- Hello and welcome to Cats Week. I'm Annalise Poorman. On October 6, Mayor Carrie Thompson had a traveling
- town hall at Jackson Creek Middle School. Thompson began by discussing the city's response to homelessness,
- saying they hope to tackle the root causes such as affordable housing and a lack of mental health treatment.
- She said if there's any city that could successfully address homelessness, Bloomington is the place.
- and my administration really committed to working on the root causes of homelessness.
- a lack of affordable housing, so we're working hard on that. We also are looking to county, state, and
- federal partners to help on the untreated mental illness. There is a real deficit in mental health treatment
- in our community and across the nation, and if you have read the president's
- executive order related to homelessness. You'll note that he orders mental health treatment. Unfortunately,
- that order cannot be fulfilled at this point because there's no funding and service providers available
- to fulfill that part of the mission. Otherwise, I agree, we need to increase mental health provision.
- While this is not unique to Bloomington,
- I am firm in my belief that if there is any city in this country that can solve homelessness, it is
- Bloomington, Indiana. Our numbers are relatively low compared to many other cities. We only have just
- over 300 people who are experiencing homelessness, and what that means
- in a city as innovative and compassionate as Bloomington is that we really have an opportunity to create
- solutions that others have not tried and try them and work on them together until we actually figure
- out what is dissolving the problem.
- During the town hall, Director of Housing and Neighborhood Development, Anna Killian Hanson, outlined
- the city's housing ecosystem. She said the demand for housing has outpaced our growth and new housing
- development. One thing is for certain in the housing world, housing is an ecosystem. Your housing needs
- change over time. The first place that you live after leaving the nest is likely not the same place
- that will fit your needs over time.
- space needs change, what you can afford changes, physical needs change, how you live your life changes.
- The progression of needs through different stages of life is often referred to as a housing ladder.
- Unfortunately, right now, Bloomington is the most housing cost burdened metro area in the state.
- High cost, low wage.
- 60% of our households are cost burdened, spending more than 30% of their monthly income on housing costs.
- The demand for our housing has outpaced our growth of housing development. And 72% of our workforce
- do not live in Bloomington. A lot want to, but they can't.
- I don't know if any of you have bought or sold a house since 2020 or experienced what the market was
- like. But if you did, you likely understood that if you wanted to buy a house, you had to compete with
- at least eight other buyers. You had to likely waive inspections. You had to bid well over asking price.
- And oftentimes, you had to ask for an appraisal gap. At that time, interest rates were so low that
- It really was tolerable. The payments were tolerable. But right now, we are experiencing something called
- the golden handcuffs. Folks are restricted from moving or buying a new home due to the low interest
- rate on a current mortgage.
- The golden handcuff effect occurs because refinancing or selling to buy a new home with current higher
- interest rates would significantly increase monthly payments, making it financially difficult to move
- even if other opportunities arose. Killian Hansen explained the city's focus on revising the unified
- development ordinance, adding affordable housing units in the Hopewell neighborhood, and implementing
- multifaceted strategies to promote diverse attainable housing.
- We need to make it easier to build more types of housing in more places for more people without compromising
- unique neighborhood character. We want a UDO that supports a thriving, diverse housing market, not one
- that inadvertently makes it affordability harder to reach. We're currently performing an analysis of
- our permitting process to identify obstacles to faster and more efficient approvals, and we're evaluating the UDO.
- Hopewell is the former hospital site. It's one of the few areas within city limits that could potentially
- put a dent in our housing needs. We currently have a project going with the housing authority who's
- working on an adaptive reuse of the former, the original hospital site, the core building. It's a limestone
- facing Rogers, limestone building facing Rogers. If you've driven by lately, you'd see the construction ongoing.
- But Hopewell is also an interesting case study where the city is now a passenger to what developers
- go through as they try to navigate our own red tape. Our community has been incredibly vocal. Residents
- have asked for real options for first-time homebuyers, working families, long-term neighbors, not just
- more of the same.
- In June, the Redevelopment Commission took a new approach that uses pre-approved home designs on platted
- lots to save time and money, welcome local builders to the table, and supports a healthy mix of attainable
- and market rate homes. This course correction reflects a more realistic, community-centered strategy
- that gets us where we want to go.
- This new path is geared towards providing a diverse mix of housing types at a range of price points,
- creating options for first-time home buyers, the local workforce, and families, not just luxury apartments
- or student rentals. This pilot will demonstrate innovative solutions. We are also piloting an interest
- rate buy-down program to help incentivize folks to unlock those golden handcuffs.
