- Hello and welcome to Cats Creek. I'm Annaliese Poorman. The Monroe County Capital Improvement Board
- will move forward with plans to demolish Seminary Point.
- During its meeting on August 19, the CIB approved a 90-day letter of intent with Dora Hospitality to
- work toward an agreement to develop a convention center host hotel. However, the CIB plans phase opposition
- from the local advocacy group, Homes for All. During public comment, Homes for All organizer Barry Herbers
- says he does not believe the Seminary Point property is needed for the convention center.
- The CIB is no longer even planning to use Seminary Point as the site for a subsidized Convention Center
- host hotel. It instead appears that the CIB intends to give this land away to Dora Hospitality. It was
- a lie that the CIB ever needed this land for the Convention Center, and that lie is more clear now than
- it has ever been. The idea that 29 units of super affordable housing must be destroyed, several beloved
- businesses displaced, and dozens of people forced to leave their homes was manufactured. This is a corporate giveaway.
- The CIB is a quasi-government entity, that is, an unelected body with no accountability to the public,
- but which receives millions and millions in taxpayer money. They have found a way to give millions in
- free capital to their business pals like Vincent Dora of Dora Hospitality. Jason McCullough, another
- Homes for All member, said that advocates had developed an alternative plan to preserve affordable housing
- at Seminary Point.
- of advocates instead took matters into their own hands, speaking to mission-based investors and affordable
- housing developers. They ultimately devised a cooperative business plan which could ensure the renovation
- and affordability of Seminary Point. And for a moment, it seemed like local government and even the
- CIV were actually listening until they weren't. The land swap to preserve affordable housing in one
- place and let Dora take a corporate subsidy to build a host hotel in another was abruptly abandoned.
- In its place, we are now facing down the barrel of two subsidized hotels, a brutal astronomical corporate
- giveaway that spits in the face of the working class of Bloomington. Meanwhile, C.I.B. President John
- Weichart pointed out that many of the displaced commercial spaces are finding locations in other parts
- of town. Furthermore, he argued that Seminary Point apartments continue to cost them money and ongoing
- security problems.
- We've now had 27 documented incidents in the last 25 days. They would now be, now we've had 15 trespassing,
- four vandalism, one missing person that we've been involved with looking for, two of drug use, one indecent
- exposure, one person urinating in public, three police calls and one drug arrest. So that's what we've
- dealt with since the 23rd when we secured the buildings.
- Our security costs, we have now contracted with MSI to provide additional security to those properties
- to view them more often, to check them out more often. We're now paying $8,680 per month for eight hours
- of overnight monitoring. I have the distinction, Talisha gets them first and then I get them second.
- I get to read all the security reports. And so I've read all of these reports of the 27 incidents in the last
- 25 days. If we extrapolate that 8680 out over a period of time that could include up to December when
- demolition could be completed, that means we're absorbing $43,500 in additional security costs. Next,
- the board approved a contract with Weddle Brothers Construction to start the demolition process. Project
- Manager Andrew Sherry detailed the demolition timeline
- Again, we have already started the coordination with BRCJ and BET Environmental as far as their environmental
- reports. It would include the coordination of the consultants, the pre-construction services, and the
- permitting coordination and applications where needed. The pre-construction schedule has been created
- to account for
- all the permitting, the surveys, the drawings, the title searches, and utility disconnections, which
- currently, based off the schedule and all the dates that we've heard, could happen by November 4th.
- Weichart asked when the demolition would be complete. Sherry said that the job would be finished by
- the end of this year. When would you anticipate, if all goes well, that this process would be concluded?
- In other words, we would have
- As I understand it, we would have buildings down and then we need to do some remediation of the service.
- Yes, we would have to stabilize the job or the site after we remove all the buildings and we would plan
- on having that done by December 31st. OK, so by December 31st, all of it would be completed. Yes. Matthew
- Joseph, representing Homes for All, questioned whether the land and financial support offered to Dora
- could be used for development beyond the hotel.
- And generally what it is, it's a letter of intent to work towards a definitive agreement that spells
- out the obligations of DORA and CIB towards the construction and completion and operation of a host
- hotel. That letter of intent includes as the guidelines or the basis for that, the proposal,
- that Dora made at their presentation and that we selected in response to our request for proposals.
- That's incorporated into that letter of intent is what we are expecting as the hotel that will be developed
- and the parameters of that hotel. And so we are here today asking that
- that letter of intent be improved and that we move forward with seeking the definitive agreement that
- will spell all of that out. The agreement letter of intent calls for a 90 day period for us to work
- towards that definitive agreement. So at this time I'd ask for approval to allow John to sign that letter
- of intent with Dora so that we can move forward towards a definitive agreement for a host hotel.
