- Hello and welcome to Cats Week. I'm Annalise Poorman. The Monroe County Election Board held a special
- meeting on March 31st. County Clerk Nicole Brown updated the board on a ballot scanner test.
- On March 24th, Monroe County conducted a test of six scan devices and a high-speed scanner using a test
- deck of 3,988 ballots in preparation for the May 5th, 2026 primary election. Equipment used is from
- Highland Village Elementary,
- of the Nassau rain polling locations per state random selection method. All results were as
- Excuse me. Test results are certified, correct, and accurate, respectfully submitted. Robert A. White,
- who is the owner of BNL IT Services. According to Brown, 29 people showed up for the testing compared
- to six last election. Election Supervisor Kylie Farris gave an update on the postcards being mailed
- with election dates and details.
- And they will start seeing people's mailboxes at the beginning of next week, which will be perfect timing
- since that has information about early voting. And that will give them the information for that, as
- well as having information about how to request an absentee ballot by mail and how to find their location
- for election day. It will have a QR code on there that takes them to the map that they can type in their
- address. And it will tell them which location they are to go to on election day.
- We also will have a second wave of postcards going out. Those ones will be a bright yellow postcard
- and those will be sent to every registered voter in the county and it will tell them where their polling
- location is since we've had so many updates to the polling locations and with the new location of early
- voting. And then for the important upcoming dates. The last day for voter registration will be April 6.
- Voters can register with a valid Indiana driver's license or state-issued ID. Ferris said that the paper
- IDs with a barcode will be accepted. The first day of early voting will be April 7th. Fleet and building
- manager Richard Kreider said the early voting location is operational for voting to start next week.
- Ferris said Election Center will be moved into the first floor of the Showers building and the second
- floor will be used for training starting April 13th.
- The primary election will be held on May 5th. The League of Women Voters held a candidate forum on March
- 30th, where they hosted the three Democrats running for county clerk, Tanner Branham, Tree Martin Lucas,
- and Joe Davis. Moderator Alana Stonebreaker asked the candidates what role the clerk should play in
- voter registration and voter turnout. Branham emphasized that he would like to see greater turnout with
- young voters.
- pretty confident that if early voting started tomorrow, we'd be just fine. I have us down, I think,
- five business days away, so that's coming up quick. We have a short punch list of items to complete
- that I think we're gonna handle in-house. So we are now kinda looking ahead and moving forward to moving
- staff down into the new space.
- Martin Lucas outlined how the clerk's office can boost voter participation while remaining nonpartisan.
- Getting people registered to vote and to participate in our electoral process is something I'm deeply
- passionate about. I am currently the chair of the Monroe County Young Democrats, and in that role I've
- been tabling at every possible event we can to get young people engaged with politics and registered to vote.
- So I'm very passionate about that. And in the office, I hope to do a lot more voter outreach, especially
- using modern tools, modern technology. Social media, obviously, that's where people are. And that's
- how you have to reach them these days if you want to get people involved. Brannum agreed, saying he
- believes the clerk's office should keep some distance from politics. He also emphasized transparency
- in the clerk's office. This question matters a lot to me.
- and I've put some research in it, so I'm going to tell you what I feel. I believe the clerk's office
- plays a critical role in making voting accessible while always remaining nonpartisan. There's that word
- again, nonpartisan. And if we're serious about strengthening voter engagement, we have to focus on four
- things, clear information, accessibility, smart technology, and real community outreach. First,
- Engagement starts with understanding. Voters deserve clear, consistent information about registration
- deadlines, early voting, and where to vote. And we have to do a better job of reaching younger people,
- meeting them in schools and on the digital platforms they use every day. Second, accessibility matters.
- Voting location and hours must be convenient, well publicized,
- and supported by real people who can answer questions and help voters when they need it. Third, technology
- should make things easier, not harder. I will continue improving online tools so voters can quickly
- check their registrations, understand their options, and feel confident walking into the process.
- The moderator then asked about vote centers. Vote centers are polling places that combine multiple precincts,
- allowing voters to choose the location they prefer, regardless of their home address. Martin Lucas voiced
- strong support, saying centers prevent ballots from being thrown out. Well, I, of course, want to bring
- a nonpartisan attitude to the office. I want to work bipartisan with our Republicans. I want them to
- feel welcome in the office.
