- Hello and welcome to Cats Week. I'm Annaliese Poorman. The Monroe County Council met on November 10th.
- At the meeting, County Commissioner Jody Madeira discussed the search for a new jail site with the council.
- She explained how they chose North Park for the new location. Now due to the time issue alone associated
- with Thompson, staff was directed to investigate North Park.
- and of course this appeared to be the last viable option and was eventually deemed the best location
- by both the council and commissioners. We signed a 2024 purchase agreement to purchase the North Park
- property in October and the council approved that in ordinance 2024-54 which fixed the terms and conditions
- for the purchase in November of 2024. A property on Vernal Pike subsequently became eligible in late
- 2024 but the only way to obtain sewer connection was to
- voluntarily annex that property and involuntarily annex all continuous property at an estimated cost
- of $875,000. To date, we have spent over $4 million on design work for North Park and property reports
- and surveys for other locations. Now in 2025, as we know, a couple of weeks ago, the appropriation was
- denied for the purchase of the North Park property, and there is currently no other property being considered
- or known as available.
- County Commissioner Julie Thomas stated that because of the council's denial, the project is now back
- to the drawing board, which will take a minimum of two years to complete. It's unfortunate to hear a
- lot of misinformation circulating in the public from the Chamber of Commerce, from city officials regarding
- things like transit where a plan exists, but
- We're not going to implement anything until the project's done. Treatment, which requires council funding
- and is an uncertain endeavor in the current political climate. In addition, the current jail facility
- cannot be remodeled. See the RGS and our QAW reports on the current building. The city wants us to work
- with them. Well, that sounds great.
- Where have they been for five years? Madeira and Thomas presented five questions for the council to
- answer in order to clarify a path forward for the new jail. They explained that the ACLU legal director,
- Ken Falk, will receive answers by January 8th as part of their required annual update. Council President
- Jennifer Crosley asked how they can find a compromise on the issue.
- is the ball in our court and collaboration when you just told us that we have to work within the deadline
- that you're giving us and we must work collaboratively with the sheriff, board of judges, prosecutor,
- public defender, clerk, probation with these things. I guess
- I hear you when you say the things related to our city colleagues, and some of those I definitely agree
- with. I think I'm a little frustrated and tired of sometimes elected officials talking, and we need
- to do. We can walk and chew gum at the same time, and we can walk it like we talk it, at least that's
- the motto I try to live by. But that being said, I do believe
- that because they also threw some stuff at us in the city, that this is an opportunity time for us to
- have collaboration with them. They spoke up and they said some things. Now it's time for them to be
- called to the carpet as well. So because the ball is now in our court, as you have mentioned, but then
- you give us these things to work with.
- How do you think that we can make our compromise much kind of like how we did with this conversation?
- How can we compromise in that? Council member David Henry said whatever decision is made should be done
- jointly because the commissioners and county council still do not seem to be on the same page. I think
- we need to be very clear about
- even the concept of consensus. Of course, when a project changes and implodes on itself, there's an
- opportunity to start talking about all the things that should be brought back to the table. That's what
- the public gave us. So I'm not concerned at all that we're back to a kind of creative destruction to
- figure out what we do here. I'm not even concerned that's an issue, but I would just be, we did have
- a consensus point. I think it's been repeated enough in the media that it has to be corrected. 7.0 unanimous
- is consensus, period, on that particular piece.
- would be figuring out the budget and having conversations about what Monroe County can do compared to
- what is possible under the new state law. So I don't really accept the idea that we will go down a path
- and ask these questions and talk to the stakeholders internally and end up exactly where we are because
- that is, to borrow a term from the City Council,
- deterministic, right? It's setting the, expecting that we're going to arrive at the same outcome. And
- I just don't think that's the case. So what I think we need to do is figure out how the budget works,
- what we can afford. And then we need to have serious conversations about what is nice to have relative
- to what other community is doing in Indiana. Co-location is not something every county in Indiana does.
