- Hello and welcome to Cats Week. I'm Annalise Poorman. At their meeting on November 18th, the Richland
- Bean Blossom School Board heard a consideration from Superintendent Dr. Jerry Sanders to approve stipends
- for teachers, administrators, and support staff across the district. Looking at where we are as a school
- corporation financially and what can we do to
- reward people for their hard work, but at the same time put ourselves in a good position financially
- to give increases down the road in terms of for the teachers step on the salary schedule or increase
- to base hourly increases.
- We want to get ourselves into a position where we can do that. Sanders said teachers and administrators
- will receive a $2,000 one-time stipend and support staff will receive a stipend based on their current
- pay, duties assigned and number of days worked. The purpose of going the stipend route this year is
- to put ourselves in a really good strong position financially to move forward in giving increases like
- we traditionally have in the past.
- These stipends were approved unanimously. The board then heard a request from Sanders to shorten the
- school calendar from 185 teacher days to 183. With the course of state coming in and causing us some
- financial issues, we're looking for ways to cut back on our expenses. And so that'll save going from
- 185 days to 183 will save us $130,000 a year.
- So they get two more days off, but they lose those days. He recognized how often teachers work into
- the evenings on weekends and part of the summer. It was kind of my goal to try to address that. I'm
- disappointed that we're to this point, but it just seemed like a way that we could reduce some expenses
- without hurting people too much. The shortened school year was approved.
- The Monroe County Public Library Board of Trustees met on November 20th, where they reviewed the benefits
- offered to library employees. Human Resources Director Becky Throckmorton explained the benefits that
- the library provides, such as health, dental, life, and disability insurance. This year, insurance rate
- increases will cost the library an additional $79,000 for health insurance and $3,500 for dental.
- All of the rates go up just a little bit. And for our staff, it means a $10 to $15 per paycheck increase
- on one of our most expensive plans for their out-of-pocket costs. So trying to keep things affordable
- for folks. The board approved the new benefits plan.
- Next, outreach services manager Chris Jackson gave an update on the bookmobile saying the current vehicle
- is 15 years old, so it's nearing the end of its life. We have a 15-year-old bookmobile that is slowly
- and actually not so slowly anymore dying. The bookmobile has been in the shop for almost two weeks now.
- This is its second extended shop visit this year. It is
- almost on its last legs. So that's the sad news at 15 years, 15 to 20 years is the life expectancy.
- So we're in that range. It was not unexpected, but it's difficult where the crew is out there now using
- our van to try to do bookmobile service. So there's no browsing. It's just holds pick up and and and
- returns and once it starts getting colder, it's going to get even less comfortable. Jackson said that
- there is currently a new bookmobile being built and that it should be ready for use by
- in 2026. Starting in the new year, they will be building it out by adding the shelves and the electrical
- and the HVAC and the cabinetry and workstations and everything that turns what's basically a big UPS
- truck into what is a cozy, friendly library that happens to sit on four wheels. Jackson said that the
- bookmobile makes 30 stops every week. The next meeting of the Monroe County Public Library Board of
- Trustees will be on December 10th.
- The Bloomington Transportation Commission met on November 17th. City engineer Andrew Seabor reported
- on the intersection of East 17th Street and North Eagleson Avenue, where two serious crashes occurred
- within the last 12 months. In both incidents, pedestrians were struck and seriously injured. Seabor
- updated the commission on the progress that they've made and their plans to make the intersection safer.
