- (upbeat music)
- Hello and welcome to Cat's Week.
- I'm Annalise Poorman.
- At the Richland Bean Blossom School Board meeting
- on March 25th, instructional assistant
- and head of Edgewood High School's
- Innovative Learning Center,
- Lisa Wilson introduced a few of the program's interns.
- The ILC is a space for Edgewood high school students
- to collaborate, design, and produce
- creative projects for Edgewood schools
- and the Ellitsville community.
- Student Gabby Buckley is the head of the ILC engineering team
- and shared how working at the ILC has impacted her.
- I think that's one of the biggest goals in the ILC
- is to really just let students open up
- to all their possibilities and all the things
- that they're able to do.
- I completely changed my major after going into the ILC
- and now I've never been so sure about something in my life
- and I'm so excited to go to college
- knowing exactly what I wanna do.
- And I mean, our goals are to really promote outreach
- to the community and create things
- for people all across the community.
- But more importantly, it's to really show
- what students can do before they're being sent off
- to college and just show all the opportunities
- that they're able to give the school.
- And I mean, I've learned so many things
- that I never thought I'd be able to do.
- And it's just incredible having such a good mentor,
- Mrs. Wilson, she's one of the greatest people
- I've ever met, truly and honestly.
- And it's just really, it's a great feeling
- to be thrown into something so new,
- but to be able to thrive in a way you never thought possible.
- And I can say that about any other intern in there.
- We are all thriving in so many different ways.
- The next Richland Bean Blossom School Board meeting
- will be held on April 15th.
- The Monroe County Community School Corporation
- Board of Trustees also met on March 25th.
- Assistant Superintendent Alexis Harmon gave a presentation
- covering the district's progress
- towards the goals listed in MCCSC's strategic plan.
- We wanted to highlight two of our big
- professional learning days.
- One is our November 5th when all staff
- are able to get together.
- And we're very proud of the fact that we basically run
- kind of a mini conference with many of our sessions
- being provided in-house by our own teachers
- and administrators.
- So this year we really focused on supporting
- professional learning teams through professional learning
- related to what it means to offer
- a guaranteed viable curriculum,
- have high level strategies to deliver that curriculum,
- and to learn from each other as colleagues.
- And so we included a quote as we always like to do
- from our principal who, and I will read it here,
- "I've always felt our district PD day
- "is a wonderful opportunity for staff
- "to showcase their skill sets
- "while allowing others to build their own.
- "I love that teachers and staff alike
- "are able to choose options that best meet
- "their desired area for growth.
- "And I always enjoy learning from local experts
- "within MCCSC."
- She said that MCCSC offered additional
- professional learning opportunities throughout the year
- and will continue to emphasize professional learning
- in coming years.
- Later in the meeting, board member Ashley Pirani
- gave her monthly update
- on Indiana's 2025 legislative session.
- She noted that previous calls to senators
- seem to be impacting legislation
- and encouraged concerned constituents
- to continue contacting their representatives.
- There's also SB 287,
- which is about establishing a partisan school board elections.
- This is currently on the schedule,
- hopefully third time's the charm.
- On Thursday, it was supposed to be heard yesterday
- and today and it's been passed off.
- So if you are calling your legislators,
- keep doing it because it seems to be working,
- which is why I'm guessing it's getting pushed off.
- And finally, if you wanna know about any of these things,
- if you go to our website,
- under the board of school trustees tab,
- there's a link to our area legislators
- in these monthly updates.
- To access the automated list of bills ISBA is tracking,
- visit the ISBA website
- under the legislative services tab.
- Lastly, superintendent Dr. Markay Winston
- shared a thank you to Brandon Shure,
- the former district seven board representative
- who resigned from his position earlier this month.
- The Monroe County Community School Corporation,
- school trustees and I extend our sincere gratitude
- to Mr. Brandon Shure for his dedication and service
- to the students, families, staff and our community
- during his nearly six years as a board of school trustee.
- Mr. Shure held the position of vice president in 2021
- and president for 2022 and most of 2023.
