Hello and welcome to Cats Week. I'm Annalise Pornman. The Monroe County Commissioners met on July 24th. Health Department Director Lori Kelly spoke about increases in tick-borne illnesses in Monroe County. She shared that there is a web app that the public can use that makes tick reporting much easier. We are seeing an increase in tick-borne illnesses to investigate. The Monroe County tick reporting web app
 allows the public to report where ticks have been found and displays ticks reported in the county on an interactive map. A link to the web app can be found on our website under general environmental. And our public health clinic as always has vaccines available. You can call 812-353-3244 for an appointment.
 Kelly later went on to explain an agreement between the Health Department and IU Health Bloomington as a precautionary agreement for aid during disasters. During a large-scale disaster or civil emergency, IUHB has been allocated three hours to provide the facilities and equipment deemed necessary.
 Yes, so we are just continuing to update our agreements with various facilities and organization across the county to be able to have locations in the event that we need a mass countermeasure dispensing clinic site. So this is an agreement with IU Health Bloomington that in the event of a disaster within three hours, we would be provided with facilities and equipment to fulfill that request if they have that available.
 All right, thank you so much. Comments or questions? Commissioner Madeira? I do not. These are critical services as we learned all too recently and it's important to have these measures in place in case they become necessary. Thank you so much.
 One of the final items on the agenda was the establishment of the Monroe County Nature Preserve. County Attorney Justin Roddy said that the Nancy Huntington Trust donated 409 acres of land on the east side of the county, allowing the Monroe County Historic Preservation Board of Review to establish a nature preserve in the area. Commissioners Thomas and Madeira praised the new preserve, saying it is a gift to the county. This is such a gift.
 to Monroe County, to our residents today, to residents in the future. This gift of land is huge. I mean, it's huge in terms of acreage, but the thoughtfulness about that is really impressive. And Ms. Roddy has been so good about meeting with the
 attorneys regarding the trust and getting all of this done. And I know it's taken a lot more work than it looks like on this simple resolution. And so I want to thank you and thank everyone in the legal department. A huge thanks to Ms. Whitmer, who's been just doing an amazing job. Parks board, your staff, it's just been phenomenal. Anything you want?
 No, just very generous. And it's kind of symbolic that it's in the heart of our community on the East side. So in a very unique location where we're actually kind of in the heart of commerce, in the heart of where we've been building a lot of people who will use this to recreate. And so, yes, I think it's a really special edition. Thank you.
 Parks and Recreation Director Kelly Whitmer shared the Parks Department's plans for the property. Our staff is so excited about this project. We hope to have guided nature
 activities with our naturalists next year. And the reason why is it's still being farmed. So we can't open up to the public because there's farm equipment and such, but we will do some maybe tours for the public that would like to see. Our goal is to get grass trails up and going in the year 2027. That means we have to put them in in 2026 so we can grow some grass.
 So we're very excited. We have to have a staging area. Our park staff has already been discussing what they can do to save money. We believe with engineering and planning's help and building's help, we can do a lot of the site design ourselves. We can get the entrance off a night bridge by our own staff, as long as we have the proper equipment. So once we do that, we will be growing grass and trails. It'll be, I don't even know how many miles yet.
 It'll be fantastic for them. The trail runners are bicyclists. It's such a beautiful piece of property.
 And I do want to say we want to be the best neighbors. We appreciate all the neighborhoods around there. We want to be good neighbors. I don't want them to think that anything that we're going to do is to disturb their life or their property. On the contrary, they come to us. They can come to our park. They can exercise, walk, hike, and go back to their home. We will not be disturbing anyone. Whitmer also said that they will be planting thousands of trees on the property.