- Since the crash happened, I guess just wanted to to give some updates really on what's happened What
- I think will happen in the in both the near and the long term So since the crashes the most recent crash
- happened our Public Works Street Department did put in some in-street pedestrian crossing signs to help
- raise awareness and visibility of those crossings we've asked some city crews to do some additional
- tree trimming just to improve some line of sight for pedestrians that are waiting at the crosswalks and
- We've also reached out to Duke to do a photometric analysis just to see what the lighting conditions
- are there at night There is street lighting but just to evaluate what is that lighting level should
- should something more or different to be evaluated there And and we have engaged with IU we were already
- planning on meeting with them independent of the crashes But those are just some some immediate things
- that have actually already happened Looking maybe still near term. I'm still hopeful that
- Maybe before the end of this year, I need to follow up with our public work staff, but essentially wanting
- to lay out we have An idea to further improve safety in a near-term way with city crews
- essentially trying to do what we would have done with a federally funded capital project, but more near-term,
- more quick build. Later in the meeting, Laura Gao, a resident of Bloomington, recommended improvements
- to the intersection at College Mall Road and Covenanter Drive.
- This intersection has no stationary sign signage with left turn yield to oncoming traffic left turn
- yield to pedestrians instructions as many other intersections do have such as at Third Street and Pete
- Ellis Drive as a nearby homeowner who has had family members use this intersection up to three times
- a day often with Kroger's as the destination. I am aware that drivers cut off and flip off pedestrians
- crossing in the crosswalk when the pedestrians have the white light to do so.
- pedestrians have to halt or wave proactively to drivers to indicate their presence. Some elderly neighbors
- told me they prefer to jaywalk further to the south rather than use the crosswalk. Gow described her
- own experience of being struck by a driver while trying to cross the intersection. She asked that the
- commission make improvements at the intersection, including repainting and signage. My city contacts
- have told me that this is a known dangerous intersection.
- So I am begging the Transportation Commission to move forward with speedy signage and pavement painting
- improvements. Besides this one, please consider flashing yellow arrows and stationary yield to pedestrian
- signage at other known dangerous intersections in this growing city, as well as easily visible white
- pavement demarcations. That is what you can do. Seaborg responded to the suggestions, explaining that
- the city's study to update traffic signal timing in Bloomington has been delayed.
- For context maybe some reminders or things that might be forthcoming that maybe I haven't shared before
- Is the city does have an ongoing? Study to update the traffic signal timing of all of our signalized
- intersections and that projects been in development for a long time Partially due to our lack of having
- a filled traffic engineer position But expecting to make real progress on that early next year because
- we have filled that position so
- So yes signal timing certainly will be evaluated just as a part of that at this intersection in all
- intersections throughout the city And then the comment about flashing yellow arrow. I think just generally
- speaking Wanting to state that as we're modernizing our signals intersections and there are left turn
- lanes That is I think becoming our common go-to and expectation That the trick is in a location like
- this. It's not actually just an easy thing to swap out a signal there's a lot of rewiring and actually
- Would need to add another signal because that would be just for the left-turn movement So it's just
- I guess my point is that it's not a quick and easy thing just to put in a different signal head Commissioner
- Stephen Voland said that this accident highlights why the Commission exists and that more research is
- needed I think that the chief I regret that he's not in the room that he was sensitive to criticism here and
- It's understandable. I think that this is one aspect of the policy that we need to change I don't expect
- a police officer to I don't I kind of don't blame them yet for using the term accident or for treating
- You know for not really thinking Harder about writing a citation for someone who caused injury But we're
- busy measuring fatalities and serious injuries throughout the city
- And here is an example of a serious injury that we have direct testimony from someone who said that
- my life was changed for this and We hear from mr. Drumme that you know it all but doesn't go Recorded
- so that it can be cited in court later. It's a thorny problem We can't expect the chief alone to solve
- it and we shouldn't It's literally why we're here. And so I think that's why this is an excellent inquiry
- that really needs to be
- at least researched more. I just don't know what I'd recommend in that second case, um, except more
- research at the moment. Although I'm certainly open to entertaining any, um, any motion for a resolution
- to that end. Commissioner Hopi Stasberg moved to approve a petition that would examine the intersection
- and change it to align with other greenways in town, including added signage.
