WEBVTT 00:00:00.000 --> 00:00:02.580 - (upbeat music) 00:00:02.580 --> 00:00:09.100 - Hello and welcome to Cats Week. 00:00:09.100 --> 00:00:10.900 - I'm Annalise Poorman. 00:00:10.900 --> 00:00:13.760 - The Monroe County Election Board met on June 5th. 00:00:13.760 --> 00:00:16.380 - Democratic board member John Fernandez was not 00:00:16.380 --> 00:00:18.580 - in attendance and his place was chair 00:00:18.580 --> 00:00:21.980 - of the Monroe County Democratic Party, Samuel Udak, 00:00:21.980 --> 00:00:24.900 - who explained that he temporarily appointed himself 00:00:24.900 --> 00:00:26.940 - to the Monroe County Election Board 00:00:26.940 --> 00:00:29.140 - following Fernandez's resignation. 00:00:29.140 --> 00:00:32.460 - He read a statement briefly explaining the situation. 00:00:32.460 --> 00:00:37.180 - I wrote a letter this morning appointing myself 00:00:37.180 --> 00:00:38.520 - for a short term to the board. 00:00:38.520 --> 00:00:41.420 - It reads as follows, to whom it may concern, 00:00:41.420 --> 00:00:44.400 - this letter serves as notice that on June 5th, 2025, 00:00:44.400 --> 00:00:46.580 - I'm appointing myself to the Democratic Party seat 00:00:46.580 --> 00:00:48.140 - on the Monroe County Election Board effective 00:00:48.140 --> 00:00:50.500 - through June 30th, 2025. 00:00:50.500 --> 00:00:52.540 - A formal notice of a permanent appointee will be made 00:00:52.540 --> 00:00:54.880 - to county staff no later than that date. 00:00:54.880 --> 00:00:55.900 - As of the writing of this letter, 00:00:55.900 --> 00:00:57.500 - the chair has made no other formal appointment 00:00:57.500 --> 00:00:58.500 - to the position. 00:00:58.500 --> 00:01:00.180 - Thank you, Samuel Udak, 00:01:00.180 --> 00:01:02.460 - Chairman Monroe County Democratic Party. 00:01:02.460 --> 00:01:04.700 - During the meeting, the board discussed a contract 00:01:04.700 --> 00:01:09.460 - with BNL who helps with technical support for elections. 00:01:09.460 --> 00:01:12.140 - We actually do own the equipment. 00:01:12.140 --> 00:01:12.980 - Okay. 00:01:12.980 --> 00:01:17.980 - And BNL services helps us with the IT portion 00:01:17.980 --> 00:01:20.160 - of our election, they're our IT vendor. 00:01:20.160 --> 00:01:25.160 - They also move our equipment prior to election day 00:01:27.540 --> 00:01:29.020 - and then pick it up. 00:01:29.020 --> 00:01:32.580 - And then they also help us. 00:01:32.580 --> 00:01:34.420 - I'm doing a very poor job of this. 00:01:34.420 --> 00:01:39.420 - Mr. White is on the meeting if you have specific questions, 00:01:39.420 --> 00:01:43.500 - but they also help us with our IT during early 00:01:43.500 --> 00:01:47.380 - and absentee voting as well as on election day. 00:01:47.380 --> 00:01:50.460 - County Clerk Nicole Braun explained BNL has worked 00:01:50.460 --> 00:01:54.740 - with the county doing IT work for elections for 11 years. 00:01:54.740 --> 00:01:56.780 - Monroe County Commissioner Julie Thomas came 00:01:56.780 --> 00:01:59.260 - to the meeting to explain why the commissioners 00:01:59.260 --> 00:02:02.500 - were looking for more information about the contract, 00:02:02.500 --> 00:02:04.620 - saying that there was not enough information 00:02:04.620 --> 00:02:07.540 - for the commissioners to feel comfortable approving it. 00:02:07.540 --> 00:02:11.340 - Hello, Monroe County Commissioner Julie Thomas. 00:02:11.340 --> 00:02:15.500 - I just wanted to reiterate information that we sent 00:02:15.500 --> 00:02:16.920 - in this letter in May. 00:02:16.920 --> 00:02:22.960 - And we have questions about whether you all have 00:02:23.920 --> 00:02:29.400 - reviewed the contract and were fine with it, 00:02:29.400 --> 00:02:33.480 - whether there was a search for multiple vendors 00:02:33.480 --> 00:02:36.600 - to find a good price, whether this is something 00:02:36.600 --> 00:02:39.220 - that could be done in-house, how many other counties 00:02:39.220 --> 00:02:44.220 - do this with outside IT versus inside IT. 00:02:44.220 --> 00:02:51.320 - And our biggest concern was that there's $100,000 00:02:51.920 --> 00:02:56.440 - there's $100,000 in non-election year cost 00:02:56.440 --> 00:03:01.280 - that goes to this particular company. 00:03:01.280 --> 00:03:06.280 - And yes, while Hart may indeed offer some software updates 00:03:06.280 --> 00:03:14.360 - this year in a non-election year, that's on what happens. 00:03:14.360 --> 00:03:17.800 - We don't understand the dollars, right? 00:03:17.800 --> 00:03:20.800 - And that's all we were asking for because we were asked 00:03:20.800 --> 00:03:25.760 - to approve a contract that there is missing information 00:03:25.760 --> 00:03:30.760 - for us because for transparency sake, we wanna make sure 00:03:30.760 --> 00:03:34.680 - that when we get asked a question by the public 00:03:34.680 --> 00:03:37.480 - about why does it cost this much to do this 00:03:37.480 --> 00:03:39.520 - when you're also paying Hart that, 00:03:39.520 --> 00:03:40.900 - what is this person doing? 00:03:40.900 --> 00:03:42.960 - What is this company doing? 00:03:42.960 --> 00:03:45.160 - We wanna be able to answer those questions. 