- Hello and welcome to Cats Week. I'm Annalise Poorman. On March 10th, the Monroe County Council met and
- addressed continuing service on Bloomington Transit Route 13. The route was set to be discontinued on
- March 15th. Commissioner's Administrator, Angela Purdy, explained why the motion is being presented
- at this time. My understanding is why it's coming here is
- Despite numerous conversations, I know that the commissioners tried to bring it up during the budget
- session that council needed to consider the appropriation of funds for this particular route. I know
- there was something in December on the council's agenda got removed after rural transit received their
- funding that they needed from the state. And I think also given the fact that there was no point in
- getting appropriation
- for the Bloomington Transit in December of 2025 because we just have to come back in in 2026. And so
- I believe that my understanding is Mr. Thomas and Council Member Trent Deckard have been involved in
- these communications with Bloomington Transit. And this is a continuation of last year's program for line 13.
- Council President Jennifer Crossley emphasized that the extension would only last for one year. Crossley
- says she's glad her daughter, who attends Ivy Tech Bloomington, will continue to have the option to
- take the bus to school.
- that it is, and again, thankful as a mom of a child who goes to Ivy Tech, this is another thing, if
- she doesn't have her parents' car, that she could go to one of these stops and go on over to the west
- side. Councilmember Trent Deckard outlined the continued route and the expectations of transit notifications
- if this path is modified. Deckard also shared the bus riders' concerns about potential changes. So this route
- departs from the Transit Center, and it goes to Walnut Street and 14th Street here in Bloomington. It
- then goes to its next stop at Will Detmer Park before heading on past that to Ivy Tech, which is located
- on the west side, of course. It goes then to Cimtra at Curry Pike, an employer that we've worked with
- here a couple of times, I think at least, then on to Garden Hill at Vernal Pike.
- Then goes to 17th Street and Lismore Drive before heading to College Avenue and 11th Street and then
- back at the Transit Center. Now, if there's any change to that, Transit would need to speak to that.
- I'd heard some rumblings about some tightening on it, but that is literally the route. I saw the Ivy
- Tech Chancellor today. He wanted to encourage this council.
- to support this. My understanding is that some of the life sciences employers also are greatly concerned
- about it and have spent the better part of two to three weeks trying to calm fears on that. And I would
- really urge all counselors in their dialogue and in their discussions about this issue and a lot of
- others, let's try to return maybe, maybe, I don't know, maybe it's not time, but to calming the public
- around resources
- and trying to direct them to them with information. And so this one is, this area is well known. There's
- more TIFs out there than you could shake a stick at. And the focus of this county has been off and on
- for 20 years there. Some of us think we need to get back to that area. Council member David Henry further
- questioned the possible financial implications and equity for the county's rural transit line. Purdy
- responded. Thank you. I guess the question I have then moving forward is so,
- The cost model for Bloomington 13 moving forward is going to be 100% funding I guess for this fiscal.
- If this council were asked to consider reviving, like if I were in the town of Ellsville right now and
- I wasn't calm but concerned that we didn't have that offer of 100% funding.
- is that are we pursuing other cost models for other modes of transit, urban to urban or urban to rural
- outside of the city limit? Now, I'm asking it to the ether, but if Ms. Purdy is still on, what prevents
- us from reconsidering funding rural transit at the same 100% that's being asked to do here out of economic
- development? Do you see any obstacle to that? Well, the fact that they don't need it because they're
- being funded from INDOT
- And negate that need. So after rural transit Eltsville couldn't afford the match. They went to attempted
- legislation and then got a grant from the state so they couldn't rely on their home county in the same
- generous way. So my concern is equity across the county for for
- transit outside of limits. And this is why, again, I think it's a competence question and I get calm
- when I know things are working well. And so I think our community deserves that conversation that we
- can handle the big boy conversations of this table, frankly. The amendment was unanimously approved.
- An interlocal agreement with Bloomington Transit was sent to the Monroe County Commissioners. The next
- Monroe County Council meeting is on March 24th.