 The Monroe County Commissioners will meet again on July 31st. The Bloomington City Council met for a deliberation session on July 23rd. During council member reports, Council President Hopi Stasberg expressed dismay surrounding the use of Camp Atterbury as an immigrant detention facility, urging citizens to express any concerns that they have to their representatives.
 heard the news this week that Camp Atterbury is, the feds are planning to use that as an immigrant detention facility, Camp Atterbury in Indiana, and that is just a moment of disappointment that that facility so close to home is going to be used in that way. So I would like to at this moment, I guess, urge
 Anybody out there, if they have an issue with that like I do, to go ahead and contact your federal representatives. That is a federal property and the federal government can use it in the way that they choose to, even if that was not the original intention of that. And it is very important that we are, that we're maintaining
 some sense of humanity and ensuring that if we are holding people in detention that they are being provided with adequate food, shelter, water, sanitation, and contact with attorneys and their family as may be necessary. And communicating that to federal representatives I think is important at this point so that we can be a society and a culture that there can be pride in.
 I don't have much pride in some pieces of that right now. The council then held a discussion surrounding the sidewalk committee. Bicycle and pedestrian coordinator Hank Duncan from the planning and transportation department described how the current needs of the committee are not being met by the amount of money being allocated for them. We are working with a pot of money here that does not fit very well with large capital projects. We want to
 encourage efficiency, and that means economies of scale. Sidewalk projects are very expensive, and Mr. Copper can speak to that in a second, but sidewalk projects are expensive, and with the current level of funding, essentially we are not efficiently spending the money that is allocated towards the pedestrian realm. What we did in this past year is reallocate some of these funds towards small parts of bigger projects.
 For example, every year, Public Works repaves streets. So we can improve those projects by not just focusing on the auto-centric portions of it and relaying the asphalt, but adding in sidewalk connections there or adding in bumpouts or other parts of the project that, because it's part of a bigger project, is more efficient and more cost effective.
 Stasberg stated that the main questions to be discussed during the meeting, including if the sidewalk committee should exist, what its purpose should be, and what it should fund. Councilmember Matt Flaherty said that he believes the need for the committee could be eliminated over time as a more holistic approach towards improving pedestrian traffic is implemented in coming years. Stasberg suggested that the title of the committee may be a misnomer if they were to focus on more than sidewalks.
 Council Member Zulek suggested the name, quote, the Pedestrian Safety Committee, unquote, which Council Member Dave Rolo suborted and added that the speed limit enforcement is another important factor for the committee to consider. We all know that the degree of injury from a car collision to a pedestrian goes up exponentially on the basis of speed. And if we're really going to address decreasing fatalities and injury, we should think about
 enforcement. We need to enforce the speed limit. And I'm quite horrified that at that Weatherstone, Hawthorne, Greenway crossing at Olive, it doesn't seem to have made any impact. I mean, that's just my anecdotal opinion. I don't know if there's been speed counts there. Maybe I'm mistaken, but it seems that people aren't just sort of ignoring that.
 And so, um, and I think that the, you know, my understanding is that sworn officers are the only, uh, people that can issue traffic tickets. And so I think that we need to think about, um, staffing of BPD if we're going to, um, address pedestrian safety. So the, my,
 My point is I like the name because it should be about pedestrian safety and it has to be holistic and it's not just about infrastructure. I know that we would be spending money not for police on the committee, but just sending a message that certain areas, just having behavioral change on the basis of speed enforcement would probably make
 a big difference and actually aid our infrastructure. During public comment, Bloomington resident Paul Rousseau gave a personal anecdote illustrating the importance of effective pedestrian infrastructure. I usually get around by bicycle. You may remember, I think I told all of you about being hit by a car last summer. And so then for four months, I was getting around exclusively on sidewalks or by bus.
 Well, when I was on sidewalks, I was using a walker and then I was using a cane. And so I was not very nimble. It was not very spry. And I was shocked by how difficult it was in a lot of places. The connectivity issues, snow issues. Of course, that was perhaps an unusual circumstance. I don't know if we're going to have that again. But all these things really made me understand what it's like for some people who always have to get around on foot
 and how much improvement there is to be made. So I strongly support the hawk system that was presented or suggested by council member Rolo. And I strongly support the idea of more enforcement for speed limits. Thank you. The Bloomington city council will meet again on Wednesday, July 30th.