- I want to treat my personal political views as separate, right? Tanner, the political activist, the
- campaign manager is different from Tanner, the clerk's employee, the clerk, the potential future clerk.
- So yeah, that's how I want to approach the office and ensure that there is no ethical concerns there.
- Transparency, I want the office to be as transparent as possible. I want our data to be accessible online,
- easy for people to find whenever they need it.
- The other two candidates also expressed support for vote centers. However, candidate Joe Davis says
- it could make it harder for rural voters to cast their ballots. Vote centers, I love them. For the simple
- reason, on provisional day, we have to cast out so many votes because people went to the wrong precinct.
- Can you vote? Absolutely you can vote. You can vote anywhere you show up. Will your vote count?
- No, it won't. The board will not accept your vote and it's thrown out. If we had vote centers, all of
- those votes would matter. Everyone would still have that voice. Stonebreaker asked how to gain the trust
- of the public. Davis responded that ethics and transparency are of the utmost importance. He also urged
- the clerk's office to be as nonpartisan as possible.
- I agree with my colleagues. I think that vote centers are a way of the future, but it comes down to
- a question of convenience versus efficiency. If they're vote centers, that probably means that it's
- going to be necessary to close some of the existing precincts. Some of those are very disparate from
- the center of Blooming, or the center of Monroe County.
- So those folks, those very rural locations, they will need to be able to have other convenient means
- of getting registered to vote or voting on the ballot. That means an increased outreach with mail-in
- voting. That means trying to enable the most opportunity for early voting so that people can early vote
- when they come into Bloomington. So vote centers, yes.
- But we have to consider that with vote centers, probably they'll be closing the closing of many of our
- more rural precincts. And that is hard on the elderly. It's hard on the student who might be going to
- Ivy Tech, who lives out almost at the reaches of one of our neighboring counties. So let's continue
- to have this discussion
- make sure that it's transparent and bring the most logical way for us to have everyone be able to access
- the ballot equally with equity. Thank you very much. The League of Women Voters will host a health care
- discussion with candidates from U.S. House District 9 on April 7th.
- Bloomington Mayor Carrie Thompson delivered her State of the City address on March 31 at the Buskirk
- Chumlee Theater. Thompson focused on promoting the Hopewell South project, which was delayed by the
- City Council this week for the third time. The mayor calls the project a quote, once in a lifetime
- neighborhood, end quote. Thompson touched on the housing affordability crisis and how she intends for
- Hopewell to affect it.
- We all agreed to high standards when it came to our neighborhoods. We all want housing that is safe,
- sustainable, and built to last. But we also have to be honest about the moment that we're in. Costs
- are rising. Wages aren't keeping pace. Just yesterday, Novo announced layoffs impacting 400 people.
- At the same time, state and national decisions continue to influence wages and costs in ways that we
- don't control locally. Like all projects of this significance, the proposal has been shaped through
- expansive outreach and engagement. We've engaged experienced planners and designers renowned throughout
- the country for their innovative work to advance housing that is attainable.
- Local lenders, builders, developers, and housing experts have weighed in on what works in Bloomington
- to make a project like this truly viable. We've collaborated with the public, with city council, with
- city departments, and the Redevelopment Commission and Plan Commission. It takes time for a project
- to reach a point of action. Hopewell would be difficult to deliver in today's environment without sustained
- public leadership.
- Together with our council, I agree. This project is worth the work. And we all share the same vision
- for it. Attainable housing in Bloomington. She said the Hopewell South development is just one phase
- of the broader push to redevelop the former IU Health Hospital site. She maintained that it will not
- solve the housing crisis in the city, but she views it as a step in the right direction.
- Hopewell South is just the first phase of a much larger neighborhood. For this phase, the administration
- made a clear choice to focus on two things, homeownership that more people can attain at market rates,
- and a neighborhood that connects the residents to opportunity. On those two goals, this plan delivers.
