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.