00:03:45.160 --> 00:03:50.160 - And we felt like the contract had a lot of gaps 00:03:50.680 --> 00:03:55.080 - in it and Ms. Turner-King is aware of those gaps. 00:03:55.080 --> 00:03:56.720 - So thank you so much. 00:03:56.720 --> 00:03:59.360 - Clerk Brown asked if Thomas had seen the letter 00:03:59.360 --> 00:04:02.420 - that B&L had sent filling in those gaps. 00:04:02.420 --> 00:04:04.820 - Thomas said that she had not received a letter. 00:04:04.820 --> 00:04:07.220 - County Attorney Molly Turner-King then said 00:04:07.220 --> 00:04:09.720 - that she had only received the letter the day before 00:04:09.720 --> 00:04:12.240 - and had not had time to distribute it. 00:04:12.240 --> 00:04:14.340 - B&L was asked to summarize the letter 00:04:14.340 --> 00:04:15.880 - for Commissioner Thomas. 00:04:15.880 --> 00:04:18.840 - Clerk Brown then said that they have had good service 00:04:18.840 --> 00:04:21.580 - working with B&L and explained that they are 00:04:21.580 --> 00:04:24.120 - a cost effective choice as well. 00:04:24.120 --> 00:04:29.120 - So we kind of, I guess, got bang for our buck 00:04:29.120 --> 00:04:34.620 - by going with B&L because what they charge 00:04:34.620 --> 00:04:39.660 - is exponentially less than what we would charge. 00:04:39.660 --> 00:04:44.660 - And as to, only so many vendors make election equipment 00:04:46.360 --> 00:04:51.040 - and everybody does not have the experience 00:04:51.040 --> 00:04:55.520 - or background to work on that equipment. 00:04:55.520 --> 00:05:00.520 - B&L does, this is just short of bringing heart in here 00:05:00.520 --> 00:05:05.020 - to service their own equipment and work with us. 00:05:05.020 --> 00:05:07.960 - We are getting an incredible deal 00:05:07.960 --> 00:05:11.740 - and he's been good to us for the last 11 years. 00:05:11.740 --> 00:05:16.480 - His ethic is beyond reproach 00:05:16.480 --> 00:05:20.400 - and we are incredibly fortunate that he continues 00:05:20.400 --> 00:05:22.280 - to lend his talents and services 00:05:22.280 --> 00:05:24.080 - to Monroe County government. 00:05:24.080 --> 00:05:27.280 - He retired from city technology, 00:05:27.280 --> 00:05:29.240 - the city of Bloomington technology. 00:05:29.240 --> 00:05:33.540 - And I really do not, short of bringing heart here, 00:05:33.540 --> 00:05:38.160 - I really do not believe we can do better than B&L. 00:05:38.160 --> 00:05:39.240 - Thank you. 00:05:39.240 --> 00:05:41.400 - Thomas also spoke during public comment 00:05:41.400 --> 00:05:44.240 - outlining the future plans for election central 00:05:44.240 --> 00:05:46.760 - following the demolition of the current building 00:05:46.760 --> 00:05:49.560 - due to the expansion of the convention center. 00:05:49.560 --> 00:05:53.360 - Thomas invited fleet and facilities manager Richard Kreider 00:05:53.360 --> 00:05:55.640 - to give more information on the future plans 00:05:55.640 --> 00:05:57.200 - for election central. 00:05:57.200 --> 00:05:59.520 - Julie Thomas, Monroe County commissioner here once again, 00:05:59.520 --> 00:06:02.760 - but we wanted to provide some information 00:06:02.760 --> 00:06:05.480 - for all of you and for the public, 00:06:05.480 --> 00:06:09.640 - because as we know with the groundbreaking 00:06:09.640 --> 00:06:11.680 - for the new convention center, 00:06:11.680 --> 00:06:14.480 - the Napa building election operations 00:06:14.480 --> 00:06:17.360 - will be demolished very soon. 00:06:17.360 --> 00:06:21.040 - And we want to assure you all 00:06:21.040 --> 00:06:24.840 - that there are plans in place. 00:06:24.840 --> 00:06:28.840 - And this is for those who don't know Richard Kreider, 00:06:28.840 --> 00:06:31.280 - who is our fleet and facilities manager. 00:06:31.280 --> 00:06:34.000 - And if you would quickly just walk through 00:06:34.000 --> 00:06:36.080 - what our plans are, that'd be great. 00:06:36.080 --> 00:06:37.080 - Thank you. 00:06:37.080 --> 00:06:42.080 - Okay, so our plans are to renovate 00:06:42.080 --> 00:06:47.600 - the east side of the first floor 00:06:47.600 --> 00:06:51.320 - of the showers building for early voting. 00:06:51.320 --> 00:06:55.080 - It's been a little bit of a process. 00:06:55.080 --> 00:06:59.560 - We started in January working myself with clerk staff 00:06:59.560 --> 00:07:04.160 - on getting to a point where we could hire an architect 00:07:04.160 --> 00:07:06.560 - to start doing some real programming. 00:07:06.560 --> 00:07:11.560 - And through that process, we've added some more space 00:07:11.560 --> 00:07:14.480 - than what we originally thought. 00:07:14.480 --> 00:07:15.840 - It was obvious and apparent 00:07:15.840 --> 00:07:18.200 - that we needed more square footage. 00:07:18.200 --> 00:07:20.080 - So we've extended that. 00:07:20.080 --> 00:07:24.640 - And I think we're where we need to be square footage wise. 00:07:24.640 --> 00:07:27.680 - And if we can maintain the architects program, 00:07:27.680 --> 00:07:32.000 - we're looking at a finishing construction December, 2024, 00:07:32.000 --> 00:07:34.880 - 2025, my apologies. 00:07:34.880 --> 00:07:36.760 - Later in the meeting, Kylie Ferris said 00:07:36.760 --> 00:07:38.720 - that the Ellisville library branch 00:07:38.720 --> 00:07:41.480 - would be a good location for early voting. 