Chris Koos

As new proposals to ease the Bloomington-Normal housing shortage move forward this spring and summer, city and town council members will weigh in on what they think. There’s already diversity of thought among council members on the issue.

Government efforts to address the Bloomington-Normal housing shortage are a work in progress. Every little effort to make it more attractive to develop helps.

A planned annual 2% increase in Town of Normal water rates in each of the next six years may not be enough to maintain adequate fund balances.

The $14.9 million levy for 2024 comes with a 4.91% increase over the previous tax ordinance.

The bids for the long-awaited underpass project beneath the railroad tracks in Uptown Normal have come back. The low bid is $35.16 million.

The Normal Town Council has authorized preparing a new tax levy increasing annual property taxes by a small amount.

The Town of Normal will take the next six months to look at how other communities regulate short-term rental properties listed through Airbnb, Vrbo, and other online clearing houses. Council members Monday approved a moratorium on new short term rental units starting Dec. 1.

The Uptown Station Amtrak stop in Normal is the second busiest in the state with 10 passenger trains a day coming through on the Chicago-to-St. Louis corridor.

Bloomington-Normal candidates for next April's municipal elections have begun filing their nominating petitions.

Blue Cross Blue Shield of Illinois and NASCAR Foundation are supporting Central Illinois mental health efforts through a $30,000 grant to the McLean County for Center Services, which was announced on Oct. 10 — World Mental Health Day 2024.