March 16, 2026: Branding contract questions, displaced tenants in county-owned apts, editor’s note

Civic Solver

Civic Solver turns Bloomington’s everyday civic life into a puzzle. This week’s game is a jigsaw puzzle!

Weather Talk

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

Monday: Slow down, bundle up, hang on to your hat. There will be scattered snow showers, mainly after 9 a.m. The temperature will start around 35F° but fall to around 28F° by 5 p.m. It will be breezy, with a west wind around 21 mph, with gusts as high as 33 mph.

Tuesday: Stay bundled up. The day will start from an overnight low of 16F°. The partly sunny skies will push the temperature to a high of no better than 29F°. Wind gusts will get as high as 20 mph.

Sign up for weather alerts: Monroe County emergency alert system

Recent articles

• Sunday Funnies: Hawk v. Fish.  Hawk: The rabbits I hunt have changed tactics this spring. Now they link arms and hop backwards whenever I fly overhead. How does Fish explain this to the Hawk?
• Monroe County property transfers through March 11, 2026.  This report includes new property transfers in Monroe County that haven’t previously been reported by The B Square, with dates ranging from Feb. 20 to March 11, 2026. The data in this report comes from Beacon, the county’s online geographic information system for property and parcel data.
• Editor’s Notebook: A pair of hawks, another year of The B Square, things are looking up.  A Saturday search for Bloomington’s red-tailed hawks led from the courthouse square to a pine by Franklin Hall—and to a reflection on spring, local rhythms, and the readers who keep The B Square Bulletin aloft a year after its relaunch.
• Bloomington paid full $95K branding contract, key deliverables still not finished 4 months later.  Bloomington paid the full $95K CivicBrand contract last November, but two major parts of the branding project remain unfinished. The episode raises broader questions about the city’s payment practices, compliance with federal accessibility rules, and how public records are shared.
• Revised Bloomington Convention Center hotel plan collides with housing affordability crisis at Seminary Pointe apartments.  Plans for a convention-center host hotel are colliding with the fate of Seminary Pointe apartments—among Bloomington’s cheapest rentals. Tenants paying $400–$700 a month face non-renewal notices as officials weigh transferring the property for hotel development.

On the calendar

Real estate transfer from city for Trades District hotel. On the 5 p.m. Monday (March 16) meeting agenda for Bloomington’s redevelopment commission is a resolution authorizing signatories for the transfer of the Trades District property for the construction of a hotel by Alluinn IU Trades District Hotel. For B Square background, see: Trades District update: Bloomington OKs revised hotel deal, greenlights interior renovation to The Mill

Hiring committee meeting. Set for a meeting on Tuesday (March 17) at 5 p.m. is a meeting of the Bloomington city council’s hiring committee. Both of the council’s staff attorneys resigned around the same time, effective March 9. The council is weighing whether to define two different positions, one to focus on just legal work and the other to focus just on administrative work.

Review of missing campaign finance forms. The Monroe County election board has a special meeting set for Friday (March 20) at 1:30 p.m. to review missing campaign finance forms for some candidates.

Public test of election equipment. The public test of the voting equipment to be used in for the May 5 primary election will be done on Tuesday, March 24, at 9:30 a.m. at the Monroe County Government Center 501 N. Morton Street (New Early Voting Location).

Democratic Party primary candidate forum: County commissioner, House District 61. On March 23, the League of Women Voters is hosting a forum for Democratic Party candidates for Indiana House District 61 representative (Matt Pierce and Lilliana Young) and Monroe County commissioner, District 1 (Trent Deckard and David Henry). The time is 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. Location is Tri-North Middle School.

Zingtrain: April 1. Brought to you by the Greater Bloomington Chamber of Commerce, this is a full day of training at the Bloomington Convention Center from the world’s leading experts in customer service—Zingerman’s Deli in Ann Arbor, Michigan. That’s not just the chamber telling you that, it’s me—former Ann Arbor resident for two decades—telling you that. And check this out: This event is free to everybody, chamber members and non-members alike. The chamber’s event description has more details. Lunch will also be provided!

Trashion Refashion: April 12. Trashion Refashion has announced the release of ticket sales for this year’s event, which is set for April 12, at the Buskirk-Chumley Theater. Organizers describe the event like this: “This beloved event blends high fashion with sustainability, showcasing over 50 original, upcycled designs modeled by a diverse cast of community members. A highlight of Bloomington’s arts scene since 2010, the show promotes environmental sustainability and artistic creativity while challenging conventional notions about beauty and consumerism.” It’s a fundraiser for the Center for Sustainable Living. There’s more information in the link to the news release, but here’s a direct link to purchase tickets.

Ms. Lake Lemon: May 16. Start your training regimen now. This amazing contest of skill is to be held at Riddle Point Park this year. Monitor the Ms. Lake Lemon Facebook page for details, as they become available. The B Square covered last year’s inaugural event.

Meet Mortimer Octavius!

This very, very good boy is a Carolina Dog. Here’s what the shelter staff have written about Mortimer Octavius:

Once upon a time, a cool dude led a scary life until he ended up in the home of a devoted foster mom where he learned to sparkle and shine. That foster mom taught him that being a dog can be a lot of fun. She showed him how to have best dog friends, how to get pets, how to be potty trained and how to love. Morty has come a LONG WAY from the hoarding situation he was seized from 18 months ago. He rings a bell to go outside for potty. He initiates play with other dogs and adapts to different play styles. He gets onto the couch with his foster momma for snuggles and curls up next to her bed each night. His favorite things, you ask? - squeaky toys, balls, treat balls, snuffle mats He loves kibble/yogurt ice cubes, frozen berries, pumpkin, zucchini, carrots, oranges, other dogs and people who give him a chance. Be a part of this young man's journey. Contact us to meet him today! In a foster home–call (812) 349-3492 for questions

Photo Finish: 9th Street & Morton Street

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

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

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

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