WEBVTT 00:00:07.490 --> 00:00:14.059 - and welcome to Cats Week. I'm Annalise Poorman. At the Bloomington Redevelopment Commission meeting 00:00:14.059 --> 00:00:20.890 - on August 3rd, two development teams pitched their plans for the future of Bloomington's College Square 00:00:20.890 --> 00:00:27.656 - site, a key parcel connecting the new convention center with downtown. The first proposal from Concord 00:00:27.656 --> 00:00:34.750 - Hospitality, TWG Development and Ratio Design, would build a 160-room hotel alongside mixed-income housing. 00:00:34.978 --> 00:00:41.748 - The team proposed a $4 million land swap with the Capital Improvement Board and estimated the project 00:00:41.748 --> 00:00:48.451 - would require about $12 million in public subsidy. Ratio Designs' Adam Tease said the proposal would 00:00:48.451 --> 00:00:51.902 - include affordable housing along the Beeline Trail. 00:00:52.770 --> 00:01:00.042 - The competing proposal submitted by Dora and Partners calls for a 135 room hotel, 80 to 100 market rate 00:01:00.042 --> 00:01:07.105 - housing units, retail space, and a pedestrian promenade linking College Avenue to the Beeline Trail. 00:01:07.105 --> 00:01:14.307 - Unlike the first proposal, Dora and Partners said that they would purchase the property for $1 million 00:01:14.307 --> 00:01:20.670 - and seek a $5 million tax increment financing incentive with no additional public subsidy. 00:01:21.218 --> 00:01:26.770 - Developer Travis Wenzel said the housing would be aimed at residents rather than students. We think 00:01:26.770 --> 00:01:32.877 - that there are 27 units that would be low to moderate income units that would be included in this development 00:01:32.877 --> 00:01:35.486 - and it would be right along the beeline trail. 00:01:36.226 --> 00:01:42.433 - Indora also hinted at plans outside the College Square proposal, saying that they are exploring affordable 00:01:42.433 --> 00:01:48.523 - housing on the city's south side to replace units that will be lost through upcoming demolitions. During 00:01:48.523 --> 00:01:54.440 - public comment, Bloomington resident Audrey Smith questioned whether downtown needs another hotel. We 00:01:54.440 --> 00:01:56.702 - don't have a whole lot of market rate. 00:01:56.962 --> 00:02:02.665 - apartments that aren't associated with student properties. We clearly don't want student here. The RDC 00:02:02.665 --> 00:02:08.313 - has been clear that they don't want student here. We don't think students appropriate here. So that's 00:02:08.313 --> 00:02:14.182 - how we arrived to the product mix. And that's why we're still somewhere between 80 and 100 units, because 00:02:14.182 --> 00:02:19.885 - we'll still vet that out as we continue to work on our design. The commission took no action on either 00:02:19.885 --> 00:02:26.142 - proposal, but will evaluate both submissions before selecting a development team for the College Square project. 00:02:26.434 --> 00:02:33.724 - The commission will meet again on August 17th. Mayor Carrie Thompson held a traveling town hall on August 00:02:33.724 --> 00:02:41.014 - 3rd at the Banneker Community Center, where she was joined by the city's new interim director of planning 00:02:41.014 --> 00:02:48.236 - and transportation, Lynn Coyne. Mayor Thompson warned that the city's long-term finances are tightening, 00:02:48.236 --> 00:02:55.870 - telling residents that the impact of recent tax changes will be felt for years. So how many hotels do we need? 00:02:56.322 --> 00:03:03.700 - That's my question. And who are we making space for in downtown Bloomington? Thank you. On homelessness, 00:03:03.700 --> 00:03:11.219 - the city is preparing a new strategy that pairs tighter rules on sleeping downtown with individual housing 00:03:11.219 --> 00:03:18.316 - plans. The mayor said that the goal is to steadily bring people inside instead of managing permanent 00:03:18.316 --> 00:03:19.230 - encampments. 00:03:19.522 --> 00:03:27.600 - by 2029, we will be losing at least $30 million a year in what we're used to. So as things get more 00:03:27.600 --> 00:03:36.002 - expensive, we are anticipating less income coming in. So things that are not critical for the municipal 00:03:36.002 --> 00:03:44.323 - government to do, we are gonna be looking at not doing them. And you will see in our budget that we're 00:03:44.323 --> 00:03:48.766 - not expanding a bunch of new shiny programs this year. 00:03:48.866 --> 00:03:57.741 - We are committed to doing things like keeping our streets up and running, making sure your water is 00:03:57.741 --> 00:04:06.616 - clean and your trash gets picked up and that we're seeking balance in all of those things. Speaking 00:04:06.616 --> 00:04:15.934 - of those essential services, we have now as of today, this is a statistic I love, filled 8,661 potholes. 