- The Ellitsville Parks and Recreation Board met on March 9th and discussed revisions to the Heritage
- Trail trailer rental policy. Board member Jimmy Durnall said that the Ellitsville Town Council is considering
- removing the current requirement in the rental form. The form asks renters to provide a certificate
- of liability insurance with a minimum coverage amount of $100,000 with the Town of Ellitsville listed
- as additionally insured. Board members said the
- requirement is too complicated and discourages people from renting. I think it will detour a lot of
- people because that deposit is hefty. So far no one has even inquired about it really. No, it's it's
- just too much. Too much to. I guess to deal with the hassle. So as far as I mean, what would be eligible
- for claim if there's a deductible? There's just too many.
- different steps. So they've, I think, have decided to take that. According to the board, Heritage Trail
- rentals have increased, including one recent reservation for a wedding. The board voted to support the
- council's consideration of removing the insurance requirement.
- It moved on to hear a presentation from the Town of Ellitsville and Richland Township Reorganization
- Subcommittee on Parks, Recreation and Cemeteries. Subcommittee member Paula Anderson reviewed the available
- resources in the town and in Richland Township. We did a little bit of a dive into what's in Ellitsville
- and what's in Richland Township.
- According to National Park and Recreation Standards, we're sitting pretty good. Just going to be a little
- short on the amount of trails if the reorganization goes through. Anderson said the subcommittee recommended
- that the reorganization committee stick with a five-member board with two from Ellitsville, two from
- Richland Township, and one appointed by the school board.
- Anderson said it also recommended creating a parks master plan that could help the community qualify
- for grants and guide future development in the area. The Bloomington Board of Public Works met on March
- 10th and discussed an on-call service agreement with REA for Engineering Services. Bloomington Senior
- Project Engineer Neil Copper explained how this amendment would benefit the Public Works Department.
- This amendment increases the total contract amount to allow continued use, supporting various projects,
- particularly working on design for resurfacing contracts, supporting the Public Works Department. The
- amendment increases the total amount by $100,000 for a new total not to exceed of $404,143.60. The motion
- passed unanimously. Next, Copper brought forward another contract for improvements to curb ramps and
- crosswalks.
- This is a new contract for a project that is expected to include curb ramps and crosswalk improvements
- along both East 3rd Street and Atwater Avenue adjacent to IU campus. The project is programmed in the
- Metropolitan Planning Organization for federal funding support for both design and construction. REA
- was selected to perform the design services for the project based on their response to a request for
- proposals. The motion passed three to zero.
- Construction for this project will start in 2029. Next, Kyle Baugh, also from the engineering department,
- requested a sidewalk closure on North Grant Street on behalf of F.A. Wilhelm Construction at the Poplar's
- graduate apartment site. F.A. Wilhelm is requesting a sidewalk closure on North Grant Street as part
- of the Beverly Project located at 400 East 7th Street. This request is for facade work as well as final
- landscaping work,
- This requested closure would take place March 18th through April 10th of this year. Local resident Greg
- Alexander expressed concern about this lane closure, saying it is not safe for community members.
- proposal was affecting the summer, which was people like me and my kids walking in the street rather
- than undergraduates walking in the street. But this is happening in the middle of the semester, a very
- busy travel time, very busy visit time, family weekends. I'm telling you, every single time I was there
- and the Grant Street sidewalk was closed, which I go through there almost every day,
- I saw pedestrians in the street. It is very well used. There are going to be groups of drunk undergraduates.
- There are going to be groups of parents walking in the street on grant if you approve this closure.
- That's antithetical to our stated goals and the law in this instance. You're not allowed to close a
- sidewalk unless they have a walk around that fully reproduces the desirable characteristics of the original
- path. This motion passed unanimously.
- Lastly, engineering field specialist Zach Bell requested lane and sidewalk closures on South Sare Road
- on behalf of Duke Energy. This request is to accommodate boring of underground utilities. Traffic control
- would be in place for three weeks with the dates dependent upon approval. Duke has supplied maintenance
- of traffic plans for all work. They have also notified MCCSE and will modify their work schedule accordingly.
- The board approved the motion unanimously.
- The Monroe County Convention and Visitors Commission met on March 10th to provide updates on the innkeeper's
- tax revenue. CVC President Mike Campbell says while the innkeeper's tax collections appear higher for
- January 2026 compared to January 2025, it may look misleading. He says the current distribution numbers
- are one month behind due to a new system. It's the first two months this year.
- We are running a little ahead of where we were in the first two months, but that does have to do a little
- bit with the timing of when the business was reported. As you remember, back in April, the county adopted
- a new disbursement calendar, and so there were no disbursements in the month of April, and so everything
- now is one month back.