- and climb up or down in that housing ladder influencing the overall market. Our community needs attainable
- housing for the residents that work here. This administration is prioritizing just that. The mayor said
- that the city needs to rethink the geography of the housing market. She described her vision for the
- future of College Mall and the east side of the city, including redeveloping the east side into a mixed
- use area for housing.
- One of my ultimate visions for Bloomington is that we stop thinking in this way of we only have one
- downtown because Bloomington has a city center, but then we have
- economic centers, commercial centers, both east and west, and we have a good little pod developing south,
- and even some new interest north. And that's the way, as we grow population, grow wages, we really need
- to think of ourselves that way, that you can go to many different places and have a great experience
- in Bloomington, dining or shopping,
- going to a hardware store, etc. So my ultimate vision for College Mall would be that it becomes vibrant
- again, that that piece of real estate becomes vibrant again. I think we know that for
- For many, a traditional mall is no longer how people want to spend their time. And so we've seen lots
- of great redevelopment of mall properties in many different ways throughout the country. And so ultimately,
- if we could activate that area, I think we'd have a lot more vibrancy throughout that east side.
- I will say that I think the stores that are facing outward, that little section that faces College Mall
- Road at the intersection of 3rd and College Mall,
- That does pretty well, so that should tell us something. But we've seen malls get redeveloped into housing,
- get redeveloped into mixed use, and really thrive. And so we have a real opportunity there should the
- owners of College Mall want to do something really fun in Bloomington, which we would love it if they
- did. Thompson closed the hour-long session by inviting residents to share input on housing
- initiatives through the city's website and future town hall meetings. The Monroe County Board
- of Commissioners met on October 9th. The meeting began with an update from Monroe County Health Administrator
- Lori Kelly. The update included insight into emergency visits for COVID and wastewater concentrations.
- According to the Indiana Department of Health dashboard, emergency department visits for COVID-like
- illness have decreased and wastewater concentrations are decreasing as well. Flu activity across the
- state is minimal. The CDC recommends an annual flu vaccine for all people six months and older. And
- the community health clinic at 333 East Miller Drive has vaccines available.
- You can call 812-353-3244 for more information or for an appointment. Then resident of Steinsville,
- Molly Radecki thanked Commissioner Jody Madeira for helping with the sewage and stormwater issue in
- her home. Radecki stated that thanks to Madeira's help, she has the tools to keep her home from flooding.
- She also explained her efforts to reach out to certain groups for a developmental plan towards Steinsville's
- sewage issues.
- I just wanted to publicly thank Commissioner Maderas for helping me with my stormwater issue and sewage
- issue. We've come to an agreement with South Central Sewage District in Binyamfanyam. We have the tools
- that will work now, which is a backflow device and a backflow valve that will keep me from flooding.
- With that said, Steinsville has a unique infrastructure and needs help. And so I have reached out to
- the Center for Rural Engagement. I did put in a grant. It's not a grant application, but an application
- for partnership.
- for the sustainable Hoosier communities. I don't know if we'll get it or not, but it's a step in the
- right direction. They also have tremendous resources and one of the resources they recently gave me
- was the Regional Development Authority and I will be writing them a
- a letter of inquiry for a development plan and the person we really need to get involved in this is
- Bruce Payton who works for Hanson Professional Services. It's a civil engineering service and I just
- want to put that name in your head, Bruce Payton. He was born in Steinsville. He remembers when there
- was a train coming through and he can give us the right plan for Steinsville. Commissioner Julie Thomas
- responded saying she was glad things were resolved and agreed that Steinsville's sewage system is unique
- I'm glad things worked out. I know we did it some ARPA funding related to the
- to the sewage issue, septic issue, and I know it is unique. Then county assessor Judy Sharp presented
- a request for funding for master services agreement to have three flights take new aerial imaging of
- the county over a six year period. The total funding would be $450,000 and six cents. The imaging called
- pictometry is aligned with Beacon GIS. Sharp outlined the request and her excitement for the new imaging
- which will have one-inch pixels. What's happened, and since we started this, you know what's happened
- in this county as well as I do. Look at the development. And this pictometry is another tool in our
- toolbox and everybody else's that works in the county.