00:04:16.130 --> 00:04:26.613 - this year. So kudos to our Public Works Department. Hi, Bill, come on in. We also made a decision not 00:04:26.613 --> 00:04:37.302 - to close Kirkwood Avenue this year. That came to council later on. And you may have noted that I vetoed 00:04:37.302 --> 00:04:39.358 - their resolution to 00:04:39.490 --> 00:04:46.033 - to reopen or reclose Kirkwood. I did that for a number of reasons and there's a memo out there about 00:04:46.033 --> 00:04:52.575 - it, but first and foremost, it was because we had really a great listening session and lots of input 00:04:52.575 --> 00:04:59.183 - from the public that we're just not ready yet. That doesn't mean that we're not gonna close it in the 00:04:59.183 --> 00:05:05.790 - future. It means that if we do it and when we do it, we need to put some significant investments into 00:05:05.790 --> 00:05:08.446 - doing it right so it's safe for everyone 00:05:08.610 --> 00:05:15.705 - their shade, it's a nice place to be. And that it actually is closing the street to cars means we're 00:05:15.705 --> 00:05:22.871 - opening it to everyone and everyone can use it. The Hopewell redevelopment is also entering what city 00:05:22.871 --> 00:05:30.037 - leaders describe as its first major housing phase. The mayor pointed to a recent decision by planners 00:05:30.037 --> 00:05:37.694 - and council that clears the way for dozens of new homes on the south end of the site. We are partnering with 00:05:37.890 --> 00:05:48.105 - heading home and a number of other providers launching a new initiative called Streets to Stability. 00:05:48.105 --> 00:05:58.825 - This initiative will begin closing areas of downtown to sleeping and we will begin doing that this month. 00:05:58.825 --> 00:06:04.286 - When we seek to close a district to sleeping, we will 00:06:04.834 --> 00:06:12.183 - partner with the people who are currently sleeping there with a by name list that heading home is gathering. 00:06:12.183 --> 00:06:19.195 - We will work with service providers and then those individuals will be partnered with housing resources 00:06:19.195 --> 00:06:24.926 - one by one on an individualized basis. So this program is called Streets Disability. 00:06:25.346 --> 00:06:33.105 - They are heading home, has a grant to fund some rental units that people will go directly into. Others 00:06:33.105 --> 00:06:40.939 - are gonna need something other than a conventional rental unit. And so as we move through this process, 00:06:40.939 --> 00:06:48.547 - we'll need to be looking at other resources as well. But the plan is month by month to increase that 00:06:48.547 --> 00:06:55.326 - area of downtown where sleeping is not allowed and to get people who are sleeping outside 00:06:55.490 --> 00:07:02.311 - inside. Inside City Hall, planning staff say that they're trying to make infill and small-scale housing 00:07:02.311 --> 00:07:08.935 - projects more workable within the City's complex development rules. Interim Director Lynn Coyne said 00:07:08.935 --> 00:07:15.494 - one of their goals is to make it possible to add new units on large existing lots. You know that we 00:07:15.494 --> 00:07:20.478 - had a unanimous vote from both Plan Commission and ultimately City Council. 00:07:20.738 --> 00:07:30.361 - to approve 98 new homes at Hopewell South. Those are compact lots. There's some multifamily there and 00:07:30.361 --> 00:07:39.796 - the core building is still getting ready to open, but will be opening soon. This is the first phase 00:07:39.796 --> 00:07:41.022 - of Hopewell. 00:07:41.282 --> 00:07:48.250 - Farmers Market is there every Tuesday. You all can help by sending people to Farmers Market Tuesday 00:07:48.250 --> 00:07:55.287 - afternoons. We're activating that with bands every single week during the summer. And it's right now 00:07:55.287 --> 00:08:02.464 - an intimate gathering, but we would like to really expand that Farmers Market on Tuesdays at Hopewell. 00:08:02.464 --> 00:08:06.366 - This month we expect to plait Hopewell, Hopewell South. 00:08:06.466 --> 00:08:13.640 - and so then we can get moving on construction thereafter. And just to set the expectations, getting 00:08:13.640 --> 00:08:20.958 - started on construction means infrastructure, not digging foundations for housing quite yet. Kirkwood 00:08:20.958 --> 00:08:28.707 - Avenue remains an open question after the mayor vetoed a council decision to close it to vehicular traffic. 