- He was a board of school trustee
- during the development of the 2021 to 2025 strategic plan
- and the passage of the 2022 and the 2023 referenda.
- We greatly appreciate his contributions
- to our school community.
- Applications to fill the vacant seat
- closed on Thursday, March 27th.
- The MCCESC school board will meet again on April 22nd.
- The Monroe County Council heard a request
- to appropriate $200,000
- to the Monroe County commissioners
- for software expenses at their meeting on March 25th.
- The total cost of purchase is $500,000.
- Commissioners administrator, Angela Purdy,
- explained that the commissioners were given the option
- of paying the total amount upfront
- or entering into a five-year lease with interest.
- Purdy said that the commissioners found $300,000
- in existing bonds that could be repurposed for the software.
- She requested that the remaining amount be funded
- through either the general fund or the rainy day fund.
- Council member, Marty Hawk asked why the funds
- could not be taken from the board's cumulative capital fund,
- noting that the county needs to be cautious
- with its spending.
- Either we're going to watch these budgets
- and watch these dollars,
- but to come up with the additionals
- when we're setting at the beginning of the year is,
- I mean, I just think you ought to go
- into your present dollars, the present budgets,
- and find a way to cover this.
- The board voted to table the discussion
- in order to look into alternative payment methods.
- Throughout the meeting, Hawk consistently voted
- against motions that would cost the county money.
- In a previous meeting, she voted against hiring
- a new public defender in an effort to save money.
- In response, senior attorney, Amy Payne,
- attended the meeting to express her concerns
- over that decision.
- The last two weeks, there has been a harm
- every single day of the last two weeks waiting.
- And so by Councilwoman Hawk voting no on the KSA request,
- there has been every day a tangible harm,
- especially when there's no fiscal impact to the county.
- This is not asking for a raise.
- We are not asking for more money.
- And it's doing a disservice to the people that we all serve.
- So I don't anticipate that Councilwoman Hawk
- is gonna change her vote tonight.
- I just wanna make sure that it's clear
- that that vote has caused me, my coworkers,
- and my clients more strife than is necessary
- with no benefit to the county whatsoever.
- Hawk responded apologizing
- that the office is going through a tough time,
- but explained that everyone has been affected
- by the $3.8 million mistake made in the budget.
- I just wanna make the point,
- and I'm sorry it caused anybody any hardship,
- but there's a lot of hardship going on here
- in county government and it's going to be for some time.
- I didn't make that $3.8 million mistake,
- but I think each of us need to see
- where we can possibly try to live within
- what has to be a reduced budget
- because of reduced revenue, in my opinion.
- And so it was not particularly this department.
- I just think we should stop the KSA thing altogether
- until we see where we're going to be
- on this budget and revenue coming in.
- But clearly it's only the first go.
- I can say no, but what it does,
- it just delays everything.
- Without APS programs, house checks and other services
- would fall to the Sheriff's Department.
- Henry emphasized the importance of considering
- how each service is being used in the community.
- The next Monroe County Council meeting
- will be held on April 8th.
- On March 25th, the City of Bloomington's
- Board of Park Commissioners
- presented two members of the community
- with the Bravo Award to honor their volunteer work.
- The Bravo Award is presented
- by the City of Bloomington Parks and Recreation Department
- to recognize contributions from volunteers in the community.
- This month, the award was granted to Paul Howitt
- and Annalise Stalinga
- by Community Relations Coordinator, Emily Buch.
- So on behalf of Brandon Olson
- and the entire Adopt-a-Stream program staff,
- I am happy to recognize these two
- with the March of Bravo Award.
- According to Brandon, the dedication and passion
- of Annalise and Paul for our parks and streams
- has made a lasting impact on our community.
- As the Adopt-a-Stream volunteers for Latimer Woods,
- Paul and Annalise have totaled 45 volunteer hours of service
- both at Latimer and elsewhere.
- They are also the first and only Adopt-a-Stream volunteers
- in Brandon's tenure who have submitted their JotForm report
- every single month since they have started.