- at what you're seeing in January would typically match up with the December receipts and then February
- would match up last year with January receipts. So if you're looking at the $111,958 that's collected
- in February, that should really go against the January numbers from last year. Just to look at an apples
- to apples comparison, one reason that
- looking at that while we're behind in that month is there were a couple of properties that didn't report.
- I think the short-term rentals didn't report for the month, is that right? Did not come in during that
- month. Those are both weighing in the next months.
- Executive Director of Visit Bloomington, Mike McAfee, said the month of January saw a decrease in revenue
- from short-term rentals. He attributed partly to weather, but he added that there also appeared to be
- fewer short-term rentals available compared to last year. January 2026, short-term rental revenue is
- down 18% versus January 2025. Available listings were down 2% in February of 26.
- I do have the February report that was down 31% in revenue and their listings were down 6%. I do think
- that when I say listings are down a few percentage points, that's in January and February are always
- the lower one, the smaller ones. There's about somewhere between five and 600 listings available in
- the market. So when I say they're down, they're down 10 units or something like that. And it probably
- does have to do with the weather of those owners
- taking them on and off the market. But I do feel that the last few months, we've seen a little bit of
- decline versus 24 and 25 numbers in some of the units available. Even with the football season, I feel
- like it is going to continue to start to level out. So hopefully, because we've had this conversation,
- I feel there's too many in the market. And sometimes it's just not healthy sometimes.
- you know, instead of having 1,000 units available, we would certainly be better off with 500 and things
- like that. I do know that the mayor's office, it is still on their agenda to take a closer look at the
- regulation of short term rentals sometime this year. I don't know what that means. We do know that no
- matter what, all of the existing ones would be grandfathered in. So we'll keep an eye on that. I'll
- keep updating you with,
- things I think I might know. At the end of the meeting, Campbell said due to legislation coming out
- of the Indiana State House, the CVC will add a sixth member to the five person commission appointed
- by Bloomington Mayor, Kerry Thompson. The Ellisville Town Council met on March 9th. Council members
- addressed a resolution for the surplus of equipment in the Department of Public Works. This is a slide
- in type unit
- that slides into the back of a bed of a pickup truck and makes a regular pickup truck into a normal
- dump truck per se. And we don't use it anymore. And we're getting smaller, the smaller type built dump
- trucks. So I'm asking to surplus this by gov deals. The resolution passed unanimously.
- Town Manager Mike Farmer discussed potential challenges of putting on the annual Monroe County Fall
- Festival in the wake of recent flooding. I actually was down during some flooding issues. I talked to
- their superintendent and they do realize that they have the date and they're going to try to make it,
- but it's going to be close.
- Right now, you know, they had to take a couple steps back because they had to take their check dam out.
- So they're putting it back in today and it may rain again tomorrow night. But they are going to try
- to be out of there before the parade. And I think they tried the last time when it was eastbound and
- they made it happen. Councilmember William Ellis voiced his frustration at the lack of acknowledgement
- of a historic milestone for the United States.
- the 750th anniversary of the country. Well, that is true. At some time, not just us, but I don't think
- this year I don't see a lot of people talking about that. That should be a big friggin deal. I don't
- even know if you were around during 1976, which most of the people here. That was major and I don't.
- I mean, it just seems to be lost in the noise. Well, the town council says they should have a better
- outlook on this year's Fall Festival by the end of the summer.
- The next Ellitsville Town Council meeting will take place on March 23rd. The Monroe County Commissioners
- met on March 12th and discussed the expansion of the Bloomington Convention Center. County Attorney
- Jeff Cockerill provided background on the Convention Center expansion. In 2010, the county purchased
- those properties and they cost in the neighborhood of $3 million and they were purchased for the expansion
- of the convention center, including the location of a potential hotel. And that was, you know,
- five years, 10 years, 20 years down the line, it was paid through innkeeper's tax. And since that time,
- innkeeper's tax has been used to maintain the property and keep it in relatively working order in order
- for it to be able to still be used for that purpose. In February of this year, we have
- gotten a request from the CIB, which is the Capital Improvement Board, which is the board that is put
- in place to oversee the expansion and the Convention Center properties and things like that for those
- properties. And again, those were purchased with innkeepers tax dollars. And so right now we are exploring
- that transfer.