00:08:28.707 --> 00:08:34.590 - She said a new planning effort is underway that could still reshape the corridor. 00:08:34.690 --> 00:08:42.573 - We're looking at an ordinance now amendment that allows the division of a lot, a large lot, into two. 00:08:42.573 --> 00:08:50.456 - And that seems like a very simple thing. No, it's not. Let's say if you have a large lot and you have 00:08:50.456 --> 00:08:58.571 - a house on the front and you want to have room for another house behind it, there are requirements about 00:08:58.571 --> 00:09:02.590 - frontage and I mentioned the FAR code. The FAR code 00:09:04.482 --> 00:09:10.766 - More than you need to know, a standard fire hose is 150 feet long. And they have to be able to get from 00:09:10.766 --> 00:09:16.928 - that right away, the main street, 150 feet back. So the building can't be any more than 150 feet from 00:09:16.928 --> 00:09:23.091 - that truck on that hose, as measured by the hose. So we have to work that in. You also have to, a lot 00:09:23.091 --> 00:09:29.193 - of those rear lots don't have stormwater drainage facilities. And how do you deal with that? Because 00:09:29.193 --> 00:09:30.462 - it's a small parcel. 00:09:31.042 --> 00:09:37.410 - Those are some of the challenges we met, but we're working on it. We think we've figured out ways to 00:09:37.410 --> 00:09:43.715 - do that. And we're excited by that. That's exactly what we're trying to do. And so you need to find 00:09:43.715 --> 00:09:48.318 - ways to make that work. The next traveling town hall will be in October. 00:09:49.346 --> 00:09:55.640 - The city's latest community survey drew criticism from the Bloomington City Council during its regular 00:09:55.640 --> 00:10:01.873 - meeting on August 5th. Several council members and local residents said that the survey intentionally 00:10:01.873 --> 00:10:07.006 - excluded Indiana University students in an effort to focus on year-round residents. 00:10:07.074 --> 00:10:15.274 - Jeff Anderson, president of Acuity Research, who conducted the survey, says they purposely designed 00:10:15.274 --> 00:10:23.638 - it to reflect the views of what he calls, quote, permanent residents, unquote, rather than the city's 00:10:23.638 --> 00:10:31.920 - large student population. The goal of the survey was, again, given that we wanted this to be more of 00:10:31.920 --> 00:10:34.462 - a resident survey, we targeted 00:10:34.562 --> 00:10:42.070 - those who are more likely to be year round residents and less students, because the opinions from the 00:10:42.070 --> 00:10:49.431 - students, while important, we're recognizing that many of them are not long-term residents, haven't 00:10:49.431 --> 00:10:56.865 - been in Bloomington very long, won't be in Bloomington very long. So we were designing our sample to 00:10:56.865 --> 00:11:01.502 - be more representative of year round residents outside of the, 00:11:01.602 --> 00:11:10.393 - significant IU population. Since those residents are obviously taxpayers are probably more engaged in 00:11:10.393 --> 00:11:19.271 - the community, more familiar with city services and city issues than the IU population. So the reason, 00:11:19.271 --> 00:11:28.062 - the difference in what you called out from census data versus our sample is taking that into account. 00:11:28.482 --> 00:11:37.206 - Councilmember Sidney Zulik called the reasoning behind excluding students offensive. I second councilmember 00:11:37.206 --> 00:11:45.445 - Stasberg's comment as someone who was very recently a student herself but also represents 10,000 plus 00:11:45.445 --> 00:11:49.726 - young people. That is a stunningly insulting answer. 00:11:50.722 --> 00:11:57.501 - Zulik asked how the firm was selected. Communications director Desiree de Molina said that the city 00:11:57.501 --> 00:12:02.110 - changed its approach after receiving backlash from the 2023 survey. 