- And the public, they use this tool like you cannot believe every appeal I have. They've used the tools
- that we have, which is fine, that's why we do this. But I think this one inch is gonna be so exciting
- when it finally comes in. Commissioner Thomas pointed out the lack of accurate property lines on GIS.
- Sharp said the issue is a matter of cost and emphasized that the service is not perfect. So that's why
- the taxpayers, the customers out there need to understand
- This is a phenomenal tool, but it's not perfect. It's not a survey. And you and somebody that's on the
- planning commission and all of that kind of stuff really understands that. The Monroe County Board of
- Commissioners will meet again on October 3rd.
- The Bloomington Board of Park Commissioners met on October 8. Operations and Development Division Director
- Rebecca Swift opened the discussion by talking about the proposed milestone rail trail improvements.
- The total is not to exceed $212,000 or $212,280,000.
- Speak right now, sorry, words, numbers. Anyway, milestone provide all necessary material labor equipment
- to complete the Bloomington ranch arrive to frosting. Mostly this is to realign the frosting to improve
- pedestrian safety. We're going to be putting in a new street light as well as an rapid flashing beacon.
- That's going to be pedestrian controlled.
- We are planning to pave each side of the road a certain section of the rail trail, but just to clarify,
- the rail trail will remain an unpaved trail for the most part. This is just to improve the apron on
- each side of the Rockham Street. There was a little bit of grading needed and some site restoration,
- but other than that, it's a pretty straightforward project. The motion to approve passed unanimously
- and without any questions.
- In order to move forward with the rail trail improvements, Swift also pushed for the approval of the
- temporary closure of the rail trail. In order to do the project I just presented to you, we do need
- to close temporarily, but full closure of the rail trail in this corridor. We're estimating less than
- 30 days. I put in here an estimated start date of October 15th, knowing that we had a delay a little
- bit for this special session, probably be more closer to October 20th.
- The contractor is estimating 21 days. It will not require a full trail closure that entire time, but
- it's better to assume the full construction schedule with. And there will be some temporary road closures,
- but obviously that is outside of this application. I am just requesting park board's approval of the
- temporary full trail closure of the rail trail. That motion also passed unanimously. The Bloomington
- board of park commissioners will meet again on October 21st.
- The Bloomington Utilities Service Board met on October 6. Environmental Division Manager Kelsey Thetonia
- requested approval of an amendment to a service agreement with McAllister Machinery. This is an amendment
- to an existing contract we have, and it is just to correct a small scrivener's error in the way the
- contract was first written. It is meant to renew for two extra years after year one. We are currently
- in year two.
- and it is just to clarify the amounts that year two and three are not the same as year one and that
- is due to the fact that the work in the contract, the inspection and maintenance on these generators
- varies from year to year as outlined in the scope. The board approved the amendment unanimously. Next,
- Assistant Director of Operations Hector Ortiz requested approval for an amendment to the service agreement
- with Potomac Electrical Services. This is to amend
- the contract, extending the expiration of the contract for three years instead of three months.
- It was. Next, utilities director Catherine Zager presented another resolution which included settling
- the 2026 salaries of appointed officers, non-union and AFSCME employees within the utilities department.
- We are not proposing any new positions. However, we are proposing quite a few changes to current positions.
- This is kind of added up after a couple of years as the new administration and new HR
- department had made adjustments using the crow salary study. We wanted to wait until after that had
- been implemented to propose our changes. So this is has, I suppose, piled up after a couple of years.
- So we will be changing a total of I believe 10 positions for a total of nine requests.
- to Council and we would like for your review and recommendation of these changes. The resolution was
- approved and will move forward to the Bloomington City Council for final consideration. The next Bloomington
- Utilities Board meeting will take place on October 20th.
- The Bloomington City Council met on October 8th to discuss approval of the 2026 budget. This followed
- weeks of scrutiny and growing tension between the council and Mayor Kerry Thompson's administration.
- The 2026 budget for the City of Bloomington totals over $65 million, with a $9 million deficit in the
- general fund. Councilmember Sydney Zulik walked through the three appropriation ordinances pertaining
- to the city budget.
- The committee of the whole considered the three budget ordinances appropriation ordinance 2025 dash
- 11 appropriation ordinance 2025 dash 12 and appropriation ordinance 2025 dash 13 during the committee
- of the whole meeting on September 24th 2025 and makes the following recommendations number one the committee
- of the whole recommends to the council the adoption of appropriation ordinance 2025 dash 11 number two
- The committee of the whole recommends to the council the adoption of appropriation ordinance 2025 12
- and number three the committee of the whole recommends to the council the adoption of appropriation
- ordinance 2025 dash 13.