- It doesn't resolve every challenge. No single project does. But it moves us forward. And in a housing
- crisis, that matters more than perfection. As an administration, we take responsibility for our part
- of the ongoing housing puzzle. Outside of Hopewell, we are working to clarify expectations and legal
- boundaries, align departments, reduce red tape,
- and generate a clearer path from concept all the way to construction. Our existing UDO does not always
- allow us to build the kind of housing we say we want. That's why we use tools like a PUD to create a
- path to actually build housing. We'll keep improving our code, refining our tools, and learning from
- this work. This is not an either or. It's both.
- We have to stay focused on outcomes. Where process adds cost without improving the result, it moves
- us in the wrong direction as a community. We have capable local builders and we have standards that
- support energy efficiency. And this is where we shift from discussion to delivery. I'm confident we'll
- get to the finish line with Hopewell because we share the same vision for attainable housing in Bloomington.
- And that alignment is what matters most. The mayor also discussed updates from the city police and fire
- departments, infrastructure investments, efforts to address homelessness and flock cameras. To view
- the full state of the city address, you can visit catstv.net.
- The Monroe County Board of Zoning Appeals met on April 1st and discussed an appeal from Holloway Homes
- for an agricultural event center. County resident Bill Hayes expressed concern about the appeal because
- of the construction noise and blind spots on the proposed stretch of road. The last thing I want is
- construction noise at the top of the, it's west of my home. There's a stand of trees that,
- is a wonderful, because I'm on the highway, there's a stand of trees there. There's a fence. I have
- a horse and a donkey. There's an area fenced in beyond the fence, which is still my property, is a line
- of trees. And it's a wonderful sound barrier from the trucks and things that pass on 37. I just think
- it, and by the way,
- If you've been on this stretch of Smithville Road, there are two blind spots on the road. You literally
- can't see traffic coming. One to the west, one to the east. It's just a dangerous stretch of the road.
- And I simply value the privacy. The last thing I want is a wedding venue with loud noise, and not to
- mention construction of homes, and how disturbing that will be
- to my property. Sycamore Land Trust will own it at my death. It's now a conservation easement. Thanks.
- More members of the public spoke disapprovingly of the appeal, citing concerns with water pressure and
- dangerous travel conditions. Tyler Holloway said he thinks the public should not be worried. We are
- just wanting to build the event center and do the farming activities.
- I think as far as the traffic, we're going to make sure we can make it as safe as possible. The water
- is something we've looked into. I live on Zikes Road, have the same water, and I seem to have plenty
- fine pressure. So as far as that, just wanted it to be clear, we're not attempting to build houses anymore,
- just the event center.
- After deliberation, the board voted four to one to deny the appeal. The board moved on to hear a request
- from Joel Koss to build a small hunting cabin on a property off South State Road 446. Board member Guy
- Lofman clarified the issue stemmed from the proximity of the proposed building to the property line.
- Koss explained his reasoning for placing it there. Well, because of the way the land grades slopes down,
- we would have to bring in more dirt
- which would cost us more money in the end, but plus we don't really want to disturb too much of the
- land. I mean, behind the trailer, it's kind of grown up naturally and it's returning to nature and we
- don't really want to mess with any of that if we can help it. So that's basically why we want to put
- it off to the side out of the way. The motion passed. The next meeting of the Monroe County Board of
- Zoning Appeals will be on May 6th.
- The Richland Township and Town of Ellitsville Reorganization Committee met on April 1st and discussed
- planning and zoning for the reorganization. Planning Director Denise Line said property will remain
- zoned functionally the same if the reorganization passes. We will be, of course, amending our unified
- development ordinance and our comprehensive plan accordingly to include the rural district and town district
- no intention of changing any zoning for anybody, whether it's in the town or the township. Lyon said
- the town's zoning map will be updated to include Richland Township. She said that there will be public
- hearings so residents can give input. Our intent is to have it ready, go through the planning commission.
- You know, it's probably going to take longer than one meeting. That'll be
- there'll be public meetings before that and then a public hearing at the planning commission. And then
- however many meetings that takes, then they will make a recommendation to town council and then it'll
- move on to town council. And it may take a few meetings to get through the town council.