00:12:02.434 --> 00:12:09.091 - In 2023 we did receive a lot of feedback in response to the community survey that was issued out in 00:12:09.091 --> 00:12:16.214 - terms of things like you know the questions and the questionnaire and some critiques and residents feeling 00:12:16.214 --> 00:12:23.004 - that the questions were lengthy and maybe did not capture some of the concerns and considerations for 00:12:23.004 --> 00:12:29.128 - the larger community and were pretty targeted. So I don't know if Jeff has anything that he 00:12:29.128 --> 00:12:32.190 - would particularly like to add to this. Yeah. 00:12:32.290 --> 00:12:43.849 - Yeah, we've also recently conducted surveys in other communities with a large student population. Our 00:12:43.849 --> 00:12:55.295 - recommendation at the beginning of this was to take the approach that again, from those who are most 00:12:55.295 --> 00:13:00.734 - engaged with the community that it should focus 00:13:00.930 --> 00:13:09.342 - primarily on permanent and year round residents. When we've conducted surveys with student populations, 00:13:09.342 --> 00:13:16.702 - we get a very low response rate, either because they're not familiar with the community or 00:13:16.962 --> 00:13:23.598 - They're just not as, as interested. The council took no action on the survey during the meeting. However, 00:13:23.598 --> 00:13:29.921 - several members signaled that they would continue discussing how future community surveys can better 00:13:29.921 --> 00:13:36.432 - capture the voices of all Bloomington residents. The Monroe County waste reduction district's executive 00:13:36.432 --> 00:13:43.006 - committee met on August 4th and advanced budget and policy updates while eyeing a long-term tax changes. 00:13:43.330 --> 00:13:50.723 - Executive Director Tom McGlassen reported about $13,000 more in projected revenue and a matching increase 00:13:50.723 --> 00:13:57.907 - in expenses, including staff training and a wrap for a new hybrid minivan. He said that state property 00:13:57.907 --> 00:14:04.882 - tax changes could eventually cut the district's levy by about $150,000 annually, but not overnight. 00:14:04.882 --> 00:14:11.857 - I think that regardless of what happens, you know, we're in a strong enough financial position with 00:14:11.857 --> 00:14:13.182 - cash reserves that 00:14:13.890 --> 00:14:21.448 - You know, we don't have to have a knee-jerk reaction to a substantial, I mean, obviously we can't, 00:14:21.448 --> 00:14:29.081 - you know, absorb a $150,000 annual hit forever, but we don't have to turn right around and stop the 00:14:29.081 --> 00:14:36.715 - program because we lost $150,000. We have enough money to have time to plan for how to best address 00:14:36.715 --> 00:14:39.998 - this and minimize the impact on residents. 00:14:40.674 --> 00:14:47.516 - The Waste Reduction District Board will meet again on August 13. The Monroe County Election Board met 00:14:47.516 --> 00:14:54.694 - on August 6, where they engaged in lengthy discussions about a complaint filed against a candidate running 00:14:54.694 --> 00:15:01.939 - for office. Earlier this year, Monroe County Assessor and a Democrat incumbent Judy Sharp filed a complaint 00:15:01.939 --> 00:15:04.958 - against independent candidate Jenny Trimble. 00:15:05.570 --> 00:15:14.699 - Clerk Nicole Brown stated that no law was violated, so the complaint should be dismissed. I am going 00:15:14.699 --> 00:15:24.008 - to the third line of what we received, which is which says we do not have a law that makes it illegal. 00:15:24.008 --> 00:15:33.950 - I assume the word two should be in there to offer property in exchange for signing a petition and that. That. 00:15:36.482 --> 00:15:45.067 - I want to say I do not see why we should have a hearing in this manner and I would make a motion that 00:15:45.067 --> 00:15:53.988 - we dismiss the complaint. The board ultimately voted in favor of tabling a decision until county assessor 00:15:53.988 --> 00:15:59.038 - Judy Sharp could present evidence to support her complaint. 00:15:59.426 --> 00:16:06.335 - Until that meeting happens, the board will also be seeking further clarification about definitions in 00:16:06.335 --> 00:16:13.379 - Indiana code and election law. Members of the public expressed their opinions as well. Republican board 00:16:13.379 --> 00:16:20.355 - member Danny Shields warned the public that he would have people removed for speaking out of turn. And 00:16:20.355 --> 00:16:27.806 - it would probably be more fair to give an advance notice of a hearing so she would have more time to prepare. 