared a document at that meeting stating this company was a non-for-profit,” said Nord. “Did the company give him that? Or was it all made up by the town staff and mayor to tell the council what they wanted to hear in order for this to pass? That is a huge thing, because this is taxpayer dollars. Somebody defrauded the council and we should know how.”
Nord said a huge red flag is now that the council knows somebody defrauded the council for taxpayer dollars, the mayor and the town manager don’t want to find out who did this.
“They want to continue spending taxpayer dollars. That is a huge, huge red flag. Why? Why do we have to do business with this particular company and keep spending money with them? Somebody needs to investigate this,” said Nord. “I’m certain the town staff are not going to do it.”
Nord said he had asked the city attorney, Brian Day, what is the legal status of this ordinance that the council passed if it was based on material misrepresentation and fraud.
“The mayor ordered the town manager [Pam Reece] not to answer my question. I asked him a legal question,” said Nord. “If you were to sign a contract with someone and it was based on material fraud, immediately that contact is invalid.”
Nord said the public should be worried, because these are their tax dollars that are being used.
“The mayor and these other town council members were campaigning, they talked about how fiscally responsible they are,” said Nord. “How they are stewards of the taxpayers dollars. Obviously if they know somebody well enough or a company well enough and they want to spend your money it doesn’t matter how or what the company says. They are going to give them your taxpayer dollars.”
Doug Damery and the relationship to National Fitness Campaign
Doug Damery is the Town of Normal Director of Parks and Recreation and serves as the Chairman of the Board for Illinois Park and Rec Association (IPRA) and they partnered with National Fitness Campaign (NFC). On the NFC website they say they partner with cities from across the nation to improve health in communities. IPRA gets funding from NFC for erecting these facilities in communities. Damery’s relationship with the NFC and the money the IPRA would receive was not discussed at the Jan. 4 meeting.
FOIA obtained by BLNNEWS
Councilman Scott Preston expressed that he would have liked to see the vote recalled or looked over after learning NFC is a for-profit company.
Karyn Smith did not attend the Jan. 4 meeting, which means if Preston had voted no, than the outdoor training facility would have been dead.
In an email Stan Nord sent to the council: “At the last council meeting a Mr. Preston asked if NFC was a not-for-profit. Ms. Reece confirmed they were a non-for-profit. The non-for-profit status was discussed as it related to seeking other bids. The vote was to waive the requirement to seek other bids.”
Reece did say in the Jan. 4 meeting it appears they are a nonprofit.
FOIA obtained by BLNNEWS
BLNnews Editor Diane Benjamin FOIA’d emails that confirm Damery was copied into NFC’s emails that stated his IPRA would get funding for constructing the outdoor facility.
“I talked to people in Lincoln, there was one that was built down there with the help of a hospital, and they have never seen anybody use it. This is not normal exercise equipment, this is like for extreme exercisers. You can’t use it year round, nobody is going to be outside doing it this time of the year,” said Benjamin.
Is Stan Nord looking to run in 2022 as State Representative?
Nord said what it comes down to is: who else wants to get involved?
“I’m not going to be able to change things by myself. We need more people to get involved. If you watch any of the meetings, I am outvoted most of the time,” said Nord. “If there’s not enough other people wanting to run. Then why should I continue to run if I’m going to be a thorn without any ability to actually make a change. Right now the town council there’s a majority of people who are Chris Koos rubber stamps. I just can’t beat that unless the public wants to start running for office and care.”
