Dave Askins

Two months after the county council rejected funding to buy North Park for a new jail, Monroe County still has no other site—while an April 15 deadline in long-running ACLU litigation nears. Commissioners and councilors are at odds over how talk to each other, but a joint meeting could be set soon.

Bloomington’s city council approved a plan to distribute an estimated $778,293 in 2026 Community Development Block Grant funds, dividing money among administration, social services, and physical improvements. Staff and councilmembers warned that long-term federal cuts are squeezing local needs.

Bloomington’s board of public works adopted a new policy limiting large festivals in the public right of way to three downtown areas, citing public safety concerns. Fourth Street Festival organizers objected but received a one-year exception for the event’s 50th anniversary.

The Bloomington plan commission advanced the proposed 18-lot Northgrove subdivision to a second hearing, but members voiced concerns about requested waivers and variances from city subdivision standards, including alleys and sidewalks. Other concerns include stormwater impacts and tree loss.