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Dave Askins

Dave Askins

Bloomington, Indiana

Dave Askins is editor and publisher of The B Square Bulletin. A Hoosier native with a background in math and linguistics, he previously co-founded the Ann Arbor Chronicle with his wife, Mary Morgan.

UDO Update: Amendments on bigger signs, taller fences OK’d

UDO Update: Amendments on bigger signs, taller fences OK’d

Bloomington’s city council handled a half dozen more amendments to the update of its unified development ordinance on Wednesday night, approving four out of six. Three of the approved amendments relax restrictions on large, generally flattish objects: solar panels, fences, and signs. The other amendment approved by the council

Convention center expansion: City councilmembers, county commissioners look to post-Thanksgiving work based on commitment to equal representation

Convention center expansion: City councilmembers, county commissioners look to post-Thanksgiving work based on commitment to equal representation

On Thursday night in Bloomington’s city council chambers, city and county elected officials convened their third meeting since mid-September about the convention center expansion . It was hard for the watching public on Thursday to discern much forward progress for the project. It has been stalled since late May,

Monroe County commissioners: Equal county-city representation is “only way” to move convention center expansion forward

Monroe County commissioners: Equal county-city representation is “only way” to move convention center expansion forward

Set for Thursday night in Bloomington’s city council chambers is the third in a series of meetings between city and county elected officials about the planned expansion of the county convention center. A short letter from the three Monroe County commissioners, sent Wednesday to Bloomington’s mayor, John Hamilton,

Monroe County chooses Hart Intercivic for voting equipment purchase

Monroe County chooses Hart Intercivic for voting equipment purchase

At the work session following their regular Wednesday morning meeting, Monroe County commissioners confirmed a choice of vendor for some new election equipment: Hart Intercivic, out of Austin, Texas. The other competing vendor was Election Systems & Software (ES&S), out of Omaha, Nebraska. Based on the recommendation of

UDO update: Parliamentary prickliness as Bloomington stands pat on parking minimums

UDO update: Parliamentary prickliness as Bloomington stands pat on parking minimums

On Tuesday night, Bloomington’s city council dispatched about a dozen amendments to its draft unified development ordinance, setting itself up for a realistic shot at handling all the amendments released so far by the end of its Wednesday session. [For a linked list of all those amendments see The

Uncertain future for Bloomington farmers market, still no decision on charges against protestors

Uncertain future for Bloomington farmers market, still no decision on charges against protestors

At Monday’s meeting of the farmers market advisory council, held in Bloomington’s city council chambers, few answers about the future of the market could be gleaned from the group’s discussion. That’s partly because the group’s role is just advisory, to the city’s four-member

Sidewalk committee climbing a $17M mountain with $300K annual steps: Half-century until summit

Sidewalk committee climbing a $17M mountain with $300K annual steps: Half-century until summit

On Monday at noon, Bloomington city council’s sidewalk committee met for the second time in the last couple weeks, to sort through 62 proposed new sidewalk construction projects for 2020. This year, the four-member group has $324,000 to allocate towards the projects, one of which, along Dunn