- We are aware that there are 17 tenants, residential tenants in those properties through three different
- buildings. We are working, we have had discussions with, and I don't know how, what's been communicated
- to the tenants yet or not, that we are working with the executive director of the apartment association,
- as well as tangently, Mary Morgan with Heading Home has been
- has been communicated with and they are prepared to help. He explained that over the course of development,
- the site of the proposed host hotel and parking lot has expanded to include Seminary Point apartments
- and surrounding properties. Due to this decision, the county notified tenants that their lease ends
- on July 7th. Cockrell says future goals include helping them to find a new place to live. During public
- comment, several Monroe County residents spoke out against this development.
- Community member Barry Herbers criticized what he sees as a lack of transparency and limited options
- for those currently living in Seminary Point apartments. Every single person in the Seminary Point apartments
- was just told, and I mean within the last few weeks, that they will be forced out of their homes in
- July, homes they had been asking for renewals for for six months, and you told them nothing. This is
- a college town, so that would be bad enough on its own.
- But the Seminary Point apartments are also the most affordable housing in Bloomington's core. I understand
- the county, that's you, claim that they have rehomed these people like they're animals. Now it sounds
- like you're not claiming that anymore. I guess that was a rumor you found out you were being lied to.
- Or if you were lying to us and we found that out first, unclear. But it was a lie. I know that because
- I did something that will shock you. I actually asked the people living there if they had been helped.
- The man I spoke to the longest is a recovering addict. He's also a father and a husband. He and his
- wife have one young child and a second one on the way. I asked him what his plans are when you three
- force him out of his home. He said, I have no idea. He told me he was laid off and that he's just trying
- to stay off the street. He said this apartment was a lifeline for his family. And you are cutting his
- lifeline. His pregnant wife's
- Lifeline. Now, it's tempting when you're accused of something like that to deflect and point anywhere
- but yourself, which you've already done. But I'm not going to let you do that because this isn't our
- first stop. We asked the Bloomington City Council months ago, why are you forcing these people out of
- their homes? They pointed at the county. I thought, fair enough, the county owns the building. So I
- spoke to the Monroe County Councilors multiple times. I asked them, why are you forcing these people
- out of their homes? They pointed at lawyers.
- So at that point, I started to get a little annoyed. I get emotional. I understand that. But we heard
- from a lawyer, and they pointed at you, three of you, the only three people. This is the end of the
- road. I don't really care who you decide, the council, the commissioners, or the lawyers. I just need
- you to answer the question honestly and without deflection. Why are you forcing the tenants of the Seminary
- Point apartments out of their homes? That is not rhetorical.
- What are you planning to do with this block once you've gotten rid of the people who live there and
- businesses who pay your innkeepers tax that you're so worried about? In lieu of an answer, I'm left
- to assume it's going to be a parking lot for the convention center that you want us to subsidize with
- more of our money that again is not yours. Others such as Chris Branham discuss the development as it
- relates to the lack of affordable housing in Bloomington.
- Branham emphasized the importance of prioritizing residents over tourists and providing more affordable
- housing in the area. And so I think there's a time to say, what are we going to prioritize in this moment?
- The comfort and pleasures of people from out of town coming in for a convention or our own people that
- were here to serve and help our neighbors.
- I can speak to my own mother. She is a bus driver in Bloomington, and she does not live in Bloomington.
- She couldn't live in Bloomington city limits on the salary she gets. Many of her colleagues are in the
- same place. When we count things in terms of we'll help these residents find something relatively close,
- and relatively in the same price point, that relative might be doing a lot of work. Local resident Aaron
- Comforti also pushed for the possibility of alternative legal interpretations for the restrictions on
- the innkeeper's tax. Given the housing affordability crisis, it seems well within reason to research
- alternative legal interpretations and analyses that would
- allow the county to fulfill its obligations under the state code as it relates to assets purchased through
- funds raised through the innkeeper's tax, while also protecting the Seminary Point Department's building
- and maintaining it as affordable housing. I really think that there are ways to do so and that it's
- very much worth doing.
- It's a really reasonable exercise for the county to investigate. The transfer of the properties will
- need to be approved by both the county council and the county commissioners. The next meeting of the
- Monroe County commissioners will be held on March 19th. And that is all for Cats Week. Thank you for
- joining us. For Cats and WFHB, I'm Annalise Poorman.