- The board also approved a letter of intent with Dora Hospitality for the host hotel. Board member Jim
- Whitlatch explained what the LOI entails. It's also very clear that the subsidy is not just going for
- the hotel. It's very clear that the subsidy is also going for the land that Dora is not using for the
- hotel. And the question I asked at the last CIP meeting was, what's going to happen to Seminary Point?
- Still unanswered, yet at the two RDC meetings ago, Vince Dora made it very clear that they are wanting
- to build housing on top of Seminary Point. Looks like a subsidy to Dora, not for the hotel, does it?
- That's a subsidy to Dora for market rate apartments. Even if they want to build 10 affordable housing,
- that is not a replacement of what they destroyed.
- We need to set a precedent that if you're going to destroy affordable housing that you're going to build
- more than what you destroyed. Double it and make it for those that are most vulnerable. The Monroe County
- Capital Improvement Board will meet again on September 16th. The Richland Bean Blossom School Board
- had their first meeting of the 2026-2027 school year on August 18th. The meeting began with public comment.
- multiple parents from Edgewood Primary School's Journeys special education program pressed the district
- on recent changes. Parent Nicole O'Neill summarized her frustration. Parents should not have to organize
- or and advocate in order for a high needs program to be appropriately staffed and supported at the start
- of the school year. Our children require consistent specialized support and they deserve that from day one.
- While we recognize the district's response and the circumstances at the beginning of the year have really
- impacted our family's trust. The question now is what systems oversight and safeguards will be put in
- place to ensure this does not happen again and to restore that trust going forward. Thank you.
- Parent Samantha Parker called for stronger safeguards and more clear documentation for special education
- students, particularly when it comes to incidents, injuries, and parent notification. We as SPED parents
- have further requested that the safeguards and documentation systems are broader than health documentation
- alone. Our children, your students, require additional accommodations that children in gen ed classes
- may not need such as routine,
- consistency and additional security or reporting of incidences and injuries. This for us may include
- but does not limit to aforementioned incidents and injuries, medical or safety events, required parent
- notifications, follow-up and corrective actions, and other defined safeguards which may require more
- physical tangent means. One major concern we immediately noticed and are still actively addressing with
- the primary school are on staffing,
- coverage and documenting relevance when noting significant events. What constitutes per legal guarantee
- an incident requiring documentation? Who determines whether parents are notified and within what timeframe?
- How are these conflicts conflicting accounts of an incident involved and what actions will be taken
- to prevent this feed of miscommunication moving forward?
- The final speaker, Jeremiah O'Neill, urged the board to consider cameras and stronger digital documentation.
- The point is that safeguards shouldn't be created after something terrible happens. I don't think any
- of us families want to see something happen to our kids. That's why families have proposed two forms
- of objective accountability. The cameras, if there's an injury, behavioral event, allegation,
- or conflicting account, an objective record can protect the student, the teacher, the administration,
- and the district. Digital communication and documentation. If an IEP safety plan, medical need,
- accommodation, or other required support says something is supposed to occur, there should be a simple,
- auditable way of documenting that it occurred. This isn't about assuming teachers are doing something
- wrong. It's about creating a system where nobody, parents, teachers, administrators, or the board has
- to rely solely on memory,
- verbal assurances or conflicting accounts. Later in the meeting, the board turned to a detailed construction
- update. The most immediate problem being water damage due to issues with a roofing project at Edgewood
- Junior High Gym. Construction staff said that they plan to start replacing the floor in early September
- and finish by the end of October while the district and its attorneys work with the roofing contractor's
- insurer. School board president Dana Kerr explained the timeline.
- The first goal is to get the job started and then work on the percentage, if not the company paying
- for all of it. But we have to get started on it now. We can't wait to negotiate who's going to pay what
- or we could be in this situation for a year.
- The district is moving ahead with a $22.8 million package of additions and renovations at Edgewood Junior
- High and High School. After years of piecemeal HVAC fixes, construction manager Martin Truesdale said
- that the project will connect all buildings to a single modern controls platform while keeping much
- of the existing equipment in place. You have had, over the years, incremental improvements.
- And the challenge with that is that, you know, you're mixing old... The meeting ended with board members
- saying that they took the Journey's parents' concerns seriously while also praising transportation crews,
- custodial staff and administrators for what they call a strong start to the new school year.
- The Monroe County Commissioners met on August 20th. The board heard a presentation from the County Women's
- Commission on a survey that they are conducting. Commission Chair Susan Hingle said that the project
- began because the county lacks comprehensive data on the experiences and needs of women and marginalized
- genders. While state and national data exist on some issues, there is very little local data available.
- particularly for gender diverse residents. We do not currently have a comprehensive community wide data
- set that tells us what people in Monroe County are experiencing, what challenges they face, what resources
- they need and what they believe should be addressed. After the first round of data collection, Hingle
- said the commission needs more participation to make the findings representative. One of the strongest
- recommendations was the importance of continuing outreach
- to ensure we hear from a broader and more representative cross-section of Monroe County residents. As
- a result, the Women's Commission is launching phase two of data collection and outreach. The quality
- of our findings depends on the diversity of voices represented. The survey remains open until October
- 1st and takes about 10 minutes to complete. Hingle said that all responses are confidential.