- law enforcement has worked out ways to do transport of inmates from a facility to another facility in
- multiple counties in Indiana. And while it may be a state of the art practice or something that would
- be nice to have if we had unlimited resource, we don't. And also to say that we can't manage the risk
- management of that without that, I think it's just not accurate. It's the end of the day. So I think
- another thing this ordinance or this resolution should do is we need to get to common terms about
- what we all agree is actually happening or not happening. It has been suggested in the media that this
- is unconstitutional as is. I don't think that's the case. I think we've kept the jail constitutional
- within the agreement of the ACLU. I don't think we're agreeing on the terms. So if we can agree on common
- terms, common grounds, common understanding, common risk tolerance and budget, that will frame what
- this next step looks like.
- Let's be honest, co-location is what doubled the cost of the project. We know this and needs to be addressed
- and needs to be explained to staff that maybe this is a thing we're going to have to move away from
- if people want to be in new facilities. I'll just leave it there as a starting block and understanding
- others want to talk. Thanks. Medeira stated that she fears falling short. She also said the current
- prison cannot be remediated contrary to what counselors may think.
- I am also scared about building an unaffordable facility. I also fear building a facility that will
- be inadequate for the next 50 years. I'm really scared, like you, about not meeting the needs of inmates
- and prison personnel and Justice Department staff. And one more thing, I do disagree strongly with the
- idea that we don't have to build a new jail. And with the fact that that's not mentioned in the settlement
- agreement, while that may be technically true, if you look at the four corners of the settlement agreement,
- That.
- doesn't matter one whit, I think. So we have an envelope of documents. And it's that envelope of documents
- that that understanding is built on. It's not just the settlement agreement. We have to look beyond
- that. It's the studies that have been done. It's the committee meetings that have been held. It's the
- community surveys, including the CJRC surveys. It's the councils and the commissioners' actions that
- have been taken. And we've been moving forward as a community with one goal, which has been building
- a new jail and envisioning this new facility and this justice complex. So we can't suddenly say,
- years in that this is not the case and reverse course this material is on our website it's publicly
- available to every member of this community and we invite you to review that if you think it's just
- the settlement agreement so that is not just true we cannot just look at the four corners of the settlement
- agreement and call it a day and say we cannot build a jail we do not have to build a jail because it's
- not mentioned in that document that is a simplistic and false notion. The County Council will meet again
- on November 18th
- The Ellitsville Town Council met on November 10th and discussed a reorganization of Ellitsville and
- Richland Township. The Town of Ellitsville and Richland Township are exploring a proposal to reorganize
- into a single government entity. Town Manager Mike Farmer says the reorganization would protect public
- services, improve government efficiency, strengthen future economic and community development, and maintain
- a strong fire department.
- Councilmember Scott Oldham says that the proposal is not for an annexation. I want to make one quick
- comment for clarification. This is not an annexation. This is a merger of the two governmental bodies.
- Actually it's a reorganization. Reorganization, but I don't want people to think we're trying to annex
- the entire township.
- Farmer says following Senate Bill 1, small towns and townships are operating on smaller budgets with
- fewer resources. He says that there is a discussion at a state level to limit township governments
- altogether. The proposed reorganization allows Richland Township and Elselt to take the lead in shaping
- their shared future rather than reacting to outside decisions.
- This proposed reorganization would aim to give everyone, both in Richland Township and Elstville, a
- shared voice to shape the community. Through reorganization, local leaders hope to preserve what makes
- this area special while working smarter, planning more effectively, and building a stronger, more connected,
- reorganized town together.
- committees and subcommittees will be formed to study the costs, impacts, and feasibility of
- the reorganization. Councilmember William Ellis emphasized that the proposal is an exploration, not
- an action at this time. Councilmember Dan Swafford proposed an amendment to make all committee
- and subcommittee meetings open to the public so that town and township residents such as himself can
- hear all of the steps in the process.
- This is something that we have never done before. This is very big. And personally, I've lived here
- my entire life. I want to be a part of it.