00:16:29.250 --> 00:16:35.931 - Okay, if people speak out, out of turn, I will have them removed. We're having a hearing. This is not 00:16:35.931 --> 00:16:42.547 - a football game. I don't need your opinions until you get to the microphone. The board set tentative 00:16:42.547 --> 00:16:49.098 - dates for a hearing about Sharpe's complaint. Before adjourning the meeting, the board allowed time 00:16:49.098 --> 00:16:55.975 - for public comments. Jenny Trimble commented that there is no evidence against her. I just want to start 00:16:55.975 --> 00:16:56.958 - off by saying, 00:16:57.186 --> 00:17:03.844 - I don't mind if you guys have 50 more meetings or hearings over if I violated the state code because 00:17:03.844 --> 00:17:11.029 - I did not. There will not be one piece of evidence presented because I didn't receive a sheet of signatures, 00:17:11.029 --> 00:17:17.819 - one signature, not a dollar, nothing for the help and advice that I offered the taxpayers to tell them 00:17:17.819 --> 00:17:24.873 - the public information that's on the Department of Local Government Finances website that they are allowed 00:17:24.873 --> 00:17:25.598 - to access. 00:17:26.306 --> 00:17:35.161 - anybody can talk about the tax assessment system. So I'm not worried about that. Have 20 more. There's 00:17:35.161 --> 00:17:43.843 - not going to be any evidence. What I do want to say is I'm very concerned that you, Danny Shields, a 00:17:43.843 --> 00:17:51.838 - sitting member of this board, you have for over a year targeted me, attacked me in person to 00:17:51.938 --> 00:17:59.038 - to people, you've approached people on social media, you've text people in person, you've told them 00:17:59.038 --> 00:18:06.137 - to stay away from me, don't support me, not have anything to do with me. You've actually threatened 00:18:06.137 --> 00:18:13.308 - people within your own party that if they supported me, there would be retaliation against them. And 00:18:13.308 --> 00:18:20.478 - you attended a signature event in Ellitsville to see who showed up. So that's very concerning to me. 00:18:21.698 --> 00:18:27.756 - that a member of this board that has anything to do with my candidacy has been treating me this way. 00:18:27.756 --> 00:18:33.754 - Although you have yet to have one conversation with me. That's the only thing I wanted to say other 00:18:33.754 --> 00:18:39.752 - than Penny, I'm not even gonna address anything, so I'm not surprised by you. I don't even know how 00:18:39.752 --> 00:18:45.990 - you're allowed to have anything to do with Monroe County after our current jail justice center debacle. 00:18:45.990 --> 00:18:47.550 - You should have no input. 00:18:47.714 --> 00:18:55.302 - with this county at all. And I do want to just thank Nicole Brown, because you're the only sitting member 00:18:55.302 --> 00:19:02.102 - up here with common sense and integrity. And that's all I have to say. Danny Shields expressed 00:19:02.102 --> 00:19:09.690 - his disagreement with Trimble's comment. First of all, quite an imagination there. Thank you. The meeting 00:19:09.690 --> 00:19:17.278 - that I attended, here's how I attended the meeting. I had five hours of 15-year-old drivers that morning. 00:19:17.794 --> 00:19:25.351 - and driver's ed. I went home at two o'clock, I got my trailer, I went to Menards, and I bought $400 00:19:25.351 --> 00:19:32.985 - worth of treated lumber, including pieces 14 feet long. Anybody that's carried pieces of lumber that 00:19:32.985 --> 00:19:40.920 - low know what it weighs. I took it home, I put it up on the deck to work on it. I said to my wife, let's 00:19:40.920 --> 00:19:47.646 - just go to the Chinese restaurant in the Mislun Plaza, because by now it was 6.15 or so. 00:19:47.970 --> 00:19:54.679 - I drove into the parking lot of Eastman Plaza. I drove up the first row of parking. There was no place 00:19:54.679 --> 00:20:01.453 - to park. I made a circle around again. I came up and did find a parking place. I walked out of the car, 00:20:01.453 --> 00:20:07.966 - went across the street, remembered I forgot my phone, went back and got the phone. We went into the 00:20:07.966 --> 00:20:14.545 - restaurant where we spent about 35 minutes having dinner. I walked back out. We got in the car and I 00:20:14.545 --> 00:20:17.150 - left. If that's attending your signing, 00:20:17.666 --> 00:20:26.870 - If that's attending your signing, you do have quite an imagination. In the letter that you sent, and 00:20:26.870 --> 00:20:36.073 - by the way, nice AI letter. I appreciate that. It said, we sat in the car and watched. We sat in the 00:20:36.073 --> 00:20:45.277 - restaurant and had dinner. So you can continue. You can make up all the stuff you want to make up. I 00:20:45.277 --> 00:20:47.646 - don't care. I don't care. 00:20:48.866 --> 00:20:56.653 - we're not going anywhere okay the next election board meeting a hearing regarding the complaints against 00:20:56.653 --> 00:21:04.218 - a candidate joe davis is tentatively set for august 12th at 9 a.m and that is all for cats week thank 00:21:04.218 --> 00:21:08.446 - you for joining us for cats and wfhp i'm analise poorman