July 14, 2025: Immigration law, women’s basketball, election equipment, live-streamed meetings, zoning changes

Weather

Based on the National Weather Service forecast in text and charts here’s some advice:

Monday: Drive nice and slow, because there could be patchy fog before 8 a.m. For maximum security, keep an umbrella within arm’s reach. But chances are you’ll be able to wait out any of the isolated showers and thunderstorms that could hit before 10 a.m. or after 3 p.m. The chance of showers and thunderstorms is just around 20%. Otherwise there will be partly sunny skies with a high near 86°F.

Tuesday: Even if you got through Monday safe and dry without an umbrella, your chances aren’t as good for Tuesday. Starting around 10 a.m. the chance of isolated showers and thunderstorms will be between 30% and 50%. The high temperature will be around 87°F.

Sign up for weather alerts: Monroe County emergency alert system.

Roundup of recent articles

• Monroe County election equipment contract OK'd—with background checks added.  This past Thursday, Monroe County commissioners approved a new two-year contract with B&L IT Services for election-related technical work, which totalled $350,000. The contract was amended to include a requirement for background checks for B&L subcontractors.
• State AG, Monroe County sheriff spar over ICE detainers; local immigration lawyer says they're unconstitutional.  There’s been no new activity in the pending lawsuit filed by Indiana AG Todd Rokita against Monroe County sheriff Ruben Marté over the county’s policy on enforcement of immigration law. But on Thursday, Rokita accused Marté of failing to honor a detainer request from ICE for Manuel Lopez Lopez.
• Sunday Funnies: Hawk v. Fish.  Hawk: How does it feel, to be on your own, with no direction home? More specifically, as a fish-shaped weather vane, how do you figure out where to point your nose? What does Fish say?? Click through to check your wit.
• Live-streamed govt meetings now required by Indiana law, state records agency advises banning AI notetakers.  A state law now in effect says that live transmissions have to be available for the meetings of some governing bodies. Included in the new law are: boards of county commissioners, city councils, town councils, township boards, county councils, and elected school boards, among others.
• Monroe County share of Eagleson Avenue bridge replacement OK’d: $976K.  The bridge on Eagleson Avenue just south of Law Lane on the Indiana University campus will get replaced next year. That’s based on an agreement with INDOT, approved by Monroe County commissioners, which involves a payment of $976,146 by the county toward the project.
• Wording still in flux: Letter from Monroe County to Indiana legislators, prompted by jail funding worries.  Based on a 20-minute discussion at the end of their regular Thursday meeting, Monroe County commissioners are still hoping to win support from county councilors for a letter they want to send to state legislators, asking for revisions to state law to help finance the planned new Monroe County jail.
• Monroe County sheriff: Driver of truck that rear-ended tractor arrested, charged with OWI.  In a news release issued on Thursday (July 10) morning, the Monroe County sheriff’s office announced earlier the same morning, the driver of a pickup truck that rear-ended a farm tractor west of Bloomington had been arrested for driving while intoxicated that caused serious injury.

On the calendar

Hoops on Kirkwood! Appearing on a special meeting agenda for the board of public works on Monday (July 14) at 11:45 a.m. is a request to use a portion of Kirkwood Avenue, which is already closed off for the summer dining program, as part of a kickoff event for the WNBA All Star Weekend and the WNBA All-Star Game in Indianapolis. The event itself is set for Tuesday (July 15) from 6:30 p.m. to 9 p.m. There will be a meet-and-greet with the Indiana University women’s basketball team.

Public feedback on public comment policy: Board of health. Starting at 4:30 p.m. on Monday (July 14) in the Nat U. Hill Room of the historic Monroe County courthouse, the county board of health will hear public comment on its new draft public comment policy. For B Square background, see: Monroe County health board drafts public comment policy, seeking public input

Changes to table of uses in Bloomington zoning code. On the 5:30 p.m. Monday (July 14) meeting agenda for Bloomington’s plan commission are seven separate proposals from planning staff to make changes to the Allowed Use Table in the city’s UDO (Unified Development Ordinance). That sounds like a lot, which could make for a long meeting. But some of the changes are really minor—in one case literally removing one asterisk. Still, there’s a couple that could generate some deliberations. One example is a proposal to change “residential rooming house” to “single room occupancy” (SRO) as a use that is defined and regulated. A key change is the elimination of the requirement that the owner of the property has to occupy the rooming house as their primary residence. For an overview, see: Bloomington zoning: Revisions to use table to be mulled in July; public process on changes to housing to come later

Re-initiation of text amendments to city zoning code. On the 6 p.m. Wednesday (July 16) meeting agenda for Bloomington’s city council are two items that restart a process to revise the city’s zoning code that the council first started in November 2024. The council is asking the plan commission to develop proposals to revise the affordable housing incentives in the UDO (Unified Development Ordinance) and to add single room occupancy (SRO) as a use. The SRO item is already part of the plan commission’s Monday agenda, but both items are past their statutory deadlines for action.

I think part of the problem stems from the fact that in November 2024 the city council did not grasp how big a lift it was asking the plan commission to make—which was to hold a public hearing within 60 days of the city council’s action and to vote on the proposal within 60 days of the hearing. For B Square background, see: City council Bloomington misses statutory deadlines for action on zoning code changes, after initiation by city council

Friday music at Switchyard Park. Finish off the week with music at Switchyard Park on Friday (July 18). The Dynamics start at 6 p.m. followed by Hank Ruff at 7:45 p.m. There will be food trucks to satisfy all your hungries and thirsties.

Book Swap: Morgenstern’s. On Sunday, July 20, Morgenstern’s is hosting a book swap from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. All books have to be in good condition and printed in the last 10 years. There’s a limit of 5 books to swap per participant.

Vacancy caucus. The Monroe County Democratic Party will be holding a vacancy caucus to elect a new chair of the party on July 20 at 3 p.m in Bloomington’s city hall. For B Square background, see: Ujdak resigns as chair of Monroe County Dems after 3 1/2 months, calls for ‘direct action’ to improve lives of others

Meet Biscuits and Gravy!

This very, very good boy is a shepherd mix. Here’s what the shelter staff have written about Biscuits and Gravy.

Biscuits & Gravy is super sweet, super housetrained, and ready to be your new bestie! He loves people and head pats, and would love to go home with you today!

Photo Finish: 7th Street at IU Auditorium

The Photo Finish items are drawn from the B There section of the B Square website.

The geographic coverage of the B There section is pretty limited. Please consider occasionally contributing to the B There section some brief factual observations about the world outside your own head, as you go about your normal business. (Photos are optional for B There.) The mechanics of making a contribution are pretty straightforward—just let me know if you'd like to learn the ins and outs. If you're looking at this bulletin in your email inbox, you should be able to reach me by hitting Reply.

Thanks for reading. I hope your week is off to a great start!

Dave Askins
734-645-2633
dave@bsquarebulletin.com