- City Controller Jessica McClellan told the council that the proposed budget would reduce the projected
- deficit but would leave some cushion. McClellan said that the city would end up with an estimated $26
- million cash balance and a $9 million planned deficit. This is just a little bit more information for
- you about the deficit spending
- for next year, which is about $9 million. And that is purely from the revenues that we're receiving
- next year versus the spending that we have planned for next year. And I'm gonna update you one more
- time about the planned, the planned cash balance on the general fund at the end of 2026 is 26,161,215.
- So that $26 million is 40% of the operating budget. So we would have 40% reserves of our total operating
- budget. During public comment, local resident Eric Ost called for stronger transparency when it comes
- to the city's debt. Transparency, as the Thomson administration has said, is a value means more than
- posting data. It means understandable, making it understandable and accessible.
- The controller's goal to meet the public where they are is a great start. It's commendable. To truly
- be co-creators, council and administration should actively invite public input on budget engagement,
- making trade-offs visible and using modern tools such as Notebook LM to foster ongoing informed dialogue.
- Perhaps we could formalize public participation by inviting residents to join
- the fiscal committee or the budget task force. Leveraging community expertise will strengthen our shared
- path towards fiscal health. Thank you for your service to our community and for all of your good work.
- Also during public comment, retired financial auditor, Kevin Kehoe urged the council to delay passage
- of the budget, citing unresolved accounting errors. I'm concerned that the administration still is not provided
- a clear documented explanation for the so-called macro errors that reduce the projected budget deficit
- by $2.3 million, a material and significant error. When errors of that size appear between the accounting
- system and the budget document, the cause and impact should be fully reconciled and shared with the
- public before this council votes. Anything less
- leaves both the council and the community in the dark, whether the budget numbers are reliable. I understand
- that mistakes can happen in data transfers or spreadsheets. What's troubling is the lack of transparency.
- There has been no reconciliation, no errata sheet, and no technical explanation of how the macros failed
- or which accounts were affected. From a professional auditing perspective,
- I would urge the council not to approve the 2026 budget until those explanations can be made public
- and the corrected figures verified. And I would also add, since I have some more time than I thought
- I'd have, today's Herald Times, the front page. The mayor and city needs to cut spending. Thompson plans
- to use, and this is the figure, today's paper, $11 million in reserves to balance the budget.
- directly conflicts with what the controller said this evening. So anyway, I thank you for this opportunity
- to provide public input. Council member Matt Flaherty said that he would not vote to approve the budget,
- citing trust issues with the Thompson administration. I'm not going to be voting in favor of this year's
- civil city budget because I don't feel like I can in good conscience. Not a decision I make lightly,
- but it's a vote that's consistent with my values and what I think is right. And I'll do my best to explain.
- I probably will be a little short on time.
- It's also a bit about accountability for me, and I think the budget is a very poor accountability mechanism.
- There are much better avenues through conversation and collaboration, negotiation and agreements, things
- that have largely proven ineffective in my experience with this administration for 20 months. And I
- think without real accountability, we won't see real change, and so that's really the motivating factor.
- First, I think we are very much failing to meaningfully center our operationalized equity in city government,
- which is central for me as an elected official.
- Second, in ways that I think are harming our community, I believe this administration is failing to
- prioritize and pursue the outcomes we've set through community-driven legislative processes. And, third,
- quite sadly, really, I no longer consistently trust what this administration tells us based on their
- past actions and a pattern of behavior exhibited throughout their time in office. Also not in favor
- of the budget was Councilmember Kate Rosenberger, who says that she's lost trust with the mayor's office.
- It's hard that
- This is just one example of a place that like all honesty it just feels blown to pieces and I I do follow
- councilmember Flaherty in that like the lack of trust is so extreme for me. I want to use a no vote
- to show that.
- Other council members, including Dave Rollo, Isabel Piedmont-Smith, and Andy Ruff supported the budget.
- However, they urged fiscal caution amid state-imposed revenue limits. They praised the administration's
- move to provide a 2.7% cost of living adjustment for city employees. The council passed the 2026 budget
- with a vote of seven to two. The next Bloomington City Council meeting will take place on October 15th.
- And that is all for Cats Week. Thank you for joining us. For Cats and WFHB, I'm Annalise Poorman.