 At the meeting of the Monroe County Community School Corporation Board of Trustees on July 22nd, Superintendent Dr. Markay Winston announced various upcoming events that will be occurring as the start of the school year approaches. On Tuesday, August 5th from 3 to 4 p.m., our elementary schools will have and host Meet the Teacher Night. All of our schools will host a special time for students and families to visit the school and meet their teacher for the new school year.
 additional information about school open houses is available on our website. On Saturday August 23rd from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m. our first 25-26 parent university session titled preparing for high school and beyond is occurring. Please join us for our first parent university mini conference held at the Academy of Science and Entrepreneurship at 444 South Patterson Drive. Tomorrow
 our MCCSE online program registration will open up so that we can begin receiving applications for students in kindergarten through 12th grade. Dr. Winston also made a couple of special acknowledgments in honor of the achievements of two MCCSE faculty members, Human Resources Benefits and Compliance Manager Amanda Shettleworth and Bloomington High School North's track and field coach, Justin Helmer. A couple of special acknowledgments.
 On July 10th, the Greater Bloomington Chamber of Commerce hosted its Women Excel Bloomington 2025 Awards. Members of my team were honored to attend this event as one of our very own Amanda Shettlesworth, Human Resources Benefits and Compliance Manager, was the recipient of a 2025 WEB Award. Congratulations, Amanda.
 The U.S. Track and Field and Cross Country Coaches Association honored... It's because you didn't get any coffee. It's okay. It's okay. I will have some tomorrow. Honored Bloomington High School North's Girls Head Cross Country and Boys and Girls Track and Field Coach Justin Helmer as the 2025 Indiana Boys High School U.S. Track and Field State Coach of the Year. We congratulate
 both Amanda and Coach Helmer for their honors and we appreciate their excellence in MCCSC. Dr. Winston continued the presentation describing the preparation and excitement for the oncoming school year and addressing concern from the community regarding uncertainty and turbulence in public education. And while all of this is true and exciting, I would be remiss if I did not address some of the anxiety and uncertainty that our community has experienced in recent weeks and months.
 I grappled with two possible themes as I prepared my remarks this evening, leading through uncertainty or leading during turbulent times. The more I thought about it, I realized that I need not pick one because both are true. Public education as we know it is at a crossroads and how we respond to the challenges before us will define how well we prepare our children for their futures.
 As we prepare to open a new school year, it is important to remember that more than 10,000 students will enter our buildings and there will be excitement and happiness and enthusiasm in the air. That's right, more than 10,000 children. Those of us in education have the honor and quite frankly, the privilege to educate the most important people in our communities, our children. Despite all of the noise, ranging from cuts to school funding,
 or frozen federal dollars for essential programs, or decreased access for early childhood because of state-level cuts, choice scholarships for private school education on public school dime, or future reductions to property tax revenue because of SEA 1, and more. One thing is certain, our teachers, support staff, and administrators
 will all be laser focused on making sure that every child, in every schoolhouse, in every seat, receives the best education that we have to offer here at MCCSC. We intend to have the best school opening ever. That is our obligation. That is our responsibility. That is our privilege. And we do it better than most. Dr. Winston wrapped up the meeting with a promise to provide the best school year possible for the MCCSC community.
 The Monroe County Council met on July 22nd and heard a series of speakers from local organizations, the community and advocacy groups, opposing Monroe County's proposed $230 million new jail. Their collective message was that the county should invest in social services, not incarceration.
 Stacey Flynn, the executive director of New Leaf New Life, said the organization opposed building a new justice facility and highlighted that the cost of a new jail now exceeds $200 million, compared to $62 million to renovate the current one. She says public safety comes from investing in the people, not expanding jail facilities.
 We believe these resources would be better invested in expanding housing, mental health care, and substance use treatment in the community. Evidence-based research has proven that new jails do not solve systemic issues driving incarceration in our area, including poverty, lack of affordable housing, and untreated mental health or substance use disorders.