- She said the ultimate goal is to make sure residents have an opportunity to contribute to the county's
- understanding of local needs. We hope this will spread the word and encourage participation through
- the community. Thank you again for your time, your support and your commitment to ensuring that all
- Monroe County residents have an opportunity to be heard.
- We look forward to sharing the continued findings with you once data collection and analysis are complete.
- The next County Commissioner's meeting will take place at 10 a.m. on August 27th. The Bloomington Board
- of Public Safety met on August 20th. Scott Oldham, Deputy Chief for the Bloomington Police Department,
- reported a decrease in call volume for the year.
- So far this year, we're a little bit down on call volume. Don't worry, we'll catch up. Currently 44,018
- calls as of the time they put this slide together. That's a decrease of about 5,500 or 11.2%. Last couple
- days, we're making up ground. Oldham said that traffic stops increased and crime involving weapons and
- adult arrests decreased.
- Meanwhile, the fire department saw 471 total runs in July, a 4 percent increase from last year. The
- Board of Public Safety's next meeting is on September 17th.
- The Monroe County Public Library Board of Trustees met on August 19th. The board discussed a $14.6 million
- spending budget for 2027 with a library tax rate of about 8.5%. Financial Officer Gary Letelier said
- that the budget is subject to change following county budget hearings in September. Growth quotient
- for 2027 is 6%.
- Total estimated operating revenue for 2027 is about $12.7 million. And revenue in the debt fund to cover
- bond payments will be about $640,000. So total spending budget, including the operating fund, the bond
- payments in the debt fund, and the rainy day fund, is about $14.6 million.
- Letelier says that the library's proposed 2027 tax rate would be about 8.5% after changes to property
- values in Monroe County. So in 2027, the assessed value is $11,068,322,579. And so when to calculate
- the tax rate,
- It would be the operating levy divided by the assessed value $100. Well, it's the assessed value divided
- by $100. And that's the figure that we divide the operating levy into to get the 7.93% operating fund
- tax rate and the 0.58%
- debt fund tax rate. So a total tax rate of 8.51% for 2027. And then comparing that to the current year,
- 2026, the assessed value went down by about $21 million. So in 2026,
- the assessed value dropped from the previous year by close to $100,000. But when you look at 2025, the
- assessed value in 2025 increased by more than a billion dollars. The board does not simply choose the
- tax rate. Letelier said that the growth quotient set by the state of Indiana plays a major role. Basically,
- numbers that determine that. And so it's the growth quotient. So when we take last year's tax levy and
- apply the growth quotient, that's the tax dollars we're going to get. And when we know that and we know
- what the assessed value is, that it's just a calculation of those tax dollars,
- their percentage of the assessed value and that's the library rate. So it's really the growth quotient
- that is set by the state that is the real determining factor along with total assessed value.
- The board also looked at renewing its employee health insurance benefits. Human resources director,
- Becky Throckmorton said that she does not know what the library's rates will be. However, industry-wide
- increases could be higher than usual. Industry-wide, kind of what we're seeing and hearing is that like
- 20-ish percent is what folks are anticipating for premiums to increase. That's not specific to us. That's
- just like, when you look industry-wide,
- So typically we plan for about 14%, so 20%. It's a little bit higher than what we usually expect to
- see, but a lot of that has to do with things that are going on in the wider world. The library won't
- know what the actual renewal costs are until later this fall. Library Director Greer Carson said that
- they're working with the library's insurance broker, JA Benefits, to prepare for whatever increases
- may be coming.
- we work with JA pretty early in the season to anticipate what may be coming and then develop some strategies
- for either absorbing or deferring and passing on or whatever we have to do. So we can bring all those
- options to you all in November. Depending on what JA brings to us in the next couple of months, we may
- want to schedule a work session in November if those numbers are
- bigger than we want them to be, we'll probably want to take some extra time to talk through what our
- options are. And that's when we would schedule sort of a work session a week before our actual board
- meeting where you all would vote on it. Because once you vote on it in November, we got to move and
- do the open rule pretty quickly. Later, Carson said that the library's new bookmobile is nearing completion.
- We are in the final stages of building the new Bookmobile with a handful of expected wrinkles to iron
- out in terms of our original specifications, the products available, and all of those things. We're
- getting about bi-weekly updates at this point from the vendor, and we expect the vehicle to be ready
- close to the stated deadline of late September. To be safe, we might say it'll be early October, but
- we're getting pretty close.
- The MCPO Board of Trustees will meet again on September 16th at the Southwest Branch with a public budget
- hearing slated on the same day. And that is all for Cats Week. Thank you for joining us. For Cats and
- WFHB, I'm Annalise Poorman.