- Their commitment to this program,
- as well as their attendance at other weed wrangles
- and various nature programs,
- have provided a remarkable example for all of us.
- Their hard work and dedication is greatly appreciated,
- and we couldn't be more proud to have them
- as part of our team.
- So we're very happy to recognize them with this award.
- Okay, thank you, Emily, and thank you to Paul and Annalise.
- (audience applauds)
- Yes, oh yeah.
- Hi, I am Annalise of the slide.
- Okay. (laughs)
- I just wanted to say, so I'm what people call a bloomerang.
- Like, I came to Bloomington for grad school,
- intended to leave, did leave, and now here I am
- with an Indiana driver's license.
- And one of my regrets upon coming back
- was that I hadn't gotten involved
- in the Bloomington community before.
- And Bloomington Parks and Rec has been like the thing
- that has helped me connect with Bloomington
- now that I am a resident.
- The weed wrangle is the adopt a stream,
- the naturalist programs, I've met a lot of people,
- I've learned a ton, so I just really appreciate
- this opportunity and I feel like this award
- kind of sums up a very nice experience
- and relationship I've had.
- The Board of Parks and Recreation Department
- presents the Bravo Award to new volunteers every month.
- The next Board of Park Commissioners meeting
- will be held on April 17th.
- The Bloomington Board of Public Works met on March 25th.
- First, the board heard from engineering field specialist,
- Kyle Ball, about a lane closure request
- from Duke Energy for pole work.
- This includes lane closures at six different locations
- across town.
- Duke Energy is requesting lane closures
- for pole replacement and overhead equipment installation
- at six different locations spanning from
- South Walnut Street Pike and Henderson intersection
- to East Heather Drive.
- Each of these six locations is expected
- to take one or two days for the work to be completed.
- The closures are scheduled to take place
- during normal business hours,
- sometime between July 15th and October 31st of this year.
- The board also heard from the engineering department's
- senior project manager, Roy Ayton,
- regarding a request with Caramita
- for B-Line Environmental Professional Services.
- This project is constructing a multi-use path
- on the east side of North Fountain Drive
- and North Crescent Road,
- connecting the B-Line Trail to the multi-use path
- along 17th Street.
- Additionally, the intersection of Crescent Road
- and Fountain Drive has been realigned.
- This service agreement with Caramita
- will provide testing of soils
- along the B-Line Trail section for levels of lead
- that are above the I-DEM closure limits
- for a trail facility.
- The total not to exceed amount to the agreement
- will be $5,340.
- The board voted to approve the request unanimously.
- The board also heard
- from Engineering Public Improvement Manager Maria McCormick
- about some improvements at Atlas on 17th Street.
- This is acceptance of the public improvements
- from the Atlas on 17th subdivision.
- We will be accepting a little over seven acres
- of new right of way,
- which includes the roads of Englewood Drive,
- Aurora Drive, Redlands Drive, Telluride Street,
- and Breckenridge Road along with two alleyways.
- It's a total of 5,052.20 feet,
- linear feet of new roadway.
- There is a 10-foot wide multi-use path
- through this subdivision,
- as well as five-foot sidewalks
- that are in the right of way as well,
- along with street trees, new storm sewers,
- sanitary sewer, domestic water service.
- We will be providing street maintenance and repair,
- snow removal for the city streets,
- and then there are 35 lots that were given
- to the housing authority for low-income housing.
- We will provide sanitation services to those lots.
- The improvements were approved.
- The next Bloomington Board of Public Works meeting
- will be held on April 8th.
- The Ellisville Town Council approved
- a new voluntary employee retirement option
- at their meeting on March 24th.
- Nationwide retirement specialist, Patrick Ballard,
- presented the Hoosier Start 457 plan.
- Ballard noted that declining social security funds
- make retirement savings increasingly important
- for employees.
- The importance of retirement savings
- is only becoming more and more topical, if you will.
- It's becoming a more serious talking point
- about people not saving enough for their own retirement
- and planning properly and so forth,
- and that's where we try to come in.