 Ken Falk, the legal director of the ACLU of Indiana, who brought the lawsuit in 2008, challenging the constitutional conditions at the jail, says the old jail cannot be fixed to meet constitutional standards. Every single person who has examined the jail, the sheriffs in the jail, you yourselves recognize that. You need a new jail. It's been almost 20 years.
 since we filed our litigation. It's been almost 20 years since everyone agreed that the conditions in the jail violated the Eighth Amendment. This jail is way past its useful life.
 Representatives from other organizations like Care Not Cages, Exodus, Refugee Immigration, and Mother Hubbard's Cupboard came forward to voice opposition to the project, specifically funding the construction of the facility versus community-based services. The issue was not up for a vote, but the Council thanked the attendees for coming out to speak.
 Next, the financial coordinator for the Monroe County Correctional Center, Jordan Miller, presented the semi-annual report for the jail's commissary fund. He said 82% of spending was for inventory items and equipment purchases, with nicotine products continuing to be the most purchased items. Council member Marty Hawk raised concerns about rising commissary prices for nicotine products. I'm concerned about
 how the inmates are going to react when they're dealing with other addictions as well, and then the addiction of nicotine. And I don't know what the answer is. I'm just thinking that we're probably going to see some very upset people. Miller said that staff are looking for more affordable vendors.
 Next, the council heard a departmental update from the Monroe County Airport. The airport is about two-thirds of the way through developing their new FAA required 20-year plan. Colonel Alan Boyd, vice president of the Monroe County Board of Aviation Commissioners, says that the plan includes analysis on aviation trends, community and regional growth, and local economic development. Our vision is to serve current community needs as best possible.
 make the airport a welcoming aviation portal to Bloomington and the area, and to drive growth consistent with community and regional business needs.
 Next, the council heard requests from the Monroe County Health Department for funding and staffing changes due to new state legislation. Administrator Lori Kelly explained that changes to Health First Indiana means the department needs to shift personnel expenses from grant-funded categories to local public health funds. Kelly said that the changes require confirmation of Indiana residency and U.S. citizenship to access some public health
 services the services that we still in the programs that we will be providing under this funding include maternal and child health trauma and injury prevention chronic disease so we're working on initiatives to address nutrition we actually have a program that we're working on to be able to provide
 funding for fresh fruits and vegetables to qualified individuals, blood pressure monitoring to qualified individuals. So we'll still be performing those programs. We will just have to do it within the terms of these new requirements, which will include obtaining proof of Indiana residency in U.S. citizenship. Hock questioned the sustainability of shifting costs into the general fund and the effect on future budgets.
 but let us remember that that's going to affect everybody and the ability to provide for county general because we're going to have to pull it from there. The request to de-appropriate and re-appropriate funds amend the salary ordinance and create new positions all passed.
 Later in the meeting, the council revisited discussions from the July 8th meeting about a draft letter to state legislators concerning financial restrictions to the Justice Center project caused by Senate Enrolled Act 1. County Commissioner Julie Thomas addressed the council and emphasized that while there have been concerns about the location and scale of the proposed jail facility, the goal of the motion was to finalize the letter. Hawk questioned the accuracy of the letter's reference
 to a federal order mandating a justice complex. She argued that the phrase overstated the legal situation. There's nothing in any kind of order that says that we are to be required to do a justice complex. Actually, the order has only to do with the number of beds. It doesn't say that we have to build a new facility.
 It just says they're talking about the beds. The council agreed on the need for clarity in the letter. Thomas expressed concern that the letter would not get sent if the council requires certain data for it. You know, I'm certainly not suggesting, hey, let's vote on this tonight. I'm not asking for that. We're not asking for that. But I
 I fear that if we continue to say, oh, we need this information, we need that, we'll never get the letter done. The commissioners also mentioned organizing a joint council and commissioners meeting to address community concerns about the jail's design and budget before August 19th when they meet with the project architect. The next Monroe County Council meeting will be August 12th.
 And that is all for Cats Week. Thank you for joining us. For Cats and WFHB, I'm Annalise Poorman.