- I heard a number of calls for infrastructure improvements at the intersection. I think we should take
- those collectively and then leave it to our staff to come up with final recommendations there. One way
- to bundle them together is to think about it as part of our greenway network, which is a higher comfort,
- higher safety part of our street system that is designed for vulnerable road users. I think we don't want
- to always respond to every case with like, oh, there was a crash. We should do better at that intersection
- because we have a lot of crashes. But this is a case where we are trying to have a system that is safer
- for our vulnerable real users. And this intersection, I think, has failed us. So the petition I would
- propose is to have the staff revisit the College and Covenanter intersection as part of our Greenways
- network and bring it up.
- review the standards and bring it up to our safety standards for our greenway system. The commission
- approved the motion unanimously. The Bloomington Redevelopment Commission met on November 17th. During
- the meeting, the commissioners denied all public offering bids for three blocks of the Hopewell East
- development. Commissioner Dana Kerr said that the submitted proposals were not adequate for the project.
- Bids that did come in were
- not ones that would be able to be completed based on limitations of funding and such. And so there also
- it became apparent that public offering wasn't necessarily realistic to that project.
- there's going to be a change in direction on how to go with that. But one thing that we need to do is
- just to reject those bids that we see with the public offerings that are in the resolution. And then
- we can move forward and start evaluating other alternatives for that area. Commissioner Anna Killian
- Hansen asked if there was a timeline to share with the public.
- I don't know that we have a specific timeline. Of course, we're trying to get all areas of Hopewell
- going as quickly as possible. And so it's quite the undertaking right now on the South, but we're getting
- there. I would anticipate having a new offering sometime in 26. Next treasurer, Jessica McClellan spoke
- to the commissioners about resolution 25-135 regarding the redevelopment commission's annual spending
- plan. We are presenting to you for the second time
- RDC spending plan that has to be approved by the RDC and submitted to the DLGF. And this outlines very
- broad categories what the RDC is going to spend money on in the upcoming year. Most of the expenses
- are in, what's that category called?
- most of the expenses are in capital expenditures, and that includes I believe over nine million dollars
- in bond debt service payments. Oh no, debt payments is up above an A. In capital expenditures, that
- comes from kind of an estimate of what was spent over the last two years in things such as Hopewell,
- sort of very traditional RDC infrastructure expenses. So
- That is where the bulk of your spending will come from next year. That's what we're planning on. Commission
- member Randy Cassidy asked about the flexibility of the plan. Based on this funding, the spending plan,
- that gives us adequate flexibility to maneuver in any of these Hopewell or other areas that we have
- so we don't have any to come back and realign this spending plan. We have adequate flexibility within
- this. You are correct.
- If we wanted to amend the spending plan, if something came up, we would bring the spending plan back
- to you in the year in which you want to do that spending and then it's completely fine if you ever in
- the future want to amend a spending plan. Is that something that we would then have to present to DLGF
- in regards to? And we would just send it up to DLGF, yep. As soon as you sign it, then we would send
- it up and we would just continue on our way. The resolution passed unanimously.
- The Monroe County Community School Corporation Board of Trustees met on November 18th. Chief Financial
- Officer Matthew Irwin gave the quarterly financial report detailing current progress and future projections.
- This is the slide that shows what it is that the school corporation was facing as of December of 2024.
- And so as I try to orient you to what you're looking at on the slide,
- is the numbers inside of the bar, inside of the colors, that's the fund balance of the respective fund.
- The number at the top or the bottom is the cumulative total of those fund balances. So the ones that
- are at the top that are showing there above the zero, those are places where there was a cumulative
- total that was a positive fund total. The ones at the bottom shows a negative. And if you follow the
- trend all the way out to 2028, you see the high-paced decreasing cash balances
- across the funds, and as it gets all the way out to 2028, as much as over $30 million in deficit. So
- therein lies, it just kind of shows that quick reference point of what the school corporation was facing,
- why the two-year strategy was enacted. Later, Assistant Superintendent of Human Resources and Operations,
- Jeffrey Henderson, discussed potential uses for the former Harold Times building. MCCSE purchased the
- building three years ago.