- and I'm sure there's other people that would too. The council approved Swafford's amendment to make
- all meetings public. Oldham says that if the exploration becomes a plan, it will be voted on by everyone
- in Ellisville and Richland Township as a referendum in November, 2026. If it passes the board and the
- public, the joint governments will become an entity in January of 2027. Ellis says that the plan has
- to focus on transparency and doing what is best
- for all impacted residents. This is probably the most historic and the biggest thing that Ellisville's
- considered in their history. I mean and so definitely not taken lightly and if you're in the public
- and you're one that you know you're concerned with this or you like it or don't like it we'll be giving
- information on how to choose committee members and that so we want to hear from you
- because we do not want this to be decided by a small group and then rolled out. We have to make a campaign
- for Richland Township residents and the town of Ellisville residents that this is in their best interest.
- And that means, as Dan was saying, total transparency. And then the other thing is we have to make sure
- it benefits both and not one or the other. And so far,
- It's great that we're both looking to explore this and we will be an unstoppable town. Ellis added that
- if the reorganization passes, it could lead to the town changing its name. The town council approved
- moving forward with the exploration. An initial fiscal review with Baker-Tilley is scheduled for November 14th.
- The Bloomington City Council met on November 12th. The meeting began with a short presentation given
- by Director of Planning and Transportation, David Hill, on housing attainability in Bloomington. So
- we're considering potential unified development ordinance amendments and other housing policy changes
- to increase access to attainable housing in Bloomington. Again, please.
- So we're not doing this in a vacuum. This is not something that the city is undertaking on its own,
- of its own accord, without there being precedent. This is something that is really happening in all
- of the northern hemisphere. Cities everywhere are dealing with housing crises of their own, of different
- types. But it's a pretty widespread problem. And so what's developed is kind of a standard slate of
- ordinance.
- revisions of different types of zoning reform that we're seeing taking place all over the country especially
- and these are the these are the items that generally rise to the top of that list and that would be
- minimum and maximum lot dimensions short-term rental regulations cottage development regulations modestly
- scaled multi units duplexes triplexes fourplexes accessory dwelling units architectural standards
- on-site parking requirements, impervious service requirements, ground floor commercial and residential
- flexibility, permit process improvements, pre-approved plans, lender developer training, building codes.
- Next City of Bloomington planner, Jamie Kreinler provided more information regarding housing inquiries.
- To encourage gentle density, cities small and large have reformed their zoning codes to allow for middle
- housing in strategic locations. Minneapolis, Minnesota is known for being the first major US city to
- eliminate single family exclusive zoning, allowing duplexes and triplexes in all residential districts.
- Several states such as Montana, California, Washington, Maine, and Vermont have passed laws that mandate
- cities to allow middle housing options in low density residential districts.
- Other zoning reform measures that have been widely used across the country include allowing accessory
- dwelling units eliminating parking minimums removing restrictive design standards reducing minimum lot
- size requirements and incentivizing transit oriented development in the city of Bloomington. We also
- have affordable housing incentives that are currently in our UDO as well and those apply to the R1 R2
- R3 and R4 zoning districts.
- Kreidler explained how rehabilitating historic homes could be used as a way to address housing attainability.
- She said that repairing old homes can prove more cost effective as opposed to building new housing.
- Historic preservation is another tool for maintaining the existing stock of affordable homes while protecting
- neighborhood stability and character many pre 1970s homes are inherently affordable and preserving and
- rehabilitating these types of homes can contribute to addressing housing attainability in some cases
- it is more cost-effective to repair older homes than build new housing and occupying currently vacant
- units can help to fill the housing shortage gap and
- Looking at housing attainability through a historic preservation lens, common practices include
- deconstruction over demolition, affordable housing overlays with the creation of new historic or conservation
- districts, ADUs in historic neighborhoods, government funding for repairs to older homes, and regulations
- to Airbnb's which are frequently historic homes that attract visitors rather than providing permanent
- housing to locals.
- Later, Hill gave a second presentation about the trends and challenges that he has seen in Bloomington.
- Generally, a greater diversity of housing options is desired among stakeholders thus far engaged. We
- found that you're not going to find a lot of people that say, oh gosh, diverse housing, terrible. I
- don't like that at all. As you get talking a little bit more closer to home and in their specific
- neighborhood, then they maybe become a little bit more concerned about it.