- Subcommittee member Jerry Sanders emphasized that residents of both the town and township will be represented
- in zoning decisions. Line said planning and zoning subcommittee members focused on the rural district
- in their draft. So I just wanted to tell you the subcommittee when we were talking about the rural district
- in the report said the subcommittee recognizes the importance of preserving agricultural uses and rural
- character within the rural district.
- And the subcommittee recommended agricultural zoning protections be maintained, the right to farm principles
- be incorporated into development standards where appropriate, and zoning districts within the rural
- district reflect existing development patterns and infrastructure availability. So I don't know if that
- helped answer your question. The committee agreed that landowners can ask for a rezone, but the current
- zoning should be preserved in the reorganization.
- During the meeting, the committee completed the draft plan for the reorganization. It will be voted
- on at their next meeting to determine if it will continue to the Township Board and Town Council. The
- Bloomington City Council met on April 1 and continued discussion on the Hopewell South planned unit
- development.
- Consultant Ali Thurman explained that new regulations and property lines would cause the housing project
- to lose 14 homes and three accessible units.
- the council deliberated on reasonable conditions such as lenders, mortgages, and permanent or temporary
- affordable housing. Mayor Carrie Thompson, who has been a vocal advocate of the Hopewell South project,
- shifted her tone and advised the council to postpone further discussion. She suggested that the council
- not hold a final vote if council members plan to make large changes to the PUD. I call on every council member
- and myself to conduct a series of meetings throughout the month of April to pound out the final details
- of Hopewell's initial phase. Our staff team will prioritize this, and I would ask that you do the same,
- to maximize the input and ensure that we use our time allotted with the urgency that this deserves,
- the urgency
- that is felt by people wanting to find attainable housing here in our city, including using your next
- deliberation session and any added meetings that might be needed in order to hammer through all of these
- details. During public comment, local resident Steve Bishop addressed council members and inquired about
- their qualifications to make such a decision. If you all would indulge me really quick, anybody on the
- council involved in real estate,
- any of you with a lending background. Because I hear a lot of conjecture around both those topics and
- I don't see any experts on the panel or any being convened to talk in front of you, which is a real
- concern because you're making a lot of choices for people that also don't have those professionals,
- you know, either as a background or someone they can lean on.
- The point of affordability that you keep focusing on really doesn't come into play at all. You all have
- the purview to help with attainability, which is the purchase of that home. You don't have anything
- to do with affordability because you don't have control over taxes or insurance. Indiana currently leads
- the country in foreclosures because people can't afford their escrow accounts. That's taxes and insurance.
- So unless you plan to cap those somewhere,
- there is no affordability permanence for any of this. Nathan Ferreira, the executive director of the
- Bloomington Housing Authority, commented on the value of the project and the importance of the council
- acting now. Hopewell South was perfectly designed for this. We had heard about these designers before
- they even came to town. They're doing this work across the country and they know what they're talking
- about, so I just wanted to express my support.
- This project really matters because it gives us a chance to test new approaches Expand access to ownership
- and build a stronger pipeline for attainable housing It's not about replacing existing models. It's
- about complementing them We're not going to figure out what works best in Bloomington unless we try
- something I've had several conversations with with you all around affordability and and others in the
- last few weeks or several of you not with all of you, but
- If we push too far we were on the risk of making this project financially infeasible Or delay it to
- the point that it doesn't move forward and it has to be abandoned And I would pose the question what
- happens then does it get sold? Does it go market? The council continued to debate on the conditions
- Councilmember Hopi Stasberg addressed the approach of the council. I do think that that we're all kind
- of proceeding about this with like the
- Thoughts in mind for Bloomington and once again, it's like yeah, it is really important to put that
- into perspective I think it's a really
- almost like this like false concept that just because we're all Democrats mean that we always have to
- agree and I think that it makes better government and better decisions when we actually have debate,
- when we actually have conversations, when we actually share ideas and challenge each other on our ideas.
- The Bloomington City Council unanimously decided to further delay discussion of the Hopewell South project
- until their next meeting on April 22nd.
- And that is all for Cats Week. Thank you for joining us. For Cats and WFHB, I'm Annaliese Poorman.