- Those include operational efficiencies that would include large group training and meeting space, warehouse
- for materials, equipment storage, additional bus parking, office space that might involve the relocation
- of MCCSC departments to a more central location, more easily accessible by parents. Services that were
- discussed were a dedicated boardroom, a welcome center,
- for families that might also include a centralized enrollment point and some support services that most
- directly support students and families potentially being centrally located. So there was kind of a one-stop
- shop for a family who was moving to Bloomington, enrolling in MCCSC schools. They could go to that welcome
- center and have access to multiple departments all in one location that are currently spread throughout
- the corporation. Currently,
- We are utilizing the property for material and equipment storage. Board President April Hennessy said
- that the building is primarily being used for storage space and bus parking at the moment. She said
- that if there are any new ideas for the building's use, the school corporation would need to find alternative
- spaces for the overflow storage. Those things would have to move somewhere. Now, whether they can be
- moved into existing buildings or we'd have to find storage space of some sort,
- we don't know that stuff needs to be examined and then yes there is the cost of that right because the
- cost of maintaining the building as it is in this very moment is not extraordinarily high though we
- know that there are probably some things that need to happen like the roof needs to be done and HVAC
- system needs to be updated so there will be costs affiliated with if we decided to keep the building
- and not do any massive repair or renovation to it there would still be costs to
- maintain and upkeep the building. The next MCCSC meeting will take place on December 16th. The Bloomington
- City Council met on November 19th where they heard an amendment to the Unified Development Ordinance
- that would allow owner-occupied homes to rent out up to three individual bedrooms. Deputy Clerk Susan
- Stoll explained the legislation. Ordinance 2025-41 to amend Title 20, the Unified Development Ordinance
- of the Bloomington Municipal Code
- regarding use table amendment, single room occupancy. The synopsis is this amendment modifies table
- 03-1, allowed use table, use standard specifics, use specific standards, as well as several definitions
- within the unified development ordinance to allow for the use single room occupancy as directed through
- council resolution 2024-25. This ordinance is in accordance with Indiana code 36-7-4
- Development Services Manager Eric Grulick said that this amendment would remove owner occupancy restrictions
- in the city code. So as kind of prefaced here, this is a response to a council resolution directing us to
- Investigate changes to the unified development ordinance regarding the use of residential rooming house
- to incorporate potential new use single room occupancy Paying attention to various items that were outlined
- in that resolution Some of those were making this a allowed use in some capacity in multiple zoning
- districts removing the owner occupancy restriction and looking at ways that we can promote this use
- within the community and and allow this
- in lots of different locations and zoning districts Councilmember Dave Rolo said that he has concerns
- about the proposal He said in his view the city should err on the side of caution What I'm concerned
- about is the potential for families to occupy say five individuals Two parents and three children or
- something to occupy a single room. That's possible Because we can we're not going to regulate children
- So I think to err on the side of caution we should we should limit it to one the the other potential
- is that I mean, I think we already have a problem with Owner occupancy in our community the availability
- of single-family homes Airbnb's are taking them off the market private equity firms are purchasing them
- We're adding another incentive here
- the purchase of a home that's very lucrative that then could essentially double the occupancy charge
- rent cover the mortgage payment and I think that that is completely conceivable if This was not a university
- town. It probably wouldn't matter but that is the context we're living in right now and
- Rollo introduced an amendment to limit rentals to one adult per bedroom, which he said would prevent
- overcrowding. Grulick outlined some challenges to this amendment. The challenge with that is it really
- just kind of puts us back to literally exactly the situation where we're at now, where you can have
- one unit, three bedrooms, one person in a bed. And so we haven't really done anything. So that I'm just
- pointing out that that would be the implication, obviously, of that amendment.
- That would be for the council, obviously, to decide if that's something they want to pursue. Rollo's
- amendment failed. Ultimately, the council voted 7-2 in favor of the ordinance, with council members
- Andy Ruff and Dave Rollo voting no. And that is all for Cats Week. Thank you for joining us. For Cats
- and WFHB, I'm Annaliese Poorman.