00:07:41.480 --> 00:07:44.240 - Also, I know that like Ellisville is another location 00:07:44.240 --> 00:07:46.960 - that has like questioned multiple times 00:07:46.960 --> 00:07:50.280 - over especially 2024 where their early voting location 00:07:50.280 --> 00:07:52.120 - was in Ellisville because they had figured 00:07:52.120 --> 00:07:54.080 - that there would be one and there wasn't. 00:07:54.080 --> 00:07:56.640 - So that is another one that we really looked at 00:07:56.640 --> 00:07:59.280 - that really think that there should be one 00:07:59.280 --> 00:08:00.520 - at least in Ellisville 00:08:00.520 --> 00:08:02.360 - and then somewhere on the south side of town. 00:08:02.360 --> 00:08:04.800 - And then we have election operations 00:08:04.800 --> 00:08:06.680 - in the center of downtown. 00:08:06.680 --> 00:08:08.200 - The Monroe County Election Board 00:08:08.200 --> 00:08:11.160 - will meet again on August 7th. 00:08:11.160 --> 00:08:13.840 - The Bloomington Board of Public Works met on June 3rd 00:08:13.840 --> 00:08:17.240 - to discuss a series of contracts and closures. 00:08:17.240 --> 00:08:20.840 - The board was asked to approve a contract with ENB Paving 00:08:20.840 --> 00:08:24.120 - for asphalt resurfacing on North Walnut Street. 00:08:24.120 --> 00:08:26.640 - Zach Rogers from Bloomington Engineering stated 00:08:26.640 --> 00:08:28.520 - that the work would stretch from the area 00:08:28.520 --> 00:08:32.520 - between the McDonald's and Big Red Liquors locations 00:08:32.520 --> 00:08:36.680 - up to where the street intersects with Old State Road 37. 00:08:36.680 --> 00:08:40.200 - Rogers elaborated that the work would require lane closures 00:08:40.200 --> 00:08:44.560 - and would last from now until approximately November 1st. 00:08:44.560 --> 00:08:47.200 - President Kyla Cox Deckard and Vice President 00:08:47.200 --> 00:08:49.960 - Elizabeth Caron questioned whether the lanes 00:08:49.960 --> 00:08:52.680 - would be open during high traffic periods 00:08:52.680 --> 00:08:56.000 - such as football games and door move-in dates. 00:08:56.000 --> 00:08:59.360 - Rogers assured them that they would work with contractors 00:08:59.360 --> 00:09:02.280 - to avoid major closures during those times. 00:09:02.280 --> 00:09:07.280 - Will the lanes be open during high-volume times 00:09:07.280 --> 00:09:10.540 - like football? 00:09:10.540 --> 00:09:12.360 - That's a good question. 00:09:12.360 --> 00:09:13.940 - Yeah, we'd have to work through that. 00:09:13.940 --> 00:09:15.680 - I guess work with a contractor 00:09:15.680 --> 00:09:18.040 - and make sure we don't have any major closures. 00:09:18.040 --> 00:09:21.560 - I'd also add, in addition to football weekends, 00:09:21.560 --> 00:09:24.020 - the residence hall move-in days, 00:09:24.020 --> 00:09:26.000 - those high-traffic days would be ones 00:09:26.000 --> 00:09:28.020 - to potentially have the lanes open. 00:09:28.020 --> 00:09:33.680 - Yeah, and those would be probably for a period 00:09:33.680 --> 00:09:38.680 - of about three days, a Sunday through Wednesday, roughly. 00:09:38.680 --> 00:09:42.160 - So it might be during peak working times. 00:09:42.160 --> 00:09:45.960 - The board voted to approve the contract with ENB Paving. 00:09:45.960 --> 00:09:48.920 - Next, engineering field specialist Alexandra Gray 00:09:48.920 --> 00:09:51.400 - presented a proposed sidewalk closure 00:09:51.400 --> 00:09:53.800 - at the intersection of East Seventh Street 00:09:53.800 --> 00:09:56.720 - and North Jefferson Street in order to make way 00:09:56.720 --> 00:09:59.600 - for a tree plot and a new sidewalk. 00:09:59.600 --> 00:10:02.160 - The closures would occur on both streets, 00:10:02.160 --> 00:10:04.080 - but not at the same time. 00:10:04.080 --> 00:10:07.040 - Cox Deckard asked if there would be alternate sidewalks 00:10:07.040 --> 00:10:09.840 - adjacent to the closed ones on each street. 00:10:09.840 --> 00:10:13.240 - Gray clarified that this would be the case on Jefferson, 00:10:13.240 --> 00:10:16.540 - but that Seventh Street did not have another sidewalk. 00:10:16.540 --> 00:10:18.600 - Gray and Maria McCormick, 00:10:18.600 --> 00:10:21.140 - also representing Bloomington Engineering, 00:10:21.140 --> 00:10:23.360 - studied a map of the location 00:10:23.360 --> 00:10:24.880 - in order to find a solution 00:10:24.880 --> 00:10:28.320 - to the lack of accessible sidewalks on Seventh. 00:10:28.320 --> 00:10:31.840 - When questioned about the reasoning for the sidewalk closure, 00:10:31.840 --> 00:10:35.800 - McCormick explained and offered a possible solution. 00:10:35.800 --> 00:10:40.800 - This is two duplexes that are going into these lots, 00:10:40.800 --> 00:10:44.860 - and the sidewalks didn't meet functional, 00:10:44.860 --> 00:10:47.360 - the sidewalks didn't meet functional compliance 00:10:49.480 --> 00:10:53.600 - with planning, so they have to replace the sidewalks. 00:10:53.600 --> 00:10:56.600 - A lot of times we don't get into that with duplexes, 00:10:56.600 --> 00:11:03.960 - but since the sidewalks didn't meet functional compliance, 00:11:03.960 --> 00:11:06.400 - they did have to be replaced. 