- Leaves us to the second point is where there is concerned expressed about housing diversity. It's most
- often from neighborhood residents and and leadership Next slide, please those concerns include First
- and predominantly the idea that off-campus student housing pressures will overwhelm or are
- already overwhelming neighborhoods
- From that we get a loss of neighborhood character new buildings don't fit contextually new buildings
- are architectural downgrades from what they're replacing next slide The local residential market cannot
- compete with off-campus student housing market neighborhoods uniqueness its sense of self erodes as
- more transitory students replace more long-term neighbors and then traffic parking and student behavior
- and I actually
- put that last item last on purpose, traffic parking and student behavior, because I heard those complaints,
- but I didn't hear them nearly to the degree I expected. The next Bloomington City Council meeting will
- be held on November 19th.
- The Monroe County Commissioners met on November 13th. At the meeting, the Commissioners heard a motion
- to approve the Sophia Travis Community Service Grant Agreements. This year, 46 organizations applied
- and 42 nonprofits received money. Grant Committee member Molly Turner King presented the organizations
- to the Commissioners.
- October 28th, the council approved a distribution of $174,000 for the Sophia Travis grants program.
- The funds are being awarded to 43 nonprofit organizations that have projects related to one of the eight
- categories within the Sophia Travis ordinance. And those eight categories are food and nutrition security
- shelter and health, transportation assistance, climate change, emergency shortages, first responders,
- veterans assistance, excellence in government and or youth enrichment. County council member Liz Fiddle
- served on the grant committee. She said that funding requests doubled what the grants could
- cover. Commissioner Julie Thomas proposed amending the list of organizations to exclude Seven Oaks Classical
- School. Not only a situation where we have a
- school that is. Taking money from public taxpayer dollars, but also one that saw fit to sue us during
- COVID. And they. Did not work well with county health during that crisis, and I didn't appreciate that,
- but mostly it's because. Of the source of their funding for me, and I don't know if my colleagues want
- to add anything else.
- Fiddle defended Seven Oaks saying that they met the requirements. She says that the funding would help
- provide food to students in the school. The only requirement, as I remember, on the committee serving
- is that they needed to be a 501C3. So they met that requirement and we didn't delineate any of them
- because of that. Well, you had a council member who didn't want to fund Planned Parenthood either, so.
- Yes, that's right. Everybody was just fine with that, so. That's right.
- Fidel said that she approved of Seven Oaks receiving funding for the benefit of the students. Thomas
- said that she did not feel comfortable granting taxpayer money to a charter school. For me,
- there's like 13,000 going to Pantry 279, which is in that area. There are a number of other food security
- grants that are available. So I'm just not comfortable supporting a charter school
- for this purpose.
- The commissioners voted to exclude Seven Oaks. The total grants awarded amounted to just over $162,000.
- Next, the commissioners heard a motion to approve EMB Paving's contract for the Showers Building hardscape
- improvements. The improvements are for concrete, asphalt, and drainage improvements to the north parking
- lot and sidewalks at the Showers Building. Thomas said that the timing lines up well for elections.
- will be a parking area that will be accessible for early voters. Um. And that's a really important thing.
- And then the rest of the lot will be done in time for the general. So general election. So yes. Yeah.
- Excellent work. Good timing. I know it's going to be imperative that they hold to this schedule. So
- we'll be watching. But I know you will as well. And thank you for your hard work on this.
- The commissioners approved the motion. Later, the commissioners heard a request for Monroe County to
- work with Owen County on bridge repairs. The bridge connecting the two counties on Owen County Road
- needs new approaches. Thomas praised highway director Lisa Ridge for the cooperation that she has helped
- foster between Monroe County and its neighbors.
- wonderful highway department going out and helping Owen County a few years back during a massive snow
- storm and then the floods that's in 2020 the floods it was we do we do reach out and I appreciate that
- you've cultivated those relationships. I know if we ever need them we can call on them. The council
- approved the funding which covers half of the cost for the repairs.
- And that is all for Cats Week. Thank you for joining us. For Cats and WFHB, I'm Annalise Poorman.