- Town Clerk Noel Conyer clarified
- that adopting the Hoosier Start 457 plan
- does not require the town to contribute
- to a 401(a) matching plan.
- The Council approved the 457 plan
- and tabled discussion of the 401(a) plan.
- Next, Allatsville resident Jim Perry spoke to the Council,
- expressing his frustration
- that the sidewalk near his house,
- which he says he was promised by the end of March,
- had not yet been built.
- Perry also raised concerns about speeding in his subdivision,
- stating that speeds are exceeding 40 miles per hour.
- He called for action to address this issue.
- There are now probably about 17 kids
- in a very close proximity to that road,
- and the parents are afraid,
- because they're gonna prevent their kids
- from enjoying the neighborhood,
- in part because the speeds are going through,
- the cards are going through the area
- at 40 or more miles an hour.
- Kip, do we still have-- - Folks who travel
- with canes across the road also sometimes,
- and walking the dog have problems too.
- Do we still have the road surveys?
- Where we-- - They're outdated now.
- The software that I did have for them
- are not working with the new windows that we got now,
- so I need to upgrade that or get newer counters
- is what I need to be able to do that,
- and I don't have that at this time.
- Also, the residents in both areas in Meadowlands
- and in the subdivision that he's talking about,
- at the end of Nicholas for many, many, many, many years--
- Overgrip. - Overgrip, thank you.
- There was a stub out there,
- and there was a stub out at the end of Clover Drive,
- so everyone that's lived in them associated areas
- all should realize that that would connect eventually, so.
- Whenever there's a stub or something as developing--
- You don't even know what a stub is.
- That just means it's a dead-end street
- that would go into the woods or a field or whatever,
- and that's gone all over our town, and it's everywhere.
- I mean, if there's a stub there,
- you can guarantee eventually
- there's gonna be a thorough way through there.
- So, I mean, I understand your frustration, but--
- But at the same time,
- we're investing a lot in the redevelopment,
- Ellisville Redevelopment Commission,
- and simultaneously we have a much larger part
- of the community that's not getting the attention it needs,
- and what I'm arguing for here or suggesting
- is that we use some good human judgment
- and actually talk to the citizens.
- Councilmember Dan Swafford responded
- that the town is addressing many issues
- and encouraged Perry to meet with Planning Director
- Denise Line for further discussion of his troubles.
- Swafford also noted that speeding is a town-wide issue
- in need of a solution.
- Street Commissioner Kip Hedy then informed the council
- about House Bill 1461, which requires municipalities
- to implement a wheel tax to continue applying
- for in-duct community crossings grants,
- which have been crucial
- to funding Ellisville's road projects.
- Hedy says that he understands concerns
- on implementing a new tax,
- but emphasized its importance for the town.
- I am a taxpayer as well in Monroe County.
- I am just like the rest of you.
- I don't wanna see my taxes go up,
- but the citizens of Ellisville deserves
- to keep this service going on.
- And therefore we need--
- This year, Ellisville received over a quarter million
- dollars from the community crossings grant.
- If the tax is not implemented by June 30th,
- the town will not be able to apply for the grant next year.
- And that is all for Cats Week.
- Thank you for joining us.
- For Cats and WFHB, I'm Annalise Poorman.
- (upbeat music)
- (soft piano music)
- (gentle music)
- (gentle piano music)
- (gentle music)
- (upbeat music)
- For hurting families in Monroe County.
- A contribution to children who are vulnerable
- and in need of an advocate.
- A staff that goes above and beyond to support
- and advocate for children in need of services.
- The web of remarkable people who are dealing
- with difficult situations.
- So many young people that are in need of help
- and trying to find a stable family,
- stable place to live without the CASA's to make that happen.
- Many of them would be unable to find a good home.
- I love being that voice for the child
- who can't speak for themselves in court.
- It takes me out of my comfort zone
- and it also helps others.
- CASA means supporting our community.
- Being a CASA is making sure
- that your village is healthy and whole
- and that the children in your village
- will someday be able to help the village as well.
- A child who doesn't have a voice
- may be in their family situation
- or a school situation now has a voice.