00:11:06.400 --> 00:11:08.520 - What we can do is we can require them 00:11:08.520 --> 00:11:11.000 - to put jersey barriers on Seventh. 00:11:11.000 --> 00:11:15.480 - There is a bike lane. 00:11:18.360 --> 00:11:21.200 - We'll have to do some figuring on this one, 00:11:21.200 --> 00:11:27.280 - but we will figure out how to keep the sidewalk open. 00:11:27.280 --> 00:11:30.280 - The board voted to approve the closure 00:11:30.280 --> 00:11:32.720 - with the understanding that a separate strip 00:11:32.720 --> 00:11:34.680 - of Seventh Street will be blocked off 00:11:34.680 --> 00:11:36.560 - as a temporary sidewalk. 00:11:36.560 --> 00:11:40.760 - The Monroe County commissioners met on June 5th. 00:11:40.760 --> 00:11:42.440 - During department updates, 00:11:42.440 --> 00:11:45.160 - health administrator Lori Kelly provided an update 00:11:45.160 --> 00:11:47.520 - on COVID-19 in the community, 00:11:47.520 --> 00:11:50.480 - saying that the CDC will no longer include 00:11:50.480 --> 00:11:54.280 - the COVID vaccine in its recommended vaccination schedule 00:11:54.280 --> 00:11:56.860 - for healthy children and pregnant women. 00:11:56.860 --> 00:12:00.040 - As of June 3rd, emergency department visits 00:12:00.040 --> 00:12:04.200 - for COVID-like illness have continued to decrease 00:12:04.200 --> 00:12:07.400 - as well as wastewater concentrations. 00:12:07.400 --> 00:12:11.320 - As of May 27th, the COVID-19 vaccine 00:12:11.320 --> 00:12:13.120 - will no longer be included 00:12:13.120 --> 00:12:16.800 - in the CDC's recommended vaccine schedule 00:12:16.800 --> 00:12:20.680 - for healthy children and pregnant women. 00:12:20.680 --> 00:12:23.800 - People who will be recommended to receive the vaccine 00:12:23.800 --> 00:12:28.800 - are those over 65 and those with existing health problems. 00:12:28.800 --> 00:12:32.200 - It's not clear at this time what insurance companies 00:12:32.200 --> 00:12:35.000 - will do about the new recommendations and coverage. 00:12:35.000 --> 00:12:37.200 - The health department does still have 00:12:37.200 --> 00:12:40.760 - three COVID vaccines available. 00:12:40.760 --> 00:12:45.760 - You can call 812-353-3244 for more information 00:12:45.800 --> 00:12:47.280 - or to schedule an appointment. 00:12:47.280 --> 00:12:50.600 - All right, thank you so much. 00:12:50.600 --> 00:12:54.460 - What is the last day of that availability? 00:12:54.460 --> 00:12:57.800 - For the COVID vaccines? 00:12:57.800 --> 00:12:59.320 - Yes. 00:12:59.320 --> 00:13:02.560 - So we do have them available at the public health clinic. 00:13:02.560 --> 00:13:06.280 - I know that some of our childhood ones have expired, 00:13:06.280 --> 00:13:08.900 - but we have various other age groups, 00:13:08.900 --> 00:13:11.000 - so you can call for that. 00:13:11.000 --> 00:13:14.600 - Okay, I think what I'm asking is when is that new? 00:13:15.440 --> 00:13:17.240 - Oh, recommendation. 00:13:17.240 --> 00:13:19.560 - It actually started May 27th. 00:13:19.560 --> 00:13:20.880 - Okay, so it's already in place. 00:13:20.880 --> 00:13:22.320 - Okay. - Yes. 00:13:22.320 --> 00:13:27.320 - And there is a new RNA shot next spike 00:13:27.320 --> 00:13:31.160 - that was approved by the FDA, 00:13:31.160 --> 00:13:35.700 - but we don't know what availability will be or any of that. 00:13:35.700 --> 00:13:37.880 - Commissioner Jody Madeira described the news 00:13:37.880 --> 00:13:40.520 - as heartbreaking, especially as new variants 00:13:40.520 --> 00:13:43.480 - of the COVID-19 virus have evolved. 00:13:43.480 --> 00:13:47.120 - Madeira asked Kelly where people can receive better guidance. 00:13:47.120 --> 00:13:51.520 - This actually breaks my heart because what we're seeing 00:13:51.520 --> 00:13:54.480 - is sort of the systematic taking apart 00:13:54.480 --> 00:13:56.500 - of the vaccination system. 00:13:56.500 --> 00:13:58.520 - And I think this comes at a time 00:13:58.520 --> 00:14:02.280 - when we have new variants coming down the pipeline. 00:14:02.280 --> 00:14:05.160 - I urge anyone who needs a COVID vaccine 00:14:05.160 --> 00:14:06.480 - to get it as soon as possible 00:14:06.480 --> 00:14:09.680 - because there is a new variant that has actually been found. 00:14:09.680 --> 00:14:14.120 - It has, there has been news about this in the last two weeks. 00:14:14.120 --> 00:14:18.520 - And I just had a question for Lori. 00:14:18.520 --> 00:14:23.280 - Do you know whether there are certain criteria 00:14:23.280 --> 00:14:27.480 - where healthy adults who may have health problems 00:14:27.480 --> 00:14:31.520 - that are not normally considered life-limiting, 00:14:31.520 --> 00:14:35.800 - like, for example, they may have asthma. 00:14:35.800 --> 00:14:40.440 - And do you know, like, where people can obtain guidance 00:14:40.440 --> 00:14:44.400 - on what kinds of conditions can qualify them 00:14:44.400 --> 00:14:47.680 - for continued COVID vaccinations, I guess? 00:14:47.680 --> 00:14:49.680 - I imagine that many of us have conditions 00:14:49.680 --> 00:14:52.320 - where we may take medication for them. 00:14:52.320 --> 00:14:55.400 - They may not prompt us to go to our daughter, 00:14:55.400 --> 00:15:00.000 - to our doctors in a bi-weekly or monthly schedule. 00:15:00.000 --> 00:15:02.720 - Where can we get this information? 00:15:02.720 --> 00:15:06.440 - So, other than talking to someone's provider, of course, 00:15:06.440 --> 00:15:08.320 - you can check the CDC website 00:15:08.320 --> 00:15:12.840 - to see updated information is listed on there. 00:15:12.840 --> 00:15:15.800 - That's kind of the best guidance at this time. 00:15:15.800 --> 00:15:16.880 - During public comment, 00:15:16.880 --> 00:15:20.200 - Senior Director of Government and Community Relations 00:15:20.200 --> 00:15:23.840 - for the Greater Bloomington Chamber of Commerce, Chris MG, 00:15:23.840 --> 00:15:25.800 - referenced a contentious moment 00:15:25.800 --> 00:15:26.760 - that happened during the 00:15:26.760 --> 00:15:28.880 - Monroe County Plan Commission meeting, 00:15:28.880 --> 00:15:30.680 - saying that he believes disagreement 00:15:30.680 --> 00:15:34.400 - is a healthy democratic process. 00:15:34.400 --> 00:15:35.320 - Good morning, Commissioners. 00:15:35.320 --> 00:15:39.160 - I'll just begin public comment to get the ball rolling. 00:15:39.160 --> 00:15:41.120 - I want to continue the celebrating 00:15:41.120 --> 00:15:43.000 - of Tuesday's Convention Center expansion 00:15:43.000 --> 00:15:46.400 - groundbreaking a truly historic day for our community. 00:15:46.400 --> 00:15:48.280 - Some milestones have been a long time coming, 00:15:48.280 --> 00:15:51.280 - and we're now on the path to that 12-month economy. 00:15:51.280 --> 00:15:53.160 - I commend this body for their leadership. 00:15:53.160 --> 00:15:55.720 - As Commissioner Thomas said, the key was having the intuition 00:15:55.720 --> 00:15:58.680 - to establish the CID and then get out of their way. 00:15:58.680 --> 00:16:01.160 - Today, we're seeing the fruits of that vision. 00:16:01.160 --> 00:16:02.440 - The other thing I want to bring up 00:16:02.440 --> 00:16:07.000 - is what I witnessed at a recent 00:16:07.000 --> 00:16:09.240 - Commission Administrative Session. 00:16:09.240 --> 00:16:12.680 - They had some robust, respectful discourse 00:16:12.680 --> 00:16:14.160 - that democracy requires. 00:16:14.160 --> 00:16:17.000 - It's not always comfortable, but it is necessary. 00:16:17.000 --> 00:16:19.760 - So, disagreements isn't dysfunction. 00:16:19.760 --> 00:16:21.720 - It's engagement. I want to stress that. 00:16:21.720 --> 00:16:24.480 - And that engagement means that people hear deeply 00:16:24.480 --> 00:16:25.520 - about Monroe County, 00:16:25.520 --> 00:16:27.960 - which is what we want to see on our boards and commissions. 00:16:27.960 --> 00:16:30.240 - So, I encourage the planned commission 00:16:30.240 --> 00:16:32.480 - to continue leaning into that discomfort. 00:16:32.480 --> 00:16:34.920 - Respect differences. Ask hard questions. 00:16:34.920 --> 00:16:36.840 - Because even when we don't all agree, 00:16:36.840 --> 00:16:39.760 - we're all working toward that same goal of more vibrant, 00:16:39.760 --> 00:16:42.200 - a better, more balanced Monroe County for all. 00:16:42.200 --> 00:16:44.160 - And I thank you for your time today. 00:16:44.160 --> 00:16:46.600 - Near the end of the meeting, Commissioner Julie Thomas 00:16:46.600 --> 00:16:48.680 - criticized the Chamber of Commerce 00:16:48.680 --> 00:16:52.000 - for putting out a statement denouncing county leadership 00:16:52.000 --> 00:16:55.040 - and planned commission member Margaret Clements. 00:16:55.040 --> 00:16:56.560 - I have a statement I'd like to make, 00:16:56.560 --> 00:16:57.720 - and this is just for me. 00:16:57.720 --> 00:17:00.720 - This is not from the board of commissioners, 00:17:00.720 --> 00:17:04.840 - but it's important enough that I'd like to make the statement. 00:17:04.840 --> 00:17:11.640 - So the Chamber of Commerce issued a newsletter 00:17:11.640 --> 00:17:13.400 - a little more than a month ago, 00:17:13.400 --> 00:17:16.040 - disparaging me as an elected official. 00:17:16.040 --> 00:17:19.880 - It's sort of a whatever, you know? 00:17:19.880 --> 00:17:21.960 - Used to it. Yep. 00:17:21.960 --> 00:17:23.760 - However, the Chamber, which in my opinion, 00:17:23.760 --> 00:17:28.480 - spends a bit too much time on political affairs for a 501C3, 00:17:28.480 --> 00:17:31.720 - has an agenda, pro-housing no matter what. 00:17:31.720 --> 00:17:34.600 - The Chamber and the developers have a mutual relationship. 00:17:34.600 --> 00:17:37.120 - Meanwhile, people like our planned commission president, 00:17:37.120 --> 00:17:41.960 - Margaret Clements, gets caught in the crossfire. 00:17:41.960 --> 00:17:44.480 - The Chamber's doing what the Chamber's doing. 00:17:44.480 --> 00:17:48.160 - That's fine. That's their role. That's fine. 00:17:48.160 --> 00:17:53.280 - But the Chamber didn't like her vote on the zoning petition. 00:17:54.280 --> 00:17:56.920 - They didn't tell the readers of a newsletter 00:17:56.920 --> 00:17:58.560 - that the majority of the planned commission 00:17:58.560 --> 00:18:00.880 - supported that petition as well. 00:18:00.880 --> 00:18:04.560 - It then came to the Board of Commissioners for a decision. 00:18:04.560 --> 00:18:08.080 - Dr. Clements, like some other members of the planned commission, 00:18:08.080 --> 00:18:10.360 - are appointed by the Board of Commissioners. 00:18:10.360 --> 00:18:13.480 - We don't direct them to vote in any particular manner, 00:18:13.480 --> 00:18:15.920 - and we have appointed both Democrats and Republicans 00:18:15.920 --> 00:18:18.080 - over the many years. 00:18:18.080 --> 00:18:21.440 - It is inappropriate for the Chamber to direct their vitriol 00:18:21.440 --> 00:18:25.080 - against an appointed member of a body. 00:18:25.080 --> 00:18:28.160 - It is disrespectful to her personally. 00:18:28.160 --> 00:18:31.120 - Maligning someone who is essentially volunteering 00:18:31.120 --> 00:18:36.720 - her time to the community is misdirected and disgraceful. 00:18:36.720 --> 00:18:38.640 - How's that for the word "community"? 00:18:38.640 --> 00:18:42.320 - If you go to the newsletter, you'll get why I said that. 00:18:42.320 --> 00:18:45.440 - I am so proud of Margaret Clements. 00:18:45.440 --> 00:18:47.880 - She had stood up for the interests of Menorah County residents 00:18:47.880 --> 00:18:51.080 - in the fight against the city's annexation process. 00:18:51.080 --> 00:18:53.920 - Her home wasn't targeted for annexation, 00:18:53.920 --> 00:18:56.760 - but she cared so much about people in the community 00:18:56.760 --> 00:18:59.120 - who faced potential property tax increases 00:18:59.120 --> 00:19:01.200 - if their homes were annexed, 00:19:01.200 --> 00:19:04.040 - meaning their affordable homes would become unaffordable. 00:19:04.040 --> 00:19:06.120 - Let's talk about affordable housing. 00:19:06.120 --> 00:19:07.720 - And she stepped up. 00:19:07.720 --> 00:19:11.040 - She's worked hard for this community that she loves. 00:19:11.040 --> 00:19:14.480 - She didn't gain anything, but in fact spent a great deal 00:19:14.480 --> 00:19:18.920 - of her precious time and funds to support county residents. 00:19:18.920 --> 00:19:21.240 - The Monroe County Commissioners will meet again 00:19:21.240 --> 00:19:23.760 - on Thursday, June 12th. 00:19:23.760 --> 00:19:26.440 - The Bloomington City Council met on June 4th. 00:19:26.440 --> 00:19:27.640 - During staff reports, 00:19:27.640 --> 00:19:30.560 - Planning and Transportation Director David Hiddle 00:19:30.560 --> 00:19:32.640 - gave an update on the UDO. 00:19:32.640 --> 00:19:35.720 - He discussed the housing crisis and explained 00:19:35.720 --> 00:19:38.720 - that since the council has control over the UDO, 00:19:38.720 --> 00:19:40.320 - they can attempt to make changes 00:19:40.320 --> 00:19:43.360 - to incentivize housing stock growth. 00:19:43.360 --> 00:19:45.840 - There are lots of factors that dictate 00:19:45.840 --> 00:19:47.460 - whether housing is attainable. 00:19:47.460 --> 00:19:50.560 - There is land scarcity availability. 00:19:50.560 --> 00:19:52.760 - There's workforce availability. 00:19:52.760 --> 00:19:54.160 - There's the lending climate. 00:19:54.160 --> 00:19:55.440 - There's the market. 00:19:55.440 --> 00:19:57.800 - There's workforce. 00:19:57.800 --> 00:19:58.800 - And there's the law. 00:19:58.800 --> 00:20:01.040 - And here we're looking at just one of those things. 00:20:01.040 --> 00:20:03.080 - That's the law, the regulatory framework, 00:20:03.080 --> 00:20:05.440 - which in this case is the UDO. 00:20:05.440 --> 00:20:08.560 - So it's impacting one of many things 00:20:08.560 --> 00:20:10.420 - that has an impact on housing attainability. 00:20:10.420 --> 00:20:13.920 - But it's the one thing that we have total control over 00:20:13.920 --> 00:20:16.480 - in terms of the people in this room, 00:20:16.480 --> 00:20:18.760 - the mayor's administration as well. 00:20:18.760 --> 00:20:22.520 - But the UDO is written and maintained and modified 00:20:22.520 --> 00:20:24.480 - and changed solely by this group. 00:20:24.480 --> 00:20:28.000 - So that is the thing that you have control over. 00:20:28.000 --> 00:20:31.520 - Hiddle said that he would try to get new UDO language 00:20:31.520 --> 00:20:34.160 - to the plan commission by January. 00:20:34.160 --> 00:20:39.160 - Next, council heard ordinance 2025-22 and 2025-21, 00:20:39.160 --> 00:20:42.720 - which would authorize and approve a payment 00:20:42.720 --> 00:20:46.600 - in lieu of taxes agreement with Henderson Court Housing 00:20:46.600 --> 00:20:49.020 - and Cambridge Square Apartments. 00:20:49.020 --> 00:20:52.280 - Director of Economic and Sustainable Development, 00:20:52.280 --> 00:20:54.660 - Jane Cooper-Smith spoke to the council, 00:20:54.660 --> 00:20:57.000 - giving an overview of the ordinance. 00:20:57.000 --> 00:20:59.500 - Payment in lieu of taxes allows the city 00:20:59.500 --> 00:21:02.200 - to set a fixed rate for a property 00:21:02.200 --> 00:21:04.920 - instead of collecting property taxes, 00:21:04.920 --> 00:21:08.800 - often saving the property owner money that in this case 00:21:08.800 --> 00:21:12.300 - will be set aside to renovate and improve the units. 00:21:12.300 --> 00:21:15.680 - This approach is being used to incentivize developers 00:21:15.680 --> 00:21:18.480 - to maintain affordable housing units. 00:21:18.480 --> 00:21:20.620 - Payment in lieu of taxes or pilot agreements 00:21:20.620 --> 00:21:22.200 - are facilitated by state code 00:21:22.200 --> 00:21:24.200 - and administered on a local level. 00:21:24.200 --> 00:21:27.000 - Pilots may support the renovation, acquisition 00:21:27.000 --> 00:21:29.520 - or construction of affordable housing units. 00:21:29.520 --> 00:21:33.240 - They require that long-term affordability be guaranteed 00:21:33.240 --> 00:21:35.240 - through an extended use agreement, 00:21:35.240 --> 00:21:38.660 - which is with the IHCDA. 00:21:38.660 --> 00:21:41.360 - In pilots, the property owner makes a payment 00:21:41.360 --> 00:21:44.180 - at a percentage of the overall tax liability. 00:21:44.180 --> 00:21:47.720 - In the proposals today, the payments are proposed 00:21:47.720 --> 00:21:51.240 - to be fixed at 45% of the current tax liability 00:21:51.240 --> 00:21:54.240 - with an annual escalator of 3%. 00:21:54.240 --> 00:21:57.800 - The pilot payments, this is by state code, 00:21:57.800 --> 00:21:59.680 - are then directed to the city, 00:21:59.680 --> 00:22:03.480 - which means that 100% of the related tax revenue 00:22:03.480 --> 00:22:07.220 - is diverted from other local government units. 00:22:07.220 --> 00:22:10.840 - So the pilot payment comes to the city. 00:22:10.840 --> 00:22:13.600 - It does not get redistributed to the government units. 00:22:13.600 --> 00:22:17.640 - It gets deposited here into an affordable housing fund. 00:22:17.640 --> 00:22:19.440 - Just wanted to underscore that. 00:22:19.440 --> 00:22:22.680 - So pilots are a trade-off of community goods. 00:22:22.680 --> 00:22:25.200 - They decrease revenue in exchange for the retention 00:22:25.200 --> 00:22:27.840 - or creation of affordable housing units. 00:22:27.840 --> 00:22:30.600 - Cooper Smith said that developers cannot increase 00:22:30.600 --> 00:22:32.840 - the rent to pay for the renovations. 00:22:32.840 --> 00:22:34.480 - The renovations have to be paid 00:22:34.480 --> 00:22:37.160 - for using the money saved from the taxes. 00:22:37.160 --> 00:22:39.640 - Henderson Court. 00:22:39.640 --> 00:22:44.120 - Henderson Court is located at 2475 South Winslow Court. 00:22:44.120 --> 00:22:47.880 - It was acquired by the Glick Foundation in late 2024. 00:22:47.880 --> 00:22:52.100 - It features 151, two, and three bedroom units 00:22:52.100 --> 00:22:54.860 - at 60% of the AMI. 00:22:54.860 --> 00:22:59.400 - The requested payment is $80,400, 00:22:59.400 --> 00:23:02.120 - or 45% of the tax liability. 00:23:02.120 --> 00:23:06.520 - That's the 24/25, 24 pay 25 tax liability, 00:23:06.520 --> 00:23:10.000 - and then there's the escalator of 3% annually. 00:23:10.000 --> 00:23:12.640 - Council Member Isak Asari spoke in support 00:23:12.640 --> 00:23:14.400 - of the pilot agreement. 00:23:14.400 --> 00:23:16.720 - The proposal is fantastic. 00:23:16.720 --> 00:23:21.480 - It creates long-term affordability at that AMI rate 00:23:21.480 --> 00:23:25.520 - that we've talked about in so many cases is really missing 00:23:25.520 --> 00:23:27.840 - and for a large number of units. 00:23:27.840 --> 00:23:32.720 - And so a lot of them at that 60% or below AMI, 00:23:32.720 --> 00:23:34.160 - and in many cases below that, 00:23:34.160 --> 00:23:35.080 - while allowing the developer 00:23:35.080 --> 00:23:36.760 - to complete much-needed renovations 00:23:36.760 --> 00:23:38.520 - without sacrificing affordability. 00:23:38.520 --> 00:23:42.320 - And so I just think that it's a really, really positive, 00:23:42.320 --> 00:23:44.040 - the type of things that we wanna see 00:23:44.040 --> 00:23:46.200 - in the way that we wanna use this tool. 00:23:46.200 --> 00:23:48.800 - And so I'm in great support of it 00:23:48.800 --> 00:23:50.840 - and aligns very well with so many of the other things 00:23:50.840 --> 00:23:52.400 - that we've brought up in other contexts. 00:23:52.400 --> 00:23:53.240 - Thank you. 00:23:53.240 --> 00:23:54.840 - The council voted unanimously 00:23:54.840 --> 00:23:58.960 - to approve the payment in lieu of taxes at Henderson Court. 00:23:58.960 --> 00:24:01.760 - Council Member Hopi Stasberg abstained from voting 00:24:01.760 --> 00:24:05.560 - on the Cambridge Square apartment complex pilot agreement 00:24:05.560 --> 00:24:07.800 - due to a conflict of interest. 00:24:07.800 --> 00:24:09.680 - The council voted to approve the pilot 00:24:09.680 --> 00:24:13.380 - with a vote of eight yeses and one abstention. 00:24:13.380 --> 00:24:17.260 - Bloomington Mayor Kerry Thompson answered questions 00:24:17.260 --> 00:24:20.020 - from residents in City Council District 3 00:24:20.020 --> 00:24:23.020 - at a traveling town hall on June 2nd. 00:24:23.020 --> 00:24:26.000 - The event took place at University Elementary 00:24:26.000 --> 00:24:27.440 - on Russell Road. 00:24:27.440 --> 00:24:30.280 - It featured Director of Economic Sustainability, 00:24:30.280 --> 00:24:34.160 - Jane Coopersmith and City Council President Hopi Stasberg. 00:24:34.160 --> 00:24:38.280 - The mayor kicked off the town hall by providing a rundown 00:24:38.280 --> 00:24:41.720 - on her latest initiatives and recent developments. 00:24:41.720 --> 00:24:44.520 - These included increased staffing for police 00:24:44.520 --> 00:24:48.600 - and the creation of the new Blink Transportation Service. 00:24:48.600 --> 00:24:51.080 - We are getting very close to being fully staffed 00:24:51.080 --> 00:24:54.640 - at our police department and we, I shouldn't say this 00:24:54.640 --> 00:24:57.320 - because then somebody will retire or get injured, 00:24:57.320 --> 00:25:00.040 - but our fire is in great shape. 00:25:00.040 --> 00:25:01.560 - That's what I'll say. 00:25:01.560 --> 00:25:04.200 - So we really have made great strides 00:25:04.200 --> 00:25:07.040 - in the last 18 months on both fronts. 00:25:07.040 --> 00:25:11.860 - I also wanna highlight the new transportation 00:25:11.860 --> 00:25:14.480 - that we have going on downtown 00:25:14.480 --> 00:25:16.420 - and people are confused about that. 00:25:16.420 --> 00:25:18.360 - That makes sense. 00:25:18.360 --> 00:25:22.160 - So this is, it's like a little mini bus 00:25:22.160 --> 00:25:27.160 - and it's branded with our Blink Bloomington Transit logo 00:25:27.200 --> 00:25:31.000 - and that will be circulating, so it will be going 00:25:31.000 --> 00:25:35.160 - on a set route, but if it's not busy, 00:25:35.160 --> 00:25:39.120 - it also can be called sort of like an Uber. 00:25:39.120 --> 00:25:43.440 - So you can say, "This is where I am, come pick me up." 00:25:43.440 --> 00:25:45.360 - So that is really exciting. 00:25:45.360 --> 00:25:50.360 - It's free and it is an effort to really maximize parking 00:25:50.360 --> 00:25:52.880 - in our parking garages and elsewhere 00:25:52.880 --> 00:25:56.160 - and to make shopping downtown easier, 00:25:56.160 --> 00:25:58.600 - especially if you're mobility limited. 00:25:58.600 --> 00:26:01.200 - So you wanna park a couple blocks away 00:26:01.200 --> 00:26:04.360 - and go to a few shops and then go all the way back 00:26:04.360 --> 00:26:07.120 - to your car, Blink can help with that. 00:26:07.120 --> 00:26:09.380 - Later, city leaders fielded questions 00:26:09.380 --> 00:26:12.500 - from local residents in the third district. 00:26:12.500 --> 00:26:14.920 - One resident commented on a situation 00:26:14.920 --> 00:26:18.360 - with the sober living facility Malibu House, 00:26:18.360 --> 00:26:22.080 - asking how the city can hold these organizations accountable, 00:26:22.080 --> 00:26:24.780 - making sure that they are providing safe housing 00:26:24.780 --> 00:26:26.200 - for their residents. 00:26:26.200 --> 00:26:29.200 - The mayor explained that because the landlord renting 00:26:29.200 --> 00:26:32.680 - to Malibu House is not providing safe shelter, 00:26:32.680 --> 00:26:34.580 - the city has gotten involved. 00:26:34.580 --> 00:26:37.720 - What we have learned in, 00:26:37.720 --> 00:26:42.540 - that situation has been in the news 00:26:42.540 --> 00:26:44.120 - for two different reasons. 00:26:44.120 --> 00:26:50.240 - And one of those reasons is that some of those houses 00:26:51.440 --> 00:26:56.440 - and the landlord is renting to Malibu House, 00:26:56.440 --> 00:26:59.280 - so Malibu House doesn't own these properties, 00:26:59.280 --> 00:27:03.320 - are not providing safe shelter. 00:27:03.320 --> 00:27:08.320 - And so the city has gotten involved because there are, 00:27:08.320 --> 00:27:10.640 - we of course have rental inspections 00:27:10.640 --> 00:27:15.640 - and we require safe, inhabitable living situations. 00:27:15.640 --> 00:27:17.880 - So that's one of the reasons. 00:27:19.200 --> 00:27:24.200 - So we have, we did not just target this over living, 00:27:24.200 --> 00:27:27.880 - there were multiple properties 00:27:27.880 --> 00:27:30.080 - that came under that violation. 00:27:30.080 --> 00:27:33.520 - And we are committed in my administration 00:27:33.520 --> 00:27:37.720 - to ensure that if you're renting in the city of Bloomington, 00:27:37.720 --> 00:27:41.280 - you will be providing safe, inhabitable housing. 00:27:41.280 --> 00:27:43.640 - The town hall wrapped up with the mayor 00:27:43.640 --> 00:27:46.200 - and council president advising residents 00:27:46.200 --> 00:27:48.560 - to stay informed on what is happening 00:27:48.560 --> 00:27:50.600 - at the state and federal level. 00:27:50.600 --> 00:27:53.640 - They highlighted the importance of local nonprofits 00:27:53.640 --> 00:27:56.480 - and engaging with the community. 00:27:56.480 --> 00:27:58.280 - And that is all for Cats Week. 00:27:58.280 --> 00:27:59.320 - Thank you for joining us. 00:27:59.320 --> 00:28:03.280 - For Cats and WFHB, I'm Annalise Poorman. 00:28:03.280 --> 00:28:05.860 - (upbeat music) 00:28:05.860 --> 00:28:08.440 - (upbeat music) 00:28:08.440 --> 00:28:11.020 - (upbeat music) 00:28:11.020 --> 00:28:13.600 - (upbeat music) 00:28:13.600 --> 00:28:16.180 - (upbeat music) 00:28:16.180 --> 00:28:18.760 - (upbeat music) 00:28:18.760 --> 00:28:21.340 - (upbeat music) 00:28:21.340 --> 00:28:23.920 - (upbeat music) 00:28:23.920 --> 00:28:26.500 - (upbeat music) 00:28:26.500 --> 00:28:53.100 - (gentle piano music) 00:28:53.100 --> 00:28:56.180 - (gentle piano music) 00:28:56.180 --> 00:28:59.260 - (gentle piano music) 00:28:59.260 --> 00:29:02.340 - (gentle piano music) 00:29:02.340 --> 00:29:05.420 - (gentle piano music)